Thursday, March 01, 2012

CREATOR OWNED DAY (and Fishes epilogue)

One more blog for the day. Amazing isn't it? I'm reading everywhere that this is supposedly "CREATOR OWNED COMICS DAY" or something. I am not sure who started it, if its real or not. But I like it!!!!!! I'll totally celebrate that.

I am proud to say I have done creator owned comics since 1994, making this my 18th year doing so. I have published 6 graphic novels with a 7th and 8th on the way, been involved with over 40-50 other comics (all creator owned projects), and many things to come. In fact, I am just now going over this waterfall and picking up speed in my little canoe. Two big books coming, an ongoing webcomic, more indie comics, more trades and more freelance work for hire!! I call myself one of the busiest and most dedicated of the creators out there who do it all themselves. Not to toot my own horn, but fuck it. BEEP BEEP!!!! (hey, if you won't, who will?)

One of the questions I get the most is "How do I do this?" Well, its so simple, its easy. Just do it. There's many guides out there. And I have one which you can access for free! Download and listen to my podcast called "IN THE TRENCHES" which you can find on TALKSHOE.com or do a search on Itunes for it. I also recommend old episodes of THE AMATEUR HOUR and BREAKING THE PANEL podcasts, all of those I was involved with back in the day. Hours and hours of FREE content and great advice on how to do what we do. Never before in the history of comics has it been so easy to do and so accessible. You don't have to grovel at the feet of no one. You got a vision? Make it happen. Its that simple. Keep listening to my podcast, IN THE TRENCHES, and you will learn how to do it! Totally free. Download and enjoy.

I salute the many people who are creator owned out there, past-present-and future. I also salute those who work for hire! Cause they bring their own stuff to the table too. I know that is not creator owned, but believe me, if I were working on a property I loved and I brought something to it, I'd own that personally. Not legally, but a piece of that, the MEMORY of that would be mine. I'd own that. No one can take that. Man thats gotta feel awesome! I've had the opportunity to do stuff on characters that were not mine and even ones with decades of history behind them. And to do something with them in any sort of official capacity, no matter how small the contribution, is BIG TIME to me. Its all a big pool and I love being in it.

So salutes to the creators out there. Everyone! And to those who support creator owned work such as I publish, I cannot thank you enough. Thanks for following me all these years and I can promise you this: I'm not stopping. We're just getting started! Wait till you see whats coming. Just.... you....wait!!!!!!!!

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Fish Epilogue. Well, it seems inevitable at this point that my goldfish will be dead in the next day or two. I hope not, but it seems unavoidable. I've got him four different medicines and have tried everything. I will continue to try as long as he hangs on. But I don't know folks. I think I got a bad batch of fish. Thats the last time I get a fish from Pet Smart. Preuss Pets all the way. So I guess come what may. I'm gonna try to get my mind off it so much and just let nature run its course. Whatever happens, happens. If things go solid for a week, then I'll get a couple more new fish from Preuss. Either way, I am glad its not me. I tried hard. Will continue to. But I do feel a bit bummed that this thing I've wanted so much is starting out so shaky. I hope things get better.

(you all think I am crazy don't you? "Its just FISH" you say, right? yeah, I know....)

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