Tag Archives: writing

Comic Collection Stats: A Year in Review

Posted on by
Reply

Summer is over and the kids are back in school. Everyone is thankful for that. For me, I’ve been working, playing games, drawing, and reading comic books. Its a tricky balancing act, trying to find time for all my hobbies, while trying not to neglect my family.

/ art over the summer
/ inktober
/ comic collection stats
/ video games for the remainder of the year

//

As I mentioned in my last post, I wouldn’t have much art to share, but in less than two months, I actually feel I have more to share than I expected.

First up, can’t go wrong with Spider-Gwen. She has a new number 1 issue on the stands and a new costume.

Next up, the exiled sorceress-warrior Wysta, the Wayward Wytch of the Spider Sect. From my favourite comic book of 2025, Bug Wars.

And a current work in progress piece, currently not shared anywhere else. Kpop Demon Hunters. This has become a new favourite in the house as my young boys enjoy the movie. As its very trendy, I figured I’d draw the 3 main characters. and I’m very happy with the progress so far, so I will likely turn this into a full coloured piece and print it as a poster for the boys. By then it might not be cool – but who knows. So far I have completed Rumi, and sketched out Mira and Zoey. But I’ve been taking my time, which I think shows in the final results below.

As an annual tradition, I like to do the #faceyourart challenge, to make a collage of all the faces I’ve drawn over the last 12 months. Mostly from Drawtober in this collection, but its a cool visual. This is from August 2024-2025.

Speaking of Drawtober, the prompts for this year have been posted. I’ve come up with ideas for all, and the KPOP demon hunters drawing is a good warmup for me, leading into October, as the summer I didn’t draw much. After reviewing the list, I have a general idea for each one, but, if I decide to apply a theme, I also have a backup plan: to do all Batman/DC characters as a theme. As I get closer to the start of the month I’ll decide which route to go.

//

In comic books news I’ve come to the harsh reality that I am collecting too many. I think I’m around 70-75 books a month. So I’ve been slowly cutting back on some titles, and watching the miniseries conclude through the end of the year so hopefully all I have left is the on-going books. My goal is to get the number down to around 50 by 2026. And then get a little more strict. Average 10 a week I think is a good number.

Here are some stats from May 2024 – 2025

+991 comics
+840 read (2023 I had read 85% of my collection. Now its up to 87%)
2024 saw 63% increase annually over 2023 in new books
Batman overtook Spawn as most collected character. And Spider-Man made the top 5, booting out Joker who is now in 10th.

It’s always interesting to look back on the collection stats year after year.

//

In video games, I’ve been a little all over the map.

Doom Eternal, I play a mission here and there, but like the name implies, the missions feel eternally long so I need a break after each one. 18 hours in – although I think that number might be a little inflated. Can’t imagine I’ve actually played that long.

Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine – Master Crafted Edition, like Doom, I play for a bit once a week just to make some progress. 5 hours in.

Gears of War Reloaded, playing in co-op every Wednesday. We have finished act II. 3 hours in. We are also still playing Skull and Bones, and have Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora on our shortlist.

Dredge. What I thought was going to be a cosy fishing game has turned into quite the time sink. 30 hours in, and I’m nearly done. I’ve completed the main story and 1 DLC, and 1 left to do.

Star Wars Outlaws, just started this, 4 hours in. So far its a pretty impressive game. Big maps, pretty visuals and an interesting story.

Spider-Man 2. Definitely my primary game right now. 10 hours in and starting to get interesting, with the introduction of Venom. As expected, the game has a very good photo mode, so I spend a lot of time taking pictures.

See in you in October with Drawtober.

Rogan

Tools of the Trade

Posted on by
Reply

Another 5 months have passed. Let’s see if I can even recall what’s happened this year. It’s all a blur.

//

In Art, after Drawtober, I told myself I would take a break. Drawing 31 days straight was a test of endurance, and I did finish the month. But needed a break, and told myself I would, for the remainder of the year. That lasted till December 29th. With Jinx.

I also added two more X-Men blocks for my wall to wrap up 2024 Rogue and Gambit. I have one more completed, with Jean Grey, and I think I’ll need to do one for Cyclops to offset. And then maybe the next two will be Majok and Colossus?

I drew Erica Slaughter from James Tynion’s: Something is Killing the Children book, from BOOM. This book was just announced that it would be expected to go to (at least) 100 issues. Which is quite the achievement.

In January I started noticing some of the Marvel Rivals skins, Sue Storm specifically, and thought it would be fun to draw. I had no idea she had an evil side. With spikes and all. This has inspired more Marvel Rival drawings. Currently I’m working on Luna Snow, and might do Emma Frost and Squirrel Girl.

Spider-Gwen was my grand finale for Drawtober 2024. Although I knew it wasn’t complete at the time, I needed a break. After a few months off and some warm-up pieces to kick off the year, I felt ready to revisit and finish this piece.

Feeling in the colouring mood, I decided to tackle another drawing from a few years back that I had left in the Ink phase. This happens from time to time, where I like the drawing enough to ink it, but colouring is a completely different beast, and I can go months without touching that toolset. But after Gwen and Malice, I felt the time was now. One day I’ll get around to finish colouring my Hawkgirl.

Absolute Wonder Woman is one of the best comics I’m reading right now. And drawing Wonder Woman is fun.

A quick Lady Thor. I forget why I was inspired.

More Magik because the Darkchild is always fun to draw.

Another favourite to draw, Psylocke.

Heading into May now with a collection. Angela from Spawn. Red Sonja. Blood and Thunder character Akeldama (a new and fun comic), and Hellgirl (gender swapped Hellboy).

Wrapping up the Summer with Rasputin IV, and the current piece I’ve been working on: Savage Land Rogue. Rogue might be a 2 piece as I want to add another section to the right, showing more of the savage land, with dinosaurs and some more X-Men. I think it would create a veery cool 2-poster visual on my wall.

//

In game news, I guess this has been where most of my time has been dedicated, as I’ve been working my way through sequels-a-plenty.

  • The year of sequels:
  • The Last of Us II
  • Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
  • Horizon: Forbidden West
  • Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine 2
  • Jurassic World Evolution 2
  • God of War: Ragnarok
  • Spider-Man 2 (in progress)
  • Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth
  • Mafia II: DE
  • A Plague Tale: Requiem
  • Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
  • Doom Eternal (in progress)

In March I finished Horizon: Forbidden West. 40/80 achievements and 151 in-game photos. I needed to wrap it up as Last of Us II was releasing on PC and I needed to jump on that before the show’s season 2. I will create a separate folder for some of the amazing captures, but here are some of my favourites. The game is truly gorgeous.

In May I finished The Last of Us II Remastered. I wanted to play it and finish it before the second season of the show started on HBO. 14/45 achievements, 23 hours and 138 screenshots. I will create a separate folder for some of the amazing captures, but here are some of my favourites. The game definitely takes an emotional toll – but is a masterpiece.

Non-sequel (but does have a 2 in the title) I also finished Cyberpunk 2077 and the Phantom Liberty expansion. 70 Hrs and 240 screenshots. I could easily spend another 20 hours driving the streets of Night City and Dogtown, totally immersed in their stories. But the sequels won’t play themselves, so alas I must move on.

Also in co-op, Illestrader and I played through Warhammer 40K Space Marines 2 after we finished Atlas Fallen: Reign of Sand. Warhammer was a bloody good time, and I’ve been playing the recently remastered release of the first Space Marines game.

Now we have transitioned into Skull and Bones for some pirate fun.

Making slow progress in Doom Eternal, and I have now started up Spider-Man 2 before I head on vacation. After vacation I’ll have to make some decisions, as obviously the sequels are there, but there’s some newer games that have released that I would also like to try, like the much talked about Clair Obscur Expedition 33, and Stellar Blade is also on my wishlist, and is on PC now. Two games with styles are not typically in my wheelhouse, but I’m willing to try new things. Especially considering that Clair Obscur is looking like a very real Game of the Year contender. And in August, Metal Gear Solid 3 Delta will also be released.

I think that catches everyone up with the latest. I hope to return to the normal monthly wrap ups, as 5 months is just too much. Next month, as I wont have much new art to share, I’ll share more about my recent comic books I’ve been buying and reading, and a recap of my annual collection stats. We’ll also have the #faceyourart annual collage to see all the faces I’ve drawn over the past 12 months. Should be a fun visual.

’till then.

Rogan

Holding On

Posted on by
Reply

Yeesh its been 5 months? I’m not going to dwell on the pointlessness of calling out how delayed this update is, and because I don’t want to make it a long winded post that goes on and on, I won’t state how I’ve been meaning to make a post and keep forgetting. Futile. This post will catch us up to the end of 2024. And then I’ll make a follow up post for January and February.

Last update was in September where I was talking about my Substack, and Drawtober. And Drawings and Games, and Comics, etc, etc.

Well in October I drew a lot. 31 days. Successfully completed the full tilt for Drawtober.

Here’s the link to the gallery, which can be found under Arts: Drawtober 2024, and I even followed the official Inktober prompts. After October, I didn’t draw for the rest of the year. Here are a few of my favourites:

I did one more drawing for my Substack, before Drawtober kicked off. I read DC’s Far Sector. A Green Lantern story featuring newly chosen Green Lantern Sojourner “Jo” Mullein:

Speaking of Substack, I finished the year with 36 weeks completed. Wrapping up with Far Sector, Bear Pirate Viking Queen, Watchmen, Fables Vol 1, Snowfall, Birthright Vol 1, and Night Club Vol 1.

I haven’t really decided if I want to continue this year. I mean I’d like to after a little break, but maybe not try and tackle one graphic novel a week, and then write about it. Maybe make it a bit more select. I felt that my random selection was a good idea, but then after reading the book, I found that I wasn’t that enthused to talk about it, if the book wasn’t amazing. So then it wasn’t fun. It was homework. So I might think of something else this year. And we’re already into Feb, so I better start thinking about whatever “that” is, quick.

//

In gaming news, I finally beat Final Fantasy VII Remake. 30 hours and 36/63 achievements on Steam. I haven’t played the Intergrade DLC yet, but I will before I start Rebirth.

I haven’t played The First Descendant in a while. I should probably go back to that at some point to wrap up the story. 23 hours, and G760/1000, 21/24 achievements. I’m in the last zone. I randomly got excited about Metal Gear Solid again, so I bought the Master Collection versions of 2 and 3. Replayed 2 last week, 15 hours, and 25/51 achievements. But now with MGS 3 Delta Snake Eater coming out in August, I’m torn between replaying the Master Collection version, or just waiting and playing the remake.

I played The Callisto Protocol, which is an excellent Dead Space-like game. G750/1540. 12 hours.

I played the Mafia 1 remake, the Definitive Edition release from a few years back. G570/1000 – 16 hours.

I also finished God of War and played Spider-Man: Miles Morales.

Illestrader and I finally finished the main campaign of Suicide Squad, and won’t be looking back to any of the post game content. G535/1000, 18 hours. We’ve since moved onto Atlas Fallen: Reign of Sand, which is a co-op rpg-lite platforming melee combat game. It’s been ok. The visuals and scenery are decent.

So this year will be the year of the sequels:

  • Horizon: Forbidden West (currently playing)
  • God of War: Ragnarok
  • Spider-Man 2
  • The Last of Us II
  • Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth
  • Mafia II: DE

Looks like I’ll be playing a lot of PlayStation titles this year while my Xbox gently weeps.

I think that mostly catches everything up. I didn’t really talk about books or new art, post Drawtober, but I’ll save that for the next post next week, which will catch us up into 2025. I’ll go into more detail regarding my love of MGS, God of War, MAfia, FF VII, and Miles Morales. Oh and Horizon Forbidden West. Sounds like quite the follow-up. Hope I’m up for it.

Take care,
Rogan ❤