There’s a new robots comics anthology coming to KickStarter!
Canonwrite Productions got 19 different creators together for The Universal Flaws of Robotics, a comics anthology all about robots. I did a short story for it, and served as editor for some of the stories!
This campaign will be Canonwrite’s biggest campaign yet, asking for $9,000 to pay contributors and make an offset print run of the paperback books. So be sure to spread the word so we can get as many folks as possible hyped!
I’m drawing Dragonball characters in drag for the funzies. JOIN ME!
Look, anybody who knows me, knows I love Dragonball and Dragonball Z. And I also love drawing people in over-the-top costumes, including drag. So in this stream, I’m combining both of my loves and drawing Dragonball/Z characters in drag.
I’m discontinuing the print runs for my art books, including Witches, Gods & Spirits, and Dragons. Here’s why.
First, the cost of printing has gone up. Since 2021, the cost of printing books has increased across all the printers I work with. This is especially true for the printer who runs Witches, Gods & Spirits, and Dragons. (Stars of Fantasyville and CATS got printed with a different company.)
Second, when I looked at my sales stats across the decade, the numbers shocked me. I ran my numbers to account for which books earned the most from crowdfunding AND convention sales. Dragons and Gods & Spirits barely made it in the top 10 overall earners list and the top 10 earned per year list. Neither title made it to the top 5 in either. Witches only made one list (top earners overall).
And that’s if I took out Johnson & Sir from the stats. If I left that title in, the outlook for those art books looked worse.
Third, and this is the big one for me – I’m feeling called not to make any more art books. My energy wants to make more comics, and any art that’s not comics wants to be stickers and prints. Not art books.
I also want to work on and grow The Legend of Jamie Roberts. It’s hard to do that when time and energy are being put into art books that cost more and more to print but sell less and less. So I’m taking art books out of the equation, so more time and sweat can go where it wants to go – making comics.
So what does this mean?
Well, there are some shops I sell on consignment with who are carrying the last of my art books. Last week I dropped off the final copies of Witches and Gods & Spirits at Handmade Toledo. Quimby’s in Chicago and Indie Northern KY are also options if those are closer to you.
This also means no Junicorn or Inktober art books for the foreseeable future. My energy is not called to participate in those challenges anymore. So I’m going to honor that. I would rather pursue things out of joy and curiosity, not obligation. And Inktober doesn’t inspire me the way it used to.
The good news is – if you want art, prints and stickers are still happening! In fact, I’m hoping to do a flash sale soon to get two new sticker designs in print. If you saw this livestream replay, you may know which designs I’m talking about. Hint: Godzilla be thicc.
Here’s the difference – prints and stickers are happening when I want to make them. Not out of a viral art challenge or out of a sense of obligation. I’m making the art I want to make, that I feel called to make, that I think would bring joy to others. I want that to be my driving force moving forward.
Having said that, there are two exceptions (ish) to the final-run art books: Stars of Fantasyville, and CATS. Stars have a ton of extra copies left – like, over 60. I’m not doing another print run because the first print run is still in stock. But I won’t do a second print run of it either.
CATS, on the other hand, will get reprinted as soon as possible. It was only released less than a year ago! It hasn’t had the chance to expand its reach yet. Also, it brings joy to me and many others.
As for the other books? It’s time their runs come to an end.
Don’t get me wrong – the art books did bring me joy at the time. But for reasons including the cost of printing, slumped sales, and discontinued interest, I’m letting the concept go.
Thank you, art books! You brought joy to me and a lot of others. I think it’s time to let you rest so new stuff can be made.
Stay tuned for more of that new stuff – including that flash sale I mentioned.
Thank you for your understanding and your support.
On Feb 1, 2024 at 6 pm EST, I’ll show you how to letter your comics in Clip Studio Paint, why good lettering in comics matters, where to download fonts, and so much more!
There will be a Q&A section at the end of the presentation, as well, for the audience to ask questions.
Today at 6 pm EST, feel free to lurk while I work on cat art for a new Crowdfundr AND draw more comics.
I’m running a Crowdfundr campaign for CATS: The Sketchbook, a collection of cat sketches I drew during Inktober last year. You can check out the campaign, but it’s not live until Friday. Be sure to sign up for the newsletter to get the first notice of when it opens!
To read my genderqueer pirate adventure comic, The Legend of Jamie Roberts, you can read the free version online, or you have the option to get the print version of volume 1 with remastered art and behind-the-scenes content like sketches and bonus comics. Volume 2 is coming to my online shop soon, I promise!
That’s all for now. Thank you for watching and for your support!
