Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Initial Musings

Over the past decade or so I have been many things....Missionary, college student, writer, blogger, computer technician, bi-lingual help desk analyst, husband, Airman, weather forecaster, and more.  Over the past year or so, I begun working towards something I never had anticipated.  An author and illustrator of web comics.  
I began reading comics online just a few years ago, but they weren't really true "web comics."  The were your daily "funnies" from the newspaper in an online format.  It wasn't until I really started listening to the Writing Excuses podcast and discovered "Schlock Mercenary."  It was the first time that I can recall where I read a comic that came to existence online and continued until today.  Over the years I stumbled across other webcomics.  Usually through somebody sharing them on Facebook.  I developed a love for comics like Doghouse Diaries, Buttersafe, XKCD, Dr. McNinja , Real Life Comics, and more.  As I worked nights as an Air Force Forecaster in Hawaii, I read entire years worth of webcomics over a few weeks time.  It was an engaging medium of storytelling and art.  (More importantly it helped pass the time on long nights of good weather).

In 2012 or so, I began working with our squadron newsletter and in order to fill space, I took the rants and ravings of a very eccentric Technical Sergeant and transformed them into a comic called "The Hubstar."  It ran monthly for the remainder of my time with that unit.  During this time I saw how my comic developed over time and developed confidence in my own artistic abilities.  In the year or so since I posted these comics online, I've had over 20,000 hits.  I know it seems small compared to big named comics, but these were silly things I threw together with a punchline that would only make since to a small audience. 

In mid-2013, I decided to try and develop something new and original.  The brain-child of this was called "Crowded Void".  I got about 10 strips in before I had to change duty stations and go through a multitude of mandatory training.  I'm just now reaching the point where I can begin to focus on it once more.  

So why am I telling you this?  

First, it is 1AM on a Monday on an off night where I'm running off of residual traces of NOS, Bawls, and Mt. Dew which I consumed at a rather late hour.

Second, I want a place where I can ramble and write whatever I want to with regards to the development of my webcomic with the hope that by just writing, I'll be able get past the writer's block I have and get back to work on my comic.  

So there it is.  Hopefully someone reads this some day.  Better yet, go read my comics and tell your friends to like them.  

-MW

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