Hello, drawing book readers! I wanted to share some photos and comics from my German travels this summer! samhester.substack.com/p/how-i-spen...

How I spent my summer holidays

Comics & photos from my trip to Germany

samhester.substack.com

I'm checking in from my summer holiday in Germany... with a few more comics about German travels. And some updates about recent art projects! samhester.substack.com/p/the-drawin...

I've been seeing lots of lawn signs here in #yyc affirming that Alberta should remain in Canada. Here's mine #SorryNotSorry

Did you know? The Canada flag was designed by a Calgarian! You can read my new comic about George Stanley at @sprawlcalgary.bsky.social, along with @klaszus.bsky.social's deep dive into this little-known historical story. Happy Canada Day! www.sprawlcalgary.com/canadian-fla...

Notes from @calgaryartsdev.bsky.social report to the community today. Pretty inspiring stuff!

I feel like @paulisci.bsky.social might have thought about this claim (& this headline)

Neglected Books@neglectedbooks.com · 2mo ago

Now that women no longer wear hats, we have no idea what the future holds.

This week in the drawing book, some reflections on aging... written when I was 29! samhester.substack.com/p/is-it-true...

Is it true that I'm no longer young?

Looking back on a comic I wrote about aging... when I was 29

samhester.substack.com

Let’s get this one back, #YYCBike

Matthew the Matticus@matticusssss.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Holy shit THEY STOLE MY BIKE TODAY I doubt you'll see it since it was stored serviceable, but if you do see a bicycle with my name on it, TELL ME #yycbike #yyc Reported on @bikeindex.org

Long ago, I somehow ended up on a mass email list w/ some critics & authors, including Jane Yolen. If asked about my "claim to fame," I still sometimes think "I was once on an email list w/ Jane Yolen!" To the young me, that proximity was a big deal! Her work was so important to me & so many others!

Adam Stemple@adamstemple.bsky.social · 2mo ago

My mother, the inimitable Jane Yolen passed away this morning after a blessingly short fight with Alzheimer’s. She did not suffer, and went peacefully into the ether which, I am certain for her, will be filled with words of the most exquisite beauty and meaning.

This week in The Drawing Book, my (free!) comics blog: When life throws you curve balls, keep a sketchbook journal! samhester.substack.com/p/sketching-...

Sketching my way through a year full of changes

In this week's Drawing Book: some good old memories.

samhester.substack.com

Putting a new Curious Calgary zine into my neighbourhood zine box! This one is about the @ucalgary.bsky.social arch, which did not start life as an arch! Take a look at the comic at @sprawlcalgary.bsky.social to learn the arch's origin story.

Here's a fun way to learn more about the realities of Alberta separation. nextstepsalberta.ca

Next Steps Alberta | Fact or Fiction Quiz

Distinguish between facts and fiction regarding the Alberta independence movement with our interactive survey.

nextstepsalberta.ca

When I hear "no to the nine," I think of these guys from LOTR.

Holly Hoye 🇨🇦@hollyhoye.bsky.social · 2mo ago

“No to the nine.” I like it.

Here's a random picture from an old sketchbook to celebrate Bob Dylan's 85th birthday! "There was an old man," indeed. You can listen to that 2002 Toronto performance of "Under the Red Sky" here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLQG...

This week in The Drawing Book: an old comic strip about my friend's wedding! Every week I post comics from my old sketchbooks about life in Calgary. You can subscribe for free! samhester.substack.com/p/wedding-co...

Wedding comics

A comic strip I wrote about my friend's wedding back in 2002.

samhester.substack.com

This week in The Drawing Book: some literary sketchnotes and a request to my readers! samhester.substack.com/p/literary-s...

Literary Sketchnotes

...and a question for you?

samhester.substack.com

Paging @paulisci.bsky.social, I think you need to see this one

Ken Tremendous@kentremendous.bsky.social · 3mo ago

When Trump won I didn't necessarily imagine this headline *specifically* but I did imagine that the headlines would look something like this

Just a couple of comics pages for those multitasking mamas out there! Happy Mother's Day! samhester.substack.com/p/happy-moth...

Happy Mother's Day!

Comics for multitasking mamas

samhester.substack.com

It's Mother's Day, so here are some notes from a 2019 Edmonton Public Library conference about how librarians help incarcerated mothers. It's on my mind today, because the federal government plans to cut library workers at federal penitentiaries. Seems like a bad idea💔 www.cbc.ca/news/politic...

Hey, #yyc's Refinery Park is in the news! www.youtube.com/watch?v=gO3w... I learned about Refinery Park when I wrote a comic strip about it for @sprawlcalgary.bsky.social in 2024. You can read the comic here: www.sprawlcalgary.com/calgary-zine...

Imperial makes plan for vacant land 25 years after refinery contamination scare

YouTube video by CBC News Alberta

youtube.com

"What next?!?" indeed. You may well ask, is this a comic strip about the state of Alberta in 2026? Nope, it's just my weekly comic about being a nocturnal artist in Calgary, 25 yrs ago... back when my biggest problem was finding an all-night photocopy shop! samhester.substack.com/p/comics-at-...

Comics at night

Old Calgary stories, as told by a night owl

samhester.substack.com

It was very nice to work on this picture of Calgary's widening circle of care!

Amanda Hu@amandalhu.bsky.social · 3mo ago

I’m really stoked that this is out! It’s an unparalleled longitudinal look at Calgary’s sustainability (featuring cover illustration by @calgaryhester.bsky.social!)

This week in the drawing book, a few pages from my comic journal about a trip to Spain in 2002! samhester.substack.com/p/how-i-spen...

How I spent my summer vacation

A comic strip about a long-ago Spanish holiday

samhester.substack.com

This week: a drawing book comic about a remembered conversation. samhester.substack.com/p/coping-mec...

Coping mechanism!

An old conversation... and some wise advice?

samhester.substack.com

The electoral boundaries commission website has been taken down but the commission’s interim report, final report, and public submissions are available on the Elections Alberta website: www.elections.ab.ca/resources/re...

Electoral Boundaries Commissions - Elections Alberta

The Electoral Boundaries Commission Act requires that a commission be appointed during the first session of the legislature, following the second general election after the commission’s last appointme...

elections.ab.ca

drop some KITCHENS

Gina Murrell@ginamurrell1.bsky.social · 4mo ago

drop some KITCHENS

In 1991, on a grey, misty morning, I took these photos after attending Easter Sunday mass at the Matthias Church in Budapest. It felt like such a hopeful time for a country that had been through a lot. Feeling hopeful for Hungary today, too!

This week in The Drawing Book, some reminiscences about Calgary in 2002... along with a few digressions. samhester.substack.com/p/flashback-...

Flashback to my old life

A Calgary sketchbook and a few digressions

samhester.substack.com

Hi Drawing Book readers! I had some new comics ALMOST ready for you, but I ran out of time, so it'll have to wait for next week. Instead, here's last year's story about a remarkable old children's book, "The County Bunny & the Little Gold Shoes." Happy Easter! samhester.substack.com/p/worklife-a...

Work/Life and the Country Bunny

I want an army of rabbit children to clean my house!

samhester.substack.com

Noisy woodpeckers hammering the roof of my house all day, reminded me of this old #comic from the Ramsay newsletter back in March of 2014! I kind of enjoy the woodpeckers at this time of year. But I am glad all the snow is melting!