Happy February!
Hello, hello, friends! Happy February!
Times have been extra rough for so many for a while, and I just want to take a moment to send you some love. This world is a hard one. Please take care of yourselves and the ones you love and your community.
I hope this month is kinder to us all.
In the Studio
Unfortunately, I got sick this month (not COVID, thankfully), so I wasn't able to complete as much art as I'd hoped 🥲 BUT! I did make some great progress in my draft of that trans vengeance comic I mentioned last month!
I've tentatively decided to call it What We Become in reference to some of the themes I'm exploring with it. Speaking of exploring, I originally intended for this to be maybe 8 pages at most-- which turned into 16-- and now it's in the "it'll be as long as it'll be" category 😂
I'm a little disappointed that I won't be able to complete it according to my original plans, but I know for certain that this version is much better already. I can't wait to be able to share more with y'all later-- I'm hoping February sees more of the visual development!
I did finish the line art for my one page scene exploration Side by Side:
I really like the flow of this piece and the variety of shapes in the plants. I've been struggling a bit to figure out the colors-- I have a very specific idea in mind that just needs me to figure out how to put it onto the page effectively 😂
I'm hoping I'll be able to show off the finished piece by the end of this month!
On the Blog
More Comics Please! is back for 2024, and it's got a new look! I decided to merge together the "Comics I Read Last Month" section of this newsletter along with MCP! to make it a little easier on myself for both. I found this way to be a lot more fun overall, and this way you get to see more comic reviews! I'm taking this as a win-win for everyone 😁
Issue #9 reviews over 25 comics from January and shares an additional 25+ mini and micro comics online, as well as an audiobook for the first time. Here are just a few I recommend in particular:
✦ Read Something's Wrong with Us if you love a good mystery/thriller with a heaping helping of traditional, artisan crafts combined with some serious family drama.
✦ Read Surviving the City, Volume 1 for a reflective read about the bonds of love, family, and community in Indigenous communities in the face of settler colonialism and all its inherent violence and achingly moving art.
✦ Read Triple A Material for a relatable collection of neurodivergent moods and experiences combined with absolutely beautiful, texture-rich art.
New month, new year, new comics!! Here are 14 new comics to check out from January. I'm really glad we can request libraries to carry certain titles because man, I always wanna read so many!
eSIMs for Gaza!
The Cartoonist Co-op's eSIMs for Gaza campaign is still going strong! We've helped raise funds for over 500 eSIMs for Palestinians so far, and I would love to see how much further we could push that number. So if you have the ability, please check out the campaign and get some art in exchange!
February Offering
I love sharing resources. I really love organizing. And I adore resources that make accessibility better. So I made a thing that I hope will help with all of the above.
Image Descriptions for Comics and Book Covers
It's a simple document where I list image descriptions I've written for comics and book covers (and some graphics I make here and there) that anyone can use when sharing these images on social media. I figured, I'm already creating all these descriptions, right?**
Might as well give them to others to use, too, and hopefully make it a little easier for folks to add alt text to their images. I'm planning to do something like this for my own art moving forward, too, and linking to it on my website.
So feel free to use this document yourself and share it with others!
**Editor's note: As of March 2024, the blog has been shut down, so while this document will still be up and available, it may not be updated as frequently. Thank you for reading!
Community Feature
If you couldn't tell, I love newsletters that share things the creator is into as of late, and it makes me excited to boost other artists' work. So I'll occasionally share some things here that I'd love to see supported!
Pearl Low (they/them), the creator of the independent animation studio Orange Blossom Studios, has launched their official Kickstarter campaign to get their pilot Wheels and Roses funded! I really loved Pearl's work on the show Craig of the Creek where they animated the delightful magical girl character Sparkle Cadet, and I'm excited to see them pursuing this venture!
Check out the full trailer on the Kickstarter page and consider supporting!
"WHEELS & ROSES is a Sailor Moon meets Roller Derby YA animated coming-of-age series. The story centers on our protagonist Sahara, and her Magical Roller Derby team WHEELS & ROSES! Set in a world of magic, we follow Sahara (protagonist), Danielle, Nina, Kai, and Bree, as they learn what it means to grow as a team, and overcome all odds to become the champions."
Recent Favorites
Here are some things that have been bringing me joy lately:
✦ finally getting to watch Star Trek: Discovery + rewatching a bunch of older Star Trek movies
✦ the Libby app (it always brings me joy honestly lol)
✦ making cream puffs with my partner for my birthday
✦ finishing my first ever hand sewn quilt I started about 2 years ago
✦ getting to spend time with my friends (with COVID precautions in place!)
What's been making you happy and grateful lately?
See You Next Time!
That's it for today, thanks for reading! Hope you all have a wonderful month and stay safe 💕
If you'd like to support my work, you can join me on Patreon or buy me a cuppa on Ko-fi!
Thanks for reading! 💖
With love,
they/them