summer_jackel: (Default)
Well, I'm home from the con, and as always, it was a delight. I've never been one for giving detailed con reports, partially because I can't seem to figure out the balance between "I was there, it was fun" and a far too much detail for anyone but the most dedicated stalker to slog through.

Still: I didn't make it last year, and it was a great relief once again get to interact with so many of my fellow furball oddities in person. To everyone I spent time and shared moments with, chatted and sketched with, thank you. Seeing y'all is totally sweet, and soothes my wary heart. I was also gifted with some unexpected and wonderful treasures from several friends, and wish to be extremely appreciative of that. I am a happy little jackal!

I also debuted the beautiful leather coyote-mask made for me by [livejournal.com profile] mulefoot at the fursuit parade and around the con. In particular, I had lots of fun romping about in suit with [livejournal.com profile] javachikn, whose new Australian Shepherd outfit is totally adorable. I got pictures of both of my costumes from the pro photographers who were there shooting everyone who wanted it (if anyone deserves a wag and a purr, they do) and will share when they get posted, but in the meantime, if anyone has any pics, let me know.

On the subject of the fursuit parade, I hear tell that there were over 500 suits in attendance. In one place. It was quite the experience to see that. I've also gotta say, the 'suiters have been raising the bar on their craft; in my approximately 15 years of involvement in the furry fandom (yikes!) I've noticed steady improvement, particularly in the last couple of years. They are almost all pretty cute, and there are far fewer scary (in a bad way) ones.

Still on the subject of costumes, I jumped ship on Saturday night to attend the Edwardian Ball in San Francisco---drat two choice events for choosing the same day! Special thanks to [livejournal.com profile] kynekh_amagire for permitting herself to be unexpectedly drafted into helping get me into my gown. The event was well worth time and trouble for many reasons; what a delicious party. Fantastic music and circus, Edward Gorey themed, and everyone was in these purrrrrrrsome Victorian outfits (even though you can't see them all that well because of the dim lighting...) What's not to like? And who needs sleep on a con weekend? Certainly not I.

The rest of the time I spent socializing and sketching with folks at the creators' lounge. The art show was awesome, and next year I am going to be in it again; please feel free to poke me with sharp objects when signups for next year come 'round. Call it a late New Year's resolution. So: Good times.

FC is apparently at the San Jose convention center next year. I'm happy about this; for a few years now, it has felt as though it's been outgrowing its venue, and this year the crowds were heavy enough in some places to trip my not-quite-a-phobia issue around crowds. At the worst, this makes the place hot, noisy, uncomfortable and, honestly, promotes the interests of virus. (Yeah, I got a little of the con crud this year, but it's just a touch of sniffliness, no big deal). On the other hand, I've never been to the convention center, but I hope it's not so big that FC gets lost in it and loses that exciting "all the furries in one place" momentum that it has now. We'll see.

It's a little sobering, or something, to see the fandom do what it's done. I've been involved in furry since my mid-teens (I'm 32 now) and remember the first-ever-convention happening (though I wasn't there). It was this tiny little fringe in SF fandom. I never ever expected to see it expand to this degree, and I am pleased with us collectively, for creating, grooming and improving such a beast.

(People still need to work on the 6:2:1 rule a bit, though. Particularly in plague hotel of doom).


Upon return, my creatures were extremely happy to see me. All three cats found sleeping positions last night that collectively had me pretty much unable to move, and the shelties---parfait puppy in particular---were so hyper that they only settled down after two walks.

You wil note that these are dragon eggs, and they are fond of being clicked, if you are so inclined.
Adopt one today! Adopt one today! Adopt one today! Adopt one today! Adopt one today!


A couple too-dark but still nifty photos of me in the ballgown, from the Edwardian Ball. )
summer_jackel: (Default)
Alas, I find myself without a roomate for Furcon. I've a room at the Motel 6 across the street from the con hotel reserved for the duration, though I may very well show up on Friday morning instead of Thursday night. The room is cheap, especially split two ways, and I am quiet and easy to get along with (although I may ask help lacing me into a corset and/or other costume pieces, so be fairly warned). Conversely, if you are wanting a roomate and you have a room in the main hotel---and I am pleaseed with a bit of floor space---let me know, I would definitely consider that.

summer (dot) jackel (at) gmail (dot) com.


Furcon is so soon!!!! yipyip squeak!
summer_jackel: (Default)
Yip! It's coming up so soon! And I missed it last year!

FC Questions meme!! (from agouti-rex on FA)


Where are you staying?
Atta Motel 6 across the street from the Doubletree. Yes, I am cheap. And also, got in too late to reserve a room. :P

Where will you be most of the time during the days?
I like to lurk about in the creator lounge, but I expect to be doing a number of things.

Who will you be with?
Rooming with Dreamaria!

Do you do free art?
Maybe

Do you do trades?
Yes please!!!!!!

Do you do commissions?
absolutely. Though if they are complex, I may take them home and send them to you when finsihed.

Do you have prints/ CDs ?
Alas, no. Well, I have some, but they aren't new stuff, and I won't have a table or anything. Maybe next year, by which time I hope I have a book to be selling. :)

What suits will you have?
A minimum of one. Possibly, two! It's a secret. And the ballgown will be there, with me in it. ;)

What is your gender?
Well, I'm a biological and self-identified female. Beyond that, I won't be a PITA and go into more complex discussions of gender here.

How old are you?
32 years older than I was in 1976.

How tall are you?
5'5.

Can I touch you?
If I know you, a hug is fine.

Can I talk to you?
Please do.

Can I buy you lots of drinks?
Depends on the context and what kinda drink, but sure.

Can I give you lots of money?
Who wrote this thing? Um...sure.

Can I hug or snuggle with you?
Hugs are fine if you know me. Beyond that, figure it out by context and *ask*.

Are you nice?
Pretty much, unless given reason to be otherwise.
summer_jackel: (Default)
Got it from several. Yes, I know I haven't done my last porny one of these...I WILL finish them, I will I will. Procrastinated mostly b/c all of them wanted to become finished pics, /sigh/. Anyway, since this calls for rough sketches, I will try to sketch, scan and post anyone who requests before I go to bed. Otherwise, sketches will be posted Monday or Tuesday, since I am out of town this weekend.

Ohyeah. The meme.

The first five people to comment in this post get to request a SIMPLE sketch of a character of their choosing from me. In return, they have to post this in their journal, regardless of their drawing ability level.

link me to whatever I'm drawing in your comment.

1. That Wacky Bilby

2. Aris

3. Mr. Brand

4.

5.
summer_jackel: (Default)
Do any of you happen to have a link to a good reference for [livejournal.com profile] spectravixen's character or know her desc? I know she's a 9-tail kitsune, probably with white fur, but can't find a clear ref anywhere. I'm assuming that anyone reading this who knows Spectra or [livejournal.com profile] butterscotchvix is watching Butterscotch's journal and is aware that Spectra recently survived a near-fatal accident. She was badly injured, but thankfully is in far less critical condition now. So, I want to make them some artwork and anything you know about the character would be helpful. :)

You know, it might make more sense to ask this on FA. Still.
summer_jackel: (Shard)
OK, after no small time spent editing these things, I've fixed the code on all of the Danielle/Shard stories so that they can be easily read, after the fashion of most webcomics. Because, y'know, if I'm going to do this, I feel a certain level of obligation to make it as reader-friendly as I can.

Unfortunately, a lot of this is adult material, and you will need an FA account to see it. Sorry, I know it sucks; at least FA accounts are free and easy to get. Or you can ignore that dirty stuff.

So, in chronological order rather than that in which I drew them, we have the first pages (from which you can now easily scroll through the rest of the story) of:

The Bone Shard. WIP. It is the earliest in my chronology with these characters.

First Bite, 2 pages. This event takes place some time in 'Bone Shard' and was more a style test/just needed to get it out of my system thing than exactly how I may or may not portray this moment in the bigger story.

Visitations, 11 pages, NSFW. The first comic I did with these two. It's just lesbian vampire smut. You see what I get for going there.

The Seance, 48 pages. My longest story until 'Bone Shard.' (which isn't that long yet, but will be). It directly follows 'Visitations.' In retrospect, I really wish I hadn't followed up blatant porn with a story that is about as tame as anything I write. Mistake/learning curve.

Every Day, 1 page, NSFW.

Gentle Things, 11 pages, NSFW. Penny-dreadful gratuitous Victorian lesbian vampire foxes in bondage.

Murderer's Blood, 7 pages. Danielle is ill, and Shard has a night on the town with dinner.

And then there's this silly little one-shot.

Just as an FYI for the curious, I have another full story scripted and another outlined, with at least one other planned after that. (Bone Shard needs to come first, though). Augh, plot bunnies.

You know, there was a point in my life that I swore I'd never do a vampire story, because I had nothing to add to an overdone genre. Pass the crow, kthx.
summer_jackel: (feeding jackal)
Happy Thanksgiving, all! Have a page 5.

Bird people out there: yeah, I know, Flitter has an awful cage. They didn't know what we know now regarding parrot husbandry in the 1800s. If it helps, Danielle has tamed Flitter, so he gets a lot of out of cage time.

Just, you know, don't get too attached to him, OK?

I am going to spend the morning in the woods, and then attempt Thanksgiving with my mom. Sigh.
summer_jackel: (Shard)
Here you go...an update. Have a frontispiece for Book I and Page 4.

I guess I should warn people now (not that I think anyone here really minds reading such things, but you never know) that 'Bone Shard' will eventually have a few relatively explicit sex scenes, with multiple orientations, even. (Just figured out the second "male slash" plot point, and I am so pleased...) Relatively soon, even. Be patient already.
summer_jackel: (Shard)
Wow...my apologies any of you following this story exclusively here, guys. :( I finished and posted it to FA ages ago, and realized...just now...I hadn't finished it off here.

I realize that FA is not a great way to read a comic unless you have a FA account and follow artists that way, and that reading it from my LJ is clunky and difficult. I have a keenspace account I've not set up because I am Teh Lazy Artist, but before I get too far along in Bone Shard, I will figure out a way to put the thing on the net that is far more reader-friendly.

That said, Bone Shard is on its way very soon. Enjoy the rest of The Seance.

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1515131/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1515180/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1515253/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1557620/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1557625/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1557630/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1557638/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1561542/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1561578/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1561620/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1580500/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1580506/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1580512/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1580519/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1580527/

First Bite

Nov. 12th, 2008 08:10 am
summer_jackel: (Shard)
This isn't adult-filtered, but probably NWS in the full-screen version, unless you have a really cool workplace. An important moment for Danielle and Shard. Your eyes shine so.





http://us-p.vclart.net/vcl/Artists/Jackel/Sketches/First-Bite-1.2.jpg





What do you think of this style, seriously? These two are pretty rough, though I was enjoying leaving them that way. I ask because I'm extremely tempted to do 'Bone Shard' like this, in pencil and greyscale watercolors. I'd clean them up a little more for the actual story, but I am really enjoying the moody watercolor thing. Are y'all interested in reading (a lot) more story in this style?

on FA: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1707017/ and http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1707021/
summer_jackel: (Shard)
I may have more stuff later, including, of course, puppy pictures. But for now, here are a couple of spooooky pictures.

Zombie!Jackel says, "I love you, brains. You are so tender and succulent. Nom."





The others I've put under a cut because they are mildly-to-definitely NWS, but I don't feel like putting this post in the adult filter. Don't wanna look ya don't have to click.

Adopt one today! Adopt one today! Adopt one today! Adopt one today!

spooky and bloody, Canis Minor and Shard. Huh, I should totally draw them together some time. )
summer_jackel: (Default)
OK, I lied, here's one more post, then I'll leave.

Got this meme from FA. 8 facts, not about myself as per the original meme, but my fursona. There's a difference! Thanks, [livejournal.com profile] babsbunny. Doing it 'cause the concept made me giggle, and I'm all wired on the excitement of going on a big trip in the morning. Which, if I want to do it properly, means I should probably sleep now.


8 Facts about Jackel
1. The character is one of my oldest; I've been drawing her since I was about 13. I didn't think of her as my fursona back then, exactly, and she hadn't a name. I called her the teenaged were-leopard, which became less interesting when I was no longer a teenager.

2. Jackel is a mutt. She is 1/2 side striped jackal, 1/4 black backed jackal and 1/4 snow leopard. With a dash of coyote in there somehow, and possibly a little amur leopard too. I have no backstory to how she got there, other than that I have a thing for feline/canine relationships so it makes a kind of karmic sense that I'd come up with some hybrid characters. This has nothing to do with my actual family.

3. She turns lighter colored in the winter and more vividly yellowish with darker spots in the summer. I'm just usually too lazy to draw her that way...or I just draw her in the warmer months a lot.

4. She was named, amusingly enough, by my law school. I'd tried to name her unsuccessfully for years (nothing ever stuck). Due to USF's login conventions, I was given 'Jackel' as my username on the system. A little voice in my head went, "Eureka! You found it! THAT'S your character's name!" Immediately thereafter another voice went, "aw MAN. You can't come up with anything more creative than THAT?" Ah well. Can't please 'em all.

5. There's still more about my name, though. I told my mom casually one day that the character was named Jackel. Boy was she ever startled! So, Jackson is my maternal surname and the one I carry. (2nd most common surname in the US, go me!) Mickel is my paternal. Seems that at one point when they were deciding what to name me, 'Jackel' as a combination surname was seriously discussed. I was startled too, since my mom had never told me that story; when I asked as a kid, she told me that they'd just decided to go with Jackson. I wish they'd gone with Jackel. If it wouldn't be such a PITA factor, I'd consider having it legally changed.

6. She's changed over the years a bit. As a young teen she had a big ruff around her neck, almost a sheltie fluff looking thing. That was long-gone by the time she hit 20...I guess she shed out her puppy/kitten coat.
Her back markings became more pronounced around 2000, after which her spotting began to fade.

7. She came by her first ear notch in 1997. Two more in 2006, the next in 2007. They all represent difficult periods of my life that I feel changed me significantly. Marking Jackel has been a way to acknowledge/examine these and learn to live gracefully with them.

8. Um...more about Jackel. Let's see. Well, she's mostly me; I gave her glasses when I got them, though it often annoys me to draw them just as it annoys me that I have to wear the darn things now. Grr hiss age. Anyhow, she's not always me, or not just me...I use her as a character in various contexts that isn't me, just a character I'm really comfortable with. Besides, she's so much cooler than I am.
summer_jackel: (Default)
OK, so I will not be overly displeased. FA is providing a free service, and I can only imagine the kind of work required to keep a website of its size up and running. I'm pleased that it exists at all.

Still, it's down *again*? With no warning or suggestion of when it might be back? Maybe I should rethink bringing my DeviantArt site out of obsolescence. And note that to the best of my knowledge, VCL has never suffered from these...regularly unscheduled moments of downtime.
summer_jackel: (Default)
Guys, but for two small panels and, I'm sure, a couple hours' worth of touch up, 'The Seance' is finished...all 48 pages of it. I haven't been able to do that much of a sequential comic in a long time, and I am pleased with it. I'll try and start getting it scanned and posted this weekend. Are there any of you who are interested in seeing it but are not watching me on FA?

Also, I fear that they'll die since I failed to tend them, but: Adopt one today! Adopt one today!


So anyhow, The Seance isn't under the cut, but some more with Danielle and Shard and their universe is.

misc. comics )
summer_jackel: (Default)
So here, have a comic. I've been doing a lot with Danielle and Shard recently (see http://summer-jackel.livejournal.com/153156.html#cutid1, though you have to be on the adult filter). I'm in process with the sequel to 'Visitations', which is gonna be long.

So anyway, these girls were rattling around in my head and this odd, weird, sad, overly melodramatic little thing just kind of wanted to happen. So here it is. It's also a pen test, as I decide which of my 6 slightly different bottles of sepia ink I want to use for the big comic. This is the Rohrer & Klingner Sepia, not that I actually think anyone here cares. I have lots of time to fuss over it; 'The Seance' is only 1/3 penciled right now.

And without further ado, Murderer's Blood.

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1215769/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1215787/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1215826/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1215829/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1215833/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1215840/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1215848/

Comics

Mar. 14th, 2008 10:15 pm
summer_jackel: (Default)
A pile of black-and-white sketchy comics, WIPs and miscellany for your looking-at, should you so choose. All of them on My FurAffinity page as well, with nifty comment feature!

Arts under here )


Adopt one today! Adopt one today! Adopt one today! Adopt one today!
summer_jackel: (Default)
. . . but I guess I was wrong.

(This is reposted from a few journals on FurAffinity. It's much snarkier than my typical aspect. I figured that it was worth reposting here even though I am at least a little mellower about the...um, let's just say less well socialized...members of our proud fuzzy community...than some. Because this stuff is worth saying and whoever wrote it to begin with was *funny*. I love furry. Deeply. But we DO have to laugh at ourselves sometimes.)

10. Yes, artists deserve the "ridiculous" prices they charge. Consider the fact that your average pic takes about four hours from sketch to final coloring: if you pay $40 that's $10 an hour. So no, $10 is not an appropriate price for a full-color, full length drawing.

9. Just because they draw pr0n doesn't mean they'll draw your pr0n.

(well if you pay me enough I'll draw almost anything. See 10 above. ;) )

8. Bitching at an artist every hour until they do your commission is not a good way to motivate them.

(People have actually been very gentle with me in this respect; Though I've seen it at work with other artists, I haven't had too many commissioners pester me. Let's keep it this way, universe, shall we?)

7. Just because she's submissive doesn't mean she wants to submit to you. Just because she's domme doesn't mean she wants you as a pet. Frankly speaking, not everyone wants to play with you.

6. It's okay to live and let live. The fact that they don't share your interest doesn't make them a bad person. Pushing your interests on them makes you a jerk.

5. Chatting with someone for five minutes does not mean they love you, nor does it make them your friend, your mate, your buddy, nor even a casual acquaintance.

4. Believing you're actually a dragon in a human body is fine. Thinking this makes you so much better than everyone else out there makes you a narcissistic jerk.

3. It's spelled HUMAN. H-U-M-A-N. If you use "Hyoomon" in serious conversation, you are either a Ferengi or a moron.

2. Buying a commission from an artist does not entitle you to cybor or picz. Buying a book from Barnes and Nobel doesn't entitle you to a free bj from the author.

1. When in doubt, remember Winston Churchill: "A fanatic is someone who can't change his mind and won't change the subject."

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