sparklemaia’s substack

Here are some links and resources I’ve compiled that cover in more detail Substack’s unsavory history on this topic.

sparklemaia’s substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

I did it! I made a whole box of comics and earned an MFA from Comic Book School for it! Officially passed thesis review TODAY. 😎 Here’s what went into my thesis package: a pitch package for my middle grade graphic novel Beyond Troll Rock.

My thesis is due in one (1) month and while I’m not panicking, I’m not exactly calm about it. So in lieu of a more substantial post, here’s a quick shot of levity for you: a selection of panels from the pitch package portion of my thesis, thumbnails side-by-side with the finished inks. In the final version they will also have colors and dialogue! I LOVE seeing artists’ thumbnails, because more often than not, the thumbnails are — like mine — absolute garbage.

I’m working on a graphic novel! It’s still quite early in development, so I don’t want to share too much too early. And, just to clarify, at this point it’s a project for school, with aspirations of becoming a real live book when it grows up.

February first is an annual comics challenge where artists chronicle their daily life by (typically) drawing a panel for each hour of the day that they’re awake. I haven’t often had the capacity to participate in Hourly Comics Day (February is, almost without exception, a pretty brutal month for me), but I was determined to do it this year! Things are kind of worse then ever right now, globally speaking. It is straight-up not a fun time.

In 2021, my increasingly desperate annual quest to find the Perfect Planner(TM) came to its (probably inevitable) conclusion: I gave up. You want something that’s gonna work for your very own specific brain, you kinda gotta do it yourself, ya know? I’ve been making my own planners every January for a few years now, taking some inspiration from the bullet journal movement without adopting the format wholesale (because a lot of it doesn’t work for my brain).

In non-chronological order, here’s an assortment of memorable moments from my first semester at CCS as recorded in various sketchbooks (both traditional and digital) throughout the term.

Sorry it’s been quiet over here, it’s been pretty loud in my brain. Also, I have been absolutely maxed out between school, work, and keeping myself alive. Thank you for your patience and understanding — I do have a lot more to share with you, it’s just gonna have to wait a sec. Thanks for sticking around. I appreciate it <3

I’m a nerd for process posts — how did people make the things they made? SHOW ME EVERYTHING!!! So that’s what this is: how I made my final project comic, from idea to a thing you can hold in your hands. The assignment specs were really broad: make a comic, about anything you want, at least 16 pages*, produce 20 printed & bound copies. You have 4 weeks**.