Every now and then I like to stop and give an overview for all of our new followers–and there are a lot of you! For those of you who are new to this blog, or are trying to figure out who I am and what I do: this post is for you.

HELLO. MY NAME IS JESS SMART SMILEY & I MAKE RAD PICTURES.

My name is Jess, and I’m a guy. It’s always funny to see my name come up on a website, and to see people leaving comments like “she makes the cutest drawings,” and “her characters are so fun!” That’s cool. I can live with being female on the internet.

I’ve been drawing and writing my own pictures and stories since I was a kid. It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do, and every single day of my life, as far as I can remember it, has been focused on making the work that I want to put into the world.

MY GRAPHIC NOVEL

My first book is a graphic novel called Upside Down: A Vampire Tale. It’s the first in a series of family-friendly graphic novels about a boy vampire who loves candy so much that his teeth rot and fall out! Harold comes face-to-face with Vermillion, the last witch on earth, and it’s a spooky-fun story for all ages. Watch for book 2 (coming this Halloween!) and pick up a copy of Upside Down: A Vampire Tale from book and comics stores everywhere, and from Top Shelf Productions.

MAKING PICTURES ROCKS!

I’ve worked hard to be able to make pictures in a variety of styles and media, and have been fortunate enough to have had my work published and used in web, print and mobile platforms all across the globe!

For me, making pictures is a way of learning and exploring. I’m always looking ways to make better pictures and stories.

MY FIRST CHILDREN’S BOOK

I illustrated a fun bilingual children’s book for Piggy Press, entitled The Adventures of William Worm that came out this past February. The book was a lot of fun to make and I drew hundreds of worms, in search of the right William. Moms, Dads and children can enjoy the book in both English and Spanish, and the whole book is a whirlwind of action, humor and heart. You can find the book on Amazon and from Piggy Press.

WHAT I’M UP TO NOW

I’m currently illustrating my own hidden object book (think Where’s Waldo, but with loads of spooky-fun monsters!). I just passed the halfway mark and plan to finish the book around the end of the month, for a release in early July. I’m also working on my second graphic novel, Upside Down: A Hatful of Spells, slated to come out this Halloween from Top Shelf Productions.

GET IN TOUCH

Questions? Comments? Contact me at jess.smiley(at)gmail.com  My online portfolio can be viewed at jess-smiley.com.