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maxbare.bsky.social
Max Bare
@maxbare.bsky.social
340 followers 340 following 370 posts
Illustrator & Cartoonist & Speech Blimp Pioneer
HERO BEARDS | Scally-Ho! | Infinity-Hero | Rolled & Told
💪 Available for Work
✍️ Collab Curious
👇 Portfolio | Shop | Comics | Patreon
💌 [email protected]
🔗 linktr.ee/maxbarebox
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maxbare.bsky.social
Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · Nov 12
Hi! 👋
For anyone new to BlueSky or new to me :-)
I'm Max and I love to make comics that are usually fun, funny, silly or wacky or a combination of all four.
I am currently working on a couple TBA MG graphic novels that I cannot wait to reveal.
Here is some recent to semi-recent work I can share!
Color artwork from Max's HERO BEARDS comic book. Super-heroes HE-BEARD, AQUA-BEARD, and FLAME-BEARD are joined around a table enjoying some delicious Pho. Each character has a wacky super-powered beard. A sample comic page from the anthology "Hallowzine 2023". Panel 1 - a stand-up comedian is called on stage to perform. Panel 2 - a close up of the comedian, Dan Murphy, spins his head upside down like an owl, and excitedly addresses the waitress. She is freaked. Panel 3 - Dan gets on stage, grabs the mic and addresses the audience. His is in spotlight against your classic comedy club brick wall. Panel 4 - Dan's gaffed entrance is not received well by the audience. They are coughing and looking around nervously. Panel 5 - Close up of Dan talking into the mic. Panel 6 - Dan is noticeably nervous and sweating on stage. Panel 7 - Big close up of Dan making a horrible hooting face. His eyes are dilated and mouth is abnormal. Kinda like an owl? Panel 8 - Pan away from Dan on stage looking dejected. The audience is in the foreground snickering like "can you believe this guy?" Y,know laughing at him, not with him. He is doing pretty bad up there. Detail of 2 panels from a comic from Rolled & Told TTRPG gaming magazine. Panel 1: 5 characters stand in row at bust level: An elf with light tan skin in a blue cloak and a blue streak in her hair. The elf holds a white owl with magical blue marks on their face. A short rogue/thief male character in a dark cloak with light, skin, white hair and white sideburns. A dwarf with a blonde beard and light skin. He carries a huge backpack overflowing with weapons. A sorceress in training with glasses, dark skin, and purple hair. She wears a backpack and her academic uniform, complete with gloves and cape. They stand in silence and look at each other confused. Panel 2: The all shrug, including the owl. Cover for super hero themed TTRPG "We Can Be Heroes" A melee fight between supers in the middle of a metropolitan intersection akin to Times Square. Complete carnage as the heroes are blasting and punching various villains with a rainbow of colors from different types of energy blasts. Traffic has all but stopped and a lot of vehicular damage is happening. There are: henchmen in matching green/pink armor. A baddie transform into a hulking veiny mutant beast. A sorcerer, cloaked and mysterious with floating astral orange globby buddies. A super speedster doing it all: Saving a cyclist from a collision, kicking a villain in the back and another one, he punches in the face. A armor guy, blasting missles and ray guns all over the place. A buff super dude flying with a cape, totally typical except for his purple skull floating in a cloud of radiation! A masked female super hero swings in with a grappling hook to combat a henchman lady wielding two katanas. Nightshift is in the back, a trench coat wearing teen vigilante pops a villain in the face with her staff and teleports another dude to who knows where.
maxbare.bsky.social
I'm so excited for issue 2, I (accidentally) bought two issue 1's!
dakotabrown.bsky.social Dakota Brown @dakotabrown.bsky.social · 12h
Issue 2 of Something Beyond the Petrichor is back in comic stores on February 11th!
Find out what’s next for Jocelyn and her talking stuffed turtle Quigley after surviving an encounter with a Bible Belt cryptid.
February 1, 2026 at 5:03 PM
Reposted by Max Bare
melissasuestanley.bsky.social
Are we still doing that "show me your artwork with horns" thing?

#cosclay #sculpting #fantasyart
Photograph of a dimly lit room with a xmas tree in the background. The main focus is of a grey WIP sculpture of a small furry creature with horns, holding a tiny book in one hand and a giant pencil in the other. My hand comes in from the right lower side to poke at him with a metal sculpting tool. He seems pleased.
January 22, 2026 at 10:54 PM
Reposted by Max Bare
jaymajaym.bsky.social
Player 2 was a zine I made back in 2019 for my older brother, still real happy with this one.
Zine cover with text reading "Player 2, by Jayme Brodie" the zine printed on green paper with black, red, and green art. in the giant "2" is the head of Luigi from the nintendo games a two page spread of a zine printed on green paper. The art illustrates Mario and Luigi together jumping across platforms with Luigi in awe of his brother. text reads: "it's always so much fun right next to you. Watching you take the lead. (Mario says) "there's a way to do EVERYTHING you just need to learn how!" Zine spread illustrating Mario helping guide and support Luigi through advice and encouragement. Text reads "Guidebooks are nice but brothers work better. Though, I guess you did use guidebooks sometimes. I wasn't cut out for this but you helped me get here. Zine spread illustrating Mario and Luigi reconnecting over the phone before reconnecting in person. Text reads "Even though I'm on my own now I know where you'll be. I'll see you at the next finish line"
January 22, 2026 at 11:32 PM
Reposted by Max Bare
awyeahfranco.bsky.social
Hey! You want to see what NINJA KAIJU is all about? Check it out- now through Sunday, January 18th, 2026, you can buy two Papercutz graphic novels and receive the third one for free! Treat your shelf and discover new worlds today!

papercutz.com/product/ninj...
Ninja Kaiju - Unleashed - Vol. 1 Pre-Order - Papercutz
Ninjas and Kaijus! What can be more fun than that? How about a Ninja Kaiju? What happens when you hire a Ninja to steal a secret formula? What happens when that formula is held in a top secret state o...
papercutz.com
January 16, 2026 at 2:10 PM
Reposted by Max Bare
matthewdowsmith.bsky.social
Psssst, if you're a librarian, bookseller, book reviewer with access to Netgalley, ARCs of THE OCTOBER GIRL Book Two and AMELIA SHADOWS AND THE NEW HEAD GHOST are both available to request on Netgalley now!

@papercutzgn.bsky.social
@maverickogn.bsky.social
Amelia Shadows and the New Head Ghost
NetGalley helps publishers and authors promote digital review copies to book advocates and industry professionals. Publishers make digital review copies and audiobooks available for the NetGalley comm...
www.netgalley.com
January 13, 2026 at 5:04 PM
maxbare.bsky.social
You gotta check if you got telekinesis like everyday because you never know
January 7, 2026 at 4:12 PM
maxbare.bsky.social
Catching myself staring into a christmas tree instead of into the void is a nice change of pace I have to admit.
December 31, 2025 at 6:05 PM
maxbare.bsky.social
Holy crap you guys!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8i97...
Mega Man: Dual Override - Reveal Trailer
YouTube video by Mega Man
www.youtube.com
December 16, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Reposted by Max Bare
mattmlpdx.bsky.social
Just now found out there's a new @matthewgallison.bsky.social comic. Why didn't any of you tell me? Go get it, and get Cankor if you haven't already, it's incredible.
matthewallison.bigcartel.com/product/swee...
SWEET SEPULCHER Issue No. 1
A 28-page, full color comic book anthology featuring Part 1 of the ongoing Sweet Sepulcher story, PLUS the first chapter in an all new Cankor...
matthewallison.bigcartel.com
December 10, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Reposted by Max Bare
sarahbecan.bsky.social
TOMORROW December 6 is the FREE Comic & Arts Festival at Sulzer Regional Library in Chicago! I will be giving a talk called Tell by Showing: Instructional Comics, and also sitting on a panel discussion about Visual Storytelling.
Sulzer Regional Library 4455 N. Lincoln Avenue. Comic & arts Festival, Saturday December 6. Artist Alley and Merch Market. "Tell by Showing: Instructional comics" presented by Sarah Becan, 11am. "Gutters and Panels: Visual Storytelling" with Mike Norton, Jim Terry, Max Bare and Sarah Becan
December 5, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Reposted by Max Bare
tonybreed.bsky.social
This is a good idea! Here are some of my favorites I bought from Bandcamp this year…

Remember on Bandcamp you can listen for free a couple times and see if you like it.
glenatron.bsky.social Ben from Crudely Drawn Swords @glenatron.bsky.social · Dec 5
I don't use Spotify but today is #BandcampFriday and that means a great opportunity to talk about some albums I have loved this year, all of which I bought through Bandcamp - and you could too!
December 5, 2025 at 1:17 PM
maxbare.bsky.social
Hey if you're big mad about Spotify (and rightfully so!) - today is Bandcamp Friday! A rare day where 100% of moneys go to the artists - so consider directly supporting musicians today!

Wait - that's a pretty good idea.. hold on I'm gonna do that right now...
December 5, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Reposted by Max Bare
geneha.com
Me, Fri Dec 5 tomorrow, IL Reads Sneak Peek night, at Anderson's Bookshop Downers Grove IL! Sat Dec 6 at the Chi Public Library Sulzer branch, free Comic & Arts Festival. I won't be there but my genius comics pals @maxbare.bsky.social & @sarahbecan.bsky.social, Mike Norton and Jim Terry will be!
December 5, 2025 at 12:11 AM
maxbare.bsky.social
Whats up Ohio!? I'm going to be at Genghis Con (my fave indie comic show in Ohio!) this coming Sunday, Nov 30.
@melissasuestanley.bsky.social will be there too! ❤️
🦃 Come on out!
Lots of awesome creators!
November 24, 2025 at 7:52 PM
maxbare.bsky.social
Hey Chicago!
Sat, Dec. 6, I'll be paneling, sketching and selling books along with some of my favorite people & creators - at Sulzer, our local library in Lincoln Square - come out and bring the fam!
(btw this library has an unbelievable graphic novel selection just sayin')
November 24, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Reposted by Max Bare
davescheidt.com
RACCOON CITY PUNKS featured on @comicsbeat.bsky.social Thanks so much for this glowing from @arpadokay.bsky.social
comicsbeat.bsky.social Comicsbeat @comicsbeat.bsky.social · Oct 24
It's a good thing skater kids are indestructible, because this town is a hot mess in Dave Scheidt and Sean Mac's goofy gory glorious #RACCOONCITY #PUNKS
Halloween Beat: RACCOON CITY PUNKS skate for their lives
It's a good thing skate rat kids are indestructible.
www.comicsbeat.com
October 24, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Reposted by Max Bare
melissasuestanley.bsky.social
There are little mysteries and small bits of magic everywhere... ✨ 🌿 🍄

Find some magic in "Stories from Baba Yaga's Garden":
on Kickstarter for one more week

Kickstarter.com/projects/babayaga/shackling
Graphite drawing of a chicken-legged Baba Yaga hut standing in a clearing in the woods. It's looking up at a butterfly-faerie glowing in the top-left corner of the drawing.
October 23, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Reposted by Max Bare
chaoticute.bsky.social
*crashes through the wall like the fucking Kool-Aid Man*

HAVE YOU SEEN Баба-яга против!?!?!?! (Baba Yaga is Against!)

WHY NOT?!??!!?
It's Baba Yaga, innit! (From the 1980 Russian short film series Baba Yaga is Against!. Shows Baba Yaga in a vintage Soviet animation style, sitting in a wooden cauldron with a grumpy face. She is intent. She is surrounded by cool things.)
October 24, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Reposted by Max Bare
jpcartoonist.bsky.social
If you ever said to yourself, "Self, I'd love to know the steps Jason takes to create one of his covers,"
Well, my friend, today is that day : )
jasonplattbooks.com/blog-news/20...
.
#kidlit #kidlitartist #library #pawandorderbooks #purrlockandmarlowe @papercutzgn.bsky.social
Creating the Paw & Order Vol. 1: The Grilled Cheese Caper cover — Middle School Misadventures
Author/Illustrator Jason Platt shows the process of creating the cover art for his middle-grade graphic novel, Paw & Order Vol. 1: The Grilled Cheese Caper.
jasonplattbooks.com
October 22, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Reposted by Max Bare
quimbysbookstore.bsky.social
TONIGHT!

FULL BLEED gallery show,
Opening Friday 10/10, 5-7pm
Quimby’s Bookstore!
1854 W North Ave Chi-IL
Show runs through early November

Featuring art and work from a dozen Full Bleed contributors

Refreshments, Prizes, & stickers plus a FULL stock of FULL BLEED zines and comics!
October 10, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Reposted by Max Bare
phineas.bsky.social
I guess we’re going full Andor mode now
Flyer taped to a light pole reads: WE HAVE FRIENDS EVERYWHERE NO KINGS • OCTOBER 18 PLEASE JOIN US! GRANT PARK 12-2PM
October 10, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Reposted by Max Bare
melissasuestanley.bsky.social
✨🌿🍄 Meet the Shacklings 🍄🌿✨

My new book is full of notes from the Gardener ~ a witch who wanders the northern forests in a hut of her own. Every 17 years she raises a new brood of tiny huts, and keeps an eye on them until the other witches come to adopt.

Kickstarter.com/projects/babayaga/shackling
Graphite drawing with grey text below, on a white page with a thick white border. The drawing is of a sleepy-looking Baba Yaga chicken-legged hut. The text reads: She was a very sleepy Hut and never wanted to go out into the garden until after she'd had a good scratch around the kitchen. Sometimes she would scuttle up onto the table and poke at my coffee. She's now the companion of one of the older witches who sleeps quite late ~ they are a perfect pair.
October 10, 2025 at 1:47 PM
Reposted by Max Bare
soengery.bsky.social
and I'll have SHIRTS.
a drawing of a black tee and black sweatshirt that both say weird on them
October 10, 2025 at 2:17 PM
maxbare.bsky.social
Hey! Party with us tomorrow at literally the best place in Chicago
quimbysbookstore.bsky.social Quimby's Bookstore @quimbysbookstore.bsky.social · Oct 4
Friday 10/10
FULL BLEED gallery show
reception 5-7pm
at Quimby’s Bookstore!

Featuring Full Bleed contributors; Jim Terry, Melissa Kelly, Tyrell Cannon, Mr. Walters, Max Bare, Jcrash Charles Huth, Austin Winstead, Stuart John Marsh, Tony Recktenwald, Eerie Ed, Spencer Drew Bogart! & maybe more!
October 9, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Reposted by Max Bare
glitchritual.com
✨200 PAGES OF SAND!!✨

This won't be the last time I yell about this milestone in the next week, not to mention shout THANK YOU to everyone who has read and enjoyed this ridiculous, overwrought dramedy—and if you haven't, what are you waiting for?? It's free! 💀☀️🔥🤘🥂
risingsand.glass RISING SAND @risingsand.glass · Oct 8
NEW UPDATE:

RS200🎉
Stuff Can Be Two (Hundred) Things

💀 https://risingsand.glass!

-

Support RS at https://patreon.com/risingsand!
A promotional image for Rising Sand's 200th(!!) page, wherein Vec looks pissed off about something.
October 8, 2025 at 1:41 PM