James Ferguson

I started college as a computer science major and then roomed with a guy doing radio / TV production. My final projects were hours of code and he was going on a mountain w/ an afro wig and a sword. I was in the wrong field. That, coupled with a job in retail, planted the seed for CLEAN UP CREW.

Seeing Miles develop and grow from a timid, uncertain college grad into a guy fighting for his life against vampires has been the joy of CLEAN UP CREW. By the time I got to the end of the series, now totaling 5 issues, I was pumping my fist in the air. I stuck the landing.

I started college as a computer science major and then roomed with a guy doing radio / TV production. My final projects were hours of code and he was going on a mountain w/ an afro wig and a sword. I was in the wrong field. That, coupled with a job in retail, planted the seed for CLEAN UP CREW.

I realized that there was another story here and it would be a fine one. It would check the boxes. It would look cool. But it wasn't the story I wanted to tell. I went back to basics. What was the core idea that excited me about CLEAN UP CREW? It's a kid at a crossroads.

I started college as a computer science major and then roomed with a guy doing radio / TV production. My final projects were hours of code and he was going on a mountain w/ an afro wig and a sword. I was in the wrong field. That, coupled with a job in retail, planted the seed for CLEAN UP CREW.

I started revising CLEAN UP CREW. This could be bigger. This could have more to it. I fleshed out the characters. I made sure their motivations were clear. I used what I learned from 10+ years of comic reviewing and my first mini-series to make this better.

I started college as a computer science major and then roomed with a guy doing radio / TV production. My final projects were hours of code and he was going on a mountain w/ an afro wig and a sword. I was in the wrong field. That, coupled with a job in retail, planted the seed for CLEAN UP CREW.

After hitting a rut in 2021 and battling some depression, I decided to put down the press hat and start writing. Encouraged by @theilluminerdi.bsky.social, I got into some anthologies. I connected w/ Dan Buksa and we made a short, then started into a mini-series which became A REAL SLOBBERKNOCKER.

I started college as a computer science major and then roomed with a guy doing radio / TV production. My final projects were hours of code and he was going on a mountain w/ an afro wig and a sword. I was in the wrong field. That, coupled with a job in retail, planted the seed for CLEAN UP CREW.

Time past, but the idea stayed with me. After reviewing comics for years at @horrordna.bsky.social, I sat down and wrote out CLEAN UP CREW as a one-shot. I shared it w/ some folks like @theothermarioc.com & @eastindeverna.bsky.social who gave me positive feedback. Maybe I had something.

I started college as a computer science major and then roomed with a guy doing radio / TV production. My final projects were hours of code and he was going on a mountain w/ an afro wig and a sword. I was in the wrong field. That, coupled with a job in retail, planted the seed for CLEAN UP CREW.

The concept about a vampire janitor hit me as I was pushing a broom around the store one night. What's a job that a vampire could have in the modern day? How would a vampire survive when you need a credit card to get anything from a streaming service to food delivery?

With CLEAN UP CREW launched and funded on @kickstarter.com, how about we dive into some of the influences of the story? This is something I've had in my head for 20 years so a lot has helped shape it to what it is today. www.kickstarter.com/projects/jam...

From a pure horror standpoint, Nailbiter from @joshuawilliamson.bsky.social & @mikeshenderson.bsky.social continues to stand out in my mind years after its release. If Clean Up Crew can channel a fraction of the fear I had while reading that series, I will consider myself successful.

With CLEAN UP CREW launched and funded on @kickstarter.com, how about we dive into some of the influences of the story? This is something I've had in my head for 20 years so a lot has helped shape it to what it is today. www.kickstarter.com/projects/jam...

The retail element is also at play with Kevin Smith's Clerks as an influence. That movie, as well as Smith's earlier work had a major impact on me as well as starting me down a creative path. That's one of the reasons why @radpencils.bsky.social's variant had to be an homage to Clerks.

With CLEAN UP CREW launched and funded on @kickstarter.com, how about we dive into some of the influences of the story? This is something I've had in my head for 20 years so a lot has helped shape it to what it is today. www.kickstarter.com/projects/jam...

One of the themes I love to explore in my writing is someone finding their place in the world. Mech Cadet Yu from @gregpak.net & Takeshi Miyazawa and Wayward from @jimzub.com & Steven Cummings are great examples of these stories. They are two books that mean a lot to me.

With CLEAN UP CREW launched and funded on @kickstarter.com, how about we dive into some of the influences of the story? This is something I've had in my head for 20 years so a lot has helped shape it to what it is today. www.kickstarter.com/projects/jam...

The concept, vampires working as overnight janitors was a way to make sense of monsters living in the present day. I like the way @zackkaps.bsky.social explores this in his hard sci-fi work like Eclipse & Mindset, two books that don't just hit you w/ a cool idea, but show how it can actually happen

With CLEAN UP CREW launched and funded on @kickstarter.com, how about we dive into some of the influences of the story? This is something I've had in my head for 20 years so a lot has helped shape it to what it is today. www.kickstarter.com/projects/jam...