Create a comic strip based on your life and share it online.

“As I grew up and entered college, I took the comic strip to the next level. The internet was just about to explode during this time (1998-2002) and I wanted to try to use this new media to promote my work. I tried to draw one or two comic strips a week and post them online. I spent many of my free hours scouring the internet looking for ways to promote Aford. I exchanged links with other comic strip websites, allowed reptile-related sites to display my comic strip for free on their site, and listed my website anywhere I could for free. Over time the popularity of the comic strip grew and grew until the point I started receiving fan mail by way of email from kids telling me how much they enjoyed my work. I still cherish those messages from aspiring artists.”

“I sent tons of emails, hundreds probably, to different newspaper editors. Many were received with no response, others with “not interested”, but I did gain the interest of a few. Over time I was able to get Aford in 8-10 newspapers across the country…including The Maryland Gazette (my childhood dream). I even received a very small payment from some of them. To me, it was not about the money though. It was about seeing my artwork in print and knowing many others were seeing and enjoying my work. There was great satisfaction in knowing I was entertaining a small audience and perhaps brightening their day in one way or another through Aford.”