aug 12 - sept 11 2006

aug.12.06

Oh no.

I am spending way, WAY too much time with this toy camera.

aug.16.06

If I've learned one thing...

... it's that I need to put SOMETHING up here if I forget to do a strip on time.

Yeah, forget. Here's how:

There was nothing else to drink in the fridge, so I chugged down a hard cider at around 6:00 tonight. No big deal, right? Until the fourth bottle kicked in, and around 11:00 I glanced up at my calendar.

I hollered to my roommate Kris: "Is it---- is it TUESDAY??"

"Uh, yeah."

"Do I need to do a strip tonight??"

"Uh, yeah."

"#$@%!!"

Instead of writing my strip, I'd started Arts and Crafts Night at Camp Corsetto. At least it was a GWS-themed craft, and in fact, something new I'm going to offer at the Baltimore Comic Con (and at more cons if they're a hit!).

Voila! Hazel and Jamie earrings!! What'll they come up with next??

Actually, here's what I came up with next. Or rather, first:

New business cards!! I always felt bad that Hazel (a very OLD version of Hazel, at that) starred solo in my only GWS business card. So now you can get the whole thang: two girls, a bar, and a talking cactus. Rockin'.

I'm on a total merch kick right now (could you tell?!), so I'll probably make about a dozen more GWS earrings and a few necklaces for sale at Baltimore, plus a few other odd saleable items. If you'll be there, be sure to check 'em out!!

Oh, last but not least... anyone who's visited my MySpace page has already seen this, but I thought I'd share a piece of art that will be pretty prominent on this page someday soon:

Y'know what? Screw this "last but not least" bullshit. You guys deserve better. Check back for a desktop image. I owe ya.

aug.16.06

Treatsies!

Done on a whim specially for the ever-so-patient GWS reader...

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(Please oh please let this make them forgive me for the late strip!!)

aug.21.06

15 hours

Hello, wonderful people whom I love so much and should never stop reading this comic regardless of spotty updates.

There's a reason we have no update today.

I don't know how many of you know this about me, but besides drawing Bat Boy for the Weekly World News, I also draw caricatures to pay my bills. Now, this may sound like a kind of creepy, "carny" occupation, but it's actually very good for my social... ness (I've been making up a lot of words lately).

I don't get out of the apartment much, and when I do, I normally don't talk to people. So doing caricatures at a company event or private party once or twice a week keeps my voicebox from shriveling up like an unneeded body organ.

It also keeps my landlord from evicting me.

So I had two jobs this past weekend: doing caricatures at the Mad River Bar and Grille in Baltimore, and at a private party that I do every summer. I worked 3 hours nonstop at the bar on Friday night (more on that in a moment), and yesterday I got to the private party at 2:00 pm. I got home at 3:30 am.

I drew caricatures for 15 hours. Needless to say, I can now afford rent. Unfortunately, I cannot afford time/more brain power than is required to eat, sleep, and put on pants. So, as per the wise suggestion of someone near & dear to me, I decided to give GWS a break until I catch up on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, one of the things I WILL be doing tomorrow is working on my story for Postcards, which is becoming a big deal (if you haven't already heard of it). Short description: Jason Rodriguez has pulled together about 16 teams of writers and artists to adopt an antique postcard (complete with personal message on the back) and write/draw a 7-page story about it. Very very cool. My postcard is from 1907 and the story was written by A. David Lewis. Seeing as I don't often draw anything earlier than, say, 2006, this will be quite a challenge for me.

The book is due out sometime next year, but I'll be sure to share a few snippets with you guys as I complete the pages so you won't completely forget that I'm contributing. :)

The list of other artists and writers, by the way, is as intimidating as it is impressive. I'm like, at the bottom of the list. Just some no-name webcartoonist among dozens of BRILLIANT creators. I have no idea what I did to be invited, but I'm glad I did it. As long as it didn't involve booze and fishnets.

Oh, and "more on that" regarding Mad River; I drew about 30 caricatures in 3 hours, all of which will be framed and hung through the hallways of the bar soon. So if you're going to Baltimore this year, be sure to hit Mad River at least one night of the weekend to check it out! It's just a few blocks down from the convention center on Charles Street.

Holy crap, Baltimore. It's coming up. I have earrings to make. And books to print. CRAP!! Sounds like a good time to get to bed. Later, y'all!

aug.17.06

Something a little different...

Do you guys notice when I switch brushes? I have no idea what you see from where you are. :)

And HOLY CRAP, the strip's up like 6 hours early!! That's because I wanna go drink with Kris tonight. So enjoy the early update (FOR ONCE!!)!

Also, big news on the Wapsi Square front: Paul's wife just gave birth to their first son!! CONGRATULATIONS, PAUL!! If Wapsi is updated late/spotty/not at all for awhile, please give him as much patience as you can!!

aug.23.06

I finally found...

... a new apartment!!!

I'm probably moving in next month. Holy crap, I can't believe this. The price is right, it's right here in my town, and I'll have separate rooms for my office AND STUDIO!!

I'm going to be SUPER DUPER busy the next month getting ready, moving in, trying to make time for all my projects in between it all, etc., so please be patient with me for awhile! I know already that I'll have to put GWS on hold for the week that I move (duh - I won't have any place to work!!), but until then, I'll try my damnedest to keep the updated schedule, um, updated.

Ooh, and as soon as my digital camera comes in (I finally bought it!!), I can share the whole damn thing with you. Who's the Blog Princess now?!

aug.25.06

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOO!!

I did this comic strip DRUNK!!!

I also did this post DRUNK!!!

Reason?? I had a super-great day. Or ZUPA, as Zee Germen say it (which reminds me, I still owe you guys photos from Spain and Germany!! Soon, soon... ).

Reason for super-great day? I signed the lease for the new apartment, among other things that I'll only talk about when they're set in stone. I dunno why, but I've been MEGA-motivated for the past week. Perhaps because I'm actually getting things DONE on time and/or early, but also perhaps because I'm on such a high about moving into a new apartment. Something about it just screams "NEW START!!" And it feels like it really will be a new start this time.

So anyway... I hope you can't TELL this strip was done drunk. I didn't intend for it to be done drunk. My roommate and I kind of spent the day together checking out apartments, signing the lease (it was nice to have him with me), shopping for art stuff, browsing Borders, and then... the end to the end... buying booze. We're kind of trying to bank in on as much "us" time as possible before I leave for good.

*sigh* I'm really gonna miss living with Kris.

Did I mention MY ROOMMATE?? In other words, click on the damned link, y'all. He's all sorts of awesome.

aug.28?.06

Studio swap!

Okay, I'm in Dallas for a short spell (still working, just working at someone else's studio), so the strips might be updated a touch late. My flight was delayed today, otherwise you'd have a strip tonight! Just wait around for it Monday afternoon/Tuesday morning and you'll get what you want. Promise.

sept.01.06

This blog is for my roommate Kris...

... whom I told the super-secret surprise storyline ending to weeks ago, and forgot last week before I left for Tex-ass. I think he guessed every character BUT Hazel.

Anyway, I miss you, Grumpy-Pants. Don't get killed up there in the air, please. I've still got another week of living with you.

sept.01.06

Bringing back the Postcards

NEWS!! Well, this is kinda old news for some people.

For those of you who don't know, I'm often working on several small projects and one big project per month/2 months. This month, I'm wrapping up story set in the early 1900's for a potentially amazing anthology called Postcards.

The premise of each story in this anthology is simple (yet brilliant): each team of writer+artist is given an old postcard, complete with personal message on the back, and is asked to create a 7-page story based on the card.

I've been teamed up with A. David Lewis (there would normally be a list of his most noteable publications in these parentheses, but I need to look them up first) and the art for our story will be totally completed by the end of September. I'm psyched!!

The book itself will be out in July of 2007, and the lineup of artists & writers is effing stellar. For a short list of some of the most recognizable names, check out the press release!!!

Also, our editor Jason Rodriguez is asking people to send him postcards of their own - you might just get the postcard returned to you with a little something from one of the aritsts/writers! Info is on the press release - give it a shot!

sept.04.06

Coupla things.

First of all, how badass am I for not updating late all week, contrary to my "might be late" warning?! I certainly feel badass.

Secondly, I've got a few goodies for you guys this week! First up, you'll want to watch the webcomics world carefully Wednesday (and for the rest of the month, for that matter... more on that in a moment). In anticipation of the Webcomic Hotness debut at Baltimore this coming weekend, we'll have a little event on Wednesday to celebrate. You'll understand when you see it... let's just say you'll want to be sure to read every strip in the WCH lineup that day!

Also on Wednesday, if you're in the New York City area, you might want to stop by Jim Hanley's comic shop to visit Dean Haspiel and Jim Dougan (my writer on Crazy Papers), along with a bunch of other totally righteous comic creators. I regret that I can't make it for the signing, but you'll regret it even more if you don't go now that I've warned you!

Along the course of the next month I'll also be doing a bunch of guest strips for some really awesome webcomics. Unfortunately, that'll result in me taking a full week of GWS off in the middle of the month while I pack and move into my new apartment, but I think the guest strips will make it well worth the wait.

Anyway, enjoy the strip... I've been looking forward to this storyline for awhile!

sept.06.06

Crossover!!

WOOPS!! This is what happens when I do a strip early - I forget to post it. Sorry, guys. :)

In case you hadn't noticed, we have a big crossover going on today at the Webcomic Hotness! Click on over to Matt Rawson's Cottage Three to see where this is going!

Or, visit Evan Keeling's Ataxia Overdrive to see where the helmeted guy came from!

ALSO, an update! Did I say Dean Haspiel and Jim Dougan were signing at Jim Hanley's Comics today?? I meant THURSDAY!! Additionally, Crazy Papers will be available in stores the same day - go pick up your copy!!

That is all.

sept.08.06

Oh, MAN.

I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy.

I just got home from Texas this afternoon and found out that fellow webgirl Lea Hernandez's house burned down. She lost six pets, and even if you have a lot of pets, that's a big loss.

If you can spare a dime, please PayPal it to her at divalea@gmail.com - you can read up about this at Newsarama, too.

sept.08.06

... aaaand hijinx ensue.

(I can't wait to get into this story arc!)

So, as most of you know, I'll be at the Baltimore Comic Con this weekend sitting with the awesome Webcomic Hotness people for our debut as a promotional group! I've hardly settled back into my routine at home and haven't even touched my convention box, so I don't know EXACTLY what I'll have at this show yet, but there are a few staples (and new items!) that I know will be on sale:

*new!!* GWS earrings!!

GWS originals ($60)

Sketches, as always - 9x12" ($30 b/w, $60 full color)

*new!!* Mini sketches - 4x6" ($10 b/w, $20 color)

Bat Boy originals ($50)

Other random original art (mixed!)

Maybe a few GWS greeting cards

Tootsie Rolls and GWS business cards!! (free, of course!)

Hugs from McPedro (also free!)

On top of all THAT goodness, I was indeed busy while I was in Texas! So there are two more goodies to share...

Comic Geek Speak Interview!
These guys love me and I adore them!! Check out my and James Hatton's interview about the Webcomic Hotness! Here's the link: http://www.comicgeekspeak.com/episodedetail.asp?episodeid=233

PvP Guest Strip!
While I was in Dallas, I got to see more of PvP creator Scott Kurtz than I believe I'd ever seen (not in that way, you pervs!), and had the honor of being asked to whip up a guest strip for him while he's in my home state for the Baltimore con. So check out PvP this Saturday!

While I'm on the topic, I realized something over the weekend that kind of shocked me - I don't know that I've ever linked to PvP on this website before. Maybe I mentioned it briefly in a blog years ago, but I rarely think to link to the strip because I automatically assume that everyone reads PvP already, and that's probably not true.

So to everyone who comes here with very little knowledge of the webcomics world, please do yourself a favor and visit PvP. If you like GWS, you're most likely going to like this strip (and he updates every damn day!!). My best gal from high school, Emily, had probably never even heard of the term "webcomic" before she started reading GWS, and isn't really "in" the comics scene, but I found out over the summer that she LOVES PvP. I can't imagine anyone not liking the strip, honestly.

(Hi, Emily!! xoxoxo!!)

Alright, now I need to go do the math and figure out how I'll fit between 8 and 11 webcomic creators in my parents' house this weekend. This is gonna be a riot...

See you Tuesday! (NO MONDAY UPDATE NEXT WEEK!!!)