November 2025

Hi friends! The last month has been pretty busy, but I was able to work on some art and printmaking. This was the one full-color drawing I finished:

"This Is Not An Inquiry For The Lead Position", 9x12", pen and marker on paper, Oct. 2025

In October, I got some holographic stickers printed at my neighbor's work. I've never had stickers professionally made before and I'm excited about how they turned out:

Holographic glitter stickers, each 3x4", Oct. 2025

Earlier this month, I took a risograph workshop at the IPRC. I originally signed up so I could print flyers for organizing, but realized this would also be a great way to make prints of my art. Riso is one of the most inexpensive, efficient, and sustainable printing methods, and I think the bright ink colors translate my style much better than inkjet printing. I found this page really helpful if anyone is interested in learning more about risography.

Risograph prints, 8.5x11", indigo and flourescent orange ink on various colors of cardstock, Nov. 2025

These are the first run of prints I tried out. The colors are much brighter in real life than in these scans. Right now, I'm designing a poster specifically for riso that should be ready to print in December.

"Toyota Prius and Chevy Silverado", ballpoint pen on paper, Nov. 2025

I've also been really interested in drawing new cars because I find them so ugly and dystopian-looking. Cars and other geometric objects have always been challenging for me to draw, but I'm trying to look at their lumpy forms like the musculature of an animal.

"Acura TLX", ballpoint pen on paper, Nov. 2025

The bathroom walls of the pizza parlor where I work are collaged with magazine ads from the '20s through the early '70s. Many are illustrations of classic cars. I sometimes notice myself feeling comforted by this earlier form of capitalism where the facade seemed more intact and the inherent violence of imperialism was easier to obscure with the promise of beautiful, affordable luxuries. But Western comfort and convenience have always come at the cost of economic exploitation, human rights violations, and complete disregard for the environment. Capitalism's surface-level beauty has never been anything more than a distraction from its brutality and there is no better past to return to.

Sketchbook pages, Nov. 2025

Drawing new cars has helped me stay focused on the hideous present when I feel tempted to retreat into escapism and nostalgia. The present we find ourselves in is not a wrong turn. This has been a clear, straight trajectory and we are watching capitalism play out its inevitable course. We need to pay attention to the real conditions of the world instead of sedating ourselves with romanticized visions of the past or else we are never going to be able to imagine a more humane future.

Upcoming Events

On Saturday 12/6, I'll be tabling at a market at 2267 N Interstate Ave from noon to 6 PM. I'll have new drawings, stickers, and riso prints available. Always down to trade for art, tattoos, handmade crafts/clothes/etc.

This Month's Playlist

1. "Glow" - A Guy Called Gerald
2. "Very Close Friend" - Simon Finn
3. "Super Sex" - Morphine
4. "Stop Them Jah" - Augustus Pablo and King Tubby
5. "Release Is In The Eye" - Bill Fay
6. "Long Periods of Time" - Meat Beat Manifesto
7. "Black Diamond" - Roland Kirk
8. "Poverty Train" - Laura Nyro
9. "Hyperspeed (G-Force Part 2)" - The Prodigy
10. "2 Blunted" - Arca
11. "I Will See You In My Dreams" - The Peanuts
12. "Raining In My Heart" - Robert Wyatt

Thanks For Looking!

Comments? Questions? Ideas? Song/movie recommendations? What are you working on? What have you been thinking about? Contact me at max@maxwickstrom.com, I'd love to hear from you!

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