Hey folks. Just got done reading a great article by the great Amanda Fucking Palmer. Check it out HERE - She's got a book out this week and I'll get it when I can. Its called "The Art of Asking" and it discusses her days as a street performer, musician, artist and her recent crowd funding methods. I always love her music and read her blog weekly. I find her one of the "good guys," One of those folks who just inspire me and remind me of the path I am on.
Everything in the creative fields is in flux. Musicians can barely make it now. Filmmakers are constantly getting their films put online and stolen. I'm sure video games feel that to an extent too. Everything is out there and we're taking it. Giving nothing back. We keep ourselves amused and forget those who make it. It hurts someone like me, who look passionately at people like artists, musicians and filmmakers as they feel this struggle too. No one has an answer. We're all trying to figure it out. The big bands try things and get nailed for it. Anything new that is tried is immediately slapped down from the collective snark of the world.
It is with these fears that I sit in my little shallow part of the creative ocean, afraid to lift anchor and move to deeper waters. Because its a struggle. Its a hard life to make things work. How can little old me make ripples in the water and get people to see me? We're all trying to figure that out. And when we fail and drown, its embarrassing. But sometimes lightning strikes and we're given a thumbs up. Finally, a great idea and a proper decision made. I wrote STARSLAM, an erotic comic back in 2008 and pitched it at San Diego 2009 and it fell flat on its face. I shelved it. I brought it back as a webcomic. It didn't get the numbers. I was going to shelve it again but I felt strongly about the work. I knew this was a story that had to get out. If not for the world, but for me. I was reacting strongly against all the other porn comics I was seeing out there, and being hired for. I wanted to contribute GOOD pornography to the world. I felt the world needed it. But to put it out is a fear of exposure. Would people think me a freak? Would people percieve me differently? What about those close to me? I was fearful of all of it. People will laugh and think me different. But I took a shot anyway and tossed it on Kickstarter. I busked. I asked people. I just wanted to see who was out there and who would see me.
The response was overnight. I made the $300 I asked for within 24 hours. If I only got just that amount, I would have been happy. It wouldn't have covered my costs at all, but I would have accepted it. I always do. My pre-sales of any book I have ever done or released have never made more than $300. Never. I presell maybe 10-30 books when I release one. Never more than that. Today on the STARSLAM kickstarter, I am at $1,595... and I got 15 days left.
To someone like me, this is a massive success. So far I got 67 backers, about 95% of them are people I don't know and have never met. Maybe I never will in person. They are reaching out to me and saying "I like this guy. I like the idea. I want to read it." and they plunk their hard earned down to read my story and see my art. I'm damn grateful and goddamn proud of all of this. I'm in awe every morning when I wake up and check my email to see that there are new backers waiting. Someone else new found me and is backing me up. And I'm going to give my art to them. Its the give and take with artists and the observers that make art worth doing. There is no end all-be all meaning behind the art. Everything is about the person who comes to observe it and what they get out of it. But the reflection of trust and support to the artists effects us greatly, I assure. I am now proof of "success" with crowdfunding and I am gaining new confidence and new readers.
I hope folks get STARSLAM and they read it and fall in love with it. Because I got plenty more for them. I have other comics like Pleasant Life and Anna Pocalypse. I got years and years of blogs and podcasts. I have live appearances, Marvel-Dc-StarWars Sketch Cards, live art, old art... all cataloged and ready to be dissected by anyone who comes along and discovers me. I've been preparing for this moment. I've been slow burning myself for all this time and I'm ready for people to see it all.
I know that after the dust settles and STARSLAM is out in everyone's hands that its up to me to dream it up again. I will work on the next books, the next card set, the next con appearance. It will never stop. The climb continues. I have to make this career work. But the great push of support I've got for STARSLAM really has me jazzed for the future more than ever. I've finally done something right! I've opened myself up to the idea of crowdfunding and let go of the old ways of doing things. I no longer measure myself by those old standards. Its this, all the way. I will be out there supporting myself more. I will continue to work hard. I'll keep releasing, providing and sweating it all out. And giving my all in every project to come.
Why?
Because I don't know what else to do. Art and creativity is all I have. Its the only thing thats never let me down. Its all I am good at. I love the journey of improving and learning. I love finding new friends to support and learn with. This is the life I want. I will never stop going. I will die with a pencil in my hand.
I have you folks to thank. Let's keep rockin' and rollin'! We've got 15 days left on my STARSLAM KICKSTARTER so let's make it count! And for those of you out there with an idea and a fear like I had, forget it. Reach out and just ask the universe for what you want. Sometimes, if you are lucky, you'll get your answer.
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Okay, enough inspirational stuff. Lets get to my PINK FLOYD "THE ENDLESS RIVER" REVIEW! First off, admittedly, I am grading it on a curve... but I gotta say I loved it. I have listened to the lead single "Lounder than Words" about 20 times and it ranks among the best of the Gilmour-led era. I didn't get my hopes up too much with this album and it really is sort of like hearing demos recorded in 1993. And thats fine. Its an album you sort of have to turn on, dim the lights and just immerse in. A musical journey. But all the best Floyd songs are like that. If you are expecting quick .99¢ singles on Itunes, forget it. This is for album lovers. For hardcore Floyd fans especially. It calls back to all periods of Floyd history. You can hear bits of Welcome to the Machine or Atom Heart Mother in parts of it. Its even got an organ part recorded in 1968. It really is good. I've read bitchings online about how its a dissapointment or it sucks. To those folks, I feel pity for. I don't think anyone can enjoy anything anymore. The snark and the pre-judging have clouded their ability to simply just like something. It is sad to me. Would I rank THE ENDLESS RIVER among the Floyd's best? No. But I am damn grateful to have it. And I head an interview with Nick Mason where he's saying more is coming. Archival/Anthology type of stuff. It excites me.
Pink Floyd is my favorite band of all time. I never dreamed I'd get a new record from them at all. Its been 20 years since the last one. And although this was majorly made in 1993, it still feels fresh. It feels like music I enjoy today. I cannot stop spinning this disc and I'm sure as I keep dissecting it, I will get even closer to it. Thanks Dave, Nick and Rick for one last journey! This was an album release for me!! And im damn grateful.
Grade: A-
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