Matt Youngmark's Blog, page 11

Gottacon this weekend in Victoria, BC

I’ll be at Gottacon in beautiful Victoria from Friday through Sunday, hawking print books and telling everybody about the new Zombocalypse Now app from Tin Man Games. Also, we have free buttons ! Come say hi! I’m tabling with my buddy Scott Gable from Broken Eye Books, but just look for my Chooseomatic banners — my convention display pretty much DWARFS his.

How much do you love me IS IT AT LEAST THREE DOLLARS?

The ZOMBOCALYSE NOW app is up in the Apple store! That’s all the platforms it’s going to arrive on (it appeared on Google Play and the Amazon App Store last week), So it’s time to pop those champagne corks, my friends!

For the uninitiated, Zombocalypse Now is an epic, novel-length choose-your-own-adventure in which you play as a stuffed bunny in the zombie apocalypse. Find 112 possible endings (at least SEVEN in which you don’t die).

The lovely folks over at Tin Man Games have done an amazing job here — the upgraded app version includes music, achievements, and thirteen brand new illustrations by me! The bunny’s little ears even SWAY BACK AND FORTH on the title screen, people. They were amazing to work with, and the finished app blew away all my wildest expectations (it’s been something of a lifelong dream of mine to work on a video game, so the little part that I got to play in development was exciting enough already). Even the stuff I expected to get super nitpicky with — like the graphic design elements they pulled from my original book design — were gorgeous from the first implementation. Seriously, it’s currently my favorite way to read this book.

Plus, it’s only three bucks in the apple, google play or amazon app store.

YOU KNOW YOU WANT IT

Happy Conspiratine’s Day!

One year ago today I launched my secret webcomic Conspiracy Friends (yep, on Valentine’s Day, because nothing says “I love you” to your wife like having a random idea for a comic and spending all day drawing one, registering a domain name, throwing together a wordpress site, and posting it).

The conspiracy angle originally came from the idea that I would keep the comic secret (hence SecretWebcomic.com) until I had at least 30 strips, and proved to myself that I could work a daily comic into my regular routine. I’m incredibly proud to report that I haven’t missed a single update all year. That’s 261 comics! 208 three-panel gags, 5 guest strips from amazing comix pals, 41 double-sized strips because I couldn’t fit the joke into three panels, and 7 “Previously on Conspiracy Friends” recaps (which are my favorite, b-t-dubs).

It’s honestly been a labor of love, and even though I’ve done the most half-assed job EVER of promoting it, the feedback has been tremendous. I can’t even tell you how much that means to me (seriously, every time you share Conspiracy Friends, my heart grows three sizes like the freakin’ Grinch). I will tell you this, though: it DOES NOT feel like a year. I’ve been having a blast doing these, so look forward to your Valentine’s Day present from me next year: 52 more weeks of love (assuming love = comic strips about paranoia and government spying?)

Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks for reading, enjoying and sharing my comic (if you have indeed done any of those things). I’m starting to get crazy choked up, so before I go create a downloadable coupon for free hug or something I’m going to sign off. Go read today’s comic! (It’s just a regular part of the story, not a special anniversary strip of anything, but don’t you worry, shit is about to GET REAL).

-xoxoxo,

Matt

(Pictured above, by the way, is an amazing pop-up CF anniversary Valentine’s Day card Dawn Marie made for me, because she is one billion more times more thoughtful than me and I CLEARLY DON’T DESERVE HER)

Zombocalypse Now is an APP, BABY!

The brand new app edition of Zombocalypse Now is available in the Google Play store! Yeeheehee! The lovely folks at Tin Man Games have been working on this for a while, and now you can play the first Chooseomatic on your phone or tablet. Upgrades include music, a (mildly) animated start screen, achievements, and THIRTEEN new illustrations by me! This is currently my favorite way to read this book (and yes, iOS and Kindle Fire versions are coming soon).

There’s also a great review up over at droidgamer!

Indie Book Fair December 20 & 21!

I’ll be at the Indie Book Fair in Seattle December 20 & 21, giving away free buttons, chattin’ up a storm, and hawking my wares. If you’re in Seattle, you should totally come! I’m also doing a short reading (probably from Tiny Quest) Saturday evening!

Modest means. Serious writers.

December 20 & 21, 2013 — 11AM – 8PM

A/NT Galley

2045 Westlake Avenue

Seattle, WA 98121

Looking for a last minute gift?

Books.

LOTS AND LOTS OF BOOKS.

There will be books for all ages. Science fiction, fantasy, romance, young adult, mystery, memoir, and so much more.

Meet the authors, too. They’ll be there, selling their books. You can get them to sign the books. Grab their swag, like bookmarks, postcards, and such. Many of them will have raffles for even more free stuff!

Authors in attendance include: Ksenia Anske, Leeland Artra, S.C. Barrus, Laurie Blauner, Zachary Bonelli, Kate Bracy, Jamie Brazil, Paddy Eger, J. Glenn Evans, T.M. Franklin, Jerry Gold, Elizabeth Guizzetti, David D. Horowitz, Paty Jager, Sibyl James, A. Ka, Kay Kinghammer, Susan Lute, Maggie Lynch (Maggie Jaimeson, Maggie Faire), Michele Makinson, Mark Matteson, John B McIntyre, Robert R. Mitchell, Old Nod, Northwest Independent Writers Association, Chris Patchell, D.E.S. Richard, Laura Kelly Robb, Susan Schreyer, Valerie Stein, Lisa Stowe, Jeff Suwak, Griffith H. Williams, Windtree Press, Joyce Yarrow, and Matt Youngmark

On Saturday, December 21, the authors will read excerpts from their books, from 5:00PM to 8:00PM. Refreshments will be served. A touch of wine, too, for those over 21.

And Art!

LOTS AND LOTS OF ART.

Since it’s in a gallery, there’s art everywhere. All around, you’ll have plenty of time to absorb some culture and buy some unique gifts for the holidays.

I just posted my 200th secret webcomic!

Today marks the 200th Conspiracy Friends strip (a fact that I only know because I number them when I save the PNG files). I can happily say I’ve posted one every single weekday since had the initial idea for the comic and hastily registered a domain name on February 14th (happy Valentines Day, baby, I accidentally launched a webcomic?).

Little known fact: I originally registered the site as “secret webcomic” because the plan was to draw one every day until I had 30 strips and not tell anybody about it, which runs counter to EVERY SINGLE INSTINCT IN MY SELF-PROMOTING PROPAGANDIST SOUL. The good news is, it worked! It’s nine months later, and still almost nobody knows about the strip! I also planned to use the comic to draw potential fans into my other ventures (i.e., this one), so maybe it wasn’t the best idea to do the whole “By Redacted” thing, assuring that nobody could possibly know who I am or that I also write books and stuff? Marketing: I AM THE BEST AT IT

So if you’ve been enjoying Conspiracy Friends, (and if you haven’t go check it out, seriously, it’s pretty funny) consider celebrating strip number 200 with me by telling your facebook friends or twitpeeps or tumlbrbros about it! Or by just continuing to be awesome which I KNOW YOU WERE ALREADY GOING TO DO ANYWAY

Thanks for nine rad months, everyone! Daily webcomics, WOOOOOOOOOOO

So many conventions

Rose City Comicon and QZ Con are behind us. Next up: Bellingham Comic Con on October 12! Immediately following will be Geek Girl Con in Seattle on October 19-20 and Jet City Comic Show it Tacoma on November 2.

It is a lot of conventions in a short period of time! Come say hi if you’re in any of those cities. I have free buttons to give away, and free sample booklets of my secret webcomic (which is actually not that big of a secret, you can totally go read it right now if you want). Also, when I meet people at cons who already know who I am it always freaks me out a little (but in a good way). So that’s fun to watch.

Rose City Comic Con September 21-22

Helooooo Portland! I’ll be at Rose City Comic Con next weekend, signing books, giving away free buttons, and probably apologizing a lot for not having Time Travel Dinosaur out yet (it’s due in December, this time for real, I swear). Come see me at table H-02, right at the geometric center of artist alley.

I used to do this thing at cons where I had a secret password that earned you a free Conspiracy Friends promo comic, but the comic is just the first 12 strips, so it after a while it seemed like it was a lot of hoops to jump through to be marketed at. I’ll have them at the show anyway, though, in a big pile! You can just take one!

PAX wrapup

PAX was a blast! I was just there as a fan this year (although Eric from Gamma Ray Games was kind enough to stock my books in the Games on Demand room and even sell a few copies). Video game highlights included discovering a kind of Gauntletesque Adventure Time game which I can’t believe I haven’t bought yet, and Crypt of the Necrodancer, a roguelike RPG that controls with a… dancepad? YES, YES, 1000x YES. I also swung by and chatted a little with some of the Strip Search folks (and picked up a rad Pineapple Maki T-shirt), which made me feel all warm and fuzzy.

As usual, though, the highlight for me was playing new stuff in the tabletop rooms. I learned to play Kingdom with my friend Ashley and a couple of other hilarious gamers (whose names I don’t remember because I am terrible). It’s a story game, and ours took place in the Puritan colony of Chastity Rock (but, like a funny Puritan colony? It’s hard to explain). I also played another storytelling game with a really cool map-drawing theme called The Quiet Year. We built an undersea community of scientists studying an active volcano who just about managed to completely destroy themselves before the Frost Shepherds even SHOWED UP. We had an amazing time with this one (thanks Ed!), and if you’re interested you can either buy the full version or just download the rules and use regular playing cards (you can even pay with good deeds instead of cash, which is possibly the best thing I’ve ever heard).

I also had the chance to learn how to play 13th Age with Ashley and an awesome, riotously funny GM named Ash. It’s kind of an old-school D20 fantasy tabletop rpg with some storytelling elements built in (you might be sensing a pattern here) that really encourages players to take the game in whatever direction they want. (In my second effort I played a dark elf who was raised by a community of Smurf-like fae, with his trusty familiar Smelfbro, the lone male denizen of Smelf Village).

So to sum up, PAX is kind of the best. Extra megathanks to Kevin for hooking me up with a pass, and to everyone we played games with. I’m going to sleep for a year now! Thanks, bye!

(* image above is someone else’s PAX experience, since I completely forgot to take any picture, as per usual. Boo, me.)

Broken Eye Books kickstarter!

I shot this Kickstarter video for my friend Scott Gable at Broken Eye Books (look for a cameo appearance by my hand at the end), and also did some of the cover design! Broken Eye some amazing books on the schedule for the coming year (including like two and a half from the spectacular Clinton Boomer, who you’ve probably heard me rave about before).

Please check it out, and if the books look up your alley, support like the wind!