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I want everybody who is dabbling, producing and working at it to continue - no matter the skill level. I love watching progress - though some aren't ready for prime-time...yet.
Is the industry in the death throes? NO. I think it's in the "transition throes" - and those who can adapt will reap the benefits of doing so. Adding as many options into your arsenal helps. And you're right: There are more tools than ever to help get your stuff out there.
Bob, I was hoping you'd chime in - and Buzz too, especially since you both have "physical" professional products on the market and can give insight into how and what you're doing with them. YOU specifically have done lots of ground work for your own stuff, and have dug into the trenches getting your name and books out there - to an audience that didn't even know you existed! And to that you have my utmost respect. (p.s. I loved your Eye Witness tale - the expressions and the little asides added a lot of dimension to the books.)
I don't think we're looking at trying to create a Marvel or a DC - I think it's more create a space that Promotes what's already out there - but in a clean concise manner - focusing on how to access Christian content in "comic format". IN this forum, we're kind of insulated. Everybody has the same motivations (generally) but everybody is also looking for the same thing, and is "generally" in the know about what each other is sort of doing.
I'm thinking maybe more of a cbr.cc meets amazon? Kind of like an in between step to the Author/Creator. It presents the "products" available, and then a direct link to get them, or, perhaps a direct sales mechanism right from there.
So example - you arrive at the homepage - the top 3 books being promoted are: Eye Witness, Serenity, and Sandhu Sundar Singh You can either click for more info/reviews and previews (of 3-5 pages) purchase direct(?) or click a link that takes you to the originators site to make the final purchase. Below would be some current news/informational posts and a bunch more additional books.
It would be: SIMPLE, CLEAR, DIRECT and PROFESSIONAL.
I dunno, the logistics and complete thinking needs to be worked out - how much this treads into CCI territory may need to be considered. So I don't know that it would be a "publishing company" per se, so much as a focused traffic director.
Lots of thinking is still to be had on this, so it could at this point just be a pipe dream. BUT there is definitely some sort of itch that's not being scratched and more than a few have seen it, but nobody seems to know what exactly the answer is...so to that, we percolate.
By the way: EDITORIAL SERVICES - Is anyone on these boards offering editorial services, and if so, has anyone used these services - and what were the outcomes?
About 8 years ago, when I was beginning my journey into faith based publishing and attempting to market the first of my Eye Witness graphic novels, I discovered a message board where, like here, a number of Christian creators and/or small press publishers use to congregate and discuss topics of concern. I joined this group in the hopes that I'd be able to garner a bit of wisdom from those who had come before me down this path.
But I was blown away by the underlying negative tone of many of those posting...and wondered how many young creative people back then might have been dissuaded (spelling) from pursuing following their passion to use their creative skills/gifts etc...to honor the Kingdom, because a great percentage of those posting where telling us why Christian comics didn't, can't or won't work etc....how the comic industry is in it's death throngs (this was back in 2002) and how Christian creators could or should use the format.
My point is, I'm sensing a lot of the same sort of attitude in this thread and I just wanted to say to the readers on CCAS out there that may be new to the field of comics creation, to not let the doom and gloom you read permeating these discussions dissuade (spelling?) you in any way, if the Lord has called you, like he did me, to use your artistic and creative talents in HIS service.
As believers, I feel it is our mandate is to encourage our brothers and sisters to create in HIS name, rather to dissuade them. Granted, people need to understand what the business landscape is and not have blinders on...but I think were confusing the issue with all this talk of a Marvel-esque sort of Christian publisher (which only lives in our dreams at the moment) rather than discussing all the exciting new changes that are occuring in the publishing industry, that will make it easier, not harder...yes you heard me right....for anyone on this network to begin to build an audience for their works and make an impact for The Kingdom. In other words, if God has led me, you or anyone else here to use this format of art and/or literature to honor his Kingdom or express your love for the Lord, who are WE to try to throw a wet blanket on that spark of purpose?
And FYI...the comic industry was said to be on it's deathbed in the 1950's, late 1970's and mid 1990's.
Okay...back to our regularly scheduled programming....
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maybe something along the lines of this? http://www.cyberlightcomics.com/
Granted most of these are pretty primitive, but it is a start.
Essentially, a digital comic can be produced as fast as you can make it. I mean technically I could whip off stick figures with text and have a 6 page comic up before noon tomorrow - will it be any good? Well, that of course will be debatable.
I think what people here are seeing is there needs to be a more focused platform for "Christian" stuff. Megazeen has/had been doing it (Do they still exist?), Comix35 and CCI sort of do it, but they have a very specific goal, and aren't a publishing platform (as far as I can tell). Alias started the ball rolling (and we're seen everywhere), and turned into Lamp Post (which is seen nowhere and only exists if you know it exists) but...there seems to be something missing??? Maybe we're not seeing the forest for the trees? Or maybe there's something else that's dangling...
We still need:
a) Better presentation - artistically, WEB PRESENCE (C'mon guys, make your websites simple and clear), access etc.
b) Better "marketing" & "promotions"
c) Better written and better focused concepts
d) Better understanding of who's looking for this and why
e) Better ways of getting it out there
And this where we need to cajole, pester, and push each other to work hard and produce better.
I do suppose we do need to heed Alec's thought regarding readership though: Is there truly a demand for this type of "product" or are we all navel gazing attempting to break into a world that doesn't want us?
I could write a whole tirade about "Positioning" and "Branding" and Focus (i.e. Superheroes are taken - MOVE TO ANOTHER CATEGORY) but I'll leave it at that for now.
Actually - now that I think about it comics WILL continue to exist in print - just not in the comic book store, and maybe not even in the typical book store. Comics will have to reposition themselves entirely as something else completely...what that is I don't know...yet. (Maybe Christian comics can work as ESL products?)
Be creative peeps!
But....
...God isn't dead, nor is His perfect plan for our lives. There's much work to be done which will yield eternal results, but it may not involve pen, brush, and ink much (if any) of the time. Let's be completely available to His will. We're almost finished here, and "in His right hand are pleasures forever more." You won't be disappointed!
The word of God says that iron sharpens iron, and right now, I'm feeling like a razor. Thanks again
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