Hey there comic fans! Welcome back. Last time I did a bit of a review on “How To Make WebComics” by the Halfpixel.com collective, and I still can’t say it enough, if you’re doing a webcomic read this book first. This week I thought I’d focus on inspiration. If you’re the creative type and you draw, paint, write, create music or dance at some point you inevitably get asked something along the lines of “where do your ideas come from?” That’s always a bit of a tricky question to answer. Sometimes you just don’t know. Other times it may be that there were a bunch of things twirling about in your head and everything got blended together. And sometimes the muse stopped by for a chat. When I was younger I had a standard answer to the question. Whenever asked about where my ideas come from I would reply that I had purchased the idea from “The Idea Store”, a secret outlet know only to a select few, where you could purchase any idea. There were variations on this theme, sometimes I would get really detailed talking about famous ideas that had been purchased there, perhaps Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, the seatbelt, or bread. Anything to flesh it out a bit.
Getting older I try not to be so glib. People are genuinely curious and so I try to give them the best answer I can. I point to the world surrounding us and explain that I take what I see and filter it through my brain. Or perhaps filter isn’t the right word. I often think the only difference between “creative people” and “non-creative people” is that “creative people” lack or ignore a filter. There’s a certain degree of free association involved in idea development. The degree varies, but I think it’s always there. Now here’s where the filter goes away: that inner voice that shoots down the idea before it comes out of your mouth or through your pencil or whatever? You know, the one that says, “That’s stupid”, or “That won’t work” or “now one will like that”. The “creative person” either ignores that voice or doesn’t have it. Speaking for myself, that voice is there I just choose to ignore it.
Although I’ve become more straightforward in discussing where ideas come from with those who ask the question, the storyteller side of me has never quite stopped turning this one over. “Misadventures of a Comic Fan” is where that thought process has led me. It’s my creative way of answering “where do your ideas come from?” The idea for the story comes from several places. I’ve always been interested in Einstein’s Theories of Relativity. I even went so far as to create an artwork I titled “Einstein’s Theory of Aesthetic Relativity (Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder)”. Looking back I’m somewhat dissatisfied with the end result, but it came from that place. Anyway reading about Einstein led to reading Stephen Hawking’s “A Brief History Of Time” and a few other books dealing with Quantum Physics. After my brain uncramped and I was sure that my misunderstanding was complete I started applying my thoughts on the subject to the world around me. It still feels as though I might be able to reach out grab reality between my fingers and pull it apart. I frequently wonder what would be visible between the torn edges. And that is where “Misadventures of a Comic Fan” started.
Before I go I’ll give you a brief update on the publishing front. Although I’m still seeking a publisher, I’ve decided to look into the cost of self publishing and have contacted a few printers to see what the cost would be. I haven’t heard back yet, and I’m not sure that’s the path I’m going to take, but I figured it was worth a look.
Anyway, that’s it for this week. See you next time Comic Fans!
Dave
