Lermworm World News #2
Staying Connected to Friends, Interview with BARC, and Exclusive Shop Discount!
Hello worms,
The veil of normalcy that shrouded society has been lifted, revealing the gross incompetence of the ruling class and the disregard for human life at the center of our institutions and economy. The people living in this world take a collective moment to breathe. We look to ourselves and each other, and ask: what else is possible?
I ask myself this very often. What do you think?
For now, I am lucky enough to be able to hunker down in my apartment and entertain myself by drawing. I am thankful to still be able to communicate with you; from my glowing rectangle to yours. In a way, that is pretty magical. Amidst whatever stress, fear, grief, guilt, or discontent you are experiencing, there are still moments of magic. It might be harder to find, but magic still exists and so do you. Today I am extra appreciative of both of those facts.
Staying Connected
I am delighted to share the first Lermworm x Reader Collaborative Comic! This concept was provided by Reader Jorren, who wanted to see a worm’s perspective on staying connected to friends during this pandemic. Thanks Jorren!
If you have an idea for a comic you’d like to see, please send it my way via email (ginalerm@gmail.com). If your concept is selected, I will mail you the comic as a gift!
Lermworm Art Update
Towards the end of 2019, I challenged myself to make a comic every day. My goal was to document my thoughts, triumphs, struggles, and regular life in comic form. It is a record, a daily opportunity to check in with myself, and a commitment to improving in this specific medium.
Keeping this daily art practice has helped me through this strange time, and I have already seen growth in my comic-making chops. I have been sharing some of these on my Instagram, and eventually would like to compile them all into a book.
This past month I have contributed artwork to a few publications. Urgency Reader 2 was created through a public call for work addressing the new situation we find ourselves in - ultimately resulting in a collection of art and writing from over 100 people. It is available to download for free here. Milk & Honey Comic Anthology is a collection of work by independent comic artists, and is currently available for pre-order on Kickstarter. I also created an editorial illustration that will appear in the next issue of Current Affairs magazine.
Artists are already responding to the new circumstances of physical distancing in creative ways. Since many in-person art events have been cancelled, is PRESS put together a digital version of a “Zine-Fest” on Instagram. I participated in “Quaranzine Fest” by setting up a table in my living room to display the comics, zines, and other artwork I have for sale. It was fun!
If you are interested in buying artwork, LWWN subscribers get a special discount! Use code “WORMY” for 20% off your purchase from my online shop for the rest of April.
The Ultimate Worm Countdown
It’s time for the next installment of The Ultimate Worm Countdown. Every issue, I will rank another famous worm until we reach #1: the VERY BEST and VERY WORST of all worms. Feel free to share with me any passionate opinions you have on worms in media.
This may be a controversial entry depending on how you think of caterpillars (are they worms? What about inch-worms?). I felt that I had to include the iconic smoking caterpillar from Disney’s Alice in Wonderland (based on the 1865 novel by Lewis Carroll). This wiggly wanker worked his way to the #9 Worst Worm spot because he is just so rude! What’s in that pipe, anyways?
Berk is “an oviform blue creature who speaks with a West Country accent” from the UK children’s series: The Trap Door. In one episode: “The Thingy,” a big tentacled Thingy emerges from the trap door and zaps Berk, turning him into a worm (among other things). I think that Berk makes a great worm, and the clay-mation is perfect for this animated invertebrate. I recommend watching the five minute episode for a good time!
(Shout-out to fellow member of The Crab Conspiracy artist community, Culprit, for introducing me to this series. Read on to learn more about The Crab Conspiracy.)
Artist Interview: BARC the Dog
This interview has been edited for clarity.
Lerm: Who is Barc the Dog?
Barc: Barc the Dog is me, and I am Barc. Barc is a being that is infinite. People don't even know if Barc is a dog, he has just existed through all time. He never dies and exists in alternate dimensions.
I first started drawing Barc because of a friend's dog named Rocky - a blue-nosed pitbull. I always wanted a dog, so I drew that dog. Barc was my imaginary dog before I got Barf [his real pet dog].
L: Barc is you, and the universe, and your friend’s dog. What is the Barc Mindset?
B: I think it's still forming, it's always growing and evolving. But what comes to mind is just to create whatever you want to create at any cost. WHABAM!
L: What is The Crab Conspiracy and how did it come to be?
B: The Crab Conspiracy started when Dan [Ghostshrimp] came to New York, and we went to the Adventure Time screening at the Superchief Gallery. We got super stoned, and then he was like, “Dude. Barc is Crab backwards.” And I was like [mind blown noise]. It totally blew my mind. Shortly after that, I started putting the pieces together, like “Who is Crab? What is Crab?”
The Crab Conspiracy is a creative community, much like the Ghostscouts. The Crab Con is this interactive world where all the members are a part of a growing story. All the things that they contribute change the path. You always send me pictures [of crabs] and things you see in real life, and these are all elements that I weave into the lore.
I also try to give educational information, and create “quests” where people can do art assignments and fun little things. There are quests and sub-quests. The quests are for your art generally, and the sub-quests are specific to the Crab Con story. The group projects have been really cool so far and really fun.
L: It's a collaborative artifact of the experience. And you're orchestrating it all.
B: Right. And with all these quests, I want to make a Crab Con Anthology - a giant book of everybody's work. I'm excited for that. It allows me to look into the future and play the long game.
L: Each little piece accumulates to make something bigger. Because there are so many different people involved, it becomes bigger than what anyone could have made on their own.
B: Exactly. What I take upon myself is to string everything together. Everybody is contributing things, kind of throwing into this soup.
L: Crab soup.
B: Yes. Crab bisque.
L: Where do you see the Crab Conspiracy headed?
B: I don't know. I think it’s a saga that's going to continue and be a part of the Barc world. It's an expansion of the Barc world, the underworld of Barc, the Hollow Earth Crab Society.
L: What inspires you? What do you do to get hyped?
B: Weed inspires me. I think it kind of unhinges your brain a little bit. What really inspires me is my environment. I'm always in the city walking around. I'll see a logo or like some pipes that I love and I'll take a picture of it. You have to be looking for that.
Right now, the Crab Con community inspires me. Since starting it, I’ve found that it's another power. You have to keep up with it and contribute. Not just through your art, but through morale, which is something I learned in Ghostscouts. When you're orchestrating something like that, it's another source of fuel for sure.
L: You're feeding into it, and it's creating new hype.
B: I think also, you gotta follow the fun and do things that are catching your interest naturally. And then whatever is catching fire with your audience.
L: What advice do you think you in the future would give you right now?
B: I guess I'd hope that my future self would tell me “You’re doing everything right. Just keep going.”
L: Well, you're in the future now, compared to when I first asked the question.
B: Oh, shit that’s dope. Message received.
L: Exactly. Do you have anything else you want to share?
B: I think with the Coronavirus, I see the potential for serious racism. Especially for Asians, it's a little scary. I try not to perpetuate their negative feelings towards us [Asians], because my initial reaction is to get mad. I have to really overcome that and just bring knowledge. It's hard to ignore ignorance and be better, so that people can be better.
L: Don't be racist. Bring knowledge. Thank you so much!
B: Thank you! It was fun.
Mem Loss 2000 by Barc the Dog.
Thank you and Stay Safe!
I appreciate your interest in Lermworm World News! If you enjoyed this, please share it with a friend. As always, I would love to hear your feedback.
Hope you are all healthy and safe out there. Stay wiggly.