Yes, we’re in Seattle again for the 8th Annual Emerald City Comicon.

Consider this our alternative time-line, where you get to see the Steam-mates on an adventure in some other city. In truth, this is a landmark of a local car wash, and our exclusive print for the show.

If you happen to be attending, we’ll be selling these for $20.00 for the first 100 people who ask for one. We sell these, and the show is on the road to profitability.

Hope to see some of you there. (Seattle is our 3rd most popular city.)

- Daniel

I’m a big fan of WordPress.

It’s the free, open-source foundation of a number of my websites. It’s solid, it has a ton of add-ons, and it just works. It makes my life of a publisher/creator quite a bit easier than the old days when I used to build my websites in Flash or straight-up html.

Chances are, you’ve heard of WordPress (WP) before. However, once I start talking to folks who don’t live/swim on the web, they tend to not know what the hell I’m talking about.

I bring this up because in the near future, I’ll be updating this site once again, to clean house, and use a newer version of my ComicPress comic template. But, I may just wait until the newest version of WP comes out, this spring.

So, things here will be adjusting and changing in the future… when, I can’t rightly say as the Convention season is rolling here in full-blast. After that.

What are you working on?

- Daniel

Tonight, I must make poison bottles.

It is a difficult and dangerous job, but someone must do it.

Would you hang these on your Halloween tree?

- Daniel

So, yeah, it’s packing time for Emerald City Comicon. No, we didn’t get very far last weekend with the packing though we certainly did get an epic amount of stuff done.

So, I’ll keep this short. (And hopefully still interesting…)

I will show you something new though, our “Singin’ for the brains” print that’s debuting in Seattle:

It looks even better in real life. Sometimes the webnets makes pixels all blurry.

You can get it in our store right now!

- Daniel

No, I don’t hate my life, though I certainly have at various times in my life. I’m sure that you probably have, too.

Getting divorced in my early 20’s wasn’t such a good time for me.

I’d dropped out of college to be with this girl, and married her. She was a romantic and a poet… and she seemed to be a blossom of love itself. Within a year she was having an affair with my best friend, and I was fairly well devastated. (And angry.)

I was in this time in my life when I felt order than most of my cohorts, and I hadn’t really found my place (or all of my people) yet. I quit my job and found another as a baker, and started back in school again. I got more bands going, and started to string together my life, one thread at a time.

A couple of years later I dropped out of college again (so very close to that worthless Fine Art degree) to become a (fledgling) graphic designer. This was more momentous than I realized at the time; it afforded me the skills to finally create the way that I wanted to, and allowed me the knowledge to design the things that I do now with Steam Crow. I shudder to think what I’d be doing now if I’d not found a design job; I’m pretty certain I would have found my way to Design one way or another.

Today, I’m very happy with the choices that I’ve made since that first failure; I’ve surrounded myself with solid folk in the years since. (And a great girl like Dawna.)

Betrayers can pike it.

- Daniel

Still sick here in my plastic dungeon.

Probably brought on by the strains and stresses of the last few months. I’m fine, I’ll be okay. I just have this cough, this stomach, and this exhaustion.

I’m taking it easy, which you’re seeing in some of these simpler, action-based strips.

Soon, it will all be over.

No, not that. I’m not dying; we’re going to Seattle!

Dawna grew up in Seattle, and I grew up some hundred miles to the East in Spokane. We both love this city, with all of the greenery, wet air, and eld buildings. Since I’ve never been to Europe or the metropoli of the East Coast, Seattle feels very, very old to me.

Especially when compared with Phoenix. Heck, Spokane feels like an old city compared to Phoenix. This here is one of them thar boom towns.

Let’s hope not.

I’m going to call it a day, grab a movie and lay down. You do the same, unless you can’t.

- Daniel

The Motor Mouth forum needs you. Ask me a question. I dare you.

Gotta run to our 2 yr anniversary party for TINY ARMY, my local art club thing.

In the meantime, why not post something in our Motor Mouth forums? (Question. Comment. Idear. Whatever!)

- Daniel

Kaid (Age 7) Interview #2

Here I am interviewing Kaid Fin once again.

D: What do you think about CrowBots?

K: They’re cool and some will live and some are taking over the world, there’s this book called “Monster Commute”… it’s that world.

D: Would you be friends with a CrowBot?

K: Ah, YA! It’s good to see CrowBots. Touch CrowBots. They’re really harsh if you kick one, it will really hurt.

K: Can we do it about dragons now?

D: Sure. What’s best about dragons?

K: Um. They believe. Breath fire. But you have to train them first, you have to feed them fish.

K: You have to take good care of them.

D: Do you have a pet dragon?

K: Yes! Three pet dragons.

D: What are their names:

K: One is Spike. Second one is Drago. And the last one is one of the biggest ones… Electro.

D: Do they ever bite you?

K: When you first get them they try to bite you.

D: Cool.

D: Well, it’s time for us to go. Say “goodbye.”

K: Goodbye. Don’t… okay let’s go.

- Daniel

Okay, time to get to prepping more books (to send out to you Patrons out there) and to put stuff together for the upcoming Emerald City Comicon in Seattle.

There is a lot to do here in the factory, as you might imagine. (Maybe more than you imagine.)

Okay, back to work 2.0.

- Daniel

When it comes to roleplaying games (RPGs), I have some particular tastes.

No, I’m not saying that I’m super picky, or any sort of elitist when it comes to gaming. I’m not. I’m just sharing what I like the best when I game.

- I like players who really get into character. No, they don’t need to dress like their characters, but I do like it when they attempt to really get into character and show us what makes them tick. Some players have taken an initial character/racial archetype and run, developing something new and exciting, beyond my starting point. It’s a joy to see, and can be amazing co-op fiction creation.

- I like players who are team players. I also like it when a player chooses to do something because it benefits the game itself, rather than saying “well, my character would never do that.” I challenge my players to find ways to make the game fun for all of us… and sometimes that means a little compromise.

- I like mystery. As a gamemaster, I seem to be drawn to mystery in one way or another. I like presenting a mysterious thing, and letting the players figure it out… perhaps months later. I guess that it’s because I feel that the world is a mysterious place, and I enjoy a sense of wonder when those mysteries are uncovered. (And sometimes the mysteries are just that; the unknown.)

- I like action-adventure. I also like it when the shite hits the fan, and the action is fast, crazy, and maybe even dangerous. Yep, if the world seems dangerous, you can bet that it probably is.

- I like humor, but not corn. I love it when something odd happens, or someone says something funny, and we have an in-game joke to laugh at from time to time. Laughing is good, and heck, we play for fun, right?

However, I don’t like gaming in corny, fakey, cartoony worlds. Yeah, sure, Monstru IS a cartoon, but I like to think of it as a gritty world of odd monsters and beasts. I just draw them this way, because this is how I draw. Don’t expect Toon from Monster Commute. Expect Brazil but with monsters.

- I love trying to paint a vast, interesting world. I put a lot of effort into making the world make sense and be a rich place of many details. I appreciate a gamemaster who can describe a world that engages my imagination, and I try to do that as a GM myself.

- I like to have a good time. Gaming is about hanging out with your friends and having a great time, above everything else. I like gaming with people who share this ideal, and who really attempt to bring some fun to the game themselves, instead of waiting to be entertained. If we all sit there waiting for fun, it’s not going to happen. We’ve gotta make it happen.

- Daniel

I spoke to the Art Institute of Phoenix last night, about the business of art.

It was a good time, but it was a distraction to me posting today’s comic on time.

So here it is.

- Daniel

Discovered in the Vhil ruins 74 years ago, the Pirshire Urns have been a constant source of public interest.

Then we discovered that many of them housed bloodless spirits quite unlike any known Haunt, and folks wanted to know more about these odd “antiques”.

Here’s what we do know:

• The Pirshire region is known for it’s fantastic ruined Pyramids. (And Carnivals)
• The urns were discovered as several pyramids were being deconstructed for building materials. After some “incidents”, this practice has been halted.
• These urns were likely buried and mummified remains of some tomb guardians, or some now extinct race of creature. They are unlike any known cats.
• They seem to be akin to very large creatures, with big ears. (Bunny? We’re not sure.)
• Around 500 urns were “obtained” from the ruins; there were far more that were destroyed by cave-ins.
• It is illegal to transport Pirshire Urns over any State bridges, or to bring them into Lincoln City.
• Mystery Mart is proud to offer them to astute collectors, for a mere $900 each.

Accept no cheap, plaster imitation. You deserve to own a real, Pirshire Urn of your own. They look dashing on the dashboard!

Order yours, today!

Interview with 7 year old Kaid, amateur Monsterologist.

<>

Daniel: Do you believe in ghosts?

Kaid: YES!

D: What do you believe about them?

K: That ghosts… because we have ghosts in our home!

D: What kind of ghosts?

K: Any kind of ghosts. Magic ghosts. Volcano ghosts. Any kind of ghosts.

D: Do you have a favorite?

K: Um. The werewolf how how howl. Warehouse howl ghost.

D: Cool.

K: I know all about ghosts.

D: What do they eat?

K: It’s the opposite of us. They eat garbage. They eat wallpaper. They eat anything.

D: Well what do they drink?

K: Nothing!

D: Have you ever seen a goblin?

K: YES! (giggles)

D: What was that like?

K: Wull… pretty good. First. Fourth time seen a globlin. I’ve seen them all over the place. I’ve seen globins that are good. I’ve seen globlins that are bad. I’ve seen globlins that are not on anybodies team. You wan’t want to see one.

D: Great! This interview is going well, don’t you think.

K: Nods.

D: Um… have you ever hung out with a minotaur before?

K: Prorbry… yes. Yes.

D: Was he smelly?

K: Actually… no.

D: Is there anything else you’d like to tell the readers of my comic?

K: That never get near a ghost either. They go through you and take your body away.

D: Thank you for the interview.

K: And if one of the ghosts get into your body don’t fall or punch yourself because you’ll die and they’ll get inside of your body….

D: Okay. Well thank you. Let’s go eat.

K: Yeah. Good. BYE! Oh and be aware of werewolves too!

2010 marks our 4th consecutive ECCC, and this year should be better than ever.

Why?

Last year our first ever exclusive print sold out in record time, just over an hour! It was so crazy, that we’re back at it again with our ECCC exclusive steampunk Car Wash print:

I spent a lot of time choosing the right landmark for this print. I wanted to avoid the cliche, and go with something that is familiar to Seattleites that matched the aesthetic of the Monster Commute world. I spent a long time getting all of the details right, and making it look cool. (At least to me.)

Hey, don’t take our word for it. Read what Pop Culture Zoo has to say about it!

We’re in much the same place this year, smack dab in the webcomics section in booth #104. (Look for the words “STEAM CROW” fluttering above our booth in vintage pennants.)

What are we selling in Seattle:

• Our new exclusive art print – Steampunk Car Wash
• Poison bottles
• Art prints – many of them have never seen Seattle before! (And lots of them!)
• Silk screen prints
• A bunch of fresh new 1 inch buttons
• And the debut of our new Monster Commute Book!

We’ll see you in Seattle March 13th-14th!

- Daniel and Dawna

I’d really like to thank everyone for making it a grand success. Sure, we didn’t conquer the world, but we did go really, really far, and took Steam Crow to some new uncharted waters.

In the spirit of transparency, I’m sharing some business numbers that I don’t usually like to make public. Just remember that the cost of something is not only the physical product, but also the hundreds and hundreds of hours of development.

Here are the Book Drive stats: (As of 2-24-10)

• We made 78% 82% of our $5000 goal. ($4153)
• Most orders came in the last 6 weeks of the drive.
• Nobody took us up on the $5000 deal, though several folks really thought about it.
• We had 67 orders with an average of $59.21 per transaction (WOW! This is amazing.)
• Actual printing cost: $6100.00 (Next time, the drive will reflect our actual costs.)

Why 82% is not a failure:

It’s bone simple: we’re only $2100 $1947 away from this book being profitable. (Instead of $6100 away…)

That my friends, is a grand thing. We thank you for this.

- – -

What I’ve learned this time (with our 4th book)

Printing in China is cheaper, but there are many assorted fees to get the books here. Heck, it cost me $90 to simply pay for my book. (Wire fees.)

It’s going to be a lot of work to get the orders shipped out. But it’s a priority. I want you to be happy. It will happen soon.

Customs is a little crazy. Customs Agent probably made my life easier.

Planning ahead is not enough. I need to be working on the next book right now, so I have more time to proof. (Thanks Sara!)

Allowing you to choose your support level was epic good. We’re going to do that again. 13 levels was probably a bit much though.

Doing the Book Drive during Xmas was not so helpful. Order were dead in December, but perked back up in January.

Next time, we’re going whole hog. I think that we can raise 100% of the next book. This 82% proved that it’s really achievable.

Some people thought that this Book Drive was a donation drive. I don’t want your donation, I just want your order. I hope that we never have to ask for a handout… it’s not how we roll.

- – -

Last chance.

Yep, I’ve left you one last chance to also be part of this Book Drive, and catch one of the deals before they’re gone.

Order now, before I take down the store and kill the deals.

I’ll update this story to reflect your support.

- – -

Thanks again, you folks rule.

- Daniel