Inspiration

Wil Wheaton posted this yesterday - I think he said it originally came from Ira Glass. For creative people, it really illuminates things!

Old School

I'm finally starting something I've been thinking about doing for a long, long time.  Beginning in January, I'm going back to school to get a degree.  I should have done this years ago, but I always had reasons not to do it - I'm too old, I can't afford it, I don't have the time, etc.  I broke through all that last month, and I'm enrolled and have all my classes lined up.  It's an online version of the school, so I can do it evenings and weekends around my full-time job.  Everything else is just the same as the traditional college program.

I'm going for a Bachelor's Degree in Interactive Media from the Art Institute of Pittsburg, which is a fancy way of describing web design.  I've dabbled in the web for as long as there's been a web.  I've done some neat things with Dreamweaver and Flash.  I think I'm a bit beyond a beginner, but there's a lot I don't know how to do yet.

I still want to do comic books, but I think the future of the genre is going to be on the web, and that's where I want to develop my specialty.  Learning to work with databases, and be able to offer content to customers is something I think is worth doing.  I have a pretty specific agenda, and I see no drawback in getting an education in this field beyond the cost.

Heading back to school at this age is a bit intimidating.  I'm starting the program at age 46, so I'll probably be over 50 by the time I finish.  I could easily have another thirty years of my career ahead of me, so it's better late than never.  This kind of field didn't even exist the last time I went to school, back in the 80s.  Computers were around, but not used for art, so the stuff I learned before - stat cameras, lazy lucys, zip-a-tone, rubylith, typesetting, etc - all that's long since out of date.

I'm excited about learning some new things and getting into doing some of the class projects.  I'll keep you posted on my progress and what the experience is like!

Random Thoughts for September

I'm back to working on the guitar playing again.  I suffered a setback a little less than 3 months ago, when I broke a finger on my left hand, shattering a knuckle.  It was pinned back together, casted up, and seems to be well on the way to being healed.  I go for a follow-up with the surgeon today to see how it's doing.  I'm back to playing some basic chords and scales, so I have high hopes for a full recovery.

In my weight-loss efforts, I'm down 33 pounds since I changed my eating habits about 4 months ago.  I'm down a shirt size, and none of my pants fot correctly anymore.  For the first time in more than 10 years, I'm below 200 pounds.  Seventeen pounds to go to hit my target weight.  Maybe I should take up jogging on the beach or something, being only a block away.

Been spending some time each day before work at Panera Bread, sipping coffee and using their wi-fi.  At least the day starts calmly before a certain salesman comes in and ruins things by not respecting the sanctity of the lunch hour.

I've got a new comic started, but I've gotten a bit off-track and not been working on it like I should be.  I really need to regain my discipline in that area of my life.  Now that all the finger drama in my life has subsided, I need to get back to focusing on my productivity and setting some time aside each week to work on that project.

That's about it for me.  How's about you?

Living the Dream

This past week was very exciting for me as an artist.  I've been wanting to do some more printed comics since my last publishing endeavors back in the 90s, but full color press is hugely expensive, and the existing distribution network is very difficult to gain a place in.  I searched on some self-printing options, with idea of doing some ash-cans myself.

What I found was a fairly new option that's come about in the past few years - print-on-demand.  You send in your work files - a comic book, novel, manga, etc - and they digitally print copies, assemble and bind them, and ship them to you in any quantity you want.  It's not the same high quality as offset printing, but if you want 10 copies - you got it!  The price per unit allows you to sell it and still make a small profit.  You won't get rich with this, but you'll get some books out that will pay for themselves, which is a beautiful thing.  So, if I need a small stack of books to take and peddle at a convention, I can do it.

I've seen this referred to as "vanity press".  A realm where amateurs can hack out books.  But how many creators starting out with their first assignment come out of the gate with greatness?  Most artists develop over time, gaining experience and improving skills as they work.  Print on demand offers anyone a chance to grow in an environment that gets them some low-cost, low-risk exposure, which is priceless.  It also would seem to allow more creators to develop their own personal style and unique creations, rather than being told what to work on, how and when by a giant corporation, who cares more about money than art.

If your aim is to work for the big guys, like Marvel and DC, what better way to build your portfolio than to take some initiative and self-publish a series yourself?

For my first time wading back into the publishing pool, I've chosen to go with a printing service called Ka-Blam. From what I've researched, they offer a great price, and a good product in a system that's easy to use.  You can choose all your options and calculate your price per unit right on their site.

The folks who run Ka-Blam also have an online store called IndyPlanet.  It's also print-on-demand based, so you can keep your entire catalog of offerings there, and when someone makes a purchase, they print it, they ship it, and you get paid.  How cool is that?  It's very easy to list variant covers, graphic novel collections, etc.

And finally, they also have a service called ComicsMonkey that offers your print-on-demand books to retailers, so you have all the tools needed to get your work in the hands of potential readers.

It's still up to me to promote my books and tell a good story.  I have to be consistent, timely, provide the best quality in my work, and get out there and hustle them.  But going to conventions and doing store signings is *fun*.  It's what I want to do.  So, like I said before, I'm very excited to have discovered that paper publishing is not beyond the realm of us mere mortal creators!

*Note - IndyPlanet and ComicsMonkey were hacked recently. so they're still in the process of cleaning them up and plugging stuff back in. You may get some warnings for a bit when visiting these sites.

Getting back into Print

I've been wanting to get back into mainstream comics for quite some time now. I have lots of new material in various stages of production, but have been unsure about how to get it into the hands of readers in a way that would make a modest amount of money and not be easily duplicated and passed around illegally on the web.

I bought a set of markers last night, and did some drawing, which I've not done in a long time. I was intending the resulting art piece for eBay, but I was disappointed with what I ended up with. It's frustrating, because I'm trying to duplicate on paper what I can do with my art software on the computer in a fraction of the time. The digital art looks much better, but I can't sell it as an original in an auction.  It just seems like a lot of time and effort to sell to one customer.  It feels like I should be working to a larger audience.

Back in the 90s, I self published a few full-color comics of my own.  Paper printing is pretty expensive, but I think I finally found an option that will get me back into print at almost no cost, and no risk. There are several print on demand services that will custom print in small numbers - like 10 books if you want, or hundreds. It's not the quality of Marvel & DC, but it gets you a handful of books, and they also have an online store that only prints what they sell. It's basically a method to get some material in print so a bigger publisher will notice you. And if I get a small stack of books done, a trade-paperback is easy to do the same way.  I don't have to pay for 5000 copies and hope the major distributor will pick it up.

I'm still researching, but I think this is what I've been looking for. I get to do my own thing, have it in print, and I can go to comic shows with a small stack of books to peddle. I can be an independent publisher for very little investment or risk, which is perfect. It also has the possibility to open doors down the road.

I'm going to sift through all of my years of artwork tonight and see if I can come up with enough material to do an "Art of Skulfrak" book.  I've always wanted one of those!  The Shanghai series will be back in print now as well, and I have lots of other concepts waiting in the wings.

More to come!

Less of Me

Trish and I have taken our first steps on the long road to getting ourselves back in shape this morning.  We're mainly changing our diets and being a lot more conscious about what we're eating.  Looking back, we discovered that pretty much everything we put in our mouths was contributing to weight gain and energy depletion.

This is all stuff I've known for years, so it's no surprise, but I just haven't been able to get it together for a long time.  About a decade ago, I became very focused and lost a bunch of weight.  I was disciplined and dedicated and lost about 40 pounds in a few months, so I know it's possible.  I use excuses like depression and stress to stuff my fat face lately, though, and just haven't been able to get that mentality back to stay on the path.

Trish and I have come to an understanding and made it a shared goal though, so we're making an honest attempt to keep each other accountable and really do this thing now.  We may stumble, but for our health's sake, we need to do this.

It's just amazing how much crap food distributors put in products we buy from the store.  Honestly, society is geared at keeping people buying and consuming this junk.  Ultimately, it's my responsibility to pay attention to what I shove down my throat, but it's hard when there's so much unhealthy crap marketed toward you every day.

I've got myself a weight tracker app for my iPhone (which is not an iPhone 4, by the way) to keep track and get my goals laid out.  If I get gutsy and start making some progress, I may post it online to get other folks to keep me honest and send some encouragement.

My mind and soul have been getting some attention lately, so it's time to work on the body!

Random Thoughts for June

Applied to be warlock columnist on wow.com 
Even if I don't get the job, I have a few sample pieces written now and I came up with ten topics to expand on in the future, so those will show up on here most likely. I'm not a raider, and I can't hang with the folks in Icecrown Citadel going toe-to-toe with the Lich King, but I do have three level 80 warlocks, who have done about everything else. If nothing more, it made me think about writing for a more general audience, and had me paying better attention to my word count. Writing is something I want to get better at in the coming year, so this was good practice. I'm thinking I won't get the gig, but I put my hat in, so we'll see what they say. It would be a lot of fun.

Getting ready for camping trip
The wife and I are taking the kids on a camping trip up in North Florida next month. We'll be right on the beach, so it should be pretty relaxing. I'm looking forward to spending quality time with Trish, maybe planning out our future some. I want to do some writing, maybe some sketching - just spend some time getting my creative vibe back. We haven't had a good vacation in years, and with all that's gone on lately, we deserve one. We'll have family, good food, our dogs, some music and the beach. And perhaps some rum.

Slowly evolving my new website
I have the framework built for my new website, skulfrak.com. There are seven pages of the new Shanghai comic rendered that I can letter and get up there pretty soon. The project is an exercise in re-establishing my identity online for this phase of my life. I haven't done a whole lot of artwork in the past decade that I'm particularly proud of, so it's time to get back to my mainstream comic roots and do the kinds of things that I love with art.

Listening to Francis Chan's "Crazy Love"
I've been listening to his sermon's on iTunes for a while now, and my pastor recommended a book he wrote. I found the audio version, and it's really good. He has an amazing video called "just stop and think" on the companion site for the book - www.crazylovebook.com - and it's life changing. He really breaks down Christianity into terms even an idiot like me can understand.

Trying to be a more thoughtful person
I've come to realize lately that I'm not the most caring or warm person there is. I don't why. I'm making an effort to be a more thoughtful and caring human being, so it's going to be a work in progress.

Don't want oil on my beach

If predictions are accurate, once BP's disaster gets into Florida's loop current, we'll have their mess on our beach, just a block from our house. I refust to refer to this ecological disaster as a spill. A spill is what happens when I set my beer down in the grass while sitting outside and the dog knocks it over. I've been going to the beach a lot since we moved back over to the peninsula, and I hate the thought of it covered in some mega-corporation's petroleum. The images of Florida surrounded by that sludge are sickening.

Do want iPhone 4
I've been making due with the first generation 4 gig model for a few years now, and there are some amazing new features in the model coming out next week. Being able to conduct my in-game auctions from the phone are blowing my mind. I love the remote access to the computers on my network, and some of the music apps are incredible. I would also like an iPad if one fell in my lap, but let's not get carried away. The resolution on the new phone is more than double what the old one was. And video calls? Whoa. I love gadgets.

Getting to work on the Website

I've been trying to pull together a cohesive theme for my new website - www.skulfrak.com - and it just wasn't getting there, so I decided to just work on the framework and get some material plugged in for now.  It's nothing fancy so far, with just a few thumbnails, but there will be a lot more soon.  I've told myself this is a project I'm not going to stress over, so I work on it for now when the mood strikes me.  I've also been focusing more on the comics I'm going to be publishing there, so the site has been a secondary concern for the past month.

I have six pages done of the new Shanghai comic so far, and I'm very happy with it.  I'm not ready to show it yet, but I'm excited to see where I can take it.

Concepts for the new site

I've had some visuals floating around for a while now that I've wanted to use, but not the correct venue.  I've really been digging the Steampunk look for a while now, and I can see doing a website in that style, and now I finally have my chance.  Here's a good explanation I heard for the concept = Mad Scientist Inventor (invention [steam x airship or metal man / baroque stylings] x [pseudo] Victorian setting) + progressive or reactionary politics x adventure plot = STEAMPUNK.

My new domain is in place (www.skulfrak.com) and there are some placeholder notes there already, but I'm going to sink my teeth into the new visuals pretty soon and hopefully make something visually exciting.  This is going to be my online portfolio for my comic and fantasy art, and I hope to do some all-ages desktops and comics for a premium area there.  Printing on paper is so expensive, and I have a good handle on the digital press now, so we'll all get to find out together if I can make it work or not.

The cool thing is that you'll get to follow along here.  I'm going to document my progress and post works as they are being done, and the thought processes that go into them (if any).  This blog is a part of that site now.

Thanks for watching!

A new Sandbox

Alright, it's time for me to stop naval-gazing and get back to being creative.

For ten years, I've run Brick House Digital, and in the last year, my wife and I have converted that to our animation and design business.  It's not been terribly active, but we try and maintain a professional air to it now, and my comics and fantasy art don't really fit there anymore.  It's been kind of frustrating for me to not have an outlet on the web to experiment and goof around with flash and html design.

I have a brand new sandbox to play in now. www.skulfrak.com  This is a site where I can create and get as goofy as I want without disturbing the business side of things.  I'm planning on linking this blog to it, adding some digital comics, some desktop wallpaper, and a few other things.  It will most likely be in a constant state of flux, as I love to change things.

Really looking forward to digging into this and making something cool!

Waiting for Inspiration

I have a lot of paths ahead of me with my art.

I can try and self-publish some more comics, which I already have a good start on an idea and a story. I can go and totally be commercial, trying to make some money with web design work and illustration - I have all the tools I need. Or, I could go more the fine art route, and just spend some time on the drawing table and do work for nothing more than to just show it.

I've always been one to plan things out and start working on that plan. I've never really just sat and meditated or prayed for the feeling to know what I should do. I just came off a great weekend, where I spent three days with no phone, no watch, no computer, no TV, etc, and it was a pretty refreshing change of pace for me.  As I get older, I've been trying to get more spiritual, and maybe having a bit of Jesus in my life will help clean up some of the mess I've made.  It certainly can't hurt.

I want to do something more significant with my art this year, so I've been just waiting for the inspiration to strike me, rather than just churning stuff out just to be posting something. Hopefully, there will be some good stuff coming soon!

Thanks for watching!

Too Old to Rock & Roll, Too Young to Die

Not to get all emo, but yesterday was a rough day for me, creatively.  Sometimes I get to a point where I'm tired of trying to re-create myself and hatching yet another idea to get some comic art in print.  I woke up just feeling everything was futile, but after talking with some friends who gave me encouragement, and rendering a few new pieces of art, I picked myself up, dusted myself off, and got back on the path.

I was wondering if I was too old to be trying to follow foolish dreams.  If I haven't gotten where I wanted to be by now, what chance do I have of doing it at this age?  Is it time to admit that I'm just not very good and stop wasting my time and move on to something else?

I have to remind myself that the art is ageless.  People seeing it online or in print don't see me - they see the work.  If it's good, they'll get into it.  If it sucks, it'll just sit there.  Now that I'm older, I should have more to say in my writing.

I think the new Shanghai stuff I'm working on is the first original material that actually feels written.  I've got characters detailed out pretty well, quite a few issues plotted in advance, and I know where the story is going.  I think the art is going to be better than all my past attempts as well.  We'll see!

Back to the ol' Drawing Board

So, for the past two weeks I've been moving. Not by choice, mind you, but it's for the best. My wife and I both lost our jobs at the beginning of the year, and after a bunch of dragging things out and trying to make numbers work, we ended up losing the house. We had no equity in it, and it dropped in value so much, it just wasn't worth fighting the bank over.  


Anyways, while lugging boxes back and forth, I found a bunch of my old hand-drawn art from back in my comics days. Stuff from when I was inking for Malibu Comics and NEC Comics on The Tick! I realized how much I've missed those days. That was the highest point in my career, and even though the market is really weird right now, I have this desire to get back into doing more hand-drawn material, even if it's just for myself.  


In the new place we're living, I finally have room to set up my drawing table again, so I'm going to try and get my hand back. Not just with inking, but pencilling too. I'll still do a lot of 3D art, but I found I was missing a part of who I was by not drawing anymore. So, thanks for watching, and I hope to have some new material to show you here in the next few weeks!

Inspiration- Letterhead Fonts

The folks over at Letterhead have an amazing site.  Any artist, related to comics or not, should pay a visit and take in the wealth of design-work that's going on there.

Letterhead is in the business of selling premium fonts.  They're not cheap.  But for designers who work with a lot of text and doing logo creation, they're a unique source for styles not just any other artist has.  I haven't bought any yet, but I have it book-marked, and when I have a need, I'll pick some up.

Browsing the gallery they have there is a great way to be inspired by the work others have done with their products, though.  The imagination and creativity being produced makes it a joy to page through all the samples.

Treat yourself, and have a look!