Befree Posted November 12, 2014 Posted November 12, 2014 Hello, freedom fighters I've been trying to reinvent myself lately. And, a few weeks of that time, I had the brilliant idea of becoming a cartoonist. That would be a fun career! Right? Then I did some more research and realized that it's near impossible to make a living doing that kind of work. Anyways, I decided some of my comics where becoming dated and should see the light of day, rather than continue hiding on my hard drive. I'll post some of them. If you like them, leave a comment, and I'll post a few more. If you don't like them, I'm also eager to hear your opinions of the comics from my failed cartoonist career. Or if you would also like to post your work, i'd be very happy to see it. Thanks. I hope you enjoy them. 3
luxfelix Posted November 13, 2014 Posted November 13, 2014 I'm pretty sure I caught all the references, but the 4th one (space monkey) was the hardest one for me to understand (it's scatological humor, no?). Also, a few friends of mine started an online comic (and eventually other media) company, and they're looking for more talent. (I recently took a trip to New York Comic Con to help sell comics at their booth and I had a blast!) At the very least, I can e-mail introduce you since you two share career goals, if you'd like. 1
Brentb Posted November 13, 2014 Posted November 13, 2014 It may be difficult to get a job as a cartoonist, but you could just start your own website featuring your comics and sell advertising space, T-shirts, coffee mugs, etc. that feature your comics. Have you heard of Axecop? http://axecop.com/comic/episode-1/ Your comics in particular suggest a pretty bleak or dark outlook on life. They show a lot of talent though. If you keep at it, and study the craft and study comedy writing, you could make a great website if you really wanted to.
luxfelix Posted November 13, 2014 Posted November 13, 2014 It may be difficult to get a job as a cartoonist, but you could just start your own website featuring your comics and sell advertising space, T-shirts, coffee mugs, etc. that feature your comics. Have you heard of Axecop? http://axecop.com/comic/episode-1/ Your comics in particular suggest a pretty bleak or dark outlook on life. They show a lot of talent though. If you keep at it, and study the craft and study comedy writing, you could make a great website if you really wanted to. This is true too! Take a look at other webcomic sites (and talk to these folks too!) to see how they did it, copy the things you like about how their sites are set up (what are they doing that is successful?), and introduce your own style as well. I recommend Scott Ramsoomair's http://www.vgcats.com/ because he also has a specific niche (he's not the only one, but he seems to be doing well and you can see how far he's come since 2002...) and uses advertising, merchandising, etc. to support himself. He also attends conventions... I think this is important for just about any field since it gets you into contact with other professionals, and you can make a good impression on your fans. I'll just throw this idea out there too... http://existentialcomics.com/comic/53 (Corey Mohler also uses Patreon and uses this particular comic as a clever way to invite supporters). Also, @Brentb, thank you for introducing me to Axecop...!
Befree Posted November 13, 2014 Author Posted November 13, 2014 Thanks for your responses Luxfelix and Brentb. The career advice is very helpful. And thanks for those links; I’ll be checking them out. However, at this point, I don't think I have the wind in my sails to start a cartoonist career from scratch. I'm hoping they'll at least be a portfolio builder. I mainly wanted to share what I’ve created, with people who might be able appreciate them. Brentb you're right, my work is a little too dark. I should have had a dark comedy disclaimer or something. Sorry, to anybody who's day was darkened by my comics. That being said, here are a few more if your interested.
hannahbanana Posted November 13, 2014 Posted November 13, 2014 Great artwork! Do you have a deviantart account? It's a great way to share your work and talent with others, without the pressure of deadlines or anything.
Befree Posted November 13, 2014 Author Posted November 13, 2014 Great artwork! Do you have a deviantart account? It's a great way to share your work and talent with others, without the pressure of deadlines or anything. Thanks. No, do you think I should pursue that? I'll look into it.
hannahbanana Posted November 13, 2014 Posted November 13, 2014 Thanks. No, do you think I should pursue that? I'll look into it. I don't think it'd hurt to pursue it. It's a form of social media directed towards people posting art, videos, poetry, etc. If you want to get your work out there, I think that this would be a relatively pain-free option
Befree Posted November 17, 2014 Author Posted November 17, 2014 I don't think it'd hurt to pursue it. It's a form of social media directed towards people posting art, videos, poetry, etc. If you want to get your work out there, I think that this would be a relatively pain-free option I'm now officially a deviant. Thanks for the advice. http://ich-media.deviantart.com/gallery/
hannahbanana Posted November 18, 2014 Posted November 18, 2014 I'm now officially a deviant. Thanks for the advice. http://ich-media.deviantart.com/gallery/ looks awesome
TheAuger Posted November 20, 2014 Posted November 20, 2014 Really awesome work, befree -- excellent rendering and symbolism. Can you tell us a little bit about your technique? Are you using mainly PhotoShop? Your work reminds me of some of the work of David Dees, though he works mainly through PhotoShopped photographs, you both represent some of the same liberty-oriented, anti-statist themes. http://www.r-sw.com/custimages/dd395-2011%20(site).jpg http://www.deesillustration.com/artwork.asp?cat=satire
Befree Posted November 21, 2014 Author Posted November 21, 2014 Really awesome work, befree -- excellent rendering and symbolism. Can you tell us a little bit about your technique? Are you using mainly PhotoShop? Your work reminds me of some of the work of David Dees, though he works mainly through PhotoShopped photographs, you both represent some of the same liberty-oriented, anti-statist themes. http://www.r-sw.com/custimages/dd395-2011%20(site).jpg http://www.deesillustration.com/artwork.asp?cat=satire Thanks. I appreciate that. Yes, I use Photoshop. I’ve been trying to move out of paper and into the digital realm of the craft. Mainly I’ve been doing digital painting but I incorporate some photo manipulation. I’d probably do more photo manipulation if had access to more/better stock photography. I should probably join shutter stock or something. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen David Dees before, but his work looks familiar. I like his satirical style. I can relate. Thanks for pointing him out.
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