Ok I think winter is nearly over. I was in Brooklyn this weekend instead of being at the Farm (like I usually am, duh) and I gotta say…it was basically balmy out. I asked the Frogs if they had any good weather over at the Farm and they got snippy with me and said it’s colder there for longer so they’re still in hibernation, and that furthermore I should stop bothering them. Ok fine geez. If they were actually hibernating though, they wouldn’t have actually responded to me (and so rudely, I might add...)
Weather talk is fun, but what if we talked about what’s going on with your favorite publisher/live show/ongoing high concept creative project…Frog Farm.
So yeah, you know the drill, there’s a bunch of stuff simmering on the back burner. What happened last month? Not too much, just aforementioned plots and plans coming together.
I’ve been noodling with a new title logo font thing for a sec. If you can identify the big influence on it, I’ll give you a cookie next time we see each other irl (no I won’t actually sorry.)
I think it could be trite to say it out loud, but evoking the certain aspects of Heavy Metal that magazine feels a little needed. Celebrating exciting and fresh sci-fi, fantasy and in general, just great comics storytelling is a pretty solid mission imo.
Less so into the cringe horny stuff. It’s weird talking with people, even dedicated comics fans, and they only seem to identify it with the former and forget about all the good work that was made for it. I hear the french version continued to stay less cringe for longer. My only copy of Metal Hurlant I own is very moldy biohazzard and makes me sneeze violently whenever I take it out of it’s plastic packaging lol.
Maybe Frog Farm will go horny cringe in like 15-20 years from now. No… probably not. Would go against my ultimate plans of being bought out by some random vulture capitalist. Everyone knows vulture capitalists hate horny stuff. Don’t tell the Frogs I am courting billionaire investors.
Ok, so this newsletter is being sent on Tuesday, and we have a new Frog Farm show slotted for this Friday March 8, once again at Purgatory. It’s looking to be extremely baller.
It’s not on the poster, but I think I’ll show another fun little movie. About what? You’ll have to come to find out.
Usually we sell out on the day so best to get them online…
Tickets are here: https://frogfarm.online/frogfarm5
$12 pre, or $15 at the door.
Ok so what else has been cooking? Well…plans for new books. Since spring is around the corner, felt prudent to start formally teasing some of these.
SMOKU DELUXE by Alex Swift - The most powerful omnibus of Smoku stories to date, written and drawn by Alex Swift, with co-writing, design and layout done by yours truly. We’ll learn about Smoku’s origins, his fraught relationship with his friends, and how to make the perfect negroni, among other things. This has been a project long in the works, and it’s slowly crossing the finish line in the next month. It WILL be ready for TCAF.
DIAGRAM by Molly Dwyer - A short story collection that Molly has been plugging away on for us since last fall. We’re very excited to be getting this out into the world. Molly is an exciting new voice. If you haven’t yet you should absolutely try and get your hands on Babsy and Maude - her last comic. Very funny, and twisted. Out in May!
SZARLOTKA by Jas Hice - To be released later in the summer, this story by Jas Hice is freaky, funny and intelligently cartooned. Follows a young mother who has just moved into a new house in a new city, and she keeps being bugged by an annoying, but seemingly harmless neighbor. You know what? I’m extremely excited to be putting it out.
We will be posting previews of all these books in the paid section on this page, so if that interests you, lemme know.
All the covers of these books aren’t final, as I’ll be doing that nice one-two with Riso printing them, and that usually comes out a bit different. More texture, usually more fun colours, etc.
There’s still more to announce for the spring, and that should be solidifying soon enough, but we can wait a bit longer to announce that. I will say though, if you’re interested in submitting to another anthology like Hell Farm, keep your eyes peeled. This project won’t be identical, but you’ll get an opportunity to flex creative muscles to contribute to a larger story again.
But speaking of contributor zines if you can’t wait, you should submit to Hellavision’s new zine. Submit here → hellavisiontelevision.com/csi
Questions, concerns about the new books? Let me know.
Speaking of release schedules and related stuff, I think it’s safe to say we’ve got a pretty solid little calendar for the Spring, if you were curious. So let me walk you through it.
Starting off, I’ll be teaching a risograph demo at MoCCA Fest with the Risolab, which is the weekend of March 14-15.
If you live in Chicago you should check out the next Zine Not Dead show March 23, it’ll be featuring Harrison, who will be reading directly from Orbs. We were just texting yesterday, and apparently they’re making a new costume for the reading. Harrison will have copies of Orbs for you there as well.
Further out?
Well on April 13 we’ll be doing our first show of the year at BICS (Brooklyn Independent Comics Showcase.) Quite honestly, we have heard mid things about it, but it’s close by and if you decide to swing by I’m sure we will have something interesting for you. It’s in Industry City, which has a fun Japanese grocery store, so hey, that could be cool?
Hellavision is going to have their next screening in NYC in mid to late April so keep your eyes peeled for that.
Then we have our next date booked for Frog Farm - Wednesday, May 8th at Purgatory!
Beyond that? We’ll be going to Toronto for TCAF in May. Organizing an event with our best friends at Bug Milk.
Final spring event we’ll be doing is Zine Not Dead Fest in Chicago. If you haven’t applied for yet and are looking for an excuse to go to Chicago…uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh here it is! → fest.zinenotdead.com
Spring is shaping out to be a pretty solid little season for Frog Farm. Seemingly not as busy as last fall, but I’m sure there will be more surprises down the line. The Frogs said they’re excited to travel. They also said they’re sorry for yelling at me earlier. That’s nice :)
Final thing I’ll say to cap off this newsletter: if you were wondering where the Burg Land comics have been the last two weeks from the paid newsletter, good job you are very observant! I’ve had to temporarily shift gears to put work into a Burg Land pitch document for secret project. It’s mostly just writing at this stage, but if that’s something that interests you, def subscribe to the paid newsletter. I’ll be sharing a bit of that next week I think. Then in the following weeks we’ll be posting snippets from our new books as well.
That’s about it for this month!
Ok thanks!! Talk to you next month…
Alex