So, it's been about two years since I posted on DeviantArt. The last time, it was to plug my final "Merry Chrissy" title (which still all 3 books are still available btw #shamelessplug). It took me about 4 years to write AND draw those 3 books. So, after all of that, I did practically...nothing. A short break from working on a creative project was all that was needed to rejuvenate my creative juices. Two years later, with a year or so alone with planning, I have returned back to the world of Maddie Mckenszie...and Margaret too. It's NOT a picture book. It’s NO novel series and I don't really prefer the label "for kids" or even "all ages" either (Even though it REALLY is for ALL AGES.) It’s a webcomic. In 2019.
Introducing "Maddie and Margaret", the slice of life comic about two sisters.
That's as simple as you can get.
If you really want to make it less simple intro, here it goes.
The webcomic follows the daily lives of two sisters, 5-year old Maddie Mckenszie and 11-year old Margaret Mckenszie...who both live in the same room.
It is a 4 panel comic with updates every Friday on social media.
If you want to defy algorithms, you can read Maddie and Margaret one day EARLIER on Thursdays at https://maddieandmargaret.com Of course, if you want to want, it still wouldn't hurt if you follow those accounts.
This is my first FREE project right out of the gate unlike my previous projects which required money. I have a very structured schedule to post weekly so it won't burn me out. I made about 6 strips before even posting the first one. Right now, the plan is to do at least 48 "episodes" a "season". Eventually, this will lead into a compilation of comics that will available on sale in the future. Looking to do a minimum of 4 years, maybe 5. So far, all of the strips are self contained stories. You can jump right in whenever you want! As I get into more of a groove, more characters will be introduced. Maddie and Margaret do have friends of course
....hmm...maybe someone "merrier and brighter" may come along for the fun.
August 2015 Updates
www.ronaldhennessy.com/merry-c…
Keep in mind, this is a direct sequel to Merry Chrissy. I strongly suggest reading the first book as it refers to events from that installment.
In personal news, I recently returned back from California for vacation. It was exciting and exhausting. I visited two cities; San Francisco and Los Angeles. In LA, I mostly hanged out at Disneyland and D23 Expo. As a huge Disney fan, there is nothing like visiting Walts original kingdom. I'm an east coaster who is a former Disney Cast Member at Disney World years ago and the magic of Disney truly is a big part of me (and my art!)
As I said before, I'm not going to table at any cons this year. Next year...maybe. I'm attending NYCC just for funsies this year...and probably years after that. Hate to be pessimistic, but I have no chance of getting a table there...YET.
In the coming days, you may notice some changes to my account. No, I'm not leaving DA, but some older deviations that do not conform to my standards will eventually be removed, including some fanart.
I'm on Twitter, Pinterest and Tumblr and ronaldhennessy.com as always.
2015
That doesn't mean I'm going to take a huge time off from my interests. This era of creativity has profoundly changed me. I look to aiming higher and higher than ever before. My art has and will always be a work of progression. I'm my worst critic. I'm never satisfied sometimes. There are many sketches and even fully colored artwork that may never see the light of day because I feel it's simply too awful or rough. I'll just keep at it. Drawing is now a habit for me, but still managing to learn as much as I can. I don't want to be mediocre. I don't want to be just good. I want to be legendary. When will that day arrive when I become pro at this, I may never know. Who knows, I might fold up shop like I did with photography a few years back, but this time is different. I'm more patient and tolerant of failure as I'm older now. Greatness and success does not come overnight.
In order to get me finances in order for the future, I will not be making any appearances art wise at any conventions. I really wanted to get into MoCCA Fest for example, but I missed the registration deadline (again!) So, it's best for me to take the year "off".
Anyways, with the first Merry Chrissy title in the books, it's time to focus on book number two. Yes, a sequel to "Merry Chrissy and the Naughty or Nice Truth" is currently in the early stages of production. Right now, I can't say when it's going to come out, but "soon" is the the most concrete release date I can say right now. The outlining is done and the first few chapters were already written. Come follow me on Twitter or Tumblr to find out future developments. Don't forget, there is always my mailing list!
The book #naughtyornice has a new title.
It took 8 months to get to this stage. What was once a NaNoWriMo project turned into something bigger and badder. I still have a long way to go until it's finished, but it's getting closer to realization.
The project is no longer known as #naughtyornice.
From here on, it will be referred to this name:
Merry Chrissy and the Naughty or Nice Truth.
A prototype printed paperback version. Artwork not final.
9-year old Chrissy Deigh is obsessed with all things Christmas. She love Christmas so much, she spreads her Christmas cheer year round. While her Mother and grownups tolerate it, her classmates tease her endlessly. On one fateful day, a mysterious woman appears out of nowhere in her bedroom with an offer she can't refuse - an opportunity to work for the North Pole finding out if kids are Naughty or Nice. While the job has the perks of using magic and getting to meet Santa, there are many...shall we say "Naughty or Nice" situations she faces...all while trying to survive 4th grade.
The production of "Merry Chrissy" from the cover, to the illustrations are done entirely by me. As with my previous titles, it will be published both in eBook and paperback format. As of right now, the paperback will likely be done through Createspace. As for the digital formats, it is likely to be available at least on Amazon (Kindle) and iBooks, with more stores to follow (Google Play, BN, Kobo, etc). Because it is a title heavily associated with Christmas, it will be released later this year. I'm keeping this release date vague in case there are any snags along the way, but I have an ideal of a specific time frame for much of the work to be done. The artwork in the book is about a 3rd of the way done and the story itself currently going through it's 4th revision. This revision is much more structural, removing typos and changing words and phrases here and there. (Protip: DON'T turn "Smart Quotes" on your Mac or you'll spend many hours fixing quotation marks!)
This is my heart and soul written here. This title is a total reflection of my feelings towards the holiday season, bullying and how one deals with being labeled as different, something that a lot of people can relate to. In the coming weeks and months, I look forward to reveal more about the project. Be sure to bookmark merrychrissy.com and sign up for updates on the site.
You can also follow Merry Chrissy on Twitter. Other social networks are coming soon!
Be sure to follow me on Twitter, Tumblr, Google+ and Pinterest for updates as well.
Bye for now and have a merry day!
This is what I would describe what I'm doing art wise. The novel that I'm writing, code named "Naughty or Nice" is coming together quite nicely. It's in it's 3rd revision. Compared to the first revision, it has been a much easier time fixing things. Of course, you still have your spelling errors here and there that get corrected, but you can't find everything wrong at one go for a novel that is currently at 62,000 words. To give you a comparison, the first "Harry Potter" novel is 76,944 words long, so I don't expect to reach that amount. I expect to finish up the writing sometime in June and may look for beta readers and possibly editing if the price is right.
In addition to writing, I also begun drawing the illustrations that accompany each chapter. The book is currently at 35 chapters, so expect roughly 70 or so illustrations drawn. I don't have much time to finish them, so it's going to be awhile until I do fan art, or anything else. I may have some time to do a sketch every now and then and my occasional "Copic Experiments", but most of my time is focused on getting my art done for the book. This is definitely a children's book, but calling it such is kind of limiting. I prefer calling it "all ages", but the target audience is really for ages 9 and up.
For those that aren't in the know about what I'm writing and drawing about (and I tend to keep a lot of things under wraps these days), this is a story about a girl who love Christmas year around. Kids in school tease her for it and make her life miserable. Things change when a mysterious person comes into her bedroom and tells her she is capable of helping out in the North Pole in preparation for the holidays. I can't say that much right now, but a lot more details will be unveiled SOON. I just registered the domain that features the FINAL name of the "brand" that it will represent. I'm expecting a Fall 2014 release, just in time for the holiday season. After all, it IS related to Christmas.
My plans for the summer is like this. In June, I will attend Big Apple Ponycon, Connecticon in "Artists Colony" (my ONLY AA appearance this year!) and BronyCon. Also, I certainly will be at the Mermaid Parade in Brooklyn as always as it's a summer tradition for me to attend. Once I'm completed with this project, I will focus on what's next in 2015. I certainly want to table more events closer to home in the NYC area.
Remember to keep on drawing stuff!
-RH