Though I have been placed in an art-related cohort, writing still remains a large part of my project. In fact, I would argue that the visuals, while certainly important, are only there to enhance and bring vividity to the story itself, or at least its humble beginning that I would be able to accomplish within this short time period. The other big component of the project that I probably haven’t properly elaborated on yet is the outreach. Indeed, Harrison Kassen has been absolutely invaluable in connecting me with a surprisingly vast amount of creators both independent and in large companies, their talents ranging from writers to illustrators. A full comic is really a job done by at least ten people, each specializing in their own field and naturally delivering and later promoting and selling the best product they possibly can. Given that I am doing all these jobs on my own (my hand-lettering certainly leaves a lot to be desired), I realize that the only way to uphold the relative quality of my work is by gaining both knowledge and inspiration from professional contacts.

The first person on the chopping block was an independent comic writer named Jed McPherson, a former journalist who has now turned to part-time independent comic publishing. As an independent and a writer, he would become a great stepping stone, my interview with him serving as an almost direct response to my question. These interviews are turning out to be an invaluable and surprisingly accessible part of my project, and I planned to get as much out of my first one as possible.

Now, the exchange itself was pretty simple. Harrison gave me the man’s email, I reached out to him, we had a quick amicable exchange, I sent him a barrage of questions from both a technical and he answered – quickly, gallantly, and in surprisingly thorough detail. What makes this exchange so particularly crucial is less the complexity of the process and more the beginning it signifies. Comic creators aren’t just unreachable titans anymore – they are a readily available creative resource, one surprisingly eager to share their craft. As somebody going into business, a field where networking is necessary, this is certainly an encouraging start.