Novel Definitions

For the NY Times Book Review. Find more literary posters at my shop:

https://incidentalcomics.storenvy.com/
 

The End

Happy end of 2019! Next year I'm looking forward to the release of a new book that includes this comic and all my others on reading, writing, and literature. You can pre-order I WILL JUDGE YOU BY YOUR BOOKSHELF now! This comic also appears in the Sunday NY Times Book Review.

The Many Faces of the Novel

Illustration for John Sutherland's review of "The Novel: A Biography' by Michael Schmidt, appearing in the August 10 NY Times Book Review. Thanks to AD Nicholas Blechman!

The Writers' Retreat

This drawing appears in the July 20 NY Times Book Review. Thanks to AD Nicholas Blechman and editor Pamela Paul!

You can order a poster at my shop.

The Joy of Reading

I had the great honor of illustrating the cover of the special Sex Issue of the NY Times Book Review! Thanks to art director Nicholas Blechman for the assignment. It’s full of thoughtful and hilarious pieces on writing about sex - one of the stickier topics to tackle in literature. The issue also features an autobiographical comic by Alison Bechdel (one of my favorite cartoonists) and gorgeous spot illustrations by Luci Gutierrez (one of my new favorite illustrators). 

I’ve turned my cover illustration and a couple of my unused sketches into a series of posters titled The Joy of Reading. I’ll post the other drawings throughout the week. 

The Story Coaster

This drawing appears in the July 14 Sunday NY Times Book Review. Thanks to Book Review editor Pamela Paul! Also, thanks to my middle school English teacher, who taught me the wonderful word "dénouement."

You can order a poster at my shop.

Reading Is Dangerous

I drew this comic to illustrate the essay "Clunkers" by James McWilliams in the July 7 NY Times Sunday Book Review. The article is a hilarious musing on books as projectiles, and probably the most fun piece I've had the chance to illustrate. Thanks to ADs Rex Bonomelli and Nicholas Blechman for the gig!

Literary Consolation Prizes

You can see this comic in print in this Sunday's NY Times Book Review! Meanwhile, the finalists for the National Book Award can be found here (I'm pulling for Junot Diaz).

Haruki Murakami Bingo

I've spent the last few years devouring the books of Haruki Murakami. Twelve novels, three short story collections, and one memoir later, I came up with this comic. If you have yet to experience the genius of Murakami, keep this Bingo card handy as you delve into his work. I recommend starting with The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Kafka on the Shore, or Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World. You can find this comic in print in Sunday's New York Times Book Review.

Behind Every Great Novelist

This illustration appears in the New York Times Book Review alongside a review by Christopher Benfey of John Sutherland's "Lives of the Novelists." Sutherland's book profiles a long list of notable writers and the personal events that may or may not have influenced their creative output. I tried to distill the typical experience of a literary icon into nine small panels. I'm certain that many of our great writers have worked in a coal mine and owned a small poodle.