Tuesday, August 11, 2009

"The Light at the End of the Slump"

Today as I was picking some old favorite I DIG DUG strips to send to the Hometown Connection to finish the year, I had a small epiphany. I picked out strips to finish August and September, and as I began to choose October, I just couldn't do it. My "Halloween Stories" have been some of my greatest I DIG DUG strips ever. From Star Wars to Wizard of Oz, DC Super Heroes to Pirates...the I DIG DUG gang has had some great Halloween costumes and stories over the last ten years. And that got me thinking. Maybe...just maybe...I should go for one last set of I DIG DUG Halloween strips to see if that reignites the 'fire'. And...oddly...it has. So...what does this mean???

Well...I'm still planning on taking I DIG DUG on hiatus for awhile in favor of "Lost on Earth"..,but now that may take a little longer than originally planned. As I stated, August and September will see classic (well...classic in my opinion!) I DIG DUG comics. I'm going to do a 5-part Halloween story for October, and then finish out '09 with NEW strips rather than repeats. I'll then start '10 with the five part "Graduation Day" story. After that, I've decided to adapt my 22-page I DIG DUG comic BOOK into strip form, which might just take me all the way through 2010. And then...it'll be time to unveil "Lost on Earth"...probably not until 2011 now. Adapting the book into strip form will give me plenty of time to write, sketch and ink "L.O.E." strips. YAY...A PLAN!!!

So...I guess I'm starting to see a small glimmer of light down this dark tunnel of creative slumpness. It's good to have a path and direction, at least. Having a game plan has added some focus. And focus brings strips. I've now penciled parts one and two of the Halloween strips and parts one and two of the Graduation strips and they're both really good. I'm generally excited to be drawing strips again!!! And now...I'm out of comic boards. Time to make a run to Blick!!!

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