2012 - The year of new beginings!

Ouch, my but hurts... I think I might have broken it when training in the gym yesterday.

I want to write about my coming year, because I love to make plans and daydream of fullfilling them~

But first, I shall do what I have done the past years: evaluate my New Years resolutions, and proclaim new ones!
My resolutions for 2011 was:

1. To create a new longer manga project (preferably for TOKYOPOP in Germany)
2. To stop defining my self with what I do, and find my own strenght and worth

The first one went...ok, I guess. I didn't fininsh the first chapter like I really wanted, but I have not ever stopped thinking about my next big project that I want to pitch for TOKYOPOP. I even collected research material during my vacation for this project! And now, after working on it for a year, it feels more solid than ever.
Sad part is that most of the connecting with the characters is made when you draw them, and I have had no time and energy to do so... So if I should put a grade on how well I fullfilled the resolution, it might be a 3 out of 5. It could have been better, but I guess I should be happy with how much I got done even though I had loads of work on other things to take care of.

About the second one, I think I did better accually. This might sound corny and weird, but I accually kinda feel like I found my self this year. I feel more comfortable in my own skin than ever, and I have taken time to enjoy myself, doing things I normally not take time off to do, like take a walk in the forest, climbing, playing with my kitten Hilda and so on. I have also, the past couple of weeks, started getting to bed in time, so that I get up early, which I think has boosted my energy level a lot. So, I get an 4 out of 5 for fullfilling parts of the resolution, I think.

Now, let's talk about my resolution for 2012:
This year, I'll take the chance while young and energetic and go to Japan!

I want to go back to Japan, and this time stay at least 2 months. For that, I'm looking for funds and scholarships that might get me there. Sent off an application yesterday and will send three more before 1st of February.
If you know any, please give me a tip! I would be very very gratefull for any help.

I want to be over there, because last time was so inspiring and gave me so much knowledge and insight. I want to go there now, while I'm young and can do it, and I want to do it because I'm affraid I'll regret it when I'm older if I don't.
So this year, I WILL go to Japan again, and stay longer than last time. Make my self at home over there, if so just for a month or two.

So, that's my New Years resolution for this awesome new and exciting year. I will also keep on working on all of my mangas and go to a bunch of cons!

Here's my plans for 2012:

❆ January-February: Work on Hooked On You and A Song For Elise: Remix -Memories and hopefully finish the first chapter of my princess manga (more info bellow) and send it to TOKYOPOP, and also send Hooked On You to Ribbon in Japan
❆ March-April: Work at Malmö Högskola (University of Malmö) at their new comics course, and also do the editorial job on Swedish Comic Sin 3, plus work on layout sketches for chapter 2-5 for the princess manga and last but not least going to Small Press Expo (Stockholm, Sweden) with Nosebleed Studio's new anthology!
❆ May-June: Lot's of cons (see the tour list on the right) and more drawing, hopefully on the princess manga and hopefully for TOKYOPOP, and also sending Mjau! to other countries in hope of getting it out there, plus planing my trip to Japan, plus making a new story for Ribbon in Japan (so much!)
❆ July-September: Some vacation, hopefully, but mostly drawing on the princess manga (I hope) and planing the trip to Japan
❆ October-December: Hopefully living in Japan and drawing on the princess manga and also making new short mangas for Ribbon, trying to get one published!

I see now that most of my plans is based on other peoples decisions... Will TOKYOPOP pick up the princess manga for publishing?? Will I get enough money to go to Japan?? My Fall is pretty much a big "perhaps". Well, time will tell...

So, after torturing you with a wall of text, here's finally a picture!

This is Amalthea, the main character of the princess manga.
She's a Sword Princess!

This is an actionloaded and romantic fantasy manga, mainly targeted to females 13-20 years old, but the style might attract male readers aswell, and maybe even reader 20+ if I do it right!

The tale is played out in a story-book-like fantasy world where the Queens are the ones in charge. The oldest of daughters are kept to take care of the land, while the other daughters have to go out as Sword Princess' and find princes to rescue and marry, to inherit their mothers lands. Amalthea is the second of two sisters, and thus the one to leave, which she doesn't find amusing at all. And when she finally finds a prince and rescues him, he refuses to marry her!
The story will be their jurney back to his mothers castle, a bit like an actionfilled, fantasy road-movie, in an up-side-down world and with lots of drama and comedy.

I so hope I get the chance to make this one, because I allready like the main character! She's such a subborn tom-boy! Well, not in that world, there she's just "a girl", haha. It will be fun to play with gender-roles and such, making the guys all soft and weak while the girls are reckless and cocky.

The inspiration for this story is mainly Gerd Brantenberg's book Egalia's Daughters, the TV-series Game of Thrones (because I havn't read the books... yet) and Kaoru Mori's manga A Brides Story. I think with these three masterpieces as my inspiration, I might be able to create something purely awesome!

Ok, time to let you rest your eyes. Thanks alot for reading!!