Max Bare
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maxbare.bsky.social
Max Bare
@maxbare.bsky.social
340 followers 340 following 350 posts
Illustrator & Cartoonist & Speech Blimp Pioneer
HERO BEARDS | Scally-Ho! | Infinity-Hero | Rolled & Told
💪 Available for Work
✍️ Collab Curious
👇 Portfolio | Shop | Comics | Patreon
💌 maxbare@gmail.com
🔗 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.
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 · 27d
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
Reposted by Max Bare
melissasuestanley.bsky.social
One more before I log off for the evening:

Just a reminder that the special price on the Artist Edition of Shackling ends tomorrow morning! So jump on that, lovers of doodled huts!

Kickstarter.com/projects/babayaga/shackling
Little graphite doodles on a white background. The doodles are all different shapes and sizes and styles of chicken-legged witch huts. They're pretty cute.
October 8, 2025 at 1:02 AM
maxbare.bsky.social
It’s open season on all suckheads

Kicked off our Halloween movie spree with the Blade trilogy
Cartoony illustration of Wesley Snipes as Blade from the Blade movies He’s got fangs, a sword and it’s raining blood
October 7, 2025 at 9:08 PM
maxbare.bsky.social
Get on it!

A new book from Melissa Sue!
melissasuestanley.bsky.social Melissa Sue Stanley 🌿✨🍄 @melissasuestanley.bsky.social · Oct 7
Shackling is LIVE!
🐓🐓🐓🐓🐓🐓🐓🐓

Get a copy of my brand new book at:
www.kickstarter.com/projects/bab...
Graphite drawing with white border and grey text at the top. The drawing is of a Baba Yaga hut chasing a toad through a garden. The text reads "Shackling, tales from Baba Yaga's garden"
October 7, 2025 at 3:04 PM
maxbare.bsky.social
Spoops Day 4/31 : Weevil Knievel

A Palmetto Weevil, to be exact, for #Invertober2025 from @fossilforager.bsky.social - and then this popped into my head.

The skulls and bat-cut cape make it Halloweeny.

#evelknievel #weevils #bugs
October 4, 2025 at 5:27 PM
maxbare.bsky.social
0 Days Since I Looked for the Undo Button on a Piece of Paper
October 4, 2025 at 4:03 PM
maxbare.bsky.social
Spoops Day 2/31 : A Witch and their Familiar

Day 1, 2, 3 and Week 1 of #mabsdrawlloweenclub
“Spooky Intro, Witch and Familiar”

This immediately popped into my head.
Clearly in this hypothetical, I would be the familiar to our red heeler, Rocko.
Ink and marker sketch of a cattle dog witch holding a broom. A crow sits on the broom wearing glasses. The crow is kinda beardy, sorta. The dog is Rocko. The crow is Max, his familiar, aka Me.
October 3, 2025 at 3:58 PM
maxbare.bsky.social
Spoops 3/31 : Mothman again!

And it’s Fuzz again from Full Bleed Zine (they’re having a show soon at Quimby’s Friday the 10th- check it out!)

I wanted another go at Fuzz and I promised myself I’d make one for my buddy Ed - so hear he is!

#drawlloween
#mothman
Ink and marker drawing of a Mothman type fellow complete with a buzzed mullet, beard, one of those moth nose spiral things, antennae, batwings and a cut-off jean jacket - 80s metal style. One hand is holding a blood soaked VHS tape. The other hand is dripping with blood. They is happy.
October 3, 2025 at 3:57 PM
maxbare.bsky.social
Bob's Burgers 300th episode is better than any The Bear episode.
October 3, 2025 at 1:10 AM
maxbare.bsky.social
Who else hears Apollo 18 as the soundtrack to this?
rebeccarhelm.bsky.social Rebecca R Helm @rebeccarhelm.bsky.social · Sep 24
I get that the news cycle is packed right now, but I just heard from a colleague at the Smithsonian that this is fully a GIANT SQUID BEING EATEN BY A SPERM WHALE and it’s possibly the first ever confirmed video according to a friend at NOAA

10 YEAR OLD ME IS LOSING HER MIND (a thread 🧵)
October 3, 2025 at 1:09 AM
maxbare.bsky.social
Spoops Day 2/31 : A Witch and their Familiar

(I'll take a better picture tomorrow)

Day 1, 2, 3 and Week 1 of #mabsdrawlloweenclub
"Spooky Intro, Witch and Familiar"

This immediately popped into my head.
Clearly in this hypothetical, I would be the familiar to our red heeler, Rocko.

#cattledog
October 3, 2025 at 1:08 AM
maxbare.bsky.social
Melissa is doing another spooky BABA YAGA inspired shackling campaign - get on that mailing list you spoopies!
melissasuestanley.bsky.social Melissa Sue Stanley 🌿✨🍄 @melissasuestanley.bsky.social · Oct 1
Spooky Season is finally here!

And in about ONE WEEK I'll be launching the campaign for my new book: 🐓 Shackling 🐓

It's a collection of illustrations, stories, divination spreads, a couple recipes... basically a strange but delightful softcover grimoire

Kickstarter.com/projects/babayaga/shackling
Mock-up of a book lying on weathered wooden slats: the book is open in the middle and each page has a drawing of a Chicken-legged Hut looking at an insect, with some grey text underneath. Photo of a black table from above with sheets of paper covering it. The paper is marked with grids, and little drawings have been arranged all over. It's a mock-up of the pages of book I'm working on.
October 1, 2025 at 5:48 PM
maxbare.bsky.social
Thought of this big duder when I was obsessing over some tasks I need to just get out of the way to get that work flow going strong again!
(Also I’m considering doing that draw-everyday-tober thing again 👻
Marker and ink sketch of a hairy orange monster shaving their chest. Underneath is a tattoo (?) that reads: "Shave Them Off" with two little checked checkboxes. The monster is holding an electric razor and is seems pleased with themselves.
October 1, 2025 at 5:45 PM
maxbare.bsky.social
Hey!
Spoops Day 1/31 : Mothman!

Actually this is inspired by Fuzz from the super rad Full Bleed horror zine by Chicago buds Ed Witt and Tony Recktenwald - look em up! 💀

I’m attempting to return to Draw-Everyday-Tober 🎃

Let’s see how it goes!

#mothman
Ink and marker drawing of a Mothman type fellow complete with a buzzed mullet, beard, one of those moth nose spiral things, antennae, batwings and a cut-off jean jacket - 80s metal style. His hands are dipped in chunky blood and he seems pleased with himself.
October 1, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Reposted by Max Bare
shadiaminart.bsky.social
Vampiretober 1/31: Carmilla

#art #carmilla
October 1, 2025 at 4:06 PM