Hello, Roundhouse Hooligans fans!
What a journey this has been. The road to publishing Roundhouse Hooligans Issue #3 has been anything but smooth. We've encountered numerous challenges, and we felt it was time to share a bit about what’s been happening behind the scenes and why this issue has taken longer than expected.
Losing A Team member
Our team is a global one, working with talented artists from around the world. While we strive to compensate our artists well, we are an indie publishing team with budget constraints. As our artists grow in skill and popularity, they may seek higher compensation, which sometimes exceeds what we can afford. This has been a significant hurdle for us not to mention the high exchange rates that can at times double a single page cost due to the bad Australian dollar.
Unfortunately, one of our key artists, Riccardo Faccini, had to step away from all three projects currently in production—Roundhouse Hooligans, The Darkest Shade Book 1, and Gunpowder Issue #1. While Riccardo was able to complete Gunpowder Issue #1, and the artist change for The Darkest Shade actually suited the story well, Roundhouse Hooligans presented a much more challenging situation.
Riccardo also had personal reasons for stepping down, and we deeply respect his honesty. We’re incredibly grateful for the time and talent he contributed and are genuinely saddened by his departure. He was like family to us and losing him is a significant loss but we will remain in contact and will always support him on his new paths in life. We do have him doing the odd pin up for us every now and then so you will still see his amazing art come through Free Fall Comics in the future but as for full books we have had to look else where. This was also one of the reasons we had to pull the pin on the campaign while it was live, we could not be sure how long the pages would have taken to be done and we did not want to let down our customers and make them wait for longer then needed.
The Artist Shuffle
When it came to searching for a new artist to continue 'Roundhouse Hooligans,' it was incredibly challenging. We had big shoes to fill, and we didn't want to compromise on quality or let our readers down. Our goal was to ensure a fast turnaround for each book, so we needed an artist who could deliver high-end artwork at a rapid pace. Initially, we thought this might be impossible. However, it turned out that the perfect artist for the job was right under our noses.
As we reviewed the pages of 'The Darkest Shade,' we were consistently blown away by Raf's work. We decided to give him a chance to do a page for us, unsure of what to expect. After overcoming some initial translation difficulties, Raf showcased his remarkable talent and ability to adapt to different genres on the fly.
Raf Ter-Stepanov is now the new artist for 'Roundhouse Hooligans,' while Kimberly Brum will continue to provide colors alongside him. This is the same team that has been finishing up 'The Darkest Shade,' which is looking incredible. We can’t wait to see what Raf brings to 'Roundhouse Hooligans' moving forward. He is an artist who is willing to take risks, and he will be delivering more pages in a shorter time than we ever hoped for.
Raf Ter-Stepanov (Illustrator/Inker)
So, what can we learn from this roller coaster ride?
When it feels like everything is falling apart and the end seems near, remember this: the challenges you're facing could be the very catalyst you need to adapt, grow, and succeed. Embrace the challenge, embrace the change—because it's in those moments of adversity that we discover our true power, our ability to innovate, to find solutions, and to create a new path forward. This is where transformation happens, and this is where your greatness is born.
Roundhouse Hooligans Issue#3 is nearing it's last few pages currently and the new campaign is just about done, we do have a landing page that you can find in the link below where you can sign up and be notified when we go live.
Roundhouse Hooligans Issue#3 Kickstarter Launching soon!!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/freefallcomics/roundhouse-hooligans-issue1-3-round2
Written By L.A Keim