The Stone Age 2.0
Postcards from the edge, Impossible Jones + more!
Before the Paleolithic Era.
Before Cavemen.
It’s been less than a month and somehow we've been zapped back in time to BEFORE the Stone Age. BEFORE we practiced human compassion for each other. BEFORE empathy and decency. And we're gonna waste a whole lot of precious time and resources to course correct and make things better "again."
Meanwhile, a modern day leader should not have the power to decide your gender. Should not weaponize religion. Should not blame, shame, and game bigotry, sexism and hate with designs to divide rather than unite. It’s absolutely mental, scary and depressing.
Tariffs and a 500 billion dollar commitment to A.I. (“Stargate”) will prove catastrophic to a lot of businesses close to me and my publishing interests. America doesn’t have the infrastructure and it won’t (if ever) for a great many years in order to make “Made In America” a worthwhile claim. Which means physical media will become an expensive luxury while forcing the masses into digital slaves (as if we aren’t already). But it won’t be The Wachowski’s The Matrix or James Cameron’s The Terminator that travels back in time to arrange our self-destruction. We already took care of that with our cookies, Apps, face recognition and voice-to-text features (+ more). We let affordable technology seep into our homes and domes from our laptops and phones. Copy our data. Mirror our personas. Invasion of the Body Snatchers?
As much as I preach technological austerity, I’m not a Luddite living off grid. I’m a proud forefather of webcomics, and I’m online everyday. I’m a complicated contradiction who worries about compromising our community and handcuffing our humanity. Is Artificial Intelligence a crutch or competition? It can be both.
Who are these people telling us what to do? How to be? And why are they so money hungry?
I used to think in order to be rich you had to be brilliant (which explains my lot in life). Sure, luck might have a little something to do with it, and circumstance certainly helps, but I thought you needed to have a big brain in order to succeed. “Think outside the box.” But with everything that’s going on these days, the narcissism and classism, the unsolicited crusade of a particular brand of lifestyle, I don’t think you need a brain at all. Because only a dummy thinks so small. So petty. What you need is a big heart. Because a successful business person with a big heart knows to take better care of the people who work for them. And their customers. Isn’t that what an employee wants? A boss they can trust? A leader they can get along with? If you make it impossible for your employees to thrive and survive, and you lose your base, your customers, I highly doubt you’re gonna convince your rich golf buddy to deliver your food, fix your sink, and mow your lawn. (←can you tell I’m a comic book writer?)
I cherish physical media and I fight for it to still exist because, at my age, I’ll never pine for a jpeg. I’ll never feel nostalgic for a well intended “Like.” But I’m okay with owning less things because I have enough things to keep my company ‘til I croak. I want to experience places and people more than I get to these days. I want to share a laugh. Debate ideas. Get inspired. I crave the day I can make enough space in my little home to host board games, serve homemade lemonade and sloppy nachos, and watch weird movies with friends, again.
Reach for the sky. Jump into the ocean. Sit around a fire.
Ultimately, I'm grateful there are smarter people whose job, expertise, and daily dedication to humanity will do their level best to defend all people’s rights, and work to create a better and more inclusive shared space — while I rally other artists and hunker down to create my own art and stories.
Big Ups to all the volunteers who do all the grunt work. The unheralded heroes. You're the invisible glue that makes us stick together. You inspire hope.
Thank you.
My piece, “Heart To Heart,” was my third time participating in Visual AIDS: Postcards from the edge, which opened at the Berry Campbell Gallery in NYC.
What is Postcards from the Edge?
"Now in its 27th year, Postcards From the Edge is known within the art world as the most exciting and affordable way to add to a collection, offering a unique opportunity for buyers to acquire original, postcard-sized artwork for ONLY $100 EACH.
It’s a fun way of bringing a community of artists from across the globe together to support artists living with HIV and the legacies of those lost to AIDS by donating original, small scale works that are exhibited and sold at a partner gallery each year.
Offered on a first-come, first-served basis, each piece is exhibited anonymously, and the identity of the artist is revealed only after the work is purchased. With the playing field leveled, all participants can take home a piece by a famous artist, or one who's just making their debut in the art world. Join us–donate an artwork today and save the date for our sale in January 2025."
Big Ups to artist/curator, Carlos Gutierrez-Solana, for inviting me again. Other artists I know who participated are Inverna Lockpez, Calvin Reid, Jody Culkin, John Kelly, and Jocelyn Benford (among others). Here's a list of all 1500+ of the 2025 contributing artists.
FUN SIDE NOTE: On my way home from Mexican dinner with Jen Ferguson (after the exhibition), I noticed actor Titus Welliver standing in front of the Chelsea Hotel with some friends and they started walking ahead of us. I called my mother who loves him on the TV show “Bosch” (I remember him from the TV show “Lost”) and she insisted I tell him that she loved him. I hesitated but mom yelled at me and I eventually yelled out his name and Titus turned around. I introduced myself, we shook hands, and I told him my mother loved him and that he had to talk to her. And they did. Titus told mom I was a good son. What a guy. Thanks, Titus, for your kind words and for talking to my mama!
In a recent Kickstarter message, legendary comic book creator Karl Kesel revealed that he invited me to draw a pin up for his character, IMPOSSIBLE JONES (with a cameo of CHEST FACE). It was a pleasure and honor to add my sensibilities to such a wildly fun independent property. You can read more about Karl and David Hahn's latest project, "Impossible To Love.”
Speaking of cameos:
I made a brief cameo appearance on Splash Pages Comic Book Club to talk about my latest "Deep Cut," CHEST FACE. You can see me @2 hours and 24 minutes into the show.
Howard Chaykin & Mahdi Khene talk OLD Comics vs NEW Comics at Terrificon 2024 Panel (recorded by Splash Pages Comic Book Club) and I chime in a few times from the cheap seats.
I've known The Bennicasa’s all my life. Great people. Frankie, Reha and Gina. My family.
“FOX 5 New York: Meet the oldest living Holocaust survivor”
“Rose Girone, at 113 years old, is believed to be the oldest living Holocaust survivor in the world. Born in Poland in 1912, Rose escaped Nazi Germany with her husband and daughter, surviving incredible hardships, including years in Shanghai, China. Now living on Long Island, she is a testament to resilience and positivity, sharing her incredible story of survival and legacy as International Holocaust Remembrance Day approaches. FOX 5 NY's Jodi Goldberg brings us her inspiring journey.”
If you haven’t been reading Whitney Matheson’s 60-second stories once a week, you’re missing out (for paid subscribers only). Get on that! Or, you can subscribe for free to her regular posts filled to the brim with wit and pulp candy. Join her book club, too!
I love Jen’s new set of heavenly paintings. I can get lost in them for days.
Don’t miss “Upstated: new paintings by Jen Ferguson”
Opening Saturday, Feb. 8th, 2025; 4-6 p.m.
Gowanus Wine Studio & Tasting Table
257 3rd Ave (3rd Ave. at Union St.)
Brooklyn, New York 11215
Now that I've mailed physical (and digital) copies of CHEST FACE to all my beloved backers, I'm making my new comic book available for sale TO YOU. Please DM me for PayPal/Venmo details or you can buy it on Etsy.
I’m about to crack my good friend’s new novel, KARMA DOLL, the third in a spectacular crime series created and written by Jonathan Ames! Fans of both our works should check out our graphic novel collaboration, THE ALCOHOLIC.
In my next newsletter I’ll tell you about the cool panels I’m doing at Cosmic Con NY in Manhattan on February 15th & 16th. Get your tickets!
ALSO — on March 15th, I’m a Special Guest at Independent Comics Creator Con in Connecticut. More details, soon.
THIS THURSDAY, February 6th, @8:30pm EST, I’ll be chatting live on the Comic Watch podcast with Chad Burdette and Matt Meyer. Come bug us.
Finally, please check out VITO x DINO, the podcast I’ve been doing roughly once a week with my good friend/fellow story maker, Vito Delsante. You can see us on YouTube and hear us on Spotify and other venues. On our fourth episode Vito asks, “Should I take my shirt off?”
(Paid subscribers get VxD earlier than most + other exclusives).
See you in the gutters—
—Dean
Instagram / Website/Blog / Nightwork Studio / Etsy / VITO x DINO
Love the Imp poster!
How do you have time for all this!!!?