✨ final cover reveal ✨you can preorder now wherever books are sold:
I haven’t been online much lately because the pandemic depression has slammed into my regular depression, causing a head-on collision in my brain. Anyone else feeling incredibly socially overwhelmed at the moment?
I haven’t been online much lately for mental health reasons, but I just wanted to let everyone know my first graphic novel is currently available for preorder! It will be released in both hardcover and paperback on September 7, 2021. Official synopsis below:
“In Other Boys, debut author Damian Alexander delivers a moving middle grade graphic memoir about his struggles with bullying, the death of his mother, and coming out. Damian is the new kid at school, and he has a foolproof plan to avoid the bullying that's plagued him his whole childhood: he's going to stop talking. Starting on the first day seventh grade, he won't utter a word. If he keeps his mouth shut, the bullies will have nothing to tease him about—right?
But Damian's vow of silence doesn't work—his classmates can tell there's something different about him. His family doesn't look like the kind on TV: his mother is dead, his father is gone, and he's being raised by his grandparents in a low-income household. And Damian does things that boys don’t usually do, like play with dolls instead of action figures. Kids have teased him about this his whole life, especially other boys. But if boys can be so cruel, why does Damian have a crush on one?”
Every so often I stare at my hands and realize I’m the main character in my own story. I’ve always felt like a background character... not even a secondary one, but more along the lines of “Person in Crowd #4″
I realized I never posted this on here. ✨
When I was little I used to sit on the living room floor doodling or playing LEGO while my grandma watched The Golden Girls, so it brings back a lot of memories re-watching it on Hulu recently.
Just thinking about Wednesday Addams
...and yet!!
I created this preorder promo art for Adam Sass’ “Surrender Your Sons,” a new LGBTQ YA novel, which you can get at BookShop and where most books are sold!
“Connor Major’s summer break is turning into a nightmare. His SAT scores bombed, the old man he delivers meals to died, and when he came out to his religious zealot mother, she had him kidnapped and shipped off to a secluded island. His final destination: Nightlight Ministries, a conversion therapy camp that will be his new home until he “changes.” But Connor’s troubles are only beginning. At Nightlight, everyone has something to hide—from the campers to the “converted” staff and cagey camp director—and it quickly becomes clear that no one is safe. Connor plans to escape and bring the other kidnapped teens with him. But first, he’s exposing the camp’s horrible truths for what they are—and taking this place down.”
I keep thinking about the homophobia I endured all through school, and how most LGBTQ kids end up internalizing it as trauma... Specifically what I’ve been referring to as “secondhand bullying” where the derogatory term isn’t really aimed at you, but impacts you in the process like shrapnel.
My favorite of the more recent American Girl dolls is definitely Melody. I love her story and pretty much everything in her collection and wish I could just have all of it TBH.
I was digging through some old Barbie dolls and then drew this colorful guy~
I didn’t realize it had been so long since I posted something. Lately time seems like an illusion and I still feel back in May. I finally finished coloring my upcoming book though and I can’t wait to share it with all of you next year!
I’ve been avoiding social media lately for my own mental health but also while I finish up my book. I’m really excited because it’s so close to being completely done and my hand can finally rest! But I’ve also been really nervous because this story is so personal to me, and the thought of putting it out in the world is kind of scary.
I realize I haven’t mentioned much about it anywhere (mostly because publishing is a long process, and the book doesn’t come out until 2021). “Other Boys” is an autobiographical graphic novel set in 7th grade after I moved to a new town and completely stopped talking. It deals with bullying, coming out, crushes, and the death of my mother. Here’s a little sneak peek and I’ve been posting some process pics to my story on Instagram as well.
It’s nice to have dreams
Just reminding you to be mindful of your mind 🧠