Hi Guys!  While I was at Anime Iowa this year I met the most inspiring person I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, Jan Scott-Frazier.  It started when I decided to go to the "How to Draw Bishounen and Cute Girls" panel because I'd also met the amazing people of Rain-Arc Rhapsody/Whispers of the Divide and they were hosting it.  My excitement was already piqued.  It was one i almost skipped because in a fleeting moment of insanity i thought i knew enough about drawing and didn't need to go, egads what came over me!  Jan helped them host the panel and she had some amazing advice as well as telling us about some wonderful books on art.  At the time I was in awe, but I still had no idea how much this encounter would change me.  I met Jan again later that day at the Art Jam panel that had sadly deteriorated into a "lets hang out and talk about anything but art" panel. (Ok, there was still plenty of art happening, but I am sure people expected a little more art and a little less hang out time when they showed up, and the Rain-Arc hosts did try to keep it on track.)  I decided I wanted to express my gratitude for the advice at the earlier panel and so I approached Jan and Jean was born! (lol ok not really, but the joke did happen!)  I sat and we talked about art and such and Jan told me about some of the things she'd come across in her experience in art as well as other things.  For example, when many people draw, they do so in short, sketchy lines rather than drawing out the line they want in a whole.  I thought about it and I do the same thing!  And yet, no one really knows why.  She told me if a person is going to draw the line anyway, they get a better result if they draw the whole thing at once rather than in a sequence of short lines that they try to connect together and therefore have to go over time and time again.  I tried it and it really works so much better!  I also proceeded to show her some of my work and told her about a project that I have been working on that I planned to make into a manga someday and that's when the most amazing thing happened.  She asked me what was stopping me.  I thought about it and there was no answer.  There wasn't anything stopping me.  Sure, I could say that my script isn't finished and I don't have character designs drawn out for all of the characters yet, but that's merely an excuse.  Jan also told me about the concept of the MegaMyth, where people go on about this wonderful concept they have been working on for years but it never comes to fruition.  Ever.  I also thought to myself how long I'd been "working" on my manga concept and I got terrified for a moment.  I didn't want my story to become my MegaMyth.  So right then I made a decision.  I was going to make my manga and I was going to do it now.  I'd also spoken earlier again with the people in Rain-Arc about webcomics and the idea of doing mine as a webcomic.  Originally I didn't want to because while there are several webcomics that I love, I didn't originally feel they had the same... status as a printed comic, but after a bit of self reflection i realized the folly in my thoughts.  Webcomics can be hugely popular and while there are hundreds out there, if you have a good story, it can be just as great as any printed comic out there and there isn't any reason you can't still print your comic.  So after much reflection and loads of inspiration I decided that my comic is going to become a webcomic and I am going to begin drawing it out right away!  Once I get a few pages completed I am going to sign up for a web site and begin posting it.  I will of course keep everyone posted on my progress and post the website once I have it up and running so you can all have a look at my project.  And so I would like to once again say a huge thank you to Jan Scott-Frazier as well as Rain-Arc Rhapsody/Whispers of the Divide.

Jen