FAQ: The Kristin Edition

FAQ: Kristin Edition

Consider this a work in progress, I'll add more as more questions get asked repeatedly.

Where can I buy a copy of Dead Squirrel Girl?

There are several places. I recommend buying them from my etsy store first (you will get a discount and I will personally be mailing it, which means I can sign it for you -- just include a message to let me know you want it defaced with my scribbling, and let me know WHO to personalize it to).

Dead Squirrel Girl Volume One

Dead Squirrel Girl Volume Two: The Legend of the Orb

IF for some reason you click on the above links and they take you nowhere, try the lulu.com storefront:

Dead Squirrel Girl at lulu.com Warning: the cover of Volume 2 shows up as neon on the screen. I do not know WHY, it does NOT print that way.

Where can I buy a squid?


SQUIDS and FRIENDS!

How long does it take to make a squid?
These squids are handmade with an antique sewing machine and a LOT of hand sewing and finger stabbing. They seem to take 4-5 hours a piece, but I think I've gotten quicker in production since I started making them 3 years ago. The nautilus takes longer, I've clocked JUST the rolling of his shell at an hour and a half.

I've gotten a few mentions on the web, my favorite being the ole' squid blog:
SQUID BLOG

When is the next Dead Squirrel Girl chapter coming out?
I very much wish Dead Squirrel Girl was my full time job. Unfortunately, I am not making enough money on it to cover all my bills. So, that means I have to work a "real job" which takes a substantial part of my time. I try and work on DSG at nights and weekends, but I can't guarantee the chapters will come out on a regular schedule. I would like to have Volume three out in time for next year's Staple! show here in Austin.

What's up with this ElfQuest thing?
I was originally interested in a career in animation as a child. At the age of 12, I found the independently published comic ElfQuest at my local library. After seeing the credits of animated features with thousands of names, and then looking at this book with 2 names on it (one of them being a woman), I realized I didn't want to be a cog in a wheel, I wanted to be an independent creator who gets credited for their work. (For those of you who are younger....this was in the days BEFORE flash animation that can actually be done by one person). I started reading the first graphic novel and was immediately hooked. I quickly poured through the other 7 graphic novels and was in love after that. I carried at least 4 of the books with me every day in high school, and my notes were filled with elves. This is the book that made me an independent comic creator. It is also credited as being one of the first financially successful independently published comics, one of the first to be drawn by a woman, and one of the first comics to make the graphic novel form popular.

If you are interested in checking it out, Wendy and Richard Pini have scanned every single page and offer it for free on their site. Here's the first page: ElfQuest, Original Quest

I want to draw/write comics? How do I do that?
DO IT. Don't talk about it, don't make excuses as to why you aren't. Sit down and write! Go out and draw! The only way to get better is by doing it over and over again.

My writing process involves a lot of notes and organizing those notes. I start by jotting down aspects of my characters, then deciding how I want them to develop over the course of the story. Sometimes I get ideas of scenes or jokes, so I jot those down too. When I sit down to do my script, I take the notes and scenes and figure out how to bridge them all together into one narrative. Sometimes it takes several drafts to do this. Sometimes I have to skip a scene or two and come back to them later.

Drawing: Life drawing and figure drawing is something you need to be doing constantly. To be a successful comic artist you will have to understand perspective, the human figure, fashion and camera angles. Get a sketchbook and get out in the world. Draw buildings, draw people in the park, draw your dog. Just draw. There are a lot of figure drawing groups around, if you're over 21, I recommend finding a local chapter of Dr. Sketchy's.

If you have done all these things, have some sample pages that show a sequential story, and are ready to show them to publishers, take a look at this fantastic list of submission guidelines: Submission Guidelines. Every publisher asks for something slightly different, so read very carefully what they are looking for, and send work that is appropriate. Do your research. If you draw superhero style, don't send them to one of the companies that specifically say that's not what they are looking for. Also, BE PREPARED TO GET A REJECTION LETTER. Companies get thousands of submissions, they cannot possibly publish everything they get. That doesn't mean your work isn't good, it just might be the wrong time, or it might not be the right match for the company. Try something new, refine your skills, try again.

You can also meet these publishers for a portfolio review at ComicCons. They are there to critique your work, and give you advise on how to make it better. Take their advise, thank them, always be polite. If you get defensive, or have to make excuses for your work, you aren't ready for the professional comics world. Face to face contacts are the best way to get a job in the field.

Or you can be crazy like me and try the route of self-publishing. With print-on-demand websites like Lulu.com and Ka Blam, printing books is MUCH easier than it used to be. However, self-publishing AIN'T CHEAP. If you want to sell books at cons, you are going to need some starting money to pay the printing costs in the hopes you will make some profit and your table fee back at cons. So, consider working a little overtime at your "real job" if you want to start!

One more tip? Grab some free comic fonts (you can also purchase some) over at: Blambot.com. Don't letter your comic with "COMIC SANS". Just DON'T. DSG is lettered with Anime Ace 2. Choose a font that does NOT use serifs on the upper case i (your lettering will be much easier to read that way).


Will you be my facebook friend?

My facebook account is solely for very close friends whom I see on a regular basis. This doesn't mean I hate you. It just means I don't need to scroll through 153,000 status updates just to know when the gang is hanging at the Nomad. But if you REALLY want to hear every dumb thought I type through my keyboard, you can follow me at twitter: TWITTER (you will have to request to follow me, I got one too many spambots). You can also friend me at Livejournal. In fact, I'd update it more if I thought people were listening: Livejournal