Scott A. Shuford's Posts

Help us launch Armageddon!

Posted by Scott A. Shuford on September 3, 2009 at 7:30am

I'm very excited to finally be able to share that we have launched Armageddon! ...and we could use your help. :) FrontGate Media has launched the Armageddon Now! social media sites. Armageddon Now! is a graphic novel series that reveals the hidden message of Biblical prophecy in a modern style: world-class graphics with "ripped from the headlines" news. A team of heroes discovers the mystery of Orion's constellation as it relates of the future of mankind. The story begins with a terrorist attack on New York City and Los Angeles. Woven into the fabric of all seven novels is the mysterious connection of the constellation Orion, which is painted on the ceiling of Grand Central Terminal in New York City. Only the most knowledgeable would notice that Orion holds the club in his right hand instead of his left. And few would know the significance as it relates to M4211. Following the attack on America, a confederacy suffers a massive defeat when they met with an earthquake, the death angel, hail, fire and brimstone. The series is the brainchild of Rob Liefeld and Phil Hotsenpiller. You know Rob from his work on both The New Mutants and Hawk and Dove. After pumping new life into the New Mutants, the title was revamped was X-Force, and as the founder of Image Comics. After years of working together at Image, Rob quit/Image fired him and he went off with Joseph Loeb III (writer of Commando and Producer of Firestorm) and Scott Rosenberg (developer of Men In Black) and founded Awesome Entertainment. Now an independent success, Liefeld has several films in the works through his company: Avengelyne, Badrock, Prophet, and The Mark. Phil Hotsenpiller is the teaching pastor of Yorba Linda Friends Church, a mega church in Southern California. He is the founder and President of New York Executive Coaching Group, and co-author of a seven-part business series entitled Passionate Lives and Leaders. Phil holds a bachelors and Masters degree with additional post-graduate studies at Oxford University. For our CCAS friends, you can follow along and promote Armageddon through your network of choice: ComicSpace http://www.comicspace.com/armageddonnow/ ComicVine http://www.comicvine.com/myvine/armageddon_now/ Twitter http://twitter.com/ArmageddonNow09 ShoutLife http://www.shoutlife.com/armageddonnow MySpace http://www.myspace.com/armageddonnowww3 Facebook http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=100000160668282&v=info&ref=nur FriendFeed http://friendfeed.com/armageddonnow I never expected that I would be launching Armageddon, and that it would be so much fun! ;) Scott A. Shuford FrontGate Media Extra Mile Merch My Broken Palace

San Diego Comic-Con News Summary

Posted by Scott A. Shuford on July 23, 2009 at 1:30pm

We're hunting down and posting news updates surrounding the Con. Comic Con 2009: God to Finally Appear on 'Supernatural' By AceShowbiz.com During the show's panel at San Diego Comic Con, producers Eric Kripke and Sera Gamble, supported also by screenwriter Ben Edlund, explained that mythological creatures from the bible and even God himself may come at some point of the ... Comic-Con: Disney Recreated Wonderland in San Diego By orfilms@gmail.com (slashfilm.com) Last week, Disney announced a new viral for Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland at San Diego Comic-Con 2009. The mouse house invited people in attendance to follow a special importantdate twitter account. Comic-Con: 'Smallville' live blog - From Inside the Box - Zap2it By Korbi Ghosh, From Inside the Box Live blogging Comic-Con's "Smallville" panel... 10:40: The Warner Brothers publicist is at the podium. She's reminding us of the news that "Smallville" moves to Fridays this fall. Oh, and the complete 8th season will be released on DVD ... Boston at Comic-Con From Scott - "I love this because the city of Boston is highlighting their hometown folks at the Con!" Boston Globe - United States Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and the “New Moon'' crew weren't the only stars to make waves at Comic-Con in San Diego this past weekend. ... Comic Con 2009: 'Lost' Brings Back the Dead, Shows Hurley as CEO By AceShowbiz.com "There's a good chance you'll be seeing many characters you haven't seen since the first season again," said executive producer Damon Lindelof at the show's San Diego Comic Con panel Saturday, July 25. ... The Best of San Diego Comic-Con, and Goodbye to All That By Lev Grossman, Nerd World Comic-Con is so overscheduled, it's more about missing stuff than seeing stuff. District 9, Avatar, and Iron Man 2 (much of the press got shut out due to a SNAFU). Plus MC Frontalot's show on Saturday night.... Venture Brothers creators accept cult following - Comic-Con Report By John Scott Lewinski, TV Squad Tags: adult swim, AdultSwim, comic-con, comic-con 2009, comic-con-2009, comic-con2009, san diego comic con, san diego comic-con, san diego comiccon, SanDiegoComic-con, SanDiegoComicCon ... Comic-Con Interview: 2012 Director Roland Emmerich By orfilms@gmail.com (slashfilm.com) I had the opportunity to speak with Emmerich at San Diego Comic-Con 2009. We chatted about the characters in his films (past and present), his use of miniatures vs. CGI, and how he came up with the staging for some of his disasters. ... Fans get a few clues at Comic-Con USA TODAY Comic-Con 2009, which ended Sunday in San Diego, drew 125,000 fans, who traveled many miles and waited in line for hours just for glimpses of favorite stars and sneak peeks at movies, TV series and, of course, comics. USA TODAY hits a few highlights... Comic-Con's TV Roundup: What'd You Miss? E! Online Plus, don't miss our tweetastic liveblogs of the Comic-Con weekend experience and our homegrown photo gallery! Want more news? Check out the E! ... Smallville at Comic-Con: Look, Up on the Screen, It's... ! Seattle Post Intelligencer By MATT MITOVICH Smallville's Tom Welling didn't make his Comic-Con debut donning his super new wardrobe as some had expected, but fans did get a glimpse of ... Comic-Con 2009: A real-life Flynn's Arcade By Kevin Kelly, Joystiq One of the most buzzed about things at the San Diego Comic-Con this year was the viral Flynn's Arcade that Disney created to plug the upcoming Tron: Legacy. In the teaser trailer they showed at the Con, Flynn's son (Garrett Hedlund) ... 2009 Comic-Con: '9" DIsappoints... Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood Daily Comic-Con audiences can smell desperation. It's one thing when footage shown gets such a loud response that the fans ask to see it again. It is quite another when the people on the panel show their stuff again regardless of response. ... Comic-Con 2009: GM shows off Transformers Special Edition Camaro ... By Alex Nunez, Autoblog Last but not least among this year's Comic-Con rides: GM's Transformers Special Edition Chevy Camaro. You likely remember the details, but in case you don''t here's a refresher: for around a thousand bucks, you get a bunch of Autobot ... Comic-Con: 'Torchwood' and 'Being Human' get cheeky By Hanh Nguyen, From Inside the Box The season will have a UK air date of January 2010. - "In series two, without giving anything away, the afterlife that awaits them is more fully explored. You'll get an answer in about a year's time." Complete Comic-Con coverage ... Comic-Con: Fringe Q&A By orfilms@gmail.com (slashfilm.com) I wasn't expecting much from the Fringe panel at Comic-Con yesterday, but it ended up being one of the most hilarious panels at the show thanks to the antics of John Noble and the rest of the cast. Writers Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzmann, ... Comic-Con: 'Tron Legacy' Concept Footage Hits The 'Net MTV.com - USA You San Diego Comic-Con goers can keep your surprise screenings and your exclusive reveals. We viewers at home have "Tron Legacy" footage and I, ... 2009 Comic-Con: Zach's "Suckerpunch" Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood Daily Zach's 'Suckerpunch' Art. Luke Y Thompson is covering the Con for DHD with an emphasis on Hollywood: Below is a picture of a new T-shirt that was given out during the WATCHMEN DVD panel. It is, as far as I know, ... Get your comic-con news from the day right here! Marvel Comics News Feed See clips of the Iron Man 2 panel featuring the cast now! 10 Things From Comic-Con That you Need To Know About - Comic-con ... NOTE: This is a good single summary of the biggest news out of San Diego, but it's a really rough write up with profanity and coverage of un-Christian themes that are being included in upcoming features. Avoid this one if you will take offense to profanity and any statement about un-Christian topics. By Brian Moylan, Gawker: Defamer Why bother going to San Diego for Comic-Con when you can just sit in your living room and read all the good coverage of it! Now, when you talk to your nerdy sci-fi friends, you won't look like an idiot. IMDb | Comic Con 2009 IMDb: The biggest, best, most award-winning movie site on the planet. IMDb's coverage archive of the con. Saturday Recap - Comic-Con Report - TV Squad By John Scott Lewinski Rover runs out of gas as Comic-Con International winds down. Sunday will bring Comic-Con International to a close. And, folks like me who have been working the convention since Wednesday are feeling a lot like The Prisoner's poor, ... How the Chuck Cast Literally Rocked Comic-Con Seattle Post Intelligencer By MATT MITOVICH The Chuck panel at the San Diego Comic-Con was literally music to fans' ears. Following a video clip in which show bosses Josh Schwartz and ... EA's Big Success at Comic-Con This Year? Alienating Women Gamers Wired News - USA First, the LA Times came out with a Girl's Guide to Comic Con 2009 that claimed that girls only liked to attend to squee over the boys. ... Photos: Comic-Con Toys, Art & Tchotchkes By Steven Leckart, Boing Boing Video: Tron, Astro Boy & Cloudy w/Chance of Meatballs · The Five Faces of Comic-Con - Boing Boing · Comic-Con: splendid excuse for cosplay-themed pinups - Boing Boing · ComicCon's best Star Wars costumes 2009 Comic-Con: 'Iron Man ... By Nikki Finke, Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood Daily 'Iron Man 2' Panel. Wow. IRON MAN 2, the most anticipated panel was also the most strangely truncated, ending a full 15 minutes before its time, where every other panel has run long. Also the hardest to get into – even ... Comic-Con: Denzel Washington ... By Brian Jacks, MTV Movies Blog Watch him address that in the video below, and then be sure to check out the rest of our Comic-Con video interviews with Anna Faris, James Cameron, Robert Rodriguez, Andy Samberg and more. Tags barack obama, denzel washington, Video ... Comic-Con: 'True Blood' live blog By Korbi Ghosh, From Inside the Box Liveblogging Comic-Con's "True Blood" panel, straight from San Diego's Ballroom 20... 5:22: The cast has arrived and is walking out to thunderous applause. 5:25: E.P. Alan Ball has a special announcement: "True Blood: The Drink" is now ... Comic Con Video: 'Iron Man 2' Panel Q&A Session By Brad Brevet, RopeofSilicon.com Movie News It seems there is something of a consensus around the Internet at the moment claiming the Comic Con panel for Iron Man 2 was the big winner this year, and considering Sunday's line-up is devoid of any movie content that could possibly ... Remember when Comic-Con photos were crazy? Newsday - Long Island,NY,USA But when comic book fans, affectionately termed "fan boys" or "geeks," complain that Comic-Con in San Diego has gone more Hollywood than Hollywood itself, ... Did Heroes Redeem Itself at Comic-Con? E! Online - USA It was a meeting of the superpowers as nearly the full cast of Heroes assembled at Comic-Con to kick off Volume 5: Redemption. The question--unasked and ... Watch the Lost Panel at Comic-Con Without the Pesky Trip to San Diego! E! Online - USA Thanks to our good friends @docarzt and @jopinionated, the entire Lost panel at Comic-Con 2009 is now available online in gorgeous high-definition Comic-Con: Full 'Iron Man 2' Panel Report MTV.com - USA By Terri Schwartz "Iron Man 2" director Jon Favreau was nice enough to give the entire Comic-Con audience a heart attack Saturday afternoon in San Diego by ... Lose Your V Card at Comic-Con E! Online While ABC's soon-to-be hit series V is a Comic-Con virgin, its actors certainly weren't. Boasting such names as Lost's Elizabeth Mitchell, Firefly's Morena ... Report from CCAS Member Geoff Brenneman... dc comics news After flash rebirth geoff johns is starting a new flash comic James Robinson's run on the regular jla will have in its line up monel donna troy dick grayson batman hal jordan congorilla o dear god here we go again thunder agents to join the dc universe lets hope this isnt that god aweful version that carbonaro shot down like milestones characters the thunder agents will first appear in another comic book first new leader of the titans deathstroke????? 2009 Eisner Awards Winners Comic-Con.org The official posting of this year's award recipients direct from the con site. Comic-Con: The Simpsons Awarded Guiness World Record for Longest ... By orfilms@gmail.com (slashfilm.com) There was a bit of a surprise today at the Simpsons Comic-Con panel. Unbeknown to Groening and the other members of the panel, a representative from the Guinness Book of World Records appeared on stage for a big reveal: He announced ... Comic-Con to Leave San Diego in 2012? - ComicsAlliance.com By Laura Hudson If you've been enjoying the sublime weather of San Diego at the latest Comic-Con -- or look forward to its balmy climes in the future, Comic-Con: Breaking: Eureka Gets Picked up for 4th Season ... TV | I'm here at the Eureka panel at Comic-Con. Lead actor Colin Ferguson (Jack Carter on the show) is on location in Bulgaria and could not be at the panel. So a SyFY... Fans get first peek at 'Iron Man 2' at Comic-Con San Jose Mercury News - CA, USA The buzz for the first "Iron Man" film began at Comic-Con, director Jon Favreau said, so he thanked fans ... Comic-Con: 'Glee' producers spill secrets of Episode 2 Los Angeles Times - CA,USA For the true "Glee" fans — and there are a lot of them, judging from the standing-room-only turnout for the Comic-Con panel Saturday — we should get the ... Comic Con Video Interview: John Lasseter | /Film By orfilms@gmail.com (slashfilm.com) Comic Con Video Interview: John Lasseter. Posted on Saturday, July 25th, 2009 by David Chen. John lasseter. Few people have shaped the course of modern animation as much as John Lasseter. The man directed classic films such as Toy Story ... /Film - http://www.slashfilm.com/ San Diego Comic Con 2009 Recap: Joss Whedon Q&A | the TV addict By theTVaddict The TV Addict, for the latest TV show news, reviews, spoilers and commentary Comic-Con: See the Halo Legends Teaser Trailer TheHDRoom - USA Microsoft has endorsed and is helping bring a Halo film project to fruition. Unfortunately it is not the one everyone has been waiting on pins and needles ... Comic-Con: Miyazaki brings "Ponyo" to America Los Angeles Times - CA,USA Hayao Miyazaki brought in psychedelic vision to Comic-Con this afternoon, debuting footage of his latest film, “Ponyo,” to an audience of adoring fans. ... Comic-Con Delivers First Looks of “New Moon,” “Avatar,” “Parnassus ... By Rolling Stone Up to the minute breaking news from the world of music, from the editors of Rolling Stone. Comic Con 2009: Nine-Minute Preview of 'The Prisoner' By AceShowbiz.com "The Prisoner" panel at San Diego Comic Con was generous enough to give a 9-minute preview of the new series. To be debuted on AMC this Fall, the series is rooting on the '60s sci fi series of the same name. Thus, the preview compiles ... Comics Should Be Good! @ Comic Book Resources » (San Diego) Comic ... ComicBookResources.com Brandon and Sean will be chiming in during San Diego Comic-Con with special mini-editions of Comic Critics! You can check out their strip archive here and you can read more about Sean and Brandon at the Comic Critics blog. ... Oldman lifts the lid on Batman threequel: highlights from Comic ... guardian.co.uk - UK Gary Oldman blurted out the news at the world's greatest celebration of proper pop culture. Oh, and there was some comics stuff too While some of us spent ... Dolhouse: "Epitaph One" screens at Comic-Con The Star-Ledger - NJ.com - Newark,NJ,USA So the big TV event of the day at Comic-Con was the screening of "Epitaph One," the 13th episode of "Dollhouse" season one ... Comic Con 2009: Michael Keaton Confirmed to Voice Ken in 'Toy Story 3' By AceShowbiz.com Words that the former Batman star will fill the voice of Barbie's boyfriend in the latest installment of 'Toy Story' series are confirmed by director Lee Unkrich at this year's San Diego Comic Con. ... Comic-Con: Legion Footage Debuts | /Film By orfilms@gmail.com (slashfilm.com) Comic-Con: Legion Footage Debuts. Posted on Friday, July 24th, 2009 by Russ Fischer. legion_1. Director Scott Stewart describes his film Legion as “angels with machine guns.” Having seen the footage premiered today by Sony in Hall H... 2009 Comic-Con: Robert Downey Jr. Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood 2009 Comic-Con: 'District 9's Peter Jackson Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood 2009 Comic-Con: Partying & Touring Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood 2009 Comic-Con: 'Lost's Cuse/Lindelof Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood 2009 Comic-Con: Warner Bros Panels Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood 'Star Wars' prequel vs. original battle continues at Comic-Con USA Today - USA Like so many Star Wars fanatics gathered at Comic-Con, the annual convention of comic-book and fantasy enthusiasts, Rowe, 47, of Seattle was mortified by ... 'Twilight' Stars Hit Comic Con '09 FanBolt.Com - Atlanta,GA,USA Thousands of 'Twilight' fans packed Hall H at Comic Con yesterday for a chance to catch a glimpse at their favorite stars - Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner ... Heath Ledger's Final Film Previewed at Comic-Con Seattle Post Intelligencer - USA By GINA DINUNNO Heath Ledger fans attending the San Diego Comic-Con got a peek at the late actor's final performance, in The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus. ... YouTube Comic Con Press Conference New Moon 2009 YouTube Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, and Robert Pattinson at the Comic Con press conference. 'Twilight: New Moon' Comic-Con clips: Watch 'em here Zap2it.com - USABy Rick Porter No need for much preamble here: Here are the two preview clips from "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" that debuted at Comic-Con on Thursday, ... David S. Goyer: Notes from Comic-Con and a 'FlashForward' scoop Los Angeles Times - CA,USA It seems like every time I go to Comic-Con, I drink too much and I never get any sleep. Friends of mine have already been emailing me photos from the floor. ... New Moon Clips From Comic Con By mani, Puggal News Taylor Lautner Film “New Moon” is ready to be released in November of this year but some clips of this movie have been revealed today at Comic Con. The fans. Comic-Con: A Gathering for Geeks Jumpstarts the Oscar Race New York Times - United States Oscar prospects aren't the only thing that made Thursday highly unusual in Comic-Con's Hall H, where the movie blockbusters are presented. ... Talking guns, beer and Comic-Con with Bruce Campbell | The Watcher By Tempo, The Watcher All TV, all the time. Mo Ryan reviews and chats about shows on air. 'Twilight' at Comic-Con: Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Chris ... Los Angeles Times - CA,USA The shirts were off, the spoilers came fast and the "Twilight" fans lucky enough to attend a midafternoon panel on the film at San Diego's Comic-Con ... Comic-Con: Hollywood's Wagging Tongues Begin Debating 'Avatar' New York Times - United States ... Cameron's super-ambitious 3-D film, of which about 25 minutes screened at the Comic-Con fan convention here, was somehow less than it needed to be. ... Comic-Con Offers Attendees Rare Glimpse of Women Huffington Post - New York,NY,USA Thousands of comic book and sci-fi aficionados descended on San Diego for Comic-Con this week, all vying for the ... Comic-Con: There's strong women, then there's Sigourney Weaver Los Angeles Times - CA,USA ... was presented: If you could turn any male role into a female role, what would it be? Photo: Sigourney Weaver onscreen at Comic-Con. Credit: Jevon Phillips. Appiphilia: Comic-Con on your iPhone, a reason to be animated Los Angeles Times - CA,USA Fans grab for Ironman freebies at the Marvel Comics booth during the preview night for Comic-Con International 2009. Credit: Denis Poroy / Associated Press ... Waking up to: Twilight Comic-Con Recap Examiner.com - USA Thursday was the first day of Comic Con International in San Diego. The big guests of the convention are the Twilight saga kids, who generally cause ... Con fab! Seen, heard, overheard at Comic-Con International/ San Diego Union Tribune - San Diego,CA,USA There had been murmurs that Johnny Depp, one of the stars of Tim Burton's live-action adaptation of “Alice in Wonderland,” would drop by the Disney 3-D ... Overheard at Comic Con Chicago Tribune - United States Comic Con is full of sights, sounds and notable quotes. Here are some of our favorites -- from the stars, the behind-the-scenes geniuses, ... 'New Moon' Comic-Con Wrap Up: We Recap The 'Twilight' Mania ... MTV.com - USA Thursday was a long day for "Twilight" fans at San Diego Comic-Con, but it ended up being one that none of us will forget. ... Comic-Con: Peter Jackson stumps for 'District 9' Los Angeles Times - CA,USA Lord of all geeks Peter Jackson turned up Thursday night at the first public screening of the new film "District 9" to let the audience know just how proud ... Tod Goldberg on alien vamps and star encounters at Comic-Con Los Angeles Times - CA,USA Attending my first Comic-Con, however, has proven to be a most fascinating affair. You see, there's a lot you can learn about the world by watching ... Follow the Con at Twitter: #comic-con Flynn's Light Cycle From 'Tron: Legacy' Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood 2009 Comic-Con: Jim Cameron's 'Avatar' Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood 2009 Comic-Con: 3-D's Zemeckis, Burton (...And Johnny Depp Drops By) Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood Hollywood Crush Hollywood Crush: Comic-Con News Summary Category: Comic-Con 2009 Entertainment Weekly - USA Director James Cameron had just two questions for the audience of 6000 at today's much-anticipated Avatar sneak peek at Comic-Con. ... Robsten Bummed Out at Comic-Con? E! Online - USA Maybe it was the reporter in a costume (not I) who asked Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart during a Comic-Con press conference if anything was going on ... Comic-Con: Alice in Wonderland Teaser Trailer and Q&A with Tim Burton /FILM - Natick, MA, USA Perhaps the most interesting footage shown this morning at the Disney Comic-Con panel was the short teaser trailer for Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. ... Studios, networks play to Comic-Con Hollywood Reporter - United States Attracting 125000 attendees, Comic-Con saw its $75 four-day passes sell out two months ago, earlier than ever before. This week, they were commanding twice ... Exclusive video: Seth Rogen talks 'The Green Hornet' at Comic-Con Entertainment Weekly - USA Comic-Con 2009 is in full tilt today here in sunny San Diego; Johnny Depp has already caused the place to explode, and that was before the Twilight: New ... 'Tron Legacy' Panel Report, Fresh From San Diego Comic-Con MTV.com - USA Disney didn't disappoint fans during their 3-D panel at San Diego Comic-Con on Thursday. Filmmakers and members of the cast, including Jeff Bridges ... Hello Comic-Con! Greetings from Johnny Depp Los Angeles Times - CA,USA At the panel, Comic-Con attendees were urged to go toTwitter @ImportantDate to get details. Those who followed that bit of advice will likely find their way ... Comic-Con: 3-D hits the stage From LA Times Comic-Con: Samuel L. Jackson And Charlize Theron Join 'Astro Boy' Voice Cast From MTV Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood Daily: 2009 Comic-Con Opens With A Whimper From Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood Daily

Join us at San Diego Comic-Con!

Posted by Scott A. Shuford on July 13, 2009 at 6:27pm

The Christian Comic Arts Society (CCAS) continues our annual presence and activities at the Comic-Con International in San Diego, California USA this year. Christian comics fans, amateurs and professionals are invited to assemble "for an informal time of after-hours fun and fellowship" on Saturday evening when Ralph Miley and Kevin Yong of CCAS will host a "Christian Comics Fellowship Hour." More details to follow. CCAS will be at table #M12 in the Small Press Section and is sponsoring two panels. The "Spirituality in Comics" panel will be held on Saturday 25 July, moderated by Leo Partible. Serenity manga creator/writer Buzz Dixon will moderate a "Christian Comics" panel on Sunday 26 July. A short sermon and worship music will precede the Sunday panel discussion.

Shuford family bound for Kenya on June 18th, follow us on FB, Twitter and Wordpress

Posted by Scott A. Shuford on May 8, 2009 at 4:46pm

Just a quick note that Madison's and my blog, my Twitter, and our Facebook Causes page are all up and running as of tonight. To tune us in: Facebook Cause: http://apps.facebook.com/causes/281711/31349818?m=2c363cc1 Blog: http://scottandmadison.wordpress.com Twitter: @scottshuford or http://twitter.com/scottshuford We'll be posting in advance and hopefully during the trip, (at least via Twitter.) Coming up fast... Leaving June 18th.

Top Three Online Marketing Mistakes and Top Three Social Media Opportunities for Christian Publishers

Posted by Scott A. Shuford on May 2, 2009 at 10:00am

Written for ECPA's E-link publication... Just a few weeks ago Newsweek magazine's cover story declared "The End of Christianity in America.” It’s not a secret that the church is at a crossroads in U.S. culture. This means our Christian market is also at a crossroads. Sadly in many ways for us, we do live in a post-Christian culture now. People don’t have the same core beliefs that we once enjoyed. I’ll leave the statistics up to The Barna Group. If you haven’t read their reports or David Kinnaman’s book Unchristian, they are excellent. Multi-generational Change Creating a Fragmented Christian Market A massive multi-generational change has already taken place. It’s not happening. It has happened. At this point, we are seeing changes to the changes. Facebook has surpassed Myspace as the primary social network. Hulu’s online broadcasts are replacing the user generated content (UGC) of YouTube. The iPhone has upstaged the iPod. In the midst of all these “advancements,” we’re experiencing fallout that is a reduction in or obsolescence for many of the models we all have been working in, just ask any magazine, newspaper or music label. This is how revolutionary change always happens. While there is only one Body of Christ, there are at the very least two very different Christian markets, and realistically, part of this new era is that there will be a much more fragmented Christian market with many sub-markets. That makes the job of reaching the audience you want both easier and tougher. For the record, I don’t believe that the old market is shifting to become the new market. I believe that God is pouring new wine into new wineskins, rather than updating the old wineskins. While there is turmoil, there is hope. In fact, I am very encouraged by what I’m seeing from Christians in every area of the arts and media: traditional and digital. From my many conversations, observations at 2009 events like the NRB Convention, GMA Music Week, Catalyst West, Biola Media Conference and so on, and as an Advisory Board member for several arts-oriented national movements, I think and feel that we are at the start of what just may be a massive U.S. revival. I pray it is so. At the same time, I’m saddened as we all experience the amazing damage and destruction happening to our traditional way of doing things. Our tried and true older business models aren’t working as well as they used to. We’ve lost many Christian stores. There has been a complete collapse of the CD distribution system. These are just a few examples. As the iPod was to the music industry, is the Kindle our Habakkuk or Paul Revere in the publishing industry? I don’t think so, but still, we are in a new frontier. Boldly Going into a New Frontier In this new frontier, it’s very possible that those who are not “boldly going” are in danger of being “left behind” and slowly eroding away. A couple of great reads about this new frontier are Seth Godin’s Tribes or Phil Cooke’s The Last TV Evangelist. If you haven’t read them, I strongly encourage you to do so. As we heard at ECPA’s Executive Leadership Summit, in the case of Phil’s book, not only is the content required reading, but the publishing model itself put together by Stan Jantz and the team at Conversant Media Group is equally intriguing. Online promotions have created the fastest growing industry in the past decade and given birth to corporate giants like Google, Facebook and Yahoo, and Christian market giants like iTickets, Hollywood Jesus, and HearItFirst. I doubt anyone would argue that online promotions are by far one of the most affordable options available. With the advent of mobile technology and texting, what you’ve been able to do has expanded from the Internet to include all four screens: movie theater, television, computer and mobile. Because of the unique way in which FrontGate Media serves the majority of companies who are reaching out to the Christian consumer, we have been blessed to see God’s major brushstrokes and how the audiences are responding. Our experience in online promotions, advertising, and social media comes from being very proactive. We started way back in 2001 by creating some of the very first banner ad placements in the Christian market, and helping companies connect to Christian consumers through one of the first segmentable direct email databases in the industry. Currently, we are working with publishers, film studios, music companies and non-profits to help their marketing teams brainstorm and deploy online promotions that go beyond the banner: combining editorial, advertorial and advertising; pioneering video commercial placement options, and making their social media marketing actually manageable. From the thousands of campaigns publishers and other companies have run through us, here are the top three online marketing mistakes and the top three social media opportunities for Christian publishers. Top Three Online Marketing Mistakes 1) Is the subject line an afterthought to your direct email campaign? I can’t tell you how many times we’ve received direct email ads without a well-thought out subject line, and sometimes without ANY subject line. Our reminder call asking for a subject line often yields a response like “Oh yeah! How about…” You should be putting more time into your subject line than into your graphic design. Aside from the fact that text only ads often generate better response and are more spam-safe (don’t get me started here…), the pretty pictures we’re all creating for email serve no purpose if the email never gets opened. A direct email provider like our iTickets or Gospel Music Channel databases get you in the door by making sure your email is delivered to the consumer because of their brand relationship and subscriber trust. After that, your subject line is the only thing that consumer uses to decide to open your email. Every subject line you write should be written for the specific audience receiving it. Also, don’t undervalue having something “Christian” in your subject line. It’s wrong to assume that the Christian subscriber receiving your Christian email from a trusted Christian site, is going to automatically connect your message to their passion of faith. If the subject line isn’t obvious and compelling, then the layout and message of your direct email doesn’t matter. Have you Googled “writing good subject lines” lately? 2) Make them take action! Another common mistake I see from ads is that they are often informational only. This issue has come in across the board with banners, direct email ads and email newsletter ads. Do you have a call to action? Is it obvious and in multiple places? “Available Now” is not a call to action, but “Special Price: Buy Now” or “Read Chapter 3 Now!” or “Get your free coupon now,” are calls to action. Take a look at the ads on the sites you are visiting, or in the emails you are receiving. Our Human Events web site and direct email databases reach over 5 million email subscribers and are home to the subscriber audiences for Newt Gingrich, Pat Buchanan, Chuck Norris, and Ann Coulter. They are a great place to mine what the general market is doing with direct email ads, particularly direct response ads. Be sure your ads have clearly visible, compelling benefits that will cause the consumer to take a next step. 3) Don’t ignore online video spots. The Internet has finally delivered the power of the commercial spot to the Christian market. Advances in technology and gear have reduced production costs tremendously, while affordable distribution provided by sites like Tangle, VideoRocket, GospelMusicChannel.com, HearItFirst, and more, finally give you the ability to deliver full motion audio and video advertising and content to create impact for your message. In the old media model, the cost to produce and then place television spots combined with the relatively limited placement options on television have mostly kept this valuable tool out of our Christian marketer’s tool box. No more. There are not only outstanding online options for your commercial spot and content, but we also have the benefit of better television outlets like Gospel Music Channel, Nielsen rated as reaching 45 million households, and JumboTron spots impacting captive audiences at conferences and at the Summer events like our Creation Festivals which provided a captive audience totaling 100,000 people per day. Top Three Social Media Marketing Opportunities 1) Fan Development Not Advertising To gain the benefits of social media, you really can’t just be on the communities with ads. You have to be in the communities if you want to gain the real benefits of social media. This process cannot be approached like advertising. You should not be pushing your message to your “friends” like an ad. My social media philosophy in serving our clients is all about Fan Development; establishing relationships for your author or brand with the audience. 2) Lifetime Not Marketing Cycle If you expect to start and stop your social media campaign in a 90 day marketing window, then don’t bother. You can’t work your books for one cycle, then move on to the next cycle’s books. It’s not about the book. It’s about creating a relationship with the fan. How many good friends have you made in your life by starting to hang with them and then stopping 3 months later? This is the place with many publishers have hit the wall. They’ve dabbled in social media, but come to realize that the learning curve to be effective is longer and harder than they thought, and most importantly that it takes more time than their core marketing team has, especially in the current environment where the entire team may be 2-3 people, or even just one person …and yet you can’t afford to leave behind the audiences inside of Facebook, MySpace or ShoutLife, not to mention the video sharing platforms at YouTube and Tangle, and killer app: Twitter. That doesn’t even get you started on the vast number of more niche-oriented social media sites. 3) Interactive– Not One-Sided Have you ever had that friend who could only talk about themselves while you listened? Many companies approach their social media in that same way. There is a reason that the people you interact with through social media sites are called “friends.” There’s a reason that Twitter’s people are called “followers” instead of friends. Think about it. These people could have been called anything. It’s the internet, the same place we got names like Google and Yahoo. The reason they are friends is because we’re supposed to be having a two way relationship. More than simply an average reader, these people are there to be the friend of your author or your brand, and some of them are your Raving Fans. Don’t be that friend who only talks about themselves. What can you do to get input from your audience so that you can get to know your friends? **** Scott A. Shuford is the founder of FrontGate Media and co-founder of Extra Mile Merch and was was recently interviewed for Adweek’s cover story “Church and State: the role of religion in modern consumer culture.” FrontGate Media connects publishers to the faith audience through the largest pop-culture media group: 15 million email subscribers, 25 million monthly page views, 600,000+ at events and in 45 million television households. The firm serves as both conduit and coach for brands and companies desiring to reach any and every demographic of faith-based consumers through online promotional campaigns, social media marketing, and public relations services.

Winners of NBC SuperStars of Dance, The Groovaloos, to Open the Biola Media Conference

Posted by Scott A. Shuford on April 14, 2009 at 5:42am

Passing along a full press release today from Biola... Top Talent Agents and Additional Workshops Announced for April 25th Event Held at CBS Studios The Biola Media Conference will kick off an impressive 2009 speaker roster with a rousing opening performance by the winners of the NBC international dance competition series SuperStars of Dance, the Groovaloos. Individually, their resumes include working with such artists as Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus, Will Smith, Gwen Stefani, Beyonce, and others. Biola Media is honored to showcase the talent that has earned them the highest levels of commercial achievement in their craft. “The Groovaloos are at the pinnacle of hip hop and pop-culture entertainment,” notes Scott A. Shuford, President of FrontGate Media and BMC Advisory Board member. “It will be obvious why they are called ‘The Cirque du Soleil’ of the street. Their performances truly amaze and inspire.” The Groovaloos performance will be followed by an opening address from Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Group President Mark Zoradi. The event’s focus on talent continues with the addition of Michael Van Dyck, TV and Feature Literary Agent with Paradigm Agency; and Christopher Lockhart, Story Editor at the William Morris Agency. These latest additions further this year’s “Closing the Deal” theme in a panel session focusing on “The Talent Factor,” attracting and attaching talent to sell your script and fund your project. Talent Factor moderator Kim Dorr, Talent Agent and owner of Defining Artist Agency wonders, “Are stars even necessary in a Slumdog world?” and seeks to demystify the “A-list” pursuit. On Saturday, April 25th at the renowned CBS Studio Center lot, the Biola Media Conference continues its 14-year tradition of gathering leading experts to help attendees navigate the challenging world of film, TV and digital media. This year’s workshops will tackle diverse aspects of how attendees can land themselves and their projects past the finish line. Conference sessions have brought frontline media professionals like producer/writer Brian Bird, Not Easily Broken (Sony), The Last Sin Eater (Fox), and co-executive producer and writer of CBS’s Emmy nominated series, Touched By an Angel, to weigh in on these critical topics and opportunities facing people of faith in the entertainment industry today. Session topics include: AMBITION IN HOLLYWOOD: PUSHING ETHICAL BOUNDARIES ON THE ROAD TO SUCCESS  Ralph Winter, Producer, X-MEN, Fantastic Four, X-Men Origins: Wolverine  Terry Botwick, Founder and CEO of 1019 Entertainment INSIDE THE STUDIO DEALMAKING PROCESS  Travis Mann, Entertainment Attorney, Inferno Entertainment  Christa Zofkin, Head of Business Affairs for United Artists  Todd Burns, Founder and COO of Mpower Pictures WEBISODES: SPRINGBOARD TO THE BIG SCREEN  Dan Rupple, CEO of Seriously Funny Ent.  Anita Renfroe, Comedienne, on Good Morning America, Star of ABC sitcom pilot  Rajeev Sigamoney, Writer, Jesus People, The Movie HOW TO PACKAGE AND SELL TO HOLLYWOOD  Doug TenNapel, Graphic novelist, video game designer, writer of Nicktoons, Catscratch;  Brian Bird, Producer/Writer for film and television including Not Easily Broken, and Touched By an Angel INNOVATIVE FILM AND MEDIA FINANCING  Rolfe Auerbach, President, Brand-In Entertainment  Doug Schwartz, Producer, Little Hercules 3-D OPTION AGREEMENTS 101 Travis Mann, Entertainment Attorney, Inferno Entertainment  Christa Zofkin, Head of Business Affairs for United Artists  Todd Burns, Founder and COO of Mpower Pictures For a detailed conference schedule, go to: http://www.biolamedia.com/schedule.shtml. The Biola Media Conference will close out the day with a very rare public appearance and Q & A Keynote Session with Joe Eszterhas, acclaimed writer of Basic Instinct, Jagged Edge, Footloose and Showgirls, about his craft and on how his new-found-faith has affected his life and career. The Biola Media Conference is known for its intimate and practical conversations with leading Hollywood professionals, professional training and instruction from some of the most influential individuals in Film, TV, PR, Media Marketing, Management and Digital Media. Conference topics cover every aspect of media related careers, technologies, and ministries from the creative, to the financial, to the production process. The Biola Media Conference is sponsored by Biola University’s acclaimed Cinema and Media Arts Department. For more information or to register online, visit www.biolamedia.com and take advantage of the extended $125 admission price until April 16th; $145 from the 16th – 21st; $160 at the door. Lunch provided.

Disney Studios Motion Picture Group President Mark Zoradi To Join Biola Media Conference

Posted by Scott A. Shuford on April 9, 2009 at 12:30pm

I'm soooo looking forward to the Biola Media Conference in a few weeks. Mark Zoradi, President of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Group was the latest addition to the event. He will kick off the conference on April 25th at the CBS Studio Center in Studio City , CA. Zoradi oversees the worldwide distribution and marketing of all Walt Disney Studios film properties including Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures, and Touchstone Pictures. I heard him speak previously about International Distribution. That talk was one of the best market analysis presentations I've ever seen. Prior to assuming his current role in July 2006, Zoradi led Walt Disney Studios' international distribution and marketing arm, formerly known as Buena Vista International, as president for 14 years. At Buena Vista International, Zoradi made a global impact and shattered industry records by earning more than $1 billion at the international box office for 12 consecutive years, generating $16.8 billion from 1995-2006. No other company has come close to this achievement. This year's workshops will tackle diverse aspects of how attendees can land themselves and their projects past the finish line, such as: Innovative Film Financing, Ambition vs. Ethics, Legal Aspects Of Deal-Making, How To Package and Sell To Hollywood, and Webisodes: Springboard To The Big Screen. To see the latest news announcement in full, click here. To register online at the special CCAS discount price, use the code "VSN" when registering at www.biolamedia.com. Please look me up on site at CBS if you come. I'll be there all day!

CCAS featured on HollywoodJesus.com

Posted by Scott A. Shuford on March 19, 2009 at 5:00am

I just found out that Maurice, who recently joined our group here, wrote up a feature on CCAS. We talked several months ago, and evidently that became an article. He's an editor over at HollywoodJesus.com, the #1 entertainment site for the Christian community. HJ features articles and reviews on all entertainment, not merely Christian entertainment, including comics, film, tv, books, music, video games and more. Unlike a lot of Christian sites, they don't count the # of swear words or expect that the entertainment will be Biblically compliant. Their approach is to open discussion around and draw out Christian themes in entertainment from the pop culture at large. They've been around for over 10 years! You can check out the article and the site at HollywoodJesus.com .

Facebook Comics Groups

Posted by Scott A. Shuford on March 16, 2009 at 7:00am

Facebook is my favorite social network. Back in 4th quarter 2008, I decided to use Facebook exclusively as my personal business and social network. It was a conscious decision to use their site for business not just social things. I picked them over the more business oriented networks like Linked In and Plaxo because I wanted the personal side to all my "friends." I want to know if their life revolves around their dog, or what is going on with their family. I want to spend time getting to know my Facebook friends as real friends, not merely people I'm "Linked In" to. FrontGate Media does social networking, so we will exist in all the social networking worlds, working on Fan Development in each one. However, I personally am only putting time into Facebook as my own personal page. That doesn't include niche networks like CCAS, but in terms of the big global networks, Facebook is where I'm spending my time. For comics industry people, Facebook offers a ton of groups. Here are just a few: Facebook Comic Con Self Publisher Association War of the Independents Free Lunch Comics Comicbook Artists Guild - Official Facebook Group Go into all the world and make disciples. Go into the Facebook world. Go into the Myspace world. Wherever you are, search out some comics groups and go into them.

Why should comics creators be at the Biola Media Conference?

Posted by Scott A. Shuford on March 10, 2009 at 4:41pm

My favorite event of the year is coming up on April 25th: the Biola Media Conference! The event takes place all in one day at CBS Studio Center in Studio City, CA. The Biola Media Conference is recognized as the largest and most influential national gathering for industry professionals of faith in the entertainment field today, uniquely providing spiritual inspiration alongside informative, creative and professional opportunities. These experts will share their thoughts and experiences in helping attendees to navigate the challenging world of film, TV and digital media, examining the conference theme “Closing the Deal.” This is a great event to attend to see and hear from professionals in Television and Film who are Christians. Notice that I'm not saying Christian television and film. While the event does include those folks, the emphasis is on being a Christian in the non-Christian atmosphere of Hollywood, and pursuing excellence in your craft. That's what makes this a great place for Christians in the Comix Industry to network with filmmakers for all 4 screens: Theater, Television, Internet and Mobile. This is the place to start to learn about the film industry and what it might take to get your project made for the screen, at least one of the four! This year should be particularly strong with the Keynote Speaker Joe Eszterhas, who has been called “The Che Guevara of screenwriters” (Daily Variety), “a living Hollywood legend” (ABC’s 20/20), and of whom Time Magazine stated “If Shakespeare were alive today, would his name would be Joe Eszterhas?” CCAS friends Buzz Dixon and Jerrell Conner have both attended. Buzz has been a consistent attendee and is the creator of the Serenity and the Goofyfoot Gurl manga series. Jerrell Conner, creator of The Red R graphic novel series, attended and had an exhibit booth in 2008. From his experience, "Being a independent artist/self-publisher I'm constantly searching for a new platform or avenue to get my art/books out the general populous. Doing local art shows, and all the comic cons I can make it to. That's why being part of the Biola Media Conference last year worked so well for me, it was new and different from the events that I normally do, and the fact that it was faith based really made it all the more fulfilling and in line with what I want and am doing. I feel that as a Christian artist I'm called to be involved with the entertainment community and make a positive impact stirring things up, that even though I'm not of this world, I still am part of it. That is what I got out of BMC '08." For more information, click a link below: Registration Information Exhibitor Information Come find me when you are there!

The Trials Of Ted Haggard by Phil Cooke

Posted by Scott A. Shuford on February 2, 2009 at 1:16pm

I ran across this today on Phil Cooke's blog and thought there is wisdom here that applies to us all, so here you are... February 1, 2009 I watched the HBO documentary “The Trials of Ted Haggard,” produced by Alexandra Pelosi, (daughter of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi) Thursday night with an incredible sense of sadness. No matter what your opinion about former mega-church pastor Ted Haggard and his startling fall from grace, I believe it’s one of the tragic stories of our time. After graduation from college, Ted started a small Bible study in his living room, which grew into a vibrant, 14,000 member church in Colorado Springs. He became President of the National Association of Evangelicals, virtually being the representative for evangelical Christianity in America. He skyrocketed to success, and then gambled it all away with a meth-fueled extra-marital dalliance with a guy masseuse. Whatever demons Ted has been struggling with since age 7, when he says he experienced his first same-sex encounter, how such a promising career in ministry could come crashing down on the rocks is a lesson worth considering. Regardless of his mistakes, I wouldn’t wish his last two years of shame, upheaval, criticism, and frustration on my worst enemy. Pelosi first met Haggard when she filmed her previous HBO documentary “Friends of God” – an agenda-driven and rather inept attempt to explore the Christian “sub-culture” in America. As she cruised across the country interviewing every oddball Christian she could find, she somehow stumbled across Ted (before his fall) and struck a goldmine. Ted was 100% open and inviting, virtually allowing Alexandra access to both his personal and professional life. What she found gave me pause, even back then. That’s why her new film, “The Trials of Ted Haggard” is ultimately a documentary about the Christian community’s continuing ignorance of the media, and how that ignorance disastrously damages our perception in the culture. A previous generation of Christian leaders were skeptical or openly hostile to the news media. Christian leaders throughout the 70’s and 80’s were convinced the media was out to get them, so they gave no quarter, and closed that door whenever possible. That thinking became a self-fulfilling prophecy, because what they didn’t realize is that it doesn’t matter. The media is going to create a story, so by not talking to them (even when it’s risky), allows them to frame the conversation. As a result, over and over, when it came to that generation, the media version of stories rarely reflected the actual truth. So many Christian leaders in Ted’s generation have done the opposite - but found out it’s been just as big a mistake. Ted thought the answer was to allow the media 100%, unfettered access. As a result, in both documentaries Ted is interviewed in the most casual – even bizarre – settings: working out, with the kids, in church, – and even in bed. I remember when the original news broke about the meth and sexual encounters, I cringed when Ted stopped his car at the end of his driveway, and rolled down his window to talk to reporters about the homosexual accusations – with his wife and kids in the car. 100% access may be well intentioned, but it usually doesn’t help your case – especially when it’s driven by pride. Being caught in awkward, unprepared, or embarrassing moments – especially when the subject is so serious – doesn’t help anyone. It simply continues the perception of incompetence and dubious behavior. The better answer is a more strategic and respectful approach to the media, like I discuss in my new book “The Last TV Evangelist.” But that subject is another post. As a result, the documentary is really a heartbreaking film about the conflict between two mutually destructive identities: a married, former evangelical leader who’s orientation is apparently not exclusively heterosexual. Two years after he went public (while at the top of his game), he’s still struggling with who he is, and what he should become. It’s also a tragic look at how the Christian community reacted to the news, and our lack of resources and concern for re-building the lives of fallen leaders and their families. I don’t know the terms of Ted’s separation with New Life Church, but one of the great faults of the movie was using the term “banished.” As Patton Dodd, a former church staff member confirms at Christianitytoday.com: “The overseers of New Life Church — four pastors from other churches — asked Haggard to sign a contract agreeing to keep quiet and leave Colorado in exchange for a generous parachute: a year's severance for Haggard and his wife, a vehicle, counseling expenses, and moving expenses. Haggard took the deal.” In one of the many ironic and weirder moments, Alexandra (a less than brilliant interviewer) asks Ted “How does it feel to be in exile?” He answers, “Miserable” – as he takes a swing on the golf course. In its favor, the film does point out that many of the misunderstandings and “leaks” about Ted’s counseling program have actually been incorrect. By all accounts, Ted recognizes the seriousness of what happened, and genuinely wants to do the right thing. But when you can’t get a job, the struggle to survive and provide for your family supersedes almost everything else. You can’t help but feel incredible sadness watching his wife and children move boxes from house to house. Reduced to selling insurance door to door, the family has lived for nearly 2 years by the good graces of friends, moving from place to place about every 4 months because money is running out. When he applies for a job, he desperately hopes the interview will go well – at least until the employer Google’s his name. Seeing the impact on the wife and kids – who never did anything wrong in the first place - is tough to watch. One of the thoughts that occurred to me watching the show was that there is a generation of pastors and Christian leaders out there who have experienced great success by the power of their personalities, motivation, and personal Charisma. In a Christian celebrity culture, they excite and inspire audiences, and become leaders based on external abilities. But what they lack is sober responsibility. They are not personally disciplined leaders, forged in the fires of adversity. They don’t have to make the hard choices (they have “executive pastors” to do that). They have an attractive exterior package, but a shallow, empty interior. They don’t carry the “gravitas” of the position – or apparently even care about it. As a result, they have thousands of “fans” – but no real disciples. When that happens, risk seems manageable and even easy, because in most cases, they’ve never really experienced the consequences of bad choices. They begin to assume their charismatic personalities, loyal followers, or financial situation will help them weather any storm. So they take on building programs, mortgages, or private jets they want but can’t afford, dabble in sexual or financial indiscretions, take doctrinal shortcuts to help sell books, or in this case, assume that a gay encounter or experimenting with meth isn’t really a big deal – after all, I’m under a lot of stress, and I’m not accountable like everyone else. If Ted’s story does nothing else, I would hope it would remind pastors and Christian leaders just how just how much their actions impact the lives of others – sometimes, thousands and even millions of others. Taking on the role of pastor or spiritual leader is far more substantial than being a motivational speaker or “life coach,” and how often we forget that the scriptures hold pastors to a higher standard of accountability. On a somewhat different note, I was also saddened by the acclaim that Mike Jones, the gay masseuse who “outed” Ted has received. Because “outing” (either with or against a victim’s will) is held in such high esteem by the gay community, Mike now has an impressive book deal, and is talking about running for public office. How being a meth-dealing gay masseuse prepares you for public office is a testament to a celebrity driven culture where being in the news is more important than actual accomplishment. Secular reviewers look at the film and are frustrated by what they believe is Ted’s refusal to accept his homosexuality and change this view of scripture. But believers understand Paul’s frustration in Romans 7: 15: “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” Faith isn’t about giving up because of the struggle, but continuing in spite of it. Or as a French philosopher put it: “God hasn’t called us to be successful, he’s called us to be faithful.” The end of the film makes note that the Haggard family has returned to Colorado even as new allegations have surfaced about another encounter previous to Mike Jones. But as in all cases of sin, redemption, and restoration, we can only hope that Ted continues to work it out with fear and trembling. Read more of Phil's stuff at http://www.philcooke.com.

Global Short Film Network

Posted by Scott A. Shuford on January 26, 2009 at 10:08am

I had a great conversation today with Doug Weiss at Campus Crusade, strategizing a bit around their Global Short Film Network and some ideas for expanding beyond what they've already built. Doug is invovled with Visual Story Network as well, another group I'm involved with.

The GSFN is for filmmakers, writers, directors, producers, etc., or even just for film fans who love the power of story on film. They are building a great community of friends and of course, a global network of film lovers with an empahsis on the power of narrative short film. The comics medium is ready-made for the short film, episodic model. With a history of rolling out daily, weekly or monthly comic strips and books, the short film area is a great place for us as comic creators. We have great stories and story lines. With today's technology, anyone can animate stills to tell a story or film a short video on their inexpensive handheld camera, and so on. Obviously, filmmaking is its own craft and art to be practiced, but there are plenty of filmmakers out there who are looking for excellent stories to tell. With my involvement serving the Biola Media Conference, I know their entire Cinema & Media Arts Department is full of students who are working on all aspects of filmmaking. Oral Roberts University students are also very active in filmmaking. My point is that you don't have become a great filmmaker yourself if you don't want to. If your story is great, there are people who will want to tell it. The goals for Global Short Film Network are to help people... Connect with the culture. Connect with those around you. Tell better stories that engage those around you in deeper conversation. Sound familiar? It should! That's part of the CCAS mission as well. At GSFM, you'll find opportunities for you to view films; help create new films; and get your hands on these films to show your friends, family, neighbors and coworkers. Find them online here and also as a group on Facebook.

FrontGate Media Announces Social Networking And Public Relations Services

Posted by Scott A. Shuford on January 20, 2009 at 6:48am

Already the #1 internet and event media group in the faith-based entertainment market, FrontGate Media is expanding its ability to deliver faith-based consumers and serve as companies’ “Gateway to the Christian audience.” Consistently growing and evolving, FrontGate Media continues its dedication to not only navigate the trends, but negotiate where the market is moving, and assist their clients in connecting with the consumer audiences they desire. With this in mind, FrontGate has expanded their ever-growing list of services to include social networking, and publicity and public relations. “I think what makes our FrontGate Media group unique is that we are marketers not content publishers,” explains Scott A. Shuford, Founder and CEO of FrontGate Media. “As marketing trends have moved from print media to the Internet and events, and now content promotion, we have been able to evaluate these opportunities and lead companies and ministries in executing their marketing through our media group rather than just placing advertising, and without an agency markup. Our goal is to become the client’s intern. We’re the most experienced interns anyone has ever had. We talk personally with each organization to brainstorm together on their project and strategically dial in exactly the right audience matches from our 15 media vehicles, then create an integrated campaign strategy that includes content promotion, advertorial, advertising and non-traditional marketing.” With their emphasis and expertise in technology and the Internet, it seemed only logical for FrontGate to expand the social networking component of their services. ShoutLife, the leading faith-based social network is already part of FrontGate Media. With the ability to also fully-integrate public relations services, agencies and companies are now able to utilize FrontGate to execute a top-level, cost effective, market-wide campaign with one point of contact that will impact faith-based consumers. Social Networking is more than just posting a MySpace page. Shuford says, “You have to be in the communities, not just on them. FrontGate Media’s approach is one of Fan Development rather than advertising.” With this approach, FrontGate Media has the ability, the time and manpower that very few marketing departments have available to select the best social networking communities to reach out to while avoiding the learning curve that can result in being blocked or blacklisted. Gospel Music Channel (GMC) television network and FrontGate Media recently partnered for the launch of Revolve: Rockin' The Road, a reality show focused around the Revolve Tour. Through a coordinated promotional campaign that included social networking, FrontGate Media worked seven different social networking sites, as well as deploying advertising across the FrontGate Media group that allowed Gospel Music Channel to create relationships with their core target audience of girls, drawing fans to the show and reconnecting with fans who had attended the tour or were interested in the music artists involved. "Revolve: Rockin' The Road attracted a significant audience among teen girls, the primary target demographic for the series. Those viewers were able to enjoy the show while we were able to promote our other programming. FrontGate helped us reach and super-serve that teen target demo and bring them to the series and the channel," commented GMC vice president of marketing Wendy McCoy. The public relations division has produced dramatic results in the two months FrontGate has offered the service. ConversantLife.com, a new media website seeking to stimulate conversations about faith and culture, has experienced an increase in site traffic of over 33% as a result of adding FrontGate Media’s public relations to their marketing plan. Staff bloggers were invited to do radio interviews on major Christian stations across the United States, Canada, and worldwide including significant features on the Moody Radio Network and on CrossRhythms in the UK. Their expertise has been noticed by radio producers as now ConversantLife.com has become not only a site for consumer content, but a resource for other media sites as well. FrontGate Media continues its efforts for ConversantLife.com and also for HearItFirst.com, Biola Media Conference, Visual Story Network, and Marriage Reality. “ConversantLife.com relies on FrontGate Media to communicate its content-rich site to the larger media world, including established media outlets,” explains Stan Jantz, co-founder and CEO of Conversant Media Group. “Their knowledge of strategic publicity has been an effective, efficient tool in launching our site.” About FrontGate Media: FrontGate Media is the largest pop culture media group reaching the faith and family audience. FrontGate Media serves as both conduit and coach for brands and companies desiring to reach any and every demographic of faith-based consumers in the Christian market segments. Serving as the “Gateway to the Christian Audience” since 2002, FrontGate Media stands ready to customize and deploy promotional campaigns through 15 media vehicles, social networking and public relations that will connect companies directly to family and faith-based consumers. The company has been honored by World Vision as their #1 emedia partner, and plays a key role in the success of record labels and artists, publishers and authors, movie studios, non-profit organizations and more seeking “creative & emerging media” outlets. The company was recently featured in Adweek as an authority on the “Role Of Religion In Modern Consumer Culture.”

14th Annual Biola Media Conference Announces Keynote Speakers including Joe Eszterhas, Ralph Winter, Terry Botwick, Phil Cooke and Susan Isaacs

Posted by Scott A. Shuford on January 20, 2009 at 6:30am

Experts Navigate “CLOSING THE DEAL” in Hollywood and the Global Media Markets Biola Media is proud to announce an outstanding line up of keynote speakers at this year’s Biola Media Conference. On April 25, 2009 the conference will return to CBS Studio Center in Studio City, CA for its annual gathering. The Biola Media Conference is recognized as the largest and most influential national gathering for industry professionals of faith in the entertainment field today, uniquely providing spiritual inspiration alongside informative, creative and professional opportunities. These experts will share their thoughts and experiences in helping attendees to navigate the challenging world of film, TV and digital media, examining the conference theme “Closing the Deal.” 2009 Keynote speakers include (Bios below): Joe Eszterhas – Screenwriter/Author. Writer of Basic Instinct, Jagged Edge and Flashdance. Ralph Winter – Executive Producer. X-MEN, Planet of the Apes, Fantastic Four, Wolverine Terry Botwick – Producer/CEO of 1019 Entertainment. Managed Fox’s production of Space Chimps and MGM’s Ribbit. Former VP of CBS Entertainment. Susan Isaacs – Writer/Comedienne. TV co-star on Seinfield, My Name is Earl and author of Angry Conversations with God. Phil Cooke – Director/Author. Branding Faith, The Last TV Evangelist. “We’ve seen production partnerships formed, agents secured, and distribution deals made as a result of this conference, but most importantly, we’ve seen people come away challenged and inspired by the high caliber of industry pro’s who come to share their expertise with us,” states Peggy Rupple, Co-Director of the Biola Media Conference. “This year looks to be exceptional.” Still to-be-announced workshops will feature the art of pitching, knowing what projects Hollywood is looking for, discovering niche projects, no-budget filmmaking, legal aspects of deal-making, how power is used in Hollywood, living out your faith, and much more. "This not-to-be-missed event compacts into one day an opportunity like no other," notes Jack Hafer, Producer, To End All Wars and Chair of Biola’s internationally acclaimed Cinema and Media Arts program. "It’s a chance to discover concrete direction for your career and put you in the touch with the people and resources anyone serious about a career in entertainment or media needs to know." The Biola Media Conference is sponsored by Biola University. KEYNOTE SPEAKERS BIOS: Joe Eszterhas has written 15 films that have grossed more than a billion dollars at the box office, including Basic Instinct, Jagged Edge, Flashdance and Showgirls. Two of the five books he’s written have received the distinction of The New York Times Bestsellers, and his non-fiction novel Charlie Simpson’s Apocalypse was nominated for a National Book Award. He has been called “The Che Guevara of screenwriters” (Daily Variety), “a living Hollywood legend” (ABC’s 20/20), and Time Magazine states “If Shakespeare were alive today, would his name would be Joe Eszterhas?” Joe’s latest book is “Crossbearer: A Memoir of Faith.” Ralph Winter has produced over 25 films, grossing over $2 billion dollars worldwide, as well as produced and directed TV for Steven Speilberg at Dreamworks. This list includes the following Academy Award nominated films: X-Men, X-Men United, Fantastic Four, Mighty Joe Young, Star Trek VI, Star Trek IV, and Planet of the Apes. Ralph's recent films include X-Men: The Last Stand, Thr3e, and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. Currently Ralph is a partner in a new joint film company, 1019 Productions and founding partner of the commercial production company Thomas Winter Cooke. Terry Botwick has had an amazing career in television and motion pictures. As former President of Vanguard Films, Terry managed the production of the CGI animated Space Chimps for Fox, and Ribbit for MGM. He arranged $120 million for the co-publishing of video games and spearheaded Vanguard’s expansion into the direct to video business with MGM. Prior to Vanguard, Terry was founder of Thunderpoint Partners, where he arranged a co-finance and distribution partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment. As former SVP at CBS Entertainment, he helped the network rise from third to first place and oversaw all primetime series programming (developing three successful series) and special events (Grammy Awards, Tony Awards, Emmy Awards, etc.). His eclectic resume also includes broad-ranging successes such as: President of Worldwide Television Distribution and Production for Hearst Corporation, (which produced 12-14 television movies per year), Founder/CEO of e-learning company Spongelab, and President/COO of Big Idea Productions (VeggieTales). Susan Issacs is a writer and comedienne with credits in TV, film, stage and radio. Her numerous TV credits include co-starring roles on Seinfield, My Name is Earl, Providence and more. An alumnus of the Groundlings Sunday Company, she has written numerous works for NPR’s Weekend America, Sit N Spin at Comedy Central Stage, and Show and Tell at Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theatre. Her memoir “Angry Conversations with God: A Snarky, but Authentic Spiritual Memoir” explores the idea that if her relationship with God was supposed to be a marriage, she and God needed marriage counseling. Phil Cooke is a television producer with a Ph.D. in Theology, Phil Cooke advises many of the largest and most effective non-profit and faith-based organizations in the world. He’s appeared on MSNBC, CNBC, CNN, Fox News Network, his work has been profiled in the New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and The Wall Street Journal and Christianity Today magazine called him a “media guru.” He’s also a founding partner in TWC Films – a commercial production company that produced two spots for the 2008 Super Bowl. His new book is: The Last TV Evangelist: Why The Next Generation Couldn’t Care Less About Religious Media. Phil is changing the way religious organizations and non-profits use the media to engage the culture. http://www.biolamedia.com

CCAS Featured on Moody Radio Network

Posted by Scott A. Shuford on January 16, 2009 at 7:30am

Moody Radio Network, based in Chicago, recently invited me to do two on air interviews live on their 100,000 watt Chicago station, which also streams live over the internet at WMBI.fm. The interviews were great, and were a great opportunity to raise awareness around our Christian Comic Arts Society mission. These type of radio interviews usually last 10-15 minutes. They are quick and fun! The questions centered around things like how long we've been around, or what are some popular Christian comics, or how is God using comics. I was able to share about Buzz Dixon's Serenity comics (published by Thomas Nelson) and about how The Foursquare Church is using comics around the world (through Eric Jansen.) I touched on how much attention comics have been getting from pop culture including the blockbuster films, and most recently from the Spidey Obama comic. With the speed of these radio interviews, you have to think on your feet and answer quickly because you don't have the questions ahead of time. As I answered the questions, I talked about the movement(s) that God is making within comics and how He has placed people in ministry to create evangelistic church resources AND also placed Christians in the comic industry to serve as a living example within their companies. As I said that, God imprinted on me yet again how valuable each of one of us is to Him - how valuable YOU are just being involved in comics and here with CCAS. What a blessing for us to be able to share together, to serve together in the place God has put us through our interest in comics. I hope you'll stop today to enjoy what God has put into you through your interest in comics, and pray on what He might want to do through you today or in the future. Regardless of what you are "doing" today for God, I hope you'll be able to take some time to just "be" with Him today.

CCAS - Official Code of Conduct

Posted by Scott A. Shuford on January 10, 2009 at 1:00pm

Welcome to the CCAS Social Network! Please note that the Moderators use the following guidelines when reviewing submissions to the site, and do their best to use discretion and insight when applying these guidelines to specific situations. These guidelines are not meant as a legalistic set of rules, and each site member is to be held accountable solely on the basis of their own postings. CCAS is committed to unity within the church body. Discussions of theology and denominational differences may be allowed, but forum members are discouraged from proselytizing for their particular denominational doctrines within the forum. Please use private correspondence for that type of discussion. CCAS is committed to respect. Members are encouraged to address the issues under discussion and not to resort to any denigrating characterizations of the person, regardless of how mild you deem your comments to be. CCAS is committed to building up others. Forum members are encouraged not to make negative inferences (i.e., presumptions about other members’ remarks), especially when such inferences have no clear objective basis. Please note that this site is for the members and associates of the Christian Comic Arts Society, and thus basic Christian principles are expected in our interaction here. This includes consideration for the feelings and conscience of other members. Likewise, obscene/profane language, pornographic content, and libel are strictly prohibited. Most importantly, please remember the words of Christ: "By this the world shall know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:35) If there are any concerns or suggestions regarding these guidelines, please bring them up to a Moderator. Thank you, and God bless!

Who Commissions...by Dan Rupple / www.SeriouslyFunny.tv

Posted by Scott A. Shuford on January 7, 2009 at 5:00pm

This is an excellent piece from Dan Rupple that speaks to anyone who creates anything. I thought I would post it to share here. Dan is a friend of mine with whom I serve on the Biola Media Conference Advisory Board. Dan is also one of the founders of the legendary Christian comedy troupe Isaac Air Freight. ****** Who Commissions...by Dan Rupple / www.SeriouslyFunny.tv I recently watched a documentary on the legendary rock band The Who. The band’s leader and guitarist, Pete Townshend, was talking about the early days of the group in London. He mentioned that numerous rock bands were forming at the time, many who would go on to make their mark as pillars of the British Invasion, all of whom were striving to get started. Then Townshend made an interesting comment. He said that most of the bands were running after financing, trying to find someone who would offer them a paying gig or fund their studio time. But Pete was looking for a commission – a commission that could only come from the audience. He went on to say that as The Who was experimenting with their sound, nothing seemed to strike a chord with the audience; nothing made the audience cry, “We want more of the THAT!” Then he composed “Can’t Explain” which went on to be the Who’s first hit. When performing “Can’t Explain” for the first time, Pete instantly knew that this was the sound the audience wanted more of. Pete, and subsequently The Who, had his commission and the rest is rock-n-roll history. We all know the difficulties and frustrations of trying to get any type of project financed. We write/produce/perform something, run it from office to office, follow-up on contact after contact, make phone call upon phone call; all in a fervent attempt to make our artistic dream a reality. All this being a necessary part of the process of Show Business - emphasis on the later word of the term. But how many of our projects, that we are willing to bleed for, does anyone want to see other than us? Before we beat the pavement with our pet project; I suggest that we perform our sets before a couple small crowds (non-family members), have a choice group of objective critics read our scripts, or show some of our less ambitious films to an Internet audience. Before we ask someone to take up our banner, let’s run it up the entertainment flagpole and see if anyone salutes it with thunderous applause or a few thousand clicks. Like Townshend discovered when he performed “Can’t Explain,” when we do something, no matter how small, that the audience echoes back, “Give us more of that!” – that’s our commission! If you make fifteen short films and crickets chirp, then make an artistic alteration and your sixteenth everyone goes crazy for; whatever stylistic change you made, that’s what the audience wants. And you’ll probably know it instantly. This is a universal truth throughout the arts and media. There are countless stories of artists, writers, media makers, who couldn’t get arrested until they stumbled upon their signature technique. I think of comedian Rodney Dangerfield, who for years kicked around dingy comedy clubs and nightspots until audiences roared with laughter when they identified with his “I get no respect” persona. Now I’m certainly not saying that we should lock into a formula and just keep producing more of the same – do we really need a “Klumps 8”? Just look at the awe-inspiring experimentation and development of The Who’s catalogue. But every endeavor harkens back to their signature sound discovered in “Can’t Explain.” However different an album or song may have been, we always knew it was The Who. It’s the law of supply and demand. Maybe we should be slow to demand that someone finance what we do, until there is a demand for what we are supplying.

The Official Everything You Want To Know About CCAS

Posted by Scott A. Shuford on December 17, 2008 at 8:53pm

This just in from our very own Membership Coordinator, Eric Jansen... :) ******* Hi! I’d like to officially welcome you to the Christian Comic Arts Society—or CCAS—Website! I’m Eric Jansen, the CCAS Membership Coordinator. Thank you for being part of the CCAS Website! We’re over 400 strong and growing all the time. But there is much more to CCAS than the Website. CCAS has existed for over 20 years through the following: ALPHA-OMEGA—The Christian Comics APA-zine! ALPHA-OMEGA—or A-O—is currently on its 144th bi-monthly issue! In case you don’t know, an APA-zine is an “Amateur Press Association magazine” and usually consists of photocopied pages of art, writing, and reviews on, in A-O’s case, all things Christian, comic book, and Christian comic books! This is an interactive forum, wherein members from all over the U.S. (and a couple of foreign countries) critique each other’s writing and art, and regular participation is expected. There are no dues except for postage and you must cover photocopy costs for up to 30 copies of your (con)Trib(ution). Please contact me if you are interested in joining—right now, we have room for 5-10 new members. MONTHLY MEETINGS—Some of the founding members of the CCAS lived in the Los Angeles area and began having monthly meetings starting in 1988. So, the monthly L.A. meetings have played a very important part in the formation of CCAS and continues to this day as it has for over twenty years. If you are anywhere within driving distance of L.A. and are interested in attending, please contact me as soon as you can. And, actually, I would appreciate EVERYBODY reading this sending me their contact info—there may be enough Website members in certain areas to start new chapters! (San Diego and Florida are looking pretty good right now—and who knows where else!) We even have an African chapter that has recently begun—CCAS-Afriq! CONVENTION MINISTRY—Members all over the country have represented CCAS at many comic book conventions across the country through the years. Please contact the Convention Organizer Ralph Miley if you are interested in helping at any CCAS table at any con—or perhaps starting one! We have maintained an especially strong presence at the San Diego Comic-Con (with a regular table/booth, a Sunday service, and a Spiritual Themes Panel), and the L.A. group has begun having regular tables at Wizard World L.A. and Wonder-Con in San Francisco. PUBLISHING—For the most part, CCAS is not a publisher. But its members have always produced quality Christian comics, notably PROVERBS AND PARABLES headed by Ralph Miley and published by New Creation. A few others, however, are indeed considered CCAS publications—like Don Ensign’s annual GUIDE TO CHRISTIAN COMICS, and the STREET COMIX series which I edit (including the well-received LONELY LADY, HOMELESS HARRY, and VENGEANCE IS MINE) because CCAS has played a significant role in their creation and they carry the CCAS logo. Other books, like Gerry Lee’s SONS OF THUNDER have been submitted for and granted CCAS approval and also carry the CCAS logo. THE CATALOG—Though not a publisher, we have put together a catalog offering our books and those of our friends. With over 40 comics, graphic novels, and ashcans offered, this is a must-have for anyone building their Christian comic library. SPECIAL OFFER!—Contact me immediately if you want to order A CHRISTMAS TREASURY! (84 pages, B&W, perfect-bound.) With 12 Christmas-themed works by pros like Gary Shipman and Ben Avery, as well as fun stories by myself, Kevin Yong, and Robert Flores, this is not to be missed! A $10 value, I will ship it to you immediately for only $5, plus $1 for postage! (Sorry for the late notice!) Whether through the Website, Alpha-Omega, the Monthly Meetings, or even Convention presence, CCAS is the place for Christian writers, artists, colorists, and publishers to come together and create stories from a Christian perspective for fun, profit, and/or evangelism. There is a LOT to CCAS! If you are interested in any of the above—or have any questions—please contact me, Eric Jansen, directly or Assistant Membership Coordinator Scott A. Shuford . Thanks for your time! God bless. Eric Jansen Membership Coordinator

Looking for CCAS Friends who can interview and write an article

Posted by Scott A. Shuford on December 4, 2008 at 7:38am

I'm looking for volunteers who like to interview people by phone or email and who would be able to write up article maybe once a month or so to be posted on this site, depending on how many people we have who are ready and able. Anyone interested, please forward me a note along with any background info and a couple of writing samples. You don't have to be a pro, just interested. At Your Service, Scott A. Shuford CCAS Board Member FrontGate Media, Founder/CEO www.frontgatemedia.com P.S. ADWEEK Cover Story Features FrontGate Media in Discussion on Role Of Religion In Modern Consumer Culture.

Free Book Download: Matt Bronleewe's thriller HOUSE OF WOLVES

Posted by Scott A. Shuford on December 2, 2008 at 9:37am

The multi-talented Matt Bronleewe just let me know that the audiobook for his thriller HOUSE OF WOLVES is now available for FREE at iTunes! The link provided here should send you to the right place...(just search for "House of Wolves podcast" on iTunes if the link doesn't work...) http://www.new.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=100292520243&h=_gcJh Enjoy! Scott