Ben Wright-Heuman - Cartoonist Extraordinaire

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY! BWHComics Newsletter 7/4/2019

7/4/2019

Greetings and salutations!

Happy 4th of July! Without any further ado, let’s begin!

Recently Released

CosPain #103: Biohazard
(Hi-Res Patron Version) CosPain #104: Introvert Booth

Upcoming Events

Otakon 2019: July 26-28, 2019, Washington, D.C.
SaikouCon 2019: August 3-4, 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!

Livestreams

Thank you to everyone who tuned into my last livestream! The replays will go up this upcoming week.

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!

Goodreads Giveaway

I'm giving away 100 Kindle editions of The Letters of the Devil through Goodreads! I know many of you already own a copy of my book, but if you don't, this could be your chance to get a free copy! And even if you do have one already, you could really help me out by spreading the word.

The contest runs until July 29th. To sign up, click here.

Backburner Party

So I mentioned a few newsletters back that I was planning a backburner party. I even listed a date, which happens to be this Sunday. Unfortunately, I have to postpone the event for now. Ironically, I just don’t have time right now. Letters is at a critical stage and requires too much attention.

I’m currently planning to reschedule it for this coming Fall, when things calm down a bit more. I’ll keep you all posted!

The Letters of the Devil II

Inking has picked up significantly, as I had hoped it would. I was able to knock out 12.5 pages in a single day last week! I’m still considering pushing back the deadline, but for now, I’m keeping it as-is.

Wrap-Up

And with that, this newsletter is at an end! I’ve got a cookout to go to.

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.

Goodreads Book Giveaway: The Letters of the Devil

7/1/2019

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Letters of the Devil by Ben Wright-Heuman

The Letters of the Devil

by Ben Wright-Heuman

Giveaway ends July 29, 2019.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

PODCASTS AND ZINE FESTS! BWHComics Newsletter 6/23/2019

6/23/2019

Greetings and salutations!

A few very exciting things have happened since my last newsletter! A quick shout-out to Tiny Papers for hosting a fantastic zine fest! Without any further ado, let’s begin!

Recently Released

Comics:
CosPain #101: The Cosplay Paradox
(Hi-Res Patron Version) CosPain #102: One-Woman Makerspace

Videos:
THE 100TH COSPAIN COMIC! CosPain #100 Live Draw, Part 1
TABLING WITH FRIENDS! CosPain #100 Live Draw, Part 2
TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES! CosPain #100 Live Draw, Part 3
A HUNDRED IN THE BAG! CosPain #100 Live Draw, Finale

Upcoming Events

Otakon 2019: July 26-28, 2019, Washington, D.C.
SaikouCon 2019: August 3-4, 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!

Livestreams

My next livestream will be this upcoming weekend! The first half will be this Friday, June 28th, at 7:00 PM EDT. The second half will be this Sunday, June 30th, also at 7:00 PM EDT.

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 PVDCast

I was recently interviewed for The PVDCast! It was a lot of fun and turned out great! Shout-out to John Orlando, who is a fantastic interviewer. You can find the episode here.

The Letters of the Devil II

Unfortunately, progress has been much slower than I had hoped. Inking with CosPain is very quick, but the art style for Letters is more detailed, which has hindered progress.

As of right now, I am not altering the timetable. I hope that, once I really get rolling, the process will get faster. There is a very good chance, however, that I will have to adjust the deadlines in the near future.

The good news is, I have room to maneuver in this case. Post-Production is basically the final stage, so the month between the current Post-Production deadline and the Total Completed Pages deadline is pure buffer. In addition, I spent part of last week setting up the InDesign file for the book, which will auto-update as I complete pages and drastically cut down on the time I need for the Post-Production stage. In other words, I have almost 2 months of extra time already built into the schedule. Even if I do end up pushing back the Inking deadline, the overall project deadline will not need to be changed.

Wrap-Up

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

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

Rock on, guys, and never stop drawing.

TINY PAPERS! BWHComics Newsletter 6/10/2019

6/10/2019

Greetings and salutations!

It’s been a good couple of weeks! Without any further ado, let’s begin!

Released this Week

CosPain #99: Forced Enjoyment
(Hi-Res Patron Version) CosPain #100(!): Hospitality

Upcoming Events

Otakon 2019: July 26-28, 2019, Washington, D.C.
SaikouCon 2019: August 3-4, 2019, White Haven, PA
Matsuricon 2019: August 16-18, 2019, Columbus, OH
WV Pop Culture Con: September 7th-8th 2019, Morgantown, WV

So the dates for SaikouCon in my newsletter have been adjusted. Don’t worry, the con is still going all three days. Due to a family conflict, however, I will only be tabling on Saturday and Sunday. It was either miss a day or drop the con, and I appreciate that SaikouCon gave me the flexibility to still attend.

I also have a last-minute con to announce!

Tiny Papers will be my first outdoor con! I’m excited to see how it goes! Stop by Gahanna, OH on June 22nd between the hours of 11 AM and 3 PM and join in the fun!

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

Livestreams

Thank you to everyone who joined me for the live draw of my 100th CosPain strip! It was a long one, but I was excited to hit this milestone with all of you!

I haven’t had a chance to prepare the replays, but I hope to have those completed and posting by the end of the week. I also plan on hosting my next livestream in the next couple of weeks. I’ll keep you informed.

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

The last couple of weeks have been VERY nice. I’d been working nonstop for a while, and since I finished my last deadline almost a week early, I took some time to not make comics. I love my work, but everyone needs a break on occasion.

The next deadline is to have the inks completed by August 1st. That’s gonna be tough, not gonna lie, but I’ll be able to make it work. I successfully built up a backlog on CosPain that I plan to supplement on weekends, so I’ll have the room to breathe that I need.

Wrap-Up

And with that, this newsletter is at an end! I have quite a bit of inking to get back to.

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.

THE PENCILS ARE DONE! Can I sleep now?

5/27/2019

Greetings and salutations!

Yes, you read that correctly. I, Ben Wright-Heuman, notorious procrastinator and misser of deadlines, have finished the pencils for The Letters of the Devil II almost a week ahead of schedule! Please, hold your applause, you’re embarrassing me!

Digital pencils have been an incredible time-saver, and the writing changes I made during the thumbnailing stage really paid off. We’re looking at a crazy story, guys.

What Comes Next?

My next deadline for the book is to finish the inks by 8/1. Only about 2 months, but inking goes significantly faster than penciling, and, unlike with the first book, I will be inking digitally, which should speed the process up even further.

Before that, however, I will be taking a much-needed break from Letters to work on my other big project, CosPain! A major part of the new work schedule that allowed me to finish these pencils on time was the fact that I had established a large backlog of CosPain strips, which meant that I only had to worry about one project at a time. Well, that backlog is now empty. Before I can get back to work on Letters, I need to get my wiggle room back! I expect the process to take about two weeks.

As part of rebuilding that backlog, I will be livestreaming the 100th CosPain strip this Sunday, 6/2, at 1:00 PM EDT on my Twitch channel! Join me for the celebration and watch as I draw the entire strip right in front of you! That’s right, no breaking it into two streams on two different days! No skipping the lettering and post-production! Everything in one day, and we go until it’s done.

Anyway, not a full newsletter, so I’m keeping this one short. 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.

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.