Autostraddle July 2020 sneak peek/behind the scenes

Here's a look at my Autostraddle comic for 2020! (The final draft vs the one before it)

I gotta say, I only started making regular comics for AS in November. I didn't really anticipate becoming a political cartoonist. I wouldn't say I am a political cartoonist now, either, mind you.

When quarantine started, it was hard to come up with something NOT about quarantine. I couldn't do it. That's all there was in my brain, in your brain, in the whole world. And that turned out fine, I hit my stride after a rocky first month. I was just about to start making comics about moving in with your gf during quarantine.

Uh, and then the protests started happening.

The thing about being in quarantine is that you absolutely, under no circumstances, can look away. I talked with my coworker about how Animal Crossing as escapism worked for April 2020, but not so much for June 2020. You *have* to pay attention.

So... I'm thinking about things very carefully. I'm paying attention.

This comic took me three tries to get somewhere close to something I could turn in to my editor without anxiety (psych, I have a lot of anxiety about it; worrying that I'm saying the wrong thing, or that it'll attract the wrong eyes). But at least it conveys something I really believe: we have to have hope, and we cannot slow down.

There are so many reasons to fight for real, true, holistic change in the way we build our society and our communities. I want to remind people of that with this comic. Don't give up yet. It's not an if, but a when. *WHEN* we build a better world.

I want to be able to make goofy slice of life comics again. I don't want to have to make emotionally draining, multi-draft comics. It takes the whole month to come up with something, script it, and then sit down to draw it, and from the time I start to the time I finish, so much can change in the world! HOW DO THE PEOPLE AT THE NIB KEEP UP???

Honestly, the gig doesn't pay well enough for me to keep making thoughtful commentary on current events for an extended amount of time. BUT!!! I DO IT ANYWAY!!!!!! Because it's not about the money, it's about using this platform for something good.

Anyway. That being said, 2020 is moving so fucking fast, who knows where we'll be in 4 weeks when it's time for me to make another comic.

Maybe, with any luck, justice will be served, the powers that be will listen to the people, and I can make a dopey comic about going to make steamed pork buns and somehow starting a kitchen fire. (it's fine, the kitchen is fine, the steamer basket is.....)

Thanks for reading this ramble-y blog post. I miss tumblr dot com. Jk.

Catch this comic on Autostraddle this weekend. (Share it with cool people, leave a comment, etc.) And don't stop fighting for justice!