Joshua Smeaton

Last chance to win a signed copy of Ash's Cabin! 3 Questions with Jen Wang goes out Wednesday. I'm giving away a signed copy of her latest book to a random newsletter subscriber. Sign up if you haven't.

joshuasmeaton.substack.com

OMG! It's happening. We're launching a monthly comic magazine for kids. Check it out at comichullabaloo.com

7 Graphic Novels with Female Protagonists That Boys Will Love, Too There’s a common notion that boys don’t enjoy books with female protagonists. If you’ve run into that with your own kid, here are two things...

I wrote an article for @imaginationsoup.bsky.social - 7 Graphic Novels with Girl Heroes that Boys will Love

Check it out! And subscribe to the Imagination Soup Newsletter. It is a fantastic kid lit resource for getting your kids to read more amazing books.

imaginationsoup.net/graphic-nove...

This month’s 3 Questions With… is graphic novelist extraordinaire Jen Wang!

As a bonus, I’m giving away an autographed and drawn-in copy of her latest book, Ash’s Cabin.

If you’re subscribed to my newsletter, you are automatically entered to win.

joshuasmeaton.substack.com

Hey, check out this article I did for the amazing Imagination Soup!

Last chance to back!

The animation superstar making kid comics. (The Prince of Egypt, The Road to El Dorado, Monsters Inc., The Incredibles, The Garfield Movie) Interview with @bobscott_mollyandthebear drops tomorrow. Subscribe so you don’t miss it!
joshuasmeaton.substack.com

L.A. area folks, this Saturday, May 17th the AAPI Joy festival at the Central Library. There’s a bunch of great events scheduled, including panels with cartoonists Lela Lee: Angry Little Asian Girl and Jen Wang: The Prince and The Dressmaker. www.lapl.org/aapi-joy

Creating Books for Vulnerable Children Over at the Let's Go! A Kids Comics Studio Anthology Kickstarter Page we feel so strongly about the power of story, that instead of raising funds to pay the creators, we’re donating our many hours to do something we think will make the world a little better. One way we’re hoping to share that mission is by inviting you to help us fund copies of our anthologies that will go to organizations we’ve partnered with.

Creating Books for Vulnerable Children

Over at the Let's Go! A Kids Comics Studio Anthology Kickstarter Page we feel so strongly about the power of story, that instead of raising funds to pay the creators, we’re donating our many hours to do something we think will make the world a little better.…

Parents, THIS Saturday May 3rd is FREE Comic Book Day!

If you’ve never been, it’s awesome. Free means free. Your kids will go home with free comics & there should be a nice selection aimed at different aged kids.

You can go here freecomicbookday.com to find a shop near you.

I loved reading your answers. Also, Puppy Knight rocks.

3 Questions With... @xjosuecruz.bsky.social

Some really thoughtful answers from Josue.

joshuasmeaton.substack.com

#comics #graphicnovels #kidcomics #kidgraphicnovels

6 Awesome (kid comic) Things This Month Cat detectives, abandoned cities, book signings, and more!

6 Awesome Kid Comics Things including recs for @peterwartman.com & @exocomics.bsky.social

Yay comics!

joshuasmeaton.substack.com/p/awesome-ki...

Cover of the nonfiction graphic novel & workbook CREATIVE WRITING WITH MISS MARY MAC by Rivkah LaFille and Mary McInerney

I made a thing. It finally has a cover. WHOOHOO!!! 💖💖💖

I just read Lord of the Rings for the first time. I made some fan art. #lotr #lordoftherings

I set up a shop on my website. joshdrawscomics.com/shop/

3 Questions with @kaydavault comes out Wednesday. Subscribe to joshuasmeaton.substack.com so you don't miss it!

Also go read Kay's books!

#comics #kidcomics #kidgraphicnovel #comiccreator #fantasy #fantasycomic #kaydavault #kidlit

Free Books! Or rather book brushes. I wanted some book brushes for Clip Studio & couldn’t find exactly what I was looking for, so I made my own. You can have them for free :) For Photoshop and Clip Studio. Don’t know if they work in Procreate but give it a go. joshdrawscomics.com/shop/

#bookbrush

7 Awesome Things This Month Kid Comics go to the movies and D&D goes to the papers. Oh and the most punk think you can be nowadays.

A bit of brightness found in the current hellscape. open.substack.com/pub/joshuasm...

YouTube video by Mandelbro No. The world is not falling apart.

“Awe, wonderment, abundance, optimism. That’s the new rebellion. The most punk thing you can be nowadays is an optimist.” - Mandelbro

This video is wonderful. I wish pessimism and hopelessness wasn’t my default. But wishing doesn’t do much.

I choose to be an irrational optimist.

Great thread for comic creators looking for a bit of grant help.

3 Questions With @exocomics.bsky.social creator of possibly the most adorable comic you will ever read - Detective Beans! Read it at joshuasmeaton.substack.com/p/3-question...

#comics #comicbooks #graphicnovel #kidlit #kidcomics #comiccreator

75 Cents Changed My Life. Hey it's Comic Josh's origin story! Plus the 4 best comics your kids aren't reading.

joshuasmeaton.substack.com

Or you know, Blink in Bile

#comics #comicbooks #graphicnovel #comiccreator #graphicnovelsforkids #comicsforkids

KCU Pitchfest 2023 Submit your kids or YA graphic novel pitch to our Pitchfest Gallery to be reviewed by agents and editors! Judges will vote on projects and the top entries will be featured in our online gallery.

Do you have a kids or YA graphic novel you want to pitch? KCU Pitch Fest is right around the corner. kidscomicsunite.com/kcu-pitchfes...

I still like the comic overall but wow, that is some bad/unclear panel layout on the first page.

Some "Never Have I Ever" post popped up on here. One of the prompts was "Used a phonebook." It reminded me of this comic I made back in 2001 or 2 I think. When phonebooks were still a thing but on the way out. #comics

Some recent panels from Woodland Hills I like. I really like that hand in the last panel but the pose didn't work, so it had to go.

#comics #comicart #kidlitart #kidlitillustration #kidlitillustrator #graphicnovel #wip #wipart

3 Questions With... Jamar Nicholas A couple years ago Leon The Extraordinary burst on to the scene.

3 Questions With... Jamar Nicholas
open.substack.com/pub/joshuasm...

Kick off your 2025 reading list with my favorite kid graphic novels from 2024(ish). Including some great ones that flew under the radar. Read it at joshdrawscomics.com/best-graphic...

#kidcomics #kidgraphicnovels #kidlit

3 Questions With... Michael Grover. Very cool work. Michael does lightly animated web comics including Deeply Dave which will also be released as a book by Macmillan. Read the interview at JoshDrawsComics.com & find out what he would do if he had a magic genie to promote his work.
#comics #webcomic