Rarrr!

Things are fierce, people. I am suspending work on Florride for the moment in order to finish up, bust out, and devote plenty of production time to my new super secret project. But don't worry, you will still see both debut at APE in November. Once TSG goes to the printer I'll wrap up F. God, stop CRYING. I'm sorry I scared you.

Here, blow.

I think I have a plan of attack for laying out the super secret project. I've been a little bit panicking the last couple days but now things are looking fresh.

I'll be part of another group show at The Compound in October. These are a lot of fun and I'll announce reception dates here again.

I'm going to Keith Knight's class at the Cartoon Art Museum tomorrow. I can walk there. God I love living in this city.


Hey, as long as you're here, are you voting for Obama yet? I just got my new voter reg card in the mail and I can't wait to use it. You know this guy got endorsed by NOW, right? And they like, never endorse anyone? You know he's a remarkable orator, a strong role model, a unique candidate in a shitbarrel of blahblah, I assume. You know that all over Oakland, everywhere I go, I see young black men wearing his t-shirts. You know that he's energized and attracted traditionally disenfranchised people. You know his face is everywhere and it's lookin' so good.

I can't wait for the debates.

Mmm, mmm good,
--Amy

Beck again, eh?

I have really long commutes now. Which means I doodle in my sketchbook almost every day.

Books are.... ugh. Coming together, I guess. I'm inking, which is so refreshing. Pencils are grueling.
Still don't have everything down that I want to. Hittin' the GAS, people.

Say It

I am a big sap. I'll admit it, although it would get me accused of being a big ol' cheeseball by someone I formerly called my lover (and it still matters, that's how cheesy I am): I have heroes. I have more than one. Most of them are women. Most of them are women who persist in plowing through life despite incredible pain, adversity, trouble in mind and heart. Most of them are out there saying it.

On a day when I read a letter from one of my dearest friends to her abusive ex-husband, who started in with a seemingly innocent query and then moved into competely negating the fact that he shoved her, grabbed her, tried to lock her in the house, hurled at her all manner of disgusting, degrading language---a letter that says in no uncertain terms, "you abused me, you asshole"---I am inclined to add to my list.

You're my hero. You know who you are.

Do you know how long it took me to allow the word "abuse" to cross my lips in reference to my own childhood? Ten years. Ten years before I said it to a family member. Ten years before they said back to me, "wow, we must have really different interpretations."

Women. Men. All people.
If you've been abused, you know. Your gut knows. Don't ignore that. Say it. Say it out loud. Say it to anyone who'll listen.
Say it to the person who hit you. Say it to the person who violated you. Say it to the person/people who made you feel small and weak. Know that they will respond to you with lies and deception, twisting your own words, defending themselves. It is the voice of an ogre. It's not human. Please remember that.

Say it to your teachers. Say it to your friends. Say it to your grocery store clerk. Don't make it a secret. Call it what it is. If your husband screams and throws a glass across the room, tell him that his violent outbursts are unacceptable. Then go outside and tell everyone you meet. They'll tell you to leave. That's a good thing. Pack your shit and go.

Write a comic about it. An autobio (to use the hallowed industry term). Tell everyone what happened to you. There is power there.

Don't say "oh it's ok because..." If your stomach hurts, it's not ok. Period.
Don't say "it's because of me." It's not, I promise.
Don't say "oh it can't be true." Can. Is.

Say it.
Be brave.
Thank you.

And this is what we do

Do you guys like how I keep teasing you with doodles and hinting that something bigger is coming? I sure like it. I'm drawing my ass off these days. Just got a month or so to pull it together.
This is something I keep poking at in my sketchbook. Really, I'd like to do it as a photo shoot, but as I have neither photographer nor giant headdress, doodle it is. For now.

***
Thanks SO much to all who came to see my work at the Compound Gallery. The closing reception was a lot of fun. And if you missed it, have no fear; I'll be part of their October group show as well.

***
Table #273B at APE.

***
I've lived in San Francisco for three weeks now. In those weeks I have spent a lot more time on rooftops than I am accustomed to.


Later gater,
--Amy

Word Up

Gosh sakes, heartbreak is funny. You can be rolling along just fine for months, and then out of nowhere it kicks you in the balls. Criminy.

Anyway, at least I am drawing a fuck of a lot. I am getting to know my new neighborhood a bit, at least the coffeeshops-that-let-you-hang-out-and-draw-for-hours part. I wish I liked Cup-a-Joe, but I don't.

Closing reception for my show at Compound Gallery is Friday. Come out and see a bitch.

Don't Miss it! Closing Reception for:

Communication Gap

(August 16-September 8)

Friday September 5th (7-10pm)

When we communicate with other people we are often challenged in many ways. Differences in language, gender, and personal experience, all contribute to our diverse nature of understanding and ways of thinking. We express ourselves through a complex system of interaction. Body language, eye contact, touch, and smell are lost over the Internet, phones, and satellite signals-often resulting in communicative misunderstandings. With so many ways to reach people in our global environment many of us feel disconnected and isolated within this web of communication gaps. Six artists have contributed work that expresses their frustration or joy in human attempts to communicate.

ARTISTS: Angie Brown, Crystal Morey, Jake Gabel,

Nancy Bach, Patrick Renner & Amanda Jayne Kennedy

Now Showing in the Artist of the Month Gallery:

New Comics by Amy Martin

____________________________________________________________________

Also, Don't miss The First Friday Reception of Eth6 Magazine Issue 3

Contributing Artist Exhibition next door at Blankspace Gallery this Friday 7-10pm

w/ with the sweet musical stylings of Pale Hoarse & Ascended Master!

Participating Artists:

Bert Bergen, Brian Caraway, Eve Ekman, Jana Flynn, Tara Foley, Gaelan Mckeown-Hickel Richard Nyhagen,

Juliette Oken, Brion Nuda Rosch, Sham Saenz, Adam Wier, Beryl Fine, Rachel Styer, Kari Orvik, Norma Cordova