A shot in the arm

This past Sunday after watching Saw v (which was awesome BTW), I went to a "meeting" of some comic book guys. One of these guys waas an old High School friend of mine who wanted to make his own comic. He along with a couple of his friends had a weekly gathering that I was invited to. I have to say that it felt good sitting there and talking about comics, my company and their gaols and aspirations.

Now I have to admit, since the radio show went on hiatus, and then the economy went crazy, I haven't been as motivated as I should be regarding future cons that I should attend, pushing my publisher to put out the other books (and then the trade). But just being there, I got a little taste of motivation. Maybe these guys have the heart (and free time) that I have been looking for. Even if it is just me lending my expierence to help these guys out, that helps me get going again. Only time will tell. I plan to go again next Sunday.

Let's do the Time warp

Just for fun, I decided to go back and take a look at my old blogs. I did a quick update so you can see a contrast between then and now. It's taking longer than I had expected. I'm up to my 9/11/07 entry. Take this time to go back and re-read somethings. post some comments while you are at it!

Different format/Different Versions

Now bear with me here. My thoughts are all over the place regarding this subject as I find that I usually am about 10-15 ewords ahead of myself so by the time I type "THIS" word, I'm already thinging about Linda Carter as Wonder Woman...

I was watching the New Spider-man cartoon the other day, and then while changing VHS tapes (Yes I still use thos things to watch my tv shows) I came across an episode of Fox's Spider-man Unlimited.

Seeing that made me think about a conversation I was having about Paul Dini and the various Batman carttons that have come out in the past 10+ years. I was telling him about the new Brave and Bold Batman cartoon that will be coming out soon.

Finally, I saw a commrecial for the new Hulk movie coming out on DVD.

All of these things mad me think that it would be a good subject to talk about on my little blog.

The comic books are the source material. That is where all the tv shows, movies, and yes even radio shows start out from. No Superman comic, no Christopher Reeves meeting Tom Welling. No Hulk comic, no Bill Bixby hitching a ride. But those things never happened in the comic.

In the comics, the Hulk has fallen from outer space to earth without a scratch on him, yet Lou Ferrigno falls (about) 800 feet and the Hulk died. What I am saying is that while all this stuff comes from the comics, some of it doesnt translate to a different format. Look at X-men. the movies ditched the spandex and it worked.

My question (if you still are with me after all that) is how far are we willing to go to accept the changes? At what point do we lose the "core" of the comic in lieu of the masses? I never read League of Extraoidary Gentleman, but I really liked the movie. Alot of fans of the comic HATED that movie.

I'll leave you with this disjointed thought...Just because it's popular, doesn't mean it's good.

The future

While the whole world seems to be going to hell in a handbasket, I sit here trying to figure out how to get my radio show back on the air. Seems Brian wasn't able to get the skype thing going, so I'm back to looking to return to the airwaves. Last time I was in this position was during our first hiatus. That took forever to get past. I was hoping for a swifter return, but now I'm not so sure.

Every time I get just a little headway, something seems to put up a road block. I wonder if all companies went through this when they were starting out. The only good thing is that I can say that I know I can get myself back on the air and get my book in stores. Not sure how long that will take, but it will happen. I got this far, and I keep learning new things everyday to get me a little further.

The one thing that I know is that I have a quaility product, so that is my motivation to keep going.

Not sure what I'm going to do at the next con I go to. Without the radio show to promote, I'm not sure what (or how) to place on my table. Maybe I'll get the site re-launched before then and I'll have some new fliers ready to go....Might have to get my publisher to send me s'more copies of the book to sell.

Speaking of cons, I'm considering going to a con in Michigan (it would be all expenses paid, excluding transportataion to and from there). I'm just not sure if I'm ready for another drive across state lines so soon after SDCC.

September 30!

When I decided to make Tuesdaays "my" day to blog (Thursdays being he show day, and mon, wed, and fri being Hassan's day) I had no idea how many special "events" would fall on this day. Today is no different. It's my birthday! How old am I you ask? well, some say I can pass for 25, and others say that you are as old as you feel.

This Saturday, I felt OLD. I forgot my phone at my house and I needed to make a phone call, so I asked this girl to borrow her cell. She handed me a sidekick. I had no idea how to open it nor how to use it to make a call. I have never been computer savvy, but come on! Am I too old to figure out how to use a phone? So yes, technology got the best of me that day and I had to ask someone else for a real phone to use....

Tree falls

You know the old saying (or is it a question?).... If a tree falls in a forest and no one is there to see it, does it make a sound? There are so many great things out there. and alot of people just don't know it exists. By the same degree, there is a whole lot of crap out there and it seems that alot of people know it's out there. I did a couple of great interviews. I did some pretty good CBN shows. I have tried (and failed) many times to get my own tv show.

They say you should write for yourself first and foremost. They also say know your target audinece. So I made a show that I enjoyed making. 99.9% feedback was positive. I wrote a book that I enjoyed reading. 80% positive (altho most have only read the preview issue).

So, I thought to myself, "let me see who has heard this tree fall.". Post on this thread, or e-mail me at mtorres@thecomicbooknovice.com and just say "Hey I read your book/listened to your show". Let me hear from you.

The 'ol College try

If you click the title of this week's little blog, it will take you to the MFC Forum. As I have mentioned before, I am not really a computer guy, so bear with me as I work on the forum. Hopefully it will become a little focal point for all my.... supporters to come and hang out.

I just started it up two days ago (what better time to have a forum than after the radio show goes off the air) and I think it is coming along nicely.

As with everything else, tell your friends about it and have them sign up. Comments suggestions are always welcome and best of all, it's free!

Third time's the charm?

As some of you may have noticed, The site has been pretty stagnant since i got back from the SDCC. My second webmaster just got too bogged down wih (paying) work, kids and family life. Funny thing is that my first webmaster had the same problems! So now we are going to do another re-launch (hopefully by then the radio show will be bakk up and running) which should have all the interviews that I have done (and they're many still unaired). Also, I plan to (finaly) upload all the episodes from the first run of CBN so you can have (sort of) "new" content to listen to while we get back on track.

So keep checking back and let me know what you think! Also, any comments/suggestions/complaints about the site let me know so I can address them in the newest version of the site.

A writer reads.

So I find myself here once again thinking about what to write about. I thought hey, howsabout a list of the books I am currently reading? So just off of the top of my head....

Incredible Herc
Ms. Marvel
New Warriors
Avengers: Initiative
Mighty Avengers
New Avengers
Iron Fist
Batman and the Outsiders
JLA
Black Canary/Green Arrow
Trinity
Gen 13
Womder Woman
Secret Invasion
Final Crisis

(I'm sure they're more, I'll keep on adding to the list)

What are you reading?
What should I be reading?

The Four Marks

I was at a BBQ this past week and it came up in conversation that I was a fighter when I was little. I used to have a temper. Still do, but I have kept it in check since high school. It occurred to me that the people that I have met through my life only know one (or maybe two) of the four possible Marks that exist.

The first Mark which was from early childhood to around 1989. I had a temper, a clear view of right and wrong good and bad.
The second Mark wich started around 1988. I started to find my leadership role, and my personality.
The third Mark which came around 1999 is very contridicatory. I was depressed and full of life at the same time. Very witty and dedicated.
And the foruth and final Mark is the professional one. The private one.

Which Mark do you know?
How many "Yous" are there?

The Skype is the limit

We are trying to keep the show going (until we get some sponsors to go back live on the air), My co-host Brian Ferrera suggested we try and use skype to record a show online. Once we try that out we may start to update shows again. In the mean time I am looking for the tapes of our first time around of the CBN to upload that to the site.

My webmaster has been back-logged (guess he now understands the position the original webmaster was in) so the site is (very) slowly updating content. Hopefully it will all be up before the end of the year.

So I have been quiet for the past few days (well, week really). The show is on hiatus, but I think we might be able to do just podcasting soon. The coverages from the past two cons are being edited and (very slowly) being uploaded to the site. The book is out, and I have submitted it to Image comics and am looking into a few more places to see if I can get picked up again. The guys at Dark Elf Designs are ok with that based on our conversations (and since one of the heads of the company is inking the book, he will still get some $$).

It's weird haveing another Thursday with no show to do. Hopefully some of the potential sponsors will pick us up and we can go back on the air. Last time it took a couple of years before we were back. This time around I figure only (at most) a couple of months.

"What can I do to help?" you may be asking. Send me an e-mail, let me know if you have been listening to the show and what you think. If you want us back, let people know, spread the word, buy my book. Be active in our shows future.

August 14 show

Tonight (August 14, 2008 ) LIVE on "The Comic Book Novice" radio program Join me, Mark Torres, Hassan Godwin, and Terminal Press' Brian Ferrera as we discuss the role of the independent comic

What are your thoughts? Give us a call (631) 888-8811.

Not in New York? Not a problem, we have live audio streaming online at www.am1240wgbb.com

9pm Eastern Standard Time

Missed a show? Archives @ www.thecomicbooknovice.com

Now in our second consecutive year!

Support us!

Sponsors

Times are tough. While on my many road trips (all of them alot smaller than driving to California) I hear about (on the radio) how we are in a recession. Yet at the same time the Dark Knight is breaking box office records left and right and oil companies are making record profits. So I am puzzled as to if it is a good or bad time to be running a company, looking for sponsors.

Technically, I have been running this company since 2002 but we weren't "official" (or even incorporated) until 2006. Way back then I had a goal. To get my comic book out. Somewhere along the way I got a radio show. Now it's one of those things where I am the producer so It's my show. I pay for everything. To make money, I have to sell ad space.

When I first started, I focused on getting sponsors. That lasted me a little over a year. I had sponsors (a couple of them) but no one really knew about the show. This time around (after our lengthy hiatus) I focused on promotion of the show. I made a lot of contacts, did some really good interviews and gone to places I never thought I would be able to get to. So the word is out, but no sponsors.

I am rapidly approaching a point where we need a sponsor (or a couple of them) to keep the show going. The radio show is a good thing (everyone who has listened to it says they like it and the only complaint is that it is too short (better to be too short than too long). We are reaching an audience worldwide (according to the numbers on the site, people in Australia, and the UK are tuning in).

Now that the book (issue one at least) has been released, if the sales are good from that, I can use that money to keep the show going. So Buy my book, if you want to sponsor us, let me know, Promote your stuff. If you like what you see, support us.

Tonight's show

Tonight (August 7, 2008 ) LIVE(by popular demand) on "The Comic Book Novice" radio program Join me, Mark Torres, our very own Movie Mike and Terminal Press' Brian Ferrera as we discuss the mega movie Dark Knight.

This will be a free flowing conversation so spoilers may be mentioned (but really who hasn't seen this movie?).

What are your thoughts? Give us a call (631) 888-8811.

Not in New York? Not a problem, we have live audio streaming online at www.am1240wgbb.com

9pm Eastern Standard Time

Missed a show? Archives @ www.thecomicbooknovice.com

Now in our second consecutive year!

Support us!

Buy my book!

Altho it says "preview issue" it really is the first issue of the comic. The only difference is that in the Graphic Novel the inside will be in color!

I know everybody and their dog has a comic and (I guess) each one is just as important as any other indy book. So why buy my book? I have been thinking about that question alot. I have read quite a few indy books. Some of them I have even bought. Some are good and some...not so good. I hope my book will turn out to be one of the good ones. I put my best into it and I am proud of it. I would be more proud of the Graphic novel, but I'll take this little victory.

Really haven't answered why you should by my book....

For one thing, it's finished. so the other issues will come out soon. It's $3.00 which is less than your standard fare of books these days. It's for all ages (well, pg-13 depending on how well you know your kid). but overall, the one thing I can say is that it's a fun read. So far the reviews I got were positive. I do plan to send out some issues for review. But since I am not the publisher, that is sort of up to Dark Elf Designs.

So it's my first book ever to see print, after 10 years and (basically) my entire life of waiting, I did it, so show some love and buy a copy. if you don't like it let me know, questions, comments tell me, and if you do like it spread the word!

click on the title for the link!

Just to sum up

Since I took a road trip and drove to the SDCC (NY to CA), I haven't been able to get the previous shows uploaded. Also, you may not have received my message about the show's topics. On the 17th of July, we talked about the Hellboy movie and my co-host Brian Ferrera insisted that we touch upon my book and the SDCC. The following week (live at the SDCC) I phoned in and just talked about My new book "The Chosen Few" that premiered there (I'll post the link where to buy it soon). Tonight (July 31, 2008 ) LIVE on "The Comic Book Novice" radio program Brian and I will be talking more about the SDCC.

If you were there, call in and share your stories.

Not in New York? Not a problem, we have live audio streaming online at www.am1240wgbb.com

9pm Eastern Standard Time

Missed a show? Archives @ www.thecomicbooknovice.com

Now in our second consecutive year!

2 hours

That is the amount of time that I am going to have to sit in the hotel lobby tonight. "Why is that?" you might ask. well, (as I would reply) seems that the Hero Envy guys (which I am sharing a room with) are dead to the world (deep asleep) and the guys who are helping me out are at a club about 90 miles away, which translates to 2 hours waiting.

So in these two hours, I will tell you about my little trip. As many of you know I left from New York right after seeing "Dark Knight" (which was...looks like, my calls to the room got thru. talk more when I get the chance!


EDIT: The story continues.

I am back home now (partially recovered) so let me finish what I was going to say back then (afterwards we go back to our bi-weekly post schedule). "Dark Knight" (which was pretty good). The movie was a little long in the tooth, but over all a good movie. Even me who was not a fan of the first one, (nor of this whole re-boot) can appreciate a well crafted movie. So I left about 2am (if my memory serves me correctly) and headed out on my 11 hour trip to Ohio. not a bad run, no traffic and with Janet (my GPS) along for the ride, it was a breeze getting there. I actually took my time in the drive (stopping at a mall and a few diners) because I was expected on Saturday morning as opposed to Friday evening. Even with all my stops and laxed driving (which set the pace for the entire trip) I got there at 9pm Friday night. Saw my niece and stayed at her dorm. Hanged out the next day with her and her BF, then headed out at 4pm Saturday (which gave me 74 hours to do a 30 hour trip). Keeping with driving only 10 miles above the speed limit and stopping for rests and food. I got to my hotel a whole day early (give or take a few hours). Had I known I was going to get there so early, I would have stopped by the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas (or one of the many casinos I saw along the way). Gas wasn't so bad except for New Mexico where it was $4.50/gal. And there were no tolls except for Oklahoma which had 2 $3.50 ones. I saw Desert (now that's a first), Cacti (another first in nature, I've seen them in stores) and a giant sign for "Howe (photo of a Native American) cars (or maybe it was motors)". When I say "photo of a Native American" that's what was on the sign between the "E" of Howe and the "C" (or "M") of cars (or motors). I thought "Wow that's funny!" (in a non-pc way). But I think they were serious. The only traffic I encountered was in Phoenix AZ and that only took up an hour or so of my trip.
So Monday I was a the hotel and got my room. Not a bad little place. I was hoping to share a room with my co-host Brian, but he wanted "alone time" with his wife (and former co-host) Jess. So A single room for me!
Tuesday I decided to keep the car an extra day, and picked up my friends (one on Wednesday). Then chaos happened. The con was crazy! I think it is too big for it's own good.
Six days later I was on a flight home. We'll talk about the con on this week's show.

just a few mintes

I'm in the hotel lobby right now and I just want to mention (before the cab arrives) that I will be doing a live show from the San Diego con talking about my book which has arrived!

And I'm here!

Made it a whole day early. It wasn't so bad ('cept the sunburn part). But I think that if I ever do it again, more stops and taking in the lay of the land. Now that I have a feel of time/distance I can make adjustments.

A few things to keep in mind for a trip like this: Sleeping bag (just in case you get too tired on the road and there is no motel/hotels near by). Sunblock (for your "drivers' arm"). Cheap styrofoam cooler lined with a plastic bag (for drinks and ice). These were things that I learned along the way.