tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587758133406204752.post7358403531355834858..comments2024-03-16T00:16:36.318-07:00Comments on Project Waldo: 2013Nate Simpsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00928505378000107341noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587758133406204752.post-83359892818401500782013-01-20T04:20:01.261-08:002013-01-20T04:20:01.261-08:00Hey man, I'd just like to say I love your work...Hey man, I'd just like to say I love your work. I followed you on deviantART, saw the first pages of nonplayer you uploaded, impatiently waited for the first issue to come out, snapped it up as soon as I knew it was available, and desperately wished it would continue soon (even though I knew there was so much work to do and you were doing it by yourself!). But don't continue the comic for people like me. Continue because the art you're crafting is phenomenal.Dan Longhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01717051525464039866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587758133406204752.post-33328616666256567212013-01-14T11:19:47.236-08:002013-01-14T11:19:47.236-08:00Thanks, Nate! Sorry for not replying earlier. I ...Thanks, Nate! Sorry for not replying earlier. I suppose I had a different sort of thing in mind when I said freelancing. I actually meant doing whatever kind of art popped into your head...and then selling it to someone. That means you may not get paid for each piece, but if you price them to sell, you'll attract someone who is interested. Even have some prints made up and put them up on Etsy.<br />I've been "planning my escape" from the dreaded day job for years now...but it was put on hold to pay for my wife's culinary degree. Now that she has a solid paying job because of her degree, and we've nearly paid off her student loans ($32,000 in two years), it could be that the time has finally arrived. Currently, I'm working on producing and selling pieces, and I'll have an Etsy shop online in February with prints and originals. I figure it will be easier to let go of the day job if I have built up some steady, monthly sales. I'll know by June.......Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01531837264842306078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587758133406204752.post-86627477133612379242013-01-08T09:56:01.795-08:002013-01-08T09:56:01.795-08:00Hi there Nate,
First of all congratulations on be...Hi there Nate,<br /><br />First of all congratulations on becoming a father, that's way more important than anything else going on. That should be (and will be) your number one priority from now on - enjoy it!<br /><br />Secondly, Nonplayer is one of my favourite comics ever but I don't think it's worth sinking your life into like this, especially with a child on the way. <br /><br />The comic is so good that the first issue stands on it's own. It's a fantastic achievement and you should be really happy about it, not feeling guilty because you haven't followed up with a second issue. <br /><br />If you're not enjoying it, drop it and focus on your family - or else, what's the point?<br /><br />I definitely support the comic and have no problem waiting years for a new issue or contributing to Kickstarter for more issues or special editions of #1 (I regulary pay over the odds to get nice Europeam format versions of Moebius comics and I rank Nonplayer #1 along with those - I'd love to have it in a big hardback edition with extra art thrown in). As far as I'm concerned even if you never followed up with another issue, or any other comics work it wouldn't take away from that comic.<br /><br />Step back, enjoy life, see what works and what doesn't, get rid of your expectations and see what ends up happening.<br /><br />Best of luck and thanks for Nonplayer #1!<br /><br />PaulAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17618392839441650611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587758133406204752.post-89626310082408954392013-01-08T00:55:01.775-08:002013-01-08T00:55:01.775-08:00I've been checking in on this blog hoping you ... I've been checking in on this blog hoping you would update it! I really don't have much to add, but I'm glad that you are still working on the book! Keep the good work! Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587758133406204752.post-64522581999072685782013-01-07T20:01:37.510-08:002013-01-07T20:01:37.510-08:00When you last posted about your intended schedule ...When you last posted about your intended schedule it made me think about my time on the Burnout Train. I wanted to write something encouraging but it got eaten by the server.<br /><br />I would add: one's "bad" reactions do have a point to them. You're frustrated with slow progress because you still have some passion behind the project. That's good. And as long as you have drive then you haven't given up, and you haven't failed.<br /><br />The guilt is a drain on creativity, though. I think beating guilt comes down to choosing what you can do best at the moment. Like, if you're not making progress on the page layout, and you know you're just totally mentally logjammed there, do something else. There are so many aspects to telling a story, you can find something to do that gets you closer to completion. It can be doing research, it can be looking at things that inspire you, it can be having a conversation about the direction you want to go -- it's all valuable.<br /><br />See, I have chronic pain, which really sucks the life out of you. But, irony, I've made the most story and art skills development progress in this last year when I've been sicker than ever before and unable to get out of bed for weeks at a time.<br /><br />Sometimes my hands hurt too much to even type, let alone hold a stylus or pencil. So I can't spend all my time obviously producing. I had to accept that (which sucked). But I got back to why it mattered to me. I stopped feeling guilty and started to appreciate when I made some small breakthrough. Now my projects are fun again.<br /><br />I realized discipline is not about self-denial and fortitude in the face of suffering. Discipline is sticking with something because it's worth it to you. It's not just working through fatigue or avoiding distractions. It's feeling satisfaction even while you're tired, and getting into the zone because you've managed your surroundings well.<br /><br />No one else will get out of this project what you will. It's not a value judgement, it's just the way personal projects work. You're labouring because you love it, not because someone's gonna break your legs. It's a gift to other people. It's a game for them to join in. So I'm not gonna say "don't feel bad about not meeting your schedule." I'm going to say "feel good about what you're doing."<br /><br />People can wait a little longer for that page to be done while you're spending quality time with the wee one. They can wait over a year. I mean, would you expect the standards you're holding yourself to from other people?<br /><br />I really like your project. I'm excited to see it. But I can wait. ;)<br /><br />Also, if you'd like another person to help out, even if it's just having fresh eyes or flatting a page or two, I'd be really happy to. I'm not in school this semester and I'm stuck in bed, so my time is up for grabs! Plus, that kind of support is something I love doing.Winterbournehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14275239988778865942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587758133406204752.post-43385553843400981702013-01-07T17:48:20.079-08:002013-01-07T17:48:20.079-08:00Dude, your lines are great. I actually have them s...Dude, your lines are great. I actually have them saved into a folder of your stuff so I can look at them from time to time. ;)<br /><br />You could pull it off. Whether you want to is the thing -- your art looks brilliant coloured, and if it's the most enjoyable part then don't give it up.Winterbournehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14275239988778865942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587758133406204752.post-30089105951959461272013-01-06T18:43:04.841-08:002013-01-06T18:43:04.841-08:00Hey, sorry it took me awhile to respond. Basicall...Hey, sorry it took me awhile to respond. Basically an intern is just someone that would help you out with whatever you need as long as it counts towards their major. For instance, I'm a illustration major attempting to make a carrer in comics and concept art, so as long as the internship helped me reach those goals by getting real world experiance helping you with your comic, then I would recieve school credit for helping you out. I'm pretty sure that the required amount of work would be about 4-5 hours a week, doing whatever you'd need done to help get the comic out. Also, if this is something you're interested in, I'd do cartwheels across burning hot coals to get a chance to be an intern for non-player. I've been a fan since I bought my first copy at Wondercon a few years ago, and since then have bought a digital copy and a 2nd printing. In other words, I'm a huge fan. Either way, the internship idea is a very serious option that would help you out a lot, as well as the student or students that would be doing the interning, just by having their name on book. Why dont you email me at DrawTheLineStudios@yahoo.com, and I'll set you up with some more info, and the contacts for the people you'd need to talk to.Matt Hardinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16908989492993493806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587758133406204752.post-70502955347437958292013-01-06T11:59:27.129-08:002013-01-06T11:59:27.129-08:00If you go the Kickstarter route, be sure not just ...If you go the Kickstarter route, be sure not just to figure out how much money you need for your salary, but also include the cost of producing (and shipping!) all those nice European-style books. It's not difficult to find stories of people who went into debt fulfilling their obligations after a Kickstarter "success".<br />There are people who profit directly from Kickstarter, but the typical successes I see are from people who already did most of the work on their own without pay, and/or expect that they will continue to get lots of sales after the Kickstarter "preorders". For example, after Amanda Palmer's million-dollar campaign, she posted a breakdown showing how all that money was needed to pay for publishing, touring, hiring her support staff, etc. At the end, she hoped to break even, but with a pile of additional CDs left over. The profit would come only after she was able to start selling those.<br />Kickstarter can work well. Just make sure that before you go into it, you take an honest (and slightly conservative) look at the costs that will go with it, and also make out a plan that figures out what other revenue streams you hope the Kickstarter will lead to. The Kickstarter money will probably only work if it's being supplemented by Image's single sales, future GN sales, or something similar.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587758133406204752.post-78390331372575332102013-01-06T03:03:42.026-08:002013-01-06T03:03:42.026-08:00That's one way to decline. :P
Ryan is such a ...That's one way to decline. :P<br /><br />Ryan is such a mad king.<br /><br />Things are going well!<br /><br />Always good to see you posting.Eaglehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04343027824546728023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587758133406204752.post-72448002183519751182013-01-06T01:25:41.551-08:002013-01-06T01:25:41.551-08:00First up, congratulations on your little one.
Sec...First up, congratulations on your little one.<br /><br />Second, I'm just glad to hear you're still at it. Balancing work and life is difficult enough, when you throw making comics into the mix it can be overwhelming. I'm finishing up a diary comic/blog that deals with this theme (as well as having a new born) here: http://lifeinjapan-comic.blogspot.jp/<br /><br />I hope you find a way to make it all work out...<br /> (and when you do, be sure to let us know) ^_^; Victor Edisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05163752699529448941noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587758133406204752.post-64670535570192679582013-01-05T22:50:38.073-08:002013-01-05T22:50:38.073-08:00Hey dude. Long time no see!
Yes, I do art just fo...Hey dude. Long time no see!<br /><br />Yes, I do art just for fun even now. But not a whole lot of it!<br /><br />That tumblr, though. Man, it's the best ever. Like, literally the BEST. EVER. I love both of those guys with a passion. And they both just keep getting better, too. It's totally unfair.<br /><br />Thanks for the link, Eagle. I hope all is well in your life.Nate Simpsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00928505378000107341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587758133406204752.post-258427255863029342013-01-05T22:49:01.875-08:002013-01-05T22:49:01.875-08:00Thanks, Gavin. That's the plan!Thanks, Gavin. That's the plan!Nate Simpsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00928505378000107341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587758133406204752.post-75662257882366081252013-01-05T22:48:43.017-08:002013-01-05T22:48:43.017-08:00Man, Peggy. Your color and design sense are absolu...Man, Peggy. Your color and design sense are absolutely killer. I'm happy to hear your book got funded. What's it called?<br /><br />I appreciate your encouragement and enthusiasm, and I completely agree with you about the importance of creating a video. Perhaps I can find someone better looking than myself to play me? How about Michael Cera as Nate Simpson? How could people not give all their money to that earnest, slightly bewildered face?<br /><br />But yeah. The video is key. Thanks for reminding me of that.<br /><br />Congrats again on getting your book funded!Nate Simpsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00928505378000107341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587758133406204752.post-26613000063308071492013-01-05T22:38:29.022-08:002013-01-05T22:38:29.022-08:00Lovely, lovely artwork, Matt. It is terrifying tha...Lovely, lovely artwork, Matt. It is terrifying that people with your talent are coming out of school now and competing with us old farts for art jobs.<br /><br />This intern idea is pretty awesome. I have a couple of friends who use interns, and I can certainly see the benefits (at least for me). I guess there's some part of me that still feels like it's kinda exploitative. I could probably get over it, though.<br /><br />The flatting, especially, is something I could easily hand off to an intern. But it's hard, thankless work, and my artwork is specifically designed to drive flatters crazy. What could I offer them in return? Would they get some sort of class credit? I suppose I could give them a little exposure through this blog. And a credit on the book, of course.<br /><br />Wait. I think I don't really know what an intern is. Please enlighten me.Nate Simpsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00928505378000107341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587758133406204752.post-39425992843694423942013-01-05T22:32:37.054-08:002013-01-05T22:32:37.054-08:00That's an interesting option, Dave. There was ...That's an interesting option, Dave. There was definitely a period during which I tinkered with the idea of drawing covers for other people's comics and making a living that way. What I learned was A) even the publishers that said they wanted me to do covers had absolutely no follow-through and B) it's still a pretty small amount of money, especially compared to working in games. <br /><br />In fact, the unhappiest people I know, even unhappier than comic creators, are freelance artists. It's really scary not knowing where your next meal ticket is coming from.<br /><br />All that said, your art is gorgeous. So I guess I should ask you why you haven't attempted a career as a freelancer?Nate Simpsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00928505378000107341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587758133406204752.post-69907673916641607862013-01-05T22:25:23.008-08:002013-01-05T22:25:23.008-08:00Man, it's hard. And having read your two blog ...Man, it's hard. And having read your two blog entries, I can see we're both grappling with similar feelings of failure, as well. When I was a kid, I got in this habit of quitting things whenever it became apparent that I wouldn't be instantly perfect at them. And that even haunts me today.<br /><br />I remember when Nonplayer 1 came out, I read this one review where the guy said "yeah, the art's okay, but I wish someone else had written it." And I swear, for about an hour I just wanted to quit comics forever. I had all these shame and failure chemicals coursing through my brain.<br /><br />These days, I work through that stuff by reminding myself that failure isn't actually a tangible, objective thing unless you accept that it is so. Failure is just you surrendering to everybody else's negative opinions. The true greats, when you look back at their early days, most of them went through phases where everybody counted them out. But they kept going, and that's why they're greats. Being great doesn't mean being perfect. Being great means turning setbacks into teachable moments.<br /><br />Which I guess is my way of saying "get back to work on your comic, Kenny." And send me some samples so I can see how it's coming along.<br /><br />You're not alone!Nate Simpsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00928505378000107341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587758133406204752.post-5514974963011183902013-01-05T22:17:22.755-08:002013-01-05T22:17:22.755-08:00All interesting ideas!
Actually, if you've e...All interesting ideas! <br /><br />Actually, if you've ever seen my artwork without the color, it's pretty underwhelming. Now, especially, I sort of tailor my style so that it looks best in color. On its own, it looks kinda barren.<br /><br />In addition, the coloring has really become my favorite part of the process. It's very much like eating dessert. So if I farmed out the coloring work, I'd be relegating myself to a lifetime of vegetable eating. Boo!<br /><br />That said, I could totally see releasing some sort of uncolored, oversized special edition, sort of like that Hard Boiled book. I know Moebius did that, and it seemed to work out for him. But then again, I am not Moebius.<br /><br />Great thoughts, George. Thanks!Nate Simpsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00928505378000107341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587758133406204752.post-47609860742214837152013-01-05T22:13:05.232-08:002013-01-05T22:13:05.232-08:00Any collection would still have to be published by...Any collection would still have to be published by Image, but I could theoretically buy the books at cost from the publisher and then be my own retailer. I think.<br /><br />I do like the idea of meeting rewards people at SDCC or some other major con (possibly NYCC?), though I suspect I won't be traveling too much this summer. Perhaps next summer? All good ideas, though, especially about approaching the problem incrementally. <br /><br />Thanks, Fedres.Nate Simpsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00928505378000107341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587758133406204752.post-92206354592167591762013-01-05T22:09:45.278-08:002013-01-05T22:09:45.278-08:00Wow, John. Your storyboards are very nice. It look...Wow, John. Your storyboards are very nice. It looks like we're both wrestling with very similar demons at the moment. I, too, find that my most productive hours are the ones I put in before work. Which then makes me wonder if I should just get up at 4am every morning and do a marathon comic sesh before I leave. Hm. Bed by 9, wake up at 4... kinda interesting. Maybe I'll try this next week to see what it does to my brain.<br /><br />Thanks for your support, John. Keep up the amazing work!Nate Simpsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00928505378000107341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587758133406204752.post-32315170963939768352013-01-04T08:53:41.770-08:002013-01-04T08:53:41.770-08:00I think it's very likely that a large poster o...I think it's very likely that a large poster of that spread would be one of the available rewards. I get a lot of requests for that one, and I've already talked with printers about costs.Nate Simpsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00928505378000107341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587758133406204752.post-48477456574317921442013-01-04T08:45:22.670-08:002013-01-04T08:45:22.670-08:00Yeah, I've been pretty absent 'round these...Yeah, I've been pretty absent 'round these parts lately. There's this thing called "task lock" where your bandwidth gets so overloaded that you become completely ineffective. That happened. I actually started three different entries and tossed all of them. As dark as this post might have seemed, the earlier ones were much, much darker. And who needs that?<br /><br />Anyway, thanks for sticking around, sirfrancis!Nate Simpsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00928505378000107341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587758133406204752.post-8358656017263917352013-01-04T08:45:06.914-08:002013-01-04T08:45:06.914-08:00Thank you.Thank you.Nate Simpsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00928505378000107341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587758133406204752.post-61561286132620392922013-01-04T08:44:36.414-08:002013-01-04T08:44:36.414-08:00Man, what a gorgeous book. I know I'm supposed...Man, what a gorgeous book. I know I'm supposed to be focusing on the rewards he's offering, but dang. That's some sweet art. But yes! The rewards! This is actually quite informative. I hadn't thought too much about the PDF being a lower-priced option, though I wonder how that jibes with Image's rights. I suspect Comixology would have a thing or two to say about me releasing a digital version on my own... <br /><br />As to the delivery delay -- I agree that such a setup could bring about the very situation I'm trying to avert. After all, didn't I just say it's less fun when it doesn't feel optional? But in this situation, we're really talking about releasing the first two issues in a European-style format, which means the Kickstarter wouldn't even "kick off" (ha) until all the material was finished. That way, I could use the money from the first Kickstarter to fund the next two issues, ideally. And people would get what they payed for immediately.<br /><br />As to satisfying endings, I think the second issue does have an ending, at least beat-wise. It does raise new questions, but rhythmically, it's a closer. So that shouldn't be too much of a problem. <br /><br />Thanks again for your feedback, Tang!Nate Simpsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00928505378000107341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587758133406204752.post-51639798136537346702013-01-04T08:44:09.730-08:002013-01-04T08:44:09.730-08:00This is rad. Thanks, Stefan!This is rad. Thanks, Stefan!Nate Simpsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00928505378000107341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587758133406204752.post-81023885057496535442013-01-04T08:43:13.152-08:002013-01-04T08:43:13.152-08:00Amen! You ever notice how the lessons you learn wh...Amen! You ever notice how the lessons you learn when making a comic turn out to be pretty useful lessons for life in general?Nate Simpsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00928505378000107341noreply@blogger.com