Yeah, we're still alive...

Been awhile since the last post here. Mark's been busy with school and work and day-to-day hassles...hey, sounds like my life! Anyway, it's late and I should be sleeping, but I felt compelled to write something.

Everyone has been telling me that MySpace is the way to go for publicity and exposure for Eternal Day. So I finally caved into the pressure and set a page up:

http://myspace.com/theeternalday

Although, if you're reading this Blog, you've no doubt already seen us at MySpace. Actually I think we're getting more views over there than on this thing. My goal with MySpace is to keep building a "friends" list so that by the time we hit New York Comic Con next year we'll have a couple thousand "friends" and a little buzz behind what we're doing. I don't expect to become rich or famous from Eternal Day, but it's nice when at least some people show interest in what you're creating. I still can't believe that from the 50 or 60 books that went out at the Comic Con this past February that we haven't heard from ONE frigg'in person! Kind of dis-heartening. But oh well...the wheels keep turning.

So yeah, besides the MySpace thing growing and flowing we actually have been working on Chapter 2 of Eternal Day (shocking, I know!). I have almost all of the pages laid out (it's going to be 32 pages of story) and Mark is writing the last 10 pages, plus the narrative that's going to flow throughout the story. It's going to be sweet and delicious.

It's funny...on the Eternal Day website, when you click on the "characters" and "story" links it just says "in progress" or something like that. Why is that funny? Because it means no one has a frigg'in clue what's going on in this book, nor what the hell it's all about! I don't know...that seems funny to me, like in a ridiculous way. It's like we keep saying, "Trust us! It's an awesome story! We just...uh, can't tell you what it's about!" We're marketing geniuses...or just complete idiots.

I sent out a book today to some guy at The4thRail.com (Don MacPherson, I think is his name). Why is that significant? I don't know. Hopefully he reviews it online or at least gives us an e-mail review.

Okay, I really should go to bed now. I just wanted to give a little update to all of you who can't sleep at night wondering about the next chapter of Eternal Day!

Time Just Won't Stop!

So my spring break is almost officially over (I go back to work and school on Monday) and I haven't even touched any pages of Eternal Day! Arrrrgh! The horror...the horror. But I did finish Mike's "Underworld" commission. Check it out:

Geez Louie's these images look so crappy when you upload them to the blog! Here's a link to a somewhat better look:

http://www.jayadeva.com/DAL_underworld_commission_sized.jpg

So yeah, that's out of the way, but besides that I've been stressing about school. Had a Spanish test earlier this morning, which I tried studying for the past few days. I've been bombing in that class. If I don't get at least a "C" the credit won't transfer and the whole class will have been a waste of time. I also have a placement test coming up on Monday which I have to study Algebra for. So I've been trying to cram everything about beginning Algebra in two days! It's stressing me out, big time. I also have some General Psychology homework to do. On top of the school studying and stress there's just been the every day stuff of cleaning, eating, sleeping, spending time with the family and social obligations.

Time is so relentless. It doesn't stop its forward progress towards the inevitability of death. It just continues marching, marching, marching...

I just finished making an ad for Eternal Day that will appear in a book by a fellow avant-garde comic book illustrator: G.K. Zimmerman. (Here's his website: http://www.graphicsintensive.com and he also has a MySpace space: http://www.myspace.com/myonlinefrankenstein ) Check him out. He's on the same creative vibe as Mark and I. He'll also be appearing at Wizard World Philly this June. We hope to do a collaboration at some point in the near future.

And that my friend's is about all that's been going on. Now I have to get back to studying Algebra and dreaming about when I can work on Eternal Day.

Spring Break

While most people head to destinations that are warm and sunny and spend their time getting drunk and looking for one-night stands, I'll be using this time to work on Eternal Day...hopefully! Chapter 2 is currently being "laid out" on the paper in the form of thumbnail sketches. It's pretty much all fleshed out; just a couple of flashback scenes need to be worked out.

I need to get over this "artist's block" and just frigg'in draw! I feel stiffled or shell-shocked. I need to stop worrying about how it's going to compare to the "pros". Just tell the story, man. Pour the art out of your soul.

In other news: our table for NY Comic Con '07 is reserved. So we'll be there next year. It puts a little more pressure on me to actually get something done. We're hoping to have both Chapter's (2 and 3) ready by then, but it may only be 2. We'll see how things go.

Work, school and life have just been taking all my energy and focus. Hopefully this week off from school and work will allow some time to work on my hobby.

I need to go eat some dinner and finish my Spanish homework. Wee.

First "Official" Review

When I look at the Eternal Day website and see such a low "hit" count, I wonder what we're doing wrong. But then I realize our book really isn't out in the mainstream at all! So how can I expect people to know about it or for hundreds of people to be checking out the site everyday?! But then I think about the 50 some-odd books we distributed at the New York Comic Con last month and not one single person has contacted us; zero feedback. It's kind of discouraging.

Part of creating something is just the fun of doing it, but there's also that part of you that wants some kind of validation for your efforts or a desire for reciprocation. I create art because I enjoy creating art, but at the same time you want to know that your creative expressions are being received by other human beings. Even if someone gave negative feedback; at least then you know someone took the time to ponder your creation.

In this vein I was thrilled when we received our first "official" online review. It's soon to appear on thecomicfanatic.com, but I figured I'd post it here for everyone to see before it's on the website (special thanks to Heath at thecomicfanatic.com!):

"Eternal Day #1 (The Naked Experiment, Inc.) -

In my 30 plus years of reading comic books, I don’t think I have ever come across one that has left me completely speechless. Eternal Day turned the trick! Now, consider for a moment how hard it is to actually render me speechless…my “real” job is radio. I make my living talking all day!

I wish that I could describe Eternal Day for you, but I can’t. Here’s why…Eternal Day is a little Lovecraft mixed with a little Clive Barker, and odds are that each person who reads this debut issue will get something different out of it.

Eternal Day is steeped in bizarre symbolism, but this works in a surprising way. This symbolism pulls the reader in and actually makes you part of the story. Heck, I read this book three times, and came up with a different meaning each time I did! J. Gerick and Mark A. Derrick have created a different type of comic book here…one that I want to see more of.

While Gerick’s black and white interior art is superb and quite eerie, after checking out the color cover by Tim Vigil and Jay Fotos, I now want to see this entire story in all of its brightly colored, bizarre glory.

Suggested for teen readers and up due to violence and disturbing images.

Overall grade = A"

In other news, Chapter 2 of Eternal Day is pretty much all worked out in terms of the story. Now I just have to thumbnail the pages. I'm also currently working on the first 5 pages. So the gears are moving. I've got some prelims and character sketches to post, but I have to scan them first.

Oh yeah, and we've officially decided to book a table at the New York Comic Con for 2007. Yeah, I know: it seems so far away, but it'll sneak up fast. I sent the form in to reserve our spot. Now we really have to get this book done!