Creating more than one comic at once

[azzy-m]

I recently came up with an idea and I have been working on the outline and plot. I've even began working on potential character designs. The problem is, I have absolutely no time to actually draw it, even considering the fact it may take more than a year for me to finish and finalize an outline for just season 1.

(there's also the overwhelming fear that this new comic will be too similar to my other project that is not my current comic, the one that's been a brainchild of mine for almost three years, but that's a whooooole 'nother can of worms)

I really don't want my current comic's update schedule to suffer and vice versa, nor do I want to completely destroy my wrist (I need to take down notes in school, goddammit), nor do I want to be more sleep-deprived than I already am, so I'd really love to ask to the creators who run 2 or more comics: how the HELL do y'all handle it?

[sarrowsmith10]

I tend to take hiatus from one comic to work on another. I also don't keep a fabulous update schedule either, because I have a life outside of comics and its a hobby. Eventually I get around to doing everything. Although I'm also pretty single minded so I don't take detours too often in terms of adding creative projects to my roster. Also, when paying work comes up, that always takes priority, so my own comic takes a back seat while I work on other people's comics and books. I wouldn't get too stressed about it.

[VibrantFox]

i kind of feel that i'm lucky the main comics i work on are fairly simple in format save for one, but probably the only thing that's saved me especially now as i'm working to just make time for em is organization, planning and creating buffer (or trying to).

I also second on hiatuses cause sometimes you just need em to work on stuff so your not going mad trying to make deadlines (that's hell).

my current approach is scripting ahead for dialogue, character movements or actions (if it calls for it) and sometimes even thumbing out pages so I've got something to work from when the time comes (otherwise my brain forgets and i end up reworking where i may not have needed to).

after that it's just working on actual pages which i imagine is gonna be falling on weekends for me alongside other work..

I had been keeping up with a schedule at one point but then life things happened and it all fell outta sync so now i'm working to get that back on track setting a specific day of the week for updates but not specific dates (it makes it a little easier for something that's not a top top priority)

[vothnthorvaldson]

I can't tell you if it's a good idea, because I've never finished one yet, but I'm thinking more and more of short novels with illustrations to 'get rid' of my comic ideas (which are coming at a problematic rate since I've started taking an interest in comic).

The thing I like about it is that you can have all your text, just in a different form, plus show your character design, setting, etc, but it takes less time than a comic, and can be used as a good base for a comic at later times.

[PaulieBlade]

I have a second comic in mind, but I'm definitely doing it after the current storyarc of my main comic is done. Which at the current schedule will happen after more than a year... So, yeah. I have a lot of waiting in front of me, while the story is growing and growing in my head. Oh well. I have multiple jobs and life outside of it all, so having a SECOND comic just won't work.

[Rhonder]

I completed a short 10 page comic in addition to my usual comic's updates back in May-June. The only way I was able to manage was to cut my usual comic's updates in half (usually post weekly, went on a temporary biweekly schedule). I can confidently say for me at least that it wouldn't be possible to do 2 comics simultaneously and not have the release schedule suffer like thst xD

Although even with just 1 comic, I'm already planning on taking a long hiatus between season 1 of my comic ending and beginning to post season 2 because I want all or most of s2 to be done ahead of time. I'm so sick of this drawing for weekly deadlines thing

[joannekwan]

Work on the second one on the side at a leisurely pace without the pressure of hard deadlines!
Don't publish anything about until either you 1. have a huge buffer or 2. you know you can fit it comfortably in your normal schedule with life and your first comic.

[borzoiteeth]

There really is no good call for drawing the line where one should put all of their effort into. If this being done as a hobby, why not take advantage of the inspiration to at least draw/write down all of your thoughts about this 2nd comic? If the ideas are close enough, you may surprise yourself with inspiration on how to approach your original comic.

Actually- If you don't mind, I'd like to talk about that can of worms.

I'm surprised by the amount of creators that speak in dreads about new work being too similar in themes to be worth continuing when most audience member's first main complaint about a creator's new work is it not being similar enough to past work.

Back to your original trouble at hand- if the mood of this 2nd comic (not genre, not theme) is different enough from your 1st it might be a good thing to work on it. Especially if its a long runner as it can help prevent you from getting a creative burnout.

[sadghost]

For me it's: pick one.

Could be based on stats, or what series is performing better or what series is the one you're more interested in doing.

My 4th comic had better stats, but never could get any patreons, My current comic is the only one that made me gain patreons, so that's why i decided to put the other on hiatus and continue this one.

Things like energy, time, health, etc are limited, so choose what is worth to focus.

[BlueWorldComics]

So right now I have my main series, which has a complete 52 episode (once a week) buffer. The 52 episodes tell one full story, and will complete Year One (i.e. Season One) of the comic...

Along with working on the next 52 pages (which I will have completed before I start posting, however long that takes), I will also use the buffer to complete other projects.

Current plans are to make a few comics with 12 installment seasons (once a month) and post them on my Patreon as Tier exclusives.

So basically, because I wait until I've fully completed a season before I start posting it, I have a large enough buffer to work on other projects in the meantime.

The only thing I would suggest is that you fully commit yourself to one story at a time so as to avoid overlapping ideas.

[arisakawa]

usually i search for a partner in crime, maybe you could do the story and the other could do the art?
doing multiple projects is HELLA tiring, you really don't want to do it alone, your health and mentality could suffer greatly. with a partner, you could even discuss your worries about the story! i hope this kinda helps? ^^;