(quick link to Patreon)
Hello kind reader, I’m Julia Wertz: professional cartoonist, amateur historian, urban exploring hobbyist. I’ve been making comics and graphic novels since 2005 (see: the Fart Party/Museum of Mistakes, Drinking at the Movies, The Infinite Wait & Other Stories, Tenements, Towers, & Trash) but after I finished my last book in early 2017, I got writer’s block something fierce. Every comic I tried to make felt forced and uninspired and I worried I wouldn’t be able to get back to work. I read a bunch of books about writer’s block, and they didn’t do shit.
What eventually did help was getting back to how my whole career started- making goofy, badly drawn, stick figure diary comics about my daily life. I realized I missed the immediacy and direct connection of this type of unprofessional, unpolished work. I missed making comics for no other reason than I did something stupid or someone said something funny. I missed making comics because I wanted to, not because I was contractually obligated. That is not to say I don’t love making art and writing about history and abandoned places. I deeply enjoy those things and will continue doing them as a hobby, but not a career focal point. This year I’m getting back to how I started, with autobiographical comics about nothing and everything. I’ll be working on a book about my last years in NYC, and doing these diary comics.
So now that I am making comics again, I’d like to continue to do so, and your support will help me stay inspired and committed. Also I’m gonna be doing a lot of traveling and exploring this year, so maybe it will be fun to follow along? I hope so! Some of these posts will be public for everyone to read on Patreon and on social media (mainly instagram and twitter) since I don’t want all of my work to be limited to only those who can pay, but Patreon supporters will get access to every post. Your support is utmost appreciated!
If you have any questions, suggestions, other things to say, feel free to email me at juliajwertz(at)gmail(dot)com
To support my work and see new comics, go here. To buy books, prints, mugs, t-shirts, etc, go here.
