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When I jumped on Facebook Tuesday this morning, I saw a notification (you know how they do) about my "most liked" image of 2013. The image is called Love's Gonna Getcha, and there is quite a story to be told about this drawing, so sit back and enjoy.
Okay, so I drew this sometime during my time working as a professional cartoonist (my official title was Junior Media Developer, but I got paid to draw people, places, and things for animation, so cartoonist is what anyone who was NOT a complete corporate drone would call it) for an E-Learning company.
It was a commission for a guy who approached me at a comic convention wanting a tattoo design of "a chick with an afro." A wise choice, since my drawings of chicks with Afros are weapons-grade.
Anyways, I got to work on it and sent him the pencils... |
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I didn't hear back from him. Now this could mean he didn't like it, or it could mean he missed the email, or his contact info could have changed.
Who knows?
In my book, no news is good news, so I kept drawing. By this point, I decided that this was Cupid, a femme fatale I created a long time ago for a comic book idea (she also moonlights as the mascot for my pop-culture machine GhettoManga).
That informed how it turned out (in particular the twin guns). |
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So this is the finished artwork. I emailed it to him and never heard back. I'm not sure why, but he paid up front, so I didn't harass him. I hope he likes it.
It's whatever.
I waited a good while before posting it on the internet. And when I did, my fans responded.
I made it my profile pic on Facebook, and my peeps hit it with 168 likes. |
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As you probably guessed, the story doesn't end there.
Because with great artwork, comes great biting on the internet. |
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In 2015, one of my fans let me know about this dude Lindo using my art without my permission.
The short version: I was livid.
After I took action to enforce my copyright, Lindo contacted me, apologized, and offered to compensate me.
After giving him a stern talking to, I accepted his apology (and his money).
After that, he approached me about doing some custom work, but I think he was put off by my rates.
Again, it's whatever.
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I was contacted sometime later by a lady who runs a site where crafters download images to make their scrapbooks and assorted brick-a brack.
She showed me a bunch of images where people had traced my artwork, including the face and hair of this drawing, to upload and sell. I didn't write a blog post about this one, so I couldn't find pics to show about that one.
This is a good time to say that this happens a lot, and is a big part of the reason I don't post on social like I used to. By the time I (grudgingly) got on Instagram, I was basically through with social media.
But I digress. |
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So I eventually colored it.
CLICK HERE to buy products with this image on it from my CafePress shop.
If you would prefer a signed copy, CLICK HERE to get at me on messenger, and we'll talk it over. |
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On that note, I gotta get back to work.
I'm full up on comic book artwork clients for now, but I'm looking to take on one or two more clients for my comic strip service. Drawing comic strips with clients is fun and pretty easy, so I can squeeze in the right client.
So if you have an awesome idea for a comic strip, but you need help with it (whether it's writing, drawing, editing, social or email marketing, web copy, Facebook ads), or you just want guidance on next steps for your comic or strip, just CLICK HERE to email me, or click here to hit me on messenger.
You can even schedule a free (no pressure) phone or video call here to talk about your project.
So that's all for now, fam. Thanks again for reading!
Peace,
-Samax ("some AX") Amen |
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Samax Amen is a professional Content Developer, Illustrator and Cartoonist. He is the artist of many great comics you never heard of like Herman Heed, Champion of Children, The Brother and The World As You Know It. He even writes and draws his own comics, like Dare: The Adventures of Darius Davidson, Spontaneous, and Manchild when he gets around to it. Because making comics is hard and stuff, he started GhettoManga as a blog in 2006 and as a print magazine in 2008. 
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