I have a confession. I am out of Day and Age comics. DON’T PANIC. I’m not out of ideas and I’m not ending the series. It’s just that I’m in the precarious position of not having any completed comics in the can. Whoops! Up to this point, I have always had three to four comics completed comics scheduled for release, so if I found myself unexpectedly incapacitated, I could still keep up with my weekly release. Well it turned out not to be a physical ailment or obligation that expended my buffer, but a temporal one. I just didn’t have time. The last month or so has been hectic to say the least and I couldn’t keep up with my regular routine. So I’ve found myself on the knife’s edge, ever encroaching on a Wednesday deadline without the usual cushion to keep me comfortable.
HOWEVER, all is not lost. I’ve got a solid two weeks off for the holidays and intend to get back up to speed. It’s not going to be easy and I’ll have to work my butt off, but I think I can get back to where I was. If I do three comics a week, then I’ll have four completed comics in the can by the time the new year rolls arounds (the other two comics will be released in the weeks I’m making them). It’s… a lot. I’m looking forward to this much-needed break, but I’m anxious about using my time wisely. I so desperately want to turn into a couch potato for the fortnight (I easily could), but I also see this as a rare opportunity to really make headway on multiple creative endeavors: Day and Age, my neglected graphic novel script, and taking the plunge into writing music. I suppose this is a battle I’ve had to deal with all through quarantine (actually, I guess my life in general), but it’s never gotten easier. It’s always a balance, as most things are. Just gotta make a decision and stick with it - no regrets!
But hey, I gotta celebrate a little ‘cause I hit twenty-five comics! From the get-go, I’ve said that I wanted to release at least one hundred comics before considering whether to hang it up or continue making them. So in a way, I’m a quarter of the way to my goal. Why a hundred? Most obviously, one hundred is a cool number. The main reason though is that I’ve had this ambition before, primarily in podcasts. I made my first podcast in high school and it was called “The Really Good Show.” Every episode I interviewed a teacher or faculty member about their position, experiences, and other school-related topics. It was both thrilling and nerve-wracking, but I learned a lot. I don’t recall the exact episode count, but I think it was around twenty. I left the show because I graduated.
In college I started “The Wheelhouse” with two other friends. Every episode, we each recommended a movie, album, game, or other piece of media. That week, we would go off and check our those recommendations then come back and review them. It was a constant cycle of reviewing and recommending, and it was a lot of fun. It was inspired by the very common occurrence of a friend saying there’s this awesome movie or album that you HAVE to check out, but then you never do. With “The Wheelhouse”, we were now required to have to watch/listen/play it, otherwise the podcast would fall apart! Well, roughly forty episodes later, the podcast fell apart anyway. It did mostly come down to a commitment issue, as there was admittedly a lot you had to get done to prep for the show. But it was good while it lasted.
So here I am now, 25/100. In my old age (I’m 24), I’ve come to accept the maxim that if you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself. With Day and Age, I am only accountable to myself and the standards I set for myself. I relish in the creative freedom and there is absolutely nothing that can stop me from reaching my goal. Well, maybe COVID, but hey, that vaccine is right around the corner!
