I have a quote on my corkboard over my desk, that I read everyday. Call it a source of inspiration. Call it “a one (of many) mantras” I have. Hell, call it whatever you want. Here it is.
NOTE* THE BEGINNING IS A LITTLE LOST IN TRANSLATION.
“No food without blood and sweat.
Farmers are busy: framers are busy
If farmers weren’t busy where would grain get to get through winter come from?
In winter the lazy man freezes to death
Don’t depend on heaven for food. But only your own two hands to carry the load
Unless to ask for crops, it all depends on hard work and fertilizer
If the man works, the land will not be lazy.
~Old Chinese proverb~
Truth is, I would and should reach out more to promote through the social networks. I agree and disagree with that last statement. Promotion is the thing that is needed in order for people to know that the work even exists, and in the constant stream of content on social media networks, a day lost is a day you're forgotten. Where I disagree with that is the reason I don’t post constantly is because well,…. I’m working to bring you more content. Being an independent comic creator is tough. Though I consider my peers in comics necessary and important to my development,(both major publishers as well as independents, {Note: I will not say “Indy”/ See my article called: “What’s wrong with Indy” to know why.}) at the end of the day we’re all competing for your dollar. With all the different types of heroes, villains, art styles, writing styles, genres, etc. Its hard to keep up. Doing that while being an independent publisher: IT’S MISSION IMPOSSIBLE!
NOTE* THE BEGINNING IS A LITTLE LOST IN TRANSLATION.
“No food without blood and sweat.
Farmers are busy: framers are busy
If farmers weren’t busy where would grain get to get through winter come from?
In winter the lazy man freezes to death
Don’t depend on heaven for food. But only your own two hands to carry the load
Unless to ask for crops, it all depends on hard work and fertilizer
If the man works, the land will not be lazy.
~Old Chinese proverb~
Truth is, I would and should reach out more to promote through the social networks. I agree and disagree with that last statement. Promotion is the thing that is needed in order for people to know that the work even exists, and in the constant stream of content on social media networks, a day lost is a day you're forgotten. Where I disagree with that is the reason I don’t post constantly is because well,…. I’m working to bring you more content. Being an independent comic creator is tough. Though I consider my peers in comics necessary and important to my development,(both major publishers as well as independents, {Note: I will not say “Indy”/ See my article called: “What’s wrong with Indy” to know why.}) at the end of the day we’re all competing for your dollar. With all the different types of heroes, villains, art styles, writing styles, genres, etc. Its hard to keep up. Doing that while being an independent publisher: IT’S MISSION IMPOSSIBLE!
That’s cool; I was one of my favorite shows when I was little. So I guess psychologically, I’m attracted to that notion knowing I’ve just made m journey tougher.
But isn’t that what matters? Isn’t it the journey important and not the destination? I say yes. And the journey I’ve embarked on has brought me to this point. If you were to list my credentials on a resume one could post the following: Artist writer, colorist, letterer, publisher, editor.. (Wait scratch that last one. I’ll get into that in another posting.) Moving on; Social media correspondent, web developer, graphic designer, accountant, financial manager, corporate sponsor, fan boy (yes of my own shit), hype-man, CEO, CFO, cook, morale booster, janitor.
Not bad eh? Look out Mr. Stark!
But isn’t that what matters? Isn’t it the journey important and not the destination? I say yes. And the journey I’ve embarked on has brought me to this point. If you were to list my credentials on a resume one could post the following: Artist writer, colorist, letterer, publisher, editor.. (Wait scratch that last one. I’ll get into that in another posting.) Moving on; Social media correspondent, web developer, graphic designer, accountant, financial manager, corporate sponsor, fan boy (yes of my own shit), hype-man, CEO, CFO, cook, morale booster, janitor.
Not bad eh? Look out Mr. Stark!
I think you get it, I do it all. Everything you see here ( except editing….. NOW), I DO. Good or bad, whether it works or not, it on me.
I can now add one more .…. BOOK PRINTER!
Wait, what?!?
Yup. I now print my own books. Truth is it’s one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve made since I’ve ventured out on my own adventurous adventure of independent comicbookdom. To create something from your mind, and see it to fruition has to be one of the most rewarding experience I’ve ever had, and to that, to hold the final product now KNOWING that I have not only created it, but put it together with my own two hands, having complete control in that is just another piece that is the completion of me. That completion comes from the fact that in the end, I want to create a product for those who are interested will not only enjoy artistically, but not in craftsmanship as well. The funniest thing: It was born out of necessity and a little bit of luck. Wanna hear how? Keep reading.
So here goes.
In looking to print the first copies of LEGACY, the second in the trilogy of Sons of Fate, I found out that my printing prices had gone up…. in a little less than a year, by almost 60%.
Mind you. Legacy is a bigger book than Origins by about a quarter, but even after plugging in my old numbers for the first book, the price was significantly higher. The company, I had print my books mind you, are great at what they do. Better still, they are one of the cheapest games in town, and we had a great rapport. Seriously, if I were ever in town, I ‘meet up with them and take them out for drinks. They were that good.
Couldn’t be mad. It’s the law of supply and demand, and like I said they were still the cheapest game in town, with GREAT results where their competitors charge double and TRIPLE the amount for the same if not worse results. So, with the situation of having not one, but two, and soon three graphic novels under my belt, with each one larger than the previous, I was in a pickle. The NUMBER ONE problem with small publishers in the comic field (I think) is sustainability, and overall cost for any comic publisher is printing. The big three, and the smaller rest have printing deals, distributors, marketing, sponsors, hype men, etc.… backed by bigger companies that can not only sustain them through the highs and lows of the market, but can crush those who are not in their circle with these sustained assets. So, you see how see how anything like higher printing costs, would drain my ability to keep making books, which in turn would cause me to raise the price of the book just to keep up with the cost, which would cause those who are interested to.. jump ship because of that price hike the big wigs can keep their prices low because of the low overhead due to their enormous print run and most importantly…BRAND! I get it. More importantly, they get it. And a lot of independent publishers don’t. And for that, that are killed by costs, NOT a lack quality of their product, which in the end SUCKS… for everyone. True North is cool, but my true north has caverns, and lakes and mountains I have to skirt around and still head north. So as you can guess, I can’t have any wasted moves.
So, now we’re done with the economics of Independent comic ownership. Let me finish the tale.
So here I am NYCC 2015. I was invited to a pre-show panel where there were fellow artist talking about there experiences I the field. Alitha Martinez was one of them: DC artist, and independent book publisher. So, as you can see, she’s a master at her craft. Check out her work. www.ariotstorm.com
Anyhoo, The show has started, and I start my usually convention path, meeting, greeting, and selling. Eventually I happened upon Alita’s table in Artist Alley. We re-acquaint ourselves, and I take a look at her work. I go to comment her on how great her books look not only in artistic style, but also in craftsmanship (hard cover, soft cover, big and small formats ect). She mentions, almost in happenstance, that she PRINTED EVERYTHING HERSELF. Postcards, posters, and most impressively, ALL HER BOOKS.
I was floored! “ What?!?!? How?!? “, I asked.
Then she went to explain to me her process and what she used. Mind you, to a person she just met yesterday, and a potential rival. That was how awesome she is. (Which is scary.)
At first, her terminology, and process was all Greek to me (I don’t speak Greek), but she had answers to “You made this!! This hardcover book! This high gloss book interior and exterior pages, the sleeve, the jacket?!? All to a resounding, “Yup!”. I quickly realized that although I didn’t speak the language she spoke, I needed to learn it.
I stopped her in mid-sentence. I told her that I would be back tomorrow with pen and paper and like Lex Luthor (played my Kevin Spacey) told Jor-El in that.. TOTALLY SHITTY MOVIE (Yeah, I said it!) Superman Returns, and when I do….“ Tell me everything.”
And when I returned she did just that. Paper companies, printer types, which printer does what, which is better for which project, how to, when too, when not too… EVERYTHING!!
A human Google, without looking for the answer without knowing the question. Impressive.
So, with that I started to investigate the information she gave me. IMMEDIATELY not only did I see others praising the products she suggested, but how others who used these techniques, of self printing where far happier wit the end result than having done by a third part. The photography field in particular. From the printer, to the ink, and the paper, when added up, was all reasonably less than what I had to pay for with the high-end results at the expensive end of printing. Most importantly I had the one thing I wanted. I got what call the STEVE JOBS.
What the hell is the Steve Jobs? It’s simple. It’s END-TO-END control of my product. Alitha showed me a way to not only print out my products, as I need them (which saves money), but at a fraction of the price (which saves money), and with better quality (which saves money), and have them turn out HOW I need them to be.
~It needs to say “Hello.”~ STEVE JOBS.
That last thing I said it what’s important to you, those who are interested in what I produce. My fist and foremost reason to being independent was so that I could bring a product that I thought to be quality. It’s because of this I was able to make the Sons of Fate Hardcovers (AKA coffee table Editions), in which the covers are made of wood. Each personally hand crafted, and something I could NEVER do unless I did it independently.
See how much I love you guys?
I wanted to make something that I myself would want to own. And now through self-printing I can achieve that. Here are the results.
I can now add one more .…. BOOK PRINTER!
Wait, what?!?
Yup. I now print my own books. Truth is it’s one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve made since I’ve ventured out on my own adventurous adventure of independent comicbookdom. To create something from your mind, and see it to fruition has to be one of the most rewarding experience I’ve ever had, and to that, to hold the final product now KNOWING that I have not only created it, but put it together with my own two hands, having complete control in that is just another piece that is the completion of me. That completion comes from the fact that in the end, I want to create a product for those who are interested will not only enjoy artistically, but not in craftsmanship as well. The funniest thing: It was born out of necessity and a little bit of luck. Wanna hear how? Keep reading.
So here goes.
In looking to print the first copies of LEGACY, the second in the trilogy of Sons of Fate, I found out that my printing prices had gone up…. in a little less than a year, by almost 60%.
Mind you. Legacy is a bigger book than Origins by about a quarter, but even after plugging in my old numbers for the first book, the price was significantly higher. The company, I had print my books mind you, are great at what they do. Better still, they are one of the cheapest games in town, and we had a great rapport. Seriously, if I were ever in town, I ‘meet up with them and take them out for drinks. They were that good.
Couldn’t be mad. It’s the law of supply and demand, and like I said they were still the cheapest game in town, with GREAT results where their competitors charge double and TRIPLE the amount for the same if not worse results. So, with the situation of having not one, but two, and soon three graphic novels under my belt, with each one larger than the previous, I was in a pickle. The NUMBER ONE problem with small publishers in the comic field (I think) is sustainability, and overall cost for any comic publisher is printing. The big three, and the smaller rest have printing deals, distributors, marketing, sponsors, hype men, etc.… backed by bigger companies that can not only sustain them through the highs and lows of the market, but can crush those who are not in their circle with these sustained assets. So, you see how see how anything like higher printing costs, would drain my ability to keep making books, which in turn would cause me to raise the price of the book just to keep up with the cost, which would cause those who are interested to.. jump ship because of that price hike the big wigs can keep their prices low because of the low overhead due to their enormous print run and most importantly…BRAND! I get it. More importantly, they get it. And a lot of independent publishers don’t. And for that, that are killed by costs, NOT a lack quality of their product, which in the end SUCKS… for everyone. True North is cool, but my true north has caverns, and lakes and mountains I have to skirt around and still head north. So as you can guess, I can’t have any wasted moves.
So, now we’re done with the economics of Independent comic ownership. Let me finish the tale.
So here I am NYCC 2015. I was invited to a pre-show panel where there were fellow artist talking about there experiences I the field. Alitha Martinez was one of them: DC artist, and independent book publisher. So, as you can see, she’s a master at her craft. Check out her work. www.ariotstorm.com
Anyhoo, The show has started, and I start my usually convention path, meeting, greeting, and selling. Eventually I happened upon Alita’s table in Artist Alley. We re-acquaint ourselves, and I take a look at her work. I go to comment her on how great her books look not only in artistic style, but also in craftsmanship (hard cover, soft cover, big and small formats ect). She mentions, almost in happenstance, that she PRINTED EVERYTHING HERSELF. Postcards, posters, and most impressively, ALL HER BOOKS.
I was floored! “ What?!?!? How?!? “, I asked.
Then she went to explain to me her process and what she used. Mind you, to a person she just met yesterday, and a potential rival. That was how awesome she is. (Which is scary.)
At first, her terminology, and process was all Greek to me (I don’t speak Greek), but she had answers to “You made this!! This hardcover book! This high gloss book interior and exterior pages, the sleeve, the jacket?!? All to a resounding, “Yup!”. I quickly realized that although I didn’t speak the language she spoke, I needed to learn it.
I stopped her in mid-sentence. I told her that I would be back tomorrow with pen and paper and like Lex Luthor (played my Kevin Spacey) told Jor-El in that.. TOTALLY SHITTY MOVIE (Yeah, I said it!) Superman Returns, and when I do….“ Tell me everything.”
And when I returned she did just that. Paper companies, printer types, which printer does what, which is better for which project, how to, when too, when not too… EVERYTHING!!
A human Google, without looking for the answer without knowing the question. Impressive.
So, with that I started to investigate the information she gave me. IMMEDIATELY not only did I see others praising the products she suggested, but how others who used these techniques, of self printing where far happier wit the end result than having done by a third part. The photography field in particular. From the printer, to the ink, and the paper, when added up, was all reasonably less than what I had to pay for with the high-end results at the expensive end of printing. Most importantly I had the one thing I wanted. I got what call the STEVE JOBS.
What the hell is the Steve Jobs? It’s simple. It’s END-TO-END control of my product. Alitha showed me a way to not only print out my products, as I need them (which saves money), but at a fraction of the price (which saves money), and with better quality (which saves money), and have them turn out HOW I need them to be.
~It needs to say “Hello.”~ STEVE JOBS.
That last thing I said it what’s important to you, those who are interested in what I produce. My fist and foremost reason to being independent was so that I could bring a product that I thought to be quality. It’s because of this I was able to make the Sons of Fate Hardcovers (AKA coffee table Editions), in which the covers are made of wood. Each personally hand crafted, and something I could NEVER do unless I did it independently.
See how much I love you guys?
I wanted to make something that I myself would want to own. And now through self-printing I can achieve that. Here are the results.
OK, HERE'S THE MONEYSHOT! EVEN IT THIS TOTALLY BLEACHED FROM FLASH PIC I TOOK, YOU CAN SEETHE BUMP IN COLOR AND DEEPNESS OF BLACKS. I USE ARCHIVAL MATT PARER WHICH ALLOWS THE COLORS AND BLACKS TO POP. THE WHITES ARE WHITER, AND EVEN THE GLARE IS GONE ON THE PAGE I PRINTED. OH, BY THE WAY, IMAGES AND TEXT ARE JUST AS IF NOT EVEN CRISPER. YEWOSER!!!
Yup. Whereas before I as limited by budget constraints and walking that fine line between fighting the good fight and living to fight another day, now, I can do both. The idea implemented to conclusion brought you the story, art, colors, letters, were all brought forth by me, now I can add the intensity of the colors, the deepness of the blacks, the mood, the design, the paper. Intended points in mind of creators, but can get lost in third party development.
Don’t believe me, watch Mad Max: Fury road on HBO. Colors are sooo dulled down compared to the theatrical screening.
It is the closest thing I’ve ever done in the comic field that could represent an archival print. That was the goal from me to you: Actual, personal art
End to end control.
That is and forever will be the goal.
Taking myself out of what I say next. Support independent ideals. Support independent comics. There are creators (in every field) who are re-inventing how and what we as consumers buy in this world: in the quality of what they sell. Sadly most of the time they are swallowed up or over-shined by powers that just have the muscle to do so.
Be attentive to what’s in your face although you may not be looking at it.
Thank you Alitha.
“You can have your cake and eat it too. That’s what cake is for.”
You were right Martin.
He gets it.
Thanks for listening….well reading.
Don’t believe me, watch Mad Max: Fury road on HBO. Colors are sooo dulled down compared to the theatrical screening.
It is the closest thing I’ve ever done in the comic field that could represent an archival print. That was the goal from me to you: Actual, personal art
End to end control.
That is and forever will be the goal.
Taking myself out of what I say next. Support independent ideals. Support independent comics. There are creators (in every field) who are re-inventing how and what we as consumers buy in this world: in the quality of what they sell. Sadly most of the time they are swallowed up or over-shined by powers that just have the muscle to do so.
Be attentive to what’s in your face although you may not be looking at it.
Thank you Alitha.
“You can have your cake and eat it too. That’s what cake is for.”
You were right Martin.
He gets it.
Thanks for listening….well reading.