It's not like I haven't already switched my Duolingo to Dutch. I just want to know what I'm in for, y'know?
This story began with Part 1.
Here’s a short time-lapse video of me drawing a Roll-a-Sketch creature! In this case: WIZARD + LIBRARIAN
In this video, I employ the following techniques:
• Dicery
• Sketching
• Inking
• Toning
• Ballooning
• Moving Quickly
• Singing In A Perfect Imitation Of Soundtrack Music
• Offending All Librarians And/Or Wizards
• Enforcing Library Fine Rules
• Casting Spells
• Making Videos
• Blogging About The Above
Wait that last part isn’t in the video
I have a new shirt at TopatoCo! The pen is mightier etc etc.
If you order this week, you can even choose your color shirt (and help choose which color we keep for the production run). But the different color options are available for 5 days only!
While you’re at TopatoCo, you can also feel free to grab one of the new Wondermark jigsaw puzzles! There are three big ones plus a small one of my kittycat.
And also there are these phone wallets! They have little pockets for credit cards & stuff. I forget if I ever mentioned them!!
Anyway it’s ALL VERY GOOD STUFF
My film-school friends Todd Luoto and Jon Frechette have been working for a few years now on a documentary about the mysterious urban legend video game POLYBIUS.
From Wikipedia:
Polybius is an arcade cabinet described in an urban legend, which is said to have induced various psychological effects on players. The story describes players suffering from amnesia, night terrors, and a tendency to stop playing all video games. Around a month after its supposed release in 1981, Polybius is said to have disappeared without a trace. There is no evidence that such a game has ever existed…
The trailer Todd and Jon have up on Kickstarter right now is pretty sweet. (The cinematographer is our friend Elisha Christian, who also shot the Monocles commercial.) They’re fundraising to shoot more interviews and do all the post-production required to finish the film.
They’ve got 8 days left in the campaign, and to be honest, they’re pretty far from the finish line. But in an email, they told me:
Right now — even a $5 donation will help us a ton.
Truth is, there’s a good chance we won’t be able to pull this off (…which means you wouldn’t have to pay anything anyways). But on the flip side, we’ve been getting a ton of amazing press that just simply hasn’t translated into the donations we were hoping for. But we’re confident that with enough noise online (which, ironically enough, we’re actually getting), and some more backers displayed in our profile, we can at least take this to a financier and show them this is a project worth investing in.
Todd and Jon actually had a financier almost lined up, but when the deal didn’t go through, they turned to Kickstarter. If they can use Kickstarter press — funded or not — to help attract more industry interest, then the more backers they get, the better.
THIS WEEKEND I’ll be in Vancouver, BC for the Vancouver Comic Arts Festival!
Held at the Roundhouse on Saturday and Sunday (May 23-24), admission is COMPLETELY FREE and so I expect to see ALL of you there.
Besides holding down the ol’ table, I’ll also be participating in these events:
INSPECTOR PANCAKES AND HIS TERRIBLE FRIENDS
Sunday, May 24th 12:00 PM – 12:45 PMHosted by Karla Pacheco
Featuring Kory Bing, Emily Horne, Jeph Jacques, David Malki !To celebrate the world premiere of Inspector Pancakes Helps The President of France Solve The White Orchid Murders, creator Karla Pacheco, along with her terrible, terrible co-conspirators, planned to hold a panel. But her panel plans will have to wait, because it looks like one of her panellists … is a murderer! Armed with her wits, a group of ornery comics creators, and a team of adorable crack dog detectives, Karla Pacheco is on the case! But will you help her investigation, or hinder it?
QUICK ON THE DRAW 3: THE QUICKENING
Sunday, May 24th 4:00 PM – 4:45 PMHosted by The Fictionals
Featuring Ian Boothby, Jeff Ellis, David Malki !, JJ McCullough, Alina PeteJoin The Fictionals Comedy Co., Cloudscape Comics, and double-threats Ian Boothby and David Malki ! for a packed hour of comics & comedy in Quick on the Draw 3: The Quickening! This event combines the best of both worlds: improvisers perform for your amusement while artists draw their shenanigans. Featuring improv games, live drawing, and—most importantly—prizes! Audience participation is suggested, and fun is mandatory.
I had a great time at Maker Faire last week! PROBABLY the highlight was getting a 19th-century tintype portrait taken by the fine folks at Sonoma Tintype.
Tintype photography etches an image onto a metal plate. I had thought about getting a cool shot for a vintage-feeling author photo, or something.
INSTEAD what ENDED UP HAPPENING was a portrait of the 19th century’s most notorious pickax-murdering train robber:
SO GREAT. Everyone should get a tintype photo done, it’ll outlast any of your other worldly possessions.
Oh hey here’s some Roll-a-Sketches too!! I did a bunch, of course, but here’s an incomplete selection of my favorites from the weekend (click the images for bigger):
ROYALTY + WONDER WOMAN + GENIE + SKATES:
CAMPING + BODYBUILDER:
TREE + HUNGRY + CHEERLEADER + BANANA:
ROYALTY + UNICORN:
BLIMP + RABBIT:
And of course ZOMBIE + MUSICAL + BANANA + WIZARD:
Thanks to the many fine folks who said hello and got to take home a Roll-a-Sketch!! See the rest of you in Vancouver!
THIS WEEKEND I’ll be at Maker Faire in San Mateo!
Part science fair, part county fair, and part something entirely new, Maker Faire is an all-ages gathering of tech enthusiasts, crafters, educators, tinkerers, hobbyists, engineers, science clubs, authors, artists, students, and commercial exhibitors. All of these “makers” come to Maker Faire to show what they have made and to share what they have learned.
— From “What is Maker Faire”
For the FIRST TIME this year it’s a three-day show: there’s an “Industry Night” on Friday night, and then it’s open to the public like usual on Saturday & Sunday.
WHAT INDUSTRY is that referring to? I dunno! We all work hard, you and me. We are all industrious.
I will be in the BAZAAR, which is a craft-fair-style sort of sub-fair within Maker Faire. At BOOTH #29:
Perhaps you would like to come get a book or a puzzle or a Roll-a-Sketch…or even just a firm handshake or a wave from a respectful distance! We will have all of these things available.
If you will be ANYWHERE ELSE this weekend, you can now get our puzzles!! They’re available at TopatoCo (with all my other great things) or Amazon (with, like, peanut butter or whatever).
COMING UP SOON: A special project involving Roll-a-Sketch original watercolor paintings.
If you would like to own one of these limited, one-of-a-kind pieces (last seen in the 2014 Wondermark Calendar or in postcards)…
Or some OTHER neat things…
Your chance is coming up. SOON.
See you at Maker Faire!!
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