Kruttika Susarla

For The People Newsletter Vol. XXXVI For everyone working to strengthen and expand public libraries

Do you want to be more involved in your library's friends group? Sign up for the FTP Friends & Foundations Network Open House on Feb 19th!:

librariesforthepeople.substack.com/p/for-the-pe...

Pink text graphic with SLICE logo motif and Mr. Slice enthusiastically chopping the air with an Xacto knife. Text reads "Summit 2026, Sunday, February 15, 1:30-3:30 p.m., SLPL Schlafly Library Branch Auditorium." See post text for details.

SLICE is assembling our 2026 dream team! We're kicking off a new season of programming and expo planning, and we want YOU 🫵

SLICE Summit 2026, Feb. 15, 1:30-3:30 p.m. at SLPL Schlafly Library Branch Auditorium

RSVP: www.eventbrite.com/e/slice-summ...

“Before Present,” a new comic. My partner was prepping slides for a intro to Archaeology lecture on “time." She had a slide showing that the oldest recorded human footprints in North America (21-23k years BP) are just south of the Trinity Test site. Both in New Mexico. About 60 miles apart.

Mid century Italian pencils.
www.instagram.com/p/DTfjTIEDK4...
Sold now, but please enjoy the packaging

thank you so much!

thank you! it was so fun to work on :)

so beautiful!

Perhaps consider nominating our AWARD WINNING anthology Death in the Mouth vol 2? bsky.app/profile/sloa...

Panel 1: Lion taking books out of a library shelf says, "Do you have a story about your public library?" Panel 2: Text says "Perhaps you raised funds...". Image is of a lion pouring lemonade to a croc at a Libraries and Lemonade stand

Panel 1: Lions and crocodiles organizing outside a library to increase funding. Text says, "...or organized to keep the doors open." Panel 2: "Maybe you're joining the library board or a friends of the library group?" "We want to hear from you!"

Hey! Are you doing something cool with your public library? Or know someone who is? @librariesftp.bsky.social wants to know. Write to us at forthepeoplelibraries[at]gmail.com if you would like to share a reflection in our newsletter.

ok new question...anyone have a General Liability insurance co. they like for artists/illustrators?

i struggled with State Farm, previously

main mural wall featuring hawks flying over native plants. against a backdrop of mountains and clouds.

Second section of the wall featuring a hawk putting on a play. On another section of the wall, two seagulls are putting on a romeo and juliet play

Mural detail

Mural detail

I spent most of last year working on this mural for a new theatre space at the Children's Museum. The theatre is also a meeting space for a hawk-watching group so the mural features local hawks, birds, and plants. The flowers on the pillars separating the walls are the state flower, Sego Lily.

The ZineArranger by Nash High Zine layout tool for PDFs

There is a lot of woe in the world, but here is one thing I'm excited about:

nashhigh.itch.io/zinearranger This zine layout tool is a dream I never knew I had. You can upload a pdf of your, e.g., 56-page 1/4-sized zine in page order (1-56), and in seconds get back a 14-page doc you can print from.

tyyy 💖

detail from mural

detail from mural

Henry helped paint the mural (and do all the maths involved in transferring this from my brain to a wall) and my friend Ali helped edit these photographs!

main mural wall featuring hawks flying over native plants. against a backdrop of mountains and clouds.

Second section of the wall featuring a hawk putting on a play. On another section of the wall, two seagulls are putting on a romeo and juliet play

Mural detail

Mural detail

I spent most of last year working on this mural for a new theatre space at the Children's Museum. The theatre is also a meeting space for a hawk-watching group so the mural features local hawks, birds, and plants. The flowers on the pillars separating the walls are the state flower, Sego Lily.

A huge black bird with iridescent feathers stands in profile, with head turned slightly to look at the viewer.

Maximum corvid.
Corvus corax - the Common Raven #birds 🌿

Also, you should tell @librariesftp.bsky.social why you ♥️ your local library. Do it today!

Also, you should tell @librariesftp.bsky.social why you ♥️ your local library. Do it today!

For The People Newsletter Vol. XXXV For everyone working to strengthen and expand public libraries

@librariesftp.bsky.social is entering its fourth year. This year we're launching a Friends and Foundations Network. More details, along with all the resources we shared in 2025, in this month's newsletter:
librariesforthepeople.substack.com/p/for-the-pe...

'Books are going to take longer to get to libraries': What Baker & Taylor's demise means for comics - The Comics Journal Diamond’s disintegration is not the only crisis facing comics publishers these days. The latest distribution company ceasing to exist is the venerable library distributor Baker & Taylor. If you’re not...

For comics folks whose readership is often centered in libraries, this is important. From @ginagagliano.bsky.social www.tcj.com/books-are-go...

Less than $800 away from 50% of our goal. Sincere thanks to everyone who has donated and shared so far: gogetfunding.com/black-zine-f...

In purple text on a black background: SUBMISSIONS OPEN! Submissions are now open for the Minicomic Awards. You have until January 31st 2026 to submit your comics. Awards categories: General Fiction, General Nonfiction, Horror, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, and Humor. Presented by the Cartoonist Cooperative. Part of the annual Nib & Ink Festival. Deadline to submit 01/31/26 11:59 Eastern Time. In Addition to the logos for the Minicomic Awards and the Cartoonist Cooperative, there is also a graphic of the Coop's mascots sitting on a submissions box drawn by Quill Ardonne.

Submissions for the 2026 Minicomic Awards are NOW OPEN through 1/31/26! 🎉
To submit your comic(s), register an account at mca.cartoonist.coop. Be sure to check out the full guidelines and FAQ before submitting.

ty ty! missed yours from yesterday. so nice to see all your incredible work as well!

hehe i keep putting off redoing my site so ty for encouraging me to put it off further :p

Some fun animations for myself:
bsky.app/profile/noah...

Screenshot from Project Nia's Issu page about 'The Fifth Street Building Takeover' zine.

Inside spread from the zine. "Building a women's Center"

Cover and back for "The Fifth Street Building Takeover" zine.

'The Fifth Street Building Takeover: Archival Activations 11' zine by @prisonculture.bsky.social. Copies of the zine are available for purchase here: www.printedmatter.org/catalog/69980

I love working on the archival activations series and I always learn a lot.

Friends of the library zine cover featuring three people enclosing a library. The background is blue.

We made a resource zine on Friends of the Library groups over at @librariesftp.bsky.social: www.librariesforthepeople.org/resources#fo...

Comixense Magazine | The First Language War — Kruttika Susarla Illustrator & Cartoonist

This comic commissioned by Comixense magazine (an excellent comics mag for young people in India) on the history of anti-Hindi agitation in south india. Written by CG Salamander: kruttika.com/comixense-ma...

BDNH Storytelling Project: A Question is an Interruption — Interrupting Criminalization In this zine and audio story, a medical student in California prevents security from being called on a patient's family member, emphasizing the importance of speaking up and asking questions. This sto...

this young person's story is so moving and courageous. Story 3: www.interruptingcriminalization.com/resources-al...

BDNH Storytelling Project: When Healing Becomes Resistance: Interrupting HIV Criminalization — Interrupting Criminalization In this zine and audio story, an advocate and an attorney share an intimate story about the power of community and policy, and the role of health care providers in the movement to end HIV criminalizat...

Story 2: www.interruptingcriminalization.com/resources-al...

BDNH Storytelling Project: Restorative Justice as an Alternative to Firing a Patient — Interrupting Criminalization In this zine and audio story, a physician in Massachusetts prevents a patient from being dismissed from his practice by implementing a restorative justice process. This story is part of the Beyond Do ...

This past year, I worked on a few comics and zines I'm proud of :) Newest and most recently published in collaboration with @interruptcrim.bsky.social is a collection of stories by health care workers interrupting criminalization + harm

Story 1: www.interruptingcriminalization.com/resources-al...