Getting the Urge

[McDuffies]

For me, the problem has been that lately, I've been feeling...trapped doing what I'm doing in the other two. This is not to say that I don't enjoy them, Troubled Times is starting to actually be fulfilling because I've worked out my rhythm so I can actually spend enough time on a page (usually) to satisfy my taste (not enough to please me, but I refuse to be a slave to my comics...more than I am already). Vapor Lock has also been a lot of fun for me and I have plenty of ideas for it. But stylistically, I can't do much seriousness with it. Honestly, the storyline I'm doing now has probably pushed the border of what I should allow in VL a little too far. I'm afraid if I don't find an outlet for that darker side of my creativity (which is the greater part of it) it's going to ruin VL, and I like my little world too much to let that happen.

Edit: and Legostar, I know EXACTLY what you mean. There are just some things that HAVE to be comics.

I feel exactly the same right now.
During working on mcDuffies, a lot of ideas run through my head. Some of them were itching me to get to work on them right away. I surpressed them, which usually turned out to be good, because with time, those ideas built up, and what would then be a shorter comic relying on one idea, would now be a real epic.
But I did work on scripts of some. Maybe there's an answer for you. If you get an idea, you could write a script, and draw it some time later, when you have more time.
Actually, that's how LWK became, I was writing it for some time during the work on mcDuffies, collecting facts and such, and then when an oportunity came along, I started drawing it.
Another mutual feeling is that I feel trapped by mcDuffies as well. Hopefully, I'll end a comic whithin a year or so and move on to stuff that is currently more interesting to me.

[Vorticus]

Sometimes I have lots of ideas for new comics, other times I feel like I've run out of ideas for the one I have. When I get the urge to do something different I try to incorporate it into my comic instead of making a new one. However not everyone could do something like that.

[RemusShepherd]

Phalanx is a girl?

...

Why does everyone keep saying that?

Because your forum avatar looks male, and you have a shirtless male in the 'Longest Sojourn' ad banner in your Sig. If you're female, then by internet standards you're a cross-dresser. Didn't you know that all females on the internet have to have avatars that are either frilly and pink or bikini-clad and hawt, by law?

I'm still nervous about changing my avatar from Rex Kevlar (not my own art) to Foil (my own art). I'll have to rotate characters from my comic every few weeks so nobody attaches me to my avatar too much.

As for the original poster...well, obsession and distraction are the story of my life. Part of my purpose in doing a webcomic is to see if I *can* focus on one project for a full year or two (until the story's done; that's all I'm committing myself to).

I call the urge to frequently switch projects 'Easy Creativity'. You do one thing and have some success at it, but to get any better would be difficult. So you start looking for another creative endeavor that looks like it would be easier. That's why I've switched from music to woodworking to sci-fi writing to drawing furry porn to webcomics, all in the space of the last two years.

Chasing easy creativity, though, is not the route to success. It might make you happy, but you won't fame or fortune from it. To get those things, you have to knuckle down and *master* just one thing. Whatever one thing you choose is up to you. Better make it something you love doing, because being happy is also important.

[Phalanx]

Phalanx is a girl?

...

Why does everyone keep saying that?

Because your forum avatar looks male, and you have a shirtless male in the 'Longest Sojourn' ad banner in your Sig. If you're female, then by internet standards you're a cross-dresser. Didn't you know that all females on the internet have to have avatars that are either frilly and pink or bikini-clad and hawt, by law?

*grin* Actually, I thought that the shirtless male in the banner would have been pretty much indicative that I was female and heterosexual

But I guess that's the drawback of using my tomboyish female main character as my avatar...

[Leko]

At least everyone can agree that you're human, Phalanx. My avatars are usually inanimate objects.

And damnit, Remus! I just drew your old avatar in my cameo thing and then you went and changed it! *grumble*

[Joel Fagin]

At least everyone can agree that you're human, Phalanx.

You're kidding? He's human?

*runs, fast*

- Joel Fagin

[McDuffies]

He? They have genders on it's planet?

[Chaos Cricket]

Yeah, I know the urge you speak of, Monkey. Why do you think we're running three comics on Dim Bulb instead of just two?

But that really points the way towards your solution--who says you have to always do Vapor Lock or always do Troubled Times? One could go on (dare I say the dreaded word) hiatus for awhile. Crank out a short-story comic or two, then return to the main comic. It's an idea I've actually considered--while I love drawing Crooked Halo, there are some stories I want to tell that just don't fit in with the world I've created there.

But I think that's the strength of the site Dim Bulb is (not to do any gratuitous plugging): since the whole point was to put up several comics that all have different styles, themes, and content, we can always swap out comics once in awhile to follow a muse.

[K-Dawg]

Ok, as all (2...counting myself) of you know, I'm the writer/artist of one comic (Vapor Lock) and the artist on another (Troubled Times), both of which are featured on Dim Bulb Comics, along with the works of ye olde Chaos Cricket (Crooked Halo). Which is to say...I've pretty much got my plate full.

I mean, since I'm not nearly as fast as McDuffies (that man has ungodly speed), and I'm not as dedicated, I suppose, as Phalanx (how does she find the time?!?!?!), I fill most of the time I have available for comics with comics and I don't have much left to give.

But I have an idea.

Well, it's the beginning of an idea, and its awakened the urge to do another comic. I could ignore it, like I have in the past, but I feel...restrained by what I'm doing now. I'm committed to doing Vapor Lock and Troubled Times, but I want to do something different, too.

So, I'm wondering, do you ever get this feeling? (perhaps Miss Phalanx or Mr. McDuffies could explain their own experience in this, as well?)

Hell this is the reason i did Angry D. Monkey. It was an idea that just kept staying in my head. It was horrible it would bother me forever; so one day I just said screw it, I'll do it.

[RemusShepherd]

And damnit, Remus! I just drew your old avatar in my cameo thing and then you went and changed it! *grumble*

I changed it because someone asked to draw me in a cameo thing, and wanted to use Foil!

Maybe I'll stick with Foil, then. I'm used to using dogs as avatars, but he is my main character for the next year or so.

[ZorroandEster]

My plan for new ideas is I wait a month, and if I am still as excited about them then, I go with it. I seriously come up with new ideas for comics about 10 a day. Usually they involve one line, like: Guy named "Baka" and he does dumb stuff."

Just wait. In a month that will be my new comic.


(PS: Baka means Idiot in japanese. Thank you Naruto.)

[Dr Legostar]

My biggest problem is that I'll come up with just the barest beginnings of a story, a name for a character, a weird trait, something, and then i want to develop it into something more, and I got nothing. Usually I end up incorporating these ideas into other stories but some things just won't fit and I've got a concept to hang a story off of and no story to hang (or enough story to hang myself with?)

[Chaos Cricket]

I still think it's very telling that I've got about two dozen short stories/comic ideas/novels in the works, and none of them near completion.

[Dr Legostar]

I still think it's very telling that I've got about two dozen short stories/comic ideas/novels in the works, and none of them near completion.

only 2 dozen?

[Chaos Cricket]

Well, earning a Master's degree got in the way of doing more. But that's done now, so maybe I can get back on track.

[Garasade]

Whenever I have those urges, I try to incorporate them into what I am doing now. The good thing is that the comic is still nascent so there is really no clear direction to which it is heading. Right now, at this very moment, I want to draw about the Matrix and create a sort of spinoff from that.

[DarkArtist]

I think it is a pretty typical urge. I was in love with my comic when I started it
Then I learned more. Can look back on alot of bad art and writing mistakes and know that if i started anew...it would have a chance of beign far more widely liked.

Yet I can't give up on three years of work either.

[BrownEyedCat]

My plan for new ideas is I wait a month, and if I am still as excited about them then, I go with it. I seriously come up with new ideas for comics about 10 a day. Usually they involve one line, like: Guy named "Baka" and he does dumb stuff."

Just wait. In a month that will be my new comic.


(PS: Baka means Idiot in japanese. Thank you Naruto.)

Only a month? I waited a year before starting my comic.

And this is the secret behind why I have so few projects going.

[Warren]

Well, earning a Master's degree got in the way of doing more. But that's done now, so maybe I can get back on track.

Like education means anything.

[Steverules]

Here's how I do my comic.
Monday: Go to work. Return home at 5 planning on working on next weeks comic. Play a few video games. Read through the keenspace forums. Watch a little TV. Read a few web comics for inspiration. Read through the keenspace forums again to see if I missed anything. Eat. Too late to work on anything. Go to bed figuring I'll work on something tomorrow.
Tuesday-Saturday: Same as above.
Sunday: Crap, I've got to get something done for Monday. Frantically writes and draws next weeks strips.
Monday: Repeat lather and rinse.