I recently added the above clip demoing the start of my author visit talk to my Cartooning Lessons website. This was recorded earlier in the Spring at an elementary school in front of an audience of 2nd-4th graders. I began the talk by drawing my cartoon avatar saying “Hi” to all the children, and then went into the first slideshow portion of the presentation. Without explaining exactly what I’m doing, I walk the kids through a funny cartoon sequence depicting an iron anvil falling from the sky and cracking me in the head. This usually makes them laugh, and then also allows us to start to talk about how comics work.
This has been a busy year for me in terms of visiting schools and cartooning workshops. I have a few more events lined up before Summer vacation starts, and have started booking visits for the 2023-2024 academic year. If you would be interested in bringing “Cartooning Lessons” to your school or public library, I would love to get in touch.
A Visit to Gables Elementary
I had an incredible time at Gables Elementary School in Neptune recently. There’s a basketball facility in Neptune called Hoop Group that my daughter spent hours playing at when she was heavily into the sport, and I drew a ton of inspiration from there while writing The Fifth Quarter. Gables is practically right next door, it was a thrill to be back in town talking to all the kids there.
I was thinking a little bit recently about public speaking and nerves.
In all seriousness, I think the anxiety helps make the talks good. It’s not really fear I’m dealing with, it’s adrenaline, and that energy can be used to put on a presentation that the kids will enjoy and find engaging.
Hot Space
Physical copies of my brand new FUN-TIME ‘zine will be arriving at my home sometime this week, and then going right back into the mail for subscribers. This issue features an original full-length cartoon essay called Hot Space, after an obscure 1982 Queen album, that was a critical and commercial failure. The comic is somewhat about that record, but is also very much a personal reflection on the band’s music and my history with it.
I distribute copies of comics like this through a ‘zine subscription offering that I make available to all Premium Patreon supporters (or paid subscribers to this Substack). For $5 a month, I will send you a brand new print ‘zine or minicomic at least once every 3-4 months. You can cancel at any time, but as long as you are a subscriber, you will automatically receive a print copy of every new comic I publish, as well as access to exclusive online comics and behind the scenes process posts.
I would love to mail you a copy of this comic, please consider subscribing.
Fashion Victims
Lastly this week, over at The Nib, a short piece I made about my pasty complexion has been posted.
Read the rest here.
Thanks for keeping in touch!
Mike
"Cartooning Lessons" Introduction