Going big in 2017

Just updating the blog with a quick update on what I'm working on right now. I posted this over on my facebook page, but figured I should update the blog too.

I had fully intended to have my comic, Urban Myth Investigators, finished by October, but of course things didn't go as plan. I've since pushed back the release date to February of 2017.

After that, in April I plan on releasing the first book in my YA superhero series, Freshman Sidekick. This is book 1 in a four book series. Hopefully I can get them all edited in time and I plan on releasing each book one month apart. If you like shows like The Flash or that "can't catch a break" type character like Peter Parker, I think you'll enjoy Freshman Sidekick.

Then, in Q3 of 2017, I will be releasing book 1 in my YA urban fantasy series, Silverbane, of the Blackgate Trilogy. More on that later next year. Basically, if you like werewolves and vampires, and are fans of shows like Teen Wolf or Vampire Diaries, I think you'll like it.

I'm not looking at 2017 as a make it or break it year, but I'm definitely pushing harder next year with my output and trying to really hit the market hard with my publishing schedule. As such, I don't plan on tabling any conventions. 2017 is all about production. Go big or go home.

Alright, that's it for now.

Friendly reminder...

Just a friendly reminder of what success looks like...

Just writing, not much else

Just a quick update to keep the cobwebs from building up on the blog.

Not a lot of things to update on right now, but stuff is getting done. I'm currently writing a YA science-fiction book that involves superheroes.

And of course, Urban Myth Investigators is still updating. Once issue three of UMI ends, I'm going to post something else on the site, as a little break until the next story line starts for the UMI boys. It'll still be Urban Myth Investigators related, but it's not a comic. It'll be fun. I'll update about it when it starts updating.

That's it for now, but things are cooking. Irons are in the fire. Big things are coming, please keep following along :)

See ya in the funny pages!

It's not how many times you fall down...

I don't think I'm in any position to give any advice about comics. Whether it's breaking in to comics, or making comics, or selling comics. I'm just trying to figure it out as I go.

As it is right now, I have published a terribly bad first comic, struggled through a webcomic, published two mini-comics that, while not outstanding by any means, were remarkably better than the first comic book I published, and now have two more full comic books out and published. The said two mini-comics and latest two full comic books are the Cutlery mini-comics and Urban Myth Investigators, respectively. And they can be downloaded as my digital comic shop, gumroad.com/imrontucker. *plug*plug*

There are times when I get a little down, and think my dream of becoming a full-time comic book writer and cartoonist is never going to happen (and by "full-time" I mean being able to support myself fully on my creative works). Those times, as far as I've read, seen, and researched seem to happen to a lot of creative souls.

But then I plop myself down at my desk, whip out a pencil, some pens and some paper and just press on. Just keep moving forward, because this is what I want to do.

Getting a little personal here, I'm in my thirties, though many people tell me I don't even look 21. I've come to grips with family life just not being for me. Sure, it could happen, but by happenstance and by choice, I'm single, with no one I need to support but myself. That means, I do have a leg up, in pursuing my dreams, as crass as that may sound. I don't have a wife, or a child that depends on me to feed, or pay bills, or even spend time with. Like I said, I'm come to grips with that, for the most part. Because of the career I want. So I draw. I write. I create.

My current comic book being published right now is Urban Myth Investigators. Currently the first two issues are available to download, and on the website, umicomic.com, is being updated currently with pages from the second issue. I update that webcomic through tumblr, as a means of easy navigation, and more importantly, an easy way for people to come across it and to share it. Today I gained my 14th follower on the tumblr site.

As low as that number may seem, I got that notification today and smiled. After three month of posting pages, I'm slowly building an audience.

And now in the next couple months I will be at two comic conventions, to hopefully keep growing that audience.

There's a saying, that it's not how many times you fall down, but how many times you get up. You have to keep pressing forward. I will achieve my goal of becoming a full-time cartoonist. It will happen. You have to believe. I believe.

There is no try.

Getting close to finishing my pitch for my next project. Still a long ways to go, as I will be submitting to comic publishers and agents, but if all else fails, and no one bites, I'll be publishing it myself, because I really believe in this project.

If I do end up self-publishing it, I'll talk about it more, but for now I'll just tell you it's an all-ages, space adventure with an 11 year old little girl as the hero of  the story. It's awesome! :)

As I'm working on it, I've been listening to podcasts, as I usually do, and I thought I'd link to a couple specific podcast episodes, because the guest on them, just tell it like it is. Making comics can be grueling and is a long process. You've got to cut out all the things that are necessary and focus on the comic. 

One was on Paper Wings podcasts, and one is Comics Are Great podcast, where in both instances, the guests say basically, "Hey, focus! You can't say you wanna makes comics and then go off and play video games or watch the newest episodes of tv shows that are on. You've got to focus."

So that's what I'm doing.

Focusing. Do or do not. There is no try.

With that being said, he's that part of Star Wars, where Yoda deals out that invaluable advice.

See ya in the funny pages!

My word for 2015 is...

Moxie. I love the definition sign's last few words. Just plain guts. You got to have moxie to achieve what you want to achieve. Yesterday I talked about the determination for accomplishing my goals, so in a nutshell I need moxie. Courage, drive, determination, the absolute wherewithal inside of myself to not take no for an answer. To get out there and do it!

Do you have the moxie to follow your dreams?

Let's do it!!!

Gooooooooooooaaaaaaaalllllllllsssss

Today is December 31st.

Yesterday was December 30th and I got hit with a major case of Doubtrify. I just made that word up, but I think any creative person gets it and and it hit me hard yesterday. I woke up, and knew that in two days 2015 would be here, and here I was. Still in my little, cold, studio apartment, working at a place I've come to REALLY not like anymore, and wondering to myself: "Man, how much longer can I do this?"

How much longer can I keep sitting at my desk, not knowing if making comics is ever going to pay-off, working in a job I hate, knowing I'm not really qualified to do anything else, and not only is it a new year in two days, but in 13 days, I'll be a year older. I'm really close to being middle aged (which is a scary thought in and of itself) and what do I have to show for it?

I tried going to the movies to take my mind off of things (the new Hobbit movie is pretty cool), but I walked out of the theater, knowing I was headed back to my little studio, not knowing where my life was headed.

I got home and I pondered. Thinking didn't help, and usually doesn't when you're in that state of mind. So I returned to my unfinished comic and started drawing.I finished the last page of a new comic. I've made two brand new, 19 page & 22 page comics this year. That's when it hit me. I'm not doing enough.

I can complain all I want about where I'm at in life and wonder why it's taking me so long and doubting if things are going to pay off, and you know what? They aren't. Not if I go at the rate I went this year. In 2014 I created 43 pages of new comic work. That's it. That's not even a page a week. That's less than a page a week. Sometimes, you need coddling, sometimes you need a good, positive piece of advice, but sometimes... well sometimes you just need a swift kick in the booty!

So what did I do? I looked at a list I made last week. A list of goals I want to complete in 2015 and re-adjusted my thinking. I'm tackling one goal at a time. I'm doubling my efforts. I can't just work when I feel like it, or when I think it's a good time. I have to work all the time. Sometimes, you can't wait for the boat to come closer to shore, you have to swim out and get on the boat yourself. When you do that, you face obstacles. You have waves, and sea creatures, and other people swimming. But the boat is there. You have to swim as hard as you can to make it. Otherwise, there are only two other options for your. If you don't make it to the boat, you either get thrown back to shore or you drown. It is what it is.

Call it a dreamer's mind set, call it naivety, call it whatever you want. But I really believe I can do this. I can make a living making comics. But belief only gets your half way. You have to put in the work, and work hard. Harder than anyone else. Most of the time harder than everyone realizes you're working. But it doesn't matter. Because if you want it, you have to work for it.