http://www.ebay.com/itm/GEORGE-PEREZ-LAYNE-TOTH-Flint-Comix-50-ORIGINAL-comic-book-COVER-ART-/281125298507#ht_868wt_1035
Monday, June 24, 2013
Issue 50 Cover Art Auctioned!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/GEORGE-PEREZ-LAYNE-TOTH-Flint-Comix-50-ORIGINAL-comic-book-COVER-ART-/281125298507#ht_868wt_1035
Sunday, June 9, 2013
ISSUE 50 PÉREZ INTERVIEW VIDEO NOW ONLINE!
Our interview with Comics' icon GEORGE PÉREZ that we feature in the centerfold of our Fiftirth issue (Available now and all through the month of June 2013) now has the complete video online via YouTube!
In the interview (Conducted by Layne and Joe Toth) George firther explains what his favorite drawings of all time are, PLUS a BONUS question that we didn't include in issue 50 asked by Peri Toth (Layne's younger sister) about what the WORST project he ever did was. What was it? You'll have to watch it to see.
Here's the link, it's not quite thirteen minutes long, and a LOT of FUN to watch!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0nSMpJWbs4
Enjoy!
In the interview (Conducted by Layne and Joe Toth) George firther explains what his favorite drawings of all time are, PLUS a BONUS question that we didn't include in issue 50 asked by Peri Toth (Layne's younger sister) about what the WORST project he ever did was. What was it? You'll have to watch it to see.
Here's the link, it's not quite thirteen minutes long, and a LOT of FUN to watch!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0nSMpJWbs4
Enjoy!
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
George Pérez Cover for Flint Comix 50
Flint Comix celebrates it's 50th issue this month with a special issue including 3 comic stories along with an interveiw and special cover with comic artist icon George Pérez.
"When we thought about who would be a spectacular guest artist to commemorate our 50th issue George Pérez was at the top of our wish list" Editor Randy Zimmerman stated, "It was a combination of good connections and great timing that we were able to get him on our cover." Randy attributes his good fortune to the friendship that Flint Comix contributors Layne and Peri Toth had with their "Uncle George", who was willing to contribute the cover on the stipulation that he be listed a "Uncle George Pérez" in the credits for the cover.
Inside the comic market the name George Pérez is known worldwide for his incredible body of sequential artwork that includes The New Teen Titans, Crisis On Infinite Earths, Infinity Gauntlet, World's Finest, among scores of others. Now, recently released from an exclusive contract from DC Comics where he wrote the Superman comic title and drew World's Finest, Mr. Pérez contributed the pencil work for the cover illustration for Flint Comix 50.
"When we thought about who would be a spectacular guest artist to commemorate our 50th issue George Pérez was at the top of our wish list" Editor Randy Zimmerman stated, "It was a combination of good connections and great timing that we were able to get him on our cover." Randy attributes his good fortune to the friendship that Flint Comix contributors Layne and Peri Toth had with their "Uncle George", who was willing to contribute the cover on the stipulation that he be listed a "Uncle George Pérez" in the credits for the cover.
Sxteen year old Layne Toth provides the inking for the illustration and Mr. Paul Sizer rounds out the creative team by lending his coloring talent to the piece. Layne is a longtime contributor to Flint Comix with her character Lucky The One-Eyed Stray Dog, and Paul Sizer is a graphic and sequential artist living in nearby Kalamazoo and has had a number of graphic novels, most notably the Moped Nation and Little White Mouse series, and is a commercial artist with a list of clients that span the world.
"It's literally the frosting on the cake to celebrate fifty full issues of publishing" Editor-In-Cheif Randy Zimmerman said, "Couldn't ask for better and we owe a heartfelt thank you to Mr. Pérez, Joe.Layne and Peri Toth, and Paul Sizer for the collaboration in getting this done."
In addition to the cover artwork Uncle George also sat down with his neices Layne and Peri Toth for a video interview that will be available online shortly. In the interview Mr. Pérez discusses his favorite drawings that he has done in the comic industry over the years, his worst drawing he has ever done, and a little bit on why he contributed his time for the cover for Flint Comix's fiftieth issue;
"Well, I am doing that for my sense of family. Are you kidding? My nieces [Layne & Peri Toth] are working on this book so I’m definitely going to want to do this. Perfect timing! Ordinarily, I would have to worry about the fact that I was under exclusive contract but you caught me at a time when my contract expired -- I’m free. What perfect timing! So, I look forward to it. And the fact that I’m just penciling it with Layne inking, then it becomes a real family affair… Another thing, the fact of being asked to do an anniversary issue. That’s very flattering. And in this day and age, for any independent book to reach 50 is something to commemorate.”
The pencil artwork by George Pérez, as well as the inked artwork by Pérez and Layne Toth are scheduled to be auctioned off at the end of the month on Ebay. The money raised will help Layne & Peri Toth to compete in kickboxing for their Go-Ti School of Combative Arts and Team U.S.A. coached by Grand Master Harris Edwards Jr. at the No Limits International Goodwill Games in Aruba this December. As per Uncle George's wish to help out his neices any way he can.
We will post further information here on our blog as to the auctions, as well as link up to the video interview as soon as it becomes available.
Monday, June 3, 2013
BLOG
By Theo Valley
Well hello. My partner Randy tells me we have readers from all over the world now. My contribution to the blog will be humorous, cutting, witty, direct and probably a bit opinionated at times.
So here we are moving into our fifth year of producing our publication and bringing “funny papers” to people as some may call it. I’ve got a mixed feeling about being called a funny paper. I wonder if it’s the same thing that a call girl goes through when she’s referred to as a hooker. She’s sort of the same thing but, the call girl has more class and is worth more.
Now to celebrate our 50th issue we have the world renowned illustrator George Pérez doing the cover. Oh, yes…I did say, world renown. Mr. Pérez has drawn recognized covers like the death of Supergirl on the cover of “Crisis on Infinite Earths” and the number one issue of “The New Teen Titans”.
Yes, now I can say, “loose the pigeons and let the word go throughout the land” Flint Comix & Entertainment has reached issue 50 and the cover was done by one of the most acclaimed artists in the industry. If we have been ignored in the past, perhaps now it will be very difficult to turn a blind eye to two guys in a small town in the Midwest. Will Ted and Randy, a couple of guys in Flint, Michigan, that came up with a crazy idea to produce a publication; when most newspapers were either closing or diminishing their print issues, be as easily ignored anymore? Stay tuned to the continuing adventure of two intrepid individuals that have risen from obscurity, that simply want to work hard, create a quality product that everyone enjoys and have fun along the way.
We’ll see you in the funny papers.
Well hello. My partner Randy tells me we have readers from all over the world now. My contribution to the blog will be humorous, cutting, witty, direct and probably a bit opinionated at times.
So here we are moving into our fifth year of producing our publication and bringing “funny papers” to people as some may call it. I’ve got a mixed feeling about being called a funny paper. I wonder if it’s the same thing that a call girl goes through when she’s referred to as a hooker. She’s sort of the same thing but, the call girl has more class and is worth more.
That is the extent of which I will compare what we do to selling our bodies. The joy of Flint Comix & Entertainment is that it is unmistakably a great product. In A recent article I wrote for the 50th edition of the publication I mentioned the importance of comic strips and comic books. The importance dates back to ancient cave drawings to making and breaking political careers. This is also, culturally worldwide. Ancient Rome, Greece, the Orient, Western Europe and Great Britain have all been affected by the illustrator.
Comics (and this word shall be used widely to represent all forms of illustrations; panels and strips) have become media and movies phenomena’s. Into the vernacular of every country characters like Superman, Spiderman, Batman, Ironman, Hulk, Captain America, and yes other such characters like Judge Dredd, Popeye, Flash Gordon, Henry,…oh, I could go on. If this was just something you could dismiss as “funny papers” it wouldn’t be so widely adopted into the culture of so many societies.
Now to celebrate our 50th issue we have the world renowned illustrator George Pérez doing the cover. Oh, yes…I did say, world renown. Mr. Pérez has drawn recognized covers like the death of Supergirl on the cover of “Crisis on Infinite Earths” and the number one issue of “The New Teen Titans”.
I believe our little publication, that is done on a local level and surpassing records of some publications on a national level, has been either overlooked, missed or perhaps; dare I say it; IGNORED? We haven’t been the squeaky wheel, we haven’t been screaming from the mountain top nor have we been stomping our feet to get attention. We have quietly been doing our work on a professional level, producing a quality product without making a sound.Little fanfare was made when we passed the year mark. No noise makers were handed out after our second anniversary, nor did our third or fourth year herald a parade. But, in the publishing arena, making it to issue 50 is a tremendous occurrence. We bow our heads in gratitude to the great George Perez for recognizing our accomplishment. We are humbled and honored that such an accomplished talent would take the time out of his busy schedule and lend his great talent to our cover.
Yes, now I can say, “loose the pigeons and let the word go throughout the land” Flint Comix & Entertainment has reached issue 50 and the cover was done by one of the most acclaimed artists in the industry. If we have been ignored in the past, perhaps now it will be very difficult to turn a blind eye to two guys in a small town in the Midwest. Will Ted and Randy, a couple of guys in Flint, Michigan, that came up with a crazy idea to produce a publication; when most newspapers were either closing or diminishing their print issues, be as easily ignored anymore? Stay tuned to the continuing adventure of two intrepid individuals that have risen from obscurity, that simply want to work hard, create a quality product that everyone enjoys and have fun along the way.
We’ll see you in the funny papers.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Hello World!
If you are interested in receiving a copy (or more) of Flint Comix so you can have in your hands what we are talking about here, please feel free to contact our distribution department at: flintcomix@aol.com and we'll do our best to get copies to you for the cost of postage and a couple of bucks for handling.
If you are reading this in the U.S., outside of our distribution area (or inside too if you like), we offer subscriptions for $35 bucks a year (that's less than 3 bucks an issue!). You can get a copy of the subscription form by visiting our FaceBook page, under photos, under albums. If we get you subscription in by the first of June 2013 your subscription could start with our fiftieth issue.
THANKS for being here, and thanks for your interest in what we are doing, and keep checking back because we've still got a LOT to tell you about!
Randy Zimmerman
EIC and Co-creator of Flint Comix.
Monday, May 20, 2013
"A Whole Different Animal": The Quest To Issue #0.
By Randy Zimmerman.
With issue 50 closing in fast, I figure it's time to finish our "Beginnings" posts, just so folks reading here will have some understanding of we got started. I've posted my history to this point, Publisher Theo (Ted) Valley is working on his beginnings, and now I'm finishing up our history to issue #0.
Yes, there was a "#0", not a gimmick, but a sales tool that came in pretty handy. "WHY?" you ask. Because we were "A Different Animal".
I remembered, years ago, getting a comic strip newspaper called "COMIC STRIP NEWS" that was quarter folded, all black and white, and subscription based. It was a product I don't think Diamond Distributors ever distributed, and quite frankly I don't remember exactly where I found issues of the product, but that paper is really the format foundation I knew would work.
It was not a new and unique format, in fact growing up I was a HUGE fan of Steranko's MEDIASCENE paper, that was also quarter folded to look from the newsrack, like a magazine and yet unfolded into a newspaper.
I knew we had to come out made of folded newsprint, folded down to look like a magazine, not just so it would fit into a magazine rack, but to also fit in a comic magazine collector's bag because I had seen, in my experience working for that decade in the bookstores as well as my association with The Uncommon Sense, how "regular" newspapers that weren't daily papers were treated on most newsracks, especially the freebie papers; they were buried at the first oppurtunity. We still ran into that problem sometimes, but that's a subject for a later post.
With issue 50 closing in fast, I figure it's time to finish our "Beginnings" posts, just so folks reading here will have some understanding of we got started. I've posted my history to this point, Publisher Theo (Ted) Valley is working on his beginnings, and now I'm finishing up our history to issue #0.
Ted and I had gotten together again for what was becoming around an annual discussion about what we were doing and doing something together. Coming from my comics background and my association with The Uncommon Sense (See below for "The Beginning Of The Beginning, Pt's 1 & 2 posted below) I wanted to do a comics newspaper. Ted, on the other hand was more into the "Entertainment" side of things. We quickly agreed that a kind of mutation of the two would work best.
I remembered, years ago, getting a comic strip newspaper called "COMIC STRIP NEWS" that was quarter folded, all black and white, and subscription based. It was a product I don't think Diamond Distributors ever distributed, and quite frankly I don't remember exactly where I found issues of the product, but that paper is really the format foundation I knew would work.
It was not a new and unique format, in fact growing up I was a HUGE fan of Steranko's MEDIASCENE paper, that was also quarter folded to look from the newsrack, like a magazine and yet unfolded into a newspaper.
I knew we had to come out made of folded newsprint, folded down to look like a magazine, not just so it would fit into a magazine rack, but to also fit in a comic magazine collector's bag because I had seen, in my experience working for that decade in the bookstores as well as my association with The Uncommon Sense, how "regular" newspapers that weren't daily papers were treated on most newsracks, especially the freebie papers; they were buried at the first oppurtunity. We still ran into that problem sometimes, but that's a subject for a later post.
We quickly settled on a format, and also agreed to make the paper free with the help of advertisers. Now, to fund the paper. We had compared notes as to who we could get to advertise in our paper. Once we settled on a pricing structure, we sat at Ted's offices fror Vertigo Theatrics and made a few calls. We automatically started picking up advertisers, mostly those who either understood imediately what we were going to do, or they knew us well enough to know that an advertising investment in what we were doing would pay off for them, OR they just wanted to back whatever harebrained scheme the two of us were about to attempt. Thank god for those folks, because without them we would not have gotten our first issue out, let alone our 50th.
Now, to go beyond our friends and reach out to the community we felt we HAD to have a kind of "prototype" paper to show folks just what we would look like. Some folks gave us a kind of blank look when we told them what we were going to do and we felt a prototype was the best way to show them, AND get an explaination of what we were doing, plus get a ratecard directly into their hands.
Also going into this venture Ted and I quickly agreed that doing this, and doing it RIGHT would be a three man (or person) opperation: One to co-ordinate the paper, paste-up/layouts and work with the talent, one to co-ordinate with the printer, promotion and oversee distribution, and finally one to co-ordinate and sell advertising. We began at this point to look for a third person to help out and do the advertising. Ted found us a third person, but after a few months their personal workload changed to taking up all of their time and they had to pull out. I'll cover more on that in a later post.
Also going into this venture Ted and I quickly agreed that doing this, and doing it RIGHT would be a three man (or person) opperation: One to co-ordinate the paper, paste-up/layouts and work with the talent, one to co-ordinate with the printer, promotion and oversee distribution, and finally one to co-ordinate and sell advertising. We began at this point to look for a third person to help out and do the advertising. Ted found us a third person, but after a few months their personal workload changed to taking up all of their time and they had to pull out. I'll cover more on that in a later post.
A four page "Issue #0" was quickly laid out and taken to a local printer, fronted by my credit card and paid for by an ad that we ran in the issue (Mott Community College, who took an ad on our back page and have held the folded back page on our paper ever since). It held a standard cover (see above), a comic art illustrated explanation of what we were going to do, our rate card, a few ad samples, and our contact information. If memory serves me correctly we printed 2000 of them and gave them out to potential advertisers and folks we thought would be key in helping us get out to the readers and other potential advertisers.
The cover featured a number of characters we planned on featuring inside the paper on a regular basis, and we were looking at a demographic of around 15-30 to be our primary readers. As mentioned above, doing a prototype issue gave us the advantage of giving folks and potential advertisers a "head's up" on what we were planning on doing. When searching for advertisers we almost immediately ran into serious advertisers and supporters that wanted us to do a "family friendly" paper. Our original intent was a more college level, almost "underground" style of paper made primarily for a 15-30 year old audience. We even called ourselves "Flint Comix" with an "X" as a distinction primarily used for underground, or more adult based commix. By the time decided to go "Family Friendly" it was too late to drop the "X" from our name without it costing us money and hardship, so we left it.
Using a prototype "#0" (normally a gimmick in the modern direct comic market to give collectors an equivalent to a second "#1", that most all collectors know are the most valuable issues in most any comic series), also came in handy when we started lining up content for our first issue, but I will continue with that in my next post when I talk about printing our first issue.
The prototype was only four pages, quarter folded into the format we wanted to print our paper in. The cover illustration (see above), the ad and our contact information were the first page (folded into the front and back covers) opening up the paper like a magazine the inside centerspread were 2 sequential art pages explaining just what we wanted to do with the paper. Thr left side of the page explained what we wanted to do with the "comics" part, while the right side covered the "entertainment" portion of our paper and prompted folks to unfold the paper again to our centerspread.
The cover featured a number of characters we planned on featuring inside the paper on a regular basis, and we were looking at a demographic of around 15-30 to be our primary readers. As mentioned above, doing a prototype issue gave us the advantage of giving folks and potential advertisers a "head's up" on what we were planning on doing. When searching for advertisers we almost immediately ran into serious advertisers and supporters that wanted us to do a "family friendly" paper. Our original intent was a more college level, almost "underground" style of paper made primarily for a 15-30 year old audience. We even called ourselves "Flint Comix" with an "X" as a distinction primarily used for underground, or more adult based commix. By the time decided to go "Family Friendly" it was too late to drop the "X" from our name without it costing us money and hardship, so we left it.
Using a prototype "#0" (normally a gimmick in the modern direct comic market to give collectors an equivalent to a second "#1", that most all collectors know are the most valuable issues in most any comic series), also came in handy when we started lining up content for our first issue, but I will continue with that in my next post when I talk about printing our first issue.The prototype was only four pages, quarter folded into the format we wanted to print our paper in. The cover illustration (see above), the ad and our contact information were the first page (folded into the front and back covers) opening up the paper like a magazine the inside centerspread were 2 sequential art pages explaining just what we wanted to do with the paper. Thr left side of the page explained what we wanted to do with the "comics" part, while the right side covered the "entertainment" portion of our paper and prompted folks to unfold the paper again to our centerspread.
Inside the centerspread was an article explaining who we were and what our goals were with the paper in general, also a few ads to show perspective to potential advertisers, aslong with a rate card that took up the far right quarter of the spread.
At this point we really didn't have any content other than my previous library of stories and a few offers from friends. I always felt that content was never an issue, with the number of newspapers syndicates out there offering content I knew we wouldn't have any trouble. What I wasn't expecting was the initial hurdles we ran into once we started approaching these syndicates. It took doing this prototype for one syndicate rep to really grasp what we were out to do and that's when we started hearing what was quickly becoming our first running gag, as well as my first pet peeve with this paper.
We were "a whole different animal".
Next from me: "Issue One"
Friday, May 3, 2013
The Beginning Of The Beginning - Prologue To #0 - Part 2
By Randy Zimmerman
As I type this we just distributed FLINT COMIX issue #49. Our next issue is a touchstone issue, #50, and I really want this blog to have a good foundation laid and well underway before that issue comes out, so that means more groundwork, history, and explanations. Hopefully my publishing partner will be contributing soon, giving his side of our beginning, but for now I need to complete my side. For that you'll need to scroll down and read part one first, and I wholeheartedly suggest you do, just so you're not totally lost reading this part.
Before advancing I need to add a couple of internal notes to part 1:
*While I was working at the Front Page Bookstore job I got to meet a number of people, mostly hardcore comics readers. This is where I first met my publishing cohort, Theo (Ted) Valley.
*Before I was first getting printed and was working for Arrow Comics (getting Tales From The Aniverse printed and as Art Director), I got divorced from my first wife and spent about five years on my own. After being fired from the Front Page Bookstore job (officially for being 3 minutes late, UNofficially because I was repeatedly mouthing off to my boss- I REALLY deserved to be fired), I started working for a growing chain of comic shops (they went from one to three back down to one locations within a period of about five years due to bad business decisions and life changes on the part of the business owner). It was while the business was in their final stages that I met and dated my current wife, who was/still is a huge comic book fan (I promised I would NEVER remarry unless my wife was REALLY into comics), and understands and has lived through a large number of my self publishing and business ventures. As I type this it is barely past 25 years since our first official "date" and 22 years of marriage, Both on the same date, April 29- our 24 year old daughter's birthday is April 19 because she couldn't wait the extra 10 days to be born (and neither could Mom wait as she spent that last 10 weeks of gestation in the hospital because her water broke WAY too early).
*So, by this time, I've sold, produced, help printed as ARROW COMICS, sold retail again, freelanced, produced and printed as WEEBEE COMICS, married again, worked in a t-shirt shop, produced and printed as MASSIVE COMICS, stopped, studied, printed AGAIN as ARROW COMICS, switched t-shirt companies, printed as ARROW MANGA while printing as Arrow Comics, then stopped, switched employment to the co-owned All-Star Screenprinting and Graphics, printed as ARROW BOOKS and ran afoul (again) with the direct market distribution system (AKA Diamond Distributors) and was done with it.
NOW, ON TO PART 2...
While working for All-Star I read a Flint Journal article mentioning that there was a new alternative paper starting up in town called The Uncommon Sense. I had tried MANY years before to get cartoons printed in the Flint Voice (which later became The Michigan Voice), a political newspaper started by Michael Moore, but had no luck. This time I KNEW I had to contribute. I tracked The Uncommon Sense's Editor/Owner, Matt Zacks down, and after a bit of convincing got him to run my work.
As of The Uncommon Sense #2 I began running an editorial/superhero comic strip called The Spark, and after a few issues I was given the (non-paying) title of Cartoon Editor and helped Matt coordinate the comics and comics talent for the paper. During this time we also created a "Regular Joe" superhero called Citizen Flint who used duct tape and a scooter to fight crime. Telling a political/editorial opinion via comics was always a lot of fun, in fact I also started a single panel cartoon at this time called "Zimmtoons" that was an absolute blast to do. Some months we were jammed up against a deadline (mostly me waiting until the last minute), and I continued a bad habit of starting stories without really knowing how it was all going to end, but they were FUN to do.
After a few years of working on the paper, and being a guest at the Motor City ComiCon on a regular basis, it quickly became apparent to me that local folks were getting to know me more for working on The Uncommon Sense than all the YEARS I spent trying to self-publish or break into comics.
After I discontinued Arrow Comics I tried, once again to break into the mainstream end of the business. Though I did meet a couple of really respectable editors (both at DC) who treated me good and offered and did the best that they could with me, there was still no luck in landing a professional gig. Marvel, on the other hand, was a whole different story (with one small exception), but mostly not only were they non-receptive, but some of my pitches were to use characters that Marvel owned, that they had NO idea who they even were (they have since gone through and screwed up almost all those previously mentioned characters), OR I was told they were "third or fourth tier characters they were not interested in pursuing". I knew some of the references were obscure, but to not even know the product you were responsible for nurturing just blew my mind. After a couple of years of banging my head against a wall I realized I was only hurting my own head. Now I had stopped trying to work in the direct market all together.
Comics were always my field of choice. I still had my screenprinting business, and I was still working once a month for The Uncommon Sense, and doing commercial art, mostly illustration work on the side, but comics were always my field of choice.
The coolest thing about working for the Uncommon Sense was that once a year, usually around September if memory serves, I was able to do an entire issue dedicated to comics and popular media. These issues were always the most popular to give away at comic shows (which I was still doing as often as possible). These comics oriented issues were always well received locally as well, and I totally attribute them to influencing me in the development of Flint Comix.
When The Uncommon Sense could not make profit, after four years of publishing Matt Zacks decided to cut his losses and move out of the area. Flint was diving head-long into a worse depression that it was already in, then my screen printing partners also decided to close up shop. It was an even darker time. I really didn't want to go back and work at another screen printing company (I had offers), I didn't want to start a screen printing company on my own, the technology was again shifting, it still is, to inkjet computerized printers. Why invest in a business whose technology was going to be outdated, AND I really didn't want to be in, in the first place?
With my two business partners in All-Star heading for Florida, and our client list still tracking me down to do more artwork, or to get shirts printed, I made the decision to fo freelance. Much to the wife's dismay, and through more money on an already top heavy credit card and invested in a vinyl cutter (all the equipment from All-Star was sold by the partner who fronted the money for the business), and materials to work from home and was soon out trying to find work. It was nerve wracking to start with, but I always had enough business to barely keep my head above water, that and the wife has had a steady, health insurance paying, job for many years, and still does.
After a couple of years of commercial work, a little illustration work, studying the market, reading and talking to other folks, etc, it became obvious to me that I needed to do something to get back into the art form of comics.
I was contacted by Joe "Tornado" Toth who wanted to meet and talk about the comics biz. His two daughters, Layne and Peri, were doing art that they had an off again- on again printing history that they wanted to do more in and wanted to talk to me about it. We settled on a mutual meeting place between where both of us lived, and that was The Owosso Taco House. After a couple of hours over a few Saturday afternoons we decided to do a comic together about our unique meeting place, and The Owosso Taco House Funnies book was born. We got a few fellow comic artists to contribute work, but over all it was Layne, Peri, and myself that did the majority of the artwork on the book. Joe and I shared print costs, giving a couple of cases to Benny at The Taco House as our way of thinking him. We also printed the menu for his eatery for the back cover of the book. I mention this here because it really reminded me, despite the work and frustration over not getting more artists in on the project, about how much FUN it was just to "do" comics.
So, there HAD to be a way to do comics, have them distributed to folks without all the crazy, ever changing restrictions brought on by Diamond, where we would be out there, on stands, SEEN and (more importantly to me), be seen and read by as many people as possible. I started brainstorming.
That's my side of The Beginning Of The Beginning. I'll post the history (as I remember it) of issue #0 soon.
Before advancing I need to add a couple of internal notes to part 1:
*While I was working at the Front Page Bookstore job I got to meet a number of people, mostly hardcore comics readers. This is where I first met my publishing cohort, Theo (Ted) Valley.
*Before I was first getting printed and was working for Arrow Comics (getting Tales From The Aniverse printed and as Art Director), I got divorced from my first wife and spent about five years on my own. After being fired from the Front Page Bookstore job (officially for being 3 minutes late, UNofficially because I was repeatedly mouthing off to my boss- I REALLY deserved to be fired), I started working for a growing chain of comic shops (they went from one to three back down to one locations within a period of about five years due to bad business decisions and life changes on the part of the business owner). It was while the business was in their final stages that I met and dated my current wife, who was/still is a huge comic book fan (I promised I would NEVER remarry unless my wife was REALLY into comics), and understands and has lived through a large number of my self publishing and business ventures. As I type this it is barely past 25 years since our first official "date" and 22 years of marriage, Both on the same date, April 29- our 24 year old daughter's birthday is April 19 because she couldn't wait the extra 10 days to be born (and neither could Mom wait as she spent that last 10 weeks of gestation in the hospital because her water broke WAY too early).
*So, by this time, I've sold, produced, help printed as ARROW COMICS, sold retail again, freelanced, produced and printed as WEEBEE COMICS, married again, worked in a t-shirt shop, produced and printed as MASSIVE COMICS, stopped, studied, printed AGAIN as ARROW COMICS, switched t-shirt companies, printed as ARROW MANGA while printing as Arrow Comics, then stopped, switched employment to the co-owned All-Star Screenprinting and Graphics, printed as ARROW BOOKS and ran afoul (again) with the direct market distribution system (AKA Diamond Distributors) and was done with it.
NOW, ON TO PART 2...
While working for All-Star I read a Flint Journal article mentioning that there was a new alternative paper starting up in town called The Uncommon Sense. I had tried MANY years before to get cartoons printed in the Flint Voice (which later became The Michigan Voice), a political newspaper started by Michael Moore, but had no luck. This time I KNEW I had to contribute. I tracked The Uncommon Sense's Editor/Owner, Matt Zacks down, and after a bit of convincing got him to run my work.
After a few years of working on the paper, and being a guest at the Motor City ComiCon on a regular basis, it quickly became apparent to me that local folks were getting to know me more for working on The Uncommon Sense than all the YEARS I spent trying to self-publish or break into comics.
After I discontinued Arrow Comics I tried, once again to break into the mainstream end of the business. Though I did meet a couple of really respectable editors (both at DC) who treated me good and offered and did the best that they could with me, there was still no luck in landing a professional gig. Marvel, on the other hand, was a whole different story (with one small exception), but mostly not only were they non-receptive, but some of my pitches were to use characters that Marvel owned, that they had NO idea who they even were (they have since gone through and screwed up almost all those previously mentioned characters), OR I was told they were "third or fourth tier characters they were not interested in pursuing". I knew some of the references were obscure, but to not even know the product you were responsible for nurturing just blew my mind. After a couple of years of banging my head against a wall I realized I was only hurting my own head. Now I had stopped trying to work in the direct market all together.
Comics were always my field of choice. I still had my screenprinting business, and I was still working once a month for The Uncommon Sense, and doing commercial art, mostly illustration work on the side, but comics were always my field of choice.
The coolest thing about working for the Uncommon Sense was that once a year, usually around September if memory serves, I was able to do an entire issue dedicated to comics and popular media. These issues were always the most popular to give away at comic shows (which I was still doing as often as possible). These comics oriented issues were always well received locally as well, and I totally attribute them to influencing me in the development of Flint Comix. With my two business partners in All-Star heading for Florida, and our client list still tracking me down to do more artwork, or to get shirts printed, I made the decision to fo freelance. Much to the wife's dismay, and through more money on an already top heavy credit card and invested in a vinyl cutter (all the equipment from All-Star was sold by the partner who fronted the money for the business), and materials to work from home and was soon out trying to find work. It was nerve wracking to start with, but I always had enough business to barely keep my head above water, that and the wife has had a steady, health insurance paying, job for many years, and still does.
After a couple of years of commercial work, a little illustration work, studying the market, reading and talking to other folks, etc, it became obvious to me that I needed to do something to get back into the art form of comics.
So, there HAD to be a way to do comics, have them distributed to folks without all the crazy, ever changing restrictions brought on by Diamond, where we would be out there, on stands, SEEN and (more importantly to me), be seen and read by as many people as possible. I started brainstorming.
Like I mentioned above, during my days working at Front Page I got to meet a lot of really hard core comic fans and make some good friends. One of those was Ted Valley (and I'm still hoping he posts to this blog to give his background and side of this story). ted and I had always talked about doing a project together and it was getting so about every year or two we would get together, compare notes, and perhaps see what, if anything we might do together. A few years previous we had even visited the offices of The Flint Journal to see about distributing a regular comic with them in the same format as their TV Guide magazine they distributed weekly. They wanted WAY too much money just to put a book in an edition of their paper (I believe at the time, it was around $6000 per issue. We did approach them later, when we were solidly looking at getting Flint Comix off the ground, and that price had rose to a $1.25 per individual paper per issue, a price that was WAY too outrageous for us to ever consider. Back in 2006, right after The Uncommon Sense folded I had began working on the freebie magazine idea again (see the mock cover to the left), but shelved it when All Sat closed and I needed to concentrate on making money. Seriously, it was one of a number of different ideas I had that I was considering. This product would still be comic book size, only printed on newsprint and start out as quarterly, but I was still unsure on how to get it printed.
Then, in 2009 my meeting with Ted, and my harebrained ideas began to ring in his head. What if we actually did this? What if we chased after ads and just distributed the damn thing ourselves? Flint was quickly growing into a college town, with constant articles in the paper about the re-renovation of the downtown area, more dorms being built, and businesses setting up and moving downtown. We could do a college oriented free paper, distribute it downtown and around Genesee County, and have some FUN doing it.
The wheels started to roll and in a warm afternoon in September calls were made from Ted's theatrical company's headquarters, advertisers were verbally committing to being in the paper and Flint Comix began to actually form.
That's my side of The Beginning Of The Beginning. I'll post the history (as I remember it) of issue #0 soon.
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