Recent Gig Recaps

The Fairbanks Library Foundation's "Alaska Author Series" went absolutely wonderful: a full room with some literary luminaries amongst the crowd. I actually got a little choked up while dedicating the talk to the memory of my reference librarian mother, and reminiscing about the convoluted adventure my cartoon life has been leading up to now. Nevertheless there was much laughter and I did manage to maintain a pace that pulled off over a hundred slides in forty minutes, followed by questions and a demo and signing some books too.

As evidenced by the super-soaker sweaty tshirt shot while at the demo table, I was really nervous about this talk. Since I'm away from my comfort zone of a  campus classroom it reminds e how much I empathize with students in the my art classes who are nervous about not only putting their pieces up on the studio wall for critique and review, but oftentimes just the simple act of having to do it in front of agroup of people can be terrifying. In fact my energetic antics are probably nothing more than one long sustained panic attack."I'm a visual artist not a performing one!"

Seems like as of late been sitting & sketching at a lotta tables for so many venues, and that includes several gigs for the university, the college, and the department; I manned tables at three campus events  like for orientation, for a student job fair (hiring models) and  a celebration of the second week back for the fall semester. As it happened, I had just introduced a Life Drawing class to the concepts of Urban Sketching, and so half of the event was spent on the other side of the proverbial easel with a posse of aspiring talents, sketching around and about the crowds.

Faculty show 2026 opening: Just like last year's annual fall semester faculty show, this current one is also held over, so it'll be up for another few weeks (September 24th it'll come down). On display now I have another experimental printed canvas of a panel (that'll be posted about later on this year here), along with a couple other "best of the year" Nuggets that still haven't been printed or posted yet. But a nice 18x24" color poster of "Seasons" is up along with a framed print of "Fir Baby" are included in the suite.

This truly is an amazing assemblage of outstanding artistic ability + truly impressive academic instructors of all their respective mediums. It's a distinct honor to show alongside the work of my peers who all continue to inspire me on both sides of the easels after all these years, and this is the strongest faculty I've yet to see in this department.

Demo Day 2026 "MOX" Recap

Following up on that 1st Friday Demo Day VI gig down at the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (subscription here). No new subscriptions but couple dozen renewals along with a buncha regular subscribers showed up, and some friends & superfans, and some bonus art student kids and a handful of both aspiring & established artists dropped by. Even made a bit of cash from the stickers & books on the merch table. Of course as usual the whole newspaper staff all got an original. Grand total was around 35-40 pieces, and since I didn’t remember to do a batch beforehand it was non-stop from the start, from zero to eight-five all day.

Since it’s the beginning of the semester, my M-TH workweek hit fifty-four hours already, so I really needed a “day off.” Overall slower than any gig before, but I put it down to a combo of really horrible weather + timing with a holiday weekend and so judging by the downtown traffic there was quite the exodus all afternoon of folks bailing out in advance of a 3-day weekend (and moose season natch).

The only speed-bump occurred with a fellow who was gonna give me a few extra days before picking up a custom-ordered sloth. Which was not on the roster of critters, nor within my reach of rendering. No, I explained, on this gig’s menu there was a choice between the table and rack and floor of muskoxen. And neither was the second-choice order for some Sponge Bob fanart. Pro-tip: a really quick way to an artist’s bad side is to tell them to draw someone else’s intellectual property (I've gotten these at conventions before and it's like WTF man, can you not see the spread of my own merch before you?). People are so weird sometimes.

I used a dip-pen, the nib my usual Hunt 512 with India ink, on watercolor stock. For color, the four squares of the newspaper cartoon strip was by a set of bright, poppy Prismacolors; and the muskox using Derwent Inktense water-soluable watercolor wash pencils (a bark, tan, oak, shadow + an ivory borrowed from a set of Caran d’Ache Aquarelle set). Eventually I was able to stabilize the pace of production to where it would take approximately one minute to loosely sketch each piece with pencil; about two minutes each to ink it in (whereupon it would lay on the floor propped up in front of a little fan I brought along so as to expedite drying time); and then lastly a couple final minutes to apply the color, both marker + watercolor wash.

Here’s the last half-dozen, which were inked in but unfinished, so over the customary 6:30am breakfast at the café, I watercolored ‘em all in. Also on this set I did a little trick that Sandy Jamieson taught me: he would finish off his little watercolors with a couple passes from a can of gloss varnish. Really makes the blacks come back, and gives a rich luster and depth to the watercolors. BTW there’s one flagged with a yellow sticky-note as that’s my personal fave (only one with an expressive ear) of the whole day, and so it’s going in the little collection I have documenting the previous five years of this gig. Viewed this way the variations are so unique, they’re all the same but each one’s different. Watching someone not be able to make up their mind which one to pick is so much fun (“ooo but look at THIS one…”). Originally I intended it to be a baby musk-ox , but shortly into the session it occurred to me the horns were rather large for its age.

Demo Day 2026 (+ Bonus Landing Page linkage)

Yeah I know, supposedly last year was supposed to be the last year. Well what can I say, with the most recent event down at the public library being such a stellar opportunity to market this as a perfect follow-up gig, for just as an important institution worthy of support: promoting both literacy and independent local journalism (now more important than ever what with this particular the ongoing attack on democracy).

Looks like the critter for Demo Day VI will be a baby muskox. And seeing as how now still I gotta do an otter, a bison, and a sandhill crane, there'll presumably still be more of these yet to come. In retrospect, I still maintain it's the moral duty of every cartoonist as the peripheral talent - most especially of all the big, famous ones - to giving back a little time + energy going to bat for the local rag. We owe it to them. So it'll be super awesome if you could subscribe or renew your subscription (on-liners can even email me a grab of yer receipt + mailing address and I'll send along a personalized mox in the mail!).

color mockup

"For the sixth year Fairbanks Daily News-Miner cartoonist Jamie Smith will be doing live demonstrations all day in the lobby of the newspaper for this upcoming First Friday, September 4th, from 9-5pm.
Watch how the “Nuggets” cartoon has been created since 1988, support local independent journalism with a subscription or renewal, and receive an original work of art drawn on-site!" 

Here's linkage to: 2025 (here & here + recap); 2024 (here + recap); 2023 (here + recap); 2022 (here); 2021 (here & here + recap). Hear, hear.

concept doodle

Guest Speaker: Fairbanks Library Foundation "Alaska Author Night"

I'm humbled at the opportunity to talk at a very important venue, the Noel Wien public library, for a lecture series hosted by the Fairbanks Library Foundation. It'll be this Wednesday, August 19th from 6-7:30pm.Hopefully folks will have a lotta laughs and a little learning (the opposite of in the classroom) with my stand-up sit-down routine. For once it'll stay focused on funnies, no artsy-fartsy, no politics, nor any drugs, sex or violence either. Okay maybe just a hint.

Along with the usual demo stuff, and a portfolio of process pieces + sketchbooks, I'll unearth the archives and see what books I actually have on hand to sell, along with some original artwork and stickers. This'll be after the approximately 45-minute show & tell of one-hundred slides, which I am rather pleased with in that it covers a lot of ground: I'll have samples of work spanning history from highschool and colleges; from New York, to Alaska, to Georgia, to Maine, and back to Alaska; from freelance to commissions, artist residencies, and over fifty cartoons spanning over almost half a century of doodling, and twenty-five years of teaching too. 

While I haven't come out with a new book (aside from a few titles over on the Lulu site) in at least a couple decades, this talk will double as a warm-up/teaser to a big upcoming event in 2028, marking my forty-year anniversary of being in the local paper. And so plans are now afoot to offer a new collection should fill in the big blank from 2008 onwards, and a tshirt, and a few new stickers. That and beat the drum/spread the gospel about the crucial importance of literacy, especially at a critical moment in society, and how comics can inspire a lifelong love of literature. And all this has resurrected a long-simmering plot to shift more energy & attention back to supporting this institution, as it's been a while since holding a gig down at the library.

Something different will be the inclusion of family influences, namely with an opening dedication of this presentation to the memory of my mom. Fittingly enough she was a librarian, and along with the teacher/bookseller dad, indelibly shaped my journey though the pages of my own life story. Or in this instance, comic book.

Demo Day V: 2025 Recap/Landing Page

Just a real quick post of thanks for the gig yesterday: It was by far the best-ever event so far down at the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (link for subscription/support here). Starting back in 2021 and featuring a beaver, moose, bear or dog (here + here); then again back in 2022 with a choice of either raven or salmon: then again the following year with a hare (here & here) for 2023; and last year, 2024, wound up with a walrus. The Singing Vole (here + here) went over wonderful as well: even though the numbers were comparatively the lowest to date - approximately 35 drawings were given out - it was a nicely paced day with steady company & conversations throughout the nine-hours total behind the table in the lobby area. Some folks even stopped by just to visit and simply say hello, and personally thank me, which is always so humbling to interact with real, live readers. And the most surprising was not a single kid, which stood in stark contrast with the numbers over all the other years. It may have just been bad timing and/or with the benefit of hindsight I didn't alert any other art teachers in the district with a heads-up. But instead it was so many intimate connections -lotsa ol' timers and sourdoughs sharing nostalgia, and including touching base with both old and new staff, since really half the whole thing was dedicated to expressing gratitude for all that they do. In fact, as I have belabored here many a time, it's incumbent on any cartoonist to develop such events with their home-town paper, as a way to support local, independent journalism, as well as literacy.

Demo Day V: Today!

A reminder that this day in September, being a 1st Friday, on the fifth, is the fifth Demo Day, all day downtown at the News-Miner in their front lobby. This'll be the last one for a while, as I'm still taking a break from all extracurricular activities - no more freelance, shows or signings. Going from eight exhibits down to just a couple (soon to be just the one obligatory faculty show) was a good call, as I'm considerably less stressed. Plus given the slight bump in panel output, the theory that diverting time + energy towards creating cartoons is already earning dividends, especially amidst the escalating demands of full-time teaching. Another benefit will be making these sorts of special events, well, more special by making them relatively rare: overproduction and constant hype sometimes results in indifference, because nothing cheapens the value of something than overexposure. cough, cough Which is why I'm stopping the silly cartoons, and henceforth shall focus only on Fine Art, and will now only make a couple paintings a year. 

But seriously, now after a few practice runs I've settled the basic design questions: beady little eyes or googly? And open or closed? (turns out a wee little wink will do); angular ears or more oval-y? How much texture fer the fur? How much of a cast shadow + gradation to enhance volume and depth? Singing with an open mouth or just a musical note? Which one and what color? Plus background elements like sky, trees, grass make for a better composition, but ain't got time for that!  

This is also the very firts time for one of these gigs I'm prepping dozens of these well in advance, so guaranteed I'll at least be able to cover all employees. And not that I'm gonna become an animator anytime soon, but there is a certain zen-like state that is reached whilst in the zone, drawing the same exact thing over and over again. And yet each and every one is an original unto itself, with many little differences making them all individuals with their respective personalities. So far I'm only averaging one pen & ink drawing every five minutes or so (1-minute pencil + 4-min ink), with an additional five more minutes watercoloring it after it dries. Long as I remember to keep it small & simple, and the number of requests are reasonable, I ought to stay on top of things. As opposed to the usual sketches done over the years, which were knocked out in only a few minutes and using decidedly non-archival Sharpies, these are instead rendered with dip-pen, India ink and Derwent water-soluble pencils, all on mixed-media stock, which makes for an extra-special original piece of art. A follow-up will be posted sooner than later, but in the meantime, come on out, drop by to say hi - be good to see ya.

*UPDATE: First come, first served! Found a handful of leftover walrus (what a totally Alaskan thing to say) from last year's gig. Also it has been duly noted that the musical note emanating from the Singing vole is frequently depicted backwards. Well (clears throat and hitches cartoon mansplaining pants) for those of our viewers keeping score at home, this particular species, Microtus miurus, is known for frequently employing a rare vocal technique known as pharyngeal resonance, or backwards placement. Also, while they are shown reading copies of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, they actually don't inhabit the Interior, as their range technically is in the higher alpine areas of tundra. So they probably read either the Nome Nugget or the Anchorage Daily News. 

Demo Day V: The Singing Vole

Heads-up that this upcoming 1st Friday the 5th for the fifth year in a row I will once again be doing doodles downtown at the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, live in the lobby from 10am - 6pm. Please consider a subscription, as local, independent journalism is crucial to supporting our democracy, which includes the peripheral talent too. Subscribers get a complimentary original, and it's a great opportunity for interested folks to watch the creation of a cartoon.

This year the critter of choice will be the Singing vole, one of several species in Alaska - though not in this neck of the woods as they tend to hang out on the tundra, as opposed to the cute fuzzy meatballs that are currently colonizing around our cabin.

line art variations + color tests

After a dozen practice pieces I'm ready to have this little fellow join the crew of previous characters; moose, beaver, bear, salmon, raven & rabbit. A wee bit different approach this year, as it's all pen & ink & watercolor - no Sharpies, and only a few earth-tonish colors so as to keep it small and simple. Here's a backlink to the recap of last year' gig, and hope to see some of y'all out and about making the rounds.

the initial concept rough

Final Friday (Updated)

A quick heads-up I'll be on site at Ursa Major Distilling all evening (4-9pm) for the last day of the last annual retrospective "Ursa X." The awesome marketing/promotional people at the university have really been pumping out a lot of social media posts across all their platforms about, so there'll be some warm bodies even though it's supposed to hit thirty twenty-something-below zero. 

 

Alas no more meatballs (Prik Thai will be in the house), but Ester Caucasians will be on hand - stop on by for some last minute deals: thanks & CHEERS!  

Update: A simply awesome image surreptitiously availed itself as the perfect capstone to this series. Indeed it symbolizes what it's all about, as there's no show without anyone to see it.

Pop-Con 2024

Got a surprise last-minute gig: taking the opportunity to run a couple tables for the twelfth annual UAF Pop-Con on campus in the Wood Center this weekend (both today/Friday & Saturday, 11am - 6pm). It's been a decade since I last sat in at this event, and along with doing some service for the university, plus promote the Art Department, I get to hang out amongst others of my kind... and get some work done.

I'll be showing off artwork done by my drawing students over the many years from teaching comics + the current Cartoon & Comic Arts course. Be doing demos all day along with some special guest appearances by cartooning alum... stop on by!

Update: Day one was good, with many new introductions to really cool and very nice people, and seeing some long-time friends & folks, previous & current students... all on both sides of the tables. Looking forward to tomorrow, which is surprising given how bleak and stressful it has been as of late. These are my people.

UAF Parking Design: More NookieBear

You know shit's gettin' real when you see the legal name

Contest for the new UAF Parking Decal is now live. Click here to cast yer vote (about as useful as my last one). gotta have a UAF email to sign into the Google Form. It closes in a week... December 22nd!

There's a LOT of other good designs, my personal bias notwithstanding. Actually I didn't even vote for myself. Meanwhile this little logo of mine originally done for the CLA is continuing to molt and morph into new outfits - this one is the most adorable and my fave.

Family Day @ Museum of the North

Whoops I went and totally spaced out posting about this Family Day gig up at the Museum of the North - but that brings up the rumor there'll be a cartooning day (hopefully with a few other friends) at least once, maybe a couple times - especially now since the show's been held over until through next April, making the run last a whole year up on display due to it's popularity.

Special thanks to the staff whose hard work behind the scenes made this possible, and really appreciated the kind invitation to participate in such a great community event.

Honestly I didn't set out any of my cartooning stuff to demo at this gig, put it all back away during setup saying to myself "now, now... this is gonna be serious sketching today, no funny stuff... this is Fine Art." Didn't last long.

Just like the recent Demo Day down at the newspaper, where it took me all day to finally get a walrus done right, the twelfth time was the charm in this instance. But seriously that is a crucial meta-lesson for any folks learning how to draw: the simple trick is to just keep at it until it happens. It will.

In fact here's proof you always get better with practice. These were from 2018 - 2019, while on field trips with Beginning Drawing classes. Of course this little fella had previously been enshrined behind a wall of glass as he was in another long-running display, so it was great to be able to sketch him 360°.

Best of the Show: This dude cracked me up... and I'll have some serious competition in cartooning when he comes of age. Which will be a challenge since I haven't grown up at all. Also, that's not "Muscle Milk" it's "MARMOT MILK."

 

PS: And the whole time this little ditty was running through my mind...

Demo Day 2024

Woo-HOO it's that time of the year once again (here's linkage to the previous 2021, 2022 and 2023 events) for the fourth annual in-house on-site live cartooning demos done downtown in the front lobby of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. Hand-cramps aside, I absolutely love the opportunity to connect with friends & fans, so drop on by if you're out and about in this neck of the woods, be great to see ya.

It'll be on the first Friday for September from 9am - 6pm. As usual I'll be giving away original art to any new subscribers or recent renewals - if you can't make the gig please consider supporting local independent journalism... and the peripheral talent too, thank you kindly.