Aug 252019
Aug 242019
Disclaimer: I am not an expert, and I don’t claim to be. But, I have learned a couple of things about writing that I know can help others get started. I’ll try to be quick about this.
Tip #1: What story is.
The first problem most new comic book makers looking to write their own book have is that they don’t really understand what a story is. To be fair, I did not either when I started.
Most novice writers will think in terms of some event, the big happening (like a fight, or a war, an explosion) or something ‘cool’. The problem is, these things are not story. Let me explain:
Imagine a building imploding upon itself. You could write three chapters in a novel, 10 minutes in a film going in slow motion, or even all 22 pages of a comic book going into detail each floor falling on the one beneath, each pipe bursting and the rushing escape of steam, etc. and so on.
And you know what? So what. That is not a story. Continue reading »
Aug 212019
Well, the writing hit a dry spot, but some stuff continues to get done. The big news is that the line art for Dr. Fizz issues 2 and 3 is done and has been sent over to a colorist. I’ve seen the first half or so and it is looking great.
Art by Gino, Colors by Tyler Ochart
We also have completed a 4 page short set in the Dr. Fizz universe, a ‘Tale from Grand City’ titled ‘The Rental‘. It’s hilarious.
I’ve recently also finally gotten around to doing the last bits necessary for Spook Town issues 3 and 4 to be printed, or be put into digital. I am still not sure if i should even bother with individual Kickstarters for each book or just try a trade paperback type of collection.
In any case, the plan is to get all the books that are otherwise done and just waiting on me to do my part up on Amazon or such ASAP. I will need to check on exclusivity and so on to make sure it’s a good idea, but who knows. Continue reading »
Apr 272019
I’ve discussed this with a few people I know, and frankly they seem to feel bad for me when I say this but here it is: I was wrong about my whole plan to make comic books.
I took Kickstarter a bit too much for granted. Yup. And after two miserable failures trying to ‘release’ a comic book I have pretty much come to terms with my mistake. I have made about 8 comic books so far, and have another 3 or so lying about in some stage of completeness with no need to be in a hurry to finish them.
Where did it go wrong? I still am not entirely sure, but I have my guesses. For one, I don’t think I am really willing to do the sort of things needed to be successful at Kickstarter. I don’t want to marry a project for months and spam my friends, family, and strangers relentlessly. I’d just rather not do that. And then there is my other guess, which is basically that in the last two years a lot of people have gotten sick and tired of the relentless onslaught of releases. It’s like everyone has a Kickstarter, every week, ad nauseum.
Edit: I just remembered a great case-in-point: Dulce. That was a fun looking sequel with a great advert plan being promoted by several people, a true campaign. And…well:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1410875579/dulce-tour-of-duty
Look, if that project cannot get funded then…what?
So, I now have a plan. And yeah, it sucks, but hear me out.
Apr 232019
It’s not really a code, or a secret, it’s just an enigma, wrapped in the average persons lack of expertise…or something.
I did a short for Yeet not long ago, lettered and sent it out, then came some colors. And then came the request to format it for the Alterna Publishing thingy.
It’s not all bad, I am learning some bits and figuring other bits out. For example, I am learning why so many of my fellow indie creators who said they were jumping at the chance to use the program offered by Alterna to print on newsprint for low, low prices gave up after being daunted by the required specs.
Still, I have made a good faith effort, and should know very soon that I have failed and still have much to learn. So far I have figured out on my own that one workaround I imagined will not work, specifically moving just the type from a flattened tiff (or tif, png, etc) file to another layer will not work. If you have only a flattened file, I now suspect very much that you would have to either re-letter the book, making sure to keep the lettering ‘active’ and in their several layers or risk printing the rasterized letter layer. Apparently that would be bad and make for ‘muddy’ letters…perhaps.
If you are intimately familiar with the required specs and find this frustration of a fly-by-night indie comics post-processing nightmare funny, please know I forgive you. It’s just on this side it’s a bit more like a tragedy.
