2008 was an interesting year, but I'm glad to see it go because most of it was spent "funemployed". Although I am thankful for several things, like people who actually read my comics and the high profile job which looks good on a resume.

But I should gear up for this year and try to create some nice goals for myself.

1) Publish A Dream of Conscious Thought on Lulu.
Some years ago I started a comic book company with some high school friends. This company failed miserably. At this company, I started a full color comic book called A Dream of Conscious Thought. It was a metaphysical sort of love story and was a way for me to deal with some love-life drama. Since that time I've gone through a relationship, gone on a few dates, and have found ways to make Ms."Love-life drama" feel very uncomfortable. So I'm not as emotionally motivated to finish the book, but its something I ought to finish. So probably after I'm done with the first part of God™ (and its only a few pages away from part one from completion, I'll prep A Dream of Conscious Thought: book one for Lulu which can be ready by spring or even earlier.

2) Finish my Tarot Card set
Maybe a year and a half ago, I started to redesign the Rider-Waite Tarot with symbols of my own (a lot of Star Wars and Kung Fu). I want to finish it and actually do readings with it (because it impresses chicks).

3) Take Yoga classes and maybe a dance class
I'm thirty and I don't exercise. Besides, I heard people who took Yoga have a better awareness of their body and doing that would probably help me with animation and some weird stage performances that I'm involved with. I wanna take a dance class because I don't want to dance sarcastically like a hipster when I'm drunk.

4) Re-design this site
I forgot what my hit average is. But it isn't bad for a horribly designed website. Sure I know Flash and I'm sure I could take a class, but I really don't have the time for that. I'd rather put my energy into making comics and art and have someone else worry about scripting. I would really like a forum for this site because I've found on reddit.com, people having interesting discussions about The Devil and The Monk and Speak No Evil that can potentially go in interesting directions. But this is something I could probably worry about when I'm on hiatus. I'm not sure when that's going to happen, and really, since my pockets were emptied out last year, the later the better.

These are the main things. I might quit smoking this year, but then again I've been saying that for the past couple of years.

Labels: comics, God(tm), holiday, Life, my work, Speak No Evil, updates, Work In Progress

There's a lot to think about with webcomics. Especially since I'm doing one. So far, the most popular ones are daily strip format. Like PvP, Sinfest and Penny Arcade. One reason why short daily strips are popular is that they don't require that much commitment.

Most people who read webcomics are at work and are taking a break from whatever they've been doing. They want to be entertained for just twenty seconds. They click their bookmark. They forward it to their friends.

Most people don't want to sit in front of a computer a long period of time to read a 40 page comic. They could be spending that same amount of time for something engaging like a video game or chatting or watching videos.

Of course there are exceptions to the rule, and they've written really nice reviews on Stumbleupon, Reddit and have posted links on random blogs. (I find that "The Devil and The Monk" seem to be noticed by atheists and agnostics while "Speak No Evil" is popular among Filipinos on LiveJournal. I hope Chicanos don't think its racist or anything.)

I personally like reading a comic book on a comfortable couch, reclined, head resting on the couch's arm. Its a different experience from reading it on an office chair.

So, what am I to do? I'm not a daily strip guy. Currently, I don't have time for a lot of things.

So I'm considering doing this:

A semi-weekly strip of comics I've never finished called "Work In Progress". They'll be one to five pages long. Think Carol Lay's Story Minute.

When I write a first draft of a comic, they're usually scribbles and some word balloons. At least some of my ideas have a home somewhere out in the collective unconscious.

But, here's the kicker. Some of these comics I wouldn't mind submitting to Zuda or whatever comic book publisher where they own the rights. And I wouldn't mind not drawing them or sharing ownership or even having someone else rewrite them (the deal would vary between different comics). Plus, if an artist was a novice/intermediate, I could teach them what I know about art and comics.

I don't think I'll be able to implement this for a while. I want to prepare these things. Be two months ahead (eight stories prepared).

I want to have something new for my readers at a regular basis since my life outside of this website has been eatting up my time.

Anyone care to comment on my idea?

Labels: comics, my work, Work In Progress