Stepping Into 2025
I don’t really do New Year’s goals, because more often than not I end up being disappointed. There are a lot of things I want to do, but my energy is so limited, and my health a bit unpredictable, which means that sometimes… I simply can’t predict how the year is going to be!
So there are things I’d like to do more of - like writing - but I never set anything as A Goal TM, that makes it sound too official. This way it’s more casual, and I’m putting less pressure on myself. There are so many expectations to start anew every January, and I don’t have the spoons to do it all at once!
(Although some pressure is probably needed, I do want to finish my current WIP this year!)
Some updates on what I have scheduled for this year so far, since a couple of things have changed pub dates, and some new ones have been announced:
- Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins IV: #5 comes out on January 29, and #6 on April 6;
- Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures Phase III Annual: SURPRISE! You’re getting a little sneak peek here, because I haven’t announced this one anywhere else. BUT YES, I COLORED A STAR WARS. I love SW, so this was such a fun opportunity! I colored one of the one-shots within this Annual (written by Alyssa Wong, drawn by Liana Kangas), which comes out January 29;
- Stranger Things and Dungeons and Dragons: The Rise of Hellfire: #1 comes out on February 19, 2025; #2 on April 2; #3 on May 7; There’s no date yet for the fourth issue, but sometime in June!
- The Legend of Korra: The Mystery of Penquan Island: Out on March 4;
- Wish Upon A Star - A Far-Future Fairy Tale Anthology: It should come out sometime in March;
- The variant cover of Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures Phase III #17: ANOTHER STAR WARS SURPRISE. I colored the Corin Howell variant cover for the final issue of this series, which joined both Star Wars and art nouveau, so it was made for me, clearly. It comes out on April 16.
- Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins FCBD: A small issue for Free Comic Book Day, it comes out on May 3;
- Daybreaker (Ilustra graphic novel series): The pub date has been changed to September;
During the last couple of weeks of 2024 I convinced myself I’d barely done any work that year… But look at all of this! I have 12 different projects coming out this year (for now). Most of this work is already done, with only a couple of exceptions. Comics and publishing are made of eternal waiting!
The state of the world isn’t great right now, so I’d like to talk about things that have brought me joy lately.
I finally played Dragon Age: Veilguard over the holidays. It’s such a gorgeous game!! And the story is amazing as well. It made me very happy - right up until that finale, huh. If you know, you know!
(It’s a great finale. Just also a very sad one)
Listen. I know I’ve already talked about Star Wars a million times in this newsletter. But Skeleton Crew also had PIRATES! And kids talking about disability!! And a lot of Treasure Planet vibes! It was made for me, and I loved it.
Every time I find myself doomscrolling, I try to read instead. I finally managed to break my reading slump last year, so here are some books and graphic novels I enjoyed recently: The Project, by Courtney Summers; Piranesi, by Susanna Clarke; The Ones We’re Meant to Find, by Joan He; The Power Fantasy, by Kieron Gillen and Caspar Wijngaard; In Utero, by Chris Gooch; A Lesson in Vengeance, by Victoria Lee; The Pale Queen, by Ethan M. Aldridge; Loving, Ohio, by Matthew Erman and Sam Beck; House of Hollow, by Krystal Sutherland; A Guest in the House, by Emily Carroll.
For my North American readers: this has been a bad and weird week, and I know it’s just beginning. If there’s anything I can do to help, please reach out and let me know!
I had an exciting work meeting this week that I hope to be able to talk about… Sometime this year! But I think that’s all for now! Stay strong out there!