Long before Election Day, creator Anders Nilsen had planned a book launch party for his new coloring book A Walk in Eden. In light of the recent election, he has decided to make the event a benefit – to flip congress in 2018. You can read more of Nilsen’s thoughts on the subject and if you’re in the Portland, Oregon area this Saturday, get out to the event!

Who: Cartoonist Anders Nilsen will host a coloring book party for his latest book “A Walk in Eden” published by Drawn and Quarterly. Nilsen is the artist and author of eight books including Big Questions, The End, and Poetry is Useless as well as the coloring book A Walk in Eden. His work has been featured in the New York Times, Poetry Magazine, Kramer’s Ergot, Pitchfork, Medium and elsewhere. His comics have been translated into several languages overseas and his painting and drawing have been exhibited internationally. Nilsen’s work has received three Ignatz awards as well as the Lynd Ward Prize for the Graphic Novel and Big Questions was listed as a New York Times Notable Book in 2011.

What: All-ages coloring book party to celebrate A Walk in Eden. The event will feature (in addition to the coloring book itself) original art from the book as well as an editioned handmade accordion book depicting a ten foot long continuous landscape from its pages. Nilsen will donate 25% of all sales on both of these to efforts at training and promoting the campaigns of progressive candidates for the US congress in 2018. The benefit will be accessible online at www.andersbrekhusnilsen.com and will continue through the end of the year.

Where: The Cleaners at Ace Hotel – 403 SW 10th Ave, Portland, Oregon 97205

When: Saturday, November 12, 2017 3pm – 7pm

Why: Following are a few thoughts about the election from Nilsen’s blog last Wednesday.

When theres a giant dumpster fire on your block what do you do?

1. Stare in abject horror and disbelief

2. Get some people together and try to put it outLike a lot of people, I’ve been staring in disbelief this morning. What happened last night in this country is unfathomably horrifying. I woke up at about 5am and couldn’t go back to sleep. The word ‘complacency’ has been rolling around in my head ever since. I’ve been following the election closely for months, so I was as blown away as everyone else when the results began to crystallize. But the truth is… I have done precious little to keep that dumpster from combusting. I watched people pour gasoline on it for over a year, and I thought someone else was taking care of it: The Republican establishment, Hillary Clinton, young hispanic voters in Florida, educated white women… whatever. I thought someone else had a hose at the ready. I don’t know what happens next. I’m scared for my country, I’m scared that people I know will lose their health care, I’m scared that American muslims and people of color and women will face even more harassment and abuse from an emboldened racist male national id, I’m scared for the people of Syria who have nowhere to turn, and I’m scared for the climate. The flames are spilling out of that dumpster. They’re getting higher.

But the list of things I can do about it is longer than zero. And if the government is going on hiatus for the next few years, someone else has to step in. Whatever chaos is coming, there are far more vulnerable people than me. And vulnerable people can be made ever-so-slightly less so. At a certain point this morning I closed the news tabs on my browser and went to the site for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and set up a recurring donation. Then I went to Doctors Without Borders, Planned Parenthood, The National Association of Free Clinics and 350.org and did the same. It’s not enough, but if I’m not the only one it will add up to more than my measly little vote did. It could begin to make a small difference for a real person out in the world who’s facing something truly awful. I’ll also be doing what I can to flip Congress in 2018 and the White House in 2020. All those people I mentioned above couldn’t do it this time because too many of us were just standing there watching. After today we have to actually help. So go ahead and stare at the flaming garbage. It’s understandable. Its fucking unbelievable. Then go buy a gallon of gas for someone with a firetruck.