Katie Bair's Art Emporium and Petting Zoo

Petting Zoo News - Archives

*Ah, only minor* chaos this month.** Updated: September 30th, 2002 As some of you might recall from my last report, July and August were pretty hectic around these parts, and I was looking forward to some well-needed downtime. I still had work to do, but with the exception of the cover for NHS #101, there was no rush. As it was, I only had a few hours after I got home to do the cover and it turned out looking horrible. I did a second version, but it was already too late to make the submission deadline for that month's ads, and they ended up using an old unused cover from a previous issue. (Yes, it sucked so bad that they would have rather used a piece of art that didn't make the cut the first time.)	My second try...
Ow. Ow. Part of the weirdness for September was the medical study I was taking part in that required that I administer a shot to myself on a daily basis. (I'm perfectly healthy, it was more of a "in the name of science" thing.) I'm not exactly the bravest sort when it comes to needles, but I managed to survive with a little ingenuity and an ice pack. After completing this three week long prickfest, I have a new found respect for those suffering from Diabetes. Some of them have to give themselves a shot everyday for the rest of their lives! However, I think the fact that I had to get up early to drive to the check-up center everyday was far worse than the shots. ^_^ Comic News Although I had a rocky start with that crappy cover and an uninspired school design, it looks like I'm still on for at least the first story arc of NHS. The writer, Robby Bevard, finally got enough free time to send me a rough plot outline last week, and I'm finishing up the storyboards now. With any luck, I'll be able to start drawing the actual pages by the end of this week, and we should be right on schedule to get the book out by December.
My solo book, Oasis Destiny is scheduled to premier with Antarctic's new anthology in March of 2003. The first issue was drawn in 1999, and because of this the art looks... well, it doesn't look as good as my current stuff, let's just say that. So I've been filling up my extra time redrawing select panels to try to update the style a bit. Also, I'm almost done writing the prequel, which occurs 200 years before the current story. You'll just have to wait a few years for me to finish drawing that one though. ~,~'
Goodies for Me! Goodies for You! I got my first fan mail this month from a little girl named Ryanne. She sent me a homemade card in a construction paper envelope thanking me for the picture I drew for her. I just had to show it to everyone, I was so proud! ^_^ I also got a surprise gift of a RedOctane Dance Pad for DDR! (With the foam insert and everything!) If you guys haven't used one of these before, I highly recommend them. I've used 3 other brands, and these just blow the rest out of the water. Since everyone is sending me such cool stuff this month, I figured I'd return the favor. Starting in October, I'll be posting the "Omake Theater" mini-stories from Oasis Destiny every two weeks. This will give you a chance to get a free sneak preview of what's up with those girlie Goddesses. Also, I'm adding new wallpapers, pinups, and low-price items to the store as fast as I can. Additionally, I'm doing a couple of donation pieces that will be auctioned off at AnimeUSA 2002 in Virginia October 11th through 13th.
More Convention Joy I have been invited, along with the rest of the Ryuhana Press gang, as a guest to AnimeUSA 2002. This is a smaller convention, so it's not so hectic to get ready for. I'll most likely actually end up making it to the karaoke contest this time. ^o^ Of course, since it's October (the month of Halloween!), I just had to make yet another cosplay costume. This one only took a night to complete, and I'm not going to enter the cosplay contest with it, so it was delightfully non-stressful.
Superchamp Gets a Check-Up My car, Superchamp, has been badly in need of a tune up for over 60,000 miles. Why didn't I take him to the shop? Because I couldn't afford to, really. I don't know how many of you own your own cars out there, so let me just tell ya: Service is expensive. Especially when your car has 136,350 miles on it, and things like the timing belt and brakes need to be replaced. Anyhow, I finally saved up enough cash to take him into my local Honda dealer, and the poor service manager nearly had a heart attack when I told him how much needed to be done. Much to his credit though, he was the first car-person I have dealt with that hasn't treated me like a "stupid girl". I don't have a feminazi chip on my shoulder about the whole "women don't know anything about cars" line of thinking, coz I'm constantly surprised with how few girls I know who can change a tire. But you gotta take into consideration, my car is heavily customized, and covered with stickers that say things like "Powered by Kool-Aid" and "Karaoke Kate's Honda". So when some dude looks at it and says to me, "Nice car. Is it you husband's?" I want to punch him in the teeth.
Upgrading Along with some incredibly late spring cleaning, I have managed to finally upgrade my computer as well. I'm still trying to find my Photoshop CD to reinstall (if I don't find it pretty soon, that whole "artist" gig is gonna be cut short...) but other than that everything is going fine. Tune in next month for more exciting adventures, as we explore deeper into the madness that is the petting zoo. Word up. ~_^ -Katie

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