Life of a freelancer

New characters? Nah, just doodlin'.

As every freelancer knows, life is often a case of "feast or famine". Sometimes work can be thin on the ground for months, then a stack of commissions come along all at once. It's like waiting for a bus and then three turn up, except in comics the delays aren't caused by road works in the next town and you don't have to make small talk about the weather.

I'm pleased to say that work has picked up considerably recently. I have quite a  few things to do for DC Thomson's  The Beano at present, plus annual pages still to do. Team Toxic is continuing in Egmont's Toxic magazine at 2 pages an issue. I have a brand new strip starting in a popular magazine next week, and... I've just been commissioned for work on an American comic! All-new material of my own creation as a back up in a few of the issues. I'll reveal more about that at a later date but I'm really excited to be on board.

Of course, there are always some who try to kick you when you're down, and they did, and it got to me, and it didn't help matters. But I'm still here, and they're still where they are. I know where I'd rather be. 

I'm also enjoying getting back into the convention scene this year. That's changed a lot over the years. Time was when we'd have one Con a year, and not see most of our colleagues until the next year. Now that there are so many events I think it's creating even more of a united comics community and allowing more friendships to develop. Which is great, because no matter how many friends you have outside of comics it's good to have solid friendships within the industry too, if only to yak about what pens we use. The next event I'll be a guest at will be the Sheffield Film and Comic Con on August 30th.

Anyway, lots to do, so I'm off to bed to get up bright and early tomorrow, springing to my drawing board like a gazelle. Ok, maybe not quite like that.