I don't know

One of my favorite people in the world is making music again. He's started a band called Ramshackle Glory, and from the two songs that are posted on their website the album that they're going to be putting out next month is going to be incredible. Really good punk rock with Banjo's, accordions and piano's. I love it.

One song in particular I love is the one titled "epic song". It made me think a lot about my own shit in a super productive way. Check it out.

Jason <3

Boredom Pays #2 reviewed in broken pencil

Had a nice little surprise in the mail yesterday morning in the form of this super positive review of the second issue of Boredom Pays in the latest issue of Broken Pencil. Ch-check it out:

It Pays to read Boredom Pays. Jason Bradshaw's second installment of Boredom Pays has been nominated for a Schuster award, and I can see why. It's difficult not to identify with Bradshaw's protagonist whose heartbreaking struggle with depression is laid bare. At times elated, and at times mired in self loathing, he is emblematic of the contemporary existential anxieties of the underachiever. Bradshaw's drawings are reminiscent of the Terrytoon's era of cartoon, but, unlike its most famous heroes who outwitted every foe to triumph, Bradshaw's characters suffer more realistic outcomes. Where the protagonist of "Two years left" (whose beaky face evokes Heckle and Jeckle) has lofty ambitions, he's quickly - ahem - cut down to size. Bet beware of reducing Bradshaw's narratives to mere nihilism. There's more to his work than that. Fore every purported "FAILURE," there are moments of success, self-acceptance and finding beauty in everyday things (Sheetal Lodhia)

The worst in everything

Life has been kind of crazy over the last couple of weeks. I haven't been drawing comics. I've just been kind of... distracted I guess. My personal life took some weird, confusing turns. Things are good. Great even. Just different. It will come out in the comics over the coming weeks, I'm sure. Point being, I haven't been drawing comics. What I have been doing is writing a lot of comics.

I'm trying to be more deliberate with this issue of Boredom Pays. I've actually given myself a theme to base the issue around, and from the amount of notes that have poured into my sketchbook it's a good one. I've got a bunch of short strips written and a few longer stories gestating in my head. I'm really committed to making the next issue of Boredom Pays the best possible thing I can put out.

Which brings me to this comic. This is a mini I wrote last fall between drawings while working as a caricature artist at Canada's Wonderland. I was quite unhappy at the time and it's probably more whiny than anything else but I learned a lot about writing comics from putting this together so, despite its flaws I'm still fond of it. I figure since I won't be posting anything new for at least another week or so I would post something old that never made it onto the blog.


Also, just a reminder that I will be tabling in the small press exhibition at TCAF this Sunday from 11am-5pm! It would mean the world to me if you came by and said hi! And bought a book! So I can hopefully have enough money to eat over the next week! Yeah! Haha. See you there!

Jason <3

Friendship

This is the first comic for the next issue of Boredom Pays. I really want to knock this one out of the park and I think with this page I'm off to a good start - because hey - aside from some minor problems I actually like this comic. Anyway, the next issue is going to be amazing!

TCAF! Boredom Pays 3 for sale!

Hey everyone! I I've got some more comics in the works but in the meantime I figured I would make a couple of quick(not to mention awesome) announcements.

First off: I've officially put Boredom Pays#3 up for sale on the left hand side of the page. It's 40 pages of comics collecting all but one of the diary comics I've been posting on here since last fall presented in glorious black and white at the appealing size of 5.5x7.25 inches. I'm selling if for $6, but it should take at least twice as long to read than the last two issues.

Also: I'm officially going to be tabling on the Sunday of TCAF in the small press room between 11am and 5pm which I am TOTALLY STOKED about! TCAF is a really important festival to me because it is largely responsible for introducing me to the world of mini comics which has had an enormous effect on my life. Also, two years ago at the festival I gave out copies of my comics for the first time EVER so it feels like a major accomplishment to be on the other side of the table with work I'm proud of.

I am so much more excited about comics than I ever have been right now. I've got a lot of plans for future strips and things I want to do with them. It can only go up from here.

With ever so much love,
Jason <3

Boredom Pays #3 finished! Other stuff!

Well, it's been about a year since I put out an issue of Boredom Pays so I guess it's about time I got another issue out. It's 7.25x5.5 inches, 40 pages of black and white glory collecting all but one of the diary strips I've been posting on here for the past few months. I don't have it up for sale here yet, but I'll for sure have it up after this weekend.

Also, this Saturday (or, y'know, tomorrow) I'm going to be tabling at the Kazoo zine and comic expo in Guelph with my good friend Ollie who will likely be doing some awesome and super cheap caricatures. You should totally come by if you're in the area!

Then, on Sunday I'll be helping out Toronto's Artists Help Japan fundraiser. I'll be doing some live art, most likely some caricatures or sketches or something - I don't know - but it's going to be awesome! I'll be sketching from 6pm-9pm so you should come by, say hi and support the event, it's a really great initiative! For more information, go here.

Diary Doodles, an introduction

So this is going to be the introduction to the third issue of Boredom Pays. I've been killing it over the last couple of days trying to get this thing done and I'm happy to say that it's coming together quite well.

Also, just listened to a really great interview with Noah Van Sciver over on the ISR. I found out about Noah through Sam Spina and have since fell in love with his work. You should go check him out and buy the new issue of Blammo cause it's super good!

Honesty

Yep, I think this is it. The last one. I'm in the process of compiling all of these Diary comics into the third issue of Boredom Pays. As it stands It's going to be 40 pages (4 comics per page) and likely at letter size. I'm still working on the cover, an introduction and a couple of other random illustrations but I should have it for the Kazoo zine and comic expo in Guelph on April 16th. After that I'll have copies of it for sale on here!

Also, I think I'm going to try to get out a new 8 page mini I wrote a couple of years ago about going to an Against me! show for TCAF in early May. No promises, but at the moment I'm super stoked about it!

The future