The Late, Late News

So...avoidance can only take me so far. I had planned on making these announcements months ago but procrastinated. Then, my brother gave me a little bit of a verbal bitch slap the other day and so here I am. Here goes...

I'm going to be taking a little break from web comics, probably until the fall. I know I've not really done anything since January but here is my formal announcement. I will be coming back but I want to make comics, web and print, and illustration my day job and to do that I need to do a bit of planning. I'm giving myself until September at the latest to get my shit together and get back to work. I know that my past record of updating (or not updating rather) is inspiring oh so much faith in my words. I can't say that I will be a steady rock of updatitude but I'm going to try.

When I come back however, Of Snakes and Apples won't be along for the ride. Yep, I'm ending OSAA. I have 3 pages that I've drawn and inked and will be posting them this weekend but that is all. It's been a great few years, I love my fans and the friends I've made along the way but it's become purely an obligation to create anymore. It's also not the right comic for the creator that I want to be.

When I first started OSAA I had this idea about being this creator that is all about being dramatic and controversial. Now, I just want to tell interesting stories that can reach people of all ages. I'm also wanting to stay away from sweeping epic story lines. I have so much respect for those comicers that do stories that go on for 5+ years and have no real end in sight. That is just not me. I like working on things with a beginning, middle and end and that only last a few years at most. So that is what I'm working on. I still like the OSAA story and I'm planning on writing it as a novel some time in the future. Maybe. We'll see.

I hope some of y'all will come by when I'm back to comicing.

Love your faces-
Kiki

Staple 2011

So Amber, Will and I went to Staple in Austin last weekend. It was a blast! Almost died on the way there, met some awesome people and sold some comics. I shot some video (with my cell so kinda crap quality) and put it together in a little video.

Enjoy!



Next is Lubbock Comic Book Expo, April 9th-10th! Now I gotta get back to work!

<3
--Kiki

Hey There Stranger!

So MUCH has happened since I last updated this thing (I fail at blogging). I moved back into the studio a few months ago. God I missed it...and I didn't realize how much I missed it until I came back.

When the studio first started it was great! Most days the studio was filled with my studiomates...but after about 6 months it got to where I was the only one there most of the nights I was able to make it up to the studio. Along with a crap-ton of personal stuff that I had been dealing with since my mom died, it was just too much and I got depressed and disheartened and dismayed...just lots of dis-ness. So, I stopped going and eventually I moved out all together.

I started seriously doubting doing this comic thing as a job. During my teens my mom kinda flittered around from one career to another. She had all these grand schemes on how to make money that never worked out. It drove me nuts! And I started to worry that me doing comics/illustration as an actual job was just like my mom and I was doomed to fail. So, I decided to spend a few months failing at updating my webcomic and wallowing in self pity. After a bit I started to leave the house again...and drawing again. I even started seeing my artist friends again.

I realized that I couldn't just give up before even trying. I remember my uncle telling me that when I was little I wouldn't even try to do something unless I KNEW I would succeed and, sadly, I missed out on a lot of fun doing that. The sad thing is that I never really grew out of that. I have this need in me to make sure that I never stumble, that I never mess up. I have to tell myself daily that I'm only human and allowed to make mistakes but still agonize over the tiniest ones.

Last October I decided that I wanted to go back to the studio. Around the same time I was also contacted by someone from the corporate office of the cable company that I work for during the day about doing a comic for them. At first I balked...this is a national company. If I got the job I'd have to do it and live with any mistakes that I made doing it. I was going to say no...but after some not so gentle prodding from friends and family I took the risk. Luckily, I was able to talk to the guy heading the project via email and IM so I could hyperventilate to my hearts content.

I teamed up with 2 studiomates/friends and applied and got the job. We just finished (well, mostly) the first book. Four more are due out this year. (this is part of one of my favorite panels)

It was a crap-load of work...more than I expected. Especially since I'd never worked with either of the guys before on a project...though they had worked together on a project before. But now it's done and we got our first paycheck...which I wanted to frame and put on my wall...you know, after cashing it. Heh.

During this whole thing I put Of Snakes & Apples on hold saying I would be back, with a buffer, after the new year. I finally got to working on that


I've worked through a lot and realized a lot of crap I was putting myself through for nothing. I'm happier now than I've been in years...maybe ever. And I'm more myself.

I plan on updating this blog at least once a week from now on. Next will be a step by step walk through on how I create my comics ^_^

See you then!
-Kiki

Lets Try This Again

So, I keep forgetting that I have this thing, ha! I'm going to try to update this thing at least weekly from now on with work in progress and sketches and whatever. Hopefully...

So, I'm planning of applying for the Prism Comics Queer Press Grant. I have no idea how to do it but I've gotten a few leads to some help. Here's hoping that I get it! Okay, lets get real, here's hoping that I actually apply...I really fail hard at time management.

I was also contacted last week by my day time employer about working on a comicbook for them! Appearently my name was all over the place at coorporate last week...which is a little scary. I'm looking for local talent to help me out and I have a few leads. I hope it pans out cause paying comic work...yes please!

As many of y'all know I moved out of Robot Cowboy Studio at the beginning of the year...I'm planning on going back (if there is a space for me) someday. I loved being part of a studio but I was so depressed that I just couldn't make myself go in and work. So, I moved all my crap back home and found it a bit difficult to fit both Ryan and my studios in my little house. I think I've got it figured out now...once it's up I'll post pics ^_^

Well, I should get back to work. Till next time y'all!

SKETCH DUMP!! and other projects...

Some sketches I've been working on over the last week...or so.

Random chick with a sword! Just something to take up the last page of my last sketchbook. I really like how it turned out.













Here are a few sketches for the comic I'm working on for Staple next year.



















Lila Montgomery...obviously. She is the main character. My fav of these is the one where she facing forward...I just really like how it turned out.


This is the plant the story is named after.


Luke is the love interest/friend of Lila. I'm getting better at drawing weaponry ^_^


Creepy monster man. His hands and feet were so damn fun to draw ^_^



The story revolves around a group of monster exterminators in the near future...based in southern Oklahoma. The Luke and Lila are specialists called "seerer" who are kinda psychics who can pinpoint and fight these creatures. I'm really really excited about this project and will post more later. Now I need to finish drawing this weeks OSAA and get some sleep!

Funny stories on why it's a good idea to regularly save your work

So, I was at the studio the other day with my friend Will and he got the funniest message from his friend from Cali...I think his name is Brian. So, Brian was working on some art on his computer for hours and, of course, hadn't saved it. Well, he shares his studio with a musician and Brian moved his foot and nudged a mic stand with his toe causing it to fall over. It hit the shelves and knocked a book off which fell right on the off/on switch of the power strip for his computer shutting everything down.

While we were cracking up about this he told me about the time our other studiomate Syd was working on a piece start to finish on the computer. And again, he didn't save it once the entire time. He finished and called the others in the studio over to critique it. Once he was happy with it he went to close PhotoShop and when it asked if he wanted to save it he hit "don't save" without thinking. I've never heard Syd raise his voice or cuss but apparently he was cussing up a storm after that.

So, kiddies, always save your work.

Hey, I have a blog!

Totally forgot about this place, lol. So, this year has sucked mostly. Lost my mom and my cat that I've had since I was 15 (half of my life). The depression from loosing my mom was bad, it affected everything. I almost lost my job, my house was a serious mess and I would even go days without eating or leaving my house. My comics definitely suffered... But, finally, I realized that my mom wouldn't want me to let my life fall apart. So, I've pulled my shit together and I'm getting back on the horse.

Of Snakes & Apples is updating again. I have a convention that I'm getting ready for (only 2 weeks away *panics*) and my house actually looks like a normal person lives there. I've been sketching a lot too...but since I've lost my phone I don't really have a way to take pictures...I guess I could scan them. If I remember while I'm at home. Soon I hope I can be doing as much as I was before my mom passed.

Oh, I'm also planning on doing a tour post of the artist studio I'm part of. I share a space with some phenomenally talented artists. Working with them has really pushed me to better my art and to really start thinking of how to make this comic thing my livelihood. Someday...

Okay, I should probably get back to work.