Mel Gillman
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mgillman.bsky.social
Mel Gillman
@mgillman.bsky.social
6.4K followers 240 following 1K posts
Trans cartoonist, colored pencil artist, nasty li’l woodland creature. Author of As the Crow Flies, Stage Dreams, and Other Ever Afters. Chair of Comics at California College of the Arts. They/them.
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Reposted by Mel Gillman
lynnedrum.bsky.social
no joke Seattle: check your fucking ballots to make sure they were counted!! there are a Bunch of incomplete or invalid ballots in our age range right now, and it's a quick check to see if yours went through okay. it's not too late to fix it!

info.kingcounty.gov/kcelections/...
King County Elections
Led by Director Julie Wise, King County Elections conducts accurate, secure, and accessible elections for King County's over 1.4 million registered voters.
info.kingcounty.gov
November 11, 2025 at 12:08 AM
mgillman.bsky.social
Had a great time at @berkeleypubliclibrary.org moderating a Coming of Age Comics panel at this year’s Berkeley Public Library Comic Con! Thanks for being such great panelists, @brianabreaks.bsky.social, @redgoldsparks.bsky.social, Laura Gao, Kiara Brinkman, and Sean Chiki!
Five smiling cartoonists inside a library — Sean Chiki, Kiara Brinkman, Laura Gao, Maia Kobabe, Briana Loewinsohn — with Mel Gillman’s head in the front, holding the selfie camera.
November 8, 2025 at 11:12 PM
mgillman.bsky.social
Seattle folks: check to make sure your vote was counted! There’s a link in the thread here.
theurbanist.org The Urbanist @theurbanist.org · 5d
There's lot of challenged ballots in Seattle. Challenged ballots disproportionately skew younger with over half from people under age 45.
Age distribution and challenged ballot type distribution for Seattle
November 7, 2025 at 3:34 PM
mgillman.bsky.social
[pulling up to the drive-through] hey can I get uhhhhhhh one of those terrible socialist mayors in my city too
November 5, 2025 at 3:52 AM
Reposted by Mel Gillman
kattenbarge.bsky.social
Zohran was polling at six percent in January. Nothing is impossible
November 5, 2025 at 2:34 AM
Reposted by Mel Gillman
katiesaurusrex.bsky.social
Announcing the Agent Cupcake release party at 1400 Bar & Grill in Alameda, my local hangout!!! Come join us on Nov 4th 6-9pm at the back patio to celebrate. We’ll have copies of the book for sale, fun spy activities, and more! It’s a family friendly spot so feel free to bring the kiddos. 🦄🔎
October 23, 2025 at 7:18 PM
mgillman.bsky.social
non-new-yorkers today
Squidward watching through the window meme, but poorly edited so Squidward is smiling and giving a thumbs up
November 4, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Reposted by Mel Gillman
redgoldsparks.bsky.social
I'm speaking on a panel at the Berkeley Public Library this Sat Nov 8 from 1:30-2:30 with Laura Gao, Kiara Brinkman, Sean Chiki, & Briana Loewinsohn moderated by @mgillman.bsky.social. Catch us in the 2nd floor Mystery Room! More info here: berkeleypubliclibrary.libnet.info/event/14727151
poster for the Berkeley Public Library Comic Con on November 8, 2025, from 10:30-4:30pm at 2090 Kittredge St, Berkeley, CA Schedule for the Berkeley Public Library Con, available at: https://berkeleypubliclibrary.libnet.info/event/14727151
November 3, 2025 at 6:08 PM
mgillman.bsky.social
It’s a beautiful day in California to vote yes on prop 50
November 2, 2025 at 6:34 PM
mgillman.bsky.social
Happy Halloween! This year I’m going as Professor Gillman :)
October 30, 2025 at 4:02 AM
mgillman.bsky.social
Some nice results from dyers polypore! The yellow is just straight-up mushroom dye, and the light green had a dilute iron solution added
Three small skeins of yarn — two yellow, and one yellow-green
October 22, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Reposted by Mel Gillman
claystorks.bsky.social
TIME WILL DEVOUR HIS CHILDREN: CHAPTER TWO is out now! This on-going dark fantasy comic about your past coming back to haunt you continues in its second 110-page installment, which you can buy here: claystorks.itch.io/time-will-de... 🍂
October 21, 2025 at 9:32 PM
mgillman.bsky.social
I found my first porcinis today!
Mel holding three small porcinis, and holding three fingers up Two beautiful porcini mushrooms on a log
October 20, 2025 at 7:52 AM
mgillman.bsky.social
you nerds GOTTA read this book
comicsbeat.bsky.social Comicsbeat @comicsbeat.bsky.social · 25d
Trade Rating: Bringing emotional turmoil to Mars in THE INTERNAL SEA: MARE INTERNUM

Der-Shing Helmer's dark sci-fi survival webcomic THE INTERNAL SEA: MARE INTERNUM gets a second life in a print release from Vault Comics.
Trade Rating: Bringing emotional turmoil to Mars in THE INTERNAL SEA: MARE INTERNUM
Der-Shing Helmer's dark sci-fi survival webcomic THE INTERNAL SEA: MARE INTERNUM gets a second life in a print release from Vault Comics.
www.comicsbeat.com
October 16, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Reposted by Mel Gillman
redgoldsparks.bsky.social
These comics are so delightful! Very worth signing up for Mel's patreon to read about their foraging adventures :D
mgillman.bsky.social Mel Gillman @mgillman.bsky.social · 27d
A final week's worth of diary comics are up on my patreon! patreon.com/mgillman
And for anybody with a trifoliate orange growing in their hedge: 1:4 ratio of juice to water (this'll use up a lot of fruit), sweetened with honey to taste, and optionally with a small pinch of salt if you're into that
A three panel black and white comic titled "10/11/25 -- Residency Work Sharing". Panel 1: Mel addresses a crowd, pointing at a jar in the back of the room. Mel says "Before I read my comics -- I made citrus-ale with trifoliate oranges, Bunny Mellon's "bitter" ornamentals, which now are growing invasively in the woods." Panel 2: Mel continues, "While drinking it, we can think about how most edible wild plants were at some point shaped by indigenous agricultural science somewhere. So even "ornamentals" can have good uses, if we learn to meet them where they are." Panel 3, labeled "Afterward" -- a man in a baseball cap tells Mel "I liked it! It tastes like Tang."
October 15, 2025 at 4:56 AM
mgillman.bsky.social
A final week's worth of diary comics are up on my patreon! patreon.com/mgillman
And for anybody with a trifoliate orange growing in their hedge: 1:4 ratio of juice to water (this'll use up a lot of fruit), sweetened with honey to taste, and optionally with a small pinch of salt if you're into that
A three panel black and white comic titled "10/11/25 -- Residency Work Sharing". Panel 1: Mel addresses a crowd, pointing at a jar in the back of the room. Mel says "Before I read my comics -- I made citrus-ale with trifoliate oranges, Bunny Mellon's "bitter" ornamentals, which now are growing invasively in the woods." Panel 2: Mel continues, "While drinking it, we can think about how most edible wild plants were at some point shaped by indigenous agricultural science somewhere. So even "ornamentals" can have good uses, if we learn to meet them where they are." Panel 3, labeled "Afterward" -- a man in a baseball cap tells Mel "I liked it! It tastes like Tang."
October 15, 2025 at 3:31 AM
mgillman.bsky.social
I just started this book and two pages in I already KNOW this is gonna be all I talk about for months
Feed Us With Trees: Nuts and the Future of Food by Elspeth Hay
October 11, 2025 at 9:39 PM
mgillman.bsky.social
Another week's worth of artist residency diary comics are up on my Patreon! This week: many bugs. patreon.com/mgillman
A three panel black and white comic titled "9/23/25". Panel 1: A woman bends over to look at a wooly bear caterpillar crossing the road. Text reads: "All over the farm, wooly bears are crossing the road." The woman says "Where're you going, little one?" Panel 2: A drawing of a large moth on a white sheet at night. Text reads: "One night, I set up a moth light on the lawn and spot its adult form -- the Isabella tiger moth." Panel 3: two figures in silhouette talking near the moth light set up. Text reads: "and the moth listens to me & Ayda talkin' gay stuff." Mel is saying "Every time I go to a SF lesbian bar, an older dyke tells me about her illegal gold mining rig..." The moth thinks "Sigh..."
October 7, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Reposted by Mel Gillman
ziibiing.com
this felt too informative not to share
October 6, 2025 at 1:24 PM
mgillman.bsky.social
I have a very weird question I'm hoping a smart Photoshop person can answer for me: in an image like the one below, is there a way to ask PS (or another similar program) to tell me exactly how many pixels, or exactly how much surface area in the image, is blue?
October 4, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Reposted by Mel Gillman
ericmgarcia.bsky.social
Ok. So there's A LOT of misinformation about the government shutdown, the continuing resolution and gender-affirming care. There was one article in PinkNews that was VERY shoddy about what Trump said. So let's breakdown what's true and what's BS. 1/
www.thepinknews.com/2025/09/29/t...
Trump threatens to shut down US government unless all trans health care is banned
The US government's looming shutdown hinges on anti-trans measures after Donald Trump refused to speak to Democrats unless they were passed.
www.thepinknews.com
September 30, 2025 at 3:16 AM
mgillman.bsky.social
new holiday alert?? (another week of diary comics from my artist residency went up on my patreon! patreon.com/mgillman )
A four panel black and white comic called "9/17/25". Panel 1 shows a basket filled with chestnut acorns. Text reads: "Rea brought me a basket of chestnut acorns to process." Panel 2 shows Mel and Rea weeding in a garden. Rea: "Sorry to say I gathered them on September 14th." Mel: "??" Rea: "You know, the Devil's Nutting Day?" Mel: "?????" Panel 3 shows a very cartoony devil picking up an acorn. Text reads: "That's the day the devil gathers his nuts!" Panel 4 shows Mel and Rea talking. Mel: "You gave me DEVIL NUTS?" Rea: "Yeah, sorry. Can't wait to taste the acorn bread..."
September 29, 2025 at 4:05 PM
mgillman.bsky.social
Showing off this maitake that’s bigger than my head!!
A perfect maitake mushroom that is, in fact, larger than Mel’s head
September 28, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Reposted by Mel Gillman
olivia.science
Finally! 🤩 Our position piece: Against the Uncritical Adoption of 'AI' Technologies in Academia:
doi.org/10.5281/zeno...

We unpick the tech industry’s marketing, hype, & harm; and we argue for safeguarding higher education, critical
thinking, expertise, academic freedom, & scientific integrity.
1/n
Abstract: Under the banner of progress, products have been uncritically adopted or even imposed on users — in past centuries with tobacco and combustion engines, and in the 21st with social media. For these collective blunders, we now regret our involvement or apathy as scientists, and society struggles to put the genie back in the bottle. Currently, we are similarly entangled with artificial intelligence (AI) technology. For example, software updates are rolled out seamlessly and non-consensually, Microsoft Office is bundled with chatbots, and we, our students, and our employers have had no say, as it is not considered a valid position to reject AI technologies in our teaching and research. This is why in June 2025, we co-authored an Open Letter calling on our employers to reverse and rethink their stance on uncritically adopting AI technologies. In this position piece, we expound on why universities must take their role seriously toa) counter the technology industry’s marketing, hype, and harm; and to b) safeguard higher education, critical thinking, expertise, academic freedom, and scientific integrity. We include pointers to relevant work to further inform our colleagues. Figure 1. A cartoon set theoretic view on various terms (see Table 1) used when discussing the superset AI (black outline, hatched background): LLMs are in orange; ANNs are in magenta; generative models are in blue; and finally, chatbots are in green. Where these intersect, the colours reflect that, e.g. generative adversarial network (GAN) and Boltzmann machine (BM) models are in the purple subset because they are both generative and ANNs. In the case of proprietary closed source models, e.g. OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Apple’s Siri, we cannot verify their implementation and so academics can only make educated guesses (cf. Dingemanse 2025). Undefined terms used above: BERT (Devlin et al. 2019); AlexNet (Krizhevsky et al. 2017); A.L.I.C.E. (Wallace 2009); ELIZA (Weizenbaum 1966); Jabberwacky (Twist 2003); linear discriminant analysis (LDA); quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA). Table 1. Below some of the typical terminological disarray is untangled. Importantly, none of these terms are orthogonal nor do they exclusively pick out the types of products we may wish to critique or proscribe. Protecting the Ecosystem of Human Knowledge: Five Principles
September 6, 2025 at 8:13 AM
mgillman.bsky.social
I'm spending the next few weeks at an ecological artist residency in rural Virginia! As usual, I'm documenting the trip with semi-daily diary comics. The week 1 batch just went up on my patreon for $2+ subscribers, but here's a freebie~ patreon.com/mgillman
A three panel black and white inked comic labeled "9/8/2025". Panel 1 shows a farm landscape with rolling hills, mature hardwood trees, old barn buildings, and a rock wall with a gate. Text reads "For the next 5 weeks, I'm doing an artist residency on an old Virginia farm." Panel 2 shows Mel walking through a garden with sunflowers and a wooden fence alongside a man. Text reads: "Patterned after English estates, it looks and feels like a Jane Austen set." The man says to Mel "It's still a law here that if you're on a horse, you can ride through any land, private or not." Panel 3 reads "Instantly fascinated by HORSE LAW" and shows Mel imagining a man on a horse saying "We're going to the PENTAGON"
September 15, 2025 at 3:07 AM