My last event of the school year was in Rochester, MN, where I have been presenting for the past ten years.
The first couple of times I attended this conference my session was titled “Let’s Play Poetry” in which I likened working on your poetic abilities to practicing sports. To get better at sports, you do training exercises geared toward the skills you want to improve at. You can also do writing exercises to help increase your writing abilities.
Since writing my first graphic novel, Matthew Henson: Arctic Adventurer, I’ve been presenting on graphic novels. This go around, I had a surprise addition to my session.
I was assigned to the school’s Equine Science classroom, and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to use the big, black horse in my presentation. Above its head I placed a though bubble, “Can we horse around?”. And I’d reference the thought bubble has we discussed the parts of a graphic novel script.
May 21st, 2010 | Category: Events | Leave a comment
Just go back from presenting at the Young Author’s Conference in Winona, MN. It was my first time at this event and only my second time in Winona.
I have never signed so many autographs: books, notebooks, book bags, and t-shirts, at a conference or book signing before. It was nice that students were allotted time at the end of each day, before having to get their buses back to school, to go talk to the presenters and ask for autographs.
Signing Eek and Ack books for a fan
May 15th, 2010 | Category: Events | Leave a comment
The first draft of my graphic novel script parodying Charlie’s Angels is now complete. Let me introduce you to the cast.
- Originally born in Ishikawa, Japan, Tina Sakka moved to Spokane, Washington when she was two. She has kept a journal since moving, and while the early pages are mostly scribbles of noodles and worms, the diary is now 4,000 pages long and fills up half her closet., which is the reason why today she uses a digital notepad to keep her notes.
- Raised in Spokane, Washington, Gillian Faucet holds the state record for saying all the presidents’ names (first, last, and middle) in under a minute. Not only can she talk fast, she has the gift of persuasion. Gillian once convinced her parents to buy her a cell phone by asking them “Why can’t I have one?” continuously for three weeks straight.
- Keely Rubio was born in Juárez, Mexico. She moved to Spokane, Washington, shortly after her tae kwon do instructor mysteriously broke both his thumbs. Some say he mistakenly called “Kelly” instead of Keely. Since moving, Kelly, I mean Keely, has taken up a love of photography and supposedly packed in her black belt.
- A native Spokane, Washington, resident, some think Clarissa Frosty never got over her loss at the state spelling bee, accidentally spelling mackerel M-A-C-K-E-R-A-L. Since then, she’s taken over as editor-in-chief of the school newspaper, The Elementary Angle. Clarissa has also taken budding journalist Tina, Gillian, and Keely under her wing, and disguised as the cool, mysterious Carly, she secretly gives them scoops on stories.
This is all preliminary, but hopefully my editor will like where things are going so far.
May 8th, 2010 | Category: Carly's Angels, Fiction, Graphic Novels | Leave a comment
I’m this week’s featured author on the Reading Minnesota Blog.
There’s a preview to my upcoming releases, and check out that hat! It’s from a picture taken in the Amana Colonies in Iowa. My dad, little brother, and I were having fun trying on the odd assortment of hats one of the gift shops had for sale.
May 1st, 2010 | Category: Miscellaneous | Leave a comment
Don’t forget to stop by your local Comic Book Store (that’s the Source Comics and Games for me) to get some free reads and celebrate <a href=”http://www.freecomicbookday.com”>Free Comic Book Day</a> this Saturday, May 1st. A couple gems you will find this year include the Mouse Guard/Fragile Rock flip book and Dreamworks’ Shrek & the Penguins of Madagascar offering. There’s also a new Owly story and The Tick comic.
April 26th, 2010 | Category: Events | Leave a comment
Recently I bought a house, and while there are many things with this big purchase to be excited about from my new compost bin (built specially for me by my dad), a backyard for my dog Zuki, an herb garden, a rain barrel, etc . . . the one thing that has me energized is a 7′ by 8′ room on the second floor, with a lone window overlooking the street in front of my house.
This room is big enough for my drawing table and a comfy chair, a bookshelf and a lots of ideas. I’ll also cover the walls with artwork from my books and by friends. The room is being dubbed “The Creative Room”, though I’m sure I’ll think of a more intriguing name once I start using the room. It will be my creative space area, where I grind away at my art. And I believe all artists should have a designate spot, a comfy and inspirational nook, to call their own.
Once I have the room set up, I will post pictures.
April 15th, 2010 | Category: Miscellaneous | Leave a comment
That’s me! Check it out. Probably an apt choice since I am a poet, and it’s National Poetry Month. Just don’t laugh about the hat — it’s the only one I could find in their prop room that fit my enormous noggin. Not sure if I was trying to do a comical shot or a serious, author-like one. Think the picture of me landed somewhere in between, like I was channeling the Big Bad Voodoo Daddies.
Still, a cool mention, and there’s even a link to some of my books published through Stone Arch.
April 6th, 2010 | Category: Miscellaneous, Poetry | Leave a comment
April is National Poetry Month, and since I’ve had this fascination with crows lately, I’d like to share a couple poems in one of my favorite forms, the cinquain.
Crows
Thick-billed.
Mocking songbirds.
Lumps of coal perched in trees.
Black brushstrokes on the horizon.
Corvids.
(Corvid is the the family of birds that includes crows, ravens, and jays.)
Even the Crows Know How to Recycle
Flying
off with candy
wrappers and pop can tabs
tucked in their beaks to build nest for
their young.
April 1st, 2010 | Category: Poetry | Leave a comment
Stoked about the new Clash of the Titans movie? Then check out my Perseus and Medusa retelling. It’ll be a good refresher to get you ready for the movie, though don’t expect Perseus to be riding Pegasus in my retelling. He actually flew around on his quest using a paired of winged shoes, a gift from Hermes.
Not to mention, Pegasus wasn’t even born until after Medusa was slain. At the time of her death, Medusa was pregnant with two of Poseidon’s children: Pegasus and the giant Chrysaor. They leaped from Medusa’s body after Perseus cut her head off.
It wasn’t until Renaissance artists started painting Perseus riding Pegasus that people began to associate the two. Maybe they thought it made for a more dramatic scene with Perseus astride a winged horse than buzzing around with winged sandals.
March 27th, 2010 | Category: Fiction, Graphic Novels, Retellings | Leave a comment
was at the Source: Comics & Games, my favorite comic book store, and was tickled to see a couple old friends.
March 20th, 2010 | Category: Eek and Ack, Fiction, Graphic Novels | Leave a comment
