Jamaica Dyer is the creator behind "Weird Fishes", a new graphic novel that you can buy here or here. It's a surreal story about growing up, seeing imaginary things, and finding out how unimaginary they really are.

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Small Press Spotlight

News Flash! My Small Press Spotlight at the Cartoon Art Museum goes up on March 20th! You can read the full press release for it here.

That’s just 2 days after Paul Pope visits for a talk about Batman!

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Events and Sketches

It’s been busy!

On February 20th I had my residency at the Cartoon Art Museum. Basically, I brought over all the supplies and drawings that I had out on my desk and set them up at the desk in CAM’s lobby, and got to work. Lots of kids were coming through for a cool samurai cartooning class, so I got to draw for a bunch of artistic kids and their curious mothers, and it was really cute and fun to entertain a different demographic than what you find at most comic conventions. I painted a penguin and a cat and a few other little animal sketches. I even finished painting a comic book page! Many thanks to Heather for setting it up and everyone else working at the Cartoon Art Museum.

This leads me to my next announcement… I’m going to be the next Small Press Spotlight at CAM! What cool people! I’ll get you more info on when my art hangs.

This week I had the chance to visit Barron Storey’s sequential art class at CCA and be a guest speaker. As luck would have it, it was on the same day that David Mack came to speak and show his art! Pretty fantastic to be in the same room with these two legendary artists, let alone speak alongside them! The class is working on some great comics that David and I got to go over and critique, and then it was our turn to put out our comics for everyone to look at and ask questions. It was a great experience, both humbling and inspiring, big thanks to Barron and David for having me there!

Now to finish with something completely different, I recently got addicted to the British teen drama “Skins” and did a few sketches from the show. Great characters and gripping storytelling, and my love for Cassie is a bit ridiculous.

More sketchbook stuff coming soon!

Daisies

I don’t know if you’ve seen the wonder that is the film “Daisies” but.. wow. Seriously inspired by this little Czech oddity. Good luck finding it, but yes, wow.

Oh, and here’s a part of a sketch I did recently:

Shirts, CAM and Weird Fishes

Work takes up a lot of the time whether you like it or not, but comic art and writing, painting, and t-shirt manufacturing is in full-swing! Yes, t-shirts! I just put a few up at my etsy store for you to gaze at. I’ve got an assortment of sizes and styles that haven’t been photographed yet, drop me a line if you have a size you want. Alice and I set up shop and have been choosing fabrics, cutting patterns and sewing on patches of my art to these unique shirts. T-shirt manufacturing, it’s cheaper than child labor if you do it yourself!

Last sunday we wrapped up the show over at Mission: Comics and Art. It was a good reception, orange juice was flowing and even some painting got done! Thanks to Leef and everyone who came.

But don’t put away your calendars, on Saturday Feb 20th I’m going to be the Artist in Residence at the Cartoon Art Museum! From noon to 2 (maybe later!) I’ll be working on Weird Fishes in their front reception area, doing my first public-comic-making event. Really excited to get to do this with CAM, they’re great, and you can use this as an opportunity to check out their new BATMAN exhibit! How can you resist watching me work AND looking at Batman art by the likes of Paul Pope? Right, you’re coming.

Plus, if you haven’t checked out weirdfishescomic.com lately (I need to find a way to link these 2 better) the new story is in full swing and on page four already! Having lots of fun plotting out this next one.

John & Yoko

I recently saw the interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono on the Dick Cavett Show and I loved it so much, the way they both looked and the way they interacted that I realized I had to do a painting. So here’s my little painting from a youtube still. This makes me want to do more re-interpretations of low-quality internet stills and camera photos as paintings.

Oh, and here’s some sketchbook pages.

Comic Vine Video Interview


A few weeks ago I got interviewed at the Cartoon Art Museum by the very good man Kane Lynch for ComicVine. It turned out pretty great, and for the first time (I think?) you can see and hear me talk about my comic online! There goes all my mystique, right out the window…

I embedded it here, but you can go check it out over at ComicVine.

Super Friends!

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Today I woke up with the undeniable desire to draw superheroes. And so, my first drawing for 2010 is of the superfriends, or at least, the way I picture them. I’m extremely happy with hobo-hipster Aquaboy, and wouldn’t he be like that, really?

… and then you ask “Wait, it’s the 3rd of January, and this is the first drawing you’ve done?” And yes, anonymous viewer, it is. Maybe the party I went to lasted a couple days…

Happy 2010, it feels like we’re living in the future, and I must say, it’s feeling really fantastic so far. 

Gallery Reception

Signing

The opening night for “Dee’s Siren Song” was fantastic! Extreme thanks to Leef for having such a great space, and Charlene and Alice for helping put up the show, and Caleb for being my (not) DJ for the night. It was great to meet everyone who came out to see my work and it’s exciting to get bridge the gap between comics on the printed page (or computer screen) and artwork in a gallery and see people’s reactions in person.
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The show will be up all January at Mission: Comics and Art!

Dee's Siren Song

Welcome to the new Jamaicad.com! Coming up faster than I can count is my new gallery show in San Francisco, called “Dee’s Siren Song” and it’s going to feature large watercolor comic pages, paintings, sketches, and a bunch of new work that hasn’t been seen yet. The show follows Dee’s progression from a little girl of a sketch to her latest adventures in college following love, fantasies, and singing her heart out about it.

 

Read the full press release and RSVP on the Facebook event page here.

“Dee’s Siren Song” by Jamaica Dyer
Showing Dec. 12, 2009 – Jan. 27, 2010
Opening Reception and book signing – 7pm Dec.18, 2009
Mission: Comics & Art 
3520 20th St. Suite B
San Francisco, CA 94110
www.MissionComicsAndArt.com
415.695.1545

 

Also happening right before, the Cartoon Art Museum is having the Webcomic-con on December 12th! I’m going to be there signing books and doing sketches from 3-5pm.