I’m doing two college visits next week, on Oct. 12 at Montgomery College, and October 13 at Towson University: workshops and my presentation about how comics are amazing. I just brought a travel mug/ french press for the occasion, and it has the unfortunate slogan on the side, “GIVE UP BAD COFFEE FOR GOOD!” It was the only one I could find, so I’ll have to either finish my first cup of the day in my hotel room, or give in to looking like a total Seattle coffee snob dork.

I was honored to contribute to this comic book, benefitting the kids of Joplin, Missouri:

Comics Express is a limited-edition comic book conceived by Carmen Morais (a former editor at Nickelodeon Magazine) to benefit kids affected by the tornado in Joplin, Missouri, which destroyed 30% of the city and made thousands homeless. She assembled a bunch of award-winning comic artists and former colleagues from Nickelodeon to donate the content and labor. The comic book will give young kids up to teens something more fun to think about than damaged neighborhoods and uprooted lives. The Joplin Public Library will coordinate with local groups to distribute the comic books to kids free in July.

This went great, and the local media in Joplin ran a story about it. It made me happy to actually see kids reading the comic I did, “How to Draw Eye-Catching, On-the-Nose, Loud-Mouth Cartoon Faces!!” – I hope some of them tried it!:

I had an awesome bunch of budding cartoonists in my classes at Cornish this summer. The Session 2 class’s final minicomics and original work will be on display today between 2:00pm – 7:00pm on the Cornish campus, in a big performance/exhibit extravaganza of all the summer classes. Every year, I am blown away by their work. You will be like, wow, these are teens?

My fabulous class with their minicomics in front of their final exhibit:

Here’s the schedule online and after the jump.

[Read more →]

Hey! The Seattle Weekly just came out with their 2011 “Best of Seattle” awards, and they voted me “Best Local Cartoonist.” With many nods of respect to the many excellent cartoonists in town, thank you, Seattle Weekly!

Once a month, the editor of the Stranger takes over the beautiful lounge at the beautiful Sorrento Hotel, filling it with beautiful people just relaxing and reading. I’ll be one of two special guests next week:

The special guests at next week’s reading party are confirmed: Ellen Forney and Derek Erdman! Comix themed! Both of them are insanely prolific, both of them have been on the cover of The Stranger a bunch (here and here and here and here), and both of them will be there, sitting on couches or wingback chairs, reading whatever they feel like reading, just like you.

The special is a $4 Manhattan. Kyle O’Quin will be back on piano, playing Chopin and whatever else he feels like. Starts at 6 pm, takes place at Sorrento’s Fireside Room, and it’s free.

Someone Photoshopped this ridickiliss graphic: my I Love Led Zeppelin cover self-portrait, a car-not-a-Cougar by Derek (his work is here, it’s great) and the Sorrento’s fireside lounge. Come if you can, I’ll bring some extra comics with me.

They’re up! I designed banners for Broadway, in the middle of Capitol Hill, extending nine blocks from Pine to Roy. Thrilling! They’ll be replaced by special events-related banners from time to time (Pride, farmer’s market opening) but other than that they’ll hang for a few years.

Jake and I love our apartment. And so does CityArts Magazine! Their March issue has a feature on artists’ homes, including our “art-laden” pad.

Join me on Wednesday at 11am PST and ask me questions online. I will answer them in real time! If I can figure out what I’m doing, that is. (Chat console? Moderation queue?) Here’s the official press release:

Free Library of Philadelphia and Walmart Host Online Book Chat with Ellen Forney, Contributing Artist for The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

What: One Book, One Philadelphia online book chat

Who: Chat led by Ellen Forney, illustrator of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

When: Wednesday, February 23, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. EST

Where: Chat will be hosted at http://walmartphiladelphia.com/

Join readers nationwide as Walmart and the Free Library of Philadelphia host the first ever One Book, One Philadelphia online book chat. On Wednesday, February 23, at 2:00 p.m. EST, visit walmartphiladelphia.com to participate in a live chat with Ellen Forney, contributing artist for The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, on how the themes in this year’s book are developed through the 65 comics she created for the novel.

The Philadelphia Public Library invited me to be a part of their citywide reading program in February, after they selected Absolutely True Diary as one of their featured books. Excited! I’ll be doing a talk and a couple of workshops, including at my old high school, Masterman. (What will the teachers look like now? Do I have to call them by their first names? Mrs. Brown, my 7th grade English teacher, emailed me – who knew her name is Mitzi?)

Comics: The Extraordinary Power of Words and Pictures
Presentation by Ellen Forney
Thursday, February 3, 1:00PM
Univ. of the Arts, CBS Auditorium
Philadelphia PA

Comics are enjoying a new respect as a compelling literary medium. Join Ellen Forney, creator of the art in this year’s One Book selection The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, as she enthuses about their quirky appeal in a presentation about both her solo projects and her work with the novel.

Comics Studio with Ellen Forney
Saturday, February 5, 2:00PM
Central Library
Philadelphia PA

Cartoonist Ellen Forney, a Philadelphia native and the mind behind the clever artwork in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, will teach participants how to develop their own comic art. Please call 215-567-7710 to reserve a space.

14 y.o. Philly girl. Feathered hair!

Just got back from another writing retreat. The graphic novel is shaping up – very exciting!

Since this is by far the longest comic I’ve done (about 200 pages, as opposed to, well, 14 pages), I’m having to figure out my systems as I go along – brainstorm on 11″ x 17″ sheets of paper, thumbnail on 8.5″ x 11″ templates, etc. I need to see a whole chapter in order to wrap my head around it, so a long hardwood hallway is great:

Rearranging, editing out, adding in.

Day 6: Goodbye, house. Sweep floor, clean sink, reflect and review and– shit, the ferry!

Whoa! A mad dash for the ferry dock, and I am again the last one on the boat. Kind of a Dukes of Hazzard jump there at the end. (Screee!) Goodbye for now, Friday Harbor! Back to rearranging papers in the hall at home.

Thanks again a shmagillion times, Alix, your place is perfect.