Leap Day 2024

I realized too late that there was a typo in the last panel, but fixing mistakes in MS Paint is a headache, so I’ll just do this: “*finished, not finish.”

Citation: Italie, Leanne. “Have a Look at the Whos, Whats and Whens of Leap Year Through Time.” Phys.Org, Phys.org, 25 Feb. 2024, https://www.phys.org/news/2024-02-whos-whats-whens-year.html

Two Years, Six Lakes!

And YES! It is now the two-year anniversary of Six Lakes Studios!

Thank you for two years of supporting me in sharing stories with Queer, Neurodivergent, and Pacific Northwestern themes. Since November 17th/18th*, 2020, I have brought not only stories, but comics as well, and there is so much more to come.

I know I’ve been slow on updates lately. I apologize for this, and I will try to catch up over Winter Break. This quarter has been busier than expected, and I also had some personal issues. I will post a video on YouTube when I can, but thanks so much for coming along with me as my website grows.

Q&A For 21!

TODAY’S MY 21ST BIRTHDAY! WOOOOOO!

What is your favorite comic to draw?

Probably Parker and Luca right now. Parker, Luca, and their friends are into earrings, tattoos, and hair dyes. So it’s just fun to play around with the specifics like that. And it’s nice to create stories for the gay, autistic Parker, who I loosely based on myself (emphasis on loosely).

What program do you use to draw your comics?

Microsoft Paint. It’s what I’m most familiar with, I’ve been using it since I was a toddler, and my parents still had a computer with a bulky monitor. I’ve tried other products, but Paint, despite its quirks, is easy for a novice. Besides, Paint makes good-quality images for a simple platform.

Do you draw your comics on paper before drawing them digitally?

Nope. As a kid, I almost always drew on paper (and my mom saved them so I could show those old drawings off in the future). However, when I started Six Lakes Comics off with the flagship series, The Vikings of Vancouver, in 2021, I decided to draw the strips digitally. I didn’t want to waste paper on drafts that didn’t make the cut.

Are you going to get someone else to draw the graphic novels?

Yes. I am not confident enough in my drawing ability to create an entire GN by myself. I’ll start looking as soon as I can afford to hire a cartoonist. I will continue drawing the comic strips myself for now.

Are you going to resume your non-comic writing?

The Waterfall and Voldensfjordian Murders? Yes. 

Blue City Mysteries? Soon. 

Blurred Lines? I hate to say it, but I’m scrapping Blurred Lines for the foreseeable future. I procrastinated and tried to write it without drafting, I couldn’t figure out where the story was going, and I needed to try to cut down on the SLS workload. I’d rather have quality over “posting for the sake of posting.”

Aviary?!

I’m working on it! The best estimate for publication? Later this decade (apologies for being vague, but that’s really the best answer I can give you).

How’s school?

Great. I’m a teacher’s assistant in the Geoscience Department now! Woot! Things may get busy, but I will do my best to update the comics.

Will we see any new written stories?

I have this one new idea… but other than that, no. Again, I’m trimming down the SLS workload to keep up with school work and my part-time jobs without sacrificing the quality of my work.

More questions to be answered later!

PP: First Day Of School 2022

I went to the same district from Kindergarten through 12th Grade, and the school year always started the Thursday before Labor Day (US). I don’t know why. But anyway, Happy School Year, and Best Wishes to the Class of 2023!