Magic Inkwell » Magic Inkwell Reader

Ottim… an’ the livs is fallin’

Cayetano Garza Jr. — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 16:37:09 +0000

The view behind our house and the chill in the air says that colder times are ahead

Yes, yes, ya’ll. Decided to go on that little book tour after all. I’ll be hitting the road the weekend of Oct. 16th – 18th to promote the Funny Aminals Anthology.

I’ll have copies of THE MAGIC INKWELL READER for sale as well as copies of the SECRETS & LIES anthology. We’d be remiss to not mention that SR Bissette’s story for SECRETS & LIES recently received an honorable mention in this year’s edition of THE BEST AMERICAN COMICS series making these last few copies I own a bit of nerdy comics gold. Collector’s items even, sure!

*ahem* N E Wayz…

Here’s the big bad list of appearances for my birthday weekend North East comics tour-o-rama.

If you live in New York, Boston (Somerville), or Providence I hope to see you at one of these crazy things. If you don’t live anywhere near any of these places please consider picking up a copy of my collection THE MAGIC INKWELL READER so that I can raise enough funds to have books to sell at these upcoming events. I would love you forever for it. Seriously.

Lil’ Ainjil!

Cayetano Garza Jr. — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:27:34 +0000

After almost a week I finally have internet access at the new homestead. And what a crazy week to not have any internet, too. The analogy of feeling like I’ve been hit in the head with a brick is apt. It’s been a whirlwind of excitement with the exhausting move into new digs, the Ignatz Award win, being in several anthologies that made their debut this weekend at SPX, getting the Magic Inkwell Reader finished, printed and delivered to my door, etc. Phew! The analogy is apt, though, because just like that Krazy Kat from Coconino county, I can’t help but feel in love despite the violent creasing of the skull. It was a great surprise to hear I’d won the award. It’s something I’d wanted for a very, very long time – mostly because I’m a HUGE Krazy Kat fan and as a cartoonist I coveted an industry award named after that wily mouse. I’ve always subscribed to the idea that awards are just a big popularity contest and I think (no, I KNOW) that I had a lot of friends at the convention this weekend to vote for me. I’m so grateful to all of them. I really couldn’t have done it without them. For those that have asked (like my brother David) here’s a pic of the brick atop my living room bookcase:

It really is just a brick. On a plain wooden stand. They used to engrave brass plaques that would get sent to the winner in the mail after the fact with a little engraving on the wood itself of Ignatz mouse. Apparently this is no more. I’m having one made locally and Got an email from the gracious Greg McElhatton of the SPX steering committee that I’ll be getting a brass plaque some time at the end of October. I’ll definitely post a picture of the award with it’s plaque then.

My win over the weekend got picked up by the Washington Post’s comics blog on Tuesday which was very pleasant surprise.

Another surprise was reading that Lan Pitts over at Newsrama follows YOTR. Cheers and thanks for saying so!

In other SPX related news - I Know Joe Kimpel (the CCS cartooning community comics distro) is planning a book tour to celebrate the release of the DARK CORNERS and FUNNY AMINALS anthologies which both made their debut at this year’s Small Press Expo this past weekend. The tour is on my birthday weekend, so I haven’t committed to any of the dates yet, but I’m seriously considering going to at least one of the signings. I’ll post that info here when we get closer to the event if I do commit to going. In the meantime, here’s the poster/postcard image which I designed and was passed around this weekend at SPX.

click to see it larger

In other news, during my internet blackout this past week my copies of THE MAGIC INKWELL READER arrived in the mail. They look pretty good, even if it is a bit painful to look at 10 year old work. Still, this guarantees that I’ll have that stuff in print for cons and to give to friends. You should order a copy for yourself!

OK, enough rambling from me. It’s time to put the nose back to the grindstone. Thanks again to everyone for all the wonderful support and encouragement and for voting for me if you attended SPX! Happy October!

MoCCA redux and some other news

Cayetano Garza Jr. — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 15:23:54 +0000

Photo by Penina Gal

Well, despite the miserable conditions – rain all Friday and an almost unbearably hot convention floor – this year’s trip to the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art Festival was really, really fun and uplifting. So many great moments including:

Finding out from the illustrious Matt Madden that Steve Bissette’s Secrets & Lies contribution was nominated for inclusion in the forthcoming Best American Comics 2009. It didn’t make the final cut, but did get an inclusion in the Honorable Mentions at the end of the book. This is a really nice epilogue to the book, which totally tanked at last year’s MoCCA and enjoyed a lackluster at best afterlife (in sales).
Getting a mention from Rick Marshall on the MTV comics blog’s MoCCA report , as well as a nice shout out from Fleen
Getting the royal treatment courtesy of Comicspace, including a very tasty dinner and face time with old friends. Thanks again, guys!
Having someone I didn’t know come up to me and tell me that he’d been reading my work for many years and enjoying it. “You’re like webcomics history standing right in front of me,” he said. Made my whole weekend. Thank you.
Selling watercolors to people that genuinely wanted them. Always nice when someone buys a piece of art from you because they really like it.
Of course seeing old friends again, reconnecting, talking shop , getting out of town, riding trains, going to amazing comic stores – I really live for this stuff.

There were some low points as well, like finding out Nickelodeon Magazine is folding, thus squelching yet another venue for cartoonists/illustrators/freelancers and an amazing and fun entry point for kids and comics. It’s just as depressing (if not more) as when Disney Adventures died. It also puts a couple acquaintances of mine out of work at a time when jobs are scarce in our field. The convention floor was HOT and muggy which made for a sweaty time for all. My buddy Keith Knight punked out on coming out to the show, so I missed him this year. Didn’t get enough time with other buddies as well, but there’s always only so much time at these things. Next year?

There’s many photo evidences that I’m just too lazy to link here.

In other news, I hit the ground running the minute I got back having a page I’d started waiting to be completed when I got back and was able to get a good work day in yesterday. I’m hard at work on YOTR2, the Inkwell Reader, some anthology pieces, a couple commission pieces that need completion and some freelance work.

Here’s a preview of what I’ve got going on with no comment but only for your eyes to feast on because I’m itching to get back to work and tired of trying to post this. OK!

An image to be included in the Inkwell Reader... (click to enlarge)

almost have this one wrapped up... (click to enlarge)

Would you buy this book?

Cayetano Garza Jr. — Sat, 30 May 2009 06:06:37 +0000

I’m currently working on putting together a collection of my Magic Inkwell print comics from 1996-1998. Though many of you may have read these strips online, I’m sure most of you never got to see the one and only issue of Magic Inkwell Comic Strip Theatre #1 published in ’98 by Moordam Comics. This new print comic would collect all the best work from that issue as well as scattered strips that appeared in various anthologies during those years. I was going to put this out as a regular pamphlet comic, but I’m leaning heavily toward a trade paperback edition (a square/perfect bound book with a spine) instead of a flimsy stapled comic. The book will be 52 pages, so this might be a prudent choice if price isn’t too much of a deal breaker.

If I go with the pamphlet it’ll cost around $5. If I go the trade paperback route it’ll be more like $10. Introduction by the ol’ Tyrant his self Steve Bissette!! I’m just posting this to get a handle on if you guys would be interested in owning a nice updated dead tree edition of my early print work and what you think of this cover. I may change it. I’ll keep you posted as this develops!