Time to move on....
It's all budgie_uk's fault. Back in the dim mists of time - well OK it was 1999 - he invited me to participate as a member of the COMICOPIA - The International Comics APA, suggesting that I might find it fun and a great forum in which to talk about comics and the creative process with like-minded folks.
At the time I was already a member of another APA, but for various reasons I hadn't felt like I really belonged. Comicopia, I was told, would be different. And it was - from the day I joined I was made to feel like a member of the group - a group that quickly became family.
And there I stayed, for nine years. Not long after I joined I set myself a goal of contributing for at least 50 issues. I did it. 50 straight issues, never missed an issue, always made deadline. Writing to a regular deadline for 'Copia taught me a lot about scheduling my writing time and hitting deadlines. The feedback and advice I got on the pieces I submitted was invaluable.
More recently I pulled back to writing something for every other issue, trying to balance my long-standing commitment with new writing gigs. But a few weeks ago I had to make the hard decision.
This is part of the introduction to my contribution for Comicopia #109, the final printed version of which now sits on my desk.
Well this is the one introduction I never really wanted to write, but I always know that one day I would have to. This isn’t easy, but after a lot of thought I have come to the decision that this will be my last regular contribution to Comicopia.
Comicopia has been part of my life for nine and a half years and it’s never easy to leave something that has become like family, but the simple fact is that to continue to balance time between my immediate family and my increasing writing commitments something had to give.
When I contribute I want it to be to a quality and standard I'm happy with, not a last minute rushed effort. With everything else going on I don’t think I can in all consciousness make that level of commitment for the foreseeable future.
Having said that, I will try and throw in the occasional couple of pages of updates, thoughts etc. Even the occasional cover*.
So after 9 years, 54 issues, 1,551 pages and 655,938 words, it’s time to say farewell
Thanks, to Mike for all his support and encouragement over the years, to Jeff for being so welcoming, to Budgie for bringing me on board, to Gaby and Jay for being such great creative partners, and to Francisco, Dan, Chuck, Tom, Modi, Dave, Niall, Mark, Rob, Greg, Carson, Stan, Jackie, Phil, Ricky and Colin, for being such a great family.”
The names may not mean much to some of you reading this, to others they will mean a lot.
To me they will always be my "Copia Family."
Cheers - it's been a blast.
===========
* I'm actually doing the cover for issue #110
At the time I was already a member of another APA, but for various reasons I hadn't felt like I really belonged. Comicopia, I was told, would be different. And it was - from the day I joined I was made to feel like a member of the group - a group that quickly became family.
And there I stayed, for nine years. Not long after I joined I set myself a goal of contributing for at least 50 issues. I did it. 50 straight issues, never missed an issue, always made deadline. Writing to a regular deadline for 'Copia taught me a lot about scheduling my writing time and hitting deadlines. The feedback and advice I got on the pieces I submitted was invaluable.
More recently I pulled back to writing something for every other issue, trying to balance my long-standing commitment with new writing gigs. But a few weeks ago I had to make the hard decision.
This is part of the introduction to my contribution for Comicopia #109, the final printed version of which now sits on my desk.
Well this is the one introduction I never really wanted to write, but I always know that one day I would have to. This isn’t easy, but after a lot of thought I have come to the decision that this will be my last regular contribution to Comicopia.
Comicopia has been part of my life for nine and a half years and it’s never easy to leave something that has become like family, but the simple fact is that to continue to balance time between my immediate family and my increasing writing commitments something had to give.
When I contribute I want it to be to a quality and standard I'm happy with, not a last minute rushed effort. With everything else going on I don’t think I can in all consciousness make that level of commitment for the foreseeable future.
Having said that, I will try and throw in the occasional couple of pages of updates, thoughts etc. Even the occasional cover*.
So after 9 years, 54 issues, 1,551 pages and 655,938 words, it’s time to say farewell
Thanks, to Mike for all his support and encouragement over the years, to Jeff for being so welcoming, to Budgie for bringing me on board, to Gaby and Jay for being such great creative partners, and to Francisco, Dan, Chuck, Tom, Modi, Dave, Niall, Mark, Rob, Greg, Carson, Stan, Jackie, Phil, Ricky and Colin, for being such a great family.”
The names may not mean much to some of you reading this, to others they will mean a lot.
To me they will always be my "Copia Family."
Cheers - it's been a blast.
===========
* I'm actually doing the cover for issue #110