SF Zine Fest - Our First Show

This weekend we'll be vending at the 11th Annual San Francisco Zine Fest.  Held in the SF County Fair Building at 9th and Lincoln, the Zine Fest always holds a special place in our hearts.

The Zine Fest was our first foray into any sort of vending situation, and we only got into it because Monkey's manager at his retail job was the chief organizer.  Monkey started helping out organizing the event, and soon Monkey + Seal was born.  We really ended up coming up with the name in a sort of spur-of-the-moment panic as we realized we had to turn in something for registration.  

When we first started, we didn't have shirts, or prints, or ties.  We didn't accept credit cards, or have originals for sale.  Heck, at the time, we didn't really even know how to paint.  We managed to get a stamp made, and literally stamped all our business cards for that show.  

All we had were two mini-comics and two zines. And a few left-over buttons. We still sell some of them, and they've sort of become Monkey + Seal classics: The Story of Seal, and The Bad Date Zine, Vol. 1.  Seal finished her comic the night before, and we ended up going to the 24-hour FedEx Kinko's down in the financial district around 2am in order to print and trim the comics in time.

We didn't have a tablecloth, so we grabbed a big piece of green felt that we originally bought to make stuffed monsters.  Now, our bright green tablecloth (along with the bright, saturated neckties that we sell) is usually how people find us.  

Monkey assisted in a bookbinding workshop with the amazing Aaron Cohick of New Lights Press, his first workshop teaching experience ever.  Now Monkey has taught screenprinting, bookbinding, and is teaching a Marketing for Artists class this year.  He's also gone on to run the workshop program at Big Umbrella Studios.  

We've also met a lot of great people at Zine Fest, and we think you can really feel the communal, supportive atmosphere at the Fest.  I think among artists, there is generally a supportive vibe, but at some of the bigger shows more money can be at stake and sometimes a competitive vibe and big egos can creep in.  

So while its too late to get a table (or half table) at this year's Fest, we highly recommend getting on the mailing list so you can be first to sign-up next year.  There's also no jury (unlike a lot of the bigger shows), so it's good chance to get your art out there in a safe space. 

So we hope you join us at the Zine Fest this year (this is our fifth year vending) to share in a bit of the creative magic.  Come and get some ideas, see how little you need to get going pursing your dream.  And of course, there's always Monkey's Marketing for Artists Workshop Saturday at 1pm to look forward to as well.  It's free!

Hope to see you all there!

I Have $161,635.78 in Student Loans, $15,000 in Credit Card Debt, and I Want To Be An Artist…

First off, we'd like to thank everyone who helped make the SF Zine Fest possible - organizers, creators, and attendees alike. We had a great time, met some really awesome people, got some cool new comics and zines, and even won a few raffle prizes!

So today's post is a reprinting of something Monkey wrote for his short-lived "Monkey Zine" that he published a few years back. Lots of stuff has changed, and a lot has stayed the same. Monkey will be posting an updated version of the story a later on.

The reason we even remembered this was because at the Zine Fest two years ago we had the pleasure of talking about art school and life and pursuing your dream with an UC Davis student (who shall not be named, since we didn't ask for his permission to talk about him). He bought the Monkey Zine back in 2009, and two years later, he stopped by our table again! He even brought the zine with him!

So since this was never published on the Monkey + Seal blog, we thought we should republish it for everyone who missed it being posted on Monkey's personal blog way back when. Anyway, thanks R for being a fan, and best of luck pursuing your true passions!

I am 26 years old and have $161,635.78 in student loans, $15,000 in credit card debt, and I want to be an artist. I already have a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from one of the most prestigious universities in the world, yet because I was too busy running a student acting group and painting, I have no resume-building biology related experience, nor do I care to gain any.

Like I said, I’m about $177k in the hole, and currently my fiancée and I want to be working artists. We’re currently in art school, but I just hit my cap on student loans (wtf, who knew there was actually a ceiling on how much you can take out for education…) so I may not be able to afford another semester. If you ever were interested in pursing art, you’d know that it’s not easy to make money quickly, steadily, or easily. There’s a lot of work, dedication, and a never-ending commitment to your craft that you need to have.

How did I get to where I am? I grew up in Stockton, California, located pretty much dead-center of the state. It’s a politically conservative town of a couple hundred thousand, where public transportation is a joke, my high school had a day care, and our per capita murder rate is the highest in the nation.

My dad works as an environmental coordinator at an aerospace firm and my mom is a dermatologist’s assistance. My mom is very progressive and DIY, my dad, not so much. He’s your standard Democrat, but he’s definitely no Green (my political affiliation of choice). My parents do their best to support my dreams and they are surprisingly calm when I tell them things like I quit my high-paying, health-insurance graphic design job for unemployment during the start of the recession. They divorced when I was 18, and my dad remarried 7 years later. My step-mom is pretty cool, but since I life in San Francisco, and they live in Stockton, I haven’t gotten a chance to really get to know her.

I have a younger brother (5 years younger, to be exact) who still lives in Stockton. He’s super cool, and although we’re into different things (he has something like 30+ pairs of Nikes while I have 2 pairs of running shoes and a pair of interview shoes) we get along pretty fabulously.

My fiancée is pretty awesome. She is a feminist activist, intelligent, an artist, likes the outdoors and is Wilderness First Responder Certified, dances, sings, acts, likes to bake, and is a sexy lady. Basically, she’s everything I could ever ask for.

The two of us are following our dreams of surviving off our art. We make zines, comics, paintings, stationery, sculptures, prints, and also do graphic design work. I have a under-funded and under-advertised non-traditional custom wedding invitation studio. We are also currently very under-employed.

I never thought the recession would really hit us, but it definitely has. As we struggle to make our credit card payments, and rent, it’s sometimes hard to just keep focused on our art, let alone positive about our current situation. We’re not even sure that we can afford rent next month, and there aren’t a whole lot of options in terms of borrowing some cash.

I keep finding job listings that are unrelated to art, but might be kind of cool. I don’t think I’d mind working for a non-profit, or doing something sciencey for underprivileged youth, and I know I’d be great, but I’m always dissuaded by the job posting as I don’t have any resume experience to show how awesome I am with kids, or how I could totally act as an advocate for immigrant reform even though I’ve never worked in a law office.

It’s actually surprisingly difficult (although I guess it’s not that surprising now that I think about it) to get a retail job when you have a degree from UC Berkeley. I really want a job that pays me just enough to get by, and requires nothing mentally taxing, so I can go home stress-free and just focus on my art. Granted, I would most definitely quit as soon as my art career takes off, which I now understand is probably why most prospective employers would be hesitant on taking me on.

So I’m stuck in a resume limbo where I’m underqualified for the jobs I want, and I’m way over qualified for the other jobs I want. But I lucked out and got a job at a place I used to work at, so even though it’s not enough to pay the bills, at least it’s a steady flow of income.

Money and I have never really gotten along. My parents declared bankruptcy when I was 15 or so, and so I worked really hard to get into a good school. I was offered a nearly full-ride scholarship to UC Riverside, but after touring the campus, I knew I would be totally unhappy. I’m sure telling me that it was okay to go to UC Berkeley, where they would be co-signing on my loans, was one of the hardest things my parents have had to do.

Hearing that I would be going back to art school was probably equally as hard to hear, but fortunately for me, like I said before, my parents are surprisingly supportive.

When I first decided to write this, the title was going to be “I Have $161,635.78 in Student Loans, $15,000 in Credit Card Debt, and I Want To Be An Artist FML.” But then I realized, no, not Fuck My Life. I thought about it, and I realized it should be FMLIA.: Fuck, My Life Is Awesome.

Granted, I might not be able to pay next month’s rent. Granted, I may end up eating rice and ramen every meal for the next few months. Granted, I might not be able to finish school. However, I have so much to be grateful for, it’s ridiculous.

I still have a roof over my head and food in my stomach. I have a computer to type this out on, and a job to go to tomorrow. I’ve been able to travel outside the country, learn from some of the greatest minds in the world, and find someone I want to spend my life with. I might not be as skilled as Rembrandt, but I can paint and draw, and even if I’m not as prolific as Stephen King, I get to write zines and make comics.

We often are led to believe that life is about making it big. Being a Hollywood superstar, or a millionaire, or a supermodel, or a business executive. Basically, we’re socialized to care about money and fame and glory and being the best. But I’ve come to realize that while the urge to become a famous artist is still there, that’s not what I need to focus on. I need to focus on the little things that make me happy.

As long as I get to paint what I want to paint, I’ll be happy. As long as I get to wake up next to the person that has the screws to my heart, I’ll be happy. As long as I get to stick my hands in my pocket, pull my hood up on my sweatshirt, and stroll through the foggy San Francisco night, I’ll be happy. As long as my family is healthy and doing alright, I’m happy.

Yes, student loans and credit card bills are painful. They are utterly crushing and overwhelming at times, but I did sign up for them in the first place. It was I that accepted the high interest rates and stellar fees to be able to open my mind to unimaginable wonders, make life-long friends, find my life partner, and to learn my craft. And at the end of the night, when my head is swimming with the burden of debt mixed with inspirations for new paintings dusted with hopes and dreams for tomorrow, I find that I couldn’t be happier. For this I am eternally grateful.

Monkey = APE?

This weekend, Monkey + Seal will be showing at the Alternative Press Expo (aka APE) at booth 532 (see map below)!!! We'll be showing alongside other SF Zine Fest co-organizers Family Style (booth 207) and Two Fine Chaps (booth 305) and Goteblud (booth 428).


There will be plenty of other awesome exhibitors as well, and the workshops this year will be all focused on creating comics! Monkey will definitely be trying to sneak away to go check some of those out!

Monkey will be showing off his new crude/rude/crazy comic "The New Tweeb Bible of Sensitive Emotional Feelings about Sensitive Feelings, or, Wholesome Parables to Live Your Life By, also known as (A.K.A.) The Nu Mortality (on Sexy-time with Animals), a Collection of Comics by Rick Kitagawa," which possibly has the longest title for a mini-comic ever (and actually has nothing to do with bestiality). He'll also be selling some new postcards of his art, and of course we'll have our screenprinted shirts and ties, and Seal's fine art prints.

SF Zine Fest Wrap Up: Thank you!!!

Hi everyone! First off, we'd like to thank everyone who helped to make the 2010 SF Zine Fest the most awesome one yet! A special thank you goes out to all the volunteers who helped organize the fest, spoke in a panel, put on a workshop, and came out to exhibit and show your wares! The Fest wouldn't be here without all your hard work and support!

Also, a HUGE thank you to everyone who signed up for our email list, bought something, gave us compliments, and stopped by to talk to us. We are honored and touched by all the love. We hope that we can continue to aid and inspire other artists in one giant ball of artist-love for years to come. Thank you for buying all of our t-shirts (we sold out, but we'll print more!), ties, prints, postcards, and zines.

(Note: this is sort of a lengthy post, so just be warned!)

While we had a great weekend, we realized that there are a lot of people who we met who are artists (regardless of what you might say, we know you are artists are heart, and so do you!) who might be intimidated by something like tabling at the Zine Fest. Let us assure you, the Zine Fest is about as awesome as you can get for an artist who is just starting to get out there.

For one, it's inexpensive. Although rumor has it that table prices will go up a bit next year, the organizers like to keep it affordable. There were $30 "third-tables", which meant a 2x2 foot square for you to sell your work, which is great if you're just starting out with a few postcards or a comic or a zine or two. It's a far cry from something like Renegade Craft Fair or Wondercon, where $300-$800 for a booth is the norm.

Second, it's not a juried show. That means there is no non-refundable application fee - you only have to send in your application and payment before it sells out. Easy, right? No stress about whether or not a jury will like your work enough to get in. As long as you're on top of things (signing up for the mailing list might be a good idea) you'll do fine.

Third, it's THE place in the SF Bay Area to get your work out there. Monkey + Seal love the Zine Fest because it's a place where everyone is welcome. Whether you're working to make art for a living (like us) or just want to get some ideas/comics/stuff out there (like many zinesters), or are a crafter, there's a place for you. There's also a place for all styles and experience levels: from people putting out their published graphic novel to people photocopying their comics and self-publishing, it's a great place to be!

Anyway, we think the Zine Fest is great.

And for anyone who is new or curious about what's like to be an exhibitor, here is a glimpse in the life of Monkey and Seal: a behind-the-scenes look at our preparation and day of Fest.

Friday night was spent packing. We made a list of all the things we might need at the Fest and did our best to get everything ready. Prints, displays, table cloth, shirts, ties, tie packaging, painter's tape, masking tape, duct tape, pink fanny pack, zines, comics, small original pieces, and new postcards were all set aside. Monkey spent the night burning screens, packing ink, scoop coaters, old emulsion buckets, packing tape, squeegees, and everything else he would need for the screenprinting workshop. Seal was finishing up some freelance work, and this was all after helping set-up the comics reading at the Cartoon Art Museum.

We had dinner that night around 11pm, and then we were up doing more prep work, freelance work, and reserving our zipcar for the next morning. Due to lots of work to be done, (plus remembering we had to pack our painting supplies as we'd be live painting) we turned in for the night around 5am.

At 7am, the alarm went off, and we got up and got ready for the Fest. After some quick showers and a handful of chips for breakfast, we picked up the zipcar (or "zippy," as we like to call it) and loaded up all the stuff. We drove past an ATM to get money for change, then went to be at the SF County Fair building by 9 to help with set-up. We got there a bit early, so we got a warm white hot chocolate with soy for Seal and then headed over to the nearest bank to wait for them to open to change our 20's into change.

As soon as we lugged all of our stuff into the building, we split up. Seal would return the zippy and finish up some freelance work, while Monkey went about setting up tables and chairs for the Fest, and helped direct the volunteers.

By 9:30, other exhibitors began to come in, and while there was a bit of a delay due to the building not having enough 6-foot tables, we worked around it by using blocks of 8-foot tables and subdividing them into 6-foot spaces. Francois from Family Style, the lead organizer then started checking people in, and Monkey was then left to set up the table for the show.

By 10:30 or so, Monkey had the table set-up and started talking with neighbors (like the ever-friendly Kimmy Phi) and suddenly realized that he had forgotten our new product - the collaboration Steampunk Animal postcards! Oh nos! Fortunately, Seal was still at home working, so after a few phone calls, Seal had packed some cardboard and Simple Green (other things left behind necessary for the printing workshop), and the postcards, and would be on her way via bus.

The public started walking in about 10 minutes early (as they tend to do), and from then on, it was a fast 7 hours of talking with people who would stop by our table, trying to stay hydrated and well-fed, while we worked our creative magic during the live painting. Monkey painted a new zombie girl while the traffic was slow, but ended up stopping early as we fortunately got a lot of people stopping by for the rest of the Fest. We got lots of compliments on our new shirts, and were vastly unprepared for the positive response. We had ordered 17 extra shirts (besides the ones that were already sold via pre-order) and of those we had 3 misprints (which we sold at steep discounts). By the end of the Saturday, we had 4 shirts left and had sold out of the misprints.

Monkey was away from the table from about 3-5, as he was busy prepping, running, and then cleaning up after the silkscreen workshop. People seemed to enjoy it, and Monkey is happy to announce that he'll be soon running a more hands-on workshop at Big Umbrella Studios in the very near future. Unfortunately, he bit off a bit more than he could chew and some ink got dried up in some of his screens. While this can be a bit costly of a mistake if he can't get the ink out via power-washer, it is a good lesson learned on how to run the workshop in the future!

After we wrapped up the day at 6pm, we headed out via bus to the Mission district where there was an after-party mixer at Mission:Comics and Art, a cool new-ish space down on 20th st. Before going to the mixer we stopped by our favorite Mexican joint Mariachi's. After two big burritos there, we headed over to the mixer and got to hang out with the Family Style crew, as well as new friends Liz and Donna. We then headed home around 10.

We arrived back at our apartment around 11pm, then proceeded to print out more covers for the reprinted Bad Date Zine: No. 2. Monkey packed up more stuff to bring on Sunday for the bookbinding workshop he was running with bookbinding maverick Erin Fong. We then watched the latest episode of One Piece and then went to bed by 2am or so.

The next morning it was up at 8am. We were a bit late to catch the bus we wanted, but since most everything was set up, it wasn't a big deal and we ended up strolling into the Fest at 10:15. We set up the table again quickly (we had left most of the stuff locked in the building overnight) and Monkey then realized that he had foolishly only made singled-sided copies of BDZ2, effectively leaving out half the zine! We couldn't do anything about it at that point, so we re-worked the table, spreading out a bit to fill the spot of the sold-out zine, and as more prints and the shirts sold out, tweaked and reworked the table throughout the day.

Monkey left again at 12:15 to set-up for the bookbinding workshop, and returned at 1:30 to assist Seal in staffing the table. Monkey went on an interview with journalists from City College, and they then stopped by the table to film Seal live painting. Monkey and Seal would switch off between talking to customers and painting/eating snacks, and Seal then took a break to go and get a vegetarian plate from a nearby Mediterranean place. After Seal returned, Monkey then took a quick jaunt around the Fest to see what else was being sold, and was bummed when he found out that Vegansaurus' own Laura Beck's zine was already sold out! Drats!

Finally, at 5:40, Seal took off to go pick up the zippy we had rented to bring all of our stuff home. Monkey took down the table a bit after 6 (hoping for that last-minute sale), and then assisted all the other fine Zine Fest volunteers who took down tables, stacked chairs, and swept the humungo hall. By 6:30, Seal was back with the zippy and we packed up, said our good-byes, and were off!

Whew! It was quite a weekend (and quite a long post), and we're now taking it easy this Monday and are probably going to head off to Green Apple Bookstore (of which we are proudly and affiliate for) to further immerse ourselves in cool books, comics, and indie literature. Thanks again for stopping by, and we hope to see you next year at Zine Fest '11!

SF Zine Fest this weekend!

Hey all, we just wanted to remind everyone that we'll be at the SF Zine Fest this weekend from 11-6 (both Saturday and Sunday) at the SF Country Fair Building in Golden Gate park.

There are a ton of really awesome creators signed up, and after looking through some of their websites and what not, we're really looking forward to checking it out! Additionally, Monkey is currently prepping for the two workshops he's teaching, and Seal is proud to announce that we will be selling our new postcards as well as our "You're Not Alone Anymore" narwhal x unicorn t-shirts! We just shipped out all the pre-order shirts today, and Monkey had quite the trip to the post office! Thanks to everyone who pre-ordered! If you missed the pre-order, don't fret, as the shirt is now up in our store!


As incentive to come to the Fest where we are unveiling our postcards, which are all collaborations between both of us, here's a photo of them! You've only seen cropped previews before, but here's the real deal.

These postcards are especially cool (at least in our mind) as they're the first series of collaborations that we've worked on. Monkey + Seal usually work on their own pieces, but we've decided to try to start working together more and this is the outcome! They will be priced affordably, and you can pick up all four of the series at a discounted rate! Stop by the table, check them out, and let us know what you think!

Learn Screenprinting! Learn Bookbinding!

Hi everyone! We just wanted to take the time to remind you all to stop by the San Francisco Zine Fest this weekend (September 4+5) from 11am-6pm at the SF County Fair Building (in Golden Gate Park at 9th + Irving).

The event is totally free, and Monkey + Seal will be there vending. We'll have our ties, prints, and our new postcard line for sale, as well as some new assorted paper products (if we can finish them in time, eep!).

Additionally, there are going to be a ton of great workshops, panels, and discussions going on, and Monkey will be teaching two of them!

Stop by at 3:30 on Saturday to get an insider's look to screenprinting! We'll have a screen or two for you to print from, so make sure that you bring some paper, or some clothing to print on! We'll provide the inks, screens, squeegees, etc., so just bring what you want to print on! PS - Give us some suggestions as to what exactly you'd like to print, and if you're early enough, you just might see it at the workshop!

If you want to get your bindery skills on (or learn some), swing by at 12:30 on Sunday as Monkey will also be an instructor for the bookbinding class. We'll go over some single-sheet books, a pamphlet stitch, and if time allows, for some simple Japanese stab-binding! Awesome! We'll have all the supplies you need, just bring yourself and your curiosity!

Besides the awesomeness of the Zine Fest itself, there are lots of other fun events being put on by the Fest! On Friday, there will be a reading at the Cartoon Art Museum from 7-9pm with super great comic creators. It's a line-up not to be missed, and Monkey will be there for sure!

Also check out our Afterparty and Mixer over at Mission: Comics & Art (3520 20th Street, San Francisco) on Saturday from 7-10pm! Meet and mingle with some of the vendors at the Fest and have some drinks and check out the art on the walls! Sweet!

If you still can't get enough of the Fest, come to our After-After party at the Knock Out (3223 Mission Street). It's a $5 cover for this 90's Alternative dance party, but if get in FREE with zines to trade, a flannel get-up, or if you rock a Baby-Doll dress! It'll be from 9pm-2am, so come and get your 90's indie, underground, and riot-grrl jams, and rock on!

Whew! It's going to be a jam-packed week for Monkey + Seal and we hope to see you at the Zine Fest!

Sneak Peek - Postcards

While live painting as this week's featured artists over at the Blue Macaw via Market SF, we have developed a whole new line of postcard-sized art! Seal came up with the theme of "Steampunk animals," and we really took that concept and ran with it!

These images are parts of two of the new postcards that we'll be featuring at the SF Zine Fest on September 4+5th! Woo, it's coming up soon, so mark your calendars for a whole new line of postcards for sale at the Zine Fest!
We are hard at work trying to work on a bunch of new and exciting projects as we have also confirmed a booth at the Alternative Press Expo this coming October 16+17th, so we want to really step up our game and have some great stuff for you to check out. We appreciate your support and patronage, and we hope to keep producing art and products that you'll enjoy.

SF Zine Fest! Sign up now!

For all those print artists, card makers, crafters, DIY-ers, and other people who do cool stuff, you should definitely mark your calendar for the San Francisco Zine Fest! With our brand new postcard design from Jesse Reklaw, one of our featured special guests, we're one month to go to the deadline for early registration. Save your money now and get on board!

As chief registrar for the Zine Fest, Monkey can safely say that we're already half-full, with applications coming in daily, so make sure you get on it! Considering the price tag and the fact that it's not juried (although we'll tell you no if you're selling something non-DIY or really sketchy), it's really a low(er) cost opportunity to get your feet wet in the craft/art/zine fair scene and plus you get to meet tons of really cool people! Meet your audience face to face! Get out there and show us your stuff!

Overall, Monkey + Seal always have an amazing time at the Fest. Once again, we'll be live painting at the Festival, so even if you're not planning on exhibiting, definitely make sure to come check it out!

Register now!

Submitting to Art Shows, Not Submitting to Fear

Monkey is especially proud of that headline. So on Sunday, Monkey + Seal prepped their artwork and submitted it to the Academy of Art's Spring Show under the Illustration and Animation schools. Monkey is actually going to finish submitting today (since the Fine Art department's submission process has a later due date), but we wanted to talk a bit about submitting to shows.

The thing that we never could understand is why more people don't submit to the Spring Show. It's free (so it doesn't cost much, just the cost of the mounting materials), so why not? We know that it is really competitive, but regardless of how low your chances are, your chances can't be lower than zero, which is what your chances are if you never turn anything in.

This year, Monkey + Seal have faced some rejection - we didn't get into Renegade Craft Fair, nor were any of our pieces juried into Spectrum 17. But we realize that rejection is part of being an artist (and of life in general). Unfortunately, most people in life don't get everything they try for, but if you never try for anything, you won't get anything at all.


You cannot submit to the fear of rejection. You have to go into each competition with your eye on the gold - aim for the sun and hit the highest peak sort of thinking, you know? Monkey, who has never been selected for the Spring Show always says "Let someone else tell you that you're not good enough." If you can't bring yourself to believe in your work, then why should anyone else? Like we have said in past blog posts - it is all about finding your audience. Sure, you shouldn't submit a painting of a dragon to a landscape competition (or a landscape to a dragon competition) but you have to just power through your fear of rejection and keep moving forward, keep submitting, and keep getting your work out there.

Additionally, Monkey + Seal prefer not to dwell on the negative - sure we didn't get into Renegade or Spectrum, but there's always next year, we already had one successful gallery show this year, and now we're doing a gallery show in collaboration with Hyphen magazine, we just released our first e-book, Monkey is pushing himself to create and post a piece of art every day, and Seal has a freelance project for an upcoming animation studio. We're also helping to organize the SF Zine Fest and have applied to the Alternative Press Expo.

All in all, it isn't about comparing the good to the bad and weighing out your year - it's about choosing to focus on the positives, the accomplishments and accolades, and learning from all the missteps and failings. Finding this balance is definitely not easy (as we both can attest to), but it is what we strive for, and what keeps us going at all hours of the night. No fear, dear artists, no fear!

Zine Fest registration now open!

So Monkey + Seal took a little break yesterday to take down the Out of Place show, meet with buyers, hand off pieces, etc., etc.

All in all, we are definitely feeling good, but gosh, are we beat! Sometimes, we're not sure how we manage to work a combined 85+ hours a week (working retail, at that), plus manage to work on our art, keep our apartment tidy (well, I guess we don't do that), and make time for ourselves, but we just keep reminding ourselves that we're working to follow our dreams and that's that.

Monkey + Seal are looking forward for lots more to come in terms of new art, new events (via Paper Hat Productions), and new products. Thanks for all the support and we'll keep on following the dream!

PS - Monkey + Seal are proud to be part of the SF Zine Fest organizing team! We're always looking for new volunteers, and registration has just opened!

Paper Hat Productions Features: Francois Vigneault

Today's Paper Hat Productions' spotlight shines on the witty, ever-talented Francois Vigneault. One of the lead organizers of the San Francisco Zine Fest, this zine-producing, comic-creating, illustrator will be showing a series of illustrations painted on book covers, offering new takes on classic works of literature. Check out more of his awesome work over at his publishing company Family Style or at www.tourdefrancois.com.

Cool new zines: Ochre Ellipse 3 + Bird Brain

So Monkey is buddies with Jonas Madden-Conner of Family Style, but disclosure aside, his newest work Ochre Ellipse #3 is pretty amazing. Both Monkey and Seal have been re-reading it the past few days and we have to say that it is a damn good comic.

The illustrations are cute, but the overall storytelling shown here is damn good. The story follows a man of the future who travels back in time (a common recreational pursuit in the future) to try and revisit his childhood. The whole thing unfolds as smoothly as..well, something that unfolds really smoothly, and the ending is sure to pull at a few heartstrings (or you are a cold, dead human being).

Monkey is also buddies with Francois Vigneault, editor of Elfworld, creator of Friends, lead Family Style dude, and grand organizer of the SF Zine Fest. Francois also happens to be an avid bird watcher, and he mixes his love of comics and nature in his latest work, Bird Brain.

Filled with illustrations of various birds around the SF Bay Area mixed with hand-written observations, Bird Brain works well as it is such a personal work. Not only are there little stories about identifying birds, but there are little snippets of Francois' life while watching the birds, and the trips he took while checking them out.

We highly recommend heading over to Family Style to pick up a copy of each comic/zine ASAP (although Ochre Ellipse 3 isn't up yet, issues 1 + 2 are, and are also awesome) and you might as well browse the entire Family Style offering to find something great to read tonight!

More Zine Fest Recaps

Monkey got his goofy face photographed along with other great tablers over at http://alphabetilately.com/family/Zine-Fest-2009.html. Monkey + Seal got pegged as being on the more commercial than not (although I guess we are), but it's cool that our table was part of the recap!

There are also some cool pics of the other exhibitors that we had met last year (like fellow Zine Fest organizer Aaron Cohick of New Lights Press) and new faces like Joseph of Dent Comics, Tom of Two Fine Chaps, and Sean of Ashcan Magazine.

Also, Seal's awesome illustration got featured on Eyedapop! blog. Check it out for a cool review of the piece and the nice bit of convo that went on between the author and Seal.

Lastly, the Bad Date Zine got a hit here way back in January. Yay!

Monkey + Seal also finally got a Flickr account, so you can check out their photostream at http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkeyandseal/.

SF Zine Fest was Awesome!

We just wanted to give a quick (yet huge) THANK YOU to everyone who came out to the SF Zine Fest to make it such a overwhelming success! (Pics of the fest will hopefully be coming soon...please email us your photos of our booth if you have any!)

It was great to meet tons of new, awesome people, and we appreciate all the purchases and compliments on our work!

We also want to thank everyone that came out to the Hyphen panel that Seal moderated, Seal's Gouache painting demonstration, and the basic bookbinding workshop that Monkey co-instructed.

Thanks again and we look forward to seeing you again at the Fest next year!

Until then, if you missed us at the Zine Fest, we just launched our Workshops page! Come check out the workshops/presentations that we're able to offer. We currently don't have a good space to hold these workshops in, but if you live in the Bay Area we are more than happy to come to you! Check it out here for all the info!

Cartooooon Art Museum!

Hey Everyone!

Just a friendly reminder to stop by the Cartoon Art Museum tonight (8/21) for a cool reading of awesome comic artists! Woo!

We're also having a cool afterparty Saturday night! Come check it out!



Anyhoo, Monkey + Seal are going into hard-core production mode to bring you cool swag to purchase at the Zine Fest this weekend! Be there! Our next post will probably be after the fest, but we'll do our best...maybe some live blogging?

Selling Tips

This was posted on the official SF Zine Fest Blog a while back, but we thought it is always pertinent to share: The No Media Kings have a great little article with tips on selling your wares...check it out!

One of our favorites is:
Take loads of change. It’s the one commodity that’s always in short supply at a market and you don’t want to miss a sale because you don’t have the right change or have enough change. A receipt book can sometimes come in handy too.

Word.

Cool new events, fun time!

Hey Everyone, come check out these awesome Zine Fest-related events this weekend. Monkey + Seal will be there, so you should too!

Look At Me! - Auto-Bio Comics Read by their Creators
• Friday, August 21 7 p.m. to 9 p.m - Cartoon Art Museum
655 Mission St between 3rd and New Montgomery
$5 suggested donation (no one turned away for lack of funds)
All proceeds benefit SFZF and CAM!

Visit the Cartoon Art Museum for an evening of live readings of true-life stories, with featuring the work of:
Tessa Brunton,
Ricci Carrasquillo,
MariNaomi,
Jason Martin,
Melaina, and
Joey Sayers!


SFZF Benefit Show & Afterparty
• Saturday, August 22 9 p.m onwards - Amnesia
853 Valencia St between 19th and 20th
$7 donation

Proceeds benefit SFZF!

Our first-ever official Zine Fest party and music showcase!
Presented by Smile, the show will feature awesome bands, animations, and DJs...

Jeepster (Sacramento)
Fleshtone (Portland)
Hyperpotamus (Tokyo/Madrid)
and an animation screening by Wu of Ghost Family
DJ Neil Martinson (SMiLE!) spins psych, pop, soul, glam, disco, bubblegum, laserboogie, etc.

Come hoist a beer and boogie down with all your fave zine pals!

Production mode

So sorry for neglecting our little bloggy for a while, but Monkey + Seal have been hard at work prepping for the Zine Fest this weekend.

Monkey is putting out a new zine called (aptly titled) "The Monkey Zine" which will have a fold-out coloring poster, never-before-seen short stories, some poems from his poetry slam days, an article on medical ethnobotany, and more!

Seal will be doing an all-day painting demo both days, and will be selling some of her newest work (as well as some prints!).

We'll have 1" pinback buttons, the Bad Date Zine (issues 1 &2), The Story of Seal, the True Ghost Story zine, and hopefully more (depending on how crazy we get). We are also hoping to sell some cool-ass bookmarks and greeting cards that some of our friends make. We've also upped the ante on our table display, so hopefully it'll be easier to shop!

Anyhoo, off to bed so we can get up early tomorrow and get crafting! We hope to see you soon!

Giant FACES!!!

So next week we'll be crazy with prep work for our booth at the SF Zine Fest. Tonight we got a little old-school Theatre Rice and made up some giant Monkey and Seal heads for display at our table next weekend. We're also working on some other giant cardboard art, so you gotta come check it out!

This poorly-lit photo was of the printed sheet of buttons that we have to cut, press, and assemble to make our new line of M+S buttons!

Free workshops and fee workshops

So Monkey + Seal both enjoy teaching arts and crafts to people. So much, in fact, that we are both teaching some workshops in the near future..for free!

The Freebies:
Seal's Gouache Demo - August 22 + 23
As I'm sure you saw, Seal is planning to have a big-ol' long gouache painting demonstration at the SF Zine Fest (Aug 22+23, SF Country Fair Building). She will be sitting at our table with in-process works, so you can see the various stages of her work, as well as finished pieces and you can watch her paint! Lots of insight on how to paint with gouache (unlike how they teach you at Academy of Art) and trick and tips with working with the medium.

Monkey's Bookbinding Workshop - August 22 + 23
Monkey is co-instructing the Book Binding Basics and Beyond Workshop at the SF Zine Fest. He's not 100% sure what day or time it'll be, but we'll let you know ASAP! He is teaching alongside the amazing printer/writer/book artist Aaron Cohick of New Lights Press and they'll be doing some single-sheet books, some pamphlet stiches, and stab binding.


Anyhoo, Monkey and Seal also will teach small workshops for you and your friends at the venue of your choice. Please check out the workshops page here!