Cecil does come up with plans & schemes on his own- but sometimes inspiration is needed. Here is his inspiration. Enjoy!
Category: Blogposts
Posts not connected to a comic… sometimes information, sometimes just ranting, it’s a bit of a gamble when you read these.
Podcasts and Thoughts
I may not be as much of a podcast junkie as Sue and with time I really have slowed down on my podcast listening. There are a few I still listen to regularly (whiteroofradio, decoderringtheatre, & podcacher) unfortunately for me, one that had stopped posting for a while has started again. Webcomics Weekly has been on hiatus until the last month. The funny thing is I started listening to this podcast back when it was the “Blank Label Comics Podcast” the podcast itself has evolved from basics for web cartoonists (if you want that listen to early episodes) to the life of a web cartoonist- they even have changed their thoughts from what they had written in How to Make Webcomics & Webcomics.com. Nothing too bad, interesting suggestions and thoughts from people who have been able to give up real life and enjoy cartooning as a life.
I bring this up because this last week someone talked about “Should I quit?” the guys on this podcast rambled about a bunch of stuff but they also talked about (with 10+ years experience) the need for people who really want to create a webcomic and aren’t looking for a way to give up their day job. I guess even after the comments from my mother about “when I’m going to make money” I’m here because this is something I have always wanted to do. I don’t know if I was stupid not following the advice given to me in high school- there is something about having bit of life experience.
I’m still working on what I want this comic to become… but really I’m not trying to deal with getting enough money to support my comic book & Mini Cooper habit, I’m just trying to have some fun, and learn in the process. In 2011 hopefully you’ll see some changes to this comic (the only thing that is constant is change). After close to two years of playing, I have paid for three more years of keeping this site up and running so you haven’t seen the last of me… I’m putting together My Geek Odyssey’s Annual Report to our stockholders. Huh? When did we get stockholders? Maybe the government will bail me out too.
UP! Fair Lexington, Kentucky
This weekend Cecil & I attended the UP! Fair at the Carnegie Center for Learning & Literacy in Lexington, Kentucky. Originally intended as part of the Indy Webcomics Group’s contingent- I ended up, instead of helping out a lot, just hanging out and going to sessions for the most part. While it may seem strange for those who know me, I’m really more of an introvert when it comes to these situations. While interested in a lot what was going on, I’ve been cornered by people who have a “fantastic” comic that they have put their heart and soul into that I then feel an obligation to purchase after hearing their story. This isn’t always the case, but it has happened enough times that I tend to be more aloof. If I talk to someone I am interested in what they are doing, and if I buy it I really do want to read it & hopefully share it with others.
The UP! Fair was geared more for small press and those interested in learning more about self-publishing. It also had a great component geared towards kids and getting them interested the creative side of comics. Compared to the “typical” Con I have attended this was intimate with small sessions that allowed for (almost demanded) interaction with the presenter. Similar to some of the Indy Webcomics Group meet ups. So what did I learn? a few interesting tricks in Photoshop, a little about some software that might help with the creation end.
I did have a chance to play around with my iPad and a few of the drawing apps I have on it (Sketchbook Pro & Brushes). The funny thing was that this was dealing with publishing but almost everyone was doing all of their work completely digitally. FYI: If you weren’t aware- My Geek Odyssey is done the old-fashioned way on paper and then scanned into the computer for shading and limited color- yes, there is original artwork somewhere for every comic that has appeared.
After attending this I have to ask myself (and you my readership) is there a market for let’s say “My Geek Odyssey: Year One” as a book? Would you want to buy one?
Happy New Year!?!
To me birthdays are a great chance to reflect on the year and make plans for the future. So I’m sitting back thinking about the past year and everything that has happened and what still needs to be done.
This year I was able to do some pretty cool things-
- On the MINI front I attended A MINI Vacation In Vegas, MINIs on the Dragon, the Mickey & MINI, Detroit Auto Show (& the Beachcomber) and MINI Takes The States.
- Comic Book wise: there was C2E2, & the New York Comicon
- With the comic- Gosh, the Indy Webcomics Group Anthology was published, I did a full set of comics for MINI Takes The States, and ended with close to 300 comic strips (290 if you you want to be picky). I also attended Webcomics Bootcamp – scary…
- Geocaching- helped Cecil to reach 1000 caches (in Las Vegas), attended GeoWoodstock and the Lost & Found Event in Seattle, this lead to finding the triad (Project A.P.E. the Lilypad, & the Original Stash) plus the usual suspects (Moonshine, Midwest GeoBash, Spring Picnic, Fall Picnic, etc) plus corrupted a few people into caching.
- Personally- none of your business, OK celebrated 20 years of marriage renewing our vows at the drive-thru wedding chapel in Vegas. Oh, and we got Hemi.
Next year- who knows what will happen? All I know is it will be an adventure.
- MINI United will be somewhere (if they ever make an announcement about it so we know the details)
- GeoWoodstock will be in Pennsylvania
- I know I will be going to a few Comicons- the UP Fair in Lexington & Starbase Indy for starters
& My Geek Odyssey will be there drawing and coming up with stories dealing with Monkeys, MINIs, and geeky stuff.
Comics for Kids- a scary proposition
I was asked on Friday (since I happen to be heading to my local comic shop after school) to see if I might be able to get some door prize donations for the school’s “Literacy Night.” Teachers – you should try to build a good relationship with your local comic shop if you can. So today I receive an email from Dan at Comic Carnival asking what he can do to help (thanks Dan). He has some titles he could donate but wanted to check with me about their appropriateness. Fortunately I happen to have copies of the comics in question and that leads me to this post and this question- “What is appropriate for elementary kids?” The comics Dan suggested were Avengers #1, New Avengers #1 or Secret Avengers #1. Marvel has their own rating system and two of the titles are rated “A” which means “Appropriate for ages 9 and up” one is rated “T+” or “Teenagers.” The first answer was easy- throw out the T+ comic because I sure hope we don’t have any teenagers at our school. So what about comics rated “A” what is in them and why the cut off of 9? I looked at both comics and they actually seemed to be completely different.
Avengers #1 (Bendis & Romita Jr.) seemed pretty straight forward although it starts off with a death there really isn’t much to it that I wouldn’t expect from a comic. Time travel story, lots of talking, and some fighting. No blood or dismemberment, no nudity, no “bad stuff” or things that kids will huddle around giggling over.
New Avengers #1 (Bendis & Immonen) You’ve got magic and demons and inappropriate language for school. Now I’m not one to have and issue with magic or demons (it is fantasy), but words can cause problems. I just remember giggling at George Carlin’s “Seven words you can’t say on television.” That said- I can understand the need for using certain words, but I don’t know if a 9 year old (that’s end of third grade beginning fourth grade) needs to reading them or hearing them. Can’t we just keep the world a little more candy coated for a few more years?
So how does a parent (or teacher) get appropriate comics for their kids? The rating system doesn’t work- It doesn’t work in movies, in video games, or in comics. We have to be the adults (“gasp!”) we have to read what the kids are reading, or see the movie, or play the video game to make sure it meets with our morals. That we are comfortable letting it impress a young mind. Everyone has a different belief as to what is “right.” There are some great comics out there that I wouldn’t even think about letting a kid in my class read until they are much older and have the experiences and maturity to be able to understand the content.
Comic Shops what can you do? Keep buying all ages stuff & don’t hide it in the back or behind a bunch a toys & lunch boxes. Make a prominent display of stuff that is good for young kids in the front of your store. Parents will appreciate it (most are scared to walk into a comic shop). Work with your local school and see about getting titles into their library, classrooms, cafeteria, playground. You are the experts in comics, team with an teacher and have them help you put together your “kid friendly- teacher approved” comic list. I would love to have every kid in the school reading good comics- it is still reading folks!
So is picking comics for kids a scary proposition? Yes, just like picking a movie, or TV show, any form of media is, or at least should be, if you care about your kids and what kind of person they will grow up to become.
Guest Comic posted!
For those who don’t follow me on Twitter (I don’t tweet as much as I could or should) you might have missed my post on Monday about my guest strip on Ed Cho’s “Al & Scout” a great all ages comic about two cats. Remember that Cecil made the observation long ago that the only way to have a successful comic in Indiana was to have a cat in it. Ed has doubled his luck by having two. It’s a great a strip updated on Mondays.
How did this happen? Well Ed and his wife decided that they would have a baby- now having a bouncing bundle of joy does require some adjustment. So Ed asked local cartoonists to provide guest strips while he adjusted to the life of a dad. I had read his strip and decided that it would be fun… and it was. I look forward to see what the other folks in the local community come up with and how Al & Scout really handle little Nina as she grows up.
I Love Updates!
I just did a “quick” and “simple” update for the site and once again lost everything for a few seconds… Why can’t my set up stick so I don’t have to keep telling WordPress where to find my comics? People wonder why I haven’t moved from the basic ComicPress set up… this is why! I still have a lot to learn. The crazy thing is I’ve done this enough times (after needing to call for help the first time- Thanks again Don) that I know some of the glitches I need to check out, but it still gets really annoying… One of these days I’m going to do a comic about this- Wait, I don’t have tomorrow’s drawn yet! No, you’d expect that wouldn’t you? I’ll need to save this for when you least expect it then- Wham! Ooktron comes back and… I’ll be quiet now- but soon, I won’t have to be… bwahahahaha!
New York Comic Con or “drop and give me 20”
For the past few days I have been in New York attending (in part) the New York Comic Con which has been an eye opening experience on many levels. One of which has changed my viewpoint towards the mystical creature known as the comic con, but then again I tend to do these things solo which might shade my viewpoint. I
was able to spend some time with Sue on Friday wandering around and seeing neat things in New York including the Mochimochi gallery exhibit. For those of you who know nothing of Mochimochi, and while I am not a knitter, these are interesting little things made from yarn. I think Sue started off making little bats about a year ago. As I believe the designer has said “You can only give someone so many scarves.” So this exhibit was a whole little world made entirely of knitted stuff. Frankly, very creative and cool.
Saturday I kind of planned this as my “fanboy” day where I would just have fun and look around. I planned on going to one session and maybe taking in a movie. The session I attended was on digital coloring (no offense Ben) that session alone was oath the price of admission, unfortunately I could not find the presenter’s table so I could purchase a copy of his DVD,but I will be looking online once I get home. After the session I decided to brave the exhibit floor and see what might be available for purchase. Sadly, as I am finding with many cons, the crowds were overwhelming. I did pick up a few things and stopped by Webcomics.com in order to “check-in” for Sunday’s Webcomics Boot Camp. As I was hanging around doing my best not to look like a booth barnacle I overheard Scott Kurtz (PVP) chatting up the event with someone. When he said “We’ve taken screen shots of a few pages from each participant’s site and we are going to critique them.” My stomach tied into a few knots and I probably got a little paler. I then introduced myself and my comic and Scott’s reply sealed my fate… he said something like we are all trying improve, and or something nice that just made me feel like a kid who shows you a picture and your reply is “Oh, what a great drawing… Tell me about it” which is grown-up speak for “I have no clue what you drew so you need to tell me what it is so I can say something nice.” I spent the rest of the time trying to avoid the crowds, get something to eat, and finding something cool.
I ended up in “Artist Alley” which has become one of my favorite places. When I first started going to comic conventions I basically stayed in the dealer room/exhibit hall. I never went to sessions, didn’t even know they had sessions. I was a teenager with disposable income and I was trying to either get free stuff, or buy stuff. This was the way I operated until just a few years ago. Now I ramble around the exhibit hall for a bit and then head to the sessions or artist alley. For the uninitiated, artist alley is where comic artists set up a space to sell sketches, original art, or promote themselves. You never know who you might run into there. This time around I wandered and purchased a piece from Ryan Dunlavey of “Action Philosophers” & “Comic Book Comic”. The piece is a simple (I wish I could draw like this) drawing of Galactus giving a cheesy grin and thumbs up. The other artist I came across was Humberto Ramos who drew Impulse for DC and has done a number of other titles. I have really liked his style over the years and if he wasn’t chatting/sketching with some folks I would have picked up his sketchbook. Oh, I forgot to say that these artists tend to have “sketchbooks” available- collections of drawings in various stages which for a fanboy/impressionable comic artist really help me to understand the process.
All of this leads to the (drumroll, please) Webcomics Boot Camp. This session put on by Brad Guigar (Evil Inc.) and Scott Kurtz (PVP) was enlightening to say the least. It started off with the caveat of we have paid for an honest opinion and if they aren’t honest with us, giving us false hope, it wouldn’t be fair. So up comes the first comic (person isn’t there) on to the second comic- My Geek Odyssey! I won’t go into all the suggestions that were brought up, but they were appropriate and correct… Some great tips and help along with some things that made me feel guilty- the “Yes, I know, I’m going to fix that really I am.” You will see changes in the coming weeks/months to help make the comic better. Some things might take a while since they will require updating my equipment or improving my skill set. I know the effort will pay off in the end and hopefully all will be in place for our second anniversary in May. After some of the comments to the other artists, I’m glad I got rid of the Sailor Moon knock off from the cast
The start of school and decisions that need to be made…
After a wonderful (yet stressful) time at MINI Takes the States 2010 and a nice quick drive from Denver after being home less than 24 hours I started teaching. Now one of the things I like about teaching is that every year is different. If one year was great, the next year could be a nightmare… you never know and that makes the job interesting. So for the past two weeks (We had “Back to School Night” eight days after the kids showed up) it has been a rush and I know that My Geek Odyssey has suffered because of it. For that I apologize. But I also look at everything else that is going on and it is time to make some hard decisions.
First- do I continue the comic? That is a no brainer- yes, even with a small readership (compared to many) I still have stories to tell and I haven’t saved Cecil from the clutches of Ooktron… yet. Plus, I really like doing this- it is a lifelong dream come true. If you don’t like it- pfffft! to you. Heck, my own parents don’t read it, so why should anyone else? I do it for me (as Sue reminds me so often, its all about me). I have completed over 250 strips in a little over a year, something I am proud of. But, if I want to take this to the next level, there are things I need to do… and time (as a teacher) makes some of those options impossible.
For those who might be new to the comic My Geek Odyssey (my life) is divided into a couple different interests – MINI Coopers, Geocaching, teaching, family, and geeky stuff (Science Fiction, Comics, Tech, etc…). To have the time I may need to decide what I can give up…
“One-half of knowing what you want is knowing what you must give up before you get it.” – Sidney Howard
This quote has adorned my email signature for years partially as a jab to members of my family who don’t get it. In economics it would be “Opportunity cost” every decision comes with a cost. So what do I give up to make My Geek Odyssey move from silly dream, and pastime to something more? 24 hour Comic Day- Same weekend as Mickey & MINI, New England WebComics Weekend same weekend as a teaching conference I just said I would speak at, Baltimore Comic-Con today and tomorrow (Sue’s major fundraising event is tomorrow), Intervention (a webcomics convention) Same weekend as the Indiana Geocacher’s Fall Picnic… It’s like either I take some time to learn how to do webcomics better, or go to events that will give me stories to tell in my webcomic! I am heading to NY Comic-Con, but I’m not even sure what that will be like having never attended.
So I keep rambling… and try to decide what to do. I know many cartoonists have hit this wall before- having followed some strips as the creator’s output dwindles and then as if by magic something happens and its back better than ever. 250 comics, that a lot of work… then again its just a drop in the bucket compared to others… SO I can’t quit teaching (need to eat and I like my job), don’t want to give up anything so I guess I better just buck up, quit whining, and get to drawing. Stiff upper lip and all that.
For the present at least for a while My Geek Odyssey will still come out, but as I get a handle on my classroom and responsibilities for this school year I may end up missing a day here and there. Ben will be back on color duties once I have paid him for taking care of Hemi over MTTS and actually get a comic strip to him. So to quote a pair of wise sages: “Patience, young Skywalker” -Yoda “and thank you for your support” – Frank Bartles
Shhh… Don’t tell anyone it’s a secret
For those who have been following some of my posts I might have mentioned something about a secret project I was working on which has caused me to be a bit behind on the strip. Well the secret is out… I have been asked by MINIUSA to take the comic on their big rally marking the end of Summer- MINI Takes The States. So starting August 9th until the 15th My Geek Odyssey will be on the road & in color. I’ll be dragging the studio along with me as we travel to Denver with a whole lot of our MINI friends. What will happen along the road? No idea… That’s why I’ll be doing the strip on the fly. I’ve taken over the coloring duties since Ben has been on vacation and will continue to color these strips since I have no clue when I will actually get them done.
You may be wondering how this got started… Well, I did a Friday strip at the beginning of the Summer that was a commentary on MTTS which ended up with a few phone calls from the people putting this whole ginormous event on. While we talked they brought up the idea of continuing the comic as the event went on. My response was “sure” since I was going to do it anyway. The first of my efforts has been sent out as a link to those who have registered for the event, so if you got the “Know before you go” email and didn’t read the entire thing you might have missed it. I was finishing up this strip (more like a comic page) Tuesday while at my workshop. Added to what I had worked on before was the top panel integrating the song and I tweaked some color things that I had missed when I first sent it (stuff I would know was wrong but no one else would) so if you haven’t seen it here is the link- http://www.eventjack.com/registration/minitakesthestates2010/announcement/PDF/my-geek-odysssey-cartoon-series-1.pdf
The actual strips during the rally will be posted in both on the event page & here.
To me this kind of brings it all back around to what started this strip which was a MINI event – MINI United. I now have the chance & a bit more experience to do MINI Takes The States the way I would like to have done MINI United (now that I have looked back on those strips). Of course lots to do before school starts but amazingly enough it will get done “it’s amazing the things that would never have been accomplished if it wasn’t for the last minute.”