In this podcast episode, "The Hard Reality of Indie Comics" for June 2024, Xeroforhire shares his ongoing journey and challenges as an indie comic creator. He provides practical insights from his experience preparing for the August release of his comic, *The Last Day*. Xeroforhire discusses working with printers, learning about proper file formatting for print and digital comics, and navigating the technical hurdles of producing high-quality artwork. He highlights mistakes he made, like resizing images incorrectly, and how he solved them using GIMP. He reflects on the tactile experience of printed comics, inspired by *The Savage Sword of Conan*, and explores using different printing techniques to enhance reader engagement. Xeroforhire also emphasizes the importance of experimenting, learning from mistakes, and exploring different publishing options, including local comic shops and digital platforms like Gumroad and Substack. The episode ends with Xeroforhire discussing his current reading list, including *Yira* from Ripaverse Comics and classic issues of *Wetworks*, while encouraging listeners to engage with him on Substack.

In this issue I talk about Publishing mistakes, making a digital copy of your release, and solutions to try.

Also, what I’m reading, and what’s on my pull list.

My comic www.thelastdaycomic.com

featured work:

Read 1000 Years of War by Hannah Rose Williams - https://substack.com/home/post/p-145593074

The Pine Tree Flag (or the An Appeal to Heaven Flag) was one of the flags used during the American Revolution. The flag, which featured a pine tree with the motto "An Appeal to Heaven", or less frequently "An Appeal to God", was used by a squadron of six schooners commissioned under George Washington's authority as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army beginning in October 1775.

Timestamps

* 00:00 intro

* 01:00 trumps crimes

* 02:09 my accent

* 02:24 the next shadow campaign?

* 04:19 conservative protests

* 10:41 Rich conservative shills

* 12:35 when Q-anon fell apart

* 15:15 be prepared for disappointment

* 18:15 reasons why conservatives might lose in 2024

* 22:45 too many conservatives are willing to walk away from our Christian Roots

* 25:44 appeal to heaven

* 29:50 judgment comes to the house of God

The pine tree is a traditional symbol of New England. The phrase "appeal to heaven" appears in John Locke's Second Treatise on Government, where it is used to describe the right of revolution. ~ Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pine_Tree_Flag

The history behind the controversial ‘Appeal to Heaven’ flag ~ CNN - https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/31/us/appeal-to-heaven-flag-meaning-cec/index.html

The endless language war, liberals’ flag lies and other commentary ~ New York Post https://nypost.com/2024/06/02/opinion/the-endless-language-war-liberals-flag-lies-and-other-commentary/

00:00 intro (updates on my dog, Chester)11:52 the 4th age channel, Virtues13:53 the problem with conservative podcasters 15:08 the way you're supposed to make an argument20:37 pros and cons 21:44 we win, in the end 23:03 the covid argument 25:48 incorporating this new information 26:48 it's good to be an entertainer during good times28:05 trying to compete with the rich luxury careers32:47 it's easier to see through false hope now35:19 moving forward ,(removing the payments from the comic substack page, Da Vinci resolve issue, Freelance stuff) 37:19 praying for New Passion 41:12 Outro

I've been taking some hard hits dealing with our dogs sickness. Trying to get the right analysis and find out what type of medical attention he actually needs. He's a member of our family and we're trying as hard as we can, but having to rely on other people to get us there has been difficult for the entire family.

It's been especially hard for me because I have not been very honest about the truth state of our economy, and instead have taken all of the weight of the failure of our photography business head on. This podcast deals with some of the struggles we've had this year, and I'm pretty honest about the perspective that I'm trying to work through.

I chose the name indignity because that's what it feels like wrestling with the reality of not being able to provide by doing things that I'm seeing other people do, while also realizing I'm not the man who will be able to make these things work.

A good representation between the matriarchal versus patriarchal view of the world.

I hate being marketed to when I know that their LYING! I had to vent to a friend.

Follow Jofae on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@Jofae

In this episode of *The Hard Reality of Indie Comics* (May 2024), Xero for Hire reflects on his journey as an indie comic creator, sharing hard-earned lessons and practical advice for aspiring creators. He celebrates the success of his recent Indiegogo campaign, which hit its goal, allowing him to fund cover art and printing for his project *The Last Day*. Throughout the episode, Xero offers insight into the challenges of commissioning cover artists, highlighting the differences between skilled cover artists and full comic artists, emphasizing the importance of the “rule of cool” in cover design to draw readers in.

Xero also dives into the pitfalls of the publishing world, warning listeners about scams, particularly vanity presses that exploit eager creators. He underscores the need for community support and diligent research before choosing a publisher or printer, advocating for indie creators to retain control over their work. Xero shares tips for selecting reliable and cost-effective printers, providing detailed comparisons of various printing services, with an emphasis on affordability for indie creators.

He finishes the episode by discussing his Free Comic Book Day haul and the inspiration he found from meeting fellow indie creators, encouraging listeners to keep pushing forward in their creative endeavors. The episode balances practical advice with personal anecdotes, delivered in Xero's casual, no-nonsense style.

The Hard Reality of Comics

We finished the first Indiegogo Campaign!

this puts some credibility to my project

* commissioning covers

* Meeting cover artists

* Cover mentality

Publishing Scams:

ISBN Scams - Non-transferable (can ONLY buy from Bauker)

Vanity Presses

Library of Congress Registration Number - no pay

Barcodes - No pay

fake US Library of Congress Websites

LLC Scams

"Saw your book online" Scam

Prices for Printing (without ISBN)

So here are the standards that I'm printing. I tried to make every service have the same settings, or as close to the same settings as I could get. For the sake of this example I actually had to lower the quality of the interior print in order to make all of these is even as possible.

* 28 pages 

* 25 copies 

* Standard comic book size 

* Number 60 text on coded black and white interior 

* Yes to bleed if optional 

* Number 80 gloss cover, color outside covers, blank interior cover, yes to bleed if optional 

* Saddle stitch binding 

* Lowest available shipping option 

* Allow the printer to place an advertisement for logo on the inside back cover

So here are the services from most expensive to least expensive 

* Book baby, $260.00

* Docu Copies, $207.74

* Best printing usa, $199.10

* Lulu, $164.44

* Greko Printing, $152.50

* Printing center USA, $135.64

* Maxim, $119.50

* Morris publishing, $49.83

* Kablam comics, $45.75

What I got for Free comic Book Day!

Shout out to Tim from Silent Squirrel Comics - https://www.facebook.com/SilentSquirrelComics

and

Travis Starling (Comic Cover Artist) - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100036847849875

C’MON DAWG!

Before we can really solve the problem that we're in, it's important to try to figure out how we got here and why we use the internet in the first place.

Why we do things:3 reasons to do something1) entertainment/relaxation2) performance/ego3) financial gain/survival I boil everything down to these three factors. They're the underlying reasons for why we do/maintain certain endeavors, and the things that we do on the Internet is no different. But I don't think that those are the reasons that ruined the internet, because these are things that apply to everyday Life as well. Not just the internet. Ex1) gaming 2) karaoke 3) going to the gym 4) hobbies 5) organizing things These are just examples of things that can be done without the internet, and can subsequently be enhanced by the internet in some way through marketing. =====================================================

Ultimately it's my opinion that marketers ruined the internet. It was marketers that sought to monetize communal spaces and fun activities online. It was marketers that set the standards and the expectations by lying to us about metrics that were unattainable. It was marketers that sold the stories about how people who were brought in through nepotism were actually everyday boys and girls who somehow blew up on the internet. It was marketers who actually opened the door for everyday boys and girls so that they could blow up on the internet, then they turned around and sold us the story about how it could happen to us. But marketers were doing these things way before the internet. It's called advertising, and that's what marketers do. They sold us out. ======≠======Endeavors need structure in order to survive. A lot of times people put things together for performance reasons without fully committing to the necessary structure that is needed to keep that activity operational If you don't enjoy structure then you won't enjoy financial or performance endeavors.This is an issue that we see within different areas of life all the time. The example you gave was podcasting with your friends. Perhaps what you enjoyed was hanging out with your friends and relaxing, but it somehow got misconstrued as a performance activity. Then when it came time to apply the structure, you didn't enjoy that. The same thing also happens with churches. People try to separate Christianity from the religion of Christianity, because they enjoy the relationship that comes with god, but they dislike the structure that is also required for the saints. It's disheartening to some people in the church when they find out that Christ elevates both the structure and the standards for relationship over time, so they don't want to do the work anymore. I think online Fame has a lot to do with structure as well. But it is a blended activity. You can't do it with simply structure. I know a lot of people who have really good structure, really good presentations, consistent schedules, and plans for everything, but the product sucks. And then you have people who put stuff out whenever they feel like it and they blow up because they're structured in other areas of their lives. ====≠========The anxiety and isolation are by-products of the marketing of the internet. Initially the internet was meant to be enjoyed with friends and in online communities. It was supposed to be a proxy of the already existing communities that we had in real life. I like to use live journal as an example, or Myspace. Those two platforms were all about sharing extensions of your life with the people that you already knew. But when Facebook came along, things got much more sterile and scientific, and they slowly over time started to isolate us and turn us against each other through algorithms and other tools. There is a lot of psychological warfare that happens in social media spaces that people are unaware of. 1) algorithms 2) bots3) sectioned servers 4) manipulation of data 5) censorship and Shadow banning 6) psyops 7) ragebait==============Solutions Report real lifeUse the internet as a proxy for what you're already doing in life, not as a source of life. Use it to connect with people that you already know, and have verified humanity. These are friends that you can jump on the phone with it anytime, but sometimes it's just easier to send an email or post on the timeline. That's okay Be genuine. Be yourself. Be honest. The more you think and act like marketers the more you will become like the marketers, who are inherently liars in their car. They have no truth in them. Only manipulation. People will like you for who you are or they will dislike you for the same reasons. You are the thing that splits the herd. So be okay with that. Decide who your audience is. I told this to my son when he did his first podcast. I told him not to think of a group of people he wants to reach, but rather think of a specific person he wants to reach. Record your podcast as if you're talking directly to that person, understanding that's how they will listen. Other people who resonate with the content of your podcast will have a lot in common with that ideal person. That's how you grow your audience.Keep the relaxing things as the relaxing things Don't try to turn things that you love into endeavors. You'll just ruin them. There's a reason I won't work a cook position in a restaurant anymore, and that's because I love to cook. So I won't do it as a job. People who clean for a living tend to have messy apartments. So if you have something that's near and dear to your heart, that you do as a relaxation ritual, don't try to turn that into a show. You'll only ruin the thing that you love. Build your online content around things that you love This may seem contradictory to the last point, but it's not. You have to connect with the first point that I made here. Use the internet as a way to report what you've already done. Trying to bring people along for the ride can be fun sometimes, but it can also be a detriment. If you're learning to play guitar, it may be fun for people to witness the journey, but it might ruin guitar for you as well. Don't spend all your time trying to cultivate a following. Spend that time doing what you love, and then bring what you love to your platform later. if you love to sing, don't put a camera in rehearsals. Finish writing and recording that song, and then show people online. The only reason you should be putting things online as part of the process, is if you are documenting the process for later, or because you find it relaxing yourself.