In the Stacks

         

I don’t recall when and where I learned that some copies of RELUCTANT SADIST had made their way into a university’s library archive, maybe it was back in the 1990s, but I felt surprised and even a bit of pride. Back in the 1980s, when I was first creating my comix, it was part of an “underground” scene and not generally accepted by mainstream or academic culture. I’m not an academic, don’t have a formal four year degree, so I don’t think about how culture is studied on that level. There has been a sea change in how popular and underground culture is now being appreciated and researched in colleges and universities. It’s easy for big movies, books, comics to be added to a collection, but how does some hand-made, self-published comix or zine get noticed and acquired? And why does it matter?

I’ll attempt to answer the second question first. Having your comix or zine, included in a university library will make it easier for it to be potentially studied and referenced as part of a research paper that is reflecting on our culture as a whole. Researchers see how individual comix/books/movies/music fit in and connect to other works of art in other eras and cultures. They try to understand trends and movements of where our society has been and where it might be going. Archiving materials preserves them in their original form as that provides information as well. So, if your comix is part of one of those collections, it means that a tiny part of your creative history will survive you past when you are gone. Maybe it’s a bit of an ego trip, but that appeals to me. I’m also curious to know how the work I did in the 1980s fits into the big picture.

How does a university library or archive notice and acquire materials? I don’t know the formal process and I’m sure it is different from one institution to another, so I’ll stick to relaying my own case. There were two courses of entry that my comix have taken to an academic archive; donated in as part of a private collection and direct donation. Currently, I know of three American Universities that have copies of RS (from the original 1980s run) in their collections; Iowa State University, Michigan State University, and Washington State University (detailed information and links below). I spent some time surfing the web and checking out many other collections, and found this useful list of “Zine Libraries” on the Barnard College website incase you want to get started looking to see if your own work is collected.

The second way my work has been acquired by these academic libraries has been through direct donation. I have reached out to these three universities and offered to donate a copy of RS #8 and two out of the three accepted. The third is in the process of moving their entire collection in a new building and have halted all donations for a couple of years. I’m open to donating to other academic libraries and archives, so if you know of one, or work for one, please contact me.

Now, if any professional archivist or librarian happens to read this post and would like to add to it or correct any information I’m presenting; please do. I’m just accounting for my experience and don’t want to misrepresent anything.

Here are the universities that have Reluctant Sadist in their collections:

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Iowa State University
Special Collections Department
MS 636
Underground Comix Collection, 1947-2007
https://findingaids.lib.iastate.edu/spcl/manuscripts/MS636.html

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Michigan State University Libraries
Special Collections Division
Reading Room Index to the Comic Art Collection

“Relkin” to “Relvas”
https://comics.lib.msu.edu/rri/rrri/relk.htm

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives and Special Collections
Lynn R. Hansen Underground Comics Collection

http://ntserver1.wsulibs.wsu.edu/masc/finders/sc003_2.htm

Keep smiling,
OK HW

RS#8 Update – Wild in the World

 
It’s been 35 years since I last put out an issue of RELUCTANT SADIST. The world is a very different place since 1989, I don’t have to tell you. Between the internet and social media alone, it’s a weird new world. I chose to continue with producing a print version of the comix as I was doing before; same size, digest-size, a folded sheet of letter or A4 size paper because I want to hold something, other than a smartphone, in my hands. A physical object, particularly a book creates a space in reality that digital never will. I like the idea that these zines could be around for centuries, traveling around from one person to another or forgotten in a box only to be discovered some decades later. I can’t fall into a story told digitally like I can when it’s printed on a paper. There’s no touch or smell, no familiar smudge or corner torn or folded like a printed copy provides. The physical is just more, well, real, so it was worth the effort and cost to have the comix properly printed.

I had 300 copies printed, which seems like a lot, but I’ve already found good homes for 40 of those, so I don’t think it’ll be long before I’m doing a second print run.

To celebrate the arrival of this new issue of RELUCTANT SADIST, I held an unveiling party, which will be detailed in another post soon. It was a fine and wild moment and there is plenty of photographic and video evidence to share.

You can order copies of RS#8 directly from me through my shop, or if you are in Riga, Latvia you can find it stocked at Bolderaja Art Bar and at Down Street Records. If you happen to find yourself in Athens, Greece, get yourself over to Jemma Comics and Press where you can find RS#8 stocked with the large selection of small press comics or even order through their website. I’m working on getting distribution in the USA and the UK, so stay tuned!

OK HW

RESPECTO! Gets Some Respect!

 A good news update on my comix story “RESPECTO!” (background info is in my September blog post). House of Harley, the British Comics publisher of the annual anthology publication UGLY MUG, has been doing a great job sending out review copies of UGLY MUG #7, that my story RESPECTO! appeared in, and it’s getting some positive feedback and attention.

First up is THE AWESOME COMICS PODCAST (Vince Hunt, Dan Butcher and Tony Osmond) which I was unaware of until now. I believe it was Tony’s pick to review UGLY MUG #7 (please correct me if I’m wrong), which begins at the one hour and fifty-nine minute mark (1:59) and “RESPECTO!” is talked with enthusiasm, at the (2:02) mark. I really enjoy how these three guys banter about comics, even when they aren’t talking about my stuff  and will add them to my extremely-too-long podcast queue. Here’s ACP episode #433 – ‘Monster MONSTER”. Enjoy!

Next up is a YouTube based video podcast called “Talking Small Press Comics” with Larned Justin and Steve Keeter. In episode #56, they review UGLY MUG #7 beginning at the (31:35) mark and mention “RESPECTO!” twice, first at (34:58) and again at (38:02). Unfortunately, they fail to give me credit (I did sign my comic in the first panel and I’m credited in the back of the book), which was a minor thing. I do appreciate how much they enjoyed the story and art. It’s fun to watch them flip through the book and show pages to the audience via their webcams. Larned and Steve look like they are having a lot of fun looking at the comics.

This is cued to the RESPECTO! part of the talk, but if you want to listen to the entire section on UGLY MUG #7, go back to the 31:35 mark.

Last up is a traditional blog post mention in Win Wiacek’s “NOW READ THIS!” from November 30, 2023, “Ugly Mug #5, 6 & 7”. Overall Win seems to be a fan of UGLY MUG and though “RESPECTO!” is only mentioned and not talked about in detail, I do appreciate being in such great company. This was another comics/comix blog that I wasn’t familiar with and look forward to digging through previous posts and reading new entries.

Ugly Mug #5, 6 & 7

It’s very satisfying to see something you create being seen and talked about within the comics community. One of the beautiful things about the internet is how easy and immediate it facilitates community and connection. That’s a true boon for small, weird art groups to connect and support each other as these podcasts and blog do for underground (? is there really an underground scene now? A topic for another time…) art, comix, music, film, etc.

Copies of UGLY MUG #7 can be ordered through LULU press.

Read more about UGLY MUG at House of Harley.

OK HW

The Last Logo

 2023 has been a big year for Weaverwerx; a resurrection of sorts after years of little to no activity. I have taken a workspace in the old Kino Studios in Riga, Latvia and have begun to pursue comix, drawings and film projects again. As part of this new era, I have revamped the Weaverwerx website, which was the perfect opportunity design a new logo. Now embarking on a new logo design may seem like a simple process, but even the "richest" and "smartest" person in the world can fuck it up, resulting in losing years of positive branding, good will and billions of dollars. Luckily I don't have those kinds of pressures on me. I'm just this guy trying to carve out my own tiny niche in the real and virtual world. The only person I need to please is myself, but that is easier said than done. I'm a fickle, difficult to please customer when it comes to my own work and have a special mutant power for overthinking that would give Professor X a headache. Somehow I managed to find my way, creating and discarding a dozen different concepts before landing on one that feels right, so right in fact that it will likely (always leave yourself an out) be the LAST WEAVERWERX LOGO. So, without further ado, let me introduce you to the new look.

Yes, it is a critter, animal, creature of some type and needs a nickname, which I am puzzling out. Any suggestions? I think of artistic ideas as being like creatures roaming around looking for a worthy person to be their portal into our world. These ideas animals can be enormously powerful and lucrative and creative people bring them forth with nothing more than a pencil and blank sheet of paper. This critter here is hungry and lustful and curious. It wants your attention. I wanted this logo to be part watchdog, part chupacabra, part feral cat, and part alien from another world. I want it to guard my back, but also push me when I need it, like everyday. From a design point-of-view, I wanted an image that would stay in folks' minds and not be confused with another thing; not too complex, but not too simple. Maybe even something that will provoke some affection. I also think it'll look damn fine on a t-shirt!

Time to show how the sausage was made. Here are my raw, rough brainstorming sketches as I worked through various possibilities, including some boring, too generic non-character options.

Some of those "shrunken head" and Tiki God-ish designs could wind up making cameo appearances in some future comix stories, so keep your eyes peeled.

The previous Weaverwerx logo was a simple hand-drawn W with scribbly circle around it, which I call the "Hairball Logo". I'm ditching it because it is too generic. It could be used for a hair salon or a bar or sock company, whatever. I like the hand-drawn quality, but that's about it. I only used this one for a couple of years, so it was really just a placeholder.

Before that one, I had been using this dapper chap with the square head and formal suit. This design originated in the late 1990s and was fun, but it looked too much of it's time. I do like the "round peg in the square hole" head and the "W" suit collar. It was also a load of fun to animate, but times have changed, so time to say adieu.

Now that the Logo saga has been been settled, time to get on with creating some actual content or something...

Keep smiling,

OK HW

UGLY MUG #7 – RESPECTO! Finds a Home in the UK Comix Scene

It has been too long since I had a comix story in print, actually in any form available in a public way. You would have to go all the way back to December of 2010 (!) where I had a three-page Xmas story called “Santa Dali” printed in the zine "Pork Belly: Special Santa Issue”. How and why it's been so long since I dropped out of the scene is no matter, just too busy living, but now I'm back with a four-page story called "RESPECTO!" that is right at home in the pages of UGLY MUG #7, an annual British anthology of weirdness lovingly curated and published by The House of Harley. UGLY MUG is a print only publication that can be ordered through the HOH website. Besides my tale, the rest of the 120 pages is filled by a stable of wild ink-slingers including SAVAGE PENCIL (The Legend), John Bagnall, Ed Pinsent, Tom Baxter Tiffin, Jason Atomic and many others.

My story "RESPECTO!" has two inspirations; first was an unfortunate message exchange with an unhinged individual hurling insults and threats at me and in the same breath demanding respect, totally unaware of the hypocrisy of what they were saying . It made me think about what respect is and how do we go about trying to get it. The second inspiration was to use the bizarre and beautiful African masks that I love to study and draw. There may be some who will call this "cultural appropriation", but my intent is to show my respect for this art and culture. These are not my designs, just my interpretation. To dispel any confusion, I have included the origin tribe and region information with each character and hope people will be curious enough to do their own research and learn about African tribal art.

OK HW

Order UGLY MUG #7 at The House of Harley

REJECTION! The "Burls & Gnarls" Tale

 

Page one - Would you read more?

I am making stuff again, specifically comix stories and have been trying to get them published, but that is easier said than done.  My first story of this new era is an eight page tale  called "Burls & Gnarls" I created in January of this year and it's about a guy haunted by weird trees he sees along the icy winter streets of Riga, Latvia. It's an old school black and white, ink on bristol board effort built on top of a beat-like poem of existentialist angst with a touch of defiance. Here's the first page as a taste. (I'm not going to put the whole thing online as I have other plans for it)

After reading this first bit, would you feel compelled to turn the page and read more? Well, I submitted it to three different comix anthology publications and it was rejected each time, so I guess for some people, the answer is "No thanks". It never feels great to not have your work included, but this isn't my first time in the barrel, so I cried in exactly one beer and shared the bad news with my inner circle who did what good friends do and they jumped in outrage and shock, shaking their heads in disbelief that my offering was turned away. It is not a fair or just world generally, so it's necessary to have thick skin and supportive allies to manage such times. Having been on the other end of the stick, I understand that not everything can be included and some things have to hit the floor. It is part of the process. It's never easy putting together a creative project made from many contributions. The important thing for me is putting the work out there. Once the piece is submitted, I have won because I'm participating in the creative community. I take solace knowing that Frank Herbert's "DUNE" was rejected by twenty publishers before it found a home. (side note - I am not comparing my work to that masterpiece). The lesson learned is you do your best, work to your own highest standard and then keep submitting it until it lands in front of the right eyeballs. Don't give up. 

Another taste - page four

So, what will become of "Burls & Gnarls"? I've decided to use it as motivation to publish issue #8 of RELUCTANT SADIST, picking up where I left in 1989, a mere thirty-four years later. My goal is to lash together a 16 or 24 page digest-size comix by the end of 2023. Watch this space!

So that is final rejection lesson to be learn and that is, if you no else will publish your work, DIY baby.

Keep smiling,

OK HW

I Was a DJ for a Day...

 Kuš! Radio

"I am a D.J., I am what I play..." 

(With respects to David Bowie)

I was a radio D.J. for one afternoon in February, in fact on Valentine's Day no less. How does one go from underworked and obscure comix art/writer/actor/whatever to rocking a live broadcast over the interwebs to an audience of dozen(s) with no training or experience? As it is so often in this world, you got to know somebody, and in this case, that somebody was Kuš! Komikss honcho David Schilter. He messaged with a question, "Hal, have you ever done Radio?" and the details were hashed out from there. Seems that one of the resident artists visiting in January, Anu Ambasna has a radio show on NTS Radio in Britain and needed access to a recording studio to produce her show while in Riga. This led to the idea of creating a pop-up studio, so why not get more comix artists to do some shows while all the equipment was set-up? And that is how Kuš! Radio was born!

Michael holding the tech together while I run my mouth

All of this was only possible because of the technical expertise of Michael Holland, who is also a radio DJ on a NTS show called "Onotelsa", also the name of his indie record label. Michael is one of those laid-back cats that just made everything so simple and easy, that even a completely clueless radio newbie like myself was able to produce something that sounded coherent even on a live broadcast. Michael's constant encouragement and steady streams of "yeah, yeah"s' put me in the right flow to chat in between blocks of music and my hour time slot flew by too quickly!

All of the Kuš! Radio shows have been archived on Sound Cloud and there is not a dud in the lot, so check them all out.
Here is my show and I'll put the playlist underneath with a few notes about my choices.

Unexpected Sources Audio Gallery · 005 _ Kuš! Radio _ Hal Weaver - On A Coconut Island

"On a Coconut Island" - Louis Armstrong

I named my show after this tune as it paints a lovely picture of a tranquil dream world of spiced winds and bottomless Tiki drinks. Plus it's Louis Armstrong which is always the correct choice.

"I Want You To Be My Baby" - The Royals
This was a Valentine's Day pick that I first heard on an overnight show off WWOZ the New Orleans public jazz station. I love the lyric, "If you're gonna be my baby, then act like my baby and do it now! UH!"

"Basic Hip" - Del Close & John Brent - The Beat Generation, Volume 1
Just a fun rap. I think the world is forgetting about being "hip" and this needs to be corrected.

"True Love Will Find In The End" - Daniel Johnston
I'm late to knowing about Daniel Johnston, but it only took one listen to this song for it to become an instant classic in my heart. This section always brings a tear to my eye when I think about all the lonely people who won't or can't step into the light.

"True love will find you in the end

This is a promise with a catch

Only if you're looking can it find you

'Cause true love is searching too

But how can it recognize you

If you don't step out into the light, the light"

"Garter Belt" - John Lurie - Down By Law Soundtrack
Love this soundtrack and movie and the world it portrays. Another V-day pick for the darker side of romance.

"1983... (A Merman I Should Turn to Be)" - Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland
The centerpiece of my show. An epic psychedelic masterpiece that is like listening to a Heavy Metal (the French SF comics magazine) story of a dystopian future where humankind has to flee into the sea because the surface is destroyed from pollution and war. But that would never happen, right!? The song runs 13 minutes, 25 seconds and Michael encouraged me to talk over it or cut it short, but I think it's a song that doesn't get enough attention because it's too long, so I rolled it out in its entirety. Weirdly romantic enough to also fit the V-day vibe.

"We Want You To Click Play" - Uglyography
Uglyography is a Norfolk, Virginia based two-man band and one of my dear friends, Sam McDonald is one of those two guys. I picked this because of the "Surf's Up!" lyric which connected to Coconut Island in my mind and that it's a bouncy, poppy tune. Full disclosure, I created a music video for another cut off this album, "Evil Rays" and you can check that out on my Vimeo page.

"16:53 This World" - Neil Bruce (Light B4 Sound) - 11:53 Album
A bit of electronica to balance out the pop of the last tune and this one is also created by my pal Neil Bruce. Yes, I am dedicated to shamelessly promoting my friends creative projects and it's all the easier when they make such beautiful stuff as Neil does here. Check out the whole album on his Bandcamp page and buy it if you really dig it! Neil's website.

Deep in the heart of Kuš! Radio

"Yip Roc Heresy" - Slim Galliard
My old (as in, we have been friends for 40 years) amigo Michael "WingDing" Wingfield first hipped me to Slim Galliard and this tune when he put it on a mixtape, like physical cassette tape (you young folk will just have to google it) he made while DJ-ing at a Berlin radio station back in the 90s. I love this tune because it's so silly and DADA, which is where WingDing and I like to meet.

"Uncool" - Del Close & John Brent - The Beat Generation, Volume 1
For those folks who needed the "Basic Hip" lesson, more helpful advice to be less square...

"Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" - Cannonball Adderley Quintet
A song that warms my heart and is a hug for this old, tired, beat-up world and all the suffering people clinging to it. Put on repeat until the bad thoughts quiet down.

"All the World is Green" - Tom Waits
"I fell into the ocean and you became my wife." Is the opening line to this sleepy love ballad by my favorite singer-songwriter and man of mystery and old hats, Tom Waits. I dedicated this song to my wife Ieva during the show and explained that first lyric also can serve as a super mini-autobio for how I wound up living in Latvia. Good tune for a slow dance.

"California Dreaming" - Lee Moses
Best fucking version of this song that has ever or will ever be recorded. Period.

"Here at the End of the World" - Alex McMurray
Alex McMurray is a New Orleans fixture who first came to my attention when he was part of a band called Royal Fingerbowl about twenty odd years ago. It is easy to draw a direct line from the Beats, through Tom Waits to Alex McMurray and this is a very good thing. McMurray has IT whatever that special sauce is to stand in the light of the crack in the universe and share what he finds there with the rest of us and we are all better for his words and music. This song is a comfort on the bad news days and now it feels like they are all bad news days or maybe, "bad news" or "worse news" days. For my ear, he perfectly captures the mood of our time as we collectively "listen for the terror through the wall" as Allen Ginsberg presciently wrote decades ago in "HOWL". So let's...

take our shoes off and dance real slow

while we wait for the fireworks show

"People" - Lord Buckley
Lord Buckley because he is still cool, always will be cool and it is because of his eloquent and compassionate spirit for sharing his gift with us people. Blow Daddy, blow...