Last post I directed you to a link that shined some very important light on what the media everywhere is calling the “Financial Crisis.”  There is little doubt that things are pretty strained right now, with very uncertain times looming on the horizon.

Because of this, some may feel that maybe they should put creating comics on the back burner for a little while longer until things improve.  But should this be the case?  I would like to encourage you to say “no” to any such ideas and stay the course.  Don’t get me wrong I’m not saying things are not in a serious state.  I’m just tired of all of the gloom and doom and the need to put everyone in a state of panic.

The truth is, in the entrepreneurial world – which is where comic creators reside – we are ahead of the game. As entrepreneurs, we can SHIFT our focus, learn new skills, address new markets, alter our strategies, price points, etc. and take advantage of this time.

Did you know that more companies were started in 1929 than in 1927 or even 1928?  Why is this significant you ask?  1929 was the beginning of The Great Depression (TGD).  October 24th, 1929 “Black Thursday” kicked off a series of events that devastated the economy and put upwards of 25% of the population out of work.  TGD was in full force with no immediate end in sight.  And yet, inspired entrepreneurs pushed forward taking advantage of opportunities that were not present the year before.  Companies were started, ideas were hatched and fortunes were made while everyone else was running scared screaming doom and gloom.  In fact, the entire cosmetics industry was born in the midst of TGD.

The question you have to ask yourself in times such as these is, “Is it worth it?”  Sadly, most people tend to use “Is it easy and convenient” instead when it comes to pursuing their dreams and accomplishing their goals.  If you had to save a loved one would “easy and convenient” ever cross your mind? Absolutely not!  You would weigh the cost and come to the natural conclusion to take action.  So why is it when it comes to our goals, dreams and ambitions, “easy and convenient” is our rule of measurement?  It is “easy and convenient” to sit down and watch television.  It is easy and convenient to hide behind the gloom and doom.  It is easy and convenient to say “tomorrow.”  What destroys so many dreams is that people will do what is “easy and convenient” instead of what will make them great.  What will make you great is not found in the realm of easy and convenient.  You will NEVER find it there – so stop looking.

Most people become successful by saying they “can” even though they have no clue how to do it.  I remember reading in Fortune Magazine an article about Kevin Plank, founder and President of Under Armor apparel.  He related a time when he was on the phone with a potential client that had asked him if his product came in long sleeves.  He said, “Of course it does.  When do you need them by?’  When he hung up the phone he called his manufacturer and began formulating a way to make his fiber-weave material in long sleeves. When you say you “can” instead of  “I can’t” or “I don’t,” you create just enough pressure to dig down deep and come through in the end.  It would have been “easy and convenient” for Kevin to say no.  Instead he chose the path of “is it worth it?”  Today Under Armor Apparel is one of the top performance apparel providers.  So what do you think, was it worth it?

What is really cool about today’s technological environment, especially with social media, comic creators can spread the word about their comics for little or NO money.   All it takes is for someone to get wind of your comic and spread the word – That is, if it’s worth it.;)  Every place that we want to get to requires an investment: Time, money, energy, etc.  If it is worth it, you will make the investment in order to get the return.

Side note: We will be going into great depth on what social media is and how to take advantage of it in the next couple of weeks.

During TGD 25% of the population were unemployed.   However, 75% of the population was.  That means 75% of the population still had money to spend.  Smart entrepreneurs were able to capitalize on the time and produce incredible fortunes while everyone else was screaming doom and gloom.  They took advantage of opportunities that presented themselves that normally would not have been available.

So now is the time to take action.  The future will not wait for you.  The Comic Book Industry needs your creativity.  If you do not decide to build your dreams, you will be building someone else’s.  Nothing happens until you take action.  Nothing happens until you ask yourself, “It is worth it?” and answer with a resounding “yes!”

You cannot dream yourself into a character: you must hammer and forge yourself into one. – Henry D. Thoreau

To your success.

NEXT UP: Time Management

Welcome back.  I have delayed my postings for this week until Friday to give you the opportunity to gain a little insight about the financial crisis we are hearing so much about these days from the information Clayton Makepeace – one of the best copy writers in the business – has provided.

This will tie in directly with my next post and the attitude you need to have in regards to pursuing you goals during times like this.  It is well researched and really worth taking the time to read.  Trust me, it’ll be worth it.

See you on Friday.

Click here to read the article

Feel free to come back here and post your comments.

Now that you have a better understanding of your motives behind your desire for creating comics, let’s talk a little bit about the creative process – assuming that is that you answered the questions in the previous post.

No matter what your skill set is, it is imperative that you acquire a new one – the skill of acquiring skills. What do I mean by this? Creating comics, especially successful comics, is NOT just about writing fascinating stories, drawing pretty pictures, a splash of color, word balloons, folded up all nice-nice with a staple in the middle. On top of understanding the basics of writing, illustrating, color theory, and page layout, you have to educate yourself on every nuance of success: financial understanding, direct and viral marketing, advertising, management, time management, – This one is key (We’ll get into time management in a later post) – achievements and winning mindsets, price points, pitches and hooks. Bringing all of these facets together is what will help you produce a book people will take notice of. It’s the difference between selling out at conventions and being the creator in Artist Alley that everyone is walking by not paying attention to. In other words, not buying their comic.

Once upon a time you had to have a large marketing budget and a staff to implement it. In today’s market with the Internet and social media, the playing field has been leveled giving new creators unprecedented access to a legion of devoted comic readers. Having a grasp on marketing basics and the like will give you a leg up on the competition.

You will never know it all. However, it is imperative that you have at least a basic understanding of each of the categories listed above. Now, you could go back to school and spend every day, all day in the library (Yuk!). Or, you could just check back in every week. I will be covering all of the above, and then some, in future posts (Shameless Plug ).

Speaking of school, let’s take a look at a little equation. Now I know what your thinking, “But Jonnie, I done did fail ‘rithmatic.” Don’t worry, it’s not that kind of equation:

Information + Confusion + fear of failure = Procrastination.
Procrastination = no comic.

Now what do I mean by information + confusion? Quite often we find ourselves with the need to learn all we can – which is a good thing. However, because we want everything to be just right, we tend to tell ourselves “I need to learn more before I begin.” When we think along the lines of “learn more before I begin,” we inevitably find ourselves overwhelmed by the amount of information we are trying to process – thus creating confusion. Another way to put this would be information paralysis. Paralysis defined: The loss of voluntary movement.

Of course the biggie in the equation is fear of failure. Is this what is keeping you from moving forward? Hmmm? Did you know that this fear of failure stems from an insecure part of you? “Insecure?! Them thars fightin’ words!” Maybe. Unfortunately, it’s true. It is a part of you that whispers in your subconscious ear, “You’re not good enough” or “What if you fail?” It is this fear that is causing you to be unsure of where to begin –Thus leading to procrastination. And what does procrastination equal? That’s right, no comic.

However, which fear is greater: The fear of failure, or the fear of regret? The good news is, if you do not pursue your dreams of creating comics, you will never fail at it – That is a certainty. The bad news is, you will look back the rest of your life with 2 nagging thoughts: “I wonder” and “I wish I would’ve.” So ask yourself, which is the greater fear: Fear of failure, or fear of regret?

Just so you know, I suffered from that very form of insecurity for some time. The idea for my comic, The Miscellaneous Adventures of STYKMAN™ rattled around inside of me since the mid 90’s. It wasn’t until 2002 that I ignored that voice and gave the comic world it’s first glimpse of the Bumbling Buffoon of a Branch. However, the voice had returned for a little while until it was silenced altogether in 2005 with the release of the actual comic. You see the fear of regret was stronger for me than the fear or failure.

So where to start? Simply put, just start. I know that sounds rather simple and elementary, but really, just start. It really doesn’t matter where. Write out a plot, develop some dialogue, draw some character designs, or a single frame – Just start. The thing that truly holds people back is the need for everything to be perfect. They see and hold a completed comic and think that somehow, through osmosis maybe, their comic will suddenly be completed and everything will be perfect. It doesn’t work that way.

A terrific analogy would be The Great Wall of China. Huh? That’s right, China. When one looks at such a magnificent monument – an incredible, awe-inspiring work of man – one cannot help but feel a bit small and unsure. How did they..? Where did they..? It’s amazing. It’s a miracle. Well, no, not really. Amazing yes, miracle no. When you really think about it, it’s just a pile of bricks, one stacked on top of the other – Just as comics are one frame next to another. Be it one frame or 10, 4 pages or 48, that’s all comic books really are. So where do you begin? Right where the builders did – choose a brick. Then, lay another one on top of it, then another, and another, until you begin to make a little progress. By the end of the day, you won’t have built The Great Wall, but you’ll be further along than you were.

Think about it this way: when you first learned how to drive. Although you sat next to family and friends for at least 16 years while they drove you around, when it came to your turn, suddenly everything you were observing took on a whole new meaning. Turning the key, putting the vehicle into drive slowly stepping on the gas and pulling out into traffic terrified you. You were as nervous as a man with a toupee’ walking into a ceiling fan store. However, over time as you began to apply and practice the actual task of driving, it has become second nature for you. Instead of white-knuckling the steering wheel, heart racing, sitting fully erect, eyes darting back forth, every move orchestrated with uncertainty for fear of an accident, your now leaning back in your seat, one hand on the wheel, cruising the highways with confidence. Could you still get into an accident? Of course you could. However the odds are considerably lower. Why? Because you began to apply what it is you had learned and through continual repetition and application your skills and confidence level improved over time.

So what are you waiting for? Climb on in and turn the key. Remember: You will always miss 100% of the shots you never take.

“Once you master the basic skills there’s an artistic zone where possibilities for innovation are seemingly without end.”
-Perry Marshall The Definitive Guide to Google Adwords

To your success,

A question often asked by those wanting to produce and publish their own comic is, “Where do I begin?” Be it at conventions, behind the booth or while sitting on a panel, comic shop signings or via email the majority of aspiring creators want help finding that ever-elusive place where all comics begin. Pardon the pun, but… where do I begin?

The world of independent publishing is a world where individuals wear many hats. The lines between job titles can begin to blur. Creating a comic is by itself a very daunting, and somewhat overwhelming task. Factor in the need for marketing and promotion, and one can feel a bit crushed by the weight. Finding a place to start can be a bit of a stumbling block that keeps creators from getting out of the gate.

To begin, I think it important to ask yourself a series of questions about what it is you want to accomplish. Quite often in any industry, but especially in comics, people go into business for all of the wrong reasons. Forget the lines of adoring fans, the licensing deals, or the multi-million dollar movie options. Although these are highlights of the industry and they do indeed happen, they should not be what drive you. A love for the medium in all of its forms needs to be the basis for your want. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you shouldn’t want any or all these things. Signing autographs, reading fanmail, or even seeing your character made into a collectible are all extremely cool perks that can come with this industry. Just don’t let this be all. As I said, these things do indeed happen, unfortunately they don’t happen for everyone.

Let’s do something a little different. Here’s a drill for you: Take some time and ask yourself the following questions and write them down on paper. Seriously, write them down. This may seem a bit trivial and juvenile, but important none-the-less. The most successful people in any industry will tell you that until you write down your goals they aren’t goals at all. They are only dreams. And dreams are all they will ever be.

Take as much time as you need to really think through your answers. And oh yeah, write them down. Ready? Cool. Let’s get started:

• Why am I doing this? In other words, what is your goal? What will it give you when you achieve it? (Do not think merely monetarily.)
• How will each and every one of these things make me feel? Does this feeling come from deep within from the pit of my stomach or do I feel it resonating with every beat of my heart?
• What is the goal after I achieve this one? (This is often overlooked. You do not want to find yourself wondering “What now?”)
• How long do I want to be in the comic industry? Do I want only to publish one comic? A series? Or do I want to have a career in this industry?
• What am I willing to sacrifice to achieve my dreams? (Most dreams come with a cost. What are you willing to spend? Do not think merely monetarily. Write it down.)
• What won’t I sacrifice to achieve my dreams?
• If you could be a Superhero who would it be? What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? How would you spend your average day? (Again, this may sound silly, however the most successful people have a grand vision of who they are and who they want to be. I am not talking hubris here – just self-awareness. Everything they say and do drives them forward towards their goals.)
• What are you great at? What are not so great at?
• If money was no object, what would you love to do, to be? Who would you hang out with? What would you do in your off hours? (The key here is: Money is NO object. Are you writing this down?)
• Imagine 30 years from now. You wake up, and you are at your own funeral. Who would be giving your eulogy? What would you like to hear them say? Write out the eulogy you would love to hear. (This is a very difficult drill to do – but it can really open your eyes to a wonderful life ahead of you.)

Now tell me, how many comic creators do you think get into the business and ask themselves even ONE of these questions? They think along the lines of “If you build it they will come” – A fine movie plot, but a far cry from realty.

By answering the above questions you will have a better understanding of who you are and why you really want this. It is after this we can move forward to that ever-elusive starting point.

To be continued…

Hey There, thanks for stopping by. Welcome to the site dedicated to helping you, the comic book creator succeed in your creative ventures. Here you will learn valuable skills including, but not limited to: Creating, Marketing, Branding and Promotional Tips to help make your comic creation soar in a very competitive field. Every week I will post 2 topics: one from an application approach, the other from an encouraging, philosophical point of view.

So you know, I never really had an intention of producing a BLOG. It seems nowadays everyone and their brother has a BLOG of one variety or another –– as well as they should. The “Blogasphere” has become a regular bastion of ideas and thoughts; A virtual cornucopia of creativity. That said, I had always felt the website (www.akacomics.com) updated regularly would be sufficient information for fans and creators.

Then in 2007, WIZARD magazine – one of the leading comic industry magazines – tapped me to kick off a new series of articles entitled “Independent Insights” dedicated to helping other Independent Comic creators with the marketing and promotional side of things. As soon as that first article came out the comic community began clamoring for more. My email inbox was flooded with requests. People would come up to me at conventions, sit through the panels on was on, all asking for me to elaborate on the limited information I was able to provide. You see, WIZARD only gives me 250 words to tell independent creators like yourself how to market, brand, write press releases, attend conventions, etc. 250 words are simply not sufficient to adequately covey to you the important aspects and intricacies of what it takes to develop the techniques to make your comic successful. Thus Creating Comic Success was born.

So why should you listen to me? It’s a valid question. Tell the truth, I’d be asking the same thing. Aside from the above mentioned articles, what have I done that would warrant your attention? After all, it’s possible you may have never heard my name, or picked up a copy of my comic The Miscellaneous Adventures of STYKMAN™. What matters is the invaluable information I have learned through hard knocks, speed bumps, pitfalls, and just some really stupid mistakes.

Take a little trip with me back a few years to 2004. Like you, I had a dream of creating a comic book. I had an idea that had been swimming around in my head for close to a decade. My dream was to put that idea into print and put it into retail shops and “fanboy’s” hands. I set out to learn all that I could about what would make a great comic – not good – but great. I sat through panels, talked with retailers, even put set up at conventions to see what the fan reaction would be to my characters and comic idea (I’ll address this tactic in a future post.).

In the beginning there were plenty of people offering to help me learn the “right” way to do things. But when the time came to, they were nowhere to be found – Emails went unanswered, phone calls unreturned. I figured it was one of two things: Either they really didn’t know what they were doing and they were making it up as they went. Or, they simply did not want to share for fear of me taking away a piece of their market share. It’s possible you’ve run into this same wall of nonsupport. To me this is silly. Competition is a good thing. Without competition complacency sets in. Competition makes you, me and everyone else, produce, say or provide everything just a little bit better. Again, we’ll get to this point in particular at a later date

So in July of 2005 I rolled out with issue 1 of The Miscellaneous Adventures of STYKMAN™. At first, very few Industry folk took notice. In fact, Diamond Comic Distributors, inc – the comic industry distributor – rejected my first solicitation. Although disappointed, I understood – unknown creator, unknown comic. But you know what’s cool? The fans noticed! With my background in sales and marketing I was able to sell out (hundreds of copies), or come close to, at every convention. And in a very short period of time I was able to garner the attention of Comic Buyer’s Guide, Silverbulletcomicbooks.com – where we received 4 out of 5 silver bullet reviews for each issue –, Brokenfrontier.com, and the aforementioned Diamond Comics Distributors, inc – who this time not only picked up the book for solicitation but stamped it with their seal of approval “Certified Cool.” To top it off, STYKMAN™ has been placed on WIZARD Magazine’s top Independent Comics list of 2006, 2007 and 2008.

My reason for telling you all of this is certainly not to brag. It’s to prove to you that I do indeed know what I am talking about when it comes to not only Creating, but Marketing, Selling and Branding comics. Like you, I had a dream. I fulfilled it. Now it’s your turn. And it would be my honor to help you along the way.

If you haven’t done so, please enter your email address in the top right side of the Page. Although this BLOG will be filled to the brim with a wealth of information, I will be provide some Exclusive material for those on our email and newsletter list. Don’t worry, I will not rent, sell, trade, or give away your information. I hate SPAM too.

The road to success is always under construction. It is filled with potholes, speed bumps, gravel and a wild animal or two. Believe me, I hit just about every one. My goal, and commitment to you, is to help provide you with a road map that will show you how to go around, avoid, or drive right on through most, if not all, of those obstacles.

Thanks again for stopping by. I’m looking forward to playing with you.