SUPER75STUDIOS

Here are my picks for tonight’s UFC card, going down in Houston.

Pettis v. Stephens – Pettis takes this one, Jeremy Stephens is no Clay Guida and won’t outwork, out-strike or do anything better than Pettis in this fight. He is very well rounded, but I still think Pettis takes this.

Maia v. Santiago – I think if Demian fights smart, this is his to win, and I think he needs this win to have any shot of a second title contention run. I am biased though, I always pick Maia.

Guillard v. Lauzon – I really like Lauzon’s jiu-jitsu but the Young Assassin Guillard will take this, probably in knockout fashion.

Garcia v. Phan II – I think Garcia will go out there and just brawl like he always does, especially in front of a Texas crowd and Phan will beat him by being the more technical fighter. If Rogan interviews him after the fast, Garcia will apologize and say “He just wanted to put on a show for the fine people of Texas.”

Sonnen v. Stann – I wish Stann would knock Chael back to reality, but Chael probably wrestles his way to a win here. Still, I’ll pick the upset and go with Stann.

Aldo v. Florian (FW Championship)- Florian may have to drop to 135 after Aldo beats him tonight, but I don’t think he could beat Cruz either. Florian is great for the sport and very well rounded, but he is not championship material and this may be his last shot. I think he takes a beating while trying to take Aldo down, very similar to his fight with BJ Penn. Aldo via TKO.

Edgar v. Maynard III (LW championship) – I cannot wait for this to be over and for new life to brought into the title picture here. Maynard beat Edgar in their first fight and then beat him senseless in round one of their last fight, but The Bully has finally run out of steam against the champ. Edgar showed he could defend Maynard’s take-downs better last time, and no doubt even better this time. I think Edgar outpoints Maynard en route to keeping his belt.

So, I thought I would give this a whirl. I am running a Kickstarter campaign, to help get more, consistent ICARUS comics out there. This one is a bit different though, I am not asking for handouts or money. I am seeking subscribers. For the minimum amount of $4, you’ll get a monthly, digital, issue of ICARUS sent to you. My minimum goal is $8k (sounds insane, I know), but that will fund a 4-issue mini-series. I need to get a ton of people to see this and subscribe (if they want), so I need help spreading the word. If this sounds like a publishing method you could support, please hop over to http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1123955719/icarus-a-4-issue-miniseries-by-ryan-cody-for-only and check it out. I’m also putting up a 32-page ICARUS primer for FREE right here – https://super75comics.wordpress.com/free-icarus-primer/ – so people can read the beginning and hopefully want more. Help out and spread the word through social media, etc. I am also really trying hard to line up interviews as well. Let’s do this!

So far, September has been a huge month for me personally. I have gotten rid of a lease I was on, sold a house I was buried under, and taken care of a major, long term personal issue. I also started going to the gym again, and I’m really committed to that. 5 days a week is my goal. If I could just line up some work, everything would be coming up roses. There may be some news coming in the next day or so that would be a huge leap of faith for me, and may take care of my cartooning future, at least for a little bit. Stay tuned.

As you can see from the links at the top of the page, I have set up a Shop page for comics, exclusives &  sketchbooks. I have also added an Original Art Page, where I will post some pages for sale sometime in the next day or two.

It’s a harsh reality in the U.S. comic book game that unless you’re working at Marvel, DC or Dark Horse, or in some cases Image, it’s damn near impossible to make a living doing comic book work. Often, even working at those big publishers it can be impossible, it’s a rough game. This is not a rule, just a majority (or my own) opinion. Honestly I probably do about 40 hours of work a week, many artists do much more. If I had more work then I would put in more time, because drawing comics for 60 hours a week is better than working retail or sales or in an office for 40. On a typical month I make not too much more than minimum wage. I’m not thrilled that I don’t make more money, but I try not to complain about it because I get to work from home, draw comics and make my own schedule, and honestly, many people are still unemployed, so I’m happy to to even be able to support myself and my kids.

The life of a comic artist isn’t terrible by any means. With all that said, my last long-term gig ended about 4 months ago and I’ve been working on short stories, corporate comics, one-shots, all sorts of random assignments since then. The time is upon us however, that I need some security and a new long term project where I can get comfortable with the work I’m doing and know that I won’t have to scramble for money each and every day. So I’m posting this here, since the deviant community has always been super supportive. If you know of (or are) any editors/publishers/creators looking for a colorist or pencil and ink artist (or both?) Email me hurricanekids@gmail. (Paying work only please.)

‎3 days left on a Kickstarter project I am part of. I hate pimping it, but if you were thinking about donating, and want to see me draw a sci-fi comic, now would be the time. – http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ianx/failsafe-comic-featuring-capt-penny-laertes

Welcome to the new super75comics.com. More streamlined, easier to navigate and easier for me to maintain. Please feel free to leave any comments.

This Saturday (Sept. 3rd) I will be appearing alongside several other Arizona creators at Cab Comics in Flagstaff. I’ll have a few copies of the Icarus convention edition, prints and sketchbooks. Stop by and say hello!