My Advent Bazaar
Christmas gift concepts for you, kids, weird people, and normal people.
It is time. I have become… Advent bazaar Owen Cyclops.
It has been a crazy rush. Just got the booth set up. (Notice infant girl is working tape) (OSHA violation) (do not report please).
Perhaps you need a gift. I can show you my wares.
First up is: the new kid’s book.
I made a full post about that here. It’s a poetry anthology that’s meant to be an introduction to the artistry of the English language. Multiple centuries, nursery rhymes, Poe, Milton, Shakespeare, Rudyard Kipling, much more - this is really all I worked on this year.
Link to that on Amazon is here.
The other heavy hitter as a gift is the liturgical calendar. This may be my most popular single piece of art, and the one I spent the most time on.
There’s a post with many images here. Here are a few of my favorite reviews and some images:
The links for that: Substack post (there’s a few, this is the first one), findable in my shop or on Etsy.
I also have some other books. ‘Wagnition’ is shorter, about 109 pages: comics about a dog attempting to figure out life and the universe, with a few side adventures. I made this book so anyone could enjoy the ideas inside: it touches on philosophy, religion, ethics, baby kangaroo, many topics.
The back cover, below, really sums it up. You can find the book here.
‘Babyology’ is about the intersection of having a baby and theology / atypical religion. These comics span the first two years after my son’s birth. It alternates between day to day humorous things and deeper dives into a variety of topics. 365 black and white pages:
I really love this book (Babyology). I’ve gotten a lot of great feedback on it, but if you know anyone into religion who is having a kid or just had one, this is a heavy hitter in that department. It’s really about the world where those things intersect. Also my dog:
You can find that book here.
My first kid’s book is ‘Rover in Church’. More than a few people have told me their kid is really into this. It’s intended to have a slightly vintage feel, in a modern authentic way. There’s also an unspoken theme of visualized sound that, unexpectedly, kids really responded to:
It’s one poem, from 1911, that I illustrated. You can find that here.
Lastly, this is kind of a deep cut, but if you personally know anyone already into my work and vibe (very cool thanks), my first book is ‘Channel One’. This is a more… chaotic manifestation of my stuff. It feels like a first book - a lot less sane (not saying this as a negative).
(Every time I use the above photo my wife asks me to indicate that this is not one of our windows at home. This was at a hotel somewhere in West Virginia).
That’s here.
Oh yeah, I also have… one or two more of these packages left: my first four books (everything but the new kid’s book) signed. I’ll ship these out… tomorrow probably, to make sure they get there in time for Christmas (in the US, can’t predict outside). That’s linked here.
That’s my tale. I really enjoy doing the holiday gifts thing as I like facilitating people feeling appreciated via gifts, which can often feel impersonal.
So, the main thing this year is the new kid’s book. We got to #1 in our section already. I’ll link that again below.
I also charted in Germany (and Canada) already (fascinating):
That new book is here.
Thanks for perusing.