Week of 11/10/2025

This week, the smarts hits two different ways on The Shapes, I made the usual announcements, and on Sammy the Critic, review the memoir comic Blue Beard & Me!

The Shapes

Sweet Home Earth

That Smarts

News

Bar@548 Gallery

My first gallery-featured work, Thanksgiving Gothic, is being displayed at Bar@548 in downtown St. Pete until the end of this month! It’s a limited framed run of 5 copies available for $35. If you’re in the area, grab a copy while you still can!

PSTA CCBN

Attention Pinellas County locals! Two weeks ago, I reported on the PSTA transit system’s new Connected Community Bus Network (CCBN) for Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, which you can check out.

Event Announcements

I’ll be back in NYC in December, but before then, I still have a few markets up my sleeve to tend to.

Sunset Market

From 5-9PM on November 21, find me at Imagine Museum’s monthly Sunset Market.

1901 Central Ave, St. Petersburg, FL

Saturday Sunshine Market

The following day from 10AM-2PM, I’ll be at Saturday Sunshine Market at DK Farms.

1750 Lake Ave SE, Largo, FL

Sammy the Critic

Blue Beard & Me Review

Bluebeard & Me is Portland-based cartoonist Lily O’Donnell’s most recent graphic zine effort, completed on July 18, 2025. Divided into three sections, the opening part forms the thematic chassis for the rest of the comic, using Women Who Run With the Wolves’ depiction of the folkloric character Bluebeard as a metaphor for the author’s past romantic relationships.

The second section covers Lily’s relationship with a man named Cian while living in Winnipeg in 2018. It starts out lovingly kinky before the drug-fueled, obsessive nature of their dynamic metamorphoses to toxic jealousy and possessiveness on Cian’s side. Meanwhile, the third portion recounts Lily’s time dating rock-and-roller Chevy in Minneapolis during 2021. Not unlike her previous relationship, Lily is drawn in by the rebellious, cool intrigue, which soon accelerates to high-octane obsession, even during long-distance moments.

A recurring pattern throughout these failed relationships is codependency, which Lily introspects on in her narration. Written in a diary-like style, her crowded layouts and crude drawings mesh well with the chaotic period she reflects on while still being relatively readable. Page border iconography, such as skulls, roses, and snakes, is scattered throughout the work to convey internal sensations with a visceral yet graceful emphasis.

Overall, Bluebeard & Me is one of the best short-form memoir comics to come out of 2025 and one I can see making the top 10 of my end-of-the-year comics list. The material will be relatable for those who have experienced toxic relationships similar to what’s portrayed here.

While Lily O’Donnell’s online shop is still under construction, you can snag a physical copy by messaging her @prettykittylily or sending an email to l.odonnell1234@gmail.com. The entire comic can be read for free digitally at her website.

Thank you, Lily O’Donnell, for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.