ShortRun 2019 Powerhouse

I can only share one photo because I simply didn't have time to take any more!

Bruce Simon and Me - I told him all
about Ka-Blam, the best floppy printers
for the best prices.

Never in all my years going to hundreds of conventions has the floor been hotter. 4,000 people crowded into the Fisher Pavilion in the Seattle Center, and they were there to BUY. They wanted books, tshirts, facetime - they were in the moment, and ready to party. Thank Goodness my Square reader was working!

The photo is of Hoo-Hah publisher Bruce Simon, who offered, among other books, a truly well-done collection of the classic Out Our Way cartoons from the 1930's. We got on so well we've shaken hands on sharing a table next year, if ShortRun will have us both back! 

I told him he MUST submit the Out Our Way books to the Pulitzers this year, in the publisher category. The books meet all their criteria, especially being a very well-done collection of a wonderful American series.

He came up from Berkeley, and was unprepared in a number of the business points of running a table at a show, because - according to him - the comics scene in San Francisco is badly faded. 

I told him to run right over to this site and look up the Clallam Bay Comicon and start the process of running his own one-person minicon. The secret to this is, after about seven years of what is really quite easily organized, somebody else will want to take it over and expand it, as happened with the CBCC, which has morphed into the Forks RainCon. 

So, anybody in Berkeley or environs who wants to help out, look up the book on Amazon,* where there's always a contact email block.

*(I'm sorry for that - so many of us put our books on Amazon before it went asshole).

I missed the afterparty again because I was just so exhausted. I have a lung infection, and am on antibiotics. So I can't drink anyway! I should have just made up my mind to Uber* home, but I'd only used Uber once, and my brain was fried from the intense show. 

**(AND I will have to transfer to Lyft, because Uber's CEO is calling the murder of a journalist by his Saudi shareholders a "mistake." We know what Friends' Rachel had to say about mistakes. Which is sad, because I really like Uber.)

I did make it to the Fantagraphics afterparty Sunday evening, which featured an interesting music/animation from Berlin.

Sunday, there were two great ShortRun events downtown and on Capitol Hill, featuring Shortrun authors. And did I just pick up an opportunity to talk at the University of Washington? We'll see.

ANYWAY, I was dreading the bus ride back home on Monday, but not because it was a bus ride- Clallam County Busses are fabulous - but because it was Veteran's Day (Properly called Armistice Day, before America got mad about losing the Korean War), and rural areas get stupid. 

BUT - it turned into an opportunity to POSSIBLY start the gay pride festival in Port Angeles. I can't share how, because it's Somebody Else's Story.

But I can share how I walked by the old vets selling vet stuff in front of the Safeway and said, "We're going to try to have a gay pride parade in Port Angeles." 

Their answer? "All RIGHT!"

I will certainly be back to ShortRun next year, especially if I can run at least a quarter table. That's a privilege.  

NFReads Interview With Me

Originally, said, "No politics, no religion," but that would leave me right out! So Tony added my foreword, and everything's kopacetic. 

As you can see, I don't think much about the process of creativity: I just do it. 

NFReads interview with me.

Opttacon 2019 - 3 Drawn Book tables!

(Photos with my new smartphone; it doesn't take as good a picture as the IPod - my apologies). 

My Ka-Blam tshirt at another show!
Always go to them for well-priced floppies

Opttacon is over for another year, and I'm already planning for next year. As a Drawn Book author, I have some good news. This year there were THREE drawn book tables.

My table.

These first couple of shots are of course of me wearing my Ka-Blam shirt. They give me $10 print funds every time I do this and then put it up on the internet. 

The next shots are of my good friends at small comic powerhouse, Pugmera Studio. You'll find their good stuff on Instagram! 

They are so together - that screen is just an old television hooked up to a PC laptop. They're fun happy folks, and very supportive of all the shows and drink and draws in Port Angeles.

Woof!

Here is Maureen Heaster, and her adorable book "Hurdles," about dog relay-racing. She draws and paints wonderful cats, too. 

I suggested she do abook about CAT relay-racing and her eyes lit up. At first she thought that wouldn't be possible, but I told her to look up Russian Cat Circuses on YouTube. Cats will do anything for cold-cuts. Who knows what she'll have at the next show?

All of us have been vendors at the Forks RainCon. It's getting to be quite the little nerd network out here!

Last year, Roberta Gregory and I were at one table. From three tables to one- that's a 200% jump! And next year, I'm very honored to have been asked to design the tshirt, so I'm in for 2020. 

No, it's not making a lot of money for comics people yet - but that will come. We're dropping dinged copies into $1 boxes at Anime Kat, to build a market. I'll have to try that at local bookstores, too.

The Entire Dreamery

Jeff Tingelstad, who runs Opttacon, found this nearly pristine collection of The Dreamery on ebay, and dropped it on my table. What a lovely surprise. I will make sure it goes to the San Diego State Special Collections.

Gaming runs late at night, as an entertainment venue. Comics run during the day as a trade show. Opttacon seems to be making it work. 

I've still to figure out how to make optimum use of my travel time but I think with the help of Toadlily Hostel in Port Angeles, in 2020 I'll be there for the right hours.

Anime Kat, one of the sponsors!

Speaking of Anime Kat, here is their boss, Drew. A very together guy and a lot of fun! Anime Kat is nerd central for the Peninsula. Manga, games, general fun. 

Penumbra says there are great drink-and-draws at Studio Bob on Front street. I suggest you contact them on Instagram - and follow them and ask for full details.

I had to get home early on Saturday, so I missed the Tardis extravaganza planned by the co-splayers. I hope that happened! I'm kind of part of the semi-official find-the-cheap-costume-parts team.

Cherry-picked! Authors of Conspire

Cherry-picked Games, that make my favorite game, Conspire. I still want to get my fans together and punch my characters into the game. I'll bet it would work.

The Opttacon table.

Gotta show the Opttacon table itself, covered with donated games for the win contest. Since I had no game to donate, I grabbed the $5 day-old box at Num-Num Donuts. Eveyrbody likes donuts with their games! That's Steve Strout standing guard. Opttacon bought pizza for everybody the first night.

And now: OPTTACON! In all its geeky glory.

If Your Fans Are Happy...

San Diego Comicon. My publisher and I open a box of books we'd received just in time for the show. Because our printer was always perfect and pristine, this is the ONE time we didn't ask for a proof copy, in order to make the show deadline.

This was in the days of paper layout. We literally waxed certain elements into place. As we pulled the first copy of the book from the box, we saw – the waxed title logo had fallen off the front cover, and the book had been printed without its title. It had shipped all over the world AND IT HAD NO TITLE.

This was a Desert Peach issue dealing with rape in the military. The cover art I had done was graphic and frightening. Staring in horror at the book with no name, we looked up to see the first approaching fan. With a copy of this book in his hand. We braced ourselves. The fan lifted the book, and said, in awe:

“This is so profound. You let Donna's artwork speak for itself.”

While I was still standing there with my eyeballs and tongue stuck in place, my editor responded – cool as a copperhead:

“Yes, it was a difficult artistic decision, but I trust Donna in her vision.”

I jumped right in and pretended along with him. I am still in awe of his quick thinking and outright gall.

Do I have to tell anyone my publisher – as a child in Texas – went to cotillion?

What we learned: if the fans think whatever you do is wonderful, agree with them. It doesn't matter if you've made a mistake. If they're happy, say Thank You and pretend you meant to do that.

Comicon Eats Recommendation

If you make it out to any of the Peninsula Cons, be sure to drive a few miles to the West on Highway 112, and see if these folks have their stand set up. They usually do, in the summer. Check the bottom of the page for their dates and places. They're a happy little independent business who will be happy to see any of you. Their email post is long, but amusing. And their products are YUMMY.

We ARE rolling! Our bake day was TOTALLY successful in all ways ... EVERYTHING turned out beautifully. A more beautiful thing ... and SUCH HELP! ... we finished moving family out here this week, too, making all this possible, and a 3rd generation in training. :)

Reminder:  ALL the bread products are AUTHENTIC sourdough, therefore enzyme rich AND the GLUTEN, PHYTATES, & ENZYME INHIBITORS have been BROKEN DOWN and NEUTRALIZED for easy, human digestion, due to the LONG FERMENTATION PROCESS (most with gluten intolerance can eat this bread) ... AND the fermentation process converts bread into a high protein food, not high carbohydrate. In the Human Longevity film, centurions from Europe said wouldn't think of eating a meal without bread ... bread is their staple ... but it's sourdough, and they don't use glyphosates (RoundUp that "bind proteins") in Europe ... other countries do not have gut issues like Americans do eating bread, and bread is a STAPLE, EATEN WITH EVERY MEAL (sourdough) ... nor do Americans who visit Europe, but Europeans can't come to America and eat our bread (except ours), or they're sick their whole vacation.

AND super important, ALL ingredients are non-GMO, plus authentic sourdough has a LOW GLYCEMIC INDEX of 53, pumpernickel even low of 43 ... conventional bread has a high glycemic index of over 73.

Here's the lineup:

Regular authentic sourdough bread (GOLDEN breads, with turmeric, ginger & pepper, which synergistically work together, are listed below this).

White (many call it "sourdough", but all bread products are sourdough), our MOST POPULAR,Jalapeno/cheddar cheese bread (another super POPULAR bread), Multigrain whole wheat bread (veryhealthy & hearty, fresh-ground org. wheat, fresh-ground FLAX SEEDS which sooooooo good for you, millet, oats, sesame seeds), White (lighter) multigrain whole wheat ... a lighter half & half mix bread (more white flour in the multi-grain whole wheat), Pumpernickel (we also fresh-grind org. rye "berries" into flour, and rye is the best for clean arteries,AND it's made with raw cacao powder, considered a "superfood, onion & garlic), Triple berry "bead pie", Apple "bread pie," Peach "bread pie,", Cinnamon Roll Bread with walnuts and raisins, "Bread pie" individual serving, is back ... Apple, and Triple berry.

GOLDEN (turmeric)* sourdough breads: 

White, Multigrain whole wheat, and Pumpernickel.

"Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food."  

If you don't care for the taste of GOLDEN sourdough breads, make French toast, meatloaf, various sandwiches, egg, tuna, peanut butter & jam, etc etc etc. to hide the taste ... surprisingly delicious ... pumpernickel is already so flavorful, it also hides the taste very well ... but once you get used to it, it's not noticed anymore, even with small kids, just like when we get used to sourdough. My husband HAS To HAVE 2 SLICES first thing in the morning (he loves toast) or  physically hurts too bad to move (super bad back) ... I eat it daily for preventative reasons, one slice does it for me. 

MAINTENANCE daily dose recommendations of TURMERIC is 1,000-3,000 mg, which can be taken daily for a lifetime (remember, "You can take up to 12,000 mg (12 grams) of turmeric per day w/o side effects for curative issues (conservative side says 8 grams)." For CURATIVE, THERAPEUTIC DOSE - required when we have some issues ... for example cancer patients needing quick action, or say, suffering with arthritis pain and you take large dosages ... it acts like a strong painkiller and helps you.  This can go on for some time, but then cut back to preventive dosage as soon as the body is back in shape (see my previous newsletters)

There are 17 slices of bread in a loaf, one slice equivalent to approximately 1,000 mg. of turmeric, though having more power and assimilation than taking it any other way because of the FERMENTATION PROCESS, the predigested sourdough process it's been through. Add butter (or coconut oil for butter), and it assimilates even more. Usually turmeric needs a "carrier oil", too. I don't know if it does when fermented (in sourdough), but we "butter" everything (usually with coconut oil, flax seed oil, pasture fed butter, olive oil ... healthy fats), because we don't get enough "good fat" in the usual American diet.

COOKIES:  ginger, snickerdoodle, peanut butter, chocolate chip, & oatmeal raisin. 

BROWNIES: This (butter) & Jalapeno/cheddar cheese bread is the only product we have that HAS DAIRYin it.  Everything else we use ORGANIC PALM FRUIT SHORTENING. Brownies and cookies are the only things we use eggs in.

PIE ... our pie crust is made with organic palm fruit shortening, unbleached pastry flour & sea salt

9" & "pie pockets" ... triple berry (Marionberry blackberry, raspberry, blueberry), Marionberry blackberry,and apple.

"Stogies" plain AND with WALNUTS ... made out of our pie crust, which is made with organic palm fruit shortening ... like grandma used to do with left over pie dough, roll out, sprinkle with organic evaporated cane sugar & cinnamon ... but we roll them up like cigars then bake them, so they're easy to handle.

Look for the hot pink signs!! ... We'll be...BEing here... with our "bread wagons":

• FRIDAY:  Port Angeles, between Mt. Pleasant IGS & Dave Barnier Auto, about 2950 Hwy. 101, east of PA, 11:00 - 5:00 (Friday only in PA.)
• FRIDAY : Hwy. 112 pull-off, halfway between PA & Joyce, mp 57, 10:30 - 6:00ish
• SATURDAY: Hwy. 112 pull-off again, halfway between PA & Joyce, mp 57 or so, 10:00 - 2:00ish ... he has to leave earlier this week. 

♥In Light*Joy*Love*Gratitude♥

"the bread lady"

Comic Book Swap Meet 2019

Steve Strout, justly proud.

Once again, Steve Strout, the fearless leader of the Comic Book Swap Meets, has put on a great show.

It took place in the Tri-Area Community Center in Chimacum. It attracted a Nerdom hungry to see and share everything we had to offer.

Let me back up a bit. It started for me when I drove to Port Angeles for an errands Friday - driver's license renewal, get my nose stud changed from the healer hook to the little sparkly jewel, get parts for the guitars and ukulele from Peninsula Music (friendly, well-stocked, PATIENT). Then I stayed overnight at Toadlily Hostel in town. 

Brew and Candy!

After getting some more errands done, I strolled down to the New Moon Cafe to try out their home brews. Specifically to conduct an experiment. Remember when "experts" said wine and chocolate didn't go tegether? I decided what I could pair up with beer that "didn't go." So I dropped in to the candy shop down by Anime Kat Comics and Games and picked up a few samples. 

Let me tell you, Marionberry and dark chocolate sticks are lovely with ginger 6% cider, and Licorice All Sorts are even better. I didn't get any Boston Baked Beans because the candy shop folks and I decided those would already be a hit with beer.

My table and me in my Ka-Blam tshirt - the BEST
print-on-demand floppy printer with
prices comparable to the 80's!

There I met a gentleman from the Caribbean, named Alex, and as the sun set and the moon rose, we became the core of a porch party. Silliness reigned.

Next morning, got up early, made coffee for everybody, and was on my way. Took me about an hour to get there. It's a big State, and the Peninsula is the size of some States.

Steve squeezed me in - on a table just RIGHT for me!

The Peninsula gots prop skilz!

See the Tardis? THERE ARE MASQUERADE PLANS. Opttacon won the use of it. Be prepared!

Of course there was a charity auction and food bank collection. No comicon is complete without charitable work. I didn't win anything, but lots of happy people did! Some folks bought a bunch of tickets and then didn't show up for the drawing - just to donate. 

Charity auction - comicons doing good.

I hit every table saying POSE FOR THE BLOG - and didn't they just?

And then I took a "shortcut" home, and ended up on Egg and I Road and wandering around until I found a tourist couple with a GPS. Just because I know the West End of the Peninsula doesn't mean I know the East.