TEX by Jesse Atwell

TEX is a comic strip about that time in your life when everything feels brand new.TEX is syndicated by Andrews McMeel. Read and follow TEX on GoComics.Learn more about TEX.Learn more about creator, Jesse Atwell.Shop on Atomic Hot Dog.

MEET THE FAMILY

TEX is a comic strip about that time in your life when everything feels brand new. Join Tex Clapsaddle, an imaginative eight-year-old boy, and his family as they enjoy every minute of the wild rollercoaster ride of life.

TEX CLAPSADDLE

Tex is an imaginative eight-year-old boy with two giant ears and three front teeth who wants to be a hot dog when he grows up. When he’s not ramping his bicycle into the air on a wobbly homemade ramp or hiding bananas around the house, he’s screaming something at the top of his lungs. Doctors cannot figure out why his eyes sometimes point in two different directions.

BARBARA CLAPSADDLE

Barbara is Tex’s mother. She’s in her late 30s and is the leader of the Clapsaddle family. Barbara has a short fuse and screams a lot. Tex’s friends like to say, “In space no-one can hear you scream... unless you’re Tex’s mother.” She is plagued with a light dose of anxiety and superstition. Barb put her career on hold to raise three children. Her 40s are right around the corner and she possesses a newfound sense of freedom. But now that all of her kids are in school, what will she do next? Will she ever stop screaming?

WAYNE CLAPSADDLE

Wayne is Tex’s father. He is in his early 40s and spent the last twenty years of his life in a very demanding corporate job. He had a nervous breakdown, quit his job, and doesn’t have a clue what to do with his time - or how to dress. It’s unclear what Wayne wants to do next with his life, but one thing is certain: he loves his kids. He missed the baby years and doesn’t want to miss a minute of what comes next. While he appears to be a smart guy, he is often confused by the simplest of things. For some strange reason nobody can quite understand, Wayne hates goats. And goats hate Wayne.

MISSY CLAPSADDLE

Missy is a five-year-old wild child. She’s tiny, energetic, and strives to be the center of attention. She’s entering her first year at Raindance Montessori and the school is radically unprepared for what comes next. Missy is a Type A control freak who has a flair for the dramatic. When she grows up, she’s either going to run a hedge fund or be a Broadway star - maybe both!

AUSTIN CLAPSADDLE

Austin is Tex’s twelve-year-old older brother. He plays guitar and thinks he’s the coolest kid in middle school - but he’s dead wrong. He’s always one-step behind the trend and his songs are the worst. While Austin is busy navigating the complicated world of junior high, he still finds time to be the best big brother in the world to Tex and Missy.

THE PROCESS

TEX is inked with Dr. Ph. Martin’s matte Black Star waterproof India ink using a variety of metal and glass nibs on Fabriano hot pressed extra white watercolor paper.The strip is colored with Lukas and MaimeriBlu watercolors.TEX launched on GoComics on September 19, 2022

TEX by JESSE ATWELL

Read and follow TEX on GoComics.

ABOUT
TEX was born during the pandemic. After leaving his job in 2021, creator Jesse Atwell made a plan to do what he had always dreamed of doing - creating a comic strip. For Jesse, everything felt brand new. And this feeling laid the groundwork for the premise of TEX.TEX began as one-off, ink and watercolor characters on Jesse’s popular Instagram profile @jesselikestodraw. Jesse shared initial character designs online and drafted storylines in private, but it was an impromptu trip to the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum and a chance encounter with MUTTS creator Patrick McDonnell that inspired Jesse to finalize the pitch deck for TEX. After nine months of development at the kitchen table, TEX was born.The strip centers around Tex Clapsaddle, an imaginative eight-year-old boy, and his family as they enjoy every minute of the wild rollercoaster ride of life. Barbara, Tex’s mother, is the leader of the family. She has a short fuse and screams a lot. Tex’s father, Wayne, recently left a demanding job in the corporate world and doesn’t have a clue what to do with his time - or how to dress. Tex’s older brother, Austin, plays guitar, writes songs, and thinks he’s the coolest kid in middle school - and he’s dead wrong. The youngest of the family is five-year-old Missy, who is a wild, sarcastic handful. Everyone in the Clapsaddle family is entering a new phase of life and each passing moment feels brand new to them.Jesse writes, draws, inks, and colors TEX at the kitchen table surrounded by loved ones and their incredibly loud noises. While he is inking, his children often scream at the top of their lungs or jab Jesse with a fork at just the right moment to create the perfect line. Jesse’s watercolor process is driven by a sense of urgency creating a modern, whimsical palette so he can finish coloring mere moments before a glass of almond milk spills all over the place.TEX_ is inked with Dr. Ph. Martin’s matte Black Star waterproof India ink using a variety of metal and glass nibs on Fabriano hot pressed extra white watercolor paper.The strip is colored with Lukas and MaimeriBlu watercolors._TEX launched on GoComics on September 19, 2022

ABOUT
Jesse Atwell is the creator of TEX. He is a middle-aged Earthling with a wide-variety of interests. Jesse prefers the slow analog experience of life listening to vinyl records, shooting 35mm film, and reading books. He has been a musician, a record label executive, an artist manager, and an entrepreneur.
Jesse writes, draws, inks, and colors TEX at the kitchen table surrounded by loved ones and their incredibly loud noises.
He lives in Austin, TX with his wife, three kids, and two dogs.Jesse can only be reached via banana phone.Visit Jesse's official website to learn more.