Hey @Mike Gagnon I was just checking this group, and noticed a bunch of live calls on the calendar. Are you usually in there working on stuff, or is it just set up for members here to cowork together when times end up randomly converging for individuals? PS. Loved all the newscast comics posted in your substack recently! 😂

Hey, here’s a new contest for you and you don’t really have to do anything (or much at least)! Chances are if you’re reading this, you’ve already done everything you need to do to win! All you need to do is be a subscriber/follower on Substack, Skool, Youtube, Instagram or LinkedIn. The Prize: One lucky winner from each platform with be randomly chosen to win a signed copy of my book “Writing Zombies”. The Grand Prize: One of the lucky winners will be randomly chosen to also win a spooky themed comics and collectibles prize pack from Mike’s Pix & Flix, valued at over $100! Prize packs can include rare and vintage comics, trading cards, toys, movies and other collectibles, along with additional signed collectibles. Rules: 1. You just have to be a subscriber, follower or member on one of the mentioned platforms. 2. Even better, you automatically get an entry for each platform, so if you join all 5 platforms, you get 5 chances to win! 3. If you are randomly chosen, you have 48 hours to respond to the winning message, or another winner will be randomly chosen. 4. Winners will be chosen on October 22nd 2026. Platforms to follow: Substack: Creative Illuminati with Mike Gagnon Amazon Bestselling Author and Illustrator with a passion for teaching and comics. Learn the ins and outs of how to make your own entertainment media, comics, games and more. Plus collectibles news and more! Skool: https://www.skool.com/mikes-sketchbook-7350 Youtube: www.youtube.com/@MikeGagnon1981 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imakecomics/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themikegagnon/

That's right. This week, you are going to see all classroom content moving to the standard tier! No more Premium or VIP. Everyone gets access!

How-to

Hey everyone, I wanted to take a moment to check in and let you know where things have been over the last couple of months. As I mentioned before, I've been spending a lot of time building something new, while also taking on more consulting work than I expected. The consulting has been incredibly rewarding, but it has also demanded much more of my time and attention. Between that and some larger planning behind the scenes, Skool hasn't received the attention I'd originally hoped to give it. During that time, I've done a lot of thinking about where I want to take all of this. One of the biggest realizations I've had is that I don't want my work—or myself—to be defined by AI alone. AI is still an important part of my workflow and something I'll continue teaching, but it's only one piece of what I do. I've spent years creating comics, building creative workflows, experimenting with technology, consulting with creators, and learning how to produce content efficiently. There's far more to my experience than just the latest AI tools, and I want my future content to reflect that. I also want to say thank you. One of the most unexpected and meaningful parts of building this community has been the number of people who have reached out simply to ask how I'm doing. I've had members check in on me, send encouraging messages, and genuinely care about what I've been working on. That's something I haven't experienced to this extent before, and I truly appreciate it. You've built a community that feels personal, and that means a great deal to me. Over the last few months, I've also been looking at my own business the same way I'd advise one of my consulting clients to look at theirs. One piece of advice I give creators all the time is not to put all of their eggs in one basket. If you don't own the platform, you don't control its future. That's true whether we're talking about YouTube, Substack, Skool, Patreon, or any other service. As I stepped back and looked at my own work, I realized I wasn't following my own advice.