Archive for the ‘HardPressed News’ Category

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Monday, May 24th, 2010

It’s been over a month since my last post, for which I apologize. Things got a little busy for me and then I started work on a new comic brochure for Plant Bros, so I haven’t had a chance to finish the latest Congressional Caffeine Caucus Catastrophe. But both should be finished soon, so watch this space! In the meantime, here’s a fun little painting of me by the very talented Tristan Rumery (whose dramatic talents inspire rhyme and rhythm), my coworker at Studio 700, based on a drawing of me crying.

'Jesse Cries' by Tristan Rumery

One Piece Show this Weekend at Sol Collective

Monday, March 15th, 2010

Flier for 3-20 art show at Sol Collective, 'One Piece,' featuring Jesse Baggs

After burning down two years ago, Sol Collective is back in a new location with a new show entitled, “One Piece,” featuring a single piece of art from a wide variety of artists. The opening is Saturday, March 20, from 7-11pm, with a $5 suggested donation. Beside the art there will be food, wine and entertainment.

I’ll be there with a new piece along with old friends like show organizer Adam Saake, Clave Fourie, John Stuart Berger, Aaron Winters and Phil Alstatt, plus new friends like most of the teaching staff at Studio 700. There should be something to satisfy every taste, so come check it out!

New Web Site at JesseBaggs.com

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

I just completed a new web site for showcasing my work: JesseBaggs.com! Screen shot of the home page below:

JesseBaggs.com home page screen shot

Unlike my old web site, HardPressedInk.com, it’s standards-compliant, uses CSS and features my name right in the URL. It doesn’t feature many samples yet, and I plan to make further tweaks as time goes by, but for now we are live!

HardPressedInk.com will also remain live, but it will soon cease to be an online portfolio for me and become instead the web site for my new publishing collective, HardPressed Ink. Watch this space for news as they develop.

Not Too Late for Indy Euphoria!

Saturday, January 9th, 2010

Sacramento is having it’s very own comics festival this weekend at the Scottish Rites Center (directions here). Called Indy Euphoria, the show features alternative comics, toys, zines and tons of other goodies, plus special guests like Tom Neely, Jeffrey Brown, Nate Powell, Attaboy, Skinner and more! Sunday hours are from 10-6 and the entrance fee is only $6! Be there!

Go APE This Weekend!

Friday, October 16th, 2009

The Alternative Press Expo (APE) is this weekend at the San Francisco Concourse Building. Tickets are $10 a day or $15 for both days. Head on down for a fantastic collection of comics, books, posters and handmade items you won’t find anywhere this side of Etsy! This year’s special guests include Jeff Smith, creator of Bone, Dash Shaw of Bottomless Belly Button, and Phoebe Gloeckner of A Child’s Life.

Flyer for APE 2009

I will also be in attendance, along with fellow hard-pressed artists Argel Brown, Clave Fourie and Scott Longo. We’ve got the weirdest names in the biz! How could you not stop by our table? Argel will be debuting his new mini-comic, “Falling.”

Front cover for Argel Brown's mini-comic, Falling

Back cover for Argel Brown's mini-comic, Falling

Clave and I will be debuting our first joint mini-comic. My half is entitled, “How Hipsters are like Superheroes.”

Front cover for Jesse Baggs's mini-comic, How Hipsters are like Superheroes

A sample panel:

Preview panel for Jesse Baggs's mini-comic, How Hipsters are like Superheroes

Clave’s half is “Baggs ‘n’ Me,” depicting one of our true-life adventures! Not really!

Front cover for Clave Fourie's mini-comic, Baggs 'n' Me

A sample panel:

Preview panel for Clave Fourie's mini-comic, Baggs 'n' Me

See you there!

Joy of Matt Caricature

Tuesday, December 16th, 2008

Below is a caricature / portrait of my brother Matt and his girlfriend Joy, which I drew at his request for her birthday.  They both loved it.  If you would like a caricature or portrait drawn of you or someone you know, please send an email to jesse@hardpressedink.com with three photos of the subject at different angles and a description of the style and format you’d prefer (size, color or black and white, cartoony or realistic, etc).  I charge $50 to $100 a drawing and will mail you the finished original!

In Matt’s case I didn’t charge him, but not because he’s my brother:  I got him to help me move.  I think I got the better end of the deal.  Look how tired he was at the end of the day!

Save the Date: December’s Second Saturday for Casa de Chaos

Sunday, December 7th, 2008

Clave and I will be featured in an art and punk show for December 13, this month’s Second Saturday, at Casa de Chaos.  The show is being put on by Mickie Rat of The Secretions and will feature music from his side-project, Rat-O-Matic, along with the bands Warm Streams, Armed Forces Radio and Storytellers.  The show starts at 8pm and is all ages; send me an email at jesse@hardpressedink.com for more details.  The flier Clave and I created for the show is below.

Looking for Something to do Tonight?

Saturday, November 8th, 2008

It’s Second Saturday and I’m in a show at SarahJaneandCo.  21st Street in Midtown between I and J; click here for more info.  Live music, beer garden and full bar!

Hope to see you there!

HardPressed News: Triple-Blogging APE to the Four Corners of Second Saturday

Wednesday, October 29th, 2008

October is almost done but I’m full of news.  First, I’ve been invited to contribute to John Gladding’s latest web site, MySacramento.me.  John is the creator of several local-interest web sites, such as Sactosaurus.com, The Tomato Pages and MyFolsom.com.  Despite being a good looking guy with a house in Folsom, a beautiful family, and a successful career, John keeps wanting to associate himself with me.  We’ve tried a few other collaborations in the past but this time he’s only asking me to do what I already do here and at my myspace page (blogging, that is), so it shouldn’t be a problem.  My blog posts will be the same at each site, or “simulblogged”, as I like to call it, but from time to time there may be slight variations to keep from getting kicked off of myspace or to give my new readers at MySacramento.me more information about me (for instance, this post appears there in a slightly different format).  In the future, I may even create site-specific posts to encourage cross-pollination.  As always, I’ll keep you informed.

Second, the Alternative Press Expo (APE) is this weekend in San Francisco!  I’ll be attending for the third year in a row with my trusty ward Clave and wonderful girlfriend Audrey in tow.  Clave is debuting his first ever comic book, “The Intern,” and I’ll have my comic books and merchandise for sale, including some new items (watch this space for details).  Audrey and I will be dressing up as Mario and Princess Peach for the Halloween Party Friday night, and then at the convention proper we’ll all be sharing a table with Argel Brown and Michael Galande of Blood and Inc.  Argel came up with the great idea of drawing ourselves as the monsters from Rampage for a banner and advertisement for our table.  I just picked up the banner today and it looks awesome:

Alternative comics heavyweights such as Jessica Alba and Chris Ware will be in attendance, as will Sacramento homies Skinner, Sandor and Aaron Winters.  Even if you’re not into comics, APE is a great place to score one-of-a kind books, apparel, dolls, posters, merchandise and original art.  Sometimes celebrities like Matt Groening and Davy Havoc make appearances, but even when they don’t APE is more fun than a barrel of monkeys, so check it out!  For directions and more info, click here.

And finally, I’ll be in my first midtown Second Saturday show November 8th at SaraJane&Co.  Entitled “The Four Corners,” the show features “Four distinctive styles by four very different artists who have never met, showcasing the creative diversity of our region’s finest.”  Gosh, they’re talking about me!  Oh, and Chris Baxter, Chad Lenzi and Andrew Taggert.  The aforementioned Skinner is coordinating the show and Aaron Winters designed the spiffy flyers:

SaraJane&Co is actually having a three-night opening, but if you want to rub elbows with the artist I’ll be there Saturday night for the Beer Garden and music by Electric Dude.  And we probably would rub elbows if you go: the space is kind of small and sure to be fucking packed!

I’m 30. Arrrgh.

Wednesday, September 10th, 2008

So, it’s just after midnight on September 10, and I’m awake.  And officially 30.

I’m having a little birthday party this weekend and used evite’s “Pirate Theme” for the invitations.  Which reminded me of a photo I posed for way back in 1998, when I was still only 19.

Arrrgh.