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Musings, Reviews, Comic Cons
This Sunday, September 13th, the World of Comics Exhibit at the Belton Museum opens - and I'll be there at the kickoff event! OtherRealm Studio will be offering face painting, cosplay accessories, and a demonstration, and other attractions include a costume contest, superheroes in costume, graphic novel signing, and other vendors with superhero-themed merchandise.
This exhibit features the art and artifacts of Dave and Paty Cockrum - Dave is best known for his stellar run on X-Men and the creation of well-known characters such as Storm, Nightcrawler, and Colossus. He also designed and updated several well-known heroes' costumes and character designs. It's a free, kid-friendly event and promises to be fun and educational. Here's another article about the exhibit. The exhibit will be open until December 19th, but the kickoff event is only on Sunday. The address is 100 N Main St, Belton, South Carolina 29627, and the event runs from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm.
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This is a kind of scary article to write, but somebody has to say it. You all are close to my heart and I know that this can be a temptation for you – it's been tempting me, too - and a regret to make your heart sick later. If any of you reading have participated in this, I understand that it's almost impossible to go against your own nature and do the right thing instead of the popular thing. I just want you to be aware of how it starts so you can catch yourself before it's too late. If you think this is in response to Situation X that got all that publicity awhile back, or that blowup on such & such social media, or that other person who did this and then all their friends jumped in... no. It isn't in response to any one of them. It's in response to the greater pattern I've seen online. This is everywhere. Mob MentalityPeople will do things in a mob that they would never do in their right minds. For example, you, by yourself, wouldn't stalk somebody and send them harassing notes just because they disagreed with you. You, individually, probably wouldn't even raise your voice in a disagreement. Most likely, if asked to interview someone you disagreed with strongly, would behave like a civilized person. You'd sit down, have a coffee, hash out exactly what the points of difference are, discover what you have in common, and either compromise on some points or shake hands and walk away, still in disagreement. There would not be name-calling or punching in any direction or any doubt that you are both human beings with equal rights. Yeah, that doesn't happen online. Online, it's too hard to look at words on a screen and think, “That's a fellow human being, with innate human dignity and worth. They did not arrive at their perspective for no reason or for a hateful reason. They are probably pretty decent people overall and not so different from me.” Nobody thinks of that. Instead, they let their imagination and preconceived ideas run away with them – and most people tend to be worst-case scenario thinkers. With no evidence to the contrary, it's too easy to believe that somebody who disagrees with you, a decent human being, must not be a decent human being themselves. Cue the OutrageSomebody posts something about how offended they are, how wrong “those” people are, how “that kind of people” shouldn't be allowed whatever the topic of the hour is, and within a few minutes, more outraged people join in. It feels kind of fun to join in outrage – there's a morally superior little high that we, as humans, almost instinctively seek out. We all get together and start jumping in unison, stomping harder together than we ever could apart... and ignoring that we are stomping on somebody, a real human being with the same rights to live and speak and believe that we have. If we catch a glimpse of that fellow human being, we justify to ourselves that they deserve the beating they are getting, that they had it coming as soon as they opened their big mouth. Does this sound like something sane individuals do? Not when they're at home by themselves, it isn't. It only happens when a group gets together and feels powerful, godlike even, so that they begin to believe they must have the right to dictate what is and is not acceptable to be said, who is and is not allowed to speak. It is the demon of groupthink, that pits groups against each other and starts wars and ruins lives. There are people who are now blacklisted from every job they apply for because of one thoughtless comment on Twitter, and it doesn't matter if they are sorry or if they've changed or if they were being sarcastic and didn't mean it the way it was taken. Their reputation is destroyed forever and the apology will never go as viral as the transgression. Avoid the TrapYou might be tempted to post outrage against someone, for the attention, for the feeling of belonging, or because your conscience genuinely rebels against letting those people or those actions go without speaking up. If you are, examine your motives. Examine your method. Examine each word before you post and stick strictly to facts that you got straight from the original source, and if you must speak up, then post only truth and be prepared to monitor the comments afterward for fairness and truth to the best of your ability.
Because when you post in anger or outrage, it's like declaring open season on “those people.” Other outraged people will join in, and they'll bring rope for the noose. If that isn't what you wanted, they won't care. They won't leave until somebody gets hurt, because that's what they are there for – to hunt down dissidents and get their high from beating them up. If you don't want that on your hands, if you don't want to wake up in the morning appalled at what you put into motion, then don't post outrage. Post truth. Post truth. Post truth. And maybe someday, there will be more truth than outrage online, and we will all be better for it. Hugs, y'all. The Electric City ComiCon at the Anderson County Main Library was an amazing event! If you weren't there August 8th for the first ever EC3, you have to come next year. It was everything I expected and more – if you get the newsletter, you may recall that I expected it to be well-organized, small yet high-quality, truly kid-friendly, and FUN! And it hit all those notes and then some. EC3 was an awesome mini-con jam-packed with cosplayers, geekery, art, stories, and imaginative and excellent merchandise from some of the best craftspeople in the state. I especially loved the steampunk Wicked Witch of the West. Her green face and body paint was excellently done, and the costume was amazing! There was a fan art contest upstairs – which if you were there and entered art, please don't leave your art behind. I noticed they put out a call on Facebook asking people to pick up their orphaned art. Also a cosplay contest, and panels on a variety of topics which I really wish I'd been able to attend. But as the only person at my table brave enough to have “Challenge Me!” on the facepainting sign, I really couldn't leave my spot long. Speaking of which, next time I swear I'm taking pictures! My best challenges included a chibi Link from the Legend of Zelda, a couple full-face Darth Mauls, and a small cartoon Hulk. I stayed up late and painted this new poster just for this show, which I'm sure helped prove that I can paint Darth Maul. Nobody wants a badly-done Sith! I also did a 'stache on a cute little guy whose mom was Princess Peach (in a lovely re-imagined and dyed thrifted wedding dress) and some tiger stripes on his cute baby bro who could not believe his eyes when I showed him the mirror. It was the best makeover reaction since Oh's beauty mark. Of special note is Shandra Koger, the creator of Lightning Prophetess, who partnered with me at my table and brought her amazing posters and art of her original characters. She helped me manage my spot while I was painting on people, but she did very well in her own right, getting lots of interest in her stories from new people, many of whom went home with some cool signed art. Check out her work!
Overall, this was an excellent show and I'm planning to be there again next year, no matter what it takes or what else is going on. I only have one question – how can I make my spot even better? What do you want to see? Leave a comment with ideas, suggestions, and your thoughts on the EC3 mini-con here! If I ever get my hands on whoever is still spreading this rumor that you need a degree to go pro at anything (well, short of a medical or law professional) it ain't going to be pretty. But, this week's question is specifically about whether you need a degree to become a professional artist. The short answer is NO. You don't even need a certificate from the art department of a tech school. Now that's out of the way, let's get into the more relevant question, and the long answer. What Do You Need to Be a Pro Artist?First, you need to create at a pro level. 1. Vision. There must be something you want to create. 2. Passion. You must really care about creating that vision well. It shows in the final version. 3. Education. This does not have to be a degree in the arts. It could be self-study and careful observation, it could be online classes, it could be weekend or adult education classes, but you need some way of learning the rules of your media so you can work well with it. 4. Practice. You need a lot of hours of practice before you're going to be able to create your vision well. 5. Persistence. Also known as grit, determination, stick-to-it-iveness, and stubbornness. It's hard to master anything, and if you're going pro, you need to be a master of your own style. Second, you need your own style. A lot of amateurs simply crib pro work and expect to somehow gain a following and get rich and respected or whatever it is they want. But that attitude keeps them locked in at amateur level, being poor, watered down imitations of real artists. It's fine to copy pro work to learn from it, it's even okay to trace to get familiar with proportions and perspective and other tricky bits. But personally I'd never attempt to sell something like that. As the saying goes, why be a poor imitation of someone else when you could be a great you? Honing your own style involves a lot of feeling around in the dark, figuring out what works for you, trying things you don't necessarily enjoy fiddling with (for me it's machinery... I like organic lines), and taking constructive criticism and learning from your mistakes and getting back up to try again. You need to know the rules, and why they exist, and then you'll know when breaking a rule makes a piece stronger. Picasso is known for his abstract art, but he was trained in realism and he has some excellent realistic portraits and drawings in his early work. By the way, drawing from life is the way to go if you're interested in drawing any style. The practice will help you draw gestures that aren't stiff, shadows that look possible, plants, animals, objects, rooms, everything. You need to train your eyes and your mind to see and perceive the lines and shapes that you can put on paper. There's more, but I guess I'm putting that in another post later. Comment below with questions and any specifics you want me to address! Electric City ComiCon Next Saturday!!!!P.S. Don't forget, I will be in Anderson at the Electric City ComiCon next Saturday with my friend Shandra Kroger of Lightning Prophetess, from 1:00 to 5:00. It's going to be a great event at the Anderson County Main Library. At 4:30, there will be a Cosplay Contest, so I will be bringing the Cosplayer Care Kit, filled with sewing supplies, safety pins, bobby pins, tape, glue, and more, AND I will have facepaint touch-up available. Harley Quinns and Jokers take note! I know that white makeup is tough to maintain!
NOTE: Purchased costumes are ineligible for contestants over age 13, and of course this is a family-friendly event, so you might want to err on the side of modesty with your costume if you think it might be iffy. In addition, I will have Steampunk Goggles, Vixies Original Art, masquerade masks, Steampunk embellished hats, hand-crocheted fingerless gloves, my Abstract Fairy Tale Art, and more! I'm lookig forward to seeing you there! I'm back from MonsterCon, and I met some of the most awesome people! I'm so glad I got the chance to talk to you all and find out what's really on your minds. I brought the Cosplayer Care Kit, and a couple of cosplayers did find me and get some safety pins, but I was pretty far back in a dead-end aisle, so if you looked for me and couldn't find me, I'm sorry! If you were there, regardless of whether you found me or not, I hope you had a great time. I didn't get out much beyond my own booth, but the vendors near me had the most amazing stuff! Shout out to Cat's Eye with the Noodle Kittens books and collectible toys and memorabilia, the guy across from me with the wooden Keyblades, swords, shields, and customizable clocks, and the one right beside me I didn't see much because of the solid wall but who had the fantastic silver jewelry trees! And let's not forget Richard's Comics & Collectibles, where I picked up some comics for Gamer Guy. Giveaway!In any case, I survived, and I wanted to celebrate by giving away one of my original mini art Vixies (mounted to a magnet so it's easy to hang and hard to lose). So everyone who is subscribed to my newsletter is entered in the giveaway, unless you send me a note saying to take you out of the contest. People who are related to me are also disqualified. (Sorry, Mama!) If you aren't subscribed and you'd like to enter, subscribe by Friday and I'll make sure you get in. Also! A couple of people who wrote down their emails to subscribe and enter at MonsterCon this past weekend are not entered. Two emails bounced and one was illegible. So if you are reading this and you signed up but have not gotten an email from OtherRealm Studio yet, check your spam filter and if it isn't there either, sign up for the newsletter with the button in the middle of the home page. It's a double opt-in, so you'll get an email back with a link to confirm your subscription. Now, if you are reading this trying to figure out why you are subscribed when you did not subscribe, I swear it's an honest mistake and I don't spam people or buy lists of emails. Just hit the unsubscribe button at the bottom of your email and MailChimp will take care of it. Electric City Comicon (EC3)I'm gearing up for the inaugural Electric City ComiCon - aka EC3 - at the Anderson County Main Library August 8th, from 1:00 to 5:00 pm. I'm so excited and I hope to see some of you there. I expect to do lots of facepainting - this con is to promote literacy and introduce newbies to fandom, so I expect more of a fair atmosphere. South Carolina isn't quite used to comic cons, but we're excited to try them out! ;) What we do know all about around here are fairs, and we put on a good fair for any reason at all. Upcoming - Do You Need a Degree to be an Artist?Next on the blog, I'm answering your questions and hearing your point of view. Tune in Saturday for my next post on what it really takes to be a successful pro artist.
Other questions? Comment below! I have been having a lovely time the last couple of days creating miniature art featuring caricatures of lively young Victorian ladies, and mounting them to magnetic backing.
(Hey, where did the rest of my post go? Okay, I'll see if I can remember the important stuff and jot it down here) So, for a limited time, I am selling these 2"x3" mini art cards with magnetic backs for $10 apiece, shipping and handling included! I plan on taking them to MonsterCon in Gaffney for the show running July 23 - 26th, if any are left, that is. "Miss Pearl Clutch" sold immediately, and then so did version 2. This pic features version 3 in space 9, and as you can see, she is appalled! If you would like one, comment below or send me a note, because I only have a limited amount of materials. See you in the OtherRealm! Today's the day! I've offered four of my abstract fairy tale paintings to Kate Wolford of Enchanted Conversation to give away on her site - so go there and check out the contest! I love fairy tales, and I've been reading Enchanted Conversation awhile now. She always has interesting articles, cool news, beautiful art, and great contests about fairy tales, retellings, and upcoming projects and movies. I highly recommend her site. Here are two of the paintings you can win: For more details and instructions to enter, visit Enchanted Conversation!
If you'd rather not leave it up to chance, you can order these paintings in my shop here. See you in the OtherRealm! Now this is what I mean by a more traditional comic book style - Don Edwards has updated and enhanced Kail's design and he looks the part of the cocky, ambitious soldier ready to plow through any obstacle in his way.
Kail thinks he can game the system he's been raised in and battle his way to a higher station in life, but what he doesn't realize is that the only way of life he's ever known is entirely corrupt. From the Emperor down, every person in authority knows to watch out for signs of ambition and initiative – and stamp it out. It isn't about the good of the people. It's about ultimate power for the Emperor. Drawing attention in this kind of society is never a good thing. I hope you all have been enjoying the fresh new look! That isn't all that's been going on - I've actually hired an artist to produce another five page prequel, and this one will be in full color, with a more traditional comic book art style. Don Edwards is now in charge of designing the final look for Kail - which is great, because it was whuppin' me trying to get him on paper like he is in my head - and the initial work is looking pretty good. I am really liking this process.
In fact, I've enjoyed sharing my vision and script and allowing someone else to draw it so much, that I may be looking for artists to do more of my stories! It's a bit scary, because I want to pay anyone I hire fairly and on completion. I do not feel right about splitting possible profits down the road sometime. If you've done the work, you should be paid - and that's that. If you're an artist and you're interested in this upcoming opportunity for real paid work where you're treated like a pro and not a poor relation, drop me a note or a comment on this post about why you want to work with OtherRealm Studio. If there's an upcoming story on the preview page you'd like to illustrate, tell me which one! I am also looking into figuring out a way to pay fans a percentage for sharing about OtherRealm Studio. I know other sites have a way to generate a unique link code for people to sign up and get a bonus for whenever someone buys through their link. How is that even done? It seems like a fair way to show some love for fans who spread the word. Let me be nothing but honest right here (well, I hope I always am), and tell you that I'm in a bit of a catch-22 situation. I want to get the word out about the stories, so I can produce more stories, but there aren't many stories complete as of the present to get the word out about. So, if you want more stories sooner from OtherRealm Studio, show some support and hope I do well at July's MonsterCon show in Gaffney, and feel free to buy some paintings in the shop or Zazzle swag at AbstractRealm. I'd appreciate it if you'd share the mission and the purpose behind OtherRealm Studio and the kinds of stories I'm producing. I can't do this without you, and I wouldn't want to. Thank you all so much. Your support and encouragement mean so much to me. See you in the OtherRealm! So, how are you liking the new look and organization so far? I tried a new thing awhile back, but... yeah, it didn't work. So I took a good hard look at what I do have, as opposed to what I want eventually, and discovered that I really have gotten somewhere.
I have beautiful abstract fairy tale art paintings to sell, a growing reputation as a face painter, new ideas coming at me left and right, and comics in the works! I'm so excited. I have been to the SC ComiCon and had an absolute blast, it was so amazing and gave me so much encouragement that what I want to do is actually going to work. I will be at MonsterCon in Gaffney in July, and we shall see how that goes, and I've also booked a space for the inaugural Electric City ComiCon in Anderson, which will be August 8th at the library. Lots of good stuff going on! And it was high time my site reflected that and really showcased my art and invited you to come explore the realms I'm creating with stories and art. I am also developing an online class - if you're an artist and you've ever gotten blocked or stuck, and would like to build a foundation to earn money from your art, you might want to check out my upcoming Unblock Your Art Biz class. |
Paula RicheyArtist, writer, creator of stuff. I just want to build worlds for you to escape to. Archives
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