We have come to the end of another year! Time passes way too quickly. I used to write journal updates on my DeviantArt page but they were so sparse that they ended up being year-end journal reviews as this was the only time I ever posted anything by means of an update. A lot has changed since then and I find it cathartic to look back and contemplate what’s taken place and what I’m looking to creatively for the next year.
Ipswich Comic Con
This year started with the tail end success of CATAPULTED which was thankfully funded in 2017. Armed with a good amount of stock of issue one, I wanted to exhibit at another con (after my debut at LSCC2017) but I wasn’t really planning on doing anything until the summer. A family member mentioned that there was a Comic-Con in Ipswich Town Football club which I believe was the first Comic-Con in the area. It took place in April 2018 and it seemed like a nice intimate size so I applied and secured a table.
It was a small but enjoyable con and the crowds did not disappoint, with queues of people bending around the nearby streets. Some CATAPULTED fans had even attended and stopped by to say hi and buy some posters which delighted and thrilled me. I love sharing my work with others at cons and enticing new readers to check out my comics. It’s an opportunity to network with all kinds of readers and creators alike. The comic was selling like crazy with some parts of the day queued with people waiting to buy a signed copy and one person buying the comic online after the con. I had practically sold out of the comic at the end of the day which was great news.
Creative Progression
This year has helped me get used to my main artistic tool, my Wacom MobileStudio Pro. They say it can take a workman years to really get to know his tools, and that certainly feels the case with this digital drawing behemoth. Over a year later, I’m still learning new things about this machine and how to use it to best convey my creative illustrations. I have become more comfortable using it and I’m getting closer to pulling the ideas out of my head and representing them in illustrative form. But my progression isn’t down to just this tool. I’ve tried to draw more often, analyze the artistic styles and artists I enjoy and disseminate what I like about those styles, as well as utilize great drawing software like Clip Studio Pro EX.
I have also tried to get better at writing. Whilst I am proud of issue one of CATAPULTED, the story in the first issue wasn’t as entertaining as I would have hoped (maybe I reread the issue too many times). I wanted pages to be more interesting in their own right which would then compel the reader to want to consume the next page. So in 2018, I read plenty of books on writing good stories and I invested in some writing software to help me concentrate on storytelling elements.
CATAPULTED Reviews
CATAPULTED had also collected more reviews in 2018 which I did not expect as I hadn’t spent much effort trying to garner new reviews.
One welcome review came by means of a podcast from the guys and gals at For the Love of Indie. They were very kind in their review and I was chuffed to hear my comic being discussed from across the Atlantic Ocean.
Another review came from Dan Traeger at CB who I had always thought had very accurate reviews of current comics. I was excited and slightly afraid about what I would find when I discovered he had kindly accepted my request to review CATAPULTED. I couldn’t have asked for a better result. I read the same enthusiasm that I try to convey to con attendees when selling the comic myself and I was immensely grateful for the high rating that Dan gave.
Here is a full list of the reviews (that I’ve found) for CATAPULTED so far:
https://www.fortheloveofindie.com/blog/for-the-love-of-indie-52
https://readingwithaflightring.weebly.com/reviews/catapulted-1
http://www.comicbooknews.co.uk/article/catapulted-1-review.html
https://comicbastards.com/comics/review-catapulted-1
https://readingwithaflightring.weebly.com/reviews/catapulted-1
Podcast Appearances
I have often toyed with the idea of doing a podcast, it’s much easier than a YouTube series and it’s a great way to express artistic opinions and ideas. I also have a few artistic friends I would like to interview and feature to help share and advertise their projects in addition to my own.
An opportunity came up over at Comix Launch, a website that has a great assortment of information on funding comics through Kickstarter. I had received a newsletter by Tyler James inviting me to apply for one of his mastermind groups which would then be featured on the ComixLaunch weekly podcast. After being successfully selected, I prepared myself for the 1am start (all of the group are based in the US) and we recorded the whole series in one take.
Unfortunately, despite using my nice Blue Snowball microphone, the computer only used my distorted laptop mic which affected the clarity of my voice, a lesson learned for next time.
All of the episodes have been released and can be found below:
Week1: http://www.comixlaunch.com/session175/
Weeek2: http://www.comixlaunch.com/session176/
Week 3: http://www.comixlaunch.com/session177/
Week 4: http://www.comixlaunch.com/session178/
Week 5: http://www.comixlaunch.com/session179/
Updated Website
If you have visited this site before you may notice that it’s had a bit of an update. I struggled for a while to find a theme that suited what I was trying to achieve, which was a simple, clean look that worked well across all kinds of devices. I was also adding new functionality to the site to be able to sell products online. I won’t be selling much in the near future but once the next Kickstarter is completed, I should have more products to sell. I want there to be one central source for my online presence and that should really be my own website instead of using different sites or services. I should have done this much earlier (since my day job is in e-commerce) but I can happily say that the major updates have been made and the site has been updated.
In addition, I have a roadmap/wishlist in mind for some really fun things that I would love to add to the site. Things like:
- Games (visual novels and RPG games, I’ve always wanted to make games)
- Additional Web Comics
- Art tutorials & videos
If you have any ideas of things you would like to see on the site, or you have ideas for blog posts then please get in contact. I would love to hear your ideas.
Keep visiting the site to check back for blog posts and updates or subscribe to the newsletter to get notified of what’s new (newsletter sign up in the footer of the website).
Keep visiting the site to check back for blog posts and updates or subscribe to the newsletter to get notified of what’s new (newsletter sign up in the footer of the website).
CATAPULTED – Kickstarter 2019
One of the things I get asked the most is “When is the next issue of CATAPULTED coming out?!”. The answer… is 2019. I’m planning a new Kickstarter for spring/summer of 2019. What is it going to involve? Well here is a sneak peek at some of the rewards I’m planning:
- Trade Paperback collection of the entire CATAPULTED story
- This includes the first issue and the next two issues of the story (each issue is roughly 30 pages long)
- Incorporated AR (augmented reality) in the comic. I don’t want to say too much on this but I’m really excited about using AR.
- Lots of CATAPULTED merchandise including paper toys, posters, badges, enamel pins, original art, t-shirts and more
- The possibility of a limited production of a CATAPULTED statue based on my own sculpture (I hope I have time to make this)
I’ve been doing lots of planning from a Kickstarter perspective as well as how I can advertise and make this next campaign as successful as it can possibly be. I don’t want to give too much away but I will be frequently mentioning this project in posts and in the newsletter as its one of the best ways to prepare potential backers for what’s coming. So make sure you check back here from time to time or sign up to the newsletter.
