Author: Robert James Russell

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

I’m delighted to have a new comic at HAD (or, Hobart After Dark, a wonderful journal spun off from literary mainstay Hobart) about my first-ever silent retreat in rural Nebraska.

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

I’m delighted to be teaching a 6-week comics workshop with Word West!

Each Tuesday, from May 10 to June 14, we’ll talk about diary comics (and graphic narratives), the intersection of writing and memoir and drawing, and really dig deep into what makes a comic work. We’ll also do a ton of drawing (together and on our own), share work, and each student will produce a final comic of their own to share/discuss during our last class. We’ll look at work by Kristen Radtke, Adrian Tomine, Alison Bechdel, Marjane Satrapi, Lee Lei, Mira Jacob, Gene Luen Yang, Ebony Flowers, Craig Thompson, and many others.

No experience? No problem. This class is designed for the writer who dreams of seeing their words paired with their art; for the artist who wants to see their art elevated with a memoirist’s perspective; for the amateur who’s never tried crafting a comic of their own but has always wanted to; for the art-proficient who just need an excuse to get back to it.

The workshop costs $250, and there are only 6 spots in total. If you’re interested, sign up today!