I bring this up because I love that bike!!!!

Other than that, I've been WORKING like crazy to finish my Senior Year with no regrets. Well, there have been some but they're little regrets that I'll probably forget, like, not remembering to have my picture taken when I dressed up like a 1910's newsboy for homecoming or forgetting to ask about if my parents could do a little dedication for me in the yearbook...

ANYWHOO!

No doubt you miss my artistic-ness. Well, you'll have to deal with these little sketches I've made on my computer. 

Yes I know that I said I don't draw on a computer, but a teacher from my high school kindly lent me a WACOM tablet (click here to learn more) as she heard that I was going to college!!!!

Me likey the tablet NOM
LOOK!
It must be from Tron due to its blue-lighting!

That and I'm an Early Admission Student for the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe :) I'VE BEEN ACCEPTED!!! I'll be starting college in August but for now I have to make sure my Transcript is smoking (but not enough to burn the envelope, mind you) and my portfolio rocking. 

My residence for the next four years :)
I CAN'T WAIT!!

Although I know for sure that I would not have been able to make it WITHOUT the amazing family, friends, and mentors as well ^.- You know who you are...


Thank you very much :)


If you're curious, I'm applying as an Undergraduate Student for a Bachelor's Degree in Studio Arts, with a concentration on painting. However, I would like to try the different medias available here as well, as I love learning different types of expression. 


Buuuuuut thats the end of this summer. Right now I have to concentrate on homework, school, art, scholarships, and maybe some art. The Anime Club is doing alright, but I've resigned as President, as I knew the transition would be easier rather than the rest of the members having to start from scratch next semester. 


The Anime Club is a club I helped cofound three years ago as a sophomore, when I was Vice-President, and held the Presidente office for Junior and Senior Year. It was really fun, and I met students that I may never had ever spoken to (unlike my counter-blooger-part, I'm very quiet and withdrawn in the real world, unless we both love Strike Witches and its WWII references, then we'll get into a two-hour discussion and become friends). 


Quite recently they've been raising money for a trip to the Albuquerque Comic Expo taking place at the Convention Center downtown. They've changed the date to 2013 on my suggestion so that they can concentrate on schoolwork and pace themselves much better. The little buggers. :') I'm certainly going to miss our escapades. 

the coolest folks you'll ever meet :)

One of the major facets and provider of our fundraiser (ahem there's AHHH they're grown up!!!) was making our own little 'zines, called BHS Bobcat Suki-Chan Comics, which consisted of a little Advice Column with fictional character Namae Takahashi (who've I helped co-design with my friend Sarah), comics by Sarah, Jasmine, and I ranging from high school romantic/angsty/comedic stories, dedications to great manga/anime creators, and a big story about a little grape who just happened to be a ninja...


So far we've released two issues and we're on our want to make the third before summer begins. Its had great reception, really, more than I thought actually, and we have indeed sold out and made people share and read a little comic magazine that could. 


The third issue will be mostly me, along with contributions from the rest of the club, as I am making ten pages of Grape Ninja, two Masquerade-themed illustrations with my OC's (original characters FYI [for your information]), glorious cover (which I'm keeping a secret) and an editorial bidding our dear readers fare thee well until next year, my favorite moments of the Club, and the hope I have for the new members.

Sarah's excellent and well-received cover, despite her well-intentioned misspellings
:) I love you!!! You'll be fine as President, and I'll always be a phone call, text, email
away, alright? I love your style and I'm happy that I was able to introduce you into
the wonderful world of japanese comics and animation. You still owe me a smutty comic!!!

The summer-themed cover by Miss Jasmine Sylvester, one of the most talented,
self-taught artists I've been fortunate to know :) That girl knows her shoujo X)
I'm looking forward to her future, as it will be awesome
You'll do a great job as VP and Treasurer!

So, yeah, a fifty-pager, compared to our meek twenty-page offerings before. It'll sell at three dollars, and our little town is having a pre-summer festival so we'll get a booth and try to offer our wares there as well. If anyone's curious, I suppose we can work something else :) But you better be wary, because these little self-published comics might be a gazillion dollars in the future, okay?! Haha, just kidding.


Of course I won't be completely gone...I might make my own contributions to future issues, provided that I'm not as busy ;) 


That's what's been going on with me lately, so I better get back to work. 


After May 18th, I will become a high school graduate. 


And future artist, therapist, adventurer, ramen connoisseur, college student, freshie, 18, and of all things, something to change constantly.


Gosh now I'm getting all sad...


I'm not a pretty crier so I'm afraid that my post-graduation pictures, once I throw that cap into the sky, will look like someone just told me it was all just a dream.


And what a wonderful dream it was.


Here's my senior quote:

"If I can stop one heart from breaking,

I shall not live in vain;

If I can ease one life the aching, 

Or cool one pain, 

Or help one fainting robin

Unto his nest again,

I shall not live in vain."

Emily Dickinson

She's my second favorite poet, as Walt Whitman will always be my first, Robert Frost my third, and Dante as my fourth. I'm pretty open to every type of poetry, so I'll be on the lookout and post anything new and awesome I've found.

BTW I made a poem about graduation. It still makes me tear up whenever I read it, considering I wrote it spur of the moment last year as I realized one of my friends was leaving to a new state and future. Of course I was happy, but it made me think of other friends leaving and eventually so, along with my own imminent graduation. Needless to say the original was peppered with clumsy, large teardrops.

My Wish

By Kayla

My dear

The equinox draws near

I see your fear:

“Never leave me”

Is your fear

Don’t despair

My friend

My sister

My brother

My love

My equal

I’ll be thousands of miles away

You’ll always be close

I’ll be on the podium

You’ll be on the dewy grass

I’ll be crying

You’ll be laughing

I’ll struggle through the crowd

Looking for you

As you are struggling through the crowd

Looking for me

I whisper

As we embrace

For a moment

We’re one, we’re together, we’re—

And then

We’re lost

In the sea of people

“Never forget me”

Is MY fear

Don’t despair

I will always

Be with you

The times we’ve had

The jokes we’ve had

The sadness we’ve shared

The love we’ve shared

Do you remember?

Frolic in the rain

For now

“Never forget us”

That is my

Unbreakable wish

Dear Gosh I better stop I mean---

AGHHH!!! SKRILLEX! DON'T!!! THIS SONG MAKES ME THINK OF EVERYONE I LOVE AND THE PAST AND FUTURE JOY WE'LL SHARE ALONE WITH FOND MEMORIES STOP IT!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fq-geJ9UwG4

(its a really good song)

TOO LATE.


Well, thanks.
So much.
I really, really appreciate everything.
I don't need some dedication with my baby picture
or photos documenting my school career
Memories are forever
and if they're as lively as I remember
I will never forget any of you.


Now excuse me as I go cry in a corner and smile for being a melodramatic fool

so emotional right now you DON'T even know...

YA'LL BETTER SIGN MY $90 YEARBOOK!!!

LOVE, ME 

>.<

AH HELLS YEAH

I'M EXCITED
FOR MY
RECEPTION

HERE'S TO THE END OF SMELLY BUS RIDES, SMELLY CLASSMATES, THAT REDNECK THAT HIT ME IN THE FACE TWICE WITH A DODGEBALL, PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND ITS SCARY TEACHERS, AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT MAY HAVE NOT KILLED ME, BUT SURE MADE ME A HECK OF A LOT STRONGER (NOT THAT I CARED MUCH FOR THE INTENTS OF SCARING ME)

CLASS OF 2012!!!

Why I Don't Do Comics On My Computer

...Yeah.

That's why I don't draw comics on a computer. I have seen people do some crazy stuff on the computer with Photoshop and Paint, but I've always felt that drawing should always be done by hand. I don't know. That's just me. I just like to use the computer to be Facebook Junkie, look up cool blogs/pics/stuff, oh, and post on this blog whenever I get the chance.

No doubt you've noticed that my art has a somewhat "anime" or "manga" look to it.

That's because I love anime-manga art. Ever since I read my first manga, Hikaru No Go, I got sucked into the world of Japanese comics. Over the years, I have/watch read bad and good (mostly bad) manga/anime and have become quite the expert. Otaku, if you may. So, to declare my love and respect for these comics of mine, I just wanted to show you my favorites. None of the bad, unless you really want to.

First off, Bleach. Yes, yes, I know its the most popular shonen manga/anime out there, but damned if I don't love it all. Tite Kubo's style pays both respect to the long-held anime look but has some realism dashed in.

Can't say the same for his buildings that sometimes appear TOO STRAIGHT at times. Oh well. The plot, at first, was like a quirky little gem that was different but if anyone knows, it has descended into shonen battle hell, which you may or may not like.





For me, I loved Bleach for the interactions between characters, whether they were friend or foe, in conversations and actions rather than the gigantic surreal battles with gigantic whatchamacallits (fanboys rejoice!). And the fashion. OH MY BUBER. :D

Not to mention the great characters (I'm torn between long-time favorite Orihime or new arrival Riruka. They're both so funny--I like them because they're A a lot like me or B it would be awesome to be their friend.

Great humor too, not too foreign, not too stale.

However, this really is a LOVE or HATE manga/anime--truthfully the manga is far better as it was the first to come out and makes more sense than the anime, that tries too hard by adding filler seasons (bleh), new characters (double bleh), and rather needless expositions (triple bleh).

So, if you're interested, please check it out! Sells in almost every bookstore, and if your a dirty hobo that appreciates entertainment, go to YouTube or online manga readers.

Bleach by Tite Kubo

And so ends my first favorite! I'll post more! Thanks!

P.S Have you heard of "animefication"? I don't know if Webster would approve of that word but any comic/film/character/show/advertisment has been turned into Anime at one point or another. For example, take the popular Portal games...

....and then POOF!

Animefication.

Whether or not it's good is up to the person.

Beauty IS in the eye of the beholder...

Thirty Day Project!!!

I AM DONE.

I finally copied/scanned/took pictures of all the things I've done, and here I show you my hard work -- the completion of the Thirty Day Project. I know it's already the middle of July, but I haven't had access in a while, so here it is, not in order.

Thanks to the people who have waited so far, who've helped, and who provided inspiration.

:D

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. (Not pictured are 10 pages for 10 days for Chapter Three of Come&Sleep for obvious reasons.)

11. The Mother Hubbard story, illustrated by me for my mother's class--there's so many of them but one day I'll put them all up and make a proper blog, and even include the lyrics to the actual song, which is very long.

12. A friend of mine, who is also an avid drawer of all things comic-booky, asked for my help in character design; I made some based on the traits she gave me, which were an evil femme fatale, main antagonist, a cross dressing ninja who works for said antagonist, and a really tall but really nice guy. Not pictured is the cross dressing ninja. :( Sorry

13. Some monsters/yokai I came up with--I was mostly thinking something that would lurk in a forest, a sort of amalgamation of animals from the forest, although I like the idea of tree branches being antlers or horns.

14. This is more of a info sketch rather than a joy one--in the comic there's a character much older than she seems and I wanted to show how old rather than tell--as the story takes place in New York City, I thought of the Flatiron building. So I tried to research it and it was one of the first skyscrapers in the city, and once was the tallest building during the early 1900's. In the story, said character sees this building and says so to other character. Thus, you find out she really is an old lady.

15. Storyboard for Chapter Four--I know, I know, finish Chapter Three, but the idea came so I scribbled it down in an itty-bitty Steno Book I love to draw in.

16. During June I woke up to the sound of one of our cats crying; I crawled over to her and tried to coax her out. Upon this, she lifted her head and underneath chin was blood. Freaking out like any cat lover would, I rushed downstairs and told my mom. I had a cat before that disappeared for weeks and came back bloody, and as a result she had her leg and tail amputated. So, of course, I didn't want the same for "Baby Kitty" (she's a girl and her real name is Oscar). Turns out it was an abscess and she is now fully recovered. I made this joke cartoon for the Vets to put on their "Happy Stories" board.

Seriously.

They have one.

17. During June I was working on a mini comic for my friend that was more of a doujinshi (Japanese fan comic as it contained characters from CLAMP series such as xxxHolic, Tsubasa, and others. She's a big fan. :D) of course, it has some of my characters as well. A cute little gag with plenty of Yuri insinuations and excuses for more sake.

18. Another cover for the mini comic series, which is four books in all with about an average of 20-30 pages for each, titled, "The Houseguests". The last book ends with them going to a beach house and going to the ocean. High-jinks, fan service, and more galore for the gang. Done in ink, watercolor, and colored pencil on Bristol paper.

(If any one's interested in buying and wanting copies, please email me.)

19. A father's day present for my dad--he had three Chevy's actually, but the two pictured are my maternal grandfather's and his own. Painted from my little clubhouse while it was pouring buckets.

20. (NO WORDS NEEDED)

21. The "p" is missing but who cares :P I have to read the Metamorphosis for my English class as Summer Homework, and as I tried with difficulty to delve into Franz Kafka's messed up melancholy head, I made a cover instead.

22. Some notes for the Kistune Sisters, of which the middle should be kept a secret right now, as she is literally, The Black Sheep.

Its blurry on purpose.

23. Another favor done for my mom as she needed a big dog and doghouse for her class since they were studying animals that week. I absolutely LOVE!!! German Shepard's so that's why Bingo is a German Shepard.

24. I made a little poetry book for myself from magazine clippings and reprintings from books by my favorite poets, such as Walt Whitman, Daryl Hine, and much more. As a bonus I put one I made myself at the end. The whole theme was, "Nature". It was originally supposed to be done as a school assignment, but summer vacation started before I finished, so I mostly did it for myself. I think it's safe to say i won't turn it in.

Calm before the Storm

Still

Quiet

Far too much

Death seems to linger in the details

Trees are but bare skeletons

The earth is bitter and rigid

Even the golden-haired grass has given up

I welcome the storm

the clouds

the thunder

the lighting

the big sha-bang

just to rid

this cloying emptiness that refuses to leave

As if at my suggestion

the wind starts to howl

Lovely

Now things are getting interesting

I want to scream at the sun

to stop shining

so

it can finally rain

25. A picture I forgot to do a long time ago and finally finished a while ago :D Momo (or Mamori) looks very much a mischievous kitsune as she flees from an angry dragon mother who wants her egg back (now). Momo can only smile and say that she hears they're delicious. XD Check out her shoes. Oh, and my younger sister, upon seeing this, thinks I should do album or cover art.

If so, please contact: I'd be more than happy to.

26. Another one of Momo (that's her in her fox form) and Lily from Chapter Two. Maybe someday this can be the cover for the issue, or the Title page.

I wanted to experiment with ink rather than rely on color all the time, and liked the result.

27. Lily and her twin. This is far in the future of Come&Sleep (or should I say past???) so it was mostly done as something to refer to when I do DO IT. I usually use symbols in pictures to remember things, so, try to see if you can find them. :P

28. Lily and her twin AGAIN! Her hair is black because I needed contrast between the two. The sad thing is I have short shorts that are almost the same as Lily's. I don't usually draw these sort of things, as I like to concentrate on more story-driven illustrations than "pin-ups" (such as certain anime omakes. I used this as inspiration). So, to try to make it more interesting I put in different patterns and symbolism as well, and I ended up having trouble with their clothes.

Did you know there are SOOOOOO many types of lingerie in this world?!

(does this remind you of anything???)

29. Some characters from Come&Sleep that aren't introduced yet--a Japanese family living in NYC with the head father as the corporate leader in a micro-processor company, with three sons and one daughter that eeriely resembles her deceased mother.

30. I was trying to find an approiate outfit for a character introduced in Chapter Three,  and came up with this. It's a dress that has Country-Lolita influence with some extra stuff I put in.

And whoo!!! that is it!!! thanks for everything!!! this was a great thing to do!!!

My next big project will be....

(dun dun dunn!!!)

.....

THE TWENTY FOUR HOUR COMIC!

(details) 

Come&Sleep PREVIEW!!!

So, here's a preview for Come&Sleep, a graphic novel written and drawn (yes, that includes lettering, coloring, inking, etc., ect.) by me, Kayla V. Shaggy.

The novel takes place in modern times (the year 2009), in the grand city of New York City, and asks the question:

DO MONSTERS EXIST?

The monsters being vampires, werewolves, aliens, monstrosities, zombies, the Devil himself with his Legion of demons, and one important "monster"--

the kitsune, or fox.

(not to be confused with the band or online reviewer)
(here's a helpful page if you don't know what THAT is)
(otherwise, keep reading...)

Our story begins with a certain, very young, and VERY naive kitsune named Lily.

Her seemingly innocent interactions with both humans and monsters soon gives way to an unraveling story, that she, unknowingly, is in the center of.

Come&Sleep.

But, first, a prologue....

.....that's it for now.

:D

(Comments are welcome.)

(Reviews are too.)