We’ve now crossed into the triple digits, officially making this the longest single comics project I’ve ever done. It’s true! And now, the page, for your reading pleasure, is here:
In other news, I was able to snag a table at Flame Con, so I will definitely be heading to NYC later this year. Perhaps I should go update my events page at long last, huh.
EDIT: Updated my 2020 convention schedule with all confirmations I’ve received to date. There are more pending, but these are the known quantities at this point!
That there Patreon post, by the way, has a short little world-building snippet regarding certain cosmetic products one might find in the Valley, should you be curious about such things.
Eventually I’d like to do a whole Appendix post about cosmetics and beauty products in the Valley, though it’s going to be a little bit of awhile before that happens. Just know it’s a thing I think about!
Also, I need to update my convention calendar for 2020, a task which is not particularly difficult, just never *quite* my top priority. I do really have shows coming up this year, though. I swaer.
If you’re needing even more of a refresher than that, might I suggest hitting The Valley of the Silk Sky landing page to start at the beginning or to choose a chapter at will.
If you can’t remember what the heck was going on with this story and would like to have a refresher, you can read all the pages so far (or choose a specific chapter) either here on Studio NDR or here on the Valley of the Silk Sky website.
For what it’s worth, I plan to update the VotSS website first with new pages, and then update here on Studio NDR when I get to it. So if you are desperate to read new pages at the earliest possible moment, bear that in mind. (And if you really, REALLY want to read at the earliest possible moment, might I remind you that $1+ Patrons get access to new pages three days earlier than the internet at large. Cough, ahem, just so you know.)
Okay? Okay! See you again next week for MORE COMICS.
I’ll also be posting the whole story to Tumblr soon, but not right at this second. Once it’s up, I’ll post a link here.
As for what’s next on the comics docket, Valley of the Silk Sky: The Long Run Chapter 11 is finished and ready to go. I’ll start posting pages for public consumption on January 16, 2020. Patrons who pledge $1 or more per month will, as is the custom, get early access to pages, so for those folks it’ll start on January 13.
Speaking of exciting conclusions, the Kickstarter for The Nib’s Be Gay Do Comics anthology has wrapped! The project has funded quite handily, so soon you’ll be able to get your mitts on this fine book. As a reminder, I’ll have 8 pages of comics in there, alongside a great many other excellent cartoonists. If you missed out on the Kickstarter, I’m sure The Nib will have extra copies to sell retail, so keep an eye on their announcements.
Finally, I’ve finished coloring Valley of the Silk Sky: The Long Run chapter 11, and am in the final stages of cleaning up the scans and lettering the pages. So I’m on track to commence publishing the next installment on January 16, 2020. Brace yourselves!
Yes indeed, the saga of my visit to a Japanese trans bar proceeds apace. In this week’s installment, we encounter some of Google Translate’s limitations around trans terminology.
The trans guy magazine referenced in the first panel was published by Grammy Tokyo, a queer/trans dance party for whom Masaki is a DJ. They run events a couple of times a year, so if you’re planning a trip and want to go clubbing, keep an eye on their calendar. I wasn’t there at the right time to attend one of their events, but perhaps you could be!
Also, if I knew how to say, “I speak some Japanese, but not much and not well and I definitely don’t understand colloquial speech as opposed to textbook constructions,” I’d say that. But I don’t, so “I don’t speak Japanese” it is.
New Feeps, you say
I do indeed. I updated my Feeping Creatures Etsy shop with some new items, including stickers, zines, and original art. Check it out, and maybe snag some indie art by an indie artist?
There was a small restaurant on the same floor as Two’s Cabin (the カレー店, a.k.a. Curry Shop), which had a few people waiting in line outside the door. I think when he first showed up, Masaki (owner and founder of Two’s Cabin) assumed I was waiting to be seated at the restaurant and not for Two’s Cabin to open, because he was a little surprised when I poked my head in the door.
I was glad I’d followed his Instagram prior to my journey, since I at least knew from the photos that I was in the right place.
First, up, for the next few weeks I’ll be running my comic that originally appeared in We’re Still Here, an autobio comic about my visit to a queer/trans bar in Tokyo.
As per usual, Patrons get early access to comics, so new pages go up for Patrons on Monday, and are released to the general internet on Thursday.
I’ll be posting this on Tumblr eventually as well, but since it’s a short comic it makes more sense to do a single post there rather than individual pages in separate posts.
Be Gay, Do Comics
Meanwhile, The Nib is running a Kickstarter for this giant tome of queer comics, culled from the many pieces they’ve run online over the years. I have some work in this book, alongside a host of numerous other amazing cartoonists. Go forth and back the Kickstarter to snag a copy for yourself!
Valley of the Silk Sky progress report
Finally, I will actually have a new chapter of Valley of the Silk Sky: The Long Run to post soon. Chapter 11 is fully penciled and inked, and I’ve now moved on to coloring.
Current plan is to start posting pages around about the 5 (!) year anniversary of the comic, which is in mid-January.
