This year's Thought Bubble convention in Leeds was the best yet. I think it was the best run, best attended convention that I have been to in the UK, an event that showcased great artists of every stripe. With each successive year that I have exhibited (this was the third) I have been busier, and this year I was pinned behind the table the whole time, barely able to get out and look at the other other stalls. I really enjoyed doing a show so close to where I grew up, too, hearing the accents of my youth.
While I couldn't get out and meet as many people as I wanted to, I have some links to people's work that I really liked.
The first one is Kristyna Baczynski, I wanted to speak to her, maybe learn the secrets of her amazing work. Alas she was always busy, but it was pretty plain how good it was. Take a look at this!
In a similar vein is young hero of British comics, Luke Pearson. Luke seems a good man, he is a match for any of the top contenders of the US scene. Rumour has it that Ivan Brunetti and Adrian Tomine are looking over their shoulders in fear as Pearson casts his long, slight shadow across the Atlantic.
I submit the very funny comic stylings of Timothy Winchester without comment, as frankly, he never pipes down.
I bought something fantastic from Octavia Raitt but I can't find a link to where you would get it and I can't tell you what it was as it is a present so I guess no one is the wiser and no one ever will be.
It was a real thrill to meet Simon Gane, an incredible comic maker who, to my shame, I hadn't heard of a few months ago. His work is genuinely inspiring.
And finally, I got a copy of Thank Goodness For Herald Owlett, a comic with a great style that promises much more from its creator.
That is all I can remember, as I am very tired, and very old.
My comics: Bad Machinery - Scary Go Round - Giant Days :: My Shop :: My Flickr Sketchblog :: My Last.fm
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
My last post
I really can't believe the response to my last post. It has appeared all over the place. I thought a couple of dozen people would read it and take it to heart, and I pretty much knew who those people were. I figured they could ask me to clear up any points in person!
For the most part it has been taken in the spirit it was intended, though it's dispiriting to see it re-posted elsewhere without my proviso that there is always room for hobbyism and art for art's sake. People can do what the dickens they like! I spend my whole life telling people to draw for the joy of it.
I think I made one point badly. When I say "don't read comics", I mean "don't read comics to learn how to construct a story". And even then I'm being harsh, but I know a number of people who never crack open a prose book and it drives me up the wall. Being able to sit down and concentrate on reading something for an hour or two is extremely useful and good for your brainium in the modern media age.
For the most part it has been taken in the spirit it was intended, though it's dispiriting to see it re-posted elsewhere without my proviso that there is always room for hobbyism and art for art's sake. People can do what the dickens they like! I spend my whole life telling people to draw for the joy of it.
I think I made one point badly. When I say "don't read comics", I mean "don't read comics to learn how to construct a story". And even then I'm being harsh, but I know a number of people who never crack open a prose book and it drives me up the wall. Being able to sit down and concentrate on reading something for an hour or two is extremely useful and good for your brainium in the modern media age.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
A scene that celebrates itself has nothing to celebrate
I've been in apartments overseas where there were four times as many people resident and making a living off their own comics than manage to do it in the UK. Over the 12 years I've been active in UK indie comics, I've been constantly impressed by the standard of skill within our comics community, and horrified by the way people eventually disappear, unable to sustain themselves or their work.
The points below are what I've learned doing indie comics as a career. There's always room for art for art's sake, for hobbyism, but these are the lessons I've learned for those who want to escape that prevailing mood. I've turned off comments because, while you're welcome to disagree, I don't really want to argue about it.
A MANIFESTO FOR UK INDIE COMICS IN 2010
1. Maybe living in the most expensive place in the country is not the best idea anyone ever had
If you want to do comics for a living, here's an idea: don't live in the capital. London may be the thriving, beating heart of UK culture, but if you want to stop working in a shop and doing your comics in the evening, try living somewhere cheaper. Which is to say, anywhere.
2. Small press: it is not 1994 any more
There are comics on the internet now. If you're good enough, have a decent website, and keep a reliable schedule, you can have a whole career there. The notion of the primacy of a photocopied quasi-zine "small press scene" in the UK is ludicrous. 1 in 4 people in the world can speak English. Questionable Content has half a million readers. It is not rocket science.
3. Make comics for people who don't make comics
Why is anyone other than your comic making friends and a few select interested parties going to read an art-damaged visual tone-poem about the inside of your psyche? Learn how to engage and entertain people. It's a profoundly useful skill.
4. Forget what you learned at art school and read some business books
You need entrepreurial chops to make a living from your art, or the help of someone who has them. It's not that hard. You copy someone who has already succeeded. It usually works.
5. Making money from art is not vulgar
Art is a commodity. It makes people feel something. It raises the greater sum of human happiness. It increases the gaiety of the nation. It has a value.
6. Making pamphlets is ridiculous
Comic book pamphlets are largely read by ageing comic book fans looking for a monthly fix. Generating two such booklets a year is not medicine enough for anyone. Don't fetishize the object, it is part of another era. There are now many better ways to reach an audience.
7. Diary comics: stop it
If your only comics outlet is a diary comic on the internet, you are wasting your time and your energy. The success stories in this field are the product of people with strong, often eccentric personalities and a robust visual vocabulary, capable of turning their lives into a compelling narrative. The 200 people who read your diary comic, on the other hand, all make their own dull diary comics. Or are about to start.
8. Read some actual books
If you want to learn how to construct proper narratives and tell good stories, stop reading comics. All you'll ever do is produce watered down versions of the things you like. Read actual books, the hard ones without pictures in them. Comics are baby school, reading prose is hard graft.
9. A scene that celebrates itself has nothing to celebrate
The affirmation of your work by your friends in a small scene means nothing. No one is going to tell you that your work is bad to your face and risk being ostracised. Seek the widest audience for your work, if that's what you want, then ask yourself why things are or aren't working.
10. Being ambitious doesn't equate to being unpleasant
Being ambitious doesn't mean destroying the opposition. There is plenty of air to go round. It means doing your best work without simultaneously apologising for it.
The points below are what I've learned doing indie comics as a career. There's always room for art for art's sake, for hobbyism, but these are the lessons I've learned for those who want to escape that prevailing mood. I've turned off comments because, while you're welcome to disagree, I don't really want to argue about it.
A MANIFESTO FOR UK INDIE COMICS IN 2010
1. Maybe living in the most expensive place in the country is not the best idea anyone ever had
If you want to do comics for a living, here's an idea: don't live in the capital. London may be the thriving, beating heart of UK culture, but if you want to stop working in a shop and doing your comics in the evening, try living somewhere cheaper. Which is to say, anywhere.
2. Small press: it is not 1994 any more
There are comics on the internet now. If you're good enough, have a decent website, and keep a reliable schedule, you can have a whole career there. The notion of the primacy of a photocopied quasi-zine "small press scene" in the UK is ludicrous. 1 in 4 people in the world can speak English. Questionable Content has half a million readers. It is not rocket science.
3. Make comics for people who don't make comics
Why is anyone other than your comic making friends and a few select interested parties going to read an art-damaged visual tone-poem about the inside of your psyche? Learn how to engage and entertain people. It's a profoundly useful skill.
4. Forget what you learned at art school and read some business books
You need entrepreurial chops to make a living from your art, or the help of someone who has them. It's not that hard. You copy someone who has already succeeded. It usually works.
5. Making money from art is not vulgar
Art is a commodity. It makes people feel something. It raises the greater sum of human happiness. It increases the gaiety of the nation. It has a value.
6. Making pamphlets is ridiculous
Comic book pamphlets are largely read by ageing comic book fans looking for a monthly fix. Generating two such booklets a year is not medicine enough for anyone. Don't fetishize the object, it is part of another era. There are now many better ways to reach an audience.
7. Diary comics: stop it
If your only comics outlet is a diary comic on the internet, you are wasting your time and your energy. The success stories in this field are the product of people with strong, often eccentric personalities and a robust visual vocabulary, capable of turning their lives into a compelling narrative. The 200 people who read your diary comic, on the other hand, all make their own dull diary comics. Or are about to start.
8. Read some actual books
If you want to learn how to construct proper narratives and tell good stories, stop reading comics. All you'll ever do is produce watered down versions of the things you like. Read actual books, the hard ones without pictures in them. Comics are baby school, reading prose is hard graft.
9. A scene that celebrates itself has nothing to celebrate
The affirmation of your work by your friends in a small scene means nothing. No one is going to tell you that your work is bad to your face and risk being ostracised. Seek the widest audience for your work, if that's what you want, then ask yourself why things are or aren't working.
10. Being ambitious doesn't equate to being unpleasant
Being ambitious doesn't mean destroying the opposition. There is plenty of air to go round. It means doing your best work without simultaneously apologising for it.
Monday, November 15, 2010
NEWW 2, Giant Days, Thought Bubble
I'm back on home soil after my adventures in Brookyn and at New England Webcomics Weekend. My trip to the USA has filled my with vigour, although that vigour is currently manifesting as jet lag. I can tell you that during the brief window of time that my brain functions correctly at the moment, I feel like a million dollars.
New England Webcomics Weekend was a great show, a banner example of a well-run small convention. It was great to meet so many enthused readers, especially on Saturday, when the wave of people barely seemed to stop. Easthampton is hardly a well-connected metropolis, so it was quite something to see how many people attended.
I also got the chance to meet some creators who, if I'd run into them before, I'd not really ever had chance to talk to. I'm sure that if I try to list everyone that I met and liked, I'll leave someone out, but I know for certain that I finally got to spend quality time with Karl Kerschl of The Abominable Charles Christopher, comic machine KC Green, Becky & Frank of Tiny Kitten Teeth, and the suspiciously charming Sara Bauer (Hey Pais) and Tom McHenry (Non Canon). Oh and Jorge Cham of PHD Comics, who flew in in a helicopter of his own design*. I apologise to anyone whose feelings I have brutalised, I remember meeting a lot of other people, all lovely. All of you.
* I may have misremembered this
GIANT DAYS
It's the final week of my Giant Days miniseries, I've had some very kind emails about it, a great response. Many of them asked if and when the series will return. At the moment I'm not sure, I'd prefer it to be ongoing than an occasional side-feature, and I can only draw one of those at once. Talks are going on in back rooms under flickering, unshaded bulbs, keep watching the chimney for a puff of white smoke.
THOUGHT BUBBLE FESTIVAL, LEEDS
This weekend I'll be at the Thought Bubble Festival in Leeds, exhibiting my wares and doing my best to charm and delight. I've got a panel at 10.30 in the morning about "digital comics", I'll either be dead serious and tell you the basic true facts, or do a series of jokes, either way you will get your money's worth. I'll write a little more about this show later in the week.
New England Webcomics Weekend was a great show, a banner example of a well-run small convention. It was great to meet so many enthused readers, especially on Saturday, when the wave of people barely seemed to stop. Easthampton is hardly a well-connected metropolis, so it was quite something to see how many people attended.
I also got the chance to meet some creators who, if I'd run into them before, I'd not really ever had chance to talk to. I'm sure that if I try to list everyone that I met and liked, I'll leave someone out, but I know for certain that I finally got to spend quality time with Karl Kerschl of The Abominable Charles Christopher, comic machine KC Green, Becky & Frank of Tiny Kitten Teeth, and the suspiciously charming Sara Bauer (Hey Pais) and Tom McHenry (Non Canon). Oh and Jorge Cham of PHD Comics, who flew in in a helicopter of his own design*. I apologise to anyone whose feelings I have brutalised, I remember meeting a lot of other people, all lovely. All of you.
* I may have misremembered this
GIANT DAYS
It's the final week of my Giant Days miniseries, I've had some very kind emails about it, a great response. Many of them asked if and when the series will return. At the moment I'm not sure, I'd prefer it to be ongoing than an occasional side-feature, and I can only draw one of those at once. Talks are going on in back rooms under flickering, unshaded bulbs, keep watching the chimney for a puff of white smoke.
THOUGHT BUBBLE FESTIVAL, LEEDS
This weekend I'll be at the Thought Bubble Festival in Leeds, exhibiting my wares and doing my best to charm and delight. I've got a panel at 10.30 in the morning about "digital comics", I'll either be dead serious and tell you the basic true facts, or do a series of jokes, either way you will get your money's worth. I'll write a little more about this show later in the week.
Thursday, November 04, 2010
New England Webcomics Weekend 2
I am currently in the USA, priming myself for a train trip to Western Massachusetts for New England Webcomics Weekend! On Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th of November I will be selling my wares at Easthampton Eastworks. Tickets are still available on the door for local types and it should be a splendid time. On Sunday you can look forward to Christopher Hastings taking me on, Frost-Nixon style, in a head to head interview of a sort previously unseen at ANY EVENT.
I will have a variety of red hot items for sale, including a few show-exclusive items
* A B&W collection of all the Bad Machinery comics so far called "A Feral Flag Will Fly", in a nice big format (NEWW and Thought Bubble shows only)
* My Dr Who & Amy Pond prints (I have 20, so apply early)
* Buttons & Stickers
* All the Scary Go Round book collections
* Fixed-price postcards
* Lady Gaga and We Will Do Our Best posters
* A selection of tshirts available in the "Dumbrella Apparel Zone" and the "Topatoco Clearance Area"
I hope to see a few of you there!
I will have a variety of red hot items for sale, including a few show-exclusive items
* A B&W collection of all the Bad Machinery comics so far called "A Feral Flag Will Fly", in a nice big format (NEWW and Thought Bubble shows only)
* My Dr Who & Amy Pond prints (I have 20, so apply early)
* Buttons & Stickers
* All the Scary Go Round book collections
* Fixed-price postcards
* Lady Gaga and We Will Do Our Best posters
* A selection of tshirts available in the "Dumbrella Apparel Zone" and the "Topatoco Clearance Area"
I hope to see a few of you there!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
No longer a mystery
I worked out why readership numbers had mysteriously shot up, and they have shot down again. It was exciting to feel like a king for a week, but it was also distracting.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Mystery success
Well, Giant Days week one produced some odd statistics, namely twice the traffic that Bad Machinery had been getting. Since it didn't get any links from anywhere special, I have to put this down to youthful high spirits.
After a year of struggling to build traffic for Bad Machinery and crossing my fingers that things would get better, it was a bit weird to watch the unique numbers shoot up throughout the week. You can say it's a bit more like Scary Go Round was but, really, it's less like it than Bad Machinery was! There's one character left! Well, I'm not complaining. My only concern is what might happen when the five weeks are up. If the situation stays like this (and it might not, of course), there may have to be a CLIMACTIC POLL OF ALL SCARY GO ROUND READERS.
After a year of struggling to build traffic for Bad Machinery and crossing my fingers that things would get better, it was a bit weird to watch the unique numbers shoot up throughout the week. You can say it's a bit more like Scary Go Round was but, really, it's less like it than Bad Machinery was! There's one character left! Well, I'm not complaining. My only concern is what might happen when the five weeks are up. If the situation stays like this (and it might not, of course), there may have to be a CLIMACTIC POLL OF ALL SCARY GO ROUND READERS.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
John Allison: Man Of Audio
I recently guest hosted on David Malki and Kris Straub's Tweet Me Harder, which was tremendous fun to do and hopefully fun to listen to. You'll learn a lot about me, sadly very little of it true.
If you can only bear to listen to something for five minutes, why not have a gander at my short interview with Joe List (of Freak Leap and The Annotated Weekender). Joe will tell you how to make a living from webcomics in very short order. Make sure to stick around right to the end.
If you can only bear to listen to something for five minutes, why not have a gander at my short interview with Joe List (of Freak Leap and The Annotated Weekender). Joe will tell you how to make a living from webcomics in very short order. Make sure to stick around right to the end.
Wednesday, October 06, 2010
A Feral Flag Will Fly
Here's the quick cover I made for a book you will find it almost impossible to buy! I thought you might like to see it anyway. Bad Machinery books will emerge early next year I hope, but they won't be in this format or have a title I decided upon in 15 seconds.
The drawing was a flyer I made for last year's Thought Bubble:
The characters were so new then! It's funny to look at them and see how some had taken shape but others hadn't at all.
The drawing was a flyer I made for last year's Thought Bubble:
The characters were so new then! It's funny to look at them and see how some had taken shape but others hadn't at all.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Aubrey Beardsley's Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga is a strange confection, I'm really not sure what point she is making at all. Visually she is fascinating but her music and her odd message about "little monsters" don't pack quite the same punch. I did enjoy myself drawing this though.
I drew it as a style exercise, trying to come up with some new print/teatowel ideas. Beardsley's line is fascinating, it is a very simple fixed width, often used consistently throughout the whole page. His use of black and white is so masterful, incredible balance of form and shade. A longtime favourite of mine! I love art nouveau.
Not ultimately sure if I will use this drawing, so let me know if you like it.
I drew it as a style exercise, trying to come up with some new print/teatowel ideas. Beardsley's line is fascinating, it is a very simple fixed width, often used consistently throughout the whole page. His use of black and white is so masterful, incredible balance of form and shade. A longtime favourite of mine! I love art nouveau.
Not ultimately sure if I will use this drawing, so let me know if you like it.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Sketch Fiesta 11 is up
It's been a few months since the last one, so I've posted a new Sketch Fiesta featuring lots of Giant Days sketches, the "Sea Bros", umpteen shady characters, and much, much more. Looking at it will make you feel like a king/queen/baron/baroness.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Bonus comic: Whatever Happened To Jive Bunny
I know that a lot of people have been wondering what Jive Bunny has been up to since the last of his three chart-toppers. Here's the answer.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
The case of the moustache umbrella
Yesterday I did something rather embarrassing that I hoped you would never see. I drew one of my moustache umbrellas.
As a top artist of today, I like to render objects in a manner that is, if not photorealistic, semi-competent. When asked to draw a house, a small child draws a square with a triangle roof. However I rotate that box with a triangle on top to a slight angle, giving it that "professional sheen".
The one weakness in my visual arsenal is umbrellas, which, if I do not stop myself, I still draw as if I was 4. Which is to say, I draw them like a mad moustache or (a headless bat). It's not that I don't KNOW that an umbrella is a dome shape. I have a wire loose. I have a feeling that I've only ever drawn four or five of them in my life.
Anyway, below, I have put it right. Please forgive me. I've been working very hard.
As a top artist of today, I like to render objects in a manner that is, if not photorealistic, semi-competent. When asked to draw a house, a small child draws a square with a triangle roof. However I rotate that box with a triangle on top to a slight angle, giving it that "professional sheen".
The one weakness in my visual arsenal is umbrellas, which, if I do not stop myself, I still draw as if I was 4. Which is to say, I draw them like a mad moustache or (a headless bat). It's not that I don't KNOW that an umbrella is a dome shape. I have a wire loose. I have a feeling that I've only ever drawn four or five of them in my life.
Anyway, below, I have put it right. Please forgive me. I've been working very hard.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Tote design 1: RAINDROPS
I'm working on some new tote designs. I want some classy ones to start with. Or as classy as a straw-sucking yokel like me knows how to be. Let me know if you enjoy these!
Monday, September 20, 2010
Giant Days is coming
This makes it look a bit glum! I have written down what happens on every page and it's not glum at all. Once it gets going, it's bananas.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
New concepts
On the post where I mentioned my Esther mini-series, one innocent commenter said that perhaps I should do "something else afterwards". Well, I didn't really have any ideas beyond, you know, more of the same, so this lunchtime I sat myself down and created the forward-thinking, tomorrow minded comic plans that will take the Scary Go Round empire into a rosy future. Let me know what you think! The most popular one will debut on the site very soon*!
"Todd Feathers' Journey Into Joy"
Rotund, urbane bird Todd Feathers moves to the big city and discovers that there's almost no one he doesn't get along with!
"Wickid Charly And McGuffle"
Homely office worker Charly discovers that life has a little more "spice" when you team up with a cheerful bird-pig!
"The Agonies Of Patrice Lecourt"
Au pair and pessimist Patrice Lecourt discovers that it's not much of a life when you take a job as a eel farmer.
"Willy Barker's World Of Pain"
Cursed from birth with numerous issues, Willy Barker further muddies the existential waters by being quite repellent in every way.
"Tommy Radickle"
What won't Tommy Radickle do? He's the dude with 'tude who can be a bit rude but is essentially shrewd! Aimed at imaginary tweens.
YOU DECIDE!
* Never
"Todd Feathers' Journey Into Joy"
Rotund, urbane bird Todd Feathers moves to the big city and discovers that there's almost no one he doesn't get along with!
"Wickid Charly And McGuffle"
Homely office worker Charly discovers that life has a little more "spice" when you team up with a cheerful bird-pig!
"The Agonies Of Patrice Lecourt"
Au pair and pessimist Patrice Lecourt discovers that it's not much of a life when you take a job as a eel farmer.
"Willy Barker's World Of Pain"
Cursed from birth with numerous issues, Willy Barker further muddies the existential waters by being quite repellent in every way.
"Tommy Radickle"
What won't Tommy Radickle do? He's the dude with 'tude who can be a bit rude but is essentially shrewd! Aimed at imaginary tweens.
YOU DECIDE!
* Never
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Art watch
I've become a bit frustrated with Twitter of late, it's a quick way to get a lot of attention to something, but they're blips of attention and noteworthy items soon get lost. I've decided to return to the gentler pleasures of the old(er) ways, and the art discovery posts I've been making on Twitter will move to this general area.
First up, a wonderful illustrator from France, Aurore Damant! Fantastic work with kind of a John K feel.
Even though I don't really like cats, I like her cats. Cats!
First up, a wonderful illustrator from France, Aurore Damant! Fantastic work with kind of a John K feel.
Even though I don't really like cats, I like her cats. Cats!
Monday, September 13, 2010
Post Achtung Baby
When I was mere stripling, U2 released an album called "Achtung Baby". The sole differentiating feature of this record was that Bono sang all the songs wearing a ludicrous pair of bug-eyed sunglasses (to indicate "ironic detatchment") that he has not removed in the 19 years thereafter.
Achtung Baby reinvented rock in a way that every band endangered by the American chart behemoths R.E.M and Nirvana could understand. Late-80s pop monsters took their cue, one by one, from U2, abandoned any individual features they possessed, and dropped singles whose defining characteristic was to be as close as they could possibly get to "The Fly".
INXS - Taste It
Of course, being INXS, someone parps on a ruddy saxophone whenever possible, also this is quite a pervy video which might explain why I never saw it at the time.
Bon Jovi - Keep The Faith
A man will thingy, a man will fall, from the sheer face of love, um, KEEP THE FAITH.
Deacon Blue - Your Town
Formerly chipper Scotch popsters Deacon Blue did their absolute best Bono here, they even got the sunglasses. Sadly thereafter, they didn't have a career. They should have stuck to the songs about sandwiches and that.
Depeche Mode - I Feel You
SYNTH POP IS OUT. SUNGLASSES ARE IN, SUNGLASSES LIKE BONO WEARS. VIOLATOR WAS BRILLIANT, THIS IS AWFUL &etc
These were the main four unit-shifters implicated in the movement, but can you remember any more Baby Achtung Babies from 1992-93? I remember there being a new one almost every week!
Achtung Baby reinvented rock in a way that every band endangered by the American chart behemoths R.E.M and Nirvana could understand. Late-80s pop monsters took their cue, one by one, from U2, abandoned any individual features they possessed, and dropped singles whose defining characteristic was to be as close as they could possibly get to "The Fly".
INXS - Taste It
Of course, being INXS, someone parps on a ruddy saxophone whenever possible, also this is quite a pervy video which might explain why I never saw it at the time.
Bon Jovi - Keep The Faith
A man will thingy, a man will fall, from the sheer face of love, um, KEEP THE FAITH.
Deacon Blue - Your Town
Formerly chipper Scotch popsters Deacon Blue did their absolute best Bono here, they even got the sunglasses. Sadly thereafter, they didn't have a career. They should have stuck to the songs about sandwiches and that.
Depeche Mode - I Feel You
SYNTH POP IS OUT. SUNGLASSES ARE IN, SUNGLASSES LIKE BONO WEARS. VIOLATOR WAS BRILLIANT, THIS IS AWFUL &etc
These were the main four unit-shifters implicated in the movement, but can you remember any more Baby Achtung Babies from 1992-93? I remember there being a new one almost every week!
Friday, September 10, 2010
Courage, courage
There are some changes coming up on the Scary Go Round site over the next couple of months.
Bad Machinery / The Case Of The Good Boy ends at the end of September, after which Bad Machinery will be going on a break for a little while. While it's been about as successful as I thought it would be on the web, given its long, long story arcs (only long when taken day by day, admittedly) and child cast, it's struggled to build an audience and after a year, I need to look carefully at what to do next.
So, I will be looking to find a publisher who can perhaps take it where it needs to be (into young, impressionable hands). I love writing these characters and the third story is all worked out, so I hope to bring it back as soon as possible.
In the meantime, following a couple of guest weeks where I will attempt to "relax", I have a nice month-long fill-in for you, the pilot of "Giant Days", the comic that shows you what Esther de Groot did immediately after this comic. You'll even get comics on a Friday again.
I did try to write a Shelley story but my heart wasn't it it at all. It felt horrible. I think you will enjoy the alternative a lot more, I have been working on the mechanics it for weeks. Thinking extremely hard... about how to rock your WORLD.
Bad Machinery / The Case Of The Good Boy ends at the end of September, after which Bad Machinery will be going on a break for a little while. While it's been about as successful as I thought it would be on the web, given its long, long story arcs (only long when taken day by day, admittedly) and child cast, it's struggled to build an audience and after a year, I need to look carefully at what to do next.
So, I will be looking to find a publisher who can perhaps take it where it needs to be (into young, impressionable hands). I love writing these characters and the third story is all worked out, so I hope to bring it back as soon as possible.
In the meantime, following a couple of guest weeks where I will attempt to "relax", I have a nice month-long fill-in for you, the pilot of "Giant Days", the comic that shows you what Esther de Groot did immediately after this comic. You'll even get comics on a Friday again.
I did try to write a Shelley story but my heart wasn't it it at all. It felt horrible. I think you will enjoy the alternative a lot more, I have been working on the mechanics it for weeks. Thinking extremely hard... about how to rock your WORLD.
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
FILL-IN BRITAIN
I've been working on Bad Machinery for about a year straight without a break and need a couple of weeks off, so I would like to ask if anyone wants to do a guest strip for me. This isn't a blind call for entries, as if I don't know your work I can't just say go for it, you know, in case of problems. But drop me a line at john@scarygoround.com if you have a plan for the empty space and hopefully I can fill two weeks with ease.
* Strip can be Bad Machinery or Scary Go Round based
* 880px wide max, 662px high minimum
* Deadline September 25th
* Any questions, post a comment!
The only certain recompense is a link back to your work, and my gratitude, but if you meet me in person I will shower you with rewards.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)