Marvel NOW list in PDF

Of course you should visit Marvel.com...

After I wrote the "Marvel Now What?"
I had several requests for the timeline list in a printable form. 
As requested: PDF of HC and TPB dates.  With checkboxes and everything. So happy collecting.

I just finished Axe Cop volume 1,2,3, and Hawkeye: My Life as a Weapon volume 1. When you are flying cross country there is a little bit of time on your hands, and I am a fast reader. 

Axe Cop was downright FABULOUS! Freaking bad to the bone!

 I loved volume 2 that was in color and told in three part episodic story arc, which veered from volumes 1 and 3 which were web comic style. 

Vol. 1 and 3 are also Interjected with the "Ask Axe Cop" question and answers that had me laughing out loud on a full plane. (For those of you that have heard me laugh...it is not a a quiet adventure.) 

The volumes read quick and easy. The story is fun and delightful and definitely makes one yearn for the day when our imaginations would just randomly go wild with no interference of adulthood. I definitely recommend picking up all three volumes.

Axe Cop is also available on the web comic site so you can experience a daily dose of chopping off heads and Axe Cop and his crew hitting the night scene in their cat suits to defeat sleeping bad guys! This stuff is just great! : axecop.com

Volume 1 in print Dark Horse 

Volume 2 in print Dark Horse

Volume 3 in print Dark Horse

Hawkeye, My life as a Weapon Volume 1, (Published by Marvel) was definitely a far cry different from Axe Cop. 

Volume 

 Personally I enjoy different. So this was right up my alley. The art was not your daily average comic book art. With David Aja and Javier Pulido as the artists - it is an adventure just to dive into the artistry. Matt Hollingsworth pulls some amazing play with the color art as well. All in all, Hawkeye, is a great example of how all parts of a comic need to work together to tell a story. Not just the story lines, which is told by Matt Fraction and is great, but subtle clues and hints through the flow of drawn lines and corresponding shades of similar color.

The story is raw and gritty.  Not what you would expect from Hawkeye.  Barton has a dark side, but there is a reason and S.H.I.E.L.D. is willing to use a self made hero who knows no boundaries.  I was definitely surprised! 

I also enjoyed getting to know the character (ex-Young Avenger) Kate Bishop in a different light, which is more complex.

I will be heading out to the nearest comic book shop to pick up the additional Hawkeye: Little Hits Volume 2

This just goes to show there is humor in all things!

Marketing, Geeks, and Comic Books: OH MY!

"The people drawn to New York Comic Con "are people who are setting trends," said Dan Buckley, president and publisher of print, digital and TV at Marvel, in an interview. "They are the early adopters of technology. These are the people who start things and make them hot." Marketers Seeks Out Geeks Corporate Enthusiasm for Comic Con Matches Attendees' WSJ October 15, 2012, 7:27 p.m. ET

We are setting trends. 

Let this sentence soak in for a moment. The entire fabric of this sentence signifies great and miraculous changes in the geekdom we love. What is even more fascinating is that the world is noticing and realizing that as a whole our tastes do make a difference. 

Comic books, print and digital - are in one of the many categories that just can not be ignored any longer by retailers and manufactures.  What we buy, when we buy it, why we buy it, what influences us to buy it- is intriguing even the most renowned corporations. Everyone is wanting a piece of the pie that is obviously making money - The GEEK Craze. 

But what does this mean for Indie artists? The little guy? The artist or writer who just coming into his own or who has been trying to break into the business for a while now? Essentially, this is NOT the time to give up. More than anything it is the time to squash your fears and pull up your big boy, or girl, pants - fasten on that cape and get ready to face your fears, and dive in.

Basically, GAME ON! 

With marketing, magnetic is instant attraction. And the best magnetism is consistent. Comic Cons are essentially one of the best ways to socialize and beat the proverbial pavement with others in comic industry - this is possible because of consistency.  Every year Comic Cons have increased in attendance, in popularity, in recognition, in popularity, and in world wide acceptance of legitamite market value.  

Are you looking to market yourself in the comic book industry? Should you go to a comic con? YES!!! 

Marketing is not just about numbers and statistics about what is selling in stores. Although this is important.  It is also about trends, demographics, people, what people are buying, what is the hottest fiction, what is the gaming industry doing right now, what other cultures are buying, digital and print, technology, basically it is about finding your perfect little corner and making it golden. 

Choose to stand out. Accept orderly disorder at first. But choose to make your identity yours and know that in doing so you are setting a trend.  It is easy to market yourself as a trendsetter. 

Searching out your specific trends is a way to start. I like to use:

statisticbrain  

search for a particular subject or demographic. For fun look up comic books.

I will be writing more on marketing in the future, however, isn't nice knowing that the greater population is finally listening.

Reflections on NYCC 2012: The Fix YOU Need!

New York Comic Con 2012 - Is absolutely more than an event, it is an affair.  It is a time where everyone that everyone buys their tickets (and in advance I might add since it sold out this year months before) and puts on their best straight jackets for one heckuva crazy and wild time!

It just does not get better than this! 

While scanning the net for stats and numbers of the final count of attendees it looks as if NYCC is going to explode out at estimations around 115,000 in attendance.  And let me just say with a few times of having to travel and wait in line for broken escalators it felt that way.  However, I do live in denial, a happy place full of sunshine and rainbows so I decided that it was all good! 

When looking back - NYCC started in 2006 and boasted of an attendance of 33,000 the numbers this year choose to stand out at best.  In 2011, NYCC completed a successful year with 105,000 and many pats on the back.  This year as the booths were closing and fans were exiting there were rumors that NYCC might, just might, begin to rival its west coast foe SDCC! A style statement of the comic book world if there ever was one! 

The layout of the show was phenomenal in my opinion. However, I am a bit OCD and I like organization to a "T". Hence my intense love of reading within the gutter! (sorry taking a moment to laugh at my own jokes.) 
First and foremost, I want to address the placement of "Artist Alley".  The alley was a few 1000 square feet shy of an alley at best and was at the opposite end of the first floor of the of the convention center.  Professionally speaking, I believe this was a great decision. There was some hesitation in the air at first, however after the first full day (Friday) when the show floor was so packed that FLASH himself would just give up on speed, the separation was welcomed. 

Artist Alley was a breathe of fresh air - literally! The crowds still thronged however, and when they did, it was with purpose. It was nice to also have all artists and creators in one area. Because lets face it, less is better in what universe?

The show floor...The wonder of wonders. The area where crazy and "can it get any better than this" fall into the same category!  Booths from new literature, showcases for new games from Nintendo, Wii U, Saga, Playstation, Zombie U, New Super Mario Bros., and many more were available. Tomb Raider provided an amazing demo as well as Hitman and Sony provided demos for God of War.  Great comic book icons represented such as Marvel, DC, Vertigo, Image, Dark Horse, IDW and several up and coming.

Cosplay, professional and homemade were all welcome and enjoyed. This is a place were everyone celebrates and enjoys that everyone is insane and we love it!  From Sci-Fi, to gaming, to superheroes, to noir, to horror, to the LEGO's fanatics, to collectors, to action figures galore, there is just something for everyone and we celebrate our love of it.

Unfortunately, I did not get to as many panels as I wanted to, however the panels I did get to go to were fantastic well organized very informative.

All in all, I walked away knowing that cultivating and keeping my inner child alive for so many years has been a good thing.  Comic Cons are good for that.  There are too many serious topics that need immediate addressing on a day to day basis.  It is easy to forget that once in a while to set in the motion the FIX you NEED. To feed your inner child.

Up next...Marketing Tips in the Comic Book Industry - its multidimensional!

Favorite Superhero - or Do You Like To Breathe?

When I am asked the question, (innocently), "Who is your favorite Superhero?" 
I panic. I freeze with the fear of a 1000 blazing suns!
My eyes start to twitch and I feel a full system shutdown heading my way.  
I am not one to brag, but I have knowledge.
I know DC characters from Marvel characters.
I can name all the Thundercats, Voltron, Masters of the Universe, Transformers,TMNT and a good portion of GI Joe characters plus villains, not to mention a smattering of other swashbucklers.  So, the task of actually knowing a character and having the data to back it up should be easy. 
Alas, my brain goes to jelly. 

I have come to a couple of conclusions of why this physical comic meltdown seems to occur. Let me make it clear that all my conclusions could fit in a fanny pack and have not aided my dilemma. However, the train wreck in me says keep going...

My first conclusion is this, simply: When the word superhero is typed into google a plethora of hits come up. One exciting tidbit is: The Ultimate List of Superheroes and Villains by Comic Vine. There are literally thousands of superheroes and wonders of the universe listed on this fantastic page. 
Donald Duck is #5.
I do not know if I really need to expand on this much more, expect to say I do admire sassy attitude.

Another conclusion: picking favorites is so overrated.
If I was asked which do you like more, breathing or the use of your brain?  And then told to hurry and pick one! AAAAA...seriously?!?  There is just too much involved. 
There are times I would love to flip the off button for the ole' noggin, but I was never good at holding my breath for very long. 
And if I picked just one does that mean I am judged for still liking the other. 
"Nope sorry - You like breathing so today you have a LOBOTOMY scheduled!"
I guess in comparison, when I finally do come out with an answer and say, "ummm my favorite is well, oh gee, OK - I enjoy Daredevil"
Then I trot off to the comic book store and see said asker, and they see me buying a heaven forbid - Spiderman, Thor, Superman, Wolverine...it is pure confusion, head scratching, stammering - you get the drift. Can't a girl just love the universe? 

Now, getting to the nitty gritty of it all for me, why is it "Who is your favorite Superhero?", not "Who is your favorite Super Villain?" 
Dark Helmet in "Spaceballs" said it best, 

"Evil will always triumph because good is dumb." 

The way I look at it - villains are cool. 
Without our neighborhood villains there would be no need for Superheroes. 
As Vic the Publicist so eloquently states from "Mystery Men":

"VIC THE PUBLICIST:  I think right now we should focus on the positive. Tonight was good.

CAPTAIN AMAZING:  Yeah - you think so? 'Cause I was worried it was, um, I don't know... PATHETIC! "Amazing triumphs at a nursing home"? That's great copy, Vic.

VIC THE PUBLICIST:  Look, I'm a publicist, not a magician. You want big news, you have to have big fights. A superhero needs a super villain. And thanks to you, we've got none left." To sum it up, I have my favorites on certain days. I have the characters that make me laugh - ALWAYS. Then there is the good ole' fashion dose of nostalgia and I will never be able to shake those tried and true characters from my bones. (Note to self - have it written in my will to have He-Man and Lion-O buried with me.) I have my femme-fatal side that rages true and strong and I consider that a class or category of its own! Then I have my all time favorite villains. So I guess the question for ME is not, "Who is your favorite Superhero?" but rather "Who is your favorite comic character TODAY?!?"