Launching next week!

PILLOW TALK by @hellocookie.bsky.social was added to The List 2025: Great Reads for Youth by the Toronto Public Library.

Friends, MICA is hiring a full time faculty member in Illustration. If you are a professional illustrator or comics artist who also loves teaching, I encourage you to apply. Join me and the rest of the faculty, it is a wonderful place to work and teach: mica.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Facult...

BOOM! Studios is HIRING!!! We're looking for a talented, organized, and detail-oriented Assistant Editor with 1-2 years in editorial or a similar field! You will most likely be working directly with me on a variety of comic titles. Please visit the link to apply! bit.ly/42ooXLq #comicjobs

Wait, I forgot an important one: DON'T QUIT YOUR JOB TO START A COMIC. You can quit your job if and only if your comic is making enough money to sustain you. Maybe if you're a trust fund kid or something, but if that's the case, you've got bigger problems, like trying not be evil.

Howdy friends, I'm hosting a NEW CREATOR BREAKFAST at @newyorkcomiccon.bsky.social this year for new / young / inexperienced comic creators, sponsored by ReedPop. If you want to meet and talk shop with peers, pros, and publishers, apply here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

White Squirrel and Andrea are almost single-handedly holding together several independent artist economies and this is a godsend to any intl people who were blindsided by US tariffs before their fulfillment process (but after purchase)!!

How to apologize: a short thread. So. You've fucked up. You did or said or wrote something that angered and/or offended and/or hurt someone or many someones. You need to apologize--either because you were wrong, or because people are telling you to apologize. Which one is the case doesn't matter.

Every artist I’ve ever known has this itch to create that won’t go away until they create. They have to do it. It’s why I know the “finally, someone like me can make art” AI users are full of shit. What they really mean is “finally, a way to get social media likes without hard work”.

Editors: I’m currently looking for upcoming writing work. Comics and graphic novels are preferred but I’m open to discussing other stuff. I love writing for MG, tween, and YA, and a variety of genres (see next skeet) I’m not on here too much right now but you can reach out at [email protected] 💌

Funny, but not as entertaining as @hellocookie.bsky.social and Mel Valentine Vargas' PILLOW TALK.

Happy #Letterer Appreciation Day! Wanted to take a moment to spotlight some of the books I’ve been lucky enough to work on, including The Do-Over series by @letsgorodrigo.bsky.social and @kurisquare.bsky.social and Pillow Talk by @hellocookie.bsky.social and @onlinevalentine.bsky.social

Trying so hard to get back to writing today, but both of my pets are farting up a storm, and breathing has become perilous...so if I manage to actually get anything done, it'll be a small miracle.

And I’m boosting this post and Leslie specifically one more time—she is not only an actual parent but our collective con mom who takes care of us and our community as a whole. One of the most genuine, kind, and welcoming people we’ve got. Please show her some more love and support ❤️

Now that FanExpo is wrapped, I can say that while we were unsuccessful in getting the Bell AI booth removed, it created a big convo with both companies. I’m so proud of everyone who spoke up and made it an issue they couldn’t ignore.

I'll be at Fan Expo Canada today, talking about editing comics with @heatherantos.bsky.social and @hellocookie.bsky.social !! Come see our panel if you have burning questions about spreadsheets :)

For folks who still want to show their support to real artists and protest Bell’s AI booth, please send your complaints to [email protected] and to FanExpo Corporate. The folks running Artist Alley and the Exhibitor sections were also blindsided by all of this.

Leslie has a booth at the show and has STILL been tirelessly advocating for the Artist Alley creators all weekend (and always in general), and trying to bring awareness to this issue. She was a massive part of this stand in and y’all should follow and support her.

As a final update for now on this Bell/AI debacle, Bell has said that they paid an artist for the images and backgrounds, etc. however, they are still using Stable Diffusion to put it all together, so THEY believe their AI has been ethically sourced but there’s truly no such thing.

‪I want to clarify a few things about the FanExpo/Bell AI Photo Booth stuff: To many of us, the south building of the con is Artist Alley. The Bell booth is part of the eSports section, but near enough to Artist Alley for it to still be a BIG problem.‬

Just want to stress again that FanExpo was not aware that the police were asked to get involved with our peaceful protest. That was the Metro Toronto Convention Center, where the event is hosted.

The police are telling us that we need to disperse our peaceful protest of their AI, or else we (even as guests) will be removed from the convention and arrested.

The stand in at the Bell Canada booth is happening right now to protest their AI Photo Booth.

Today at 3pm if you’re at FanExpo Canada, you should go to Bell’s booth and tell them how abhorrent you find generative AI, which is being done here in violation of the FanExpo vendor contracts

If you’re at FanExpo today, folks will be doing a stand in at the Bell booth at 3pm to voice their concerns. SAY NO TO A I ART!

PSA: If you're at FanExpo Canada this weekend, take a moment to stop by the Bell Canada A I Photo Booth to tell them how upsetting it is that they're undercutting the artists of Artist Alley by offering free A I photos (that's trained on the stolen art of creators) to attendees.

THIS WEEKEND IN TORONTO!!! I'll be on a few panels -- even moderating some! Come hang out and let's talk comics! @jamesthefourth.bsky.social @martinsimmonds.bsky.social @tatebrombal.bsky.social @michaelwalsh.bsky.social @hellocookie.bsky.social @allisonmotoole.bsky.social

The Racc Pack (2024), written by @hellocookie.bsky.social, art by Whitney Gardner.

WRITERS! Want to level up your practice? Bring joy back to writing, push past a block, or come back from burnout? I'm currently accepting a limited number of coaching clients--shoot me an email at jay(dot)edidin(at)gmail.com with COACHING QUERY in the subject line to set up a free consultation!

Grasp, based off the Pillars of Creation photo taken by the Hubble telescope in the 90s

Free Piano (Not Haunted) is the newest graphic novel from @heywhitney.bsky.social and on today’s See Jurassic Right we chat about our mutual obsession with Goosebumps and the episode, “Piano Lessons Can Be Murder,” and more! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/p...

Riot has 141 open roles at the moment- including some 77 in LA and some 24 in Mercer Island. It feels like a drop in the bucket these days, but please take a look if you need it. www.riotgames.com/en/work-with...

I wrote a new guest blog for @hireillo.com about working with artists as a comic book writer. Including creative processes, what to put in your contract, how to form a healthy / collaborative working relationship, and more! Check it out👇 www.hireillo.com/blog/how-to-...

If you’re thinking of diving into graphic novels, I’ve been sharing these two resources a lot lately: @victoriaying.com on scripting: www.victoriaying.com/blog/2019/11... @hellocookie.bsky.social on pitching and outlines: stephaniecooke.ca/resources/ Then buy their books to say thank you!

"I have nothing to hide! I don't need digital privacy!" Well... - AI companies are scraping your data - Scammers are using AI to get better at their schemes - And yeah, a new era of government surveillance... A starter guide to protecting you online life:

This! This is it. I still do this, although sometimes it’s “email an artist friend, ask them what they want to draw, and then write that” I would strongly suggest newer writers start off with 8-12 page stories—finish that, then do another (different story, or 2nd chapter of first, whatev)

Today is my 35th birthday and to celebrate, I’ve launched @fatfwdbooks.bsky.social on @binderybooks.bsky.social! 🎉 I’ve wanted to build a fat, bookish community space for a long time, and I’ve poured a lot of thought into the shape and vibe of FFB! 🧵

If you can, please donate to 826NYC to help pick up the slack left by the rich hateful class in charge as they continue to dismantle everything positive about this country. (Also consider the other 826 National chapters, as I'm sure the monsters are coming for them if they haven't already, too.)

i wanted to collect links people are posting to good polygon-adjacent sites + ways to follow/support folks who've been laid off from there - almost certainly extremely incomplete but maybe it'll be helpful? haunts.neocities.org/polygon

Printed a stack of @redgoldsparks.bsky.social 's @authorsabb.bsky.social zine to bring to the @silverunicornbooks.bsky.social GN Festival on Saturday!

THE NIB AND INK FEST IS HERE! You have all month to check out so many comics in the shop nif-shop.cartoonist.coop including the very FREE comics sampler! (Dead City makes an appearance, so go grab the PDF for it!!)

today my 1453-day streak in Duolingo ends, never to be picked up again

I’ve been a video game PR person for a long time and let me tell you that the team at Polygon have always been some of the smartest, thoughtful reporters in the industry. This is awful news and a massive blow to an already depleted industry.

The Racc Pack is nominated for Best Kids' Book, wahhh! So honoured and excited 🥺🙏💖🦝

Hey Canadian artists/writers! CANADA COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS had a seminar on the upcoming changes to their grants and it sounds like 1) project limits will be reset and 2) they are enthusiastic for indigenous / racialized / lgbtq etc applicants So: here are the few grant-writing tips I can offer!

For anyone aware of the tragedy at Vancouver Lapu Lapu festival, here's a thread of GoFundMe's available to help support the many victims. (copy pasted from my friend 'J' in the Vancouver Filipino community) 🧵

Friends! Editors! If you know of any freelance opportunities, please send them my way! I’m looking for anything that has to do with books (fic & nonfic), movies, tv shows, games, etc! I’d love to expand my portfolio over the next few months. (Any shares are greatly appreciated as always 🥹)

Saw that this AWESOME graphic novel got on a list for great reads this season soooo check it out and read some fun graphic novels!! @hellocookie.bsky.social @heywhitney.bsky.social

in case you're wondering, "what's the harm in claiming an extinct species has been brought back from the dead" when it most certainly has not, our interior secretary is already using it to justify taking animals off the endangered species list

💥COMICS REVIEWERS!💥 If you want a review copy of THE FUTURE IS ****** #1 email [email protected] Our mega-sized (100+pp) 1st issue is the start of a 5-YR COMMITMENT that's one of the most exciting projects I've been involved with & I want everyone to see it! Lunar FOC is Monday April 21!