Update #23 - March 2021

HELLO!

Before I start, thank you to everyone who has continued to support me, and thank you especially to my newest patrons: Courtney Schmitt, Sentient Waffle, Martha Schupp, Ian Phillips,  Celia, Rubicon, David Fink, Liam Theberge, TheSugaryFalcon, Jayme, Citlalli, PENTAPOSSUM, Shannon, Claire Brooks, Avery, Greg Ygnacio, Aja, Hunter P., Jack Bulman, Mikle, Marianna, Alan Badapple, Sarah Sciortino, and Eskwaier!

Wow! Thank you all so much; it really means a lot to me to have your support!!

WHAT HAVE I BEEN UP TO?

The weather is warming up in New England, and the longer days are treating me well.

I’ve become diligent about putting out the birdfeeders again. I see house sparrows come to eat the seeds and european starlings come to eat the suet, and morning doves come to bobble around pecking the grass. I’ve even seen one or two robins, which makes it feel like spring really has come at last.

It's also warm enough now that I can start rollerskating at the skatepark again. As grateful as I am to have had my basement to last me through the snowy winter months, it's amazing to be rolling around outside again.

WHAT HAVE I BEEN WORKING ON?

Two months ago, I drew a comic that accidentally implied I had t-shirts for sale. After seeing the response, I decided that I should probably make an earnest stab at actually figuring about how to Do Merch Myself, rather than vaguely gesturing toward a neglected Redbubble page whenever anyone asked about it.

My friend and peer Nev gave me some resources to look into, and I decided to order the smallest possible batch of stickers from Sticker Ninja (who, bonus, were having a sale on die-cut vinyl stickers!) and see if I could properly sell them. I drew up two designs and ordered 50 of each.

Having ordered the stickers, I tried to calculate what their price should be.

I realized that there were some expenses unaccounted for, as well as other matters that needed looking into. I wrote up a list of things I needed to research.

It should be noted that my Dad, who has a background in finance, helped me out a LOT. I'm very grateful to him! My partner, Aidan, was also a huge help, including researching and typing up the instructions below.

I looked into extending my current website to include an eCommerce feature, but that proved too complicated. 

I decided that my best option would be Patreon, which I'd already been using regularly to offer monthly newsletter-style updates (like the one you're reading right now!) in exchange for pay-what-you-want tip pledges. I would add a new tier where people could pledge in exchange for a sticker.

I calculated the cost of the stickers and other materials, decided what I would need to set the tier price at, and brainstormed a strategy for introducing and promoting the new tier. 

I decided how the new Patreon tier would look, wrote out a message to send to all patrons already pledging $5 or more, and decided how many slots to open up.

With all that decided, I wrote out a timeline for myself. I would give first priority to patrons already pledging $5 or more, second to all existing patrons, then finally, I would promote the tier publicly on my social media. Of the 45 slots I opened, 30 sold. I was excited, but wouldn't let myself celebrate until all the envelopes had been sent.

As nervous as I had been about fulfilling the orders, it went very smoothly! I formed a one-man assembly line: I wrote the thank you notes, addressed the envelopes, then stuffed, sealed, and stamped them, all in batches. The entire process took me two hours and forty-five minutes, averaging five and a half minutes per envelope; well under the time limit to pay myself minimum wage for my work and still break even. I could now count this venture an unequivocal success!

I've written up a schedule to follow for this Patreon account moving forward: the first week of the month will be dedicated to filling orders, the second week is when monthly updates (such as this one!) will be published, the third week is when I'll design and order the stickers for the month after next (as you may have noticed above, I already have the stickers that will be sent out next month...), and the end of the month will be spent doing a final promotion push before the Patreon pay period starts.

In conclusion, I'm extremely happy that this venture has been a success so far, and I'm very excited to continue producing new designs! (Speaking of which, if there's a drawing of mine you're burning to see adapted to become a sticker, let me know in the comments!) 

WHAT HAVE I BEEN CONSUMING?

Invisible Differences - Julie Dachez, Mademoiselle Caroline, and Fabienne Vaslet

In this graphic novel about a woman discovering and exploring her autism, overstimulation is illustrated VERY well by visually busy panels packed with sound effects. The use of red to denote mood is very effective for communicating how the main character, who has limited range of facial expression, is feeling. As she gains confidence and becomes more comfortable navigating the world, the palette of colors becomes broader, and the art feels more peaceful and joyful.

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

I skimmed this self-help book pretty hardcore; I’ve read enough like it to feel confident skipping over the anecdotes and testimonials, and head straight for the part where it tells me precisely what the author proposes I do, preferably in a bullet-point list.

I only really ended up implementing the ‘morning pages,’ but I find them very helpful. I never would have thought to journal in the morning rather than the evening, but it actually fits into my routine perfectly and helps me start off the day with a clear head. I'm unable to write out the full recommended three pages however; there's just not enough time before I have to go to work. I usually write only one page.

Operatic by Kyo Maclear (writer) and Byron Eggenschwiler (artist)

The visual portrayal of music in this graphic novel is stunning, and I liked the use of color to communicate who is the point-of-view character.

March: Book One by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell

This graphic novel has gorgeous art and is an accessible way to learn more about the civil rights movement.

Maids by Katie Skelly

I was excited to see that this book has square page layouts; that’s my preferred way to draw comics, but I don’t see it often in published graphic novels. The cute simple style is a good contrast with the moments of horror and gore. It doesn't over-explain the plot, which I appreciated; it kept things simple and creepy.

Feelings: A Story In Seasons by Manjit Thapp

This graphic novel has gorgeous, delicate art with innovative page lay-outs; it makes exquisite use of aspect-to-aspect panel transitions to evoke environment and mood. I enjoyed the motifs of light, color, and plants, and found the exploration of depression and anxiety as linked to the cycle of the seasons incredibly relatable.

Return of the Obra Dinn by Lucas Pope

This video game is the second created by this developer, the first being Papers, Please. I massively enjoyed this monochromatic maritime murder mystery. Although I felt a bit rushed along at points, I ultimately derived a huge amount of pleasure from combing through the plot to solve the narrative puzzle box. The art is very cool, and, as evidenced below, the soundtrack is awesome.

THIS MONTH’S MUSICAL JAMS

I spent a large chunk of this month listening to the Return of the Obra Dinn soundtrack. It's full of nautically-inspired orchestral compositions that are rollicking and ominous in equal parts. 

THAT'S ALL FOR NOW!

If you have any questions or stuff you've wanted to talk to me about, do leave a comment below!

Hope you're doing well!

<3,

Dave