New Images

A couple stills from the upcoming animated Witch Watch "Pink Salt" video. It's a unique project that bridges various visual elements from Eel Mansions, Enough Astronaut Blood To Last The Winter and some of my work from Mome.

Under The Microscope At The Comics Journal

My last book, Enough Astronaut Blood To Last The Winter got reviewed today at the Comics Journal via Keith Silva. It's a tricky book to take apart and I think Silva does it quite well. Lots of open questions and examinations of why I do what I do. My home state is actually Michigan, but in all fairness, Minnesota is Michigan-esque.

You can read it here.

To clarify a few things about the creation, I'll give a little context. The book was assembled in its first draft before I left New York. This being the third book in a series of abstract autobiographies constructed at the very end of specific periods. My previous efforts had no publisher. Journey By Ferry was made possible with grants and Shutdown Vol. 3 was my design thesis, printed with love on a very testy Solna press.

Astronaut Blood was kicking around for a while, and then came the offer at Fantagraphics. Gary Groth was starting a new imprint, Fantagraphics Underground or FU for short, and he remembered the art book I had solicited. Gary's a very cool cucumber.

I then began the process of re-designing the guts, this being the 8th or so time, previous versions were done in the 5x7 and 6x9 formats and displayed in black and white. Photos and drawings had to be relocated, re-scanned, all that jazz. I love art and design, so that was just fine with me. The not so fun part was re-visiting the subject matter. Usually these books are done after location moves, defined chapters of a life. They're put together and then I move on. The dermis is shed, a purge occurs, demons are cast out, and a new life begins. Usually.

Re-editing Astronaut Blood forced me to re-enter a weird zone. In there I saw faces that had vanished, re-lived feuds that have since evaporated, explored ancient concerns, fears, hopes. Had imaginary drinks with friends that I loved that are no longer in my orbit. It was weird. And I had to cut it up again. This was a sort of confrontation.

It helped that the structure was there already, nothing new was added, if anything things got left out. Like the fabled 6 hour cut of Apocalypse Now (yes, it does exist), it needed some trimming. What may appear on the surface as chaos is actually a definitive exhibition. It's a monograph and journal designed by the artist as opposed to an art book assembled by an outside presence like a historian or researcher.

Overall, it was a beneficial process. One that's actually happening again now as I write this. Folders sit in my studio, holding the work I've done since I've moved to Minneapolis. It'll be examined and dealt with when I leave. Luckily, the title has already revealed itself. More on that later.

File Under Floyd

Pen and ink drawing from I Can Count To Infinity, a book in progress. Meanwhile my current book, Enough Astronaut Blood To Last The Winter is available via Fantagraphics.

Play The Piano..

From the next book in progress, I Can Count To Infinity. You can get a whole book of stuff like this HERE.

If I Lean Here....

Image from I Can Count To Infinity, my next book in progress. Further related viewing and chewing here.

Paper Versus Fist

From my next book in progress, I Can Count To Infinity. In the meantime, there's this brand new puppy.

New To The Murder Shoes Merch

for those of you who have attended a Murder Shoes show, you know our merch table betrays the fact that this isn't our first rodeo. Like any hardworking band in their first year, we have three CD EPs, our debut full length on CD and LP, koozies from our midwest tour, buttons, stickers and copies of my previous art and fiction book, Journey By Ferry To Celibate City or Thigh Town and my recent graphic novel, Eel Mansions. BUT NOW we've added my most recent art book, Enough Astronaut Blood To Last The Winter, published by Fantagraphics Books. It's 262 pages of inky inky goodeness, and if that wasn't enough, copies comes with a hand drawn CD of our complete debut album in demo form. Personally, I love demos, it's a chance to peek behind the curtain. You get to hear Tess sing, Chris sing, and hell I even sing on one. It's a bonus only available at shows. If you can't make the Eagles club this Friday, we'll see you at 7th Street Entry next month. Meowsa.

Astronaut Blood Now Shipping

The very fine folk at Fantagraphics Books now have copies in stock of my new art book, Enough Astronaut Blood To Last The Winter. Years in the making and finally available for your coffee table, you can order a gazillion copies here. Maybe gift a couple. Use them for security purposes. Impress your housecat. Those bastards read, make no mistake about it.

Also, the first 50 copies come with a special Murder Shoes compilation that cherry picks from all three EPs as well as the new LP, Daydreaming. We also tucked some rare demos in there too.

Enough Astronaut Blood To Last The Winter

Oh yes, long in fermentation, now, almost full released, here's a sneak peek. Published by our lovely friends at Fantagraphics Books. Extra snappy offer: the first 50 pre-orders get a special Murder Shoes compilation download.Somethin' to listen to while flippin through some fine art. The best thing I've ever done? Yea. But now I gotta better it. Buy some copies so I can do another, eh?

New Book From Fantagraphics!

Sweet Christmas! It's almost here! Fantagraphics Books is pressing the third book in my art and fiction travelogue series, Enough Astronaut Blood To Last The Winter via their new FU imprint. My previous books, Shutdown Vol. 3, and Journey By Ferry To Celibate City or Thigh Town, were done in the handy black and white 5x7 format. This time around, we got all coffee table on ya, and it's going to be a full color offset, 264 page, 8x10 monster.

Over the years I've made various prototypes and redesigned it a half dozen times, but now it's finished and you can see the final version of the book that documents the batshit crazy time that was my life in NYC the second time around. If you're interested in anything I do art-wise, this collection is a handy way to carry around a big chunk of it.

Like the other art books I've done, it's available in limited quantities, and since it's a weirdo art book, you won't find it at the airport bookseller. You can pre-order copies directly from Fantagraphics here. They'll treat you right.

Fashion Shoot Inky Doodle

Not long after I had moved back to NYC I found myself doing backdrops for a fashion shoot down at Milk Studios. There was plenty of downtime so I doodled. This is one of my faves. It was later used in my New York Years art & fiction roundup, Enough Astronaut Blood To last The Winter.

Massive 440 Page Catalog of Work 1997-2012 Underway

Inbetween other projects, I've been working on compiling a collection of work spanning 1997-2012. The book starts with posters and art done for my old band The Roman Invasion Suite, moving through all three art & lit books, various oils & lithograph exhibitions, The Bridge Over River Qua and other band posters/art and will end with recent drawings and paintings. It's a giant, color and black and white monster. The book is meant to clear the decks for future stand alone books that will be issued by year. I figured it was time to do this as I don't have any flat files and keeping artwork organized is a very serious and precarious situation.

A stand alone black & white book on the Roman Invasion Suite is still in the works. That will contain interviews, photgraphs, art, and ads and clippings from that time.

A collection of short fiction will also follow at the close of the year, under the title Where The Red Fang Grows. That will also be survey skimming all three previous books along with more recent stories. It's sure to be the perfect gift for that special nutbag in your life.


Here's a teaser for the big book-

Below are two pictures from The Shutdown Volume 3 period (1999-2003) Both the drawing and lithograph were done at The Art Students League NYC in 1999.

And here we have a painted poster I did for one of the Romans shows from our East Coast tour. I did this after we came back as I didn't remember seeing any posters for it and I wanted something to commemorate the show.

Also I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't pimp my most recent 360 page book of art and short stories. It's my best work work to date and it looks hot in any room of the house. Did anything change in my life while I was out in lil' NYC? Sure as shit it did. Anybody remotely interested in my work should see what I've been up to. A link below makes it easy as hell to buy and all that stuff.

Enough Astronaut Blood To Last The Winter by Derek Van Gieson |

A Life In Books/The Handwritten DVG Bibliography

Enough Astronaut Blood To Last The Winter by Derek Van Gieson |

The World of Brenda Twist

Another spread from my new 360 page art and lit book, Enough Astronaut Blood To Last The Winter, available here.

The Old Office (Astro Blud NYC Moment #47)

The beloved Soda Bar from my old neighborhood in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. I got a lot of work done here on my days off. (that's Matt at the far end with a crossword and a Jamesons)

An Adventure of Your Own Choosing

The intro to an audience participation number from my new book, Enough Astronaut Blood To Last The Winter, now available here.

Enough Astronaut Blood To Last The Winter (now available for purchase)

I know I've gone back and forth on this, but after having shared the galley (rough draft) of the 360 page version of Enough Astronaut Blood To Last the Winter with some friends, I've been encouraged to make it available temporarily to those curious about what I've been doing lit and art wise since 2006. I've already started to move on to other projects, and so, I thought it would be good to put it out there in the world. Either you see it or I lock it away under a pile of invisible cats.

What is it? A MASSIVE compilation of all of my artwork and writings generated while living in Brooklyn, NY. The ups and downs, the good and bad, all dealt with directly or in my usual abstract delivery. They say the truth is best dealt with in fiction. I say that is true. And there you have it, an honest and unedited book that delivers the artists experience. Don't believe it? take a gander.

Enough Astronaut Blood To Last The Winter by Derek Van Gieson |

The version up for purchase right now is the paperback and hardcover of the trade 6x9 format. The preview above is for the pulp version, just imagine it on cream paper rather than the white which is shown.


Plus original art for sale -here.

Enough Astronaut Blood To Last The Winter (copyright 2012 by Derek Van Gieson)

Off Broadway

Short fiction spread from Enough Astronaut Blood To Last The Winter.

The Haps: May Edition

I'm all unpacked and enjoying the neighborhood, which is unbelievably beautious. I'm about to hunt down some manner of labor to bring in some fresh scratch, but before I do that, I'd like to lay out what's happening and what is in the works.

The big project- a new series of oil paintings, my first since 2006, that's about to start. I'm setting up the studio this week. I'll post more on that and some upcoming studies when that's more evolved.

As I previously posted, what was once called Enough Astronaut Blood To Last The Winter has now been folded into my new ongoing art book series called Sasquatch Verde. It's more in the hardcover/nice paper/color/coffee table vein than the old b&w pulp/paperback/format. It serves as a handy reference series for me, as a significant amount of my work tends to wander or get misplaced. Since I'm more productive these days, I'll be working on putting out four volumes of Sasquatch verde a year and they'll have everything-the drawings/watercolors/oils/photography/writing/collage, whatever I've been doing, it'll be in there. No more of this every five or six years business. The Minneapolis work will start appearing in Sasquatch Verde No.5. Volumes 3 & 4 are devoted to the New York period (Astro Blood) from 2006-2011. Volumes 1 & 2 are redesigns of my first two books Shutdown Vol.3 and Journey By Ferry. Why? I want to bring them into the 8x10 format. I like my work to be uniform. So yes, five volumes of Sasquatch Verde are being worked on at once.

I'm also working on the first chapter of the Eel Mansions story. That should be around 24 pages or so. I was taking a break from it for a bit as I wanted to get a better handle on some of the character and story elements, but now I'm ready to bet back to work. That will be put together with a Tales of Abstraction story and a Doomin piece to bring it to 32 pages. Looks like I'm still on track for the end of June to wrap up the drawing part.

The Roman Invasion Suite remasters is still waiting on the remastering part. All of the tracks have been found, selected, and collected, and so it is now in the capable hands of Romans drummer Bryan, to see it through to the end. I've been working on a book that collects all the old art & whatnot. Some interviews with the group. I'm still waiting on some of that.

And, that's about it. Maybe I'll join some old punkers softball league, I dunno.

Below is a quick watercolor sketch of my view from the front porch. That Iris is everywhere.