Baltimore + 'Industry' + new minicomic

let's start a band and blow this town

Greetings from Congestion City, which is where I dwell each year shortly after school starts and the seasons change. If your child has brought home 24 viruses in the last couple weeks, I raise my glass of Gatorade to you.

But how about some good news: On Thursday I travel to Baltimore Comic-Con, where I’ll debut my new lil’ book, DIARY COMIX 2024!

Here’s the cover:

I spent more time working on this cover than I did studying for the SATs, and it shows. I look forward to seeing some of you Friday-Sunday, where I’ll be sharing a table with Dean Haspiel, Charlie McElvy, Suzanne McElvy, Peter Rostovsky and Vito Delsante. Find us at Table #2308. We are all friendly folks with full hearts and even fuller bookshelves.

I’ll also be moderating two panels in Baltimore:

• Alternative Heroes (Friday at 4 p.m., Room 337) - What makes a modern hero in 2024? And what can independent creators offer that you might not find at some of the bigger publishers? Find out from panelists including Dean Haspiel, Vito Delsante, Alex Segura, Sean Von Gorman, Charlie McElvy and Chris Miskiewicz.

• Crowdfunding Comics (Saturday at noon, Room 343-344) - Crowdfunding is one of the fastest-growing ways to create and publish your own comics. Learn about some of the benefits – and pitfalls – of this exciting alternative from experts including Dean Haspiel, Sean Von Gorman, Karl Kesel, Jimmy Palmiotti and Steve Conley.

«substack rewind»

Wow, thanks to all of you who responded to my recent essay, “The Etch-A-Sketch.” I’m always so touched by the number of people who valued my work back then — and continue to do so by supporting me here. While much of my blog-era writing is lost, I’m grateful to those of you who dug up a few pieces I thought were gone forever.

(This might be a good time to mention that I have a book manuscript and am currently seeking literary representation. Email me at whitmath@gmail.com if this is of interest.)

«industry»

Call it Dirty Succession, Stoxxx & Bondage, whatever you feel. Industry packs in the vices and never apologizes, and my recent sick-day binge of this HBO series went down as smooth as a Mucinex martini.

Honestly, I don’t know what these sexy slimeballs are talking about half the time, but I didn’t know what the hell was happening on Lost either, and I still gobbled it up. While you’re waiting for Yellowstone to mosey on back, dip into the lives of these finance fatales who sacrifice their drug-addled souls to a London bank. The cast is fantastic, particularly Ken Leung (a Lost alum) and Marisa Abela, who starred in the Amy Winehouse biopic I may have to watch now.

«3 books»

I finally made the time to read Emily Carroll’s award-winning graphic novel A Guest in the House, which follows a woman who feels out of place in her home and comforted/haunted by her fantasies. After I finished reading, I raced to Reddit to read others’ theories, so if that’s your kinda action, don’t sit on it.

Bliss Montage is a surreal collection of short fiction by Ling Ma that includes one story about a drug that turns you invisible and another about a woman who shares a house with her 100 ex-boyfriends, and it is all more relatable than you are imagining.

Finally, Clue: Candlestick is Dash Shaw’s tribute to board games and puzzles and how comics should be so fun and un-put-down-able that your 11-year-old is just as enticed as you are. Miss Scarlet could clobber half the town and I’d still love her forever.

«plastics»

The Graduate is on Criterion this month, so I rewatched it and found my sympathies lie in new places. I’ve surpassed the ages of Mrs. Robinson and Norman Fell and every other actor onscreen — and while Mrs. R. is a stone-cold snake, my heart can’t help but crumble for her. After the credits, I now imagine the kids took a long bus ride to the middle of nowhere, stepped off and quietly began walking in opposite directions.

«r.i.p.»

In 2013, my young daughter was throwing a tantrum in her stroller while my husband and mother-in-law tried to calm her down. Suddenly, a deep voice came from behind them:

“Don’t cry.”

They turned to discover the soothing stranger was none other than James Earl Jones. What a beautiful life he lived, may he rest in peace.

«»

That’s all for now, but I promise this is not the end!

from the big bright green pleasure machine,
a. garfunkel
shout | shout | let it all out