Strip Search, Episode 44 — Heide Solbrig & LJ Baptiste

Detail of a displayed work by LJ Baptise.

“Cartoonist” sounds like one of those jobs that would be cool to have, but how does one go about getting there? Well, turns out there is no one way, says Heide Solbrig, a cartoonist and media scholar who teaches art, comics and media studies throughout Boston.

That’s one of the reasons why she — along with LJ Baptiste, another art educator and cartoonist from Boston, whose comic series COMIXSCAPE has been running since 2012 — have developed a certificate program at MassArt to help would-be cartoonists figure out where to start. Both of them are this month's guests on Strip Search, where they talk to us about the program, the Boston comics scene, and their own upcoming projects.

Also, we discuss our visit to Parker Memorial Library in Dracut, Mass. (to teach a comic strip workshop, not just to take out books); and give a preview of the Ruben Awards! (Yes, we know by the time you see this they already happened, but we're living in the past.)

Listen or watch below, and scroll down further for some great art from both Heide and LJ!

From "Nixon & Bicycles" by Heide Solbrig.

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Introducing Strip Search, the cartooning podcast

Hello all! Welcome to Strip Search, a new podcast where we'll be interviewing cartooning professionals and talk comic strips: their history, classic comics, the current state of the industry, and comics to watch out for. If you're a cartoonist or humorous illustrator and want to appear on the podcast with Dave and Pete, email us at petpeevescomic@gmail.com .

Strip Search, Episode 47 — Jonathan Todd, author of "Timid"

Trigger warning: If you would rather not remember what middle school was like, you may not want to read “Timid,” the new middle-grade graphic novel by local cartoonist and illustrator Jonathan Todd, coming April 2 from Scholastic . But if you happen to be in middle school right now, or know someone who is, it’s unlikely you’ll find a better depiction of just how fraught and awkward those years can be. We find out how Jonathan did it when he appears on the latest Strip Search podcast! (For more on Jonathan and "Timid," check out his website here .) Also, we discuss the latest collateral damage from Gannett's comics page "consolidation" — specifically, female cartoonists — and give an update on "Nerd Dad!" the Pet Peeves collection coming later in 2024. Watch or listen (and check out some highlights from "Timid") below, and if you're in the Boston area, here are some places where you can catch Mr. Todd in person: Book release and talk , Bel

Strip Search, Episode 41 — Jimmy Craig

When most comic strip animals talk, they don’t exactly scream “realism.” It was hard to imagine that Garfield was speaking for most cats when he declared his hatred of Mondays or his love for lasagna. But the animals that populate “They Can Talk,” the wry, brilliant weekly webtoon by cartoonist Jimmy Craig, don’t just sound authoritative — they’re downright relatable. And fans of both comics and animals are clearly listening to what Craig’s creatures have to say. In the seven years since he launched the strip, it’s amassed 615,000 followers on Instagram, 658,000 on Facebook, and has spawned two books; the latest, “Are You Gonna Eat That?” from Ulysses Press , hits shelves this month. Listen or watch below as we catch up with Craig to talk about talking to the animals, and them talking back. You'll find samples of his work at the bottom of this post, and for more you can visit Jimmy's website, theycantalk.com , or his Facebook and Instagram feeds. (Plus, for his standalone New

Strip Search with London + Chianca

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