Creating an Anthology and More (Announcement + Free Comic Book Inside!)
How Don't Push the Red Button came to be and who's in it!
Push a Button. Someone Dies at Random. Win a lot of Money. Sounds Good?
What are the odds of something terrible happening? Or something amazing? The possibilities are endless. We will explore that from different genres: horror, mystery, drama, and even comedy.
This book is incredibly relevant to today’s worldview on what a human life represents in monetary terms, especially in a pandemic just ending, and talks of an incoming recession. It will make the readers reflect on their choices and the value of life, money, and time.
DPRB has its teams set and ready. It was a complicated process; many talented creators submitted, and there was limited space. There were more than 100 submissions, so you can see the hype for this project and the passion of creators wanting to participate. This is why I decided to make this project bigger and jump from 7-8 stories originally planned to 11 stories. I’ll announce the teams in this post, but before that, I will tell you about how this anthology came to be.
The Idea
My girlfriend and I like to talk about dumb stuff. She’s one of those girls who, during her school years, were punished for talking too much in class, so she talks a lot now that no one can control her. If you have met me, you know I don’t talk as much, but if you have spoken with me about stuff I enjoy, you know I can talk about it for years. That’s why I do so well in podcasts and why me and her can talk for hours about the deeper stuff in life but also about dumb shit. If there’s something we will never lack in our relationship, it is conversation topics.
So, this idea came from one of these conversations. I don’t know the exact time, but it was at the beginning of the year. We were together for less than six months, so one of the crucial questions was: If you could push a button and win some money, but someone dies, would you do it? And we thought: that would be a great idea for a comic book.
I was just starting with A Never-Ending Adventure, and I wanted that book to be my debut, but the anthology spark was lit. In that discussion, we came up with many ideas for stories for that situation, and we were amazed at how each one sounded better than the other. So we thought having other creators have the possibility to contribute seemed terrific.
The idea was ready, but then came the execution, and making comics is hard.
The Execution
Because this idea sounded amazing, I wanted to move fast in promoting it and making it a reality. So, the first step was contacting an editor or a consulting partner who could help me make this a reality. There was a problem, though. As I was just starting to create comic books, I knew nothing. How much do I pay per page? How many stories? What rewards do I offer? How does crowdfunding work? I was lost.
So, I got help from the best editors in the indie comic book industry: Michele Abounader and Brent Fisher (special mention to Brittany Matter, Kat Calamia, and Sarah Star Litt, who were not available to help me directly but pointed me in the right direction and encouraged me).
Michele and Brent guided me without knowing me, which I'll always be in debt for, and they encouraged me and my anthology. Unfortunately, they couldn't get involved officially in the anthology as they had their projects, which I'm glad about because both have been taking crowdfunding to new lengths, but they help me strategically. Thanks to them, I had the parameters ready but lacked an attached name and didn't feel prepared to take on this massive project, so I left it on standby.
Although, I did get a sweet cover to promote the early stages of the project in C2E2.
Then came A Never-Ending Adventure (ANEA), a personal project where I learned the ways of crowdfunding and got my name out there as a creator. Talking with Devin (the editor of ANEA), we discussed combining forces again for the anthology. Now it was easier because, thanks to the help of the editors from before, my experience with the Zoop campaign, and my experience participating in the Fractured Realms anthology, I was more confident in carrying on an anthology of my own, so on July 4th I launched the submission form, prayed to all the Gods and hope for the best.
And the best showed up.
The Best
The submission form was a bet. I remember tweeting about it, and the first day, not a single soul noticed it, so I was already being hard on myself, saying no one cared and the anthology was dead. On day 2, it exploded. Creators found it, and everyone was excited. People were sharing it on social media, and I was getting many messages from creators and readers excited about the premise, loving the cover, and excited about the project. I was happy.
As the days progressed, the excitement never stopped. People were discovering it, and more submissions were flowing up until the last day, Sunday, the 20th. Seeing the grand reception, I knew I had to make right by the creators, so I partnered with a PR and Marketing company to ensure this project succeeds in the best way possible. And I’m confident it will, and we will have tons of fun doing it.
So, who are the chosen ones? Without further ado, the teams for the first volume of Don’t Push the Red Button are:
Dan Brady and Anna Foubert - A Professional Opinion
Rae Stevenson and Amalas Rosa - Even the Score
Leonardo Nieto and Nicolás Nieto - Can’t you see it? I’m not here
David Stoll - Not Like Us
Mariah Currey - For Whom the Button
Matt Mortal and Victor Fugita - Induction, then Destruction
Mario Candelaria and Lautaro Havlovich - Party Monster
Travis Gibb, Elias “Gambit” Melendez and Jerome Gagnon - The Ex-Wives of Marshall Tanner
Markisan Naso and Ignacio Di Meglio - Endless Snow
Francis Francias - The Last Red Button
And a story featuring words from yours truly, drawn by wonderful artist, who also made the cover, Francesca Fantini.
(There are bonus stories I've chosen, whose creators have been notified, that I will announce soon because of... reasons!)
Welcome to Don’t Push the Red Button!
But they are not the only ones to be the best. Everyone who submitted (except a couple of scammers) presented great ideas, which made this a really, REALLY hard decision. If I had an unlimited budget, this would be a 1000+ page book to fit many more stories. I’m hopeful to have a Volume 2 next year so I can feature some of those stories that are not here because of the direction I chose to give to the anthology. So, from the bottom of my heart, if you submitted, shared, liked, or made this process possible, THANK YOU! And please, keep creating!
Lessons
So, what can we learn from this experience, creative-wise? Let me share three reflections.
Don’t understimate the power of ordinary conversations.
This idea didn’t come from a brainstorming session. I wasn’t on my fourth hour of writing. It didn’t come up when watching a tutorial or a class. It came from a casual conversation with a loved one, showing how mundane comics and storytelling are. They feed from real-life experience. So don’t stop talking to people because you are too busy making comics.
Talk to your family and friends, meet new people, try new experiences, and get a hobby (all within the realm of possibility). Whatever you choose, always keep learning and trying new things as a professional and a person. There are no two people that are the same, so there may be 1,000 people that listen to a class, attend a webinar, or read a guide, but all of them have 1,000 different friends, hobbies, and backgrounds, so that’s what will set you apart. And who knows, maybe your next comic book will come from your grandma, a random lady in the store, or your archery instructor.
Ask for help!
When I started figuring out this project, I reached out to people I didn’t know who had made big things in the industry, and what I got was new friends within the industry who were excited to see me succeed. They gave me knowledge that is worth a lot based on their experiences, for free! That’s what I love about this industry: almost everyone is excited to rise one another, so don’t be afraid to ask for help. I didn’t know anything about crowdfunding or campaign creation, and with the help of people who owned me NOTHING, I’m now working on a dream project with every detail planned. Also, I keep learning from these people as I know the type of people they are, and I want to be there for them in any capacity and keep learning from them. If you surround yourself with good people, good things will happen. And this project, besides the comic book-making aspect, was also a great way to meet new people.
Dreams come true
Don’t be afraid to dream, guys. Working with other creators and getting my own anthology out there was a long-term goal when this all started. And now, it’s slowly becoming a reality. And I’ll work really hard to tell the best stories we can tell.
Now that you are in a comic book mood, why not read something? I have the perfect choice: a 5-page short story I created for you, for FREE! Check it out here:
A Dog's Life is a story set in the near future about pet owners, dogs, and how we use our money, exploring what makes us human in a context where we value money above everything else.
"Osorio is an incredible storyteller and a comic creator to watch out for."
-Sarah Gailey (Eat the Rich, Know Your Station)
What was that? Where does it come from? What’s next? You will have all the answers soon! In the meantime, as you noticed, I created a Ko-Fi Page that I will update with exclusive content. The first post will be about details of the submissions for the anthology. I will dissect everything, from the type of stories, the creator’s demography, the number of stories where the characters press the button, and fun stuff, like the number of animals that pressed the button. I’ll also include tips for creators when submitting based on what I’ve seen (obviously, not naming any names). It will be fun; you can join for as low as $3.
As I continue making comics, I’m gaining greater insight and want to share it with you. Rest assured, every penny that comes from that page goes to create more comic books.
The pre-campaign for Don’t Push the Red Button will be live in October, and the KS Campaign will start shortly after, so stay tuned as we continue publishing news regarding this anthology.
But that’s not all from me, as beyond A Dog’s Life, I have two short comics that I’ll publish in the following months. Then ANEA will be available for purchase (after we fulfill the orders from Zoop), and then we move into making the anthology. So the last months of the year will be busy!
You are the best! This is going to be amazing 👏👏👏