Tag: cartoon

Happy 18th Birthday! Please read, sign, and date…

Lab Mice turned 18 this fall!

(Oh, did you think it was my 18th birthday? Nope–been there, done that, have the filing cabinet to prove it).

Perhaps it’s just because I’m annoyed about sorting through the piles of paperwork that I have neglected since 2018, but adulthood seems to be one endless ream of paperwork–virtual or otherwise. If you’re stuck on what to get for that newly-minted 18-year-old in you life, may I suggest a filing cabinet and some hanging file folders? Unless they happen to be an office supplies aficionado, they won’t actually appreciate it until they’re 35, but then they will be truly grateful when they unwrap a box of manila folders to complete the set.

A shredder and dedicated recycling bin would also be thoughtful gifts.

Now, I’m off to have a good cry over some pre-pandemic grocery receipts. I might have my favorites custom-framed.

Inktober 2022: Crossing the Finish Line

Inktober artists: we did it!

This challenge was so much fun, I’m glad I finally went for it. It was the highlight of my day to see the unique responses to each prompt, and I found some great artists to follow on Instagram. I plan to do Inktober again next year–this time with more advance planning (like, the entire month of September…).

Between pushing to finish up Q is for Quarantine in September, and spending all month on Inktober…I am tired. I’ll be posting a comic weekly on Fridays during November and December, both brand-new and from the last few years (along with nicely edited versions of three Inktober comic strips), and evaluate how that’s working for me going into the New Year. I want to create and post comics regularly, so I need to find a way sustainably pace myself. Behind the scenes, I’ll be working on publishing Q is for Quarantine, and setting up a Lab Mice Etsy shop.

…Anyone else ready for a long post-Inktober nap?
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Wait–what do you mean, the holidays are coming???

October

October starts tomorrow, which means that it is also the beginning of:

1) Inktober

2) Dysautonomia Awareness Month

I’ve wanted to participate in Inktober with Lab Mice for years, and finally decided to go for it. I have a goal to complete all 31 prompts, one each day. Doing this on the heels of finishing Q is for Quarantine probably means that I will be very tired by November 1 (so, probably not doing NaNoWriMo this year).

I will be posting photos of each day’s drawings on Lab Mice’s Facebook and Instagram pages, and will do a weekly post here on the blog.

It’s also Dysautonomia Awareness Month, which will be inspiring a few of my cartoons for the Inktober prompts (like #17, “salty”). I was diagnosed with POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome–a form of dysautonomia) a year-and-a-half ago, and cartooning has helped me keep my spirits up and see the funny side of things while I learn to manage it.

It’s going to be a very busy month!

Y is for Years

Q is for Quarantine: a Coronavirus Alphabet

One more letter to go!

I had no ideas for “Y” until a week ago, when it occurred to me that I’ve drawn two comics on the subject already. This was obviously not a part of the original list, because in April 2020, everyone was talking hopefully in terms of weeks or months. We didn’t know that covid had signed up for a full marathon, and not just a 5k….