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As I prepare to draw Episode 4 of my webcomic, (called Oliver Pitt, for the uninitiated,) my brain is still on Christmas vacation. Specifically, I’m remembering with fondness how much I enjoyed the YThe Last Man hardcover collection my sister gave me. And now, as the visions of sugarplums fade from my dreams, and remember the chapters from Marvel: The Untold Story I used to endure the 3 hour commute home, earlier today. The contrast between Brian K. Vaughn’s dystopian fantasy and the reality of Marvel Comics’s rocky history is startling.

I realize one is just entertainment, while the other is, well, “that’s life”. But, since 2002 (when Spider-man came out,) and I first learned the story of Stan Lee joining Marvel at 15, and revolutionizing comics as we know it, I pictured a glamorous ending of “and Marvel lives happily ever after”. It wouldn’t be long until I learned how many artists resented Stan: for not respecting their creative rights, for not giving them due credit, and for towing the company line; (Marvel was, after all, owned by Stan’s uncle, Martin Goodman.)

But why should this haunt me, a humble web cartoonist? Don’t I have control over my destiny?

Well, no, I don’t. No one does. Even in a world of Kickstarter success stories and accessible web marketing tools, I walk in the shadow of the comic legends before me: like Jack Kirby and Stan Lee, and, as the comic below commemorates, Brian K. Vaughn. The writer of great comics, like SagaPride of Baghdad, and Y: The Last Man, also seems to taunt me. Like Ebenezer’s last ghost, he points at his resume in stony silence, like its my gravestone.

So I’ll never be Brian K. Vaughn. And, you know what? That’s okay! It’s time to embrace my inner child, lull him into a false sense of security, and gently snap his neck. My comics don’t need to reference the halcyon days of Marvel’s golden age, nor do they need to deconstruct race, gender, and politics in every panel. These aren’t ghosts to fear, because the more I consume, the more I learn what works and how to take things to the next level. Kinda like Pacman.

Speaking of cute little circular characters, I hope you can check out my talking olive comic, in its current home at Webtoons.com. Its currently in a webcomics contest, and, if enough of you rate my comic a “10”, I could win $30,000 and get the comic featured as a bi-weekly series on their site. For an amateur such as myself, that would be quite a blessing.

And, as a bonus, it wouldn’t be the last time you see “Y: The Last Yam”!

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Comments

  • Thanks for your compliments, and for the suggestion! I've actually rethought a lot of my direction with it, and Squirt is definitely getting a bigger focus. Unfortunately, it looks like you do need to be on some kind of social media to vote... I did some investigating and it looks like "Line", the company behind Webtoons.com, is creates a lot of social based apps for phones, so maybe they benefit from that info. Seems like an unnecessary hassle, so, I'd forgive you if you didn't vote. If you shared with people who do use social media, that might be even better!

    FYI, your Abalon comic is on my queue of comics to read! As you can see in "Oliver", I love the anthro-angle, and the combination of history and fantasy has always been up my alley. Can't wait to dive into it, and I'll be sure to return the favor in giving creative feedback!
  •    Looked over the first three pages of Oliver Pitt; what a creative concept! It would be nice to give Squirt another page or two of intro before he meets Oliver, but I like them both already.

    Is there a way to vote for your strip without having a social media link?

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