I am featured in this week’s Lutefisk Sushi podcast!  In it I have an energetic conversation with my friend Danno Klonowski about comics, farm life, and other things.  Check it out!

What Went Right

Cutting back on out-of-state shows was definitely a good idea. After all of the heartbreak and drama (and not to mention expenses) from going to shows like SPX, I needed a break. That said, I am planning on hitting the convention scene as hard as possible in 2012. I will have a new book out, meaning much more potential revenue which will help offset the costs of travel Also, I am much smarter about travel than I was in 2010, and I am looking forward to doing things right this time.

I also made some crucial changes in infrastructure for 2011. Specifically, I purchased the full version of Adobe Creative Suite Standard. I’’ll admit, I probably should have saved money by buying an older version (or pirating the software), but man, do I love having Photoshop and InDesign. They have cut back so much of the pain in making books, mini-comics, and webcomics. I still use GIMP for a few things, but having the automated features of photoshop and InDesign have made life so much sweeter.

2011 was also the first full year of having Introspective Comics as a business, and it feels so great to have a complete, organized record of my income and expenses. At least, I’m a lot more organized than last year. Seriously, even if you’re not planning on making a profit, tracking your income and expenses like a business has value. It helps you plan for the future and avoid spending a lot of money on things that aren’t very important.

On a personal level, I am also in a relationship this year, which has been great. I kind of needed someone in my life. Rebecca has helped me confront a lot of the emotional issues I have been struggling with this year, and I’ve matured a lot as a result.

What Went Wrong

I wasn’t nearly as productive this year as I have been in the past. I wanted to complete three issues of Super Plumbers. I only finished one. I wanted to start a line of eBooks. I finished one. I don’t think of these events as failures, though. During the course of the year, my priorities have changed. The Super Plumber books aren’t as important to me anymore (although I have given up on the idea of finishing them yet), and eBooks aren’t the shiny beacon of hope they once were to me. I’ve also lost interest in putting together a newsletter.

I also didn’t expand my product line as much as I would have liked. I tried a few things, like prints and clay figures, at conventions, but nothing sells as well as my mini-comics and books. I also didn’t finish any of my poster ideas.

I don’t consider these unmet goals to be failures. They were the result of shifting priorities. I’ve accepted that there is only so much before I burn out. I’ve also learned that some ideas work better on paper than they do in practice. They were all mistakes that I have learned from.

Which brings me to…

Things I Want to Change

As one of my recent updates illustrated, I’ve been having some serious issues with burnout. Part of it involves juggling my new relationship, my comics, my full-time job, and my overall health. My main goal for next year is to find a better balance. If nothing else, I want to accept the fact that I’m not going to be perfect at everything so I can plan my life accordingly.

My other goals include:

• Finishing the next Introspective Comics collection.
• Finishing a comic for Lutefisk Sushi.
• Finishing at least 104 pages of comics for the website.
• Tabling at three out-of-state comic conventions.
• Tabling at as many local conventions as possible.

I am really looking forward to growing this year.  I wish you all a Happy 2012!

The following sketches are from that night.  They’re kind of… sketchy.  I think the problem was I was trying to treat it as a life-drawing course, which was not a good idea because the characters were constantly moving.  I think that if I get to do this again, I will draw more abstractly, focusing on capturing specific features rather than gestures and poses.

I will be right next to Boiler Room coffee, so I will likely be jittery and twitching from drinking too much coffee.  Also, I may have stolen this map idea from Danno Klonowski.

More info here.

Odds are, if you’re reading this, you’ve already heard of MIX, the Minneapolis Indie eXpo!  It will be the last convention I table at this year, and I intend to go out on a high note!  For more information, check out the MIX site.

I won’t just be tabling this year! I will also be part of  a live recording of THE GEEK REPORT at MIX at 10:15 on Saturday.  Stop by the Main Programming Room and watch us be Geeky!

Also debuting at MIX will be GERM WARFARE, a germ-based anthology feature a story by me!  Pick up a comic for germ-related goodness.

Hey guys, Zinefest is this weekend!  And I’m going to have a table there.  So stop by Powderhorn Park and look at some zines!

A few years ago, Danno and I had the idea of starting a podcast interviewing the artists of Lutefisk Sushi.  The idea went nowhere.  We were both too busy to take on new projects, and we simply did not know how to record and edit podcasts at that time.  Fortunately, Danno has resurrected the idea (without me hanging like an albatross around his neck), and has launched the Lutefisk Sushi Podcast!  Listen to it!  Now!

Just wanted you to know I’ll be at Geek Kon this Friday through Saturday, sharing a table with Fes from the Webcast Beacon.  You can read more information about Geek Kon on their website.

I mentioned this on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+, but I have a comic in the print issue of City Pages this week!  You can read my comic (as well as the comics of many talented artists) online at http://www.citypages.com/microsites/comics2011/!

You can read my comic online at http://www.citypages.com/microsites/comics-dow-2011/.