January-February 2023: New Year, New Opportunities
January-February 2023: New Year, New Opportunities
'Road Trip to Hell' updates and 'By the Horns' takes all the awards
I'm kicking off the year with my first bi-monthly recap, and I’m happy to report that January and February were filled with plenty of Road Trip to Hell news. So allow me to gush (and lament) about that first!
What I’m Writing
Road Trip to Hell
Road Trip to Hell #1 is getting a second printing, due out late March 2023! While I’d typically wait until my March recap to share the news, I’m too excited to do that! It’s so amazing to get another opportunity to print the first issue, and I finally got to use an alternate color palette (from the amazingly talented Joaquin Pereyra) of the original Kickstarter cover illustrated by Monika Maccagni. This was my second choice for the original cover since I’m a sucker for red. Please consider pre-ordering the reprint through Previewsworld (JAN238369) or Lunar (0123SC844).
I was very excited to see The Dennis and Andy Show give Road Trip to Hell #1 a 9.0 rating, comparing it to a show with a special place in my heart, Reaper (though hopefully, Road Trip to Hell won’t be as regretfully short-lived). A huge thanks to them, and you can enjoy the full review below since they sell the comic better than I could!
But if I were to use my own words to describe the comic (or my interviewer’s words), then please check out the interview I did with Jordan of Comic Converse. We covered everything from Road Trip to Hell to Sonic the Hedgehog and my grandmother. I hope you enjoy a snippet of the interview, which will eventually become available in video format, on their Instagram below:
In other, more bittersweet news, Road Trip to Hell #2 came out on January 18th. Why bittersweet? While I’m super excited about the release, I did have to share this bit of news on my Twitter:
I have since been told that every comic store that ordered said issue and got the wrong copy should have had 100% of their order replaced for free. Depending on the shop’s policy, if you picked up the misprinted copy, it could possibly be replaced for you with the corrected one. That said, I do hope the misprinted Road Trip to Hell #2 will become something of a collector’s item. One can always look on the bright side and dream!
So despite the at times bumpy road to get here, I’m so glad Road Trip to Hell has finally made it into comic shops (and then hopefully into the hands of future fans)! I even got a copy in my monthly Scout subscription box, so it’s fun to know that my comic is part of a mystery box.
What I’m Editing
Scout Comics
In celebration of 2022, a lot of websites have been sharing their awards. One series that has been receiving plenty of praise and awards is By the Horns. As the editor for the book (a fantastical story that requires very little input from me), I joined the entire creative team for The Neighborlies 2022 Comic Award Show. The book was nominated for several awards; see which ones they won by checking out the entire show (we all reappear throughout the show, and even when we’re not on screen, there are some other fun guests that I think you’ll enjoy):
The creators, Markisan Naso and Jason Muhr, are running their own independent Kickstarter for the series as well. So consider getting your hands on the deluxe hardcover version of By the Horns.
Band of Bards
Reluctant Hero: I’m excited to be the editor of the first manga published by Band of Bards. The first chapter was released digitally on Global Comix. This psychological slice of life follows the lives of three young women in college: freshman film student Asta, a big fan of superhero movies who struggles to make friends; her best-friend Lola, a sophomore buried by her psychology coursework; and a potential new friend, fellow freshman Mallory. But this slice of life has a very dark twist. Creator Alexander McCarthy shared a sneak peek of the book on the digital platform.
Sentience: This American light novel that I proofread by Elyse Russell was funded on Zoop last year and has since been received by most of its backers. The 200+ page novel features prose with some comic art and follows a clockwork android who faces moral choices for the first time in her life.
Tapas
Villainess’ Reprisal Boutique: I’m happy to announce this webcomic that I’ve been proofreading/editing. After proofreading chapters 1-31, I am now a full-fledged editor on the series as of chapter 32. The story follows a fashion designer named Madison, who is killed and reincarnated as Allena, the daughter of the villainess in her favorite novel. The twist? Her mother was framed! Now, Allena returns to the same prestigious school her “villainess” mother attended to sleuth out the truth. The first five episodes of the series are free, and new episodes come out every Tuesday.
The Fox in My Bed: I had to say farewell to this webcomic, which reached its finale at the beginning of February. But how appropriate that this cute romance series between a young man and a fox spirit took its final vows in the month of love?
Final Shout-Out
A quick shout-out to another project that I partially edited ages ago, Daniel Gordon’s The Wolf and the Crow, which is now complete and on Kickstarter! It’ll be over by March’s end, so consider checking out this beautifully watercolored book and backing it.
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