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I Got Stickers from AllStickerPrinting: An Honest Review

It’s not every day I get contacted by a sticker company. So imagine my surprise when I got an email from somebody at AllStickerPrinting which said, “We would like to collaborate with you.”

(I’m wondering if they came across my post talking about Stickerapp and that’s why they reached out to me? But hey, I appreciate them reaching out!)

So we emailed back and forth, and AllStickerPrinting agreed to send me complimentary stickers in exchange for a review. And that’s why we’re here today!

First, they gave me three options for stickers to print: Individual cut stickers, roll stickers, and custom decals. I opted for the individual cut stickers, specifically in vinyl, to stick (heh) as close as possible in texture and quality to the Robot Pride stickers I have on hand. (The Robot Pride stickers were printed by Vograce as part of the Universal Flaws of Robotics KickStarter campaign.)

Which design did I send AllStickerPrinting?

Hint: it’s a pun…

a pie wearing an eyepatch has the pi symbol for the other eye. It flies a pirate flag and says "YAR!"

Get it? It’s PIE-rates!

Anyway, getting the request in was pretty easy, if based on email rather than going through the website. I was already used to working with printers by email with Vograce and (not sticker-related) PrintNinja, so this didn’t bother me.

We actually got everything handled just in time for the stickers to arrive at my apartment RIGHT before I left for a show! So I got to open the package at the show to see what arrived.

I’m used to this design as die-cut, but I don’t mind it being square. I also *really* like the texture of the vinyl! It’s a nicer feel than Vograce or Stickermule. (I haven’t tried regular vinyl from StickerApp yet, just the holographic, so we’ll see how they compare eventually).

When the stickers arrived, they were bound, shrink-wrapped, and then wrapped in bubble wrap, so it’s safe to say these were not scuffed or damaged in transit. The packaging impressed me with its security!

Also, for the budget-minded independent artist, I got these 100 stickers, which AllStickerPrinting values at $50. Which – I gotta’ say – is REALLY DANG GOOD. It’s better pricing than I expected!

They also sent me a sample pack of the kinds of stickers (and business card) they can print. For stickers, they have a variety of choices, from vinyl to foil to holographic – which they call hologram – to even Kraft sticker. You can even choose your level of adhesiveness, from removable to normal to strong. They also have transparent stickers, which is great! I’ve been looking for folks who could do transparent stickers so I could do a reprint of this beauty:

a robed figure with floating hands also has three floating heads and a halo

I actually have some ideas for cards and stickers, so I will definitely be reaching out to AllStickerPrinting again!

If you would like to try them out, check out their official website. The staff are very communicative and great to work with! I highly recommend them.

That’s all for now. Now go print some stickers!

Thank you for reading.

You. Are. Awesome.

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Home By the Rotting Sea Is a Rare Gift

the cover of Home By the Rotting Sea, depicting a pale woman kneeling, with a young brown woman laying her head on the other's lap. Behind them, a hill is lit on fire

I first found out about Home By the Rotting Sea as a member of the Cartoonist Co-op, when buzz started happening around the Ignatz Award nominations. One of the comics nominated was Home By the Rotting Sea by Octava Heikkilä, a comic originally released during ShortBox Comics Fair 2024. I asked for a copy of the comic to review, which Octava Heikkilä graciously provided (thank you!).

If you have never heard of this comic before, here’s the listing from the itch.io page:

“The Väki are giants, and much loathed and feared by us humans. When territorial tensions threaten to break out, the Human King sends an envoy of riches, and two members of his harem, Ilta and Laulu, as gifts for the Väki.

Stranded from their kin and home, the two human brides must find a new way of living among the scarred strangers.”

What follows is 96 pages of stunningly drawn comics. From an art standpoint, I adore the dynamic page layouts. The brush textures that make the colors feel somewhere between colored pencil and dry-brushed acrylics are also fantastic.

The art works seamlessly with the narration and story, which follows the point of view of Ilta, one of the brides sent as a “peace offering” to the Väki. I didn’t know what tone the story would take at first, but it does open with tension as these women are sent to a people they have only heard terrible things about.

The pacing features carefully-paced panels depicting Ilta and Laulu’s slow integration into the community of the Väki. And it is slow. Especially since at the start, the Väki tell the brides (and the audience) that they have no concept of “wives.” Instead they are referred to and treated as “gifts.” Something new but fragile.

As a reader, I appreciated the slow pace of it all. There is time to be absorbed in the textures of the art, the world it depicted, and the characters walking (and eventually dancing and marching) through it. There is also plenty of exploration of gender in this story, from the genderqueer depictions of the giants to the brides confronting their expectations of their roles.

A Word of Warning

That said, there is an instance of sexual assault (that’s not depicted any further than initial contact). The thought-provoking material was how the Väki handled the retribution. Because there are consequences wrought on the one who committed the assault. This narrative explores the consequences as well as the aftermath.

I will not spoil the ending (it’s only 96 pages). But I will say that it fits the tone of the story. An ambiguous story needed an ambiguous ending, which Home By the Rotting Sea achieved. This story is still sitting with me even a week after I’ve finished reading it.

If you would like to give it a read, you can get the comic from the artist at Small Press Expo this weekend! Or you can get it on the creator’s itch.io page.

That’s all for now. Now go read some comics!

Thank you for reading.

You. Are. Awesome.

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Wait, Someone Was Going to Die in The Legend of Jamie Roberts??

pencil sketch of an older man with pronounced cheekbones saying (with a smile), "This way, boys."

I’m going to reveal a plot twist that ALMOST happened in The Legend of Jamie Roberts…

In previous drafts of this story, Basho was going to die in Chapter 14. I even had the fight scene outlined and some rough sketches done!

But then, after everything that’s been happening in my personal life over the last few months (that then culminated into the last few weeks of August), I decided on a different direction.

Now, to me, it’s more important to have a story where family estrangement is necessary. Not only necessary, but healthier. I wanted to see a story where siblings (even twin siblings) become estranged from each other and it’s better that they separated.

In a way, that also reflects in the backstories of Jamie, Thomas, and Daniel, as well! All three of them left their families of origin, banded together, and became pirates. Exploring that may be the subject of a future mini-comic!

And the funny thing is, after deciding on this new narrative direction, the inspiration flowed back. Jamie and friends even started appearing in my sketchbooks again!

I wanted to share this with you to give a peek behind the curtain as to what almost was. But I’m jazzed about this other direction the story is taking!

To read The Legend of Jamie Roberts, check out the official website. And sign up for my newsletter to keep up with updates.

That’s all for now. Thank you for reading!

You. Are. Awesome.

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Punk Pirates

a young man with brown hair and heterochromia wears a vest that shows off his chest muscles, as well as pants covered in patches. He smiles at the viewer
a blonde genderqueer person in punk gear swings a guitar back, grinning wildly at the viewer.
a blonde young man with muscles in a vest and patched-up jeans smiles at the viewer, a guitar on his back

Not gonna’ lie, I had a LOT of fun drawing Jamie, Thomas, and Daniel in these punk rock/Rockabilly-esque looks. I don’t draw them in modern outfits very much, so it was a treat to draw these!

When coloring them, I wanted to play with Copic markers again. In particular, I wanted to experiment with using different shades when coloring each one. If you look closely, you’ll notice that Jamie’s shadows have a blue-green hue, while Thomas has a red/burgundy hue to his shadows, and Daniel has a blue hue to his.

One of these days, I’ll put together a tutorial on how to use different colored shadows with Copic markers.

These characters are the main cast of my adventure webcomic, The Legend of Jamie Roberts! You can read it for free now on the official webcomic site.

I also shared this post a few days early with my email newsletter subscribers. To get the next post sooner than the rest of the internet, subscribe for free.

That’s all for now. Thank you for reading!

You. Are. Awesome.

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An Update on An Ignorance of Romance

An Ignorance of Romance, created by Kai and myself, is now on indefinite hiatus.

I’m not going to get into too much detail about it here, but there are private issues happening at this time. Things may escalate before calming down.

If and when An Ignorance of Romance returns, I (Kelci) will take over the writing duties, not just the art. When that is? That has yet to be determined.

The Legend of Jamie Roberts will continue as normal, but if it, too, needs to be put on hiatus, I will inform you ASAP.

Thank you for your understanding.

You. Are. Awesome.