ART of RU XU

NEWSPRINTS QUESTIONS

❓ Where can I get NewsPrints?

Anywhere that sells books, including your local Barnes & Noble and independent book stores. :D (In fact, please ask them to order more if they’re sold out.) You can also order both paperbacks and hardcovers from Amazon and other online establishments!

❓ Is there a sequel?

Yes! ENDGAMES is out at your local booksellers like Barnes & Noble and online on Amazon and similar establishments. The ISBN-13 is 978-0545803175.

❓ How did you get NewsPrints published?

In my last year at SCAD, I went on a school trip to NYC, where I met my editor at Scholastic. She reviewed my portfolio and liked a concept I had been working on since freshman year.

We stayed in contact for about a year, and I developed the concept into a full pitch. Then, she helped me revise the pitch for Scholastic’s Graphix imprint. They also liked it and sent me a formal offer to publish NewsPrints!

SAINT FOR RENT QUESTIONS

❓ Is Saint for Rent going to be in book form?

Yes! If you missed the Kickstarter, check the HOME page to see where you can get a copy of Volume I.

❓ I have a theory about time travel / a character / plot.

Nice! I can’t comment on it, though!

❓ Will Armand and Saint get together? / Will this ship be canon?

Only if I like the ship name. Just kidding. If I haven’t made a ship clear in the story, I can’t comment on it.

❓ Where did you get the idea to animate parts of SfR in GIF form?

SfR was conceived in 2010 back when Homestuck and cinemagraphs were super popular. I also found that incorporating GIFs in the backgrounds gave SfR a cool ambiance that made the environments seem more immersive, so I shifted the animation more toward that in later chapters.

GENERAL QUESTIONS

❓ How do I book you for an event or class visit?

Please contact my trusty manager, George Rohac: info@organizedhavoc.com

❓ Will you sign my book?

There are three ways to get a signed book from me!

Find me at a convention or event that I'm attending!
Check to see if a signed copy is available in my online shop!
Contact Bedrock City Comics or a Kinokuniya in Texas to see if they have signed copies of my books in stock!

❓ Can I ship your characters?

Yes!

❓ Can I make fanart / write fanfic / create original characters for your stories?

Yes! Do the fandom thing! I'm happy if fans of my works are able to explore ideas and/or project themselves into the sandbox I've made of my characters and worlds.

Sometimes, I will have characters that can be labeled (ie, gender identity, sexuality, neurodiversity, etc.), but I often avoid labeling them in canon because I want to write characters that invite the audience to see facets of themselves reflected, not as a one-to-one comparison of what a certain label should look like on a person. That means different people may project different aspects of themselves onto the same character. They may interpret the characters in different ways that are personal to them.

In my experience as a fan, I think variety is the beauty of fanworks and that there is space for these different interpretations in a happy and healthy fandom! I hope my works will inspire that. :)

❓ Are you doing [ this convention ]?

❓ What programs do you use to make comics?

Clip Studio for drawing, inking, and word bubbles. Photoshop for thumbnailing, coloring, lettering, and .gif animation. Google Sketchup for 3D models for backgrounds. I also use a Wacom Intuos5, since we’re talking shop. ;D

❓ Do you have tutorials? What advice do you have for a new artist?

Occasionally, I post some WIP, but I usually forget to save my process as I go along! It’s why I made a Patreon and Ko-fi for my readers! There, subscribers can access my WIP gifs for comic pages, sketchbooks where I explain my process, and layered PSD files with my notes. For those who follow my Twitter, I collect informative threads by other artists here.

❓ How do you choose colors?

I use limited palettes because it’s just easier for me to animate gifs with them, so every color I choose has to be harmonious the scene.

Since beginning Saint for Rent, I literally have a set palette I pick the majority of my colors from. It makes for an easier starting point! From there, I pick new colors that I feel look good with whatever color I choose. I tend to start with analogous and split complementary color schemes and adjust accordingly.

Also, I always think in terms of print when it comes to colors, so I try not to use colors that are too high in K levels in the CMYK scale.

❓ Should I go to art school / SCAD?

That’s a personal decision. As with all higher education, you have to consider the costs. Also, you have to really decide if art is what you want to do as a career. Artist burnout is a real thing, and the comics/illustration industries can often inspire self-loathing because it’s so easy to compare yourself to other artists around you.

With all that said, I received a really great scholarship from SCAD, which ultimately influenced my decision to attend. I had a wonderful time in the Sequential Art department, and I’ve made most of my best friends through art.

I will also add academics are still important in art. I speak as someone who loves the humanities and sciences, but also because I got my scholarship through my grades. I had a ton of AP credits and was preparing to zip through college so I could go to law school. If I hadn’t gone to SCAD, well… I still think about the other path, to be honest. :’D

❓ Where do you get your inspiration from?

Everything! I've always been one of those people who reads books and watches media and thinks, "Well, I wouldn't have done it that way." Since I was young, I've channeled that indignation into making fanart and fanfiction, and the combination of the two: fan comics! To this day, if a particular character or plot stays in my head for more than a few months, I make something about them. Often, the more I develop the thing, the more it becomes my own thing until it does become an original piece.

❓ I can't find the answer to my question!

I’ve done some interviews over the past few years! :) Try looking here: