[Update] XTREME Emotional Roller Coaster Edition!!!!

Hello patrons! 

Several big things happened this week and I wanted to chat with you all about them. There are some highs and some lows I’ll be going over in this update, but if we’re sticking to the roller coaster analogy, you need both highs and lows (and possibly some loop-de-loops) for the most memorable ride. SO STRAP IN AND BUCKLE UP because this coaster is taking off!

February to Now: A Timeline

I received news in early February that my series Doodle for Food would not be renewed for another contract term. This is something I’ve known would happen eventually, as is the nature of creative projects and freelancing. I spent all of February brainstorming and developing a new series to pitch, but it was ultimately turned down (again, the nature of the business). Webtoon was gracious enough to give me flexibility on when I could end Doodle for Food, so I decided to keep updating for as long as possible while I worked to secure a new deal or gig behind-the-scenes.

Thankfully at the same time I was approached by an agent, who is incredibly awesome and I’m so excited to work with her! After some discussion, we decided that a graphic novel based around my Good Boye Guild series had the most potential for a starting project. I’ve been working to develop that story into something that can be pitched to publishers. 

Still around that same time, I was ALSO offered a test period of working with Shenanigansen on his series, Rage Quit, which is produced by Red Bull. You may have seen some of the comics on Twitter . I’m in what I call the “training wheels” stage of working with them, as it’s a much more collaborative and detailed process than I’m used to and I’m still adjusting. It’s all a learning process right now, but I’m really enjoying the challenge!

There were other things going on during this timeframe that have slowed me down or made me more tired than usual *COUGH COUGH* COVID *COUGH* SECRET PROJECT *COUGH COUGH* so not going to lie, the first quarter of 2020 has been a bit of a doozy for me.

At my busiest I was making two comics for Webtoon, two comics of the Good Boye Guild, brainstorming a graphic novel and first long-form story attempt, working with a new freelance client, and organizing another secret project (that I will reveal soon) on top of other stuff like general admin work, running my online store, and stress-eating my feelings.

It was… a lot. After maintaining this schedule for weeks I knew I needed to employ the life-changing magic of tidying up my crap. It’s what Marie Kondo would want.

Webtoon: A Finale

I had every intention of extending the Doodle for Food series on Webtoon for as long as possible. However, as the 500th episode drew closer and work piled up more and more, I realized I needed to make the call to end things. 500 episodes seemed to make the most sense, as I didn’t want to celebrate an achievement only for the series to end just a few comics later. 

The 500th episode was updated this week and can be found here. 

I won’t lie, I cried reading the comments, but they were good tears. It still hasn’t fully sunk in just how huge of an undertaking a five-year series is. 500 episodes. Five. Hundred. Comics. Holy heck. I’m still processing all the complicated feelings, but I can say they’re overwhelmingly positive. I feel grateful, humbled, but just a touch sad. It feels like graduating from high school and being flooded with a sense of accomplishment, but there’s also a touch of mourning because it’s the end of an era.

I’m going to be taking the weekend to comb through and respond to as many of the Webtoon comments as I can. But wow, what an incredible saga!

Marie Kondo Presents: Getting your Sh*t Together

Okay okay, so that isn’t an authentic Marie Kondo book, but it SHOULD BE. 

So you may be wondering: What’s next? What’s the game plan? Well let me tell ya!

I have some to-do items I’ll be trying to tackle as soon as I can. They include things like updating my social media banners, upgrading my Twitch channel assets, regrouping stuff to reopen the online shop, and probably some other stuff I’m forgetting right now.

After that, the ongoing priorities I’ll be focusing on include:

1. Continuing to post Good Boye Guild comics
2. Growing the Patreon
3. Creating and selling new merchandise
4. Developing and pitching a graphic novel

But what’s the most important thing right now is freeing time and energy to get the pitch finished. Once that gets cleared off my plate I’ll have a much clearer picture of how the rest of 2020 is going to play out.

Speaking of Patreon

This is another info heavy section, so brace yourselves.

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this to you all, but the Patreon has been growing incredibly quickly this year. I want to welcome all of the new patrons that have joined in the past few months, and thank every single one of you for your support! I’ve been so caught up with all my various work projects that I haven’t had a lot of time to stop and see all that we’ve managed to accomplish so far. Anyway, thank you thank you thank you!

I’m running out of steam writing this update so I’m going to bullet point a few things that are important regarding the Patreon page:

• We reached the latest milestone this week! That means I’ll be hosting a PATRON-ONLY drunkdraw event. All patrons will get the chance to participate, so stay tuned for another update with more deets. (It will most likely be on a Saturday to help maximize attendance)

• The next milestone is: I will record myself singing a song as Kermit the frog! I’m known for my amazing impressions during my livestreams, especially my Kermit voice /s. Once we reach this milestone, patrons will get to pick the song: Rock ballad? Rick Roll? Rap god? I’ll take on anything you throw at me! 

• I’ll be drawing another patron-exclusive mini-print to ship to all patrons who pledge $3 or more this month. (The higher cost is to help cover shipping/material costs)

And I believe that’s all for now! If I remember anything I’ll put it in the comments below or make another quick update. New early access comic will be posted today, and I’m working on the Front liners fan art piece. 

Much love,

Megan