Riding the High
I’m finally coming down from the high of last week—getting into the direct market with such big numbers and all the excitement that came with it. Now, what’s left is to simply get back to work.
From parts unknown: the series is done. I’ve been working on that project with Daniel and JP since 2024, and now we have Travis involved as well, handling some of the production.
If you backed it back in 2024, it’s going to be a little bit different than what you read before. I tweaked the script and fixed things that have bugged me for a while, so it’s an improved version of what you received from the Kickstarter.
That is more or less finished. From Parts Unknown is going to come out and do its thing; it’s just going to truck along. I’ll make sure all the solicits are ready, but really, what I need to do now is ensure people are picking up the rest of the series.
The same goes for Snip. We still have the backend of the Kickstarter campaign to complete for issues three, four, and five. Riccardo just delivered all of issue three, and I’m waiting on pages for issue four. We’ll be well ahead of schedule, likely having the whole book finished before we even launch the Kickstarter.
I still have some lettering to do on that, but it’s largely handled. That is the 2026 outlook for Pesto Comics: From Parts Unknown will run through September, and then in October, Snip hits the direct market and runs through the end of the year.
Planning 2027: Crimson Frontier & Unfinished Scripts
Next year, I want to have at least two series running simultaneously. We have Crimson Frontier with the same team from From Parts Unknown—Daniel and JP. That’s another shorter series coming out at the beginning of 2027.
This means we need to do the Kickstarter campaigns well before then. I like to have the entire series crowdfunded, finished, and settled before we even think about putting it into the direct market. To make that happen, I need to ensure these scripts are tight and ready so the team has everything they need to do their jobs.
With Crimson Frontier, I’ve been holding Daniel back. I’ve been “threatening” to throw him the scripts, but I keep doing a tweak here and a tweak there. I think of a new character, I pull a character out—I’ve just been rewriting and rewriting.
I think I’m finally at the stage where I’m happy to hand off the entire series to Daniel and JP and let them do their thing. They both work really fast, so I’m not worried about hitting deadlines, but I want to get them moving so I can focus on the next project.
I also have projects with other artists who are waiting on work from me. In many cases, I’ve given them only one out of the five scripts they require. Those are still in the nascent stages; we’ve done a few concept pages and character designs, but I haven’t fully scripted the entire series yet. I always have an outline to work from, but the scripts themselves aren’t all there. I have deadlines to hit, and I will hit them.
I always feel procrastination creeping in, and as that happens, I start to let things slip. There are many things on the edge of being “ready” that I haven’t finished yet. I have a few plates spinning at once, and what’s the best thing to do when you have so many plates spinning?
You add more plates, of course.
Shiny Object Syndrome (The Trap and the Gift)
Lately, I’ve been daydreaming about a video game concept I’ve had for the longest time. I almost reached out to a friend to ask if they wanted to collaborate. Another project I’ve been hinting at is a trading card game I’m working on with another friend; I’m trying to get that rolling again.
Meanwhile, I’ve let the Instant Ink Comic Book podcast slip entirely. We were on a decent clip, releasing every Tuesday. We’ve switched to a live format now, which frankly takes the burden of editing off of me, but it’s still another commitment I’ve let slide while not getting my primary work done.
It’s very easy to get caught up in “shiny object syndrome”—looking for the next project while existing ones are growing and demanding your attention. It requires real discipline. That is the difference between a professional and a hobbyist.
A hobbyist can take up guitar, give it up for pottery, and then move on to something else because it doesn’t matter. You’re doing it just for stimulation. If it’s not stimulating anymore, you move on. That’s totally fine.
However, as a professional, people are expecting things from you. They expect things on a certain deadline. This applies to both crowdfunding—ensuring books get to backers—and the direct market. The direct market is very strict; books need to be at the printers on time so they can reach distributors and hit stores on the promised date.
How to Manage the “Shiny Objects”
To manage this, I use a spreadsheet. Every time I have a new idea, I flesh it out. I put all my thoughts into a line on that spreadsheet, and then I force myself to forget about it and go back to work.
The ideas will always keep coming. There’s always something new you could be working on—some cool, interesting idea that isn’t the one that needs to be finished now. Maybe the current project isn’t going the way you want, or you’re afraid it isn’t matching the vision in your head. Whatever the reason, there will always be something seemingly “better” on the horizon.
The difference is being able to see the work through to the end. For people who want to get into comics: just finish something. It is truly the hardest part. Thinking of ideas, getting character designs, and doing a few pages—that’s the fun, easy part. What’s hard is the “boring” stuff: finishing the story, getting it printed, and handling all the administrative tasks.
Start Small: Advice for New Creators
When I first started, I did a four-page comic with Lane Lloyd called Brad(s), about two clones on a date. It was a fun little story, but the point was that it was small enough to see through to completion.
It is much easier to work with an artist if you aren’t approaching them saying, “I have a hundred-page idea, I’ve never done anything before, but trust me, you’ll get paid.” It’s much more professional to say, “I have a four-page idea when you have some time.”
That remains true even at the stage I’m at now. I’m doing 120- to 160-page books with artists I have established relationships with, but I’m just extrapolating the lessons I learned from that four-page script. It’s definitely harder to stay motivated as the projects get bigger, but it’s possible with discipline.
I still struggle. I really want to work on this video game, which is silly because I’m not a programmer or a designer. But it’s a “shiny” idea where there are no stakes and no expectations. People expect quality comics from me now; there is zero expectation for me to make a video game. There’s a certain freedom in that escape.
But I have work to do. I’ll save the idea and see if it sticks. Is it actually a good idea, or is it just an attractive escape from my current responsibilities? Time will tell. Interestingly, some of my best comic ideas—like wrestlers fighting vampires—came to me when I was supposed to be doing something else. There is value in the “shiny object,” provided you save it for later.
Commitment: Getting Back to Work
You have to get back to the thing you must finish. This is my commitment to you: I’m going to do that. I have scripts to write, packages to send out for Naked Kaiju Woman, and production design for Snip. I need to get Big Smoke out to people and keep pushing Naked Kaiju Woman #3 as the pages come in.
I also need to host the podcast more frequently and continue talking to awesome creators. I’ll have a post about some interesting developments on the podcast side very soon.
The 10-Minute Rule
When I’m struggling, I use the 10-minute rule. I’ll set a timer and force myself to work on one task for just 10 minutes. Usually, once I start, I end up working much longer. It’s all about that mindset of: “Now is the time to do this.”
Focus, get your work done, and be a professional. It’s about following through. I’m going to keep making sure you get cool books in your hands, on time, at the quality you expect.
I’m going to start right now. Thank you, and have a good one.
