The Terrible Anvil

In episode six of Comics Karma, Tom and Lauren talk to Emil Wilson, who knows something is pretty good, maybe good enough, but wants to know at what point it's FINISHED. What's holding him back from calling it done? “Is it perfectionism?” He asks. “Is it control? It it connected to who I am and wanting to present the best version of myself? Is it me ‘not wanting to let go?' "Lauren, calling in from Ireland where she is secretly spying on her old high school friends, gives great advice as always, and Tom tells a story about how he felt after finishing his grief memoir, a story he's never shared with anyone. Get full access to How to Make a Graphic Novel at sawcomics.substack.com/subscribe

Episode 4 - I'm making a Frankenstein's monster of identity and memory. How do I do it?! With guest SAW member Dusty McGowan!In episode four of Comics Karma, Tom and Lauren talk about to Dusty McGowan, a genuine therapist! -who is having a crisis of identity.Dusty is doing a comic about a toy he remembers from his childhood but seems to be a figment of his imagination. Or is it? Is this a story about a toy or about identity or what? We get into it, giving therapy to the therapist!Lauren as always, is an expert in this stuff and gives her really good advice. Give it a listen and come back for more. We'll be answering a different student each week for 2 more weeks!Recorded at SAW on ZoomThanks for listening!As always, you can participate live, by joining us in the COMICS FLOW + PUBLISH section of SAW Comics, or just visit us at sawcomics.org Get full access to How to Make a Graphic Novel at sawcomics.substack.com/subscribe

Episode 4 - I'm making a Frankenstein's monster of identity and memory. How do I do it?! With guest SAW member Dusty McGowan!In episode four of Comics Karma, Tom and Lauren talk about to Dusty McGowan, a genuine therapist! -who is having a crisis of identity.Dusty is doing a comic about a toy he remembers from his childhood but seems to be a figment of his imagination. Or is it? Is this a story about a toy or about identity or what? We get into it, giving therapy to the therapist!Lauren as always, is an expert in this stuff and gives her really good advice. Give it a listen and come back for more. We'll be answering a different student each week for 2 more weeks!Recorded at SAW on ZoomThanks for listening!As always, you can participate live, by joining us in the COMICS FLOW + PUBLISH section of SAW Comics, or just visit us at sawcomics.org Get full access to How to Make a Graphic Novel at sawcomics.substack.com/subscribe

In episode three of the newly christened Comics Karma, with Tom Hart and Lauren Weinstein are talking about comics and addressing students' questions directly.Tom and Lauren talk about their own work, and in the case of Lauren - a project that has taken more than 20 years, and then they welcome Lynn Bernstein, who has been doing a fascinating memoir about series of events in her marriage over 30 years ago. Lynn wants to know how to not feel the awful feelings she was feeling then, while revisiting these moments in her memoir. She also doesn't want to out particular players in the story; she wants to know how to avoid these things.Luckily, Lauren is an expert in this stuff and gives her really good advice. Tom just stands by waiting to bad mouth an old friend. (Joke! We love you Ed!)Give it a listen and come back for more. We'll be answering a different student each week for 3 more weeks!Thanks for listening!As always, you can participate live, by joining us in the COMICS FLOW + PUBLISH section of SAW Comics, or just visit us at sawcomics.org Get full access to How to Make a Graphic Novel at sawcomics.substack.com/subscribe

In episode two of the newly christened Comics Karma, with Tom Hart and Lauren Weinstein are talking about comics and addressing students' questions directly.Tom and Lauren talk about their own work, and in the case of Lauren - a project that has taken more than 20 years, and then they welcome Sally Charette, who has been working on a long story about her long-lived parrot, Dodger, but she has other ideas too.We talk about all of these things. We talked about life, death, politics, loss and rowing and crew! Lauren gave us the metaphor of the Coxswain who is in charge of the rowing crew. We all need a coxswain!Lauren also guided us through her 5 questions about whether it's worth it to do a side project. * Is it interesting work? (Will I learn something new, is it related to what I MOST want to do?)* How much TIME will it take? Be honest.* Who will see it?* How much does it pay?* How much will it take away from my big project ?Tom said stuff too!Give it a listen and come back for more. We'll be answering a different student each week for 4 more weeks!Thanks for listening!As always, you can participate live, by joining us in the COMICS FLOW + PUBLISH section of SAW Comics, or just visit us at sawcomics.org Get full access to How to Make a Graphic Novel at sawcomics.substack.com/subscribe

While the Terrible Anvil takes a break, Tom Hart and Lauren Weinstein are taking the reins to talk about comics for a few weeks, and to address students' questions directly.Tom and Lauren talk about their own work, and in the case of Lauren - a project that has taken more than 20 years, and then they welcome Brandon Hankins, whose webcomic Autumn Wing is delightful, fun and sincere. We love it.Brandon wants to know how to define success, how to keep going, how to know if it's right to want validation, and how to finds an editor who won't chop out the heart of his story. We talk about all of these things. We talked about sentiment, nature and silence in comics too. Give it a listen and come back for more. We'll be answering a different student each week for 6 weeks!Thanks for listeningAs always, you can participate live, by joining us in the COMICS FLOW + PUBLISH section of SAW Comics, or just visit us at sawcomics.org Get full access to How to Make a Graphic Novel at sawcomics.substack.com/subscribe

Our very last episode of The Terrible Anvil (Season One) was recorded this week! With Tom and Jess together in the same room! We tried to tie a bow around the business of comics by offering ideas on HOW TO KEEP GOING (FOREVER), AKA making your own sustainable comics practice amidst inner/outer turmoil and also remembering to wash the dishes. A big takeaway from this episode: CELEBRATE SMALL WINS! Other thoughts from the call: * Forming bonds with others and keeping each other going is a great form of sustainable accountability * DEADLINES also keep us going - we can't forget the TERRIBLE ANVIL! * You can have accountability buddies in near strangers too, like SAW's organically-formed online meeting spaces * Body doubling is a great hack! * Wanting to impress your friends can be a great motivator too (you don't have to impress the whole world!) There's more from this final episode, so check it out—and catch up on any others you've missed! And don't worry, this isn't goodbye. It's see you later! Stay tuned for a sequel season of The Terrible Anvil podcast! In the meantime, consider joining the SAW FLOW + PUBLISH member group, where you'll get access to a supportive community and expert guidance on getting your comics published! Sign up here: https://learn.sawcomics.org/courses/comics-flow-group As always, happy making!!

Last week we recorded the penultimate episode of The Terrible Anvil, this time discussing scripts, dialogue, and writing for comics! Art (slightly adapted) from Jess Ruliffson!The words we use and how they are arranged on the page can guide readers' understanding of our comics and influence how they feel about a story and its characters. But how do you pick the right words? How much is too much dialogue? How can you make sure readers understand your text the way you intend? Tune in for answers to these questions and more from Jess and Tom! Some quick tips: * If you've got a lot of dialogue from one speaker, break up the text into multiple balloons to give readers space to digest what they're saying * Read your dialogue out loud to make sure it sounds natural * Try not to repeat information that the images are already conveying, unless the text is there to clarify what's happening in the visuals—if your drawing is lousy, a good caption will help the reader 'believe' the story! There's even more on the call, so give it a listen! And join us on Friday for the FINAL EPISODE!!!! You can watch the call live by joining the SAW FLOW + PUBLISH member group, where you'll also get access to a supportive community and expert guidance on getting your comics published! Sign up here: https://learn.sawcomics.org/courses/comics-flow-groupSee you for the finale!

This week on the Terrible Anvil, we parsed one of Jess's favorite topics: COLOR!!(Watercolor illustration by Jess!)Here's a quick look at our tips for approaching color (in comics or otherwise) as a newbie: * Pick just one color at first, especially if working in a new medium/with new tools. If that's not interesting, try two colors, maybe three. By using limited color palettes you will gain confidence and figure out what works with color!* Are you color confused? Color curious? When in doubt, think about CONTRAST! Jess's hot take: if something is the 'right' value, it doesn't really matter what color it is.* Err on the side of a lighter color: reading the lines and artwork/what is happening in the panel is more important than the color itself.* Start with an "anchor" color: if something NEEDS to be a certain color (nursing scrubs in Jess's hospital comics are seal blue, for example) start there. Then each choice after that informs the rest of the palette. * Steal a palette from a comic you love! There's more to love and learn in the full episode, so give it a listen! Aaaand join us next week for our next (penultimate??) episode, where we'll talk all about DIALOGUE! (and scripting and writing comics!) You can watch the call live by joining the SAW FLOW + PUBLISH member group, where you'll also get access to a supportive community and expert guidance on getting your comics published! Sign up here: https://learn.sawcomics.org/courses/comics-flow-group Until then, happy making!

Comics itself is a medium and practice. But it also can be host to lots of different working mediums: traditional comics materials, new digital tools, watercolor, printmaking—whatever your heart desires! How do you choose yours?(Watercolor illustration by Jess Ruliffson)What medium feels gratifying, what feels satisfying, what is too labor intensive right now? Maybe you are still learning a new medium, and figuring out how to make short experiments to get fluent and/or fast. Try practicing it every day—returning to the "terrible anvil of daily deadlines" to establish your style! Hyena Hell once said to avoid using materials that present more of a block to you. Working in the ‘wrong' medium, i.e. one we are unfamiliar with, can be a kind of defensive armor against finishing the work: "Once I get good at this I will start/finish my comic." Don't wait, call today! WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN YOUR HANDS RIGHT NOW? Use that first. Some tips or things to try when choosing a medium for your comics: * Do what works for you, not what people say you should use* Find the tools that feel good in your hand and help you express yourself* Set parameters for yourself to not get overwhelmed by choice* Play with 'weirder' mediums like photo comics and collage* Use whatever materials are available to you (financially, spatially)* Get the fancy stuff if you want! * Change mediums between projects There's lots more on the call, so give it a listen! And join us for next week's episode as we get deep into COLOR! You can watch the call live by joining the SAW FLOW + PUBLISH member group, where you'll also get access to a supportive community and expert guidance on getting your comics published! Sign up here: https://learn.sawcomics.org/courses/comics-flow-group See you next time!

This week on the Terrible Anvil we talked about CRITICISM! Criticism and rejection are inevitable parts of the creative process—so how can we make them more bearable? Jess Ruliffson and Tom Hart share their advice on when (and who) to ask for feedback and how to go about it, offer tools for managing your inner critic, and discuss how to distinguish between constructive feedback and unhelpful criticism. This episode of the Terrible Anvil is chock-full of relatable anecdotes and practical tips, so give it a listen!And join us next episode as Jess and Tom talk comics MEDIUM—Digital, Analog, and Everything In Between!You can watch the call live by joining the SAW FLOW + PUBLISH member group, where you'll also get access to a supportive community and expert guidance on getting your comics published!Sign up here: https://learn.sawcomics.org/courses/comics-flow-groupHappy making!

This week we talked all about creative collaboration! [Note: We had a couple technical difficulties this episode, and there's a bit of silence from 52:14 to 52:38!]Comics can often be a solitary endeavor, but you'll find lots of ways to collaborate with other people—be it editors, writers, artists, colorists, copy editors, designers, publishers or co-creators! Collaboration in any art form can be a great way to breathe new life into the creative process. They can be scary or uncomfortable if you're used to having total control over your creative projects, or this shared control might feel liberating. Either way, there's lots to gain from working with others on a shared project, from morale boosts and accountability systems, to practical knowledge sharing and the creative alchemy of multiple minds coming together. But how do collaborations happen? How do you make them successful? How can you maximize fun and minimize pain in the process? There's lots of advice in this episode, but the core of it is to establish clear communication and boundaries and to have a shared goal with your collaborators. Tune in for even more wisdom (and shenanigans) from Eisner-nominees Tom Hart and Jess Ruliffson in this episode of the Terrible Anvil! And join us next week as we cover rejection, criticism, and deadlines in the comics process! You can watch the call live by joining the SAW FLOW + PUBLISH member group, where you'll also get access to a supportive community and expert guidance on getting your comics published! Sign up here: https://learn.sawcomics.org/courses/comics-flow-groupHappy making!

The Terrible Anvil Episode Fourteen: Starting OverHi, Friends!This week on The Terrible Anvil, Tom Hart and I dug deep on the topic of STARTING OVER. We noted there's a few different types of starting over:1) Restarting an old, old, project2) Starting a new project after you finish one you've been working on (or even working in a series or across multiple comics pages)3) Completely rethinking a project you have sunk a lot of enthusiasm and hours intoHave you ever started over? Tom said he sorta started over in his approach to his graphic novel, and also while he was working on an outline for a follow-up memoir that one small dream sequence within it became a longer series, B is Dying. I noted that I when I was making comics  about veterans, originally I envisioned myself as a character and removed myself once my personal narrative got too long and tangential to hook to the main story (it ended up being the idea for a different book that I didn't make!) Sometimes, particularly on freelance/shorter work, I will keep going to the finish line and use the information of what was less than ideal as inspiration for future comics. It's not a starting over but a way to gain insights into a better working process.Here's some gems from the chat, and thanks Meg Lentz our fabulous note taker!Oneita brought up a good question:What about starting over in the middle of what you are doing for a deadline but still be true to the pitch? Like how close do the thumbnails have to be to the pitch?  What if I'm veering too far away from my pitch? And I don't like my pitch anymore?I was thinking that the best course might be to #keepgoing and get it over with, and then take those desires forward to the next project. And keep your collaborators informed if you really veer off topic! But mostly, I just try to finish stuff quickly and Tom Hart said book publishing editors are more committed to getting a book rather than the exact thing you pitched!Tom talked about building a personal archive of ideas to mine later - maybe that book proposal didn't  "work out" but there's a lot of good stuff to revisit!In thinking about the big scary restart, I mused that rather than starting over on my projects, I usually just stop to clarify what I'm working on and being more intentional + specific - letting go of the things that don't serve the main goalJim Hamilton shared: I plan on using the upcoming Graphic Novel Intensive to decide whether an idea I have has legs. I think maybe it won't, but it may take me in some other worthwhile direction.Carole McKee Armen observed that: Getting feedback from valued critique partners can lead to a difficult decision whether or not to “start over” or stay the course(Tom mentioned this awesome 'cinema shack' by the filmmaker Agnes Varda)Tom Hart also talked about The Garden of Unfinished Projects - a playground where one could keep dreaming with other cartoonists about the nascent beanpoles of ideas quietly mulching in the comics backyard, getting bigger and riper.Tom and myself both noticed the magic of thinking about PROCESS with others (versus PRODUCT, the final work). Tom said he's curious about the future of art and wonders if projects have to have clear beginnings middles and ends, or if they can be more about creating something and being in the company of others.There's always opportunities for starting over in a variety of ways. Doubt is an important part of the creative process (I joked that "doubt is the sexy part of faith" haha.)We also thought about TOILING (it's value and maybe enjoyment?) and FROLICKING...I asked Tom Hart: Starting vs starting over - what's harder? are they the same thing? Tom says starting is harder - there's more uncertainty and insecurity. A big takeaway from this Tom mentioned: Don't start from scratch, don't start with a blank page! What sort of artsy detritus can you unearth from your garden of ideas? Maybe start there first, less pressure, more fun.There's lots more fun on the podcast, you can catch recordings via SAW's awesome YouTube channel and wherever you stream podcasts. Next week, we're talking about COLLABORATING!Happy Making!

This week we talked STYLE! How do you make your own artistic style? How long does it take? Do you need to stick to one at all? We go over these questions and more as we unpack what role style plays in cartooning and our expectations around our work. We also revisit topics like moving past our inner critics, forging daily creative routines, and staying curious about the possibilities of our work. As always, a nice mix of philosophy and practicality! Join us next week as we talk about STARTING OVER—both redoing projects that came to a halt, and getting started on a new project after finishing one! You can watch the call live by joining the SAW FLOW + PUBLISH member group, where you'll also get access to a supportive community and expert guidance on getting your comics published! Sign up here: https://learn.sawcomics.org/courses/c... See you next week! --------------------------------

This week we got rather philosophical here at the Terrible Anvil podcast! We tackled lots of big ideas, but circled back again and again to finding joy in the hard parts of comics (and within the confines of capitalist markets). We also discussed drawing inspiration from the world around us. Zooming out can get us out of our heads and give our work room to breathe. But our power to tell stories comes from within us too! We go over ways to tap into our own creative energy, even when we've reached a state of burnout. Finding ways to reignite the joy of our creative process can lead us to more sustainable art practices—especially when we're working on dark, heavy topics. Where do you find joy in your work? What keeps you creating even when the going gets tough? Let us know in the comments! Join us for next week's episode, where we'll talk about developing your own STYLE! Meg Lentz's amazing thumbnail for this episode!--------------------------------

This week on The Terrible Anvil, we talked about BACKGROUNDS! When and How and Why to draw them, maybe also hopefully indirectly answering Oneita's great questions from the pre-call post over in Comics FLOW and PUBLISH:"Personally love backgrounds and I like having them in my comics but I tend to get lost between deep perspective and foreground objects. I'm not wanting to take away from my characters but I also want to have more than a blank throwaway type environment.  I'm often weighing how much detail in the background?  How do I make my characters pop?  What's most important ,words or the characters or the silence?"(Some other great comments from the pre-call post!)We talked about the link between last week's topic, EXPECTATIONS and backgrounds: what we THINK backgrounds should look like, as well as what readers might expect, hence this fun John Byrne example of a fight in a snowstorm:Jess mentioned that OBJECTS can also serve a similar purpose to backgrounds and that, as also is the case in improv theater, and also perhaps radio theater sound-effects (thanks Walter Hudsick!) that objects can be CHARGED WITH NARRATIVE. (aka PROPS!) And thought of the value of words and pictures paired together: when the caption says "We're back at the spaceship command room" and the panel has a steering wheel, I know that is the steering wheel to aforementioned spaceship and not a Honda Civic.Regarding expectations of what backgrounds (and maybe also comics) can or should do, it's often thought that backgrounds should be IMMERSIVE and REALISTIC. Tom and Jess underlined the idea that one can draw comics that are immersive without being explicitly detailed or realistic. Something that Jess will often refer to as ART BUDGETING - asking each panel how much and what kind of information it wants to impart, and to what end. Every panel is a choice - the ones preceding and coming after inform that choice as well. You get to decide how and when to make something look a certain way, or what to emphasize.Carole McKee Armen mentioned the backgrounds of KrazyKat and how they frequently change, and Tom added how that approach impacts the storytelling and narrative itself.Tom mentioned the minimal backgrounds of Peanuts and how that shaped how he often would draw backgrounds when starting out. This example of Sally kicking the school building was a recurring scenario that Tom loved.There's lots more on this episode! Tune in on our YouTube channel and listen wherever you stream your podcasts.Happy Making!Jess (+ Tom) Get full access to How to Make a Graphic Novel at sawcomics.substack.com/subscribe

Hi, Friends!This week's episode of The Terrible Anvil was streamed LIVE on YouTube (I dunno if we will do that regularly, but if you've been wanting to catch a live call and aren't part of the SAW Comics FLOW + PUBLISH group, check that page out. It's also where we archive the video recordings!)Ok, what did we talk about this week? EXPECTATIONS!A few episodes back Tom said:  "There are a lot of reasons to feel bad while making art. Most of those are expectations of results, expectations, rewards"There were three ideas we touched on in this episode:-Time is the medium of possibility (give yourself more time)-Inevitability versus possibility (don't mandate results before, during, or after the work)- It's ok to be ambitious! (But normalize your mediocrity too. That old adage, shoot for the moon, land among the stars...but you could also stay in grassy field dreaming and stargazing)Sometimes things don't end up how we planned (see the plentiful "expectations vs reality" memes, this one is my favorite:)...and sometimes things go better than we think they might!Some highlights from the chat this week:Maria Fitzgerald said: "If one makes a deadline it gives one something to aim for.  It makes the project suddenly seem possible."From Jess: "we often tell ourselves we have to become like the great masters before we can finish our work, when really we can work with what we have now"Michi Mathias said: "We always see our own work as mediocre bcs it never matches what was in our heads. But when we dare to show it to other people, they see it as fantastic! The hard part is accepting that, not negating it…."Which reminded me of this Ira Glass quote:Tom Hart said that GOALS and EXPECTATIONS are “Wiggly terms” - have to define them and negotiate them for ourselves"But maybe we have more control over our goals; expectations are often derived from comparing ourselves to othersNow more than ever, art-making and publishing and sharing is more accessible than before. Tom thinks "Having so many options makes art making more accessible and should be fun!"Jess mused "If your expectations are open-ended and steeped more in possibility than inevitability, they can be easier to manage"We talked about our expectations: wanting to draw like Charles Schulz (consistently, magnificently) wanting a regular, steady job teaching art in higher ed, or expectations within an experience like an MFA program--Tom had a good bit of advice, if you take nothing else with you:How to deal with expectations? Lower them!One way to do this:Tom recommends making small things that are easier to finishI joked about embracing mediocrity but there's something to this about being authentic, showing up, working how YOU work (not how you wish you worked, or how Charles Schulz worked) and trying not to get too cynical about the whole process. Stay curious, be kind to yourself and your inability to draw hands/cars/backgrounds--Alison Kent said: "One of the most valuable things about SAW is the community cheerleading, it's not a red ocean (full of sharks) vs. blue ocean. (Unlike a lot of MFA programs)"Tom mentioned this movie:Tom set his expectations for undergrad on this film - wanted to be surrounded by curious artistic minds and found that his classmates just wanted to essentially draw Hulk + Superwoman porn Jess was also thinking about the repetition or expectation of something happening more than once (RESULTS): SOMETIMES vs ALWAYS and NEVER - things happen sometimes, but rarely always and rarely neverOneita Parker said: "Its ok to create here"Adrean Clark said: "sometimes we make things thinking it'll go somewhere but in the end it goes in a different direction"Walter Hudsick wondered: "Is there an aspect especial to comics/cartooning that creates an expectation of publishing? Plenty of people paint for fun without ever expecting to sell a painting or be in a museum, for example. But comics really only exist when published?"On goals, Jim Hamilton said: "I set a modest goal that I am pretty sure I can meet: selling 100 books this year. I'm up to 39 books sold now and I have two events that should get me a lot closer in the next couple of weeks. (I have also given away 21 books to family, libraries, mentors, etc..)"There's LOADS more in this episode, we thank you for listening. Thanks for being here! Get full access to How to Make a Graphic Novel at sawcomics.substack.com/subscribe

The Terrible Anvil Episode 9 - How to Win Friends & Influence People (TABLING at Conventions!) In this episode we talk about some of the most social fun one can have as a cartoonist: TABLING! Tune in for tips on navigating comics conventions, zine fairs, and press expos of all seasons and sizes. Learn about attending conventions to share your work, expand your network, have fun, and see what's out there in the world of comics. Whether attending, volunteering, tabling, speaking in a panel, or hosting your own, we've got you covered! Have any burning questions about comics making? Want a say in what we cover in future episodes? Leave a comment below or in the SAW Mighty Network! Want to leave comments and heckle us in real time during our live calls? Join us at our SAW FLOW + PUBLISH member group—and get access to a supportive community and expert guidance on getting your comics published! Sign up here: https://learn.sawcomics.org/courses/comics-flow-group See you next week! --------------------------------

This week we talked about navigating social media to promote your work and make money as a cartoonist—from networking and building your audience, to avoiding burnout and fielding harsh feedback. The internet can be a lovely way to connect with friends and family, make new connections, support fellow cartoonists, and publish your comics. There are great benefits to serializing a webcomic or routinely sharing your work. But social media can also be a source of pressure, discouragement, and creative doubt. Do you need to move to NYC and gain a million followers on Instagram to be a commercially successful artist? Do you have to work tirelessly on gaming the algorithm to get your work seen? Do you have to monetize your comics at all?Listen in for answers to questions like these and more!And join us next week for our episode on TABLING!You can join the call live by subscribing to the SAW FLOW + PUBLISH member group, where you'll get access to a supportive community and expert guidance on getting your comics published! Sign up here: https://learn.sawcomics.org/courses/comics-flow-groupAs always, happy making!!

This week Jess and I continued our discussion of PITCHING, and about feeling weird and lousy and under pressure and low boundary and high maintenance and under the gun and everything else!Tune in next week to for Episode 8 of The Terrible Anvil: Monetizing Every Moment of Waking Existence on Instagram (What Could Go Wrong?) I believe a transcript will be posted with this!?Cheers' y'allHere's some random thoughts we hitWe talked about both creators and publishers creating realistic expectations and boundaries--if a publisher doesn't give you a deadline, don't wait for them to hand you one! You might need to build you own. I thought having a looming book deal would give me the accountability to stay on track, and while it sort of did, it mostly stressed me out. I'm so grateful I was able to publish a beautiful book, but it was a lot more difficult than I thought it would be (see those pesky "feelings" Cara Gormally mentioned above.)Tom Hart talked about his second-book slump where he tasked himself with outlining a sequel to his beautiful graphic memoir, Rosalie Lightning. At the end of his twenty-some page outline, Tom didn't want to make that book! It ended up becoming the seed for his book The Art of the Graphic Memoir.Tom said a paraphrase of a great quote, whose origins are unknown to me:"How to get a book deal? First get famous!"I chimed in: "“If I'm not going to make any money I might as well make comics!""Later on the call Tom Hart and I tried to speak to this great idea from Adrean Clark :"I wonder if it's possible to talk about transforming our work -- not everything has to be something to "go big or go home" on. An idea can be a self-published zine, can be a comic feature in a newspaper, and so on. Thinking about the full range of pitches, whether to pitch to ourselves or to others. Does that make sense?"Tom Hart read this quote I sent him from an article, via J.F. Martel:I also added: "spend time with your own work for a long time before launching it from the (marketing) cannon!"We remembered the awesome Pro Call with Laura Gao, you can see the recording over here! Their process and the timeline for their book deal (Messy Roots) was super-duper fast and a ton of work all at once after their comic went viral. (thanks Jim for the Pro Call link!!!)Tom Hart mentioned the art critic Heidi MacDonald's podcast interview with comics creator Box Brown. Box said: "I feel stupid for following my dreams!" Re: capitalism can kinda make things feel cruddy. Tom noted that  "There are a lot of reasons to feel bad while making art. Most of those are expectations of results, expectations, rewards"He noted the value of self publishing and Jim added: "I agree with Tom! I just ordered 100 of my books from Lulu. And that was after a couple of proofing cycles."I asked Tom is art-making might be a form of mental illness and he said, "Art is not a mental illness but a sane response to an insane world."Leonie Sharrock asked:Question re 'form' … what happens when you want to go hybrid? how do we pitch hybrid works?Tom Hart said:Leonie, those are more difficult but slowly people catch on… 

In this week's episode of The Terrible Anvil we talked about pitching your work—whether short-form comics or book proposals—and getting published as a comics artist.Some really great ideas from the chat that we hope to touch on in episode seven (a sort of sequel, with maybe more of a focus on BOOK pitching.)Tom mentioned the expectations of what a book contract or publishing project will do for usSally mused: If we're not bankable, maybe we're MORE relevant.Tom shared a link to CHILL SUBS, where you can look for places that publish short comics: https://www.chillsubs.com/ and spoke about the FLOW anthology pitching process (theme relevance, no pay, a round of roughs and finishes with some small edits)Alison Kent also had a good point on networking versus making real connections:  I think it was Jay Sherer or Caleb Monroe said that building relationships -- friendships, not networking necessarily -- is key. Share info, refer your friends. They said it was the most important thingSome Quick Tips on Cold Emails (or DM-ing art directors)1) Write a letter. 2) Be a fan of the editor's work! 3) Be authentic, "might like my work, or I'm working on a book, maybe we can work together" etc 4) Share your work via URL to website or previously published work (not PDFs or JPGs unless they ask)Remember: *Be polite, be brief, but no need to undersell your stuff or apologize!*Alison also shared: Sharing your pitch ideas with friends seems to be a great way to focus your pitchSally  remembered: Emil Wilson  said in an Sunday Open Studios conversation something really helpful to me. Rather than seeing a call (for entries) and trying to generate an idea, it's easier to if the call reminds you of something that you have already come up with. So it makes all that stuff we create without obvious goals is resource building.Jim had a great comment: Pitching as a nobody is a challenge. I feel like I have to create a resume (so to speak) before I have enough credibility to be considered as an actual cartoonist. The SAW themed anthologies are helpful in building a reputation.Sally and Leonie  were also wondering if the pitch should include the 'end' or the 'why' for the comic, what was learned in the process of investigating the topic of the work, etc. I find I leave that stuff out for short form pitches, and include it in book proposals. Jim  also said: I would be interested in hearing what others are doing to promote their self-published work. In one sense, I feel like the actress in La La Land who stages a one-women show, which she feels is a total disaster until it turns out that there was a Hollywood casting director in the audience. I'm hoping that a talk I give to a handful of people at a library or senior center might turn into something like that. A guy can dream, right?Sally  also said this:It's good to try to frame the experience as offering something of value rather than begging for support/validation/etc.And stay tuned for even MORE ABOUT PITCHING in next week's episode! Get full access to How to Make a Graphic Novel at sawcomics.substack.com/subscribe

This week's Terrible Anvil we talk about CHOOSING IDEAS and then LETTERINGWe talked a lot about IDEAS as SPELLS, and that ideas assert themselves. And Ideas are invitations to act. But they don't all have to be acted upon. They come and they go.We answered from the crowd: If you have too many ideas whirling around your head, what's a good way of picking one out to work on? andHow do you reconcile what's in your head and what you put on paper?--------------------------------The Terrible Anvil!How do you make comics without all the frustration? Without feeling lousy and inadequate all the time? With the Terrible Anvil of daily deadlines! And a community, and mindset shift about what it means to make comics and art. Jess Ruliffson and Tom Hart are working through the whole process, one piece at a time, turning frustration into fun and glee.

Episode 4 - Building the Dream Castle Today on Episode Four of The Terrible Anvil, we tried to tackle the topic of making a sustainable creative physical space and habits to make work. And as usual we veered off topic and expanded and waxed philosophical on all the different types of "castles" creatives build: the physical workspace, the vision for the work itself, the audience you hope to reach. I (Jess) also am editing a book (The Bootlegger's Guide to Comics!) and we took a topic from the early draft wondering: What's the purpose of an audience or editor, and when to open the door of your castle to share work? Lots more on the show page here: https://members.sawcomics.org/posts/the-terrible-anvil-episode-4-building-the-dream-castle-50384315 THE ZOOM AI made this summary and it's not bad:Meeting summary for The terrible Anvil Episode 4 (02/08/2024)Quick recapTom and Jess discussed their podcast format and an upcoming episode focusing on the concept of 'building a dreamcastle' in relation to creating an optimal workspace. They also touched upon the value of editors and audience in the creative process. The discussion also included feedback and maintaining conversation flow. They considered the importance of having a space that inspires them and makes them feel proud and safe. They discussed the tension between creating for oneself and considering the audience and potential editors. They also explored the impact of social media on the creative process.SummaryPodcasting and Comics: Building Dreamcastles and Balancing FeedbackTom and Jess discussed their podcast format and an upcoming episode where they plan to discuss the concept of 'building a dreamcastle' in relation to creating an optimal workspace. They also mentioned a future project, The Bootleggers Guide to Making Comics, which involves testing material for a book. The discussion also touched upon the value of editors and audience in the creative process. They were open to feedback and planned to strike a balance between answering questions and maintaining the flow of the conversation.Dreamcastles: Ideal Workspace ConceptTom Hart @ SAW and Jess discussed the concept of "dreamcastles," a metaphorical term they use to describe the ideal workspace for creating and managing their projects. They talked about the importance of having a space that inspires them and makes them feel proud and safe. Jess shared her experience of showcasing her workspace to others and how it can lead to discussions about tools and techniques. Tom mentioned visiting artists who use color-coded systems on their walls to manage their stories. The conversation ended with the idea of using the "dreamcastle" metaphor to represent the process of creating a project, not just the physical space.Creative Process and Social Media InfluenceJess and Tom discussed the creative process, focusing on the creation of a 'dream castle' as a metaphor for their artistic vision. They explored the tension between creating for oneself and considering the audience and potential editors. Jess emphasized the importance of creating a first draft without the pressure of audience expectations before making edits. They also discussed the impact of social media on the creative process, with Jess highlighting the pressure to share polished work on platforms such as Instagram. On the other hand, platforms like Patreon and the Mighty Network provide a space for sharing works-in-progress. The conversation concluded without a definitive answer on how to balance these influences.Graphic Novel and Memoir Project DiscussionTom and Jess discussed their ongoing project involving lettering and storytelling. Jess shared her experience of completing her graphic novel and feeling a need for a new project, which led her to collaborate with her partner on a memoir that she felt would be better suited as a comic. She also mentioned her interest in a larger project that could encapsulate stories from healthcare workers. Tom suggested focusing on the creative process first before considering its relevance to the broader world. They both agreed that the importance of their work should come before its cultural relevance.Breaking Into Animation: Challenges and AdviceTom Hart @ SAW shared his experiences with trying to break into the animation industry and the advice he received from a woman who ran Cartoon Network at the time. He highlighted the challenge of finding a unique angle for a project that commercial institutions like Cartoon Network would be interested in. Jess agreed with Tom's perspective and discussed the difficulty of creating stories that stand out in a crowded market. They also touched upon the importance of focusing on the creative process and not overthinking the audience or potential editors. Towards the end, Jess suggested the idea of a three-month nonfiction class featuring Tom, but noted that it was likely too late to implement the change.Questions, Narratives, and Behind-the-Scenes in Creative WorksJess and Tom Hart @ SAW engaged in a discussion about the utility of questions in organizing and synthesizing information, especially in large bodies of work. They emphasized the importance of personal narratives in creative works, noting that they will naturally seep into the work if deeply ingrained. They also discussed the balance between stats and facts in storytelling, particularly in the context of comics and graphic novels. They concluded by noting the trend of including behind-the-scenes content in books.Art, Community, and Digital ToolsTom Hart @ SAW and Jess had a discussion about the value of personal, ritualistic art and its role in community building. They emphasized the importance of transparency in the creative process and the communal aspect of art. They also touched upon their preferences in creating comics and their observations about the different ways people work. They both agreed on the potential of portability in tools and workspaces, and the convenience of working on digital platforms. Towards the end, they discussed the importance of lettering in comics and agreed to reconvene next week to discuss it. They also considered starting a thread on the Mighty Network about workspaces and potential book projects.Next steps• Jess will create a recap of the discussion and consider starting a thread on the Mighty Network about workspaces.-------------------------------- The Terrible Anvil!How do you make comics without all the frustration? Without feeling lousy and inadequate all the time? With the Terrible Anvil of daily deadlines! And a community, and mindset shift about what it means to make comics and art. Jess Ruliffson and Tom Hart are working through the whole process, one piece at a time, turning frustration into fun and glee.

Episode 3 - On Early Drafts We had THREE topics that were somewhat braided together: * A thought Jess had: Become more interested in DOING what you're doing than KNOWING what you're doing. * A quote I wrote down: "I often find myself writing long meandering first drafts, that drift around a bit before settling down into a state of baffling indecision." - George Saunders * (and a quote Tom had handy): "Write down everything that happens in the story, and then in your second draft make it look like you knew what you were doing all along." - Neil Gaiman Lots more on the show page here: https://members.sawcomics.org/posts/49998503 In this episode we talk a lot more about early drafts in non-fiction and fiction.-------------------------------→ The Terrible Anvil How do you make comics without all the frustration? Without feeling lousy and inadequate all the time? With the Terrible Anvil of daily deadlines! And a community, and mindset shift about what it means to make comics and art. Jess Ruliffson and Tom Hart are working through the whole process, one piece at a time, turning frustration into fun and glee.

Episode 2 - Lean into the worst In the Comics FLOW + PUBLISH group we asked around: how do you lean in when the going gets weird? What parts are EXTRA UNFUN, and how do you navigate it?Helen asked about deadlines. Oneita asked about guilt. Virginia asked about backgrounds. We spoke on all these topics, as well as the role of ritual and community in answering these three questions. We cooked up ideas on how to make a home there in the ruins, being okay with badly-drawn hands, what to embrace when we're working. Join us over in Comics Flow + Publish for the next TERRIBLE ANVIL live call, on February 1 at 11 am Eastern! Happy Making, Jess The Terrible Anvil How do you make comics without all the frustration? Without feeling lousy and inadequate all the time? With the Terrible Anvil of daily deadlines! And a community, and mindset shift about what it means to make comics and art. Jess Ruliffson and Tom Hart are working through the whole process, one piece at a time, turning frustration into fun and glee.

How do you make comics without all the frustration? Without feeling lousy and inadequate all the time? With the Terrible Anvil of daily deadlines! And a community, and mindset shift about what it means to make comics and art. Jess Ruliffson and Tom Hart are working through the whole process, one piece at a time, turning frustration into fun and glee.Episode 1 - What Part of Comics is the Hardest?Recorded at SAW on Zoom What is The Terrible Anvil? Tom and I were bantering one day on a call and one of us said HEY WE SHOULD MAKE A PODCAST LIKE THIS! So, it's a podcast. Each week, we grapple with the BIG QUESTIONS about making comics. The "terrible anvil" itself is from nineteenth century badboy Emile Zola, who opined, "One forges one style on the terrible anvil of daily deadlines." (Emile looks a little unimpressed with us, but I am deeply impressed with his immaculate sense of style here in this 1902 photograph.) What is this podcast like? We record with a live (Zoom) audience, so there's some participation in that sense, but mostly, we build the structure of each week's episodes by soliciting questions from members of the SAW community in the Comics Flow and Publish group. This week's question was: What Part of Comics is Hardest? We talked about drawing, suffering, self-doubt, the inner critic, LOTS of good stuff! See below for a little recap of the first podcast! What is "bootleggers"? Jess Ruliffson is one of SAW's instructors and she's making a book! The Bootlegger's Guide to Comics. What is a bootlegger? A bootlegger is someone who by hook or crook will make their art, abandoning the gatekeepers, rules, inner and external critics, literary best practices, and any other sort of puffery or obstacle that's cluttering the way to making their best work. Basically, being the kind of unfancy version of yourself and making art IS THE BEST VERSION of yourself to make the story you want to tell. How do we decrease suffering when we make our comics? What is the hardest part of the struggle? Some responses from our COMICS and FLOW crew: Uli B: "Convincing people that the thing you want to tell is worth telling." Beth T: "I love every part of making comics in the comics sense of thing. In terms of the whole creative process, it's in the early stages of a project, wrangling some sense into the many too many ideas I have that always frustrates me most. I always just want things to solidify FASTER so I can get to work (or to parts of the process that feel more like work). I am not a patient person. " Sarah W: "For me, the worst part is drawing, but also feeling driven to tell stories that I am not sure people really want to hear. So then I end up in a morass of despair because I feel like I MUST but then, because I'm not sure anyone really wants to hear it, I also feel cringey and vulnerable." Some little bits and highlights from our call: Jess: Leverage the things that are weird. Nancy M: I think you are giving us permission to be artists or graphic novelists without being published? that our work doesn't have to live up to a publisher's standard to put it out there. I feel like that standard keeps me from starting. Tom: Who are these people you think don't want to hear your ideas? Austin Kleon! Katherine B: "I heard Linda Barry, in a podcast, say (something like) it's not the author's job to judge the work, just make it." Jess: Judge vs audience (can we be either of those to ourselves?) Tom: do we do a thing if something like it already exists? Are we perhaps worried we're not unique BUT TOTALLY WEIRD instead? Also Tom (one of my favorite moments): "I'm not the artist my writer wish he was." Jess: Draw the worst version purposely in the thumbnails and it delights me Plus, this is already so bad, how can it be worse?? ......intentionally exaggerating the badness of it. Exposure therapy. Greatness is what I'm striving for, but badness is already inside me. Make the bad version, exaggerate it, let it be a communication device.... Darlene: That's why it's important for me to have community and share work because someone else always sees something in my work I didn't see or even understand. To join us on a live call, find us over in the events section of the Comics FLOW + PUBLISH group over here. https://learn.sawcomics.org/The recordings will soon be a podcast that you can listen to on your favorite podcast platform. Happy Making! Jess #TerribleAnvil #Bootleggers Get full access to How to Make a Graphic Novel at sawcomics.substack.com/subscribe