intro

this one will be fairly brief, as i don’t have much to report this time around. i started a new job a month ago and frankly i have been struggling to adjust to 40+ hour weeks. i’ve also had some reoccurring health issues & flare ups that i hope to get a handle on this year.

as always, this will be crossposted on ko-fi.

art, comics, and upcoming shows

art

in march, i only drew small doodles 3 out of 31 days (9%), and i didn’t fare any better in april with a single day of drawing (3%). it’s not fun acknowledging i am falling short of what i expected from myself this year in the drawing realm. it be like that sometimes, unfortunately.

looking ahead, i am happy to announce that i am a recipient of a merit scholarship for a summer workshop at CCS. i’m truly looking forward to a week of deep focus on art, development, connection, and quietness. more to come soon.

comics

no new comics recently.

past events & upcoming shows

• PIE: in march, i tabled at PIE and participated in a panel entitled “superheroes of the stacks” in which we discussed the importance of comics in the library. originally, it was supposed to be recorded and uploaded to youtube, but for whatever reason, our recording didn’t work out. we got some nice photos though. here’s one:
  

  

otherwise, i do not have any other comic events lined up at this time. i’ve applied for BEC and picto beach in hopes of a more local focus this year, but not much else. i will keep yall updated if i am admitted.

media diet

• 📺 resident evil 9 playthrough: i won’t link a 9 hour video here, but i watched a playthrough with my partner over the course of a few days. i absolutely refuse to play any RE on my own, but LOVE watching playthroughs. i love how meme-y the series has become but also appreciated the theme of revisiting and working through trauma. i genuinely look forward to whatever they decide to do with RE10. (return of jill when?????)

• 📖 jackal: my partner is from pgh so they explained the johnstown flood and how it primarily affected low income and black people due to the literal stratification of the town’s neighborhoods. we were both drawn to the idea of a horror story taking place in that very same town in the modern day involving a series of racially-motivated murders spanning over decades that the protagonist gets tangled up in. the book had me hooked for much of the way, but the final portion of the book and ending threw me off a bit. it just went in a different direction that i cannot explain without spoiling the book unfortunately, but i still recommend it!

• 📖 pimp: i borrowed the audiobook from the library because a patron at my old job in the jail library recommended it as the one hood novel i should read if i was going to read any (although it is technically a memoir and not a novel). i hadn’t read a hood novel since 7th or 8th grade, so i wasn’t sure what to expect. iceberg slim depicts the life of a pimp and what incarceration does to you in an honest way without glorifying the lifestyle. his writing is so great to read/listen to, although huge warning there is a lot of gendered violence. at some point, i’d like to read some more of his books.

• 📖 as the crow flies: the art is so wonderful and makes me miss my colored pencils. as a retired catholic, it’s the sort of book i wish i had when i was young and struggling with whether or not god would accept me for who i am. the ending of the book fell flat for me, but i have learned in the process of writing this newsletter that it’s because the webcomic (linked in the title) is not finished. i’m not sure if a second book will be released, but it’s definitely a webcomic i will be following.

• 📖 razorblade tears: i’m not typically one to read thrillers, but this is one of the books on pagebound’s spring 2026 readalong list. i listened to the audiobook and i have to say it’s one of the best audiobooks i’ve ever listened to. (shout out to the narrator.) the two protagonists, both formerly incarcerated men, find out their sons who were married to each other were found brutally murdered. obviously not trusting the criminal justice system, they take matters into their own hands. it can potentially be triggering to read if your parents were not supportive of your own coming out, but i think the author realistically portrays a pair of fathers correcting their problematic their behavior in their quest for justice/revenge. i honestly loved the book (except for the amount of times the author used “said” during dialogue).

• 🎨 the warehouse: my friend has collaborated with mariame kaba and others to put together an exhibit of works from the warehouse: a visual primer and a series of programming centering on the experiences of people who are incarcerated and formerly incarcerated as well as their families. if you’re in new york city, i definitely recommend checking it out and maybe stick around for some of the programming! you should come on 5/10 and 5/30 for REASONS. 😈