At the beginning of this month, I thought I had a good idea. I thought I’d developed a structure for a new project that was interesting, that provided a clear through-line while also allowing me to experiment. I was excited.
So I started drawing. I hadn’t been drawing regularly for a while and I was eager to get back to it. But soon things fell apart. I finished about 40 pages that were…fine, and in places even good, but something felt off. I considered stepping back and changing my overall approach. I thought about forcing myself to push ahead on the assumption that things would eventually cohere.
But instead I’m doing something simpler. I’ve taken the first 15 pages of my draft — which can stand alone as a short story — and I’m focused on just making those pages as good as they can be. I’m taking my time. I’m drawing simply, in black ink, and filling in blacks by hand with a brush. I haven’t done that in years! Ha. If this strip develops into a larger project, then great. But my goal for now should just be to make a good comic.
I’m already feeling a bit better, if nothing else due to the satisfaction inherent in producing finished pages.
—
Pope Hats 6, Hartley Lin
Clue: Candlestick 1, Dash Shaw
La Revolte d’Hop Frog, Christophe Blain & David B.
Les Ogres, Christophe Blain & David B.
The Journal of Best Practices, David Finch
The All-or-Nothing Marriage, Eli Finkel