October 2006
Another thing I’ve been working on that has prevented me from doing actual drawing is getting a new book ready for the printer, every month for three months in a row. I had “Dr. DeBunko: Debunker of the Supernatural,” “Doris Danger Greatest All Out Army Battles,” and “Doris Danger in Outer Space” all come out back to back, October November December. And that feels like such a never-ending process. I scan the first issue, size and clean it up in Photoshop, and send it to the printer. And before the proof is sent back, I’m scanning, sizing and cleaning up the next issue, or compiling the letters page, or trying to come up with an introduction for the title page. In the past, I would deal with step one, and then progress to step two, and then worry about step three. Now, I’m on step three with book one, while worrying about step two with book two, and nervous to begin step one with book three. I’m looking forward to being done with these three books, and not having a deadline to get an issue out, and just drawing again. I never expected that my love of writing and drawing would lead to months of computer-pre-production and promo work, and months of not drawing and writing as a result.
I understand that in this industry, visibility means a lot. If an artist can put a book out every month, then they will be on the comic shops’ shelves every month, and are more likely to get a readership just out of monthly bullying on the shelves, so to speak.
But Jesus, it feels like such a full-time job just to do the post-production. It seems like such a full-time job just to do the promotion. Just to get the books ready for the printer. Just to do the website. Just to do the blog. And people make full time work just out of comics writing, just out of penciling, just out of inking, just out of lettering. So here I’m trying to do five or six full-time jobs, as a comics creator. And meanwhile, I need a job by day that will pay the bills, until I can get these other full-time jobs to start turning a profit. How has anyone managed to produce a body of work, when it’s six full time jobs to put out a monthly comic?
DICK HAMMER: THE DAILIES
The last thing I’ve been working on that has prevented me from doing actual drawing is actually feeling pretty great. It’s a necessary and exciting part of the creative process, and it’s also probably my very favorite part of it. And that is the creation of a new project. I’m gearing up to begin publishing a web comic. I’ve been plotting a very complicated “Dick Hammer: Conservative Republican” story, which I am going to call, “Dick Hammer: The Dailies” and reference Dick Tracy newspaper strips. I was heavily influenced by a film noir called “Somewhere in the Night.”
It’s been invigorating devising a new script, because this is the first major script I’ve written for years. I’ve done a few smaller stories (five pages) here and there, primarily Doris Danger scripts, but those little five pagers just aren’t the same as a major project like this, so it’s been a lot of fun. This is my most ambitious project I’ve sat and conceived since the Lump (not including Limbo Café – which I worked on earlier this year, but it had already been for the most part scripted, and that’s why it doesn’t count). And even though it’s more parody-styled in nature than the Lump, it’s going to be just as confounding and full of mysteries. Just less gory and creepy, and more film noir.
And hopefully before November, I’ll be able to start actually drawing for a change, maybe another twenty pages of Doris Danger for a new tabloid-sized collection, and also beginning the art for my web comic.