We Carry Each Other

No hero rises alone.

Hey there, cool kid

My birthday week was busy, but good! Even though the snow was very hard and crunchy, I had a great time going out skiing with my dad. Then I had dinner with a friend since Dr. Husband had to work late. But when he did get home, we got to spend time together and eat delicious cake, which he made. He’s great at making cake, even if he doesn’t think so. (It was chocolate, by the way.)

We’ve also got our regular DnD night up and running again. We played with our one friend group online for years, but there’s nothing quite as good as playing in person. I’m playing a half-elf fighter named Resiel, a weapons nerd who got kicked out of the army for making a clerical error on a form and is now obsessed with making sure all the right forms are filled out. Especially the form about severed hands in a barrel.

She also has a sword made from the nose of a giant marlin, named “Snootscalibur.” Here’s a quick drawing I did of Reseil and her beloved sword.

Keep fighting the good fight…together

One of my birthday gifts was a PS5, if you can believe it. Certainly, I was surprised! And the first game I got for it was Metaphor de Fantazio, a fantasy RPG from the same studio as the Persona series. There are themes throughout of heroes of legend only accomplishing that status through having many allies and supporters —no one makes change on their own, but rather through a group of people coming together.

This game was made just before all the current events happening now, but it feels very apt in this climate. We are facing some pretty frightening and horrific stuff, but people are joining together to try and make change. If we all join hands together and fight injustice…who knows what we might accomplish!

I know I’ve been feeling quite distressed, even powerless in the rise of authoritarianism in this country. But none of us can give up yet. While alone we might not be able to do much, all together we can make the change we want to see. Perhaps this is overly simplistic or optimistic, but I don’t feel like laying down and dying today. I’m willing to fight for the future I believe in, with many others who are fighting the good fight. So let’s keep carrying each other, taking care of each other, and walk down the road together.

That Sweet, Sweet Progress Tracker

Despite it being a busy week, I got quite a nice chunk of work done on Black Ball Issue 5, specifically in that inking column. I needed a little break for penciling and roughs so I switched gears. I’m the kind of artist where I can get into a groove with one thing for a bit, but eventually I need a break and to do something else.

While overall I prefer traditional media for full illustrations, inking digitally has made my life so much easier. I’m able to fix mistakes and adjust things as I need, plus there are helpful brushes and tools that help me to draw more accurately and quickly, such as the default pearl brush. A little finagling with layer settings and I can quickly draw in pearl necklaces on my flappers and have it match my style!

It’s getting a little tough to share some more these pages I’m working on because of spoilers coming ahead…I don’t want to give anything away! You’ll just have to read…

…And Speaking of Reading Black Ball

While there is the Black Ball publication on Substack, the main home of my 1920s magical murder mystery comic is on its own official website! Catch up on all the action up through Issue 4 and see if Emily will be able to solve her sister’s murder while outrunning rum runners, spell slingers, and anti-magic mobsters!

Or you can follow along from the beginning here on Substack…

---

Parting Note

TOMORROW I draw the winner for from the Birthday Bonanza giveaway, so that will be it’s own separate post. It felt big enough to be its own thing.

And then next time, it’s diving back into writing and talking some new manga I’m reading!

Until the next time,
Melissa J