About three months have passed since I last posted anything about "I Thought It Would Be Zombies...", my independent creator owned comic project that is perpetually "in the works!" And yeah, you guessed it... it's still in the works.
Scarily enough, it is also rapidly approaching a full year (coming up in October) since I soft launched "I Thought It Would Be Zombies..." at the 2019 Baltimore Comic Con. Time flies faster than any comic book superhero lemmetellya!
But to answer the question posed in the title of this very post... yes, "I Thought It Would Be Zombies..." is still very much "a thing."
Take the above screenshot as evidence! Date and time stamped showing the screen of my own iPad this very evening! What you see is a glimpse at my software of choice, Clip Studio Paint, strategically positioned to give a decent look at some of my work in progress of course.
Back in October, I printed up a 24 page first issue, which I actually titled as a "preview edition." Even as I sent the files off to the printer to meet my self imposed deadline, I knew that it wasn't up to the level of quality I'd wanted for a "final release."
Beyond starting up a project and intellectual property that I hope to pursue and develop for years to come, I always intended this comic to also be a possible bridge into freelancing; serving as my business card, resume, and portfolio all rolled into one. However it fell short, and didn't meet my expectations of how I wanted to present myself, or present this new story to readers and fans.
So since then, I've gone "back to the drawing board." This is one pursuit where I can use that phrase and mean it literally.
First up is the story. That wasn't spared from a good hard look. The Preview Edition had some awkward transitions, and underdeveloped scenes and character intros. There's a lot of new information to convey in this introductory installment. Perhaps I should have edited myself more concisely, but as I worked on my revisions I simply said, "Ahh, Fuck it." The result is that from the 24 page Preview, a full 48 page double sized first issue extravaganza is being born!
I've recently dug more seriously into the writing application Scrivener, and while becoming more comfortable with its powerful features I've been slowly building the story of "I Thought It Would Be Zombies..." page by page and issue by issue. (Yes... I do indeed dream of doing far more than just one issue!)
In addition to the newly added pages of story, I've been reworking most of the existing artwork as well. I'm proud to say that the comic now features 100% more squirrels! 😁 I'm not totally starting from scratch... but it's been pretty close. The previously finished pages in some cases do give me a good jumping off point; but there were some fundamental flaws in my layouts and approach that I felt needed to be addressed. I should never have rushed or forged ahead thinking I could refine, retouch, or rework things later. Without a solid foundation, a project's just got to be gutted and redone.
To that end, beyond actual production of the first issue, I've also been doing my best to binge on learning, diving into my already extensive library of instruction and reference material... while also acquiring even more to help plug more holes in my knowledge! (... and I still gotta work on those custom Funko Pops I started a lifetime ago!)
Many great Steemians Hiveans have supported my ploddingly slow development of "I Thought It Would Be Zombies..." for years! Rest assured, you are not forgotten. Previously, much of the support came through the Fundition platform, which did not make the transition to Hive and has not seen any noticeable development in years.
Those who achieved reward tiers during the active Fundition campaign will absolutely have them honored, and will receive more than what was noted, as there will now be both the Preview Edition (which will exist as a fun artifact and glimpse at the creative process) as well as the official double sized first issue! Guilt and remorse will almost certainly lead to further reward goodies as the inexorable wait time drags further and further on!
Here were the last standings for the previously Steem driven crowdfunding campaign.
| Reward Tier | Reward | Current Supporters |
|---|---|---|
| A-Class Flare ($3) | digital edition | @nateaquila, @thebored1, @dreemsteem, @katharsisdrill, @readingdanvers, @movievigilante, Elina_G. |
| B-Class Flare ($10) | digital & printed editions | @drwatson, @jrej, @la-fumettista |
| C-Class Flare ($25) | digital & printed editions; printed special thanks | David E., Brad S. (@brickmanbrad), @cryplectibles, @lextenebris, @blewitt, @kommienezuspadt |
| M-Class Flare ($75) | digital & printed editions; printed special thanks; original art hand drawn sketch cover variant | @preparedwombat |
Many of the recipients I've been fortunate enough to connect with more personally, and will have available contact info or other social media to reach out through when fulfillment time comes. If you're on the current list and want to reach out to me with the best way to keep in touch in the future, please do.
Speaking of the Future...
So that's where things stand currently. I'm continuing to grind away slowly at a passion project whose scope seems to only ever grow wider! As I work throughout the rest of 2020, here's some of the aspects that I'd like to explore further on Hive.
I'd like to dig into some of just what went wrong with the development of the Preview Edition. There are absolutely some lessons, both technical and philosophical that I feel I can impart to someone else starting on a comic creating journey such as this!
I'd like to share the resources that I'm utilizing to learn, grow, and improve.
I'll continue to share works in progress to whet your appetite and let you know I'm still working at it!
I'd like to explore new possibilities for crowdfunding on Hive, as well as intriguing new markets such as NFTs.
So please, keep an eye on my blog if you'd like to see more of all of this! Most of these items will also fit nicely into my Creating Comics community, a side project that I hope to build in tandem as a resource for fledgling creators just like me! If you are, or might be in that group someday, or are just interested in peeking behind the curtain and supporting some comic creators, please feel free to join up.
Until next time, I remain...
Bryan "the Imp" Imhoff
It's great to see you making progress. Crowdfunding sounds like a great idea, especially since Foundation was just too complicated. I'd love to continue to escort you on your journey to your perfect first issue. Although from what I saw, the first version was pretty good.
Squirrel!
Good to hear the project is progressing. Is there any way I can get a copy of the comic if I pay in Hive? I'm gathering a collection of comics by people on here.
Oh that's a great idea for a collection! I'll let you know when I get around to finish my own book. ;-)
Cool. Give me a shout when it is done. I already have some by @arseniclullaby and @coppercoins. One from @katharsisdrill is on its way and I should also get one from @drwatson.
Yep! That's my collection so far too. I also got Polis by @jpgaltmiller who's unfortunately been inactive a long time.
I would hope we can build up a few more comic artists if we can show there's a market here. I'm happy to spend some Hive.
I was hoping to bring more people over with @inkito but I guess the world of crypto currency can be scary for new comers. I think more will come when the price of crypto spikes up again.
I will absolutely be offering payment in Hive when it's done. I've been looking at some of the WordPress plugins that help facilitate that in a web shop.
Hi my friend, I'm working on this comic book project, I currently have 41 pages but there is still more to finally finish the first episode, I hope you like it.
@chapath/raxel-apocalyptic-comic-book-story
Hey. I never lost hope, don't worry. Drawing comics takes so long and when you look at your early pages it makes you sweat... ;-)
You too have invested in my own graphic novel on fundition which is still on going. 6 pages left though. I should get back to it and print this once and for all!
I look forward to adding Shades of Men to my Hive comics collection!
Whoa, looking at that pile of related books to your trade, I'm impressed. You don't joke around!
About that Dwarves not being good archers, is that a lord of the rings reference? 😃
Oh yeah... and that's just some new acquisitions! Here's a pic from a couple years ago of the studio reference shelves and the collection grows!
I often feel like a poser when I do more reading than drawing though... 😬
And, the dialog there is not specifically referencing LOTR; just general race/class stereotypes in fantasy fiction in general!
Holy ****! There's gotta be around 300 of them!
I guess I kinda get that feeling...well somewhat (film books in my case but I often feel inadequate behind a camera).
But I believe it's always better to be knowledgeable about the subject you're interested in—than, let's say being ignorant and making something goofy and call it modern art masterpiece. You're doing it the hard way. The right way—if I dare say.
Agreed. Knowledge is always a good thing, and I just can't imagine being passionate about something and not trying to learn as much as possible about it. That said, too much information can lead to "analysis paralysis," and it can be all too tempting to put off creative endeavors with the reasoning that you're not good enough or don't know enough yet. I know that personally I mentally walk a dangerously fine line in those regards, that has limited my productivity!
Firstly hello dear Bryan, I hope you are well in these difficult times and that you are taking care of yourself.
I remember very well the first post regarding your project and I am very happy that with Fundition you have received support for your comic, and now with the tools that we have today I think that both this project and those that you will release in the future will be very good for you... for example the NFT, many artists do very well with that of the NFT, so you could try it. ;)
Greetings darling, I hope to continue seeing more progress of your projects. <3 <3 <3
Hello Carmen! Always a pleasure to hear from you. I appreciate all your support! I hope you'll release some NFTs in the future. I'd love to own a piece of your work!
Great post, looking forward to following your journey!
Thanks so much! It's been a long journey so far... but is only just beginning. I'm gonna have to start walking a bit faster if I hope to finish the journey before I die!
That is a seriously impressive project. Sometimes I wonder at how much talent and diversity there is in this space. It can often be tough to finish a big project like that so best of luck with getting it completed to the right standard that you want.
Thank you! Sometimes I feel like the poster child for the concept "perfect is the enemy of good," 😬 but I'll get there eventually!
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