Studio Update / August 2025

Hello! I have a few updates for you all. Prints are behind for July and August right now, with some still from June just waiting for stickers! I've had a few mishaps with the new MZ machine and the stickers, but they're all on their way. Thank you for your patience!

Big news is: I bought a two drum machine! an MZ 790 that can print two colors at a time and should make printing for patreon a lot easier each month. The bad news is all the fluorescent pink drums have exploded on me since I've started to print. There may be two different problems, but I think I can solve them by having the screens taken off and cleaned properly in an ultrasonic cleaner.

Mariano bringing in the new MZ from his car that he drove all the way from Arizona!

The new machine was about $5k, and each drum ranged from $300-$700, so it's been a big investment I've been riding all my hopes and dreams on. So far a lot of the last three months have been fixing the MZ, fixing the drums, reaching a point where the new MZ was deemed completely broken, and then the seller (Mariano) replaced it for me with a brand new MZ 790. He was incredibly patient and helped me buy an old computer so I could print directly from my Mac as well. Overall great experience, but there's always something with these Risos!

Pink oozing out of the drum in a place where IT REALLY SHOULDN'T OOZE FROM

When I finally got the MZ up and running it was a dream. I started proof printing the July Morophon print and my pink drum almost immediately exploded with ink.

To find a quick solution, I converted two other drums to fluorescent pink so I could continue printing (and then have two fluo pink backups so this never happens again), but all three drums then had overflow errors. I brought the drums to a friend (Karina who runs local LA print shop Punch Kiss Press!) who says it's a combination of the new fluo pink ink consistency, as well as the screens of the drums being just gunked up with old, dried ink. COOL! I've now dropped them off to be cleaned properly by friends who have ultrasonic cleaners to get the gunk OUT of the drum screens, then printing should go smoothly again in the future. It's kind of been one thing after another, but as soon as these drums are fixed I should be ready to hit the ground running.

Here's a photo of Mariano fixing and updating the old MZ's main board so it would connect to computers for print. (it didn't work lol)

I could print these on the single drum Riso (my trusty EZ machine I've been working on) but these have bright pink colors right in the middle of them and the roller marks would go straight through the piece. I have confidence that the new machine's pink will be up and running soon- PLUS i've already printed the yellows on July's print, so I'm locked into printing on the MZ two drum machine. Prints will be out asap! If the pinks still don't work after cleaning then I'll remake July's print on the single drum EZ to get them out asap.

Most everyone have received June's Night Parade, we're just waiting for the stickers for June! These are the print and sticker combinations headed out soon:'

June's riso print + sticker sheet!

July's Riso print + Sticker set!

August's Riso Print Sketch

Here is the sketch for August's print! This month's print will be a continuation of the dragon warrior/witch series, this one I'm calling Dragon Wanderer :3 I liked to keep up with the Dragon W_(agent noun)_ theme. I like the Wanderer title because it evokes an adventurous spirit. Maybe they've been on the road for a long time, once exiled, or more interested in the nomadic life. Wherever the road leads them, they bring along a sense of peace.

Here's what all of them will look like together, hopefully I'll make a fourth one soon!

in other news.....

RAZ ( Riso Art & Zine ) Fest! Sat, Sept 20 at Gallery Nucleus LA.

RAZ fest is around the corner- happening at Gallery Nucleus this September 20th. This year's poster was created by Kris Mukai! Kris is one of the OG Riso artists in North America. I printed on her machine in Brooklyn wayyy back in 2014, before the SVA RisoLAB opened! She and her partner Arlin Ortiz (who is also a super talented Riso printer) are both LA locals and tabling next to me at RAZ this year! Please buy EVERYTHING from them, it's all amazing!!

Gnomes for Red Kettle Coffee

I recently made little Gnome characters for Red Kettle Coffee in Summerville, CA (near Santa Barbara)! These little guys are on stickers and possibly a few other things in the shop! Definitely stop by on your summer travels to get a little cute gnome friend :3

New Large Mountain Dreams print

One of the things I DID manage to print on the MZ before my pink died was this large version of the Mountain Dreams print, since I was converting the orange to pink, I decided to use up the rest of the orange in the drum by printing these as a little experiment! I no longer have orange, so these are a sort of small regular orange edition.

San Diego Comic Con 2025

This was officially my 4th year at San Diego Comic Con! Two years with Gallery Nucleus in the book and publishing section, and now two years in Artist Alley. I'm not sure I've ever been to a more intense 5 day event than SDCC, and every year right when I'm my most exhausted...I sign up for another year because the thrill of seeing so many friends, and meeting new people interested in my work is incredible. Lately my friend Caroline has been helping me at shows and I honestly COULD NOT do any of it without her. Being with friends and experiencing the buzz of celebrating comics and the narrative arts together is the best.

Gen Con / Juror's award!

This year was kind of psychotic for me at Gen Con. Not only was it the weekend after SDCC, but I was waitlisted up until the friday before the show and had to decide quickly if I'd be up for finding a last minute hotel and flight (and having the energy for another epic show back to back). When I didn't get into the show in February, I decided that it wasn't meant to be, but when I got the call I was so thrilled to be included in a fantasy/narrative art show celebrating games and storytelling that I immediately said yes. And I'm so glad I did- it's one of the best shows of the year to see friends and share my work in a space I feel kinship in.

Funny thing about this award-- I received the same award last year for being one of the juror's favorite artists at Gen Con. They always choose a professional in the industry to judge and last year it was a Magic the Gathering/Wizards art director, and this year it was a Dungeons and Dragons art director. I was THRILLED to get the reward both times, and be recognized professionally by a world of storytelling and art that I've wanted to be part of since I was a kid.

Not getting into the show after receiving an award the previous year, then being accepted, and then receiving that same award again was possibly one of the craziest whiplash moments of my career. I know I shouldn't care, but this one had a weird stingy sensation to it. I have had a hard time not letting it get to me this summer, and it's been a timeless lesson I've had to relearn over and over again- not to let gatekeepers define my worth and to just continue without blinking.

There have been a few interviews I've seen or read lately- where I've taken note when artists weren't allowed in a space or couldn't find their footing in a professional context, so they made their own path. Paul Reubens in his documentary talked about how he was rejected from Saturday Night Live so he created his own nightly show for Pee Wee. And Steven Spielberg talked about being rejected from most Hollywood spaces when he was young, so he just continued making small films until someone would give him a break. I try to remember the value of creating what I love isn't determined by a space I see as professional, or legitimizing. It's thrilling when I am accepted, but I do care more about making than being accepted. Pivoting and doing my own thing has defined my career so far, but I know this will always be something I'll struggle with. Or maybe not, hopefully I grow out of it.

Lately, every night after watching an episode of tv, Andy and I will watch an artist or creative interview as a palette cleanser. It's been a great practice to get inspired and remember we're all just figuring this life out, and making art is the best way we've found to communicate and share ourselves. Creating is the most important aspect of our lives, and we just want to have the space to do it.

Here are two interviews I loved lately: Steven Spielberg, and William Stout. And if you haven't seen the Paul Reubens / Pee Wee doc yet on HBO then RUN to go see it. We watched it over several evenings so we could savor it, and I think I'm ready to watch it again so I can sear it into my brain.

LOL thanks for reading!!!
xo nat