Tonight is opening night of the school play, so sometime this week I get to go watch my kid's black-clad arm pull a curtain around or something while other people's kids sing. Fortunately the school has a really good program and their musicals are usually fantastic. They knocked Les Misérables out of the park a couple of years ago. Although Experiment #1 is a Large Ham, Experiment #2 prefers to work backstage. He's still got the Ham genes, but in a less "onstage" way.
I've bee...
2022-05-26 23:00:09 +0000 UTC
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The PDF bundles for the Exorcism Engines Kickstarter are going out tonight, after I eat one of these lovely waffles Phil is fixing for dinner.
Yes, Lucrezia is still monologuing. High Intelligence, Low Wisdom?
I'm off to eat waffles and get back to work!
--Kaja
2022-05-25 02:14:03 +0000 UTC
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We took Experiment #2 up to Capitol Hill and bought him all the gothy edgelord clothes his little dark heart desired, then sent him off to the senior prom looking like the prince of the vampires. He had a very nice time. Unfortunately, I tripped on the messed-up sidewalks of Broadway and became one with the pavement, so I'm nursing a very sore knee, scuffed palms, and a sore shoulder. I like to think the martial arts lessons helped me avoid worse injury. It was worth it anyway, I even found s...
2022-05-23 03:56:19 +0000 UTC
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The Kickstarter campaign is finally over! Which means I can stop bugging people about it for at least a while, until I get the BackerKit store open. Sorry about that.
Things went very well this time. I'm especially happy that it looks like I won't be the one doing all the fulfillment. I'll do a few things, like the original art tubes and probably the full sets, but the bulk of it I'm farming out. More on that when things are finalized.
Thanks to all of you who backed, helped...
2022-05-18 03:27:02 +0000 UTC
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The Kickstarter is ending soon, we're in the last 25 hours! I have a ton of small tweaks updates and notes to put together before that happens. It's doing very well and we're grateful! Thanks, all!
--Kaja
2022-05-16 05:03:07 +0000 UTC
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The new microwave is supposed to be delivered tomorrow! I suppose things will stop being quite so groovy at that point. Oh well, it's a tradeoff.
The Kickstarter ends on Monday, which is great, and changes the type of work I need to obsess over every day. I've had a couple of people ask about Indiegogo, which apparently is something people sometimes move to after a Kickstarter? This would certainly be the low-stakes time to try it out, the books won't be coming out until late this year ...
2022-05-13 01:55:10 +0000 UTC
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I slept way too long! Sorry about that. Here's the color page!
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So the microwave died, and we're living like it's the 1970's for a while. It's good, everything's groovy! It's been a long time since I had to break out a saucepan to reheat bits of leftover casserole.
The Kickstarter is in the last week, so I was up all night poking at it, changing out art and working on spreading the word. We've hit a lot of stretch goals! Now that I'm posting the pag...
2022-05-10 18:26:01 +0000 UTC
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I got a weighted blanket, and it's wonderful! Then I got another, because it needed a little more weight. I've always liked a lot of covers, but it gets too hot, so this seems to be working very nicely. Anyway, I'm sleeping a little better now.
Here's Monday's page, I'm off to make cookies for my Mom before I go to bed.
Thanks, all!
--Kaja
2022-05-08 04:49:36 +0000 UTC
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Friday's page! There isn't much here, and you've all pretty much guessed what's going on, gold stars to you! Don't worry, it wouldn't be much of a story if things were easy for the main characters.
Thanks, all!
--Kaja
2022-05-06 03:28:48 +0000 UTC
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I'm down to the wire again today. I think I made the most soporific lasagne ever on Phil's birthday, all I've wanted to do since is sleep. Like, to a spooky degree. But here I am with the page, so hooray for that!
I'll have Friday's page up soon, it just needs some sound effects. Thanks, all!
--Kaja
2022-05-04 03:29:19 +0000 UTC
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It's Phil's birthday today, and I'm currently taking a small break while the lasagne bakes. Once I'm done posting, I'm off to make garlic bread and frost the cake.
I hope you all had a great weekend!
--Kaja
2022-05-02 00:18:44 +0000 UTC
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I've been working most of the day trying to sort out an update for the Kickstarter, I've got as far as making this Envelope of Madness graphic showing everything that's currently unlocked. Anyway, here's Friday's page, in which Lady Steelgarter once again proves that she is not only fashionable, but violent. Ouch.
Well, I'm off to finish that update. See you soon!
--Kaja
2022-04-28 02:43:24 +0000 UTC
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So the printer is asking how soon I can get them the files for the books we're still crowdfunding. Eek!
So I'll be getting back on that. It would be faster if I didn't want to add nicer page numbers to the earlier volumes we're reprinting. I think it will be worth it though. Page numbers are our friends.
--Kaja
2022-04-27 01:11:38 +0000 UTC
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I've altered the colors on the previous page, because it really needs to look like a LOT of gunk is being dumped on the queens, not just some little rivulets. So that's updated.
I'm on a huge Patricia McKillip kick right now, I've been aware of her name forever, but apparently have only read the one book illustrated by Brian Froud: Something Rich and Strange. This surprised me a bit, I would have sworn I'd read more of her work, but no. So I'm fixing that and quite enjoying mys...
2022-04-24 21:44:48 +0000 UTC
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Here are the colors! I changed the color of the "FOOSH!" sound on Wednesday's page, too. I wanted it to match the gunk.
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Friday's page! I'm off to bed because my head hurts.
See you soon with colors!
--Kaja
2022-04-21 04:32:21 +0000 UTC
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Well! The Kickstarter campaign is going well, and I'm very relieved. I had to work out how I was going to handle signed bookplates for all the books we hope to print (and reprint) this time, and I finally just gave up on elaborate systems. I'm just putting all the bookplates we unlock through stretch goals into the one Envelope of Madness and calling it a day. Right now it's just bookplates for Volumes 20 and 1, plus the usual campaign extras, but we're pretty close to the Vol. 2 reprint, so ...
2022-04-20 00:37:28 +0000 UTC
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Colors! And now I must run, because I'm late getting dinner ready for the family!
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Oh no! I was all set to post this, and then I got distracted by Kickstarter, and it just sat there open in a buried window all day. Well, the Kickstarter campaign is live now, and also, here's Monday's page!
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I told everyone I was going to do some Early Bird speci...
2022-04-15 07:00:06 +0000 UTC
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Surprise! Friday's page is all lettered up and ready to go!
We'll be at SakuraCon this weekend, for our long-overdue dose of Happy Anime EnergyTM.
Also, if I possibly can, I'll be launching the new Kickstarter on Thursday evening. We'll see. I've been doing math all day and my head is doing that stress swim thing it does, but I'm nearly ready.
Well, we'll see. I am optimistic!
Thanks, all!
--Kaja
2022-04-13 08:59:53 +0000 UTC
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Edit: here are the colors. Here also is a link to an absolutely beautiful intro video Cheyenne has done for something he's working on: a Victorian space opera RPG cast called Axion.
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Yay! Phil is pulling ahead a bit with the art, since we're getting ready for SakuraCon. So here's Wednesday's page!
See you later, with colors!
--Kaja
2022-04-11 05:58:39 +0000 UTC
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Hello! I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend. I certainly am, I've finally got all the shipments for the Sparks and Monsters Kickstarter out to our backers*. Finally.
I'm now finishing up the stuff I need to do for the NEXT Kickstarter, including lining up a fulfillment house so that next time, I don't have to pack every one of these things with my own two hands. It's going to be more expensive, but it will also be a LOT faster. I'm sure everyone will appreciate that, I know I will...
2022-04-11 02:13:46 +0000 UTC
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Friday's page! The grownups are fighting again.
I'm anxious to get more entries up on webtoons.com, but first I have to get the rest of this shipment out. I am so close...
The next Kickstarter will be launching very soon. I'm trying to decide if I want to do a different graphic design treatment for the new general-release hardcovers. I kind of want to, but it's more work...
Thanks, everyone!
--Kaja
2022-04-07 06:27:23 +0000 UTC
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Edit: I almost forgot to whisper!
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I'll be back with colors within the hour, but I wanted to post this asap. Cheyenne just turned in the colors and I'm dropping them into the Illustrator doc now.
Then I'm back to packing orders for the last Kickstarter! I estimate about five hours more of intense work and I should be completely done. I had hoped to have it all done by the end of last weekend, but I keep having to stop to pack reships (long overdue) or letter th...
2022-04-06 02:42:48 +0000 UTC
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Here it is, the first page of Volume 23. It will of course look better when the color is in.
All the trees are blooming here, we have flowers everywhere. I love the fluffy pink and white trees. The violets in my yard are also up. I'm very fond of them, they're a simple old-fashioned type, and they came from my Grandma's garden back at the farm. When they moved to a place that took less work I planted as many as I could in her new garden, and I've taken them along to every house I've liv...
2022-04-02 04:34:12 +0000 UTC
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It's the last page of Volume 22! Yay! Also, arrrgh...we may have to do a Kickstarter later that combines volumes 21 and 22, just to catch up. First, though, is Volume 20 plus reprints. That'll be enough to handle. Maybe a stretch goal or something. It makes my head hurt.
Phil is at WonderCon, booth 1405, setting up! I've included a picture. I am busting my punctuation to get the last of the shipments packed this weekend. I really want to get that new Kickstarter rolling this week. We sh...
2022-04-01 01:14:49 +0000 UTC
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Phil is getting ready to head to Wondercon in Anaheim this weekend! He'll be at booth 1405 where he'll have a lot of our new stuff for sale. Sadly, he will NOT have any of the brassy SCIENCE fobs, because we are already out of those until the re-order comes in. He'll have silvery ones though.
I will stay home and spend the time getting the last of the Australian (and a few other overseas) shipments packed, and finishing the last touches on the next Kickstarter campaign. I am now expecti...
2022-03-30 02:53:53 +0000 UTC
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Monday's page! It's early, but not a lot of new information, I'm afraid.
Phil is hoping to get well ahead so he can go to Wondercon guilt-free. At least, guilt-free about comics pages.
I've been a miserable wreck working through the arcane knowledge required to run ShipStation, but I believe I've finally cracked it. I live in terror of some huge expensive mistake, but I've watched a LOT of tutorials, so with luck I've got it right.
Thanks, all!
--Kaja
2022-03-25 05:30:02 +0000 UTC
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Things to know before the colors come in: her eyes are glowing in panel 4.
I have got SO MUCH done today, and yet, it doesn't seem like a lot compared to the stuff I need to do. But I have got Friday's page lettered, and that's a huge victory!
I've also started reformatting Volume 1 while I drink my morning coffee, instead of playing World of Warcraft which is a lot less real-world rewarding. It's slow going, because I had to completely retool my workflow for the vertical we...
2022-03-24 01:03:06 +0000 UTC
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Phil is getting ready to go to Wondercon down in Anaheim at the end of the month, he says they've given him a lovely booth right up front: Booth #1405. They're so nice to us!
I won't be going because I have far too much to take care of, and I still don't feel comfortable wandering around in large crowds. Not that I ever did.
I will however be helping out at SakuraCon in Seattle this year. It's local, so not as much of a fuss. Also, I have some excess anime stuff I want to sell off...
2022-03-22 22:17:00 +0000 UTC
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I've got it early again! I'm so happy. Now I can get back to...uh...doing laundry. And packing shipments. Oh boy.
Actually I am happy about it, I have a few reships that should have gone out a while ago, and we've almost finished packing all the backordered fobs, to go out with Monday's post.
As usual, I'll be back with the colors when they come in!
--Kaja
2022-03-20 20:45:22 +0000 UTC
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Well, this took a lot longer than I meant it to. I took forever to get Lucrezia's arrogant talky-talk hammered out.
I'd better get it posted quick or it'll be late-ish again.
Thanks!
--Kaja
2022-03-18 03:51:24 +0000 UTC
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