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Eclipse season is over, or something like that.

Eclipse season is over, or something like that.

25 Oct • This will only take you 11 minutes

Spooky spiritual October corner 🔮

I don’t really keep up with astrology beyond knowing that I am an Aries sun + Aries Mercury + Aries moon + Taurus rising + Taurus Venus + Pisces Mars, AND IT SHOWS. Like tarot cards, I see astrology’s value in helping one pay attention to their body’s needs and tune into what’s going on internally. Sometimes it’s a source of hope. Sometimes (shockingly often for me) its powers of prediction prove accurate. Or maybe it’s the combination of hope and introspection that lead to me achieving my goals.

Regardless, the stargazers and card readers on social media have been telling their followers all kinds of information about this eclipse season. I gather that great change is rumbling through my career, and those fleeting posts give me more than enough courage to act on things that have been brewing for a long time. If I’m vague here, forgive me. I’m not ready to name the change in my work outright, but I’d like to acknowledge it, since my future is going to be shifting for the immense better. I think!Enough weirdo woowoo stuff. There’s a lot to cover in this newsletter, so let’s go!

Portland Zine Symposium & Lightbox

PZS and Lightbox regrettably ended up on the same weekend this year, which means En and I had to divide our forces. Catch them in LA at Lightbox on Saturday and say hi! Or, if you’re in the Portland area, the Zine Symposium (the best zine event in the entire world) will be at PSU Saturday and Sunday.

I’ll be tabling on Saturday next to Cam McCafferty. I’ll have my zines, riso prints, and stickers, and I’ll be slinging zines on behalf of En, as well. Cam and I will only be there on Saturday, but there’s completely different creators on Sunday, so be sure to visit both days!

Can’t make it to PZS? No prob!

I’ve got the next best thing for you— itch.io bundle sale AND my shop fully restocked. The itch.io bundle sale has all my digital zines at 50% off, or you can get the entire stack of comics for just $10. The sale ends November 1.

If print media is more your speed, my online shop has new prints and restocks of all my zines. Take a look and place your order, especially if you’re doing holiday shopping. You know how nuts shipping got during 2020? And 2021? And 2022? Yeah, it’s not going to get any better, especially if you’re ordering international. So in this new reality, ordering early helps make sure you get everything on time for the holidays <3

(PS: Tumblr followers already know this, but there’s a secret 10% off code for my online shop. It’s in the pinned post on my blog. Give it a follow while you’re there.)

Dreams In Riso

I’m participating in a gallery show next month! Dreams In Riso is an all new show of 21 artists work put together in an incredible collaboration with Sonny’s House x Outlet. I’ll have a brand new work on display that I made just for this show. I got to take a sneak peek of it last time I was at Sonny’s House and, my god, it is beautiful. Mark your calendar. See you Friday, Nov 10 between 5-7pm for the gallery reception!

And They Were Monsters

The newest Nova and Mali anthology project, And They Were Monsters, Kickstarter is LIVE! Only two weeks left to support this project and claim your copy. I’m so happy with how my piece turned out. Monster lovers everywhere rejoice with this steamy art book collection 🥵

How Could You + hi to the commission people

Since I finished penciling my graphic novel, things have only gotten faster and faster. I have been working on my inks, but I think I have to wait for them to do quality check on my sample pages first so I don’t repeat any huge blunders on the rest of my book. While I wait for them to do the copyedits on my script and the quality check on my samples, I’ve been coming up with ideas for the cover. Patreon followers will get to see those as part of this month’s sketchbook update.

I also need my editor to confirm my letterer! I’ll share who’s lettering my book as soon as I am able. I’m really grateful I don’t have to letter it. An artist could get used to this kind of cushy treatment!

I’m trying to stay calm, cool and collected about the inks being due Dec 1, and the cover due not long after. It’s cool, I’m fine. I got this. I can handle it.

(ALSO HELLO, if you are one of two people I owe a commission to, this is why I still owe you a commission. I haven’t forgotten you! I want to draw your thing very, very badly!!!!! And I will! Just as soon as I figure out what’s going on with my book’s inks! To everyone else who wants a commission, my comms are mostly closed because of this current state of things. I plan on opening them as soon as I can.)

Invasive Species

I’m working with Mel Gillman on an 18+ comic as part of the Succulent anthology organized by Discord Comics. I don’t have much more to say about it right now, but here’s a look at the main characters, Harper and Garlic Mustard! This project will be coming early 2023.

I just finished the pencils! I think this is actually the best thing I’ve ever made?? Immense shoutout to Mel and our editors. You’re gonna love this piece.

Mail Club & 18+ for October 2023

Nya~ Cat themed rewards for Patreon mail club this month! And for the 18+ tiers, I have a new illustration that also includes PDFs of all my horny comics. Enjoy!

What else did I do this month, hmm…

I’m participating in Repostober this year, an idea by Marlowe Dobb to share art that you’ve made previously. Most of what I’ve posted has been to Tumblr, but I’ve shared some to Instagram, as well. It’s been really great to see all these new people who maybe only recently followed me getting their chance to interact with my work from the past. It really goes to show you just how fleeting social media is. That’s why I’m so glad you’re here, reading my newsletter :)

Another huge achievement, I finally got a remote control for my iPad so I can hotkey shortcuts in Clip Studio and draw faster. It feels like a huge milestone in my art practice. Like I’m finally self aware enough to know what my needs are in my workflow. Tangentially related, I might start doing recorded time lapses of me working. I’ve done one so far, and honestly it seems to be the only thing that helps me from getting distracted midway through drawing lol

In gym news, I’ve been slowly rebuilding my strength and cardio since getting covid at the end of August/beginning of September. It was my first time catching it, and the latest booster wasn’t available yet by the time I finally got sick. I’m boosted now, though, and I’m being very patient with myself. They say your breathing/cardio can be whack for like 3 months after you get covid. My case wasn’t very severe at all, but it really knocked me flat. Once I hit that 3 month mark, I’m going to start putting all my effort into rebuilding my cardio. (I can’t even do five reps of my working weight squat, that’s how trash my cardio is. It’s killing me greatly.)

This month was a blast for me and my besties. We went camping in Vermont at the beginning of the month, then Fawnduu tabled at NYCC. I got major FOMO and decided to apply next year. (PLEASE, PLEASE NYCC, LET ME IN!!!!!) Then our Brooklyn friends came to Portland to see Hozier with us. I feel really lucky to know this immensely cool, funny, smart, talented pack of feral lesbians. Much love to you all. If you actually love me you’ll have read my newsletter, right? All the way down to the bottom? [Jigsaw voice] message me right now a picture of your hand holding your thumb to prove it. Just kidding :) Unless?

Here’s some sweet treats for you to check out:

ShortBox Comics Fair is on! SO MANY GOOD COMICS. I wish I had infinite money and could buy them all. The star of the show for me was Napkin by Jade LFT Peters.
Out of the Closet — and into the Coffin by Tavia Nyong’o about race and sexuality in Interview with the Vampire (2022)
All You Need To Know About White Board Markers … endlessly fascinating to me.
I think we could all do with reading this: How Do I Become Less Obedient?
I got my copy of The Chromatic Fantasy by H.A. from Sonny’s House last week and I devoured it. I can’t wait to read it again, and it’s so rare that a comic makes me say that. It’s earned a top place in my heart forever. I think if you like my stuff, you’ll really like this book.
I started getting into Brittany Broski’s videos this month, and the day after we see Hozier live, she releases this interview with him. I really liked it! I resonated with how he spoke about his work sometimes being a vehicle for processing unnamed or undiscovered feelings that you don’t realize until years later when you look back on the work. Good GOD did I resonate with that!!
Podcast recommendation: Mayfair Watchers Society. No link, search it up on your fave podcast app. Warning: it’s scary. This scratched the itch that Magnus Archives left me with for years. They recently did a special one-off ep and reminded me of their existence. I hope the next season comes soon!
October’s hike: Lye Brook Falls Trail - I went camping at the beginning of the month in Vermont with my besties! It PISSED rain the whole first day we were there, so that by the time we went for our hike, the trail was pretty muddy and we had to cross some fast moving water. Still a great hike. Felt better than my September hike, cardio-wise. I’m still feelin the covid effects :( But it’s improving :)

Cheers!

Ren

PS: If you want more content that isn’t in this newsletter, I recommend joining my Patreon for some exclusive work every month like comics, sketchbook pages, spicy drawings, and some mail rewards!