Pages 47 & 48. Click to enlarge.
Help me get back into the top 100 at TopWebComics. VOTE HERE!
These pages were a blast to work on because… you guessed it, ACTION! But I can’t help but wonder if I should change the rating of this comic to PG-13 because of crab blood. I guess I’ll find out if angry mother’s comment. Also, let me know if you can think of a better way to write that 3rd narration box. It seems funny to me and I can’t figure it out. It will all be sent to my editor in the end so I guess I shouldn’t stress on it too much.
_______________________________
This week has been good. I finally finished a lingering page that changed a million times right in the middle of Chapter 2. I also changed up the ending of Chapter 2 and I’m very happy with it now. It was one of those things that I knew I’d have to come back to later. Oh yeah, I also scrapped the first spread of Chapter 3 and sketched a new one adding a pile more work for myself. Yay, the joys of being your own worst critic.
I sent 9 spreads to my flatter, Aaron Daly, and he’s blowing through them like nothing. Do you know how much time that is saving me? Let me think… probably about 2 to 3 hours a spread (at my speed) which equals 18 to 27 hours of work! I can only work for about 2 to 3 hours a night on this stuff so that’s pure gold!
I just remembered, Aaron has an unpublished spread of reMIND on his blog from a while back. Go check it out if you want a look into the future of reMIND.
_______________________________
I did some reading this weekend.
I read How to Make Webcomics and I must say that it was kinda useful. I might just be overly critical because I learned 99% of the stuff they talk about from just doing research online and taking an educated guess. But anyway, it’s geared more towards a daily webcomic which isn’t exactly what I am doing but I thought it might have some secrets to making one successful. There were a few good things that I’ve never heard before but all in all I can’t say it gave me any breakthroughs in what I should do differently. I’ll write a more thorough review later but for now the main things I learned from it are as follows:
- Buy paid ads on networks and forum sites.
- Make free wallpapers and down-loadable stuff.
- Fliers for campuses, cons, and comic stores.
- Look into a freelance distributor to handle my books.
- Use shipping supply company for cheap shipping stuff.
- Offer my books to a retailer at cons so they can sell my books and maybe get more orders later.
- Make press kit online and hard copy for Cons. For people in the press.
I’m not sure if this bullet point list makes any sense to anyone but me. I’m also not sure I’d recommend buying this book unless you were brand new to everything. If you are brand spanking new and want to make webcomics then, YES, by all means, it’s going to be helpful.
But honestly, I’ve been getting more out of the book called Tribes by Seth Godin. Thanks for the suggestion Kelly!
One last thing. I updated my Top-List Sites article. I added a few more I found and moved the Belfry up on the list.
Oh my god I read "I finally finished a lingeriE spread" >.<
Eek must not read blogs when recovering from a hard training session.
Man, I told myself I wouldn't use the word spread in my posts anymore and look at this. What was I thinking. Now I'm REALLY going to stop using the word "spread", AHHH I said it again.
How to Make Webcomics isn’t a bad book. But you’ve already done everything through trial and error. This is more of a “dummies guide” to producing webcomics.
You really need to get to a con – even if you’re just walking the floor handing out cards and making contacts.
Agreed. Your right about the book. It’s great info for someone who has absolutely no idea where to start. But when it comes to more in depth stuff, it’s lacking for me. I’m not sure how to put my finger on some of these books especially on the subject of “Doing your own thing and making money at it.” It seems like they are more geared to making more money for the author then anything. Which is fine. Eventually I want to make a How to book for graphic novels I think. I’m sure it will come across good or bad to different people.
I really do want to go to cons. I really do. I just can’t. I have a 18 month old and a wife who needs a break. Oh yeah and I have very little extra money to spend running around to cons right now. I want to hit some soon, though, to hand out fliers and cards.
I’m also developing an idea for a gorilla marketing campaign that I want to roll out soon. Just a crazy idea I’ve been thinking about lately.
How-Tos are always a crapshoot. It’s more like “How I Did.” And they can be helpful if you take them with a grain of salt, but they can also wear very thin. Besides, part of the fun of this is figuring things out – it’s the challenge of it that appeals to me anyway. Distilling it into a set of steps or criteria takes a lot of the interest out of it.
By the way, I share your feelings about conventions. I’m not married to anything except my job, of course, but designing buildings is pretty demanding in itself. We architects tend to die with our boots on. To be honest, being the reclusive type (hell, I use a pseudonym), in my heart of hearts I’m dubious about what conventions really have to offer, and NYCC, which I’m trying to get space in this year, is either going to swamp me with people who are about a bajillion times more skilled at this than I am, or will leave me feeling so totally out of place that I’ll never attract reader number one.
Ah, well, it’s all about jumping in with both feet. Or so they tell me. And “they” are very complimentary.
–M
Your How-to points are exactly the reasons I am preferring "Tribes". It's more about a general idea behind creating small groups that share a same ideal.
I'm very curious to hear what you think of the con afterwards. I really love 'em and I hope you get some excitement from it all. It's usually a big motivator for me after spending time at a good convention. But it's also is pretty draining.
I am having to look more into these sort of resources. Not so much for my own graphic novel in the works, but for the webcomic I illustrate for someone else. I am curious about making it more than it is and maximizing potential.
Spread looks great by the way. Your work and blog posts are the annoying type where you finish reading and immediately want what is next, but you cant have it. So you say ‘maybe I can just ignore the site for a while and read them in a batch.’ But of course you still come by for each post.
Eichiro Oda also has a similar affect on me on a weekly basis. Bah!
I’m sorry my site has this affect on you…but glad at the same time. haha. I must be doing something right. I really appreciate your comments.
I understand what your saying about maximizing potential. I only have so many pages of reMIND until the story is finished. My worry is that people will finally start catching on right when I’m wrapping it up. In the end, I will keep this site long after reMIND is finished. But honestly, I still see it taking 2 to 3 years to completion before I move on to my next GN which I am REALLY excited about starting.
All good things must come to an end. But, you can capitalize on that by working on something different and new.
Since you already have the readers and fanbase, they're instant readers for your next project.
Hear hear. I've always been a believer in the idea that good stories have a beginning, a middle and an end. Things that stretch out to eternity get stale and peter out. And that's best avoided.
–M
Agreed! I think that's why I like graphic novels so much. They don't just keep going forever.
Drezz is right too about just moving your built up fans base to the next project then. I'm sure some wont follow but at least your not starting from square one again.
How much thinner can this comment section go. haha
I am actually beginning to consider your site a "how-to" book already ;) I'm finding myself duely motivated to visit for both the art/story, and the info/inspiration of the blog. Gotta check out that "Tribes" book. It makes sense…put out a product on a regular basis and one is bound to attract a group of like-minded individuals who all believe in it.
Whoops…I meant "dually", lol.
Thanks man. I'm glad you look at this site that way. I was originally hoping it could become that and to see it starting to happen is really exciting.
wow!!! I love this post!
Thanks buddy!
Hi Jason, About those narration boxes, maybe they need to be equally spaced apart? And there is a void in the bottom left corner that needs something to counterbalance the strong motif along the top and down the right side. The composition cuts the page into four quarters, three of which are strong, but the bottom left is weak in relation to them. Maybe darker silhouettes? Or maybe place a narration box there?
Thanks for the opinion. I almost feel like the bottom left is to busy for what I want. I wanted to get people past the first two panels and then over to the right side of the spread on the second page (left side). Making the bottom left dull is part of leading the eye around. But yeah that third word balloon has always bugged me a bit. I'm sure it will move before it goes to print. Thanks for the comment.
(EDIT: This is one of the spam comments I got and it was too funny to delete.)
Hey Blogger,When you write some blogs and share with us,that is a hard work for you but share makes you happly right?,yes I am a blogger too,and I wanna share with you my method to make some extra cash,not too much maybe $100 a day,but when you keep up the work,the cash will come in much and more.more info you can checkout my blog.
good luck and cheers!
(EDIT: I bet you all want to see this professional sounding bloggers site right? HA)
I absolutely love the design of this page, it's east to read but really dynamic. Man, you're really good at this…
And thanks for the link!