Robert James Russell

Howdy, friend! I’m starting a monthly-ish newsletter: HOW TO DRAW _____. (w/ RJR)

Each newsletter will focus on a craft drawing essay and prompt—the first one will focus on DRAWING YOURSELF, the how and why of avatar creation, and what my process has looked like over the years. (Below, a sample of what my own avatars have looked like.)

I’ll also include news and updates, behind-the-scenes looks as I work on my graphic memoir HARD BODY, and other books/movies/music/things I’m currently obsessing over. I hope you’ll consider signing up!

SIGN UP FOR MY NEWSLETTER HERE.

As I continue to search for meaning in my corporeal form, I’m elated and grateful to have this comic in The Offing about bodily reclamation through tattoos, their history, and how they can help us take back our narratives.

A huge thanks to the amazing Katrina Mohn for working with me on this and the following wonderful folks for allowing me to share their tattoo stories in this comic: Shannon Frost Greenstein, Will McMillan, Eric Boyd, Teo Shannon, Erin Fitzgerald, Sarah Sun, Lauren Opet Deutsche, and Killian Czuba.

Here’s a snippet. Read the whole thing here.

There are no words—although I’ll try—for this news. A dream’s dream’s dream. My graphic memoir HARD BODY will be published by Simon & Schuster in 2024. The book will trace how I’ve navigated body dysmorphia while navigating social expectations of what a body should look like and how that has affected my mental health over the years. I’m thrilled to be working with Yahdon Israel and cannot wait to bring this book to life.

Delighted to have a little comic about how I donated plasma in college and all that binds us up at Autofocus Lit. Here’s a preview:

Read the whole thing here. A big thanks to the editors at Autofocus for giving this a home!

Thrilled to announce that my short comic “Horses”—about horses, body dysmorphia, and my complicated relationship with getting undressed in public (read: pool parties)—won the Summer Lit Contest (Graphic Lit category) at Solstice literary magazine.

Judge Josh Neufeld had some kind things to say about my piece: “[Robert is] clearly someone in command of their craft. The story has some really nice qualities with its themes of psychological vulnerability, masculine body image, and the wisdom of animals/children.”

Check out a peek below. Read the whole thing here.

So happy to have a little comic at HAD. It’s a purposefully quiet piece—I wanted to tell a story using only aspect-to-aspect sequence transitions, quick snaps to showcase what’s going on without necessarily telling a linear narrative.

A big thanks to Aaron Burch for feeling this along with me.

Here’s a sample. Check out the full comic here.

I‘m ecstatic to have a comic up at The Rumpus about my great uncle (an Antarctica explorer), my Greenland-shaped birthmark. and learning to love my body.

Here’s a sample (below). Thanks to the wonderful editors for giving it a home. This is, truly, a dream.

Check it out.

Thrilled to announce I’ve been selected as a recipient of the 2022 Artist Residency at the Cedar Point Biological Station (part of the University of Nebraska – Lincoln). This summer, I’ll get to stay in one of the stations’ cabins for a week, hike and explore the unique ecosystems of western Nebraska, and make art. (Just FYI, world, expect so many nature and animal sketches this summer. ♡)

The wonderful folks at the Art of the Short podcast have included my story “Son of Paul Bunyan” as their first story to help celebrate Short Story Month 2022.

During the podcast, hosts Bethers and Jori read my story, discuss the art they’ve created for it, and talk about what the piece meant to them. I’m really very touched to be included.

Check out the podcast episode on YouTube

(Or other ways here)

Read the original “Son of Paul Bunyan” story at matchbook here