Progress
Some self-gratuitous self-reflection mixed with some news & a look at Skylar Patridge's variant cover
We often don’t appreciate how far we’ve come because we’re too worried about where we’re headed. So, I’ll be sharing Skylar Patridge’s concept for their variant cover for The Healer’s Blade, discussing Kid Cretaceous #2, and reflecting on the past few years.
This isn’t the final cover. This is only the concept that Skylar sent me and it’ll be going through some tweaks before the finalized cover art is revealed. Take a look at the cover concept:
Follow the pre-launch page for Kid Cretaceous #2
Kid Cretaceous is returning to Kickstarter this month! We’re excited to bring Issue Two to life and deliver another adventure with Kacey & Ty Rex. You can see the available covers and the first two pages below:
I don't like to brag but I don't stop to appreciate how far I've come sometimes because of that. I won't lie and say there haven't been a lot of hard times too but here are a few professional accomplishments that I've had since getting my BFA five years ago:
- In the last 365 days, I’ve received nearly 2,000 unique readers and almost 14,000 page reads on GlobalComix. This doesn’t count all of the Kickstarter backers for these comics, the people I’ve met at conventions & community events that I’ve sold these books to, and
- Getting my short film, Artificial Intolerance, optioned by a local director, attending casting, and finalizing the cast before production was halted because of COVID
- Edited a short film script (When Alex Met Jordan)
- Being an extra in a local short film (El Matamoscas)
- Edited an award-winning short film script (Lenore)
- Being paid to write and edit esports news articles (Daily Esports/Upcomer/Enthusiast Gaming)
- Being a Community Development Specialist for an esports team (Polar Ace)
- Completed my second spec script for TV (Superstore)
- Released a voice-acted video with original art for Halloween based on a script I wrote (The Beholder)
- Created and wrote a series of Star Wars animated shorts that I commissioned original music and art for and worked with voice actors that included a voice actress from Star Wars Resistance (Kaldani Spires - fan project)
- Wrote the 4-page opening to Kid Cretaceous, created a strategy to: bring my first comic to life, hired an interior artist, a guest artist for 2 pages, and 4 cover artists including Lane Lloyd who has done paid cover work for major comic publishers and titles such as Transformers, Rick & Morty, Godzilla, What's The Furthest Place From Here? and other Image Comic, AHOY Comics, and successful indie titles
- Interviewed with Marvel Comics for an Assistant Editor position and got several steps in
- Interviewed with Microsoft to be a localization writer for the next Forza game on Xbox
- Interviewed with EA Sports to be an Experimental Writer controlling the narrative future of the FIFA franchise
- Released a 2-page digital short comic with art by Dee Noonan and letters by the award-winning Lucas Gattoni (Moving Day)
- Funded my first, full, 24-page all-ages comic book (Kid Cretaceous #1) through crowdfunding on Kickstarter, worked with a local pizza company (Idaho Pizza) to have their logo used on our pizza boxes in the comic and to have a release party/signing with a giveaway of 25 copies to customers, created second printing
- Created my second comic book series, The Healer's Blade, with Mariateresa Susca, worked with Elisa Romboli for the main cover, funding my third crowdfunded project and second Kickstarter, raised 174% of the funding goal, reached a new record for the most Backers/Supporters, created an 8-page prologue to the upcoming, oversized first issue with letters by the award-winning Taylor Esposito and book design by industry professional Dezi Sienty
- Wrote and released a 3-page Miles Morales: Spider-Man short comic with art by Marcus Jimenez and letters by the award-winning Lucas Gattoni who is known for work on multiple DC Comics titles, every major indie comic publisher, and successful indie comic books
- Got both of my comic books in Idaho's #1 Comic Book Shop - Captain Comics and the second most popular comic store & coffee shop in Boise/Meridian - The Collector's Outpost
- Funded my third Kickstarter for the Gem State Comic Con exclusive printings of Kid Cretaceous #1 & The Healer's Blade #1: PROLOGUE and a new printing of Kid Cretaceous #1 with a preview of Kid Cretaceous #2
- Wrote Kid Cretaceous #2 and hired the interior artist to create a 2-page preview for my upcoming KickStarter campaign and hired LetterSquids to be the new letterer for Kid Cretaceous #2 and the rest of the series and Joey Galvez to design the second comic book
- Wrote and released a 1-page Spider-Man short fan comic with art by Max Pinelli and letters by industry professional Cristian Docolomansky
- Funded my 4th Kickstarter for my third comic book series, though it did come close to not funding, with art by Max Pinelli and letters by Andriy Lukin (DC, Image, indie titles, and more) and covers by Max Pinelli, Lane Lloyd, and Marcus Jimenez and hired Geek Collective for assistance with crowdfunding the project
- Attended and tabled at Gem State Comic Con - my first comic convention ever
- Got hired for my first comic book anthology, wrote Cthulion and the Mouse with finished art by Max Pinelli and letters by award-winning Jerome Gagnon, that finished it's campaign successfully as the award-winning indie publisher's second largest campaign, Cthulhu Invades Fairy Tales, and got the opportunity to be paid to contribute to the mythos of a beloved fairy tale, The Lion and the Mouse, and H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu
- Tabled and made profit at a local community market and a second event at Idaho Pizza
- Attended and tabled at Gem State Comic Con - first time making profit at a professional comic convention
- Built so many relationships and friendships with creators in multiple creative industries and supported over 300 different comic book campaigns come to life
- Wrote many other creative projects
- Built my newsletter to 200 subscribers to my emails
- Had 1 interview with CanvasRebel and 3 interviews with Keeping It Geekly
- Hired LetterSquids to create the finalized logo for an unannounced comic series, mother m://AI, commissioned main character concept art by Kara Huset, and two cover artists so far (Lane Lloyd and Butch Mapa)
- Hired Sunando C for an unannounced comic book cover, Reed Hinckley-Barnes for a 1-page comic, and Toben Racicot for a 1-page comic
- Hired Skylar Patridge, upcoming star and current artist for everything Supergirl at DC Comics and many other projects, for a cover for The Healer's Blade #1
- Received fan art for Kid Cretaceous and The Healer’s Blade
There's still a lot to do. But sometimes it's worth looking at what you've done.
Until next time,
J. Michael Miller
Geez, you’ve been busy!! XD Congratulations on all that you’ve accomplished and all that you’ve created! 🥳 I know you’ve got plenty more coming.