NEWS: 2022 in review, or, *rent's greatest hits
Before we get into some new stuff, let's take a look at how we did this year.
Hey fellas —
Lot of creators do retrospectives as the yuletide approaches, so let’s break out the wassail together and take a tour through a handful of things I did this year that I was really proud of.
Overall, I would say that 2022 was the year I really put myself out there as a creator. I’ve been a lurker on the scene for years and earned a few credits to my name, but 2022 felt like the year I really went for it.
Freshman year.
It was a fun mix of awkwardness, not-sure-what-I’m-doing-here-ness, and try-to-keep-your-head-down-but-also-make-your-mark- … - ness.
And it’s only going to get bigger and more ambitious come sophomore year. I’ll have a couple of new things to tease, tickle, and titillate with here soon.
But before we get too ahead, let’s take a brief listen back with this mixtape of the greatest hits from ‘22.
Wrapping (this iteration of) Ronin Digital Express
I started on Ronin Digital Express in 2020, more or less as an exercise in teaching myself how to comic. Unexpectedly (but happily), it picked up a bit of an audience.
So, I took a pause to create more of a story arc, move the operation to Substack, and promote the thing.
I finished publishing what I’ll call “Season Zero” in the spring. I call it that because it was a learning experience, completely built in flight. What I have there is a “prototype” of something pretty damn cool, but only if I take some time to season and cook it a little more thoroughly.
We’re not there yet, but you’ll see some stuff soon. The Green-Eyed Ronin will return.
Until then, let’s take a look back at a chapter I’m particularly proud of. Legendary Ronin Warui Hito was designed as a full-length one-shot that might have found its way to Kickstarter, or possibly a small press publisher at some point.
Ultimately, however, I decided to just publish it myself so as not to break it up from the family. It sits in the middle of Season Zero as a kind of “X-Men Annual” entry.
It’s self-contained, and for my money, represents the best of Season Zero and my work on Ronin Digital Express so far.
It’s broken into 4-parts, and if you haven’t read it yet (or just want to revisit it), please do so below.
Hit those ❤️’s while you’re there, and leave me a comment to let me know if you liked it.
If you’re not subscribed to Ronin Digital Express, consider doing so as well. It’ll be a little quiet for the time being, but what’s coming will be worth the wait.
Expanding (and monetizing) rent*space
In 2022, rent*space went from a scrappy “I’ll do it when I feel like it” chore to a consistent, disciplined, and mature (alright, not that mature) publication.
I worked hard to create a consistent look and feel for it, launched new content categories, and consistently published 3-4 times a month in the back half of the year, including at least one post per month (usually an NSFW pinup) for subscribers at the paid tier (which also launched this year).
I also compiled The Art of Renton Hawkey Volume 1 as a giveaway to new subscribers, and overall saw the audience grow steadily throughout the year.
Here are some posts that give a good overall impression of what the publication is (whether you’re kicking tires or want to revisit with me):
Here’s a rent*space exclusive short comic published on Halloween of this year: the brutal, NSFW, grindhouse horror short Full Moon Glory Hole.
This one is a process tutorial for using the True Grit Texture Supply color system, with some unique, retro art inspired by Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.
An essay about whether artists should apologize / make excuses for / justify their work. It caused a bit of a stir on Twitter.
NSFW Savage Land Rogue (‘nuff said).
Big reminder folks that if you like this (or any of the linked) post(s), hit the ❤️ up there to let me know, or leave me a 💬 down below, I’d love to hear from you.
Though I do plan on changing the publishing schedule in 2023 to make some more room for comics, we definitely landed on the overall look and model this year.
First media appearances
Lastly, I did a lot of media this year to try and promote Ronin Digital Express, as well as make some friends in the comics community.
Probably my favorite interview (sound issues on my end notwithstanding) was with comic artist Don Cardenas on his Comics Coffee Metal podcast.
I also appeared on Blake’s Buzz, Comics for the Apocalypse, and a handful more including The FAQs Project, which might have been my first booked interview.
Whatever nerves I might have had about doing media disappeared quickly thanks to the host, James “Grandmaster” Boyce, himself a phenomenal interviewer.
Overall, the interview was a great vibe, and I’ve connected with a couple of really cool folks through the community over there (including the author of the comic Ennead: The Rule of Nine, which is one of my sidebar recommendations).
Check it out below:
What’s next
I’ll have another newsletter about sophomore year soon.
In it, there’ll be a few announcements, as well as some goal-setting. I’ll give a good picture of what I want to try and accomplish in 2023 and some of the longer-term projects I’m setting up as well.
If you’ve been with me at all this year, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for sticking around. There are a lot of indie comic creators competing for your attention and support, and I’m grateful to have earned some of yours. I do not take it for granted.
If you’re new to me, I’ll once again ask that you consider subscribing, whether at the free or paid tier. You probably have a decent idea of what the publication is about if you read this, but you can also explore the archive and the subscriber breakdown here.
If you’re already sold, subscribe below:
If you’re already a dyed-in-the-wool Real One, you can help me out by sharing this post:
Thanks again, and I hope all of you have a happy holiday season.
Be good.
*r