This is a sticky post that will show all my upcoming events, panels, signings, etc. I'll edit the list as it changes. So here it is!

* * *
UPCOMING EVENTS:

MoCCA Art Fest, June 6-7, 2009: Will and I will be there as the Bazaarium, and will be selling our Victorian inspired wares! You can find us at table 629.

* * *
FUTURE EVENTS

San Diego Comic Con, July 23-26: Will and I will be there as the Bazaarium, and will be selling our Victorian inspired wares in the Small Press area. More info to come.

* * *

I realize it's been a million years since I've posted on LJ, and I guess that means I'm resurrecting my blog from the dead in order to post this, but I wanted to announce that Will and I will have a table at the MoCCA Art Fest this weekend and we'll be selling our Victorian wares from our online shop The Bazaarium. We'll be at table 629!

I can't tell you how crazy and hectic things have been. The Bazaarium has been doing great and has been keeping us both very busy with orders. We're still figuring out how to best run a small business - it's definitely been a learning process, but I feel like we're getting the hang of it! We definitely want to grow the business even more in the future and are looking at ways in which we can do this. We'll also have a table at Comic-Con this year, which will be a first for us!

We also just moved into a new, bigger place with a garage that we plan to convert into a studio. I've moved a lot in my life but not so much locally. I thought a local move would be easier than a cross-country move... and in some ways it is, but you still have to pack everything up and then unpack everything. It's still a ton of work. And right now we don't yet have internet hooked up at the new house, and all our stuff is scattered around so it makes preparing for MoCCA really difficult. We'll make it work, though. We always do!

Anyway, I just wanted to let you all know I'm still around even if I haven't been posting much lately. Once things settle down I plan to update more often and let you all know what projects I'm working on!

See you in NY!

Just a couple hours ago I finished my last page on Sabrina. I won't lie - I got a little misty-eyed. Not just because I was sad - but because I also felt really proud. I've been working on Sabrina for almost 5 years and have 42 issues under my belt. In comics these days, it's rare to have that much longevity - especially for a first-timer like myself. But the most satisfying thing was knowing that I was able to tell a complete story - the way I intended it to be, from start to finish. It wasn't like Archie told me in the middle of an arc that it was canceled and I had to rush to tie up loose ends. In some ways I always knew the final issue would be #100, and I wrote my stories so they would lead up to that climatic issue. Of course, had Sabrina continued beyond that, I had plenty of ideas of where I would go next, but my main, epic "Four Blades" storyline was always meant to be resolved by issue 100.

On another note, it's so weird to me to realize how much I've grown to love the characters. I know they're just lines on paper, but I've come to regard them as real people in some ways. I feel like a proud mom who's seen Sabrina grow up from a petulant teenager into a strong young woman, and I admit I've always had a bit of a crush on Shinji *^_^* I actually got a pang of sadness thinking about how I was now going to walk away from these characters and wonder what they would be doing next with their lives, in some place where I wouldn't be able to see them. Ok, so that probably sounds a little crazy, but I hope some of you writers and artists understand. ^_^;;

It's also amazing to see how much my art has changed and grown over the years. I look back on some of my first issues and I find them absolutely cringe-worthy! But doing comics has really helped me develop my skills and I feel like I finally have my own "style".

Anyway, I couldn't have done it all without the support of my awesome inker, Jim Amash, letterer Teresa Davidson, and colorist, Jason Jensen. And of course, my original editor Victor Gorelick who hired me originally. I used to be so intimidated by him only to realize he's the nicest guy. And my current awesome editor Mike Pellerito whom I also consider a friend. I'm going to continue doing some things for Archie, so this isn't "goodbye", but just a thanks for everything so far.

And thanks to all my loyal readers and fans. I hope you enjoy looking back into the earlier issues of my work and seeing some of the clues I left there! :D

I hope my fans will continue to support me and read whatever I come out with next!

Time for my yearly year-end review and meme!

I realize I haven't been blogging much of late.... to be honest it's partially because there's not much to blog about and I don't really like to blab about boring day-to-day stuff (that's what twitter and tumblr are for. But I don't really keep up with those, either). But partially because I feel like this year has been sort of a year for reflecting, keeping quiet, and observing. 2007 was really rough and while 2008 was an improvement, things are still settling down, like the ripple effect of a stone being thrown in the water. The economy has taken a toll on everyone, and it seems to be affecting everything from everyone's general mood and optimism, to physical assests like savings, to book sales, and getting freelance work. It's affected me a bit in all these ways, most notably that my run on Sabrina is coming to an end. It's sad because it's been my job for the past 5 years, and I've really grown to love the characters and world. But all good things must come to an end and I really feel fortunate that it will end with me having told a complete story, rather than it just trailing off and fading away. I'm looking it as an opportunity to focus on new projects, including my own personal projects which I haven't been giving as much attention to in recent years.

I am pleased that I kept up with most of my resolutions for 2008.

Last year I resolved to:

1. Write More. I want to possibly attempt a novel. I want to write way more Dollar Dreadfuls.

I wrote more Dollar Dreadfuls and started a novel. I wish I had done even more, but I feel pretty satisfied overall.

2. Get Dollar Dreadfuls off the ground, open our online store, and create more content.

Will and I finally launched our online shop, The Bazaarium and so far, it's been doing great! The next step will be to expand on our store and figure out how to streamline things, such as figuring out how to make prepping each individual order take less time.

3. I resolved to be more healthy. I'm going to take vitamins and exercise more. I think this will improve my mood and productivity. I think I also want to learn to cook so we don't eat so much fast food and tv dinners.

I've started taking vitamins everyday and taking better care of my teeth (still have yet to go to the dentist.... I'm scared!!!). I rode my bike a lot and got in good shape over the summer, but I haven't really kept up with that in the fall and winter... As for cooking... well, that's something I still need to work on!

4. Go on vacation with Will. Will and I haven't really gotten much of a break this year, and the last time we went on a trip together was over a year ago. I really want to go somewhere where we can just unwind and see something new.

This was the one thing that didn't really happen. Will was supposed to come with me to Japan, but that fell through because of work, so I ended up going by myself rather than lose my deposit. We were also supposed to go to Palm Springs for a weekend, but that also fell through. Will works so hard and I can't help but think of those Bahamavention commercials. I want to hijack him and force him on a relaxing vacation with no computer! This is my ultimate resolution for 2009, especially since it'll be our 10th anniversary of being together!

So basically, my resolutions are the same, just bigger and better. i have a good feeling about 2009. Nine is my lucky number and I feel hopeful about a future where Obama is president.

Now, without further ado, my yearly meme under the cut! Happy New Year, everyone!!

( CLICKY )

This is where I'll be on my birthday! Will and I will be there selling our Silhouette Masterpiece Theatres and Dollar Dreadfuls. We're sharing a table with friends who will also have some cool things for sale! If you're in the area I hope you can stop by!

Last night, at about 4am I woke up and wasn't able to get back to sleep. And for some reason I kept thinking about DC's Minx line and why it's failed and how much I dread the assumptions that people will make that comics for girls are destined to fail or, worse yet, that girls don't read comics - which I know is untrue, and many other people know is untrue. But the failure of such a promising line does cast a shadow on those arguments.

When I first heard about Minx, I was really excited to read the books and see what would come of the line. I ended up reading quite a few of the books and I guess I can agree with what's been said all around: a couple were really good, but most of them were just "ok". A couple didn't grab me at all. In some cases, the art was fantastic, but the stories weren't as strong. Or the stories were entertaining, but the art looked a little rough. But overall, I'm saddened to see such a noble effort fizzle so quickly and my heart does go out to the writers and artists involved.

I could comment on the books' presentation and cover design and placement in book stores, but I don't claim to be knowledgeable enough about marketing to make any assumptions on how these might have contributed to the poor sales.

I know manga has also been in decline in recent months, but girls are still reading it, and I still see them crowding the aisles of my local Borders. And, as I lay in bed with insomnia, I began forming another theory about why American comics geared directly at girls typically do not do as well consistently as manga has.

I feel that a lot of American comics for girls feel a need to "teach a lesson", or inject some sort of important learning experience or nuggets of advice for the young, female reader. And this is all well and good in theory, but at the same time, and I can speak for myself when I say that girls don't like to be talked down to, or preached to. Sometimes one just wants to read a comic for pure enjoyment and nothing else. This is why I mostly read "boy" comics growing up, because all the "girl" comics seemed to assume that I was simple-minded and that I needed to know the difference between right and wrong. Now, obviously, comics for girls have come a long way since then and there are so many more titles that girls - and boys -can enjoy that aren't condescending. But I feel that, even though it's not as obvious nowadays, comics for girls still feel a need to impart a lesson or message.

This brings me to think about manga. Doesn't it teach lessons too? Well sure. You'll see the common themes of the importance of friendship and reaching goals etc. But I think that the manga format manages to dilute the message and make it more digestible. Over a series of several 100-page volumes, a girl can learn her lesson, but because it's so spread out it doesn't feel as preachy. By contrast, American comics typically are shorter in length - whether it's a self-contained graphic novel (as in the Minx line), or a 32 page comic which offers even less space to tell a story. But the result is that the writer feels the need to cram their message in before the end of those 32-100 pages, and it comes off a little stronger than it would in a longer, serialized work. I can freely admit that I do the same thing with Sabrina. I always feel a need to make some kind of point with each issue. Maybe it's just a cultural thing, and Americans are more prone to wanting to inject some morality or lesson into our work because of our country's Christian roots, or the backlash against "immoral" comics that followed the Seduction of the Innocent. That may be a stretch, but hey - it's something to ponder!

But I can say that reading titles like Nana or Hot Gimmick - the characters are not perfect. They often make mistakes. And I feel like the Japanese attitude is "You know what? That's ok?". Because the Japanese do not have the same "rules" that many Americans have about what is appropriate for girls, I feel that manga writers do not really "judge" their own characters. They simply allow them to experience things. Maybe they'll change because of it, maybe not. Either way, it's ok.

I remember when I first read Hot Gimmick, the lead character Hatsumi drove me nuts because she was such a pushover! I kept reading and reading, fully expecting that somewhere along the way she would learn to stand up for herself and grow into a better person, because this is what I would expect from an American comic. But by the last page of the last book I realized that Hatsumi hadn't really changed at all. And at first I was really disappointed. But then I realized "well, maybe that's ok." Some people don't change. Some people don't necessarily learn from their experiences. Some people are content to let other people take charge. And it may not be what I prefer, but who am I to judge?

It's the same thing with the super-popular Twilight series. I read the books and I'll be in the minority when I say that I did not care for them- particularly the main character, Bella. I kept waiting and waiting for her to grow a spine and to stop being so co-dependent, but it never happened. And for me, this lack of growth in her character was a bitter disappointment. But again, just like in Hot Gimmick, I was forced to realize that, despite making choices that I felt were "wrong", Bella made the choice of what she wanted in life. And maybe that choice was little more than a Vampire boyfriend and baby, but it was still her choice. Some girls want to become career women, some want to grow up to become mothers. But again, who am I to judge? At the end of the day, I feel that Twilight doesn't really try to teach anything. It's just an entertaining love story and maybe that's why girls like it so much.

Bella may be chaste and naive, but the characters of Gossip Girl are the exact opposite -- yet the series is equally appealing to girls. Why? Because the characters are flawed, they drink and sleep around and sabotage each other, and the show (and books) make no apologies for that. It may be "Every Parent's Worst Nightmare", but it's pretty damn entertaining! And as horrible as it does sound, if one actually reads or watches the series, they do learn that the characters, flawed though they may be, also have the capacity to change, they have the capacity to forgive and care for each other, and to learn from their experiences. But it's not preachy because that's not the point. It's entertainment, pure and simple.

And I feel that many popular manga series for girls, such as Nana, are similar. They feature characters that are both lovable and flawed, who make mistakes, who sometimes act needy or selfish, who sometimes do the right thing, but sometimes don't. And it's not trying to force a lesson down readers' throats, it's just telling a story about life and relationships.

As a last example which also contrasts sharply with the previous ones - take Archie comics in general. They have a huge female readership and yes, they are skewed a little younger than the girls who are watching Gossip Girl or reading Nana. Archie has always been known to be "wholesome" -- so doesn't that contradict my claim that girls don't want to be lectured in their comics? Well, not exactly. Archie, as a company, has established that their characters will never smoke or drink or do drugs or ride in a car without a seatbelt, etc etc. But the stories each month are not about those things. You won't find a story called "Betty Buckles her Seat Belt!". The "rules" exist in the background, but once they are established, it frees the writers to just focus on telling short, funny stories intended to entertain. The point of a typical Archie story is to tell a joke and they're not nearly as preachy as you might expect them to be. There are, admittedly, the occasional stories where a deliberate point is made but Veronica will always be a spoiled rich girl. She may have individual stories where she realizes that her attitude can gets her into trouble, but next issue she'll go right back to being the same, spoiled rich girl. The characters are constant... they don't change. And some may say the characters never "grow" or "learn", but that's not really the point. It's all about fun and that's why so many kids grow up reading Archie comics.

Anyway! Sorry for the rambling post (It was 4am when I was thinking all of this), but in summation I just think girls want to be entertained. Pure and simple. Because we'll get our life lessons by experiencing life. But comics, sometimes, just need to be comics.

I haven't posted much in a while because I've been pretty busy with work and such, but I wanted to let you all know that I have two interviews up! I basically talk about my plans for Sabrina as the story nears issue #100, and also a bit about my TOKYOPOP project!

The first is on the fabulous blog, Comics Worth Reading, by Johanna Draper Carlson and you can read it HERE.

The second is on Newsarama. Check it out HERE.

Many thanks to Johanna and Benjamin Ong Pang Kean for taking the time to interview me!

I saw this on digital_eraser's LJ and thought it was hilarious, so I wanted to give it a try:

Your Debut Album

So you always wanted to be a rock star, huh?

1 - Go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first random Wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.

2 - Go to Random quotations: http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
The last four words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your first album.

NOTE: Hit "refresh" to generate new random quotes, because clicking the quotes link above will just give you the same quotes over and over again.

3 - Go to flickr's "explore the last seven days" http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/
Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

Put it all together, that's your debut album.

Presenting:

Harricourt
The Pain of Stupidity



I'm impressed with how well it worked out!

Will and I got back from New York last night. We had a great time at MoCCA. It was so nice to be back in NY and to hang out with old friends even though it was sort of a whirlwind trip and we didn't have as much free time as we would have liked to see everything (and everyone) we wanted to. But I think we've both realized that one year is just too long to be away from NY, so we're definitely going to try and go back more often for fun.

The show was a success for us, even with the sweltering heat outside that possibly deterred some people from going to the show. We sold tons of Dollar Dreadfuls - selling out of a couple of our titles, (as well as my Knit Wits ashcan which I didn't really expect!) I didn't get a chance to look around the show as much as I would have liked - the days literally flew by for me, but I did do a couple quick passes of the floor and bought a couple things which entertained me on the long plane ride home.

Overall, it was a wonderful show (as always) and we've already signed up to be back next year!



In other news, this weekend I'll be participating in the Tour de Cure, which is a 34 mile bike ride for the American Diabetes Association. I've never ridden that far before, (and I'll be riding a fixed gear bike!) so it will be a challenge. But I have been training very hard these past couple months, so I feel confident I can do it! I've already raised 700 dollars - and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has donated so far. Your support means so much to me.

A couple of my family members, including my brother, suffer from diabetes so it is a cause that is near and dear to me. I want to raise as much as I possibly can in the hopes of one day finding a cure for this disease!

So, please, if you can spare even just $5, I would truly appreciate it! You can sponsor me online at my PERSONAL SITE. Thank you!!

It's that time again! Will and I will have a table at one of our favorite shows, the MoCCA Art Fest! We're excited to be selling some new products there in person before we unveil our new online store, The Bazaarium!



We'll be back with our Dollar Dreadfuls and we'll have 3 new stories for your reading enjoyment!:



Tales from the Dressmakers Detective Journal, Volume 2: Mystery of the Black Glove by R.Sabo
When a ghastly murder strikes close to home, the four Dressmaker Detectives take it upon themselves to put aside their needles and discover the identity of the killer known as the Black Glove.

The Tale of Inseparable Twins, or The Girl with Lively Eyes by T.D.Rio
The twins Alice and Rose are inseparable and share many secrets between them. However, when a horrible accident strikes, their sisterly bond will be put to the test!

And the Orphanage by Wilhelm Staehle
Gideon North is an Agent for the mysterious Orphanage. When he seeks to interrogate a fellow Agent who failed an important mission, Gideon uncovers a far more dastardly plot and finds himself in mortal danger!

We'll also be selling framed, signed prints from Wilhelm's Silhouette Masterpiece Theatre:



I'm also proud to be selling My Poorly Drawn Life, Volume 1! That's right, all your favorite MPDL stories have been bound into a hefty 450 page book with added commentary! Also, each cover is blank so I can do a custom sketch for you when you purchase one!



I'll also be selling my Knit-Wits ashcans!



And we'll also be featuring some of the t-shirts, comics and posters from Mike of The Good Product

We'll be at table C-2 so please stop by and check out our stuff!



And if you can't make it to MoCCA, you can visit the Bazaarium and order goods directly from there starting Saturday!

So my husband does not yet have a blog (depsite my urgings), so I am compelled to blog on his behalf and say that his newest batch of Silhouette Masterpiece Theatres are up! Check them out - I think they're hilarious.

Hey everyone, I saw this cute meme that goraina took part in HERE and it looks like fun so I thought I'd give it a shot!



I fear I have turned into a hipster....

Anyway! In other news, I wanted to announce that my dad has published a book and it's actually quite good so I encourage you all to go BUY IT and read it! If you order it before June 1st, you can get 10% with coupon code: 7QUH2ZLE, fo shizzle!



This book has been 10 years in the making, so please support my dad's dream! I helped with the editing process and I can say it's come a long way and it would make a great gift for someone you care about (or for yourself!)

Anyway, I hope to be posting in the next few days to share some exciting news, so please check back! I know I haven't been posting much lately but that's because I've been working on stuff... you shall seeeee!!

It's been a while since I've posted. I'll promise I'll write another post soon about things that have been going on in my comicking life, but in the meantime...

I read about this on The Beat and thought it looked interesting...



So I sent the link to my husband and was like "Maybe we should go!" And he replied with, "Hey! They stole my cover design!"

And it's true!!



Guess we shouldn't support them now! 9_9

Not much to say...but it's been almost a month since my last post, so...

I'm feeling under the weather. I've prided myself on managing to dodge most of the illnesses that have afflicted Will these last 7 months. Poor Will works so hard and he doesn't get enough sleep that it seems like his immune system is paying the price. I've seen him suffer through at least 3-4 colds since we moved out here and so far I've managed to evade them all. But I think I've finally succumbed. Still, I'm confident I can fight it off... I'm much healthier now than I used to be... I exercise a lot more by riding my bike (I've ridden over 100 miles in the last 2 months!). Speaking of bikes, I've got yet another bike that I've been riding - a fixed gear Motobecane Messenger. It's light as a feather and so fun to ride. Here I am with "Björnge" on a recent ride:



Anyway, back to my cold -- I have a lot of faith in my "Triple Punch Power" which I take whenever I feel sick.
This consists of a combination of:

Airborne, NAC (N-Acetyl-L Cysteine), and Umcka Cold Care Remedy



It works every time... I take these at the first sign of a cold and 9 times out of 10, the cold goes away. Or, in the event I get the cold anyway, taking these definitely shortens it, or makes it less severe.

Meanwhile, I've just been trying to get some work done and I'm hoping I'll have time to take part in Hourly Comic Day which is February 1st. As some of you may know, I first took part two years ago and that's what spawned My Poorly Drawn Life.. I was too swamped to do it last year, but I really want to do it again this year. So we'll see. It may just be a comic about me laying around sick all day!

Oh, and unrelated, but I wanted to let you guys know Will updated his Silhouette Masterpiece Theatre.
This is my favorite piece from the new batch:



Hmm... what else? Oh yeah, I have something to look forward to in April! I'm going to Japan again! I'll be going as part of Pop Japan Travel's Fujoshi Paradise Yaoi Tour!.

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I'll be honest... I like yaoi (especially the more character driven stories like Antique Bakery)... but I've never considered myself such a fan of yaoi that I would join a tour based on it. However, I couldn't resist the chance to go back to Japan again and meet a manga artist (Makoto Tateno, artist of Yellow) and all for such a good price. They also have a Gothic Lolita tour going on at the same time, but I think I'm even less into Goth Loli than I am into yaoi. Anyway, I'm dying to go back to Japan... ever since going there for the 1st time over a year ago, I've been longing to return. I've never been part of a tour group before so I'm not sure how that will be, but I'm sure it will be a fun experience, nonetheless! Anyway, there's only about 5 spots left so if anyone is interested, sign up soon!

Well, I guess that's it for now! One of these days I'll post about some of the things I'm actually working on, complete with art samples!

Well, time for my obligatory end of the year post.

What can I say? 2007 has been a crappy year overall. I honestly can't wait for it to be over and get a mental fresh start in '08.

It really feels like this year has been one of my most disjointed, most stressful years yet. As someone who's moved every 3 years or so growing up, and who's used to adjusting to new places, I never thought moving to California would be such a life-changing event. I'm enjoying life in California, for sure, but it kind of feels like the move was akin to a large rock dropping into the still pond that was my life, and the ripples still haven't subsided.

Looking back on my resolutions for 2007 I'm bummed to see that I didn't meet most of them:

I resolved to complete Mangaka 2 and 3... which... obviously didn't happen. Will and I did everything we could do to make it so but the publisher just sat on it and never signed the necessary papers, despite telling us that they really wanted to do more volumes. After a few initial pushes to get it going, Will and I sort of gave up as life got in the way. I think it's something we'd like to do in the future, but now we're both too busy with other projects.

I also resolved to keep My Poorly Drawn Life updated weekly which, obviously, also hasn't happened. I haven't updated in ages. I want to start again in the New Year, but it does take a lot of time to do (despite its rough appearance) and I've already got more work than I know what to do with. Another disappointment...

I resolved to finish Knit-Wits which was, in fact, one partial success. I didn't get the whole thing done but I managed to get a 16 page ashcan done which I sold at Felt Club this year. It felt good to get a small project done that was *mine* alone, and not something I was hired to do. It's been a long time since I've done something for myself that way. I'm pleased with how it turned out and I hope to expand on it next year.

I resolved to get a table at San Diego Comic Con... I tried, but was denied. Oh, well. I still went and had a good time.

I resolved to travel somewhere new and I did! I went to Toronto for a convention and met and hung out with a bunch of Canadian artists such as Eric Kim and Rosemary Mosco, and Svetlana Chmakova! That was fun.

I resolved to help Will finish some of his own comic projects but because of everything that happened this year, his side projects were unfortunately put on the back-burner. He does have a promising project that I can't reveal just yet... we're anxiously awaiting a resolution to the writers' strike so that it can get rolling again. We'll see!

Lastly, I resolved to read more books. Which I did! Still not as many as I would have liked but much more than last year.

Anyway, I feel a little disappointed in my resolutions from last year but things were just so crazy this year, life-wise, family-wise, work-wise. I've also been taking a hard look at myself and my accomplishments and trying to figure out how I might feel more fulfilled in my future work. One thing I'm realizing is that I enjoy writing more than drawing. I see other artists on my friends list and I see them constantly posting amazing art that they make just for fun! It's almost like they can't NOT draw. But me? The only time I pick up a pencil these days is if I HAVE to. I only draw for my paid jobs and that's it. I don't even keep a sketchbook anymore... it's kind of sad in a way but I realized that I write the way that others draw. I write all the time. When I'm not working, I'm writing. And I do it for fun. So that sort of leads into my resolutions for next year:

1. Write More. I want to possibly attempt a novel. I want to write way more Dollar Dreadfuls.

Speaking of Dollar Dreadfuls, I resolve to:

2. Get Dollar Dreadfuls off the ground, open our online store, and create more content. Every place we've sold them, they've done amazingly well, so Will and I really want to focus on these for next year!

3. I resolve to be more healthy. I'm going to take vitamins and exercise more. I think this will improve my mood and productivity. I think I also want to learn to cook so we don't eat so much fast food and tv dinners.

4. Go on vacation with Will. Will and I haven't really gotten much of a break this year, and the last time we went on a trip together was over a year ago. I really want to go somewhere where we can just unwind and see something new.

I guess that's it for next year. I don't want to set the bar too high, I just want to get through next year with minimum drama.

Hope you all have a fun New Year's Eve and a happy, healthy 2008!

( Clicky for my New Year's meme! )

I just realized how long it's been since I updated my lj. It must seem like I've fallen off the face of the earth -- sometimes it sure feels like it! The reason is because I've been very, very busy. Almost overwhelmed. The whole move to California really threw off my work schedule especially since it took forever to get the place unpacked and my studio in order (I've been here about 3 months now, and we just unpacked the last box a week ago! o_O). I wasn't able to be as productive as usual during the whole transition and now I find myself scrambling to make up for lost time. Combine that with the fact that I've taken on a couple extra freelance jobs (some of my illustrations will appear in the January issue of Shojo Beat!), and the result is I've been swamped with work. Even my poor webcombic is collecting dust at the moment.

My main focus right now is just to get caught up (and hopefully ahead) of all the various work-related projects I have so I can have some breathing room once again and spend more time on fun things like my webcomic and personal projects like Will's and my Dollar Dreadful Family Library. Speaking of, we're currently updating that site and it will soon have an online shop where you can order our booklets directly instead of waiting to see us at shows!

Will's also been busy and productive as usual and has also started a new website which he'll be updating called Silhouette Masterpiece Theatre. It's good stuff!



My birthday is coming up- I'll be 28 on Friday. Yikes. It feels like I just turned 27 yesterday! Time really seems to be flying. I feel good about everything I've accomplished so far. I can't believe I've been working on Sabrina for 4 years now! I'm so fortunate to have a steady gig like that! But the older I get the more easily I feel burnt out. I can't pull all nighters as well as I used to. It sounds silly because it's not like I'm old... but I definitely feel a difference in my energy level. I just hope I can keep up my momentum!

Anyway, I'm not sure how I'll celebrate my birthday, if at all. I'll be busy preparing for Felt Club this weekend! Each week, Will and I meet with some friends to make crafts. We call our little gathering "Craftonite" and we decided to take the plunge and get a booth at Felt Club! We'll have an assortment of goodies for sale including our Dollar Dreadfuls, my Budgie Buddies, as well as screen prints, postcards, buttons, crochet patterns, holiday ornaments and more! If you're in the LA area, stop by! It should be fun!



As far as life in California, I'm feeling more adjusted every day. I hadn't driven in like 10 years, and I hardly ever drove in NY (partly because I never had to) so when we first moved to Cali I was really nervous and hesitant about getting behind the wheel again. But I now feel much more comfortable and I drive almost every day. I still haven't tackled the freeways yet... but that's next! I've also discovered the joys of riding a bicycle. I'm still a newbie on a bike and am getting used to riding amongst traffic, but it's so satisfying! I've been trying to take part in events like Critical Mass and other bike gatherings which occur monthly, and those have been fun. Especially since traffic is so terrible here, I want to be able to build up strength and get enough stamina to ride my bike anywhere in LA! When I first moved here I had just a $100 beach cruiser bike with no gears or hand brakes. I had received it for my last birthday from Will in NY (I picked it out), but I never had the opportunity to ride it because of all the snow. Once in Cali I realized it was a really clunky bike to ride and I had a hard time with it. I guess that's why it's good to actually try a bike out before buying! -_-;; Anyway, recently I upgraded to this bike:



I love it! It's SO much more comfortable and easy to ride. And it has 21 gears and hand brakes to make my life easier! Of course, now that I've been in Cali I see that everyone and their mother has a fixie and I'm beginning to feel left out. Well... maybe in a year or two once I have more bike experience I'll try riding a fixie. We'll see!

Well, I guess that's all the news I have to share for now. Next time, I'll post some sneak peeks at some of the art I've been working on! Ok, it's back to work for me!

I had a fun time at this year's Comicon. Once again, Will and I went just to look around and spend too much money, and this time we were joined by two friends, Rich and Aaron, which added to the fun. Over the weekend I ran into a bunch of people I know, and met some new ones . And I even managed to run into Jason Jensen, my colorist for Sabrina, who was walking around and recognized me! I bought a ton of manga, including Me2 by Sho Murase, which looks amazing. Now, here, in order of awesomeness are my three highlights of the trip....

Getting a photo with a Captain Jack Sparrow look-alike. There were several walking around, but this guy was the best.



Meeting Masi Oka of Heroes at the Disney party Will and I attended. He was so nice!



And #1: Meeting Stan Lee at that same Disney Party. He's just an amazing guy - and incredibly charming!



Now the fun has ended and I have a TON of work to catch up on! By the way, I started a twitter account, if anyone is interested. I'm just trying it out to see if I like it for now. So far it seems like a good alternative to lengthy blogging. Well, that's it for now... and for those of you eagerly waiting for an update to My Poorly Drawn Life, I promise it's coming soon! I finally found my scanner which was lost amongst the many boxes...

So I got the final Harry Potter book at a grocery store at the stroke of midnight. (I had been planning on going to a Borders release party, but the grocery store turned out to be so much better. There was only like 10 people in line, and there was no drama!) I usually like to take my time to read books, and savor them. But I confess, I devoured The Deathly Hallows in one weekend, mostly because I was desperate to finish it before having someone or something spoil it for me. I had been literally avoiding the internet the last couple weeks out of fear that I would read a spoiler!

I have to say, overall, I was satisfied by the book and how it closed the series. I still feel a little sad upon its completion... I wonder if anything else will ever get people so excited about reading the way this did? It's so amazing to see that, in this day and age, people will line up at midnight to buy a book. And that adults and children alike will read this book and discuss it, and share it. It's not a movie, not a videogame, not a new gadget... it's just a book. I love that.

Will thinks it's like the Star Wars of this generation, and in many ways I agree. It's a sort of an archetypal epic that really speaks to a massive amount of people on a deeper level. And seeing the battle between Dumbledore and Voldemort on-screen, I could only think of the lightsaber duel between Obi-Wan and Darth Vader.

Anyway, click below the cut to hear my reactions on the book.

( SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! )

So Will and I have been in California for a week now, and are trying our best to settle in. Well, I am, anyway. Will's already been here for months, so he's at ease. There are still a mountain of boxes to unpack and so much work to catch up on, so things have been a little crazy.

Our dog Bailey got really ill right before we left for CA, so that put a dent in our move. She's doing better, but I have to find a new vet for her soon. In the meantime I am going crazy trying to figure out how to give her her antibiotics every day. She's like a cat - she smells the pills and picks them out of whatever we try to hide them in. We've tried crushing them and mixing them in her food, we've tried hiding them in hot dogs, chicken, cheddar cheese, peanut butter, Velveeta (which worked great for about a week until she figured it out), chicken broth, you name it. She is too smart for her own good and nearly impossible to fool. -_-;

Meanwhile, I'm still searching for my scanner which I'll need to show my editor Sabrina pages and to update My Poorly Drawn Life and I can not find it for the life of me! I'm worried we might be missing some stuff because we accidentally ended up with someone else's mirrors and wine glasses and tea-cups. We're also having trouble finding a number of vital kitchen appliances. (Coffee maker where are yoooou?!!) Ahh, the fun of moving. The only good thing is that Will and I spent most of Saturday getting our new studio in order, hooking up computers and building bookshelves. I still need to figure out a slanted place to draw, because there's no room for my old drawing table, but I can work on the flat desks until then. And I'm excited about my new "crafty corner", which is really a little closet, which we've converted into a space for my sewing machine and buckets of yarn!

In other news, I'll be going to San Diego Comic Con to geek out, but it turns out I'll also be on an Archie panel on Sunday, June 29, 10:30-11:30 in Room 4.

Also, Sabrina just got a good review over at SBC which made my day. I always appreciate it when people take time to review my comic. ^_^

The other big news is that I've officially signed up to do a 1-volume book with TOKYOPOP. It's currently untitled, but it's a story about two best friends and their 15th birthday parties. I won't say any more at the moment, but I'm looking forward to working on it!

I'm also looking forward to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows! I'm currently plowing through the first 6 books (again), to refresh my memory before Book 7 hits. On the 20th, I'm planning to go to a midnight party at a Borders nearby and geek out! I haven't had a chance to see the latest movie, but I hope to soon. There's just too much to do!

Well, that's it for now. I better get back to unpacking all these boxes...