What if Hollywood was run by the comic industry, instead of by movies? If Marvel and DC were the big guns instead of Fox, Paramount and the like, and if starry-eyed youngsters moved to the city to audition for issues instead of episodes? Such is the world of Kevin McShane’s Toupydoops. It’s a great premise that Kevin pulls off pitch-perfectly, with clean artwork and sharp wit. Check it out!
David Malki !
Self-employment update
It’s February! I am coming up on a full year of non-full-time employment. I haven’t had an actual “job,” like with holidays and health insurance and stuff, for about two years now, but I had a pretty regular freelance gig for most of 2006 and the first few months of 2007. When that ended, I started flying without a net, and it’s been scary, rewarding, frustrating and exhilarating in about equal measure.
Nearly a year on, I’m finding myself turning down work-for-hire gigs more and more often so I can have time to focus on the comic and other personal projects. Like Tuesday’s comic expressed (in a fashion), I don’t want to waste or give away any more of my own personal calendar-squares than I have to. Often that means that I walk away from decent paychecks or even potential career opportunities — but in doing so, I’ve realized with growing clarity how important it is to spend my finite energy in pursuit of my own goals, rather than those of an advertising agency, movie studio, or corporate client.
This transition has only been possible because of your generous support. Thank you so much for reading the comic, for blogging about it and spreading the word, for buying from the store and for offering a kind word at conventions. You are the reason I do this and why I’m thrilled to be working very hard on new, exciting directions for not only Wondermark, but the greater Wondermark Enterprises brand. Thank you all for your continued kindness — I couldn’t, and wouldn’t, do it without you.
Check out: Kate Beaton’s comics!
Kate Beaton is a comic artist with a beautifully breezy pen style that communicates gesture and expression as well as any comic I’ve seen recently. All of her comics are really endearing, but I particularly love her wonderfully witty series about historical figures such as Benedict Arnold and Genghis Khan. Kate I dig it please keep it up.
Video: MY MOVIE IS DONE
My movie Expendable is finally finished, and you can watch it right here:
I really am very proud of the film, and to those who’ve watched it and enjoyed it already, thank you very much for the kind comments. It’s been a lengthy labor of love, and I’m indebted to the fine folks who’ve helped me along the way, including the peerless Kris Straub and Dave Kellett (contributing original music and voice talent, respectively) as well as hardy fans Pete, Badger, Nato, and Annabel, who showed up on set and worked like they were getting paid.
The reason for making a film of this scale and complexity is that my co-writer, Todd, and I are hoping to generate enough interest in the property to make a full, feature-length version. So I’d like to ask that if you’ve enjoyed Expendable, if you’d please blog about it, or send the link to a friend, or perhaps pick up a DVD. All these things help the process immensely — it only takes one single viewing by the right person to set unpredictable wheels in motion.
Check out: BUG
After Tuesday’s strip, a reader informed me of a product called BUG, which is apparently exactly what the character in the comic pined for — a modular, expandable, programmable personal device with wireless Internet built-in and a bevy of attachments available, from cameras to GPS trackers to LCD screens. It’s a start, but truth be told, what I really want is a Swiss Army phone with a tape measure all spooled up inside ready for me to occasionally need it. I am pretty easy to please.