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tyler feder | roaring softly

@tylerfeder

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illustrator trying her best 🙃🌧💕
I make books and portraits and overshare-y comics!

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Friends! I am excited to share that my picture book BODIES ARE COOL is now available as (drumroll please) a board book!! In the almost 4 years since this book came out, I have received so many messages from adults whose little readers ripped up the pages of the hardcover version, so I’m happy that @penguinkids and @rockypondbooks agreed to do a board book with me. 🤓

I made Bodies Are Cool during the depths of Covid lockdown, huddled on my couch in my lonely apartment, drawing large groups of joyful, loving families and friends feeling confident and safe in their skin. The process was a real light in the dark for me then, and that light has only grown brighter since the book was published. I can’t thank you enough to all the lovely readers who have reached out to me over the years. I treasure every single message, story, photo, and video you send!! I’ve also met SO MANY incredible librarians, booksellers, and teachers because of this book. Still plotzing 4ever 🥰

And, of course, thank you to @laurihornik for giving me the opportunity to make this book in the first place!! And to @odommgmt and @jkelly247 for helping me make it happen! I am so grateful 🩷🧡💛

(Image descriptions in the alt text as always ✨) An illustrated graphic with a drawing of the BODIES ARE COOL board book surrounded by handwritten text contained within large colorful blobs. At the top, the title says, “I am excited to share that BODIES ARE COOL is now available as a BOARD BOOK!”

The text inside the blobs include (from top to bottom)

- The oft-banned title, now more indestructible than ever!

- Sticky hands? Grabby hands? Love-to-rip-the-page hands? Not a problem anymore!

- “depicting societally marginalized bodies in all their joyful, normal glory, this book is cool” ⭐️ Kirkus

- Available where books are sold! by @tylerfeder

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a year ago

I’ve been having a hard time phrasing what I’m feeling lately, but the word I keep coming back to is heartsick. I’m heartsick seeing Jewish grief used as a justification for the far-right Israeli government’s horrific treatment of Palestinians. I’m heartsick seeing nuance flattened into xenophobia. I’m heartsick at the incomprehensible loss of life, both Palestinian and Israeli. I love being Jewish, and my deepest wish is for peace and safety for all marginalized people. I obviously condemn antisemitism AND I can not condone a genocide in my people’s name. These two positions should not be mutually exclusive. Never again for ANYONE. Call for a ceasefire now 💙

(Art inspired by a @zacharyschulmanphotography photo of a Jewish protestor in @mattxiv’s excellent post about all of this) An illustrated version of a Jewish protest sign: next to an unchecked box is handwritten text that reads “never again to my people.” Below that is a checked box next to more text that reads “never again to ANY people.” The text is black on white and the boxes are pink. The word “any” in the second line is highlighted in peach. by @tylerfeder

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3 years ago

Friends!! It’s been almost 2 years since my biological book baby was born (a month into quarantine, yikes) and today she is out in paperback!! If you are unfamiliar, Dancing at the Pity Party is ten years of complicated, messy grief and one year of intense drawing and writing smushed into a ballet pink, gallows humor-y package 🤓

Thank you to everyone who’s read any amount of my book (even just the cover)!! And thank you to every single Dead Mom/Dad/Other-Loved-One Club member who has ever written to me about it! Even though I am often too overwhelmed to respond quickly/at all, I read/cry at every message. I 💗 u all, truly A graphic about my book, Dancing at the Pity Party, coming out in paperback! In the middle is a picture of the book. Above it is handwriting that reads: “MY BABY IS OUT IN PAPERBACK TODAY! Also I finally tested negative for Covid!” Around the book are quotes from various reviews: “offers a wealth of perspective about coping with grief” — Publishers Weekly (starred), “…it’s rare to find a [death-themed book] that patiently walks the audience through the process while remaining approachable and even engaging.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred), “pitch-perfect” — Booklist (starred), “deftly and sensitively blends joy, anguish, and even whimsy” — School Library Journal (starred), “the main character is not really likable at first but over time I got to like her” — someone on Goodreads, “honestly, same” — me. At the bottom it says “available wherever your favorite dead mom graphic memoirs are sold!!” by @tylerfeder

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4 years ago

I think I’m going to fight the ole perfectionism monster this month and try posting messier, less-finished stuff, so here’s a new comic I made in a single draft tonight 👹 (aaaand I just realized I left out the close-parenthesis on the last slide so I guess I’m committing huh 💀)

Image descriptions are in the alt text, as always! ✨

#inktober #inktober2026 #drawtober #drawtober2026 Part 1 of a comic. Handwritten text at the top reads, “I saw something on the internet about how a good way to build self trust is to drink water as soon as you’re thirsty, go to the bathroom as soon as you notice you have to, etc. This is hard for me.” Below is a doodle of me (white lady, dark hair, glasses) hunched over a crochet project with stacks of granny squares all around me. I have a speech bubble that says, “Hang on let me finish this granny square first!! And maybe another two after that.” by @tylerfeder

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a day ago

If you’ve stuck around during my unintended long hiatus, thank you for being here! I’m not sure exactly what I’m doing for October/inktober/whatever-tober this year, but here is a new comic for you 🩷

Image descriptions are in alt text, as always ✨

(There are still a few prompts left from my old Moodtober challenge so I’m counting this one as “excited,” even if it’s a verrry generous way of interpreting my state of mind right now heh heh 🙃)

#inktober #inktober2026 #drawtober #drawtober2026 #moodtober Part 1 of a comic. Image is a doodle of me (white lady, dark hair, glasses), sitting crunched up on the floor and waving with a slightly uncomfortable smile. A speech bubble reads, “Hi! I’m Tyler and a fun fact about me is I don’t know who I am anymore” by @tylerfeder

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2 days ago

I am OBSESSED with this book by @tylerfeder

It can be really tough to find relatable books for kids/teens ages 10 and up for grief, but this one hits the nail on the head.

Fun, bright, snarky, spunky, real…like you are hanging out with a good friend.

This book navigates through all sorts of griefy experiences after the mom gets diagnosed with cancer including: seeing Mom change physically and emotionally, visiting her at the hospital and during chemo infusions, getting the call that Mom was dying, being with her during her death, funeral arrangements, the experience of Shiva (and her sister’s birthday happening the day after her mom died), going back to school after loss, annoying things people say to grievers, life before/after loss, and so much more.

I have been loving the conversations and activities sparked in my office because of this book.

If you want a quick link to the book, just comment ‘lemons’ and I’ll send it to you. by @tylerfeder

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3 months ago

Thank you @whelmeddaily for summing it up better than I ever could and thank you @ianllightfoot for spreading the word. Just a quick reminder that if you support ICE you are not welcome here!! I don’t make art for fascists 🙂

Also scroll to the end for an effective way of contacting your elected officials if talking on the phone is a barrier for you, for any reason! The best action to take is the action you are able to take, and small acts add up! Thanks to @lindsay_dahl for the how-to 🩷

Image descriptions are in alt text as always 🌷 Pale pink background with pink handwritten bubble letters that read, “If you are using undocumented folks’ tax records to find them and kidnap them THEN IT WAS NEVER ABOUT THEM NOT PAYING TAXES” by @tylerfeder

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8 months ago

This one made my cry. 🥹

Anyone who's seen @tylerfeder's illustrations about grief and loss know that her language is illustrative as well. And picturing myself spelunking down into an abyss of harmful platitudes and coming out with my three signature phrases: "of course" "I'm here" and "right now" as better, more compassionate words than grievers normally receive... got me in the heart.

Writing this book HAS been an expedition through language of all kinds—from ancient etymology to real client notes. In it, I share the power of words to support someone in grief and why these three little phrases can help you comfort anyone who's facing loss in your midst.

Pre-order Of Course I'm Here Right Now at the link in my bio.
...
#ShelbyForsythia #OfCourseImHereRightNow #GriefSupport by @tylerfeder

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8 months ago

My art from 2016 is so 2016-coded (aka Peak Millennial Feminism Tyler) 🙃 In 2016 I signed with a literary agent, my baby sister got married, my dad got remarried, my social media life revolved around List App, and I had just barely escaped the clutches of diet culture. As much as I cringe at some of my old posts and memories, I feel a lot of affection for that bright-eyed, red lipstick-wearing desperately anxious, endlessly optimistic version of myself! She was doing her best 🫠

(Image descriptions in alt text as always!) An old illustration of mine of two cats holding up a protest sign that says PUSSIES AGAINST TRUMP. by @tylerfeder

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8 months ago

Image description in alt text 🍦 An illustration of an ice cream cone with a cherry on top. The cone and cherry are colored normally but the ice cream is solid black and has white bubble letters that say “ABOLISH ICE” by @tylerfeder

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9 months ago

Onward!! 🥀⛈️💀🤧

(Please enjoy the results of my 2 seconds of googling how steam engines work 🙃)

Image description in alt text as always ✨ A doodle of me (white lady, dark hair, glasses) sitting on top of a choo-choo train. I am weakly lumping one fist in the air while crying tears into a funnel that leads inside the engine where they feed into a coal fire and turn into steam that powers the train. A second train car follows, filled with boxes labeled “grief” and “baggage.” In the background is a small sign pointing forward that says 2026. On top of everything is the word ONWARD in big pink bubble letters. by @tylerfeder

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9 months ago

It’s that time of year where diet culture is extra rampant and everyone gets real self-critical and boring, so here are some gentle, vague, and extremely earnest goals I’m gonna aim for in 2026 instead of trying to get back to my original 7lbs 3oz 🙃

If you swipe you can see a bunch of previous goals I’ve made in years past. It’s kind of comforting to see the things I have actually achieved, especially when I achieved them years after I first made the goal. I did get that peach tattoo in 2023! I’ve been cracking my heart open in therapy! I’ve crocheted all the stuff, I started running along the lakefront, and I read all the time now! And I continue to keep trying 🩷

I like to imagine that like 2029 or 2034 me will look back and feel proud of getting through the things I’m dealing with right now 🪴

Do you have any (NON-WEIGHT RELATED) goals for next year?? I’d love to hear!

Image descriptions are in the alt text as always ✨ A handwritten list with each item written on top of a little blob of color. At the top is the title: “gentle, vague, and overly earnest goals for 2026”

The items are, from top to bottom and left to right:
⁃ feel my feet on the ground
⁃ let it be messy
⁃ allow emotions to move all the way through me
⁃ be less black and white
⁃ try visible mending
⁃ open my heart
⁃ loosen up (physically and mentally)
⁃ learn how to do real makeup (even if I still don’t wear it super often)
⁃ host more fun things at my apartment
⁃ make peace with the time it takes to heal
⁃ replace lightbulbs and batteries before I just get used to the dark
⁃ gently hold my hand through the struggle
⁃ keep trying 🩷 by @tylerfeder

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9 months ago