By my count, the other longest-running graphic-design webcomic, which has been at it for a few years I believe, will be eclipsed in sheer volume in a number of weeks. This is my way of saying I'm the shit over here, and recognize. 

The first comics in this series pain me to both view and read, and I know that's half the fun of watching any artist over time. Looking at early Peanuts and Garfield strips, or Calvin and Hobbes to a lesser extent, is always fun and charming, seeing where character started visually and comparing them to where they end up. The webcomics version of this is Penny Arcade, whose early strips look like a monkey drew them when compared to their radiant current form. Of course, there's ten years of difference there, and thousands of strips to grow as an artist. In my neck of the woods, Newton's nose eventually overpowered his face, and --as some assert-- portions of other characters came to overpower other portions. Such is evolution. Hopefully Rob thinks I'm getting better at drawing black people, too.

Looking back, I'm happiest with the camping excursion and our foray into detective fiction, Force Justify, aside from the random gag here or there. Then of course, there's other's I'd just as soon forget exist. I have to believe other cartoonists feel the same way, but that's one of the benefits to this. There's really no endless iterating of ideas. You do a strip, it's done, you move on and you do the next one. So when one turd pops out, there's always a chance the next one can be solid gold. 

Admittedly, most end up in the middle. Thanks for everything, 

--nv--

DB: That sounds fantastic, and sure, I'll even answer them on the site for others to read. Since others may read this too, the chances of me being honest just went up dramatically.

DB: Someone I worked with asked if I did any work outside of my day job, and that was about it. I was contracting for Union Pacific Railroad as their web designer, and was told it was not a conflict of interest, so freelancing was fine. I actually liked having a different client to work with and thus continued freelancing. I consider the end of my freelancing to be when I actually incorporated my business, but in reality, running a small shop is very similar.

DB: These questions already are not going well for me. I said I started freelancing while at a job, and you just reminded me that I may have started before that while still in school. Oh well, yes, I did a few freelance projects there too. Not sure why I don't count them. When in college, my sister had me do a poster for a group she was in, one of the departments had me do a poster for them, and I did some other miscellaneous projects as well. Nothing I ever sent out invoices for, even though a couple of them paid me. Most of the client work I did in college was through a studio run as a class and working part-time for the print shop on campus. My last semester I picked up a part-time job at an ad agency. Client experience comes in many forms, with freelancing being just one of them.

DB: Always talk to people. Most of our business now, and in the past, has been referral based. I also have, and still do, volunteer to do some projects that are either fun or for a good cause. Some of these have led to me meeting new people or doing work that has gotten recognition. These are always considered bonuses though. If the volunteer work isn't fun or rewarding enough to do without the chance of future work, then I've turned it down. Volunteer projects that are done only for future gain never seem to have the love put into them that leads to any real gain anyway. 

DB: This is a constantly changing method for me. Currently I find making sure I have at least one day a week completely void of any work is a great benefit no matter how busy it is around the office. The best work doesn't always come from having more time to do it. More often it's being in the right mindset to create, and that works best when I'm not burned out. I also currently try to set a time to be home, and I don't do any work after that.

DB: Not a problem. If others out there have anything else to add, or find that they have advice on these topics to share, I encourage them to leave comments below.

Last week I wrapped up my first set of illustrations as a Veer Marketplace Contributor, and I'm here to report on that process. Smooth as silk, though as the site warns, requiring of patience. In abundance. Patience while you wait, like waiting for a blood test, with no indication of success until word comes all at once. Happily, I shot 10 for 10 from the line, and later this summer you'll be able to buy some Nate Voss artwork on the cheap -- er, on the reasonable -- from Veer. 

It's what amounts to a Veer-branded iStock site, which I guess people are calling "microstock" these days. I am okay with that, though there was a time (before my independent employment) when I found the practice somewhat less savory. iStock is the Wal-Mart of image-sites, and Veer has always been like a smaller, cooler boutique chain. Sure it's a chain, but it's cooler. It's like the Apple Store before the Apple Store was everywhere. I've always felt like they "got it" from their wallpapers to their blog, and especially their Merch section, from which I scored a few shirts that has in the past years have become worn from wear. So becoming a part of that brand feels very good to me.

So right now there's 10 Nate Voss's that will appear on Veer later this summer, and now that I know that whatever it is that I'm doing is what they're looking for, you can bet there will be more. Have a great weekend.

Also -- HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY EVERYONE!

It's magic, and I can say from experience that if you weren't at HOW this year, this is probably as close to it as you can get. We get a pretty serious blow-by-blow of UnderConsiderations Mano a Mano competition from yesterday, a lot more looks into the sessions and speakers, and lots and lots of bagging on Marc English's double-super-long presentation. Word.

Download The Reflex Blue Show HOW Conference Special: DAY THREE (23meg) or click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The How Conference daily podcasts continue with a slightly shorter episode that is literally bursting at the seams with no more than six guests playing a rousing game of pass-the-mic, including Clint Walkingstick, (eL) Ron Hubbard, a second illustrious appearance by both Kenneth and Jenneth Visocky-O'Grady, U&lc/SpeakUp/BrandNew-man Armin Vit, and Design Goddess Debbie Millman. Not a bad way to spend a quarter-hour --

Download The Reflex Blue Show HOW Conference Special: DAY TWO (12meg) or click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

If you're keeping track, this is our 95th 1PT.Rule comic, so as we count down to the über-special occasion of #100, go on back through the catalog and get caught up.

Doing it right from Austin, Texas, live from the Conference Center's 4th Floor -- The Reflex Blue Show HOW Conference Special continues!

Download The Reflex Blue Show HOW Conference Special: DAY ONE (17meg) or click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

Donovan hits the tarmac in Austin Texas for the 2009 HOW Design Conference. We're recapping every day's event right here on 36 Point, so check back each night to see what you're missing, and what you're not!

Today we're joined by Courtney Christensen from the City of Kansas, Missouri and get a special late walk-in from Rule 29's Justin Ahrens for a microcast that gets our feet wet on this pocasting from hundreds of miles away business.

Major coverage starts tomorrow!

Download The Reflex Blue Show HOW Conference Special: DAY ZERO (10meg) or click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.