Hello world!
I’m guessing the best place to start would be with a little history…
Several years ago I decided to self-publish a six-issue comic book mini-series called AWAKENINGS. I had no experience to speak of. In fact, I’d only been reading comics for a few years. Still, I’d fallen in love with the medium and thought I had something to add.
It was an exhaustive search, but I eventually teamed up with Gabe Pena, an incredibly talented artist on the West Coast. Within days, the story I’d conceived was coming to life on the page. Several months later, I had a finished comic in my hands.
AWAKENINGS #1 debuted to rave reviews – but modest sales. Orders came in at just over 1,000 copies. And while it wasn’t enough to pay the bills, it was just enough to boost my ego. You see, like a lot of creators (I suspect), I have a very unrealistic belief in my own abilities. I saw those early numbers as a stepping-stone to superstardom.
Needless to say – they weren’t.
Assuming things would turn around if I kept the momentum going, I decided to move forward, digging further into my pocket to pay Gabe, the printers, UPS – everyone that was helping to make AWAKENINGS a reality. Issue one hadn’t sold enough to pay off Gabe, let alone everyone else, but I knew things would turn around.
Needless to say – they didn’t.
Issue two saw a substantial drop in sales. Now I was in trouble. Not that the arrogant writer in me would listen. I dug even further into my pocket to fund issue three.
This is how things went until I was eventually all tapped out. I had to pack it in, not because I was cutting my losses, but because I had nothing left to lose.
Months passed. I took a second job to pay down the debt. I made sure it was a job I hated – just to punish myself for being so stupid in the first place. And yet, as I wiped tables down in a dingy little restaurant, that arrogant kid inside of me kept whispering something in my ear.
“You’re not done yet, Eric.”
He was right. I paid down the debt but kept busing those tables, quietly putting money away for an eventual return to AWAKENINGS. A chance to do things a little bit better, a chance to remind myself why I started this journey: a love for the medium and a hope that I have something to add. A return to AWAKENINGS. A second chance.
Needless to say – this is it.
June 10th, 2008 at 3:09 am
I love your stuff here and on drunk duck.YOU ROCK
June 12th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
Hey Eric. Just found (linked to?) this comic offa Xylia. Pretty intriguing stuff so far……kinda like Kojak the Night Stalker in the not-too-distant future, if I’m right? Well, at any need, I’m putting it in my list of webcomics I read. Keep it up!
June 19th, 2008 at 11:09 pm
I just want you to know one thing:
I like your style, man. I do like your style. And i don’t mean your comic - so far it’s… lets say catchy. But that text of yours. It just had that… well… style, i guess. I like your attitude. Knowing your faults, but commiting some of them glady,because they are a major part of you. Because it’s just the way it’s meant to be (*).
Anyway, keep it up.
(*:P.S.: @ll: dont molest children, no matter how encouraging that line must read ^^)
June 19th, 2008 at 11:45 pm
@Needless: Thanks, man. I appreciate it. Your comment probably means more to me than any of the rest on the comic pages thus far.
I remember when I initially started out, I was doing my best to convince people that I wasn’t running this operation (if you can even call it that) out of my living room. Now, having learned so much, I figured it was just time to embrace who I really am. And now that I’ve finally done that? Hell, I’ve found that I’m actually starting to enjoy this stuff again. :o)
June 23rd, 2008 at 6:31 pm
What a story! What inspiration! What complete abject failure at your first shot at brilliance! Still, no-one ever got lucky on the first try, but it’s brilliant that your gonna give it another shot. And this time… this time, nothing is gonna stop you, right? Right? Yeah, that’s what I thought. Still, tally ho and what-not! Let us see what you’ve got!
Oh yeah, and you’ve definately got a talent to add something to this field.
July 3rd, 2008 at 9:40 pm
Hell. Yes.
Keep the good stuff comming, Eric! I believe whole-heartedly that one day the world will smile and shout “Hello, Eric!!” right back. This stuff is golden- the plot, the lovely build up, the lot of it.
One thing you might concider: Manga- No clue if you love it, hate it, or have ever heard of it, but it sells. The newest litter of teeneagers eats it up like candy. I might look in to getting a
July 3rd, 2008 at 9:42 pm
- bit of that pie.
July 3rd, 2008 at 10:34 pm
@Alice: Well, I’m probably going to make an effort to go after that market indirectly. I think that you could probably draw comparisons between AWAKENINGS and the manga market, and I’m making a few moves to blur that line a bit more. I’m currently having the pages greyscaled and will be re-lettering them in a “looser” style that will be comparable to what you see in manga. That’s my plan for the trade.
Now, getting a publisher will be a hurdle, but we’ll get there. Thanks for the support. :o)
July 15th, 2008 at 10:19 am
love the awakening series man really do i found this on accident but i really am glad i did
this is the first comic of this style and genre i have come across and am really liking it and i have yet to find
another copy so keep it up and keep twisting the story keep us guessing whats going to happen we know
you can do it keep it up and from what the comment you left about your history we can all say
KEEP IT UP GET BIGGER EGO ^_^ yes i have given the appearence that i’m crazy
i’m not really btw lol keep up the awesome work
JD
August 12th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
I just read your ” hello world” section. Wow, I am really inspired by what you have gone through Eric. Makes me wish I had a few hundred I could donate to your cause. This is by far one of the best comic novels I have ever read. It has suspense, drama and comedy all rolled into one. The artwork is very good as well. Keep on keeping on Eric. I will get the word out to everyone I know to read, then buy your comic.
August 12th, 2008 at 7:55 pm
@Crimson: Thanks so much, man. I know you’ve been a regular reader here for a while, and a year ago, I wondered if I would ever have anyone to call a “regular” reader. You guys will never know how much your comments me to me. :o)