Squarriors: The Card Game Kickstarter
Check out the Kickstarter here
Not only do I illustrate a comic about warring squirrels in a post-human apocalyptic world called Squarriors there's an official card game coming out. Please back our project!
Check my Events page for my Con Schedule --> Here
Both Scorch and Squarriors got on the featured items list and I was part of their "Women in Comics" mini interview section. I am all over PREVIEWSworld magazine this month. That's huge for an indie creator!
(Yes, they mixed up my bio with Kate or Die! but I'll take it!)
This comes as a sigh of relief after months of just being generally miserable about my financial struggles. Devils Due Ent (DDE) had planned to do a kickstarter for the Squarriors trade paperback back in October. Those plans fell through which caused a gap in production of the next issue. Every time they do a kickstarter, whatever money is left over after production and shipping costs, Ash and I get some of that to help pay our living expenses (like when I sell an original art page). This usually offsets our bills between our normal quarterly paychecks. Unfortunately, without the kickstarter and a diminished paycheck I ended up going months unable to work on my projects. I was picking up freelance work just to cover our arses! Which forced us to push back the release date on issue 5 because I literally could not afford to work on it. (I never want to go through that again.)So here we are, March, Squarriors is making a come back and that kickstarter DDE had planned months ago is finally happening (maybe). If you haven't gotten your hands on the TPB of Squarriors yet you're gonna want this. DDE is doing an oversized hardcover version with an exclusive bloody pawprint cover. This thing is meant to be on your coffee table, disturbing your guests.
*note, the KS has been delayed for another week.
At long last, I'm crawling out of the deep hole these last five months have been. I'm working on finishing up issue 5, along with a handful of commissions. ...of course I have do this while I'm sick! 'Cause why would anything ever be easy?
Most of my books are available on Amazon now:
www.amazon.com/Ashley-Marie-Wi…
Con Schedule
Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo C2E2 - Chicago (Illinois)
March 18-20thLitWorks - Harwood Heights (Illinois)
April 16thCollected Comics - Various locations (Texas)
May 7thGarden State Comic Fest - (New Jersey)
July 9th-10thCount-I-Con - Grayslake (Illinois)
August 27-28th
Ain't No Livin' Doing Comics (Rant/Vent)
I posted this the other day on my personal facebook account. It felt good to get out of my system. Something I've been holding in and dealing with for years now.
Morning thoughts (rant): Ever since I started doing comics professionally there have been these periods where I go MONTHS without income. Money in comics, especially when you're doing creator-owned properties, is not a guaranteed thing. The comics (that I've done) typically pay quarterly and sometimes shit happens and that quarter check pays less than what I'd make doing freelance work. When I can't afford to pay things like rent I pretty much have to drop what I'm doing (comics) and pick up a bunch of freelance to make ends meet. Sometimes those freelance jobs are canceled for xyz reasons. So where does the money come from then? Well... I'll get paid next once I finish that comic (*if* everything goes well) but I actually can't afford to work on it. Or I'm overwhelmed with freelance so I cannot work on it. Oh yeah and there's also deadlines... This is... horribly discouraging.
And it's been this way for years.
People tell me they're proud of me for being so successful or that they really enjoy my work. Well, it makes me happy that people are enjoying what I do. Most times it's what keeps me going, and it's rewarding. Because, despite the lack of money it makes, I enjoy what I do. I like making art and storytelling. To have people reading and enjoying it, that is key to doing comics in the first place.
I've had many friends make suggestions on how I might get out of my situation but I feel like no one seems to understand that I'm too busy struggling to do anything about it. Yeah, that happens even when you're "living the dream".
There are days when working a minimum wage 9 to 5 at the local CVS seems comfy and safe... but its just not my skill set. I'm a much better artist than I am a cashier. I know because I did the cashier thing! Simple math gives me anxiety... but I can project emotions onto viewers using things like color theory.
Then I see these bright-eyed kids telling me that they want to do what I do! They want so badly to get into the comic industry. I want to tell them to follow their dreams but on the inside I'm screaming, "do anything BUT art for a living. Be a scientist, be an astronaut!"
Then I get interviewed by people in the industry and all they want to talk about is WOMEN in comics and gender stereotypes and how "oppressed" I am because of my gender. ...but nothing about art or what I do. It's humiliating and frustrating!
I am thankful though... to have a few good mentors in my corner telling me things like how comics are a life-long love/hate relationship. That always puts me right again.
For whatever reason, I keep telling myself, one day all this will change. I won't be standing there clueless about how I'm going to pay rent this month or the next. One day that this will all come together and I'm doing the right thing. I am so done with the stress of it. I don't even get mad anymore. I don't know if it's because I'm so full of hidden rage it's become a constant or I'm spent. (haha spent)
I will end on this note. You fans out there who buy our books, read them, love them, do fanart, or tell your friends about it, and do reviews. You guys are awesome! Whatever fire that's keeping me alive stays lit because of you guys and girls. When I see profile pics, banner art, (omg the cosplay photos!) or some nice words about my work I ...forget all the bad shit I'm dealing with for a few minutes. I say to myself, "oh yeah, that's why. I am doing this right."
/rant
Most of my books are available on Amazon now:
www.amazon.com/Ashley-Marie-Wi…
Con Schedule
NWI Comic Con - Indiana
February 20LitWorks - Harwood Heights (Illinois)
April 16thCollected Comics - Various locations (Texas)
May 7thGarden State Comic Fest - (New Jersey)
July 9th-10thCount-I-Con - Grayslake (Illinois)
August 27-28th
February Update
I've been pretty quiet lately because I'm hibernating/hard at work in my tower. I will be leaving my tower for North West Indiana Comic-Con this month so I hope to see some of you there.
I've got a lot of cool stuff going on behind the scenes. There's going to be a kickstarter for the Squarriors trade paperback that came out. Devils Due is making some exclusive items available through this. I did an eight-page mini Squarriors issue for Free Comic Book Day. So be sure to check that out in May. Ash and I will be down in Texas at Collected stores to celebrate FCBD. I've got some other secret projects I've been working on.
www.amazon.com/Ashley-Marie-Wi…
Con Schedule
NWI Comic Con - Indiana
LitWorks - Harwood Heights (Illinois)
April 16thCollected Comics - Various locations (Texas)
May 7thGarden State Comic Fest - (New Jersey)
July 9th-10thCount-I-Con - Grayslake (Illinois)
August 27-28th
S W E E T !
I'm still insanely busy. Squarriors issue 3 came out, Squarriors issue 4 is on its way. Another comic series I did work on, Bloodthirsty: One Nation Under Water, also comes out in September. I started getting heavy into doing cover illustrations which is something I've wanted to pursue. 2015 went by so fast but I think in 2016 I'll be in my prime. I know I have a lot of cool things lined up for the coming year. Oh my gosh, so cool!
