News
September 17th, 2010
Last weekend I happened to be in Florence, Oregon during Rods and Rhodes, a car show for people with expensive hobbies. Other family members were delighted by the nostalgia the show provided but I was more captivated by the personalities of the cars on display. Most old cars that I've been exposed to are horribly dirty and distractingly run-down. But the Rods and Rhodes cars were all clean and well-maintained so that I could see and finally appreciate the designs of these classics. At long last I understood why some people collect something as expensive as cars.
Graphic novels are similar in that the foundation of the comic, the story, can sometimes be obscured by sub-par art. Newcomers to a graphic novel may scan the pages and decide it's not for them without reading a word. It's happened to me countless times. Girl Genius, Gunnerkrigg Court, and Order of the Stick for example did not impress me with art. When I finally read these comics though, looking past the unconventional paint jobs and dented fenders, I found addicting stories that I now can't live without.
I love the story of Sweet and Sour Grapes and get goosebumps thinking of all the delightful twists and turns I've got planned for it. But what does it look like to an outsider? I hope it's not a rusty mess propped up on cinderblocks... I must keep improving my art to adequately represent my script.
Do you worry about misrepresenting anything? What things do you appreciate that others have trouble understanding?
News
September 10th, 2010
I'm off on a short family trip but my comic marches on! Today I want to introduce two new webcomics by friends who have been working very hard to get their projects off the ground. Their page counts may be low right now but I think you will still enjoy their openings.
First up is a serial superhero story written by the ambitious Otomo. He's got some really exciting ideas for his project that I probably can't spill the beans on but am highly looking forward to.
Next is my talented friend, A. Story's graphic novel featuring a unique species of critters. I've had the distinct pleasure of watching her develop the first chapter of this story over the summer and there are some really slick and well thought out characters coming up. Definitely keep your eye on this one as well!
News
September 3rd, 2010
Years in the public school system has taught me to dread the end of summer so even though I no longer go to school, the beginning of September gets me down a little. It's also sad saying good bye to my favorite season. Good bye hot pavement, warm breezes, long days, and barbeque dinners... Hurry back next year!
Do you have a favorite season? Leave a comment and tell me about it~
News
August 27th, 2010
I thought that Comic Con this last July would be my big convention trip of the year. We're not exactly rolling in money etc. But now my webcomic friends have talked me into going to the New England Webcomics Weekend and I fully anticipate this being even better than the giant event down in San Diego. It's a much smaller convention but it focuses on the community I'm most interested in: Webcomics! Evidently last year tickets sold out long before the show so buy yours soon if you plan to attend!
News
August 20th, 2010
I've been browsing through my last high school yearbook in preparation for my ten year reunion tomorrow. The few friends I've kept in touch with live far away and probably won't be there so now I'm racking my brain, trying to remember old acquaintances. Who are all these people? I suspect tomorrow will be embarrassing.
Speaking of embarrassing, the seniors of my class got a chance to include some words of wisdom in the yearbook. Evidently I submitted, "What could possibly happen next? W.+C.P, H.N." Aha ha ha~ What is that crazy punctuation at the end there? Some long forgotten inside joke?
News
August 13th, 2010
I used to aspire to be one of those artists who'd draw live online with Ustream or Livestream and get hundreds of watchers but recently that's changed. As my friend Ran put it, live casting in a group is so much more fun. I've been drawing live online with a group of people for a couple weeks now on tinychat and while the screens aren't as big as those other services, I love the ease of use and casual atmosphere. There's less pressure on one person to entertain the masses, there's a group of peers to get feedback from, and watchers and artists drop in whenever they feel like it. No scheduling required!
If you'd like to join me and other great artists, visit our tinychat room called Let's Draw Stuff. There's a password to keep out random perverts but it's easy to remember: omgcomics. I'm usually around during the day from Mondays through Thursdays as I work on comics and other projects.
News
August 6th, 2010
I forgot to share the sketches I received at San Diego Comic Con with you last week. This is one of the best parts of purchasing comics from creators in person. Some of them are fast enough at doodles that they can add one to the inside cover and make your book unique and awesome. I still am much too slow at drawing my characters to manage this but hopefully by the time I am ready to table at a convention, I'll be fast enough!
Jake Parker, Kazu Kibuishi, Ben Costa, Dave Kellet
Kris Straub, William Stout
News
July 30th, 2010
Despite this being a nifty cool, landmark page (#100!) I had a really hard time getting it done. I spent most of this week daydreaming about how awesome San Diego Comic Con was.
It was my first time attending this enormous con so I wasn't expecting the cattle-like treatment of crowds or the extravagant marketing. I had heard that the bigger industries had moved in and were overshadowing the original comic focus of the convention but it was still pretty amazing to see. TV and movies definitely had center-stage.
But I was able to meet some people I knew from online and meet new ones. Buying comics directly from the creators was really fun since many of them would add a sketch to the inside cover. I bought two prints, one dinosaur book, and seven comic books I've been meaning to read. My favorite acquisition is definitely the dinosaur book "Dinosaur Discoveries" by William Stout. His creatures and backgrounds are amazing. I plan to study how he draws rocks and trees.
I'm also really glad we got to spend a few days exploring the city. Mainly because the zoo had amazing jungle plants that I took a bunch of reference photos of. Coronado and the Gaslamp quarter were really neat neighborhoods too. Even if I don't get a chance to attend Comic Con again, I would love to do more sight seeing in San Diego.
News
July 23rd, 2010
Right now (if this thing updates properly) I'm wandering around the San Diego Comic Con, probably spending too much money. I've been longing to attend this event for many years. Even if it's a surprising bore, browsing other people's art gets me fired up to refine my cartooning.
Though lately I feel like I'm making good progress at improving my art. Today's page is significantly more complex than anything I made for the last chapter. My coloring has gotten more prismatic, I've started rough shading and adding textures, and I'm learning new approaches to penciling digitally. Now to master these techniques before I pile on more challenges...
News
July 16th, 2010
I got some exciting gifts for my birthday this week: a beautiful fan art of Lae by Ange Story, a watercolor of me by Jeremy Creecy, and a fan cake of the jungle in Sweet and Sour Grapes by my ambitious sisters! I'm so fortunate to be surrounded by all this crazy talent. 
Next week I will be attending the gargantuan geek mecca known as the San Diego Comic Con. It's my first time attending ever and I will probably be completely overwhelmed. I've been scribbling as fast as I can now to get next week's comic done early so the site will update even without me. Look forward to the first (real) page of chapter 3!