Walk down the memory lane

These past weeks has been just that!

While also working on the next short story manga for Nosebleed Studio's next anthology this Spring, I've also been working on these two:

Yup, it's time for new collected editions of my mangas A song for Elise and Mjau!
So I've been rebuilding these books in InDesign and planning them. It's both fun and nostalgic but also a little embarrassing... I've become a better artist (not only my own words) and sure, I would like to fix everything that I think looks wonky and weird, but...

I won't. Why? Because I'm personally against redrawing old works. I don't do it if I'm not forced to. Because old works stands for them selves, and redrawing them might hurt the initial feeling that it had the first time. Sure, it might look better, but style is not all.

Also, I love to see progress in an artist's works, so I assume my readers does the same. So when I get my next works out there, these oldies need to look OLD. Hahaha...

More about these books later this Spring!
The release of both of them is planned to Stockholm's International Comic Fair (SIS) and Small Press Expo.

2013 - Let's draw!

Here it comes!
Time for my New Years resolution and plans for 2013.

First, let's check in with my 2012 New Years resolution:
This year, I'll take the chance while young and energetic and go to Japan! 

Hm... Okay, this will be pretty easy. I superfailed.
I really tried though! I applied for at least 7 or 8 funds or scholarships to try to get money to go there, since my own economy is not Japan-trip-friendly so to say. Since I wanted to stay there for at least 1-2 months, it would probably be around 40 000 sek (4000 euro or so) and that is not in my personal budget. But nope, no money recieved.
Also, to be fair, I have shifted the focus a little. I do see I can make manga here and send it there if I want to (like I have with Ribbon) and also that I have a possible career here. I'm thinking; how about make myself big enough here, and then export myself to Japan with a C.V. that will impress them?
I'll try both, I guess.
So, if I shall grade my self based on this resolution, I get a smashing 1 out of 5! Hahaha. At least I tried, E for effort!

Now over to the New Years resolution of 2013.
This year I will be working on my longest project ever!

That means, before this year is over, I must have beaten my longest manga so far with a new ongoing project. Since my longest manga is Mjau! with 250 pages, I need to have made at least 260 pages before this year is over. Yep, crazy. But I promise you I will!

And that project will be A Sword Princess Tale, which I have a Swedish and a Danish publisher on. More info soon!
The plan is to have the first volume (out of 3 or 4) in Swedish released in September, so my work is cut out for me.

Here's my plan for the year:
❂  January: Make the layout sketches for the 150 pages long first A Sword Princess Tale-volume, and also finish the 32-pages manga for Nosebleed Studio's next anthology.
❂  February-June: Draw the 150 pages of the first volume (about 30 of them just need some minor changes) while also working as a teacher 2 days a week at Serieskolan in Malmö and at Malmö Univerity.
 ❂  July-August: Perhaps some vacation, but also start making the layout sketches of the second A Sword Princess Tale volume!
❂  September-December:  Drawing the second volume.

Hopefully I will have made over 260 pages of the manga before the year is over, That will be so cool!
There needs to be some changes done though, i.e. on the armor of Amaltea, the main character.
After reading this article:
"Why do you hate the shape of breats in plate armor so much?" - martwhim at tumblr

Okay, so it isn't the most practical solution... Let's change it a little:

What do you think?
(Yes, the waist is not proportional, but I'm
talking the boob-plate, nothing else!)

I will also go to a couple of events this year, here's some I hope to attend:
➼  J-popCon in Copenhagen, Denmark
➼  KodachiCon in Lund, Sweden
➼  SIS and Small Press Expo in Stockholm, Sweden
➼  Japan Expo in Paris, France
➼  NärCon in Linköping, Sweden
➼  Gothenburg Book Fair, Sweden
➼  London MCM Expo in UK
➼  Confusion in Gothenburg, Sweden

Hope to see some of you at the events!
Well, I better get back to the work now... as I have put up a very very optimistic goal for my self! 

Let's draw!

New cover for A Song for Elise!

Dear friends! I need you help!
I have finally sold all my 400 English copies of A Song for Elise that I made back in 2009. It has been an awesome adventure to draw, print and sell my own book. I've learnt alot of things on the way, and also gotten some good attention for the book.
Thank you, everyone who've bought, read and enjoyed my manga A Song for Elise!


Now I would like to make a new edition. I want to remake the cover while I'm at it. For this, I need some feedback help from you, my readers!Which one of these two do you think would be the best?

The one to the left has a nice shape to it, but the one to the right have big eyes (which often drags the viewer in).
Please, help me, what do you think?