Illustration

Crescendo

| rozihath

Well, it’s been a minute.

The last ten months are a bit of a blur, but great things are happening – and although delayed, the biggest-and-best-yet graphic novel of my life’s work is getting closer to being out in the world. And oh boy, I’m excited.

In my last update I talked about finishing comic two for my upcoming release, Legacy, seeing some humpback whales in the wild, and recovering from the worst illness I’ve ever had.

Since then? It gets even better.

Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs)

When I started writing Karasu: Or, Sato’s Beaked Whale, I had no idea the connections it would bring me. One of those connections came from a co-author of the original scientific journal – the researcher, author and conservationalist Erich Hoyt. Not only did Erich give his time and provide connections to help me with the specific wording of the script, he’s also kept in touch ever since, becoming a big supporter of my work. After us both trying to find some time among our schedules, I’m thrilled to say we’re now working together on a comic about the extablishment of the Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs) Task Force! 🎉

Above: Sneak peeks of some initial inks for the upcoming IMMA comic

Coming in at around 24 pages, this comic will be the first of it’s kind for the IMMA Secretariat team – graphic evidence detailing the often complex processes involved with establishing and expanding marine protected areas from explotation, overfishing and shipping routes. And I’m thrilled to be a part of it! Watch this space.

Vocalisation comic

Despite it taking a year(!) to gather all my research and start writing, the THIRD and final comic that will make up my upcoming biggest-and-best-yet graphic novel is slowly taking shape.

When I first thought a comic on whale vocalisation was a good idea, I didn’t really think about how broad the subject is, how I’d be pulled in multiple directions in my research, and get a bit dizzy in the process. Literally dizzy. (I am not a scientist, it sometimes actually hurts my brain and I have to go walk the dog and watch birds to decompress).

BUT, after reading multiple books, articles and journals in the past year and gathering all my evidence, I’ve started using my 44 pages of notes in a Google Doc to write the script. And it’s genuinely incredibly exciting to see it come together.

Despite now dedicating my life to turning complex scientific literature into comics, the writing isn’t my favourite bit. After all, I love storytelling but a lot of that is down to the medium it’s produced in – comics. My absolute favourite bit is working out the pages and panels, and drawing it all up. So hopefully, within the next month or so, I’ll have a first draft I can start using to plot out how the comic will read.

Sadly there’s nothing exciting or photogenic about a 44 page Google Doc – so here’s a picture of my dog using a cushion as a pillow instead.

Megaptera Boops

To counteract all the seriousness and complexities of doing all these things, I have a handful of ways to relax and enjoy life – stretch my body, play Pokémon, get dumb tattoos (most recently a shrimp with a party hat) and come up with dumb ideas that mostly don’t see the light of day.

With the dumb ideas that mostly don’t see the light of day, one has been promoted to actually seeing the light of day.

Two years ago on my first visit to NHM Cetacea research collection, I first came across Megaptera boops – a long-ago proposed taxanomic name for a humpback whale (actual taxanomic name: Megaptera novaeangliae). What an incredible name, right? Since then I’ve had a sketch for a logo/badge on my wall every day, calling on me to do something with it.

Finally, I answered the call.

Did I then get a company to stitch this onto a hat? Maybe. You’ll have to check out my Instagram to see.

Joining the pandas

Finally, one of the biggest bits of news. In September last year, I landed my absolute dream job of working in the brand and design team in the UK office of WWF. The past nine months have been incredible, and I still get a buzz every time I walk into the Living Planet Centre.

In the past few years I’d definitely lost a lot of confidence, and some of my spark. It’s difficult to summarise, but essentially, life takes its toll. Taking the leap to WWF has been one of the best things I have ever done, and even on the busiest, most stressful of days I know how lucky and priviledged I am. Not only does my comics work have deep purpose, now my job-work does too. I’m trusted, encouraged and right there alongside some of the biggest conservation challenges and solutions in the world. And my team is a dream.

What’s next

Well! Continuing the good fight, I suppose. The IMMA comic, the vocalisation script, it’s all in motion and I’m hoping soon I’ll be able to launch plans for my Kickstarter and get the biggest-and-best-yet into a physical form. It all feels like I’m leading up to some kind of crescendo, and I’m really excited to get there. That said, there’s a long way to go yet, and I’ll do my best to enjoy the journey. Better get some more coffee ☕

Until next time!

x

Autumn light

| rozihath

Hi all,

We’re already halfway through October, three-quarters of the way through the year, and I’m about two-thirds of the way through my second coffee of the day. How poetic!

After the madness of the school summer holidays, I’ve spent the last couple of months getting my priorities in order – trying to focus on looking after myself and my goals, whilst juggling work, kids’ school, my relationship and not being an inactive blobfish. I’m in a pretty good place right now, which is a bonus considering the days are closing in and I got rained on yesterday. So here’s a little recap of what I’ve been up to.

Zanna submission

Back in early September, I spotted a call for submissions from a magazine/art collective called Zanna. I first heard of them from an alumni talk by Taya Martin (where I also presented) back in March this year. And I’ve been following them on Instagram ever since!

Zanna has some great opportunities out there, and its ethos is all about breaking down barriers to art and promoting affordability and fun initiatives. This is absolutely necessary, and I am a big supporter!

Back to the submission: as some of you may know, I’ve always been a huge fan of short comics – a lot of my first work was published in places like Dirty Rotten Comics anthologies and the Good Comics Dead Singers Society zines. So this seemed like a fun opportunity to mix things up a bit and work to a new theme/brief: Candyland. I submitted my 2-page comic just in time for the deadline, and I’m thrilled to have been accepted into Issue 10!

It’ll be on sale soon, so keep your eyes peeled and follow Zanna on Instagram for all the latest.

Whales, whales, whales

As you may have seen in my last blog, I’m currently working pretty intensely on a new comic. It’ll be far longer and in-depth than anything I’ve published to date, and all I’m willing to tell you about for now is that it’s about whales. The big, beautiful mammals that are so admired and yet so alien to our everyday life.

Here are a few more sketchbook pages for now, but rest assured, things are brewing in my ol’ headbox. Big things cometh soon.

A mural for our community garden

Finally, full-admittance that I’m now officially a crazy dog lady. Or, I care about our community garden. Or both!

Earlier this year it was proposed that our local nature-filled community garden should be concreted over, along with adjacent paths and a public car park to make way for more unaffordable flats. Thanks, capitalism. I use the garden a lot with my fur-child Malibu, so as well as petitioning against the proposed development, I decided to make a mural to spruce up the garden and show what it means to me and my dog.

The chipboard I used for the project was free from a neighbour, so all I needed was the primer, paint and waterproof varnish to protect it against the elements. It was pretty new for me to work on a larger scale and with acrylic, but I had a lot of fun doing it. It’s been out in the garden for a couple of months now, and we’re waiting to hear the outcome of our neighbourhood-wide opposition to the building work. Check it out:

And that’s it for now! As always, be sure to check out what we’re up to over at Good Comics and keep my pens and coffee fund well-stocked by visiting my store.

Stay warm and cosy, folks. Until next time.

x

Recent soul-warming books to recommend:

Autumn Light by Pico Iyer
The Day the Whale Came by Lynne Cox
Home Body by Rupi Kaur
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
(please buy books from your local bookshop, hire them from your library, or failing that, Hive is great)

The Changing of the Seasons

| rozihath
Summer to Autumn – best shared skimming stones and with freezing toes

Afternoon all,

It’s been a while! The last few months have flown by in a blur, and somehow it’s October. Autumn has a way of catching me off-guard every year, and somehow the days have become suddenly chillier without me noticing until I’ve already set foot out of the door.

So, what have I been up to since my last post aside from being cold? Primarily a new web-format comic about family. But that’s been a difficult, emotional piece to work on as it’s really close to my heart. It’s not too far off from completion, but I’m taking some mental space from it for a few weeks so I’m able to do it justice. Secretive, I know! All will be clear soon.

However, I’ve also been working on a new, exciting project I get to share with you all today!

Some background: It’s the changing of the seasons. And, I struggle.

Don’t get me wrong; the leaves changing is beautiful, the sound of rain is serene, but feeling sleep deprived and having cold extremities is awful. It’s depressing, and it can feel never-ending. 

So, I wanted to make something that inspires creativity during the wetter, shorter days but doesn’t have the same pressure as 160 plain white pages of a new store-bought sketchbook, or any organised drawing challenges you find online.

I hand collated and stitched these little books using GF Smith Colorplan 135g paper (citrine and vellum), kraft offcuts, semi-translucent and natural papers. The sketchbooks are just 16 pages long so there’s no pressure of many pages to fill. They’re roughly A6 size to fit in your pocket or bag, and each sketchbook is hand-printed with the specially designed autumn/winter logo on the front, ready to customize.

I’ve made a limited stock of these sketchbooks, so if you’d like one you can grab it for £4 + free UK shipping (Or £6 incl. shipping everywhere else in the world). Check it out on my store here.

What do you all think? Could you use some relaxing autumnal drawing time? Share your doodles with me and I’ll set up a gallery so we can all see each other’s work and conquer the season together.

And that’s it for now! Until next time, keep dry and toasty.

x

Collective Arts Submission

| rozihath

Collective Arts Brewing – Maple
Collective Arts Brewing – Bamboo
Collective Arts Brewing – Fuji

Submission for Collective Arts Brewing

As a self-initiated project, I created three labels for submission to the Collective Arts Brewing call for entries. Themed around Japan, I looked at using my style of creating artwork to make something non-narrative for a change, and this is what I came up with; red maple, bamboo, and the iconic Mt. Fuji.

Unfortunately, due to timing and conventions I didn’t get this submitted in time for Series 9, so it’s just been a useful exercise for now!

Maps

| rozihath

As a part of an ongoing personal project I have started creating maps of the cities I visited whilst backpacking through central Scandinavia in August 2015. The first choices of maps to illustrate have been Oslo, Stockholm and Copenhagen, with Bergen, Malmö, Aarhus and Gothenburg still to go. Throughout our time in Scandinavia my partner and I were lucky enough to have friends to show us great places to see, eat and experience, and by creating these maps I’ve put our experiences and fond memories into something tangible.

Keep an eye out as I carry on illustrating the rest of these wonderful cities! And if anyone speaks to them, tell Norway, Sweden and Denmark that I miss them very much.