2011 Year in Review

All told, on balance, the past year has been a good one, at least for me and my work. (The wider world in 2011 is another issue which, though still of relevance to my own life, I won’t go into right here.)

In brief, I feel like I can look back on an excellent year of creative activity, and on very respectable financial achievement. I do wish that there were more overlap between these two, admittedly, rather than so much of the creative activity being only indirectly funded by old-fashioned, unglamorous “work harder” effort for clients who require reliability and efficiency more than novelty. But, one recognizes that this is by no means a unique circumstance. Particularly having read biographies of William Blake, Poe and Jack Kirby within the past year. (In some ways all three seemed like the same story, played out in the 18th, 19th and then 20th centuries.) At least fiduciary needs and creative aspirations are fitting together somehow, at the moment, whether or not that fit is quite perfect.

For a somewhat more detailed review of 2011, meanwhile, I’ve just gone back over the past 12 months of Modern Ideas posts and flagged particularly interesting and/or significant highlights. And, while definitely a simplified approach, even this has revealed a rather neat little catalog of activity, the extent of which I actually found a bit surprising upon looking back.

January

• The “Spider-Man Timeline” enjoys a modest round of online publicity

February

• Completion of three front covers for my first-ever book series, Case Studies in Nursing
• A series of “significant comics logos” posts of which I’m still rather proud
• Completion of the Fantastic Four 50-year series timeline

March

• Promotions for new local client Complete Outdoor Installation
• New publishing client, in the big publishing market, New York (area)

April

• Big celebration of five years in business for Modern Alchemy LLC
• Big vacation in France
• Departure-from-the-ordinary illustrations for Jo-Ann Stores Kids Camp

May

• Fun American Restoration style project touching up vintage pinball machine artwork
• New digital camera
• Added FAQ page to this blog

June

• Began projected several-part Design Tools series

July

• Added the complete canon to my Sherlock Holmes collection
• Commemorated/lamented final space shuttle mission
• Designed and published first print-on-demand book, with surprise endorsement by the work’s award-winning author

August

• Created a minor buzz online with comments on the Kirby work-for-hire controversy

September

• Produced a useful guide to the state of Iowa’s version of The Big Game
• Published Quantum Whatever: The Broken Circle after months of work (free copies still available upon request)
• Fixed my own DSL

October

• Indulge wackiness with the Carolsonville Panthguars
• “Superman’s Cleveland” goes back to press to satisfy continued demand
• Release painstakingly re-created “bonus art” for Voice of the Fire

November

• Bought an iPad (for my mom)
• Round-up of ongoing cover design work

December

• Created bonus infographics for presidential graveyard guide Who’s Buried in Grant’s Tomb
• Continue to be completely awesome