David Chelsea's Blog, page 7
December 2, 2018
RIP, George HW Bush
I had relatively few occasions to draw the first President Bush, who died last Friday, during his single term. Probably the best was the first, a party invitation for Inaugural Day at Eve’s and my loft in New York. This was only ironically a celebratory occasion; we were good Democrats who had supported Bush’s opponent Michael Dukakis. I actually painted a caricature of Bush on our floor for guests to dance on, though it was not as detailed as the one on the flyer:
David Chelsea is reading: Seduction: Sex, Lies, and Stardom in Howard Hughes’s Hollywood
by Karina Longworth
Once Bush became President, I had more chances to draw him for the op-ed illustration service INX. Republicans are generally not known for enlightened environmental policies, and Bush was no exception:
Also for INX, Bush and his 1992 opponent, Bill Clinton, grappling to be America’s Dad. I was pretty practiced at drawing Bush by then, but my Clinton clearly needed work:
After he left office, Bush still popped up in the news from time to time, especially after his son George W. was elected President. I drew him for The New York Observer (before it was bought by the current President’s son-in-law), when he celebrated his 80th- or 75th- I’m not sure- birthday with a parachute jump:
November 29, 2018
DAVID CHELSEA IN LOVE Gets Some Love
The things you stumble across when you Google yourself- TOTAL ECLIPSE is, in its own words,”An Ill-Adviced Re-Reading of All Comics Published by Eclipse Comics”. Eclipse was a comics publisher which existed from 1978 to 1994, run by husband-and-wife team Dean Mullaney and cat yronwode, which published hundreds of comics including early work by Eddie Campbell, Scott McCloud and Dave Stevens, and was the original publisher for my first graphic novel DAVID CHELSEA IN LOVE. The unnamed blogger has taken it on himself to re-read Eclipse’s entire comics output, as well SOME of the trading cards which were their other notable business (but not BLOCKBUSTERS OF RHYTHM & BLUES, the Eclipse card set I illustrated with text by Barry & Pat Katzmann).
David Chelsea is watching: The Savages
starring Laura Linney
The Blogger is not an indiscriminate Eclipse booster by any means- he is quite scathing even about some of Eclipse’s more admired projects, including the Iran-Contra journalistic graphic novel BROUGHT TO LIGHT, but he is rather complimentary about DAVID CHELSEA IN LOVE:
This was one of the few late-stage Eclipse books I bought at the time, and I was hugely taken by it. Just as with Alec, it seemed like a new, fresh twist on autobiographical comics. Even if that new twist was basically making the storyline feel like an independent romantic comedy.
One nice feature about the Blogger’s approach is that he goes back to the original four-issue comics run, which means he can reproduce and comment on some features that didn’t make it into the book reprint, including the previous-issue recaps, the full-color covers, including this Maxfield Parrish-inspired wraparound:
and this publisher’s letter by cat:
TOTAL ECLIPSE: THE BLOG
TOTAL ECLIPSE on DAVID CHELSEA IN LOVE
DAVID CHELSEA IN LOVE also makes it into THE ART OF THE GRAPHIC MEMOIR, a just-published instructional book by Tom Hart, author of the best-selling graphic novel ROSALIE LIGHTNING:
Hart uses my book as a textbook example in his chapter about Finding A Visual Style:
Hart makes the point that author-David’s obsessively detailed style parallels character-David’s obsession:
David is obsessed, and his drawing shows this obsession: little dots of stippling, loads of detail in backgrounds, clothing and expressions. Through the visual style the book celebrates the awkwardness of the whole affair.
You can buy Tom’s book by following this link:
And even though DAVID CHELSEA IN Love is out of print, Amazon has the book reprint used:
November 16, 2018
New Feature On Patreon! The Unwatched List #1: GIANT
In Patreon page news, WELCOME TO THE ZONE wrapped up last week. DUCKLAND, the WELCOME TO THE ZONE sequel, is a natural next act, but I have hopes of placing it with a digital or print outlet that will pay more money, maybe even enough that I can do it in color. I’m giving myself until the end of the year to make this happen, and after that I’ll decide whether to do a version for Patreon or chuck the project altogether. So, the series I began this week, THE UNWATCHED LIST, kills two birds with one stone- creating a comics series for Patreon at the same time I find a use for my sizable shelf of unwatched DVDs, VHS tapes and Blu-Rays. We all have them- that guilt-inducing collection of gift movies, TV series box sets, and taped school productions starring relatives, all gathering dust as their respective formats teeter towards obsolescence. My plan is to watch one of them a week and produce a page of comics in response- maybe a review, or a story inspired by my viewing, or maybe just random doodles drawn while the thing is playing. The list is below- some of these are classics, some are obscurities, so very, very many are Emmy screeners- but all are guaranteed to be new to me- unless I’ve watched them already and forgotten, which is certainly possible!
David Chelsea is watching: Electrick Children
starring Julia Garner
THE UNWATCHED LIST
Before Midnight, 2013
Blackout, 1950
Black Rainbow, 1989
Black Veil For Lisa, 1968
Blue Jasmine, 2013,
Bond Of Fear, 1956
Broken Wings, 2004
Catfish
Click and Clack’s As the Wrench Turns
Chu Chin Chow, 1934
Copic Techniques & Projects With Sketch Markers
Count Dracula, 1977
The Crash, 1932
Day Watch, 2007
The Debt, 2011
The Dreamers, 2003
Ellery Queen Mysteries: Disc One
Ellery Queen Mysteries: Disc Two
Ellery Queen Mysteries: Disc Three
Ellery Queen Mysteries: Disc Four
Ellery Queen Mysteries: Disc Five
Ellery Queen Mysteries: Disc Six
Ernie Kovacs, The ABC Specials
Everybody Rides The Carousel (1975)
Exodus, 1960
Fences, 2016
Giant, 1956
Get On Up, 2014
Glenn O’Brien’s TV Party: The Sublimely Intolerable Show
Glenn O’Brien’s TV Party: The Halloween Show
Glenn O’Brien’s TV Party: The Crusades Show
Glenn O’Brien’s TV Party: The Documentary
Glenn O’Brien’s TV Party: The Everything For Sale Show,
Guys & Dolls, South Pasadena High School, 2007
The Greatest American Hero: The Complete First Season Disc One
The Greatest American Hero: The Complete First Season Disc Two
Hal Sparks Charmageddon
HBO Emmy screeners: Banshee
HBO Emmy screeners: The Knick
HBO Emmy screeners: Foo Fighters:Sonic Highways,
HBO Emmy screeners: Game Of Thrones 2014
HBO Emmy screeners: Getting On 2014
HBO Emmy screeners: Girls 2014
HBO Emmy screeners: The Jinx: The Life And Deaths Of Robert Durst
HBO Emmy screeners: Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
HBO Emmy screeners: The Leftovers
HBO Emmy screeners: Looking 2014
HBO Emmy screeners: The Newsroom 2014
HBO Emmy screeners: Real Time With Bill Maher,
HBO Emmy screeners: Silicon Valley 2014
HBO Emmy screeners: Togetherness
HBO Emmy screeners: True Blood 2014
HBO Emmy screeners: VICE 2014
HBO Emmy screeners: Bessie
HBO Emmy screeners: Beyoncé Jay Z On The Run
HBO Emmy screeners: The Concert For Valor
HBO Emmy screeners: Jerrod Carmichael: Love At The Store
HBO Emmy screeners: Kat Williams: Priceless: Afterlife
HBO Emmy screeners: Mel Brooks: Live At The Geffen
HBO Emmy screeners: Rosie O’Donnell: A Heartfelt Stand Up
HBO Emmy screeners: Bill Maher: Live From DC
HBO Emmy screeners: The Case Against 8
HBO Emmy screeners: It’s Me, Hilary: The Man Who Drew Eloise
HBO Emmy screeners: Mr. Dynamite: The Rise Of James Brown
HBO Emmy screeners: Kurt Cobain: Montage Of Heck,
HBO Emmy screeners: Sinatra: All Or Nothing At All
HBO Emmy screeners: Saving My Tomorrow
HBO Emmy screeners: Alan Alda And The Artist Within You: A Young Arts Masterclass
HBO Emmy screeners: Clear History
HBO Emmy screeners: Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight
HBO Emmy screeners: The Normal Heart
HBO Emmy screeners: Treme
HBO Emmy screeners: Billy Crystal’s 700 Sundays
HBO Emmy screeners: John Leguizamo’s Ghetto Klown
HBO Emmy screeners: Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth
HBO Emmy screeners: Sarah Silverman: We Are Miracles
HBO Emmy screeners: Six By Sondheim
HBO Emmy screeners: Life According To Sam
HBO Emmy screeners: Paycheck To Paycheck: The Life & Times Of Katrina Gilbert
HBO Emmy screeners: Seduced And Abandoned
HBO Emmy screeners: Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley
HBO Emmy screeners: One Last Hug: Three Days At Grief Camp
HBO Emmy screeners: Wynton Marsalis: A Young Arts Masterclass
HBO Emmy screeners: Eastbound & Down
HBO Emmy screeners: Game Of Thrones
HBO Emmy screeners: Getting On 2015
HBO Emmy screeners: Girls 2015
HBO Emmy screeners: Hello Ladies
HBO Emmy screeners: Looking 2015
HBO Emmy screeners: The Newsroom 2015
HBO Emmy screeners: Real Time With Bill Maher 2015
HBO Emmy screeners: Silicon Valley 2015
HBO Emmy screeners: True Blood 2015
HBO Emmy screeners: VICE 2015
The Holcroft Covenant, 1985
Home To Danger, 1951
The Hound Of The Baskervilles, 1985
I Do (2012 Chinese)
International Squadron, 1941
James Dean: Silence Of Death,
James Dean: Hill Number One
James Dean: I’m A Fool
James Dean: The Bells Of Cocaigne
Kickin’ It Old Skool, 2007
Manchester By The Sea, 2016
Manos: Hands Of Fate
Maron IFC
The Midnight Blue Collection: Celebrities Edition
The Midnight Blue Collection: Porn Stars Of The 70s
The Midnight Blue Collection: Porn King,
The Midnight Blue Collection: The Deep Throat Special Edition
The Midnight Blue Collection: Freaks & Geeks
Meet Mr. Callaghan, 1954
The Misfits, 1961
Nicholas Nickleby, 2002
No Man’s Woman, 1955
No Trace, 1950
The Odessa File, 1974
Oliver Neuland The Making Of Product Design Renderings
Our Mutual Friend, 1998
Peter Pan, 1924
The Postman Always Rings Twice, 1946
Queen Live At The Rainbow 1974
Recoil, 1953
Registered Nurse, 1934
The Secret Heart, 1945
Sin City, 2005
The Statement, 2003
Village Of The Damned, 1960
The first selection, chosen by Patreon supporter Gretchen Harmon, was that multi-disc behemoth from 1956, GIANT, staring James Dean:
You can read the full comic here.
My Patreon and Facebook friends have already weighed in and picked the next couple of installments: Village Of The Damned, No Trace, and the Emmie Kovacs Shows, but you blog post readers can get in on the act too! Just go through the list, pick a title, and email me a commment through the contact link saying why you’d like to see a comic about it. I’ll even send you the tape or disc once I’m done watching, so can you watch it too! (That’s if you want it, and unless I decide I can’t bear to part with it, which is unlikely, since I’m looking to clear some shelf space here.)
Patreon is a reader-supported site, but all comics content (except for a couple of raunchy pages I’ve put behind a paywall) is free. If you like what you see, tell your friends, and $how Your $upport!
November 15, 2018
American Bystander #8
The latest issue of AMERICAN BYSTANDER has just arrived. Well, actually I got the PDF for it over a month ago, but I don’t REALLY think it’s arrived until my package of physical copies shows up on the front porch. This issue continues the high standards the fledgling humor magazine has set for itself, with contributions by mainstays M.K.Brown, Howard Cruse, Drew Friedman, Randall Enos, Ron Barrett, Rick Geary, and Peter Kuper, a cover by Barry Blitt, as well as an illustration by yours truly.
David Chelsea is reading: At the Strangers’ Gate: Arrivals in New York
by Adam Gopnik
I illustrated a piece by Ryan Nyberg about a war between two rival beach motels, carried out in tourist brochures. I chose to depict this by having the two motels mirroring each other in the swimming pool. Here are my initial roughs:
A digital refinement:
A pencil drawing on coquille board,used as the line layer:
a watercolor painted over a printout of the line drawing:
and the final piece, a combination of the line and color with some refinements done in Photoshop.
Think they don’t make magazines like this anymore? Well actually, they do. Or they will, if they can build a subscription base. It’s impossible to sell advertising in it for a million reasons, so AMERICAN BYSTANDER sells subscriptions to pay the writers and artists. Check it out here.
Or, just order an issue. Every little bit helps!
November 8, 2018
WELCOME TO THE ZONE Touches Bottom!
Today is the day! The long-awaited final installment of WELCOME TO THE ZONE drops on Patreon! To briefly recapitulate the situation, Jones the banjoist/wheatpaster has finally burst out of the cocoon of flyers that he was pasted into on page 35 by the caveman band The Bedrockers, whereupon he immediately lands on the back of a giant dog chasing a mounted policeman. All of them eventually plunge off a dock into the East River, and Jones finds himself in an underwater version of The Zone:
David Chelsea is reading: The Adventures of Phoebe Zeit-Geist
by Michael O’Donoghue and Frank Springer
WELCOME TO THE ZONE is a new version of a graphic novel originally published by Kitchen Sink in 1995, rescanned from the original art and reformatted into Indesign layouts, with new balloons and lettering. The original was drawn on coquille board and photocopied at high contrast, then reproduced as line. This time around, I wanted a more tonal look with a full range of grays, so I extensively reworked the original art in Photoshop. Here is the final panel in the original book for comparison:
In advance of the final WELCOME TO THE ZONE page dropping, I did something I should have done from the first- made the story navigable by including links to previous and next installments on each page. Start at the beginning, and get up to speed. You’ll have to become a supporter to read a couple of the raunchier pages, but you’d want to do that anyway, right?:
Here are links to all the installments posted:
Patreon is a reader-supported site, but all comics content (except for a couple of those raunchy pages I’ve put behind a paywall) is free. If you like what you see, tell your friends, and $how Your $upport!
Next week on Patreon, the first of the Unwatched List, as well as… other stuff. What is the Unwatched List, you ask? This is a new comics series for Patreon which finds a use for my sizable shelf of unwatched DVDs, VHS tapes and Blu-Rays. We all have them- that guilt-inducing collection of gift movies, TV series box sets, and taped school productions starring relatives, all gathering dust as their respective formats teeter towards obsolescence. My plan is to watch one of them a week and produce a page of comics in response- maybe a review, or a story inspired by my viewing, or maybe just random doodles drawn while the thing is playing. The list is below- some of these are classics, some are obscurities, so very, very many are Emmy screeners- but all are guaranteed to be new to me- unless I’ve watched them already and forgotten, which is certainly possible!
THE UNWATCHED LIST
Before Midnight, 2013
Blackout, 1950
Black Rainbow, 1989
Black Veil For Lisa, 1968
Blue Jasmine, 2013,
Bond Of Fear, 1956
Broken Wings, 2004
Catfish
Click and Clack’s As the Wrench Turns
Chu Chin Chow, 1934
Copic Techniques & Projects With Sketch Markers
Count Dracula, 1977
The Crash, 1932
Day Watch, 2007
The Debt, 2011
The Dreamers, 2003
Ellery Queen Mysteries: Disc One
Ellery Queen Mysteries: Disc Two
Ellery Queen Mysteries: Disc Three
Ellery Queen Mysteries: Disc Four
Ellery Queen Mysteries: Disc Five
Ellery Queen Mysteries: Disc Six
Ernie Kovacs, The ABC Specials
Everybody Rides The Carousel (1975)
Exodus, 1960
Fences, 2016
Giant, 1956
Get On Up, 2014
Glenn O’Brien’s TV Party: The Sublimely Intolerable Show
Glenn O’Brien’s TV Party: The Halloween Show
Glenn O’Brien’s TV Party: The Crusades Show
Glenn O’Brien’s TV Party: The Documentary
Glenn O’Brien’s TV Party: The Everything For Sale Show,
Guys & Dolls, South Pasadena High School, 2007
The Greatest American Hero: The Complete First Season Disc One
The Greatest American Hero: The Complete First Season Disc Two
Hal Sparks Charmageddon
HBO Emmy screeners: Banshee
HBO Emmy screeners: The Knick
HBO Emmy screeners: Foo Fighters:Sonic Highways,
HBO Emmy screeners: Game Of Thrones 2014
HBO Emmy screeners: Getting On 2014
HBO Emmy screeners: Girls 2014
HBO Emmy screeners: The Jinx: The Life And Deaths Of Robert Durst
HBO Emmy screeners: Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
HBO Emmy screeners: The Leftovers
HBO Emmy screeners: Looking 2014
HBO Emmy screeners: The Newsroom 2014
HBO Emmy screeners: Real Time With Bill Maher,
HBO Emmy screeners: Silicon Valley 2014
HBO Emmy screeners: Togetherness
HBO Emmy screeners: True Blood 2014
HBO Emmy screeners: VICE 2014
HBO Emmy screeners: Bessie
HBO Emmy screeners: Beyoncé Jay Z On The Run
HBO Emmy screeners: The Concert For Valor
HBO Emmy screeners: Jerrod Carmichael: Love At The Store
HBO Emmy screeners: Kat Williams: Priceless: Afterlife
HBO Emmy screeners: Mel Brooks: Live At The Geffen
HBO Emmy screeners: Rosie O’Donnell: A Heartfelt Stand Up
HBO Emmy screeners: Bill Maher: Live From DC
HBO Emmy screeners: The Case Against 8
HBO Emmy screeners: It’s Me, Hilary: The Man Who Drew Eloise
HBO Emmy screeners: Mr. Dynamite: The Rise Of James Brown
HBO Emmy screeners: Kurt Cobain: Montage Of Heck,
HBO Emmy screeners: Sinatra: All Or Nothing At All
HBO Emmy screeners: Saving My Tomorrow
HBO Emmy screeners: Alan Alda And The Artist Within You: A Young Arts Masterclass
HBO Emmy screeners: Clear History
HBO Emmy screeners: Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight
HBO Emmy screeners: The Normal Heart
HBO Emmy screeners: Treme
HBO Emmy screeners: Billy Crystal’s 700 Sundays
HBO Emmy screeners: John Leguizamo’s Ghetto Klown
HBO Emmy screeners: Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth
HBO Emmy screeners: Sarah Silverman: We Are Miracles
HBO Emmy screeners: Six By Sondheim
HBO Emmy screeners: Life According To Sam
HBO Emmy screeners: Paycheck To Paycheck: The Life & Times Of Katrina Gilbert
HBO Emmy screeners: Seduced And Abandoned
HBO Emmy screeners: Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley
HBO Emmy screeners: One Last Hug: Three Days At Grief Camp
HBO Emmy screeners: Wynton Marsalis: A Young Arts Masterclass
HBO Emmy screeners: Eastbound & Down
HBO Emmy screeners: Game Of Thrones
HBO Emmy screeners: Getting On 2015
HBO Emmy screeners: Girls 2015
HBO Emmy screeners: Hello Ladies
HBO Emmy screeners: Looking 2015
HBO Emmy screeners: The Newsroom 2015
HBO Emmy screeners: Real Time With Bill Maher 2015
HBO Emmy screeners: Silicon Valley 2015
HBO Emmy screeners: True Blood 2015
HBO Emmy screeners: VICE 2015
The Holcroft Covenant, 1985
Home To Danger, 1951
The Hound Of The Baskervilles, 1985
I Do (2012 Chinese)
International Squadron, 1941
James Dean: Silence Of Death,
James Dean: Hill Number One
James Dean: I’m A Fool
James Dean: The Bells Of Cocaigne
Kickin’ It Old Skool, 2007
Manchester By The Sea, 2016
Manos: Hands Of Fate
Maron IFC
The Midnight Blue Collection: Celebrities Edition
The Midnight Blue Collection: Porn Stars Of The 70s
The Midnight Blue Collection: Porn King,
The Midnight Blue Collection: The Deep Throat Special Edition
The Midnight Blue Collection: Freaks & Geeks
Meet Mr. Callaghan, 1954
The Misfits, 1961
Nicholas Nickleby, 2002
No Man’s Woman, 1955
No Trace, 1950
The Odessa File, 1974
Oliver Neuland The Making Of Product Design Renderings
Our Mutual Friend, 1998
Peter Pan, 1924
The Postman Always Rings Twice, 1946
Queen Live At The Rainbow 1974
Recoil, 1953
Registered Nurse, 1934
The Secret Heart, 1945
Sin City, 2005
The Statement, 2003
Village Of The Damned, 1960
Here’s where YOU come in: you can decide what I watch next! Just go through the list, pick a title, and send me a comment saying why you’d like to see a comic about it. I’ll even send you the tape or disc once I’m done watching it, so can you watch it too! (That’s if you want it, and unless I decide I can’t bear to part with it, which is unlikely, since I’m looking to clear some shelf space here.) The first four discs have already been chosen- GIANT, VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED, NO TRACE, and Ernie Kovacs. I’ll be posting about this on Facebook as well, but I’ll be giving priority to Patreon supporters (who are mostly Facebookfriends anyway). And if NOBODY comments, I’ll just pick subsequent ones at random.
November 5, 2018
LIFE OF THE PARTY: The Last-Ditch Appeal
Saturday, October 6th 2018 was 24 Hour Comic Day, and just like last year, I drew my comic (my 19th!) at Enthusiasm Collective from 9 am Saturday to 9 am Sunday. Given the (in my opinion) absolute necessity of electing a Democratic Congress this November, I made my comic a benefit for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Much like my S. Clay Wilson benefit in 2009, I took pledges for a specified dollar amount for each page completed (as usual, I hit it on the nose with 24). I collected seven pledges before the event, for a grand total of $289. Presumably, the DCCC will spend the money on a lot of ads with creepy music and a gravelly voiceover saying stuff like “Walter Wunkett SAYS he cares about people with pre-existing conditions, but he voted against the Affordable Care Act EIGHTY ONE TIMES!” The seven people who pledged each received a print copy of the completed comic.
David Chelsea is reading: The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It . . . Every Time
by Maria Konnikova
Appropriately enough, this story has a political angle. Titled LIFE OF THE PARTY, and written in the form of a letter to former Senator Al Franken, it mingles a biography of my father Dick Celsi, longtime Democratic Party volunteer and onetime Chair of the Oregon State Party, with my own ambivalent history as a mostly Democratic voter, also touching on the career highlights of Franken including his final fall from grace.
Even though the challenge part is over, it’s not too late to pledge! I will be collecting today and tomorrow, Election Day ONLY (afterwards, I figure it will be kind of pointless). Pledgers will receive a print copy of the completed comic. I usually post all my 24 Hour Comics on Patreon, but just to keep things nice and exclusive, I have ONLY made this one available to those who have pledged (the story may eventually be included in a future collection of my 24 Hour Comics, but that would be YEARS away). Since time is short, please do not send your contribution to me, but send a check directly to the DCCC at
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
430 S. Capitol St. SE
Washington, DC 20003
Or contribute online: https://secure.actblue.com/contribute...
Early pledges were in some multiple of 24, but this is not obligatory. You can give any amount you can afford.
Then, reply to me via the contact link with your address, and a promise on your sacred honor that you have made a contribution, and I will be happy to send you either a hard copy of LIFE OF THE PARTY, or a digital file if you prefer.
Here are some reviews of the story from people who have pledged:
“The 2018 version of David Chelsea’s 24-Hour Comic is a fun look into his youth and the formation of his political leanings due, in part, to his father’s influence. David prepared the comic as a “love letter” to former US Senator Al Franken in order to tell this story. “Life of the Party” provides information that even I, a somewhat educated voter, did not know about the history of Democratic Presidential candidates. David’s father, a staunch Democrat, was unsuccessful in his bids for higher office, but definitely made an impression on David. The words are heartfelt, and the drawings bring the story to life in an engaging way. I stand firmly with David in his quest to help elect Democrats in the upcoming midterms, but I must say that I’m not sure that “any blue will do.” However, as David points out, “once our crowd is in power, we can have the luxury of calling for ideological purity”; I suppose I can get on board with that. Considering that David put this together with zero sleep over 24 hours, it is very impressive, and I believe that he slept the whole of the following day. VOTE BLUE!”
Lisa Guggenheim Daitch, Portland OR
“When David Chelsea asked for sponsors to donate to the Democratic Congressional Campaigns in exchange for his upcoming (and now rendered 24 hour comic) I jumped at the chance. I want to help the Democrats take the House anyhow, and supporting one of my favorite artists is a bonus. I just got my comic and, as usual from David, it’s entertaining. Unexpectedly, David has a family tie with the Democratic campaign, in that David’s father was a grass roots Democratic activist from the 1960s until his death in 1991. So it weaves David’s and his dad’s story with a letter to Al Franken. It’s a good read and a good cause. Make you donation while there’s still time to campaign, and save a half hour to read David’s latest work.”
Bruce Kaplan, Richmond, CA
David Chelsea has summed up his personal connection to the democratic party through the lens of his father, Dick Celsi, a long-time party mover in Oregon. Having lived in the state for all my life, I can honestly tell you that the Celsi name is as close to party royalty as one can get in the in the State’s party leadership. Not a, successfully elected Politician himself, Dick rose to lead the state party and faithfully represent what Democrats everywhere should believe in. Written as a letter to Al Franken using the graphic novel format, Chelsea illustrates a brief history of the Democratic party from Kennedy through Obama. All this was done during a 24 hour period in 24 pages, and 144 frames. (BTW, Chelsea’s drawing abilities are in great form as each of the people he portrays in simple black ink line drawings are quite recognizable which makes this comic even more fun to read.)
Jeff Seats, Portland, OR
I realize that many of you have already contributed, but I hope you can give a little more at this crucial late hour. I thank you for your very kind attention.
October 31, 2018
Modern Love Podcast: “An Ancient Coda to My 21st Century Divorce.”
Just in time for Halloween, here is my most recent illustration for the Modern Love Podcast. From the website:
David Chelsea is reading: The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It . . . Every Time
by Maria Konnikova
“After a divorce, it can feel like the last thing you want to do is revisit the past. But a ritual forced Cindy Chupack to do just that. She writes about it in her essay, “An Ancient Coda to My 21st Century Divorce.” It’s read by Amy Landecker, who is best known for her work in Amazon’s “Transparent.””
Amy LandeckerListen to the podcast here.
Also just in time for Halloween, three new spooky black lite paintings done for Janet Penner’s Haunted House, which opens to the public tonight at 6:30. The scary clown, at 4 by 8 feet, is the largest painting I’ve done in forty years, if you don’t count houses:
The Penner House is at 7009 North Portsmouth in the St. Johns neighborhood of Portland. Come on by for a Tootsie Roll, and say hi! I’ll be the one in the eyeball costume.
October 11, 2018
Modern Love Illustration: “The Plain, Unmarked Box Arrived”
My most recent illustration for the Modern Love Podcast appeared yesterday. From the website:
“Looking to revitalize your marriage? Try buying a $400 sex chair. It could work wonders — or it could be co-opted as a cool new toy by your 7-year-old son. On this week’s Modern Love podcast, Kristen Bell reads “The Plain, Unmarked Box Arrived,” an essay about one couple’s ambitious attempt to escape the doldrums of parenthood.
David Chelsea is reading: First Bite: How We Learn to Eat
by Bee Wilson
Lori Jakiela, the author of the essay, is a writer and a professor at The University of Pittsburgh — Greensburg.
Illustration for Modern Love column by Lori JakielaMs. Bell stars in the NBC television series, “The Good Place.” Stay tuned after the reading to hear from her, Ms. Jakiela and the Modern Love editor Daniel Jones.”
listen to the podcast here.
Kristen Bell“Now Open The Box”, my tenth 24 Hour Comic, was loosely based on Jakiela’s story. Jakiela and her husband were too embarrassed to test out their sex chair after their seven year old son appropriates it as a battleground for his plastic army men- which is fine for a family newspaper, but I figure such coyness would never be tolerated in comics, so my couple definitely get the chair. I drew the story on isometric graph paper, which gives the panels a look like old-school video games or architectural drawings:
Read “Now Open The Box” in SLEEPLESS, my second collection of 24 Hour Comics from Dark Horse:
October 9, 2018
24 Hour Comic #19: Life Of The Party
Last Saturday, October 6th was 24 Hour Comic Day, and just like last year, I drew my comic (my 19th!) at Enthusiasm Collective from 9 am Saturday to 9 am Sunday. Given the (in my opinion) absolute necessity of electing a Democratic Congress this November, I made it a benefit for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Much like my S. Clay Wilson benefit in 2009, I took pledges for a specified dollar amount for each page completed (as usual, I hit it on the nose with 24). I collected seven pledges before the event, for a grand total of $289. Presumably, the DCCC will spend the money on a lot of ads with creepy music and a gravelly voiceover saying stuff like “Walter Wunkett SAYS he cares about your health, but he voted against the Affordable Care Act EIGHTY ONE TIMES!” People who pledged will each receive a print copy of the completed comic.
David Chelsea is reading: Flash: The Making of Weegee the Famous
by Christopher Bonanos
Appropriately enough, this story has a political angle. Written in the form of a letter to former Senator Al Franken, it mingles a biography of my father Dick Celsi, longtime Democratic Party volunteer and onetime Chair of the Oregon State Party, with my own ambivalent history as a mostly Democratic voter, also touching on the career highlights of Al Franken including his final fall from grace.
I actually wrote Franken a letter last year, right after I listened to the audio book of GIANT OF THE SENATE (he never replied). This Call Strip comic tells the tale:
I have been scanning the art and printing out pages for the copies this week. Here are some highlights:
Even though the challenge part is over, it’s not too late to pledge! I will be collecting pledges up until Election Day this November (afterwards, it will be kind of pointless). Pledgers will receive a print copy of the completed comic. I usually post all my 24 Hour Comics on Patreon, but just to keep things nice and exclusive, I am ONLY making this one available to those who have pledged (the story may eventually be included in a future collection of my 24 Hour Comics, but that would be YEARS away). If you would like to make a pledge, please get in touch with me via my contact link, let my know your name and address, and specify a dollar amount. You can either send me a check made out to the DCCC, or promise on your sacred honor you will make a contribution on your own.
October 3, 2018
24 Hour Comic For A Democratic Congress!
Next Saturday is 24 Hour Comic Day, and just like last year, I’ll be drawing my comic (my 19th!) at Enthusiasm Collective from 9 am Saturday to 9 am Sunday. Given the absolute necessity of electing a Democratic Congress this November, I’m thinking of making this one a benefit for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Much like my S. Clay Wilson benefit in 2009, I will be taking pledges for a specified dollar amount for each page I complete (typically, it’s 24). People who pledge can send checks to me that I will turn over to the DCCC (or you can donate on your own- I trust my loyal readers), and each will receive a print copy of the completed comic. If anyone reading this wants to pledge, please get in touch with me via my contact link, let my know your name and address, and specify a dollar amount.
And if you’re in Portland, feel free to drop by and visit Saturday or early Sunday!
24 Hour Comic Day at Enthusiasm Collective
Sat, Oct 6, 2018, 9:00 AM –
Sun, Oct 7, 2018, 9:00 PM PDT
Location
Oregon Story Board
411 NW Flanders St
#100
Portland, OR 97209
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