Mentions: nominestudios

Happy October!

~ Suzanne Skaar ~ Leave a comment

Long time no blog!

No, Mine! Studios has been going through some major changes, as have I, as has everyone else. [Skip ahead if you just want happy news. I do not blame you in the slightest.]

WHINY RECAP HERE

For the last two years, I have been dealing with “temporary” mobility restrictions for one hand, thinking that I was going to get surgery any day now.  This sad excuse of a Sam Beckett play called “Dealing With LNI” left me worried about starting anything major lest it mess with my treatment or recovery in terms of timing and pain, stressed that insurers would blame me for making the situation worse, and overly anxious to be near other people outside my immediate circle. The most important lesson I learned from this is that LNI doesn’t need an excuse to deny surgeries: that’s what third party reviewers are for. Ba-dum-dum-tsss (insert drum sound effect here). I’m still anxious to be in public, but I’m trying to fix this. If you see me, approach slowly and don’t tap on my [sun]glass[es]. (I mean, that really should go for everyone.)

HAPPY PART HERE

So as I start making my way out of the Shire again, like a disheveled little hobbit, here are some updates:

1: No, Mine! Studios was accepted into Tacoma Arts Live’s Accelerating Creative Enterprise (ACE) program! I have the opportunity to start crafting community events for others interested in animation and game design at the Tacoma Armory. Details coming soon, but if you have special requests or would like to help out, please email nominestudios@gmail.com.

[One of the other unofficial yet amazing benefits of ACE is that a cookie from The Cookie Clubhouse just magically materialized before me while typing this. Go buy some delicious cookies!!! )

To learn more about ACE, click here.

2: Before getting accepted into ACE, No, Mine! Studios was also accepted into the City of Tacoma’s Arts at the Armory festival! More details about all the amazing artists that will be there can be found here.

3: A group of stellar volunteers has formed to help make a prototype of one of my game ideas. From sound design to programming, this team is doing a lot of heavy lifting. In addition to wanting to make the game demo available to the public as soon as possible, I want to make sure everyone who works on this project is equitably paid. Part of that rests on building up a strong social media presence so we can get the Kickstarter funded as soon as it goes live, so, without further ado:

FRIENDLY REQUESTS HERE

Please take a minute to encourage your friends to subscribe to this page. Also, please like, subscribe, and follow @nominestudios on Bluesky, YouTube, and Instagram. If you’re interested in being contacted for one of our live game test sessions or helping get the word out about this project, reach out to nominestudios@gmail.com.

GRATITUDE HERE

Thank you for your supporting a woman-owned/Tacoma-based animation and game studio! Comment below if you’re in ACE too, I’ll see you at the Armory this November, you shared and subscribed, or if you just want to say hi. 😊

Suzanne

2023 Out!

~ Suzanne Skaar ~ Leave a comment

It’s December 27, end of the year, almost made it through another one. Woot woot!

This year was jam packed with activities and new opportunities. I had the chance to help artist Mauricio Robalino complete a series of videos on his working process. I taught Game Design and Animation for two terms at Tacoma’s School of Industrial Design and Engineering, and mentored student interns through the Next Move program. I can’t wait to see what kind of projects my students and interns create in the future.

No, Mine! Studios Interns Jillian and Sterling helping assemble the South Side Animation Club Animation Kits at the Tacoma Public Library Moore Branch.

I directed “Parenting GO!” for the 72-hour 253 Film Festival, my short animation “Yeetcosystem” premiered at the Tacoma Film Festival, and I launched the South Side Animation Club (a City of Tacoma 2023 Community Arts Project): all three of which wouldn’t be possible without The Grand Cinema. I shared my in progress game demo and Yeetcosystem sales training manuals at the City of Tacoma Arts at the Armory and met and reconnected with a lot of great folks. (It’s not too late to get your training manual and complimentary sticker!)

Original logo (2022) and illustration (2023) for the South Side Animation Club, Suzanne Skaar.
South Side Animation Club Sticker. 2023, design by Suzanne Skaar/ No, Mine! Studios. All rights reserved.

In not-so-great news, in-person animation club meetings are on indefinite hold.  My car decided it no longer wants to shift out of first gear, and the lack of a working vehicle has made hosting the free in-person animation club meetings too daunting a task given the amount of equipment and supplies that need to be moved back and forth. I’m holding out hope that this will be figured out by Springtime. (If anyone wants to donate a Vespa with a cargo rack, or a more practical working vehicle to the studio, now would be the time.) The next virtual Animators meeting be in February; the registration link will go live in early January. Pre-registration is required, but the online meetup is free.

The month of January will be dedicated to studio time and planning. I have a lot of new goals and projects in the works for the studio next year, including collaborating with other artists as possible. If you’d like to work together, reach out to nominestudios@gmail.com.

Thank you for supporting No, Mine! Studios. If you haven’t yet done so, follow @nominestudios on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky. (No, Mine! still has a Twitter account, but … yeah. Not on there so much for some reason…)

Cheers to the New Year, and thank you to everyone who made this year possible! A special thanks especially to Tim Kapler and my Junior Tester Izzy, both of whom helped behind the scenes on many of the studio’s projects.

All the best,

Suzanne

Side Project/ Game News

~ Suzanne Skaar ~ Leave a comment
Yeetcosystem. Logo by Suzanne Skaar, 10/25/2022. All rights reserved. Visit yeetcosystem.com for more information today!

Recently, I began pitching my exciting new business venture, Yeetcosystem (TM). The first promotional video is up now. Please check it out, unless you’re not allowed to watch videos with a swear word in them. [I forgot to bleep something. I blame sleep deprivation/ laziness/ being a grown up who occasionally uses mild curse words in public.]

In game screen capture. As yet untitled dino game by Suzanne Skaar, 2020-2022. All rights reserved.

In other news, I am happy to announce that No, Mine! Studios will be back at Tacoma’s Arts at the Armory event on December 10 and 11, 2022! I’ll be listed in the materials under my name (Suzanne Skaar) in case you have troubles finding me at the Armory. The dino game will available for playtesting for those interested in seeing the latest progress. I’ll also have buttons and stickers for sale for those looking for last minute holiday gifts.

If you want to help a small, mom-owned business, there are a lot of ways to do so! Follow No, Mine! Studios (@nominestudios) on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

No, Mine! Studios is also still on Twitter, but…? We’ll see how this goes…

You can also Buy a Dino a coffee by clicking here.

Thank you for your support!

Suzanne

About Kanye’s Yecosystems…

~ Suzanne Skaar ~ Leave a comment

Do you think the news of Kanye West’s new minicities called “Yecosystems” will have a negative impact on my new business venture, The “Yeetcosystem?”

I guess now is as good a time as any to debut the concept:

Concept art for Yeetcosystem. Suzanne Skaar, 10/25/2022. All rights reserved. Visit yeetcosystem.com for more information..

Text in image:

“Yeetcosystem

How it works

Luxury condos are constructed on working catapults.

When climate change threatens the safety of the building, whether due to intensity of storms, flooding, or riots, the catapult is released, ‘yeeting’ the inhabitants to safety.

Secure your place on the waitlist today!

Investors, please visit yeetcosystem.com for more information.

Concept art by Suzanne Skaar, 2022. Nominestudios.com.”

While I’m waiting for this new enterprise to take off, if you haven’t yet done so, please like, follow, and share No, Mine! Studios (@nominestudios) on the following social media platforms:

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

TikTok

YouTube

A huge thank you to everyone who came by to show their support at Grit City Comic Show! And thank you for your patience regarding our technical difficulties. Who knew affordable access to electricity for vendors would be so vital to a game demo at a convention?

If you want to help support a small, mom-owned business, you can buy a dino a coffee here and buy art online here.

For media, retail, and event inquiries, please email me at nominestudios@gmail.com.

Thank you for your support!

Suzanne

Tacoma Arts Month Kickoff Party!

~ Suzanne Skaar ~ Leave a comment

No, Mine! Studios will be at the official kick-off party for Tacoma Arts Month! The Kaleidoscope Opening Party is free and will be hosted at Tacoma’s STAR Center on October 5 from 6:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Stop by and test the latest progress on the as-yet-untitled dino game.The last public demo was at the October 2021 Arts at the Armory event. There’s still so much to do, but I am excited to share the progress made since then!

In game screenshot. Pixel art dinosaur standing on wooden fence looking up at sign which reads "Magma Lava Fired Pizza." Sign on righthand side of fence reads "Closed for repairs." Sign on leftside of fence reads "Cook Wanted No Exp", but "no" is crossed out with red letters. A tiny volcano is seen behind the fence.
In game progress. Suzanne Skaar, 2020-2022. All rights reserved.

For those interested in being included in the game as an NPC, I’ll have audio recording equipment and permission forms on hand as well. 🙂

I received support for the research and development of game background art from the Tacoma Arts Commission through the 2021-2022 Tacoma Artist Initiative Program. (While the Kickoff Party will mark the completion of my participation in the program, I’ll definitely be working on the game for the foreseeable future.) For those who would like to learn more about this program, I’ll be talking about my TAIP experience at the September 12 Commission meeting.

You can help support this small, Tacoma-based business by liking, following, and sharing @nominestudios on the following platforms:

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

TikTok

YouTube

You can also buy a dino a coffee here.

Thank you!

Suzanne

New work and online shop updates!

~ Suzanne Skaar ~ Leave a comment

I’ve been updating my Redbubble shop (@nominestudios). New and old work are available on a variety of products. Check it out, and if there’s a design you’d like to see on the shop, let me know!

“Hobbes” by Suzanne Skaar, 2022, all rights reserved. Art available on multiple products at Redbubble shop (@nominestudios).
“Swallow” by Suzanne Skaar, 2014, all rights reserved. Art available on multiple products at Redbubble shop (@nominestudios).
“Nerd Badge” by Suzanne Skaar, 2020, all rights reserved. Art available on multiple products at Redbubble shop (@nominestudios).

As always, thank you for your support! If you like what you see, please share No, Mine! Studios with a friend!

You can help support this small, Tacoma-based business by liking and following @nominestudios on the following platforms:

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

TikTok

YouTube

You can also buy a dino a coffee here.

Cheers!

Suzanne

Call for Audio Submissions

~ Suzanne Skaar ~ 3 Comments

Hi friends!

My 43rd birthday is on July 26. While many people use their birthdays on social media these days to solicit funds for charity, I am collecting impressions of dinosaurs.

In 2021, my indie game was accepted into the Tacoma Artists Initiative Program for support while I focus on research and designing the background art. One of my other goals for this project is to include as many voices from the Greater Tacoma Community as I can in the game. As such, I want to include others’ best (and even worst) dinosaur impressions in the game’s soundscape.

QUESTION: Is there pay for participating? No, there is no pay. But if your audio clip is used, you have the choice whether you will be included in the credits or not.

Don’t live in Tacoma but want to participate anyway? Not a problem!

If you are under 18, please get permission from your parent or guardian prior to participating.

If this sounds like fun, please check out the application form for complete details (Word/ PDF). Submissions are due July 26, 2022.

Please note that submissions may be shared on social media. If you don’t want your submission shared, please don’t send it! And if you do share your submission on social media, please tag @nominestudios!

Thank you for your support!

Suzanne