Who Owns the Million Dollar Baseball?
Article written by David Bollier.
Modern capitalism has the conceit that only individual property owners create wealth and they therefore deserve all the rewards. It cannot comprehend the idea that commoners and commons create value. Fortunately, a brilliant young cartoonist from Canberra, Australia, Stuart McMillen, clearly explains the ...
2019-06-27 07:14:24 +0000 UTC
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It's new comic day!
Who Owns the Million Dollar Baseball?
In 2004 the Boston Red Sox won the baseball World Series, breaking an 86-year drought. But controversy erupted when the player who caught the winning ball kept it as a personal souvenir. Comic about the winner-takes-all attitude of successful people who "did it all themselves".
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2019-06-12 22:46:24 +0000 UTC
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A visual trademark of mine is detailed illustrations that are broken up into smaller segments via the borders of my comics panels. Several of my readers have noted that this is a recurring motif of my work, and I was pleased that they were able to spot the pattern.
Whereas my previous blog post discussed a particul...
2019-05-09 04:44:59 +0000 UTC
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This month I am publishing the third comic from my Twenty-Five Arguments Against Billboards series:
Litter ...
2019-03-26 21:47:30 +0000 UTC
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Last month I drew a page of comics art that pleased me more than anything else that I have drawn during the past two years.
After 12 hours of brainstorming, arranging, and drawing, I walked away feeling satisfied and proud.
Afterwards, for some reason, I couldn’t stop thinking about that page.
Because I am so happy with how it turned out, I decided to write this blog post explaining my satisfaction.
The final artwork
For a start, here is the page that I...
2019-03-19 06:20:09 +0000 UTC
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Billboard advertisers ‘tag’ our public spaces in the same way that graffiti artists ‘tag’ walls with their marks.
At 26 pages long, this is my first major comic of 2019.
It follows last month's The Crudest Form of Advertising (14 pages) as part #1 of my ongoing series 2019-02-18 23:26:30 +0000 UTC
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January 2019 postcards: billboards
Last weekend, I sent a trio of postcards to my supporters who are subscribed to my 'postcard' tier of patronage.
2019-02-01 08:13:42 +0000 UTC
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Happy new year! Here is my first comic for 2019, The Crudest Form of Advertising.
This is part of a series of comics that I am beginning titled Twenty-Five Arguments Against Billboards.
Read more in my email newsletter. I will share more detailed news about this project in the future.
2019-01-21 23:11:08 +0000 UTC
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This is an update to last month's post about my upcoming posts about billboard advertising.
Billboards comics
In short, I am still stockpiling pages of artwork for these Twenty-Five Arguments Against Billboards. Have a look here:
2018-11-30 07:54:23 +0000 UTC
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Hi everyone,
I wanted to let you know the latest with me.
Even though I haven’t published anything for a few months, I have been working solidly behind the scenes.
During July and August, I had a real ‘purple patch’ of writing. I surfed a wave of inspiration towards the topics that I will focus on for the next 9-to-12 months: billboard advertising and the commodification of public spaces.
After first thinking about this idea in 2017, I real...
2018-10-29 05:37:11 +0000 UTC
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A fortnight ago, I sent out Deprived of Religion -themed postcards to my supporters who are subscribed to my US$20+ tier. Here is a squiz at the artwork.
And, to celebrate the success of my recent matched crowdfunding campaign, I sent out postcards to 120 of my other supporters. Ba...
2018-07-17 08:45:23 +0000 UTC
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Hi everyone!
In short, my crowdfunding campaign was a hit! An additional 101 people generously joined my Patreon campaign. These new supporters are collectively pledging US$1,762 per month. This amount sits on top of my pre-existing funding base of $426 per month.
Assuming all of my new supporters continue their newly-made pledges, it means I now have an additional A$28,708 to support my cartooning each year, on an annualis...
2018-06-02 04:19:25 +0000 UTC
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We are in the final 36 hours of my matched crowdfunding campaign. The 'government boosting' only applies to pledges made before 11:59pm on 31 May.
To bring it home, I have just released a final video that shows the work that I do.
I emphasise the Monday-to-Friday, ongoing nature of my 'public interest cartooning'.
Patrons, this is something that you already appreciate. After all, you are the ones helping me to do this work! But maybe you kno...
2018-05-30 08:13:13 +0000 UTC
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Patrons, thanks for your continued support. I have just released a new 14-page comic:
Deprived of Religion
It is inconceivable that I could ever become religious. Becoming religious would contradict principles that I value more highly.
http://www.deprivedofreligion.com/
PS: since you are invested enough in my work to be my crowdfunding supporters, I have...
2018-05-29 06:51:56 +0000 UTC
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I am halfway through my matched crowdfunding campaign, so have decided to release a second promotional video.
In contrast to the first video at the hot air balloon festival, which was quite straight-forward, this one has a sense of humour to it.
You are already my crowdfunding supporters, but I thought you'd like to watch the video also.
I'll be releasing a new comic within the next two weeks. Stay tuned.
2018-05-14 22:05:23 +0000 UTC
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I Used to Be Racist
The title of my new comic says it all. It is about loo...
2018-05-10 22:55:30 +0000 UTC
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Early feedback from this comic is that it reminds many people of their own teenage experiences.
Please share the comic, if it resonates with you.
2018-05-10 22:41:42 +0000 UTC
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G'day comrades,
As you might have seen elsewhere, I have some excellent career-boosting news to share: I have been given an Australian government-backed crowdfunding opportunity.
I am one of just 25 artists to be selected for this Creative Partnerships Australia opportunity. This is a fantastic opportunity, which I hope will boost my career by encouraging new people to join my Patreon campaign.
You can read the full news about this opportunity
2018-04-16 20:27:55 +0000 UTC
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I have just majorly revamped this Patreon page, and everything that I am offering through this page.
Have a squiz at my page to see:
- My new crowdfunding video
- My new blurb, explaining my story and my ambitions
- My new crowdfunding rewards tiers
- My new financial goals
With my new reward tiers, I have added a host of new options for people who value my artwor...
2018-04-16 20:25:04 +0000 UTC
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Not Talking About Capitalism
Capitalism is the single dominant force that shapes our lives today. But for some reason it is taboo to discuss the system that contains us.
http://www.stuartmcmillen.com/comic/not-talking-about-capitalism/
With just 10 sentences of text, this is a short comic by my ...
2018-04-12 21:35:26 +0000 UTC
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This is a legitimate side-by-side of my 2008 illustration style, against my 2018 illustration style.
Comparing the best 'Stuart standing in front of a city' scene that I could manage ten years ago, next to a brand new scene that I completed today.
This comparison shows the slow transformation that comes from perseverance and practice.
Remember: I began cartooning without any formal training, and have continued down that sel...
2018-02-14 06:34:01 +0000 UTC
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Yes, this is the fruit of the Ballot Box Comics project that my $5+ readers voted on in August.
Notel
In 1973, researchers visited the last remaining Canadian town without TV reception.
http://www.stuartmcmillen.com/comic/notel/ [22 pages]
Yes, this is my comic about the psychological research of Universi...
2017-12-20 13:04:26 +0000 UTC
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This video was shot roughly a month ago, and discusses how I move from writing phase into the storyboarding phase of my comics.
Specifically, it also discusses the way that I decided to split the Notel comic into three parts:
1) Notel
2) Unitel
3) Multitel
2017-12-20 12:56:34 +0000 UTC
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Hi everyone,
Just a quick note about the revised fees that Patreon is charging. You probably got an email from Patreon about this two days ago. Follow the link to see their new fees, and the reason for the change.
Patreon informed us creators about their plans the day before they publicly announced the news.
It sounds like Patreon has been wrestling with some of...
2017-12-09 23:06:24 +0000 UTC
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I have just released a new comic to the web! Here's the blurb:
First Got the Internet
In my Nineties kid childhood, internet access was a scarcity. Today, the internet is ubiquitous and is a major distraction.
http://www.stuartmcmillen.com/comic/first-got-the-internet/ [15 pages]
-
I actually drew this comic back in February 2017, in ...
2017-11-13 12:51:37 +0000 UTC
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Oops. Just learned that my Notel main character actually usually wore glasses!
Here's the 'before and after'. Luckily there's not too much work to update the illustrations.
Stay tuned for more looks at Notel.
2017-10-26 23:00:09 +0000 UTC
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Time-lapse footage of me brainstorming and storyboarding the Notel comic on a whiteboard.
This video shows you one of the most important (and colourful) parts of my process: my Post-it note frenzy!
This is an essential part of my process. Before this stage, I am simply gathering together the building blocks that I hope to include in my comic.
By brainstorming with Post-it notes, I decide the order of my ideas
2017-10-14 06:41:34 +0000 UTC
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You would have seen this two weeks ago, if you are subscribed to my email newsletter. Sorry for the delayed cross-post here.
Notel is taking shape in my mind. I dug deep into the rabbit hole of research, conceptualising and trying to generally understand the findings of this classic experiment into television’s impact on a community.
I’ve had my nose deep in books fo...
2017-10-14 06:38:49 +0000 UTC
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Want something good to read? I shot a video listing the Top 3 books that I read during the last two years (2015-2017).
I take about two minutes per title to discuss why I like each book so much.
Here is the Top 3 countdown list:
#3:"The Truth: An Uncomfortable Book About Relationships" (2015) by Neil Strauss
https://www.bookdeposi...
2017-10-06 09:59:58 +0000 UTC
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