2015 Goals

Hello 2015!

2014 was challenging (but aren't they all?—or so it seems moreso in my Autumn years) and I'm looking forward to an easier 2015. To that end, I will keep my 2015 goals simple:

Strange Sports Stories
I was tapped for Vertigo's anthology, inspired by DC's same-named comics from the 50s and 60s. Just a shortie, and due early Feb, so I'd best get cracking. 

Saved by the Bell
The plan, last I heard it, was for work to resume for volume 2 in February. So, these shorties will consume Feb, April, June, August. More or less.

Arche-Lady
Ok, enough's enough. I am determined to finally complete my long-standing goals for compiling this material. While I made significant headway on volume 1, it turns out I set some files up incorrectly, so I will need to backtrack. Not such a big deal until you realize volume 1 is 550 pages. This set back has made me rethink production...and I will definitely print V1 before I begin work on V2, just to make sure I am getting it right. In the meantime, yes, I pulled together a mini for convention sales, and I might add to it if the mood hits me. Here you see the cover for the convention collection.

Conventions
I will be at Angouleme Festival in a few weeks. Seems like such a hurdle to travel abroad these days, in no small part due to my lovable, sweet, but rambunctious, big, and strong dog, Mr. Darby. Only a few have the stamina to dog-sit for me, so travel is nowhere as easy as it was with Aggie. I've also been accepted to exhibit at the  Toronto Comic Art Festival (TCAF), so come find me in Toronto! I am waiting to hear if I was accepted to MoCCA Festival, and I will again apply for New York Comic Con.

Signings
I need to be in Houston for my day job the first week of March, and NYC for my day job the third week of March. I've researched a little places to approach for a signing in Houston, and have chatted with Abby Denson about a signing in NYC. We'll see if either works out...I basically need to lock them in over the next week or so...

These comics goals, of course, must balance with the rest of my life. As an goals-oriented results-driven person, I tend to set resolutions in terms of goals and results, and I have a few for the other aspects of my life, too. Maybe I will share those with you later.  

2014 in Review

As I mentioned mid-year, I was definitely way too ambitious with my 2014 comics goals. But, I made some good headway, and balanced out comics with some other crafty-creative work.

Let's see how my goals stated a year back played out:

Secret Shorties

Revealed as Saved By The Bell for Lionforge Comics, I pencilled and inked the even-numbered issues of volume one, with Chynna Clugston on the odd-numbered issues. We each completed 4 issues and the volume drew to a close. GOAL COMPLETE

Baby OGN

I actually questioned whether or not it should be a goal. But Greg re-read the first six chapters and thought it still cute and relevant, and that I should finish it. But, no progress. GOAL INCOMPLETE

Arche-Lady compilation

I put some time in on this mammoth project in January and October. PROGRESS

Cavalcade mini

I edited the 7 scripted pages and drew them in November. Colored the cover and did the page layout in December. This is my first complete project using KaBlam (which I am doing so to take advantage of the low print runs). I ran a test copy and it turned out just fine, so I ordered a batch for Angouleme. GOAL COMPLETE

New York Comic Con

I applied and was rejected. But, the side goals (new cards and a new booth banner) were useful for Boston Comic Con. GOAL COMPLETE

Angouleme Festival

I signed up, have my airfare, train tickets, and accommodations. I leave in 20 days. Yay! I missed the last few years, so I am excited to return to the show and see some euro-friends. Let's see...I missed 2012 because Aggie wasn't so well, 2013 due to my day job, and 2014 because my mom had just been diagnosed with Lymphoma and we didn't know where that was headed. Anyway, GOAL COMPLETE

You've read my entries detailing January through May. Let me skim over the rest of the year a bit:

It seems like I did something in June, but for the life of me, I can't remember. It was probably furniture related.

In July, I drew Saved By The Bell #8. I'll post an annotation soon.

In August, I was really stressed out at my day job, but managed to refinish a McCobb Planner Group end table. 

I don't recall much of September, except I was really busy with my day job and trips to NH. I also made time to relax a little.

I made progress on the endless Arche-Lady project in October. 

In November, I drew and put together Quickies, a new 8 page Cavalcade mini, which I'll sell at cons on 2015. It recounts a half dozen relationships, and the characters' reaction to their termination: ambivalence, regret, joy, sorrow, anger, confusion. You see the cover to the mini here in this post.

In December decided to pull together a few bits of Arche-Lady stuff for a convention mini. I made a cover, and sent that off to KaBlam. I also drew a new 3 page Bonnie N. Collide story, which, paired with the 3 stories I wrote and drew in 2010, make a nice 16 page mini comic. I loved revisiting Monica Gallagher's characters. I'd always thought I'd write and draw at least 2 more stories in 2011, but other stuff kept getting in the way. This short story was a nice way to say hello and good-bye to Bonnie. Monica might use the pages as another guest run on her web comic, but otherwise, you can buy my Bonnie mini at a convention in 2015.

Farewell, 2014. I'll post my 2015 goals in a shortly.