These Days …

We’re going on a road trip at the end of the month. My brother is having one of those significant birthdays ending in a zero. We’ll be flying down to California and then driving back home. We’re hoping to visit with friends on the way back but we’re keeping things loose so we can enjoy ourselves and take it easy. A friend will be staying at our place to make sure the cats have someone to wake at midnight to feed them.

Both Sarah and I have big (and small) projects that we’ll be concentrating on in 2026. I will be writing/posting this newsletter weekly. It’s going to be a little personal news (and probably some character and concept sketches) but mainly a progress report on my various projects. Nothing forces me to focus on creative work like having to document it for other people.

Seasons Change 

Available Now!
Seasons Change – A modern day Hallowe’en scenario for Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition
By Jeffrey Moeller

Edited by Oscar Rios & Matthew Pook,
Art by David Lee Ingersoll,
Layout & Design by Mark Shireman,
Maps by Gregory Shipp

Seasons Change is a standalone, modern day scenario for Call of Cthulhu™ 7th Edition, designed to be played in two sessions.

Inktober/Drawloween Gallery

Every year in October artists around the world try to draw and post an illustration a day for Inktober/Drawloween. Inktober and Drawloween are both drawing challenges that post prompts to inspire drawings. I did these drawings in 2016. That was the first and only time, so far, that I’ve participated.

Jeremy Loader Never Could Pick Up After Himself
Pencils by Pia Guerra
Story and Art Finishes by David Lee Ingersoll
Published 1993 in Asylum #3

I scanned the pages for this story from a copy of the published comic. Some clean up of the files was required.

Nine Panels – Bigger Folks

I’ve read that Charles Schulz wanted his comic strip to be called L’il Folks but the syndicate titled it Peanuts. And he hated that title.

In Misspent Youths I included teenage versions of many comic strip kid characters. I only got in a couple from Peanuts. For these nine panels I’ve drawn nine of the main characters as they might have appeared in Misspent Youths. Can you guess them all?

And that’s it for this one. I hope y’all are well and taking care of yourselves. Keep it up!

See you November 15th!

These Days …

It’s the middle of September. It’s this time of year, autumn as it cruises into being winter, that I start contemplating what to do with this website (and this newsletter) in the next year. I think of each year as a project. This year I’ve written a monthly newsletter. In some previous years I’ve posted daily images. Other years I wrote a weekly newsletter. I don’t yet have an idea what I might do in 2026.

I don’t expect I’ll do new daily images here. I don’t expect to but I’ve often done things I didn’t expect. In 2025 I’ve been posting daily on substack, blue sky and tumblr. It’s been the same image on each platform. I’ve been wanting to see what sort of response on get on each site. The images have all been from the archives on my computer. I expect I will continue the daily posts on those sites in 2026. My audiences on each site is small but the images are being seen by more people on those sites than see them here. Subscribing to my substack will get the daily images sent to your email. Otherwise, checking the platforms will get my posts and the posts of other interesting people.

Substack

Blue Sky

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I’m working on a variety of projects that I expect to post at some point – The Surrilana Depths graphic novel, the Daughter of Spiders stories, the Sunk Cost Elegy graphic novel. At the moment, none of those seem like they’re enough complete to start serializing, even if I were to limit myself to monthly posts.

I has occurred to me that I could finally set up this site as a portfolio/store. Have a gallery of images that, when clicked on, take you to either my Zazzle or my Redbubble store. That’s a thought. I could direct folks here from the other social media sites. Just let Skookworks chug along without regular posts for a year or so. That feels rude. I do think of y’all out there and I hope y’all enjoy these newsletters even when there’s not much news in them.

Atomic Age Maps Gallery

Most role playing scenarios feature maps so the players can better orient themselves in the stories. I’ve only drawn maps once, for the sourcebook: Atomic Age Cthulhu. I’d already contracted to do illustrations for the book so, when the editor asked if I could do maps as well, I basically shrugged and said, “Why not?”

Most of these were pretty straightforward. I followed instructions, did a little thinking and mostly drew the maps in Photoshop. The big challenge was the map for the Tri-Cities in 1955. The internet has a lot info available but no images of maps that old. So I went old school and visited the Seattle Central Library. There’s a map room on the top floor. I found a few maps that suited my purpose but, when it came time to check them out, I wasn’t sure how. This was years before our library started putting bar codes on everything and none of the maps had check out cards. I asked a librarian how to check them out. She smiled and said, “Bring them back when you’re done.”

Librarians are divine beings.

Yes, I returned the maps when I was done.

The Widower
Published in GLYPH #2, September 1998
Credited to “Sean Black”
But really:
Sarah Byam, writer
Justin Norman, penciller
David Lee Ingersoll, inker

Nine Panels: Misspent Youths

I get older. They never do. Punks.

I will see y’all again on October 15th.

Keep calm. Carry on. Hugs if you need them. Knuckle sandwiches if you’re a fascist.

These Days …

Hello again. Good to see you. Good to be seen.

I am constantly fighting an urge to write a philosophy of life. Or a book of advice. Or a manifesto. I resist the urge by reminding myself –
A) Drawing comics and illustrations is more fun.
B) It would be long and complicated and therefore take a long time to write (and rewrite and rewrite) so it makes sense.
C) What works for me, works for me. It’s really arrogant to assume it would work for anyone else.
D) Drawing comics and illustrations is way more fun.

So y’all are rescued once again.

But the multiverse is endlessly varied. In some realities I did write that weighty tome. In fewer realities it was published. In even fewer it was read by more than a few people. And … I’m guessing I changed the lives of fewer people in those realities than in the ones where I became a politician. Or a cult leader.

I’m not saying I improved anyone’s lives as a politician or a cult leader. Maybe in some realities.

In this reality?

In this reality there are already a LOT of people offering advice. On how to live. On how to get women to fall in love with you. On how to get men to be decent human beings. On how to write your screenplay/novel/memoir. On how to use Clip Studio more effectively. With social media it’s really easy to hand out advice. It’s really easy to get advice. I read a lot of Substack posts and watch a lot of YouTube videos. I figure it never hurts to learn something new.

Also in this reality: I’m still delivering mail. Sometimes I deliver things that do improve lives. I’m really appreciating the Burien station, my current station. One of my coworkers also carries routes at Westwood, my old station. He tells me that folks there are having to put in a lot of mandatory overtime. In Burien, getting mandoed hasn’t happened. I’ve been asked to carry extra three times. It was easy. So I feel pretty lucky. Hopefully I’m not jinxing that luck by talking about it.

A Mugshot Gallery – Part One

My big project for 2022 was to create an illustration a week to be put on mugs in my Zazzle and Redbubble stores. This is gallery features half of those illustrations.

Zazkwatch

This was the last Zazkwatch comic, published in the fourth issue of GLYPH.

Here’s your reminder that I’m posting older images from my computer archives daily on substack, blue sky and tumblr. It’s the same image on each platform so you can pick the one you prefer. If you want the images to come to your email then subscribing to my substack is the way to go.

Substack

Blue Sky

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Nine Panels – Alien Folk

We have made it this far friends! We can go all the way!

All the way where?

That the question isn’t it. I grew up watching and reading stories of apocalypses, dystopias and disasters. It sometimes feels like all those tales were summoning spells for bad times. Bad times don’t need summoning. They arrive with little effort on our part.

It’s time to call up the Good. Not that Abundance shit that the Tech Bros are feeding us.

Make art. Tell stories. Make music. Make comics. Have a conversation with another human being in the same room.

Then do it again!

See you on September 15th!

These Days …

The day job continues to satisfy, at least as much as a day job can. My truck got taken in for maintenance and came back with a working fan and something like an air conditioning system. When I was first assigned that truck the fan hadn’t worked. During the winter and early spring I hadn’t cared. I still don’t use it much (I drive with a window open and there’s usually a cool breeze coming off the sound) but it’s good to have when necessary. The air conditioning system is in the cargo area but it blows a little air up into the cab if I leave the inside cargo door open.

Outside the post office I’m keeping busy with The Surrilana Depths, Oz book illustrations, and a couple of illustration jobs for Call of Cthulhu scenarios/source books. Sarah has started writing prose stories based on some of the superhero characters I’ve posted images of here and there. She’s adding in characters and situations of her own to flesh out a “universe”. I’ll be providing an illustration for each story. She’s building up a backlog and will start posting regularly on her substack next year.

The cats seem to be doing fine. They lick up their raw chicken heart and liver gruel with as much enthusiasm as they had the processed kibble. They’ve both lost a little weight. Kemo slipped out the kitchen window a couple of weeks back. Both the cats are indoor critters. I was out of town. A friend was visiting. She and Sarah spent the night anxious, trying to figure out how to find the little jerk. When they finally had to get some sleep, Sarah closed Crunch in the bedroom with her and our friend left the front door cracked … hoping.

Kemo came back around dawn demanding to be fed. Little jerk.

We’ve gotten collars and leashes so that we can take the cats for walks. Sometime.

Stickers and Magnets and Buttons and Schtuff Gallery

This month’s gallery features a few of the circular designs I’ve done for my Zazzle and Redbubble stores. If you haven’t looked at the stores recently, now is your chance! Or not. Marketing is not my strong point.

Zazkwatch

This comic was done for the Halloween issue of GLYPH back in the 20th Century.

Nine Panels – Some Gals

Practice, practice, practice.

Here’s your reminder that I’m posting older images from my computer archives daily on substack, blue sky and tumblr. It’s the same image on each platform so you can pick the one you prefer. If you want the images to come to your email then subscribing to my substack is the way to go.

Substack

Blue Sky

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Thank you for reading. Drop me a note if you feel compelled. Take care of yourself. I’ll be back with more words and pictures on August 15th.

These Days …

We’ve settled in to the apartment. I’m working on The Surrilana Depths a little every morning. Sarah is doing some writing.

We’ve taken to feeding the cats a raw meat gruel in the hopes that it will improve their health. Crunch, the orange one, is overweight. Kemo, the black one, has, in the past, had skin issues that we’d treated with a hypoallergenic dry food. We buy a few pounds of chicken hearts and livers and run them through the food processor. The cats get a couple of spoonfuls each at meal times. Crunch is getting lighter. Kemo seems more generally relaxed. And the meat gruel is much less expensive than the specialized kibble.

I know my route pretty well now. I’m beginning to remember the names of my co-workers. Burien is a much smaller station than Westwood was so, maybe, in few months, I’ll actually know everyone’s name. I never managed that at Westwood.

Gallery – Superfolk Sans Costumes

I had a writer friend that I collaborated with on a number of projects. This gallery features character designs for a series about a team of super criminals. I think. The details are fuzzy now. I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t remember the details any more that I do.

Zazkwatch

This is the second Zazkwatch comic from the second issue of GLYPH.

Nine Panels

Nine characters from Sunk Cost Elegy, a graphic novel that I mostly finished drawing for a writer who couldn’t figure out how to end the story. He gave up any claims to the art and story. I have some ideas on where to go with it but I’ve got other priorities right now.

Here’s your reminder that I’m posting older images from my computer archives daily on substack, blue sky and tumblr. It’s the same image on each platform so you can pick the one you prefer. If you want the images to come to your email then subscribing to my substack is the way to go.

Substack

Blue Sky

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And, once again, we reach the end. Thank you for reading. See you on the 15th of July!

These Days …

I’ve been working my new postal route here in Burien for about a month now. It’s a big change from my old route in West Seattle. It has a lot more trees and great views of Puget Sound. The views are especially nice these days because we’re getting more sunny days than rainy ones. The route is all driving except when delivering parcels that won’t fit in a mailbox. Even then I often drive the parcel to the customer’s door because a lot of folks’ houses are down (or up) long, steep driveways a long way from their mailbox. Right now, going down (or up) those driveways is fairly safe. When it gets rainy or, especially, icy? No way am I driving or walking those inclines. I find it hard to believe that the residents would be able to get out on cold weather days.

I get a lot more smiles and waves when delivering than I did in West Seattle. Most of the dog walkers cheerfully acknowledge my presence. Quite a few customers have introduced themselves at their boxes. So far, so good.

Early Digital Gallery

These images were all done with my first Wacom tablet and Photoshop. I was learning to draw with the tablet. No physical versions of this art exists.

Reminder, if you’re reading this as an email, the gallery is truncated. The full gallery can be seen by going to Skookworks.com.

Zazswatch One

Back in the late Nineties, Sarah and I published GLYPH, a free comics tabloid. We’d hoped to finance it with advertising but …

We managed five issues. I did four stories about a bigfoot for GLYPH. This is the first.

Nine Panels – The Surrilana Depths

I’m currently drawing The Surrilana Depths, my very loose graphic novel adaptation of the 1930 pulp novel Morgo the Mighty by “Sean O’Larkin”. I’ve drawn a number of versions of the novel’s characters over the years. These are versions that I’ll be featuring in Surrilana. As of this writing I’ve finished four pages – colored art with lettering. Doing a page of color art takes me about 15-20 hours and I’ve only got an hour to an hour and a half each day to draw so it’s going to be a while before I start posting anything.

Here’s your reminder that I’m posting older images from my computer archives daily on substack, blue sky and tumblr. It’s the same image on each platform so you can pick the one you prefer. If you want the images to come to your email then subscribing to my substack is the way to go.

Substack

Blue Sky

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I’ll be back again on June 15th. Until then, take care of yourself. Get outside. Spend time with friends. Read a book. Bury a fascist in a shallow grave in the dessert but don’t tell anyone. Cheers!

These Days …

We’re settling in at the new place. It’s still a mess. One room is still filled with the stuff that didn’t get sorted before the move. We do plan and do need to sort it soon if only because we don’t want to move it again.

I’ve transferred from the West Seattle station to the Burien station. I haven’t started my new route yet but I did stop in at the station to get a glimpse of where I would be delivering. It turns out that I will be delivering my own mail. Cool.

Basic Roleplaying Gallery

This month’s gallery is of the illustrations I did for Chaosium’s 2nd Edition of Basic Roleplaying, published in 2008. I loved this job. The editor, Lynn Willis, gave me free reign on the illustrations. As I’ve mentioned in previous newsletters, if you’re reading this in your email, you’re not getting all the images. Please come to Skookworks.com to see the full set.

Cold Dead Fingers

A few years ago Sarah and I were asked to contribute a story to an anti gun violence comics anthology. The book was intended to raise money to help combat gun violence and was successfully funded via Kickstarter. Sarah wrote it. I drew. Other someones were supposed to letter and color it.

For a variety of reasons, the book never saw print. The publishers donated all the pledged money to the causes the book was created to support. I showed some of the process of putting this story together in one of my past newsletters. Using Clip Studio Paint I’ve lettered (but, obviously, did not color) the story and it’s being present here for the first time.

Nine Panels – Some Guys

Practicing full body drawings – guy edition. I’m sure all of these guys have stories but you’ll have to talk to them to find them. These are just snapshots.

The Surrilana Depths 

Over the years I’ve posted about The Surrilana Depths, my imagined graphic novel adaptation/reimagination of the old pulp novel Morgo the Mighty by Sean O’Larkin. Last month I started drawing the thing. It’s likely to take me years to finish it. All the more reason to start now. 

I’m writing/drawing this a little at a time and kinda/sorta making it up as I go along. I mean, I know the story. I know who does what, when and how. But this is the first time I haven’t written out a complete script and done complete thumbnails before getting started drawing pages. We’ll see how it goes. I’m hoping to start posting finished pages in 2026.

If you miss my daily posts, I’m making them over at my accounts on substack, blue sky and tumblr. I’m posting older images from the archives on my computer. It’s the same image on each platform so you can pick the one you prefer. If you want the images to come to your email then subscribing to my substack is the way to go.

Substack

Blue Sky

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Thank you for reading! See you on May 15th!

These Days …

We are all moved in to our new apartment. We are not unpacked. That will take time. We still have a lot of boxes of stuff that just got moved because we didn’t have time to sort it.

I’m in the process of trying to transfer from my old station to the post office here in Burien. I want a shorter commute. I put in a bid last week. It’s the first time I’ve bid on a route since I became a career employee back in 2014 and that was more a formality. I didn’t have to go through the bid system and I was only up against other new career carriers. This time I’m presumably competing with all the carriers who might want the route. The winner will be determined by seniority. Chances are I will get it.

Kaiju Gallery (Part Two)

Here’s the rest of the images I did for the Kaijuphile site back in the day. Once again, if you’re reading this post in your email, you’ll need to come to Skookworks.com to see all the monsters.

Sacrifice

Nick Brownlow wrote this story and I illustrated it for the Vietnam Special of The Black Seal a few years back. Sixtystone Press continues to put out nifty Call of Cthulhu related RPG stuff but The Black Seal is on hiatus. I’m really pleased with this one.

Gallery – Super Ladies

Octobriana. Fantomah. The Pink Suit. Rag Alice. Mama Heap. April Fool. Zsa Zsa. The Swift. Helen Vaughan. Don’t mess with them.

That’s it for this month! Take care of yourself. Punch a Nazi. Burn a Tesla. Impeach the President. Whatever makes you happy.

See you on April 15th!

Hmmm. I’ve now seen this morning’s newsletter on both my phone and my desktop. For some reason the system decided to reserve most of the images in the gallery for the Skookworks website. Sorry about that. If you’d like to see all the colorful pictures, please click on this link.

If you’re already reading this on the website – Hi!