End of my roaring 20s. But at least I filled out the averages on comic creator checklists. Most creators publish their first comics when they’re 30 and I’m definitely in that category. Of course being my first came with a few growing pains. Nothing drastic, just some inexperience that come with it all. I wasn’t exactly expecting to do two podcasts around the same time.
I just hope that Wire Fence gets a review on Comic Crusaders and not just this interview: https://undercovercapes.com/outside-the-panels-jake-fracadactyl-palermo/
I’ve also got a table reserved for the Lehigh Valley Comic Con on December 2. It’s an obscure part of a local show, probably why it was only 20 bucks. But it’s a pretty good deal compared to bigger ones. Besides, I’m already getting some merchandise together with help from some important people. From stickers to long sleeve shirts with the cover images and logo. Because if I’m going to sell 5 bucks for the about 20 issues of Wire Fence that I’m bringing, I’m going to make it worth it with free stickers! Now I just have to be ready for something that I’ve never had to do before… filling out sales taxes in January.
But hey, I had to get into that sooner or later.
Blogging Between Requests
I mention last time that I get quite a few requests. I gotta be honest and say that the more I did those, the more it felt like I wasn’t doing anything for me anymore. Granted, I have seen the data that show that the requests get more traffic in the short run. My first review request of the month Instincts got quite a few people over.
But I’d also like to have people come back to more content in the long run. What do some of my most popular posts like Alan Moore’s Awesome Comics and The Charles Atlas Methods have in common? Celebrity names? Personally I thought it was the comparisons, but James Stokoe getting a niche proved me wrong.
I also found that just because there’s something trending, that doesn’t always mean traffic. Because I made the Beetle Girl post hoping that the Blue Beetle movie could help advertise it. Same goes to the Evil Twins post because of Cassandra Nova rumors. Not even Twitter (X) likes from Tom Taylor and Steve Orlando brought in visitors.
Frankly my reviews for Tribal Force and Gridley got more attention. And the previous wasn’t even a request! Honestly I kind of like that; might help with hyping up the second issue’s kickstarter. Tribal Force is finally realizing its potential after about 30 years.
I gotta make stuff like that between my requests including the Mad Cave comics: Whisper of the Woods and The Devil That Wears My Face. Not that the unadvertised list of manga about unfulfillment got much after just a few days. I had a lot to do.
Like start a new page in the World Comics lists. Not just the Swiss Comics post, but everything too small to get its own page here on Substack.
Still got more to document and I just finished a section on Myanmar in the followup to this. …But first I gotta do a followup to Thunder Child. Before that I gotta do Darkest Rout.
Need… Off Time
Next week I’m going on vacation to North Carolina! Again! Look I’ve got a house there and I’m gonna enjoy it to get away from it all!
I’ll be doing what I did with those X-Men Omnibuses! Reading the Guardians of the Galaxy Solos Omnibus as well as two Omnibuses to the Ed Brubaker Captain America run!
I’m going to trade those in somewhere before settling into North Carolina. Unlike what also took up my time, ABC comics entire run of Top 10! Because unlike those compendiums I can’t get this in digital. Strangely enough I can’t find Tom Strong anywhere.
Hence why some of my Hoopla reads were the compendiums to Oblivion Song and Invincible Universe. As well as the dubbed version of the Legend of Hei movie. Maybe next month I’ll be looking a the Nailbiter one. Along with the Kamen Rider Kuuga manga’s new trade.
Plus I indulged in the freebies like A Righteous Thirst For Vengeance, Once & Future’s first volume, Red Sonja: Ballad of the Goddess, the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boy’s noir crossover The Big Lie, the first of IDW’s Garfield, and the Minecraft based Frigiel and Fluffy. Along with some stuff that I didn’t really enjoy and some stuff that I thought was just okay. Like how Hip Hop Family Tree was interesting, but it lost me after a while. And I can see why people are into Megahex as well as the wider series of Megg & Mogg but I’m not really into unsympathetic comedy protagonists that don’t get their comeuppances. I’m aware that came way later but still. And the Peanuts of 1950-1952 is interesting as the foundations for a lot of the characters but that’s it.
Frankly I’ve got a lot of reading material like DSTLRY’s Devil’s Cut. But hardly time to do it. My day job comes with a lot of responsibilities, getting up early, and recently 10 hour shifts, so I get tired most days. Then there are the tests with (thankfully) no classes.
Most days where I can relax I play Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore because I didn’t finish the Wii U model. At least when I’m not dealing with drifting joy-cons. How was that barely a problem when I finished Smash Ultimate on Normal Adventure Mode?
Stuff To Look Forward To
I’ll be doing a lot of stuff including a post about a DC character called Loose Cannon. Never heard of him? That’s why I’m doing it.
Until next post.