Well, I mentioned last post that I had some new goals in mind and some new ideas and I thought I would outline them publicly right now.
Right now, my immediate goal is to get Anna 2-3 done and Expendables 3-4 done. That fulfills my book commitment for the rest of the year. I had considered doing another Pleasant Life trade using a story I wrote that takes place at the tail end of the last one. However after careful consideration, I decided to hold off on that for now. I may do something around the title's tenth year anniversary in 2012, so we'll see. I definately have a plan to remaster the long sold out first three tradebooks into one large volume filled with tons of extras. But as far as any NEW Pleasant Life material, I don't see it happening at this point. I ended it in the best possible way and to drag it back out right now wouldn't be a very great idea.
However, I did have ideas on doing a solo one-shot book on Security Officer TED GROSS from the Pleasant Life series. I do plan to do that at some point. I wrote an outline for that last year and am jazzed about doing that. As to when that will drop, I don't know. And plus there could be more ANNA in the future after this mini-series... if she survives this first one!
Thats another thing. I decided instead of publishing Anna as three single issue mini series, I will collect all three issues into one glorious tradebook. The book will feature alot of extras including sketches, pinups from other professional artists and more. For those that have bought the first issue, there will be a $5 discount on the trade. So look forward to that toward the end of the year for sure.
I decided to not do the Dallas Con for a variety of reasons. Family health, distance, money concerns and more. So I am pretty much done with conventions for the rest of the year. I am not ruling out a possible one day show or a comic book store signing appearance. However, I prefer to spend the rest of the year working on getting my new books done and working on my new direction.
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My New Direction. Its something I've been thinking about for a while now. I've noticed how much my art has now got to a point to where people are interested in owning more originals, more prints and the like. However, books are not moving nearly as fast as that and my sketchbooks I offer. I think its time to embrace that and work on creating more striking images that people will want to hang on thier wall. What this means is a new focus for my game plan. More prints, better quality art. Not just the 8x10 matted prints, but 11x17 prints as well. New, striking images that will appear iconic and will be the absolute best single images I can do. This limits what I can do as far as the books I would produce, as I will be doing tons of versions of sketches and working on one single image per print.
Thats not to say that I will stop doing comics and just doing prints from now on. It would be split something like 50% prints, 35% original art 15% comics. I just am making more of a focus on the prints rather than the comics. My thought processes and reasons for this are the following:
1-The images speak for themselves. I don't have to "pitch" or sell them at shows as much. Meaning no awkwardness from customer to me. I can focus on sketches more and just friendly talking over pitching. Everyone else is pitching constantly, I would be different.
2-My time is limited now. With having a full time job and a little kid to look after, the idea of staying up till 5am to finish inking 5-8 panels per page on a comic that doesn't move as fast as one print that I sell for 4 times the price is futile. I'm killing myself. I enjoy writing and creating comics and will continue to do so. But the focus will be shifted slightly. The last year, my prints and sketchbooks have moved at eight times the amount as my comics have. So the numbers make it all happen. Profit is the name of the game in trying to recoup expenses. Especially in these trying times.
3-Comic book jobs are few and far between anymore. While it certainly is possible to grassroot and get people interested in your work, it takes a long time and travel, which I cannot do at this point. I love going to shows, but I have to be extremely choosy at which ones I can do thanks to the jobs, kids and other juggling acts in my life. Prints and good art can create just as great a buzz as the comics can and right now it seems that the sketchbooks and prints are making way more of an impact than my comics are. Indie comic creators are a dime a dozen it seems anymore. But good art is good art. And its time to start focusing on producing more and better art.
4-Challenge myself. My biggest fault is that I rush. While I learned to slow down this last year, I still need to keep at that. Also, I need to do more research and working out kinks in images. Also I need to get better at digital coloring. All these challenges once focused on will help create single images that will blow your socks off and bash any prior perceptions of me and what I am capable of. I want to be an artist's artist. One that you can say that you love the work. A single image can be digested way faster than a whole book. And right now, not as many people are reading as people are looking! I need to embrace that.
5-Commissions. As I focus more on this, the commissions will increase. And the price of originals and commissions will increase. My work may appear more sought after at the shows and online. And I defiantly would prefer drawing commissions to pay bills than flipping burgers. Its where the money is and its what people are wanting from me. And there's nothing wrong with that. For a long time I always felt that my art wasn't my strong point, as it was my focus, my stories, my direction. Well that has changed. The art is catching up. People are wanting it. I've sold more original art this year than I ever have before.
6-Personal Focus. I've stated time and time again my desire to lose weight, only to fail each time. For the last few months I have changed that focus. Rather than just jump into an all encompassing diet and dropping it, I've opted for steady and committed lifestyle changes. I quit soda almost three months ago. Starting next week, I am stopping Pizza and French Fries. And then going a couple months living with that. After that, another change. I am setting myself up for the long haul of changes. My goal: Lose 50-70 pounds in time for San Diego next year. I want no worries about getting onto a plane and being able to fit into the seat comfortably. So no promises. I'm already DOING it. :)
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So thats the revelation. Not much of a change folks. And please don't think I'm "quitting comics" or something. Pleasant Life, Anna and what else is to come are my children. My babies. And I'll never abandon them. Its just I feel that people like my artwork enough now to want to hang it and its extremely flattering. Its time to embrace that and work on that as a gameplan. So 2011: More prints, better quality art, more digital coloring focus, more pitching single images as covers/sketchcards, etc. And the ultimate goal: To do a nice thick bound, professionally printed artbook with color, sketches, commentary and more.
So, new focus set. Onward and upward!
T
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