Oct. 2009 - Aug. 2010

First off, I cannot believe it's been nine months since I updated this blog! Bad Jessi.

Secondly, and most importantly, I am leaving Girls With Slingshots and my dear friend Danielle to move back to Georgia this week. I know, I know, this is very last minute; however, I couldn't think of a way to announce the move. I have been mulling it over in my head.

And believe me, it's still weird to say (or even write) out loud.

I'm unsure of how much I can disclose to you all, but D is in the process of signing with a company to essentially take care of what I do. I honestly couldn't be happier with her decision. This is going to be huge for Danielle and the future of Girls With Slingshots.

The last ten months have flat-out been the most fun I've ever had working for someone. I was able to learn so much about making comics in my time here as her assistant. Danielle is even more wonderful in person than what her online persona shows; she is as nice as she is humble about her talent.

I cannot begin to explain my gratitude and fortune for getting to tag along with her on trips to various comic conventions. Because of D, I have met so many people I now consider friends. I've been able to share and talk with so many new people/followers on Twitter. I wouldn't have written and drawn my own short-story for an anthology had it not been for Danielle pushing me to do so, making my "art" look better with her inking and getting excited for its release. I also would have never gone to Baltimore Comic Con and met my future boyfriend. ;)

When I met Danielle at Heroescon 2009, she was vivacious, quick-witted, and fun to hang around with after hours at the Westin bar.
The Monday of the con's end, she and I went to a now-defunct restaurant in Charlotte for a quick bite to eat before we parted ways. This quick lunch turned into a five hour conversation, and by the end of it, I thought to myself, "I'd love to be like her when I am twenty-eight."

After these ten months, my mindset hasn't changed one bit.

I may lose a boss in the process, but I'm not losing a person I consider to be one of my closest friends and a mentor. It's been tearing me up knowing that I won't be able to take just a short walk up the stairs in our ancient house to see what she's working on, ask for advice, have a quick laugh, or a shoulder to cry on. Being around a person who is so passionate about what makes her happy solidifies why I want to make comics, too.

So long Danielle and this little town I've called home for almost a year. You will be missed.

Danielle and I; my first day as her assistant
Oct. 2009