Springtime Roundup
A round up of everything I'm working on
Hey there, cool kid!
Look at these fancy drop caps Substack has added! I really appreciate that they are adding more features, like being able to schedule notes. It’d be even better if I could do it from Buffer, which I’ve been using for my other social channels, but I’ll take what I can get.
As always, Holy Week leading up to Easter was bonkers busy. First off, I practically am living at church since there are so many liturgies that happen during this reverent time- Wednesday Pre-Sanctified, Holy Thursday, and Good Friday.
And then we hosted my parents for Easter weekend, which was a delight. Now my hyacinths are popping up in the yard and my phlox are starting to get flowers. Spring is upon us!
I also dropped a new short story that I had been sitting on awhile in my drafts: “At the Bells of St. Agnes”, another story set in my Spectre Hunters universe.
I was really glad that I was able to finish this story and share it with you. Do you like seeing these short stories from me? Let me know! Personally, I like it as a fun writing exercise to get the muscles working. It’s also a low stress way to explore an idea.
New Black Ball Art!
I need some new promo images for Black Ball, so I decided to dive in and make some! A classic Emily and Chester pose is just what we need for this “Year of Black Ball”. It still feels like I’m fighting with my markers a little bit, but I’ll continue to push through and find a way!
Don’t forget! You can read Black Ball in it’s entirety on the website! That’s a lot of webcomic goodness as you catch up on all four issues! Issue 5 is coming in June!
Last Time on Gundam Wing
It’s back! Let’s see where Relena’s at…
Check Out This Kickstarter!
Blazing Blade of Frankenstein Volume 1 by Fried Comics
My pal Clay Adams is back with a trade collection of his series Blazing Blade of Frankenstein! In a world of magic and mystery, darkness and doom, a lone hero strides the plains of fantasy. Man, monster, and myth, he is life born of science--created from death itself. He is Frankenstein. And the fate of a universe rests in his hands.
This is the monster as Shelley wrote him: intelligent and sensitive, with super-human speed and strength. No Boris Karloff grunting and shambling here...
Parting Note
I’ve been doing a lot of writing behind the scenes, so James’s advice couldn’t come at a better time. Check out The Fiction Coach for an excellent library of writing advice and tips!
The Zelda Awards!
This past weekend was the First Annual Zelda Awards, the award show that honors amazing women in indie comics! Congrats to all the winners and nominees! You can watch the replay on the Ororo Comics Podcast’s Youtube channel!
‘Till the next time,
Melissa J
Lol, kinda funny to think about - that with Wing was running, e-mail wasn't really a thing yet...
Of course, on the flip side, very sad to think about that one of the major things that Wing critiques is drone warfare, which is still an issue today...
Lovely Black Ball art, and looking forward to reading your short story!
Hey Melissa! Congrats on gearing up for Black Ball this year. The new promo image looks great. Interesting that substack now allows for drop caps, ha-ha, but in my email (where I typically read your updates) it was not visible. Not sure any of this makes much of a difference, but thought I'd let you know so you have a better understanding of this new feature's compatibility.