Plans to Update the Manuscripts

Hello, it’s been awhile 🙂 I want to share a plan regarding the comic books that are already on sale for Amazon.

PLANS

I have already removed the “no swearing” version of my comic book, because I don’t want to compromise how I think it’s best to express the vision I have. I’ve already felt compelled to do in the past. You cannot purchase that version of the book anymore.

I plan to eventually update the manuscripts I already do have for my published books, particularly Space Grind: Robot Takeover. I will be removing at least two pages, which will involve reordering the page numbers. I also will need to edit the website links page that you see in the beginning of both books. The YouTube channel is no longer available. I will relaunch a new channel (with more structure) when I believe the timing is right.

For Space Grind: House Havoc, I will remove the pages regarding Gate City, Rachel the Vampire, and Celestial Guardians. Those are projects I don’t see myself moving forward with. I think I will have any of those omitted pages on this website in a blog post instead.

I may even replace or edit the introduction pages of Space Grind’s world-building, so that it matches a more simple, fleshed-out explanation of what you need to know before reading.

I will also have to edit this website in a way that reflects my most current vision/planning. I would like to privately work on fleshing out some basic lore for Space Grind. A lot of has changed throughout the years in terms of story design choices. I would like to remove “story clutter” so that the intended plot-line flows better and is more clear.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Thank you to all who have been supportive of my artistic pursuits. While the comic book format may not be the most effective/timely way to tell a story, I am glad that I am blessed to be able to visually express some of my ideas in this sort of way.

While I have do some scripts already written down and a few pages completed, I no longer have concrete plans to release another comic book in the near future. For now, I intend to use my free time in a way to help me organize my content — until it seems right to continue on with a new project.

I have made progress in my personal life and I’m grateful to the Lord for His provisions and protections during hard times. Have a blessed rest of your day! ❤

My 2024 Highlights + “New” Areas of Focus For 2025

The year is wrapping up very soon. I think it is appropriate to celebrate the successes of this year, before entering 2025 with NEW goals. I say “goals,” but it feels more appropriate to say “areas of focus.” Sometimes the “focus” is wrong, but the plans of the heart are all in the right place. That’s what I’ve come to learn, since I first created this website.

2024 Successful Highlights!

  • Got off ALL my psyche medications this year! Over the years, they had negative effects on my body and mind, which hindered my success with the comics. Not only the comics, but also my ability to earn a steady income in general. It also affected my ability to communicate with people in my community, so the mental clarity has been a MASSIVE improvement! Not perfect, but certainly an improvement ❤
  • I now have a rough outline, for the timeline of Space Grind! In the past, I wasn’t sure how to structure my story, because I was still figuring out what kind of story I was even trying to tell. 7.5 years later, my heart’s mission behind this story is becoming more clear to me! I believe it is only going to become more clear, as the years progress!
  • I visited the August Fan Expo in Chicago, where I got to be around other creative and talented people! Both people who have well-known success in the entertainment industry, and people (like me) who are putting themselves out there, with a big DREAM in their heart! ❤ One of them being Victoria Weber, whom you can check out here: https://www.instagram.com/victoriawebercomedy/
  • I had my very first Instagram collaboration with internet voice actor Terrance Nicholson! This guy clearly has put in the HARD WORK in his craft, and I am honored that he let me use his voice for a little video of “Bad Boy” (a new character I made this year)
  • Speaking of Bad Boy, I have made several other NEW characters this year! Each of them with a specific, story-driven purpose. I would say nearly all my characters (both newer & older) each have a more clear & concise role in the overall story of Space Grind. I feel so blessed that I have been able to flesh out each of their personalities for this many years! Not everyone understands them, but it is still so rewarding to come this far ❤

Those are some highlights! Even with those highlights, I consider 2024 to be my HARDEST year (behind-the-scenes). Some of it because of me, and some of it is because of circumstances outside my control. Below, I want to list some things I intend to prioritize for 2025. Not all of them may seem directly related to my creative passions, but each of them still matter, because they tend to matter in the grand scheme of life.

New “Areas of Focus” for 2025

  • CREATIVE REBRANDING & RELAUNCHING – I intend to rebrand my website! Change the logo, the title, and simplify my heart’s mission. “AlexZenDraw” is cute and clever, but I want to rebrand it in a way, that encompasses something bigger. Something that speaks to the hearts of my intended audience. Most people who consume entertainment don’t really know the artist, behind the art. I want my art to speak to others, in a way that’s timeless. I also want to relaunch a new YouTube channel. I believe I shared some reasons for deleting it, in a previous blog posting.
  • COMMUNITY – I think community is something our world really needs right now. As a socially awkward art nerd, it historically hasn’t been easy to connect with other people (including artists), outside of an online circle. For 2025, I would like to be more intentional, about being part of a community circle. Particularly three kinds of community: a creative community, church discipleship among a group of peers, and my God-given community (aka: whatever geographical area God has placed me). As much as I appreciate technology, there is something so deeply satisfying about being around other people. People who have it in their hearts to uplift, encourage, and contribute.
  • EMPLOYMENT – Since 2024 was a whole year pretty much dedicated to fixing my overall health, I am determined to find a source of steady income, in the year 2025. With my kind of personality, I don’t enjoy being idle. Being “idle” wasn’t exactly a choice in 2024, so I’m determined to make that different in 2025. This is an area of focus I particularly don’t want to “rush into,” simply because I am still getting to know my own mental & physical limitations.
  • FINANCIAL ORGANIZATION – My hidden weakness is being able to MAKE money, but not be natural at managing it effectively. God has put it in my heart lately to “make friends” with numbers. Money has always somewhat felt like an abstract concept, rather than something that is “real life.” I dunno, perhaps it’s the way my mind works…

I hope this about sums it up! Please always free to reach out via email, for a word of encouragement/prayer anytime! Or even send some artwork, of any of the Space Grind characters 😀 God bless your support, dear Reader!

Above is a newer character named “Flipper.” This was my very first sketch of him, which I made in 2024 🙂

Some Reasons for Removing the AZD YouTube Channel

Hello, again. I’m sure a number of you have already realized that I had completely removed my entire YouTube channel. I wanna reassure my readers & supporters that I am NOT giving up on my dreams as a writer! It was an intentional move on my end. While I don’t think it’s right to go into absolutely everything, I would like to publicly list a few reasons below.

A Few Reasons For Why I Removed My YouTube Channel

  • I was using a Voice Cloning website, to dub my comic books. There aren’t very many government regulations yet, to keep those voices from being exploited for criminal purposes. I thought since I was using the website for creative purposes, it wasn’t wrong for me to use it. However, I am now concerned that cyber-criminals will exploit the data that gets uploaded onto the website. I would like to be more educated about internet safety, before I look into using internet tools like that.
  • I would like to rebrand and relaunch my whole “AlexZenDraw Comics” brand in general. I’m even considering narrowing my focus on moving forward with Space Grind, instead of having my focus be so divided between all my other projects. I’ve spent 7+ years working hard on my vision for Space Grind. The closer I get to figuring out my heart behind it, the more I realize I still have A LOT to learn! Not just with the storytelling aspect, but also the digital marketing and business aspects of it.
  • I’ve been going through a ton of unresolved grief on my end. The aftermath of my gallstone surgery was VERY rough on my body and on my mind. I was in so much pain, I was seriously reevaluating my entire life. I was even wondering whether or not my heart was in the right place, regarding my creative content. I think of the Bible verse Matthew 16:26, which says, “And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?” Part of my decision to delete the YouTube channel, was to figure out who I am in the eyes of God, apart from my accomplishments.

I guess to sum it all up, I would like to be more intentional about how I present Space Grind to the world! I also plan to write a new blog post in the future, about certain changes I’d like to announce, regarding its plotline. Even with my two self-published comic books, there are integral changes that I plan to make, that would make even former plot points irrelevant.

I am looking forward to advancing as an artist, with God’s grace. I ultimately consider Jesus the CEO of my content. I want to be sure that He approves of what I make. If God doesn’t like it, nothing else matters.

I believe deep down that Space Grind will speak to the hearts of many, in God’s good timing. However, before that can happen, I need to allow Jesus to heal MY broken heart. If any of you readers are believers, please pray! You can also financially support me, by either donating (https://alexzendraw.wordpress.com/donate/), or purchasing a comic book on the Amazon website (https://alexzendraw.wordpress.com/buy-comics/)

As usual, here is NEW artwork, to show that I’m still actively working on my vision:

A sketch of one of the contestants, whose name is Yondurah! NGL Part of the inspiration behind her new design is “Lady Dimitrescu” from the Resident Evil video game series. A digital version of this is almost done, too. 🙂

My Health + Life Situations (Please Read)

I’ve had some tragic events come up in my life during the month of July. Out of respect for my family, I will not go too much into it here. As I recover from a few chronic health issues, some new health issues pop up. While all of these things are temporary — it is affecting my productivity in regards to storytelling.

Don’t get me wrong! I am still working HARD on Space Grind! I work on it every single day. I pretty much have 5 seasons of this “show” mentally outlined. There have been an AVALANCHE of ideas written down at this point! As well as ideas that are not even written down yet.

I love all my characters. Every single one of them. Their stories reflect my own in so many ways. My dream is for Space Grind to become an animated series. The comic books are what keep that dream alive. Thank you to everyone in my life who has helped keep this dream alive for me, too! All your support has transformed my real world into a much happier one ❤

Before I can fully commit to all things storytelling, I am going to need help raising funds for a group home arrangement. That will give me some time & space to continue recovering and learn life skills (which I wasn’t previously able to learn). Here is the link, if anyone wishes to donate to my cause. Click the link below to learn more. The funds will be donated directly towards my future, and managed by BiG Great Lakes.

GROUP HOME FUNDS LINK

https://biggreatlakes.networkforgood.com/projects/228479-2024-gurnee-mayor-s-golf-benefit-team-alex?fbclid=IwY2xjawE2H41leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHaz6VCGZQB3ERJykdaaNYEbOlrndMPOOqXa-rQ0injMFeZF_hY9DKfXnKQ_aem_VWIIPV1xisbY6B6pxtbGWg

BiG Great Lakes Website

Home

Here is some artwork from this year, that I’ll put here for good luck! ❤

March 2024 Report Log

I’ve been very busy since announcing my break in my post: https://alexzendraw.wordpress.com/2023/09/27/taking-a-break-from-my-comic-books-until-january-1st-2024/

Even though I’ve been working on creative projects related to Space Grind since January, I haven’t worked directly on the third comic since January. I made one new page and a few new panels, but that’s it.

I haven’t been slacking, though! Just busy with more than one thing. Lemme summarize here:

  • Been regularly attending a program since September, which helps adults with special needs. I’ve been very committed and passionate about this new chapter of my life.
  • Made some new YouTube videos here and there, on my YouTube channel. Not just my own, but also helped two different YouTubers with their own stuff.
  • I went back to uploading on my YouTube channel Alex’s Asperger Vlogs. There’s not much of a schedule yet, but there are now new uploads on the channel.
  • I’ve been making new artwork and I even got a new character for Space Grind, who will be essential to its overall plot!
  • Making new scripts for practice and for fun. Not full-blown episodes, but definitely important scenes I imagine for Space Grind. I think it’s better to just write it down vs. wait for it to be a comic book.

While I have still been accomplishing a lot since 2024 began, there are other things, too, that are important. I’ve never been good with prioritizing. I’m learning in that area of my life. I am practicing giving myself grace. I hope you all understand.

Ideally, I’d like to release a comic book at some point this year, but I sadly don’t wanna make promises I can’t keep. I’ll be sure to at least give you guys new YouTube episodes for free!

There are a lot of things I need to figure out before making any official announcements. I love working on my comics! It is THRILLING even with a small following. I’m passionate about the craft of storytelling ❤

I will share new artwork now, that I hope will make you guys happy! 🙂

My Full Comics Now Available On YouTube (With AI Voice Acting)

I have spent A LOT of time making new YouTube videos of my comic books having voice acting… thru the power of AI. I used actual voice actors to help bring my stories to life, along with sound effects and music. Below is the very first “episode” with voice acting! If you can, please watch it on your television!

After this episode, I plan to make another one, using the “Corona is a Cabrona” story. After that, you’ll have to wait like normal for new comic book content to arrive.

AI Voice Cast

  • Neuro: Johnny Yong Bosch
  • Dimwit: Lucien Dodge
  • Onion: Max Mittleman
  • RSL: Kira Buckland
  • Trax: Kevin Michael Richardson
  • RSW (Robot Sexy Woman): Rochelle Aytes
  • RSG (Robot Sexy Gal): “Matilda” (default ElevenLabs AI voice)
  • RSM (Robot Sexy Man): Kyle Hebert
  • Additional Voices: Default ElevenLabs Voices

I’m Now On Ko-Fi

I’ve been setting up my new Ko-fi profile for a bit now, and I’m loving the flexibility of it so far! I think I might like it more than Patreon and Fiverr. You can purchase digital copies of my comic books on there, as well as request a commission from me 😀

Here is the link, if you would like to check it out or support me 🙂

https://ko-fi.com/alexzendraw

Potential Videos For My YouTube Channel (While Waiting For Comics)

I’ve been thinking about how to keep my YouTube Channel alive, while I take a break from making comic books. I was thinking of maybe doing tutorials, until January 1st. That way, there is new content for you guys to watch while I work on my Udemy homework 🙂

Here is a list of planned, upcoming video for my channel:

  • How I Organize My Comics With Basic Clip Studio Paint Ex (Not Pro)
  • How I Use ElevenLabs AI Tools For Videos
  • How I Make Scripts With Apple’s Pages App
  • How I Make My Typical iMovie Videos
  • How I Use Audacity (Bare Bones Tutorial)

I can’t wait to work on these videos. I hope you guys enjoy them when they are ready.

Farewell for now! 🙂

September 2023 Progress Report

Sorry I’m late! Here is the list of some of the major things that got done for September 2023!

Progress Report

  • September 8th, 2023 — Finished Act Two of “The Spicy Meatball” Script
  • September 8th, 2023 — Read a work-in-progress of “The Spicy Meatball” Script with two friends
  • September 9th, 2023 — Finished “The Spicy Meatball” Script (first full draft)
  • September 11th, 2023 — Finished writing both of the Introduction Pages for Space Grind: Hot and Heavy
  • September 11th, 2023 — Wrote the back cover description planned for Space Grind: Hot and Heavy
  • September 11th, 2023 — Got started on the file for Space Grind: Hot and Heavy’s back cover (no images yet, besides the logo)
  • September 11th, 2023 — Got started on the Introduction page for “The Spicy Meatball”
  • September 14th, 2023 — Finished the Introductory page for “The Spicy Meatball” (page 11 overall)
  • September 15th, 2023 — Finished page 1 of “The Spicy Meatball” (page 12 overall)
  • September 16th, 2023 — Finished page 2 of “The Spicy Meatball” (page 13 overall)
  • September 21st, 2023 — Outlined a future script for Space Grind (not a story featured in the next comic book)

I plan to focus a lot more on finishing up my online art class for the rest of the year, so I don’t know yet what the Progress Reports for October, November, and December will look like. Please stay tuned!

As usual, here is your sneak peek of progress that got made in September.