December Highlights

And A Year In Reflection

So Happy Public Domain Day to you! But today’s not simply about welcoming old classics. I’ll let somebody else do that.

Writing Stories That You Grasp

Looking back on the year, it’s been hectic. I left a lot of my old life behind. As well as realizing maybe trying to find what helped push me forward in writing the remaining 6th and 7th parts of The Wire Fence Re-Opened. I hoped I had to get another job to do it, but I guess a change of pace was needed to get it loose. Because I had to think how ranches recruited people in the 19th century Midwest.

Another thing I need to focus on is the more interactive storytelling methods I have drafts on Gutternaut. Because at this point, aside from my underrated lists, I needed to find something to do on that website that I can’t do here on Substack. It’s why I had to move stuff I liked but just couldn’t fit into SEO parameters. Like this post.

There had to be something to make being on there worth the money I spend on it. Maybe with the Web Stories plugin I can do just that by adding stuff to a story I’ve been developing that I couldn’t in its original form. Skippable stuff anyway.

Need To Do More Than Read

Most of the past few days, I’ve been marathoning through DC on GlobalComix. Or rather, the stuff that’s getting taken off that I haven’t already read. Did make me wonder why the rest of Gerard Way’s Doom Patrol wasn’t around there. At the very least, the late George Perez’s run on Wonder Woman was unforgettable. With a big first impression when it comes to Ares, the Greek Epic scale on most of the run, and how terrifying Circe is as a villain.

Not to mention what led to this post:

Problem is, I also find how exhausting it is to get through narrative captions between and after those instances. Not only are they redundant, but going through so many things just puts me to sleep. I shouldn’t have to work to enjoy something.

Because there are a lot of times I would rather read Dragoness Says Sit more than what was coming off of that list. But not the off-the-walls comedy of Kyle Baker’s Plastic Man.

At the very least, I got to do the stuff other than the usual reviews I do every week for Mad Cave. Some are fun, but there are times I wish I felt like I didn’t have to put more effort into.

In fact, I’ve got games I’ve been wanting to play and recently acquired. For example Stellar Blade in its native Korean. Because Astro Bot is too in demand to find after it won game of the year. Besides I got through Spider-Man 2 and now I’m finding it’s coming on Steam.

Wanting and Having…

Steam meanwhile is still something to get and add to my wishlist. So many things. Funny how- wait…

Funny, I’m spending more time on Paramount Plus because I became a fan of Star Trek around this time. Been loving Lower Decks a lot. Not just the Rick and Morty like art style or first impressions, but the rich characterizations in trying to find your way.

Plus a bit of frustrations finally pushed me to get Amazon Prime. Between Fallout and the hype around Secret Level it seemed like a good time. Especially since I got Unicorn Overlord at a good time and price with no shipping costs. All with gift card money from apps I used.

Just wish I knew that I could use it as easily to get more digital Marvel Omnibuses when they were on sale. Had to buy a friend a gift off his wish list, cancel one when he didn’t update in time and then got Prime. Thankfully I could for their Star Wars Omnibuses that I didn’t already have. Now I just have to prioritize-

I Needed An Assistant

Are you seeing now what I’m going through? I’m trying to do so many things at once and enjoy what I’ve got. But who would’ve guessed that having so many choices leaves you without direction.

So much curiosity and performance anxiety.

I’ve been indulging in stuff that I normally can’t put as much effort into through ChatGPT. At the very least, I find the more objective answers I want through ChatGPT. Including provide details that helped me develop more of my ideas for characters and their abilities. Not to mention narrow down recent public domain bits to get around a problem I had last year.

Spend less time wanting and more having a focus on stuff that actually appeal to me.

One fun idea that I can’t seem to get away from after the AI chat brought it to my attention is high impact maces. I love martial arts and the very thought of having something with shock absorbing cores for defense and offense the discipline to master such a weapon just appeals so much. I mean I heard of extendable batons with tasers and energy swords. But the fact that this idea hasn’t gotten out or went viral bugs me. Especially when you could add flashy stuff explosive cartridges to these maces to launch limited projectiles like a nail gun.

Or shape memory alloy tools activated by heat or electric currents, with piezoelectric charges built into the handles. Maybe even more customizable balance and weight with modulars.

Just the more integrated stuff for training gives me…

Wait This Is About AI!

See what I mean? I lose myself in these passions. It feels worth it to get the impulse for these ideas and putting them into something. I even manage to discover stuff like this:

Galaxia - Princess of the Stars

Basically Greece’s Sailor Moon or She-Ra meets Star Wars on a more grand scale. It gave me something to revisit on Gutternaut where most of my research came up short. Especially when that leads to how the cartoonist who made this got it published and kept going with his own self-published works. Just cuz I don’t read Greek, doesn’t mean what I love about these kinds of people achieving their dreams despite adversity. And I’d never be able to find it without these AI assisted flights of fancy.

I’m aware of the shortcomings, especially since when Galaxia first appeared on my radar as Galaxias due to ChatGPT misspelling it. Or when an Arabic superhero named Zeus came up; I asked for the source it found. Turns out it was basically a hiccup.

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Then there’s that energy problem. Man… every new technology gets those. It’s not asking questions that wastes energy, it’s training the AI that does that. Less than Bitcoin mining though.

Makes me think that the coming years will focus on the fabled quantum computing since Google made their next breakthrough. Just wonder how much energy people will raise a fuss over and what it will take for people to take the edge off.

Like how AI generated images are getting more…acceptable than they used to be?

Corporations laying people off in favor of this is one thing. But for individuals like me, AIGIs for covers or promos like the one on my story draft on Gutternaut are a reliever. Compared to using stock images like a few novelists did for their books to stay on budget, I will choose AI for a chance at finding anything like this:

You want to talk about how these tech companies are doing a lot of bad; fine! I’m aware but I need an alternative. If you can’t point me towards them then move along!

I refuse to spend any money on marketing with the risk of going into debt! I have gotten through gambling addictions with trading cards and I will NOT make what gets me out of bed into another!

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Please Consider Helping These People Follow Their Dreams

Because of those same money problems I’ve had to cut back on crowdfunding and reinvest in some stuff.

All that I can do is wish these artists luck.

I found this one title back when it was Comixology’s featured in the indie department.

Warning On Open

More are on Zoop for another chance after ventures didn’t go through. Like The Awakening from

Alex Segura

and

Michael Moreci

’s time in Zestworld. And more on the way.

Then there’s one person I respect so much and had to cut back on financial support. Jon Proudstar and the third issue of Tribal Force. No traditional crowdfunding, just raising money without too many taxes getting in the way.

Forward Looking

I’ve got a lot of uncertainties, but I’m tired to living with performance anxiety. Wanting to do stuff, but not going through with it because the gratification isn’t as good. Then there are the responsibilities where I feel like time gets away from me because I can’t spend it on what I wanted. And if having it was ever worth it.

My thoughts and worries about where things can go was shared with

Ulysses

here:

Pixels vs. Paper: Understanding the Future of Comics

Things are always changing and I always feel like I was too slow. And that unlimited potential that promised newer, better frontiers so many years ago was either too big and ambitious to comprehend or the failure to recognize how a format’s presentation must be optimized. Had a debate about where it could go next on the post too, especially with how most people prefer the things you can interact with more than the passive stuff. Livestreams, Let’s Plays, anything that requires interaction with the least amount of effort in theatricality and the most amount of convenience.

I have to find where the market will be next and get ahead. Because people’s entertainment sources (phones, games, and streaming) are currently flooded. And I refuse to gamble on going viral by following trends.

Not just that, I gotta do it without burning out. For an introvert like me, that means doing more stuff like here on Substack while building a bigger network.

So yeah, making more stuff that excites me and more games. Those don’t put me to sleep like other things do. For crying out loud the

Alpha Red Comic

was more fun than some of the more historically important comics I read. Hopefully whatever request come my way can keep my attention too. Like this Venus Rises bit.