Archive for January, 2008
Not much to go on, but you guys are smart, so I’m sure you’ll get this one:
(click image to unicornize)
(previous weeks: 9/12/2005, 9/19/2005, 9/26/2005, 10/3/2005, 10/10/2005, 10/17/2005, 10/24/2005, 10/31/2005, 11/1/2005, 11/2/2005, 11/3/2005, 11/4/2005, 11/5/2005, 11/6/2005, 11/7/2005, 11/14/2005, 11/21/2005, 11/28/2005, 12/5/2005, 12/12/2005, 12/19/2005, 12/26/2005, 1/2/2006, 1/9/2006, 1/16/2006, 1/23/2006, 1/30/2006, 2/06/2006, 2/13/2006, 2/20/2006, 2/27/2006, 3/6/2006, 3/13/2006, 3/20/2006, 3/27/2006, 4/3/2006, 4/4/2006, 4/5/2006, 4/6/2006, 4/7/2006, 4/8/2006, 4/9/2006, 4/10/2006, 4/17/2006, 4/23/2006, 5/1/2006, 5/8/2006, 5/15/2006, 5/22/2006, 5/29/2006, 6/5/2006, 6/12/2006, 6/19/2006, 6/26/2006, 7/3/2006, 7/10/2006, 7/17/2006, 7/24/2006, 7/31/2006, 8/7/2006, 8/13/2006, 8/21/2006, 8/28/2006, 9/4/2006, 9/11/2006, 9/18/2006, 9/25/2006, 10/2/2006, 10/9/2006, 10/16/2006, 10/23/2006, 10/30/2006, 11/6/2006, 11/13/2006, 11/20/2006, 11/27/2006, 12/4/2006, 12/11/2006, 12/18/2006, 12/25/2006, 1/1/2007, 1/8/2007, 1/15/2007, 1/22/2007, 1/29/2007, 2/5/2007, 2/12/2007, 2/19/2007, 2/26/2007, 3/5/2007, 3/12/2007, 3/19/2007, 3/26/2007, 4/2/2007, 4/5/2007, 4/9/2007, 4/16/2007, 4/23/2007, 4/30/2007, 5/7/2007, 5/14/2007, 5/21/2007, 5/28/2007, 6/4/2007, 6/11/2007, 6/18/2007, 6/25/2007, 7/2/2007, 7/9/2007, 7/16/2007, 7/23/2007, 7/30/2007, 8/6/2007, 8/13/2007, 8/20/2007, 8/27/2007, 9/3/2007, 9/10/2007, 9/17/2007, 9/24/2007, 10/1/2007, 10/8/2007, 10/15/2007, 10/22/2007, 10/29/2007, 11/5/2007, 11/12/2007, 11/19/2007, 11/26/2007, 12/3/2007, 12/10/2007, 12/17/2007, 12/24/2007, 12/31/2007, 1/7/2008, 1/14/2008, 1/21/2008)
How else could you possibly explain this, perhaps the most retarded ad I’ve ever seen in a comic book (and that’s saying something):
Seriously? Fucking cake? Surely they didn’t spend several thousand dollars to advertise generic cake you pick up at your neighborhood Kroger. Wait, maybe this is some sort of clever viral marketing for the Iron Man movie. Hang on a second…
Nope.
I just went to cakes.com and it’s…well, just cakes. And not of the “world famous Baskin-Robbins (or your favorite brand)” variety. Nope. Just the regular ol’ “no-brand, corner grocery store craptacular cupcake with a cheap Iron Man plastic sign stuck in it” variety.
Money well spent, gentlemen. I’ve already put in an online order for two dozen Iron Man cakes from my local bakery. After all, who could resist the hypnotic draw of your godlike marketing prowess?
(as seen in Silver Surfer – In Thy Name #3, March 2008)
Spudd64.com is back! I took some time off for reasons that would probably be boring to recount here. None of that matters anyway, because now I’m back and there’s even more to look at. I made a few changes around the site, so here’s a rundown of what’s new…
–I removed the eight photos of rockets and missiles that I took when I was a child.
–I added eleven 35mm photos to the photos page. As a warning, there is some artistic nudity, so view with caution. I created these images several years ago when I had a darkroom of my own and since I will soon have a new darkroom, I am excited about sharing these photographs for the first time online.
–The ongoing comic “Spaceman,” written by me with full color art by Steve Black, is back on the site, with improved navigation tools to make reading easy. Check it out in the “ongoing comics” section on the comics page of the site.
–Now, for the first time ever, you can read every single page of every single issue of my own comic “Spudd 64″ on that same comics page, in “the saga of spudd 64″ section. As I complete new issues, I’ll also post them there as well.
–Also, you can read nearly every single comic I have ever worked on, also on the comics page, in the “completed comics and stories” section. These are mostly short pieces I’ve done for other anthologies and occasionally with other writers as well as some of my own earliest comics.
–A new contact page and photograph! Ha!
Also, there are a few more exciting changes coming soon. In a week or two, I will have my own storefront on Etsy where I will be selling comics, art books, and art. I’ll make an announcement when it’s done. Within the next month, I’ll start posting pages from another ongoing comic I am doing with my good friend Johnny Ampersand. He is writing it and I am drawing it and it will be called “Pilgrimage: The Transmigration of Hank Ferguson.” It’s gonna be great. Finally, there will be more art and 35mm photography very soon.
I do hope you will visit the site again. I used to update the news page almost every day, and it turned into something like a personal journal. I’ll be resuming those daily updates, so if you want to know the mundane details of my pretty normal life here in the Midwest, keep checking in.
Happy MLK day to all our readers.
Well, I didn’t get a chance to dig for some obscure pages, so I’ll have to go with one from the standby file. I’m guessing it’ll be an easy one for you guys:
(click image to PWOOMersize)
(previous weeks: 9/12/2005, 9/19/2005, 9/26/2005, 10/3/2005, 10/10/2005, 10/17/2005, 10/24/2005, 10/31/2005, 11/1/2005, 11/2/2005, 11/3/2005, 11/4/2005, 11/5/2005, 11/6/2005, 11/7/2005, 11/14/2005, 11/21/2005, 11/28/2005, 12/5/2005, 12/12/2005, 12/19/2005, 12/26/2005, 1/2/2006, 1/9/2006, 1/16/2006, 1/23/2006, 1/30/2006, 2/06/2006, 2/13/2006, 2/20/2006, 2/27/2006, 3/6/2006, 3/13/2006, 3/20/2006, 3/27/2006, 4/3/2006, 4/4/2006, 4/5/2006, 4/6/2006, 4/7/2006, 4/8/2006, 4/9/2006, 4/10/2006, 4/17/2006, 4/23/2006, 5/1/2006, 5/8/2006, 5/15/2006, 5/22/2006, 5/29/2006, 6/5/2006, 6/12/2006, 6/19/2006, 6/26/2006, 7/3/2006, 7/10/2006, 7/17/2006, 7/24/2006, 7/31/2006, 8/7/2006, 8/13/2006, 8/21/2006, 8/28/2006, 9/4/2006, 9/11/2006, 9/18/2006, 9/25/2006, 10/2/2006, 10/9/2006, 10/16/2006, 10/23/2006, 10/30/2006, 11/6/2006, 11/13/2006, 11/20/2006, 11/27/2006, 12/4/2006, 12/11/2006, 12/18/2006, 12/25/2006, 1/1/2007, 1/8/2007, 1/15/2007, 1/22/2007, 1/29/2007, 2/5/2007, 2/12/2007, 2/19/2007, 2/26/2007, 3/5/2007, 3/12/2007, 3/19/2007, 3/26/2007, 4/2/2007, 4/5/2007, 4/9/2007, 4/16/2007, 4/23/2007, 4/30/2007, 5/7/2007, 5/14/2007, 5/21/2007, 5/28/2007, 6/4/2007, 6/11/2007, 6/18/2007, 6/25/2007, 7/2/2007, 7/9/2007, 7/16/2007, 7/23/2007, 7/30/2007, 8/6/2007, 8/13/2007, 8/20/2007, 8/27/2007, 9/3/2007, 9/10/2007, 9/17/2007, 9/24/2007, 10/1/2007, 10/8/2007, 10/15/2007, 10/22/2007, 10/29/2007, 11/5/2007, 11/12/2007, 11/19/2007, 11/26/2007, 12/3/2007, 12/10/2007, 12/17/2007, 12/24/2007, 12/31/2007, 1/7/2008, 1/142008)
I thought I imagined it, but my childhood favorite is riding back for a two-hour movie/pilot: Knight Rider. That’s what I’m talking about. It’s not a complete reboot like Bionic Woman but a continuation of the story line. Was there a story? Anyway the show runs on Sunday February 17th. Sporting a drunken cameo by the Hoff. This news is Jocko approved.
I ran across this release from the ComicsPRO organization which goes something like this…
Issue Presented Direct Market retailers purchase their inventory under a non-returnable arrangement. With very few exceptions, Direct Market retailers are obligated to pay for the material they purchase from a wholesaler, regardless of their ability to ultimately sell that material. This non-returnable arrangement is one of the cornerstones of the current distribution system. Some Direct Market-oriented publishers gain a significant portion of their sales from direct-to-consumer sales at conventions and other fan-driven gatherings. ComicsPRO acknowledges that publishers should have access to as many revenue streams as possible in order to become and remain profitable. ComicsPRO asserts that direct-to-consumer sales of material prior to their release to retailers adversely affects potential sales in Direct Market stores belonging to our membership. When customers have already purchased products directly from a publisher before the retail channel is even able to stock these items, the cash flow and bottom lines of Direct Market retailers are noticeably impacted.
Market Efficiency In order for a market to function efficiently, all market participants should have equivalent access to the goods offered. If one or more participants has early access to market offerings, all other participants in that market are affected, whether through realization of full sales potential, or from less tangible concerns including reduced consumer confidence in a product line or a manufacturer.
Convention Sales Conventions, even regional ones, will have national sales impacts. East Coast-based customers frequently travel to West Coast conventions (and vice-versa). It should not be assumed that sales impacts are limited to the region where the event is hosted.
Request for Action ComicsPRO requests that publishers refrain from selling direct-to-consumers in any manner until the same product is received and available for sale by all members involved in Direct Market retailing.
They present no data backing any of this up.. at all. Can one even gleen market share from the crap data Diamond puts out? It seems laughable for a publisher to follow this mandate, especially if you’re a smaller publisher like Top Shelf or Fantagraphics. Which is the kind of publisher that this seems to be directed at. So in similar fashion, let me break down the level of shops that currently exist in the DM. Based on my own personal shopping experiences & ‘feelings’ which seems to be how ComicsPRO came to it’s own conclusions:
- The pro-indie shop. Carrying an even balance of stock ranging from indie to mainstream books. Do they have the entire Ignatz line stocked? You betcha. Of course they’re also stocked with all the hot buzz books you heard about at the last SPX. Goes without saying, they’ve also got a great selection of mainstream books. The enthusiasm for the medium is infectious. This is the rare shop. Maybe one (if that) in every other state exists.
- The half-hearted.. kinda clueless shop. ‘Yeah we’ve got ‘Indie’. There’s some Hellboy and Vertigo in the back.’ This could almost be split. You have the shops that will order indie, blindly sometimes, just to say they stock indie. These are the shops that will have for example, Love and Rockets but won’t get a couple of copies of Anders Nilsen’s Big Questions. Still not a dominant presence in the DM. I’ve been in more shops like this than the no. 1 type.
- The mainstream shop. A healthy dose of back issues, and new stuff from the regulars:DC, Marvel, Image and maybe Dark Horse. There might be some manga and a copy of Bone in the corner somewhere. Chaos reigns the organization of these shops. It may take a few visits to get the lay of the land. You may ask about Blankets but after a waisted half hour, you leave in disgust. The owner/staff has no clue what you’re talking about. This is the majority of comic shops.
- The hybrid shop. A store that’s confused with it’s own identity. They have an even mix of Wizards of the Coast and mainstream books. Indie? They might have a copy of Buffy from Dark Horse. This represents about half the shops in this state that I’ve been in. Also disorganized. It takes me a moment to walk around then walk out. They have a small rack in the corner and a book shelf of trades. The rest is dominated by gamer crap. Maybe one of the owners is a gamer, the other is a comics guy. Or both, in which case he or she assumes that everyone might be of the same mindset. In which case, either one or the other wins out in the shop or the place folds within a year.
So if I’m a small publisher, I pretty much have to rely on that slim no.1 slot to maintain my bottom line. According to ComicsPRO, the answer would be YES. God bless those few shops that do order from smaller publishers. I can understand why they would feel cheated to some extent. The convention theory seems laughable at best. If that buyer were to buy Three Paradoxes at a con (and liked it), wouldn’t they seek out more from that creator or publisher? Let’s say you have bought a copy of Black Hole or Meatcake, chances are that you won’t find it in your shop. If you do happen to have a pull account, they might order it for you. More likely is that you know the shop won’t get it in so you order it off of amazon. That initial spark is gone and they won’t return. Cripes. People who buy indie will quickly realize that your store refuses to carry indie so they bail or lose interest or buy it at a show or off the internet. Is a sale at San Diego seriously a lost sale in Michigan? Are all the potential buyers of that item even going to San Diego that shop at your store? Do they even know your shop carries this item? Is it even easy to find in your shop? Do you have any polling information to back this up? Oh wait, no that would be actual marketing. Something this mandate didn’t take into consideration. This seems like a marginal threat when the real threat to brick and mortar is the internet. Most shops do not have any online store. You would think they would embrace the internet marketplace more. Shops need to think more about the future and realize that they’re not the only game in town anymore. The monthlies are dying. Have been for a while. They need to push for a return policy instead of mandates like this which come off childish and unrealistic.
Come on out to Red Rover tonight and celebrate the release of Lifelike. 7-11pm in Clintonville. Rock!
Panel field trip!
Drew, the creator of Toothpaste for Dinner, will be stopping by to share about his experience earning a living as an artist and humorist. From the economics of independent vs. mass media, to his pointed views on the worlds of fine art and comics, Drew has wit to spare. He and his wife Natalie have made their living off of drawing online webcomics. His website: www.toothpastefordinner.com includes his hilarious comics and blog.
Join OUAB for a lecture and Q&A with this great local comic artist.
Drew from Toothpaste for Dinner
Wed Jan 23, 2008 – 7:30 PM
Campbell Hall – Room 200
Jess knows Natalie and I can tell you that these are great people. Toothpaste For Dinner is pretty funny. I’m going — who’s going with me?
(Thanks to Sean for the heads-up).
Natalie’s comic is hilarious, too:
I finished the script for the first issue of the 5-issue Zombies! – Hunters limited series earlier this week. It’s scheduled to debut in May, from IDW. The art is provided by Don Figueora, best known for his work on various Transformers comics. Here’s a look at some early, pre-revision character designs from the book:
And Don’s pencils for the cover of issue #1:
I’ll post more sneak peeks as I get artwork to share.
The media blitz continues…
Newsarama has posted an interview with your truly regarding the release of Lifelike. Hope I don’t come off sounding like a jackass 
Given the mostly mainstream audience there, I have a feeling there won’t be much discussion generated by the article, but it’s still good publicity. Thanks to Tom for pointing Chris Arrant my way.
Just a reminder to our Columbus readers: Andy, Tom, Tim, and your truly will be signing copies of Lifelike (and any of our other books, I suppose) tomorrow from 5-8 pm at The Laughing Ogre, located at 4258 North High Street.
Ok, let’s take a break from the color pages for some old black and white art. As always, if you have this issue, no guessing.
(click image to mobsterize)
(previous weeks: 9/12/2005, 9/19/2005, 9/26/2005, 10/3/2005, 10/10/2005, 10/17/2005, 10/24/2005, 10/31/2005, 11/1/2005, 11/2/2005, 11/3/2005, 11/4/2005, 11/5/2005, 11/6/2005, 11/7/2005, 11/14/2005, 11/21/2005, 11/28/2005, 12/5/2005, 12/12/2005, 12/19/2005, 12/26/2005, 1/2/2006, 1/9/2006, 1/16/2006, 1/23/2006, 1/30/2006, 2/06/2006, 2/13/2006, 2/20/2006, 2/27/2006, 3/6/2006, 3/13/2006, 3/20/2006, 3/27/2006, 4/3/2006, 4/4/2006, 4/5/2006, 4/6/2006, 4/7/2006, 4/8/2006, 4/9/2006, 4/10/2006, 4/17/2006, 4/23/2006, 5/1/2006, 5/8/2006, 5/15/2006, 5/22/2006, 5/29/2006, 6/5/2006, 6/12/2006, 6/19/2006, 6/26/2006, 7/3/2006, 7/10/2006, 7/17/2006, 7/24/2006, 7/31/2006, 8/7/2006, 8/13/2006, 8/21/2006, 8/28/2006, 9/4/2006, 9/11/2006, 9/18/2006, 9/25/2006, 10/2/2006, 10/9/2006, 10/16/2006, 10/23/2006, 10/30/2006, 11/6/2006, 11/13/2006, 11/20/2006, 11/27/2006, 12/4/2006, 12/11/2006, 12/18/2006, 12/25/2006, 1/1/2007, 1/8/2007, 1/15/2007, 1/22/2007, 1/29/2007, 2/5/2007, 2/12/2007, 2/19/2007, 2/26/2007, 3/5/2007, 3/12/2007, 3/19/2007, 3/26/2007, 4/2/2007, 4/5/2007, 4/9/2007, 4/16/2007, 4/23/2007, 4/30/2007, 5/7/2007, 5/14/2007, 5/21/2007, 5/28/2007, 6/4/2007, 6/11/2007, 6/18/2007, 6/25/2007, 7/2/2007, 7/9/2007, 7/16/2007, 7/23/2007, 7/30/2007, 8/6/2007, 8/13/2007, 8/20/2007, 8/27/2007, 9/3/2007, 9/10/2007, 9/17/2007, 9/24/2007, 10/1/2007, 10/8/2007, 10/15/2007, 10/22/2007, 10/29/2007, 11/5/2007, 11/12/2007, 11/19/2007, 11/26/2007, 12/3/2007, 12/10/2007, 12/17/2007, 12/24/2007, 12/31/2007, 1/7/2008)
James Jean recently relaunched his website. Updating the ‘folio’ and probably one of the neatest things- the front page. If you keep hitting refresh the images take you through a tour of Jean’s studio space. It’s a coding trick that I’ve been trying to figure out but I’m clueless with css.
Anyway, other artist’s studio spaces always interest me. I’d like to one day acheive the nicely organized space to my left here instead of the organized chaos I’m currently enjoying.
Here’s Ashley Wood’s cover to Cory Doctorow’s Futuristic Tales of the Here and Now #5, written by yours truly:
I adapt Cory’s “I, Robot” short story in this issue. Interiro art is by Erich Owen
The book ships in February and will be available in fine comic book stores everywhere.
A hardcover, collecting all 6 issues, hits book stores sometime in April or May.