Self Employment for Bohemians

New Painting: Witchcraft Shack

2012-02-07T11:30:00.000-08:00

My latest Oaxaca painting is Witchcraft Shack. Story of this painting is here on my painting blog.

My New Oaxaca Painting Blog

2012-02-01T12:59:00.000-08:00

In December of 1979, I took a BFA degree at UMass Amherst with a concentration in painting. Back then, as now, this degree plus a couple bucks got you a cup of coffee!

While I do indeed love painting, I've spent the ensuing 30 plus years as a cartoonist, pumping out an endless series of comic books and graphic novels.

Now, living in the sublime city of Oaxaca in southern Mexico, I'm called to paint again. I'm going to cart my painting kit around town, looking for the odd juxtaposition of cool stuff that catches my eye. Don't expect beautiful scenes of splendor -- there are plenty of tourist brochures full of that!
Do expect odd scenes where the surreal details of Mexican life are underlined in bright colors.

I've started a new blog to post the paintings as I make them, called Steve Lafler Paintings. Did I mention I'll be selling the canvases? You bet! So keep your eyes peeled, art lovers!
This one above is called Calle Carranza, Old & New. It's a 9" x 12" acrylic.

The Handsome Hound Dog Mug of Dr. Phil

2012-01-31T11:09:00.000-08:00

Just wrote this tune with my pal Bill Stair. It's rough as hell just now, but I bet you'll laugh! We'll slick it up from here.

HandsomeHound Dog Mug (SteveLafler/ Bill Stair)

INTRO: Em- G - / A - - - /

D- - - /

HeyDr. Phil! Where have you been?

D- - - /

YouFell right off my radar again

G- - - /

Iwanna see your great big nose

D- - - /

Andyour great big hound dog head

A- G - / D - - - /

Getfeeling real good in my life again

Takethe talking cure with Dr. Phil

Yak-yakkingit up, don't give no pill

Straightup cold turkey for those on smack

Nogoing home for clothes and stash

Withthe big old hound dog face of Dr. Phil

BRIDGE:

Em- G - /

Myproblem Phil, ya gotta know

D- - - /

Can'tsing like a pop star diva

Em- G - /

Don'tgot inflection, don't got no pose

A- - - /

Needsome direction from the man who knows

INSTRUMENTAL:

D- - - / D - - - / D - - - / D - - - /

G- - - / G - - - / D - - - / D - - - /

A- - - / G - - - / D - - - / D - - - /

RepeatBridge

Straighttalking Phil & his manly 'stash

He'sOprah's friend, he's gotta plan

Heain't no pussy, he’s standing tall

Coldpenetrating eyes of destiny

onthe Big ol' houndog face of Dr. Phil

ButPhil's ten years in, he's fadin' Fast

Ifhe had any hair, it'd be turning gray

Onthe handsome houndog mug of Dr. Phil

Let's Paint!

2012-01-24T16:34:00.000-08:00

The view from my roof looking towards northeast. Hacking away with acrylic.

The wooden palapa was built by Stephan, estilo rustico. Stephan is quite a craftsman and it shows. Hell, he's an artist. A Oaxaca resident by way of Germany.

Fathoms Deep: Ilya Get Back to Where They Weren’t Before

2012-01-20T09:47:00.000-08:00

My good friend, the musician Bill Stair, may be a walking encyclopedia of select strains of rock music, but he is truly an expert on bands from Bristol, England, as he himself hails from there. Bill offers this review of Fathoms Deep, the new release from Bristol's Ilya. -S.L.

Review by Bill Stair

Fathoms Deep is the latestrelease from Bristol’s Ilya, a duo comprised of vocalist JoannaSwan and guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Nick Pullin. You may onlyknow them from a song-snippet featured in some perfume adverts, butthey’ve spent the last few years assembling a body of work thatrepresents one of the most fascinating discographies this decade hasto offer.

Their 2004 debut They Died ForBeauty was one of those embarrassments of riches that seemed tohave arrived fully-formed from another, saner dimension whereinventive, innovative, insane music was the norm. Of course, itwasn’t really some kind of sui generis miracle; Joanna andNick had been slogging away in the trenches for years. It wasn’tso much that their music attained perfection in 2004, more that theirsound at that point in time dovetailed with the zeitgeist and theaspirations of a slowly expiring music biz.

The cynical thing to do after thatwould have been to keep on churning out more of the same; there wouldprobably have been more than a few satisfied customers. But that’snot the way Ilya work. After the almost overpowering lushness ofThey Died For Beauty, they followed it up with the sublimeSomerset - a record that retained the cinematic swoosh oftheir John Barry and Ennio Morricone devotionals, but whichintroduced harsher, darker elements into the mix. The standout track“Winter in Vienna” began as richly as would be expected, but thenslid into territory first staked out by Holger Czukay’s shortwavedalliances and finally ended up dangerously close to something byThis Heat, England’s finest exponents of post-prog, post-punk,quasi-kraut anti-commerciality. And Ilya managed all this withoutlosing sight of the epic post-rock universality they’d staked outwith their first album.

But two albums in a row with some kindof coherent stylistic feel was clearly making things too easy for thepunters, so their next step was to release the manicured howl of rageentitled Hootchi Coochi. Attributed to Jo Swan, it was anIlya album in all but name and, just to keep everyone off-balance,contained a bona-fide pop/R&B gem called “Play With Me”. Thenext logical step was obviously to follow that up with the banjo andbouzouki weirdness of Carving Heads On Cherry Stones - arecord so haunting and gossamer-like that it should probably only beavailable on prescription. (Although its opening track “PrairieDogs” is indisputably the best song to be written in cod-Esperantosince the Beatles’ Sun King.)

And so here we are with FathomsDeep, their fourth (or fifth) album, and which is very much areturn to roots - Ilya's Get Back, if you will.

Except Ilya was always a studio project- the brainchild of two people - and there never was a live band assuch. But even so, the concept behind Fathoms Deep is still aback-to-basics one. The idea was very neat: to assemble a core groupof excellent musicians in one of Britain’s last remaininghigh-level studios, present them with the material there and then,and to record the results immediately. It’s your basic 180 degreevolte-face from their earlier, meticulously manicured albums;an escape from the endless tweaking of recording on computers andgetting back to the way people did it in the olden days. So how didit turn out?

Well, it turns out that - amidstrecurrent themes of birds, water, seabirds and drowning - Ilya haveproduced a record that is, of course, entirely different from theirprevious albums but which has very clear callbacks to all of them. In fact, when you look at their body of work as a whole, there is aremarkable consistency; dragging all their stuff into a playlist andhitting shuffle doesn’t make Fathoms and Cherry Stonessound weird so much as it reveals the twisted sensibility at theheart of their seemingly sweet earlier albums. Ilya have always beenabout darkness and sugar.

Of course, the one element thatconsistently holds their obsessive eclecticism together is the almostfrighteningly transcendent voice of Joanna Swan; rarely has oneperson been able to channel so many sounds and personalities in oneset of pipes. Her one consistent attribute is that her voice getsbetter and better with each release. By now, seasoned Ilya listenerscan expect that when hypnotized by her ethereal angelic register,they will shortly be sucker-punched by a sudden switch to agargantuan blues howl. But I must confess - the first time I heardthe ending of “20 Fathoms Deep”, I felt afraid. Jim Morrison’s“Horse Latitudes” is a playground ditty compared to the krakenshe unleashes on the coda.

Perhaps the most intriguing thing aboutFathoms Deep is its insistence on using only piano and Hammondorgan in the keys department. Ilya’s vast repository of influencescombined with the ubiquity of the Hammond in sixties music meansthat, for music nerds at least, a single song can be a judderingtravelogue through multiple genres and epochs - because the Hammondcan mean many things. But ever since the Crazy World of Arthur Brownreleased “Fire” in 1968 - at that point, the heaviest recordimaginable, and one which was made without recourse to the guitar -the Hammond in rock has meant one thing above all else: prog.

So if Ilya have released an album that,while not exactly prog, certainly doesn’t shy away from it, doesthat mean they have gone off the deep-end once and for all? Or doesit mean that they’ve craftily noticed that, in the 21^stCentury, prog is more popular in Britain than at any time since 1976?

Neither. It simply means that they are,as always, following the dictates of their own muse. This is no morea prog album than it’s a John Barry soundtrack from the sixties;they’re just adding ever more ingredients to the Ilya gumbo. Nolonger a mere embarrassment of riches, we are now into a full-fledgedsupernova of reference points.

For example: the ineffably gorgeous “OnVauxhall Bridge” (which may or may not be about suicide, but whichcertainly does deal with water and burial) is enough of aCubano-style toe-tapper to instantly evoke images of dapper old folksdancing close in the zócalo on a warm summer’s evening. DanMoore’s piano is quite lovely, while the infectious “Quizás,Quizás, Quizás” rhythms - and Joanna’s exuberant vocal - morethan undercut the desperation of the lyric. And Nick’s closingsplice of Marc Ribot and George Harrison works rather nicely as well.

“Lean Down” is another stand-outtrack, perhaps something of a stripped-down callback to They DiedFor Beauty. The intro alone is breathtaking, more or less a liveperformance from the core duo, with Nick’s arpeggiated guitarbacking up Joanna’s heartbreaking whispered vocal. Haunting, yes,but very, very pretty.

So naturally, we also have to havestuff like “Falcondale” in here as well. Right from the start ofthis one, Nick’s spider-web guitar lets you know you’re back inCherry Stone territory - even if he’s not actually playing abouzouki, you feel like there’s one in there. And, like so manysongs on Fathoms Deep, it’s built around circular tripletpatterns, like so many hummingbirds whirring around in your head. Orshould that be falcons?

All this and a baritone sax that -dexterously combined with the low-end of the Hammond - shoves thesong sharply into the strange world of Albert Marcoeur, until theorgan takes over and kicks us into the page-boy haircutted world ofThe Nice. But only for a little while, mind. Our next stop is inStevie Smith/This Heat territory, as it seems that we are decidedlynot waving and quite probably drowning. Until the halfway mark, thatis, when Joanna’s storm-petrel vocal comes skipping over the waves,a reverse siren that pulls us out of the endless deep. It seems thatIlya are neither waving nor drowning but dancing round the maypole. And have somehow managed to condense “A Plague of LighthouseKeepers” into less than six minutes.

Another standout track is “LittleLamb”, a sweet, frail, blue little thing that evokes the late,great Johnny Ace’s posthumous 1955 hit “Pledging My Love” - asused on the soundtrack of Abel Ferrara’s midnight-black BadLieutenant, naturally. Joanna’s distant, glacial vocal isperfectly offset against Nick’s bizarro Ron Grainer guitar and achord progression that occasionally shines on like some kind ofdiamond. It may be the way that, for some reason, this song is nowinextricably linked in my mind with Abel Ferrera but - given Ilya’slongstanding obsession with John Barry - the only conclusion I candraw from this song is that James Bond is now a toothless Appalachiansmackhead.

But that would be too easy wouldn’tit? The coda lurches abruptly to Jimmy Smith/Djangoworld, Joannaswitches to her megafaunic voice, and the go-go girls start it up intheir white plastic boots. Bonkers, in the best possible sense ofthe word.

“All I Got” is perhaps the album’smost perfect song; it drifts into view amid Harold Buddy piano andbackwards guitars, like some unjustly forgotten outtake from Side 2of Before and After Science. The lyrics once more deal withbitterness and regret, but the utter beauty of the music and vocalmake it the sweetest of bitter pills. Quite perfect, in fact.

Fathoms Deep is available fordownload from http://ilyasounds.com

The Dick Nixon Experience

2011-11-23T20:50:00.001-08:00

The Dick Nixon Experience will appear at the Mercury Cafe, 201 Octavia St. San Francisco on Wed December 21, 6-9 pm as part of the Cartoonist-Palooza Holiday Gift Show.
Scott Hoover, bass. Steve Lafler and John Caploe on guitar. Joe Kaline, drums. Dave Cherry, saxophone. We'll play some bad ass Oaxacabilly music. Punky country blues the way you like it.
Cartoonists on hand for the night will be Lloyd Dangle, Mats!?, Jeff Roysdon and myself. See ya there!

Poster by Scott Hoover.

The Legacy of Dylan Williams

2011-11-23T09:23:00.001-08:00

About four years back, I wrote anarticle entitled Is Print Dead, or does it Just Smell Funny? Thearticle ran in Chicago based Alarm magazine and I subsequently postedit in this blog. It focused on the comics industry and it's prospectsas a print medium in the face of the rising wave of electronic media.I interviewed several comics people for the piece, including DylanWilliams, cartoonist and publisher of Sparkplug comics, who passed away two months back.

Dylan was passionate on the subject,and had this to say: “I don't believe print is dead. I've actuallyhad a lot of time spent thinking about what I'm trying to do with mylife and the whole idea of punk rock is something I keep on comingback to. I've been a punk since I was a kid and those values arereally my core values. If you feel bad about stuff the only thing wecan do is fight it. I love print, love drawing, and love art comics.I hate what comics became in the 90s, things like web comics, ‘thenew independents’ and all the money-speak that took over comicsbugs me. I'm an underground kid and that is my idea. I think, all wecan do is light our little fires and stoke them. I don't ever feellike giving up.”

Looking back, I'm impressed by Dylan'saccomplishment in building avenues for distribution in comics outsidethe Diamond Comics Distribution paradigm. He distributed directly toa growing network of stores supporting grass roots art comics, andworked with other grass roots distributors who were springing up.

I've been publishing comics since 1981,and have had some modest success with selling books throughmainstream distributors like Diamond. It takes a maverick visionarylike Dylan to show me that in the long run, art comics (orunderground, punk, or which ever label you prefer for auteur comics)need their own grass roots distribution network.

I moved to Oaxaca, Mexico in 2007 andwas wondering how I would continue to publish and distribute my work.Dylan stepped forward and offered a hand, arranging for my 2008graphic novel Tranny to be distributed by Diamond.

When I finished my next book, El Vocho,Dylan declined to offer the book through Diamond. His considerableenergies had shifted to where the best results could be produced,with the nascent distribution network he was building on behalf ofhis publishing company, Sparkplug Comic Books. He did pick up severalcopies of El Vocho for distribution, great guy that he was.

Dylan's were painstakingly grass rootsfrom what I can see. He cultivated relationships with fans,retailers, publishers and distributors to get the best play for theartists he published, whose work he was devoted to. He faithfully hitthe indy shows and put his best foot forward in pursuit of hisvision.

This is the legacy of Dylan Williams inmy life. He showed me what I should have known all along, thatselling auteur comics is really a brick-by-brick business. You can'tdepend on a large corporate entity for anything, you have to followthe love.

Reporter Little Black Book by Dylan Williams

Many of Dylan's close friends and associates had wonderful and insightful things to say about him at the time of his passing. I've now had time to assess what Dylan meant in my life, thus this post. I was friendly with Dylan, without being an actual close friend. He was warm and true, self effacing to a fault, and unerring in his vision and taste. He had an understated but wicked sense of humor. In short, a fine human being.

Cartoonist-Palooza: Holiday Gift Show & Concert

2011-11-17T08:50:00.001-08:00

Hey there San Francisco Bay Area, here come the cartoonists this Holiday Season!!!

Join us at the Mercury Cafe Wednesday, December 21st, 201 Octavia St. in Hayes Valley, for a convivial good time.

Here is the PR rap for the event:

BayArea cartoonists Lloyd Dangle, Mats!?, Jeff Roysdon and Steve Laflerjoin together to bring cartoon art gift items from graphic novels toceramics to the Mercury Cafe in Hayes Valley on December 21 from 6-9p.m.

Dangleis best known for his long running Troubletownstrip, wherein he slings deftly aimed arrows at liars and thievesfrom across the political spectrum. Dangle offers an array ofTroubletown relatedbooks and merchandise, hilarious works featuring his signaturebrilliant illustrations.

Mats!?,the accomplished painter and screen printer with a crackling urbansensibility, is best know for his travelogue graphic novel Asiaddicton the Sparkplug imprint.Mats!? arrives packing an array of stunning screen printed stickersand original paintings as well.

Cartoonist,animator, and painter Jeff Roysdon offers unique ceramic piecesfeaturing his cuddly, heart felt-yet-acerbic visions and spectacularlevel of craft, along with original paintings.

Lafler,late of Oaxaca, Mexico, brings his band The Dick Nixon Experienceinto the Mercury, rounding out the evening's entertainment with someacoustic "Oaxacabilly" music. Lafler marks his return tothe Bay Area with his graphic novels ElVocho, 40 Hour Man and Bughouse.

TheMercury Cafe is located at 201 Octavia St.

Admissionis free.

Steve Lafler

503-213-3671

Radio Insecto: Jack Black cartoon music video

2011-11-12T05:44:00.001-08:00

I've created a music video for my song Jack Black and posted it here -- it's a semi-animated cartoon narrative. The music was recorded at the Casa de las Escaleras in Oaxaca by Bill Stair, my co-conspirator in Radio Insecto, our cowpunk band.

There is a line in the song, "I don't like Jack Black's movies anymore / he used to be the best now he's kind of a bore." The joke is, I'm a big fan of Jack Black--that's why I wrote the tune!

Dia De Muertos, Xoxochitlan Oaxaca

2011-11-02T08:49:00.000-07:00

Nothing gets to the heart of Dia De Muertos in Oaxaca quite like a visit to the Panteon Municipal in the town of Xoxochitlan on the night of October 31. I went with my family, took a few pics and enjoyed an incredible vegetarian tlayuda with quesillo, mushrooms, radishes and avocado at a comal outside the panteon, along with a medium hot light brown salsa that was sublime. We also got some hot cider that calmed the chill of the muertos wind, and our friend Carrie got a cider with a shot of mezcal in it to really beat that chill!

Last night, Nov. 1, we went to the Zocalo in Oaxaca centro and saw the gay friendly comparsa (parade) with wild costumes of traditional themes like the grim reaper and the devil along with a pile of queens in drag. Very good band and great dancing, enjoyed from the confines of Bar Jardin where my kid enjoyed french fries, I had a vino tinto and my pal Carrie enjoyed a passable tobala mezcal for a mere 31 pesos! Not a bad price for a ringside seat in the zocalo. I was dressed as Joey Ramone--ripped jeans, sunglasses, leather jacket, black T shirt and a big ol' wig over my bald head. Lot's of cool kids wanted their photo taken with Joey!
Tonight we will watch some El Santo Monster movies at a hipster gallery in town before moving on to the Panteon San Felipe.

40 Hour Man -- Still Hilarious

2011-11-01T11:42:00.000-07:00

Every so often I remember that the graphic novel, 40 Hour Man, by myself and writer Stephen Beaupre, is available as a free download at Lulu.

This is Beaupre's manic, hilarious account of his various working class jobs, with appropriately nuts illustrations from your truly.
If you've ever had a crap job or an insane jerk for a boss (who hasn't?), then this is the book for you.

The print edition of 40 Hour Man is also available from Lulu, along with other graphic novels from me including El Vocho.

Here's Radio Insecto

2011-10-30T17:42:00.000-07:00

Bill Stair and I debuted our Oaxaca based cowpunk band Radio Insecto at La Jicara October 28th. We had a blast! The last table was filled as we opened with my tune Jack Black. We went on to cover tunes from the Velvet Underground to Cracker and the Cramps among others, with a stack of originals peppered throughout the night.

As I pretty much play guitar like a cave man, it was my great pleasure to hit the stage with Bill Stair on bass and mandolin, Matt Cowe on lead guitar and Samuel Paloma Aquino (El Lobo) on bongos. We had a driving, tasty sound with these guys at the controls. Sam counted off each song and played tight and funky. Bill picked some brilliant bits on mando, nailing solos that hailed from Tennessee to Eastern Europe, and shook the walls real bad and funky on bass. Matt laid into swamp blues on Human Fly, yet dropped in gorgeous, emotive solo work on tunes from the Spanish influenced Camelita to the Celtic keening of Dirty Old Town. He snapped off a perfect bit of 12 bar blues in E in the middle of Ripe Pineapple Drunk, an original by Bill Stair and myself.

Best of all, we had Mr. Bill Blak himself on washtub bass for our more country blues and bluegrass numbers, and he punched up the sound, shook his thing and drove the ladies insane. People got up and danced, the place was hummin'. OK, so I sang like a cow gargling cactus on Baby's In Black, but you gotta stink it up somewhere!

All in all a fine debut for Radio Insecto! I'll post more about our adventures as we forge ahead.

Photos by Jeff Charles.

Oaxacan Artist Humberto Batista

2011-10-26T20:28:00.000-07:00

Oaxaca is the artistic soul and cultural center of southern Mexico. This city is the home of well renowned visual artists such as Francisco Toledo and the late Rodolfo Morales. It's been my good fortune to meet several outstanding artists in Oaxaca, including painter and assemblage artist Humberto Batista.

Fantasia Abstracta #5

Working from his studio in central Oaxaca, Batista creates abstract paintings and assemblage pieces that reflect his interest in reconciling the joy of life with the inevitability of death. His mastery of materials and techniques and his playful sense of humor combine to produce works revealing a deep understanding of the human condition and the animal vitality that pushes us through life.

Calaquita De La Soledad

I am always delighted to see what Humberto Batista creates. His paintings engage my eye and mind -- the latest abstract canvas never fails to speak to me with it's juxtaposition of color, line and form. There is a narrative element to every work, as the artist references the totality his experience as a modern Mexican artist with a wit and flair that I can't get enough of.

Fantasia Abstracta #2

It is possible to contact Humberto Batista to arrange for a studio visit to view his work while visiting Oaxaca -- I highly recommend it.

Cartoonist T-Shirts Project tips

2011-10-17T11:15:00.000-07:00

I just posted this article on my t-shirt blog, Cartoonist T-Shirt Projects: Marketing & Strategy.

Steve

Ghostshrimp Brand Illustration & Art

2011-10-09T06:39:00.000-07:00

Hey, I must recommend a visit to the updated site from illustrator/cartoon genius Ghostshrimp.

Why, because he created the WORLD art for the great Cartoon Network show Adventure Time? Because he's working on a cool upcoming animated series Mars Safari? Or because he's my beloved nephew and all around great guy? Your choice.

Steve

Steve Lafler Catalog Update

2011-10-05T09:40:00.000-07:00

Here are up to date links to help get your hands on Steve Lafler graphic novels and T-Shirts.

photo by Scott Hoover

I am searching for meaning and truth in a world ruled by, you know, the rulers. Only through these graphic novels and T-Shirts can each of us reach illumination (actual instructions embedded within each product).

I have a graphic novel store at Lulu.com, where you can find El Vocho, my 2010 graphic novel, 40 Hour Man by Stephen Beaupre and myself, and Tranny.

I love bugs.

Yes, this graphic novel is about boys dressing up like girls. WTF? I guess you'll just have to read it.

Monster, Car and Guitar T-shirts are available at my Cafe Press store.

I would wear this Wolf Man on a T-Shirt! Would you???

My Bughouse trilogy of graphic novels can still be purchased at Top Shelf Comics.

Some people really like this Bughouse graphic novel, they says it's my best one.

I also have acrylic paintings for sale, generally in the $150 - 300 range for sizes from 8"x10" to 11"x14".
The price includes shipping via DHL, insured. Payment is via Paypal. If you are interested, let's talk. You can click the link of my highlighted name at the bottom of this post to send me an email. Or you can phone me at 503-213-3671.
I do commissions too -- I did a big painting last year for a friend on a Mexican theme (OK, so it was a $1,000 job), but we had a great time with it.

Who am I?! Here is a Steve Lafler interview with Robert Clough at the Comics Journal

Here is a link to an audio interview Steve Lafler with Robin McConnell of Inkstuds Radio.

My goal here, as always, is to buy the next tank of gas for my car, stuff like that.

Thanks!

Steve Lafler

Steve Jobs, RIP

2011-10-05T05:37:00.000-07:00

I'd posted this morning of October 5 under the heading "Steve Jobs is not my guru, but..."
I woke up today with an urge to dig up this favorite quote from Mr. Jobs. I was aware of his health problems, but had not been tracking them.
Now upon coming home, my wife Serena tells me that Steve Jobs just passed away. He was quite an innovator, a revolutionary in a sense, an inspiring smart dude. Sure, his ego was beyond huge, but nobody's perfect. My heart goes out to his family.
Here is the original post I put up this morning before returning to add this upon news of his death.

I do like this quote from Mr. Jobs:

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

Hey Hey My My, Cool Comics Will Never Die

2011-10-01T06:04:00.000-07:00

This weekend brings another APE (Alternative Comics Convention) in San Francisco, and I feel the pull. From my post in Oaxaca, I long to be at APE.

For those of us who can't be there, I am happy to report that you can score the best of weird, small press and alternative comics from lots of entrepreneurial distributors and shops.

Wow Cool, the long running alt comics distrib run by Marc Arsenault, is alive and well with an updated site.

King Kat comics genius John Porcellino maintains Spit and a Half zine and comics distribution, featuring many great artists like Carrie McNinch.

Sparkplug Comic Books continues to publish and distribute great quirky comics by talents like Austin English despite the recent death of beloved founder Dylan Williams.

Another stop on the mini-comics/alt comics distribution tour is Poopsheet. I can't imagine a better name than that!

You can always rely on Last Gasp of San Francisco, the venerable publisher and distributor run by Ron Turner and his son Colin. I couldn't help but link to my recent graphic novel El Vocho at the Last Gasp site, whatcha gonna do!

By kicking around a bit at these links, you can set yourself up with enough cool offbeat comics to keep you busy for quite awhile.

Custom Screen Printing STUFF

2011-07-07T08:43:00.000-07:00

My Dancing Cat kids T-Shirt design

I've been posting a lot of stuff at my Manx Media T-Shirt printing blog. Here you'll find lots of information on the various aspects of screen printing on T-Shirts, including handy DIY tips for those on a tight budget.

Any questions on T-Shirt printing? Shoot me an email.

Steve

Custom Screen Printing page update

2011-06-16T10:59:00.000-07:00

I just updated my custom screen printing page. I've been in the wholesale t-shirt printing biz since 1978, when I was still an undergraduate.
This business has supported me and allowed me to be an "art" cartoonist, making no concessions to any presumed market. I draw for love, baby! And I'm happy to print a few shirts if that's what it takes... so if you need some Ts, take a look at the link above.

La Banda Bughouse

2011-06-13T16:04:00.000-07:00

Whew, I played three shows here in Oaxaca over the past two and a half weeks as "Bughouse" with my pals Bill Stair, Mikey Hillard and Marcia Goldenberg. We warmed up with a set at Neuva Babel on May 25th and really laid it out with two sets and over 30 tunes at the Casa Colonial on June 5.
We wound it up with an extra long set two days ago, Saturday June 11th on the second floor at Restaurant La Olla. It was great fun, we let our hair down and rocked it down and dirty on that last one, closing with a rousing Waiting For the Man, the Velvet UG tune. My favorite moment was the end of Eye of Fatima, a Camper Van Beethoven song, where we played very loud and sweet and I slammed the crap out of my guitar and even hit the right notes!
Here are a couple video links to the Casa Colonial show, I Lost It and Ripe Pineapple Drunk. Enjoy!

Oaxaca Teachers Strike

2011-05-28T20:13:00.000-07:00

Serena Makofsky has written a well researched, well reasoned and opinion piece supporting the teachers strike in Oaxaca, at this link.

She spoke to public school teachers and parents of children in the public schools as the basis of her research.

Uh, yup I am married to Serena, and we live in Oaxaca. Our kids are in a private school, but we believe in supporting the teachers union in Oaxaca. The alternative is to support the PRI and the government. No contest.

New Dog Boy Stuff

2011-05-24T08:10:00.001-07:00

New Dog Boy comics appear today here at CO2 Comics.

This is the first new Dog Boy material since the I dashed off a few D.B. stories for my Buzzard comics anthology in the mid 90s. Of course, I published 17 issues of Dog Boy in the 80s, first under my own Cat-Head Comics imprint, then with Fantagraphics.

As usual with Dog Boy, this stuff is largely improvised and off the cuff, and pretty hilarious, if you were to ask me!
There will be one page posted per week, with updates coming on Saturdays.

Enjoy!

Oaxacabilly Shows

2011-05-11T09:11:00.001-07:00

My nascent band Bughouse is doing two shows in Oaxaca, coming right up.

We'll have Bill Stair on bass and mandolin, Mikey Hillard on guitar and backing vocals, Marcia Goldenberg on vocals and myself on guitar and vocals.

A tip of the hat to Todd Spiehler, the bad boy who gave me a wee push into playing music a few years back. C'mon back to Oaxaca any time for some tasty playing, Todd!

Truth is Stranger than Fiction

2011-03-21T06:22:00.000-07:00

The conceit of my graphic novel El Vocho is that a clean energy car can run on air. Sounds impossible, right?

Wrong!

Check this out:

CAR RUNS ON AIR

Now that is good news.

El Vocho is online here.

New Dog Boy Art

2011-03-11T19:35:00.000-08:00

This drawing is from page 11 of my new Dog Boy story. Getting to the heart of the matter, I'd say. Mulling over how to publish/format/market this new material.

Also, I'm celebrating one year publishing Dog Boy online with the brilliant web comics site, CO2. Hurray, and thanks to Bill and Gerry.

El Vocho Review at Midnight Fiction

2011-02-19T16:53:00.001-08:00

Richard Krauss writes up El Vocho. Thanks!

Painting Sale

2011-02-07T16:38:00.000-08:00

It's the middle of winter and biz is DEAD in da SNOW! Buzzards & Wolves are circling the tents. So I just posted a painting sale on FB here.

We are talking ten canvasas (well, some are acrylic on board) that I have in stock from the past few years. All are fun and a bit bent, as you might imagine. And cheap! Shipping is 2 day DHL, and payment can be made via paypal. Take a look and enjoy, and lemme know if you just gots to have one of these.

love
STEVE

Kickstarter Successful

2010-12-22T19:28:00.000-08:00

I am pumped! My kickstarter fundraiser for the El Vocho graphic novel is a success. I raised $1,255 to help fund production and shipping of the book. It's a tough market for the indie graphic novel right now, to say the least, but with a hybrid sales picture including various and sundry distributors, retailers and events, this book is in the black and garnering interest.

The fundraiser runs through December 26 if anyone still wants to order El Vocho, or get some cool art from me.

Classic Dog Boy comics, Cat-Head Imprint

2010-12-16T10:52:00.000-08:00

I've added a complete seven issue run of my classic Dog Boy comics as a reward to my Kickstarter fundraiser.
I was fresh off the truck and ready to take over the multiverse with this title! These first Dog Boy comics (there were ten more later from Fantagraphics) helped define the cutting edge of 80s alternative comics.
All seven issues are available for a $55 pledge, a real steal no matter how ya slice it.

I have four sets available, then I'll take Dog Boy off of my Kickstarter page.

Click here to go to my Kickstarter campaign.

I Wanna Be a Tough Guy Like Emil Zatopek

2010-12-11T06:19:00.001-08:00

The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner

I ran cross country in high school, and there was a lyrical freedom to the sport--running distance races over hill and dale in the brisk fall air. But inevitably, every distance race has a painful moment of truth. Running fast over distance starts to hurt, a lot.
What to do? Stop running? Slow down? No, the runner searches for a rhythm and focus that allows them to continue to the finish.
So I gotta admit that right now, my Kickstarter fundraiser has hit the painful part of the race. Off to a fast start, adrenaline carried me halfway without consequence. Now in the middle stretch, I'm searching for the rhythm to carry me successfully to the end. The mind plays tricks on you, it doesn't seem possible. But, I know from experience that it is, so I collect my focus, impose a rhythm on my effort, and continue.
My favorite distance runner ever, Emil Zatopek, won the 5000, 10000 and marathon in the 1952 Olympics, the only runner ever to achieve this feat. He managed his pain in competition with an array of horrible grimaces that diverted attention from his perfect stride. The effect, comic, inspiring, riveting.

I note that the title above is a link to my Kickstarter fundraiser, and that you can order my new graphic novel El Vocho there. Also available are acrylic paintings and original comic art by me.

Facing Hard Time in Oaxaca

2010-12-03T15:26:00.000-08:00

Why did I write a graphic novel where the main character is a VW Bug?

Part of the story is here.

Photo of my 'n my Vocho in Mitla, Oaxaca by Carrie McNinch

El Vocho Kickstarter Campaign

2010-11-26T19:37:00.000-08:00

I'm doing a Kickstarter fundraiser to help offset printing and shipping costs for my El Vocho book. You can check out the project by clicking through the icon posted below. Basically, the book is available for a $15.00 pledge, and you can go hog wild and pledge more for other cool stuff like T-shirts, acrylic paintings and the like.
There's a video in there too, with me coming on like one of them NPR geeks, begging for cash. This is publishing in the cyber age, I guess!

Here's a link to the El Vocho Kickstarter page.

Mexico Painting

2010-11-08T10:05:00.000-08:00

Painted this fall for my old friend George MacDonald. Acrylic, about 39" x 56".

My Weekend Read: 99 Problems

2010-11-07T20:02:00.000-08:00

Been reading 99 Problems: A Book About Running and Writing by Ben Tanzer over the weekend. Ben is the author of a couple novels and a stack of short stories. 99 Problems, available online, is comprised of ten essays on the subjects of running and writing. Tanzer describes the setting and experience of runs in ten different places. He ruminates on the cathartic benefits of the running life, but duly notes his sense of mission and compulsive focus on getting his run in. Once the endorphins kick in, the author moves onto his other obsession: His career as a writer. Ideas come to him, and problems solve themselves as he ticks off the miles.

I can relate to this book, both as a creative person, and as a fellow runner. I'm the target audience here! Plus, Ben and I have the same high school PR in the 880 yard run of 2:01, knocking on the door of the two minute barrier, always a worthy goal for a high school kid.

More Dia De Muertos 2010

2010-11-03T10:52:00.001-07:00

Here's a few more photos taken over the past weekend in Oaxaca. The previous post has some description of the festivities.

Dia De Muertos 2010

2010-11-02T21:55:00.001-07:00

Having lived in Oaxaca for more than three years, I'm starting to get a handle on Dia De Muertos.
It all starts with slightly officious, yet gratifyingly down to earth celebrations at schools and places like the Biblioteca Infantil, the Children's Library, where we saw a kid's movie workshop project that my son acted in, and a tight brass band playing Oaxacan classics and some smooth, upbeat jazz.

By October 31, it was on to the Panteon Xoxochitlan for the annual parade of revelers through the graveyard, with an outstanding selection of artisan wares available outside, and best of all, street food from well stocked puestos.
We had mushroom embanadas, adorned with everything from squash flowers to quesillo. Super fresh, piping hot with insanely great hot salsa and tomatillo salsa, your choice. Um, the graveyard is interesting too.

After these few years, I've come to understand that November 1 is the night to indulge in Comparsas, a combo costume parade, neighborhood outdoor movable feast, dance party and more with brass bands. Think Fellini movie come to life, and your getting close.

My family was invited to the Comparsa in Nazareno Etla, a town about ten miles northwest of Oaxaca. These folks organize the best Comparsa I've been too, with residents setting up a route that winds through town, stopping here and there for music, food and revelry. The costumes, amazing. There are groups of 3 to 10 people in the same superb home made costumes who have clearly been working and thinking all year about it. They surely have little costume clubs! Lots of the macabre, but really anything goes. Peacock boys to Wild Man warriors in feathered head dresses and gold body paint, you name it. Of course, lots of attempts at being sexy, some successful, some outlandish and hilarious.

Just got back from a visit to the Panteon San Felipe on the last night of the holiday. A warm, intimate scene of families camping at the gravesites of their loved ones, adorned with orange marigolds and red Flores de Muertos. Candles, picnics and mezcal in abundance, with roving musicians. Folks inviting their dear departed to come and sit with them for the night, it's that simple, and that deep just the same.

Here's just a few pics. I'll try to remember to post more!

Have You Seen the Dog Lately

2010-10-24T20:28:00.000-07:00

Serena Makofsky is doing a new "print edition" of her humor and culture zine, Have You Seen the Dog Lately. Serena and her sister Jenny began the zine while attending Mills College in the late 80s, helped by friend Megan Tucker who had access to unauthorized nocturnal (free) copying.
After a brief hiatus, they jump started the zine again in '93 and had a splendid run until 2004 when Jenny died in an auto accident.
Serena is doing a kickstarter fundraiser to get the project rolling, here is a link to her kickstarter page. There are lots of cool things you can get if you support the project, including a copy of the zine of course.
I really like the video on her project page, because she's really cute in it. Did I mention that I'm married to her???

Ripe Pineapple Drunk live - the Dick Nixon Experience

2010-10-21T11:14:00.000-07:00

July 22, 2010, the Mercury Cafe, San Francisco.

We rocked this one half decent, maybe because it finally got dark!

Brazen Marketing Overkill

2010-10-20T08:59:00.000-07:00

Dick Nixon Experience Redux

2010-10-18T09:10:00.000-07:00

More Dick Nixon Experience from the El Vocho party last July at the Mercury Cafe in San Francisco. Bean Song, Six Days on the Road, and You Got That Hair. Our drummer Jeff reports that his mom helped Dave Dudley write Six Days on the Road, no kidding!

Video by Norm Rosenberger

El Vocho Party, July 2010, with The Dick Nixon Experience

2010-10-17T16:32:00.000-07:00

I held a publishing event last July 22 in San Francisco at the Mercury Cafe for my El Vocho graphic novel. My pal Scotty Hoover helped put together a pick up band, the Dick Nixon Experience, for the party. Another friend, Norm Rosenberger, shot this video of us playing the blue grass standard John Hardy. Thanks for the video clip, Norm!

----------------------------------------------------------------------
My new graphic novel El Vocho is currently in the Diamond Comics catalog: Page 290 of October Previews, order code OCT101061 EL VOCHO GN (MR). Diamond has listed El Vocho as “Certified Cool”.

Queens of the Underground

2010-10-11T09:08:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more pics from the San Diego Comics Con of old. The spirit of the original Underground comics played forward and blossomed in some great indie/alt comics in the 80s and 90s. Other rich veins of comics history dove tailed with them as new forms and styles emerged.
As mentioned before, the parties were pretty good too. No, they were spectacular!

The Queens of the Underground, Dori Seda and Krystine Kryttre, 1987.

Bad Boy J.R. Williams laying it down on Dan O'Neill's banjo, 1987.

The brilliant original, J. Bradley Johnson in '95. I know it looks like he's about to shop for art supplies, but actually he is on his way to the Comic Con wedding of Rebecka Wright and Mario Hernandez!

Mary Fleener, the other Queen of the Underground, and Dave Scroggy. Look out Scroggy, she's about to play that old Beer/Portfolio trick on you! 1991?

Steve Lafler and J.R. Williams in 1989. Based on our poses, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say I'm two beers ahead of J.R.

Reed Waller and writer Ricard Von Busack, either '89 or '91.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
My new graphic novel El Vocho is currently in the Diamond Comics catalog: Page 290 of October Previews, order code OCT101061 EL VOCHO GN (MR). Diamond has listed El Vocho as “Certified Cool”.

San Diego Comic Con '91

2010-10-06T20:17:00.000-07:00

Here's a few pics from San Diego in '91

Jamie Alder, Dennis Worden, Mary Fleener and Wayno. Mary posted stacks of great con photos a couple years back, at this link.

Leslie Sternberg ready to party

J.R. Williams and his friend the Liquor Store man

Kate Worley exhorts Gary Groth: With that pony tail, you can move mountains!

Reed Waller and Kate Worley

Hmmmm... I realize I left out a lot of over the top party shots. Probably for the best! I don't want to piss anyone off, or in my case, make a fool of myself!

Return of the Son of San Diego

2010-10-06T20:07:00.001-07:00

More pics from the San Diego of old.

J.R. Williams, Carol Lay, Stephen Beaupre, David Wilson in '91

Steve Lafler and Stephen Beaupre in 1990, somehow alive on Sunday

Kate Kane and Jackie Estrada, maybe '89

Jim Valentino, Lisa, Steve Lafler, Larry Mardur in '89.

Carol Lay and Dan O'Neill in '87

I think I have a few more to post kickin around...

Son of San Diego

2010-10-06T19:55:00.001-07:00

Back in the dawn of pre-history (in this case, 1987), the San Diego Comic Con was different. First of all, the long-gone Hotel San Diego was haunted, thus providing a perfect setting for late late night parties. I rooted through a few old photos and came up with these gems.

J.R. Williams, Dan O'Neill and Larry Welz jammin' late.

Ron Turner and Gary Groth on the floor of the old Convention Center

Art Spiegelman and Don Donahue signing stuff

Dori Seda all dolled up

Paul Mavrides and Bob Crabb are still awake!

I'm gonna post more, this is fun. A little bit of comix history.

Comics Journal Steve Lafler interview parts 2 & 3

2010-09-22T09:11:00.000-07:00

Part two of the Comics Journal interview with me.

Part three of the Comics Journal interview with me.

El Vocho, my new graphic novel, is in the next Diamond Comics Previews (their monthly catalog). The order code is OCT101061 EL VOCHO GN (MR)
The listing is on page 290 of Previews.

So there you go!

Here we are, fine with me.

Comics Journal Interview

2010-09-20T15:46:00.001-07:00

The Comics Journal has posted a career retrospective interview with me at this link.

I was interviewed by Robert Clough.

It's part one of three.

Ripe Pineapple Drunk video

2010-09-19T20:41:00.001-07:00

Just posted a Ripe Pineapple Drunk video to You Tube. The song is country punk. It's about the biodiversity of corn. And in an oblique way, it's about mezcal.

Don't Forget Dori Seda

2010-09-15T16:52:00.001-07:00

Dori Seda was a really funny, unique cartoonist.

You can buy the wonderful collection of her work here from Last Gasp.

I should probably mention that much of her work was joyfully filthy.

Much of her early work was published in Robert Crumb's infamous anthology Weirdo. I loved it when I saw it, and wanted to meet the artist who created this meticulous, madcap stuff!

I did get to meet Dori, and became her friend. This was an instance where it was great to meet a hero of mine, who lived up to my expectations. She was hilarious, genuine, intense, mischievous, preposterous, witty and had talent to burn.

Dori passed away in 1988. Here's to the one and only Dori Seda.

Ballad of the Bug - The Video

2010-09-14T06:53:00.000-07:00

I've posted a homemade video for Ballad of the Bug on you tube. Written by myself and Todd Spiehler, the tune is the official theme song for my new graphic novel El Vocho. The video captures the flavor of Oaxaca just enough to whet your appetite for a visit.

I'm not expecting to make it on to MTV, but I will say it's a lot of fun to put a little video together.

The one and only Mr. Todd Spiehler, with Bill Stair, another local musical genius, lurking in the background. Photo by Jeff Charles.

Enemies List

2010-09-12T18:44:00.000-07:00

Hi, how's it going tonight? Me, I'm fine! I was just about to get busy composing my enemies list. But then something funny happened--I realized I don't aspire to have enemies. So no list.

As an undergraduate in the 70s, I read the books of Carlos Castaneda (along with everyone else that decade). Great stories they were, and by the way I always sidestepped the issue of whether they were true; I figured that was totally besides the point he was making with his extended narrative on Mexican Indian shamanism.

One of Castaneda's ideas that really stuck with me was the idea that a sorcerer needed a "worthy opponent" to boost his power. It still resonates with me. If someone cares to lock horns with me, it challenges me to figure out a solution to the problem at hand. Usually, a good starting point is to think like my opponent, look at the situation from their point of view. This enables me to understand the problem from a broader perspective. It also allows me a view to their potential moves in the conflict, and possible solutions.

The fact is, however, I really feel it is a waste of my time and energy to cultivate enemies. I prefer to solve problems and move on. Or, better yet, avoid creating problems out of situations that are really none too monumental to begin with.

This year, I was embroiled in a conflict with the committee that ran my daughter's preschool in Oaxaca. The solution was quite simple: A group of families, including mine, broke away to start our own preschool. We hired the wonderful teacher from the old one, and therein lies the root of the conflict. I am keenly aware that the members of the committee from the old preschool consider me an enemy. Honestly, I just don't have any energy to give them for their enemy project!

Note that I do not name these people or their school. That would be to cultivate them as enemies.

Finally, business conflicts such as this, with the hiring of the teacher, are just that: business. Nothing more, nothing less, certainly not cause for invective, name calling, insults and poison pen emails, along with outright lying and thieving, all of which I have been subject to at the hands of the old preschool committee.

Time to end this post, that last paragraph has me ready to start my enemies list!

Interview with Inkstuds

2010-09-03T19:05:00.000-07:00

I did an interview with Robin McConnell / Inkstuds -- Robin is a broadcaster who specializes in interviewing indie and underground cartoonists.

Here is a link to the interview.

It is an honor to do an interviewer with a broadcaster of Robin's stature, and boy it's well timed too, as my new book El Vocho will be in the Diamond Comics catalog next month.

Ladies & Gentlemen, the Dick Nixon Experience

2010-07-23T09:56:00.000-07:00

Here is the audio of the Dick Nixon Experience from the El Vocho publishing party at San Francisco's Mercury Cafe last night. Recording compliments of Sir Dave Soule. Scotty on bass, Jeff on Drums, Jon on electric guitar, Jeff 2 on fiddle and alto sax, Steve on acoustic guitar and vocals.

This Thurs Night!

2010-07-19T21:54:00.001-07:00

I'll be at the Mercury Cafe in San Francisco this Thurs night with my new book El Vocho. We made two posters for the event!

Scott Hoover, our bass player, made this one and dubbed our band "The Dick Nixon Experience".

Here is my JACK BLACK SONG

2010-07-08T20:29:00.000-07:00

Today, the great web zine This Zine Will Change Your Life debuted my new tune, Jack Black Song.
I did a comic for the zine too, click here to hear JACK BLACK SONG and read the comic.

This version of Jack Black Song was produced and arranged by my friend Bill Stair, one of the guys I play with on Thursday nights in Oaxaca. Bill has worked professionally as a bass player and recording engineer -- this guy has actually stood on stage at the legendary CBGB's in New York and laid down the law in thundering tones with his bass guitar. Many thanks go to Bill for making me sound competent!

Thanks also to publisher Ben Tanzer for including me in TZWCYL, a maverick literary zine that I'm very proud to appear in.

New Waldorf Inspired School in Oaxaca

2010-06-11T11:07:00.000-07:00

My wife Serena and I are on to a new adventure (as usual!). We are part of a group that is opening a Waldorf inspired school here in Oaxaca, starting in late August. Serena has posted a description of the school and curriculum on her blog, Have You Seen the Dog Lately.

We are looking to give our kids a crack at a fine education, without a lot of the toxic programming inherent in traditional models.

El Vocho is Here

2010-06-09T19:24:00.000-07:00

Finally, my new graphic novel El Vocho is available! You can order it from my lulu page via this link for $12.00 + postage.

It is not in stores yet, but I'll be hawking it on my summer tour, and Top Shelf Productions (publisher of my BugHouse trilogy of graphic novels) will have it available at their booth at comic conventions this summer.

I'm developing the whole publishing picture for this book on a DIY/grass roots basis, working with my contacts in the indy/alt comics world, and will be posting details as I put them together.

Improved Ballad of the Bug & west coast tour dates

2010-06-02T19:28:00.000-07:00

I've been working with producer/arranger Bill Stair and we put together a tight, bright version of Ballad of the Bug. This is the theme song for my upcoming graphic novel El Vocho, written by myself and my pal Todd Spiehler.

Have a listen:

(My music posting program considers the file a video, thus the big blank box.)

I've confirmed publishing events for my graphic novel El Vocho as follows:

Reading Frenzy, Portland Oregon, July 15th (time TBA)

Mercury Cafe, San Francisco, July 22nd, 7:30 p.m.

I'll have copies of El Vocho for sale, and will be rocking with my guitar on both occasions. David Perkin will play percussion in Portland, and I'll be joined on bass by Scotty Hoover in San Francisco, along with a drummer and lead guitarist.

I think my four year old just woke up!!! Better post now...

Don't Forget About Lou

2010-05-31T19:19:00.000-07:00

After all, he is Lou.

Here's a killer video of Sister Ray, with Robert Quine on guitar.

Lou Reed, New York, 1989.
This is an insanely great record. I like Dirty Boulevard, Busload of Faith, Straw Man and Romeo Had Juliet.

The Cooperative Model

2010-05-30T16:22:00.000-07:00

We human beings can do better. It is high time we release ourselves from the violence and ecological disaster of human history.
I propose an end to hierarchical, top down structural models. Yup, the stuff found at your job, government, school and other institutions we encounter in daily life. We need to share responsibility, with its burdens and rewards, in cooperative structures. Whenever and wherever power is concentrated in few hands, the natural outgrowth is greed and abuse.
Condescending, patronizing elites may argue that the masses can't shoulder responsibility. This argument underlines their fear of losing power and control.
It's noteworthy that Dutch and English settlers in the Northeast (of what is now the United States) marveled at the egalitarian cultures of the Iroquois and Algonquin Indian federations. It's generally acknowledged that the new country was influenced by their democratic models (native American societies in other areas were top down hierarchical).
In industrial and post industrial modern times, we have no functional large scale cooperative nation state models. With the Soviet Union, Lenin imposed a dictatorship out of a war situation, and Stalin took it to insane heights as history's bloodiest dictator. Not cooperative! Nor communist, really.
I am not a Marxist, but I have been a member of four successful co-ops, each of which delivered equal benefits to all members, while exacting labor or fees from them.
Co-ops are beautifully self regulating, like water finding its own level. If the members lose interest, they ultimately collapse like the Amherst Food Co-op I was once part of. No problem, it served its members well during its tenure. Another, Warehouse Artist Studios in Eugene, Oregon, provided great, inexpensive studio space to a dozen artists for several years, even surviving a manager/member who was embezzling funds!
Hierarchical, top down structures are outmoded, serving only the polities (okay, the swindlers, megalomaniacs and thieves) at the top.

Some other time I have to address the problem of power structures that use force and violence to gain and maintain power. That is a huge mess that dovetails with my subject here, but will need to be tackled separately.
I've been thinking like this for a long time. That is why I've taken part in several co-ops. They are messy, but I'm willing to take the risk and do the work to develop the co-op model.

The Ballad of the Bug

2010-05-17T18:19:00.000-07:00

Here is Ballad of the Bug, pretty much the theme song for my new graphic novel, El Vocho. I wrote the lyric and the music was composed by Todd Spiehler.

This summer I'll be in the states promoting El Vocho and performing my tunes. I'm setting up dates now, so far I'm confirmed at the Mercury Cafe in San Francisco for 7:30 p.m., Thursday July 22. It will be a fun night as I'll be joined by my old friend Scott Hoover on bass, and we'll be playing with two guitars, bass and drums.

You might ask, why is this here cartoon dude gettin' into guitar slinging?

It started when I moved to Oaxaca in southern Mexico close to three years ago with my wife and two kids, looking to enjoy this cultured city, and an easier pace of life.

Before long, I met the aforementioned Todd Spiehler, a great guy who extended an invitation to jam on Thursdays with a loose confederation of musicians known as the Bodega Boys.

Not only do the Bodega Boys have a heck of a lot of fun playing musical styles from country blues and bluegrass to rock & roll, but they embrace the Oaxacan tradition of enjoying fine mezcal, the local spirit distilled from the maguey cactus. This is smokey, smooth stuff with a real mystique -- the best mezcal is made at country stills in the villages and valleys of Oaxaca state.

Did I mention that the Thursday night host of the Bodega Boys, Tony Raab, is a master distiller who crafts the best Mezcal this side of Monte Alban about 60 meters from the Bodega where we jam? You get the picture, we never fail to have a good time when we tune up and howl out a few tunes.

I really caught the fever for playing live music, I've pretty much gone Oaxacabilly. So, as I've worked on my El Vocho book these last couple years, I simultaneously penned a stack of tunes. I've been beating them into performable shape (I hope) and I'm gonna put myself on the line with them when I hit the states this summer. Maybe I'll see you then.

You never know who is gonna turn up at the Bodega! I'm jammin' here with Kim Berly of the Stampeders, premier Canadian rockers, and on stand up bass is John Harlin, noted expert mountaineer. Photo by Tania Roman

Ripe Pineapple Drunk

2010-05-16T20:16:00.000-07:00

Here's a rough version of Ripe Pineapple Drunk, a song I wrote about Corn, Biodiversity and the Monsanto Corporation. And about being a hippy and a punk.

I'm gonna polish up my tunes and get around the states this summer, caterwauling with my guitar and promoting my new book El Vocho. Also gonna get some decent recordings done.

I've been fumblin' around like a Caveman trying to figure out how to embed my tunes in this here blog. I done got sore thumbs bangin' away at Google, messing with code. Me sorta dumb about this stuff, and I could not get a handle on it.
So I went beggin' to Nate Beaty, world class cartoonist and webster supreme. It took Nate like 5 seconds to generate the info I needed (try DivShare). Hey Nate, I owe you a Mezcal. Or an ice cream cone, or something as good as your advice! Thanks!

A New Chapter in My Life as A Teenage Werewolf

2010-05-15T20:31:00.000-07:00

Since I moved to Oaxaca almost 3 years ago, I've sort of been drafted into The Bodega Boys, a local "Oaxacabilly" band. Inspired by the thrill & fun of playing live music, I've penned a number of my own tunes and I'm gonna be performing in the U.S. this summer as I tour in support of my upcoming graphic novel, El Vocho.
I've begun experimenting with recording and I'm looking to issue an Ipad version of the book which will include the songs in it. That being the case, I'm trying to figure out how the hell to post music on the web in some functional way that is relatively easy for me, and accessible to anyone foolish enough to listen to my caterwauling.
So here it is, a link to my page over at lastFM. This is just a little trial to see how it all works.
Truth is, I'm gonna get myself in a decent recording studio and get down some reasonably tight, well recorded versions of my tunes before going much farther with posting music, but ya gotta start somewhere and assess how to proceed, so there it is!
There are two songs on the page, a cover of the traditional tune John Hardy, and my homage to the Cramps, You Got That Hair.
They are set up for free download.

You Got That Hair!

Email is Dead

2010-05-14T16:18:00.000-07:00

For awhile I've suspected that I'm an anachronism -- that is to say, I like email and it's my primary mode of personal and business communication.

Serena has been telling me for awhile that people don't email anymore, they just send Facebook messages. Easier, lower stakes/commitment. Breezy.

And of course, half the world are already cyborgs, with a blackberry or iphone all but grafted onto their face. Yes, I'm one of those Luddites who expects people to have a conversation with me when they are having a conversation with me, as opposed to compulsively staring at and molesting their electronic brain/external digital Id. I know, I'm a 53 year old guy, my thumbs don't text, not yet anyway.

Still, I earnestly sit and compose emails. I carefully consider my spelling, meaning and grammar, and indeed I edit before pressing send. Well, most of the time, anyway.

Meanwhile, I'm experiencing a sort of diminishing return on my (hopefully) pithy and eloquent efforts. People are not emailing me back! And I'm not even asking for money! Taking the digital pulse of communication, I can only come to one conclusion: Email is dead!

The Nature of Time

2010-04-30T19:07:00.000-07:00

OR, Here We Are, Fine With Me (loudly, in a mildly threatening yet happy voice).

{CLICK ON PAGES TO SEE THEM LARGER}

Pretty much my whole life, I've questioned the nature of time, as we all do to some degree. This little comix vignette illustrates some of my ideas on the subject.
The preceding three pages of comics are from a digest sized comic, CAT SUIT, which I put out three years ago. The story also appears in my graphic novela TRANNY that I published two years back.

Meanwhile, I've been wading through Daniel Pinchbecks heroic tome 2012: The Return of Quetzacoatl. Mr. Pinchbeck strongly puts forth the idea that the evolution of human beings depends on us developing a different idea of time, a different relationship with time. Couldn't agree more on that point.

Further he suggests that key to advancing is the adaptation of a new calendar based on cycles from days and seasons to the turning of the planets, solar system and galaxy. Fair enough, but some of the ideas in the book do not resonate with me, on the other hand.

Pinchbeck shares ideas and roles, to some degree, with the late Terence McKenna, but they are very different guys. Each has bonafides as a psychedelic guru, and the levity to admit that their pet theories might simply prove they are quite mad, but for my money McKenna does it with a charm and humor that's hard to beat.

For my own part, I too gotta cop to arriving at piercing ideas about the nature of time and reality while communing with 'shrooms. Part of my conclusion, along with the actual ideas about the nature of time, has been that I was in for a big change in the nature of the human experience during my lifetime. By the late 70s/early 80s I would rant about this to friends who would grant me an ear.

I've taken on the task of communicating these ideas in my comics, interspersed with a range of characters, narrative and poop jokes. Like McKenna and Pinchbeck, I've always felt like a conscript in the army of transcendental truth and change. Like Ken Kesey said, "Ya can't quit da mob".

For me, the original insights and messages came in a flash, when I was a freshman at UMASS Amherst on April 10, 1976, but that is whole other story.

And just for the record, I don't have to admit to the possibility that I'm quite mad. I mean, c'mon, I a cartoonist!

Monsters on Guitars: New T-Shirts

2010-04-27T11:38:00.001-07:00

What could be more fun than painting your favorite monsters shredding on some cool guitars?
Putting them on T-Shirts, natch!
I just put up these two T-Shirt designs on my Cafe Press storefront, so you all can get some styling Ts for the warm weather.

Illustration Portfolio, updated.

2010-04-27T10:28:00.001-07:00

Been dabbling in Illustration a bit lately, looking to do more.
Here's the latest version of my online portfolio.

Above, milkbug on a skateboard for Sarah's Science. Am I crazy to think that this drawing is informed by my child hood delight in the art of Jack Kirby?

Start that T-Shirt Business This Afternoon

2010-04-27T08:30:00.000-07:00

A guy named Russell just wrote for advice on starting a T-Shirt biz. Here's my reply. I hope it helps!

Hi Russell,

Sounds like you have some great ideas and could really make a go of a t-shirt biz.
If I was starting as you are, perhaps I'd get into screen printing, setting up a shirt shop, and creating a focused marketing program, pushing Tshirt printing to a targeted group of markets in your area -- restaurants, schools, service businesses, retailers, government and university/college markets. Try google adwords and monthly postcard mailings to a list of 1000 or more. Network and hand out your card, talking up your biz, etc.

The inkjet transfer is a winning idea. Get one of those Epson printiers that can handle an 11 x 17 sheet.

Embroidery is a lucrative market. At first, it would be better to send the embroidery jobs out to a shop in your area, or maybe one that sells on the web. You can take a good markup, I've done a lot of outsourcing embroidery.
Maybe get a machine later as you add staff.

Good luck -- if you want to succeed, and are willing to put everything you have on the line, from smarts, guts, determination, ingenuity and capital, you will.

STEVE

Hey, I finished a graphic novel today.

2010-04-19T10:49:00.000-07:00

El Vocho is done, and it's posted here, on it's own blog.
I just posted the last page, seen here. Click on the art to see it bigger.
IT's also started running at CO2 in a more visually pleasing format.

I'm gonna do some edits on the book and begin the whole marketing & publishing process over the next few months.

The book won't be out for awhile, but you can visit my web store if you'd like to check out the El Vocho T-Shirt.

STEVE

J.R. Williams is Dog... I mean God!

2010-03-10T20:05:00.000-08:00

Anybody who loves comic art and painting, do yourself a favor and check out the work of the brilliant & wholly unique J.R. Williams.

Over the last 25 years, J.R. has been one of the funniest guys in alt comix, and now he's painting up a storm. Well worth a peek.

Build Your Own T-Shirt Press

2010-03-09T06:44:00.001-08:00

The first diagram shows how to cut a shirt board/print area into a four foot square piece of plywood. The second diagram shows how to add screen clamps and finish your press. Note that the shirt board area needs rounded corners. Sand it smooth too! Cover the shirt board area with a smooth piece of masonite or pressed board, fasten it to the shirt board with brad nails by the edges, and wood glue.

Here are plans for a 3 color table top T-Shirt press. This is a simple design that can be build for under $200 in materials. It's no substitute for a good rotary press, but it works and it's cheap, a great DIY machine. I've build and used these to print three colors in perfect register.
This press is cut from a 4' x 4' piece of 3/4" plywood. Basically, you cut out the shirt board/print area with a jig saw, screw three sets of screen clamps around the print area, and mount it on sawhorses.
This is a good machine for Punk rock DIY printing, for anyone starting out, for the hobbyist, etc.
IF you have questions about how to build this or how it works, send a comment and I will answer.
Click on the images to see them enlarged.
If you are a graphics person but are unemployed, you can sell screen printing services for up to three colors and print on this machine. It's a great shoe string start up business.
If you do decide to buy a used rotary manual T-shirt press, you'll probably spend more like $1,000. Be sure to actually try any press before buying, to make sure it still prints true and is not completely worn out.

HYPE TIME! It's T-Shirt Season Again

2010-02-22T07:05:00.000-08:00

As March approaches, once again I remember -- I'm a screen printer! Yup, I'm still in the T-Shirt business.
The economy is pretty slow, but Manx Media Custom Screen Printing is still whipping out shirts at a semi furious rate. I'm running the office, handling sales, marketing, and graphics, and my long time press operator David Perkin is in the St. Johns neighborhood of Portland, Oregon handling production. David works on the six color manual Workhorse press, a quality machine capable of perfect registration.
Our main clients are Haight Ashbury T-Shirts, where we print thousands of shirts each year for designer David Boyer, whose classic retro hippy designs are the top sellers at the store, and Sarah's Science, the great kids science educator and proprietor of fantastic summer science camps for kids in Oakland and Berkeley. Sarah's summer camp is called This Land is Your Land, and we have adorned many thousands of T-shirts and hoodies with her banana slug mascot.
Other clients we have served include Sony Music Distribution, Margaret Cho, The Residents, Apple Computer, and many schools, clubs, bands, cartoonists and more.
We can handle jobs 1 - 6 color, on any type of t-shirt, hoodie, or sportswear item, and we do runs from 50 pieces and up.
We have plenty of production capability left over for new clients, so email me for a quote, or call me at 503-213-3671.
Happy T-Shirts!
Steve Lafler

Bughouse Makes the Top 100

2010-02-12T06:34:00.000-08:00

Bughouse ranked #22 -- top 100 comics of the decade.

Rob Clough, writing for the Comics Journal, ranked my graphic novel Bughouse at #22 in his list of the top 100 comics/graphic novels of the decade.
Well hell, what an honor. Thanks Rob!
Click here to read the list.
Here is the cool thing, it's on sale cheap at Daedalus, click here to buy it.

How to Start a Custom Embroidery Business

2010-02-05T09:51:00.000-08:00

How to Start a T-Shirt Embroidery Business

Overview
The market for custom embroidered T-shirts and sportswear is strong. According to Impressions, the decorated apparel industry trade magazine, the industry is recession-resilient. With a commercial embroidery machine and a strong marketing plan, you can start a successful embroidered T-shirt business. You can fill custom orders, and also create your own line of designs.
Step 1
Purchase an embroidery machine. Choose from leading brands such as Tajima or Barudan, known for their reliability. Attend an industry trade show to see the variety of machines offered and to try them. Check on the ISS trade show nearest you (see Resources for a link). Decide whether to buy a single head machine, or one with multiple sewing heads.
Step 2
Set up your shop in a garage, spare room or small commercial space, with an eye towards keeping overhead low. File a business name at your county courthouse and open a business checking account. Consider purchasing liability insurance for your business. Practice with your embroidery machine, loading it with digitized designs, placing T-shirts in the clamp, loading thread and sewing.
Step 3
Create a price list for your embroidered T-shirt services, and include sweatshirt, sportshirts, caps and the range of imprinted sportswear. Components of pricing are cost of blank shirt, 50% markup on the blank shirt, and embroidery charge. A run of 100 T-shirts with a small design could be billed at two to three dollars per shirt for the embroidery charge.
Step 4
Target your market for custom embroidery services, for example restaurants or schools. Compile a list of potential customers for embroidered T-shirts. Contact potential customers via phone and personal visit. Market your services with postcard mailings, blogs, a website, order forms, and business cards. Craft a simple message with a call to action: "Custom Embroidered T-Shirts, top quality at great rates, call now for a quote."
Step 5
Write a detailed work order when a client places an order, have the client sign it and pay half the fee up front. Produce a sample for the client to OK prior to production. Upon sample approval, produce the job. Collect the balance of the fee from the client when they pick up the job. Extend payment terms such as "net due in 30 days" to trustworthy clients.

Have a look at Impressions, the trade magazine for the imprinted sportswear industry. This is a link to their embroidery page.

This article was written for an online client who rejected it. I admit I'm not an embrloidery technician (I'm a screen printer), but I have sold and produced at least $25,000 worth of embroidered hats and shirts in my career.

A Visit to Huautla De Jimenez

2010-01-27T18:49:00.000-08:00

My visiting father in law expressed interest in visiting Huautla de Jiminez, the remote mountain town in the northeast corner of Oaxaca famed for it's magic mushrooms. I've been living in Oaxaca for 2.5 years, and of course I'm well aware of Huautla and it's sacred mushroom rituals. I have been in no rush to get there and gobble down magic fungus, as I approach them with respect and a wee bit of caution these days. Past experience with them has generally been wonderful. I consider that the 'shrooms themselves have a sense of humor and important information for human beings. This being the case, I figured I'd get to Huautla when the time was right, no rush. David inquired as to whether we might visit Huautla, and my wife Serena offered to keep the home fires burning with the kids, so the adventure was set.

Early last Saturday morning we set out in the Toyota RAV4, headed north on the Cuota, the super highway toll road towards Mexico City. After about a couple hours, we exited and headed back south a few miles on local roads to a town called Teotitlan before turning east towards an imposing range of near mountains, climbing steeply from the valley floor.

I gulped when I saw these hills, as I noticed the ribbon/shelf of a roadway winding precariously up to the ridge. Yup, guess where we are headed! It was vertigo inspiring to say the least driving up out of the valley, but rewarding—once at the top, in the space of twenty meters, we traversed the ridge and were greeted with a splendid vista, ridge after ridge of rugged green hills bumping across the landscape to the east.

In the city of Oaxaca, we are at the start of the dry season; things are getting brown and dusty pretty quick. But after cresting the ridge out of the dry valley last Saturday, we were clearly in a more temperate zone. When I saw all the verdant mountains, I was hopeful that we might score some fresh mushrooms, even though we were going in the off season.

David and I chatted and listened to some Bluegrass as we negotiated more than an hour of tight curves up against sheer drops. We spied a verdant valley below spotted with houses around a small village, watched over by undulating peaks, some of which were planted, while the sides of some of the hills were terraced with farms.
At long last we rounded a bend and came into sight of Huautla de Jimenez, a sizeable town that looks like it was spilled out of a giant bucket down the side of a mountain, dripping into the valley below. Huatla itself is on the north side of a great bowl formed by a loosely connected ring of mountains, facing south and covered with green, a moist wonderland.

The town itself seemed to have been designed by a Mexican Dr. Seuss, narrow switchback streets bounding up hills, clogged with people, cars, market stalls and stores. We hoped to find one Ines Cortes, a curandera who is famous for conducting a sort of folk Catholic healing ceremony utilizing psychedelic mushrooms.

After a surreal few moments of asking directions, driving up and down impossible narrow, insanely steep streets, and being forced to back down at least one, we found the house that Ines and her husband live in. David exclaimed in wonder at my ability to drive under these conditions, and the amazing feat we performed by finding Ines in this rabbit warren of a town on a hillside. Me, I've learned that if you are just a bit patient in Mexico, everything happens in due course.

Ines' husband invited us in, the door was ajar and he was peeking out as if he was waiting for us. They rolled out the welcome mat with an easy grace. We discussed the prospects for a ceremony that day, only to find that no fresh mushrooms were available, as it was the off season. Ines offered us the opportunity to do the ritual with dried 'shrooms, but warned that we would not experience visions. We were game to give it a try.

The ceremony was set to begin that evening at 10 p.m., so David and I poked around Huautla and then took a siesta at Ines' house. We rested in the cozy ground floor room where the ritual would be held. Ines has a gorgeous improvised altar at one end of the room, festooned with every Mexican chotchke you could possibly imaging, with pictures of various versions of Christ, the saints, the virgin, and other mythical images and photos of people.

Ines and her husband had left David and I alone to their house while they tended to business, so after we awoke from our fiesta, we sat in the cozy room, with it's earthen floor, and chatted about anything and everything. There was a dull light and a candle burning as we talked, but suddenly the light went out. It seemed an auspicious moment, seeing that we were about to knock on the door of the unknown. Minutes later the candle burned out and we were left in near total darkness. We chatted more and noted that the whole adventure, the drive through amazing emerald territory and the plunge into darkness all seemed very surreal and psychedelic.

I took a walk to the roof, up on the third floor, to use the bathroom there. It was twilight and the fading green of the valley was subtle and stunning just the same. A half moon smiled from straight above and cast a shadow at my feet. Jupiter, Venus and Mars blinked from their corners of the sky and I watched in delight as twilight waned and the stars poked their heads out one by one. I felt relaxed, happy and ready for the ceremony.

Inis and her guy came back and jokingly asked what happened to the lights. David and I both wondered if they had turned them out on us for fun, a little test. They got the lights back on and Ines made ready to begin. She gathered a quantity of herbs and set them on her splendid altar, then lit an incense burner that was filled with copal.

She began praying and chanting in both Spanish and Mazateca, the local indigenous tongue. She blessed both of us by name and brushed us with herbal leaves.
The preliminary invocation done, she handed each of us a little bowl brimming with dried mushrooms and poured a small amount of water from our personal bottles over each, instructing us to eat them. I looked at the 'shrooms and thought, “Shit I'm in trouble, this is the biggest pile of 'shrooms I've ever seen!”. It reminded me of the time in Summer '79 when I finished the thick remains of a mushroom milkshake that I'd split with friends. My eagerness that day saw me on the up escalator a mere 15 minutes from ingestion, traveling too fast to the outer limits. David mumbled similar sentiments about the quantity, and I said, dude we just gotta go with it, trust Ines.

We ate 'em up, and they tasted pretty bad. I really wish she did not put the water on them, it sort of made them f-r-e-a-k-y nasty, I woulda done better if they were just dry!

Regardless, we got them down in good order and settled in to wait for the boost, the beckoning to almost literal other worlds, and the A-HA moment provided by mushrooms: “Oh yes, now I finally see, this is how it REALLY IS!!!!!!!!!!!! I always knew it, I just forgot! The knowledge of the ages under my big dumb nose the whole time, and I never noticed! Etc., etc.”

I could go on about time and simultaneity, and other matters the mushrooms have whispered cosmic joke about into my psyche, in the past, but I'll wait on it, that's for some future post.

Ines continued to chant, and gave way to improvised blessings, songs, and banter. To say she made us feel welcome and at ease is a huge understatement. Here is a women who well knows what the mushrooms reveal, and she offers them in the spirit of healing, calling them “little saints”.
David and I were content and affable as we waited, chatting and feeling profoundly relaxed.

At one moment in Ines' song, I felt a wiggle in my gut and stood up, approached the altar and stretched out my tall frame, reaching for the roof. A quick shimmer worked from my center to my top—I was knocking on the door to “the other”, ready to tumble in. But the inner light dimmed, and I lay back down to relax.

Ines reminded us again what she had said that afternoon, that we can't expect visions from dried mushrooms. I freely admit that David and I both hoped to trip out anyway, but alas it was not to be. Still, we went to sleep content, open and relaxed, having had a most interesting day and evening.

The following morning, our hosts served us a flavorful breakfast of local coffee and eggs with a mountain root vegetable folded into them, and hot tortillas.
We headed back to the city of Oaxaca perhaps slightly disappointed at not finding the fresh mushrooms, but I can guarantee you I will visit Ines again in the rainy season!

Food on the Road

2010-01-02T19:01:00.000-08:00

Tuesday night. First day's drive over, somewhere in New Jersey. With the wind chill, it's bloody zero degrees out. I'm pumped to be setting out on my road trip to Oaxaca, but on my plate is -- nothing! So the task is to put something on my plate. The old boy's gotta take on some nourishment.

I leave my warm, slightly downmarket fifty nine dollar hotel room and hit the all American strip mall strip to see what might be the least offensive meal I can find.

I end up, of all places, at the local Applebee's. It's sort of a sports bar on steroids inside. The cute little Jersey gal who seats me has the most elaborate combo of mascara and eyeliner I've ever witnessed. She's overtly overly friendly, as per the Applebee's training videos, no doubt, but I just want to say, "How the hell did you get all that stuff on your eyelids?!". She shows me to a tiny high table with a tiny high stool, bares her teeth one last time and sprints away, spouting salutations as she goes.

Now I'm confronted with a high tech panorama of sports programming on six or seven enormous flat screen TV sets. A quick scan of my tiny round table turns up some sort of small digital box, giving me the ability to turn up the volume on the TV of my choice (each is tuned to a different station, of course). Football, basketball, ESPN, more ESPN, CNN, FOX "news", and more. I'm a bit tired from the road, trying to grok this new digital wrinkle, when my waitress arrives and begins pitching her script at me.

She is by degrees more earthy, warm and genuine than the amazing eyeliner/mascara hostess girl, in fact she's a sort of robust Amy Winehouse (only sober). My new best friend, she runs a dizzying sales pitch by me to drink and eat enough to stagger an adult rhino, and get it pretty drunk too. I plead with her for a few minutes to look the menu over.

Everything on the menu is bigger than my head. By a lot. I'm hungry, but fuck I'm only one guy! Allow me to insert a little aside here. I've been living in the city of Oaxaca, Mexico for a bit over two years. I might be biased, but I believe Oaxaca has the best food in Mexico. The plates are meticulously put together -- a lot of thought goes into creating the right combo of foods on your plate, complimentary items that enhance each other. They are beautifully served in portions that are filling but not overwhelming. The cost is such that you can always order more if you need to.

For example, take La Biznaga, a Oaxacan/fusion restaurant in central Oaxaca, about a half mile north of the zocalo (the town square). I like to order a salad that includes red leaf lettuce, a garnish of fresh seasonal veggies, and some grilled salmon. It's delicious and filling, but not overwhelming. Sometimes it's enough. If not, I can always order a Sopa Azteca to go with it, a tomato based tortilla soup with avocado in it that is truly delicious. It has a strong flavor of tomato and peppers, but still there are a bevy of delicate flavors competing for my attention. I'm no professional food writer, I'd be lost trying to identify the complicated flavors of the Sopa Azteca at La Biznaga. Every sip of the hearty soup is pleasing to the depths of my soul, no lie!

Back to Applebee's in New Jersey. Now, I know it's not fair to compare a chain restaurant/sports bar in the U.S. to a hipster, slightly upscale restaurant in Oaxaca. But I can't help it. I'm already doing it! Let us continue.

Amy Winehouse's sober sister comes back to take my order. I inquire, "Can I get this here spinach/shrimp salad without the bacon?" Her look says it all. She's thinking "Dude, with your skinny ass, I should double the bacon on this salad"! Since she is wicked nice, she does not say this. She will bring me the salad, but she is gonna leave the damn bacon on it. Fuck!

OK, so I can pull the bacon off. They bring the salad. It's actually really delicious. Que sabrosa! The shrimp is huge, plentiful, and grilled. It occurs to me that the fixation on serving piping hot food in the U.S. is a sort of fetish. I've been eating lots of lukewarm/room temperature foods in Oaxaca. OK, it seemed weird at first but it sort of grows on you. Now, I dig it. What the hell, maybe I've gone native.

Time to eat the shrimp/spinach salad! I put the bacon aside as I'm able. I'm sure I ate some. Yes I am a vegetarian, but I just thanked the immortal soul of the poor pig and probably ate a few morsels of his big butt.

This damn salad was still like five times the size of my cabeza (head)! I was ready to slide off my chair and take a long nap after eating the son of a bitch. So, sober and friendly Amy Winehouse returns, to offer this nugget of wisdom: "That wasn't very much food, you need coffee and a dessert!"

I didn't, but I tipped her twenty percent, so she would know that I loved her.

Burn Your Crotch

2009-12-30T18:45:00.000-08:00

I was bummed to hear about the attempted airplane bombing in Detroit on Christmas Day. Not only is it a very, very bad idea in itself, to say the least, but it punches up the level of hysteria a notch or two.

Who needs it? I was flying just before Xmas, and the alert level was already "orange", whatever the hell that means.

So what is the deal with the suspect, a kid from Nigeria named Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab? He wanted to blow himself up, and take a plane load of people with him. This is seriously antisocial behavior. But he messed up! It did not work.
Me, I'm suspicious. This guy has an engineering degree from a top London school. Can't he make a damn bomb that works?! I'm thinking maybe he didn't really want to blow his sorry ass up after all.

But what then? Maybe Al Qaeda gets pissed at him. "What the fuck, Umar, why are you still alive? Since we can't trust you, maybe we should just lop your head off!"
So the kid needs a cover story. He's thinkin', "Yeah baby, I'm a bad ass engineer and I can blow shit up anytime I want, but, um, I don't want to die today. Or kill 300 other people either."

So he gets this great idea... "I'll fake it! Yeah!"
Umar Farouk slips into the mens, and like, defuses the bomb. But, he still wants to look cool to Al Qaeda, so he decides to set off the fuse anyway as if he was really gonna do the deed.

Umar is thinkin', "Yeah man, I'll just pull the fuse, and it will like, practically burn my dick off! But no one will get killed, and I will have still look like one bad ass terrorist!"
It works! Everyone thinks Umar Farouk is a real player, but down at Al Qaeda HQ, the brass is thinkin', "Dude, if you want to burn a dick, can't you just make it Dick Cheney???!!!?"

Peter Kuper's New Oaxaca Book

2009-12-04T06:16:00.000-08:00

Peter Kuper, noted cartoonist and illustrator, has released his Diario De Oaxaca, his sketchbook journal of his two years in Oaxaca. This is a gorgeous compendium of accomplished drawings and sketches, visual reportage on the vibrant culture and natural beauty of Oaxaca.
Kuper also documents the popular uprising against the despot governor Ulises Ruiz Ortiz in 2006, and the impunity with which the government killed more than twenty people, including American journalist Brad Will.
In a recent talk in Oaxaca, Kuper pointed out that the government is still stonewalling the facts of the Will case, lying through their corrupt teeth about it.
Diario De Oaxaca is available from PM Press.
It should also be in bookstores and comic shops for the Holiday season.

New Steve Lafler Store

2009-11-19T10:40:00.000-08:00

I've just updated my online store. Featured items are 40 Hour Man, Self Employment for Bohemians, Bughouse, Tranny and the El Vocho T-Shirt. Now there's some unusual and wonderful items for Holiday shopping!
I will publish my next graphic novel El Vocho in 2010, then reissue my whole catalog of comics on my Manx Media imprint, and it will all end up in the store.

Judging of Peers

2009-11-09T06:43:00.000-08:00

To be free, don't waste your energy and intent judging others.
Likewise, don't attach their judgments of you to your energy and intent.

Wednesdays are for New Comics

2009-10-21T10:36:00.000-07:00

I've posted roughly half of my next graphic novel El Vocho, and will keep posting until the book is done. I just hatched a plan to post each Wednesday, trying to impose some semblance of a schedule on this thing.
Hey, today is Wednesday! I just posted El Vocho episode #35.

El Vocho T-Shirt

2009-10-16T14:53:00.000-07:00

You may or may not know that I'm posting my next graphic novel, El Vocho, in blog form as I work on it. I've posted 34 episodes so far, about 50 pages worth of comics.
I just created an El Vocho T-Shirt that is available from Cafe Press. Vocho is the knickname for the VW Bug in Mexico, pronounced "Bocho", with a sort of soft B.

Publishing: Book Trade vs. Print on Demand

2009-10-03T06:14:00.000-07:00

Here is an interesting side note on my book publishing activities.
In 2006, I published 40 Hour Man, written by Stephen Beaupre and drawn by myself. We pressed about 1400 copies. To date about 800 have been sold. I worked hard to promote it, sending out 100 press copies, traveling to to the San Diego Comic Con, the Bay Area, Chicago and NYC. I did seven or eight radio interviews and left no stone unturned. The book was distributed by a book trade distributor. To date, it has not broken even. I'm pleased that it sold as much as it did, but would like it to sell more.
This week, I published Self Employment For Bohemians as a print on demand title. No traveling, no promo copies, no print run. Just viral marketing and manufacturing on a per order basis by a reputable POD house. So far one book has sold. I realize a profit of about three bucks plus from this. So the book is in the black.
Draw your own conclusions!

Self Employment For Bohemians: The Book

2009-09-29T11:19:00.000-07:00

I've compiled a collection of the most pertinent and pithy entries on this blog and published it as a book. Part entrepreneurial primer and part swashbuckling memoir with lots of hilarious anecdotes, Self Employment For Bohemians is available for $12.00 plus shipping.
The book offers a lot of nut & bolts advice for freelancers, wound up with tales of my adventures in cartooning, publishing and running a wholesale custom T Shirt shop.
Just like the header on this blog says, if having a regular 9 to 5 job is your idea of a living death, this is the book for you!

El Vocho updates

2009-09-25T06:57:00.000-07:00

Today is the fourth day in a row that I'm posted new comics to my El Vocho blog. El Vocho is the name of my upcoming graphic novel, a love story/thriller with a green energy angle. I've been previewing the book on the blog to see if I can't generate a little buzz for it before the print version appears next year. I hadn't posted new material for a few months, as I've been more focused on production than posting.
Earlier this week I had a little fire set under my butt by the great comics news site Comics Reporter -- two days in a row, CR posted links and info to El Vocho and my traffic spiked. The standard blog wisdom would be that you build audience by posting new material on a regular basis. So there you have it.

Foilhead Fashionista

2009-09-18T10:44:00.000-07:00

Two people have emailed me since yesterday regarding the appearance of a funny hat in New York during fashion week on a male model. The hat, from designer Thom Browne, looks just like the foil hood that my character Gerald Forge wore in my college comic strip, Aluminum Foil.
Gerald appeared with his side kick Benb for four years in the Massachusetts Daily Collegain. The strip was so popular in it's hey day in the late Seventies that the foil hat became the default Halloween costume for the tripping masses at UMass (yup, the late 70s saw Halloween become a three day psychedelic bacchanal at the UMass, Amherst campus).
Was Thom Browne even alive then?! Who knows. But I got a huge kick out of seeing Gerald's doppleganger on the runway. The only thing missing was a GIANT DOOBIE OF STINKY BUD!

Conservative Dopes Duped Again! Anti-Healthcare March

2009-09-15T07:20:00.000-07:00

I quote from "internews UK" as follows:

Thousands of people have marched across Washington DC in protest against government spending and president Barack Obama's healthcare reforms.

The protest on Saturday stretched for blocks across the US capital, bringing together a number of groups organised by the conservative Freedom Works Foundation.

So, what is the "Freedom Works Foundation"? A buncha lobbyists funded by big biz? Something along those lines no doubt. Once again, regular folks who identify as "conservative" have been duped by lobbyists and big business to do their dirty work for them. This reminds me of the masses of working class and lower middle class folks who went over to the dark side to vote for Ronald Reagan. They were fooled into identifying with the ruling elites, cloaked in the myth of the "rugged individual". These regular folks voted conservative, against their best interests as the rich plunder the treasury with tax give away legislation, military spending and other programs that help the rich and leave the rest of the population scrambling for health care, jobs, housing, education and the basic services that a just government should foster.
You can't fool all the people all the time, but man it's sad to see regular working folks played for suckers by slick rich vampire lobbyists and entrenched fat cat scumbags who have not worked an honest day in their life. Sure, the fat cats work hard, but it's all about beating the life blood out of the masses.

You Can't Do That

2009-09-07T09:26:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite early Beatles numbers is “You Can't Do That”, a splendid burst of churning guitars (it's as if the Talking Heads based their first two albums on this one song!) wherein John Lennon lets loose with a snarling, jealous diatribe at a girl who entertains other suiters besides him. It's an almost perfect Rock & Roll song—short, to the point, emotionally potent, if not a bit too angry. The two guitars interweave so as to enhance and bring to a boil the tension the narrator feels. George never really takes a formal solo so much as he pitches the rhythm to the bursting point, giving vent to the Lennon's frustrated, angry young man.

You Can't Do That. It's a great four words, a message we've all given or received, to and from family, friends, co-workers, lovers and enemies. Often it's not spoken, but implied in a million subtle and not so subtle ways.

About a year ago, I started playing guitar in earnest after occasionally noodling around it with for almost 30 years. I'd owned a couple, played friends guitars, even sat in with buddies for some atonal plucking, but I'd never really dug in and applied myself before.

As a career cartoonist, I've devoted most spare moments of my life to slapping ink on paper with passion and gusto. I've put out plenty of comic books and graphic novels and gained a certain notoriety. All my life it's been pretty clear to me that I came to the planet to write and draw comics. However, due to a confluence of forces, I was utterly compelled last year at the age of 51 to embrace singing and playing in earnest.

I've been playing in a “Oaxacabilly” band of expats here in Oaxaca. We get together Thursday nights and play country, blues, rockabilly, rock & roll and yes some sappy pop ballads too. The biggest fun for me is singing and playing my own tunes, of which I've written a few. The words come easy for me, the chords I just grab from basic blues and country blues progressions.

Which brings us back to You Can't Do That. I'm intensely naïve and the king of the faux paux to boot. So it was surprising to me that my friends and family, among others, have less than no interest in hearing me caterwaul and hack away at the guitar! Who woulda thought?! And so it is that I realize, here I am, just another mid-career indie cartoonist with a musical penchant, doomed to croon away in my garage. Well, there is the Thursday night band, and the fact that I'm having an insane amount of fun with this music stuff. All in all, I can't complain, but I have learned my lesson—I ain't gonna go outa my way to make anyone listen to my tunes! Except of course, anyone reading this blog can go ahead and play the video to Ballad of the Bug by clicking on the link here, and heading over to You Tube for a listen. It's a song I wrote with my pal Todd Spiehler, and hell I think it's good--but I would, wouldn't I?

40 Hour Man: The Afterlife of a Graphic Novel

2009-08-01T09:55:00.001-07:00

I'll start this post with the hard sell, my 2006 graphic novel 40 Hour Man (actually drawn by me, written by my genius buddy Stephen Beaupre), is available as a Print on Demand book for a bit under eleven bucks on Lulu. The link here will take you to the buy page. It is also available as a FREE download.
Here is a quick description of 40 Hour Man: Is it a career, or a series of really lame jobs? Stephen Beaupre (author) and Steve Lafler (cartoonist) pose this timeless question in Forty Hour Man, a hilarious saga of one working stiff's three-decade journey into the minimum wage heart of the American Dream. It's all here - from scrubbing a steakhouse floor with a toothbrush to going bust in the Internet boom. Every bad boss. Every crazy co-worker. All the more shocking because it's true!

The availability of this title via Lulu is the latest development in the life of a small press title in the post print era. I'll briefly outline the trajectory of it's distribution, it's an object lesson in the difficulty of being a print guy like me in the post print era.
First, I tried to get 40 Hour Man listed in the Diamond Comics catalog. Diamond said no, the book was "not visual enough". Strange, as every book I've put out since the mid 80s has been sold through Diamond. And, every graphic novel I've put out has exceeded Diamond's sales minimums. Go figure, but Diamond is trying to pare down the amount of stuff in the catalog, and is run by bean counters (this is the nicest thing I can say about the company as a whole, but I do appreciate how much of my output they have moved in the past).
I got a break of sorts when the book was well reviewed in Booklist, the American Library Association's review rag, and another when it was picked up by book trade distributor Biblio (a sort of junior varsity book trade distrib). This combo of breaks added up nicely, with 3 - 400 units moved, many to libraries. Through a variety of marketing ploys, I was able to move another couple hundred units.

Sadly, Biblio was not doing well and was bought out by Atlas Books, the distribution arm of vanity press printing giant Bookmasters. Bookmasters is the type of company that looks good on the surface to a small publisher, they can handle production, printing and distribution under one roof, and are well organized. However, they are not really in the book distribution business; they are really in the business of squeezing every damn cent they can out of the small publisher. I'd say they are corporate predators, looking to nickel and dime unsuspecting green publishers with odious charges for every thing they can think of. Their warehouse staff does not cut a fart without charging you 40 cents for every book you have warehoused with them. In short, Atlas/Bookmasters SUCKS.

OK, so I cut and run from being distributed by Atlas. So where does this leave a fine title like 40 Hour Man? Enter Lulu.com, a decent POD outfit. The Print on Demand field is getting crowded, and like Atlas, many of these firms charge high fees for services rendered. I like Lulu, as I can still make a buck and get a good quality book out there.
I like offering the free download, it just makes sense. Hell, the Grateful Dead let the tapers set up to record every show, and got rich and famous. With the print version of 40 Hour Man, I'm adding a $1.00 fee to production cost for me. Mr Beaupre and I both put a fair amount of coin into bringing this title to the public, maybe we can get enough back to buy ourselves a pizza some day!

Six Days on the Road

2009-07-07T11:58:00.000-07:00

"Six Days on the Road and I'm gonna make it home tonight", the opening line from a really cool song. I like the Taj Mahal version, just a rippin' blues reading of a great road/trucker song. Been trying to learn how to play it, a basic blues in E really, shouldn't be too hard, but how to lay down the rhythm?
I start with that country blues twang and before you know it, you're chuggin' full tilt Texas blues boogie style, and it tends to get away from me. Played it with my pals the Bodega Boys a couple months back on a night when we actually had bass and percussion in the house (well, on the patio by the Bodega anyhow), and I slammed that Texas boogie rhythm style pretty good 'cause the bass and percussion guys were doing all the counting, I could just rip without thinkin' too much. Later on, in the comfort of my own garage, I couldn't keep a lid on it without the bass & percussion team putting down that bedrock to jam on.
Anyhow, the wife, kids and I just logged 2705 miles in six days, driving from the city of Oaxaca to Santa Rosa, CA. That last day was a bear, close to 800 miles from Phoenix to Santa Rosa. I just kept humming that tune, "Six Days on the road and we're gonna make it home tonight". Done!
The heart of the journey was highway 15 from the heart of Mexico, cutting across the state of Michuacan, gorgeous & green in the Mexican rainy season, up the west coast by Mazatlan then past Guaymas and Hermosillo to cross into the US at Nogales. We made good time cause the kids stayed happy. Max, almost 8, is a good traveler, but Genevieve (almost 4) is a screamer! But she came through this time, her bubbly effervescent joy intact. We found three hotels with pools on the way and threw in a lunch on the beach in Mazatlan.
Sure, we had to bribe a cop in Mexico city and we saw hundreds of sullen looking Mexican soldiers in troop transports heading towards Guadalajara, but overall it was an upbeat trip.
Again, that last day was a butt buster, but we had to finish the trip; otherwise I could not, in all honesty, have been crooning the "six days" tune all that last day!

Hellbilly Steve

2009-06-12T16:34:00.000-07:00

Hey, it's true, I just haven't been posting stuff here lately. Why the hell not, ya lazy bum? Truth is, I am hard at work on EL VOCHO, my next graphic novel, and I'm not paying attention to much else... EXCEPT MUSIC!
I've gone to Oaxacabilly Hell and I love it. This video is but a hint, hell we made it on a Monday during daylight hours fer chrissakes, next one I promise we'll make in the wee hours after a shot of Mezcal... but anyhow, you get the idea.

Lucky Man available on Lulu

2009-04-22T10:14:00.001-07:00

A couple years back I published a great debut novel by Ben Tanzer on my Manx Media imprint called Lucky Man.
The book did well and garnered some sterling notices out of the gate, and I was able to place it with a half decent book trade distributor, Biblio. This distrib went under, sad to say, and was eaten by an unscrupulous vanity house that really sucks (Atlas Books/Bookmasters... avoid like the plague!!!).
This rendered Lucky Man unavailable.
I'm happy to say that Lucky Man is now available on Lulu.com in a revised edition with a new version of the cover for $16.00.
It's a gripping coming of age novel with a finely drawn ensemble of characters than Tanzer visions in his own unique voice, of course I highly recommend it!

Lucky Man, ISBN 978-0-9769690-3-7

BugHouse Graphic Novel at Daedalus

2009-04-12T07:40:00.000-07:00

My best known graphic novel, Bughouse, has become available from Daedalus books for the incredibly low price of one buck. Bughouse was published in a variety of formats -- the strip first appeared in my long running comics anthology Buzzard. Feeling the groove with the material, I began publishing Bughouse as it's own comic book in '94 and it ran for six issues before I collected it all as a graphic novel in October '96, under my old Cat-Head Comics imprint. The burst of creative energy I hooked into with this material was downright thrilling.
Top Shelf partner and all around comics enthusiast Brett Warnock suggested an expanded edition, and they published it in the summer of 2000. Top Shelf went on to publish a trilogy of Bughouse titles with Baja in 2002 and Scalawag in 2005.
Rather than write a new description of the book, I'm gonna quote from the Daedalus blurb, as they got it right:

In this first novel from the Bughouse series, Jimmy Watts turns from a wiseacre Catholic school kid into a gifted saxophone player. He pulls together a band with his friend Slim, elopes with a sexy bug named Julie, and tries to find inspiration while going on and off the bug juice. Populating his graphic novel series with anthropomorphic insects, Steve Lafler tells the story of the jazz band Bughouse, playing in a Manhattanesque setting in the early 1950s. Junkie musicians, crooked cops, and double crosses are all part of this "insect noir" ensemble piece. Tenor saxophone maestro Jimmy Watts leads his talented band of bugs from the swing era into the uncharted maelstrom of Bop, looking for a new sound while fighting the temptation to be consumed by addiction to a substance known as bug juice. "I love Bughouse. I'm fond of the little bug-creatures that inhabit it," said Phoebe Gloeckner, creator of A Child's Life. "Steve Laffner has created an alternate universe. His insect characters are not particularly cute (well, some of them are), but one can easily empathize with their meaty human struggles with addiction, ambition, love, power, greed, and lust."

Okay, so they spelled my name wrong in there, I must admit to getting a kick out of that.
In any case, this here is a chance to pick up my signature book for nothing. I'll admit that it does not please me that the book has suffered such an ignoble fate, but it's just not something to take personally.
Top Shelf publishes a lot of stuff, and has the resources to promote only a small fraction of the titles they publish. The book biz itself is facing what some call "The death of print", so it's a tough market and has been for awhile, even with all the talk of the graphic novel being the dynamic growth genre. Certainly Top Shelf put forth good faith efforts to sell my book, it's just that the serious promo was reserved for the Craig Thompson, Jeffrey Brown, James Kolchaka and Alan Moore books.
My contract with Top Shelf actually expires this June. It was a pleasure to work with these guys and put out a trilogy of books. However, come June, I am free to market and package my Bughouse material anew as I see fit. I'll be sure to blab about any Bughouse developments here in this blog as they happen.

One Magic Night at the Mezcal Still

2009-03-30T19:11:00.000-07:00

When I moved to the city of Oaxaca some 19 months ago, if you told me I was gonna to hang out on Thursday nights with a motley assortment of ex-pats playing bluegrass, country blues, old timey and rock & roll, I'd have been dumbstruck. For one thing, as a very casual guitar player of many years, I'd have told you I simply don't have the chops for it. Well, these fine fellows, also known as the Bodega Boys, are not only indulgent of aspiring musicians, but some of the guys are fine teachers to boot. So it is that I find myself many a Thursday evening by Tony's (Don Antonio's) bodega in San Pablo Etla, a village a few miles out of Oaxaca city, with my near vintage Epiphone guitar in hand, ready to pick, grin and party with the Bodega Boys.

I don't think I can describe the Bodega Boys any better than they can describe themselves, so here I respectfully quote from their myspace page as follows:
The Bodega Boys define all styles, yet are no styles. From Johnny Cash to Bob Dylan, The Beatles to Bluegrass, Hillbilly to Hellbilly, The 50's to the 70's, Acoustic to Electric, The Bodega Boys go where no cumbia, mariachi, or trova group dare. The Bodega Boys line up is continually changing and the set list will forever be a work in progress. On most nights the line up includes Don Antonio as "Toby Juan Adobe" on Vocals, Guitar or Mandolin, Johnny Rico as "The Playboy" on Guitar, Mandolin or Harmonica, Dengue John as "Alpine Elvis" on Fat Bertha the Bass and Washtub Bass Hall Of Famer, Mr. Bill Blackson as "Black Bill" thumpin' along on the one string. These days you may also find swingin' Bodega Boy Mississippi-Boston-Berkeley Brian as "The Hammer", UK Chet MATT-kins CGP on the 6120, Jazzy Jeff as "Jefe Jeffe" and Esteve as "The Red Headed Boy".

All I really need to add is that these guys are called the Bodega Boys because they play under the stars at Don Antonio's Bodega, that is to say his storage shed/workshop, which is on his fantastic country estate that includes a Bed & Breakfast guest house. Come Thursdays, the Boys set up on the patio in front of the Bodega and have a go at it.

Understand, this is all a prelude to my description of last weeks session. Instead of a regular evening of music by the bodega, Don Antonio had something more amazing yet up his sleeve. You see, less than 100 meters from the bodega, up a winding path, is the site of his Mezcal distillery. Mezcal is a distilled spirit made from agave (a.k.a. maguey) cactus. It's production and consumption is principally associated with Oaxaca. Smokey, smooth and sweet, it is not to be confused with Tequila, which is made only from Blue Agave. There are many variants of Mezcal, depending on the agave used, and of course on the distillery and the skills of those involved.

Just before this particular Thursday evening, Don Antonio sent a message to the Bodega Boys that he would be transforming Shi Shi to Mezcal, and advised that it would be a magical event. Now I'm the farthest thing from an expert on the distillation process, but I believe that he was referring to the third and final round of distillation that creates his top grade of mezcal.
I arrived fairly early in the evening to find the maestro at work with only one other observer at the still. Don Antonio actually has two stills, one the standard Kentucky/Tennessee metal barrel still, and the other a classic ceramic Oaxacan still. Each set up was slowly dripping hot mezcal, perhaps a quart every thirty minutes or so.

As the Shi Shi goes through the stills and comes out as mezcal, Don Antonio collects it in large glass jugs then transfers it to smaller bottles. He runs a test on each bottle for it's alcohol content and marks it with the pertinent information.
Within minutes of arriving, I'm offered a jicara (a small cup made from a gourd) with a taste of the latest bottling. It's hot and sweet, different from any mezcal I've tasted, slightly sour instead of smokey. It reminds me of hot sake while being something completely different—it's delicious, seductive and very much to my taste. Don Antonio checks the alcohol content of the bottling and it's 46%. Asked to guess at the content, I'd guessed 30 - 35%, as it's so smooth. Wrong!

Over the next half hour, the Bodega Boys and several friends trickle in to the site of the still, in jovial spirits. For many it's the first time visiting an active distillery—all us first timers are very curious about the project. Don Antonio is a great host, somehow managing to explain bits of mezcal and distillation lore and history to the assembled company while staying completely focused on the task at hand: running two stills simultaneously. Some of the Bodega Boys, such as Dengue John, Johny Rico and Jefe Jeff, are old hands at this and they pitch in, assisting with both the chores and explanations.

All the while, our gracious host is passing samples around from various stages of the days work. Needless to say, an early bottling of more than fifty percent alcohol is popular and draws enthusiastic comments.
Small jicaras are passes around with hot fresh mezcal, but the real treat is the communal jicara. Don Antonio fills a large jicara with a good six or seven shots of mezcal and instructs the assembled to pass it around. Some have a sip, break out in a big smile and pass it, while others thoughtfully linger over it for a bit.
Me, I'm driving a good ten miles back from the campo to my house in Oaxaca city later in the evening, so I stick to the odd sip of the latest batch rather than downing shots. It is easy to lose count, and the mezcal works it's magic on me to some degree. Ultimately I keep a grip on my consumption and wits so I'm able to make it home safe and in good order... but not before strapping on my Epiphone for a few tunes with the Bodega Boys!

Somehow or other, in the cramped space around the two stills, we squeeze in Don Antonio, Johnny Rico and myself on guitar, a visitor named Garth on mandolin, Dengue John on stand up bass with Bill Black and Jefe Jeff ringing the proceedings with the two wash tub bass attack. Despite working and sampling all day, Don Antonio tunefully croons some of his favorites and handles his vintage Guild guitar with aplomb, notably Folsom Prison Blues and They're Gonna Put Me in The Movies. He never misses with his signature song, The Ballad of Thunder Road, about Appalachian bootleggers. It's a rollicking tragic country romp of a tune, immortalized in a noirish Fifties movie starring bad boy Robert Mitchum. Clearly, Don Antonio loves this tune and relates to the renegade bootleggers that it chronicles.
The boys roll out two or three tunes at a crack then refocus on the matter at hand: Fresh hot mezcal! After all, we can make music any Thursday night, tonight is about creating a different flavor of magic.

Bored? Try This at Home.

2009-03-03T11:12:00.000-08:00

This illustration of straightforward seduction will appear in the next installment of my ongoing web comic El Vocho.

Copyright 2009 Steve Lafler

El Vocho Marches On

2009-02-25T18:14:00.001-08:00

Last spring, I started posting a graphic novel in progress, El Vocho, as a blog. The premise is that art boy meets science girl, they come out swingin' but fall in love. Along the way, the pair collaborates on the ultimate clean/green energy engine that runs on - you guessed it - air!

I thought I'd post the latest entry here also, to bring a bit more attention to El Vocho, but I also wanted to display it here because I drew a truly wacky thingamajig in the last panel. It is, ostensibly, an art piece by my character Eddie, but in truth, it shows that I was a big fan of both Dr. Seuss and Jack Kirby as a kid. I hope you enjoy this.

©2009 Steve Lafler, all rights reserved.

T-Shirts 2009: Organic, Bamboo & Hemp

2009-02-24T08:29:00.000-08:00

T-Shirt season is just around the corner, and I've updated my offerings for custom wholesale screen printed Tees.
Check the Manx Media website for catalog links to Organic, Bamboo and Hemp T-Shirts from Onno Textiles, and of course there are plenty of Organic choices from American Apparel. I can source these shirts for any screen print job, along with the usual old school cotton Tees.
The Onno Textiles shirts are super nice, but a bit pricey. The American Apparel stuff is, of course, a fitted look for the young & beautiful (young & geeky?) and is priced just a bit more than their regular Tees.

With the Obama era here, and calls from all quarters for clean & green industry, I'm starting with baby steps in that direction with my screen print business. I should note that many jobs, especially on white or light color shirts, can be printed with water base ink that is somewhat cleaner/greener than plastic based inks.

By the way, that's a picture of my son Max, it's an American Apparel T, not organic, but I just felt like stickin' a pic in with this post! It's from our small but gorgeous back yard when we lived in Oakland.

The King is Dead, Farewell Lux Interior

2009-02-05T10:19:00.000-08:00

Just heard the sad news that Lux Interior, singer for the Cramps, has died of an existing heart ailment.
If rock and roll ever had a king, Lux was the man. L-U-X was another spelling for the word FUN. This man rocked. He defined psychobilly to it's core. He was bad ass and very, very funny. We'll never see another like him.
All I can add right now, the most fun I ever had in my life was my first Cramps show, at the Warfield in San Francisco, on the Summer Solstice in 1990.
Lux strode onto stage in his patent leather jump suit and black high heel pumps and announced, "I heard there were some BAAAAAAAAAAAD people her tonight!".
What followed was not a rock and roll show, but a full on pagan bacchanal, just a shit-kicking affirmation of life in all it's punk rock, hillbilly glory.
I jumped into the pit and lost my mind in an ecstatic, cathartic rumble. I lost my car keys and bruised my arm. Who cares? Maybe I was aided by a couple shots of Jack, but hell it was Lux, Ivy, Nick Knox and Candy Del Mar rippin' the joint.
Fare thee well, Lux, I'll miss you big time.
My condolences to Ivy and family. Ivy you are, hands down, one of the finest guitar players on the planet.

Marketing for the Self Employed (an update)

2008-12-27T15:16:00.000-08:00

Make the Phone Ring

Okay, you work for yourself providing a product or service. You need the phone to ring. You need queries about your product or service in your email in box. You need a clientèle.

Cover your Bets.
I started the Oakland, California version of my T-Shirt printing service in the spring of ’87. For seven out of the next ten years, I maintained a part time job to insure that I could make ends meet. It took time to build a clientèle that could support me. Chances are, you are jumping into self employment with minimal capitalization, so it’s incumbent upon you to insure some level of income.

Marketing plans & scams
It has been my experience that intuition supplies one with plenty of ideas about how to attract potential customers. When I started freelancing t-shirt printing as an undergraduate, I simply copied up fliers (a.k.a handbills) a couple hundred at a time and papered the bulletin boards of the University of Massachusetts campus with them (and the phone poles, and just about any other surface I could drive a staple into). It was cheap and it worked. I lived for years off of my staple gun. I mean staple guns; actually wore a few out. I took care to design fliers that communicated my message in clear simple terms, including the command “Call Steve for a quote”.

A few years back I gave up the fliers method for a couple reasons. First, there were fewer places to hang fliers. As fliers became a more popular marketing technique, they caused more trash everywhere. Cities, universities and what not became smart about eliminating places where lots of messy handbills could be posted. When I started the biz in Oakland in the spring of ’87, I was the only screen printer posting fliers on the UC Berkeley campus. It brought me a ton of business from dorms, frats, clubs, sororities and the like. Within a year, five or six screen printers started a literal wall papering of campus with fliers like mine. I had to hang twice as many to get half the jobs, and it became a low ball market. Who wants to work cheap? Not me! I’ll also mention that it had become a pain in the ass to truck all over town hanging handbills. It just ain’t that much fun. Occasionally, someone would give me a hard time for trashing up their neighborhood, and who can blame them?

From the very start, I also used what has been my number one selling tool, direct mail postcards. Again, I’ve always taken care to craft a postcard that delivers a clear message: “I do high quality custom T printing at reasonable rates, call me up right now for a quote” was the gist of it. I have usually generated my own mailing lists from local weekly newspapers (go after the advertisers and event listers), the local “business to business” yellow pages, the regular yellow pages, and directories from this industry or that. Collect addresses of companies or organizations who you would like to do business with. I’ve also bought mailing lists from data base compilers… my experience is that these lists don’t produce calls or email queries as well as lists you produce yourself.

Therefore I recommend crafting a postcard that hammers you message home, creating a mailing list and sending those suckers out. Wait two or three weeks and mail it again. Do another version of the card and mail that to the same list a few times. Advertising is a process, not an event. You have to repeat it. Keep your message consistent and it will sink in.

You can target lists at specific industries or categories. You can offer special prices at your slow times. Hone your message and drive it home. It works. Be patient.
Another marketing tool I’ve used from the start is advertising in weekly or university newspapers. You can do a classified or small display ad. It’s expensive and slow to work, so be realistic in your expectations for response. I have done campaigns with small display ads in a local tabloid. The response is not great, but it keeps my name and logo consistently in front of a focused audience. With newspaper ads (and print ads in general), be sure to budget enough to run the ad at least five or six times. Again, advertising is a process, not an event. I’m investing 3-4% of my profits consistently into advertising and marketing expenses. Often higher. Do remember to continue marketing when you are busy and flush with success. You don’t want to find yourself low on cash, with no work and no prospects one fine day, only to realize you’ve done no marketing for 21 months.
At the beginning of my career, I used classified ads in weeklies and college papers with a measure of success. These days, craigslist and other online listing sites have taken over the classified function. It's a good way to generate leads and interest, but be aware that it serves a lowball market, you will hear from price shoppers who may not be thinking about quality or service (yet!).

Your intuition will inform you of methods to reach your potential clientèle. I’m a cartoonist who has always been in love with print media. I naturally think of marketing solutions that involve print in one form or another. In this era of digital media, a 21 or 22 year old entrepreneur is going to think of digital based, web based, or maybe blog based ways of communicating their message. Without working too much at digital marketing, I’d say that most my business communication is via email in any case, that’s just the norm in today’s climate of commerce.

Google Ad Words
I've experimented with Google Ad Words as a marketing tool. It delivers a lot of requests for quotes. I have gained some new clients from Ad Words. I recommend a cautious approach to Ad Words, it's easy to spend a lot of money fast with. Start slow with a small budget. Experiment with the wording of your ad and track results. I used Ad Words when I lived in Portland, Oregon form 2005 to 2007. I kept my campaigns focused on the Portland market, as people there are very big on buying local. I had budgeted for a six month newspaper ad campaign in the local weekly Willamette Week when I moved to Portland. I believed it was a good way to introduce my service and message to that community. I sunk several thousand dollars into this campaign. I did get several clients from the campaign, but in retrospect it was clear to me that the money would have been much better spent on a carefully crafted, Portland focused Ad Words campaign.

Over a six month period, I'd invested more than $600.00 per month in a small display ad in Willamette Week. It was a relatively successful campaign in that I averaged perhaps five quote requests per week. However, when I switched my ad budget to Ad Words, a slightly smaller budget got me four times the quote requests! You can see that small business ad dollars may be more effectively spent on new media than old school print media. The funny thing, I've been a print guy all my life, I have ink for blood. But I can't argue with results, and Ad Words kicked ass on Willamette Week!

One caveat, I noticed that the responders to Ad Words were more likely to be looking for a low ball price. The people who responded to my Willamette Week ad had likely seen my clever ad and logo for weeks, and came in for a quote with the confidence that I was a quality shop that would do right by them. I am not a low ball shop, I am selling quality and service and I do not compete on price. I have no interest in working cheap, in “winning the race to the bottom” as I call it. Thus, the Ad Words responders might have been less likely to actually do business with me.

In the long run, the most effective on line marketing would be to create a weekly blog pitch or news letter, and build a list to send it to. People could sign up for your news letter at your website or blog. It would be labor intensive but cost little. It's always been my experience that elbow grease works better in marketing than throwing money at the problem.

There is no right way or wrong way to get the word out about the wonderful gift you are ready to offer for a fee, there is simply the truth that you need to consistently put your message across. If something doesn’t work, dump it and move on.

By the way, as usual, I’ll tell you I’m no huge expert on this. Just sharing what works for me, and a bit of the thinking behind it. I might even recommend looking into some of those books on guerrilla marketing. Do a web search or something. No doubt here are a million people on the web selling marketing schemes. Look out for snake oil salesmen!
Finally, I’ll mention that from time to time I’ve done a campaign of ads, mailers or whatnot that utterly failed to garner even one phone call. Hey, at least it was tax deductible!

What Really Works?

I’ve been running the current version of my business for twenty years. With all the marketing that I do, at least two thirds of new accounts come from recommendations. So the moral of the story is do quality work, be friendly and deliver a solid value. Never give up! Soldier on and do your best.

Just for fun, I thought I'd make a list of how some of my clients came to me:

Sarah's Science, summer science camps for kids and after school science education. Recommended by a friend and colleague in the design/illustration community. Sarah Shaffer, proprietor, is as close to a soul mate as I'll ever find in a client. I do illustration for her too, and we are clearly both from planet bug. Or is that planet slug?

David Boyer Designs, successful designer of Hippy tourist shirts in the San Francisco market. I was already friends with Mr. Boyer, via a mutual cartoonist friend. We've done shirts together since '94 and are still going strong. We owe it all to rich tourists and Jerry Garcia. Thanks Jerry! Goddammit, what I would not give to see you walk onto stage just one more time, Tiger in hand, to rock my soul.

The Residents, legendary San Francisco purveyors of music and satire. Their merchandise person saw my flier in Berkeley on her street! She did not know I'd been a fan for 15 years. When she quit, another merch guy took over and I figured the party was over after five great years of printing eyeball shirts. But no, this new dude, name of Dren, started Astropitch; we went another four years and did massive piles and piles of shirts for such acts as Peaches, Chix on Speed, and Anticon along with many more fantastic shirts for the Residents. Dren then bought his own T Shirt press and took production in house, oh man poor guy I would not wish that on anybody but myself!!!!!!!!

Margaret Cho, brilliant comedian. Fellow cartoonist Adrian Tomine designed a T Shirt for Margaret, and recommended me to her manager for T shirt printing. I did Margaret's shirts from '99 to 2007. She runs a great organization. Honest, efficient and soulful. A real sweetheart, and one bad ass trash talking hot mama. I never saw any entertainer sell shirts faster than Margaret when she was on a roll, her fans are nuts for her. Nothing but fun. Wish I still had the gig, but management changed and I was out.

Apple Computer, I was hired by the chief engineer of a key hardware project to do a shirt for Apple. He was one of my pot smoking buddies from freshman year of high school! Only did one shirt for Apple, as he soon left for another silicon valley company. I got to design it too, did a cool cartoon illustration for the project.

Sony Music Distribution. Shirt & Illustration jobs for Screaming Trees, Alice In Chains, Mike Watt, Leonard Cohen, Johnny Cash and many others. A Sony Music promo guy, Big Tim, was my flat mate in Oakland, he fed me great jobs for years. Here was an exemplary human being who truly wanted to help just about everyone he met, and it was my immense good fortune to know him.

EMU Cultural Forum. This campus organization at the University of Oregon was responsible for putting on concerts on campus. I did shirts for the security and staff for many shows, including Frank Zappa, The Ramones, Iggy Pop, The English Beat, Bill Cosby, Willie Nelson, The Beach Boys, Kenny Loggins and many more. I wrote them a passionate sales letter about how I would go the extra mile for them, and then some. It worked, and it was huge fun early in my “career”.

SFJCC. San Francisco Jewish Community Center. I cold called them on the phone when I was broke in the spring of '87 to see if I could print some of their summer camp or recreation T Shirts. I hooked up with Jefrie Palmer, a great guy, and produced piles of shirts for them over a twenty year period.

OCCB and Bulldog Coffee Shop. From 1996 to 2005, I printed shirts for a variety of Oakland based medical marijuana providers. I was recommended to them by a good friend who was their lawyer. In turn, I had met this lawyer friend through one of my cartoonist pals. This lawyer dude was amazing, he argued cases all the way to the Supreme Court for the OCCB. The medical clubs had a popular product, to say the least. They also loved T Shirts and sold a lot of them. Early on, I took some pay in trade, but soon realized I had no need for thousands of dollars worth of herb! Okay, a little weed is fine guys, but I actually need $$$ to pay the bills! Lots of fun, but some of those beefy security dudes freaked me out a bit.

Sweet Potatoes, a somewhat big time producer of baby/toddler apparel. One of their production supervisors saw my flier on a phone pole on Fourth St. in Berkeley where their office was then located. They would give us fabric panels to print that were later sewn into garments, large scale production stuff. It was funny because I just had a homemade press at the time, and a spot dryer, I was just this side of fly by night! And here comes Sweet Potatoes, giving me runs in excess of 10,000 pieces. Their production guy, Paul, keeps asking if he can visit the shop. It was just too funky to let him in! When he finally realized how small scale I was, he was a bit horrified, but actually was also impressed at what my staff and I could pull off on our funky equipment. He did split after feeding us jobs for three years, as they started sending production offshore. They invited me to match pricing they were getting from Guatemala. I don't think so!

Okay, that's enough of that. Notice that most of these clients came from recommendations or personal connections rather than from marketing messages. Certainly I've gotten dozens of clients as a result of my marketing. But bottom line, if you circulate, have fun and hand out your card everywhere, you will have all the business you need.