Gene Ha creator of 2026 IL Reads pick MAE The Definitive Edition
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geneha.com
Gene Ha creator of 2026 IL Reads pick MAE The Definitive Edition
@geneha.com
6.5K followers 360 following 1.7K posts
Chicago comic geek, author of 2026 IL Reads pick MAE: The Definitive Edition

For art sales go to https://www.panelpunk.com/collections/gene-ha
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geneha.com
The Orange is a reference to the Dutch "Prince's Flag" of the time. If you do a vertical stripe tricolor then it's a reference to France. You might as well get rid of the tricolor.

I LOVE the orange flame on the French tricolor version though. Make the right tricolor bar and flame both orange.
December 27, 2025 at 2:16 AM
geneha.com
I was confused why you chose a tricolor, but just read that goes back to the Dutch!

I think you need to represent the 5 boroughs. From some angles, the flame of the torch has 5 tongues...
December 26, 2025 at 9:34 PM
geneha.com
LindellTV will be sure to declaim what an honor it is for the USA that Trump allowed the Pentagon to name a class of ships after him. And then they'll ask to name a pillow after him.

And that idea dies when Vance, standing next to Trump, gets a pup tent about owning a Trump Pillow.
article screenshot listing the current Pentagon press pool: https://firstamendment.mtsu.edu/post/after-others-departed-pentagon-announces-new-press-corps-filled-with-conservative-news-outlets/ Several conservative news outlets said Oct. 22 they had agreed to a new press policy rejected by virtually all legacy news organizations and will take their place in the Pentagon to cover Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the U.S. military. The new Pentagon press corps will include the Gateway Pundit, the National Pulse, Human Events, podcaster Tim Pool, the Just the News website founded by journalist John Solomon, Frontlines by Turning Point USA and LindellTV, run by “MyPillow” CEO Mike Lindell.
December 22, 2025 at 10:52 PM
geneha.com
If Valerie, as a good Canadian, speaks French the word "tranche" might be a problem? A tranche de tarte means a slice of pie, so she might think you were offering her a wedge of traditional yuletide English eel pie? Mmmmm!
December 22, 2025 at 9:26 PM
geneha.com
You’re a Vigilante of Love… of Animal Facts!
Peacemaker’s Vigilante about to give some owl facts.
December 22, 2025 at 7:34 PM
geneha.com
Tagging writer Amy Chu @amychu.bsky.social and artist Janet K. Lee @janetklee.bsky.social on this thread, because their Trot & Cap’n Bill GNs are some of the best, and best researched, Oz tales ever! spinemagazine.co/articles/amy...
Cover to the graphic novel Sea Sirens: A Two & Cap'n Bill Adventure by Amy Chu and Janet K. Lee
December 22, 2025 at 3:55 PM
geneha.com
Kryptonians might find the forests and jungles of Gillikin Country and Quadling Country oddly familiar...

www.supermanthroughtheages.com/theAges/Ency...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_of...
Superman article at the link: [comics panel of Superman looking at the Scarlet Jungle foliage on Earth. Caption: Soon afterward... Superman: Just as I figured! Under our yellow sun, those Kryptonian seedlings grew to maturity in a few moments, thus recreating Krypton's famous Scarlet Jungle!] Scarlet Jungle (This article is archived from Supermanica. The current version is here.) A "weird wilderness" on the planet Krypton which teems with red and purple flora, including huge, maroon, mushroom like fungi (Act No. 310, Mar 1964: "Secret of Kryptonite Six!") and gigantic "moving forests," red in color and vaguely humanoid in form, which literally advance across the face of the planet "in their yearly migration," forcing Kryptonians in their path to seek shelter in subterranean tunnels until they pass (S No. 164, Oct 1963: pts. I-II—"The Showdown Between Luthor and Superman!"; "The Super- Duel!"). The Scarlet Jungle is also inhabited by a species of Kryptonian fauna known as "Thought-Beasts," large, primitive, rhinoceros-like creatures—with spiked tails and a single large horn protruding from their snouts—whose most distinctive feature is a television-like "thought-screen" atop their heads which flashes picture-images of whatever they are thinking (Act No. 310, Mar 1964: "Secret of Kryptonite Six!"). Screenshot of Wikipedia article on the Land of Oz at the link: [map of Oz] [caption] The Land of Oz; this map's compass rose shows East pointing to the right (as is typical in real life), though East pointing to the left, or a mirror image of this map, is regarded as the correct orientation in many publications.[7] For reasons why, see West and East. [article snippet] The Land of Oz The Land of Oz; this map's compass rose shows East pointing to the right (as is typical in real life), though East pointing to the left, or a mirror image of this map, is regarded as the correct orientation in many publications.[7] For reasons why, see West and East. The regions have a color scheme: blue for Munchkins, yellow for Winkies, red for Quadlings, green for the Emerald City, and (in works after the first) purple for the Gillikins, which region was also not named in the first book.[9] This emphasis on color is in contrast with Kansas; Baum, describing it, used "gray" nine times in four paragraphs.[10] In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, this is merely the favorite color of each quadrant, used for clothing and other man-made objects, and having some influence on their choice of crops, but the basic colors of the world are natural colors.[9] The effect is less consistent in later works. In The Marvelous Land of Oz, the book states that everything in the land of the Gillikins is purple, including the plants and mud, and a character can see that he is leaving when the grass turns from purple to green, but it also describes pumpkins as orange and corn as green in that land.[11] Baum, indeed, never used the color scheme consistently; in many books, he alluded to the colors to orient the characters and readers to their location and then did not refer to it again.[12] His most common technique was to depict the man-made articles and flowers as the color of the country, leaving leaves, grass, and fruit their natural colors.[13]
December 22, 2025 at 3:25 PM
geneha.com
Wishing you all a delightfully spooky December!

In 19th century England & the USA, Halloween was the time for ROMANCE and Christmas was the time for SPOOKY ghost stories! That's why Dickens' Christmas Carol had ghosts.

www.thesawmillmuseum.org/blog/how-vic...

www.history.com/articles/chr...
https://www.thesawmillmuseum.org/blog/how-victorians-celebrated-halloween How Victorians Celebrated Halloween 10/31/2023 Picture The Victorian era ushered in a new way to celebrate Halloween. Departing from previous decades of an All Saint’s Day that involved visiting the gravesites of loved ones that had passed and communing with the dead, Victorians subdued the holiday to fit in with a society concerned with morality, temperance, and quaint socializing. Halloween became a night of lavish partying with games that revolved around–of all things–romance. Periodicals in the 1870s and 1880s helped push Halloween as a night for frivolous divination games and socializing with friends. These publications were not unlike the ones we have today; they had articles on gossip, advice, and tips and tricks on relationships and keeping a home. Harper’s Weekly, Harper’s Bazaar, and Godey’s Lady’s Book were some of the most popular during this time. These magazines also published stories, poems, and many other short stories to entertain the Victorian middle-class. In just a few short years, Halloween parties were all the rage due to the influence of these magazines on middle-class families. Halloween parties were a staple for many young upper- and middle-class Victorians. By the 1890s, newspapers and other periodicals were printing ideas for games, recipes, and decorations to celebrate the holiday. Even invitations were extravagant; some hostesses would leave small jack-o’lanterns with invitations on the doorsteps of their party guests. Guests would dress in their best clothes and costumes as the parties also served as a matchmaking opportunity. https://www.history.com/articles/christmas-tradition-ghost-stories How Ghost Stories Became a Christmas Tradition in Victorian England Spooky stories featuring the supernatural were all the rage during the darkest time of the year. by Elizabeth Yuko Furthermore, spooky storytelling gave people something to do during the long, dark evenings before electricity. “The long midwinter nights meant folks had to stop working early, and they spent their leisure hours huddled close to the fire,” says Tara Moore, an assistant professor of English at Elizabethtown College, author of Victorian Christmas in Print, and editor of The Valancourt Book of Victorian Christmas Ghost Stories. “Plus, you didn’t need to be literate to retell the local ghost story.” Effects of the Industrialization Revolution It was in Victorian England that telling supernatural tales at the end of the year—specifically, during the Christmas season—went from an oral tradition to a timely trend. This was in part due to the development of the steam-powered printing press during the Industrial Revolution that made the written word more widely available. This gave Victorians the opportunity to commercialize and commodify existing oral ghost stories, turning them into a version they could sell. “Higher literacy rates, cheaper printing costs, and more periodicals meant that editors needed to fill pages,” Moore says. “Around Christmas time, they figured they could convert the old storytelling tradition to a printed version.”
December 21, 2025 at 5:14 PM
geneha.com
“Hard archaeologist endorse”

Dr. Sarah Parcak aka “Indy From Space,” U of Alabama at Birmingham “Professor, Archaeologist, Egyptologist, Award-winning writer of books, Dad joke lover, mom, rabble-rouser academic. Owned by cats. she/her”
December 21, 2025 at 4:32 PM
geneha.com
Obviously I must tag John Green @johngreensbluesky.bsky.social !
Three different cover versions of the John Green book An Abundance of Katherines
December 20, 2025 at 6:51 PM
geneha.com
Border Patrol's Greg Bovino pulled his amateur circus out of Chicago, but there's still an ICE presence. Alert we got this morning. Cicero IL is the middle of a majority LatinX belt starting w Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood and stretching to my suburb of Berwyn.
Screenshot of a phone text message: ICIRR Eyes on ICE Update: At approximately 8:15am today, the Rapid Response Network verified the presence of federal agents near the Walmart in Cicero, IL at 33rd and Cicero Ave. One person was abducted. Agents are still in the Cicero and Little Village area. You have the right to film police activity, the right to remain silent, the right to speak to an attorney, and the right to refuse to sign anything. Aproximadamente a las 8:15AM de hoy, la Red de Respuesta Rapida verifico la presencia de agentes federales a las Walmart en Cicero, IL (33rd y Cicero Ave). Los agentes permanecen en el area de Cicero y La Villita. Usted tiene el derecho de grabar la actividad policial, el derecho a permanecer en silencio, el derecho a hablar con un abogado y el derecho a negarse a firmar cualquier documento. ICIRR hotline: 855-435-7693 KYR card: bit.ly/ICIRRCards
December 16, 2025 at 3:41 PM
geneha.com
Is the Tik Tok app mainly messages from Tik-Tok of Oz? Damn, now I understand why the kids are so addicted!
Cover of the book Tik-Tok of Oz by L. Frank Baum
December 16, 2025 at 4:16 AM
geneha.com
Sometimes the artist is the rough gruff weird sibling and the writer is the cool elegant dandy!
December 16, 2025 at 3:45 AM
geneha.com
Ya look like an angry mid-century Italian movie icon!
December 16, 2025 at 3:32 AM
geneha.com
As part of the #AlexRoss exhibit at the #DunnMuseum IL I'll lead a kids art program, "Draw Yourself As A Superhero." Register online. And while you're there check out the Ross original paintings, a US children's book art show, and the history of this corner of IL!

www.lcfpd.org/calendar/dra...
Selfie of myself in front of a large Alex Ross painting of Galactus. Screenshot of the class description at the link in the post, which includes art by me of the Superman of Earth-23. Text: DRAW YOURSELF AS A SUPERHERO WITH GENE HA Thursday, December 18 5:30 PM - 7 PM [Location] Dunn Museum Youth Pricing: Ages Resident Nonresident Over 7 $15.00 $18.00 From the Dunn Museum exhibition of US children's book illustrations, a painting from "Madeline in America and Other Holiday Tales" by Ludwig Bemelmans. A group of schoolgirls led by a nun march towards an old French house, with the Eiffel Tower visible on the horizon. Art deco cover painting by Hilary Knight (b. 1926) for Beauty and the Beast by Marie Leprince de Beaumont. A horse in a hooded horse blanket, with jeweled saddle and reins. The horseman in a white hood wields a bullwhip to fend off a black wolf in a snowy forest.
December 14, 2025 at 11:25 PM
geneha.com
Stoopid truces. I can outrace most baby penguins on land, but not a naked bike riding Portlander. And naked bike riding Portlanders always come in packs!

And I might be able to beat a pack of naked bike riding Portlanders in a fight. But as @asperasbompar.bsky.social notes, not a penguin...
December 14, 2025 at 6:25 PM
geneha.com
I try to include #AltText but sometimes forget! Examples attached, with... Alt Text! Do you have a vision impairment? As far as I know so far, none of my online friends have ever commented based on my alt text, which can include commentary not in the post or the image.
Screenshot of an image from a recent post by me. Of an email, with the alt text visible below the image: [To] CBP_PRA@cbp.dhs.gov [Subject] OMB Control Number 1651-0111 U.S. Customs and Border Protection proposal I'm writing as an individual to comment on OMB Control Number 1651-0111 U.S. Customs and Border Protection proposal “Agency Information Collection Activities; Revision; Arrival and Departure Record (Form I-94) and Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).” I am an occasional visitor to various parts of Europe, either for work or for vacation. And when foreign colleagues and friends come to visit the Chicago area, I like to show of the joys of life in my city and in the United States. I’m proud of my country. I oppose newly proposed changes 3. Mandatory Social Media and 4. High Value Data Elements. They should be completely erased from the proposed rules. The changes are burdensome and invasive. Five years of social media? Family member names, telephone numbers, birth dates, residencies? These new demands will cut off Americans from their families in the ESTA approved areas like the EU, Britain, and Japan. And the rules will deter tourists from these nations, hurting our economy and US prestige across the world. For example, the 2026 World Cup in the USA was supposed to be a huge financial boost for the USA. These changes will cut off tourists and their spending, while still saddling the USA with the costs of hosting. The rules are also vague and overly broad. How does a visitor provide 5 years of social media? What if all of their accounts are set to private? What on social media would block entry into the USA? This will also invite those nations to retaliate with equally odious rules on American visitors. This also increases the USCBP’s workload, keeping them from work that actually protects the nation. Please rescind these proposed changes. Gene Ha Berwyn, IL [Then, 2 of more lines of alt text below it] Screenshot of an image from a recent post by me. Of a PDF but only the relevant section, with the alt text visible below the image: You must indicate whether you are submitting a comment as an individual, on behalf of an organization, or anonymously. o If submitting on behalf of an organization, please be sure to secure the necessary approvals. • Your comment will be publicly available and visible to anyone visiting the regulation’s docket. Writing an Effective Comment • State your personal and/or professional connection to the issue, including any relevant credentials. o Agencies give more weight to comments from individuals and organizations with relevant experience and expertise. • Clearly state the issue(s) within the proposed rule you are commenting upon. o You are not required to comment on all areas of a proposed rule. If there is a particular element you feel strongly about, you can comment on just that. o If commenting on a specific word, phrase, sentence or section, include the page number or other details from the Federal Register document to ensure the agency knows exactly what you’re referring to. You can access the Federal Register document by downloading the file at the bottom of the page where the proposed rule is posted on Regulations.gov. • If an element of the proposal is unclear, note where the final rule needs clarification. • If you disagree with a proposal, consider proposing an alternative. o Agencies may provide options and ask respondents to select one for the final rule, but you may also suggest another option if you feel it would be more effective. • Provide your reasoning, whether in support of or against a proposal. o Agencies more heavily weight comments that provide justification and support. o Include qualitative or quantitative data if possible and available. o Offer examples of how the proposal would impact you positively or negatively. • Be concise. o You do not need to write a long comment l
December 13, 2025 at 2:08 AM
geneha.com
My email commenting on the new "5 years of social media and your DNA etc" rule for tourists from the EU, UK, Japan etc. And suggestions for comments!

Email your comments to

CBP_PRA@cbp.dhs.gov

In the Subject: line, include:

OMB Control Number 1651-0111 U.S. Customs and Border Protection proposal
[To] CBP_PRA@cbp.dhs.gov [Subject] OMB Control Number 1651-0111 U.S. Customs and Border Protection proposal I'm writing as an individual to comment on OMB Control Number 1651-0111 U.S. Customs and Border Protection proposal “Agency Information Collection Activities; Revision; Arrival and Departure Record (Form I-94) and Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).” I am an occasional visitor to various parts of Europe, either for work or for vacation. And when foreign colleagues and friends come to visit the Chicago area, I like to show of the joys of life in my city and in the United States. I’m proud of my country. I oppose newly proposed changes 3. Mandatory Social Media and 4. High Value Data Elements. They should be completely erased from the proposed rules. The changes are burdensome and invasive. Five years of social media? Family member names, telephone numbers, birth dates, residencies? These new demands will cut off Americans from their families in the ESTA approved areas like the EU, Britain, and Japan. And the rules will deter tourists from these nations, hurting our economy and US prestige across the world. For example, the 2026 World Cup in the USA was supposed to be a huge financial boost for the USA. These changes will cut off tourists and their spending, while still saddling the USA with the costs of hosting. The rules are also vague and overly broad. How does a visitor provide 5 years of social media? What if all of their accounts are set to private? What on social media would block entry into the USA? This will also invite those nations to retaliate with equally odious rules on American visitors. This also increases the USCBP’s workload, keeping them from work that actually protects the nation. Please rescind these proposed changes. Gene Ha Berwyn, IL Commenting of federal rule proposals, from https://bestpractices.nokidhungry.org/sites/default/files/2023-05/How%20to%20Comment%20on%20Federal%20Regulations%20Final.pdf You must indicate whether you are submitting a comment as an individual, on behalf of an organization, or anonymously. o If submitting on behalf of an organization, please be sure to secure the necessary approvals. • Your comment will be publicly available and visible to anyone visiting the regulation’s docket. Writing an Effective Comment • State your personal and/or professional connection to the issue, including any relevant credentials. o Agencies give more weight to comments from individuals and organizations with relevant experience and expertise. • Clearly state the issue(s) within the proposed rule you are commenting upon. o You are not required to comment on all areas of a proposed rule. If there is a particular element you feel strongly about, you can comment on just that. o If commenting on a specific word, phrase, sentence or section, include the page number or other details from the Federal Register document to ensure the agency knows exactly what you’re referring to. You can access the Federal Register document by downloading the file at the bottom of the page where the proposed rule is posted on Regulations.gov. • If an element of the proposal is unclear, note where the final rule needs clarification. • If you disagree with a proposal, consider proposing an alternative. o Agencies may provide options and ask respondents to select one for the final rule, but you may also suggest another option if you feel it would be more effective. • Provide your reasoning, whether in support of or against a proposal. o Agencies more heavily weight comments that provide justification and support. o Include qualitative or quantitative data if possible and available. o Offer examples of how the proposal would impact you positively or negatively. • Be concise. o You do not need to write a long comment l…
December 13, 2025 at 12:17 AM
geneha.com
Here's part of what the Trump administration is planning to demand from travelers from the EU, Japan, Britain etc that can normally get a low-hassle 90 tourist visa. Social media for the last 5 years, all personal & work email addresses... Expect equally odious rules if we visit there.
December 12, 2025 at 11:44 PM
geneha.com
If you're a US citizen and want to comment on the Border Patrol forcing foreign visitors to hand over 5 years of social media, DNA, email etc you have to send an email to:

CBP_PRA@cbp.dhs.gov

In the Subject: line, include:

OMB Control Number 1651-0111 U.S. Customs and Border Protection proposal
December 12, 2025 at 11:32 PM
geneha.com
The US State Department plans to demand visitors from the EU, Japan, Britain etc submit 5 YEARS of social media, DNA samples, 10 years of work & personal email addresses.

THE most important thing to know? US citizens have until February 9, 2025 to submit public comments! Short URL: is.gd/DfVM5M
December 12, 2025 at 3:33 PM
geneha.com
I gotta give it to DCEU for the tie in with the LOTR franchise. Before he conquered Apokolips, young Darkseid was Bert of The Hobbit's hill trolls.

I can see why that helmet covers his ears...
December 12, 2025 at 3:03 PM
geneha.com
The schoolchild pencil ration has increased from a low of 37 pencils and raised to 2 pencils! Chocolate increases from 30, now raised to 20 grammes. The doll ration has been increased from a low of 37 dolls…
Cover of 1984, by George Orwell. 75th Anniversary Edition. Text from 1984 by George Orwell, Chapter V: …horizontal. The new ration did not start till tomorrow and he had only four cigarettes left. For the moment he had shut his ears to the remoter noises and was listening to the stuff that streamed out of the telescreen. It appeared that there had even been demonstrations to thank Big Brother for raising the chocolate ration to twenty grams a week. And only yesterday, he reflected, it had been announced that the ration was to be reduced to twenty grams a week. Was it possible that they could swallow that, after only twenty-four hours? Yes, they swallowed it. Parsons swallowed it easily, with the stupidity of an animal. The eyeless creature at the other table swallowed it fanatically, passionately, with a furious desire to track down, denounce, and vaporize anyone who should suggest that last week the ration had been thirty grams. Syme, too—in some more complex way, involving doublethink—Syme swallowed it. Was he, then, alone in the possession of a memory?
December 11, 2025 at 3:52 PM
geneha.com
This Chinese Zodiac website says don't argue about birth years with people born in 1982. You're not gonna win and they're not gonna give up! Let the Water Dog keep that duck. www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/1982-c...
Personality Traits of the 1982 Chinese Zodiac Water Dog People born in 1982 year of the Dog have a firm will. They are conscientious and careful in work, and strict with themselves. At the same time, they are very loyal to their friends and family. Being compassionate, they always help people in need. They are serious and responsible in doing things and have a long-term vision. But the Water Dog are self-centered and sometimes even selfish. They are pretty stubborn and unwilling to accept opinions and suggestions from others, and they do not know how to be flexible. In addition, their mood is unstable and irritable.
December 11, 2025 at 1:49 PM
geneha.com
This.

UK “3D artist, illustrator, animator” AJ Jefferies on clients using AI art. And a really lovely muppet-y Sendak-y monster he posted a few days ago.
Screenshot of AJ's Bsky thread: ‪AJ Jefferies‬ ‪@moonjam.com‬ · 21h Every facet of generative AI has made my professional life worse, without question, but THIS specific aspect has been driving me NUTS. Clients, who have made me toil for weeks over indescribably small details, are now approving & producing in-house commercial artwork that looks like a fever dream. [AJ's repost] ‪Naniiebim‬ ‪@naniiebim.bsky.social‬ · 22h I feel the clients now using GenAI to do stuff and going "good enough" when they used to nitpick at every last detail is due to them finding out all those nit picky changes take time and work they cant be bothered to put in. [AJ's reply to himself] ‪AJ Jefferies‬ ‪@moonjam.com‬ · 20h [me, retouching a single pixel highlight on a bg character's eyeball for the twelfth time in one hour] "Gotta get this right. The entire campaign depends upon it..." [client, staring at the ball of melting, screaming meat that ChatGPT made, instead of a person] "😍 OMG! 😍 ship it!!!!" AJ Jefferies @moonjam.com · 4d Hey! Here's an excitable, candy hungry Piñata monster I created for a new kids' game called 'Bo Bo Bon'. Coming soon, from Ravensburger! #illustration #3d #art #cgi #monster [image of 3D monster with dental braces smiling, designed in a muppet-like and Sendak influenced style]
December 9, 2025 at 11:24 AM