Publishing Goals: Unlocked

Self portrait for my “author” page.

My first full-length comic, a one-shot titled Mise En Place—a 24-page pulpy, violent, vegan propaganda revenge story—is going to be published by CEX Publishing. I’m grateful and ecstatic that this wild story is going to be in physical print and sold in comic shops. The artwork (which I cannot share just yet) is by the talented Lane Lloyd, who has one of the most incredibly unique and expressive voices in comics. The lettering is by Sean Rinehart, a former teacher of mine and an absolute pro, who really elevates every page and makes every story beat pop.

The phrase “Mise en place” is a French term commonly used in professional kitchens to refer to the prep work a cook performs before service. The protagonist is named Mise and revenge is what she's been preparing to serve. I still have my own work to prep too, including finalizing the comic for production and then dedicating ALL of my free hours to marketing it. Whether comic readers find and discover the story falls almost entirely upon the legwork of the creators. My first baby step is above: I cartooned my first “author portrait” for CEX’s marketing materials and website.

My 5-page short, Out of Touch, will be published in a second anthology, The BeBop (first time getting a comic published in the U.S.!). The project just reached its goal on Kickstarter last week and I am so excited to be a part of this wonderful collection of stories. The creators, Bird’s Eye Comics, are based out of Portland, Oregon and are absolutely incredibly kind humans. A panel of Sergi Domènech’s art from the comic has been turned into a sticker (previewed above), which I am insanely excited to get my grubby hands on so that I can plaster it everywhere.