In honor of Valentine's Day...

DIGESTATE anthology, Rabid Rabbit #14

Hey folks,

Today was the third day in about two years (when my daughter was born) that I got eight hours of sleep, so I'm feelin' great! Seriously, I felt like I was losing my mind, but now I just feel like I had a half-shot of Maker's Mark or something. Thanks to Lulu for sleeping in to an incredible 7 a.m.

Anyhow, I've been staying incredibly busy. Birdcage Bottom Books (that's me) is putting out a food/eating themed anthology called "Digestate", and I've been doing a lot of legwork to wrangle & rope artists into contributing. So far we've got a really excellent crew of about 45 cartoonists. I'll release a list of contributors at a later date.

My comic for the anthology uses verbatim text from an interview with a slaughterhouse worker. Gail Eisnitz, author of "Slaughterhouse" was kind enough to send me a stack of affadavits from various slaughterhouse workers. It was exceedingly difficult to pick just one from the bunch since each was compelling for different reasons. I may end up doing more comics using other interviews, each focusing on a different aspect of the slaughterhouse workers' plights.

I'm posting two samples from the comic in progress, which will most likely end up being around 24 pages.

Since this material is so heavy in its theme, I was glad to be invited to participate in the next Rabid Rabbit anthology (#14), which has a much friendlier theme: romance. I've written my "script" and thumbnailed two pages (of five) so far.


Well, that's it for now. Check back soon for a list of Digestate contributors. Thanks!

Brooklyn Comics & Graphics Festival: A smashing success

This photo pretty much sums it up.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by our table, and extra kudos to those who shelled out a few bucks to keep us in beans & rice. Thanks to my tablemate Victor Kerlow who was entertaining as always and didn't smell too bad this time. I think he had fun, but I'm sure he's anxious to get back to hanging out with his undercover cop friends.

I refrained from spending too much money (my kid can't eat comics, though lord knows I've tried), but I did buy a few books. I've been waiting to buy Tom Neely's "The Wolf" directly from him 'cause he always draws something amazing inside, but I was too busy chatting to remember to ask him to draw something in it! I also picked up Mike Dawson's "Troop 142". He & Alex Robinson entertain me through many an hour of inking with their podcast (The Ink Panthers Show), so I wanted to support him by buying his new book. Not to mention that I loved "Freddie & Me" (another of his books).

Besides that, I picked up a few minis here and there including Domitille Collardey's "What Had Happened Was II" and John Porcellino's newest "King Cat".

I am ALWAYS up for trading comics, but not too many people asked to this time. Maybe it's the recession's fault? A few people did, though. Sam Henderson gave me his "Free Ice Cream and Other Cartoons You Could Have Drawn", good ol' Josh Burggraf gave "Kid Space Heater", Maggie Prendergast gave "Over And (Over)" and "Old Men" (hope that wasn't a dig), Max Clotfelter gave "Andros #5", Hazel Newlevant gave "168 Hour Week" and "Evil Bus Driver" and of course Victor Kerlow gave me his newest "Something Big" which almost didn't get printed 'cause the printer "doesn't print pornography".

There were a bunch of folks I didn't get to talk to since I'm strangely averse to leaving my table (to the point where I usually get faint with hunger before running out to get food), but all in all a good time.

Thinger Dingers!

That fresh toner smell is in the air again here at Birdcage Bottom Books. We've learned enough from current global trends (Arab Spring, Occupy Wall Street, etc.) to know that we must offer SOMETHING to satiate the dissatisfied mob while they anxiously await our upcoming anthology "Tempeh & T-Bones: A Food Fight" due out in April 2012.

So, here we have "Thinger Dingers", a collection of comics by J.T. Yost (that's me) originally included in a variety of anthologies. Think of it as "Old Man Winter 2" but funny instead of depressing. Lord knows we've got enough to be depressed about these days.

At a trifling three dollars for 24 densely packed pages, it should definitely occupy you through at least one bowel movement. Well worth it, I should think.

Thinger Dingers will be officially released at the upcoming Brooklyn Comics & Graphics Festival on December 3rd. It's available for pre-order on our website right now!

Please help!

Althought I don't know Tom Hart personally, we've been corresponding as of the last few days regarding a comic anthology I'm putting together. Through his work and the few emails we've exchanged, I've gleaned that he's as warm and personable as he is talented. 


Cartoonists Tom Hart (Hutch Owen) and Leela Corman (Queen’s Day) have experienced a terrible, devastating loss with the unexpected death of their young daughter, Rosalie Lightning. Vineylandcreator Lauren Weinstein has set up a memorial fund via PayPal to help Hart and Corman in their time of need. Please consider giving if you have the time and financial ability to do so. Weinstein also says that anyone seeking information on where to send condolences should email rosalielightningmemorial@gmail.com.


As the father of a girl almost the same age as Rosalie, I can only imagine what Tom and Leela are going through right now. Let's all give what we can so that they have one less thing to worry about. 

Excuses.

I have been cyber-reclusive lately for a reason: namely, our external hard-drive kicked the bucket followed closely by our entire computer. We weren't able to retrieve the data from either, so I've been scrambling to reassemble invoices, contacts, etc. from more analogue sources.

In addition, I'm working on two illustration/comic projects that I can't let out of the bag just yet. One of them is for an organization that helps sick children, and it is alternately uplifting and crushingly depressing.

Anyhow, just wanted to let you know that I am alive, should you care.

Very good news & very bad news

Do you want the good news or the bad news first? I'll go with the good first since the bad is more important and requires some action from YOU...

The good news is that we (Birdcage Bottom Books) got a half-table at the Brooklyn Comics & Graphics Festival! It's a one day comics fest curated by Gabriel Fowler of Desert Island ComicsPicturebox (one of my all-time favorite comic shops), Dan Nadel of & Bill Kartalopolous. I've gone the two previous years as a customer, and it's been my favorite of the east coast conventions (never been to any on the west coast). They use the money that they charge for tables to fly in really great guests that don't often make it over to our side of the country (last year Lynda Barry, Renee French & Jordan Crane were there, among others). Then there's a slew of great local artists and really good panels.

Now, the bad news.
Dylan Williams, the man behind Sparkplug Comics has been diagnosed with cancer. Apparently this is his second time dealing with it. His medical bills are going to undoubtedly be substantial since the U.S. can't get it together and fix our crummy health insurance system. I can tell you from first hand experience that small press comic publishers do not make much (any?) money, so let's all do what we can and order comics from him.  Okay?