Tag: comic artist

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My Next Campaign is on Crowdfundr. Here’s Why

I’m here to announce that my next campaign is happening on Crowdfundr – not KickStarter. Here’s why.

First, it’s not that KickStarter is bad. It’s just that Crowdfundr is friendlier to comics creators.

I wrote an entire blog post with a breakdown between KickStarter vs Crowdfundr. It goes into everything, from fee set-ups to add-ons to promotions. Go read it if you haven’t yet. Since I wrote that piece, Crowdfundr has been improving its promotions. Hooray for that!

Second, I found a new printer.

For those of you who backed The Legend of Jamie Roberts, Volume 1, this will sound familiar. For those not around for this, here’s what happened: the book printer I worked with botched the first print run. This meant I had to get the books re-printed, and that delayed reward fulfillment.

I did NOT want a repeat of this mistake, so I shopped around for printers. I worked with Mixam for The Stars of Fantasyville: A Sketchbook. However, while their quality is great, they cost more per book to print.

Enter: Comix Well Spring.

The folks at Comix Well Spring sent me a sample packet featuring the options they have in stock. I’m posting a video on YouTube reviewing the samples very soon. But I liked their quality!

Then, when I went to their site, two things happened:

  1. Their customer assistance reached back out to me less than 5 minutes after I emailed them.
  2. When I got a quote for The Legend of Jamie Roberts, volume 2, the price turned out BETTER than with my current book printer OR Mixam.

Add on to this…

Third, Comix Well Spring is partnered with Crowdfundr.

They have a special for small presses (like me!). If a Crowdfundr campaign is successfully funded – with Comix Well Spring fulfilling the print order – then Comix Well Spring will give a discount on the order. It’s on their website!

And finally – Comix Well Spring is domestic.

In fact, they’re based in a state next to mine. I try to avoid overseas printers – I’ve seen too many horror stories of fellow comix makers with overseas printers having their book orders held up in customs…Meaning they had nothing to showcase, so they had to bail on conventions. Conventions they paid $1000+ to attend. It’s a horror story I want to avoid. So I work with domestic printers as much as possible.

So With All of That Said…

I will be launching The Legend of Jamie Roberts, volume 2 on Crowdfundr before the end of July! To know when it launches, sign up for the email newsletter. Newsletter peeps get the news when new campaigns launch.

That’s all for now. Thank you for reading!

You. Are. Awesome.

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Fantasyville Productions Has An Official Website!

fantasyville productions header

Today, I’m introducing Fantasyville Productions’ official website!

Fantasyville Productions is the official name of my business. It’s the name I use when publishing books, releasing prints, and launching KickStarter and Crowdfundr campaigns. Fantasyville focuses primarily on fantasy-themed stories, many with queer characters and/or creators who are LGBTQ+.

The name Fantasyville comes from my first webcomic ever, Johnson & Sir, which took place in the titular town! I named my business endeavor “Productions” to encompass more than just comics.

With this business, I hope to release comics, tabletop games (like Dragon’s Roost and Toe Beans & Broomsticks), pins, keychains (like Be Not Apurred, which recently got successfully funded on KickStarter), and even books by other authors, like Danse Macabre and Other Works by Sean McGavin!

Tune in on the Fantasyville official website for KickStarter news and project updates, as well as appearance and product announcements. Not just from me, but from other creators, as well!

If you would like to see updates from me specifically, like works-in-progress or personal updates, I’ll be posting more on this site and on YouTube. This is especially true since social media is…kind of on fire right now.

That’s all for now. Thank you for your support!

You. Are. Awesome.

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I’m Not Selling Prints Anymore. Here’s Why

This may sound scandalous to my fellow artists out in the convention circuit, but I’m not going to sell prints at my table (or my Ko-Fi shop) anymore.

WHY?

Let’s start at the top.

I made a Forest Spirit print back in 2016, and for the most part, she sold pretty well! She was a big show-stopper at conventions. Like, she would catch your eye and keep your attention there. And she did sell well. So I branched out into other designs.

However, sales of prints have been declining for me since 2018. It’s gotten to the point where prints are not my top 3 selling category anymore (as of June 2023).

Plus, the feedback I get from fans often boils down to, “I don’t have the space to hang any more prints!” It’s hard to sell something when the fans don’t have room for it.

The other problem is that prints are a pain in the ass to transport.

This is especially true now that I live on the top floor of my apartment building, towards the back of my complex. I really do not want to make multiple trips to the third floor in a building with no elevator.

Not to mention that you need print bags or rubber bands to bag up prints when you sell them. And I can’t seem to source print bags that aren’t crap.

All these problems are for selling at conventions. But online? Forget about it. Shipping tubes are tricky enough for me to find. Everything else I sell online can either be delivered digitally or flat in a padded envelope. Prints are more difficult to ship the larger they get. And I can’t ship prints in the same bundle as everything else I offer – thus making me charge more for shipping (which customers and I are NOT psyched about).

I’d rather not deal with the headaches. Especially since prints are not the bestsellers at my table or online.

So, no more prints from me.

IS THERE AN ALTERNATIVE?

Funny enough, art books are the best thing I’ve ever offered! At conventions, my art books sell the most. And the more art books I sell, the more books in general I sell. There’s a reason why my #1 category in sales is Books. And they are the LARGEST sales margin. For me, books make 5 times more than the #2 best-selling category. FIVE TIMES. It’s bonkers.

And honestly, that’s fine with me. I like making art books, and I want to make more of them.

If you are new to selling your work, please remember this: what works for me may not work for you. Some artists are really successful at prints! I’m more successful at books. Each artist’s mix is different. You won’t know what will work until you try it yourself. I just wanted to share what’s been working for me, and what hasn’t, so you can understand my process.

Best of luck to you out there!

That’s all for now. Thank you for reading!

You. Are. Awesome.

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I’m Going to SPACE (In Columbus, OH)

Find me at SPACE this weekend! That’s the Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo in Columbus, OH. I’m sharing a table with Canonwrite Productions. Find us at table W26, yo.

If you’re in Columbus – I’m sending a special email to my newsletter subs. It’s about a reward for folks who can make it to SPACE. If you want to know more, get on the newsletter.

Can’t make it to SPACE? That’s ok! There are still plenty of comics to catch up on, from The Legend of Jamie Roberts to Vanita and the Demon King, and my Ko-fi shop and commissions will remain open this weekend.

WHAT I’M BRINGING TO SPACE

At SPACE, I’m marking down all stickers and mystery bags. Stickers are 2 for $1 (or get 1 free with a book purchase), and mystery bags are 2 for $5 (or get 1 free with a book purchase). I want to clear out all the stickers and mystery bags to make room for new things, like more keychains and pins!

I’m also bringing misprints of The Legend of Jamie Roberts, volume 1, available for $12 each. I still have a BUNCH of these, too.

Also at SPACE: original pages from my sketchbooks, a framed piece of art (this one will be pricier), and the last of my 11 x 17 prints. Again, I want to clear out a BUNCH of stuff to make room for new things.

IF TIME ALLOWS…I’ll bring along BOYZ, my Dragonball Z zine. I make no guarantees on this one, though. 

There will be a newsletter sign-up sheet there, as well. Do you think I WOULDN’T talk about my new tabletop RPG, Toe Beans & Broomsticks? I mean, it’s coming out in less than 10 days, on June 17! It’s available on my newsletter first before the rest of the world gets the game. That’s why I’m bringing the sign-up sheet – so folks can sign up to get the game!

Toe Beans & Broomsticks is a game where players roleplay as magic-casting Cat Witches, Dog Warlocks, Crow Witches, and Owl Wizards. Practice magics like Neko-mancy, cast spells like Meow-maturgy or Purr-estidigitation, and fight alongside friends against the dark forces of The Madam.

If you can’t make it to SPACE, but you reeeeeeally want Toe Beans & Broomsticks – good news! You can sign up for the newsletter using this link and get the game on release date.

And with that, I must be going. I have some last-minute prep to do for the show.

BY THE WAY…

I was featured this week on the Columbus Cartoon Coalition’s YouTube channel! Check it out, yo.

That’s all for now. Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you at the show!

You. Are. Awesome.

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New Free RPG Drops June 17!

There’s a new RPG coming on June 17.

For fans of Kiki’s Delivery Service, The Owl House, and all things cats – it’s Toe Beans and Broomsticks, the latest RPG from Fantasyville Productions!

Play as a cat, who is also a witch, in this Saturday-morning cartoon game. Practice magics like Neko-mancy, cast spells like Purr-suasion and Meow-maturgy, and defeat the Madam and her forces of evil with your friends.

This game will be available in my email newsletter on June 17. Sign up for free today to get behind-the-scenes updates and sneak peeks of the game before its release!

When you get on my email newsletter, rest assured that I won’t be selling your info to anybody, and you only get updates once a week.

You can sign up to get Toe Beans and Broomsticks the Free RPG by clicking the button below, yo.

FREE RPG? YES PLZ

That’s all for now. Thanks for reading!

You. Are. Awesome.