picture books

The Winter of Our (Dis)Content

November 30, 2020December 1, 2020 Alex Schumacher

Good tidings, inhabitants of the digital realm! As we’ve now crested that death-defying plunge into the holidays, I resolved to make at least one more post here on the blog before this hellish year has officially come to a close. Since last updating in August there has been a flurry of activity. Without further ado, let’s dive right in!

MR. BUTTERCHIPS

Since SLG Publishing released the curmudgeonly capuchin on the world, he has garnered attention from a variety of online review outlets thanks to the help of Don’t Hide PR. A couple which arrived online in the wake of my last post were from the venerable A Place to Hang Your Cape and Graphic Policy.

If you are looking for a little bit of truth wrapped in some dark humor, Alex Schumacher‘s Mr. Butterchips: A Collection of Cantankerous Commentary is the perfect anthology to check out. – Carla Vazquez, A Place to Hang Your Cape

Read the write-up in its entirety on the AP2HYC site.

Schumacher’s brilliance and timeliness of subject matter make this a MUST READ as he makes the reader laugh as much as he makes you think. – Pharoah Miles, Graphic Policy

The full review can be read on the Graphic Policy site.

Soda and Telepath‘s own Anthony Pollock was also gracious enough to host me for an interview regarding the book, my genesis with the character, etc. Our spirited exchange can be found on the S & T site in their interview section.

You still have time to obtain a copy as a holiday gift for the comics lover in your life! Visit my books page for purchasing options.

DECADES OF (in)EXPERIENCE

Following a transcendent five-year journey, Antix Press and I will be making a monumental announcement regarding the webcomic come December. My gratitude for Francis Lombard and the dedicated audience attracted over the course of our run cannot be overstated. You all are the sole reason I’ve continued pushing this boulder up the hill, so to speak. My efforts as a Gen-X Sisyphus would have been insurmountable were it not for the encouragement and support I’ve received since the onset of the comic in 2015.

Truly, from the bottom of my soul, thank you all.

That said, there are some Decades-related projects in the works. One of said ventures is a limited edition sculpt of everyone’s favorite inebriated immortal, Drunk Death (pictured below)! In partnership with You Are Player One, these gorgeous figurines will be available shortly in time to order the perfect holiday gift. Stay tuned for details…

HOLIDAY COMMISSIONS

As the gift-giving season approaches, I’m planning to open 4-5 commission spots for interested parties. Original art makes for a distinctive, one-of-a-kind holiday present! An added bonus is that you’ll be supporting an independent artist, which has become increasingly vital for the survival of our trade.

Slots will be filled on a first come, first serve basis. Use the form on the contact page, or email me at alexschumacherart@gmail.com for more info. Samples below.

PATREON

If you’re looking for exclusive content, behind the scenes access, and other goodies unavailable to anyone else, please consider subscribing to my Patreon page. With many projects in the works, there’s sure to be an abundance of material specifically presented for my patrons in 2021!

Subscribe on my page today!

OTHER NEWS

I’m pleased to announce that I have signed with the phenomenal Allison Hellegers of Stimola Literary Studio! I want to state that my former agent (Pete Ryan, also of Stimola) and I split amicably. He’s an amazing person and there were simply circumstances beyond anyone’s control which led to our parting ways. The groundwork he laid and faith he had in me/my work will ALWAYS be held in high regard.

That said, I’m considerably reinvigorated to be repped by Allison! While there’s nothing I can properly announce at this time, I’m currently prepping several projects to be shopped by Allison in the near future. One of which is my latest graphic novel, but I’ve already divulged too much. You’ll just have to follow me on Twitter, Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for further updates.

There is also a comic strip being considered by Universal Press Syndicate for possible syndication. My initial pitch was a sanitized version of Mr. Butterchips, entitled MONKEY SEE… (excerpt below), but Universal respectfully rejected the idea with an invitation to propose other concepts.

Thus, I spent the last few weeks putting the pitch package together and delivered my submission the Tuesday before Thanksgiving to the acquisitions editor with whom I’m in contact. Whatever the outcome, 25-year-old Alex would absolutely lose his mind if he knew we had a personal connection at one of THE big syndicates. Life is weird sometimes…

Anyway, Hope everyone is having a great holiday season so far and we’ll see you in 2021!

Amazing Las Vegas Comic Con and Sirens of Sequentials (New Review)

June 17, 2019February 8, 2020 Alex Schumacher

For those who follow me across the social medias, you may have noticed I spent the past weekend exhibiting at the Amazing Las Vegas Comic Con with my buddy and inker extraordinaire, Chris Arrocena. I returned home with a few less books, a few more pounds (so much sumptuous food!), and had a wonderful time meeting new creator friends and a handful of independent comics enthusiasts.

Unfortunately, the convention itself was not without its fair share of inadequacies. Some of the blemishes could have been avoided, some were beyond their control. More on that later.

On Friday the convention floor was open from 3 pm to 8 pm, allowing VIPs and others to get their bearings. Saturday was by far my busiest day sales-wise which was most likely affected by the 10 am to 7 pm hours of operation.

On Sunday, the final day of the show, families attended in droves to have their children get a picture with a Power Ranger or saunter from toy booth to toy booth. Unsurprisingly, my picture book The World’s Crummiest Umbrella was the day’s top-seller. Thank you to the folks who took the time to stop by the booth, chat about my work, and purchase some of my wares!

Our Table At Amazing Las Vegas Comic Con

Amazing Las Vegas Comic Con Review — Day 1 begins, as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as we could possibly muster.

Alex Schumacher at Amazing Las Vegas Con — The goods.

Chris Arrocena Amazing Las Vegas Comic Con — My table-mate and pal, Chris Arrocena, inking away.

amazing las vegas comic con 2019 — Day 2 commences, albeit with slightly drained enthusiasm.

Mr. Butterchips Infinity Gauntlet — A Mr. Butterchips/Infinity Gauntlet mashup sketch during a lull.

Alex Schumacher and Chris Arrocena — Day 3 begins after a long night of overindulging in the City of Sin.

The People At Amazing Las Vegas Comic Con

McLain McGuire Comics — After nearly 2 years of working with him on my self-published Defiling the Literati, I finally had the opportunity to meet designer and printer McLain McGuire!

I also had the distinct pleasure of meeting Fabrice Sapolsky, creator and senior editor at Humanoids (and ex-colleague of Decades of (in)Experience editor Francis Lombard).

The Big Thorbowski Cosplay - Thor and The Big Lebowski Mashup — Cosplay doesn’t typically move me one way or another, but I was inspired to snap a picture of The Big Thorbowski.

My Comic Con Purchases

Andy Kuhn Comics — Considering the expenses of a convention which didn’t yield high returns, I did not make many purchases. I did however obtain a couple of signed books by Andy Kuhn, an artist I have long-since. admired

Francis Baytan Comic Strips — Additionally, I obtained this collection of Chai & Mulligan comic strips from my across-the-row neighbor Francis Baytan. Check him out!

The Convention – Amazing Las Vegas

I certainly don’t want to dwell on the negative, but the convention itself felt underwhelming and poorly organized. Maybe it was due to my discomfort in extreme heat. Maybe it was my increasing age-inspired misanthropy. Either way, there were foibles galore. The programming schedule was nowhere to be found and the floor layout was so difficult to navigate that several people who came specifically to support our table vocalized their frustrations with trying to locate us. I saw several members of the security team patrolling the floor, which was great, but the show was surprisingly bereft of any official staff.

While obviously beyond the control of the convention, I’ve witnessed a disturbing trend at the larger-scale conventions. Focus has shifted away from indie creators to a staggering interest in collectibles and fan art prints (which are 100% illegal). My pal Brian Fies espoused sentiments regarding the latter I wholeheartedly agree with in a recent post on his site:

I think true fan art is terrific. A kid who loves Iron Man and draws up little pictures, stickers and stuff to sell for a buck a piece is technically violating copyright but should be left alone. They’re expressing their passion for the character. I like passion.

Likewise, comics professionals who’ve made a living drawing these characters should get a pass. Neal Adams defined the look of Batman in the 1970s and for generations to follow. As far as I’m concerned, Mr. Adams can draw and sell all the Batmen he wants.

That’s not what’s going on here. These print peddlers are big commercial operations. They’re not in it for the love of characters or stories, they’re in it because the prints sell. And unlike fandom, booth space at conventions is a zero-sum game. There’s only so much real estate. These big guys crowd out others doing original art with characters and stories they actually created.

It’s hard to feel sorry for giant corporations that own Superman and Indiana Jones. That doesn’t make violating their copyright OK. I don’t think these print emporiums are good for comics, conventions, creators or fans, and I’d really like to see cons crack down on them, maybe with a little encouragement from the true copyright holders and their scary lawyers. Make room for new creative voices producing original material. That’s the real life-blood of the industry and art form.

For this and other creative reasons, I am making the following announcement exclusively here: Unless I am invited as a guest—and let’s be honest, this isn’t bound to occur any time soon—I will no longer be exhibiting at larger comic conventions. Instead, I will be focusing on book fairs where my particular storytelling may be better received.

A NEW DECADES REVIEW!

Moving on to more enthralling news, the sensational Sirens of Sequentials published a new review of Decades of (in)Experience as of May 29th, 2019. Reviewer, and Siren-in-chief CJ Pendragon, had this to say about the webcomic:

Decades of (in)Experience is not a bit of light reading before bed but it is an introspective narrative full of sociopolitical commentary, hierarchy questioning and wanderlust. I loved it.

I recommend Decades of (in)Experience to those who can stomach being taken by surprise by a multitude of sensitive topics. Schumacher doesn’t tiptoe around them or soften the blow, he deals them up in a realistic and relatable manner that’s refreshing in a sea of kid-gloved comics.

Read the write-up in its entirety at Sirens of Sequentials.

That’s all for now, folks!

Bleeding Cool review and more!

May 9, 2018May 9, 2018 Alex Schumacher

Fair morrow (or evening I suppose, depending on which time zone you call home), peeps! I’ve extricated myself from the drafting table long enough to post another update here on the ole’ website. Not only has the pace of projects refused to abate, I now find myself entangled with a couple of secret (though fucking stellar) projects. Seriously, I’m gnawing off my toenails in anticipation of announcing the aforementioned ventures. In all fairness there’s no way to predict when—or even if—said endeavors will come to fruition, so I suppose they may not have been worth mentioning just yet. Oh well. I’ll simply dangle the carrots and watch you shiver with anticipation.

Anyway, the 3rd year of DECADES OF (in)EXPERIENCE continues to barrel forth. Switching to a full page format has certainly been a bit of an undertaking, but it has presented a worthy challenge for my writing and art. Your, the reader’s/fan’s, input is always welcome. Drop me or my publisher Antix Press a line to let us know what you think of this year thus far. If you haven’t as of yet found your way to our dark, licentious corner of the ‘web and needed some prodding, feel free to peruse this article from Bleeding Cool. My debt of gratitude to the wondrous and shiny Lauren Sisselman for the coverage!

That ornery organ grinder monkey, MR. BUTTERCHIPS, also continues his campaign of intellect and snark against the alt-right, gun lobby, homophobes, and stupidity/intolerance in general. His monthly antics can still be found with every new issue of the best damn independent literary magazine in the city of angels, Drunk Monkeys! The magazine is also attempting to become a paying market, so if you can swing a few bucks their way to include more content (and possibly increased installments of MR. BUTTERCHIPS) visit: http://www.drunkmonkeys.us/.

As stated in my previous post, THE GUITARIST, created by C.W. Cooke and myself (with colors by Jeremy Kahn) will be serialized in Antarctic Press‘ revamped Mangazine beginning in July! This is such a treat for us as we’ve wanted to paint the world with this epic comic’s shade of psychedelic since we conceived this rock and roll saga years ago. Preorder your copy here, and/or contact your local comic book shop to request they stock the anthology. Here’s a sneak peek at the cover:

As for the above referenced secret projects, I can only say that there may be a new graphic novel and picture book in the works. That is all I can can reveal. That is all I will reveal. In the meantime,allow your imaginations to roam freely. Will the new graphic novel be a sci-fi erotica? Can the new picture book possibly feature a shroom-dropping goblin? Probably not as those sound like agonizing reads, but I still invite you to speculate away. Once news is available I will post all the grungy details here. Or on Twitter. Or my Instagram. If interested, you can follow me on either of those social media sites @AJSchumacherart.

For interested parties, I was also recently interviewed on 2 independent podcasts. Thanks to Work Talk Podcast and Everything is Awesome Podcast for having me! Find the interviews here (Work Talk) and here (Everything is Awesome).

For now, I bid you all a fond adieu. These god-damn panels won’t materialize on their. I wish they did, believe me.

P.S. Don’t forget to shower your mothers with praise and love for bringing your sorry asses into the world this weekend!

End of year project updates

December 15, 2014December 15, 2014 Alex Schumacher

Very merry greetings to all! I do hope your holiday season is great so far, and would just like to take the time on this stormy winter day to give everyone an update on projects of mine to look out for in the new year.

My new picture book, and follow up to The World’s Crummiest Umbrella, is in production now. It will be published by Wandering in the Words press and is tentatively slated for a spring 2015 release. Without divulging too much of the story, I wanted to share a peek of the main character from this whimsical little tale. Here is a quick sketch from my collection of character designs and story notes:

As shared in a previous post, Under Belly Comics has picked up The Guitarist, the new graphic novel series from CW Cooke and myself. The story and artwork are currently undergoing some cosmetic overhauls as we put together the rest of our creative team. Check back here often for production art and updated on release information. This is going to be one wild ride, and to whet your whistle, here’s a teaser image brought to you with backgrounds by colorist Melch Valimento.

There are also some exciting developments which have occurred recently in the animation industry. Unfortunately there isn’t much that I can share as of now, but I’ll reveal that there are some series pitches submitted to networks as well as other opportunities which have presented themselves that may serve as entrance into the field. Hopefully there will be more to share in the new year, so for now, send your good vibrations my way and think happy thoughts.

2015 is going to be one exciting year! Happy holidays y’all!

Happy Turkey Day

November 26, 2014November 26, 2014 Alex Schumacher

Holiday greetings to all of the great folks who take the time to come visit my site! I created this piece entitled “Dinner Music” just for all of you (click the image to enlarge). I hope you all have a joyous Thanksgiving full of family, fun and, of course, FOOD! Amidst all the hubbub, don’t forget to take a moment to reflect on what makes you truly thankful.

Before I take off on my trek for turkey, I wanted to share a few photos taken from the event held by Old Capitol Books last weekend for The World’s Crummiest Umbrella. I had a great time talking and reading to a wonderful group of attendees, both young and not so young. A huge thanks to everyone who came out and I’ll post more pictures soon!

The next event will be held at the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco on Saturday, December 13th. If you’re in the area, come on by, say howdy, and pick up some early holiday gifts. As they say, the greatest gift is a passion for reading.

Have a great holiday weekend everyone! Gobble! Gobble!

(Mostly) Kidlit and (some) Comic book news!

November 8, 2014 Alex Schumacher

Hope everyone is enjoying the best time of year, as I am! Being born in late September, I feel as though I have a natural inclination toward the fall and winter seasons and the period between Halloween and New Year’s is undoubtedly my favorite span during the year. This is one of the reasons I’m so pleased to announce a load of cool things happening in the next couple months.

First, the good people over at Beach Bound Books posted a fantastic review of The World’s Crummiest Umbrella as well as holding a giveaway for their advanced review copy. I can’t thank Stacie enough for the kind words, and if you want a chance to win another copy (because you’ve already bought one, right?) of the book be sure to enter their giveaway contest in the next 10 days!

Coming up in just a couple short weeks is an event for The World’s Crummiest Umbrella hosted by the very cool Old Capitol Books in Monterey. On November 22nd I’ll be reading the book for attendees, as well as signing and sketching for everyone afterward. There will be copies available to purchase, but feel free to bring your copy from home for me to sign as well. It’ll be a fun afternoon for the entire family so I hope to see you there!

Then, on Saturday December 13th I’ll be appearing at the world renowned and uber awesome Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco to read and sign copies of The World’s Crummiest Umbrella! I love this place and the great staff there are some of the best people I know. If you’re in the Bay Area be sure to bring the family out to stop by and say howdy!

I’ll close this blog post with some really exciting comic book news: The Guitarist, by myself and my most excellent writer pal C.W. Cooke (@CWCookeComix), has been picked up by Underbelly Comics and slated for release in 2015! This has been a long time coming for us, and we finally have the chance to bring this saga to the world. There will be some retooling and redesigning happening so we’re not sure when it will be out, but I will certainly keep all of the faithful visitors here posted on details as they develop.

Thanks for making it to the end of this post and hope it was a nice payoff for ya! See y’all soon and keep creating!

New interview and Bay Area event scheduled!

October 8, 2014October 8, 2014 Alex Schumacher

Howdy folks! A quick update with some fun news is on tap for you all today.

Over at Beach Bound Books (great title, huh?), there’s been an interview posted in which I was asked all about The World’s Crummiest Umbrella, how I got into being an author and illustrator, and more. Check it out by clicking on their logo below:

Also, for my Bay Area peeps, there’s been a new signing/appearance added to my Events page which will be taking place in San Francisco. The always awesome Cartoon Art Museum will be hosting an author event for me on Saturday December 13th. I’m so excited to be back in the city and hope to see you all there!

That’s all for now, kiddies. I have to get back to work on the next books. If you would like to follow the progress of my work, or even have a giggle at my little rants, follow me on twitter @AJSchumacherart

Keep drawing, keep creating, and keep dreaming.

Website redesign and contest

September 22, 2014September 22, 2014 Alex Schumacher

Welcome to the all new (in appearance anyway) alexschumacherart.com! The content is still the same for the most part, but I felt as though it was time to change the vibe a little. Spruce up the joint, if you will. So come on in and have a look around. Heck, take off your shoes if you’d like. I simply ask that if you move anything to kindly put it back. Be sure to visit the World’s Crummiest Umbrella photo gallery and brand spankin’ new Events page for upcoming appearances and signings.

Speaking of upcoming appearances and signings, I am pleased to announce that I have been invited to visit Old Capitol Books on November 22nd for a live reading of The World’s Crummiest Umbrella, as well as a meet-and-greet and signing following the reading. More information as well as a link to Old Capitol Books can be found on the Events page. Come on out and say hi! I may even scribble a little doodle in your book if you ask really nicely…

Now, if you think that sounds fun, how does a Contest sound? Does it sound awesome? Well, you’re in luck my friends! Starting this week I will be holding a contest for those who have purchased a copy of The World’s Crummiest Umbrella. Two lucky winners will be receiving original hand-drawn artwork produced for the book, just for being a great fan and supporter! Possibly a piece of art like this:

So, how do we enter? That’s an excellent question. Here’s the scoop: Between now and the end of the day on Friday, October 3rd just post a photo of yourself with your copy of the book on Facebook or Twitter (remember to use the #TheWorldsCrummiestUmbrella hashtag) and you’ll be automatically entered to win! You can also send photos to the email listed on the contact page if that’s what you prefer to do. If you plan to purchase your copy in the next two weeks, but may not have it in time to enter the photo contest, you can send me a proof of purchase and I’ll be happy to include you in the contest. Sound fun? Well get to it!

Happy reading and thank you all so much for continuing to help me share, promote, and get the word out about The World’s Crummiest Umbrella!

Labor Day!

September 1, 2014 Alex Schumacher

Greetings, inhabitants of the bizarre and wondrous dimension we call the internet! I do hope this finds you well and enjoying a lovely Labor Day with family, friends, food, and fun. With the holiday in mind, I concocted a silly little poem (and an even sillier little drawing) to delight all of the kiddies both young and old. Would you like to see it? I knew that you would.

Speaking of the kiddos, have you purchased and/or received your copy of my new picture book, The World’s Crummiest Umbrella, yet? I have been pleased as punch by the overwhelmingly enthusiastic response to the book thus far. Your love and support has meant the world to me, and I will just humbly ask two favors of you:

Spread the joy by telling everyone you know about the book via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and whichever other social media tools you happen to utilize. I’d love to get the word out to as many folks as possible and I need YOUR help to do so!
When you do receive your copy of The World’s Crummiest Umbrella, make sure to leave a review on the Amazon page for the book. It will help me out immensely and let other visitors know just how much fun the book is for the whole family!

I also encourage you to take pictures with your copies of the book which I will feature right here on my site, just like these two lucky literary fans:

Thank you all, enjoy the weekend, and there’s much more to come so stop by again soon!

Drawing on dogs… For inspiration.

July 28, 2014July 28, 2014 Alex Schumacher

Not actually drawing on them, though that may be funny too. As they are, dogs are hilarious, disgusting, oblivious, and wonderful for observation and zany ideas. Fun and whacky drawings like these help to keep the creative juices, and sometimes slobber, flowing. Enjoy and/or be horrified how closely some of these may hit home.

Cats can be funny too I s’pose… It’s just far less common. A cat in a situation like this though? Hi-Larious!

I know I’ve been teasing at it for some time, but the publisher will be ordering the proof for my first picture book and we will be one step closer to getting those babies in your hot little mitts! More news to follow so stay close, visit soon and stay gold.