By
Ed Wiens, creator of GLitcH! computer comics, February, 2009
Life
AFTER comics? Is there such a thing?
Well, ... yes. As it turns out there is.
In 2002, I was running into a crossroads
of sorts. On the one hand, I enjoyed the minor success that
I'd had with GLitcH!, however my two sons were not babies any
more and my family required more of my time. As well, my work
at my day-job had gotten busier and somewhat chaotic due to
an office move, new manager and new challenges.
My GLitcH!
project had run into some real problems once I got into the
self-publishing business. Essentially, I went with a distributor
out of Toronto who, in turn, worked with a major distributor
in Canada who promptly went bankrupt and I spent the next year
trying to get my books back. I'd spent way too much time, money
and worry on this project, and it showed in my other cartoon
business dealings. I wasn't able to keep on top of my existing
contracts and slowly one, after another, they came to an end.
Again, I
wasn't too opposed to this because it meant my long days of
drawing, writing, scanning, etc. were coming to an end. Financially,
we were in better shape as well, so it wasn't as much of a
necessity. Now, I only had to concern myself with family and
my 8:15 to 4:30 job. I'd discovered that I was really lacking
in the sales and marketing end of my business. I could easily
have spent all my time only trying to market my feature, but
then wouldn't have any time to actually create it!
But, the
lingering thought was still out there. GLitcH! had been a lot
of fun. It was something I produced entirely by myself and
had taken me to places I couldn't have gotten before. It had
become a business and, although it didn't make me financially
independent, it HAD helped a great deal in difficult times.
Being a published cartoonist is what made me stand out. It
was something I was proud of and, to some degree, it was, in
part, what defined me.
Now, never
mind the fact that I was a professional designer who had developed
graphics for entirely new major museums and exhibits in Alberta,
Canada. Oh, no, that really didn't seem to matter to anyone.
But draw a couple of funny pictures and make them say humorous
things and you become a minor (very minor) celebrity. My overly
analytical mind tells me that this has something to do with
simplification -- it's just easier for others to mentally envision
"cartoonist" rather than "graphic designer working print, exhibits,
multimedia and the web."
Actually,
I have a recent example of this where I was asked to create
a characture of our departmental minister. I drew it and it
was framed and given to him. Apparently, he and his staff really
liked it. A while later, I was up at his office and no one
knew anything about me until someone piped up to say, "You're
the CHARACTURE guy!" Yes, I was saying in my mind, also the
guy who designed all of these museums, exhibits, computer interact,
... oh, forget it. Right, I'm the CHARACTURE GUY, formerly
I was the CARTOON GUY.
So, now that
I wasn't producing GLitcH! anymore did that mean I was no longer
a cartoonist?
No. Because
I still draw cartoons. Just not as often. Or of the same style.
Or, because I have a deadline to meet.
Truthfully,
I've really enjoyed my time since then in which I've NOT been
drawing GLitcH! but, I'll tell you, at first it seemed like
I was ignoring an old friend. Really. I'd been listening to
the various conversations from my strip for so long (okay,
I was writing them or "developing" them, but it seemed at times
like I just was sitting back and writing down what they said),
that it seemed odd that I wasn't involved any more. It was
like being part of a coffee club that meets on a regular basis
for years, then suddenly ends.
(Wow, I should
be laying on a psychiatrist's couch when I start talking about
this stuff!).
So, you ask,
what have you been doing since you haven't been drawing GLitcH!?
Glad you
asked. I've been having a wonderful time with my wife and two
boys. Of course, this doesn't mean we're holding hands and
running through the alps singing like in "The Sound of Music"
all the time. (We only do that when my mom comes to visit who
demands that the kids sing a song for her.) But family life
is great. And, the best part is that I'm more involved with
my family rather than hearing what's going on in another room
while I'm slumped over my light table trying to finish up my
latest strip.
I've also
become a lot more busy in my own freelance graphic design work.
I took on a couple of graphic design jobs and really enjoyed
getting the odd cheque for a couple of hundred dollars or even
a couple of thousand (on the rare occasion) instead of a cheque
for $35.00 or $75.00 for comics). My old boss used to tease
me about my cartoon work being just enough to pay for my addiction
to Tim Horton's coffee and doughnuts.
Work at my
day job has also continued to be more chaotic, involved, and
interesting. I've moved from being more of a graphic designer
to a multimedia developer creating computer interactive displays
for some of our museums. I've also become the main person for
web development for an entire network of historic sites and
museums (don't look at this website as an example of my web
skills -- I know, I know, it needs to be redesigned to look
like something from THIS millenium). So, I've become extremely
proficient in Adobe Flash, Adobe Director and Apple Logic Pro
for creating my own music backgrounds. I'm also currently learning
video editing and am furthering my skills in 3D computer illustration.
(Yes, my brain is working overtime with the possibilities of
what I can do with these skills!).
An interesting
thing has happened though in the last year (that would be 2008
at the time of writing): I was contacted by a large software
developer who wanted to use the GLitcH! character for advertising
and promotions. For some reason, software companies have a
hard time standing out from the others in their promotions.
GLitcH! -- devious as he is -- might work as a type of mascot
to bring a more personable, and humorous touch to this company.
In some ways, GLitcH! might be an ANTI-MASCOT which works more
like the bugs in a RAID commercial, by making the product look
good by providing a counterpoint and actually works AGAINST
the product (and then fails).
This collaboration,
unfortunately, did not come together and the company went on
to pursue some other direction. BUT, it raises the possibilities
of using a trademarked character such as GLitcH! for helping
to promote a technology company.
So, GLitcH!
is in the process of a slight redesign. I am actually planning
a makeover and will slowly start to reintroduce it at some
point. I kind of doubt if it will be back in the newspaper
type of strip though.
The point
of this article is, I guess, that life goes on. And, in fact,
it goes on even better than before. And where it's going on
TO, well, we don't know, but it might be an even better place.
So, letting go of the past victories is an important step (okay,
I'm not entirely letting go, since I'm keeping GLitcH! in my
back pocket for some yet, undisclosed licensing deal!). But
I'm definitely not living in the past and telling everyone
I meet, "I used to be somebody! I used to be a CARTOONIST!
(got any spare change?).
But, seriously,
I'm taking everything I've learned so far and am applying it
to yet other creative endeavours. I think to be persistent
is probably the most necessary thing for a creative person.
There are undiscovered places to conquer, there are mountains
to climb (scratch that, I wrecked my knees last time I
tried to climb a mountain), there are, you know, new things
to learn and do.
So, if you're
a CARTOON guy (or gal) and it's not working out, keep on --
keep at it. As I've said before, if it doesn't pan out the
way you thought or wanted, try to step back and look at everything
you learned along the way. These experiences might be just
the prerequisite for your next creative direction.
Ed Wiens
