My second review in Japanese Ribbon magazine!

So sorry for the very very delayed update. Life is as always a roller coaster with its ups and downs~
Here's a little update on my life and the latest achievements:

First, I got the result for Hooked On You, the novel manga I sent to the Japanese manga magazine Ribbon for their rookie competition. I named it 「友達バブル」 in Japanese.
It got the same prize as the Circus Romantique manga I sent them last time, which is the 「もうひと息賞」. But this time, I got a little higher an actually won some money (like 20 000 yen = ~150 euro/1500:- sek).

A scan from the Ribbon #6 2012, by my newfound friend xTsukim!
Check out her DeviantART Gallery and Youtube account!

With the help of xTsukim, I got the text translated for you:

Tomodachi Baburu, 32 pages
By Natalia Batista from Sweden, 25 years old

Story: In the big blue sea lives the mermaid Mina. Other mermaids think that you get strong by eating human meat, but Mina just want to become friends with a human. One day a boy gets thrown into the water, but is saved by Mina...!?

Critique: Just like with the last manga piece, the artwork is on a high level. You take time to do the backgrounds and also succeeding in making it feel like they live in the sea. But then however, the storyline; It doesn't show if this was Mina's love story, or a frinedship story, or maybe a story of her growing up? It didn't show the theme well enough so we disn't understand it. The ending was cut off very suddently. We didn't know if this was a happy ending or not. Please make characters more personally attached to the reader.

Art: 16
Story: 10
Overall feeling: 24
Total: 50 (out of 100)


Great critique as always, I get so many "Aha"-moments when I read their or the editor's comments, while thinking "Why didn't I do it that way?! How could I have been so stupid!?"

I love constructive critique and comments. It makes me grow as an artist, and also realize my own weakness, where my focus needs to be on my next work!

Sadly, this story got only 50 points and the one before got 55. I am analyzing the situation, and I think my next entry will be a more Ribbon-ish story. For once, I know what I want to focus on; a REAL shojo manga love story.
I have some ideas already, but it's way too early to show, so I'll get back to you with it later.

While also working on Nosebleed Studio stuff, like the comimg trailer for our anthology and some economy papers (which I am in charge of), I'm also kickstarting a big project with my friend Elise Rosberg at Wasabi Press. We're the initiators of the coming Swedish Asia-fan community NonstopCon, that will be up this Fall! More info on the homepage, and I'll blog more about it soon.

That aside, I have also been getting in contact with editors and publishers from different countries, to find possible publication for my project A Sword Princess Tale. So far I have two that are interested, but some more are still looking at the pitch I gave them. These things take time, so I expect contracts to be signed not earlier than August or so. But if I get something before then, I'll let you guys know! ;)

Here's a quick sketch I did of Amalthea. There's more where this one came from but I have to upload them some other time.

SIS 2012 and KodachiCon

The past two week ends have been busy!
Nosebleed Studio visited the book store SF-bokhandeln in Stockholm on the 27th of April, for a signing event! It was popular and we had a bunch of nice people sitting down with us to draw and to get autographs. Thank you everyone who came!

Also, the release party of Swedish Comic Sin 3 and GUYS was well visited, even though the weather was against us (raining all day). About 30-40 people came to get a copy and sit down for a glass and a talk, thanks everyone!!
And thank you to all the artists who came to sell books and sign autographs, good job!!

My sister Catarina and I at the fanzine market. Photo by Efraim Ramsén.

 Then, on the 28-29th of April, the comic market Small Press Expo (part of the Stockholm International Comics Festival - SIS) was held, and bigger than ever if I may say so!

Sadly, the passionate and hard working festival director Kristiina Kolehmainen left us a month before the event. Friday was a day of remembering and honouring her work for all of us in the comic industry. Standing there, at the memorial gathering, with about 150 other people who had been touched by Kristiinas work one way or another, I realized this is what true wealth is. Not money, not fame, but love and respect by the people you have helped and worked with.
All love and respect to you, Kristiina. <3

She would have been super proud of the whole festival if she had been there. The fanzine market is growing every year, with even more talented, aspiring and inspired artists selling their books, fanzines and prints. My heavy bag full with their works could testify that on the way home!

Nosebleed Studio's table. Photo by Efraim Ramsén.

The sales went well for Nosebleed Studio, over 50 people came to buy our latest anthology Seaside Stories!!
It's going really well for us, and especially after some rearranging within the group, getting more focused on the visions and plans for the future and what we need to do to get there. I love visions!

The week after that, we went to a local event in my home town, KodachiCon in Lund. It was a much smaller event, but we still had great sales and an awesome time there. It's nice to feel that our hard work, going to all the cons and stressing with books and fanzines and stuff, actually pays off - in the form of happy fans coming to our table and buying our works!
And also, them coming back and saying how much they liked the mangas, that is priceless. Thank you everyone, you make it all worth it!

I had the crazy idea to finish the first 40-pages long chapter of A Sword Princess Tale before SIS, so that I could make a fanzine and sell it to promote the project, and I managed to do so! Yay!
Here's the cover:

If anyone wants to buy a copy, it costs 20 SEK + shipping, it's all in English, black and white interior and color coverart.

Thank you for reading, and my next entry with be less delayed, because I have a bunch of new things to tell you about~

Mangateckning med Nosebleed Studio under SPX-veckan!!

Kom och rita manga med oss tecknare i den svenska mangagruppen Nosebleed Studio, på SF-bokhandeln i Stockholm den 27:e april kl. 16.00. Vi sitter på andra våningen och ritar manga och snackar med alla mangafans som dyker upp.
Ta gärna med dina teckningar för att få teckningsråd från fyra proffs!


Därefter signerar Nosebleed Studio sin nya antologi Seaside Stories, full med fantastiska serier av Sveriges främsta mangastudio!

16.00-17.00 - Mangateckning med Nosebleed Studio
17.00-17.30 - Signering med Nosebleed Studio

Joina Facebook-eventet!

IN ENGLISH:
Nosebleed Studio will have a book signing and manga cosiness at SF-bokhandeln in Stockholm on the 27th of April at 16.00. Come and sit with us and draw manga, and bring your own pictures to get tips by four pros!

Nosebleed Studio at Small Press Expo (Stockholms Internationella Seriefestival)!
We will be at tables 28-29 in the first hall in the comic market at third floor in Kulturhuset in Stockholm.
Come visit us there, and get a copy of our book for only 100:- and get free badges and bookmarks too! And of course autographs and even a picture if so wished!
Please, don't miss this big comic event!