Upcoming Projects (that can be announced)
Sadly no comic update this week again. Sorry about that, but I’ve been playing some serious catch up on other projects. Plus, you know…the whole engagement thing from last week.
So I have a habit of hinting at projects I’m working on but don’t go into a lot more detail than that. Sometimes I can’t go into detail. The project isn’t announced yet, or is in the early stages of development and requires a lot of work. Sometimes I’m not even 100% sure it’s going to be completed – which has happened to me more than a few times this year.
However, there are some big projects I’m working on right now that I can go into a little bit of detail on, several of which will be coming out next year.
PROJECT 1: Reading with Pictures volume 2
Coming out in 2013, RWP vol 2 (also called The Graphic Textbook) will feature an original story written by me, and illustrated by the very talented Gabriel Bautista. As with our past collaborations, this will be another Albert the Alien story, and will be about learning figurative language.
Albert is such a fun character to write, and the world he inhabits is our world – but through the filter of his eyes, it’s our world to the nth degree. A hyper-realized version of our world, where everything is awesome and exciting. The ordinary becomes extraordinary, the mundane becomes insane. You get the idea.
Gabe and I are hard at work on the pages, and I will be sharing samples once they become available. And we have a lot more Albert planned for 2013, including….
PROJECT 2: Albert the Alien the webcomic
I seriously love Albert the Alien, and working with Gabe. And if I can do both, then bonus!
Gabe and I have been hashing out the details all year for the continuing adventures of Albert the Alien. And while we still don’t have everything finalized just yet, we do know we’re going to be launching him as a webcomic series starting sometime in 2013.
I have so many adventures I want to tell with this character, and Gabe’s style and input are so critical to making Albert’s world a fun and real place. It’s a 1980s cartoon version of our world, with all the fun and nostalgia I had growing up as a kid. But hyper-realized, because Albert can do so many things that I could only dream of – and still dream of today.
There will be a larger narrative that flows throughout the various stories, but we’ll be telling shorts, one-shots, and longer-form stories with the characters. We’ll also be introducing new main characters to help flesh out the rest of the cast, many of which will be making an appearance in the RWP story.
We’re still in the early stages of this project, where I’m finishing the scripts and Gabe will be getting started on the pages before the end of the year (depending on his schedule, of course).
This is a very exciting project, and I’m really looking forward to giving you guys more information on it when it becomes available. Please continue to be patient as we put together this project.
PROJECT 3: Top Cow Talent Hunt
For those of you looking to break into the industry, but not sure how to do it, Top Cow is holding a Talent Hunt running until December 31. They’re looking for two artists and two writers for a one-shot or mini-series to come out in 2013. And I’m submitting!
There are a bunch of rules surrounding this contest, but ultimately it’s going to come down to skill, professionalism, and having a very strong pitch.
While I can’t get into details on what I’m pitching, with whom, or anything beyond the fact that I’m working on it, I would like to share the information next year after they make their announcements. Whether I get in or not, I would like to use the experience from it and help teach you guys what I did, why I did it, and (if I get in) how I did it. Or, if I don’t get in, how I would have done it differently.
It sounds like this is going to be an annual thing, so there’s definitely an opportunity for some new talent to be discovered. Are you the next Michael Turner, or Ron Marz? Test your mettle by participating in this very fun (but very challenging) opportunity.
PROJECT 4: Wedding Planning
If you missed the good news, I proposed to my girlfriend earlier this month. So this means we’re going to be getting married next year (sorry, single ladies). However, this also means a lot of wedding planning.
Now granted this is a new project, and I will definitely be keeping you updated as we progress through the steps. Right now we’re trying to establish a budget, guest list, wedding party, and find a short list of venues where we would like to get married and host the reception. However, I’m told there’s a lot more work to follow.
PROJECT 5: Convention Appearances
I keep my convention and signing appearances in the upper left side of the website (no seriously, check it out). While I only post my announced / confirmed appearances, I am constantly working with various conventions, libraries, and schools on my appearance schedule.
Most of my shows tend to be around the mid-west, although I’m working to expand that list. The trick is that attending shows if I’m not a guest is fiscally difficult. It’s like a vacation, but I’m working. Most of the shows I attend, I have been invited by the show and am a guest – so the show is paying for my appearance in part or in full.
If you would like me to attend a show in your town, or your favorite show you travel to, please reach out to the show and ask them to invite me as a guest. I would love to speak to them about partnering together and potentially appearing at their convention.
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So, there are more projects in the works, but unfortunately I can’t talk about them just yet. But when I can, I will definitely let you know. Until then, have a great weekend, and I hope to see you at a convention appearance soon!
