I returned home from a mini getaway, took a 2-hour nap, and woke up to a rejection letter. PAHAHAHAHAHA! I’ve been in my villain era and feel completely unphased. Getting rejected from a W-2 job is whatever.
Why would I want a traditional job if I’m some big-time comedian and writer? Well, I’m not a big-time comedian and writer. I’m a microscopic fish in a medium-sized pond. While I enjoy ClearMango.com assignments and ice cream fund donations, it would be cool to take a literal shit between the hours of 9 am and 5 pm all while still getting paid.
Self-employment is cool because of the flexibility and autonomy, still, there’s something to be said about being selected by someone and granted a fancy job title and official duties. I wanted this job because it paid $70K, was 70% remote, and the office was biking distance from my house. Not to mention, a salaried job would have solved my funding issue for the table read. Listen, by hook or by crook, I’m making that table read happen in April.
In this Newsletter
- Romcom Table Read Update
- Reacting to posts on Reddit’s Front Page
- ‘The Wonderful Counsellor’ (2025)
- Last day to vote for Kafi Kareem
- Update from Devin
Romcom Table Read Update
Friday, January 31 (tomorrow) is the last day to respond to my casting call. Presently, I’m paying $150 for the day (really, 4 hours). All you need is a headshot and a link to your reel. Besides the 11 actors for the main cast, I need a narrator and 2 utility voice actors.
For the past few weeks, I’ve been working on my pitch deck. The pitch deck is a document that tells the story in brief, using images to convey tone, style, and potential casting. Although I am a professional document designer available for hire, I’m too close to the project and too nervous to design the pitch deck on my own. Thankfully, Rachel Osbourne (she/her) and Whitney Wasson (they/them) were available for hire.
Rachel Osbourne – graphic designer
Rachel Osbourne runs nuancecasting.com, a boutique casting agency based in Toronto, ON. I hired Rachel because we previously collaborated on a collection of greeting cards. Also, as a casting director for hire, she’s reviewed her fair share of pitch decks. She knows what studio executives are looking for.
Her agency, Nuance Casting (formerly bdscvrd) is committed to matching authentic nuanced talent with honest storytelling. That’s the care and perspective I want for my blackity-Black romcom. As a consulting casting director, Rachel walked me through creating a casting call, provided tips for finding actors for my indie project and advised on my pitch deck content. There’s so much that goes into posting a casting call. I had to create script sides, write character descriptions, and write cover letters. Rachel is extremely knowledgeable and presents industry information and etiquette in an accessible way.
Whitney Wasson – Illustrator
Whitney Wasson (they/them) is a Chicago-based comedian and illustrator. They are the creative force behind SoberRabbit.com, a webcomic that follows the titular Rabbit and their animal friends through the recovery process. I hired Whitney because I love their art style. As a sober person, I hop on any opportunity to support their art. I was suuuper tempted to use AI for my cover art. However, I’m glad I stuck to my guns and hired a human.
Let’s be clear: I’m no technophobe. I think generative artificial intelligence is cool. What’s not cool is training the computers on stolen data. There are already not enough good-paying jobs for humans. So, until there’s a generative AI model trained on ethically sourced data, I won’t be using the technology.
Reacting to posts on Reddit’s Front Page
I had so much fun hanging out and cracking jokes with Samantha Garcia and Liz Hoffman.
‘The Wonderful Counsellor’ (2025)
Last Day to Vote for Kafi Kareem
Kafi Kareem is the creator of The Caddy Club, an animated feature. Help Kafi Kareem become the Entrepreneur of Impact, appear in Forbes magazine, and win $25,000! At the time of posting, she’s 14th in her group. It’s totally possible to help her win. Note: You need a Facebook account to vote. Today is the last day to vote.
Update from Devin
Every once in a while, I learn of a comics-related news story only after posting the NEWS digest and I end up kicking myself. Such was the case with this Comics Beat story about Diamond Comic Distributors having “a very bad few weeks.” Are they still having a bad few weeks, nearly a month later? We can look to this same publication’s report on comics sales for 2024. I’m guessing things have improved, but not by much. Scholastic doesn’t seem to be doing well, either, according to data from ICv2. This might look like a bleak start to 2025, but ICv2 also published Rob Salkowitz’s “Top Comics Business Stories of 2024,” which paints a picture rosy enough to justify my personal optimism. KEEP READING ‘Devin’s Comics NEWS Digest’
