So a new year comes with a new you…or something.
I’ve been slow on posts despite having an outline and ideas this month because I’m actually studying for the HSPA test. It’s been taking up priorities when review requests didn’t come up. But even that has to take a backseat now and again because of other responsibilities. My current work place’s manager got Covid and I had to cover answering phones with co-workers. Thankfully she’s back since it got kind of boring. But at least I found way to keep myself occupied and doing things I wanted to do.
Reading Digitally By Format
You ever want to prepare yourself for something but got too busy to do it? At the start of Covid, I was planning on reading through Comixology Unlimited titles. I had a lot of stuff from Boom Studios’ Kaboom imprint that had a lot of licensed material. By the time I finally read them that week at the front desk, most of the licenses were expired. At the very least, I got to be engrossed in Steven Universe again. The highly expressive art and lettering was something very unlike a lot of other stuff. Plus Over The Garden Wall had some nice material of what’s between episodes. If only the size wasn’t so tough on the eyes.
I think that’s a major problem with reading things on certain devices. Smart phones are best read with big pictures and less distracting backgrounds. Hence why webtoons, manga, and simpler strips thrive there. It really helps if they don’t take so much resolution to load. In my workplace, the security can slow loading down so much, sometimes images don’t appear at all on websites. Stuff that’s more intricate, complex, and more text on an entire page are probably read better on tablets or big phones for services like Global Comix.
Download Vs. Cruising
Here’s another reason why webtoon and manga formats have become so popular. Most of the time even with a service, you have to download stuff onto your device. And depending on where you are that can be a problem. My workplace’s security, needing to be connected to wi-fi that can go off, the financial limits of your data plan, etc. Unlike in services despite limitations, it’s easier to grasp and come across content.
Some websites and services like Zestworld understood that and it made finally going on there well worth going through as I wait for the phone to ring. Tragically… I’ve also noticed how hard it is to get that kind of service going.
You see Zestworld is actually on its way to closing out. I even finally got around to reading Kat Calamia and Lifeline Comics’ Slice of Life.
It’s not the usual thing that I enjoy, especially since I found Salvador Sanz’s comics like Mega and Angela Della Morte to be what stuck with me. Of course Alex Segura wasn’t bad either. Let alone Grrl Scouts and Lady Killer. Especially since these series could really thrive in the webtoon format.
But how do you stand out on platforms with so little funding and rewards? I’ve found that a number of digital comic apps I’ve used went out of business. I still remember last year when Interpop looked like it was a shoo-in to make a difference. Even appeared in leading lists for comic book innovations that no longer exist. Same with Madefire; these were start-ups that put all of their investments into bold new ideas that ultimately didn’t pan out due to timing. Doesn’t even look like ad revenue can make a difference anymore unless you’re already big.
I mean, Webtoon was lucky since it was founded and built upon South Korea’s Google, Naver. Kind of makes me worried about GlobalComix. You see, a few creators on there left even after a spotlight of popularity. According to some like FairSquare, it just wasn’t enough in profit margins. Some even went to Webtoon because performance there was better. It was as if the only reason they were on there at all was for advertising. If GlobalComix’s vice-president of content Gamal Hennessy’s podcast means anything, this probably has to do with how different payments work.
My Comic Got Delivered Everywhere
I bring this up because anyone who ordered the Wire Fence from its website now owns a copy and more. After all of the delays, the people who ordered it have been enjoying it.
But now I have to wait for those paychecks. The physical copies are completely sold out so that should take the least amount of time to get the checks. But because of how diverse CEX is with its distribution of the Wire Fence, other’s are going to take quite a while. Between Diamond and Lunar and all of the fees that came with this, I have no idea. Don’t even get me started on what this means on digital. If my Amazon Affiliate means anything, it needs to reach certain thresholds for me to get paid. Between Kindle, Omnibus, and CEX’s website it’s all probably going to be on one check that’s gonna be the longest to receive.
But I’ve got bigger commitments to think about. That follow-up to the Wire Fence I always promise but only have an idea of. I’ve gotten the general gist from the reviews on what I need to put into this. But now I need to write it all out with the proper data. I’ll worry about the budget that held the initial one-shot back later.
Gutternaut Updates
While new content on Gutternaut has been slow it didn’t stop. It can get exhausting getting through a textbook. But sometimes I make content that just doesn’t fit on the blog like the ones below:
Topical:
Or just because I have thoughts to express:
Funnily enough it was trying to figure out Spider-Man 2099 that got me a new subscriber, from someone I’ve been following and respect, Kevin LaPorte.
Social Rant
This was at a time when people are considering jumping ship from Substack altogether. That’s what Alex Segura did. Something about Nazis or anything that was said so often that I really can’t take it seriously anymore. Is it not enough to just block these fatheads off of your feeds? It’s like people complaining about Twitter/X again but not committing to come off of it.
I’ve been on Bluesky to see people I respect not spend even 2 months on there after being on a waitlist. Aside from not being able to post certain content like videos, there just isn’t a huge outreach.
All that I’m saying is, I can’t sacrifice convenience when I don’t have my 1000 true fans. I can’t afford to switch to another newsletter even with all of the gossip. This place is quickly becoming a leading traffic source for Gutternaut. For the longest time that was Twitter and Threads isn’t cutting it. Better yet, people actually like my content through here and not just doom scroll through it. Besides I have a visible investment in this platform:
I’ll stop working on here when it’s a tax deductible.
Besides, I haven’t seen Nazis on here because I haven’t looked for them. I’ll take my niches over bullying, major league sports, and political gossip any day. Even back on Twitter and other websites I downvoted or asked the algorithm to see less of stuff that I just don’t care for. I even blocked people who followed me because they put up anti-semitic cartoons that echo propaganda. Thanks to that I found out a topic for a Gutternaut post.
What’s In An All-Out Attack?
One that I long promised and got a direction: All-Out Avengers with how art swiper Greg Land had long changed his ways but nobody noticed. People outraged because he’s doing something on the newest Thor run with a respected creator named Al Ewing.
This felt like the same arguments against about directions characters take like a muslim Captain Britain.
Who?
Exactly! If you look at my link, even the post doesn’t shy away from what look like echoes of Greg Land’s worst traits. I made this post not as a defense of Land or as a mere reaction. But to ask people to think. Think why Land’s Wikipedia page doesn’t have this in his bibliography among several others.
Because I have to ask the people on that mob who they were getting offended for. The artists who got swiped? If yes, did you commission them to help soften the blow? Al Ewing? I’m pretty sure that’s his and Land’s business and not yours. Marvel? Does this bibliography of Land’s suggest that they care? The fans? The user data says they like his artwork after this change. Hence why Marvel keeps him on. Or do you have nothing going for you in your life and just looking for 15 minutes of fame to have some degree of direction? If not? What exactly was your plan to course correct this; annoy Marvel to death?
Does That Affect Who Gets A Review?
One of my usual requesters David Pepose recently mouthed off somewhere. Don’t know what it is, don’t care about it. All that I care is whether he can make a good story. Something that he continues to do with The Devil That Wears My Face.
I have plenty of friends who recommend me content that I just don’t have the time or patience for. I don’t think this makes either of us bad people, but there are some things that I just don’t want to waste time on. And frankly I feel all the better for it: I already know that plagiarism is bad and contrived to deal with, I don’t need to hear hour-long videos about it.
I also know that I feel more engaged with stories that challenges projecting and imprinting like in Edenfrost. Not because of how far away it is, but for its suspense. Because those moments of vulnerability and humanity are the things most at risk.
But there are also times when I come across content from people I respect and that I just can’t connect with. Silver Vessels just feels like two stories smushed together without any cohesion. Awkwardly placed villains you can’t take seriously, jarring vibes, and feeling like one side of the story had more development than the other.
Find A Direction, Not A Reaction
I think that’s what gets me down a lot. The past few days, I’ve had to update my Underrated Comics Lists. I’ve had to update them with Manga that gets me to question the rules I put up on there for. And that was the easy edits, now I have to spend so much time updating my other lists because Amazon Affiliates took off images. Probably because links have an easier time with getting clicks, less adblockers too. On the plus side, seeing them on a mobile is easier than ever.
Because that’s what offsets so many things I care about, no plans, just instructions. You can lay out as many plans as you want; but unless you act on them, what’s the point? And what’s the point of reacting to something if you’re dependent on them? The point is, having a direction means more than just seeing the patterns. It’s about anticipation and focusing on what you value, not what you’re against or the fight against that. That way when change does happen, you’re ready for it.
Because this year, I need to welcome change with open arms.