Arp Comics

#9: What got me into comics?

November 22, 2022March 18, 2021

What are your first memories of comics? What got you into comics? That’s what this issue is going to cover, along with Kenny Rogers, Rebecca Sugar, Hellboy and – surprise – some talk about what I’ve actually been working on. /// Every gambler knowsThe secret to survivin’Is knowin’ what to throw awayAnd knowin’ what to keep. Don Schlitz TIL that The Gambler was not written by Kenny Rogers but by a cat named ‘Don Schlitz’ (whose name I’m going to steal for a story). And that it was recorded a couple of times before Kenny Rogers made it famous – … Continue reading

#8: Authenticity, Jerry Seinfeld, & Productivity

November 22, 2022March 11, 2021

Hey – we made it through another week! Our president doesn’t tweet nonsense all the time, and apparently the center of the universe is Joe Manchin. Still, an improvement the previous 4 years. Hey Dirtay – Congress has your money! /// What is authenticity if not actually doing the things you claim you care about day in and day out? Jessica Abel I spoke at length about authenticity two weeks ago in the Neil Gaiman issue (the first of many, I’m sure – eventually I’ll re-read The Sandman for the first time in years and finally notice all the thing … Continue reading

#7: Steve Jobs, Creativity, Style & Soap Boxes

November 22, 2022March 4, 2021

Today’s writing should be interesting – I had a rough night of sleep thanks to a pulled back muscle. A muscle I pulled while washing dishes yesterday. Middle age: that part of life where involuntary learning about anatomy happens. And wishing that there was a real life disabled list to go on where I could wallow in pain and not do any work. /// Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. Steve Jobs I forgot where I came … Continue reading

New Kid

November 22, 2022March 3, 2021

Have you read New Kid? If not, you really have to ask yourself why because it’s a must read. There’s a damn good reason why it’s the first graphic novel to win the Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature. It’s good – really, really good. Seventh-grader Jordan Banks reveals his apprehensions attending a NY private school as one of the few students of diversity. It sounds like such a simple premise but like life, there’s so much beneath the surface. Nobody’s life is as simple as it appears, and many people are unaware of how differently … Continue reading

#6: Neil Gaiman, Authenticity, Patreon & Social Media

November 22, 2022February 25, 2021

Good morning people! Our ranks are growing, and it’s nice to know that I’m not shooting missives into the ether. It would, however, be nice to hear from you sometime! I’d like to have a conservation rather than just spout (though it is helpful to get some stuff off my chest). /// Neil Gaiman & Authenticity I’ve been watching Neil Gaiman’s masterclass on The Art of Storytelling this week, on & off. It’s not a binge watching type of thing for me, where I’m trying to suck it all in fast as possible to Become a Better Writer Immediately. So … Continue reading

#5: Open loops & Wolfwalkers

November 22, 2022February 18, 2021

This one should be interesting because this morning my mind is blank (except for having Skid Row’s ‘I Remember You’ stuck in my head). One sucky aspect about middle age is having days thrown off-kilter from one night of bad sleep. I got 2h of sleep Tuesday night and it feels like I still need some catch up winks. Good thing I keep a list of topic ideas and stuff in my Notes app. I’m sure once I get going, the only thing that’ll stop me is my self-imposed two hour writing time limit. (Lol that didn’t happen) /// Keeping … Continue reading

The best free Mailchimp popup

November 22, 2022February 17, 2021

The built in Mailchimp popup feature sucks, like, major bungholios. It’s hidden amongst the Signup Forms as ‘Subscriber pop-up,’ has limited options, and no statistics. You can make it look ok but your control over who sees it is non-existent and you have no idea how well it’s doing. It just plain sucks. I added it to my site and never saw it once, whether I was logged in or in an incognito window. With no stats, I had no idea if anyone had seen it. The functionality is so limited it’s almost useless. A free WordPress popup plugin came … Continue reading

#4: Productivity & emotional baggage

November 22, 2022February 11, 2021

Hey – we’ve finally got a name for this newsletter: WHAT’S ARP? It’s two questions, a pun, and a massive dad joke all-in-one. It’s perfect! I’d like to take credit for it – but I can’t. One my peeps from Kids Comics United made the suggestion after I posted my ideas there for feedback (you can read up on KCU in my post on finding community). So a shoutout & big thanks to Nadia! (I’d link to her site but she keeps a low profile.) /// What’s Arp thinking? The puns are never going to stop now. And I’m going … Continue reading

Print on Demand for Creatives

April 10, 2023February 10, 2021

What is “Print On Demand?” Print on Demand (or POD for short) is both a process and a business model. The process is simply printing products on-demand (ie per order), on custom printers, with your designs. POD products range from perfect bound paperback books to a wide range of apparel, wall art, home decorations and more. The business model is where you work with a company to print products on your behalf. You pay the company for the printing and fulfillment (aka packing & shipping). All you do is design products, collect money, and provide support to your customers. It’s … Continue reading

#3: How do we use corporations more than they use us?

November 22, 2022February 4, 2021

Here we are again – another week where I looked forward to writing this morning. I guess this is like therapy, kinda like Morning Pages or daily journaling. Welcome to my psyche, you might never leave. Let’s start off this week with a quote that relates precisely to what I’m trying to do with this newsletter and my creative work in general: Find your voice, shout it from the rooftops, and keep doing it until the people that are looking for you find you. Dan Harmon You might recall me mentioning Dan Harmon and his Story Circle a couple of … Continue reading

Mini Comics

Fried Cheese Balls

The Rapper's Foot

New Kid

Print on Demand for Creatives

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