I’m a media ho’ again!

I’ll be on Channel 3′s Live at 9 morning show this Monday morning talking about the upcoming MidSouthCon (March 12-14 in Olive Branch, MS).

I’ve been on before with Alex and Marybeth pimping my comic Bushi Tales. This time I’ll be pimping the art and comics programming MSC will have to offer sci-fi fans next month at the con.

This year’s con will have Kevin J. Anderson, Gail Simone, Billy Tackett, John Jackson Miller, and many more!

I’ll have at least one of my paintings there, and should be doing some sketching live.

You can see one of my paintings in an interview about the con on Fox13 here. (Thanks, Carlin!)

Lin

Tags: airbrush, Bushi Tales, Channel 3, comic books, Comic Whore, comics, KOTOR, Lin Workman, Live at 9, Memphis, Midsouthcon, Monday, MS, Olive Branch, TV, WREG, writing comics

Former Memphian John Jackson Miller is ending his 50 issue writing run on Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic this coming Wednesday. In fact, the whole series is ending with issue #50.

This news has some JJM and KOTOR fans saddened. Not to worry, John will return to the Star Wars universe later this year with a new comic series Star Wars: Knight Errant. If that’s not good enough for you, a novel of the same name will be released next year! You can read more about it from JJM here.

In addition to his comic duties for Dark Horse, he is also writing a series of e-books in conjunction with the Fate of the Jedi novel series by Del Rey.  The 3rd e-book, Lost Tribe of the Sith: Paragon, is now available for download from StarWars.com, Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com (Kindle version).  You can download previous installments here and here.

And if he wasn’t busy enough, John also writes a webcomic, Sword and Sarcasm that you can check out here.

John will be attending the Midsouthcon this March 12th-14th. He was recently on a couple of podcasts- The Legion of Dudes and Fictional Frontiers.

Congrats, JJM!

Tags: comic books, Comic Whore, Dark Horse, Del Rey, e-book, JJM, John Jackson Miller, Knight Errant, Knights of the Old Republic, KOTOR, Memphis, Midsouthcon, Star Wars, webcomic, writing comics

Here are a few conventions and events members of the MSCA will be attending next year. I’ll be at all but the CGS SS- can’t fly to two cons this year so I had to pick PHX.

The CGS Super Show is a fun con and is growing by leaps and bounds, but Nicki’s never been to Phoenix and it’s a chance to hang out with Dave and Micah- my Bushi Tales partners as well as Noel, The Dude, and the PHX staff.

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Shadowcon XIV

January 8th & 9th, 2010

Holiday Inn Select

2240 Democrat Road

Memphis, TN 38132

http://www.shadowcon.org/

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Midsouthcon

March 12-14, 2010

Whispering Woods Hotel and Convention Center

11200 Goodman Road

Olive Branch, MS 38654

http://www.midsouthcon.org/

*Special guest- Gail Simone!

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CGS Super Show

March 27 & 28, 2010

Greater Reading Expo Center

Reading, PA

http://www.comicgeekspeak.com/supershow/

*Special guest- former Memphian  artist Mike Norton!

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Cape Comic Con (Cape-Con)

May 1st & 2nd

Cape Girardeau, MO

http://www.capecomiccon.com/

$5.00 Two-Day Pass
(Same rate applies for single day)

Children 7 and under FREE

$10.00 Two-Day
Gamer’s Pass
(Same rate applies for single day)

Guests:

DC artist Ethan Van Sciver

John Wesley Shipp- TV’s The Flash

Gary Friedrich- creator of Ghost Rider

Jay Chuppe- Creator of Red Mullet & Cow Boy

Lin Workman- Co-creator of Bushi Tales

and MORE!

Cape Comic Con is partnering with FCBD (Free Comic Book Day) and will be giving away free comics Saturday, May 1 while supplies last.

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Free Comic Book Day

May 1st, 2010

Comic Cellar

3620 Austin Peay HWY Ste 2

Memphis, TN 38128

http://www.comiccellaronline.com/

http://www.freecomicbookday.com/

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Phoenix Comicon (Cactuscon)

May 27-30, 2010

Phoenix Convention Center & Hyatt Regency

Downtown Phoenix, AZ

http://www.phoenixcomicon.com/

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Metropolis Superman Celebration

June 10-13, 2010

Metropolis, IL (off I-24 north of Paducah, KY)

http://www.supermancelebration.net/

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I’ll add more as I get the info.

Lin

Tags: Bushi Tales, CGS, comic books, Comic Whore, comics, Dave Beaty, Gail Simone, Lin Workman, Memphis, Metropolis, Midsouthcon, Nicki, Phoenix Cactuscon, Superman Celebration

I wanted to do a little research on how to introduce more women to comics. I didn’t want to have to hang out at the comic shops while dressed in drag, or do a reverse  “Chaz Bono” surgery to gain insight on how women or women characters are treated in comics. Luckily before I had to walk a mile in a woman’s shoes (even though they make my calves look spectacular), I looked to my left and found a woman who reads comics just sitting on the couch next to me.

It was my girlfriend and webmaster Nicki!

She not only reads comics, but can school me on comics trivia any day of the week- and I’ve been reading them for almost 40 years! She is more than qualified to give an opinion on getting women into reading comics, and is pretty easy to talk to.

I asked her what could comic creators do to help attract more female readers to comics?

“Don’t play to stereotypes. Not all women love manga or hate superheroes. Don’t try to write the perfect story for women- just write a good story.”

What else?

“Don’t talk down to readers- don’t patronize. People can fly, shoot laser-beams outta their eyes, climb walls, etc. and I’ll go along with it. But you have to establish your ground rules for that reality and stick to them. There needs to be some rules for that universe based in our reality. For me death is that. In Harry Potter or Star Wars you might see someone’s spirit or ghost, but dead is dead.”

Ok- so we were off to a great start. I then asked her what she thought the retailers were doing to encourage new readers, especially female readers into checking out comics?

“Not a damn thing!”

That question had an immediate response and she followed that answer with-

“Well, most I’ve run across don’t.” She then expanded on that thought.

“Whether it’s retailers not being interested in attracting female readers or just bad customer service- who knows? One of my pet peeves is not greeting customers when they enter a store. They get one first impression as a new customer. Not acknowledging they’re in your shop is just rude. If you don’t do anything to encourage them to stay, look around and explore what your shop has to offer, or to ask questions why should they? I’ve gotten the sense that many retailers have their own niche or share of the local comics market and are good with that. They aren’t really interested in increasing their core customer base or increasing business. Sure there are exceptions out there, but in my opinion comic retailers have that attitude of just opening the doors and waiting for the customers to find their way to the shop. Luckily my local comic shop owner is happy to see me when I stop by to pick up my hold bag on Fangirl Wednesdays. But I see bad attitudes elsewhere and all too often.”

I have to agree. I’ve been to a lot of comic shops all over the country and I can count on probably one hand the shops I was really impressed with their customer service. At one time, there were a dozen or more comic stores in Memphis.  Many were badly run and have gone out of business.  We’re down to two successful shops now, which is 200% more comic shops than a lot of other cities. I received such bad or rude service in a couple of the out-of-business shops that I put the books in my hands down and walked out.

I next asked her how she felt comic book publishers were marketing to new readers?

“Things are better than they used to be, but they’ve got a long way to go.”

How so?

“They are as guilty as the retailers about growing or not growing the market- otherwise they would be more open and aggressively marketing to women.”

What can publishers do to help expand the market?

“You have to get eyeballs on your products to sell them. The direct market is very narrow, and the distribution is even more so. The comics need to be in more places than just comic shops.”

“When I was a kid I could go down to the corner convenience store and buy comics off their spinner rack. I can’t do that today. Heck, my nephew can’t do that. How many communities even have a local comic shop (LCS)? I can go online and buy a trade paper back or graphic novel from Amazon.com, but I can’t order monthly titles from them. I can go into a few bookstores here and pick up some monthlies along with my trades and graphic novels, but if bookstores are unable or unwilling to carry the comics, then what are publishers doing to market TPBs and GNs to women?”

“Publishers need to highlight female creators- writers, artists, editors, publishers, etc. and promote them.  How many people know that there are women working in comics? How many know the head of DC Entertainment is a woman? I’m not saying that women will only read female-created books, but it makes the industry more inviting. Comics are notorious for their depiction and treatment of women. They need to be less misogynistic and sexist- and I’m not just talking about the art. Most of the art doesn’t bother me. Sometimes I roll my eyes or comment on how that’s not anatomically possible. For me it’s more about how women are portrayed in the story, their characterizations. Is she just a plot device or a fully fleshed out character?”

“Publishers tend to sacrifice one female character to build up another female character. Recent Batgirls are examples. You don’t tear down Superman to build up Superboy, so why do that with two females? Recently with the Hal Jordon “threesome”, they tore down two female characters to make a throwaway joke and make Big Hal look like a pimp.”

So what was Nicki’s first exposure to comics? Funny thing, it was pretty much the same as mine.

“It was a spinner rack at a corner store. I got an allowance and I’d spend it on a coke, candy, and comics.” Me, too!

I asked her if she was only drawn to female characters/comics?

“No, I read a lot of Richie Rich, Casper, Archie, and G.I. Joe. ”

Wait, no Wonder Woman..?!

“I was a HUGE Wonder Woman fan growing up, but I didn’t read the comics because they weren’t available on that spinner rack where I shopped. I loved the Super Friends cartoon and the Wonder Woman TV show. I wanted to be Lynda Carter when I grew up- I still do! My mother made me a Wonder Woman costume for Halloween, and I would wear it everyday. Mom would have to wait until I fell asleep to take it off so she could wash it. I would put on the costume and spin and spin until I was ready to hurl. I hoped if I could spin fast enough I would become Wonder Woman.”

So had Nicki always read comics?

“No, I kinda grew out of them. You can only read Casper for so long!”

So what brought Nicki back to comics?

“I got back into them a few years ago at Midsouthcon, a local sci-fi/lit convention in Memphis. John Jackson Miller was on a Star Wars panel discussing the comic series Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic that he was writing for Dark Horse Comics. I had read a lot of the Star Wars EU (expanded universe) novels and read the Star Wars: Obsession comics mini-series, and I had played the KOTOR video games and was familiar with the era his story was set in. The way he described his story became infectious and he hooked me on it.”

“When I got back home to Nashville I bought and read the first two KOTOR trades and fell in love with them! I was only going to buy the trades, but I couldn’t wait for the story to be collected so I started buying the monthlies via mail order.”

“After my friend Traci had her epiphany with (Star Wars) Broken, she kept harassing me to read (Star Wars) Legacy- which I also loved. I was happy in my own little Star Wars niche until you and I started dating.”

“How did that change you view of comics?” I asked.

“I knew you were a big Batman fan and my only exposure to Batman was the 60′s Adam West TV show, SuperFriends, and the movies. I asked you what I should read, and you  gave me The Killing Joke hardback…and that book pissed me off royally! I was so mad after reading that damn book and seeing what had been done to Barbara (Batgirl) by Alan Moore and The Joker. I had very fond memories of the 60′s show and Batgirl, so I googled ‘Barbara Gordon’ to see if she ever got better. People in comics come back from the dead more than people in soap operas. It happens all the time in comics. I got even madder when I found out she never got out of the wheelchair until I saw the name ‘John Ostrander‘. I was familiar with his work on Legacy and found out that John and his late wife Kim Yale had created the Oracle persona for Barbara.”

“In that bit of research I found out that Oracle led a team of women superheroes called ‘The Birds of Prey‘. I had to read that! There I found Gail Simone’s work on the series, and my friend Traci turned me on to Gail’s first story arc, The Circle, in the current Wonder Woman series. That was when I started to look outside the Star Wars universe for comics.”

Speaking of looking for comics, have conventions become fan-girl friendly?

“Ok, I’m not a fan of Twilight, but it disturbed me the way Twilight fans were treated by comic fans at the San Diego Comic Con recently. It was as if a hostile takeover was occurring by these mostly young girls who were Twilight fans. It was not Nazis invading Poland. It’s acceptable to male comic fans for women to be at the con as long as they’re ‘booth babes’ or scantily clad cosplayers to ogle, but heaven forbid they take up any space in a panel room or share the same dealers room. Sorry guys- that’s sexist.”

I’ve seen the same thing with some comic fans and their feelings towards manga/anime fans, especially the young cosplayers. It’s almost like a silent turf war! “What are those kids doing here? Stay away from my comics- get that manga comic-wanna-be crap outta here! And get off my lawn!”

“Harry Potter and Twilight and even Star Wars have proven there are female fans out there. When we saw Wolverine at the theater it wasn’t all guys there. If Hugh Jackman can sell a comics property to women, then I’m all for it!”

I agree. I wish more comic based movies would promote the fact that they came from a comic and not try to hide the fact. Don’t know why there aren’t comic commercials before the movies or advertised in media other than comics.

“The comment about “sexist”  goes for the publishers, too. The publishers are the gate keepers. It’s up to them to say, “No, you can’t portray our characters this way.” or, “No, you can’t treat our female readers that way.” They should demand better from their creators. Same goes for creators of the publishers. Marvel Divas was mismanaged from the get go and Joe Quesada made it worse every time he opened his mouth to defend their actions. This is how not to market to women! We as readers should demand better. We have to vote with our ‘pocket books’, which sometimes paralyzes us as readers. We unfortunately can’t buy a book featuring one of our favorite characters because of the characterization, bad plotting, or other offensive objections. On the flip side of that we need to support the books and creators that are doing it right. If you think a story or series is good, then you have to support it. It’s a business and the numbers have to be there for it to continue, whether it’s for the big two or an independent.”

So what is Nicki reading and supporting these days?

“My current pull list:
Batgirl
Power Girl
Secret Six
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Star Wars: Legacy
Star Wars: Dark Times
Star Wars: Invasion
Stuff of Legend
Wonder Woman

I also check out the Bat titles on your pull list – Detective Comics, Streets of Gotham, Batman & Robin, and Gotham City Sirens as well as Green Arrow/Black Canary.

I just finished reading the Y: The Last Man series, and I’m about to start reading the Fables trades.  My library has a good selection of trades and graphic novels, so I’m able to read many titles like Y: The Last Man that I might not be able to afford to read otherwise.”

“I also love digging in back issue boxes for hidden treasures.  I had a geek-out moment when I found a copy of John Ostrander’s Batman: Seduction of the Gun in a quarter box at a recent con, and he was kind enough to autograph it for me at Metropolis.  I’m enjoying reading older series like Suicide Squad, Grimjack, Birds of Prey, Huntress and previous Star Wars series like Republic and Empire.”

Yes Virginia, it’s ok for girls to read comics.

Thanks to Nicki for sharing some of her thoughts on women and comics. I learned a lot and really enjoyed our conversation!

Hope you did, too.

Lin

Tags: Alan Moore, Archie, Batgirl, Batman, Cape Comicon, Casper, comic books, Comic Whore, comics, DC Comics, Diamond Distribution, Fables, fangirl, G.I. Joe, Gail Simone, Gotham City, Grimjack, Halloween, Huntress, John Jackson Miller, John Ostrander, Joker, KOTOR, Lin Workman, Memphis, Midsouthcon, Nashville, Nicki, self-publishing, Star Wars, Suicide Squad, women, Wonder Woman, writing comics, Y: The Last Man

-The Con Game: Pt. 1

I’ve been to many conventions over the years- sci-fi, horror, comics and have even helped put on some shows. I have been on all sides of the con table. I’ve done local shows, driven to some, and flown across the country to attend others.

There are lots of reasons to attend shows- to see new things, hear industry news and announcements, pick up exclusive collectibles, see friends, meet celebs, get autographs and sketches, sell merchandise, introduce and educate people about new products or projects, cosplay, network, and to just have fun. The last one is the most important I think. If you’re not having fun at a convention- whether you’re there to sell, buy, or just see and experience it all, if you’re not having fun- well, you’re just not going to have fun!

So, why are you going to a convention? Well, since you’re visiting ComicWhore.com I’m going to assume that you’re wanting to promote yourself and your comics project. There are some things to keep in mind while attending a convention for any reason.

A good way to start is with a good night’s sleep the night before and a good breakfast everyday. It doesn’t have to be a huge breakfast- too heavy and you’ll want a nap before lunch. I like fruit, juice, muffins, yogurt, and maybe some bacon and eggs. You just need something to keep you going, because a lot of times at cons you won’t have time to stop for lunch, or can’t afford to eat at the con. Eating con food can eat up your profits. Some of the smaller ones do offer a lunch for guests and dealers, some even have volunteer runners who will bring you food and drinks from the con-suite. Be nice to those volunteers- they can be a lifesaver over the weekend.

I shouldn’t have to say this, but good personal hygiene at a con is extremely important. Shower/bathe, brush your teeth, and change your clothes at least daily. Use deodorant, keep breath mints and hand sanitizer handy, and comb your hair or at least put on a hat to hide the bead-head. Remember, you only get one chance at a first impression. You don’t want to be remembered as the “stinky” guy or girl.

On the busy days I usually will wear a tee shirt or button up shirt and/or hat with my comic’s name on it. That helps people remember what I do and associate it with my face. If people can’t remember my name they usually just call me “the Bushi Tales guy”.  So far I’ve never been called “the stinky guy”.

Be friendly and don’t forget to smile. Make up price signs. Have a con-special on an item or package of items for a reduced price when bought together. Have a banner behind you. I like to have my web address along the top along with the logo so people can see it even if someone is standing in front of my table while I’m making a sale. Some people like to do a hard sales pitch like a carnival barker, others like to sit back and let people come to them. I’m somewhere in the middle. I smile, say hi or compliment them on their costume or cool tee shirt, and offer them one of my freebie postcards, trading cards, or buttons. If they say no, I’ll say, “Thanks, enjoy the show.” If they take the promo items and say thanks, I take that as a chance to ask if they have heard of my comic. If they haven’t or ask what it is about I give them the “elevator pitch”, a one to two sentence synopsis of my story. Mine is usually, “Bushi Tales is about four samurai girls who go on a quest for Hachiman, the Japanese god of war.” Or, “It’s a samurai epic set in a post-apocalyptic feudal Japan.” Keep it short and try to have a good hook. Don’t try to tell them the whole story. You want them to read your book for that. If they are still interested or look a bit iffy I tell them about any con specials I’m offering and encourage them to take a look at my comics or flip through my portfolio. I always have some reader copies on the table for people to look through. If that doesn’t make the sale and they’re ready to move on I remind them of my website and tell them, “Thanks, and enjoy the show.” Again, some folks like to make a big production out of their sails pitch, and others are a bit more reserved. That’s up to you, and can vary depending on the crowd or show. Just have a sales pitch and don’t be afraid to pimp yourself. If you aren’t comfortable doing it, practice and bring along someone who can.

I try to have someone with me at cons to help out at the table and watch over it for an occasional bathroom break. If you’re not very outgoing or would rather just sit there with your head down and draw sketches all weekend long then bring along someone who is a bit of an extrovert and likes talking to people. They can help you make more money by making the sales for you, or by letting you take the time to do sketches or talk business. Do you have a friend or family member that is a “people person”? Is your creative partner more of a talker than you? Bring them along and educate them a bit on your project and merchandise.

If you can’t bring someone along and have to go solo to a show get to know your booth neighbors. Offer to share some snacks or supplies with them. If they need to go to the bathroom offer to watch their table and ask if they’d mind watching yours later. If they do ask if they need anything like water or snacks from the con-suite while your away. And be sure to at least trade business cards before the convention is over.

Conventions are great for meeting new people, seeing old friends, putting a face to a screen-name, and creating business contacts. Portfolios can be shown and reviewed, samples can be dropped off, promo items handed out, and deals made. It’s a time to network. If you’re stuck behind a table all day, be sure to make plans for after the con floor closes. They can be last minute plans, but do go out at night even if it is just for an hour or two. After hours socializing can be big like publisher parties, smaller like drinks at the hotel bar, or even more intimate like dinner. Maybe someone you met is there by themselves, too. See if they’ve got dinner plans or want to catch a ride to one of the parties. Be flexible with your plans in case something else comes along.  Some of the best times I’ve had at cons have been last minute dinners or hanging out in the hotel lobby until late in the evening. Plus, there’s no reason not to explore your host city. Take a little time to be a tourist and see what else the city has to offer. I try to come in a day early or stay a day late when I travel to shows. It gives me a chance to see more of a city than to just the convention center, airport and hotel. Are there museums, zoos, landmarks, movie locations I can visit? Are there any comic shops where I can drop off some sample copies of my comics? Just because I’m taking a day off to be a tourist doesn’t mean I can’t mix in a little business or do some shopping at a local comic shop. Put together a few promo packs as leave behinds- comics, postcards, posters, press release, business card, etc. Make it easy for the owner or manager to see what your book is like, know where to order it, and how to contact you for any other questions. I’ve had a shop owner place an order on-line with Diamond for my comic while I was standing there talking to them. I always try to buy something while I’m there even if it’s just one comic, and I always take a business card and follow up later when I’m back home.

There are lots of other con-survival tips- like wear comfortable shoes, take cash/change, drink water, and more I’ll go into in future articles.

The main things to remember are be prepared, be ready to improvise or roll with the punches when needed, to smile and have fun- and always have your business card or handouts handy!

Up next- some convention stories about what to do when your best plans aren’t working, some con dos and don’ts, and if you can’t go to the con I’ll give you some tips on how to get the con to come to you…

Lin

Tags: Bushi Tales, business cards, comic books, Comic Whore, comics, Dave Beaty, Diamond Distribution, Emerald City Con, free, Lin Workman, Memphis, Midsouthcon, Phoenix Cactuscon, postcards, promotional items, Seattle, self-publishing, Wil Wheaton