Thread "Another day another cancelled project" in forum "Comic Talk and General Discussion *"

Posted at 4:02PM, Feb. 25, 2019

If you see explanations as excuses then feel free to ignore me. Otherwise read me out:

In my comic "Jim and Shawn: Space Knights from the past" I had a character from a cartoonist I admire, Jollyjack, get killed off by a character exacting revenge. Unfortunately, since we're always learning, a part of my conscience/common sense didn't activate until I was a third way through production and realize something: as flatterying as my intentions aimed to be, how would *I* feel if my comic was subject to pandering to a movement I disliked yet followed only for the sake of adapting with the times/reprehensible peer pressure? Hell, a part of me didn't even WANT to make this comic yet those same hypocritically fascist forces that are past my control (despite picking on you for quitting something they were going to agressively pan anyway) forced me into this.

If anything I would STILL prefer to leave Jim and Shawn in the past if everything that I've been going through since April 2016 hasn't even begun to heal.

But eitherway I tried to gain Mr. JJ's consent, as belated as it was, and surprise surprise: he didn't respond (not that I blame him given the bs he's had to put up with since Brexit) after 2 days. So by default I took it as him not approving of my treatment of his character and decided to just scrap the whole project altogether so as to not misuse a cartoonist's work in any potentially vulgar, nor savage, manner (I'm not in 2013 - 2015 anymore, ffs).

As much as I'd love to show you the finished 20 pages, the completed comic story in the form of thumbnails, or even the concept art, personal consideration and common decency, if not rules and order, are more important to me than personal or social success as much as possible, even if I am, in a way, sacrificing freedom of expression. That's why I only showed as much of the finished project to him and no one else (hopefully). Just because I'm not a perfectionist (nor, tragically enough, a gentleman) doesn't mean I can't try to be a little bit more responsible with my work without taking into account other people's sensible accomodations.

So yeah, I'm sorry that I seem to have another shelved/abandoned project, but at least I'm failing better. XP

Posted at 5:02PM, Feb. 25, 2019

If you can't continue it or even show it, then just use your experience and practise with it to put into an even more awesome piece next time :)

- The person it's based on would most likely have loved it. Very, very few people disprove of that sort of thing. Popular people get thousands of messages a day and only some of them make it through, unless they're from friends or work colleges, so don't take that as an indication of anything.
If you want to get through to them then you should as their work or a friend maybe.

Posted at 5:02PM, Feb. 26, 2019

Thanks ozoneocean.

I mean I could've finished it, but everytime I make a manga style comic I basically adapt not only the style but the workflow for maximum authenticity: http://i.imgur.com/jFhnTgg.jpg and despite the fact the comic was only going to be 62 pages long, cover included, I also tried to incorporate European art styles into the mix such as Tank Girl and Tintin. And the harder I work the more coffee I need. The more coffee I need, the more guilt I feel. And the more guilt I feel the more I think about what I'm doing wrong until I resort to perfectionism to avoid mistakes of the past. (especially when it comes to bringing back characters I haven't made full length comics for in 5 whole years)

You ARE right, though: I did get something out of it in the sense that I am able to pay homage, if not completely harness, Moto Hagio's beautifully masterful aesthetic each time. (along with Jamie Hewlett's and Alberto Uderzo's) ^^