McNeil Island Comic Cover Sketches

This thing is very close to being done! Probably not in time for MoCCA, but soon after!

Scratch that, the comic will probably be done in time for MoCCA, but it probably won't be back from the printers in time.

I've been doing some cover doodles now, to save myself the anxiety (covers stress me out). Here's a couple of ideas:

Feedback appreciated. So far the best comment I've gotten from showing these around is "that green water makes me feel crazy". Puget Sound always looked green to me?

McNeil Island Book Update

Just an update for anyone following the fundraiser- after books and commissions, the final tally was $190, just $10 shy of the $200 goal to cover plane tickets, but so close I'm not complaining.

Attending the closing ceremonies and driving around my abandoned hometown was a very weird experience, but the comic is coming along well. Took the first 28 pages to critique group yesterday, and I'm feeling pretty good about the whole thing.



Thanks to everyone for your help!

McNeil Island Visit

I'm back! Spent half a week on the west coast, visiting with my parents and friends, but mostly visiting McNeil Island. My parents live a couple of hours away in Monroe, but we drove down to Steilacoom (where the ferry to the island docks) every day of my trip, and were lucky enough to get to spend two days on the island.



Here's my dad walking around the old neighborhood of Center Hill. This part wasn't sad, it was just weird. Half the houses were boarded up, but a lot looked like people could still be living in them. It was less like visiting home, and more like wandering around the set of a horror movie.



View of Still Harbor from Lt.'s Row.



And this is why we lived on the island, despite everything- that's my little sister Liz and her fiance Erin, standing feet away from a freakin' bald eagle! Driving around we saw herds of deer, otters, harbor seals, coyotes, feral cats, and all kinds of birds. The parts of the island that aren't leased by the prison are owned by the Department of Natural Resources, it's an untouched nature preserve.

The rest of the photos are here. And the comic is coming along (relatively) soon!

SO CLOSE!

The fundraiser is almost over! I'm getting on a plane tomorrow, and so far I'm just under half of the pre-sale goal at 24 copies. Thank you everyone who has ordered a copy so far! This has at least funded my ticket to Seattle.

They're is still time to order a comic to help fund this trip, if you'd like to help make my night. The printing has been funded by Koyama Press, and the final product promises to be much fancier then I'd originally intended.

 BONUS COMIC (so that I still feel like this blog is entertaining people, and not just about endless self-promotion)-



I drew this way back in September, for the Picture Book Report, but since that blog has ended it seemed safe to post it.

Fundraiser Update

Hey! I'm up to 21 pre-orders. Not quite halfway to my goal of 50,  and this fundraiser is going to end on March 1st when I leave for Washington State. If you've been waiting for the right time to order a copy, now is that time!

Although I'd originally given myself until June to complete the comic, new plan is to have it finished by MoCCA. Working on some of it now in order to get a head start-

I'm working on these drawings for the McNeil Island Historical Society, but

I hope to incorporate them into the book and have a little section on the island's history.

That's all for now!

Fundraiser Update and Big News!

Hello Internet!

This fundraiser experiment has been going on for a little under a week now, and the results have been much better than I expected.

Each little book on the meter represents 5 copies sold, I'm at 11 now and happy with how things are moving along.

BUT THAT'S NOT THE BEST NEWS!

HERE IS THE BEST NEWS (following this cartoon dramatization, depicting the events of last Tuesday):

Anne Koyama has generously offered to fund the printing of this comic! I was so surprised by her offer, it was like being punched in the face (in a good way). I am really excited to be working with Annie, since she's been publishing some of my favorite artists for a while now.

NOW TINY TIM WILL LIVE TO SEE ANOTHER CHRISTMAS!
(Tiny Tim is my bank account)

Even though the printing is funded, I still need to find home for all these comics once they get here. So if you haven't already, please consider pre-ordering a copy and helping this little fundraiser along.  Thanks!

I'm begging for money, just like everyone else on the internet!

Here's the link to the earlier post about McNeil Island. Here's an article with some more info about the place, for those who are curious: "The homes and schoolhouse are boarded up. Electricity and water have been turned off."


AND here's the link to my Etsy Store, where you can pre-order a copy of this mini comic and help fund my trip. I found a really good deal on plane tickets, and only need about 50 pre-orders to cover the costs!

Or if you don't like comics, I'm also taking commissions!

$20 for an 8.5x11 black and white drawing

and $30 for color

I'll draw just about anything you'd like, within reason. Nothing too dirty (pinups- yes, centerfolds- no.) These prices are a little higher than what I usually charge, but that's so that I don't get overwhelmed with requests.

Thanks in advance for those who are able to help! And to everyone who has sent me emails about the project so far. It's such a weird ordeal, and I'm glad to have comics to help me sort it out.

McNeil Island Memoriam

From what my parents have told me, today is the last day that any residents will be living on McNeil Island, and I've been surprisingly weepy about it. It was a weird, lonely place to grow up, but it's also the only place where our family stayed put for more than five years. And I miss it.





I don't have any photos, but here's what I know about our old house:

The Ward House c.1900
South Coast Road Intersection of Buck Road, bldg. 104. This wood frame building, covered with horizontal slats, similar from the front to the Luhr Creek Outpost (no 27) is a one and one-half story residence with embellishments that include some clear-leaded glass windows, two projecting bay windows, a front porch overlooking the water and exposed roof-brackets that are more decorative than functional. An interesting back porch arrangement consists of two open entry areas and two volumetric spaces that function as internal areas. Long sweeping shed-type dormers are located at the front and rear of the house, with asphalt-shingle roof being gabled at both ends of the rectangular house. The front house has been recently rebuilt and a new foundation placed under it, Wood frame outbuildings located at the rear of the house.

And here's another old sketchook comic that I did, and I'm not sure that I ever posted. Drew this one back not long after I'd graduated from CCS, and was homesick for the ocean. BE PREPARED FOR OLD CRAPPY DRAWINGS:








And HERE is a more recent comic I did for the Daily Catch anthology at SPX, about taking the ferry from Steilacoom to home on the island, getting to see porpoises, and feeling lonely. 

Okay. I feel a little less like crying now. Maybe I can actually get some work done.