Month: November 2014
Cosplayer Chronicles – Episode 2: Sean
TIME FOR A TOTAL CHANGE
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There will be some profanities for which I semi apologise.
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I have been publishing and selling in the UK since 1984. Don’t panis –I am not going into all that again but if you missed the post:
I’ve mentioned what I am about to write to a few and the response has been veiled anger –at me. Well, if you have a high paid job or other income and comics are not your sole business but a pastime (even if you love it) then okay. Dilettantes. But if it is your sole business then what you decide to do with that business is your decision. No one else has a say in it. You want to complain or moan at me then my response is simple: fuck off.
You see, the criticism comes from people who have never supported Black Tower, never purchased a copy. Never forwarded links for new books on their Face Book page or websites. Yet they get all of that and far more from me.
They have absolutely no say in my business.
Every news item of their that gets posted goes to my Face Book, Google+, Twitter and beyond that –sites re-using my reviews and posts count for several thousands per day. CBO is getting close to 2 million views and daily views here are 2500-3000 (sometimes far more) . Google+ posts have achieved 967,448 views with around 3-4,000 per day. Excluding all of those extra “feeds” it means CBO has been viewed well over 2, 698,049 times. I am told that if I included all the “Spider feeds” the total well exceeds 3 million. However, I do not count these as they are not under my control.
But it means news and posts get seen by a lot of people. My reward for this? Grief and total lack of ‘industry’ support. Oh yes, they will get in touch with me when they need to use myself and CBO for their own ends. Support the site with advertising? Please, I have heard every excuse under the sun as to why people “just can’t” take up very cheap advertising space….”Oh, by the way, our new book is out next week if you could mention it?”
The same applies to events. Even though I made my position clear on this and here is the link:
I moved over to the the European comic album (A4) format in 2007. The quality of the printing is top notch. The covers are solid and also top quality. I have promoted the online store, gone to events but people will not even pick a book up to look inside –if they stop at all. The reasons why I have gone into (see first link).
However, there are other aspects. I have mentioned before that entries on my Small Press work and also British/overseas comic work –entries written by others- have all been deleted from Wikipedia within 48 hours. Because, despite everything I have done in almost 40 years –pushing and promoting the UK Small Press and the UK SP invasion of the US, publishing and getting some well known names into comics plus much more is “not having made any contribution to the field”. Whereas I am on several US University data bases and a number in Europe. The all time (CBO Blogger figures ONLY) views of CBO total 56,003 for the UK views. Outside the UK, where the main views come from the total is 1,469,628. Apart from China and the USA my main viewers are from Europe.
Before I ramble on…..I had the worst event ever at the October Bristol Comics and Small Press Fair where I was, to be honest, the only comicker and it has been made very clear that my books “look absolutely nothing like anything else here” and it did not help that it’s mainly friends of dealers or people who head for certain dealers (whose smaller, lower quality books were more expensive than mine) –dilettante Small Press buyers.
Then, last weekends totally unforgiveable disaster of an event. “Were we conned?” I’ve been asked. And now I find out people walked past the hotel thinking they got it wrong because there was nothing to say “come into this posh hotel there’s a ‘comic’ event on the fifth floor”!!
As far as I am concerned artists such as Ben Dilworth and Gavin Stuart Ross have provided top-quality work and so I feel I have let them down. Their books should sell. I see that as my failure.
Now, I purchased over £300 worth of stock (sorry if that upsets you but the books are stock because Black Tower is a business and not a hobby). I was promised an “international book fair and comic expo” –totally misleading and downright false description. Take into account that the events were in Bristol where support for comic and Small Press events is always high, my travel expenses were not that big. But table costs and books put me at a loss for 2014 of £400.
If I wanted to attend other comic events in 2015 then, the prices I am quoted for a table are £65.00, £75.00 and near to £100.00 and to this I will have to add travel costs as well as bed and board at two events. Right there I am looking at over £500 before more stock to sell.
Am I seriously going to travel for hours to stand behind a table where, unless I’m someones mate or selling Marvel or DC comics I am just going to watch my money flow into a drain? No. That is not business that is being so stupid you want to just throw away money. I have bills to pay, I need to eat.
So, I have decided, yes, I will publicise your comic event. But I get a free table out of it –seriously, you are getting publicity and reaching an audience that is worth a few thousand pounds via promoters and if I promote and publicise an event I go all out. Big convention: “Why should I give YOU a free table?” Quite right. It’s within your remit to do or not do so. It’s within my remit to ignore all your press releases and mark you as Spam and if you keep spamming me I report you to your ISP. See how it works?
I’m nice with nice people and a bastard with bastards.
People have used me too much. Time to give something back.
I can actually feel the seething anger.
But the UK has done me no favours. As a business, Black Tower either adapts or dies. No one –no web sites or blogs- in the UK will offer support or return favours of posting news of new BTCG books and even those who got asked for review books but never bothered reviewing, then I’ll go where I do get support –where people know my reputation from the 1980s on.
Europe.
I have already begun looking for outlets for Black Tower books and a few preliminary events. UK shops will not touch any Black Tower titles “People just want Marvel and DC” (fuck your shop and fuck you for using that as an excuse because you have your head stuck up your asses and just want to keep selling shit and not let your customers have a chance to see what is out there. Image and Dark Horse are NOT “independent comics” you jack-asses.
So, I will publicise UK events but only for a free table –welcome to the world of business choice. No free publicity.
The last two events and the utter shit heap that the Bristol Comic Expo became before dying has hit me with the truth. I get no thanks and shat on.
This is business. If after 14 years of CBO you do not know the work I put in through it to promote new comics and events then I have to return to the “fuck you” response.
Ask me to look at a pdf or file share link you get marked as spam. You know the policy. Want to criticise me in comments? Do so –you’ll be deleted and marked as Spam.
There is a change that needed to be made years ago but I was so stupid and trusting in people that all I got was to be treated as the dirty rag used to wipe dog shit off boots. No more.
Oh, and as an ender –yes, I will keep praising Chinese comics. I love Chinese comics and Chinese people and if you don’t then that’s your own ignorance.
My sincere apologies to readers –you make this site what it is and my comments are not aimed at any of you! xxx
Edinburgh Comic ConEDINBURGH COMIC & TOY MART
David Gordon: Come see us today at the changelings tables for a great selection of vintage toys and some really nice homegrown art/comic books.
FLOOR PLAN: Here’s the floor plan for the mart exhibitors – Straight forward and easy to follow.
STILL READY TO BELIEVE YOU SHOW: This will be performed at 1pm upstairs from the mart. Seating is limited.
GEEK PUB QUIZ: This will take place after the mart, around 5pm, downstairs in the BLIND POET.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens Official Teaser
Oh Yeah. Sure. Watch Out Cosplay Storm Troopers -or any cosplayer!
Boy left traumatised after street performer points a gun at his head in Birmingham
A young boy was left traumatised recently after an innocent encounter with a street performer.
Eight-year-old Connor May was shopping in Birmingham with his grandmother on Saturday afternoon when he spotted a gold painted ‘human statue’ interacting with the Christmas shoppers.
After the schoolboy gave the man a pound, the performer handcuffed the lad to his belt and pointed a fake gun at his head so his gran could take a picture.
However as soon as Connor was released he burst into tears, and now says he gets ‘flashbacks’ to that moment.
Connors mum Laura, 31, said she was ‘absolutely horrified when I heard what had happened’.
‘I looked at the photo my mum took and I could see that Connor seemed very uncomfortable with what was happening to him,’ she added.
Grandmother Helen claims she didn’t realise Connor had been handcuffed, and said the crowd went silent as Connor, who suffers from ADHD, had the gun pointed at his head.
The family now think it is dangerous for street performers to carry toy guns, saying: ‘Who knows who this man could be, he’s just allowed to stand there with an imitation gun and no-one cares because he’s painted gold.’
Birmingham City Council said there is no legislation restricting ‘human statues’, however they said they will be speaking to the performer in question ‘about his conduct’.
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Newspapers love this sort of attention seeking because it fills pages. Yeah, make sure to throw in “suffers from ADHD” because then he’s a “vulnerable child” and people will go “ahh. Poor thing. And he’s got THAT!” (they have no idea what ADHD is…some probably thought it was a type of plasma screen TV.
This has ramifications for cosplaying though.
I could upload 50 photos of con attendees on their knees, hands behind head as Star Wars troopers point guns at them.
Traumatised AFTER? Sue.
This kid is NOT traumatised -look at his face- and also look at the man’s gun hand -no finger in trigger guard and holding the handle at the end so it looks totally jokey.
I’m guessing with Christmas looming Mum needs money to go to Iceland (the food chain in case you have no idea)?
IT’S TOMORROW!!! Chang3lings & MyExcess Feature at 2014s Edinburgh Toy & Comic Mart!
Once more, Hero Conventions are bringing their own brand of FREE COMIC & TOY MART to Edinburgh…
VENDORS INCLUDE:
Chang3lings http://www.chang31ings.co.uk/
My Excess Comics/Books http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/myexcess
Hero Comic Shop
Comic Convict
Cosmic Art
Rough Cut Comics
Planet Jimbot
City of Lost Souls
Changelings
Forbidden Planet
Adamsons Attic
Keith Crawley Art
Gnometastic
Chris Teasdale Comics
Rubber Pineapple
Lefay Engraving
Phat Cat
Da Judge
Nathan A Lyon Art
Kukuruzovic Comics
Turn Book Time
Skulls & Cross Stitches
Sands Art Glass
During the mart, there will be a performance of the Ghostbusters tribute ‘STILL Ready to Believe You’ by Des O’Gorman at 1pm. This will be 100% FREE*, but you can feel free to provide a donation at the end of the show as the poor blighter hasn’t eaten in weeks. :p
Also, after the show the legendary Marc Farrimond will be hosting ‘The Challenge of the Kingpin’ geeky pub-quiz. Entry to this will be FREE, and there will be some rather lovely prizes…
YES!! David “The British Manara” Gordon WILL be at the event with his Chang3lings dolls and MyExcess books including Cosmic Oddity which was reviewed here: http://hoopercomicart.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/my-excess-dave-cosmic-oddity.html
Plus…….
Dave Gordon´s Pin Up Girls Summary
Dave Gordon returns with an epic volume of new pin up material. 100 pages of beautifully detailed linework is behind an exceptionally conceived cover.
One for the collectors for sure as there will be just 100 copies of this book printed and signed by the artist.
Order yours today.
One for the collectors for sure as there will be just 100 copies of this book printed and signed by the artist.
Order yours today.
Suggested for Mature readers….and ONLY £10.00?????
Of course the Chang3ling dolls are a sight to behold but there are plenty of other figures to buy such as this one
Cyborg from Takara 1998
If you have to visit and buy from one table this weekend then it HAS to be Chang3lings and MyExcess….otherwise you may need psychological treatment!
Before Quatermass There Was….DENE VERNON THE THING BELOW
Writer: Terry Hooper-Scharf
A4
Black & White
Paperback,
53 Pages
Price: £5.00
Ships in 3-5 business days.
It was the 1940s and he was the first British comics investigator of the supernatural. Dene Vernon -Man Of Mystery!
Now Dene Vernon gets his first adventure in 60 years.
Set in the late 1940s, Vernon is recovering from a previous case when he is called upon to investigate mystery deaths in London dockland.
Despite the assistance of one of the Silvermaigne family – famous werewolf, demon and vampire hunters- it looks as though the threat of Lorimed may be the Man of Mystery’s last….
In Room Oblivion There Are Cupboard Doors………………………
Bored. Burnt out. I’ll repair the camera!!
These are the results.
"So How Long Before we Can Expect To See The Green Skies Book?"
Thank you for asking, Mark. Did you buy Return? Anyway, I need to respond to these things out of old fashioned politeness.
No idea. I have images cramming out my brain but I even think about picking up a pencil to draw -panic. This is total burn out. Can’t even read comics.
When will The Green Skies appear? meh
Comic Bits 20 