Rough Draft with Keidra and Liz Podcast

This week we talk with Chicago-based comics artist, illustrator, and author Sarah Becan. Her new book Let's Make Cocktails is the fourth book in the comic book cookbook Let's Make series that included Let's Make Bread, Let's Make Dumplings and Let's Make Ramen, and it's also her first solo book!     In our "spirited" conversation about Let's Make Cocktails (OK, we couldn't resist), Sarah shares with us wisdom about disentangling the brainworms of imposter syndrome, thoughts about jumping into freelance food illustration, her philosophies on translating recipes into drawings, the things that make a graphic novel recipe book different than other cookbooks and so much more! Here's the brainworms print Sarah told us about, and here it is in all it's amazing glory: & Liz's replacement-ingredient Arnold Palmer during the recording:   Links and events for Sarah: Kenosha Book Fest 6/21 & ALA Artists Alley 6/25-6/29 sarahbecan.com instagram.com/sarahbecan bsky.app/profile/sarahbecan.bsky.social Buttondown newsletter   Links and events for Keidra: ALA Zine Pavilion 6/28 + South Side Zine Fest & Carnival 8/15 @keidrachaney + @wildramppublishing + bsky.app/profile/kdc.bsky.social + bsky.app/profile/wildramppublishing.bsky.social + wildramppublishing.com  + keidradchaney.net   Links and events for Liz: ALA Zine Pavilion 6/26-6/227 + MWPZF Pre-Fest Reading at Quimby's Bookstore 7/10 + Midwest Perzine Fest 7/11 + Flowstate Fair 7/24 + Ridman's Coffee with Sugar Hijinx & Zine Club Chicago 7/26 + South Side Zine Fest & Carnival 8/15 @caboosezine + @sugarhijinx + lizmasonisawesome.com + linktr.ee/caboosezine   -- Got somethin' you wanna tell us about Rough Draft? What's your favorite cocktail? E-mail us at [email protected]   

Does a project going "off the rails" mean you have an unwieldy ball of cud you keep adding to or does it actually mean an off-road side quest that makes the project get bigger and better than you ever imagined? We know we probably say this about every episode, but this is one of our best. Stuff mentioned: Act Your Age zines Caboose #7 BS 101 Caboose #14 My Canadian Boyfriend soleheiress.bandcamp.com/album/1990s https://soundcloud.com/keidra Reflective and Therapeutic Writing Class   us!: We'll both be at the ALA Zine Pavilion at the end of June. See our social media stuff below for which days we'll be there. Keidra: new zines: So You Want to Start a Nonprofit (or Something Similar)? and Act Your Age: Heated Rivalry Special Issue @keidrachaney + @wildramppublishing + bsky.app/profile/kdc.bsky.social + bsky.app/profile/wildramppublishing.bsky.social + wildramppublishing.com  + keidradchaney.net Liz: @caboosezine + @sugarhijinx + lizmasonisawesome.com + linktr.ee/caboosezine + at these events: Midwest Perzine Fest 7/11  Flowstate Fair 7/24, Sugar Hijinx & Zine Club Chicago at Ridman's Coffee 7/26, South Side Zine Fest & Carnival 8/15

This ep we welcome Ben Tanzer! Writer, a teacher, storyteller, and general force of positivity - we've both known him for years! Host of This Podcast Will Change Your Life and ambassador of well, introducing people to each other, Ben is one of our faves.  We talk about Ben's guidelines for hype and joy, the difference between hustle culture and diligence, and being comfortable with failure, among other things. We did an exchange program! Recently, Ben had us on This Podcast Will Change Your Life #382! We talked creative roadmapping, work legacy and more. It was great, and like this episode of RD, super inspiring. Wanna listen to us separately on his podcast in 2015 before Liz and Keidra knew each other?!  Liz was on #110 + Keidra was on #127.   Where to find Ben!: Ben's most recent book! After Hours: Scorsese, Grief and the Grammar of Cinema (ig publishing) Podcast tanzerben.com LinkedIn TikTok Substack   us!: Keidra's stuff: @keidrachaney + @wildramppublishing + bsky.app/profile/kdc.bsky.social + bsky.app/profile/wildramppublishing.bsky.social + wildramppublishing.com  + keidradchaney.net Liz's stuff: @caboosezine + lizmasonisawesome.com + linktr.ee/caboosezine  

This time around we talk Zine Scenes! In other words, what excites us with zine distros, fests we like (or wanna go to!) and collectives. Plus, a new endeavor! Links of stuff we talked about: Distros Sugar Hijinx Brown Recluse Zine Distro Wasted Ink Zine Distro Zine Distro ilovezines.com Antiquated Future Portland Button Works & Spiral House Shop Fests The Sick And Disabled Zine & Craft Fair Grand Rapids Zine Fest Milwaukee Zine Fest Black Zine Fair NY Black Zine Fair Detroit Festival of the Photocopier Grid Zine Fest Madison Print & Resist South Side Zine Fest The Zine Pavilion at ALA Collectives/co-ops/communities Razorcake Justseeds Artists’ Cooperative Hallogallo & friends Dreamworldgirl Zine ZapLit Zine Library at Electric Lady Lounge Crucial Comix   us!: Keidra's stuff: @keidrachaney + @wildramppublishing + bsky.app/profile/kdc.bsky.social + bsky.app/profile/wildramppublishing.bsky.social + wildramppublishing.com  + kdcstrategy.com Liz's stuff: @caboosezine + lizmasonisawesome.com + linktr.ee/caboosezine

We set a timer for 15 minutes and Liz grilled Keidra, the resident K-pop superfan about the topic. Keidra killed it with a history of the genre, as well as some personal commentary about her interest in the bands and the fan culture. A mini-episode! Stuff we said we'd post!: SUPER JUNIOR NCT SHINee 2NE1 TWICE BTS BLACKPINK thebiaslist.com Keidra writing about K-pop Fandom at Prism Keidra on the Fansplaining Podcast on this very topic The book chapter Keidra wrote   us!: Keidra's stuff: instagram.com/keidrachaney + instagram.com/wildramppublishing + bsky.app/profile/kdc.bsky.social + bsky.app/profile/wildramppublishing.bsky.social + instagram.com/caboosezine + lizmasonisawesome.com + linktr.ee/caboosezine

Look at us! Our first guest! Zine Club Chicago producer Cynthia E. Hanifin introduced us to each other via South Side Zine Fest, so of course she's our first interviewee! She is also an organizer for South Side Zine Fest, the founder of the South Side Zine Library and other very interesting things.  We talked to her about interacting with the world through a  DIY lens, accessibility, community, connection, creativity, and the overlap between her work as an arts organizer and a social worker. And a whole lot more, including using Cheez-It boxes for zine holders and a big zine fest announcement.   Links! Cynthia's stuff: zineclubchicago.com @zineclubchicago @exilefromguyville Keidra's stuff: instagram.com/keidrachaney + instagram.com/wildramppublishing + bsky.app/profile/kdc.bsky.social + bsky.app/profile/wildramppublishing.bsky.social Liz's stuff: instagram.com/caboosezine + lizmasonisawesome.com  

Media overview! This week we talk about what we what we loved in 2025, what we're enjoying now, and what we're looking forward to in 2026, all done courtesy of our eternal quest for  connection. Topics covered: the relief of recognition and weirdly long web urls/email addresses/band names/album names/people names/lists, you get the idea. We said we'd post this stuff in the links, so here we go!: Portalmania and After World by Debbie Urbanski novels by R. F. Kuang Heated Rivalry + Game Changers Book Series by Rachel Reid The Woman in the Purple Skirt A Novel  by Natsuko Imamura Liz's CHIRP Top 10 for 2025 & radio show One Song Podcast World Clique by Deee-Lite Infinite Games by Consumables ATM : BODEGA AT THIS MOMENT Podcast It's A Beautiful Place by Water From Your Eyes THE FUTURE IS HERE AND EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE DESTROYED by The Armed Poet | Artist! by SHINee Imperial f.f.r.r. by Unrest The Long Arm Stapler Podcast! Episode with Keidra here! Episode with Liz here! Chicagozinefest.org   What are you listening to/reading RIGHT NOW? Drop us a line at [email protected] and we'll talk about it on the show.   us: Keidra: instagram.com/keidrachaney + instagram.com/wildramppublishing + bsky.app/profile/kdc.bsky.social + bsky.app/profile/wildramppublishing.bsky.social Liz: instagram.com/caboosezine + lizmasonisawesome.com   Looking at this on Apple Podcasts and want to just click on hyperlinks? Go to our Podbean site to click on this episode at https://roughdraftwithkeidraandliz.podbean.com. 

Happy new year! In this episode we talk about our resolutions for 2026! Topics included but not limited to: Art as focus vs art as side quest. Deluxe finished product vs just learning the thing. Lack of ambition as motivator for learning a skill. Admitting you’re terrified ALL THE TIME. A call to pay us to pet your animals. Being “forced to live my dream.” Chicago’s cultural wealth. Learning to play the bass. Figuring out how to just make the hula hoop go around and around. Midlife career change. Being a nag for other people’s resting. We said we post this info, so here it is: Keidra has 3 new zines! Liz is gonna be at this thing! Tell us your new year’s resolutions! Drop us a line at [email protected] and we'll talk about it on the show.   Please like, subscribe, tell people and all that jazz.   us: Keidra: instagram.com/keidrachaney + instagram.com/wildramppublishing + bsky.app/profile/kdc.bsky.social + bsky.app/profile/wildramppublishing.bsky.social Liz: instagram.com/caboosezine + lizmasonisawesome.com + https://chirpradio.org/dj/13237

Sometimes our projects get put on hold or abandoned entirely. Sometimes they're gone forever and other times we revisit them when the the time is right. We talk about why this happens and what circumstances need to be right for picking a project back up. incidental subtopics broached: leaning into your hyperfocus, accountability buddy vs accountability sergeant, not being into the thing but being into someone else being into the thing, Joshua James Amberson (Broken Paper Airplane), Rob Drew (Unspooled), Will Wheaton (Still Just a Geek), the short-lived print version of The Pitchfork Review, Mortified, remixing your own ideas, We’ll Never Have Paris zine, Bitch Magazine, beta readers. What projects have you abandoned? And why? Drop us a line at [email protected] and we'll give it a shout out on the show. us: Keidra: instagram.com/keidrachaney + instagram.com/wildramppublishing + bsky.app/profile/kdc.bsky.social + bsky.app/profile/wildramppublishing.bsky.social Liz: instagram.com/caboosezine + lizmasonisawesome.com + https://chirpradio.org/dj/13237

Creative collaborations can be a different animal than when you work on something by yourself. Creating projects together can inspire great art, strengthen relationships, and even hold you accountable to bringing a project to fruition. In this episode, we talk about what needs to be in place to create that type of connection and what we've learned personally from these experiences. Subtopics broached: The A-Team, the difference between collaborator and contributor, getting the heist done, do-it-yourself vs do-it-myself, renting a hotel room and emptying out the mini-bar just to get a thing done   What projects do you do solo and which do you do with other people? Drop us a line at [email protected] and we'll give it a shout out on the show.   Check it out! We have our own URL now: roughdraftwithkeidraandliz.com    us: Keidra: instagram.com/keidrachaney + instagram.com/wildramppublishing + bsky.app/profile/kdc.bsky.social + bsky.app/profile/wildramppublishing.bsky.social Liz: instagram.com/caboosezine + lizmasonisawesome.com + https://chirpradio.org/dj/13237

Sometimes it's shocking that we get anything done. From small projects to bigger projects, from solo work to collaborations, in this episode we talk about the challenges that perfectionism presents us and how we grunt our way through sustainably. How do struggle with perfectionism? Any tips for tackling it in your projects? Drop us a line at [email protected] and we'll give it a shout out on the show. us: Keidra: instagram.com/keidrachaney + instagram.com/wildramppublishing + bsky.app/profile/kdc.bsky.social + bsky.app/profile/wildramppublishing.bsky.social Liz: instagram.com/caboosezine + lizmasonisawesome.com + https://chirpradio.org/dj/13237

Keidra and Liz have a lot to say about karaoke! Pet peeves, karaoke philosophy, theories, what we're willing to sit through (and not willing to sit through) and more!   Stuff we mentioned: Pop Up Karaoke Rory Lake's Karaoke Dreams KaraFun (the app, though here's a link to the website)   us: Keidra: instagram.com/keidrachaney + instagram.com/wildramppublishing + bsky.app/profile/kdc.bsky.social + bsky.app/profile/wildramppublishing.bsky.social Liz: instagram.com/caboosezine + lizmasonisawesome.com + https://chirpradio.org/dj/13237

On this semi-processed podcast about how we process culture by two zinesters based in Chicago, we talk about getting zine projects (and honestly, everything else) started. Also included: how much getting started can suck, WHICH YOU ARE ALLOWED TO COMPLAIN ABOUT, and what happens in confronting obstacles.   The last episode was really episode #4 because #3 was 2 parts. So now it's #5. Yeah we're weirdos! Just go with it! Said we'd post this stuff!: Finch is the app Keidra says she uses to stay on task. us: Keidra: instagram.com/keidrachaney + instagram.com/wildramppublishing + bsky.app/profile/kdc.bsky.social + bsky.app/profile/wildramppublishing.bsky.social Liz: instagram.com/caboosezine + lizmasonisawesome.com + https://chirpradio.org/dj/13237   Email us your thoughts! [email protected]

It's part 2 of a conversation that started about fan discourse and what happens when an artist departs from an expected style. We also talk about what it means to sell out, plus pontificate about the state of the reigning empire monoculture. BUT IT'S ALSO LIKE WEIRDLY ENTERTAINING?! We think so anyway.  (Ok so maybe this is really episode #4!) Said we'd post this stuff!: Keidra: instagram.com/keidrachaney + instagram.com/wildramppublishing + bsky.app/profile/kdc.bsky.social + bsky.app/profile/wildramppublishing.bsky.social Liz: instagram.com/caboosezine + lizmasonisawesome.com + https://chirpradio.org/dj/13237   Email us your thoughts! [email protected]

It's part 1 of conversation we decided to split into 2 parts! In this episode, we use the discourse surrounding the new Taylor Swift album as a jumping off point to talk about the artistic contracts between artist and fan, what happens when an artist departs from an expected style, our listening habits and more. Said we'd post this stuff!: Bodies On the Page 2 on Sat 10/18! Keidra: instagram.com/keidrachaney + instagram.com/wildramppublishing + bsky.app/profile/kdc.bsky.social + bsky.app/profile/wildramppublishing.bsky.social Liz: instagram.com/caboosezine + lizmasonisawesome.com + https://chirpradio.org/dj/13237 Email us your thoughts on zines this summer or share info about your zines: [email protected] Exciting developments! We're now up on not just Apple podcasts but also Spotify!

It's Hot Zine Summer! In this episode, we talk, among other things, where we’ve tabled and where we will be tabling. Links about stuff mentioned: zineclubchicago.com Keidra’s new zines she'll be selling at Small Press Fest on 10/11! Bodies On the Page 2 Liz will be tabling at and appearing in BOTP#2 on 10/18 20 Years Young by Aaliyah Lachel'e Crap Hound: Cats by Sean Tejaratchi (And Social Justice Kittens 2026 Calendar) Email us your thoughts on zines this summer or share info about your zines: roughdraftchicagopodcast(at)gmail(dot)com Find us! Keidra: instagram.com/keidrachaney instagram.com/wildramppublishing bsky.app/profile/kdc.bsky.social bsky.app/profile/wildramppublishing.bsky.social Liz: instagram.com/caboosezine lizmasonisawesome.com bsky.app/profile/caboosezine.bsky.social

Our first episode!