So, as some of you know, I have been working on a project known till now as the only The Super Secret Project. I am now far enough along in this project that I feel I can reveal the nature of the project.
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The super secret project is actually a Graphic Novel.
Yes, you heard me correctly, a graphic novel.
Why am I doing a graphic novel you ask? Well, I am glad you asked. I’ve been asked quite a few times about the possibility of creating a printed version of my comic. And I’ve always said that while I would love to do so it’s an awful lot of work to put into what amounts to a re-run. Don’t get me wrong I like collections of strips just as much as the next guy, but if I was going to do a book I wanted to do something new and different. I know I could have added “special” comics to a compilation, or a bunch of sketches but that just seemed like adding filler. So the more I thought about this book idea the more I wanted to do a completely new story.
The big problem was what exactly would the new story be about, I batted ideas around in my head for a while. Would this new comic be about epic battles or a simple day in the life of the hero? Would it be fantasy based or firmly set in reality? Ultimately I realized I already had a story waiting in the wings, it wasn’t a complete story but more like a list of plot points and an idea for an ending.
And so I set out with a basic plot in hand, and started crafting this story. It’s been quite a while since I have attempted to tell a story in a long form format, and the last time I don’t think it was much more than 8 pages or so long. This new project is looking to come in around 76-80 pages. That is quite a bit larger than any story I have attempted to tell, heck I think my longest comic was a comic called “Welcome to my World” and that came in at 30 pages I think. This new project is a deeply personal story that I hope touches others the way it has me.
You might ask “Why all the secrecy?” Well, that has a lot to do with the length of the project, it is easily twice as long as any comic I have ever attempted so I was unsure if I could stick with it long enough to finish it. By keeping it secret I would not let anyone down who had been anticipating the comic anxiously. It’s still a ways off till it’s done, but now that I have passed the halfway point I feel I can at least reveal a the nature of the project.
Heck, I will even share a page or two with you:
Both of these pages could in fact change a lot before we get to the final editing stage, but the at least show you a snippet of what the comic may look like.
As much as I’d love to go into the what the story is about, I don’t want to ruin it or the folks who might actually want to read it. What I can tell you is this:
1) The format of the book will be a Manga sized digest, full color cover and black and white interior.
2) I’ll be printing it through Ka-Blam most likely which means you will be able to order it directly from them.
3) I could be convinced that “Artist Editions” where you order the book through my site and get a fun sketch in the book are a good idea. It would take a lot to convince me of this, but it is possible.
So there you have it, now you know all about The Super Secret Project… well except what is about. I guess you’ll have to wait and buy it when it comes out!