One of the big thrills of going to SPX was the fact that my favourite webcomic creator was going to be there. As I said previously, I spotted her within a few minutes of getting to the hotel and then I immediately felt like I was over my head. Then, my table turned out to be across from hers.

So I ended up turning into a complete and utter fangirl when I went to her table (even picking up multiple copies of her book, so I had one for me and some for my friends).

While I have not portrayed her in the strip (mostly due to her having an awesome cartoon version already… Sorry Kev, as awesome as I think you look in Mascot, you are reoccurring enough in my life that you NEED a CC version of you), I will now reveal that this Lady of Great Awesome is Erika Moen of DAR! A Super Girly Top Secret Comic Diary fame. At the time of SPX, it was the only webcomic I read regularly and that and Kevin’s I’m My Own Mascot were big influences in me starting my own autobio comic.

I can talk myself out of ANYTHING.

Small Press Expo Pt II. This is the landmark first meeting of me and the folks from Interrobang Studios.

Sarah disputes my perspective on things. To quote her: “Are you going to show the bit at the reception where you boldly stride in by yourself and our cluster of friends is huddled around a table snarfing appetizers like they’re a main course, pretending we’re not all people who already know each other and are thus FAILING at ‘small press mixer’?”

I still think I probably looked like a deer in headlights. I do remember for a fact one of the first things I said to Sarah was: “The only people I know how to deal with are in CMYK.”

However it actually went down… So far, they haven’t let go. Every con I’ve done South of the 49th has been with Kevin and Sarah and, of course, there was the infamous collaboration of Ensign Sue. I feel very thankful for the friendship I’ve gotten from that Mixer.

Small Press Expo… Thus begins the final arc of my first year of indie comic-dom.

In all honesty, one of the big reasons Ethan came to Fan Expo with me was to get the change to meet Bruce Campbell, so I knew going into things that I was going to lose him for a while.

And yeah, I can’t blame him. It’s Bruce freakin’ Campbell.

**deep breath**

I DON’T DO ANIME!

First of all, if I did anything, it would be manga. But I don’t even do that. While I do have some manga influence in the storytelling, it is not a manga story, does not look like manga and JUST ISN’T MANGA. The Otherkind is firmly in Western comics territory.

Having Japanese characters =/= manga.

Yeah, it’s a peeve of mine.

It’s tragic, ’cause it’s true…. I DID lose the cover of Issue Two.

Now lest you all think I’m an idiot, I actually DID save. I just didn’t back-up in those thirteen hours. But my computer freeze sporked the file somehow, and it ended up being nothing but random pixels.

ALWAYS BACKUP.

(and no, I don’t use System 7. Rule of funny.)

I actually DID consider this for one very stress-filled, very depression motivated moment. Thankfully, I thought much more clearly before the comic went to press.

I NEVER cut and paste….

….What? *shifty eyes*

Yesterday’s pre-emptied strip (I thought about just using this next week, but to hell with it… Two CCs in a week!)

If you’re wondering why my mother has to reaction to my breakdown… She’s so used to this sort of thing by now, it does not faze her.

For the record, forty is what I have PLANNED, as in that story for thosse issues are all planned out. But that doesn’t complete the story of the Otherkind.

Yeah, I’m pretty sure this’ll be my life’s work.

We pre-empty this week’s regular strip for this special presentation…

My American passport arrived today, making me an official US Citizen! Hurray!

It’s so BIZARRE to see “United States of America” listed as my nationality on an official document. Of course, I do have an official document that lists my nationality as “Canadian” as well… Weird. I guess I can’t pull the Canadian card when there’s debates about American politics any longer…