Making this Comic 13 Years Ago Changed Me
The album art-style “Heavy Mettle” featuring Pick, Crunchy, Foam Daemon, and Battle Axe Bill was on a few merch items back in the day.
13 years ago I started the web comic Art Geek Zoo: The Way of Sound. Taking note of this because I think it's fun to remember how much that project gave me. Also it's a chance to share a few comics.
This is more of an anniversary article than a retrospective.
Some highlights though: I learned a lot. Making that comic from February of 2008 to about October of 2011 had so many impacts on my life and ran along side other life events.
How one project can be connected to so much for me personally and professionally.
I was creatively stuck in so many ways at the start of this project. This comic was my library to study in and my workout gym to grow stronger emotionally and creatively. It helped me practice:
- episodic dramatic reveal driven storytelling
- layout, drawing, lettering, coloring comics pages
- collaborating with a writer for about 20 episodes
- creative discipline to work around and past my own hang-ups
- product development
- merchandising, marketing, and sales
- connecting with multiple communities of comics artists online and locally
- multiple styles of drawing and various digital and analog tools
Before Art Geek Zoo, I wasn't using social networks. There's a decent chance that you connected with me on a social network in some way related to Art Geek Zoo. It was because of that project I connected with the Art & Story community and eventually started Lean Into Art with Jerzy Drozd.
Look at this, here I've been retrospective-ing.
Free e-Book to Celebrate
To celebrate this project that helped me grow, you can get the PDF e-book of Art Geek Zoo: Hidden Talent for free using this discount code infused link now through March 2021.
Front cover of the AGZ book