I’m gonna make an effort to link to some songs I listen to while drawing each respective comic. Much of the time I’ll get really into a particular song and play it multiple times over the course of the drawing day. Sometimes they are good and sometimes they’re probably very bad, but I would like you to hear them either way.

Stereolab - Captain Easychord

I consider myself a very lucky creator that the most controversial topic among OP’s readership seems to be the length/existence of Marek’s beard. There are two very opinionated camps who are sad or delighted when it has appeared or disappeared. Myself, I am in neither camp.

The reason the characters’ hair lengths change is as arbitrary as physical changes on anyone you know. Sometimes Marek decides not to shave when he probably should. Then he gets sick of it one day and it’s gone. Much like the more fashionable leftovers in your fridge.

Is it 2009 already? Welp, time for a very pink Valentine’s day story! Hope you like it.

I decided to draw new comics on a bigger page. A huge page, by my standards! So the lines may look a bit different. But I think it’ll look quite a bit nicer, both in person and online. If I didn’t make this more challenging every now and then I think I’d probably die.

End of this storyline, last comic of the year. Thank you for reading and for your endless support. See you in 2009!

Edit: Yes, it is very helpful if you’d like to e-mail me links to some of your favorite indie-friendly shops! Thanks to those who have already done so.

———-

In the past couple of years I’ve grown quite fond of comic shops. Admittedly, there was a time in my young life - mostly during the unspeakable teen years - when these places made me claustrophobic and aggravated my shyest of tendencies. There was almost a porn-like shame attached to buying comics, particularly when I was the only girl to be found in such a place, and a childhood of wandering huge department stores had given me an awful fear of small shops (heaven forbid a cashier should notice me looking around).

Of course as I got older and traveled more, I realized just how many wonderful comic shops exist all over the place. Not only that, but I realized comics weren’t just read by kids and male collectors anymore, but by women of all ages and people of every interest group. I decided not only that these places were fantastic, but that maybe someday I could put my own work in them. Anyone who’s seen their book on a comic shop shelf knows what a pleasure and an honor it is.

Those who know comics are familiar with Diamond. For anyone else, they’re basically the only option for major comic book distribution. No other comic distributor has the massive reach of Diamond. I’ve considered using their services for a while now, and even sent out a submission package this past fall. But the longer I wait for a response, the more I wonder if it’s the right option for a small self-publisher. My numbers just aren’t high enough to make a profit from their services. I have a wonderful grassroots means of distribution right here on this site. And I’d certainly prefer to interact with shop owners myself, if I can help it.

So, in front of you all, I proclaim this as one of my many goals of 2009. Time to put OP in some comic shops!

Hope you all had a good holiday! Sorry for the missed update; I thought a little time off to visit family was in order. And hey look, what a relevant comic!

This storyline’s just about over. One more page, and then we’ll be starting a Valentine’s Day story. That’s right - Octopus Pie is the only place you will find a Valentine’s Day story in January. It’s going to be… colorful.

Christmas Eve already! Did you guys see this coming??

Hope your holiday is nice and the worst of your traffic woes are over. See you on the 26th!

Happy Monday! Sorry for the lame non-blogging. I am so tired guys. I feel like the stress of the holiday season is finally diminishing. I’m starting to clear my mind for upcoming projects, which I think will be a lot of fun for me and you! More posts when I’m more coherent.

Happy Hanukkah to all who think Hanukkah is excellent! I very much do.

I’m a fan of restaurants that write their own birthday themes and you should be too.

Can’t talk now, gotta do a million holiday errands! Have a good weekend!

The old birthday bathroom excuse, eh? It’s the gold standard and it WORKS, people.

I consider panels 2 & 3 to be the classic father-daughter conundrum. When Eve is 40, perhaps we can reevaluate.

Folks, thank you so much for your donations. I was somewhat timid in accepting them, and I wasn’t sure what to expect when I did. It’s very touching to see so many names - a few familiar, many I’ve never seen before - contribute to my well-being. It has lifted a great deal of stress over the past few days, and I can’t begin to describe how helpful that is.