dduane: gailsimone: glassgears: It can be really frustrating working on the comics sometimes. There&
dduane: gailsimone: glassgears: It can be really frustrating working on the comics sometimes. There’s a large, vocal audience declaring how much they want to see more diversity in comics and more LGBTQ characters. I was one of them, even. And it’s why I made The Pride. However, when an indie project comes out with just that, a lot of this audience don’t actually buy the product they’d been calling out for: because it’s not from Marvel or DC. Fact is though, if an audience doesn’t prove a desire and market for such a product, they won’t be willing to take a risk on creating one of their own. Obviously, I’m small press. I self-publish. I pay to get the comics made out of my own pocket. At the moment, there’s still around £5000 to pay artists for work and get the rest of the series printed when it comes to it. This isn’t even taking into account the cost of postage etc…it’s hard work, and takes up a lot of my time and money. But it’s a labor of love, so I keep working at it. I wouldn’t change that for the world. But I do wish that I was able to pay the artists faster and could afford printing easier. The Pride has 841 Likes on Facebook. If all of them bought just one copy of The Pride digital issues (at just £1.50), any issue, that would raise a massive chunk needed towards paying off the remaining artists! It would literally fund itself. I wouldn’t make any money myself, but I don’t care about that. This project is as much about building my profile and name as a writer than it is about getting rich…I will never get rich off The Pride, but I love doing it. Likes are all well and good, honestly they are great and a massive help in their own right, but it doesn’t help me actually make the comics. And it’s frustrating to see this market, this audience, saying they want a product and then just…not. Just felt like sharing that is all. In case anyone is considering making comics of their own. Obviously, I don’t want to scare anyone off: you wanna make comics, make comics. But be prepared for hard times and struggles, but if you work hard it could well all be worth it in the end. And of course, if you do want to buy The Pride, you can do so here. I really do recommend this book, it’s absolutely a pleasure to read and a clear labor of love. Seriously, people: walk the walk. Don’t just shout for more representation. Buy the damn comics. We’ve talked a bit with Joe Glass (glassgears) in the past through Smash Survey, and he’s a really fantastic person. We’ve loved every issue of The Pride so far (and we’re looking forward to reviewing them), and they’re more than worth your time and money. Queer comics made by queer people and allies are sort of the goal here, and it’s hard to find something printed and self published of The Pride’s caliber that is also humorous and pokes fun at our community in a comfortable voice. The Pride feels like a true queer comic. It’s for all of us, about us, and carries both the weight and comedy of our experiences. Not to say it isn’t great and relatable for the casual straight reader, it is. But it’s a lot more than that, too. Read The Pride -- source link
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