iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Hey NYCC folks! I'll be signing copies of our brand new graphic novel EVER TRIP at the Papercutz booth on Sunday! Otherwise I'll be lurking the halls, dreaming about pizza slices.

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

*squeal* (That's our star of Ever Trip in the top right corner) 😃 😃 😃

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Last day to preorder EVER TRIP! If you like me and my style, you’ll like this book! If you like JRPGs, road trips, wild worlds, fun characters with a lot of heart, you’ll love this book! Created by @acmedina.bsky.social and me! Out Oct 6 from @papercutzgn.bsky.social papercutz.com/product/ever...

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

I made a little preview page sizzle reel for EVER TRIP! (Needless to say I'm pretty excited about it) Created by @acmedina.bsky.social (story) and me! (art) Out Oct. 6 from @papercutzgn.bsky.social (there's still time to preorder!)

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Get to know the EVER TRIP party! (I'm doing it again!) MEET KARTER! KARTER is the jock of the brothers with more muscles than backbone. He’s been helping his brother NEDD plan an EVER TRIP for a long time and knows how important it is to him. Forever loyal, KARTER sticks to the trip to the end!

Color illustration of KARTER! KARTER is an islander kid who appears pretty buff for his age. On his left bicep is a cloud & sword tattoo similar to his brother NEDD's. KARTER has a tuft of curly bleached hair resting upon his mostly shaved head. An earring in his left ear. KARTER wears a chest plate and scalloped shoulder pads of armor. Underneath he wears a blue vertically striped shirt and blue khaki shorts that don a red and white striped bandana belt and an orange patch stitched on the left front. On his left wrist is a beaded bracelet. On his right is a gauntlet adorned with a few tiger eye seashells. He carries a sword over his right shoulder in a heroically determined stance. He wears armored open toe sandals on his feet. Red straps cross his shoulders and chest carrying his sword sheath on his back. He is ready for action.

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

I'm proud of our new book w/ @acmedina.bsky.social so: Get to know the EVER TRIP party! MEET NEDD! The smaller of two brothers and the brains of the operation NEDD doesn’t believe in a no-win situation and his heart for adventure knows no bounds despite his compromised immune system.

Color illustration of NEDD! NEDD is an islander kid with curly wild hair, bespectacled with one eye doing most of the work. He has a red & white striped bandana and an earring in his left ear. Dons a red cape like the hero he is. NEDD is missing his left arm and his right is decked out in scalloped shoulder armor, cloud tattoo and fingerless glove. A device bracelets his wrist with a screen. He has a fanny pack wrapped around his chest. He wears chain mail, tropical board shorts and armored sandals. A big automatic wrench hangs from his utility belt. You can see in Nedd's gleeful expression that he is a kid full of excitement.

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Locke! Had this on the SNES as a kid and pretty much got as far as the epic Ultros/Opera fight (partly bc I'm bad at video games, partly bc I get easily distracted, fickle). Finally rolled credits this year on the old emulator. Anyway this is in the style of my new book (Ever Trip!)

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Hey ALA and cool librarians 😎 This Sat, I’ll be at the @papercutzgn.bsky.social booth with @acmedina.bsky.social signing bookmarks and promo material and chatting all about our new book EVER TRIP and A.C.’s sick UNDERCOVER MONSTER! We’ll be in Artist Alley all weekend too! Table 1554. Say hi!

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

Announcing EVER TRIP! A brand new book from @acmedina.bsky.social and me! So much thanks to: @papercutzgn.bsky.social @chasexclamation.bsky.social @letteringbear.bsky.social Allison Bilbey Lia Brown Stephanie Brooks @mikemarts.bsky.social Chris Fernandez comicon.com/2026/06/23/e...

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

In preparation of announcing, I've been sketching some favorite SNES JRPG faves in the style of our new book. So here's this little duder from Secret of Mana! ALA 2026 Annual Conference is this week. I'll be in Artist Alley table 1554. See u there!

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

Kooky characters from our upcoming book! Stay tuned! 🦜🐦🐞🐛 #npc

Detail from a comic page featuring some NPC critters: what likes like a squirrel, tall bird and rhinoceros beetle.

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

Have a ROCKin' MegaMay to all who celebrate!

Comic commission of MegaMan (RockMan) & Roll playing in a battle of the bands against MetalMan (get it?) - 1 band vs 8 bands! Who would do this?? Anyway everyone is shredding until Rock & Roll release a dual pronged sonic attack of screaming vocals and majesty shredding that renders MetalMan's musical ass fully smoked. The winning band is thus equipped with MetalMan's metal blade guitar.

Detail of RockMan shredding guitar, Roll belting out vocals Paramore style and Metal Man's metal blade guitar shredding the ground, ear drums and his own metal face spinny spinny style.

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

Say what you're working on without saying anything at all.

A photo of Kermit and Fozzie singing "Movin' Right Along"

Photo of Jack Lipnick looking his best in Barton Fink

Detail of Richard Scarry illustration of a wolf driving a car with wolf face on it.

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

Sad to hear Gallery 1988 is closing very soon. I had a blast participating in a few shows there. 💔 If you want to pick up any artwork (like this handsome piece) from them at a big discount (code: FAREWELL) - you can find my work below or click elsewhere to find everyone else! bit.ly/41D1WUt

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

Hey! Last week, I just finished artwork for my ✨ first ✨ MG OGN! And this week, I jump back into my ✨ 2nd ✨ MG OGN! I can't say or show much yet, so here are two pages of research from my sketchbook for each book!

Research sketches from my sketch book (for my first MG OGN!).
Mostly classifications of different parasitic mushrooms, sketches of pests operating as construction and contracting.
What does it ???? Who knows??

Research sketches from my sketch book (for my second MG OGN!).
Mostly different poses of a swordsperson rolling and evading attack.

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 01/03/2026

Gonna watch some Red Dwarf today. 😢 Pouring one out for our Boy from the Dwarf Rob Grant.

Black and white commission for the Red Dwarf crew - from l. to r. we got Rimmer, Holly, Cat and Lister playing poker with two scutters assisting. Cat is cleaning up the game. And Kryten is cleaning up after the boys from the Dwarf with his vacuum attachment.

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

The "Two Curious Dogs" series might be favorite Chuck Jones thing.

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

Whats up Ohio!? I'm going to be at Genghis Con (my fave indie comic show in Ohio!) this coming Sunday, Nov 30. @melissasuestanley.bsky.social will be there too! ❤️ 🦃 Come on out! Lots of awesome creators!

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

Hey Chicago! Sat, Dec. 6, I'll be paneling, sketching and selling books along with some of my favorite people & creators - at Sulzer, our local library in Lincoln Square - come out and bring the fam! (btw this library has an unbelievable graphic novel selection just sayin')

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

It’s open season on all suckheads Kicked off our Halloween movie spree with the Blade trilogy

Cartoony illustration of Wesley Snipes as Blade from the Blade movies
He’s got fangs, a sword and it’s raining blood

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 04/10/2025

Spoops Day 4/31 : Weevil Knievel A Palmetto Weevil, to be exact, for #Invertober2025 from @fossilforager.bsky.social - and then this popped into my head. The skulls and bat-cut cape make it Halloweeny. #evelknievel #weevils #bugs

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 03/10/2025

Spoops Day 2/31 : A Witch and their Familiar Day 1, 2, 3 and Week 1 of #mabsdrawlloweenclub “Spooky Intro, Witch and Familiar” This immediately popped into my head. Clearly in this hypothetical, I would be the familiar to our red heeler, Rocko.

Ink and marker sketch of a cattle dog witch holding a broom. A crow sits on the broom wearing glasses. The crow is kinda beardy, sorta. The dog is Rocko. The crow is Max, his familiar, aka Me.

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 03/10/2025

Spoops 3/31 : Mothman again! And it’s Fuzz again from Full Bleed Zine (they’re having a show soon at Quimby’s Friday the 10th- check it out!) I wanted another go at Fuzz and I promised myself I’d make one for my buddy Ed - so hear he is! #drawlloween #mothman

Ink and marker drawing of a Mothman type fellow complete with a buzzed mullet, beard, one of those moth nose spiral things, antennae, batwings and a cut-off jean jacket - 80s metal style. One hand is holding a blood soaked VHS tape. The other hand is dripping with blood. They is happy.

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 03/10/2025

Spoops Day 2/31 : A Witch and their Familiar (I'll take a better picture tomorrow) Day 1, 2, 3 and Week 1 of #mabsdrawlloweenclub "Spooky Intro, Witch and Familiar" This immediately popped into my head. Clearly in this hypothetical, I would be the familiar to our red heeler, Rocko. #cattledog

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

Thought of this big duder when I was obsessing over some tasks I need to just get out of the way to get that work flow going strong again! (Also I’m considering doing that draw-everyday-tober thing again 👻

Marker and ink sketch of a hairy orange monster shaving their chest. Underneath is a tattoo (?) that reads:
"Shave Them Off" with two little checked checkboxes.
The monster is holding an electric razor and is seems pleased with themselves.

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

Hey! Spoops Day 1/31 : Mothman! Actually this is inspired by Fuzz from the super rad Full Bleed horror zine by Chicago buds Ed Witt and Tony Recktenwald - look em up! 💀 I’m attempting to return to Draw-Everyday-Tober 🎃 Let’s see how it goes! #mothman

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 09/09/2025

Subbing this for the Predator handshake now.

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 08/09/2025

Happy MEGA MONDAY! Detail of a commission I did a couple years back of ROCK and ROLL in a battle of the (8) bands against a totally 🤘METAL🤘 METAL MAN! #megaman #metalman #metalmonday

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 06/09/2025

If you see this, repost with a vampire that is not Dracula.

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 06/09/2025

Locke from #ff6 in my style I'm using on an upcoming MG OGN 🤫 🤐 Attempting to do more warm-ups... I've been exclusively playing #finalfantasy6 for a while now so here it is. Trying to capturing the character I envision from the actual sprite and mix in that manic Yoshitaka Amano improvisation.

Digital sketch of Locke from Final Fantasy 6. Looking his usual smug and overconfident self holding some item he stole.

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 06/09/2025

More weird #megaman 2 / #megadeth mash-up stuff... - hey why not?

Detail of Mega Man 2 inspired poster - art by me (Max Bare)
Rock & Roll are in a band, shredding guitar and screaming vocals respectively. Above Rock, his Helmet is in mid-zoom about to meet his cranium, Mega Man 2 opener style. Behind them looms a giant Metal Man kinda skeletoned out a la Rattlehead from Megadeth. Why not?

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 05/09/2025

Get Fired Up! It's Friday! Here's a Fire Man sketch from my personal past. #megaman

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 05/09/2025

Got this lil ✂️ dude the other day

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

Happy 75th to the Poundhound himself Doug Pinnick! I've gone to King's X shows since I was 15. HB dUg! Here's a cameo of the trio I added to a MegaMan poster for some reason...

Detail of illustrated poster featuring MegaMan.
The important thing is this is a depiction of Doug, Jerry and Ty from King's X circa Faith Hope Love tour.

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 29/08/2025

Who is your favorite picture book character? Using a tribute piece from @melissasuestanley.bsky.social (and her answer) 😈 mwahahaa #kidlit

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 26/08/2025

Got this sword (for reference) at the Renaissance Faire (for research?) this weekend. First time at a Ren Faire since I was a pimple-faced teen. Still wacky fun.

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

The sketch was for this poster for Gallery 1988. MegaMan2 is like one of my favorite things and a big reason for that is the music - so... each evil robot inspired by heavy band? For Wood Man I picked Mastodon.

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

Hope you have a Mega Monday. Here's an old sketch of a very metal Wood Man strangely inspired by Mastodon, specifically Blood Mountain. #megaman

Black & White drawing of Wood Man from Mega Man 2. Dude's done up in heavy metal attire - big leaf beard, leaf shield flying V guitar, antlers and roses on his head - why? Because I was listening to Mastodon album "Blood Mountain" at the time.

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 19/08/2025

Wishing you had and continue to have a very Mega Monday. Here's a sketch from the past: of Cut Man. #megaman

Pen and marker sketch of Cut Man - a robot with giant scissors on his head.

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 11/08/2025

Have a Mega Monday! Here's an old Bomb-Man sketch... #megaman

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 03/08/2025

Guess I know the color of my energy today...

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 03/08/2025

(haven't done a weekly doodle in a while) Here it is: Your weekly affirmation from Rocko the dog. For my cattle dog roommates out there

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 03/08/2025

Happy Last Day of #gencon2025 ! Here's another character I designed for We Can Be Heroes TTRPG. www.budstuffgames.com ...if that sounds intriguing to you!

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 02/08/2025

Sure I'll post another pic from We Can Be Heroes TTRPG... If you're at Gen Con this weekend be sure to hunt down @melissasuestanley.bsky.social and her Woolbeasts! And the crew from @budstuffgames.com to learn more about We Can Be Heroes! #gencon

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 01/08/2025

That was supposed to be a question... Going to Gen Con? (I won't be there) Anyway here's one of the cool game characters I created for We Can Be Heroes TTRPG

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 01/08/2025

FYI I fully listen to Mario Paint music while I work now, especially while doing thumbnails. #tbaogn Sticker: @melissasuestanley.bsky.social Resting Dog: Rocko

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 31/07/2025

I did the thing. Don't overthink it: what comic book panels/pages live in your head rent-free? Drop four and tag #comicsdna

Comic panel from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Mirage) no. 22, art/story by Mark Martin. Four ninja turtles near or on a disheveled couch.

Panel from Scud: The Disposable Assassin, by Rob Schrab. Scud fires a gun at camera, in his thought bubble is his mentor(?) Tony Tastey aiming a gun.

Panel from comic The (Chroma-)Tick no.3 by Ben Edlund. Ninja stand in a line outside of a mansion "disguised as a hedge". They are holding some branches and informing folks that they are "a hedge. Please move along."

Panel from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Archie Comics) no. 24, art by Jim Lawson. Krang the evil brain stands victorious, surgically implanted over Shredder's entire head. Krang is now in control. Bellybomb, a one-eyed alien with a mouth where you'd assume his belly would be, is wearing a surgical mask over his mouth/belly, some gloves and one of those reflective head thingys doctors wear in cartoons.

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Max Bare @maxbare.bsky.social · 06/06/2025

Working on an MG OGN I still can't talk about yet - But look at this lil' sluggo! They a truck driver.

snapshot detail of a comic page - a slug makes their way to a semi truck - they a truck driver.

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