Pay artists, not billionaires

Help us pay cartoonists... and buy some nice gifts in the process.

Author

Crucial Comix
November 26, 2024

 Read new comics!

» Heavyweight Desk Jockey World Champ:  Ren Strapp shares tips for staying strong and active when you're hunched over your desk like a goblin.

» The Accident: A cartoonist remembers the strangers who helped her after an accident, and what she wishes she'd told them.

» When You Can’t Control the Future: As my anxiety spirals over the next Trump presidency, trying to calm my racing mind.

 Spend your money with artists!

Look, we know that capitalism is a trap. We’re out here trying to support each other as we also figure out our own ways to survive. Americans say they’re going to spend an average of $1,000 on holiday gifts this year. So if you are buying gifts, put that money toward independent artists rather than egomaniacal billionaires. Here are some nice things you can buy from Crucial to support our work of paying cartoonists to make comics that help create human connection.

News

Last week, the House passed a bill that’s raising red flags for how it could destroy nonprofits across the country. H.R. 9495, dubbed the “nonprofit killer bill,” allows the Treasury secretary to unilaterally declare any nonprofit is a “terrorist supporting organization” and revoke its tax-exempt status. You might be thinking: Isn’t it already illegal to provide money to terrorist groups? Yes, yes it is. But the new law has such vague language that many organizers fear the Trump Administration will use it as a tool to go after politically focused groups supporting things like racial justice, environmental activism, and Palestinian aid. As Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., said on Tuesday, “The road to fascism is paved with a million little votes that slowly erode our democracy and make it easier to go after anyone who disagrees with the government. Donald Trump says you’re a terrorist, so you’re a terrorist.” 

This could impact Crucial Comix because we’re the publisher of the anthology Cartoonists for Palestine, which is a fundraiser for three Palestinian aid nonprofits. We’re donating all profits from the book—which goes to press this week—to organizations like the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund. If the Trump administration uses this law to declare any of those nonprofits a “terrorist supporting organization,” it would not only be devastating for those groups, it could potentially put us as donors in hot water. As Beth Gazely writes at PBS NewsHour “The lack of a clear definition in the legislation would leave room for interpretation. It’s not clear who would be held liable—it might even be the nonprofits’ donors.” The good news is this bill still needs to pass the Senate, so there’s still time to speak out against it by contacting your senators. In the meantime, we are absolutely committed to publishing Cartoonists for Palestine and donating the proceeds—no matter what.

 

 Upcoming classes

All of our classes are sliding-scale and offered online, so they’re affordable and you can join from anywhere. We also have free spots available in every class and workshop for people who can’t afford the price—get in touch if you’d like to request a free spot!

One-off Workshops 

Decolonize the Superhero: New Approaches to Writing Superhero Comics // The history of superheroes has long been dominated by capitalist narratives that glorify masculinity, imperialism, and colonial narratives, particularly from U.S. points of view. Syrian-Canadian comics writer Yazan al-Saadi leads this workshop on exploring how to subvert this U.S.-centric idea of superheroes. Sunday, December 1 from 10am-12pmPST/1pm-3pm EST

Drawing Family Stories // Drawing comics about family is complicated. In this two-hour workshop, cartoonist Sanika Phawde will help offer prompts and examples to guide participants through drawing a one-page comic about their own families. Thursday, December 12th from 3pm-5pm PST/6pm-8pm EST

January Classes

Facing the Blank Page: Drawing Comics When You’re Afraid of Drawing with Ali Holmes // Are you interested in comics but think you could never draw your own? Join the club! This extremely encouraging, low-stakes class starts with drawing blobs to help you face anxiety around drawing. Saturdays from 10am - noon PST/1pm-3pm EST, January 18 – February 22, 2025 

Finding Your Visual Voice: Experimental Storytelling in Comics with Joaquin Golez // Get weird. Find your visual style and unique voice in this class focused on experimental approaches to comics. The six-session class uses lots of creative exercises and playfulness to help creators of all backgrounds and skill-levels to develop strong narratives, characters, and emotions even in very short stories. Sundays from 10am – noon PST/1pm-3pm EST, January 12th – February 16

What we’re reading

New nonfiction comics we recommend. 

Lebanon is Burning: A must-read new collection of comics from Yazan Al-Saadi (who’s leading an upcoming workshop for Crucial!) reflects on recent political and social unrest in the Middle East. 

Djuna: The Extraordinary Life of Djuna Barnes: We’ve heard lots of praise for this new graphic biography of Djuna Barnes, the legendary writer, artist, and queer radical known for her sapphic Jazz Age novel Nightwood. 

Halfway There: Our team is very excited to check out this new graphic memoir by cartoonist Christine Mari about her biracial Japanese-American identity and how it felt to spend a year in Japan as a teen.

 Opportunities for artists

• How to Touch Grass is a new comics anthology from Power & Magic Press that’s looking for submissions of comics about connection, isolation, and accessibility. Accepted artists are paid $125/page. Submissions are open until January 12th. 

• Have an idea for an anarchist comic? Anarchist Studies is offering grants ranging from $500-1000 to fund intersectional anarchist projects, including visual arts (like comics!). Applications open November 30th.

• Queer creators with a sci-fi or fantasy story: Galactic Comics is looking for pitches to publish five-page standalone sci-fi, horror, or fantasy stories by LGBTQ creators. They’ll pay 400 Euros per piece. Get in there.

One more exciting thing…

Have you ever seen a more perfect sticker?

This newsletter is written by Shay Mirk. If you have comics or opportunities you think we should feature, email Shay at [email protected]. 💌