December Recap and Behind-the-Scenes

Hello, everyone! 

I hope this holiday season has been treating you all well. The week between Christmas and New Year is my favorite time of the year. People are generally in a good mood, more relaxed, and there’s a feeling in the air that lends itself to reflection of the past 12 months. Things have been a bit slow since my last update, which is why I held back on making a post that essentially talked about nothing. However there are now some fun things I’d like to share with you, so let’s jump into it!

November/December Recap:

I’ve been continuing work on my Webtoon series, which updates weekly, rain or shine. Lately I’ve been throwing in more gag comedy with the usual slice-of-life comics, which has been a fun change of pace. Here are some panels from some of my favorite newer episodes:

Bork Report has returned! The first two comics are out, and I’m currently working on the third one. The plan is to update the style of the original comics to match the current “Dogs with Jobs” comics, and then add more to the series. For those who are new to Bork Report, here’s a look at the first ever comic compared to the updated version:

Another point I really wanted to perfect with this miniseries was the logo. I mean, you can’t have a serious news network without a proper logo! And if’s there’s anything we know about these pups, is that they’re serious about their news. Here’s a closer look of the new and official logo:

I also completed portraits for several patrons:

And hosted the November patron livedraw (which never fails to be a hilarious and fun time):

The Tuff Fluff comic was finally released, with a second on the way. Here’s a sneak peek at the thumbs for the comic (without words), which are incredibly detailed and fine-tuned:

Other things I've worked on since the last update:

I was commissioned by a family friend to make a couple of portraits. I don't offer commissions anymore (outside of patron portraits), but this was a special situation, so I wanted to help out.

In general, I’m trying to share more WIP images so it doesn’t seem like I post suddenly and then disappear for days/weeks at a time. During the times when I’m ‘quiet’ I’m working on things like fulfilling shop orders, designing and testing new merch, or working on secret projects or freelance gigs. I’m trying to think of other ways to keep you guys in the loop, so if you have any suggestions or requests on what I can do, please let me know! 

Speaking of SECRET PROJECTS, for little over a month I’ve been working on something new. The inspiration came to me right before Thanksgiving, and I’ve been chipping away at it slowly in my down time. For awhile I wasn’t sure if I should discuss it, as I suffer from shiny object syndrome and can bounce from one idea to the next. I didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up for no reason if nothing ever came of it.  However, I enjoy sharing my new artistic adventures in these monthly updates, including all the ups and downs, and I always want you guys to be the first to know when something is in the works. 

With that being said, I’m excited to share that I’m currently working on a board game!

It’s still very much in the early stages, and there’s currently no timeline for completing the project. I’ve drawn art for a game, but never designed one from the ground up. I’m taking things slow, and researching a bunch. Currently I have the first version of game mechanics finished and am testing them a bunch to make sure everything is balanced. This stage will probably take a several more months.

What’s this game about, you might ask? I’ll give you a vague hint:

Any guesses?

Once I’ve settled on the game’s name and have some concept art completed, I’ll share more with you all. This will be the first long-term project I’m undertaking, and it’s going to be a doozy, so I wanted to ask: would you be interested in separate game-related updates/blogs?

Coming Up:

We’re so close to hitting the next Patreon milestone, which unlocks 4 seasonal wallpapers for all patrons! I couldn’t be more excited! Once we hit that milestone I’ll start sketching up some ideas for excellent wallpaper goodness. 

I’m officially confirmed to attend Awesome Con and Denver Comic Con, which will probably be the only two cons I go to in 2019, as I want to take a year to focus on finishing larger scale projects and building up the selection of items I sell. 

Outside of work, I’ve been taking time to rest, relax and mentally prepare myself for another year. 2018 was challenging both personally and professionally, but I’ve learned a lot and overall feel that I’ve become a better and stronger person because of it. I’m focusing more on hobbies outside of work. I’ve been participating in a strength training class and in January will be starting improv again after two years! I can hardly wait!

The next month might be a bit hectic as I have a lot of financial things happening all at once (CURSE YOU, TAXES!) but now that the holidays are very close to being behind us, I look forward to picking up the pace to bring you all lots of new stuff.

What are your resolutions for the year ahead? What are some things you've learned from the past year?