Kate Beaton's Blog, page 13

December 27, 2010

Hark, a Vagrant: Batch of Comics 9















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I've said this before, but it's the strangest thing sometimes, as a non-American, to watch a movie about either World War. Canadians only show up in our own poorly funded made-for-TV movies shot in someone's back yard, and even then, it's jarring to hear someone wistfully mention the old home back in Ontario instead of like, Kentucky. A couple of weeks ago I watched Flyboys, a WWI movie set in France that was about wisecracking American hunks before America even joined the war. Some of them died, it was terrible. Let's never forget what hunks have done for us throughout history!

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Published on December 27, 2010 20:20

December 21, 2010

Hark, a Vagrant: Christmas 2005


















Last year I made a little Christmas comic, a memory from long ago. I started to think recently of another Christmas, one much later, and I thought I'd share it with you.




It's a place that's hard to describe for anyone who hasn't been. For a little visual context, where I was looked like this.




I hope you have a good holiday season, my friends.




For a little cheer, why not download this wonderful collection of songs by some very talented Canadian artists? Some friends of mine included! You'll love it.

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Published on December 21, 2010 12:33

December 11, 2010

Hark, a Vagrant: New York Sketches


















My poor little comic, it's on the sidewalk somewhere and I don't have the heart to draw it again. It was about WWII movies, perhaps in the future, I will return to it.



I moved to New York in September and am really enjoying it. I'd like to take the opportunity to introduce you, if you aren't familiar, to some of the wonderful friends I've come to know here. We will start with my studio mates, they were kind enough to give me a home for my desk and my mess that goes on top of it.




Julia Wertz: her new book, Drinking at the Movies, just came out to rave reviews. I've read it already so I know why. You may want to look into it.



Lisa Hanawalt: Her new book also just came out! I Want You #2, a follow up to (you guessed it) I Want You #1. Her drawings mesmerize me, make me laugh, and make me jealous.



Domitille Collardey: You can't look at Domitille's drawings and not have your pants charmed off. Have you looked at them yet? Check your pants, they're gone.



Sarah Glidden: My first exciting New York Event was the release party for Sarah's How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less. It's a powerfully good book. Sarah is in the Middle East as we speak, working on another one.



Karen Sneider: Is Karen the funniest person I have met since I came to this city? I really think so. She used to be a comedian, after all. The New Yorker needs to buy all of her cartoons, forever.




I'm lucky to have a space with these talented ladies! I tell ya. But there is more!




Gabrielle Bell: yes, the Gabrielle Bell. I don't need to introduce her really, I'm just telling you I know her, now I can feel cool and famous.



Gabby Schulz: Gabby has mostly written under the pen name Ken Dahl, so you'll have to look that one up for books, and please please do. His book Monsters was far and away the best I've read all year.



Sally Bloodbath: Sally is my good friend of many years, and she makes some of my favourite comics. You'd love comics more if you could listen to Sally talk about them, she has taught me many things. That girl needs a real website though!



Liz Baillie: I first noticed Liz because she dressed so sharp at comic shows. She makes a sharp comic too. I've linked to it on here before, would I lie to you?



Matt Wiegel: Matt is the kind of cartoonist who is so nice, so talented and so hard working that I should probably be ashamed of myself around him.



Lizz Hickey: I saw Lizz Hickey do a comic reading at SPX and I have never laughed so hard before or since, I'm pretty sure. I love her comics more than I love maple syrup and this is coming from a Canadian.



Robin Enrico: Robin was always one of those friendly faces I was happy to see at comic shows. But now we live in the same city! So I see his friendly face more often. Plus: he teaches comics!



MK Reed: I think MK Reed is a name you are going to be hearing more of in the future, as she always seems to have several projects on the go. It's intimidating.



Adam Conover: Surprise! Not a comics artist! But a comedian that you will love. There are some new performance clips of him up on that blog, time for you to go spend some time watching them.



Derek Van Gieson: I first saw Derek's work when the old New Yorker cartoonists were cooing over a portfolio he brought in. No wonder! What beautiful drawings. He also cooks a great Thanksgiving dinner for friends.



John Lewis: John told me he has been doing True Swamp since 1994. I haven't been doing anything since 1994 but eating lunch every day and other useless shit. Someone give the man a standing ovation.

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Published on December 11, 2010 15:53

November 27, 2010

Hark, a Vagrant: Teens 5















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Not their employer's office, another one! Ah, my little teenage ne'er do wells, so close to my heart. Like most teens, they go to school, but like the ones who were in my drama class ("it's easy"), sometimes they're not there. If you missed them, they've had several non-adventures so far:



one

two

three

four




Tonight (Sunday), I'll be doing a comic reading at the KGB Bar in New York, 7pm! The details are here. I'll be with the talented Lisa Hanawalt and Mike Dawson.





If you're in the mood for reading, take a look at Joey Comeau's new book, Bible Camp Bloodbath. It's all online, but I have a paper copy, which you can get as well! I prefer it. And Joey is one of my favorite writers, hands down.

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Published on November 27, 2010 23:40

November 20, 2010

Hark, a Vagrant: Javert















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Intending at first to take a stab at the whole of Les Miserables, it turns out I was attracted to one character in particular. Javert is like a robot in a cast of humans, not computing anything except data. He always looks a little like Geoffrey Rush to me, I think the 1998 movie was the first time I encountered the whole phenomenon. I think everyone has their own Valjean, Javert, etc.




I was interviewed a few times on the podcast Inkstuds, and recently many interviews with comic artists from that show were collected in this book, there is a lot of great names to go through!



The store keeps updating! And don't forget, you can get prints now!





One last point, I've been mulling on this a bit: in 2010 I took on a lot of freelance work, and I really liked it, and I have been lucky! I've had work in some interesting and wonderful places. The only thing I don't like is how these other things effect my update schedule, as no doubt, you've noticed. I hope that in 2011 I will be able to balance more, and return to a dependable schedule. It's a skill you learn as you go. Thanks, always, for coming back to read, I'm glad you do.




Can you believe I made an X-Files joke in 2010

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Published on November 20, 2010 22:23

November 9, 2010

Hark, a Vagrant: Guest comic - Jess Fink (Darwin)


















Today I bring you a gift in the form of a guest comic from Jess Fink! Taking that Darwinian path of guest comic evolution. I'm working on something else, something.. Marvel-ous







Surprise! I just love drawing for Strange Tales, it's such a fun anthology. This story is written by a friend of mine and someone you are likely a fan of, wait and see!



But enough of that. Let me tell you about Jess Fink.



Jess was one of the first friends I made making comics, and I feel very lucky for it. I wish her talent was as infectious as her good humor and enthusiasm. I want to show you where to find her on this dang old internet, because there are a few places! Like easter eggs and pokemon, gotta catch em all.


Recently, she launched a comics website with journal comics, hourlies and a lot of hot Jean Luc Picards. No one knows Sexy Picard better than Jess, and speaking of sexy:



You may know her as well from her erotic Victorian comic Chester 5000 XYV, a charmer of a story (but not for the kiddies!).



Quite soon, Jess will have a comic published with Top Shelf that I am pretty excited about called We Can Fix It, a time travel memoir, you can see a preview
here.



Not related to comics, there is an Etsy shop worth your perusal- I get very happy when I see people rocking Roller Girl and Picard earrings at comic shows.



You can catch her on twitter, and follow her on livejournal, I do both of these things and look how happy I am! Damn happy, a happy woman.




In closing: Jess Fink, my dear talented friend, has too many gol darn websites.







In MY other news, new items keep coming to the store! Check back soon, right here. The onesies are coming up next, so cute!

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Published on November 09, 2010 15:46

November 3, 2010

Hark, a Vagrant: Crusoe















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Robinson Crusoe was read to my class in grade two, and we loved it. I remember thinking Crusoe and Friday were pretty good friends! Obviously though, that grade two notion was a little lopsided. But! haha, so is my comic. If you want to read a pretty intense and opinionated discussion of the Crusoe/Friday business, you can find one here




So guess what?




The STORE UPDATED! Good heavens! Finally! There are a few new things in there, they are fun and I hope you like them! Shirts and mugs like so:








And more to come! I promise to make more things, that was way too long not to update the store. Shameful.




I'd like to show you this. Steve Lieber is a serious contender for Nicest Dude in Comics, in my opinion, and he just put up his comic book Underground (by he and Jeff Parker) for anyone who wants to read it for a suggested donation. You can find Underground right here! It was a labor of love by some great talents, and the result is a very good comic because of it. But if you ask me, it feels pretty good to read on paper, and that option is there too.

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Published on November 03, 2010 14:15

October 25, 2010

Hark, a Vagrant: Dracula















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I love it when Halloween comes around and I get to make comics for it! Here we have Bram Stoker's Dracula, a book written to tell ladies that if you're not a submissive waif, society goes to hell and ungodly monsters are going to turn you into child killing horrors and someone is going to drive a bowie knife through your heart/cut off your head/etc. As you deserve! Thanks Bram! I wrote it down so as to remember it.





But don't get me wrong, I prefer my vampires to be moustachioed 1890s types more than the sexy kind you see nowadays. Maybe Carmilla was sexy, I forget. Anyway.





By the way, have you ever read Dracula? It's a very good read, you may be surprised.





The Store is actually starting to update with new material bit by bit, there are several shirts and mugs coming in, plus the onesie I mentioned! But in the meantime, there are always prints available, which I keep not mentioning but let me tell you, it's true.





And I have two interviews to tell you about, done with two very lovely and informed people! It was a pleasure. Here they are:




the first is the podcast Comics News Insider with Joe Gonzalez and Jimmy Aquino, I was there for their 300th episode and they had some great guests!




the second is a long interview with Laura Hudson of Comics Alliance. I'm told it's interesting to read, so, phew. I don't want to bore you.

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Published on October 25, 2010 20:10

October 15, 2010

Hark, a Vagrant: Pony Returns















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The pony returns! You remember the shetland pony, I'm sure. It is somehow one of my best known creations! It does a job for the King, I think. But that could all be in the King's head.



Anyway! This comes about today because of a pretty great thing! I'm proud to say that our funny little pony friend has inspired the amazing talents who create the show Adventure Time to include a familiar sort of face in their next episode, which is this Monday, the 18th. You know I will be watching!




Speaking of the pony, there is a cute little pony onesie (that's for babies, not you) that is going to be in the merchandise update. That's ready to go soon, maybe even the next update.




And here is something ELSE that's great!





I'm very pleased to have a comic in the newest issue of Marvel's Strange Tales, which just came out this week. I've read the whole issue, there's lots of great stuff there. And my story is about Kraven the Hunter, it's pretty fun, so I hope you like it!

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Published on October 15, 2010 16:35

October 6, 2010

Hark, a Vagrant: King Lear















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This goes out with special thanks to Dr. MacMillan, I made her laugh with my jokes sometimes.





The "Hark! A Vagrant" store is updating really soon! With a lot of new things! And about time too. Good lord, about time. Stay tuned, don't turn that dial.

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Published on October 06, 2010 20:11

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