When I started making Chuck’s Devils, I thought I could complete each episode in a month, and be done with the entire comic after four years. Well, it ended up taking an extra two. What happened?

There are simple reasons, such as writer’s block. Condensing a long story into tiny word balloons that still makes sense wasn’t always easy. Also, some episodes required more background scenery, extra characters, and complex poses that were tricky to figure out.

Then there are the mental blocks. I’ve always had trouble focusing on one task for an extended period of time. My website reflects this with many different things I’ve done over the years: smilies, domino toppling, graphic design, games, animation, comics, and more.

If I stuck with one of those and got really good at it, I’d probably have a thriving career right now. But I don’t, which haunts me while I’m toiling away at my real day job. I can’t afford the testing to find out if I’m technically experiencing depression, but it damn sure feels like it.

With no treatment, these funks can put me in a bad state for a while. The worst was the time I started packing up my stuff so my family could clean out my apartment quickly after I was gone. But after three days, and with too much junk left to box up, and got exhausted and gave up.

Strangely, I think the struggles the Devils were going through also had an effect on me. I knew things would eventually work out for Candace, Lily, and Yu-Ri, but I shared in their suffering a little bit.

With all of that working against me, it seemed like I’d never finish my comic. I felt like a marathon runner: sweaty, tired, and in pain after ten miles… then realizing I had another sixteen left to go.

But I came up with an idea. What if I made a one page comic instead of 432? A comic with simple artwork that I could finish in a day, not weeks. And the characters would be adorable and fun, without any drama…

And so, the Mini-Devils were born. The non-canon spin-off allowed me to put the characters in silly situations that I couldn’t do with their tall twin sisters, like finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow or playing football in their own unique fashion.

Another unexpected benefit was expanding on Candace’s relationship with Tyler. The main comic was structured around Yu-Ri and Lily’s evolving love story, and the other couple didn’t get as much attention. Even though they’re not the originals, I like to think they’d both behave in a similar way.

I didn’t plan on adding Rose because her personality was the exact opposite of what the Mini-Devils were all about. But reworking her as a harmless prankster who gets her comeuppance at the end added a mild antagonist that fits into the mini-verse pretty well.

Drawing these chibi cuties cuddling and kissing each other helped raise my spirits, and actually completing something, even if it was just a short story, motivated me to work on the larger tale. I don’t think I would have finished Chuck’s Devils without the Mini-Devils lightening my mood.

If you’re overwhelmed by a large project, a fun diversion may alleviate some pressure for you, too. Also, breaking it up into smaller segments could be beneficial as well. Taking my comic one episode, one page, or even one panel at a time helped me.

Going back to my marathon analogy, as long as you keep putting one foot in front of the other, you’ll reach the finish line. It may take a lot longer than the professionals, but you can do it.

And while I’m on the subject of the Mini-Devils, it occurred to me that I haven’t explained how they met. We know how the tall trio became best friends, but not their small siblings. To correct this, I came up with an origin story that will begin soon. I hope you’ll enjoy it. :)