Howdy Brave Being,
It’s a joy to have you reading my newsletter, and I hope you’re doing well today. Sometimes people mention to me that they read this humble newsletter and get something good out of it. In those moments, I’m overjoyed, smiling uncontrollably. So thanks a million for reading. I’m glad I can provide some goodness out there in this wild wild world. Now, I’ve got a lot of updates, so in the famous words of Samuel L. Jackson as Ray Arnold in Jurassic Park:
What I’m Working On
So, as you may have read in past newsletters of mine, I made an out-of-this-world comic with Dailen Ogden and a dream team…maybe you’ve heard of it. It’s DEAD DREAMS: THE LUCID CHRONICLES #1 and we’re preparing to launch it on Zoop! That’s right, our horror-edged, sci-fi tale is headed to a crowdfunding platform near you.
Looking to live out her dreams of becoming an actress, timid Piña Axletree takes a tonic and wakes up in a parallel world, leading a drug syndicate. Will she run back to the familiar doldrums of her reality or become a more ruthless version of herself to achieve her dreams?
On the surface, DEAD DREAMS: THE LUCID CHRONICLES is a story that answers the question: What if a dream launched you into a parallel world where you could live your doppelgänger’s life? Underneath, the story explores how doppelgängers raised in abusive environments make different life-altering choices.
As a person who grew up in abusive environments, I wanted to examine the seemingly inescapable cycle of the adage “hurt people hurt people” through doppelgängers. Piña and her doppelgänger Matron are two sides of the same coin—they both grew up abused by their parents, which makes Piña the anxious, timid person that she is, while Matron doesn't exactly overcome her traumatic childhood.
Since this story was partly inspired by my experiences with abuse, ten percent of the funds raised will be donated to Kathy’s Legacy Foundation to support children and pets impacted by domestic violence. They have been doing great work for the last decade and I believe in their commitment to inspire dreams and revive hope.
If you can’t tell yet, Dead Dreams has been a massive passion project for me, and I could not have done it without my incredible team: artist Dailen Ogden, variant cover artist Liana Kangas, letterer Gabriela Downie, editor Heather Ayres, layout artist Hari Conner, designers Sasha E. Head and AndWorld Design, flatter Drew Wills, and marketing coordinator James B. Emmett who have all contributed their utmost to make this debut first issue shine like the sun! We cannot wait to show you more.
In other awesome news, I’ve joined Tim Daniel and David "DB" Andry’s studio Second Rocket Creative Services as an editorial/story consultant! I’m really excited to join the talented crew and help creators launch their comic book dreams into reality.
Things I’m Digging
This thread about lettering from letterer and PanelxPanel editor Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou:
All these AWESOME crowdfunding campaigns happening now:
ThoughtScape Comics #1-2 is live on Zoop! Matt Mair Lowery has built an incredible sci-fi anthology with a host of creators that’s not to be missed. The futuristic world they’ve built is so enthralling—just imagine a world where thoughts are harvested and then owned by a corporation. Some stories are vignettes about secret laboratories and sentient dolls while others continue into issue #2, like the one about my favorite thought collection officer Odessa Query in ThoughtScape 2319!
Thirty-Three is also live on Zoop! I love this John Wick meets Raising Arizona series (and not just because I edited it). It’s an action-packed story of superhuman assassins, family, and redemption. Plus, the tender family moments tug at my heartstrings! Creator Juan Ponce built a pretty awesome team to boot.
Super Best Friend #1-2 is live on Kickstarter and it was funded in less than 10 hours! It’s the indie comic creator’s dream to get funded so quickly and while writer Jason Inman, artist George Kambadais, letterer Taylor Esposito, and I are all celebrating, there will be some super-duper stretch goals to check out!
The Dancer #1-2 is live on Kickstarter! This psychological martial arts thriller by Kat Calamia and E.V. Cantada follows professional dancer and assassin Mia as she grapples with her childhood trauma of witnessing her parents’ murder.
The Haunting #1-4 is live on Kickstarter! Get all four comics in Phil Falco and Anna Wieszczyk’s supernatural horror series about an average teenage brat named Bram—wherever he goes, ghosts appear, a strange ability that’s more of a curse. The latest issue rounds out the first arc and where ghosts, zombies, friends, and enemies collide!
Merry Musings
Over the last seven months, I’ve done some reflection on Dead Dreams, including the life it has led so far and where it’s headed. I started it in 2016 and there have been many hurdles—losing my original collaborators due to scheduling conflicts and health issues, getting rejected by publishers, and the time it took to save up money to pay my collaborators (to name just a few). The one thing that kept me going was my mantra: keep following your dreams. Seriously. Take it from me and don’t give up. Lots of things can pull you down, but the one thing that can stay consistent is your drive to go out there and do what you love. Then tell me what it is so I can support you! :)
Thanks for reading!
Mercy buckets,
Britany