The Daily Misfortune 169
This would be a bad misfortune for people who enjoy the comic, but a really good fortune for the character IN the comic! Did I fool you?
Trust Issues
It always boggles my mind how many people ask me to watch their computer at a cafe while they go to the bathroom or get another drink. I NEVER trust anyone with my laptop - it's far too precious to me to risk it. I'm at a cafe today working because I felt too cooped up working for hours in my apartment. Did I mention I'm coloring a Power Rangers comic now? It's by Papercutz. It's a lot of work, but a ton of fun! Both Papercutz and I will be at the Kids Comic Con coming up in May. And don't forget to come to MoCCA Fest next week! Have a great weekend and Happy Easter!
Gangnam Style!!
Even though Gangnam Style came out last summer, I never get tired of it. The video always makes me laugh too :)
Time Management
The Daily Misfortune 165
Just discovered these hilarious comics about NYC life. Nathan Pyle, you rock! Also, if you're not familiar with the term "photobomb," here are some examples.
MoCCA Fest!
Today I'm a "Featured Exhibitor" on MoCCA Fest's tumblr. Please come to MoCCA Fest in 2 weeks! It's April 6th and 7th, 11AM to 6PM. It's at the Armory on Lexington Ave. in Manhattan. More details to come, no time to blog much today. But this is very exciting for me because it's the biggest indie comic con in NY!
Headlines
In other news, the Gowanus Nite Market is making headlines! Our senator stopped by, and Local Bozo gave us a great review :)
FD catch up
It's hard to find veins in people with FD. Although I'm sure many people can relate to this strip! Below is last week's strip too - I was so busy with GNM stuff, no time to post everything:
Usually people with FD may faint if suddenly standing up from laying down and vice-versa. Patients go on a "Tilt Table" - a table that slowly tilts from vertical to horizontal - to measure changes in their system.
Unlike suburbia, bushes are rare in the city. There are some trees here and there, but unless you're Bugs Bunny, not able to hide behind.
2 Shows, 1 Night: Recap
Last Saturday was pretty crazy - I had the Crohn's disease fundraiser/Arts Party, then the Gowanus Nite Market on the same night! And after working a day job too! If I thought about it all at once, I got freaked out, so I had to just take it one step at a time. Luckily my energy held up pretty well throughout the night and it was successful overall.
Sky Room, where the fundraiser was at, is a pretty fancy place! We were on the 34th floor I think, and the views were great. I set up my table as usual, but this event didn't have much traffic flow like comic conventions or GNM - it was about 35 people standing around talking to each other, and I only did 2 sketches. But hey, the table was free. I got to see some friends and a few people I hadn't seen in awhile - some I had met at the East Village Arts Party last summer!
The event raised over $2,000! That's a big jump for my friend Michelle's goal of $6,900 for her marathon. Only $3K left to go. I was glad I could contribute in a small way to this great cause.
I had to leave a bit early (around 9:30pm) and take a cab to the Gowanus Nite Market, already in progress.
GNM was hopping! I had just gotten there and was setting up when already someone asked me for a sketch. Off to a good start.
No time to set up my whole table, just had the comics I drew last week, my sign, and The Daily Misfortune books.
New to March's market was 2 bands. I had missed the first, Adveta, but heard Oceanographer who was awesome! I noticed that more single guys showed up just because of the bands. Previously it seemed that most guys at any kind of flea/art market are dragged there by their girlfriends.
I get the most random creative requests at GNM! A guy wanted a drawing of a school kid with a jar for a head, who was sad all the time because everyone could see inside his head and steal his ideas.
The friends on the left said I drew the right guy too good-looking. They suggested adding chest hair. I added a shaver as well. BEST SKETCH OF THE NIGHT.
Was it worth it to do 2 events in one night? Well, I hoped I'd make twice the amount of money, but made less than I would have in one event because I had to miss the prime traffic time of both events. Next time, I'll just pick the event I think will be most successful, but sometimes you have to try lots of different things because you never know. Such problems are good to have though - it means I'm getting myself "out there" more. I wonder what other good problems I'll have in the future.
Shout out to my friend Walter for going to BOTH events!
Suitcase
After tons of shows of lugging my carry-on suitcase down uneven sidewalks and banging it on subway stairs (I do lift it but it's bound to happen), and after 2 art shows on Saturday, I looked to see that one wheel was missing. GONE. Totally ripped clean off somehow. In happier news, more on how the shows went in tomorrow's post!
Vax Moto / GNM Tonight!
Vax Moto is a unique space for motor cyclists to work on their bikes indoors without worrying about packing up from the sidewalk by sundown. For 2 years, Justin at Vax has been building a great community of enthusiastic cyclists who help each other with projects from replacing motor parts to building vintage motorcycles from scratch. The name "Vax" is a combination of Justin's sons' names: Van & Jax. At 523 3rd Avenue, Vax Moto is just minutes away from GNM, happening tonight! Come party with us! Take the F, R, or G trains to the 4th Ave./9th St. stop, or ride your motorcycle to 61 9th St. See you there!
718 Cyclery
Walking by 718 Cyclery, you may think it's just a bike repair shop, but it's so much more. It's a place where you can buy bikes built from scratch and learn the skills to build ones yourself. The founder of 718 is very passionate about sharing his knowledge of DIY to empower bikers everywhere to become "masters" of their bikes. There's a great sense of community too - you can work with 718s team of mechanics to collaborate on your project and get as dirty as you want. Bike on over to GNM this Saturday - it's almost here!
Brooklyn Boulders
Brooklyn Boulders is the place to get your adventure fix without ever leaving Brooklyn. They have an enormous space on 575 Degraw St. that's jam packed with action. Ever wanted to climb the Brooklyn Bridge? Now's your chance - Brooklyn Boulders has a wall shaped just like it. Love the atmosphere too - many walls are filled with beautiful colorful murals.
The Union Hotel
Today's characters are staying at the Union Hotel on 611 Degraw St. in Gowanus. The hotel's exterior pays tribute to old school factories and warehouses, while its interior boasts chic design. GNM has had many national and international visitors (as well as our awesome local crowd of course). What better way to experience the true Brooklyn scene than at Gowanus Nite Market - a place like nowhere else.
More Umbrellas
I think I've done a few Daily Misfortunes about umbrellas. There are always tons of unfortunate things that can happen in the rain >:)
The Underground Skate Scene
Skaters may know the main Homage Brooklyn on Bergen Street - a real skater owned and operated skate/snowboard shop. But there's another Homage in Gowanus that has an actual indoor skate park inside! Go to Homage Indoor on 615 Degraw Street for hours of skating fun. If you've never skated, no problem - they have lessons for all ages. Skate your way to Gowanus Nite Market this Saturday! And yes, we did call it a party - with awesome bands added to the mix of all GNM has to offer, you're sure to party the night away.
Spring Forward
GNM is back!
The Gowanus Nite Market is BACK this Saturday March 16th! For this weeks theme, I'm drawing my specialty - comics! The comics will feature different "hidden gems" of Gowanus that bring vitality to the neighborhood and make Gowanus a destination spot. Today's comic characters are at Triple Diamond Tattoo at 257 3rd Ave. When you step in, you're surrounded by a myriad of curious taxidermied animals, skulls, horns, and peacock feathers. Definitely a quirky, hip, and inspirational environment for getting an awesome tattoo. The owners, Jon Jon and Shannon, are super friendly too! They opened shop in Gowanus about 7 months ago to bring an exciting new energy to the area.
If you aren't familiar with tattoos, the comic is referencing that you shouldn't drink alcohol before getting a tattoo because it thins your blood. Be prepared: get your tattoos this week before going to Gowanus Nite Market and enjoy tons of Brooklyn Brewery beer!
Freelancing Tips
This is an all-to-common problem that many freelance artists encounter. If you're being paid a flat rate for something (meaning the whole project is one price like $300 and that's it) you MUST have a few sentences in your contract about "changes" to the artwork if the client wants you to redo something. I usually put something like "Each change to the artwork will be charged on a per hour basis of $25 per hour. A change is defined as something the client changes their mind about, not a mistake by the artist." This protects the artist from doing 2 or 3 times the amount of work through endless changes. There are differences between minor and major changes too, which can vary (like changing a character's hair color vs redrawing the entire page layout). Since I've put this in my contract, I haven't had any problems :)