Hey everyone, I hope you're all doing well! I'm back from a week's vacation at a cottage with friends and it did wonders for my soul. Here's what happened in August!

Recap'

Thank you to Le Monde Diplomatique for allowing me to illustrate the housing crisis in Quebec. Drawing former ministre de l’habitation France-Élaine Duranceau in the least flattering way possible was quite cathartic. Read the full two page-comic here in French: Quelle Crise?

I completed two facade commissions for my friend Nicolas. If you'd like to have your house or business immortalized in a drawing like this one, check out the facade commissions information page on my website.

Summer sketches on Patreon (free post).

Announcements

Two book releases in one month is quite extraordinary. September 2th marks the release of the children’s book Courage William, courage! published by Druide. The 32-page, full-color album, written by Bertrand Gautier and illustrated by me tells the story of little William, a shy and indecisive boy who dislikes his name. It was a real pleasure working on this book with Bertrand and the Druide team. It will be available in all bookstores and online over on les Libraires' website.

It’s FINALLY HAPPENING! We’re launching Pupilles on September 16th at the Joie de Livres bookstore (5163 Saint-Laurent Boulevard). Two years of work, of inking giant robots, endless containers and combat boots, lettering 192 pages in two weeks, all coming together in one beautiful, 192-page sci-fi comic. I think we did a HELL OF A JOB. Come see us in one of Montreal's handsomest bookstore, enjoy a cocktail, and get your books signed by Jeik, Gautier, and me. 

Friendly plug

Fans of Aventurosaure, it is now possible to buy t-shirts featuring Rex and his companions on the new online store by its creator, Julien Paré-Sorel. Maintaining an online store is a lot of work, so go check it out!

The Cab Post is and ALWAYS be free. If you like what I do, visit my online shop, which contains signed books, art prints, stickers and fanzines. You can also leave a contribution of your choice on Patreon, which will give you access to tons of exclusive posts. This newsletter is made by hand, for humans; each share, subscription, purchase or contribution is immensely appreciated.

• Website and portfolio

• Online shop

• Patreon

• Buy my books (CA) (US)

Cool stuff

I was really excited to see Jim Queen (by Bobbypills Studio) as the closing film of Fantasia Fest, and oh my god, did I have a good time. Everyone in the theater was laughing their asses off. Jim Queen is the story of a popular, super-muscular gym bro who contracts "heterosis," a mysterious affliction that transforms guys into straight men. All the clichés are there: gym culture, nightclubs, cliques, self-acceptance, and of course... the quest for love!

Huge congratulations to my dear friend and fellow comic book artist Olivier Carpentier for his new comic book La Bande à Charlot: Le Carnet Rouge. Set in Prohibition-era Montreal, the comic follows Charlot, a clumsy but feisty kid who gets caught up in a bootlegging scheme. Olivier has done a tremendous job for his first comic as both writer and artist, and to this, I say bravo!

Reading: Norwegian Wood, Haruki Murakami's bittersweet novel about the love dilemmas of a literature student in Tokyo in the 70s. It made me want to drink coffee and listen to the Beatles.

Listening:

• Parallel Punk by Declan EC: Bilingual indie-post-punk, a little sleazy, from a very young and promising local musician.

• the front, a nice chill and jazzy little EP from Miles Nautu.

• The latest release from electro artist Four Tet is an album with the most god-awful unwritable title ever and I've been listening to it on repeat for a week. Don't be fooled by the first track, it gets way more upbeat later on. Perfect album for a long work session.

Cool artist: The animator Victor Courtright, which I discovered with this little short.

In an ideal world, personal taste is a privilege and a pleasure we should all have – it is the closest thing most of us get to self-expression or a creative act.

Rachel Aroesti, ‘Have I been influenced, or is this actually me?’ How personal taste fell out of fashion.