Unusual Reasons

I tried to count the reasons for me to make a graphic novel. There are lots of expected reasons, like wanting to tell a story, increase exposure and art and writing skills, make new friends, and express myself. From there I found a few unusual or weird reasons. I have made this list many times before, at times when I was going to give up on it, or better, when I discovered something about myself. My somewhat unique story brings me to see my life differently, with purposes.
Here are some of the unusual reasons;

1. Making friends, then modifying them into deeper characters by associating them with real people, such as my own children. Many of the characters are based on people I've known, and usually their a composite of a few people.

2. Use a graphic novel to actually teach, or demonstrate something. I'm a graphic designer at an e-learning company during the day, and I sometimes struggle to find a creative solution. When I saw that I needed a plot with clear reasons for pressing forward, I saw that my story already mostly fit with the process of creativity. It was meant to be.

3. Use my piles of designs and writings for one big epic, but break it down so I can express each piece in an order. So I am analyzing things that I like, and collecting them in a shareable format, with bite-sized pieces.

4. Indulge my need to make deliberate choices and reasons in a creative project, so that I can teach myself how to make a graphic novel. Also, to refine my style.

It is great fun, and gets me excited everyday.

Comic online

You can now see my comic on this site, as well as online, at www.sproctacle.smoochbelly.com.
See the robot head in the left bar on this site?
Click it, and you can see the first few pages, plus the opening poster cover.
I am excited to put it up, finally, but I am not trying to advertise yet, because it has been too difficult to post every Friday. I also want to get consistencies worked out before a general viewing. It is mostly done, but I'm running into programming issues.

Enjoy!

Graphic Novel Apologies

There are several realizations I have had recently, about making a graphic novel. First is that I have never made one, and I am trying to figure out how. It humbles me, but not enough to stop. Despite my weakness, I am driven to tell the story that is in me.

As I see the graphic novels made by artists who have done this many times, mine is unsophisticated in style, and rushed. But to me, the story is wonderful, and must be told. I am getting older, and don't have moments to waste.

I chose to switch from a typical book because I am a visual thinker. I don't have enough interest in writing to refine the craft, and I know that I am terrible at dialogue. My speech bubbles betray me. I imagine people who know how to really write cringe at my mistakes in grammar, pacing, and awkwardly worded phrases. In all of this I am practicing.

I have a lot to express, and I feel rushed to get it out. The whole story Is mostly in my head, through eight chapters, and It could take me to 60 years old to finish it at my current rate. So I leave things unrefined and lacking in sophistication. I rely on the dark outlines to mask my impatience and lack of skill, and any refinement in them is a happy accident. I am indebted to Adobe Illustrator for the joy of the tapered line.

Nevertheless, I am pressing ahead. There is worthwhile meaning despite my weakness, and I know that Uendyr's search for meaning and creativity is just a shadow of mine, in which I haven't found all the answers; I just see the enormous size of potential there, and want to be a part of it. The Isle Obscura is a real place, where I go all the time simply by imagining it, and seeing my real life reflected in it. I dream myself there in the night, and it is always changing. Whenever I meet an artistic friend, I meet a traveller to that island. It is big enough for everyone to fit, even people who work hard at something uncreative. It is full of meaning because I look for meaning there. I don't just vacation there, I work there, and I take whatever I discover that has truth in it with me. The Isle is full of open minded children, and people with a passion to make something, to express something from inside themselves, to make dreams real.

It's all about courage to find meaning and make choices. That's what life is. I pretend like a child so that I can keep my optimism, and yet I keep going to work, to church, and home again, with a sense of purpose, because I bring the meaning back with me, and use it to live.

If that is too wordy for you, then to sum it up; I find happiness making a graphic novel, and I hope others can find happiness enjoying the meaningful journey with me.

And you can see why I don't use my real name. There is a limit to my courage. I lead a simple life, which is still as packed with interest and requirements as I can manage. My story is going out there either way, but as much as possible I'm staying behind.

Comic book online

My brother Mike suggested that I should use his space to put my comic book online, so that I can develop it in the format to view on an iPad with double page spreads. I read a great online comic that was done that way, ReMind.

So, about ten weeks ago I put up the first cover, and almost every week I have contributed a spread, on Fridays. It is challenging to meet the deadline many weeks, but very rewarding to see it grow.
It is at www.sproctacle.smoochbelly.com.

I got my first comment online about it, from China. It was at a massage company. Not sure what that means. I'm not trying to get lots of people to see it yet. Just being timid I guess.

The first page spreads for Uendyr: The Creativity Machine, is at www.sproctacle.smoochbelly.com. I put it online with Comicpress. Easy and satisfying, like a fried egg.

Comic Books for Graphic Novel

I have been storyboarding steadily on my ipad, and I am almost halfway through #4. It looks like there will be about 9 of these, maybe 10. I have found the script in Pages to be indispensible, but I also love coming up with new ideas and ways to show them as I go. I have added a few minor characters, but mostly kept to the script. Unfortunately I could not foresee everything further into the story, and will have to tighten up some details when the city scenes start, sometime around book 7.
It has been exhilarating to write, and I am pulled even deeper in to make what is forming in my head come out in drawings. I wish I had more time to work on the finishing of #2.

COMIC BOOK

YAHOO! I am almost done with my first comic book, for Free Comic Book Day, which is May 5th. I have taken my kids every year to it, and maybe next year I'll have another issue of my comic to actually give away at it. I have taken about 3 months to make this comic, but it is based on a story I have been handcrafting for over 30 years, which would have been a novel, if I were a better writer. You can see from my blogs that I don't get out much.

Short Update

I am not a great blogger, as you can tell. I have been very busy at work, and I have been able to create alot of educational art and just plain fun illustrations since I last blogged. I need to update my portfolio with some of it, so maybe they will be more up to date.

I finally have the internet at home now, for the past 2 months. Yes, I have been cheap and behind the times. No mystery there.