I turned 30 today. I don’t even own a toaster.

Portrait by Josh Holinaty

Genevieve Simms is a native St. Johnsian turned Edmontonian. She is an award winning illustrator. Her work has appeared in many things and she has turned those many things into good things. A similar likeness to one of the drawings in this book made itself onto the cover of the Walrus. The Walrus has officially encroached on instant book territory. A new feud is born. A feud the Walrus will never hear of.

Genevieve made this Alphabook last year. And I wrote a little story about her here.

This seems like such a nice little ending to a very nice little project. Thank you Genevieve and thanks to everyone who took the time and spent the energy to indulge me. You really made my months. : ) !!!

Now back to the same old crap.

Jeffrey Brown lives in Illinois and he just so happens to be my favorite comic writer of all time. This is why I stood stunned and amazed at the mailbox.  Holding his contribution to the alphabook series in my hands made me double fart in my pants.

Jeffrey Brown has made a lot of amazing work. If you haven’t done so, I suggest you read everything he’s ever made. He’s been a super inspiration to me. After  I first read “Unlikely” way back in 2005 I decided I was going to follow suit and write sincere things. Tiny things. Short and affecting. He’s so good at that. The best.

Thank you for so many things Jeffrey Brown! What a nice human being.

PS. (I wrote this, which was supposed to be like a tribute kind of thing.)

Chis Urquhart is a Torontonian. She is a creative writing major from UBC. She is currently writing a book. She has a book deal with Greystone and she is 24. This makes my heart burn with jealousy. Chris is a mostly a creative non-fiction writer. She is my favorite kind of writer.

Ms. Urquhart is also one of the funniest bloggers on this world and throughout  space. Trekkie Sex!!! Read all of the entries and listen to all the podcasts!  So good.

I’ve never met Chris in person. I know her through last year’s “x” – Kitra Cahana. Kitra said that Chris and I are soul mates. Kitra is right all the time.

Katrina Wiedner is from Vienna. She used to live in London but made her way back home not so long ago. She is a graphic designer with a penchant for creating beautiful visual books. Katrina transformed one of my stories into an amazing book a few years back.

We just recently met in person for the first time in London this past summer. We had some coffee then. Actually I think she had coffee and I ate a hamburger. Katrina!

Leroy Fitzgerald is actually my cousin, Jeff. He is a psychologist doing his practicum and said I could use his image and his first name but not his last for confidentiality purposes. I get that.

Jeff and I have always been close cuz-bros, even after the way I depicted him in this story. Originally from Red Deer, Jeffy boy now resides in Vancouver and has helped me through many a mental issue. Thank you sir.

I really enjoy Mike De Pasquale a lot. He’s probably one of the sharpest, most unique, and likable characters I’ve ever met. Mike is a photographer living in Brooklyn. He’s got a very defined style: see here and here.

On a related side-note, I would like to make mention, so close to the end of this alphabook series, that scanning or taking photos of all the instant books that come through, largely diminishes the visual quality of the original product. The colours are skewed, letters and pictures are all fuzzy, stuff is so tiny. This is the case here. The digital photos I’ve taken of Mike’s printed photos do not do justice to the amazing book he sent. Please, Mike. If you have the means of putting the original photos up, do so. I will make a nice link to that and everyone will clap in their houses.

-Love Mark

Portraits by Josh Holinaty and Genevieve Simms, respectively.

David Berry is an Edmontonian living in Toronto. He is a very clever writer and he is a very clever writer for a very clever paper – the National Post. David Berry is also the author of We Hate This Place Here; It’s Our Home, a graphic novel he has been putting out in installments with Josh Holinaty. (3 of 6 out now!) David Berry is everybody’s favorite person.

Josh Holinaty is a Grand Prairian living in Edmonton. He is a famous illustrator and sits every weekday inside the Art Gallery of Alberta. Josh is also a little drummer boy in this band. Perhaps most impressively, Josh is an Alphabook alumnus. Here’s what he did last time. Josh is everybody’s 2nd favorite person.