Ben Wright-Heuman - Cartoonist Extraordinaire

AIN'T NO PARTY LIKE A BACKBURNER PARTY! BWHComics Newsletter 5/22/2019

5/22/2019

Greetings and salutations!

Hello to one and all, and welcome to the new friends I made at 3 Rivers Comicon! Without any further ado, let’s begin!

Released this Week

CosPain #97: Punching Bag
(Hi-Res Patron Version) CosPain #98: Before it was Cool

Upcoming Events

Otakon 2019: July 26-28, 2019, Washington, D.C.
SaikouCon 2019: August 2-4, 2019, White Haven, PA
Matsuricon 2019: August 16-18, 2019, Columbus, OH
WV Pop Culture Con: September 7th-8th 2019, Morgantown, WV

If you know of any events that are accepting artists, let me know!

Backburner Party!

For the last few weeks, I’ve been playing with an idea: a Backburner Party. Much like events such as 24-Hour Comic Day, the idea is to get a bunch of creators hanging out and working on their backburner projects. You know the ones. The ideas you always wanted to implement but never had the time, energy, or resources to really delve into. Well, this would be a block of hours where people could sit down and just do it.

The first Backburner Party is Sunday, July 7th, from 1:30-5:30, at the Westerville Library, Meeting Room B. Come on by with whatever backburner project you want to work on and get started!

CosPain #100 Livestream!

The next livestream will by my 100th CosPain strip! In addition, I plan to have it coincide with the completion of the next Letters deadline (see below), so I’m extra excited for it!

While I normally do these streams in two days, I will instead be doing the entire comic in one day. I will be going from pencils all the way through to a finished strip, not just through the coloring.

The stream will be live on Sunday, June 2, starting at 1:00 PM EDT and ending when the strip is done. If you’re able to join me in this celebration, I’d love to have you.

If you’re interested in seeing them as they come out, the best way is to follow my YouTube channel, or my Twitch channel if you want to join in on the livestreams, well, live!

The Letters of the Devil II

You read that correctly. Less than two weeks left, but 200 pages have been completely penciled. My current goal is to average 5 pages a day until the pencils are done. It’s so close I can taste it, guys. And it tastes GOOD.

Wrap-Up

And with that, this newsletter is at an end! Next time you hear from me, I will likely have completed an incredible milestone. And be very tired.

If you want to support my work further, please visit my online store. I also have Patreon and Ko-Fi accounts if those are more your speed.

Rock on, guys, and never stop drawing.

DO YOU EVEN LYFT? BWHComics Newsletter 5/1/2019

5/1/2019

Greetings and salutations!

Hello to one and all, and welcome to the new friends I made at SPACE! Without any further ado, let’s begin!

Released this Week

CosPain #94: There is No Preparing
(Hi-Res Patron Version) CosPain #95: Tase Me, Bro

Upcoming Events

3 Rivers Comicon 2019: May 11-12, 2019, Pittsburgh, PA
Otakon 2019: July 26-28, 2019, Washington, D.C.
SaikouCon 2019: August 2-4, 2019, White Haven, PA
Matsuricon 2019: August 16-18, 2019, Columbus, OH

I also have one more con to announce!

I will be attending WV Pop Culture Con alongside the fantastic Kelci Crawford! See you in Morgantown, WV on the weekend of September 7th-September 8th!

If you know of any events that are accepting artists, let me know!

SPACE Panel

Thank you to everyone who showed up for my CosPain Live Draw panel at SPACE this past weekend! I had a great time, and a lot of people gave me positive feedback. I definitely plan to do this again.

I have video footage of the panel, but it may be a little while before I can make it available. The audio is a little hard to hear, as the panels at this con were in an open venue with a fair amount of traffic. I also STUPIDLY did not use the microphone, since I figured everybody was pretty close together and could hear me fine. I will be working on cleaning that up, so hopefully I will be able to post it soon.

Livestreams

It will probably be a couple of weeks before my next livestream, as I have a family commitment this coming weekend and 3 Rivers Comicon the weekend after that. That livestream, however, will be my 100th strip. Expect some exciting things from that one.

If you’re interested in seeing them as they come out, the best way is to follow my YouTube channel, or my Twitch channel if you want to join in on the livestreams, well, live!

The Letters of the Devil II

Progress has slowed down a little bit due to my weekend activities, but I’m still going strong and am on track to finish the pencils by 6/1.

Lyft

So recently, the freelance game has been a little light. I’ve signed up with Upwork, which will hopefully help improve my luck with getting creative gigs, but it has yet to pay off, and I still need an additional source of income while working on my own projects. It is to that end that I have signed up to be a Lyft driver.

So far, it’s been decent. I can set my own hours of operation, so I’ve been able to continue doing comic work without any real interruption. In fact, I’ve found ways to work while waiting for fares. This change should not have any effect on my creative output.

I debated whether or not to even mention this change in my newsletter, but I decided that it represents a significant-enough shift that I wanted to make you all aware of it. This is the first non-creative job I’ve taken since I left customer service to attend the Center for Cartoon Studies in 2014. It was hard to “go back”, even for something as flexible as Lyft, but reducing my financial burden even a little will allow me to keep doing what I love.

Wrap-Up

And with that, this newsletter is at an end! I’d better get back to preparing for the next two weekends.

If you want to support my work further, please visit my online store. I also have Patreon and Ko-Fi accounts if those are more your speed.

Rock on, guys, and never stop drawing.

HAPPY EASTER/PASSOVER/LONG WEEKEND! BWHComics Newsletter 4/21/2019

4/21/2019

Greetings and salutations!

As a freelancer, there’s barely a time when I’m not working in some capacity, but I remember the days of holiday weekends, and I’m sure many of you are enjoying one now. Without any further ado, let’s begin!

Released this Week

Comics:
CosPain #92: Be Prepared
(Hi-Res Patron Version) CosPain #93: Absolutely Fabulous

Videos:
TASE ME, BRO! CosPain Live Draw, Part 4
TASE ME, BRO! CosPain Live Draw, Part 5
TASE ME, BRO! CosPain Live Draw, Part 6
TASE ME, BRO! CosPain Live Draw, Finale

Upcoming Events

SPACE 2019: April 27-28, 2019, Columbus, OH
3 Rivers Comicon 2019: May 11-12, 2019, Pittsburgh, PA
Otakon 2019: July 26-28, 2019, Washington, D.C.
SaikouCon 2019: August 2-4, 2019, White Haven, PA
Matsuricon 2019: August 16-18, 2019, Columbus, OH

If you know of any events that are accepting artists, let me know!

SPACE Panel

As a reminder, I will be hosting a panel at SPACE this year! Take a break from the convention floor and stop by on Saturday, April 27 at 2:00 PM to watch me work on a CosPain strip, talk about my process, and answer questions from the audience!

Livestreams

With the video post this past Friday, I am taking a brief pause from uploading live draw replays. I do plan on recording and posting video footage of the SPACE panel, but that will be uploaded as a block rather than broken into segments, and my busy schedule over the next few weeks makes the likelihood of my running a livestream and editing replays low. Fret not, however, as I will be returning to doing these regularly as soon as time permits!

If you’re interested in seeing them as they come out, the best way is to follow my YouTube channel, or my Twitch channel if you want to join in on the livestreams, well, live!

The Letters of the Devil II

No, there isn’t a typo. It’s been 11 days since my last newsletter, and those days have been very well-spent. With the huge jump forward I had this past week, the June 1st deadline for pencils seems quite doable.

Wrap-Up

And with that, this newsletter is at an end! If you celebrate a holiday today, may it be a blessed one.

If you want to support my work further, please visit my online store. I also have Patreon and Ko-Fi accounts if those are more your speed.

Rock on, guys, and never stop drawing.

BEGONE, IRS! BWHComics Newsletter 4/11/2019

4/11/2019

Greetings and salutations!

Raise your hand if you’re also glad tax season’s almost over! Without any further ado, let’s begin!

Released this Week

Comics:
CosPain #91: Mirror Image
(Hi-Res Patron Version) CosPain #92: Be Prepared

Videos:
TASE ME, BRO! CosPain Live Draw, Part 1
TASE ME, BRO! CosPain Live Draw, Part 2
TASE ME, BRO! CosPain Live Draw, Part 3

Upcoming Events

SPACE 2019: April 28-29, 2019, Columbus, OH
3 Rivers Comicon 2019: May 11-12, 2019, Pittsburgh, PA
Otakon 2019: July 26-28, 2019, Washington, D.C.
SaikouCon 2019: August 2-4, 2019, White Haven, PA
Matsuricon 2019: August 16-18, 2019, Columbus, OH

If you know of any events that are accepting artists, let me know!

SPACE Panel

I have some exciting news! I will be hosting a panel at SPACE this year! My time slot has not been announced yet, but I will be taking an hour away from tabling to go through the process of making a CosPain strip, and to answer any questions people may have. It’s my first time doing this kind of panel, so wish me luck, and stop by if you’re in Columbus the weekend of April 28-29!

Livestreams

I have been posting the replays of my monthly livestreams in a new way. Instead of including the entire livestream as one long video, I’m chopping it up into shorter videos and posting them every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday until I run out. If you’re interested in seeing them as they come out, the best way is to follow my YouTube channel, or my Twitch channel if you want to join in on the livestreams, well, live!

The Letters of the Devil II

As of this moment, I have penciled 119 of the pages. For those of you doing the math, this means that the pencils are half-done. This count also doesn’t include partially-completed pages, so I’m actually a little past the halfway marker. It’s little victories like this that make it possible to keep working in the face of adversity, and I thank you all for sticking with me through this process.

Wrap-Up

And with that, this newsletter is at an end! Time to scrounge up some loose change for the IRS.

If you want to support my work further, please visit my online store. I also have Patreon and Ko-Fi accounts if those are more your speed.

Rock on, guys, and never stop drawing.

A Productive Week! BWHComics Newsletter 3/23/2019

3/23/2019

Greetings and salutations!

It feels SO GOOD to be properly working on Letters again. Without any further ado, let’s begin!

Released this Week

CosPain #88: Five-Fingered Discount
(Hi-Res Patron Version) CosPain #89: Scabs

Upcoming Events

SPACE 2019: April 28-29, 2019, Columbus, OH
3 Rivers Comicon 2019: May 11-12, 2019 (note the change!), Pittsburgh, PA
Otakon 2019: July 26-28, 2019, Washington, D.C.
SaikouCon 2019: August 2-4, 2019, White Haven, PA
Matsuricon 2019: August 16-18, 2019, Columbus, OH

If you know of any events that are accepting artists, let me know!

Livestreams

I will be livestreaming another CosPain strip this upcoming Friday, 3/29, and Sunday, 3/31. Streams start at 7:00 PM EDT on my Twitch channel, and replays are posted on my YouTube channel within the next week. Hope to see you there!

The Letters of the Devil II

Progress has been steady. I passed my minimum of 10 penciled pages a week, but only just. In my defense, I spent 48 hours helping out some friends who were in the process of having a baby (congratulations Ian and Joy!), so I took a couple of unanticipated days off. I expect that my output will increase with fewer distractions in the way.

Wrap-Up

And with that, this newsletter is at an end! Time to get back to work.

If you want to support my work further, please visit my online store. I also have Patreon and Ko-Fi accounts if those are more your speed.

Rock on, guys, and never stop drawing.

A Return to LETTERS! BWHComics Newsletter 3/15/2019

3/15/2019

Greetings and salutations!

It has been a VERY productive couple of weeks. Without any further ado, let’s begin!

Released this Week

CosPain #87: Child's Play
(Hi-Res Patron Version) CosPain #88: Five-Fingered Discount

Upcoming Events

SPACE 2019: April 28-29, 2019, Columbus, OH
3 Rivers Comicon 2019: May 18-19, 2019, Pittsburgh, PA
Otakon 2019: July 26-28, 2019, Washington, D.C.
SaikouCon 2019: August 2-4, 2019, White Haven, PA

I’m also excited to announce another con being added to the list!

This will be my first Matsuricon as a vendor, but I attended last year and had a blast! When I heard they had a mystery theme this year, I knew I had to get a table, and I was successful! Hope to see you August 16-18 in Columbus, OH!

If you know of any events that are accepting artists, let me know!

Livestreams

I posted when the livestream replays originally went up, but if you want to keep track of them on your own, might I recommend subscribing to my YouTube channel? There’s not a lot of content there yet, but I hope to change that soon.

The Letters of the Devil II

I mentioned this on the livestreams and briefly alluded to it in my last newsletter, but I took a short break from working on Letters so I could build up a backlog on CosPain. This was done in an attempt to lighten the pressure on me; turns out it’s a lot easier to complete two major projects when you only have to worry about one at a time. So I spent two weeks working exclusively on CosPain and was able to complete almost two months worth of strips. Now, with a little breathing room, I am devoting the next couple of weeks to getting the pencils on my beloved graphic novel rolling again!

It’s been a little bumpy restarting the pencils, but they’re going much, much more smoothly than the thumbnails did. I’m shooting to complete 10-20 a week, which means making my June 1st deadline will be tight but doable.

Wrap-Up

And with that, this newsletter is at an end! Back to cranking out those pencils.

If you want to support my work further, please visit my online store. I also have Patreon and Ko-Fi accounts if those are more your speed.

Rock on, guys, and never stop drawing.

SCABS! CosPain Live Draw, Parts 1 and 2

3/8/2019

In case you missed them, here are the replays of my CosPain livestreams from this past weekend! Hope you enjoy!

Art Livestreams this Friday AND Sunday!

2/27/2019

Hello all!

Just a quick update, I'll be livestreaming another CosPain strip this weekend. Instead of having one long session, however, I'm going to draw the comic over two short sessions, with the pencils and inks in the first half and the coloring and lettering in the second. Each session should be 30-60 minutes at most.

The first session will be Friday, March 1st, and the second one will be Sunday, March 3rd. Both will be at 7:00 PM EDT on my Twitch channel. Hope to see you there!

Rock on, guys, and never stop drawing.

GREAT SUCCESS! BWHComics Newsletter 2/22/2019

2/22/2019

With special thanks to the Westerville Library for letting me use their massive table (and the side table for the overflow)

Greetings and salutations!

GUYS. BIG NEWS. I actually accomplished a deadline! Sure, it was a revised deadline, but, um, shut up! Without any further ado, let’s begin!

Released this Week

CosPain #84: Elite Clientele
(Hi-Res Patron Version) CosPain #85: Patterning

Upcoming Events

SPACE 2019: April 28-29, 2019, Columbus, OH
3 Rivers Comicon 2019: May 18-19, 2019, Pittsburgh, PA
Otakon 2019: July 26-28, 2019, Washington, D.C.
SaikouCon 2019: August 2-4, 2019, White Haven, PA

If you know of any events that are accepting artists, let me know!

The Letters of the Devil II

As you can see from the photo at the start of the newsletter, the revised thumbnails have finally been completed, with a new page count of 238. Some minor things may still need changing, but I should be able to do that on the fly. Learning to backpedal and revise a story has been invaluable, and I’m honestly glad I decided to take this time to improve the story.

The next big deadline is for pencils! I have a head start and over three months to go, so my hopes are high. I will be giving a little extra TLC to CosPain for the next week or so, since I’ve been relying on my backlog for a little while so I could get these damn thumbnails done, but you’ll be seeing movement on this project again soon.

Wrap-Up

And with that, this newsletter is at an end! Gotta keep working so I can check off another accomplishment! Eventually.

If you want to support my work further, please visit my online store. I also have Patreon and Ko-Fi accounts if those are more your speed.

Rock on, guys, and never stop drawing.

Happy (Slightly NSFW) Valentine's Day! BWHComics Newsletter 2/14/2019

2/14/2019

Greetings and salutations!

Happy Valentine’s Day for those of you with significant others! Happy Discount Candy Day Eve for the rest of us! Without any further ado, let’s begin!

Released this Week

CosPain #83: Seek a Way Out
(Hi-Res Patron Version) CosPain #84: Elite Clientele

Upcoming Events

SPACE 2019: April 28-29, 2019, Columbus, OH
3 Rivers Comicon 2019: May 18-19, 2019, Pittsburgh, PA

I also have TWO MORE CONS TO ANNOUNCE! First off, I am excited to be returning to:

I’ll be honest with you guys, when I got into Otakon last year, I thought I just got lucky. Otakon was the Unknown Kadath to my Randolph Carter: the ultimate goal at the end of the dream-quest that is my comics career. In more Euclidean terms, it’s a big-ass con and I expected I’d need a couple more years of tabling before I made it there. Instead, it became one of my best cons of 2018. And now that they’ve offered me a table again, I know it wasn’t a fluke. So I’ll see you guys in DC on July 26-28.

If you can’t make it, then fret not! Because the very next weekend, I’ll be at:

This will be my first time attending SaikouCon, but I’ve been to some great conventions in Pennsylvania. Hope to see you guys in White Haven on August 2-4 to keep the trend going!

If you know of any events that are accepting artists, let me know!

Twitch Livestream

I mentioned this in a previous post, but the replay of the art livestream I did can be viewed here. I’ll be doing another one within the next few weeks, hopefully with a guest and no audio issues this time! I’ll keep you guys apprised.

The Letters of the Devil II

Progress on the thumbnails started slow but has been picking up. I may still be able to complete the 31 thumbnails by tomorrow, but I’d rather they came out late and good than rushed and bad. As I’m working, I’m also finding more places where I may need to make new thumbnails, so the count could increase. I have therefore pushed the thumbnail deadline back a week. I should be able to make up for lost time in later stages, so the overall deadline remains unchanged.

Wrap-Up

And with that, this newsletter is at an end! Hope your Valentine’s Day is full of love.

If you want to support my work further, please visit my online store. I also have Patreon and Ko-Fi accounts if those are more your speed.

Rock on, guys, and never stop drawing.