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“Only Happy When It Rains.” 

For years in my cubicle at CalArts I had pinned up a drawing of Sera smiling blissfully in a rainstorm, no umbrella. Right near a photo of legendary rain enthusiast Shirley Manson, actually. One of the visual inspirations for Sera, along with Siouxsie Sioux and Battle Angel Alita.

Rainy days are awesome, and I’m not having any arguments about it. I live in Southern California. We’re allowed to love our rare and beautiful storms. Although I liked rainy days growing up in Chicago, too. The world just seemed quieter when it rained, even though it was technically somewhat louder.

This final page of Serenity Rose #1 was done with HB mechanical pencil, smudge stick, printer paper, and one of those big ol’ Sanford King Size chisel-tip markers they don’t make anymore.* The dizzying smell of those things always made me think of my father’s old offices. My father was an animation director in Chicago. His team made educational films for Encyclopedia Brittanica, and their nearly-windowless office suite constantly reeked of marker/paint fumes, stale Folgers coffee, and cigarettes. I interned there for a while as a nepo baby, and I swear to God after breathing that air all day I would come home unable to smell things for hours. Wonder how many brain cells I lost back then. Wonder how my father is still alive at all!

When this fist issue of Serenity Rose came out, my parents were very proud. They thought it was so cool that I got something published, with my name on it and everything! (They didn’t know I resisted the “name on it” part.) They complimented me on the artwork, which had special meaning coming from my father, since he’s A. an artist himself, and B. brutally honest. My mom busted out her usual “I can’t believe this came from your head!” I’m extremely lucky to have parents who support the weird stuff I do, including this book, perhaps the weirdest thing.

We never discussed the story, though. Which is okay. I didn’t expect it to be exactly their cup of tea. (Or stale Folgers, in the case of my father.) I only remember two times my parents reacted to the writing in an issue of Serenity Rose. I’ll tell you about them when we get there.

The best reaction from my family was my Uncle Bob’s: “Well, I don’t get it, but it looks right.” As a fellow Slavic Midwesterner raised Catholic, I couldn’t believe he was blubbering like that. The sentimental sap.

*Just stumbled upon the original page in a folder and there’s no marker on this thing (must’ve used Photoshop), but I need the segue so let’s all pretend.

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AND SO… Issue two!

This was never meant to be a cover. It’s just a random drawing of Sera and Tess I did back when I still made random artwork for fun. Can you imagine? Drawing when you don’t have to?? Unthinkable!

Looking at this ancient artwork again, something about that snake arm cuff on Tess feels weird to me now. Almost too elegant for her? By the third book she doesn’t even have the fancy bat choker anymore. To me, Tess feels most correct when she’s crusty as hell. She should look like some weird goblin who lives inside a truck engine.

Issue two is still from the early webcomic era of Serenity Rose. SLG didn’t pick the series up for print until around the time I was planning issue three. So this one still has the fumbling, experimental nature of artwork unconstrained by deadlines, editing, or basic common sense. Let’s dive in!

BACK TO THE PRESENT!

This week I finally started digging into script revisions for SHOCK CITY book two, and so far so good! I think this one will have even more emotion and heart than the first. While still being, y’know, funny, gross, and bursting with cool monstery nonsense, because hell yeah to all that.

MUCH bigger news to report this time, though… While visiting my parents over the holidays I discovered the single greatest photograph ever taken of me. Brace yourself:

MEDIA LUMINARIES: Please use this as my official author photo in all articles/interviews/court orders from this point on. THANK YOU.

NEXT WEEK: PEEKING AT THE INNARDS.