Tom Williams

This week makes it one year since my cancer diagnosis. Tumor’s out. Health continues to be stable but I’ll be dealing with this for at least the next couple of years. Shoutout to friends and family for all the support during this time.

Done with almost everything for the show this year. A print ad and the poster. The print ad will run in the local Columbus Scribbler.

It’s a fact that most local artists underprice their work to the point of almost supply costs. I’ve seen a couple of galleries where the pricing is almost where it should be at but the gallery takes half sooo, still kind of a wash.

Something that’s going to be a thing locally from here on out, if something pops up at a gallery’ish type thing, I’m only doing framed prints. It’s not an economy thing of the now. It’s that what I charge, is usually the highest thing in any local show.

For the ol’ mental health, I had to unfollow a gallery after they posted their January lineup. It’s one I actually bothered to apply to for an open call & who they actually picked… 🙄. Good luck with that.

I can’t say 2016 was banger enough for me to post pics from that year. Despite a couple of really solid shows, personally I’d like to keep it in the past. It also somehow feels like 30 years ago.

Half is the standard. Which in full transparency, means that I have to mark things up to cover whatever cut the gallery wants & I get paid what I want for the piece. Nobody is aiming to be the next blue chip artist here. I just want fair compensation.

I just found out there is a local gallery that takes a wild 70% commission on sales… WTF? In a post-internet world, I think the gallery/artist relationship needs a serious rethink.

One positive: I’m happy to see illustration is trending up for book covers. I’m game for it if any AD’s are lingering out there.

It gets exhausting that there’s always yet another thing I have to worry about while online… AI creeping into literally everything. I might look into software that will jack up AI if scraped. It’s out there. Watermarking doesn’t work anymore (not to mention, it looks kinda wonky anyway).

I always wanted to do a calendar but they’re kind of expensive to make and only sellable in a certain amount of time.

If you seriously need to shrink the text on a comics page smaller than 7 pt type, you’re doing it wrong. Either wake up the editor or print the book larger.

Can team comics make a pact to stop lettering all comics at 4-5pt sized type? Im glad I got the new Brian K. Vaughn book from the library because even with readers, I’m going to have to bust out a goddamn magnifying glass to read the fucking thing. 7-10pt type is fine.

I don’t think I could have found him if I tried. The emerging story I pieced together is incredibly sad.

Still feeling it after I found out an old friend passed away when I googled his name. I’m at that age now where anyone I’ve met, it’s 50/50 if they’re alive. Make it a point to check in on your friends & loved ones. You never know.

Finished shareable graphics for SPACE ‘26. Better location than last year’s show. Now in Hilliard, Ohio. The longest running comics & zines show in the Midwest. backporchcomics.com for table application and more info.

I am working on (eep) four or five new projects of my own. With a goal to publish the damn things in the new year. It needs to happen as I never seem to get more than a couple of comps. 🤷🏼‍♂️ Plus I don’t like not having comics on my table even though half the shows aren’t comic shows.

I don’t run special Black Friday type sales but there are some things discounted. Two comics are running low on stock & I’m not reprinting either. Like one strong convention season & both will sell out before 2026 is over.

drdspinnerrack.square.site

SPACE table registration is up for the 2026 show in late March…

www.backporchcomics.com/space

Dick Cheney Has Died. The War Criminal in His Own Words 10 quotes from a former vice president who pushed for a murderous invasion of Iraq, lied about the WMD threat, and defended torture.

“Dick Cheney Has Died. The War Criminal in His Own Words”

10 quotes worth remembering, and that’ll be glossed over in MSM obits, from a former vice president who pushed for a murderous invasion of Iraq, lied about the WMD threat, and defended torture.

Yup.

I so wish we had a Zohran running for Ohio Governor. But it is what it is. NYC friends & everyone else today… vote!

Mostly going towards frames, not doing many paintings for this. It will be mostly limited digital prints & traditional mixed media drawings that will need frames. Funny that the full color art zine is the cheapest thing in my rough budget for the show.

Thinking of doing a GoFundMe to raise funds for a potential gallery show next year since the local arts grant folks pretty much shuttered. It’s a bigger ask than what they would have bankrolled anyway. Kickstarter isn’t viable for this type of thing either.

I think the consensus has been to make the IG posts more consistent than what I’ve been doing which is borderline chaos.

Went through my IG and did a small purge on posts. I don’t think anyone will notice. It’s a lot of posts that served their purpose at the time. Cutting life posts that now I only do in stories. Couple people said it might actually increase traffic. 🤷🏼‍♂️ Jury is out on that.

True.

Goddamn it I hate venues and shows that use Google Docs for signup. What happens is I have to remember my fucking Gmail password, send the doc link to myself then 50/50 I remember to sign up. Please please get a real website.

b) the general crowd going to these shows don’t buy comics in artist alley. Fan art used to not dominate most tables. Now half the tables are nothing but fan art. This needs capped.
Get a head count on tables. If a show has more than 150 creators tabling, skip it.

I’ve all but stopped doing mainstream shows largely due to two things a) the table price has completely gone off the rails. Seriously, if you’re going to charge more than $200 for a weekend show it better come with a money back guarantee you make table.