D.J. Coffman – Sequential Artist, Thinker

I think I’ve decided to go “radio silent” for a spell and rebuild myself stronger. Of course if you work with me, I’ll still be available via email and phone and all of that. I just find myself longing for a bit of privacy and less transparency in my own life.

Funny how that is. For years I built and built, using every tool imaginable to push and push. Worked hard to be connected and ON line. But now I have an appetite to be OFF line. Maybe I’m a little overwhelmed by all the Facebooking and Twittering and social media madness. I can’t really tweet anything without it being picked apart by strangers who follow me as “friends” … and that’s another thing… nowadays, more than ever, you don’t know who your “friends” are. It’s not just a LIST. And I’ve found that I only have a FEW authentic, honest to goodness, old fashioned FRIENDS.

There may be no harder thing for a man to do than to watch dreams die or fade away. Let alone admit that. I kind of feel like that about my career in the comics. I’ve made good money at times, had a lot of fun, but peeked behind the curtain maybe a bit too long and found myself burned and jaded again. I still love to draw comics, of course, but I’m feeling tired and a bit underwhelmed. I look around and I don’t see anyone changing anything. An industry dying out, barely breathing, and Hollywood vampires living off the lifeblood of what’s left. Ironically, feels like that’s the only thing keeping it alive.

I can’t afford therapy, so there will be a lot of drawing and writing and self reflection. I guess if I had to envision how I’d like to come back to public life, I’d say I’ll return a little thinner and fitter, and a better artist and human being.

Looking forward to my next chapter…