Thursday, May 3, 2012

Third Time's a Charm

I knew when I launched the OilCan Drive webcomic I had started the clock on me doing new pages for a new OilCan Drive story. I have enough material to cover the first year of the site being up and running but, after that, I wanted to have all new stories.

So, when the site launched I heard the starting gun go off in my head and I just started working away.

One of the problems I've always had is that I sometimes jump into things without thinking them out or planning too well. When I was in seventh grade I remember being in a science class where the teacher gave out a sheet with detailed instructions on it. We had two minutes to complete every one of those instructions. So I started working away as fast as I could. The girl next to me sat and did nothing. I was worried for her that she wasn't doing a thing. I was panicked for myself and her.

Before I knew it the two minutes were up and I was only on the fifth of twenty tasks listed on the sheet. I had failed but I gave it my best shot. Then the teacher told us to read all the instructions on the sheet. There were nineteen tasks that had you doing something. The last task, the twentieth, simply said, "disregard all above instructions and do nothing."

The girl next to me had read all the instructions before starting. I had only heard the starting gun go off in my head and plunged ahead. I had failed.

It was a lesson about reading all the instructions first and having a plan.

Judging by my not only one, but two attempts to start the next OilCan Drive story, I don't think I've learned this lesson well.

So, I've taken a step back this week and rethought a few things. I am taking some time to make a plan for myself and give myself some new parameters.

Making comics is not as easy as it used to be. I was taught in art school that doing a comic book page was as simple as drawing a 10"x15" box and keeping your images in there. The gutters were to be a quarter inch each and that was it. Start drawing.

But now, with full bleed pages, odd sized comics, and comics on the internet, there are no more rules. You can do whatever you want to do. It's all up to you.

So, I've had to take a few steps back, think about the parameters I've set, and give myself some new rules.

Hopefully the third times is the charm.

One more time into the breach, dear friends!

2 comments:

Jeff Lafferty said...

I'm defiantly liking the comic, keep going man!
Jeff

Sean Tiffany said...

Thanks Jeff. Just a small hiccup. I'll get back on it as soon as I get the story just a little bit better. It's getting there.