Note: If you'd like to skip the copious background information feel free to jump to the last paragraph.
First a little background is in order. I'm a partner and writer for an independent comic book publishing company, Creator's Edge Press (www.creatorsedgepress.com). I've written a comic entitled Slow Burn. Originally it was meant to be a six month project. It's been over a year and it hasn't seen a physical printing because I've been laid off twice and need to self finance the print run (we did a kickstarter campaign but since then we've changed printers and the minimum print run is triple the cost of what we were paying before (largely due to a much larger minimum print run requirement) so I now have only a third of the needed funds). But it is available digitally for $0.99 (www.drivethrucomics.com).
I was fortunate enough to recently do an interview for an upcoming edition of Rue Morgue (I don't know if it will be in the print edition or just on the website) about the book, largely because both myself and the artist are women - an odd rarity in horror and comics. At least I think it's largely due to that as I haven't read the accompanying review of the book yet. Hell, it could be because the reviewer genuinely liked the book and wanted some additional material. I'm not a glass half empty so much as, 'that's a pretty full glass but there's room for more' person :).
I had originally planned at least two more issues. I still want to make them but my artist dropped out after finishing the first issue (a battle in and of itself) because she's incredibly busy with Real Life (great new job in the gaming industry and getting married soon). So I'll need to start from scratch regarding an art team as well as finish the two scripts. Clearly, this is all a great deal of work and frustration and has required no small amount of learning and adapting on my part.
Creating a comic book is far more work than writing a short story. You first sit down and write the script then edit, revise etc as you would with any other written work.Then you have to find and bring on board at least one other person for the art. Ideally you'll have a team, an inker, a penciller, a colorist, and a letterer. It's amazing how much of the work that goes into creating a finished comic book is still done by hand. Photoshop et al are excellent tools but a lot of artists still work - initially at least - with pencil and paper. Some letterer's still hand letter, same with colorists (depending on the final look desired they may use pencils or inks and use photoshop to add effects etc or go fully digital) and most inkers hand ink.
Because of the way we pay the artists and writers that publish through us (no page rates but they get a slice of sales off the top unlike most companies that require the cost of printing etc to be retained first and we also claim zero ownership of any projects we publish) it can be really difficult to get competent industry people, even indie and beginner artists, to work with us. We're weird and we're still pretty new (founded in Dec '09) so it's a challenge.
The rest of the Slow Burn initial arc is pretty dark and bleak though a bit lighter than the first issue. I re-read the first issue before replying to the Rue Morgue interviewer and was floored by how incredibly dark it is. That doesn't bother me, most of what I write tends toward horror which is fine I love the genre, but it did surprise me that I'd managed to forget how bleak and harsh it is. The story at its core is about familial duty and class warfare but the background catalyst is a zombie-style apocalypse lead by ravening Ghouls. Like the cute little guy in the picture above.
So, now my question. Has anyone ever created a work as a sacrifice, dedicated it to a deity, or used the creative process as a spiritual act, say prayer etc? And, knowing the details you now do - whether you want to or not :D - how might you go about doing so in this case? I don't have any deities in my life, that I know of, at the moment so I'm at a bit of a loss. I feel that something this time consuming and arduous ought to be incorporated into my spiritual path in some way, both to honor the Kindred and strengthen myself.
First a little background is in order. I'm a partner and writer for an independent comic book publishing company, Creator's Edge Press (www.creatorsedgepress.com). I've written a comic entitled Slow Burn. Originally it was meant to be a six month project. It's been over a year and it hasn't seen a physical printing because I've been laid off twice and need to self finance the print run (we did a kickstarter campaign but since then we've changed printers and the minimum print run is triple the cost of what we were paying before (largely due to a much larger minimum print run requirement) so I now have only a third of the needed funds). But it is available digitally for $0.99 (www.drivethrucomics.com).
I was fortunate enough to recently do an interview for an upcoming edition of Rue Morgue (I don't know if it will be in the print edition or just on the website) about the book, largely because both myself and the artist are women - an odd rarity in horror and comics. At least I think it's largely due to that as I haven't read the accompanying review of the book yet. Hell, it could be because the reviewer genuinely liked the book and wanted some additional material. I'm not a glass half empty so much as, 'that's a pretty full glass but there's room for more' person :).
I had originally planned at least two more issues. I still want to make them but my artist dropped out after finishing the first issue (a battle in and of itself) because she's incredibly busy with Real Life (great new job in the gaming industry and getting married soon). So I'll need to start from scratch regarding an art team as well as finish the two scripts. Clearly, this is all a great deal of work and frustration and has required no small amount of learning and adapting on my part.
Creating a comic book is far more work than writing a short story. You first sit down and write the script then edit, revise etc as you would with any other written work.Then you have to find and bring on board at least one other person for the art. Ideally you'll have a team, an inker, a penciller, a colorist, and a letterer. It's amazing how much of the work that goes into creating a finished comic book is still done by hand. Photoshop et al are excellent tools but a lot of artists still work - initially at least - with pencil and paper. Some letterer's still hand letter, same with colorists (depending on the final look desired they may use pencils or inks and use photoshop to add effects etc or go fully digital) and most inkers hand ink.
Because of the way we pay the artists and writers that publish through us (no page rates but they get a slice of sales off the top unlike most companies that require the cost of printing etc to be retained first and we also claim zero ownership of any projects we publish) it can be really difficult to get competent industry people, even indie and beginner artists, to work with us. We're weird and we're still pretty new (founded in Dec '09) so it's a challenge.
The rest of the Slow Burn initial arc is pretty dark and bleak though a bit lighter than the first issue. I re-read the first issue before replying to the Rue Morgue interviewer and was floored by how incredibly dark it is. That doesn't bother me, most of what I write tends toward horror which is fine I love the genre, but it did surprise me that I'd managed to forget how bleak and harsh it is. The story at its core is about familial duty and class warfare but the background catalyst is a zombie-style apocalypse lead by ravening Ghouls. Like the cute little guy in the picture above.
So, now my question. Has anyone ever created a work as a sacrifice, dedicated it to a deity, or used the creative process as a spiritual act, say prayer etc? And, knowing the details you now do - whether you want to or not :D - how might you go about doing so in this case? I don't have any deities in my life, that I know of, at the moment so I'm at a bit of a loss. I feel that something this time consuming and arduous ought to be incorporated into my spiritual path in some way, both to honor the Kindred and strengthen myself.
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