Update

February 14, 2025February 14, 2025 ~ Suzanne Skaar ~ Leave a comment

Hi, friends!

I have been away from my studio for way too long due to an on-the-job injury. Teaching at a public high school is dangerous for all sorts of unnecessary reasons. After an upcoming surgery, I’m looking forward to finally jumping back into animation, game design, community education, and all sorts of other mischief again.

In the meantime, I have been granted an Equal Opportunity Attendance Expo pass to the 2025 GDC in San Francisco, CA. It’s a huge opportunity to network and get my projects out there. The train ticket has been bought, and now staying in San Francisco is my biggest financial hurdle. If you like what I do and want to help me take this next step, please consider donating to the cause at Buy Me a Coffee.

Otherwise, if you have remote work [consulting, research, writing, curriculum design, etc.] that you need done within the next month, email me at nominestudios [at] gmail.com.

Thank you for your support!

Suzanne

Adventure Game Fan Fair

May 30, 2024 ~ Suzanne Skaar ~ Leave a comment

I am excited to announce that No, Mine! Studios will be at the 2024 Adventure Game Fan Fair! Come play game demos from across the country – including my as yet untitled dino game based loosely on Tacoma, listen to talks by the original devs behind Sierra On-Line (!!!!!), and make new friends July 26-28 at UW Tacoma’s Philip Hall.

[The fair also happens to fall on my birthday weekend!]

For more info, check out adventuregamefanfair.com. Thank you, Adventure Game Hotspot, for the invitation!

Greetings!

May 15, 2024 ~ Suzanne Skaar ~ Leave a comment

It’s been a while!

Thanks to support from Women-Led Games, I’ll be attending the 2024 GamesBeat Summit in L.A. May 20-21! If you want to connect at the conference, let me know! I would love to discuss potential collaborations/ writing opportunities. I might also have some dino game and Yeetcosystem(TM) Licensed Sales Agent stickers/ buttons on hand. 🙂 Email me at nominestudios@gmail.com, or send a message through the conference attendees app. Or just walk up and say hi, because I will say hi back.

Thank you to those who have reached out regarding animation classes and club meetings. I’m still recovering from a wrist injury, but I’m hopeful to get back in the swing of things soon. Unfortunately, classes/ meetings are on hold until I get the all clear to lift the necessary supplies and equipment. If you’re interested and willing to help in getting this back up and running, or want to be notified when classes are offered again, email nominestudios@gmail.com.

Ways to Support No, Mine! Studios

If you’re not yet following No, Mine! Studios on Instagram, click here! If you’d like to sport some No, Mine! Studios gear, this hoodie is currently on sale at Redbubble, along with several other designs. Or, if you are feeling generous, you can also buy a dino a coffee.

Thank you for your support, and see you soon, California!

Suzanne

2023 Out!

December 27, 2023 ~ 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!)

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

See you at The Arts at the Armory!

November 11, 2023 ~ Suzanne Skaar ~ Leave a comment

Arts at the Armory, one of Tacona’s largest annual celebrations of the arts, is this weekend! Come hang out with No, Mine! Studios from 11 a.m. -5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and check out the other wonderful vendors, too! I’ll have my game demo on hand, as well as a limited stock of stickers, buttons, and the new “Yeetcosystem Licensed Sales Agent Training Manual (Volume 1)” (the manual comes with a free sticker – included in package). Tim Kapler is also making his return to the arts world this weekend, so come say hi!

Cheers!

Suzanne

Film Screening Time Change

September 30, 2023 ~ Suzanne Skaar ~ Leave a comment

I just learned via Instagram last night that the Tacoma Film Festival screening of “Yeetcosystem” (my microshort about yeeting rich people – I mean, revolutionizing modern luxury housing) has been changed to Tuesday, October 10 at 3:30 p.m. (originally 7 p.m.). (Look for the PNW Animation and Imagination block).

I know this is a difficult time for many to attend the festival as it’s in the middle of the work day (and my kid’s regularly scheduled school activities). But if you are able to go, email nominestudios@gmail.com by 10/5 so I can get you a free “Yeetcosystem Licensed Agent” button for the screening.

Cheers,

Suzanne

Upcoming Events and News

September 27, 2023September 27, 2023 ~ Suzanne Skaar ~ Leave a comment

Good morning!

It is a lovely rainy day in Tacoma. I returned to teaching high school half-time this month (game design and animation, as well as Photoshop), so I am just now getting back into preparing for all the exciting events coming up. I also have news about the South Side Animation Club, so grab your tea and let’s get started!

Upcoming Events

GeekGirlCon 2023

I am excited to return to this year’s GeekGirlCon! I was invited by Maddy of Foulplay Games to moderate the panel: “DIY Gaming: ‘How to Self-Publish and Promote Your Own Games”. We’re on at 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 7, in the America Room! Get your GeekGirlCon passes today!

Tacoma Film Festival

My micro-animation “Yeetcosystem” was accepted into this year’s Tacoma Film Festival! Come check it out on Tuesday, October 10 at 7 p.m. as part of the festival’s larger animation block!

Tacoma Arts at the Armory

Third time’s the charm! This year, I’ll be returning to Tacoma’s free community event, Arts at the Armory, on November 11 and 12 from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Come say hi, see the progress on my game, and get some No, Mine! Studios buttons and stickers! Some of my favorite Tacoma artists will have their work on display at the Armory, too, so put this in your calendar now!

South Side Animation Club/ South Side Animators

Based on programming needs and feedback, I am announcing a change in direction for the South Side Animation Club.

The all ages South Side Animation Club is on a temporary hiatus due to a number of factors. Wednesday nights are just a hard time for families to meet, especially with school, work, and other obligations. Wednesdays also conflict with the wonderful Tacoma Artists Meetup group. They meet weekly, so check them out! Moving forward, we need access to a venue that would be available on Saturday mornings and is near major buslines if we’re going to stay accessible. If you have suggestions or connections for restarting the all ages club in January or later, please email nominestudios@gmail.com. No, Mine! Studios will have a table and game demo at the Arts at the Armory event on November 11 and 12 that is all ages (including adults!) appropriate, so please feel free to chat with me about this program.

For adults interested in creating animation, we will return virtually on Saturday, November 18 at 10 a.m. Pre-registration for South Side Animators is required. There is no cost to attend and the meeting is open to all regardless of geographic location. The new format will give us a chance to discuss topics like techniques, funding, and technical issues, and share work. With that said, this virtual gathering is a safe space. Material which is sexist, racist, homophobic, ableist, etc. is not permitted or tolerated, and will result in a ban from the group. By signing in to the meeting, you agree to abide by these terms. Click here to pre-register. The South Side Animators virtual meetings will be scheduled for the third Saturday of the month moving forward.

As always, thank you for supporting a small, mom-owned studio, and I hope to see you at one of the above events!

Suzanne

Announcements

August 3, 2023August 3, 2023 ~ Suzanne Skaar ~ Leave a comment

Good morning, and happy Thursday!

I have some fun announcements to share, so let’s get started.

First things first, South Side Animation Club returns to The Grand Cinema on Wednesday, August 9 from 6-8 p.m. It is a free and all ages opportunity for animators of any skill level. Come hang out with us as we work on individual and collaborative projects, network, and showcase our work in various stages of production, from concept to finished piece. Children are welcome with adult supervision. Thank you to everyone at The Grand Cinema for making this possible!

Second, I am excited to announce that I’ll be moderating a GeekGirlCon panel created by Maddy from Foul Play Games! More details will be shared once our date, time, and location are confirmed, but I’m excited to lead the discussion with others creating their own paths in the game industry. GeekGirlCon is a wonderful event, and this will be the third year I have been invited to be on a panel there.

Finally, I have been working to get back into the swing of daily drawing, which as other parents know is not always the easiest when kids are home from school for summer break. [As if the pandemic didn’t drive this point home, I know…] For the month of August, I’ve set myself the task of drawing and posting a new dino/ dino adjacent illustration every day on my Instagram account. Artists, join the challenge and let me know what kind of work you create! If you haven’t followed No, Mine! Studios on Instagram, I would love your support.

Also finally (this time I mean it), one of yesterday’s illustrations is available on my Redbubble shop, along with several other works you may or may not have seen. Check out the shop and let me know if there is anything that you’d like me to add there!

Picture of spiral bound notebook with illustration of chicken in a green dino suit.

Finally finally (third time’s the charm), thank you for supporting a small, Tacoma-based, woman-owned business and indie artist. I appreciate you!

Have a wonderful day!

Suzanne

10 year anniversary of No, Mine! Studios

July 17, 2023 ~ Suzanne Skaar ~ Leave a comment

Ten years ago today, I created the website for No, Mine! Studios. The history of this studio has everything to do with my journey as a mom just as much as it does with being an artist.

In June 2013, I graduated with my Master’s degree from the University of Washington Jackson School of International Studies with a 15-month-old Izzy on my hip. I had discovered I was pregnant with Izzy a week before I traveled to Ufa, Bashkortostan, for a Critical Language Scholarship. After losing my first pregnancy in Greece in early 2011, I didn’t think I could get pregnant again. When I started experiencing worrying symptoms beyond the unrelenting morning sickness, I made the decision to leave the scholarship program early and return to the States. I couldn’t risk a second loss. I went to school in the fall, took a break for winter, and then returned to school less than 6 weeks after Izzy was born (and only four weeks after he came home from the NICU). A few months after that, I was on a plane to do thesis research on guerrilla art in St. Petersburg and Moscow. When I returned a few weeks later, I quickly resumed commuting from Tacoma to Seattle every day for school via bus.

I didn’t know what to do post graduation that would allow me to stay closer to my little one. I interviewed for a few positions, but given the cost of childcare for kids under the age of 4, it didn’t make sense for me to return to a “normal” job based on the salaries being offered (despite having a Masters degree in hand). I didn’t have family to fall back on for support beyond my coparent.

With normal avenues seemingly blocked, I decided to take the leap and start figuring out ways to make art a career. Thank you to those who have supported me in this journey. And thank you most of all to Izzy, my now 11-year-old, for giving me a reason to embark on this journey in the first place.

Suzanne working and Izzy helping: January 2014. Photo by Tim Kapler.

Toddler headlock/ a.k.a., what working from home looks like. Photo by Suzanne Skaar.

To ten more years and beyond!

Suzanne

Money! (New Design Available on Shop)

"Money": Illustration from No, Mine! Studios' Pink Series microanimations is available now at Redbubble!

July 16, 2023 ~ Suzanne Skaar ~ Leave a comment

My illustration “Money” (from the original “Pink Series” microanimations) is up on the No, Mine! Studios Redbubble shop! Available on Tshirts, hats, and most appropriately, this lovely iPhone wallet (pictured below).