Storycomic Weekly Newsletter: June 20th
ALWAYS POSTED A WEEK EARLIER ON PATREON
🚨 Storycomic Patreon Update for Creators 🚨
If you're an author, indie comic creator, game designer, or storyteller looking for more visibility, the Storycomic Patreon is one of the easiest ways to get your work in front of a growing audience.
For just $5 a month (about the price of a cup of coffee), you get some real promotional benefits:
🎙 Front-of-the-Line Recording Access
I’m often booking podcast interviews three months in advance, but Patreon members jump to the front of the line. This is especially helpful if you have a time-sensitive launch, Kickstarter, or new release coming up.
🔗 Permanent Show Notes Promotion
Your website or project link will be included in the show notes of all interviews as long as you’re a member.
📣 Social Media Promotion
We’ll regularly help promote your projects across Storycomic’s social media channels.
And remember, the Storycomic podcast has over 30,000 downloads, so it’s a great way to get your work discovered by readers and fellow creators.
For the cost of a coffee each month, you get promotion, visibility, and priority booking.
If you’re a creative looking to grow your audience, it’s a pretty great deal.
👉 Join us on Patreon and let’s share your story with the world.
W. Frank Walk goes “full creator” with Hellstones: Into the Fray
In this interview, I’m joined by W. Frank Walk, the owner and creative force behind Pigmacast Studio—a working artist who’s built his reputation through color rendering, sequential art, and a growing body of original work. (pigmacast.com )
We focus on Frank’s new Kickstarter project, Hellstones: Into the Fray, a supernatural action comic driven by big stakes and a clear theme: power always comes with a cost, and survival rarely looks clean. The campaign positions the story as an action-forward thriller with a deeper world underneath—one built on power, faith, and the choice to step into a fight that might already be lost. (kickstarter.com )
In our conversation, Frank talks about building a world that can support more stories, not just one issue, and how his background as a colorist shapes the way he thinks about pacing and mood. We also get into the practical reality of indie publishing: why Kickstarter is such a strong fit for creator-owned comics, and what he’s learned about presenting a project so new readers can jump in confidently.
Project Update: Full Throttle Again
One thing I've noticed over the past couple of weeks is that my excitement for my creative projects is back in full throttle. That's a great feeling, because enthusiasm is often the fuel that keeps a project moving forward, even when progress is happening in small steps.
I've been bouncing between revisiting older ideas and exploring some newer ones, and it's been energizing to see fresh possibilities emerge. Appliance continues to work its way through the editing process, but I've also been spending time thinking about where other projects might lead.
Not every week is a huge leap forward in terms of word count or completed chapters, but the creative spark is definitely there right now. Sometimes that's just as important. When you're excited about the work, it's a lot easier to keep showing up and putting in the time.
For now, I'm enjoying the process, following where the ideas take me, and looking forward to sharing more as these projects continue to develop.
Book Review: Be You – The Perfect Graduation Gift
Sometimes the timing of a book makes it even more meaningful, and that was certainly the case with Be You by Peter H. Reynolds.
This week, I attended Iggy’s preschool graduation, and as part of the ceremony the children were read Be You and each received a copy to take home. That evening, we sat down and read it together as a bedtime story, and I couldn't help but think how perfectly it fit the occasion.
Unlike many picture books, Be You doesn't tell a traditional story. Instead, it's a collection of gentle encouragements for children as they grow and discover who they are. The message is simple: be curious, be brave, be kind, be creative, and most importantly, be yourself.
Reading it after preschool graduation gave the book an extra layer of meaning. Here was my little guy taking one of his first big steps into the next chapter of life, and this book felt like a warm sendoff for the journey ahead. The words are encouraging without being overly sentimental, and the illustrations are bright, cheerful, and full of optimism.
What struck me most was how much of the message applies to adults too. As parents, we spend so much time hoping our kids grow into confident, kind, and capable people. Be You reminds us that sometimes the best thing we can do is encourage them to embrace exactly who they already are.
As a bedtime story, it was wonderful. As a graduation gift, it was perfect.
Years from now, I probably won't remember every detail of the preschool graduation ceremony. But I suspect I'll remember sitting on the edge of the bed that evening, reading Be You with Iggy and realizing just how quickly these little milestones seem to arrive. It's a beautiful book and a memory I'll treasure for a long time.
Personal Update: Preschool Graduations and Yard Sale Season
It was a busy week, though this time of year always seems to bring a schedule that's a little out of the ordinary. Between end-of-school activities, business events, and the usual day-to-day work, there was plenty to keep me occupied.
On Thursday, I attended a VAB training in Burlington along with the rest of our sales team. It was a good opportunity to connect with others in the industry and pick up a few ideas along the way.
Despite a rainy week, things continue to move along at a pretty normal pace with local businesses. Summer events are beginning to take shape, and there's a good sense of momentum building as we head into the warmer months.
One of the biggest milestones of the week was Iggy graduating from preschool. It's hard to believe we're already at that stage. I also went with him to get registered for kindergarten for next year, which made it all feel very real. It seems like just yesterday he was starting preschool, and now we're getting ready for the next chapter.
Yard sale season continues to be in full swing, and I've been having a lot of fun with it. I managed to find a few treasures that should do well on eBay, and as always, half the enjoyment is in the hunt itself. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I wrote an article for next week's paper about the joy of yard sales and why they remain one of my favorite parts of a Vermont summer.
All in all, it was a full week of work, family milestones, and a few good treasure hunts mixed in for good measure.
Iggy graduated Preschool!
Enjoying some Grammy and Grampa time at Pie Casso in Stowe after the graduation