Max Riffner Newsletter: I'm Back!
Welcome to my new semi-regular newsletter. I haven't broadcast much in awhile, and I wanted to catch some folks up with what I've been up to with my life and more importantly, my comics.
Most of you know that I was working on my own webcomic, *Drunk Elephant Comics,* since 2008. I recently ended the strip in July 2012. [If you haven't read it, check it out.](http://www.drunkelephantcomics.com) I ended up doing over 550 strips, and it is completely free to read online. I'm in the process of collecting the material for some sort of book format, printed and/or digital. It was a fantastic learning experience, and along the way I met a lot of new fans and friends. I was sad to end it, but it had to be done because of my continuing studies.
I am currently in the last semester of getting my master's degree from [The Center for Cartoon Studies](http://www.cartoonstudies.org) in White River Junction, Vermont. I moved to Vermont in the fall of 2011, and have been studying with some of the greatest cartoonists working in the field today. This is one of the reasons I was ready to end *Drunk Elephant.* I've been producing so many comics for classes, as well as receiving so many professional opportunities, that something had to end. *Drunk Elephant *was at a natural ending point for me this summer, and I've been working on several new projects that I want to share with you now.
*The Cartoon Crier* is a newspaper published by The Center for Cartoon Studies and The National Cartoonists Society that deals entirely with sorrow. It features some of the saddest work from classic comics such as *For Better and For Worse, Beetle Baily,* and *Family Circus,* as well as comics from the CCS community. I acted as art director for the newspaper and it was edited by James Sturm, R. Sikoryak, and my fellow classmate, Cole Closser. The editors and myself all have work included in the paper also. [You can read The Cartoon Crier online for free!](http://issuu.com/cartoonstudies/docs/cartooncrier)
The Crippler's Son
In order to receive my degree, we have to deliver a thesis project, a comic that is supposed to represent everything we have learned over the course of our studies. My thesis is titled *The Crippler's Son,* and it's about two brothers who grew up in the early days of professional wrestling, one of whom has become a wrestler himself. The goal is to have this book done by graduation in May, and I may do a small, self-published run of the book while looking for a publisher. Wish me luck!
However, I hear you say, *"what about comics that I can read right now?"* I have a solution for you!
Doing one webcomic together wasn't enough! Kevin Church and I decided to come back and create *Signs and Meanings,* and we brought colorist extraordinare (and good pal) Rick Hiltbrunner along for the ride. The story follows Ashley (the antagonist from our first series, *Lydia*) as she moves back home to work at a local marketing agency. Unbeknownst to her, forces are gathering to make her return a living hell, literally. We update the series once a week on Wednesdays, and [you can start reading here!](http://www.signsandmeanings.com)That was a lot of updates! Thanks for reading all the way through. I promise the next newsletter will be a little bit easier to get through, but I thought you'd all like the latest news. I should also have a new website by then, where I'll be starting to blog again. You can see a preview of what to expect visually with the design of this newsletter. Stay tuned, and thanks again!
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