Last night's comic book release parties for FOREVER FRESHMAN and USMZ

So last night I attended two release parties for two, new different comic books.

"USMZ" by Roman Montes de Oca.

 

"Forever Freshman", Issue #1, by Ray Mendivil & Neil Segura. 

Roman's event was held in the Art District in Downtown Pomona, a lively neighborhood featuring many art studios and galleries. The release party was held at the Foggy Windowz Gallery, and Roman's artwork was on display, as well as his brand new comic book.

 

Roman's book deals with a Marine squadron pulling back into port after months overseas and landing right in the middle of a zombie infestation! Roman's story has that air of authenticity about it due to his tenure as a Marine years previously. The zombie stuff....well, we'll have to ask him what his experiences are there!

I visited his home studio some time ago and he showed me the progress of his book. He also gave me a mechanical pencil, the kind you can use with replaceable leads. Since then, I bought another one and use them with non-photo blue leads for drawing my layouts as well as using graphite leads for drawing with. He got me hooked on mechanical pencils and now my Ticonderoga #2 HB pencils sit unused in a cup by my desk......

It was very cool to see Roman debuting his book there amongst the many art galleries that were open that evening. The great thing about comics is that they don't have to only be confined to comic book stores and conventions. They're art, so anywhere were art is displayed and sold is a potential market for a book. I got there at about 6, but when I eventually left the area the streets were streaming with people walking from gallery to gallery. Roman got the word out, as he had plenty of people stopping by to pick up the book.

I left the Pomona area around 8pm and headed back to Whittier, as there was another comic book release party going on with another friend of mine.

GEEKS Comics was packed with people when I arrived. Everyone was there for the release of FOREVER FRESHMAN. 

Good ol' Neil Segura. He and his friend Ray Medivil created this comic as a way to relive, and greatly embellish, many of their High School antics they had together. 

Ray and Neil had actually debuted the comic at San Diego Comic Con a month prior, but this was a chance for all their local fans, friends and family to pick up a copy of the book. They put on a really good show, with raffles, food, artwork and general fun being had by all.

If you read my blog on Friday, you'll remember that both Roman and Neil had taken my DIY COMICS CRASH COURSE right there in GEEKS itself exactly one year and one day ago! So it was nice to come back to the scene of the crime, where it all began....

Congrats to all three of these creators, Ray, Neil and Roman, for completing their books. We all have a myriad of different reasons for creating our stories and self-publishing our work. But that evening was real fun to experience. Comics, like most art, takes a lot of work. So it's great to see people spending the time, making the sacrifices necessary, to make their dreams a reality.

Reflections on the DIY COMICS CRASH COURSE

Earlier today at GEEKS Comics in Whittier, I conducted my DIY COMICS CRASH COURSE. I was really satisfied how the class turned out. The attendees were all really interested in the material I covered, as well as with one another's planned projects.

The companion book to the workshop.
  
This is the second time I've taught this particular workshop. With the 2 1/2 hour time limit, there was a definite amount of material I wanted to make sure I covered for the attendees. Not much chance to devote the whole time to the actual principles of storytelling, but I do focus on what I consider the practical aspects of publishing one's work. And there was no shortage of questions and contributions from the attendees, which I feel makes for a real robust, immersive experience for everybody!

Establishing the final form of one's story, whether it be a web comic or a printed publication of some sort, requires the artist to invest plenty of time in researching costs and time tables for web sites, printing fees, targeted convention dates, etc. What I did before I published my first book back in 1998 was to target an actual comic convention (APE) to debut my book at. This forced me to develop a schedule in which to finish my book, which in my case is always a good thing. (The ol' 'gun to the head' routine, so to speak!).

I honestly don't recall if I obtained quotes for my first printed book while I was still working on it, but it's something I recommend to the novice publisher. At least getting some type of ballpark figure gives them a leg up on saving up for their future printing bill. To finish their comic book, then realize they have to wait another 4 months to save up, for example, $500.00 to cover printing costs...Well, that's something that could be addressed with an early quote.

Like a lot of artists, I get inspired by other creators both within my field and from other mediums as well. Besides strongly recommending Dave Sim's new, revised, CEREBUS GUIDE TO SELF-PUBLISHING, 

I also recommended REBEL WITHOUT A CREW,  filmmaker Robert Rodriguez's account on filming his no-budget indie film, EL MARIACHI. There are a lot of parallels in trying to make a film with a mere handful of collaborators and a pittance of money with creating and publishing your own comic book. I found enough inspiration and instruction in the book to keep it on my 'Recommended reading' list for DIY cartoonists.

I really do enjoy this type of instruction, in that I'm conveying information and my personal experiences to adults who are planning to publish their own comics. I've taught lots of 'how to draw comics' classes to kids, and that's rewarding in it's own way. Teaching a youngster basic storytelling principles and seeing them apply some of that information to the way the create is a wonderful experience.

But knowing that someone has their own story to create, and is specifically looking for instruction and insight in how to approach all the publishing aspects (costs, marketing, presentation, etc) involved, that makes me feel like I'm giving someone a very practical set of tools. Sure, it's based on my own feelings about approaching DIY comics, but since I'm making the effort to provide my services, I don't have to teach anyone else's methods. I'll refer to other things that some creators have done, but I speak best about my own experiences and what's worked, or hasn't worked, for me.

Here's a pic of the 'graduating class':

Thanks to Neil Segura for sharing this pic! (You can read his post about the workshop here)

Like I mentioned earlier, there was a lot of interaction between these guys about what they were working on. I think that's very helpful because it let's people see that everyone is in a different stage of working or planning their books. A nice comment someone made was that it would be neat to see, in another year or two, where everybody is at in their role of self-published cartoonists. I agree!


Thanks to the attendees, and thanks as always to GEEKS Comics for hosting the workshop.

JAVCON Day 4: DIY Comics Crash Course in Whittier

I'd like to spread the word here today that if you're in the LA area, and are thinking about self-publishing your own comic books, I'm offering another DIY COMICS CRASH COURSE at GEEKS Comics in Whittier:

(Click on the image & send a copy to your printer. Then mail the Registration form to GEEKS)

This is the second time we're offering the class, and this time we're going to conduct it on Saturday morning (so set your alarm clock!). The previous class was held over a couple of evenings during the week, so I figure this could work for those with a heavy schedule during the week.


This isn't a class were we learn about drawing or writing, but it's for those of you who are already creating your comics, or about to start, but have questions about getting your book printed, branding your work, looking for ways to distribute your books and so forth. Basically, the core things you should know before you want to publish your own books. I'm drawing from my 12 years in self-publishing comics, building my brand, working with retailers/distributors and growing a fan base.  I'll also share my experiences as a gallery artist, my filmmaking stint with the EL MUERTO movie, and countless exhibits at conventions and numerous other festivals, because all of these are a result of, and extension of, making my own comics.


With your admission fee of $40.00, you'll also get the 'DIY COMICS CRASH HANDBOOK', which gives you an overview of my first few years of publishing, highlighting the strategies I used to get started. There's also a list of resources which will help get your publishing operations started. The deadline to register for the class, either in person at GEEKS or via mail, is Friday, August 6.


My focus is to motivate artists to get their own work out there. There's quicker money working in other people's properties, but remember that it's their properties. The money is better (and/or easier) working for them, but if you decide to create your own stories, and are prepared to put all your efforts and ingenuity behind it, then you're going to get a personal satisfaction beyond what you originally suspected. And you're gonna work even harder to find ways to make the dream profitable.


If you have any questions about the DIY COMICS CRASH COURSE, please drop me a line at misterjav@gmail.com.  GEEKS is located at 6747 Greenleaf Ave, Whittier, CA 90601.


Hope to see you there!


Program note: Later tonite on the JAVCON, the unveiling of the full line of EL MUERTO SKETCH DOLLS, including the Special 2010 Halloween Muerto Monster exclusive: "EL LOBO MUERTO"!!

DIY COMICS CRASH COURSE coming to GEEKS comics in Whittier!

If you've wanted to self-publish your own comic books but weren't sure where to begin, consider taking my new class, "DIY COMICS CRASH COURSE", at GEEKS comic shop this coming March.

This 3-part class is an expanded series taken from my "DIY COMICS: The Secrets of Self-Publishing" seminars (which I've given previously at GEEKS and the Portland Comic Convention). In the CRASH COURSE, you'll learn about strategies to prepare you for self-publishing your comic book, as well as learning about the many available resources you should use to promote and build your brand name.

I started publishing my own comics in 1998, and since then I've learned quite a lot about branding my art, and myself as an artist, that I had not even imagined before I started publishing. My goal for the class is to share these insights with you and educate you on the many pitfalls of the difficult road to self-published comics. We're not going to be drawing or writing a comic book in the class, but we will discuss elements of storytelling, particularly how, ultimately, it's your personal voice that you're really selling to people.

My overriding theme in doing my own comics over the years has been the complete freedom in following my own ambitions. Since starting in 1998, I've sold my comics through comic shops, specialty bookstores, comic conventions, book festivals, art galleries, the internet and other venues. We'll discuss how to do that by working with others, as well as relying on yourself.

DIY COMICS CRASH COURSE 3-day class
Dates:
MARCH 8, 9 & 10

Time:
8:15 pm - 9:15 pm daily

Place:
GEEKS
6747 Greenleaf Ave
Suite A
Whittier CA 90601
Ph. 562.696.9393

Cost:
$50 per attendee (includes the DIY COMICS CRASH COURSE Handbook)

Download the Registration Form, fill it out and mail (or drop off) to GEEKS with your payment. If you have any questions about the class, email me at misterjav@gmail.com 

DIY COMICS CRASH COURSE coming to GEEKS comics in Whittier!

This Saturday, Feb. 13, at GEEKS Comics in Whittier, I'll be conducting my free seminar, DIY COMICS: THE SECRETS OF SELF-PUBLISHING. The talk starts at 2 pm. During the seminar, we'll be announcing the brand new DIY COMICS CRASH COURSE I'll be teaching there in March!

I've conducted my free DIY COMICS: THE SECRETS OF SELF-PUBLISHING previously at GEEKS as well as at the 2009 PORTLAND COMIC BOOK SHOW, each time receiving an enthusiastic response. Folks want to make their own comics, and that's great. I'll be sharing things I've learned over my 12 years since publishing my first comics.

GEEKS, 6747 Greenleaf Ave. Suite #A, Whittier, CA 90601 (click for map)