On Sunday, November 9, I concluded my final-final table event of the year, Portland Zine Symposium. What a delight! (← blog post about it) Now I get to rest and recharge and work on comics and art for the cold, cozy winter months until Emerald City Comic Con in March. I’m really grateful to have a job that lets me travel so much because it is something I really, really enjoy! But I’m so happy to have a nice winter break, too.

So… what am I going to work on during these long nights?

Villainess (and Monster Zine)

Going on right now is the Villainess artbook anthology project organized by Nova and Mali and Dames. I have an illustration in the book, and it’s also available as a SICK risograph print. Each of the book illustrations has hot neon ink spot treatment to complement the hot, evil women inside. The risograph edition of the print will be on bright neon Astrobright cardstock paper in a random color to go along with the visual theme of the project. These neon riso prints will be exclusive to the Kickstarter, so don’t wait!!

Thank you to everyone who supported the In Their Clutches monster zine last month! I’m currently working with Fend and WonderPress to get them into production. They’re going to look SO. DROP. DEAD. SEXY. If you missed your chance, I ordered 50 more copies to bring to events in 2026, but I’m anticipating they’ll be gone swiftly. Follow Nova and Mali and check your inboxes for updates from Kickstarter when the zines and prints start to ship!

I’m coming to Alaska?!

For the first time ever, Ren Strapp is going to Alaska! In May 2026, I’ll be at Alaska Comics Camp. If you’re able to make it to Juneau on May 9th, you can find me at the mini-con hosted inside Alaska State Libraries, Archives, and Museums. If you’re a comic artist interested in coming to the camp portion of this trip, applications are still open for a little bit longer. Don’t wait to apply! A few of the guests (including me) have already been announced, and you can check out the list here.

(Side note: this does mean I’m missing out on seeing Mannequin Pussy opening for Florence in Portland that week… Mannequin Pussy I WILL see you in concert some day, god willing.)

Ok but what about the comics, Ren? You know… comics?

I’m toiling away in pencil purgatory on three different projects right now. Those are:

• A boot humping 18+ comic written by Aphy Ray (coming so soon, I actually just finished the pencils on this and am moving into inks, which is my favorite part)

• Amira the Van Life Cunt, issue 3 (taking a back seat while I finish the boots project, but is scripted and ready to go)

• The Tale of the Royal Equinox Rager (pitch packet) co-authored by Jessica Delphi

I’ll be posting more about these projects as I work on them. Patreon is the best place to support my work and get sneak peeks at everything going on behind the scenes before everyone else. I really am grateful to everyone who supports my work via Patreon, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for making weird dyke art come into existence. The world needs boot humping, van life dyke drama, trans girl knight comics!!!!

The Shepherd’s Sword

I’m so far ahead in the current publication schedule for The Shepherd’s Sword, I might have to start posting updates twice a week 😳😳 Maybe that’ll be a special treat for Q1 2026…

Check out the most recent pages at theshepherdssword.com Chapter 6 is complete and available to read on Patreon, along with the start of Chapter 7, or you can read ahead by becoming a paid subscriber to the webcomic at theshepherdssword.com 

November Mail Club

Time to piss outdoors, baby!! Amira Miles invites you to get back to nature. Do it, coward. This is the mini print for the month of November. The sticker is a cute little hiking boot!

What else did I do this month, hmm…

I have some actionable emails waiting for me in the inbox, and I’m sorry to everyone who is waiting on an email from me. This newsletter is my productive procrastination, but I’ll get back to my replies!

For Halloween, En and I were Count Orlok and Thomas from Nosferatu. En looked so good with the bald cap and just a little hair sticking out. We tried to go to Secret Room for their Halloween event, but it was so jampacked! So we just went bar hopping for a little bit with our friends instead.

I got to have brunch with Tara this week, and drinks with Cam and Shannon, and drinks again with Carly and Eli. RaeAnne helped me hang up posters for Portland Zine Symposium in St Johns, and we’re gonna go hiking! Cait took us to see Bugonia (LOVED IT) and Die My Love (also loved it, but you might not and that’s ok). We saw Frankenstein in 35mm at the Hollywood Theater. I really like going to the indie theaters in town because they’re way cheaper and more comfortable and they serve CBD sodas.

It’s been really nice to hang out with people and feel human and normal. Going into the long dark months, things get tricky as Portlanders start to hibernate, but I think I can dig my nails into making my friends socialize with me for a bit longer!

When I’m at home after shifts at the print shop, I like to wind down my evenings playing Peak with my friends. The new Roots update is SO COOL. I wish I could just play the Roots part of the map over and over. We’re also watching The Chair Company, Haha You Clowns, Wayward and Pluribus.

Here’s some sweet treats for you to check out:

• New book from Fawnduu! It’s Big Cats: Cowboy Princess Vol.2, and it’s her best work yet. I really like these pages :^) Btw, I revamped Fawnduu’s portfolio site. You like?

• TO THE WORLD written by Jehad Abu Dayya and illustrated by Esraa El-Banna. I’ve been waiting for this shop to reopen for months, and I’m so glad I’m finally able to order a copy of this.

• Rest in peace Alice Wong. Support Crips for eSims for Gaza.

• Music rec: More by Vania Junco

• Stop motion animation indie film Inkwo for When the Starving Return by Amanda Strong. Only available in Canada, so if you’re not there, get a VPN or your Canadian friend to stream it for you!

• BABE WAKE UP NEW VEWN VIDEO JUST DROPPED: Lifewasters by Vewn