News Blog Archives

October 30, 2005

Snappy Comeback

The SNAP comics festival was WONDERFUL. Paul and I had a great time, and I had better sales in one day of SNAP than I did at both days at SPX. Around 200 people showed up, and the hall was sold out. Not bad for a brand new show in an economically depressed city. Dan and Katie deserve all the credit, and all the praise, and we took them out for copious amounts of baba ghannouj at La Shish. I only wish I'd brought my camera.

I bought scads of minis, and got to talk to lots of creators and fans. It was a really wonderful convention; you didn't have to bellow to be heard, the hall was small enough to feel welcoming, and there was good food served up fresh from the grill. As far as I could tell, not a single thing went wrong, and it seemed like everyone had a great time.

Hooray! Here's hoping Dan and Katie forget how much work it took, and agree to do it all again next year!

October 28, 2005

Oh, SNAP!

Hey, Michigan Locals!

Bored this Saturday? There's going to be a really great small-press comics show this weekend over in Dearborn, called SNAP! and it's run by two of the coolest folks in comics, Dan and Katie Merritt, owners of Green Brain Comics.

The show's going to be small and low-key -- a chance to talk to your favorite Midwestern comics creators one on one. We're hoping that this will turn into an annual event, so if you can spare an hour or so and three bucks to get in, we'd love to see you there! Parking's free!

You can read more about it here:http://www.greenbrain.biz/SNAP!.htm and check out the great press from the Detroit News and The Metro Times!

http://www.metrotimes.com/editorial/story.asp?id=8403

http://www.detnews.com/2005/events/0510/24/E01-358490.htm

See you there!

October 19, 2005

MOPED ARMY member hit by SUV: Seriously injured

Hey, everybody. Paul and I just heard word tonight that a cornerstone member of Kalamazoo's Moped Army was struck by an SUV last weekend and seriously injured. He was struck from behind; the driver was going an estimated 60mph and never touched his brakes. The rider, Dave Brzezicki, was thrown sixty feet.

Dave broke his pelvis in three places, but miraculously sustained no head or organ injuries. He had surgery on Monday, and is expected to make a slow recovery.

As is the case with many of us, Dave had no health insurance, and will probably be out of work for many months. The members of the Moped Army are taking contributions to help him out; if you have the inclination, please help out a very hardworking member of a very cool grassroots organization: http://www.mopedarmy.com/

Please pass this link around to anyone you know who might be able to help out.

Thanks in advance.

October 14, 2005

Contracts versus Self-Publishing

Over at Warren Ellis' new messageboard, The Engine, there's been a blistering thread about Tokyopop and their contracts.

As anyone knows who's been around me for ten minutes, I'm all about the self-publishing. If you want to know why, the TokyoPop thread should illustrate why. Read the whole thing; it's worth it.

Now, I totally agree that TokyoPop isn't evil or anything. They need to make money just like everyone else. However, I think that if people are going to pooh-pooh self-publishing as too much work for too little return, they should go take a look at just exactly what rights you have to give up in order to be carried by a big publishing house in this industry. Things that TokyoPop usually include in thier contracts (though I should reassert that not all of their contracts are identical):

• A percentage of your ownership in the property -- they become co-owners of your idea.
• A cap on your royalties -- usually at $50,000 -- which means that if your manga gets made into an animated series, $50,000 is all you get, forever, over your entire lifetime.
• They own right of first refusal over your next work -- which means that you must offer them your next project first. Even if you dislike the way your contract with them shook out, you can't take your next idea to a different publisher without offering it to them first.

These are just some of the more extreme items; there are many other concessions that you must make. TokyoPop's not even the most draconian publisher out there. You can find better deals -- but sometimes you have to trade off other rights, or accept less money. If you're going to sign a contract from TokyoPop, or anyone else, for heaven's sake read all the fine print and go in with your eyes open. Do your homework. Decide what is, and what is not, an acceptable risk.

Me, I decided that unless I got some sweetheart deal I couldn't refuse, I'd never sell Vögelein to anyone, ever. I'm pretty sure that the only deals that could turn my head are if 1) Pixar pulled up in front of the house with a dumptruck full of money for the movie rights (only Pixar, never Disney) or 2) I managed to get some cool reprint deal with a big house like Scholastic, like what Jeff Smith did, one that allowed me to retain 100% ownership and all rights to other media, like teeshirts and movies and such.

For other perspectives on the issues, check out these blogs:

Elin
Irresponsible Pictures
Matt High
Robert DeJesus

Oh, and just for the comparison of industries:
Record Producer Steve Albini shares the math of a typical first-time record contract. S'good.

Me? I gotta agree with Lea Hernandez at this point. I'd rather own what I create, even if it means not being rich and/or famous. If it's a choice between signing a contract and keeping my dayjob, I'll pick the dayjob every time. Not that anyone's offered me a contract; far from it -- so I suppose some could shout sour grapes. It's not; if I wanted a contract I'd go out looking for it. Instead, I spend 8-10 hours at my dayjob, take an hour or three (depending on the amount of housework and/or incidentals that need doing) off for dinner, then strap myself to the desk until 1 or 2am. Darn near every night, and darn near every weekend. If I were looking for an easier ticket to full-time comics, I'd have found one by now.

Nope. May be a rusty little dinghy, but by God it's MY rusty little dinghy.

October 11, 2005

New Cover, Mark Two

After running it by some friends, and the guy who lives in my house, I've made a few redactions to the cover. I'm quite pleased.

October 10, 2005

New Cover

Here's the cover to the new Graphic Novel. It was a very long and frustrating process getting the sketch for this together -- it took about five full days of banging my head against the wall and sketching about a hundred different poses and thumbnails. As soon as I got the idea nailed down, though, it took off like a shot and I finished it in about five intense sessions. I'm pretty happy with it.

October 6, 2005

Two-Stroke Invasion Tour continues...

Paul's Moped Army signing tour continues tomorrow night at 1977 Mopeds on the Kalamazoo Mall. Details here. Join us for the Art Hop -- and Moped Army Cookies!

October 5, 2005

Now in color!

Here's the color version of the Mucha.

Ever so purty. Dave, watch yr mailbox.

October 3, 2005

Why Paddy's Not At Work Today

I will not be attending Motor CIty Comicon this year. I haven't even made table the last two shows, and I've decided that a weekend spent not-selling books is not where my energy needs to be. I'll be at home, cranking out pages on the long-overdue Vogelein book.

The following weekend, however, I'll be out at SNAP! It's the new small-press show put on by our buddies Dan and Katie Merritt of Green Brain Comics. You should come check it out!