The gum sprung a year ago.
So surreal to be hanging out with a table in the Small Press section at Wondercon this past weekend. The same convention where we first started sharing peeks of Gumball ahead of launching our first page one-year ago. One year later and it is amazing to think all that has happened. Who knew I would have at least three different comics in the hopper. Meanwhile Trina moved her entire life across the Canadian border to realize one of her dreams by working at Laika Studios. It has been an honor to be amongst the creative souls clamoring for doses of her brilliance during this time. In the case of Todd and Penny the result is eight amazing pages and more to come. Feeling pretty confident we will finish the first scene this year…. 😅
Thank YOU for hanging in with us as we bounce along on this experimental journey. The number one question I get asked when I see my friends is “when do we get more Gumball?”. I didn’t think Trina would become the thing my friends are most interested in about me within a year and only 8-pages, but here we are. I can’t wait for what is next. We very much appreciate the reactions to the little bit of comic we have been rolling out in this fairly unconventional approach. I wouldn’t trade the lessons I’ve learned getting to go through all of this with TD for nothing. So thank you all for allowing it to happen. I have met and received support from so many great people along the way, including some of our straight-up heroes in the medium. The community’s graciousness is truly mind-numbing. We have also received tons of inspiration and knowledge to help us navigate what we are trying to do. Which brings us to the big thought on everyone’s minds this week in our comic community, the loss of inspirational and endlessly knowledgeable creator Ed Piskor.
RIP EDDIE P
As Ed would say, you can do your own “due diligence” on his life, works, and tragic demise. I don’t want to speak on anyone’s behalf concerning the allegations that lead to the mortifyingly swift conclusion to his life. His passing is a huge loss in many ways, not the least of which being the continued eradication of a safe-space for people to come forward with claims of inappropriate behavior.
To keep things concise, nothing I ever make will exist in the way it does without some influence from what Ed and Jim Rugg give us with their collaborations on
. And if you look at the wonderful videos Trina provides of her drawing out our pages, you will notice ‘Gumball Man’ is built on a layout Kayfabe provided their fans.But more on all that later. I just wanted to go “on the record” as another little ripple in the lives and projects Ed influenced. I have met amazing people through their community, and his relentless championing of artists getting their due continues to add fuel to my appreciation for the “sun” Trina represents which our project orbits around.
Sorry to end on a bleak note, but that is the risk one takes with orbits around the sun. Here is hope for a super positive go-around this time, building on the lessons we have learned. Even though we are now missing a great guide.
Here is to making more comics,
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
-The TD’s
Okay, we’re not out yet. Given we are at the one-year mark, I would be remiss not to check in on our escaped AI Lawyer Steward.t and see if Trina’s interpretation of the prompt ‘Gumball Man’ has made enough of an impact to be plagiarized by the generative algorithm yet:
Guess that is better than being stolen from?