Coming Soon from Aquatic Panda Distro

Aquatic Panda Distro just opened up for submissions to their brand new zine series "Cran Magazine" (named after the mispronunciation of the word "crayon") Cran Magazine will be a comics, art, trivia and games magazine where each issue is based on a different topic. The theme for issue #0 will be "The Chicago Mothman". Pitch us an idea by March 8th here.

 

Spooky Vending Machine Buttons

Spooky buttons I made for my art vending machine. Each one is unique.

Rubber stamp print buttons with different colored ink and paper. The bright yellow ones are glow in the dark.

Spooky mermaid buttons are a collaboration. Designed by artist J.N. (@mermaidnonsense). The design was printed in black and white and hand colored by me.

Art Vend!

 Hey Friends,

I was gifted this really cool art vending machine! I've got it stuffed with some goodies (buttons and patches) and I'm hoping to bring it out to a few future events. Below are some examples what I have in stock!

It Came From Hallowzine: Call for Artists

 

After a short break, Hallowzine is back! Aquatic Panda Distro is organizing the 6th installment in the Chicago horror comic anthology series. This one titled IT CAME FROM HALLOWZINE! Sign ups are open right now for cartoonists based in the Chicagoland area. We are looking for comics artists of all skill levels. Sign up today! CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP

Not sure this project is for you? Check out the guidelines below.

Chicago’s premiere horror comic anthology is back! Aquatic Panda Distro is calling all Chicago Area comic artists to contribute to It Came From Hallowzine.

What is Hallowzine?

Hallowzine is a Halloween/Horror themed comics anthology.

What can my comic be about?

While the title of the book will be “It Came From Hallowzine”, the only requirement for the theme of your comic is that it is Halloween or Horror related. We hope to have various different styles and tones of story represented: silly, scary, sweet, etc. While NSFW artwork is allowed, we are asking artists to keep it rated R or under. Please no explicit sex or sexual violence. 

Who can submit?

Any creator currently living in the greater Chicagoland area may submit. We are interested in artists of all skill levels. College students, beginners, and experienced comic artists are all welcome! We only ask that your final comic be “finished” artwork. The finals should not be in thumbnail form or just be stick figures.

Process:

Let’s do this! The first thing you need to do is sign up to let Aquatic Panda know that you are interested in being a part of It Came From Hallowzine. You will fill out a short survey/google form and download a copy of the contract. Contracts are required to submit. The contract is basic and just gives Aquatic Panda the permission to print and distribute your submitted art for this book only. All rights of the artwork will remain that of the artists. Sign ups for the anthology close on March 9th. We will send out emails once signups close to confirm we received your application and remind you of the next steps.

From there, you get to start thinking, writing and drawing. Aquatic Panda has a few checkpoints to help keep you on track. 

We will ask you to submit a concept and a few rough sketches. Depending on your process this may look different from artist to artist. You may show us your script and a few character sketches or rough layout thumbs. At the very least we ask for a few sentences describing what your comic is about. It’s fine if you don’t have all the details ironed out yet. Concepts/Story Ideas are due by March 30th.

Next we would like to see some more detailed artwork. Artwork does not need to be finished, but we would like to be able to see and understand the general look and idea of your comic. This can be detailed thumbnails or rough pencils. Pencils/Thumbnails are due by April 27th.

The last step is the final pages. This should be your finished artwork. By finished we mean “inked” final art and final dialogue (if any). Finished artwork may look different depending on artist style. Please edit and double check your work. The final book will be printed in black and white/grayscale. When you send the finals be sure they look like what you want them to look like in the final book. If you want the title, your name, or social media on your comic page you must add that to your artwork (there will be a table of contents). Final pages are due June 22nd.

Can I collaborate with another artist or writer?

Yes! You may work with another artist or writer, but this must be arranged by you before signing up for the anthology. In the signup survey there will be a question about working with a collaborator. Please enter the name of your collaborator. You and your collaborator must fill out the survey separately and you both must sign your own contract.

What is the page limit for submissions?

Your comic should be between 1 and 5 pages long. This limit is to keep it manageable for our time frame and to keep printing costs manageable. If you feel your story needs to be longer and it is reasonable that you can get it done in time please email us to get approval. Page extensions may be available depending on the number of signups and will be given on a first come first served basis.  

Technical Specs:

What is the required page size, resolution, image mode, and file format?

Regardless of medium or method you are using to draw your comic, your final pages must meet these specifications:

● Page size: 5.5 inches by 8.5 inches (safe zone: 4.8903 in x 8.0278 in) 

● Resolution: 300 dpi/ppi 

● Image mode: Grayscale

● File Format: .TIF, Flattened layers, no Alpha channels, LZW compression. (Note that some art programs do not export to .TIF - if that is the case with your program, please let us know) 

● If you plan to use screen tones, please contact us BEFORE applying them so we can provide the proper output guideline. 

What do I get out of this?

All creators will receive 5 free copies of the book and will have the opportunity to purchase more copies of the book, at printing cost. If you wish to purchase additional copies this needs to be arranged prior to the printing of the book. We will reach out to creators about this opportunity once the book is ready to be sent to the printer. Once the book is back from the printers we will host a book release party with free food for all the contributing artists and their guests.

Who payin’ for this?

As you may know, printing is quite expensive. Aquatic Panda Distro has applied for a handful of grants in an attempt to procure funding. We should know for sure in the next few months if one of those grants will pay out. If not, we will be crowdfunding this book. We are hoping to raise $3,000 to pay for printing and to ship out any copies that need to be shipped. If for some reason the goal is not met, Aquatic Panda will foot the bill, but may result in a cut down of the print run. Regardless, this book will get made!

What happens to the rest of the books?

All extra copies are sold in local stores, conventions and distributed by Aquatic Panda to fund more cool projects like this one!

Timelines:

Hallowzine Official Announcement..January 31st

Signups end……………………...….March 9th

Concept art and story ideas due.....March 30th

Rough sketches..............................April 27th

Final Deadline…………………...….June 22nd

 

Your Body My Choice

Not sure where else to post this. I should rename this blog to The Island of Misfit Drawrings. Meh, Moderate Sketchyness still works.

Button Commissions!

I'm doing original art button commissions!

If you are local to Chicago you may also pick up in person. The local pick up option is $25 instead of $30! I'll be tabling at the Rogers Park Farmers Market/Art Market on Sunday mornings (06/23, 07/28, 08/11, 09/29, 10/13) from 9am-2pm. I can also plan pick ups at other times as needed. Email me at aquaticpanda at yahoo.com or dm me on Instagram @Saturn2169 for inquiries. 

Doughboys Comic

Comic I drew while watching the Doughboys on youtube.

 

The Revenge Of Hallowzine

 Call for submissions!

Andrea Pearson in association with Aquatic Panda with the help of Eric DeSantis are calling all Chicago area comic artists to submit to Chicago's premiere horror comic anthology: Hallowzine: The Revenge of Hallowzine!

We are asking artists interested in submitting to fill out this Google Form:

Hallowzine Sign Up Form

Signups end May 21st

Below are the Hallowzine specifics and guidelines. A downloadable pdf is in the google sign up form. 

If you have any questions please contact Andrea at aquaticpanda at yahoo.com

I'm So Tired Of Social Media

I really want to go back to just posting on my blog. It feels like such a safe space. I guess because no one looks at it. Well, anyway, I drew this dumb little comic. I've been having fun doodling these characters in animal costumes and I wanted to play around with a sort of slice of life story featuring these characters dressed up inexplicably. This is mostly just a test, but figured I'd post it here, so you can see my process. Enjoy!

Thumbnails and rough characters in sketchbook.

Pencils. I don't normally pencil in black lead anymore, but was sort of feeling nostalgic.

Inks mostly done, just have to add borders.

Borders all added and a couple final touches.

This is the final scanned.

Pencils were sort of roughly measured, but I didn't use a ruler to trace the lines. I like the rough look of it.

It's sort of hard to tell, but this was drawn on a yellowish/beige cardstock. I wanted to do it on a light green cardstock, but I didn't have the color I wanted in the correct size of paper.

Anyways, I honestly haven't been drawing a lot of comics recently. I've been doing a lot of writing and just silly fanart drawing, but I'm trying to get back in the swing of things. I've got some fun stuff coming up on the horizon. 

I've Hit Rock Bottom

 

Just Gonna Keep Dumping Stardew Valley Fanart Here

 

Just wanted to post this dumb drawing

Been pretty rusty since I haven't been inking much, but just wanted to share this dumb little Stardew Valley drawing.

 

Anthology Sale!

Hey Everyone! With all the mess going on I’ve really missed out on sharing some of the cool anthologies I’ve been a part of. Buy some Hallowzines for the spooky season or get some fun books as gifts.

Northside Comic Artists anthologies Hallowzine 1-3

GCC Ladies Night Anthology Sisters

Northside Comic Artists Anthologies Misadventure and Memories

Prices are listed in the images. Free shipping (US only). I can receive payments through Paypal (Saturn2169@yahoo.com) or Venmo (Saturn2169). 

No Pants Revolution 5!

 

No Pants Revolution 5 is here! In case you don't know, No Pants Revolution is my autobiographical, diary comic zine series. It started in 2014 when I tried my hand at drawing a daily comic and has evolved into a collage of comics, diary style writing and sketches from my sketchbooks. No Pants 5 is stacked. At 32 pages it's beefier than the last couple books and this one comes with a FULL COLOR STICKER SHEET! I'm super proud of the book and I can't wait for people to see it. You can get it at my online store right now!

 http://www.apearsonart.com/2019/08/store.html

Sticker Sale!

For now my store is closed, but that doesn't mean you can't get one of these sweet, sweet stickers. For the next few weeks I will be selling my stickers and shipping them out snail mail. Prices for the stickers are listed on the images below. If you are interested in purchasing one you can email me at apearson@ymail.com with the subject line "sticker sale"; let me know which stickers you want and don't forget to let me know your address. I am accepting payments through Venmo (Saturn2169) and Paypal (Saturn2169@yahoo.com). Because I am shipping them snail mail, in a plain envelope with a stamp, please allow extra time for shipping. US only, sorry.

B-b-b-b-Bonus!

I am also super excited to say that I was interviewed for an article in the Chicago Reader about zine culture during the quarantine. It's been a crazy few months and although it's been paralyzing and depressing in many ways, I have been fighting and trying to continue to stay healthy and create. The article highlights my efforts to sell zines online as well as dropping off zines in free little libraries around Chicago. The article even included a picture of me. The Chicago Reader is a paper that is super special to me. It's been a part of my life since childhood and it's one of the top ways I find out about different arts and cultural events around town. It was so special and emotional for me to be a part of it. You can read the article online here. Below is the image from the paper which included a picture of me next to a free little library in Rogers Park.

#Quaranzinefest

We may be all sheltered in place, but we are still making and sharing zines. Enter #QuaranzineFest! A two day online zine fest. Make, share, buy and trade zines online. Follow the hashtag #QuaranzineFest and discover some fun new zines and zinesters today April 4 and tomorrow April 5.

To that end, you may have noticed that my online store is temporarily closed. 

Unfortunately, with social distancing and shelter in place it is becoming increasingly difficult to make it to the post office to ship out my usual wares. Do not fret! I have a bunch of stamps at home and, for a small price, I can snail mail you a selection of mini zines. I have a new mini preview version of No Pants Revolution 5 and a new iridescent No Pants Revolution sticker that I can send to you for only $3. Also, For $5 you'll get those and I'll also throw in my Fandom Fashion 1 & 2 mini zines. The info for how you can venmo and paypal me are on the images below. This deal will be going on as long as there is shelter in place and is unfortunately for US only.

Surely, it goes without saying that all of the fests that I was so excited about in the beginning of the year are now postponed or cancelled. But it's okay, as long as I'm making zines I'll try to figure out how to get them out to people.

Go follow #Quaranzinefest, discover some new fun stuff and support artists!

The Year is 2020

It's March! Boy, has it been a year already. Some good stuff, some not so great things and some great things! I don't feel like getting into all the details right now. What I do want to do is tell you about some of the awesome shows I got lined up this Spring!

I'm so excited to be a part of these amazing shows! I have a new No Pants Revolution coming out as well as some other fun stuff that I can't wait to show you. Below are a few more details about when and where they are.

April 4: Milwaukee Zine Fest 10:30am-4:30pm at The Central Branch of the Milwaukee Public Library Milwaukee, WI

April 18: Detroit Zine Fest 11am-7pm at Light Box Performance in Detroit, MI

May 16: Chicago Zine Fest 11am-6pm at The Plumbers Union Hall Chicago, IL

June 13-14: Chicago Alternative Comics Expo (CAKE) 11am-6pm at The Broadway Armory Chicago, IL

So, what else have I been up to? This past December I did my first ever comics reading courtesy of Meanwhile and Saturday Night Drink and Draw. I gave out and mailed over 100 copies of my 2019 Holiday Card (which due to some computer issues I don't have access to right now. That will be for another post soon, promise). Also, for the first time ever, I actually completed all 31 days of #inktober! I was inspired to do inktober illustrations based around the loose concept of fashion. Some of the drawings are of me in outfits inspired by characters, old photos or real life outfits I wear and a few are fan art drawings of characters wearing fun new outfits. Check them out!

Here they are all over the floor. This is fun right?

If you can't make it out to any of the shows I'll be at, then considering grabbing some of my comics from my online store. New stuff coming soon. Link.

Also, if you don't already, go follow me on Instagram and or Twitter for up to date art stuffs. 
Instagram: @Saturn2169
Twitter: @Saturn2169