Hey Folks! 

A lot is going on for Mythopoeia this month. We want to keep you updated so let's get to it!
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Yesterday marks the launch of our second Kickstarter for Glow. For those who don't know, Glow is a coming of age story set in a world where magic caused the fall of civilization. If that sounds like your cup of tea, please check it out! 

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The next thing on our agenda after the Glow #2 Kickstarter wraps is the trade paperback collection for Skies #1-4. This is a huge priority for us because we are just about out of stock of the floppies! 
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So far we've had quite a few discussions as to what the final trade will look like. We know that we want to do a hardcover, but have oscillated between a clothbound and just a standard cover. We like the quality of a clothbound, but feel that if we went in that direction an abstract or symbolic cover concept would be best. That said, from a commercial consideration, it's important that this trade's immediately convey the concept of Skies of Fire to a potential new reader. 
Here's what we came up with:

We thought it was important to prominently feature our three main characters - Helen, William, and the Zephyr. We also wanted to convey a sense of adventure using the bright Skies of Fire color palette.  

The interior abstract by Josephe Vandel is also complete. Here's a close look:

The abstract marks key locations found throughout the first four issues separated by a sea of clouds. We're not sure what the final color will be, but whatever we choose will probably compliment the overall color palette of the trade. Here's the backside: 

What's left to complete before we're ready to launch a trade? The design, for one. It's been difficult for us to conceptualize this book from the moment we started working on it. Book design is not something any of us have done before, so it's been a slow learning process. 
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Beyond that, Vandel is also designing a book plate. This is going to be an amazingly detailed piece to commemorate you, our longtime fans, for supporting us. Thank you for being part of the Mythopoeia family!
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This year Vince and I want to focus our attention on creating more content. If all goes well we'd like to launch four crowdfunding campaigns in 2018: Glow #2, Skies TPB, Skies #5, and Glow #3/4. The first three are definitely achievable and the fourth will require us to push hard. 

We also hear you loud and clear regarding a Patreon. We know that platform is an easier way for our most devoted fans to follow and support us. We've actually have had one somewhat built out for months, but like everything we do have erred on the side of "when it's ready" to launch. 
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When is that? Next week. We wanted to offer something commemorative for its launch (which we have), as well as create a full video (which is almost done editing). 
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As part of our goals this year, Vince and I are cutting back on our convention schedules. We think that the time we save traveling would be better used pushing production. Here's our planned North American appearances this year:

Emerald City Comic Con - March 1-4, 2018

Wonder Con Anaheim - March 23-25, 2018

San Diego Comic Con - July 19-22nd, 2018
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New York Comic Con - October 4th-7th, 2018
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The Kickstarter Comics community is alive and kicking in 2018! It's fantastic seeing all of the creators we've gotten to know the past couple of years bring their latest projects to life on the platform. Here's a look around at what's fresh, with some old friends and intriguing new projects:


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Boston Metaphysical - The Scourge of the Mechanical Men ​

Madeline Holly-Rosling is back with another installment of her steampunk hit Boston Metaphysical. Madeline is a longtime friend of ours. It's always a pleasure seeing her around the comic scene where she'll always have a cookie in hand to feed other (literally) starving artists who have been on their feet all day. She's an angel who hustles as hard as anyone we know. If supernatural steampunk is your thing, please check out Boston Metaphysical! 
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After the Gold Rush

Another friend of Mythopoeia, Miles Greb has been rocking the optimistic science fiction After the Gold Rush for a couple of years now. Miles is a huge advocate of rational thinking - he was actually the planner for last year's March for Science Seattle! Each issue of A:TG gets better than the last, and I'm sure the latest is no exception! 
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Killtopia ​

This is a new project that looks extremely promising. A cyberpunk dystopia in shades of pink and blue, Killtopia follows "a rookie Wrecker called Shinji" and a "sentient mech called Crash" as they are "hunted like fugitives across the neon-soaked metropolis by Wreckers, android killers and Yakuza gangs in a violent battle royale to end them all!" Seems cool. Looks cool. I'm taking the plunge! 

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So yeah, lots going on. Hope that gives you a better idea of what we've been working on and what we want to achieve this year. As they say, dare to be ambitious!
- Ray and Vince

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It's con season and Mythopoeia is hitting the road again! We'll be attending the following conventions:
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We're still in talks with a couple of other shows, so stay tuned to find out where else we'll be! Have a show that you want to recommend? Leave a comment below! 

As an indie comic creator, I'm always looking for ways to make my job easier, more inspiring, and of course more profitable. These are just a few resources that I've discovered over the last couple years that I couldn't have lived without. Each resources targets a specific area of development. 

​1. ART

Every Frame a Painting

Every Frame a Painting is an amazing YouTube channel with educational analysis on the art of editing and cinematography. Though its focus is on cinema, the visual storytelling principles contained within should benefit both comic writers and artists when it comes to framing their works. Here's just one video of many on the channel that I've found interesting and helpful: 

​2. DISCOURSE

SKTCHD
http://sktchd.com

SKTCHD is/was a comic journalism site run by David Harper with an emphasis on longform content. Though David no longer puts out new articles, his archive remains a valuable resource for indie creators looking to dive a little bit deeper into the whys, hows, and trends of the direct market. David still maintains his podcast Off-Panel, where he interviews professionals from the industry, including less spotlighted (but no less influential) editors and publishers.

You'll find the podcast here.

Harper has kept the SKTCHD website up as an archive.

​3. THEORY

INTRO TO SCOTT MCCLOUD
https://understandingcomics177.wordpress.com/

Written as annotations for a college class, this blog provides an excellent overview of some of the concepts contained within Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics. Designed as a companion piece, the notes explain the basic framework of Scott’s comic theory, the academic standard taught all around the world.

Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics is an extremely valuable resource for comic creators.

​4. PRINT

PRINT NINJA RESOURCE CENTER
http://www.printninja.com/printing-resource-center

No other website goes into the nuts and bolts of printing in as well laid out a manner as Print Ninja’s own resource center. The information is written for the printing newbie, and as such takes its time in explaining concepts that are often filled with industry jargon.

Print Ninja has a ton of printing options. 

​5. BUSINESS

ZUB TALES - The official blog of Jim Zub
http://www.jimzub.com/

​Jim is a well known and successful comic creator who has blogged about both his experiences working with Image and their particular model of creator-owned. He’s very transparent about everything, and has a great archive filled with resources for creators of all levels! 

These are just a couple that we visit on a weekly basis. Have other resources that you use? Share in the comments below!

Hey folks, Vince here! I’m one of the creators of the comic series Skies of Fire and Glow, and just can’t stop talking about stories! Seriously, just ask one of our other creators Ray, who has had to listen to hundreds of story ideas over the years :P But, that’s enough about me. What we’re really here for is to talk about the importance of paneling in a comic.

What is a Panel?

Just so we’re on the same page, we first need to define what a panel is in comics. According to Merriam-Webster, a comic panel is: a frame of a comic strip. 

a frame of a comic strip…

Well, that doesn’t help much. Why is it limited to a comic strip?!? Needless to say, we need a better definition for what a comic panel is. Luckily, I stumbled upon quite an adequate one on Wikipedia of all places:  

A panel is an individual frame, or single drawing, in the multiple-panel sequence of a comic strip or comic book. A panel consists of a single drawing depicting a frozen moment.

This is a lot better than the Merriam-Webster one for sure! Doesn’t limit a panel to a frame, or a comic strip!

Not really sure about the “depicting a frozen moment” part though. Below is a panel from issue #1 of Glow. Here, Caszy and Koken tag-team to capture a contraption that is on the fritz. As you can see, we follow the actions of Caszy by “ghosting” her movements across frame. Since you see multiple moments using this technique, wouldn’t this image NOT be considered a panel according to our definition? ​​

During the Medieval Ages, up until the 1700s, comics and panels didn’t see much major advancement in Europe. Due to the exhausting engraving/art techniques, visual storytelling was often relegated to single-panel images. They were simply visual additions to the written narratives of books. In Asia, however, cultures were developing towards more detailed and comprehensive sequential art. Lots can be said about this period, but that’s for another time.

By the 19th and 20th centuries, new printing and art techniques pushed comics towards what we are more familiar with. Comic strips (stories contained within four panels or less) became a staple in newspapers. Terms like “panels” that make up “sequential art” were coined by Will Eisner and other creative giants of the era. Entire comic books were being created, and a new industry was born.

In this period, cinema also found its foothold in the world. Being both visual mediums, filmmaking and comics went hand in hand. Storyboarding became a helpful tool for filmmakers to visualize movies. Comic artists and creators often utilized film footage to help their drawings and panel work. Walt Disney married the two mediums though animation. Indeed, a story of panels is as much one of cinema as it is for comics.

Over time, artists learned to create new meaning, moods, and ideas through the panel. Not only were panels used as a technical tool keep the story moving, it became an artistic tool to emotionally charge the story.

Panel Size (Super-Size Me!)

Unlike cinema, comics aren’t limited by the size of the screen. While most movies now adhere to some form of frame size (16:9, 2.35:1), comics have the distinct difference of creating panels of varying sizes. You can have a Splash Page (full page panel), or perhaps a selection of consecutive box panels (like a comic strip). The options are limited only by the page.

There is no right or wrong when picking a panel size. Art is subjective, and artists often have to deal with varying requirements or constraints. Nevertheless, there is a basic language when it comes to panel sizes.

With Size, the main value comes in pacing the story. This deals with how much art the reader’s eye has to digest before moving on to the next image. A Splash Page, for example would technically take up the same viewing time as a selection of smaller panels in the same space. The splash would therefore be a longer “time beat” as you focus your time on only one image. Splashes are great for establishing shots, or wrapping up a scene. They give the reader a moment to set the scene, or digest what they’ve just read. ​

Knowing how to pace your comic between splash pages, half-splashes, and sporadic mini-panels is an art in of itself. Not only does it need to work visually on the page, but it shouldn’t feel too quick or too slow between panels either.

One technique that plays on panel sizes is the fade to black or white. As in the example below from Wicked + Divine, you can visually represent a cinematic fade by shortening the panel boxes until it’s nothing but white or black. It’s a nice touch to slow a reader’s pace to a halt and prime them to start a new scene. ​