Valentines from the Jurassic Seas

These were inspired by all the prehistoric sea creatures in my new book Dragon Bones: The Fantastic Fossil Discoveries of Mary Anning, written by Sarah Glenn Marsh, illustrated by me, and published by Roaring Brook Press. The book comes out on February 15, 2022 and what better way to show my love for the Jurassic seas (and skies…hello, Dimorphodon macronyx) then valentines? Feel free to print them out and share them - there’s a black and white version if you want to color in them yourself! And if you’re interested in learning more about ammonites, plesiosaurs, and ichthyosaurs (oh my!), check out Dragon Bones from your local library or pick up a copy at your favorite bookstore. 💙

Top left square: Two chambered nautilus-like ammonites holding tentacles with a small pink heart above them. In the background, an asteroid is smashing into Earth. At the bottom, it reads “Let’s Go Extinct Together.”

Top right square: A small pterosaur holds a large pink heart. At the bottom, it reads “You’re pterrific.”

Bottom left square: The fossilized skeleton of the long-necked marine reptile plesiosaur. Text reads “I love you so much, I feel it in my bones.”

Bottom right square: Another prehistoric marine reptile, the ichthyosaur, floats in the center of the square. Text reads “I wish I could go back in time to tell you how great you are.”

Across the bottom, there is a pencil sketch of a pterosaur on the left and a squid-like belemnite on the right. In the center, it reads “If you like these critters, check out “Dragon Bones: The Fantastic Fossil Discoveries of Mary Anning” written by Sarah Glenn Marsh, illustrated by Maris Wicks, from Roaring Brook Press.

Signed Bookplates!

Hi all!

I’m going to try something new. Given the fact that I already wasn’t doing many events for Astronauts: Women on the Final Frontier, and that most of those events have now been canceled/postponed due to coronavirus/COVID-19 precautions, I’d like to offer you the chance to get a signed bookplate from both me and Jim Ottaviani!

What is a bookplate? It’s a sticker that you can stick right in your own copy of Astronauts!

signed_bookplate.jpg

I’ll also include two different Astronauts-themed stickers!

stickers.jpg

How do you get a signed bookplate?

1.) Email me (Maris) at dots.for.eyes@gmail.com

2.) Please tell me:

  • Who would you like me to personalize this to?

  • What space-themed drawing would you like?*

  • Where should I send the bookplate (and stickers)?

*Possible space-themed drawings may include (but aren’t limited to): tardigrades (see above), your favorite planet/star/constellation/celestial body, an astronaut you like, your favorite space vehicle, your pet cat/dog/snake/tarantula in a space suit, etc…

3.) One bookplate per household, and the only requirement that you’ve purchased a copy of Astronauts: Women on the Final Frontier. (I’m going to use the honor system here.)

4.) These bookplates will be FREE and I’m going to cover shipping. Offering signed bookplates is a way for us to say “THANK YOU!” for buying the book and supporting our work; we would normally be signing books at events!

Right now, there are 45 bookplates. I’ll update as soon as they’re all gone (and hopefully offer more if this turns out to be something you all like).

Also, if we’ve already talked about sending you a bookplate, you do not have to email me! I’ll be sending them out shortly! <3

Thank you all for your support, and I look forward to sending some fun space drawings your way! And please take care!

Cheers,

Maris

Comics x Science: Using Cartoons to Communicate Complex Ideas

Last month, I presented a lecture as part of the Lowell Lecture Series at New England Aquarium. The folks over at WBGH Forum Network did a fantastic job of filming and editing the event! A great big thanks to both the New England Aquarium and the WGBH Forum Network!

Space x Antarctica x Comics: It's a Small World

What does Antarctica have to do with space? Sure, you can maybe see Antarctica from space…but it’s more than just that. Antarctica is one of the most remote, isolated, cold, and dark (or light, depending on what time of year) places on the planet. In some ways, it’s as close as you can get to going to space without leaving the planet.* So it’s no surprise that a few astronauts have had ties to Antarctica. Jessica Meir (@astro_jessica) is one of those astronauts, and she is headed to the International Space Station today!

*One could say the same for the deep sea…which is EVEN HARDER to get to!

Meir’s Ph. D. research looked at what happens to animals’ bodies when they experience low-oxygen events (like diving), specifically elephant seals and…wait for it…emperor penguins! Her post-doctoral work looked at another animal that experiences low-oxygen: the bar-headed goose. Bar-headed geese are the highest-flying birds in the world. (Check out this video as well as this article in the Washington Post if want to see a peek into this research…also BONUS BABY GEESE!!!)

Three years ago, I was headed to Antarctica. While on the ice, I happened to work with a team that was also studying the effects of low-oxygen, this time on Weddell seals (see more about my experiences here). This past summer, one of those scientists, Allyson Hindle, commissioned me to make a drawing for her friend:

A resourceful emperor penguin blasts past a bar-headed goose.

A resourceful emperor penguin blasts past a bar-headed goose.

Yup, that drawing was for Astronaut Jessica Meir! It was an honor to draw two of her research subjects (in my comical style). I also gave her a preview sample of Jim Ottaviani and my new book Astronauts: Women on the Final Frontier (and of course, I signed it):

Bar-headed goose as an astronaut.

Bar-headed goose as an astronaut.

For me, the intersection of space and Antarctica comes from my work - Astronauts: Women on the Final Frontier will be out in February, and I’m currently working on a graphic novel about life and science in Antarctica (based on my own experiences there). It’s nice to be reminded that the world can often feel quite small, but in a comforting, unifying way: it’s home for us all…including the astronauts on the ISS looking down upon it.














A2CAF!

I'll be at the Ann Arbor Comic Arts Festival  June 16 & 17 in Ann Arbor, MI! I don't do many comics shows/fests anymore because I'm busy working on books, so I'm SUPER excited! (Yay! I get to see HUMAN BEINGS!!!) I got to design the poster for the fest, and I'll be having my first solo gallery show of artwork! Here's a little promotional art (for the gallery show): 

Write here…

Write here…

I'll share the poster on here soon!

Cheers, Maris

Microbial Life Lecture

One of the best things about living in the Boston area is being close to lots of stuff. Especially science-y stuff. Between all the universities and museums, there are loads of public lectures! It's an all-you-can-eat buffet...FOR MY BRAIN. A few weeks back, I went to a lecture on Microbial Life at the Harvard Museum of Natural History; it kicked off the opening of their newest exhibit (conveniently of the same name). The lecture was given by Roberto Kolter and Scott Chimileski. Here are my notes (in cartoon-form, of course):

microbe_lecture_1.jpg
microbe_lecture_2.jpg
microbe_lecture_3.jpg
microbe_lecture_4.jpg

I only draw during the lecture, so this was about an hour of drawing (minus the time I spent ooo-ing and ah-ing over cheese mites and tardigrades. How had I never heard of cheese mites before? I love both cheese and microscopic organisms; I have no idea why these little critters stayed off my radar for so long. They are the best. Okay, cheese mite tangent: over.)

Interested in lectures around the Boston area? This is a pretty good list.

 

Human Body Theater Valentines

I started these back in 2016, soon after Human Body Theater came out. Better late then never, right? So here they are: Human Body Theater Valentine's Day cards. Please feel free to print them out and use them as Valentines! And if you're hungry for more, check out my book Human Body Theater!

 

 

HBT_valentines_web.jpg

2018 Hourlies

I skipped out on last year's hourlies because I was flying back from New Zealand (and figured people wouldn't be interested in 16 hours worth of me on a plane). I did fit them in this year though! Here they are, in their full-day glory: 

2018_hourlies.jpg