Hey guys!

Just thought I'd share some of my favourite DA artists, especially those who don't seem to receive as much attention as they should. ' v' Give them some love!


full gallery: [link]


full gallery: [link]


full gallery: [link]


full gallery: [link]


full gallery: [link]


full gallery: [link]


full gallery: [link]


There's of course a lot more, but this'll do for now. :>
Hope you'll find something you like.

Cheers,
Mikiko

Hey guys,

I've gotten two or three print requests before but I never really liked how DA handles the shop stuff, so I ended up not offering anything here.
Recently I keep seeing amazing artists use Society6 ([link]) for prints a lot, and it seems like an overall nice place for such things. Now I am playing with the idea of offering some stuff there instead.

Since people generally don't hit the 'request as print' button much, I was just curious how many of you would actually be interested in prints in the first place. ' o' Any experiences with Society6 in general?
Money's been tight for me these past months, so an extra income would help me, but I also don't want to set up something that people aren't really into. > -<

Please let me know your thoughts! ´u `♥

Cheers~
Mikiko

Hey everyone!

Thanks to some awesome people I have a list of stuff you can try out to view J-MAG (Channel here: [link] ) outside of Germany.
Here's a few links, some in German, but feel free to test them out! ´o `

German proxy: [link] <-worked for ~art--m
Proxy Basics: [link]
Other stuff: [link] (works for hulu & pandora. not sure for German sites.)
Hotspotshield: [link] (not sure if it works. haven't tested)

If you find any other solutions that worked for you, feel free to share and I will add them to the list!

cheers,
Mikiko

Hey guys,

so you you must have been wondering where that damn youtube link is that I promised a while ago, after the show went live.... :C
Well I was simply told 'sorry, we can't do it after all' (licensing reasons) and I have been trying to find a way around the regionlock on the main video site ever since.

Now, I am not an expert on this stuff, but all my friends and family abroad have not been able to access it. (proxies, downloading, hidemyass.com etc) I am of course not really supposed to be spreading ways of getting around this, but uh... maybe some of you have tried something that works? x; I myself am running out of options...
here's the page: [link]

Let me know if something I missed works for you. If we find something, I will make sure to share so everyone can use that method hopefully...!  
U___U -bows- sorry for the inconvenience.

~Mikiko

Hey guys, join me while I draw? :'D

[link]

I haven't done this in a while, so I hope there will be no technical dificulties.
As always, the rules are simple:

1. be nice
2. no spam.

:3 See you there~

Mikiko

Hi everyone! * O*

first of all, sorry for the last journal, I posted it the morning of the show and didn't have time to translate. thanks to all who explained it in the comment sections for everyone else! The show went really well btw, and I am excited to do the next!  (On the 27th~) You can get more info here: [link] (German)

AS FOR MY QUESTION! XU
It is about ....my comic project Crash 'n' Burn. You all know I have been working hard to make an English version happen,  but so far, without much success. (main problem: US publishers don't want to risk anything and won't buy licences)
Now recently, crowdfunding was mentioned as a possible solution to the problem in a conversation with my editor. *-*
So, my current mission is to collect all sorts of ideas of how we could make this work!

What type of stuff would you  like to see offered? prints? merchandise? original art? Please share whatever comes to mind! What sort of thing did you like that other projects used? What was a disappointment before? Any other advice and experiences? Please share! ♥ ´u `

Cheers~
Mikiko



_{Main Tumblr: [link]
Crash-n-burn Tumblr: [link]
Facebook: [link]
Twitter: [link]}

Wie schon in der Überschrift steht, heute Abend um 18h geht's los! * _* (arrrrgh!!)
Hier die wichtigsten Links, die ihr braucht:

Sendung: [link]
Facebook: [link]

Auf Facebook wird interaktiv zur Sendung auch live gevotet etc, also macht mit, ich freu mich drüber~♥
Bis später, ich muss jetzt schon los zur Probe. :'U (doki doki!)

Bis dann!

Mikiko

You people have been piling so much love onto my front page, I can't keep up with the thank yous! So many doodles and scribbles, fanart, gifts,....! ´////_////`

My birthdays are usually boring and uneventful (I don't get cakes or parties usually....just work work work!) but everything I could wish for is in my little corner of the internet here, so thank you all for making it so lovely and comfy here for me. I truly appreciate every single comment , fav and note I receive from you. /sap ♥

I hope you will also forgive my lack of activity lately here and on my tumblr blogs. Recently I have been working very hard on a TV show, over at Myvideo.de (more info here: [link]) ,  and I have been completely exhausted most of the time, so that asks and comments have been neglected all over the place. <____>
Hopefully, the show will be making it up in the end.<3

Of course I will keep you all updated as much as I can. :'>
As always, thanks so much for your support all this time... it means a lot.

Cheers,
~Mikiko

Update: Thanks to all who joined and bombarded me with questions! ;;; u ;; it was super fun and I hope you enjoyed it~
a transcript will be posted eventually, so keep an eye on the #AskTheArtist page.
---

hey guys!

For all of you who missed it, my interview is going on now!


Click the thumbnail for more info or check out 's profile page. :3
There's a countdown there too, in case the time zones confuse you!

See you there.

~Mikiko

[update 2] The scammer is now actively using this account: ~cayman90053, posting stolen work and accusing the original artist (~chris-anyma ) of theft.

[update] He has deactivated his account, but it's likely he will make a new one at some point. Keep your eyes peeled and don't let your guard down. >:C

For more info:
[link] [link] [link]

Watch out for people named: Greg Garwood, Josh Hoopes , Stive Raptor
Watch out for these e-mails used: artistorms@gmail.com, accountings@rocketmail.com, 989.creative@gmail.com, comicartjustice@gmail.com, booknut82@yahoo.com
known new accounts: ~cayman90053
possible DA accounts: !accountings
former DA handles: !dk950 , !cirus8, !warrioroftime82

-----------------

Recently I was contacted by a potential client, but as I did my usual research on him, he turned out to be a rather active scammer. Seeing how a number of our fellow artists have already fallen for his scam, I felt the need to pass the info along to you all.

Here's the post that caught my attention: [link]
He contacted me as Stive Raptor, using his gmail account, '989.creative'.

After so many years doing commissions, I am still very shocked every time I hear of artists who get scammed like this. Identifying and/or avoiding scammers is not impossible, so instead of ranting, I decided to write up a few things I've learned over time and I want to share them with you.
Hopefully this will be useful to some of you guys and prevent people from falling into any traps! XU


1. Always clear up these issues before accepting any work: What it is you will be drawing, and how much it is, when you'll be paid, the time frame in which you are going to complete it, how many edits you will allow per piece, and what the art is used for.

2. If someone seems fishy, google them. (Personally, I google every person who contacts me, just to be sure.) If their name doesn't come up with anything, google their e-mail address or the studio/company they claim to work for. Scammers sometimes use aliases and change e-mail addresses, but if they've been exposed before, it's likely the one they used for you is listed somewhere.

3. Always aim to get paid in full, in advance. If this is not possible, ask for a physical contract (real name, real address), and get paid 50% up front, 50% upon completion. If the client seems uninterested in finding common ground with you, there's reason to be cautious. When in doubt, refuse.
[Edit: another fairly safe suggestion: divide work into steps and get each step paid! sketch/inks/colour]

4. Always watermark and only show low resolution images if you haven't been paid in full yet. The watermark should be prominent and hard to remove until you've received your full payment.

5. Exposure is not a form of payment. No exceptions.

Warning signs:
♦ When someone doesn't answer your questions straight. Especially concerning payment.
♦ When people come up with excuses as to why you should send them the high res version early. (for example: "my team is on a deadline, we need it now, I'll pay you next week". It is not your problem.)
♦ When people ignore the original agreement. This can be sudden changes in deadlines, sudden demands for more changes etc. Stick to your guns and give only what they paid for. If they ask for more, inform them on how much more that'll cost them.
♦ Wanting free samples. If you are on DA, chances are that you have art in your gallery. Some people will demand 'test sketches' to see you can do it, and run off with those. Your gallery should have enough examples of what you are capable of. (make sure you have a well kept gallery)

[Edit]
Tips for clients, who are afraid of being ripped off by artists who don't deliver:
◘Check an artist's reputation concerning commissions. Best commission people who are known to deliver.
◘Check if the artist has finished commissions in their gallery.
◘Contact former clients and have a chat with them.
◘ start with a small commission, see how well it goes before asking for big expensive ones.

So keep an eye out my fellow creatives, be safe! ; 3; ♥
Wish you all wonderful Holidays, lots of warmth, good food and love.

~Mikiko

Hi everyone!

Tokyopop has finally announced Crash'n'Burn officially on facebook: [link]

\o/
Feel free to pester them into submission politely inquire about international versions and such!

Thankfully, the cover they used there is temporary. /_\ I apologise for its hideousness and hope to make up for it somewhat with my own attempts: [link]

Thanks for all your support!

~Miki

PS: for those who already saw yesterday on Tumblr, thanks so much for all the likes and comments! ´///u/// ` you've totally made my day!

[update] Thanks for all who came by! I might pop in from time to time, feel free to use it while I am gone too. :3

I have a little chatroom..! [link]
Just feel like talking a bit. ; _ ; Stressful day.
Been cheered up by a horde of awesome awesome people. thanks so much guys! ♥ u♥

~Miki

Hey guys,

I've been having a bit of a tough time lately and need to pay some rather unexpectedly high bills, so I've decided to open up some sketch commissions again.
Since they're rather fast and easy to do compared to full coloured ones, I hope to be able to draw them in my free time after work. u__u

As always, first the rules:
♥ prices are per character.
♥ originals and prints are not included.
♥ payment in advance through paypal only. (in US dollars)
♥ the art is for personal use only.

How to order
simply send me this filled out form via note:

_{Order: Type of drawing you want & total price
Ref: Character reference links. preferred poses/moods/items to include, or any info you find important for me to know.
Paypal e-mail address: So I know whose payment it is when it arrives.}

Once I've accepted, send the payment via Paypal to Mikiko_ponczeck[at]yahoo.de  make sure to mention your dA username when you send it!
As soon as the payment arrives, I can start working on your piece.
once completed, I will send you a high res version.

Prices:
Chibi: $10
half body: $20
Full body: $30
Prices are per character.

Samples: (a bit old, but you get the idea...)

Slots:
1. Closed
2. Closed
3. Closed
4. Closed
5. Closed

working on now.

If there's any questions, feel free to ask me. ' u'
I may need some time to reply and organise notes, just a heads up. (I really don't know what to expect this time around!)

Cheers~
Mikiko

Hey guys!

Thanks so much for voting in the poll everyone, as the majority voted for subtitles, there's a new version up on youtube now: [link]
Hope you can all finally enjoy it better without the language being a problem. ´u `♥

Because of the overwhelmingly positive response from you guys, German viewers and a couple of interesting people, I may be doing more work of this kind in the future. (There's rumours of a separate thing with a focus more towards J-culture... we will see!)

Anyways, thanks for watching/commenting/etc! ; u;
Very much appreciated as always~

Mikiko


PS: I finally got a new PC, and as I said before will probably do sketch commissions soon. Before that I must catch up some work though, but I'll keep you posted. C:

hey guys,

just giving you the heads up that my PC died yesterday morning and won't start up. (after a day and a half of tech support/tinkering, it's likely the motherboard is fried)
I am now on my emergency laptop, but it's quite slow and there's still going to be some delays for all those who bought stuff from my yard sale recently. :C Sorry!
Hopefully I will be able to get a new PC by next week, but we shall see.
Just wanted to give a heads up. u 3u;

Since a new PC is very costly, I may do some sketch commissions soon, but I have to get the yard sale orders out of the way first.
I'll keep you updated!

T uT <3

~Miki

Hey guys,

as some of you may know, `Endling and I have been engaged for a while now, and slowly but surely we've been working towards living together, organising visas and preparing the big move over to America.

Now, a move from Germany all the way to Texas is not cheap, so to save on costs and raise some funds, I've decided to sell some of my things I've accumulated the past...10 years..? 6o 6; There's art supplies, shoes, bags, jewelry, gothy, punky stuff from my teens, etc!

Please do check it out. :3 For the most part everything is in good condition and also super cheap.

Bags & shoes:
art supplies:
Books and DVDs:   
Japanese stuff:
jewelry:

If you need measurements on anything, let me know!
Haggling is okay (especially for big orders), and tips are highly appreciated. ´u `) ♥

Shipping will have to be discussed individually, but I am shipping from Germany.
Payments via Paypal: Mikiko_ponczeck@yahoo.de

Thanks for checking it out!

[update] OOF! thanks so much for the overwhelming interest in my stuff guys! *O* I can barely keep up with updating the images. Please forgive me if I take a while to respond at times~

(Offline)

Image: Commission for ~SufferingAngel
Style: colouring in Sai/Photoshop
Mic: On


Hey guys!

My Channel is here: [link] join me if you like. ♥
Please do me the favour and don't link unrelated stuff or spam, otherwise feel free to join, chat and hang around! C:

See you there!


Mikiko

As promised, here's a link to the new episode of Aufgezeichnet.TV, in which I review three Manga titles. :'D
I've already linked it on my Tumblr, but these guys do such a great job, I think they definitely deserve more attention & subscribers.

Here you go: Episode 5 - Batman special. I show up at 5:20, 41:20 and 48:20, for all those who don't understand German and don't want to watch the entire 53 minutes. (Future episodes may be in English too! we're working on it.)
By the way, there's also 6 Batman packages with comics that you can win, simply 'like' and comment on Aufgezeichnet.tv's Facebook page or their Youtube channel! (prizes are in German, I am not sure about overseas but I'll ask and update this journal once I know.)

Next episode will be a full report on the Animagic 2012, in which I am the presenter/host. (so excited! )
There's a slim chance I may be at the Gamescom in Cologne as well, but I'll make sure to let you know when I get a confirmation.
Thanks for checking it out!

Für meine Deutschen watcher: Aufgezeichnet.tv verlost Batman Packete, also die Sendung schauen und den Anweisungen folgen. :3 Viel Glück!

cheers,
Mikiko

--

I am sorry I am spamming journals lately!
;;___;; tears of happiness guys. SOBSOB

Yesterday someone wrote me a message on tumblr, saying 'congrats on 2nd place!'. confused, I inquired what this was about and then I found out this...-> [link] Notice the titles displayed in the background.

Grimms Manga, to which I contributed the story 'king thrushbeard', won 1st place for Best National Manga, in the Animania Awards 2012.
And not only that, runner up was...Lost and Found. my own. my ...first...this one!


I... this is like double-christmas. I am truly flabbergasted and I don't know what to say, except that this means a lot to me. /_\ I knew Tokyopop did a great job on their part. graphic design, marketing, sales.... But this is a reader-voting system, and me, who is absolutely NOT active in the German Manga community managed to be up there. It's pretty crazy.

So: Ganz ganz lieben Dank an alle meine Deutschen Fans/Leser. das bedeutet mir die Welt, ganz ehrlich! /tearsofjoy

Cheers,
Mikiko

Hey guys!

Saturday and Sunday I was at the Animagic in Bonn again, a huuuge German convention! Usually when I get invited, I just sit and sign a bit and talk to fans, but this time, Aufgezeichnet.tv hired me to do a special episode on the event. :DD

I ended up running around a lot, admiring and interviewing cosplayers, asking people about BJDs and Pullips, eating Sushi, watching demos and performances (Kanako Ito was there!) and interviewing my fellow Tokyopop artists David Füleki (he's on DA too! ~Yeocalypso ) Inga Steinmetz and Anna Hollmann.
I was recognised multiple times (thanks so much you guuuys auuughh sorry if I didn't have time to draw you something more amazing looking!) and received fanarts and gifts. ´///u/// ` ♥

At the end of the day, I had seen and done more than I EVER have at any con, thanks to my position as the presenter for this episode... ;; u;; IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!

Of course, I will link the finished episode once it's online (I still need to do a voice over for the German and also a new English version) but until then, feel free to check out their website and some older episodes. C:  (in German for now.)
Here's one I feature in:  [link] in the beginning, once in the end. ´//_///`)

I plan on making a mini comic about my Animagic adventures so keep an eye out!♥

Cheers~
Mikiko


PS: nochmal kurz auf Deutsch: Danke an alle, die da waren! Sorry wenn ich am Sonntag etwas durch den Wind war und nicht ganz so heiter war wie sonst. Der Vortag war echt anstrengend und ich hatte keinen Kaffee getrunken... ; _ ; Ich hoffe ihr hattet alle trotzdem einen riesen Spaß!