Superman Returns, I am Back

I have been away for a while, and it feels like it has been far too long. It pains me to say this but I got overwhelmed, and crushed with the weight of always trying to be on top of everything. Moving moving moving, I was always moving. Moving to get income again, flying to make sure the kids had everything they needed for home and school, Running to get some drawings in, and Fighting to push trough this pain of old and new injuries to be healthy again. I thought I was invincible, and I could keep going, but you could say I found my limits, and had to push some things aside and refocus my life.

After a long year of fighting I was finally recieving my Permenant Disability pay. For an entire year we were living off scraps, my kids missed birthdays, holidays, and so much more. My wife and I hadn't gone on a real date in all that time, and as far as profession in the art industry how could I compete when I couldn't even buy a photo copy of my artwork to sell. I did feel good that in that time I did reach a wide audiance and gained a lot of respect having not spent a dime, but I did find out the harsh truth. If you don't have money to invest in your self, you are not going to sell. You can share all you want with the power of social media, but unfortunatly with the changes in internet marketing every form of advertisment costs money. I did all the techniques you would do aside from buying ads, and I had a lot of success, but not enough to make a career out of it. But now that all changes. Now I have a small budget to buy business cards, prints, and online ads. I can even make my website ad free. It feels good to know that it won't happen right away, but with all I have learned over this year, I can now implement that with a strong plan, and you will get to see a whole lot more coming from my website, this blog, and every social media page I own.

It's funny how something so simple can change your life for the better. Not just for my artwork, but everything changed. I could actually feel myself getting stronger and healthier with the weight and stress being lifted off of my broken back. I am no longer walking with a cane any more, and my energy levels are the highest I remember since the accident. I have been able to walk the kids to and from school each day, and excercise lightly again. Even my wrist doesn't bother me as much. I drew two hours the other day without any issues. That hasn't happened as long as I can remember. I tell you one thing my kids, and wife noticed it before I did. I thought I was doing what I usually do and push trough it. I feel like the kryptoninte is finally being expelled from my body. I can be Superman again.

Superman is who I will always be. I was born to be him, and to my family I am him. I forgot that along the way somewhere and had to be reminded. A funny story that happened on Halloween. I walked my kids to school for their costume parade, and my kids were in costume, but I was wearing my Superman shirt, and jeans. One of my daughter's friends asked me if I was going as Superman this Halloween and I said no, (I was a Swat Police Officer this year,) Then my daughter made my my day by saying why would he dress up like Superman for Halloween, he is Superman everyday. Talk about choking me up a bit right. I think she was trying to get a bonus on her allowence...Which she did. ha ha. But what this really meant to me was how much my kids believed in me. The wanted me to prove to them that there was no giving up, and being stronger than your situation is what makes a hero. I didn't have to leap buildings in a single bound, I only had to leap hurdles. I didn't have to be more powerful than a locomotive, I just had to show them I was more powerful than my injuries. I didn't have to move faster than a speeding bullet, all they ever wanted was me to slow down and take my time enjoying life with them. So I did. I slowed down, and the rest took care of itself.  I was able to listen, learn and better myself.

Sometimes it's good to just fly up above the Earth and just drift in space quietly listening to the world.Just get away and relax until it's your time. It wasn't my time yet and I got discouraged. I let the world place it's weight on me, but now I choose to fly above it and make things happen.

So in the next coming months a whole lot is going to happen. New is the theme. New art, new comics, new lessons. All of it will be new. I will even add some new contests just to make things more fun, and interactive. So I hope you join me as I grow. I would like to see a lot of you grow with me.
I made a list of all my social media sites if you want to link up, and share your art, and talents with the world. Check out the image below.

Thank you for reading,

Derrick
http://derrickr.webs.com

Twisted Fate: Show Off by Derrick Rathgeber

Twisted Fate: Show Off

by Derrick Rathgeber

Twisted Fate: Show Off by Derrick Rathgeber

Our Fate decides to create an elaborate pulley system with the threads of life. This can’t be good…Awesome maybe.

Visit the Twisted Fate comic strip series on Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/derrickr333/twisted-fate-by-derrick-rathgeber-comic-strips/

Be sure to find me on Facebook for more fun and great art. http://Facebook.com/DerrickRathgeber

Thanks again, 

Derrick Rathgeber

It's time to Rise like an Eagle and Fly

It's time to Rise like an Eagle and Fly

_________________________________________________________________________________

Hello my name is Derrick Rathgeber, and all of you know me as a colored pencil artist. Not only that I am known for using what tools I can find lying around to make big works of art. For years ever since my accident I have been drawing on 32 cent poster board, printer paper, and using a collection of RoseArt pencils donated to me. I am very thankful to the company RoseArt for sending me this great gift, I was completely out of black, and certain reds I needed to finish my last piece. They gave me an opportunity to share my lessons on their blog page and ignited my own blog page here. It's funny I thought that was my ticket to getting more traffic to my website, and possibly sell some work so I can buy frames and do some shows, but people never came. 

Over the last year I have posted my work all over the web in every free way possible. I put in a lot of hours linking these pages together. If you search my name you get pages upon pages of results. I am on Pinterest, Tumblr, DeviantArt, Facebook, Twitter, FineArtAmerica, and the list goes on and on. I have been featured on a few other sites as an artist, and I am currently in a showcase here in Riverside, CA. The problem I am having with all of this work I put in is it seems to go nowhere. I haven't sold one thing. I am literally all over the web, and I am not getting traffic. I wanted to prove to other artists that struggle in ways that I do, that it's possible to make it without putting in money you don't have. In a sense I have been doing well, and I do have a small hand full of great fans, but most of them are other artists that are not into buying work from another artist. I don't blame them it is kind of counter productive. But I have been invited to several shows, and I have had to turn them all down because all of my work is without frames, I don't have setup fees, transportation, or money to give as change for that matter. It's embarrassing to continue putting these shows off, and calling yourself a "professional artist." 

In my own way I do want to continue helping out. So in this case I am going to continue keeping my work FREE to view. I don't have a lot of money, and I know other artists do not either, so I will continue to help all of you for FREE. I will be honest and say this it gives me a great pleasure to see even 1 like on my comic post, or one fellow artist sharing their results from my drawing lesson with a thank you. I get a kick out of it. That money cannot buy. So what will change. 

In my many years, before I was placed on the shelf as a disabled employee, I worked for many different companies and learned a whole lot of trades. I made a lot of companies a great deal of money with innovative ideas, and advertising strategies that placed them on top. It was easy they gave me an amount to use, and I turned it into more. They gave me a product and I sold it. The had a number and I beat it. Recently I fought with myself asking why can I not market myself in the same way. I have placed myself EVERYWHERE, I made contests, I made ideas, and I advertised myself to the brim, so why can I not sell me? It recently dawned on me that I never invested in myself, other than time. I never put in the money. I thought what I was doing was enough. Hell I stood toe-to-toe with big named artists with a pack of $1.29 colored pencils, and a 32 cent poster board and won. It's time for me to rise above my own fear and doubt, and invest in myself. In return when I do that I know this investment will pay off for mine and my families future. 

By the end of this month your going to see a whole lot more of me. Starting with a new Twisted Fate comic strip. As the ink is drying, I want to say come back for that. And before they go "viral" you get to say you saw it here first. Before I get new materials you get to go through my web page and share my work saying check this guy out he didn't need to spend hundreds on art supplies, and he made it. You will be able to say I saw these comics before they were in a book. And I'll remember your faith in me and return it ten fold. Because everything I do on here is meant to be shared with the world. So I will end this as saying thank you for everything, and helping me keep my eyes on the prize. I am going to fly. 

Thank you,

Derrick Rathgeber

http://DerrickR.Webs.com

Find me on Facebook at Http://Facebook.com/DerrickRathgeber

Twisted Fate: It's The END??

It's The END??

In 2002 I made this comic as a great joke to all the rumors of the world ending. There was so much on the news, and media that people forgot the Mayan Calendar was made prior to leap year, meaning the world would have ended about 13 years ago. So to explain this I had my Fates explain that the Mayan's made a second Calendar but didn't say anything because it was just funnier this way. We'll to me it was. Enjoy. 

Visit the Twisted Fate, and re-pin them on your favorite boards on Pinterest at:
http://pinterest.com/derrickr333/twisted-fate-by-derrick-rathgeber-comic-strips/

Thank you,

Derrick Rathgeber
http://derrickr.webs.com

Featured Art - Firestarter - The Grand Cross' New Beginning

Featured Art - Firestarter by Derrick Rathgeber
8 x 10 marker drawing with Photoshop fire effects. 
Looking at this picture reminds me of where my story is going now. At the time that I drew this picture and colored it, I was changing my story into something it wasn’t. I did everything I could to put it out there and make it on tv.
When I contacted Warner Bros. Animation studio they were interested in picking up the Grand Cross story line and characters to put into rotation with their Saturday morning cartoons. The only problem was the content. They didn’t want a cartoon that had Earth, Heaven, and Demons waging war on each other so I had to tone it down. Which I did. I changed the story line to fit the “ demographics.” Unfortunately they wanted more changes. Pokemon was new and popular so they suggested that the characters got their powers from rune beings instead of powers from a dying planet…So I created a special being for each rune power. I even had them merge together. 
Long story short I changed EVERYTHING! Literally nothing was left but the characters, but I was going to have my moment. The Animation new projects director pitched my story and characters to the head honchos, and they loved it. We were in business. Or so I thought. A week later I got a call from the Project Director and he tells me they are changing their line up, and adding a new Super hero animation instead. I joked that all they had left to do with the DC lineup was Justice League….and he laughed and said I guessed exactly right. Then he gave me the usual speech of pitch it again another time, and who knows. 
To me this experience showed me something. As much as I love the cartoon look of my story, I hated the story it became. It wasn’t me, and it wasn’t the great battle it was supposed to be. So I am glad I took it all apart, and rebuilt it all. This time I am doing my own research and writing it for ME! It will be a grand continuation to the war of Man, Heaven and Hell full of plots, and sub plots. And who knows when I publish the comic book, I might just create a following strong enough to have a movie made of it. Till then, I will do this project for me.

Is it luck..or something else....?

Twisted Fate Vol. 4 Preview #2

How will it all end? Stay tuned for the full comic this Tuesday!

Http://Facebook.com/DerrickRathgeber

Http://DerrickR.artist.cm