General Progress Report

Hello there

Little written post today to get you all up to speed on what’s been going on over this way this last weekend. It’s all pretty much positive for once, so let’s enjoy that whilst it lasts.

So I’m perched in the office this fine Sunday (don’t get confused, I am writing it on Sunday, I write these posts ahead of when you read them which I’ve found to be logistically the best way), and have got myself in gear to update the Etsy store with what’s left of the movie poster prints (at last) and the Star Wars figure portraits (at last).

I had a proper nightmare with the Star Wars figure prints as they arrived in properly shocking condition.  Thus…

However, this bizzarely may have worked out for the best all round.  I had to have a hundred printed on A1 posters as a minimum order, and because the printers couldn’t do the bespoke size, I put two copies on each A1 sheet. Which gave me 200 potential prints which is daft numbers that I’ll never sell.  To give you an idea, the best seller on my store is the Statler & Waldorf prints, which has gone all around the world, and I’ve still not quite sold a hundred of them in two years.

So the debacle of delivery that you see above has only affected the copy of the print at the top of the sheets.  Which halved my too-much stock,  and afforded me a 50% refund.  As the prints were far more expensive than my usual stuff, this ended up being pretty welcome, as it meant I could drop down the price (see, I'm no mercenary) and make it a far more viable option in the store.  I’ve still only sold one at the time of writing, but to be honest, I am still delighted that I’ve sold one (genuinely just got an alert to say I’ve sold another – actually just as I was typing).  Bit of a vanity project I think, which is weird when you consider that I am actually on the other item I’ve now added (The ParaPod poster) but I don’t consider that to be a vanity project at all.

I’ve always followed the wisdom that you should create what you would like yourself, and I still cling to that somewhat, but I really have made a massive print that is something I would buy in a heartbeat (had I not drawn it myself) and I'm off to get one framed for myself tomorrow, but I’m proper not sure it’s gonna be a big seller. I think that’s okay though.  I still get a weird feeling (a good one) when I think there’s stuff I’ve drawn that is adorning the walls of folk I don’t know.  Those Statler and Waldorf prints have certainly been purchased by folk who don’t know me either.  It’s quite a cool thing given how few artists ever sell owt (just sold another of the Star Wars prints…maybe my nose has been right on it after all).

I don’t think I told you I designed myself some “Thank you” slips for Etsy as well.  Only took me three years of making them myself by cutting up card and stamping them…

You can just see the old thank you slips at the top right (the orange things).

So on to other stuff, now we’re up to date with the side-business.

I am semi-delighted to announce that I passed the stone (or potentially just most of it) on Friday evening. That’s the headline, and you might want to brace yourself for the rest of it.  Or skip to the end of the following paragraph (which is definitely what I would do).  

So, what I’ve passed is 4mm.  You might remember that I was told originally it was 5, and then the specialist said he thought it might be slightly smaller.  So that would all be in line.  However, it was like a razor, with really jagged sharp edges.  This, again, would be in line with the residual pain I’ve been having throughout the process, and I was told at the hospital when I returned a few Saturdays ago, that there was a chance it was damaging me as it moved.  Pretty certain that’s what’s happened, but there’s still a relief that “something” has emerged.  I do have a pic of it in my palm, but I think that might be a step too far for Patreon.  We know where it’s been, you know? I remain fragile, but – as you may have deduced – I’ve made a proper effort today to start my reset.  I have a scan booked on Tuesday, so will find out from that what mischief has been caused.  And, of course, if there’s any of it left in me.  What I am certain of, is the vast majority of it was caught in a sieve late on Friday evening, so I can put the sieve back in the kitchen (obviously not).  The diverticulitis remains, but has eased a lot, and I’ve two days left of antibiotics before I am hopefully in far better shape than I’ve been for the last two months.  TWO MONTHS. Luckily, I don’t believe in jinxing things…

Right, you can come back if you skipped, we are back in the safe space.

I had a zoom call with Jon Williams, who I write Rocky Robot with, on Friday daytime, and I think we may have both been a bit rejuvenated by it.  He’s also had an idea for a new writing project but couldn’t get it quite straight in his head. Who should swoop in and make sense of it all but yours truly.  Jon was all like “Oh mate you are the best, you are so talented and handsome as well” and I was just coyly batting it all away, but the idea is ace, and I think – joking aside – we might have hit on an interesting way of doing it.  So we have made a tentative commitment to do Zoom writing every Friday on stuff, which is definitely a structured appointment worth keeping in the diary for my side.  It’s Jon’s idea, but I am very enamoured with the idea of co-writing/piping up on something and that being my job on it.  No interest in being in it, or anything like that, just a simple case of contributing to the words and structuring.

I think one of the hugest lessons I’ve learnt in the last few years is the appeal of having one job on a project.  I tend to be juggling contributions with projects (like all the different aspects I covered for the movie, or writing/animating/voicing Rocky Robot) and it will be a bit of pressure off to be just on co-scripting duty.  Not, I hasten to add, that I resent any part of Rocky Robot.  It remains top of my list, and we had a chat about getting that properly moving again.  If I can carry on getting myself a bit more ship shape, then I’m going to make a concerted effort to tie up the loose production bits this week (like the pitch materials and short pitch animation), and I’m starting episode 2 in earnest/obsession too.  I have all the audio ready for it, it just needs a proper edit.  I also have – I think – all the artwork for it too, so it’s just a matter of animating and collating.  

“Just”.

I think the trick is going to be making it properly bitesize.  Even more so than usual.  In the first episode I did it scene by scene, and they tended to be a minute or so long, but I think I can break that down even more.  So rather than riding myself to get loads done on it, I’m going to take the approach of completing a small amount every day, and fight my urge to push through.  No stupidly late nights burning the candle both ends, just slow and steady.  That’s naturally informed by the physical wreck I found myself in after the last few years, and a lesson learnt that it’s better to not wring myself dry, as that concludes  with me being unable to do a thing.  

This all said, first person to say “told you so” gets a smack…

So that’s where we are.  I’m relatively confident I can stretch back to posting everyday again this week (possibly not the Sunday art post yet, as I’ve a backlog of commission stuff that I need to work through/clear, and I can’t really be posting “in progress” stuff of that). There’s some nice movie stuff already scheduled in, and I’d really like to make December Patreon a trove of treasures after the struggle of Oct/Nov.  All on track for that.

Oh and it’s snowing as well, so I’m freezing.

That sky looks well weird.  Like I've drawn it on.  I promise that's the picture as I took it.

No further Star Wars sales as we close play. That was nearly a running theme to the post.

Hope your Monday is looking brilliant for you, and you are all safe and well.

All the love

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