Work on this comic is going slowly (as usual), but I’m very pleased with how it’s turning out so far. Here’s a panel that I had fun drawing. 
I’m still in the penciling stage so I slapped on some photoshop to give it some atmosphere. I’m not sure how the inking will look in the end yet.
I’ve been sort of non-existent since the MoCCA Art Festival. For this I apologize! My life feels like it’s taken a dizzying, fast-forward step and all of a sudden it’s mid-July. When did that happen?!
Here’s a recap of some of the things that have been happening recently.
A little ways in the past I was asked to participate in a faculty show with the Great River Arts Institute where I teach comics. Our show is being hosted by the Spheris Gallery in Hanover, New Hampshire. I have a silk screen print of my Loveland Frog from my book up in the main gallery. In addition to our main gallery piece, we were asked to create 2X2 inch pieces to sell to raise money for GRAI. I created 6 tiny watercolor drawings of tiny monsters.
(I asked my parents to buy back the yellow one when we were at the opening because it’s my favorite. Haha.)
A local paper in Hanover did a review of the show. This is what the writer had to say about my tiny monsters:
“It’s hard not to be taken by Megan Baehr’s precise colorful watercolors of cartoonish animals. They have great wit and clarity.” - Alex Hanson, Valley News Staff Writer
HOLY COW! That’s the NICEST thing anyone has ever said about by work. Out of the 110 2X2 pieces that were donated, mine were the only ones that were mentioned.
This combined with a few more encouraging events, I’m feeling more energized and excited about my work than I have in quite awhile. I went though a very hard emotional break down late May/early June that threw me way off balance. Things are finally coming back together and my withered confidence is beginning to bloom again. I’m inspired again.
I’ll probably continue to be a bit elusive through the month of August, but come fall this site is getting worked over and you can expect regular, enthusiastic updates!
Let’s give this ComicPress thing a whirl, yes?!
Starting tomorrow, I will be posting a 7 page preview of “How The Alligator Got His Brown Scaly Skin” over the course of a week. Each day I will have a little info about something related to the comic in some way. (The writer, the art, the anthology, whatever comes to mind…) If you have a question about the comic, please ask and I will try to address it on one of the days.
Happy reading!
Sorry for the lack of updates! I’ve been insanely busy working on my comic for Trickster. It’s almost done!!! Once it is, I’ll be trying to update more regularly with arts and comics. Until then, please enjoy this drawing I made!
This is the cover of my copy of my most recent class’s mini comic anthology. I make the anthologies with blank covers which the students decorate on the last day.
I’ve been really busy with my new job and my project for Trickster. The comic is going very slowly, but it’s getting there! I’m on page four of 14. I’m starting to get more comfortable with the materials which is helping things go faster. Basically I realized when I started that I can’t make any major errors. I’m using off-white paper and watercolors so white-out is a NO NO. I decided early on to do the lettering on my computer to save heartache over my terrible habit of messing up my lettering. (I swear I’m mildly dyslexic sometimes!) I’ll be using my font that I made for my Monster book. It should look nice! Anyhoo, I’m finally past the point where I’m worried about making a mistake and I’m just diving in. I think the choice to use a limited pallet is helping, too. All in all, it looks GREAT! And I’m really proud of it. I can’t wait to finish it and taunt you guys with teasers until the book comes out.
In other comic related news, I’ve been starting to think about my graphic novel again. I haven’t touched upon it in a LONG TIME. I’ve decided that after the Trickster project that I’m not taking on any more outside projects. I want to give 100% to MY story and MY ideas. I think it’s good that I waited and did some other things, but now I’m ready to give my all to my graphic novel. I had some confidence issues last year that are pretty much gone now. I feel up to the challenge of creating a beautiful book all my own! I’m hoping to have at least the starts of a pitch book together by the end of this year. Basically the entire script and finalized character designs. I really want to go to Europe before I do any serious drawing of the cave scenes. I want to experience the caves for myself so that I can bring life and context to my comic. I want people to look at it and say, “Gee, this kid really did her homework!”
I’ve been struggling with the design of the antagonist of the comic I’m working on. He’s an alligator. I want the design of the comic to be iconographic, but detailed enough so you know right away what each character is. The alligator has been the most difficult. My early drawings were either way too simple or way too detailed. I had to draw a LOT of alligators before I came up with this one (he has smooth yellow skin in the story):
