Our cat Odin died suddenly the other day.  I wrote a blog post about it here: [link]

So hey, guys!  How's it going?  Some of you might remember a few years back when I wrote and self-published a little book called The Voyage to Ruin.  (Here's some pics in my gallery if you're interested: [link] ) Some of you even read it, which was awesome!  Some of you who read it really liked it, which was even better!

Well, a lot has changed since I first published the book.  Back then, e-readers and digital books were not really a thing.  Now they're pretty huge.  So, with the help of some friends, I went forward with bringing V2R into the digital realm.

Kindle users can pick it up on Amazon.

Don't have a Kindle?  Have a Nook, or a Sony, or none of the above?  It's on Smashwords in a variety of formats.

What's it about?  Here's the summary:
The age of piracy and war has become an age of peace. Airships soar the skies, and fellowship and amity flourish between nations. Captain Acheron Zeal of the Royal Navy longs for glory, adventure and promotion; his assignment, to hunt down and destroy a new pirate threat, seems a godsend, but how can a sailing vessel hope to capture an airship pirate?

I hope you'll check it out!  It's only 3.99, which is less than you'd pay for a medium-size sugary coffee bomb at Starbucks.  And I promise you it'll last a lot longer than that coffee drink!

Hey guys!  Sorry I've been so absentee lately; life has taken another of its crazy turns, and I've been buried to the eyebrows in work of one kind or another.  Hope life is treating everybody okay, and that you and your loved ones are healthy and happy and full of vim.

Couple quick announcements!

First, if you're interested in things of a writerly nature, you might want to check out my blog, where I am posting bits and bobs from my fantasy-novel-in-very-long-progress.  That'll be happening probably on Wednesdays, and the first snippet is already up.

Second, if you're more interested in things of a conventional nature, I'm going to be appearing at Wizard World Austin 2013, November 22-24.  That's still a long ways away, so more info as I have it.

That's it!  May the wind be ever at your back, me hearties!  

I gave in and started one of those tumblr thingies, to promote my artwork.  If you have a tumblr too, lmk and I'll totally follow you.

[link]

Like the Dickens novel.

My dad died last Saturday (July 28).  I had this big long thing written about it, but I realized I don't really want to talk about it.  But I thought you guys should know, because even though I've barely spoken to some of you, a lot of you are my friends.  So, that's what's up with me.

I'm not really posting this up as a "hey, pity me" kind of thing.  Sympathies are great and all that, but I'd really rather you go and hug your loved ones and tell them how much they mean to you.  Tell them right now, while there's time.

So I've gotten a couple of inquiries lately, and I thought I'd just post up the info here.

Commissions will be open again in September; before that, I am swamped with official set work (my last for a little while).  You can see my rates here: [link]



As for Artist Proof and Artist Return cards, these are what I have available at the moment:

Classic Mythology - gods and goddesses from world myth
Nevermore Alice - Sexy grown-up Alice in Wonderland
Nevermore Alice Flux - Alice in Spaaaace!
Dungeon Dolls - sexy fantasy girls (think WoW or D&D)
Dungeon Dolls oversize - ditto
Contemporary Pinups - sexy girls, any theme
Damsels and Dinos - girls and dinosaurs
The Vampress Luxura - sexy vampire lady
Red Sonja - Just like it says on the tin
Warlord of Mars - from the comic book

If you're interested in pre-ordering any of the above, shoot me an email at kat.laurange@gmail.com, with "Commission Inquiry" in the subject line.



If you'd like some of my artwork right now, or want to help out a starving artist with bills to pay and a kid to feed, check out my "For Sale" gallery on Photobucket, here: [link]
Same deal, shoot me an email if you want to purchase something.

Thanks for looking, guys and gals!

Hey guys!  Thanks for all the birthday wishes!  I celebrated my birthday by having a terrible head cold, a sore throat, and no voice to speak of (or with, ha ha ha).  Rollicking good times, my friends.  But I also found the time and energy to have a little fun with friends, and to eat a piece of the lemoniest cake in the world, baked by my awesome husband, so life is good.

This year is gonna be AWESOME, you guys!  I have big big plans!  Hygenic hugs to you all!

So hey, we can change our usernames!  I debated it, since just about everybody on my watchlist changed their made-up name to their real name, and since using one's real name is more "professional."  But I'm CapnFlynn all over the internets, I like the name, and I think I'd miss it if I changed to my boring ol' everyday name.  Besides, my real name is right there on my page, so it's not like it's a secret who I am.  So, no name change for me!

Right or wrong, what do you guys think?

My favorite bit in the whole Harry Potter series is when Harry and co. visit Luna's house; they go up to her room and see that she's drawn portraits of the people she's met at Hogwarts on her wall, and added the legend "friends friends friends."

My friends make me feel the same way, awed and joyful and humbled that there are people out there who, for no particular reason, care for me.

So thanks for putting up with my angsty ramblings, you guys.  Knowing I'm not alone, that other people are experiencing the same things, that other people care--that helps a lot.

Also, don't worry!  I'm not going to give up arting and go be an accountant.  I'm going to take some time, clear out the obligations I've already committed to, and figure out what exactly I need to be doing.  And then I'm gonna do it.  

I try to keep a positive outlook and not add to the general negativity of the internet, but some days just suck, you know?  I've been grinding away at this art career thing for seven years now (seven years?!), and sometimes it feels like I'm getting nowhere, or going backwards.  Before I took the plunge and went to art school, I was taking accounting classes.  Practical, right?  Talk about job security; if death and taxes are the only sure things, then you're always going to need accountants.

But no!  I thought, I'll follow my passion, my dream.  Fabulous.  But what is the point if you can't keep food on the table or a roof over your kid's head?  Dreams and passion alone don't pay the bills.

Accounting, though.  Accounting is practical!  It's objective.  It doesn't matter whether or not people like your work: what's to like?  Either the math is right or it isn't.  It's not a matter of taste, it's a matter of fact.

Maybe I'm gloomy because, even though this sketch card thing I've fallen into is fun, it doesn't really pay the bills, and it's not what I'd call artistically satisfying.  Isn't that a pretentious phrase?  "Artistically satisfying."  Bah.  And you know what else you fall into?  Ruts.  Maybe I'm in a rut?

I've just realized I've scheduled my entire "summer off," when I was planning to finish my novel, with official card sets.  That's awesome, right?  I'm busy, my art on these sets is desired--by the art directors, at least, even if the collectors don't seem to give much of a damn--life is good, right?  RIGHT?!

Yeah.  I guess this just isn't what I wanted to be doing with my life.  Grinding out hundreds of little bitty pieces of artwork for pennies an hour, never a minute of time for my own projects, my own creativity.  It's not that I want to be an accountant, maybe I'd just rather only be accountable to myself?

Hi guys!  I've had a steady influx of new watchers recently, so I just wanted to give you all a quick howdy and say thank you for your interest in my humble art!  If we've never "met" before, I'd love it if you'd introduce yourself here.  I'm not super active on this site anymore, but I still enjoy the social aspect of it quite a bit.

Hey guys, I have jumped on the bandwagon and set up a Facebook page for my work.  Not much there now, but I'll be adding content, updates of what I'm working on, artwork for sale, etc, as time goes by.  Go ahead and hit that "like" button!

[link]

Hey, everybody!

First off, thanks to all new watchers; I don't post a lot these days, but I still super appreciate every one of you!  So howdy!  

Second, guess who just joined the world's largest art community?  My mom!  So go say hi to ~Susan983, shower her with llamas, and make her feel totally welcome!

Hi guys!  I'm toying with the idea of putting together sketchbooks to sell, and I was wondering if that is a thing anyone would be interested in?

It's so quiet around here lately.  Or is it just me?

My buds at Grail Quest Books, a startup sci fi and fantasy publisher of comics, audiobooks, and full-on novels, have the chance to make their dreams come true.  They're pursuing the opportunity to license and publish novels and comic books based on the HIGHLANDER series of movies and shows, but, of course, nothing happens in this world without money.

By now you're probably familiar with the Kickstarter model: ordinary folk like you and me pledge what they can towards a project that catches their fancy; maybe a buck, maybe 20, maybe more.  If enough folk pledge enough dollars, the project funds and the creatives can move forward.  If the project doesn't meet its goal, you don't pay a dime.

So here's their Kickstarter page.  [link]

Go have a look.  Even if you can't afford to pledge, could you do me a favor and spread the word?  HIGHLANDER still has a lot of die-hard fans; if we can capture their interest and attention, I think this project can happen, and my friends' dream of getting their company out onto the world stage can become a reality.

P.S.!  If you're on Google+ come 'n find me: [link]

P.P.S.!  Who else watches/has watched Tiger and Bunny?!  Awesome stuff, no?  

Hi folks!  Lots going on here lately!

One of my base card submissions was selected for inclusion in Bad Axe Studios' Dungeon Dolls pinup card collection.  (It's this one: [link] )


You'll also be able to see some of my work in the upcoming Marvel Universe set from Rittenhouse Archives (look for approximately one jillion drawings of Age of Apocalypse Magneto).  And in final sketch card related news, the nearly-a-year-in-the-making Bettie Page Private Collection (Versicolor Productions) should soon be seeing release.

The most exciting news, though, I have saved for last.  Not long ago, I was asked to participate in the upcoming Womanthology all-female comic book anthology!  I'm thrilled, honored, and completely beside myself.  The story I'm illustrating touches on some of my favorite things: siblings who protect each other, creepy spirits, and the sea.  So be on the lookout for that, coming this December!

(cross-posted from my blog:  [link] )

Hi guys!

So I've set up a shop on Etsy, where I can sell lineart for official card sets I've worked on, completed drawings, and sketch commissions.  Not much there at the moment, but I hope you'll take a moment to check it out.

[link]

Cheers!

My sketch card art got featured on The Sketchcard Saloon, where they had some really nice things to say:

"Some cards tickle my belly.  I get the feeling that I am standing in a candy store with enough spending money to get whatever I want.  Kat Laurange's Marvel 70th sketches do that to me.  Every time."

So that was a happy thing for this weekend!

In other news: Pirates of the Caribbean 4?  Not good.

I was tagged by

+ The rules:
1: You must post these rules.
2: Each tagged person must post 10 things about themselves on their journal. (Well... If you want. I'm a believer in free will.)
3: You have to choose and tag 10 people and post their icons on the same journal.
4: Go to their pages and tell them you tagged them.
5: No tag backs <--- Important.

Erm, okay, I actually suck at these--thinking of 10 things about myself that are not totally boring is hard.

1. I try to deny it, but I'm totally addicted to coffee.
2. On October 9th, 2010, I became a mother.  Whoa.
3. I love drawing, but I don't really think of what I do as "art;" "art" sounds so high-falutin', not at all something that applies to cartoony drawings of comic book characters and pirates.  
4. I'm an aspiring writer as well as a drawer-of-cartoony-things, but because of #2 above, I haven't written anything in almost a year.  It makes me sad.
5. I studied traditional (hand drawn, 2D) animation, and for a while my dream was to be an animator at Disney, but I don't think that's going to happen.  Too many kids much younger than me, with better skills and more ambition.
6. I am a shy person who enjoys staying at home and reading books, and sometimes gardening.  Seriously, I am like a 70-year-old in a 33-year-old's body!
7. I live in a house with three adults (counting me), one infant, and six cats.
8. My favorite historical period is the early 19th century, specifically the Napoleonic War, specifically the war at sea.  Nelson is my favorite historical figure.  (Although I also like Beau Brummel.  And Wellington.)
9. I like to watch TV while I draw; I'm currently hooked on The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural, White Collar and Pretty Little Liars.  I'm still angry about the cancellation of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and Firefly.
10. I oppose the use of the Oxford Comma. [link]

Tags!
You, you, you and you!  And you six other guys and gals over there.

Update!

Thanks all for the birthday wishes!    I just got back from a trip, so I will post links to your lovely artworks soon ... maybe tomorrow?  Lots of hugs, my friends!  



Sooooo ... it's my birthday in about a week (June 1st) ... and it would make me really happy if I could maybe get some drawings of my characters in celebration of the day?