Sketchbook Dump #14

New merch, Christmas decor and balloonatics

Nov 18, 2022

I remember receiving a text from my mother in the middle of 2020 that read, “I’m fast forwarding to Christmas.” I laughed so hard because it was so real. Sometimes, you just need it to be Christmas already. You need to put out tiny ceramic marshmallows dressed like Santa, cover your living room in reindeers, and sing to Harry Connick Jr. to just feel okay. And who is standing in your way? Society??! Certainly not your dog and hopefully not your partner. Perhaps a few neighbors. But fuck em’! Bring out the garlands! Drag out the twinkle lights and coffee mugs covered in candy canes! It makes watching Dateline late at night way more festive.

The reason I needed my decor to make an early appearance this season is because I’ve been struggling getting back into a good work space. It’s funny that I think I need to “get back into it” because I’m not sure when or how I lost it. Was it last week? Two months ago? When I was 17?

I find the best thing to do when you can’t find your flow is to find a completely different flow. Manic cleaning, re-organizing, and of course, getting out your boxes of Christmas decorations. Eventually you’ll lose that flow and you’ll have no choice to go back to original work flow.

I’m obviously getting ahead of myself, talking about Christmas boxes and reindeer love when I haven’t even mentioned that we’re one week away from my favorite television broadcast!!

I know you’re literally shocked I didn’t say A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and that’s because a) I love giant balloons and the Rockettes and b) the fucking monsters at Apple took all the rights to Peanuts movies and aren’t allowing it to air on TV for all the children of the world and I think it’s a national travesty and also rude. I do think they’re allowing viewers to get a free trial of Apple+ to watch the special in order to watch, but that’s of course just a ploy to get people to sign up and forget about their trial and inevitably end up paying. Gripes aside, I love Charlie Brown and the Macy’s Day Parade equally, but if it were a Sophie’s choice situation… I’m sorry to say I might have to go with the parade because you just never know what Al Roker is gonna do!!!

P.S. I draw a diary comic of Thanksgiving every year, if you’re a paid subscriber you can check them out in the archives, and I’ll be doing another this year. One year I found out the people who make the balloons for the parade are called ‘balloonatics’ and I just about lost my mind.

Another wonderful parade in New York is of course the Halloween Dog Parade, and I finally have my sketches done from this year of some of my favorites that I saw in Tompkins Square Park.

The dog Popes might have been my number one but it’s really a toss up when you’re looking at this many cute pups. After Halloween I went to the Catskills for the first time with my boyfriend and it was so fucking beautiful I didn’t know what to do with myself and neither did Margie. I found myself taking pictures of truly every tree and sending it to everyone I know. Do you have this problem? Why do I think that many people want to see photos of my vacation? It’s embarrassing to realize that you actually are the person that would make the family sit down to look at an entire album of your 48 hours in Miami.

Halloween left me feeling very witchy and the leaves upstate really sealed the deal for like 3 more days. Sometimes I think it’s pathetic how affected I can get. By leaves, by people’s plans, by my dog’s eyes. I change my mind truly all the time. I was a witch for a week and now I’m ready to be a reindeer. (Wow third mention of reindeer in one newsletter!) (I have a reindeer tattoo) (Fourth mention of reindeer!). But clearly I haven’t changed at all because here’s a photo of me on Halloween as bat woman… reading a Christmas book. I’ve always been confused!

I started a new type of therapy recently (EMDR) and it’s had me very emotional, but in a good way. I’ve begun to draw a little bit about it but nothing I’m ready to share yet since I’m in the thick of it, but if you’ve done EMDR, please reach out!

Some exciting news is I launched a new line of t-shirts this week! They are only available until November 30th so get your orders in today!! There’s a Drunk Bath Season one, Dogs staring at pie, a skater girl and of course… “I grew up with labs!” I’m so excited about all my new designs, if you’re looking for some good holiday gifts LOOK NO FURTHER!

Check out the store now!

This past week we lost one of the greatest cartoonists of our time, and a huge inspiration in my life, George Booth. If you’re not familiar with his work I encourage you to go find one of his books, particularly with his dog cartoons. Toonstack’s recent newsletter was dedicated to him and I wrote more about Booth there.

Per usual I’ll leave you with a few Seen Scenes, this time a musical edition! Frank and I have been going to more concerts lately, which feels very freeing. We’ve seen The Paranoyds, Suzi Moon and The Briefs and of course… Frank’s own band released a new album last week!