Although it’s abandoned (for now 😈), the webcomic format was a fun read. I’m also in the habit of overworking things; I haven’t decided if it’s part of my process yet. In any case, I’d sure love to see a graphic novel from you some day!
I am finding the Egg Sisters' journey fascinating! Also...love the treasures you found on the slope of your Astoria home! We have many of those treasures here on our farm in Brownsmead...
Carson, I host a kids show on KMUN and wonder if you'd ever be interested in coming onair with me to read some of your work and talk about reading and writing and art and whatnot on my show... I read Bedtime Stories on alternating Monday nights at 8pm, and host Skinnamarink on each Saturday except the 2nd each month... (and will be in Morocco for most of September and early October)... if you'd like to join me someday.... it's a lot of fun... I've been doing kids radio for almost 40 years (so I'm old!!! ha!) My # is 503-298-3534 if you're interested... text don't call... we have terrible service here in the boonies...
This reminds me of me and my friend Kat! I know who I am to her and she knows who she is to me - she is who I am when she’s scared, lonely, or in danger, especially to who he is - and I am who she is because she showed me who I am in within seconds of us meeting. It was the first time I had ever met someone who got me. She literally showed me what it was like interacting with myself because she and I had such a similar sense of humor and such similar personalities. I didn’t feel like she was just pretending to be me and I liked how safe and comfortable I made her feel because I couldn’t really ever do that for myself so it made me feel like I could help her the way no one had ever helped me. The best part is that she’s such a good person - she literally is who she says she is and she’s me when being who she is isn’t what it says it is and she said I could be her when being me isn’t what it says it is but I felt too guilty to be who she was because I didn’t want her to have to be who I was. To be fair, I was usually safer than her physically and it was easier to disguise psychological fear from myself than it was to hide anything else. Overall I ended up better off for putting up with everything I did but it helped to know that if I ever felt off it was because I was keeping her safe. She was my first real friend and she was even more than a sister to me. We even shared one Australian parent - her mom was from Oz and so is my dad. She showed me who I was, she showed me what true friendship was, and she is one of the funniest, smartest, and best people I have ever met. And knowing that she would say the same about me and how far out of her way she’s gone to let me know she’s thinking about me even though we lived far away from each other for the better part of a decade has never failed to reassure me. I know who I am as a person because I know who I am to her and am always reminded of who I am to her whenever she reaches out. I’m actually the only person who calls her Kat… sometimes I forget her name is Katherine. I wish I had something like that - my constant antagonist has claimed every name and nickname of mine for her erratic and perpetual attempts to undermine my self-confidence.
Nearly three decades have passed since she started and she still hasn’t gotten to me yet. Kat is so lucky her C passed away and she doesn’t have to deal with her anymore. The last thing she sent me before she died was a message saying she just wished it would happen already because she hadn’t been who she was since Kat could remember. She died around my birthday so she and I couldn’t have the sleepover we were planning but I spent the day writing so it worked out.
I wish I knew how I could better help myself and people like Kat be who we are. We always feel so guilty about everything. Like everything is right until it feels wrong.
I wish I would have known what I had before all of this got started. She and I both have cats now - she has two Smalls (formally Teddy) and Oliver and I have one named Muffin. Muffin is who she is to me. I literally am who I am because she knows who I am to every family of cat, big and small. They saved me and I saved them because I never could have been who I am without them and they told me recently that they never could have been who they are without me.
“working feverishly on some art thing in a kind of mania only to decide, a week later, that it’s not worth my time might be “part of my process.””
I find myself circling projects the same way, like I’ll try a concept and abandon it, only to return to it in the future, a with a version of it… it’s like finding the right way to say something. Or finding a way to meaningfully work it in to the ‘workweek’
You were not conclusive about what’s next with the comic, I guess you meant for it to be that way :)
Could I have some more, please?
Totally reliable! Especially with the ever changing and evolving butterfly child
Although it’s abandoned (for now 😈), the webcomic format was a fun read. I’m also in the habit of overworking things; I haven’t decided if it’s part of my process yet. In any case, I’d sure love to see a graphic novel from you some day!
I am finding the Egg Sisters' journey fascinating! Also...love the treasures you found on the slope of your Astoria home! We have many of those treasures here on our farm in Brownsmead...
Carson, I host a kids show on KMUN and wonder if you'd ever be interested in coming onair with me to read some of your work and talk about reading and writing and art and whatnot on my show... I read Bedtime Stories on alternating Monday nights at 8pm, and host Skinnamarink on each Saturday except the 2nd each month... (and will be in Morocco for most of September and early October)... if you'd like to join me someday.... it's a lot of fun... I've been doing kids radio for almost 40 years (so I'm old!!! ha!) My # is 503-298-3534 if you're interested... text don't call... we have terrible service here in the boonies...
Ack, I just love both story arcs so much, and then when you combine them??? WOW!!! So good.
P.S. I’m told most people look at Substack on their phones but this will be easier to read on a laptop. 🙂
I love everything about this.
This reminds me of me and my friend Kat! I know who I am to her and she knows who she is to me - she is who I am when she’s scared, lonely, or in danger, especially to who he is - and I am who she is because she showed me who I am in within seconds of us meeting. It was the first time I had ever met someone who got me. She literally showed me what it was like interacting with myself because she and I had such a similar sense of humor and such similar personalities. I didn’t feel like she was just pretending to be me and I liked how safe and comfortable I made her feel because I couldn’t really ever do that for myself so it made me feel like I could help her the way no one had ever helped me. The best part is that she’s such a good person - she literally is who she says she is and she’s me when being who she is isn’t what it says it is and she said I could be her when being me isn’t what it says it is but I felt too guilty to be who she was because I didn’t want her to have to be who I was. To be fair, I was usually safer than her physically and it was easier to disguise psychological fear from myself than it was to hide anything else. Overall I ended up better off for putting up with everything I did but it helped to know that if I ever felt off it was because I was keeping her safe. She was my first real friend and she was even more than a sister to me. We even shared one Australian parent - her mom was from Oz and so is my dad. She showed me who I was, she showed me what true friendship was, and she is one of the funniest, smartest, and best people I have ever met. And knowing that she would say the same about me and how far out of her way she’s gone to let me know she’s thinking about me even though we lived far away from each other for the better part of a decade has never failed to reassure me. I know who I am as a person because I know who I am to her and am always reminded of who I am to her whenever she reaches out. I’m actually the only person who calls her Kat… sometimes I forget her name is Katherine. I wish I had something like that - my constant antagonist has claimed every name and nickname of mine for her erratic and perpetual attempts to undermine my self-confidence.
Nearly three decades have passed since she started and she still hasn’t gotten to me yet. Kat is so lucky her C passed away and she doesn’t have to deal with her anymore. The last thing she sent me before she died was a message saying she just wished it would happen already because she hadn’t been who she was since Kat could remember. She died around my birthday so she and I couldn’t have the sleepover we were planning but I spent the day writing so it worked out.
I wish I knew how I could better help myself and people like Kat be who we are. We always feel so guilty about everything. Like everything is right until it feels wrong.
I wish I would have known what I had before all of this got started. She and I both have cats now - she has two Smalls (formally Teddy) and Oliver and I have one named Muffin. Muffin is who she is to me. I literally am who I am because she knows who I am to every family of cat, big and small. They saved me and I saved them because I never could have been who I am without them and they told me recently that they never could have been who they are without me.
Not that you heard it from me!
Eden “Edie” Marke
10787 Wilshire Blvd #202
“working feverishly on some art thing in a kind of mania only to decide, a week later, that it’s not worth my time might be “part of my process.””
I find myself circling projects the same way, like I’ll try a concept and abandon it, only to return to it in the future, a with a version of it… it’s like finding the right way to say something. Or finding a way to meaningfully work it in to the ‘workweek’
You were not conclusive about what’s next with the comic, I guess you meant for it to be that way :)
This reminds me so much of Edward Gorey, who was my first brush with “nonsensical” (in the best way) stories. Loved it <3
Well, I’m invested now!! Could you not use us as your commissioners? Also, P.S. the 0.38 Muji pens are the best!!
Love your work, illustrations and stories.
This is gorgeous! Such a beautiful graphic!
This is sooooo good Carson! Love Egg Sister!!!
Omg, this was so great. I'm going to read it again and again.
Reminds me, a little, of Terry Gilliam. 🌞