2014 was big for me. I finally finished The Lettuce Girl, got married, ran around the world, quit my job in publishing, and left New York City. We are now snug as bugs in Charlottesville, VA. It was semi-terrifying to leave the city where I had spent the last eight years of my life (for the record I'd never lived anywhere else for so long), but I shouldn't have worried, because things have been wonderful on the other side.
First of all, my comics heart never despairs as I am only a few blocks away from Telegraph, one of the best comic shops/print galleries in the country. Secondly, though it sucks to have to miss my NYC people, I have met and reconnected with truly brilliant, kind, talented, and funny people here. But perhaps the biggest news is that I have achieved my long time goal of full time teaching in higher education, as I am now adjunct faculty at James Madison University as well as Piedmont Virginia Community College.
Here are some highlights from the past six months:
I was interviewed by the talented Martha Woodruff for WMRA. You can listen to the interview here.
The Lettuce Girl Pt. IV made a couple of "Best Of" lists last year too: Robert Clough's for TCJ.com and John Seven's for Vermicious. I was also honored last fall when Andy Zeigert wrote a piece on the entire Lettuce Girl series for Festival Season.
My comics were also featured in a couple of gallery shows last Fall, including Comics at Columbia curated by the venerable Karen Green and We Tell Stories at SVA.
Looking forward to the next few months, I have a lot on my plate. I'm wrapping up my first semester with a full course load, which I'm not shy to admit has been intense and intensely consuming. But I have to finish up my new comic in time for festival season as well, so it's a juggle. I am attending MoCCA in NYC (table 216B - Second Floor) and TCAF in Toronto. In the much nearer future I will be on a Panel at this weekend's MACROCK festival in Harrisonburg discussing DIY Zines and Comics.
Viva VA.
The Lettuce Girl Pt. IV sitting on a shelf all the way out in Chicago Comics. Photo Credit: Dave Kelly