New Graphic Memoir- Long Red Hair

Two days ago Conundrum Press announced that we'll be working together again on my latest book project, Long Red Hair, which will be released in spring 2015. I'm really excited for this work to be out in the world. It's very different from Photobooth: A Biography in regards to the subject matter, the length, the narrative devices and the artwork (this one will be printed in duotone!) Though I think the readers will recognize my voice as it comes through in the introspection and attention to detail.

The full announcement and details are here. Below is the book's description.

Long Red Hair is Meags Fitzgerald's follow up to her acclaimed Photobooth: A Biography. In this graphic memoir, Fitzgerald paints a childhood full of sleepovers, playing dress-up, amateur fortune-telling and renting scary movies. Yet, Fitzgerald suspects that she is unlike her friends. The book navigates a child’s struggle with averageness, a preteen’s budding bisexuality and a young woman’s return after rejection. Fitzgerald takes us from her first kiss to a life sworn to singlehood, while weaving in allusions to witches in history and popular culture. Long Red Hair alluringly delves into the mystique of red hair and the beguiling nature of alternative romantic relationships.

Portfolio- Improv Camp Designs

Last week Improv Camp, which takes place on Gambier Island outside of Vancouver, wrapped up its 13th year! There's a special place in my heart for Improv Camp, where I was a camper and then a trainer for many years. I've created shirt designs for the camp for the last five years and it's a fun challenge to be given, essentially the same assignment every year.

In July I designed a two screen t-shirt design and a one screen hoodie design, both to be sold at the camp's tuck shop. Here are a few sketches, the finished designs and the designs mocked up on models:

Portfolio- Kinkonauts Posters

Back in the mid-2000s, when I was living in Calgary, I occasionally performed improv with the Kinkonauts. I have very fond memories of guesting with the long form ensemble.

A couple months ago I was contacted by one of the Kinkonauts, Owen, about making a poster to announce their new season and a template that they could use throughout the year.  

The company had already been using space-inspired designs for many years, so sticking with that theme we decided to infuse it with a retro, comic book look. I studied science fiction magazine covers from the 60s for inspiration. Then I mocked up three concepts.

They choose the second design (which was also my favourite) so I refined the sketch further and once they gave me the go-ahead, I sketched out the under-drawing on a large piece of paper.

 

Next I inked over the under-drawing using a lightboard, I did this in sections on multiple pieces of paper. 

In Photoshop I assembled the scanned inked drawings. In the early stages of the design process I presented the team with three palettes, (again they chose my favourite one) and so colouring was a breeze.  I also used the existing Kinkonauts logo as the alien woman's badge and their existing font for the heading.

Next I made six variations of the poster, each in a slightly different colour scheme, so the company can re-use the image for their whole season. I also made variations of the design for social media and to be made into buttons.

I really had fun with this project, it's not everyday that I get to draw aliens as part of my job. I hope that the Kinkonauts have a fabulous season of improv!

A New Self

This week I made a new cartoonish self-portrait. I made it mostly for fun and to test out my new Wacom tablet. But I also thought it was time to replace the self-portrait I've had in circulation for the last year where I look a little too serious.

As usual, I started with a sketch using animators pencils. I then inked over the sketch on a light board on two separate sheets (so my layers would already be separated once I brought it into Photoshop.)

Found Festival Design

I recently had the pleasure of doing the design for the 3rd annual Found Festival which is a multidisciplinary arts festival, across several venues in Edmonton. Here's a bit about that process:

1. I like to sketch with coloured animators pencils, they help me distinguish between elements.

2. I made three sketches of different concepts and this was the one the festival organizers decided to go with.  (I was glad, it was my favourite of the options too.)

3.  I drew the under drawing at 1.25 times the print size. The poster is 11 x 17 but the bottom 2.5 inches is reserved for sponsor logos, so the dimensions of my final product seem a bit unusual.

4. Using a lightboard, I inked all the elements on separate pieces of paper. Firstly because my scanner bed is not especially large (and I hate merging scans) and secondly because with all the elements already separate it makes colouring in Photoshop a little faster. 

I also sent the organizers five colour palettes to choose from, they chose the brightest, most summery option. I made two variations of the poster using the same colour scheme.

copyright 2014 Meags Fitzgerald

copyright 2014 Meags Fitzgerald

The festival is also printing t-shirts, this variation of the design was made for a one-screen screenprint.

copyright 2014 Meags Fitzgerald

Freelancer Resolutions

A few inked pages from the book before logging & filing them.

It's been just over a month since my last post because things have been busy, but I think I just needed a wee break from the internet too. This post isn't so much an update as it is reassurance to readers that I am still alive. Alive and making changes to start living better.

Like usual, I'm busy with Photobooth: A Biography. I'm in the last stretch now and I feel great about the work and relieved that the end of this period is in sight. My tour and signing dates for May and June are all set and in the next couple months the plans for July and August should be confirmed too. Professionally, lots of things are moving and shaking but it's a little premature to share them now.

On a personal note, my winter holidays were a bit of a juggling act. It was wonderful to be home with my family but I was so swamped with my to-do list that I didn't get to take one full day off during the two weeks I was in Edmonton. I spent Christmas day inside working while my parents and siblings did fun activities. (That wasn't actually as bad as it sounds because my family celebrates the Solstice, not Christmas. But still, I will pout about it.) It sucks to have to work when everyone else is relaxing and there's no one to blame but myself. It's good ol' self-sabotage.

Being a freelancer can be difficult for so many reasons... lack of financial stability, no paid vacation time, no healthcare benefits, etc. But time management is obviously my biggest issue. When I get fully engrossed in a project, I view every minute of the day as a minute that I could be doing my creative work. I make detailed "time budgets" (that's what I call my daily schedules) and if at the end of the day, I haven't finished everything, I get upset with myself for how I may have wasted time by using Facebook for too long. Then I go to bed stressed, thinking about tomorrow's to-do list and sleep restlessly. These are obviously terrible habits.

I recently realized that I'm still learning how to be a freelancer. Maybe one of the reasons it can be so difficult for myself and others is that we didn't have any freelance role-models while growing up. There's just no one to emulate and learn from. Growing up, the adults I interacted with; my parents, my aunts and uncles, my teachers, my coaches, all had 9-5 type employment, mostly in offices. Later, during my BFA, there wasn't a class that covered the highs and lows of self-employment. I'm figuring this out as I go, so are most freelancers, so we have to remember to give ourselves a break sometimes.

After my bittersweet "holidays" it became apparent that I needed to set some serious New Year's resolutions. Self-care is at the top of the list, for me this means making time to 1. socialize and 2. exercise and 3. do not eat more than one frozen pizza per week.

1. I got in touch with the good people at Montreal Improv and have been performing with them once a week. At first it felt a little funny to be on stage again (after 3 1/2 years away) but it's not about the stage time anyway. It's about leaving my house, putting myself into a different mindset, hanging out with really fun people and laughing a whole bunch.  It's been an entirely positive experience and works for me because I can build the time into my weekly schedule.

Tonight's dinner, waiting for the oven to preheat.

2. I found the yoga studio I liked best near my house (there's about six all within a ten minute walk,) and signed up for classes. I've gone to one to three classes a week, depending on how busy I've been. I've really savored the exercise and the time to quiet my mind.

3. So far, so good.


I've learned a lot about creative work and about myself during this process. If in the future, I choose to make another 300 page graphic novel, I expect it will be A LOT easier. When this is all good and done I will make a list of the unexpected things that I learned as a reminder to myself and maybe it will be helpful for others too.

Poetry Festival Design

In August I finished a logo, poster and t-shirt design for the Victoria Spoken Word Festival, which will take place in March. This year's theme is storytelling, so I focused the concept around a team of characters I designed based on traditional archetypes with unconventional twists. We made colour and b&w versions of the designs. Everyone at the festival is a dream to work with, I'm really happy to have had this fun project!

Over the Moon!

Last week was the week of good news!

Firstly, I found out that five of my works are runner-ups in Creative Quarterly most recent (33rd) competition in the student/ recent graduate illustration category. As a runner-up my pieces will be featured on their online gallery for four months in the winter.  

Secondly, on September 29th my  film LaCuna screened at the Edmonton International Film Festival and won the Jury Prize for Best Animated Short Film. This project was a huge time investment and is more experimental than most of my works, so the recognition means more to me than most accolades.

And thirdly, two professional creatives, who's work I deeply admire have written quotes in support of my book, Photobooth: A Biography. Illustrator & comicbook artist, Jillian Tamaki and author & CBC's host of Wiretap, Jonathan Goldstein both wrote some kind words for me. 

“Photobooth: A Biography is an impressive and ambitious project. A deep exploration of an unexpected topic that is in turn historical, journalistic, and personal.”
— Jillian Tamaki

“Fitzgerald has created something that’s more than candid personal memoire, more than carefully researched cultural history — she’s created a work brimming with that rarest of things: love. That I should use such a word to explain a young woman’s feelings for photobooths certainly sounds improbable and maybe even a little crazy. And that’s precisely why this book is so wonderful.”
— Jonathan Goldstein

Up top is my "author's portrait" and below is the book cover. More information can be found at my publisher's website. 

T-shirt and Poster Designs

In the last six weeks I wrapped up designs for five different theatre and music related festivals and shows. I'm able to share three of those projects at this time.

The first is a t-shirt design for SPUNK, which is the Zurich Improv Festival. Their existing logo uses a rhino, cowboy and balloons. We wanted to keep the same elements so I re-imagined them and came up with this variation.

Secondly, I collaborated on these five posters for Instant Theatre's new season of shows. The photographs are by Dylan Maher, the concepts are by Alistair Cook and the drawn elements are by me. I had a lot of fun coming up with the hand-drawn text for these. 

 

 

And lastly, I made the t-shirt design for Improv Camp again this year. My first ever illustration job was for Improv Camp 2009, and I've made one or two designs for the camp every year since, totalling seven designs. It's interesting to see how I've grown as an illustrator using these shirts as markers. 

This year, I came up with an island with areas named for famous improvisers. The ensembles at the camp are also named after famous improvisers, so the shirt was a way of acknowledging each ensemble too.

Self-Portrait for UPPERCASE

Last week I received my copies of UPPERCASE's Work/Life 3 book! I'm delighted with how it turned it and so happy to have been involved with this project. (Read more about it here.) I'm halfway through reading it and honestly it's been comforting to read about how other illustrators cope with the highs and lows of this sorta unusual job.

The book is a great resource for illustrators, artists, designers and art directors. You can buy the book here. 

My assignment for the book was to "Draw a view of your desk featuring items of biographical importance." Here's a look into my process, from sketches to print tests to the finished piece!

 

The finished piece!

 My spread!

UPPERCASE's Work/Life 3 is Ready!

I'm still waiting for my physical copies in the mail, so for now this teaser will have to do!

Work/Life 3: the UPPERCASE directory of illustration from uppercasemag on Vimeo.

My illustration does appear in the video, but it goes by mighty fast! I'll have to wait for the actual thing to get a good look at how it's turned out.

Best Podcasts List

I listen to eight to fourteen hours of podcasts and audiobooks almost everyday. Without them, drawing at my desk by myself gets very dull. Friends frequently ask me for recommendations, so rather than responding individually, I made this categorized list!

I recently counted and I’m subscribed to over ninety podcasts in iTunes, all of the ones I listen to are free. This isn’t a list of everything I listen to, just the ones that I feel are consistently good quality.  I’m going to keep this list updated as I find new ones. And I’m always looking for more to enjoy, so leave your recommendations in the comment section!

ARTS & CULTURE

-99% Invisible
-PRI/WYNC: Studio 360
-NPR: Tiny Desk Concerts (VIDEO)
-PRI/WYNC: This American Life
-NPR: Bullseye with Jesse Thorn
-CBC: Q with Jian Ghomeshi
-The Walrus

SCIENCE & ECONOMICS

-WNYC: Radiolab
-Freakonomics Radio
-NPR: Planet Money
-TED Radio Hour
-HSW: Stuff to Blow Your Mind

HISTORY

-HSW: Stuff You Missed in History Class
-CJSW: Today in Canadian History
-LearnOutLoud: Great Speeches of History
-History of Photography

SPECIALTY KNOWLEDGE & FACTS

-CBC: Under the Influence
-Grammar Girl
-MaxFun: Put this On (VIDEO)
-MaxFun: Sawbones
-From Scratch 
-HSW: Stuff You Should Know
  
COMEDY, CONVERSATIONAL

-MaxFun: Stop Podcasting Yourself
-Hang out with Me, Myq Kaplan
-MaxFun: Jordan, Jesse GO!
-MaxFun: My Brother, My Brother and Me
-Earwolf: Comedy Bang Bang
-MaxFun: Dave Hill’s Podcasting Incident

COMEDY, GAME SHOW FORMAT

-NPR: Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me
-MaxFun: Judge John Hodgman
-MaxFun: International Waters
-APM: Wits

COMEDY, SCRIPTED & IMPROVISED

-CBC: This is That
-CBC: The Irrelevant Show
-Superego 

STORYTELLING, PERFORMED LIVE
 
-The Moth
-MaxFun: Risk

STORYTELLING, WRITTEN
 
-MaxFun: The Memory Palace
-PRI: Selected Shorts
-CBC: Wiretap
-Slate: Stranger than Fiction
-Librivox: Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece

SEXUAL HEALTH & POLITICS
 
-Savage Lovecast
-MaxFun: Throwing Shade
-Life on the Swingset

FEMINIST & WOMEN'S ISSUES
 
-Bitch Radio
-MaxFun: One Bad Mother
-HSW: Stuff Mom Never Told You

CREATIVE INDUSTRIES & ILLUSTRATION
 
-Escape from Illustration Island
-Etsy: Handmade Portraits (VIDEO)
-Big Illustration Party Time
-Paper Wings

Festival Design!

I recently finished up these designs for posters and social media for the Vancouver International Improv Festival. The Artistic Director, Alistair Cook and I conceived of this idea of Regions of Improvisation. I drew inspiration from maritime signal flags, which at their core, like improv are just about communication. I designed fourteen in honor of the festival's 14th year. I owe thanks to my brother Tiegh Fitzgerald, who's also an improvisor for helping me finalize the regions' names.

I did a t-shirt design for the festival as well, but I think we're keeping that secret until the actual event.

Right now I'm designing the visuals for another festival, illustrating some posters for a theatre company and working on a couple t-shirt designs. It's been fun!

Improv Shirt Design

A few weeks ago I wrote an article, The Role of  Improv Apparel for The Way of Improvisation, a new online resource for the improv community. I've designed over two dozen shirts for improv companies and festivals and gradually learned what makes a good design and how important that is to improvisors. 

One point I make in the article is that the shirts we wear sorta act as our resumes, letting people know where we've performed, studied, taught, etc. They're also important as keepsakes for festivals and markers in our improv careers. 

My friend and Atlanta improvisor, Rene Dellefont, has taken this to another level. In the last couple years he's got two tattoos designed around imagery and concepts from shirt designs I did, both for Improv Camp. Here are the originals and Rene's tattoos (click images for info about the tattoo shop and artist.)

Something I didn't include in the article, is how cool it feels to see people wear the designs I made! I've made two shirt designs for the Canadian Improv Games National Festivals, for 2011 and 2013. It's so neat to think that hundreds of students from across Canada have a piece of my art in their dresser drawer.

A couple times now, once in Toronto and once in Montreal, I saw somebody walking down the street in one of my designs. The world is so wonderfully tiny.