Sally’s Mean Bloodstream
Visits Miami, FL
by Neil BrideauMy spouse and I moved to Miami in the summer of 2017. I had spent my entire life in Western and Central New York and the Midwest before Miami—the first time I stepped foot in South Florida was when we came to find an apartment. The frequency of the question, "what's Miami like???" from friends in the North has not slowed, as if I live on another planet. But it's not like the question isn't coming from locals as well. It seems like everyone agrees that living in Miami is an experience unlike living in most other U.S. cities.
I tried to use this comic to explore my feelings about Miami, my old homes, what it means to be from somewhere, and why we call a place home. Like Dana, I want to show my friends the things I find remarkable about Miami. Like Maria, I'm fervently loyal to the cities I've called home. Like Adam, I've lived in enough places that I don't feel authentically from anywhere. Like Connie, I didn't realize how much I needed vitamin D until I was blasted with it day after day!
I hope you find this comic fun! I hope it makes you think about South Florida's structures, and the concept of what makes a place home. I hope you're not offended by some hot takes from someone who's only lived here for seven years. Big thanks to my friends who read & talked through this comic with me, and EXILE for asking me to do this!
Sally's Mean Bloodstream Visits Miami, FL was penciled with No. 2 HB Dixon Ticonderoga Pencils on printer paper, and then inked with Speedball Super Black India Ink and a Winsor & Newton 111 Round Cotman Brush on Strathmore Vellum Bristol, with minimal digital cleanup.
Bio:
Neil Brideau (He/Him) self-publishes all ages comics in Miami, FL. His long-running coming-of-age adventure series, The Plot, has been nominated for a DiNKY Award for Best Minicomic. Neil runs Radiator Comics, a distributor and publisher of small press and self-published comics, representing over 275 alternative cartoonists and presses from around the world.
Before moving to Miami, Neil was a founding co-organizer of the Chicago Zine Fest and the Chicago Alternative Comics Expo, and worked at the legendary Quimby's Bookstore for six years. He has served as a juror for the 2017 Ignatz Awards, and the 2023 Kinnard Awards. Sally's Mean Bloodstream is Neil's series of free minicomics about a fictional band from his hometown of Rochester, NY.
For more information:
IG: @radiator_comics
Website: https://neilbrideau.com
https://radiatorcomics.com
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