All Thumbs Press

It's been a long time since I posted to my blog, and a lot has happened.  Here are some of the things I did that I should have been writing about during that time: I quit doing massage at the Bay Club to jump full-time into private practice; I started teaching comics at the California College of the Arts; I hawked my wares and did panels at all sorts of comics conventions (WonderCon, Comic-Con, the Alternative Press Expo, Bent Con); I went on a Brazilian vacation; I got annoyed at myself for being too busy to write blog updates.
 
But I'm back to announce my last event of the year!  I've been teaching a class called the Queer Comics Project at the California College of the Arts, and for their final project the students curated a show of LGBTQ comics at the S.F. Cartoon Art Museum.  The show will consist of art selected by the students, as well as filmed interviews that they conducted of various queer comics creators, plus copies of Quilt Bag, a zine of their own work.  I think they've done an amazing job with it all!
 
The creators whose work will hang in the show are: Burton Clarke (Gay Comix), Jaime Cortez (Sexile), Ed Luce (Wuvable Oaf), Jon Macy (Teleny and Camille), MariNaomi (Kiss and Tell), Trina Robbins (Wimmen’s Comix), Joey Alison Sayers (Just So You Know), Christine Smith (The Princess), Mary Wings (Come Out Comix), and Rick Worley (A Waste of Time).
 
The opening party is on Saturday, December 17^th from 5:30-7:30pm at the Museum (655 Mission Street), with comics-inspired drag performances by the uncanny Sue Casa, Trangela Lansbury, Karma Zabetch, and special guest!  It should be a blast...  Come for the art, and stay for the good times!

AWARDS AND CONVENTIONS, BITCHES!!


LAMBDA LITERARY AWARD NOMINATION!

I received a nomination for a 2010 Lambda Literary Award in the category of Transgender Fiction for Glamazonia the Uncanny Super Tranny!  I am beyond thrilled...  This is incredibly exciting and validating for me.  The "lammies" are the preeminent LGBT literary awards, and my book is one of only two comics nominated.  The other one is Teleny and Camille, the graphic novel adaptation of Oscar Wilde's dark, erotic novel by Jon Macy, in the category of Gay Erotica.  Our books were also the first two published by Northwest Press, the new publishing house focused on LGBT comics and graphic novels, so this is a big coup for us all.  Viva queer comics!  Oh, and you can buy your own copy of the Glamazonia book here.

WONDERCON!

The Bay Area's biggest comics convention, WonderCon, is back in town on April 1-3 at the Moscone Center.  I'll be working the Prism Comics booth and signing books throughout the weekend, as usual, plus moderating a panel about writing queer characters on Saturday.  Please come by and say hello!

Saturday, April 2nd:

<<6:00-7:00 Writing Queer: Creating and Writing LGBT Characters - Creating genuine and well-rounded LGBT characters is a profound challenge for writers, as they must give voice to a population whose stories have been kept hidden for so long.  How do writers, both queer and straight, as well as mainstream and independent, create narratives that reflect the diversity and humanity of LGBT individuals, as well as the obstacles that face them?  Moderator Justin Hall (Glamazonia, Prism Comics’ Talent Chair) leads a spirited conversation with some of the most dynamic writers working in comics: Marc Andreyko (Manhunter), Paige Braddock (Jane's World), Steve MacIsaac (Shirtlifter), Jon Macy (Teleny and Camille), and James Robinson (JLA). Room 250/262>>

THE YEAR ENDS WITH A BANG!



Yup, 2010 is fast approaching the finish line, and I have to say I'm very happy with what I accomplished this year, and I'm even more excited about next year.

My Glamazonia the Uncanny Super Tranny book is out on the shelves and looking beautiful!  I'm absolutely thrilled with how it came out, thanks to Northwest Press and all the contributors who helped out on the book.  You can check out a free preview of the book at the Glamazonia website, and can order it from Northwest's website.

This is a full list of the contributors on the book...  Pretty damn impressive, right?

Diego Gomez, Jon Macy, Fred Noland, Zan, Anthony Gonzalez, Chuck McKinney, Ed Luce, Chino, Craig Bostick, Eric Orner, Christine Smith, Dave Davenport, Gina Kamentsky, Jason Thompson, Paige Braddock, Sina Grace, Jennifer Camper, Robert Kirby, Steve MacIsaac, Lark Pien, Sarah Oleksyk, Theo Bain, Shaenon Garrity, MariNaomi... and with an introduction by Peaches Christ!

We did two major release events for the book, which went like gangbusters.  The first was at Mission Comics, and the second at Castro comics store Whatever...  I made limited edition, signed and numbered book plates for both events, as well as a set for my pals at Isotope Comics Lounge.  I also got some wonderful press about the book and the events, including a full page in the S.F. Chronicle.

The second big piece of news is that I'll be team teaching (with super star comics dude Matt Silady) two classes at the California College of Art this coming semester!  One is a Graphic Novel Workshop, and the other the Queer Comics Project, which focuses on the history and art of LGBT comics.  I'm really excited to get into the classroom and warp some young minds :)

Happy holidays, everyone!

Justin

Finally, Glamazonia is on its way!  136 pages of full-color, campy, trashy, gratuitous whoop-ass!  The book is full of narcissistic superheroes, co-dependent sidekicks, whiny villains, sexual misconduct, wardrobe malfunctions, bitchy put-downs, politically incorrect queers, and itchy super pets, and is packed with amazing guest artists who were guillible enough to be roped into this project and have their reputations smeared forever.

GLAMAZONIA THE UNCANNY SUPER TRANNY BOOK IS DONE!

This morning the book went to the printers!  I feel like I've just had a baby... without the horrendous pain and stretch marks of course.  It's a big-ass (136 pages), full-color book, and I'm really, really proud of it.  It's been a long time coming.

Thanks to all the awesome creators who collaborated with me on the project, especially Diego Gomez, Fred Noland, and Chuck McKinney, who pulled out multiple pages, and Jon Macy and Zan, who did so much of the heavy lifting.  It really does take a village to raise a comic!

You can check out the book's website (plus a free, 30-page preview of the book itself) at glamazonia.com, and get more info about the upcoming release parties/signings/readings at the site of the publisher Northwest Press.  The book will be on the shelves, and available online, in mid-December (hint... it makes a fabulous holiday gift!).

Stay glamorous!

Justin

APE 2010 IS UPON US!

That time of year is barreling down on us once again...  Hell, it's already here!  The Alternative Press Exo (APE) is once again descending on San Francisco, and it's time for me to hawk my wares, get my schmooze on, and release some whoop-ass on the world.

First off, I'll be doing a pre-APE reading at Comic Relief, the comic book store in Berkeley that is one of the best and biggest comics stores in the world.  This will be my first reading there, and I'm thrilled to do it.  I'll be reading with a bunch of other Bay Area comics stalwarts.  Here's the schtick:

A multi-media comics reading featuring Tessa Brunton (In The Tall Grass), Susie Cagle (Nine Gallons), Justin Hall (True Travel Tales), Kane Lynch (The Relics), Jason Martin (Laterborn), MariNaomi (Estrus Comics, Kiss & Tell, April 2011) and Julia Wertz (Fart Party, and her new book, Drinking at the Movies!).

Thursday, October 14 · 8:00pm - 10:00pm
Comic ReliefSponsored by Triple Rock Brewery.




Then comes APE itself.  It's at the Concourse Exhibition Center at 635 8th Street in San Francisco, and is open on Saturday, October 16th 11am-7pm and Sunday, October 17th 11am-6pm.  I'll be sharing a table with my esteemed colleague Dave Davenport, with whom I co-created the series Hard To Swallow.  We'll be at table number 427 all weekend, so come on by.

I'll be moderating two panels this APE.  The first is my annual Queer Cartoonists Panel, now in its seventh year.  Yes, I'm old.  The second is a panel about the Writers Old Fashioned, a group of comics creators in the Bay Area that I'm a member of.  Here are the details:

Queer Cartoonists Panel

-       LGBT cartoonists have always faced unique challenges and yet also offered unique perspectives.  As queer stories move increasingly into the mainstream, what role do queer comics play, and are they helping the gay agenda take over the world?  Join this dynamic panel in its seventh year at APE, with a particularly diverse and fabulous line-up of cartoonists: Tommy Kovac (Stitch), Jon Macy (Teleny and Camille), Desmond Miller (Hansel and Gretel: Agents of the Coven), Christine Smith (Eve’s Apple), Rick Worley (A Waste of Time), Sean Z (Myth) and moderator Justin Hall (Glamazonia).  Saturday 3:00-4:00pm

Writers Old Fashioned: Creating Comics in the Bay Area

-       The Writers Old Fashioned group is the latest in a long line of illustrious San Francisco-based comics movements, and is proving to be one of the most dynamic.  Originally a small group of comics writers who began meeting in 2006 to exchange ideas, provide feedback, and imbibe a few drinks, WOF has expanded to include some cartoonists, comics illustrators, and even teetotalers.  Join moderator Justin Hall (Glamazonia) as he grills Kirsten Baldock (Smoke and Guns), Stephenny Godfrey (Panorama), Jason McNamara (Martian Confederacy), Matt Silady (The Homeless Channel), Emily Stackhouse (Brazilia Noir), and Storm (Princess Witch Boy) about their creative endeavors and drinking habits.  Sunday 12:00-1:00pm
 

Please come and check out the panels, and feel free to heckle me from the audience!

That's it for now.  I just got back from a month-long trip to Berlin, St. Petersburg, Rhode Island, New York, Virginia, and Washington D.C.  It was amazing and intense...  I officiated two weddings, saw my grandfather in his final days, did some cultural tourism, met with a publisher and did a comics reading in Providence, and partied my brains out in Berlin and New York City, the world's two best cities to get your freak on.  The trip was exhausting and I'm glad to be back, but I'm thrilled I got to do all that I did.

So, I leave you with two photos from St. Petersburg, one from the bathroom of a punk rock bar and one of a psychadelic church.  Enjoy.

Justin

COMIC-CON 2010!

 

Yes, it’s that time of year again… when flowers bloom, fruits fill the market place, children run wild, sunburns blossom on exposed flesh, and Justin heads back down to San Diego for Comic-Con.

 

I’ll be mostly at the Prism Comics booth, at 2146, 2148, and 2049, near the DC Comics area.  I have signing shifts there on Friday 2-7pm and Sunday 1-5pm, and will be lurking around there a lot otherwise, meeting fans, hawking my wares, and generally geeking out.  Come say hello!

 

I’ll be selling my new line of Heroic Bear cards (Wonder Bear, Ninja Bear, Cow Bear, Lucha Bear, and Bear Barian), as well as the Wonder Bear t-shirt.  I’ll also have my full line of comics and minis available, including my new ones Le Croisic: Our Night in a French Phone Booth, and Dirty Drawings.

 

To top it off, I’ll have new Glamazonia the Uncanny Super Tranny material, made especially for Comic-Con!  I’ve teamed up with Northwest Publications to do a big, full-color Glamazonia book to be released in December, but in the meantime we’re coming out with a new Glamazonia comic called J.F.Killer.  Watch in amazement as our favorite Super Tranny has a three-way with Fidel and Che, and becomes implicated in J.F.K.’s assassination!  It’s all based on totally true events, swear to god! 

 

Plus, we’re releasing a new Glamazonia t-shirt for the Con!  I'll have it up for sale on my site soon...

 

Besides hanging out at the booth and selling stuff, I’m on two panels at the Con.  I’m really, really excited about them, and I think it’s obvious why when you look at the descriptions below.

 

Thursday:

 

 

<< 6:00-7:00 Writing Queer: Creating and Writing LGBT Characters-- Creating genuine and well-rounded LGBT characters is a profound challenge for writers, as they must give voice to a population whose stories have been kept hidden for so long.  How do writers, both queer and straight, as well as mainstream and independent, create narratives that reflect the diversity and humanity of LGBT individuals, as well as the obstacles that face them?  Moderator Justin Hall (Glamazonia, Prism Comics’ Talent Chair) leads a spirited conversation with some of the best writers working in comics today: Paige Braddock (Jane's World), Howard Cruse (Stuck Rubber Baby), Gilbert Hernandez (Love and Rockets), Greg Rucka (Detective Comics), Gail Simone (Wonder Woman), and Judd Winnick (Pedro And Me) Room 32AB>>.

Saturday:

 

 

<< 3:00-4:00 Queer Press Grant Roundup-- Prism Comics, the non-profit organization promoting LGBT comics, creators, and fans, started an annual Queer Press Grant in 2005 to help queer cartoonists self-publish their comics.  Five years and many thousands of dollars later, the QPG has helped out an impressive line-up of some of the best upcoming, LGBT cartoonists, and it remains one of the only grants available for comics creators today.  Prism will kick off the submission process for the 2010 Queer Press Grant at Comic-Con.  Join moderator Roger Klorese (Prism Comic’s Publications Chair) and past recipients Justin Hall (Glamazonia the Uncanny Super Tranny), Ed Luce (Wuvable Oaf), Steve MacIsaac (Shirtlifter), and Eric Orner (The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green) as they discuss applying for the Grant, what they've been up to since winning it, and what's next for both their comics and the Grant in 2010. Room 3>>

 

 

I GOT NEW STUFF FOR SALE!

I finally have my latest work up on my site for sale, so check it out!  Everything is available in the "store" section, with descriptions of each item and sample pages...

HERO BEARS CARD SET

   
 

WONDER BEAR T-SHIRT



LE CROISIC: OUR NIGHT IN A FRENCH PHONEBOOTH mini-comic



DIRTY DRAWINGS mini-comic/sketchbook



BENT COMIX mini-comic/sampler



 

TEAM VALOR: COMICS ART SHOW AT SWANKETY SWANK!





I'm in a comics art show at Swankety Swank, a dynamic, local artists' gallery and community space located at 289 Divisadero Street! 

I'll be showing original comics pages alongside a cream-of-the-crop group of San Francisco comic-istas, including Darick Robertson(The Boys), Ted Naifeh (Courtney Crumrin, Polly & The Pirates), Ed Luce(Wuvable Oaf), and Amy Martin(Bachelor Girl, The Single Girls).  Plus, superhero-inspired paper dolls by Kathryn Bernard, and mini-comics by Storm, who curated the show.  I'll have a bunch of comics, minis, cards, and shirts for sale at the event, as well as my original art.

There will be an opening on Saturday, June 19th from 7-11pm, with DJ Bearzbub spinning tunes!  I intend to be there, dancing my little, fool head off.  $5-$10 suggested donation.  The show should be up for about a month, in case you can't make the opening...  Not that there should be any excuse, mind you!

INTERVIEWS AND OTHER FUN STUFF

I've given a couple of new interviews recently, which I'm pretty happy with.  One was with Paul Morton, a fascinating fellow traveler and comics/animation geek for The New Gay, which is a great website exploring alternative queer culture.  My interview is here.  If I seem a bit disjointed, it was a phone interview and I was talking a mile-a-minute, which is a problem for me...  I slow down and make more sense towards the end of the interview.

A more chill interview was done by Matt Baume, and is up in three parts on his blog Writers Getting Paid.  You can check it out here.  I talk about travel, making mini-comics, the digital future of comics, and more.  There's even a cute photo of me (if I do say so myself) that he took along with it (Matt's a photographer as well as a writer). 

Matt also took photos and reported on the comics workshop I did at Modern Times Bookstore (which went swimmingly... thanks to all of you that came to it!) for the local wunderkind website SFist.  You can see all of that here.

Finally, my article on LGBT comics that I did for Pride Magazine last year was translated and adapted for the Danish comics art magazine Strip! by my buddy Rikke Courtesen.  She's a truly awesome lady, and an academic making her career in the growing field of comics research and criticism.  I'm assuming she did a bang-up job with the Danish translation... but how the hell would I know?  The whole article could be about how I love to have sex with goats, and I would never be the wiser...  At least the article looks great.


photo by Matt Baume