The 2023 Self-Portrait

Another year, another uncomfortable self-portrait.

December 29, 2023
New York, NY

Every year for the past 9 years I’ve used my 'warm-up sketches' time on New Year’s Day to scribble a self-portrait.

It’s the only time I do it. The style depends on whether I’m at the drawing board or sitting at the Cintiq. I don't meditate much on these; I just start drawing and see what emerges. It’s usually a reflection of my feelings about that year.

2023:
After much grunting and grousing, this is what fell out of the pencil… I chose the very specific, life-changing moment this year when I first laid my eyes on a Bloomin’ Onion. I’m so upset at what happened next.

If you’d like to see the process of how I make these, be sure to sign up for my new Substack “Process Junkie”, launching this month.

The Process Is The Reward.

2022:
A frantic mess of book deadlines, comic strip problems, endless texts, emails… a frazzled mess of a year.

2021:
I seem to be trepidatiously opening my eyes to see if another shitty year is over.

2020:
Pretty obviously the end of a harrowing ordeal of a year: Becoming overly familiar with masks, gloves, and social distancing, coming out the other side of a battle for my lungs.

2019:
Working on deadlines right up until Christmas morning. Again.

2018:
Fulfilling a lifelong dream (nightmare) of becoming one of the Usual Gang of Idiots at MAD Magazine.

2017:
The year of the GIF.

2016:
An homage to the great Stan Chow, a brilliant caricaturist, and illustrator.

2015:
Me and my pal, Ginger.