“Doin’ it again!” that’s right. Gav Heryng is still coloring Gang Trouble, going strong.
I’m preparing for an out-of-town convention this week so today’s update is short. I’d love to hear some feedback from you guys– either in the comments below or in my email at karis@karisplayground.com. Let me know what you’re enjoying about the site, or what other things you’d like to see!
Just spoke with Gav Heryng, the colorist for Gang Trouble– should have four coloured pages by this weekend! I’m very excited that this project is finally coming together!
Gang Trouble is a project that has taught me a lot. At only twelve pages, (half the size of a standard comic book) I expected things to go quickly and smoothly as it was not as big a project as a full-blown book. And yet, wow! No project is without its obstacles.
I’ve learned a lot over the years in dealing with artists, communicating and realizing what works and what doesn’t. I think I’m going to put together a “Karis Guide” to commissioning artists based on those experiences, and post it to help folks figure out what to expect (and what to watch out for!) when commissioning artists.
In the Furry community, Art is King: This means we cut waaaaay more slack for bad behaviour than we otherwise might in other situations. This has a curious effect: It keeps things on a more personable level, but it also makes things personal: Thus, when an artist doesn’t deliver, it goes to a place of personal affront than a place of simple business practices.
I feel that we need to improve our expectations of art transactions; I’ve seen this from both sides of the artist/commissioner relationship– Artists are now posting their TOS (Terms of Service) actively on their pages as a way of communicating expectations to future clients, due to having been burned in the past– it should also behoove a commissioner to clearly express what their expectations are of the artist. Above all else, a commissioner should be ready to walk away if those expectations cannot be met.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve loved someone’s art only to find they are absolutely horrible when it came down to working with them; the quality I had seen in their finished work did not in any way reflect their work ethic, personality, or ability to deliver. And though I craved that final product, I had to force myself to be okay with walking away.
It’s my hope that we can take our current “I’ll do anything for art” mindset and improve it to where we as clients can set boundaries for what is acceptable to us and stick to them, just as the artists are doing for their client boundaries.
It’s food for thought, to be sure; I’ll noodle around the idea of the Karis Guide some more and will post when I have something concrete.
All the best,
Karis
So I said I was going to update on Wednesdays, but I got it into my head that I would only do that once a month. Then someone messaged me asking where the update was– and while I explained that it would only be once a month, it made me think:
What’s wrong with writing something– connecting with my readers– every week? I may not have full, complete comic pages every single week but it is still worth it to take the time to say “Hi” and “here’s what’s going on” to everyone who cares to listen!
It’s also good practice to keep the Playground current, living, breathing– and as I said above, CONNECTING with each other.
This week, I received a gorgeous full-color cover from talented artist William Blankenship (@MadCapComics on Twitter) for the group-funded comic, “Gang Trouble.”
I had to hire a new colorist for the project as the last one had RL job conflicts with his time– isn’t that always how it seems to go? But the new colorist, Gav Heryng, has done work for me before and I think he’s going to be a great asset to the project!
Gang Trouble has been a learning experience, for sure, and I want to thank all the fabulous people who funded it for their patience as it is completed– and completed the RIGHT way, with the RIGHT people, to the highest quality possible.
Patrons at the $10 mark and above get to see the entire cover’s original art before the title was added! Sneak preview! http://patreon.com/karisplayground
And to the person who messaged me asking about updates, thank you. You cared enough to ask, and you inspired me to do more.
–Karis
Seifer and I were up to our usual storytelling shenanigans when it occurred to us that we should really start sharing our characters, Seifer the Jaguar and Jaz the Biker Mouse, with the world.
We hit upon a setting: a small, rural town in the 1950’s, and big, wide open spaces of an entire county for teenage boys to get up to no good in.
Naturally, of course, they still wet their pants.. are they going to grow out of it? Signs point to no!
So come and join us as we explore the shenanigans of the Bad Boys of Brixton County!
Hi, Playgrounders!
Today, Roleplaying Buddies, a comic about two teenage gaming nerds, comes to the Playground. I have occasionally put up pages of it hither and yon, but now for the first time it will be up on this site, navigable like my other fine comics! And what’s better– it will update EVERY FRIDAY! So go check out Roleplaying Buddies today!
