00:01: A new day has started. Uploaded The Magic Spanner just in time. Now on to the next one. Think I'll go for either Swapsies or Bigger and Better as the title. The story is of a man who swaps a pen for bigger and better items including a house and an alien planet, before finally being offered the universe itself. All told it's 14 pictures I believe. I'd mentioned the story in yesterday's journal. Next steps are cutting the paper down to size. I'll need to consider the size of the scanner, and then what size the book should be. I suppose the size should just match the scanner. Then I'll have to bind them together. Ordering a Rembrandt carbon extra dark in 2B and HB, and a Pitt faber castell black oil pencil extra soft. Need to improve my line work and avoid the marks going through the other side.
11:30: It's the morning now and I have to go to work. I want to work on Bigger or Better, but I also don't want to get fired. Avoiding ruin is key here. I've just checked on my Reddit account and Laces got over 40,000 views on r/comics - nice. It even got 300+ upvotes and a few comments. It's nice to see people like it. I've posted Magic Spanner on there too.
14:40: I must start engaging more on the internet.
14:41: I don't particularly like doing it. But a little goes along way, especially if done consistently. So, here's my daily online chore list. On YouTube, Instagram, Reddit, TikTok: 3x comments + likes on targetted audiences, example audiences: #cartoons, #animation, #comic, #memes, #memevideos. Perhaps more to add but you get the idea. I should just get into the habit of doing it in certain moments. On the toilet? Social media. Waiting for a bus? Social media. At your grandmother's funeral? Social media. I might also start time-stamping my writing line by line so that I can easily combine it with my phone notes via AI. I've updated obsidian md page to include the journal number and time stamps - nice. This is all a bit of a mess I know, but it's good fun.
14:47: Today's story is of a man who swaps a pen until he can buy the universe itself. Not the worst premise. Not the best. Now I need to write the words that will be used a prompt for the drawings:
Cover: Bigger or Better by Harry Gilson
Page 1: There once was a man who swapped his pen for a hand-made mug.
Page 2: Then, he swapped the mug for a bike.
Page 3: And the bike for a bus.
Page 4: He swapped again, this time he swapping the bus for a house.
Page 5: And the house for a rocket ship.
Page 6: Then he flew until he saw a distant planet glowing in the distance.
Page 7: he met the king who offered him the entire planet for the rocket ship.
Page 8: He accepted. Then the universe itself appeared, and offered itself to him.
Page 9: But, the universe didn't want anything in return.
Page 10: So the man accepted the offer.
Page 11: And he lived happily.
Page 12: Knowing there was nothing more he could aquire.
19:49: Work done. Now big picture process for this evening.
Cover
- There once was a man who swapped his pen for a mug.
- Picture
- Then, he swapped the mug for a bike.
- Picture
- And the bike for a bus.
- Picture
- And the bus for a rocket ship.
- Picture
- The man grew bored of swapping things on earth. So he left in search of bigger and better things to swap.
- Picture
- After years of space travel he saw something glowing in the distance. It was a planet ruled by an evil King, who offered his world to the man in return for the rocket ship.
- Picture
- The king left on a voyage of his own, before the man freed his people.
- Picture
- The universe appeared, and offered itself to the man in return for his good deed.
- Picture
- He accepted, and lived happily…
- Picture
- Knowing there was nothing bigger…
- Picture
- Or better anywhere in the universe.
- Picture
Back cover.
23:32: 'Finished' an hour ago. Or quit. I ended up somewhat butchering the story and putting things in the incorrect place. I think tomorrow I will do the story on plain A4 cartridge paper. Take things back to basics. No pressure whatsoever. The story must also be short. That's today's big take away: Clear and consice stories moving forwards.