The End of Days and Finishing My First Kickstarter

Variant Cover by Shawn McManus

I am writing this while being fully aware that this will be the second to last post I'll ever make for ATB: Writers, a group that I feel blessed to have joined at the end of 2021. It's strange to me that this is going to be the end given that everything is changing in my life right now. It's the beginning of something new. Something that seems to be happening with this writing career I struggled so hard to pull off.

In the last post, I talked about my awkward launch of a debut as a comics creator. Well, we officially hit our funding a few days back. The next 24 hours are the final moments to support the Kickstarter for The Tomb of Baalberith Volume 2. As the first comic I've ever created, this issue may hold value one day, so I think you should buy it.

My story is illustrated by the talented artist and my creative co-partner Jameson Matunas, along with developed by a stellar anthology of unique talents, as a project meant as a cool collaboration I do think these stories came out fantastic. It's creepy. It's meaningful. It conveys a message and has some pretty great interiors. With a reference page 1 of my comic below. Suffice it to say, I’m excited to see what happens next in terms of where this may go in the next two years.

I will admit getting funding was a bit hard. Not just asking from the family and friends angle, but more importantly, landing the attention of that target audience. I'm talking about getting fellow creators, consumers, reviewers, and people who just genuinely like comics, both the ones who are old fans and those hungry to find something new, it all became a massive spam and say-and-pray technique of asking people to pay attention.

I was tired of it by the end but felt like I had to do this… given I don’t have a fanbase yet outside of a few journalism pieces. Posting constantly is tiring. Getting people to see a product stand out is some serious burnout. I think it was best summarized by this little blurb from Humans of New York a cousin shared with me this morning…

I am happy the comic is getting made. Yet, I'm also incredibly tired of trying to promote it, even though, I sort of know it never really stops from here on out. Because after that's finished there'll be the next one. And if not that next project? Then myself to promote. I have to keep the algorithm fed now. This was the point. The debut. The visibility and what it takes to be seen, which I don't want to engage with but do understand its value in an ever-more-so online world.

Anyway, I'm sad ATB: Writers is ending. I liked promoting things, oversharing things, and taking things far too seriously, such as my ever-dying love of Neil Gaiman. Unfortunately, I can't deny that the hurdles aren't there. Overall, blogging seems to be dying in an age of video.

Whatever happens next, I do plan on writing. Being a writer. Telling stories.

You can find me on Google writing for different outlets. I'll eventually also get my website up at www.christianangeles.com