Another one Bites the Dust

Issue#4 is DONE! (pencils and inks) Hot damn! Feels good. Also, I started a supplemental story arc to go along with the REDACTED. I think it will come out pretty well and be a nice lead-in into the comic book series. Picked up Crush It by GAry Vanderchuck (sp?) slim book, but its a good motivator. He has some good ideas. All I know is I have to give this comic book all I have an promote the hell out of it. After 4-pg arc, onto issue#5. I'm over the hump! 4 down (pencils/inks, 3 to go!) then the extras.

Weird. For the First Time

I have actually gotten an idea from a dream I had. I was dreaming the other day about Presenting my work to Brian Wood (of DMZ, ALSO of my high-school graduating class) Anyway, I have this dream, and in one of my descrpitions of Old Soldiers, there was a VERY cool element, (which I will tell later, closer to the issue when it comes out) I think it make a MUCH better impact that what I originally had. So I have to say, Thank you for my subconscious. I immediately got up, found my iphone and scribbled a note to myself. Funny how things, just come to you. ALSO, once again, the shower provides more ideas. I got a great idea for some more marketing to reach more people. Its probably not going to reach MANY people, but if it reaches, one then its done its job. More of a viral idea, which of course relys on people to actually help it along

I am very pleased

with the progress on the book. Issue#1 is basically ready to. Issue#2 is done minus cover and front matter. Issue#3 is about halfway colored. Issue#4 is 5 pages from being penciled and inked. Nice. On schedule. But I realize how time consuming it is to color these books, now that I'm paying closer attention, at my current rate (of two hours coloring a day, 5 days a week) It takes about a month and half to color one issue. This is due to the details in the background and the nature of the art. So maybe I should have 4 + issues done before I go to press. On the other hand I'll be catching up to the colors in about two months, so I'll have the evening hours that I'd usually pencil/ink to color too. Hmmmmm

More work

to be done, working on coloring issue #3 and it is looking saweeeeeeeeettt!!!! I think so, at least.

I think I'm getting faster and (my opinion) better as this goes on. I am excited, I'm on the schedule I wanted to hold to. Three pages this week is GREAT! I should be in fantastic shape by the new year. Which is my target drop date. I'm nervous about that but, I will try my best to get the word out. I still think my (REDACTED) is a great way to get interest in the project. NAd I truly hope that the distributors will look at the fact I will most likely have more than half the series ready to go (4 months by my calculation) that they can take a risk on me. It just feels good to do it, and I'm excited by the little hints and clues I'm putting into the story.

By the way, does ANYBODY ready these posts, or is it just me posting blindly. I'd like to hope that al least SOMEONE is reading. Although why, I wonder? its pretty dry production stuff right now, so on second thought, I'd be surprised if I had regular readers, but who knows right? Anyway, if you're reading, why not post something, or just say hi. (I will give myself this out so I don't seem pathetic) OR don't, it;s as they say :up to you..."

Update

Coloring issue#3! one page done, onto page 2. I'm paying attention to how long this issue takes me so I can judge my lead time on publishing. It feels nice. I'm not entirely sold on my cover concept, so I'll be working that. No more progress tonight on pages, I have a freelance gig to finish first. Can't believe I'm so far into it. I want to get it out there for people to see!

Hot damn!!!

Finished Issue #2!!!!!! (well minus cover, but that can come later. Very VERY excited. I need to create text for the "what has come before" for the inside front, will model after the AKIRA books from the 1980s. I actually started cleaning up art for Issue#3! I need to try to keep track of how long this takes me, because this will give me an idea of how long my lead time should be for publishing! I'm very excited to get it out. After Issue#3 I need to finish up the website for my (REDACTED). Which should not be THAT hard, other than coming up with logic puzzles and such.

working

working, working, Halfway through lettering issue#2. Almost halfway through pencils/drawing Issue#4. So, its coming along, I'm happy with how its progressing, but Issues #3 and #4 have a lot of "unique" backgrounds to color. Hopefully, the more I do, the better and faster/efficient I will get. With any luck, I'll be through lettering Issue#2 this week! Then onto colors for Issue#3. When I am done with issue#3, I will switch to the web side and will then finish that aspect of the project, then...gulp publish.

Update!

Closing in finishing the colors for issue#2. I'm up to pg 7 on issue #4, I feel good about the big backlog before I publish, this will allow me to (reasonably) have time to produce the last 3 issues If I have the first 4 ready to go. Bing-bam-bong! I like how the colors are going, for the first issue, I am going to do a little experiment with borderless word balloons, it might ad a nice art look, or it might look cut and paste, I'll see how it turns out next week. I estimate by then I'll be done with issue #2

Issue#4

I'm up to 3 pages penciled and inked. I really feel the more I work on this, the better and faster I get. I am really pleased with how this is coming together, I also am surprised how much can change as it goes along. (for the better) it reminds me of what you see on a movie where re-writes and scene additions com in and out. Its very time consuming, but soon I'll actually be halfway through the pencils and inks! On Issue #2, I'm closing in on finishing, cot two pages colored this week. That part is the most time consuming.

Cover

Working new cover concept, real graphic. Simple.

Tonight! Start Issue #4!

Issue#3 Line art done!!!!

Finished this weekend! Happy to be done with Issue#3, once I am halfway through Issue#4, I will be officially be halfway through the whole series. Its exciting, because it means I'm only that much closer to releasing the first issue. Also came up with (what I think) is a better cover concept.

Update

Haven't updated in a while. Nice progress on Issue#2. 2 more pages on Issue #3. Almost done pencils and inks on Issue#3! Should be done about the time I'm done with the colors on issue#2. I hope to be exactly halfway through the series by the time I publish Issue#1.I WILL post a picture from Issue#1 or two on Wed!

Progress

Did a 2nd cover, not sure which I like, maybe as a varient, no? I drew/inked one more page on issue#2, drew some supplemental backgrounds for Issue#1. I have one more panel for issue#1. Sigh...I know, this is IT

Update

This week I'm about halfway through coloring Issue#2, I want to re-draw a couple of pages, to get it Juuuust right. Next week start locking down subsites and look into buying remaining URLs. Get add kit and rates together. What are competative rates? How do I find this out?

more stuff

Colored a couple of pages for Issue#2. Still planning out marketing plan for comic books. I have a few ideas. Its coming now, so I have to really buckle down and get even MORE organized. Wish I could have made it to comic con, but I'm thinking maybe next year if I'm lucky.

Behind the scenes

Stuff this week. Redirected some of the subsites and linked them to my server, will place placeholders on the home pages, to hopefully get some hits from google, get indexed. Finishing inside cover, issue #1

NEW Website!

up and running now, minor tweaks, and content to come, but it is live!

New direction

I like my website, but as with anything, I wanted to do another take, now that its essentially a business site, SO, redesign! Started it, found some nice flash components. TO DO: Find how to sell ad space in the comic!

COVER!

Is DONE! Nice. Am going to post a picture on Twitter! For all of my two "real" followers. I'm going to do a re-design of the homepage now that I'm self publishing.

Comic Book Update

So Issue#1 is just about as done as its going to get I think. I went through and tweaked a few panels, I am now reducing the word balloons a little to get a nicer feel in the panels. When this is done attention will swing to finishing the gamesites and finding a way to advertise for sales.