Lawrence Lindell (born February 4, 1988) is an American cartoonist, speaker, and musician. He has written autobiographical comics including From Truth With Truth and Couldn’t Afford Therapy, So I Made This.[1][2] His work covers mental health issues, blackness, and queerness.[3] He lives in the Bay Area, California.[4] Lindell is open about living with bipolar depression and PTSD; two of the main themes of his work.[5] He has a forthcoming middle-grade graphic novel called Buckle Up due out in August 2024 with Random House Graphic.[6] His 2023 graphic novel Blackward, with Drawn and Quarterly,[7] was shortlisted for the 2024 Lambda Literary Award for Graphic Novel[8] and nominated for the 2024 Eisner Awards for Best Publication for Teens.[9]

Lawrence Lindell
Lindell at a panel at the Small Press Expo 2020
Lindell at a panel at the Small Press Expo 2020
Born (1988-02-04) February 4, 1988 (age 36)
OccupationCartoonist, author, musician, educator and artist
Education
  • Otis College of Art and Design (BFA)
  • California College of The Arts (MFA)
Notable worksFrom Truth With Truth ,
Couldn’t Afford Therapy, So I Made This,
From Black Boy With Love,
The BAYlies
Website
lawrencelindell.com Edit this at Wikidata

Early life and education

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Lindell is from Compton, California and grew up in various cities in Los Angeles County.[10] [11] He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Otis College of Art and Design, where he majored in illustration and animation.[3] He received his Master of Fine Arts in Comics from California College of the Arts in 2020.[4][12]

Career

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In 2017, he produced the autobiographical comic Couldn’t Afford Therapy, So I Made This[13] and From Black Boy With Love which gained media attention from outlets including Huffington Post,[10] Afropunk,[14] Atlanta Black Star,[15] and NowThis.

In 2018 he published The Section, which is a web comic about blackness.[16] He started the comics archive/collective The BAYlies.[12][17]

In 2020 Lindell self published his graphic memoir "From Truth With Truth",[1][5] that deals with how he navigated his mental health issues, parents divorce and healing.[1] His Kickstarter campaign for The BAYlies magazine anthology (a comics magazine that features Bay Area based cartoonists of color and queer cartoonists) was successfully funded.[12][18] Lindell and cartoonist Breena Nuñez started the small press Laneha House.[12][17][19][20]

In 2021 Lindell's graphic memoir "From Truth With Truth" was nominated for The Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity in Comics[21] and the Believer Book Award long list for Graphic Narrative.[22] He signed on to publish his middle-grade Graphic novel "Buckle Up" with Random House Graphic, which is due out in 2024.[6]

In 2022 Lindell and Breena Nuñez started the Kinnard Awards with Laneha House. The award is named in honor of cartoonist Rupert Kinnard.[23][24]

Music, teaching, and talks

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Lindell plays piano and performs live electronic sets.[25][26][27] He has been releasing music since 2009, under various aliases and his own name.[28] He started an independent label called Noise Met Sound in 2013, to release his music.[28][29]

Lindell also teaches, leads zine workshops, hosts comic workshops and gives lectures.[30][31][32]

In 2018 he was a special guest at Small Press Expo, where he was on the panel “Writing With Bipolar” alongside Ellen Forney, Keiler Roberts and moderated by Rob Clough.[33][34]

In 2019, he was the guest of honor for San Francisco Zine Fest.[35][36] He gave a lecture at Indiana Tech as part of their Tech Talk series.[37] He was also a featured guest at Comic Arts Brooklyn 2019, where he was on the Decolonizing Comics Panel with fellow cartoonists Trinidad Escobar and Breena Nuñez, moderated by Minnie Phan.[38]

Lindell has written comics for The New Yorker[39][40] Razorcake[41] and The San Francisco Examiner.[42]

Personal life

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Lindell lives in California. He is married to fellow cartoonist Breena Nuñez. The two became engaged in 2018 at the East Bay Alternative Zine Fest, which is where they met in 2015 and married in 2020.[32][43]

Bibliography

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  • From Black Boy With Love, Self Published (2017).
  • Couldn't Afford Therapy So I Made This, Self Published (2017).
  • From Truth With Truth, Self Published (2020). ISBN 978-0-578-63103-5
  • Still Couldn't Afford Therapy So I Made This, Again, Laneha House (2021). ISBN 978-1-7361135-1-6
  • One with Breena Nuñez, Laneha House (2021). ISBN 978-1-7361135-2-3
  • To Black Girl With Love, Laneha House (2021). ISBN 978-1-7361135-5-4
  • The BAYlies Issue 1 as editor, Laneha House (2021) ISBN 978-1-7361135-3-0
  • Brain Stuffed , Laneha House (2021). ISBN 978-1-7361135-8-5
  • Laneha House No. 1 with Breena Nuñez, Laneha House (2021). ISBN 978-1-7361135-0-9
  • Laneha House No. 2 with Breena Nuñez, Laneha House (2021). ISBN 978-1-7361135-6-1
  • Laneha House No. 3 with Breena Nuñez, Laneha House (2021). ISBN 978-1-7361135-7-8
  • Laneha House No. 4 with Breena Nuñez, Laneha House (2021). ISBN 978-1-7361135-4-7
  • Laneha House No. 5 with Breena Nuñez, Laneha House (2022). ISBN 978-1-957172-00-2
  • Laneha House No. 6 with Breena Nuñez, Laneha House (2022). ISBN 978-1-957172-05-7
  • Comics on My Mind No. 1, Laneha House (2022). ISBN 978-1-957172-99-6
  • Blackward, Drawn and Quarterly (2023). ISBN 978-1-770466-78-4
  • Buckle Up, Random House Graphic (2024). ISBN 978-0-593479-78-0

Exhibitions

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  • House of Black. A Black Comics and Zine Art Exhibition, Joint Exhibition with Breena Nuñez (2023).[44]
  • Resplendent: Identity & Visibility in Comics, Group Show (2022).[45]
  • A STORY LIKE MINE, Group Show (2022).[46]
  • Emerging Artist Showcase: Lawrence Lindell, Solo Art Exhibition (2021).[47]
  • The Fine Art of Radical Self-Publishing, Group Show (2020).[48]
  • Queer Comics Saves Lives, Solo Art Exhibition (2020).[49]
  • We are more: Stories by Queer Artists, Group Art Exhibition (2019).[50]

Film scores

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Year Title Director Notes / Accolades
2016 When Noise Met Sound: Apocalyptica Raymond Metoyer First film score
Film released in 2016

Discography

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  • A Nomad Story (2014)
  • Eclectic Frequencies (2014)[51]
  • Magic Megaphone (2015)[52]
  • Cinema of Soul(2015)[53]
  • Lawrence Lindell (2015)
  • Raw Imperfections (2016)[25]
  • Life of Color (2017)
  • Afrospacetable (2019)

Filmography

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Honors

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2024

Excellence in Graphic Literature: Best in Young Adult Graphic Literature (Blackward)[55]

Excellence in Graphic Literature: Book of the Year Finalists (Blackward)[56]

CBC Teacher Favourites / CBC Librarian Favourites (Blackward)[57]

CBC Young Adult Favourites (Blackward)[58]

2023

Kirkus Starred Review (Blackward)[59]

2021

The Believer Book Awards: Editors’ Long Lists- Graphic Narrative Finalist (From Truth With Truth)[60]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Seven, John (February 5, 2020). "Indie View: From Truth With Truth is ultimately empowering". The Beat.
  2. ^ "This Man Couldn't Afford Therapy, So He Made This". The Mighty. 12 June 2024.
  3. ^ a b Papalii, Whitney. "Artist faces mental health through comic art".
  4. ^ a b "Lawrence Lindell". Nat. Brut. Fall 2019.
  5. ^ a b Dueben, Alex (December 17, 2019). "Smash Pages Q&A: Lawrence Lindell". SMASH PAGES.
  6. ^ a b "Lawrence Lindell Sells Middle-Grade Graphic Novel, Buckle up". Bleeding Cool. 16 May 2021.
  7. ^ JK Parkin (November 4, 2022). "Slugfest: Have a very 'Criminal' Christmas". Smash Pages.
  8. ^ "Announcing the Finalists for the 36th Annual Lambda Literary Awards". them. 2024-03-27. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  9. ^ "2024 Eisner Award Nominations Announced".
  10. ^ a b Hill, Zahara (April 3, 2017). "New Children's Book Teaches Black Boys To Treat Black Girls With Respect". HuffPost.
  11. ^ "Nat. Brut | Issue Eleven | Lawrence Lindell".
  12. ^ a b c d ""I Feel Anthologies Are a Gateway into the Past and Our History as Comic Creators" - Lawrence Lindell Talks about 'The BAYlies' Featuring the Work of 22 Bay Area Cartoonists of Color and Queer Creators". Broken Frontier. 5 October 2020.
  13. ^ "Lawrence Lindell Couldn't Afford Therapy So He Wrote This Comic". Comics Beat. February 7, 2018.
  14. ^ "Empowering picture book promotes self-love for black boys". Afropunk. June 20, 2017.
  15. ^ Willis, Kiersten (April 4, 2017). "Children's Book From Black Boy with Love Pays Homage to Girls with Darker Skin". Atlanta Black Star.
  16. ^ "This biting comic series dives into black anxieties, intersectionality, and self-love". AFROPUNK. March 5, 2018.
  17. ^ a b "Home". thebaylies.com.
  18. ^ "How 'The BAYlies' Puts Focus on Underrepresented Cartoonists". The Hollywood Reporter. 29 October 2020.
  19. ^ "Home". lanehahouse.com.
  20. ^ "Breena Nuñez on Zines and Feeling Seen as an Afro-Latinx Comic Artist". 18 December 2020.
  21. ^ "Syndicated Comics". 14 January 2021.
  22. ^ "The Believer Book Awards: Editors' Longlists".
  23. ^ "I Will Stop the Cavalry - This Week's Links". 16 December 2022.
  24. ^ "Laneha House Announce the Winners of the Inaugural Kinnard Awards Celebrating Comics Community". 12 December 2022.
  25. ^ a b "Looking Back to Lawrence Lindell's "Raw Imperfections" | The Deli Magazine". m-la.thedelimagazine.com.
  26. ^ "Lawrence Lindell's final album, release party Friday | The Deli Magazine". m-la.thedelimagazine.com.
  27. ^ "The Cutting Room on 4.25: Experimental music, live visuals, and haircuts | The Deli Magazine". m-la.thedelimagazine.com.
  28. ^ a b ""Never apologize for being who you are" — The DIY ethos of Lawrence Lindell | The Deli Magazine". m-la.thedelimagazine.com.
  29. ^ "Noise met Sound". Noise met Sound.
  30. ^ "Comics and some important updates!". t.e2ma.net.
  31. ^ Grimason, Maggie. "Arts Interview: Print Magic". alibi.
  32. ^ a b "We Want the Airwaves: 95: Breena Nuñez and Lawrence Lindell". qtpocart.libsyn.com.
  33. ^ "Comics Grinder". Comics Grinder. September 14, 2018.
  34. ^ "Lawrence Lindell "SPX: The Small Press Expo". 10 June 2018.
  35. ^ "Guest of Honor". San Francisco Zine Fest.
  36. ^ "SF weekend: Desert NightLife at California Academy of Sciences, yoga on the beach, Zine Fest, more". Hoodline. 29 August 2019.
  37. ^ NEWS, ADAMS (October 16, 2019). "Indiana Tech's annual Tech Talks series to explore identity Thursday | 963XKE | Fort Wayne's Classic Rock | Fort Wayne, IN". 963xke.com.
  38. ^ MacDonald, Heidi (October 11, 2019). "Syndicated Comics". The Beat.
  39. ^ Lindell, Lawrence (17 December 2019). "Group Meet-Ups Be Like". The New Yorker.
  40. ^ Lindell, Lawrence (16 February 2020). "Feelings Be Hard". The New Yorker.
  41. ^ "Webcomic #553 by Lawrence Lindell - Razorcake".
  42. ^ "Examiner Comix Showcase #5". 26 December 2022.
  43. ^ "Examiner Comix Showcase #3". 10 November 2022.
  44. ^ "House of Black. A Black Comics and Zine Art Exhibition". 31 May 2023.
  45. ^ "Resplendent: Identity & Visibility in Comics".
  46. ^ "A STORY LIKE MINE".
  47. ^ "Emerging Artist Showcase: Lawrence Lindell".
  48. ^ "The Fine Art of Radical Self-Publishing – Antenna.Works".
  49. ^ "Sister Dana Sez, "So now that we're in a new month since New Year's resolutions, how many of those resolutions have we already broken?!"". January 29, 2020.
  50. ^ "OAKLAND―We Are More: Stories by Queer Comic Artists". California Humanities.
  51. ^ "NEW MUSIC: Lawrence Lindell's 'Eclectic Frequencies' is the bold new record experimental electronica has been waiting for. #SoundCheck". AFROPUNK. March 19, 2014.
  52. ^ "AFROPUNK PREMIERE: Stream Experimental Electronica Artist Lawrence Lindell's new album 'Magic Megaphone' #SoundCheck". AFROPUNK. February 4, 2015.
  53. ^ "NEW MUSIC: Stream 'Cinema of Soul,' the Newest From Experimental Producer Lawrence Lindell #SoundCheck". AFROPUNK. May 12, 2015.
  54. ^ "No Straight Lines: The Rise of Queer Comics Review – Tribeca 2021". 14 June 2021.
  55. ^ "Excellence in Graphic Literature Awards Finalists and Category Winners Announced". 4 June 2024.
  56. ^ "Excellence in Graphic Literature Awards Finalists and Category Winners Announced". 4 June 2024.
  57. ^ chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.cbcbooks.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Favorites2024_Librarian9-12.pdf
  58. ^ chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.cbcbooks.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Favorites2024_YoungAdult.pdf
  59. ^ "Blackward". Kirkus Reviews.
  60. ^ "The Believer Book Awards".