I made a comic about Lake Erie and the toxic algae blooms! You can read it now, freely, on Crucial Comix and The Revelator.
This is my first nonfiction comic publication, aside from a 3-page explainer for a Columbus, OH zine about the 3 Sisters crop arrangement (that’s coming later). I had not made a science comic like this before, and I’m glad I accepted the challenge!
To read the rest of the comic, head to Crucial Comix or The Revelator. Links are above the art.
I want to make more comics like this. The scientists who got me in touch with the biologists for this are expressing interest in working with me again on a separate project. We’ll see who likes the pitch and where we can go with it!
During the making of this comic, I learned *way too much* about Lake Erie. So if you have questions, leave them in the comments and let me know.
Kai and I are now making pages for An Ignorance of Romance!
Here’s a peek at the thumbnails for the first 4 pages…
This is the stage where I read the script, then I lay out what I think the pages will *roughly* look like. Once sketched, I send them to Kai for approval. If approved, I can start actually drawing the pages.
Good news – Kai approved of these thumbnails! So now I can start drawing pages.
Thanks to the funding raised so far, we can cover webhosting and domain registration, and covering costs for the first page or two.
As an FYI – there will be extras in these opening scenes, like castle staff, stable hands, and market folks. So if you (or a friend!) want to be drawn in this comic, there are spot available for you to claim that reward!
You might be asking, “Will this comic be drawn in color?”
Surprise: this comic will be drawn in black and white with tones. This is so we can post two (or more) pages in a week, because black and white pages are faster to produce. There’s a LOT of story here, so we want to post more often!
Got more questions? Ask them in the comments and we’ll get back to you!
An Ignorance of Romance is the story of an unfortunately straight young man named Lian, tasked by his father The Duke with embarking on a quest to find his True Love™. Assisted by his squire, the two encounter Amber, a warrior woman searching for her lost husband. Adventures and attempted seductions ensue!
Here are some sketches we have finished so far for production!
Kai and I are running a small Crowdfundr campaign to cover the cost of domain registration and webhosting costs so we can host this comic ourselves. We also want to cover the labor for the first handful of pages of the webcomic.
We have some fun rewards available, including (but not limited to):
Early access to the webcomic pages!
Commissions!
And even the opportunity to be drawn as a character in the comic!
This campaign will run for one month, starting March 28 and ending on April 27, 2025.
And full disclosure – we are running this as a “Keep It All” campaign, not “All-or-Nothing” like KickStarter. This way, we can start production as soon as possible!
I want to very quickly write why I’m sharing more free resources and downloads.
“But Kelci,” I can hear some people say. “You’re a broke artist. Shouldn’t you charge for more things in your Ko-fi shop?”
I’m not putting resources behind a paywall. Trust me, I’ve been that broke art student just wanting to learn more, but was unable to because it had a price tag imposed by the provider.
When it comes to resource sharing, I would rather provide them for free. Tips are appreciated, but only by folks who have the means to do so. If you are broke, just download them for free. Pay me back later if you feel called to do so, but the resources are there for you.
I also have an aversion to charging for resources, blog posts, etc because for the last decade, we’ve been living with the Online Grifter Economy. And I don’t want to contribute to that, even accidentally.
Often the key way to spot these people is if they call themselves “gurus,” or have an almost obsessive focus on “productivity.”
This kind of grift stems from people trying to make a quick buck off the internet, when the original intention of the internet was to have information freely available for everyone for as long as the website could be maintained.
Call it what you will, but I want to see a return of an internet that shares information freely. Not within the walls of social media platforms run by fascists that demand you login first to see the information. Not behind a paywall on Patreon or some “online learning” course.
And definitely not on a “virtual reality” website that demands you use a fake currency (looking at you with a stink-eye, Decentraland).
To that end, I want to work to make this kind of internet a reality. And so I’m keeping my Resources tab updated as much as possible, and I will provide resources on my Ko-fi shop as free downloads. So things like the Master Convention Packing List, the Tabling At Conventions for Beginners’ slideshow, the Small Validations Teachers’ Pack, and the upcoming Promoting Your Work Without Social Media are all going to be free for everyone for as long as the resources are available. If Ko-fi collapses, I’ll find a new host for the resources. (Perhaps they may even move here).
I’m also going to update this blog more often with any new resources I find that I think are worth sharing. Keep your eyes peeled for the first one, which should come out soon.
That’s all for now. Thank you for your support!
You. Are. Awesome.
P.S. Last week I wrote about coordinating a boycott. I’m still working out the details, because effective boycotts need a target, a ‘why’, a call to action, and a goal/deadline. I have most of these figured out except the exact ‘call to action’ details.
It’s the Ko-fi Membership Campaign’s FINAL COUNTDOWN (queue “The Final Countdown” by Europe).
To celebrate, I’m running a YouTube livestream on the final day, Jan 31 at 6 pm ET. Feel free to tune in, watch me draw, and let me answer any questions you may have about Ko-fi.
As a reminder, we are at 10 members currently – we’re trying to get to 12 members by the end of Jan 31! By doing that, all members (new and current) will get a Little Caticorn mini-print, a Prince Odinon mini-print, and a Caticorns zine.
If you’re interested in becoming a member, head to my Ko-fi Memberships page and check the options that work best for you.
Broke? There are two free things you can do: Subscribe to my YouTube channel and spread the word about the Membership Drive! Sharing is caring and helps a lot.
Thank you for your support!
You. Are. Awesome.
P.S. I’m also available for Valentine’s Day commissions. More info is on my Commissions page.
