Behind-The-Scenes Blog Notes 5/14 -5/18

Hey guys! 

Tumblr has been acting up, and patrons can't log into the secret behind-the-scenes overtime blog that I have been posting to! Huge bummer, but it's okay! I'll simply share the recent updates in this Patreon post.

(Above image???) From a livestream I did a few months ago. The chat apparently believes that if Bitty grows a mustache, he will become a better baker somehow okay

Check, Please Year 3 Read Through

1. WAG
   1. I thought the title was a good choice!! Because it’s ~ironic~. It sets up the conflict for the whole year. oooOoooh
   2. Also, writing one-sided phone calls is fun. I had to imagine Jack murmuring and chirping Bitty on the other end
   3. Jack’s indignation that he couldn’t be a competitive curler. And Bitty’s verbal eyeroll of “I’m sure you’re great at it, sugar my god”
      Jack: i’m strong. and good at sports. don’t you love my good athletics.
      Bitty: that’s wonderful baby
      Jack: great at scoring points
   4. Coach and Suzanne! Literally they’re just Bitty’s features divvied up between two humans. Coach’s “SON” and staring at Jack like he’s a first round NFL draft pick….okay we get it Rick, you WISH YOU HAD A ALPHA MALE ATHLETIC SON
   5. suzanne, one week prior: oh, we’re having a guest over–Dicky’s friend Jack? Oh, you know, Bob Zimmermann’s son. Or maybe you know about Alicia Zimmermann? Jack and Dicky–They’re wonderful friends. Almost inseparable you too. And Jack is such a doll–plays in the NHL, you know? Can’t believe we’re having a professional hockey player in this little ol’ town staying with us!
   6. Tater! He is at his most lanky in this introduction.

I probably won’t get all the way to “3.26: Post” but it’s worth a try! 😂

Kickstarter Header Images

Jack and Bitty are obviously always the headers for Kickstarter, but I chose Tater and George because they were important characters in this volume. Runner-ups: Tango, Ransom & Holster, or even Ford!

Shout out to Tater, barely knowing how to wink. OTL

(you didn't hear it from me, but the Kickstarter is soon. Like. Not too-too far away, but sooner than you think. Just so you know.)

Bittle in Shorts

Jack Zimmermann 100% gets his sexuality and is still confused by how messed up his brain gets when Bittle wears certain outfits. Just wow. Good job, Bittle. He’s a man of few words and none of them can explain the phenomenon of Bitty in jean shorts. They’re just shorts, Zimmermann. 

 Points on Presentations 

I do plenty of panels and talks a year, so quick points on giving presentations! If you’re ever planning on doing a comics talk (or any talk in general, really), I hope these help!

- 7x7 Slide Design. No more than 7 lines per slide, no more than 7 words per line.
- The less text the better. Always.
- Images > Text. Most of your slides should be images. Or graphs. (If it’s a scientific presentation, bring handouts of complex graphs. Tell people to go to certain links, etc.)
- Table of Contents. Tell your audience what they’re about to hear. This usually means doing a table of contents RIGHT AFTER the title page. No matter how nervous you are, both you and the audience will calm down after this review. Refer to the table of contents midway through the presentation, or after you change topics.
- How do I not read off slides? Practice. The first time you practice, write a script of exactly what you’ll say for each slide–include transitions. The second time, read your script as you go through each slide. The third time, do not look at your script (this pass will be rocky). The fourth time, reference your script again. If you’re new to presentations, do a fifth time in front of a friend.
- Yes. You have to practice at least three times. And? After you practice–bring your notes with you just in case. You have so many fail-safes now!
- Make eye contact. Actually, if you just look at an empty chair in the middle of the audience, you’ll look like a pro.
- PDF = livesaver. Save your presentation as a Powerpoint AND PDF.

There are exceptions to these rules, but for the most part, these will take your presentations from amateurish to respectable in a jiffy!

Thanks for coming to my ted talk.