A counterintuitive publicity strategy

I just designated my Facebook account for deletion, and while never having had an account on Twitter, I've blocked myself from it. If I'm ever able to log back into Tumblr, I'll delete my blogs there, and while I like Instagram, I'm considering whether I should get off there, since it's part of Mark Zuckerberg's evil empire.

This may seem foolish for someone trying to make a living via freelance art, and maybe it is, but the truth is I never got the hang of making social media net me clients. My lucrative contacts have been made mostly through this blog, with a few through Deviantart, Gab, the comments on others' blogs, and real-life networking. I'm hoping that, with fewer internet places at which to scatter my unfocused efforts, I can concentrate my focused efforts on just this blog, Deviantart, and my fast-approaching webcomic site. For the past few weeks I've been way more active online than for years. This is not just to try to get more eyes on my work--though I won't lie, I hope for that result too--but also because I really want to find more peoples' original creative works I can enthusiastically follow and support.

Many of the huge, corporate IPs are decaying: Marvel, DC, Star Wars, etc. Independent creators hold the key to future glory in storytelling. So if you have a story: a novel, a comic, let me know! I'll check it out. I can't promise I'll follow it if it's not my cup of tea, but I can promise to give it a chance. In return, I ask that you give mine a chance. You'll find me here and on Deviantart, soon on paperdollveronika.com, and when it returns in triumph, Socialgalactic.

Paper Doll Veronika preview: Guess the creature 4

Update: The winner, having guessed on Deviantart, is monat08!

In the run-up to the grand beginning of my webcomic, Paper Doll Veronika, I'm having a little guessing game contest in which you can win a sketch request!

In Paper Doll Veronika, seven animals start trouble for our heroine. I'll be posting silhouettes of them, and with each one, the first person--whether on Deviantart, Instagram, or my blog--to guess correctly what kind of animal it is wins a free sketch request!

Guess in the comments. One guess per person per animal.

Papa sketch

The initial sketch for my Father's Day picture.

Paper Doll Veronika preview: Guess the creature 3

UPDATE: The winner, having guessed on Deviantart, is RedWesternRanger!

In the run-up to the grand beginning of my webcomic, Paper Doll Veronika, I'm having a little guessing game contest in which you can win a sketch request!

In Paper Doll Veronika, seven animals start trouble for our heroine. I'll be posting silhouettes of them, and with each one, the first person--whether on Deviantart, Instagram, Facebook, or my blog--to guess correctly what kind of animal it is wins a free sketch request!

Guess in the comments. One guess per person per animal.

Why is this bear sad?

What a sad bear! Find out what upset him in the upcoming graphic novel Bovodar and the Bears written by Jack Mikkelson, (more preview material coming soon!) or read the novel on which it's based!

Paper Doll Veronika preview: Guess the creature 2

In the run-up to the grand beginning of my webcomic, Paper Doll Veronika, I'm having a little guessing game contest in which you can win a sketch request!

In Paper Doll Veronika, seven animals start trouble for our heroine. I'll be posting silhouettes of them, and with each one, the first person--whether on Deviantart, Instagram, Facebook, or my blog--to guess correctly what kind of animal it is wins a free sketch request!

Guess in the comments. One guess per person per animal.

UPDATE: And the winner, having commented on Instagram, is michael babbish!

Papa

Happy Father's Day!

Paper Doll Veronika preview: Guess the creature 1

In the run-up to the grand beginning of my webcomic, Paper Doll Veronika, I'm having a little guessing game contest in which you can win a sketch request!

In Paper Doll Veronika, seven animals start trouble for our heroine. I'll be posting silhouettes of them, and with each one, the first person--whether on Deviantart, Instagram, Facebook, or my blog--to guess correctly what kind of animal it is wins a free sketch request!

UPDATE: The winner, having commented on Facebook, is Sarah!

Guess in the comments. One guess per person per animal.

Sketch: new cover for Bovodar and the Bears novel!

To go along with the future release of the graphic novel adaptation, the original novel Bovodar and the Bears is getting a new cover illustration, and I believe the author, Jack Mikkelson, is also preparing some edits. Here's the initial pencil drawing for the new cover!

If you want to read the first edition while it's still available, get it here!

Paper Doll Veronika banner

In about a month, on July 12, I plan to start my webcomic, Paper Doll Veronika!

As you can see, it's done using paper dolls drawn by me. Half collage, half puppetry, it's the traditional-media equivalent of a sprite comic. The story is the adventure of a girl who has to leave home for the first time because of seven pesky animals!

More preview material is coming up in this time leading up to the comic site going live. Please look forward to it!

Publication of a Letter to Bishop Steven Lopes

On the Feast of Christ the King, November 25, 2018, Father Vaughn Treco preached a homily which criticized certain actions of certain popes. This homily may be listened to here.

On January 20, 2019, Bishop Steven Lopes removed Fr. Treco from his position as pastor of the Church of St. Bede the Venerable because of this homily. On March 29, 2019, Bishop Lopes excommunicated Fr. Treco because of this homily. Update: Though somewhat unclear, it seems that the correct date of the excommunication is actually April 1, 2019.

Between Jan. 20 and March 29, I, Mary MacArthur, wrote the following letter to Bishop Lopes and circulated it among the parishioners, of whom more than half signed it. I do not include the unredacted signatures in this online publication because I do not have permission to do so from the signatories.

Two copies were sent to +Lopes with different sets of signatures. This is one of the copies, with signatures blurred for anonymity. The other copy had eight additional signatures, including my own.

Your Excellency the Most Reverend Steven Lopes,
Bishop of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter,

In your letter announcing the removal of our former pastor, Fr. Vaughn Treco, it was stated that he denied Church teaching in his Feast of Christ the King homily, which was critical of the Second Vatican Council and certain subsequent statements and actions by popes. The letter did not, however, state what Catholic teaching it is judged that Fr. Treco denied.

Since the letter was publicly read, we request public clarification, citing the specific sentences where the homily in question denied Catholic dogma, explaining exactly what defined doctrine they contradict. If we were taught error, we, the faithful of the Church of St. Bede the Venerable, have the right to know what it was and what the correct teaching is.

Yours in Christ,
[signatures redacted]
Parishioners of St. Bede the Venerable

There has been no answer given to this letter as of today, June 9, 2019.

On May 6, 2019, it was announced that St. Bede's would cease function, and the last Mass was May 19, 2019.

I do not believe that the Christ the King homily was in any way heretical or schismatic. Fr. Treco compared the papal actions he was criticizing to St. Peter's denial of Christ. Doing so was in no way denying these popes' papal authority, any more than it was denying St. Peter's papal authority!

If Bishop Lopes sincerely believes that Fr. Treco's homily was contrary to the Catholic Faith, why refuse to give an explanation of how exactly? Why refuse to give guidance to the flock that he claims was led astray by an erring pastor?

I grieve the loss of my pastor and parish, and I pray for Fr. Treco in his canonical exile, and for Bishop Lopes in what I believe to be his misguided action. I ask that all who read this do the same.

Emerged from the Elements sketch

The sketch for my Emerged from the Elements birthday present piece.

Emerged from the Elements

As a present for a friend of mine, whose birthday was the second; three of her characters from a fantasy novel she's working on.

It's hard to get the contrast right on a scanned ink painting. Hmm.

Bovodar & Bears banner

A banner image for the upcoming graphic novel Bovodar and the Bears written by Jack Mikkelson! We're planning a lot of special material coming up for folks to see as we progress on this project. See Jack's blog for more info!