by jdsmeaton | Jun 5, 2024 | Behind the Scenes, Writing
If At First You Don’t Succeed… If you read last month’s newsletter, you know my upcoming graphic novel Woodland Hills was dropped by the publisher. The rights have been reverted to me so I’ll be pitching again to new publishers. My agent asked if I wanted to...
by jdsmeaton | May 22, 2024 | Creativity, News
Some Fishy Advice In the movie Finding Nemo, Marlin and Dory have just lost their only connection to finding Nemo. Marlin is despondent but the oblivious and optimistic Dory asks “When life gets you down, do you know what you’ve got to do?” Marlin does not want to...
by jdsmeaton | May 15, 2024 | 3 Questions With...
Jonah Newman My introduction to Jonah occurred when I was originally participating in Kidlit GN, a pitch event on Twitter for graphic novel creators. It’s a way for editors and agents to see your work even if you are not represented. Jonah saw my original pitch for...
by jdsmeaton | Apr 24, 2024 | 3 Questions With...
Gene Luen Yang This is Part 2 of Lunar New Year Love Story creators interview. I got to meet Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham at a book signing for LNYLS and they both had fascinating behind-the-scenes tidbits and stories to share. Sidenote, if you are ever in a...
by jdsmeaton | Apr 17, 2024 | 3 Questions With...
LeUyen Pham Pronounced Lay-Win Or Win for short. I went to a book signing last month for LeUyen Pham and Gene Luen Yang’s book Lunar New Year Love Story. It was such a treat to sit in on their discussion. Lots of fascinating insights and behind the scenes anecdotes....
by jdsmeaton | Apr 10, 2024 | Creativity, Writing
The Thief of Joy: Overcoming the Comparison Trap My wife and I were talking about our career paths and aspirations. The conversation drifted to comparing our current situations to those of others we perceive as more “successful.” I’ve certainly tumbled...
by jdsmeaton | Mar 20, 2024 | 3 Questions With...
Tim Probert I came across Tim’s work through The Ballad of Bea and Cad, a 5-minute cartoon pilot that he created with Nickelodeon. It’s fantastic. (I thought the needlefish darts were quite clever.) Unfortunately, it didn’t get made into a series. Then a few...
by jdsmeaton | Mar 1, 2024 | Behind the Scenes, How To, Recommendations, Writing
Making A Comic Page: From Script to Final Art Last year, my book agent asked me to share how I break down a comic page for her blog. I love to hear other creator’s processes, so I was happy to do it. I figured I’d share that with you here. Step 1: The Script I...
by jdsmeaton | Feb 21, 2024 | 3 Questions With...
Lucy Knisley I’ve been a fan of Lucy since back when Live Journal was popular. I don’t really know Lucy but having read her slice-of-life comics for (jeez) 20ish years now, it sure feels like I do. Her work offers just about everyone something relatable to their own...
by jdsmeaton | Feb 7, 2024 | Writing
The Most Amazing Song Never Written I read Tom Petty’s biography a few years back. I had been a fan since high school but reading the book gave me a greater appreciation for the music I’d been listening to for years. But if things had played out a little differently,...
