Chris Schweizer

Inventory, commissions, invoices, print order prep, correspondence... all of the stuff that I put off, just knocking it out.
And the best part is, the rest of the week, I can focus solely on the book without feeling like there's stuff hanging over my head! There IS, but I'll deal with it Saturday! 6

...she suggested that I do ALL of those things on Saturdays, & the rest of the week just focus on OUTLAW. So I tried that today, & guess what?
I got SO much done! I tend to put off logistical things until I HAVE to, but knowing that today was my only window in which to do them, I powered through! 5/

...and I don't want to turn any of it away from OUTLAW).

SO! Liz had me add up what these other dedicated time blocks (for Patreon commissions, correspondence/paperwork, show prep, etc) would come out to, and it's roughly 10-12 hours per week. Since I generally work 10 hours a day... 4/

(Also, I haven't had a day this week, and likely won't next week, where some non-work thing hasn't pulled me away from dedicated focused desk time - errands, civic obligations, family stuff - all stuff I'm glad to have in my life, but it means that the desk time is EXTRA precious... 3/

When I'm at this phase of a project (final art, the rest of it is done), I want to give it my sole focus and attention (which is VERY scattershot when writing/roughing) and marathon through. The end is in sight! I want to get to it! BUT I have other long-term obligations and projects to do, too. 2/

So I had a schedule worked up where each day I would spend twenty minutes on this thing, twenty on that, forty on this, and then the rest of the time I could focus in on OUTLAW'S APPRENTICE. Guess what? It didn't work at all!!! 1/

I bought it at a grocery store in Vienna! Got a few and just got around to eating the last one. Sorry!

Zimmer doesn't always do it for me but the Prince of Egypt score is absolutely great. That and Sherlock Holmes, both - when he gives himself thematic parameters (specific instruments, specific modes, etc), he really sings.

I like writing AND drawing more than I like doing either independently and I invariably make substantially more money just drawing than I do doing everything, which is wild (luckily I make more doing both than just writing, but not by a lot!)

Y'all wanna see some layouts -> final pages from Out of Alcatraz? @mrtylercrook.bsky.social

Thanks very much!

Thank you!!!

Thank you!!!

Earlier attempt - grabbed a screenshot from some existing series to use as a template and the dimensions were nowhere close to what they asked for, so couldn't use it

Getting all my ducks in a row for website, webtoons, etc. Just did this promo image. Starts serializing April 15th!

I also end up throwing away plenty of panels, and sometimes whole pages, when I'm editing, and so there's a time factor involved, too. I do about 98% of the editing for a book before EVER moving to final art. Final art is the performance, at that point its content should be good to go.

Because I write (and place my lettering) as I do my roughs, I usually can't make those tight enough to use as pencils because I want to keep my writing momentum. But that means when it comes time to do final pages, I have to tighten/do the pencils before I ink for the pages to look their best.

Thanks so very much!

I'm so glad!

I also end up throwing away plenty of panels, and sometimes whole pages, when I'm editing, and so there's a time factor involved, too. I do about 98% of the editing for a book before EVER moving to final art. Final art is the performance, at that point its content should be good to go.

Because I write (and place my lettering) as I do my roughs, I usually can't make those tight enough to use as pencils because I want to keep my writing momentum. But that means when it comes time to do final pages, I have to tighten/do the pencils before I ink for the pages to look their best.

You are of course right about all of these things, hero Tyler Crook

- Balloon placement is the single most important tool for leading the reader around a page.

- Panels should not bleed into the gutter.
- Comics are the greatest story telling medium ever invented.
- There is no difference between manga and comics.
- Characters should be allowed to have soliloquies.
- Sound FX should be done as part of the art not the lettering.

- Lettering should come after layouts and before pencils.
- Publishers should do flatting in-house.
- There is no such thing as "backgrounds" it's actually "setting" and it's as important as the characters.

Some of my volunteer shift at the makerspace spent sanding down birch to make giveaways for ALA Annual. Which ain't 'til the summer, but I don't like to last-minute things anymore.

Just finished the SECOND book in this series, and I love it. Jacky Collis (J.C.) Harvey's THE SILVER WOLF and THE DEAD MEN are phenomenal, the best recent historical fiction I've read in a while. The third book, THE WANTON ROAD, doesn't seem to have a US release yet. 😭

Hunchback is my favorite Menken, too, hands-down!

I don't know Frates, but I'll look! I tend to prioritize melody over mood, and so a lot of newer/recent composers tend to be more ambient or percussion-dependent than I prefer. Always keen to check out the new folks to see if they check my boxes!

Out-of-season but yummy all the same