The Bean in color – really?? Can it happen?

Yes I am going to color the Bean. Patreon.com is a way that can make it possible. It allows you to help fund the coloring and get some cool rewards in return for your support.  It’s new way to help fans become patrons of the arts and little costs, help creators finish projects and be part of the entire process.

“The Bean” (all 590+ pages and growing) has been published as a black and white comic since its beginning. It was nominated for an Eisner in 2011. I have published 3 volumes of the comics in black and white but have come to realize, that my readers would have a greater visual experience and the story could become more powerful if “The Bean” was to be produced in color, the way I originally envisioned it.

This has been a labor of love for many years. Unfortunately, it has been a hobby and I have not been able to focus on more than one page a week. There are bills to be paid and mouths to be fed. Yet I still believe in the dream and even in the tough times, I have always updated and given Bean’s story to the world for free.

I want to finish Bean’s story and have it be read and loved. I want people to be able to imagine themselves there with Bean in his adventures in full color, just how I first envisioned it. A full color epic story about the transformation of a young boy in to someone more than he ever imagined himself to be.

So why am I here on Patreon?
All through the ages, people with vision have supported the arts. These are people who know what it takes to produce excellent work and to help the artists be able to produce great works of lasting beauty that everyone can enjoy. These are people who want to make a difference in the lives of others, not just in the artists they support, but a difference in the whole world as they contribute what they can so that the artist has time and money to create works that will benefit and change the world for the better. I know that out there somewhere, there are extraordinary people with vision and means who would be willing to contribute a little each month to help see that “The Bean” gets finished in a timely manner in full color. I know that the story of Bean will change hearts and change what people think is possible, just as Bean changes with the help of those he comes into contact with throughout his journey into a greater individual.

The more money contributed to this campaign, the more this will allow me to finish this incredible package and offer you more in return. It will allow me to dedicate more time to finish “The Bean” books and go back and produce color versions that will inspire and delight the readers. Your part in this journey, starts with the first step to become involved with Patreon. You can help make a difference in the world with your generous support.

At this time of my life, I am committed to dedicating my time to making this world a better place for all to enjoy. I am committed to telling the stories of inspiration and hope, illustrating them with imaginative artwork, and helping people to find their own happiness and joy through service and imagination.

What and When are the updates?
With the help of flattener Darne Lang, we will update the color pages from the beginning of Book 1 twice a week. I will continue to add 1 new inked pages to Bean’s current story every week.  There will now be weekly comic updates 3 times a week. The more money that is contributed, the more pages will be completed. My ultimate goal would be to update Bean’s story with both color and b/w pages 5 times a week.

Bean will always be free to read online, but those special people who become a patrons, in addition to helping complete this project, will also have special access to the parteon blog where there will be original sketches you can print out to enjoy, preview art, special contests and opportunities to comment, chat and be the first to preview the story pages before everyone else get to see them. Your feedback, as a patron of the arts, is very important to me and many times the story has incorporated the ideas that you have shared with me. As you contribute, there will be opportunities for you to be able to receive a copy of each new book as it is printed, depending on your level of contribution.

Thank you so much for your support in Bean’s story over the years. I have appreciated that you have shared his story, contributed to the funding and strengthened me to keep moving forward. I am very excited to finally be able to see Bean move in such a positive and incredible direction. I could never have come this far without your help, your encouragement, your financial support, and your belief in the power of changing the world through following your dreams. I promise to continue to make this adventure of a humble dishwasher an incredible ride. Please commit your financial support today to keep this dream alive. As little as one dollar can get you started as a Patron of the Arts.

Keep creating, keep dreaming and keep believing.
Travis Hanson

Webcomics: Color or Black & White and Observations.

First off I love comics and webcomics in color, I also love comics in B/W and eventually I am planning on doing the Bean in Full Color. Nor do I want to discourage anyone from creating a webcomic …. so before we unleash the hounds on me due to this article, I just wanted to put that out there and maybe help future creators be a little more prepared for what the future might bring.

Webcomics are growing. Growing like never before and they are getting better and better and better. Yet many of the really good ones, in full color, are struggling. They are struggling to update regularly, many have reduced their posting time due to a wide variety of issues and some them have stopped altogether. Some of which I plan to explore a little.

I’ve been asked quite a bit lately, why the Bean is not in full color right now. Why leave it in Black and White?

I hope that as you read this, you will get a better understanding on why I am waiting to color and how that helps me keep things going. I always wanted the Bean in color. I tailor my inks to fit color and it is in my long term goals in the scheme of things. I have even had a colorist complete a few pages, yet I have learned coloring to some degree can kill a project if you are not prepared for it.

So lets talk about it.

First off: Webcomics are usually a labor of love. It is a way for us to tell the stories we want to tell. Depending on the illustrator or illustrators, they are usually a one person show. The creator must be the story writer, the penciler, the inker, letterer, hopefully not editor, the colorist at times, the web guru, the store owner, the marketer, the publisher, and the list goes on. Plus most carry on a day job as well. Some of us have families and other obligations . We are the independents of the future, especially as the game of distribution is literally changing before our very eyes. The time involved is pretty taxing and many times the first thing to go when life gets rough is the webcomic.

Example- It take about 30 min to and hour and a half to pencil a Bean page. Inking takes another 2 to 3 hours, add scanning, layout and editing and that is another hour. I update bean 3 times a week. So I must do at least 3 pages a week. This does not include all the other work that needs to get done and family time. I spend a lot of long nights on art. To color a page, you need to add about 2 to 3 hours more to a page. So now it takes about 6.5 hours on average to produce a page instead of about 3.5 to 4 hours average. That’s if you are quick.  I know colorist that take between 6 to 8 hours a page.

I am not complaining and I completely understood what I was getting into. I am just breaking it done to show you what goes into the process. I actually, in a sick way, enjoy it. I know I am also not alone.

Now, most of us started posting our webcomics with a direct schedule in mind. A lot of my friends that do color comics decided 1 day a week others can do 2. A few are every 2 weeks. They look fantastic, but the wait period is rough. Even once a week can cause people to forget you are there. The b/w artist are a little more consistent ranging from 1 a week to 5 times a week, I am in the middle. Once you start a schedule, you should stick to it. Here’s the problem that usually happens…. life.

I talk a lot about having a good buffer. It’s really important, without it you’ll kill your story pretty quickly. Bean’s buffer is 3 months and that gets eaten away fast. So I have to make sure I do 3 pages a week to satisfy the buffer I set up. Yet when life gets in the way I am pretty prepared for it. So when life happens, I can still update.

So Why Not Find A Colorist….

Easier said than done. Since webcomics are usually a labor of love, most creators are not making much money on their creations. That’s why a few of us print our webcomics (a whole other subject) and still hold full time or part time jobs. Yet when you bring someone into your project, there are some things to be considered.

1. Will they be married to your webcomic like you are? Meaning they put as much effort as you do into the work. Pushing off their own projects. Do they have the patience to last out the long haul…especially for you epic creators.

2. Since you work for free, you naturally want them to work for free or promised future royaltees. That doesn’t always work, they need to eat too and I know how much I charge to color work. Paying gigs also will take priority over non-paying gigs.

3. Can they do the level of quality you expect for your work. You need an colorist that you can depend on, that you can work with and that you are happy with their work. A poor colorist can really ruin a project.

So it comes down to it’s easier for the poor webcomic creator to do it themselves. Which brings me to why I don’t color Bean right now.

It’s All About Priorities And Patience…

My first goal is to tell a story. It is one that has been in my head for a very long time. I want to tell it my way, how I envisioned it and in a form that was easily accessible. I also wanted to tell an epic story, which means that I am going to be at this for a long, long time.

My second goal was to be consistent and reliable with my updates. I promised my readership that they would get an update 3 times a week. I know that it is because I am reliable in these updates that people keep coming back. If I had the time to do 4 or 5 times a week I would… there is just no time.

To be consistent, I had to let something go….that was color. I can’t afford a colorist and I am not expecting someone to jump in and save me, I’ll just color it later.  It does not mean I stopped coloring altogether, I just save it for prints, commissions and other projects. For me to produce 3 times a week, I just cannot color the book. If I did my updates would be once a week and with a serial epic story that kills the flow. So I designed it to be colored in the future and when I do it’s gonna look even better.

I realized that by waiting to color it I would be following the same pattern as Jeff Smith of Bone and Windi and Richard Pini of Elfquest. They told their stories first and then when they bound their books for the last time they colored them. It worked for them very well…. I think it works in the webcomic model as well.

Now, I am not knocking color in anyway. It’s an awesome addition to webcomics. I would love to see Bean in color one day, it is just not an option. It works if you have the time, money and means to put it into it. If you can update several times a week … bravo. Yet the odds are stacked and some really awesome comics, a few are in my wanderings, have gone on hiatus, because of the demand of life that makes it difficult. Does this mean they have to stop…oh no and I hope not. It just means if they switch mid game, its gonna be really hard to keep the ball rolling.

So that is why I am keeping  black and white. I want to finish it and have it not finish me. I made a commitment to tell a story once the story is done and proves successful I will color it and you will really get to see the vision. Yet for now, it’s important to just tell the story.

If you are planning to do a webcomic, take this into consideration. Take a look at who has been around for a bit, who stopped midway and who quit before they could even get started. Some are in color and some are not…. You don’t have to copy their works, but I would copy their work ethic. If you are willing to do this, than no matter what you do in this world of adventure, you will succeed.

Keep creating and show me you want it…. I will be looking for you on the web and hopefully one day in print-

Trav

One of the neat things about working with an incredible colorist is how they tackle your vision.

The process between Ben and I is a lot different than how some coloring partners work.  I think it actually improves the piece, especially how he tackles some elements and his ability to use and create shadow. A great example is the Ranger. The color of his clothing and hair are perfect for this character and it added a bit of depth that I had not seen before.

I would love to have Ben take a moment and discuss how he approaches the coloring of a page and maybe how color can create the right mood for the reader. So I am going to ask him to do so… I think you will all enjoy it.

It’s nice seeing the last 7 pages in color so here’s to a lot more.

trav

Also what would you like to see me add to the site? A character Bio section? A spoiler section? More artist commentary on pages? What are you looking for. Do you just come for the comic or do you stay for all the goodies. Just asking.

Well back to the grind….

trav

Ben has the ability to take the comic to the next level. He and I see and think the same and he is able to pull out extra details that b/w does not offer. I hope you take a moment and continue to encourage him and his talent. I really love seeing “the Bean” in full color. I hope you do as well.

So what happens to the books and the story? Actually nothing. The books will continue to be b/w. They are actually funding a full color graphic novel in the future. The comic will also update still twice a week on mondays and thursdays. Now with Ben dedicated to adding color to the tale I can still focus on telling the story. So I am moving on and have finished over half of the pencils to issue 7. Plus issue 6 goes to press really soon.

Ben’s main goal is to start from the beginning. We talked about just jumping in, yet we both felt that the beginning was a much better way to approach the comic. That way we could still work stress free. Work smarter not harder is idea. So enjoy the tale as it continues and then go back and start it again in color.

Thanks again Ben- you are making this dream an incredible reality.

Also take a moment and go visit Ben’s incredible work

Ben’s website www.ironhenry.com

Well back to the drawing board… oh and remember to vote for us:)

trav

Wow, just got back from SDCC and I am still recovering. Yet I am working hard on the color updates. So much good stuff.
Things continue to go well on the home front and look for the next color update on thursday. The SDCC report will be coming soon.

trav

Hello my friends. I hope that you are having an incredible day, full of adventure and good times. Today we update. It is so nice to see the comic in color and I sure appreciate all the help in making it so. I hope you can see the visual difference and the power that color brings to the story.

This is also the week of SDCC- (E01 Free Sketches all weekend long) We will have another color update on Thursday I promise. I am a man of my word.

If you are enjoying the tale, please help get the word out and share.

Thanks again for all the incredible support. Keep Creating

trav

Todays Color update is brought to you by the good patrons of Patreon. They are helping making bean come to life in full color. Thank you.

trav-

NEW color update today. I am pretty excited about the direction of the color- and as we work through I am truly humbled by those that are supporting this comic through patreon to make it a reality. I love how it is coming out and I think it is really adding a whole new dimension to the story that I feel was missing.

Thanks again for the incredible support-

trav

Here as promised is today’s full color update. It is sooo much more sound in color in my opinion and I look forward to catching up to the current 591 page but that is ok- We will day. Your contributions through patreon are helping. Thank you. If you want to help you can donate a $1 per color update. Only 2 a week. Every bit helps, every bit makes it possible to dedicate more time to this incredible endeavor we are embarking on. I cannot do this with out your incredible support. Thank you for those that are lightening this burden so I can create time to one keep the bean free online and 2 create time to get this job done.

Keep creating.

trav

Welcome to the world of the Bean.

BIG UPDATE! Bean is going to color- 1 page at a time….

Since I am now working for myself, I am going to go back and start coloring Bean. The reason is as a b/w comic I am finding my possibilities to really share the bean very limited. Most stores want color books over b/w and so I am going back and working through the books to be in full color. This will help things quite a bit. This is a huge undertaking and to make this work I am looking at Patreon.com …. This will allow you to help support this project and keep this incredible tale moving forward. It’s been a labor of love for a long time and I will need a lot of support and help to keep it going.

Once I have enough pages colored and if I haven’t found a publisher yet, I will kickstart the color books as well. This though will not stop the story from progressing. I will continue to update one b/w page a week until I build up my reserves once again to increase that. There will be more info coming this week about Patreon, the bean in coloring and making this dream a reality.

The biggest question on my mind- would you be willing to support bean for $1 or 2 a month (or more) to help me color this story that many of you have enjoyed since 2009? I still will post for free though.

What is Bean about?

Bean is the epic adventure of a dishwasher….

Just so you know, I like epics. I am fan of LOTR and Bone (all 1500+ pages). I love the original Quest by the Pini’s and fantasy in general.

So as you start this quest, it will take a bit to get the action going. I am in no hurry.  I update every monday – but that might change as now i am working on bean full time. I am also taking my time to craft this tale and as you read on you will understand why.  I would encourage you to not stop at 20 pages because you have only scratched the surface. Yet don’t fret, there is an ending, that is already written. The fun part will be getting there.

What makes things even more exciting is Bean was nominated for an Eisner in 2011. A huge feat for a b/w webcomic.

Keep Creating, leave a comment or two, I’ll always respond and enjoy the adventure.

trav