Information Overload

My latest art print -- Squamous Island is the fictional location of the  Fogg House in my once and future webcomic "ArcaneTimes".  Discovered by the members of a shipwrecked crew in 1853. Those that survived the harsh winter found themselves changed by the experience and rather than seeking rescue, founded the first settlement there Port Manitou. 

I've written a great deal of back history on the place over the years getting ready for that time when I feel I could write the comic itself again. The town and the surrounding area  which I will detail more in the future serves as the creepy northwoods setting for quite a few of what I hope you will find as entertaining stories - 

Elsewhere, sales at this years Emerald City Comic-con were mixed, but I got to see a lot of cool people and with the help of one patron, even got one of my Cactiod Jim posters signed by Nathan Fillion himself - so all in all, I'd call it good.

I tried to go very light on the new art prints for the show but I still ended up with several leftovers - all of which are over in the printshop - http://arcanetimes.com/art-prints/

Now my eyes turn to the next convention on my 2016 schedule. Next weeks "Crypticon Seattle" (http://crypticonseattle.com/). This will be the first time I attend a 'horror' convention so I have no clue what to expect. 

Looking over my portfolio I've noticed that despite the sheer number of monsters that I've drawn over my career very few of them have made it into print form. So now I'm digging through the archives to see if anything might appeal to them there 'splatter-junkies'.    

Here or there over the last few months I've made time to record some short story readings for my favorite podcasts. Three are live now and a fourth will be soon. If you'd like to give them a listen - Check it out at ARCANE RADIO blog where I try to maintain links to every one of my weird little audio adventures. 

Lastly - I got a job offer to work on the new edition of one of my most favorite RPG properties ever PARANOIA! 

I bought the original West End Games white box set for PARANOIA back in high school some odd 30 years ago (good god... 30 years ago, I need to lie down...) - We loved it as kids. Some of my happiest high school memories come from running that game. I've bought almost every edition that came out ever since, and too now be a part of the game - as a cover artist no less - is quite a culmination of what truly is a life goal I didn't know I had.

That said - not everyone is happy about it. The Kickstarter that funded this edition is behind schedule and people are grumpy. Unfortunately some have decided to take that anger out on me and my shriveled art ego. I'm trying to stay positive and not let them ruin this happy moment for me.  I am, as I said, a long... (30 years... oof!) term fan of PARANOIA. I know the subject matter very well and  I'm very proud of the art I've done.

The Print Shop

Hey for what it's worth - I've finally pulled the trigger on launching my own Art Print storefront.  Just head over here or follow the Art Prints link in the navigation list to see what prints I have available.

As I work up new pieces they'll go up there as well (if I can -- some stuff I do has limitations; such is the downside of doing freelance work). When I do I'll be cycling older stuff out, so if you like a poster get it while you can!

Steamposium 2015 Panel Schedule

This weekend I'll be at Steamposium in downtown Seattle,. Hosting panels, signing books, and selling art prints at the Studio Foglio booth.

All Artists panel -- Friday 2pm, Bay Auditorium --  A chance for all artists to introduce themselves, talk about their work and panels.

Girl Genius Radio Theater -- Saturday 11am, Sound Panel Room. Adventure, Romance, Mad Science... of the mind! (Doors open at 11am - additional casting starts at 11:30 - the show proper starts at Noon)

From Craft to Production-taking your artwork to the next level. -- Saturday 2pm, Bay Auditorium  Carol Monahan, Cheyenne Wright co panelists

And of course --  Closing out the con with.... 

The Airship regatta. -- Sunday morning 10am, Harbor Room

Hope to see you there!

Ask Me About My Evil Plan

So as an update to the events of the last few weeks - Thanks to the outpouring of goodwill, I've navigated the good ship Arcanetimes away from the shallow reefs into more open (if still shark infested) waters.

The items we were waiting on for shipping the rest of the 'thank you' art prints have finally arrived and the packing of those items has begun in earnest. If you asked for an art print - but haven't responded to our "which one" emails (or if you didn't see such a communication) now would be a good time to get in touch again. 

Next up is contacting everyone that wanted a piece of original art. I'll be spending my downtime selecting from my backlog of art and trying to match it up with each person's request, as best I can. Fair warning - most of my physical art is five years old or older. Once I acquired my WACOM Cintiq in 2010 I pretty much went full digital from then on out.

Elsewhere I've launched my official PATREON campaign yesterday, with a goofy video about me as a despotic supervillain. Which is totally not true I am merely a benevolent scientist, with a vision for a better world. All of them... better worlds.. .

Also up in my youTube channel I'm working a video tutorial series on how I do art. The first test is a short video on how I color Agatha's hair for Girl Genius.  

Hilariously - youtube is just as bad at understanding what it is that I do as everyone I've ever met at a party and told "I'm a Colorist". Perhaps it's just me, but all the other videos that appear in the sidebar are about the hair dye process -- Le Sigh

As frustrating as it is, I've been enjoying working with video and want to keep it up. So I'll be doing more tutorials like it in the future -- if anyone has a better idea for a name for the series and how to beat Big Haircare's SEO, let me know.

...No Man is a Failure Who Has Friends

I thought it was time to update folks on how things are going - On friday, when we saw how dire things had gotten it was like getting punched in the stomach by a lead fist. There was a loss of breath, weeping, and quite a bit of "w-ha?... how...? Why?"

We started making triage plans. Calling everyone that had an unpaid invoice and deciding what limbs to cut off and start selling on the black market (they still do that right?). While we were waiting to hear back from our invoices and arms dealers, I posted a general "SOS" on twitter and facebook with a link to a post and donation system, thinking that in the short term we'd get a few donation in trade for selling off some original art and prints. That is not what happend

There are two scenes in two different films that can consistently make me tear up. Quadak's death in Galaxy Quest as Alan Rickman makes his gently whispered "by Grabthar's hammer" speech, and (more importantly for this post) the end scene of that Christmas staple It's a Wonderful Life when the whole town of Bedford Falls begins filing into the house with jars of loose change and telegrams from Sam Wainwright. The look of joy on their faces as they raise a toast "...to George Bailey - the richest man in town" (I've had to wipe my eyes 3 or 4 times just writing that)

We have been bathed in things like this all weekend. People sharing their love, support, and cash with heartbreaking messages like "I'm so sorry, that this $30 is all I can afford right now - But I'll have more later!". I... just don't have words for that.

My wife Eli Danger is sifting through all the emails and trying to get back to people. The Art Prints were so popular an option that we've had to order some extra supplies just to make sure everything gets to you safely.

The people that wanted access to my archives of original art will be next. This is a more lengthy process of figuring out what we have and going back and forth till we match up the right piece with the right person.  Both of these problems are the 'good kind' of problem if you ask me. While we are not out of the woods yet, we are near the edge of them... Well, we can see the edge of them from here.

Thank you all so much for your help. I'm leaving the donation link up for now, but we are also working on other means of trying to ensure that this doesn't become a thing that will ever happen again.  One of those things will be finally getting off my ass on getting a proper artstore turned on - Meanwhile you can buy a few of my odds and ends over at a Redbubble shop I set up sometime ago (and never properly promoted).

Also I am in the process of setting up a Patreon account as a means of generating a steady stream of financial support. Patreon if you don't know is sort of like a kickstarter, but instead of trying to raise large lump sums of money, it's used to collect small amounts on a regular basis. Think of it as if you were willing to take me out for a cup of coffee once a month. In trade for that, I will be making supporter posts about how I work, giving people access to a secret sketch page, and doing live hangouts from time to time.  All that will be going live HERE next week Monday (May the Fourth) 

Meanwhile we just want to say thank you again so much. The generosity and support you've shown over the course of a short weekend has been overwhelming. Simple thanks will never be enough, and knowing that so many of you exist out there and cared so much to help a down on his luck guy like me it's just ...darn swell, you know? 

We promise, BY GRABTHAR'S HAMMER, to never forget this.

- Cheyenne, Eli, and Maxine.

I Have No Idea What To Say Here...

I've spent all of my conscious life trying to be a nice, helpful and all-around good person. I've seen so many of my friends fortunes rise on the wings of kickstarter and patreon, and I've done all I thought could to aid them on their flight

In that time however I've done a poorer job on myself. I have been working as hard as my mortal frame will allow. However, it has become clear of late, that this has not been enough.   

Freelance art is a rough life. It's full of feast and famine. Right now, it's been a lot more famine than I was prepared for. We in the Wright family are mired in intractable debt, sickness, and general despair, and so I turn to the great karmic reservoir that is you, in search of hope.

We don't have time for kickstarters, gofundme's, or even patreon. I don't even know if this website will be here in  30 days time. We need help now. 

If you  can give anything - please do. You will have our eternal thanks.

Donate

Anyone that can give $25 or more will get a signed art print from me - just include a contact email address and ARTPRINT! in the content section of your email. We will get in touch with you with a list of what we have.

Anyone that can find the means to give $100 or more will get to cherry-pick through a lifetime of my original art. Just include any contact info and ORIGINALART! in your donation message and you will  get an email or phone call from me to work out the details.

If you can't give any of these things - I understand. Believe me, I do. Please think good thoughts and, thank you for just taking the time to engage in another man's life. 

- Cheyenne