Life's A Draw 2 - Hello 2024
The joy of starting (not really) anew
The year 2024 is finally upon us. I’m old enough to remember these 20-odd year dates sounded more like something from science fiction than reality, and that we would be living like the Jetsons did. Well, reality ended up being way more grim and less futuristic-optimistic than sci-fi ever made us believe, so I guess the joke is on us. Anyway…
A personal pivot year
Don’t want to start this on a sad note, but truth is 2024 finds me in the middle of both a career and existential crisis. Despite having majored in fine arts at one of the most prestigious universities of my country, truth is I’ve been better known in professional work circles as an IT designer and developer that as an artist. It’s all my “fault” anyways — I had the chops to do tech, jobs were aplenty and money was good. Deep down however, drawing was where my true heart always has been and figured out IT would be a short-lived affair to get some money. When I realized it, more than 20 years had passed on, and the mutual interest of me in tech jobs and the IT business on my career had both dwindled.
Long story short and despite some interesting happenings as joining in the Kids Comics Unite community, having been at the 50th edition of the Angoulême festival (more on that in a future newsletter) and becoming part of a local collective’s artbook and exhibition, I’m jobless at this time of writing, together with a nagging feeling of being stuck without making any real progress.
One thing I realized on this forced-upon sabbatical that despite making some important career and contacts on IT, it always felt like a chasm between what I did for a living and what makes sense to me as a living purpose. The Japanese call the perfect integration of these concepts an ikigai, and so I’ve designed mine. Also, I’ve just passed through the 50 years old mark and the vague-but-constant feeling of time running out is also taking its toll on me. While I’m not calling it quits on technology (as if I could afford that!) I would definitely like to use it in a way that empowers my dearest goals, not distance me from them. Get into education software for preschoolers, entertainment as in TV series or interactive kid-friendly stories, things like that (besides, of course, keep making MG comics and illustrations). I try to cast a wide net here. By far, my most important goal to accomplish in 2024 if you ask me. Of course, if you are in charge of recruiting talent and you see me and my work can be a good fit for your organization, I’m all ears.
This very newsletter you are reading is part of the pivotal changes I’m performing. I decided to start my subscriber base from scratch rather than import the email lists I have — I want people following me be truly interested on what I have to say and don’t feel like I’m spamming you. This said, if you want to get exclusives in your inbox over time, subscribing makes it all the better. The more of us, the merrier it will be.
There’s also a new Patreon page where I’ll start publishing behind-the-scenes content (mostly sketches and similar related items) and where you can support me too — starting at just $1 a month.
From the Doodle Board
Christmas and New Year’s always give me an unexplainable urge to doodle and publish something related more often than not at the last minute — hard for me to get into a theme if I’m not in the mood (kudos to those making snow-covered children book illustrations in July — how do you manage?) So on New Year’s Eve I spent some hours conceiving this piece — with a local twist. Anglo-speaking folks won’t know about the song “El Año Viejo” by Tony Camargo, but suffice it to know its lyrics refer to how grateful the singer is because the parting year gave him very good things, as in a goat, a black donkey, a white horse — and a good mother-in-law, hence the joke. It makes much more sense and fun in Spanish, trust me.
A short form timelapse of this piece will be eventually shared on my Instagram and Tiktok profiles.
Noteworthy Finds
Comics aren’t dying, but they are changing – and that’s got people scared is a long but noteworthy piece about the current state of comics in the American market. The way I read it, is that the American comics scene has resisted to come out of the superhero box for a long time just to realize that times, audiences and tastes are changing and that these days the demand for more varied themes and subjects in comics form, despite the bleak market numbers,is slowly but steadily increasing. Over time (and hopefully so) the American comics market will resemble more that of Europe and Japan, as in having a wide range of subjects, themes and audiences where any kind of story can be told in comics form, or keep sticking to their old ways — at the peril of becoming irrelevant as their core fandom base starts dying out with no incoming generations taking their place. Fortunately, middle grade comics in graphic novel form are one of the best selling formats right now and it’s in my best interest for that to continue. 😅
This is it for the present edition of Life’s A Draw — an extra one just in time to receive the New Year and tell you what’s up. The third issue will be likely published sometime in late January — but I’ve got plenty of subjects to cover. In the meantime, I humbly ask you to spread the word and recommend this newsletter to people interested on illustration, middle grade comics and creative life topics. See you on the next one!
— Alberto