My music hits and the pyro goes OFF. You’re there along with the millions AND MILLIONS of my fans. The fireworks are loud and seeing them inside a stadium is probably a little disorienting if you aren’t a self-publishing cartoonist like me. Me? I am used to it. BIFF! BIFF! BOOOOOOM!
I have finished MONUMENT #2! OOOOH YEAAAAAHHH!!! (Yes, I’m wearing an Andre the Giant style singlet. You’ll get used to it.)
Wait.
How are you? Is your state on fire? Because California sure as shit is. My son is an optimist and said there was less smoke today. That was not true. It was worse by far. I didn’t have the heart to tell him though. I swear this post is going to be light and celebratory. But this is our life now, guys. We live in the apocalypse and saying EVERYTHING IS FINE will kill us before the smoke. Time to normalize saying “It’s shitty but that’s okay becuase we are alive and fighting.” I do think we will all be okay. However it is going to be a tough few years. No doubt. However, that is okay. We are tough. But yoooooou. How are you???? Are you training? Saying your prayers? Eating your vitamins? I could really use a tag team partner. We could get you a singlet.
Guys, there is no pyro. It’s a real quiet accomplishment here at the lab. Above are the pages though! Pencilled, inked, colored, lettered and proofed.
[You will notice that there is no cover. Kickstarter backers get to see that first when they open the envelope.]
Once they are printed I ship them to my (patient and lovely) Kickstarter backers. The press cut me a deal so timing is still being sorted. In their defense, they thought they were getting this book years ago. Hopefully by the end of the month.
Then I try to sell these. I really need to stick to that last part. In the past I have fallen off. Being artist means making the work, showing the work and trying to sell it. It’s amazing how few can even get to the first step. I tend to sabotage that last step like I’m all three of the Beastie Boys. NOT THIS TIME, JABRONI.
I think one of the key factors in artistic success is bravado. Beyond confidence. Irrational confidence. A lot of what I like about pro wrestling and some rap music is that next level bravado. I need more of it within me. Or at the very least to stop thinking I am such a piece of garbage. Dream big, Hulkamaniacs. (Did you know Hulk Hogan is a huge racist? A lot of old time pro wrestlers were horrible humans. Why do I like pro wrestling again?) A cartoonist I like, Brandon Graham likes to say “My job isn’t to make comics, it’s to stay psyched to make comics.” There’s a lot of art that is considered poorly executed that A LOT of people like. That artist gets to make a living and that’s a fucking miracle. Not that people like it, that they make a living. I’m working on just churning out work. The dream of doing this full time is probably not in the cards but I do think I’m at peace with how art fits in to this chaotic smokey fight that is my life these days.