Welcome Back
We’re one week into the campaign for From Parts Unknown #4 and it's going very, very well.
I'm thrilled with how it's going. With From Parts Unknown #2 & #3, I made sure to make the comic the best it could be, but I wasn't doing much by way of promo. I was coasting.
Now I'm fully engaged on the socials, not just pushing the campaign all the time, but just having fun conversations and talking about all the cool things that are happening out there in the world of entertainment. It's actually been a lot of fun. It definitely helps as the campaign is quickly becoming the second best campaign I've run.
From Parts Unknown #3 really brought me to a point where I was questioning everything that I was doing. If this campaign had a similar trajectory, I would have been forced to review it all, but it looks like if I do things the right way, they seem to pay off.
There's always room for improvement, though. Not just on Kickstarter campaigns, but everywhere.
I’m getting better at editing the Instant Ink Comic Book Podcast ahead of schedule, rather that dealing with rendering problems hours before when it should be posted. I’m taking these lessons forward for my upcoming Pulp Writerly channel. (3 subs already! Woo!)
Plus I've got a ton of writing to do. I'll share as much as I can with you on the July 30th post here. I’ll cover what's coming in the latter half of 2025 and the beginning of 2026.
I'm already working with a few artists for a handful of new comic series and a new novel series, which paid subscribers already got a preview for last Saturday!
This only happens because of support from people like you.
Speaking of, I have a question…
A Poll about Post Length
This post got me thinking:
I know I average about 2,500 words per post myself - most times it’s longer. Today’s is no different.
Unlike this post claims, I get a pretty high read rate, but would you enjoy this more if it was a lot shorter?
I’m curious…
In the past, these polls have always leaned towards one, big post with everything in it. I’d still keep all the updates as part of the post, but I could aim for a much smaller “main story” and leave the updates in their most skimmable format.
I’m curious to see which way this goes - shorter posts would be simultaneously a relief and a huge challenge that I’m up for.
Now, let’s get into those updates…
Worklog
This week, I got the following done:
Had a BIG LAUNCH with From Parts Unknown #4
Locked down the artist for Project Time
Confirmed bookings for Toronto Indie Author Conference writing sessions at the Toronto Reference Library (more to come on this soon)
This is the plan for next week:
Overhaul the Kickstarter release schedule
Continue work on pestocomics.com & pulpwriterly.com
Finalize outline for new project: Project Hop
Rework the outline for Project Hollywood
For the projects I can talk about…
Project Updates
From Parts Unknown #4 is LIVE and FUNDED.
If you’ve backed any of From Parts Unknown in the past, check your email as there’s more.
Big Smoke Pulp Vol. 1 is available on KU from now through August.
40 incredible stories from 40 excellent authors - including yours truly.
The Call for Entries for Big Smoke Pulp Vol. 2 is now open! If you have a short story, under 5000 words, send it my way. You can find out more by clicking the link.
Now, let’s talk art and artists…
Main Story
What I Look for in an Artist
The truth of comics is that it's a visual medium. As usual, I'm not saying anything new. In fact, I've said this plenty myself, but it's the truth. The first thing you're going to notice when you're looking at a comic is the art.
More often than not, when I'm tabling at conventions, or even speaking to people online, the comments I get are usually about the art and not the plot or character development, which is really where my skills come in (though, I occasionally get compliments on my lettering, which I always appreciate).
None of this is to complain. It’s not surprising. It just goes to show the importance of getting professional quality artists on your book. It doesn’t mean that you have to have a resume littered with professional paid work, but your art shouldn’t look out of place next to Spider-Man on a shelf at your LCS.
If your skills aren’t at that level, then I'm probably going to be looking elsewhere. We can argue whether my writing skills are up to that level, but at the end of the day, I'm the one paying the bill and taking the risks. Plus, a professional quality artist tends to elevate the work to a point that you won’t notice my flaws (at least, not right away.)
It's not just me being greedy in wanting only the best artists for myself, but it's also just a matter of competition. There are so many incredible artists out there looking for work that the bar is so very high. If you don't have a unique style or just incredible technical ability, it's going to be an uphill climb because plenty of artists have both.
What if that’s you? What if you are extremely technical and have an incredible style that would look completely in place in the latest issue of Batman? There's still a way to get an edge, and frankly, it's probably the easiest one of all.
It's Your Professionalism
The artists I’ve worked with are all extremely professional. They've been very easy to work with, quick to communicate and clear about what the expectations are both from my end and what they're going to deliver.
The amount of artists that I have only spoken to, and gotten no further, don't always have these tenants. Just being professional will give you a huge leg up over majority of the artists out there. It’s truly shocking sometimes how few artists understand that although we’re having fun, this is still a job until the work is done.
None of this alone is going to help you cut through the noise. It’s a crowded, talented market and there’s an unfortunate truth about all of it:
A lot of finding work is luck and timing.
If I'm looking for an artist at the time your art happens to be in front of me, then it might just work out for us. I wish there was a more ironclad way to say that there's definitely method to this madness, but a lot of times it just happens to be that. I’m not always hiring - in fact, I rarely am - and my list of artists I’d like to work with is longer than I’ll ever be able to work through. Especially since it grows constantly.
Still, it’s not a bad thing to be on that list. I source it regularly.
That’s the good list. There’s another informal one I keep that you’ll want to stay away from.
The Naughty List
Nothing irks me more than a cold call.
I'm always willing to help and I make myself available to anyone who might need advice on how to run a Kickstarter, distributing comics, where to find a good printer and so on. If there’s anything that I can do to provide some value, I'm happy to do it.
However, when artists simply reach out to me asking to give them money because they are “definitely worth it” and they don't have a portfolio to share or any examples of sequentials, it does more than make me want to pass on them. Simply saying “given the opportunity, I would totally knock it out of the park” if I would just fund them in doing so is a great way to make sure we never work together.
I understand times are tough and people are trying to hustle but there's a skill to asking for work that many budding artists have to master before burning bridges. As much as I'd love to be an endless source of artist funding, I am far from it. Every campaign is a struggle. Very, very few are profitable.
If you're an artist looking for work, I need to see what value you bring as an artist to our potential campaign.
Do you have an audience that you would bring in that would help make a campaign profitable?
Do you have a large social media following?
Do you have credentials that help elevate our work together?
I'm not looking for someone to do my PR (though, I love it when artists do - like the ever-present JP Jordan) but I'm looking for more than an artist-for-hire. I look for a collaborator and a problem to be solved.
If it's simply a matter of me liking your art - I will find you. I've never worked with someone who reached out cold. Every artist was someone that I already had some kind of knowledge of or relationship with. We don’t have to be best buds, but I knew them in some form outside of them asking for work directly from me before I sent an offer.
That's the key. It's all about relationships.
Where To Start
Almost every artist I've worked with has been found on either Connecting Comic Book Artists and Writers on Facebook or r/comicbookcollabs on Reddit. It's that simple.
Keep posting your work, keep plugging away, keep creating samples of sequentials and covers, and eventually, I'll will find your work. If not me, someone will.
While you’re in-between artworks, keep pumping up other books and artists that you enjoy. This is all about the community and a rising tide lifts all boats. If you're supporting the community, you'll receive that support back. It may not be immediately, but you'll certainly see it over time.
The indie comics community is one of the most welcoming I've ever worked in. Make sure to be a healthy part of it and you’ll see that reflected back to you - hopefully, in the form of work.
What It Looks Like When I Do Reach Out
If the timing works out, I'll usually ask an artist for a variant cover to start.
This is my way of testing not only if are we a match, but if the artist has those professional tenants that I mentioned earlier. If we can't get a cover done together, there's no way we're going to be able to get a long form product done.
With the exception of Valentin and Lane, on my first projects, every artist I worked on a larger project has started as a variant cover.
This is something worth keeping in mind. If you put your heart into your work, even if it’s just a simple cover, it may lead to something even bigger.
Who Needs Artists Anyway?
I always threaten to learn to draw myself, but I just don't have that same level of dedication that I do with my writing. At best, I might get a comic strip out there that is low expectation on the art quality.
I'll always be working with high quality artists for when it comes to full length comics.
A lot of the joy that comes in comics is in the collaboration. It's having a germ of an idea, or even a well thought out one, and seeing what an artist will do with it. It, without fail, elevates the work every single time.
With something low stakes like a comic strip, I think doing it all myself is just fine, but when it comes to a comic that I'm trying to add depth and layers to beyond the words - I need someone who's well versed in the art of illustration and comic book storytelling.
My “Worked With” List
My roster is forever growing and I'm always looking for great artists. I'm quick to follow on socials and even quicker to add you to my “to work with” list if your art is up to that quality. Having good references and working with people that I know and trust also helps get you ahead of that line.
If it was up to me, I’d have a new comic coming out every single week - getting to work with everyone on that list.
With any luck, in the next few years, I'll be able to get there, but right now I'm limited to how many artist I can have working for me at the same time. Either the comics need to get a lot more popular or I need to win the lottery.
Just now if you have talent and you’re professional, you'll find work eventually. Just keep plugging away at it. Keep drawing. Keep being awesome.
I’ve worked with so many great artists, 18 so far, and I’ve gone back to work with many of them multiple times. With each addition, the barrier to entry gets a little harder as I’ve built relationships with these artists.
Here’s who they are:
I’m Very Lucky
If things go as I dream, not only will this list continue to grow but the counts for how often I’ve worked with each of these artists will too.
I don’t make all these comics to make money - if I did, I would have stopped long ago. My whole reason for doing this is creating great art that didn’t exist before.
Thanks to the many talented artists I’ve worked with - and will be working with - I get to live that dream every day.
If you’re an artist and you play your cards right - maybe you can join me!
Until next time…
Are you an artist? A writer? A reader?
Let me know in the comments…
Upcoming and More
Coming Up on the Substack
I’m having a lot of fun with Datawrapper. It’s allowing me to share a lot more than usual!
Upcoming Appearances
Release Calendar
**WIP**
I’m reworking the entire release schedule as it’s getting very crowded - with some artists delivering much faster than anticipated and others needing more time. That plus novels being added to the mix means this needs a rework.
The June 30 post will go through all this in depth - at which point I’ll update this section again (and in a more readable state).
Instant Ink Comic Book Podcast
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