I’m back, baby! I decided to take the summer off from updates here and being super online. I was still working and at my desk but I took a little bit of the pressure away of posting regularly and to just be free to enjoy my time this summer. The last blogletter I shared went into how I was struggling with feeling connected to my community, and I am continuing to try to navigate that space between wanting to be a part of a community and also wanting to have my space and privacy. It’s a challenge! Especially with social media continuing to be deeply in flux. But rather than go into my inner turmoil there, I figured I’d tell you a little bit about what I’ve been up to and what else is going on with me.
I’ve been working on and off on my own writing projects, and admittedly struggling a bit with finding the one that I want to put my all into. I feel pulled in a number of different directions with wanting to try new things, write for different audiences and genres, and then trying to get my brain on board with it all. This summer’s weather really wreaked havoc on my ability to have a clear head, so I did my best to have grace for myself when I needed a break. I made a plan for coming back to my desk in the fall and to have days set aside for specific areas of work (ie. admin, writing, drawing, etc.) and I’m hoping that I’m able to stick with it.
Truly one of the hardest parts about freelancing as a full-time career is juggling all of the different components that go into it, if you don’t have the financial freedom to hire help for those tasks. This is something that I’m still really struggling with—not that I don’t have the ability to do these things, but between the tasks I have to do that are an unfortunate necessity of being self-employed and the writing work I do for others, it sometimes doesn’t leave a lot of time for projects of my own. One of my goals for this year is to finish a short comic of my very own too—and by that I mean, I’m drawing, colouring, and lettering it all myself. This is really the first time I’m posting about it anywhere publicly too, so I guess I’m attempting to make it all the more real by sharing that it’s something in the works. But again, finding time for all of the things I want to do in a week can be quite the task.
This summer has been busy—not just personally and socially, but professionally too. I’ve been doing a lot of promo stuff for Racc Pack and Pillow Talk, and most recently we returned from FanExpo Canada, which was an incredible success. I had my very first spotlight panel on my writing, which was so much fun, and I was so honoured. Thank you to Josh Stafford and Howard Wong for co-hosting that, and taking the time to chat with me. Leading up to the show, I also did a few interviews and such and the Toronto Guardian put together this lovely feature on me, so be sure to check that out.
My promo and touring continues into this fall as well, and I’m currently booking for school and library visits (financial assistance may be available).
UNRAVELLER by Frances Hardinge – I truly can’t stop thinking about this book. It’s not just my favourite book of the summer but I suspect it might be my favourite book of the whole year. I don’t want to give too much away but basically the story revolves around a young man who has the unique ability to unravel curses in a world where if you hate something with all of your heart, you can be gifted the ability to curse the person that your ire is directed towards. It is marvelously written, beautiful, and such a brilliant concept, and I truly don’t know why more people aren’t out talking about this story. Hands down one of the best standalone fantasy books that I’ve read in a long time.
THRUM by Meg Smitherman – Over the last several years, I’ve been getting more into horror and thriller media, which was something that I didn’t really grow up with (my parents were fairly strict with what I was allowed to watch). As an adult, I’ve been discovering a late love for spooky stuff, and adore gothic romances and thrillers, etc. so when Meg posted about Thrum as Crimson Peak meets Event Horizon, I knew I was wholeheartedly on board. And Thrum did not disappoint in any way! I tore through the novella and read it in one day, completely unable to put it down. It’s atmospheric and haunting, and a little bit of (terrifying) romance thrown into the mix too. It follows the story of a ship traveling through space that is stopped in the far reaches of space before arriving at its final destination. Stranded and unsure of what to do, Ami puts out a short-range SOS signal in a desperate attempt to find salvation…and is hailed by someone, or something…
PARASOCIAL by Alex de Campi and Erica Henderson – I wish that I’d written down my thoughts immediately after reading this, but this chilling story was something that I think a lot of folks who would self-describe as “terminally online” in varying degress will resonate with. We have these parasocial relationships with folks that we don’t truly know, and sometimes those take a terrifying turn, especially if you’re someone who is in the spotlight. de Campi and Henderson do a terrifyingly great job of illustrating that and bring together a modern Misery tale in graphic novel form.
TV:
I’ve previously included a section on the things I’ve been watching lately…and then I began waffling on whether or not to keep it in. And since I last posted about it, there has been a lot, especially in the reality TV genre. The Traitors (Australia) S2, Love is Blind S6, Below Deck S2-10, Vanderpump Rules S11, Summer House S1, The Jinx Part 2, Real Housewives of Salt Lake City S4, The Valley S1, Great British Bake-Off S14, The Challenge All-Stars S4, Ren Faire, The Mole S2, and Love Island S6 (which was truly a commitment…).
TL;DR—I watch a lot of reality television.
Outside of reality TV though, I checked out Betty S2 (I loved both seasons of this show, so sad that it’s done), Percy Jackson S1, Hacks S3, Delicious in Dungeon S1 (so good, so fun, A+), Extraordinary S1-2 (truly a delight), Trying S3-4, and over the weekend I watched the entirety of the new Greek Mythology series, Kaos.
KAOS was everything that I could’ve possibly wanted it to be. The entire cast was absolute perfection, and the way that the myths were reintrepreted was fresh and exciting! I can’t stop thinking about this show, truly. I loved the casting choices, and the way that they drew from other mythology-based adaptations to create something that felt really original even with material that has been used over and over again. It would’ve been fun as a mini-series, but I am curious to see where it goes—although not super confident in Netflix’s ability to let this show tell its full story.
MY BOOKS:
It continues to be a really busy year for me! I’ve had a few things come out so forgive me a moment while I plug some stuff:
PILLOW TALK – It took four years for Pillow Talk to hit store shelves and I genuinely cried when the final copies of the book arrived on my doorstep. Talking about this project to people over the summer has been such a joy! I hope that if you’re in the market for a new and exciting graphic novel to read, that perhaps you’ll consider checking out our story that is inspired by Toronto’s very real underground pillow fight league!
THE RACC PACK– The reception to The Racc Pack has been incredible, and I want to thank everyone who has picked up a copy or checked it out from their local library. Your support means everything to us! Which leads me into the next book…
THE RACC PACK: PRINCE AND THE PAWPER – A SEQUEL!!!!!! Well, it’s a standalone story (as is the first book) but features the Bins’ Family again as they get into a new predicament when they discover Prince, a celebrity raccoon that is making an appearance at the local PetExpo convention. They decide to disguise themselves and see if they can get some pointers on how to make the humans love wild raccoons as much as pet raccoons. But they get more than they bargained for when they hatch a plan after discovering how similar Dusty looks to Prince. OPEN FOR PRE-ORDERS NOW! Out January 28, 2025.
MY LITTLE PONY: CAMP BIGHOOF – Camp Bighoof has been out for a little while now and folks seem to be really enjoying this self-contained mini-series featuring the Mane 5, who are at summer camp teaching young ponies all about their powers. But when they stumble across a creature that may just be the legendary cryptid, Bighoof, Sunny and Zip go on a little sidequest to figure out if it’s real or a hoax.
CAT NINJA: HEART OF A HERO– Cat Ninja is a popular and fun series from Epic! Originals that I had the great pleasure of working on in a writers’ room. This volume revolves around Cat Ninja trying to figure out a balance between his role as a hero of Metro City as well a beloved house pet. But it never loses the fun and heart of the series as we dive in to figure that out. OPEN FOR PRE-ORDERS NOW! Out October 15, 2024.
SOCIALS:
And as mentioned above, social media continues to be in flux, so if you want to follow along where I’m most active, these are the places to do so:
And, woof. That was a long update, so thanks for sticking with me until the end here. The perils of not updating things for a few months is that there’s usually that much more to share! I’m continuing to work on some exciting changes to these newsletters and fun integrations, but for now, check back here for more.
Until next time…
Learning to read comic books and graphic novels can be intimidating if you don’t know where to start. Opening up a book and trying to decipher how everything flows should be intuitive, but that isn’t always the case. I wanted to help anyone coming to the format for the first time, better understand it and hopefully not feel like it’s daunting.
There are a couple of different kinds of comics—all comics are a form of sequential art, regardless, but American comics are read a little bit differently than say, manga. They’re more or less the same but just in different directions. But again, to avoid confusion, we’re going to focus on the North American style of comics, like the ones I work on such as Oh My Gods! and The Racc Pack.
HOW TO READ A COMIC PAGE
This seems like a good, logical place to start! When you open up a comic book page, you’ll see a bunch of panels (the individual boxes containing different bits of art that tell the story). Within those panels, there are caption boxes (usually in the top left hand corner of a panel) and word balloons near the character speaking.
The Word Balloon represents dialogue. It will almost always have a directional arrow that points towards the character speaking so that there is minimal confusion. They can still be tricky—What order do you read them in? But they’re the same as panels, so keep on reading:
The way to read the page (and the word balloons within each panel) is to go from Left to Right, Top to Bottom.
With the page shown on the right hand side from ParaNorthern, let’s go through the order that it should be read:
Panel 1 is the top left panel that reads, “Can I get a pumpkin spice latte?”
Panel 2 is the top right panel that reads, “UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Isn’t that just typical!”
Panel 3 is in the middle with the dialogue that reads, “Silas! We’ve talked about this. Pumpkin spice lattes are not made with actual pumpkins!”
And then the two panels along the bottom are Panels 4 and 5, respectively. And hopefully the above helped you to figure out how to read the remaining dialogue there.
Sometimes it’s trial and error a bit with bigger, more elaborate pages and panels, but the art should always be guiding your eye to where you’ll be going next. And again, the rule of thumb is Left to Right, Top to Bottom.
SINGLE ISSUES
Traditionally, single issue comics come out once a month, and are about 22-pages long. There are longer single issues but you’ll see them sometimes referred to as an Oversized Issue.
The best way that I can describe a single issue is that it’s like an episode in a season of your favourite TV show. You get a piece of the story each month that tells a larger over-arcing storyline (aka an “arc”). A story arc can be anywhere from 4-6 issues. It can be part of a continuing story (called an Ongoing Series) or simply be a one-off story arc (which is a Mini-Series or Limited Series).
You typically can get single issues from your local comic book store. They tend to have the most selection when it comes to the comics that are available and are more likely to have something that you’re curious about in stock. We’ll talk more about comic book stores in another column.
TRADE PAPERBACKS (TPB)
Trade paperbacks (often referred to as TPBs) are usually a collection of a complete story arc for a particular comic book series. If we continue with the comparison to TV, this would be the complete season.
TPBs are great! They’re one of the more accessible ways to read comics since a huge variety of places carry them. You can pick up collected trades via Amazon, in your local bookstore, or borrow them from your local library. If you read your comics digitally, Amazon’s Kindle Store often has Marvel trades on for incredibly low prices, starting at around $5, which is significantly cheaper than anywhere else… unless you’re getting them from the library which obviously lets you borrow books for the low price of FREE.
If you’re picking up an ongoing series or a series that has already released trades before, make sure you’re looking at the spine to see what volume number you’re picking up. You’ll ideally want to start at Vol. 1 unless you’ve done your research on a particular series and know of an alternate jumping on point. We’ll cover more of this in later columns.
One other great perk about collecting or reading comics in trade is that there are sometimes little bonuses for readers. Content can include bonus essays, script to final product type demonstrations, and cool concept art.
OGNs
OGN stands for Original Graphic Novel. These are trade-like comic books that are standalone. They’re not part of an ongoing series and if you hear someone saying “Check out this OGN!” it usually means that it is completely readable by anyone. My own books like ParaNorthern and Pillow Talk are originally, standalone OGNs.
Marvel and DC release a few of these a year and they allow for a fan (or newcomer) to check out a character or team in a way that’s not too bogged down by previous continuity.
A lot of the “smaller publishers” release these regularly though. They don’t have other comics or characters that you need to know.
There are many different OGNs that cover every single genre. There’s absolutely one out there for you!
When it comes to making comics and graphic novels, there are can be a lot of people involved…even before you get to the folks behind-the-scenes at a publisher. I wanted to discuss some major ones that you might see…and some that you might not see credited. Typically in the credits of a book, especially direct market comics (such as Marvel, DC Comics, Image Comics, Dark Horse Comics, etc.) , you’ll see a number of creators listed.
Graphic novels published by traditional publishers (such as Harper Collins, Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, etc.) don’t always credit the work-for-hire creators like colourists and letterers. They should but they sometimes don’t. On the copyright information page though, they sometimes will list out the folks who were involved there. Regardless, these are some roles that you might see:
Script by:
Story by:
Art by:
Pencils:
Inks:
Letters:
Let’s get into detail on these roles:
WRITER
The writer is responsible for the script that the artist (penciller, inker, colourist, letterer, etc.) will work off of. This includes panel descriptions, number of panels per page, the dialogue, captions, sound effects (aka SFX), and any other notes that will help the artist effectively bring the story to life.
In many cases, the writer is building the world for the artist too and providing feedback to bring their vision to the page. A good writer, however, knows how to communicate with their artist and how much feedback to provide to them in order to effectively create the structure of the world. Communication is key, and a writer needs to ensure they’re not being overbearing to allow for the artist to retain creative control and enjoy the process.
ARTIST
If there is only one artist credited on a comic book, there’s a good chance that they did the pencils, inks, colours, letters (the definitions of all of those can be found below) etc. Typically in the credits of a book, especially superhero comics, you’ll see a number of creators credited.
PENCILLER
The penciller is the person who lays down the drawings that will be the backbone for the inker. The penciller interprets the script and makes sure that the images on the page represent what’s happening in the story. In some cases, the pencils and inks may be done by the same person, but regardless, the pencils tend to be a looser version of the final product.
INKER
The inker uses strong lines and shading to emphasize the work already on the page from the pencils. The inker adds in any additional details needed to tell the story as per the script.
LETTERER
The letterer is responsible for incorporating all the dialogue, captions, and sound effects onto the page. They work off of the script that’s provided and use a specific set of comic book lettering rules to ensure that the page is easy to read and understand.
COLOURIST
The colourist does exactly what you might think: they colour the comics. A colourist is absolutely vital to the comic book. The comics medium has grown a lot over the years and now the colours on a comic can make or break how the book looks. They help set the tone, vibe, and just make the comic look a million times better.
FLATTER
I reached out to some friends to help me describe what exactly a flatter does and my pal, Richard Pace, described it like this: “If the colourist is a house painter, the flatter is the assistant who preps all the surfaces and tapes off the edges to make the job go faster.”Essentially the flatter puts down simple colours and prepares everything for the colourist to step in and focus on the shading, accents, and other things that will come into effect for the final colours.
EDITOR
The editor is responsible for a lot in the book. In addition to normal things like checking for any spelling/grammar errors, the editor is also responsible for tracking continuity, checking over the pencils, inks, colours, and letters, getting the book off to the printers, following up with publishers for vouchers (if working as a freelance editor), and keeping a schedule for the entire team.
This is pretty straightforward and doesn’t just apply to comic books. A publisher is the company that has chosen to take on a particular comic book and distribute it under their brand. Marvel and DC are the “Big Two” with the largest market share and then other publishers include Image Comics, Dark Horse, Boom!, Valiant, Oni Press, and more.
CREATORS
Sometimes you’ll see this listed in a book, especially indie titles. Created by refers to the person who initially came up with the original story, and characters. Unless the person is both an artist and a writer, usually there should be at least two names for this: the writer who came up with the story and the artist that came up with the character designs and concept art.
While a writer may have gotten the ball rolling on a pitch or story idea, comic books are a visual medium, and artists should always be credited as a co-creator. The artist is building the world that the readers will be absorbing as they go through the book and in this medium, that is extremely important.
As a series continues, you may see that the writer and/or artist is different from the CREATORS. Oftentimes, a creative team might decide to move on from a series to work on other projects, so they’ll hand their book off to someone else to take over. The new creative team will be credited appropriately, but CREATED BY along with the original creators names should always be something that you see accompanying everyone else in the credits.
SCRIPT BY or STORY BY
Mark Waid’s run on Black Widow was the first time that I ever noticed a fantastic way to lay out their credits**…
STORY BY: Mark Waid & Chris Samnee
SCRIPT BY: Mark Waid
ART BY: Chris Samnee
It had some additional variations but I’m mentioning this there is an important distinction to be noted here. The artist is very much responsible for how a story looks on the page (duh) and they’re communicating with the writer to ensure that what’s in the script is getting translated properly into images that convey the story.
The artist is as much of a storyteller as the writer is, when it comes to comic books.
Samnee being credited (in this example) is a great way of acknowledging the work that an artist puts into making the story an actual story. Without the art, these would just be screenplays, and people would likely just read novels instead.
I loved this so much and I wanted to address it in case you ever came across something like it in a book. It’s extremely respectful and in a book where you might not get a “creator” credit (Marvel and DC own their own characters), it’s maybe the next best thing to acknowledge the collaborative process between a writer and artist.
**There’s a chance I might be mixing up the exact way that Samnee/Waid are credited in Black Widow but I do distinctly remember that Waid gave Samnee a credit as a storyteller within the series either by saying “Story by” or “Written by” and crediting them both. Regardless, I’ve seen it in Black Widow and a couple other books (with different creators) over the years.
If you’re looking to understand comics and graphic novels more and what the various terminology means, here’s a handy dandy guide to help you out.
Let’s dive in:
COMIC BOOK ROLES AND CREATIVE TEAMS
This list of terms breaks down the different roles within a comic book, commonly referred to as the Creative Team.
Writer – The writer is responsible for the script that the artist (penciller, inker, colourist, letterer, etc.) will work off of. This includes panel descriptions, number of panels per page, the dialogue, captions, sound effects (aka SFX), and any other notes that will help the artist effectively bring the story to life.
Penciller – The penciller is the person who lays down the drawings that will be the backbone for the inker. The penciller interprets the script and makes sure that the images on the page represent what’s happening in the story. In some cases, the pencils and inks may be done by the same person, but regardless, the pencils tend to be a looser version of the final product.
Inker – The inker uses strong lines and shading to emphasize the work already on the page from the pencils. The inker adds in any additional details needed to tell the story as per the script.
Colourist – The colourist does exactly what you might think: they colour the comics. A colourist is absolutely vital to the comic book. The comics medium has grown a lot over the years and now the colours on a comic can make or break how the book looks. They help set the tone, vibe, and just make the comic look a million times better.
Letterer – The letterer is responsible for incorporating all the dialogue, captions, and sound effects onto the page. They work off of the script that’s provided and use a specific set of comic book lettering rules to ensure that the page is easy to read and understand.
Editor – The editor is responsible for a lot in the book. In addition to normal things like checking for any spelling/grammar errors, the editor is also responsible for tracking continuity, checking over the pencils, inks, colours, and letters, getting the book off to the printers, following up with publishers for vouchers (if working as a freelance editor), and keeping a schedule for the entire team.
For a more in-depth look at what each of these roles entails, check out this article.
FORMATS
Single Issue – A single issue (sometimes also referred to as a Floppie) is a 22-page comic typically released once a month. The individual issues make up a larger story arc (think of them as an episode in a season of a TV series). The page count and frequency of publication can change based on the book, but those are the standards.
Trade Paperback (TPB) – A trade paperback (or TPB) is a collected edition of a comic book series arc. This usually compiles all the individual issues previously released as Single Issues in one volume that tells a complete story arc (think of this like the complete season of a TV series).
Original Graphic Novel (OGN) – An original graphic novel (or OGN) is usually a comic book that stands alone. If it’s a character that is pre-existing and has previous continuity, it’s usually a book that anyone can pick up to learn more about that character and read a storyline that isn’t bogged down by all the other stuff going on. In indie and creator owned markets, this is usually just a self-contained story that anyone can pick up and enjoy.
Digital Comics – Digital comics refer to comics that you read on any digital platform such as tablet, phone, computer etc.
Digital First – This is a digital exclusive comic that is released online only first and then eventually it is released in print, either in single issues or collected as a trade.
Digest – A digest is a smaller format comic book – a digest sized version! Usually with a lower quality paper and many different short stories geared towards a younger audience. These types of comics can be found in grocery store queues and superstore book aisles, making them very accessible to just about everyone.
Omnibus – An omnibus is often a collection of either “essential” storylines or a “complete series”. It’s usually a mammoth hardcover book that also includes bonus content such as concept art.
Limited Series/Mini-Series – A Limited Series or Mini-Series is a comic that will have a set amount of issues that will be released (usually 5 or 6). This is different from an OGN because it’s released in single issues but will wrap up after the story is concluded. An OGN is released in a complete collected trade and eventually a Limited/Mini will likely be released this way too, but after it wraps up as single issues.
Webcomic – A webcomic is a serialized story that’s published on a web site regularly. Creators will release a new chapter periodically (such as every Monday) and are typically free for anyone to find and read.
Zine – Indie comic creators will often creator short zines that they’ll publish on web sites or at conventions. They can be as simple as being printed on regular printer paper and folded up like a pamphlet, or more professionally done at a printer. There’s no set rules for a zine!
Variant Cover – A variant cover is an alternative to the main advertised cover for a specific Single Issue. Marvel and DC do a lot of variant covers but they’re a big item amongst collectors as they showcase the work of different artists that may not normally be associated with a particular comic book.
OTHER TERMS
Panel – A panel refers to one of the boxes on a comic book page. Each box tells a piece of the story on the page and move the plot along.
Word Balloon – A word balloon surrounds the dialogue that a specific character is saying. A word balloon also often has a directional arrow that points to the character that is speaking.
Splash Page – A splash page refers to a page that only has one panel. The one panel can be laid out many different ways but ultimately one big “spread” or art takes up the entirety of the page.
Double Page Spread – In the same way that a Splash Page takes up one whole page, a double page spread does the same but across two pages. This is always done on side by side pages so that readers.
Anthology – An anthology collection isn’t something exclusive to comics; it exists in many other mediums. Typically it’s a series of stories done by a number of different creators with one common theme.
The Big Two – The Big Two refers to Marvel and DC Comics who collectively take up the largest market share when it comes to comic books.
Creator-Owned – Creator-owned means that a specific book is fully owned by the people who created the characters and story. The publisher doesn’t get any say when it comes to the creative rights of the book.
Indie – This is usually a broad term that describes pretty much anything that’s published outside of DC and Marvel. Some people believe that Image Comics is no longer indie but as they solely carry creator-owned titles, I still firmly believe they fall in that category. Indie, like in other industries, just means it’s independent.
Continuity – Continuity is another term that is found across other mediums. It refers to the consistencies in the story as well as the history of it.
Crossover – A crossover is when two pre-existing characters or worlds are in one story. Such as back in The Big Two teamed up to do a a short series called DC vs. Marvel back in 1996. A crossover isn’t exclusive to publishers teaming up, but can also be two characters that you wouldn’t normally see together in a story.
Event – A comic book event is a publicity stunt where a large over-arcing story takes over all the properties at a publisher (usually). Marvel does these a lot with Civil War being one of the most famous ones (as an example since this was also turned into a film).
Solicitations – These are the up coming releases from a publisher. They tell you the title, a little description of the book, the creative team, and when you can expect it to be released. They’ll also sometimes include a pre-order code that you can take to your LCS (see below) to ensure that they order in a copy of the book for you.
LCS – This is an abbreviation that stands for “Local Comic Shop”. It’s something you see online a lot, especially on social media.
One of the most common questions among creators in any field, but especially writing, ask: how do I get started? It’s common because not a lot of folks really talk about how hard it can be to break into the industry and land published work, especially if you’re not able to draw your own stories.
It’s marginally easier to find published work in comics if you can draw your own stories. You can build up your portfolio on your own, and not have to rely on collaboration, and saving up money to bring your scripts to life. But while it’s maybe easier to break in that way, artists ultimately get the short end of the stick, as they tend to be burdened with the majority of the work, crappier deadlines, and less pay.
That’s why it’s important for writers to practice as they come into the industry, and learn how to be the best collaborator that they can be. It’s not just about building up a portfolio, it’s about building up your work so that you’re taking your co-creators into consideration.
If you ask other creators who’ve been around for a while How do I get started? you will almost definitely get the response, “Just make comics!” This can be a little bit frustrating to some folks who feel that they don’t know how to make comics yet, and the question is more about WHERE do they start? How do they build up a network of peers? How do they seek out editors and published work? There are so many different components at work here, and we’re going to try to jump into a few of those in this piece.
GETTING YOUR WORK PUBLISHED
I am a massive advocate of the short story. Short stories can be incredibly hard to write, and even harder to make satisfying to your readers. But being able to write a short story can be a powerful portfolio piece for you that editors will note and appreciate. It’s hard to drop people into a world, even if it’s our own, and set the stage so that the story can play out with anything that the reader may need to understand. You need to play around with how much information you absolutely have to convey vs. what can your reader be left to deduce on their own. To do that, you have to understand your audience, and write for who you think might read your story.
Thankfully, that sort of information tends to be provided to you if you look for anthologies and zines to submit to. Coming up and writing original story ideas can be really daunting without parameters, but because of the rise of the comic book anthology, small press publishers have been working on putting out a wide variety of collections to showcase a wide variety of creators.
They’re not always open call anthologies, and sometimes you just need to know the right people. Joining a group like Cartoonist Cooperative, can help you stay in the loop for the ones that do open their submissions.
Writers who aren’t able to draw their own stories are often concerned about their ability to pay an artist to bring their story to life. Submitting to, and getting accepted into an anthology can not only help with that, but it gets you a credit in a published project.
Most reputable anthologies and small press publishers will make sure to offer a page rate to the creators on their books. Because they’re small publishers though, the page rate is usually pending a crowdfunding campaign – they tend to get the money via Kickstarter (or another crowdfunding platform), which includes rates for the creators as well as the money they need for the actual creation of the book. You can visit TO Comix Press’ site to learn more about the process; they are completely transparent on the process, the funds, and everything else you need to learn about anthologies or to run your own.
Some creators may want to work with an established artist for a short story – an artist who may otherwise be out of their price range. What you can also do here, is negotiate with said artist. By negotiate, I mean you find out what their regular rate is, find out the rate that the anthology is paying to the artist, and then subtract that number from the regular rate. From there, you can pay the difference to make up for it, and potentially have the chance to work with a bigger name creator.
This can be good because a) it brings more repute to the anthology b) it gives more weight to you as a creator and c) allows you to learn about collaborating with someone who already has experience in the industry.
But even though you have a contract for the anthology (probably), make sure to also develop a contract between yourselves for the additional page rate to be provided.
Even if it’s small press or a micro press, having a story published in an anthology or zine still counts as published work. There can also be a lot of competition for these story slots too, so don’t be discouraged by rejection. You can always hang onto stories to work on and develop on your own down the line.
That brings me to my last point with this section though, and that’s about READING THE BRIEF. Each anthology will have specific perimeters and will often break things down into things that they want to see and things that they definitely don’t want to see. It’s important to read carefully and make sure that whatever you come up with fits into what they’re looking for. If not, you run the risk of being disregarded immediately.
Make sure you include everything that is asked of you. Check to see if they’ll help pair you up with an artist; if not, look into some options like again, being a part of a group like Cartoonist Cooperative. Check if you need to provide a web site; do you have a web site? If not, make sure you have one, and make sure that whatever you submit is what they’re looking for (for instance, some folks do not want to see Instagram shared as a portfolio).
Real talk: once you know that you want to take your creative passion to the next level, you should always have a web site. Always have contact information on your web site. Always make your web site accessible – you never know who might notice you! But most editors will never love a creator enough to hunt them down… if you don’t have a web site, or contact information listed anywhere, and are generally unaccessible, you are going to miss out on potential opportunities.
Most anthologies won’t ask for a script or art up front, but read to make sure. A lot of anthologies will at least want an outline of your story (including a satisfying resolution to the story), an idea of your characters, and a description like what you’d see on the back of a book.
This is tricky, especially if you don’t go to conventions or if you have crippling anxiety or… well, there’s a bunch of reasons why this is tricky.
There’s this great thing that exists called The Internet! And on the internet, you can utilize social media. And on that social media, you can still connect with editors (and your peers). I know things are really in flux right now in regards to that, but if social media doesn’t feel like an option for you, or it’s too overwhelming…hey! That’s okay. Many of us are right there with you. Again, joining a group like Cartoonist Cooperative, especially connecting to them or others via their Discord servers, can be a huge help.
I’d recommend building up a network of your peers first, and building up a good relationship with them. It doesn’t have to be a working relationship – in fact, most peer relationships are built as traditional friendships rather than being treated as a co-worker or colleague. Creators want to build healthy relationships with peers that they can be in the industry with; folks they can talk to and understand and relate to. Interacting, engaging, and supporting your peers in a way that feels (and is) genuine will go a long way in helping you build your career.
As you and your peers grow in the industry, you’ll find that people tend to share the wealth, so to speak. Creators are happy to give intros to other creators, to editors, and to other pros working in the industry. They’re willing to do that for their friends and peers that they will feel will be a good reflection of them since it’s their introduction that will open the door.
All of this can apply to IRL relationships and communities, if you’re the type of person okay with social interaction and being at conventions and industry events, but it still applies if you’re exclusively online only.
It’s about treating others with respect. Read the room, so to speak, and engage with others in an appropriate way. Respect your peers. Understand the rules and boundaries, and respect them.
WRITING EXERCISES AND PROMPTS
I won’t spend a long time on this section, so I’ll get to the point. Like I mentioned within the Getting Your Work Published section – sometimes when your have no perimeters, it’s intimidating to come up with a story idea. If that’s the case, and you don’t see any anthologies or zines to pitch to, look for writing prompts!
You can definitely find lots of them on Pinterest, on social media, and just generally around, but what you can also do to prepare yourself for other anthologies, is looking at old anthologies no longer accepting submissions. You can look at their guidelines and specifications, and try to build a story with them. It gives you structure and timelines to work with. You can choose to come up with the ideas and outlines only, or you can play around with the scripts and actually write them.
Other things to do? Think of your favourite characters from anything at all, and try to come up with a story that you haven’t seen done before with them. Shout out to FANFICTION!!!! It’s existed for many, many moons, and is fantastic. You can change the names of the characters or heck, you can just write out the character as the character. Just make sure that should you ever pursue having the script made, that there are certain legalities around selling a story that’s based on someone else’s property.
But as an exercise just for you? It’s great.
FINDING TIME TO WRITE
Despite what anyone says, you do not need a fancy app or word processor to write your scripts. For both writing and editing, I exclusively use Google Docs. I only really use Microsoft Word for copyedits or to send a file in a specific format to a creator or editor. Google Docs is great because it allows me access to my work anytime, and anywhere that I have internet access. Even if I don’t have internet access, as long as I’ve made the file available offline, I can still get to it.
This allows for me to, again, work from anywhere. I can work on my commute (I literally wrote an entire novel over the course of a month just on my daily commute), I can work on my day job breaks, and I can work if I have a few minutes before an appointment, or meeting or wherever else I am.
For me as also an editor, formatting is important, but it’s not as important as just getting things down on paper. You can free flow your idea and stories onto the page, and once you’re in a place to build up from that groundwork, go in and fine tune things.
Creators often don’t find time to write – most of us continue to have day jobs and side hustles that we have to do to pay our bills. If we focused on finding the time to write, it would never get done. We make the time to write.
This isn’t a humble brag on my life – because make no mistake: it’s a mess that I constantly struggle to balance. When I first started making comics, I was working a 45+ hour/week job and had numerous volunteer gigs and part-time jobs on the side. Plus trying to manage my personal life. But I still try to write every day. Or nearly every day. You could easily look at my life, and minus the editing and writing portion, think Wow, when would you have time to do anything else? and again, the answer is this: I make the time.
You need to make the time.
So at the end of the day, it comes down to you. When you, or anyone else asks How do I get started? it comes down to how bad you want it. Do you love comics? Do you love telling stories? Can you make time for this?
You need to tell these stories for you, first and foremost. You have to love the medium, and turning what’s in your brain into something more on the page. If you’re focused on making comics for other people, chances are, you won’t make it far. Tell stories that are important to you, and stories that you want to tell. That way, it becomes easy to make the time.
Get excited for your art. Get excited to tell a story. Get excited to see it come to life with an artist, and other collaborators! Collaboration is the best part of this medium, and when you open yourself up to the possibilities of what you can do within it, you’ll maybe find that the excitement is intoxicating and addicting in the best ways possible.
I regularly get asked about how to get your stories published, and it all starts with building a pitch for an agent, editor, and publisher to look at.
There’s no one, standard way to pitch in comics, but there are certain elements of your book that should be included no matter who you’re reaching out to. But I’ve melded my own personal way of pitching with Jim Zub’s method (from his post Here Comes the Pitch and other educational posts by him). Feel free to change it up to be whatever you need, but this is my go-to way to make sure I have everything that I need for telling folks about my story idea.
NOTE:This is the bare bones template. You’ll want to spruce it up with art, fonts, and personality that match your pitch. You don’t have to, but it does help to make your pitch stand out amongst others.
Keep in mind that what you need for a pitch can vary from agent to agent, editor to editor, and from publisher to publisher. For publishers that have open submissions, they’ll typically list what they need from you right on the page. Make sure to follow the instructions and include everything that they require to give your pitch the best possible chance for success. ALWAYS adjust your pitch to their specifications.
To give you some additional context for the pitch template you’ll see below, you can also take a look at our completed pitch for the OH MY GODS! graphic novels. A lot changed from pitch to final product but this will give you a rough idea of what we put together to get it in front of editors and publishers, keeping in mind that at the time, we were originally looking to release it serially within the direct market (comic book publishers as opposed to pitching it as a graphic novel to traditional publishers within the book industry).
Below are the elements that you’ll want to include in your pitch but there’s also a downloadable template at the bottom of the page for you too.
TITLE (OR WORKING TITLE*)
WRITTEN BY:
ART BY:
*Always include a title as opposed to UNTITLED PROJECT or whatever. The title can be changed later but it’s important to have something in place here. Include all other additional credits and creators that will be a part of your project.
LOGLINE:
A short summary of your story no more than 1-2 sentences long. It’s basically the elevator pitch to entice readers in.
DESCRIPTION:
This is the longer summary of your story that gets into slightly more detail. Think of what you’d read on the back of a book or graphic novel. Concise, catchy, and alluring. Ideally 2-3 paragraphs long. You really want to entice readers (aka editors, agents, publishers) with this.
CHARACTERS:
One of the biggest components of any pitch is your character section. This is a breakdown of the major characters that we’ll meet in the story (or the first arc that you’re pitching—if you’re looking to create an ongoing series). Put the focus on the ones that we see the most and/or the ones that have the most impact on the characters around them.
You not only want to include a blurb about who each of the characters is, what they look like, etc. but also the journey they’re on. Who are they at the start of the story vs. at the end? What will they learn? How will they grow?
If you have an artist attached to your project already, having concept art for the main characters can be very helpful. If you don’t, that’s okay! I personally like to build Pinterest boards to establish a “look” and aesthetic for each character to help support the visual. And you can include those Pinterest boards in your pitch too. Ideally, if an agent or editor is working on comics and graphic novels, they’re fairly visual and can use the tools you give them to envision the final product.
SETTING:
I’d say this can be optional to expand on in a pitch with the exception being if you’re creating a fictional place. It can be helpful to lay out the world and explain any differences between ours and the one you’ve built.
DETAILS:
This isn’t story-related stuff, per se. In this section, you want to include an estimated page count (or issue count if you’re thinking of a serialized story). Include whether or not it’s standalone, part of an ongoing series, etc. Make sure you research approx. page counts for the audience you’re aiming for too, so you know if what you’re pitching is within reason. And speaking of audience, this is also the place to go into that. Is your story MG (middle-grade), YA (young adult), adult, etc.
Again, do your research there to see what would be the best fit based on your characters and the story you want to tell. Sometimes an editor might ask to age your characters up or down to better fit into a market too. But that’s not something to worry about here.
You also want to select some comp(arable) titles to help show that there’s a market for your story. For instance, with Oh My Gods!, some of our comp titles included Lumberjanes, Percy Jackson, Clone High, etc.
OUTLINE:
Finally, you need a breakdown of the story. You don’t want to hold back here—include all the details of the story from start to finish. Lay everything out for the reader. If you have the story broken down into chapters, think of each outline as a detailed version of the DESCRIPTION section but with everything spelled out. Make each chapter 1-3 paragraphs long and be as concise as possible.
SAMPLE SCRIPT:
You’ll want to have a sample script to show too. Having at least 30-40 pages written will likely be the bare minimum. Some agents and editors want to see a FULL manuscript, so be sure to read submission guidelines to know what you need.
ART:
If you have concept art, include it. If you do include art, you want to make sure that you have character concept designs. If you’re building your own world, consider including some designs showing that off too. Direct market pubs often require preview pages* of the story (usually six pages, minimum) but be sure to read submission guidelines. If not, it never hurts to mention what you envision for the art and list a few artists whose style you think may work for the book when the time comes.
If you do have an artist/creative team on board, make sure details are worked out between you (ie. ownership split, payment system, royalties division, etc.) Be sure to have it in writing in the form of a collaboration contract. You can use this one as a template.
*if you’re going to include preview pages, keep in mind that the recommended six-pages don’t have to be the first six-pages. Use six-pages from your script and story that best represent the overall vision and tone of your project.
OTHER:
Lastly, this isn’t the definitive guide to pitching your comic. This is what I do and have had success with. Research other pitches and do what’s best for you and your story. This is a starting place to help you out. Before you submit, be sure to visit the websites for any editor, agent, or publisher to read their submission guidelines. They’re often outlined extensively so you’re giving them what they want to see.
If you pitch and get interest from an editor or agent…that’s great! But don’t sign a single thing until you’ve had a lawyer or agent review the paperwork. That’s another thread…but always protect yourself, your team, and your IP.
No matter what level you’re at in the industry, contracts are vital and important. Whether it’s between you and a publisher or you and an editor, or you and a co-collaborator, making sure that what you’re all doing is laid on paper is very important.
Even if you’re working with a friend, it’s important to make sure that what you’re doing together is clear and concise, with everyone’s roles outlined.
The idea of putting together a contract can be incredibly daunting, but it doesn’t have to be! Having everything on a piece of paper that you both sign can be your contract that will protect you (ie. Creator 1 is responsible for the art. Creator 2 is responsible for scripts. Both Creators will submit work on time as per an agreed upon schedule. All royalties will be split 50/50 and both will maintain co-ownership of the book.) – BUT if you want a slightly fancier contract to help keep your team safe, you can use this handy dandy Collaboration Agreement:
This agreement is just a template and it can be adjusted to fit your needs, based on the number of creators on your project, what you want to hash out, and more.
Here’s a tip: a friend of mine, Tory Woollcott, pointed out that a contract doesn’t have to be full of legal mumbo jumbo. If a publisher or collaborator sends you a contract that you don’t understand, break it down into simple terms. Write out the contract in ways that you understand with all the terms and ask the publisher/editor/collaborator if what you’ve written encapsulates everything within the jargonese of the more complex contract. If they say yes, ask if it’s okay if they sign your version of the contract so you have something that’s far easier to digest.
This might not always be feasible for every contract but between creators and collaborators, this way might be a lot more straightforward. For a publisher, if you don’t understand things, always be sure to hire a lawyer to review the terms and make sure that there’s nothing screwing you over in the legalese.
This post is meant to help out creators who want to put themselves out there for work, preferably of the paid variety.
Editors and creators in general are always on the lookout for new talent. As a freelance editor myself, I keep an ongoing list of the creators I come across that I want to find a project for someday. The list of creators is longer than the amount of work I could possibly do in one lifetime, but I still keep and add to it in the hopes of having the perfect person in mind for whatever project comes down the line.
Now, the rest of this piece will highly depend on what kind of work you’re looking for—but before I get into anything else, I want to talk about a few basic things that should be included in a portfolio no matter what kind of work you’re looking for. But I’m going to make the primary focus on building a portfolio as an artist. However, I will also include a little section at the end for a writing portfolio and specific things to include there.
A Home Base for Your Work
You don’t need to pay for a fancy website (Squarespace, Wix, Artstation etc, are fine) with a domain, etc. I want to see the art as easily as possible (straightforward navigation, etc.) and be able to contact someone. But you should have a home base for yourself that includes a short bio, a CV (if you have previous credits to list), your social media links, and above all else—CONTACT INFORMATION! I cannot stress how important this is. No matter how great your art is, there is no editor who will hunt you down to hire you if you don’t have easy ways to be contacted.
I know I’m not the only editor who sees this all the time. I know it can be scary to put your information out there to the world, but invest in a site and a contact form if you don’t want to include your email address.
Including a section in your ABOUT page on what you want to work on, what you like to draw, etc. is also helpful! Not necessary, but definitely helpful. And updating your ABOUT or CONTACT page with whether or not you’re available currently for work is also extremely helpful.
What Kind of Work Do You Want?
Unless you’re already a big name where a creator knows your work by flipping through a comic book that they’re already familiar with, you’re going to want to make sure that your portfolio includes images that showcase the type of work you’d like to be doing. If you want to do…
COVERS – have a strong portfolio of illustrations showing your range. Mockup covers for your fave books too, if you want and/or can.
INTERIORS: include samples of your sequential work.
Make sure to include illustrations and art that conveys the range you’re comfortable/happy working in. It’s okay to have a variety! But try to only include stuff that you want to do more of. Even if it’s just in sketch form, showcase everything you can draw, especially if it’s stuff that some artists don’t enjoy working on (ie. cars, bikes, horses, backgrounds, foliage, animals, etc.)
I’d say that most artists wanting to work in comics, animation, etc. can draw people, but you don’t always see a strong range of what else they can confidently do. How do your layouts look? Do you have strong line work? How’s the anatomy of the people on the page? How do you convey facial expressions and emotions? There are a ton of factors that go into whether or not someone is a good fit for a project and most of those come from seeing samples.
Maybe if I have time to put a project together (and spare cash), an editor can look into test pages for you to do if they’re REALLY interested, but more often than not, editors are looking for someone that they can already see knows their way around a page.
Think about portfolio pieces that will show an editor or potential co-creator everything that you can do for their book. You want to showcase anything that will make you stand out from the crowd, and having dynamic backgrounds, and being good at all the other things will absolutely make you an exceptional candidate.
If you’re looking for work as an interior artist primarily, it’s still okay to include a gallery of illustrations and other such things. I’d try to make them separate items though within your portfolio. For instance, you can have a menu set up with an Art tab – within that, you can break it down into Comics, Illustration, Mixed Media, etc.
You don’t have to limit yourself on your website and portfolio, but making it as easy as possible for editors and creators to find the things they need to find will ultimately help YOU out in the long run.
If you’ve played around with different styles and can really change up how your art looks, show us! I love seeing the range that a creator is capable of and it makes me want to take a risk if you’re maybe not exactly what I was initially looking for.
Having your art coloured isn’t essential in your portfolio since colourists are available to work on projects. If you feel that your colours aren’t particular strong but your line work is, don’t be afraid to just include your line art. It’s nice to see completed art but I’d rather see strong lines that showcase your strengths rather than your art watered down with colouring skills that aren’t quite there yet.
Other Roles
These things can be applied to other jobs in comics as well. Substitute sequential art for illustrations if you’re looking for cover work. Show us your ability to letter and colour comics, respectively.
If you don’t have art to work on and practice with, there are templates and such you can use to practice your colouring and lettering skills.
But again, no matter what: the most important thing is always to have a way that you can be contacted.
Where to NOT Host a Portfolio
Instagram is not a great place to have your portfolio—not everyone has an Instagram and if I’m an editor without one, I’m not making an account solely so I can message you. It’s also hard to zoom in on your linework and take a really decent look at what you’re creating. You can use Instagram if you really need to and don’t have alternatives, but I strongly suggest using something else, and again, having a website that really showcases you and your work.
Ditto that with deviantART, Behance, and other art websites. Those sites are fine to host a portfolio on but you absolutely NEED to include contact information. I am not signing up for deviantART (or trying to hunt down my password from 2005) to message you.
For Writers and Other Roles
As promised, I don’t have a lot more to add specifically for writers (because a lot of the above can still be applied to y’all), but here you go:
You need an updated CV of the work you’ve done. That can include any written projects, including if you’ve written for websites before as a news editor, or whatever. People just want to know that you can properly string together sentences. As time goes on and your portfolio grows, it’s definitely good to update your CV to include the work that most represents what you want to be doing and moving towards.
If you’re listing all the sites you covered news and movie reviews for, it’s possible that you’ll keep getting asked to do that kind of work rather than, say, writing comic books. So just keep that in mind.
I’ll leave you with the most important thing that I’ve discovered when looking at portfolios. I’ve already said it once but I’ll say it again for you all:
ALWAYS HAVE CONTACT INFORMATION ON YOUR WEBSITE!!!!
This is not the be all and end all to creating a portfolio—this is from my perspective of important components to include from my work as a freelance editor as well as a creator who is often on the lookout for exciting talent to work with.
Outlining your story is easily one of the most important parts of the process, and one that can sometimes be overlooked. For years, I thought I could get away with having a general idea and then jump into writing it and letting it evolve as I went along. It’s maybe no surprise to those who are avid outliners that I didn’t get very far with this method; I always seemed to lose traction and not know where to take things.
It seems like a simple revelation now, but when I finally realized how much an outline could (and would) help me fully realize and get my stories down, it was a game changer.
Even for short stories, outlines can be essential. They allow you to play around with the plot beats, move things around, and rework the story until it all makes sense and you’re happy with it. It saves you from scripting, editing, scrapping the whole thing, rewriting, editing, editing, editing, and editing some more. Most stories, short or long, will require edits and numerous drafts, but at least with an outline, you have a better skeleton to get your story off to a solid start.
Everyone’s outlining stage looks different but here’s what I do for my outlining process:
BROAD STORY DESCRIPTION
Once I have an idea that I want to develop further, I write out a plot description in a very loose format that tells me the general gist of the story. Kind of like what you’d see on the back of a book. I like having a broad sense of what the main story is, what the conflict will be, and the hook to readers.
This isn’t necessarily for everyone, but this is what I do.
LOOSE BRAINSTORM
From here, I like to use a good ol’ notebook and pen to jot down story ideas that will happen throughout the book. They may not be in “order” yet but I try to think about the characters, what I want to do with the story, and fill in gaps that will be inserted into the more detailed outline. Sometimes I come up with a great lead-in to the ending so I write it down so that I can add it in when I get to that part.
ASK QUESTIONS
Once I have a better sense of what I want to do, and before I get to the outline, I like to write down questions that I still need to answer to tell a complete story. Things like, “How does my protagonist solve this conflict?” or “What is so-and-so’s main motivation?” or “How do I drive up the conflict and stakes within the story?” etc.
Having an idea of things that I still need to work on and address in early stages helps me to think about what the story is lacking and try to add more substance to it. Sometimes it’s simpler things like exploring what makes a character who they are, and how to build on it, but the more questions we ask ourselves, the stronger our outline (and eventually story) will be.
STORY BREAKDOWN
One thing that I do for long-form writing is breakdown my stories into chapters. I have ADHD so trying to think about my stories as one big chunk is really hard for me. I can’t remember bits and pieces and where everything fits together when it’s presented to me that way, so I break things down into digestible chapters. The chapters themselves may not make it into the final product but being able to pinpoint specific areas for each part of my story makes it exponentially easier for me.
This also makes it easier for me when I edit and work on a new draft of a story, but that’s an article for another time.
I try to think of my story and then break it down into the major beats that will form the skeleton of the story. Those will be the chapters.
DETAILED OUTLINE
This is the bread and butter of each story I write. I put together an outline that is just for me and includes what more or less works out to a plot point per 1-5 pages. It varies in level of detail; sometimes I know exactly what I want to happen in that particular section, including bits of dialogue, while other times I can leave it pretty vague because what I’m writing gives me a good enough sense of what needs to go there.
Your bullet point count can vary and include much broader strokes if you work better with less structure, but for me, doing a really extensive outline allows me to write my scripts pretty quick since most of the work on the structure has already been done.
For a 250-300 page YA project that I’m currently working on, I have an 8-page bullet point outline that’s over 4500 words long. It’s probably my longest outline to date, but after having a more bare bones one, I went back in and added additional plot beats to work in some early editorial notes.
PROFESSIONAL PITCH OUTLINE
Once I have the detailed outline, I use it to build a more professional plot synopsis for my agent or an editor to read. This goes into detail about everything that’s going to happen in the chapter but in a back-of-the-book kind of way. There’s more detail than what you’d see there and includes spoilers (editors want to know what’s going to happen, not the juicy version meant to entice readers) but with my extensive bullet point plot beats, this version of the outline is a piece of cake. Or at least easier than it would be without it.
As you can hopefully tell, outlining is extremely important to building a solid story foundation and being able to tell a cohesive story. Everyone’s process is different, but hopefully this helps give you a sense of what goes into at least one writer’s outlines and what each step entails.
There are lots of other steps that can come before or after the outline stage (ie. worldbuilding, character concepts and descriptions, settings, etc.) but this particular piece is focused solely on the outline part, which should at the very least be firmly before your scripting stage. Everything else is up to you!
One of the biggest ways to grow as a creator, whether you’re new to the industry or a seasoned veteran, is by writing short stories. Short stories are often overlooked in the industry and although anthologies have been extremely popular over the years, individual stories aren’t often mentioned or praised in mainstream circles.
Short stories are notoriously hard to do and even harder to do well. Practicing and mastering the art of the short story can do wonders for you and your career. Here are a few examples of how they can help you:
PORTFOLIO PIECES
Shorts make for excellent portfolio pieces for up and coming creator. When an editor isn’t familiar with you or your work, being able to showcase several shorts with a variety of styles and genres is significantly more valuable than one long-form piece. And not to say that you should try to write something in every genre and do something to find any work; you can tinker to see what works and more particularly, what you enjoy.
Make your portfolio pieces the types of stories that showcase your range and are indicative of the kind of work you’d like to do as a creator. It’s important to have some focus when it comes to building your brand as a creator, but that still can afford you options. For instance, if you want to write middle-grade or YA, that’s the audience to build but you can still work on different genres for those audiences.
CREATOR REPUTATION
I’ve got bad news for any creators going into the comics industry without any short story experience: very few artists will want to work with you. I don’t mean for this to sound harsh, but it’s true. If you’re a writer with not a lot of scripting work under your belt, artists will automatically be wary of you. It’s no secret that the art process in comics is significantly more intensive than the writing process. There’s no debate. Artists don’t want to be brought on board to a project with a creator who doesn’t understand how to write specifically for the medium. It tends to make their jobs that much harder.
You have to allow yourself some time to learn the craft and hone your voice for the medium. There are specific things to learn and in a collaborative medium, it’s the least you can do to make the rest of your team’s lives easier.
PACING
Another important reason to play around with short stories is for pacing, especially if you’re unfamiliar with writing for the medium. Writing a 10-page prose story is NOT the same as writing a 10-page comic script. There’s far less room for you to tell your story and you have to learn to condense your idea down and understand that you may not be able to fit everything in. Keeping your panel count to 5-6 panels per page is equally important here. You can’t just overwhelm your artist (and the reader) by thinking you can fill up the page with panels. The story will suffer if you try to cram too much in.
Short stories really force you to learn what’s important to your story and what can be left behind. Simplify an idea down to the bare bones, figure out what you absolutely need, and add flourishes where you can.
CHANGING BAD HABITS
There are a myriad of bad habits that can be formed as a writer. That’s not something exclusive to the comics industry; it’s just something that can happen to anyone. But with that being said, as you learn about some of those habits and try to break them, you can challenge yourself through the short story.
For instance, if over-narration is a thing you do, how can you work around that? Challenging yourself to write something that uses no dialogue or narration is a great way to practice this. How can you convey your story by solely relying on the art? It’s an important and excellent way for creators to learn the essential lesson: show don’t tell. Comics is a visual medium, and as a writer, you need to learn to trust that the art will tell more than you think it will. Learning to let go and put faith in the rest of your team is a great way to level up as a collaborator.
CREATOR GROWTH
Continuing to learn and grow is an essential part of being a creator. If you don’t want your work to get stale and if you want your work to get better over time, practicing and trying new things are essential.
With a short story, it’s much easier to try out a new creative voice, to utilize a new script style or format, or to play with genres that are outside your comfort zone. When you dabble in something that’s 10-pages long, it’s easier to take risks and be less precious about the characters and what ultimately happens. And it’s much easier to evaluate your work and see what worked and what didn’t.
Telling a satisfying story is hard enough when you have 200+ pages to work with. It’s even harder when you only have 10-pages. To reiterate an earlier point, learning about what is essential to your story and what can be left out is a must to this art form. It pushes creators in different ways that help with your growth.
Even if you ultimately write short stories for you and you alone, practicing this art will make you a stronger creator in the end. If coming up with an idea for a short story is daunting, write fanfiction or do a spinoff of one of your other ideas. Tell a story that involves a side character, or try to elaborate on something you weren’t able to include in another project. There are lots of ways to form an idea that’s relatively low-stakes for you and still gives you the opportunity to practice.
Anthologies can give you a place to utilize these stories and get published, but even if you don’t come across one that’s a good fit for a specific story, you can still use the script itself as a portfolio piece to show to editors. But again, at the end of the day, short stories have so many additional merits that make them not just excellent portfolio pieces but brilliant educational exercises.
Whether you’re here because you want to be a comic book editor or whether you’re just curious about what exactly it can entail, welcome! For this piece, I’m going to speak about my personal experience as a freelance editor, which can differ from what is expected of an editor at a comic book publisher.
Maybe even moreso than writing questions, I get asked about being a comic book editor. When you think of what editing typically entails, you probably think about copyedits – someone to help check through your spelling and grammar – and someone who will help you work out any issues with your story.
Comics editing does involve those things, and can just be those things, but it’s often a lot more comprehensive than you might imagine. Depending on what you’re being hired for, and what you feel comfortable doing, freelance editing also means that you’re essentially a project manager for the book that you’re on. You are responsible for working with the team from start to finish, and keeping everyone on track.
EDITS – SCRIPTING
As mentioned, you are responsible for things like spelling and grammar, but it’s a matter of focusing on the important parts and knowing what matters. For instance, you don’t need to be pedantic and copyedit the panel descriptions; the descriptions are ultimately not going to make it into the story so you don’t have to spend a ton of time trying to tidy that all up. You only need to fix descriptions if they don’t make sense for the artist who will have to interpret them. The captions and dialogue are what’s important there, and ensuring that it flows well, serves the overall story, and doesn’t explain what the art will show.
Having a good sense of page layouts will serve you well since in the beginning (if you’re handling the entire book), you won’t have the images to help guide the story for you. It’ll be part of your job to read the descriptions, captions, and dialogue, and interpret whether or not the story will make sense with what the writer has put on the page. You have to try to also think about what the artist will draw from the description and decide if it’s enough for the reader to understand the story.
Alongside that, you’re also giving overall notes to decide if the story makes sense. It’s always different for each project too. Sometimes you’re working on a graphic novel which needs to tell a complete story in one book. Sometimes you’re working episodically and editing individual issues that come together to tell a complete story arc. If you’re working on the latter, do the individual issues feel satisfying and move the story along? Is there too much crammed into any one issue while other areas feel lighter on story?
In comics, everything has to come together to tell a cohesive story, and things can fall apart at any moment if you’re not on top of it all.
Talking to your team about what they want to convey in the story is also great too. It gives you specific things to look for and provide notes on, especially if it falls outside of the general story and copyedits. Maybe they want to focus on strong themes or big character moments. You can focus on whether or not those shine through, and help give inspiration and motivation whenever they feel like it’s not entirely hitting home.
EDITS – ART
Once you have a complete script done, and supposing you’re on board to edit the entire project, the next step is working with the rest of the creative team to bring the script to life.
An editor should strive to have the art process broken up into various stages, even if the artist you’re working with is doing it all; line art, inks, colours, and letters. Typically I would break the process down into:
Thumbnails
Pencils
Inks
Colours
Letters
Those steps would be scheduled individually, given their own realistic deadlines, and we would work through them all with notes given wherever needed along the way. An artist wouldn’t move on to the next step in the process until it’s compared to the script and approved.
The thumbnails phase should mostly be to layout the page based on the script and number of panels needed. It should also include very loose pencils, with word balloons taken into account for placement on the page. An artist doesn’t want to spend a ton of time on pages and panels where things will largely be covered up with captions and/or dialogue.
Pencils are the next step, and they’re the more refined line art for the story. Different artists will do this step in varying levels of detail which tends to come down to whether or not they’re also doing the inking for their art. Artists (in my experience) will go into a little more detail if they’re passing the work off to an inker.
Inks come next, and this is once again comparing things to the script to make sure that everything matches up, and the story is coming together and laid out correctly. This is the final line art, so it should have a refined look, any black and white shading, and should ultimately look complete even without the colour.
The colouring stage is sometimes broken up into more than one step depending on the artist. Some prefer working with someone who can do the colour flatting on the art, while others like to do it all themselves. But the main gist of things here is to set the atmosphere and tone of the story through colour. You once again have to compare things to the script to make sure that everything makes sense and that there aren’t any inconsistencies.
The final step is to hand the nearly completed pages off to a letterer who will then add in the word balloons, caption boxes, etc. as well as the dialogue that’s meant to be in each spot. ALWAYS HIRE A PROFESSIONAL TO DO THIS. Unless you are trained in lettering, I can almost guarantee you that people will notice if you try to cheap out on this step. If the lettering is good, people (unfortunately) won’t notice. If the lettering is bad, people will definitely notice, and can immediately ruin the book.
Through all the steps, it’s important to, again, make sure that everything matches up with the script.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
This is pretty straight-forward now that each of the steps have been outlined. Whether you’re working with one creator who is doing everything or you’re working with several creators who are handling individual parts, you need to have a conversation with every person on your team.
You need to be someone that each creator can come to with any issues, questions, concerns, etc. and more than that, you as an editor need to be familiar with them, how they work, concerns they have, and the best ways to help them bring the story to life. You also need to have a realistic idea of how long it takes for each step to be completed.
I always try to ask the creators I work with how long it takes them to complete one full page of pencils/inks/colours/letters. If they’re able to complete more than one page per day, how many per day can they complete? From there, it’s a matter of asking them how many days per week they work, and then doing some math to estimate how long it will take to complete each step.
You do this for each and every issue (if you’re working on a series), and take into account any issues that might come up, factoring that all in. Ideally, you have a generous schedule that you use to keep the team on track.
I tend to put things in a Google Doc, Calendar, and Spreadsheet for my creators. The Google Doc so that they can reference the dates, the calendar so that they can have it set up to give them reminders, and the spreadsheet so we can check things off as they’re completed.
TEAM MANAGEMENT
This is very similar to the Project Management aspect of things but in addition to all of what’s listed above, team management involves trying your best to talk to your creators and making sure that they’re doing okay. As friend and fellow editor, Adam P. Knave puts it, you’re also a part-time therapist.
If your creators are stuck at any part of the process, hopefully they feel comfortable enough to come to you and talk. If they’re struggling with a story element, working through it together. If they just need someone to vent to, you can hopefully be there.
It’s okay for creators to fall behind on deadlines, but it’s not okay to ghost on your team. As an editor, trying to have everyone communicate with you is vital. You can rework deadlines and move things around if you know what’s happening, and what to work around. It only gets to be a problem when you don’t hear from someone for ages, and don’t have any way to keep things moving.
You have to be a problem solver and come up with solutions to each unique situation that comes up.
At the end of the day, comics editing can be really intensive and it’s important to know what you’re able to take on. It’s okay to be available to discuss story elements and copyedits (or just one or the other). If you want to just be a project manager, that’s a thing too!
But making sure that you are aware of what you can offer and making sure that your creators are aware of that is key. Communication is what will get you through the journey!
Got anything to add to this? I’m sure I missed some important things along the way, so please feel free to help me add to this, and make it more comprehensive for anyone who is interested and wants to know more about comic book editing.
The world is still finding ways to adjust to the “new normal” post-pandemic, but regardless events have been happening again in full force. Amongst those things is a return to conventions, which has long been a place not only for showcasing your work but connecting with peers and networking with your community. As we make our way back to that life, I wanted to share some networking advice with you.
When networking with peers, many make the mistake of trying to connect with the biggest name in the room, so to speak. They think becoming friendly with them will be their golden ticket. It makes sense, in a way; if you can get in good with them, if they recommend you, it’ll mean that much more. But those people already have their network and while it can grow, they’re usually pretty set with their own group that they’re comfortable with and trust. The people that you should be connecting with are the ones at the same level as you. You need people to come up with who understand coming into the industry at the moment.
The people who’ve come to the industry before you had a completely different experience; all industries and how to break into them are constantly evolving. As much as I could give you advice on that and how I came into the industry (same with other established creators), that will change regularly and the people who understand where things are at as is (as I’ve said), are your peers at your level.
The network and support system you’re creating is about sharing information, helping each other out, critiquing groups, and more. You want them to become your circle that you can bounce ideas around with, talk to about what’s going on in the industry, help introduce each other to more of your peers as well as people with hiring power. And on a similar note, as you all find your way into the industry, hopefully also sharing the wealth.
And by “sharing the wealth” I don’t mean giving them your money. It means that if you have to pass on a job, you’re recommending someone else from that network and potentially helping them get hired. This happens all the time where schedules don’t align or you’re just not the right fit but chances are that you know someone from your network who would be a good fit or is actively looking for a project. You pass their name along and your peers are hopefully doing the same for you too.
At every networking event, there is always at least one up-and-coming creator who bails on their peers to star chase because they’re convinced that that’s their way into the industry. But finding the people who are just starting out and forming genuine connections is a million times more valuable to you as a creator. They can help you navigate the industry as it is and grow. And again, not to say that you can’t be friends with bigger name/established creators because you totally can. But the ones that are going to help you the most are the ones who are at the same level as you.
Treat your peers with respect. Understand that people can tell if you’re not genuine in your attempts to befriend them. And the sooner you learn that the industry is smaller than you think, the better. You might not think anything of it but if you’re the type of person to blow people off to hang with “bigger creators,” your peers will remember.
As you continue on in the industry, one of the most rewarding things about having a network is watching them find their success. Sure, it’s amazing to find your own version of success too, but seeing your peers succeed is inspiring and exciting. Every single time I see a friend announce a new project or get hired for something cool, I am so genuinely happy and excited for them. And eventually, seeing their work out in the world? THE BEST!!!!
That’s another reason why those networks and genuine connections are important. You shouldn’t want to compete with your peers but it’s okay to be inspired by them and strive for your own version of success. It’s about having a group of peers and friends that help you stay accountable to your goals and hold you to becoming the best version of yourself.
Happy April, everyone! I can’t believe that we’re already into the second quarter of the year, and whew…where does the time go?
I took yesterday off because I am too gullible to be on the internet for April Fools’ Day. That, and I am currently addicted to Disney Dreamlight Valley. But it was a long weekend of socializing and I needed a little bit of downtime just for me. Have you played Dreamlight Valley? I’m really enjoying it, aside from how cheesy some of it is from time to time, and the fact that the NPCs only have a few generic dialogue options to cycle through while they’re wandering around the village. Still, it was on sale and I am quite happy to have picked it up! I meant to dive into Horizon Zero Dawn: Forbidden West but decided I needed something cozy instead.
Last month, I was at Toronto Comicon where I was a Special Guest. I had a great time meeting all sorts of people who came by my booth. A fun perk of writing a trash animals story is that lots of people want to tell you about their trash animal stories! Which I am all for!!!! So that was a fantastic bonus as well as hanging out with the amazing creators that we were seated with through—Gerhard, Heather Antos, Michele Abounader, Adam Gorham, Fred Kennedy; y’all are the best.
Despite having a few events recently that put me back amongst the comics community, it’s been hard lately to feel like I am truly still a part of it. With social media in a state of flux and everyone spread across different platforms, it’s hard to feel like I’m getting the same sense of belonging and camaraderie. Oftentimes, working in a creative space can be pretty isolating, which feels especially true when I work from home and since the pandemic, I haven’t really stepped out of that a whole lot. It’s hard to really feel like it’s possible with the cost of living crisis, which is hitting particularly hard here in Toronto with rent, groceries, and all living expenses at unprecedented highs. Making time to go out and be social also feels like a risk to my wallet that I can’t always take.
Really, there’s a myriad of things that contribute to my sense of isolation. Not mention that my days of oversharing on social media and really putting myself out there, feel very over for me. I like my privacy and being able to have things for just myself and those close to me. It’s been harder and harder to want to put myself out there, as I just don’t feel the need to chronicle every aspect of my life anymore. Maybe that, in part, is also why I don’t feel that sense of connection any longer. I no longer put me out there and don’t have others connecting back with me in the same way.
I imagine there are a few of you who also feel this, and even though this might not help you feel that spark of connection again, you are not alone.
INDUSTRY TIDBIT:
When it comes to graphic novels, comics, and picture books, publishers crediting artists properly can be a bit of a journey, as you might know. If you’re a creator on a book, know that you have say in what goes on your book and how the team is credited. At the very least, you can talk to your editor and see if there’s ways to be more inclusive of the entire team.
This tidbit is inspired by Debbie Ridpath Ohi, who regularly posts about artist advocacy on her socials. Specifically this post here with art by Sarah McIntyre.
We can all do better with acknowledging our teams and making sure that everyone is credited accordingly.
JOB POSTINGS:
Size Five Games is looking for 2D artists. Details here.
Artists wanted for a “book filled with pulpy sci-fi illustrations based on classic artworks (pre-1800).” Details here.
BOOK OF THE MONTH:
Normally I do a roundup of everything that I’ve read over the course of a month. But I don’t always have reviews to offer up. So, I decided to highlight my favourites rather than post everything. If you’re interested in knowing what else I’ve read lately, you can check out my Storygraph page (I’ve switched over from Goodreads now).
This month I want to talk about two short stories from Amazon Originals. I know, I know, Amazon is the bad place, but I heard incredible things about them and wanted to see what all the fuss was about. So my picks of the month are:
THE SIX DEATHS OF THE SAINT by Alix E. Harrow
SUMMARY: “Always mindful of the debt she owes, the girl finds her worth as a weapon in the hand of the Prince. Her victories make him a king, then an emperor. The bards sing her name and her enemies fear it. But the war never ends and the cost keeps rising—how many times will she repeat her own story?”
THOUGHTS: This is compelling and engaging in an absolutely impressive way, given that this story is only 30 pages long. It is satisfying and lasting in my head, well after the fact. For fans of Tamora Pierce, Madeline Miller, and more.
SUMMARY: “Judith knows her sister, Alice, is the pretty one—but that doesn’t stop her from wishing for love. When a handsome and gentlemanly hunter appears in their village, seeking lodging from the cold, she believes her lover has finally arrived. He does, indeed, choose to stay—but as Alice’s husband, not her own. When another stranger comes out of the woods, looking every bit a vagrant, he offers Judith something mysterious and enticingly strange. Against reason and decency, she welcomes both men into her life, in different ways. As forbidden longings ensnare each of them, an unrelenting winter storm and an evasive wolf on the prowl have everyone on edge…and ravenous. By spring thaw, will any of their hungers be satisfied?”
THOUGHTS: As mentioned, this is another short story but this time it’s a little bit longer at 43 pages. Like the previous, Morena-Garcia delivers a stunning and compelling story in such a short amount of time. And like the previous, this also stuck with me and had me thinking days after I finished. This feels like a story for fans of Ava Reid’s The Wolf and the Woodsman.
MY BOOKS:
It’s a busy year for me, and I have a few things on the horizon that I’d love to quickly plug:
PILLOW TALK – After four years, our graphic novel inspired by the very real underground Pillow Fight league that existed in Toronto, is almost here. I got to hold it in my hands for the very first time recently. It will be out later this month on April 30. And you can still preorder a copy. Right now, if you sign up for a Tertulia trial (you can cancel the membership anytime), you can get PILLOW TALK for 50% off. If you don’t want to sign up for the trial, you can still get 20% off with code PILLOW at checkout.
THE RACC PACK– I can’t believe our book has been out for two months already. I’ve talked to so many people about raccoons and I love it!!! A second book will be out in January 2025 too, so be sure to keep an eye out for that. In the meantime, be sure to pick up a copy of THE RACC PACK to enjoy this spring. Perhaps to read to the local raccoons that are starting to come out and enjoy the weather more??
MY LITTLE PONY: CAMP BIGHOOF – The collected edition will be out next month on May 7. Get yourself a copy to find out if Bighoof is real or a hoax…
SOCIALS:
And as mentioned above, social media continues to be in flux, so if you want to follow along where I’m most active, these are the places to do so:
It’s been a minute since I did an update! Or at least that’s how it feels. This year feels like it’s going by incredibly quickly and somehow slowly? I’m not sure how that’s possible but it’s been pretty go-go-go for me so far.
In case you missed it, we released The Racc Pack a little over a month ago now. I had my very first official launch party at Another Story Bookshop, and it was incredible. So many amazing people came out to support me and the book, and it was so special to me. I signed books, talked to wonderful people, and enjoyed some tasty treats. I can’t thank Siobhan at Simon & Schuster enough for the support in putting the event together, as well as the wonderful team at Another Story. You helped form a new core memory that I will cherish forever.
In more The Racc Pack news, it’s been selected as one of Indigo’s Staff Picks of the Month for March! It’s been so amazing to see such an outpouring of support for our book from independent bookstores as well as chains. I want to keep telling stories, and would love to write The Racc Pack books for the rest of my life, if I’m able to! And that starts with the support of stores, readers, booksellers, librarians, and more. I appreciate every bit of love that we get.
In addition to the launch event at Another Story, I made my way up to Newmarket on February 24 to visit Wayside Comics & Cocktails. They did a creator spotlight every Saturday in February and I was a part of the event on the 24th, and wow! What a great shop. A fantastic selection of comics, collectibles, and more…and just a great space to hang out, have a beverage or two, and be around other like-minded folks. I met such a fantastic assortment of people throughout the day, and wound up staying a lot longer than I planned to. Thank you so much to everyone who came by, and thank you to everyone at Wayside. Be sure to stop by and say hey to them.
WHEW!!! I haven’t even gotten to my lists yet.
But I don’t have too much more to update y’all on. I’ll round up some things here:
Pekoe won Best in Play for GDC 2024! For those of you who don’t know, GDC is the Game Developers Conference in San Fransisco. And Pekoe is the game that I have been writing on at Kitten Cup Studio for a few years now. We’re so proud of it and excited that it’s being recognized.
We’re less than two months away from the release of Pillow Talk, my debut YA graphic novel with Mel Valentine Vargas. I’ll have more exciting news on that very soon, but we received our first review from Kirkus, “This is a delightful, inclusive, feminist, coming-of-age sports story…will win readers’ hearts.”
And that’s it for now…I think? I’ll be at March Comicon in a couple of weeks, so more on that very soon. But be sure to check out my Appearances page to be in the know for upcoming events.
CREATOR SPOTLIGHT
As you may have noticed last time, I have been trying to integrate creator spotlights into my blogletters. Today, I’d love to introduce you to my friend, Barbara Perez Marquez.
What is your favourite project that you’ve worked on so far?
Are we allowed to pick favorites? Haha I think Paulina and the Disaster at Pompeii is gonna stay really close to my heart for a long time though. When I was in college I had a minor in Art History and Paulina felt like the perfect project to reconnect with that AND pay tribute to all that part of my studies gave me. It was really wonderful to be able to bring both of those sides of myself into one book.
What’s the first book you remember falling in love with?
It was a turning point for me when I read Gotham City Sirens, I think it was one of the first times that I’d seen this sort of “spin-off” concept in action and in a way that interested me. In more recent years, I still tend to lean towards stories that are adjacent to or in addition to the traditional superhero stories we know.
What’s a bucket list character or IP that you’d love to work on in some capacity?
I’ve got my sights on cape comics for bucket list items right now, I grew up with a few of those Pepsi collectable comics cards that I cherished (even though I knew nothing about comics back then). If I had the opportunity to do some Silver Surfer or Ghost Rider with modern spins, that would be pretty amazing.
What piece of advice would you offer to aspiring creators? Or what is something that you wish you knew when you were starting out?
You gotta create the story if you ever want anyone to read it! I think as creators we can get stuck very easily in trying to make the perfect thing, but that’s what revisions and editing are for. Find ways to get out of your own way to put the idea on paper AND THEN worry about making it as presentable as possible for the World.
Is there an exciting project coming out soon that you’d like to tell us about?
In 2024 we are going to be able to share more about The Library of Memories, an original graphic novel I’ve been working on with Lissy Marlin, and we cannot WAIT to get the go ahead to do so. It’s slated to come out in 2025, which seems really far away, but in publishing it can feel like the blink of an eye.
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And that’s it for our first creator interview. You can find out more about Barbara by visiting her website: mustachebabs.com or following her on Twitch or Instagram.
Let’s dive into some things that I’ve been reading and enjoying since I last updated y’all. I gotta say though, my reviews are a little lacking right now. I’ve mostly just been reading and then moving onto the next thing, so if there’s anything that you’re curious to hear my thoughts on, just lemme know!
BOOKS:
The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston
The Human Target Vol. 2 by Tom King and Greg Smallwood
Basil and Oregano by Melissa Capriglione
Tegan and Sara: Junior High by Tegan and Sara Quin, and Tillie Walden
The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart
Across the Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire
An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson
The Great Puptective by Alina Tysoe
Soara and the House of Monsters Vol. 1 by Hidenori Yamaji
The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter
House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas
It’s worth noting that these are all the books I’ve read this year so far, not just in February. In fact, I only read the last four in February, if I’m being quite honest. The two at the bottom were beasts that took me quite a while to get through, so my reading was a little lacking.
And for TV, I’m still deep in reality TV land, so I won’t go into the details of everything I’m watching of that, but this is the more serialized stuff that I’ve recently checked out:
Betty Season 1
Only Murders in the Building Season 3
American Nightmare
Murder in Boston
Starstruck Season 3
True Detective Season 4
…basically a lot of crime related things in various incarnations. Mostly though, I’m obsessed with Vanderpump Rules, Below Deck, and The Traitors right now.
And that’s about it for me right now. As you may have noticed, I haven’t been terribly online lately. I’ve deleted a lot of social media apps off of my phone and have primarily been using Instagram. I’ll always do my best to come back here to give you the lowdown in summary form, but to follow me on the day to day, @hellocookie on the gram is where you can find me.
Until next time…
I recently had the great pleasure of working with the Colchester-East Hants Public Library in Nova Scotia to do a presentation on creating graphic novels. We had such a wonderful turnout of classes filled with students keen to learn about the process! So keen that even with a good amount of time left for questions, we still weren’t able to get to them all.
Truro Middle School sent an amazing thank you note my way, and I noticed that it had many of the questions that we weren’t able to get to. I wanted to answer some of those questions and thank all of these students for taking the time to write them. Let’s dive in!
Who is your favourite character?
—Sikha
What a great and tough question, Sikha! I think it changes depending on what book I’m working on. And since I’ve been writing lots of RACC PACK lately, I’ll say Dusty! He’s the “brains” of his raccoon family and he’s a lot of fun to write. Scraps and ReRe are really fun too! But there’s something really special about the way Dusty thinks that makes him especially fun to write—and a blast to see how Whitney brings him to life!
What’s your favourite food?
—Olivia
I love breakfast food…it’s my favourite meal of the day. Pancakes are one of my all-time favourite things to eat and I love trying all different kinds of them. There’s a pancake called a pannekoeken, which is also known as a Dutch Baby. It’s a pancake that you bake in the oven and when it rises, it almost has a crust on the sides like a pie! You can do all kinds of variations and my favourite is adding pecans and brown sugar to it. I have a recipe for my pannekoeken here—but remember to have a parent or guardian supervise you if you want to try to make it yourself.
How do you come up with your ideas?
—Sofi
Another wonderful question! Thank you, Sofi. It depends, really. But a lot of my ideas come from watching movies and TV shows, reading books and graphic novels, and playing games. I like seeing what is out there and sometimes a side character or a comment a character might make sets off a bell in my head. I start wondering about what I might do with something like that or within a particular genre or lore. Even something like reading a good fairy tale can make me think, how would I reinvent this?
Other times, story ideas come from being out with my friends and talking about the types of stories that we want to see more of in the world. Being around other creative people can be great for sparking ideas in each other!
What is your favourite book that you have made so far?
This question didn’t have a name but thank you so much for asking it, whoever you are! I technically have a couple of answers for this. Currently The Racc Pack is my favourite! I had so much fun working on it. I adore working with Whitney Gardner—she’s just the best! And I love raccoons, so this project is a dream come true. I get to write about one of my favourite animals and work with one of my favourite people in the industry. It doesn’t get much better than that!
But also, ParaNorthern is a very special book to me and always will be. While I was working a job that had me feeling really down, I started creating ParaNorthern in my spare time as a passion project. I really wanted something of my own to bring into the world and to see if writing graphic novels was something I wanted to pursue. When I showed it to my agent in our first meeting to see if we wanted to work together, she told me that it was something special and that she could see its potential. It was the very first time I realized that I might be able to do this as a career! And it wound up being the first project that I sold to a publisher as a writer. So ParaNorthern will always be in my heart.
Plus, working on ParaNorthern helped to get me talking to Whitney Gardner, who I’m now working on The Racc Pack with. So even more reason to love it!
How did you come up with Master Hamster Super Science: Dinosaurs?
—Gabrielle
Fantastic question! I think I mentioned this in the presentation but I LOVE DINOSAURS! I have been obsessed with them since I was a kid and I really wanted to be a paleontologist. That didn’t pan out, as you can tell, but I still get to do cool things with dinosaurs by writing about them.
I worked with a wonderful team at Epic! Originals for all of the Master Hamster Super Science comics. Our team was given a few different topics that had been researched by professionals and included dinosaurs, weather, forces and motion, and simple machines. We were asked to choose a topic, and I was lucky enough to get dinosaurs! But then I had to come up with a story for that. When I was a kid, my mom took me to the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, and told me that we were going to see the dinosaurs. I was so excited! But when we got there, I was really sad because there were no dinosaurs, just dinosaur bones. That’s the same thing Hoot says in my Super Science story!
Unlike me who just had to see the skeletons, Hoot has a time machine! So I got to rewrite history by doing what I wanted to do all those years ago…travel back to see actual dinosaurs. And if any of your have read Time Buddies, I wanted to include Mustachasaurus Rex in there so we could talk about the science behind dinosaurs having feathers.
It was a lot of fun to work on, and I’m still very proud of it.
How did you come up with Time Buddies 10?
—Brayson
I wrote both Time Buddies 6 and Time Buddies 10! And there’s still more to come from me in that universe. We had a small group comprised of Matt Cody, Marcie Colleen, Nick Murphy, Paul Ritchie, and Steven Scott. Together we formed a writers’ room together to brainstorm ideas for the new seasons of Master Hamster Super Science, Time Buddies, and Cat Ninja.
So when it came to working on Time Buddies, we had to think of fun time periods and eras that Hoot could travel to. Of course, she could also jump forward in time as well, but for me, it was a lot of fun to put her in time periods where things I was interested in had happened. One of the best parts of writing Hoot is how silly she can be, and the great outfits that she comes up with for her adventures! So I imagined what she might wear and thought of her visiting Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in London while he was writing Sherlock Holmes. And as I mentioned in the last question, I love dinosaurs! So without giving too much away, I really wanted to craft a fun mystery that saw the return of an iconic character from the first season of Time Buddies…sort of. You’ll have to read it to find out what I mean by that!
When did you start on Cat Ninja?
—Noah
I helped to work on this current season of Cat Ninja, which is Season 6, as well as the upcoming Season 7. The current season starts at Issue #25, which is written by Steven Scott. But myself, Matt Cody, Marcie Colleen, Nick Murphy, Paul Ritchie, and Steven Scott all worked in a thing called a writers’ room together for these books. Together, we brainstormed the overall story for this season, thought up the individual comic issues, and then assigned the comics to the writers. But we worked together on all the issues to make each others’ stories even better and to tell the best stories that we could.
So the first issue of Cat Ninja that you’ll see my name on is Issue #27, but all of us that I mentioned earlier, worked together on this and the next season of the series. And I have a fun short story for Cat Ninja Tales coming out in a little while too!
What is the concept of Cat Ninja?
—Paolo
It’s all about…a cat who is a ninja! At night, Cat Ninja fights crime but by day, he goes by Claude and is a regular ol’ housecat with a family of humans that he loves dearly. Along the way, he’s joined by other crime-fighting critters like Master Hamster (a reformed supervillain) and Adonis.
Matt Cody is the genius behind the creation of Cat Ninja and the whole book is a lot of fun. Chad Thomas has been the artist on it for quite a while too, and both him and Matt are wonderful people who know how to tell great stories.
Why is the cat in the bathtub?
—Zander
I’m guessing you’re talking about Cat Ninja #27 (the cover is on the right) and you’ll have to read to find out! But a short little tease is this: Cat Ninja and Master Hamster are sent to a pet boarding facility while their humans are out of town. It has a top-of-the-line spa in it, and maybe (just maybe!) Cat Ninja and Master Hamster will have some time to enjoy it…unless some villain have other nefarious plans!
How long does it take to make your books?
—Gracie-Lynn
Great question, Gracie-Lynn! It really depends on the book. For instance, Whitney and I sent out our pitch for The Racc Pack to our publisher almost exactly three years ago on Feb 22, 2021. Simon & Schuster acquired (a fancy word for “bought”) our book not long after that in March. And it just came out last week! So it took us about three years to make it from start to finish.
But other books can take shorter or longer! I worked on a mini-series called My Little Pony: Camp Bighoof and the story was approved at the very beginning of last year in 2023. While the individual comic book issues were a lot shorter than doing one big graphic novel, the first issue came out in August 2023, just eight months after the idea was approved. Then each issue came out every month after that, and the collected version of all the issues will be available in May of this year. So that was very quick in comparison.
What colour is your toothbrush?
—Braxton
I used a fancy schmancy electric toothbrush that’s mostly all white, except for a little plastic band of colour around it that’s red.
What is your opinion on Columbo?
—Taylor
What a fun question, Taylor—my partner was very excited to see a question about one of his favourite shows. Or at least that’s what I assume you mean, but please let me know if I’m mixing things up. I’m sad to report that I have not watched a whole lot of Columbo yet, but I am absolutely sure it’s in my future!
When did you start making books and comics?
—Zoey
Thanks so much for this question, Zoey! I started writing comics for myself all the way back in 2015. Nearly ten years ago now, wow!!! But most of those didn’t turn into anything that’s available to be read now, aside from a couple of short stories. My very first full-length graphic novel that I sold was ParaNorthern and I sold that to my publisher in Fall 2018. It came out three years later in July 2021.
And although I sold ParaNorthern first, my other graphic novel series, Oh My Gods! with Insha Fitzpatrick and Juliana Moon, wound up coming out before that was released in January 2021. Comics and graphic novels can take quite a long time to make. So I’ve technically been making them for a lot longer than they’ve been on bookshelves!
I want to thank these wonderful students again for sending in these amazing questions. And if you ever have any other questions in the future, please feel free to send them in either via email or you can send a letter:
Writing can be a very solitary thing to do. While we have all these wonderful characters in our heads to keep us company, we bring them to life on our own. However, when it comes to making a graphic novel and publishing that graphic novel, there are countless people involved. And since we did not have an acknowledgments page at the back of The Racc Pack, I would like to take the time to thank some people who made this book happen.
First and foremost, to Whitney, because this book simply would not exist without you. Here’s to hoping that The Racc Pack is the first of many stories we get to tell together.
Maria, thank you for always championing my ideas and helping to keep my ADHD-adled brain focused. I am so grateful for your support and guidance, from you and all of PS Literary. Amanda, thank you for believing in our idea and giving us the chance to bring these trash pandas to life. Celia, thank you for stepping in with two anxious creators and becoming a beacon of light for this project, and loving the Bins’ as much as we do.
Thank you to Lily, who was the first editor to believe in me. We may not have worked together on this but you started me on this path and I will never stop being grateful to you.
To everyone at Simon & Schuster—Dainese, Siobhan, Tom, and all the countless others that I haven’t had the privilege of working with directly, thank you. I see you and everything that you do, and I know that this book would not exist without so many of you unsung publishing heroes. THANK YOU!!!!! <3 <3
To Adrienne Kress, Alex Segura, Julio Anta, Mat Heagarty, Samantha Puc, Jeff Zentner, Stephanie Gerk, Barbara Perez-Marquez, Meggie Ramm—the friends that read early PDFs of The Racc Pack, provided feedback, support, and blurbs. Thank you. In this industry, we have to rely on each other to help whenever we’re able to. It shouldn’t be like that, but it is, and I’m so lucky to have such wonderful people in my corner.
Thank to my friends in the Toronto comics community. Without you, I would never have made it this far in the first place. You’re all who I mean whenever I say that aspiring creators need a support network that gets what you’re going through.
To my mom and dad for always encouraging me to read and finding new ways to motivate me to pick up a book. Thank you for never steering me away from my creative pursuits…it may have taken me a while to find my way, but I got here in the end.
To my Aunt Nancy, I know you would’ve loved the Bins’ Family and all the other critters in our book. And I can hear your voice telling me how proud you are of me.
To Brad, my incredible partner and support; I love you so much. Thank you for always listening to me vent about what a journey publishing is. To Brenda, Paul, Kevin, I’m so glad to be a part of your family. And to all of the McCrea Family, thank you for being so warm and welcoming and supportive of me. I am so blessed to have you all in my life.
To all of my friends—Tory, Britt, Laura, Lilah, Bee, Liz, David, Lill, Shaun, Amy W, Nick, Steven, Amy B, Amy W, (yes I know a lot of Amy’s), Dani, Chris, Bobby, Mike, Jon, Mia, Andrew…oh god, oh god, oh god, I know I’m missing people but I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!!!
And last but certainly not least…THANK YOU, TORONTO! For the stories, memories, magic, and the best (unofficial) mascot of all, the Toronto Raccoon. The Racc Pack would not exist without the unique proximity and appreciation (mostly) that we all have for our trash pandas.
In trash we trust.
Happy New Year, everyone! We made it around the sun again and while I know we’ve all been burned lately with being excited for the year ahead…I’m cautiously optimistic. Professionally, it’s a pretty big year for me with at least three books coming out. In a mere two weeks, The Racc Pack will be released. And then in April, Pillow Talk will finally be out (ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh). And in May, we’ve got the collected edition of My Little Pony: Camp Bighoof being released.
Also recently announced is a new My Little Pony project that you may have missed: My Little Pony: Mane Event which will be out in March. I recently had a chance to read the issue with the final art, colours, and lettering and y’all…it looks SO GOOD!!!
I truly can’t wait for you to get your hands (or hooves!) on all of this books.
This year I may be a little quieter here than usual. Normally I aim to post an update at least once a month, but that might change as I rethink how to best do outreach as my main social media platforms collapse around me. I’m also trying some new things with my work and I’ll be really hunkering down on that for the foreseeable future. I’m excited and anxious about all of that and won’t say more on what I’m doing just yet…but hopefully if it goes well, I’ll have updates sooner rather than later.
With that being said, let me dig into a few of the things that I’ve been reading lately. Unless anyone was actually interested in what I was watching on TV, I think I may wind up doing away with that…although it’s been a great way for my poor forgetful brain to retain what I watched every month.
BOOKS:
The Worst Roninby Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Faith Schaffer – The Worst Ronin is a heartfelt and hilarious journey of self-discovery and worth. Maggie Tokuda-Hall’s delightful writing and Faith Schaffer’s wonderfully expressive art will you keep you engaged and delighted from start to finish. A dream team bringing a dream of a graphic novel to life! And then my final thoughts: I adored the relationship between the two women in this story. It was so heartfelt and real and I can’t get enough. And, THAT HORSE!!! I would die for Tatsuo’s horse. A++ horse and horse expressions, bless you Faith Schaffer. – RELEASES ON MAY 21, 2024
Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison – This book was exactly the finale to spooky season that I needed. As wild as it may sound, it’s the perfect combination of Ginger Snaps (the film) and Book Lovers by Emily Henry.
Gwen & Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher – A charmingly sweet queer romcom revolving around the young and distant relatives of the players of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. They navigate young love, coming to terms with your sexuality, identity, and more. Very fun, clever, and fun from start to finish.
Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire – Not my fave of the series but still wonderfully written and brilliantly executed.
Ms. Marvel: Stretched Thin by Nadia Shammas and Nabi H. Ali – A charming and delightful Ms. Marvel tale for younger readers. Beautiful art and an engaging story that will resonate with fans of all ages!
Saga Vol. 11 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples – Continues to be one of the best comics out there. Simply fantastic.
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree – A perfect warm hug of a book—I was afraid this one might’ve been overhyped but nope! It was delightful and exactly what I wanted and more. Highly recommend.
Allergic by Megan Wagner Lloyd and Michelle Mee Nutter – Endearing, relatable, emotional, and predictively purrfect. Truly such a great read for young readers.
The Variants by Gail Simone and Phil Noto – Really dug this! Not a ton of knowledge about Jessica Jones required to enjoy (if you’ve seen the Jessica Jones series, I think that’s a perfect amount)—a really solid standalone story!
The Okay Witch and the Hungry Shadow by Emma Steinkellner – Simply wonderful. I loved the first book in this series and the second is just as good, if not better!
How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu – So, so good, and captivating. A vast and emotional journey from start to finish.
The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland – If you read and enjoyed Krystal Sutherland’s House of Hollow, you are in for a treat. Less of a dark fairy tale and more creeping paranormal murder mystery as three young women try to get to the bottom of a serial killer targeting women with magical abilities. Engaging and enthralling from the get go and satisfying through til the end. For fans of House of Hollow and Leigh Bardugo’s Ninth House. RELEASES ON JANUARY 30, 2024
CREATOR SPOTLIGHT:
And now for something a little different. In this new series, I’m highlighting other creators and their work by sharing a few fun interview questions to get to know them. Each creator was given the same questions to answer but were asked only to answer the ones that resonated with them. So without further ado, let’s dive in!
Today I want you to meet…Brian McLachlan!
What is your favourite project that you’ve worked on so far?
Complete the Quest: The Poisonous Quest is a culmination of a life’s work. Back in elementary school I started writing sword and sorcery chose your own adventure homages. Now, I’ve built up my skills to create my own take on a gamebook. It’s a multipath graphic novel. Some people think of it as an introduction to role playing games because it’s more conversational with the reader than confrontational. Turning a game book into a visual experience changes the whole gameplay and it’s really exciting. You get to pick 3 of 6 characters who help save Queen Evergreen who has been poisoned by a book from an anonymous admirer. It’s accessible for kids so it’s metaphors are not super subtle.
What are five things (movies, TV shows, books, comics, games, etc) that you’ve been enjoying lately?
TV SHOWS:
Taskmaster: 5 British comedians separately attempt different unusual tasks and then gather together to be judged on who did it best. It’s hilarious creative problem solving. The New Zealand and Australian series are bangers as well.
Wu Tang, An American Saga: Even if you’re not a big Wu Tang fan, this series does a lot of experimental things. Like one episode that takes place entirely on the Staten Island ferry is shot like a western. It has as many artsy weird things like Community but with better rapping. The cast are all charismatic as hell and bring love to each and every member.
COMICS:
Anchovie Akiyama in the Glass Chanterelle: Tri Vuong self published this kid-friendly mystery and I need more people to enjoy this joyful and dangerous adventure.
GAMES:
Arena: I got lured back into online Magic the Gathering when they returned to my favourite settings: The one with gingerbread knights and goose hydra and the one with sun vampires and dinosaur dragons. Even if you never play the game, the visual world building they do is worth a look.
What would your walk-out music be if you were a wrestler?
Can’t get more pumped up right now than “The Music” by Kove. I love drum and bass.
Are there any exciting projects coming out soon that you’d like to tell us about?
I’m always excited when another issue of Owl Magazine hits the stands. I write a monthly comic called Spruce Street Squad and I get to draw and design extra puzzles, games and more. Makes a great present for little ones. Getting something in the mail each month is pretty exciting for them.
**********
And that’s it for our first creator interview. You can find out more about Brian by visiting his website: brianmcl.com or following him on Bluesky or Instagram.
If you made it to here, thank you so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed this first update for 2024. Again, I’m so excited for this year ahead (cautiously…) and I’m happy to have you here with me. Thank you for your boundless affection and support, it means the world. When you hear from me next, it’ll likely be around when The Racc Pack is out!!!
…although that is really only a couple of weeks away. ANYWAY!
Somehow we are nearing the end of 2023. And with that, comes a barrage of BEST OF lists from anyone and everyone…including me!
Now, picking favourites can be incredibly hard, especially when you’re as indecisive as me. So I gave myself some criteria to work with and that was that anything on this list had to have come out this year. And given how far behind I am on a bunch of things, that narrowed a lot of this list down. And I need to stress that these aren’t the Academy Awards of Stephanie. This is like, the stuff that I deeply enjoyed this year and helped me fully escape from the horrible reality of the world for a while (not to be too dramatic). So let’s dive in, starting with movies:
Movies:
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Fast X
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Barbie
Polite Society
Hundreds of Beavers
The Deepest Breath
TV:
Poker Face Season 1
The Last of Us Season 1
What We Do in the Shadows Season 5
The Fall of the House of Usher
Daisy Jones and the Six
Jury Duty Season 1
Succession Season 4
His Dark Materials Season 3
Books:
Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield
A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher
A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid
Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee
Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
Graphic Novels & Comics:
A Guest in the House by Emily Carroll
Roaming by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki
The Moth Keeper by K. O’Neill
And that’s my lists for 2023. Again, these were just the things that stood out to me and not necessarily the best of the best. Keep in mind that I also…did not watch, read, or get around to a lot of new things this year, so take my list with a grain of salt.
What were some of your faves? Reply in the comments and tell me what to check out over the holiday break!
I have not one but TWO events coming up this month! They’re both happening the same weekend too, so let’s dive in:
CREATOR CON
Come say hello to Stephanie and other guests such as Gail Simone, Erica Schultz, Mike Rooth, and more! Purchase books directly from the creators or get your books signed…just in time for the holidays!
Date: Saturday, November 18, 2023 Time: 10:00am-5:00pm Location: The Hero’s Tale (634 King St E, Cambridge, ON N3H 3N6)
MISSISSAUGA COMIC EXPO
Artist alley, exhibitors, workshops, panels, cosplay shoots, tabletop board game demos, video game free-play session, presentations and featured guests.
Date: Saturday, November 18, 2023
Time: 10:00am-4:00pm
Location: Living Arts Centre – 4141 Living Arts Dr, Mississauga, ON Table: 115
Panels:
Sketch Challenge – 11:00-11:30am – Join me and artists, Jey Pawlik, Ricky Lima, and Zi Chen, as they sketch characters selected by the audience.
Sketch Challenge – 3:00-3:30pm – Join me and artists, Adam Gorham, Angela Poon, and Joy San, as they sketch characters selected by the audience.
TBA
I really hope to see you there!
The saddest time of year is upon us: spooky season is over. And we are in limbo until the holidays officially kick off. I know lots of folks go straight into this mode…but I am not one of them. I have nothing against anyone who jumps right in! Do whatever makes you happy. I am simply in spooky season mourning now. But thankfully, there’s been quite a bit of news released the last few weeks, so I can cheer up by sharing all my updates!
The PILLOW TALK cover has been revealed. We teamed up with Eisner-winning comics site, WWAC to unveil the long-awaited cover for my YA graphic novel debut, which will be out April 30, 2024. You can learn more and/or pre-order a copy by going to thepff.online.
RACC PACK is nearly here! We’re two and a half months away until it’s release on January 23, 2024. Same with the above, but if you’d like to know more or pre-order a copy, visit raccpack.com. In FACT, if you do pre-order yourself a copy through Dreamers & Make-Believers, you can get yourself an exclusive gift.
MY LITTLE PONY: CAMP BIGHOOF just had its penultimate issue come out and all that’s left is for the fifth and final issue to hit stands at the beginning of December. If you’re a trade waiter, the collected edition will be out on May 7, 2024. More info here.
Several things from Epic came out including TIME BUDDIES #6 and #10—which are a delight (in my completely biased opinion)—and Cat Ninja #27. All are currently available on the Epic Originals site and app.
I feel like there are a few things that I’m forgetting but I’ll be back next month with more and can update y’all then.
Diving into some other fun stuff like what I watched and read last month though…OoOooOooH! If you’re curious about the spooky movies I watched throughout Spooktober, visit my round-up here. I meant to watch at least 31 movies (one for every day) but that didn’t super pan out. I’m happy with the number I did manage to watch though…and a great variety! And outside of films, here’s what I watched as far as TV goes. It’s basically spooky and reality TV, which I can’t ever quit…not even for spooky season.
TV:
Love is Blind S5
The Challenge All-Stars S1-3
The Fall of the House of Usher
Over the Garden Wall
The Challenge USA S2
What We Do in the Shadows S5
And then on the reading side of things…for Spooktober, I curated a little horror reading list for myself and tried to get through as many as I could. There’s a mix of graphic novels as well as prose novels, and a couple novellas. Here’s what I read:
BOOKS:
Night Fever by Ed Brubaker, Sean and Jacob Phillips
The Night Hunt by Alexandra Christo – The Night Hunt follows Atia, a Nefas—a monster who feeds on fear. Trying to stay under the radar of the gods, she never stays in one place long…until a Herald of the gods finds and curses her. To break the curse, she’ll need to team up with him and some other unlikely heroes. A thrilling, fast-paced, and fun standalone YA fantasy with fan fave tropes such as enemies to lovers, forbidden romance, monsters and gods, and more.
Dracula, Motherf**ker! by Alex de Campi and Erica Henderson
All That Consumes Us by Erica Waters – A queer dark academia story with ghosts. As soon as I started this book, I didn’t want to stop reading it; it sucked me and had me enjoying all the twists and turns from start to finish. It’s atmospheric and filled with mystery and intrigue as we unravel not only a mysterious death but a secretive society that has been rumoured to dabble in the occult.Having read a few of Waters’ other works (and enjoying them all), this might be my favourite so far. Waters has an incredible gift for immersing you in her characters and their worlds, seamlessly. The pacing here is excellent and gives you exactly the right amount of information throughout to keep you guessing and to enjoy the ride. An excellent read, especially for spooky season and fans of gothic dark academia.
Eight Billion Genies by Charles Soule and Ryan Browne
Love Everlasting by Tom King, Elsa Charretier, and Matt Hollingsworth
Spider-Punk: Battle of the Banned by Cody Ziglar, Justin Mason, Jim Charalampidis, and Travis Lanham
Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield
Peng!: Action Sports Adventure by Corey Lewis
A Guest in the House by Emily Carroll – Hauntingly beautiful and creepy. Emily Carroll once again proves that they’re one of the modern masters of horror.
Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw
I know I don’t have a lot of reviews or thoughts on these books, but it was a whirlwind month! I will say that the stand out books for me were: Our Wives Under the Sea and All That Consumes Us. OWUtS is probably a new all-time fave, honestly. But I don’t have a ton to say right now since my brain is like AHHHHHHH! So as always, you can find my full reading list on Goodreads.
And that’s it for my latest round-up. I was thinking about postponing this for a week since I’m sure some other things will get announced this week but hey, that’s more updates for next month. Until then…
I am beyond excited to finally share some new PILLOW TALK news with you: we officially have a cover! Today, WWAC (Women Write About Comics) did an exclusive reveal of the cover to our book, along with a little bit of info about what you can expect. This has been such a long time coming and I have been eagerly awaiting the moment I could share it.
If you’re not familiar (that’s okay, I haven’t talked about it for a while), make sure to click the link above to learn more. But TL;DR…it’s about a young woman who uses an underground pillow fight league as a way to build her self-confidence and find her people. It’s partially based on a very true story from when I was briefly in the league (for one night only).
PILLOW TALK will be out on APRIL 30, 2024 and I will have a lot more info to share with you very soon. In the meantime, if you want to support me or the book, you can visit the link below to find out more and get your preorder on:
Lots of folks join in on watching spooky movies and TV shows for October, and I am definitely one of them. I absolutely LOVE Spooky Season and have used this month as a way to further my education in the world of horror film. I figured I’d share what I’m watching this month so that y’all can see and maybe compare notes. I’ll be updating this post regularly with the new films that I watch so be sure to check back.
So let’s dive right in:
No One Will Save You –
Talk to Me – 1/2
Renfield –
Crimson Peak – 1/2
Underworld – 1/2
The Exorcist –
Alien –
Predator – 1/2
Prey –
Skinamarink –
Slither –
The Faculty –
The Pope’s Exorcist – 1/2
Creep –
Creep 2 –
The Guest – 1/2
You’re Next –
The Final Girls –
Totally Killer – 1/2
Event Horizon – 1/2
Children of the Corn – 1/2
Clue –
It Follows – 1/2
The Boogeyman –
Okay, so I wound up starting out really strong with three movies in one day and I had such hubris about it! Turns out that my desire for reality TV so I can turn my cursed brain off was vast and outweighed my need to watch spookies. But I did okay all things considered!
If you’re curious about my ranking of these films, I have a Letterboxd account and list that you can check out here.
Until next spooky season…
September flew by and I can’t believe it’s come and gone. It was a busy, busy, busy month for me with both my birthday as well as my partner’s…plus a bajillion other people we know and love. So we had a lot going on this month for social things. We had a great birthday party though, and had such a blast celebrating with our loved ones. I am really excited for things to (hopefully) settle down now that…
SPOOKY SEASON IS UPON US!!I, for one, am so grateful for the fall to be here so I can enjoy reading and a cup of tea. The changing leaves, pumpkin spice everything, and more. I am absolutely here for it. I’m also diving into the tradition of spooky movies as I try to watch a bunch and grow my appreciation of horror as a whole. So 31 Days of Halloween is being kicked off and I’ll be sharing my complete list of films with y’all soon.
In professional-related news, here’s a little roundup of some exciting things:
Animal Rescue Friends: Learning New Tricks will be out in ONE MONTH!!!!! You can still preorder it and make sure you get a copy on release day.
Speaking of that, we’re doing a launch party. It’ll be at Another Story in Toronto on Tuesday, November 7 at 7:00pm. You can find all the details on my APPEARANCES page.
Hopefully I’ll have a few more updates to share soon, although I feel like I’m always saying that. Publishing forever moves at a snail’s pace…until it doesn’t. So for now, we’ll move on and check out some of the TV I watched last month.
TV:
Love & Death
The Challenge S31-32
The Great British Bake-Off S13
I really enjoyed Love & Death, but as my partner pointed out–it didn’t need to be as many episodes as it was. I think they were trying to build nuance in the story and give Candy some goodwill from the viewers. Overall, I still liked it and thought the performances were great. And then other than that, I continue to be watching a lot of reality TV. September was cozy with Great British Bake-Off and reliable with my personal fave, The Challenge.
And then on the literary side of things, I read some books! A slightly smaller selection than last time but a pretty good bunch. So here’s what I read:
BOOKS:
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston – I had no idea the plot of this book before diving into it and was floored when it took the turn it took. But this is all to say that it was unexpected but absolutely delightful…and once I was on board, it was full steam ahead! Which…as far as train metaphors goes, is all I’ve really got since there’s not really subway specific ones (that I know about).
In An Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire
Champion of Fate by Kendare Blake – An engaging and exciting new YA series. It’s filled with great characters that you’re rooting for as well as twists and turns that kept me turning the page over and over again. The worldbuilding is fantastic (I even noticed a few Three Dark Crowns Easter eggs…) and further solidifies Blake as a fantasy author to continue to keep an exciting eye on. If I can say anything else to entice readers to this new book, I’ll say that this feels like a modern successor to Tamora Pierce’s Song of the Lioness series, and a bit of C.S. Pacat’s Dark Rise.
A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher – A perfect, fantastic book to kick off spooky season with. Kingfisher has quickly become one of my favourite authors and this is the perfect blend of Just Like Home and Mexican Gothic.
Paladin’s Grace by T. Kingfisher
The Council of Frogs by Matt Emmons
Roaming by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki – Another modern masterpiece from the Tamaki’s. Brilliant and beautiful.
Shiny Misfits by Maysoon Zayid and Shadia Amin
T. Kingfisher has quickly become one of my favourite authors—as stated above—so I’ve been working on devour most of their bibliography but decided to make sure I put in some time on graphic novels too. The Council of Frogs is excellent and completely worth checking out. Matt Emmons is a treasure with incredible ideas and a great art style. I highly recommend it! But as always, you can find my full reading list on Goodreads.
And that’s it for my latest round-up. I was thinking about postponing this for a week since I’m sure some other things will get announced this week but hey, that’s more updates for next month. Until then…
It feels a tad ironic writing a headline bidding goodbye to the summer on one of the hottest and most humid days of the year, but here we are!
It’s been a busy summer, which is why you haven’t heard from me much. I was planning a revamp of these newsletters but I haven’t had a chance to really decide what that might look like. So I’m here, doing the usual! But I have some updates before I get into the stuff I’ve been enjoying.
My Little Pony: Camp Bighoof #2 is out TOMORROW!!! You can grab your copy at your local comic book shop or check online for more info.
As mentioned previously, FanExpo is a wrap! We had a great show and an amazing time talking to people about our books, making comics, the industry, and more. You can read a summary of it here.
T-minus 4 MONTHS until Racc Pack is out. Preorders mean a lot to creators and authors—it shows publishers that people are into the book and want to have it on Day One. For a series—and especially for potential ongoing series—it can make or break whether or not the publisher will ask for more. So you can visit RaccPack.com to find out more.
We’re a mere two months away from the release of Animal Rescue Friends: Learning New Tricks. We’ll be doing a book launch in Toronto at Another Story on Roncesvalles. It’ll be on Tuesday November 7 at 7pm. More details here.
My first issue of Time Buddies (part of Season 2 from Epic! Originals) came out last month! It’s called Cream of the Century and you can learn more about it and where you can read it here.
And this is more of a tease but I should have some exciting news to share soon on the Pillow Talk front. It’s been a while since we announced this graphic novel but there have been some exciting developments that we’ll get to talk more about SOON!
And that’s mostly it for now. Things are going to be gearing up for the next little while
TV:
The Challenge S20-21, S24-30
The Other Two S3
RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars S8
His Dark Materials S3
The Ultimatum S2
His Dark Materials was wonderful and I had a bit of a cry watching the final episodes. The books meant so much to me growing up and seeing them adapted with the love and respect that they deserve has been such a joy! It’s been a long time since I’ve read them, but they felt like what I enjoyed about the books and that, to me, is the mark of a good adaptation. The cast did such amazing work and the music by Lorne Balfe was simply top notch. Other than that, I have spent a lot of time over the last couple of months just watching reality TV…namely mostly The Challenge, which I love a ridiculous amount.
Time for some books! Although I must say that the summer has been a bit slow for me with reading. And I haven’t written up many reviews for what I’ve been enjoying, so you’ll have to use your imaginations. Mostly if I finish a book though, that means I liked it…otherwise I’d simply DNF (do not finish). So here’s what I read:
BOOKS:
Enlightened by Sachi Ediriweera – An incredible exploration of the origins of Buddhism, delving into the life of Siddhartha and what pushed him to seek out answers about the world. This graphic novel is beautifully illustrated and adapted to give anyone interested a great gateway into learning more about other teachings and religions – OUT SEPTEMBER 26, 2023
In Limbo by Deb JJ Lee – An emotional gut punch of a graphic novel.
Book Lovers by Emily Henry – Now that I’ve embraced the romance novel in my life, Emily Henry has quickly become one of my favourites. Witty, sharp, and fun.
Dungeon Critters by Natalie Riess and Sara Goetter – Delightful and fun!
Beneath the Sugar Sky (Wayward Children #3 ) by Seanan McGuire – I am in love with this series and the imaginative other world stories that we get from each installation. Truly such a great time reading each and every book.
The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw
Himawari House by Harmony Becker
Fable by Adrienne Young
Are You Listening? by Tillie Walden
Tiger, Tiger Vol. 1 by Petra Erika Nordlund
The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He
Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee
A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid – Since making her debut not all that long ago, Ava Reid has been an author that I’ve followed with much interest. All of her projects have been filled with imagination and executed with expertise, passion, and a love for the subject. A Study in Drowning is no different and in fact, is my favourite of Reid’s work to date. A carefully crafted story filled with folklore, fairytales, and a mystery to unravel. It kept me engaged from start to finish and I devoured this story, unable (or rather, not wanting…) to put it down. Satisfying and satiating in every way, I highly recommend this book, especially for fans of Krystal Sutherland’s House of Hollow – OUT SEPTEMBER 19, 2023
Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo
Okay so I read slightly more than I said but it still feels pretty small considering this is two months worth of books. But as always, you can find my full reading list on Goodreads.
WHEW! Okay, that’s it for now. I’ll have more for you soon but September is shaping up to be BUSY!!! Stay safe out there and thank you—as always—for your love and support.
WHEW! I can’t believe it’s already been a week since FanExpo started. It feels like I was at the show yesterday and talking to so many wonderful people! It was a whirlwind (and long) few days but I had a blast being a part of the show this year. I’ve attended the convention and worked at my friends’ booths but this was the very first FanExpo that I had my own booth.
I met so many incredible young readers and let me tell you—if you’re reading this (or a parent reading this), I truly want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. Releasing books during the pandemic and lockdowns was tough. Nothing can really prepare you for releasing something that you’re SO proud of, only to have that not feel real because we’re all locked indoors. Sometimes it feels like what I’m doing just disappears into the ether…but doing this show and getting to chat with people who read our books made my heart SO DANG HAPPY!
I met lots of teachers and librarians too, and y’all are truly heroes. I was so thrilled to talk to everyone who came by but it was especially nice to chat with folks who work directly with books and to hear your kind words.
This was also the first time I was really pushing Racc Pack to people, and the reception that our book was getting from everyone got me even more hyped! I gave out so many bookmarks and it was such a joy to watch people light up as I told them our book is set in Toronto…and features our trash mascot!
This weekend flew by, but here’s a small sampling of photos from the show:
Me at my booth, all set up!
Fred Kennedy and I on the Writer’s Roundtable panel
A con-goer stopping by my booth to chat
A GIANT EEVEE and two Stephanie’s
Part of the Diecast Podcast crew!
Wario and Waluigi visit!
Thanks so much to Kevin at FanExpo for including me in this year’s show and hopefully we’ll see you all soon!
I can’t believe it’s already the end of the summer! But with the end of summer, comes one of the biggest conventions in Canada: FanExpo! And this year, I’m a Special Guest at the show. I’ll be there with copies of Oh My Gods! (both 1 & 2), ParaNorthern, My Little Pony: Camp Bighoof #1, and I’ll have advanced review copies of Racc Pack for you to check out. Come get a sneak peek at the Bins Family and see what they’re all about.
I’ll be at TABLE P05 all weekend from Thursday-Sunday. I can’t wait to see your faces and get to talk to you about all the exciting projects I have in the works…as well as the things already out in the world!
In terms of panels, I’ll be on at least one, so check that out too. I’ll update this page and my APPEARANCES page with details, if more get added.
Friday, August 25 @ 2:15pm – Comic Writers Roundtable – THEATRE #7: COMICS [South Building – level 700, room 713 AB] – Join us to see Tate Brombal, Stephanie Cooke, Anthony Falcone, Fred Kennedy, Anthony Ruttgaizer, and Jim Zub discuss their approach to writing comics, the industry, and what it means to be creative.
Last but not least, here’s the floor map of the show and where you can find me:
It’s been a couple of months since I last did a big blog. Initially I put it off because I didn’t have a lot to share. Then I put it off because I knew I would have a lot to share…soon. There’s still a couple of things on the horizon to announce in the near future BUT two big updates happened:
The RACC PACK cover was revealed and our book is officially available for pre-order! Look at it over there on the right…isn’t it beautiful?!
Pillow Talk is also available now for pre-order! We haven’t unveiled the cover just yet but my first YA graphic novel will be out in March 2024 and you can ensure yourself a Day One copy now.
Both release dates are getting nearer and nearer, and I can’t wait for you to get to read them! More on both soon. I’m so thrilled that I can talk about Racc Pack now and show people what we’ve been cooking up. It’s truly one of my favourite things that I’ve written so I hope that comes through as people read it.
On top of graphic novel updates, I also have a few other updates:
My Little Pony: Camp Bighoof #1 will be out later this month. It’ll arrive in stores on Jul. 26, 2023 and I’m over-the-moon to have folks see the fun story we’ve cooked up around the campfire.
Pekoe has launched!!! For the last (almost) two years, I have been writing on an indie video game, and on Wednesday, it was released. Well, our Early Access was released. The full game isn’t available quite yet but we’re getting there.
So there’s been a lot happening! Plus it’s been generally busy in my personal life as well, so I’m looking forward to hopefully some quiet time for myself in the near future. That being said, I figured I’d share some updates about the stuff I’ve been enjoying. It’s been a minute so the lists are a little lengthy. The bolded titles are the standouts:
TV:
RuPaul’s Drag Race S15
Love is Blind S4
Daisy Jones & the Six
Steven Universe
The Challenge S36-38
Owl House S3
Abbott Elementary S2
Bluey S1
Succession S4
Schmigadoon S2
Ted Lasso S3
Ultimatum: Queer Love S1
Jury Duty S1
Yellowjackets S2
And moving onto books…in this case, the bold is just the titles and some have reviews…and some don’t. I’m sorry! It’s been busy and my brain is mush, but hopefully there’s still some fun insight below:
BOOKS:
The Luminaries by Susan Dennard – Great world building and an intriguing premise! I wanted more answers by the end of the book, so slightly bummed there but definitely a good launching point to a compelling new series.
Hey Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo
Down Among the Sticks and Bones (Wayward Children #2) by Seanan McGuire – I am absolutely in love with this dark, creepy, and inventive series. The first book sets up the premise while the subsequent books reveal side and back stories to the characters we meet in the first. Wonderfully compelling and easily consumed in short, novellas.
Dark Rise by C.S. Pacat
Where Echoes Die by Courtney Gould – Where Echoes Die is a compelling and satisfying thriller mystery that captured me early on and didn’t let up. The characters are complex and interesting and the story takes you on a wild journey that feels straight out of something along the lines of YA X-Files. Very worth checking out!
Measuring Up by Lily LaMotte and Ann Xu – A beautiful exploration of family, food, and finding your footing. Really exceptional and enjoyable!
Lemon Bird Can Help! by Paulina Ganucheau
The Moth Keeper by K. O’Neill – Wonderful and beautiful—an original story with stunning art that evokes Miyazaki, and more. Another slam dunk graphic novel for K. O’Neill.
Shuna’s Journey by Hayao Miyazaki and Alex Dudok de Wit (Translator) – A stunning masterpiece from a world-class storyteller.
The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean
Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher – This might be a new favourite. Fantastic writing, compelling characters, an exciting adventure with mystery and murder…truly, what more could you want? Thoroughly enjoyed!
Over My Dead Body by Sweeney Boo
The Legend of Auntie Po by Shing Yin Khor
Lightlark by Alex Aster – This had an intriguing premise but truthfully, I couldn’t really get into it.
Danger and Other Unknown Risks by Ryan North and Erica Henderson – A genuine delight! This was such a fun, and funny read that I loved from start to finish.
The Night Eaters, Vol. 1: She Eats the Night by Marjorie M. Liu , Sana Takeda
Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 4-6 by Kamome Shirahama and Stephen Kohler (Translator)
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio – Didn’t expect this to consume quite like it did but once I started it, I couldn’t put it down.
I’m thinking about how to reformat these blogs to give you some more fun information and make them a little more exciting to read. I’ll be working on that for the coming months and hopefully will give you something fresh very soon.
Stay safe out there and thank you—as always—for your love and support.
I WROTE A VIDEO GAME! And as of today, it is out in the world. I couldn’t be more proud of the game, and the entire team that came together to make it happen.
If you haven’t heard of Pekoe yet, it’s a cozy tea-making simulator that takes place in a town of cats. You can make tea for the cats, befurriend them, and upgrade the town and your teahouse! It’s purrfect for fans of Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley.
Pekoe has been in development for five years, a passion project led by Saffron Aurora, who brought me on board to the project almost two years ago now. She reached out to me to ask if I knew any writers who were Toronto-based, really into cats, and knowledgable about tea. I was like, “This is me. You’re describing me…” and I went ahead and formally applied for the role. Since we’re here, you know that I got the job and it was exhilarating and terrifying.
I’d made it into the final round of interviews at several games studios over the years, but would inevitably lose out due to a lack of experience. The feedback was always, “We love you and your writing, but we want to go with the candidate who has experience…” which is understandable. So when this opportunity came along, I was sure to not squander it. Which is why it was exciting but also scary! I really wanted to do the best job possible with this game and didn’t want to let our team down.
Thankfully our small (but mighty!) team was so welcoming, patient, kind, and helpful at every step of the way. I didn’t know all the terminology or the software but I was more than willing to learn…so I did. But not without the knowledge and time of Justin Park, Len Predko, and of course, Saffron. They had so many of their own tasks to do but always took the time to help, and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to fully convey how much that has meant to me. And I now have my very first games writing credit as a LEAD WRITER! AHHH!
Our entire team was incredible! Truly. What an experience! I didn’t work with everyone directly, despite how small of a studio we are. But every moment we did spend together, I was in awe of the talent and passion that was brought to this game. If our game sounds up your alley, be sure to check it out over on Steam. It’s currently in Early Access, which means we’ll be updating it regularly with new content! Click below to get started. And THANK YOU ALL in advance, for giving it a chance.
After holding onto this for quite a while, I’m very happy to be able to share THE RACC PACK cover with you all. We have even more info to share with you too, and I can’t wait to dig into that in a mere moment. PopVerse did an exclusive reveal of the cover today, and shared the first official synopsis of our upcoming graphic novel series. Read it here:
Live life in the trash lane with this first entry in a hilarious middle grade graphic novel series about a family of sneaky raccoons from graphic novel superstars Stephanie Cooke and Whitney Gardner!
Meet the Bin family, a trio of raccoons in the risky business of dumpster diving for all their needs. With Dusty’s brains, ReRe’s muscle, and Scraps’s gadgets (please don’t tell him he’s almost definitely an opossum), the Binses are determined to leave no garbage bin unturned in their pursuit of the tastiest, most delicious trash they can find.
When the family discovers a new upscale grocery store that’s throwing away their perfectly good food at the end of each day, the Binses hatch a heist so daring it’ll have them rolling in garbage all winter long. But a critter-despising CEO, Jeff Beans, and the high-tech defense system he’s installed means liberating that trash is going to take all the skills the Racc Pack have…and maybe some help from a cat burglar with a mysterious past.
THE RACC PACK will be out on January 23, 2024. If you want to guarantee a copy for yourself on day one, be sure to get your pre-order in now by visiting RACCPACK.COM.
The pony’s out of the bag: I’ve been working on a new My Little Pony mini-series for IDW Publishing and Hasbro. Coming this summer is Camp Bighoof! It features the Mane 5 (from Generation 5) as well as some original Equestria cryptids that you—and the ponies—will get to meet.
The official synopsis for the first issue is this: “Welcome, campers, to Camp Bighoof! The Mane 5 have taken over an old camp, named after the elusive Bighoof creature (Bridlesquatch if you’re a unicorn, Zeti if you’re a Pegasus), to teach fillies and colts about their powers. Plus, arts & crafts with Izzy, singing with Pipp, obstacle courses with Zipp, what could be better?! Surely nothing could go wrong, right? RIGHT?!”
I’ve had a wonderful time working on this project and I can’t wait to share it with you. The first issue will be out on JULY 26, 2023, so be sure to get your pre-orders in. More details here. And in the meantime, check out our incredible creative team as well as some of the variant covers for the first issue.
CREATIVE TEAM:
Writer: Stephanie Cooke Artist: Kate Sherron Colourist: Reggie Graham Flatter: Jonathon Dobbs Letterer: TBC Covers: Kate Sherron, Nicole Goux, Natalie Haines, JustaSuta Editor: Riley Farmhouse
VARIANT COVERS:
Cover by Natalie Haines
Cover by Nicole Goux
Cover by JustaSuta
Another month has passed us by, and while I wish I had more to update y’all with, announcements and exciting news tidbits have not arrived yet…but I do have several on the horizon and I can’t wait to be able to talk about what I’ve been working on. I know, I know, it’s a real tease situation but I’m beholden to when folks deem it okay to start sharing more information.
Once again, I defer to next month and let’s collectively cross our fingers that I’ll be able to talk about some stuff then. In the meantime though, I can tell you about what I’ve been watching and reading! I’ve been back into a gaming mode too and devoured Cattails as well as Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town. Love me a fun little Stardew-esque adventure.
But anyways, I’m sorry for the otherwise fairly boring update…let’s get into the stuff I’ve been enjoying:
TV:
Poker Face S1 – What an incredible show! Each episode had a setup that made me genuinely utter out loud, “That was so compelling!” every time. While I liked Glass Onion, I liked Knives Out a lot more and this show felt like a series of satisfyingly standalone mini-movie mysteries. Truly one of my favourites of the year, for sure.
The Last of Us S1 – What can I say about about TLOU that hasn’t been said by everyone else online? It was great. And it had been long enough since I played the game that certain parts of the show were a surprise to me. And I loved what they elaborated and expanded on. Perfect casting! I think it struggles to really convey the amount of time that’s passing along the way but that’s a very small nitpick for an overall excellent series.
Perfect Match S1
Similar to last month, I both did and didn’t watch a lot of TV. I watched a lot of junk inbetween some of the heavy hitters you see above, and I’ve been working my way through other prestige TV that I haven’t wrapped up yet. As you can see too, I’m only really choosing to write about the shows that I really connected with. Like, I enjoyed Perfect Match, but I don’t have much to say about it. Ya know?
Moving onto books…
BOOKS:
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers – Truly a warm hug of a book. Short, to the point, and wholeheartedly wonderful.
Batcat by Meggie Ramm – Batcat is a delightful tail (a-wink) of identity and letting people into your life. When a ghost moves into Batcat’s home, shattering their solitude, they seek out the help of a local witch to get rid of the ghost once and for all. Batcat goes on a quest to get the items that the witch needs…and begins learning more about themself and having empathy for others along the way! Batcat is a sweet and engaging graphic novel told with fun art that pops with vibrant, bright colours. It’s sure to be a hit with young audiences, especially those who are neither this or that.
What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez by Claire Jiménez – This book has been really buzzed about for the last few months and I was interested to see what people were talking about, leading up to its release. I don’t have much to say about it overall—it’s a solid debut for the author—but I will mention that the ending for the book has stayed with me since I read it. Hopeful and powerful.
Ducks by Kate Beaton – An emotional gut punch and an absolute masterpiece.
A Gift for a Ghost by Borja González and Lee Douglas (Translator)
Waves by Ingrid Chabbert, Carole Maurel (Illustrator), and Edward Gauvin (Translator) – Powerful, poignant, and utterly heartbreaking. A beautiful exploration of grief that expertly threads the narrative with stunning art and colour, the latter used in a perfectly beautiful way that will stay with me.
My Brother’s Husband by Gengoroh Tagame and Anne Ishii (Translation) – A beautiful and heartfelt exploration of loss, grief, family, and acceptance.
Scurry by Mac Smith – Beautiful and brilliant. I see influences of Watership Down, Neverending Story, Lord of the Rings, and then also mythology steeped throughout. As someone who has loved reading Karl Kerschl’s The Abominable Charles Christopher, this feels like a modern successor to that as we get darker in the woods, following a group of mice trying to survive after the humans have gone away.
Belladonna by Adalyn Grace
Daughter of No Worlds by Carissa Broadbent – The perfect book to scratch a Throne of Glass-esque itch!
As I mentioned last month, I’ve pared this back a bit to include only the books and graphic novels that I read and have something to say about. Mostly, this is now a section for the books and graphic novels that I recommend. So, with that being said, I read a few more things that I didn’t write up reviews for. You can find my full reading list on Goodreads or Storygraph.
That’s it! I continue to not have a lot of updates to share, which is a bummer…but I know for a fact that I’ll have some fun things that I can talk about next month, so stay tuned for that. If there’s anything else exciting that comes up, you can bet that I’ll make a standalone post to talk about it.
Stay safe out there and thank you—as always—for your love and support.
For the last two years, I’ve been working with the team at Epic Originals to help curate a line of short stories for the series Animal Rescue Friends. While the individual stories have been releasing digitally on the Epic app, it’s also been announced that the stories will be collected in a book!
Coming this fall, Animal Rescue Friends: Learning New Tricks is all about…
“The Animal Rescue Friends gang is back with ten sweet tales about their furry, feathered, and flying friends!
Join Bell, Maddie, Noah, and the rest of the Animal Rescue Friends as they learn to love an affectionate rat named Whiskers, find Sergio the tortoise a forever home that’s just his speed, fall for the antics of a chatty parrot with a familiar name, and more! Along the way, they make a few new friends and learn that everyone—even insects—can sometimes use a helping hand.”
Doesn’t that sound delightful?! That’s because it is! It features creators like Megan Kearney, Barbara Perez Marquez, Ellen Crenshaw, Shadia Amin, Gillian Goerz, Katie Longua, Brian McLachlan, and more! You can preorder a copy now to have it the moment it’s available!
ANIMAL RESCUE FRIENDS: LEARNING NEW TRICKS will be available on November 7, 2023.
I can’t believe yet another month has passed us by. While January was a slow crawl, February zoomed by. Somehow, we’re already a week into March now. Continuing the trend of an emotional rollercoaster, the last few weeks have been filled with ups and downs.
For instance, on one hand, I got to see that a collection of short stories that I curated and edited for Epic Originals’ series Animal Rescue Friends will be published later this year! The book is called Learning New Tricks and features talented creators like Megan Kearney, Gillian Goerz, Barbara Marquez Perez, Katie Longua, and so many more. I’m beyond proud of the work I did on this project and I can’t wait for people to get their hands on it.
On the other hand, this marked the last bit of editorial work and story consulting that I’m doing with Epic for the time being. It’s been one of my most beloved projects for the last two years and I’m mourning the comfort and stability of that right now. Even while being so happy, proud, and fulfilled. Nevertheless, stay tuned for more details on that project and the launch of it.
While I still don’t have a lot of updates for other projects I’ve been teasing for a while, I should have more details soon. Both Pillow Talk and Racc Pack are drawing nearer and nearer though! Last week I even got to see the first final pass of Racc Pack and while I can’t say much, I can say that it looks incredible. Whitney knocked the art out of the park, and our book design team are doing such a phenomenal job. So again, stay tuned! Hopefully in the next Blogletter, I’ll have more to share.
And honestly, there’s not much more going on! I’ll be able to share some upcoming appearances and visits I’ll be doing soon. But while my work obligations are quiet, I’ve been trying to make time for my friends and loved ones. I went to Demand Lucha last month, did a couple of trivia nights (came in third and second, respectively!) and I made some cursed puppets (well, mine looks cursed) with my partner. Plus I read a bunch of great stuff and minimally watched some TV, so let’s dive into all of that!
TV:
The Other Two S1-2
The Sex Lives of College Girls S2
Barry S1
I honestly didn’t watch a ton last month. Well, I did but it’s mostly stuff I’ve started and hasn’t wrapped yet like The Last of Us. And Taskmaster…and a lot of reality TV like MILF Manor, which is too cringey even for me, and 90 Day Fiancée.
My fave from the above list though was, The Other Two. It was so funny and very bingeable! I hadn’t even heard of it until my partner found it and told me to check it out…which I did, obviously. The whole cast is great and it’s a lot of fun to watch the titular “other two” as they try to navigate the newfound fame within their family.
Moving onto books…
BOOKS:
Kaiju No. 8 Vol. 1 by Naoya Matsumoto – I really enjoyed this! Basically Pacific Rim meets Edge of Tomorrow meets Venom. Super fun and action packed.
Spy x Family Vol. 1 by Tatsuya Endo and Casey Loe (Translator) – I had a really fun time reading this! What a fun concept to play with.
Catwoman: Lonely City by Cliff Chiang – Everything I could possibly want in a Catwoman book.
My Aunt Is a Monster by Reimena Yee – I knew I was going to love this book the moment I saw what it was about, paired with the wonderful storyteller that is Reimena Yee. This is such a wonderful concept that feels a bit like A Series of Unfortunate Events mixed with something else I can’t quite put my finger on. But it’s heartfelt and beautifully done with an exceptional opening that keeps the story moving on, taking us down an exciting path filled with adventure.
The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman – Such a fun concept and book! I loved every moment of it. Almost like The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels meets The Atlas Six meets The Midnight Library but definitely not as dark as the latter. It’s a delight and I love the world that Genevieve Cogman has built here.
Thieves by Lucie Bryon – I’d been pining to read this for a while and picked it up as a little treat for myself. I absolutely love the art and the sapphic story of two people trying to navigate young love and some complications that come with that. Kind of has Skins vibes to it in that, I could see this as a full arc of that series—and I love it!
The Wild Hunt by Emma Seckel – A bit of a slow start but once it gets going, it was so hard to put down. The folklore woven in is intriguing and enthralling, and even a little spooky at times. A great read, especially for fans of Adrienne Young’s Spells for Forgetting.
Flowerheart by Catherine Bakewell – A wonderfully cozy cottagecore story revolving around a young witch trying to navigate her tempestuous magic. Very enjoyable with some YA Kiki’s Delivery Service vibes to it.
Frontera by Julio Anta and Jacoby Salcedo – Frontera is a powerful graphic novel that has the potential to help change how people see the world, through this incredible and moving story. It’s a beautiful, emotional journey about family, home, and finding our way. This book should be read by everyone who hasn’t had to live the experience of having to leave one home (or place) for another—to learn and find compassion for others who are doing what we’re all trying to do: find the best lives for ourselves and our loved ones.
Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper – A witchy and cozy sapphic romance perfect for the fall…or when it’s winter and you’re pining for fall!
As I mentioned last month, I’ve pared this back a bit to include only the books and graphic novels that I read and have something to say about. Mostly, this is now a section for the books and graphic novels that I recommend. So, with that being said, I read a few more things that I didn’t write up reviews for. You can find my full reading list on Goodreads or Storygraph.
That’s it for me right now. I think I say this every time, but hopefully I’ll have more to share with you soon and I’ll see y’all around the internet.
Stay safe out there and thank you—as always—for your love and support.
We’re a month into 2023 and phew, it went by so slowly and felt like it was 10 months long somehow. It’s been a busy one for me as I scramble to work on what’s on my plate and try to exist in the world. Like all the months before, January had ups and downs but I love what I’m doing and the fun things I get to work on.
For instance, I had Master Hamster Super Science: Dinosaurs come out from Epic! Originals. And an issue I edited for their series, Animal Rescue Friends, was also released…although that was admittedly yesterday, in February. But since I postponed writing this for a bit, I’m still going to include it here. Also technically in February (not anything technical about it, tbh), the demo of Pekoe has finally released! If you aren’t familiar, I’ve been writing a video game with Kitten Cup Studio for their upcoming cozy indie game called Pekoe. It’s a tea-making simulator that takes place in a town populated by cats. As a part of Steam’s #StreamNextFest, we have a free demo available for folks to play! I’m so stoked to hear what people think.
Other than that, I’ve been working on a few other projects that I can’t yet talk about it. But hopefully soon! So, with that being said, I’ll dive into some TV and books that I checked out last month, along with a few thoughts on some of my faves.
TV:
Sins Of Our Mother (Netflix)
Wednesday Season 1 (Netflix)
Keep Sweet, Pray, and Obey (Netflix)
Inside Job Seasons 1-2 (Netflix)
Cabinet of Curiosities Season 1 (Netflix)
The two that I loved from this list are Wednesday and Inside Job, a show I got into just as Netflix announced its cancellation. As you can see, I’ve been watching quite a few things on Netflix. I’m disappointed with the service, to be honest, and this is my way of working through my backlog so I can ready myself to deactivate my account.
BOOKS:
Always Never by Jordi Lafebre – The perfect graphic novel to kick off my 2023 reading. A story that starts at the end and works its way to the beginning. This made me unexpectedly emotional and left me smiling. Truly beautiful.
I Moved to Los Angeles to Work in Animation by Natalie Nourigat – A great and informative look at the animation industry in LA with insight into how to acquire a job, build a portfolio, and more. Honestly, a lot of what’s within applies to many creative fields too and even though I’m not an artist, I found that it was still a great read.
The Nice House on the Lake Vol. 1 by James Tynion IV, Álvaro Martínez Bueno, Jordie Bellaire – I don’t really have anything to say about this one but I enjoyed it a lot! It surprised me, since I mostly went into it blind, and I’m so curious to check out where it goes from here.
Unfamiliar by Haley Newsome – This was an absolute delight! Fun, funny, and endearing as heck.
Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young – Magical and mysterious. A story that drew me in from the get-go and kept me engaged from start to finish. Once I hit the halfway mark, I couldn’t put it down!
The Human Target Vol. 1 by Tom King and Greg Smallwood – An absolutely incredible. A perfect superhero noir with a compelling mystery and top-notch art that you can’t help but love.
I’ve pared this back a bit to include only the books and graphic novels that I read and have something to say about. Mostly, this is now a section for the books and graphic novels that I recommend. So, with that being said, I read a few more things that I didn’t write up reviews for. You can find my full reading list on Goodreads or Storygraph.
Anyways, that’s it for me right now! I’ll hopefully have even more to share with you next month as a couple of exciting projects are starting to ramp up.
Stay safe out there and thank you—as always—for your love and support.
I love to write…which, as a writer, is a great thing! I love coming up with original ideas and putting them out into the world. Working on my own IP is amazing but there are still characters and existing sandboxes that I’d want the opportunity to play in. If you’re an editor looking for a writer that has a plethora of ideas, meets all deadlines, and takes feedback extremely well, please consider getting in touch.
Here’s an idea of projects I’d love to work on and dream characters:
AUDIENCES:
Any but I’m especially suited to middle-grade and young adult
GENRES:
Fantasy and sci-fi
Fiction
Action/adventure
Contemporary
Supernatural
Comedy
DREAM IP:
Stephanie Brown (DC Comics)
Gotham Academy (DC Comics)
Sabrina Spellman (Archie Comics)
Josie and the Pussycats (Archie Comics)
Squirrel Girl (Marvel Comics)
Gravity Falls (Disney)
Star vs. the Forces of Evil (Disney)
Lord of the Rings
Pacific Rim
The Mummy (1999)
Terry Pratchett’s Tiffany Aching books
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles
Anne of Green Gables*
His Dark Materials/The Golden Compass
There are definitely a few more characters and worlds I’d like to put my own stamp on but the above gives you a bit of an idea of what I’m about.
*regarding Anne of Green Gables, I also have a strong and personal history with Prince Edward Island aka the home of author Lucy Maud Montgomery.
Hey everyone! My first release of 2023 is here. I’ve been working with Epic! Originals on a number of wonderful projects as a writer and editor. One of those projects was a new science series called Master Hamster Super Science. And I got to write about one of my fave things: DINOSAURS!!!!
The official synopsis is this: “Why don’t dinosaur fossils look like the real thing? Did they have fur, hair, or feathers? Master Hamster doesn’t know, but he’ll find out!”
Master Hamster Super Science: Dinosaurs is AVAILABLE NOW on the Epic! app. Click through the gallery below for a sneak peak at what’s in store.
Somehow, 2022 is already gone. After two years of being in lockdown, this was the first where I came out of my home incrementally. While I continue to mask up, it’s been such a joy to be able to do things again. To see my friends and spend time with the people I care about. I’m not entirely sure who really reads this—if anyone—so I’ll share a little bit of what brought me happiness last year.
It was my first full year of freelancing, and I survived! Not only survived, but thrived. It’s never not scary to be working on current projects while thinking about What’s Next constantly. But I was fortunate enough to find work as an editor and as a writer, working on my own projects as well as really fun IP. Finding a balance between my two career paths was a bit of a struggle though, and at the end of the year, I decided to pull back on my editing work. I want to prioritize my work as a writer in 2023 so that means saying no more often to editing and project management.
This year will hopefully continue to be a great year for me. I have a few things coming out this year…although nothing with solidified dates just yet! So TBA on a lot of things, including something that I signed a contract for just before the holidays kicked off.
I’m thinking it’s time to consolidate my TV and reading recaps into one post so I’m going to do that in my big monthly update going forward. I love tracking that sort of stuff…mostly just for me but hopefully you’re getting something out of it too. But seeing as it’s a lot of stuff to include, I’ll be minimizing the reviews a bit. If you’re interested in the movies I’ve been watching, you can continue to visit my Letterboxd page.
TV:
1899 S1 – If you liked the series Dark, then this show from the same showrunners will be right up your alley. Spooky boats, tense psychological thrills, and solid performances from the cast. I will say though, watching this with subtitles was the best; the person doing the captions was truly an Artiste, and I enjoyed all of their descriptions for the music (ie. [haunting but joyful jaunty song plays]).
The Boys S3 – I enjoyed this season as the titular boys (and of course, Starlight), try to find a way to bring Homelander down once and for all. While it’s good though, I think I might be tapping out after this. It feels like it’s starting to drag a bit in terms of the overall storyline and when characters never really die (for long or at all), the stakes feel lower.
Andor S1 – When I was talking about wanting a standalone show from the SWEU, this is what I meant. Although it is tied into Rogue One, this show still gets a bit of a pass since that is pretty standalone from the bigger universe. I don’t think you even have to have seen the film to enjoy it…in fact, it might add to your viewing experience if you haven’t seen it! But I stand by what I said before in that I’d still love to see something entirely standalone…although I think this is the closest I’ll get for a while.
White Lotus S2 – I was wary of jumping into this, not knowing what to expect, but I enjoyed this season more than the first. I loved the change of scenery and the anthology style that they’re using to tell completely different stories. There’s a slight overlap in characters (Jennifer Coolidge is back as Tanya) but everyone is mostly new to us.
The Resort S1 – At surface level, this seems similar to White Lotus. But upon closer inspection, this is a series about a couple vacationing and while they’re at it, they work on solving a cold case after stumbling across new evidence that could crack the case. It’s not just a citizen detective show though, things get a bit trippy later on…I don’t want to spoil anything though. I’d say that this is more akin to Search Party with a touch of White Lotus.
I otherwise continued to watch a lot of other reality TV stuff that I didn’t bother to include here (although Too Hot to Handle continues to be a ridiculous delight). Mostly though, it was a end-of-year scramble to finish a few shows that I’d been meaning to get to. What did you check out?
BOOKS:
The Change by Kirsten Miller – I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Part small-town murder mystery, part exploration of feminism, and part magical revenge fantasy. A weird but powerful mix that got me good. It took me a while to get through but I savoured the story and the journey it took me on. Loved the interesting characters, and twist on the phases of a woman’s life.
It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth by Zoe Thorogood – A refreshingly honest look at six months of Zoe Thorogood’s life as she tries to create comics and simply exist. Creative and insightful, and shows Thorogood’s inner most thoughts and feelings, along with her struggles with mental illness—and life in general—over the years. Very worth reading.
Mamo Vol. 1 by Sas Milledge – “Family isn’t about being the same. It’s about looking after one another.” Beautiful and magical. A kind of mix of Bloom x Witchlight with a touch of Howl’s Moving Castle.
And then there’s a bunch of books that I read but didn’t have a chance to put together a review for. Like with my TV list, it was a last-minute scramble to finish up a few things before end-of-year…and I didn’t have a lot of thoughts outside of “Yes, good.” etc. for them. You can find those below and click on the title to visit Bookshop.org for more info.
Sorceline by Sylvia Douyé, Paola Antista, Ivanka Hahnenberger
There’s not much else to say right now! It’s a fresh year, and I’m trying to continue on with my personal and professional growth. I’m trying to form better habits, make time for the people I care about, and most of all, prioritize myself.
I’ll be hopefully back soon with some more updates on projects, as well as news about this and that…and appearances for this year. Plus I’m working on some essays and videos to go into the process of making comics, thriving in the industry, and more. So stay tuned and take care of yourselves!
It’s been a while since I put together a Faves of the Year list so I thought this was a good time to bring it back. If I’m tracking everything I’m consuming, might as well put that data to good use! To kick things off, I’m starting with TV. I made a Top 10 with some Honourable Mentions underneath that didn’t quite make the cut. Everything on this list is a show that aired in 2022. Aside from being on the list itself, they’re just in alphabetical order.
Read on…
Fave TV:
The Afterparty (Apple TV+) – I think it’s safe to say that I am a Christopher Miller stan. I don’t think there’s anything that him or Phil Lord have created that I haven’t absolutely adored…and that definitely applies here. The Afterparty was something I went into fairly blind and wound up loving from start to finish. A well-crafted whodunnit with a stellar cast and comedy chops to round out the dark murder-ey component to the show. Sam Richardson is fantastic as is everyone else who each brings something unique and exciting to their respective characters.
Bad Sisters (Apple TV+) – Another murder-ey show! Bad Sisters is the story of four sister who are desperate to save their fifth sister from an awful marriage. We go back and forth between the present and past as we navigate various POVs to unravel the mystery. Everyone is excellent in the series with standout performances from Sharon Horgan, Anne-Marie Duff, and Sarah Greene. While I think I’d prefer the show to stay a limited series, I’m intrigued to know where they’ll potentially go with it from here (and will definitely watch!)
Euphoria (HBO/Crave) – What can I say about Euphoria that hasn’t already been said? It feels like a show that was created for young fans of Skins that grew up and wanted something even edgier. Which describes me…minus the edgier part. I could watch seasons of Skins for always and it’s not a light and fluffy watch as is, but Euphoria is somehow moreso. Anyways, the second season is great and as many others have pointed out, Sydney Sweeney is such a bright shining star, as is obviously Zendaya.
Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls (Prime) – This was maybe my favourite feel-good reality show this year. And I watched a lot of reality TV. But it’s the way that Lizzo broke the rules of a competition show that did it for me. Not wanting to eliminate dancers unless it was necessary and willing to have multiple winners in this season felt like such a strong, positive message. You know, along with the strong, positive messages conveyed throughout the entirety of the show. Lizzo is an icon and a legend.
Minx (HBO/Crave) – It’s been a hot minute since I’ve watched this and I truly forgot that it came out in 2022 (what a year!) but what a great show. You can’t go wrong with Jake Johnson and then Ophelia Lovibond does such a great job at bringing exactly the right energy to her role. She bounces off of Johnson so well and the two have great chemistry together. I loved seeing a show focused on the female gaze and the efforts of the characters as they try to navigate their magazine and audiences.
Ms. Marvel (Disney+) – Ms. Marvel was one of the comics that seismically shifted the current industry landscape. Sana Amanet, G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona, and the entire team created a series so compelling that it became an international sensation. It’s no surprise that they brought that magic to the silver screen! Similar to some thoughts I had RE: She-Hulk (along the lines of pacing, episode count, etc.) it had a few problems overall. But the greater enjoyment of the show and the impact that it has had outweighs any qualms I have. Iman Vellani is endlessly charming and charismatic in the role, even when she’s being a very typical young teen. A brilliant show that (also like She-Hulk) has something to say.
Our Flag Means Death (HBO/Crave) – I’m on a rewatch of this show currently and continuing to love every moment of it. The first episode didn’t initially pull me in and capture me, but my friend told me to push on and I’m so glad I did. Pirates! Shenanigans! Kissing! It’s everything I could possibly want and more. It’s funny and endearing, all while having a great story to round out everything going on.
Peacemaker (HBO/Crave) – After Suicide Squad, I was not at all interested in a series about Peacemaker. It just didn’t seem necessary or something that I would wind up really meshing with. But similarly to OFMD, people kept talking about it and my curiosity was piqued. The first episode didn’t grab me but then all of a sudden, I was invested. The music, the vibes, the characters, and the acting…it’s all such a joy! I definitely didn’t anticipate it being one of my faves of the year either, but here we are. What a well-crafted series with a cast that is ridiculously likable, even when they’re not.
Sandman (Netflix) – I’ve never read the comics but decided to dive into the series and hoped that it would still be enjoyable…and it was! The cast is phenomenal and while I have nothing to compare it to in terms of source to adaptation, I think that it does a really fantastic job of pairing down the ideas in the original and bringing them to our TV screens. I’m sure lots of other people have thoughts specifically on how it translates but my opinion based solely on the show is that it was incredible, compelling, and very enjoyable overall.
Severance (Apple TV+) – Last but not least on the list is Severance. Like many others, I was absolutely captivated by this series and horrified by it at the same time. While it doesn’t necessarily present as a horror show—I’d say more sci-fi/thriller vibes—it still has this deeply embedded horror component to it in showing us one of the worst versions of what an even worse capitalist society could look like. Not to say that our current world isn’t already that…but the ideas presented in Severance show us something that feels eerily plausible and terrifying as we try to figure out what’s going on and get to the bottom of things.
Honourable Mentions:
The Bear (Disney+) – I recognize that this show is incredible. Great story, brilliant acting, and just an all-around stellar season. However, it gave me so much anxiety to watch that I don’t know that I’d necessarily call it a fave. So I’ve put it in honourable mentions here because it still deserves all the acclaim.
Heartstopper (Netflix) – While I did love this show and it (like Euphoria) felt like Skins in all the right ways, it just didn’t quite break into the Top 10. It’s so heartwarming though, and the cast is truly special here as they tell a story that is sure to resonate with many a young person going through similar things.
What We Do in the Shadows (Disney+) – I love WWDITS. Like, a lot. But this season—while still great—has to be my least fave of the series so far. It’s hard because the others are so strong and it’s nearly impossible to keep up that level of quality, especially in a comedy. The characters and situations they get in continue to be brilliant, but this one didn’t quite hit the mark for me. At least not enough to make it into the Top 10.
And that’s it for my TV Top 10. The streaming services in brackets are for Canada, so if that’s not the place it streams for you…well, take that up with Canada.
What shows are in your Top TV lists? Let me know in the comments or say hello over on social media!
This is my first or maybe second time writing a big update like this as a part of blogletter. You know, in lieu of me doing the thing everyone else is doing and making a newsletter. It’s one or the other and I’d rather have a home base here…where I already have a home base. As everyone flees Twitter and tries to find a new home for their thoughts and ramblings.
I’m in that mix too and for the last month, I’ve been filled with dread as I try to wait things out. The downfall of Twitter seems imminent with it only being a matter of time until it shutters its doors. And after spending over a decade finding my friends, peers, and audiences there, I’m truly sad that it’s potentially ending like this. I don’t want to lament it more but it’s a monumental blow to a lot of creators and creatives out there, so I’ll continue to post here, if anyone wants to follow along.
Like everyone else, sometimes I have a lot of updates…and sometimes I don’t. I have a few fun things to share though, so I’ll dive in and elaborate on what’s what. Let’s go!
Support HCP Union – If you haven’t heard already, the employees of Harper Collins are on strike. As an author, I wholeheartedly support the union and employees fighting for what they deserve. They’re burnt out and underpaid and they need to be fairly compensated for the work they do. My own books as well as the books of every other author out there wouldn’t exist without these hardworking employees. Learn more about their strike by visiting their Twitter page. If you have the means, donate to help them pay the employees who are currently not receiving a paycheque.
WWAC – I’ve joined the Women Write About Comics team as a part-time contributor. I probably won’t have the capacity for a ton of content there but I really missed sharing my thoughts and recs. You’ll be able to find out more about what I’m doing there soon so stay tuned.
Editing – Aside from a few projects that I’ll stay on for indefinitely, I’m taking a step back from editing to prioritize and focus on my writing. I love editing and I’ll likely come back to it at some point, but for now, I need to balance the scales a bit better. The latter half of this year really burned me out with my editorial work so understanding that and figuring out my needs is really important to me as I go into 2023. I hope I get to work with many more creators and on a ton of different projects…but after a much-needed break. I worked on 14-15 stories this year as an editor and I’m so proud (you’ll hear more about all of those soon).
Animal Rescue Friends Tales – Speaking of things you’ll be hearing more about, another one of my ARF Tales is out in the world now! If you missed it, I’ve been working with Epic Originals to curate and edit a line of short stories in their Animal Rescue Friends series. Two that I worked on are out—Rats Are Good Pets, Too and Tripod Trouble—and they’ve been such a joy to be a part of. More to come soon!
And if you missed it, I’ve put together my roundups for the previous month(s). Check out what I watched here and what I read here. You can also check out my roundups of Fave Things of 2022 as they’re released throughout the month. Stay tuned!
With the holidays upon us, as I wind down this update, I want to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season. I hope it’s everything you want it to be and more! As we wrap up this year and move into the next, I’m sending you all the best vibes for happiness, joy, and success.
Last but not least, as the beginning of this blogletter indicated, I’ve migrated to a few places while I try to figure out which one sticks. In every case (Hive, Mastodon, Cohost, Pillowfort, and Tumblr), my username is simply “hellocookie” which is my go-to in most places. Find me there and let’s be pals!
And that’s a wrap! Next time you hear from me on here, it’ll (probably) be 2023…you know, pending any major updates to share. Take care of yourselves and be kind to others.
Another month has flown by and we’re nearly at the end of the year. Will I manage to put together some Best Of lists? WHO KNOWS! But for now, we can talk about the things I read (comics and prose) and discuss those. Let’s dive right in:
A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee – A sort of gothic dark academia story revolving around the mysterious death of our protagonists girlfriend during the prior semester at a prestigious boarding school. A month later and I’m still on the fence about this book and how I ultimately feel about it. So take that as you will.
House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson – This is a sapphic romance thriller that feels like Dowry of Blood x The Favourite. Dark, delicious, and deeply captivating. An intriguing story that draws you in from start to finish.
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson – I don’t often read older books (I’m so hyperfocused on newer things usually) but I really wanted to read this and finally made time for it. All I can say is I get the hype now.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus – Okay, speaking of hype, this book had a lot of that…and in my honest opinion, it suffered from it. It’s not a bad book by any means but the fact that it was so talked about and well-reviewed raised my bar a bit too high. It’s a great look at sexism and feminism as well as motherhood, as a woman tries to define her own life rather than have it be centered around a man. I’m absolutely down with the themes, message, etc. but it didn’t envelop me like it did other people.
The Many Deaths of Laila Starr by Ram V., Filipe Andrade, Inês Amaro, and AndWorld Design – “A guide to an extraordinary life after godhood”. A beautiful story about life and how death factors into our appreciation of it. Filipe Andrade is an artist that I first took notice of on his Captain Marvel run, like many others. He was one of the first artists I really remember breaking out of the modern “house style” for superheroes and changing things up. His work then was incredible and with time, has only gotten better. For Laila Starr, the character design and use of colour is nothing short of brilliant, with intricacies interwoven into every page. The way the pages are laid out and the use of panel space? Stunning. But the writing shines here too and Ram V. really delivers on a poignant tale that brings purpose and meaning to the page. Truly excellent storytelling on all fronts here. I think this would be a great “double feature” (if one can even really do that with books) paired with Daytripper.
Saga Vol. 10 by Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Staples – It genuinely floors me how good this book continues to be. After ten years, it still gets me right in the feels, makes me laugh, and I’m always along for the ride. Saga is, without a doubt, one of the best series of all-time.
Stillwater, Vol. 1: Rage, Rage by Chip Zdarsky, Ramon K. Perez, Mike Spicer – I’m still mulling this one over a bit in my mind. It feels a bit like Chip’s take on the Image series Revival but what would happen if someone infiltrated the town and was trying to get to the root of what’s going on. I guess this won’t make much sense if you haven’t read Revival but anywhoo, like I said, still mulling over my thoughts.
And that’s it! I’ve spent most of the latter half of this month trying to work through a beast of a novel (not really…I’m just distracted and not making as much time for reading). So hopefully I’ll be able to hunker down this month and finish up a few things on the top of my TBR pile.
What have you been reading and enjoying?
I’ve once again slipped on my watch list and so I’ve decided to combine two months into one post. Prepare yourselves for a pile of thoughts!
She-Hulk S1 – I never thought I’d live in an era where some of my fave weird She-Hulk stories would get adapted for the silver screen. But here we are! And with Tatiana Maslany, one of my fave actresses, no less. She-Hulk wasn’t without its flaws (I think largely with some pacing) but overall, it’s such a fun series that has something to say. And it breaks the Marvel mold and does something new and exciting! I ultimately really enjoyed it.
Lord of the Rings S1 – On one hand, I loved this show and would’ve loved it no matter what cause Lord of the Rings. That being said, I did get pulled out of it from the parts that they directly took from the films—in trying to go too hard with the fan service. However, the performances were great, especially Morfydd Clark, who played Galadriel in the show.
Bad Sisters S1 – My partner watched the pilot of this and told me that I would love this show. So we dove into it and sure enough, it’s incredible. Basically, it’s a family drama murder mystery revolving around the Most Hateable Man on TV. Truly. The writers made the worst man to ever exist, which I know is a bold claim. But watch and you’ll see. One of my faves of 2022.
The Midnight Club – Basically a YA version of the spooky shows we’ve come to know Mike Flanagan for but this time paired up with Leah Fong. It feels a bit like Haunting of Hill House meets Are You Scared of the Dark? I’ll say that I liked it but didn’t love it. It had a lot of spooky things I was looking for during October though! So it scratched that itch for me.
Tokyo Vice S1 – I was looking for a crime drama to watch so I checked this out and wasn’t disappointed. Well acted and a compelling story that revolves around a couple of expats who wind up in each other’s bubbles while also navigating the dangerous crime world in Japan.
Severance S1 – I watched a couple of episodes of this a while back and fell off of it. Not because I wasn’t into it though. I’m not really sure why I didn’t finish it. BUT I restarted it recently with my partner and absolutely devoured it. Such an intense, dark, and intriguing premise for a truly sinister way that capitalism could further create a dystopian world.
Shining Girls S1 – I’m a big fan of this book so I knew I needed to check out the series. I think it’s a really great adaptation although I think the book is ultimately better. The idea of a time-traveling serial killer is so intriguing and I think the one thing that the show struggles to do is make what’s happening a little more transparent to the viewer. I don’t recall if the book did that but it’s my one criticism overall but still super solid.
Derry Girls S3 – What a perfect ending to this show. While the third and final season isn’t quite as funny as previous ones, it’s filled with heart. The endearing characters kept me pressing play and the finale brought tears to my eyes and a smile to my face.
Bee and Puppycat S1 – God, what a great and absolutely bananas show. It’s something that’s right up my alley and I loved the original YouTube series so I was beyond happy to see it get a full season and release on Netflix. A DELIGHT.
Annnnnd I watched a ton of reality TV. There’s truly not much to say about it all, it’s something that I absolutely love to watch when my brain is mush (which is often). So here’s a list of some of the reality shows I checked out in the last two months…with Nailed It being my fave of the bunch.
Nailed It S7
Easy Bake Battle S1
Love is Blind S3
Great Canadian Baking Show S6
The Mole S1
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK S4
I watched a lot more reality TV (from the 90DF universe) but decided not to include it here cause the summary for it all is just “I love mess.”
What have you been watching and enjoying?
Once upon a time on the internet, I used to be very open about my life. I put so much of myself out there for anyone to know about. In the years since, I’ve become more private and wary about what I share. It’s good in a lot of ways; setting healthy boundaries for yourself and what you give to the world is necessary. But sometimes I think I give off the illusion that my life is peachy keen and without its struggles.
If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen a post this week that goes into some of that. I have been a full-time freelancer for a year and a half now. And I’ll preface the rest of this piece by saying that I am so blessed to be able to sustain myself in this industry. But with that being said, it is a constant hustle—it never stops. Every single day I wonder where my next paycheque will come from and if I’ll continue to find work. That alone takes a toll on my mental health. Going into every day with at least a low-grade level of anxiety.
Since I went full-time, I’ve taken on a number of editing and writing projects that I am responsible for. Countless deadlines to keep track of and stay on top of. Recently, I noticed an inability to focus on my work—beyond my existing hurdle of having ADHD. When I sat down in frustration at my lack of productivity, I realized that what I was feeling was burnout. As I processed this, I had another realization: I needed to find a way to reprioritize what was on my plate and make some changes.
When it comes to projects, I hate saying no. I also hate letting people down. But I had to make a choice—continue on with projects that I wasn’t able to give my best self to OR back out as gracefully as possible. I chose the latter and have begun the process of healing myself, slowly but surely.
As my career continues on, I’m discovering what’s important to me and what I need to do to thrive. When I still had my day job, I had the luxury of turning down projects knowing I had a salary to pay the bills. But I don’t have that safety net anymore. It’s forever a balancing act that I’m still trying to master.
I’m not entirely sure where I’m going with all of this, but I’m working on opening myself up to people again. It’s important to me that others know that they’re not alone in their struggles. Creative industries can chew us up and spit us back out—it’s taxing on us in every way. Not to mention that there constantly seems to be something coming up that thwarts any progress we feel we’ve made. For me, I’m working on giving myself space and being kinder to myself, especially as I heal from what I’m experiencing.
One final thing that I’d like to leave with you is this: I originally posted my update via Instagram deliberately. Instagram is a visual space and looks can be deceiving. The perception that people can give off there is that everything is great—when in reality, we only let others see what we want to see. We all struggle and what we are each going through is varied. The photo with this blog is what I often give off to people around me, but my outward happy appearance isn’t the whole picture.
Be good to each other out there and if you’re struggling too right now, I’m sending much love and positivity out into the ether for you.
It’s time for another roundup of what I read last month. My focus was primarily on spooky books, with the exception of the first book on this list (which I started in September). Let’s dive in and take a gander:
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin – Perfect and beautiful. Such a human story that gets how complicated people can be and their relationships. An ode to not just games but to creativity, collaboration, and finding your people along the way.
Where Darkness Blooms by Andrea Hannah – A tense and exciting YA story about a small town that isn’t what it seems. After the women in the town die or disappear over the years, people begin questioning whether foul play is at hand. This is a multi-POV story that explores supernatural magic realism in a thrilling way with varied, compelling characters.
I know a lot of these reviews are pretty short but it was a hectic month. That being said, I think Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow solidified itself as one of my all-time faves.
What did you read in October?
It’s been a while since I’ve got a chance to share big book news, so I’m excited to be able to share not one thing but three! You may or may not be familiar with Epic Originals. If you are, amazing! If not, it’s a wonderful digital platform aimed at young readers. It not only turns reading into a fun activity but incorporates an educational component for parents, teachers, and librarians. It helps to gauge reading comprehension and more…all with wonderfully delightful stories!
I’m genuinely such a big fan of everything they’re doing. Since early last year, I’ve been editing a spinoff to their series Animal Rescue Friends, curating short stories within that universe with all-new creators and characters. Those are starting to roll out now, with Rats Are Good Pets Too as the first to be released.
But on top of that, I’ve been working as a Staff Writer for Epic too! Myself, along with Matt Cody, Marcie Colleen, Paul Ritchey, Nick Murphy, Steven Scott, and Rana Bumbardatore, are the new writers on three books there:
Cat Ninja Season 6
Time Buddies Season 2
AND A BRAND-NEW SERIES!!!
Master Hamster Super Science Season 1
I am beyond excited to share more about these wonderful and delightful series as we get closer to their release dates. It’ll still be a little while before they’re out, but this has been a dream come true. I can’t wait to share what we’ve cooked up.
Stay tuned for more soon!
As you may have guessed from my other posts, I really love recs. I also love sharing the things that I’m enjoying…I sometimes forget to talk about them regularly since I no longer have an entertainment site to write for. But I’ve been thinking more about changing that a bit and incorporating it here (we’ll see…) But that being said, I’d love to tell y’all about a few things I’ve been enjoying recently.
CULT OF THE LAMB
I know this game is being talked about by loads of people but it truly lives up to the hype. It’s a very dark game, similar to Moonlighter. You fight in dungeons against the evil bishops and their mighty minions while leading an ever-growing cult of worshippers. It’s so stylistically adorable that you sometimes forget the ritualistic sacrifices and killing that goes on regularly throughout the game. I put a ridiculous number of hours into the game in the first few days, but I’ve since slowed down, not wanting it to be over. Highly recommend.
MARVEL’S WEREWOLF BY NIGHT
I couldn’t do an end-of-October post without including at least one spooky thing! I went into this with a low bar, not sure what to expect…and I think it’s one of my fave things Marvel has done in a long time. It’s such a fun, dark and spooky adventure featuring one of my fave lesser-used characters, Elsa Bloodstone. The whole aesthetic of the short was so fun and campy! It made me really excited for the possibility of more standalones like this in the future—stuff that doesn’t require previous knowledge of Marvel or the MCU to enjoy.
THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN
I was lucky enough to see a screening this week and really enjoyed this dark comedy. If you’re familiar with Martin McDonagh’s work (In Bruges, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), this is definitely in line with what you might expect from him. Although that being said, it’s more akin to In Bruges with its witty and sharp dialogue and a quirky story to go along with it. Colin Farrell is great as “nice guy” Pádraic who is confusingly at odds with his best friend, Colm, played by Brendan Gleeson. The two work together wonderfully and if you’re again familiar with In Bruges, you’ll enjoy seeing them bounce off each other here too. Barry Keoghan is fantastic as the Inisherin dunce, Dominic too.
I suspect it’ll have some trouble finding ground with a more mainstream audience and I don’t know that it’s quite as charming as In Bruges but it’s definitely worth checking out.
“PREACHER’S DAUGHTER” BY ETHEL CAIN
I heard about this album from someone on TikTok who was talking about surprising albums of the year. They spoke about it really fondly and it got me curious. I played the first track and was immediately on board, listening to the whole thing from start to finish. I haven’t been captivated by an album entirely since Phoebe Bridger’s “Punisher” and this was just what I was looking for. Haunting vocals that bridge a gap between pop and alternative folk—I’d call it a marriage of Phoebe Bridgers and Florence + the Machine, but that could be because I’ve been listening to a lot of those both, respectively.
Another month has passed us by and I have some TV show updates for you, if you’re curious. I didn’t watch a lot (mostly because I’ve also been obsessed with a ton of junk food reality TV too) but here’s the list:
Glow Up S4 – I’m obsessed with makeup transformations and I was thrilled for another season of this show to get wrapped up in. Everyone is so dang talented and it’s wild to see what they can do with makeup.
What We Do In The Shadows S4 – WWDITS is maybe my favourite TV show on right now. It’s just so funny and perfect. This season dropped the ball a bit for me (compared to other seasons) but overall, I had a great time as these beautiful vampy ding-dogs try to navigate the modern world and their relationships.
Hacks S1-2 – I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this show! I initially didn’t feel a strong pull to it and I remember telling my partner that it was “fine.” But I couldn’t stop watching it! Before I knew it, I’d gone through all the available episodes. Definitely worth enjoying.
Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls S1 – I think this and the Magic Mike reality series might be my two feel-good reality shows of the year. I loved how loose Lizzo was with her rules, elimination process, prizes, etc. Her compassion for the contestants and how she chose to uplift them was inspiring. Truly wonderful reality TV.
Westworld S4 – This was a strong season for Westworld. I can’t say that I entirely understand what happened but I very much enjoyed the ride.
I also started Paper Girls but it honestly didn’t capture me overall. Good performances from the cast but I didn’t find myself being pulled back to it so I DNFed it. I know lots of people loved it though, and I’m bummed to hear that it got canceled. A women-led sci-fi series that deserved better.
What have you been watching?
As I mentioned last month, I really don’t have a whole lot of projects that I can talk about. Everything is in limbo or under NDA for the most part. BUT I do want to let you know about whatever I can talk about and discuss so let’s dive in and discuss what’s new and good.
Racc Pack 2 – Whitney and I just wrapped on the script for Racc Pack 2. We should have more details on release dates for both books very soon. Also, I’ve seen some of the cover sketches that Whitney’s worked up…and they’re so good.
Pillow Talk – Speaking of covers, I’ve also seen a sneak peak at the cover for Pillow Talk and it’s looking great! We should also have more details on that very soon, including (hopefully) a release date and pre-order link.
Appearances – I wrapped up moderating some TIFA Kids panels recently and have a couple more events coming up. I’ll be at MCX in Mississauga on Oct 16. And on Oct 29, I’ll be at Gotham Central all day for their Halloween Indie Fest. More details on both appearances are here.
And honestly, that’s pretty much it for now! It’s not a big update but it’s all I’ve got. Hopefully next month I’ll have more exciting stuff to tell you about…including what spooky movies I watched for October.
If you’re in Mississauga, please be sure to come say hi later this month for Gotham Central’s Halloween Indie Fest event. I’ll be one of the guest creators with a booth and I’d love to see you! I’ll be selling copies of ParaNorthern and the Chaos Bunny A-hop-calypse, as well as Oh My Gods! and other wares.
The event details are:
WHEN: Saturday, October 29
TIME: 11:00am-6:00pm
WHERE: Gotham Central – 1400 Aimco Blvd. Unit 1 Mississauga, ON L4W 1B2
It’s shaping up to be a really fun event with lots of other talented creators on location too, including Keith Grachow, Becka Kinzie, Jonathan Kociuba, and more.
Hope to see you there!
It’s already October and I’ve got a new roundup of books with mini reviews for y’all. Check out my list and be sure to let me know what you’ve been enjoying in the comments.
The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston – A fun, delightful twist on the romcom with witty writing and engaging characters. TDR is as insightful as it is funny too, providing little bits of wisdom throughout as our protagonist tries to find her way back to love again. Feels like Beach Read x Cemetery Boys…the overall vibes of Beach Read with the ghostly bits of Cemetery Boys.
Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid – A solid, GOOD FOR HER type of story. Set in the same world as Ava Reid’s The Wolf and the Woodsman, this standalone story reinvents more Slavic lore in a great and witchy read to kick off spooky season.
This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub – An exquisitely beautiful love story not about one person or soulmate but an ode to life itself and the special people in it that are our constants, no matter what. Who we really, really love and who really, really love us back, to borrow from This Time Tomorrow itself. A perfect combination of About Time and The Midnight Library. One of my favourites of the year.
The Restless Dark by Erica Waters – A perfect spooky read, following the story of a young woman—the last victim of a serial killer—who is trying to reclaim herself and face the darkness that’s haunted her for the last two years. And the story of Carolina whose dark past is one she can’t quite remember. Is her past dark or is she herself the darkness?
The Restless Dark is an exciting and riveting dual-POV YA thriller for fans of Sadie and Yellowjackets. Sadie is an especially apt comp title for the content here, offering a similar mode of delivery for the story but with its own unique spin.
Well-fleshed out characters with depth and lots of personality. They aren’t always likable but you’re rooting for them to make it out of what they’ve gotten themselves into. It’s a page-turner that keeps you engaged from start to finish—you might guess some of the twists and turns but the joy is seeing it unravel as you go.
And that’s a wrap on what I read in September. I was hoping to wrap up a couple more books but didn’t get to it. You’ll just have to hear about those on next month’s roundup. What have you been reading and enjoying?
Coming up on October 16 is Mississauga Comic Expo. I’ll be set up with my books and moderating the author talks and sketch battles for the event. I’ll be at Table 211 (see below for layout) and this is my lineup for panels:
11:00-11:30am – Sketch Challenge with Scott Chantler, Meaghan Carter and Jey Pawlik
12:00-1:00pm – Author Talk with Scott Chantler
2:00-2:30pm – Sketch Challenge with Paris Alleyne, Joy San, Jey Pawlik and Angela Poon
3:00-4:00pm – Author Talks with Jey Pawlik & Michelle Parker
Most of my time will be spent at the Rogers Theatre but my partner will be at my booth to help with sales and I’ll be sure to stop by to sign anything that y’all might want to have signed.
I can’t wait to see you all!
Coming up this month is the Toronto International Festival of Authors. Additionally, they have TIFA Kids too! I’m happy to announce that while I’m not a formal guest of the show this year, I’ll be around moderating a couple of events for them.
I do my best to keep my Appearances page updated, so if you’re ever curious about where I’ll be next, check it out.
The summer has come and gone, and even though I was outside a lot, I still managed to watch tons of stuff last month. This is the roundup of (mostly) everything, minus some reality TV that I’ve been putting on in the background. As per usual, if you’re interested in the films I’ve been watching, you can visit my Letterboxd profile. Otherwise, here we go:
Holey Moley S4 – I forgot to include this one on July’s roundup but I love this very goofy, mindless game show of EXTREME MINI GOLF. It’s basically MXC or Wipeout but then mixed with mini-golf? And also inexplicably, Steph Curry is involved. And The Muppets. It’s great.
Stranger Things S4 – Controversial opinion here but…Stranger Things is just fine. Its episode format with some runtimes nearing 3 HOURS is absolutely bananas and not friendly as a bingeable show anymore. It’s a time commitment now. I love the characters but it’s very formulaic and again…it’s fine.
The Most Hated Man on the Internet – I was fascinated by this show. I go through phases where I’m very into true crime and this offered a different take on it with a look at a truly terrible man on the internet…as opposed to watching something focused on assault and murder. I thought this was a compelling and well-put-together three-part series. My one complaint about it is that it had an opportunity to shed light on how few laws exist to protect people online and how we could push that to change.
Amphibia S3 – What an incredible series! This was the end of it and it went out on such a high note after endearing me to the entire cast. I laughed. I cried. I had a lot of feelings throughout and if you haven’t checked Amphibia out yet, you definitely should.
Sandman S1 – I don’t know what I could say about Sandman that hasn’t already been said online. As someone who knows of the comics and has read only the first volume, I went into the show relatively blind. So without the knowledge of the source material, I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. I hope that they get to tell more of the story.
Great British Bake-Off S12 – It’s that time again: comfort TV season. And my GOD do I love GBBR. Cozy, emotional, and wonderful…as always.
Obi-Wan S1 – Okay…another controversial opinion here: Obi-Wan was fine. I really want Star Wars stories that don’t revolve around the legacy characters. I know we all love the characters that have been covered by these shows and such so far, but I’m really interested in watching shows set in the SWU without being beholden to the masses of continuity. There’s such an opportunity to play in new spaces within the sandbox and I’m so curious to see where they could take that.
Only Murders in the Building S2 – Not as strong of a season as the first but the trio of leads are so fun and charismatic that I was happy to still be along for the ride. Could’ve done with 100% less Amy Schumer though.
Never Have I Ever S3 – A brilliant and funny show that highlights the cringe of being a boy-crazy teenage girl while tackling heavy topics such as mental illness and grief. Truly excellent.
Owl House S2 – Last but not least, I made my way through the second season of Owl House and loved every moment. I think this season was stronger than the first as it really found its footing, and it’s just a shame that we won’t be getting much more of it.
What have you been watching and enjoying?
For August, I made it through a few more books in my (massive) TBR pile. A lot of romance and romcoms but then also paired with some creepier reads as I prepared for Spooky Season. Of the six books I read last month, I think three or four of them are going to wind up making it into my overall fave books of 2022. So it was a good month! But without further rambling, here’s the roundup:
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna – An enchanting story perfect for fans of The House in the Cerulean Sea and Practical Magic. Easily one of my favourite books of the year, casting its spell over me with its charming characters, wonderful premise, and strong themes of family, love, and belonging. A must-read for anyone who enjoys found family tropes and romantic enemy-to-lovers stories with a dash of magic.
Shades of Fear, edited by Allison O’Toole and Ashanti Fortson – A brilliant array of creators, each with their own chilling tale to get under your skin and give you goosebumps with.
The Whisper Man by Alex North – A creepy and captivating book. I kept forgetting this was a book I was reading, it felt like a crime series I was watching and immersed in. Very well written and thoroughly haunting.
Beach Read by Emily Henry – A perfect summer read! Emily Henry writes a heartfelt and delightful romcom with the classic enemies to lovers trope. I was rooting for our two protagonists and thoroughly enjoyed the ride from start to finish. Clever, fun, and witty.
The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty – I made it about halfway through this and then DNFed it. It’s a well-written and intriguing story but it’s SO dense and there’s so much worldbuilding and history that it was extremely overwhelming to keep up with everything in my head. I still gave it four stars since I recognize the incredible talent and skill that went into the story, characters, and world, but it ultimately wasn’t for me.
Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen – A beautiful multi-POV that mixes the ordinary with fantastical. While the larger story revolves around the tenants of a small, whimsical building called The Dellawisp, it weaves in the supernatural as well. The multi-POV incorporates that of the dearly (and not-so-dearly) departed as we find out about the lives of those who carry on, even after death. It’s a breezy read and reminds me of a slightly less dark Her Fearful Symmetry.
What have you been reading and enjoying?
I guess I should attempt to post some more stuff besides just my roundups, eh? Well, we’re nearing the end of summer (thank god) and it’s been a busy one. Juggling work (when you’re constantly hustling to find paying gigs) is hard to sometimes balance the rest of your life with. I’ve been really lucky this past year to find consistent work and to be able to mostly be able to enjoy the nicer weather.
…although real talk: summer weather is not what I would call nice. It’s just that it’s not a workout to go outside and trudge through snow and gross slushy winter. Spring and Fall are where it’s at and I will be enjoying those seasons thusly.
But anyways, I don’t have much that I can really update y’all on but I’ll do my best:
Racc Pack 2 is in the works! Whitney and I are working on the second draft right now (oh god, oh god, oh god…) and we’ll have news regarding that soon.
Pillow Talk is coming along and is still on track to be released in Fall 2023. Mel finished the final line art for the book and let me tell you: it’s incredible. I can’t wait to share it with you all!
Animal Rescue Friends Tales are starting to trickle out into the world! I spent the last year and a half curating and editing the line of short stories with a bunch of talented creators. They’ll be released exclusively on Epic! and you can see which ones are out by checking in on my Editing page.
There’s not much else to share right now but I’ll be sure to fill you in ASAP. I’m still working away on Pekoe. Kaylee is doing wonderfully (see photo above). Annnnd that’s mostly it!
Enjoy your Fall Season and I’ll see you soon.
It’s been a minute since I posted about the books I’ve been reading. I’ve had some deadlines to hit and I’ve been enjoying my summer…and subsequently neglecting my blog and updates. So without further ado, let’s just get into everything I’ve been reading:
The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake – Compelling and exciting! Excellent worldbuilding and magic system within a story that kept me turning the pages. I will say though, the final act really felt like a bit of a letdown. I was super on board with everything being sold to me…until the reveal. So take that as you will. But overall, very cool concept and writing.
The Sunbearer Trials (The Sunbearer Duology #1) by Aiden Thomas – A new fantasy series perfect for fans of Percy Jackson and The Hunger Games. Aiden Thomas writes another page-turning adventure filled with Mexican folklore and mythology. An exciting journey from start to finish with a diverse and delightful cast of characters. You won’t be able to put this book down – OUT SEPT. 6, 2022
Year of the Dog by Irma Kniivila – Laugh out loud, pitch-perfect pet perfection! Relatable, delightful, and amazing. If you enjoy the works of Kate Beaton, you’ll absolutely enjoy these short dogventure comics.
Stages of Rot by Linnea Sterte – Hands down one of the most beautiful comics that I have ever read. It kind of feels like Moebius doing Nausicaa all while feeling entirely original and breathtakingly fresh.
Cat’s Cradle: The Golden Twine (Cat’s Cradle #1) by Jo Rioux – Cat’s Cradle is a stunning and delightful story for readers of all ages. Beautiful illustrations and colours make everything pop off the page, and the world-building within the story—everything from the characters to the magic to the monsters—is so fun and captivating. It feels like an origin story for Tony Cliff’s Delilah Dirk series, if Delilah was a monster hunter. So with that, I think it’s also safe to say that if you’ve enjoyed those books, Cat’s Cradle will be up your alley. Similarly, if you enjoyed Tim Probert’s LightFall books, this is in a similar vein.
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller – “I am made of memories.” My HEART! What a beautiful book that expertly breathes new life into old myths and legends. I loved every moment of it, even the parts that made me tear up.
Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley – A compelling and complex read. Started out a bit slow but after a few chapters, I was fully invested and couldn’t put it down. A book worthy of the hype surrounding it.
We Could Be Heroes by Mike Chen – A fun and exhilarating exploration into a world where people with superpowers exist and how being a hero or villain isn’t always black and white. Mike Chen has an exception gift for taking extraordinary story concepts and making them feel grounded in reality. His characters feel fully realized and you’re able to connect with them. In this case, getting two characters in a platonic friend relationship together was a breath of fresh air! I kept expecting a romance to pop up but the fact that it didn’t come and they just remained friends was a *chefs kiss* choice. Worth checking out!
Verity by Colleen Hoover – I devoured this in one day, broken up into two long sittings during the hottest day of the summer so far and I…I don’t even know what to say or think yet. I just know I’ll be processing this story and thinking about it for a long time to come. Wow…just…wow. Creepy, edge-of-your-seat stuff that kept me turning the pages until I was done.
The Girl from Everywhere (The Girl from Everywhere #1) by Heidi Heilig – A book with truly wonderful world-building and a unique magic system. It somehow feels part Night Circus and part Peter Pan in some way. There are some other comps on the tip of my tongue that I can’t quite reach but it’s got fantasy and mythology mixed with historical fiction that helps to ground the story in reality. A fantastic debut novel.
Other books that I read but don’t really have reviews for:
A frog in the fall (and later on) by Linnea Sterte
Space Trash Vol. 1 (Space Trash #1) by Jenn Woodall
The Good Fight by Ted Staunton and Josh Rosen
Coming Back by Jessi Zabarsky
What have you been reading and enjoying?
I’ve neglected my lists for a little bit, but mostly because I’ve been watching movies and rewatching TV shows or misc. episodes of reality TV. Like, a lot of random eps of 90 Day Fiancée. But since there’s a few months worth of backlog, I figured I’d share some of what I’ve been checking out. As per usual, if you’re interested in the films I’ve been watching, you can visit my Letterboxd profile. Otherwise, let’s dive in:
Moon Knight S1 – This was fine? Though, for a show called Moon Knight, there really wasn’t a lot going on with the actual superhero persona of Moon Knight himself. That being said, it was an interesting origin and I think opened up the superhero world outside of the US, exploring cool places and lore. However, the most interesting character by far was Layla El-Faouly and there wasn’t nearly enough exploration done for her character.
Bob’s Burgers S12 – You can’t go wrong with Bob’s Burgers. It is consistently hilarious and delightful and the music numbers are A+ perfection. I’m excited to watch the movie soon too.
Russian Doll S2 – Natasha Lyonne is great and I love the weird nature of the show…but this season was a bit of a miss for me. I finished it mostly to be able to say that I did.
Ghosts S3 – I adore the heck out of this show and it is so charmingly quirky and fun. I love the concept so much. Two well-meaning millennials trying to make their dreams happen…but anything and everything that could possibly go wrong does.
Boo Bitch – I loved the concept for this show! And the cast members are so charming. I think it falters a little bit though in leaning on its tropes of popularity and mortality. It subsequently becomes a little meh towards the middle as the cringe overpowers everything else. But overall, I still think this was a really fun idea and delightful (hopefully) mini-series.
Ms. Marvel S1 – What can I say about this show that hasn’t already been said? I loved it and Iman Vellani must be protected at all costs. It falters a bit in the middle in its exploration of the Clandestines as the series antagonists but I think it just needed more room to breathe. And by that, I mean that a lot was crammed into the 6-episodes of Season 1. It needed one primary focus in either Kamala vs. the DODC or the Clandestines but it wants it all. I hope that we get to see more of everything in the show though and I’m curious about where the MCU goes from here.
RuPaul All-Stars S7 – All winners competing to be the ultimate winner? Heck yes! This was really well done and I loved the format in not eliminating any queen but creating a way for them to all stay in the competition until the end. Plus my chosen queen wound up reigning supreme…so win-win!
The Bear S1 – Everyone is saying that this is their show of the year and…it’s fine. The performances are great, the story is well done, and I understand the hype. But the anxiety that this series gave me firmly put it in a category where I’d never want to revisit it again. Compelling for sure and extremely good. Def not up there in my faves of 2022 though…but worth checking out!
And then, as mentioned, I watched a lot of reality TV and then did a big rewatch of What We Do in the Shadows in anticipation of the newest season.
What have you been watching and enjoying?
For over a year now, I’ve been working with Epic Originals to launch a line of short stories for Animal Rescue Friends. It’s a delightful series that revolves around a group of kids who volunteer at an animal rescue and learn all about what it takes, as well as the animals they look after.
And the first that I edited is here. It’s called Rats Are Good Pets Too by Katie Longua. The art is by Ellen T. Crenshaw with colours by Whitney Cogar.
“A rescued rodent might be more than Bell can handle! Can she overcome her fear and learn that rats deserve as much love as any other animal?”
SCRIPT: Katie Longua ART: Ellen T. Crenshaw COLOURS: Whitney Cogar EDITS: Stephanie Cooke PUBLISHER: Epic Originals
It’s such a wonderful story and if you the Epic app, it’s available to read right now. You can visit here to check it out.
More to come soon!
It’s been a hot (literally) minute since I did an update. There’s both been a lot and also nothing going on. An enigma! But let’s dive in:
For anyone excited about the upcoming release of Racc Pack, I finished writing the first draft of BOOK TWO. Whitney Gardner and I outlined it heavily together and then I went in and scripted the whole thing. It’s in the hands of our editor now.
Speaking of Racc Pack, it’s been pushed back to Spring 2024 (boo) but with the intent of releasing Book Two even sooner, right on its heels (yay)!
I’m working on a secret non-fiction project that is so ridiculously on-brand for me…I can’t wait to share that!
My writing on Pekoe continues as well. I’m working on cutscenes for each of the cats right now and I can’t wait to be able to show you more.
There’s not much else to report back on right now though! I’m trying to enjoy my summer, be outdoors, spend quality time with my partner and my friends, and live my life. Gotta have a solid work/life balance, even when you love what you do.
So I’ll be sure to update y’all when there’s exciting stuff afoot, but in the meantime, be good to each other out there.
ONE YEAR AGO TODAY
ParaNorthern came out and its adorable chaos was unleashed into the world. This book will always mean SO much to me. It was the first project I saw through on my own, even when it was a passion project just for me. It made me happy to work on it and helped me have something to pour my soul into during a particularly dark time in my life.
It was the first book we sold. I was in a bookstore when my agent, Maria Vicente, called me to give me the news that our editor, Lily Kessinger at HMH, wanted to acquire it. I had a complete meltdown of joy as I danced around the bookshelves that now stock ParaNorthern in their store. I’m sure there’s footage somewhere of this and several employees who were apprehensive about the lady full-on going bananas.
It was the very first time I felt like maybe I could be a writer and tell stories that made me happy, as well as (hopefully) other young readers out there. ParaNorthern has so much of my heart and soul in it and it will never not bring me joy when I see it at home, out in the world, at a library, a used bookstore, etc.
I hop(e) that if you’ve checked ParaNorthern out, it brought you a fraction of the massive amount of joy it brought me to write. Thank you so much for your love and support
Once again, my reading roundup is a little bit late but it’s been a hectic few weeks. I didn’t read a ton last month (at least compared to previous months) but I had a decent haul of wonderful books. So here’s what I read along with some thoughts on each title:
Witch Hat Atelier Vol. 2 by Kamome Shirahama and Stephen Kohler – A jaw-droppingly stunning book filled with mythology and incredible art.
Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao – After reading Iron Widow, I knew I was going to be on board for anything and everything Xiran Jay Zhao put out into the world. This is no exception, melding together lore with history for a wonderful urban fantasy adventure that is sure to resonate with young readers everywhere. In addition to the fantastical elements that make the story so engaging, it’s infused with history and educational components that get you thinking. Xiran Jay Zhao has such a strong voice that comes through in all of their writing and I adore the passion that is infused in all of their stories. It feels as though they’re pulling from their own culture and personal experiences to craft these characters into complex, multifaceted characters. While there are rightfully comparisons to the Percy Jackson franchise, clearly Zhao’s love of Yu-Gi-Oh! shines through. This book proves that while Xiran Jay Zhao is a relatively new voice in fiction and fantasy, they’re a force to be reckoned with and we’ll be seeing a lot more from them over the years.
Lumberjackula by Mat Heagerty and Sam Owen – An absolutely delightful story about a half-vampire, half-lumberjack young person who has to make a bit choice about what to do next in life. Will he follow in the footsteps of his vampire father? Or will he become an entrepreneur like his lumberjack mother? Or will he learn to follow his heart and passions to figure out what HE wants? Wonderful art, a sweet story, and wholesome themes and messages throughout that will resonate with young people everywhere! – OUT JULY 19, 2022!
House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland – Hauntingly exquisite and nothing like I thought it would be in the best possible way. I went into this story relatively blind and not expecting such a dark urban fantasy fairytale and was utterly captivated from start to finish. Twists, turns, and page-turning suspense kept me on the edge of my seat. The only thing that stopped me from consuming this in a mere day or two was my love of sleep that tends to eclipse my desire to stay up to keep reading. Otherwise this was an incredible book and I loved every moment of it.
Lightfall: Skyggen by Tim Probert – An absolutely wonderful sequel to an incredible and beautiful graphic novel. Can’t wait for the next installment!
What did you read in May? Leave a comment or reach out on socials and say hello!
Exciting news! I’ll be tabling at TCAF this year with books and other fun things. If you want to come say hello, I’ll be there for the weekend from June 18-19, 2022 at Table 221. I’ll also be on the Final Fantasy panel on Saturday with Jo Rioux and Nadia Shammas. It’ll be in the Hinton Learning Centre (within the Reference Library itself) at 12:00pm.
Here’s the setup with where you can find me at the show:
This week is the Forest of Reading Festival. It’s Canada’s largest recreational reading program and even has its own awards. ParaNorthern and the Chaos Bunny A-hop-calypse was one of the nominees for the Silver Birch Fiction Award, and it was such an honour to be included.
The ceremony has been broadcast this week and my award category went live this morning. We didn’t wind up winning but just being a part of it was incredible. This honour put ParaNorthern in front of so many young readers, librarians, and educators and I couldn’t be more grateful.
Congratulations to Deadman’s Castle by Iain Lawrence for winning in our category. And congrats to the two honour titles, Alice Fleck’s Recipes for Disaster by Rachelle Delaney and The Language of Ghosts by Heather Fawcett. So well deserved and I cannot state this enough: I was so honoured to be included alongside these incredible books.
Here are all of the nominated books within our category. If you haven’t checked them out already, be sure to do so.
This is a bit late…we’re already nearly halfway through May. But I’ve finally gone through my reads from April and put together a list for y’all to check out. .
Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons #1 by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Phil Jimenez – A jaw-droppingly stunning book filled with mythology and incredible art.
Shirley & Jamila’s Big Fall by Gillian Goerz – A delightful follow-up to the first graphic novel in this series. I deliberately use the word “follow-up” rather than sequel since this is totally standalone (as is the first) and require any additional context to enjoy. The characters are engaging and relatable and I loved that the stakes rose in this story, revolving around privilege, bullying, and more. Goerz is excellent at adding in other subtle details exploring deeper themes and messages. Young readers will definitely enjoy this book and series, especially if they enjoy a good mystery to unravel.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 1 by Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe – This manga took me by surprise! It’s D&D but what happens after the party ends their adventure and what comes after. The relationships formed and the connections shared and what happens to everyone when all but one are mortal. Surprisingly contemplative and beautiful, focusing on quieter moments in fantasy storytelling.
Lightfall: The Girl & the Galdurian by Tim Probert – One of the most beautiful and extraordinary graphic novels I’ve read in a while. Top-notch art and colours pair perfectly with the story of two companions as they travel together on an epic quest. It feels cinematic and the art guides you around the page effortlessly conveying the tale. Truly wonderful and worth reading.
The Deep & Dark Blue by Niki Smith – When a family is torn apart by a murderous play for power, young twins flee to the Communion of Blue where they hide until they can make a move to enact justice. However, along the way, each twin begins to discover more about themselves as they find their true places in the world. A beautiful story with stunning art and palettes. An exploration of identity, family, acceptance, and more.
Piranesi by Susana Clarke – I know lots of people who love the heck out of this book…I was not one of them. It was fine but it felt so deliberately dense and I struggled to get through it. I did make it all the way to the end but even having completed it, I’m still not entirely sure what actually happened. I was definitely into the concept and the worldbuilding but there wasn’t enough of that for me overall.
And then a few things that I read but don’t have much to say about them:
Best Friends by Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham
The Apothecary Diaries Manga, Vol. 1 by Natsu Hyuuga, Nekokurage, Itsuki Nanao, and Touco Shino
The Cardboard Kingdom by Chad Sell and Various Contributors
Beasts of Prey by Ayana Gray
What did you read in April? Leave a comment or reach out on socials and say hello!
It’s already MAY!?!?! Well, I’m relieved that it’s starting to finally get warmer out so as I get outside more, this list will maybe get a bit shorter. But for April, it’s still a pretty hefty list. If you’re curious about the films I watched (no reviews though!), visit my Letterboxd page here. Otherwise, let’s dive right in!
The Dropout – The theme this spring seems to be TV shows that put a spotlight on con artist women. There was Inventing Anna and now hot on its heels is this mini-series starring Amanda Seyfried. I enjoyed it in that sort of way where everyone is deeply unlikeable but you just want to see where it all goes. Definitely compelling though, and an interesting look at women who weaponize the fact that men want to be able to pat themselves on the back for uplifting them without doing any research whatsoever.
Is It Cake S1 – Okay so 1) I hate the trend of cakes that look like stuff. I hate it. 2) This host drove me absolutely bananas, especially with how he cuts cakes…SIR, WHO RAISED YOU?! so I pretty much hate-watched this show and screamed at the TV the entire time. It was mostly background noise while I did some other things in my downtime but when I did watch, it was with a fiery dislike.
The Ultimatum S1 – I couldn’t stop talking about this show for the entire time I watched it (aka over the course of two days). I love a show that makes me feel like I’ve got my life together. Anyways, what a concept! An absolutely bananas show from the people who brought us the equally bananas Love is Blind.
Abbott Elementary S1 – Everyone said that this show was delightful and they were right. The Office but set at a deeply underfunded public school. A wholesome teacher wanting to make a difference, several jaded teachers who’ve been at it for too long, and a principal who doesn’t have a single thought in her head. *CHEF’S KISS*
RuPaul’s Drag Race S14 – It’s no secret that I love me some Drag Race. This season was great and I loved pretty much all of the queens. I was super happy with the queens that made it to the final and without spoiling anything, I was really happy with the winner too. I think the runner-up maybe deserved it a smidge more but I was still pleased with how things shook out.
Minx S1 – I watched this on a whim and wound up loving it. It’s a bit of a caricature of feminism at times but I think that it just really works for the character, the time period, and it was overall a really great show! I’m stoked about where they go from here although if they somehow write out Jake Johnson, I WILL RIOT.
Heartstopper S1 – And finally, HEARTSTOPPER! which is aptly named. I love the comics so much and to see them adapted so beautifully made me incredibly happy. It was like…what if we made Skins wholesome? They gave me those teen beats bops throughout the show but with romance, light drama, and ALL THE FEELINGS. Except for the incredibly devastating ones where they kill off your faves (looking at you again, Skins…)
I didn’t include shows that I’ve been doing a rewatch of but I finished Gravity Falls S1 again as well as Schitts Creek S3. A+ highly recommend. I love them.
And that’s pretty much it for this month! What did you watch and enjoy?
This past week was Canadian Children’s Book Week and I had the honour of being one of the guest authors for the 45th Book Week tour. The wonderful team at the Canadian Children’s Book Centre paired me up with schools and libraries in Alberta, Quebec, and Nova Scotia.
We discussed Creating Graphic Novels, breaking down some of my work as well as what goes on behind the scenes when making comic books. I want to give a shout-out to the CCBC team as well as the wonderful coordinators and hosts who had me speak to their delightful students.
Thank you to Devon Public Library, Cochrane Public Library, Canmore Public Library, Heritage Hills Elementary School, Gaspesie Polyvalent, The Sacred Heart School of Montreal, Halifax Public Library, and the Hebrew Academy of Montreal.
I had such an incredible time speaking to you all and I want to thank you for your engaging questions and enthusiasm. I hope that you all learnt something and I was able to leave you with a little bit of my passion for comics and graphic novels. And should you want to make graphic novels someday yourself, I can’t wait to read them!
<3 <3 <3
I am absolutely thrilled to share my return to The Purrrcast this week. Steven Ray Morris and Sara Iyer asked me to tell them a bit about my aunt…who was a Peak (Purrfect) Crazy Cat Lady. On top of loving to talk to Steven and Sara, it was my honour to share a bit about one of my fave people of all time. I really hope that you’ll check it out. Click below or visit here:
I’ve been really bad lately about sharing other updates and fun things I’ve been doing so here’s a quick little roundup of a few other podcasts I’ve been on recently:
And whew! I think that’s it for now. There should be some more coming soon so stay tuned for that and hopefully exciting other updates too!
The year is really just flying by and I’ve put together a list of the TV shows watched through the month of March. If you’re curious about the films I watched (no reviews though!), visit my Letterboxd page here. Otherwise, let’s dive right in!
Love is Blind S2 – What can I say? I love me some garbage reality TV and this gives me exactly what I crave! Is love really blind? Not when it comes to the people they bring on for these shows…and I am absolutely here for it.
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs. the World S1 – I will watch pretty much any and all versions of RuPaul’s Drag Race. That being said, this series was a disaster with alliances being formed between the queens that already knew each other (since they brought numerous ones in from the same country) paired with All-Stars rules. Those rules NEED TO GO and honestly, no one that ended up in the finale deserved to be there. SORRY NOT SORRY.
Ted Lasso S2 – I reactivated my Apple TV+ subscription just to watch this and it was exactly what my soul needed. Not quite as good as Season 1 but still excellent.
Schmigadoon S1 – As mentioned, I reactivated my Apple+ account so once Ted Lasso was over, I needed more and this was on my list. I really enjoyed it! Kind of like a rom-com musical version of something like Pushing Daisies, which…I am here for.
Babysitter’s Club S1-2 – Don’t even get me started on how mad I am that Netflix cancelled this ABSOLUTELY PERFECT SERIES. There are so few franchises like BSC and it was done so well. I’m heartbroken that it’s not being given a chance to continue. Almost every episode had me in tears.
The Afterparty S1 – Christopher Miller? Murder mystery? OTHER ACTORS AND STUFF? Sold! I had a blast watching this and trying to figure out what was going on from the very first episode. A lot of fun and highly recommend it.
The Gilded Age S1 – I meaaaan, as a Downton Abbey fan (well, the first few seasons), there was no way I wasn’t going to watch this show. It had a few ups and downs for me but ultimately was extremely compelling and enjoyable. I am here for the power couple that are the Russells’.
Bridgerton S2 – Not quite as good as the first season but still incredibly enjoyable and a really refreshing take on romance properties and historical fiction.
Starstruck S1-2 – ROSE MATAFEO!!!! Okay, I am a big Taskmaster fan and when I saw that Rose had a TV show? SOLD. As frustrating as the show can be at times, I was totally invested and enjoyed it all.
Our Flag Means Death S1 – My friend Steph bullied me into watching this so I obliged and binged the entire thing in two days. I LOVE THESE GAY PIRATES SO MUCH!!! As does the rest of the internet…yes, this show is as good as everyone is making it out to be. Also speaking of making out: LET THE GAY PIRATES MAKE OUT!
You might be able to tell that I had a brief Apple+ subscription from the three shows that I binged. I really wanted to watch the second season of Ted Lasso and watched the others as an added bonus.
What did you watch in March?
It’s been a little over a year since the first Oh My Gods! came out by Insha Fitzpatrick, myself, and Juliana Moon. And the second book in our graphic novel series is here and available wherever you buy your books. We are so excited for you to read it and enjoy your return to Mt. Olympus Junior High with Karen, Tina, Dita, Artemis, and Pol.
In this story, we explore a little bit more of what’s going on with Karen and a mysterious maze that they discover in the basement of their school. Here’s the official synopsis: “When Karen moved to Mt. Olympus, she certainly didn’t expect to start junior high with a bunch of gods and goddesses—let alone discover she’s a demigoddess (who doesn’t yet know her powers)!
Having recently joined the school newspaper, Karen decides to investigate a mysterious online troll that goes by the moniker M1N0T4UR. This leads her to a treacherous maze beneath the school where Karen and her friends must complete a set of phases to leave the labyrinth.
The stakes are higher than ever and a wrong move could lead to some terri-BULL consequences in this a-maze-ingly action-packed, fast-paced, pun-filled companion to Oh My Gods!.”
Another month has passed by and I’ve collected my reading list from March. It was a pretty chaotic month (and is continuing into April) so the overall list is here and some have mini-reviews and some do not. Forgive me! If you want to chat about any of them though, say hi on Twitter or Instagram and I’ll share my thoughts.
A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson – A sapphic, polyamorous love story surrounding the partners of Dracula? HECK YES. I picked this up on a whim and flew through it in barely two days. The writing is so fluid, smooth, and dreamy, following a compelling story that most of us are familiar with but from a different POV. I loved seeing this story through the eyes of his beloved and how things played out from her perspective. Everything about this book was just so damn good and I highly recommend it.
The Airless Year by Adam P. Knave, Valentine Barker, and Frank Cvetkovic – A highly relatable and empowering story that explores those awkward transition years that all young people experience—the ones where everything feels up in the air as you desperately try to discover who you are. The Airless Year is filled with delightful wit, dry humor, and themes that will hit home for many young people. The art is simplistic but effective in conveying the story. With an especially excellent focus on artist Valentine Barker’s character expressions that expertly bring you into each moment on the page.
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia – What an incredible book! I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish, drawn in by the engaging characters and brilliant prose. A haunting story that I couldn’t put down! It’s obviously called Mexican Gothic as an ode to its gothic romance genre…and although I am a firm believer that Crimson Peak is incredible (seriously who doesn’t like that film??), I haven’t explored a lot of other gotchic stories. But this made me want to find more. And this was a top notch read and I highly recommend it, ESPECIALLY if you too believe that Crimson Peak was criminally underrated.
Katie the Catsitter: Best Friends for Never by Colleen A.F. Venable and Stephanie Yue – This continues to be an incredibly fun series! As I said in my summary of the first book, THIS is the middle-grade (unofficial) Catwoman book of my dreams. And not with her as the full-on leading lady but as the classic anti-hero who is training their loyal sidekick/catsitter. Lovely messages in here about friendships and the growing pains that can come with all relationships. Plus family, doing what’s right, and knowing your limits. An excellent addition to this series.
Salt Magic by Hope Larson and Rebecca Mock – Really spectacular. I feel like I do a lot of comparisons to Studio Ghibli but this has an air of that too it, embodying bits of stories like Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle. I love the strong family bond that sets our protagonist on her quest and the journey that it takes her on. It’s magical and beautifully brought to life on the page.
This Vicious Grace by Emily Thiede – An engaging new YA series for fans of Kendare Blake’s Three Dark Crowns series. Featuring a compelling lead character wrestling with a powerful gift…or curse? And a fun cast of supporting characters – OUT JUNE 28, 2022
Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker, Wendy Xu, and Joamette Gil – Witches! Werewolves! Queer romance! This graphic novel has it all and it’s every bit as good as you’ve probably heard. Beautiful art, engaging story, and a delight from start to finish.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid – What a great book. While I didn’t love this quite as much as Daisy Jones, I’ve clearly and quickly become a fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid and her body of work. I can’t wait to dig into more going forward.
What did you read in March?
For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to write. I spent much of my childhood reading and escaping to faraway worlds in books and I know how much a book can mean. And seeing yourself as your experiences in the stories you read is vitally important! Every young person should have the opportunity to see themselves in a story.
I was elated when I saw ParaNorthern and the Chaos Bunny A-hop-calypse included on ALA’s 2022 Rainbow Booklist. For those of you who haven’t read it yet, I don’t want to give anything away but telling stories where LGBQT2A+ are allowed to exist and just be, is something very important to me. There are wonderful stories revolving around a character’s sexuality too but we need more normalization within stories where they just exist…because that’s a reflection of our world.
My heart is filled with pride at this honour and I’d like to thank the American Library Association. You can see the full list of books by visiting here.
Dave Grohl has been in my feed a lot lately. He has a new movie called Studio 666 which looks like a lot of fun. And the Foo Fighters released a new album last year, Medicine at Midnight. Dave Grohl has understandably doing some publicity to get the word out, especially about the film which was released on Feb. 25.
So I thought I’d take a moment to share a personal story of mine from many moons ago. The world is a little bit of a doom fest right now so hopefully this can make your day a little bright. It’s one of my favourite stories and definitely my most special celeb interaction.
Years ago, I won tickets to see Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins do an interview at a radio station (shout out to 102.1 The Edge). I was SO excited. It was small but I was in the front for this event. We were told that they wouldn’t have time for photos or autographs and not to ask since again…there would be no time for it. At one of the commercial breaks, Dave gets up and heads over to us and begins signing autographs (!!) but I didn’t bring anything to sign (I found out pretty last minute about the interview).
What I did have was my camera so as he approached, I said “I know we aren’t supposed to ask for photos but if there’s time, can I get a pic?” and he politely said, “Let me sign more autographs and if there’s time, for sure!” I thought he was politely blowing me off since they’d wrap up the interview soon and have to leave. I wasn’t mad at all, I took my shot, I talked to Dave Grohl (!!), it was perfectly fine. I was kicking myself for not bringing something for him to sign, but it was still very cool to just speak to him.
I enjoyed the rest of the interview and then it was over (you can watch a short bit of the interview that I filmed here). Dave and Taylor said their goodbyes and headed out of the studio to set up for their concert later that evening. A couple of minutes went by, people were starting to leave when all of a sudden…
Dave Grohl bursts back into the studio and shouts “I FORGOT TO TAKE THE PHOTO!” and he runs over to me and apologizes profusely. He says that I must’ve thought he was a jerk and that it’s been a busy day, etc. (none of which I thought). He sweetly tells me my dress is really nice and he asks me to get on the stage with him, so I do. We get ready to take the photo when he tells me, “I’m tired of taking boring pictures, so let’s dance! EMBRACE ME LIKE IT’S PROM NIGHT!”
And Dave starts dancing with me. I am basically DEAD from excitement and happiness at this point and we do a few little back and forths before he smiles and says “Okay now I REALLY have to get out of here!” and heads out to his show. I was stunned and I couldn’t stop smiling!
Anyways, I look like a maniac in the picture…and let’s not even talk about what I’m wearing (it was 2008, leave me alone) but this is the end result and one of my fave celeb memories ever:
Another month, another batch of books read. I read a lot of graphic novels, using my hoopla account to the max (if you don’t have hoopla, I highly recommend it—it’s connected to the library so everything is free and legal!) But also one of my most anticipated books came out and I fully hyperfocused on that for a good chunk of the month. Plus it was massive so it took some time to get through (yes, I am a Sarah J. Maas stan).
So let’s take a look at the list. Click on any of the titles to be taken to Bookshop where you can find a copy of your own.
The Avant-Guards Vol. 3: Down to the Wire by Carly Usdin and Noah Hayes – For the same reasons that I love the comic Fence, I love The Avant-Guards. I absolutely adore this genre of beautifully gay sports comics that are out in the world! Fence, this, Cheer Up, and Check Please have all become insta-classics for a reason…and that reason is that they’re all a delight. They combine heart and humour with relatability and the queerness that has long been missing from more mainstream comics. While I didn’t love this volume as much as I loved the first, this series as a whole is outstanding and fun. Totally worth a read.
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas – What a beautiful book! Everything from the story, characters, culture, and more just captivated me from the start. It’s such a heartfelt story and you can’t help but be right there with Yadriel as he experiences all of his ups and downs on his journey. Sure, this book is a beautiful urban fantasy but it’s so much more as it explores themes of family, acceptance, and growth, all through the lens of a protagonist that you’re rooting for from start to finish.
Colored: The Unsung Life of Claudette Colvin by Emilie Plateau – An insightful and educational graphic novel shedding light on a figure from history that has mostly been brushed aside. Claudette Colvin had an almost identical experience to the one Rosa Parks had…and before Rosa too. But due to finding herself pregnant as a young teen, the desegregation movement chose Rosa to be the face of what they were doing. Rosa Parks remains brave and iconic and helped to change the world for the better. But this sheds the light on the other women who stood alongside her and whose part was deeply understated, including Claudette. Absolutely worth reading and learning more about.
The Man Who Came Down the Attic Stairs by Celine Loup – I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this one! I was thinking it would be like one of Emily Carroll’s Through the Woods short horror stories and while it definitely evokes some of those vibes, this is a lot darker in a lot of ways as it dabbles in fiction, horror, and mental illness. I LOVED the art and the concept was really interesting but I don’t know if it came together for me. Still ultimately really amazing for the art, at the very least!
DaredevilVol. 1: Know Fear by Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto – I haven’t read Daredevil in a while and wasn’t sure how much I’d enjoy it but this really surprised me! A layered and interesting look at the character with excellent writing and incredible art.
Hex Vet: Witches in Training by Sam Davies – A quick and cute day in the life of the employees of a magical animal hospital! Fun and fantastical!
The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh – Absolutely adored this book. As I read, I found myself groaning as we approached tropes of enemies to lovers, one person being angry and punishing the other in some childish way, and not embracing shared feelings, etc. But this story surprised me as it told a beautiful love story (still enemies to lovers) while subverting all of those character decisions that sometimes have you screaming at the book. The characters were rich and wonderful and I flew through this.
Teen Titans: Beast Boy Loves Raven by Kami Garcia and Gabriel Picolo – Kami Garcia and Gabriel Picolo have done such a great job of establishing these characters in their individual books and bringing them together here. It’s a sweet, fun story that you don’t need any knowledge of the Teen Titans for. But for fans of TT, there are lots of Easter eggs sprinkled throughout as well as the groundwork to continue on the series, eventually culminating in the Teen Titans. Thoroughly enjoyable and delightful!
El Deafo by Cece Bell and David Lasky – El Deafo is a really special story that does such a fantastic job tackling big topics and themes and weaving them into a narrative that’s captivating to all audiences, especially kids. While not all young people can understand what having a hearing impairment is like, there are so many other relatable moments surrounding friendship, school, and the general kid experience that shine through. It brought me back to trying to make friends and how daunting that can be! As we get older, we sometimes forget how hard it can be to be a young person. We get caught up in seeing their lives as easy and carefree and stories like this capture not only happy times, but some of the struggles that young people go through and the anxiety that it can cause them. Cece Bell perfectly taps into her youth to deliver a deeply personal story but one that many people can still see themselves in in many ways. It’s absolutely wonderful.
March: Book One by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell – What can it say about this graphic novel that hasn’t already been said? It’s vital and important and should be mandatory reading for everyone.
House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas – All I have to say about this one (since it’s so new) is this: AHHHHHHHHhhhhhhHhhhHhHhHhHhHhHhHhhhhhhhHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! That ENDING…how am I supposed to wait for the next book?! I am of the SJM cult and I can’t wait for more.
And I read three additional things that I was waiting to form thoughts on and just didn’t manage to think up anything to say. They’re all very good but I didn’t know how to really summarize. They’re all very different though, so feel free to check these out too:
What did you read in February? Are there any books from my list that you’ve been meaning to check out?
It’s time for another edition of Oh God, Do I Really Watch This Much TV? February Edition! As usual, here’s a roundup of TV I checked out, along with a few thoughts and comments. If you’re curious about the films I watched (sans comments/reviews), visit my Letterboxd page here. Let’s dive right in!
Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness S1 – This was okay. I don’t think that I loved it but it was a nice little escape where I got to learn some fun new things. My fave episode was definitely all about the figure skating and I enjoyed learning more about the scoring system, the politics, and the nitty-gritty not-so-nice side of the sport.
Schitts Creek S2 – I’ve been rewatching this show because it’s comforting and funny. It brings me a lot of joy to sit through again and seeing where the Rose family starts off in the series vs. the end? LOVE.
Pose S1 – This is a show I’d been meaning to check out for a long time. I’m not a big fan of Ryan Murphy’s shows since they seem to go absolutely bananas early on and it’s not really my idea of a good time? However, Pose was fantastic and should be essential viewing for anyone obsessed with RuPaul’s Drag Race as obviously the ball culture is where the runway concepts for the series came from.
Book of Boba Fett S1 – This show was…boring for most of the season. I found myself feeling pretty meh episode-to-episode until they decided to make it The Mandalorian S2.5. As much as I enjoyed those final episodes, I almost skipped the rest of this series and the fact that it’s integral to what comes next for Mando kind of drives me nuts.
Murderville S1 – I don’t know what to say about this show. It’s such a fun concept! Some of the bits really landed…while others didn’t. It’s sort of the downfall of improv-style comedy. But that being said, I think it was a solid, silly concept that is much needed during when everything in the world is a lot.
Peacemaker S1 – Like many people, I was not expecting to enjoy this show. I thought it was really odd to focus on Peacemaker of all characters from Suicide Squad as someone to get a spinoff series. But I guess we just have to trust in James Gunn because it was a blast! For a show that’s scored by one of the best (Clint Mansell), it’s a damn shame that what you remember is all the hair metal music. Not a complaint, but poor Clint.
Inventing Anna – This one got recommended to me a few times. I know it just recently came out and I wound up bingeing the entire thing in a few days. It’s a pretty fascinating story, even if the focal character of Anna is largely unlikeable (which is how she’s meant to be written since she’s based on a real person). Anyways, I enjoyed it and wound up looking up the real story a bit to see how the show compares.
Euphoria S2 – We all know this but Skins walked so that Euphoria could run. I adore this show so much. As depressing as it can be, it’s so incredibly well done and I am obsessed. And you can’t convince me otherwise that Kylie Minogue playing in the season finale wasn’t a subtle nod to Skins.
I actually didn’t watch that much TV this month. Was it because it was a shorter month? Or because I started obsessing over video games again? Or maybe because I watched a bunch of movies? WHO KNOWS! What have you been watching and enjoying?
It’s my first TV Round-Up for 2022, compiling all the TV I watched in one place. I kicked off the New Year with lots of shows, and like last time, I’ve included mini-reviews! As per usual, if you want to see the movies I watched, you can feel free to check out my Letterboxd profile. Let’s dive in!
Queer Eye S6 – This was the perfect show to kick off 2022. Honestly, shaking off some winter depression and post-holiday fatigue with the Fab 5 was what my soul needed. If you like the previous seasons, then you’ll definitely enjoy this.
Finding Magic Mike S1 – I was recommended this show by a Twitter mutual and I loved it? I wasn’t sure what to expect but it was surprisingly delightful. Hot men who want to learn to find their magic by going through intensive several weeks where they learn how to be a Magic Mike? Yes. Wholesome and heartwarming to see men get in touch and be more comfortable with a softer side…while also looking very hot.
The Expanse S6 – Overall I really liked this season a lot. It’s wild to me that I got to the end of this show after not enjoying the first season. I’m grateful to my friend Miles for encouraging me to go back to it though, explaining that the show broke up the books in a weird way. And aside from a lot of time being invested in two young characters in this season that didn’t pay off in any way, I really thought this was a great ending to the series.
Yellowjackets S1 – Everyone, please, talk to me about your Yellowjackets theories. I can’t stop talking about this show and I can’t remember the last time something I watched evoked such a reaction from me. What a great freaking show! I swear to god though, if this turns into a new cannibal lesbian version of Lost, I will riot.
Cheer S2 – And we’re back to reality TV town. I enjoyed what they did with this series in showcasing their rival team too and giving some fresh insight into the cheerleading community. It was a bit of a hard watch at times though, the insight into what happened with Jerry was a lot. But it was an excellent season series of the show.
Schitts Creek S1 – I love this show. This is a rewatch of it and that’s all I have to say. I needed something wholesome and funny to watch in the evenings so I came back to this. It’s perfect.
Station Eleven – Station Eleven is one of my favourite novels. I read it long before we were living through a pandemic though. I was really excited to watch the adaptation of it and it definitely delivered. Parts of the book are definitely fuzzy so I can’t do a super deep dive into how they compared but I thought the show was great.
Deadly Class S1 – I avoided Deadly Class after it was canceled. I figured I could read the comics instead since the show wouldn’t have any resolution. But when it came onto Netflix, I decided to give it a shot. It was a good show that I didn’t have to get super invested in and I loved seeing the character designs from the comics translated onto the screen.
Archive 81 – I admittedly didn’t pay super close attention to but I liked the concept and thought it was an interesting horror/sci-fi story! I don’t want to delve into the plot since I think it’s better that you unravel the mystery yourself. It is worthing checking out.
And that’s what I watched last month! I will say that while I continue to have a big dose of reality TV in the mix, it wasn’t all-consuming this time around. There’s some quality programming included! PROGRESS! What did you watch last month?
One month of reading is COMPLETE! My 2022 reading goal is off to a good start as I made a decent dent in my TBR pile. It’s a good mix of graphic novels and prose, and as usual, I included mini-reviews of the books. If you’re so inclined, clicking on the title of the book will take you to Bookshop where you can purchase a copy for yourself. So let’s dive in!
Die Vol. 2: Split the Party by Kieron Gillen, Stephanie Hans, and Clayton Cowles – The art in Die is incredible; it’s just next-level gorgeous between the one art itself and the stunning palette of colours used to draw the eye around the page. It’s probably my favourite thing about this series. I love Kieron Gillen’s ideas. Like, I don’t think there’s a single thing he’s concocted that I’m not 100% on board for, in theory. Everything he puts into the world feels like something I should wholeheartedly enjoy. And yet, I find myself struggling to really get into his stories—for me, they suffer from being too big, with too much going on. In the case of Die Vol. 2, I remember really enjoying the first volume and I wonder if it was just that too much time passed between me reading them and I didn’t remember all the bits and bobbles to make the second volume epic too. I love the concept, the characters, designs, etc. though.
Fence Vol. 3-4 by C.S. Pacat, Johanna the Mad, Joana LaFuente, and Jim Campbell – It’s been a long time since I’ve felt invested in an ongoing series like this. Fence is a true joy to read from the complex characters and diversity in each of them and their personalities to the engaging story of zeroes to heroes—or at least that’s where I assume this is all going to—but even if that’s not the case, this loveable group of fencing misfits is enough to keep me coming back. I really, really love this book.
Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld by Shannon Hale, Dean Hale, and Asiah Fulmore – Shannon and Dean Hale are no strangers to adapting comic characters and producing fun original stories for people of all-ages, but especially kids. This is a fun exploration of the character Amethyst that requires no prior knowledge of her storylines; it reimagines her origin and gives life to her childhood. Art and colours feel reminiscent of Agnes Garbowska’s work mixed with a little bit of manga flavour. This will surely be a hit for young people who enjoy She-Ra and My Little Pony.
I Am Not Starfire by Mariko Tamaki and Yoshi Yoshitani – A heartfelt exploration of awkward teenage life from the lens of a young woman in the shadow of her mother…a superhero! Fighting against expectations, peer pressure, and hormones, I Am Not Starfire is a great coming-of-age story for the modern young person.
Hall of Smoke by H.M. Long – A debut that takes a Viking priestess with the powers of her god and puts her at the center of a vast shift in the world as the old gods rise up against the new. Hessa has to follow the bidding of fate or risk everything she has ever known coming to an end. While I did ultimately enjoy the story, I will say that it was a bit of a slog at times and I struggled with finishing it. But it did come together in a satisfying way and I loved the lore and mythology within. For fans of Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla.
Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire – I went into this mostly blind and didn’t realize that at the heart of it, it’s a pretty dark murder mystery. I kind of thought it would be a Miss Peregrin’s style story for an older audience and I guess it sort of is? Loved it though; the concept of people finding magical doors all over the place and needing a place to go to process when they return home is nothing short of brilliant.
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater – What an incredibly captivating book! Although I left it with many more questions (that I’m sure are addressed later in the series), I was deeply enthralled by this multi-POV story filled with magic, mysticism, and mythology. The characters were compelling and unique! And again, I have questions (so many questions!!!) but this is one of those books that draws you in and leaves you wanting more.
You Brought Me The Ocean by Alex Sanchez and Julie Maroh – A poignant and beautiful coming-of-age story revolving around identity and sexuality. The fact that it uses characters from DC Comics and has references scattered throughout is really minor in the grand scheme of things here. It’s a very different graphic novel than the other YA and MG comics from DC and it stands out in a fantastic way. This is one of those books that will absolutely help a young person understand and accept their own identity.
Teen Titans: Beast Boy by Kami Garcia and Gabriel Picolo – The DC graphic novels for MG and YA audiences have quickly become faves for me. I haven’t been able to keep up with monthly books for a long time now but these graphic novels explore exciting characters outside of the exhausting canon and continuity. Beast Boy has so much heart to it and you can really tell that Kami Garcia and Gabriel Picolo understand each other in a creative relationship that comes through on the page.
Extasia by Claire Legrand – The best way that I can quickly summarize Extasia is by comparison. It’s kind of The Handmaid’s Tale x The Grace Year and maybe a bit The Village x The VVitch. The story revolves around a young woman in a puritanical village in the years after the world is destroyed in some sort of catastrophic event. Girls are anointed as saints and meant to help absorb the sins of the town, allowing everyone to be saved and live peacefully. But men are being murdered and eyes turn to Amity, the eldest daughter of the family of the High Elder, who lives in the shadow of a sin her mother committed. I’m not sure how I ultimately felt about this book, to be honest. It felt like a bit of a tough read due to the themes and sometimes heavy content. Things only really picked up for me in Part IV of the book, which is nearly 400 pages in. The ending is definitely the best part of it as things finally come together. An intriguing concept—and I do love me a book about horrible people getting exactly what they deserve—but it didn’t resonate with me overall. – OUT ON FEBRUARY 22, 2022!
Secrets of Camp Whatever by Chris Grine – Delightfully fun and endearing! I love a good coming-of-age story and when it’s set at camp? It’s usually a recipe for goodness. I have fond memories of my own camp days and reading about adventures, friendship, and discovering cryptids is my idea of a fun time. Very fun Gravity Falls vibes.
Daisy Jones & theSix by Taylor Jenkins Reid – I could not put this book down. I was worried over it being overhyped but I think that this was such a specific intersection of what I am into—written in such a compelling way—that there was no way I wasn’t going to be all in. There’s not much else to say about this book that hasn’t been said by countless others so I’ll simply say that I loved it entirely.
PTSD by Guillaume Singelin – This is an absolutely stunning book. The art, the incredible detail, and the colours are just beautiful. I was floored trying to take everything in on every single panel! The skill level here is top-notch. The book is heavy and deals with war and what comes after for the soldiers and all affected. The title very literally tells you what’s at the core of this book and that’s a complex protagonist suffering from PTSD, unable to return to a normal life after fighting for her people a decade earlier. But this isn’t just a story about the pain, it’s also about redemption and a journey to recovery…or what that could look like for an individual. This book definitely won’t be for everyone with its darker themes and story. But at the very least, it’s a stunning graphic novel with art that can be appreciated by anyone.
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood – I’ve embraced romance novels in my life and am a much happier person because of it. Ali Hazelwood leans into tropes, even while poking fun at them throughout. And yet, they’re all so satisfyingly pulled off and come together in the end for a delightful love story that will genuinely hug at your heartstrings. Plus consent is at the forefront of all physical contact, wonderful queer and BIPOC supporting characters, AND asexuality representation?? Yessssss!
My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix – This is one of those books where the title pretty much tells you exactly what it’s about: a young woman’s best friend winds up possessed by a demon and goes on a mission to save her. I had a huge review written up for this based on quite a few issues I had with this book (sexual assault, fatphobia, diet culture, racism, etc.—all things I felt could’ve easily been left out of this story without changing it drastically). But I’ve ultimately decided to not share them since I somehow seem to be in the extreme minority of people who were bothered? Anyways, issues aside, I liked the horror aspect of the book and the general concept of the book.
The Montague Twins: The Devil’s Music by Drew Shannon and Nathan Page – What a fantastic series! I loved the first book and the sequel is just as great, continuing the magical adventures of the Montague Twins! This is very much like a YA modern Hardy Boys but with magic! And also by modern, I mean it’s set in the past. The story is great as is the art and the colours and I REALLY loved the lettering, especially when it came to the music. This story revolves around a mysterious rare record that seems to be causing people to harm themselves after they listen to it. Some people are even calling it the “devil’s music!” And it just so happens that a former semi-famous musician has arrived in town. Coincidence? Probably not. This is a great graphic novel sequel, one of those books that’s just as good as the first in the series! And you should check it out…and of course, the first book if you haven’t already read it!
Cat Ninja: Wanted by Matthew Cody and Chad Thomas – A delightful continuation of a series that’s right up my alley, featuring cats, ninjas, and other critters – OUT APRIL 12, 2022!
Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas – Johnnie Christmas is a master storyteller who knows how to get you invested in a character and bring you on a journey with them. In Swim Team, young Bree is in a brand-new city, state, and school. She has to make all-new friends and figure things out from scratch. She wrestles with anxiety and self-doubt that’s displayed brilliantly in the story as dark, cloudy word balloons that gather around her, sometimes becoming overwhelming. And to make matters worse, the only elective that’s left for Bree involves something that she’s very afraid of: the water and learning how to swim…and at a school that is deeply invested in its swim team! What a brilliant story that effortlessly navigates the hardships that young people face and have to overcome, especially Black children. Johnnie is in his element with this graphic novel, quickly earning a spot amongst contemporary creators such as Raina Telgemeier, Jerry Craft, and more. Kids are sure to find this story relatable, heartfelt, and delightful – OUT ON MAY 17, 2022!
Once again I read a lot this month? 18 TITLES??? It was a pretty big mix though, with lots of graphic novels and a few prose novels mixed in there too. 7 of the titles were books and the rest were graphic novels. What did you read this month?
I’ve worn a lot of hats over the years when it comes to jobs and projects. I know a little bit about marketing and PR from being a part of the comic book press, but it’s not something that I typically take on for work. That being said, there are a number of incredible people in the industry who do. I’ve compiled a list of names for you to utilize in case you happen to be looking for someone. Here are a few of those people (in alphabetical order):
Please keep in mind that I haven’t worked with all of these creators nor do I necessarily know them extremely well or personally vouch for them. Do your research when it comes to collaborating, always get things in writing, and don’t settle for someone that isn’t a good fit for your needs!
Best of luck with your projects! <3
I’m blessed to get regular inquiries about my editing work. I’m not always able to take on new projects or clients or sometimes I don’t feel that I’m a great fit. But I’m always happy to pass along my recommendations for other talented editors who might be available. And in case you happen to be looking for someone, here are a few of those people (in alphabetical order):
Please keep in mind that I haven’t worked with all of these creators directly nor do I necessarily know them extremely well and thus, I can’t personally vouch for them. Do your research when it comes to collaborating, always get things in writing, and don’t settle for someone that isn’t a good fit for your needs!
Best of luck with your projects! <3
It’s that time again where, for some reason, I share everything that I’ve been watching! It’s a brand-new year so it feels weird to have a post title with “2021” in it but you understand. I didn’t do any Best Of lists for this past year either. I planned on it but never really got around to it so these roundups are the closest you’ll get to my opinions on what I enjoyed. As per usual, if you want to see the movies I watched, you can feel free to check out my Letterboxd profile.
I’m going to switch formats and write out my thoughts with each title as I do for my reading roundup. I’m not sure why I wasn’t doing that to begin with but here we go!
School of Chocolate S1 – Everyone praised this for being a new wholesome reality series and I didn’t get that vibe. There was a lot of cattiness, competition, and unfriendly rivalry. I did enjoy it but definitely not as the “feel good” series that it was getting reviewed as.
The Great S2 – This show is a work of art. It is absolutely ridiculous and everyone is bonkers but it is so much fun to watch. It was one of my favourite shows this year and it’s just as good as the first season, if not better.
Star vs. The Forces of Evil S3 – This was a rewatch for me! Star vs. the Forces of Evil is a fave and part of my morning routine involves watching cartoons with breakfast and this is what I’ve been working my way through again.
Zumbo’s Just Desserts S2 – I’m always floored when I watch baking and cooking shows. Like how do people just make these things from their minds?! I guess in the way that I can make stories from my mind, they conjure recipes. But it’s all deeply fascinating to me and I love getting to know the contestants as they progress through the competition.
Great Canadian Baking Show S5 – When someone tries to sell me a new baking or cooking show that’s wholesome, The Great Bake-Off (moreso the British version though) is my bar. If the contestants aren’t taking time out of their bakes to help others or hugging and supporting someone when they have a meltdown, DON’T TALK TO ME ABOUT WHOLESOME! These are the wholesome baking shows and they are the definition of a comfort watch.
The Sex Lives of College Girls S1 – Initially when I started this, I didn’t like it at all. And yet I kept watching it and all of a sudden I had binged the entire season? I won’t say that I loved it but by the end, I was extremely endeared to all of the characters, especially to Bela. Extremely sex-positive (obviously based on the title) and a charming cast.
Centaurworld S2 – Ummm…I love this show so much? It’s incredibly good and everything from the animation to voice acting to the MUSICAL music is top-notch. I didn’t realize that the show would be wrapping up after this season so I was a little crushed to see it go so soon but I’m happy it did it on its own terms and was able to tell a complete story. An absolute must-watch.
Canada’s Drag Race S2 – After a disastrous first season that was so cringe-worthy, I couldn’t even get through half of it, I was bracing for the worst. Everyone was so freaking mean?! IN CANADA! But the judges and producers seem to have course-corrected and this season was much more well-balanced and while I think some of the taste of the judges is questionable, I thought this time around was much more in line with the overall Drag Race brand.
Arcane S1 – Everyone has been posting about Arcane online and I avoided it thinking that it wouldn’t really be my thing. I’m not a League of Legends person and know exactly nothing about it. But I watched anyway and WOW. I was blown away by the animation, story, and everything about it, quite honestly. I was not expecting to get emotionally sucker-punched and now I can’t wait for the second season to arrive. I even drew Jinx fanart? WHO AM I?
Hawkeye S1 – If anything was going to redeem the most boring Hawkeye to exist, this was going to be it. My opinion on Jeremy Renner has really gone down over the years with his press tour bad takes. Plus he’s not really had much of an interesting arc within the Avengers movies over the years. That being said, Matt Fraction and David Aja’s run was the perfect way to bring him into the MCU in a more prominent way. Casting Hailee Steinfeld as plucky Kate Bishop was a great move too as she really livens up Renner’s pretty otherwise flat performance.With all of that out of the way, while I wanted to love the show, it is so blatantly Fraction and Aja’s book basically page directly to screen—even sometimes shot for shot. The fact that Aja got a meager Special Thanks at the end of the credits and little to no compensation when they ripped his art off for the entire aesthetic of the show? Awful. Fraction landed an Executive Producer credit but it’s still not enough for an entire series that’s based off of what they put into the Marvel Universe. Anyways, I liked it but the parts that were blatantly pulled from the comic always took me out of it knowing that they were done dirty like they were. I should’ve loved that stuff and yet here we are.
The Sinner S4 – I liked this season of the show, I think it’s the best since Season 1 but nothing has really compared to it. It’s hard when you start off a show so strong to keep that momentum up and while it’s been good, it hasn’t really been great since.
Wheel of Time S1 – The first couple of episodes I watched of this (with no prior knowledge of the books), I thought I was on crazy pills. There are so many moments that are very clearly pulled directly from Lord of the Rings that I had to stop and text some friends about it. That being said, after I stopped shouting “THAT’S JUST FROM LORD OF THE RINGS!” I wound up really enjoying the ride. The character diversity, interconnected stories, and the fact that the women are badass warriors and magic users really got me. Although I will say that I immediately looked up who the Dragon Reborn was because I have no willpower whatsoever.
Baking It S1 – This might be my favourite baking show of all-time. I only ever got to watch one or two episodes of its counterpart, Making It (with Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman) but this series with Maya Rudolph and Andy Samberg hosting was *chefs kiss*. Musical numbers, wholesome baking, loving grandmas giving compliments? ABSOLUTE PERFECT! (take notes, reviewers of School of Chocolate…)
Succession S2-3 – What can I say about Succession that hasn’t already been said by literally everyone on the internet? It’s fantastic even though I hate absolutely every character.
The Witcher S2 – Once again, what can I say? The Witcher is exactly what my soul needed to end 2021 and the only thing that made me sad about it was the fact that I now have to wait for more.
WHEW. That was a list. I pondered breaking this bad boy up until two parts but nah. Having time off for the holidays (self-imposed) gave me a lot of time to just enjoy stuff. Not that I don’t watch a lot of stuff regularly but I definitely checked out a few things that I probably wouldn’t have otherwise.
What are you looking forward to watching this year?
December was a hectic month. On one hand, it was the holidays and I took some time off to recharge and decompress. On the other hand, I had a family emergency and a death in the family that hit me pretty hard. Plus trying to get work done prior to the holidays and to make up for time off with family. Still, I somehow managed to have a pretty productive month when it came to reading. I’ve once again rounded up everything I read. I’ve included some brief thoughts on each book and if you click the title of any of the books, it’ll take you to Bookshop where you can purchase a copy for yourself, should you be so inclined. Let’s go!
Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 1-3 by Ryoko Kui and translated by Sébastien Ludmann — I’m including three volumes in one post because I read them all in December. My pal Andrew let me borrow these after I’d been aching to read them for ages. It’s a popular manga Inspired by Dungeons & Dragons and follows a group of adventurers rallying together after a member of their party is eaten by a dragon in a dungeon. In this world, death isn’t necessarily the end and you can be revived…if someone can get to you in time. The adventurers don’t have gold or time to get new supplies so they set forth into the dungeon to survive off of what’s in the dungeon to eat. It’s a delight! Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3 can be found on Bookshop by clicking each respective volume link. Many more volumes are also available but I only read the three.
Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender — A story about a young trans boy named Felix who winds up in a sort of love triangle after he takes it upon himself to find the culprit of a hateful transphobic incident that publicly exposes Felix’s deadname at his school. It’s a really sweet book about love, finding yourself, and connecting with people who will treat you right.
Here and Now and Then by Mike Chen — I made a video review of this book and then tweeted about it a bunch but it’s so good. If you’re a fan of Marvel’s Loki series that aired in 2021, this will for sure be up your alley. The story basically revolves around a time-traveling secret agent who gets trapped in the past for over a decade. Thinking he’ll never be retrieved, he starts a new life for himself including a family and his memories of his past life start to fade with his brain unable to process living in two timelines. And then one day he is rescued and brought back home where only a couple of weeks have passed. He has to reconcile his two lives and save the family in the past from being erased from time. SO GOOD, RIGHT?!
Blood Scion by Deborah Falaye — A compelling debut author for fans of A Song of Wraiths and Ruins and Wings of Ebony. The first book in what I’m sure will become an epic YA fantasy series that will be highly sought after. Out March 8, 2022!
Secret Identity by Alex Segura — An engrossing and thrilling noir that’s set within the comic book industry bringing mystery, intrigue, and more. I flew through this and couldn’t put it down. Alex Segura does an incredible job of bringing the character of Carmen Valdez to the page in an original story that expertly weaves fiction with real-life comics industry history and Easter eggs. Out March 15, 2022!
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel — Okay, so I loved this book and wrote up a full review. I’ll post a snippet here but you can read the full thing over on my Goodreads page. Emily St. John Mandel expertly weaves the various threads of her story together into a cohesive, stunning narrative that absolutely had me captivated from start to finish. I truly love the way that Mandel does this quiet sci-fi that’s unexpected and beautiful. It’s so subtle but incredibly complex. Like Here and Now and Then, it feels like it plays with similar elements we’ve seen recently in shows like Marvel’s Loki series. Time travel isn’t a new concept to play around with though. But it’s so interestingly developed here and I couldn’t put this book down.
Poison Ivy: Thorns by Kody Keplinger and Sara Kipin — A sapphic modern gothic romance that explores a non-canon version of Poison Ivy’s origins. No previous knowledge of the character is required and imagines her life in high school that feels a bit like Crimson Peak meets the origin of Sailor Saturn from Sailor Moon. That might be a tad specific but the father/daughter relationship felt similar. It’s hard to imagine Ivy being anything but the badass most people know her as in the comics but I enjoyed seeing a different side of her that explored a more organic, slow burn to her antihero life down the line.
Something is Killing the Children Vol. 1 by James Tynion IV, Werther Dell’Edera, Miquel Muerto, and AndWorld Design — I wasn’t really sure what to expect here but I enjoyed the book a lot. Horror isn’t something I delve into often but it’s done well here and aside from being pretty shocked by the amount of gore (esp. when it comes to children), I enjoyed the story of monster hunters existing to take care of the things that go bump in the night. Kind of like American Vampire meets I Kill Giants but for adults.
Black Widow Vol. 1: The Ties That Bind by Kelly Thompson and Elena Casagrande — I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: Kelly Thompson is just such a master of exploring existing characters, sticking true to them, and also making them her own. She seamlessly integrates herself into these worlds and tells original, exciting tales revolving around some of my all-time faves and nails it every time. I genuinely can’t think of a single thing that I haven’t loved by her so far.
Fence Vol. 2 by C.S. Pacat, Johanna the Mad, Joana LaFuente, and Jim Campbell — I can’t say enough good things about this series. It’s maybe the first series in a long time to really catch my interest and keep it. Short arcs, delightfully unique and complex characters, and a really fun story. No knowledge of fencing is needed to enjoy!
Garlic & the Vampire by Bree Paulsen — This book is GOSH DANG DELIGHT. I was smiling the entire time I read it. A sentient garlic person suffering from anxiety sent to visit a local castle to ward off a vampire with her natural garlic-ness? What a perfect concept! I loved every minute of this story!
Tidesong by Wendy Xu — A lush and beautiful story for fans of Ponyo and Spirited Away. Rich with wonderfully magical worldbuilding and very relatable characters.
Verse Book 1: The Broken Half by Sam Beck — Beautiful, compelling, and incredibly well done. From the story to the STUNNING art and colours, the whole book is an epic fantasy story about magic, power, and fighting for what you believe in.
Swan Lake: Quest for the Kingdoms by Rey Terciero and Megan Kearney — This graphic novel is a wonderful retelling of the classic Swan Lake fairytale. The art and the colours are beautiful and it’s just so much fun to read. Out March 15, 2022!
For the Wolf by Hannah F. Whitten — Basically, there’s a curse and within the royal family, whenever two daughters are born, the eldest inherits the crown while the second daughter is sent to the woods as a sacrifice for the wolf that lives there and guards the forest. It’s an incredible dark fantasy that’s essentially Red Riding Hood x Beauty and the Beast. Highly enjoyable and a compelling read, and a brilliant debut from Hannah F. Whitten.
Sabrina the Teenage Witch Vol. 2: Something Wicked by Kelly Thompson, Veronica Fish, and Andy Fish — As stated above with Black Widow, I am so envious of how Kelly Thompson writes these existing characters. When I read the first volume of this book, I was so ready to be like “I could do this too!” since Sabrina is such a beloved character to me (and on my bucket list to write) but she nailed the tone and managed to integrate the comic book version of Sabrina while also integrating the humor of the sitcom Sabrina. This is a continuation and I think you do need to read the first to really get this story but it’s enjoyable and dare I say, magical.
Quince by Sebastian Kadlecik, Kit Steinkellner, Emma Steinkellner, and translated by Valeria Tranier — Average teenager Lupe is excited for her quinceañera but is not prepared when she is suddenly bestowed with superpowers?! With great power comes great responsibility and blah blah blah, Lupe has to learn how to control her new gifts and try to put them to good use! It’s such a fun story with art by Emma Steinkellner who you may know from her series, The Okay Witch. The story features a latina superhero and is available in both Spanish and English.
Smile by Raina Telgemeier — I’m pretty sure I will die shouting about how great Raina Telgemeier is…in this house, we stan Raina forever for her incredible stories and how she helped to pioneer the middle-grade graphic novel market that we have today. Smile is the book that really started it all for her and with its extremely relatable characters, story, and themes, you can see why kids gravitate towards them like candy. Raina just gets it and understands how to tell stories for young people through her own experiences…and it’s incredible.
Freshby Margot Wood — A queer, sex-positive, modern retelling of the classic Emma. This is a fun, laugh-out-loud, heartfelt exploration of those exciting (and sometimes awkward) college years. I was smiling throughout the book, devoured it in a day, and loved every minute. For fans of Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging and Adrian Mole and want something that reminds them of those stories. Margot Wood’s writing is a joy!
GEEZ. I knew I read a lot but writing it out, I’m like SHEESH. I guess that’s what happens when you have free time, eh? So that’s 19 individual titles and 21 overall including the three total volumes of Delicious in Dungeons. WHEW…well, that’s not my normal output for reading so don’t get used to this.
Stay tuned for what’s to come in 2022!
It’s been one whole year since Oh My Gods! came out. It simultaneously feels like just yesterday and also like a lifetime ago. So much has happened in this year which I won’t ramble on about again (but you can check out my wrap-up post here).
Sometimes it felt like Oh My Gods! would never happen. It started out as an idea that Insha and I had years ago and we couldn’t let it go. We loved the concept, characters, and world. We found Juliana and knew we had our missing piece of the puzzle. From there, the feeling that we had to make this book happen only intensified. We originally thought that we’d release it in single issues within the comic industry (aka the direct market). We had some interest but ultimately nothing really panned out. And then we had someone at a traditional book publisher interested! We hadn’t yet connected with our agent, Maria Vicente (amazing agent goddess extraordinaire), and the editor advised us that if we wanted to work with them, we’d need to agent up.
That brought us to Maria’s doorstep and we began the process of trying to get a deal together. Eventually, it fell through, and after putting Oh My Gods! out on submission to other publishers, we were back to square one. We began to think that if we were going to make the book, we’d have to do it ourselves via crowdfunding and self-publishing. We still loved our story, characters, concept, etc. but we made peace with the fact that it might not happen in the way we had hoped it would.
Several months later, I wrapped up writing ParaNorthern and the Chaos Bunny A-hop-calypse. My editor (perfect editor goddess extraordinaire, Lily) reached out to my agent to inquire if I had any other projects looking for a home. We pitched Oh My Gods! and Lily just got it. She understood what we were trying to do with it and after reworking a few things—including aging it down from YA to middle-grade—she acquired it for publication at HMH (now Clarion). AND with a sequel attached (a two-book deal!)
Funnily enough, even though I had already been working on ParaNorthern for months by the time HMH even bought Oh My Gods!, it was announced first and scheduled for publication first.
Publishing isn’t always a linear journey. The thing we think will be “it” sometimes turns out to, well, not be. And we have to keep moving forward with our stories, projects, and ideas. What I’ve learned since this all began is that things will happen when they’re meant to happen. If one project doesn’t get picked up right away, it doesn’t mean that it won’t someday; it’s just maybe not the right time. That being said, rejection is never easy to handle though. It can be hard to brush off, especially if it’s a project that’s near and dear to you…which they almost all are. They come from your heart and soul. Someone not wanting to make your story a reality feels like a rejection of yourself sometimes. But it’s important to try to separate those feelings and keep pushing yourself to create new and exciting things that you’re passionate about.
At the end of the day, we no longer need publishers to help us tell our stories. There are so many avenues that allow us to connect with audiences on our own. It’s always nice to be validated but someone saying no to you or your story doesn’t mean it’s the end of the line. It’s a lot of work to self-publish or even crowdfund but those options are there.
That being said, if writing and storytelling is your passion, it’s great to have goals. Absolutely have ambition and work towards achieving them. But remember that you should be your own #1 fan. It’s a bit of an oxymoron because creatives tend to suffer from a lot of imposter syndrome. However, if you aren’t necessarily able to compliment your own writing, being the biggest champion of your story and characters will give you the passion to tell the best version possible.
If I can leave this reflection with some advice for any creatives out there reading this, here it is: be kind to yourself. Don’t compare yourself to others—success is different for all of us. Don’t let other people define your creativity and your storytelling. Stick with the projects you love, be open to constructive feedback, and give yourself space from your stories when you need it. And above all else, don’t let anyone tell you that you don’t have what it takes. Feed your soul with whatever you’re passionate about and thrive on it.
<3
It’s been a whirlwind year for me, personally and professionally. After waiting years for the first of our graphic novels to be released in the world, it finally happened! I wanted to do a little summary of “everything,” even if it’s just for myself. This year has been a milestone one for me and despite the fact that there’s been an ongoing pandemic, I want to celebrate the good.
This will be a bit of a mix of things from my professional accomplishments (ie. book releases) as well as a few fun personal things that have been going on. It also might get a bit long, but I’ll try not to ramble. Let’s get started!
OH MY GODS!
Our first graphic novel, Oh My Gods! came out in January—it was a weird time to have a book come out since the city of Toronto was still in lockdown and only stores deemed “essential” were allowed to remain open. I wasn’t able to see it on store shelves for over a month! But when I did, it was amazing. It’s hard to believe that something you helped make is out in the world when you can’t actually see it. But spotting it for the first time was a moment I will never forget. PLUS we got a write-up in the New York Times?! Wild.
FREELANCE FULL-TIME
I quit my job and went freelance full-time! I didn’t anticipate doing that; the plan was always to have a day job until I was someday earning a passive income through royalties. BUT I couldn’t keep going at a job that didn’t value me as an employee and kept piling more responsibilities on me. It was terrifying to do but I think now that it was the right decision and I wholeheartedly thank Tory for (lovingly) bullying me into it.
EDITING
Editing work really took off for me too. As a result of my quitting my job (see above haha), I wound up starting to work for a few incredible creators and publishers as a consultant and editor. There are a few projects I can’t talk about yet but one of my fave things to work on this year has been Animal Rescue Friends with Epic Originals. I’ll do a proper announcement for this project when there’s more to share, but it’s been an incredible opportunity and experience so far.
PARANORTHERN
My second full-length graphic novel came out this year too. Technically it was actually my first (we sold it before Oh My Gods!) but the way the publishing schedule panned out, it came out second. I’m so ridiculously proud of it. We were nominated for a Silver Birch Fiction Award (!!!!) and my Talking Comics family nominated it for Best Original Graphic Novel…and they nominated me for Best Breakthrough Writer.
Unlike with Oh My Gods! stores were thankfully open for its release but there were lots of restrictions still in place. BUT I managed to do an event with the wonderful people at Book City on the Danforth. We did an outdoor event in July and it was amazing to celebrate the moment with my neighbourhood as well as friends that stopped by.
LIFE
Oh and I had another book come out? This one was a bit of a whirlwind but Megan Huang and I had been doing a series of short stories as back-ups for the Image Comics book Tartarus (that I edited). We decided to do a collection of the stories and teamed up with TO Comix to make it happen. We funded via Kickstarter and made our goal within the first 24 hours! Now it’s out in the world for y’all to read and enjoy.
TTRPGs
I went from 0 to 60 with D&D and TTRPG’s during the pandemic. We did a new season of The Diecast Podcast where I reprised my role as Dark Elf Sorceress Supreme, Amalica Myep. It was a blast and we even managed to record some episodes in person which was amazing (TTC not withstanding…) and I played a new character in a series of one-shot campaigns called Tales from Trollskull. I played a bardbarian named Una and got to RP with a ton of friends—it was ridiculously fun!
And then a few weeks ago, I started another campaign where we’re playing City of Mist. I joined the Going Critical crew and am finally playing a system that’s not D&D! It’s a Powered by the Apocalypse system and our campaign is called Sleepless Nights. We play Tuesday evenings at 8pm EST over on Twitch. And for that, I’m playing a character named Nikki Bailey who is a pro soccer athlete with a bit of a bad temper. We’re three episodes in and I can’t wait to see where it goes.
CAPER CAST
And speaking of streaming and podcasts, I started a new podcast this year with my partner-in-crime, Whitney Gardner! It’s called the Caper Cast and it’s us talking about cinematic heist movies that we watch. We review the film, we review the heist…it’s a good time! It’s been so much fun to do and I hope that you’ll consider checking it out, if you haven’t done so already.
RACC PACK
Which leads me to my next point…I HAVE A NEW BOOK THAT WAS ANNOUNCED! You can see the write-up right here on my blog. But basically my podcast partner-in-crime, Whitney Gardner, and myself sold a series to Simon & Schuster earlier this year and it’s called The Racc Pack. It’s a book about a family of raccoons who decide that they want a break from scavenging for the winter and plan a heist of the motherlode of dumpsters. It’s planned for release in Fall 2023…and now you have some further context into why Whitney and I started a podcast researching heist movies!
ARCHIE
In my last bit of comic book-related news, I’m making my Archie Comics debut in February! Comics Beat did a write-up about it but you can also check out the announcement on my blog here. I got to write Veronica, a little bit of Archie, and Dilton in the Love & Heartbreak special. The art for the story is by the incredible Lisa Sterle (y’all, I can’t tell you how excited I was to get paired up with Lisa!!!) and I can’t wait for you to check it out.
PEKOE
And finally, I’m writing a video game! You maybe saw the news around the internet or on socials, but I’ve been brought on board to Kitten Cup Studio to write Pekoe. It’s a cozy tea-making simulator that takes place in a town populated by cats! I was basically born to work on this game and between getting to work on this and writing a book about raccoons? I honestly don’t know how things could possibly get any better. It’s been an incredible experience so far and I hope you’ll consider checking it out. You can watch the trailer and add it to your Steam wishlist here.
And that’s it! I mean, that was a pretty extensive list so saying “that’s it” doesn’t seem entirely appropriate. But I’m really proud of the year I’ve had, even with the ongoing pandemic as well as some personal tragedies. It’s always hard to sum up everything in a relatively short post, but I guess these are the highlights. I’m sure I’m missing stuff but I’m just so grateful to have these opportunities.
I hope you all had a great 2021 too and may your 2022 treat you (and all of us) well.
<3
Continuing on with my roundups, I put together a list of everything that I read this month. Looking at it, I’m kind of surprised—it really didn’t feel like I read seven books but I’m impressed with myself, especially given that it was an incredibly busy month for me. I’ve included some brief thoughts on each book and if you click the title of any of the books, it’ll take you to Bookshop where you can purchase a copy for yourself, should you be so inclined. Let’s go!
The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling — Fun premise, and a joy to read! It’s like Practical Magic x Love Actually with dual-POV with our two main characters and romantic interests. Genuinely couldn’t wait to pick this up and read it. The last act felt a tad rushed and it took away a bit from the satisfaction in the twist, but it didn’t ultimately take me out of the joy of the story much.
A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow — I’ve been really enjoying Harrow’s writing over the last few years and was excited to read her take on fairytales. This one revolves around Sleeping Beauty and is the first in a new series of novellas that’ll be released. It’s on the shorter side so less time to build things up and do a ton of character development but Harrow does an excellent job in the amount of space and devoured the story in a day or two.
Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo — I finally got around to reading this! My friend let me borrow her copy and MY GOD!!! MATTIASSSSSSSSSSSSSS! Why does Leigh Bardugo gotta do this to me!? I think the Six of Crows books are among her strongest YA novels and Crooked Kingdom might somehow be even better than the first book…although I do love a good heist story.
Witches of Brooklyn: What the Hex?! by Sophie Escabasse — A truly delightful sequel in the Witches of Brooklyn series. I’m on board with all of these books and Sophie Escabasse’s captivating storytelling and art. She truly gets the assignment when it comes to writing for a younger audience while making the content something that everyone can enjoy, no matter what age you are when you come to it.
Squire by Nadia Shammas and Sara Alfageeh — An incredible fantasy epic that will captivate you from start to finish. A graphic novel with rich themes, wonderful characters, a story with so much passion and heart in it…and of course, girls with swords. Nadia Shammas and Sara Alfageeh are a flawless team bringing this story to life, expertly marrying words with the art. A truly stunning comics collaboration where the art shines like it should while the dialogue fills in the gaps. Well worth picking up and reading over and over again. This book will be out in Spring 2022 so the link in the title will allow you to pre-order it—trust me, you’ll want to!
Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi — Flew through this book in a few days and loved the dual-POV with such distinct characters and complex storylines. It made me laugh, cry, and ultimately root for everyone to find their own version of a happy ending. My one smallest gripe is that the ending was sooooo abrupt (I thought I had several more pages to go!) but overall, it was such an enjoyable read.
Spellbound by Rebecca L. Garcia — A mildly spicy witchy romance book involving magic, gods, and goddesses! I really enjoyed the characters in this book, overall story, worldbuilding, and the fast pace that kept me engaged the entire time. There’s plenty of action from start to finish and I really hope we get more books falling into this NA audience category soon. Definitely going to keep an eye out for more books by Rebecca L. Garcia.
And that’s it! I’m starting off December with some borrowed manga from a friend and then have an anxiety-inducing TBR stack (both physical and digital) to try to work through during downtime this month. We’ll see how I do! I’ve already reached my reading goal for the year (104 of 75) but I’m curious about how I’ll finish out 2021. Stay tuned!
Oh hey! I have some more exciting news to share with you all. I’ve joined the Going Critical crew for a new TTRPG campaign called Sleepless Nights. The show launched on Tuesday, November 30 over on Twitch and we’ll be doing live streams every Tuesday at 8pm EST until we wrap up.
We’re playing with City Of Mist, which is a TTRPG based on the Powered By the Apocalypse System. Using 2d6’s with corresponding bonuses based on character abilities.
I’m playing a character named Nikki Bailey who is a pro soccer athlete with anger issues. She’s learning to play well/better with others and trying to do some damage control after a very public incident lands her on probation with her league and in mandatory counseling. You can learn more, watch previous episodes, and follow along live by heading to twitch.tv/goingcritrpg
It’s somehow December and I guess it’s time to do a recap of what I watched. I know I don’t need to do this but chronicling everything to share somehow makes me feel like I achieved something rather than wasted countless hours in front of my TV. No shame or regrets though. We do what we gotta do to decompress and feel good after a long day. Or just to relax!
As with the rest of these roundup posts, I did not include movies since I track those over on Letterboxd. If you’re curious about those, you can visit my profile to see what I watched. So without further delay, here’s my TV list from November:
Ghosts S1-2
Sort Of S1
Midsomer Murders S9-11
Bob’s Burgers S11
Sex Education S3
Succession S1
Tiger King 2
Sasquatch
Maya and the Three
Doom Patrol S1
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK S3
A friend of mine recommended the British version of Ghosts to me so I sat down and made my way through both seasons in about a week. I really enjoyed it! Apparently, a US version just launched too? Anyways, there were quite a few actors from Taskmaster in the show and it delighted me to see them away from that.
Sort Of is an excellent Canadian series about a trans nanny who is struggling with working through personal issues while feeling stuck in the middle of a family tragedy revolving around the people they work for. It’s not a very long show and is funny, poignant, and engaging.
Sex Education is one of those rare shows that continues to be amazing as it goes on. It explores so many complex themes and relationships, all while being so wonderfully body and sex-positive.
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK is the best of the shows. Truly. Like, I know the OG is great and I do enjoy it but every time a UK series has aired, it has blown the US counterpart out of the water (for me). This season was no exception and I really had a blast watching it—I just wish it had more episodes!
And on a whim, I decided to try out Succession? I didn’t think I was going to get into it and after the first episode, I felt pretty meh about it. But I went back in for the second and then all of a sudden couldn’t stop myself. Wound up getting super into it and can’t wait to watch the rest!
Controversial opinion here but Doom Patrol is just…fine? I know everyone loves it and sings its praises but it’s okay. I’ve been watching it in the background while I play on my Switch because I can’t focus on any of the episodes for an extended period of time. I just don’t care about any of the characters. SORRY.
The rest of the shows I don’t really have opinions on worth sharing. But always happy to discuss if y’all have any comments or questions about any of them. That being said, I’m in the middle of about a half dozen shows so I suspect December will be a pretty massive list for y’all to (maybe) look forward to.
I’ve got another announcement to share with you. This is a project we’ve been keeping secret for the majority of this year…which is known as author torture. I have a new middle-grade graphic novel series that’s being launched called The Racc Pack. It’s created by myself and my amazing partner-in-crime, Whitney Gardner.
This is from the announcement: “The City of Toronto may be doing its best to keep the raccoon population out of its garbage, but that’s not going to stop the Bins family from continuing in their pursuit of the tastiest, most delicious trash they can find. So when a fancy new grocery store opens up in their neighborhood, the dumpster-diving critters hatch a heist so daring, it’ll have them rolling in garbage all winter long. Publication for the first book is planned for fall 2023.”
You might notice that this is a heist book and Whitney and I are co-hosts on The Caper Cast. It’s almost like we’ve been doing research for a while and subtly trying to tell you what’s been going on. But don’t worry, this is only part of our Big Reveal and more will be coming soon.
You can visit RaccPack.com to learn more and sign up for any updates.
Surprise! I’ve been working on a short story for Archie Comics and it’s just been announced. My Archie debut will be in the Love & Heartbreak special which is an anthology comprised of a few different stories written by myself, Sina Grace, and Thomas Pitilli.
I get to write Veronica Lodge (!!!!) and I’m teamed up with the incredible Lisa Sterle who will be doing the art. The image here is the variant cover by Paulina Ganucheau.
To say that this is a dream come true is an understatement. There are very few licensed properties that I’ve wanted to work on but Archie has been on my bucket list since Day 1. Archie Comics are what got me into comics in the first place and they have a special place in my heart. Getting to make my mark on the Archieverse is nothing short of an incredible milestone for me.
Love & Heartbreak will be out in February. You can order your copy over on the Archie website here.
Today, the line-up for Canadian Children’s Book Week 2022 was announced. I’m happy to share that among the many talented authors and illustrators on the list, I’ve been chosen as a participant. I’ll be touring (virtually) for a week in 2022.
From the press release: “Over fifty talented Canadian authors, illustrators and storytellers have been selected to take part in this virtual tour and share a love of reading with young people in schools, libraries and homes all across Canada. Established in 1977, the upcoming national tour will take place from May 1-7, 2022.”
You can read the full release and see all the other people I will be joining by visiting here!
Like my watch list this month, I didn’t wind up reading a ton in October. I started a few things but wound up being pretty busy overall and spent much of my free time watching spooky movies. So without any further delay, let’s get into my October Reading Roundup:
A Touch of Ruin by Scarlett St. Clair — I really enjoyed this sequel! Again, it’s like Scarlett St. Clair took everything I love from Sarah J. Maas’ books and then was like BUT GREEK MYTHOLOGY. So this is all super up my alley. I will say that I struggled with some of the characterization of Persephone; she was mildly insufferable at times. I know it’s all character development and it’s part of her journey and I should love to see her grow but ahhhhh there were so many deeply frustrating parts that had me screaming at the book. That being said, I did enjoy it overall and I’m excited to check out the next book in the series. I’ve heard great things about the books from Hades’ perspective.
Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean — The writing and the book itself? DELIGHTFUL. While I was reading it, I’d pick it up only intending to get through a chapter and then next thing I realized, I’d gone through several. The writing style is effortlessly fun and youthful and you really feel for Izumi as she tries to find where she fits into the world. Comparisons to The Princess Diaries are very apt and I think any fans of that series will find this book right up their alley.
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig — Despite the hype over this book, it did not disappoint. Beautiful, tragic, heartfelt, emotional, and magical. Truly one of the best books I’ve read this year, maybe up there in my fave books of all time. It’s just such a poignant exploration of humanity and the idea of regrets. I felt such a strong connection to the story and to the message behind it. A must-read story.
The Witch Haven by Sasha Peyton Smith — I loved the writing and premise for the story! A fantastic debut book that explores an urban world but one where magic exists and a handful of extraordinary individuals are gifted with it. While I did love the characters, the majority of the story itself, etc., I wound up wishing that there was a little more of a satisfying final act. It does wrap things up nicely while leaving room for more books (which I appreciate…so few books are standalone these days) but I felt a little disappointed. Definitely worth reading though, an enjoyable ride overall!
And that’s it for the month. I’m quickly working my way through The Ex Hex which I thought I might finish in time for the roundup but you’ll have to wait until next month to see my thoughts on that. What did you read this month and what were some of the highlights?
Today I’ve got some exciting news to share: I’m writing an upcoming video game for Kitten Cup Studio. I’ve been brought on board to write Pekoe, which is a tea-making simulator that takes place in a small town that is populated by cats.
Pekoe will be out in 2022 (date TBA) and I’ll be sure to update y’all with new information as it becomes available. You can also read the latest newsletter here and subscribe.
You can add Pekoe to your Steam wishlist here. And watch the launch trailer for the game below:
Annnnd that’s a wrap on Spooktober! I’m not gonna lie, I’m sad that it’s come and gone. Now it’s time to process the fact that the holidays are almost here…and it’s nearly the end of the year. I DON’T WANNA TALK ABOUT IT YET. So until then, let’s talk about some of the things I watched last month. I watched 40 horror movies for Halloween—you can see the full list on my Letterboxd. That’s what I spent the majority of my TV time on. But I still managed to watch a few shows too, so here they are:
What If…S1
Baking Impossible S1
Only Murders in the Building S1
The White Lotus S1
Holey Moley S3
DuckTales S3
Mare of Easttown
What We Do In The Shadows S3
Almost all of these were quality TV shows! It’s been a long time since I could claim that. Out of this mix, my #1 by far was Only Murders in the Building. What an ABSOLUTE JOY it was. Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez are perfection together with the latter balancing out the big, over-the-top personalities of the two formers. I was hooked on the premise too and enjoyed watching it every single week. It’s a new favourite!
Mare of Easttown was fantastic, but pretty much everyone has already said that already. Kate Winslet is a treasure.
And then the last show I’ll quickly mention here is What We Do in the Shadows which someone in its third season continues to be a brilliant and hilarious journey. It took some unexpected turns and I love how it keeps me on my toes but remains ridiculous and light-hearted.
What did you watch during Spooktober? Any highlights?
For October, I’ve been trying to watch as many horror movies as possible to celebrate. I’m still watching them up until the end of the month, but since Halloween is on a weekend, I thought I’d share some of my faves so far. You know, just in case you need some suggestions for what to watch on this spooktacular weekend. These are all available on at least one streaming platform so I’ll include that as well. If you want to see the full list, you can visit my list over on Letterboxd.
This is EASILY my #1 for this season so far. I went in blind and absolutely adored this fun, campy werewolf flick. Who in the town is actually werewolf killing people off? A new forest ranger tries to find answers. Sam Richardson is a delight but Milana Vayntrub really shines here and brings an Ellie Kemper (minus the problematic shenanigans…) vibe. Plus Harvey Guillén has a supporting role here too.
I enjoyed this one a LOT. Not a ton of jump scares, it’s just an edge-of-your-seat thriller starring Megan Fox as she tries to outlive a twisted and elaborate revenge plot set up by her husband. For fans of You’re Next and Ready or Not. Pleasantly surprised by the performances, story, and overall film—it’s definitely worth checking out to get in some spooks.
I saw a recommendation for this film going around a while back and decided to watch for Spooktober. I had a blast watching this fangtastic vampire film featuring badass ladies, for fans of Lost Boys. Plus it has a diverse and inclusive cast as well as some great queer representation. There aren’t really any big-name actors attached to the film but the cast is charismatic and pulls off carrying the film.
This wasn’t my first watch of this film—I’ve seen it like 20 times before—but it’s just as fun every time I watch it. Starring Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine, it’s a great film for those who want something spooky without big scares. It turns the slasher, killer-in-the-woods genre on its head and plays around with character stereotypes in a fun way. A new, modern classic.
I didn’t know if I’d enjoy this movie but it’s really creepy and compelling. Another film playing with religion in the horror genre (ie. Midnight Mass and Apostle) and doing a great job with it. It’s a slow burn of a film, which isn’t always something that I enjoy, but this was paced so well and kept me engaged the whole way through. Excellent performances, especially from Welsh actress, Morfydd Clark who plays the titular Maud.
If you enjoyed Train to Busan, this movie is a sort of sequel and brings you on an all-new zombie adventure that has some heisty elements similar to Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead. Basically, this picks up a few years after TtB and some survivors have been hired to go back to South Korea to steal some money that no one will miss. It’s kind of Army of the Dead meets Mad Max: Fury Road. Really liked this one!
And those are my recommendations! I’ve watched 35+ movies so far so there’s a pretty extensive list, which you can again check out on Letterboxd. But these are some of my faves that I hope you’ll enjoy too.
That’s right, you heard me! ParaNorthern is now an award-nominated graphic novel. Today, Forest of Reading and Ontario Library Association announced their 2022 nominees and we’re up for the Silver Birch Fiction Award. There are some other wonderful titles up for it too but I’m just so thrilled and honoured to be included.
You can see the full list of awards and nominees over on the Forest of Reading site. Authors (myself included) have shared some fun activity sheets and other such things for young ones to check out too. Stay tuned to hear more!
Interested in making comics? For my latest list, I wanted to put together some recommendations on a few different aspects of the comics industry. These books can help you on your path, teach you about the industry, and hopefully keep you healthy physically and mentally as you navigate your way through.
Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud
Comics can be hard to figure out because there are no real universal standards for making them. Things are different depending on the publisher, market, audience, etc. which can be overwhelming. Understanding Comics is the closest thing that we have to a bible for the industry. It goes through the ins and outs of making comics; all in comic format! It’s a must-read for anyone interested in pursuing them or who is interested in learning more.
Here is the official synopsis: “Praised throughout the cartoon industry by such luminaries as Art Spiegelman, Matt Groening, and Will Eisner, Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics is a seminal examination of comics art: its rich history, surprising technical components, and major cultural significance. Explore the secret world between the panels, through the lines, and within the hidden symbols of a powerful but misunderstood art form.”
Brian Michael Bendis is one of our modern greats when it comes to comic book writing. In his book Words for Pictures, he explores both the art side of the industry as well as the business side of things. You can’t really go wrong with taking advice from a man who really knows his stuff so this is definitely worth checking out.
Here is the official synopsis: “One of the most popular writers in modern comics, Brian Michael Bendis reveals the tools and techniques he and other top creators use to create some of the most popular comic book and graphic novel stories of all time. Words for Pictures shows readers the creative methods of a writer at the very top of his field. Bendis guides aspiring creators through each step of the comics-making process–from idea to script to finished sequential art–for fan favorite comics like The Avengers, Ultimate Spider-Man, Uncanny X-Men, and more. Along the way, tips and insights from other working writers, artists, and editors provide a rare, extensive look behind the creative curtain of the comics industry. With script samples, a glossary of must-know business terms for writers, and interactive comics-writing exercises, Words for Pictures provides the complete toolbox needed to jump start the next comics-writing success story.”
Essential Guide to Comic Book Lettering by Nate Piekos
Okay so technically speaking I can’t fully recommend this book since I have yet to read it myself (only because it’s not out just yet) but I can say with a lot of confidence that it’s going to be fantastic. Nate Piekos knows his stuff, especially when it comes to lettering! And as one of the most underappreciated jobs in comics, we should all strive to do our parts to understand just how incredible an art form it is.
Here is the official synopsis: “Award-winning comic book letterer, and founder of Blambot.com, Nate Piekos, provides you with the most in-depth tips and techniques ever published on the subject of digital comic book lettering . . . from creating your own lettering templates, emotive dialogue, and dynamic sound effects . . . to developing design skills and building a lettering career in the comic industry.”
Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels by Scott McCloud
This is technically the third book in McCloud’s series (I’ve completely skipped over Reinventing Comics) but I think it’s the other one that you can get a lot out of. Realistically, if you have to choose one between this and Understanding Comics, I’d choose the latter but if you can have both, why not go for it?! Like I said in the previous post, McCloud knows what he’s talking about and has created the “unofficial” bible for the industry. Trust that he’ll steer you in the right direction and give you great information that will help you in the longrun.
Here is the official synopsis: “Scott McCloud tore down the wall between high and low culture in 1993 with Understanding Comics, a massive comic book about comics, linking the medium to such diverse fields as media theory, movie criticism, and web design. In Reinventing Comics, McCloud took this to the next level, charting twelve different revolutions in how comics are generated, read, and perceived today. Now, in Making Comics, McCloud focuses his analysis on the art form itself, exploring the creation of comics, from the broadest principles to the sharpest details (like how to accentuate a character’s facial muscles in order to form the emotion of disgust rather than the emotion of surprise.) And he does all of it in his inimitable voice and through his cartoon stand-in narrator, mixing dry humor and legitimate instruction. McCloud shows his reader how to master the human condition through word and image in a brilliantly minimalistic way. Both comic book devotees and the uninitiated will marvel at this journey into a once-underappreciated art form.”
While this book isn’t strictly about the comics industry per se, it’s really important regardless. Creatives tend to overwork themselves as they try to break into and continue to work within the industry. When we’re young, it’s easy to wave off pains and sprains and bounce back quickly. But as you get older, it’s harder to ignore how we treat our bodies. This book gives you exercises to incorporate into your daily routine to keep you in peak condition throughout your artistic career.
Here is the official synopsis: “Finally, Draw Stronger is here You’re a cartoonist. You take care of yourself to prevent drawing injuries. You do your stretches, take regular breaks, and draw with perfect posture. What happens? You start experiencing pain when you draw anyway A perfect example of bad things happening to good people. What should you do? Go to the doctor if it’s serious. But, if it’s a minor injury, go to your bookshelf and start reading Draw Stronger. This little tome can be used to help reduce discomfort until you see a healthcare professional, or it can provide guidelines for managing mild drawing injuries that don’t require medical attention. Explore Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation Therapy (R.I.C.E. Therapy) from the perspective of a committed drawer, learn some tips for understanding your pain, avoid worsening your injuries, and more.”
If buying the book (see link below) isn’t in the cards for you, not to worry! Kriota Willberg has a series available for free over on The Comics Beat website. You can check out all the posts here.
There are lots of books out there on art, creating characters (like in the next post) and more but one of the most important aspects to that is understanding light. This book will help you process and master it for your own art!
Here is the official synopsis: “Mastery of light and shade – rendered with accuracy and expressive power – is the key to three-dimensional form in drawing and painting. Here is the first book on this essential subject, the product of years of study by one of the world’s great teachers of drawing and an artist of international renown, Burne Hogarth.”
Creating Characters for the Entertainment Industry by 3dtotal
I’m a writer and editor that likes to dabble in doodling from time to time. And the art books put out by 3dtotal Publishing are some of my faves to utilize! They break things down in a way that makes it easy for me (someone with ADHD and a lack of confidence when it comes to art) to process. Plus I love the style of the art and the advice that they give. I’ve been pining after this specific book for ages and the other one that I use from them is called Creating Stylized Characters which has been wonderful for me! Highly recommend them.
Here is the official synopsis: “Creating Professional Characters: Develop Spectacular Designs from Basic Concepts is an inspiring and informative exploration of how popular professional character designers take the basic concept of a character in a production brief and develop these ideas into an original, high-quality design. Suitable for student and professional character designers alike, this book focuses on how to approach your character designs in ways that ensure the target audience and production needs are met while still creating fun, imaginative characters. This visually appealing book includes twenty thorough tutorials guiding you through the design and decision making processes used to create awesome characters. Replicating the processes used in professional practice today, this book demonstrates the types of brief a professional designer might receive, the iterative design process used to explore the brief, the influence of production feedback on the final design, and how final designs are presented to clients. This detailed, enlightening book is an excellent guide to creating incredible imaginative characters suitable for your future professional projects.”
You can see the entire list over on Bookshop.org and pick up the ones that might help you out while also supporting indie bookstores.
What are some of your favourite books and resources for learning about comics and writing? Leave your recs below in the comments!
I had the absolute pleasure of joining the hosts of The Whatnauts: The Captain’s Log podcast to discuss a whole ton of things. Included in that is my former life as a co-host of Talking Comics, my current co-host duties for Caper Cast, and then of course writing and I bring up Pacific Rim: The Musical…JUST LET ME MAKE IT, GUILLERMO!
You can check it out on their website or on Spotify OR you can watch the video below:
Welcome to the second edition of my Reading Roundup here on my blog! If you read my TV roundup, you’ll know that I watched a lot last month and I also read a ton too. So let’s jump into my list and talk about it.
Needle & Thread by David Pinckney and Ennun Ana Iurov — Young people are so often pushed to be something that they don’t want to be. Whether it’s to follow in the footsteps of a family member or to choose a “career with a future” or whatever. It’s hard to be young, especially when you feel like you don’t have any control over your own future. Needle & Thread tackles exactly that as two completely different teens try to navigate high school, their futures, and family that wants them to be someone they’re not.Young people will find a lot of relatable themes in this story and certainly be able to see bits of themselves in it. A solid YA graphic novel worth checking out.
The Fire Never Goes Out: A Memoir in Picturesby Noelle Stevenson — I’ve been a fan of Noelle Stevenson pretty much since where this book starts off. I remember the days of her Tumblr account and webcomics and those stories got me through some hard times by making me smile. Reliving that and reading about Noelle’s honest journey along the way was like visiting and catching up with an old friend. And getting context for things that you didn’t know were going on makes you appreciate them even more.Noelle was one of the first creators that introduced me to webcomics and showed me that we didn’t need publishers to validate us as creators; we just needed to have stories we wanted to tell. So this book was a heartfelt warm hug that reads as a reminder to our younger selves that things do get better.
My Hero Academia Vol. 1by Kohei Horikoshi — I honestly expected to enjoy this more than I did. It’s not that it’s bad or anything but I think it’s a victim of the overhype train and my expectations for this book were extremely high. It felt like a twist on the Shazam story but with superheroes being far more prevalent and normalized. Again, not a bad thing to put a new twist on an older story but I expected a lot. It was enjoyable though!
A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft — Entrancing and compelling; A Far Wilder Magic is a gothic fantasy with a slow-burn romance. It follows the dual POV of Margaret and Wes—two young people who have had hard lives and decide to change their fates by entering a dangerous hunt for a mystical creature. Allison Saft does a wonderful job with her characters in making them rich and complex while making them enjoyable to read about. A YA book for fans of stories like The Hazel Wood and The River Has Teeth.
Dani and Ramen: A Nomad’s Tale Vol. 1 by Jake Morrison — After Dani and Ramen’s home is destroyed, they head out to find the culprit behind it. It leads them on an epic journey where they must have each other’s backs and be there for one another. Jake Morrison tells an engaging and wonderful story with intriguing protagonists. Filled with action, adventure, heart, and humour! For fans of Adventure Time, Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, Amphibia, and Over the Garden Wall.
Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Lisa Sterle — If you’re hangering for a good werewolf story, take a bite out of Squad. New girl starts school and manages to fall in with the popular crowd. She doesn’t quite feel like one of them until one night when her new acquaintances decide to officially make her a part of the squad. Except that means becoming a werewolf and preying on the worst men they come across.An easy way to summarize Squad would be to say that it’s Heathers x Mean Girls x Ginger Snaps with a bit of Bring It On mixed in too. All of which are things that I love and really enjoyed seeing them melded together here in this story.Overall I enjoyed this graphic novel a lot. The story is super fun, loooove the empowering werewolf killers concept and I will forever be a fan of Lisa Sterle’s incredible art and colours.
Almost American Girlby Robin Ha — An incredible memoir on being an immigrant and just how alienating and daunting being somewhere entirely new can be. A must-read for young people; especially for teaching empathy and kindness.
Catherine’s Warby Julia Billet and Claire Fauvel — Beautiful and heartbreaking. A WWII story like this with a protagonist who is all about a visual medium was begging to be adapted to a graphic novel and works brilliantly here. A really wonderful marriage of the story with the art. I wish there was a little more about what happened to Catherine in the end but that’s just a personal preference and what was included was incredible.
Odessaby Jonathan Hill — I don’t know that I loved this story, I definitely enjoyed the concept and the art was really interesting but I didn’t really connect with any of the characters on their journey. Still, it was a good read and a great study in doing a graphic novel in black and white.
A Magic Steeped in Poisonby Judy I. Lin — As an avid tea drinker, I was immediately drawn into this story with a magic system built entirely around the art of tea making. It was such a refreshing take and I really enjoyed everything about it! The protagonist is likable with solid motivations and I felt myself rooting for her the whole way through. Even though parts of the story were a little predictable, because of the originality of the concept, I let myself just enjoy the ride and not overthink it.Excellent worldbuilding and characterizations. An incredibly solid debut by Judy I. Lin.
Nat Enoughby Maria Scrivan — A deeply relatable graphic novel that explores growing up, finding yourself, and learning to value what you bring to the table. For fans of Raina Telgemeier, Lucy Knisley, and Svetlana Chmakova.
Monster Friendsby Kaeti Vandorn — A GOSH DANG DELIGHT! Very big Studio Ghibli art vibes mixed with such a sweet story about friendship and acceptance.
The Girl from the Seaby Molly Knox Ostertag — A graphic novel exploring queer love through SELKIES? AKA a thing that I am obsessed with? YES PLEASE. I loved this whole story from start to finish. Everything about it was so beautiful and despite the fantastical elements, was so deeply relatable and down-to-earth. Truly special and wonderful.
What’s Up, Beanie?by Alina Tysoe — This wonderful slice-of-life comic is guaranteed to make you smile. There’s something in this book for everyone and there’s at least ONE story that will be painfully relatable to you.The What’s Up, Beanie? comics on IG have long brought joy into my feed regularly and I’m so happy to have this book on my shelves to bring me that joy whenever I might need a little pick-me-up.
Jonna and the Unpossible Monstersby Chris Samnee, Laura Samnee, and Matthew Wilson — Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters was such a delight. Like The Flintstones x Kipo with a dash of Runaways—Jonna reminded me of Molly meets Pebbles, basically. The story, the art, the letters, the colours are all beautifully done here and marry together so well. They are all given their space to shine and flourish and it’s such an incredible story to take in.Chris Samnee is an absolute masterclass artist when it comes to action. He’s fantastic all-around but I think the thing that comes to mind when I think of Samnee is the dynamic panels that so beautifully illustrate a scene, especially when it comes to someone kicking butt. It feels cinematic and fluid and there are few people at the same level as him there.My only complaint is that I wanted more story right away, it was over so quick! But I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure.
Rising Sandby Ty Dunitz and Jenn Lee — An amazing first volume in the series!
The Chancellor and the Citadelby Maria Capelle Frantz — A stunning story by Maria Capelle Frantz. We’re dropped into the world and given the freedom to fill in the blanks on the before and after to the story. We focus on the now as the Chancellor tries to discover whether or not they’re “good” or “bad” and we explore what that really means.Beautiful art paired with atmospheric colours and hand lettering that makes the story seem even more personal somehow.
Fence Vol. 1by C.S. Pacat, Johanna the Mad, Joana LaFuente, and Jim Campbell — Thoroughly enjoyed this story! I was completely drawn into it immediately and couldn’t put it down. Even though I went in knowing nothing about fencing, I came out of it knowing some basics; enough to understand what was going on throughout. It’s a tough thing in serialized comics to balance that exposition while keeping the main story moving forward and this does it skillfully, keeping you engaged!The story, the art, and the colours marry well and come together to make a really cohesive book. Definitely recommend it and I’ll be looking for the next volumes ASAP.
Brave Chef Briannaby Sam Sykes and Selina Espiritu — Cute story and art! Didn’t love the motivation behind Brianna and why she chooses to open a restaurant? But the rest of the story was sweet.
Check, Please! Year Twoby Ngozi Ukazu — It would literally be a Canadian crime if I didn’t love this delightful story about hockey, baking, and trying to fit in while staying true to yourself. Mostly of course because of the hockey. The rest happens to be a bonus that adds to this wonderful book.
Clashby Kayla Miller — The Click books are so wonderful and so incredibly relatable! I can see how and why young people flock to these books and feel seen by the story here. We’ve all gone through the same or similar situations growing up and Clash paints a picture of how most of us probably wish we could’ve handled it. I love Olive’s approach to these tricky situations and trying to use empathy and kindness to see her through it. It’s such an important lesson for young people to learn and I enjoyed Clash immensely for it.
Daughters of a Dead Empireby Carolyn Tara O’Neill — An incredible, captivating, and compelling debut.I absolutely DEVOURED this book and couldn’t put it down. I have been fascinated and obsessed with the Romanov’s for most of my life and this historical fiction is a perfect intersection of so many of my interests. How could you not be enthralled by the idea of a long lost princess escaping a death sentence? This book does such a great job in imagining Anastasia’s life immediately after the death of her family and one man who will stop at nothing to finish the job.I fully intended to continue reading this over the next few days but I was entirely unable to stop reading.
Mel the Chosenby Rachele Aragno — A beautifully illustrated story with a wonderful message for kiddos about trying to grow up too quickly.
On a Sunbeamby Tillie Walden — Rich, complex, and breathtaking.
Ghost Squadby Claribel A. Ortega — Charming and wonderful! I adored this magical adventure so much and flew through it. It’s like a warm hug from someone special.
That’s 25 freaking books?! I have no clue where I found the energy to consume that much last month but here we are. I think since it’s nice and cool out, I enjoy getting snuggly in my reading chair with a big sweater on and a cat for company. You know? Such a nice reprieve from the heat of the summer. But regardless, it’s still a lot of reading.
I am once again back to shout about all the things I watched in September! It was surprisingly a lot? Even for me???? Like, I looked at this list and was like, ‘Did I accidentally mash-up months?’ but nope, I just spent a lot of time on my couch for the start of cozy season.
If you’re interested in the films I watched too, you can visit my Letterboxd account here. And I’ll be recording all my spooky watches for 31 Days of Horror starting today…but yeah!
Great British Bake-Off S2-3
RuPaul All-Stars S6
The Great North S1
Legends of Tomorrow S6
Stumptown S1
Nailed It S6
LuLaRich
American Ninja Warrior S13
The Circle S2
Brooklyn Nine-Nine S8
Star vs. the Forces of Evil S2
Heist
Lupin Part 2
Nine Perfect Strangers
Squid Game
Taskmaster S9
Midnight Mass
Honestly, LOOK AT THIS. How did I watch all of this?! To be fair, Legends of Tomorrow, American Ninja Warrior, and Nine Perfect Strangers were all shows I watched serially so probably over the course of the last couple of months? But still.
I once again have a pretty big section of reality TV and I don’t have much to say about it except I’ll lump a limited docu-series into the mix here which was LuLaRich on Amazon Prime. This was wild and I really enjoyed the ride that was this MLM/cult/pyramid scheme feature on the company LuLaRoe. I highly recommend it.
As you may have guessed from my love of the heist movie genre, Lupin continues to be incredible. You always worry that as a show continues, it’ll lose its quality but it was just as good in the second part.
Squid Game was also really excellent! I devoured the entire thing in a little over a day. I saw on TikTok though that the translations in the English subtitles are really inaccurate though, or rather that they really mess up on a lot of the nuance. But regardless, I had a great time with it. I know there’s going to be more but I kind of wish it was just a limited series.
Nine Perfect Strangers was a bit of a letdown. There was all this build-up to a pretty anti-climactic end so I was kind of bummed by that one. It had a lot of potential and I was recommending it to friends as I watched it.
And finally, Midnight Mass was another thing I binged. And most recently too! It just came out on Netflix from Mike Flanagan aka the guy who did The Haunting of Hill House and Bly Manor series’ there. It’s different and we explore more supernatural things but this time tackling something else entirely. I don’t want to give anything away since it’s new but I really enjoyed it. Spooky but not too spooky.
What did you watch last month? Let me know if there’s anything else I should check out!
I haven’t really kept up with traditional Big Two superhero comics for a while now. But I do still love a good superhero story! Marvel and DC’s characters have so much history to them though and it can be intimidating to try to jump in. If you want to wet your toes with superheroes elsewhere, here are some suggestions for you:
The Adventures of Superhero Girl by Faith Erin Hicks (Dark Horse Comics)
This is one of my all-time favourite books; it’s funny, smart, enjoyable, features great art, and it’s by a fellow Canadian as well as set in Canada. LOVE THAT. For those who might read superhero comics and say, “Gee, I wish there were more slice-of-life superhero stories…” this is for you.
Here is the official synopsis: “What if you can leap tall buildings and defeat alien monsters with your bare hands, but you buy your capes at secondhand stores and have a weakness for kittens? Cartoonist Faith Erin Hicks brings charming humor to the trials and tribulations of a young female superhero, battling monsters both supernatural and mundane in an all-too-ordinary world.”
If The Adventures of Superhero Girl is our slice-of-life hero comic, this is the charming anti-hero companion. It incorporates the story with a similar kind of humour and asks questions about what this person would get up to when they weren’t being a criminal. It’s a lot of fun and while a little more adult than I originally thought going into this, it’s still a blast.
Here’s the official synopsis: “Mary Posa hates her job. She works long hours for little pay, no insurance, and worst of all, no respect. Her co-workers are jerks and her boss doesn’t appreciate her. He’s also a supervillain. And her parents… well, they’re the most famous superhero couple in Crepe City, along with her sister. Cursed with a conscience, Mary would give anything to be something other than a Henchgirl, but no matter what she does her plans always seem to go awry.”
Barbalien: Red Planet by Tate Brombal, Jeff Lemire, Gabriel Walta, Jordie Bellaire, and Aditya Bidikar (Dark Horse Comics)
This isn’t just a great superhero graphic novel but it’s an extremely important one too. This sheds a light on the AIDS Crisis, gay rights activism, and more but all through the lens of a superhero, one Mark Markz aka Barbalien. It’s a limited spinoff series from Jeff Lemire’s wildly successful Black Hammerverse and is easily one of the best stories to date.
Here’s the official synopsis: “Mark Markz has found his place on Earth as both a decorated police officer and as the beloved superhero, Barbalien. But in the midst of the AIDS crisis, hatred from all sides makes balancing these identities seem impossible–especially when a Martian enemy from the past hunts him down to take him back, dead or alive.”
The Pitiful Human Lizard by Jason Loo (Chapterhouse Comics)
Jason Loo is an enormously talented creator that poured his heart and soul into this series. You can tell how much he adores this story and the characters within right away. Not only that but it’s just infectiously fun and delightful! Our protagonist has heart and humour on his side and you truly can’t go wrong with picking this book up.
Here’s the official synopsis: “Toronto’s got a new superhero! And he’s pitiful! Lucas Barrett is an office clerk by day and a struggling superhero on evenings and weekends. Since costume repairs and his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes strain his tight budget, Lucas volunteers as a test subject for a pharmaceutical company’s trial painkiller. After a disgusting ordeal, Lucas realizes that the experimental drug left him with regenerative powers. With his newfound powers, the Human-Lizard is ready to take on any challenge that awaits him – even a supervillain interrupting his first date.”
What can I say about Nimona that hasn’t already been said half a million times? Noelle Stevenson shines here and tells a story that is pure joy to read. Seeing Stevenson’s art progress from start to finish too (it was originally released as a webcomic) is a great inspiration for young artists out there!
Will we ever get the Nimona movie that we deserve? It seems less and less likely…but in the meantime, we have the wonderful graphic novel.
Here’s the official synopsis: “Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren’t the heroes everyone thinks they are.
But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona’s powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit.”
I was hesitant to put Hellboy on the list since so many people already know about him. Heck, there’s three movies out there, a short-lived animated series, and more. But I really love these stories so I decided to do it anyways; it doesn’t really matter where you pick it up, most of the stories feel pretty standalone and you can jump on board at any point. The films do lay a good groundwork for giving you his origin and telling you what his deal is, so feel free to use that as a primer. And then read whatever!
Here’s the official synopsis for the first Omnibus Edition (pictured on the right): “The story jumps from Hellboy’s mysterious World War II origin to his 1994 confrontation with the man who summoned him to earth, and the earliest signs of the plague of frogs. Avoiding his supposed fate as the herald of the end of the world, Hellboy continues with the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, fighting alongside Abe Sapien, Liz Sherman, and drafting Roger Homunculus into his own ill-fated service with the B.P.R.D.”
The Umbrella Academy by Gerard Way, Gabriel Ba, Dave Stewart, and Nate Powell (Dark Horse Comics)
Okay I know this is another one that most people know about at this point. Especially thanks to the Netflix series based on the comics. But I still think the original source material is worth checking out. Like with Hellboy, the series will give you a good primer on everything to do with the characters. And if you’ve seen it, you will be spoiled on the ending of Volume 1. But there are differences and I think that it’s something that you may enjoy, especially if you need a break from more traditional capes and cowls.
Here’s the official synopsis: “In an inexplicable worldwide event, forty-three extraordinary children were spontaneously born to women who’d previously shown no signs of pregnancy. Millionaire inventor Reginald Hargreeves adopted seven of the children; when asked why, his only explanation was, To save the world.
These seven children form the Umbrella Academy, a dysfunctional family of superheroes with bizarre powers. Their first adventure at the age of ten pits them against an erratic and deadly Eiffel Tower, piloted by the fearsome zombie-robot Gustave Eiffel. Nearly a decade later, the team disbands, but when Hargreeves unexpectedly dies, these disgruntled siblings reunite just in time to save the world once again.”
I didn’t realize until completing this list just how many comics I love within this theme that are from Dark Horse! Good job, y’all…you’re making some great books!
I haven’t talked about it here for a while but did you know I have a podcast with the amazing Whitney Gardner? It’s called Caper Cast and we talk about cinematic heists and capers! It releases on the first and third Tuesday of every month.
We’ve been having a blast doing and even if it was just for us, I think we’d keep at it. But it’s more fun with other people! We’ve covered a ton of fun movies so far with Fast Five being the most recent. Whitney had never seen any of the Fast and Furious movies before so this was her intro.
There’s a lot of laughter, Vin Diesel impressions, and questions…if we’re being honest. But the film is just so much fun that it’s hard to not get wrapped up in it.
The show does do spoilers so if you haven’t seen a film and you’re wanting to check it out, you should definitely watch it first. Unless you don’t care about that sort of thing. You can visit CaperCast.com to subscribe or you can listen to the latest episode below:
If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you may have seen my What I’m Watching feature that I do on a monthly basis. Last night I was reading and thought “Why don’t I do that for what I’m reading too?” And thus I decided to pull together a list of what I read in August to share.
A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas — I am obsessed with these books and with SJM. I can’t remember the last time I religiously followed everything by a certain author. It’s kind of nice to fangirl about someone from afar and to know that whenever they release something, it’ll likely be a hit for me. For those familiar with SJM’s A Court of Thorns and Roses series, this is a spinoff focusing on Feyre’s sister Nesta. She’s a lot more feisty and disgruntled than Feyre and even though some of her personality is a bit off-putting, it’s all part of the story and leads to a really satisfying journey for Nesta.
A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair — This is honestly a perfect intersection of so many things that I love: Greek mythology, YA urban fantasy, great world-building, and romance. It’s like Sarah J. Maas created a series that revolved around Greek Mythology with a focus on some of my favourite deities. I don’t really actively seek out (spicy) romance as a genre but a friend recommended it to me. She also let me borrow this and the second book in the series to read and I’m so glad that she did. It definitely wasn’t as spicy as I was anticipating but that’s not a bad thing.
The River Has Teeth by Erica Waters — I’ll just share what I wrote over on Goodreads: “Completely devoured this book in two days; I couldn’t put it down! The best way I can describe it is Final Girls x The Once and Future Witches. It’s part murder mystery, part thriller, and part magical fantasy realism. Erica Waters’ prose is beautiful and easy to fall in love with. Each character feels so fleshed out and complex in the best possible ways; we get so many layers to them and explore their fear and grief and more. And most importantly, we explore what happens when we those who have been preyed upon are armed with teeth to fight back.”
Wings of Ebony by J. Elle — I was briefly in a group called Class of 2K21 that was for authors and their debut books. J. Elle was a member of the group and so this novel has been on my radar for a while. I finally got it from the library and sped through it. It’s a great magical fantasy that tackles race, violence, and more but through Rue’s time in the real world and in a magical utopia.
Gearbreakers by Zoe Hana Mikuta — Once again, I’m going to go ahead and share what I wrote on my Goodreads review: “An action-packed ride from start to finish. I devoured this story and was completely captivated by the dual-POV adventure. Pacific Rim x This Is How You Stop The Time War but for a YA audience. While Xiran Jay Zhao’s Iron Widow book, isn’t out yet, Gearbreakers and Iron Widow feel like spiritual siblings or cousins; titles where if you enjoy one, you’ll surely enjoy the other. Incredibly great!”
What did you read last month? Let me know in the comments!