as a little treat for you all during these strange, indoorsy days, i’ve decided to share a short comic of mine from a few years back! “Britney Jean 2116” originally appeared in Babybel Wax Bodysuit (which somehow got nominated for an Eisner!). i’m still fond of this story, and would love to expand it into something larger someday. hope you enjoy!
beaver mural write-up
in a moment that has made me feel like Not A Spring Chicken Anymore, an OCAD student asked me to write up some thoughts about the mural at The Beaver for an assignment on Toronto nightlife. i was happy with how the write-up came together, and thought i would share it on here, in case any of you are interested. ❤
....
Like many before me, I first flocked to The Beaver as a curious baby-gay seeking a west-end alternative to the Church and Wellesley nightlife scene, where I’d felt like a bit of an outcast. I became a Beaver regular in the early 2010s, shortly after the bar’s co-owner, the beloved artist/DJ/promoter Will Munro passed away from cancer. I’d never had an opportunity to meet Will, but I felt the heaviness of his loss hanging over the queer community.
Fortunately, The Beaver carried on, thanks to both those in Will’s scene and a new generation of keen and transgressive nightlife freaks. I was studying at OCAD at the time, and the prospect of illustrating event posters felt like an exciting change of pace from my class assignments. I linked up with an emerging drag collective, the House of Filth, and became one of the regular poster artists for their infamous monthly party, Bad Tuck.
As the years went on, The Beaver staff and regulars became my buddies. The former bar manager had proposed I paint a mural referencing Will Munro and Jeremy Laing’s Virginia Puff-Paint installation, but the owner expressed concern that it might alienate the bar’s more normie brunch crowd. The owner became less involved overtime, and in 2016, Lee D’Angelo, a prominent local tattoo artist who bartended at the time, began drawing on the walls of the washrooms and back hallway in an effort to breathe some new energy into the space. Lee generously offered me a wall of my own, so I drew one of my comic characters kicking over a condo complex.
Lee, myself, and a few other local artists had thoroughly decorated the back hallways, but I was still keen on the idea of creating a proper mural right by the dance floor. This time, the current bar manager was able to give me the OK, and I in fact had free reign to do whatever I wanted! I was given a key to the bar, and over two or three weeks, I would let myself in, throw some music on, and paint throughout the days.
The mural came together organically. I wanted it to feature the “queerdo canon” and serve as a tribute to The Beaver’s mandate, and to Will’s spirit. There’s a range, from larger cultural figures (Bjork, Liza Minnelli), to queer art icons (Klaus Nomi, Sylvester, the Cockettes, Leigh Bowery, Pickle Surprise), to local legends (General Idea, Virginia Puff-Paint). Across from the mural, I re-created one of Will’s final pieces, an Egyptian god with Tom of Finland’s head, watching over the dance floor. It’s a powerful, haunting piece from a body of work exploring his own mortality.
Will died almost a full decade ago now, and the new baby-queers flocking to The Beaver may not even know who he was — and you can’t blame them. So much queer history isn’t reliably documented or institutionally preserved. It’s often up to us to keep the stories alive. Hopefully the mural can serve as a reference point, and a celebration of what’s come before — energy that can be transferred to the next crop of nightlife freaks and whatever they have in store for us.
here (in the washroom at the gay bar)
I’m at work on some new comic things for 2020, and thought I’d share a page that might grow into several pages! Richard McGuire’s Here is one of my all-time fav comics, and I’ve always imagined doing my own version that’s set in the washroom of a gay bar (if those walls could talk!). here’s the first instalment!
new posters & CCOL residency
been a busy little while over here! i had the pleasure of creating some new event flyers over the past several weeks, ranging from a sexy dungeon party in NYC, to a fundraiser rave, to a library reading!
i’ve also had the pleasure of being the creator-in-residence at the Canada Comics Open Library for January. I’ve written up a couple blog posts you can check out on their website. big thanks to Rotem, Jordan, and the library crew for having me on board!
ago all hours
i was brought on recently by the Art Gallery of Ontario to create four large banners for their All Hours event last weekend! the banners framed Walker Court, which was filled with 70s and 80s arcade consoles. thanks so much to Sarah Febbraro !
charli xcx review
NOW Magazine had me on to do a comic concert review for Charli XCX’s show at Rebel last week!
click here to check it out.
long winter paris
i was recently invited on to create a poster for Long Winter Paris, a Canadian-French music festival happening next month! big thanks to Amy for having me on board.
life & death of fred herko
i was recently brought on to create a poster for The Life & Death of Fred Herko, a dance performance being mounted this fall in toronto. big thanks to Natalie for having me on board!
new comic in The Believer
i have a new 9-page comic in The Believer's 2019 Music Issue, exploring my love of Cher's ABBA covers album, and the resurgence of ABBA's music in moments of political and cultural turmoil. big thanks to my editor Kristen for being supportive of the idea! the mag is making its way into bookstores and the comic will make its way online at some point soon!
new nails: tour de french manicure!
was thrilled to create another poster for the New Nails party series! this edition's proceeds are going to the Friends For Life Bike Rally in support of the Toronto People With AIDS Foundation.
