Deep South Aesthetic

- Red dirt
- Pine trees
- Stray dogs
- Stray children
- Huge piles of trash
- All trash all the time
- Everywhere
- Racism

I think this is going to be the last Christmas I spend in rural Georgia with my mother. It's not that anything major happened, it's just that the small evils finally became too much to bear. People talk about the Deep South like it's all garden parties and mint juleps, but it's a genuinely disturbing part of the world. It's taken me awhile to come to a place of understanding and acceptance, but I think I'm fine if I never see or speak to my family again. I have quit bad business before, but it's never felt so good to say good-bye, get in my car, close the door behind me, and drive the fuck out of there.

Be the Merch You Want to See in the World

Because I am one of the last people on this planet who still reads physical books (although don't get me wrong, I love my tablet), I want to print my own bookmarks. I've been toying with the idea for the past month, but it's been difficult to find a decent printing service online, especially a service that has a preset template for what I want, 2.5x5.8" bookmarks with rounded edges.

I finally used my JRPG "hello I have entered your house please aid me on my quest" skills and sent emails to a dozen artists who have made bookmarks in this format. About half of them said that they participate in group orders through services like JiMi Agency, but the other half specifically recommended CatPrint. CatPrint doesn't have a standard template for this format, but they don't charge more for custom orders, and the customer service person/people/robot I exchanged messages with was very kind and patient and helpful.

I've put together a zine of the Zelda comics I've drawn during the past four years, which I'm going to print with a service called Mixam once I finish the illustration for the front cover. Depending on how much printing bookmarks ultimately costs, I might make a set of two or three to go along with the zine. I'm also in the market for die-cut stickers, which is next on the list.

I'm putting a lot of work into this project, and I'm also putting together a zine of horror haiku that Sarah Searle (!!!) is doing the cover for. I wish I could somehow transfer the skills and experience I'm acquiring to my actual job, but alas, there's not a lot of demand for print media these days.

When the apocalypse comes and the internet goes down I will laugh at everyone from underneath my piles of zines and bookmarks and stickers, and it will be so satisfying.