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#gentlecomicshabit – 17 minute comic

Posted on 16/02/2025 by Fifth Ace

Last night, my tabletop group met for the first time in nearly seven months; life just kept getting in the way, and we haven’t been able to meet consistently since then.

I’d almost forgotten how much I enjoy taking on the role of Dungeon Master for my friends, especially ones with such great chemistry. Barely a session goes by where we don’t get some new kind of in-joke forming from their crazy antics, which I’m am only too happy to facilitate.

#gentlecomicshabit – 14 minute comic

Posted on 11/02/2025 by Fifth Ace

One of the blocks on my Art Bingo card for this year is a redraw of an art piece from 10 years ago or more. Looking back at some of my art from 2015 and before was really a great indication of how far I’ve come since then.

This isn’t the artwork I’ve been redrawing; if I’d simply pasted the actual art in this comic, it wouldn’t have taken 14 minutes, so in order to keep with the spirit of the exercise, this is just an allegory.

#gentlecomicshabit – 13 minute comic

Posted on 09/02/2025 by Fifth Ace

Something that I resolved to keep in mind this year, is to always acknowledge when I’ve accomplished something, even if it’s something small; whether it’s a piece of art, a particularly grueling workout, or a household chore, I take note of when I’ve done well.

In my current state of mind, those are the kind of things that keep me going when I feel like the world is out to get me.

Bottom of the Deck – 2025/02/08

Posted on 08/02/2025 by Fifth Ace

Anyone who saw my #gentlecomicshabit post yesterday will know what the big event of the week is; for those who didn’t, there’s no beating around the bush:

I’m unemployed again.

My probationary period with the company came to an end, and they decided that the position they had tried to carve out for me wasn’t a good fit with the organization as a whole, and as a result there was no longer a place for me there. While they acknowledged my talent in some areas and pointed out my difference in tastes elsewhere, it didn’t matter in the end because there just wasn’t enough for me to do that could justify my continued employment.

I’m not going to lie: this sucks. I don’t know if the full weight of it hasn’t hit yet, or if I’m just numb to the idea of being let go at this point, but I’m just feeling adrift at the moment. I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night, got up with a raging headache and was generally out of sorts all morning; thankfully some food, some meds and a nap helped with that by the end of the day, plus my workout involved a lot of shadowboxing in order for me to relieve some stress. No comic upload alongside this blog, call it a skip day, I’ll have something new tomorrow.

On Monday, I’ll be going into the office one more time, just to fill out all the necessary paperwork, and then it’s back into the job market for me. I already have a few ideas where to start, as well as some friends and family that can hopefully point me in the right direction to find something new. On the other hand, since I’ll be at home all day, it’ll be a good opportunity to keep building my portfolio; I doubled down on writing the last time, now I’ve go no excuse not to go all out on art.

To that end, I want to start frequenting my local library at least a few times a week. As much as I enjoy being at home with the cats and having the fridge almost within arms reach, such things are a major distraction, and I think I could get a lot done by spending three or four hours in a quiet, office-like environment instead.

No time to sit on my laurels like before; three months of employment is nowhere near as exhausting as four years without a significant break, so this weekend will be my only grace period. Come Monday, the real work begins.

Ciao for now.

#gentlecomicshabit – 11 minute comic

Posted on 06/02/2025 by Fifth Ace

I tend to have trouble writing full scripts for my comics; because I tend to think visually, I often struggle when I have to write out all the beats instead of just leaping into the artwork.

No joke, that’s like 90% of my writing process right there. One of the many reasons my current comics are taking so long is that I’m trying to be meticulous and get everything down in the scripting phase, to avoid mishaps or continuity errors down the line.

#gentlecomicshabit – 10 minute comic

Posted on 04/02/2025 by Fifth Ace

My sleep schedule just doesn’t seem to allow me to sleep past a certain point in the morning anymore; I don’t know if I’m just used to the cats arriving for food, or whatever else it might be, but I feel like I could be more productive with it.

As someone who uses a lot more physical and social energy than I do on her day job, I would not dare try and rob her of much needed recovery time.

#gentlecomicshabit – 9 minute comic

Posted on 03/02/2025 by Fifth Ace

I am grateful to have a day job, but there are days when I feel a bit out of my depth. A chance to draw something for someone else and knowing that they appreciate it is all too rare.

Myself and the person in question did a little art trade over Bluesky, drawing each other’s original characters, just for fun. I was well pleased with the artwork I received, and the artwork I produced seemed to go over well, too. All in all, it was the best part of my day.