Posted May 28, 2026
Content Update: None I’m afraid. Between Comics Camp (long post below) and spending hours improving my drawing, I’m afraid there’s not much updates my comics/bilingual books. But ideas are getting created in my head!
Comics Camp: This month was super fun! I got to attend Alaska Comics Camp where I met super nice and crazy talented people. Essentially this camp is a place where artists and others who work in related fields (game developers, animators, media, editors, etc.) can connect, learn, and have fun.
I attended many workshops (branding, procreate, media literary agents, etc.) while also having fun with in Juneau (school trips, library variety show, ghost tour, art scavenger hunt). Here’s some artwork that I got to create during my trip.
I was lucky enough to capture this sunset near our campsite! Crazy enough, I didn’t even notice the moon until after the picture was taken, lol.
Since I was told as a child to not look at objects while drawing (man, what a mistake) and focused more on academics, I’m afraid that my drawing skills are rather lacking. After attending the comics camp, I was determined to improve my drawing skills. So I grabbed “Drawing Made Easy” by E.G. Lutz, which is highly recommended by James Gurney (author/illustrator of Dinotopia).
While I do think this book was very helpful in improving drawing realistically, I realized it was difficult to go back to my cartoon style. So while practice makes perfect, it seems like changing styles all of sudden can throw one for a loop! Lol – go figure. As an inspiring children’s book author and illustrator, I do feel it’s important to improve my drawing skills and art computer skills, so I’ll keep on trying to improve my skills, even if it interferes with my cartoon style. While this a daunting journey, I must keep reminding myself that the story is the most important piece.
While the art might draw people in (no pun intended, I swear), it’s the story that keeps us there.
Posted Apr 30, 2026
Content Update: With my day job keeping me busy and my child’s spring break travels, I’m afraid that my comic and book didn’t progress. However, I was very happy with my Pinyin Zhuyin Learning Tool that I created. My daughter provided the sounds while I handled the “vibe coding”. I hope this free learning tool helps both adults and children master Mandarin phonetics. Go check it out! https://heiyustudio.com/pinyin-and-zhuyin-learning-tool/
Posted Mar 25, 2026
Content Update: Yay! I was able to get a few more pages out on my bilingual comic/story. Check out Page 2 and Page 3 when you have a chance.
Social Media Update: In addition, I signed up for a social media account on Bluesky, based on the advice of my friend Kat Klockow. Apparently Bluesky is designed as a Twitter/X alternative platform, and it’s where a lot of creative people tend to gather. As a private person, the idea of signing up for social media terrifies me. But I recognize that if I want to try to change the bilingual books landscape, then having a social media presence is necessary. For my first post, (with my partner E’s help) I was able to create a video that showed off the interactive bilingual comic website. After having to create training videos for my other job, and now having to create my first Bluesky video, my appreciation to all of those YouTube influencers video skills skyrocketed! While creating and posting each post will continue to terrify me, hopefully this will get easier with time.
Advice from ComicLab: In addition, I listened to How to Start a Webcomic in 2026 by ComicLab on Patreon. Lots of great advice for newbies like myself. What I especially loved was the message of focusing on “comic writers” rather than “comic artist”. While art may spark the readers’ interest, it’s the storytelling that pulls them in and captures them. I wholeheartedly agree with their message of having tiny group of passionate readers rather than bunch of followers, and to focus on the craft of storytelling in the beginning when your readership is just starting out. Realizing that it’s OK to make mistakes, learn from them, and grow as a creator is a comforting message that I believe all newbies need to hear.
Posted Mar 6, 2026
Exciting News Part 1! I made it into Alaska Robotics Comics Camp! This is a four day workshop where artists, writers, etc. come together to bond, workshop, and have fun. A big thank you my friend Kat Klockow for convincing me to apply in the first place and proof reading my application! With famous authors, comic writers, and artists in the industry joining, this is a great opportunity for newbies such as myself. My only wish is that my husband “E” and child “BB” could tag along.
Exciting News Part 2: After many hours of debating how my bilingual comic should be formatted, coded, and drawn, I’m finally happy with the results! Go check it out the first page! https://heiyustudio.com/bilingual-comic/ Here’s a bit of celebration art. I didn’t use this drawing for my bilingual comic, but figured you all might like it.
Posted Feb 8, 2026
Welcome to Heiyu Studio! Since I have another job that keeps my child alive and fed, I’m afraid I don’t have as much bandwidth to update the website and work on content as often as I’d like. That said, here’s a quick timeline of my work since launching.
Nov 8, 2025 – Website Launch! I’m excited to introduce my foray into creating a children’s Chinese/English bilingual book, along with sharing Chinese learning resources (Chinese media, LA Dual Immersion) and an overview of my past webcomics.
Dec XX, 2025 – Drafted reviews of Dim Sum Warriors, the Le Le Reading Pen, and the Chameleon Pen. I also worked on artwork for my bilingual book. I found creating Ling Ling particularly challenging, but it was fun coming up with different poses.
Jan XX, 2026 – Had fun creating a Chinese Karaoke and Quiz Game as well trying to figure out how to create an interactive bilingual Chinese webcomic (TBD) on top of my bilingual book.
Feb XX, 2026 – I realized I should probably stop trying to make everything perfect and just publish my content so readers know I’m actively working on the website. As a result, I published my reviews of Dim Sum Warriors, the Le Le Reading Pen, and the Chameleon Pen, and I plan to post more frequently going forward.
In the future, I hope to create a membership subscription or build some kind of social media presence so readers know when new content is available. Until then, I hope you all enjoy the content!
Cheers,
TY