The Cream Rises...
POST 012
Hey guys,
I’m pleased to say that the past few weeks have been VERY productive for me (creatively speaking)! My passion for making comics has been rejuvenated (even if this feeling is only temporary) I’m loving it every minute of it!
For most of 2025 I was stuck in this mindless loop of doom scrolling and feeling completely drained of any creativity, so to have this feeling of enjoyment and desire to get back to the drawing board again is so full-filling. I don’t know how long it will last but I’m gonna ride this wave to the end!
When I think about my own struggles just to produce a comic, I’m amazed and in awe of the multitude of creators out there on the independent circuit just grinding and making incredible content day in and day out! And here’s what is interesting to me, despite all the incredible talent out there, despite all the clamoring for attention that we have to do to get noticed, there are two independent comic groups that seem to have pushed through the white noise barrier (at least in my feeds) most often…
One group I’ve watched rise from the start and now they have really found their niche and they other, they kept popping up on my socials from time to time but over the years their presence has become much more constant. So they must be doing something right, right?
Now granted both of these groups I’ve noticed but have not mentioned by name here, are just that, groups, meaning there’s a team effort behind it, but as the saying goes, “The Cream Rises to the Top!”
They’ve found a work flow of steady content being produced and seemingly an effective marketing strategy that keeps them relevant (at least in my feeds) so that I’m always aware of what they’ve got going on… I can see on their social media accounts that they’ve both amassed a sizable following as well! From the point of view of a small time creator like me, they seem to be on the verge of potentially shaking off the “independent” label in a few years if things continue to progress for them! And I might add, that I’ve only bought comics from ONE of the two groups in question…
So I think to myself, what would it take for me to try and rival these guys? What would it take for me to level up and break through the white noise barrier?
And I, immediately, get bogged down in the idea of needing to compose the perpetual social media posts and email marketing, not to mention creating the content that I’m trying to market!! The notion is almost laughable!
They didn’t rise up overnight either, they’ve stayed consistent for years! I realize that at this point, I’m just NOT built for that!!! I’m not a young man anymore, my ability to navigate and stay atop of all the new social media platforms and trends is wholly inadequate! But my biggest shortcoming, is consistency! I’m consistently inconsistent when it comes to this comic and media stuff (for a variety of reasons that ultimately don’t matter).
For me, at the moment, I’d consider it a monumental win if I were able to stay motivated long enough just to COMPLETE a project!
So I guess I’ve come to the realization, understanding, and acceptance that, YES, the cream does indeed rise to the top, but me, I’m just NOT the cream, and I’m ok with that!!
In the meantime, I’ll ride this unsteady wave of comic production (I think I’ve drawn like 8 new pages in the past few weeks) for as long as it goes! I’m happy, I’m having fun, and at this stage that is really all that matters for me!
Feral City is coming soon (check out a few more doodles below)!
Stay tuned…