Update #12 - April 2020

Hello, Patrons! 

It's been... five months.... since my last update............. yikes.

Before I start, thank you to everyone who has continued to support me, and thank you to my newest supporters: Derek, Amanda, Sarah, Alison, Malika, and Nigh Ri!

Thank you all; it really means a lot to me to have your support!

WHAT HAVE I BEEN UP TO?

A lot of people have been asking about my work situation, given the pandemic. My library I work at for my custodian job is closed for the foreseeable future, but I'm very fortunate that I, along with all the other employees, am continuing to get paid. My PCA job counts as an essential position, so I've continued there as usual. 

Outside of work, I've added another D&D campaign to the two I mentioned in my last update. In this one, which is run by my partner, Aidan, for his family, I play a human paladin named Lamantations Jones, to whom both doing the unjust thing and talking in an inside voice are foreign concepts.

WHAT HAVE I BEEN WORKING ON?

Other than my usual diary comics, I've spent the past couple months working on a project that I've given the working title of Gay Vampire Beach Romance. It's a romantic comedy about a vampire working at a beachside hotel who falls in love with a vacationing vampire hunter's son. 

Working on the script for GVBR was my Camp Nano project in April, and though I only managed to get about a third of it written, I'm excited to keep plugging away at it.

Above are my first concept sketches for Edgar Gerpalesi, vampire and main character. Although he was born in the 90s, was turned only recently, and works as a front desk clerk at a two-star hotel, he acts as much the part of an ancient aristocratic vampire as possible. Flamboyant, dramatic, and a bit too self-centered for his own good, his favorite activities are frequenting his local bar's goth night and writing terrible self-insert fanfic.

To the upper-left is another vampire from Edgar's coven, whose name I later changed to Lonny. He was based on Aidan's request for a vampire based on Tommy Wiseau; I ended up liking the design so much, I made him a permanent character. Unlike Edgar, most vampires in his family conceal their teeth by tucking them under their bottom lip, and cover their eyes.

On the upper-right, I drew Edgar as an Animal Crossing character, then drew his love interest, aspiring vampire hunter Stake Tellubrevlis, in the same style. Since this was my first drawing of Stake, and I didn't have as strong a vision for him as I did for Edgar, I spent a good while trying to figure out what I wanted his design to be, only knowing that I wanted him to have thick eyebrows and stubble.

After many design iterations and the input of some talented friends, I came up with Stake's current design in the upper-left. In the lower-left, lower-right, and far-right are drawings of Marcella Gerpalesi, head of the vampire family. Although she appears to be a baby, she's several hundred years old. She's always accompanied by her silent, as-of-yet-unnamed Business Partner, who carries her from place to place in his arms. 

Stake, Edgar, and some expression practice with Marcella.

Stake, Edgar, and Marcella have quickly become my favorite characters to doodle when I have blank space on a page.

Trying out some designs to flesh out the rest of Edgar's vampiric family; Lonny and Carla are here to stay, but the rest remain in flux. I also tried out a backwards hat on Stake, which I highly enjoy. And, of course, I had to see what he would look like if he was ever turned.

Hopefully I'll have more updates for you about this project in the future! I'm having a lot of fun with it, as you can probably tell.

WHAT HAVE I BEEN CONSUMING?

I'm currently watching Venture Brothers with my partner. We checked the artbook out of the library right before they stopped accepting returns, so I've also been reading the corresponding entries after each episode. There's a lot I like about it, and a LOT that I don't! Currently, we're in the middle of the fifth season.

I've also been listening to a lot of The Jenna Julien Podcast. I'm normally not a podcast person, but Jenna Marbles has been an internet personality whose work I've followed for a long time. I've recently been finding it incredibly soothing to put it on in the background while I play Binding of Isaac, my favorite computer game.

THAT'S ALL FOR NOW!

If you have any questions or stuff you've wanted to talk about with me, do leave a comment below! 

Hope you're doing well!

<3,

Dave