Autobiographical Much?

The comic’s latest story arc is unabashedly based on my own life experience. (If you haven’t read it yet, you might want to start at #29 and read through #33 first for some context. Otherwise, spoilers and some serious talk ahoy!)

I lived in New York City for about 18 months. During that time, I experienced something that looked a heck of a lot like depression. I have no official diagnosis for that, but I did have a hard time being my chipper, wacky self. Much as I like to lay all blame for that unhappiness on the Big Apple – which is a bigger, nastier version of my first love, Chicago – it really was the result of many factors. But they were all snarled up in one giant mess of awfulness in my head that it seemed like I would never be able to untangle.

Then my partner got offered a job in Los Angeles and we moved. It changed everything.

Los Angeles has been a huge motivator to start pursuing my own projects. Trying new things. Being adventurous. Rediscovering the creativity that I thought had been stamped out of me. And it has been really flippin’ awesome.

Even though my time in New York was a low point, in many ways, I was lucky. It was a situational sadness. Changing my environment was enough to make the big mess of bad things seem more manageable, to help me get back in charge. I was also lucky because my brain and my body don’t actively work against me most days. What I experienced was enough to realize just how hard things can be for people who do live with that regular struggle thanks to depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and the many other conditions under the mental health umbrella.

So I’d like to take this opportunity to say two things.

First, if someone you know is living the fight for their own mental health, then give them a hug, a chocolate bar, a gold star, something. If they’re making it through the day, they’ve probably earned it.

Second, change is scary. But change can also be good. Obviously, moving to L.A. will not magically solve your problems. (In fact, it’d probably further exacerbate the whole drought thing.) But even a smaller, less drastic change can shift your thinking or boost your spirits.

Make a change when you need it. Ask for help when you need it. You got this.

Betrayal! (aka The Comic I Should Have Known About)

People. I’m very unhappy with you.

How is it possible that nobody, not a single one of you, ever told me about NPC Comic? It’s about MMOs! And an awesomely dorky gaming couple! And TALKING CATS! It’s basically my life! (In a perfect world I’d have two talking dogs, but minor detail.)

I can only guess that everyone assumed I was already familiar with Mary Varn’s most fabulous adventures in gaming nerd-dom. And let’s face it, considering she’s been making the comic since 2009, I probably should have stumbled across it before now.

Maybe it’s my fault.

I’m sorry I lashed out. Let’s be friends again.

Anyhoo, I’ve got another blog post in the works for next week and some supremely silly stuff about to happen in the lives of Dog and Bird. So stay tuned to this space, drop me a line if you want to chat, and have a happy Halloween!

Of Tumblr and Superheroes

First, some online bookkeeping. I’m happy to announce that in addition to the Twitter and Facebook profiles, Dog and Bird is now on Tumblr. That’s right, you can now follow and reblog the comic to your heart’s content. Woo! Go social media!

Second, I’m excited to share another webcomic with y’all. Earlier this month, I had a wonderful trip out to Minneapolis. While it was very bad for my comic productivity (sayonara to almost my entire buffer of prepared strips), it was great for the warm fuzzies. I got to eat my weight in delicious food and catch up with many dear friends. One of those people not only put me up for the week, but he also suggested a comic that I hadn’t read yet.

Once I got back home, I binged my way through the entirety of Strong Female Protagonist in a single afternoon. As is so often the case for me, the incredible writing by Brennan Lee Mulligan was an immediate draw. The comic is about what it means to be a hero or a superhero in the modern world. It presents unusual ethical angles on what it would mean to live with mind reading, mega strength, or self-regeneration. Toss that in with some nuanced ideas about the role of women in society and in the superhero literature, and you’ve got a truly compelling read. Bonus: there’s even a chapter with a puppy!

I never read comic books growing up. But I really have learned a lot about this art form thanks to projects that still use the traditional format, even for an online work. Molly Ostertag’s wonderfully evocative artwork for SFP is a great example. Not only are her characters super (heh) cool, but I appreciate how she chooses to use her space, how to break up her panels, and when to throw out all the rules for maximum impact. Not sure if any of these new observations will ever make their way into D&B strips, but it’ll be simmering on the back burner.

So yes, take a gander at Strong Female Protagonist! And as always, if you like what you see here on Dog and Bird, let me know. Or even better, let your friends know. Everyone could use another comic in their lives, right? Right.

Shock, Gratitude, and Chickens

First of all, I can’t believe the comic has been up and running for more than a month! For a project that started as a pipe dream this spring, I’m still somewhat in shock that the comic really is out in the world.

Second, I want to give my most heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you readers. Whenever I see the comic shared on social media or a friend tells me how much they enjoy the jokes, I do a little happy dance. (That’s not an exaggeration. I really do bounce around and smile like a maniac. Every time.) So thank you so much for sharing in the experience. I hope you continue to find it as delightful as I do. <3

Third, I wanted to give occasional shout-outs to the other artists and webcomics that I like. The world of Creative People On The Internet is full of awesomeness, and I’m a big believer in giving props, snaps, and signal boost to any person who makes a thing that touches your life. So here we go!

The first artist I’d like to share is Doug Savage, creator of Savage Chickens. When I first committed to making Dog and Bird a thing, I did a bunch of research into what other people were doing. Savage Chickens was hands-down my favorite discovery from that webcomic binge.

For starters, the guy draws on sticky notes. Instant brownie points in my book! But he also has a simplicity to his humor. Jokes require a setup, so his ability to get a surprise punchline out of just one or two panels is impressive. The writing is tight, the cast of recurring characters is strange, and you’ll find yourself relating to chickens in ways you never would have imagined.

So if you’re not familiar, go check him out! Got a comic or an artist who should be on my radar? Drop me a note on Twitter (@AnnaGetsPithy/@dogbirdcomic) or by *gulp* email (dogbirdcomic@gmail.com).

Have a happy weekend, all!

It’s our official launch! Hooray!

Hello fair readers! Today is the official launch of this little webcomic project and I couldn’t be happier. Thanks to the many people who read the early strips and helped with technical advice getting the site off the ground. You are all the best.

If you enjoy the comic, then drop me a line on social media and let me know! The strip has profiles on Facebook and Twitter, and I’d be ever so happy to hear what you think. Ditto goes for any technical issues that may pop up; there will be small tweaks to the site in the coming weeks, but hopefully nothing that breaks the important stuff. Fingers crossed.

 

Progress is happening

I’m so happy with how the site is finally coming together! It took a lot of staring at .php files and googling functions and no small amount of headdesking. Yes, headdesking. That’s totally a word.

Anyway, things are definitely progressing and I’m learning a lot. Navigation is working, permalinks are logical, and nothing has broken catastrophically. So far.

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Hello world!

Hey there, Internet traveler! This will soon be the home of Dog and Bird, a delightful new webcomic. But I’m still getting WordPress into order and polishing up the first few strips. So hang tight, and check back later this month for the debut. Hooray!