#12: Graphic design is my passion - June in review
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a Sonali in possession of a goal must be in want of making a list about it.
Much to my chagrin, my 2025 theme of Doing More New York Shit has been something of a challenge. It’s so tempting to stay home on a weeknight, where I can save money and play a video game and not walk 3 miles. But New York institutions are closing left and right (RIP Sticky’s), so I had to find a way to get myself out there.
Enter “15 Things to Do in NYC If You've Been Stuck in an Ice Berg for 70 Years” by gogglor, a Marvel fanfiction that follows Steve Rogers and Tony Stark as they work their way through a faux Buzzfeed listicle that gives the fic its name. In the words of gogglor’s Bruce Banner, it’s actually not a bad list: it features a variety of iconic New York attractions spanning the gamut of NYC neigborhoods.
So I spent a not-insigificant portion of my free time last month turning the listicle into a cute little graphic! This is now posted on my fridge so I can cross things off as I finish them :)
What I’ve Been Reading:
I Want to Be a Wall
by Honami Shirono
⭐⭐⭐⭐
I’m returning to my weeb roots with this rec! In this manga, aroace Yuriko and gay man Gakurouta enter a lavender marriage. The plot thickens: Gaku has been in love with his childhood best friend for years, while Yuri is an enthusiastic BL fan.
It sounds like a questionable setup that could easily venture into fetishistic territory, but the manga deftly avoids those pitfalls. Instead, we get painfully honest glimpses into each character’s backstory, interspersed with sweet slice-of-life moments as they learn to navigate the melding of their lives. By the end of volume 1, they both understand each other a little better, and find acceptance of themselves in that mutual understanding. Gaku has even started learning more about Yuri’s hobby, which leads to some hilarious panels.
This manga is an easy read that immediately left me wanting more. Indeed, I spent 2 full hours the other day trekking all over Manhattan to track down volume 2. I’m excited to see Yuri and Gaku’s relationship develop, and to see if Gaku will ever learn what the omegaverse is.
What I’ve Been Creating:
Work was driving me nuts the other day, so to stave off the impending crashout, I opened up InDesign and directed all my energy into making a handful of Gallifreyan designs into bookmarks.
I’m really pleased with how these came out! It was lovely to play with typesetting. Typography is one of my favorite forms of design, and I’ve built a massive library of fonts over the years, though I rarely have occasion to use it. The fonts featured in these bookmarks are some of my favorites: Orator Std; Lobster; Kousis; Broadway; Skyline; Daidalos.
I’ve acquired nearly all of these typefaces from Creative Market free drops. Creative Market is, as its name suggests, a marketplace where designers can sell digital assets ranging from fonts to patterns to templates and more. Every month, 4 of these assets become available for free download. I don’t know, maybe I’m the last person on Earth to have heard about this website, but it’s a great way to expand your digital asset collection and I highly recommend it to anyone who dabbles in design.
Buy a Gallifreyan bookmark on Etsy
What I’ve Been Watching:
I’ve been waiting with bated breath for the Project Hail Mary trailer to drop, and I can’t contain my excitement now that it’s finally here!!
Based on the book by Andy Weir (of Martian fame), Project Hail Mary is a story about a race against time: the sun is dying, and astro-not Ryland Grace is the only person in the universe capable of fixing it.
Except Ryland may not be as alone as he first thought.
I am so incredibly hyped for this movie! Ryan Gosling seems fantastic for the role of Ryland Grace; the visuals are stunning; Rocky’s little beeps had me grinning involuntarily. March 2026 cannot come fast enough.
Where I’ve Been:
You may know the Vessel as “that vortex in NYC that they had to shut down because people kept falling off of it.”
Well, they finally reopened it… kind of. Only about half of it is walkable, and there’s a fine mesh covering the outside of the structure to prevent people from falling from a height.
I was in the area with some time to kill as I tried to sneak into Pigeonfest (which is exactly what it sounds like), so I figured I’d finally see what the Vessel was all about.
It was…fine.
You can’t get to the top landings because it’s impossible to blockade them, and the views comprise mostly the shopping mall nearby and the trainyard opposite. This is a structure best viewed from ground level.
More importantly, I managed to sneak into Pigeonfest afterward, and I got to see the giant pigeon statue that now enjoys permanent residence on the High Line! Also, I got to hold an actual pigeon named Eleanor (not pictured), which was the highlight of my week.
Events I’ve got coming up:
July 25-27: Time Traveler’s Weekend: a mini convention
📍 Billie Creek Village, IN
🎫 Tickets start at $25 for the weekend
‼️ UPDATE! Tickets are now a full 50% cheaper than they used to be! There’s also a hotel available onsite if you don’t want to camp. If you want to come, let me know so we can coordinate travel and maybe go in on a hotel room together.