A Short Story by Jess Smart Smiley 4-5 minute read Aberdeen Gray was convinced she was cursed. She claimed that her eyes were made blind by her husband—“The Conjurer” she called him—because she refused the “singularly ugly and frightful” portrait he had gifted his bride for their wedding. Young Frederick was shocked by Aberdeen’s response,…
By Jason Pamment HarperAlley 208 pages Fantasy Graphic Novel A shimmering, bejeweled adventure for fans of the Hilda series and Over The Garden Wall, packed with memorable characters and rich environments. Treasure in the Lake is a wonderfully-crafted mystery with a whole lot of heart! If you’re interesting in learning how to write and draw…
Two-Week Wait: An IVF Story Written by Luke Jackson and Kelly Jackson Illustrated by Mara Wild Two-Week Wait combines the experiences of the authors and couples around the world as they struggle with infertility and the many pressures, stresses, and disappointments that often accompany the condition. I found myself relating with Conrad and Joanne, as…
There’s a big difference between a sketchbook and a portfolio. Growing up, I erased, scribbled over, and tore out my mistakes so that only my best work remained. I didn’t know any better at the time, but I could have gotten much more of out of my sketchbooks with a few simple tweaks. What I…
I’m happy to share that I FINISHED WRITING THE ROUGH DRAFT of my gritty sci-fi adventure novel last night! Clocking in at 175,000 words and exactly 700 pages, my sketchbook ideas are now fully fleshed-out characters, creatures, and technologies that make up a single, cohesive story. Is it perfect? YES! Just kidding. Among other things,…
Read on to learn more about: Creating my 224-page rough draft in 3 weeks while stuck in bed Finding beta readers to proofread my graphic novel Setting up surveys and forms to gather feedback from beta readers Using reader feedback to revise my graphic novel Hi! My name is Jess Smart Smiley. I’m an author/illustrator…
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When I was given the opportunity to teach a set of week-long comics workshops at the Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, CA, I had no idea it would be such an important week in my life. This summer has been packed with teaching comics workshops for children and teenagers in my home state…