A Decade Of Making Comics - Part VII
And you’d think I would have learnt something…here I talk about the end of this decade and maybe what I’ve learnt along the way.
“I been in the game for ten years making rap tunes comics!”
Last time, I wrote about me really bottoming out on a mental and professional level - gah, big feelings.
The final two years of this comic making decade have been an interesting one, and a real reset and fine tune of my mental game about all of this.
As EVERFROST started to land throughout 2021, I noticed a shift in my comics landscape. I was preparing to send it out to press I knew for reviews and found Covid had clearly resulted in a lot of comic sites shutting down, which was a real shame to see.
The book did alright, but I could feel my circle of reach had withdrawn a touch. And yet this only seemed to highlight I love the reviews, but I don’t sit down to write because of the anticipation of the reviews coming. I survived having less of them - though I’m not sure if my sales did 🤣
The usual balancing act of making comics occurred with one comic coming out while I’m sitting there writing the next one. Or, next two as it would turn out to be as I worked between SPEED REPUBLIC and BLACK BEACON across the same year.
It was a joy to write for Emanuele Parascandolo and Sebastian Piriz and as both books eventually made it out I was really proud of them each in different ways. They both flex very different storytelling muscles and it felt like I was scooting them in under the last steps of this decade of making comics.
The final story I’d create, to round out the decade completely, was A FISTFUL OF PAIN with Louie Joyce through ComixTribe.
In a way, it’s the perfect book to end on. It was a script I’d written…I don’t quite have the date, but it was maybe half a decade ago. It was to be a one-shot, and it hit a few speed bumps, and so I expanded it into an OGN and then I partnered with Louie Joyce for it. Our partnership on it stretched over years, but then as ETERNAL and SHE showed success with graphic novella sized stories, ComixTribe swooped in to the rescue to publish this in glorious sizes and formats, and so Louie and I did a hard sprint to the finish line to actually get this book done and out into the world.
I love this book. It’s just shipping out from the printer now, so it will get into readers’ hands very soon. ComixTribe Kickstarted it and we became their most successful campaign ever in what was a truly glorious month and hustling and support and love.
I really see this book as a representation of where I’ve come in a decade of making comics.
I started trying to write these huge ideas, things too unwieldy to ever be done by a novice and a fool like me. I eventually whittled it down into a one-shot. Then I went through the gauntlet of miniseries, endless pitching, failure, and then a new view on things. Single tales, that mattered a lot to me, and were beautiful in execution. ETERNAL, SHE, SKYSCRAPER, STAIN THE SEAS SCARLET, these were all really beautiful stories that spoke to the heart of me as a writer, and I put them out as best as I could. I balanced them with the miniseries, which are just a different beast to consider, unpack, and deliver.
It’s like I’ve played with monthly comics, and maybe found myself lacking. Making a miniseries on a month-to-month basis is hard. I’ve never pitched sequels or follow ups because my stories don’t come out like that. So doing more OGN format stuff seems like it’s been a logical bend for my brain. A slab of story, a gorgeous presentation - A FISTFUL OF PAIN being another oversized hardcover, with a die cut cover, and even a metal cover variant is all part of this presentation.
I steered away from the idea of pitching, or honestly even hoping, for ongoing story opportunities because it’s just not even how my brain is wired now. I see myself in a more novelistic way, which makes me wonder about the next decade.
Writing isn’t something I’m chasing as a full time gig. For various reasons, but mostly because I don’t think I “create” in that way. Just slamming out issues of high quality every few weeks. Some creators are that person, and they are an amazing version of that person - it’s not me.
So I think of novelists.
Novelists don’t all pump out a new story every week. Hell, lately I’ve noticed my favourite novelists only drop a new book every few years. I know the financial reality of that is difficult for most, but I also know my day job is my financial reality, so what needs to matter for me is the quality. I don’t want to rush my stories, but I also don’t want to completely drop off the map. Comics is a very month-to-month game, and the landscape can be very different if you only check in once every two years. So I’m not suggesting a 4 year gap between single story drops, but I have been realigning my brain to not only consider success as hitting every Wednesday.
I don’t think I necessarily was doing it wrong a decade ago, when I was indeed a much younger man who could somehow work 5 projects at once while a baby and a toddler needed all of the things that they need, but I know that way isn’t the way anymore for an older man who has considerably different energy levels, responsibilities, and even goals.
I also think it’s important to take those goals and priorities out and see how they’ve changed and adjust accordingly, which doesn’t happen naturally and silently and easily, hence me writing my thoughts out loud to see if they ring true in isolation on the screen.
They do, so I guess my final thought is: what’s the next decade gonna bring? And what can I do to get it there?
Honestly, the first thing my brain went to was collaboration and relationships. It wasn’t even “Get a Marvel gig” or “Land an ongoing comic” my first thoughts were:
I want to work with Sami Kivela again
Ooh, I also want to work with Louie Joyce again.
If the next decade lets me work with artists I’ve worked with before, I will be stoked. What those stories will be, what length/size, where they will land? Who knows? But to continue sharing story ideas with Sebastian Piriz? A dream. To follow up ETERNAL with Eric Zawadzki - perfection.
I suppose I should think realistically, then, too. Bring a little business to the dream.
I definitely want to do more graphic novels - and I’ve loved working with ComixTribe on all that we do so far.
I want to work with Mad Cave Studios more, I found them a really enriching creative partner.
Keep owning my stories as much as possible
Keep enjoying this newsletter - I think this coming decade should maybe have more specific focus and [slightly] less navel-gazing
Just land the next pitch.
I’ve loved writing comics for the past decade, each collaboration has been a new joy, and the shelf of comics makes me proud. Getting these stories out of my head and into the hands of people who reach out to tell me they appreciate what I have to say, and how I share it, is something I can do in this world that feels like a sum positive.
If you’ve been reading for any of these years, thank you. If you follow me to the next story, thank you even more. I’m excited to see where we go :]
I’ve had a great time following your projects the last several/many years (not the full ten). It’s been great to feel a part of, especially because your newsletters are so long (good thing) and reflective about your work and about you as an artist, teacher, family man, and person.
I, too, l look forward to your future and hope you let us keep tagging along.
Really enjoyed this 7-part series. Great distillation/summation of your previous decade and frankly, of the thoughts and themes you've laid down in this newsletter during the same. Here's to the next 10 years, mate. I, for one, am looking forward to what this more settled, focused version of you creates. Cheers!