The Making of Sunkissed Part Three: Relaunch
If at first you don't succeed, try try again!
In 2012, I created two characters that unbeknownst to me would take over my entire life. In 2016, I started working on their webcomic that would launch a year later. Sadly I had to put Sunkissed on hiatus not long after its first anniversary because my life got hectic, but if 2020 was good for one thing then it gave me the time I needed to revamp and relaunch my beloved webcomic!
I was part of the lucky employees able to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Without the commute and the distractions that come from being in the office, I found myself with more spare time than I had been able to enjoy in years. Being a very Type A person naturally meant putting that time to good use.
I had already been mulling over whether or not to nix my first script so I could start fresh with a new and improved first chapter. That decision became easier to justify the longer I let the original comic sit. It just didn’t hold up to what I was able to create at the time, especially after gaining even more comic experience from yet another comic of mine. (I promise to post more about A Fish out of Water in the near future!)
In the end, there were just so many glaring flaws about the plot I came up with while only a high school student that I had been clinging to because I refused to let go of my original story. But nostalgia finally wore off. My first launch proved that your first idea isn't necessarily your best idea, so don't be afraid to keep brainstorming and do not get attached to your first draft. As for my initial attempt at telling this story, you can still read it online but the question is do you want to??
So with my mind made up, a fresh script started, and the sudden onset of free time, I got to work on a rebooted version of Sunkissed. I kept the characters (mostly) the same, but the plot that brought them together needed a total makeover. Less of a rush, more thorough development of the protagonists' relationship. I’m happy to say the result is this second version being welcomed by old and new fans alike!
To redo or not to redo
One suggestion I have from this experience is if you are rebooting, then make sure you understand why and what you’ll really gain from your efforts. The art from my original version may no longer be my favorite, but that doesn’t mean it can’t still do its job. What really bothered me about chapter one 1.0 is the plot itself, and though I tried my best to think of quick fixes it really just needed a total redo. That second chance has already improved the characters, the dialogue, the story itself, and (as an added bonus) the art. However I would not recommend taking this course of action if your only gripe is old art. Let those first drawings serve as proof of how far you’ve come as an artist!
I am so proud of how far I’ve come with this story and am so excited to be sharing the “best” possible version with you today. (And even though I could probably come up with something better in another year, we’ll just let bygones be bygones and stick to version two.) For more peaks into the making of Sunkissed and many other topics to come, be sure to stick around for my next blog update!