Cartooning by the Mile

I don't do this for everyone but I've been real impressed by the small press comics that cartoonist Ryan Claytor produces through his firm, Elephant Eater Press. Small press publishing is for the most part, a kind of guerilla cartooning. You need to write and draw, of course, but at times that becomes the easy part…because you then have to go out and aggressively sell your work and trudge to convention after convention, bookstore after bookstore. I have great respect for anyone who does it at all even if, as is often the case, the product itself leaves me cold.

That is not the case with Ryan, whose work is very good. And if your work is good and you have the passion to do what he does, trucking about the land to promote your wares, you could do worse than read his website, where he has a lot of useful thoughts and info about small press publishing. Come to think of it: While you're over there, buy something, for Pete's sake. You too will be impressed with this man's work.

And if you don't have the energy to mouse on over to where he is, take heart. He may be coming to you. Ryan's about to launch another tour, shlepping from town to town — 25 different stops in 15 states and 5 Canadian provinces. Yow. Here's his schedule. If he's coming anywhere near you, go meet him, buy some books and get them signed. I don't promote a lot of stuff like this but I'm promoting Ryan because I like what he does.