Justin here with an overdue progress report.  I just got back from a trip around South East Asia and Australia, and have hit the ground running here in San Francisco.  I’ve been curating a couple of shows, making art, and putting out a new comic.  Here are the things to check out if you have the time:

1)  HARD TO SWALLOW!

David Davenport and I have put together a gay porn comic called HARD TO SWALLOW that’s hot off the presses.  I know that’s not to everyone’s tastes, but I’m proud of the work…  HTS has everything from necrophiliac werewolves to pirates who really know what to do with a hook, and also includes autobiographical and biographical pieces along with the pure fantasy.  This is not your daddy’s porn!

You can buy a copy and preview some pages at: http://www.hardtoswallowcomics.com.

2)  NO STRAIGHT LINES: QUEER CULTURE AND THE COMICS!

I just curated the San Francisco Cartoon Art Museum’s new exhibition NO STRAIGHT LINES: QUEER CULTURE AND THE COMICS, which is the first museum show devoted entirely to LGBT cartooning.  This is exciting, groundbreaking stuff, featuring over twenty of today’s most important queer cartoonists, and if you’re in S.F. you should try and stop by.  The show runs from April 1st to June 25th, with an opening reception on Saturday, April 8th from 8-11pm, and a closing reception on Thursday, June 22nd from 7-9pm.

Check it out at http://www.cartoonart.org (now it’s only on the upcoming exhibits sidebar, but more information will be posted in a few days).

3)  APE$#!T!

Jesse Reklaw and I curated this show, which is a kind of follow-up to last year’s INK.  It showcases a stellar group of  Bay Area cartoonists doing various kinds of fine art, from painting to printmaking to embroidery.  The artistic sensibilities forged in the world of comics carry over into the creators’ other forms of artistic expression in interesting ways.  I’ve made a set of linoleum cuts for the show focusing on my favorite obsession, food.  APE$#!T runs from April 7th to June 10th, with the opening reception on Friday, April 7th from 7-10pm.

Check out the show’s webpage for more information and art samples at http://www.slowwave.com/event/apeshit.html

4)  ALTERNATIVE PRESS EXPO!

Once again, I’m both tabling at the convention and moderating the annual Queer Cartoonists panel, which takes place Saturday, April 8th from 12:00-12:55pm.  I’ve got a great, diverse line-up of creators this year, and am excited about asking them probing, revealing questions.  I’m also on another panel entitled The New Breed: The Bay Area Young Cartoonists, which takes place on Sunday, April 9th from 4:30-5:30pm.

A.P.E.’s website is http://www.comic-con.org/ape
The Queer Cartoonists panel is described in more detail at http://www.comic-con.org/ape/ape_prog.shtml#sat

5)  KINK INK!

The Center for Sex and Culture here in San Francisco is having a fundraiser during the APE weekend, called KINK INK.  An impressive line-up of cartoonists and other artists are donating work for auction, and there will be entertainment of a dubious nature as well.  I’ll have original pages from HARD TO SWALLOW up for sale.

You can check out the festivities at:
http://www.sexandculture.org/pages/upcoming-events-at-CSC.html

Finally, as always, I have plenty of my comics for sale and perusal on my own website http://www.allthumbspress.com… which sorely needs an update, but I’ll get to that when my life calms down!

I hope this finds you all well.  Take care,

Justin Hall