Wait It’s Wednesday. I’m on Time!
Hello friends and readers, welcome back to Indie Comics Showcase. The weekly blog where we try and bring you our pics of the top Indie Comics from across the web, as well as interviews with their creators. We have some truly outstanding crowd funding campaigns this week for you to learn about, enjoy, and hopefully support by making a pledge!
Remember that every little bit counts, from the single dollar pledges to the ten dollar, and of course the higher ones. Some of these campaigns have got some great higher tiers which add even more value by offering stuff you can’t get anywhere else. Thank you all for being the best part of Indie Comics Showcase! Let’s jump in!
Morgan’s Organs
by Daniel Brodie
Morgan’s Organs returns for Book #3 – where a crazy night of drinking leads to a morning short of memories. Books 1 & 2 also available.
Please Visit The Campaign Site Here.
John: Daniel, welcome and thank you for being a part of Indie Comics Showcase! Let’s talk about Morgan’s Organs: The Anatomically Incorrect Adventure! which has been fully funded on Kickstarter, so congratulations!
Daniel: Thank you for having me on your show! And thank you, it’s always a relief once the Kickstarter is funded and you know your project is going to happen.
John: Without giving much away, what can you tell us about Morgan’s Organs?
Daniel: The simplest way that I talk about Morgan’s Organs is that it’s like Pixar’s ‘Inside Out’ but the adult version (that usually gets a chuckle from new fans at conventions). The long version is that Morgan’s Organs imagines the body as a sort of office building, where organ-like critters called “Organauts” carry out there jobs within the body. Each character is responsible for a certain organ. However, these critters tend to care about there own wants and needs more than the guy that they live inside (Morgan), which usually leads to him getting into embarrassing or difficult situations.
Morgan’s Organs began as a vague idea back in 2013. Over the course of about 3 years, I fine-tuned the concept and characters by writing numerous scripts for different stories until it was at a place that I felt confident in the execution. That was when I found my lead artist, Rob, to help me make it into a television series. So far, we’ve produced two books in the series and the Kickstarter happening now is for helping us complete production of the 3rd book.
I have many, many stories in mind, and I have no intention to slow down anytime soon. As long as the fans continue to be interested in supporting our journey, I am motivated to keep writing more stories. Long-term, we have big dreams to make Morgan’s Organs as a television series. So in order to get there, we plan to keep making more stories, proving the concept and attracting more fans. The great thing about the series is each story is stand-alone, so it is not as daunting for a new reader to get involved, as you really can start at any story in the series and still enjoy the heck out of it.
John: After reading the first two installment’s I think that is a pretty accurate assessment of the story. What does Morgan’s Organs mean to you?
Daniel: For me, Morgan’s Organs really is just my true passion. I don’t have any sort of background or aspirations that would’ve led me to a creative writing career. I really just had a strong urge and desire to make Morgan’s Organs a thing. I honestly can’t pinpoint why I am so attracted to this concept. I’ve been asked many times what other projects I am working on and I can honestly say I am only interested in working on Morgan’s Organs.
John: Hey, it’s just your calling. We don’t always understand why we are called to do something, but we still have to follow through.What are some of the things that have served as a source of inspiration when working on it? Do you read anything, watch any shows, or listen to music as you work?
Daniel: One of my biggest inspirations for my creative writing is the show Rick & Morty. I think Dan Harmon, Justin Roiland and their team do such a fantastic job of blending different genres and themes in a very smart way. The show goes from dark to disgusting to clever to charming, and it’s something I try to channel in my writing.
I am a huge fan of television shows across genres. I wish I could say that I read often, but I tend to get so caught up in thinking about my writing, I can’t concentrate on reading. One thing that really helps me when I am in a creative roadblock is to go for a jog – it really helps me think clearly and problem solve.
John: I can definitely see Rick & Morty’s influence on your comics. Tell us a bit about your creative process, Daniel.
Daniel: I think my creative process is more of a disaster than a process. I wish I could say there are clear steps that I take in crafting my stories, but it really is a bit of a free-for-all. For me, I really just try to focus on not rushing myself. I try to let my ideas marinate in my mind as I craft the story internally, before I put anything on paper. And even when I do sit down to put writing to paper, I am usually jumping all over the place and writing bits of different scenes.
I would be an even bigger disaster without some of the tools that I use on my computer. I use a software called WriterDuet which is fantastic for script-writing. I also try to use basic ole’ Microsoft Word to put together story outlines.
My main thing is that I try not to get too hung up on everything being perfect at any stage in the process. Sometimes I move into writing the final page layouts before I’ve even crafted the final script. I also am not too worried about getting the dialogue perfect in the script because I know I will likely have tweaks when I see the artwork. It helps that I do the lettering for the books as I can edit my words as I see fit without needing to rely on the rest of the team.
John: Thank you for letting me read the first two issues of Morgan’s Organs in preparation for Today’s installment. Both Issues one and two are quite funny, I think I liked the first issue a bit more than the second. The scene with the lady in the elevator, that was funny, as was the weird creature that keeps evolving in Morgan’s Dream. Will we see more of that thing in Issue Three?
Daniel: I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the stories. I try to show a different facet of the series in each story. For Book 1, there was more of a shock factor with some of the crude subject matter and visuals – it is after all a mature series, so I wanted to set the stage right away. For Book 2, there was less crude and more gross visuals… like a poop-covered die! But I also tried to blend in a bit more of a cutesy factor. It helps too that within each book, the art style develops, so there are even more fun details throughout the book to appreciate.
For Book 3, I’ve put together more of a mystery that I invite the readers to help me solve as they read. The narrative is also told in an unconventional format for comic books, in a style similar to Christopher Nolan’s hit movie, Memento. Mainly, I try to craft a unique story each time that also introduces a new facet to the Morgan’s Organs universe.
John: What are your hopes for Morgan’s Organs and for the future?
Daniel: My biggest hope for Morgan’s Organs is for it to eventually be a television show, maybe on Adult Swim or Netflix. I’m more motivated than ever right now to make this happen because it’s clear that adult animated comedy is on the rise. Plus, with so many new players in the television space (Amazon, YouTube, Apple), I feel that each player will be looking to bring on an adult animated comedy to compete with their counterparts. Hopefully, Morgan’s Organs will be noticed by one of them!
John: After Watching both seasons of Big Mouth, Paradise PD, and a handful of other shows, I think your work would be too good for Netflix!
John: Anything else you want to share with us before we sign off?
Daniel: There’s still 2 weeks left in the Kickstarter campaign so I hope that readers will check out the campaign. Not only are the books a lot of fun, but we have some really cool additional rewards available for collector’s.
John: Well guys, if you like what you have seen and read so far, check out the campaign, back the comic, and unlock some cool rewards.
Wrath
by Scott Kysh
Wrath is the story of a young man who discovers he has the ability to physically manifest his deep-seated childhood trauma.
Please Visit The Campaign Site Here.
John: Scott, Welcome to and thank you for being a part of Indie Comics Showcase. Today I would like to talk about Wrath your indie comic about a young man who discovers he has the ability to physically manifest his deep-seated childhood trauma.
Scott: Thank you for taking the time to talk about my project and help me get the word out on Wrath.
John: I’m always happy to help creators find readers for their works. Tell our readers a bit about Wrath.
Scott: Wrath is the story of Doug and his best friend Nicole. They have been friends since childhood and are taking their first steps into adulthood. Their plans take a sudden unexpected turn as things from Doug’s past collide with current events to unleash Doug’s latent ability to manifest his anger, resentment and regret into a physical form. This is just the first chapter of a six chapter arc and will be the origin story of the source of Doug’s anger and how he discovers his powers. I was picked up by Wikid Publishing in December and was lucky enough to find Drew “Drewzelle” Smith to do the art shortly after. Some how I’ve talked her into doing this ambitious project and she has done an amazing job of bringing Wrath to life. We hope to continue to build our fan base by telling an enjoyable and engaging story and get the support needed to tell the complete story of Wrath.
John: That sounds great, I really like what I have seen so far and can’t wait to see the finished comic. What about it makes it a story you want to tell?
Scott: The story of Wrath is a bit personal in a way. I work in the criminal justice field where I see a lot of the horrible things people can do to each other and the lasting toll it can take on the victims mentally, physically and emotionally. I think a lot of people have and bury these emotions even if they aren’t victims of crimes and they can be very self destructive if we let them. I’m hoping Wrath will resonate with people and let them know it’s ok to feel this way and even if these feelings push us in a certain direction we always have a choice on how we want to act on them.
John: I can definitely relate to that, and I’m sure other people will be able to as well. What are some of the things that have served as a source of Inspiration when working on for? Do you read anything, watch any shows, listen to music as you work?
Scott: I’ve always loved reading, but haven’t found to much time for it lately. I’m a anime and manga fan so I’ve been keeping up with Black Clover and Rise of the Shield Hero. Music is definitely part of my creative process going from outline to script. I usually listen to something dark like Royal Blood, AFI or Alkaline Trio. Someone recently recommended Juice WRLD so he has been a recent addition into my rotation.
John: Tell us a bit about your creative process, Scott.
Scott: I come up with most of my ideas when I go for walks. It gives me time to let my mind wander creatively. Most of my outlining is done with pencil and a note book during my work breaks. These are usually broken up by panel number and are dialog and panel description notes that I jot down as I play out the story in my head. Once I get to the actually script I break it up by panel number, give a description of what I want to visually see in the panel and any dialog. I don’t use any process to indicate where the pages end. I leave that up to Drew to decide how the visual flow should work page to page.
John: You know I do more or less the same, only I do it on a bicycle, which can be rather dangerous in my city. What have some of your influences been over the years and how have they affected your work?
Scott: I’ve been a manga and comic fan most of my life. One of my favorite manga’s has been Bleach. I’ve taken some of the creative styling of manga and went with a grey scale color format. The one exception being the creature which will be in color. This is to add some other worldliness and to express some other ideas later in the comic that only work in color. I’m also a big Batman fan which I think has added to the darker setting. Since Doug will have to keep this a secret he’ll only be out at night which may lead to some roof top perches and watching from the shadows.
John: I think that is going to work out really well. What are your hopes for Wrath and for the future?
Scott: My hope is to find the funding for chapter one and to get copies into the hands of our backers as soon as we can. I really hope they enjoy it and continue to help us move this project forward. We really appreciate our small but growing fan base and we know we can’t do this without them.
John: I hope this helps you out a bit. Is there anything else you want to share with us before we sign off?
Scott: The Kickstarter for Wrath runs until June 17th. If anything here caught your eye please check it out and lend your support by backing or even just referring it to others that you think might enjoy Wrath.
John: Once again Scott, I would like to say thank you for being a part of indie comics showcase. We wish you the best of luck on this campaign and all future projects.
Scott: Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me about Wrath. It was a pleasure to share my project with everyone!
John: We’re happy to help out.
Please Visit The Campaign Site Here.
KAYAS
by Ryan Cardinal
KAYAS- A Story of Blood and Stone is an all out action/fantasy comic that is inspired by Anime and Manga such as Dragon Ball, Naruto, Blade of the Immortal as well as the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Visit the Campaign Page here!
Chris Braly: Ryan, thanks for chatting with Bleeding Fool about your crowdfund comic, KAYAS: A Story of Blood and Stone! Tell our readers what is about.
Ryan Cardinal: Of course! The story of Kayas takes place long ago, before the Earth was formed. In a realm that sits at the foundation of time; where might, magic and high adventure reign supreme. In issue #1 Magic enhanced psychic bounty hunters chase down a runaway thief named Maya, who might have stolen something that could topple the current power structures. Her stolen cargo holds the key to her freedom and to her damnation. She blazes a trail across a foreign land and hopes that she will lose her pursuers in the crystal labyrinth known as the “Dragon Mouth Pass”. The ripple effect of this moment cascades into a chain of events that will echo throughout the lives of all in the realm, especially a teenage boy named Nito.
Nito has lived his whole life in the “Ever-Growing Forest” under the watchful eyes of the strange (and stinky) hermit ‘Cat Master Lee’, ‘Trigger’ the chain smoking “fowl” mouthed chicken and ‘Sissik’ a giant, apathetic rattlesnake. But when Nito receives the item called a seeker stone, they are thrown into an odyssey of adventure and peril!!
Chris: Can you let us in on who or what inspired you to make this comic?
Ryan: It all came from a drawing in a coffee shop in 2005. I was in the middle of trying to switch careers from tattooing and head toward something to do with video games or animation. I wanted to draw something that was in the opposite direction from the usual skulls/roses/infinity symbols etc…
So I started drawing a teenage boy, then a cigar smoking chicken with a Robin hood hat with its tail feathers on fire, then an old cat looking hermit with a musty robe on and finally a massive rattlesnake. With the last line of the rattlesnake draw in, a flood of information erupted in my mind and the entire story played out like full seasons of a show set on ultra fast forward. I was blown away and have been working on it since that day.
Chris: What made you decide a comic book was the best way to tell this story?
Ryan: Comic books are hands down THE best way to tell a story. If you are the sole creator of the project,comic books give you the most control and flexibility to tell the story that you want. The potential speed of putting out a comic versus a short film or animated short is also a massive bonus! Plus comic books have always been the thing that I have wanted to do with my art and storytelling.
Chris: Tell us about your creative team members – who is doing what and how did you come together?
Ryan: It’s just me. I’m doing the writing, the art, the lettering.
Chris: What has the creative process been like? What tasks are you handling for this campaign?
Ryan: Creatively, when I’m writing or doing thumbnails I need it to be quite and at home or I need to be in a busy environment with a lot going on, like a coffee shop or a pub. Both of those places allow me to think without distraction.When I am writing for the comic I use a timeline and break it up into smaller segments, as long as I know where the characters and story eventually end up, I can have fun getting them to that point. As far as the drawing the pages go, I work best at night. Nobody is awake, nothing is happening online, no phone calls. It’s the best time for me to draw. As for the campaign, again it’s just me doing it an it is very time consuming. Seeing as how I don’t have a big social media following to pull from, it’s a lot of emailing and messaging on twitter, Facebook and Instagram to get eyes on the campaign and the kick ass trailer I made up for it…. Go watch the trailer!!
Chris: Can you tell us what stage is the project is in currently?
Ryan: I currently have 30 pages of the 48 pages drawn up and 64 pages thumbnailed out. The lettering will be done as the final pages are completed.
Chris: The sample pages are all in black & white. Will that be the format of the book, or are you considering full color if you get enough backing?
Ryan: This will all be in black and white. Color might be an option for a future campaign as in a graphic novel, but not in the original run. The plan is to have the original 1st run always in black and white, like manga or the 1st run of the ninja turtles.
Chris: If this campaign is a success, what do you hope the future holds for Kayas?
Ryan: The plan is to continue with the story and put out the first 3 issues. Those will then be collected into a digest sized graphic novel, much in the same way manga releases their volumes.I’ll repeat the same process of 3 issues followed by a collected volume until the story is complete. At least that’s the plan right now.
Chris: What else can you share about the project? And do you have any final words for our readers?
Ryan: This is just the beginning of a fun and exciting adventure! With monsters, mages, pilfering pirates, enchanted gun wielding ninja wizard cowboys; the story ends up a far cry from where it started. There’s a lot to unpack and you can get in on the ground level today by backing issue #1 of KAYAS: A Story of blood & Stone! Only on Indiegogo! Watch the trailer and let me know what you think of it by getting a hold of me on my social media. You can find me Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Twitch and YouTube with the username: theryancardinal You can also sign up to the mailing list at www.kayascomic.com and read an 8 page preview of the book and also gain access to the limited edition virgin cover. This is a wrap around cover and will be the only color option for the entire campaign! It’s only available to email subscribers, so hop on that today while supplies last!
Chris: Thanks for chatting with us Ryan! Good luck to you!
Ryan: Thank you so much for the interview Chris! This was great!!
Visit the Campaign Page here!
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Earthworm Jim:
Launch The Cow!
by Doug TenNapel
The epic comic book story of Earthworm Jim from the creator of Earthworm Jim, 26 years in the making!
Please Visit The Campaign Site Here.
Earthworm Jim has been a beloved character in video games since his launch in 1994, but due to the limitations of cartridge space, his epic story was never properly told. I’m not only the creator of Earthworm Jim, but I’ve spent the last 20 years making 18 graphic novels! EARTHWORM JIM is about the world’s most unlikely hero… a worm! The evil Queen of Insectica has a super-suit invented that is capable of altering the universe when it is stolen by her ugly sister, Princess What’s-Her-Name…
John: Doug, Welcome to and thank you for being a part of Indie Comics Showcase. Last September we covered your indie comic Bigfoot Bill, which was a sort of spiritual successor to Earthworm Jim. The campaign for it was a huge success, so congratulations for that. Today we will be talking about EARTHWORM JIM the Comic Book!
Doug: Thank you for your coverage, John. You’d think one comic raising nearly $200k would make a lot of news on competent outlets but apparently Bleeding Fool is the only one! I’m so glad you reached out because I’m excited to share some GOOD NEWS in comics!
John: That is awesome and it’s exactly what we are here for! Before we get started, Everyone at Bleeding Fool and Indie Comics Showcase is wondering, will we see more of Bigfoot Bill in the future?
Doug: God willing, yes. I had already written Bigfoot Bill 2: The Finger of Poseidon when this Earthworm Jim Comic came along and changed my plans. I’m looking forward to draw that comic and I think my readers are going to be glued to the pages when they see where it’s going. Lots of twists and turns.
John: Sweet! Also, what are the chances of you doing a crossover comic?
Doug: I don’t think I can cross those beams without disintegrating the universe… legally speaking.
John: Understood. You’re Doug TeNapel. You created Earthworm Jim, The Neverhood and Catscratch, on Nickelodeon. While you’re known for T.V. Shows and Video Games with Hook, you’ve also the writer and artist on more than 16 comic books. Putting the Bigfoot Bill Launch Video aside, really, what else can you tell us about yourself?
Doug: I’ve been married for going on 30 years and have four kids. Those are the concerns that occupy most of my days. The mass media arts I create are in service to those people in my life, and the audience. In the end this is about people and not video games, comics and TV shows because those works are in service to people.
John: Recently, I’ve found the importance of doing things in the service of something larger than ourselves is more important than ever. Apart from you being at the helm of this book, what differentiates it from the 1995 Marvel Absurd Comics Run, which was written by Dan Slott with art by Barry Crain, Manny Galan, and Carlos Garzon?
Doug: It’s a completely different book altogether. I really like what that team did with that Marvel run, but I’m trying to set up a story that’s closer to canon. The Marvel run really took off from the absurdity of the video game, but my books are doing a much more detailed and depiction of the EWJ universe.
John: I feel as if I have to ask, why wait till now to finally do your own EARTHWORM JIM Comic?
Doug: I wasn’t waiting! I’ve been trying to do this comic for quite some time, but we finally worked out the comic book rights about three weeks before I launched the campaign! I had an old movie script I assumed I’d use for the story and I ended up changing a lot of the story to be something I thought the Earthworm Jim fans would get hooked on. The best part of having to wait this long is that I now have 18 graphic novels under my belt and 20 years of writing epics. I’m in the best shape of my life to tackle this story. It’s weird how it all worked out, which happens a lot with me and Earthworm Jim!
John: I can’t wait to pick up my own copy and dive into the story. You must have a ton of ideas for multiple comics, story lines, plots, etc. How and did you come up with the idea for this particular script, also why did you chose it to be the one to, fully flesh out, and print?
Doug: I root all of my stories into the soul of the hero. A different kind of hero ends up creating a different kind of story. So when I shake out who Jim is and what is his biggest problem to overcome, the plot comes pretty quickly. It has to make sense, it has to be a story that could only happen to him. I don’t like stories where it feels like any number of characters could be slotted into it. Since I decided to make more than one book in the series, I could really open up the world and spend my time on giving Jim more room to breathe and expand.
John: That’s great to hear. Without going into spoilers, what can you tell us about EARTHWORM JIM the Comic Book!? What is Jim up to in this story?
Doug: The title is “Launch the Cow” which is a metaphor for how we begin an Earthworm Jim epic. It describes how Jim came to be, and I mean the WHY of his whole existence. Before now we just had a single page insert comic that came with the cartridge and the intro theme song to the animated series. While I drew that original comic and storyboarded the intro song to the series, they were pretty scant explanations. There is a lot more reasoning behind The Queen and Princess What’s Her Name’s relationship in these books. Peter Puppy has a huge arc as an alien dog who wants to be good but is engineered and trained to destroy his best friend. These stories are launched, and at least for this book, Psycrow is the main bad guy. He is obsessed with eating Jim and is a slave to his addiction to eating worms.
John: That sounds like it going to be a total blast. Aside from this comic, have you made any other plans for the property? The last of the EARTHEWORM JIM games I remember playing was on the Nintendo 64, and the HD remakes that came out later on. I am aware of the Intellivision Amico console which is suppose to come out next year, along with an exclusive new EARTHWORM JIM game. Can you shine a bit of light on that for us?
Doug: I met with the whole original Earthworm Jim game team at a reunion and those of us who had no conflicts were able to do a jam session where we came up with new game ideas for the Intellivision game. It was really exciting in that these are the guys I have the most respect for when it comes to game design. But as for the day to day work on the game, I’m not taking any money as my number one job is to make this book. I’ve offered my services for free if they need help with any designs, new villains etc. but I think the game is in their good hands. I’m mostly a cheerleader!
John: You can count me as one also! Let’s get into the beginnings of EARTHWORM JIM. How you came up with the character? Your reaction to the series taking off? Stuff like that.
Doug: That was just an overwhelming bizarre time in my life. It was the first time I ever had something of my own make it into the public and it was a hit! I don’t think any of us on the team could understand just how far that character reached. But it was really easy for me to come up with Jim. For me, coming up characters and stories is pretty simple cause and effect by now. I’ve been doing it most of my life and most of my work has some kinds of legs to bring in income and help productions out. The hard part is execution. It’s harder to actually craft a game, TV show or comic than it is to come up with the idea in my view. I mean, I came up with most of the ideas in Earthworm Jim within about 45 minutes and each game took a year to make, the cartoon two years with hundreds of artists working on it and even the new comic will take me 6 months of full time work to draw with my crew of letterers, colorists, flatters and book designers.
John: I remember being a kid and seeing a ton of fan art pop up everywhere. There was one picture that stood out to me the most, and it’s of Jim in the Buzz Lightyear suit. I know there are still many passionate fans out there who will give this run the same reception.
I know you have a ton of videos covering this on your youtube channel, but I would like to get a bit of input about your creative process.
Doug: I’m thinking about things all of the time. Telling stories to myself and thinking of stories I’d like to tell other people. That really doesn’t turn off unless I’m distracted by watching or listening to other media. Once I start seeing the same kinds of stories show up in my head, I try to draw the main characters and see if they are neat-o. When I saw fun stuff when I was a kid I would say, “Neat-o!” Even as an adult if I see a cool idea I say, “Neat-o!” That’s what I’m trying to give to my audience.
John: Well Neat-O! What have some of your influences been over the years and how have they affected your work?
Doug: My early influences include GUMBY and Ray Harryhausen’s work. I was always enamored with stop motion animation because it looked like something fantastic was coming to life. Those images go deep in me. Later I was influenced by Spielberg and George Lucas’ work, and who wasn’t influenced by them from 1975-85? They just dominated pop-culture. They made great adventures that were family-oriented that gave me something wonderful to see. The story telling was generally rock solid and they knew how to touch my emotions. As an adult I’ve been most influenced by G.K. Chesterton, Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Probably Moby Dick and older classic lit sources. I think I saw how low the ceiling was in just making bubble-gum pop media and was looking for deeper roots to ground my stories.
John: I love GUMBY as well as Harryhausen, Chesterton, Tolkien, and C.S. Lewis also! Tell me Doug, the campaign for EARTHWORM JIM The Comic Book has blown past the twelve thousand dollar goal and is very close to hitting two hundred thousand dollars. So firstly, let us say congratulations. Secondly, how does that make you feel? (UPDATE) As of the time I am uploading today’s installment, the campaign has surpassed the two hundred thousand dollar mark.
Doug: That’s really hard to answer. I feel kind of numb to it all because so much of my work is about sitting at the table and doing the right thing then waiting a long time before expecting to get paid. But with crowd funding, I can see the income pour in while I’m still working on the story that nobody has even seen! It’s a lot of pressure, because my readers are paying for something great, not merely finished, and beauty in story can be a pretty evasive thing to nail down! I always try to provide more than what I’m paid for so this story has to be amazing. It just has to be. Most people who have ready my graphic novels know that I make good books. I know how to put the cheddar on the page and I know how to do it under pressure. But getting paid in advance? It’s strange.
John: That’s understandable and I’m sure it will be exactly what it’s meant to be. Whenever we at Indie Comics Showcase have a creator of your stature, and I’m not just talking about your height, we like to ask if you have any words of encouragement for the readers in our little community who have aspirations, dreams of one day putting out their own comics, video games, or show.
Doug: There is a lot to be encouraged about, but I can’t emphasize how even when I “make it” and have many, many, successes, I find no rest. I never got the kind of money where I can just walk away from it all. I see that success happen to many other creators, and I just never quite have the right deal at the right time. Often times my best work goes unnoticed, my tastes can be very different from a monetized audience. Being a public figure can shake some wolves out who like to attack you for both what you are and what you aren’t. But there is no place I’d rather be. There isn’t a day I wake up where I don’t feel like I’m doing what I was made to do. I just really like making things and telling stories and I’ve had a ton of success that makes the failures not hurt so much.
Every so often, my ship runs ashore and I think of quitting, but I feel unqualified to do anything else. And this wasn’t magic. I know the tens of thousands of hours I’ve spent honing my craft to be able to do this to a point that I’m surprised I’m not a lot better at it! Your time in the arts is more like a marriage than a job. We commit to a person and you might fall out of love for a few weeks, or get in an argument, or get sick of each other, but a marriage is a commitment or contract. I’m married to my art. I can’t really do anything else. If that’s you then why not make your work go a little easier by learning tools and ancient principles that generally work on a lot of people when it comes to visuals and story?
John: I think that will be helpful to a lot of people. What are your hopes for Earthworm Jim and for the future?
Doug: Right now my hopes are to stick to my grueling schedule and avoid injury! That is seriously number one! I need to spend a lot of time at the art table and be wise with my family time, social media and still push hard on selling the campaign. I hope this book becomes a proof of concept that EWJ is a viable series or movie to do right by the rights holder Interplay. I want this story to have legs and make a lot of people laugh! I’m pretty good at that.
John: Is there anything else you want to share with us before we sign off?
Doug: I am a threat. The business model I’m using for this book makes it only available through my IndieGoGo campaign. People keep thinking it will be in stores and I don’t want it in stores. A lot of folks were upset they didn’t come in to the Bigfoot Bill campaign, and they will have to wait until January for me re-offering of that book.
John: I have friends who run stores and in distribution, and I know what you mean and understand your approach and why some people would be upset. Stick to your plan, Doug.
Thank you for being a part of Indie Comics Showcase. Congratulations once again on the massive success of this campaign, we wish you the same success, if not more on all future projects.
Doug: John, you guys were a big help with Bigfoot Bill and I’m happy to hang with you guys anytime, anywhere! I appreciate your thoughtful questions and coverage!
John: As are we Doug, thanks.
Please Visit The Campaign Site Here.
Well dear readers, I hope you’ve enjoyed checking out these projects and getting to know their creators, I know I have. I’ve already got a pretty good start on next weeks installment. If you are an Indie Comics creator and have a crowdfunding campaign that you would like featured on Indie Comics Showcase, please feel free to contact either Bleeding Fool or myself. We will do our best to fit you in to one of our installments.
This week’s episode of As The World Turns has been brought to you by Popeye’s Sweet Heat Sauce. Because once again, yours truly has forgotten to buy food and that’s all I have in my stomach! Till next time… SUPPORT INDIE COMICS!!
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