KAYLAPORTER

HOLLY+RUSSELL

2011-06-01T10:45:00.002-06:00

I've been working on my friend Holly's wedding invites this week. They've been really fun to do, mostly because the only direction I was given was 1) they wanted a drawing of them and 2) they wanted it in my handwriting. Sounds great to me. I wanted the invites to look like they had been torn from a page in my sketchbook.

I feel like I've been waiting for a project like this to come around for awhile.

WAHH WAAAH

2011-05-10T17:42:00.003-06:00

I just don't even know what to write. I could tell you about the most intense semester I've had yet, and how I handled it like a champ. Or how I just got back from a weekend in San Diego visiting my little sister with my family. I could tell you about all the shows I've been to, all the movies I've seen, or the music I listen to. How about the podcasts? Well there's Marc Maron and The Nerdist. I mostly just want to listen to interviews these days. Like the one with Judd Apatow or Conan or even the one with Bobcat Goldthwait was really good.

As for music - I find myself retreating back to the stuff that comforted me in high school. I want to listen to something familiar. As for movies - Rabbit Hole was great, Win Win was great and if you have the chance to see In A Better World, please do.

I'm sure there is a lot to report - but as usual, it's hard to put all the stuff that really matters into words. I soothe myself by taking in endless amounts of media through my eye-holes and ear-holes. It distracts me from the balancing act I'm trying to pull off - being terrified and excited for the future at the same time. For now I'll just rewatch another episode of Party Down and maybe download a few more podcasts to listen to tomorrow at work.

THRIFT

2010-12-13T10:18:00.002-07:00

Found this lil guy for a quarter when I was thrifting this weekend. Spray painted it white and my favorite salt and pepper shakers fit perfectly.

2010 YEAR-END LISTS

2010-12-01T15:54:00.001-07:00

This time comes but once a year, yes m'dears, it's time for my year-end lists. You could say my enormous amount of media consumption is trying to fill some kind of void in my life - and you're probably right. At least I'm aware of it!

Photo by Reiko Turner

TOP 10 FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 2010
The Radio Dept. - Clinging to a Scheme
Warpaint - The Fool
Toro Y Moi - Causers of This
The Morning Benders - Big Echo
Belle and Sebastian - Write About Love
Small Black - New Chain
Efterklang - Magic Chairs
The Octopus Project - Hexadecagon
The Love Language - Libraries
Balmorhea - Constellations

FAVORITE LIVE SHOWS OF 2010
Girls at Urban Lounge (February 12)
Memory Tapes at Spaceland (Los Angeles) (February 26)
The Morning Benders at Velour (Provo) (April 5)
Local Natives at Kilby Court (May 22)
The Mountain Goats at Urban Lounge (June 16)
Dum Dum Girls at the Twilight Concert Series (August 26)
[The entire concert series this summer was fantastic! I had a great time at every single show, but seeing the Dum Dum Girls was my favorite and the best way to end a perfect summer.]
The Budos Band at The State Room (August 31)
Beach House (opening for Vampire Weekend) at In The Venue (September 2)
Efterklang at Urban Lounge (September 14)
Mice Parade at (le) poisson rouge (NYC) (September 25)
Grass Widow and Beach Fossils at The Old Firehouse (NYC) (September 27)
The xx / Warpaint at United Palace Theatre (NYC) (October 2)
Caribou at Urban Lounge (October 11)
Menomena at Urban Lounge (October 15)
Hot Chip at In The Venue (October 19)
Jonsi at The Complex (October 22)
The Morning Benders / Twin Sister at Urban Lounge (October 23)
Daedelus at W Lounge (October 26)
Portland Cello Project at Peery's Egyptian Theater (Ogden) (November 5)
Aloe Blacc at Urban Lounge (November 9)
Small Black / Class Actress at Kilby Court (November 12)
Nosaj Thing / Toro Y Moi / Jogger at Urban Lounge (November 19)

FAVORITE LIVE COMEDY SHOWS OF 2010
Adam Carolla at The El Portal Theater (LA)
Charlyne Yi at SLCC
Kevin Nealon at Wiseguys Ogden
Tom Arnold at Wiseguys Ogden
Adam Carolla at Wiseguys West Valley
Brian Posehn at Wiseguys Trolley Square
Maria Bamford / Jackie Kashian at Wiseguys Trolley Square
Jimmy Fallon Show at 30Rock (NY) (does this count?)
Nick Thune / Rory Scovel at Wiseguys West Valley

FAVORITE TV SHOWS OF 2010
Mad Men (Season 4) (AMC)
Modern Family (Season 1) (ABC)
Breaking Bad (Season 3) (AMC)
Parks and Recreation (Season 2) (NBC)
Saturday Night Live (Season 35) (NBC)
The League (Season 1) (FX)

FAVORITE THINGS THAT I CAN'T STOP PROMOTING IN MY DAILY PERSONAL LIFE
Adam Carolla, The radio station 104.7 The Point, Kit Kat Bars, Saturday Night Live, Podcasts, Rice Pudding, DIY Network, Trader Joe's, The League, Utah Jazz, Christmas music, my secret favorite D.I. (the location is only uttered to people I trust), Scott Pilgrim (the comic book, but also the movie).

FIRSTS
- Wore contacts for the first time
- Started school? What?!@? (I know, I did it. Wow.)
- Built stuff, like.. a blanket chest and a freakin' kitchen.
- Went to NYC and did the most typical thing, fell in love with it.

TRIPS I TOOK
Los Angeles, California
Sun Valley, Idaho
New York City, New York
San Diego, California

So.. I never really do favorite movies of the year. Probably because my favorite movies are movies like Going The Distance and Sex and the City II. Hahaha.

2010 WRAP UP
2010 was okay. All in all I give it about a 6. I'm excited for 2011, I predict a lot of cool things will happen and possibly some big changes for myself. Whatevs!

PATTERNITY

2010-11-15T18:49:00.001-07:00

Marquetry dyed veneers
Furniture by Toby Winteringham

patternity

NYTRIP

2010-10-07T22:54:00.001-06:00

Here's a video I quickly put together with some clips from our trip to NY last week. Enjoy.

JENS RISOM

2010-08-31T15:37:00.002-06:00

Eye candy anyone?

Jens Risom

PEEL P50

2010-08-29T09:21:00.004-06:00

Awh, I love tiny things. Especially cars. This Peel P50 is just adorable.

TABLES

2010-08-28T12:20:00.003-06:00

I would love to build a new dining table in the next few years. So here's a few of my favorite photos that I've saved in my "inspiration folder" on my computer.

Love this one by Mobelverket.

This set is amazing by Zeitraum Mobel.

I know I will never be able to afford either of these tables, but hopefully one day I'll have enough time to design and build a table that will be perfect for me and my space. Don't get me wrong, I totally LOVE my $10 garage sale dining set. Hah.

ARCHIE CHAIR

2010-08-27T23:01:00.002-06:00

The Archie chair and sofa by Nick Garnham and Rod Carlson, for Jardan.

KILBY COURT / SEPTEMBER 2010

2010-08-27T18:28:00.003-06:00

About once a year I attempt to tackle the Kilby Court calendar all by myself without the help of my lovely design partner Sarah Martin. I try to have fun with it and hopefully that shows. One of my favorite things about September is the Utah Fair.. so that was my inspiration. Also, who doesn't love banners?

T.K. Smith Design

2010-08-27T09:32:00.004-06:00

1937 Delta 24″ De-luxe Scroll Saw. Check out T.K. Smith Design blog.

OMG, so nerdy but I love this scroll saw. Haha.

Speaking of which, school started back up yesterday. Sigh. It's going to be a tough semester but I'm excited. We're remodeling this guy's kitchen cabinets in his giant Saratoga Springs home. Frankly, the kitchen is crap - but we're going to make it beautiful!
We got a new table saw in the shop. It's a Saw Stop and if you haven't seen this youtube video, you have to check it out. I WILL NEVER CUT OFF MY FINGERS ON A TABLE SAW! YAY!

BERNHARDT DESIGN

2010-08-23T09:00:00.001-06:00

Corvo Chair by Bernhardt Design from Sight Unseen on Vimeo.

Standard Made - Adam Rogers

2010-08-22T08:09:00.004-06:00

It shouldn't be any secret that I love furniture. So why don't I ever write about the furniture I love? A few months ago I came across the work of a fella' named Adam Rogers.

DROOL.
His work is amazing. I love how classic his furniture feels, yet there is something so unique about it. And goodness, look at that joinery.

standardmade.com

We've got a lot of projects happening/or about to happen at the ol' apartment. I'm refinishing a great mid-century Baumritter New York lounge chair at the moment. I'll do a post on that when I'm finished. I'm taking my sweet time with this one though. I got it at Savers for $7 - no cushions or webbing though, just bare, lovely bones.

things

2010-07-22T08:13:00.002-06:00

win a radio station contest
learn stick shift
~~ride a roller coaster~~
buy a house
remodel a house
make dinner for my entire family
wear contacts
learn how to chop wood
give blood
be an extra in a movie
go skiing
grow a vegetable garden
graduate from college
be in a band
live by the ocean
make comics!
learn how to reupholster furniture
own a business
have a dog

APF

2010-07-09T12:58:00.003-06:00

Guys! I'll be sharing a table with Emily Moroz at the Alt Press Fest TODAY at the downtown library, 3 - 9. I've got a new mini-comic printed up called Collect. It is a small collection of my comics, including some old favorites - Beer Facial and Winter Legs, and some never printed ones from the vault! Stop by!

MOUNTAIN GOATS

2010-06-17T14:38:00.003-06:00

You know what, I have a sketchbook from 2008 full of "journal comics" that I never put on the internet. Last night I went to see The Mountain Goats play at Urban Lounge. I was reminded of a comic I made about the first time I saw The Mountain Goats. So here it is:

Never mind the incorrect lyric. I'm an idiot! But the way I captured John Darnielle still makes me giggle. He looks like Harry Potter!

ANDREW G

2010-06-11T00:19:00.002-06:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY DEAR FRIEND ANDREW!

SHIRT

2010-04-15T16:20:00.001-06:00

You know you want one.

RECORD STORE DAY

2010-04-15T10:52:00.002-06:00

Record Store Day (more like Record Store Weekend) starts tomorrow! Visit Slowtrain's website for more details. It should be a blast. Also, some shirts I designed for them with the image above will be on sale. They are super limited so get 'em quick!

NEW BLOG

2010-01-11T16:09:00.002-07:00

Alright. I started a new blog. It is not replacing this blog, I just wanted another place to document my experiences now that I've started going to school. This blog will still be the place I update you with various design projects and what not.

KNOCKING ON WOOD
KNOCKING ON WOOD
KNOCKING ON WOOD

I'm trying this tumblr thing out. Haha. So far it's weird - I guess I'm just too used to this blogspot thingy.

SUBSCRIBE TO IT, FRIENDS.
XO
KAYLA

KILBY COURT / JANUARY CALENDAR

2009-12-23T22:19:00.003-07:00

Yeti doll handmade by Sarah Martin. Calendar designed by myself.

The Yeti photo shoot at Pioneer Park:

AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS

2009-12-23T21:18:00.001-07:00

Hope it's a good one.

CHRISTMAS CASSEROLE PARTY

2009-12-20T10:06:00.003-07:00

Best night ever.

BIRTHQUAKE TONIGHT!

2009-12-19T14:17:00.005-07:00

HOLY CRAP! The most exciting SLC band of 2009 and my personal heroes, BIRTHQUAKE, are playing tonight at Urban Lounge and they are finally releasing their debut album! If you have never seen these guys before, you're in for a treat. Come on down and dance your bums off, buy the album too! It's pretty incredible. Laurie and I sing on the track 'Jeremiah'...we're doin' the 'ooos and ahhhs' in the background.

December 19th @ Urban Lounge, $5 21+
w/ Palace of Buddies & Mammoth

2009

2009-12-11T16:06:00.005-07:00

IT'S DECEMBER? REALLY?
HERE ARE MY YEAR-END LISTS.
SURE TO BORE!

picture of the year / Boise, ID - Salvation Army

TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2009 (NO ORDER)
Do Make Say Think - Other Truths
Ramona Falls - Intuit
The XX - XX
Darlings - Yeah I Know
Wye Oak - The Knot
Mayer Hawthorne - A Strange Arrangement
Why? - Eskimo Snow
Port O'Brien - Threadbare
Desolation Wilderness - New Universe
Small Black - EP

TOP SHOWS OF 2009
Efterklang and Peter Broderick @ Larimer Lounge (Denver) (March 14)
No Kids @ Kilby Court (March 15)
Horse Feathers @ Kilby Court (May 22)
The Octopus Project @ Urban Lounge (August 21)
Built To Spill @ Murray Theater (September 19)
Mayer Hawthorne @ Kilby Court (September 21)
Wye Oak @ Slowtrain (September 23)
Talkdemonic @ Kilby Court (September 27)
Mirah and Wye Oak @ Club Sound (October 21)

FAVORITE PODCASTS OF 2009
1. The Adam Carolla Podcast
2. I Love Movies
3. Radiolab
4. This American Life
5. The Moth Podcast

WHERE I WENT IN 2009
- Wendover with Laurie to see Louie Anderson (she got free tickets from a guy at work)
- Denver with Laurie
- Boise with Laurie, Roxy, and Doug to see Doug Benson at the Knitting Factory
- Bear Lake, camping with Capree, Brady, and Laurie
- California twice with my family in the summer
- Disneyland and Legoland
- Denver again, but this time with my family to see WICKED! It was awesome, of course
- Chicago for my birthday with Laurie

AWESOME THINGS IN 2009
- Moving out of the old Avenues apartment and loving our new place
- Meeting John Porcellino
- Inglourious Basterds
- Seeing David Cross
- BIRTHQUAKE!
- Adopting another cat, Boris
- CABLE / DVR
- Junior's
- My birthday party
- Crafts

FEARS I OVERCAME IN 2009
- Went on my first roller coaster (The Matterhorn, Disneyland)
- Learned how to swallow pills
- Cooking / Baking

FEARS THAT I DIDN'T GET TO THIS YEAR, BUT WILL TRY IN 2010
- Give blood
- Learn stick shift
- Go skiing
- Wear contacts

VEGETABLE OF THE YEAR
BELL PEPPERS, HANDS DOWN

THE BIGGEST BUMMER OF 2009
The Adam Carolla radio show getting canceled. This severely changed my life.

Okay, I'd just like to say this - I had a really great year. And a pretty great decade. Truly.

GIFT TAGS

2009-12-06T21:45:00.002-07:00

I thought it would be fun to quickly design a few gift tags for Christmas. They are just black & white but I'm going to print these out on some colored paper and tie some ribbon through them -- I'm sure they will look sweeeet. Anyway, you can use them too. Here's the PDF!

BLIND PILOT

2009-11-27T21:53:00.002-07:00

In a way, I'm glad no one ever told me that Blind Pilot was good. I'm glad it took me so long to find this out. Why, you ask? Because this week was a perfect week to have Blind Pilot on repeat. It was the soundtrack to my Thanksgiving - I forced my brother and sister to listen to it in the car all day. It went along very well with my slightly melancholic mood.

They will be here this Sunday at Urban Lounge with Laura Veirs, who I am also very excited to see.

SWEATURKAFEST

2009-11-15T22:50:00.003-07:00

My friends are throwing a little Thanksgiving party and asked me to design their invite.

CALENDAR

2009-10-30T17:44:00.006-06:00

I made this really simple calendar for myself last night - I just really wanted a calendar to hang up on my fridge to write little notes on. I thought I'd put it up here, you can download it for your desktop if you'd like. If you want a printed version, email me for the larger size.

CHICAGO

2009-10-29T09:03:00.001-06:00

We went to Chicago for my birthday, it was pretty amazing.

SLOWTRAIN AD

2009-10-26T19:46:00.002-06:00

I had fun this weekend designing a little ad for my friends over at Slowtrain. It will be in the November issue of Slug Magazine. Once again, if you need some design work done - email me at kaylaporter@gmail.com and we can chat.

BIRTHDAY

2009-10-22T08:33:00.002-06:00

Here are a few pictures from that awesome night.

BIRTHDAY INVITES

2009-10-21T22:29:00.004-06:00

So I had a birthday party and it was really fun. I designed these invites and I really liked the way they turned out. If you have a party or some kind of event coming up that needs a little invitation and you'd like me to design it - write me at kaylaporter@gmail.com and we can talk about it!

THE NEW PLACE

2009-10-08T12:00:00.002-06:00

I thought it was about time I posted a few pictures of the new apartment.

KILBY COURT OCTOBER CALENDAR

2009-09-28T19:24:00.002-06:00

Calendar designed by Sarah Martin and myself.

TALKDEMONIC POSTER

2009-09-17T10:06:00.003-06:00

Just finished working on my very first concert poster. It's for one of my favorite bands ever...Talkdemonic! This show is going to rock, I'm so excited.

TONIGHT IN SLC

2009-09-13T10:36:00.005-06:00

Way too many shows for one night. Take your pick!

YEAH YEAH YEAHS and YACHT at In The Venue ($35 / 6pm)

WAVVES at Urban Lounge ($10 / 10pm)

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart with Cymbals Eat Guitars at Kilby Court ($12 / 7pm)

BUSDRIVER

2009-09-04T09:27:00.003-06:00

Busdriver is playing tonight at Kilby Court!

HARRISON

2009-08-28T16:02:00.005-06:00

I redrew an old drawing from my sketchbook of my little brother Harrison playing the trumpet. It will be on Kilby Court's September calendar.

CHRIS WARE ROBOT SHIRT

2009-08-26T20:48:00.006-06:00

First of all, I have to give props to my dear friend Capree for posting this in her 'shared items' on her Google Reader - without her doing so I probably wouldn't have seen this.

Chris Ware designed a shirt for Woot and it's going for $10 + free shipping right now! You should probably order one asap. I sure did.

GOOGLE

2009-08-26T09:22:00.004-06:00

How did I not hear about this sooner? Ah. This is pretty old news - but iGoogle introduced a new comics theme for the 40th Anniversary of Comic-Con last month. I personally went with Dan Clowes theme, but I also really dig the Jeffrey Brown and Renee French versions.

NERD.

EYEDEA & ABILITIES

2009-08-25T17:05:00.005-06:00

Every now and then a really great hip hop act will come through Salt Lake. This Thursday will be one of those times. Eyedea & Abilites from St. Paul, Minnesota will be playing an all-ages early show at Kilby Court at 7pm and then a 21+ late show at Urban Lounge at 10pm.

JOHN PORCELLINO

2009-08-22T11:08:00.008-06:00

Last month Laurie and I booked a flight to Chicago for my birthday in October. There isn't any particular reason we want to go there -- other than Chicago seeming totally AWESOME, and the hot dogs and pizza looking AWESOME, and, of course, that we really need a vacation. Then a few weeks ago I was reading the Drawn and Quarterly blog and found out that John Porcellino, one of my favorite cartoonists of all time, would be on tour throughout the Northeast and Midwest this fall. Lucky us, he will be doing a signing and debuting his new book Map of My Heart at Quimby's Bookstore in Chicago the very weekend we are there. I am beyond thrilled for this.

From the D+Q website: "MAP OF MY HEART celebrates the twentieth anniversary of John Porcellino's seminal and influential comics zine, KING CAT COMICS, which he started self publishing in 1989 and which has been his predominant means of expression. In this collection, while Porcellino is living in isolation and experiencing the pain of divorce he crafts a melancholic, tender graphic ballad of heartbreak and reflection. Known for his sad, quiet honesty rendered in his signature deceptively minimalist style, Porcellino has a command of graphic storytelling as sophisticated as the medium's more visually intricate masters. Few other artists are able to so expertly contemplate the sadness, beauty, and wonder of life in so few lines."

OKTOBERFEST

2009-08-22T10:38:00.003-06:00

photo by Laurie Geving

Get your lederhosen out! Snowbird’s 37th Annual Oktoberfest starts today. Eat bratwurst and sauerkraut and drink Uinta's Black Bier or Punk'n Ale in the beautiful Little Cottonwood Canyon. Visit Snowbird's website for hours and schedule.

FREE OCTOPUS PROJECT SHOW

2009-08-21T00:09:00.011-06:00

Sooo Octopus Project will be playing a free in store show at Slowtrain Friday night before they play at Urban Lounge. Vanessa from Slowtrain posted this on their blog earlier today:

"Octopus Project will be playing a FREE and ALL-AGES set at Slowtrain at 7 pm!!! I realize everyone likes coming to Gallery Stroll after 8 pm, but believe me, you will want to get an early start tomorrow."

YAY!

UPDATE:
IT WAS CANCELLED!

BUSY WEEKEND

2009-08-20T08:57:00.003-06:00

Thursday - Iron & Wine is playing a free show at Gallivan.
Friday - Gallery Stroll ANNNNND...

I'm very excited to see The Octopus Project at Urban Lounge.

Come hang out, friends.

KITTEN

2009-08-16T11:07:00.002-06:00

Meet Boris Robinhood.

NEW

2009-08-10T09:20:00.003-06:00

Well, we're all moved in to our new place. The house isn't put together at all, so pictures will have to wait til next time. Also -- big surprise! We got a new kitten yesterday. He's a Russian Blue named Boris. He's tiny and adorable. Pictures and possibly drawings (?) coming soon.

CRAFT LAKE CITY

2009-08-06T09:17:00.002-06:00

Craft Lake City
The Gallivan Center
239 S. Main Street, Salt Lake City
Saturday, August 8th
from 2 pm to 10 pm
IT'S FREEEEE

Don't miss this! Visit their website for a full list of the artists that will be showcasing.

Band Line-up:
2-3pm: Coyote Hoods
3-4pm: Mad Max and the Wild Ones
4-5pm: Aye Aye
5-6pm: Casey Prestwood & The Burning Angels
6-7pm: Cub Country
7-8pm: Subrosa
8-9pm: The Tiny Lights
9-10pm: Mammoth

AUGUST CALENDAR

2009-08-05T22:54:00.003-06:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

2009-08-04T23:38:00.004-06:00

I feel awful that I'm just getting around to this now..
we finally have a break from a weekend of moving hell!
Sunday was Laurie's 25th birthday! Yay!
It was also the one year birthday of this blog.
Congratulations, me.

GOODBYE, AVENUES DUMP

2009-07-31T22:36:00.002-06:00

photos by Matthew Bednarik

It's been over two years and we're saying goodbye to our lovely (dumpy) apartment. It's been fun, peace out.

SALT LAKE GUIDE

2009-06-30T10:17:00.005-06:00

Everyone go check out this really excellent guide to Salt Lake by Amy Shaffer on the Design*Sponge blog.

JULY KILBY CALENDAR

2009-06-27T08:31:00.002-06:00

MY BIGGEST REGRET

2009-06-26T13:40:00.003-06:00

Awhile back I was at NPS (a crazy discount store in Salt Lake, think Big Lots but times one thousand) and I saw a comic book that was on sale for twenty-five cents. The title of the comic was HELEN KILLER. Yeah. I stared at it forever, thinking in my head, 'WTF? SERIOUSLY?' I don't have a ton of regrets - but I must admit that I've been kicking myself for the last two months for not buying it. I think about HELEN KILLER a lot, and I often bring it up when I'm with friends. Today I Googled it just to make sure I wasn't making it all up. I wasn't! Here she is...

From the official website: "At the dawn of the 20th Century, twenty-one year old college student Helen Keller has a dark secret science has restored her lost senses and granted her unimaginable power. Will she use it to protect herself and her country. or will it destroy them both? Thoroughly researched, Helen Killer blends a full cast of historical characters with high octane super-spy action, examining the extraordinary spirit of one of the most inspiring individuals of the twentieth century."

Oh my goodness.

SELF-PORTRAITS

2009-05-30T08:38:00.008-06:00

Quick, cartoony doodles are usually the only way I draw myself. I rarely sit down, look in a mirror and study my face.

As long as I get the hair, glasses, and nose right - it usually looks like me.

Yesterday I stared at myself in the mirror and drew a series of quick self-portraits. It turns out when I try to draw a little more realistically, I still end up with a cartoon version of myself but with the self-deprecation knob turned all the way up:

To be fair to myself, I know I don't really look like this. I just got carried away with the acne...it was fun to draw.

ALSO: I got a new sketchbook after dropping my last one in a gutter before my camping trip to Bear Lake last weekend. Boo!

KILBY JUNE CALENDAR

2009-05-26T09:15:00.002-06:00

Happy birthday, Sarah.

SARAH

2009-05-23T08:57:00.002-06:00

Drew a picture of Sarah for next month's Kilby calendar. More to come...

MAY KILBY CALENDAR

2009-04-26T13:00:00.002-06:00

Design by Sarah Martin and myself.

SPRING!

2009-04-23T09:27:00.007-06:00

I have successfully survived the winter and put it behind me, now it's time for baseball games and seasonal allergies. Laurie and I have been going on a lot of walks 'round our neighborhood lately. She's posted a few pictures of our quirky surroundings on her Flickr.

While it is nice to get some exercise, most of our walks involve getting Slurpees or having an ice cream cone.

Disneyland

2009-04-16T22:04:00.006-06:00

I suck.

Let's see...since the last time I posted I've taken trips to Denver and Disneyland. I'm ashamed to say that I really didn't draw any pictures in the past month, so I guess that explains the lack of updates. Here are a few photographs of my family from the trip to California.

Madie and Harry

teacups

ST. PAT'S

2009-03-07T22:58:00.002-07:00

My friend Andrew (AKA Nolens Volens) asked me to do a drawing for a flier for his St. Patrick's Day party. So I drew a picture of him as a leprechaun.

KILBY COURT - MARCH

2009-02-28T10:55:00.008-07:00

Click here to see it larger

Calendar by Sarah Martin and myself for Slug Magazine. Go see a show!

SARAH

2009-02-16T22:39:00.004-07:00

My dear friend Sarah.

I want to draw you too. Portrait party soon?

THE BIG SWITCH

2009-02-07T21:10:00.006-07:00

See that pretty box sitting on top of my TV? Rabbit ears sat in that very place for nearly two years. That's right people, we officially have cable television in our apartment. Having cable is already consuming my life, so don't plan on hanging out with me anytime soon. At least I've set a few rules for myself:

RIGHT, let's see how long it takes before I gain 100 pounds.

DOODLEBOOK

2009-02-06T11:04:00.003-07:00

I got a new sketchbook for 2009. It's a Moleskine Cahier Pocket Sketchbook and it's tiny (3.5 x 5.5)! They're great for quick doodles like this:

Laurie at Oh Sushi last night / Quickly colored in photoshop this morning

She wouldn't let me draw in the face...but that's okay, I'm happy with it. I definitely plan on drawing a lot this year and posting the goods here.

NEW(ISH) ACQUISITION

2009-02-02T16:55:00.005-07:00

I'm just now getting around to writing about the new Ikea bookshelf my mom gave me for Christmas. I definitely outgrew my last bookshelf, so I was very happy to get a new one. The creepy cats are being used as temporary bookends and the bottom shelf is mostly yearbooks and boring stuff. I'm really looking forward to filling these spaces with REAL books (ahem -- overpriced comic books) in the future. There's a little bit of room for my obsessive collection to grow now!

Please note the gigantic Kramers Ergot 7 resting atop.

Okay, you can start laughing at me now.

SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 09

2009-01-23T16:21:00.006-07:00

I've been enjoying me some Sundance this past week. To be honest, some of the films I saw were just OKAY. However, I did really like the film Precious. I did a quick comic about a funny moment that happened before the movie. The director Lee Daniels was on stage and wasn't quite in the spotlight...

THE BILLUMINATI BY ANJA VERDUGO

2009-01-15T14:14:00.008-07:00

From Anja Verdugo's Etsy shop: This booklet is a collection of original illustrations: selected portraits of the members of a secret society known as the Billuminati. Inside you will find nine different portraits of some of the world's favorite Bills & Williams, from actors to presidents. This project is a combination of secret fake history, humor and art.

Bill Murray
Bill Nye the Science Guy
Bill Cosby
William H. Macy
Bill Clinton
Billy Corgan
Billy Bob Thornton
Wilfred Brimley
Billy Dee Williams

The original black & white portraits were worked on over several months and were drawn in ink on a larger format but have been compacted into a nice little 8.5 x 7" booklet that is 12 pages long.

BUY IT HERE

SATURDAY AT KILBY

2009-01-09T09:07:00.000-07:00

The Crate Lung Co-Op show is January 10th at Kilby Court - come see SLC bands Tiebreaker, Bluebird Radio, and Aye Aye play.

From the Crate Lung MySpace: "The Co-Op is: John LaMonica, Cristie Gunn, Casey Blandford, Iris Moulton, and Cein Watson. 5 friends living in Salt Lake who use our time to make stuff: toys, drawings, prints, pages of writing, clothing, music, mixtapes, graffiti, and paintings."

They have been on a month long tour since December 15 and this will be their first show back in Salt Lake City.

AN ILLUSTRATED LIFE

2009-01-05T08:30:00.000-07:00

A cool little trailer for Danny Gregory's new book An Illustrated Life.

ROCKY AND BULLWINKLE AND FRIENDS

2009-01-01T19:37:00.000-07:00

I realize that not many people besides my eleven-year-old brother and myself get very excited about this kind of stuff. I'd still like to mention that I noticed today that one of my favorite cartoons ever is on Hulu. Thirteen episodes from the first season (1959-1960) of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends are available for streaming.

While Hulu is a great site to watch shows such as 30Rock, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Arrested Development, and so on. It's not really a website that is known for their selection of cartoons - besides The Simpsons, Family Guy, and a ton of anime stuff I've never heard of. I guess that's why I consider this such great "news" for classic animation fans.

Oh yes, and happy new year.

2008

2008-12-29T14:16:00.000-07:00

Some other things that didn't suck this year.

FAVORITE PODCASTS (in order):
1. The Adam Carolla Radio Show
2. The Moth Podcast
3. NPR: Hearing Voices
4. WNYC's Radio Lab
5. An Illustrated Life
6. Inkstuds
7. This American Life
8. Indie Spinner Rack
9. ThunderAnt (video)

FAVORITE BLOGS:
comics or art related:
American Elf
20 Questions With Cartoonists
Techno Tuesday
Seattle Sketcher blog (Gabi Campanario)
Today's Inspiration
Cartoon Modern
humor:
Sexy People
Sorry I Missed Your Party

FAVORITE BOOKS I READ THIS YEAR
(MOSTLY COMICS):
BFF by Nate Beaty
Monsters #1, 2, 3 by Ken Dahl
Bottomless Belly Button by Dash Shaw
Little Things by Jeffrey Brown
Acme Novelty Library #19 by Chris Ware
Exit Wounds by Rutu Modan
Watchmen by Alan Moore
Running After Antelope by Scott Carrier
When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris

BEST SHOWS:
Yeasayer and MGMT @ Kilby Court (February 3)
Say Hi to Your Mom @ Kilby Court (March 19)
Jose Gonzalez @ University of Utah (March 22)
Why? @ Kilby Court (September 30)
The Mountain Goats and Kaki King @ Club Sound (October 18)
The Notwist @ Club Sound (October 21)
Birthquake and Subtle @ Urban Lounge (November 10)
Sole and the Skyrider Band @ Urban Lounge (November 13)

KE7

2008-12-28T09:51:00.000-07:00

Kramers Ergot 7! Look at this ridiculous book!
Best Christmas present ever. Thank you Laurie!

KILBY COURT - JANUARY

2008-12-27T10:06:00.000-07:00

click for larger version

Calendar designed by Sarah Martin and myself. Look for it in Slug Magazine in January. P.S. I hope working on Kilby Court's Obama calendar this month did not tarnish my long-standing allegiance to Ron Paul.

JANUARY (COMIC) BOOK CLUB

2008-12-26T11:00:00.000-07:00

Next month's pick for the book club is Bottomless Belly Button by Dash Shaw (published by Fantagraphics/June 2008). This 720 page tome is the thickest book we've read as a club, and yet, I read it in three sittings. The story begins with an older couple who bring their three adult children together for a sort of strange family reunion in their childhood home, all to announce that after forty years of marriage they are getting a divorce. For one week after the announcement we follow their three kids. The eldest, Dennis, who is desperate to find the reasons for the divorce. Claire, who is divorced herself and raising a teenage daughter. The youngest, Peter, a filmmaker who feels like an outsider.

This graphic novel has been on many "Best of 2008" lists, including Amazon and Publishers Weekly.

TOP 5 ALBUMS FROM 2008

2008-12-21T16:23:00.000-07:00

1. BON IVER - FOR EMMA, FOREVER AGO
2. WHY? - ALOPECIA
3. THE NOTWIST - THE DEVIL, YOU + ME
4. THE MOUNTAIN GOATS - HERETIC PRIDE
5. PETER BRODERICK - FLOAT

My passion for listening to and finding new music has died in the past few years. This is most likely due to what I do for my day job. I sit at a computer and listen to my iPod the entire time. It is the kind of job where I can get away with not talking to a single person for eight hours. Thus, good entertainment provided by my iPod is very important. I realized quickly after starting my job that listening to music only made my job go by slower - which is when I discovered podcasts and audiobooks, which helps the day go by so much faster. Somehow along the way, I stopped seeking music in the obsessive way I did in high school. A quick look through my iPod and one could tell that my music taste is seemingly frozen in 2005. I don't mean that I haven't heard anything new from the past three years, typically if a favorite band of mine releases something new I will look into it, everything else either falls into my lap or is so popular it's hard NOT to hear it.

Even with my musical retardation, I still can't stop composing year end lists of music I enjoyed. In the past, it would be hard to narrow down my list to twenty of my favorite albums of the year, now, I can hardly name twenty albums I actually like.

So, here's five. Enjoy.

BENEFIT CONCERT

2008-12-18T01:44:00.000-07:00

designed by Scott Stanley

My two favorite local bands are playing at Kilby Court
tomorrow night! Birthquake and Nolens Volens!
I hope you will be there.

PODCASTS

2008-12-10T21:03:00.000-07:00

This is my third Christmas working for the USPS. I always forget how hard it is on my emotional state to work such long days, to never see the sun, to only eat microwaved foods! A few good things come out of listening to my iPod for ten hours a day though, and I'd like to mention three of them.

1. THE COMIX CLAPTRAP is a new show hosted by cartoonists Thien Pham and Rina Ayuyang in Oakland, CA. I met Rina up at Stumptown this year and she was so nice and I loved her comics - so of course, I was very excited to see that she had a podcast. They've been doing the show since September of this year, interviewing cartoonists such as Vanessa Davis, Renee French, Trevor Alixopulos, Gene Luen Yang, Jim Rugg, and Jeffrey Brown. Their newest episode came out this week featuring an interview with John Porcellino and it is awesome! In the episode, Thien and Rina share their own personal influences, talk about football, and also talk to Josh Frankel who gives a rundown of what he bought from the comic shop this week. There is also much less munching on chips into the mic and much more positive vibes (no rants) in this episode. It is indeed a great listen and I definitely recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Mr. Porcellino (ALSO if you haven't heard, issue #69 of King-Cat is out!).

2. INKSTUDS is a weekly radio show hosted by Robin McConnell in Vancouver, BC. I've been listening to the show for two years now and have enjoyed some really great interviews with cartoonists such as Adrian Tomine, Gary Panter, Seth, Ron Rege Jr., James Kochalka, Jonathan Bennett, and the list goes on and on. Well, back in November Robin began a series of radio and web interviews with many of the artists that contributed to the new Kramers Ergot 7 - including, Anders Nilsen, Josh Simmons, Matthew Thurber, John Pham, and Frank Santoro. My favorite of all the Kramers interviews was with the man behind the whole book, Sammy Harkham. It was really cool to hear him talk about his intentions with the anthology, I must say, all of my preconceived notions of how ridiculous the $125 book was were put aside and I realized that this collection is really quite amazing. Harkham himself is a really inspiring person and probably gets me more pumped about drawing than any other cartoonist.

3. DINNER PARTY DOWNLOAD is a really short little show that comes out a few times a month. The podcast describes itself as a fast and funny "booster shot" of news and culture designed to help you dazzle friends and family at this weekend's dinner party. In every 10-minute episode you'll learn a joke, get the week's major headlines, bone up on some history, drink in a cocktail recipe, meet an artist of note, savor an emerging food trend, and hear your new favorite song. Alright, so yeah, it's a little gimmicky but I really like how much information they try to pack into such a tiny amount of time. To be honest, my original thought was that I was going to add this non-comic book related podcast to the list to prove that I don't have such a one-track mind. I failed. The latest episode (number 11) features cartoonist David Heatley plugging his new book My Brain is Hanging Upside Down. Sorry.

BEAR CUBS

2008-12-04T18:34:00.000-07:00

I rarely draw from photos, but I saw this amazing picture on
Flickr today and had to draw it in my sketchbook.

KILBY COURT - DECEMBER

2008-11-28T12:22:00.000-07:00

larger version

Calendar by Sarah Martin and myself.
Look for it in the December issue of Slug Magazine.

HOLIDAYS ON BROADWAY

2008-11-24T19:01:00.000-07:00

GALLERY STROLL

2008-11-21T09:17:00.000-07:00

Salt Lake City's Gallery Stroll is tonight, November 21 from 6 - 9 pm. Mostly it's just an excuse for people to eat free finger foods and hipsters to hang out outside of galleries and smoke cigarettes - but there are some cool things going on tonight that I will mention anyway.

Kayo Gallery – 177 E 300 S
New works by Sri Whipple and Steve Larson.

Ken Sanders Rare Books – 268 S 200 E
The Black Hole of Utah Collectors: Stan Sanders. A show, sale and silent auction comprised of dozens of rare items from Ken's late father's vast collections. (This sounds awesome! Read more about Stan Sanders in the City Weekly article You Can't Take it With You)

SAANS Downtown 173 E 300 S
The HOLGA Show!! A celebration of the Holga camera with works by multiple artists.

Salt Lake Art Center – 20 S West Temple
Liberties Under Fire: 50 Years of the ACLU in Utah, Utah Draws: Contour and Context, and Contemporary Trends in Video Art: Miranda July, an award-winning contemporary filmmaker.

NOVEMBER (COMIC) BOOK CLUB

2008-11-19T15:49:00.000-07:00

November's book is Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Okay, let me just say - I was so excited to read Watchmen when I first found out that it was this month's book club pick. I ordered it immediately off of Amazon and still have not received it. The meeting is in three days and I'm really pissed off that I haven't been able to start it yet.

Here's a synopsis taken from wikipedia: "Watchmen takes place in an alternate history United States where the country is edging closer to a nuclear war with the Soviet Union. After government-sponsored superhero The Comedian is found murdered, the vigilante Rorschach warns his former colleagues of what he believes is a conspiracy to kill costumed heroes. As the story progresses, the protagonists discover that one of the heroes has devised a plan to stave off war between the United States and the USSR by carrying out a plan that will kill millions of innocent people."

The movie, directed by Zack Snyder, comes out March 6 of next year.

RADIOLAB - SEASON FIVE

2008-11-18T19:34:00.000-07:00

Season five of Radiolab, one of my favorite podcasts, came out this week - and it's about time! You can listen to the first episode Choice on their blog or download it in the iTunes store.

I LOVE NICKTOONS

2008-11-17T22:57:00.000-07:00

This might be old news to some but.. full seasons of Doug, Hey Arnold!, and Rocko's Modern Life are finally available on DVD. Here's the deal.. because of poor sales in the past, Amazon and Nickelodeon cut a deal called the "burn-on-demand" system.. which means you cannot buy these in stores, BUT I just discovered you can also buy them on iTunes. The DVD sets on Amazon range from $18 - $30 (Yikes!) but on iTunes they are much cheaper. Apparently the DVDs do not come with any special features, so if you decide to download them you're still getting everything except the packaging.

Other Nicktoons available on iTunes:
Aaahhh! Real Monsters!
Angry Beavers
CatDog
Rugrats
Rocket Power

These are all I want for Christmas.. well actually, because I'm impatient I might just end up buying them for myself. I think the DVDs will make great gifts especially for the unfortunate youth living today who will never get to see these cartoons. Save a life, buy a child Season 1 of Hey Arnold.

NOBROW

2008-11-09T22:27:00.000-07:00

Shirt design by Sarah Martin and myself for Nobrow Coffee and Tea Co.

SLOWTRAIN pt. 2

2008-11-08T23:31:00.000-07:00

Finally, the colored version.

BBC - SECRET OF DRAWING

2008-11-08T21:35:00.000-07:00

Features Dan Clowes in the first ten or so minutes of this episode.

ANDREW LORENZI

2008-11-07T21:19:00.000-07:00

I first came across Andrew Lorenzi's work on LiveJournal last year. Inevitably, I've come to consider him a good pal of mine and how could I not? What, with our common Filipino heritage, a shared love for the band Why?, and of course, our obsession with comics - we were like soul mates. Besides all that, Andrew's an amazing cartoonist.
Please find out for yourself and read his comics on his LiveJournal. If you dig them, be sure to let him know and tell him to open up his archives for the public!

HALLOWEEN

2008-11-02T23:00:00.000-07:00

SLOWTRAIN

2008-09-29T20:48:00.001-06:00

Meh.. this is missing so much. I want to color it, but I feel like I don't have the right colors for it. Ha! Incompetence! Whatever, whatever.

THIS WEEK

2008-09-16T21:38:00.000-06:00

SEP 8

2008-09-10T16:39:00.000-06:00

JOURNAL COMICS

2008-09-08T16:45:00.000-06:00

Near the end of the August I bought a new pocket sized Moleskine sketchbook. This is my fourth sketchbook that I've had this year. I'm used to the soft cover Moleskines (which I still love) but I thought the heavy paged hard cover would work well for what I wanted to do. Well anyway, everyday since I first got the little book I've drawn a little comic about something that happened that day. It's been a really good exercise so far and I'm excited to see how long I can keep it up. Here's a little example of what I've been doing (click for larger image):

MOUSTACHE

2008-08-28T21:12:00.001-06:00

Moustached Laurie from kaylaporter on Vimeo.

She had no idea I was filming her...
she was waiting for me to take a picture. I love it.

BOOK CLUB

2008-08-10T01:36:00.000-06:00

After what felt like a never ending week at work, I'm finally getting around to writing about our first (Comic) Book Club meeting this last Wednesday. For the month of July we read Exit Wounds by Rutu Modan, which just won an Eisner Award for Best New Graphic Novel. Our friends Brady and Capree kindly hosted the meeting in their lovely home. Talking about the book was great, I don't usually get to talk about comics like that often...I just love geeking out. By the end of the night we were eating Andrew's rum cake and playing ping pong on Brady's Xbox.

Next month's graphic novel: Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
Since the majority of us haven't read it yet, I think it'll be great. We're even going to watch the movie at next month's meeting! I'm pretty sure the next one will be at Jared and Brooke's place in Salt Lake.

LAURIE'S 24TH

2008-08-02T20:24:00.000-06:00

Today is Laurie's birthday and here is a drawing I did of her today in my sketchbook. Happy birthday, Gevlaur.

P.S. since this is my first post in this here blog, I suppose Laurie's birthday can also be considered the birthday of my blog. Cheers.