Ok now for the book check it out at…

=http://www.wowio.com/users/product.asp?BookId=1741

Well next time some of the adventures we have and boy do I have stories!

There is a sea of information out there in every subject area, every genre, every persuasion. The choices are endless and it’s becoming easier and easier to publish to the masses. In comic-dom, there are Print-on-Demand sites that make publishing ridiculously cost effective for the small indie guys. The mainstream is a cornucopia of mega-universe-shattering events that stretch across title to title. The abundance of books also means an abundance of mediocrity to wade through. Where do we start?

Do we follow writers? Titles? Characters? Artists? Companies? Properties?

What can help guide us to those shining diamonds among the coal of publications?

I’ve been reading comics for a long time and I STILL don’t know where to look sometimes when I go into the shop. Should I browse the indie aisle? Should I ask the regulars what they’re reading? Does what’s selling have any bearing on what’s good?

When I find the answers I’ll pass them on…in the meantime, feel free to give me your method for mining good books.

Be sure to check out Michael Ryan’s crazy pencils and Rick Ketcham’s brilliant inks in this book.

Brian suggests that Andy reviews a certain Comic’s magazine, and Andy demands that you obey what the magazine tells you. Do it!

Finally, Brian and Andy impart a little wisdom from the prodigious minds that post in Youtube’s comments section. Truly inspired.

PRESS TO PLAY
[audio:http://comicreview.thepodcastnetwork.com/audio/tpn_comicreview_20070906_076.mp3]
OR DOWNLOAD HERE

I think in terms of composition I’m pretty satisfied. I wanted to direct your eye around the page and I think I pulled it off fairly well.

Anyway, here she is…Hawkman, Wonder Woman, and Black Vulcan slugging away at the Hydra.

Unfortunately, I still don’t have an 11X17 scanner, so I can’t scan it in. I tried scanning it in in fourths on my standard sized scanner, but at fourths I’m not going to be able to get all of the center in.

But I did try, here’s a sneak peek of less than a fourth of it:

What you’re not seeing are about 3 more monsters, Black Vulcan in the foreground and the rest of Wonder Woman’s figure…and Hawkman’s too for that matter.

Next week I’ll hopefully be able to get it scanned. So until then, enjoy this corner.

There’s some really good posts about the discipline of drawing as well as some great sketches. Be sure to check him out!

Sadly, there was no punchline…this is for real. Mike Wieringo has left us at the age of 44. We had gotten to know Mike over the last few years, and he was always very welcoming and friendly, and a great guy to be around. Comic-dom is going to seem a little bit emptier after today.

Tomorrow I’ll be FedExing (is that a verb now?) 200 Marvel Sketchcards I did for Upperdeck over the summer. I posted a bunch in my gallery. They were really fun, and I think I they came out pretty well. I did them the same way I do commissions (color markers.)

Next on my list is to finish up 2 commissions (that are 2 months overdue. See above paragraph for reason ;) and then tackle a gigantic, 3 character 1 monster fight scene that’ll be drawn a little larger than a comic book 2 page spread. Full color with markers.

Scanning that puppy in should be enjoyable.

It’s always hard to give a con report after the fact, especially after a show like Comic-Con because it all becomes such a blur. I didn’t make any panels (after seeing the lines last year, I just didn’t even try) but I did drop way too much money on art books at the Bud Plant booth.

Oh, and I almost forgot. If you have G4 and watch Electric Playground, look for a segment featuring yours truly talking about the GravyBoy comic. I’m not sure when it airs (I’m assuming the fall) but I’ll find out before then and let you know.

Great! Do you want to be a publisher too?

Haven’t thought about it? Well, now’s the time to start thinking.

One of the struggles in doing comics over the last few years has been balancing the creative process of making the comic with the challenge of getting the book out there to your potential fans. Actually, in comparison, making the comic is in a lot of ways easier than the publishing aspect of it. Sure, it takes a lot of energy and time, but publishing costs time, energy, MONEY, and is to a certain degree up to people who you don’t know that decide just how widespread your distribution is.

Now, granted you can increase the likelihood of your book being distributed widely by approaching retailers of various types yourself, both in and outside of the traditional comic shops, but then the amount of money you spend increases. Soon you’ll reach the point of diminishing returns and possibly take to brooding and creating your own version of Identity Crisis…only not has up-beat as DC’s.

So what’s the answer? That’s a good question and one that I’ll be exploring (not answering, because the answer is an elusive one) over the next several posts as we work through our own potential solutions and failures. To start off, however, I’d just like to list a few things we’ve noticed over the last few years hacking our way into the industry.

- Make sure your story and art is solid.

- Make sure you come up with a CONCISE and REPEATABLE way to convey the substance of your story. (Other people should be able to walk away with the ability to tell their friend essentially what they’ve just heard.)

- Find an affordable printer. This will depend on how wide you want you distribution to be. Start small.

- Make the convention rounds and get a website.

- Think about doing your own merchandising. T-shirts, buttons, whatever. People like to collect things associated with books and characters they like, and the profit margin on individual issues is slim.

That’s enough to get us started thinking about this. In the next post I’ll start working through this list in more detail.

For comic creators, San Diego is a great place to make connections and network, as well as a venue for adventure and excitement. Why, just last year I was not only confronted by a thin, oily man representing the company responsible for such classics as “Debbie Does Dallas” (he thought a comic representation would be “hot.” I disagreed and we parted ways) but I was also trapped between a concrete post and an oncoming current of con-goers. Doesn’t it sound glorious?

Actually, glorious is pretty accurate, and I’d like to give some advice to those first-time attendees who might be wondering what to expect:

1. If you’re flying a long distance to get there, give yourself the first night to get some sleep and adjust. My memories of the first part of last year’s show is of being excruciatingly tired for the first 2 or 3 days.

2. Take lots of pictures. There’s so much stuff to see, you will stop seeing things. Pictures will remind you that you actually went in case the con’s awesomeness induces amnesia.

3. Leave before the con lets out if you plan on eating downtown. If you’re a creator and have to stay for the duration, ask around to see where some of the lesser known restaraunts are. Once the con closes, you can rest assured you’ll be waiting for a table. And waiting. And waiting…

4. If you find a panel you want to attend, scope out the location a few hours before to see how soon the line starts building up. Seriously, the Snakes on a Plane panel last year? GINORMOUS.

5. If you’re going with friends, and ever want to see them again, make sure you all have cell phones/walkie talkies/ or a meeting place and time. Or you’ll never. see. them. again.

6. Pay attention to the shuttle schedule between the the convention center and your hotel. The con “after hours” gatherings go until…well, forever. But the shuttles don’t.

7. Don’t lose your badge.

8. If you’re a creator, remember to keep track of the items you sell. If you plan on going back the next year, you’ll have to turn in the California tax form thingie.

9. Seriously, you’ll still be waiting for a restaurant…

10. …or standing in line for your panel.

That’s enough to get you started. You won’t regret going!

After attending for seven years, they really are all starting to run together for me. But it did seem that not as many people were buying books this year. Thanks to those of you who stopped by our table looking for new stuff (sorry for the delay…they’re coming!)

Wizard World Philly was this past weekend too, and I’m thinking that had something to do with it. But then again, I hear that show wasn’t well attended. The energy just seemed off this year.

I know that some more well-known pros did well in selling prints and art, but I think you really gauge the success of a con by how the indies do. If people are there willing to try out books and who are looking for new things out of the mainstream, then you have a healthy show. When they’re focused on the “big names”, that’s a problem.

But, shows have an ebb and flow to them. They can’t all be spectacular and there’s always another one the next year. I’m not complaining, I did pretty well with commission work. But we just didn’t have the traffic that we normally do going by the table. It wasn’t a bad show, just….lacked the energy that past shows seemed to have. Which is a sharp contrast from last year especially when the whole industry rallied around Heroescon.

Anyway, that’s my 2 cents. I’ll have a new show up either tonight or tomorrow.

I was just making this up as I went along, so it really doesn’t make sense at all..except that it shows I’m a huge dork for putting a lightsaber in.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH

In case you haven’t checked out Coulton’s “thing a week”, do yourself a favor and do so now!

http://www.jonathancoulton.com/

Tips for the Indie Comic Artist:

Tip #1: Sure you can buy lined paper that’s 11 X 17 with the 10 X 15 inch drawing area all lined out for you. And if you want the good paper (the kind that will hold up to erasing and not bleed when you ink) you’ll be paying over $20 + shipping for 12 sheets or so.

OR

You could buy a 14 X 17 pad of Strathmore Bristol Board for $10-$11 for 15 to 20 sheets…then go to Kinkos and pay $1.50 for them to cut the whole pad down to size. Sure, you’ll have to measure out the drawing area yourself, but boo-hoo. Not only did you save $10, you didn’t have to wait for UPS to deliver it.

Now go draw some comics!

If not, I won’t ruin it for you, I’ll just make a few observations. I’ve never liked Toby Macguire as Spider-man, nor Kirstin Dunst as MJ. But I still enjoyed the last 2 movies…and I enjoyed this one too, for that matter. But whenever Macguire got emotional…the audience laughed. Every. Single. Time.

I did think they handled the two villians very well. It didn’t feel like they were packed in (i.e. like Batman and Robin) and both Villians were done really well. Some people may not understand where the symbiote came from…well, I mean they knew it came from space. But if you’re not familiar with Secret Wars and what not, it might be a bit confusing.

All in all it was okay…there were a few scenes I could have done without…but it’s worth seeing if you’re a Spidey-fan.

Chris Sims offers more than just your daily dose of karate bear-fighting (as if that wouldn’t be enough in and of itself) he also gives you your daily dose of awesome comic commentary. Check it out.

Look for Chris to join us on an upcoming episode of Comic Review Weekly.