Available to preorder now from you favorite local bookshop for pickup on May 27, 2025!

I’m proud to have illustrated Jo’s new middle grade novel, a story about 10-year old Maple who draws comics in response to stresses in her life– hey, that sounds familiar! Jo has an amazing ability to speak of deep emotions through the details of daily life, and to bring humor and imagination to difficult times. Some scenes I loved drawing include Maple as Captain Ladybug flying to a recycling center to dispose of the kitchen timer that torments her during math tests, Maple rolling down a hill in a barrel (I tried this when I was a kid, not recommended), Maple’s dream treehouse, and scenes of a “portal potty,” Maple’s dad’s means of escaping to Dadlandia, where he’s free from responsibilities of family.

The chance to make these illustrations grew out of teaching Coming of Age Comics together with Jo at CCS for five summers in a row, continuing this year. I love this week, and learn new aspects of story telling from Jo every year. Registration is open for Coming of Age Comics summer of 2025— a week packed with exercises designed to get to the heart of stories of growing up.

I’m excited to share my work adapting Eric H Cline’s 1177 BC!

For an in-depth discussion of the job of adapting Eric Cline’s original book, I wrote this article for Anceint Near East Today.

More insight into the process went into this Interview with the Usonian, a fellow Fulbright fellow to Cyprus.

I discussed the making of the book with The History of Cyprus Podcast. I was already a major fan before Andreas and I had this conversation.

Reviewed in the Times Literary Supplement July, 2024

Events for the book release:

Venetian Soda Lounge with Phoenix Books in Burlington, VT with Special Guest Call of Kinnaru, April 18

Education and Enrichment for Everyone, Burlington, VT, April 19

Floating World in Portland, OR, April 21

University of Washington Department of Classics lecture, April 26

Third Place Books, Seattle, WA, April 26

Labyrinth Books, Princeton, NJ, May 6

Yale Peabody Museum, New Haven, CT, May 9

Still North Books, Hanover, NH, May 10

More events forthcoming!

Nov 2, 2022, Brownell Library, Essex Junction, VT, 7 PM

This talk is a preview of the pages I’ve drawn, and a glimpse into the process of interpreting Eric Cline’s 1177 BC The Year Civilization Collapsed in comics.

Creating this talk sent me on yet another round of edits and revisions, and there will be more to come. I’ve drawn and lettered about 144 pages so far, and there are about 100 left to go before the deadline in February. One of my favorite parts of making this book is imagining the scenes and the people who lived in the Late Bronze Age. And then it came to an end!

Watch the talk (courtesy of The Vermont Humanities Council and The Media Factory).

There aren’t many chances to hear new ancient music, but Saturday in Burlington was one of them. Together with Brooklyn duo Gawain and the Green Knight, The Call of Kinnaru: John Franklin (lyre), Julia Irons (voice, percussion), Rachel Fickes (aulos, lyre, voice), Jamie Levis (drums) played Songs of Greek Mythology, covered by Seven Days VT. This fall the Call of Kinnaru performed at UT Austin and Harvard, with more gigs planned for 2024. Find the full Call of Kinnaru playlist here.

I created images for projections to illustrate songs for a production of Euripides’ Helen that John produced in 2018. The lyrics often refer to myth, which for ancient audiences would have brought images to mind. These projections attempt to simulate the experience, and it’s thrilling to see how the images interact with the music.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

I’ve loved the flood of stories about beloved old cars that this cartoon produced. Published on my birthday, the day before a wonderful tribute to the life of Ed Koren at the Chandler Center for the Arts in Randolf, VT.

Turns out it only takes 30 seconds to feel like you’re at a chariot race/gathered round a campfire/ shipwrecked/ awestruck by an Egyptian temple! Watching makes me smile every time.

Now that I’m done with thumbnails and have started drawing, the project feels real! I’m immersed in imagining life in the ancient world, drawing ancient art, and figuring out the tech side of putting this book together (Special thanks to Ellen Lindner for expert advice!)

On the initiative of Zoe Richards of Burlington Wildways, along with naturalists Kate Kreusi and Alicia Daniels, and advised by state archaeologist Jess Robinson, we created six signs, now installed in Burlington’s Intervale as part of the Lake Champlain Basin Program, to tell the story of the archaeology of this unique farmland in the Winooski Valley.

We began the project in 2019, working together on text and images. A few interruptions occurred, including my work on 1177 BC) but finally the signs are installed in a beautifully renovated grove in the Intervale, right across the last parking lot, and trailheads for walking and skiing, and surrounded by farm gardens. I’ve thought a lot about ways to tell stories of archaeology visually—in creating my adaptation of 1177 BC, and in my work as illustrator of artifacts on excavations in Greece and other sites. Until now haven’t had the chance to bring that practice to my hometown to tell a story of people who lived here and benefited by the fertile flood plain soil for centuries before the present.

From the Jan 19 2023 editon of the Burlington Free Press

I’m talking about my work on 1177 BC, archaeology, and the wonder of comics! Read the article here!

I drove to Westport, VT (about half hour from Burlington) and met writer Margaret Grayson and librarian Bree Drapa, to hear about what she’s done to keep the the community together over the past 10 months—which was a lot! I had 2 days to draw, ink, copyedit and color the story. Read it here and in the Dec 16 issue of SevenDays.

I’m proud to have contributed The Story of Ana to this anthology of stories of migrant farm workers in Vermont, and so pleased with printed collection. Each comic was originally printed as a pamphlet in Spanish and distributed among migrant workers, in order to share stories, make connections between people, and to ease the sense of isolation they might have while working far from home.

More Details about the book and how to order here.

Listen to a discussion about the project on Vermont Pubic Radio.

Special thanks to Andy Kolovos!

For the 3rd year in a row, and for the first time IN PERSON, Jo Knowles and I will be leading a week-long workshop on creating YA and MG comics at CCS in White River Junction, VT. EVEN on ZOOM this week left me feeling exhilarated, so I can’t wait to experience comics making together in the same room—being able to hop out to nearby cafes for breaks and lunch. As anxious as making plans to travel may feel at this point—I’m out of practice– the anticipation of this week dedicated to generating story ideas, workshopping projects, and gaining a community of peers eases these fears.

Wether you have an idea for a graphic novel, or a project already in progress, or even wonder about how to compose in panels, pages, and spreads—or know someone who does— consider spending this week at a spa for YA/MG comics! It’s also a chance to gain a short- term taste of life at CCS —the sound of trains rolling through the junction, and glorious immersion in making comics. Sign up here.