Greetings, visitors to my site! I haven’t been posting as many updates here as of late since the majority of my updates are now delivered in a monthly newsletter to which you may conveniently subscribe here: http://eepurl.com/hdgbFv
Anyway, here are a few morsels of recent news so your trip here isn’t completely in vain:
First off, the issue of MONKEYS FIGHTING ROBOTS magazine featuring my essay, The Durability in Being a Cartoonist, was successfully kickstarted and all rewards were delivered to the various backers in September. While I am well aware that the pandemic has affected every supply chain, the publishing world being no exception, I was thrilled to find my contributor copy in my mailbox shortly after it was announced that the kickstarter rewards had all been shipped! Again, my thanks goes to Matthew Sardo for inviting me to pen the aforementioned missive regarding the myriad ways being a cartoonist has shaped and informed my life. The issue is not available to purchase as of yet, but I will include the information here if/when anything changes.
As of November 24th, FairSquare Comics‘ MUTINY MAGAZINE # 1 was unleashed upon fanboys and local comic shops everywhere. In fact, the issue was so highly coveted it completely sold out and is no longer available to order from Diamond! Included in this issue is my short comic Memory Box (pictured below), an emotionally-charged reaction to the tragic loss suffered by my wife and I earlier this year. Thank you to the savvy and talented Fabrice Sapolsky for this opportunity to share, process, and heal! Should you be interested in obtaining a copy, you can do so from the FairSquare Comics online store while supplies last.
MR. BUTTERCHIPS continues to chug along over on the SLG Publishing site and, as of last Wednesday, has reached 31 episodes. I wanted to extend a personal thank you to everyone who has been reading the webcomic! There’s much more satirical zaniness headed your way in 2022, so bookmark the dedicated landing page on the SLG site to delight in new installments every Wednesday 🐒
Lastly, though I can’t divulge the specifics, there is some TREMENDOUSLY exciting news on the horizon regarding my latest graphic novel. Be sure to subscribe to my newsletter at the link above to be kept appraised of all projects coming down the pipeline in the new year.
Happy holidays to all and I want you all to know just how much I appreciate your continued support!
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, or restaurant, or any social gathering on a large scale, we’ve been hit with the announcements regarding the highly transmissible Delta variant of Covid-19 which only served to reignite my deep-seated paranoia and anxiety. While my family and I have returned to some normal activities (e.g., regular grocery shopping, dining out, etc.), the latest infection surges have me rethinking said outings in the immediate future. That said, it has been enjoyable to once again see family and friends and I do have a couple of in-person appearances planned as well as some new work on the way.
Before the belly-bursting nationalistic brouhaha of this weekend’s holiday commences, I wanted to drop a sizable summary of the most recent creative goings-on.
Francis Lombard also invited me onto his utterly unique podcast PORTRAIT OF AN EDITOR. Francis and I reminisced over our five-year run on the slice-of-life webcomic DECADES OF (in)EXPERIENCE in this episode posted on June 4th. We also talk about my mentor Morrie Turner, but, more importantly, we talk about the relaunch of the MR. BUTTERCHIPS series. Listen to our full exchange here.
On Wednesday, May 26th, pal and comics journalist E. A. Henson of Biff Bam Pop! posted our chat regarding the relaunch of the webcomic and a smattering of other creative-related shenanigans for his inaugural HEROES AND VILLAINS podcast. Listen to our full exchange here.
As I recently updated my prehistoric digital device, I have once again commenced to create and post additional content to my YouTube channel. Most recently, I uploaded a time-lapse video capturing the illustration of a commission (as seen below).
I next plan to record the “answer” portion of a Q&A. So if you harbor any burning inquiries on which you’d like to see me elaborate, feel free to send them way through my contact page or by emailing me at alexschumacherart@gmail.com.
MONKEYS FIGHTING ROBOTS: THE MAGAZINE
This ongoing magazine is a combination of comics and articles about comics from an experienced team of writers and artists. After discussing “superheroes” and “the future of comics” in previous installments, Matthew Sardo and company have returned to tackle all things “cartoonist.” In the current issue, only available to kickstarter backers for the time being, yours truly composed an essay on what it means to be a cartoonist entitled, THE DURABILITY IN BEING A CARTOONIST. Please find an excerpt below and I will be sure to inform you all if/when the issue is available to the public:
“I was not a very good painter, and I was not as good a writer as I should’ve been. These two ineptitudes put together made one [aptitude].” – Will Eisner
Aptitude, or talent, are two words which are hurled about frequently in the world of visual arts. An unquantifiable factor which endows the individual practitioner with some seemingly recognizable skillset necessary for success in a brutally competitive field. However, technical ability alone does not a cartoonist make. The world of comics is a veritable minefield of subjectivity and disappointment.
In 1987, I was oblivious to the fact that I was mere months away from the first of many setbacks I was to endure on my journey. My adoration of cartoonists existed at the purest of levels as I pored over the Smithsonian Collection of Newspaper Comic Strips gifted to me by my maternal grandparents who always encouraged my evident need for expression. The coffee table book masterclass transported me to different worlds fabricated by titans of the industry like Roy Crane, Frank King, Chester Gould, Walt Kelly, Rudolph Dirks, George Herriman, and so many more. Typically irreverent and blunt, the humor of these characters that were rendered in exquisitely flowing linework spoke to me in a manner which no medium had before… or has since.
MUTINY MAGAZINE
Another upcoming project pertains to the quarterly periodical Mutiny Magazine, curated by former Humanoids senior editor and Spider-Man Noir co-creator Fabrice Sapolsky. (continued below)
This new anthology was designed as a platform to give extra attention to independent creators, especially minorities and marginalized groups. As I’ve been lucky enough to get to know Fabrice over the last few years, he invited me to submit a piece for the upcoming edition. Said submission was accepted fairly quickly, along with some incredibly kind words from Fabrice. I don’t want to divulge too much about my contribution as soon there will be a kickstarter launched to fund the issue in which I will be featured. As soon as the campaign goes live, I’ll be sure to announce it here.
UPCOMING APPEARANCES*
On Saturday July 31st SLG Publishing, home to the MR. BUTTERCHIPS weekly comic, will welcomeyours truly, cartoonist Jaime Crespo, and 215 Ink’s Mike Perkins for a day of spectacular creator-owned comics to celebrate this years “Buy Indie Comics Day”. The relatively new day of observance was conceived to celebrate the thousands of indie, local, and small press creators pushing the graphic novel medium into the next millennium!
The event is free and open to the public. More information can be found on the events page.
More announcements to come in the very near future! For now, I want to take the opportunity to remind everyone that fireworks are not fun for everyone or every species. In fact, they cause far more harm than entertainment. While I do hope everyone enjoys their time celebrating with friends and family, please be responsible and considerate this Fourth of July weekend.
Howdy kids and welcome back to another woefully delayed update on this site’s blog. To be fair I have been fucking crazed these past few weeks wrapping up some projects, beginning others, drinking due to the upcoming horror show of an election, etc. Anyway, before I disappear into veritable artist hibernation to complete the pitch on my new graphic novel for my agent I wanted to update my 3 loyal readers on current goings-on.
October kicked off with a god-damn explosion courtesy of the fantastic folks over at Drunk Monkeys. This month’s issue was dedicated to the current election cycle, spotlighting the absolute absurdity of this nation’s deteriorated political landscape which has allowed a fucking xenophobic, misogynistic buffoon to have a leg in the race. When asked to produce the cover for the collection of essays and poems I scratched out several concepts before settling on an image which I thought summed up the overall lunacy of the campaigns tactical approaches.
The full version, as well as excerpts from the issue, can be viewed on Amazon where you can also purchase the stellar magazine! Amongst impressive missives by my writing cohorts Kim Bailey Deal, Gabriel Richard, Charles Joseph, and Editor-in-Chief Matthew Guerruckey you will also find the latest misadventure of that sick little monkey MR. BUTTERCHIPS. Check out the preview below and find out how it concludes only at Drunk Monkeys!
As of Friday October 21st my weekly DECADES OF (in)EXPERIENCE wrapped it’s first year of publication with Antix Press! An entire year of wrong turns and sharp lefts provided by our fallible anti-hero Luke Carlin. Antix Press and I will be taking the remainder of the year off, but plan to return on January 6th 2017 full of piss and vinegar. Read the final episode here and stay tuned for news and possibly a special feature in the next few weeks.
It was also recently announced that I will be a guest at December’s Salinas Valley Comic Con alongside cartoonists Bridgett Spicer, Betsy Streeter, and the Cartoon Art Museum’s own Andrew Farago. I will be sitting on a panel or two and possibly teaching a workshop on graphic novels… or writing… or how to create whilst drunk. For more details and updates visit the official facebook page here.
Now my dearest degenerates I will be taking my leave and burying my head in a pile of Word docs and artwork drenched in my own blood and entrails. The coffee is hot, the whiskey is on deck for this evening, and I am off to the races on the graphic novel track. I will make a concerted effort to update again before the holidays send the rest of my year into a 90 degree free-fall, but if I don’t quite accomplish said goal I’ll see you all on the other side of 2016. You’ll recognize me as the belligerent drunk covered in ink.
Most importantly… Happy Halloween, y’all! Let your fright flag fly.
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