Framish Yuk Yuk minicomic and Family Circus 'bootleg' in the Secret History of Comics

 

Family Circus bootleg political ad from the  Nicholas County News-Leader May 29, 1974 p. 2-13

and this is a link to a 'make it yourself' minicomic gag and joke book, probably cut out of a newspaper. I will donated it to either the Library of Congress or the Billy Ireland Library.

Framish Yuk Yuk minicomic: https://archive.org/details/framish-yuk-yuk-minicomic-as-printed

Meet a Local Cartoonist: A Chat with Athena Naylor

 by Mike Rhode

StoryBox Comics Fair, organized by Adam Griffiths, was held recently in a brewery in Silver Spring, MD. Along with some stalwarts of the DC Conspiracy, I met some local cartoonists new to me. Athena Naylor has been mentioned here before, but it was good to meet her in person and ask for an interview.

What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?

Mostly autobiographical comics–I like to find thoughtful stories in the mundane moments of life.

How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?

Mainly pen and ink– I’ll typically sketch everything with a blue pencil, ink directly over that, and then get rid of the blue lines in photoshop once everything is scanned in. Occasionally I’ll add some digital flat colors/shading, or paint my comics with watercolors. In general I’m more comfortable with drawing traditionally, I still find it immensely satisfying (and more portable when

I’m on the go)

When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?

Early ‘90s– I was born in Boston but grew up in Wisconsin.

Why are you in Washington now?  What neighborhood or area do you live in?

I came to Washington to get my master’s in Art History at GWU. By graduation I had established a great support network of friends and have been sticking around ever since. I also appreciate that it’s easy to visit SPX living here, and I’ve been really grateful that I’ve been able to make comics friends in the area (participating in the Storybox Comics Fair this summer is a testament to those local connections)

How did you get into the Washington Post's Lily webcomics feature? How many strips did you do for them? How was your experience in working with a major newspaper?

A mutual friend put me in touch with one of the former art directors at the Lily back in late 2018. I pitched a few comic ideas and one of them got picked up (a comic discussing the then-new Netflix series Sex Education.) A few years later in 2021 I pitched again and got in. I would have loved to do more work for The Lily, but unfortunately it recently got discontinued as its own separate project. Comics features are going to be folded into other sections of the Washington Post-- maybe one day I'll manage to draw something for another offset of the newspaper. My experience was good. At the time I was overjoyed to get paid to draw a comic for a newspaper. It was also a valuable learning experience as a self-published artist who was not used to having anyone else have a say in my artistic decisions. Drawing for a major publication meant I needed to adhere to certain style and color guidelines that I previously never considered. Having various editors pick apart my work was also a little daunting, but in the long run I learned a lot about how to prioritize readability and accessibility into the design of comics/graphics meant for a wide audience.

I’d always been baffled by people who wanted kids. Then my friend got pregnant. in The Lily

What is your training and/or education in cartooning?

Honestly I’ve been drawing narrative art in some form ever since I was a little kid. I went to a liberal arts school and majored in art (with a focus in drawing and painting), but most of my early comics “training” was self-taught. The most specialized education I’ve probably had is that in the summer of 2015 I went to a week-long graphic novel workshop at CCS (the Center for Cartoon Studies)

Who are your influences?

I take inspiration from many places. I certainly have a lot of favorite cartoonists (Eleanor Davis, Jillian Tamaki, Kate Beaton… a lot of the artists I found online when I was a teenager were women cartoonists who are now rightfully well established). But I’m also influenced a lot by the books I read and the movies/TV shows I watch.

If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?

I wish I had been more cognizant in my college years of how anxiety was inhibiting my ability to confidently pursue art as a career path. I knew I wanted to make comics but was timid and self-deprecating of both my work and my interests. I wish I could go back and assure myself of the validity of my creative goals! But really I try not to ruminate too hard on “what ifs–” I’ve learned there’s not a lot of utility in those thoughts.

What work are you best-known for?

Haha, I have no idea– online I’m probably most known for my series of diary comics that I call “Dailies.” 

What work are you most proud of?

The work I’m most proud of is a comic I did in 2019 called “The Checkout Counter,” which meditates on workplace flirtation through the lens of art history. 

What would you like to do or work on in the future?

“The Checkout Counter” is the longest comic I’ve done to date and I’m eager to work on more long-form comics again. I have a ton of stories I want to illustrate about working in a public museum in my early twenties, and I’m currently researching my late Greek grandmother’s life in the hopes that that may turn into some kind of comic one day about interconnected family histories.

What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?

Take a walk, rest, socialize– pretty much anything other than write or draw. If I’m in a rut it usually means my creative meter is running empty in some capacity and I need to fill it up by experiencing something new or revitalizing.

What do you think will be the future of your field? 

I love meeting fellow cartoonists, but a common refrain when we discuss the field is that there is no sustainable way to make comics as a career (unless you get really lucky or have some means of financial support, whether that’s from family or a partner or whatever). I would love to see publishers actually support creators in a way that ensures artists don’t break themselves trying to meet deadlines while finding outside gigs to supplement their income. I don’t know if that’s an attainable goal for the near future. But it would be great to see any kind of improvement happen in that way.

What local cons do you attend? The Small Press Expo, Awesome Con, or others? Any comments about attending them?

Most recently I attended Storybox Comics Fair, and in the past I’ve tabled at DC Zinefest and DC Art Book Fair (which unfortunately hasn’t been offered since 2019). I’ve enjoyed tabling them all! It’s nice to participate at local fairs because you meet local creators who you can catch up with year after year. You also immediately have something in common with the people who visit your table because you all live in the same area.

What's your favorite thing about DC?

The fact that I can get around without a car– the metro has its issues but compared to other places I’ve been it’s pretty convenient, and DC is a small enough city that a lot of places are walkable. I also love that I can casually pop into exhibits at the mall without the pressure to stay for a certain amount of time to “get my money’s worth” since the museums are free.

Least favorite?

The traffic, getting crushed during rush hour on the metro, the horrible humidity in the summer.

What monument or museum do you like to take visitors to?

Depends on what they’re interested in! I’ve had good luck taking both friends and family to the Hirshhorn.

Do you have a website or blog?

Yes– my website is athenanaylor.com, and you can find more work on instagram @athena.naylor
 
How has the COVID-19 outbreak affected you, personally and professionally? (Pre-covid, Naylor wrote about the arts for The DC Line, including two stories on cartooning.)

Honestly it’s been hard to regain the pre-pandemic momentum I had before quarantine. At the end of 2019 I had just made “The Checkout Counter” and felt prepared to continue pursuing longer work, but then the pandemic hit and priorities shifted. It definitely affected how I navigate life both personally and professionally, but in ways that are difficult to articulate. It’s also hard to say because I entered my 30’s in 2021, so I don’t know which changes in attitude and lifestyle may be caused by the pandemic and which are just a product of growing older. Things are just different, as they should be after something like a global pandemic!

Storybox in Silver Spring

I met some new cartoonists and saw some old friends.

Hobbes Holluck

Jeremy and Ashley Vinar

Box Brown

Anna Sellheim

Art Hondros

Dale Rawlings (I bought that page)

Michael Auger (I bought that painting)

Sean Fahey

Athena Naylor

Adam Griffiths

Lee Strawberry

Brandon Wallace

7/22: Fantom Comics -Zine Reading, Zine Jamboree with Creatives Club

 From: Zinefest <dczinefest@gmail.com>

Good Morning,

On Saturday July 22nd we’re having a zine reading at Fantom Comics ( 2010 P St NW) starting at 7pm.  Sign up to read below:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdncuewZIGEiJhJQKLdNJPzyurm_jACZSIXv1kqMR5MiwDIWg/viewform

It's 7/22, the opposite of PI, but nevertheless, audience's favorite zine gets a pie!  What a deal!

On Thursday July 27th, we're back at Fantom comicscollaborating with @creativesclubdc to hold a Zine Jamboree! Join us from 6 to 9 pm for all things zines. We'll have a zine collection show & tell, a showcase for zines you've made, & we'll bring some supplies for making some new zines!

Thanks to @cdinhart and @creativesclubdc for the cute poster art 

Best,

DCZine Fest

Meet a Local Comics Writer: A Chat with Matt Kund

by Mike Rhode

Recently I went to my first comics signing since the pandemic started. Matt Kund and Brett Murphy were at Fantom Comics on Dupont Circle for a few hours. I chatted briefly, bought their comics, took a couple of photos, and asked them for an interview. Here's Matt answering our usual questions.

What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?

I’m mainly a writer, I do draw a little and soon I am drawing my first story for an anthology I am part of.  

How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?

Mostly know I am digital, I love working in Procreate on my iPad, I never thought I would be a digital artist, but that’s mostly want I use now.

When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?

I was born in the 1970s in Washington DC.

Why are you in Washington now?  What neighborhood or area do you live in?

My day job is with the Federal Government.  I live in the Maryland now.

What is your training and/or education in cartooning?

I have taken two classes in comics writing from Comics Experiences and on coloring class at Comic Experience as well.  

Who are your influences?

My influences - writing wise Jonathan Hickman is my biggest current influence.  I would love to be able to craft stories and world build like him

I grew up on 80s Marvel Comics, GI Joe and Spiderman 

I love Mike Zeck's Marvel covers.

Lee Weeks is my favorite all time, with Sean Gordon Murphy more currently.

If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?

Get an early start, I did get serious about trying to make comics till my 30s.

What work are you best-known for?

I would think maybe my comic “Digital Forever” a sci-fi comic about a digitally-designed afterlife program.

What work are you most proud of?

A mini comic I did with call “RX-tiction” with my art and podcasting partner Noah Ray.  I was our first project together that lead to a bunch of future project and friendship built around art/movies and comics, and we told a zombie story with a twist I don’t think anyone else has tried.

What would you like to do or work on in the future?

I am currently working on a book called “Metal Eagle”, that I’m excited about.  Pitched as "Atomic Blonde" meets "This is Spinal Tap."

What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?

I don’t have a lot of writer's block.  I have written something every day for the last 1,500 plus days.  I was really influenced by "The War of Art" by Stephen Pressfield were he talks about not waiting for the muse, setting down each day and being ready for the muse.

What do you think will be your future in the field? 

Hopefully as writer, but I would love to have a Jeff Lemire-like career, writing a bunch of books, and maybe doing the art on one.

What local cons do you attend? The Small Press Expo, Awesome Con, or others? Any comments about attending them?

Yeah all 3 of those, and Heroes Con in North Carolina. 

What's your favorite thing about DC?

I zipped over to the Art Gallery or the Portrait Gallery on my lunch (when I go into the office).  It’s a great outing to get inspired to want to make things.

Least favorite?

Tourist not understanding the unwritten law of the escalators, walking on the left and standing is on the right.

What monument or museum do you like to take visitors to?

National Portrait Gallery, it’s hardly ever crowded and so much fun to see the art!

Do you have a website or blog?

I have a website MattKund.com, I haven't worked on it lately I was trying for a time to detail the trails and tribulation of trying to break into comics as writer. Hopefully I get back to it. 

I have a Gumroad site to buy my comics - https://gumroad.com/forevercomics

Twitter @MKund
Instagram @MAK0876
Facebook Pages https://www.facebook.com/digitalforevercomic/ and https://www.facebook.com/ConstructingComic/

How has the COVID-19 outbreak affected you, personally and professionally?

I haven’t tabled in a year at a con.  But I have been able to Kickstart comic books as a publisher  -“Dino Thrashers” and as a writer - “The Reset” and a few anthology stories.  I run a meet-up group called DMV Indie Comics Creators and since March of 2020 we moved those to Zoom from in person meetings.

Tell us more about your new company, Forever Comics Publishing, your comic from it, and your Kickstarter campaign.

Forever Comics is a small publishing company I formed for my stories. And there is now an imprint mainly to handle sci-fi stories under Ageless Press, with the other co-founder Brett Murphy, who had started Legacy Comics, which is now the horror imprint under Ageless Press.

Forever Comics as published - "Digital Forever," "Multi - Larceny" and "The Reset" (via Kickstarter) and "RX-tiction," "Life Cycle" and "Orryx Mini Comics" with Noah Ray.

Matt, can you tell us about your Constructing ComicsPodcast?

Constructing Comics Podcast is a podcast I do with Noah Ray. It started off as a page-design podcast (which we still do from time to time). We do reviews of current releases, but we have found a good groove interviewing indie creators and some bigger names at DC and Marvel Comics.

What comic books do you read regularly or recommend? Is Fantom your local store?

Hickmen’s X books, and Pax Romain; Mister Miracle; Anything by Brubaker and Phillips.

 Yes, Fantom is my local store, I have been with them since Union Station, but since Covid, I have moved to mail order, happy that I can still help them out and get my books during the pandemic.

Matt Kund & Brett Murphy at Fantom Comics