December Newsletter

Hey folks! We're rounding the bend on ol' 2023 here, and what a year it's been. My partner unexpectedly lost his job in February of this year and couldn't find a new job for months, so 2023 has been a financially trying year for us. 

I relaunched this Patreon in June, in part to help us with our financial situation, and it's been so much more successful and so much more rewarding than I ever could have imagined. I'm so grateful to each and every one of you, whether you've been with me through the Patreon hiatus or joined up later. I cannot thank you all enough. Because of every single one of you, I'm able to dedicate all my time the way I dream of: working on this comic that I love!!

The Keeping Time boys have been with me for years. They've been stuffed animals, Neopets, roleplay characters, and short story characters. They've changed names and occupations and appearances over the years, but the one thing that has been consistent about each of them is their personalities and the fact that they've always, always been in a band together.

In August, I had to go to my parents' home in Hawai'i, and while I was there I found some realllyyy old art of proto-Denver, so I guess I will be embarrassing myself in front of you all and sharing it. Please brace for impact. Middle school art incoming.

yes hello I would like to report a murder, it is my pride, it's dead on the floor

Actually, I am far more forgiving of this drawing that I probably drew in 8th grade math class than I am of this next piece I'm about to share. The binder paper school doodle is almost charming in how earnest it is. I was just a wee baby who read too many Jhonen Vasquez comics and seemingly thought Rufio was a sick band. (To be fair, to this day, I think "Above Me" still sort of slaps.) 

Okay now that I have your guard down, I'm gonna hit you with this terrifying drawing I found of one of the earliest iterations of Daniel and Denver's band circa 2008 (even featuring proto-Tomás!). This is riiiiiight about when I quit art. I wouldn't start drawing again until about 2017.

if I look at this for too long I will expire. do not gaze upon it for extended periods of time, lest it steal your lifeforce (the only thing I like about this drawing is proto-Tomás!)

On the bright side, it's sort of fun to see how far my art skills have come, and how far the boys have come, too!!

As for your big December progress update - I'm currently inking the next batch of pages, in which I GET TO DRAW DENVER IN A DIFFERENT OUTFIT. You have no idea how happy I am to take a break from that goddamn leather jacket.

I'm real excited about these pages, and I can't wait for you all to see them.

Finally, I haven't said this out loud yet because I'm afraid to... jinx it? Speak too soon? Shoot myself in the foot? But -- I'm sort of eyeing a March-April-ish public launch for Keeping Time. I can't remember if I've mentioned it yet, but it already has a home set up and waiting for it. I haven't finished the layout or all the pages for it, but you can poke around the character bios for now. So without further ado, the future home of the comic:

keepingtimecomic.com 

Of course, once the comic does launch, I'll still be posting pages as I complete them here to Patreon first, so you all will likely be (fingers crossed) 3 months ahead of the rest of the world! Woo! 

Okay, that's about it for news and announcements. I hope you all have a safe and wonderful holiday. Now back to your (ir)regularly scheduled page updates!