‘Say Cheese, Jesus, Please’ by Rina Piccolo

Nothing to Smile About

Rina Piccolo‘s ‘Say Cheese, Jesus, Please’ is her fourth work in Pulp Literature. Her illustrated story ‘The Power of Centipedes’ appeared in Issue 7 , Summer 2015, and was followed by ‘The Vanishing Dot’ in Issue 16, Autumn 2017, and ‘When a Double Flush Is Necessary’ in Issue 26, Spring 2020. We’re delighted to have her back for this cheeky pen and ink wash one-pager, about which she says, “I grew up in an Italian-Canadian Catholic home, and so there is a lot of truth in this narrative. As a child I was afraid of almost everything, and I thank the universe that I can now look back on it all with an ink pen and a good dose of humour.”

Enjoy an excerpt of Rina’s latest comic below, as seen in Issue 45, Winter 2025. And be sure to look for her previous works in Pulp Literature Issues 7, 16, and 26.

Say Cheese, Jesus, Please

by Rina Piccolo

Find the full comic in Pulp Literature Issue 45, Winter 2025!

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The 2025 Magpie Award for Poetry Closes Today!

For the details, and to enter, check out this page.

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Rina Piccolo’s cartoons have been seen in The New Yorker, Barron’s Business Magazine, Reader’s Digest, Narrative Magazine, and more. Her syndicated daily comic strip Tina’s Groove ran from 2002 to 2017. Currently Rina collaborates with cartoonist Hilary Price on the syndicated daily comic Rhymes With Orange (King Features Syndicate), and is also working on a collection of short comic stories. Rina is the co-author and illustrator of the book Quirky Quarks: A Cartoon Guide to the Fascinating Realm of Physics (Springer, 2016). She lives in her hometown, Toronto. You can find her newsletter at rinapiccolo.substack.com.