Trailer Blaze is a week-long, self-directed comics residency at The Sou’wester Lodge and Vintage Trailer Park in Seaview, WA that occurs every April. The annual residency offers invaluable time and space for emerging and established women and non-binary comic artists to do their work without interruption by an increasingly distracting world. Trailer Blaze is also an environment for work to get better—allowing time for contemplation, exploration of the natural world, and fostering connections within the community so we can share ideas, resources, and form lasting bonds.
Applicants need to have a comic project to work on during the residency, and proof of this should be reflected in your application. Residents are responsible for their own travel to/from Seattle. We pay for 5-nights lodging, arrange a carpool from Seattle to Seaview, facilitate project sharing sessions, group dinners, side trips, and other activities.
The application period is now closed until 2027.
Our 10th annual Trailer Blaze comics residency concluded on April 17th. What an incredible week with artists from all over the country, and one from Germany!
Residents included: Iona Fox, Julia Gootzeit, Tine Fetz, Verónica Velázquez-Avilés, Rae Whitlock, Glynnis Fawkes, Kat Sun; invited artists Christina Lee, Amelia Greenhall; and 2 local alumni mentors Jessica Hoffman and Kelly Froh. Read more…
Our 9th annual, week-long Trailer Blaze Comics Residency was a brilliant, transformative time once again, and tears were shed as we said our goodbyes.
Our 8th Trailer Blaze comics residency concluded on April 19th. We had an incredible week on the coast! We drew in our trailers and rooms and at picnic tables in the sun, spent many hours in the sauna, took long walks on the beach (and one plunge! A wave took Madeline’s glasses!), were visited often by Mr. Big (the tiniest dog) and Meatball (the campus cat). Alex harvested velella velella from the beach and roasted them with salt as an appetizer. We had delectable group dinners on the top floor and balcony, and Julia built a fire for us in the outdoor fireplace. There were side trips to the Antique Mall and Cape Disappointment, but for the most part, work happened: comic pages of many sizes on many kinds of paper, ideas organized on Post-It notes, outlines typed up, and breakthroughs were made. Read more…
Another wonderful week at The Sou’Wester Lodge for our 7th annual Trailer Blaze Comics Residency, with 13 artists from all over – Seattle, Philadelphia, Hiroshima, Norfolk, Portland, Omaha, Haida Gwaii, Osoyoos! Read more…
Trailer Blaze 2022 really, truly happened after a 2 year postponement, and it made the experience even more special.
This year we welcomed new residents Veronika Muchitsch (UK), Melanie Stevens (OR), Krusty Wheatfield (CA), Lenora Yerkes (DC), Janna Morton (MD), Rachel Scheer (Seattle); invited artists Lydia Fu (IL), Katie Fricas (NY); alumni, local mentors Mita Mahato, E.T. Russian, Lauren Armstrong, Megan Kelso, and Kelly Froh. Read more…
The concentrated time spent at Trailer Blaze, with such an amazing and diverse group of artists, was exactly what I needed to reconnect to both my work and myself. – Jessica Hoffman
Our 3rd annual Trailer Blaze Comics & Books Residency has concluded and was a great success! Read more…
We had a great time at The Sou’Wester for our 2nd annual Trailer Blaze residency! Read more…
Our first Trailer Blaze residency was a success, and so much fun! Eroyn Franklin, Kelly Froh, Janice Headley, Sarah Stuteville, Jessica Hoffman, Robyn Jordan, Mita Mahato, and Lee Bess hunkered down to work on their projects, give & receive feedback, take walks on the beach, and join up for great meals! Read more…