I flew back to Michigan this morning for a friend's wedding this Saturday! I've known Chamira Jones (soon to be Chamira Young) ever since our days at the University of Michigan School of Art & Design. She's been doing very well freelancing with her own company, Chamira Studios! Chamira does graphic design, illustration, logos, and photography. Her site is totally crazy amazing! Not only is her artwork beautiful and professional, but the site has lots of cool animated sorting features (it's hard to explain in words, but you'll see on the site).

Chamira even put a link to mindy indy in a special "Friends" page :) Yay for fellow artists supporting each other! You can see my link to her site in the "Blogroll" box just on the right side of this page.

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AER HEAD cover

Back to drawing more AER HEAD! I've been sketching thumbnail tests of the cover for awhile, and decided on the layout. I wanted the cover to have lots of important points that occur in the graphic novel. Aeryan is dreaming of the future up in the left corner, and his dream merges with the waves (so the rest of the cover is his dream). He's surfing in the middle, but with a look of determination because near the end of the novel he has to warn people of the solar flare (giant sun on the right). You know how some covers just have a big picture of the main character looking cool, but not really doing anything? I want all my covers to have a definite purpose. Also, all the artwork will look the same INSIDE as it does on the cover! My biggest disappointment in picking up a cool looking comic is that it has an awesome cover, but the inside looks nothing like the cover and is black & white with a crappier art style. Aer Head will NOT be like that!

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I will forever love Bob Ross and his happy trees :)

a bit of misfortune for mindy indy

I applied for an Artist's Alley table at this year's New York Comic Con, but just got a rejection letter :( I guess I have to keep in mind that even though the steps I'm taking with my comics are big in my mind, they're pretty small compared to other well-known independent artists. But everyone has to start somewhere. No time to mope and grope. It wasn't meant to be! But I just sent in an application for the Baltimore Comic Con, which is pretty big too. I hope I get into that one! Positive feelings!

The Misfortune Cookie @ Desert Island Comics!

Exciting news! You can now buy The Misfortune Cookie at Desert Island Comics in Brooklyn! This is an amazing step forward with getting the work of mindy indy out into the world! Desert Island is an independent comic store and has lots of wonderful indie creations. Thus, the perfect place for a home for The Misfortune Cookie!

How did this happen? I'd been to the store a few times and got to know the owner, Gabe, a bit. About a month ago I walked in with some of the Misfortune Cookie mini comics to sell there. He liked them, and he took 5 to see how they would do in the store. For such a small amount, we did a trade instead of going through lots of paperwork. (I got an Adventure Time comic for my 5 minis.) He put them in a space on the rack and voila! I went back to the store yesterday to see how many sold, and 2 were gone! I think that's pretty good, because Gabe said sometimes comics can be on the rack for months or years. Even though selling 2 seems like a small number, that's 2 more people I've reached that I couldn't have before :) It doesn't take much to make me happy.

So please stop by Desert Island Comics on 540 Metropolitan Ave Brooklyn NY 11211 and pick up a copy of The Misfortune Cookie! It's easy to miss walking down the street, though, because it looks like a bakery. There is no bakery there, but people never change signs in New York!

And now, your daily dose of daily misfortune!

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Yes, this is based on that Alanis Morissette song, "Ironic." I thought of this after I went to a 90s party :P For these Daily Misfortunes, I make a bunch at once, because it's faster that way, and I get in a groove of creativity. Lots of times I get ideas when I'm out during the day, and I'll write them in my travel sketchbook and get to the computer part later (in Adobe Illustrator). Some people wondered if I write the comics myself. YES I do! I'm not sure of the ratio of artists that write their own stories vs artist-writer duos, but it seems that people are usually surprised when I say I'm also the writer.

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I find myself spending more time on the lucky symbols than on the actual misfortune :P

Social Media Stuff

I didn't post here for a few days because my facebook posts were out of synch with this mindy indy site. Now everything should be running smoothly. I've been doing a lot with social media for myself and my new boss/client Arlen Schumer. If you haven't yet, please check out the mindy indy facebook page, google+ page, @mindy_indy on twitter, and tumblr! It makes it easier for you to check out mindy indy on whatever site you use the most. It's good to post everywhere on the internet to get some kind of buzz going. Everyone has their own preferences, so I hope you continue to enjoy mindy indy comics from whatever site you choose!

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mindy indy at the Clifton NJ Comic Con

Had a great experience exhibiting at the Clifton Monthly Comic Book Expo in New Jersey! The day got off to a bad start, though, with me missing the bus to NJ. You know how you usually go to the airport 2 hours ahead of time so you have plenty of time? I should've done that for the Port Authority Bus Terminal near Times Square OMG! I was running late and never been there before, and the place is 4 floors with all these signs saying all these gate numbers, but nothing saying "NJ Transit Buses." Eventually, I figured out how to get my ticket, and searched for my gate, and just missed my bus. Luckily the next one was only 20 minutes after (and not like an hour).

But I got to the show on time, right at 10am, and it didn't take me long to set up. This convention was smaller than the one in Connecticut, and the table was free! I made back my bus fare and then some. And as always, got to meet lots of nice people and connect with other artists. It's been kind of exhausting doing these all day conventions. Partially because I don't just sit at my table and relax - I'm always reaching out to passer-by and trying to get their attention, or doing some artwork while keeping an eye out for new people. And partially because I have like 3 other events after the conventions and have to drag my suitcase all over NYC. But I'm glad I'm getting my work out there and reaching others!

BREAKING NEWS: mindy indy @ Clifton Comic Book Expo THIS SUNDAY!

I'm excited to announce that I'll be exhibiting for the 3rd time (I'm on a roll!) at the Clifton Comic Book Expo in New Jersey THIS SUNDAY JUNE 10! Admission is FREE! It's at the Clifton Community Recreation Center: 1232 Main Ave, Clifton NJ 07011. Hours are 10AM-4PM. I'll be selling The Misfortune Cookie mini comics and raising awareness about mindy indy :) I've been getting great response to The Misfortune Cookie and Aer Head at previous conventions and online, so I hope it just keeps growing. Please stop by the convention if you're in the area!

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These things have happened to me many times, but never at the same time. With The Misfortune Cookie, it can happen.

In other news, I'm on my toes with my new job with Arlen Schumer. Just keeping track of all the events he's giving his VisuaLectures at is a task in itself! Being super organized definitely comes in handy.

mindy indy now working with Arlen Schumer!

Last week at Dean Haspiel's Trip City Salon, I met Arlen Schumer - a truly amazing artist! And today I started working for him as his "Social Media Maven," meaning I'll be helping him relaunch into the social media realms of facebook, twitter, tumblr, etc. Even if you don't know him by name, you've probably seen Arlen Schumer's work. His career is colossal - from illustrating for major magazines like Rolling Stone (among many others), to creating "The Inner Superhero" (illustrating people as a super hero/heroine like a real comic book cover), to teaching around the country for his "VisuaLectures" (covering topics such as Jewish influence on comic art). Today is Arlen's birthday too, so it's a brand new start to relaunching his already phenomenal artwork into new environments.

And now, The Daily Misfortune:

mindy indy now mobile-friendly!

At the New Haven Comic & Collectible Spectacular, I discovered that people had trouble with mindyindy.com loading very slowly on their phones. I thought it was just MY phone! I'm grateful to have gotten that feedback, though, and that problem is now SOLVED! I installed a plugin that totally streamlines this site and makes it more mobile-friendly :) Now you can enjoy mindy indy comics anywhere, anytime, with speedy loading time! I also added more social media sharing buttons, so PLEASE feel free to share how much you love mindy indy comics with all your friends! :) And now, The Daily Misfortune:

New Haven Comic & Collectible Spectacular

The New Haven Comic & Collectible show was indeed Spectacular! Held at the YMCA hall, it was a cozy convention that reminded me of the ones I went to in Michigan growing up. It was great to meet everyone who stopped by my table! Many thanks to people who bought something - you helped me make back my table money! Pretty good for my second convention. Some things I learned:

1. Be flexible with how you lay out your table. My table wasn't facing the main route of foot traffic. It looks like it's on a corner, but that was kind of tucked away near the exit door. So I couldn't set up with everything at the center of the table. Instead, I moved the attention grabbing items to the corner where the traffic was. To maximize getting people's attention, I put a mindy indy sign on each side of the table and set up The Misfortune Cookie comics at both angles.

2. Don't give away too much for free. At the Bronx Heroes Con, I gave away my Aer Head stickers for free. This time I got the table last minute, so I didn't have time to reorder stickers. So I came up with the idea to only give a free sticker with purchase of an Aer Head mini comic. It's a good marketing device to sell the mini comics, and I also save money on stickers because it costs about $20 for me to print 5 sheets.

3. I may apply the same procedure in #2 to the free fortune cookies as well. I love fortune cookies and I thought it was a good "hook" to get people's attention, but at this convention a lot of people refused the cookies and passed by. Maybe people in New Haven are more health conscious? I may get more buyers for The Misfortune Cookie if I lead with the comic and follow up with the free cookie. And maybe you'll only get a free one if you buy a comic.

4. $40 in small bills isn't enough for change. When the first 3 people give you $20s, this is a problem. Even asking exhibiting neighbors to exchange big bills will only go so far, because they'll be in the same boat. It all worked out, though.

5. Don't pack up early! Foot traffic slowed down about half way though the con, and other exhibitors started packing up around 1:30pm, when it was supposed to end at 3pm. I stayed until the end because I came all that way (3.5 hours) and paid for the table. Near the very end, one guy bought almost one of each item on my table! He even bought a tally hall comic because he was a fan of the band. I was almost going to retire those comics because none sold at the last convention, but I sold 3 this time.

6. Different things sell at different conventions. See above. I also sold 2 Aer Head prints, where I didn't sell any last time. Also, some BRAND NEW items, The Misfortune Cookie Cards, didn't sell at all, but I have hope that they'll sell eventually. The card is like the cover of the mini comic, but with a blank fortune, so you can create your OWN misfortune to give to someone. I also have some examples of misfortunes if people get stuck. It's blank on the inside, so it's versatile for any occasion: birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, or just for fun. I give a choice of black and white or hand colored as well, plus a free colorful envelope. Maybe I need a bigger sign for these or something?

All in all, I'm having a ton of fun getting my work out there and learning on the way! Talking with people, I found myself referring to my Misfortune Cookie Bites web comic as having a "daily misfortune." So now, my friends, I bring you: THE DAILY MISFORTUNE!

BREAKING NEWS! mindy indy @ New Haven Comic Show THIS SUNDAY!

THIS JUST IN! mindy indy will have a table at the New Haven Comic & Collectible Spectacular this Sunday, June 3rd! I got a table just now, and am super excited! I've never been to Connecticut before, but I'm eager to explore more of the east coast. Even though it'll be a 3.5 hour trip there, it's totally doable for a day trip. Wish me luck!

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I've also been looking to exhibit at small comic conventions on the east coast. There are some in New Jersey that seem doable. Will keep you all updated!