The Pigeons of Los Angeles is my first comic, and I am amazed at how this comic came about.

A long time ago, I dreamed of becoming an artist but I didn’t pursue it. But I remembered and finally started to take art classes. I took classes like figure drawing, sketching, perspective, etc.

I signed up for a comic course on a whim. I struggled with assignments at first. I didn’t know what I was doing. But as soon as I decided it would be about pigeons, everything started moving.

I googled about pigeons. I realized pigeons were considered pests and felt sad. I learned amazing facts about them. I found this interesting article about what happened to pigeons in Los Angeles about 100 years ago. A story was born in my mind…

This was how it went on the surface. But I want to tell you another story below.

When the comic course started, my heart was broken. I just returned from Japan to deal with my family issues. It was a disaster. My heart was filled with anger, frustration, and sadness. The comic course was a nice distraction from remembering what I was going on in my life. Then this story of pigeons came into my mind.

I know now that I identified with pigeons who were misunderstood and mistreated. I wanted to encourage pigeons. It turned out I was the one who was cared for and encouraged to complete my first comic.

So this book will always be special to me. I hope it will give some encouragement to someone who needs it.

Now available at Radiatorcomics.com, Birdcage Bottom Books and my Etsy store and .

 
 

*** A 2021 MICE Mini-Grant Winner ***

MICE (Massachusetts Independent Comic Expo) supports self-published comics by awarding MICE Mini-Grants to independent creators. The MICE Mini-Grant program showcases some of the most exciting and original independent comics of the year.

What people are saying.

A few examples of rave reviews by readers. Thank you!

 

“I will forever look at pigeons so differently!

To be honest, I am super surprised at how I couldn’t stop reading this book.…..Pigeons do get a bum rap, and I had no idea of any of this history. The author/illustrator has done a beautiful job of weaving in the universal message of finding inner strength through crisis. What a great story for what we’re all experiencing now with this pandemic. Well-done!”

— P. M.

“Fantastic comic book for older kids to adults, very entertaining and teaches a good lesson about finding inner strength to overcome life challenges. If you are feeling down or low in life, this will give you hope and make you feel better. Has great pictures and a fun story about pigeons in LA that I never knew about!”

— E. A.

“Lovely whimsical comic book story about often maligned city pigeons who have a history of their own in Los Angeles. Demi’s artwork is simple but sophisticated at the same time and carries the story in a very entertaining way. It made me smile a lot! In these trying times, this is an uplifting tale.”

— M. H.