Turtles Can Fly crushed my soul.
I dropped DSC yesterday, with the permission of my understanding parents. It's a HUGE weight off my back. I'll have a much more pleasant 6 weeks of spring term without that feeling of dread and incompetence. I feel like a lazy bum only taking 14 credits, though, so I am researching options for taking a comparable class off-campus this summer to make up for it. I just can't stand some of the business school's choices in professors...and I've heard that the other professor for DSC 330 is just as bad, so I'm not going to put myself through that here. Hopefully there will be a good option at PSU or PCC.
On the other hand, my finance professor this term is great! I don't think my class appreciates her dry sense of humor near enough. And guess what? I'm understanding finance! Good job, professor!
Amazing FMLS: 1, 2, 3, 4.
Aaaaand this is pretty much my favorite failvideo EVER:
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Blog Every Day April: 29
First page I've ever inked with a brush: 9th page out of 24 from a practice story called February 7th (which I'm just going to call a 24 hour comic even though it isn't technically).
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Blog Every Day April: 28
Inked a page completely with a brush today, which is a new landmark for me. I also lettered it myself, which I never do. I do see the difference in its "organic"ness, but it is much messier than my other work, and likely will remain so through many more of these practice pages. I'm really happy with how well it turned out, though! No crisis or huge mess-ups, and I already have some control over line weight. I think that inking with pens and nibs has taught me to see how I want my lines to look before drawing them, know where they need to be heavy, etc., and all I need to do now is learn how to make similar lines with this new tool.
We watched the first half of Turtles Can Fly today in disabilities class today. I'll be held in suspension until we finish it on Thursday. :-/ I'm worried about those kids...
We watched the first half of Turtles Can Fly today in disabilities class today. I'll be held in suspension until we finish it on Thursday. :-/ I'm worried about those kids...
Monday, April 27, 2009
Blog Every Day April: 27
Finished thumbnails today for a 5-page story called 'Apart' that I'm hoping to draw this spring/summer. I've also started penciling my '24-Hour Comic'...but what do you call it if you drew the first draft about a single day in your life as you were living it, but then finished the final draft 2 months later...? I'm having a naming crisis. Suggestions appreciated!! I don't think I can call it an 'Hourly Comic' or '24-Hour Comic'...
I was lazy as crap today. I only had 2 hours of class, but I watched like 4 hours of TV, ate Nutella out of the jar for lunch, and have not started the massive load of homework that's due tomorrow. I blame half of it on waking up semi-sick (sore throat...taking vitamins and crossing my fingers), and half of it on being depressed about DSC, my hardest class this term. Every Monday, I dread my homework. It's always over material we haven't been taught yet, and we're graded on effort. Fuck. If I wanted to bang my head against a wall for 4 hours, I'd teach myself math and save $800! It's the professor's frickin job to teach us how to do the problems, and homework should enforce his lessons. That's how I feel about it. The way things are, I have no practice doing problems the correct way. Our last quiz made me cry! Stupid DSC (read: stupid me). I'm seeing a tutor on Wednesday. T_T
*insert transition here*
How cute is this??? So simple and fresh.
I was lazy as crap today. I only had 2 hours of class, but I watched like 4 hours of TV, ate Nutella out of the jar for lunch, and have not started the massive load of homework that's due tomorrow. I blame half of it on waking up semi-sick (sore throat...taking vitamins and crossing my fingers), and half of it on being depressed about DSC, my hardest class this term. Every Monday, I dread my homework. It's always over material we haven't been taught yet, and we're graded on effort. Fuck. If I wanted to bang my head against a wall for 4 hours, I'd teach myself math and save $800! It's the professor's frickin job to teach us how to do the problems, and homework should enforce his lessons. That's how I feel about it. The way things are, I have no practice doing problems the correct way. Our last quiz made me cry! Stupid DSC (read: stupid me). I'm seeing a tutor on Wednesday. T_T
*insert transition here*
How cute is this??? So simple and fresh.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Blog Every Day April: 26
Last night was my friend Lauren's 21st birthday party (fake) rave. It was SO fun! Black lights and lollipops galore. :P
My roommate Emily is a master of all that is hair and makeup, and she made my hair do this for the party!!!!
I should wear it like that all the time, right??!
My friends having a good time:
My friend Evan (second picture) has a cult following for his shoe customization business. I had fun trying to spot all of the people at the party wearing his work. Check out his blog and let him spice up your footwear with his wicked rad designs!
My roommate Emily is a master of all that is hair and makeup, and she made my hair do this for the party!!!!
I should wear it like that all the time, right??!
My friends having a good time:
My friend Evan (second picture) has a cult following for his shoe customization business. I had fun trying to spot all of the people at the party wearing his work. Check out his blog and let him spice up your footwear with his wicked rad designs!
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Blog Every Day April: 25
Laurie Halse, author of Speak, has a new book coming out called Wintergirls. Check it out!! I remember loving Speak when I read it in middle school. Even my guys friends thought that it was a great book. :) I love stories that both genders can relate to or enjoy, even if the narrative voice is female. I'm very excited to read Wintergirls. I believe it came out March 18, so time to go look for it.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Okay, one more thing
I also updated my Etsy shop with about 20 new items including prints and originals. I've added an option for shipping ANYWHERE outside of Canada and the US as well. :)
Brushing?
Oh yes, and this too. I am attempting to learn how to ink with a brush (take a wild guess at a few of the blogs I follow). I have some Rosemary Co. brushes in the mail, but I want to deserve them when they get here, and thus the brushing practice using shit, size 3.
Nibs and pens are so different from brushes! It will take a while for me to get it down. Up the learning curve we go!
Nibs and pens are so different from brushes! It will take a while for me to get it down. Up the learning curve we go!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Blog Every Day April: 22
Food is expensive, man! ;__; My parents gave me a $100 per month budget, but there's no way...! I'm not even eating meat or fruit, and it's way past that in only 3 weeks. Dinners alone cost me $60 per month. SIGH. Time for a parent/child contract renegotiation...
I'm editing 2 ideas that I've picked out from the bunch to pitch. Thanks to those who voted in the poll!! I'm developing the adventure and all-ages stories. :) We'll have to see which looks stronger as they near completion. They both have a little magic/fantasy, which I love to draw, and strong characters (imho). I was a little sad to drop another idea I had, but I realized it is just beyond my capabilities at this point, and would be better after I had more experience in long stories.
And I know that everyone and their cat has seen this, but just in case, because we wouldn't want anyone to miss it: ;)
I'm editing 2 ideas that I've picked out from the bunch to pitch. Thanks to those who voted in the poll!! I'm developing the adventure and all-ages stories. :) We'll have to see which looks stronger as they near completion. They both have a little magic/fantasy, which I love to draw, and strong characters (imho). I was a little sad to drop another idea I had, but I realized it is just beyond my capabilities at this point, and would be better after I had more experience in long stories.
And I know that everyone and their cat has seen this, but just in case, because we wouldn't want anyone to miss it: ;)
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Blog Every Day April: 21
I don't have enough money to buy everyone's books. I don't own studio space or publish material. One small thing I can do to support other comickers, though, is to pimp them out, and hopefully spread the joy of their stories and art! Thus I give you: The Minicomic Post!! :D
Titles I picked up at Stumptown this year:
Copy Jerk 01 by Matthew Metzler
This mini had great production quality and content. Though the boob jokes probably weren't written for my demographic, I laughed out loud many times at the mini's other jokes. The art style is nice, too--I like the clean linework and coloring, and Metzler is pro at expressions and drawing his characters consistently.
www.CopyJerk.com
Devil Bids Us Skoal by Ainsley Yeager
This mini is a print preview for Devil Bids Us Skoal, a webcomic now up on Webcomics Nation. Though it is just a taste of a much larger story, Ainsley's fast and fun storytelling style is evident from the first pages alone, and her art leaves you wanting more.
http://pleaseinsertcoins.com/
Dinosaur Vs Robot by Ainsley Yeager
Ainsley gave me issues 5 and 6 to pore over, and now I want issue 7! Her autobiographical mini series expresses her emotions and documents her accomplishments and failures over several months of her life in each issue. I really enjoyed this form of journaling as a reader. Each strip is only 1 or 2 panels, but it tells you exactly what was going on with Ainsley that day. When read in succession in this mini format, you feel like you know the author personally, and are rooting for her to keep going.
http://pleaseinsertcoins.com/?page_id=83
Flaccid Badger Wants an Apple by Cat Ellis
This is one of my favorite comics ever, ever, ever. I have a boner for Flaccid Badger (Aaaah! See what I did there?!). He flops over inanimate objects so cutely, you might just squeal out loud when you read it. In public. The storytelling style mocks children's books with simple sentences accompanied by hilarious, sometimes less G-rated images. With a mere 8 pages, Flaccid Badger has worked his floppy way onto my "favorites" bookshelf.
http://cattifer.com/blogalog/
Fredrick the Whale by Matt Grigsby
Fredrick the Whale is the silly story of a whale who just wants a bottle of milk, is that so much to ask?! Grigsby took the inspiration for the comic from a group of 6-10 year olds playing a camp storytelling game, which makes it even cuter and funnier than it already is. The art, especially the design for Fredrick, works great with the story.
http://www.grigsbyart.blogspot.com/
How I Was Born Again by Brendan Wright
Wright prefaced this to me by saying, "It's from 2 years ago, so...you know." However, the story doesn't loose its value over time, I think. The main character, a 15 year old boy, agrees to go to church for the first time when a cute blond asks him to go with her. He explains his relationship with religion, the details of his 'conversion', and his feelings afterward in a straight-forward, relatable voice. Anyone who has had questions about religion will be able to relate to some part of this endearing story.
http://wrightopinion.com/
In Contempt: Collateral Damage by Kevin Moore
I'm not normally drawn to the art style of political cartoons--heavy on the hatching, low on the grayscale--but Moore drew me in from the first strip with his clear and expressive faces and body language. The comic isn't bogged down with dialogue, either, which often deters me. Instead, In Contempt is funny, harsh, and fast-paced. I ate it up in about 10 minutes, and then read it again. My favorite image was that of King George the W (with lines above and below the W like a Roman numeral) in his feudal courthouse.
http://mooretoons.com/
The Ravens' Gambit: Issue One by Rich Ellis and Susan Tardif
I know Rich and Susan, so I know that they are talented creators. However, I was really taken aback when Susan put Ravens' Gambit in my hands. From cover to cover, the art is awesome. I think I held it 5 times as long than one normally holds a comic without opening it, but I was too captivated by the cover to start reading right away! The pacing and story are seriously pro, and the art holds up to the story's standards with consistent rendering and a good sense of mood. This comic even has bonus material in the back with a funny story to let you get to know the characters better--a must have!
http://elliscomics.com/ravensgambit/
So go and buy all of them, NOW! :P
Titles I picked up at Stumptown this year:
Copy Jerk 01 by Matthew Metzler
This mini had great production quality and content. Though the boob jokes probably weren't written for my demographic, I laughed out loud many times at the mini's other jokes. The art style is nice, too--I like the clean linework and coloring, and Metzler is pro at expressions and drawing his characters consistently.
www.CopyJerk.com
Devil Bids Us Skoal by Ainsley Yeager
This mini is a print preview for Devil Bids Us Skoal, a webcomic now up on Webcomics Nation. Though it is just a taste of a much larger story, Ainsley's fast and fun storytelling style is evident from the first pages alone, and her art leaves you wanting more.
http://pleaseinsertcoins.com/
Dinosaur Vs Robot by Ainsley Yeager
Ainsley gave me issues 5 and 6 to pore over, and now I want issue 7! Her autobiographical mini series expresses her emotions and documents her accomplishments and failures over several months of her life in each issue. I really enjoyed this form of journaling as a reader. Each strip is only 1 or 2 panels, but it tells you exactly what was going on with Ainsley that day. When read in succession in this mini format, you feel like you know the author personally, and are rooting for her to keep going.
http://pleaseinsertcoins.com/?page_id=83
Flaccid Badger Wants an Apple by Cat Ellis
This is one of my favorite comics ever, ever, ever. I have a boner for Flaccid Badger (Aaaah! See what I did there?!). He flops over inanimate objects so cutely, you might just squeal out loud when you read it. In public. The storytelling style mocks children's books with simple sentences accompanied by hilarious, sometimes less G-rated images. With a mere 8 pages, Flaccid Badger has worked his floppy way onto my "favorites" bookshelf.
http://cattifer.com/blogalog/
Fredrick the Whale by Matt Grigsby
Fredrick the Whale is the silly story of a whale who just wants a bottle of milk, is that so much to ask?! Grigsby took the inspiration for the comic from a group of 6-10 year olds playing a camp storytelling game, which makes it even cuter and funnier than it already is. The art, especially the design for Fredrick, works great with the story.
http://www.grigsbyart.blogspot.com/
How I Was Born Again by Brendan Wright
Wright prefaced this to me by saying, "It's from 2 years ago, so...you know." However, the story doesn't loose its value over time, I think. The main character, a 15 year old boy, agrees to go to church for the first time when a cute blond asks him to go with her. He explains his relationship with religion, the details of his 'conversion', and his feelings afterward in a straight-forward, relatable voice. Anyone who has had questions about religion will be able to relate to some part of this endearing story.
http://wrightopinion.com/
In Contempt: Collateral Damage by Kevin Moore
I'm not normally drawn to the art style of political cartoons--heavy on the hatching, low on the grayscale--but Moore drew me in from the first strip with his clear and expressive faces and body language. The comic isn't bogged down with dialogue, either, which often deters me. Instead, In Contempt is funny, harsh, and fast-paced. I ate it up in about 10 minutes, and then read it again. My favorite image was that of King George the W (with lines above and below the W like a Roman numeral) in his feudal courthouse.
http://mooretoons.com/
The Ravens' Gambit: Issue One by Rich Ellis and Susan Tardif
I know Rich and Susan, so I know that they are talented creators. However, I was really taken aback when Susan put Ravens' Gambit in my hands. From cover to cover, the art is awesome. I think I held it 5 times as long than one normally holds a comic without opening it, but I was too captivated by the cover to start reading right away! The pacing and story are seriously pro, and the art holds up to the story's standards with consistent rendering and a good sense of mood. This comic even has bonus material in the back with a funny story to let you get to know the characters better--a must have!
http://elliscomics.com/ravensgambit/
So go and buy all of them, NOW! :P
Monday, April 20, 2009
Stumptown Recap
It was Christmas, the first day of school, and a rock concert all rolled into one!!
(The Stumptown 2009 Flickr pool is already up! Add your photos or browse through others'! :D That's Ainsley, my table mate, on the left!)
Saturday:
I woke up at 6 on Saturday morning practically buzzing with excitement. First convention jitters!! I had time to finish most of my final preparations, such as assembling my tool kit and packing a lunch, before hitting the road at 8:30. I got to the Lloyd Center DoubleTree at 9 and had an hour to set up my table. The floor was so full of excited, talented comic folk! It was inspiring just watching everyone set up their tables. (And sadly, the set up and take down hours were the times I saw the most tables, because I hardly got a chance to walk around during the day.)
I was really nervous (shaking, really...) for the first couple of hours, but talking with Ainsley (cool as a cucumber :P) and forcing myself to crack my sketchbook helped me hit my stride. A bunch of friends stopped by my table throughout the day, including my good friends Carrie and Andy, Jamie Rich, Periscope friends, and even friends from school. They were all really supportive and it cheered me up every time they stopped by.
I like imagining all of the people that might have my comics in their hands now. It's a wonderful feeling!
Blogger ate three paragraphs of this post, but I'll try to rewrite them!:
I tried to find a friend's party after the fest Saturday, but it was epic fail. I am from the west side, and Portland's east side confounds me miserably. I drove up and down the last street I could find on my direction sheet for 10 minutes, but never found the next one. x___x
I went to the Cosmic Monkey after party next, where I was finally able to see the awesome comic book store everyone raves about! What a place! They had an entire section for local zines, and another for locally published books. :D It is a truly awesome comic shop. I plan to return. :) The Trophy Awards show and Comic Art Battles were fun to watch, and Jeff Parker cracked up the whole audience for several hours in his MC alter ego. I met the new Periscope intern, Emi, and the old one, Sarah. New friends, yaaaay! xD We danced and shouted at the stage late into the night.
I went to the portfolio review table late Saturday, and got some time with Bob Schreck. I went in with a thick skin, but he was nice. He did tell me I should go to art school, which sounds harsh out of context, but I agree that I could use basic training in some areas (perspective, anatomy, and color theory most of all...). He said that my expressions and faces were good, but I should work on backgrounds (don't ink with a ruler) and character details from far away, esp. hands. I'm in such a frustrating place between 'hobbyist' and 'employable artist'. I don't have the money for art school, but I'll try to take at least a single class at PSU or AI this summer.
Sunday:
I got out the door pretty late, and arrived at the fest with only half an hour before opening. However, I had left all of my stuff under my table over night, so I was able to set up pretty quickly. Though activity was down, sales were up. I think it was people exploring the fest Saturday and buying Sunday. My family came through, which was very sweet, and even took pictures of my booth (BLUSH). I met even more cool people, and enjoyed the more casual atmosphere of the day.
At 6, I made the decision to go straight home instead of out to celebrate, and gave my family some attention. We made burgers and watched LOST. Bliss!
THINGS I LEARNED FOR NEXT TIME:
Next post: review of all the minis I read at the end of the weekend!!
(The Stumptown 2009 Flickr pool is already up! Add your photos or browse through others'! :D That's Ainsley, my table mate, on the left!)
Saturday:
I woke up at 6 on Saturday morning practically buzzing with excitement. First convention jitters!! I had time to finish most of my final preparations, such as assembling my tool kit and packing a lunch, before hitting the road at 8:30. I got to the Lloyd Center DoubleTree at 9 and had an hour to set up my table. The floor was so full of excited, talented comic folk! It was inspiring just watching everyone set up their tables. (And sadly, the set up and take down hours were the times I saw the most tables, because I hardly got a chance to walk around during the day.)
I was really nervous (shaking, really...) for the first couple of hours, but talking with Ainsley (cool as a cucumber :P) and forcing myself to crack my sketchbook helped me hit my stride. A bunch of friends stopped by my table throughout the day, including my good friends Carrie and Andy, Jamie Rich, Periscope friends, and even friends from school. They were all really supportive and it cheered me up every time they stopped by.
I like imagining all of the people that might have my comics in their hands now. It's a wonderful feeling!
Blogger ate three paragraphs of this post, but I'll try to rewrite them!:
I tried to find a friend's party after the fest Saturday, but it was epic fail. I am from the west side, and Portland's east side confounds me miserably. I drove up and down the last street I could find on my direction sheet for 10 minutes, but never found the next one. x___x
I went to the Cosmic Monkey after party next, where I was finally able to see the awesome comic book store everyone raves about! What a place! They had an entire section for local zines, and another for locally published books. :D It is a truly awesome comic shop. I plan to return. :) The Trophy Awards show and Comic Art Battles were fun to watch, and Jeff Parker cracked up the whole audience for several hours in his MC alter ego. I met the new Periscope intern, Emi, and the old one, Sarah. New friends, yaaaay! xD We danced and shouted at the stage late into the night.
I went to the portfolio review table late Saturday, and got some time with Bob Schreck. I went in with a thick skin, but he was nice. He did tell me I should go to art school, which sounds harsh out of context, but I agree that I could use basic training in some areas (perspective, anatomy, and color theory most of all...). He said that my expressions and faces were good, but I should work on backgrounds (don't ink with a ruler) and character details from far away, esp. hands. I'm in such a frustrating place between 'hobbyist' and 'employable artist'. I don't have the money for art school, but I'll try to take at least a single class at PSU or AI this summer.
Sunday:
I got out the door pretty late, and arrived at the fest with only half an hour before opening. However, I had left all of my stuff under my table over night, so I was able to set up pretty quickly. Though activity was down, sales were up. I think it was people exploring the fest Saturday and buying Sunday. My family came through, which was very sweet, and even took pictures of my booth (BLUSH). I met even more cool people, and enjoyed the more casual atmosphere of the day.
At 6, I made the decision to go straight home instead of out to celebrate, and gave my family some attention. We made burgers and watched LOST. Bliss!
THINGS I LEARNED FOR NEXT TIME:
- You need super, SUPER sticky tape to hang anything on tablecloth
- Pack a lunch you can eat with one hand
- Don't smile with unbreaking eye contact when someone approaches you. In fact, I found that my most effective attitude for making people stick around was sketching in my own little world, and only looking up and smiling if someone stayed at the booth for half a minute or more.
- Business cards. Bring them all.
- It may seem pompous to put your pricing sheet at the front of your table, but that is where it needs to be
- Print out driving directions the night before and put them in your car before you go to bed
- Do not drink caffeine the first morning--the excitement more than does the job!
- Only pack merchandise that you think represents you well. Each item could be the only one a customer takes home with them!
- Wear a bright color
- If you think it's time to get a table and a con, sign the frick up today!!!! I wish I'd started doing this a year or even two years ago!!
Next post: review of all the minis I read at the end of the weekend!!
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Blog Every Day April: 18
It was Christmas and the first day of school and a rock concert rolled into one. I'll explain it in detail later 8D
Friday, April 17, 2009
Blog Every Day April: 17
I like the new blog banner okay, but it will likely change in the next month. That drawing frustrated me so much, because I loved the idea, but I never got her face properly aligned.
Tonight is the Stumptown Comics Fest kick-off!!! There are several related events today in Portland, but I will likely only be making it to Guapo, which is having a kick-off celebration from 7-11pm.
I have a test in Eugene from 1-2, which puts me into Portland at 4:00 at the earliest...but if at all possible, I will find the time to go to go! I also need to make a banner with my name on it, a header for my magazine rack, 2 easels for displaying artwork, and pricing signs. EEK.
See you tomorrow on the floor! Remember--I'm booth #113!
Tonight is the Stumptown Comics Fest kick-off!!! There are several related events today in Portland, but I will likely only be making it to Guapo, which is having a kick-off celebration from 7-11pm.
I have a test in Eugene from 1-2, which puts me into Portland at 4:00 at the earliest...but if at all possible, I will find the time to go to go! I also need to make a banner with my name on it, a header for my magazine rack, 2 easels for displaying artwork, and pricing signs. EEK.
See you tomorrow on the floor! Remember--I'm booth #113!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Blog Every Day April: 16
Wheee!! I'm getting paranoid with Stumptown so close...checking my prints 5 times for the same thing, you know. Typical stressed-out Tally. Oh, I make lists compulsively, too. They're all over my planner and class notes. x___x
I have 6 variations of prints, 10 minicomics, and dozens of original comic pages for sale. I have signs, stand-up characters, business cards, a free comic, and candy. I have my outfits laid out, and I finally found my cell phone. I still have to make a couple of stands for artwork and a BANNER (that would be the big thing...) and decide whether or not to have a sheet for comission sign-ups (let's be honest...that's not a hot commodity for me), but the most important thing to focus on is getting to Portland tomorrow with my head on my shoulders!!
This is my new favorite thing to do:
LOLhumans!! Caption your favorite weird photos! It's way too fun. :D
I have 6 variations of prints, 10 minicomics, and dozens of original comic pages for sale. I have signs, stand-up characters, business cards, a free comic, and candy. I have my outfits laid out, and I finally found my cell phone. I still have to make a couple of stands for artwork and a BANNER (that would be the big thing...) and decide whether or not to have a sheet for comission sign-ups (let's be honest...that's not a hot commodity for me), but the most important thing to focus on is getting to Portland tomorrow with my head on my shoulders!!
This is my new favorite thing to do:
LOLhumans!! Caption your favorite weird photos! It's way too fun. :D
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Blog Every Day April: 15
I added a poll to the side of the blog. I had to change the template to do so...I'll clean it up later, promise. And get a header. :P One of the things on my plate right now is preparing a story for pitching to publishers, and I have the delightful problem of choosing between 3 stories that I like. Help me choose?
My favorite songs this morning:
Your Woman by White Town
Cairo Hotel by The Paupers
Haze of Love by Cake
Masquerade and Last Song by Edward Bear
Friday Night by Lily Allen
My favorite songs this morning:
Your Woman by White Town
Cairo Hotel by The Paupers
Haze of Love by Cake
Masquerade and Last Song by Edward Bear
Friday Night by Lily Allen
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Blog Every Day April: 14
I love this Blog Every Day April thing--thinking up titles is the hardest part of blogging! :P
Loving life in my apartment this term--Emily and Heather are good people, and I missed them in my life. Seeing them every day is hardly often enough. <3 They are both working on their theses (Heather for the honors college and Emily for graduate school), and it's nice to see how they work and handle the stress, so I'll have idea what to expect next year, when I have to write mine. Good news! My HC counselor reassured me today that yes, yes you can make a comic for your thesis, we didn't lie to you the last two times you asked about it. And it doesn't even matter what kind of story it is--I just have to explain the history of comics and how I came to make them. Very reassuring.
I haven't had enough disposable income to really follow fashion trends for a little over a year now, and I'm surprised how easy it was to give up. Vintage stores are awesome! They definitely make it easier to be original. And I don't buy things unless I love them, so I hardly ever feel guilty making that once in a while purchase! My favorite look right now is something along these lines: dress or jeans+t-shirt, boots, a scarf, and a tote. So simple. <3 And each piece works in a dozen other outfits!
One thing I do wish I could afford, though, is a couple nice new pairs of shoes. I really need more flats that I can walk around campus in--my favorite pair is about to get a hole in the bottom!! Jeepers, that ain't classy. I need me a job this summer!
Loving life in my apartment this term--Emily and Heather are good people, and I missed them in my life. Seeing them every day is hardly often enough. <3 They are both working on their theses (Heather for the honors college and Emily for graduate school), and it's nice to see how they work and handle the stress, so I'll have idea what to expect next year, when I have to write mine. Good news! My HC counselor reassured me today that yes, yes you can make a comic for your thesis, we didn't lie to you the last two times you asked about it. And it doesn't even matter what kind of story it is--I just have to explain the history of comics and how I came to make them. Very reassuring.
I haven't had enough disposable income to really follow fashion trends for a little over a year now, and I'm surprised how easy it was to give up. Vintage stores are awesome! They definitely make it easier to be original. And I don't buy things unless I love them, so I hardly ever feel guilty making that once in a while purchase! My favorite look right now is something along these lines: dress or jeans+t-shirt, boots, a scarf, and a tote. So simple. <3 And each piece works in a dozen other outfits!
One thing I do wish I could afford, though, is a couple nice new pairs of shoes. I really need more flats that I can walk around campus in--my favorite pair is about to get a hole in the bottom!! Jeepers, that ain't classy. I need me a job this summer!
Monday, April 13, 2009
Blog Every Day April: 13
Finished my signs this weekend! They're simple, but I had a good time getting crafty. It's been a while since I worked in anything even remotely 3D, so it felt like a new medium even though it was just mounting paper on cardboard. :)
Right now I'm watching Norah Robert's Tribute on Lifetime. Don't laugh. xD It's entertaining. + Cadburry Eggs = Aaaaaaah.
I'm going to try to write after homework. There's an old story I want to rework and pitch if I still like it enough. I've had a bad creative block since finishing A Room of One's Own last weekend, but a week's break from art isn't the end of the world. Hopefully my brain is renewed and ready to create once more!
Ooh, also want to find the piano music for 'Mad World'. Did you hear Adam Lambert sing it??? 8D
Right now I'm watching Norah Robert's Tribute on Lifetime. Don't laugh. xD It's entertaining. + Cadburry Eggs = Aaaaaaah.
I'm going to try to write after homework. There's an old story I want to rework and pitch if I still like it enough. I've had a bad creative block since finishing A Room of One's Own last weekend, but a week's break from art isn't the end of the world. Hopefully my brain is renewed and ready to create once more!
Ooh, also want to find the piano music for 'Mad World'. Did you hear Adam Lambert sing it??? 8D
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Blog Every Day April: 12
Had a casual Easter at home with the family and some family friends. 21 is a very awkward age for those things...I was the driver for the 'around the city Easter egg treasure hunt', and was instructed to get the younger kids really excited, but they were basically like, "This is lame" to my face. x_x My Easter basket had cooking supplies in it instead of candy, hahaha. I appreciated it, though.
I'm in a pretty bad mood. A lot of little things went wrong this week. And I found a typo in A Room of One's Own today!!! AUGH!
I'm in a pretty bad mood. A lot of little things went wrong this week. And I found a typo in A Room of One's Own today!!! AUGH!
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Blog Every Day April: 11
Ugh, fail! I forgot to blog Thursday and Friday. x___x Not that you've missed much. I've been going to class, doing my homework, and assembling minicomics pretty much every day. Yawn. However, I did watch the new Dollhouse, Office, LOST, 30 Rock, and the premier of Parks and Recreation. Great, full week of television! I love The Office. Somehow, no matter what others' complaints are, I can never get enough of that show. The new intro for the Michael Scott Paper Company's office is hilarious. I love the awkward clip where they all try to walk through this bottleneck and bump into each other!!! And LOST--I've always loved Kate/Sawyer, and I SO prefer Sawyer's leadership style to Jack's, so these past few episodes have been wonderful by me. 30 Rock was delightful as always, and I'll give Parks and Recreation at least 4 episodes to warm up. Amy Poehler is hysterical and I adore her, so she could easily carry the show for me if she's given good lines and decent character development.
Dollhouse is my favorite show this year, partially because, you know, it's the Whedster (and how can you hate the Whedster?), but also because it's good. I just roped my roommates into watching last night's episode with me, and even with all of the complex background they missed, they loved it! The show is very appealing and exciting. I love the plot twists, the character development, and the unpredictability of each episode. It's very fresh and fun. And I love the way Joss Whedon writes women! So much better than the 99 per 100 female characters on TV that just play out old stereotypes. It seems so basic that you would try to write a realistic person, but it's like most male writers have never met a woman before from they way they write them. I shouldn't be overly critical here, though...there's a reason I've only had 2 stories with male main characters! I don't understand men as well as I'd have to to write from their perspective realistically. However, I try not to portray them as objects or inconsequential people, which I feel is how a lot of female characters are.
So let's talk minicomics. I have Out of Place 1-6 minis, The College Life, Bridging the Gap, A Room of One's Own, and Bump. I like Out of Place chapter 6 and the short stories, but it was really hard to reread the early chapters of Out of Place. I don't think I'll print them again--they're so bad, it's really not to my advantage to help people associate that art/storytelling with me! I felt that I needed them, so if people wanted to hop into Out of Place, they could read from the begining. It's a house with a poor foundation, though. I'm going to have to abandon it soon and move on. It's been almost 6 years with a story I wrote at 15! Yuckers!
The only thing that's left to do with the minis is reprint The College Life (I printed 15 copies of the whole thing with a page missing!!! OTL), and make the signs for my table. I'm hoping to have some art project time this weekend when I go home for Easter to cut out cardboard, paint it white, and sharpie on some eyecatching phrases like "Free candy!" "Free comics!" "Take one!!" Lol. That'll get people to look at my table, right???
Now I've got to pack and get ready to leave for the weekend. My friend Mary is in town for a surprise spring break from her study abroad program in Turkey, so I'm very excited to see her!
Dollhouse is my favorite show this year, partially because, you know, it's the Whedster (and how can you hate the Whedster?), but also because it's good. I just roped my roommates into watching last night's episode with me, and even with all of the complex background they missed, they loved it! The show is very appealing and exciting. I love the plot twists, the character development, and the unpredictability of each episode. It's very fresh and fun. And I love the way Joss Whedon writes women! So much better than the 99 per 100 female characters on TV that just play out old stereotypes. It seems so basic that you would try to write a realistic person, but it's like most male writers have never met a woman before from they way they write them. I shouldn't be overly critical here, though...there's a reason I've only had 2 stories with male main characters! I don't understand men as well as I'd have to to write from their perspective realistically. However, I try not to portray them as objects or inconsequential people, which I feel is how a lot of female characters are.
So let's talk minicomics. I have Out of Place 1-6 minis, The College Life, Bridging the Gap, A Room of One's Own, and Bump. I like Out of Place chapter 6 and the short stories, but it was really hard to reread the early chapters of Out of Place. I don't think I'll print them again--they're so bad, it's really not to my advantage to help people associate that art/storytelling with me! I felt that I needed them, so if people wanted to hop into Out of Place, they could read from the begining. It's a house with a poor foundation, though. I'm going to have to abandon it soon and move on. It's been almost 6 years with a story I wrote at 15! Yuckers!
The only thing that's left to do with the minis is reprint The College Life (I printed 15 copies of the whole thing with a page missing!!! OTL), and make the signs for my table. I'm hoping to have some art project time this weekend when I go home for Easter to cut out cardboard, paint it white, and sharpie on some eyecatching phrases like "Free candy!" "Free comics!" "Take one!!" Lol. That'll get people to look at my table, right???
Now I've got to pack and get ready to leave for the weekend. My friend Mary is in town for a surprise spring break from her study abroad program in Turkey, so I'm very excited to see her!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Blog Every Day April: 8
Ugh, didn't post in time!
The night flew by--I got out of class at 2:00, went grocery shopping, had dinner, and it was 7:30. Went to the library, printed comics, came home and it was 11. Assembled comics and it was 1:30!! Time for bed!!!
I leave you with a lolcat:
The night flew by--I got out of class at 2:00, went grocery shopping, had dinner, and it was 7:30. Went to the library, printed comics, came home and it was 11. Assembled comics and it was 1:30!! Time for bed!!!
I leave you with a lolcat:
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Blog Every Day April: 7
Whew, that was close! 15 minutes to spare!!
I was on campus from 10am to 6:30pm today. I have 6 hours of class on Tuesdays, but I found the energy to keep going this evening when I realized that this was the day to print and assemble comics for Stumptown!
I've been looking forward to feeling the hot, sweet paper in my hands, and it was as satisfying as I'd hoped. It motivated me to make the PDFs for the remaining comics.
I was on campus from 10am to 6:30pm today. I have 6 hours of class on Tuesdays, but I found the energy to keep going this evening when I realized that this was the day to print and assemble comics for Stumptown!
I've been looking forward to feeling the hot, sweet paper in my hands, and it was as satisfying as I'd hoped. It motivated me to make the PDFs for the remaining comics.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Blog Every Day April: 6
Oy, do I have a headache today. Not a migraine, thank goodness, but a bad headache. It hurts my soul to say this, but I think the good weather is to blame! It was so bright outside today that I really hurt my eyes biking home. But lesson learned---always carry sunglasses! More sleep would probably not hurt, either.
Lately I have been thinking a lot about my senior thesis. It's a huge project required for graduation from the honors college, and they have very high expectations for the quality of the work...especially for creative projects like I want to do (read: comic 8D). I will probably not present it until spring or fall of 2010, but I felt the need to get a head start on it.
I want to tie my thesis in with my Japanese major, and I think I have found a professor from the department to mentor me! I met with her today and was so pleased with our conversation--she is an expert in Japanese film and literature, and is also knows a lot about manga and the Japanese culture and language. It was very helpful to talk with her through a basic strategy for approaching my thesis project. I was impressed when I heard how many students she has mentored for the HC thesis before, especially considering how few HC students are Japanese majors at all. She also seems very sweet, wise, and easy to talk to. Needless to say, I am relieved, and looking forward to working with her on my thesis next year!
I have a ton of homework to do now, and then want to get to bed early and get up with enough time to pack a good lunch. I almost died last Thursday--I have to be on campus from 10-4 on Tues/Thurs, and I forgot a lunch! I literally came home, at some grapes, and passed out from exhaustion! No good!!!!
Lately I have been thinking a lot about my senior thesis. It's a huge project required for graduation from the honors college, and they have very high expectations for the quality of the work...especially for creative projects like I want to do (read: comic 8D). I will probably not present it until spring or fall of 2010, but I felt the need to get a head start on it.
I want to tie my thesis in with my Japanese major, and I think I have found a professor from the department to mentor me! I met with her today and was so pleased with our conversation--she is an expert in Japanese film and literature, and is also knows a lot about manga and the Japanese culture and language. It was very helpful to talk with her through a basic strategy for approaching my thesis project. I was impressed when I heard how many students she has mentored for the HC thesis before, especially considering how few HC students are Japanese majors at all. She also seems very sweet, wise, and easy to talk to. Needless to say, I am relieved, and looking forward to working with her on my thesis next year!
I have a ton of homework to do now, and then want to get to bed early and get up with enough time to pack a good lunch. I almost died last Thursday--I have to be on campus from 10-4 on Tues/Thurs, and I forgot a lunch! I literally came home, at some grapes, and passed out from exhaustion! No good!!!!
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Blog Every Day April: 5
I tried this yesterday on LJ and it was epifail, but I think that Blogger will be able to handle it:
Art timeline: Everybody's doing it. :D Here's a timeline of my artistic development!! I think I have everything in the proper order. So let's start our journey with:
The Precambrian
The backstory from one of twelve main characters in one of my first stories--a Chinese-Zodiac inspired action comic. I don't even know, she had a trauma!! or something. @__@
This I remember. I knew my skills weren't where they had to be, so I decided to learn by just making page after finished page and improving each step in the process by doing them all with each page. That lasted, oh, a week. :P
2003
Ahaha, ahahahahaha. Oh God, Marja. My first finished story, for the RSoM 2 contest. Poor editors.
2004
Comic for Felicia's birthday, junior year I think (??).
RSoM 3 entry 'Revenge'...Word balloons are extremely important. Faces? Not so much.
2005
Comic for the school paper, junior year of high school.
RSoM 4 entry, Island Story.
2006
Period where I made as many short stories as possible to practice storytelling:
Hannah's Story
Untitled?
The Dream
RSoM 6 entry, Bridging the Gap. If Tokyopop ever helped a starry-eyed would-be mangaka, they helped me by forcing me to tell a complete story in 20 pages. That and getting me off my ass to draw a story every time they held a contest.
2007
Tried my hand again at webcomics with The College Life, freshman year of college.
A page for my Companion pitch to Tokyopop. Guess how that went!
My submission for the Missed Connections anthology, Bump. Also an unsuccessful attempt. Not bitter! Haha! Smiles-times! There will be other opportunities. :)
2008
The year of Jamie Rich! Two projects he graciously invited me into that helped me learn the industry and improve my art:
From Love the Way You Love: To See The Lights
From Julie Christie!, forthcoming, I swear...! Any week now...! A first attempt at full-color comics, for better or worse.
2009
A Room of One's Own, a longer story than I'm used to (32 pages), and a more serious/emo tone that usual.
Out of Place through the years...
2004
Chapter one: Just learning my tools and hoping I'm doing things in some semblance of the correct manner.
2005
Chapter two: deciding to step up the art at the cost of updating on time every time.
Chapter 3: Oh gee, I should write this plot out in its entirety...May be time to, I don't know, foreshadow or something.
2006
Chapter 4: Fake ending #1! Thought I would end the webcomic with chapter 4, so even though the plot was just getting started, I made a closing scene.
2007
Just kidding! Decided that I wanted to draw Out of Place, but I didn't want to update onesy-twosey with pages each week and instead draw a chapter at a time. Commence chapter 5: an experiment in storytelling and printing! I sold this around Portland as a minicomic. I used Comicworks for the first time on chapter 5, and toned the entire story in that program.
2008
Chapter 6: Picked up by Wirepop.com, I had new motivation to improve the story and art. The story went through a huge rewrite and I repurposed the overall mood. The result was an inconsistent first 6 chapters, but a better path for the future.
2010
???
Art timeline: Everybody's doing it. :D Here's a timeline of my artistic development!! I think I have everything in the proper order. So let's start our journey with:
The Precambrian
The backstory from one of twelve main characters in one of my first stories--a Chinese-Zodiac inspired action comic. I don't even know, she had a trauma!! or something. @__@
This I remember. I knew my skills weren't where they had to be, so I decided to learn by just making page after finished page and improving each step in the process by doing them all with each page. That lasted, oh, a week. :P
2003
Ahaha, ahahahahaha. Oh God, Marja. My first finished story, for the RSoM 2 contest. Poor editors.
2004
Comic for Felicia's birthday, junior year I think (??).
RSoM 3 entry 'Revenge'...Word balloons are extremely important. Faces? Not so much.
2005
Comic for the school paper, junior year of high school.
RSoM 4 entry, Island Story.
2006
Period where I made as many short stories as possible to practice storytelling:
Hannah's Story
Untitled?
The Dream
RSoM 6 entry, Bridging the Gap. If Tokyopop ever helped a starry-eyed would-be mangaka, they helped me by forcing me to tell a complete story in 20 pages. That and getting me off my ass to draw a story every time they held a contest.
2007
Tried my hand again at webcomics with The College Life, freshman year of college.
A page for my Companion pitch to Tokyopop. Guess how that went!
My submission for the Missed Connections anthology, Bump. Also an unsuccessful attempt. Not bitter! Haha! Smiles-times! There will be other opportunities. :)
2008
The year of Jamie Rich! Two projects he graciously invited me into that helped me learn the industry and improve my art:
From Love the Way You Love: To See The Lights
From Julie Christie!, forthcoming, I swear...! Any week now...! A first attempt at full-color comics, for better or worse.
2009
A Room of One's Own, a longer story than I'm used to (32 pages), and a more serious/emo tone that usual.
Out of Place through the years...
2004
Chapter one: Just learning my tools and hoping I'm doing things in some semblance of the correct manner.
2005
Chapter two: deciding to step up the art at the cost of updating on time every time.
Chapter 3: Oh gee, I should write this plot out in its entirety...May be time to, I don't know, foreshadow or something.
2006
Chapter 4: Fake ending #1! Thought I would end the webcomic with chapter 4, so even though the plot was just getting started, I made a closing scene.
2007
Just kidding! Decided that I wanted to draw Out of Place, but I didn't want to update onesy-twosey with pages each week and instead draw a chapter at a time. Commence chapter 5: an experiment in storytelling and printing! I sold this around Portland as a minicomic. I used Comicworks for the first time on chapter 5, and toned the entire story in that program.
2008
Chapter 6: Picked up by Wirepop.com, I had new motivation to improve the story and art. The story went through a huge rewrite and I repurposed the overall mood. The result was an inconsistent first 6 chapters, but a better path for the future.
2010
???
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Blog Every Day April: 4
HWAAH. TODAY. WAS HARD.
I stayed up until 3 again last night drawing; I had to turn down some fun social engagements to finish A Room of One's Own. :( I put the final touches on it this morning, printed in the library, assembled the minicomic, and sent it off to the Stumptown Trophy Awards. Cross your fingers! :P I will be printing around 50 copies of the comic for sale at Stumptown, in various Eugene and Portland comic stores, and online at my Etsy store and homepage. Hopefully there will be a need to print more, but it's best to be humble with things like this.
I bike-mauled half of Eugene on my way to the post office today: I had 10 minutes to get to the post office before it closed, and I hit the Saturday Market. x__x "Excuse me! Pardon me! Sorry! Oh god get out of the way! I am SO sorry!..." It was pretty bad 8D;
I got a text from my younger brother Nick yesterday with an attached picture of my piece in the 'Comics to the People!' gallery at the Portland Center for Performing Arts. I didn't expect him to go--it was really sweet. <3 I submitted the original for page 2 of A Room of One's Own to be hung alongside 80 or so pieces by other Portland artists. I've never been in a gallery before, so even to have a single piece in a show made me very happy and proud of myself, ridiculous as it is. If you're in or around Portland, try to check out that gallery (up through May, I'm pretty sure). Here is the poster for the event; my piece is in the 3rd row, far right:
And now? I'm off to buy art with Emi and decorate my room! I'm kind of in shock that I have free time at all, after drawing 2-6 hours every day for the past month at least (minus spring break!). I am excited about the remaining art to do for Stumptown--it'll be fun to do some color work, printing and assembling, design a banner, etc. There may be a new video blog soon, too, if I can get enough sleep to be cognizant for 3 minutes straight.
I stayed up until 3 again last night drawing; I had to turn down some fun social engagements to finish A Room of One's Own. :( I put the final touches on it this morning, printed in the library, assembled the minicomic, and sent it off to the Stumptown Trophy Awards. Cross your fingers! :P I will be printing around 50 copies of the comic for sale at Stumptown, in various Eugene and Portland comic stores, and online at my Etsy store and homepage. Hopefully there will be a need to print more, but it's best to be humble with things like this.
I bike-mauled half of Eugene on my way to the post office today: I had 10 minutes to get to the post office before it closed, and I hit the Saturday Market. x__x "Excuse me! Pardon me! Sorry! Oh god get out of the way! I am SO sorry!..." It was pretty bad 8D;
I got a text from my younger brother Nick yesterday with an attached picture of my piece in the 'Comics to the People!' gallery at the Portland Center for Performing Arts. I didn't expect him to go--it was really sweet. <3 I submitted the original for page 2 of A Room of One's Own to be hung alongside 80 or so pieces by other Portland artists. I've never been in a gallery before, so even to have a single piece in a show made me very happy and proud of myself, ridiculous as it is. If you're in or around Portland, try to check out that gallery (up through May, I'm pretty sure). Here is the poster for the event; my piece is in the 3rd row, far right:
And now? I'm off to buy art with Emi and decorate my room! I'm kind of in shock that I have free time at all, after drawing 2-6 hours every day for the past month at least (minus spring break!). I am excited about the remaining art to do for Stumptown--it'll be fun to do some color work, printing and assembling, design a banner, etc. There may be a new video blog soon, too, if I can get enough sleep to be cognizant for 3 minutes straight.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Blog Every Day April: 3
Okay, last AROO preview page! This is from the last batch of unfinished pages--now the only work left to do is digital! The library in the last panel scared me away from this page all week, but I finally sat down and forced myself to draw. Not perfect, but better than leaving it blank!!
Still up at 3 is really unusual for me. I'm calling it good for tonight. Only one class tomorrow, and it's late, so I'll get some sleep, then try to finish this comic and send it in!!!! I have a lot of people I need to catch up with or get back to, so hopefully there will be time for it all this weekend after the big AROO push is over. :)
Still up at 3 is really unusual for me. I'm calling it good for tonight. Only one class tomorrow, and it's late, so I'll get some sleep, then try to finish this comic and send it in!!!! I have a lot of people I need to catch up with or get back to, so hopefully there will be time for it all this weekend after the big AROO push is over. :)
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Blog Every Day April: 2
It's after midnight, so I'm counting it. I'm still awake, toning 2 of the last 5 pages of A Room of One's Own. The other 3 aren't completely inked; I have daunting library and house interior panels I keep putting off. Someday, someday, I will have drawn so many libraries and house interiors that I will simply decide on a basic layout, glance at my reference, and draw.
I am taking a fencing class this term, and that has thus far proved to be my most interesting course. I took fencing 1 as a freshman, and after a year and a half, you lose a few things! Muscle memory...terminology...QUAD STRENGTH. Sweet Jesus, stop my legs from hurting! Going down stairs should not hurt!! OTL;
I'm a quick learner, and I've taken karate and kickboxing before, so fencing 1 was pretty easy for me. I could beat most anyone in the class in sparring. Now, it's a class full of people at my level, and most are fresh out of another fencing class! I got my ass handed to me today in all 3 matches. :P It's a good situation, though: motivation to improve! I love martial arts. <3
I am taking a fencing class this term, and that has thus far proved to be my most interesting course. I took fencing 1 as a freshman, and after a year and a half, you lose a few things! Muscle memory...terminology...QUAD STRENGTH. Sweet Jesus, stop my legs from hurting! Going down stairs should not hurt!! OTL;
I'm a quick learner, and I've taken karate and kickboxing before, so fencing 1 was pretty easy for me. I could beat most anyone in the class in sparring. Now, it's a class full of people at my level, and most are fresh out of another fencing class! I got my ass handed to me today in all 3 matches. :P It's a good situation, though: motivation to improve! I love martial arts. <3
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Blog Every Day April: 1
Okay!! It's Blog Every Day April, and dear readers I will try to update this blog 30 times in the next 30 days. :P It would be good for me, and hopefully enjoyable for you.
So for starters, happy April Fools' Day! That last paragraph was just a joke. No, I'm kidding. Seriously. Yes, I will blog every day in April. Ignore me. I had a grand April Fools' Day joke planned with Brenda Hickey of In The Air, to feature each other's characters in a fake page, but since she is a glorious, reliable artist and friend and I am an evil slug, her page is up and mine is not yet. @__@ Read it here, though! She's got the coolest style and her inking and toning is impeccable. Plus, she's a total sweetheart. <3 So read In The Air!
So for starters, happy April Fools' Day! That last paragraph was just a joke. No, I'm kidding. Seriously. Yes, I will blog every day in April. Ignore me. I had a grand April Fools' Day joke planned with Brenda Hickey of In The Air, to feature each other's characters in a fake page, but since she is a glorious, reliable artist and friend and I am an evil slug, her page is up and mine is not yet. @__@ Read it here, though! She's got the coolest style and her inking and toning is impeccable. Plus, she's a total sweetheart. <3 So read In The Air!
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