Fuck Yeah Kate Leth!

Panelists from the “Being Non-Compliant” panel from ECCC: Kelly Sue DeConnick, Kate Leth, C. Spike Trotman, and Erika Moen.

Pictures taken for my BuzzFeed article 21 People In The Comics Community Share Why They’re #NonCompliant.

Oh my glob (oh my glob, you guys)

Death is a real bastard.

I get so frustrated sometimes, thinking of all the lighthearted and fun stuff it’s okay to talk about online or with friends vs all the stuff people start to shift away from or get uncomfortable with.

About 5 years back, a kid my age of a wealthy family in town killed himself. All of my friends knew him, but I didn’t. About a week after the funeral, we were all hanging out and drinking, laughing, trying to address anything but the elephant in the room. Alex had been well-loved. He was big in the music scene. He had a lot of friends. Depression doesn’t care about that stuff, though. So we’re all drinking and my friend Nicole had gotten all serious, so I asked what was up.

"Our friend fucking DIED," she said. "Nobody will talk about it but they’ll talk about whatever Pitchfork thinks about Arcade Fire. I don’t fucking care. Someone I liked died and no-one will talk about it."

Even after that, nobody really would.

Death is so personal. You can’t imagine how it’ll affect you until it sandblasts a hole through the middle of you. I was in love with someone who died of cancer earlier this year. It was a bad situation I shouldn’t have been in and it shouldn’t have happened, but it did. That’s just life, or lack thereof. I never talk about it. I don’t know how. No-one does. If I do, I delete and apologize for it.

I made this about me and I shouldn’t, but if you take anything from this, know that it is not just you. People quietly muddle through the worst possible outcomes all the time. We’re here. I’m here. You’re not alone. If you can’t find anyone to listen, talk to us. Talk to the ether. Write it down. Don’t feel guilty about the grief. I know it now, that there is no worse feeling than never being able to talk to someone again. No amount of crying will fix it. But you can live. You can honour someone’s memory. You can be better and give love and make these idiot years worth a damn.

So, some new things went on sale. Please don’t judge my hubris by the badge. I didn’t come up with the name for my “fans”, I just loved it and went with it. I make badges for part of my living, why not have a badge for me?! I don’t know, stop looking at me and go buy some adult stickers!

So, MORE BIG NEWS: I am writing, along with the incredible Drew Rausch on art, along with the amazing Gabriel Rodriguez and Gabriel Hardman on debut covers, EDWARD SCISSORHANDS.

This is a huge deal for me, and for Drew and our amazing editor Sarah Gaydos as well. This all started in talks probably at the latter end of last year, and it’s just now being announced and created. Comics are a crazy waiting game, but it’s so worth it for a project this cool.

We’ll be doing a longer and more in-depth interview soon, but I can tell you this: The words I stressed most importantly, when it came to pitching this plot, were Nancy Drew-esque Teen Girl Mystery. We’re playing in Edward’s world, in the look and feel of the movie, but we’re updating it and bringing it forward a few years in some really neat ways. It’s fun, it’s strange, it’s scary, and I like to think it has a lot of heart. The things you don’t want me to screw up about this movie? Trust me, I really don’t want to screw them up, either. I love Scissorhands. Drew loves Scissorhands. Sarah loves Scissorhands. We’re making something really special.

Please, order this from your local comic shop! Tell ‘em I sent you.

I have been announcing a lot of projects lately, and it is hard to keep it all straight. Here is a sort of masterpost, if you are curious.

Bravest Warriors is still going strong. Ian McGinty and I are on this for the long haul. Issue 22 comes out around SDCC.

I am just finishing writing the Fraggle Rock 4-issue miniseries, which debuts in October, with art by Jake Myler, and comes out the same day as the new Batgirl. It takes place within the original show’s timeline, sort of. It has so many SONGS.

Edward Scissorhands is a 5-issue miniseries, and it also debuts in October, with art by Drew Rausch. YAY. This is a sequel story to the original film and it’s going to be goth as hell. But also, fun. You’ll see.

The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy one-shot that I wrote and Troy Little drew is out in August. That’s very soon!

I am still doing biweekly Kate or Die strips for ComicsAlliance.

I continue to design Lumberjanes badges as well as merch for Welcome to Night Vale.

Kate or Die, the beast that began it all, still updates whenever.

My podcast, Less Than Live, comes out biweekly on a schedule that is still being developed. Our next episode comes out later this week, with special guest BABS FRIGGIN’ TARR. Previous guests include Ian McGinty and Lumberjanes Grace Ellis and Brooke Allen.

I still do occasional covers for Boom Box! and kaBOOM! Studios.

I am in the process of scripting that tattoo advice comic I told you about. It’s being published in mini-comic format, announcement forthcoming. Expect it 2015.

I am working on an erotic comic based on those Flag Ladies I drew on July 4th. That will be announced probably in a couple months, as to how you can buy it.

Still running The Valkyries, a group for women who work in comic shops. We might even be doing a con this winter. IMAGINE.

You can find me at Boston Comic Con, Dartmouth Comic Arts Festival, Memphis Comic Expo, Dublin International Comic Expo, Hal-Con and Thought Bubble.

I will not sleep until 2017.

COMICS ALLIANCE PRESENTS ‘KATE OR DIE’ IN ‘GIRL POWER’

By Kate Leth

In this episode, Kate offers some words of encouragement to the creators and publishers putting forth new women-friendly superhero comics, including Ms. Marvel, Captain Marvel, and the ferociously well received news of a Batgirl revamp by Cameron Stewart, Babs Tarr and Brendan Fletcher.

Hello! I have a podcast now. The first episode, with artist Ian McGinty, is now AVAILABLE. Please subscribe, if you’re into that kind of thing?

We recorded it about three weeks ago but they had to take time to make the SYNTH-POP INTRO SONG???

Thank you! More info on this as it develops!