End of 2014
/G'wan, get outta here 2014, move along, chop chop! Hey c'mere 2015, come sit down, how you doin'?
I've been so over 2014 for about 6 months now but also weirdly afraid to let it go. Some years are just all about plodding through stuff and making creative deposits for the future, and floating along impatient until stuff starts to take effect. As glad as I am that 2014 is over and sad that the holidays are done, I am nerdy enough to appreciate a good fresh start. However, before you can look ahead and promise yourself you'll eat more veggies, jog 24 hours a day, learn Ruby, and save enough to quit your day job, it's always important to take note of what you have accomplished so far. Then you can meet that future/better/snarkier jerk version of yourself that's got her shit together STRAIGHT in the eyes and say "SEE? Here is the proof I've got this future - a whole list of things I've already gotten!"
THINGS I MANAGED TO DO IN 2014:
- Finish Part-Time Princesses, my first full graphic novel, weeee!
- Self-publish 4 States 2 Months, Bonnie issues #7 and #8
- Get married!
- Attend conventions in Austin, Seattle, Asbury Park, Boston, Baltimore
- Made the decision to end Gods & Undergrads, my first and longest running webcomic series. It will BE REBORN at some point soon (already in talks, haaaay!) but its current iteration/chapter grinds to a halt in May 2015. *SNIFF*
- Hosted four more Bmore Into Comics events
- Took my now-husband to Monterey for CAR WEEK HOT PORSCHES YEEEEAAAHH (a lifelong dream of his)
- Put a coupla of comics on Comixology, which exposed my work to more people BUT also enabled them to steal a buncha copies it would've been nice to be paid for ... hahahaha ehhhh .... (And SPEAKING OF Comixology, my books are part of a super crazy person sale going on right now, expires January 1st! Use the code INDIE for it!)
SOME THINGS I LEARNED IN 2014:
- Just keep swimming
- You will get kicked in the teeth by life, but it's helped me to think that when horrible things happen and you lose loved ones - you appreciate those around you MORE and dwell on people/things/situations you don't have LESS. Keep them close, but also keep going.
- Writing every day is important for my process as well as my sanity
- Building/maintaining a comics community is incredibly important in encouraging/inspiring one another
- Patreon is fun, ads are not fun
- In terms of trying to make this crazy thing we call comics into more of a paying gig, being able to post sketches and videos and communicate directly with my audience (as opposed to chucking things into a void with each update) is IMMENSELY more satisfying. Plus, enabling people to support me directly instead of depending on icky sticky ads is really nice too. Yay new models for comics biz!
Okay, enough reminiscing about good ol' 2014. ON TO THE NEXT!
COMICS COMING OUT IN 2015:
- Part-Time Princesses - released by Oni Press on March 25th. GET PUMPED!
- Short story in Vertigo's Strange Sports Stories #1, March 18th. BIG TIME, Y'ALL
- Another secret thing to be released March/April timeframe - yay/shhhhh!
- Bonnie Collected book - I've put this off wayyyyy too long, but yes - I would actually like to collect and post a big book of all my Bonnie strips thus far
CONVENTIONS PLANNED FOR 2015:
- Staple!, Austin, TX - March 7-8, 2015
- Emerald City Comic Con, Seattle, WA - March 27-29, 2015
- TCAF, Toronto, Canada - May 8-10, 2015
- Heroes Con, Charlotte, NC - June 19-21, 2015
- I'm also planning on spamming comic stores of the states with signings this year, so if you've got a kick-ass store I should put on my list, holler at me here!
Anyway, as always I couldn't do this whole crazy comics thing without you all out there reading my stuff! I mean, I'd probably still do it but it'd be WAY SADDER. A big, hearty, cheesy-face thank you to all of you out there for continuing to support me!