If you follow me elsewhere, you may have seen me dropping hints about a new project I’m embarking on dubbed “Project Violets.” It’s been 2 years since my last big “solo” project (using this term very loosely because I will eventually have my cabal of editors and designers). And honestly…weirdly enough, things that should feel easier with experience have felt harder over time. I'm making a probably pretty stupid decision to go at my most ambitious comic to date, with no distribution plans, no publisher, and negative money. I mean, I’ve done it before with Commander Rao and And We Love You! So why does it feel so much scarier this time?

Well, it turns out the more I hummed and doled on what the best path forward was for this book…the more hesitant I was on making it. And not making comics is very bad for someone who wants to make comics.

But here’s where all my stupid decisions began.
I had two opportunities over the last two years to radically change the course of my “comics career” and the fate of this book—for the better, probably! And I…

…Turned them both down. One against the word of my betters. One because it felt like the wrong time. I grappled with all of these decisions for months. Did I wait too long to mark my choice? Did I give up a massive opportunity? What if these opportunities stop coming when I finally have the time to take them? And for the better part of those months I couldn’t help but think I was making the wrong choice(s). But after a long, long talk with people much wiser than me…I came to realize maybe having a choice was a blessing at all.

I’m not going to lie, even though S.I.R. wasn’t a smash #1 hit, simply having the backing of a larger publisher and their marketing team got my work into places I’d never dream. I am going to REALLY miss that. (And if the right publisher came along, I wouldn’t mind working with them).

But in the meantime, I will be writing and drawing this gargantuan undertaking by my lonesome. Because if this Sapphic Undead Flower Knight book doesn’t come out the way I envision I will run off into the woods and let the flowers retake me. And I think…I think if I made this book as ambitiously as I want it to be, people can finally see what I am capable of and maybe new opportunities could arise once the time is right?

Wish me luck! :’)

Despite my mental agonies I’ve had a pretty productive month! Here’s a bunch of things I was hired to draw in May.

Yes, as you can see, it’s all very exciting 🙂 And I’m happy that my June looks equally as busy, so enjoy more colorful NDA squares to come (and if you follow this newsletter long enough, they might even get revealed!).

This coming weekend, June 6-7, is the Toronto Comics Arts Festival (TCAF)! Also known as the greatest comics show in the world. I’ll be tabling at the Ice Rink of the Mattamy Athletic Center at table 161B, come say hi! 🙂