Porco And Fio And An Extra Friend

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haha woah! Love this, Brian! (great to meet you btw!) I also love the perpetual joyous laughter that is Jimmy in a nutshell <3

Had a blast at SPX this weekend! Drew some folks I met on the flight home. 

New illustration for the New York Times Letters section. This one's about reigning in health care costs by taking away numerous, sometimes needless testing rather than rationing who gets what care. You can read the article here. Art direction by Alexandra Zsigmond. 

A flower for Aisha.

My friends Rebecca Bradley and Janna Morton run the project Blooms of Nigeria, a blog whose goal is to present nearly 200 illustrated flowers, each for a different girl who was taken in the April kidnapping in Nigeria, and to keep the discussion and awareness of their plight alive. It's a terrible crisis, and recently, there have been new kidnappings of almost 100 girls and boys as well. There isn't much many of us reading about it from our computers can do to help directly with this situation, but at the very least, we can all keep talking about the problem, express our sadness and eagerness for a resolution. There is also an Amnesty International petition you can sign to help appeal to the Nigerian government for action.

Let's not forget about these girls. Let's all keep loudly hoping for their rescue.

Wicked Lady for Jenn Woodall's Moon Power zine. Always liked this bitter angsty babe.

When are you guys going to be putting out the second zine? I'd like to contribute to something!

It's more a question of "if" than "when" really. "Damn Fine Coffee!" is the first large anthology-type zine I've made, and I'm undecided about whether I want to put out another issue or to move on! As I've told many other interested folks, if I make another one, it will be an open-call for submissions. I'll definitely spread the word about it if that happens, so keep your eyes open!

Also, I might add, the excitement for the zine and the interest everyone's expressed has been truly thrilling, but all I'm focusing on right now is getting this current issue out. 

<3

Hi Andrea, I was in Greg's Monday class this past semester and I found your Tumblr by chance. I didn't know you had graduated MICA already, I assumed you were still a student because you were Greg's TA. It's so cool that you've done illustrations for NY Times! How did you get such a big client like that? I guess I'm just kinda gushing now. I guess I'll leave this message by saying I really admire your work =]

Hey miss ma'am! Haha I'm...glad? you thought I was a student. But no, that youthful glow and non-jaded outlook on the bitterness of life left me when I graduated MICA....Counterpoint: did I mention how I think Sailor Moon is super fun? And did you see? Kali turned me into a sailor scout! wee!

Anyhow, I actually got contacted by the NY Times rather than the other way around, which was (is) a hugely exciting thing, but probably not to be relied on as a typical occurrence. My best recommendation is to do what I do too little of and promote yourself as much as you can. Be friendly, make contacts, and send your promos out to all the people you want to work with. But most importantly, just keep making work, even if it's just for you. Try not to get seduced by trends, always aim for making yourself proud, and put some soul into your work (by loving what you do)! You never know who'll notice you. 

Thanks so much, Shirley! Best of luck!!

Cthulhu Fhtagn!

For Trevor Henderson's upcoming grim and dreadful H.P. Lovecraft zine "Puffed Shoggoths", which has incredible line up of artists including Trevor himself, Jimmy Giegerich and Jon Vermilyea. You can find out more about the zine here.

With Halloween on it's way, I figure I'll tie this little story into the piece: this illustration is based on an intense fear I experienced on the one and only cruise I'll ever take in my life. I was on the deck one night, in the middle of the Atlantic; it was cloudy and a new moon so no light whatsoever came from the sky. I remember looking out past the railings and seeing the lights from the boat just end only a few feet out at the most charcoal-deep blackness I've ever seen. It was such a profoundly dark and completely unbroken void that it just seemed to swallow everything. As if the ship had sailed into a black hole, there was just nothing in every direction. I remember finding my back to the wall of the ship before I even knew I'd moved and just filling up with the most instinctual fear and dread. There could have been a colossal eye staring at me in the dark and I wouldn't have been any more disturbed than I was in that moment. 

"When you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you," apparently...according to some guy... 

So in true Lovecraftian style, I let the dread take over and this is the result! Stay tuned to Trevor's tumblr for news on the "Puffed Shoggoths" zine.

Some ghosts I drew while at Artscape.  One of them is a little ghost pet.

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HOLY HELL KALI YOU ARE AMAZING (she got my colors right and everything <3)

Not only is Andrea Kalfas an amazing artist, but she’s my best buddy, all-around lovely lady, AND IT’S HER BIRTHDAY TODAY! THIS IS FOR HER! I wanted to pay her back for her bootylicious gift to me, and I’m sure you can guess what we’ve been watching a lot of, lately. Happy Birthday girl! Thank you for protecting us all with your powers of love and justice and badassery!!!!

Merry Christmas, little lightbulb fairy children.