This Saturday I will be returning to one of, if not my favorite local comics shows: The Marin Comics Fest! Via their website:
The Marin Comics Fest is proud welcome cartoonist and comics creator Alex Schumacher to Blue Moon Comics in San Rafael on Saturday, September 25, from 1 to 3 p.m. Based in [the Bay Area of California], Alex produces the weekly misadventures of that wise-cracking, socially attuned simian Mr. Butterchips for SLG Publishing, which published a collection of the strip last year. He also produced the weekly webcomic Decades of (in)Experience for Antix Press from October 2015 – January 2021. Alex’s other books include the satirical social and political collection ‘Defiling the Literati’ and the all-ages works ‘Benjamin and the Fish’ and ‘The World’s Crummiest Umbrella.’ Admission is free.
What a whirlwind of a weekend at Latino Comics Expo! I’m far too exhausted to be verbose, so what follows is a succinct account of goings-on over the past few days. We arrived Thursday evening with sleep-deprived senses of humor and boxes of merch to pawn off on the unsuspecting con-goers.
The show itself commenced on Friday, which was arguably the busier day sales-wise. That said, Saturday was absolutely bustling due to the incredible guests and low rider show scheduled to coincide with the comics expo.
A beautifully curated display of artwork by some of the exhibitors and vendors stood as guardians over the convention floor entryway.
The weekend wouldn’t have been complete without meeting 2 of my longtime influences, Jaime & Gilbert Hernandez. Sorry for the blur… I have a shitty phone. The moment was captured though, which is all that matters in my opinion.
All in all, well worth the trip. I hocked some books, had some chuckles, and met a few new enthusiasts of my work. Finally, a huge shout-out to the Kranzman family who so generously put me up (and put up with me)! They even introduced me to a delectable new coffee roasting company.
I love bad puns. If you follow and enjoy my work you should know this about me now before you get too emotionally invested. Speaking of my work, there has been a tremendous amount of activity lately! I truly appreciate all the attention and wanted to round up all that has occurred in the past month or so (plus make a special announcement).
First off, Fanbase Press was gracious enough to feature an interview with me on their site on February 6th. Decades of (in)Experience was the topic du jour, but I made mention of other projects including Mr. Butterchips and Defiling the Literati as well. If you are interested, or having a particularly lengthy bowel movement, you can read the interview here.
Boys & Girls Club Workshop
On February 21st I was invited by the Boys & Girls Club of Monterey to corrupt… er, conduct teens through a comics workshop. In the hour that was allotted we discussed the finer points of facial expressions, character design, page layouts, etc., which culminated with each attendee constructing their own one-page comic. Thanks to Jonathan Lupisan for inviting me and I look forward to future classes!
Guest Post on Effective Nerd
Monday the 25th saw the publication of my guest article on the Effective Nerd site. I was solicited to pen a column revolving around the idea of sincerity in one’s work. It was requested that I also briefly touch upon ‘imposter syndrome’ as this all-too-common affliction tends to manifest in a particularly acute manner when your creative endeavors are at their most personal. Below is an excerpt and you can take in the full rant at Effective Nerd.
We break our backs for years, sometimes decades, to establish our own corner of the creative universe only to constantly question the validity of any traction gained. So when does it feel as though you’ve actually triumphed? Unfortunately I don’t have the answer to such an enigmatic query. A favorable outcome to one artistic mind may be but a benchmark along the path to another. As long as you’re satisfied with the work you’re producing, continue to refine your craft, and possibly even make some headway in your field then you’re doing everything in your power to hold yourself accountable. Doubts and anxieties will persist, but when you truly love your craft you’ll find a way to forge ahead.
Multiversity Comics Review
This past Monday Dexter Buschetelli of Multiversity Comics posted a sublimely peppery write-up on Decades of (in)Experience as part of the Webcomics Weekly feature. He classifies it as a “beautiful mess”, further clarifying, “All of this visual competence is the polish on the presentation of the disarranged dishevelment that is Luke’s life.” You can read all about his affinity for the poignancy and dark humor of the webcomic here.
Canned Air Podcast Appearance
The welcoming gentlemen of the Canned Air Podcast hosted a discussion with me on Friday March 8th. As per their format we discussed movies based on video games during their ‘Retro Roundup’ segment, then shifted into an exchange regarding our latest comic/graphic novel reads, and finally sailed into the interview portion of the conversation where I was encouraged to blather on about my work. Which I did. Ad nauseum. Pour a glass of your favorite adult beverage and tune in to this episode at ‘Video Game Movies with a Side of Butterchips‘.
Last, but certainly not least are 2 (count ’em, 2!) appearance announcements. As previously mentioned a few times on my social media pages, this coming Friday and Saturday I have the absolute honor of exhibiting at this year’s Latino Comics Expo in Modesto. This is the premiere American show to feature Latino Creators. Personally, I’m incredibly excited that 2 of the 3 Los Bros Hernandez (Love & Rockets) will be special guests! Their work has been transformational for me and I hope to have the opportunity to thank them in person. The full list of exhibitors and vendors is online here.
And now for the pièce de résistance announcement: I will be exhibiting at Amazing Con Las Vegas in June with my pal, and comics colorist extraordinaire, Chris Arrocena! As with the Latino Comics Expo I’ll have copies of Defiling the Literati, The Unemployment Adventures of Aqualung, and The World’s Crummiest Umbrella on hand along with Mr. Butterchips coffee mugs and stickers, as well as limited edition art prints. I also recently learned this will be the inimitable George Pérez’s last comic convention appearance EVER. Mark your calendars now!
Housekeeping
As always, you can catch new Decades of (in)Experience episodes every Friday on the Antix Press site. The archive of apathycurrently houses year 3 in its entirety and previous episodes of year 4 to date. For a limited time seasons 1 and 2 can be read in full at http://decadesofinexperience.thecomicseries.com/.
That cantankerous Capuchin, Mr. Butterchips, can be found monthly on the Drunk Monkeys site spewing commentary on the issues of the day. His latest social critique can be found here.
Hope everyone is having a killer weekend and I hope to see some of you at an upcoming appearance!
Well, I obviously neglected a few months worth of blogging towards the end of 2018. Going forward I will be using this blog solely for major announcements and appearances. I tend to post far more frequent updates on my Instagramaccount, so be sure to follow me there.
If you’re looking for updates regarding my work with a side of social and political commentary you can follow me on Twitter as well. Anyway, here’s a rundown of the insanity which transpired between August and December of last year. Buckle up, kiddos, it’s quite the missive coming your way…
Marin Comics Fest
For the Marin Comics Fest kickoff, I had the pleasure of spending an afternoon at the new location for the Cartoon Art Museum with my pals Ron Evans (founder of the festival) and Lex Fajardo. Thanks to everyone who stopped by, including my cousins from the North Bay!
L-R: Lex Fajardo, Ron Evans, me
With my cousins Barbara (L) and Anne (L)!
Central Coast Pop Expo
October saw the 2nd annual Central Coast Pop Expo converge on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk’s Cocoanut Grove. I exhibited alongside comics pals Ray Zepeda, Jr., Matt & Brittany Loisel, and the inimitable Ace Continuado. I was invited to participate as part of the planning committee for 2019’s show, so I’m looking forward to assisting in making 2019’s show bigger and better!
‘Hometown Heroes’ panel
Effective Nerd Review of Decades of (in)Experience
On November 29th the Effective Nerd, run by one Aaron Iara, published a glowing review of DECADES OF (in)EXPERIENCE. Below is one of my favorite excerpts from Aaron. The full write-up can be read here!
Schumacher’s writing is poetic. Every line packs a punch.The dry wit paired with brutal introspection leave Luke with a personality of optimistic hopelessness. I know this is oxymoronic, but cognitive dissonance will do that to a person. The potency of these feelings is a testament to Schumacher’s writing style.
Speaking of DECADES OF (in)EXPERIENCE, year 3 wrapped on December 14th, 2018. Antix Press and I could not have come this far without the unwavering love and support of our readers so a resounding thank you to each and every one of you who takes the time to show up for the comic every Friday! Luke Carlin’s misadventures return next Friday, 01/18/2019.
Comic Con Review
On November 30th, COMICON published my first exposé for their website as a response to the Twitter tirade posted by Erik Larsen (Savage Dragon) early in 2018 in which he asserted that “there are very, very few outstanding talents out there who aren’t already working (in the comics industry).” Thanks to Hannah Means-Shannon for her guidance and allowing me to say my piece. Read the article here!
Last, but certainly not least, to cap off an incredibly busy and productive year I exhibited at the 3rd annual Salinas Valley Comic Con. I also has the distinct privilege of speaking on a panel about querying literary agents with new pal and fantasy/steampunk author Angelique S. Anderson. This show only continues to expand and I can hardly wait to see what the attendance may be in 2019! Thanks to everyone who stopped by the table and picked up some books.
Whew! We made it, folks. Thanks for hanging in there. I have so much in store for 2019 so I do hope you’ll continue to follow my creative exploits and help me spread the word about my work like an artistic venereal disease. Hope everyone enjoyed the holidays and I’ll see you at a show (or at least an internet-capable device) near you soon!
I blinked and now we’re nearly through August and past the halfway mark for 2018. I’m dazed, stunned, nauseated, deflated, and surprisingly tenacious amidst a few months of breakneck ups and downs. I’ll spare you the details in an effort for brevity which may have some of you thanking whichever deity you subscribe to for the absence of my typical introductory verbosity. There’s simply too much to get through to muddle the post with a meandering salutation. Buckle the fuck up, because off we go!
Next, I wanted to get some bad news out of the way. Though CW Cooke and I were scheduled to publish our saga THE GUITARIST through Antarctic Press beginning this summer it is no longer to be. We’ll simply chalk it up to creative differences as neither CW or myself saw eye-to-eye with the editor with whom we were set to work. Fret not, fair enthusiasts, for our indomitable—or at the very least pertinacious—spirits drive us to continue our search for a suitable home for this little comic that could. If and when news breaks of us striking a deal, rest assured the announcement will be here posthaste.
Now in it’s third year, DECADES OF (in)EXPERIENCE continues to stampede across the webcomic landscape in its signature whiplash weekly lurches. If you haven’t had the time to follow each and every installment my publisher Antix Press has corralled all entries produced thus far om the archive of apathy site. Feel free to catch up there at your leisure and be sure to bring a friend along to share the depraved wealth! Should further prodding or proof of virtue be necessary you can read a glowing review of the feature from none other than Bleeding Cool here.
This past May I was also invited to provide the cover illustration for the underground punk rock literary magazine Paper and Ink. The 13th installment, Tales From The Bar Side, is brimming with yarns spun about the denizens of “dive bars, shitty pubs, and back alley boozers.” Publisher and editor-in-chief Martin Appleby believed I was the apposite choice to supply artwork. I can’t begin to fathom why. Nab yourself a copy of the May issue (as well as their entire catalog while you’re at it) by visiting their store at https://www.etsy.co/shop/PaperAndInkZine.
Finally, in October I will be one of the guests during the Central Coast Pop Expo held this year at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. The convention will take place over the weekend of October 20th and 21st, celebrating all areas of pop culture including comics, movies, television, gaming, cosplay and more! Despite my association the event promises to be a family friendly affair. I will do my utmost to refrain from hurling feces, verbal or otherwise, though I can make no such promises for my fellow guests Ace Continuado (Dark Horse, Zenoscope) and Ray Zepeda, Jr. (Tragic Hero Comics Publishing).
Alright, kiddies. That about does it for now. I hope to meet some of you out there in the analog world. Others of you, not so much. Hope everyone’s summer has been a blast. Peace!
alexschumacherart.com 