Sunday, April 26, 2020

New script and news ideas on their way

I have some news today to share.

First, on another note, I am releasing a new webcomic which launches on June 1, 2020.  It's called Poison Ivy Gulch and takes place in the old West.  Check it out when it launches.

Moving on, work is continuing on the newer draft of the Hilda & Richie script.  In addition to those, I will be producing new thumbnail drawings for the interior art.  I will share those with you as they get made. 

On top of that, I've made contact with a book doctor who will help me review everything and make my planned Hilda & Richie picture book more presentable.

Besides this story, this will not be the end of Hilda & Richie.  In fact, it's only the beginning.  I have ideas for other adventures with the two foxes.  What's more is that two more books exist as notes following this one.

The first idea delves more into the realm of the fantastic with Hilda & Richie encountering a wizard.  The second one has Hilda & Richie meeting new friends.  But that is a whole other discussion for another day.

Stay tuned for more news and more art.  I plan to share my draft with thumbnails in the coming weeks.

Sunday, April 19, 2020

April 2020 Updates

Welcome back!  I do apologize for not updating this blog any sooner.

The Kickstarter for Dominic & Claire Circus is officially over as all rewards have been sent out; since that is now out of the way, I can get to full work on the Hilda & Richie picture book for 2021.

The new script for Hilda & Richie is being typed at this time and will be going through some revisions to make it presentable to the reading public.  I've also had to think ahead to printing such as the costs, the format and the size.

I know for a fact that eight inches by eight inches (called "eight-by-eights" in book industry terms) is a popular format.  Many children's book series like Little Critter and the Berenstain Bears are printed in this size.  Besides bookstores, you can see these sold in spinner racks in locations such as supermarkets, department stores, gift shops and other places.

While tempting, I made a choice on the size of Hilda & Richie.  It will be printed in a size of 5.5 x 5 inches.  This is quite a small size.  After investigation, I concluded this size would be best for a small press creator like me. 

Why is that?  The small size makes it economical to print, affordable for customers to buy and portable for the small hands of 3 to 8-year-olds (my intended target audience). 

Plus there is a picture book franchise out there that has had success with this size.  Do you know that that is?


The Mr. Men and Little Miss book series!  This creation, originated by Roger Hargreaves, has sold millions of copies all around the world and has been translated into many languages.


The 5.5 by 5 inch paperback book (paperbacks are also known as softcovers) is a proven format & size given the success of Mr. Men books.  So I will emulate this size in producing my book.

It is my goal to finish the script by the end of today.  I am already looking to some book doctors to review the script I've devised.

Another note on the script:  while it is similar to the dummy pages I posted a few years ago, there will be some changes, mainly consisting of tightening up the story.

Stay tuned here for more news!