All about my new comic "Iceland" and where to get it!
Hi, I'm Giulia, and this is Soft Spot, my supposedly monthly newsletter that you might have forgotten you subscribed to — thanks for sticking around!
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I hope you had a great summer! I spent mine making comics while listening to Charli XCX and Chappell Roan, which felt amazing. Now that fall’s here, I’m all about catching up on my very long to-do list, which includes sharing what I’ve been working on. Welcome to this update!
Today, my new comic Iceland debuts as part of the ShortBox Comics Fair, one of my favorite comic events of the year!
About Iceland
Marta and David have been together for six years when they embark on what should be a dream vacation to Iceland. In the stunning, unfamiliar landscape, their emotions begin to unravel. As Marta searches for clarity, the beauty around them begins to reveal more than she expected.
Iceland is a 34-page comic that follows their journey.
What is ShortBox Comics Fair
ShortBox is an online fair that runs each October. Since it’s entirely online, you can visit their website and instantly access over 100 comics created by artists from all over the world, including mine!
You can buy digital comics in PDF format, and right after purchasing, you’ll receive an email with a download link.
About its making
I’ve been working on Iceland throughout this year, though I had some notes scattered around from 2023. I wrote the story at the start of 2024 and then dove into full production from late June through August, when I drew, inked, and colored all the pages. The process flowed surprisingly smoothly—what impressed me most was how clear the story was in my head, which made the work go faster than usual. Since I don’t make comics full-time, it usually takes years to complete a story, and I often have to regain momentum between client work. But working on something so fresh and new—yes, a year is fresh in comic-making time!—gave me so much energy and enthusiasm. It felt magical!
If you’re curious about the making of the comic, I’ve shared more details on Patreon, and I’ve got another behind-the-scenes post planned. You can check out the existing post: one page from sketch to final, cover reveal, and working process. Some of my Patreon content is free to read, you just have to join as a free member!
Let me know if you read it!
Now that it’s out there, I can’t wait for you to read it and hear your thoughts! The fair runs until October 31st, so I’d love to reach as many readers as possible. If you enjoyed the comic, please consider sharing it on IG or sending this link to friends.
Nice stuff: Other comics from the Fair!
If you’ve followed this newsletter for a while, you’ll know I’ve been a huge fan of the ShortBox Comics Fair for years, which makes it even more exciting to be a part of it this time! I haven’t read any of the comics yet, but here’s my very early wishlist:
Dog Days by Bianca Bagnarelli
Dr. Worm by Serena Cirillo
Child of Wrath by Michael Furler
Dead Days by Alice Scarpa
Hibernation Guide for Rabbits and Hares by L. Adassovsky
Lapis Blue by Barbara Mazzi
I’ll try to send out another update before the end of the fair with my favorite reads.
If you follow me on Instagram, I’ll be posting recommendations there throughout the month!
Thank you for reading, that's all for now, but talk very soon! 🐩
Thanks so much for introducing me to ShortBox - super excited to read Iceland and find some new favourites too!
I just finished Iceland (and found your substack from it, haha) and I loved it so much!!!! You captured that really sad feeling of a dying relationship so well... Marta crying in her sleeping bag and the picture with the forced smiles hit really hard. I can't wait to read more of your work later!