Howdy Brave Being,
Welcome back, dear readers, to A Matter of Fiction. It’s been a matter of silence lately—meaning, it’s been a while since my last update. I’ve been mad busy with work and life that I haven’t had time to spare. From prepping the yard for winter to designing a mother-in-law apartment for my mom and building an IKEA kitchen with my husband, I’ve had a ton on my plate. But now we’re here, so let’s hop to it.
What I’m Working On
The absolutely bonkers comic I’ve been working on with Jack Van Thomme is complete! It’s the one for Fugitive Poems’ comics anthology, CONTAINMENT BREACH Vol. 3, which is headed to Kickstarter early next year. Here’s a preview as an early Christmas present!
It’s called Uprooted and it’s an absurd slice of life tale featuring weird horror that’s wrapped up with meaningful messages. Think Little Miss Sunshine meets Harry and the Hendersons.
Jack is killing it on the art side of things, as you can tell, and he has also been writing with me! We’ve had an absolute blast with it. We’re basically making comics jazz, and we’re lucky to work with our stalwart editor Christian De Matteo, who has been so on-point about amplifying our story to the next level, challenging us to balance everything we want to accomplish and reminding us of little and big things when we go off the rails. Jack and I are so excited, so Christian’s been like our calm, collected comics big brother (who’s also excitable) but keeps us focused.
Something else that’s been at the top of my to-do list is editing. I’ve been editing so many comic book scripts lately, and proofreading letters of course. I’ve worked with a several new clients and repeat ones as well. Not too long ago, I wrapped up developmental editing on the final installment of Jason Inman’s SUPER BEST FRIEND, also coming to Kickstarter early next year. Sign up below so you don’t miss launch day!
I have also kicked off editing a new comic with MIRANDA IN THE MAELSTROM writer Riley Biehl. Mum’s the word thus far but keep your eyes peeled for more on that. I’ve also had the pleasure of working with writer Boris Hartl on a slice of life short about food and memories, which is turning out to be absolutely gorgeous thanks to Boris’ thoughtful character development and artist Steph C.’s line art. I’ve been working with other creators, too, that I’m stoked about but can’t talk about it all yet.
Year in Review
As per this time of year, I tend to look back on things I’ve done and accomplished, like:
Ran a crowdfunding campaign: DEAD DREAMS: THE LUCID CHRONICLES #1.
Attended Emerald City Comic Con for the first time in three years.
Worked with 12 editing clients—nine of which were new, three repeat.
Accepted into the Containment Breach, vol. 3 anthology.
Published BURN THE BREEZE for free (see below).
Joined the Second Rocket Comics crew.
Published 20 newsletters (counting this one).
That about sums up my comics-related accomplishments. I was also lucky enough to travel this year after many years of not traveling, which included going to Europe and the East Coast for some wondrous weddings to celebrate friends and family who are embarking on new journeys.
Speaking of journeys, my husband, Ross, had never been to Disneyland and an opportunity arose that we seized! Our good friend Marie was working down in LA so we joined her at California Adventure followed by Disneyland. There, we experienced the magic of all the original attractions and successfully found the perfect ears for each of us. One of our favorite experiences was Rise of the Resistance—a completely immersive Star Wars ride that makes you feel like you’re in the films! Here are a few action shots from our time there:
As I look ahead to the next year, it’s a bit of an unknown. I’ve been taking time to reflect and I’m not sure what comes next. I may be tackling the next issue of DEAD DREAMS, which will require a new line artist and revisiting the script. It’s about five years old, and to be honest, I was a different person, or rather a different writer, back then and I’m feeling a bit far away from it.
Twitter has also changed—in terms of who owns it—and that shift has altered the way I interact with it. I’ve been generally overwhelmed by social media, so opting for more silence online has been a priority. It’s simultaneously an amazing space to connect with friends, family, and all the wonderful people in the comics industry. I suppose it’s all a balance really!
Tips & Tricks of the Trade
I’d like to talk about the highs and lows of crowdfunding, since it was such a big part of this year for me, and really a decent part of my life the past couple years (and there are tips in here I swear).
Low: Crowdfunding can be a total bust.
In March 2020, my co-creator Heather Ayres and I launched an ambitious anthology at the start of the pandemic in the U.S. We didn’t hit the goal so it felt like a bust, but we took it in stride and decided to submit the stories elsewhere.
In October 2021, I contributed a short comic called BURN THE BREEZE to the Western anthology OFF INTO THE SUNSET. The Kickstarter campaign for it, which was run by editor Brentt Harshman, raised over $20,000 and it was released digitally to backers earlier this year. However, there has been a major change in course. To sum it up, Brentt has had difficulty fulfilling the physical rewards and has been rolling out refunds. In response, all the creators published their comics on Twitter to get our stories out there, including me and my team.
If you missed it, there’s some great coverage over at POPVERSE that details how things went down and they’ve collected a clutch of stories that were shared. Sharing these stories was a light at the end of the tunnel. Still, the impetus was heartbreaking for not only the backers, but also the creators and Brentt.
Brentt revealed in a Kickstarter update that he had fallen under hard times, relying on the backer money for personal needs and admitted to his dishonesty about it all. I personally reached out offering assistance but hadn’t heard from him until recently. He was very apologetic and I can imagine it’s been a rollercoaster of emotions for him.
The thing about crowdfunding is that it is incredibly difficult and utterly-all-life-consuming. Running a campaign is equivalent to running a small business (often times alone), learning as you go and making mistakes along the way. It’s also a part- if not full-time job done at night and in the early hours of the morning for most creators who are juggling full-time day jobs. I’m speaking from experience. I worked many long days for months to crowdfund DEAD DREAMS, planning every single detail to a tee. Then, after everything was fulfilled, I learned that my campaign funds didn’t actually cover everything. Thankfully, Zoop covered the losses, which weren’t much, but it’s still bonkers that you cannot account for every bump in the road no matter how much you plan. It’s all a learning experience, I suppose like life.
High: Crowdfunding can be a total success!
In March 2022, I debuted DEAD DREAMS as a crowdfunding endeavor. After months of prep and a month-long campaign, it was not only funded thanks to our 154 supporters, but also fulfilled by the dedicated crew at Zoop! Part of the deal with Zoop was that they’d take 25% of the funds raised to fulfill it, and it was 100% worth it. Any time you can get help with the crowdfunding process, I highly recommend taking it. Or even better, ask for help. You may be surprised by the results.
It took LOADS of people to get this book to print (and I asked a lot of people for help), and one of my favorite parts (besides holding my book in the physical world) was that I was able to share some of my overstock with the creators and fellow friends at ECCC. It was absolutely unreal! Some readers have also expressed that they want more, and that’s been lovely to hear. It has all been a humbling experience and one that feels successful overall.
Things I’m Digging
I’ve purchased a lot of comics this year, many crowdfunded books and loads of single issues, so I’m in desperate need of a new storage system. I’ve been slowly getting through my reading pile, too, some of which are below:
Azza the Barbed - From Pat Shand and Rio Burton, Azza the Barbed is a wonderful fantasy replete with otherworldly places and a mystery that is paying off in the first three issues that I’ve read.
Deadliest Bouquet - I love this series by Erica Schultz, Carola Borelli, Gab Contreras, and Adriana Melo because it’s about three sisters—who are investigating their mother’s murder—and it’s so realistic in the way it portrays sibling relationships. It also reminds me of Charmed, a show I miss.
End After End - This time last year, I interviewed creators DB Andry, Tim Daniel and Sunando C. about their war-fantasy that’s Willow meets Saving Private Ryan, and with four issues out, I can’t get enough of it.
Nature’s Labyrinth - Think Battle Royale but with the most dangerous people on Earth. Zac Thompson and Bayleigh Underwood are bringing their all to this series and it’s quite satisfying.
Merry Musings
Have you heard about the Celtic Omen Days? I’ve just learned about it from from Asia Suler that these Omen Days mark the period of time falling between the end of one year and the beginning of the next, specifically December 26-January 6. It’s a time of meditation, connecting to nature, and reading omens. It’s all quite mystical and lovely. Regarding these particular days, Suler said, “They’re a liminal space—where you aren’t quite done with the previous year, but the new cycle has yet to begin.”
I can certainly relate to that feeling of being in-between, having taken some time to be reflect on what has been, while pondering what’s ahead. For now, I’m going to enjoy the silence, and I hope you do too.
As always, thanks for reading!
Mercy buckets,
Brittany