2015 in Review
First off, many thanks to everyone who has supported me over on Patreon! Your contributions make a regular and palpable difference in my life each month, and I can’t express to you how much it means to me that you’ve decided to pledge a little bit of cash each month to support my creative endeavors. I truly appreciate it!
So, 2015 has got to be one of the biggest, most pivotal years in my life. So much has changed on a personal and creative level for me this past year… Those of you who know me personally know that my life went through a series of big changes this year, so much so that I joke that my mid-life crisis has arrived just a little bit early (it’s only kind of a joke). There has been a lot of sorrow and joy for me in 2015, and it was definitely challenging and bittersweet… I’m certain I’ll be thinking about 2015 for a long time to come. But today I’m going to focus here on my creative work during this year. I’ve been incredibly blessed this year with amazing projects, clients, and collaborators. Here are a few highlights of my work from this past year:
Operation: Pineapple Sparkle #1 for Area 1
This comic, which you can read online for free, was a delightful commission from the internet security startup Area 1. I worked with the CEO Oren Falkowitz on a story that showcases both sides of a major hack. Above you can see the physical comics in a vending machine, so cool! I’m delighted to announce that Operation: Pineapple Sparkle #2 is already complete and will be released in early 2016!
The California Sunday/Uber
When Lauren Smith, my former boss at the late, great Curiosity Shoppecalled me up early this year, little did I realize that I would soon be working for her new venture, The California Sunday Magazine, or creating a bespoke advertisement for one of the biggest companies in the world, Uber! This opportunity, along with my work for Area 1, was a huge catalyst for my move to a full-time freelance career, and helped set the path for the huge professional shift I made this year.
Linework NW
For the second year in a row I worked with the Linework NW team to put on a comics and illustration festival in the heart of Portland. In 2015 we doubled the size of the show and expanded to two days, and hosted such luminaries as Daniel Clowes and many more. Many thanks to my co-founder Zack Soto, screenprinter Matthew Davison (who printed the amazing posters this year, one of which you can see above), our amazingteam of organizers and volunteers, and our many sponsors; I am so proud of this remarkable, positive, and exhausting event! Linework NW 2016 is returning May 21st and 22nd, 2016!
Cent Jours
I spent the summer in Montréal, Québec, working on my French and otherwise re-connecting with my mother’s homeland. Montréal has to be one of the cutest, most charming cities on the face of the earth, and I did 100 drawings over the course of 100 days of the city’s buildings, parks, and inhabitants to better acquaint myself with the place. The project culminated in September with my first-ever solo art show atMonastiraki in Mile End (that’s me and proprietor Billy Maveras above)! I am currently making an e-book of the drawings and will release it in early 2016.
Littlefour
My good friend Danielle Rodrigues moved her charming shop Littlefour to a bright new location in Sebastopol, and she asked me to help her with a rebrand to go with her new digs. I designed a custom logo and typeface for the shop, and worked with Paul Stepahin, who fabricated gorgeous wood signs for the shop.
Nature Conservancy Canada
I got the chance to do some illustration work for Conservation de la nature/Nature Conservancy Canada, creating illustrations and a bespoke logo for the Covey Hill region… I’m deeply proud to have contributed in my small way to the preservation of this habitat!
Titan #2
After nearly two years (!!!) of stops and starts, I was finally able to finish the second issue of my sci-fi comic Titan, completing most of the book in just a single month! The book was out for SPX 2015, and was in stores nation wide in October. Oh, and I also had a little opening for the release at Floating World Comics (where I also had the privilege of working on and off throughout the year), marking mysecond art show in 2015! I feel that every aspect of this second issue is superior to #1, and I am excited to announce that Titan #3 will be following hard on the heels of this issue, and will be in stores in May of 2016!
Squid & Whale Screenprint
Finally, I got to wrap up the year with a fun collaborative project with Walker Cahall of Waltronic Press: This fall we worked together to make a limited edition serigraph of my Squid & Whale design. It was such a pleasure to work with my friend on this project, and we’re eager to do more work together in the coming year!
Many thanks for all the support this year, and I can’t wait to share more work with you all in the coming year!