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Bob Luedke's Posts (43)

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New venues to show your work this summer?

As I'm preparing to embark on what will be my fourth promotional campaign since I started producing Eye Witness, I made the decision that to figure out how to maximize my time on the road to sell the most book directly, verses wholesale...since natch, I make more revenue this way and get a chance to personally promote the books to more people.So this summer I'm adding a new component into my travel mix, which for me, will be replacing many of the book signings I've did in the past (re: Borders and Barnes and Noble etc...*). I'm referring to Christian summer music festivals!There are many of these events which begin taking place in May and run right into the early fall months. Doing my homework on these events, most are fairly reasonably priced for vendors ($300-$600) for the weekend. Most run 3-4 days. And most importantly, most garner anywhere from 40 to 100,000 attendees....the large percentage of which will fall squarely in the demographic most of us here target (teen to 20-somethings---who enjoy reading comics, manga and graphic novels and are Christian or seekers).Let that sink in for a moment. 40-100,000 young people, or approximately the number of people drawn to an event like Comic Con, but the large majority of which are Christian young people! Sounds like a match made in heaven for us, heh?Well, I'll be adding a handful of these events to my schedule this years, spinkled around comic conventions I'll be doing. The only negatives I can see for these events at this point are: A. the setups are in tents outside for the most part, so one never knows what the weather will do (re: 4 days in a humid 95 degree temp. could be interesting); and B. the vendor areas for these events are open on average 12+ hours a day (ex: from 10am to 12midnight), so for someone like me who operates many of my appearances lone wolf, this will be a test of endurance.But, right now I'm excited about the potential of these events.If you'd have an interest in following my lead on this, shoot me a return message and I'll let you know the events I've researched and their websites for you to see if you'd like to join my on this epic quest.bob-www.headpress.info
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He works in Mysterious ways...

Anyone else notice how mysteriously God will work in our lives sometimes. Right when you need something the most he'll deliver you a blessing, but not the kind you'd ask for or expect.

When I've been at the point I am now on the previous Eye Witness books , getting so close the finish line that I can begin to see it, I tend to begin to wear down and feel the stress and strain of the last 13 months (like a runner when he rounds that last turn and see the tape). It's at this point I always pray for strength, inspiration and perseverance.

Today God answered my prayers and provided me all three, in the form of a simple message through facebook. A quite well known and well regarded writer/editor who's worked for many of the industries largest publishers and responsible for creating (or co-creating) some of the best comic material in the last 10 years, thanked me today for befriending him, because "he was a fan of mine"! Huh...what?

He told me had purchased the first Eye Witness book years ago and admired what I was doing, because it's something he's always wanted to do in the industry but "stuff" always seemed to get in the way of his doing it. Further more he offered his services to help me in any way he could.

Wow...talk about a jolt of energy without drinking a Monster! And to think, all I did was friend request this person when I ran across his icon on someone elses posting.

That Unknown God...He doth work in mysterious ways, my friends!

bob-

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Attention those of you out there who have previously exhibited at, or thought about exhibiting this year at Comic Con International at San Diego (July 2010). The small press deadline for applications were in late Oct.. The deadline for artist alley was in September. And to top it off...they've already had their hotel reservations for exhibitors! All exhibit space is already sold out!I have traditionally sent in my application anywhere from Decmember to Feb. 1st as the deadline for small press has always been sometime in March to April. But not only did they move it up by 6 months, they did not even have the courtesy to even send out an postcard, or even an email to previous exhibitors alerting them to this change!What is really annoying is that when you talk to them on the phone about this, they know they've got you "by the short hairs" since they have what everybody wants....and they are incredibly smug. When I told them, it would have been nice if they would have let previous exhibitors know about these dramatic changes in deadline, the response was...we told all exhibitors last year of the changes (which I wasn't one of because of how they screwed up the hotels for small press) and it was posted on the website. End of story.Anyway, if you'd like to roll the dice you can send in your small press, artist alley or comic-con table request and be put on the waiting list (don't have to send any money till they pick you...if they pick you). Good luck with that. And, then you can try to secure a room (battling against the 100,000 other people in attendence) when the CCI room reservations open on March 18th (see site for details). For someone like me, one without the other just doen't work.So for the second year in a row, I may be shut out of CCI after 8 years of exhibiting. But the good news is, I'm going to be going to almost every corner of this country in 2010 promoting Unknown God and I guess I'll just have to add the Long Beach Comic Con to the list to make up for CCI!bob-www.headpress.info
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Why Not Start a New Holiday Tradition?

Every since my children became of age to understand the true meaning of Christmas, I've shared with them something that has become a personal tradition for me each holiday season and that is I strive to go out of my way to help someone each and every day.Helping someone can be pretty widely interpreted and that's what makes this not only fun and creative but also very satisfying....since it brings us closer to how the Lord commanded us to treat our fellow man.It could be as simple as stopping and keeping a door open for a mother and her children. It could be pulling over to help someone with car trouble (even though you're in a hurry...and aren't we always in a hurry?), or going to walmart and buying a case of blankets and giving them out to homeless people in your community you run across.You get the idea here...it can be as little or as big as you want to make it. But once you start doing this, a couple things are going to happen:1. You are going to make a number of people very surprised and happy as they are going to receive something from someone they've never met (re: being a good Samaritan).2. You are going to be amazed how your internal radar will begin actively looking for people in need, while most times many of us (me included) walk through life looking to avoid conflicts or people that will slow up down in our daily rat race.3. You are going to feel fantastic! Since we are internally hot wired to be loving and compassionate to those in need, you will find that living life like we were meant to live, brings an incredible and largely indescribable feeling of joy. And besides that of course, the Bible tells us that we will be storing up treasure in heaven conducting ourselves in this manner.So start this new tradition on December 14th, with our new "Twelve Days of Christmas", where each day comes with a your gift of a good deed or helping hand given to someone in need. Keep track of them, write them down (in your journal or on your blog, facebook, CCAS etc....), make it a contest with you kids, your office-mates, your homegroup or ministry.But a warning.... one other benefit to doing this is, that you'll want to do it more, not just during the Christmas holiday, but every month of the year. So watch out...doing good selfless deeds, is contagious!If you take challenge on, make sure to send me a note (or post a comment)....let me know how it goes and what you accomplished.R.J. Luedkewww.headpress.info
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Things I'm Thankful For (2009 edition)

Hey Gang:I just wanted to give you an update on my progress with Unknown God and share a few things I'm thankful for on the very special thursday morning.As of yesterday, I started the home stretch on this largest of all the Eye Witness GN's. I began work on the final 20 pages, which will wrap up almost 8 years and 400 pages of storyline.....YEA! Please say a prayer for me that I can do this justice as it requires me to really stretch my talents to their limits to bring this project across the finish line in a complete and satisfying fashion.Some things I'm thankful for...-My loving wife (Sandy) of now over 26 years, who provides me the enviroment that has allowed me to pursue the EW project.-That God has graced my children with health.-That the Cowboys play each thanksgiving day.-That 8 years ago God helped me discover my passion and revealed his purpose for, what up till then I thought, was a pretty wasted life.-That God continues to bless this wonderful bastion of freedom we know as the USA. And even though we are currently going through some tremendous trials and growing pains as a country and people, that all these experiences will serve to make us stronger and more thankful...as it did our forefathers (and mothers) who weathered the storm of the great depression.-recipes passed down through generations, like creme cheese based potato topping and liver turkey stuffing (it's on old German thang).-and finally...that when all else seems dark in our lives that we still have the ability to laugh!Happy Turkey day all...and be on the lookout for more sample artwork from Unknown God soon, as well as a pretty exciting announcment!bob-www.headpress.info
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Well, at least that's how I feel this morning (obscure Steve Martin reference #1), after reading...Comixology just released the first book in the Eye Witness series (A Fictional Tale of Absolute Truth) in their iphone application.This is the first place outside of our website, where fans of comics and graphic novels can have a chance to purchase and read the revised and remastered edition of the first book in the award-winning series.For this application they have formated this first book into 3 segments. Each chapter costs 99 cents, so it's quite a bargin!Comixology is a wonderful tool for reading comics and GN's on your phone (who's of lunk it, a few years ago), which allows to to view by panel, page, go forward, back, zoom in-out and even provides a link to purchase a hard copy from a local retailer.To learn more about how the comixology app works, visit their video tutorial at: http://www.comixology.com/iphoneapp/To purchase the app for your iphone, go to: http://www.comixology.com/iphoneapp/Once the comixology app is in place you can find Eye Witness by name, publisher (Head Press Publishing) or genre (Christian).Since I don't have an iphone, I love it if someone who does at CCAS would please post your review of the format and how Eye Witness looks on it.Thanks and enjoy!R.J. Luedkewww.headpress.info
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A Must See Video...

This is a wonderful video short that instantly and simplistically conveys God's unconditional love...and all without really being preachy at'all. This is a wonderful example of what I've been trying to share with young people...use your gifts to share the good news through a way that is unique to you! Enjoyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eNKUv6tyVobob-www.headpress.info
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CCI 2009: Part 2

Something just occured to me this morning.Last year at CCI '08, I was the keynote speaker at the Sunday Morning Chapel service and Christian Comics panel. During my seemingly endless discourse, (I tend to ramble when you give me an audience and a mic), I challenged all those in attendance (about 100) to do something over the next year to expand God's Kingdom, whether it be in your home, at work, in your town or during your leisure time activities. My point being, that all of us...every one...are like God's DNA because we are unique. No one has our particular set of skills, educational background and physical attributes. We were all created for some purpose in God's game-plan. The challenge is to not only identify those unique set of abilities we have been gifted with, but then also discovering their purpose. To do so can lead to a satisfaction and joy in life that other more material things can never hope to match.I bring this all up, because part of my challenge was for the people in attendance to share those things that have accomplished over a year, with me and the Christian Comic Artists Society (CCAS) members at the convention in 2009.So I feel by not being able to attend this year, I may have not lived up to my part of the bargain. For that I deeply apologize, but that decision was taken out of my hands by forces which I had no control over this year.But the good news is, the CCAS will be there in force, both at their table in the Small Press Pavilion (M12) and also at that same Sunday Morning Chapel service and Saturday Spiritual Themes in Comics panel (see the program for times and room numbers)...so connect up with one of them and file your report for the Kingdom. Or, if you'd like, feel free to send me a message or by leaving a comment here, or at our contact page on the Head Press Publishing website.Or, hold on to that news (and add to it) for I will be on hand next year in 2010!R. J. Luedkewww.headpress.info
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Comic Con 2009?

COMIC CON 2009 NEWS!!!!.....Although I will have to miss this year's Comic Con International in San Diego, (the first time since 2003), I will be there in spirit, as my friends from the Christian Comic Arts Society (CCAS) will be featuring all three of the Eye Witness graphic novels at their table in the Small Press Pavillion (M12). So if you're planning on attending and wanted to see what the series was about...or just get a book you might have missed, they will be there for you.In addition, for those of you seeking other spiritual based programming at this mammoth event, the CCAS also organizes the Sunday Panel/Church Service, the Saturday "Spiritual Themes In Comics" Panel, and the Saturday evening Open CCAS Meeting! Check the Con program book for times and room numbers.Now everyone enjoy the heck out of this event for me and I'll see you next year!bob-www.headpress.info
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Eye Witness' First Digital Content

Beginning on Sunday May 10th, we are going live with our first "digital only" offering...a fully remastered and revised edition of the first book in the award-winning Eye Witness series, A Fictional Tale of Absolute Truth.This is our first attempt at creating something specifically for digital distribution and since the original edition of the book was very experimental, production wise, I was dying to go back and remaster the colors, revise some of the narrative while cleaning up the editorial missteps.Initially, the revised edition of Eye Witness Book One will be exclusively available through the Head Press Publishing website, at:http://www.headpress.info/order.html...but also, we are currently having discussions to make it available through other select comic and Christian venues sometime in the near future (Stay tuned).This is a huge step for us toward making Eye Witness available to more people, both inside and outside of North America. We've heard from numerous potential fans, who've read a very complementary review on the Internet, only to find the books weren't available to them locally in stores or through web retailers. Now, virtually anyone with a computer and PDF viewer can purchase and read the first book in the Eye Witness series at a very reasonable price.The fourth and final book in the Eye Witness tetralogy, Eye Witness: Unknown God, is currently in production and tentatively scheduled for a summer 2010 release.R.J. Luedkewww.headpress.info
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Something for Publishers Big and Small....

I wanted to let you know about a great new site/service that you might have an interest in. It's called eMotionbooks.com and it's ran by a very creative young man who did the production work on my video book trailer.see: http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?viewkey=85ff5f07fef5bc711addChris has taken his experiences with Readerviews and created his own company specializing in being a one-stop-shop for this kind of work. If you haven't already tried this type of marketing, for a very nominal fee you get a very attractive way to market your books and their content that gets attention (I've had over 11,000 people view this trailer online).To help best design his business and services to serve his customers (you) he is doing a survey of your marketing wants and needs. Go to this page to take the survey...(http://www.kwiksurveys.com/online-survey.php?surveyID=HMNOI_c53a6e41)...and when you do, make sure to enter my I.D. Code so Chris knows I'm helping (rluedke061008)It's very short, will only take about 60 seconds to complete, you won't be sold anything and you'll really be helping Chris get this new venture off the ground heading in the right direction.thanksbob-www.headpress.info
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Media Love Houston Chron....

I got some lovin' from the Houston Chronicle today, in advance of my appearance this weekend at the Comicpalooza Comic Festival:http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/star/6402239.htmlIf you're in that part of the country, stop by and say hi (West Oaks Mall)...the festival is free to the public and I'll have FREE copies of Eye Witness book 1 on Saturday (while supply lasts)!bob-
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Free Eye Witness on Free Comic Book Day!

Saturday May 2nd, is FREE COMIC BOOK DAY nationally...where comic shops, publishers and creators come together to give away comics at stores around the country. This is all done in an effort to help more young readers discover the joys of reading in general and reading comics in particular.Since I'm already scheduled to make an appearance the ComicPalooza Comic Festival in Houston on May 2nd and 3rd, I'm going to contribute to the spirit of the day, by giving out FREE signed copies of Eye Witness (Book 1): A Fictional Tale of Absolute Truth.This is only going to be offered on Saturday and only while my supplies last (since I am limited by what I can haul to this event). So if you plan on attending, come find me first!In additional I'll also have some FREE 2 x 3' Eye Witness promotional posters to give out to anyone who stops by my table the entire weekend.RJ Luedkehttp://www.headpress.info/
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Put Yourself in This Position....

Just imagine the feeling....You have just experienced the biggest letdown of your life, because the man you have known, loved and followed as a mentor for the past three years, has just been arrested, beaten, publicly tortured and finally executed in the most humilating fashion possible in the city streets.You've spent the past two days in hiding for fear that the government might come after you next, because everybody knows you were one of "his followers." You only have the cold isolation of your hiding place to keep you company in your sorrow. All you have been able to do is pray and feel your life ripped apart in silent anguish, for fear of alerting anyone of your secret refuge.Then the Word comes....his body has been discovered missing from his place of initial burial. One of your friends, and fellow followers of this man, has even reported that he is alive and walking again among the living! You struggle with mixed feeling of joy and disbelief about this, 'cause after all dead is dead...is it not? I've never seen a dead man walking...except of course for that fellow you met months back. What was his name? Lazarus...yes Lazarus... and he was apparently raised from death by your mentor, though some of us had our doubts!Then it happens...after you and your friends have mustered enough courage to come out of hiding to meet, (even though it is in a secret location...so as not to attract attention), he's there! Seeing him in the flesh, you suddenly think of every person who you've lost to death and the dreams you've had about just being able to see and speak with them, one last time. You recall how joyful and peaceful this makes you feel, upon waking up. But now this feeling of Joy and Peace is multiplied 100 times, because this isn't a dream...he's really here in front of you. You have touched him, talked with him, seen the scars from the whipping and stabbing he suffered. You've even see him consuming food in front of you....so this can't just be some kind of spirit that you've heard about 100's of times in tales around the camp-fire.He starts to tell all of you, about where we will go after death and what it's like...because he's been there, he's seen its glory for himself! Then after a few weeks of his presence he tells you he is leaving you to join his father in that next place, but he will save a spot for you there and you feel momentarily sad because he will be departing again. But somehow still his presence is with you and within you and you vow to always remember how you felt on this day...the day you discovered that you had met, known and could talk to the living God. And this provides you with peace, joy, strength and security for the rest of your life, in both good times and bad.Just imagine the feeling!RJ Luedke
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The Strange Thing about Press Releases is....

I just wanted to share with you something which I came across a couple weeks back, that was the result of my mailing of my latest Press Release.On a Comic-Related Blog site "Eye on Comics", the moderator (who somewhere along the way got onto our comic media marketing database) received our latest PR about Rise of the Apostle, being chosen a finalist for the FOREWORD Magazine, Book of the Year Awards, 2009. He chose to use this information as the basis of a posting that not only attempts to diminish ForeWord Magazine's business ethics and the objectivity of their annual awards, but also to put down the Eye Witness series (and myself by extention) even though he has never seen a copy of the series, nor if familiar with my work.But this uninformed rant seems to have sparked a furry of posting (that I do not think this person expected) on both sides of this issue. Check out the thread at:http://www.eyeoncomics.com/?p=382....and if the spirit moves you, chime in!I have a sneaking suspicion that the author could be a bit threatened by the Christian foundation of the work and rather than attack that directly, he's chosen to rather attempt to diminish the importance of the foundation of the work, by scattershooting criticism about things he is (it seems) basically guessing about or just doesn't like (going so far as to challenge me on my intent of the phrasing of my own testimonial).In a final piece of irony, the author/host of this blog states up front that he normally doesn't publish any PR he receives, but by taking the time to attack my series and my integrity by doing so, he has driven a bunch of his readers to my site...a handful of which have even purchased the books!"HE" doth work in mysterious ways!bob-
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ForeWord Magazine, just announced that the third book in Robert James Luedke's, Eye Witness series...Rise of the Apostle....is a finalist in the catgory of Graphic Novels in their 2008 Book of the Year Awards.This is the second industry honor to come to Luedke's Rise of the Apostle...which has already won The 2008 National Best Book Award (for Graphic Novels), sponsored by USABookNews.com.More than 1,400 books were entered in 61 categories for FOREWORD MAGAZINE'S annual book awards. These were narrowed to 668 finalists from 376 publishers. These books represent some of the best work coming from today's independent press community!The winners will be determined by a panel of librarians and booksellers, selected from FOREWORD'S readership. Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners, as well as Editor's Choice Prizes for Fiction and Nonfiction will be announced at a special program at BookExpo America at the Javits Center in New York City on May 29, 2009. The winners of the two Editor's Choice Prizes will be awarded $1,500 each. The ceremony is open to all BEA attendees.ForeWord's Book of the Year Awards program was designed to discover distinctive books across a number of genres. The list of finalists is searchable by category, publisher, title, and author.About FOREWORD MAGAZINE:ForeWord affects the choices of booksellers and librarians across the country who weekly advise millions what to read. Their typical publication reaches an audience of 20,000. Foreword also put the magazine in the hands of agents and editors at larger houses who are looking for leads to bring into their fold from the independent press sector. All told, readership is about 85% librarians, 12% bookstores, 3% publishing professionals…and of course, parents.Other Finalists for the Graphic Novel catagory:Cleburne by Justin Murphy (Rampart Press)Good and Evil by Michael Pearl (No Greater Joy Ministries)Gunnerkrigg by Tom Siddell (Archaia Studios)No Girls Allowed by Susan Hughes (Kids Can Press)1000 Years of Manga by Brigitte Koyana-Richard (Flammarion)The Clockwork Girl by Sean O'Reilly & Kevin Hanna (Arcana Studios)The Grand Inquisitor by John Zmirak (The Crossroad Publishing Co.)The Spirit: A Pop-Up Graphic Novel by Will Eisner (Insight Editions)Congratulations to all these wonderful creators for their nominations, as any these books are worthy of winning an award. We advise any fans of graphic novels, comics and manga to check out as many of these as you can!
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Rob Liefeld's a Brother...Who Knew?

I just ran across this press release this afternoon about Rob Liefeld's new Bible based graphic novel series, Armageddon Now: World War 3: LinkI didn't even know he was a Christian! Another CCC (that is Closet Christian Creator) comes out of the closet...yea!Here's also the website for the series.RJ Luedkewww.headpress.info
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