As I was enjoying my Olé HEB coffee today (the Austin flavor with pecan notes is the best one imo), I realized it’s already May?! Last month was so busy with events that I hardly noticed the time pass.
So, here are some highlights and what to look forward to in May~
Events Coming Up!
May 14th ~ Duncanville Reads @ (Duncanville ISD)
May 16th ~ Greater Austin Book Fest @ (Austin Public Library Central)
I’m moderating a Graphic Novel panel at GABfest! It’s a free event so come through!
April Recap
April Fools’ Joke Gone Wrong!
I usually don’t partake in the societal tradition of tricking friends & family. April Fool’s Day wasn’t a thing my family celebrated growing up.
But this year, I figured: It’s finally time, I’m going to do it. I’m going to prank my followers.
So, I dusted off my photoshopping skills and created a fake article about a film deal with America Ferrera as the director for a Miss Quinces movie. And, I thought: there’s no way people will think this is believable. And posted it on Instagram.
And boy, was that a mistake!!
Instead of people jokingly telling me off for a great prank…I received hundreds of lovely supportive comments and congratulations on this incredible milestone. A milestone that was built on lies! I was devasted.
How do I let these wonderful, supportive people down by letting them know it was all a prank? TT o TT
I eventually made a second post explaining everything, and thankfully, people found the situation hilarious. In the end, we wrote it off as a form of manifestation, in hopes of one day achieving that goal.
So, America Ferrera, please direct a Miss Quinces movie! There are people who want that project to happen!!
BookKids Bookmark Contest Winners
Every year, our awesome local bookstore BookPeople hosts a bookmark art contest for K-6 students. And the winning designs are used for their free bookmarks.
This year, I’m super honored that a cool young artist named Finn was the winner of the Book Kids Bookmark Contest for the 5th/6th grade category. And they used Miss Quinces as their submitted design!
Congrats Finn! You did such an awesome job!!! I can’t wait to pick one up this week!
LamARTe Visual Arts Fundraiser
I’m super honored to have donated an original piece, “Cumbia Dogs”, to a local fundraiser to help support the Visual Arts Department of Lamar Middle School’s Fine Arts Academy.
On Friday, April 21st, the silent auction was held at ArtUs Co, an art gallery that also contains artist studios (including mine!). The gallery was filled with wonderful artworks donated by Austin’s local artists.
I’m happy to report that “Cumbia Dogs” was taken to a good home at the end of the night 😀
Books & Bees AND STAPLE!
April was jampacked with fun festivals! I had the honor of being a guest at Bee Cave Library’s annual Books & Bees Festival on April 11th, where I did a comics jam activity with the kiddos, followed by a book signing at their Barnes & Noble tent.
I had a great time at the fest learning about bees and local nature facts by the Texas Master Naturalist: Balcones Canyonlands Chapter.
For example:
- Did you know that Sweat Bees are attracted to our sweat because they need to consume salt and minerals?
- Did you know that Bumble Bees nest in abandoned rodent holes?
And at the end of the day, I even got myself a Bee Cave library card (turns out, you don’t have to live in the area to get one!). Libraries rule!
And on Sunday, April 12th, I ran over to St. Edwards University for STAPLE!, Austin’s Indie Comics and Media Expo. There, I tabled at the ATX Comix Meetup, a collective I started here in Austin in 2025.
It was lots of fun and I got to meet so many incredible comic creators!
Anyway, thank you so much for reading! I hope your May is filled with so many inspiring opportunities and people.
I’ll leave you with this video: a news story about a mural in Texas by a blind artist named John Bramblitt. It’s truly remarkable how he uses textures to navigate the surface of his work, and he’s not afraid to hold back on colors. He’s amazing, and I strongly suggest you to check out his art.
Stay safe out there, and keep creating!
Besos,
Kat!
Kat Fajardo's Blog 
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