Gnartoons

Agthbar: Episode #56

2012-02-29T05:30:00.000-08:00

Giddy Up Thar!

Agthbar: Episode #55

2012-02-27T05:30:00.000-08:00

Should we let it get weirder?

Agth the Bar

2012-02-24T05:30:00.000-08:00

Agthbar: Episode #54

2012-02-22T05:30:00.000-08:00

Tinkle Sprinkle

2012-02-21T05:30:00.000-08:00

The Uptown Almanac is one of my favorite San Francisco blogs, and it's not just because they're pushin' my toons.

I spent two days drinking coffee at a cafe up the hill from the building pictured in the main panel in order to draw this comic.

Agthbar: Episode #53

2012-02-20T05:30:00.000-08:00

The L.A. Zine Fest was rad! I couldn't believe how many people came out for the event, thanks to Team False Start for putting that whole thang together! It was great to see all of the familiar faces and the new ones too, thanks to everyone who came by my table and said hi. I love zinesters, zines, and the people who read them - more than a lot of things.

I think my next comic book event is Stump Town Comics Fest in Portland, OR., April 28th and 29th, see you there?

Zine Fest in L.A. Today

2012-02-19T05:30:00.001-08:00

Come awn down to the Last Book Store, 453 S. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA for the L.A. Zine Fest. There are going to be so many different piles of comics to thumb through! I'll have my own small pile at the Gnartoons table, but look at this extensive list of exhibitors!

Simon Sotelo designed this awesome logo/poster for the zine fest

New Linocut Prints for the L.A. Zine Fest

2012-02-18T05:30:00.000-08:00

I made a series of one off prints to sell at the zine fest tomorrow. Come buy one from me for $10, if you dare.

New Digital Prints Debuting at the Zine Fest on Sunday

2012-02-17T05:30:00.000-08:00

I'll have a couple new digital prints on sale for cheap at the Zine Fest in L.A. on Sunday. These are the first prints of this kind that I've ever had before.

Rad Satch Breh

2012-02-16T05:30:00.000-08:00

I'm in L.A., slurring the lyrics of 'Pet Sounds' by the Beachie Boys and sporting satchel.

As always, each satchel contains:
2 Hand-Painted Plastic Dinosaurs
3 Stickers
1 Weird Little Book

Come get your radical satchel at the L.A. Zine Fest.
Sunday, February 19th at The Last Book Store in L.A., 11 am - 8 pm

Agthbar: Episode #52

2012-02-15T05:30:00.000-08:00

Agthbar: Episode #51

2012-02-13T05:30:00.000-08:00

Bloxz's

2012-02-10T05:30:00.000-08:00

Hey you guys, look what I made for you to stare at (click here, click the link).

Yep, I did that for you.

Agthbar: Episode #50

2012-02-08T05:30:00.000-08:00

#50! #50! #50!

Here's a link to Episode #19, which is referenced.

Agthbar: Episode #49

2012-02-06T05:30:00.000-08:00

See Em, Why? Kay.

2012-02-03T05:30:00.000-08:00

I knew I made all of those offsets for a reason, I just hadn't learned how to get GIF'N yet. Hell, if I wasn't such a muggle I would be livin' in GIFFendor, partying like a Saint. Can I maintain my street cred while making Harry Potter references? Let's wander aimlessly into the future together and find out.

Agthbar: Episode #48

2012-02-01T05:30:00.000-08:00

Agthbar: Episode #47

2012-01-30T05:30:00.000-08:00

Mondays and Wednesdays are the new days for the new Agthbar episodes. I just finished up a new batch with a new story arc, hope you like the colors.

Fralphlapod

2012-01-29T16:29:00.000-08:00

I drew this 5 years ago and I think it still holds true today.

I pulled it from The First Book of Gnar, which was the first zine I ever printed.

Monsters, For Days

2012-01-27T05:30:00.000-08:00

Fancied up a bit from Wednesday, now he flickers.

Did anyone successfully nab a table at Portland's Stumptown Comics Fest this year and want to share some table space with me? The emails just went out this week and I'm on the waiting list, which doesn't seem promising. So, please hit me up with an email if you've got a little table space to share, I'll be very appreciative, promise. James(at)gnartoons(dotdotdot)com.

L.A. Zine Fest

2012-01-26T05:30:00.000-08:00

Yep, it's true, I'll be at the L.A. Zine Fest, selling art prints and comic books. Here's an interview that I did for their Zine Fest.

This is a small pile of my comic books featuring covers that I designed and printed using the linocut method. They're all available for sale over here.

Monsters, All Day

2012-01-25T05:30:00.000-08:00

Remember that New Year's Resolution that I made about 25 days ago? It's cool, I was't expecting you to, don't worry about it. Well, it had to do with monsters, and so here's a monster for you to gaze upon.

You can find a few more specimens from this recent batch of monsters in the upcoming issue of "Gag Me with A...", which is a zine that some polite creatures from LA are putting together. The LA Zine Fest is also putting together a zine for their event, which will feature another one of these little monsters, collect 'em all!

Agthbar: Episode #46

2012-01-23T13:13:00.000-08:00

There's going to be a little format shift around here, which for you basically means just a little less Agthbar. The 'three new Agthbar comics each week format' has produced a bulk of episodes for you to dig through and has done well at explaining Agthbar's strange world in a short amount of time. But in order to keep the strip sustainable in my strange world, I need to back it down to only two new episodes each week, which may actually still be too much Agthbar for a lot of people, haha.

And to further confuse things, there will only be one Agthbar update this week and it is today. Beginning next week you can look forward to two updates every week.

So, enjoy your Agthbar today, because it will have to last you until next Monday. Toon rationing has finally hit America, tighten your belts gnarpeoples.

Tumbln'

2012-01-21T05:30:00.000-08:00

All you tumblr junkies aughta be following me over there. And the rest of you aughta be glad you haven't found a taste for the stuff yet.

This comic is 6 years old! Yikes! Time flies. . .

Agthbar: Episode #45

2012-01-20T05:30:00.000-08:00

Agthbar the Extemporaneous at your service.

Down in the Mission

2012-01-19T05:30:00.000-08:00

The Mission Loc@l blog is the latest distributer of my San Francisco Bay Comics series. You can find a brand new comic on their blog.

If you don't often hang out in the Mission and aren't familiar with Dolores Park, this should help (feel free to make fun of my friend Tyler at the 0:43 second mark, who insists that he 'gave no permission, dammit', haha).

DESTROY SOPA ! ! !

2012-01-18T05:30:00.000-08:00

There is no new Agthbar episode today. No, you're not being punished for something you did, you're not even being punished for a future crime that I think you might possibly commit. Don't blame Agthbar for not showing up for work today and certainly don't blame me for not drawing him (it's practically all I do). Blame your government for not having your best interest at heart, and for consequently not having any heart. It is the fault of everyone who has worked in support of SOPA that you don't get to look at a new Agthbar episode today. You'll have to take this cartoon instead, and I warn you - Agthbar is pissed off about the potential of having his life and existence censored.

If you don't know about the SOPA, please take some time to learn about it. SOPA stands for Stop Online Piracy Act, but it's reach goes far beyond just an honest attempt at preventing the piracy of creative material. If passed, this act will dramatically change every aspect of the internet that you know and love. This is a censorship act that will severely limit free speech on the internet, which some would argue is the only place that we have left to voice our opinions. Well, at least we'll always have our zines... Ok I'm getting off track here...

Please sign this petition and write a letter to your congressman, send an email, call your senator, and if you have the time even request a meeting with your senator. You only have until 24th to shout from the roof tops about this and to let your voice be heard, yell loudly and with persistence, friends.

Here's Google's petition too, while we're at it.

And here's the full text of the actual SOPA Bill.

Agthbar: Episode #44

2012-01-16T05:30:00.000-08:00

Hey do you guys listen to podcasts? If you do, you can find 'The Quack Cast' on itunes and download episode #58 for free. I mention this because around the 6:15 minute mark of the hour-long podcast you'll find a review of the Agthbar the Extemporaneous web series. You guys obviously already know what's up with Agthbar, but I really like the way that this reviewer chose to describe the comic series. And he pronounces the 'G' in Gnartoons, which I find adorable in a Queen's English sort of way. Thanks to Drunk Duck for the feature.

Saturday Morning Cartooz

2012-01-14T06:30:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty happy with this little promo animation for my buddy Agthbar's comic series.

Agthbar.com

2012-01-13T05:30:00.000-08:00

Agthbar.com is a real live place on the internet, where you can go to escape real life.

Agthbar: Episode #43

2012-01-11T05:30:00.000-08:00

It's lesson time, Agthbar has prepared a lecture, get out your notepads or dunce caps. If you would like a few reminders about some of the specifics of strangeness and scale to Agthbar's planet you may want to refer back to Episode #19.

Agthbar: Episode #42

2012-01-09T05:30:00.000-08:00

And yet, he still doesn't thank me. What? Do I have to draw my cartoon character thanking me in order to get my cartoon character to thank me? Gah.

Saturday Evening Cartoons

2012-01-07T20:22:00.000-08:00

I've been playing around with animation a bit lately, what do you think? I've mostly been working with gif's. It's a lot of fun to make these, but they have proven to be extremely time consuming. I've been doing it in the "old-school" fashion of using stacks of trace paper to actually draw out each of the changing details from frame to frame. Then I use a scanner to get them into a computer where I use a few "new-school" tricks in order to polish things/thangs up for your glistening pixels.

I'm going to try my dangdest to upload one new animation a week for Saturday Evening Cartoons, but I'm not making any promises. How about telling some of your friends to check out the Gnartoons blog and maybe clicking 'like' on my facebook or Tumblr pages while you're at it?

Agthbar: Episode #41

2012-01-06T05:30:00.000-08:00

Hey, it's Friday isn't it? How 'bout that? Enjoy the weekend, it's the only one we get this week.

Agthbar: Episode #40

2012-01-04T11:03:00.000-08:00

Have you folks checked out Agthbar's page on Gnartoons.com?

Agthbar: Episode #39

2012-01-02T05:30:00.000-08:00

Squibble Squabble

Baby New Year

2012-01-01T18:52:00.000-08:00

I've never had a New Year's resolution before, but this year I am sincere. You gnarpeoples are going to be seeing a lot more monsters around here in 2012.

Aghtbar's Website!

2011-12-30T05:30:00.000-08:00

Our buddy Agthbar has some new digs where you can easily peruse his timeline of all 38 episodes that have been posted thus far. I think he used a trowel to hollow out his new den in the digital earth, but I could be wrong - we're not on speaking terms at the moment because of an argument that we got into over the holidays. And despite my attempts to hug it out, he refuses to compromise. I think that's why he didn't show up for work today in the typical 'episode format'. He's a very complicated cartoon character.

Enjoy his new website!

Agthbar: Episode #38

2011-12-28T05:30:00.000-08:00

There's an Agthbar related surprise coming this Friday in place of your regularly scheduled Agthbar programming.

Agthbar: Episode #37

2011-12-26T05:30:00.000-08:00

Tis the Season, Tisn't It?

2011-12-24T05:30:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays everybody. I decided to redraw a comic that I did about a year ago, in hopes of spreading holiday cheer like strawberry jam across a warm slice of toast.

Here's the new one:

Here's the old one:

It's sort of like regifting, but involves a lot more effort.

Agthbar: Episode #36

2011-12-23T05:30:00.000-08:00

Agthbar: Episode #35

2011-12-21T05:30:00.000-08:00

Agthbar: Episode #34

2011-12-19T05:30:00.000-08:00

Agthbar: Episode #33

2011-12-16T05:30:00.000-08:00

Santa Cruz!

2011-12-15T05:30:00.000-08:00

Santa Cruzers can cruz on down to Logos Books and Comicopolis for the full spread of Gnartoons Brand Comic Books. Also, in San Francisco I recently dropped off books at Dog Eared Books and Alley Cat Books.

Here's the entire list of the best book shops ever:

Agthbar: Episode #32

2011-12-14T05:30:00.000-08:00

Port on Ice

2011-12-13T05:30:00.000-08:00

I'm happy and proud to announce that the Royal Squid Press has begun printing someone's work other than my own! I designed and printed the covers for author R.F. Kramers literary debut, 'Port on Ice'. In addition to the short story 'Port on Ice', the book also includes a poem by author/poet Chris Kalman and a three-page comic by yours truly (about a classroom guinea pig named Merlin). I have already sold out of my copies, so you will have to order your copy through the man himself: rfkramer (at) gmail (dot) com. This is a very limited run for the first printing, only 60 copies! So place your order quickly! This is the author's debut.

Agthbar: Episode #31

2011-12-12T05:30:00.000-08:00

The East Bay Alternative Press Book Fair was a lot of fun, thanks to everyone who came by my table to flip through my books! And thanks to Tomas Moniz and Brooke Appler for putting the whole thang together.

Don't Tell Me I'm the Only One Who Stayed up All Night Painting Plastic Dinosaurs

2011-12-10T05:30:00.000-08:00

Why does this always happen to me!? It's so embarrassing!!

If you believe that any of these dinosaurs belong to you please come pick them up at 2050 Center St., Berkeley, CA today between the hours of 10am and 4pm.

Agthbar: Episode #30

2011-12-09T05:30:00.000-08:00

With apologies to Jim Davis, ha, apologizing to Jim Davis, now there's a joke!

Everybody who reads this blahg is flying into Berkeley, CA for the East Bay Alternative Press Book Fair tomorrow, right? Sweet, see you there.

Book Fair on Saturday

2011-12-08T17:31:00.000-08:00

Here's a nice little piece about the East Bay Alternative Press Book Fair in Berkeley this Saturday. There's even a quote in there from me. I'm honestly just excited to have my name published as both James the Stanton and Gnartoons in the same article, copy-editors are no match for my disturbing abuses of the English language. This post needs an image doesn't it? Here's a weird drawing that I did a long time ago and just found on my hard drive.

Come to the East Bay Book Faire this Saturday and say 'hi' to me, I'll wave awkwardly and offer you a sticker. Here's the info.

Agthbar: Episode #29

2011-12-07T05:30:00.000-08:00

Medical Emergencies

2011-12-06T05:30:00.000-08:00

I've got a new drawing up for FecalFace.com's Free Fridayz drawing contest, I'm #11 incase you think I deserve a vote. The theme for the week is 'Medical Emergencies'.

Agthbar: Episode #28

2011-12-05T05:30:00.000-08:00

East Bay Alternative Press Book Fair 2011

2011-12-04T14:26:00.001-08:00

The East Bay Alternative Press Book Fair 2011
Berkeley City College, 2050 Center St.
Saturday December 10th, 10am - 4pm
Free * Free * Free * Free * Free

Come by the Gnartoons table and get yourself some hand-printed comic books and hand-painted plastic dinosaurs for seasonal gift-giving.

Poster Art by Brooke Appler

Dinosaurs Ate My Trapezoids!

2011-12-03T05:30:00.000-08:00

Just sayin'

This is a sticker that you can buy. All of the money that is earned from selling these stickers will be spent on more Trapezoids.

Agthbar: Episode #27

2011-12-02T05:30:00.000-08:00

Agthbar: Episode #26

2011-11-30T05:30:00.000-08:00

Did you guys like that little twist around in episodes 22-25? Did that feel weird? I sure hope so. That probably would have been a really good time to kill off the strip, but I just love drawing Agthbar and his pals too much to let them wither away like those creepy green things at the bottom of the sea floor in Disney's 'The Little Mermaid' - those poor cartoon characters.

Agthbar: Episode #25

2011-11-28T05:30:00.000-08:00

Agthbar's adventure is continued back on episode #22, which means his time travel potion must have worked. But, is this comic strip now caught in some sort of sequential-art time warp and therefor over to the rest of us? Will our hero ever return to an authentic present moment? Will I ever make that peanut butter and jelly sandwich that I've been meaning to feed to myself since I woke up this morning? Find out the answers to one of these questions on Wednesday!

New Stickers in the Store

2011-11-27T05:30:00.000-08:00

I put some new stickers in the store (look at the bottom). Neon green to boot! This is the first time I've ever had color stickers or circular stickers and so I am stoked. They cost digital-jangle-change if you want to order them in the store, but if you come find me at the Gilman today I'll give you one for free! Check the post from yesterday (where tomorrow is today) if you don't know what I'm talking about.

EAZTBAY ZINEFEST TOMORROW!

2011-11-26T05:30:00.000-08:00

East Bay Zinefest 2011
Sunday, November 27th, 2011
At 924 Gilman, Berkeley, CA
Sliding Scale of Donations to Get in the Door
Music, Food, and Comic Books

I'll have all these books on sale for $5...

Agthbar: Episode #24

2011-11-25T01:57:00.000-08:00

Agthbar: Episode #23

2011-11-23T01:57:00.000-08:00

Agthbar: Episode #22

2011-11-21T05:30:00.000-08:00

This episode is part of a little timeline experiment that culminates with episode #25. What do you folks think about this Agthbar character? Is he cutting edge enough for you, youth?

Takilma

2011-11-19T15:45:00.001-08:00

New Book!

This book is very different from everything else that I've worked on, I drew it in a realism style so I hope nobody minds a break from the cartoons for a few pages. It tells the story of a strange and spooky dream that a friend of mine had. I spent a lot of time working on these pages last Winter, hope you like it... Now back to the toonz!

This book is currently available online at the Gnartoons Online Store and also in real-life at the following shops where you can use paper sacks full of pennies to buy them:

Blue Stockings
172 Allen St.
New York City, NY

Comicopolis
829 Front St.
Santa Cruz, CA

Isotope Comics
326 Fell St.
San Francisco, CA

Logos Books
1117 Pacific Ave
Santa Cruz, CA

Mission: Comics and Art
3520 20th St.
San Francisco, CA

Needles and Pens
3253 16th St.
San Francisco, CA

If you would like to have it at your local shop, have them laser-breath me an email -> James(at)gnartoons(dot)comfortable

Agthbar: Episode #21

2011-11-18T01:51:00.000-08:00

Agthbar: Episode #20

2011-11-16T01:50:00.000-08:00

Agthbar: Episode #19

2011-11-14T01:48:00.000-08:00

An explanation of Agthbar's home planet, for the benefit of the self-aware modern humans who tend not to consider the potential saturation of lifeforms in all dimensions... Just read my silly cartoons, please.

East Bay Zinefest at 924 Gilman

2011-11-12T05:30:00.000-08:00

The RPS Collective out of Oakland is putting on the East Bay Zine Festival at the legendary punk club 924 Gilman!

You'll find me at the Gnartoons table.

East Bay Zine Fest
Sunday, November 27th
924 Gilman, Berkeley, CA
Festivities begin at High Noon

This is event is on a sliding scale of dollars, and the event is just for you and your friends.

Punk Rock and Comic Books, you have 2-weeks to prepare, put some patches on those dungarees and come thumb through unknown miracles of the small press sector with me, friends (when I said that this event is for you and your friends, I was really just trying to weasel my way into your group of friends).

PS - This is not to be confused with the other East Bay Book Faire that's happening in Downtown Berkeley on December 10th, where I will also be tabling - more details on that when you need 'em.

Agthbar: Episode #18

2011-11-11T05:30:00.000-08:00

11/11/11 Agghhh! I'll be busy drawing as many pictures as I can today, for there will never be a more fun date to write in all of history.

Agthbar: Episode #17

2011-11-09T05:30:00.000-08:00

WIZARD TIME! Quick get your wands!

Agthbar: Episode #16

2011-11-07T05:30:00.000-08:00

Agthbar: Episode #15

2011-11-04T05:30:00.000-07:00

Agthbar: Episode #14

2011-11-02T05:30:00.000-07:00

Agthbar: Episode #13

2011-10-31T05:30:00.000-07:00

Candy! Candy! Candy!

2011-10-29T05:30:00.000-07:00

Go get some, Happy Halloween!

Agthbar: Episode #12

2011-10-28T05:30:00.000-07:00

Agthbar: Episode #11

2011-10-26T05:30:00.000-07:00

Agthbar: Episode #10

2011-10-24T05:30:00.000-07:00

I would try it.

Agthbar: Episode #9

2011-10-21T05:30:00.001-07:00

Agthbar: Episode #8

2011-10-19T05:30:00.000-07:00

Agthbar: Episode #7

2011-10-17T05:30:00.000-07:00

Barnacle Brothers

2011-10-15T05:30:00.000-07:00

I updated the comic stash at Gnartoons.com, which includes this spectacle of undulating undersea ungulates...

Agthbar: Episode #6

2011-10-14T05:30:00.000-07:00

Agthbar: Episode #5

2011-10-12T05:30:00.000-07:00

Oh the troubles of a cartoon character, will we mortals ever understand?

Agthbar: Episode #4

2011-10-10T05:30:00.000-07:00

Agthbar Wallpaper!

2011-10-08T05:30:00.000-07:00

Here's a present that you can open, Agthbar Wallpaper for your computer's desktop! Click the link, to find wallpaper in three different screen sizes.

Agthbar: Episode #3

2011-10-07T05:30:00.001-07:00

Stay with me

for those of you who absolutely need a present to open, check back tomorrow morning.

Agthbar: Episode #2

2011-10-05T05:30:00.000-07:00

What's he got in thar?

Where to Find the Gnar

2011-10-04T05:30:00.000-07:00

I updated the list of bookstores that carry Gnartoons Brand Comic Books!

Agthbar: Episode #1

2011-10-03T05:30:00.000-07:00

Well here he is folks, the little creature we've all been waiting for. You can find new episodes here every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays!

2011-09-30T05:30:00.000-07:00

Hey so ah, after all that talk about the comic strip running on Mondays and Thursdays I changed my mind, THREE NEW STRIPS EVERY WEEK! That's right, my new pal Agthbar will be gracing your pixels on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for as long as I can keep him alive! The festivities begin Monday.

In other news, I drew this comic 5 years ago.

Squirrel powered.

Beastly Review

2011-09-28T05:30:00.000-07:00

Justin over at the Poop Sheet Foundation wrote up a nice little review of Beast Begat Beast.

Aint Nothin' but a PNG Thang

2011-09-26T05:30:00.000-07:00

I drew this for FecalFace.com's weeklyish drawing contest. The theme this week is "That Scares the Sh** Out of Me". But if you accidentally send the good people of fecalface.com a .png file rather than a .jpg you don't get to share your scary scares with club internet. But it's ok, fear the reaper.

You're older than you were when you started reading that comic, scary.

Mondays and Thursdays

2011-09-22T05:30:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to ease you creatures into the new format, it's Mondays and Thursdays for the new comics. There may still be some other odd cartoon sprinklings spread throughout the rest of the week, here and there, but Monday and Thursday will be your solid rock in this ever-shifting land of Gnarnia. Now Mondays and Thursdays will be exclusively dedicated to my new Friend Agthbar, I believe you've met? I know you don't know him all that well, but you can trust him. He's a real gem of a two-dimensional organism and he'll be around for a while. You might even get sick of him.

Agthbar the Extemporaneous

2011-09-19T05:30:00.000-07:00

Something new is about to start happening around here, and his name is Agthbar.

All The Girls Say

2011-09-14T05:30:00.000-07:00

I drew this when I was in High School, which explains the belated pop culture reference and why I didn't have a girlfriend in High School - 2002 was a rough year for absurdist humor in Grand Rapids, MI.

Dog People

2011-09-12T05:30:00.000-07:00

If you snuck a read of The Herbivores, Issue #3 then you have already seen this comic. But the book has long since been out of print, and so here it is for the rest of you.

A Nation Remembers

2011-09-11T22:57:00.000-07:00