"snake"

snakebook

front cover

december 2, 2025-january 5, 2026

in this notebook i took interest in the characters of people who are near strangers to me. i spent a lot of time drawing music which was an interesting process regardless of how it turned out. sometimes, for delicious fleeting moments, it all made sense. it was a good ending to the year of the snake.

inner front cover. words i heard, in bars and songs and trains and my own head.

when i started the notebook i was frustrated that it wasn't immediately interesting so i had to remind myself that its ok to take time and return to the same page...

good music from this guy, good spirit.

this was the first open mic i went to from start to finish and i drew practically the entire time

this is the guy who is always taking everyones photo at the music inn so it was fun to turn it around on him

then i realized i wanted to draw everyone and i didnt want to use 1,000 pages so i paneled them out like this. it was fun deciding the different shapes and how it would come together.

i like drawing this folksy gent who calls himself the urban orangutan

after the open mic i went to the bar with the other kids and let them draw in my notebook

i wanted to transcribe conversation in a more playful way

face drawn by amro and i put a little comic underneath it. i diddd say that.

for some rsn the transcriptive autobio comics werent drawing me in as much, it took me many passes to finish this even tho i think the dialogue is funny

lucas advice

this comic i found so uninteresting that i almost thought i should abandon the transcriptive comics altogether. thought it was so useless and boring. now i think its fine like whatever.

drawing the music again at the event in bushwick that carol organized

i really liked lucky gold jr! ive been listening to their singles and stuff thats out.

me on the train

premise for a comic idea i had

fleshing it out kinda

old man on the bus i was on the way back from maspeth after a failed facebook marketplace mission

transcription of all the imagery i saw in the short form videos the guy next to me on the subway was watching. its so bizarre if you detatch yourself

topos too panorama in ridgewood:)

enjoying the human faced animals as a means of transcribing dialogue. debt is owed to juliette collet

self portrait in my bedroom mirror

i always look kind of mad when im drawing. its alarming to imagine someone seeing this on the subway. but many have said i have a generally nonthreatening disposition

more music inn portraits. idk why i labeled everyone but i did. all their little idiosyncracies.

they are near strangers to me but i feel a certain familiarity and tenderness having seem many of them perform many times

i feel like i have better luck capturing the dudes than the ladies. the women's beauty is more complex to describe with lines, maybe. or there is just something effortlessly beautiful about a man with his instrument.

kept drawing in the bar

drawing the folks at the folk punk show jaco organized at far rockaway

harder to draw as the room filled with dance

met her on the sidewalk and then stood conspicuously drawing for her whole set

show conversation etc

my little lou

notes after a rich text conversation

thumbnail for a self portrait of me in a ski mask in the subway looking into everyones eyes

self portrait experiment w stippling and taking time on a single image. is it interesting? my finger is in the picture cuz im still scanning these with my iphone and i couldnt get the page flat

friends 'babe city' playing in the bar called purgatory

reflecting in the mirror again

its meant to be descriptive but i agree with my audience members who tell me im not capturing my own appearence

i didnt catch the name of this opening act at cassette in ridgewood, 12/15

and this band which seemed very sure of themselves

good times roaming the cold streets with my chum

eheh

thinking about my drawing hobby and what i want from it

i think the woman they're talking about sounds pretty cool

some shapes while i waited for the music

john cushing's 'big band' at fiction

more music inn. i really enjoy the constraint of drawing them in the 5ish minute window of the open mic

the people arent always flattered by their portraits

was giving away these stickers i made out of tape and i thhought it was funny that he thought they were worth money maybe but did not want to pay. but anyway i was giving them away

it was starting to feel repetitive

conversation with a musician

i thought his posture was great to draw

another try in the mirror

finally inspiration struck again for the autobio comics!! im happy with how this one turned out

was very moved by the beauty of the train riders in the top panel

wordier recollection, not as sure if this one works

put the text so big cuz anita left the stage before i filled the page (and stood right behind me)

i liked his set so much i almost didnt draw and it turned out kind of wonky but i just so like the lazy boyish way guys connect with their guitars

i havent learned this kids name yet

diner interaction

i reread scott pilgrim vol 1 over breakfast that morning

more shapes. i think the top ones so nice but then i couldnt do it good on purpose

further reflections on how i do or don't respond to funny come ons

first time someone has glared at me for drawing them but i love how it turned out

joe at lucindas on 12/28

elijah in joes band

joes bands legs in lucindas and a bunch of wires and peoples legs yeah

maxwell in joes band sitting on the piano

more friend inspiration

truly horrifying

beat poem on the L train

i like when we talk about comics and life

another thing i wrote out may as well upload

inner back page and pocket!

back cover!

wow putting it all together it feels dense! i appreciate your curious eyes as always. much love to everyone who looks through these uploads. cya next time :) -ellis