As Jordi noted, it’s been exactly a month since an update! Guess it takes some time to get back on track after any comics show.
And now I’m leaving in a week for another festival – this time in Beja, Portugal. I’ll be signing and/or presenting on the weekend
of May 30th & 31st and have 31 original pages in their exhibition. If you live near Lisbon, hope to see you!
LW asked if I’ll be at MoCCA … unfortunately no. After these couple of comics shows, I gotta get back to focusing exclusively on the book.
Though I will be at an American Library Association’s Annual Conference in Chicago on July 13th.
Below is a simple panel in progress from today’s page. I’m still guarded about revealing Habibi spoilers, but I can say we’re in the 470s now!
Poppy asked that I respond to a few of the blog comments, so here goes. Kristi A., definitely feel free to weave some of my work
in your final project. (In general, I’m cool for people to appropriate my drawings in such ways, as long as it’s not for profit.)
Ahnmin, thanks for the poem! Avri, very cool Dandel sculpture (as seen below, along with an Oregon waterfall).
And some TOOL questions. Alex Holden, I don’t print my pencils as blue lines. Rather, I ink right on top of the pencils, so the pencils are
only preserved when I scan them for this blog. (Also thanks for sending your MAGIC HOUR minis.) Brandon, as far as I know you can’t find
Pentel pocketbrush pens or refills in Portland. Best to order online. Jess Smart Smiley, the floor scraps are definitely part of the process.
Hope some of this babble is useful… Thank you always for your comments and support!
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May 21st, 2009 at 4:05 pm
Muse on SE Hawthorne (~42nd) has been stocking Pentel Pocket Brush Pens and refills. They’re a small store but actually really good for cartoonists – they also carry some of those Japanese nibs for dip pens, and good inks.
May 21st, 2009 at 4:06 pm
I love your stuff and reading your blog.
May 21st, 2009 at 4:53 pm
Aww, Beja’s a bit far from Lisbon =|Sure you’re not visiting Lisbon too? =)
May 21st, 2009 at 11:08 pm
Hi Craig, beautiful panels as usual. I wanted to ask, what is that plastic thing you have around your brush? It looks like something that could potentially help me hold my brush better a lot, since I often struggle with the thin sized brushes compared to most pens (which I guess is why the Pentel Pocketbrush works so well for me). Any information would be greatly appreciated!
May 22nd, 2009 at 2:50 am
Hello Craig, I live in Lisbon and going to Beja for sure on that weekend. I’m looking forward to see some of your original work, and you too. Love your work, and this blog, it’s great you’re going to be here, welcome!
May 22nd, 2009 at 2:58 am
I’ll see you in Beja then. With your books for you to sign
May 22nd, 2009 at 4:54 am
Hey, can you tell me the exact name, or link me the place i can buy from web this pentel brushpen that you hold at the second image of this post, the one which you are drawing, because the only oentel i can find is this black that there ink is not very good, it goes when i erase the pencils.
thx !
May 22nd, 2009 at 6:30 am
every time i see your work, i remind myself that i should invest in some good quality brushes instead of buying the cheap kind and trashing them in two days because they’re cheap anyway. and then i think about the kind of person i am and realise i’d trash the expensive quality stuff anyway.
lovely work, i can’ wait for habibi to come out.
May 22nd, 2009 at 10:50 am
Hey neat! Thanks for the permissions. (My weaving class is over and all, and without your permission, I didn’t try to do any exact copies of your work, but just a bit to look like your stuff.)
Honestly, it is very hard to weave in comic.
It ended up being smaller, as undergrad work always does, due to time constraint.
Here is the detail:
I tried to do 3 self portraits in comic styles based on my comic history. The first one is based off of Archie comics, which I read when I was really little. Since Blankets brought me back into comics, I did the middle one in an attempt to render myself into that world. The third is more like my own stuff that I’m working on now.
I’d like to do more overtop of it, like maybe putting in a wagon from Calvin and Hobbes or a little hint of Bone.
May 22nd, 2009 at 10:52 am
Ahh. my pictures did not post.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/desolatecows/
The full size and detail are the first two on my flickr.
May 22nd, 2009 at 2:43 pm
You ARE guarded about Habibi spoilers! As far as I can tell, it’s about 500 pages of gentle, bald man nursing and bathing ailing woman. Things don’t look too good for her… Nonetheless, I still can’t wait!
-Far from Lisbon, and hoping you’re coming to LA soon!
May 22nd, 2009 at 3:55 pm
I can’t believe you’re coming to Portugal and I won’t be able to go see you. I hope next time you visit my country, you make sure you visit Porto! I’m sure it’d be an inspiring visit
keep up your amazing work!
May 22nd, 2009 at 4:42 pm
FYI for Portland peeps: I’ve seen the Pentel pocket brush pen and refills at the japanese bookstore inside of Uwajimaya (the asian grocery out in Beaverton). Hope that helps!
As always, beautiful pages, Craig!
May 23rd, 2009 at 12:18 am
Hi Craig, I’m Alexandra from Taiwan. First, I have to apologize for my poor English:p …I just finished your “Blankets”. That story recalled me many memories of childhood. Sometimes we met bad things, but we’ve found out the world is not too bad. I’m still looking for my dream. I admire your creations, it’s very beautiful. Anyway, just would like to greet. Keep your interesting works. :”)
May 23rd, 2009 at 6:11 am
Thanks for the update!
I love that photo of you and the waterfall hehe
What do you do with that inky toothbrush?
May 23rd, 2009 at 11:42 am
Re-read Blankets for about the fifth time. Everytime I find something new and beautiful. SO much of it feels so familiar. The wait for Habibi is excruciating. Very much looking forward to it. Hoping to see you in Chicago on the 13th if I can manage!
May 24th, 2009 at 3:01 am
What about visiting Barcelona after Beja? Next weekend we have our comic book festival, the most important in Spain. I think you’ve been there, but they should have invited you this year too!
May 24th, 2009 at 10:14 am
*blush*
May 24th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
Damn, you’re coming to Beja?
I had no idea you were coming here.
Hope to get something signed during the weekend, your blog has been a major inspiration in the last few months.
I was looking forward to the next weekend, having a presentation of my book there too, but this just doubles the expectations for the festival.
See you in Beja.
Cheers
May 25th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
nice trip! next time you post here i´ll try your portuguese. hahaha
May 25th, 2009 at 8:03 pm
Thanks so much for the tool update!
May 25th, 2009 at 8:04 pm
Meghan Jean: That really helps, thanks!
May 26th, 2009 at 12:08 am
DON”T FALL IN that river Craig….
….WE NEED YOU to finish that book!
(can i have your frequent flyer miles?!)
Have a slice and gyro for me in Chi-town!
SAFE TRAVEL(s) ABROAD –
mark @ ISM
May 26th, 2009 at 7:16 am
Yeah!, I do live near Lisbon and a friend of mine knew you were coming but she thought you were coming to Braga, which would definitely not be cool. But Beja is nearby, so I might try going there with my copy of Chunky Rice.
May 26th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
come to Belgium, everybody wants you here!
May 26th, 2009 at 7:59 pm
Hey I see now that you and I are going to be signing in the same room
Amazing!
I was also given the task to sell your products (I also have a comic book store)
Well we’ll catch up in Beja
May 27th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
The Dandel Sculpture is amazing!
reading chunky rice for the 3rd time! can anybody help me with finding anything on doot doot garden or bible doodles??
Cannot wait for Habibi!
peace & love!
May 28th, 2009 at 7:27 am
Just one CIAO by your great italian fan!!! You are great Craig.
Ciaoooo
May 28th, 2009 at 8:43 am
i hope you’ll make it to somewhere in colorado sometime or i’ll be able to meet you somewhere….. keep up the good work!
May 29th, 2009 at 8:23 pm
I love how detailed and systematic your process is. It’s really cool how you show us how you get your work from beginning to finish.
And I’m loving the fact that you’ll be in Chi-Town soon. I might actually can DRIVE there…
Why are on Earth were you so close to that waterfall?
June 1st, 2009 at 6:42 am
Great weekend Craig.
Maybe too much heat, but everything else perfect. Really good exhibitions and i finally got to know your work, both published and originals blew me away.
Bought and read Blankets Saturday, coudn’t stop. Loved it, brilliant.
Great panel also. You and Pedro connected and talked about different, interesting subjects. I had to leave early but enjoyed it all.
Thanks
JCoelho
June 2nd, 2009 at 5:29 am
Hi Craig,
I thanks my teacher comic, who during the last lesson brought us your book “blankets”. So now I know your work , and I love It a lot!
I am not a cartoonist, but a painter , and made some comic lessons for techniques of drawing. It been a plesure to meet your works!!
June 2nd, 2009 at 9:10 am
Hi!
I’m brazilian, and i’m knowing your work.
Recently, your book “Blankets” was released in portuguese here, and i’m saving money for buy it.
And I will wait for Habibi’s release.
Continue with your good work. Congratulations!
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:42 pm
Hi Craig, I’m Takeshi from Texas. I just read Blankets for the first time, and I just had to tell you that your work is incredible, amazing, marvelous, inspiring and magnificent. I’ve been a poet and writer for a while now, always trying and hoping to write something powerful, emotional and relateable. It seems I should put down my pen, because I could never surpass the sheer perfection of Blankets.
Honestly, it’s like you took my hope, distilled it, and then drew it onto the page. Like pretty much everyone else, Blankets reminds me so much of my own childhood, my own experience and my own struggles. You have a wonderful gift that you clearly utilize masterfully. May God bless you, Craig. I thank you for Blankets, which has made me a lifelong fan.
I’m just about to order Goodbye, Chunky Rice and I will definitely order Habibi when it comes out. Keep up the good work!
June 4th, 2009 at 6:02 pm
I cannot believe that I just discover your blog! I’ve read blanket years ago -when it came out in france- became a bookseller, sold it hundreds of time -always with success!- and now I am in the US, doing movies, and staying connected to the paper and the ink with a little blog…
I cannot wait to read HABIBI!!!!!
Keep up and a bientot!
Ronda
June 13th, 2009 at 7:58 pm
Curious librarian, here. At which ALA session/event will you be? If you are speaking it’d be nice to hear. Thanks!
June 17th, 2009 at 11:37 pm
OK. I’m lusting lusting. All over your lines and strokes. Drool drool drool. This can’t be true. It’s priceless!
June 21st, 2009 at 6:08 pm
I really didnt know where to put this comment, but I thought your work in Blankets was wonderful, being a teen and all makes you think about a lot. Life, death, the mind, time, how this world works, how women work. Im a little bit of an outcast myself, and when I do feel even more lonely than ussual I turn to my art or others and Blankets did very well to re-kindle my want for a female companion ( Previously I decided I would hate women forever). So in conclusion, thanks for Blankets, perhaps someday I could figure out how to draw with ink like you do, instead of using the pencils they provide at hell… sorry, school. Thank you.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
Man, I can’t wait for habibi!
August 30th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
After reading this blog makes me want to start my own