(An Editorial Cartoon—a print book of the first ten years of these comics about editing and publishing—is available from online book retailers everywhere. One dollar from each copy sold goes to the Indigenous Editors Association. Massive thanks to everyone who’s bought a copy so far!)
Blog
Hands—and book announcement
Time flies when you’re living in a slow-motion apocalypse! I can hardly believe it, but I posted my first cartoon about editing and publishing ten years ago.
To celebrate a decade of esoteric absurdity, I’ve compiled my archive into a print book.
Break
Plain language and health literacy series
WordRake invited me to contribute four articles about plain language and health literacy to their Guest Author Series, and the final article was posted today. Here are links to all four posts in case you’re interested:
- Part 1: Power Dynamics and Plain Language in Healthcare
- Part 2: Co-Creating Plain Language Health Information
- Part 3: Gained in Translation: Making Health Information Plain Across Languages
- Part 4: Plain Language Health Communication and the Myth of Universal Design
I want to thank WordRake for the opportunity! In addition to their editing software, WordRake offers a wealth of resources about writing in plain language from experts with a variety of professional backgrounds.
Biding our time
I’m opting out of the pressure cooker this year but will cheer on from the sidelines. After you’ve finished your manuscripts, though, you know who to call…
Here’s a version that more of my editing colleagues will find relevant:
Feel as though you’re missing context? Here’s the Know Your Meme entry on the meme this image riffs on. And here’s a blank if you want to make your own.
Benefit of the doubt
Ruh-roh
Holdup
Angry Jelly Donut
Last fall I participated in the annual #Inktober challenge—drawing a picture in ink each day of October, based on a list of prompts. Although a lot of participants use the official Inktober prompt list, I opted to follow Janelle Shane’s AI-generated #Botober prompt list, and one of those prompts was for an “angry jelly doughnut.”
DAY 14: Angry jelly doughnut #Inktober #Botober2021 pic.twitter.com/Sl2avpHQ7i
— Iva Cheung @[email protected] (@IvaCheung) October 14, 2021
After I posted my attempt on Twitter, Steve Kleinedler (@SKleinedler)
replied, “This needs to be a children’s book, and the angry jelly donut needs to be pissed off all the way thru to the end. No transformation.” I said, “I smell a Kleinedler–Cheung collaboration,” and within days, I had a manuscript from Steve in my direct messages.
It took me a while to find the time to work on this hilariously absurd project, but I finally got it done, and you can download the accessible PDF of Angry Jelly Donut*, the children’s book, for free.
If you’re interested in getting a hard copy, you can find an 8×8 hardcover or (adorable) 6.5×6.5 paperback wherever IngramSparks books are sold, including Bookshop.org (paperback; hardcover), Chapters-Indigo (paperback; hardcover), and Amazon (paperback; hardcover). If you’d rather get it from your local indie bookstore or library instead, be sure to let them know they can order the book via Ingram Content Group.
Want to show your allegiance to Team Angry Jelly Donut or Team Happy Vanilla Cupcake? Order a shirt from TeePublic!
Steve and I are donating $1 from each hard copy and shirt sold to charity, with half going to Indspire, which supports education of Indigenous children and youth, and half going to the Trevor Project, which offers suicide prevention and crisis intervention programs for LGBTQ youth.
I don’t really consider myself an artist, but I had an awful lot of fun creating the illustrations, and I hope they bring you a bit of delight, too.
Enjoy our ridiculous little book!
*Yes, I’ve retained Steve’s spelling of “donut.” He’s the lexicographer—take it up with him.
UPDATE, December 16, 2022: Steve and I made our 2022 donations to Indspire and the Trevor Project. We sold 122 books and 95 merch items in 2022, so each charity got the equivalent of US$108.50. Thank you to everyone who supported this silly project! We will continue to donate as we make sales, so if you know anyone who’d enjoy an Angry Jelly Donut book or shirt or mug or tote bag, be sure to visit your favourite online book retailer or the Angry Jelly Donut TeePublic store!