intro

thank you for joining me for my first newsletter! i said i would do this in 2025, and here we are in 2026.

i attended an author talk a few weeks ago that made me feel like i really should write more often, even though i mostly do comics. a newsletter seemed like an appropriate place to start. i intend to cross-post on ko-fi as well.

i will say that it’ll be monthly for now, but don't be shocked if it turns into bimonthly instead, haha. let’s get started!

art, comics, and upcoming shows

art

since the start of the year, i have been tracking when i draw in my planner. so far this year, i haven’t drawn much. in january, i only drew something 8 out of 31 days, and i only fared worse in february at a measly 2 out of 28 days.

looking at my website and social media, it isn’t a secret that i have been in a slump since the end of 2024. there are a few reasons for this that i’d rather explore in a comic than in a newsletter. (it’s still tbd.)

now that i have replaced my 11-year-old computer, i’m hoping that i ease back into drawing without the crippling fear that my computer will suddenly die. (also tbd.)

on the agenda for this year is building my website from scratch. i’ve been meaning to break from squarespace, and this year i am serious about it.

also on the agenda is a KCN reprinting, combining the two issues. it’s a bit ambitious, but i’d also like to translate KCN into spanish.

watch this space.

comics

the only comic i finished recently was the one for hourly comic day, now on february 8th in honor of black history month.

shows

this month, i’ll be at PIE for the first time! it’s my first comic event since BICS 2025 so i am really excited to experience something new. i won’t have any new comics this time around, but i’ll have the last of the original printings of kcn #1 & kcn #2. also!! big news!! i will be participating in a panel about comics in libraries. it is supposed to be recorded so once it’s online, i’ll be sure to share it.

media diet

what i’ve consumed in the past month. last year i was in a big non-fiction hole, so i’m trying to switch it up a bit this year.

• 📺 the incel to ICE pipeline: the men are not okay and it’s always super relevant even if you don’t think it is.

• 📺 fullmetal alchemist (2009): last year, my partner and i watched 2003 together and he enjoyed it. now we are making our way through 2009 and it reminds me 1. the manga (THE SOURCE) is truly the only way to enjoy the story 2009 follows 2. michiru oshima’s soundtrack is superior to akira senju’s 3. 2003 has such better pacing than 2009, even if the story diverges from THE SOURCE.

• 📖 holy lacrimony: started off the reading year on a bizarre foot with this comic that makes you wonder if your specific brand of sadness can ever truly be understood and/or replicated by another.

• 📖 wuthering heights: no, i did not read this because the movie was coming out (see: pagebound winter 2025 readalong). yes, i enjoyed that it was like a dramatic ass novela. no, i will not be watching the movie. yes, i think casting elordi as heathcliff is really fucking weird.

• 📖 people who talk to stuffed animals are nice: a series of short stories that i feel like you might enjoy if 1. if you are familiar with contemporary japanese fiction 2. you are ace/aro 3. you know where loneliness can lead you. i especially enjoyed the titular short story which takes up a fair portion of the book.

• 📖 a wizard’s guide to defensive baking: this was another book in the pagebound seasonal readalong. it’s a cozy YA read with a message of “people have to become heroes when the government fails to serve their citizens.” younger me would have absolutely loved this book.

• 📖 three holidays and a wedding: if you ever wanted a multicultural cheesy holiday rom com movie in the form of a book, this is for you. i did not enjoy this book if i am being honest. the writing was not for me, and the plot was very predictable in a way i have never experienced before. i can say that dadu is the best character though. (this book was yet another book in the seasonal readalong and the fourth/final one for me.)

• 🎮 baldur’s gate 3: returning to the fact that i finally replaced my old computer, i have been in the bg3 hole. it’s my first time playing any sort of dnd game and tbh i am obsessed.

thanks for sticking around til the end. (hopefully) i’ll be back next month!!