You Are With Me, Always

Here's a preview of a new comic I'm making about the people you love being with you even when they aren't around.

This week I’d like to share some behind the scenes on a new comic I’m working on tentatively called “You’re With Me, Always.” First, let me introduce you to the two main characters: a capybara (aka, the world’s largest and most-chill rodent), and a bird commonly found hanging out with capybaras: the cattle tyrant. Here is the first panel introducing these symbiotic cohorts.

I chose these two creatures as a metaphor for the idea that the people you deeply care about are with you always, even when they aren’t around. Here’s my goal for the project:

I want to capture the feeling that the people you care about are always with you — even when you aren’t physically together. That somehow little bits of the people you love become a part of you.

There’s the undeniable way people pop into your head through sparked memories of shared experiences (people think of you more than you think!). But I want to take it a step farther. I think our interactions leave an impression on each other that extends beyond memory. That each person changes us just a little and we bring a little bit of them to each subsequent interaction.

A Peek at the Process

After letting the idea marinate a bit, I started roughing out thumbnails in my sketchbook. This involves a lot of scribbly handwriting and barely discernable tiny sketches.

I’d like to note that the photo above is a medium lie. I only partially worked on this at my paint-spattered desk in lovely natural light. During most of it, I was sick and curled up on the couch with a blanket and sweatpants — all of which was less photogenic! (I am feeling much better now, fortunately!)

After getting initial ideas on paper, I moved to digital sketches so I could easily move panels around and figure out the flow. Many iterations later, I have all the words and the flow figured out and now I’m working on final art for each panel.

When I’m finished, the full comic will be available for subscribers! So if you haven’t already, make sure to subscribe to get the full comic delivered directly to your inbox! I’m dreaming up a printed zine version too. More on that soon!

Triangles Taste Better

On a non-comic related note, my design “Triangles Taste Better” was featured this week in Cotton Bureau’s T-Shirt Tuesday email, which was a delightful surprise in my inbox! I wasn’t planning to talk about this random design in today’s newsletter, but I’m trying to do a better job of savoring the small wins (no pun intended…!), so I decided to share.

Here’s a screenshot from Cotton Bureau’s weekly T-Shirt Tuesday email:

This was one of those rare designs that came to me fully formed and made me think, “That’d make a fun t-shirt!” I find that t-shirts are an excellent medium for creating cohesive, self-contained illustrations that could go anywhere and make sense. It’s even more fun when I get to incorporate text!

You can grab this print-on-demand design in many colors from Cotton Bureau or in more limited color options in my store. Shipping is free in my store, and there’s a women’s v-neck and tote bag option as well. But Cotton Bureau has hoodies and super-cute onesies, so… it really just depends who you want to share your love of triangles with!

Until Next Time

Thanks for taking time to check out my newsletter. I want this newsletter to feel like a respite from the chaos — filled with slow and steady art making. If that’s your jam, see you next time.