Arkansas Times' best of 2013 entertainment list

I'm proud to share a spot on the Arkansas Times' year-end roundup in entertainment, alongside my friends Ashlie Atkinson, Iron Tongue, The Body, The Bloodless Cooties, and in memory of Mason Mauldin.

Soophie Nun Squad's 1st album now available digitally!

I've been working up a new archive site for Harlan Records, the punk record label I ran from 1994-2010, and i just put up Soophie Nun Squad's long out-of-print first album, Don't Let Them Take You Alive from 1997.

(cut to the chase and download it here!)

I'll be continuing to archive every release over the coming weeks... more soon!

new Harlan Records archive site is up!

From 1994-2010 I ran a small DIY punk label called Harlan Records. That label (and its accompanying site) and defunct, so I thought I'd start up a new site to document all of those moldy old releases and bands.

I'm still working out the kinks-- but the first release is up now. Soophie Nun Squad's "We Ate Slayer" demo tape from 1994! 

Please email me at seemybrotherdance@yahoo.com if you have any photos or videos of any of the bands. Thanks!

New work/ new site for Michael Lierly!

Michael Lierly-- a North Little Rock native like myself, lifelong BFF, bandmate (Universe, Soophie Nun Squad, Divorce Chord, Boomfancy, Gioteens, and Tem Eyos Ki), and the person who I began drawing comics with-- has a new site up showcasing his absolutely mindblowing paintings.

Do yourself a favor and check it out!

20th anniversary of publishing comics!

This week marks the 20th anniversary of publishing my first comic--  D.O.A. #1, with the combined creative efforts of Michael Lierly, Nathan Wilson, and Alan Short. We printed up 100 copies under cover of darkness in late September 1992, and sold them on shelves at Collector's Edition Comics as well as out of our backpacks at school in North Little Rock, AR.

(D.O.A. #1 cover-- art by Mike Lierly, colors by me.)

To our surprise, the print run sold out by the time issue #2 hit the stands around Thanksgiving 1992. This encouraged us to continue a bi-monthly print schedule as we worked on writing all 50 issues of the series, but naturally by the time #4 hit shelves, we were neck-deep in a number of spin-off title ideas, writing songs for our fledgling band Soophie Nun Squad, laying groundwork on a small record label and punk zine, and figuring out how to make all of these projects work together.

(D.O.A. #2 interior page-- pencils by me, inks by Mike.)

I never looked back from these early efforts, and was just as serious about telling stories and communicating ideas through comics as I am today. I feel so fortunate to have had this kind of tunnel vision since age 11, when Mike Lierly (who had already been working on earlier incarnations of D.O.A. with Nate Wilson and Alan Short) suggested we make comics together as we rode to a week-long summer camp in his parents' minivan.

(Mike and I trying to "go pro", 1991.)

D.O.A. and its spin-off titles, coupled with shop owner Michael Tierney's decade-prior underground comic Wildstars, were part of a small early-mid 90's self-publishing scene in Little Rock. Books by area cartoonists Ron MacAdoo (now of Backyard Entertainment), Jeff Jackson, Chris Raymond, Jason Binfliff, Graham Westerlund, Ben Nichols (now of Lucero fame), and Ken Edge began surfacing as well, all learning from each other as we went, sometimes having never spoken in person about these various comics efforts. 

I truly don't know what I would've done if not for the possibilities opened to me through comics storytelling. Thanks to everyone I've collaborated with, everyone who has provided criticism, feedback, and advice over the last two decades, who has written or spoken to me at a convention, and readers willing to put up with my weird-ass stories.

Here's to tunnel vision and dedication.

(Mike Lierly continues his narrative path as a painter, and was also a member of the bands Soophie Nun Squad, Tem Eyos Ki, Boomfancy, Gioteens, Divorce Chord, and Universe. Nathan Wilson is a Bay Area tech wizard who is still cooking up an epic sci-fi/fantasy comic with me, and was a crucial behind-the-scenes force in Soophie Nun Squad. Alan Short is a member of Little Rock area metal bands Holy Angell, Deadbird, Zucura, and Seahag, and was also a member of Soophie Nun Squad and Them Of Delphi. We all remain best friends for life, though our paths cross less frequently.)

Soophie Nun Squad albums now available for download!

Soophie Nun Squad was a 10-piece, way-over-the-top punk ensemble I was in from 1992-2006, based in Little Rock, AR. Our last three records are now available digitally from Plan-It-X Records for less than $5 each-- download links are below.

Members of Soophie Nun Squad were/are also part of Humanbeast, Universe, V Manuscript, Tem Eyos Ki, Divorce Chord, Wait, Bloodhuff, Boomfancy, Sand City, The Insides, Shake Ray Turbine, William Martyr 17, Madeline, Sugar And The Raw, The Evelyns, R.I.O.T.S., Rainy Day Regatta, Deadbird, Zucura, The Body, and dozens more bands.

If anyone has photos or video of Soophie Nun Squad or Tem Eyos Ki, please email me!


The Devil, The Metal, The Big Booty Beats (2000)


Soophie Nun Squad/ Abe Froman split LP (2003)


Passion Slays The Dragon (2003)

Little Rock presentations next week!

I'll be in my home turf next week, doing some presentations in conjunction with the Arkansas Literary Festival and National Library Week! Each of these will be a slideshow presentation followed by Q&A:

Monday April 11th-- 12:15-1:30 pm: workshop at Pulaski Technical College Visual Arts Studio (PTC students only)

Tuesday April 12th-- 12:15-1:30 pm: ALF presentation/Q&A at PTC Campus Center Grand Hall (3000 West Scenic Drive in North Little Rock)

Wednesday April 13th-- 6 pm: presentation/Q&A at Fletcher Library (823 N. Buchanan St.)

I'll also have books and stuff for sale at all these events. See you there!