Work In Progress (August Edition)

Couple meta covers from Eel Mansions No. 2....

Yeah, There's Stuff

Some pages from a bunch of different subplots for Eels 2

New Eels Critical E-Book

Over the last couple years, I've been lucky enough to have the individual issues of Eel Mansions reviewed, dissected, and masticated by Keith Silva and Daniel Elkin, scribes for web blog, Comics Bulletin. The reviews were hilariously extensive and included many wandering open questions, absurdities, and insightful dialogues. Just recently, they compiled all of these reviews along with some fresh analysis, and an interview i don't remember doing. Was I there? I might have still been on that two week tour. Anyhoo, it's a funny read, and if you dug Eels, a little further reading might be your cup of Chai. With whiskey.

Oh yeah, it has a cover featuring a new drawing by yours truly.

Check it out: One House, Many Rooms

Original Eel Mansions Art For Sale

I just posted ten original drawings for sale from Eel Mansions 1 & 2 here. Check em out.

New Doomin Mini

It's finally finished. AND ridiculous. Just gotta clean it up and have the good folks at Uncivilized Books scan it in with their very bitchin' device. Eels 2 is still underway. That's right, a sequel to the most obscure book ever made.

Rough Scans 6/22/15

Maybe You Can

So maybe you knew or maybe you didn't, but I'm currently playing in a band called Murder Shoes. This isn't very unusual, I'm involved in music as much as I can be, having played in The Bridge Over River Qua, The Roman Invasion Suite, The Paraguay City Rollers, and Ebersole Versus Carberry....anyways, the new group, Murder Shoes, just released it's first single off our new EP. The song, "Maybe You Can" was recorded by Knol Tate who also did the rest of the EP, which will be out May 1st via Land Ski Records. Check out the preview single here!


AND in somewhat related Eels news, here's a poster for an upcoming Murder Shoes show that utilizes an unused narrative that was supposed to come from ex-wuppeteer, Armistead Fowler!

Doomin vs.

Pabst Blue Ribbon Mother Fu**Kers!

"Eel Mansions also works in another framework and that’s the melodramatic soap opera world that’s heavily reminiscent of Mark Frost and David Lynch’s Twin Peaks. It actually has the confidence that’s seen in the pilot of Twin Peaks. What I mean by that is, when you first see Twin Peaks, it’s characters and the world feels lived in and we, the viewer, got dropped in one day and it’s up to us to navigate and understand this lived in world and it’s history: Eel Mansions pulls aspect of Twin Peaks perfectly….”

Read more of Larry Vossler’s review over at the 9th Blog .

"Probably the most Lynchian (as in filmmaker David Lynch) comic to be made since Dan Clowes’ 1993 graphic novel Like A Velvet Glove Cast in Iron, Derek Van Gieson’s Eel Mansions has plenty of Eraserhead’s confusing imagery but with Twin Peaks’ wry sense of humor as well….”

Rich Barrett discusses more Eels/Lynch vibes over at Mental Floss.

Eel Mansions Tasting Notes: Volume One

ON PAIRING, VOLUME ONE

There’s plenty of discussion these days about what 20 year old port wine best accompanies chicken fried steak, but when it comes to books, there’s little to no dialogue on the matter. With that problem in mind, I bring a few tasting notes in regards to my damn damn damn new graphic novel, Eel Mansions. The moods and scenes shift rapidly in Eels, which calls for some sonic diversity.

1. Jerry J. Nixon- Gentleman of Rock n’ Roll : All of Englishman Nixon’s New Mexican recorded rockabilly sides are offered here on one collection. Fiesty, dusty, occasionally off key in a charming way, and engagingly flavorful. Perfect for bumpy reading. Check out the song “Moonlight”.

THE DELMONAS 5 : Before Billy Childish put together the Headcoatees, there were the Delmonas, another of his garage rock girl groups. Plenty of groups aim for stark naked honesty but seldom do they deliver the danger and joyful spark captured here. Check out “Keep Your Big Mouth Shut”.

The Motels "Suddenly Last Summer" : Absurd? Never. Kinda. A great moody pop song that suits the heavy inky Eels vibe like a warm black sock.

UNWOUND- "Totality": This is for when the sanity is nowhere to be found and there’s no telling the bleeding seas from the crispy flesh of the Earth. Harsh chaos made by artists.

JOHNNY CASH & The TENNESSEE TWO- There are five million directions you can take with this stark country crooner, but I’d direct you to the old Sun Records stuff. “Train of Love”, “Next In Line”, and “Guess Things Happen That Way”- The pluck and cluck of the chicken train powers this lean and mean ride.

PUBLIC IMAGE LIMITED- “Death Disco" : A high watermark from 1979, this richly constructed cyclone of punk rasta dancefloor engineering tears through the crowd leaving a gasping, deconstructed maw of gene spliced gasps. Another agent and siren song for the more abstract moments.

HANK WILLIAMS-“BLUE LOVE" After the carnage comes the calm, and Hank delivers one of his more obscure cuts "Blue Love" for a big ass bear hug that let’s you cry it all out. It’s gonna be ok. You’ve got Hank now. Wonderous Hanky.

Hit The Liqour Store/Eel Mansions Is Here!

The wait is nearly over, advance copies of Eel Mansions are here! If you pre-ordered through Uncivilized Books, your books start shipping today, if not they'll hit stores by the end of the month. Uncivilized is still doing their discounted pre-order pricing, so if you'd like to save a few clams, there ya go.

Eel Mansions Au-Go-Go

Here it is, two years and 250 pages later, the complete first storyline (or foundation layer) of Eel Mansions. The tall humans at Uncivilized Books can help you complete your set.

Eel Mansions Audio Discussion On Comics Alternative

I was recently interviewed by Derek Royal and Andy Kunka from Comics Alternative about Eel Mansions. It was a fun discussion, and I probably got off point more than a few times, but hell, that's me. When I did stay on topic, I discussed the music portion of Eels, the characters, soap operas, the single issues vs. the collected book, Mome, and the future.

During the show they played some new home demos of mine. While I haven't posted any of them, I can at least point you to some full band recordings that the group I'm in, Marriage At Nevers, just released a few days ago. Check those out here.


Issue 6 and the collected book are in the can, so expect Eel Mansions 6 to start shipping next week and the big ol' book to happen around Nov/Dec.

Take a listen.

Also, if you like that page of Janet dancing, you should check out the song she's dancing to, it's "Roaches" by The Judge n' Jury on Verve records.

Janet Sketch

Eel Mansions Update No. 24578

In case you weren't able to pick up Eel Mansions #3 when it debuted at this year's monstrous SPX Festival, you can now order it from Uncivilized Books, or demand your local store get with the times and start stocking it. Also, Uncivilized Books is now offering a subscription in case you can't keep up.

The last of the crazy festival deadline oriented issues of Eel Mansions (#4) will drop in November for the Brooklyn Comics Arts Fest. Things start to pick up now that I'm done with all the setup stuff. Below is a page from #4. Breakfast- Janet style!

Eel Mansions No. 2 Update & Rough Publishing Schedule

Aye, it was a cruel and nasty winter that just passed us by here in Minneapolis, BUT it is over and the plants are in the ground and the rent still manages to get paid, so yeah, everything is dandy. Last night I finished drawing another 38 page issue of Eel Mansions and now just comes the editing, scanning, and dot tones part to get it ready for the Autopic Fest in August. I know, that's way the hell in the future but the good news is that I'll have my groove going and a shorter issue No. 3 will be ready in time for SPX in September. And then No. 4 in November. So yes, lots of drawing between now and then plus a major exhibition of new art next spring/early summer. This is a BUSY summer for sure. I dig. Just gotta get that cd player component workin' again. Don't worry, the vinyl still gets a workout. Music is very important in the creation phase. Anyways, here's an uncorrected Doomin' page from No. 2. Enjoy.

Eel Mansions No. 1 Now Available For Pre-order

I know it's been quiet as hell round these parts, but it's only because I was hunkering down on finishing the first issue of Eel Mansions. Well, it's done and it's being published by Uncivilized Books! The first 40 page issue of Eel Mansions will debut at the Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival November 11th, and while I will not be able to attend, you should certainly stop down and say hello to fellow Uncivilized Books artists Jon Lewis, James Romberger, Tom Kaczynski, and Gabrielle Bell, who will be signing copies of their new books. Order yourself a copy HERE!