Well, hello! Welcome to Artificial Ink Drops, the newsletter and project update hub for Ted Kendrick. That would be me, and will remain me for the future, unless something drastic occurs to change that, in which this newsletter should serve as the best place to ever let you know, and keep you informed.
Why are your ink drops so fake?
Wow. We are really jumping into the weeds right from the start. Artificial Ink Drops was named to compliment Artificial Ink Creative LLC, which has served as my business entity for creative endeavors since May 2018.
Now that it is May 2021, this newsletter essentially launched on its Three Year Anniversary! Happy birthday, Artificial Ink! We love you very, very, very much! I was only 26 years old when we first met, not so innocent but still naive. How we have grown as you approach Three and I near Flirty Thirty!
As for why the ink drops are fake, or artificial, have you looked around recently? This is an email from the internet. My Business is my Art, and my Art is my Business. Artificial as opposed to Official, and Ink fits my style better than Inc. The Drops are the posts, and they’ll drop when they feel like it.
I thought you were a tattoo parlor.
And I thought you cared about my creative work! That makes two of us disappointed, doesn’t it? Give me your wrist, a few pins, and some India ink, and I can certainly try my best attempt at a stick-and-poke tattoo.
So…what exactly are we doing here?
You signed up for the newsletter because you want to learn more about my creative endeavors, and support my work wherever and whenever it gets released. How can you do any of that if you don’t even know what exists?
Is that a rhetorical question?
You tell me.
I would rather not. This is your space.
That’s a good point. Appreciate the reminder! I ran a Wordpress blog at tedkendrick.com sporadically over the last five years. While that served its purpose as an update hub, it never gathered much recurring attention. Only the Facebook followers ever saw any new post updates, so I suspect that this newsletter will become a much more convenient place for everybody…
…especially in the wake of the Mass Exodus of Social Media! It’s coming!
Add in the fact that Mr. Business, Esquire of the creative industry views mailing lists as marketable proof that creative types have a real fanbase, so this is the new nature of the beast. You are stuck with me now, unless you choose to unsubscribe, but please don’t do that. You’ve already got me begging over here, and it’s only day one! Don’t do this to me. I’m too fragile.
My plan is to write one of these Drops at least once a month, since that’s usually enough time in between to have something new to show off. Nobody wants their inbox bombarded with messages just for the sake of it, though I may post more frequently if there is something eventful or time sensitive.
Like a short film or something?
Sure! Occasionally, I may embed some creative content, like the DOUBLE AGENT short film that I wrote, directed and produced in 2020, which is still making the rounds on the film festival circuit. The short recently screened on May 15th as a selection of The Golden Hour Film Festival at the Silver Fork Winery in Morganton, North Carolina, though I sadly wasn’t in attendance.
Stick around, and you’ll find posts in the future will cover what I’m currently working on with updates on articles, books, poetry, video essays, web-series, films, and whatever else. You may get a whiff here and there as movement occurs on long-term goals, release dates are dropped for finished work, news of any scheduled festival programming, convention appearances, or info on other projects that I pick up and take on in between and along the way.
Some of you may know me best from my work as a producer on the Watchtower Database YouTube channel on all things DC Animated Universe. There will surely be a segment of this newsletter dedicated each month to those efforts, like my most recent video on a potential “Wonder Woman: The Animated Series” as a collaboration with Sasha Wood of Casually Comics. I love having an outlet to write and talk about superheroes, but you will find that the Watchtower Database is only one facet of my creative output.
I also consume a lot of different media, and intend to share some recommendations for movies, television, books, games, and music that I’ve enjoyed recently, and think maybe you will as well. I’ve been told that I have pretty decent taste in my entertainment consumption, but it’s been years since the last time anyone said that, so maybe I should take it back for now.
Tell me more, please and thank you.
Okay. For example, check out NOVEMBER, written by Matt Fraction with artwork by Elsa Charretier, a four-part noir graphic novel series centered around three women wrapped up in underground crime. The final chapter just hit the shelves in April 2021, and it’s a mind-bending critique on police corruption, and a vehicle for gritty character work. Fraction is always witty as fuck, and Charretier is one of my favorite working comics artists right now, whose style reminds me of clean line-work from artists like Darwyn Cooke.
Give it a read if you are inspired. Shoot me a reply, or tag me on Twitter @Ted_Kendrick if you check out the series, and want to talk about it!
Books are boring. You mentioned music…?
Books are not boring, but I did mention music. “Be Comfortable, Creature” is one of my favorite songs by the post-rock band Explosions In The Sky. The music video was directed by Paul Logan—not Logan Paul. Big difference—in 2011, which was ten freaking years ago now. I have fond memories walking to school with this song in my earbuds. The music video itself is fun, but the song is just as powerful without the visuals. It makes this creature feel comfy.
Do you really make monthly creative content?
Sometimes. I’m certainly always working on something. Not a month goes by without some progress on this, that, or the other. Keep your eyes peeled on this newsletter, and you will either see that it’s true, or maybe stick around anyway because you’ll find something enduring to hold your attention.
Then why don’t I see your work more often?
I mean…maybe you will now that this newsletter exists. That is kinda the point, my dude, so just hang in there. Thanks for taking an interest though!
Future Ink Drops will become more defined as I feel out this format, but much appreciated for signing up and following me on this creative journey. It sounds really stupid when I say it like that, but that’s honestly what this is, so buckle up, because you’ve just committed to more of this nonsense.
Bye!