Vivid Creations with Dave and Liz

Sneak Peek #24: Halfway

2012-02-11T20:58:00.000-08:00

Alright... I got a full night of sleep last night, and it was awesome, and I think I'm coherent enough to write this. WORDS, DON'T FAIL ME NOW!

Chapter 9 pencils are halfway there! Page 112 was nailed yesterday, right on schedule. It was making it happen on my self-imposed schedule that turned out to be hell.

Not the drawing part- I love drawing. It was all the not-drawing that was tortuous. See, I have this kind of secret identity thing going... While by day I'm a mild mannered cartoonist, by... Other days, I don a spectacularly baggy uniform (Security guards were never imagined to eat fewer than 37 donuts a day) and enforce safety on the world. Duty turned out to be pretty clingy the last couple weeks, and was calling me quite a lot more than I prefer. There were parking lots- parking lots in dire need of security.

I answered the call, and let me tell you- those parking lots weren't going ANYWHERE while I was on the job. I watched the hell out of them.

Drawing, eating, sleeping, and gator wrangling all collided into the remaining time in my schedule and fought for dominance. Drawing won, and here we are!

Because in Anduruna they have quality entertainment, we’re proud to present to you… Trio-de-Fortress! The fictional crime-fighting trio with their own prime-time franchise. They’re our spoof-equivalent of superhero / action television programming… So they’re fully intended to be the most bone-headedly clichéd, simple concept imaginable. It was SO fun designing them. I believe Gorse mentioned them once in Prelude, but we haven’t had a chance to show them anywhere yet. …Yet.

The wiggly pile of delightful malice is, in fact, that rhyming monstrosity some of you may be familiar with already... We did a sample comic a few years back called 'Tendril's Demise,' and, yup. Here's his introductory iteration.

Tendril isn't his official name by the way. In order for things to rhyme constantly, one has to be flexible about such trifling details as names.

In other news, we FINALLY got to promote our commercial somewhere! After half a dozen unresponsive sites or outright rejections, we finally settled on what in all likelihood is the best initial venue anyways- Youtube.

The first salvo went well. Better than my worst-case scenario, worse than my rosy hopes. We'll be priming for another round fairly soon- only it will be BETTER! I'll probably blog about the upgrades as we launch, so keep an eye out.

In the meanwhile, don't forget the reader-initiated Valentine's Fanart contest is underway! If you don't have time to create an entry, do feel free to swing by the gallery and see what's cooking. And have a great Valentine's day!

Talking! I does it good.

2012-02-06T20:42:00.000-08:00

We got to be on a podcast! Check it out: http://furcast.xanacreations.com/archive/fc-70

The guys over at Furcast were nice enough to let me in from the cold when I came scratching on the door asking for an interview. And interview aside, the rest of the ‘cast is quite an entertaining listen as well. So for some Dreamkeepery chit-chat and more, swing on over and lend an ear.

…And on that note, I have discovered that giving interviews is easy and I like it. Does anyone know of other podcasts out there that might be good for me to invade? Toss ‘em in the comments down there, and I can guarantee they will be pestered by an e-mail from me.

…For a brief V3 update, pencils are going great! I’ve got the blues and layouts done through page 112, which is the official halfway mark of Chapter 9. Once I finish the pencils to that point, I’ll toss an official sneak peek up with some art tidbits. 8 ) Thanks to everyone for your patience with this book- we’re getting there!

Commission Last Chance

2012-01-18T21:07:00.001-08:00

Last call for commissions!

They close on Wednesday, the 25th - FOREVER.

Or, at the very least, until our current batch of commissions is done. Which ought to be, I don’t know, 20 years from now…

So, only get in this huuuuge line if you really, really want to be there for awhile. If you’re low on cash, you’ll have to scrape together at least the $5.00 sketch price to reserve your place in line.

If you want ‘em, they‘re here: http://www.dreamkeeperscomic.com/commissions.htm

But don’t want them after Wednesday. Or your world will be constructed of sad kittens.

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Sneak Peek #23: T-MINUS 33...

2012-01-11T11:51:00.000-08:00

Egads, it's been awhile since I posted something in here. I'VE BEEN DRAWING! You can't possibly expect me to DRAW and TYPE simultaneously! What do you think I am, some kind of warbling, miraculous wonder-freak?

Time for that dream to die.

Anyways. Status report, sir!

Chapter 9 pencils 25% complete, sir!

Progress continues to go well sir, T-minus 33 pages remaining to eliminate, we expect to have more good news soon, sir!

And because a world without pictures is a cold nightmare hell from which there is no redemption, here are some sketches so far:

It's actually getting tricky finding drawings I can show without encroaching on spoiler territory. Especially towards the end of the book, showing off what certain characters are up to can start revealing more than I'd like.

I'll just start zooming in reeeaaal tight on the art we display - from now on, progress samples shall consist of close-up shots depicting the tips of various characters' ears.

This week I knocked out 2 month's worth of Prelude updates, and I'm now finishing off commissions 5 and 6. This ought to free me up for a nice, huge slew of Chapter 9 penciling during the rest of January and February. I realistically expect the pencils for this book to be entirely finished by late spring or before, and then colors will be the final focus. Pre-Orders are coming this summer.

If anyone would like to see Volume 4 happen faster than Volume 3, help us out and spread the word about Dreamkeepers! The better V3 Pre-Orders go, the more time I can work on Volume 4 without minor issues like the fear of starvation complicating things.

Anduruna in 2nd Life

2011-11-30T07:35:00.000-08:00

What is 2nd life? Well, it's like... It's like a video game. I think. Where you can have a house and stuff. There are also ponies and you can make piles of coins, called 'McDucklings'.

...Okay, so I know virtually nothing about 2nd life. This distinction makes me uniquely unqualified to start a Dreamkeepers-oriented community in there.

Fortunately, there are some DK readers who actually know what they're doing- (this bails me out so often...)

So I'm pleased to announce that there is indeed a Dreamkeepers 2nd-life community in the works! If you're a DK fan on 2nd life, this ought to be just up your alley. The effort is being spearheaded by Viscount Gyaku Darkblood and Rennac, so contact either one of them in there to be guided to the Anduruna region, and have a good time!

New Digital Heaven

2011-11-17T06:59:00.000-08:00

We're approaching the magical month of December - and you all know what that means...

Christmas!

No! Well, yes. But-

It's the 5-year anniversary of Volume 1's first printing! 8 D And there's a big, fun announcement to commemorate the occasion:

Graphicly. Dreamkeepers is on it.

If rainbows aren't currently shooting out of your eye sockets, then odds are you don't know what Graphicly is. Let's see... Does anyone remember my 2009 article, http://vividstuff.blogspot.com/2009/04/article-6-action-road-to-new-market.html

where I was fantasizing about what the ultimate online comic venue might look like? Well, this appears to be it. It's basically taken our book downloads and put them on steroids. Steroids- take 'em, kids!

The Graphicly editions can be read on a dizzying array of devices - phones, tablets, desktops, you name it. They link in to facebook and twitter. They allow readers to rate their books, post reviews, and even leave panel-by-panel commentary for fellow readers to peruse. The reading format uses print-resolution graphics to facilitate panel-by-panel zooming. And perhaps best of all, the Graphicly format allows us to cram all kinds of special features into the digital books.

Liz and I recorded audio commentary tracks for the special-feature editions, included the original Volume 2 script, and I even dug deep and found some ANCIENT material back from before Volume 1 was published - deleted Volume 1 scenes. The deleted scenes had to be scanned in from some papers I dug up, the original files were lost a few years back. But they are finished, colored Dreamkeepers scenes.

We're really excited to have our books available in such a slick format - thanks again to everyone who has been reading & supporting us over the last 5 years. It's been very difficult, very fun, and I'm looking forward to presenting a lot more stuff over the next five!

...And speaking of new stuff, we are making headway on Volume 3- in fact, I graphed it. Check out some progress samples in our latest Sneak Peek: http://vividstuff.blogspot.com/2011/11/sneak-peek-23-chapter-8-penciled.html

Also, we're selling hats now. Um... Hats. Thought you'd want to know. http://www.dreamkeeperscomic.com/storeShirts.htm

And for the last news tidbit: As people from July can attest, my reply lag in art accounts has been atrocious this year. I can kinda keep up with e-mails on roughly a monthly basis, but I'm really face-planting elsewhere. Because I'm beginning to grudgingly admit that I'm not all-powerful, and I can't accomplish everything everywhere at once, common sense is gradually seeping in to my decisions. So we've invited the Dreamkeepers staff to help us answer questions and reply to messages in the accounts. They know as much non-spoiler stuff about the series as me, so the only real difference will be questions getting answered faster for everyone.

Commission-wise, I'm currently working on Slot 3 for November. Last month's commission is finished and delivered, so watch for it to pop up in here as soon as I take some time out to post it.

Sneak Peek #23: Chapter 8 PENCILED

2011-11-05T09:37:00.001-07:00

OH HAPPY DAY! The pencils for Chapter 8 are completely finished! Dance party commences in 3... 2... 1...

Hmm. That never seems to happen the way I imagine.

But anyways, we’ve passed a nice milestone on V3 production, and if you wade through all my yammering here, there are pretty pictures to prove it.

I imagine some may be wondering just how close we are to finishing not a chapter, but the damn book. After all, it’s not like you guys get to curl up with new material every time I slap myself on the back for hitting a milestone. Well, to give you a snapshot of our progress, I made… A GRAPH! …No, it’s not boring. This graph is extreme. Note the rad text and exclamation points, please.

So as you can see by the bro-tacularly intense graph, we’re not out of the woods yet.

…Though I will mention that the end of Chapter 8 is already 89 pages in to Volume 3 - and Chapter 9 has a good 43 pages in and of itself waiting for me to get rolling on. Volume 1 was 98 pages total - so a part of our production time is due to the fact that V3 is big. Just friggin big.

There’s still a stretch to go - but since the commercial was finished this spring, our production has been going at a great rate!

Speaking of the commercial… AAAAUUUUGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHBLOODCROWSHAMMERFINGERDOORSLAMFLOCKODUCKS!

…Mildly frustrated. Turns out the work of animating every frame was actually the easy part. Now that it’s done and ready to roll, hunting down a venue is proving bizarrely difficult. Sales reps and ad execs quail at my approach - e-mails go unanswered, phone calls vanish into an abyss, and… A 3rd item here would make for a nice rhythm to my complainy sentence, but I haven’t actually tried using a telegraph.

I never imagined it would be so hard to get people to take money and do their jobs. Perhaps those I previously contacted weren’t serious about hosting the commercial, and instead wound up losing an office bet when I actually came through with a finished piece to air. The world will never know.

Meanwhile, I feel like a kid with a loaded shotgun in front of a pinata - EXCITED - but then the thing keeps inexplicably firing blanks. I just want to take my damn shot.

…I do think I’ll track down a venue for this thing pretty soon, but experience has taught me not to announce anything that relies on other people until after they‘ve actually delivered.

There - now that you’ve been forced to taste the bitter sting of my disappointment, it’s time you were rewarded! Here are some teaser images from Chapter 8 so far.

Though the pencils for Chapter 8 are done, they were completed in an obsessive haze at the expense of a lot of other tasks. As a result, I’ve got a run of miscellaneous things to sweep up before ripping into Chapter 9:

Getting caught up on e-mails and the poor, poor, utterly neglected art account comments, 3rd quarter records and taxes for Vivid, the Prelude que is dry and needs refilling, need to get rolling on Commission slot #3 for November, of course get started making the Halloween beads for the winners this year, and if I’m going to at least attempt a new forum, now’s the time to get that rolling as well, before I fall into the sweet oblivion of endless Chapter 9 sketches. Also - I should possibly think about doing the dishes.

I’ll need courage for that - everyone please wish me fortitude.

Contest Results!

2011-10-31T05:27:00.001-07:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

The results are in! It has been nothing less than a spectacular year for the contest. Trying to judge between the entries has been absolute hell for me - there are simply too many deserving pieces to make any 'right' choices for the awards. But regardless, choices had to be made. Check out the winners featured in the site gallery: http://www.dreamkeeperscomic.com/gallery_halloween.htm But by all means, check out the rest of the entries too! http://dreamkeepers-fans.deviantart.com/gallery/32472297 Everything from pumpkin carving to animation to illustration to CAKES are featured this year. While doubt over my capacity as a judge may well linger, there can be no doubt that Dreamkeepers sports some of the most creative and fantastic readers of any fandom.

Thank you again to everyone who sacrificed their time and creativity to help put together such a powerfully fun gallery!

More prizes are still to be distributed- keep an eye on the DA group's journal today to see who wins the reader-selected awards and huge stash of DA points!

Adding to the festivities is our annual Halloween Prelude special: http://www.dreamkeeperscomic.com/PreludeHalloween11.htm Because this homage was inevitable.

Small confession to the winners, I've been so focused on pencils lately that I haven't yet made the award beads... (Or replied to art account messages in months... ARG) I'll be crafting them in the next week or two, so I'll have to ask for patience while I get the prize packages ready. ...And I will get to messages in here EVENTUALLY, I just have a lot of things on my plate at present. Must eat them.

But in the meanwhile, I expect everyone reading this to eat excess amounts of candy today, because Halloween only comes around once a year. Have a great one! 8 D

Sneak Peek #22: David Heaven - Blank Paper.

2011-09-12T16:05:00.000-07:00

And, after months of procrastination, I FINALLY caught up with my e-mail inbox today! That question you asked in July has now been definitively answered.

…I’m still waiting for it to rain medals outside.

My reply rate would likely be better, save for my dark, all-encompassing obsession of the past few months:

No, not that one -Volume 3 penciling.

I don’t have much to say at present, but progress is going good! Over 3/4 of Chapter 8 is now completely penciled and in the early coloring stages. I plan to have the all drawing for Ch. 8 finished by Halloween.

A few of our Prelude sketch updates were requested in a non-vanishing form, so along with those here are some samples of what’s been cooking:

Since I’m at a good point for a brief intermission, I’m taking care of some side-errands: E-mails, the fabulous Sneak Peek update you’re currently enjoying, creating the annual Halloween art, designing this year’s mystery sticker, hosting the contest rules, knocking out a couple of commissions, a small run of Preludes, and that assassination I‘ve been putting off.

So for a couple of weeks I’ll be attending to my grab bag of ‘you-should-really-be-doing-more-than-just-Volume-3-drawing-David-and-when-is-the-last-time-you-shaved’ items.

But once those are done, it’ll be time to finish the pencils on Chapter 8, and jump at last into the final Chapter of the book.

…That would be Chapter 9, for anyone of the non-counting persuasion.

In the meanwhile, keep an eye on our blog for the upcoming Halloween announcements, and watch our art accounts to see the appearance of our first completed commission.

Commissions Opening!

2011-08-12T19:06:00.000-07:00

If you’ve been waiting for Dreamkeepers commissions to open, hark: Sales go live on our website next Saturday, August 20th.

This is very probably the last time we will ever open commissions online to all.

Prices, options, and FAQs are at the bottom of this blog - but before getting too excited, be sure to read about your potential wait time.

We’ve had commissions closed for years, and many people have been waiting for a chance to have artwork created by us. After they’ve waited so patiently, I just don’t have the heart to turn anyone away and tell them they’re excluded. For this reason, I’m not using a slot system, or auctioning a handful of spaces, or using any mechanism that would omit people. Instead, before our audience gets any larger, we’re opening the floodgates.

I’ll be selling commissions to any and all who want to have one. And then, because I don’t have infinite capacity, I’ll close them - probably forever. Future readers will simply have to miss out, this is for our current readership only, those who’ve found and supported us as we’re starting out.

But here’s the catch:

I still intend to spend most of my time finishing Volume 3 - and, after that, finishing Volume 4. I’m planning on doing perhaps one commission a month - which, if you do the math, means very, very long wait times, measured in years.

Purchasing a commission will be the equivalent of buying space in a long, exclusive waiting list. So be aware of this element before making any purchase, and don’t buy a commission if a long wait is unacceptable.

That’s the major downfall - everyone who wants a commission gets to buy one, but the wait time on the actual art will be undoubtedly long. (As a side bonus, the longer you wait, the better an artist I’ll be by the time I create your illustration.)

The upside of this plan is that it gives hordes of people a good motive to keep me from dying - something I’ve always wanted.

Though I do enjoy commissions, I love creating books even more - Dreamkeepers is what I want my focus in life to be. So, as mentioned above, this is very likely the last time I will ever open commissions like this. Get ‘em while they’re hot!

The wait list will be organized first come, first served. We will announce to the e-mail list earliest and then twitter the exact timing when commissions open on the site. After we get purchases organized, we will e-mail everyone a number, so they know where they are on the list. If you don’t get a number e-mailed to you within a week, be sure to contact us and make sure we got your order logged.

Here are the general commission categories:

Doodle - $5.

Example: http://dreamkeepers.deviantart.com/gallery/24562434#/d345ybb

The Doodle is just that - a very quick, rough pencil sketch signed by David. This is good for people that are on a tight budget, but still want to get some custom artwork and a signature.

Character illustration

Character illustrations include up to two characters in the initial price - more characters can be added for $10 each. The illustration has no background, or very simple background elements.

Rough sketch - $15

Example: http://dreamkeepers.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d2zcw1u

Finished pencil lineart - $30

Example: http://www.dreamkeeperscomic.com/Commissionviewer.php?pic=Sci-Fi%20Sniper

Finished colors - $50

Example: http://www.dreamkeeperscomic.com/Commissionviewer.php?pic=Windblown%20Couple

Full Background, Anything goes

These are the illustrations we’re most well known for - pulling out all the stops, and making a show-stopper. Anything you can imagine fitting into an 81/2 by 11 sheet, we can do.

Rough sketch - $35

Example: Imagine the finished lineart example below, but sketchier and with less formed details.

Finished pencil lineart - $50

Example: http://dreamkeepers.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d345yk1

Finished colors - $85

Example: http://www.dreamkeeperscomic.com/Commissionviewer.php?pic=Coyote%20Cantina

Finishing Previous Work- - $25

If we’ve created line art for you in the past, whether at a convention or from previous commissions, we will add finished colors to the illustration for $25.

Now for the FAQ’s - please read through these before e-mailing questions:

FAQ:

But I don‘t have enough money for a commission right now! I‘ll miss out forever, this is terrible!-

If you’re running low on money, don’t worry too much - we’re giving you guys plenty of time. We’re not going to close the door until after Christmas, sometime in January. So there’s plenty of time to earn some cash, or even use some Christmas money or something. And if you still can’t come up with enough, at least buy a $5 slot. Then when we get to your spot in line, odds are good that enough time will go by that you can afford to upgrade your commission to something better before we get started.

But I don‘t know what I want for my commission yet!-

That’s fine - in fact, we’re going to request that nobody tell us their commission ideas until we’re at their number, and actually ready to start their art - if we’re juggling 50 different ideas in our heads at once, that would be a lot to keep track of. So you don’t even need to have your idea for a commission finalized yet - just buy your spot in line, and we’ll see if you’re ready when we get to your number - and if you need a bit more time to decide, we’ll just do the next person on the waiting list and then come back to you.

Isn't there a way I can get a commission sooner? -

Actually, yes. We make exceptions when we're present at conventions. Conventions are the magical bubble outside of our limitation rules.

Convention commissions are drawn at conventions only, so they're limited to black and white pencil drawings, no color. We are also limited by time - we can't do take-homes, so it's first come first serve. Conventions are also exempt from waiting lists - while we’re at conventions, we ignore any waiting lists we adhere to at home.

Er... What kind of content do you allow in commissions - what if I wanted something possibly naughty? -

If you're tentative about an idea you're interested in, odds are very good that it’s perfectly fine. Just go ahead and buy your spot in line. We've been around the internet a few times, and nothing is going to shock us or weird us out. We can be open to some adult content assuming the customer is of legal age. And if, for whatever reason, we do in fact decline to undertake your commission, we’ll be sure to get you a full refund. We *might* decline, but we won't ever judge.

What if I get tired of waiting and want a refund?-

Once we get payment, that money could go towards book printing, marketing, or any number of things. So we’re going with a no-refund policy, unless of course we for some reason decline to do your commission. But that means definitely make sure you’re willing to wait before you make the purchase.

Sneak Peek #21: Swatches Galore

2011-07-26T16:27:00.000-07:00

Volume 3 is back in action!

It seems as though trivial matters have delayed us at every turn this year - finishing a commercial here, a few jaunts to the hospital there. At one point I had to chase down a squirrel. (He was too lazy - he needed a lesson in survival! Liz and I cornered the hapless creature on a doorstep, thus proving humanity’s superiority to squirrel-kind. Feel free to share in my pride.)

But with all of that behind us, production on Volume 3 is now proceeding at a healthy clip. I’ve been knocking out pencils for the last few weeks, and I’m approaching the halfway point of Chapter 8‘s linework. But you know what’s more fun than hearing me prattle on?

Pictures.

Here are some warm up sketches I did when getting into the latest scene, getting a feel for some poses, props, and cameo characters.

The preliminary blue-sketches for one of the panels on the page.

We asked Namah if she wanted to be in Volume 3 or not, and she had this to say.

This is probably smashed down in size here in our blog - we’ve got a larger version up in our DeviantArt, FurAffinity, and Inkbunny accounts.

Some of the background characters will be recurring in future scenes and even future books, so it was necessary to do a lineup of swatches. We’re considering having these characters acting the part of a community charity outreach staff. I think they look the part.

As you can tell by the panel above, there’s a lot of work involved in this book - though production is in full swing, it still isn’t going to be done soon. But ratcheting Prelude down to half-speed is really helping, I must admit I’m noticing a big difference in how much book work I’m able to fit into a week now. So keep an eye on our blog or twitter for the occasional sneak peek, and you’ll have a front row seat as we get ever closer to a release date.

15-Second Commercial!

2011-07-07T11:40:00.000-07:00

First, the best news I could hope to share - Liz has recovered and is back home from the hospital! Thank you again to everyone for the support and goodwill we've received - words are inadequate to encapsulate my gratitude.

I asked the doctors to cast a charm on us warding off evil and guaranteeing eternal vitality, but it turns out that's not specifically covered in medical school. They couldn't even give us any health potions. So though adversity may not be eternally banished, we've generally got the hang of working around it and getting things done regardless.

And speaking of getting things done, slightly-less-but-still-exciting-and-skippy-good-news: Our 15-second commercial animation is finished!

For a brief blast of animation, click thus: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SXkC4vyTao

It's a relief to have it completed. Especially in light of my old articles http://vividstuff.blogspot.com/2009/04/article-6-action-road-to-new-market.html

exhorting the importance of effective marketing, I now feel less like a hypocritical loud-mouth. I'm just your every-day average loudmouth.

Admittedly this commercial took way longer to produce than I originally estimated... Partially due to 'Fun-Tyme With Life Events!' but also largely because I was too optimistic in calculating the workload.

I have to offer profuse thanks to the Association of Seven for their help on the production - without them, I'd still be coloring frame after frame, thinking to myself, "I wish I had a bunch of badass art ninjas to do my dirty work for me." But instead, I'm back to something that really puts a gleam in my eye -

- penciling Volume 3.

I just finished the second scene of Chapter 8, and with no more distracting commercials or commissions, we're rolling on the rest of the book non-stop until it's done. Though we had originally planned to open Pre-Orders this summer, we have decided to hold off until more of the book is completed - we’ll be sure to announce when that time approaches!

Not that it will be terribly soon - we've still got the rest of Ch. 8 to pencil, all of it to color & shade, and all of Chapter 9 to tackle, which is over 40 pages in and of itself. But production will at least proceed unfettered from here on out. Keep an eye on our twitter, we'll announce the next Sneak Peek of production progress there.

Meanwhile, it's time to plaster this commercial all over creation.

Anthrocon Absence

2011-06-17T20:10:00.000-07:00

Better you hear it from me than from Peter Jennings - Dreamkeepers won't be having a dealer's table at Anthrocon this month.

Liz is still in the hospital, and without The Smart One around it was decided that an unsupervised David would have far too much opportunity to instigate disaster running a table alone.

The original plan was to open Volume 3 Pre-Orders at Anthrocon, but we're going to postpone Pre-Orders as well. There's simply not enough of the book finished to justify selling it. We had planned to be further along in production by now... This delay hasn't stopped us, but admittedly it has slowed us down quite a bit. We're not even finished with our 15-second commercial yet, for crying out loud...

...But it's ALMOST done! Every scene is completely animated, rendered, and ready to roll except scene one - and I'm finishing the cel shading in there this weekend. I'll post a video of animated production samples soon.

So despite setbacks, we're still moving forward - Even while hospitalized, Liz has made this directive clear, and I'm not about to defy the will of someone who would be exonerated by the sanity clause. ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KS2khYJZKwA )

After the commercial is finally knocked out and locked in the 'done' bin, we'll be pulling out all the stops and going full-bore on Volume 3 production. Prelude is currently on a bi-weekly schedule while Liz is recovering, and we've actually decided to keep it bi-weekly even after she's better, until V3 is done. I love updating every week, but the last two years has seen more finished Prelude than finished Volume 3, and the graphic novel is overdue. The books are the meat and potatoes of the series, after all, and the next installment really needs to be our primary focus until it's complete.

Though confined to the hospital at present, Liz is vastly better, and table or not, wants at least David to attend Anthrocon in her stead.

As a result, this will be the first time ever that I'll be loose at the convention without being confined behind a table. There may be photos.

I'm sorry to everyone in advance.

Grandma's Wild Egyptian Ride

2011-06-15T20:03:00.000-07:00

A bit belated, but we wanted to make a blog entry commemorating Liz's grandma, international adventurer extraordinaire, and her intrepid tour of the Holy Land.

She visited Egypt and the middle east accompanied by Liz's dad and Aunt Jill. Here she is with Liz's dad on a camel:

After the photo, Grandma discovered that she does not much care for camels.

This was back in January, around her eighty-ninth birthday. One day after they departed Egypt to return home, the Jasmine Revolution began. We were very relieved they made it home safely, especially because the riots were right around the area they were staying. This leads me to the inevitable suspicion that Liz's grandmother is an agent of some secret order tasked with destabilizing tyrants and seeking freedom in the midst of oppressive regimes.

I suppose there's no way to know for sure - it's probably safer that way.

Tally now has an official Sebek idol, carved from Egyptian alabaster. We had hoped the icon would serve as religious role-model, something for our little gator to aspire to, and inspire orderly, reverent behavior. Unfortunately it turns out Tally is a heretic, and wants nothing more than to kill and eat her god.

Tally: 1

Ancient Egyptian gods: 0

Unsolicited Advice!

2011-05-24T14:15:00.000-07:00

...Always the most fun to give. Although it's not entirely unsolicited - I was recently asked by a young reader to share advice about art careers and life in general. Asked for my two cent's worth, I then proceeded to commence a pennies-and-assorted-change bombardment on a massive scale. It's mainly common sense, but as that's frequently in short supply and never provided by our education system, I thought I'd post my 'I'm-getting-old-can-you-tell' ramblings here. Enjoy!

What advice would you give someone who was looking to go into the art field, or really any type of career?

Most of my classmates in art college were there because they loved to watch cartoons and play video games. So when their high school guidance counselor asked them, 'What do you love to do? That should be your career!' They said, 'Oh, cartoons and video games - I should be an artist!'

Wrong. If they had spare time, odds are they'd be watching TV - not drawing. Loving to watch TV is not the same as loving to sit and work on drawings for hours. This seems obvious, but so many kids fail to make that basic distinction. It's like if someone loved to swim in pools - and then made the mistake of thinking they must also love to install chlorination hardware. Except one could likely get a job working with pool equipment if they were even moderately bright and a little motivated.

But a career in art, especially in non-commercial independent art, involves passionate commitment and grueling work. If the person doesn't love that work, they'll be very disappointed as soon as they realize fame is not imminent.

Here's how to choose your direction in life:

(1) Become Good At Doing Things.

What do you enjoy *doing*? This should be an actual activity, one that involves work, effort, and personal satisfaction. If you don't know what you like to do just yet, that's okay - but be doing SOMETHING.

You may learn what you like by finding what you don't like. I did professional studio animation and freelance art for a year after college, and utterly hated it. But I was still doing something - and it's essential to get in the habit of targeting and accomplishing goals, of being active, and of striving to do your best. Just as long as you are in fact doing something.

Learn to be effective. Even if you're working at McDonald's, then kick ass at burger flipping.

(2) Know What You Want.

This actually comes second, after learning to do things. A lot of people know what they want in life - big houses, leisure, respect. But if they aren't good at doing things, they'll never get what they want, so what they want doesn't really matter.

Once you're good at doing things, then you're mobile, you can take action, you can take yourself places. And THEN it's important to decide where you're going. If you're in the habit of doing things, you'll have a good chance of knowing what you enjoy and are good at doing. If not, then you at least have some basic interests - everyone does. Research and pursue your interests with vigor so you will learn, within that arena, what precisely you would like to do.

Think about what you want your life to be like - but be realistic, visualizing unicorns and golden mansions never made a lazy man rich. But with an informed picture of the world, think about what kind of life you would like to live - what ideals would you embody, what work would you enjoy, how would you change things for the better, how would you feed yourself, how much do you want to earn, and how can you be worth it? Once you get a clear realistic vision of what you want in your life, and you're in the habit of doing things, you can start doing things in the direction you want to go.

One note, though - you spend nearly your entire life on the road, not at the destination. So make sure that not only do you want the destination, but you want and will appreciate the road you're taking.

(3) Strive. Fail. Learn. Strive. Fail. Learn. Repeat.

Being relentless is essential. Far more important than talent is persistence. Everyone fails, unless they're taking easy street, which generally goes nowhere. So don't be discouraged by setbacks. Get used to failure - it's not a bad thing. As long as you learn from it, and don't let it permanently demoralize you. Life is hard and painful - you'll need to build up your willpower to get through it. So when you get knocked down, get back up again, and keep at it. For as long as it takes.

(4) Be Happy.

Like I said, life is mostly working towards your goal, not getting it. So learn to enjoy your work and yourself, and even learn to enjoy tackling problems the best you can. Generally speaking, most people will have a pre-set level of misery in their daily life. Even if things are going okay, they will still find something to be unhappy with, because they've subconsciously selected their level of happiness.

Happiness does not come when problems are gone, or with success, or from a spouse, or approval, or from anything else. You will never find happiness. You have to learn to create it, and then you'll have it by your side to help you weather the storms.

And that's about it for advice - that, and read. People smarter than you and I have written books, and we can benefit a lot by taking advantage of that fact.

...I would consider turning the above content into a book all it's own, but I think I'd be violating the copyright on Brian Griffin's "Wish It, Want It, Do It."

T-Shirts!

2011-05-19T14:18:00.000-07:00

For the first time ever, Dreamkeepers has official T-shirts! Swing by our site to check out the dozens of designs: http://www.dreamkeeperscomic.com/storeShirts.htm

Though originally I was planning on designing very promotion-oriented shirts, when I finally sat down to draw, none of those designs struck me as fun. Who wants to walk around with a giant web-address pasted across their chest? All that invites is dangerous finger-poking from those who misunderstand reality. Instead, I tried to create shirts that would actually be fun to wear around. The designs are bold and colorful, but don't utterly dominate the entire outfit - just enough to add a touch of animation-reminiscent flair. If you look through our selection, I hope you can find a design that fits your tastes. And, actually, our shirts are customizable.

If you visit our Printfection store http://www.printfection.com/Dreamkeepers

you can choose from 32 shirt colors to customize your design choice. And if you'd like our designs on a black or white shirt, we also print through IndyPlanet.

We've been wanting to have shirts available for years, so it's nice to finally have everything set up. 8 D

One note: We will NOT be stocking shirts at conventions since it’s tricky trying to guess which sizes people may want, and we don’t have the space to cover our table with every shirt design and size, so if you’re interested these are available exclusively online.

Dreamkeepers - the show?

2011-05-04T17:51:00.000-07:00

While drawing our cleanup animation the other month, I felt like working to a DVD. I was in the mood for something specific, but couldn't quite put my finger on the title. It was a cartoon, something animated. It was kinda creepy and spooky, but had a lot of adventure and fun. It was dark, violent, but colorful and vivid, and - Ah, shit.

I wanted to watch Dreamkeepers -which doesn't exist as a show. Fail.

...So I animated faster.

I'm not alone in pining for animated DK entertainment. It's a question we're asked frequently: "Will Dreamkeepers ever be a game or a show?" Something tells me that a blitzkrieg ad campaign featuring our sparkly, fully animated commercial isn't going to make this question quietly fade away.

So I suppose I'd better answer it! Will Dreamkeepers ever be a show?

Obviously Liz and I, even empowered by the Association of 7 (not a numerically accurate title), can't single-handedly animate an entire Dreamkeepers series. That would require far more cocaine than I'm willing to take. For the foreseeable future, our focus is solely on publishing the best comics we can possibly create. So your short answer is:

"NO SHOW FOR YOU!"

-Incoherent grumbles-

*Door slam*

*Fading footsteps punctuated by disturbing giggles*

*Nonsensical Twitter posting*

*Prelude Update*

But that doesn't mean the idea of a DK show has never been considered over here - far from it! Read on for links to past DK animations, a discussion of our first offer regarding a DK show (it was preliminary but yes, there was one), and our attitudes toward future possibilities and selling out while smoking cigars and wearing monocles. (Monocles - I am for them.)

Traveling back through the murk of time to the origins of DK, I was actually developing it in my college days as a television pitch. Back in 2004, the entire idea was to have a spectacular, genre-smashing cartoon series, to make the kind of show that kids would love, and adults would have to pretend not to. I even went so far as to animate the pitch. It's now online and publicly viewable for the first time ever: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdEkf08rRZ0

I poured everything I had into making something awesome and distinctive - I researched dream lore dating back to Mesopotamia, spent a summer drafting animation-friendly character designs and personalities, constructed story arcs and possible pilot episode ideas, developed and incorporated ideas from my previous projects (more blogs on that in the future), looked up information about pitching television shows and how the industry worked, and sought out a visiting artist with experience pitching concepts in the biz.

What I learned from him was eye-opening. Although I don't remember the precise wording, our exchange might have gone a little something like this:

"Gee Mister, you sure are swell! So do you really think I can pitch my show idea?"

"Sure bucko, go for it! Jump right on in - if you're lucky, they might rip off your idea and change enough things to use it without your permission - but you'll be getting your feet wet! If you're really lucky, and just bathing in cascading torrents of good fortune, they might tear your idea apart and rework it based on their whims or whatever happens to be 'in' at the moment, and actually give you some creator credit. Wowie Zowie! Are we dancin' yet or what?"

"Erm... Yes, we're dancing. I don't know why. Where are we?"

"Ohio! And I am leaving as fast as I goddamn can! So have fun with pitching shows - after you get taken advantage of for a decade or two, you may actually get some sliver of creative input on something, if you really learn to kiss ass and spend your every waking moment networking like a desperate whore. Cheerio!"

Perhaps not a fastidious transcript of the exchange - I forget where my secretary left the minutes. But you get the gist.

I'd already poured a lot of myself into the project, and didn't necessarily want to see my efforts misappropriated. But even more importantly, I had come far enough in the development to grasp what Dreamkeepers could become. I was enticed by a clear and compelling vision - a vision of something amazing, dark, vivid and unforgettable.

Especially at such an early stage, it would have been very easy for the general idea of DK to be pitched and subsequently solidified into something schmaltzy and awful. Just imagine a typical network exec playing with the vague idea of animal cartoons - in a Dream-Land-Place! Rainbows, stars, and imagination, here we come! But uh-oh: Look out for those baddies, the night-time-mares. They cause CAVITIES! So kids, be sure to eat your Dream-Veggies, with Mace and Stink! (Whip was too violent a name. But Mace was fine.)

Liz: "Mace and Stink... Awwww."

There was a risk of Dreamkeepers being engineered specially for a 1:30 pm timeslot to distract toddlers while Mom escaped to the grocery store browsing the aisles lost in memories of better days, days without Play-Doh in the carpet, without snot on the fridge handle, without wall-eyed Mace sippy cups dribbling apple juice all over the couch.

Watching an Animaniacs tribute by the Nostalgia Critic recently, ( http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/thatguywiththeglasses/nostalgia-critic/27440-animaniacs-tribute

), I was reminded of the limitations inherent in traditional television. The interviewed writers were reliving how thrilling it was to work on Animaniacs, because of the freedom they enjoyed when creating. Though censors would still swoop in and muzzle things senselessly, the creative team had comparative latitude & was thus able to craft a truly standout show. The realization which struck me as sobering was that they all remembered this experience as a rare and singular period in their careers - a period which existed solely under the powerful shelter of Stephen Spielberg's explicit favor. Without, arguably, the most powerful man in Hollywood fighting for them, they never experienced that level of freedom and fun in cartoons again.

Considering the multitudinous mediocre shows and cartoons which parade across television, it's perturbing to think that network-level restrictions on creativity are par for the norm. And these are the writers from Animaniacs, a show which was legendary for its success - if they can't get a gig with some creative elbow room, what are the chances for an outsider? Unless Stephen Spielberg had fallen out of the blue and into love with me for no reason, my chances of zipping from Ohio college to creative freedom in the television industry were dim at best.

More than anything else, It was my vision of Dreamkeepers - a vision of something captivating and unique and worthwhile- which guided my decision to kill the pitch and strike out for the territory of wild, unrestricted creative freedom - comics. And thus we embarked on Volume 1. (Cue LOTR journey music.)

Having total control over Dreamkeepers has been immensely rewarding & effective - I wouldn't backtrack for a second. Even if we'd successfully pitched the TV show as college kids back in 2005 that fuzzy, compromised possibility doesn't hold a candle to the fascinating monster growing up under our fingertips today.

Plus, who knows? As we continue seizing the helm in comic form, it's possible Hollywood could take an interest in the Dreamkeepers we've defined: the dark, layered Dreamkeepers of today... After all, that's already happened once.

Back in 2008, we received a message from a California company which shall remain nameless:

TO: David Lillie

I work at a literary and talent management company out of Los Angeles called [edited out]. Along with the management side of the business we also are a production shingle and have produced a variety of award winning movies such as [edited out] and most recently [edited out] . We represent some of the hottest screenwriters, directors and creators in Hollywood, but I digress.

Currently we are looking for comic book/graphic novel properties to set up at various studios or networks and I absolutely love the look/premise of Dreamkeepers. I would love to speak to you further about this. Please let me know if this is something you are interested in doing.

Hope all is well.

Best regards,

[edited out]

David,

Great to hear back from you. I would love it if you could send a copy of DreamKeepers to my office so I can take a look at it and discuss with a few of my colleagues. I think it has the makings of a high concept animated franchise. If it is possible to send over a package please let me know and I will give you my address. Again I think the ceiling is high for an idea of this level and I look forward to game planning with you in the future.

Best,

[edited out]

You may be wondering why you're only just now hearing news of this offer, three years after the fact. Many artists our age would scramble half-crazed to the nearest rooftop and begin screeching their news to the masses at even the hint of a licensing offer - and don't get me wrong, we weren't lacking in optimism over the message. But we try to make a point of representing Dreamkeepers with solid work rather than hot air. I've bumped into too many people over the years who boast up a storm and can't deliver a raindrop, so it's my desire to avoid hollow braggadocio like the plague. In fact, the only reason we're mentioning this offer now is because I believe it qualifies as history at this point, and it's pertinent to the subject at hand.

And in retrospect, it's fortunate that I didn't begin crowing from the mountaintops over the offer, as it wound up fizzling. I wrote back expressing that we were open to the possibility and mailed a book out, and then dropped the matter to focus on Volume 2, which seemed more important. I could have pursued the company's interest with additional follow-up, but it didn't feel right - my gut was telling me that this wasn't the time. (Besides, there were some elements to the offer that made me suspect IP Farming, a risk both from Hollywood and especially some comic publishers - but that's another topic.)

I felt (and still feel) that we needed to focus on building our readership & our story, allowing it to continue maturing and developing without any severe jolts into new media. The time may come when we will pursue the chance of a DK show, but I could tell this wasn't it.

Which leads to the natural question - when *will* the time be right to pursue a DK show?

Maybe never. We're having a blast creating our story in books, so for now that's our focus. And it's utterly fulfilling - I could see myself being content creating books and nothing else for life. But the thought of animated Dreamkeepers is undeniably exciting, and I'm not about to place arbitrary limits on where our story can go. If there was a solid chance to render DK relatively intact in animated form, I would likely take it.

I mean, if the perfect deal came along, with angels gently crooning while a major studio bent over backwards to give me total creative control, a prime timeslot, and unlimited budgeting for a 3-season contract including a complimentary carousel and free cherries for life, of course I'd backflip (metaphorically - a real backflip attempt would end in horrible disaster) and agree.

But perhaps I shouldn't hold my breath waiting for the perfect scenario.

...To be perfectly frank, I'm not totally against "selling out".

What exactly do I mean by "selling out"? Am I preparing to skewer the Dreamkeepers we all know and love so I can frantically suck the sweet, sweet dollar bills that gush from it's mortal wounds?

Well, no. I'm not plotting to compromise my artistic integrity. But there's a fine line between "artistic integrity" and "artistic snobbery."

What's better - an imperfect show that gets created and exists forever, or nothing seen by no-one wrapped in self righteousness?

For an example, take a look Jeff Smith's comic 'Bone'. It's a colossal creative achievement, and in the world of independent comics, it's a titanic icon... Meaning in the world of normal people, it's titanically never been heard of. If you asked the average school kid today what 'Bone' is, they'd throw their X-Box 360 at you as punishment and leave to watch Spongebob on Nickelodeon.

But Bone had a chance to be on Nickelodeon, too. Jeff Smith and Nick were actually in development at one point on an animated version of Bone. However, Jeff Smith pulled the plug on the project because Nickelodeon wanted to include a Brittney Spears song somewhere in the feature.

Now, perhaps that song really would have been a terrible addition to the film. Maybe it would have been cheesy and incongruous. But what about the rest of the movie? And what about the millions of kids that never saw the rest of the movie, because it never existed? Even if Bone had become a mediocre animated feature, how many kids would have discovered a great graphic novel through it?

The creator of "V for Vendetta" groused about how immature and inferior the film was compared to his masterpiece of comic book genius - but I bet he sold more comics after that movie than before. And each sale was another receptive reader experiencing the work who otherwise wouldn't have even known about it.

My point is, if an artiste' is thinking about what's best for their ego, then being too good for everything & better than everyone is always the right choice.

But if they're thinking about what's best for their work & its potential readership, carefully weighing options becomes important.

Now, I'm not saying we'd approve absolutely anything with any company at the drop of a dime. Sometimes a production can be so awful that the tedious experience of suffering through it makes an unforgettable imprint on the viewer, blighting by association every other element of the franchise.

For instance, 'The Wild Thornberries' show could have been derived from a brilliant graphic novel for all I know. But if I ever stumbled across that graphic novel my mind would connect to memories of traumatizing boredom and irritating voice acting, and I'd keep stumbling right on by, just praying I didn't find 'Kids Next Door' books across the aisle.

So for any future opportunities we may encounter, there will be a balancing act - the more control we would have over the writing, casting, and production of a Dreamkeepers show, the better. But if we had no control, and the company seemed flippant or inept in their treatment of the concept, it would be time to weigh pros and cons pertaining to the overall well-being & long term viability of our readership and franchise.

I hope you've enjoyed this hypothetical journey into the magical land of Whatiftopia - but I've got some non-hypothetical drawings I need to get working on.

As enchanting as the thought of a DK show is, I must admit that I retain a fabulous affinity for the medium of books - I love reading them, I love creating them, and I love publishing them.

And who knows - if our graphic novels do well enough, maybe someday Vivid can forge into independent animation. We'll certainly find out.

Don't Drink the Water

2011-04-28T18:13:00.000-07:00

A Cautionary Tale

As you may know, Prelude was just placed on an indefinite hiatus. Fortunately, we now know it will be a short hiatus: weekly updates will resume on May 6th.

However, it's uncharacteristic for us to neglect Dreamkeepers work even over a short time. Our readers have been amazingly supportive and steadfast over the years, and in light of that we would like to share our explanation for the interlude, as well as share a bit more trivia about ourselves.

...If you've seen our latest 'Stupid Prelude' comic http://www.dreamkeeperscomic.com/PreludeStupid0005.htm?pg=85

, you may have some inkling of what we're talking about. Except it had nothing to do with Chuck Norris and his conspiracy plotting with Peter S. Beagle. We just like to mix a few things together to keep Stupid Prelude fun and poke in jest. But here’s what it is minus the fun:

Liz had a medical emergency which necessitated hospitalization over the last couple of weeks. I was spending most of that time visiting her, and reassuring Tally that her mobile vending machine would return.

Lesser Known Fun Fact: Drinking more water and less soda like “the doctors say” isn‘t always the healthiest thing for everybody. That eight glasses of water thingy? Not true. At least, not always. Assuming that what’s healthy for the masses, or a generalization about drinking more water as a healthy personal choice for one specific person (as we now know) can and may lead to major medical trouble. I’ll explain what happened here. It began about a month ago.

In a perky resolution to be more healthful, Liz began drinking less sugary beverages, less caffeine, and more water. The brilliant thought behind this was “the apartment gets really hot when heat rises in the summer. I’m supposed to stay hydrated because of these medications I take, (take with plenty of water, they both warn) and I always have a can of pop next to me or an iced coffee drink. I’ll try reducing that stuff out of my diet, and this summer be one of those healthy people who carry water around, not to mention reduce my subscription to Starbucks.’

Which sounds simple enough. A nice healthy change of pace. Our dentist (The future author of ‘Liz’s Teeth Are Made of Fruit Corn Syrup’) would approve of this idea. Possibly even give a standing ovation.

Unfortunately, there’s a catch 22 to the above logic. That ’take with plenty of water’ thing for the medications? It’s true, but not when the two medications are together. Evidently one of them is a salt, and too much hydration will dilute it, removing the needed effect. And we had no idea this was happening. We had a green light from her doctor that the water switch was a good idea. But Liz’s chemicals really need the unaltered effect, otherwise she’s down for the count.

So for the last week, week and a half, I’ve been visiting Liz daily while she bounced from hospital to hospital (it took three networking forces) to reset her chemicals, bring the salt back into play, and find the right balance of medication. Minus the water. Even a little thing like too much water can knock Liz off her feet for a week. So the end result? Now we know better and won‘t make the same mistake twice. Lesson learned: Mcdonald’s Frappe’s are delicious on road trips. Bottles of water in limitation.

But we're both a very resilient pair, and a little thing like a health crisis isn't going to stop us for long. Liz has bounced back, we're together again, and a little more knowledgeable for the experience. Not to mention being quite proud with giving new meaning to “drank herself all the way to the hospital”.

And of course, a reunited Dave and Liz means one thing for sure: more Dreamkeepers, and more colorful fun. It’s true that this adventure has put a big dent in our progress - unfortunately, our production timetables are a bit behind where I'd originally planned. For instance our commercial was on the cusp of completion when this hit, as well as some other postings and store additions. However, we currently plan to have the commercial completed before Anthrocon’s preorders in late June.

And although we may hit some pretty damn big bumps in the road, we don't stop.

In the coming weeks keep an eye out for new Youtube postings, DK T-shirts opening up in our site store, blogs, and V3 Pre-orders opening up this summer.

Thank you again to everyone for reading our work, it means a lot to us - and thank you as well to our close friends who were there for us during this experience.

Creators MIA!

2011-03-19T17:38:00.000-07:00

Creators MIA!

Things are happening in the land of Dreamkeepers - read on for links to tutorials, reviews, and youtube extravaganzas in beguiling German accents!

It may have been easy to miss these recent news tidbits since I've been MIA for the past two months.

Not "Missing in Action" - "Missing in Animation."

Burrowing happily in stacks of paper keyframing and tweening away, I've been neglecting the internet - sorry to everyone for the interminable delays on e-mail replies, the ghost-town art accounts, the long lines on facebook, and the fire-and-forget impulse twitters. The twitters are Liz. I have no control over that.

But I should be coming up for air soon, because the animation is done! Or at least, all the animation involving pencil and paper. Ta-daa!

...If you wait, I'm sure the trumpet fanfare will sound any moment here.

With the commercial animation's line art completed, the next step is coloring. Thanks to our kick-ass freelancers, that's already well underway. We're still embroiled in production, so it'll be a while before we take a serious breather and show some animation samples online. But in the meanwhile, keep an eye on our art accounts, we're posting some of our fancier color swatches in there. Plus, here are the tutorials and fun I promised up above:

Color Blocking Tutorial!

http://vividstuff.blogspot.com/2011/02/tutorial-color-blocking.html

Designed to help out our freelancers, we decided to make it a public tutorial blog, because why not? If you fancy coloring comics or animation frames, swing on by.

Make Your Own Light-Table!

http://vividstuff.blogspot.com/2011/03/build-your-own-animation-light-table.html

All the animation I was yakking about above, and which we are currently coloring? I made it on a lightweight, collapsible, affordable light table of my own design and construction. If you'd like one for yourself, here are instructions for building one.

Youtube Dreamkeepers Montage - in German!

http://www.youtube.com/user/dreamkeeperscomic#p/a/f/1/yKfI5zf1Z0M

If you thought reading DK was like watching an animated movie before, wait until you see this. A German reader (I LOVE IT WHEN HE TALKS!) orchestrated this youtube montage of comic scenes, complete with a beautifully timed soundtrack - check it out!

Dreamkeepers Comic Review by an Aeronautical Engineer

http://troublethinking.wordpress.com/2011/02/18/dreamkeepers-volumes-1-and-2-a-review/

If you ever wondered what a rocket scientist would think of our graphic novels, now's your chance to find out.

More postings and fun are on the way this spring - including Adventures in Egypt, (with grandma photos), animation samples and previews of our commercial, a blog covering the oft-asked-about possibility of a Dreamkeepers show, and we'll be posting our old 2005 animation for the original television pitch. Additionally, we've been filing & discovering caches of old David artwork in our apartment, including the pre-dawn concept development from which Dreamkeepers originated. So, at some point in the future, we'll be revealing that as well.

'Till then, thanks for your patience, and enjoy the weekly Prelude updates!

Build Your Own Animation Light-Table!

2011-03-06T18:08:00.000-08:00

For those who've been keeping tabs, you know I'm in the midst of some traditional (hand drawn) animation. http://vividstuff.blogspot.com/2010/12/bullet-in-hole-diamonds-animatic-action.html

But without access to a studio or a professional light table, how does one go about animating their own cartoons?

If you said "computers" then SILENCE! I like to keep things Neolithic around here. Next you’ll be denigrating my hunter-gatherer skills.

Liz & I have animated without the benefit of studio equipment in the past, using whatever was at hand:

Upside down reptile aquariums.

Glass coffee tables.

Window.

Not the most sophisticated setups - but using what we had was more effective than complaining about what we lacked.

However, for this recent endeavor I didn’t want to compete with a psychotic lizard for aquarium privileges.

Expressly for this project, I threw together a light table of my own design. It had to be lightweight and collapsible so I could carry it to and from work, and set it up anywhere. It took less than a day to build. Considering my way with tools (using them as creative implements for injuring myself in the mocking shadow of prefabricated furniture) I'm fairly amazed that I was able to pull this off.

Here it is:

It’s extremely simple to use - just stick a flashlight or something underneath it, put your paper on top, and go to work.

For my fellow old-school animation aficianados, here’s how to construct one.

The most expensive part is the fiberglass/plastic clear stuff. I got mine at Lowe’s for about $50. Aside from those clear plates, all you need are hinges and glue. That’s seriously it.

This is the design sketch I made:

Here are some photos of how it works:

You’ll need five plates of plexiglass - measurements are in inches, and if you don’t use my dimensions very precisely the world will end:

The Base - 15 x 15

The Drawing Plate - 12 x 15

The Stand - 6 x 15

The Filler (So the hinges are aligned for folding-flat action) - 4 x 15

The Stopper (So the Stand can’t slide back when you’re drawing) - 2 x 15

I also used a broken scrap to make a corner on the Drawing Plate, so the papers have something to sit on without sliding off. Just an FYI, we use normal 8 ½ x 11 paper, with no peg-holes, and no animation peg-bars. I find it’s faster to just line the paper up and start drawing, and use scotch tape to keep things aligned during cleanup animation.

I purchased the thickest plexiglass available, 1/4 inch, for maximum durability. I didn’t have to cut it to size, either - there was a guy at Lowe’s who used a cutting station to chop everything for me!

Then I bought four simple hinges, and some superglue - specifically Loctite super glue and Loctite glass glue (I used both).

The rest was pretty simple - very carefully, I lined the pieces up and glued them together one by one, pressing with my full weight for about a minute on the chunks being glued. Make sure you get everything squared off, and the hinges are facing the right way and stuff before you do the deed, because this glue is no joke.

I initially thought there was no way that glue could hold metal onto glass, and thought one of the hinges would pop off on the first night. But this thing is holding together nice and solid - so, voila!

Add a flashlight or two, and you’ve got a transportable, collapsible light-table, which works even better than the expensive easels they had at my old animation job. And it certainly beats struggling for supremacy with vindictive reptiles.

Tutorial: Color Blocking

2011-02-09T22:33:00.001-08:00

So, I’ve been rebuffing all tutorial requests lately by claiming that I’m too busy with Volume 3 to take time out. But in the process of getting our freelancers started, I wrote out this tutorial for them - thereby scientifically PROVING that I am full of shit. And knowledge! So here’s a tutorial on color blocking!

Freelancer Color Blocking:

Directions, Examples, & Tips.

The Ultimate Gentleman's Guide to Coloring Inside the Lines.

Hello! Thanks for helping us with the coloring for this book, you completely rule, [INSERT NAME HERE]! I feel a deep personal gratitude, [INSERT NAME HERE], a connection which is surely unique between myself and you. [INSERT NAME HERE], I hope you enjoy these completely personalized instructions which I have written especially for your eyes only. [INSERT NAME HERE], you are my best friend.

But enough of my totally genuine personal sentiments, here are some fun-filled directions!

1) Exemplary!

Here are some examples of easy, medium, and hard pages. We also show the background coloring versus the detail layer separately, so you can get an idea of what generally goes into each layer.

Page with 'Easy' level of background work.

Page with 'Medium' level of background work.

Page with 'Hard' level of background work. (+5 exp. points.)

Example of basic 'background' layer colors.

Example of the 'detail' colors, a separate layer above the background layer.

2) Maintain Proper Altitude.

Be sure to stay in your designated layer for every page. Some pages you may be contracted to do, for example, the background layer only. If you get done early, don't do any 'bonus' work in the detail layer. Even if it's out of the goodness of your heart, we may have someone else already working on that layer of the page simultaneously. To avoid overlap and keep from wasting anyone's efforts, be sure to stick to the correct layer.

Many of the layers included on a page will be locked-the lines layer and the text bubble layer are two examples. These layers are finished and are only there to guide you in the remaining work. If a layer is locked, please leave it on lock, and don’t alter it.

Another layer related note - if your version of Photoshop has the ability to use nested layers, please don't utilize it, because we're running Photoshop version 7.0 and such things are foreign and terrifying to this antiquated relic.

3) PIXEL CREEPS!

This is an important one. Before you start blocking in colors, you need to get the right settings for the paintbrush & paint fill tools. They are often on a default setting that, for color blocking, sucks. The whole point is to meticulously color the shape underneath the pencil lines - but if used with wrong settings, paint fills and brushwork can gradually expand or 'creep' the original shape beyond what you colored.

Make sure the paint-fill tool has the 'anti-aliased' box UNCHECKED.

Yes---->

NO---->

Open a random photograph file in Photoshop and experiment to see what I mean. Leave that venomous little box checked in, and click-fill some pink somewhere. Boom, a chunky area of pink occurs, just as planned. But, keeping the mouse in the same place, click the fill tool again. And again. And again. You'll see the area of pink gradually creeping larger and larger and larger before your eyes. EEEK. You can see how this tool setting would be a threat your meticulously shaped color blocking. Leave it unchecked and preserve the precision of your painted areas.

Likewise to protect your color block shaping, you have to fix the brush tool. In fact, it won't even really be the 'brush' tool anymore. Right clicking on the tool, change it from the 'brush' setting to the 'pencil' setting.

The brush tool, even when dialed down to the absolute minimum 'softness' or 'feathering,' still creates the tiniest bit of feathering on the edges. We don't want that, we want the edges to be totally hard pixels with no softness at all. It makes it way easier to select and mask different layers & effects when we get to the shading stage. Feathering is the enemy in color blocking, so be sure to stick with the 'pencil' setting!

Be sure to switch the ‘eraser’ tool on the pencil setting too.

4) Coloring in - and under - the lines.

Technically, you don't want to color *only* inside the lines. In the shading stage, the lines will be lightened up a whole lot - sometimes they almost disappear. So the colors that you block underneath will really be doing some heavy lifting in defining the final shape. You want to color inside and also underneath the lines - just as long as the color doesn't spill totally outside the lines.

Small tip - if you turn down the opacity on the lines layer, you can see through to how your color blocking is fitting the shapes easier.

5) When in doubt, go neon.

Sometimes there will be squiggly pencilly blobby things that absolutely defy definition. What in the hell was David thinking when he drew it? Scientists are performing tests, but we're still not quite certain. If you come across strange shapes or tidbits like this and have no idea what color to use, just use like a screamin' neon green or pink. We’ll have a layer titled ‘Questions,‘ and paint your neon stuff onto that layer.

Using a crazy neon color still gets the work of defining the shape finished, and is a good shorthand technique to tell us 'Hey, not sure what this is, but at least it's colored in.'

If the shapes are colored with hard pixels and no feathering, we can easily play with the final color choices over here before shading.

6) So cool, they're HOT!

Some hot-keys that I've found incredibly time-saving with color blocking are:

The tab keys [ and ]

Check 'em out! they automatically change the brush size of your pencil tool, so you don't have to slog up and use the slider bar every time. The tab keys kick ass - if you have a tablet of some type, you can probably customize its interface to correlate to those hotkeys. And just FYI if you're ever shading, holding down 'shift' while using the tabs will adjust the feathering on the brush tool. Spiffy keen.

Also, the 'x' button automatically switches between your active colors, and holding down the spacebar will let you click and drag to navigate through the image. There are tons of other hotkeys too, so if you find yourself getting slowed down by a repeated manual action, hit google and see if there's a hotkey that could make your life easier.

Sneak Peek #20: Grunn Sayuhz

2011-02-09T17:50:00.000-08:00

Well, the glitz and glam of our December announcements are behind us - hype aside, February is cold. SO COLD.

Other than that, progress is going pretty good! We've been working on Chapter 8, and the first scene is penciled and ready for the color department to cut their teeth on.

With their help keeping progress rolling, we'll be freed up to do some animation for the 15-second commercial. I'm hoping to tackle the entire thing within February, sling the frames off to our colorists, and be back on Chapter 8 pencils before anyone has time to notice.

All of this will keep us pretty occupied, of course - so to help field questions and comments while we're busy, we've recruited Grunn. Deftly bringing you the answers you need, welcome to the first ever installment of...

Grunn Sayuhz.

Q: hey question ever thought of doing a cross over

Grunn: Huuuaaghmmmm…. Pretty gudd.

Q: *reads* hahaha, good thing I read the journal. I was going to ask if you were going to have volume 3 at AC. I suppose, in a manner of speaking, you will.

Grunn: Wawl, theh… Ur… Stawp askehn thingz at meh so fast.

Q: I want confirmation of boobies and ass before I preorder!

Grunn: Muhhhhh... Hm. Yup, yah. I gotsum on mah wawl.

Q: WHOO HOO!! Alright Dave and Liz! same price as the last two for hard copies?

Grunn: Uhhhhh... Uh, therz also boobs in heyah.

Q: Thanks for the kind gift guys, but I'm goin' big and savin' for the book. It's too much too spoil reading even a few pages into the next book. Man 40 pages... Do you mind if I ask you two - how long did it take to complete Chapter 07 from scratch to the final product? Oh and have an awesome Christmas this season! *thumbs up*

Grunn: Raight. Dunn-lowds. Uhh... This wun time, I dunn-lowded some prutty gudd boobs, um, there waz garls on 'em uh course... Buht mainly I wuz lukkin' at theyz-

-And that concludes our first, last installment of 'Grunn Sayuhz'! Utter disaster. Watch for the DVD release coming this fall, with behind the scenes special features and cast & crew commentary.

Though Grunn has failed miserably at answering questions, we unfortunately aren't faring much better - it takes us forever to get back to folks much of the time. Rest assured though, if we're quiet, it means we're busy making fun stuff! ...Like 'Grunn Sayuhz'.

We'll be certain to update once the commercial is finished, and announce some fundraising aimed at helping us get it on the air. In the meanwhile, enjoy the unnecessarily elaborate Preludes and wish us luck!

Bullet in the Hole Clubs: Pre-Order Horizon

2010-12-30T16:21:00.000-08:00

And for the last of our December of Announcements, we're setting a date for Volume 3 Pre-Orders.

We'll be selling V3 Pre-Orders at Anthrocon 2011, from June 24-26, and opening them up online a week later for all to pre-purchase.

Although Volume 3 won't be completely finished at that time, it should be well on the way, close enough that we can set final pricing and order options, and give everyone time to place their order before Pre-Orders close.

And that's about the last of our news from where we're sitting, at the end of 2010. Thanks again to everyone who's been there, reading along with us up 'till now. I hope you had a joyful Allspirit's Eve, a Merry Christmas, and a happy Holiday Season. (Or whichever one of those will allow me to be cordial without stepping into an asinine culture war.)

Up until now we've been showing off our fabulous poker hand with four aces, one per week, but you really need a fifth card to make a full hand...

I guess we're not as good at this game as we thought.
Truth be told, we don't really know all that much about poker- but we are certainly in the business of having too much fun regardless of competence.

I think 2010 was a good year for Dreamkeepers - we completed the laboriously corrected 2nd editions of Volumes 1 & 2, finally set up affordable downloads for everyone, and completed the script & thumbnail layouts for all of Volume 3. We finished the final artwork on the next Chapter of the story, and as you've read this month, beefed up our staff and undertaken some exciting advertising endeavors.

I think 2011 is going to be a great year for Dreamkeepers. We'll be rolling faster than ever on Volume 3 production, probably completing the next two Chapters, opening Pre-Orders, and raising the funds for an unprecedented advertising run. We've got a lot of work ahead of us to pull it all off-

-I can hardly wait!

Santa: The Horror

2010-12-25T06:18:00.000-08:00

You've probably learned by now that Santa Claus is fictional - a Coca-Cola guzzling advertising icon designed to sell seasonal crap to the masses.

If only. If only.

Santa Claus is all too real - it's a part of the conspiracy, you see. The truth is colder than you could guess.

Well bundle up ladies, gents, and kids. Have I got a holiday tale for you! Huddle close, get yourself next to the roaring fireplace, and keep a sidearm handy just in case something bursts out of it.

With a ravening eye so clever and quick, I knew in a moment it must be Saint Nick.

What is Christmastime about, really?

If thoughts of shepherds, wise men, and holy infants tender and mild came to mind, you could be forgiven. But late December was a celebrated season far before the time of Jesus - Christmas predates Christ by centuries, under other names, among other peoples...

You see, the planet's path through dark spaces brings it to a special position during that time of year - when the sun, the light, is at its weakest relative to our mortal vantage here on earth. Ancient peoples from the Gaelic traditions and before celebrated and feared this time above all others.

Winter's Solstice was the original reason for the season. Pagan religions revered it as the time of death, the time when restraints against the nether-realm were at their weakest. The spirits of the dead were thought to be unleashed at this time, to wander the earth seeking out the lights of the living. Considered dangerous, the ancients developed many tactics for warding off these nocturnal roamers - such as the constant clanging of bells and gongs, to frighten evil spirits away. Bells were associated with death in many ancient belief systems - in fact, the Celts believed that burying small, brass jingle bells near a corpse would result in it's unnatural resurrection.

I heard the bells on Christmas Day...

The powers of necromancers and witches were thought to be elevated during this time of darkness - and in that age, witches, fair folk, and other creatures were considered to be matters of fact, to be respected and sometimes feared.

But, as we know, the Solstice would not remain the province of paganism forever.

With the Dark Ages stretching onward, Christianity was aggressively spreading from it's fallen Roman epicenter throughout Gaul, Normandy, the black forests of Germania, and beyond. The Old Ways were consumed, in one manner or another, by the new chosen faith. Pagan beliefs and peoples were either tortured out of existence, or converted. Holy days and celebratory feasts were subverted and formed into new amalgams, neither Christian nor heathen, but a forced union of the two.

Around 300 AD, one agent of this spreading religious order is known to us today as Saint Nikolas, the Bishop of Myra, one of the cities of Lycia. The Bishop of Myra was widely recognized for his kindness and generosity, especially for his habit of 'secretly' bestowing gifts to others. Thus are we familiar with the Saint Nick of legend - leaving surprise gifts for children, coins in shoes, trinkets in stockings. However, to his contemporaries the Bishop was known for more than his generosity.

Nikolas of Myra was a worker of miracles, supernatural feats, and inexplicable displays that led him to be dubbed the "Wonderworker." If labeled a pagan sorcerer, such feats would have been attributed to Satanic influence, and resulted in a slow execution. But safe under his official robes, Nikolas was given awe and respect by the pious as he displayed his Wonders. His reputation was secure in his lifetime.

But life cannot go on forever. At least, not for all of us.

During 343 AD, the good Bishop knew he was approaching death, and none of his Wonders could save him. The core promise of Christianity is, of course, the everlasting immortality of one's soul in heaven. Immortality - to breathe and see and speak and laugh and eat forever - has been the coveted bauble at the heart of every selfish man since time before time. Which is why, even before Christ, there were a myriad of techniques, formulas, and incantations for grasping the eternal, denying the grave. Even after Christianity, a tainted believer, driven to desperation, would perchance consider cutting a bargain with the ungod, the repository of wickedness himself, the Devil.

Nikolas's unorthodox insurances are not detailed, but history relates his appeals to God for salvation upon death. And, in fact, history explicitly relates his success in this venture.

Saint Nikolas was visited by powerful beings, angels, who assured him that they would see his soul escorted through eternity after death. If they were truly angels, perchance they lied - because the death of Nikolas has no historic record.

To be certain, there was a funeral; A grand procession, attended by all, that wound through the streets of Myra in mournful honor of the 'Wonderworker'. There was even a tomb with, presumably, a body, laid to rest in a place of honor in the temple.

And that is when the strange goings-on began.

Something began to seep from the marble coffin. Something marvelous. At a loss to identify the otherworldly substance, later scholars dubbed it "mana". Although mortal knowledge could no more define its composition than it's source, one thing was known of this bizarre discharge: It had supernatural healing properties.

Saint Nikolas's tomb became a thriving pilgrimage destination, as hordes flocked to seek communion with the wondrous necrotic emulsions.

It is around this time that the legends surrounding "Saint Nick" began to take a darker turn.

Rather than sly winks and secret gifts, tales of terror in the night begin to spread throughout rural Europe. Tales of an invading creature that would desecrate homes, wrenching "naughty" children shrieking from their blankets to be stuffed into a rough sack and dragged into the freezing night - never to be seen again. The names of this dark fiend began to vary - Krampus, Ruebezahl, Hans Trapp, Black Peter, Knecht Ruppert... But, throughout legend, all were linked somehow to Saint Nick.

In some stories these creatures, portrayed with red lolling tognues and black horns, were Santa's associates. Sometimes they would make his decisions, sometimes they would be in charge of punishing wicked children while he rewarded the good, and in some legends, people whispered that Saint Nick and his demons were one and the same.

The official histories, under the oversight of the powerful Vatican, ensured that the angelic, gift giving, saintly Bishop Nikolas would be remembered for his piety and service to the church.

Tales of a supernatural abductor were the stuff of peasants. An enchanted child thief who knew no earthly boundaries, not barred shutters, not locked doors, who could penetrate through the cracks in the wall or down the chimney, about the eaves or within the chinks, such accounts were for the countrymen to be concerned with.

Other legends plagued the countrymen of Europe during these ages. Accounts of terror in the darkness, of corpses who had forgotten death, returning to wreak terror upon their loved ones under the cover of night, of shambling things which knew nothing of the sun. It was regular practice in those days predating embalming to take practical precautions against such reanimations - corpses were exhumed and bound, or decapitated, or dismembered and reburied, burned, stopped. In the dark ages, vampires were no fireside legends, they were an accepted and pervasive problem of daily life.

Today, as with other things, we know far better than our foolish predecessors.

And, of course, we know that Santa Claus is made up. Living - but fictional.

Santa Claus is not fictional, Santa Claus is a vampire!

The most successful vampire of all time - THINK ABOUT IT!

He's immortal, for one. He only comes in the dead of night.

Hellooo? Immortals that shun the sunlight? Shouldn't this be ringing some bells already?

He can levitate, move himself at will across the earth, is untouched by cold or high-altitude low-oxygen conditions. He makes his abode in a hidden Arctic fortress - a freezing, inhospitable environment which is plunged into perpetual twilight, without a glimpse of the sun, for half of the entire year. He can telepathically divine the actions and intent of any individual he sets his mind to.

...He knows when you've been sleeping, he knows when you're awake, he knows if you've been bad or good, so dear god this fucker is creepy!

He can enter any home by supernatural means - so long as he has an invitation.

Can you think of any homes Santa Claus might be welcome in? How about ALL OF THEM?!

If you were a vampire who needed an invitation to penetrate the domiciles of the living, what would be the holy grail achievement of your existence? The ultimate ruse?

The good, long-dead but not-really sorcerous Saint Nikolas is the first vampire in history to master the benefits of branding and good public relations.

The beard hides the fangs! The red clothes mask the blood! Have you heard of those vampires that glitter? Does Christmas feature glittery TINSEL?! And Santa's fat because he GORGES ON VICTIMS AT WILL!

Milk and cookies? Don't be naive!

I'm not saying that Santa sucks blood at every home he visits - or even that he only visits on Christmas night. (That is merely when his powers are at their peak.) But how many people go missing without explanation from their homes every year? How many victims left an open invitation to that fat bastard, only to be surprised in their covers one night by a Jolly Old Elf?

The fiction is self sustaining at this point - but I suspect in the early years of his "rebranding", Saint Nikolas actually did continue his habit of "secretly" giving gifts. Capturing children to manufacture his toys, he would then deliver them to good girls and boys on Christmas night - reinforcing the legend of Good Old Saint Nick just enough that the belief would grow.

Rewarding a handful of unharmed believers so untold masses would open themselves up to his ravages.

As for the abducted "Elves" enslaved to make his next round of toys, I sadly suspect that they are exhausted and consumed within the year - refrigerator snacks used up just in time for the next Christmas harvest.

So, ladies and gentlemen, girls and boys, have a happy holiday season. But if you want to survive it, I'd highly recommend you revoke any invites to that Dark Elf.

Stay together. Stay indoors. Keep a warm fire going, have some Christmas cookies to fortify your spirits, and some hollow-point .40 calibers to fortify your position.

You’d better watch out. You’d better not cry. You’d better reload, I’ve told you why.

A 700 year old sorcerous Lycian vampire bishop is coming to town.

Merry Christmas.

Bullet in the Hole Spades: Making a Scene!

2010-12-21T17:37:00.001-08:00

The first chapter of Volume 3 is done!

About DAMN time, if you ask me. Cri-mi-nelly! And other words I never say! We released Volume 2 in early 2008, and here in late 2010, we're just finishing the next chapter. A previous blog showcases our 'Box 'o Excuses' http://vividstuff.blogspot.com/2010/09/v3-sneak-peek-17-graphite-milestone.html, so there's no need to recite it once more.

Even so, you guys have been fantastically, divinely patient with us regarding Volume 3. Regardless of how long our production has stretched, we've received overwhelming support and encouragement from so many kind people - thank you, everyone. If it's any consolation, the next two chapters will NOT take as long as the first one did.

But I think you deserve more than consolation. I think you deserve a gift - TA DAA!

We're posting the first scene of Chapter 7 online, for free - right now!

There's no worry over spoilers, since it's the very first scene of the book. You've waited long enough that you deserve at least a few pages of appreciation! Download scene 1 of Chapter 7 for free: http://www.dreamkeeperscomic.com/storeDigitalbooks.htm We hope you enjoy the preview!

Additionally, I do like tossing out some evidence that, yes, we have been working on another book over here, and finishing actual pages of tangible story. Volume 3 is not an elaborate hoax, we've got like 40 pages of this stuff, with more in the works.

But I'll tell you what is a hoax. A terrifying, bloody deception.

Santa Claus.

If you want the horrific truth, I'll give it to you - right here, on Christmas. In the meanwhile, stay away from that old fucker, for your own safety. Consider yourself warned!

If, on the other hand, you just want Dreamkeepers news, then hop on by next week - we'll have our last 'Bullet in the Hole' announcement!

Bullet in the Hole Diamonds: Animatic Action

2010-12-15T23:43:00.001-08:00

...Wouldn't it be awesome if, theoretically, you were quietly browsing online one day, and then WHAMMO! Sparkly, fully-animated Dreamkeepers action flew out of nowhere to kick you in the ass?

And wouldn't it be crazy, suppositionally, if that cartoon collision happened in a big, high-profile mainstream website - the type of site where no independent comic, let alone a furry anything, has ever before ventured?

And wouldn't it be spiffy if none of this was hypothetical?

Liz & I have plans in motion to produce a 15-second, fully animated Dreamkeepers commercial slated to air on Adultswim.com this summer - for starters. Using our publishing revenues and some planned 2011 fundraisers, we've budgeted $10,000 to unleash an unprecedented independent ad campaign. It's our intent to spread this promo to the ends of the earth, and take a big step towards bringing Dreamkeepers- and the entire genre of furry art & comics - closer to the mainstream recognition it merits.

But I'm staying pretty composed about the whole thing. Serene. Unflappable. Mr. Cool, that's me.

As much as I enjoy power-blasting hot air regarding our hopes and plans, 'what-ifs' are never quite as fun as 'lookit this'. So check out our progress so far! (Note - There's no need to worry about spoilers in the animated scenes, as they're intended to be teaser images for new readers. So if there is anything that's new or suggestive, bear in mind that it's not a major story twist or anything, you are safe.)

(Youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/user/dreamkeeperscomic?feature=mhum#p/a/u/0/-mfFZ1L-NJQ )

But, regarding the animatic above - a bit of background before I dash off.

We were fortunate to meet voice actor Philip Sacramento at a previous convention. Contacting him again recently, he was available to create the spectacular voice-over work you just heard. This guy is absolutely stellar - he even went so far as to give us more than one version of his lines!

It was hell trying to choose which take to use in the commercial - but a good kind of hell. If you really want some fun, check out the amazing range on his site's vocal reel, I'd highly recommend him for anyone seeking some voice talent.

http://www.aspects-of-voice.net/

The background music I made myself, cobbling together royalty-fee samples and foggy memories of childhood piano lessons. Audio isn't my forte' but with some tweaking I think we've got a perfectly serviceable soundtrack coming together for the promo. Plus the composer was willing to work for coffee and peanuts, which is pretty awesome.

Most of the work, of course, will be in creating the actual animation - even 15 seconds of good stuff is a monumental task. Which is another salient reason we made the decision to add some freelancers to the team recently. That way we have some extra production-power in churning out animation frames, plus the ability to keep Volume 3 progress rolling forward unchecked.

And speaking of Volume 3, we've got some fun in store for you, right here next week...

Bullet in the Hole Hearts: Colorful Staff

2010-12-08T23:53:00.000-08:00

It's time for our first Bullet in the Hole announcement - by the by, the name is derived from a poker term, where aces are present in a person's hand. There are four aces in a deck, four blogs to post, & four weeks left to post them. Why are we using poker terms for our announcements? Because it's Christmastime, that's why! I dunno, just roll with it.

Revealing the first card in our deck of surprises, Dreamkeepers has expanded its staff!

Rest assured this change isn't going to change much. Up 'til now, the whole show has been put on by one dynamically unpaid duo: Dave and Liz, cartoon junkies extraordinaire. But for the first time ever, we've expanded Vivid to bring in a few cohorts as freelance assistants on the project. Hopefully, we'll be able to do more damage that way.

Ha! No, not damage, art. I sometimes confuse the two. As for what exactly this will mean for Dreamkeepers, you may have some questions - watch, as I pretend I know what they are, and proceed to answer them!

That's pretty much it. Volume 3 is huge, and we're still finishing off the first of three chapters. ...Which is running to about 43 pages. Any normal DK book, that'd be about the halfway point. But V3 is looking to exceed 130 pages - it's a freakin' shark attack!

As far as creators go, Dave & Liz tend towards extreme self-reliance. We built our own book series, our own company to publish it, and our own website & webcomic to promote it. We weave our own clothing from the grass of the field and hunt & kill our own frozen waffles. We don' need no high-falutin' help from NOBAWDY!

Well, maybe we do. In fact, we'd had plans in years past about, in a far-off someday, hiring some help for the project. But 'someday' has come upon us far faster than we'd ever expected. With the huge, supportive, and eager response from readers for the next book, we finally realized that it's time to take care of business.

This book needs to get done, and especially with our to-be-announced excitement next week, it's time we loosened up a bit and accepted some help.

As my spectacularly rendered flow-chart illustrates, the story and finished art are still Dave & Liz territory, so the look and feel of Dreamkeepers isn't going to be warped or changed at all. But blocking in the flat colors is extremely time consuming - the most laborious part of producing the art, in fact. And that is where our intrepid freelancers will be zooming to the rescue, to act as our new color department!

They'll get single pages with swatch sheets that look a little something like this: (Liz blocks in the characters, so she can catch & correct my consistency bloopers.)

We'll nix the word balloon text on outgoing pages, to reduce risk of spoiler leaks because blowing the story is the sole province of Liz and I. We may get pages back that look a little something like this:

At which point we'll flip some final color choices about:

-and then Dave shades in the fun stuff.

Admittedly, the color department doesn't have the most glamour-drenched job in the world, but that's why we're compensating them - whether it be with money, sparkly pebbles, or bits of ribbon remains to be seen. Depends on what I can get away with. (We'll pay with money - I was a starving artist too long to turn around & not pay others for their work.)

Reasons - I haz them! I know there's a flood of readers out there who would be more than willing to help us out of the goodness of their hearts. However, we have enough trouble staying organized amongst ourselves as it is, so keeping our team small and cohesive is the way to go right now. It's not our intent to be exclusionary, but there's only so many people we can effectively work with at any given time. If we ever publicly open applications for freelancers, we'll be sure to announce it here first and foremost.

I haven't actually asked yet if anyone prefers anonymity or not - once we actually start working with our new allies, I'll know whom I'm permitted to assign blame to. For now they shall simply be known as "The Association of Seven." Are there seven of them? No. But it's got a nice ring to it.

One might also wonder, why are we starting to pay freelancers if we haven't actually started paying ourselves yet? Simple. That way, we can build up the funds to more effectively promote Dreamkeepers, and do spectacularly fun things -

Such as the thing which we will be announcing next week.

...Since adding staff is such a new and different step for us, we are anticipating more questions on the subject. In a vain attempt to fend off the inevitable, we present for your perusal:

"Feel the Illinoise!”

2010-12-01T23:09:00.000-08:00

Strangers in fedoras, anime-character identity crossovers, very confused marketing executives, and somebody threw a tank. I’m speaking, of course, about the recently concluded Midwest Furfest convention in Chicago!

We had a blast, and got out alive - the primary hallmarks of a successful convention. I must add, it’s always fun when a non-furry, 'Business Leaders Roundtable’ or something is meeting in the same hotel and weekend as a furry con. Executives in suits just wander shell-shocked around the lobby, looking for all the world like they accidentally woke up in Dr. Seuss Hell.

Interestingly, they often seem to pick Liz out of the crowd to demand an explanation from. Bouncing around, she looks too fun not be involved somehow, yet she’s tiny and blonde and therefore safe to speak to. So far as anyone knows.

The convention was a blast - we saw old friends, and had the opportunity to meet for the first time (in person) some of the folks from our forum. Oddly enough, there seemed to be a tendency for everyone to be wearing fedoras - which I wholeheartedly approve of. We wound up having a little fedora flotilla around our table - even one total stranger was pulled in by it’s dark, rakish gravity.

Apparently, Liz & I also made quite the impression on another con-goer, with the fursona 'Steven' who declared unwaveringly that he recognizes us - as characters from the anime series ‘Baccano!’. Evidently my choice of wardrobe and Liz's pantomimes were enough to give us away. After acquiescing to a photo-op, curiosity over our animated doppelgangers motivated us to look it up:

I think Liz matches all too well, which is consistent with her animated cinematic track record:

But clearly, my double is missing the crucial glasses, and I need to cultivate some sideburns to keep up. But on the plus side, Isaac and Miria rob places dressed in outrageous costumes - which is, of course, the Way It Should Be Done. I don’t countenance boring criminals. Although I’ve found a subtle crime is impossible in costume - the time I went shopping in Michaels dressed as a WWII soldier, I was lavished with attentive customer service. Too bad for them I was just browsin’ for Krauts.

Cartoonish antics aside, most of the convention was spent with my nose to the grindstone, sketching out... cartoon characters & commissions. (Currently available only at conventions.)

Even my pencil commissions are getting increasingly elaborate and fun, and we’re getting more and more requests for them at conventions.

The result, which we were forced to face this con, is that I’m getting severely overbooked - pun, INTENDED! HA ha! I’m the only one laughing...

The easy solution, of course, would be to start saying ‘no’ to people. I tried that, but it turns out my heart has all the toughness of a delightful custard. One hopeful set of eyes, and kaPOW! My willpower disintegrates faster than an executive’s grasp of reality at a furry con.

As a result, we’ve got to integrate some price hikes and a first-come first-serve slot system for the next round of conventions. This should provide the structure and firmness which my spine currently lacks - I’ll post up the details when we get closer to our next convention.

And in closing (You’re still reading? Wow! I could just write anything in here and you’d seriously read it for this long? Well- Ahem; Dear, dear, dearest internet-Diary, let me count the ways...)

Or not. In closing, we're home - and we've got some fun in store for you. A lot of fun. We've got a salvo of mind-exploding Dreamkeepers announcements which, if unleashed in one blog, might just be too much fun for any one reader to withstand. Heck, we've been having enough trouble ourselves, just containing our enthusiasm - our tendency is to play things close to the chest until they transition from a 'what if' to a certainty... And a whole pile of fun has just made the transition. So to protect us all from enthusiasm overload, we'll be releasing the news in bite-size chunks all month - during our December news marathon, Bullets in the Hole. Right here, every Thursday, we'll be slapping down glittering, untold Dreamkeepers news - see you next week!

Meanwhile, we have much to do - to observe, enjoy our newly designated, self indulgent webcam: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzI-hp9x_6M

Sneak Peek #19: Halloween Post-Mortem, Halfway Hallmark

2010-11-04T19:42:00.000-07:00

What a year! Our DK Halloween Fanart Contest was a record-smasher, with more entrants than ever before. They're funny, they're creepy, they include full comics and pumpkin carving, and if you haven't seen it yet go ahead and give yourself a treat:

http://www.dreamkeeperscomic.com/gallery_halloween.htm

Thank you again to everyone who contributed their time and talent into making the contest so fun! Your stickers will be in the mail soon, and as soon as we get our act together, we'll be e-mailing the winners to see what prize selection they prefer.

While the contest has been flashing in the foreground, we've been busy digging into more Volume 3 progress, with exciting results:

Chapter 7 is now half finished! I completed shading another scene yesterday, which officially means just over half of the pages in the Chapter are totally done. In addition, the remaining pages (already penciled) have all the character color blocking done, and much of the background blocking finished - so overall, progress is humming along nicely.

Maybe a little too nicely - I had to place a laminating sheet on my Wacom tablet to keep coloring tonight. The center of the tablet surface was starting to wear and scrape away from the constant use. Not that all progress has been only on the tablet:

Thumbnails for Chapters 8 and 9 are finished, which means there won't be any pit stops for concept work from here on out; Clear, unfettered production until the end.

We were hoping to have Chapter 7 completed by our next convention, but I don't think we'll quite hit that mark - MFF (just outside of Chicago) is coming up fast this month. But, unless unforeseen circumstances arise, Chapter 7 will be knocked out for certain in December, the Month of Fun Announcements. ...And Santa. *shudder* More on him later.

Before I dash off, I should mention two things that I am very behind on. One I will get caught up with soon, and the other is still on the procrastination event horizon.

ONE: E-mails, Facebook, and Art Accounts. I'm super behind on getting back to everyone, but I should be jumping in and getting caught up later this week.

TWO: Especially after hosting the Halloween Fanart gallery, I realize that I'm WAAAY behind on posting in our normal Fanart gallery. I don't think I've updated it in over a year, and there's a big stack of awesome fanart waiting to see the light of day. My apologies to everyone who's been waiting on this. I'll get to it eventually, but Volume 3 is just so shiny...

Even so, we do take the occasional opportunity to indulge in shenanigans. For instance, ever since TomCruise.com inexplicably began to follow us on Twitter, Tally really wanted to enter Tom Cruise's Halloween costume contest.

This is an interpretive illustration because she refused to wear her first costume from 'Risky Business'.

So we dressed her up in a different one and told her she was Ray Charles.

Can you believe they didn't post her entry with the rest? And she was so excited to participate.

What a world.

Sneak Peek #18: Thumbnails of Disorder

2010-10-07T23:55:00.000-07:00

As the annual Halloween contest builds, Volume 3 has been continuing it's inexorable march towards completion behind the scenes.

Having finished all our special seasonal art for the year, (I can't WAIT to show this year's Halloween Prelude!) can you guess what specifically I've been working on lately? If you can, good for you, no need to read further. Congratulations for being on top of things.

If you're still reading this, then you don't know. Excellent - I LOVE delivering a good surprise! Sit down avid reader, quell your anticipation - and prepare for the veil of mystery to be torn asunder!

While Chapter 7 color blocking continues thanks to the ever-brilliant Liz, I've been doing thumbnail layouts for the Chapter 8 pages. That way we can keep our production groove continuous - no hurdles will be in the way of gliding right into Ch. 8 page pencils.

Thumbnailing is one of those tasks which always takes longer than I expect... There's just so much that hinges on them. The script is one thing, but the layout determines how the scene is expressed, where the characters are in relation to everything, the narrative pacing, the camera angles - in short, most of the actual directing (to shamelessly plunder terminology from film) happens during the thumbnail stage. Every subsequent drawing relies on the thumbnail for it's foundation. There’s always the temptation to simplify things and draw the thumbs from an orbital view, thus nixing a lot of drawing work - but Google Earth probably won’t let us user their images in our books.
I'm about halfway through the thumbnails for Chapter 8 right now - which is shaping up to be a 40 page chapter. Yikes. Volume 3 is going to be a book-and-a-half.

An odd production quirk for V3 - these are actually the last thumbnails I'll be doing for the entire book. The Chapter 9 thumbnails are already done, finished back in January. During the winter, while getting Volume 1 and 2 revised for download sales, we were also writing the final scripts for Volume 3. Chapter 8 needed another draft though, and actually wound up being revised until February. So when I jumped into thumbnails that winter, I went for Chapter 9 first - and now here we are!

You may notice the labeling system on these thumbnails - by Chapter, page, and panel. This helps us keep organized when we’re revising the scenes and sketching out alternatives and improvements - if we didn’t improve our rough drafts (which these are), our work would be on the fast-track to mediocrity.

I know it has to be frustrating waiting on this behemoth of a book, but take heart. The script is written in stone, the thumbnails are 84% done, and that should really help us keep the art in production at a nice steady pace until the end. Even so, thank you again to everyone for being so patient.

Actually, as a show of gratitude (And to demonstrate that, yes, we're getting this book done) we have a surprise coming around December. Will it be Santa, gift wrapped and delivered to your door? Nope. Because I don't mess around with Santa. Never. Santa is NOT welcome in my abode. I'll explain why, in detail, closer to the "Yule-tide," whatever that is. In the meanwhile, don't trust Santa.

And let's end things on that note.

Droppin' Beats, Bustin' Typos

2010-10-02T16:35:00.000-07:00

Ahem... Quick confession: Elementary school failed on me. You know spelling, like, with words? I tend to balls that up quite frequently. Like on a recent Prelude:

http://www.dreamkeeperscomic.com/Prelude.php?pg=171

Where I misspelled "relevance" as "relevence".

Little did I know the impending consequences - for then, a most rhymalicious e-mail appeared in my inbox:

Awwww shit son, Typo Busta T's in the house! You ready to get philological up in this piece?

Then drop the beat!

Yo I'm the man himself, Typo Busta T,
The mac daddy of lexicography!
Hired gun of the proofreadin' bourgeoisie,
Bustin' typos and rhymes with equal frequency.

First my '64 Pinto comes from out of the sky -
You ain't the only one with a whip that can fly!
Then I land and crush typos like the witch of the east,
Turning the Typo Demon into a neutered beast.

As my ride lifts off from panel two you'll see
A chalk outline where "relevence" used to be.
I stole an A from panel nine so you can fix that shit
And now it's time for me to make like Wisp and split.

Correctly-spelled word to your mother! I'm out!

PEACE!

-TBT

PS: I apologize for nothing.

It's a comfort knowing I've got such colorfully competent individuals backing me up - the e-mail and it's magical correctives were bestowed upon me by Taylor, who has thrown us a spelling life preserver now and then in our journey. Thanks Taylor, for making our life both more grammatically correct and fun. Well, I've got work to do - back to making misspelled comics!

Halloween - Jinkies!

2010-09-29T19:09:00.001-07:00

Our 2010 Dreamkeepers Halloween illustration! For any who have been waiting, this officially kicks off the 5th annual Dreamkeepers Halloween Fanart contest.

The credit for the idea of a Scooby Doo parody goes entirely to Liz. As soon as we made the connections, this illustration became inevitable; things just matched up too eerily well, from the scruffy Mace to his unintelligible, ravenous sidekick.

It was a ton of fun loading every cliché imaginable onto the monster in the background. As lame as it sounds, once I finished this pic I found myself wishing it was a DVD that I could then play… Also, it made me lust after a Dreamkeepers candy bar. Why? That’s a mystery I can’t solve.

But the Mystery of the Swamp Monster Ghost Pirate etc. etc. is solved, on our Halloween Rules page - because no Scooby adventure is complete until the mask comes off.

http://www.dreamkeeperscomic.com/HalloweenRules.htm

Contestants and browsers alike are welcome to attend! The gallery of entries will be unveiled October 31st, Halloween. Until then, feel free to browse through illustrations from years past: http://www.dreamkeeperscomic.com/gallery_halloween.htm

Well, I hope everyone’s in the mood for some cold-blooded October fun, because it’s on the way! In other news, we also have graphic novels back in stock on the site for any who have been waiting - I would advise making any Christmas gift purchases early to ensure we don’t run out again.

V3 Sneak Peek #17: Graphite Milestone

2010-09-13T15:50:00.000-07:00

All the pencils for Chapter 7 are finished! Weighing in at 43 pages, it's our heftiest stretch of story to date. Why 43? Because the significance of 42 was too intimidating.

It's a fantastic relief to finally hit a major milestone on the production of this book - it's been long overdue. It's 2010, after all. Volume 2 released in 2008. Why in the hell did it take us this long just to draw the 1st chapter of the next book?

Well, for those of you who don't obsessively read and memorize my every keystroke in this blog, let me refer you to our 'Box 'o Excuses'. For those interested more in results than excuses, feel free to skip past it, we've got some pretty pictures up.

And, voila! I hope you enjoyed the excuses. None of those will be bogging us down now - we're not getting married again for awhile, commissions are of course closed, the website and the second edition downloads are done and staying put, and plus it's more fun to draw than continue fabricating excuses.

So without further ado, here are some samples from Chapter 7!

You may notice that some of these are still lineart, and some are in various stages of coloring. That's thanks to Liz, who has been hard at work blocking in colors the entire time I've been penciling. With such a strong head start on the colors, we're hoping to completely finish Chapter 7 in time for Midwest Furfest this November. It's something to shoot for, anyways.

Currently, I'm getting some Dreamkeepers Halloween art ready for the coming season, as I work on Chapter 8 page thumbnails and gear up for Chapter 7 final shading.

Well, that's it for now! Thanks again to everyone for being patient with us while we've been laying the foundation for global cartoon conquest.

Things to look forward to: A finished Chapter 7 this fall, and of course coming up very soon we'll be posting prizes and rules for the 5th annual Dreamkeepers Halloween Fanart Contest!

Comparing Contest Conclusion!

2010-08-27T00:13:00.000-07:00

The Page Comparing Contest is officially concluded!

Thank you very much to everyone for participating - we received way more entries than I expected! I was expecting maybe ten, and over sixty flooded in! There were a lot of people who put a lot of very careful scrutiny and consideration into their entries - but in the end, of the handful of entries that covered every change, only one was the fastest, and Ian will be getting the free-books prize.

However, we received so much great effort and involvement that I can’t bear to send everyone away empty-handed after playing. Even though we’re out of books, Liz pointed out the obvious: We’re not out of book downloads. So everyone who participated will be getting an e-mail soon, with links to a free Volume 1 & 2 download! 8 D

Thanks again to everyone for playing, we hope you had fun! For posterity, here is the list of changes that we were looking for in the entries. And I hope, after going through this list, everyone can appreciate the grinding pains that we went through improving the second edition‘s continuity. And that Whip now has ears.

Entire Page: Color is a bit more saturated, so font and word bubbles are a bit thicker.

1st Panel: Ceiling planks face different direction then before.

Krin’s eyes are now orange.

Outside planks are seen to the far right, between the wall gaps.

Door handle and hinges are on opposite side of the door.

Randy now has a stripe on his shoulder.

Food on the far left table is now colored green.

Krin’s face has yellow eyebrows/dots colored.

Spoons have been added to all tables.

Randy’s hooves are colored.

Gorse has an eyebrow.

Randy’s pants have pocket details.

Food is colored green at Gorse, Randy, and Krin’s back table.

Second Panel: Paige has a spoon now.

Third Panel: Paige has a pocket added.

Whip’s ears and fur tuff have been added.

Spoons have been added for the characters.

Fourth Panel: Extra space in Paige’s dialogue before “I”.

Paige has a pocket, with lines moving pocket over.

Sixth Panel: Mace’s dialogue is moved to include a space.

Seventh Panel: Paige’s dialogue has capital I and extra space before I, and capital I in connecting word balloon.

Whip has added lines and color to his chest tuff.

Compare Contest Page

2010-08-25T20:41:00.000-07:00

Annd, the contest is on! Once again, just list the differences between the original and new versions of this page. The rules and stuff are listed in our older blog post: http://vividstuff.blogspot.com/2010/08/compare-contest.html

Once again, contest entries must be e-mailed to us: dreamkeeperscomic@gmail.com

DeviantArt, FA notes, Twitter messages, or replies to this blog can't be counted, as it's easier for us to keep track of everything in one e-mail.

We'll announce the winner in another blog tomorrow evening - in the meantime, thanks for playing, and I hope everyone has fun!

Compare Contest

2010-08-23T17:43:00.000-07:00

Riddled with minor errors, the old Dreamkeepers books have been cleaned and polished for their brand new second-edition release. But now for the challenge: can you tell the difference?

If you've got an eye for detail, then you could win some second edition copies!

Right here in our blog, we'll be posting up an image of a graphic novel page - the 'before' version, and the 2nd edition 'after' version. The moment we post them up, the race is on. Compare the pages to find the differences - the first person to e-mail us with a list that details every change will be the winner!

The winner will receive a free physical copy of Volume 1 and Volume 2, the 2nd editions.

The pages will be hosted August 25th, Wednesday night, at roughly midnight Eastern Standard Time. Once you finish your list, e-mail it to us here: dreamkeeperscomic@gmail.com with 'Compare Contest' as the subject line. Bear in mind, the first list we receive won't necessarily be the winner - only the first completely correct list which specifies every change. Be sure to get detailed with your description. Saying "Narp changed clothes" is vague and may not be enough. Saying "In panel 2, Narp's shirt now has three buttons instead of two, and his pants now have a seam line" is specific and points out the exact changes and their location on the page. Hopefully this contest will illustrate to first-edition book owners what kinds of fixes we made, and whether or not they personally will feel the need to own the second edition.

Well, that's it! Once we receive the winning entry, we'll post it up for all to see and the contest will be over. See you here this Wednesday night!

Sneak Peek #16: Reptiles in Hats

2010-08-23T17:17:00.000-07:00

Yes - reptiles in hats. Because we simply don’t see enough of that sort of thing.

To remedy this deficit, we’re doing a sketch dump for this Sneak Peek!

We do have a lot of finished drawings we could be showing - Chapter 7 pencils are going strong, and it looks like we’ll hit our goal of finishing those in September. However, I don’t want to show perfectly sequential updates scene-by-scene as we go along, as that could really start to telegraph the story direction.

Granted, showing progress art will never be *utterly* spoiler free… “There’s Mace in a drawing- Therefore HE DOESN’T DIE ON THE FIRST PAGE YOU RUINED THE STORY AAAUUGHH!”

But at the least, I do want to avoid providing a definitive outline.

And that is why you get REPTILES IN HATS! Sketch time. This is a mix of concept development for Volume 3, character experimentations, and any other crazy pointless shit that was in my head and found the ejector handle.

You may also have noticed some photos in this mix - and now you realize that this whole Sneak Peek was just a shallow ploy to show you our pet photos. Marvel at our pet golden tegu. This South American beauty is being featured (A) because live animals are excellent reference for developing some good reptilian concept art, and (B) because we told people a zillion months ago that we’d post some photos up, and I can only assume they’ve been frozen in rapt anticipation to their computer screens since our comment, and it’s about time we freed them from their vigil to continue on with their lives.

Some may be curious how the tegu gets along with the gator. Much as you’d expect a smaller reptile to get along with a larger, sulkier reptile. They don’t hang out much.

Well, hang tight everyone - a few more weeks of drawing, and we’ll have our first Chapter of Volume 3 penciled, and I’ll have some pics in here to show!

Sneak Peek #15: Carsplosions and Shinies

2010-07-27T09:21:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the delay since our last 'Behind the Scenes' - yes, we're still alive. Rumors of our death, and of Prelude postings being performed by automated Cartoon Drones (TM), have been highly exaggerated. (Although if you know where I can find any of those Drones, drop me a line.)

Things in life, like cars, and friends, have been exploding lately, and that can be distracting. Not the cool ball-o-flame movie explosions, but the "Oh, this car isn't moving anymore" kind. Well, it was inevitable - we'd just put the finishing touches on our custom duct-tape decals.

The style was such an affront to all that is holy and good that I suppose divine vengeance was unavoidable. Oh - the extra panel of buttons on the dashboard were, of course, birdcalls. To think they didn't come standard. We had to install the mini disco-light too. Here's one final salute to our little car, on which someone wrote in majestically irremovable material "Your Car Is Win!," and which improbably got us to and from many a convention. Here's to you, car.

But on to more mobile things! Despite our lack of postings, we've still been moving forward on V3 work - in fact, if we're not posting, it usually means we're that much more absorbed in our coloring. Pages and scenes are continuing to come together:

The lighting setup in our nightclub scene has been especially challenging and fun! It's always a good day when I'm debating how many laser-effects to include in an image. Though there are still some tweaks to make, the strip club scene is nearly complete.

Now that conventions are cleared out and real-life imploding fun-time is over, I'm hoping to really move on the remaining pencils in Chapter 7. If I work fast enough, maybe I could have all the pages drawn sometime in September. That might be a bit ambitious, but we'll see! Updates should be happening a little more on schedule here in the meantime.

Dammit Indi, have some patience! We're only human - okay, fine. Have some "moar" - a random square of snakes. That's what pushiness gets you - this. You're welcome.

Anthrocon Blitzkrieg

2010-06-29T18:00:00.000-07:00

Liz & I are back from Anthrocon, and all I can say is, WOW! What a convention!

Actually, I can say lots more stuff - watch me go!

For starters, we sold more graphic novels than I'd expected. I figured, last year we had Volumes 1 & 2. And the year before that we had Volumes 1 & 2. By now, pretty much everyone's had a chance to pick up a Volume 1 & 2, case closed.

Apparently not - Dreamkeepers books were selling like hotcakes! And I have never seen hotcakes being sold, nor do I know what they really are, and I'm now feeling curious and a little hungry. But we sold out of books by Saturday, began sending people over to the 'M&T Comics' booth where our books are carried - and then THEY sold out of books!

We were trying to give out free posters at the time, and being disrupted by selling things was somewhat distracting. But despite our tragic difficulties, we succeeded in the epic 'give away a shitload of free posters' quest, aided by a +5 attack minion. The world now has that much more random color floating about in it.

And Volume 3 - goodness, it turns out people really want it. It seems like everyone and their dog (or everyone as their dog) was inquiring about whether it was finished. On the one hand, it's fantastic that people like our stuff and want more: but on the other hand, it felt like going to school and having no homework to turn in. But instead of just one teacher expecting & asking for the assignment, it's every single person in the entire school. Students, faculty, and life-size spectacularly neon classroom pets.

It feels great to be back at home, and primed for more V3 production. Though we've got a solid start, it's a huge project that won't be done any time soon. But there's only one way to finish an ambitious task - and that's to get crackin'.

This photo inflicted on you compliments of sleep - deprived convention shenanigans and Liz's quick reflexes with the camera. It should serve to dispel the pervasive myth that I am not a jackass.

Sneak Peek #14: 30 pages of progress

2010-06-05T17:47:00.000-07:00

I've been drawing fast and furious over the last week or two, and 30 full pages of Volume 3 pencils are finally finished and in various stages of color!

Now, in a NORMAL Dreamkeepers book, 30 pages would be an entire Chapter. One down, two to go. But this is no normal book. Crammed to the brim with story, action, and (soon to be) full color, Volume 3's chapters are a bit more formidable to tackle. At the 30-page mark, Chapter 7 is still only about 2/3rds of the way there.

But fear not - We're on a roll, so the progress should be strong 'n steady from here on out. Plus, we've found a color assistant willing to work with us for free.

Oddly enough, it doesn't seem to be speeding things along much at all.

But despite our lackluster cohort, Liz and I are now working to get some color and glitz layered into the first run of pages. In the coming weeks, keep an eye out for some new finished colors and pencils as we work to complete the Mega-Chapter.

We'll be taking a quick break later in June for Anthrocon - if you're around Pittsburgh, be sure to check us out! We'll have 1,000 posters in need of a good home for anyone that wants them. This'll be your last chance to snag a poster for free, so be sure to show up or send a delegate whom you trust implicitly.

Sneak Peek #13: Demonic Gorgeousness

2010-05-22T17:39:00.001-07:00

Finished art, at last! Here, have some evil:

It feels great to finally have some Volume 3 pages complete. We've got over 30 pages of Chapter 7 in various stages of production; Blue sketches, pencils, panel layouts, color blocking. But nothing quite satisfies like seeing a page polished, pretty, and done.

Of course, there will be some minor tweaks on these pages before publication. Occasionally a particular line of dialogue will be difficult to nail down. But rather than bring the entire project to a screeching halt, we use a placeholder phrase and keep moving. To make sure we don't forget and publish drivel, (unintended drivel), the dialogue is highlighted in red.

More pencils and pages are in the near future.

Also for your reading pleasure, we have Miscellaneous News - the best kind!

NEWS! The page comparing contest will happen - I haven't forgotten! I'm just ignoring it right now because A) I forgot about it for awhile, B) We still haven't started printing second editions, and C) I'm happily distracted by Volume 3. Hang in there, I'll announce it on DA, FA, Twitter, and here when I finally set it up.

NEWS! Islamic extremists must now wage jihad against Facebook for it's "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day" page. ...This news doesn't really have any bearing on me, I just get a huge kick from watching people issue death threats to Facebook while simultaneously taking themselves seriously.

NEWS! This weekend at ACEN was a smashing success - we actually were able to give away all 1,000 posters packs! I wasn't certain we could - we couldn't even roll & wrap the posters until we were at the con table. 1,000 rolled posters would have ballooned far beyond the confines of our bitty car. The result of these circulating DK posters is still up in the air, but I think it will gradually pull in some fresh readers.

NEWS! Domestic alligator attacks against empty milk jugs escalated by 100% this week... I told you it was miscellaneous news time...

NEWS! DK Posters will be up for sale online sometime after Anthrocon this summer.

NEWS! Prelude is officially in the top 100 of the 'Top Webcomics' site. Thanks to everyone for voting us there!

That's it for now - we're plugging away at Volume 3, so new Sneak Peeks shouldn't be too far off.

Maladroit Marketing Mayhem

2010-05-12T08:58:00.000-07:00

With Volume 3 progress back on track, a finished website, digital book sales all set, and an alligator glaring at me from the kitchen, it's about time we got some actual marketing underway. Checkered ties and megaphones, here we come!

Actually, megaphones are a bit outside our price range. To date, our ad budget has been a bit less than robust - turns out ad agencies will not be impressed when you show them a row of bright, shining coppery Lincolns. No matter what kind of pretty patterns they make on the desk. So from a financial standpoint, we've got serious limitations.

Plus, Volume 3 really, REALLY needs to be our focus - therefore, any marketing forays have to be strictly budgeted for their monetary cost AND the amount of time they consume. I'll be recording my ideas and efforts in this blog for anyone with curiosity on the subject. Other prospective creators and publishers, hopefully you can learn from both my sage advice and my subsequent calamitous mishaps.

Unprecedented since the dawn of time, we are at a first in the history of life on earth: Vivid Publishing has a few hundred bucks to spare. How did this come about, you ask?

The digital book sales have given us a tiny bit of wiggle room. So, time to wiggle!

You see, Dreamkeepers' greatest strength - it's unique, different style and content - is also it's greatest weakness from a marketing standpoint. Audiences tend to stick with what they know and love - so at our convention tables, the bulk of attendees tend to breeze by without thinking twice.

But, with our tiny bit of wiggle room, I think we can get them to think twice.

I've used a bit of the extra money and invested it in what I hope to be irresistible giveaways for our summer conventions this year: No, not crack. Free 11x17 posters with a promotional postcard advert included! Totally free poster giveaways should help get Dreamkeepers into the hands of potential readers who wouldn't have taken notice otherwise.
I've been planning on this for some time - originally I was thinking to give away art prints. But, especially in the hands of the unconverted, an art print can be easily forgotten and overlooked post - con: Stuffed in a folder, notebook, whatever. But a poster is too big to be stored as conveniently - so, by clever use of obnoxiousness, our victims will be forced to look at their DK poster post-con, and decide what to do with it. And the enticing postcard, advertising the DK site, will be right there when that time comes: The postcard is stapled to the rubber band looping their poster tube, so it won't be easily lost or discarded. Here's what the postcard looks like:

Unsuspecting souls at the convention foolish enough to wander anywhere near us will victims of the free-poster-blitzkrieg. We've got 1,000 we'll be trying to give away, starting with Anime Central this weekend, and hopefully another big batch for Anthrocon in June.

How many new readers will +1,000 poster giveaways result in? No idea, we're gonna find out. Probably not 1,000, but even a couple hundred would be a great boost.

...Now, you may be wondering, these posters being given away... Are they the same posters I'll be offering for purchase bit later this summer?

Well, yes and no. Mainly yes. We're using the Bast / Lilith design for convention giveaways: The matching Mace / Namah poster isn't being given away, and hasn't been printed yet. Both designs will, before too long, be available for purchase through the website. If you really want a free one, be sure to show up at Anime Central this weekend or Anthrocon in June - or if you know a friend who's going, coerce them into picking one up for you.

I'm really hoping that this promotional push will help supercharge our convention results this year - with a little luck, we may see the readership behind Dreamkeepers grow larger than ever for the release of Volume 3. This should begin a chain reaction that ends in the globe cowering before my dark powers.

And, speaking of dark powers, Volume 3 production has been moving nicely - after we get back from ACEN, I'll be posting a new Sneak Peek, there are some finished pages to show off!

V3 Sneak Peek #12: Window, window, window, FAKE!

2010-04-27T20:03:00.000-07:00

Returning to pencils, the first scene out the gate was quite the doozy - a big, sprawling establishing shot in the Calypsa district. Liz and I got a lot of inspiration for the buildings from our wanderings in downtown Pittsburgh - I’ve been using a lot of our photos, like the one below, for reference.

It’s actually the first time I’ve sketched the architecture in Calypsa, so I got to have a lot of fun. That fun soon transformed into lots and lots of painstaking perspective drawing. You have no idea how difficult it is to meticulously draw everything constructed in flawlessly perfect perspective -

- And neither do I! That drawing may have some perfection in there by accident, but none on purpose. Faking perspective is one of my mainstay artistic tricks. Sure it would be possible to make everything entirely accurate - but the next page calls. The book wants to be finished someday, so I can’t dither on one drawing forever. Just long enough to make it *look* like I dithered on it forever. It’s a definite asset to know the perspective tricks which make a scene look convincing. Don’t look for it any time soon, but I’m planning on using this very drawing in my next Youtube tutorial: How to Fake Perspective.

But first - more Volume 3 pages. Some nice, rolling hills. Nice, easy, non-geometric hills. What a relief. …It’s way easier to fake perspective when there isn’t any.

4-20-2010 V3 Sneak Peek #11: Rolling

2010-04-20T19:54:00.001-07:00

Purgatory is cleared - time to go to hell!

As the colors above hint, all distractions have been quietly assassinated, and Volume 3 production is once again our sole creative focus.

And boy, does it feel good! Within a week, I’ll have some new pencils to show in here - and after I get a scene or so sketched up, I can resume shading & complete the opening pages. Finally, some finished work will begin piling up.

It was a longer than expected road getting to this point, but there were a few artistic errands we wanted to run before settling permanently into book-mode. For instance, we’ve been wanting to make Dreamkeepers posters available for a long time now, so we went ahead and finished a nice pair for release this summer. They’ll be 11x17, and filled with sparkles:

Of course, the sparkles are not yet in evidence on the lineart above. But trust me, they’ll be there. We’ll post final art a bit closer to the printing date.

So in closing, thanks go everyone for being so patient with us while we’ve been working behind the scenes getting things set up! From here on out, the wait for Volume 3 will be spiced with behind-the-scenes art, as well as the knowledge that it actually is getting done. To signify our promise of more to come, enjoy below some of our meticulously drafted concept work created in the process of developing the book:

I’m not certain, but I *think* it’s Scinter and Igrath… Partying with the popper from the ‘Trouble’ game.

…I forget which scene this is for.

In Your Facebook.

2010-04-14T01:15:00.000-07:00

Dreamkeepers now has an official Facebook page! If you're a facebook user, look us up - and don't miss the Dreamkeepers Fan Group on facebook, either. We're aiming to link our twitter account to the facebook page, which would then drop up-to-date info conveniently into your lap. Hopefully, as our ability to keep up with all e-mails has been sadly reduced, this will be another way to help keep folks informed and up-to-date on what we're doing while helping us streamline our workflow.

As long as we don't stumble into Farmville, that is. Once that happens, everything that is good in the world vanishes like a mirage... Leaving only Cold, Dark, Farmlands. Tread carefully, o facebook users, lest you too be consumed by That Which Shall Not Be Gamed.

Movin' On: Forward - sideways - possibly around.

2010-04-12T16:08:00.001-07:00

Earth Stoppingly Important Notice: The address for Dreamkeepers has changed. Anyone mailing us orders, correspondence, or FUNTREATS, please check the website for the updated address.

If you've mailed us anything within the past month, hang tight. It should automatically transfer to the new PO Box, it'll just take a little while for it to happen. In the meanwhile, thanks for your patience!

Talk < Walk

2010-04-08T12:19:00.000-07:00

My reply lag with e-mails is getting worse and worse - this despite the fact that I've been spending more and more time trying to get caught up.

Every week I'll spend a full work day just replying to messages, sometimes two days. I did the research and found that weeks have only seven days - and after doing some calculations, realized that online upkeep is starting to take a huge bite out of our productivity. Especially after considering the weekly Prelude work, it just doesn't leave enough time to effectively focus on graphic novel production.

The difficult fact that I'm facing up to is that I need to drastically cut down on my e-mail load... Difficult, because to date I've placed a lot of value on remaining available to our readers. Personally replying to questions, feedback, and encouragement has been a gratifying experience. Additionally, I feel like I kind of owe readers an attentive response... After all, they give us and our work attention, the least I can do is reciprocate.

That's why I have such mixed feelings about beginning to reduce my level of contact. But when it finally boils down, I think our readership as a whole wants to read new Dreamkeepers comics more than anything else. Corresponding with readers has been a pleasurable facet of our endeavor - but, readers of what? I don't want to transform into an online Social Sally, basking in attention for past accomplishments while Dreamkeepers languishes in limbo. And as our fan base slowly grows, that is becoming an ever greater possibility.

At the end of the day, I have to do what it takes to keep our focus on moving the story forward.

Now, I'm not saying don't ever contact us - we love hearing from you guys! We enjoy reading your letters, your ideas, your questions, and your fabulously restorative encouragement. I just want everyone to understand what's going on when it takes me ages to reply to you. I'm not squatting in some imaginary ivory tower, feeling too superior to mingle: We just have a lotta story to tell, and it’s not drawing itself.

E-mails relating to purchases are a little different, of course - I can’t well run a business by ignoring requests and questions about transactions. But when it comes to other correspondence, it’s likely to be on the back burner for awhile.

The upside is that, for those interested in how we’re doing, I should actually have more time to keep you posted via twitter, facebook(soon) and this blog. So albeit a bit less personal, updates on Dreamkeepers and ourselves should be more frequent and easier to come by.
And the biggest upside, of course, is that we will be busy effectively creating Dreamkeepers books.

That’s what I’m here to do.

Upgrade - Download

2010-04-05T15:46:00.000-07:00

At long last, digital book sales are now live on the website.

Much to my surprise, people are actually buying them.

Admittedly, I wasn't really anticipating that phenomenon. I maintain this irrational concept that every person alive is equally as stingy as me. This theory is fortunately false, or the consumer-driven economy of the entire Western world would careen into ruin as citizens ubiquitously re-used their paper lunch bags and watched their movies for free on stop-motion library DVD's. Thankfully for global financial markets, most folks have looser spending standards than me. However, on the downside, Justin Bieber does have a career.

My main reason to get digital book sales finished was just that - to get them finished, clearing the way for important things like a haircut. But this whole 'people buy it' thing is a really awesome side effect. If more side effects were this serendipitous, I would dub myself 'King of Newly Advertised Pharmaceuticals.'

Although low, It seems the $2.00 download price struck a chord. I had a few reasons for pricing it so low - for one, some comics are available in stores for around $3.00. Who wants a download when a real, physical comic is going to be cheaper? And let’s not forget piracy - when people really want something, they can usually find it for free somewhere online. So my price has to compete with ’free’. The downside to piracy is, of course, that it can be a pain in the ass hunting & scrounging around obscure sites hoping for a virus-free legitimate download. I figured $2.00 would be low enough that a lot of folks would decide to skip the risk and just buy it. And lastly, if we could publish through traditional distribution outlets, $2.00 is roughly the amount of creator royalties we’d receive.

I’m thrilled there’s a market for digital DK books. It’ll be far easier growing our readership now. New browsers with a passing interest in the story are far more likely to part with $2.00 than $20.00. Twenty dollars for an online purchase is a decision- but two bucks... Hell, why not?

Addiction, that’s why. WELCOME TO OUR WORLD! MUAH HA HA! I hope you like SPARKLES!

Now to get some more books rolling... There are still a few tidbits to knock out before getting into full Volume 3 production: Taxes remain, the DK Facebook isn’t quite set yet, we’re making some posters that we’ve been meaning to get done for some time, and we’re smack-dab in the middle of a chaotic week bracketed by two back-to-back conventions - Anime Punch and Furry Connection North. So there’s some short term, necessary distractions here... But it’s good to know that in the meanwhile, in stock or out, new readers can discover the graphic novel story.

Sneak Peek #10: Thaw

2010-03-22T05:20:00.000-07:00

I had this irrational feeling that spring couldn't come until the Volume 1 and 2 corrections were finished. Sure enough, as soon as the final tweaks were completed, we were rewarded with a pleasant, invigorating thaw. Again, that magical time of the year when I can hurl bread at geese has arrived.

It certainly feels magical to me. Or rather, as though some binding curse has been lifted. Back in the fall, I thought a month would be all it took to polish off the fixes in both books. Ah, Past David, so young. So naive.

Last winter, I was saddled full time with commissions. This time around, it was an endless tundra of corrections, with Volume 3 frozen tragically in mid production, like a clapping Neanderthal in a block of ice.

...Stop second-guessing my analogies.

Finally clearing this last hurdle feels absolutely great: The grand task of getting our website to 'good enough' status, started last September, is concluding. Digital book sales will be announced soon, as well as our fun-packed Page Comparing Contest. So fun, it's capitalized!

I'm currently attending a laundry list of minor tasks - things that I know I'll never take the time for once Volume 3 production is steaming ahead. Over the next week or two I’ll be retooling the horizontal-format site navbars so they match the verticals, finishing that quickie LOL-Wisp illustration from last year, hosting the Dreamkeepers Facebook page, posting the foreign language links, doing taxes, etc, etc... And also creating some art for the Anime Punch convention. I was pleasantly surprised this year when they let me know there was still room in the artist's alley, so I signed up and drew this for their table discount:

Plus, I have to admit I was just itching to draw after such a marathon of less glamorous work. I've been doing Dreamkeepers exclusively for years now, and was curious to see if I could still play chameleon with other styles, like I did during my freelance days. Going for the straightforward anime look was fun for a spot of variety.

Anime Punch is in early April. By then, V3 production should be completely thawed and rolling, with no turning back.

Roommate In Paradise: Gecko Commentary

2010-02-11T15:38:00.000-08:00

Ahh, my old senior thesis animation… It stirs the memories, posting this ancient creature of five years past online. (For the actual video, see our YouTube account http://www.youtube.com/user/dreamkeeperscomic)
Capping a four year degree in art, 'Roommate in Paradise' was my senior thesis project. Bearing in mind the quiet failure of every previous group project I had labored for, I made the unfortunately essential decision to go it alone on my thesis. Concept development, script and storyboards, character design, modeling, texturing, rigging, music, voice acting, yadda yadda... Everything was completed on my personal computer (no 24 hour labs were available at school) on my own time (far from streamlining, classes were a steady impediment). The downside to this approach was that I missed out on the social circles of incessant mutual congratulation and superficial hype which constituted the backbone of the school's instruction. The upside was that I was in the scant minority of students with finished work, and I gained a lot of animation experience in the process. Do I find it ironic that I was only able to develop significant skill by avoiding classes and teachers? Now that I'm shackled to exorbitant student loans, you bet. (Note: I remain extremely grateful to the few instructors with professional experience and competence whom I was fortunate to locate among the staff. If only there had been more like you.)
Despite being closely linked to my college experiences, let's steer this commentary back to the video. I was much happier with it in 2005 than I am now, although even at the time I understood that it was nothing terribly exceptional. Albeit a towering monolith of accomplishment at my Ohio art college, the animations and demo reels coming from comparable universities were visibly more professional and polished. This animation is rushed and clunky throughout, and the rigging is just barely adequate. I think I'm still happiest with how my render passes and compositing worked out - the overall lighting setup works nicely, especially in the late evening shots. My subsequent graphic novel work with Liz reflects the lighting lessons learned here.
Speaking of whom, although she didn’t directly contribute to the work on my thesis (obviously she had her own class work at the time) she was a great source for feedback and encouragement during production. In fact, squirreled away in my dorm room for nearly the entire semester with only Liz as company, most folks assumed that we were busy incessantly ravaging one another. Towards the end of the year when I finally showed some rendered progress to other dorm-mates, I remember looks of surprise and comments along the lines of “Oh, so THAT’S what you’ve been doing in there, no kidding!” Animation and CG rendering, of course - what else would a healthy and energetic young college student devote his time to?
Representing such generalized abilities, 'Roommates' was obviously of little value on a demo reel. Even as possibly the least embarrassing animation to emerge from that art college in a long time, my short was quickly brushed under the rug by a faculty preferring their home brand of insular blandishment to unflattering counterpoints of substance. This came as no surprise, and I never expected my effort to garnish value from any outside source. Rather, it gave me the crude abilities needed to work in the field after college, and came in especially handy with freelance work that culminated (and ended with) that indefatigable soul, Dempewolf.
Much to my surprise, I actually did get a job offer as a result of this short, years after I had sent out demo reels... It was related to some kind of television network position, and offered full time employment if I would relocate. Fortunately by that time I had fallen in love with my true artistic passion, and was not interested in professional animation industry employment. I regard that prospect now with almost a faint sense of horror.
I suppose the point of my rambling commentary is that upon reflection, I learned a lot from this short, and only some about animation. I look back on it with fondness now -it's a bit like watching a puppy sprawling happily but awkwardly across the lawn. And, of course, these geckos eventually merged personalities, turned 2-D, pink, and became 'Narp' from our ongoing Dreamkeepers project.

V3 Sneak Peek #9: Scripted Material

2010-02-09T16:31:00.000-08:00

Are the Volume 1 corrections finished? Nope. Is Volume 3 done? Heh heh, it's good you're keeping that sense of humor, you're a real trooper.

Although it's not comprised of pretty pictures, there is some heartening progress on both fronts. And sketches - keep reading, and you'll be rewarded with doodles. I bet that's just what you were thinking when you woke up this morning, "I hope my day is FILLED with doodles!" Well, you're in luck. Read on.

Doodles.

Anyways, the Chapter 8 and 9 scripts for Volume 3 have been roughed out, redrafted, polished, and finalized within the last couple of months, and now the entire book is completely written! Although the progress isn't something I can visually show, it's a huge step forward from back when Chapter 7 was the only completed writing within the story outline. Here, for your browsing pleasure, are six dialogue lines from scattered scenes and various characters in the upcoming book. They are chosen at random, not related in any way, and they‘re spoiler-free:

“It’s me. The loveable one.”

“I hope you've explosively crapped your pants, Grunn, because the only other explanation for that face is unacceptable.”

“WOTS DIS DO??”

“I wanted to see what would happen.”

“You’re not with the church, are you.”

“Pa-Vwaoo!”

Having the entire draft in my hands is indescribably exciting, because this story is coming out really, really cool. (A lot better than the 5 random lines seem to indicate, trust me.) I remember back during Volume 2 production, I had been a little concerned that Volume 3 was at risk for having a weaker story than Volumes 2 or 4, but that concern is history now. I can hardly wait to continue drawing this book up!

In fact, the thumbnail page layouts of Chapter 9 were completely sketched out as of last night. My suspicions about Volume 3's increased page count have proven correct - this is gonna be a big one. While that means it will take quite some time to produce, and the printing and retail price will have to be higher than our other books, when I think about the story we've written I know it will be worth it.

The only barricade to nonstop free - flowing Volume 3 production remains the Volume 1 corrections... What can I say, getting out of purgatory is never easy. Thankfully, we're much closer to completion than we were a month ago. The fix-it list for the entire book has, as of tonight, finally been compiled. Cataloging the errors is a 'where's Waldo' of concentration games at least as time consuming as executing the fixes. As such, the Volume 1 tweaks are (at least) at the halfway mark of completion, and February / March is slated for grinding through those corrections until the whole pile has been processed, and digital sales at last transition from my hackneyed conversation topic and into a reality.
Once the corrections are finished and digital sales pending, we’re planning on doing a little contest with a before and after page, along the lines of “Can you find the 12 differences between image A and image B?” So, you have that to look forward to.

As promised, here are some doodles, done on the side during script revision sessions between Liz and I. Some of these are rough concept for Volume 3 or other books, but mainly they're just some random thoughts put to paper.

Hopefully after another month or two of escaping purgatory, I'll be back to showing off V3 penciling progress in here- thanks to everyone for being so patient with me while we get our act together!

Interviews, Chit Chat, and Language

2010-01-09T17:56:00.001-08:00

Do you like to hear David yak about himself? WHO WOULDN’T! Decapitated Dan interviewed me recently on his site: http://fromthetomb.blogspot.com/2009/12/deep-discussions-with-decapitated-dan_22.html

Of course, technically I talk a good deal about Dreamkeepers as well. Extra bonus - From the depths of the internet, Dan managed to find a photo of me sharing the bed with an alligator. So if you’ve ever wanted to see me in a compromising image with a smug reptile, rush on over and check it out.

In other news, Dreamkeepers officially has a new live chat room: http://www.dreamkeeperscomic.com/DKChatroom So if you’re tired of cooling your heels in the forum, feel free to hop in there and talk with some other DK readers. (This link can also be located in the forum itself.)

And rounding things out, we have exciting news for each and every Russian on the internet! The online Dreamkeepers comic Prelude is being translated into Russian language and hosted here: http://dk.furries.ru/ The translating service is being done for free, by the dedicated and generous staff of furries.ru. http://furries.ru/ So thanks to their time and effort, Prelude will soon be enjoyed by a whole new spectrum of readers! Additionally there are some Spanish translations in the works, and once I get my act together a bit more I should be getting links to those up somewhere on the site.

Also when I get my act together: Digital book sales will go up. No, they’re not done yet, yes, we’re still working with the V1 and V2 files. There has been some good V3 progress in the meanwhile though, mainly scripting. Just keep on using all that patience you’ve got, and eventually we’ll start showing some results!

V3 Sneak Peak #8: Purgatory

2009-12-21T05:41:00.000-08:00

Purgatory. I'm trapped in art purgatory. I'm paying for my creative sins, and cannot move forward until all of my past wrongs have been atoned for.

...So, yes, the book corrections are significantly more work intensive than I'd estimated. The 104 pages of Volume 2 fixes are finished, but Volume 1 is still in the works. Although finalizing Volume 1 for digital sale remains my priority, there have been windows of time where I've been able to splurge on sanity-restoring V3 work.

Over the last month, Chapter 8 has gone from a story outline to a script second draft. I'm extremely excited about how the narrative is shaping up, but it's difficult to share examples without giving stuff away. ...I have to at least share a tiny bit - "Ravat". There! That's the tidbit - ask for no more, the treat jar is sealed tight.
In addition to scripting the next Chapter, we've been making some progress blocking in the colors for the establishing shot of the strip club from Chapter 7.. That single page had enough coloring in it to stretch out over a few days' work all on it's own. Those establishing shots are endlessly pretty, but enormous production-time hogs.

And in other news, we made our first seasonal Christmas Prelude! http://www.dreamkeeperscomic.com/PreludeChristmas09 We wanted to try something a bit new with this one, so there's actually some animation included in the comic.
Nothing major - and nothing in the direction of the 'motion comics' that some companies have been trying to push in recent years. Whenever I saw one of those 'motion comics', I always felt like I was just watching an extremely cheap incomplete animated show with no sound budget. I think by crossing the media border a little too far, they lost the appeal unique to comics, and had nothing to offer alongside the competing full-motion animation out there.
Our experiment is really more of a small flourish layered on top of a traditional static comic format - a little falling snow here, some blinking lights there... Feel free to check it out, and we'd definitely welcome any feedback about what you think!

It's certainly been awhile since I rolled out the animation skills... Getting a bit rusty, even the simple 5-frame snow effects loop had me scrunching up my forehead in effort. Apparently the brow-scrunching friction in the skin somehow directs kinetic energy into the brain cavity and helps speed up the ol' head engine. At least, that's the theoretical framework I'm working within at this point. I may want to use caution with any increasingly ambitious animated endeavors, lest my face implode in upon itself.

And leaving you with that thought, I hope everyone out there has a very fun and gratifying holiday season - take care, and enjoy the seasonal Prelude!

V3 Sneak Peek #7: Final Calibrations

2009-11-17T04:47:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the latest behind the scenes sneak peek at Volume 3! One question you may be asking yourself right now: Why is there no actual Volume 3 progress in this update?

What, exactly, is distracting Dave and Liz from working on the next book? Halloween is over, so the contest is no excuse. Did a circus camp outside their apartment? Did the 'shiny and sparkly' merchant roll into town? Or did they decide to kiss this cold, cruel world goodbye once and for all, and start playing World of Warcraft?

Don't panic, I promise you. We would never do something that drastic.

Still on the same web design crusade that saw the 'Battle of the Dreamworld Pages', we've come to our final and greatest remaining objective:

Digital Book Sales.

Predominance is being placed on the web design right now because of our big-picture Vivid Publishing strategy. The greatest barrier to success is our lack of cash: no money equals small print runs, equals virtually zero profits on book sales. And Mace is demanding a bigger cut of the revenues. (I think Whip gave him the idea.)

So we aim to build our 'Dreamkeepers' audience larger while creating Volume 3, hopefully pushing Pre-Orders into (finally!) the range of profitability.
Building an audience means marketing - and with our budget, not one single cent can be permitted to go to waste. (We're not the government.) That means the website must be as appealing as possible to fresh new visitors, so that any advertising expenditures we make have the maximum possible customer retention rate.

(So, if this nice block of text didn't drive the point home, I HAVE AN EXCUSE! Volume 3 is going slow, but I have all sorts of reasons! The more words I use, the more justified I clearly am. Why, here's some more words now!)

Once digital book sales are in place to offer a lower pricing tier to new readers, the site will be ready to roll.

Of course, there's some work to do before we can finalize digital sales. Over the years of selling graphic novels and checking through them for misprints, we've compiled a rather intimidating list of quirks and inconsistencies in the art and text... Now, the normal person (As opposed to the occasional godlike-fan who knows all and sees all) wouldn't notice any of these snafus during a casual read-through. But they are there, and before immortalizing the pages online, we're fixing them.

Now, don't fret that your book is suddenly going to be obsolete due to a feverish bout of revisions on our part - we're not changing anything major. Plot isn't shifting an iota, the narrative remains identical, zero additional visual clues appear, and Lilith won't suddenly have a third katana-toting arm. As much as I argued for it. We're just correcting visual consistency issues (buildings, minute character detailing, etc.) and the occasional grammar error.

Compounding the task of corrections is the headache that, during production, I didn't have finalized references for several characters and settings - Notably Scinter. That bastard changes more often than a chameleon in diapers. In addition to writing out the history of the Dreamworld and finishing the website, we've been compiling a belated binder of detailed, official character and location references. Better late than never, right?

But summing up, I know it may seem right now as though our progress is frozen in place. And in terms of new Volume 3 art, it is. But we're making final preparations to launch Vivid for the long haul, both business-wise and creatively, and under the ice the currents are surging. These calibrations have been shifting into place over the entire last year or two, and are just now culminating in the exclusion of focus that brings completion.

Excuse complete!

Unless I can find some external source to blame, blame is always the best. If anyone can help me brainstorm some stuff to blame, let me know.

Just bear with us, we've almost got the last piece of this monster bolted down - and once it gets rolling on the right track, I don't think it'll stop.

Lost in the Dreamworld

2009-10-20T20:55:00.000-07:00

Yeah, um, about that little smidge of history I was gonna post in the 'placeholder' Dreamworld page...

Well, I got to thinking (a rare but potent risk), if I'm going to slap some history up, the least I could do is include links to the old website' 'ryuu-neko' and 'flo-wood'' etc. pages.

A lightning fast addition - couple of old links, done deal. I'd pull the job off and be outta the vault before the cops even got the call. But... Well, if I'm going to post up the old pages, I could just as easily move their text and images into the new website format while I'm at it, right? Totally innocent. And as I was working with the text, I realized it really needed some brushing up, and - ooh! What if I made rollover images to use as the links from the Dreamworld page? And Fort Knox - how hard would it be, really, to clean them out? They're right next to the ATM machine, after all.

I know I'm only supposed to be doing drive-by web design on the way to glorious Volume 3 completion, but that's exactly what motivated me to do a thorough job on the 'Dreamworld' page. I realized that whatever I finished here and now would be staring accusingly in my face for the next year or longer, so I might as well make it pretty. Nobody wants to be glared at for years by a skunk-ugly web page.

So things snowballed out of control, I did not pass 'Go', and I spent two solid weeks finishing the 'Dreamworld' pages with Liz. Voila! Go check it out! Interactive map, technology pages, ryuu-nekos, and a big pile of Anduruna history. Especially in a fantasy story, it helps to have some context for the events, so I'm hoping these pages will help people anticipate the scope we have in mind for Dreamkeepers.

Still on my plate are the corrections and fixes on the old Volume 1 and 2 files, a necessary detour on the way to digital book sales -although with the Halloween contest coming up, I wouldn't look forward to those being ready for another month at least.

Working on the graphic novel 'characters' page has been scrapped for now, because I really need to get cracking on V3 again once those digital sales are set up.

So, yeah! Dreamworld pages up yesterday. Oh, and that same day I insulted a stranger while wearing a striped tie and a bright red fedora. And then I was given his sandwich as a reward. And then the Venture Brothers season 4 first episode premiered online. And I got to paint Halloween beads and watch Beetlejuice.

So...

Yes.

It was a good day.

World, Tally. Tally, World.

2009-10-06T21:06:00.000-07:00

During my latest foray into the forum chat room, the subject of Tally came up, and well, Liz and I have this pet... which kind of happens to be of the alligator persuasion.

I’d thought Liz was joking back in college, when she talked of getting a pet alligator, but turns out she wasn’t. I take serious notice now when she talks wistfully of zebras.

Having an American alligator as a pet, as it turns out, is actually pretty fantastic. There’s no smell, no noise, they only go in their water so it’s easy to clean, and they only need feeding once every week or two. (A great feature when we need to leave town for a convention.) They are legal in our county, although it does limit future potential move-to spots, like say, Florida.

It’s like having a constant source of comic relief in the apartment - everything an alligator does is by default slapstick. Tally enjoys sprinting at objects that drop on the floor, waiting in line outside the bathroom for the use of her 'pool', staring at us from ill-concealed haunts while we eat dinner, and hiding under furniture while leaving her caution-tape tail visible.

Her name is Tallahassee (it looked great in pink, so the 'her' stuck), we’ve had her for about 5 years now, and she’s almost 3 feet long. For an alligator her age, that’s very short. Although I thought the pet store guy was just saying whatever it took to close the sale, it turns out he was right: unlike mammals, an alligator’s metabolism and growth rate is linked directly to their diet. They can safely go for weeks without food, with no negative impact on health, and a slower resulting growth rate. Most alligators Tally’s age are at least twice her size, and they can reach about 12 feet in length. Aside from that (which could happen) the biggest commitment is that alligators can live 50-75 years. It Tally ever reaches a large size, we have plans involving a saddle. Or a large backyard with a fence. Or both.

Despite the ease of care, it's not a pet to take on lightly. There's no easy way to get rid of an alligator that's no longer manageable. Zoos generally don't accept them anymore, and releasing Tally into the wild would result in a very, very sad alligator. She likes to be carried - and a lack of ceiling is cause for terror. Plus alligators make lousy Christmas presents, and tend to be regifted. They are alligators, so even the polite and well-behaved souls like Tally may bite occasionally. Tally's never bitten either of us out of maliciousness (her chosen form of retribution is a smack with her tail, which typically winds up hitting herself in the face rather than any intended target), she only bites when she's eating and confused about what might be food. Then she makes a game of 'Hungry Hungry Hippos' look tame - she commands an enthusiastic 6 inch radius of instant bite. Which is why feeding always involves tongs, inspired by several close-calls. 3 feet of alligator is mostly tail with a 4 inch head, but it's still enough bite to raise eyebrows at the nail salon.

Every time she smells our dinner I think she knows, at some level, that something terribly unfair is going on. She makes a habit of camping out by the oven when we're cooking, you know, just in case. Her normal diet includes, in theory, thawed mice from a pet store, for the calcium in their bones. The reality is more like anything close to the floor and smaller than her head. She's attracted to movement, so sometimes it pays to remind her that toes are attached to feet and big, ass-kicking legs.

She doesn't actually stalk toes that much - she generally prefers her own company, and will try to avoid ours - while maintaining composure, of course. An all out run would be undignified, so she does a kind of slow-motion 'I'm-leaving-'cuz-I-want-to' routine. It's fun to occasionally startle her on the tile or wood floor, as this elicits a cartoon-like running-in-place activity. She does a lot better on carpet.

I wouldn’t have expected it, but turns out alligators can have personality. (I think it helps that we actually treat her like a pet, with frequent handling, and a run of the apartment - gators stuck in aquariums for life seem, justifiably, grouchier.) She’s been behind the scenes of Dreamkeepers, inspiring some of the more ludicrous behavior of certain characters.

So for those curious, yes - there is a silent 3rd writing partner behind the scenes, the crushingly naive and ostensibly jaded mini-gator, Tally.

She doesn’t do autographs. But she does smile for photographs... She can’t help it.

V3 Sneak Peek #6: Totally unrelated.

2009-10-02T16:11:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since the last Sneak Peek for Volume 3 - sorry about the delay. Kidnapped by a Mexican drug cartel during a discrete fact-finding trip to Latin America, I wasn't able to post an update until I'd fashioned a lock pick from a chicken bone, and surreptitiously made my way back to the States disguised as an illegal immigrant.

Well... Perhaps that story is only partially true - in the sense that it's not at all. But admittedly, it does sound cooler than my actual excuse - and it certainly carries more machismo.

...I was working on my web-site. HTML FTW!

There, I said it. I hope you’re happy. I was content with the ’escaping from drug lords’ storyline, but you had to have the “facts“. Well, persnickety one, prepare to be entertained.

I switched gears in September to focus on web design, and the effort was more work-intensive than anticipated. With the Halloween Fanart contest coming up again, I realized that it would be roughly the one year anniversary of the new gallery pages of the site... And correspondingly, the one year anniversary of nearly every gallery being labeled as ’Under Construction’. Fearing the truth would be revealed, and my fallacious usage of the phrase ’under construction’ exposed for the lie that it is, I figured it was time to get some web pages done.

The Fanart, Commissions, and Tutorials galleries are now open for viewing. I’m also finishing up the Prelude cast & storylines pages, more placeholder history for the ‘Dreamworld’ page, and I hope to get the digital book sales (finally!) set up in October, as well as a primary ‘characters’ page on the website.

Once all of that is accomplished, I’ll have - for the first time ever - a relatively complete and functional website for Dreamkeepers. I’m rather looking forward to it! Then I can jump back into Volume 3 production, with no diversions. And even though my penciling has stalled out over the last month, the colors are still moving forward in that 1st half of Chapter 7 - so once I’m back on task, some fully shaded and completed pages won’t be too far off.

FURRY STIMULUS PACKAGE!

2009-08-23T14:17:00.000-07:00

Yes, furry stimulus package. Find out why it really would be the salvation of the global economy.

That, plus 'Flying Coward Man', and more are all just a click away: http://www.anthropodcast.com/forums/showthread.php?t=647 in the latest Anthropodcast by Flain.

Liz and I were invited to be guests on this episode, and it was a blast! In addition to chatting back and forth about general nonsense, we also got to talk about the graphic novel series, and how progress on that has been going. So for any who may take an interest, give it a listen, and have a good time!

Disclaimer - I didn't have much sleep for this.

In other fun news, somebody in the Dreamkeepers forum recently made a quiz! It's fun - go look! http://dreamkeepers.forums-free.com/which-dreamkeepers-character-are-you-quiz-complete-t229.html Find out which Dreamkeeper you'd wind up being, if you were to wake up one day and find yourself far too chromatic.

Well that's it for now... But remember to eat your vegetables, and read your weekly Prelude comic. http://www.dreamkeeperscomic.com/Prelude.php

V3 Sneak Peek #5

2009-08-15T16:13:00.001-07:00

I'm working with Mace and company again, which really feels fantastic - it's been a long time since I drew them for the graphic novels! I find that I have to be cautious on their proportions, since I'm so used to drawing their childhood Prelude versions. Namah's got longer hair and horns, Lilith is taller and has styled hair, and Mace... Well, he didn't really grow all that much. But he is in a different outfit, so that's something. And, of course, Whip's got a much deeper voice in the graphic novels. Big, booming bass squeaks. All important considerations for me to bear in mind as an artist.

The scene returns virtually where it left off, in the foothills of the Starfall Mountains. Finally, after 2 books worth of lurking at the back of the narrative, Bast is coming into play. I've been looking forward to his entry into the story. It's a lot of fun from a writing standpoint, because the earlier group of 4 characters (Mace, Whip, Lilith, Namah) had a very stable and cohesive dynamic going for it. Bast's entry into the equation changes things, and creates the opening for interpersonal conflicts to come into play as another layer to the narrative.

A few more pages of pencils, and half the drawings for this chapter will be finished. Half the drawings of one chapter, for a 3 chapter book, which will be in color, may not necessarily be a harbinger of imminent completion... But powering through a marathon of work, I need those psychologically boosting milestones.

Plans? Spooky.

2009-08-15T16:07:00.000-07:00

Halloween is coming! Just a reminder to any who are interested, we're bringing back the Dreamkeepers Halloween Fanart Contest for its 4th year. The past few years were an absolute blast - lots of spooky art and fun entries, and a lot of prizes too! This will be the first year we've had a forum to complement the ceremonies - I'm planning on creating a special Halloween-themed area for people to come in, chat, and post any and all things Halloween related. Costume photos, real-life creepy stories, urban legends, links to bizarre seasonal pics or videos, and of course feedback and reactions to the Fanart contest itself. Prizes and rules are yet to be announced, but we plan on using last year's general categories: http://www.dreamkeeperscomic.com/HalloweenRules.htm The handmade bead prizes will be returning for certain, along with free Trick-or-Treat stickers mailed out for every single entry. It should be a lot of fun, so spread the word, swing in for a visit, and feel free to contribute some art if the mood strikes!

Double Barrel Reviews

2009-08-05T17:42:00.000-07:00

If you like to read reviews of the Dreamkeeper graphic novels as much as I do, then get ready - you're gonna love this. 8 )

There's a new professional review posted online covering Volume 1 - Check out 'From the Tomb', an online magazine celebrating horror comics through the ages: http://fromthetomb.wordpress.com/2009/08/02/dream-keepers-vol-1-awakening-review/ The site just looks like fun in general, especially for people that enjoy creeptastic horror type stuff, so enjoy! 8 )

Topping off the review news this week, we've had a particularly nice review come in from a reader just lately, which I've added to the Volume 1 reader review scroll box on the site: http://www.dreamkeeperscomic.com/GNVol1.php It's in the scroll-box right next to the paypal buttons, and right below the page samples. Nothing like subtlety, I say.

In other news, there should be a new 'Behind the Scenes' update for Volume 3 appearing on the site within a week, and a new shipment of graphic novels from our printer will be putting both V1 and V2 books back in stock shortly!

V3 Sneak Peek 4: More Pencils

2009-07-21T01:12:00.000-07:00

Anthrocon went fantastic this year - our car made it there and back! Thanks to everyone who stopped by our table in the Dealer’s Room for the encouragement and support. Although admittedly, it was a bit intimidating how many people were swinging by to inquire about Volume 3... Yep, that Volume 3, the one that isn't remotely close to being finished yet. Yikes!

Fortunately I had new sketchbooks at the table to hurl forth as shiny, defensive distractions -but if V3 isn't ready by next year, we may have to upgrade to smoke bombs and cattle-prods. And, with the hefty page-count of this story, it's looking as though we have at least a year's worth of production yet on our hands.

Negotiations with the devil proved to be fairly pointless - it turns out my soul isn’t actually worth a fully completed color graphic novel. The most Beelzebub was willing to offer was 8 pages’ worth of Archie comics. On newsprint. Deferred over a 3-year trial period upon receipt of my soul... not worth a graphic novel, not worth start-up capital for my publishing efforts... jeez, souls aren’t worth crap. It’s like I have to work for everything I want.

That said, V3 production is currently humming along at full clip. Liz’s color blocking is suffusing the first scene with pre-shading detail, and now that I’ve moved beyond the circular-architecture-hell of the strip-club (It’s remarkably time-consuming faking all that perspective!) the pencils are really moving. I’m on page 14 of Chapter 7 currently. Here are some sample pics:

The sharply dressed Siamese cat dreamkeeper is making his first speaking scene in the saga - but, as noted by several sharp - eyed readers in the forum, this is not actually his first appearance. In the grand tradition of ‘Where’s Waldo and Why are you Doing this to your Readers you Prick,’ this character can be spotted intermittently in the festival riot scenes of Volume 2.

In addition to the bare-bones book pages, the occasional concept sketch is necessary to flesh out background and side characters:

The next major scene slated for pencils finally returns to our primary characters - Mace, Whip, Lilith, Namah, Bast... I’m really looking forward to it. Plus, the end of that scene will mark the penciling halfway point for the 40+ page Chapter.

One drawing at a time!

Sketchbook Experiment

2009-06-30T21:16:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again, when the streets of Pittsburgh are flooded with unofficial autonomous mascots - Anthrocon! And though Volume 3 is still far from completion, we actually do have a new book to sell at our table. What's it about, you ask?

Well, nothing really... Literally. Literally nothing. The pages are all blank... I dare say, it's the easiest book I've made so far. It's a sketchbook!

It's not much different from your average art-pad sketchbook, except it's bound in a really pretty glossy hardcover which I designed myself. I figured, if people are going to collect drawings in a sketchbook, maybe they'll want one with more of a themed cover.

Now, will there be any interest in our new sketchbooks? I have no idea. But I wanted one! So I made a batch, and we'll see if anyone else wants the other nineteen. Based on how well they sell, we might wind up printing more and offering them online, too.

Before you get too excited about our new sketchbooks however, I want to point out an excellent alternative I've recently discovered;

Having sent the hardcover files to the printer, I felt knockingly clever at being the first to offer custom sketchbooks - when , at the Furry Connection North, something caught my eye:

Another table selling custom sketchbooks - and with a fun variety of covers! Some were pop-culture related, and others were actually tactile and fluffy - they are the sketchbooks custom created and sold by Neko2. Neko2’s sketchbooks have other noteworthy features, too: They're bound on detachable rings, so you can shuffle the order of the pages however you want - plus, for those collecting commissions at conventions, you can keep your sketchbook with you and drop individual pages with multiple artists at once! The books include a plastic backstop to prevent ink-work from bleeding, and the paper quality is superb.

Now, to be clear, my Sketchbooks don't have those features... They just have nice looking covers, and paper inside. If you want more of a traditional-styled book to draw in, our Vivid Sketchbooks may be of interest to you - but check out Neko2's products too!

Check out his work here: http://www.etsy.com/profile.php?user_id=6279425
Or here: http://www.furaffinity.net/user/neko2/

Why, you ask, am I pimping someone else's product alongside mine?

Well, heck - I don't want someone to buy a sketchbook from me if there's another option that would fit their needs better. With the Dreamkeepers graphic novels, we can offer something completely unique - but a sketchbook is just blank paper, after all.

KAZAAAM! After such a blindingly persuasive sales pitch as that, it suddenly occurs to me that perhaps I should stick to drawing. I ought to get this guy to sell my stuff for me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUbWjIKxrrs

He could coin such phrases as 'NOW with 20% more Igrath included in every story- COMPLETELY FREE! Your life will be EXCITING!'

V3 Sneak Peek - Striptastic

2009-06-21T17:09:00.001-07:00

Volume 3 work has been moving ahead at half-sail due to the focus on web design upgrades the past few weeks. That's not to say progress has stopped, though -we've been developing the pages in the next scene, and designing one of our more elaborate settings to date...

Our current efforts take place in an underground dance/strip club decked out with elaborate Aztec-inspired decor... Think if Disneyland went to the effort of designing a themed strip club. It’s got everything except the animatronic pirates and screaming stroller-bound 10 year olds.

With all the time spent drawing fountains, engravings, statues, tables, structural perspective, and paraphernalia, it seems by comparison the actual strippers come into play almost as an afterthought.
Now, don’t get consternated that striptasticness will be completely devoid on the pages - just be sure to appreciate all the freakin’ detail behind the girls!

Aside from an opportunity to draw cartoon divas with a tepid attitude towards attire, the scene does serve a purpose in the actual story. Seriously. This is not a contrived indulgence. Or, at least, not just that...

In our story, this particular nightclub is allegedly a cover for illegal activity and trafficking related to ‘Scinter’s Mark’ - and that’s more than just a reputation. It’s scenes like this that make me grateful we publish ourselves, so that we can handle adult situations and scenarios without skewing towards the kid-bubble-compatible spectrum of pap.

I will say, I’m also looking forward immensely to the lighting in this scene - think very moody, with the fountains and liquid displays done up in neon.

I especially like the Mickey sketch here, and think it actually holds up on it’s own humor-wise. I posted it on Deviant Art and Fur Affinity.
Obviously I won’t be using Mickey in the final scene, because Disney has more lawyers than I have hairs on my body, and an inversely proportioned sense of humor. Try bringing your own wild-eyed Mickey costume to Disneyworld with a plush bloodied hammer included, and chase kids in the park while wearing your hilarious custom outfit, and you’ll see what I mean.

...Completely off topic, but I just thought of another entry for my ’Before I Die’ list.

Sparkle Power ACTIVATE!

2009-06-14T13:53:00.001-07:00

After a few weeks of effort, and the obligatory 'David vs. technical competence' overtime round, new website pages are at last live!

If you're like me, obsessively fixated on turning Dreamkeepers into a viable career, then you'll want to dash over to the site and assess the new pages immediately. If not, well... They are pretty! Sparkly, with rollover buttons and... Sparkles. Did I mention sparkles? Whatever site you were thinking of hopping to today, I guarantee mine will have more glittery stuff, or your money back. That's right - all of it.

I'm especially pleased with the visuals on the 'Graphic novel' Volume 1 & 2 pages, and their nifty little sample page viewers.

'Shiny Factor' appeal aside, the site now actually has updates worth checking on aside from the weekly comic: Our Twitter feed (Yes, we have fallen victim to the fad- It's easier for Liz to throw a drive-by into Twitter than for us to actually sit down and formally update the web page constantly) is streamed onto the new 'news' page, so for those wishing to avoid the frivolity of a Twitter account, you can still check on our occasional updates. Also, there's a status sidebar indicating book stock and commission status, links to book reviews online, and 'Behind the Scenes' now doubles as a convenient online hub, linking to various Dreamkeepers accounts, articles, videos, and groups online. Also makes chili and fries.

Although I'm very pleased with the current round of upgrades, the site has a few lame pages, dead galleries, and renovations pending... And I'm still trying to think of some way to get subliminal messbuyages into the design. The next major tweak will be to enable digital graphic novel sales, hopefully by August. My time estimate here is a tad iffy, since I have utterly no idea what in the hell I'm doing.

But first, I'm refocusing my efforts on Volume 3 progress. Collecting all the reader quotes and reviews for the new web pages was tremendously encouraging, and is motivating me to make some strides producing the next book.

Not that I've been completely neglecting Volume 3 lately... I've been working steadily on the next scene, which involves designing and assembling a very complex interior setting... Think if Disney were designing an Aztec themed dance / strip club. There should be a Sneak Peek behind the scenes with concept development sketches soon.

*Sigh* yes... Themed strip clubs. My noble aspirations drive me incessantly to ever greater heights of artistic and literary achievement.

Lackadaisy Volume 1 Review

2009-05-23T15:48:00.000-07:00

Now I'm not exactly much of a critic, and the only reviews I've ever written were to get my brains organized enough to pass a school exam. But ignorance never stopped me before, so why start worrying now?
Besides, a book this exceptional is a rare thing to come across. Its unparalleled execution quietly but unavoidably demands notice:

Lackadaisy Volume 1, by Tracy Butler.

The premise seems simple enough at first glance; a prohibition-era gangster story, with a cast comprised of cartoon cats. For the uninitiated, this may not be enough to draw them in for a closer look... But passing this story by would be a regrettable mistake.

A quick flip through it's pages, and anyone with an iota of appreciation for animation will be hooked by the art alone. The stylization is a work of beauty: simplified, dynamic shapes are imbued with magnificent dimensionality and detail, bringing the characters to life with magnetic appeal. We get the best of both worlds: the vibrant expressive attitude of well done cartooning, combined with the weight and tangibility of naturalistic art. The result of this potent brew gifts us with alluring, marvelously emotive characters who interface seamlessly with the detailed settings gilding the pages. The carefully drafted props (Including the featured arsenal items) are convincing enough to inspire concern for the safety of the cast as they gallivant through the story.

And what a cast! Every character is powerfully individual, resulting in a well - balanced mix of disparate three dimensional personalities. No two are alike, from the slick-talking mischief factory Rocky, to the shy-yet-explosively-psychotic Freckle, the brooding brutish Viktor, the coldly calculating Mordecai, the perky Ivy Pepper - the list goes on. When an author takes the time to breathe life into their characters, to fully and truly understand who they are and what drives their actions, it shows. And it makes for one hell of a good read.
In addition to a brightly balanced character ensemble, the dialogue itself sparkles. There's enough wit on display to fill any ten normal books, with memorably distinctive lines popping up non-stop throughout the story. Not only are the lines well - crafted and impactful, but they possess the enviable trait of perfectly suiting the personality of the speaker, every time. Not a single syllable feels contrived or artificial. It almost seems as though there isn’t an author working here at all - everything is coming straight from the characters hearts, every step of the way.
Despite the fact that the characters are clearly in the driver’s seat, the plot moves forward at a good clip, developing into a captivating account of a struggling speakeasy marked for death by it’s competitors. As if all of this weren’t enough, the book is imbued with assiduous attention to historic accuracy and detail, in everything from the costuming to the culture to the props and architecture. One could arguably market this book to schools on the pretense of exposing students to American history. Whether or not it would be a valid replacement for a textbook is debatable, but one thing is certain; The kids would read it.

Not just kids, either - in fact, any particularly finicky parents out there may want to consider reviewing this book themselves before allowing it into the bubble, as it has a ‘teen & up’ rating. Although this book would appeal to a younger audience, it presents a gratifying read for anyone, from teen to adult, providing they’re not too self conscious to be seen reading a graphic novel.

If I’ve managed to spark an interest in Lackadaisy, you can read the pages for free on the website - www.lackadaisycats.com

But I’d strongly advise ordering a copy to own - aside from being beautifully manufactured, the volume is loaded with extras - illustrations, concept work, bonus comics, even art tutorials.

In closing, and considering its subject matter, I’d have to compare Lackadaisy to a shot of high grade liquor... You’ll want to take your time and really enjoy yourself, because you’ve just found one of the finer things in life. Its carefully crafted art style has been brewed to a fine maturity, and culminates in a beautiful amber richness. The reading experience is something to savor - distinguished, yet filled to the brim with scintillating pizzazz and punch. The aftertaste lingers satisfactorily, leaving a patina of nostalgia, and the sense of having visited a time long past, and of having been welcome there. So the next time you need a good yarn, crack open the covers of Lackadaisy - and enjoy the mayhem.

http://www.lackadaisycats.com/

V3 Sneak Peak 2: Drawing Monsters

2009-05-19T01:16:00.000-07:00

At long last, I'm tackling the next edition of Dreamkeepers in earnest... And let me tell you, it feels good. I've been away from my cartoon crack for far, far too long.

Now pencils are really rolling forward on Chapter 7 - I've just finished drawing the first scene of the story, which ran about 6 pages. The opening involves monsters - lots and lots of monsters. Big, small, pointy, flabby, grim, goofy, humanoid, animalistic, hideous - I was really trying to convey a wide range of morphology. The goal is to distinguish each beast as being it's own individual, as possessing particular physical features. Who needs more monotonous orc armies? It's been done to death, and I want to have unlimited options and deformities available to me when creating beasts.

I have such a good time drawing creepies... It really reminds me of my artistic roots, my first major project when I was four or five. Up until then, I was just doodling whatever came to mind, without much real direction... And then I saw “The Real Ghostbusters“.

I was enamored with the cartoon immediately, and rather than draw Venkman or Egon (ever) I scrawled page upon page of monsters and ghouls. No scrap of paper was safe - junk mail was promptly flipped and transformed into a canvas of horrors.
Not only was I fascinated with illustrating creatures at a tender age, but I was also led closer to the spectrum of publishing... With the help of my Mom, my irregular stack of monster drawings was bound with twine between crayoned cardboard covers, and there was my very first book.

It sucked - the drawings were pretty terrible. I doubt I could have gotten it published. Plus the obvious copyright issues. 'Ghostbusters, by David Lillie age 5' - Hello, lawsuit. Heh - actually, I would love to read a news story about a company suing a toddler for copyright infringement.

As I sit here drawing monsters and making books, and look back on myself age 5, drawing monsters and making books, it does stir the thoughts a bit:

Do we really change that much, essentially, from who we are at birth?

Is it possible that we really do have pre-determined paths?

And, most importantly - why in the hell did I blow all that money I didn't have going to college? Absolutely the stupidest decision of my entire life... But that's a whole other blog.

Here are some sample pics and sketches:

Now I'm starting pencils on the next scene, but I'm taking a break to get a few web pages on the Dreamkeepers site revised. The old 'Graphic novel' page is so sad, it makes weathered steely-eyed assassins cry when they see it. Must reduce the suck.

Also, check back here soon - I'll be posting my review for Tracy Butler's new book release 'Lackadaisy Volume 1'. It's worth reading! The book, I mean. My review's okay, but you could probably miss it and live to see another day.

Probably.

Progress Posterity

2009-05-04T19:26:00.000-07:00

Six articles later, and I think I've exhausted my supply of hot air. With nothing left to fuel pontification, it's time to get back to work. I'm finally poised to begin serious production on 'Volume 3' of the Dreamkeepers series! Cue applause.

But considering 'Volume 2' released just about a year ago, it may be natural to wonder... What exactly have I been up to in the interim? (Besides penning reactionary megalomaniacal articles about the funnies.)

Well if you're curious, I'll lay it out below. But considering my resolute personal need to make headway, this catalogue is as much to bolster my own sanity as anything else. Enjoy!

* Volume 2 came back from the printers in April of 2008 - Liz and I spent the next solid month hand-burning custom paper sleeves, signing & numbering books with custom sketches included, and packaging them for trips to the local post office. By the middle of the second month, we'd officially earned the 'Oh God not them again' look from the mail clerks.

After mailing out all the pre-orders, I had two basic tasks on my mind: Make the website no longer suck, and start Volume 3!

* Liz and I finalized the story for Volume 3, and went through script drafts for Chapter 7. Meanwhile, I realized that technology is my enemy.
* After failing spectacularly to learn PHP on my own, I was fortunate to receive lessons from the talented Ed Mason - bringing my competence level from 'I like Trix' to 'So that's the code viewer!' This transition took some time, and superhuman teaching ability.
* Scripting completed, I drafted page thumbnails for Chapter 7, which Liz and I reviewed and revised together. By this time, things were going along well, so it was necessary to get distracted.
* Suddenly realizing I wanted to make something out of leather (sniff sniff - maaanly!) I opted to create a really, really unnecessarily cool prints binder for the Anthrocon - along with a few new art prints to add a little life to the old lineup. I sacrificed a coat, and spent a couple of weeks with an exacto knife and a hot glue gun.
* After the Anthrocon in July, Liz and I started getting ready for our wedding. This involved a lot of me being on my best behavior, so that she wouldn't have second thoughts until it was too late... Mission accomplished.
* Our wedding was absolutely fantastic - the best I've ever had!
* After the wedding, I finalized some more website pages, and celebrated by opening commissions in August, with what I confidently believed to be prohibitive prices.
* Woops.
* My original intent was to crank out the commissions at a nice brisk rate - but I'd keep stopping and saying, 'Oh, well, this is a really neat idea - I have to take a little more time with it.' On every one.
* In October, I took a quick break from commissions to create the web page and prizes for the annual Halloween fanart contest. That was exceptionally fun in every dimension, and a lot of really cool work came in. But, curiously, I had more commissions pending in early November than I'd had back in October. People were still ordering more.
* After Midwest Furfest in mid NO!-vember, I finally had to close commissions. I was swamped. Initially expecting like ten or twenty orders back in August, I think the final came to over 50 - and most of them were 'full background' commissions, to boot! I now realize a great truth; Most of the world is not as cheap as me.
* Commissions kept me occupied through the winter, and early spring. It was a lot of fun creating them, and I had the privilege of working with some original and interesting material. But I was increasingly getting twitchy about the standstill on Volume 3 and the website.
* In late February, with commissions nearly done, Liz and I took some time off to finally go on our honeymoon. To Disneyworld! Turns out I like Disneyworld. It’s even better than Ohio. Who knew?
* Returning in March, we completed and mailed the last commissions - and just in time for tax season!
* By this point, the old war-horse (My computer) was having some trouble. Enduring years of (looking back, increasingly pointless) college projects, my year of freelance and CG animation, and two high-res graphic novel projects, the half-decade-old thing was about as twitchy as a tegu on taurine. We backed up our files, re-organized things into some semblance of order, and finally replaced the workstation.
* Capping April, we attended the Furry Connection North, and I spent this last week assassinating the surviving stragglers on my 'to-do' list.

Annnd, that less-than fascinating catalogue brings us roughly up to present! Also dispersed within the above timeframe, I was busy researching marketing options and writing articles, drafting a specific business plan to pull Vivid into a profitable range of production, creating video tutorials for local library presentations (and YouTube), drafting a new look for the Vivid Publishing website (which mainly serves as a placeholder until I earn more capital), keeping up with Prelude every week, filling orders and ordering small-runs of the graphic novels, and solidifying our Dreamkeeper backstories and character arcs into a writing bible with a consistent timeline, which resulted in improving and polishing some parts of the story.

So although visible progress is nil, a lot of necessary foundation has been laid; both on the creative and business side. At least, it's consoling to entertain that notion.

Now my plate is cleared, and I need to focus on the two linchpins of my future; Volume 3, the revenue from which will launch Vivid at a professional scale, and completing the website, the hub for all my planned marketing efforts. For those who've been waiting patiently on the next book, thanks for sticking with me! Next blog update, I'll have some Sneak Peaks at the new work being done on Chapter 7... Meaning pictures. Meaning more fun than what you just read.

ARTICLE #6: Action - The Road to a New Market.

2009-04-14T01:18:00.000-07:00

Enough complaining - time for action!

Not that I haven't enjoyed the whole whine-a-thon, or the cheap 'n easy potshots along the way. Some of that stuff was just too sumptuously ludicrous to pass unscathed. And passively complaining about 'the system' is a cherished tradition of our generation.
But as riveting as whining may be, it's even more fun to shake things up and watch the pieces fly. Have you ever seen a hand grenade go off in a chicken coop? ...Me neither, but that hasn't stopped me yet. I'd rather kick ass than mope - so let's get down to business! It's time to stop glamorizing the Creator Revolution, and start making it a reality.

We've established that the establishment cares about the creator-owned movement, much in the same way that windshields care about butterflies. But now comes the truly pertinent question: Do you care about it? Your answer determines the future of an entire medium. What's your stake in this endeavor?

Any aspiring creator with a unique, exciting story to share - this article is for you. Come on in. If you enjoy reading comics and want to see more & better books, then this article is for you, too. Welcome, good to have you with us. If you never really liked comics that much, but have the capacity to appreciate dynamic art and entertaining stories - then this article is for you, too! Seating is to the left, just file on down. And if you love hardcore bondage but can't find any that involves vintage grammaphones, then this article is... Well... No, actually, it's not really for you. Where'd you come from? Google's that-a-way, bucko.

To kick things off, let's reiterate one last time what the Creator Revolution is:
Comics are a long underestimated medium with massive potential for fun and relevance, a medium that deserves a niche in mainstream culture. The Creator Revolution is about putting control of comics back into the hands of creators and readers. With genuine taste and imagination unfettered at both ends of the spectrum, comics can finally bloom, offering more diversity to more consumers, and a healthy, viable market for aspiring talent.
Fundamentally, the Creator Revolution is focused on serving the needs of creators and readers.

So practically speaking, we're talking about building a market together. We have people with the talent and desire to create, and there's a huge population of potential readers out there. All we need now is some clever way of sticking these two groups together. The current Direct Market for comics performs this task with all the aptitude of a novice neurosurgeon howler monkey who doesn't take your insurance. We've got a square peg, and a square hole - the only thing lacking is a connection. The effective connection between a seller and a buyer is a marketplace.

That's our Holy Grail - a New Market.

We need a system that doesn't choke out good work as it sprouts, but instead lets it flourish. A system that's attractive and inviting for potential customers, one that makes it easy for them to find something they like.
So, something unique to the world of comics as we know it.
The hardest part is starting. (Except with drugs, of course.) Starting with nothing takes a lot of grit, and a lot of hard work. After that, it's an upward spiral that results in surfing on waves of cash. Waves and waves of cash! Guaranteed! Surfing along without a care in the world! Look, I can prove it with maths: (Watch, as my honors high school math courses pay off in SPADES!)

[
New Creators + Sacrifice Time = Different Work.
(Different Work + Marketing effort) = New Readers.
New Readers = $$$
$$$ = (More [Different Work] from New Creators + Newer Creators) = Even More Different Work
(Even More Different Work + Marketing Effort )*(New Readers + Word of Mouth) = $$,$$$,$$$
$$,$$$,$$$ = (More Creators^2) + (New Readers*Comics visible in Public) = Actual Mainstream Market
Actual Mainstream Market(AMM) + Creator owned work + $$,$$$,$$$ = Diverse Quality Comics.
Diverse Quality Comics * AMM = Surfing on the blood of the innocent.
]

Oops. Well, slight miscalculation - but you get the idea! Nobody likes innocents anyways, they're so boring. About the only thing they're good for is blood, and potlucks.

So the functionality of our New Market is pretty straightforward. We need someplace where creators can get a chance to be seen by readers, and readers can pay for what looks good. But how, exactly, should we make that happen? Vague idealistic notions are great for politicians - but if we're going to accomplish something (Besides plunging a nation irrevocably into a black abyss of mind boggling debt), we actually have to know what direction to head in.

Why not kick things off with some brainstorming? Just because it hasn't been done, doesn't mean it can't be done! (Except for cloning cats with thumbs. I mean, duh. Obviously that can't be done. Who wants a thumbs-up from a cat, anyways? Not me.)
What if Deviant Art set up an online store where subscribers could sell and buy books? What if Amazon.com developed a ranking system and site exclusively for comics? What if people could subscribe to digital comics on their i-phone? What if we could magnetize comics so that they shot through people's windows and stuck across their TV screens? How about comics on toilet paper? Yes? Yes?

Not every idea will be a gold nugget - but we need to get some new ones, and start acting on them!

“It is not a successful formula to keep doing things the same way because it worked in the past. If you want to achieve a competitive edge, you'll focus on creating something that will strike a nerve tomorrow.”
-Donny Deutsch

Whatever form the new market takes, it needs to perform one task surpassingly well - serve the customers, both veterans and especially the uninitiated. The experience must be easy, fun, and uncomplicated. It has to be inviting and entertaining - Like a comedy troupe with a mansion for rent. Simulating the perspective of a potential customer, new to comics, here's what I would want:

[BEGIN SIMULATION]

Customer Service Requirements:

#1: Lazy Compatible.
Like I'm going to get up and move around over stuff I don't want yet. Right. If I'm going to start getting into comics as a customer, it has to be convenient for me. How about a website? That's easy.

#2: Pretty Colors.
The website has be appealing, of course. I don't want to spend time in a clunky website that hurts my head to look at, and I certainly wouldn't feel safe spending money there. What if I'm robbed by internet gypsies? Or that Nigerian guy that won't stop e-mailing me?
I want a site that's appealing, fun, and inviting to the eye. Boobs wouldn't hurt either. Not a requirement. I'm just saying. You could make them buttons or something.

#3: Free Stuff.
Pour out your effort, your hopes, your sweat and talent to me - for free! This isn't really asking all that much. I mean, listen. If I'm not a comic fan yet, am I going to rush over to a site just to buy comics? I need something to entertain me - something fun. If there's no free entertainment, I can always visit, I don't know... A bazillion other websites. Keep that in mind - you're competing with cute kitty videos on YouTube, You'd better have something damn amazing.
And I don't mean a couple of measly page samples. Give me something quality, and a decent, engrossing stretch of it. I won't buy your story until I need to read more of it.

#4: Easy Browsing.
So, I'm at a retail site - maybe Amazon, maybe IndyPlanet, maybe Haven's got an online store, maybe something totally new from an ambitious creator. What activity would I, the customer, cherish more than anything else?
If you answered 'scroll through countless pages of cover thumbnails that all look bland', then your response was WRONG! Open bear trap, insert head.
If anyone and everyone can offer their wares in this new market, let's face facts - they aren't all going to be keepers. And prospective customers aren't going to laboriously squint through screens and screens full of mediocrity in search of the gems. (See Requirement #1).
I want a way to find what I want, fast. A few genre tabs are only the start - I want to have control in narrowing down my browsing, so I can zoom straight to what I'm interested in. So how about a reader ranking system? With multiple categories, too; Art Quality, Concept Originality, Story & Writing, Character Appeal, Humor level, Action level, Drama level, Sexaciousness, Overall Score, etc... And having a reader review box would be nice. Speaking of readers...

#5: Add Friends.
Hook us up! An online customer community, be it a forum or whatever, is essential to the experience. I want to chat about my purchase, and read about what others are saying. If I feel like I'm part of a group, and can enjoy interacting with others, there's a much better chance I'll return to the market for more.

#6: Add Stuff
If I find something I like, and I'm a consumer, odds are I'll want to buy some related stuff. Look at how many band - related t-shirts are out there. What do t-shirts have to do with music? Nothing. But they accent the culture, by showcasing a person's individual taste to others. Shirts, or other merchandise, allow me as a consumer to extend and enjoy my experience with your product.

[SIMULATION TERMINATED]

So, that little fantasy session gives us a nice picture of just one idyllic venue for the new market. If something like this were set up with good content, and the creators put some elbow grease into marketing it, I guarantee that readers would come. And if you’re a Direct Market store owner fuming over this competing service concept - well, who says that’s not the website for your personal store? You need to shift gears upstairs.

This is a neat idea - but how do we accomplish it? How do we bring comics back to mainstream level readership, with creator owned content? By all means, brainstorm some ideal scenarios. We need to have something worthwhile to aim for. My personal favorite is the comic strip-porium, where Vegas meets cartoons, and white tigers with pencils for claws prance about on the paper-stage, live. But we’ve all got to start from where we are right now - reality. (I can only afford one white tiger.)

Nobody’s going to hand this to us. We can't conquer the world from our couches - it'll take applied persistence, innovation, and effort. The new market is for Creators and Readers - both are integral to building it. Each has their own crucial role to play:

CREATORS.

Your future career is literally on the line. What do you want to spend the rest of your life doing? How much do you love your craft? Perhaps you’re content to enjoy your art as a side hobby, while working in an unrelated career - there’s nothing wrong with that.
...But not everyone can relegate their endeavors to a side-bin. There are people out there with a story burning inside of them. Individuals who love to create, who devote themselves to honing their talent, who must pursue their passion or live unfulfilled. For those of us dedicated to our chosen form of storytelling, there’s no other option. The current situation is sterile - we must forge a new market to have even a chance at success. It’s do or die!

...Let’s discuss the ’do’ direction.

To build a new market, creators must accomplish two tasks - and the first of those is to craft stand-out quality work.

Task 1: Make Something.

Creators, your unique work is the crucial foundation of the new market. It’s pretty hard to build a market selling nothing. We're not Wall Street. And you can’t merely make comics - you have to make great comics! We’re not just reaching out to comic fans, remember - we have to offer something irresistable to the millions who have no interest in the current selection.
Make something compelling! Something of quality, something of substance! Something that will resonate with the imagination and taste of readers! Something that surpasses the standards and preconceptions of the industry! And, most importantly...
SOMETHING DIFFERENT! Don’t offer more of the same - no matter what, find a way to stand out! After all: If you’re not creating something unique and different, something that only you personally could envision - then why make it? If it’s been done, go pick it up, read it, and enjoy it. But don’t echo it.

“If you're just starting out, being different is your only edge. You can't compete on experience or size. Unless you can strike a fresh nerve, you can't win. I'll take it a step further. I don't care what you're doing, if you can't honestly say that you're bringing something new and different to the marketplace - something that adds value - what's the point?”
-Donny Deutsch

Don’t forget - comics give you, the sole creator, the liberty to make anything you can envision. There’s no board room censoring your jokes, no focus panel picking out your characters' traits. In comics, you have the freedom to do anything, the freedom to be different and honest and better - use it!

So, let’s say you’ve accomplished Task #1. After the most inspired creative effort of your life, you’ve rendered the best graphic novel in the world, ever. Using glow-in-the-dark silver ink on pages of pure platinum.
Great job! But guess what?

It doesn’t matter. Nope- not at all. You may have just pwned Shakespeare by summoning forth the crowning artistic and literary achievement of the human race, but all of that effort and love was wasted. Unless, of course, you follow through with your next task:

Task 2: Market it.

If a gold asteroid falls in the woods, and nobody’s around, what sound does it make? Answer - it doesn’t matter. Because if nobody knows about it, then nobody cares.

You thought making your own entire book was tough? The hard part is still coming - you have to learn to effectively market your work. If your story isn’t being heard, then you wasted your time in making it.
The better your creation, the more you owe it to yourself, and your potential readers, to spread the word.

Now, I’m not saying you have to purchase a full page spread in People Magazine and start running 30-second ad slots during prime-time. Buying mainstream advertising is probably the least cost-effective technique you could use for growing a readership.
Marketing is a scary word, but there’s no secret magic (Or secret shortcut) to it. Marketing is anything you do to attract attention to your work. It could be as simple as joining a forum, or giving out some postcards. You don’t need a thousand-dollar budget, or a publicist. But you do need to learn what options you have, which ones work for you, and make sure you apply them on a consistent basis.
That means research - read library books about marketing, hit the internet, do whatever it takes. But remember one thing - Unless you learn about marketing, inside and out, and use it to promote your work, then your work isn't going to matter. You must learn to market effectively - nobody’s going to do it for you.

READERS.

You really need to do some marketing for the creators.

Oh, wait, I got that out of order... I’m supposed to make you care first, hold on.

I suppose it's a valid point to bring up... Whether or not you have an obligation to care about this stuff. You’re the customer, after all. You’re here to find what you like, and enjoy it. It’s not your job to be a salesperson! Besides, don’t salespeople get paid?

Well, here’s the deal... It depends on how much you want a new market, and all it entails. A new, revitalized comic market means more new creators with careers, which means more variety, diversity, and quality in comics. There are brilliant stories out there right now, in the process of being created, or in the early stages of conceptual formation. If there’s no market for these potential treasures, odds are they’ll wither and disappear before they see the light of day. They’ll vanish forever as though they never existed, the talent behind their inception wasted and forgotten.
Other entertainment industries have mainstream support and funding - comics, as discussed, have been crippled and marginalized for decades. The business powers in the Direct Market won’t help - quite the contrary. They see original upstarts as competition to be crushed.

There’s nobody else to turn to - and literally nobody else that cares. Just you. We can build a new market together, and achieve these dreams - but the creators can’t do it alone.

Aaaannnd - DING! According to my calculations, you have now been guilt-tripped into caring. So what exactly am I suggesting that you do, anyways?
Well, anything and everything you’re willing to do - but why not start simple? Find comics that you enjoy - you’re already doing that anyways. Then, share your favorites with other people.
...That’s about it. Relatively painless - yet this small habit is utterly vital to the survival of independent creators.
I’ll share a little secret with you. The most effective form of advertising in the history of earth is also the cheapest - it’s word of mouth. I mean, think about it. What are you going to place more trust in - a random banner ad flashing in front of your face, or a friend's recommendation? We trust real opinions more than expensive ads - and for good cause. A good half of the stuff being advertised to us is guaranteed bullshit. When it comes to politics, both halves. But if the product is endorsed by someone we know - someone who is sharing their positive personal experience - that connects.
If you’re enthusiastic about a story you just read, share it! You are the outside world's guide to comics! Remember, the vast majority of people haven't an inkling of what comics can offer. You're a reader - you have some familiarity with the terrain out there. Explore! Find what's good, and bring the exceptional titles to light. This is the simplest and most effective thing you can do to help generate a new market - casually, naturally introduce people to what you like. And some of them will like it too.
Now, let's say that you enjoy sharing your favorite comics with those who might be interested - but you want to do even more to help promote that series! What then?

Well, first off, you're a glittering gift from above for whatever lucky creator you're a fan of. Bless you, and bless your children.

If you want to do more, the sky's the limit. It's your turn to be creative - you can help in any way that you choose. Make up something fun! It can be gratifying and entertaining to get involved promoting an under-recognized story. Here's a brief brainstorm of ways to go above and beyond in helping promote your favorite comics:

1) Write to comic reviewers.
Do you read comic reviews anywhere? Drop that reviewer a line, and tell them what you think of the series - and that you'd love to hear their review of it. You're their audience, after all - they should have a healthy respect for what you like. Let them know what about the series appeals to you, and why you think they should take note.
2) Write to other book reviewers and publicity venues.
Same deal as above - it wouldn't hurt to clue in some mainstream reviewers that their readership has an interest in graphic novels. Write to bloggers, podcasters, magazines, newspaper sections, radio hosts - anything that comes to mind. Heck, write Oprah. Why not? You're the audience, after all. If you give them a heads up on an emerging trend, they should count themselves fortunate for your input!
3) Ask for the title.
Go to a Barnes & Noble, your local bookstores, your comic shop, your library, and ask if they stock your favorite title. If they don't, ask them to do so. Now, if you already own a copy of this comic, don't get them to stock the title and then bail when it comes to purchasing, that doesn't really help anyone in the equation much - storeowner, creator, or you. If you can convince a local place to invest money in a title, try to ensure it pays off for them.
4) Promote the title.
Post a few flyers around town, or near the shops that should be carrying the book. If you're in school, post flyers or hand out copied ads in the halls. Stick a flyer on the bulletin board at work. Write a personal note on the flyer, mentioning what people may find interesting about the book. Send a personalized e-mail, or talk up your favorite book in an online forum. There are other ways besides posting flyers, too - don't limit yourself!
5) More stuff.
Start a fan club. Make an online group. Dress up for Halloween as your favorite character. Wear a t-shirt featuring the series. Hire a sky-writer. Give books out as gifts. Wrap them in candy and throw them at children. Be creative, and have fun!

Now, one caveat... I’m not asking you to rush around and promote all independent comics... Only promote work that you actually like and think is good. Remember, you’re a customer - not a charity for the hopeless. You are the market’s quality control! Nothing will turn off new readers faster than having a crappy product foisted on them.
If you don't like a particular comic, then don't buy it, and don't feel obligated to support it. That goes for my work, too. It may sound a bit harsh - and it is. It's reality, the most honest and valuable feedback you can ever give a creator. Most artists have friends and family that care about their feelings (Or about the risk of pushing their offbeat companion over the edge), so they tend to sugarcoat feedback. That's helpful for an uncertain artist's immediate emotional needs. But for long term improvement and success, nothing is more helpful than candid reality.

Well, creators... Readers... that's about the long and short of it. We are nearing the end of my long, long winded ramblings.

You may notice, however, that although I exhort a general direction for both creators and readers to take, I didn't mention a lot of details and specifics about exactly how to proceed.
I left the details out, because things are so much more interesting when freedom and originality run the show! Of what value would it be for me to state one static 'formula' to follow? You can think of ideas that wouldn't ever have occurred to me - That's why there's two of us. The details are up to you.

And I do mean you - you, sitting there, reading this blog right now. How many other people do you think are browsing this alongside you? Millions? Hundreds? Ten? Newsflash - As of the writing of this article, I'm still pretty much unheard of. You're one of the few people on the planet reading this right now. So, it really is a question for you, personally - what are you going to do? What do you want to do?

For the record, here's what I'm planning to do:

I'm going to work hard with my partner Liz, making the absolute best books that we can. I want 'Dreamkeepers' to be a truly exceptional series, filled with character, color, story, and danger, a series that can hold its own and endure on a crowded bookshelf.
Using our story, I'm going to launch my upstart publishing company, 'Vivid: Independent Publishing'. I'm raising the capital for this venture by selling short - run editions of Dreamkeepers right now, while I work a night job to pay my bills. It'll take time to earn my way up - but I'll get enough for professional scale print runs sooner or later.
Once I can operate at a professional, profitable scale, I'll promote Dreamkeepers as far as it can go, and turn it into a mainstream success. Readers have compared its appeal to Harry Potter, and I intend to fulfill that potential. (Although, just between you and me, the climax of Dreamkeepers is going to make Potter's finale look like a baby shower.) And being the owner of Vivid, I can ensure the books are released with integrity and creative control intact.
And of course, owning a publishing company will have other advantages - like the opportunity to publish other stand-out independent creators, and give them the same creative freedom and ownership which I so value.
Throughout my endeavors in reaching for these goals, I'll share my failures and successes here on this blog. Because what could possibly be more entertaining than me? …Me with blue hair? Hmmm… I’ll see what I can do. No promises.
Hopefully others out there can learn from my efforts. I'm going to spill the beans on everything, from the creative end of things, to business advice and mistakes. Tutorials and notes will be mixed in amongst my progress updates.

And on that note, here are the links to my first video tutorials:

'Then and Now' introduces my tutorial series, and compares my highschool art to my current stuff. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF_tRHgM1S8&feature=channel_page
'Basic Photoshop Shading' is just what is sounds like. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVWKECLQhNc&feature=channel_page

Mainstream success, a new market, being able to feed myself with my life's work... This stuff is a long shot, of course. All I really have right now are dreams. Is it actually practical to focus all of my career efforts on these unfounded aspirations? Can we really create a new market, and bring vitality back to this wayside medium? Am I crazy to think I can actually do this?

Maybe. I guess there's only one way to really find out.

"The best way to get started is to stop talking and begin doing.”
-Walt Disney

Here's a list of resources that I have found helpful to date. For those looking at where to start, here are some good choices: (Note for those that share my operating budget - libraries are free.)
Books:
1001 Ways to Market your Book - John Kremer
Understanding Comics - Scott McCloud
Reinventing Comics - Scott McCloud
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen Covey
Guerilla Marketing - Jay Conrad Levinson
How to Make Webcomics - Scott Kurtz, Kris Straub, Dave Kellett, Brad Guigar
How to Publish Comics, not just Create them - Josh Baylock
Think Big and Kick Ass - Donald Trump
The Big Idea; How to make your entrepreneurial dreams come true. - Donny Deutsch

Websites: (This is only a tiny sample of all the useful, free information available on the web.)
http://ka-blam.com/printing/
Note - for those on a budget starting small, I highly recommend Ka-Blam's print on demand services. I've had great products and great customer service from them.
http://www.havendistro.com/
http://www.comicon.com/about.aspx
http://www.hoboes.com/Comics/Creators/
http://www.deviantart.com
http://www.members.shaw.ca/creatingcomics/publishing.html
http://www.indycomicreview.com/
http://www.indyworld.com/comics/stores.html