Alec Longstreth's Blog, page 4

Instagram Reorganization

I recently reorganized my three instagram accounts, in an attempt to set clearer boundaries so that I can feel less stress and guilt while using the platform.

@phasesevencomics will continue to be my personal account with photos from my life, but moving forward it will be a LOCKED account with access only granted to people I actually know. I will no longer post comics updates over there.

@isleofelsi will now be my comics account (for Phase 7, Isle of Elsi, and any other book projects). I have started following cartoonists colleagues and friends on there, and am now more open to "networking" with other cartoonists I have not met before. (Similar to my twitter account).

@alecanimation will continue to be my place to post my animation projects. The main change will be that I will no longer follow cartoonists on there, to try and keep that specific timeline filled with only animation artists!

If you follow me on any of these three accounts, thanks! I hope these changes will allow us to connect in a more personal way.

Fall 2022 Comics Festivals!

I had originally planned to be at The Small Press Expo this September 17 and 18 in Bethesda, Maryland. Unfortunately, due to various family considerations, it will not be possible for me to attend. Thankfully my old comics pal Greg Means has generously offered to hawk a few of my comics from his Tugboat Press table (D2). It goes without saying that SPX is one of the very best indie comics shows around. If you are in the area, you should definitely check it out! There are going to be so many amazing cartoonists there, especially since it will be the first in-person show in three years! I hope everyone has a great time.

I still plan on exhibiting at Cartoon Crossroads Columbus October 6-9 in Columbus, Ohio. I'll have lots of Phase 7 and Isle of Elsi comics for sale, as well as some Phase 8 Publishing titles. On Sunday 10/9 from 3-4pm I will also be co-hosting a "Webcomics 101" panel with A. "Junior" Vigorito. It's been five years since I was last at CXC, so I'm very excited to return to this great show! If you are in or around Ohio you should swing by! In addition to all the great cartoonists who will be there, there are also exhibits and tours at the one-of-a-kind Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum!

New Autobio Comics Online Course at Domestika!

On July 29 an online course I created with Domestika launches! It's called Autobiographical Comic Book: Illustrate Your Experiences. It's currently available for preordering. You can find out more information on the course page, or check out the preview video below:

20 Years of "Draw Comics EVERY Day"

Twenty years ago today I took my vow to "Draw Comics EVERY Day." I made the video above to commemorate two decades of this practice! It features all of my hand-drawn calendars that I use to log my comics progress, as well as some photos documenting all the different places I drew these comics. There are also some "stats" at the end.

Deciding to draw comics every day was one of the smartest things I ever did! Not only did it help me stay productive as a cartoonist, it also enabled me to become a part of the worldwide comics community, making lifelong friends with other cartoonists and interacting with hundreds of wonderful readers over the years.

You can read all of my comics for free online, download $0+ ebooks, or order physical copies at these sites:

Phase Seven ComicsIsle of Elsi

I am very much looking forward to the next twenty years of "Draw Comics EVERY Day!"

Animation Workshop at CCS!

This summer I will be teaching my Introduction to Hand-Drawn Animation workshop at The Center for Cartoon Studies in Vermont, July 18-22. This will be my seventh time teaching this workshop, and I'm very excited to return to in-person teaching - It'll be good to hear the sound of flipping paper fill a classroom again!

I put together this short video to give people an idea of what is covered in this intensive one-week workshop! You can also learn more about the workshop and see samples of past-student work on the workshop page.

Aunt Phibian Wins Animation Award!

I found out this week my short animation Aunt Phibian won the Best Overall Award at the 2022 Vermont Animation Festival!

I spent 75 hours spread over five months creating this animation so it feels very gratifying to receive this, my first ever animation award, for all that hard work!

You can check out the VAF 2022 festival reel, which also includes work by some former students from my Introduction to Hand-Drawn Animation workshop.

Isle of Elsi is Eisner Nominated... AGAIN!

For the second time in a row, my webcomic Isle of Elsi has been nominated for the Best Webcomic Eisner Award!

Over on the Isle of Elsi website I've written a post with information about how to read the nominated story for free online, vote for the Eisner Awards (if you are a comics professional), a glimpse at the doors that inspired the story, and some thank yous for the people who helped me make this story.

Alec-Longstreth.com v6.0!

I'm pleased to announce the redesign of my personal website! This sixth version of the site was put together by the incredibly talented designer Nate Beaty through his company Clixel. The site is more streamlined, information is organized in a more logical way, and it's easier to view on mobile devices. Some older information has been removed to help keep the focus on my current projects. Hopefully this site will be a place for people to easily learn more about me and my work. Take a click around and let me know what you think!

R.I.P. Blog (2004-2021)

Well, after eighteen years of blogging, I'm throwing in the towel. This is my 839th post, bringing the average to about 46 posts a year. In reality, I posted once or twice a week for the first eight years, and then went down to once or twice a month for the last decade (even less when my kids arrived).

Over these 18 years I've seen the sharing of personal writing and photos go from zines, to blogs, to various social media platforms. Each passing year I find it less and less enjoyable to be online, and wish I could just delete all my various accounts. Alas, as a self-publisher, if I do not promote my new projects, no one will know about them, so social media seems like a necessary evil, at least for the time being.

This website is long overdue for a redesign, which will be happening in 2022. I plan to have a "news" section, where I will be able to announce projects, without feeling the need to talk too much about my personal life. I'm also hoping to be able to gather together these 18 years of blog posts into a book, even if just to print a single copy for myself.

If you somehow feel bummed about the death of this blog, here are some places I am currently active online:

Patreon - I write a monthly blog post for my Patreon supporters about my process for creating Isle of Elsi, including reviews of books, behind the scenes posts, podcast interviews with other creators, etc. It costs $1/month. Instagram (Personal) - In my personal instagram account I post photos from my life (it's like my Flickr account circa 2007). Instagram (Animation) - In my animation instagram account I post "work in progress" updates and final exports from my little animation projects. The Phase Seven Comics Newsletter - Once or twice a year I write a newsletter that sums up everything I have been working on recently.

Anyway, thanks to all my past blog readers for your comments over the years! This always felt like an uncommonly respectful, supportive corner of the internet.

Your Fade by E.C. Bolster

Your Fade: The Corner of Safe and Never Made It by E.C. Bolster is now available for ordering!

I published this collection of 21 poems through my Phase Eight Publishing imprint. I try to publish one P8 book a year, but I couldn't manage it in 2020 because of all my extra childcare duties and pandemic work stress. This year I was enjoying E.C. Bolster's poetry in her instagram account and when I reached out, she was excited about making a collection of her poems, so we put it together. It's out in 2021 right at the buzzer!

On the book's webpage you can find a few sample poems, a video preview of the book, and ordering information for physical copies ($6) or a PDF eBook ($0+).

I'm very excited about this book and I hope to publish other poetry collections in the future. Check it out!