Apparently the chair just needed its back chiseled out. Quick work, once you get started.

Monocle Video Outtakes

One more thing about the Gentleman’s Monocles project I mentioned the other day!

Here is a behind the scenes/outtakes video:

If you want your own monocle(s), there are a few days left in the Kickstarter!

I thought it ended today but that’s because I…didn’t do math right? It actually ends Wednesday morning. I have no stake in this project, I’m just really proud of the video and think it’s a neat thing!

Gentleman’s Single-Use Monocles

Recently I was asked by fellow cartoonist Zach Weinersmith to help on a project!

He has created the Gentleman’s Single-Use Un-Lubricated Monocle:

FOR EXTERNAL USE ONLY

I did the package design (the wrapper, above, and the box, below):

a full supply for a busy evening

And I also directed the Kickstarter promo video!

We made a silent film about a gentleman’s pressing need for monocular protection, with the assistance of 5 Second Films’ Ben Gigli, SMBC Theater’s James Ashby, and my own The Audience team member Rachel Parker. I’m super happy with it!

I've got my eye on you

You can get your own monocles on Kickstarter now. But hurry: the campaign ends on Monday Wednesday!

Roll-a-Sketches from Seattle! + Convention Schedule

Here are some Roll-a-Sketch drawings I did the other weekend in Seattle! Roll-a-Sketches, of course, are drawings whose subjects are randomly chosen by the throwing of dice — or, as the ancient Romans used to call them, “Bones-a-Etches.”

Thanks to those of you who came and said hello at the booth, either to grab a book, or a sketch, or maybe pick up your Wondermark jigsaw puzzle! It was nice to see you all.

Click any image for an arguably too-close look at any image!

ASTRONAUT + SAMURAI + LAWN MOWER + TRUCKER:

one small step for dad

TOUCAN + DINOSAUR:

high high higher than higher than high

LADYBUG + SKUNK:

-spits on the ground- WHAT YOU LOOKIN AT

SAMURAI + TEA:

i had a hat like that once

ASTRONAUT + DRAGON + LAWN MOWER + CARNY:

i'll take a dozen!

BARBARIAN + SKUNK:

smells like VICTORY

My current convention schedule for the rest of this year, so far, is:

MAY 15-17 : Maker Faire Bay Area, San Mateo : I’ll be in the Bazaar as usual!

MAY 23-24 : Vancouver Comic Arts Festival : Looking forward to a triumphant return to BC

JULY 8-12 : San Diego Comic-Con or whatever

JULY 30-AUG 2 : Gen Con Indy : I might try to host a playtest of a game this time around!

AUG 19-23 : World Science Fiction Convention / Sasquan, Spokane, WA : I missed last year, but I’m coming back, and I’m bringing Dave Kellett with me!

That’s it for the spring and summer. Maybe one or two more in the fall. Hope to see you at one of them!!

Daily Roll-a-Sketch drawings continue at rollasketch.com! Oh yeah and we got coloring books too!

Introducing: T-Shirt Diplomacy

I’m pleased to announce that several of my older, out-of-print T-shirt designs are once again available!

I’ve still got lots of great stuff up at TopatoCo. But these reprints are being offered through a new site: T-shirt Diplomacy.

NOW AVAILABLE ONCE AGAIN OR FOR THE FIRST TIME

I’ve also got some new ones, too: the Piranhamoose Emblem (previously only a sticker):

awesome

A handsome new redesign on International Fraternal Corps of Bears in Ill-Fitting Hats:

ursi, et petasi

And this guy, Vaudeville Dinosaur, whom we tried to Teespring a while back but couldn’t save from going extinct. Now, those of you who love him as much I do can have him!

HA CHA CHA

Also available, and pictured at the top of this post are the Bibliophibian shirts (now in light blue as well as navy).

I’m hoping to revisit several more of my older designs soon, and I’ll consider revisiting compositions or colors. For example, Steam Powered Heart, one of my favorite designs, is now available on black — and without any text, which I think is a classy look.

But why not keep some old styles too? So I’m offering Ninjas on Unicycles 2008 (the original style, on navy) and a new Ninjas 2015 (on black, with text).

So what is T-shirt Diplomacy?

Peace Through Commerce

A while back, I was emailed out of the blue by someone named “Ambassador Xog”. It was a very vague invitation to some sort of “cultural exchange”, but they wanted to license some old T-shirt designs from me for reprint purposes, so, sure, I was game.

Now, their site has launched! (There’s a tumblr too.) A bunch of my cartoonist colleagues are on there as well, like Ryan North, Kris Straub, Chris Hastings, and Sam Logan, with what I recognize as reprint designs, like my own.

And then there’s…the other artists?

I’ll be honest: these artists seem to be having a hard time grasping the nuances of pop culture. Some of their designs make no sense. Others are clever but pointless. Still others are impenetrable.

The about page raises more questions than it answers:

T-shirt Diplomacy is the first-ever intergalactic casual-apparel website.

In March 1977, the famous T-shirt Accords, a treaty between Earth and over 100 alien races from across the Nine Galaxies, laid the groundwork for the peaceful and mutually beneficial trade across the stars that we enjoy today.

Signed simultaneously in Oslo, on Earth, and Hrasbvakchar, in the Greater Chakpasadts, the T-shirt Accords represent the belief by all sentient beings that the best way for humanity and alienkind to learn and benefit from one another is via a joint commercial venture selling imprinted casual garmentwear…

I guess I am glad to be a commerce pioneer. I do recommend browsing the site, it’s pretty entertaining. The T-shirts don’t seem to be the generic pop culture stuff that clogs those dime-a-dozen “geek” sites.

I wish these clearly very inspired creators all the best of luck with their very strange project — I’m actually kind of curious what weird designs they’ll come up with next?

But in the meantime, you can also buy shirts from me!

IT'S REAL

This weekend: Emerald City Comicon!

This weekend I’ll be in Seattle for the wonderful Emerald City Comicon! I’ll be at the TopatoCo table on the skybridge (booth 1102).

YES

I’ll be hosting two panels.

The first is the URBAN DICTIONARY GAME SHOW. We did this last year and it was super funny — check out the video from 2014!

In last year’s panel, I had contestants Ryan North, Kate Leth, Chip Zdarsky, and Trin Garritano try to guess the definitions of terrible, disgusting terms from that wonderful fount of true actual non made-up knowledge, Urban Dictionary.

This year, Trin and Kate are back, and we’ll be joined by Nika Harper and Jenn Bane!

It’ll be a raucous great time on Friday night, in the following room, with the following description:

Urban Dictionary Game Show
Room: Hall B (WSCC 602-603)
Date: Friday, March 27th
Time: 6:30PM – 8:30PM
Moderator: David Malki ! (Wondermark)

Watch a panel-discussion type game show where panelists Kate Leth (Kate or Die), Nika Harper (Wordplay), and Trin Garritano & Jenn Bane (Cards Against Humanity) attempt to define the weirdest and grossest terms the Urban Dictionary website has to offer. It’s a super entertaining time as funny and charismatic people attempt to guess and define these terrible terms. This panel is recommended for those 18+.

Then, on Saturday night, I’m hosting another game show!

TopatoCo Presents: Mashdown! The Mashup Showdown
Room: Hall E (TCC 303)
Date: Saturday, March 28th
Time: 5:50PM – 6:40PM
Moderator: David Malki ! (Wondermark)

Mashups: the 100% definite most creative way to design pop culture merchandise! Which of our TopatoCo artists and friends can identify all the elements in a given mashup? And can they think of an idea so bad it doesn’t already exist out there in the world already? Join Frank Gibson (Capture Creatures), Dave Kellett (Sheldon; Drive), Kris Straub (Chainsawsuit), Trin Garritano (Cards Against Humanity) & Holly Rowland (TopatoCo) to find out!

Super looking forward to it all. Hope to see you there!!


Recent blog posts