Baggywrinkles – Page 2 – Lucy Bellwood

New Comic: Scurvy Dogs

That’s right! My latest comic, an examination of maritime history’s deadliest deficiency, is now live! For the last few months, Eriq Nelson and I have been hard at work researching the ins and outs of scurvy in the Golden Age of Sail, and now we’re bringing our findings to you in 18 pages of informative, entertaining comics.

There’s even a Napoleonic Capybara. No joke.

I’ve had such a blast working on this piece—even if the production timeline was somewhat delayed by the Kickstarter I ran this summer. Speaking of which, this comic will round out the hardcover collection of Baggywrinkles comics I’m publishing in 2016! What’s more it’ll be in FULL COLOR! Gosh I’m excited.

Anyway, you can read the whole thing right here! I do hope you enjoy it.

News

Baggywrinkles Now LIVE on Kickstarter!

The day is finally here, friends! Baggywrinkles: A Lubber’s Guide to Life at Sea just launched on Kickstarter and it’s time to get this sucker made. If you’re already on board and you wanna get straight to the business, here’s the page!

Wait, what’s a Baggywrinkle?

A Baggywrinkle is furry, cylindrical device used for preventing chafing between a ship’s sails and the surrounding lines. It’s one of the most distinctive features of a ship’s rigging, made all the more ludicrous by the fact that you spend a LOT of time explaining what it is to visitors—a hard sell when it’s got such a weird name.

But it’s also the namesake of my educational, autobiographical series about the time I’ve spent sailing on 18th-century tall ships!

So, you’re making a book?

THAT’S RIGHT. Baggywrinkles has been running in little micro-installments for five years now. With 90 pages of content under my belt I’ve finally got enough material to bind everything together into a really handsome 6″x9″ softcover collection.

I’m funding this book on Kickstarter because it allows for some really thrilling opportunities to do this collection right. You can check out the campaign page for full details, but the most important thing I want to tell you about is that if we exceed our funding goal of 15k by just $5,000 I’m going to hire Joey Weiser and Michele Chidester to render the entire collection IN COLOR.

I cannot express with words how excited I am about this possibility. LOOK AT THESE LOVELY COLORS! THE BOOK WOULD BE SO AMAZING! I mean, it’s gonna be great either way, but I’m really gunning for color.

So go check out the page and take a look through all the rewards. There’s lots to enjoy—prints, original art, special PDF bundles, and more. And thank you for being such stalwart readers and supporters. You all mean the world to me.

FOR BAGGYWRINKLES. FOR GLORY.

News

T-1 Week to the Baggywrinkles Kickstarter!

Ahoy, friends! I am so, so excited to announce that Baggywrinkles: A Lubber’s Guide to Life at Sea will be hitting Kickstarter July 20th.

What is Baggywrinkles, you ask? Why, it’s my educational, autobiographical comic series about living aboard an 18th century tall ship! You can read the first five issues online for free, and check out new content from the series every week on Patreon. I’ve been working on these short stories intermittently since 2010, and I’m finally ready to bring the whole bundle together under one cover.

So next Monday (July 20th) I’m launching a campaign to fund the printing of a 100-page, 6×9″ softcover collection featuring Issues 1-5, the never-before-seen-in-print Issue 6 (all about the history of scurvy), and a host of other exclusive goodies. Take a look at the finished cover design!

I’ve been hard at work with a team of stellar professionals to make this collection something you’ll all be proud to own—we’re talking French Flaps, patterned endpapers, high-quality matte paper stock, and deliciously thick covers.

Tiling-Background — So pattern. Very endpaper. Such nautical.

I’ve also got some really neat extra rewards. Like remember this giant guide to sailors’ tattoos I drew for the Vancouver Maritime Museum?

Well, I’m gonna turn it into a super fancy two-color, limited edition letterpress print in collaboration with the fine folks at Twin Ravens Press in Eugene, OR! And there’s more extra rewards to come.

This post is your official warning to watch this space (or follow me on Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, and Instagram) for the campaign launch next week, and to keep your eyes peeled because I’ve got a very special stretch goal that I’ll be announcing once the book goes live.

I can’t wait to share more with you—stay tuned!

Comics

New Comic: Pacific Passages (Baggywrinkles #5!)

Happy Friday, comics friends! I come bearing tidings of a new Baggywrinkles installment. Pacific Passages is a historical story that’s been in the works since earlier this year. It’s written by R.J. Mockford, a maritime historian who’s done a lot of work on the history of the original Lady Washington, and illustrated by me!

If you’d like to order a print copy listen close: I’ve only got 20 of them available right now and I’m flying to England next week so the order window is only open between now and Monday. You can get the individual issue here or the five-issue Baggywrinkles bundle here. You can also get a shiny PDF version on Gumroad!

And now, without further ado, THE COMIC:

Many thanks to all of you who have been supporting me on Patreon! This comic couldn’t have happened without you.

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VanCAF This Weekend!

Get ready, Canada. There’s a wave of fabulous Portlanders headed your way this weekend for the impeccable show that is VanCAF!

I had an incredible time at this show last year, so I’m really excited to be heading up again to celebrate with all my Canadian comics buddies. I hope you’ll join us! That this weekend (May 25-26) at the Roundhouse Community Center (181 Roundhouse Mews) in Vancouver. The show is totally freeeee and runs 10am-6pm on Saturday and 11am-5pm on Sunday.

I’ll have brand new copies of Baggywrinkles #4 as well as Issues 1 – 3, True Believer, and Tales from the Fragment. Not to mention buttons and other goodies. You can find me at Table B4 alongside many lovely Portland creators. I’ve even made you a handy map so you can find me, Sam Alden, Ezra Butt, Terri Nelson, Dylan Meconis, Erika Moen, Amy Falcone, and Steve Lieber ALL IN ONE CONVENIENT LOCATION.

(If you want the bigger picture, here’s the entire convention floor map. Click to enlarge!)

In addition to tabling it up all weekend, I’m excited to be appearing on the Breaking Into Comics panel with Ed Brisson, Jesse Davidge, and Jason Turner! The conversation will be modered by Doug Savage, who will quiz us brutally on how we got started in the business of drawing funnybooks for a living. That goes down Sunday from 12 to 12:45.

ALSO: While you’re in Vancouver, be sure to check out the Maritime Museum’s exhibit on Tattoos and Scrimshaw, where you can find this ginormous poster I illustrated about common nautical tattoos! You can even buy copies of Baggywrinkles in the Museum’s gift store. Aw yis. I’ll probably be heading over there Monday to see the show in person, so if you want to tag along, come find me at the show!

Okay, I think that’s enough convention promotion for now. Phew! See you in Canada, friends.

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Baggywrinkles #4 is Here!

WOW. Wow. I can’t process into words how amazing TCAF was this year, so I’m just going to cut to the chase and let you all know that Baggywrinkles 4 was a monstrous hit this weekend, and now it’s time to put the comic into general release for all of you to enjoy! There are several ways to get the most out of your reading experience, so choose carefully.

1. This Post (Free and Easy)

You can scroll past all this nonsense to cut straight to the chase and read Baggywrinkles #4 on the site. Easy peasy!

2. Digital Edition (Free or Pay-What-You-Will)

If you’d like something more lasting, why not download the PDF edition from Gumroad? The PDF is free, but there’s a pay-what-you-will option built in, so if you enjoy the story and would like to chip in a few bucks towards the completion of the next comic, this is the best bet for you!

3. Physical Copy ($5 + Shipping)

Die-hard Baggywrinkles fans will most likely want a physical copy of the comic, which is TOTALLY AVAILABLE. Phew! You can pre-order via Storenvy this very second! Hard copies will begin shipping on Friday.

Unfortunately, I’ve had to stop hand-sewing all my books due to time constraints (I did the math. Did you know I’ve hand-bound over 600 copies of Baggywrinkles since I started the series? NUTS.), so this issue will be stapled, but the comic does feature a very nice recycled cardstock cover and 16 creamy interior pages of comics goodness. I think it looks swell. I’m also happy to doodle in the copies you purchase if you’d so desire.

So with all that out of the way, here’s the comic! Enjoy!

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TCAF This Weekend! New Issue of Baggywrinkles! EXCLAMATORY STATEMENTS!

Hey gang! Have I got news for you. Not only am I flying to TORONTO tomorrow to table at TCAF, but I’ve also just completed the fourth installment of BAGGYWRINKLES! I AM REALLY EXCITED ABOUT ALL OF THIS.

So. Here are the deets:

Baggywrinkles #4: The Plank (prototype edition).

This sucker is making its debut this weekend at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival. After I get back from the show, I’ll be putting it up for free right here on the site so you can get all your plank-learnin’ in one place. I’ll also be re-stocking back issues of Baggywrinkles, so the store will once more be fully operational! Thanks for your patience during the last couple months. Things have been nuts.

Speaking of TCAF, here’s what’s up: I’ll be at table #148 with my buddy Jen Vaughn in the Toronto Public Library Saturday and Sunday this weekend. The show is totally free and full of incredible cartoonists from all over the globe. I am so. thrilled. to be participating this year. Come say hi, squeak the walrus, check out some nautical comics goodness. You know the drill.

SEE YOU IN CANADA!

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Stumptown Comics Fest This Weekend!

It’s that time of year again, folks! The Stumptown Comics Fest arrives this weekend and I’ll be boating it up at table D02 with fellow nautical cartoonist Molly Hayden for all your Baggywrinkle-related needs. The show runs Saturday (10am to 6pm) and Sunday (12pm-6pm) at the Oregon Convention Center, and costs $10 per day or $15 for the whole weekend — a steal! Kory Bing was kind enough to make this goofy map, where you can see all the fabulous folks who’ll be tabling around me!

Basically, it’s gonna be a party.

Speaking of parties, I’ll also be participating in the annual Stumptown Art Battle during the official Saturday night after party at the Jupiter Hotel! Come see me duke it out with fellow cartoonists Ming Doyle, Dash Shaw, Jeff Parker, Mike Russell, and Cat Farris as we vie for your drunken approval.

ADDITIONALLY: Those of you who missed my Freelance Badassery talk in January can catch it in an all-new incarnation on Saturday from 12-12:45 in Room B113. The Righteous Creative will be a snappy 45-minute pep talk to help you navigate the pitfalls of dealing with inner critics and figuring out how to do the work you love. We’ll discuss strategies for conquering the blank page, building and maintaining momentum, and staying on target. Bring your best creative productivity tips, as there will be a skill-share portion of the discussion.

Apart from that, I’ll just be hanging out at the table for the rest of the weekend, so come say hello! Table wares include Baggywrinkles 1, 2, and 3*, True Believer, Tales from the Fragment, button packs, prints, ladies’ t-shirts, original watercolors (I only have a few of the super-popular talking birds left!), and the one, the only, SQUEAKY WALRUS.

*A note about Baggywrinkles #4: Although I had originally planned to have the issue out by Stumptown, my unexpected trip home to help my dad recover from hip surgery threw a spanner in the works and set me back a few weeks. Rest assured, I’m busting my buns to get it finished in time for TCAF, so if you’re dying for a copy it should be here by mid-May. Thanks for understanding, guys! I’ll bring some of the in-progress pages so you can all get a sneak peek.

See you on the floor!

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Baggywrinkles #3 – Parts Unknown

Nautical enthusiasts and beloved shipmates, rejoice! Baggywrinkles #3 is now available online for your reading pleasure. This issue covers the sailor’s rig, period-appropriate clothing, and the mysterious science of the foretopmast’ays’l. If you’d like to own a physical copy of the comic, you can pre-order one here! The current printing should be finished and bound in two weeks.

These comics celebrate and support the modern world of tall ship sailing. If you’d like to have a direct impact on the survival of this amazing lifestyle, consider supporting the tall ships Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain via the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority, a Washington non-profit dedicated to perserving maritime heritage. You can donate to the Seaport here, or, if you’re lucky enough to live along the West Coast, visit the boats in person when they stop in a town near you! For more info about crewing aboard tall ships, check out the Tall Ships America homepage or the Seaport’s Two Weeks Before the Mast program.

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Convention Time! San Francisco! Baggywrinkles 3 Debut!

Hey gang,

I write to you from not-very-sunny-at-all San Francisco, where I’m settling in for a weekend of crazy awesome goodness at APE! For those in the area, APE will be taking place at the Concourse Exhibition Center this Saturday and Sunday from 11-7 and 11-6 respectively. Passes are $10 for one day or $15 for the whole weekend and it’s gonna be OFF. THE. WALL. Here’s a map of the whole exhibit floor:

And here’s the weeny little corner where Baggywrinkles Headquarters (that’s myself and the incredible Mr. Sam Alden of Gingerland Comics) will be rockin’ out at Table 718:

Speaking of which, Baggywrinkles #3 is OFFICIALLY COMPLETED!

It was a crazy couple weeks in there, especially considering that I waded through a 100 degree fever and a debilitating neck injury while trying to ink the last 10 pages of the comic, but as my mother always said “You can’t keep a good nautically-inclined cartoonist lady down.”

So here it is! 20 pages of hand-sewn, lip-smackin’ nautical comics goodness. I only printed a limited number for the show this weekend, so if you want one, be sure to stop by early. If I don’t sell out, I’ll be putting the remainder online in the store when I get back and start the full print run.

That’s all for now, Baggies and Wrinklers. I can’t wait to see some of you out this weekend!

Hugs and kisses,

Lucy