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Because of what I see, hear and gleanings from the Holy Spirit I think time is short - so us comickers in the Christian sphere may need to completely re-evaluate what we are really doing with comics, how we make comics and what the outcome is supposed to be.

I am slowly coming to the conclusion: THE MESSAGE MAY BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE ART.

BUT - Consider that THE ART IS PART OF THAT MESSAGE. And if your art fails to convey the message - then the actual message might be missed.

Marshal McLuhan made the quote, "The medium is the message"- I don't completely agree - since message can transcend the delivery mechanism - but I think his point was,  when you are sending your message, then the entire package and delivery is part of that message.

So what does this mean in practical terms of producing comics?Below are some thoughts - these are food for thought and can be discussed, disagreed with, altered, applied or not, as one sees fit.

1. Make your message (or the Message God has given you) clear, concise and succinct.

2. In order to save money and time deliver your comic DIGITAL FIRST and go to print only if demand is there. (There is still strong merits to the printed product - but the cost factors are potentially steep. If all else fails, it can become fire-starter.)

3. NAIL DOWN YOUR AUDIENCE SPECIFICALLY. Teens? Kids? Kids from ages 4-7? Young adults? If you try to get everyone, you won't reach anyone. If you focus, that means you only have to concentrate on getting your book to a select audience. It will also mean you can focus on making your work age appropriate.

To make life easy for yourself consider some of the following:

a. Avoid making giant universes with a bazillion characters. Nobody has time to invest in all the characters, and you don't have the time to create all the back-stories, histories and it will take forever for you to promote and try and get out there. Notable attempts at this: Valiant, and Ultraverse.

This goes back to being concise - focus your story*. I especially like stand alone issues when it comes to new characters or ideas - this means I can have a contained tale - and then pick up the next book when or if it comes out. Andi if it's done well, then re-reading is a joy. Al Hartleywas a master at this. I read and re-read his books - fast, sharp, to the point. His stories MOVED.

b. Make your core idea easy to understand.

c. IF you have an ongoing idea consider doing:

• one-shots, 24, 28, 36, 42 (usually a multiple of 4 - doesn't mean your pages have to be even)
• short stories (then compile them) 1-12 pages each story - combine when you reach 24 pages.
• or graphic novels, 64+ pages
• a mini-series (4-6 issues) or a maxi-series (7-12 issues).

By focusing on single stories, this will allow you to get your stuff out faster, give you more flexibility in execution, delivery, and will allow you to not get bogged down in a universe that you might have fallen in love with, but no one else cares. I think for the most part, in this day and age, the message is more important than our self made worlds. (This was a bitter pill for me to swallow once).

d. Really think hard about who you as an artist/creator are capable of reaching. You may really really really want to reach the Marvel/DC audience, but if you really look deep in your soul, and realize your drawing is better suited for 10 year old girls then adjust accordingly. OR you might really want to do kids stuff but all your work is darker and more edgy...you might want to alter your style or just go with the gut and do stuff for teen boys or young adults.

e. Get the people/children the Big Boys don't have. This means make comics for kids. Make them for women. Make them for the 10 year old girl who loves ponies. That means you can carve a niche for yourself where they aren't and you don't have to fight with two 70+ year old geezer behemoths who are ugly and decaying.

f. Make your books look nothing like the competition. It's the only way to get noticed.

*Focusing the story - now I have to be careful here. A lot of Christian comics (dare I say most) end up being like a bat over the head with their "preachiness". There is room for the Preachy comic - but do consider a way to get the point across without browbeating. Sometimes, if Christian, there might no be any "Bible Thumping" in the book, and it's just a good story - then do that to the best of your ability.

Fonts:

If you need fonts for your independent book consider Blambot -  lot's of freebies for independent books and paid ones too or Comicraft- paid fonts -prices vary - but prime fonts. I have bought fonts from both vendors, and have been thoroughly satisfied. DON'T USE COMIC SANS! At bare minimum go grab "Zud Juice",  "Anime Ace" or "Mighty Zeo 2.0"  from Blambot.

PRINT OPTIONS:

If you really want your book to be a tangible product consider using KA-BLAM or ComiXpress. These are Print On Demand services, and from what I can see is their prices are quite reasonable for small print runs.

If you need design, layout,  consultation or packaging help, I am available for a fee.

So, again: The Medium is the Message, and if your Medium is Comics - what is the message that you portray. And would you be willing to buy your own book?

CAVEAT:All of the above is for discussion - and if the Holy Spirit leads you to produce stick figures or rocks that talk, or whatever, DO IT.

That's all for now.

Martin