Boredom Pays - Home?

Idle Thoughts - Decent

Idle Thoughts - Naivety

Idle Thoughts - Actors in movies

Idle Thoughts - Liking Things

Idle Thoughts - All I ever want

Idle Thoughts - Privilege

Idle Thoughts - Uncomplicated

Idle Thoughts - Doing Better

For my pal Evy, whom is wonderfully inspiring and certainly one of my favorite people I've met in the past year or so. They gave me this patch a couple of months ago that says "you're doing better than you know". It's a reminder that everybody needs now and then and now I receive it every day <3 div="div">

Idle Thoughts - Suitable

Idle Thoughts - Don't Think

Idle Thoughts - Disappointment

Idle Thoughts - Drunk

Oops. This happened.

Boredom Pays #6 + Boredom Pays Classix now in store!

Boredom Pays #6 + Boredom Pays Classix now in store!
I’m really proud of both of these collections and happy to finally be putting them online for sale. Boredom Pays #6 is, of course, the most recent issue and is certainly the most cohesive to date even if it is a little bleak in area’s. I’ve also put the entire issue up in my archive for people to read for free if they can’t afford a physical copy. Classix collects all of the early strips that I’m still proud of. A bit more lighthearted. People really seem to like them!
Go here to buy them!

Absense

This is something I drew a couple of months ago but only just decided to ink it today. At that time I was in a really heavy place and didn’t want to think about depression or anything surrounding it. I don’t really feel any different now, objectively. I still feel just as alone, directionless and without meaning as I did before but the medication I’m taking makes all of that just not seem to matter quite as much. It’s helping me be productive. It’s helping me look forward.

What more could I ask for?

Clarity

So I might have told a bunch of people that I was quitting autobio for a while. What can I say other than I’m full of shit? Christ. I’m just going to draw whatever the hell I feel like. Ignore anything I say to the contrary <3 p="p">

Don't Front My Set

Expozine this weekend!

So. Hey, just want to let anybody in the Montreal area know that I will be at Expozine this coming weekend! I’ll have copies of Boredom Pays 4, 5, 6 and Boredom Pays Classix(best of issues 1-3). Come by and say hi!

Buskers Wages

Buskers Wages

I actually kind of like that Cat Stevens song, if I’m honest. It just sort of fit in this strip thematically. And, well, even if I sort of like the song I don’t think it’s necessarily all that good as much as it has some sentimental value to me. My former partner of 7.5 years sent me this song when we first started seeing each other and whenever I hear it I think of her (which is always a positive thing!). My mother, also, sent me a collection of Cat Stevens song that that song is on and I’ve been listening to it for the past couple of days. Just. you know. In case you were worried.

Hope y’all dig the new strip!

Boredom Pays Classix!

Here’s something I’m putting together for Expozine, Boredom Pays Classix.

I’ve been getting a lot of people wanting the first three issues of Boredom Pays since I decided to stop printing and selling them post TCAF. Since a lot of people seem to be reluctant to jump in at issue four I thought I would put together a sort of best of collection of the earlier stuff for those interested. I cut down the original 80 pages of comics to 28. I only included the comics I’m still proud of from the first three issues and, I think, compiled a pretty tight collection.

I’ll put it up for sale online after Expozine

Canzine this Sunday

Hey guys, just a reminder for Toronto folks that I'm going to be at Canzine this Sunday. I'll have the new issue of Boredom Pays, as well as issues 4 & 5 and some prints. Come by and say hi!

Unsolved Mysteries Preview

Here’s a page from a story I did for the Unsolved Mysteries anthology coming out early 2013 from Hic and Hoc. I’ve been watching some of the other preview pages come up over at Emi Gennis’s(editor of the anthology) blog and it looks like it’s going to be pretty awesome.

Alive?

It feels really strange to be posting this the same day that I said that I was going to take a break from the kinds of comics that I’ve been doing. But. To explain myself: There’s a comic in this issue that I’ve had a last minute change of heart over for various reasons. Also, I actually wrote this comic a long time ago. Back in January, maybe? And well, it just fits in with the themes of this issue so I decided to draw it ok I’m going to stop making these now shuddap shuddap shuddap

Boredom Pays 6 complete

So, Boredom Pays number six will be debuting Sunday, October 21st at Canzine here in Toronto and, provided my plans don’t fall through for this yet again, Expozine on November 17th and 18th in Montreal. I'll be putting it up for sale online after that.

I’m really happy with how this issue turned out. I think it’s probably the most conscious collection that I’ve put together, thematically. The stories flow into each other in a more organic way than they ever have and I think it creates more of a cohesive narrative through these separate strips.

I am, however, going to be taking a break from what I’ve been doing with Boredom Pays. While assembling this issue it became clear to me that there has been a drastic change of tone in my work over the past four months and this issue is mostly coming from a place of deep sadness. There’s almost a wholesale omission of humor or optimism in it. While I do find that writing these comics is cathartic, and helpful for me in some respects it has become clear to me that in order to get out of the headspace that this negativity comes from I need to stop obsessing about by spending hours writing about it in my sketchbook trying to figure out the best way to express it in comics form. It has a way of becoming cyclical.

I’m working on some new stories, some new strips and, I think, a new comic book. I’m not sure quite what my comics are going to look like in the next few months but I’m excited to be starting something new.

Much love, 

Jason

This Disease

Been dealing with a lot of depression lately. I don’t know what else to say other than it’s just terrible. It really takes over your life. Sort of makes you numb to everything. Perpetually unexcited or motivated. Tried to capture that somewhat here.

Jason

Everything we now know will soon be past

Contrast

Waste

Oh, and here's this other dumb comic I never posted here. I post a lot more on my Tumblr than I do here now so if you're at all interested in all of the extra stuff I used to post here like music recommendations, things inspiring me or the occasional process shot you should go and follow that, too!

Being Alone

Been thinking a lot about these things in the past couple of months. Sort of a continuation of the thoughts I was having when I wrote that Strange Boy comic back in April. Hope you like it!

 - Jason

Apocalyptic Dayz (2.0)

Posted this a couple of weeks ago but took it down soon after. I want to keep it here, though. To remind myself.

Maximum Tolerated Dose

Went and saw this film a couple of days ago. Very much worth checking out.

Dark Thoughts

Boredom Pays preview, what's up, etc.

Here’s a page from a story in Boredom Pays #6

I haven’t really been posting all that much on here lately but, I promise you, I am indeed hard at work. I’ve been working on finishing up Boredom Pays #6 which was originally going to be put out in August before I decided to scrap half of what I had and get another couple of stories together. I’ve got about 5 pages left to draw and it will for sure be done by this time next month, I promise! I also just finished a piece for the unsolved mysteries anthology that I’m pretty stoked about.

I’ve also started working on a super secret fiction project that I’ve been wanting to do for quite some time. I’m not going to say much about it but I’m pretty excited about the ideas that are coming out. I Might post things about it at some point. Not likely for quite some time though. I’m letting it gestate. Comics take a lot of time if you’re really trying to do something worthwhile so that’s exactly what I’m going to give it. I’ve got other things gestating, too, but I probably shouldn’t even elude to them without knowing if these are things that are going to happen. I hate to eat my words.

I’m tabling at Canzine in Toronto again this year, which is typically a fun show to do. My high point last year was having Chester Brown buy some of my books. Not likely to top that this year but I’m stoked for it, as always. I’m going to make Expozine in Montreal happen, too. I’ve been meaning to get out there for the past three years but have always had plans fall through. This year I’m going to come by myself on the bus and hang out with people I don’t know. The idea terrifies me but it’s also something I would like to get comfortable with. I want to start going to more shows in different cities. This is a start.

So. Yeah. I feel like a shit for not posting anything ever anymore. But the truth is I’m just working on longer, more substantial pieces. It’s harder to find those bite sized pieces to share with you guys. I’ll find something though, I promise. Thanks for continuing to pay attention to what I’m doing.

Much love

Influences: Jason

 Jason is one of my favorite storytellers working in comics today.

His drawings are incredibly iconic, which is obvious at a quick glance. I would say that his writing, too, is iconic. His stories are so perfectly designed. Structured. Almost diagrammatic. Playing off of all of the troupes of any genre he decides to work in while maintaining a novel quality to them at the same time. They’re very familiar, yet something entirely new. I feel as though he approaches writing in the same manner that I attempt to it but there’s something I’m missing. Something I don’t quite understand. Every time I sit down and read one of his stories I get closer to it but am never quite able to grasp what that is that I’m lacking. Reading his stories are such an exhilarating and frustrating mess of excitement for me. Highly recommended.

Self Esteem Pt.6

Self Esteem Pt. 5

Self Esteem Pt. 4

Self Esteem Pt. 3

Self Esteem Pt. 2

Or, the continuing adventures of my own personal apocalypse. So sad! Oh gosh!

Self Esteem

Drew a bunch of strips in my sketchbook over the past couple of days. Going to post them over over the next week until I run out.