the laughing anima(l)

The Alphabet Issue is now available for your purchasing or trading delight. Copies are $4, or If you have a zine/minicomic of your own, swaps are more than welcome. At present I can't accept paypal, but I am very flexible. Comment or email whisperdryad@gmail.com.

This issue is packed with more contributors than either of our previous ones! Check out great work from Rachel Dukes, Laura-Marie, Kimball Anderson, me, Jerel Dye, Colin Tedford, Thirteenthstory, Hooroo Jackson, Katie Jacobson, Laurel Leake, Luther Leake, Periwinkle, Gregery Miller, Dan Mazur, Rio Aubry Taylor, Cherry Ogata, Len White, Boo Pop, Gynn Silva, Owen Marston, Masoud Shadravan, Kimberly Hritzko, Amanda Rose Thomas, Line Olsson, John Petrolino, and Kevin Leigh.

Samples follow:

Good morning! If you're in the Boston, MA area today, I hope to see you at the Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo (MICE) in Cambridge, where I'll be selling our fantastic new issue!



It's been a rough, crazy week with preparing for the convention, wrapping up the zine, and starting a new job, but we made it! I want to especially thank Kimball, who stepped in at the last minute for the letter C; the Boston Comics Roundtable for organizing this event, welcoming me, and lending members to this project; and contributor Periwinkle, who I hope feels loads better soon.

Contributors are invited to pick up their copy at the 1/2 table I'm sharing with the amazing Hooroo Jackson. Otherwise, you should see your copy in the mail very soon. Thank you, everyone who chipped into this project!!

More photos of the zine and purchasing info will be forthcoming.

Earlier this week, I traveled to south to visit my Dad's parents and help them and my parents go through some things in their house. I was presented with an enormous bin of art, letters, report cards, museum brochures, and postcards that I had sent my grandparents. They spanned from when I was about four through highschool and up to the present.

(There was even a folder of practically every email I'd ever sent them, printed out and carefully saved, but that's another story.)

The really early stuff was the best because I don't remember drawing or writing these things and they can be pretty awesome. I took a lot of pictures.




Dick thinks of Pam by Leann 1992


Dick and Pam are on the deck.
Pam is sick. Dick has gum for Pam.


Dick said, "I think I am sick."

Submissions are beginning to roll in from people who have picked their letters, and it's looking great!

If you're terribly sad that you missed the chance to reserve a letter, it's still possible to pitch ideas for the odd non-English alphabet letters to me: whisperdryad@gmail.com

Reading issue #2, you may have noticed an open call for entries on the last page. Yes, here we go again! Our theme this time: an alphabet.

Submissions are NOW CLOSED! All 26 letters have now been claimed as of Sept 2.

CLAIMED LETTERS with their topics (for your pre-zine excitement)
A - Ariel
B - babies
C - cigarette
D - dog(s)
E - endurance
F - Folk Gospel Pearls
G - gemini
H - Hooroo Jackson
I - intersection
J - juggling
K - ???
L - limerick
M - monsters
N - ???
O - outer space
P - penguins
Q - quiver
R - revolution
S - soup
T - tobacco
U - usability
V - Vincent Price
W - weight
X - ???
Y - yoni
Z - zombies

DETAILS
There will be 26 contributors, with each making a comic, work of art, poem, short story, article, or how to that is in some way related to the letter. This could be about an issue you are passionate; something you just like to look at what the letter reminds you of, etc. It could be as loosely related as the first letter of the main character’s name, or as closely related as you want.

JOIN IN! (anyone can)
Email leannleake@gmail.com or comment here to claim your letter.
Email or snail-mail your submission (email me for address) DEADLINE EXTENDED! submit by September 15th.</b>

SEE THE FINISHED ZINE
Issue #3 will be ready for your hot little paws by September 15th October 15th.

Heads up everyone -- we're down to the last five letters of the alphabet! Right now, F, I, N, U, and W are still yours for the taking.

I'm especially looking for old-fashioned writers and poets, since the visual creatives are taking over the issue!! Don't let the cartoonists win without a fight!

You can see more information and check out all the topics people have picked so far at this post.

The NYTimes republished Mark Bittman's list-article of "101 substantial main courses, all of which get you in and out of the kitchen in 10 minutes or less." Last time I saw the same piece, I skimmed a few entries and left on account of all the fish, shrimp, and eggs, but this time I doggedly went through the whole thing looking for vegan or vegan-ish entries. This wasn't completely futile, since Bitteman does do vegan recipes from time to time and generally relies less on meats than most.

The original article: all 101 recipes.

What follows are all the vegan or vegan-ish entries I could find -- I didn't count anything where removing the non-vegan ingredients eliminated most of the dish.





[VEGAN] Summer Express: 101 Simple Meals Ready in 10 Minutes or Less
Excerpts from Mark Bittman's article.

2 Toss a cup of chopped mixed herbs with a few tablespoons of olive oil in a hot pan. Serve over angel-hair pasta, diluting the sauce if necessary with pasta cooking water. [Wish he'd given examples of herbs, haha.]

4 Open a can of white beans and combine with olive oil, salt, small or chopped shrimp, minced garlic and thyme leaves in a pan. Cook, stirring, until the shrimp are done; garnish with more olive oil.

( the rest of the recipes )

Well, 19 out of 101 isn't that bad (I guess). Some of theme, like the eggplant, are barely recipes without the step of adding cheese, but they still could be good ideas to jump-start a summer meal.

Since so many letters are still not taken, I'm moving the deadline and publishing date 1 month into the future.

Submissions due: Thursday, September 15th
Copies out in the world: October 15th

More details and letters available here.


Yes, previously published work or work for another collection is fine!

Western Massachusetts
Food For Thought Books - Amherst, MA

Modern Myths - Northampton, MA


Boston
Million Year Picnic - Cambridge, MA

New England Comics - Cambridge, MA



Lots of letters are still available for issue #3, our alphabet issue. The deadline is still far off so come over and pick your letter!