Rockaway Beach Studies

This weekend I went to Rockaway Beach in Queens, NY. I heard it's a great surf beach, and wanted to sketch the waves and surfers for Aer Head references (besides just having awesome beach relaxation :) The above sketch was done with Prismacolor markers. I scanned it with my recycled scanner, but the colors weren't as vibrant. I had to tweak it in Photoshop to get the bottom picture. The top picture, just taken with my camera, is actually closer to the true colors. So far, the scanner doesn't seem to be that great with colors (maybe that's why it was on the curb). But for line art it's great.

When I think of surfing, I think of gigantic waves, and was a bit disappointed when all I saw was tiny waves. Maybe it was the wrong time of day for big waves? I still got to capture some surfing gestures. It was hard because surfers move fast. I mostly sketched the surf board's size in relation to people's bodies, because I had trouble with that size ratio when drawing Aer Head. Also, a detail I noticed was that all the surfers have a cord attaching their board to their foot.

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Desert Island Comics Success!

Good news! I stopped by Desert Island Comics yesterday to see how well The Misfortune Cookie sold, and the owner, Gabe, said he'd sold 2 more that day! He said one girl (from Japan?) bought one for herself and one for a friend. That makes me super happy! So over about 2 months, I'd sold 4 copies. Not bad - they SOLD! And without me being there in person to show them how great my comics are. I dropped off copies of The Misfortune Cookie 2 and signed an agreement with the store. Before, when I gave the owner copies of my mini comics, we did a trade and I got another comic. But now that he sees my work sells, I have an official contract that says I get a certain percentage of what sells. I raised the price - before, my mini comics were $1 at Desert Island, but since the store would take like $0.40 from that, I put the retail price at $1.50, so I'll get $0.90 for each copy sold. Not much, but hey, gotta start somewhere. I was considering selling The Misfortune Cookie comics for $3 like usual, but compared to the other independent comic prices on the racks, $1.50 was reasonable. Other ones were twice the size and had twice as many pages for $3. Context is everything! When I'm the only cartoonist at an art show, I can sell comics for higher, but not compared with other comics. This is a very curious thing. I both dislike and like it at the same time.

Don Smith Interviews mindy indy!

Here's the first EVER article written solely on mindy indy! I met Don Smith at the Clifton NJ comic con this past June, and he was super excited about my work. He's a writer at SVT Publishing and writes his own stories as well as interviewing independent cartoonists (among other things). Some questions he asked me include:

Do you think that independent comic book publishing is the future of the comic book industry?

Do you think the internet has been an equalizer for comic book creators?

What is the hardest aspect of the indy movement for you?

And much more! I KNOW you're DYING to find out the answers! Please check it out!

Square!

I got my new Square card reader in the mail this weekend! This tiny gadget allows me to now accept credit cards when people want to buy my merchandise. Another small step towards becoming more professional! Just download and open the Square app, plug the Square into your smartphone, and swipe a credit card. I made sure to test it out with my own card before using it on others. Last weekend at the Artists & Fleas market, one guy in particular really liked the Aer Head stuff because he surfed, but didn't have any cash. Because I couldn't accept credit cards, that sale was lost. But now I'm more prepared! I'm glad I got this before the big Baltimore Comic Con coming up September 8th & 9th. This weekend I made a whole task list of what I need to do to prepare for it. Many things are in the works! I was looking up self-publishing, because I really want to collect the daily misfortunes into a very special book (there's a surprise about this particular kind of book). Also figuring out my travel arrangements and other things. EXCITEMENT!!

New Aer Head Sketch and Scanner

Yesterday I drew this in the park. Drawing outside is a great way to enjoy the summer weather and still be productive!

Also, I scanned the new drawing with my "new" scanner that I FOUND ON MY DOORSTEP! FREEEEEEE!! This is a HP Photosmart C4280, is in good condition, and works pretty well so far! Yay for rich people buying the latest gadgets and giving old ones away! Awhile ago, I bought a complex scanner on sale (Epson Artisan 725) and it was WAY too complicated to use and didn't even print right (jagged lines). After being frustrated with trying to figure it out and tech support saying it would take months to a year to tweak the settings and learn how to use it, I returned it. I just want to press a button and have it scan or print! User friendly is my main priority - I'm picky about colors, but not THAT picky to have the printer be a pain in the ass to use. As for this new one, I need to get a black ink cartridge to test the printing, so we'll see. My main need was the scanner anyway.

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The Misfortune Cookie @ AMO Studios

One day while going to a cafe in Bushwick, I happened across AMO Studios, a super cool art gallery. AMO (Spanish for "love") had some books and independent 'zines for sale, and I asked if I could sell the Misfortune Cookie stories there. Joseph (the gallery owner) and his friend liked my stories and agreed! This actually happened last Thursday, and they gave me the idea for the new prices I had this weekend at Artists & Fleas, $3 each or two for $5. Because of the gallery setting, and the fact that other self-published magazines were $10 each, made me think $1 wasn't enough to sell them for. I asked how much the guys would honestly pay for something like The Misfortune Cookie and the new price was made.

So please go to AMO Studios at 55 Waterbury St. Brooklyn, NY 11206. They're open 12p-9p daily (except Sundays closing at 6p). If you missed buying my comics this past weekend, please check it out along with other cool art! NOTE: They're only for sale until August 10th, when the gallery will resume regular gallery stuff instead of this little store.

AMO Studios is across the street from these awesome murals! Can't miss it!

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Artists & Fleas!

mindy indy is back on the scene again this weekend, exhibiting at one of the hippest places in Williamsburg! Artists & Fleas is a weekly artist, designer, and vintage market. According to their website, "it’s an indie fashion and vintage bazaar, a hipster hang-out and fixture in the Williamsburg neighborhood, and a home to the thriving community of countless designers, creators, vintage collectors and foodie enthusiasts that have passed through since 2003. Established in a warehouse on a then-neglected part of North 6th Street in 2003, Artists & Fleas has been a constant in a changing neighborhood – a community for those who love to sell and a destination for those who love to shop. Open every weekend, year-round."

I'll be there this Saturday July 21st from 10AM to 7PM and it's at 70 North 7th Street between Kent & Wythe Avenues, 3 blocks from the Bedford Avenue L train. They even mentioned me in an article! I'm so super excited to be able to sell my comics in areas outside the comics world. People come to this market JUST to buy cool stuff, so we'll see how it goes!

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Also, my success at the East Village Arts Party got me thinking about different venues around the city that I could sell my comics. Last night I was applying to flea markets and actually got accepted to Artists & Fleas in Williamsburg! SUPER EXCITED!! More details later on that :)

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Coming from a family that enjoys "potty humor," I sent a similar comic on one of my Misfortune Cookie cards to my dad for Father's Day :)

The Misfortune Cookie 2

This is what I spent so much energy on last week. I'm still recovering from cramming it all into a few days, but I was able to do it!

All the Misfortune Cookie stories will feature different characters each time, but the main character is the misfortune cookie itself. It can happen to anyone, anywhere, anytime! This story started with the image in my head of two friends breaking open all the cookies. I was watching lots of South Park at the time, so I wanted them to be mischievous little boys! Oh also, "Diablo" is a computer game that my room mate was playing a lot.

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mindy indy in East Village Arts Party THIS SATURDAY!

mindy indy will be selling and exhibiting mini comics at the East Village Arts Party this Saturday, July 14th! Starts at 8pm, goes until midnight. It's at 414 E 14th St., New York, New York 10009, which is the Immaculate Conception Church, but they have a really awesome courtyard where the action is! There will be live bands, poetry readings, comedy acts, and artists like me with tables displaying/selling artwork. There will also be booze! Possibly food, but not sure. I had a blast at this party the last 2 years, and am super excited to be involved in it!

Here's a snippet from the facebook invite:

Join 500+ again this year, with hostesses Miss Metropolitan Tara Szczepanski and Miss Bronx Nardeen Billan, and check out dozens of artists--dancers, painters, poets, musicians, architects, filmmakers, and more.

Proceeds benefit local soup kitchen www.MeatloafKitchen.org.

** RSVP at http://tinyurl.com/evap2012 ** (no obligation, just for planning, pay only if you come) With RSVP $15 at the door, $25 without RSVP

Includes drinks.

Last year's party pics at http://tinyurl.com/77tmf2s

Hope to see you there! I've also been working on the NEXT misfortune cookie short, mostly on my plane trips to and from Michigan, so my goal is to have another short story to sell by the party time! GET EXCITED!