When I applied for a Xeric grant I had two worries. One worry was that my project wouldn't get approved. The other much larger worry was that it would get accepted. I realized that with the funding of the grant I would have no one but myself to blame for the success or failure of the endeavor.

When I got word of approval I reacted with a mixture of pride and panic. While I had been creating comic strips for many years never before had I needed to concern myself with choosing paper stock, or contacting a distributor, or purchasing advertising. I learned a lot about the workings of the comics industry and gained an appreciation for the efforts of the small press publishers.

The best thing about the grant is of course is the money. To a comics creator this money is freedom. Freedom from worrying about printer's bills. Because money was not an issue, I chose better quality stock. I ordered a lot more books printed than I figured I really needed. All because I was able to.

It's been a once in a lifetime opportunity.