Welcome, Adventurers!

Storyteller note: Hi, Adventurers! This is a re-post of my first newsletter/blog post which had first appeared on Substack. I very quickly moved away from there to here, but didn’t want to lose this first post. The post below is unedited from the original.

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Hello, and welcome to my new news home – and the very first Raden Studios newsletter!

You’re here because you either opted into receiving emails from Raden Studios or because you found me on social. You may have also noticed, after signing up for the mailing list, that your inbox remained mysteriously (and unintentionally) quiet.

My intention, for some time now, has been to create a monthly newsletter sharing what’s happening in my little corner of the creative world but it just… kept slipping through my fingers. Today, I’m working to change that.

I’m new to Substack and really just getting my feet wet, but what I do love already is that this feels more personable than your standard email. That’s really what I’m hoping to achieve with this newsletter! My goal is that this will become a space where we can connect a little more organically and a little more authentically on everything that’s going on.

Thank you for your interest and belief in my work (and me!) so far! I’m looking forward to continuing this journey together. Into the news, Adventurers!

What’s New: “The View from Up Here”

We’re just two months into 2025 but I feel like the number of “firsts” I’ve tried could fill a year – first ever dance classes, first crowdfunding campaign, first illustration commission in a new format, wrapped up my first official comics lettering work, first convention Art Shows of the year, and so much more!

Much of that is behind-the-scenes work, and I’m looking forward to sharing more about each of these as the year progresses. But I’m also excited to share my first charcoal illustration of the year!

“The View from Up Here” depicts a cat on a very tall stand of rocks, so high it’s almost as if they can touch the night sky all around them, with the moon looming just ahead and planets just a quick jump away. The original drawing debuted and sold at the Gallifrey One Art Show February 14-16. Prints will be available at in-person shows this month!

Happening Now: Enamel Pin Pre-Order

If you follow me on socials, you may have seen that I was part of BackerKit’s Pintopia January 23-February 13. My “Con Adventurers” enamel pin project did successfully fund but we didn’t quite unlock all of the stretch goals. I’m pleased to share that my pre-order store is now open for anyone who missed the crowdfunding window – along with two additional pins that we can still unlock if they receive enough support!

The pre-order store won’t be open for long, so don’t wait – especially if you’re interested in the two stretch goals. Take a look!

Visit the Pre-Order Store Now

If you did back my crowdfunding campaign during the crowdfunding window, thank you! You’ll receive surveys hopefully this coming week. Take a look at the latest project update (sent today) for more details!

Up Next: Classes, Conventions, and Comics

I’ll be heads down much of this month as I work to wrap up art on two short comics, along with prep for two March conventions AND a new-to-me teaching opportunity!

• March 4-5 | Young Writers & Artists Conference, Mankato, MN
  I will be presenting an interactive session on creating comics during the upcoming YWAC conference in Mankato, which is designed for kids grades 3-8. This is an entirely new experience for me, but I’m so excited to spend some time connecting with and empowering young creative folks!
• March 7-9 | MarsCon, Bloomington, MN
  I’ll have art in the MarsCon Art Show. My hope is to debut one new art piece, “A Midnight Stroll,” but as of this writing it’s not quite done. Either way, there will be lots of prints, metal bookmarks, limited edition gold foil prints, and more available!
• March 28-30 | WonderCon, Anaheim, CA
  I’m returning for the second year to Artist Alley at WonderCon! I’ll be near where I was last year, at table F-58, and will be bringing a selection of new prints, an easier-to-navigate display, pins, magnets, and even some small original drawings.

Whew! That was a lot for a first newsletter, but there’s so much more ahead. Let me know if there’s anything else you’d really love to see or hear about in my newsletter, and thank you all so much for coming on this journey with me!