But would you PAY for that?

You're not in art school anymore, pal.

Years ago, when I was still in acting school at NYU, a classmate and I got up to perform a scene from a play.

At the end of it, the teacher simply said, “I’d pay for that.”

And the class was OUTRAGED.

Because, see, the teacher was supposed to rip us to shreds, tell us why we sucked, point out all the millions of tiny things we’d done wrong that separated us—the acting STUDENTS—from them—the acting PROFESSIONALS.

But instead, the teacher shrugged.

“What’s the point in giving them notes?” he asked. “If I’d paid money to see that in a theater, I’d be happy.”

***

I don’t share that story to brag. (Trust me, I got my ass handed to me plenty of times.)

But I think there’s a lesson in there, one that was maybe more valuable than a full critique would’ve been.

Let me illustrate it with another story…

***

Not that long ago, Creator A posted to a comics Facebook group a variant cover he’d commissioned.

Creator B responded with a lengthy critique of the cover, correcting the artist’s anatomy, among other things.

Creator A responded that the artist was a professional with a sizable following, and while he appreciated the feedback, he wouldn’t be passing along Creator B’s notes.

Creator B was LIVID.

Because he’d taken the time, you see, to give an art school-worthy critique of the cover. How dare Creator A not listen?

Creator A didn’t change a thing.

And raised many multiples more $$ on Kickstarter than Creator B.

***

My point (if I have one), is this:

If you’re selling your art—whether that’s comics, acting, a movie, or TV show— of course you want to make it as good as it can be.

But if you’re working on a deadline…

And if all art is “never finished/only abandoned…”

Sometimes the question you have to ask is:

Would they PAY for that?

And if the answer is yes, maybe it’s time to st—

WE INTERRUPT THIS NEWSLETTER FOR AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

Whoa!

Frankly, this might be the most important announcement EVER.

The shop in question is Heroes & Wizards Comics, 530-D N. East Rd., Webb City, MO.

If you’re in the area, come on by!

What Was I Saying?

Oh, right.

My point is that when you’re working on a deadline, if people would be happy to pay for it, even if it’s not technically perfect, it may be time to st—

WAIT! Before I Forget…

BLAZING BLADE OF FRANKENSTEIN

If you backed our latest issue, digital rewards were delivered last week. If you missed the email, here's the update that explains how to claim them.

Meanwhile, response has been great. (Thanks for reading and sending your thoughts!)

There is one lingering question that seems to be following us around, though, ever since a reviewer erroneously referred to the book as a three-issue series…

Did You Miss Surveys? 

No you did not miss surveys! They will be coming soon, as will a special offer for our digital backers to upgrade to print. 

Did You Miss the Campaign?

Maybe? I dunno.

Here’s a peek at some pages (art by Mick Beyers and Julio Rojas, letters by me).

Do they look familiar?

If not—or they do, and you meant to back it on Kickstarter—you can still snag it for a limited time at our InDemand Store:

NIGHTMARE THEATER 3-D

Oh, hey, while I’m talking about Kickstarter, I promised an update for NT3D readers regarding the timeline.

You can read it here.

CURRENT RESEARCH

This was for a short story I wrote last week.

It might be the Clay Adams-iest script I’ve written in a while.

Eagerly awaiting notes…

Meanwhile…

In my civilian guise as mild-mannered ComixLaunch reporter, I interviewed Alton Simpson for the podcast.

The ComixLaunch Pro Spotlight is back and shining a light on Alton Simpson, the creator of Vampires of New Jersey, Witches of Westchester and Bunny Goes to Space, among other successful titles. Over the past couple of years, Alton’s projects have raised over $150K on Kickstarter, and he joins Clay Adams for a discussion spilling some of his secrets!

Listen here: https://www.comixlaunch.com/session449/

Some good nuggets in there, including some thoughts on what I was talking about earlier.

Wait… What Was I Talking About Earlier?

I dunno. But I’ve gotta get this out the door.

It’s definitely not perfect…

But it may be time to stop.

Clay