Steemian vs. The Bear
The idea for this comic came to me during the darkest of times for the Steemit community. Almost a year ago, when the future of our platform was uncertain and we were already pummeled by a two year bear market. STEEM was closing in on an all time low and enthusiasm for the development and direction of Steemit reflected the price. I was venting with @lovejoy and @mada about how “The Bear” would be the perfect comic book villain, and then imagined a relentless fight scene against a representation of Steemit, embodied as a sympathetic hero.
I drew that first page for myself, more than anyone. I’ve been an active author and creator on Steemit for over three years, and cycled through the occasional optimism and far more frequent pessimism we’ve all experience. Drawing that first Steemian vs. The Bear comic was therapeutic for me and it seemed to resonate with the community. Maybe because it gave all of us someone to root for, or maybe just the chance to laugh about genuinely depressing. I decided to continue the comic and made a decision about how it would go forward.
Life Imitates Art
I made a decision that I wouldn’t get involved in the story of Steemian vs. The Bear. I wanted to let the market and STEEM’s standing determine the pace of the fight, which would be endless. That’s right. Like an epic Dragon Ball Z battle that lasts for three straight episodes, there’s no plan to end Steemian vs. The Bear. Sadly, since it’s inception, the story thus far has only been The Bear getting the upper hand. I’ve been waiting for turn around in the price, eager to sketch the first Steemian super kick, but as of now, he’s still the underdog according to market cap listings.
Price isn’t everything, though. Probably the most satisfying thing about this comic is finding opportunities to subtly include Steemit cultural references and current events within the comic. As the platform implemented Hive Mind, there was an opportunity to turn that in to Ironman-style defense grid. Even more recently, with the announcement of EOS Voice, an acknowledgement for Steemit to stay focused on the hard work being done on our own project whilst not getting distracted. I feel these nods to the real world make the comic unique and even more entertaining.
Steemian vs. The Bear Can Break the SPS Mold
When I first read about the STEEM DAO, I saw it as a chance to better the community. There aren’t many institutions in place to allocate funds for moonshots and passion projects short of taking a loan. Most of us are in the blockchain trenches and take for granted the immensity of what a DAO can be for developers. I haven’t coded in 15 years, so I assessed my other skillsets. Photography, as most of you know, is my living. Comics, though, has been a lifelong dream that I’m still trying to realize. DAO’s and SPS aren’t meant for comics, though. Or are they?
I told a close friend in the Steemit-verse my idea to propose Steemian vs. The Bear through the DAO and he laughed. It wasn’t an insulting “…it’ll never happen” laugh. It was that it was SO far out of left field he had no idea how it’d be received. That’s fair. I don’t think a continuous comics was on the short list of hypothetical proposals when the DAO was being built. The dev community building on STEEM is nothing short of remarkable, but we also have world class artists, which I’d argue is as big and as talented.
A Perfect Fit for Steemit
It’s my belief that artists should be taken seriously for SPS work proposals. Steemit Inc. has done the impossible in pulling the platform out of a death spiral. We are stable and growing. During the golden age of Steemit, circa 2017, we broke the top 1,000 sites globally on Alexa rankings and that is, in part, because there was something for everyone. I wholeheartedly believe that the artists, writers, musicians, poets and so on, were the backbone of Steemit at its best and should be valued as contributors.
I have several comics and writing projects in development, but Steemian vs. The Bear, I feel, meets all the criteria for a STEEM work proposal. It’s extremely STEEM centric and my hope is, it bolsters the progress and above all, enthusiasm within the Steemit community. Alt coins are still taking a beating, but think of how satisfying it’ll be when STEEM again breaks $1 and then read the first page of Steemian ass kicking! This comic gives a cultural commentary of Steemit.com as a platform and community.
Allocation and Use of Funds
The average independent comic book artist is paid $125 per page and a typical comic is 22 pages. That’s what I’m asking for in this Steemian vs. The Bear work proposal. $2,750 in a 30 day period. The funds would be used for work hours illustrating the comic and creative development. Once the first issue is finished, assuming it was received well, I’d love to submit a second proposal to continue the comic indefinitely. A PDF digital download would also be available for free to all Steemians and a print edition could be distributed through brick and mortar comic book shops across the world.
Daily pay request: 91.66 SBD for a duration of 30 days:
Start payments: October 1 2019 [Voting is already live]
End payments: November 1 2019.
Assuming this comic proposal meets the SPS threshold of support for funding, my hope is to further develop the comic, bringing industry level artists and colorists to the project. I want to faces of the characters to become iconic and synonymous with Steemit. A cultural representation of the victories we’ve celebrated and agonizing defeats we endured, still managing to dust ourselves off from and continue fighting. Additionally, to encourage more visual artists to consider SPS and DAO proposals for their work.
Credentials
I joined Steemit in August of 2016. I’ve been a consistent creator and contributor for over three years. I began initiatives such as Trial by Comics, a comic and art based contest on the platform and Trial by Comics: Exposé, which interviews comic book artists, writers and creators. I’ve spent much of the last two years curating and supporting the comic book community here on Steemit. Creators such like @drwatson, @la-fumettista, @veryspider, @scrawly, @bryan-imhoff and many others.
Thank you for considering Steemian vs. The Bear for SPS voting. This is only a proposal. If the threshold of support isn’t met for the STEEM DAO, the comic will continue, just at a gradual pace compared what it would be with funding. Every day when I log in to Steemit, the comics and art are what keep me most engaged. I’d love the opportunity to give Steemian vs. The Bear the time and attention it deserves. I hope you’ll consider voting on this project and make it a reality. Voting instructions are below. Thank you!
- Official Steemit Proposal: https://steemitwallet.com/proposals
- SteemPeak: https://steempeak.com/proposals
- SteemProposals: https://steemproposals.com/proposals
- SteemConnect: https://steemconnect.com