Keeps Getting Petter And Petter

(Song of the day: ”Has the bad dream ended now?”) / I’ve decided to dare try new things. / (HIV Center volunteer training)

Say yes instead of no. I owe it to myself. / I can always cancel stuff I consider I can’t do after all! // After all those times that I couldn’t bring myself to anything.

.

I’m going to move out of Oulu after school. / (All my friends:) Nooo! Everybody’s moving out! Please stay! Boo-hoo! // Fine. Help me find a stable job and a boyfriend and I’ll stay. // … // Need help moving? / Help me carry my laundry machine, will ya.

.

Oulu Comics Festival 2016! A.K.A. the last comics festival of the year. To me at least? I don’t remember when Necrocomicon of Turku is. Anyway… /This year I didn’t sell zines anywhere no wait sorry I did! In Tampere Kuplii in March. But other than that I’ve been focusing on my thesis. // And now it’s done! The comic production, not the written thesis. // On display in the campus gallery, way outside of the city center…

The first festival day ended with the traditional first-Thursday-of-month Comic Meeting. / St. Michael – Penalty for speaking in fake Irish accent is 20€. // Leon Stekla & Gon Rodher: Your zines are all over Malmö, a friend of mine is a superfan of yours! / Oh, cool. / (International superstar!)

Friday: Tusen Serier Collective: Dubbelmoral. // Burlesque! Regiina Dieder channeling Black Peider. // In the great tradition of Peider-ism, Regiina flailed audience members across the stage. / You weigh like 20 kilos. // Batsinthe Belfry giving occult realness, mama.

Gonzalo was busy painting the mural in Kulttuuribingo. / We’re going back to Malmö on Sunday. / Insane. // Oh yeah! Earlier on Friday I signed my job contract! / (Youth employment services) // No, it’s not the snow shoveling job. I quit just in time before first snow fell. / I got a job in my own field, thanks anyway. / Okie-dokie, thank you and goodbye. / It’s not like I would’ve wanted to start waking up three in the morning to shovel some snow…

Saturday: Comics Oasis. / Since I’ll soon be a job-having individual I might as well splurge on some comics! // I interviewed Gonzalo. / Who are you what do you do howzit hangin’ / Yeh. / (Too much coffee – Creeping hangover / Slightly hysterical) // You did good. (Jarkko the M.C.)

Gonzalo ”Gon Rodher” de las Heras on espanjalainen Malmössä työskentelevä monitaiteilija, joka osallistui mm. pohjoismaiseen sarjakuvakilpailuun ja maalaa muraaleja minkä ehtii. / Gon Rodher, born and schooled in Spain, lives and works in Malmö, Sweden – is a multidisciplinary artist who took part in the Nordic Comics Competition and paints murals like there’s no tomorrow.

Afterparty in sports bar Snooker Time. / (Noise, clink, clang, drum noises) / (I didn’t see the artist so I drew them as an anonymous blob à la Jiipu Uusitalo.) / They played before Jyrki Nissinen, not at the same time. // You’ve got to come visit Malmö! You made us feel really warm and welcome in Oulu. / (Friendship! Companionship! Compliments and positive feedback! Validation!) / Now I know what I’ll save my paychecks on.

Heterosexual invasion in the gay bar. / Snooker Time closed for the night and all the other bars were crowded. / I see. / ”You come to my house.” // The fifth annual Oulu Comics Festival was a full ten. Now I shall drown myself in my deadlines and start my new job tomorrow in the city-funded art project. Ciao!

.