2006–2016
This guy also said this in his ad: “No, I won’t fix your computer. Well, OK, maybe just this one time.” – which I thought was adorable, and sporting.
“Lustlab Ad of the Week” is a comic adaptation of one of the week’s kinky personal ads in Seattle alt-weekly The Stranger, and I post them here every Wednesday. See it on their site here. LUST, the “Lustlab Ad of the Week” book collection, is scheduled to be released with Fantagraphics Books in January 2008.
So, Sherman Alexie wrote this novel and I did 65 (65!) comics and comic illustrations for it. It’s being published by Little, Brown, and will be on the shelves this fall:
It’s about a 14-year-old boy named Arnold who grows up on an Indian reservation and transfers to a white school. He’s a cartoonist, and I did “his” journal/sketchbook. Frankly, I think it’s a really good book, and so far, everyone seems to agree:
From Alison Bechdel (Fun Home, “Dykes to Watch Out For”):
“The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is the most delightful tale of adolescence I’ve read in a long time. Junior Spirit is as eager to know everything in the world as Harriet the Spy, as keenly discerning of adult frailty as Holden Caulfield. But if you took Harriet or Holden and plopped them down on the rez? Neither one of them would have lasted a day. Junior, on the other hand, possesses an against-all-odds resilience that stems as much from his brain (water and all) as his capacious, open heart.”
Richie’s Picks says, ” I loved hanging out in Arnold World!” and gives me a nod for my “humorous and telling drawings”.
Publisher’s Weekly sent out an e-newsletter with a glowing review, and here is the paragraph about me:
“Arnold’s confiding, often hilarious, sometimes frighteningly affectless narrative is enhanced by Ellen Forney’s cartoon illustrations, which capture him, his family, and friends with economy and wit.”
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More reviews and news as they pop up!
My mom is one of the best people in the entire world. I mean that.
The first comic I drew with the intention to get published was an elaboration on a four-panel, year-old Mother’s Day card that my mom had kept. That comic was bought by Ms. Magazine, and was published an agonizing year later. (Note a little Alison Bechdel influence??)
Of course, Mom starred in “I Was Seven in ’75” (my comic about growing up in the 70’s, in my Unitarian/ nudist-camp-visiting/ liberal family). A number of people told me they had a disconcerting crush on her. Even more people said they envied me my obviously very cool parents. ( Very cool parents = true.)
This is a portrait I did of me and Mom – I’m demonstrating the lip-twisting face she’d taught me (which she has now taught my enthused 12-yr-old nephew, Roy, via Skype):
When she was a kid, Mom used to make faces in front of a mirror, and gave them names: The Red Skelton. Fishy Lips. The Stare (that one used to Freak. My. Aunt. Out.). The Grimace. These days, as a pediatrician, Mom’s face-making skills help her charm (and probably, sometimes frighten) her patients. Yay, the doctor is a goofball! Yes, I will say “ahh!”
When I was 25, Mom was 50, and my Grandma Florence was 75, my Aunt Evy tried to take a nice portrait of us. Many failed attempts later, we finally gave up and did one that would obviously not work — and of course, it came out the best:
I love you, Ma!!
Water in space. A gas? or a floating blobby sphere? My inclination was “gas” (and I know, god forbid I draw someone’s scientifically incorrect fantasy — but whatever) so I checked around and found a fascinating video of a NASA official poking at a water bubble in zero gravity. The kinky sci fi geek chick was right!
“Lustlab Ad of the Week” is a comic adaptation of one of the week’s kinky personal ads in Seattle alt-weekly The Stranger, and I post them here every Wednesday. See it on their site here. LUST, the “Lustlab Ad of the Week” book collection, is scheduled to be released with Fantagraphics Books in January 2008.
The Henry Art Gallery threw their big annual benefit bash this past Friday night. Costumes, stage shows, cocktails, and mega ART. Massive party. Space-themed, so lots of silver, lots of deely-bobbers, a number of laser guns.
I sat at the end of the bar and drew cocktail napkin portraits. I *intended* to take breaks but by the time I was getting tired, the line was enormous and all I could do was tell the last person to turn everyone else away. It still took me the rest of the party to finish the line. I asked one of the last people how long she’d been waiting.
“Two hours.”
No, you’re kidding, really, how long?
She nodded. “Two hours.”
Her boyfriend cut in. “Well. An hour and a half, hour forty-five.” For me to draw her face on a napkin. (Can I just pause here a moment??)
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Earlier in the evening – drawing Julie’s portrait (happy anniversary, Julie and Christian!!):
Sean poses x2:
(photos by Kelley McIntyre)
My reference material for this one was Jeux de Dames Cruelles, 1850 – 1960, a photography book published by Taschen, of women spanking each other with hands, hairbrushes, floggers, and bundles of sticks. (Taschen’s site says “a passion for Taschen” – which, while a dorky little rhyme, is true enough and widely shared.)
“Lustlab Ad of the Week” is a comic adaptation of one of the week’s kinky personal ads in Seattle alt-weekly The Stranger, and I post them here every Wednesday. See it on their site here. LUST, the “Lustlab Ad of the Week” book collection, is scheduled to be released with Fantagraphics Books in January 2008.
Another Wacky Packs-inspired comic. (That’s the oldsters’ version of Garbage Pail Kids, for you young ‘uns.)
“Lustlab Ad of the Week” is a comic adaptation of one of the week’s kinky personal ads in Seattle alt-weekly The Stranger, and I post them here every Wednesday. See it on their site here. LUST, the “Lustlab Ad of the Week” book collection, is scheduled to be released with Fantagraphics Books in January 2008.
After a full year of borrowing Kelly O’s half-broken dust-buster and scrubbing my carpet on all fours, I went and bought my own vacuum today. In keeping with my resolve to only post work-related entries, here is my new purchase as a cartoon character:
But the real reason I share this here is that I finally got to visit the wacky Vac Shop at 4th and Lucille, south of downtown. I’d driven by any number of times, but never got a good look at the folk art-y vacuums on its fence. (Note: although I got a great deal on my vacuum, including an armload of free vacuum bags, they didn’t even offer me one of their free bibles. But why?)
Sexperts agree, in order to be a good top, you have to know what it’s like to be a bottom (and vice versa).
“Lustlab Ad of the Week” is a comic adaptation of one of the week’s kinky personal ads in Seattle alt-weekly The Stranger, and I post them here every Wednesday. See it on their site here. LUST, the “Lustlab Ad of the Week” book collection, is scheduled to be released with Fantagraphics Books in January 2008.
Today was the last day of the semester at Cornish, which is always a weird day for me – it feels like the last day of summer camp. “Bye, troops, it was great to get to know you, keep in touch, okay?” – as the students all run out the door. Actually, they were very kind, and I even almost got a little misty when some of my advanced students told me how much they’d learned in class.
I always try to bring snacks to the last class, but I was running really late for the morning Advanced class (and running, literally, down the hill to school). I stopped in a convenience store near Cornish and jogged up and down the aisles trying to find some relatively healthy, breakfast-y snack. I gave up on both counts and grabbed a handful of Tootsie Pops. There were Moon Pies at the register so I threw one of those in, too, and to my left were Altoids, why not? Luckily, Sarah had it together to bring scones, so the party-snack breakfast was only half-ridiculous.
Here is my super-awesome Advanced Comics class:
Left to right: Vanessa, Connie, Sandra, Cooper, me, Sarah, John.
I’d like to give John Backstrom special mention because for his final project, he put together a hefty mini-comic, “Squirrrel Lad,” which is hilarious. (Other superheroes: Moustache Man, Grass Lass. Cracks me up.) He made a zillion copies to give out for Free Comic Book Day, which is apparently Saturday, who knew? John did, because he is a comics geek, and I mean that in the very best way. You can see “Squirrel Lad” for yourself here.
For their final project, the Intro class put together mini-comics of their work during the semester. Voila, them and theirs!
Clockwise from left: Jesse, Matthew, Razi, Harley, Bonnie, Jesse, Lee, Jared, Ashley, Chloe.