THE WITCH'S WINGS is out in less than a month!!
hey, pals!
today is the first day of the year here that feels like autumn. i'm not a fan of the cold, but those couple weeks where it's still sunny and the sun hasn't yet decided to set at 4pm and it's just cool enough to wear a cute little jacket or a sweater are the best — not to mention, of course, that autumn means it's almost halloween, and y'all know how excited i am for halloween.
speaking of halloween: i have lots of fun, spooky news to share today!
🐈⬛ are you afraid of the dark? 🐈⬛
THE WITCH'S WINGS AND OTHER TERRIFYING TALES, the first are you afraid of the dark? graphic novel, comes out october 3rd! that's only about two and a half weeks away, which is absolutely unbelievable.
here's the blurb for it, in case you've missed me posting about it everywhere:
Based on Nickelodeon's hit horror franchise Are You Afraid of the Dark?, an original horror graphic novel series with three all-new stories based on Hispanic urban legends and cultural lore
In this all-new graphic novel series, a new Midnight Society gathers around the campfire to share urban legends, folklores, and all manner of spooky stories. These three terrifying tales feature haunted buses, monstrous creatures, and spine-chilling mysteries guaranteed to have you reaching for the light switch! In "The Tale of the Witch's Wings," a young boy with a habit of bullying meets his match when an ancient witch sets her eyes on him. In "The Tale of the Haunting of Bus #13," a young girl finds herself potentially trapped on a bus haunted by more than just ghosts! And in "The Tale of the Stray Comet," two siblings bring home a stray dog that is much more monstrous than they could ever imagine! These three stories will be beautifully and hauntingly brought to life by artists Junyi Wu, Justin and Alexis Hernandez, and Kaylee Rowena.
you can preorder the book in hardcover & paperback today! preorders really help a book succeed, and i really want this book to do well — everyone involved put so much work into it, and i'm so excited for everyone to get to see it!
i'm working with some local baltimore bookstores to plan some events for the book launch, so stay tuned for more info on that if you're local! and either way, don't forget to support your local indie bookstores and preorder it there if you can.
here are a few preview pages from my story in the book, THE TALE OF THE HAUNTING OF BUS #13.
🎃 halloween greetings! 🎃
for my october patreon mail, i'm making postcards based on a vintage 1920s halloween greeting card! there's still a few spots left in the ouija board & spirit box tiers for this month, so join before september 30th if you'd like one of these postcards!
i also have a big process post up on my patreon for this illustration, where i go through some of my thought process for various aspects of it. i think that kind of thing is super interesting! if you agree, you can see that here.
patreon support helps me keep making art my full-time job, and gives me a bit of financial wiggle room when my mental health is fighting against me and i can't create as much as i'd like to. (this has been the case for the past couple months, so i really truly appreciate everyone who's subscribed to my patreon for making it possible for me to pay rent while my brain is bad!)
i also made a font out of some old halloween cards while working on this, which you can download for free/pay-what-you-want on my itch.io page! (you can also, as always, grab pdfs of a bunch of my books/zines on there!)
🔮 deck of spirits 2.0 🔮
if you've been following my work for a while, you might remember these tarot card stickers i made for my patreon last year. i've been wanting for a while to turn these into a full deck, and after attending a tarot panel at spx (featuring wonderful decks by shing yin khor, isabella rotman, coco fox, and kevin jay stanton) i've been super inspired to finally go back to this project.
i'm posting cards as i draw them on my patreon for haunting tier and up! i have 6 finished so far and 44 total planned right now. i'll probably be running a kickstarter to fund making the deck — i'm not sure exactly when, but sometime between a month and a year from now. i'll keep you guys updated with more specifics once i've figured them out!
here's two cards i've got so far — one redrawn from the original set, and one brand new one. you can also still grab a print of the original set of cards on my inprnt!
🎀 legally distinct definitely-not-barbie shirts! 🎀
after some slight edits to make sure i don't get sued for copyright infringement, my horror barbie series is now available on my bonfire shop in three variations: came back wrong (pictured above), final girl, and gothic horror! tis the season for spooky shirts (and sweatshirts, and hoodies!)
🎟 upcoming conventions 🎟
the baltimore horror club's beers & fears halloween market at peabody heights brewery is a few weeks away! i'll be tabling there with lots of spooky halloween goodies.
i've had to cancel my plans to table at ann arbor indie comics fest & st louis indie comics expo, unfortunately — travel is just too expensive, and i'm pretty broke at the moment. i'm hoping i can attend those in future years when my finances are a little more stable!
in the meantime, for folks outside of baltimore, i'll be at the boston art book fair this november. i'll update with more info on that once we're closer to the fair!
🫀 recommendations 🫀
mitski's new album, the land is inhospitable and so are we, dropped today. i've been listening to it on loop since waking up this morning; it feels like the perfect start-of-autumn album.
emily carroll's newest book, a guest in the house, is an absolutely incredible haunted house story. i've read it like 8 times since buying it.
i also recently read caitlin doughty's from here to eternity, and i can't stop thinking about it. if fascinating nonfiction about different funerary practices around the world sounds cool to you, go borrow it from your local library.
i got a copy of the newest issue of datura at small press expo last weekend, and it is, of course, absolutely beautiful! description copy-pasted from the datura website: datura is a josei-inspired anthology series featuring a range of speculative and realist stories for an queer adult audience that, like the poisonous datura flower, might have an edge to them. this issue had comics by remus jackson, lyle lewis & p, a.a. pandya, and rosemary valero-o'connell.
i'm learning how to use a sewing machine, finally! i've got a lesson planned with my grandma for tomorrow; i'm making a nice flowy pink skirt for myself. it feels really cool to make things i can wear — like mending clothes, it feels like an act of love for my future self, making things that will last and be loved for a long time. feels good!
updated covid boosters are available starting next monday (september 18), and you can schedule an appointment to get one at most places now! i've got an appointment set for next monday to get mine. protect yourself and your community & get yours, too, if you're able to!
that's all for this time, i think! i'll be back next month with more updates for y'all. in the meantime, happy halloween, and stay safe out there!
💖,
- kaylee