Kate Beaton's Blog, page 8

Hark, a Vagrant: A Medieval Film

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Gee whiz! These guys are just terrible at making a Medieval film. Don't they know anything???



Just kiddin' you guys, no one would ever try to shoot a movie in Chaucer-y English like the 4th comic, and if they did they probably wouldn't know their way around the actual grammar if Chaucer himself had a Dummies book explaining it. That shit is hard!



I think most people who like to nit-pick historical inaccuracy in films do it for a few reasons:

- it's fun

- it's silly to think that movies aren't "important" because they're entertainment, movies are the way most people come across with representations of histories they don't know much about! So I can't blame anyone for caring that they get the details right.

-it's... fun.



If you don't believe me, take a look at one of my favorite terrible movies, The Norseman starring Lee Majors. It's got it all! Bad Viking movies somehow earn a trophy for being even more bad than most bad movies. How DO they do it??

Hark, a Vagrant: Straw Feminists

God, what a nightmare! To wake up to Straw Feminists in the closet, one of the greatest bogeymen of all time!




Looks like feminism has been in the news a lot these days! It's of interest to me, which is why you saw that Guardian cartoon come of it last time. This time around, this sketch is more of a reaction to people coming up to me and saying they like "the Feminists" cartoons I draw. They're referring to the Strong Female Characters. Color me surprised! The SFC occupy a space in what is often shown to us to be "feminist" in movies and stuff, but that's not what they are. Their main deal is that they are horrible people! Granted, it's one of the words on the poster, but that's not what they are, it's a joke. I ain't in the business of misrepresenting equal rights movements, if I can help it. Rights for all!




These snakey ladies made an appearance a while ago as a twitter sketch:

Hark, a Vagrant: 1812 argument

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A little sketch! I see War of 1812 stuff everywhere this summer because it's the 200th anniversary. It's cool and interesting! But, a side effect from that war is that sometimes Canadians try to be jerks about it. For whatever reason. War sucks! Don't be jerks.



I recently had a comic printed in the Guardian's Cartoonist's Worldview special, along with some really awesome people! Check out all the comics on that link. Mine was almost a reaction to reading this article (we were given the assignment some time ago but it's only printed now), and the almost absurd idea that any politician would endorse the idea that they're bullied or weak. What did anyone expect from a debate like that? I tell ya.

Hark, a Vagrant: pony meets a ghost

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Just a little pony cartoon before heading off to San Diego! I will be at the San Diego Comic Con this week, and here is my schedule. We will be debuting these handsome calendars there with Drawn and Quarterly! D&Q will make them available for general sale afterwards as well.



I was also drawing some more teen sketches recently, you know, the Mystery Solving ones!



Here is a collection of some of the sketches I had lying around, plus all the comics in a row


and here is a little comic.

and another little sketch.



They are fun characters, I like poking around with them. Even when I'm doing other things, I keep doodling them.

Hark, a Vagrant: Idler

Extrapolating from old illustrations! These are from a once popular magazine called The Idler, full of drama and great Victorian things. I found them on Project Gutenburg, because the internet is a glorious bounty of things past, and we're awfully lucky for it. Please take the time to look at the originals! You can find them in their own context and under their own illustrator's names here and here. And, as Gutenburg themselves state: "
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net"






I've been sketching out some stories set on themes of rural identity, aging populations and family. I can show you some, I've been posting them on twitter and tumblr. I really like sketching small conversations, little bits of humanity.

one about visitng a new neighbour

and his friend

one from Mother's Day

and one about another neighbour, the cutest and nicest lady.





Just a different tone of comic I am trying to figure out.

Hark, a Vagrant: the swing

You should pick up this month's issue of the Walrus Magazine, it's my first magazine cover! As I said in the last update, I am trying to teach myself to paint, and it's going ok I think. The Walrus will be selling prints of it, a limited edition sort of thing I think, as they do with their covers.







they are the same magazine I created this image for last year, if you see anyone carrying the totebag it was on around:

Hark, a Vagrant: Strong Female Characters 2

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The Strong Female Characters are back, and dare I say, stronger than EVER?



Although I take responsibility for this travesty, they are, as ever, the creation of Carly Monardo, Meredith Gran and myself.






I hope you're doing well these days, I've moved from New York to Toronto and am attempting to learn how to paint in an effort to become a better artist, so fingers crossed on that one. No projects to pass on yet, but a book and magazine cover or two I've done, and I'll post those when they go to press.



You can also find Carly and Meredith on twitter, @whirringblender and @granulac

Hark, a Vagrant: Dr. Sara Baker

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Dr. Sara Josephine Baker: look her up. Under her watch the infant mortality rate in New York city went from being one of the worst possible to one of the most enviable, and her ideas on public health and preventative care spread far and wide. She swam against the stream her entire life and she saved thousands of people, what more do you want in a hero?





As for Tyhpoid Mary, or Mary Mallon, well I guess you'd be grouchy too if you were her! Truth be told, I came upon Dr. Baker's story because I was reading about Mary's. She seemed to have been well liked by people who weren't public officials trying to drag her into quarantine. Let's be fair: that would be a real pain in the ass. But then again you can't just walk around making people sick! It gets complicated, but take a look through this book by Judith Walzer Leavitt for a sympathetic view.




I do keep that tumblr updating with things!






I added another link to the friends list, my friend Carolyn makes apps for children over at Shortstack Apps, and they are adorable and great!

Hark, a Vagrant: Birdhouse

Not the comic I said I was working on before, which I put aside (hah!) but one I sketched out tonight. About me and my dad. I love making those family comics, I love my family.



notes-



Are you checking out my tumblr? There are actually a load of comics on there, plus a Q&A about the comics business that I said I would do, and some other things. I'm still making stuff every day! Just a reminder.




Crimestoppers Club, my comedy show with Micheal Kupperman and our guests, is still happening! February 28 and March 27, at Luca Lounge in New York's East Village, 7pm! They've been super fun, why don't you drop by? You'll find details on my Tumblr closer to the dates.




My friend Amy Ash has a website for her art! Gonna add that one to the friends links at the bottom.



Speaking o' art and comics, I have some cartoons in the very beautifully named comedy zine, Pendulous Breasts Quarterly. Look for it in stores, look for it on that link, look look look.

Hark, a Vagrant: napoleon drawing

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Friends o' mine:



I put our mutual friend Napoleon up here as a little marker for an announcement. I'm working on a comic now, but I wanted to get this out, because the website has been idle for a little while.



The success of the book and everything I've done so far has been just amazing, and because of this, I've been given opportunities for other work, different projects. These range widely - anywhere from children's books to television work. I've been lucky. But I've been pacing the room about what decisions to make. To be honest with you - and that's the point of this message, I just want to keep you informed. You come back here to see what's new! God bless ye. Anyway: to be honest with you, I've taken on freelance work in the past years and that's been well and fine, but I've never given other long term projects a chance, because I can never detach myself from the website. If you wish I had the ability to make comics faster than I do, you're not the only one. As much as I love them, they're a slow moving vehicle from blank page and no ideas to a finished update.



This is a funny job. Webcomics are often cited as the future of comics and the internet and I don't know what else, but the fact that no one has retired from them yet means that I, at least, rest a little uneasy in these shoes sometimes if only for the lack of having a dependable compass by which to steer the ship. I just want to make the best decisions I can, so that I will be around longer, making drawings and comics and writing and other things that I hope people will enjoy. I'm not sure what will work out with these opportunities that have come my way, and I guess I can't really say much about them, but I think I'd be a fool if I didn't give them a try. So I am going to! Whatever I can let you know, I will.



The website schedule for Hark has never been.. uh.. something to set your watch to, I know, and here's the news I am sad to give: it's going to slow down more. At least for now. So that I can give some other things a chance. It's a little scary, and who knows, maybe I'll fall on my butt right away and we will be back on track here next month. I don't know. But I'll keep you informed.



For updates, when they do happen, I have several options! I announce them on twitter, where I am @beatonna, and I do have an rss feed up in the url bar there for you to use. There is an RSS feed on tumblr as well: you can find it here.



Speaking of tumblr, you'll notice at the top of the page that I reworked the buttons! A new addition is my snappy new Tumblr account. I hate to think of my website sad and lonely, it's my baby! So I made the tumblr in anticipation of this announcement, it's a place where I will put interesting research things and sketches, so that you'll have steady content coming from me all the same. And I do put up a lot of sketches and sketch comics, so if you don't have a tumblr you should check back there now and then all the same. Please do!



As always, I've written too much when only a little would have done just fine,



your chatty pal



-Kate