Let me read this post to you by checking out the attached audio!
I’ll be making this a regular thing (and hopefully getting better at it over time), so you can add this to your favourite podcasting platform and listen on the go.
2023 Was a Huge Year!
It will forever be the year Pesto Comics came to be. This was something I had been planning and researching forever, but never got off the blocks.
This year, I finally pulled the trigger.
It started slow with just two books in seven months. They were both successfully crowdfunded and sets the tone for next year. (We’ll talk more about that on January 1st).
For now, let’s look at the ground we’ve covered these past twelve months.
The Comics are Real!
In May, we launched our first full comic, Unlimited Udo.
*Brad(s), with Lane Lloyd, was completed in 2022. If you haven’t read it yet, do it for free here!
It was an idea that out of the drama with Twitter and the overall feeling that it’s very much possible for one man to have too much money. Pair that with an ego that believes only he has the answer to everything and that’s how Udo Dolos came to be.
Valentin’s art excelled beyond what I imagined when writing the script. I knew I wanted to get someone who had a different and interesting style. I was really lucky to have such a game collaborator.
I can’t wait to work with him again!
Through Unlimited Udo, I met two other fantastic artists, Rafael Chrestani and Riccardo Faccini, that I would work with again on the next project, Stay Cool.
Rafael delivered big-time! Every page was better than the last and I couldn’t have been happier. So happy, that we have big plans together coming in 2024 and beyond.
Riccardo, along with being an excellent artist, brings a whole new dimension as a colourist, having coloured two of the three covers. My only regret is not getting him to do the entire book.
That said, keeping Stay Cool black and white was intentional to bring down the printing costs and allowed us to do a digest variant that was really popular! So popular that DC Comics is doing something similar in June. (Though I won’t take credit for that idea.)
Brian Azcurra, Richard A. Morgan and Mattia Monaco knocked it out of the park with their variant covers. Though they all had a similar theme - characters running towards the camera - they all had such different styles and sold pretty evenly.
I was already a fan of Mattia from his work on Chicken Devils, so getting to work with him was an absolute thrill. So much so that we’re working together again on Crazy Latte Thing Called Love! I can’t wait to share more about that very soon.
These two comics - plus the stickers, bookmarks and all the variant covers that came from them - were the foundations for Pesto Comics, but there was a lot more that was accomplished too…
Getting the Word Out
First and foremost, this newsletter has been a big success.
You, along with a couple of hundred more like you, are helping grow Pesto Comics into something to be proud of. I genuinely appreciate every one of you who not only subscribed but read the bi-monthly installments as they hit your inbox.
On the socials, we’ve grown quite a bit. Mostly on Twitter, which is still holding on through the changes that keep chipping away at what was once the best platform for writers.
Though I won’t be dropping Twitter any time soon, I’m looking at building a good base elsewhere through 2024.
There were a couple other things I’d done this year beyond screaming into the void on socials.
At Fan Expo Canada, I was the annoying guy handing out free bookmarks to anyone who would pay me the time of day. It was a good little marketing tactic and brought in a few extra followers.
Most importantly, it caught the eye of Konrad at Wednesday Night Reviews after meeting him at Fan Expo Canada. This was my first podcast under the Pesto Comics banner. Audio issues aside, it was a great experience. (Can’t wait to talk to Konrad again as we have more to share!)
I tested the waters with Google and Meta ads, to varying success. To get better at this and other marketing techniques, I’ve joined the ComixLaunch program and I’ve already participated in a Mastermind with four other creators (+ host Tyler James).
You can hear me chime in on other hotseats right now on the ComixLaunch podcast.
Great Feedback!
As the comics got out there, we’ve been getting some great feedback.
Both for Unlimited Udo:
I have got to say that this comic is a breath of fresh air in the comic world. It's unique, creative and has a storyline that will make you want to keep turning the pages. - 3 Million Years by Michael Nimmo
If you like sci-fi stories starring a woman who is a bit down in the dumps and forced to resort to occasional violence in a modern dystopian world this is for you. - The Point of Clicking
And again for Stay Cool:
Stay Cool is great! - @starmillion88
Stay Cool and Unlimited Udo are both insanely fun reads - @ArtsyKenB
It's a really fun, fast read! Full on action all the way through. - The Awesome Comics Podcast
Plus a shoutout from a podcast I’ve been listening to since before iPods were really a thing: Two-Headed Nerd.
It’s really been amazing and encouraging to get such great feedback. It makes me feel like I’ve made the right choice diving into this headfirst.
In Review
2023 was an absolutely amazing start, but it’s not without some challenges.
Financially, with the two successful campaigns in the bag, we’re still not at a break-even point. This has been planned for, but here’s hoping 2024 can get us over that pivotal benchmark.
That said, we’ve built a great fanbase, made some wonderful friends and worked with some amazing collaborators.
2024 is looking really bright. See you then.
What’s Next?
January 1
New Year, New All of Us
What’s in store for 2024 - as of an optimistic January 1st
January 15
The Comics That Inspired Me: Garfield
Really? Garfield?
Enjoying what you’re reading? Get a bunch of free stuff from me by referring a friend.
Thank you for helping get the word out about Pesto Comics!
Pesto Comics In 2023