It’s been a long, hot season of scrawly Sharpie drawings for me. In an attempt to get off the iPad, I’ve been trying out a few different pens and getting a feel for where I feel most comfortable, and most me. While I don’t want to call it too fast, I have felt very at home with a plain old Sharpie. I like the thickness and permanence, how it feels in the hand. You can’t really take a line back. It’s been a helpful tool for me lately in my attempt to ~commit to the bit~ a bit more when it comes to sketching and letting my hand be a little wobbly and free.

So, since you’re here (thanks for doing that), here’s a selection of my favorite sketchbook pages from the summer, which was largely centered on patio cocktails, lounging dockside with my friends and a crisp Diet Coke, and a hot cup of coffee on a humid, rainy morning after getting back soaking wet from the dog park.

It’s been a while since I’ve shared any rejected toons. I want you to know it’s not because I haven’t been getting rejected — because believe me, I have been. But I haven’t posted a roundup because I keep waiting for a theme to emerge, a bigger message… That’s the problem. Sometimes, it feels like there’s just nothing to say.

Lucky for me, when I haven’t got a clue how to put what’s in my mind into words, I don’t have to. Here’s a collection of captionless rejected toons I made without them:

Speaking of captions (or lack thereof), quick plug for The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest Podcast! The hosts discuss the caption entries and winners every week with a rotating cast of real-life New Yorker cartoonists. I was on last week!

Skip ahead to the last thirty minutes if you’d like to spare yourself my long-winded origin story, an extremely anecdotal conversation about AI, and me saying “at the end of the day” approximately twelve times. The final part of the episode will probably be most compelling to anyone interested in cartooning as an art form: writing captions, submitting work, and resubmitting cartoons to publications like The New Yorker.

As always, thanks for reading. How was your holiday weekend? Personally, I crashed a friend’s Seder dinner with my dog (he’s not sure about matzo, but a big fan of gefilte fish), witnessed the crowning of this year’s Hunky Jesus and Foxy Mary (shoutout to Cheezus, AKA Cheez-it Jesus, who I was rooting for), and enjoyed watching hundreds of San Franciscans burn the rubber sole off their shoes racing down a steep, curvy road on children’s trikes. I wrapped up Easter with a bacon-wrapped hot dog at Dolores (in the name of the Lord), and all I can do is pray that you enjoyed your holiday weekend half as much as my dog, Sneakers, enjoyed his bite.

To be honest, I don’t know anything about baskeball. All I know is that Stephen Curry is allegedly the GOAT, which is why he recently produced and starred in a movie about an actual goat, and we’re supposed to be going mad about it right now. For the record, I am feeling quite mad right now. But it has less to do with college sports, and more with the general state of things. There are, after all, plenty of things to be mad about right now.

When I feel like there’s nothing to look forward to, my coping mechanism is usually giving myself some things to look forward to. I keep busy. I fill my idle time. I try to quit stewing and make some damn soup.

So, what’s the soup du jour, you might ask?

(drumroll)

~The Poop Scoop Card Club~

Get your first card free

The last time you heard from me here, it was also about mail. I made a series of little collage valentines and mailed them out to anyone who said they wanted one. All in all, I sent about 45 cards, and it gave me enough serotonin to survive the rest of winter.

But it’s spring now! And mama needs another hit.

So I’d like to propose to you, my dear Poop Scoopers, that we try an experiment:

Join my Card Club, and I’ll send you a blank card (art on the front, blank on the back/inside) with a nice envelope to keep it in. Maybe you put a stamp on that envelope and send it to someone else. Maybe you leave it in a Free Little Library. Or maybe you keep it on your desk forever and save it for a rainy day, which is probably what I would do.

It’s up to you!

This first round is totally free — I’m mostly just trying to iron out the kinks in this harebrained scheme of mine to get my friends to send each other more cards.

These particular cards are Risograph prints of one of my collages from the afformentioned Valentine’s card extravaganza. I’m no Riso expert, so many of them are wonky. But I’m learning! And, full disclosure, I got all of the envelopes at the thrift store (trust me, they’re still perfectly nice). Recylced stationary! Every day is Earth Day!

For some added incentive, I’ll include the original collage for one lucky person selected at random, like a fun little game.

All you have to do is fill out this form.

Do it sooner rather than later to gaurantee you’ll get a card while supplies last! And keep an eye out for updates here about a new subscription tier for anyone interested in officially joining the Poop Scoop Card Club in the future.

Thanks, as always, for reading (and giving me an excuse to go to the post office). <3

This weekend, I’ll be sending out handmade Valentine’s Day cards alongside my first little zine of the year to anyone who wants one. If that’s you, simply send me an email or slide into my DMs (if you’re into that sort of thing) with your name and address.

I’ve always been a big card girl. But, to be clear, it’s not about size. Big cards, little cards, short cards, long cards, straight cards, round cards…. I love ‘em all. It isn’t even about the occasion! Sympathies, birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, get-well-soons… I love that, at the end of the day, they all say the same thing: thinking of you.

Giving someone a card is the cheapest, simplest little thrill. All you need to do is pick up a piece of paper, fold it in half, draw a heart on it, and send it. Maybe there’s a fun little surprise on the inside, maybe not. It doesn’t really matter what you write, how it was made, or how much money is (or isn’t) in it. Isn’t it thrilling to be thinking of someone? To be thought of?

Valentine’s Day is the most popular day of the year for telling your people that you’re thinking of them. But who says you can only do that on February 14th?

This year, I’m choosing to think of Valentine’s Day as more of a mindset. It may or may not have something to do with the fact that I waited too long to send this post and actually make cards for them to arrive on time. Regardless, let’s normalize making and sending valentines all year long. Or at least the entire month of February. It’s a sad enough month already; I think it’ll take whatever love it can get.

As always, thanks for reading❣️ Send me your address if you’d like some snail mail ❣️

So, behold, several elaborate spreads during the peak of my enthusiasm for drawing my entire day! And then some half-assed ones at the end.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to draw us enjoying the Benito Bowl (official Super Bowl halftime show) several hours after it aired, but you’ll just have to trust me that it paired very well with mug wine and chocolate.

Now that it’s coming to a close, I’m looking back at 2025 with a sigh. I won’t say it was definitively “bad,” but I will say it was tough to get through, like Infinite Jest. Now I have a choice: I could be super annoying about the fact that I did get through it, or I could just put it down and walk away, pick up another book. Maybe one with more pictures in it.

What is it that they say? If you’re constantly looking towards the past, you’re depressed. If you’re constantly looking towards the future, you’re anxious. Well, joke’s on them! I have two eyes, I’m looking both ways, and it always hurts. Maybe that’s why they also say that being present is a gift.

I’m trying to be here, now – the space between the end of one year and the beginning of a new one. But I told myself I’d make one last post before the year was up. So, I’m here at the 11th hour to (briefly) be super annoying about getting through 2025, focusing on the good parts that helped me get through it:

Good Part #1 - Being in Print

Wow, there is nothing more validating than getting one single “OK” from the same editor that’s turned you down for years. This year, I had my first cartoon ~in print~ in the New Yorker back in June, and another in October. I also started submitting writing in earnest and got some “OKs” from a few places I never thought I’d hear back from, including a fiction piece for the American Poetry Review and a mention about “The Gulf of America” for issue 15 of The Drift.

But ya know what feels even better than seeing your name in a fancy publication? Publishing your own work, handing it out to people, and… getting instant validation in real life! I made a few zines for chopper events and with a big group of friends in 2025, and I have to give it a 10/10. Maybe a 9.5/10, accounting for paper cuts. Looking forward to making more zines and (please keep me accountable) applying to table at comic and craft events in 2026.

Good Part #2 - Dressing up my dog

Pretty self explanatory. My dog brings me so much joy, but I get a lot more mileage out of him when he’s wearing clothes. Dog jackets, human jackets, little hats. If you have a dog, you should probably put some stuff on ‘em. Even a scarf will do.

Good Part #3 - Cutting Up Paper

I have been hoarding vintage Playboys and Nat Geos for years with the idea I’d use them for collages one day. Well, my friends, that day finally came in 2025. And I’m so glad it did. I love a little card, and I’ll take any excuse to send one. Seriously, just send me your address…

Good Part #4 - Cafe Culture

If you have never sat at a cafe table in Paris, ordered a beverage, smoked a cigarette, and read a good book… I’m sorry. You should probably plan a trip right now, if you can. There is nothing more romantic to me, personally, than sitting outside and spending some time by yourself at a cafe table with a notebook or novel. Even when it’s a little hot, windy, cold, or raining… it doesn’t matter. That’s what the cigarettes are for (smoking doesn’t count in France). Sometimes they even also give you FREE chips with your drink.

Good Part #5 - Reading

2025 was not a good year for many things, but it was a great one for reading. Here’s a roundup of my absolute favorite books, comics, and articles from this good-for-nothing-else year:

Books

• Stag Dance by Torrey Peters - I don’t really have words to describe this one, other than it goes so much harder than any other short story collection I’ve ever read. Pairs well with aperol spritzes; not for the faint of heart.

• WITCH Anthology Edited by Michelle Tea - A super fun collection of pieces about being a lil witchy, including pieces by friends Mia Arias Tsang and Ashley Molesso (who I had the pleasure of making the Anatomy of Break Up Sex Zine with)

• Thinking in Watercolor Jessie Kanelos Weiner - Perfect for anyone and everyone who’s ever wanted to try painting with watercolor. Jessie is the bombe (that’s french for cool) and has a great substack, too!

• Two Serious Ladies by Jane Bowles - This is actually a very old book, but this edition was published this year (with a new introduction from Sheila Heti), and it’s such a delight to discover something that feels so new, but has really been there the whole time. An illuminating take on women’s place in “society” that feels just as relevant today as it probably did back in 1943.

Comics + Graphic Novels

• Cornelius: The Merry Life of a Wretched Dog by Marc Torices - A classic tale of Faustian ambition, but it’s a dog, and he’s a loser. Every page made me giggle.

• The Devil’s Grin by Alex Graham - I eagerly awaited another joint from Alex after devouring Dog Buscuits a few years ago… and was rewarded! A truly stunning story about good, old fashioned sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll (plus demons).

• Holy Lacrimony by Michael DeForge - Meet the saddest man in the world! He gets abducted by aliens so they can study his sadness. If you’re in the mood for that kind of thing, it’s haunting and garuanteed to put you in a visual trance.

• Rare Flavours by Ram V and Illustrated by Felipe Andrade - An absolutely delicious story about an ancient demon who fancies himself somewhat of Anthony Bourdain’s replacement after he learns he died. Come for the demon / goofy demon hunter duo, stay for the culinary tour across India.

• Tummy Time by Emily Bernstein - a beaaaauuutifullly made debut memoir / comic collection about making a person (and she’s a great follow on substack!)

Articles + Short Stories

• Kicking Robots by James Vincent - For anyone who laughs when a humanoid robot falls flat on it’s ass.

• The Strange Afterlife of Hilma af Klint by Alice Gregory - Super interesting deep dive into the boardroom politics of a managing the liferights and work of a post-humously famous artist… and her (alleged) collaborators.

• The Comedian by Ottessa Moshfegh - What can I say! I see Ottessa, I read.

• Mother of Men by Lauren Groff - Same with Lauren Groff, really.

• The Chartreuse by Mona Awad - Took my breath away. For anyone who’s ever gone a little crazy waiting for a package.

And, I’ll leave you with a toon, for good measure:

Alright, that’s it! Happy New Years! Drink responsibly / drive safe / have fun yatta yatta.

Thank you, as always, for reading and supporting my work throughout 2025. Things will likely be changing around these Poop Scoop parts in 2026 (think: more regular posts, serial web comics, and invites to zoom calls). See you there? <3

Here’s a nostalgia-fueled story about the last time I visited… shout out and, unfortunately, R.I.P. Gee Whiz Diner.

In other news!

One of my toons featuring an unquenchable thirst ran the day before Halloween:

Speaking of unquenchable thirst, I dusted off the old cutting mat for collages and made a bunch of vampire-themed pieces to celebrate Halloween:

If you’re looking for a new podcast to sink your teeth into, I have to strongly recommend you start listening to Vampire Campfire. It always warms my cold, still-recovering teenage Twilight diehard heart to hear two friends dig into the history.

Vampire Campfire

This is Vampire Campfire: the podcast where we explore the intertextual nature of vampire media from the spooky to the sparkly and the scary to the campy.

Thanks, as always, for reading. Hope you enjoy the rest of your Halloweekend!

Thanks, as always, for reading! I’m finally back stateside and catching up with reality. Much like Emily, I left Paris for Italy, and now my blood is 70% Aperol spritz. Traveling has left me haggard and stuffed, but I’m excited to get back into a routine of making and sharing comics on the Poop Scoop. With any luck, see you here next week. <3

As always, thanks for reading. Have you ever swum in something people generally think is quite strange to swim in? How was it for you? Tell me more in the comments.

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Stay tuned for more wet (watercolor) comics. And happy last day of August! I’m still out here having a nice trip. See you next fall. <3

This one’s really from the archives, when I was obsessed with pitching wacky inflatable waving tube man bits. It was a simpler time. Look how happy he is:

This one is high concept… you have to know what a stork is and what they do:

Polly is an American cartoonist who has no business being in France for a month. And yet, elle est là. She doesn’t have a fancy job at a marketing firm, or a fancy apartment in a charming building financed by said firm. There are no hot neighbors to speak of. But she does have some freelance marketing work to help afford her third-life crisis. And there is a place called “Chicken Hot” next door.

As always, merci beaucoup for reading. Let a girl know if you have friends or friends of friends in Paris who are not out of town on vacation <3 à bientôt !

I’ve made a few zines for motorcycle events just for fun. This one was the most ambitious production-wise (a cover page printed in color? in this economy??). But it wasn’t as popular as the last one, probably because I didn’t… actually draw any motorcycles. Sue me! They’re hard to draw! I opted to render some silly swine instead. So, my lovely Substack followers, this one’s for you!

Want a copy? I’ll mail a zine to the first 3 brave souls who comment on this post.

Leave a comment

Please forgive me for enjoy this selection of drawings from the last month or so.

As always, thanks for reading <3 I encourage all of you to try the Snoopy challenge as I did and send me the results (please).

Love you mom! Only some of these are based on you. Hope all the mamas out there have a sweet day full of flowers, sunshine, and bacon wrapped shrimp. 💖

For subscribers, a note on the title (because I can’t help myself)

Picture it: you’re eleven years old on a hot summer day in 2006, in the car with your mom, sipping Slurpees on the way back from a guitar lesson you don’t care about (because you’re not very good). The radio switches from some old Rolling Stones song your mom loves to something… new.

It catches you by surprise, cooler and more refreshing than the cherry coke flavored ice sludge you’re slurping through a neon green straw with a tiny little scoop on the end — two, three, four, WOOHOO!

You may not be very good at the guitar, but today you are a rockstar, for precisely three minutes. So you have a sudden urge to dye your hair blue, which your mom lets you do, because she’s a bit of a rockstar on the inside, too. A few weeks later, you enter the 6th grade with faded green highlights in your aggressive side bangs, knowing every single word to every single song on KT Tunstall’s Eye to the Telescope.

Nothing is the same ever again.

Anyone who really knows me knows that KT Tunstall is my first girl crush, and that falling in love with her changed me. I’m not going to say it was a sexual awakening, because it wasn’t (I was eleven). But hearing her on the radio that summer was the first time I earnestly loved listening to music (beyond the early aughts girlhood right of blasting NSYNC and Britney on a boom box without knowing what any of it meant).

KT opened up a new world of sound for me, one where I could project myself into their shoes, sing along, and feel like the voice on the other side of the speaker understood, whether I was good at guitar or not (I wasn’t).

I will be a KT fan girl until the day I die, but I also have to say that I haven’t really kept up with her career. Looking back now, Suddenly I See that a lot has happened since 2006. She’s taken a few breaks from music due to various health issues, been married and divorced, released like ten more albums in spite of it all, and apparently did the score for the Clueless musical? Honestly, how was I supposed to keep up?

I’m sorry to say that none of it hits as hard for me now as this banger did back then. But knowing Eye to the Telescope from front to back remains the best trick up my sleeve when I need to stay awake on a road trip, and the only thing that’s gonna help me do that is singing (badly).

In sum, I dare you to watch this and tell me you don’t have a crush on her after. And, please, the next time you see me at karaoke, I need more of you to do the woohoo’s.

When things are Bad, it feels hard to appreciate the beauty on my own doorstep. Lucky for me, I had someone who loves flowers more than anything take me outside this weekend…

Today, to stay on theme, I’ll leave you with some random cartoons that have nothing to do with each other. Don’t worry, one of them is about St.Patrick’s Day (kind of).

Many thanks to the American Poetry Review for making me feel like a big girl with my first (personal, non-architecture related) piece in print. If you’d like to read it, you can buy it and get the nice little pub below sent straight to you (BYO cappuccino).

In the limbo period after submitting and getting a lot of “no thank yous,” I decided to adapt the piece into a comic and decided I would just share it on Instagram (hence the twee, cottage-core aesthetic below).

But I never got around to it. In fact, I finished the sketchbook I drew it in and totally forgot about it until I got an email about it. In the end, I was able to share some of the drawings from the comic adaptation and get those in print, too.

Getting a piece published is certainly affirming, but I wouldn’t say it means it’s definitively good and other things that don’t get published are bad. I’ve simply read too much incredible unpublished writing to be tricked into thinking like that anymore.

So, I don’t know if the comic is any better or worse than the original. But it is a little different – it’s less long-winded, maybe made by a side of me that is less full of myself. Either way, the totally-full-of-myself version of me is self-publishing it for you here, just in case you don’t want to buy a $7 newspaper full of beautiful poetry:

🔥 let me know what your guilty pleasure background sound is in the comments 🔥

As always, thanks for reading (and indulging my literary aspirations today) ❤️‍🔥