Since I'm working to recover both energy and funds from the long trip west, I've put up the entirety of the previous storyline, This Is How I Deal, for sale in the store.

They start at $85, and most are under $100 (save a few double-pagers and detailed ones) These are enormous pages done on bristol board, and as always they are completely one-of-a-kind and signed by the artist. Check out the collection here.

I'm back! And what's more exciting, I'm back in a brand new studio in Portland! It's a very charming space. I'll post more on it later as it swiftly comes together. A big thanks to Jason, John, Erika, and Steve for filling in these past 1.3 weeks!

Due to the great expense of moving, I'm hoping to roll out some new goods & services later this week. It's possible I will take a few commissions if there is interest.

Y'all best believe Steve Wolfhard makes the best (the best) comics. He recently did a fantastic one-off, Cat Rackham and the Comforts of Life, on his art blog. You are in for delights!

Good news - I've arrived safely in Portland, OR after an 8-day road trip! Everything is peachy. I think it's safe to say the comic (by me) will resume Monday. Hope you liked these fill-ins as much as I did.

John Keogh is renowned for making some of the most badass guest comics in all the land. When he agreed to do one for me I knew we were all in for a good, slightly disturbing thing. John does the world famous medical drama Lucid TV. Read and enjoy.

Today's comic comes to you from one of my favorite artists and soon-to-be Portland neighbors, Jason "JFish" Fischer! I've wanted Jason to do a guest strip for a while now, and I'm pleased as punch to be running one!

The idea for this strip comes from Andrew Miller and Greg Khmara, the latter of whom is working with Jason on a fantastic graphic novel, The Tabouli Bros., for which I'm absolutely psyched. Check out Jason's wonderful art!

I'm updating from the first stop on our cross-country drive: Niagara Falls! I've driven past the looming power plants before, but never seen the actual falls. We're going to see them RIGHT NOW. To follow our adventures over the next week, follow me on Twitter!

Since my drafting desk has been taken apart and placed on a pallet, I drew today's comic high school style: on the kitchen table! With any luck my little desk and other precious items make their way peacefully to the west.

As I gear up for my cross-country move, here is your double heads-up:

-I will be running a few (awesome) guest strips soon.
-book/print orders will not ship until June 28th as I relocate my office.

The latter does not apply to T-shirt orders, which Topatoco will happily ship as usual.

Today's comic was drawn at my going-away party, thrown by some local friends who I will miss very much. It was a good night.

Have a good weekend! Mine has started out busy, but here is a comic.

New storyline time! I’m trying a bit of a heavier line this time around. I’m not too fond of the way image compression eats up the thin lines. Plus I think things may look a bit more iconic this way.

And what’s this? 300 comics! OP also turned 2 years old in May. Milestones!

MoCCA was so much fun! It was hot indoors, but New York was beautiful and the people were great. Thanks for coming by!

There are just 2 more days to get a book or print discount in the store. All things go back to normal on Wednesday.

That concludes the 2-part puppy saga. I am off to the MoCCA Art Fest, one of the best small press shows ever! I will have all 3 books (but only a few Vol. 1s) and some prints. Find me at tables 523, 524 and 525 with my Dumbrella brethren.

And if you're in NYC tonight (Friday) and happen to be a woman who either works in or would like to work in comics, come join me and dozens of other fine folks at the Drink and Draw Like a Lady party!

This event is being organized by Hope Larson and Raina Telgemeier - two of my favorite ladies in comics! - and is being held at one of my favorite venues, Madame X. There will be, I hear, very good cupcakes.

To celebrate my move, I am temporarily discounting ALL books, book packs and prints by $3. That's $1 for every 1,000 miles I'll be driving!

What's MORE exciting is there's a new print for sale! This one is called "Finite Summer" and pays tribute to the urban grilling culture. I'll be selling it for $16, but this week only you can get it for $13! And yes, I will sign it.

Please note: Volume 1 is not included in this deal, since I only have enough copies for MoCCA left. I'm hoping to reprint it soon, but such a thing is costly and it might be a while yet.

To get in on this discount, make your orders between now and June 10th! Head to the store now!

This is part 1 of a 2-page quickie. God I love dogs.

Check out the brand new print and read about the sale I'm running this week!

That’s the end of this storyline! It seemed long, but it was pretty short.

I’m very exciting to be redoing the site! Hope you like the new look.

Please be aware I’ll be making tweaks all day, so there’s no need to point out small errors you might find. We should be airtight by Tuesday or so. ;)

My brush is failing me lately. I think I’m going to get a new one this weekend. Possibly even a bigger one than I’m used to. This has been a window into my thrilling stream of consciousness.

Oh, and I’ve been working on a new website design, so don’t be alarmed if things change soon. They won’t change that much. Really.

Man, it got chilly again on the east! ...That's all I got today.

Happy Memorial Day! If you’re in the US I hope you’ll find time to enjoy the summer and cook outdoors. And of course, honor the sacrifices of our soldiers and their families. We are Americans and those are two things we’re pretty darn good at.

Perhaps some of you can guess who these ladies are!

Also, check out this new sped-up video I made while inking a recent strip. It's of a higher quality than my last cam-vid, I hope you enjoy it:

octopus pie #290 from Meredith Gran on Vimeo.

It takes a special kind of character to properly address the public. Sorry for the semi-4th-wall-break. I generally don't like them either.

Friday's color strip got a very positive reaction! Thanks for the nice comments.

The strip is, in fact, for sale in the store along with a few other recent inked pages. I'm currently restructuring the way originals are sold - they are now available for a lower price, without the matting overlays (which were quite fancy, but proved to be a lot of time-consuming and expensive custom work).

Pages will be added to the store page regularly. Feel free to subscribe to the original art store feed to be notified of new additions. OR if there's a strip in particular you'd really like to purchase, you may request it through e-mail.

This comic is not part of the current story, which we’ll be back to on Monday. Just something to tide you over until I’m no longer distracted with website rebuilding (starting now!).

Hopefully this is the last time OP will experience server troubles. The common issue is the site gets too big, melts down, and needs to be better accommodated elsewhere. As far as complaints go it’s not a bad one to have, but yeah, hopefully no more meltdowns.

I am making this post in the massively awesome wake of TCAF. Thanks so much to the webcomics fans who came in droves. Droves! I didn't meet a person I didn't like. (No, not even you.)

I'd like to make a blog post about TCAF, but the journey isn't over. I'll be back on the road for the States tomorrow morning, with dreams of Toronto in my head.

Sorry for the website hiccups yesteroday! Everything should be back in working order now. ONE HOPES this will not happen again.

I'm off to Toronto for TCAF today! So excited! A girl grows to miss her fleeting times in Canada before long!

Oh yes, and some good news for T-shirt fans who like to read/book people who are cold -- you can now buy Octopus Pie books in the Topatoco store! This is particularly useful for multi-item shipping deals, or for ordering straight up with your credit card. You can still order them directly from me, but you now have choices. Yeah to that!

And we're back. Thank you to everyone for your kind words over the weekend. It was very comforting to read them.

I'm the type of gal who takes a lot of solace in rearranging her office and drawing lots of crap. That's exactly what I did today and it felt great.

And don't forget, Canadians and visitors to Toronto -- I'll be at TCAF this Saturday and Sunday with books galore, and possibly other things if I have time to get them ready! Please come by, the event is totally free and it's one of my favorite shows ever!

There's something about green that represents a whole lot of mistakes. Mistakes as well as Gatorade.

I’m sad to say there was a loss in my family this week. I’ll be going home this weekend for a funeral. Drawing during bad times is somewhat therapeutic for me, but Monday’s update will either be late or non-existent. Enjoy the company of loved ones this weekend, and I’ll see you soon.

And here's a new storyline! Octopus Pie in no way condones this sort of behavior at work.

Just a quick one-shot between storylines. These are often some of my favorites to do, since they give each character a little bit of time in the spotlight. Things with continuity are coming next!

EDIT: And did you know today is also Michael Stearns' birthday? He creates an excellent comic called Dawn of Time, which is a beautifully drawn and delightful read, particularly on this, the day of the author's birth.

Storyline END! I hope you liked this one. Tune in on Monday for more Octopus Pie Adventures™!

I am home!! Apologies for the day-late update - I spent the last 2 days almost entirely in transit. Things will be back to normal now, I assure you.

What a trip! I'll discuss it in detail soon.

Glad to see so many people are excited about Book 3 so far! I will be doing lots of signings tomorrow.

Book 3 - Now shipping!

And, it's here! Octopus Pie: An Interstate Oasis is now up for sale!

BOOK 3 - NOW SHIPPING!

Please be aware: Volume 1 is on backorder (first print run sold out!) and the new print run will be shipping in May 2009. So, if you order a book pack with Volume 1, you will receive your order in 2 parts - first the in-stock items, then Volume 1 when it's ready. You will NOT be charged any additional shipping.

Buy Volume 3 here!!

I know I've been posting these a bit late. There are 2 reasons for this - 1) I've been on the west coast, and 2) my sleep/work schedule has been largely thrown off by all the travel. So I hope you'll forgive me until next week when I'm back in my office! Then everything will be right again.

This is the longest trip I've taken since I've been an Adult With Responsibilities. I'm very much looking forward to being home.

But first: STUMPTOWN!!! Look for me this weekend at Booth 37 with my booth buddy and homeboy Aaron Diaz of Dresden Codak infamy.

Happy Tax Day! Today's comic was supposed to be 3 pages long. Alas, the rest will have to wait 'til Friday.

Thanks to the excellent Erika Moen, who lent me her drawing table while I'm in transit! Erika just got in the first volume of DAR: A Super Girly Top Secret Comic Diary, a comic you should be reading!

DAR DAR DAR DAR DAR DAR DAR

Today's strip was so much fun to draw. I love making Eve squash and jump all over the place. I'm a little sad this race is over!

Not much to post about today, apart from that I am getting pumped for the Floating World Release Party, Stumptown Comics Fest, and imminent book release!

Guys!! Guess what I received in the mail yesterday.

Excuse the crappy photos, but I'm currently staying in Portland, where there is limited technology. Nonetheless, I delightedly cobbled a few more pics together on my Livejournal for all to view.

I am very pleased with the way this book came out. The colors are gorgeous and the book has a very substantial, weighty feel to it. As for the comics inside, well, there are no surprises there. Everything is sharp and crisp and lovely as it should be. :)

Emerald City was amazing! Thanks for coming by, everyone! For those who pre-ordered book 3: expect to hear from me soon. (and not just 'cause I want to say hi)

For all you Portlanders and nearby west-coasters, I have an exciting announcement. There will be a Book Release Party on April 16th for Octopus Pie Vol. 3 in Portland, OR at Floating World Comics!

I figured this particular drawing would be appropriate for comicdom's beloved rainy town. I hope to see some of you there! I will of course be doing free signings, and will have a few of the other 2 volumes in tow as well.

For all those in the rest of the world, Book 3 will be for sale and shipping online on Hanna's favorite day: April 20th. See you then!

So good to be drawing comics again! Oh man.

I'm updating this on my laptop while riding to Boston for my Seattle flight. Yup, life in the fast lane. I can't wait for ECCC and my time in Portland that will follow. My updates will all be from the road, but I'll be working normal hours.

Here's the deal with Book 3 - sadly, it will not be here in time for Emerald City. BUT, I will be taking pre-orders at the convention. If you pre-order there, you will get a free personalization, my typical convention discount, AND you'll be the first to receive your copy when they come in! Which will be within the next 1-2 weeks.

Also ECCC-related, I realized my booth was WAY BIG, so I'm sharing part of it with my friend Jason Fischer, creator of the beautiful comic Jaephisch and the Dark Rainbow. Jason is incredibly talented and he will keep you entertained while I draw in books! ;) He'll have some neat things on sale as well.

See you in Seattle!

Today's is definitely the most bizarre guest strip I've ever run -- and I'm delighted to do so! When I heard the artist/writer team behind Tiny Kitten Teeth were re-imagining my characters I had a wonderful little freak-out. The result is a lovely (if not mildly disturbing) piece of art.

I'm getting on the slow boat (well, single-stop flight) home tomorrow morning, to pet my kitties for 5 minutes and then leave for Seattle the following day. The travel is exhausting for sure but I can't wait to see many of you at Emerald City Comic Con (booth 106!) and Stumptown Comics Fest in the next few weeks!

The 3rd book is currently at the printers, and will be ready to buy online in a couple of weeks! Are you excited? I am excited.

I'd give you the chapter titles, but I think it's easier if I say it includes "the laser tag one", "the ren faire one", "the ollyween one", and "the one where Park's life sucks".

London was a regrettably short good time, and I'm currently in Paris visiting family. I'm doing a bit of drawing and working while I'm here, but things will be somewhat erratic until I'm back in the states. I promise it won't be much longer!

And of course, I will be at Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle on April 4th & 5th. I'm not sure yet if I'll have Volume 3 in time. My fingers are crossed! But it should be ready for the Stumptown Comics Fest on April 18th & 19th in Portland, OR! Yes yes, so much travel.

More stuff on Wednesday! Have a good week.

Yes, KC Green is so dang cool that he drew not one but TWO guest strips as I recover from NEWW and prepare to fly to London in just a few hours. I'm pretty sure if I die I want KC to draw the comic for me. Let's... let's just assume that for now.

p.s. I also make a cameo in the latest Gun Show! Ohmygosh!

I know running guest strips slows the pace of the main story arc, but I can't in good conscience or health rush out strips of my own during these chaotic weeks. So I will try to post at least 2 of my own strips in each coming week or so to keep things moving, with guest strips by some talented and amazingly generous artists to supplement where needed. Normalcy will be restored before long - but please enjoy the brief interlude!

I'm off to London! See some of you there.

Back to comics! It feels great. Please bear with me, I’ll be in transit for a few days.

On Friday I’m flying out to the UK Comix Thing in London! If you’re gonna be there, I’m gonna see you! More news will be bloggin’ Friday.

Today's guest comic is being posted blind, that is, I have no idea what KC Green drew and David Malki! wrote for me in the 3 AM wake of Webcomics Weekend, but I'm told it's very good and that this comic is entirely canon. And I fully believe them.

As I go about my craziness preparing for Webcomics Weekend, Dave was nice enough to provide a guest strip for me today. And this was all before driving halfway across the country to get here himself! What a class act. Go read Shortpacked.

Meetings all day, comics all night - here at Octo-HQ. Just 3 days 'til hundreds of people invade my studio building!

I took a chance and drew today’s comic on vellum bristol board as opposed to the smooth bristol I usually use. It was pretty different from what I’m used to, but I like it! In time I think it will become my new favorite.

Speaking of which, a lot of people have asked me lately if the comic has gone back to digital. It hasn’t! I do “pencil” each page on the computer, but I print them out for paper inking over a lightbox. It’s really not as round-about as it sounds, and I’ve grown fairly efficient with it. When things aren’t so crazy I’ll try and write up a new tutorial on the process.

Things will be quite busy for the next few weeks, so I may not make many substantial blog posts. But the good news is, thanks to a kind hand from R. Stevens, book 3 is complete! Everything’s been sent to the printers! So it’ll up for pre-order very soon. Yippee. :)

Happy Monday! Now for scrambling.

Please excuse today’s filler while I work feverishly on finishing my book. Storyline comics will resume as normal on Monday!

In the interest of science, here is a closer look:

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Yesterday, I got a first look at the new T-shirts -- and they came out fantastic! They're shipping now, so now's a good time to order yours. Here's a photo of them (and also, a cookie):

Kobayashi and Brooklyn Parrots shirts -- Now Shipping!

Oh Olly, you are such a sad man.

I spent a better part of this weekend putting together the covers for Octopus Pie book 3, which means it's almost ready! A few things about this book:

-it'll be 104 pages
-it will contain 4 storylines - Tag, Renaissance Unfair, Dumbo, and Interview
-I will most likely be taking pre-orders this time around, to help offset the printing costs. The pre-order period won't start, though, until all files have gone to print. So if you get on the pre-order wagon, the wait won't be more than a couple of weeks.

More details soon. With any luck this puppy will be ready by the end of March!

Buy this strip's original art!

Sorry so late! I've been juggling book 3 preparation and Webcomics Weekend plans this week, and it's been hectic. At any rate, have a good Friday thru Sunday.

Buy this strip's original art!

Fun fact about this comic: the simulation of Eve's left-handed writing was done with my right hand. Surprisingly painstaking!

My pal Frank Gibson recently alerted me to his wonderful new co-creation, Tiny Kitten Teeth. It's a comic written by Frank and illustrated by the ridiculously talented Becky Dreistadt - and it's something to behold. I assure you you've never seen a webcomic that looks quite like this. Go read it now while it's brand new!

Buy this strip's original art!

New chapter! Should be a fun one. I was very coughy and sniffly when I drew this one. Winter sickness, am I right?

If you read any other webcomics, you've probably already heard about the New England Webcomics Weekend on March 20-22. It's basically a huge social gathering and open studio event I'm organizing in conjunction with Dumbrella and Topatoco. It's a free, public event, and lots of people are coming -- perhaps you'd like to as well! Check out the official website for more details.

The Paper Bag Parade art print is now on sale in the store!

Buy this strip's original art!

And that's it for this storyline! Next week: a story about DREAMS. Have a good weekend!

The Paper Bag Parade art print is now on sale in the store!

Buy this strip's original art!

There's just one more little epilogue strip and this storyline will wrap. Next week: something I think everyone will love. Say goodbye to the pink.

The Paper Bag Parade art print is now on sale in the store!

I made these just before New York Comic Con, and they're finally for sale to the public. Only 100 have been printed ever, so get yours while you can!

Whew, two large pages in a row! This isn’t a new format, but I would like to expand pages where needed. I draw a webcomic - I have that ability!

Hope your Valentine’s Day wasn’t as depressing as Eve’s. I’ve heard quite a few lovely testimonials from folks giving a wicked OP valentine to their sweeties. Glad to have been able to help!

Today’s strip was such a blast to draw! We’re almost at the end of this storyline - just in time for the real, actual Valentine’s Day - but there are a couple more pages left. Epilogue stuff, if you will. Have a great weekend, regardless of how much or how little this holiday means to you.

Sorry for the late update. NYCC screwed up my schedule a bit. But we're back to normal now. Yippee!

Thanks to Tyler Martin, the site is enjoying a shiny new ComicPress upgrade! Which means I've brought back the conventional WP comment system (now threaded!), and will finally be hauling out those transcripts for each page. You might also wanna try hovering around new strips with your mouse from now on. More to come soon!

I’m very exhausted from New York Comic Con! Thanks so much to everyone who came! It was nice to see so many new and familiar faces.

It just so happens there are a LOT of things I wanna blog about today, so listen up!

-Will you be in New York City this weekend? Not only will I be attending New York Comic Con, but I'll be a special guest at The NYCC Party on Saturday night. So even if you're not going to the convention, I encourage you to come join me for a drink. There will be lots of other awesome print and web cartoonists in attendance as well. Hope to see you there!

-Do you like shiny new T-shirts? At long last, I'm introducing 2 new designs in the Topatoco store:

The Kobayashi shirt, as some may recall, is Eve's reluctant favorite shirt of all time. It's taken on different forms, but I believe this is the cutest one yet.

This one is a soon-to-be favorite of mine, and I think it's self-explanatory. Parrots are all over Brooklyn, and they deserve a shirt about it.

-Do you want to peep this new print? It's not for sale online yet, but it soon will be. I'm debuting (half of them) at New York Comic Con, and there will only be 100 made. It's called The Paper Bag Parade:

(click to enlarge)

Well, there you have it. I didn't mean for so many things to happen in one week, but sometimes that's how it goes. I'm very excited about all of it. I'll be heading out to NYCC on Thursday, but updates will continue as usual. Hope to see lots of you this weekend!

On this fine Monday I'd like to turn your attention to the Octopus Pie Underground, a new premium content community for fans. I discuss it in detail in the blog post below, but basically it's a place where I will post exclusive art, pencils of comic pages, sketchbook stuff, previews of upcoming comics, higher-res versions of stuff on the site, videos and tutorials, and more as a user demand becomes apparent. This will be a very community driven aspect of the site, so I invite and encourage your participation!

If you've been looking for a super cheap way to support the comic, and would like to help me perhaps phase out some of those idiotic stomach ads the site runs, give it a look!

Fortunately, there is now a neat service called Assetbar, which allows me to set up such a thing! For just $1.99 a month, you can join the Octopus Pie Underground, support the comic and get all kinds of exclusive goodies, including (but not limited to) art and sketches, pencil layers for each page, exclusive videos and convention reports, discounts and limited edition/one-of-a-kind items from the store, wallpaper requests, and anything else the Underground can collectively devise. I want it to be as fun as possible, and cost as little as possible for all involved. And I want the members - you guys - to shape its direction.

So yes, please check it out. And let me know what you'd like to see!

Oh sadness! After the weekend: probably some more. Have a good one!

Not much to say here. See you Friday!

OP reader Michael Lee has created an incredible way to exploit Eve's beloved horror reaction from strip #246 - Asthmatic Foster Pets. I present to you: The Most Horrible Thing.

Eve's horrified reaction face has already become a favorite Photoshop candidate for internet people. I even invited some folks to join in on Twitter, to many hilarious results:

Courtesy of Andy

Courtesy of George

Now Photoshop is no longer a requirement for creating horrible things. Have fun!

Panel 1 is what I like to call Voice Message Hell. Usually in movies these messages end up on a land line phone. Thanks to mobile technology, you can experience it wherever you go.

The Valentine cards came in yesterday, and they're a bright and beautiful thing to behold. The first wave of cards as gone out, and they are currently shipping. You'll wanna hurry and order to get them in time for the 14th.

For those asking, I will be at New York Comic Con table #1856, once again with the Dumbrella crew. Please do come by!

Hey guys, I am officially appearing at New York Comic Con on February 6-9. Save the date! I'll have the usual array of goodies, and perhaps a new thing or two. We'll see as the date gets closer. But please stop by and say hello!

It is Friday! Happy Friday!

I actually did grow up with an asthmatic cat. He was a total sweetheart and lived to be ancient. SPREAD AWARENESS.

So, I've created a customer service IM account - octopuspiehelp - where you can feel free to ask me about your order without drafting an e-mail. I will try to leave it on most weekdays during business hours. Please note: this is only for non-Topatoco orders! If you have a question about an order made at the Topatoco store, you can get in touch with them about it. They are very nice.

This page was a lot of fun to draw! But towards the end, my darling brush, posthumously named India Ink the 1st, started splitting real bad. I managed to salvage the page, but I must now find and befriend a new brush. That's my sad story, I bet Friday's will be happier.

I owe the first line in panel 2 to R. Stevens, who often helps me solidify a joke. He's a little more dirty-minded than he lets on. (No, a little more.)

For those asking, the Valentines measure 4 x 6", and the envelopes are just a fraction bigger to accommodate them. So, yes, they are perfect for mailing to far-away sweethearts. They should be shipping by the end of this week, so order yours already!

February is just around the corner. Time to get a jump on romantic things! Octopus Pie valentines are here for that awkward someone in your life:

There is a very short pre-order period of about a week on these, so keep your inbox peeled and they will arrive in plenty of time for your special assortment of dates.

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 length changes 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. :)

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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.

There is now a donation button under the comic. I'd like to post about this just once.

As I've made clear before, I'm not in immediate danger. I have health insurance, a little bit of emergency savings, and friends and family who would help me if I needed them. So please, don't worry about my kitty getting the flu or my snow tires popping on I-91. These are not comic-related problems and they're not your concern.

As everyone's figured out by now, times are tough. And what I don't have is an actual salary. I sink almost every last penny earned through this website into rent, office/art supplies, and new merch. My hours are long, often extending through my weekends. It's essentially 2 full-time jobs rolled into one, with a fraction of a single paycheck. And while that sort of workload will never bother me as long as I'm drawing what I love, the constant question of where the money will come from, week by week, is daunting.

There will be no status bars, no "save the comic" charity drives. You know I'm not giving up on the comic, no matter what. You know I will continue to update 3 times a week, without fail, whether you donate or not. If you can afford to donate, you will be doing an incredible service to me and to the comic. If you can't afford to donate - if you're in the same boat as me - consider writing a blog post, e-mailing a few of your friends, or lending out the books you already own. In the long run, a bigger readership will make a difference.

The donation button will be up until I no longer deem it necessary. I believe this time will come in 2009, when Octopus Pie's inventory and audience will have grown to fit one another's needs. Until then, I ask that you, my small (but mighty!) readership, help the comic through its growing pains and into another great year. Thanks so much.

Early update hooray!

Today is your last day to order stuff in the U.S. and reasonably expect it to arrive before X-mas. It's also the last day for free shipping on books and all artwork! Go go go! In particular there is a little painting you might enjoy:

Have a good Friday and weekend, everyone.

As 2008 draws to a close, we have quite a bit to reflect on. But fuck thaaat, all we care about is MUSIC! Somewhat spitefully, the girls have assembled some of their favorite tracks of the year. Without further ado:

-Hanna's Diggety Dope Shit '08

-Eve's Music About Feelings And Stuff '08

"Veiny Arrows" is an actual place which for some reason is usually spelled as Veniero's on signs and billboards. It's no quinoa pilaf, but if you ever find yourself in Manhattan's East Village it's a pretty amazing pastry.

Folks, please observe holiday shipping deadlines! I will do my best to ship any US/Canada orders placed after December 12th, but I can't make any promises. So please order your books, prints, original strips and artwork in the next 2 days. (Which, incidentally, is how long shipping will be free!)

Some of you have probably noticed I've been behind on paintings. An unfortunate result of work as we know it! But if you're itchin' for a painting, I will be posting a few tonight (Monday). So check back!

Remember this guy? Of course you do! He was Will's arch-rival in the Renaissance Faire story arc. What will this strange connection mean for our heroes? Almost definitely nothing at all, ever.

I am training it down to Williamsburg, Brooklyn tonight (Friday) for the Too Art For TV gallery opening reception. I've worked, lived and played with a number of the artists being showcased, and I can say confidently there'll be a lot of talent and probably some booze to boot! You ought to come by and share in this great event if you're in the area.

No real news yet today. Tweakin' the site a bit! If you didn't catch it, there's all kinds of merch specials going on this week. Check this post for details!

Well, Thanksgiving is over so we're officially in gift-giving season! As such, it is time for deals!

If you're in the US or Canada, shipping on all books, buttons and mugs is FREE until December 12th!

If artwork is more your thing, buy an original page or print by December 12th and receive free shipping on US & Canadian orders and just $4 shipping on International orders. That's an $8 savings per piece and you'd best believe I'm crazy. You can also order multiple pieces and the discount will apply. To buy your favorite original or print, just navigate to your favorite page and click the "Buy it today!" link below the title. Or, start with the most recent page for sale and navigate backwards.

If you are in the market for fine garments, please peruse the Octopus Pie store at Topatoco! You will find lovely things like this:

And more!

Please be aware of Topatoco's holiday deadlines. They have taken the time to write up a shipping guide for just such an occasion.

Hope everyone's Thanksgiving was a-ok! I'll be starting a new storyline next week.

Friday's painting will be up in the early afternoon. I'm afraid I had a bit too much Tofurkey and Wall-E and am just plum worn out!

A quick explanation for those who didn't grow up in the US: The peanut gallery is watching Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. It is customary to eat a bowl of cereal at your mom's house and pay half-attention to the parade in hopes of mishaps. It is good times.

A few things:

-I am looking for an intern. Please read my post about it if you're interested!

-I'm sorry, but only somewhat sorry, that the original paintings are selling so quickly. Thanks and congrats to those who've snapped 'em up so far! To those who keep missing them, you may want to subscribe to my Twitter feed, where I announce the new paintings as they go up.

Have a safe and happy holiday, US Americans!

It's difficult for me to delegate tasks to others, but I believe the time has come to find an intern.

I am looking for someone who is hard-working, reliable, knowledgeable with computers, and is near/can travel to Easthampton, Massachusetts. Those are the obvious qualifications, and certainly I could find someone like that locally. But I also want someone who is genuinely enthusiastic about webcomics and the business surrounding them, which is why I ask here. My ideal intern would be either an art student or a budding artist, who'd like a hands-on look at the business of webcomics and self-publishing.

This is not a paid internship, as much as I'd like to be able to afford that right now. I'm happy to do the necessary paperwork to give you college credit, and I will gladly buy my interns lunch and take them out for drinks once in a while. But if you need a salary to live, I'd like to be quite clear that I am not your gal.

If you're interested in being an OctoPie intern in 2009, please drop me a line with a little bit of info about you, a copy of your resume, and a link to your portfolio/website (if any). Please also be sure to tell me when you'd be available - which months, days of the week, hours, etc. Looking forward to hearing from you!

That's the end of this storyline. Yes, this was a short one. I like them at this length once in a while, and I hope you do too. Stay tuned for the next one!

Here's Monday's. If you especially like it, you may want to buy it for yourself or someone nice! These paintings will mostly be around $60 - the price of a video game, except totally one-of-a-kind. So watch this space for daily updates all winter long.

Here is a new semi-tutorial video I recorded while drawing Monday's comic. Unlike the ones in the past, this follows my comic-drawing adventures with ink and paper. Check it out below, or view it at high quality here -- recommended for extra freshness. Enjoy!