News for everyone planning to attend CXC: I’m very sorry to say that yesterday I emailed the organizers to withdraw from exhibiting this weekend in Columbus. CXC is truly special among comics festivals, and this year’s tenth anniversary show is stacked with special guests and events I wrote in my calendar with eager anticipation, in ink with exclamation points. The reality is I misjudged the resources I’d have right now: we’ve had unexpected expenses this month on top of my trip to DC for SPX, and my energy levels are mismatched with what it would take to really show up and make the most of another weekend away from my family and my many spheres of labor. I’m really sorry to back out of the show, and hope everyone attending and exhibiting has a wonderful weekend!
My last show of this festival season will be Chicago Zine Fest on October 5 at the Columbia College Student Center. Please come! This will be my local debut of the Abortion Pill Zine, and my kids are working on new mini comics to sell too:
My cheap-o scanner broke (another $$$ this month!) so I’ll wait for another newsletter to share diary comics. I am also planning recap the shows I’ve been to this year, which have been mixed bags! Everything socially has been *wonderful,* what a joy to see friends and talk shop and buy books to inspire and delight and break your heart, the shows are well run, all the panels I attended were interesting, etc etc, but I have felt weird, I’ve heard similar “everything was good but also weird” from peer-aged friends & colleagues, and I have theories.
Other news: I’m enjoying the return of jacket season; leaves are already changing colors; the pumpkin seeds we planted on a whim in May are producing huge orange globes; the kids are locking in their Halloween costume plans; I’m drawing pages that I think are really strong; the class I’m teaching this semester is full of focused, generous, talented artists who have so much to say that weekly critique takes more than 2 hours; Ada *really* learned how to ride her bike without training wheels yesterday, after lots of false starts. The life I some semblance of control over, within these four walls, feels really good, really beautiful right now, in no small part because I’m finally learning to say no to things that aren’t working. What a relief!
xoxox m
Oo theories!
I will miss you at CXC. I am glad to see you at SPX and collect Ilan's comic.