Stray Sod

An Irish Folklore Web Comic
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The best place to check for updates is Instagram!

Events Schedule

All in-person appearances are cancelled for 2020, stay tuned!

News

  • 2020 Events May 11, 2020
  • April Already? April 19, 2019
  • December Update December 21, 2018
  • Autumn Update, Upcoming Con October 8, 2018
  • End of Summer Update August 24, 2018




2020 Events

by Chelsea on May 11, 2020
Posted In: Blog

As I’m sure you’ve guessed, all planned appearances for the 2020 con season have been cancelled. I was particularly looking forward to going to VanCAF for the first time, but I’m planning for next year!

Because of all the online events happening, though, I thought it would be a good time to get a new store up and running. Big Cartel worked well for me, but now that I have more than five items, upgrading to the next tier is more overhead than I can afford. I’m planning to try a few other online storefronts, but for now, you can find my comics on Etsy!

And yes, Issue 6 is coming! Back in winter, when I got confirmation that I was accepted into VanCAF (a dream of mine for years), I brought out the script and got to work, planning to debut it there. When everything went sideways in the world, so did those plans, but work is still going ahead. Instagram is probably the best place to follow along with how things are going, and other things I’m working on to keep sane during this crazy time.

As always, readers, I am so grateful for your continued patience. Ina looks a little worse for wear but she’s hangin’ in there!

└ Tags: conventions, in print, news
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April Already?

by Chelsea on April 19, 2019
Posted In: Blog

I’m not so much amazed that time has flown, as I feel guilty for not updating the comic’s blog before now.

The first bit of news is that the Stray Sod pin has been re-issued! It needed some slight edits for the new manufacturer, but I have a hard time seeing the differences myself. They look fantastic, and you can get them in the store, or in person at the Calgary Expo.

The second news item is that, yes, I will be at the Calgary Expo at the “Figure 3 Illustations” booth, #5923 in the Big Four Building. This will likely be my only con of the year, so please be sure to come by if you were hoping to get Issue #5 or a pin. Here’s a map to help you find us:

And I’m sure you also want to know when the comic will be resuming. Unfortunately, I have no answer for you yet. So much time has lapsed between updates because my health has needed a lot of focus. Migraines are less of a focus now than my mental health. If I thought totally changing my diet to help the migraines was difficult, changing my thought patterns and other habits to combat depression is even more challenging. The pressure of multiple projects is overwhelming, so I have put on hold as many as I can. I will get back to making comics as soon as possible, because I really do miss it, and I am dying to show you what happens to Ina next.

Sometimes I do post little doodles and comics on Instagram, so you will get the most timely information about what’s going on if you follow me there.

└ Tags: conventions, merchandise, news
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December Update

by Chelsea on December 21, 2018
Posted In: Blog

Hello!  I hope all you readers are enjoying this exciting / stressful / social / refreshing time of year, and even if you’re not, I hope you’re looking after yourselves.

I have not been, for quite some time, and it is only starting to become clear to me how much that has accumulated over time.  This seems to happen often to creators, especially independent ones who are trying to do everything themselves with high expectations of near-perfection.  I’m sure a lot of you have either experienced this yourself, or have followed a creator who has–or both.

Stray Sod’s break is going to continue for now, and this is to allow me to pursue better physical and mental health.  I have made some exciting strides in this direction already, but the more I learn about my true limits and what I actually need to do to be healthy, the more I see what a long road this will be.  I still plan to do cons and shows, but new pages will be on pause for the time being.

I’ve been burning out for longer than I had noticed.  My brain is in such a state of fatigue that when I do have time and feel physically well enough to sit down and work, I cannot focus.  Much of this was surprisingly not because of my actual work load, but because of all the stress in my life, generalized anxiety, and negative self-talk I’ve come to think of as normal.  In order to really recover, I have to take as much off of my plate as possible and spend time learning new ways of thinking.  Don’t you guys worry; I have some professional support in this area.

The migraines have made some improvements since I began to adopt gut-healing habits.  Cooking and eating for digestive health requires a lot of effort in itself, but my body has made some interesting and measurable improvements.  I still get migraines several times a month, but they are a little less severe, and now medications can shorten them so I’m not down for most of a week.  As a bonus, I am now sleeping better, feeling less pain in other parts of my body, and regaining a little energy.

Or I was, until the stress of starting a new job kicked in.  But it’s good news!  I am now working in one of my many dream jobs, in a library, which means I don’t have to divide my efforts between many different and sporadic tasks to support myself financially.  With a simpler life, my stress will start to go down even more swiftly, and hopefully it won’t be too long before I can start picking up the things I’ve had to put down.

I have been so inspired by other artists who have talked about stepping back from the things they love, often with such heavy feelings of guilt and regret that it piles more stress upon them.  So I thought it might be beneficial to share some of what I’m struggling with right now.  It has been difficult for me to grasp the impact one’s feelings and habits can really have on their ability to do what they want to do, but I’m starting to see it now.  And so I urge you all to take time to look after yourselves, relax when you need it, and if possible, not to feel bad about it!

I will continue to keep you up to date on the comic’s status.  Stay well.

└ Tags: news
5 Comments

Autumn Update, Upcoming Con

by Chelsea on October 8, 2018
Posted In: Blog

We’ve already had snow in this part of Canada, so in my brain it is already winter.  I hope, however, that wherever you are, you are all enjoying your autumn.

The other members of Figure 3 Illustrations agreed that the desire was present to do another con this year, despite how hard the year has been on all of us.  So we’ll be at the southern Alberta show Foothills Comic Con, which aside from being fairly close also benefits the Foothills Fetal Alcohol Society.  Hopefully some of you can make it out to support the event.

My migraines just get less and less predictable, their increased frequency indicating that I’m still missing some pieces in my pursuit of better health.  So under the guidance of a professional (I’m all about safety), I’ve moved on to other lifestyle changes that require a lot of time and focus… and rest.  Time will tell if they work for me, and in the meantime I’m doing my best to fulfill previous agreements made with the ultra cool people in the indie comic community.  It is going much slower than I’d like, and slower than they deserve, but it is moving along!  That means Stray Sod must continue to wait, for now, but the groundwork is being laid so that when I return to it, the comic and my physical and mental health will be much more sustainable.

└ Tags: conventions, news
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End of Summer Update

by Chelsea on August 24, 2018
Posted In: Blog

Hello everyone!

We’re winding down towards the end of summer now. For kids and teachers and other school staff like me, it means getting back to a regular routine, and maybe correcting that sleep schedule we allowed to skew out of whack. I still feel as nervous as a student going back to school, which is always fun.

Work on the comic has been lurching forward in awkward spurts as health and other work allows. I’ve been given the opportunity to work on some other great projects that offer payment, which goes straight towards my health care and keeping Stray Sod going. In between those projects, Issue #1 is getting closer to being re-released all the time.  I’m proud of the changes and how they signify the amount I am learning.

Issue #6 has received some helpful feedback from some great (read: “talented and brutally honest”) people, and I can’t wait to go into production once the other issues go through their edits.  I’m working on the cover art, though, because I’m too excited to stop myself.   I’ll reveal that later, so keep an eye out for it.

Earlier this year at the Panel One Comic Creator Festival, Chris from GeekNerdNet (the official media sponsor for the event) interviewed the creators, including me!

Here’s a link to my audio interview: http://www.geeknerdnet.com/blog/2018/8/10/panel-one-2018-talking-stray-sod-with-chelsea-crutchley

And I recommend listening to all the interviews, especially if you’re a creator–this was an inspiring crowd: http://www.geeknerdnet.com/feature-panelone-2018/

Many of these creators tackle really mature themes, so I can’t promise all the interviews will be PG. Maybe try them yourself first before letting your little ones listen.

Health-wise, my migraines have not been behaving, but I’ve been experiencing a few changes in how they manifest and progress. This can be a good sign, according to the physiotherapist. Time will tell.

Keep up with smaller updates and progress on social media, or stay tuned here for the big ones!

└ Tags: interviews, news, press
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Issue #5 Available Now / Seconds Pins On Sale!

by Chelsea on June 18, 2018
Posted In: Blog

I forgot how much work it was setting up an online store!  The lack of time to spend on it, coupled with the desire to get you guys your physical copies, has really been a dilemma.  To add on to the pressure, I’ll be going on holiday in July and won’t be able to ship comics out during that time.

So the quickest solution has finally appeared to me.  I’ve taken down the Issue #1 listing, which is sold out anyway, and put up Issue #5 for sale.  You can get yours in my web store now!

 

Also of interest, Alum & Ink’s store is sold out of Stray Sod standard grade pins, so she is having a seconds sale!  These are pins with small defects that don’t affect their wearability, and they are a great deal!

If you’d still like a standard grade pin, I have some left here in Canada, also in my shop.  You can get one along with the latest comic!

 

└ Tags: in print, merchandise, news, sales
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Issue #5 Finishing Up!

by Chelsea on May 27, 2018
Posted In: Blog

As you might be able to guess, it’s been a busy month.  The Calgary Expo was fantastic this year, the most obvious indication of that being that Issue #2 sold out on Saturday.  Sadly, on Sunday I got a migraine and missed the last day.  My incredible booth mate rearranged her schedule to take over, running both my side and hers, Boon Ceramics.

After that, it was pedal to the medal to get Issue #5 done for the Panel One Comic Creator Festival.  To expedite things, I did all the penciling and inking of the last pages at once, then colored them, so I had no pages to post here.  It took quite an effort and a lot of lost sleep, and my shoulders and neck were killing me by the end, but the pages got to the printer in time.  It was a very rewarding feeling indeed.

Issue #5 books will be available to purchase online once I set up the new shop.  Big Cartel has been a great place to start, but it limits you to five items on its free program, and I honestly don’t earn enough in online comic sales to justify upgrading.  So it’s time for a new store front where I can sell more items at the lowest possible monthly fee.

And now, the final pages of the issue are queued up for you to enjoy for the next several weeks!

What about Issue #6, you might wonder?

I’m at a weird point right now, where I can’t really go forwards until I go backwards.  The next couple of issues are fully scripted and ready to go.  But physical copies of Stray Sod are running low, and it seems silly to reprint them until some minor edits are made.  I’d also like to make the issues available digitally, and get this story in front of more eyes.  So before I delve into Issue #6 with renewed vigor, this other stuff needs to be taken care of.

I’m still considering an exact date to launch Issue #6, but you can keep abreast of things on social media, or check back here for further news updates.  Enjoy these next pages!

└ Tags: conventions, in print, news
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Stray Sod at CCEE 2018

by Chelsea on April 21, 2018
Posted In: Blog

Next weekend, I’ll be at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo from Thursday April 26 to Sunday April 29.

New for this year, all artists are in the Big Four Building.  If you’re at Expo, please come by and browse through all the passion and creativity.

I’ll be at Booth SP5104, second aisle from the far left as you enter the upstairs.  And I’ll be sharing a table with Boon Ceramics, a talented local artist who makes really cool nature-inspired designs.

I won’t have a new issue to sell this year.  Health and other life things have made Issue #5 really difficult to complete.  But I will have enamel stray sod pins that I made with Alum and Ink!

Whatever is left over from the cons will go up in my store, but if you’re not going to be at any of the same shows as me, they’re already up for sale in Alum and Ink’s store (you’ll get to shop her other amazing, adorable pins).  Whether you buy a pin from her or from me, you’ll still be supporting us both.

└ Tags: conventions, merchandise, news
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Stray Sod Comics at ECCC

by Chelsea on February 27, 2018
Posted In: Blog

If you are planning to attend Emerald City Comic Con, you will be able to pick up Stray Sod!

I myself will not be present, however Chase Kantor of The Saga of the Jack of Spades and Robert Duque of Septembryo are generously hosting a collection of work from Panel One members at their table.

Find them at Table 1522 from March 1-4, and show them a little love–they’re doing something really great for comic artists who can’t venture far from home.

 

└ Tags: conventions, news
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Quiet December

by Chelsea on January 14, 2018
Posted In: Blog

I hope everybody had a good winter break, however long it was!  We got so much snow here that at one point it felt like I spent a whole day shoveling, because I had to take breaks in between.  But the holiday definitely restored my health meter.

It’s been a while since the last comic page went up, so you might be wondering what’s going on?

Even if I haven’t been able to get a page finished for you guys, a lot of stuff has been happening behind the scenes.  I’ve had to take a new look at the script for Issue #6, and the rewrite is almost finished. I originally had Laisrén’s backstory included in that issue, but the pacing felt wrong for the events that will be happening.  It also occurred to me that Laisrén’s story was a missed opportunity in terms of thematical considerations, so it needs a revisit as well.

I’ve also been hard at work tweaking Issue #1.  It’s mostly word bubble changes, but in my ignorance/arrogance I didn’t draw or colour beneath the word bubbles, and now I have to fix each panel to accommodate new bubble positions.  I’m learning a lot.

 
And I’m collaborating with my good friend and owner of Alum & Ink to design an enamel pin for Stray Sod.  We are planning to unveil the finished product in time for the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo in April, and it will be available online as well as at my booth.

As always, follow me on social media to keep abreast of the updates.  I want to get a new page to you soon.  After all, Issue #5 has to be ready and printed in time for con season.  🙂

└ Tags: conventions, news, process
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