Posted in: Comics | Tagged: goldfish, man from space, Marc Jackson, Weirdo Comics

Space, A Man And A Goldfish With A Gambling Problem

Marc Jackson writes for Bleeding Cool

Back in 2010, I created a web-comic and subsequent small-press comic called MAN FROM SPACE. It featured a schlubby kind of guy, adventuring around a distant galaxy with an awesome beard, pants, no shoes and a cape. He also had a sidekick called Michael who happened to be a goldfish.

The web-comic was a weekly serial type affair and the physical comic was my attempt to improve on the initial premise and create something funnier, weirder and even more unique. I used a basic cut and paste style created on the computer to tell my story quick. Not necessarily because I wasn't a good artist (hopefully not) but because I felt the simplicity had a certain charm and allowed me to work fast. The comic got reviewed and folks seemed to like it, but after submerging myself in indie comics and knocking on the doors of some awesome cartoonists, I realized that my visuals needed to be better, looser, more hand-drawn, with lots more life. If I wanted to stand out, it should be because what I was delivering was great, not just unique.

So, that's what I did. I went back, started again and put as much life and love into this comic as I could. I slowly and carefully introduced the two main characters, I fleshed out a back story about a goldfish with rampant gambling debts, who relied on his shaggy friend to sign-up for questionable experiments in exchange for cash. I dabbled with tales of ex-wives, jokes about space farts and Spanish speaking wrestling midgets. This was the kind of comic that would make Stan Lee's moustache curl so much, he'd literally become Sergio Aragones.

I carefully worked a page at a time, tweaking and re-typing dialogue until I was happy and uploading a completed page to my site and promoting it on Facebook to my loyal fan-base (just turned 100, not bad I think…) Then, once it was completed, I uploaded to ISSUU and bang, there it was, MAN FROM SPACE the all-new version in all it's glory. I flip through it and it makes ME smile. I read it, it makes ME chuckle. It actually doesn't look like I've done it and that is the benchmark for me to know it's not half bad.

That's where you guys come in. Why keep this just to myself and 100 other crazy outer-space amigos? Why not share this with everyone? Why not KEEP making these and see if I could let the world enjoy this character and his ridiculous antics?

So, here I am… my name is Marc Jackson, I'm 40 years old, with cool hair, a penchant for the ridiculous and a divine love for cartoons and comics. Take a look at mine, it's called MAN FROM SPACE and if you like, tell your friends and if you really like, drop me a line, I have 20 copies limited edition copies, who knows, one day you might be able them sell off and buy a yacht from the proceeds. Or, you could just pick it up for old times sake, when you're in need of a chuckle of the all-ages, hopefully all-awesome kind.

For more information visit: www.manfromspace.co.uk or www.facebook.com/ITSMANFROMSPACE

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