Bicycle Comics

@bicyclecomics

Independent publisher of poetry and comic strips. New anthology coming summer 2026. Erase the lines that serve no greater art. Washington, D.C.

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Bicycle Comics@bicyclecomics· 12h

Over 150,000 federal workers resigned last year. Some did not go quietly. #ResignationBook goes to press soon!

a color presentation graphic. white text on a blue background reads "Over 150,000 federal workers resigned last year. Some did not go quietly. The Best Federal Resignations of 2025: An anthology" The logos of the U.S. Department of Justice, the National Park Service, the Department of State, the Social Security Administration, the Department of Energy, the U.S. Digital Service, and the US Customs and Border Protection occupy the middle of the graphic. the hashtag #ResignationBook is in the bottom right corner

Bicycle Comics@bicyclecomics· 14h

It's lovely how many (former) federal employees found their jobs inspiring and satisfying. So it's a little ghastly to realize that every one of them who appears in our next book felt obligated to leave those jobs. #ResignationBook @altnps.bsky.social

A color presentation slide. White text on a blue background reads “I made remarkably few arrests in my career as a Law Enforcement Ranger.…Most visitors understand instinctively they are somewhere special, somewhere that speaks to the very best in us.” The quote is attributed to “former employee, National Park Service”. The seal of the US NPS occupies the lower left corner. The hashtag “#ResignationBook” occupies the lower right corner.

Bicycle Comics@bicyclecomics· 15h

Other federal workers wanted to stay at their jobs, but felt that doing so would imperil their future employment prospects. When a government lawyer gets his law license suspended, he can't use "my government boss told me to" as a shield. @altdoi.altgov.info #ResignationBook

Bicycle Comics@bicyclecomics· 16h

Why do people stay at hard or thankless jobs when they have other options? A sense of mission, perhaps. Or sometimes a devotion to colleagues, a desire not to let them down by leaving. #ResignationBook @altusda.altgov.info

Bicycle Comics@bicyclecomics· 16h

Two of our favorite resignation letters came from the Department of Energy. People in government who like their jobs…really like them. #ResignationBook

Bicycle Comics@bicyclecomics· 17h

"I cannot fathom how anyone would do this to the public servants he is supposed to be leading. And the damage done was not limited to two offices—it appalled prosecutors throughout the department and our alumni." -former employee, Department of Justice. #ResignationBook

a color presentation slide. white text on a blue background reads "I cannot fathom how anyone would do this to the public servants he is supposed to be leading. And the damage done was not limited to two offices—it appalled prosecutors throughout the department and our alumni." the quote is attributed to "former employee, Department of Justice." the seal of the US DoJ occupies the lower left corner. the hashtag "#ResignationBook" occupies the lower right corner.

Bicycle Comics@bicyclecomics· 18h

We'll unveil the book cover for Count Me Out: The Best Federal Resignations of 2025 at the end of the month. We'll also switch from anonymous contributors to named contributors, as everyone who contributed a resignation letter wishes to be known. #ResignationBook

Bicycle Comics@bicyclecomics· 10d

Just another week before we reveal the cover and pub date of our next book, Count Me Out: The Best Federal Resignations of 2025. #ResignationBook #AltGov

Bicycle Comics@bicyclecomics· 26d

Just gonna leave this here, speaking of Dr. Faucci, NIH, and the politicization of science… #ResignationBook

Bicycle Comics@bicyclecomics· 27d

"Why publish a book by and about people who quit their government jobs?" They didn't quit because they were lazy, or because they got better offers. They quit because to stay would have been intolerable. In some cases, to stay might have been a crime. #ResignationBook 📚💙

A color presentation slide. White text on a blue background reads “The rule of law is not just a concept, it is a process; it is something we do, not merely something we have.” The quote is attributed to “former employee, Department of Justice”. The seal of the US DOJ occupies the lower left corner. The hashtag “#ResignationBook” occupies the lower right corner.

Bicycle Comics@bicyclecomics· Jul 21

The United States Digital Service was created under Obama to be an elite in-house team of tech consultants to bring federal IT projects on parity with private sector innovation. Elon Musk used USDS as a handy pre-existing structure to implement his DOGE project. #ResignationBook

Bicycle Comics@bicyclecomics· Jul 21

"A single engineer on my team had more experience than the entire reported expertise of those on the DOGE team—at least of those willing to share their names." –former employee, US Digital Service #ResignationBook

Bicycle Comics@bicyclecomics· Jul 11

This went viral a few years ago, but with the Bayeux Tapestry back in the news, it's worth remembering that you can make your own Bayeux Tapestry graphic story online:

a color woven tapestry. in the style of the Bayeux Tapestry, a man points to a large rocket ship and tells a crowd of onlookers "we go to the moon." the entire scene is woven from medieval towers, peasants, boats, and livestock.

Bicycle Comics@bicyclecomics· Jun 29

The Supreme Court has ruled that the President can fire FTC Commissioners. "…to everyone who is watching all of this unfold, don't be scared. Fight back." -former employee Federal Trade Commission

Bicycle Comics@bicyclecomics· Jun 24

Good work NOAA alumni! Thank you for keeping this important resource up and in the public eye. Crazy that you have to bootstrap this instead of, you know, @climate.noaa.gov .

Bicycle Comics@bicyclecomics· Jun 22

Many principled people, with human complexities and flaws, resigned from federal law enforcement jobs in 2025. These are not people you would necessarily have liked to have a beer with in 2024. Or now, even. #ResignationBook

A color presentation slide. White text on a blue background reads “This is not how I wanted my federal career to end, but I could not stay at CBP and implement this policy. My best wishes to the extraordinary and diverse workforce who carry out CBP’s difficult mission, and to all those who protect and serve.” The quote is attributed to “former employee, Customs and Border Protection.” The seal of US CBP occupies the lower left corner. The hashtag “#ResignationBook” occupies the lower right corner.

Bicycle Comics@bicyclecomics· Jun 22

A few reasons for this. First, (🙄, yes, cliché) "The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers" (Henry VI pt2, A3 s3). But why resignations, not firings? "In my thirteen years of public service, I worked with the most selfless, committed, and principled people you could ever hope to find…"

A color presentation slide. White text on a blue background reads “In my thirteen years of public service, I worked with the most selfless, committed, and principled people you could ever hope to find….They deserve gratitude and respect, not derision.” The quote is attributed to “former employee, Department of Justice”. The seal of the US DOJ occupies the lower left corner. The hashtag “#ResignationBook” occupies the lower right corner.

Bicycle Comics@bicyclecomics· Jun 11

With the disclaimer that using one social network to discuss success on a different social network has a strong "Canadian girlfriend from summer camp" energy: It is WILD how our Reddit posts about #ResignationBook can enter nearly any US government subreddit and quickly become the daily #1

a color illustration. a collage of screenshots, each labeled "Post Insights" and "Nice work! This is the #1 post on r/FBI today!" or "Nice work! This is the #1 post on r/Smithsonian today!" and so on.

Bicycle Comics@bicyclecomics· Jun 9

Pitches, man. It's a jungle out there. The call was "Pitch me on an essay about the historical role of federal jobs as entry points to the American middle class." The pitch was "The Hustlers of Love — Inside the Global Business of Romance Scams"

a color screenshot. shown is an email exchange under the subject "Pitch: The Hustlers of Love — Inside the Global Business of Romance Scams" with the names and email addresses partially blurred. The first email is addressed "Hi Phillip…" The reply from Artie Moffa reads "Hi XXXXX, You didn’t get the name, topic, or background angle right. We usually need freelancers to hit at least one of the three." There is a caption on the screenshot that reads "Pitch me on an essay about the historical role of federal jobs as entry points to the American middle class."

Bicycle Comics@bicyclecomics· Jun 4

Multi-year grants started to require annual re-applications. Grants were reallocated, rescinded, or paused. Often, the federal agencies disbursing funds were shut down or reorganized, leaving original research paused while scientists and administrators waited for answers. #ResignationBook

Bicycle Comics@bicyclecomics· May 29

There should be statues erected to these people. They are the best of us.

Bicycle Comics@bicyclecomics· Apr 21

We want to fight @merriam-webster.com on the playground at recess:

$A color screenshot from a smartphone. A entry for “discursive “ from the Merriam-Webster dictionary reads: dis·cur·sive | \ di-ˈskər-siv \ Definition 1 a : moving from topic to topic without order : RAMBLING //gave a discursive lecture //discursive prose b : proceeding coherently from topic to topic$

Bicycle Comics@bicyclecomics· Apr 21

Bicycle Comics@bicyclecomics· Apr 18

"This is not how I wanted my federal career to end, but I could not stay at CBP and implement this policy. My best wishes to the extraordinary and diverse workforce who carry out CBP’s difficult mission…." -former employee Customs & Border Protection #ResignationBook

Bicycle Comics@bicyclecomics· Apr 17

Over 70 former federal employees have submitted resignation letters for our next book. Senate-confirmed officials, entry-level office workers. If you wrote a head-snapping resignation letter last year yet you /aren't/ in this book, your former colleagues might ask you why. #ResignationBook

a color screenshot. Headline is "We have collected letters from the following (so far):"
This is a two-column chart. Left column lists various agencies and departments of the United States government, grouped by cabinet department. Right column lists numbers: "1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 1, etc."

Bicycle Comics@bicyclecomics· Apr 12

"I appreciate all of you. I ask you one more favor (for now). Be good to yourself and others around you. If we are going to get through this, it will only be if we do it together with love and respect." Probably the most uplifting letter we've received for #ResignationBook @altfws.altgov.info

Bicycle Comics@bicyclecomics· Mar 30

If you set it up carefully, 5.01% of the internet does, indeed, give a damn. "Carefully" being the operative word, of course. Now, how do you convert 5.01% of 10,101 impressions, or 506 website visitors, into paying customers?

A color screenshot. Shown is a dashboard for online advertising on LinkedIn. The average click through rate for a batch of ads is 5.01%, over a two week period, based upon over 10,000 impressions.

Bicycle Comics@bicyclecomics· Mar 30

Ah, yes, the McQuicklime Body Disposal Kit, offered for a limited time. That ad campaign really put the Hamburglar in a new light, let me tell you.

A color illustration. Shown is the McDonald’s Hamburglar character with assorted company logos.

Bicycle Comics@bicyclecomics· Mar 13

Do you teach high school English? Try our FREE iambic pentameter lesson plan. Includes printable worksheets, complete instructions, and printable sonnet puzzles. The worksheets use normal, contemporary English, by the way. www.bicycle-comics.com/pages/poetry...