tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19949517.post8808753308789947257..comments2023-10-26T05:21:31.542-07:00Comments on TuesdayArtGroup: Make Mine "GORGON"Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07985132183438922332noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19949517.post-67483174522497025602015-07-07T22:29:05.524-07:002015-07-07T22:29:05.524-07:00Great new Uncle Goggle Marty. A dee-light! Saw yo...Great new Uncle Goggle Marty. A dee-light! Saw you mention checking on reviews of the pub I suppose contained your Black Flag strip. Any luck on getting some reviews? MrGoodson2https://www.blogger.com/profile/02329640961760572269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19949517.post-3836696488821984062015-07-06T19:11:20.598-07:002015-07-06T19:11:20.598-07:00Put this back at the top for easy access. Interest...Put this back at the top for easy access. Interesting business model Ben. Anyone with an awesome promotional idea for Gorgon could make a lot of money for contributors if Diamond orders went through the roof. 30 thousand orders would be nice.MrGoodson2https://www.blogger.com/profile/02329640961760572269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19949517.post-22860804774863538322015-07-04T11:16:18.666-07:002015-07-04T11:16:18.666-07:00So-- much -- to -- read...
If anybody is still ...So-- much -- to -- read...<br /><br />If anybody is still checking this thread--<br />This came across my Facebook thingy:<br />http://indiecomicsmagazine.com/submissions.html Somebody else's company, so maybe not relevant.<br />Covers submission and prices. It works out that the 1/8 book a creator can buy, when multiplied out, is about the same money Marty is willing to put out.BDMontaghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10668132947298479801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19949517.post-60148083425792833042015-07-02T11:36:57.530-07:002015-07-02T11:36:57.530-07:00Color or B & W?Color or B & W?Rickarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05730754739317666560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19949517.post-52060730242529561272015-06-30T08:47:41.950-07:002015-06-30T08:47:41.950-07:00Wow! I didn't realize you had so many copies ...Wow! I didn't realize you had so many copies of the TAG sampler. I take back what i said!<br />Random thought: Do any of you remember the horror comic of the 70s called PLOP? It had all of the DC horror comic host characters in it (Cain and Abel and the 3 Witching Hour witches). They had 3 humorous horror stories with the sound FX "PLOP" somehow incorporated into the story. The framing pages were all drawn by Sergio Aragones. Perhaps a model for us to work from?Rickarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05730754739317666560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19949517.post-16209555006384346252015-06-30T07:13:11.740-07:002015-06-30T07:13:11.740-07:00"...I wouldn't call it a hot seller."..."...I wouldn't call it a <i>hot seller</i>."<br /><br />OOF!<br /><br />What did we sell, forty or fifty copies maybe? Of the <b>T.A.G. Annual Sampler</b>, I mean. I think I ordered twenty copies...all gone except my personal copy. So that's 100% sell-thru--awesome!<br /><br />Sorry dudes, I've been traveling and now hosting family...Rick, as far as the next step, I think we can just start posting our work here as we develop it? That way we can all offer up comments/critiques and make the work as strong as possible before foisting it on the public. What do you dudes think? I am hoping to function more as an editor on this project--I'd like to bring all the disparate stories into a kind of harmony, if not in subject or style, at least in tone...?<br /><br />I'll try to get some up in the next couple days--difficult as I've got my grandmother with us!<br /><br />Davis Chinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16168954208679712542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19949517.post-19297901392751531332015-06-29T11:19:14.858-07:002015-06-29T11:19:14.858-07:00I have a few copies left. I manage to sell a few ...I have a few copies left. I manage to sell a few copies at each con I go to, but I wouldn't call it a hot seller.Rickarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05730754739317666560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19949517.post-22485012611575030672015-06-29T09:42:37.367-07:002015-06-29T09:42:37.367-07:00Speaking of the TAG Sampler, what was the final up...Speaking of the TAG Sampler, what was the final upshot of the whole enterprise? How many copies were printed? How many were sold? How much money was lost or gained? Is someone warehousing all the unsold copies?Tom Moonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11624247648988106639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19949517.post-21829924616646006032015-06-29T01:32:50.498-07:002015-06-29T01:32:50.498-07:00Starting Tuesday I'll be working on the thumbn...Starting Tuesday I'll be working on the thumbnails for the Joined Together story.. I'd like to finish those by Sunday.MrGoodson2https://www.blogger.com/profile/02329640961760572269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19949517.post-56971422817233479792015-06-26T08:19:26.276-07:002015-06-26T08:19:26.276-07:00I could tell by the wording of your comment that y...I could tell by the wording of your comment that you were not agreeing with the practice Rick, rather you were just making an observation.Tom Moonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11624247648988106639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19949517.post-62603591506655256302015-06-26T07:40:19.160-07:002015-06-26T07:40:19.160-07:00Tom. There's no swap out without a lot of trou...Tom. There's no swap out without a lot of trouble for me. My early, early use of comic sans was printing it out and pasting it onto the art. My program at the time was deluxe animator. Photoshop was making baby steps back then.<br /><br />I've just made comic sans my browser's default font. The blog now reads in comic sans. It's not often that the choice shows up. Only text that has interaction I guess. Other text choices have tags.MrGoodson2https://www.blogger.com/profile/02329640961760572269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19949517.post-61668291564562402622015-06-25T20:14:52.191-07:002015-06-25T20:14:52.191-07:00Oh yeah, I'm not agreeing that it's this i...Oh yeah, I'm not agreeing that it's this is a good practice, I just understand their reasons for doing it.<br />So what's the next step, Marty?Rickarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05730754739317666560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19949517.post-76899733353810197142015-06-25T14:58:44.433-07:002015-06-25T14:58:44.433-07:00I sympathize with your reaction Ellis. I use comic...I sympathize with your reaction Ellis. I use comic sans throughout. Guess I'll have to go back and swap that out someday. But in the meantime there's so much more important stuff to learn, isn't there? How to write a really good story with at least some hint of sincerity and originality maybe?<br /><br />I'd much rather read the good stuff that's rough around the edges, Fletcher Hanks for one, than so much of the slick, "professional" dreck that's churned out.<br />Tom Moonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11624247648988106639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19949517.post-13332489642531517422015-06-25T12:27:11.503-07:002015-06-25T12:27:11.503-07:00I'm guessing the comic sans thing is an easy w...I'm guessing the comic sans thing is an easy way to weed out hobbyists... If you aren't willing to invest in an "industry standard" font, or don't know how to get your hands on an industry font, then they don't need to bother looking any further at your submission. It probably saves them a ton of time and they don't really care if there might be a super-awesome comic somewhere in that pile of stuff that they miss because the creator isn't font-savvy.Rickarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05730754739317666560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19949517.post-32054451488682289462015-06-25T11:29:52.255-07:002015-06-25T11:29:52.255-07:00I understand my knee jerk reaction to the comic sa...I understand my knee jerk reaction to the comic sans hatred after reviewing my Retro-Ellis pdf. Every-Single-Page- with any kind of lettering- is comic sans. Wow. Sub consciously I took that diss on comic sans very personally.MrGoodson2https://www.blogger.com/profile/02329640961760572269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19949517.post-79811174507959098892015-06-25T11:07:37.252-07:002015-06-25T11:07:37.252-07:00Comixology may be rougher to get into than I thoug...<a href="http://support.comixology.com/customer/portal/articles/1302915-please-read-prior-to-submitting-your-pdf-file-" rel="nofollow">Comixology may be rougher to get into than I thought. I especially reacted to comic sans as a font choice being a deal killer. So what the hip kids have decided they hate comic sans. It’s an overused font. It’s overused for a reason. It’s readable and looks vaguely casual and hand lettered.</a><br /><br />Enjoy the bike hike Marty. Cool that Stephen is willing to help out.MrGoodson2https://www.blogger.com/profile/02329640961760572269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19949517.post-45406656018337539612015-06-25T09:55:15.992-07:002015-06-25T09:55:15.992-07:00Tommy! Ellis! Great ideas!
Re: Comixology: Elz, ...Tommy! Ellis! Great ideas! <br /><br />Re: Comixology: Elz, our old colleague Stephen Townsend (producer at Heavy Iron) just finished a big graphic nove project called "The Hood" that he Kickstarted and has now placed on Comixology. I've emailed him a little bit about it and he said he'll give us whatever advice we need.<br /><br />Re: Eroc Shannower--super idea, Tom. I'm gonna see him in a few weeks, and I will pick his brain on all of these issues....<br /><br />Off to go hike in the mountains...I'll give a yodel for T.A.G.!Davis Chinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16168954208679712542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19949517.post-84959342442210318522015-06-25T07:07:04.182-07:002015-06-25T07:07:04.182-07:00I wonder if Eric Shanower would have any helpful s...I wonder if Eric Shanower would have any helpful suggestions. He has surely been through a lot of this with his self-publishing Hungry Tiger Press. http://www.hungrytigerpress.com/Tom Moonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11624247648988106639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19949517.post-63894158897150999402015-06-25T06:43:26.380-07:002015-06-25T06:43:26.380-07:00First thing you could do is go to comixology and c...First thing you could do is go to comixology and click the, submit your book, button. Go through those steps and make Fume an offering. Probably would teach you every thing you needed to know about using them as a paywall. I got done formatting a book for Ka-Blam and then then lost interest in the idea and went back to Lulu. I need to format something for comixology and do the steps. Now, they also reject books. They wouldn't reject Fume. They might reject what I come up with if it is too random.MrGoodson2https://www.blogger.com/profile/02329640961760572269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19949517.post-83448565019824241872015-06-25T06:39:27.103-07:002015-06-25T06:39:27.103-07:00Marty, I can understand how you want to have a gro...Marty, I can understand how you want to have a group of friends all publishing together as it gives you motivation to see it through. I can also see the benefit of the economies of scale when a lot of people participate. Looks like I'm in the minority and everyone else is eager to do it. I'll keep an open mind as you go along. I'll want to hear all about what you learn when it comes to publicizing the book and bargaining with Diamond for distribution.Tom Moonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11624247648988106639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19949517.post-49767770557360129972015-06-24T23:07:48.478-07:002015-06-24T23:07:48.478-07:00CORRECTION: I wrote...But what do I mean by "...CORRECTION: I wrote...<i>But what do I mean by "publishing company"? It sounds like I'm expecting you guys to pitch in your hard work and cool ideas to make me money--and that's <b>now</b> how I see it (surprise!).</i><br /><br />I meant "that's NOT how I see it"!!<br /><br />Oy....<br /><br />Rick, so good you are interested and so right that we need a digital strategery. I'll work on that.Davis Chinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16168954208679712542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19949517.post-65823427268686106432015-06-24T17:14:44.316-07:002015-06-24T17:14:44.316-07:00Well, you can count me in as a contributor to the ...Well, you can count me in as a contributor to the book. I think Kickstarter is an interesting avenue, if only that it addresses some of Tom's concerns around possible resentments over money... if the costs are all build into the Kickstarter and we reach the goal we need to move forward, then it's not money out of Marty's pocket to get the ball rolling.<br />For this first venture I'm perfectly happy to forgo any page rate and such. I'm happy to contribute to getting the publishing imprint off the ground and have a potential platform from which to publish in the future.<br />I think any comic business at this point, particularly a small press venture, needs to have a digital strategy. The book needs to be available online, perhaps a page update once or twice a week to keep people coming back. There would be a store there with merch to sell and a calendar of dates and locations of con appearances. And a forum for talking to the fans.<br />One way to get some notice and boost sales is if we can somehow tie into a big media event that is going to happen or perhaps a satire of something that I currently popular... think MAD magazine or Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles. TMNT was pretty brilliant in that it took all of the current at that time comics and mashed them together into a single parody. MAD has owned this space for a long time... perhaps there's an opportunity to fill that spot with something that's a bit more fresh and new.Rickarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05730754739317666560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19949517.post-4581882409390445762015-06-24T15:55:11.239-07:002015-06-24T15:55:11.239-07:00ELZ--maybe Kickstarter (or something similar) woul...ELZ--maybe Kickstarter (or something similar) would be a good route--but I still feel like we need something tangible out there first....this could be a calling card for those involved? Raise your profile to entice even more backers on your own project?? <br /><br />On the negative side, anthologies are typically beloved by publishers and artists (for the bite-sized assignment they represent), but poor marketplace performers....<br /><br />One last thought: if we really are devolving toward a world of Kickstarter for everything/everyone (and I would certainly be first in line to pony up "donations" for any project by anyone who posts here regularly....leaves Benefiel out. I guess), then maybe one way to look at this Gorgon book is as a big donation from me to the group--IN RETURN FOR SOMETHING TANGIBLE AND FABULOUS. <br /><br />Another last thought: don't discount the fact that I'm looking to piggy-back <i>my</i> half-baked comic stories on top of your good names and work...and, should our Gorgon anthology ever become a reality and see the light of day, such a phenomenal occurrence would be (to borrow a phrase from the credit card business) <b>priceless.</b>Davis Chinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16168954208679712542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19949517.post-14726059362182521202015-06-24T15:43:08.755-07:002015-06-24T15:43:08.755-07:00(continued)
On this project (The Gorgon Magazine)...(continued)<br /><br />On this project (The Gorgon Magazine), I can provide the seed money. Going forward, funding issues can be sorted project by project.... This wouldn't be about building a company with a catalog that represents some kind of tangible asset that could then be flogged on (you know, sell our publishing company to a bigger publisher)--I think in this new digital world all I'm looking for is some kind of banner under which we can all market (and distribute!) our work to the public. Everybody owns their own stuff.<br /><br />Yes, the sticky part will come with expenses for website, shipping, promotion, secretaries, etc. But we're a long way from that, and in the meantime I'm doing this for myself already, it can only amplify my efforts to add more.<br /><br />But you're right to point out the major gap between my altruistic hope for some kind of group success, and the cold hard business reality...not to mention the difficulties (possibly painful, even devastating) that can result when attempting to mix all this up with friendship!!<br /><br />However, I want to invert your argument in point 3--I truly believe a group book is a <b>great</b> place to start publishing. We can really get the ball rolling--look at the success of "The T.A.G. Annual Sampler"....OK, well...at least we got the book out--and managed to find Ron Thompson. That counts as a sort of success, right? <br /><br />But seriously, a group book would be a boon, and I mean that on a personal level--I find it a lot easier to get work done when I know a group of friends are counting on me. Plus it's a lot easier for me to do the sales pitch for a group book than for my own stuff. <br /><br />I see "The Gorgon" as a sort of work for hire project--one with an extremely low budget, and semi-generous back-end possibilities (vis-a-vis industry standards). If I, as the publisher, make any money, you as the artist will make money--and even if I, as publisher, <i>lose</i> money, you as an artist will have made some money, even if it's just a few hundred bucks. The only thing I cannot guarantee is that your payment(s) for contributing to the project will be proper compensation for the work you contribute...but then, that's the case with most full-time comic book artists already. However, I can say with certainty you will at least be paid something for your work--and you'll retain all the rights, 'natch.<br /><br />Tom Moon, now tell me, <i>what could possibly go wrong??</i> (I know! I know!--lots!)<br /><br />But wouldn't you be up for a few bucks to contribute a story to a fun group mag??<br /><br />Maybe I am seeing this all wrong....?Davis Chinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16168954208679712542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19949517.post-1854417695829222682015-06-24T15:41:15.968-07:002015-06-24T15:41:15.968-07:00Dudes!
Glad you found the post comment-worthy. I ...Dudes!<br /><br />Glad you found the post comment-worthy. I am up in the hills of Idaho for the week, so not able to check internet very often--therefore don't misinterpret any prolonged absence from the discussion as me silently <i>"fuming."</i> (tee hee)<br /><br />All the posts present good thoughtful points. Let me address a couple: <br /><br />Weezie, it would be great to have you involved!<br /><br />Ellis, I appreciate what you're saying about a reduced page rate--beyond the dollar amount, good to know you are open to the idea that some kind of up-front pay is acceptable, but it needn't be big. <br /><br />And yes, we will stress that you're in it!<br /><br />Tom: I love yr thoughtful response to this. Let me address points 3, 2, and 1 in that order: it is by getting a few trustworthy friends to join me in this endeavor that I think I can get said publishing company off the ground. But what do I mean by "publishing company"? It sounds like I'm expecting you guys to pitch in your hard work and cool ideas to make me money--and that's now how I see it (surprise!). I don't see much (if any) profit in it at the level we'll be operating at...I'm looking at this as more of a "publishing collective" than a traditional publishing company. We would be a collective group, publishing both individual and group titles, but all released under the same banner, and therefore improving our ability to market and distribute our gear. We'd set up a website (I'm partial to the name "Digital Termite" for the imprint) where we'd offer our books for sale. And this goes for connecting with Comixology, too. We'd promote the catalog under one banner--but everyone could do their own thing within that. Maybe Ellis finishes his werelion story and gets the cash together to print a run--he could opt to put it out under the Digital Termite imprint. What advantage would that give him?? To me this is all about getting a page in the Diamond Catalog. That would mean Ellis's book, my FUME, our Gorgon, possibly a sketchbook by Jeff Ranjo, etc., etc. would be listed as an available title from Diamond. I do not have firm answers yet on exactly how much a group imprint will benefit us in the Diamond distribution ecosystem, but my understanding is any company with 6 titles or more enjoys warehousing and shipping with Diamond...that would be a big benefit, and to me is really 90% of the reason to try to make this work together as opposed to individually. If we can do that it will make all the rest worthwhile (including if I lose a few bucks creating something I am really proud of). <br /> <br />(to be continued)Davis Chinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16168954208679712542noreply@blogger.com