• Tag Archives blog
  • On One Thing at a Time

    In our effort to Slow Down to Speed Up, we’ve been adjusting our workflow to One Thing at a Time. Yes, we have several irons in the fire at any given moment, but in terms of dedicated approach, we are working on one thing at a time throughout the day, sometimes for the whole day depending on what it is.

    Example:

    Today’s main task was proofing the second part of my two-part article series for Patreon on what to do if you feel your career in the arts isn’t doing well and then uploading it. This is complete and can be accessed here.

    The next task was to promote it online (also done). Now we do this blog entry before moving on to something else.

    However, the day had a priority task–the article–thus the One Thing at a Time approach.

    Due to world events, I’ve had to adjust my workflow and for right now, One Thing at a Time is the best thing for how I conduct my day.


  • On Gearing Up for Three Project Launches

    Soon, my on-line offerings are going to go through a change-up because THREE project launches are happening all around the same time!

    This was not planned.

    The three things:

    1) Launching Fredrikus

    2) Launching a new serial novel on Patreon

    3) Launching Year Six of The Canister X Transmission

    I suspect my work schedule is going to shift for a short season at that time so I can spend my days doing the necessary Web stuff to get this all going. That said, creating will drop to second tier as these roll out so I can properly get them out from the studio and into the world.

    Formal announcements to occur around the time of the launches.

    Regularly check back here on the blog to stay in the loop. My door is also open if you have any questions about these upcoming project launches.


  • Newsletter Delay; The Canister X Transmission Issue 252

    Just a note to inform you there is a newsletter delay this week due to TinyLetter’s site glitching. Until it’s resolved, I am unable to send out the most recent issue so I’ve blogged it here in the interim and will send it out proper once I am able to, which might mean this week you’ll be getting two editions of The Canister X Transmission close together. If the problem persists due to possible staffing shortages on their end, then we’ll just air the newsletter here until things get back to normal.

    There’s a first time for everything.

    Here is the latest edition. It is dated yesterday.

    Newsletter:

    Issue Two Hundred-fifty-two – April 18, 2020

    Hello and welcome to the 252nd issue of THE CANISTER X TRANSMISSION, a weekly newsletter from a schlub up north who offers you strange ramblings every week.

    How is everyone?

    It has been a busy week. Lots of tasks. Lots of work. Lots of prep. Lots of thinking. Lots of stress. Lots of accomplishment. Lots of, well, lots.

    And here we are.

    Oh, and I made bread.

    Work log:

    PROJECT JACKASS (title reveal below); uploaded a sneak peek to the Behind-the-Scenes tier on Patreon showcasing one of the opening pages of PROJECT JACKASS in full color (link below); shot and uploaded a new video to YouTube, which announces PROJECT JACKASS’s real title and quickly takes a glimpse at the artwork and offers a brief premise (link below); blogging; and administration.

    Quick note regarding this newsletter: Issue 260 is the final issue of The Long Year Five. We will do something special at that time. As always, the invite is there if you want to see something particular in that double issue. Just shoot me an email and I’ll see what I can do.

    In blog headline news—and once information known only to my patrons on Patreon—the title of PROJECT JACKASS was revealed! PROJECT JACKASS was a place-holder name for an upcoming webcomic from me called FREDRIKUS, which is about an anthropomorphic dog in a dystopic sc-fi world. Phew. Now I can finally refer to it as an actual thing and not some project document (which is actually a combination of multiple documents including a notebook for the stories).

    Blog headlines:

    Various Bits from the Net – 041220

    Status Report – 041420

    Project Jackass Title Revealed: Fredrikus

    Fredrikus Social Media

    New Fredrikus Behind-the-Scenes Post on Patreon!

    On Art and Never Arriving

    Fredrikus Webcomic Announcement

    Status Report – 041720

    As you can see from the above headline, you are invited to like and follow FREDRIKUS on social media so you can be notified when the strip airs. Please do so. More details about the webcomic to be revealed in due time. Watch the blog to stay current. I will admit, it’s high time new things started to roll out from me and warming up the machine for FREDRIKUS is part of that journey.

    I’m thinking that the next thing to roll out from me is the Inktober 2019 sketchbook I mentioned in a previous issue. PROJECT REBUILD is taking some time due to elements beyond my control and I don’t want to leave you hanging.

    Side note: As much as my blog has been retooled on the back end, sometimes the theme acts up and reverts to black text on white rather than white text on black. If you come across this, don’t worry. I’m still troubleshooting the issue with the hope of taking care of it once and for all in the near future. Just check the blog as per usual and you’ll be fine.

    We’re also gearing up for the new serial novel to air on Patreon because GIGANTIGATOR DEATH MACHINE is almost complete. Watch the blog for the announcement and be sure to get in on the ground floor by becoming a patron today for just a buck. The entirety of GIGANTIGATOR DEATH MACHINE will remain on the site so come time for the new serial novel, you’ll have two novels to read for the price of one. Awesome deal. Please take advantage (it also helps keep me fed). Link below to subscribe to what is essentially the Netflix of literary entertainment from a book and comic guy like me. Thank you in advance for your support.

    Also going on, but not worked on this week, is PROJECT COBALT. This is a big one and an important one, and a lot of thought, trial and error, and work has already been put into it. I’m suspecting a latter 2020 rollout, but keep that fluid for the moment. The world is in upheaval on multiple levels and things are in constant flux as we combat this invisible enemy (amongst other things). But yeah, PROJECT COBALT, man. Onward.

    For a good while I’ve had the marketing materials for a YouTube subscription drive, but we’re not quite there yet in terms of the channel’s relationship to other things. However, I’m a firm believer in groundwork and foundation and I’d like you to be a part of all that’s planned for the channel plus what’s already there. Please use the link below and subscribe. Your subscription will eventually lead to me monetizing the channel, which in turn will fund more comics and books and the stuff I put online for free. But it all takes time and time, in order to do this job full time, requires money. The subscription costs you nothing other than 5 seconds—which I recognize is your valuable time hence why I try and create interesting content in the vein of Heroes and Monsters—and will go a long way toward keeping the media machine running. Thank you in advance again for your support.

    With Year Six of this newsletter fast approaching, I’m getting eager to see how the new format will work, how it will flow, and, ultimately, what it will do for you as my reader. I hope you enjoy the new format in 8 issues.

    In other newsletter news, Year Four was obviously completed a long time ago but was never published. It is still the plan to release it along with The Long Year Five. Also soon, my how-to book, GETTING DOWN AND DIGITAL: HOW TO SELF-PUBLISH YOUR BOOK, will be going out of print. Please grab your copy now. The principles and methods apply to both books and comics. It is also ideal for creators on a budget who are unable to afford fancy formatting programs. It walks you through formatting in MSWord for both print and electronic editions in a tried-and-tested procedure that is quite simple to follow.

    We’re also noodling with the social media broadcaster for FREDRIKUS because I’ve never run a broadcaster for anyone but myself and since good ol’ Fred can’t work the thing himself due to his paws, I’m stuck with the job. Hopefully it all works out. Speaking of which, the broadcaster has run out of broadcasts from that time I loaded ’er up good so that will have to be addressed in the coming week or two as well, but I’m toying with some new ideas. Not that the old ones were bad, but as it is with this game, doesn’t hurt to try new things.

    Okay, I think the above about covers it for this week. Lots of commercials, I know, but we’re at that stage in the grand plan.

    Rollout soon.

    We’re finally getting there. Isn’t that a thing?

    Take care of yourselves and each other. In the end, it’s on us about how we treat people.

    Have a good weekend. Make bread. Send me some.

    – A.P. Fuchs

    All the New Things, MB

    As usual:

    Patreon – Where I post an ongoing serial novel, essays on the creative life, behind-the-scenes secrets, and general jackassery.

    Canister X – Where I’m blogging during the week.

    YouTube – My channel that needs your subscription and views to help it grow.

    Ko-fi – A Tip Jar designed to cover the costs of the free stuff I put on the Web (daily blogging, this newsletter, YouTube videos, and artwork).

    End transmission


  • Status Report – 041720

    Winnipeg weather 041720

    Status Report – 041720:

    It’s been a busy week on the blog. Didn’t mean to but things needed to be shared.

    Newsletter written and ready for tomorrow. Join us.

    Today’s plan is . . . well, I’m not sure on the specifics. We have Fredrikus drawing to do and a few other things. What the work ratios for those things are, I don’t know.

    Side note: For some reason the blog’s theme keeps resetting to its default presentation so if you come by and the site looks different, it means nothing is wrong but I haven’t reset the theme yet. Working on troubleshooting the issue.

    Okay, time to get to it. Enjoy your day.

    This has been your Status Report for 041720.


  • Fredrikus Webcomic Announcement

    Fredrikus webcomic announcement thumbnail

    Fredrikus Webcomic Announcement.

    The other day here on the blog I revealed the real name of one of my code-named projects, which is a webcomic about a cartoon dog I created some 20 years ago in animation school named Fredrikus. In this video, I give a very brief description of the premise. More to be revealed in time.

    To be notified of when Fredrikus debuts, please visit http://www.fredrikus.com and bookmark the site.

    Also be sure to subscribe to the channel to be notified of all the latest videos. Thanks.


  • Status Report – 041420

    Status Report 041420

    Status Report – 041420:

    Enjoying the new workflow, which follows my new system of Slowing Down to Speed Up.

    We are almost where we need to be to discuss Project Jackass here on the blog.

    Also, this was blog was retooled behind the scenes recently. A couple minor tweaks left–basically settling on one or two other plug-ins–but otherwise we seem to be back up and running smoothly here.

    Websites are fun.

    Right, don’t blog about blogging. That’s Old Internet.

    Had a health lapse recently but seem to be getting back on track. (Non-COVID related.) This is good.

    Back to the drawing board. Consider this notice one that says, “Yes, we are still working here and almost have news.”

    In the interim, please check out my YouTube channel and consider subscribing. Heroes and monsters are what the videos are all about.

    This has been your Status Report for 041420.


  • Status Report – 040820

    Snow is melting in April

    Status Report – 040820:

    As we make headway into Project Jackass, other things need tending to, some items being personal due to COVID-19 and how it’s affected the world. Today will be spent making comics and doing some of those personal things.

    This blog was also retooled on the back end so your experience with it should be a better one compared to before. Might be a tweak or two to go yet, however, but generally speaking, this thing seems to be working just fine now. Finally.

    And onward we go.

    This has been your Status Report for 040820.

    Ps. Hey, look at that picture. The snow is almost melted.

    Pps. Here is my Ello account because, well, why not? I don’t use it much but we can hook up there if you’re a part of the site.


  • Status Report – 033120

    Pen and keyboard

    Status Report – 033120:

    Driving a tired and sleepy car today, but the show must go on. Did today’s work on Project Rebuild. Now I’m doing this. Then onto something else afterward.

    Assuming the world doesn’t explode by end-of-week, on Friday I’m scheduled to speak with someone who understands the Matrix better than me and we’re going to do some behind-the-scenes work on this blog to turn it into the on-line machine I need for going forward (which basically means taking what’s here and doing some back-end stuff to achieve what I hope is the final step in my media machine model). If the blog gets a little screwy on Friday or, potentially, the days leading up to it because I decide to monkey around, just hang tight.

    In the meantime, stay safe. Stay healthy. Eat right. Rest right. It’s all any of us can do to ensure we are as healthy as possible for the days ahead.

    Side note: The latest Patreon article is written and will be uploaded after final review. The topic is what to do if you’re feeling your arts career is sinking. Part one of two. Read it here by subscribing to the Essays tier. Also gets you access to all uploaded chapters of Gigantigator Death Machine. Thank you in advance for your support.

    This has been your Status Report for 033120.


  • Various Bits from the Net – 032420

    Welcome to Various Bits from the Net – 032420.

    This semi-regular segment is about items on the World Wide Web that I found interesting or amusing and thought worth mentioning on a public space like this blog. This was last segment.

    And so . . .

    Been reading Saucetown magazine ever since artist friend Sean Simmans told me he’s working on it and sent me stuff. Go here. It’s a satire thing.

    I loved Star Trek: The Next Generation growing up and got really into it in high school. I remember watching the finale when it originally aired and it marking the end of an era. But, like all things, you can get some humor out of it so watch this:

    Recently, we got treated to a look at the Batmobile Robert Pattinson’s Batman will drive. As a fan of muscle cars, I’m cool with the new design and am glad they are trying something new. Here is an article from when the picture came out.

    A little plug of my own: While the blog was in maintenance mode, my Patreon page was still running and content was still being added, up to including today, which saw the release of the 14th chapter of Gigantigator Death Machine. For just a buck, you get access to the ongoing serial novel and its archives plus patron-only blog posts. Join the story by going here. Every bit of support is appreciated. Thanks.


  • Slowing Down to Speed Up: Blogging Schedule Shift

    Slowing Down to Speed Up

    Slowing Down to Speed Up: Blogging Schedule Shift.

    There is a lot on the go. Working at 1000mph has birthed all sorts of pathways and roads to travel down. Problem is, I only have one car.

    You get the parallel.

    This note is to inform you my new working method is based on the concept of slowing down to speed up. This is healthy for you, healthy for me, and healthy for 2020’s goals and projects as a whole.

    So here is the new blogging schedule:

    Whenever.

    Simply put, the blog is short-term switching over to me posting when I feel like it or have something to say or want to show you something. Knowing me, it’ll still be fairly regularly but not on the Monday-to-Friday-mornings schedule. Going to keep things fluid for the time being. Be sure to check in as part of your Internet rounds, but bear in mind I could be posting any time of day. New posts will also be shared via the social networks as per usual.

    We’re at a place with the workload where something relatively large needs to drop to Low Power Mode and the blog was selected.

    Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter, The Canister X Transmission. Each issue has a blog headline rundown as to what posted during the week so it’s another simple way to be notified of new content. It goes out Saturdays.

    Thanks.