As a follow up to the last couple of news posts here, I thought I would let everyone know I quit my job! I found a new job at an arts and crafts store as a stock clerk. It’s a minimum wage job, but I mostly took it to quit my old one (plus I get to shop while I’m working!:D). The final straw was them letting the creeper come back to work. Not only did I not feel safe during closing shifts and had to have a friend walk me to my car at night, but they had also scheduled me for 10-12 hour shifts and I was unable to take a break because the place they moved him to was the employee cafeteria. It wasn’t so much a safety issue with him being in there because there was a lot of people, it was more that just seeing him made me physically ill. I ran into him once in the cafeteria and nearly threw up. For that last week I had the same friend who was walking me to my car sneak in and smuggle food out for me (you rock, Zoe!).
On a related note, I’ll be contacting the EEOC about that place. I doubt it will do me any good personally since I quit, but I hope that sicking a government agency on them about this will make them take complaints more seriously when someone else has this problem. And maybe they’ll think twice about hiring sexual predators.
I’ve been working at the new place for about a week now. I didn’t update last week because I’m getting used to the new schedule. I went from working graveyard shift at the casino to having to be at work at six am to unload a truck. Fun times.
Also, I’m looking for ideas for t-shirt designs. If you have any ideas for things you’d like to see in the store, please let me know. Otherwise please check the store out for the things I do have.
Hey, everyone. Firstly I just wanted to thank everyone for their comments on my last post. I’m currently, ummm, considering options as to how to handle the creepy guy at work situation. Still ideally I’d love to be able to make enough money on my own to be able to quit that horrible job.
On a semi-related note, I have a new store up and running for my shirts which can be located here or up in the navigation bar.
I’ve only got a couple of designs up right now, but more will be on the way. I was originally going to open a Cafepress store, but I hear Printfection puts out some high quality prints on shirts and are more reasonably priced than Cafepress. Plus I like their color selection better.
Prices are based by color (I guess darker color tees are harder to print on than light), but right now I have plain white t-shirts priced at $17.99.
I’m also looking for ideas for things everyone would like to wear on shirts. If there is anything you would like to see, be sure to leave a comment.
I was just posting to say updates are going to be a little slow coming for a couple of weeks. I have a new page in the works, I’m not on a hiatus, I just need to focus my artistic attention toward putting together a graphic design portfolio to get a new job.
It’s kind of a long story that I sort of need to get off of my chest . . . As some of you know, I work at a bakery at a casino (casinos are generally not well known for being the most feminist establishments in existence). It’s a job I hate and I’ve been looking for another job since February, but to no avail. I’ve also been looking for other crappy jobs to replace my currently crappy job which I see now is no help.
Last Monday this all came to a head when I was sexually assaulted while I was closing the bakery at work. I’m okay. Just more angry than anything else.
There was this dishwasher who I know has had a crush on me for most of the time I’ve worked there (about a year). He has tried to chat me up on various occasions. At the time I was flattered, but am currently in a relationship with someone and have been for almost six years. This particular individual only speaks Spanish and is roughly my dad’s age. I’m normally a rather assertive individual and have no problem turning someone down if I’m not interested in them. I always do my best to be as polite and discreet as possible, even. If things go badly, I also have no problem telling someone off and arguing with them. However if neither I nor the person in question speaks the same language, that tends to complicate things a bit.
So he had tried to approach me and speak to me on various occasions, it made me uncomfortable but I couldn’t bring myself to be rude to him. It also seemed like a dick move to report someone for just talking to me so I didn’t. Also a friend of mine had reported someone for sexual harassment not to long before, and they didn’t do anything about it. They even made it out to be her fault. Keeping all this in mind, I just avoided him the best I could.
He kept trying to get me to meet in the back of the restaurant with him in private so I decided to have a friend of mine who spoke Spanish teach me how to say I had a boyfriend in Spanish (figuring he’d be more likely to leave me alone if I said I had a boyfriend). One day this guy followed me into the back as I was leaving. I told him I had a boyfriend in his language, he showed me his wedding ring and informed me I was “very pretty” in English. I slipped away and continued avoiding him. This was several months ago.
And then last Monday happened. I was closing and completely alone. It was a really busy night, so I was in the back kind of late cleaning up. He was in the back also on trash duty. I tried to do my thing and get out of there as fast as possible. I passed him, he stopped me and said something in Spanish and reached out and touched my boob and then said something I can only interpret as a compliment to my chest. I turned around to sign out and leave. He then cornered me and proceeded to start feeling me up. I kept saying no, raising my voice each time. He just said “Si”. He then went in for a kiss, I turned my head away but he still planted one on my neck.
It was then that I managed to shove past him. He held on to my wrist so I had to pull away. I made a beeline to my car. I was so upset I forgot to turn on my headlights and was pulled over by a cop who I think took pity on me and let me off with a warning.
I reported him after that and I thought he was going to get fired. HR investigated and informed me this week that there’s no proof that it happened and they’re letting him come back. Also that it’s my fault for not reporting it sooner. The thing is this is the exact reason I never said anything before. They’ve had a history of not doing anything about it. I was afraid of reporting him, them not doing anything, and having him pissed off. Now I have to deal with whether or not he’s going to retaliate. I have friends walk me to my car at night while making sure no one follows me home. I’m now nervous to close by myself and don’t like being alone at work. Basically I just don’t feel safe.
I would love for nothing more than to be able to make a living off of this comic. I want to stay home and work on this and some other projects I don’t have time for at this particular moment. Then the only person around to grope me would be my girlfriend and that’s okay.
But anyway, I am currently putting a graphic design portfolio together in order to find a new, better job. I need to get out of this job.
I’m also working on ideas for t-shirts which I plan to sell on my own. I’ll post more on that as it progresses.
Also if you are looking for cheap commissions, here’s a personal project of mine for you to check out:
Hey, all. I have a lot of updates and whatnot to post here, plus a question so bear with me a sec.
Firstly I wanted to say this week’s page may be a wee bit late. I have a commission with a rapidly approaching deadline that I must finish up first. I do have it started though, rest assured.
Second, if you are in the Houston area this weekend, be sure to head to Kamikazecon and check out the artist alley. I personally will not be able to make it, but my friends at One Eyed Kitty are selling some of my prints for me. They are also passing out fliers pimping out Starcrossed. I signed a few, so if you come across them be sure to mention you read the comic and they’ll give you a signed copy (free of charge!). They also have some awesome buttons and lolita accessories that they have made so be sure to check that out as well.
Thirdly, be sure to check out the new pic in the fanart section by Sapphire Stars. She made an awesome-tastic colorful pic of Quinn as part of an art trade that I love dearly. ^^
Now that’s out of the way, I would like some feedback from my lovely viewers . . .
Here sometime in the near future I plan to redesign the site. This one has served its purpose well, but I would like to make something that makes it easier for everyone to read the comic. I received a comic saying I should put the comic on the front page. The reason I had not done this before is that I was worried about posting a page on the front with spoilers on it for new readers. That being said, I can see where recurring readers just want to see the new page without having to click on one extra link to get to it.
What does everyone think? Should I post new pages on the front page with the new layout?
Are there any other suggestions anyone has for the site? Or the comic for that matter?
If you are on DeviantArt, feel free to join the Starcrossed group! You can also check out the bulk of my artwork on there if you desire. Enjoy!
New comic in the works. Will have it up as soon as it’s done. I have three priorities in my life: this comic, girlfriend, and a very, very needy cat. Here’s a picture of two of those priorities clashing at this very moment:
This is my cat Cobra. That’s the comic under him. It is very difficult to get a decent picture of him because he’s black. Most of them turn out like the pic below.
No, he’s not making a face. This is just how he looks. -_-
