Yesterday I was on my husband Sam’s radio show, Your Dreams My Nightmares. We spoke about confidence, lesbians, and our future baby (amongst other things). Here’s the podcast:

Your Dreams My Nightmares – Jillian Tamaki by Your Dreams My Nightmares

Afterwards, Sam bemoaned asking so much about Art School in the interview. So, if you never want to hear about Art School again, I’m sorry. If you’re a current student, you’re welcome.

Here’s the show’s webpage, in case you’d like to link/reblog/retumbl/rewhatever.

Hey guys, a few things I wanted to mention.

1. A Student FAQ! I made one. It’s here.

2. Tomorrow (Dec 14) I will be on my husband’s radio show, Your Dreams My Nightmares. You can ask a question via call-in, email, facebook, or twitter. All the info for that is in this post (I keep on telling him to GET RID OF THE RED, but I’m sorry. My powers only extend so far.) Your question has a much likelier chance of being answered if it doesn’t involve asking what kind of brushes I use. The interview will be archived and I’ll post the link here when it is.

3. Happy Holidays!

(The picture above is from a few months ago. It was originally commissioned by Toronto Life Magazine.)

Here is a sketch that no one was ever meant to see. it’s from a job that got killed. Boo-hoo, would have been fun. Oh well.

I will be signing at the Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival this weekend. Drawn + Quarterly table, 3-4. I am always happy to sign older books if you like, since if you’re reading this right now it’s likely you’ll have already bought my D+Q petit-livre.

I think most working illustrators will find the finessed language in this letter, from Nelson A. Rockefeller to Diego Rivera, very familiar.

Dear Mr. Rivera:

Sincerely,
Nelson A. Rockefeller

Chills! Oh well, what do you expect, I suppose. The mural was destroyed (the painting above is a recreation at Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City). You can read more about that particular dispute here. You can view the actual letter, which I transcribed, at the Diego Rivera exhibit now on view at the MoMA.

I’m looking for someone to help me in the studio for a day or two. Organizational stuff for the most part. In exchange, I will give you coffee, lunch, optional donuts, and will happily look at your portfolio if you like. Day/Time is flexible. Email me at jill (AT) jilliantamaki (dot) com. Position filled!

The above pinecones are from a job that got killed. Too bad. I quite like them.

Here’s a new illustration for tor.com to accompany Hello, Moto, a short story by Nnedi Okorafor. I did the cover to Nnedi Okorafor’s YA novel Akata Witch last year.

Thanks, AD Irene Gallo!

This is an illustration from a few months ago that I forgot to post. It was for a short fiction piece in LA Magazine. If I recall the story was about taking the Metrolink train with a babysitter and passing all the rough parts of Los Angeles.

I volunteer weekly at a place and there were always two very cute little boys running around causing havoc. A strange bit of life imitating art: during the week I was working on this illustration the kids were abruptly uprooted by their mom who moved the family to Los Angeles– by train.

AD Byron Regej.

UM. Someone made the Sexy Hungry-Man Dinner from the Sexy Halloween comic! Kate Thornbery, I SALUTE YOU!

To be honest, I kind of had gotten a little sick of that comic. All that linking, reblogging, reposting, tumbling, commentary, re-appropriating (and flat out rip-offs)… it’s cool how something can be disseminated so far and wide so quickly, but it can leave you feeling a little “consumed”. It’s nice to see stuff resonate with someone beyond the 2 milliseconds it takes to push the “like” button, you know?

Kate, email me and I’ll send you a print!

Oh! And Happy Halloween.

When we first announced the Penguin Threads project back in March, the response was phenomenal. I have never participated in a project that has had such a response. Well, as of today, the books are available for purchase. (Buy at Amazon, search/buy at your local indie bookstore via Indiebound, or get them from Penguin directly.)

They are here. They are all glued together and have words inside.

A surprise when you open the cover... the backs of the embroideries!

We are having a launch event in New York City. Not only will you get to hear me chew the fat with Penguin Classics Director Elda Rotor, you will also be able to see the original embroideries in person. Here’s the info for that event:

Tues, Nov 8, 7PM
Purl Soho
459 Broome Street (between Greene and Mercer)
RSVP @ penguinthreads@gmail.com
FREE!

What Could Have Been: some alternate sketches for the Emma and Black Beauty covers.

Lastly, I wanted to provide you with a few more behind-the-scenes/in-progress goodies. These were completed in a few feverish weeks between December 2010 and February 2011.

Thanks for your interest in the covers. I hope they encourage you to read the wonderful stories inside. And be sure to check out the three wonderful new covers in the Threads series from Rachell Sumpter.

Please direct all press inquiries to Sonya at sonya.cheuse@us.penguingroup.com

Well, here’s something different: a MutantMagic crossover recipe comic for Saveur.com.

(Small reminder: you can read the MutantMagic webcomic here.)

Another comic-related newsie bit: tomorrow, Oct 25th, 7PM, I’ll be at BookCourt in Brooklyn for a little reading/Q&A for the Best American Comic anthology.

BookCourt
163 Court Street (between Pacific & Dean)