Discover the New and Improved John Hopkins Author & Artist Website.
I am thrilled to finally have a comprehensive web presence to showcase my creative contributions in both the written word and comic and fine art, encompassing over a decade of hard work—all collected on a single platform for the first time.
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The Merger: Comics, Novels, and Art
In my brain, the circuitous path from graphic designer to comic strip creator to sci-fi novelist made sense. But only to me. And my scatter-shot attempts employing a disjointed conglomeration of ultimately confusing and counterproductive web presences and social media only served to muddy the water, not enrich, enlighten, and entertain, as I had initially set out to do, many years ago.
Not to mention the expense in dollars and time that was not reaping any ROI whatsoever, in fact, quite the opposite. In effect, proving the adage: insanity is repeating the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
Well, dear reader, all of that is now in my rearview. And while undertaking a complete and total rebrand in parallel with juggling multiple creative projects is not for the faint of heart, there is a cathartic peace of mind mixed with abject relief in reorganizing such a disjointed mess into something new and better. Like cleaning out the garage and discarding things no longer needed, purging the clutter to nurture, manage, and organize what’s valuable. Or to put it in the context of this blog, curating and presenting my books and art clearly and concisely on an attractive and clean new site that draws in visitors with new and engaging content that turns them into fans and customers. It’s that basic.
Flowchart illustrating all of my content on one consistent platform.
My Mission Statement: Back to the Basics
A common affliction among creators is a psychological phenomenon known as Imposter Syndrome. In all honesty, I have suffered this over the years. To compensate, I hid behind my content, leaving me as something of an enigma. Acknowledging this truth rekindled a basic tenet: My content is not my brand. I am the brand.
With this clear-eyed reappraisal front and center, the mission here on my new and improved site is to open up and allow more than just a peek behind the proverbial curtain. People are curious creatures, especially about other people. (That’s why they created a whole magazine based on this premise and gave it the most obvious name they could think of.) In a similar, albeit less cringy fashion, I will fill this blog with as much engaging content as I can muster. In the process, people will learn a lot about me. Everything from my passions, motivations, influences, favorites, and tools of the trade to how I blend these elements into my storytelling and art. The open and honest answers to these and other questions explored on my blog will help readers understand and connect with the writer behind the words, the artist behind the art—the man behind the curtain. Me.
As a working novelist and artist with the advantage of an advertising and communication arts background at my disposal, I understand what a successful author brand should look like, for example: People don’t buy a horror novel. They buy a Stephen King horror novel. Ergo, I don’t want people to buy a sci-fi novel. I want them to buy a John Hopkins sci-fi novel. Of course, the devil is in the details.
To kickstart my rebrand reboot, here’s a who, what, when, where, why, and how primer:
Who: I am John Hopkins. I have enjoyed a long and successful career in the field of communication arts. My lifelong ambition to create a comic strip, which grew into Lost Cactus, led me down an unpredictable path to where I am now.
What: Something of a renaissance man (expressed with all humility), I stretch my creative muscles across multiple writing and artistic pursuits.
When: A consistent stream of weekly posts, providing new and engaging content to sustain and expand my audience.
Where: Anywhere and everywhere my imagination leads. 😀
Why: I love what I do. From visual creations to the written word expressed through a creative collection of art, comics, graphic novels, and a science fiction trilogy.
How: Allow me to digress here with a quick take on the funny and ironic last scene of the original Pink Panther movie. The setup: Framed as the suave and sophisticated jewel thief title character, Peter Sellers’ Inspector Clouseau is in the backseat of a tiny French squad car flanked by two police officers peppering him with questions on how he did it—how he became the infamous Pink Panther. After considering the question and realizing the fame and notoriety that awaits him, Sellers’ deadpan reply is priceless: “Well, you know, it wasn’t easy.” You can watch the scene here.
As a fan of the legendary English actor, I will echo his deadpan reply in answer to the How: “Well, you know, it wasn’t easy.”
Here’s a Quick Tour of John Hopkins Author and Artist Website
The Home Page: Introductions of Myself and My Craft
Maintaining focus on The Brand, short descriptions on the books and art with links to take you where you want to go first.
The Books: Visuals, Short Descriptions, and Links to Sample Chapters
Eye-catching and informative description pages dedicated to each published work* with links to Sneak Peek Previews and Shop pages where you will find everything at discounted prices:
*Of course, new books will have their description pages added with links to ARCs and pre-orders to final published books.
The Shop: Your Virtual Bookstore & Art Gallery
☕️ If I could entice customers with complimentary carafes of coffee, I would, like in a former world, where one could avail themselves of such pleasures while perusing the shelves for their next read. (I’d spend hours in Borders Books back in the day.) Unfortunately, no future version of myself will wax nostalgic about shopping at an online store. But that’s just the nature of the beast. As for my Shop, it’s all here in easy-to-navigate sections, on sale, with more new merch added—especially to the John Hopkins Art Gallery—on a rolling basis.
JH Blog: The Heart and Soul of My Site
My approach on a macro level is clear communication to nurture and grow my audience through my new and improved blog (Squarespace rocks, by the way). Akin to maintaining a flourishing garden through consistent watering, weeding, and fertilizing (by the truckload 🙂), I am posting new blog content on a consistent weekly basis with an emphasis on organization and clear communication.
My Blog Categories
Author Journey: insightful and humorous essays on my path to authorship.
The Artist Recommends: deep dives into my art influences, past and present, and art supply demos and reviews. My long-term plan includes adding podcast interviews with fellow artists.
The Author Recommends: lists of my favorite books and book reviews. My long-term plan includes adding podcast interviews with fellow writers.
The PTB Multiverse: character introductions and essays based on the fascinating people, places, events, and technologies behind my science fiction storytelling.
Random Brain Scatterings: these essays can lead anywhere, hence the name.
On Writing: from the blank white page to querying your finished book.
On Art: from the blank white canvas to a frame-ready masterpiece.
Coming Attractions: sneak peeks and previews of what's in the pipeline.
Thanks for taking a few minutes to discover what my new site has to offer. I look forward to meeting you!
John Hopkins
Author and Artist
