Welcome back to my sophomore venture into newslettering! What a weird past few months it’s been, huh? Anyways, I don’t have much of a preamble let’s just dive right in.
WHAT I’M WORKING ON
Wouldn’t ya know it, more comics!! It’s been more a “getting back into the swing of things” lately, as the holidays always mess me up every year without fail. Every single year something happens in December that throws me off my game and I need to take at least 5+ business days to recover from. One year my car was broken into. Last year my colon exploded. This year I had a 28 hour travel day from hell. And then shortly after helped my sister move to California and visited friends in LA in a two birds one trip type thing. So here I am, in the late January doldrums, clawing my way back to productivity. Still working on the Sister Arc, and planning out further arcs of Eldritch Darling. I’m also working on formatting the first full volume! The books I have now are typical manga sized (close to B6) buuuut I’m looking at that A5 sizing for the big books. Plus that means I get to learn publishing software, which is always fun to learn a new program.
Additionally I’m prepping for ECCC in March! All my orders are in and now I just have to wait! ECCC is my favorite local show of the year and I’m so excited to say I have a full table to myself this year! And for the first time in my con career I am confident I can fill up that full 6’ of space! It’s an extremely good feeling. I get to sit by friends and meet fans and talk about exciting things, all in my own backyard! I love you, ECCC. Please be nice to me and buy my books please please please.
In non work things, a current project of mine is DECLUTTERING MY DANG HOUSE!!! It’s hard but worth it. Highly recommend taking winter to ease yourself into “spring cleaning”. Listen, slow and steady wins the race.
WHAT I’M WATCHING
It’s hard to pick just one thing to talk about, I’m always reading and watching a few things at once.
Alright, let’s talk about Gachiakuta. I picked up the manga a few months ago and immediately fell in love with the style, the concept, the worldbuilding, everything! Years ago in college for a project I had to come up with a pitch bible and the story had a concept very similar to vital instruments (mine were called “patents” lol) and the main character had an umbrella, so seeing Enjin’s cool ass weapon IMMEDIATELY got my attention. I binged all that I was able to get my hands on, and goddamn what a cool manga. It just DRIPS coolness. It’s punk as hell. From the graffiti (which, the author Kei Urana works with graffiti artist Hideyoshi Andou on this! how cool is that??) to the story of one kid abandoned by upper class society finding camaraderie and genuine friendship to the point where he’s like “YOU’RE JUST JEALOUS MY FRIENDS ARE AWESOME” while flipping off the villain. Extremely punk. I wholeheartedly recommend the manga.
You know what’s odd tho? The anime doesn’t hit as much for me as the manga does. Usually I will watch both an anime and read the manga (Chainsaw Man, Dan Da Dan, Dungeon Meshi, Promised Neverland, Bocchi the Rock, Fullmetal Alchemist) and not super prefer one or the other because they both have their strengths. Gachiakuta I prefer the manga to the anime. Like don’t get me wrong the anime is top notch! The dub is especially funny, using current slang and letting the actors go nuts. Zeno Robinson as Jabber is soooo inspired. When he yelled “WHOSE MANS IS THIS????” it got a genuine belly laugh from me. However there’s something so kinetic about Gachiakuta in the manga that the anime just hasn’t captured for me unfortunately. I still really enjoy it, that second opening goes extremely hard. I just recommend reading the comic. Next to my desk is a bookshelf with books I like to reference for paneling, action, lettering, anything, and Gachiakuta has easily earned its place there. It’s one of those series I read and immediately go “I GOTTA get weirder with it”.
Sidenote, I love the little author notes at the back of each volume. My personal favorite from Kei Urana is “When I’m thinking up characters, I create them to be decent people, but then I actually draw them and for some reason, they turn out to be freaky weirdos. I’ve given up, realizing that this is who they truly are. Thbbft.” Cause, girl, same.
WHAT I’M LISTENING TO
I love comedy music, ever since I was a shitty 14 year old. Discovering The Lonely Island did something to my impressionable brain makeup and it hasn’t truly been the same since. These days I’ve been listening to both “Sushi Glory Hole” and “Here I Go” nonstop. In addition to being funny (“you got nothing to fear. sushi glory hole it’s a good idea-r”) they’re also genuinely good songs??? Like the beat on SGH goes so hard. I love when a comedy band also is just good at music it both delights and pisses me off (the first time I listened to “Mansion Party” by NSP I YELLED in my car “WHY IS THIS GOOD YOU’RE A SILLY JOKE BAND”) It’s also impressive The Lonely Island has been going for, what, 15 years now? Like damn. Good for them. I’m also trying to up my rap game for whenever I go to karaoke next. I WILL raise the vibes by doing some good bbno$. Or Ashnikko. Or both.
WHAT I’M EATING
A brief love letter to salmon. I love you, salmon. The most delicious fish in the world. They swim upriver to where they were born only to fuck and die. My favorite sushi type. Wow I’m just talking about sushi this newsletter huh. Whatever. Salmon is delicious and my special treat meal recently has been to grab some sashimi at Uwajimaya (my most beloved asian grocery store) and serve that over rice with some shiso leaves. The combination of the delicious fatty fish with peppery shiso and a bit of tamari sauce and wasabi??? Damn. Damn girl. Even typing this out I’m like damn that sounds fucking good as I Homer Simpson drool. There’s a reason I’m not planning to leave the west coast any time soon, the seafood is just too good. Plus a couple times I had salmon in NYC it gave me food poisoning. But my love for salmon has endured and will never die. Imagine me as the phantom of the opera and salmon is my Christine. Yea. Also, fun fact, my hometown has what’s called “salmon days” every October where we celebrate the salmon returning. I made a paper mache salmon in high school art class one year and yes my mom still has it.
SEASONAL DELIGHTS
We’re deep into winter now, and I’ve rediscovered my love for Christmas lights! I put some icicle lights on my window to brighten things up and wow it’s kinda doing wonders for my seasonal depression. I truly believe the yuletide tradition of putting up lights should continue for the rest of winter. Keep fighting the darkness until the sun returns triumphant!! Plus they look really cute.
Alright, that’s all I’ve got! Time to head back into hibernation. See ya in spring! 💕