What is this Kickstarter monster and will it ravage the village?

According to this article, the newest publisher of independent comics is everybody, through a central clearing house for funding.

Kickstarter is a great idea.
I've known a few people who have successfully run one- Greg Ruth, Ursula Murray Husted, Zak Sally, Neil Gaiman (a bit of a conceit on my part- we've met a half dozen times, had a few chats, so I can say I know Neil, but I'm skeptical he'd remember me).
I've been batting the idea around for a while now, trying to decide just what to fund. I think my best bet's a comic book, though there are other possibilities- an illustrated version of my screenplay? A series of handbound books? An "absolute edition" of my Mother's paintings, which I've been collecting in book form for the past 6 years?
Whatever my decision, it will be a response to the phenomenon of crowfunding, or funding by a crowd.
Other venues offer similar: IndieGoGo began as a way to fund music projects, but has branched into other enterprises, including comics. Their business model differs slightly from Kickstarter. They keep 4% (as opposed to KS's 5%), and allow the solicitor to offer premiums or tax writeoffs, which strikes me as a bit dicey.
Then there's Quirky, which is devoted to funding inventions.
The good: more projects are getting out there. You don't need an external publisher or startup funding to print a comic. This is a variation on Scott McCloud's idea of microfunding comics, put forth in his Reinventing Comics.
The downside of the good: we all need editors at times, especially when we're honing our craft AND when we've reached a pinnacle of success. As pointed out in a recent discussion with screenwriter Tom Pope, the risk at the high end is that you start to believe your own PR, and nobody wants to say no to you. So while the self-publishing model is tempting and useful, it should not be the only thing you have going.
More good: the funding is improving. About half a year ago, roughly 40% of Kickstarter projects were fully funded (it's all or nothing funding on these sites, remember). Today the figure is slightly over 50%.
The skeptical response to that good: more small projects are being funded, which means if you have a BIG IDEA, your odds are lower, unless you have a name attached. See the aforementioned Gaiman-related project, an animated feature based on one of his stories.
This begs a larger point. These sites are open to everyone. That's fine, but it chafes me a bit when established creators put their projects on them. Oh, they're entitled, and I know that recognition and some success does not give one carte blanche. But I'd like to see something devoted solely to up-and-coming creators. I don't know what criteria could be used for that, or how that would be vetted, but I could see some utility in having a work totally stand on its own merits. Hm- possibly a crowfunding site that gives funds to projects whose creators are not named?
On the other hand, if this option existed in the 1970s, perhaps Orson Welles would not have to shill in commercials to fund his films.





After all, Jess Franco is using crowfunding to finance his next film.
Another problem in relation to this funding is the mandate for offering premiums at different levels. That can cause as many problems as it solves if the premiums are not up to snuff. Also, the creator is responsible for the creation and strategies of ancillary promotions before the project even begins. 
I hope my skepticism on this process is unfounded. I'd like crowfunding to be a benefit to most. I don't think it's practical that it benefits all. Some projects need to go unfunded- this is also a form of editing, albeit a populist one.
But whatever my project turns out to be, you can bet that it's going to be great and deserving of funding!

Even later: Minnesota Spring Con Part II

Okay, I know I said next day. I've been waiting for some photos to be emailed by friends.
Enough with the waiting. Here's the rest of SpringCon.

Here's Terry Beatty, longtime comics pro, on-and-off MCAD teacher, rockabilly maven, Karaoke Ninja, and generally cool guy.
The book he's holding, Batman and Robin, is a custom bind belonging to my friend James Friel. James sent me a batch for books for signing and sketching, and Terry was glad to accommodate!
We're losing Terry soon. His wife got a great job in Kansas City, MO, so he's off to an even more mid- middle America.
Terry just completed work on the next GN in the Road to Perdition series, written by his old Ms. Tree partner, Max Alan Collins! He's also been doing box cover art for monster model kits, and taking on new commissions. His blog, Scary Terry's World, is linked to your left.

Also on board for this convention: former students from my Comic Book History course, Asby Utting and Andrew Herbst!
Ashby graduated a year or so ago, and Andrew completed his devoirs this January. Andrew gave me a copy of their joint effort, GROTTO, last year, and I enjoyed it immensely. Very professional, energetic work. The "for students" disclaimer does not apply. This work is professional by any standard.You can see it here.
Ashby is planning an on-again, off-again trip to Korea to study manhwa.  He plans to take his toddler son along with him. Now that's bringing a kid up right!

Another former student showing at the Con: Toe Vue!
Toe's paintings are remarkably powerful. I suspect he was a little under-appreciated at this Con, but I was very happy to see him there. The work at his blog, Create Chaos, shows his range and his influences.
I see elements of street art, Paul Pope, Ryan Kelly (well, you can't really talk about Paul Pope without talking about Ryan Kelly, can you?), Boticelli and Jack Kirby in Toe's work. An eclectic mix with a deliberate, singular style that wouldn't work for anyone else, I done't think, but for Toe, it's very effective.
Finances have stopped me from getting his comic GHETTORISTIC, but don't let my problems be yours. Check out the link and spend a fin on a good comic!
Other former MCAD students presenting at this year's con included Evan Palmer, Anna Bongiovanni, Jesse Haller, and Will Schar. Sorry I didn't get photos of you guys, and I hope I didn't leave anyone out!
Very happy to chat briefly with Seamus Burke, whose first collection of Oh Goodie! is now available in Dead Tree, or as we used to call it, TPB format.

Very excited to see this book out, as Yours Truly wrote the Foreword!
Seamus' work has evolved considerably.  He works in the model of Doonesbury, using scathing wit and somewhat static images to advance his narratives. With the evolution of the band in his strip, which updates 5 times a week over at his blog, he's broken out of that pattern.
The band in the strip is called the Filthy F@#$ing Fairies!
I didn't talk to Seamus for very long this time around. Usually I get him to fork over his guitar so I can tear off a number, but not today.
Another personal highlight was getting a wedding invitation from the vibrant and scary talented Ursula Murray Husted and her intended, Bryan Bornmuller.
Ursula and Bryan are in contention with Trina and Steve for the title of Cutest Couple in Comics.
You be the judge.

'oo's cute then?

More book signings:
Jose Luis Garcia Lopez

Len Strazewski, who was moved to tears that someone would bind his work!

Me hanging with Len

Peter Krause, who was so astounded by the SHAZAM! collections that he volunteered to do a sketch, and it was a beauty!

Following the Con, a bunch of us went out for Girls' Comics Dinner at the always enjoyable Jasmine 27. In attendance, Frenchy Lunning, Barb Guttman (who is currently assisting Peter Gross on art for The Unwritten), Barb Schultz, Jesse Haller (who was an honorary girl for the occasion), Rana Rauechle, Trina, Steve Leialoha (can't really have Trina without Steve!), myself, and Roberta Gregory. I haven't mentioned Roberta's presence till now. I still get a little tongue-tied around her after meeting her twice and spending several hours accepting that she's just Regular Folks. Her work set the bar for women's comics for years, and her honesty and craft remain benchmarks. She's currently working full time for the Seattle Opera and Children's Theater, unless memory fails me.
At the end of every con, I think I'll pull together a body of creative work for the next one and get a table.
perhaps, perhaps not.
I like the idea of having a body of work to offer, but I have no problem with being a fan. If that remains what MN Springcon is about for me, I can live with that.

late to the table: Minnesota Spring Con 2011

Between illness and scheduling conflicts, I've neglected my posting for a while. Attempts to catch up begin, well, now.
I attended Spring Con in St. Paul last weekend for both days and had a splendid, if exhausting, time!
News:
Johnny Recon, a book I picked as one of my Top Comics of 2010, has not had a new issue for quite a while. This is because its creators, Mitch Gerads and Scott Dillon, have signed a new publishing deal!

Mitch and Scott, beaming at success!

They were not at liberty to divulge details, but were quite happy. Possibly this is a new model: hone your craft, do a Kickstarter for recognition, get picked up by a publisher?
The models for becoming a comics professional have evolved over the decades. Initially, an aspiring comics creator, especially an artist, would work their way up through apprenticeship. This was followed by a few dangerous years in which creators jumped into self-publishing with little regard for learning craft, and equally disastrous results.
Following that, folks began posting comics online willy-nilly.
As we worked through Web II and Web III, that evolved into a number of alternative funding models. Kickstarter, which will get a separate post soon, is the latest and, in many ways, best of those models.
In any event, congratulations to Scott and Mitch!
Appearing at the Con for the first time: the Minneapolis Roller Girls!

My old friend Jenna, from Trans Voices Choir, was also a Roller Girl. Their spirit is indomitable and contagious.
It's one thing to have folks around in really cool costumes. That's plenty of fun, but it's still in the delighful realm of make-beleive.
It's quite another to have costumed athletes in such an unusual, exuberant sport in, ahem, uniform, promoting their trade.
Even though it's still unreal, it's more real, if that makes any sense.
Other big news: after two years of waiting, the newest Uptown Girl book from Bob Lipski and Brian Bastian is out!
Here's a shot of the book from Bob's blog:

There are some differences between this and past works in this fun series. The size and format are a bit different, and the lettering is digital. It's quite legible, but I'm not sure if the font (Cooper Black, I think) is a good match for Bob's clean, spare art.
That said, the story is as much fun as always, and just as engaging. I hadn't realized how much I'd missed having a new Uptown Girl to read until I went without for a while. This was the only new book, pretty much the only book at all, that I bought at the Con.
But not the only book I got! I burned a copy of the Recobbled Cut of Thief and the Cobbler for old friend and fellow cinephile Sam Hiti, and he gave me a copy of his newest, Death-Day, part 1, in trade, completely unexpected on my end!
Sam's work fascinates me. He creates a meld of Sergio Leone, Jack Kirby, and Doug TenAppel, seemingly without effort. I wasn't able to afford this when it came out last September, so it was a welcome addition to my Hiti library!
Also in attendance: Geoff Sebesta, who I hung out with at the CBLDF benefit the first year I attended San Diego. Geoff has expanded his I Am the President of Ice Cream (I have one of the earlier versions), and I begged poverty, promising him a sale next year! Here's a shot of the smiling, charismatic Geoff at another con. His smile is usually much bigger than this:

But my personal highlight of the Con was the presence of dear friend Trina Robbins, with her partner Steve Leialoha, the cutest couple in comics.

Steve signs his bubblegum card for me as Trina smiles her wonderful smile!

I'm running out of time and will finish this post tomorrow. So much more to say!

A memory and a reflection: Jeffrey Catherine Jones, 1944- 2011

The comics world is full of people who call themselves artists, for better or for worse.
The larger art world has a similar circumstance.
Few cross the arbitrary boundaries of the two worlds.
Jeffrey Catherine Jones was one of those few.

 

Beginning her comics career with some one-off stories for Charlton and some work in the undergrounds, notably on her stunning solo book Spasm!,  Jeffrey's work first gleaned national recognition through the pages of the National Lampoon. 

Her strip IDYL, stunning in its clarity, was a series of sardonic and melancholy short moral tales, often strangely out of place among the strip's peers, but always welcome and eagerly devoured by the readers. During this time, Jones also took up with Bernie Wrightson, Micheal Kaluta and Barry Windsor-Smith in the short-lived adventure known as The Studio. Wrightson spoke to me concerning The Studio at San Diego a couple years ago. To paraphrase from my spotty memory, "It was this huge, rat-infested space with great light. We only worked there together a short time (he specified the time frame, but I don't recall specifics- it may have been less than two months) until the whole thing caved in. But we produced some incredible work." Shortly thereafter, Jones shared an upstate New York home with Vaughn Bode', a colleague from the undergrounds, another collaborator with Wrightson (on the Purple Pictography strips for Swank), and another artist with transgender leanings. Bode' and Jones were fast friends by all accounts, and some of their adventures living together are documented in the Comics Journal special issue on sex. The article is reprinted at this link, on the website of Vaughn's son Mark Bode'. 

Vaughn's strip Jones Goes to Bones is a loving jab at Jeffrey's perspective that her art would make her immortal. I'll add the strip to this post as soon as I can get a decent scan of it.

I have no direct knowledge of the problems Jeffrey faced in the subesquent years. She finally had her sex-reassignment surgery fairly late in life. 

She had personal problems following her surgery, but based on secondhand reports from mutual friends in the comics community, these were problems she had experienced prior to surgery as well. Her bouts with mental illness have been documented, by her, on her website. She appeared to be in recovery in the final years of her life.

I wrote her in the early 1990s as part of my research for my book on GLBT comics.We struck up a brief correspondence thereafter, truncated by her aforementioned illness. 

Her reply to my specific query about her sexual identity, which I promised to use verbatim:

"That I am a transsexual is a matter of public record. But I am a woman first and an artist second and wish to be seen on those terms. I find no others acceptable."

I reconnected with her via Facebook, as did so many others. I suspect she was surprised to find out just how large a following her work had. 

L to R: Wrightson, Jones, Kaluta, Smith: The Studio

A Jones Tarzan painting

Ms. Jones in recent years

In the spate of obituaries I've seen today, there is a bit of well-intentioned stumbling over pronouns. My response is direct. She chose the terms of her life. Respect them in her death.

Finally, here's a video obituary that includes the trailer for a recently funded documentary on the life of Jeffrey Catherine Jones. Like Roy Orbison, she was lucky enough to live to see a renewed interest in her work.

Goodbye, Ms. Jones. I would have liked to have known you better, but I feel honored to have known you at all. Your work made all our lives a bit richer.

a miscellany: Spider-Man Meets 'mazing man!

The contest is still going! Let's have your comments!
After a day filled with minor irritations and a few positive notes, I decided to unwind.
It's Photoshop time!
Once again, inspired by Rob's blog, I'm posting a cover composite.
This one features Marvel Team-up, the book that spotlighted Spider-Man in various teams. Here. I've matched him with one of my favorite zany populist heroes, 'mazing man!

 

 

The balance is a little off, but then, so are both heroes.

There's an odd aspect to Ditko's work, and I find its charm in keeping with the 'mazing man character.

This is just a fun thing. Unless the current class and Spring Con eat all my time, look for the promised page of A Private Myth this Sunday!

Original Art Sundays No. 92: Surrealist Cowgirls, It Does This, p. 6

Remember, the comments contest still has about a month to go! Post your comments!

On schedule with the next page of Surrealist Cowgirls.

 

Overall, very happy with this one, and with the way the story is progressing.

There are a couple niggling things that give me grief. The stipple pattern I really like is too light for reproduction, so i have to push it more than I'd care to, either on the page or in levels.

Also, Whalemule's eyes don't look closed. I haven't decided yet if she sleeps with her eyes open, if that's the way it soolks when her eyes are shut, or if I just want to find another way to do it.

Whalemule is such fun to draw.

I also need to decide if that's her name: another contest? Possibly when the issue goes to press and another is in the hopper....

Getting into drawing the rocks. Too bad they're heading out from the steppes in the morning, on the next page!

Next week, another page of A Private Myth.

Inspiration: Batman and Strangers in Paradise

The comments contest is still going on, so comment away!
This is NOT an Original Art Sunday, just a piece I've been playing with for a couple weeks.
Inspired by my friend Ross over at the Brave and the Bold: the Lost Issues, I took a shot at a pastiche cover!
Here's Batman and the Strangers in Paradise girls!

Not completely satisfied with this, but reasonably so. The soft Nick Cardy "painterly" image of the source cover is a bit jarring when juxtaposed with the hard line art of Terry Moore, but here the Match color command is our friend. Katchoo and Francine look more like they "belong" as the colors are more consistent with that palette.
Thematically, this plays on the whole crime lord thing that was one of the less plausible, but quite compelling, subplots of Strangers.
I might take another shot at this with different images sometime down the line, perhaps even draw one from scratch. But I like the collage/pastiche thing a lot too.
These are frustrating, but they are also fun, and serve to keep my chops current between infrequent assignments. Most of my art is traditional line art these days, and it's important to not let any skills atrophy. That's why I still practice my guitar, even though the lump sum of income I've generated in my life as a musician is one dollar.
Of course, there's the whole joy of doing it thing too.
Still have just a touch of inking to do on the next page of the Surrealist Cowgirls, and I will be able to get it done today. Presuming scanner access, look for another post sometime before midnight Central Standard Time.

Original Art Sundays No. 91: Tranny Towers no. 16

Remember, the comments contest is still going! Comment on any current or back post to be considered!
Back on schedule, and with a viable layout for the next pages of the other two storylines, we'll stay that way for the nonce.

I really like this one. It was big fun playing with the blinds/ shadows.
I might rescan from the original, since some of the nuances of the Coquille board are lost in the reproduction from which this scan is taken. working pebbled board and China marker gives a great tonal range. I had a whole graphic novel planned with its use in mind, but I ran afoul of potential copyright issues over the material from which the story springboarded, and decided not to pursue.
Next week: Surrealist Cowgirls, page 6!

Hey kids! WIN Alarmingly Bad Comic Art!

Hi, folks.
According to the counter on the side, I've had over 9600 readers of this blog to date.
The cynics and naysayers try to persuade me that most of those are robot hits (which must really hurt, them being metal and all).
But I say thee nay! I know at least some of you are out there in flesh and blood and all the icky bits contained therein!
So here's what I'm agonna do.
Fanfare please....

(Of course, that's not my work, but John Byrne doing two of his best characters in the style of the late great Don Martin!)
I have two back to back summer teaching contracts starting on June 10.
Post a response to ANY post you've read at this blog on or by that date. If you like what I'm doing, hot socks! If not, let me know that as well.
I will post all responses in their appropriate topics, and the Top 5, judged by arbitrary criteria like most insightful, most challenging, most fun, or closest to what I had for breakfast, will win. Each of the Top 5 posters get a signed copy of my first comic book from 1994, Ink Tantrums No. 1, along with anew piece of art for each.
Ink Tantrums is the book that my friend Katherine Collins said had "alarmingly bad art". She did, however, praise the writing endlessly. And she really liked all of my follow up book, so there was some vindication.
This book also contains the first appearances of the Surrealist Cowgirls.
I'll do a piece of original art for each of the winners as well, and will do something a bit better than Alarmingly Bad!

Original Art Sundays revisited: #88: oddment: sumi-e and haiku

Got a very pleasant e-mail from a talented gent, Jordan O'Leary.
He's starting a new blog to chronicle his new adventure, living in Japan.
To that end, he's requested use of part of one of my Sumi-e images in his blog's masthead.
Of course, I agreed.
We had a brief but delightful email chat about Buddhism and Sumi-e and this and that, and then I saw, with great pleasure, his use of my piece.
Here's his work with my work.

I find his documentation of this adventure very exciting, and I am happy to cross-link to his blog here. It will be added to the blogs on the left side, and I eagerly anticipate updates.
Happy adventuring, Jordan!

Original Art Sundays No. 90: Oddment: NY Photos, 2009

Once again, resuming the rotation:
An oddment (something outside the storylines, a fun piece), followed by
A Tranny Towers page, followed by
A Surrealist Cowgirls page, followed by
A Private Myth page.
This week's oddment: photos taken at the 2009 GORGG!
We took a boat tour of the city, from whence comes this odd little panorama.

 

The distortion caused by the action used in Photoshop to merge the seven images that created this one is both charming and a tad annoying.

The boat tour itself was unexpected, a revelation. 

This is a panoramic view of Harlem from the harbors. As hinted above, the buildings really do stand up straight!

I also caught this shot of friendly dock workers!

I love this. I love the depth of field, I love that the image is so complex and yet so clear in its subject matter. Most of all, I love the attitude. For some reason, I'm very good at getting positive response from subjects in candid shots. I've known many less fortunate in that area!
On our way back to the train to Connecticut, one of the locals in our cadre suggested we stop at Times Square. Not thinking anything of it, I turned a corner and saw this.

Oh my Lord.
Day for night indeed!
Loud, tacky, opulent and elegant all at the same time.
We saw a small jazz combo playing afront a backlighted staircase. People were dancing. Everyone was free, and nothing could hurt us.
It seemed to me to be New York at its best.
This is the underside of the backlit staircase.

 

In two very short visits a decade apart,  I've developed a passion for New York.

I don't know when I'll go back.

But I know I will.

Next: more Tranny Towers.

Original Art Sundays #89: A Private Myth, p. 23

Well, the page is done, but due to Easter Sunday, I do not have scanner access for a day or two.
Have faith.
Here we go. First, I've corrected the numbering. Again!
There are 9 pages left to the first chapter, which should leave it completed around the end of 2011, if all goes well.

There are a couple visual devices here I really like. The "ice panel" is an old favorite, and I like it here better than any use of it I've made in the past.
I'm also tickled by the reflections in the floor, a device I last used in 1999, in a story I'll reprint one day.
My primary concern now is pacing.
While this is largely a story about ideas, it's also a story about people. It's been a bit of a chatty narrative for the last few pages, interspersed with some quiet action.
In fairness, some of my favorite stories work that way,
But things are going to start happening at an accelerated rate.
Unless I plan to expand Chapter 1 to 40 pages (a possibility yet to be ruled out), a lot has to happen in the next 9 pages to keep the story on track.
Next Sunday (day after tomorrow): an oddment.

Original Art Sundays #88: Tranny Towers, p. 15

On schedule, and eager for the next round!
Here's another page that gave me no end of fits with the details.
The publisher, Lavender magazine, insisted on art to size. My production options were limited to Xerox at the time, so I was reduced to Kinko's.
The result was that the Zipatone in the title bar, intended (obviously) to simulate a credit card, muddied in copying. I was finally able to correct it with a scan.

However, the image was a bit oversize for even a large scanner bed, which resulted in some edge cropping that needed correction.
If and when I do go to press with a collection of these, I'll do more production work on this page first. Interesting set of anomalies, working across technologies like that.
In narrative terms, I thought this page was a nice break from the heaviness that the storyline had held in recent episodes.
Next: whatever is up in the rotation, I think it's the next page of A Private Myth.