I've had an awful lot going on in my life for the past month or so. I've been really preoccupied, sorry. For now, have an enjoyable Easter Sunday!
Matt K.
Oh, hello again. I'm sorry, it's been a little while, hasn't it? I hope that you are all staying warm somehow, or that maybe spring is finally starting to appear in your corner of the world. March here in Ohio has been pretty brutal in terms of the weather, but I keep telling myself that it can't snow all year long so hopefully that will finally come true.
I've had an awful lot going on in my life for the past month or so. I've been really preoccupied, sorry. For now, have an enjoyable Easter Sunday!
Matt K.
So far, the month of March has sucked a bag of dicks. Seriously. Allow me to take you through my time of woe, step by step.
Things began promisingly enough with this year's S.P.A.C.E. show. As I previously mentioned, I had a great time with my friends, like this mug Johnny Ampersand...
...but traffic seemed low and sales were dismal. Even though I ended up making more money that I thought, as days have gone by, I still have some real lingering doubts about the success of the show. I've had just a handful of copies of my comic "Spudd 64" issues #1 through #4 for about 2 years now. And no matter how many shows I go to, it seems like I can't even give them away. I've really been thinking about this a lot, and the truth seems like it has to be that either I am really just a pretty lousy cartoonist and artist or that people just don't give a flying fuck in hell about my comic. Or some combination of the two. I've certainly never fooled myself into thinking that I was somehow going to make money in the world of small press comics, or become some kind of "success," whatever that means in independent publishing. But I also never thought I would be struggling to get rid of 3 or 4 comics for years at a time. I'm not sure why I am bothering any more. I still enjoy the drawing, and the telling of the story of Spudd 64, but I think that from now on I am simply going to draw it, color it, scan it, and bind the original art myself into my own handmade books. After all, other than maybe 1 or 2 people, I think I am really the only one that cares what happens.
So that was S.P.A.C.E.. Shortly after the show, a long awaited package arrived at my doorstep. Here, take a look...
Man, I was so excited to open this thing up I could barely contain myself. Here, see how excited I was! And marvel at my awesome work sweater!
Whatever could it be?
Yes! The secret revealed! A brand new enlarger, for my brand new darkroom!
Even though I did not yet have all the necessary equipment or chemicals to actually print any photographs, I was still really eager to take it out and assemble it. A basic enlarger like this is actually a shockingly simple piece of machinery. It really just consists of a wooden base, a metal column, and the condenser head at the top, which can be slid up or down the column to change the size of the print below. The condenser head isn't much more than a bright light inside a metal box with a tray for inserting a negative. That light, with its adjustable brightness, shines through a series of lenses allowing for the photo paper below to be exposed to very sharply focused images from the negative. That's all there is to it. So anyway, I opened the box, took everything out, and got started. Only, I didn't get started. The box, which was factory sealed, was missing a crucial piece required for the assembly and proper functioning of the enlarger called the base assembly, as well as all the nuts and bolts that attached it. That piece is nothing more than a piece of metal bent into a U-shape, and it secures the column of the enlarger to the wooden base. It looks like this (the part circled in red)...
And even though this is not an image of the exact model I own, when the enlarger is assembled properly, it should look very much like this...
I double and triple checked the box, and then I double and triple checked the larger box it had been shipped in. Nothing. Zip. Sorry, pal. No base assembly anywhere. And here, my friends, is where the bullshit begins. Since hardly anyone uses this kind of antiquated and basic photography equipment anymore, it has almost taken on the air of something vintage. When I initially began pricing enlargers online, I saw this model for anywhere from $150 to $300 dollars, well out of my price range. So I checked on eBay for a while, and somehow was able to win an auction for a mere $47 plus $20 shipping from Washington state. The seller ran a camera store and made note of the fact that this was a brand new factory sealed enlarger, which is why the auction was so enticing. As soon as I discovered the missing piece, I emailed the seller to ask if he could help. He was apologetic, but he mentioned that he only had the one unit to sell, it had been sitting on his shelf for quite some time, and he didn't have any replacement parts. He offered to refund the auction price if I sent it back to him, but since that would have cost me an additional $20, I would basically be getting back $7 and starting all over again. So I decided to try several other avenues.
First I contacted a fantastic new and used photography store in Columbus, someplace I had shopped before and knew carried all kinds of strange equipment and other misfits. They were really friendly and did their best, but they just didn't have the missing piece or know where I could find one. Next I called my friend Fred because I knew his father worked in a machine shop and I hoped that maybe I could just ask him to fabricate a piece and bolt it together myself. Fred was cool with that and offered to help, so that was great. But before I went that route, I decided to try and contact the manufacturer of the enlarger and see if I could ask for or pay for a replacement part.
First of all, they are nearly impossible to get ahold of. They have a web site, but no email information, so you have to call or fax. It took a while to actually reach someone, but I finally spoke to a sales representative. She offered to send replacement parts free of charge, but first I would have to fax her the receipt and the sales information. Since I didn't have that, I sent a fax explaining that I had purchased the item on eBay and could provide details of the auction transaction, and I also indicated that I would be happy to pay for a replacement part as the nuts and bolts. And then I waited.
And waited.
And waited.
And nearly a week later, after getting sick of waiting, I called back. After a non-apology, the sales representative said that they could send me a replacement and would be asking for my credit card information shortly. So I waited a few more days.
I got a weird email asking me to send my credit card info, but nothing about how much I would be charged, how much shipping would cost, when the item would be sent, and so on. Plus, I am extremely wary of simply emailing my credit card number and expiration date, so I tried to call back and handle this by phone. I called. And called. And called. And left several voicemail messages over 3 or 4 days. And FINALLY got to speak to the same sales rep. She took all my information, told me that the charge would be "About $50 plus shipping," and that was that. $50 bucks! Jesus! I only paid $47 for the entire unit in the first place! And they were basically just sending me a piece of metal and some screws! But whatever, I didn't really have a choice.
So now it's been 5 days, and I still haven't received an email or a phone call letting me know what's happening. My credit card has not been charged, and I basically have absolutely no idea what's going on. This sucks hugely. Yes, my friends, this sucks a bag of dicks. An entire bag.
Sooooooo...I figured that while I was waiting for the darkroom to come together, and for absolutely no one in the world to care about or buy my comics, I should finally get a drafting table and build myself a little studio space so I could draw more comfortable. For the last 2 years, I have been drawing on the dining room table, on the couch, on the floor, at tables in coffee shops, or anywhere I could find the space. I made do with what I had, but since I draw so damn slowly anyway, and since I really benefit from a proper drawing environment, I felt like it would be worthwhile to invest in a proper studio. Rudy and I drove all the way to Columbus to pick out the drafting table I had selected. Only the box was way too large to fit in our car. So outside the art supply store, in the dark of a cold winter night, we opened the box and took everything out and stuffed it in our car. And drove all the way back home to go to bed.
The next morning, going off to work, I looked at all the pieces on the floor and started getting excited about coming home that night to put the whole thing together. But several hours later, Rudy called me at my desk and explained that somehow we had left a small bag of bolts and one thin piece of metal in the box, and that the employees at the art supply store had discovered this while breaking down the box for recycling. They were kind enough to call her the next day and let her know, and they even set aside the missing pieces, but it meant that instead of coming home, eating dinner, and putting the drafting table together, we had to spend another evening racing to Columbus and back to get what we should have gotten the first time. And when gas is $3.50 a gallon, 2 consecutive trips to Columbus can really take a bite out of the bank account. However, the youngsters at the art supply store went above and beyond, and were really sweet and helpful, so I'm thankful for that.
Two days later than what I had hoped for, I finally got the drafting table assembled and moved into place. I feel like I have had to fight really really hard for this, and that I am STILL fighting hard for this darkroom. This is a strange time for me, full of doubts and uncertainties. But there are good signs, and there is always hope. So, please excuse the mess on the floor, the untidy stacks, and the temporarily bare walls, but here are digital photos of my brand new studio! First, a look at the new table. Oddly enough, due to the strange way in which our apartment is constructed (we live on the second floor, but the entrance is on the ground floor, so we have a big empty flight of stairs in our apartment) after entering our home you have to walk THROUGH the studio to get to the rest of it. I guess that will kind of force me to keep things as tidy as possible, but it will always look like a work area and not so much a living area.
That little dividing wall immediately in front of the drafting table actually overlooks the stairway, so there is a 15 foot drop right on the other side. I have to be careful of my little collection of friends there on the wall so that I don't knock any of them over and destroy them! See, there are Gary Baseman's "Helpers," an awesome plastic toy Astro Boy that my good friend Aaron M. Fitzwater gave me years ago, and this incredibly bizarre little clay dragon that my mom gave me. She bought it at some Renaissance Faire and it's hollow so you can stick incense cones inside and the smoke drifts out of his nostrils. It's like some strange throwback to the 1970s, which is probably why I love it so much. Well, that, and because I like to burn tons of incense when I draw and fill the room with smoke. It puts me into some kind of trance or something, and helps me focus and draw all the tiny details that I pack my drawings with. I really like this arrangement because the drafting table is right next to a big second floor window that I can open in the summer time to let lots of fresh air and warm sunlight in. Here is another view, from the stairs...
This is looking back beyond the table. It's kind of messy right now, and a lot of this will be tidied up, but you can see the big empty wall which I will soon be filling with framed art, the plastic containers of art supplies and the big wooden art box to the right of the bookshelf, the awesome painting entitled "Post-Modern Spudd" that Rudy made for me many years ago leaning on top of the wooden art box, stacks of old books on the floor for collage materials, and the few books I keep sitting on the bookshelf itself. The very top is all stuff by Osamu Tezuka. It is a wonderful shelf, and I like to call it "The Shelf Of Genius." In spite of all the things I have traded or given to friends over the years, I have never ever given away any of my Osamu Tezuka books. It's kind of strange that he, of all artists and cartoonists, would remain so universal and constant to me.
So that's where March stands right now. Depression. Bitterness. Struggle. Confusion. Hope. I don't know. I'm a muddle right now. Things might be falling into place. A lot hinges on the enlarger though. That is an important piece. So please, even if you don't or won't email me, please send positive vibes my way and help me stop this month from sucking a bag of dicks.
Oh yeah, one more thing. I decided that whatever comics and art I don't sell by my birthday on June 4th will be consigned to the flames and burned to ashes. I am the creator and the destroyer. And I am drunk on my own power. And on a more serious note, every ending carries within it the seeds of a new beginning.
Matt K.
Things got a little hairy Tuesday night so I didn't get to update my Etsy Shop until last night. There are now something like 12 or 13 original drawings plus all four issues of "Spudd 64," the four issue bundle, and my art book "Some Day The Dream Will End." I have 13 more pieces of original art to add, but I'll probably just put up one or two a day until I'm done with everything I will be letting go of.
Also, I mentioned this in the Etsy Shop comic descriptions, but these are the last copies I have of all of my comics and books. Trying to keep 5 books in print and in stock is time consuming and expensive and I am getting a bit exhausted from the effort. Now that issues 1 through 4 of "Spudd 64" are online anyway, there is really no need to keep them in print. Plus this will free up some of my time and resources so I can actually make new issues and books. As of now, there are three remaining copies of issue #1, five remaining copies of issue #2, three remaining copies of issue #3, six remaining copies of issue #4, nine bundles of all four issues, and five remaining copies of the art book "Some Day The Dream Will End." (This doesn't include the issues I am mailing to you, Stephanie). If you're interested in anything, check out the store or send me an email. If you would like a piece of art and I have actually spent time with you at your house or mine, there is a very good chance I will cut you a nice "friends" deal.
Matt K.
Last night I finished putting up my Etsy Shop! It took me longer than I thought it would, and I think I will be changing the kind of boring banner and tweaking some of the shop details for a little while, but the foundation is there. It's pretty exciting. Right now, there are 4 pieces of original art for sale for a wide variety of prices but I will be adding all of my comics and books this evening as well as adding 2 or 3 drawings a day until I have them all listed. I'm going to be selling about 30 of my original drawings, from pen and ink pieces to a few of the more elaborate colored pencil drawings. The decision to sell some of my art was very painful and difficult. I mean, some of these drawings have been with me for nearly ten years, and the only time I ever let them go was when I gave a few drawings to some of my closest friends. However I am desperately trying to finish the funding of a small portable darkroom so I can get back into doing some photography, and I am also turning a small portion of our apartment into a makeshift studio so I can do more art and drawing. Because of these projects, I kind of need some money to buy equipment, chemicals, a drafting table and some other supplies. In the end, I think that learning to let go of some of these pieces is important for me anyway because they tend to make me feel anchored to the past and unable to really move forward or challenge my current ways of thinking and drawing.
I hope you will all check out the shop here, but you can also click on the "store" link in the menu up at the top of any page will and you'll get directly there. Keep your fingers crossed and hope that I can sell some art and comics!
Matt K.
Well, S.P.A.C.E. is over and I have mixed feelings. I did enjoy sharing a table with my good friend Johnny Ampersand and his wife Alice, although sadly due to prior obligations they were only able to attend the show on Saturday. It was good to see Johnny, talk about comics and creativity, laugh at his swell new comic "Martino" and discuss potential future stories we might do together (Gunstro Mormis anyone?). Our table was adjacent to the four PANEL tables, so I got to hang out with Dara Naraghi, Tom Williams, Tony Goins, Sean McGurr, Craig Bogart, and Brent Bowman a lot. It was fun, and it's always great to spend time with great friends like those guys. Even Andy Bennett and Tim Fischer stopped in. I picked up some great art commissions from Justin Madson as well as his really beautiful little book of black and white drawings titled "Birch." It's available at his Etsy shop and I highly recommend it. Rudy and I got to talk with Dr. Jay Hosler, author of Clan Apis, The Sandwalk Adventure and the new graphic novel / college science textbook Optical Allusions which is wonderful. Dr. Jay is hilarious and always a blast to talk to, so it was great to see him again. This was the first show where I made a concerted effort to advertise and sell original art, and amazingly I actually sold two drawings for a pretty decent bundle of cash. Not like I'm rolling in the dough or anything, but it was a great feeling to sell my art at a price I could be very comfortable with. So, those were the high points.
The low points were that the show seemed really slow. I could be wrong, but it just seemed like there were very few non-exhibitors attending the show and buying comics. I know that publicity was lower this year, and the show was nearly a month earlier than usual, but I don't know. I was kind of bummed, really. I shouldn't complain too much because at the end of the weekend I counted up the money and I had done far better than I thought, but imagine how much better it would have been if there were double the number of attendees. As always, shows like this get me thinking about whether or not I want to do other shows or risk tabling at one of the big ones like SPX or MoCCA. Lots of thoughts running through my head right now, so maybe I'll just stop here.
I guess the verdict is this: for me, S.P.A.C.E. is a great time to see and spend time with friends far and wide, but not such a great place for me to make and sell comics.
Matt K.