Metal books are here! Remaining packages shipping soon. And Book 4 progress!
about 2 years ago – Tue, Aug 30, 2022 at 04:41:49 PM

Shiny is better

Excellent news, I just received the metal covered books! I'll put together and ship the remaining packages over the next week. There are a few backers with extra add ons or who need a book replaced, those will go out at the same time. Fulfillment for the Book 3 campaign will then be done, with the last remaining item the cameo prints pledged during the Creator's Edition camapign. 

Making more weird stuff

Meanwhile, we're making great progress with By the Time I Get to Dallas #4! Primary pencils are done and we're working on edits, inks and the main cover. I'm not sure when I'll launch this one, we're in a groove and I want to keep the creative process going without the distraction of crowdfunding just yet. I still need to write the next Trinity Project, and I'd like to even get art going on Dallas #5 if I can get the script in shape. But I'd imagine #4 will hit Kickstarter near the end of 2023. Can't wait to share it! 

Colin

The books are here so now I'm going to send them to you.
over 2 years ago – Thu, Jul 07, 2022 at 04:05:45 PM

Finally, an easy update in which, like an actual comics writer, I can let the pictures do the talking. Your books will hit the mail over the next week, with the exception of tiers with metal covers. Metal books will take a few more weeks, they are being forged like in the Mandalorian. 

Let me give one more heartfelt thank you to all the talented artists who made these beautiful things. And again my humble thanks to you, the backers who joined us to make this project possible. 

When you get your books please let me know what you think, we'd love to hear from you! 

And stay tuned for updates on #4, underway as we speak! 

Colin

Books printed! Time to charge cards!
over 2 years ago – Wed, Jun 22, 2022 at 02:13:35 AM

Finally! 

Good news, By the time I Get to Dallas #3 is on its way to me on a pallet from the printer. Not sure when it will arrive, and when it does I have to go pick it up, break it down, haul it home, back and board the books, pack the mailers, print labels, and take it all to the post office. The shipping process takes me a few weeks but not as long as printing the books. Speciality tiers with metal covers will take longer. So all you need to know right now is I'll be charging your cards for any outstanding balances on Friday morning. A few of you asked be notified before the charge goes through so that's what this is. I'll let you know when I have the book in hand! 

CD

PS I haven't forgotten Early Bird postcards, they are addressed, been waiting until I had good news to write on them but I'll get them going as well. 

Black Eyes! And Feathers in My Cap!!
over 2 years ago – Sat, Jun 18, 2022 at 07:48:00 PM

Sometimes when I’m not sure what the hell I’m supposed to be doing in life I think of the scene in Joseph Heller’s Catch 22 when the hapless Colonel Cathcart sits down with pencil and paper to determine where he stands in the world by listing “Black Eyes!” And “Feathers in My Cap!” When something negative happens to me I occasionally mutter “black eye!” under my breath, and Ethel will ignore it. It’s been a hard few months with this project so it’s a good time for Cathcart’s exercise. And much like in the book, some items end up on both lists.

Black Eyes!!!

1. By the Time I Get to Dallas #3 has been stuck at the printer for over four months waiting for the right kinds of paper to come in. (The digital products went out months ago, let me know if you haven't seen it or need a new link. ) There is a global paper supply crunch and it turns out indie comics are fairly low on the list of printing priorities. This is not life or death, it’s just a comic book, but I hate holding onto money from people and not being able to send them what they paid for. I think we’ve had a breakthrough on the paper, there will be a gloss interior paper instead of the dull finish of previous books, I bet no one will notice but me, and who knows it might be better. When I have books to deliver I’ll let you know.
2. I’ve needed to find a new penciler for the second half of the series. This one hurts a lot. The wonderful Juanfran Moyano has been with me since the very beginning of this project; I found him on Reddit back in 2014 when I was a noob with nothing but a first script and a bad pitch. His natural feel for the characters made this book really stand out. When I started looking for artists I never expected to find one half as good as Juanfran. I can’t emphasize enough how much Juanfran taught me and how patient he was as I went through considerable growing pains of a first time comics writer. I’m so proud of all the work we’ve done together. But Juanfran, after drawing the first three books of the series and many other projects, has decided to step away from comics. So here I am half way through the series and starting over.
3. I feel the books have been excellent, but I want them to be better. I especially want to make sure that the Dallas and Trinity Project stories will intertwine and finish as a cohesive, satisfying story. I have plans on how to do that, but it’s a tough writing trick, getting the two plots to work and time up with the right beats happening in each book. The first half of the story was easy in some ways, but the second half is a more of a technical challenge that I’ve been nervous about. Did I mention I’ve never done this stuff before?
4. Kickstarter. It is a powerful community that allows me to produce a high quality book and find supportive and loyal readers, but it takes a lot of energy. Knowing I have several more campaigns to go before I can finish this project makes the road feel endless. Also, in writing book 4 I realize I need Dallas to be six books long, not five. Same amount of writing and art work but divided differently and probably requiring an extra Kickstarter. But I’m old!
5. Social media. I’ve been dead quiet on it for the comic book for months. I just haven’t felt like I had anything to say except that the book still isn’t ready.

Feathers In My Cap!!! !!

1. It’s been two+ years of Covid and other calamity, but my family remains housed and healthy and we still get along pretty darn well. For this I am thankful.
2. I have a new penciler! I’ve been through a lengthy process with some false starts along the way, but I can announce now that Ben Worrell is drawing By the Time I Get to Dallas #4. Welcome, Ben! Ben has an energetic style and a great feel for story telling that is going to amp up the series. Ben has already delivered a bunch of layouts and the first four pages of art and we're moving fast. I’ll give you just a little taste for now. I can already see book 4 is going be a stunner. Big feather!

1. I have a new editor! Please welcome Claire Napier to the team. Back in 2015 I worked with editor Matt Idelson to develop the Dallas story and shop it to publishers. Our back and forth on plot points and writing techniques was some of the most fun I’ve had on this project; I felt like a real writer. But when I decided to self publish Matt moved on (now he’s a big shot at Dynamite Comics), and I produced the first three books on my own. Anyone who is worth anything in comics will say you need an editor, and I told myself “I have an editor, he edited the whole story!” And that was true, sort of. But the second half of the arc is less developed than the first, with a lot more moving parts, and so it is past time to bring in new help. I found Claire through my friend David Taylor and his Wild Nature series. I noticed how professionally it was paced and scripted, it has a real polish to it, so I asked Dave how he did it and he raved about his editor, Claire. I was particularly excited to add a female perspective to strengthen the story. Luckily Claire said yes and she’s taken me through two rounds of editing on By the Time I Get to Dallas #4, and I can’t say enough good things about the experience. I didn’t realize how much I missed the process of tearing apart all the little writing decisions with another person. Claire has helped strengthen our characters, raise the emotional stakes, and push me to write new scenes that I really love. Big feather!
2. I still have a plan. It’s been a long march from middle-of-the-night idea to 160 pages of comics produced and counting. And though it’s still a long road to get the project completed, at least I know the way. More than ever, I want this story complete and bound in a nice fat hardcover volume, and the day I slide it onto my bookshelf will be a fine day. It will get there, I just need to keep one foot in front of the other. And I’ve got some cool ideas for the future too, they are bubbling on the back burner like an evil beef bourguignon.

That’s enough for now. Thank you for reading!

Colin

My kingdom for some paper!
over 2 years ago – Thu, Apr 07, 2022 at 01:56:07 PM

Hello friend of By the Time I Get to Dallas,

Just a quick update on where things stand with this here comic book.

By the Time I Get Some Paper

I sent Book #3 to the printer in January and got the printed proofs 9 weeks ago. Since then we have been waiting for the right paper to be available. The global supply chain for paper is a mess, and the printers have no idea when paper will arrive, what kind it will be, or how much. They have a backlog of orders to get through for major publishers and small joints like mine. I want to use the same heavy paper stock as the earlier books so they match as a set, that is important to me if not to anyone else. I am next in line for the 80# paper, I just don't know when it will be. Switching to another printer is not feasible as the expensive part of the process, making the printing plates, has already been done, and it still wouldn’t necessarily make anything faster. So I’m in a holding pattern here and for that I’m sorry.

The Trinity Project is printed and bagged is waiting for By the Time I Get to Dallas #3 to join it.

Digital delivery

I sent the digital books weeks ago to everyone so if you want the story now, be sure to check those emails for the links. Let me know if you didn’t see them.

Credit card charges on Backerkit

If you made add-on purchases through Backerkit, I don’t plan to charge your card until I have the books in hand. Some have asked I give a few days of warning before I charge cards so I will via this space.

Keep making stuff

In the meantime, all I can do is plug away. I’m happy to report that I’ve redrafted the script for By the Time I Get to Dallas #4 and sent it to my new editor, Claire Napier, for her insight. Claire has worked on great books by creators I admire and I’m excited to have her input on the second half of the series. And nervous. I hope she likes it…

If all goes well, art production on #4 could start this month! More big news on that soon. 

How do I kill the bunny?

As we approach Easter I’ll share this 10 year old pic of my son Ezra gleefully watching me prepare to slaughter his chocolate bunny. Should I have been worried? Luckily, he has turned out to be a nice boy, not at all violent towards animals or candy.

Thank you for your support and patience,

Colin