I'm getting back into my routine so I wanted to point out that means I'm streaming Saturday evenings at 7:30 pm EST on Twitch again. At the moment I'm alternating between gaming streams and art, but the eventual plan is to be mostly art. I'm still kind of learning how to optimize everything with my streaming and drawing software, but as I do I will shift more to drawing on Saturday nights.

Most recently, for May 4th I did an art stream when I drew myself a lightsaber. I noticed that, although OBS was running well, Krita was having issues detecting where my stylus was so I'd get some weird lines on occasion. I took a week off this week and just did a gaming stream, but my plan is to try drawing again this weekend. I have some projects I volunteered to do for some of my friends that I never actually completed so I'm going to try to double back and do a little of that, so long as my computer allows it. Once I am caught up, I may open up commissions that will be completed during a stream. I think that would be neat.

The next episode is here! I tried to toy around with angles and close-ups this go around. I also made the panel frames more unique to the comic rather than just bland black lines. This is how I plan on doing things from now on. I think it gives it a unique vibe. I'll go back and fix the panel frames from the earlier pages someday, but it's not important right now. I want to keep moving on with the story.

My next plan of action starting this evening is to sketch out Episode 10. I'm going to get two more episodes out this month (fingers crossed) and then take a week off for Momocon... unless I get really into a groove. As it stands Chapter 1 will conclude in July and I want to keep to that schedule. I might even try condense the latter episodes of Chapter 1. The way my drafts are there is room to move dialogue around and restage the scene so I might not need as many panels as I've planned for. If that's the case, Chapter 1 may go from 19 episodes to more like 15. Either way, I don't want to cut any of the actual dialogue or events as I'm pretty locked in to how things play out.

Speaking of my drafts, Collective Scientist level Ko-Fi supporters have access to my drafts for Chapters 1 - 3. I had these Chapters available for early adopters late last year, but I've reopened them. That means with that membership you have access to early versions of Mixten Genetics Ch. 1 - 3 AND The Couch Goblin Ch. 1 -3!

As I was working on episode 9, I learned some new tricks for making the comic look gorgeous. Unfortunately, I learned them as I was working on the last panel. That meant I had to go back and do some fixes to the old panels to get them on the same graphical level. The good news is, the episode is slated to drop on Friday. I had considered just plopping it in as soon as I'm finished, but I think it's better to just schedule it for Friday and in the mean time start working on episode 10. It definitely alleviates some stress.

More good news, as it stands I don't have any other things that should take to much of my time away from working on it. I do have a trip I'm taking at the end of the month to Atlanta for Momocon, but that's pretty much it. I checked the release schedule and although getting busy at the end of April put a hamper on things, not as much as I feared. I'm still slated to get into Chapter 2 this summer and will likely get through three, if not four, chapters before the end of the year. My goal was five, but hey, if I get four I'll take it!

One other thing, I have made a page for The Couch Goblin in preparation of her chapter(s) that are dropping late Summer/early Fall. That does mean I'll be shifting away from the main story of Mixten Genetics for a bit, but given her story is the "B Plot," it's still important to tackle. Plus, that has me posting her episodes during October, which is perfect! I don't plan on taking part in Gobtober this year, and instead knocking out one or two of her chapters. I'd love to get two Mixten chapters and two Couch Goblin one's done, which is possible since the Couch Goblin chapters are shorter.  Wish me luck!