Wait, it’s been how long since I did a proper blog post?
Unlike some previous instances, my lack of full-length blog posts has been something that just sort of evolved organically out of doing the #gentlecomicshabit posts; with me posting something almost daily, I kind of didn’t have much to talk about in one extensive post like this. It’s also why you may not have seen a #gentlecomicshabit post in a few days: I’m running out of stuff to talk about.
Aside from me losing my job, and indeed because of it, I don’t have a lot of stuff that goes on in my life. I don’t have the financial security to take exciting vacations, most media I consume is easily streamed directly to my computer or phone so I don’t need to leave the house for entertainment, and there haven’t been a lot of major conventions happening yet this year. As such, I’m at home keeping myself busy while casting out my line into the endless sea of the job market, and the fish aren’t exactly biting.
That said, as an introverted, undiagnosed-but-highly-likely neurodivergent individual, keeping myself busy/entertained has never been difficult. The #gentlecomicshabit, while having slowed down somewhat, has nonetheless gotten me back into the swing of drawing, which was always the intent behind it. Magic Beans has made a return with weekly updates, and the pages of the Fifth Ace superhero universe (I should come up with an easier name for that…) are chugging along; the first issue is fully scripted, thumbnailed and lettered, with nearly half the pages penciled and counting. I don’t know if I’ll have it finished before my birthday, but that is a goal to work towards.
In terms of other art, I’ve been keeping an eye on several accounts that I follow with regards to art challenges and throwing my hat in the ring on as many as I can handle, whether it’s for original characters, fan art, pose references, anything; a lot of people check out these things, so it’s good for exposure. For example, there’s a new March Amalgam challenge making the rounds on socials; I had a lot of fun with last year’s challenge and I’m already several pieces ahead on this one. By the end of the month, it’ll be one more box off my Art Bingo card for 2025.
On top of all that, combining my art with my income issues, I’m in the process of refining my Ko-Fi page; soon I’ll be doing a proper relaunch with subscription tiers, where I intend to have exclusive rewards for anyone willing to sign up. I should have everything in order closer to when the first issue of the Fifth Ace superhero ‘verse (seriously, it needs a better name…) is complete; I’m planning for WIP previews, bonus artwork and pinups, as well as discounts on the full issues when purchased through the Ko-Fi store. It’s going to be a lot of work, but again, it’s not like I’m going anywhere right now.
That about sums everything up so far, I’m going to get some food.
Ciao for now.
