One of the new characters we’ll meet in the next Doctor Baer story. A gorgeous beast of few words.
Be sure to visit the webcomics section in July, when The Inscrutable Doctor Baer and the Case of the Mummy Express begins updating!
The Mighty Shenandoah Read More »
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A gift of art from my color assistant Phoenix. Not only has she been doing stellar work flatting the next Doctor Baer story, but she gifted me this lovely image of the Doctor catching up on some much-needed rest!
I love that the quilt is the color of the Wisps.
The new Doctor Baer story, The Case of the Mummy Express, starts updating in July. But you can get the pages early by supporting me at the $3 level on Patreon, or by signing up for my email list below:
Nap Time for Doctor Baer Read More »
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In the next Doctor Baer story, Pickles will get to hang out with Maggie, the ship’s cook from Cap’n Cat: Former Shark Hunter!
I’ll be serializing this new story online starting this summer, but you can get the pages early either by signing up for the $3 tier on my Patreon, or for free by signing up for my mailing list below:
Pickles and Maggie Read More »
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A high school student’s six-word review of #DoctorBaer:
Justice for Wilhelmina! What the freak?!
Made my month. 💛🐎
Justice for Wilhelmina! Read More »
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I’ve had my head down for the last six weeks, thumbnailing the next Doctor Baer story. Here are a few sneak peeks!
Thumbnailing is the most challenging and rewarding part of the process for me. Refining the moment choices and dialogue is a heavy cognitive load, but watching my cute heroes interacting is such a delight.
While I finish thumbnailing this book, you can help raise the first book’s profile by nominating it for a Ringo Award!
The Ringos—or the The Mike Wieringo Comic Book Industry Awards—are awards where both readers and creators can nominate their favorite artists and books. One of the things I love most is that they include fun categories like Favorite Hero and Favorite Villain.
If you enjoyed The Inscrutable Doctor Baer and the Case of the Two-Faced Statue, and have a few minutes to spare, I’d be so grateful if you could head over to the Ringo Awards website and nominate the book for:
Important note: The Ringos ask you to include the series name when nominating characters. So for example, when voting for Doctor Baer as Favorite Hero, please enter:
Doctor Baer – The Inscrutable Doctor Baer and the Case of the Two-Faced Statue. You can copy the text above and paste it into the nomination form.
Being nominated—or better yet, winning—would help more readers discover the book. I really appreciate your support in helping Doctor Baer reach a wider audience!
Thanks!
Make Doctor Baer Everyone’s Favorite Hero! 🐻 Read More »
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I spent a few hours today doing one of my very favorite things. The next Doctor Baer story is officially underway!
Well, it was “officially” underway months ago when I was outlining it. But this stage, the second-draft thumbnails, feels like the most intense part of the process. Which means I feel a lot of resistance before beginning this part; but it also means that momentum usually kicks in once I get past that. So this is a real threshold crossed, and I’m excited about what’s happening on the pages. All of my cute friends are back and on an adventure! 🧸🐖🐢🐎🟢🔵🟣🟠
Thumbnailing Doctor Baer Read More »
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One of the moments I’ve had the most feedback from Doctor Baer readers is when Pickles claims she’s discovered Hug Magic. So it seemed reasonable to add something to the Doctor Baer store that celebrates the positive pig and her belief in the power of hugs!
You can now get your own I Believe in Hug Magic t-shirt via my Etsy store. Let your friends know that you’re with Pickles on this!
Do you believe in Hug Magic? Read More »
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Yup! You can get sneakers with Doctor Baer-inspired designs on them over on my Etsy store!
It’s been a lot of fun designing apparel that’s a little more customizable than your average t-shirt. I feel like the Wisps sneakers look pretty neat. But what I’m really enjoying is making products that also build more lore into the world of Doctor Baer, like the Shoes of the Deathly Dance:
From the world of The Inscrutable Doctor Baer and the Case of the Two-Faced Statue.
These legendary shoes should not be worn by the fearful or careless! They are cursed shoes the mysterious Baba Yaga instructed a young farm hand to give to their wicked employer.
These enchanted shoes compel the wearer to dance fiercely until they meet their end–unless the wearer has a pure heart. You will know that the dancing curse is activated if the shoes turn green. If they stay blue and red, you are pure of heart and safe from the curse!
Like the talismans I’ve been making, it’s a fun creative exercise to create an in-world object that comes with the suggestion that it might have magic properties. It’s a nice, time-boxed way to playfully explore some of Doctor Baer’s world. I don’t need to tie these objects into any particular plot, but if they seem especially interesting, I can. And yes, it’s another way Doctor Baer readers can support me.
As a kid I was all over products like this. Whether it was superhero pajamas or the He-Man dress up set, anytime I could feel like I was participating in the imaginary worlds I loved was a good time. I guess there’s something to it like what makes Halloween so fun. But it was also the notion of interacting with an object from that world. I remember getting my first light-up lightsaber in 1984. It was a cheap knockoff purchased at a vendor stand at the state fair, basically a flashlight with a green piece of cellophane over the bulb, and an opaque white tube attached to the bulb end. I couldn’t cut through walls, and the tube got irreparably bent after a few swings, but it helped transport me into the world of space wizards and monsters on a warm summer night in my grandparents’ back yard.
These things I’m making might not deliver such core memories or emotional charge. But I’m having fun sitting alongside that kid while making them.
Doctor Baer…Shoes? Read More »
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I’ve put some new apparel in the Doctor Baer Etsy store, including this new Pickles T-Shirt:
And you can get it for 25% off until January 31, 2025! Just use the code PICKLESWOW at checkout.
Nobody expresses genuine wonder like Pickles!
New Pickles T-Shirt! Read More »
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Travis Jonker—school librarian, children’s book author, and co-host of The Yarn podcast—was kind enough to interview me during the 2024 American Library Association Conference in San Diego last June. In our conversation, he graciously gave me the chance to discuss The Inscrutable Doctor Baer and the Case of the Two-Faced Statue. Here’s the interview:
At the beginning of the episode, you’ll hear The Yarn co-host Colby Sharp share some kind words about my school visits. Colby, an elementary teacher in Michigan, has been a wonderful collaborator through events like the fabulous (but now retired) Nerd Camp Jr. He even allowed me to kick off the Doctor Baer tour at his school—a generous gesture I deeply appreciate.
I’ve since led author visits for elementary students in Dublin and Columbus, Ohio. Here’s video from one of my favorites so far. Instead of leading a presentation I hosted a series of drawing game shows where the elementary teachers (and even the principal!) drew characters based on the students’ prompts. After each round I interviewed the teachers about their work, congratulated them for their courage, and highlighted the process they were practicing.
This is a modification of a game show I’ve led at comics festivals, Super Comics Challenge:
There’s an “exotic animal” quality in the author at a school visit. We come from the outside world, beyond the spaces where the kids spend so much of their time. That’s a privilege I want to handle with respect, so I spend a lot of time with my hosting schools discussing language I can use during my visit in order to support learning happening in their school. I want the kids to say, “Hey, he said the same thing Miss Scarpa has been telling us all year!”
This supports the teachers, but it also implicitly underlines that the adults around them care about their success. When I was 10 I felt like most adults just liked pushing me around, and I think I would have felt safer in my school had I been pointed at how some of their behaviors were expressions of caring.
The game shows also invite the teachers to empathize with their students, while letting the students devilishly challenge their teachers. Each round lasts two to three minutes, and even a seasoned pro can feel the pressure of creating a recognizable drawing under those constraints. The students delight in giving their teachers challenging drawings. The teachers, many of whom do not identify as artists, get a visceral sense of what it’s like to be out of your depth, the way many of their students often feel.
And this compassion can go both ways. One of my favorite memories of 2024 will be when the school’s principal said, after I introduced him to the 200 3rd and 4th graders in attendance, that he was very nervous about the games and hoped the kids would be kind to him. After the assembly I might have been a bit effusive as I told him how much it meant to me to see a person of authority express vulnerability to his students. And you can be sure I led them in a few chants of “WE BELIEVE IN YOU!” while the principal was drawing.
All this is to say that I cherish the opportunity to create events that celebrate everyone present. Yes, I want to sell books. Yes, I enjoy the curiosity and attention of the children. But even more I enjoy instigating joyful subversion of the traditional notion of an author visit. I want every person there to walk away with an artifact representing the idea that every one of us is a creative creature.
And here’s where I get mercenary: I’m offering free school in-person visits Central Ohio and virtual visits everywhere else. If you’re an educator or librarian who wants to create a meaningful experience for your students, click the button below!
School Visits and an Interview on The Yarn Podcast! Read More »
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