Anime Evolution was one big, eventful convention. I had a lot of fun selling books, meeting people, running panels and talking until I lost my voice. It’s recovering today and hopfully I’ll be in full swing again tomorrow. Luckily, I don’t need a voice to write things on the internet!

There are some exciting stories from AE, Vancouver’s largest (and probably only) Anime convention. Not to mention there’s some new art, books and prints for sale and all that fun stuff. I’m pretty sure it’s a  pretty appropriate time to launch the Epidigm store so you fine folk can order some of our fine art.

The Cloudscape Table

For a few months now we’ve been working closely with AE to create their program guide and flush out their panel lineup. As a big thank you for all our collaboration, we were given a booth in the Artists’ Villa. It was a great experience, and though AE fell into the trap of separating their artists into different rooms, we had a lot of opportunity to promote our books to a new audience.

Our table feature books and art by  Jeff Ellis, Jonathon Dalton, Chloe Chan, Steve LeCoulliard, Reetta Linjama, Camilla D’Errico, and of course Wei and myself. All of Cloudscape’s books are available for sale on our website, and individual artists may or may not sell things on the internet.

Panels and Workshops

I was really excited to teach two workshops and speak in one panel. Wei, Kevin and I did the Life Drawing Workshop, which focused on teaching participants how to use life drawing to their benefit and how to get the most out of their life drawing sessions. It was quite late, at 8:30pm on Friday or something, so I wasn’t expecting it to be well attended. Much to our surprise, the room was full. I got to be the model for the session, which was fun and challenging. I’ve been a life drawing model before, but I haven’t done it fully clothed before, and not in a very warm room either. The heat decided to come back this Friday, afterall.

My second workshop was even more surprising. It was a comics and manga workshop at 10:00pm on Saturday night. I had more people at that workshop than I had at life drawing, to the point where we didn’t have anymore chairs. I felt like I had to talk very fast, but I only had one hour to give everyone a crash course. Even though the workshop ended at 11:00, I ended up staying until about 12:30 to spend some time with individual participants and critique their work. Much like my adults graphic novels class at Bonsor, I love teaching teens and adults. They have a great sense of humour and work ethic.

New Paintings

In my work for AE, I made two badges for their convention. I painted the 3 day Adult badge and the 3 day Minor badge. I didn’t post the badges before the convention, for obvious reasons, but now they are available for all of the internet! I have 11×17 prints of the adult badge that I will put up on the new online store when I finish building it. If you want one before then, feel free to drop me an email and we can do the whole paypal thing. My email is anise.shaw@gmail.com

Today, I read that Google is going to sit down with Verizon and strike a deal that would end net neutrality. I know that this is a difficult and confusing topic for many, but I have been following this trend for about 4 years now. What I truly know is that I rely on net neutrality. It allows this website to exist and allows you to stop by and read it. It may not be as big as facebook, or twitter, or even some of the big webcomics, but it means something to me. Every single page view is like a little more fuel telling me that this is something I can do, and that there are people out there that would like to read my comics.

In response to today’s news, I have wrote this letter to Google. I honestly think that if we, the users of the internet, speak plainly to this company, they will listen. They have before.

Here is my open letter to Google. If it speaks to you, please use it as you need to.

Dear Google Founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page and Google Chairman Eric Schmidt,

It is undeniable that the internet is a chaotic mess of information, entertainment, legal and illegal activity. It is a bustling bazaar of merchants, buyers, consumers and participators. In a developed country where stores are systematically lined up in malls, the local restaurant folds to the chain that opens up next door and the television broadcasts news that benefits its shareholders more than the people, the internet is our last bastion of user controlled activity.

From my first foray onto the internet when I was merely 11 years old, I was enamoured by the possibilities of this new social space. The first thing I wanted to do was make my own website and share in the community. In less than I year, I was able to teach myself HTML, signed up for a tripod website and had my first page – about my favourite cartoons and comics – online.

Now, I’m a comic artist. My primary venue of distribution is the internet. I sell books, post sketches, talk with readers and have a webcomic all on my own website. My life has been transformed by a neutral and accessible internet, and now I want that opportunity to be passed on to my children.

Without a neutral internet, I would not have the venue to fullfill my life’s ambitions. Instead, I would most likely be working in the office of a company I am abstractly disconnected with or serving at one of those chain restaurants that forced my local joint to go out of business.

Google, I beseech you. In a world where all that exists are the big players, the people need advocates. I wish in all ernestness that you would pick up your mantle of that advocacy that defined your existence, and brand, when you first started. Please don’t sign this deal with Verizon. Please keep the internet this wonderful, loud and messy bazaar that has brought us so much freedom.

There is nothing like the internet in this world. It is truly new media. You are in a position to make history, to not allow our infant creations to fall to the standards of the status quo. To me, it doesn’t make a difference how I access the internet, but I can not be at the mercy of corporate gatekeepers. Be our advocate, Google, as you have promised us all these years. Our participation has helped you grow strong, don’t abandon us now.

Sincerely,

Vanessa Kelly
Coquitlam, BC Canada
anise.shaw@gmail.com

If you are interested in writing your own letter to Google, please do so here. They wouldn’t take my Canadian postal code, so I just gave them the one for Seattle. It’s 98125.

Here’s the next page! I’m really on a roll this week, which is good. I need to be in order to have my comic ready for the next few conventions I’m going to.

Having very little money right now is also a good motivator. I’m making art for my supper! I’m sending my Anime Evolution poster to the printers tomorrow as well, but I won’t be able to post that image until the end of the convention. It’s the painting on the three day adult pass.

If I have page 9 finished tomorrow, I will be in heaven.