project updates, 2024w31

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Since it's the final weeks of summer break, I'm still in that "three months of Saturdays" mode, creatively, and haven't gotten as far as I'd've liked with anything, really, but did manage to send off the first story in a collab with my best hermano from music school which he dug. Looking forward to hearing what genius sounds he concocts from my drabbled-out words.

While I'd intended to return to multiple projects left behind, only one of them still sung to me (mostly because I found my way back to it being fun to work with it again), so I want to power through it while I let seeds take root for the next stories in the collab. If nothing else, a solid excuse to fiddle about (again, still) with zines and attendant zinery.

Still hoping to move on to what I perceive as the next phase of my creative practice before year's end – though I do want to get the project mentioned above into the world first, a clearing of the decks from the before to the now.

And, finally, after four years of mucking about with fountain pens, I've returned to my favorite pen, that great workhorse among great workhorses, the Papermate Flair.

The Informalities :: Photo Op

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The start of a new series of hand-drawn whenever/whatever comix, scratching both my zine-y/comix itch AND finally returning The Informalities name back to this space. Had a lot of fun with this – expect more of these little experimental diversions. Right click, save image as, print, fold / cut (follow these instructions), read / decipher, dig, keep / toss.

An eight-page / eight-fold comix zine, The Informalities: an overzealous enthusiast cajoles an old man into posing for a picture with a WWII-era gun. Tempers flare.

victory(!?)

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One of those (pleasantly) surprising (and rare) mornings: think I just finished MainFictionThing, the feature for the second issue of PRESS (A) TO START. Hopefully it heralds the dawn of a faster, more pulp/punk ethos of creation: that was always the goal with it – though this one took a lot longer than I expected (or hoped). Current plan is to hold off on putting the second issue together until January, until after my grandfather's house is empty and in the hands of the new owners (read: no longer my problem), and spend my mornings working on new things through at least the end of the year, then do the final pass in the typography and design of the issue itself. Very excited to send this one out into the world. I'll happily notch the victory.

and i am not bleeding!

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Behold, the new binding for PRESS (A) TO START: all future editions and issues – unless format dictates otherwise – will be bound in Japanese Stab Binding-style:

Or, rather, all future editions and issues - unless format dictates otherwise – will be bound in my iteration / improvisation of Japanese stab binding (meaning it involved three holes instead of four and a power drill in conjunction with the awl).

Either way, proud of this one, considering the last time I tried to thread a needle I was in a state of inebriation at 2AM and convinced I needed to sew a button back on my shirt. It took two hours to thread that needle. But that button held.