Just got back from the festival of books. I am pretty worn out, but i still got the update up. It was a fantastic fun festival.

Working on finishing the edits this week and hopefully in two weeks i will have abook ready for print.

trav

hi all – just back from wondercon- it was a good show- more on that later… once i get settled in- Right now its the last day (meaning monday and part of tuesday  if you want to be a part of my new book- Tanner Jones and the Quest for the Monkey Stone.  Just click the picture to check it out.

The case for the iphones are in and look fantastic- As they sell out I will be replacing them with other images. It will help keep the cases unique and wonderful. I am now working on a galaxy 3 and 4 line, I hope to have those cases in a few weeks.  So if you want an exclusive cover for your phone just click the image and it will take you to the store. These cases are very very limited, because I like art to have value.

Keep creating

trav

Shop Talk: The power of Webcomics and why stores, publishing companies, hobbyist and the old indy publishing model doesn’t get it yet.

This last year has been quite an eye opener for me. These last two years have really been a break out for indy/webcomics. Many of these creators have found how to make their stories a good income source and some cases a permanent income source. Being one of them I have found how vital it is for the print and web industries to work together. They need each other.

Creators of outstanding stories need to be paid for their efforts. Yet the distribution for independents is facing some uphill battles. Diamond is no longer friendly to them and most comic stores stock the top 4 or 5 publishers in this order Marvel/DC, Image, Dark horse, Archaia Entertainment (which i love), and then well known independents, minor independents (only about 3 to 5% on the list if that) and then well you get it. Indy’s are not high the list. Plus all the indy distributors are drying up. Does this mean that your books won’t get into a store- not always- but it is the biggest uphill battle you have to face. Plus the return on your work is low… So really what is the motivation for an indy publisher these days. Well it might surprise you.

Several indy creators have found a way to carve out a nitch in the industry. We have found a way to bring in income as well and we all for the most part have the same mind frame on how to make it work. Yet it goes against the grain and very slowly an industry that refuses to change in way of doing business is starting to take notice. Yet, I am not writing this for the industry, I am writing this for the indy’s, with hopes that you to can make your dreams of being a story creator become a reality.

So let’s talk shop.

As an artist, I need to make a living. It is what I do. There are peaks and valleys in my career. I have to constantly promote and many times listen to the negative feedback that seems to stalk artist about our goals being unrealistic. Yet it all boils down to 2 things.

First- Dont tell me how bad you want it, show me.

Second- This is a career not a hobby. For the most part webcomic-hobbyist disappear after a few years. Those that treat it like a job – stick around.

With that being said how do I make my comic into a webcomic that generates income, builds my artistic career, and fulfills the needs of my fans.

1. Give it away for free online. What? Give it a way for free are you nuts? How does one make money when you are giving it away for free online so everyone can read it? Simple…. You are building an audience. Most indy’s don’t have audiences, except their friends and families. Honest fact.  So if no one knows your story exists, how can they buy it when it comes out in print?

The power of giving your story away for free helps you on many fronts. The first is audience growth. You jump from being just a small local story teller to an international story teller. If the work is clean, the story good, and updates consistent people keep coming back. They become attached to your world and many want you to succeed that when you do print books and create digital books they support them.

Next it gives people a reason to remember you, especially in-between issues. The longer the wait in between books the quicker people forget you exist, no matter how good the story is. Regular updates help keep people invested in what you are creating and motivates you to keep producing-

The big companies are starting to offer online- but a lot of them charge. That’s fine. I will still offer my tale for free, because I want more and more people to become familiar with my story and my art.

2. The power of community. For the most part the webcomic community is pretty open. In fact several of the successful creators are always willing to give advice. Jason Brubaker of remind has created and entire site dedicated to making webcomics and comics. The web comic is also very supportive of one another. We plug each others comics, yet this is usually by taste. DONT BE PUSHY- if someone doesn’t plug you it might be because we are also picky. I plug webcomics I read, yet I am a stickler for story and good illustrations.

Be willing to plug others as well, without expecting anything in return. It’s get’s noticed. Those that expect things find out that people avoid them.

We also all are trying to tell our own stories. Each different and unique. This creates a common bond, as we all try to be successful in our story telling. Be respectful of this the web can be rather harsh at times as people push their own agendas.

There is also many creators who have created tutorials or blogs and how to make it work. You just have to find them and read them. I already linked to a great set of resources with Jason.

Stay away from comparing. Everyone is at their own spot in the game and sometimes the biggest killer of a webcomic is the creator itself. You got to focus on your own game not someone else. Let other creators inspire you to improve yourself and then apply what you learn, but keep it your own style and creation.

3. Patience- Your audience will show up. You just have to put the time in to make it happen. Like planting a garden, the fruit of the labor does not happen overnight. It takes time. Audiences start small. Yet there are many ways to plug your work. You need to be consistent with your updates and art. Don’t disappear or be unreliable, that kills the audience quick. Sometimes it can take several years before your audience grows and you start generating income. Stick it out.

4. Print still sells- Print books will never go away. In fact the web and print work very well together. Yet you can just throw in out on a whim – you need to build up your audience. Once your audience has grown, it might be time to print. The cool thing is many indy’s no longer use stores and distributors. We build our own stores and sell from there, we are cutting out distributors and sales are direct. It gives me a chance to offer a store a bigger cut, if they want to carry it, but as the web audience grows, you find that you dont have to be in a small comic shop. Plus there are other ways to get into bigger stores.

Just be careful about jumping the gun. Establish your comic and your audience first. Build up the page count and pull from there and add tidbits here and there.

Yet you still have to print the books. Hence the power of kickstarter. The key to success with kickstarter is the importance of building an audience and having a good looking product. (ok there is more but you have to read about it in my kickstarter topic here).

5. You still have to push your comic- Once you have to comics- you head to cons. Start small. Once again we see the importance of building up an audience. People find you though, especially fans. It is quite cool when people you have never met in a city come up to you and say they have been following you for year and want to support you. Just make sure when you come back the next year you have something new for them. The killer of most small press is they are a one book press… This is solved if you are doing a web comic and can keep producing books.

Is it fool proof…. no. It’s constantly evolving and changing. We need to adapt and honestly it is those creators that can adapt that survive. Patience, and the drive to figure things out. Yet that’s what makes webcomics a possible realistic source of income. You just got to put the effort into your own work.

Is it easy… no. Will you get frustrated… yes. Will you almost quit…possibly. Yet in the end, if you are willing to put the effort in and are willing to show people that you want it bad enough – you will make it happen. Things only look better for webcomics, especially with more and more support options out there to help with getting the word out. You will might be pleasantly surprised.

There is so much more to this. I plan to go into it as well because I want to see others succeed. I believe in the webcomic/kickstarter model. I am product of it working. I think now is the time for more great stories to get out there, just be true to work and your updating schedule. Treat it like a job and in time (no destination given cause we are all different) and it will eventually become one.

Are webcomics good for the industry- you bet they are… in fact they are breathing new life to a broken model already in place. They bring in new readers to comics and help reach audiences that normally would never know that your work exist.

So there is life for the indy’s. You can survive the comic industry and still make a dent as indy. You can still get your story out there and sell your books. You just get creative , go against the grain and not be afraid to offer your comic for free.

Keep creating-

trav

The other day I read an article about how backgrounds are really not needed in webcomics or comics in general. I was rather shocked by the attitudes and perceptions that backgrounds were unimportant in the story telling process and that head shots and just character figures could make a story or comic successful.

Truth be told, Backgrounds are more than just a luxury or eye candy I find a that backgrounds and strong page layouts are crucial to effective story telling. That the elimination of these elements completely from a comic is kind of a cop-out by the artist.  I hope as we chat a little today you will see the need and the purpose of the background and how it can be such a powerful tool in the story process.

Now some strips honestly, and I will be the first to admit it, don’t always need backgrounds in every panel. Each part of layout plays an important part in telling a story, it’s learning how to use each element successfully that can determine a strong storyteller. There is a place for the headshot, the character without anything behind them in a panel or maybe one or two props, that help establish a bit of realism or perspective of the room they are in.  Yet the backgrounds have the power to remind us of where we are at, and reduce the need to sometimes spell everything out in text.

Now I blur the word environment and background. I find them to be virtually the same when I am working on the Bean. I build my backgrounds into my layouts and I am not afraid to bring them into the foreground when needed. I have found that the more I use them in my storytelling – the stronger I see that the story becomes.  Also mind you I am working on a full epic story (530 pages posted), yet I have found these rules also apply to small stories, one shots, and general illustrations.

Treating your background/environment as it’s own character.
Huh? When I first created the Bean, I found that the more I added detail to my world the more it became alive. It literally became it’s own character. It made the world I was creating believable and alive. Pulling the reader into not just the story I created but the world itself. I found this to be extremely helpful in establishing cultures,  personalities, and even story elements.

If the character, I was drawing was a slob, his room or area needed to reflect that. It made the character a little more believable. The trinkets and trash had to have meaning to him and by adding elements that I believe he would have consumed or tossed around it added to his personality and character.  Yet is the character was a collector, than his room needed to feel like an overstuffed museum. His history on the walls and the floor, each item telling their own story.

If my characters were outside and wandering (which they are doing now) I needed to make the world around them alive. Which takes me to my next point…

Backgrounds have the power of establishing emotion…
Really? Yes, really.  Going back to my wondering characters, a good strong background allows the reader to feel the emotions my characters are going through without  one of them having to explain it to the reader. Just the barrenness of the landscape and your group pushing through, can give the reader a true feeling for what the experience is. It allows the characters to become more alive, to look at things and feel more than just paperdoll cutouts on a white canvass. It even allows you to convey the power of a characters personality… childlike characters stop and look and touch – while the more focused characters of the scene might just be pushing on ignoring the world around them.

It can create dread, worry, happiness and most important the feeling that one truly understands the world your characters and people live in.  It also serves a reminder at times for the emotional experience you might be trying to convey in your story… for example… Two characters enter a ruined village and began a conversation… which drifts here and there, by adding environment and background… not even detail you can create subtle reminders that they are still in a ruined village and that they might even possibly be in danger, without having the characters even explain to the audience what is going on. That’s because the audience already sees it. They know it and your backgrounds act as that quiet reminder that something might happen.

Establishing realism through background and layouts
This is really important for the comic creator that wants his world, imaginary or not to feel real.  Even some of the best cartoonist pushed themselves to have a sense of realism in their works. Gary Larsen, Bill Watterson, Jim Davis (when he drew the strip), Bill Keane… etc. They understood the purpose of perspective, layout and the importance of building a believable environment for their characters (just look at the sunday comics).  Most comic book creators understand this as well.  Keen readers pick up on the fact that the artist takes the time to make a room believable. Dressers always in the same spot, lamps that don’t move positions, desk layouts that stay the same… store shelving that helps establish location. It can make a room feel small.  This is also the bane of many illustrators, myself included at times as I try to remember where I left the sword or the dagger. Is the backpack on otter right? etc… But it sets you apart as a creator when you do these things.

Making your backgrounds feel like they actually belong.
This is important. Just throwing a background into a piece or throwing things here and there can actually take away from a strip. Things need to belong, they need to feel like they are part of the environment and not just standard basic illustrations put there to fill space.  William Stout, pointed this out to me many years ago – the need to make things feel like they belong in the backgrounds, and that they were different from each other. Meaning not all trees or bottles look alike. That by adding a little personality to the background, your world stops being mundane and becomes a realistic possibility.

Backgrounds take work and practice.
One of the truest and most honest reasons people do not put backgrounds into their works is because they hate drawing them. They are a challenge, and can be quite frustrating.  In fact they can be a huge source of aggravation, felt it myself many times.

So what do you do? well start researching things out. Actually take a moment and look at your script and plan a little. Work with your writer if you can, find out what belongs in the background and why and then you go out and learn how to add that into your world. One of the hardest things for me was learning how to pull my horizon line up a little more and draw things smaller to give them distance. It was a test of my faith and honestly one of the biggest and most frustrating things to learn in my career. Yet it was worth every bit of aggravation and I am still learning on how to improve my craft. Yet what most people do not realize is how much time, practice and patience actually goes into learning how to actually draw and layout things correctly using perspective.

I have found google images, national geographic and magazines a god send in helping me learn to draw different backgrounds, props and actually placing people to fit in the environments correctly. It has also improved the layout and feel of comic. Which helps the story.

Backgrounds can make the mundane interesting.
Ok lets be honest. There are moments in every strip that seem to just drag. They are important to plot and explaining a crucial thing, but the easy way out is to just draw the characters explaining something and looking off into one direction or the other… Nothing else to look at on the page, and if you have several updates of this due to the complexity of the joke or story… it can actually put off readership a little. The background gives them something else to look at. It allows the camera to pan back, go in another direction or help establish a location in creating a mood.  It also allows you to change up the layout. It gives you more creative control and feeling and it can really help these slower parts flow better, PLUS it sometimes gives characters things to play with when they are just talking.  Watch people talk to one another, most people are fidgety, they are doing something.. they hey… wait for it… interacting with their environment. This is noticed.

Some of the best comics I have ever read where by creators who truly understood the value of the background and environment. These are the stories and books I still read. These are the ones I admire and strive to be like, these are truly the master story tellers.

So before you get ready to dismiss the need for a background, stop and look at the comics and artist you look up to and enjoy. Look at how they value the importance and need of a background. (if they don’t that’s ok) But I will tell you – your credibility will improve as an effective story teller if you can learn to utilize and adapt backgrounds into your works.

Keep creating
Trav

Understanding Kickstarter and why small press thrives off it (especially webcomics)

I want to talk about Kickstarter. Why I am for it and how people can make it work for them… I realize that a lot of you might not know me or my comic. You probably wondering where I get off talking about Kickstarter and why I think it is fantastic for the industry or how to make it work.

My name is Travis Hanson. I am a fantasy illustrator. I write and illustrate a webcomic called Bean, which was nominated for an Eisner in 2011, it is a black and white epic fantasy tale of a dishwasher. I also do fantasy illustrations that focus on the power of imagination. I have been at it  for 15 years. Now, what does that have to do with Kickstarter? Well, in the last two years I have put together three successful Kickstarter campaigns for the bean and now I have finished successfully my 4th campaign, which reached it’s target goal in 4 days of 11k.

Since then I have been asked how it works and have people suggest that they need to do a kickstarter. I am excited for them- but at the same time I caution them. Kickstarter is a rough exciting road. So be prepared for the emotional roller coaster that comes with it. Also it can be a successful way to get projects off the ground and if you use it the right way it creates many opportunities for creators that were not always there.

So how does a small press, unknown, indy creator, like myself be able to make Kickstarter work? Why do we thrive off of it?

Well that is because I understand what Kickstarter really is. It is a funding platform for creators who want control over their work. Anyone, who has a creative project dealing with the arts, can use it and it doesn’t matter who it is, as long as you follow their guidelines. They encourage you to do as many projects as you want… yet you can only do one at a time…. which is cool. So with the understanding of what Kickstarter really is, it’s hard for me to get upset at the movies, big games or big names that want to use it as well to fund their ideas. Kickstarter  allows creators to connect with their fans in a way that was not present before, produce work they want full control over and hold creator responsible to finish his plan if the project funds.  This is understanding is crucial to making this platform work. It is important to note, Kickstarter is not a publishing house, distribution center or marketing firm. That is the sole responsibility of the creator. It’s your idea so you need to take ownership of it.

A fan, or pledge, chooses for themselves if they will back a project or not. There is no force and if you don’t like a certain project, for whatever reason, than you don’t have to back it. That means if people want to support indy guys, like me, and small press, or maybe their favorite artist they can find us and back us. Honestly I can’t blame the million dollar campaigns because they have an established fan base… all I can do is find a way to make Kickstarter work best for me.

As a funding platform Kickstarter has  made it possible for creative people to get their works out there and give their dreams a start. Not all projects will fund and most reasons for this  deal with rushing the project out there without preparing on how you the creator will market it to your fan base. Especially if you don’t have one from the beginning.  Some projects catch fire and shoot the moon and some, like mine and many others just make our goals and allows us to continue to follow our dreams. There are people uncomfortable with this work model. Established artists and designers that are afraid that the market will be flooded with subpar work, maybe the true fear is they are afraid their own fan base will diminish. I doubt it. In fact I have found that some incredible work is being produced and that I am finding a lot of hidden talent that needs to be noticed, that would have otherwise not been,  through the world of Kickstarter. The world is changing on how ideas are be found, be willing to change with it. This is not print on demand, this is about funding a project, which takes a huge burden off creators.

So in reality I am writing this for the indy creator, the one that has a dream and wants to see that dream become a reality. I hope that you take to heart what I say. It could probably save you some time and money and a little heartache. I hope you realize that all Kickstarter is is a way to crowd fund your books, music or other art projects, effectively taking off the burden of having to have funds to do something.  The catch is that you still have to do all the rest of the work involved in seeing it to completion, which can be a lot of hard work, but in the end so worth it…  Now if your planning one, here are some guidelines that have worked for me. Mind you there’s a lot more to talk about and we can chat all day long.

1. READ and LEARN all about Kickstarter. A lot of people talk about this crowd funding platform and have no idea how it works. Kickstarter has a very easy question and answer system.  They lay it all out there and remind you it’s an all or nothing platform. You either make the goal or not.

2. Plan it out. Don’t just jump into it thinking your idea is so fantastic, that people are going to leap at the chance to fund you. This is why people fail. They jump in without preparing. They have no fan base, or trust that social media will do the job. It helps, but you can’t rely on it. FB alone will only allow about 7% of your following to see your posts. When I did my first Kickstarter the book was nearly finished, and it had been online as a webcomic for almost two years before I even considered crowd funding. I planed it out from the beginning and made sure that I could deliver what I promised.

Creating the fan base was crucial. The webcomic allowed for that, as well as going to cons, and constantly posting art. People knew it was coming and were on the look out. At the end in my questionnaire I asked if they would be willing to support another one and 98% said yes. So in 8 months when we did 2nd one and I prepared it just like the first one. If you want to have a successful Kickstarter make sure you are prepared, I cannot stress this enough.

Webcomic creators get this. We know the audience builds over time and if you look a lot of very successful Kickstarters were webcomics. We also know that our audience can be fiercely loyal, when we are loyal to them. Something small press needs to get through their heads and that our audience is world wide. We would love to be in stores, but at the same time are figuring out our fans do not mind buying direct. The game is rapidly changing.

Understand your audience… some audiences have a very narrow appeal, while others have mass appeal. Zombie eating cheerleaders work well for some but probably don’t work for people wanting a book for their 4 year old. NSFW material narrows the field a bit and some stuff is so far out there that people just cant connect to it. So, figure your audience out and market to them.

3. Make it look presentable. Take time in the design. Be upfront and make the updates worth it. Look at other successful Kickstarters and see what they did to make the goal. Look at their layout on their pages. They took the time to make it visually appealing. I back projects that take the effort to make it look nice, interesting and clean.  Make it clear on your dates and make sure you are upfront about everything that involves this project. Your fans and pledges are supporting this and want to feel that they are apart of it as well. Be open about struggles and timetable. For an indy the more info you give, the more people are likely to support you.

4. Make a realistic goal. If you can get your book printed for 5k and shipped for another 1.5 k than ask for 8k (covers the Fees you pay as well) and not for 30k. This is to fund your project not a lifestyle. If you make your goal that is awesome, if you blow it out of the water that is fantastic. Only look at stretch goals once you achieved your initial goal. Seriously, don’t get greedy when you plan it out. If it goes viral that is an added bonus… but look at funding your project first.

5. Honesty- It’s all about honesty…. Your pledges come first. Not second after you get it into book stores. Your backers are the most important thing about your project. One of the reasons I have had four good projects fund, is because I am upfront and my backers know they will always be first. They also know that I personalize the rewards for them, I want them to have an incredible experience.  I understand they are taking a risk and so I make sure I honor that risk.

6. Prepare yourself for an emotional roller coaster and if it doesn’t fund how to get back up and try again. It’s one wild ride and not all projects fund, so be ready for it.  If it doesn’t fund reevaluate it, how do I tweak the idea to make it marketable and better, refocus the presentation or fix the reward system. Just because it does not fund, dose not mean it is a bad idea. It means it just needs to be reworked.

7. Remember – Kickstarter is a platform for crowd funding art projects. It’s not a publisher, not a warehouse, not a production house, not a marketing firm,  it is just a platform. You are all of those. You are using Kickstarter to see if there is enough support to help get an idea off the ground and take the burden of production costs.

8. You are the marketer. Blog it, Share it, Tweet it… you are the one responsible to letting people know that it is out there. You will be up against a lot of of projects trying to do the same thing. Enjoy their success and support them. Supporting others is good karma and don’t beg for successful projects to promote yours while theirs is still going. They are focuses on trying to make theirs work. Ask them after theirs is done to promote yours. You are the one at the end of the day that will push you project. If you find champions, they will help. Also if your project is appealing enough, it begins to push itself.

Kickstarter is a great program. It really does give small press, indys, creators, pros, a chance to follow their own ideas and see their own dreams and stories to completion. It opens doors and makes creates artistic freedom and ownership to those designers that feel that it has been taken away from them or that might not have ever had the opportunity to succeed before.

It’s not for everyone. It scares some people and companies, so they try to discredit it. Yet it also empowers and like I said before I have found some of the most incredible stories, incredible projects, and incredible dreams being accomplished through this platform. Not by seasoned pros but small press and indy/webcomic creators. Some great projects are out there. I would encourage you to search through them. Find ones you like, find new talent out there waiting to be discovered and most importantly support them.

Sure big name artists and companies will be there, but  if you look a little you will find what really makes Kickstarter special and will be pleasantly surprised.

Keep creating.
trav

To see my finished kickstarter project go to TRAVIS ADVENTURE KICKSTARTER PROJECT!

Shop Talk- Scripting the Bean.

Let’s talk about my process, and mainly focus on scripting the bean. There are many ways to script and not everyone will have the luxury of being able to script their own work. Since I write and illustrate everything about “The Bean” I am able have a little more creative freedom when I script and I do not usually follow the industry standard for comic book scripts.

So what do I do?

The first thing I do is build or create a dummy book. Even though “Bean” is shown on the web, my final goal is to create a printed book. I know that book printers work in sets of 8. This is why comics are usually 24 or 32 pages. 24= 3 sets of 8 pages, 32 = 4 sets of pages. By building on this principal, you can build almost any size graphic novel. Bean is built to be a 152 pages of story with extras. So when I am scripting I know that I have to find some closure of the book in 152 pages. You can leave it on a cliff hanger, but the book needs to have some resolution. Books 1, 2 & 3 each have their own story arc, even though they are part of a much bigger and longer tale.

I used to build my dummy books with copy paper and staples. 20 sheets stapled equals a 40 page book (I work on front & back, but more on that in a minute). This method is fine, but you will find that you use the dummy book quite a lot and the staples start to fall out and then you end up fixing the book all the time. This frustrated me after 12 40 page comics like this. I was determined to not let that happen for book 4.

One day at a local office supply store, I found a compilation book for engineers. It is a 76 sheets of graph paper that is bound together, it is also 9 x11 in size so it is bigger than most notebooks. This is what I needed to help me in my scripting. Why graph paper you might ask, well as we talk about my work model further, you will see how important graph paper has become to the process.

I have chosen to draw my comic book landscape or widescreen. I do this because it translates perfectly for the web and looks fantastic in print. Just like a Calvin and Hobbes book. I also like the freedom landscape gives me as I work. The eye moves easier from left to right than from up to down. Plus no scrolling it’s a nice feel. (Only drawback is comic book stores cringe at this because they are set up for traditional style books . So a good portion of my sales come from online, which is better for me)

So back to scripting. When I am ready to start my next chapter I pull out my book and map out two pages. The graphing makes mapping and panel layout so much easier to block. You have instant guidelines. I also like how it works with perspective. Since I draw vertical I can fit two pages to a page. Which means with a compilation book of 76 pages I can map out 152 pages of story. That is 4 chapters of a 172 page book. See it fits perfect for the bean.

Now I gather my notes , scrap papers, sketch books, plug in my music and begin plotting. I work each page individually and at times with it’s opposite, drawing how I would envision them to be. This is a quick sketch as you notice from the pictures. The goal is so I understand. I try to use a pencil, so I can erase and move stuff around. I have used pen, but that gets messy at times. There are times though that I get a little more detailed in the sketch process, especially when I world build or need to see detail. The graph paper also helps me to change camera angles and figure out quick perspective for the pages. I do not write a description of the page I actually draw it. This is what I will use as a guide (key word here: GUIDE) when I start working on my actual page. I can change, add or take away at will.

I also try and limit my panels per page. I have found with this size that 4 or 5 panels should be the limit. Anymore than that and it becomes jumbled. Since Bean is an graphic novel I do not feel that I have to spell it all out either. Many pages are just one or two panels. Visual for me is just as strong as the written word.

It is here that I also lay the text out for the story. I treat this as a guide as well and there have been times that I have completely changed the text as I began to lay the book out in indesign.

I use my script as starting point. The visual aspect combined with only what the characters say create a very clear picture on what my comic is about and how it will end up. Sometimes I am detailed about it and sometimes I am not, because I get in a really powerful groove and need to just get out. I will return and flesh it out later if I must or as I am actually penciling a page. Sometimes I realize that the layout just doesn’t work on a page, since I script/draw in pencil, I can erase the page and re-sketch it out, until it looks right.

The most important thing was to make it easy for me. I need to see it visually and these thumbnails make it possible and the bound together, so i don’t have to worry about loosing pages. It also makes it fun, scripting should not be complicated and by drawing it out like this for artist/writer it allows you to see if something will work visually or not right at that moment.

So that’s it. Maybe next time we will approach more on how I tell the story. Today is a tech day, and that is good too. By seeing how others tackle their goals might give us an idea on how improve or maybe just push through a rough creative block. The most important thing is find what works for and keep going forward.

keep creating
trav-

Also if you have any questions or comments, please share.

Everyone has been endowed with some sort of talent or another. Some are visual, others are not. Not all talents though are easy to be found in one’s soul. They must be looked for and to do that means one must be willing to try something new, something different and something unique. They must keep trying until they find the talent that clicks and then continue to practice, nurture it and cultivate, until that talent becomes a skill.

To often people excuse themselves from finding talents, with the lie that they just have none, that there is not enough time in the day, or that they are just too old . There is no drive there, no motivation to try something different and it’s a lie that can really deflate the moral of a person’s spirit.

So that is the challenge. To stop making excuses and start experimenting. Try something different, something unusual. The age-old adage of “you don’t know if you like it, til you try it.” is true. You will never know what your talents are, until you get out there and try and then try again. This might even mean making some changes in one’s lifestyle and surroundings.  It means turning off the zombie machines and to start actually doing something, as hard as it might be.  It means to start meeting people and surrounding yourself with others that are supportive and also exploring their own gifts and talents. There is something to be said to phrase “creativity breeds creativity.”

Every artist, musician, cook, dancer, singer, writer, jump-roper, crafter, etc… started by trying something new one day, and then doing again and then again and then finally again. Finally finding something they truly enjoy and that they were good at. Yet it came down to trying, failing and trying again. Learning that before you can truly appreciate the gifts inside you – you must first work to seek them out, to stumble at times, and even be a little frustrated. I will tell you though if you become persistent and patient, you will find something incredible things about you.

So take a moment and get up and go try something new. Try something you have never done before, if you have troubles with finding something, than it’s time to watch a documentary or two… I personally learned how to make a fancy cake because I watched cake boss with my family. My daughter wanted to do are own, so we researched it out and then did it. I had blast, it was mess,  yet we learned something really really cool and more importantly we did it. By the way buttercream oreo frosting filling made from scratch is incredible. Now go out there yourself and maybe build a model, give a talk,  learn to can fruit, build and fly a kite or even just learn to be a good listener and you might find some of the unique and incredible talents that are locked deep down inside you. The misconception is that talents have to be visual. That is not true, there are many talents and gifts out there that are not visual but emotional. Each is powerful in it’s own way.  The important thing is to keep exploring and keep enjoying where those gifts can take you. Then when you have figured something new out… go out and share with it someone else.

Yet it all comes down to one thing….

and that is you and you alone have the power to unlock the gifts hidden inside you.

Keep Creating,

trav-

The other day I was asked by a young creator on what they should exhibit at their first comic con. Should they focus on Pop Culture Icons and Lic properties (of designs they do not own or have not paid the fees for) or should they try and establish themselves as their own artist?

To me pop culture icons and lic properties items (prints, toys, etc…) are nothing more that a fast easy buck from an established audience of that property. It is an audience focused on the next big thing and not the creator.

To those that have gone through in obtaining the lic rights and fees to sell pop culture icons, i tip my hat off to you. You are doing it right. You understand the importance of honoring those that hold the rights. To those that just do it and don’t care about lic rights and fees i would hope you reevaluate that and set your self up right to sell lic material.  In the end it will be better for you. Especially as some of these companies are beginning to crack down on un-licensed merchandise. So get your license and you will do fine.

For me I found it more important to establish myself as an artist rather than a pop culture creator. I want people to remember my work and who created it. That is really important to me. Yet that road is a lot harder. As a creator you find yourself as a tiny island in a huge sea of current glorious pop-culture. It’s a daunting task at times to create your own tribe.   Yet in the end it is worth it and far more rewarding.

When I started 15 years ago, I was a very lost fantasy artist. I did not have direction, connections, or a skill level that was marketable at the time. What I did have was drive and that I was willing to learn and listen when advice and council was given to me. I still have drive, I am still learning and listening and I now have direction. The skill level is always growing and the connections… well they are building. Yet, I decided at the beginning, while I was looking for my direction, that I wanted to create my own works, do my own thing and tell my own stories. It has been the best and one of the hardest decisions I have ever made.

What I learned as I went to shows was that people remembered my art and that they remembered me. While fan art and pop cultured pieces got put away, my pieces still remained on their walls. It was shared with friends. Conversations at shows were no longer who are you, but so what’s the next adventure you are working on.  Which to me is pretty awesome. I love the relationships I have built up over the years with fans. Who love pop culture, like me, but are also looking for artists that are willing to do their own thing and make the experience enjoyable.

The next thing is learn to be marketable. Doing your own thing is fine, but you should learn the audience you are going for. Even zombie babies can be mass marketed if done right. There are boundaries though and some creators as they begin to establish their style end up pigeon holing themselves, because they refuse to see the bigger picture. Bloody, mutant, scary clowns have a limited audience, it’s hard to make that audience grow due to how specialized the work is.

I found that audience for Bean is limited. I understand that and I am very cool with that. Bean is a B/W fantasy comic. It has an old school feel to it. Because it’s not in color the audience, which is strong, is still very very concentrated. My color work and prints, which have nothing to do with Bean but just the randomness of what is in my head created a much bigger audience that is growing rather quickly. It’s like planting seeds and if you nurture the plants it grows and grows strong.  I realized how important it is not to limit yourself to one group, yet I keep the same standards I set for all my works.

When establishing yourself with your works and ideas, time management becomes essential. If I spent all my time on pop culture icons, I would never get my own work out. My ideas would always be on the back burner because I would be in the trap of trying to figure out what’s the hottest pop culture items out there and how I could earn a fast buck or two.  Now being contracted for a job is something else. Your being paid for it by the company that owns the right so that is ok. I am more than willing to draw for big name companies and work on their properties. Yet my down time is devoted to establishing my own name and my own stories.

Don’t be afraid to start small, but always have something new on a regular basis. One of the biggest traps for new creators is they produce a book and then thats it. Nothing new comes out. Each year goes by and they still have the same book on the table, by itself. Your fans will notice this and once they realize you are not producing anything else, they look for something else. Always try to have something new out. It is super important. Sketch book, prints, or most importantly if you are producing books have NEW books. The key to being successful as an artist is to always be creating, always adding to your works. Give people a reason to return and visit your worlds. With all the crowdfunding going on there is no reason, if you are willing to put the effort in to making it look good, to have a new book each year.

The drive. Yup you got to have the drive. You need to remember this is not a hobby, it is an actual job. Make it your business and learn it. What are you willing, of your luxuries and social life, to give up? The poorest excuse is I don’t have time. You need to create time. I don’t have time means

it is not important, especially when you are willing to talk about all the movies and tv shows you watch. Make the time. Pull the sketchbook out and start doodling.

As for creating something new all the time, remember you will hit lows. These are temporary. Creativity is a powerful mental force not understood. It is an adrenaline rush that has a low after it. Learn to recognize and prepare for it. Durning my lows I switch gears and work on other projects to keep me going. I also keep a quote from an old creator who said, “It’s when i am tired and don’t want to draw, that I need to push myself to keep going” (he was a daily strip cartoonist).  I believe that-Drawing for me is important. Don’t get me wrong I love doing gigs and commissions. I love drawing fan art (though i would never make prints of my fan art). I love drawing pop-culture icons as well… but in the end it is more important for me to establish my style and my stories. It’s a building process that is growing at an incredible rate and it’s based of my works and not someone else.

Your original work competing against your pop culture work. Not many people think of this. I have friends who do both fan based pop culture and original works. They say that their original works and ideas don’t sell that well at shows but their pop culture works sell out. It’s because they are competing against themselves. They have built an audience that, even though some of them enjoy their original works, it is just just an audience that mainly enjoys somebody else’s proprieties that you just happened to draw. That’s what they expect and when you do that it is really easy to stop believing in your own ideas because you have to rely on someone else to make a buck at a show. Then when you want to focus solely on your own work you can’t because you are not drawing what the masses have expected you to draw.

I cant tell you what to do or what direction you should take. Only you can do that. Yet you need to decide what you want to be in the end. It might take some soul searching and such, but it comes down to you. For me, even though the road has been long and hard, it has been worth it. I am my own artist now. I have sooo much fun playing in my imagination and I know many others that have gone down the same road as I. They say the same thing…. they draw their own stories and their own ideas and they feel free doing it. The road is universally tough for all of them, but they are making it and they are examples to others trying to do the same thing, proving that it is possible to be an indy and be your own artist.

So go produce a book, than produce another, and do your own prints and build a strong following… just be aware the road is a rougher, a little longer, but far more rewarding.

Keep Creating

Trav!

These are just sketches – meant to be fun and are more for me than anything else. I am enjoying my new working tool (the cintiq) and have found that it is really opening up my creativity and ability to produce images quicker.

Feel free to ask any question- about the process – or my work in general –

Like I said I will try to do this daily – Try but no promises…..

Keep Creating

trav-

as we hit the goal, I found that in my heart the true stretch goal needed to be about the number of books that were to be sent out. It’s the message I want people to experience. That message that the gift of imagination is one of the most precious gifts we have. I want people to realize that, and then revisit it. That’s it ok for adults to enjoy the magic they once knew and use it for their benefit.

So my goal is to be able to draw in a 1000 books when this all over. That means a 1000 people on the list, we are at 307 adventurers.  I think if that happens well hit the coloring book goal without a problem.

All I am asking is to spread the word- to share the dream and help others either rekindle the magic or just reinforce the magic. Come find the dreamers, the lovers, and come hang out with me….

If you want to get an artbook- come pledge and secure your spot by clicking here!

here are some images from inside the book

So there has been rumblings, and they are true. I have a decided to put together a couple of artbooks. I have enough prints to do it, so it will not cut into the Bean, though Bean 4 should start this fall. Yet what kind of art book will be. Well for one, I want it to be fun. I don’t want it to be a standard sketch book, so I am going to take a different approach to it. The piece you see above is a sample page. My goal, was to a create a book that represents all my horizontal prints and at the same time use it to inspire others to dream, to create and in my opinion – just enjoy what life has to offer.

There is no way I can fund it myself, so I going to kickstart it as well. This should happen in Mar. I am looking at the book being about 68 to 72 pages. It will be full color, a very limited run, depending on the kickstarter pledge rewards,  and I will throw a bunch of sketches in the back of the book.  I am still working all the details out, especially the reward systems – though I think one of the tiers will involve custom pencil work.

Keep your eyes peeled and look for more info to come in the next few weeks. I’ll post a few pages here and there and another video or two. I can’t do it without you, your support makes all this happen and I thank you for that.

Keep creating

trav