The End of the Year (Didn't I Do This Last Year?)

So, here we are, end of the year once again.

This has been a very interesting year; very different but not too much.

Let's go over some highlights (and/or lowlights) of this year.

At this time last year I was in a happy relationship but, alas, tis a bachelor's life for me again. 

The romantic relationship ended through no one's fault and it was something we agreed needed to happen. There was no bad blood, no name calling, nothing of the sort. Heck, I don't know of that many relationships that end with the people involved saying there's always going to be a part of them that loves the other. It was one of those times where the people say, "We can be friends" and actually mean it; I said I'd be happy to have what I called a "Jerry & Elaine" type relationship and thankfully they understood that reference.

Speaking of friends, my friend Marlon took a big step forward and ended up purchasing his own house in St. Albert. Even more courageously, he decided to join me and my dad in attending the Calgary Expo for the Saturday show.

I found it a bit ironic that I've been going to these shows for over 10 years, been entered into the raffle to win the drawing from a Sketch Duel many times...never won.
Marlon, at his first show, first time going to a Sketch Duel...wins. Now granted, he won because the first two or three people who's ticket wall called out had already left (Their loss) but a part of me was wondering if I screwed up by not buying a ticket immediately afterwards.

My younger sister and her husband were proud to welcome their son at the end of June. I can't tell you how happy I was flying out to Arizona and getting to hold him, feed him a bottle and I can't wait to see him again.

Work is...well, it's work. Again, it's not what I want to be doing but it does allow me to do the things that I do want to do. I can weekends off no problem, holidays off, I don't have to worry about working overtime. I can afford to buy the cool comic art that I see up for auction or the CGC comics that I want to own.

It also allows me to create my own comics. While I made three back in 2023, this year was a...smaller output, with just one.
However, I think I made growth this year as a writer.
I'd been encouraged by my now-ex, to move away from fan-comics and tell original stories.
All well and good but I didn't think I had one worth telling. Besides, people liked the Batman fan-comics that Marcelo, Carl and myself made.

Maybe the closest we'll get to seeing that unmade fan-comic.

Hell, we were very close to starting work on another one but at the last minute...I told Marcelo to halt his work.

I came up with a script for an original story. One that I had a feeling people would like and want to read. Not only that but we're hoping that next year (Which is in less than 30 minutes) we can physically publish. That's right a full, 22-page comic.

Marcelo is killing it on all fronts and though it took some time, I got Carl on board as letterer and I knew that bringing him on was the right decision.

Would I have liked to have made that new Batman fan-comic? Hell yeah! Not only that, I had another one on the back burner. I honestly think they're good stories but there's also a part of me that's thinking...maybe I should pitch these to DC Comics.

Maybe?

I also set a goal for myself this year. Every month, I had to write an original comic script. Not a fan-comic, it all had to be original. It could be whatever length, genre but I had to make one per month. And I reached that goal.

In fact, the one comic I got made this year was one of those stories. "Last Ride" was a story I came up with at work and during the last 90 minutes of the day, when I was caught up with everything that needed to be done, I sat down at my computer and typed it out.

In June, I met a local artist, Rory Chapman and despite some setbacks, it got made.
No, it doesn't get as much attention as the fan-comics but as Carl told me earlier, the important thing is to build a body of work. So I'm continuing to build. In fact, I'm hoping to have another script for Rory by the end of January.

I travelled to Edmonton Expo this year, got some good advice from an editor at IDW. With the new work I've gotten made along with the 22 page comic underway, I feel like I'm really starting to become a real writer instead of just a hobbyist.

Just need to find a way to make money...

What are some things I want to happen next year?

More money-through whatever legal means-is always a good thing. I also want to get better at writing. Maybe see if I can outdo my output; what if I wrote 13 scripts next year instead of 12? I want to try and make more connections with creators. I also want to get better with time management and discipline but one step at a time.

Either way, I'm happy. When we broke up, my ex voiced concern that I would fall back into depression and maybe self-harm or worse. I said that wouldn't happen because, despite it ending, that relationship breathed new life into my soul. Sure I can feel down every once in a while but I don't let it get the best of me.
Secondly...no way would I kill myself.
"I've got a comic to get made," I explained. "I don't intend for it to be a posthumous release."