Thursday, December 27, 2007

12/27 show

Tonight (LIVE!) on "The Comic Book Novice" Radio show, Join Hassan, Belkis and yours truly as we interview Comic Book Creator Andrea Grant (www.minxcomic.com)
9pm est www.am1240wgbb.com
Archives @ www.thecomicbooknovice.com

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Christmas

Once again Tuesday is a special day. So I get to talk about Christmas and holidays in general. I was watching Rudolph the other day and I noticed a few things...First, Santa is a bastard. he's just hanging around the house only caring about Christmas instead of the well being of Rudolph, his family and friends. Also, the snowman telling the story. He knows where Rudolph and Claire are and tells the guys to go after them, yet he doesn't tell Rudolph and makes him go out all on his own...

And why is it that Christmas needs saving? It's a holiday where you give (or get) stuff. why does that need saving? My mom used to say that any day can be Christmas. I'm inclined to agree with her.

Also, what's the deal with all this P.C. Stuff? people are too sensitive and many places can;t (or won't) say Merry Christmas. Soon it will be that radio stations wont play Christmas songs because they don't want to offend anyone.

So, I guess I should make a Christmas wish....('cause you know it can't hurt) and honestly I did have a Christmas miracle last year...But let's do something different. hows about you make a wish for me (that way it will swirl some of that positive energy). I'll make a wish for you. Hope you like what I wished for you!

Thursday, December 20, 2007

12/20 giveaway show

Tonight (LIVE) on "The Comic Book Novice" radio program Hassan, Belkis and Yours truly
will be talking about comic book timelines.

Do you care that a character that is 30+ years
old is still in high school or that over 40+ years a character hasn't aged a day?? Share your thoughts by calling in.

Also we will announce the winner of the $25.00 Wizard gift certificate. (Keep sending those e-mails in! You have until 3pm EST today)

9pm EST www.am1240wgbb.com

archives @ www.thecomicbooknovice.com

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Live vs....

This past week, I decided to have a little contest. It was (and still is) just an indicator to see how many people listen to the live show and how many download it. See there really is no way for me to tell that. After all, anyone listens live either goes to the radio station's website or just goes on the radio. We can only track how many people visit the site.

So far we haven't recieved that many entries. Which leads me to think that doing a live show isn't as...what's the word I'm looking for....special(?) as one would think. I mean a radio show does have some clout to it, and opens doors that podcasting doesn't, but is that enough? only time will tell.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

12/13 show

Tonight (Live!) on "The Comic Book Novice" radio program Hassan, Belkis and I give our

thoughts and opinions as we review the New York Anime Con (www.nyanimefestival.com) .

Did you attend? Call in and voice your opinion. 9pm EST www.am1240wgbb.com

archives @ www.thecomicbooknovice.com

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Carryin' on

During the week (which for me is Tuesday to Tuesday) things happen or thoughts occur to me and I think "Hey, this might be a good thing to blog about". Yet when Tuesday comes most times I come to a blank. "Why don't you blog more often?" one might ask. Well, the answer is simple. I like structure. I like things to work a certain way on a consistent basis.

Anyway, This week I'm going to (once again) vent about something that's been bothering me of recent weeks. As you may (or may not, only two choices!) know, 2008 is supposed to be a big year for me and my little company. I did some cons, I did my ad, and I have been trying to figure out how to get my book ready for the SDCC.

Of course the backbone of everything is the radio show (and the relating web-site). I figure once the book comes out things will (well, should) shift. So right now (beyond the talent behind the book) I have to have constant dealings with my webmaster, and the guys from the radio show. Now everyone works for free and I know I can't do everything by myself (unlike my good buddy over at crazee comics) but sometimes it feels like my group doesn't share my passion, vision, my insight on how my company works (or needs to work).

I try to bend over backwards to keep my people happy. Cause really they can leave at any time. Yet I'm thinking that maybe if I don't rely on others so much I may be forced to step up and do more (or fail horribly trying).

Let's take the Comic. It's been about 4 years since I asked my art team to make the book. As of right now (with the 12/31/07 deadline approaching (to assure that the book will be lettered and published well before the SDCC) and there are about 8 pages that still need to be re-drawn, and about 70+ pages left to ink.

With the radio show, I ask that my co-hosts attend conventions, try to "fill the role" assigned by myself (which basically are them being themselves) and help out wherever/whenever they can. Out of the Four I started with (the really old shows (2003) will be uploaded as soon as the website is at 80% or better) Only Hassan and I remain. This past show we spoke about the role of women in the comic book industry. It was a panel show where I throw out questions or examples and let the rest of the group talk about it. Hopefully it promotes a good discussion and gets people to call in. While it doesn't sound like it, on the day of taping, I felt that they were essentially saying to me "hey why don't you find people to talk about this subject, cause we are not experts". If I wanted an expert I would have had him (or her) as a guest (which would have turned that week into a guest show). I just wanted a free flowing talk about the subject that week. Also, notice that my current co-hosts haven't posted on this blog in months. Of course, I really can't fault them, I'm just making note of it.

Last week I mentioned the website so I wont have to go over that again, but at least I know he's working on it and (hopefully) when it's back on track, my new webmaster will be able to keep on top of it. At least the shows are being updated.

Finally, (beyond "outside work", which is really anyone and everyone promoting the show) the last thing I want to cover is conventions. They have a dual purpose (for me anyways). 1) Promote the show and 2) try to sell stuff (to try to make back the cost of doing the con). I can't sell stuff. Even if I am all behind the product, I am not the seller. My job at a con is to "know stuff". Know about the show, about the site, about the company. I sit at the table and hand out fliers, talk to people and try to make new contacts/friends. Women sell stuff. Hot women sell more stuff. That is a fact. I have a hot new co-host, yet she doesn't sell as much as Jennifer used to. Jennifer was (and still is) cute. But she could sell ice to an Eskimo, she could sell Hookers to Hugh Hefner. Yet now product doesn't move. It could be the change of the times, or the economy, but really I think it is something more. On our table we sell CD's. I now have two. a 2003 and 2007 edition of the Best of my radio show. People like clip shows. Other radio shows produce "best of's" so why not me? It's a little something with new content (along with clips of past shows) to let people know what we do on the show and (hopefully) get people to listen in to the live feed (or archives). If the show is good, the best of CD is a good product. I was told in no uncertain terms that the CD is a bad idea and how it would not be an item that would be pushed or even mentioned at the con. This was said by one of my own people! the quote was "I won't sell something that I don't believe in". This is a valid argument. I say that all the time at my "day job". I used to say that at my old "day job". But how can you be on a radio show, promote the radio show and not try to bring in revenue because you don't believe in the product that you are on. To me that says "I Don't believe in the show". If you don't believe in the show, why do it? I know why I have you on the show, because I need you to make a good product. I can't do it all myself. Hell, I don't even think I could carry an entertaining half hour with just me talking. I remember a conversation I had with Hassan just before I decided to do the show. I asked him would he do it and then said that if he didn't want to/couldn't then I wouldn't do it. (obviously) He said yes.

So I need them and if I could I would be paying them (some I have in a way). But (at least once a week) I wonder how good would things be if we were at 100% and how/what can I do to make it that way.....

I can survive, but I want to thrive.

Thursday, December 6, 2007

12/6 show

Tonight (LIVE!) on "The Comic Book Novice" radio show Join Hassan, Belkis, And yours truly

as we discuss the role of women in comics. What are your thoughts? Listen in and call in!

Tonight 9pm EST www.am1240wgbb.com

archives at www.thecomicbooknovice.com

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

50-50

I'm trying to rememebr the saying...6 on one hand, half dozen on the other? Well, what I'm writing about is the fact that I'm never at "full throttle". It seems that when one thing is working, something else isnt.
Now I mentioned the forces before, but this is different. See my web site used to have no problem updating the front page (generally speaking) but the radio shows were taking a while to show up on the download section. Now (with my new webmaster) the radio shows are updated each week, but the front page remains stagnant.
We did a slew of video interviews almost a year ago, yet the editing process is almost non-exestant.
Just trying to get everything up to speed is a job on it's own. But I keep pushing. maybe one day we will be working on all cylinders, which (for me anyway) is having my co-hosts post on this blog on a regular basis, a fully functional (and constantly updated) website, a weekly tv show, and me working on my next book (there should always be a next book!)