Comics

Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market Back Ta School Jam!

| M. R. Kessell

Hey there, friends! In just over a week I will be back in my homeland of New Jersey with a table at the Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market’s Back Ta School Jam!

I have a number of new items, but the one I’m most excited to share is my new comic zine adventure featuring Batboy and his squirrel friend Merle! As you can tell from the cover below, Batboy is not very happy about leaving his zone of comfort.

Cover Image of Downhill From Here: A Low Budget Batboy Adventure - Issue 1 by M. R. Kessell
Downhill From Here: A Low Budget Batboy Adventure Issue 1

I addition to my books, I will have a handful of new stickers available. One design in particular would make the perfect gift for those horror-loving bookworms in your life! READ AND READ UNTIL YOUR EYES BLEED!

stickers designed by M. R. Kessell including Brain in a jar and a candy corn kaiju known as cornzilla
Come for the zine, stick around for the stickers!

SPECIAL NOTE:

IF YOU ATTENDED THE LAST FLEA MARKET AND DISCOVERED THAT YOU HAD RECEIVED ONE OF MY COUPONS IN YOUR SWAG BAG, I WILL STILL HONOR IT IF YOU STILL GOT IT!

And if all of that wasn’t enough for you, there will be celebrity guests! Holy crap!

Cooper Andrews from The Walking Dead, John O’Hurley from Seinfeld, and Brian O’Halloran from Clerks are just a few that have been announced so far.

If you won’t come out for me, please do it for the celebrities.

Batboy waiting for the NYC subway in Brooklyn

Even though he doesn’t consider himself a celebrity, Batboy will be available all day long for photo ops and autographs. Come by and snap a selfie! Just don’t ask him to smile.

Anyway, I hope to see you all in Edison, NJ on September 10th!

New Designs, Same Old Feelings

| M. R. Kessell

GREETINGS MY PEOPLE!

I’ve added some new items to my store.

READ AND READ UNTIL YOUR EYES BLEED is a design that was inspired recently by a book that I just couldn’t put down. You know the feeling, right? Not blinking enough, eyes drying out, but you just need to get to the end of the chapter!

In other news, Batboy recently had a beach vacation, here are some shots of that:

Fun! Egg!

He also recently did some journaling:

“I’ve come to realize that the phrase “This is Bullshit” is NOT an acceptable daily mantra. Or is it?

I was on the fence for a long time regarding this idea. I wasn’t sure if I wanted Batboy to be as foul-mouthed as I am in real life. Oh well.

And lastly, I have a new project in the works, it’s going to be an all new adventure featuring Batboy and his squirrel-friend Merle. Like an adventure with an actual narrative. Like a story!

I’m thinking it will be a small run of printed comics, zine style, so stay tuned if you’d like to grab yourself a copy. They should be ready in time for the Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market Back To School Jam on September 10th in Edison, NJ, where I will be vending!

Follow along on Instagram or Twitter for more frequent updates!

I’ll leave you with some AI generated art that I made using the DALL-E mini, I give you Van Gogh Nosferatu!

trenton punk rock flea market

| M. R. Kessell

It’s happening in two days!

Come join me at the Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market on Saturday, May 21st!

I will have a table indoors. Just look for the giant Pumpkinspice!

In addition to the stuff pictured above, I will have a handful of new items, such as: Enamel pins, Holographic Stickers, some large Art Prints and a few copies of Batboy and the Art of Self-Sabotage.

You should come by, we can discuss books, music, our favorite episodes of the Simpsons, quote Kids in the Hall, talk about the best worst movies that we’ve ever seen (like Miami Connection or Samurai Cop) and maybe grab a pork roll sandwich.

I’ll see you guys in Jersey!

TRENTON PUNK ROCK FLEA MARKET

| M. R. Kessell

Hey there to all my New Jersey and Philly friends!

I will be vending indoors at the Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market on Saturday May 21st!

Come down and say, “Oh hi, Mike.”

Tommy Wiseau in The Room saying, "Oh hi, Mike"

In addition to my usual selection of books, prints, and paintings I will have some new prints, stickers and pins which I will be sharing soon. Batboy may also be making an appearance!

Batboy mural Bushwick Brooklyn 2022
What doesn’t make you uncomfortable, Batboy?

Okay, so here’s a super secret reveal, just between you and me (cause nobody reads this blog!) I will have a limited number of these incredible iridescent holographic Batboy stickers! The reason they’ll be limited is that I have already given away fifty that will be included in the free swag bags for the first 100 people in line!

A iridescent, holographic sticker, with Batboy drinking coffee and the text "It's tough being a nocturnal creature with a day job."
It’s tough being a nocturnal creature with a day job.

I will also have copies of Batboy and the Art of Self-Sabotage for your perusal! I am willing to sign the books for you, although that might decrease the book’s value, it’s up to you!

“Such an amazing product with so many uses around the house!”

Okay, I hope to see you guys in New Jersey!

Let’s get weird!

And The Winner Is…

| M. R. Kessell

Congratulations Justin Weingartner! You are the winner of the First Ever (and possibly last) Batboy Caption Contest! You are now the wittiest wordsmith in all the land! Your caption will live on in the hearts and minds of humanity for generations.

And congrats to your friend Tommy Drew! I hope you guys enjoy the books!

This announcement is a bit delayed here on the blog. If you follow along on Instagram or Twitter you may have witnessed and/or participated in the fun. I might do another contest in the near future, so smash that follow button, yo! I apologize for that.

And for my New Jersey people, I will be vending at the Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market on Saturday, May 21st! The first 50 people to enter will get a black swag bag with some possible goodies from yours truly! I’ll have some new art items available which I will post soon. Stay tuned.

BATBOY CAPTION CONTEST!

| M. R. Kessell

It’s official: I’ve run out of ideas!

That’s why I’m happy to announce the first ever (and possibly last) BATBOY CAPTION CONTEST!

TO ENTER: Come up with an amazing caption and/or some hilarious dialogue for Batboy or his squirrel-friend Merle, POST IT AS A COMMENT and then TAG A FRIEND who you think might appreciate your bizarre sense of humor.

The winner and their friend will each receive a signed copy of my latest book: BATBOY AND THE ART OF SELF-SABOTAGE

The contest will run for one week (starting…now) on Instagram, Twitter and this blog, after which a panel of funny judges will decide which is the most side-splitting, knee-slappingest entry of them all.

By entering the contest, you agree to have your winning caption published on social media and in a future printed Batboy collection (with credit given to you, of course, as the wittiest wordsmith in all the land.)

Good luck. Now get to writing!

Batboy Gets Real

| M. R. Kessell

Experimenting with a little mashup of photography and illustration. It’s a fun way to get out of my cozy little rut. Now I need to keep my eyes peeled for more photo ops!