Sam Hester
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calgaryhester.bsky.social
Sam Hester
@calgaryhester.bsky.social
1.2K followers 180 following 350 posts
Graphic recording, graphic medicine & comics journalism in Calgary/Moh'kinsstis, Canada. And I write a weekly newsletter full of comics from my old drawing book. Subscribe for free! samhester.substack.com
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calgaryhester.bsky.social
So glad to be at NVRLND boutique in Ramsay to see a show featuring amazing #comics pages from the graphic novel "The Cold Fire," by one of my favourite #yyc artists @rustypincers.bsky.social. The show runs till Nov. 19. Come out & see!!!
Black & white ink & watercolour comics page (of a beautiful medieval scene) in a black frame on a wall. Black & white ink & watercolour comics page (of a beautiful medieval scene featuring lovely snow-covered trees) in a black frame on a wall.
November 14, 2025 at 3:06 AM
calgaryhester.bsky.social
This Sunday, Nov. 2 from 1-3 PM, let's meet up at Ramsay School! We're chalking the compound with messages of support for teachers! Everyone is welcome! #yyc
Black & white illustration that says "Come out to Ramsay School on Sunday Nov. 2, 1-3 PM!"
October 31, 2025 at 7:40 PM
calgaryhester.bsky.social
The track maintenance train is doing tests for the 2025 Ramsay candy-dispensing #Hallowe'en train! Looks like the track is level. And the weather's looking warm. So far, so good! See you tomorrow night! #yyc
October 30, 2025 at 5:09 PM
calgaryhester.bsky.social
Hello! Here's this week's episode of The Drawing Book
(Calgary #comics from my old sketchbook)!
samhester.substack.com/p/the-drawin...
Ink and pencil crayon drawing of a white woman (me) with brown hair, glasses and a red kerchief on her head. This post is full of comics that don't lend themselves well to alt text, but hopefully the typed copy provides some context!
October 26, 2025 at 7:01 PM
calgaryhester.bsky.social
I have an election lawn sign that (I hope!!) everybody can agree on. Still just under 4 hours left... lineups are long, so go #vote, everybody! #yyc #yyccc
A hand-painted lawn sign that says, "vote!"
October 20, 2025 at 10:20 PM
calgaryhester.bsky.social
Today in The Drawing Book, an old #comic about how to vote in the 2013 municipal election. Some of these things are still the same today in 2025!

samhester.substack.com/p/calgary-el...
Black and white picture of a woman saying, "I don't think I should vote..." This post is full of comics that don't lend themselves well to alt text, but hopefully the typed copy provides some context!
October 19, 2025 at 8:35 PM
calgaryhester.bsky.social
You might still have time to request a ballot for pick-up! I registered my mom at electionscalgary.ca and was notified the next day that her ballot was ready for me to pick up.
October 17, 2025 at 2:03 AM
calgaryhester.bsky.social
But here’s the weird part. On the Elections Calgary site, this helpful service is referred to as a "Mail-In Ballot," or “Special (Mail-in) Ballot package" (see my screenshots). How is anyone supposed to learn that a pick-up option is available? There's no mention of it! 5/7
Screenshot of a screen that says "Register to vote by mail." Screenshot of a screen that says, "Request a mail-in ballot."
October 15, 2025 at 12:14 AM
calgaryhester.bsky.social
Hey #yyc! If you can't get to the polls on election day, you can PICK UP a ballot from Elections Calgary anytime until Oct. 20, & bring it back. You have to request your ballot here:
sb.calgaryelections.ca
I wrote a comic about this for @sprawlcalgary.bsky.social. But I have some more thoughts. 1/7
A black & white comic strip on a bright green background telling the story of how I found out that I could pick up a ballot from Elections Calgary, so my mom could vote at her continuing care residence... but I was confused that this was called a "mail-in ballot." There is no mail involved!
October 15, 2025 at 12:06 AM
calgaryhester.bsky.social
I've been writing #comics about #yyc election stuff for @sprawlcalgary.bsky.social! Sharing today's, because I loved learning about J. M. Miller. I visited his grave at Union Cemetery. His institutional memory must have been incredible!

Check out more election comics at sprawlcalgary.com! #yyccc
Black & white text and images on a bright green background. "Did you know? J. M. Miller was Calgary's city clerk from 1913-1955." A gravestone marked "Miller."
October 12, 2025 at 7:47 PM
calgaryhester.bsky.social
Big #moon in Ramsay! #yyc
Full moon over an industrial site.
October 7, 2025 at 1:13 AM
calgaryhester.bsky.social
Who knows? Once I wrote a comic about the possibility that God reads the Ramsay newsletter...! 🙂
God (a bearded man in a robe, on a cloud, holding a newsletter) points to me and says, "You wrote that comic about HUMANISM in the Ramsay newsletter!" I'm looking scared and thinking, "God reads the Ramsay newsletter?!!"
September 24, 2025 at 5:38 PM
calgaryhester.bsky.social
Just a few have been new drawings. Usually I scan original pages and then format them in Photoshop (remove the page edges and blur out the names)!
I'M always curious about who's behind your account, but whoever you are, glad to be able to let you know how much I appreciate all the likes! 🙂
Photograph of four sketchbooks with colourful covers, on a wooden table surface. One book is open to show a page with comics-style illustrations in ink and pencil crayon.
September 22, 2025 at 12:16 AM
calgaryhester.bsky.social
Hi, drawing book readers! I'm back this week to share another newsletter featuring illustrated anecdotes about my long-ago life in Calgary! Here's a picture of me waking up on a couch on top of an Edmonton Trail garage...!
samhester.substack.com/p/time-to-ri...
Ink and pencil crayon drawing of a white woman (me) looking up from a couch at the sky. This newsletter is full of comics that don't lend themselves well to alt text, but hopefully the typed copy provides enough context.
September 21, 2025 at 6:29 PM
calgaryhester.bsky.social
Today, I've been enjoying this new anthology from renegadeartsent.bsky.social full of #comics by a whole bunch of lovely Alberta creators!
A softcover book on a wooden table, with a pastel pink cover. Title, "Alberta Comics - Love."
September 12, 2025 at 10:57 PM
calgaryhester.bsky.social
Hello, drawing book readers! Instead of posting comics this week, I wrote about my summer of #gardening, inspired by children's literature!
samhester.substack.com/p/gardening-...
Photo of a garden path made of yellow bricks, with yarrow and flowering succulents growing beside it.
September 7, 2025 at 8:07 PM
calgaryhester.bsky.social
Finally getting around to putting some copies of the new @sprawlcalgary.bsky.social #zine in the Zine Box! This one is about the Calgary Brewery!
Newspaper box with a bright yellow zine displayed on the front window. Opening the door of the newspaper box to get a glimpse of the zines inside.
August 25, 2025 at 2:36 AM
calgaryhester.bsky.social
Nice to see my bus out there! In the past couple of days, I caught glimpses of these two @calgaryartsdev.bsky.social Art Buses, featuring the work of #yyc artists Presley Mills & La Güita!
Rear view of a city bus crossing a bridge. The back of the bus is decorated with pictures of dogs and colourful patterns that are reminiscent of beadwork! Side view of a city bus parked at a red light. The bus is wrapped in a colourful design, showing a bird spreading its wings across the whole bus!
August 20, 2025 at 11:03 PM
calgaryhester.bsky.social
I listened to this great podcast on Aug. 16th: DWJ's birthday! A great way to close a season of really enjoyable, thought-provoking discussions. Then today I found this old drawing of Chrestomanci (drawn at my son's request - he wanted to colour the dressing gown). Thanks for such a fun series!!
Drawing of a tall man wearing a top hat and a dressing gown, coloured in with markers by my then-9-year-old son.
August 18, 2025 at 4:42 AM
calgaryhester.bsky.social
Those images reminded me of "Amos & Boris" a 1971 children's book by the amazing William Steig. It's a great story of friendship. A whale (Boris) is beached in a storm, and Amos (a mouse) helps to save him. I wish there was a way to help these real-life whales, too.
Boris the whale is tossed in the waves of Hurricane Yetta. William Steig's drawing is a dismal yellowy-grey-blue. Boris lies washed up on a beach. Amos the mouse has rushed over to stand beside him. Two elephants push Boris into the waves. Amos sits on one of the elephants' heads.
July 30, 2025 at 5:30 AM
calgaryhester.bsky.social
In 1969, when the moon landing was shown on TV, my dad filmed the TV screen! On the anniversary of the moon landing, we looked at the footage. Bad quality, but cool history!
July 20, 2025 at 10:53 PM
calgaryhester.bsky.social
@paulisci.bsky.social I've been thinking that you might enjoy this snippet from a 1932 newspaper that I found a while ago. The headline surprised me, but the write-up surprised me even more!
Old newspaper article that reads: "Young Boy Wounded Defending Rodent." - Carried Bullet in Chest for Three Days -- Cumberland, Md., Dec. 10. - The Spartan youths of ancient Greece had nothing on nine-year-old John Fletcher, who carried a bullet embedded in his chest, near his heart, for three days before telling his mother. The defence of a rat led to his wound as he stepped in front of the .32-calibre revolver of his 13-year-old brother, Marshall, when the latter attempted to shoot the rodent. He will recover."
July 18, 2025 at 10:29 PM
calgaryhester.bsky.social
Loved your Archer's Goon conversation! Thanks for doing the podcast, it's so great. To fill up the time until Fire & Hemlock, I decided to share my LEGO re-enactment of Archer's Goon. Thought you might get a kick out of it!
samhester.substack.com/s/archers-goon
Photo of a LEGO figure wearing a ball cap and a mud-splattered jacket, holding a knife and a mug, sitting at a LEGO table.
July 10, 2025 at 10:02 PM
calgaryhester.bsky.social
Here's something fun for the #YAFiction fans - especially fans of the delightful @eightdaysofdiana.bsky.social podcast! Over the next 2 weeks, I'll share my LEGO reenactment of Diana Wynne Jones's masterpiece "Archer's Goon." Spoilers abound!
samhester.substack.com/p/archers-go...
Photograph of a LEGO figure with a ball cap, a mud-splattered shirt, a mug, and a knife, sitting at a table.
July 7, 2025 at 9:26 PM
calgaryhester.bsky.social
Well, the sky cleared up, the rainbow is gone, and now it's time for the helicopter with the giant flag that tells you it's almost 8 o'clock! That's life next door to the Stampede.
A helicopter pulling a giant Canada flag flies over a residential street against a blue sky.
July 7, 2025 at 1:46 AM