Here At Last, We Stand...

::sigh::

My friends, it has most certainly been a long time coming. But tonight, I relate before you a proud individual, and honored individual, this has obtained a title onto which no undertaking before can identify with.

This book, this Issue Three; third in a planned series of 8, a nominal 36 pages, has seen two states, two coffee shops, and has made new friends. This book thus far was the toughest accomplishment of mine to date, creatively speaking. Within this book itself, I set out to outdo everything that came before it, obliterate my prior capabilities, push the envelope on each aspect of the creative process; I feel that I've done this.

I am proud of this book. I am proud of its completion. I am, more so now than ever before, honored.

For those of you that have waited, for those of you that have forgotten, for those of you that are only now hearing about it, know, that I am honored.

In the past year I have relocated to New York, drove the east coast corridor with my homeboy Prescod for the first time, made friends with some ridiculously talented blokes, got a taste of what it's like to be cold... constantly, while experiencing my first winter season, got fired from my job, and conquered my fear of driving in New York. Suffice to say, I've been busy. This book took an unprecedented amount of time to finish, well over a year from beginning to end. There aren't enough excuses to illustrate why this is, but only one that sticks out: I almost gave up.

While employed, my job required a roughly 2 hour drive each way, resulting in little to no invested time during the week to do just about anything. I tried dating, I tried exploring, I tried being outgoing, but after a 12 hour day, a third of which on the road in New York city, once I'd gotten home, nothing mattered.

The weekends where scarcely optimized, trying as hard as possible to be productive, or proactive, most times simply wanting sleep. I maintained this for as long as I could, because this is an expensive city, even when you're living at home with momdukes and you've to do your part to help financially.

As the months crawled on, progress diminished, if not outright ceased, and there was certainly a point where things were not looking forthright for my career.

I almost gave up.

I pressed onward, taking some time to myself here and there, keeping an eye on new employment opportunities, anticipating change. And so it came.

In the form of an interested recruiter from a creative agency.

The best news I've heard in 5 years.

In the coming weeks, I begin a new chapter in my life, one that promises to be a healthy shift in perspective, an opportunity like no other. And so, I leave New York, bound for the Northwest, my place of rest yet to be established, as this is all a step by step process. In the mean time, I present to you Periphery, issue number 3.

I plan to attempt a fourth issue, as it was originally meant to drive the narrative further, answer a few yearning questions about this thing I'm sure you all have! It is very much possible, but I have an idea for another story I want to start that may take precedence over Periphery until its first issue is completed.

I usually abstain from putting a new issue online so soon as to accommodate sales for prints, give readers a chance to enjoy the book before it's made available to the universe. But, as of right now, prints are not a priority, hell, I'm not even sure I'll be seeing Supercon this year, or any other convention for that matter. Nevertheless, I want that in its completion, I get to share my exuberance immediately!

An innumerable amount of thanks are in order, to each and every one of you.

I am honored.

I am humbled.

I am happy.

As I close this book, with it, the closing of the hardest book I've ever purposefully drawn.

The work never ceases, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Cheers!