Happy Anniversary STARSLAM!

This year for me is all about anniversaries and This week is no exception, as I celebrated one solid year of my erotica webcomic: STARSLAM! Yes, I launched the comics on Feb 14th of last year and we passed the one year mark this weekend.

I'm quite proud of the comic and the attention it has got. I have a nice group of faithful readers that check it out every Monday when it goes live and it feels great that they keep me in mind. Its also a story that I am very proud of. When I did initial research on doing an erotica comic, a lot of the stuff I read just wasn't appealing. It was just too farcical and even at most times abusive and scary. So I wanted to create a story that promoted a sex positive outlook and have a heroine as the star. She's not a simple slut, serving the purposes of the story, but someone who is discovering themselves and their sexuality. Its something we ALL go through in life and we get to observe her journey. Its been fun, erotic, funny and now with what is currently going on in the comic, quite deadly. She's got a lot of fighting coming up and its really going to test her abilities. She's also going to learn even more about herself and her motivations as a superhero when it comes to her actions. She's learning how to be herself, in a sense. Its a grand journey.

As I type this, I just posted page/strip #53. This weekend, I inked page #97. I got about 20-25 more pages to go and the first book (or main first story) is complete and will be collected into a tradebook with expanded sex scenes and more. I do have plans for even more stories for these characters and I hope I get to tell them one day. Its a fun world to play in, thats for sure! I hope you are enjoying reading it as much as I am enjoying creating it.

The time is right to make and enjoy good erotica. When books like "50 Shades of Grey" can top best seller lists, we know that its a good time. Its a matter well beyond the "sex sells" idea. There is passion in all forms of media, even pornography. Good pornography exists if you want to search for it. I am glad to be contributing to the cause and promote a sex positive outlook on the world. 

The strip following is small and I know it will take time to build and make more and more people fall in love with the story and characters. But the time will come. I know it will. Meanwhile, I'm continuing to make the best work I can with it. And I hope you enjoy the journey. 

If you haven't read it yet, and are over 18, please go check it out right HERE -- Its free to read and I know you will find something in it to enjoy. Even if you aren't into pornography, just realize that it is based upon something we all deal with: finding ourselves.

Thanks to all who come back to read it each week. Spread the word! Keep the comic alive! And congratulations on one year of hard work, Starslam. Lets keep at it and keep rockin!

Cheers, T

Post-Thanksgiving Blah Blah...

Hey all! Had a good holiday this week. My in-laws came up and ate my cooking for the first time. I made a massive 23 lb turkey, taters, chicken dumplings, corn and biscuits. I could tell they were hesitant at first to try my food but grandpa went up for seconds and grandma finished her whole plate. I think I finally won them over! But it was a good day. I watched the Lions kick the shit out of the Packers, which is always satisfying. We also put our Xmas tree up:

We didn't go out on black friday because money was tight this week. I usually think I can sneak out sometime the night of and get cheap blu-rays but then come home in anger due to rudeness and the lines. But the wife worked and I didn't want to drag the kids out into the cold. Besides, we broke anyway till payday. I got a few freelance and commission people that owe me money and have owed me money for some time now. So I am gonna start squeezing on some of them so that they pay up. I got bills to pay and this shit aint funny. But thats the life of a freelancer I suppose.

In other news, I've tried to stay busy when I can. I wrote a few more pages on my PORN STORE STORIES book. I'm about 30 more pages away from a complete first draft and then I'll work on editing it. I'm leaning towards just sticking with self publishing it, but I am not sure. I'd kind of like to work with another publisher for once and see what sales they can give the book. Its hard to run it all yourself. Would be nice to have someone else step in.

I am also working on art for the TALES OF SEQUENTIAL MAYHEM #3 book:

The art for it is not due till January and its only a quick 8 page story on my end, plus a bit of supplementary material. But I just want it done and out of my way for the big things coming. I got a mini series I was hired to do for a company revolving around a massively popular and historic fictional character and I am starting on that this week. So for now I have been putting out the little fires around me to clear the way for that. I want it to be my best work thus far. If the above is any indication of the direction I am going, then I feel like I am on the right path. I'm trying really hard to pack my panels and not bullshit my backgrounds.

Record Store Day was yesterday as well, and here I am, broke. Some nice vinyl came out too. I'm trying not to think about what I missed out on. Too depressing. But when the money rolls in, I will start buying presents for the family and myself what I really want: VINYL! I got a bunch last payday. Mostly used stuff from Rush, Van Halen, Ratt, UFO and others. But I also scored new sealed copies of NIN's "Pretty Hate Machine" and Tool's "Opiate." So I'm on my way to building my collection back. I got a massive list of albums I want and I am combing ebay, record stores and other sources for them. When the cash hits me, I will load up. And I'll be ready when santa wife gets me the record player I asked for.

Sketch card work has sort of slowed for me. I got two sets on my plate right now. Both of them are pinup girlie related. I think that is fine for me. I dipped my toe into all these cool properties and I had my fun with them. I haven't sent out new samples in a while. Some companies are great to work with, others... not so much. But overall it has been a good experience and it got me some street cred for a while. But I am happy to be on my own again for the most part and free to do my shit. Thats not to say that if I were asked and the right set came along that I might not consider it, cause I might. But I certainly am not looking as much as I once did. But sketch cards have been very very good to me!

And I emailed the folks who pre-ordered the artbook the news, but I have got a quote from the printer and the book will be headed there this next month. I am hoping it have it in time for xmas. Just waiting on a wee bit more cash to cover my overhead and personal copies, cause there is a minimum over the ones that were pre-ordered that I had to place. If you want in on it still and get a nice sketched in ARTBOOK covering my twenty years in comics and art, order now BY CLICKING HERE

I've been pretty quiet on FACEBOOK for a few weeks now and I gotta say that I am loving it. I have less bullcrap in my head and thats always a good thing. I don't feel like I have to reach out as much as I did before. I can do that right here or on my podcast. There's no fighting and no drama. I love it. I go on there about once a day and check out the few people I do pay attention to in my feed. And I only post links to my stuff. Call me a spammer, but thats all I want to say there. Everything else I say via this blog, podcast and my TWITTER account. So plenty of outlets to say what I want to say, and they are more controllable. Making the break from Facebook: Best decision ever. 

Lastly, for the adult webcomics people, STARSLAM (adults only) is nearing the end of the third chapter. The fourth is coming up. BIG things are going to be happening. Things will be revealed. Blood will be spilled. Thats all I'm saying. You won't want to miss it! So if you are over 18 and enjoy sexy stories, give it a read, please. Updates every Monday. I should have new PORN WORLD WEEKLY strips sometime soon as well.

I suppose that is it. Thanks for continuing to check back with me. I love you all. Be safe!

T