The Definition of Insanity

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Albert Einstein

I can't sustain a web comic. I've tried, over and over again. I've probably re-started my web comic, Missed Approach, at least a dozen times. I never have enjoyed it. I've never had the passion to create it and I've never had the desire to sustain it...and yet somehow, I keep coming back to it and expecting all this to change. It never does...I'm giving up.

I love creating art, it's in my blood. I love creating Pen & Ink Caricatures (both people and airplanes). I've been creating caricatures as far back as I can remember and I still have a passion for it. However, I loath creating web comics. I look back at the Pen and Ink Caricatures I've created and I'm amazed and fascinated by them, I look back at my web comics and that passion is missing...so I'm moving forward. Whatever time I have left on this earth will be spent doing what I love.

This decision was inspired by a movie I watched this weekend on Netflix titled, "Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond.  It's a fascinating documentary about the making of the 1999 film, Man on The Moon and how Jim Carrey adopted the persona of Andy Kaufman on the set of the movie. Besides the fact of how fascinating the documentary was, what motivated my decision to give up on my web comic, was a quote in the film by Jim Carrey. It was in reference to a decision his father had made earlier in his life and the results of that decision...

"...I learned that you can fail at what you don't love, so you might as well do what you love"

Right??

Now I can move forward. Thanks Jim.

PATREON

Well, I did it...I’ve opened a Patreon account. What is Patreon? If you don’t know, please click on the following link and Patreon will explain it to you,

https://www.patreon.com/about

At first I was hesitant. However, Patreon represents an opportunity for an artist (such as myself) to earn a sustainable income with their art, through the patronage of supporters of the arts. Although, patronage of arts is nothing new, Patreon is a platform in which artists and supporters of the arts come together to achieve a common goal of the creation of art.

https://www.patreon.com/michaelhopkinscaricatures

It is difficult for most artists to earn a sustainable income, from their art. When I first started drawing, my dream job was to have a comic strip in the newspaper (a la, Peanuts, The Far Side, Calvin and Hobbes…). One would achieve this goal by selling your strip to a syndicate and they would in turn, sell your strip to newspapers across the country, in turn, Cartoonist’s would receive income from those sales. Alas, due to newspapers heading the way of the dinosaurs, so has the potential for a Cartoonist trying to break into that industry.

So instead of being an old man bitching and moaning about how tough things are for an artist (Why, back in the good old days!!!), I decided to do something about it. I joined Patreon. Now I am offering a way for people who enjoy my Caricatures and Webcomics to support the creation of them, for as little as $1.00 a month. For that small amount, you will have access to “Patreon Only” content, including.  

• Start to Finish Caricatures - This is where you’ll see how my caricatures are created, step by step.
• Advanced Previews of my latest drawings and webcomics, prior to being published on my other websites.
• Patreon Only, Photographs and Videos from Michael Hopkins Caricatures, Special Events.
• Michael’s Time Machine - This is where I'll post "historic" drawings from my Triassic Period (when there were dial phones, cursive writing and six channels on the TV).

Should you decide to subscribe to a higher amount than, $1.00 per month, you will be eligible to more rewards from me including, monthly contests for free drawings, postcards, paraphernalia from my webcomics, discounts on my services and original art.

So please check out my Patreon account by clicking on the link below and hopefully you’ll consider subscribing.

https://www.patreon.com/michaelhopkinscaricatures

Thank you,

Michael Hopkins