What's up 2014?

Hey everyone
Well, sadly I succumbed to the holiday madness and haven't posted since just before Thanksgiving! So quick catch up:

My lovely husband and I did our booth at Short Run just after Thanksgiving. Short Run is a local comics festival that features self-published works as well as comics and books from small publishers. It was our first time having a booth at the show and it was super fun. We both debuted our graphic novels at the show as well! When we do work together or print up our books, we do it under the name Gorilla House Press. We have a tumblr of joint work there. Aaron is insanely prolific, so a lot of the work on the tumbler is his, but it's sort of a catch all for all of our random work.

What else? I am nearly finished with the illustrations for Boats For Papa, which I am really loving working on, so a part of me will be sad to be finished. But it just means I'm that much closer to getting it finished in hand-which is AMAZING to me! This has been the best creative project I've ever got to do in my life and I've cherished every moment of it! And also once this book is finished I'm onto book two already! What??? How did I get so lucky?! I am so over the moon I still can't believe my dream has come true! So at least I have another awesome project to look forward to! I'll keep you posted as things come up.

But that is really the bulk of what I've been up to. That and juggling a million work and holiday things. So I'm glad to see the new year come around to allow for new things to unfold!

Also, here is the front and back of my promo card I sent out this year. It features my favorite twin badger brothers, Tic and Tac, being silly as usual. So happy new year to you all! I can't wait to see what 2014 has in store.

Graphic Novel Northwest

Hey all

Short Run (seattle comic/ small press festival) is just around the corner and we are getting ready for the show! In conjunction with having our comics for sale at Short Run at our booth, Gorilla House Press, Aaron and I are participating in a show about graphic novelists in the Northwest! Original pages from my first graphic novel "Diary of a Wiener" and Aaron's "Ouroboros are on display Shoreline Community college through December.

The opening reception for this exhibition of graphic novel art is on Saturday, Nov. 16, from 5 to 7 pm.

Eisner Award winner David Lasky curated the show (and made the poster) at the invitation of Shoreline CC, and he chose Seattle artists who have made (or are working on) long-form comics (the literal meaning of "graphic novel").  Original artwork is on display by:

Aaron Bagley

Jessixa Bagley

Ellen Forney

Colleen Frakes

Eroyn Franklin

Roberta Gregory

David Lee Ingersoll

David Kelly

Megan Kelso

David Lasky

Mita Mahato

Greg Stump

Tom Van Deusen

Max Badger Woodring

The exhibition will be on display through November and December in the Administration Building (1000), near the school's main gate.  Some of the work will be for sale.

Shoreline Community College is located at 16101 Greenwood Ave, North, in Shoreline, WA.  By bus, the #5 from downtown ends its route at the college.

Weekend sketching

Howdy folks!

This weekend has been jam packed with inspiration and drawing! Two of my favorite things. First it started off with attending Short Run. The Seattle small press show featuring mostly comics and some zines. I was there for over four hours and it wasn't enough time to see it all. I love making comics and have had a long break from making minis due to trying to devote all my comics time to my graphic novel. But I was sooooo inspired to get back into making smaller one off comics that I've got some big ideas hat I know I won't be able to shelf for long. My goal for 2013 is to have a table at Short Run with a some new comics and perhaps even segments from my graphic novel. I'm thrilled. I just need to find about 20 more hours a week to get all my stuff done! No problem though, right?

I've also been making some preliminary sketches for an illustration I'm submitting for the Tomie dePaola competition through SCBWI. This award includes a full paid trip and entrance to the winter conference in New York. I REALLLLLLLY want to go to this and would be so honored to win the award. So I'm going to try very hard to submit the best illustration possible. 

Lastly, I've been working on another picture book concept. I'm in the early stages of re-writes and thumbnails, but it feels good to be writing stories that really connect to my visual language, which I've had trouble doing in the past. I'll post more on that as it comes but I will just say this, it involves my two favorite badger brothers Tic and Tac!

I know all of this sounds like a lot, but I just can't pass up inspired ideas when they present themselves to me. I also think adding more fun and unrestricted comics work is just what I need to help with my storytelling and illustration with my picture books as well as my graphic novel. 

So much to do! But so excited to do it all!