News & Music
(The mp3's linked here are free for downloading from licensed sources, mostly.)

1/22/04: Yikes, sorry about the serious lack of updates. I was working on my story for Flight Volume 2, which is now available for preorder at amazon.com, or you can ask your local bookstore to carry it! There are some detail images from my story here and here. Man, it's cold!
Oh, and I'm also going to join another amazingly talented set of contributors for another anthology: You Ain't No Dancer.
But first I'm about to set off on a cross-country voyage; wish me luck!
n.Lannon: "Demons" (mp3) © Badman Records.

12/30/04: Happy holidays! Kazu has finished his graphic novel Daisy Kutter: The Last Train, a funny, suspenseful, smart action adventure—surely one of the best this year. Go to a comic book store and demand it (order code: SEP04 2984)! I made this new illustration to celebrate. Also, Nicolas Seigneret (a.k.a. Bannister) and I created this fun parody of Hope and Kean's forthcoming "Secret Friend Society." It injected some much-needed levity into my final exam slog. Clio has set up this auction to benefit the tsunami survivors, and consider donating to these apolitical targeted relief efforts: American Red Cross, AmeriCares, Direct Relief International, Médecins Sans Frontières, Oxfam, Sarvodaya, Save the Children, and UNICEF.
Luke Temple: "Make Right With You" (mp3) © Mill Pond Records.

12/04/04: Alright so that was a long hiatus; I've just got a lot of projects to finish, so updating will still be sporadic for a while. I'm thinking of creating a mailing list for update notifications. Also, I forgot to mention that Kean Soo included me in his cover illustration for the November issue of Comixpedia. Thanks Kean! He and Hope Larson also have some new stories on the way. And your comments on this site won't disappear anymore, because I got a premium account for that. Oh, there's this new illustration as well (thanks to Andy Runton for the tips).
Edit: And I added links for Nico Nemiri (thanks to Bengal for the heads up) and Andy (just because I forgot to earlier; I'm highly anticipating his new book).
Snoozer: "Winterclothes" (mp3) © Happy Happy Birthday to Me Records.

11/03/04: So I had that daily comic thing going pretty steady for a couple weeks! Sorry about the less frequent updates; I've been studying for a big exam. But, here's a new illustration.
By the way, my minicomic is now available in two more locations: Phantom of the Attic Comics in Pittsburgh, PA, and Nucleus in the Los Angeles, CA area.
And this song describes how I feel about this whole presidential election business:
Leonard Cohen: "Everybody Knows" (mp3) © Columbia Records.

10/13/04: a) I actually had a totally awesome birthday; thanks for all the well wishes, and check out these great presents from several awesome people! They totally draw me better than I do!
b) I completely forgot to mention this before, but congratulations to my friend Amy Kim Ganter for winning a Rising Stars of Manga™ prize from Tokyopop, the world's largest publisher of manga. I read her entry and she surely deserves it!
c) My friend Catia Chien has a newly redesigned website. She's a total genius, as you either already know or are about to find out.
d) Hey I've actually been able to stick to this daily comic thing! (Just bear with me as I figure out the style.)
Jens Lekman: "Black Cab" (mp3) © Secretly Canadian.

10/09/04: I finally got the photos and put up my SPX '04 Report.
I've started something new here, where I'll try to update "Imitation of Life" very regularly (like maybe everyday, pretty much), but with speedily drawn, tiny black and white comics from the sketchbook. I'm not sure if this is a good trade off, but I'll try it on for size. What do you think?
Also, my mini-comic Tempus Fugit is now available in Toronto (at The Beguiling) and Pittsburgh (at Copacetic Comics), and perhaps at other places soon. I'll see about setting up a way to order it here.
Destroyer: "Students Carve Hearts Out of Coal" (mp3) © Talitres Records.

10/05/04: SPX was a blast, as expected. I'll post photos and such as soon as I can get them off my roommate's digicam. In the meantime, I was so impressed by this beautiful piece of work that Vera whipped up in no time at the convention, that I decided to create a little gift art space in the ephemera section. I hope the contributors don't mind—and of course, feel free to send me your own, should you feel so inspired (hah!).
Human Television: "Saw You Walking By" (mp3) © Gigantic Music.

10/02/04: Okay so my mini-comic is done! Here's what the sort of anti-cover looks like:
I really have to thank my friend Matt Hornyak; thanks to him, the book not only exists, but is in glossy color! It's kind of like an old Nintendo game instruction booklet (the standard by which all other publications should be measured). I'll be taking it to the Small Press Expo today! And tomorrow too.
The Decemberists: "Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect" (mp3) © Kill Rock Stars.

9/27/04: First of all, apologies to anyone who tried to check this site on Saturday; some freak power outage took down the server.
I visited my parents over the weekend, and improvised this little sketch of our house. A groundhog who lives under the bush in the center nearly attacked me! They make these really shrill barking noises that are very surprising.
And it's old news now, but Kean Soo has completed a comic set to the track below. It may seem a bit minimal at first glance, but I think it's really neat how the emotion in the song so efficiently completes the narrative, if you read as prompted by the lyrics. And Kean's got impeccable taste in music! (Meaning, it overlaps with mine.) I really like this album too.
The Notwist: "One With the Freaks" (mp3) © Domino Records.

9/24/04: A new Imitation of Life comic called "Nothing to Write Home About" is up now.
I can't believe I missed Sloan, The Fiery Furnaces, and a free Yo La Tengo show in Pittsburgh this week. Sigh… But I did see Lynne Ramsay's Ratcatcher on DVD finally—very inspiring stuff.
Yo La Tengo: "Little Eyes" (mp3) © Matador Records.

9/20/04: Hey I'm on a roll here… Imitation of Life: "Blind" is up today.
The Small Press Expo in Bethesda, MD is right around the corner, and I'll most likely be there for at least one of the days, but not as an exhibitor. Joel Carroll will have copies have Flight Volume One at his table, so I may be hanging around with the present Flight Crew a bit. Anyone going? If you say hi to me there, you'll get a free mini-comic (if I can finish the stupid thing on time)!
Oh and I heard the following band open for and play with Hayden recently. They have this whole Radiohead/Superchunk/Alt-Country thing going on. It was a pretty good time.
Cuff the Duke: "Hobo Night Stalker" (mp3) © Three Gut Records.

9/17/04: Happy Birthday, Hope! Oh, and Daisy Kutter #2 by Kazu is in stores! Go demand it now!!
9/15/04: There's a new addition to the stories today. It's a bit different for me, I know, but there's still more of the other ones on the way. Also, my friend Hope Larson has a newly redesigned, simply amazing website. And Ben Zhu's Nucleus store is almost ready for business!
José González: "Heartbeats" (mp3) © Imperial Recordings.

9/06/04: Happy Labor Day! Mine was especially sweet because my friends Josh and Ann got married this weekend; hence this new illustration. Though I was expecting to be crushed with despair from being unloved, the ceremony was great. And I was also pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed dressing up for a social occasion! Everybody was extra sexy, especially after my sixth drink.
So my consistently amazing friend Kazu has righteously posted a great Quasi mp3 on his site, which inspires me to respond in kind. It's not very complimentary to nuptual bliss (they're a duo of exes who write awesome songs about how they hate each other), but oh well.
Quasi: "All the Same" (mp3) © Up Records.


8/26/04: I made a page for a coloring book that Ryan Sias is putting together for a really awesome charity called Artists Helping Children. Their mission statement: Artists Helping Children Foundation seeks to enhance the quality of life for sick, abused, or neglected children. These children, burdened by circumstances outside their control, often live in the most sterile and uninviting environments. By painting murals and creating other art for and with the children, we create an enriching and happy atmosphere to encourage their emotional and physical healing and well-being.
Many thanks to Ryan for involving me!
Preston School of Industry: "Caught In the Rain" (mp3) © Matador Records.


8/25/04: A small update for Cloud Factory on serializer.net is up today. I'm trying to get back into the swing of that…
Doug Martsch: "Offer" (mp3) © Up Records.


8/22/04: I'm still working on bigger stuff, but here's another doodle anyhow. There have been plenty of great reviews about Flight Volume One (check flightcomics.com for links), but I like how this one from The Fourth Rail deals with several of the stories individually—although I think he gave me a little too much praise!
Innocense Mission: "Tomorrow On the Runway" (mp3) © Badman Recording Co.


8/16/04: The new illustration isn't really a finished piece per se, but I got a new brush pen this weekend and I've been making a lot of doodles like this, so I wanted to share. It's really fun and handy!
Blonde Redhead: "Misery is a Butterfly" (mp3) © 4AD Records.


8/14/04: There's an update for Imitation of Life today, and I've put up some old ones too. Also, Flight Volume One was released to comic book stores in the US and oversees this week, so check it out! It's been selling out in many places, apparently.
Chris Appelhans: "Freeways" (mp3) © Chris Appelhans.


8/07/04: There's another new illustration, which is sort of fan art for the story "UFO in Kushiro" by Haruki Murakami. Also, if you happen to be in or around the San Francisco Bay Area today, there's a gallery show for Flight Volume One at Super7 in Japantown, from 6pm to 9pm. Many of the Flight Crew will be in attendance, and I'll be there in spirit!
Asobi Seksu: "Walk On the Moon" (mp3) © Friendly Fire Recordings.


8/05/04: New illustration today, for a pin that my friend Katie is helping me make. Thanks Katie! I also revamped the links section a bit.
Xiu Xiu: "Clowne Towne" (mp3) © Xiu Xiu.


7/31/04: My San Diego Comic Con '04 Report is up. It'll be linked in the ephemera section for future reference. The Serializer feedroll has been moved to the links section.

7/28/04: I've returned from San Diego, and I don't even know where to begin—the whole thing was such a wonderful, valuable experience. Flight Volume One was a smash success, I made tons of new friends, and was just exhausted with happiness. I'll post a more in depth account soon.
Guided By Voices: "My Kind Of Soldier" (mp3) © Matador Records.

7/19/04: Flight Volume One is rolling off the presses! Thanks to Kazu Kibuishi for the pictures; he has a whole bunch that I'm sure he'll share soon. Please stop by our booth (thanks to Scott McCloud for the map) at the Comic-Con International in San Diego to get the book hot from the printer, or just say hello! I'll be there for the whole thing.
Rainer Maria: "Artificial Light" (mp3) © Polyvinyl Records.

7/13/04: Another new illustration today.
A.C. Newman: "Drink To Me Babe Then" (mp3) © Matador Records.

7/08/04: There's a new/old illustration up today. I was listening to Elliott Smith and remembered making this the day I found out he'd passed on. Sigh.
Hayden: "Dynamite Walls" (mp3) © Badman Recording Co.

7/06/04: I hope you had a great 4th of July! My weekend in New York was a lot of fun. (Click on the pictures for a bigger version.)
I stayed in this cat's apartment in Queens. Thanks Zack!
Derek Kirk Kim and Vera Brosgol introduced me to bubble tea in Chinatown; it was a pleasure to meet them. They were just as sweet as I expected them to be! Derek won the Harvey Award for Best New Talent later that day.
We were accompanied by Ryan Sias and his cool frames. He does all sorts of awesome art for movies and will be in Flight: Volume Two.
It's the pause that refreshes my friends Bob and Sherry. We went to see Iron and Wine perform at the Bowery Ballroom, but I respectfully refrained from any flash photography. You can listen however...
Iron and Wine: "Lion's Mane " (mp3) © Sub Pop Records.

6/24/04: Yikes, sorry for the atrocious lack of updates. Things are definitely in the works, but I've been tediously moving out of my apartment. I'll be in NYC this weekend, and dropping by the MoCCA festival, among other fun stuff.
The Wrens: "Everyone Choose Sides" (mp3) © Absolutely Kosher Records.


6/18/04: Is he pulling you in or giving himself away? Devendra Banhart is fantastic—easily overcoming the worst venue I've seen a show in! I also really liked his friends Vetiver and harpist extraordinaire Joanna Newsom.
Joanna Newsom: "Bridges and Balloons" (mp3) © Drag City Records.


6/15/04: The deadline for the SPX 2004 Anthology was today, and I submitted a story; the designated theme is "war." Past volumes have included really fantastic stories by brilliant artists, so it would be a real honor to be included. I'm crossing my fingers. Here's a panel from my story:
American Analog Set: "Hard To Find" (mp3) © Tiger Style Records.


6/09/04: New episode of Cloud Factory! Drew Weing is updating his site again, and don't miss his hilarious photo blog. Erika Moen's also posted a heartfelt masterpiece.
Sufjan Stevens: "All Good Naysayers, Speak Up! Or Forever Hold Your Peace" (mp3) © Asthmatic Kitty Records.

6/08/04: Sorry I've disappeared for a bit, I'm just trying to wrap up a story I've been working on. None of the roughs are really worth sharing...
Jim O'Rourke: "Halfway To a Threeway" (mp3) © Drag City Records, courtesy of The Wire.

6/07/04: I've been writing a comic short story for another anthology project recently; I'll post some sketches from it later today. Here are a couple shots of John Stirratt and Jeff Tweedy of Wilco in Pittsburgh yesterday. They sounded great! Wilco: [1,2]
The Velvet Teen: "Caspian Can Wait" (mp3) © Slowdance Records.

Comments (getting fixed)

6/05/04: The links section is updated, with a couple comics stores in town: The Phantom of the Attic, run by my friend and fellow epicure Jeff Yandora, and The Copacetic Comics Company, an indie comics lover's dream come true, not to mention a great place to get music, movies, and other books. This site is great to check out even if you don't live in Pittsburgh—it'll keep you hip to all the important new releases, and look at this impassioned mission statement!
Owen: "In the Morning, Before Work" (mp3) © Polyvinyl Record Co.


6/03/04: Cloud Factory was a bit late yesterday, I apologize. (I accidentally left the file in CMYK, which doesn't display on most browsers.) If you're into silly Flash animation: The Meatrix.
Wilco will be in my city this week for the Three Rivers Arts Festival!
"Cars Can't Escape" (mp3), a nice outtake from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, courtesy of wilcoworld.net.


6/02/04: Cloud Factory will update later today on Serializer, probably in the afternoon. Also, two of my favorite online illustrators have redesigned their websites: Matthew Woodson and Jose-Luis Olivares.
Kings of Convenience: "Homesick" (mp3) from Riot On an Empty Street © Astralwerks Records.

6/01/04: There's a new Imitation of Life strip up today. Kean Soo is posting progress on a strip inspired by "Passing Afternoon," (and I know what book she's reading!) by Iron & Wine. I'm excited about seeing the band in NYC later this month...
Iron & Wine: "Naked As We Came" (mp3) © Sub Pop Records

5/31/04: This site is starting up without a whole lot of content; it's sort of a new beginning. Hopefully it will progress into something substantial.
I'm a little obsessive about music, so you can expect some recommendations here. From Devendra Banhart's new record Rejoicing In the Hands, here's "The Body Breaks" (free mp3, © Young God Records).