Staying in the Ring

Issue 212

Hello!

I’ll be honest, it’s been a rough couple of weeks. At the risk of ruining the Friday vibes I’m going to dip my toe into some vulnerability.

A combination of personal life struggles and curveballs (the kind you might hear grandpa talk about back before he had electricity and after his favorite horse died) and current events (domestic and abroad, take your pick) has just about knocked me out. I found myself wanting to call my mom and just talk to her, which would’ve helped except she’s been up in heaven since about 2019. (Makes it very hard to reach her.)

So, instead all that emotion accumulated until a critical mass of anxiety bubbled up out of me, causing me to cry at the dinner table one night. My wife and kids froze in horror quietly assessing if this was dad’s final breaking point. I pulled it together pretty quick, mostly because I didn’t want to traumatize the kids or worse, ruin our after-dinner tradition of watching Daily Dose of Internet together.

Luckily, I have a few go-to’s when life insists on going more rounds with you in the ring. Since mom’s not available I have the next best thing: my sisters. They’re the closest thing in my life that resemble the wit, pragmatism, and voice of my mom. A call with either of them tends to clear up dark skies.

I try not to be too much of a drag on my wife (she’s juggling the same struggles too), but darn it, if she isn’t the best person to talk things out with. She balances good sense with empathy. She’ll hug you, wipe the blood off your mouth, and then shove you back into the ring feeling like you can take on that Russian guy from Rocky IV.

You might know I’m a man of faith and I’ve been spending a lot of time on my knees. I find that checking in with the Creator (my favorite title for God) a few times a day tends to re-center me, and keep me focused on what really matters.

My last go-to has and will always be creativity. When it gets rough, I double down on making stuff. When I finish a particularly challenging project I literally get so much serotonin flowing through me my hands start to shake. The feeling is incredible.

After all of that, I felt so much better, like I could go another 12 rounds.

There just seems to be this low hum of anxiety in the air, a malaise that’s gnawing at all of us. I guess that’s why I wrote this today. If you’re feeling it, call family, text friends, check in with God, and instead of letting darkness consume you, go make something.

Alright, lots to share today so…let’s jump into it!

STAYING IN THE LOOP:

• 🎥Latest JP Video: Does Location Matter For Artists?

• 📼Latest SVS Video: Signs You Can Make Money as an Illustrator

• 🎙️3PP Podcast: The Hidden Mistakes Killing Your Illustration Progress

• 🎙️3PP Podcast: Illustrators React to Google's Storybook AI

From the Making Comics Division

Somehow I got accepted to the NYCC Artist Alley which is not easy to get into. The show is coming up in October 9-12 and I wanted to have something brand new and exclusive for it. It dawned on me that I had a perfectly good comic story nestled in the pages of the Robots book that could be extracted and polished and made into a cool little staple bound One-Shot.

If you’re thinking about going to the show, get your tickets! NYCC is one of my favorite shows and it’s been ages since I’ve been there. 2019 was the last time!

I’ll have an exclusive new book for sale: Rux Rider in Deadman’s Backup! A sci-fi/noir detective story.

Here’s a blurb:

In an intergalactic city where neon lights cast longer shadows than its star, private eye Rux Ryder takes the cases too strange for the cops. When a powerful tycoon dies in a run-in with a robot and his wife is framed for the crime, Ryder is dragged into a circuitboard of lies, titanium, and paranoia. To clear her name, he’ll have to outwit killers both human and machine, and confront what it really means to be alive.

If you like how that sounds you’ll really dig it.

$15

I printed 100 of them. Signed, numbered.

Any left over will go in my shop.

From the Cultural Archives Concern

These colorful costumes shot by Spanish photographer Julio Sacristan stopped me in my tracks. The creativity on display is undeniable. These were made for Vodun Day, an annual holiday celebrating the culture and spirituality of Benin.

Jilo’s Instagram: LINK (More great photos from around the world)

From the Department for Outdated Tech

Here’s a few images from my morgue files to remind you of what we lost. Remember when handheld tech looked cool instead of like this:

We could go back to knobs, dials, LCD screens, and buttons. Nothing says we have to have everything be touch screen. If there’s any product designers for tech that are reading this, I implore you to consider pushing things back to the tactile and deliberate, creating tech that feels human again instead of making us adapt to cold, frictionless screens.

From the Illustrators Division

I want to get lost in the story for each of these illustrations. Or is there a connected meta story happening in between all of these? This are just six of the dzens and dozens of illustrations I had to choose from by artist Migamiga. One thing I love going on here is there doesn’t seem to be a filter for any of these ideas. It seems like Migamiga gets an idea and just executes, no hemming, hawing, or second guessing.

Instagram: LINK

X: LINK

From the Inspirational Thought Unit

Tag yourself:

(By @shencomix)

Saw this and thought it pretty much depicts me (I’m the world building guy.) For us single focus disciplined writers it seems like you’ve got two paths if you ever want to make something great: learn the other discipline, or find a partner.

If you’re a world builder, maybe it’s time to learn character. If you’re a plot architect, maybe it’s time to build a world. That second skill doesn’t just complement: it elevates.

Even if you master both, find someone you can bounce your ideas off with. Some of the greatest works in fiction were made that way Think of Tokien and Lewis, Kirby and Lee, Miyazaki and Takahata, etc.

Ask yourself: what’s your missing half, and how do you fill it?

That's all for now. Thank you for reading this newsletter and hope you have a great weekend!

-Jake

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