arcanacomics.com

Haven’t posted for a long time and to finally post on a non-comic related thread is probably silly, but…I’m about half way through my PhD and I just got into a ‘discussion’ about Wiki, which I wanted to post somewhere else as I’ve had to say this numerous times…personally, I love Wikipedia and believe this is the future we’ve been waiting for…

Opponents of Wikipedia (which I don’t understand why people complain, but I guess it’s in our nature) complain about the inaccuracies of the information. Statistically it has been ‘proven’ to be at LEAST as reliable as Encyclopedia Britannica:

http://news.cnet.com/Study-Wikipedia-as-accurate-as-Britannica/2100-1038_3-5997332.html
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v438/n7070/full/438900a.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica

So errors must either come from human error, and well it IS human error and it will be found everywhere (yes even in the revered Encyclopedia)…or it comes from the fear of Wikipedia being fed erroneous information from saboteurs and ‘those wild teenagers’. Wikipedia does have moderators and guardians which try to prevent sabotage and wrong information and I believe between people wanting to do the right thing, and protecting it when others don’t want the right thing, the information will be statistically accurate within a couple percentage points (which historically it has been)…what I find fascinating about Wikipedia is that it breaks down, what could be, the final gatekeeper of the haves and have-nots. A person was born into royalty and it was impossible to ‘enter the elite circle’…a shift came when individuals collected wealth because soon they achieved power…another shift has happened in the 21st century where information has become a currency nearly as powerful as money because knowledge is power (a cliche, but so very true). Many people have not accepted this fully yet, but I worry that the ‘old gatekeepers’ of knowledge believe that there is a portion of the population who aren’t qualified to add to humanity’s collective pool of knowledge, as they are uneducated or unqualified.

“Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere.”

There are people who have unique access to knowledge and information simply because they are at the ‘right spot at the right time’ to know something that others don’t. Case in point (albeit a sad one):

http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Death_of_Nancy_Benoit_rumour_posted_on_Wikipedia_hours_prior_to_body_being_found

Someone, possibly uneducated or unqualified, reported Nancy Benoit’s death before our trained and qualified police force. There are numerous examples where an individual has added to the body of knowledge to help ’round out information’…possibly someone related to Bill Gates or an individual who lived through the tragedies that struck New Orleans or someone remembering when they attended a KISS concert back in the 70’s…while I understand not everyone can add to the body of knowledge on a high concept like the human genome project, I personally won’t be so quick to rule out an individual’s supplemental knowledge to Wikipedia.

I like Wikipeida because it represents the ideal of humanity’s pursuit of knowledge.

WE are Wikipedia, and our knowledge is the collective knowledge of mankind.

I’ve had literally hundreds of emails and responses from people asking me about my new position of VP of Publishing and Animation at Platinum. For the most part I tried to answer the questions in the forum and I am definitely multitasking maintaining Arcana Comic’s publishing schedule while giving 110% to Platinum. I’m at a stage of my life where I felt I needed a bit of a catalyst and a wonderful opportunistic change presented itself…things were going great, and still are, but by taking on this position I believe a synergy can be maintained where both parties are happy. Speaking from my perspective, it’s been an INCREDIBLE experience that I am enjoying every day and I really feel like I’m contributing. I’ve already learned so much being down in L.A., working in a new environment and am really enjoying my time here.

Sometimes we need to work out of our comfort zone and go out on a limb. That’s were the fruits are.

Marc S.
Weds, Sept. 19th/2007
Ms. Davidson
Soc, Blk. C

Questions to Ask Entrepreneur:

1. What sparked the idea to start this business?

I’ve loved comics since a very young age and I took the biggest chance in my life by investing in printing an issue. It was risky and silly but ultimately it was the passion and fun that drove me forward.

2. Approximately how much did you have to invest to begin this business venture; did you meet any hurdles that you had to overcome?

To get a single issue on stands was probably around $20k (Canadian) and the biggest hurdle was figuring out distribution and the barriers of technology…now, having said that without the Internet and technology, running my business would have been an impossibility. There were many skill sets I had to develop and even as Canada’s largest comic book publisher, it would not be feasible for me to operate how comic book companies ran prior to digitally transferring files. The FedEx charges alone would have sunk me.

3. Do you have a business model? What is it?

Simply put; break even on comics, develop the intellectual property and monetize this asset in various mediums and ancillary revenue models.

4. How do you administrate your business?

I’m a one man show so methods, procedures and templates are crucial. I have to go through a process and quickly find a faster, cheaper and easier way to do the same thing again.

5. How many hours weekly (on average) do you usually clock in?

Honestly; 100+. I’m continually thinking about comic books, movies and video games so it could even be higher. But I have to say I LOVE what I do and it would be impossible to keep this up if I didn’t.

6. What is your favourite thing about this business?

It’s a creative outlet and the culminating joy of creation.

7. How do you use virtual business, e-commerce &/or globalization to service your clients (comic buyers)?

I work with over 200 talented artists and less than 2% work within ten miles. I communicate with my co-workers via MSN, AOL, Skype and email. We transfer scanned files via FTP going back and forth. As far as consumers what we do is advertise, blog and promote our comics through websites and our email lists. As far as e-commerce, I used to offer the comics for sale on the store but I was unable to run an effective business with the $3 price point. Currently I will be selling books ($10+) on our website, but for a single comic book, I’ve actually stopped.  I do hope to continue this and ideally, through the Internet, can find a partner to join forces with.

8. When if ever have you made use of downsizing/rightsizing technologies, and how has it helped your business?

Mostly I’ve used technologies to TRY to reduce the workload by providing static tools for new creators. I create a site where they can learn printing specifications so that I don’t have to tell them.

9. How do you utilize the creative ideas and energy produced by your staff?

We get inspired and make more comics. ?

10. What was a change you had to make from your original business plan?

I originally called the company ‘Arcana Studio’ and recently I developed a new arm called ‘Arcana Comics’. Arcana Studio is a work for hire studio that develops intellectual properties (for a price) and also holds onto the IP’s. Arcana Comics is the publishing arm of Arcana Studio…Arcana Comics spends money printing books and generates revenues from selling books, while Arcana Studio spends money developing new properties and generates revenues from taking on contracts from Disney, Upper Deck, Marvel, HBO and more.

11. What advice would you give to someone creating a similar business venture?

Make sure you love it and realize that overnight success takes seven years. ?

Recently was asked to respond to a questionnaire and it was fairly fun…it’s nice to try and reflect upon what has happened…sometimes it just feels like I’m pushing forward and don’t get to look back.

This thought started as a post in the Arcana Forum and ended up turning into something I really wanted to flesh out (source can be found here: http://www.arcanacomics.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=21990#21990).

I’m putting this out here to go through the rationale for the scheduling process and to provide insights into why Arcana ‘does what it does’. Hopefully this can be a touchstone for future successes and as reference for understanding why delaying gratification needs to happen…

The response in the forum talked about a canceled issue and ultimately it’s my fault.
I pulled the trigger and really shouldn’t have. So now…
I don’t submit something to Diamond unless the STORY is done. Key word; story.

There are just too many problems that could and DO happen…I have honestly received the following comments from eager creators dozens of times:

“I want to get issue #1 out for XYZ convention because it’s so important.” (usually it’s SDCC)

“Let’s solicit issue 1 now, and I promise we’ll get it done on this schedule I gave you.”

“But Sean, we already have two issues in the bag…”

If I’m sounded jaded or cynical, then maybe I am…but I like to think it’s experience and understanding that’s tempering my thoughts. Believe me I know how exciting it is to get an issue out on stands, but it’s simply not enough to get ONE issue out…we, that is, Arcana AND the talented people behind the pages, really need a STORY to go out. Again…I’m not saying an issue…not a book…but a STORY. Comics should be about telling great stories through a visual medium and if not planned properly then the story and the readers suffer. That’s not only bad business, but it’s pointless. The part that’s tricky with comics books is that it’s set in a visual medium (that is pages need to be drawn) which is a more labor intensive process than most people know. If a person focuses myopically on getting THIS issue out by THAT time, the story can suffer. Take extra TIME to develop the story and tell it in as many or as FEW issues as necessary. That’s what making comic books should be about.

I’ve been approached as the enemy because I have slowed the process down for people trying to ensure that the end product is better. Normally I become perceived as the blockade with people I’ve never worked with before and for people who are new to the comic book industry. I’m hoping my history and experience has shown that I’ve created characters, printed books and now I’m looking to develop a company that is…

Deeper, not Wider.

I want to build a deeper foundation, not a wider one. I would rather do a project right, with time to spare to rethink, re-letter/reword and repackage rather than rush…so many people are RUSHING to get their material out and the story suffers.

It can be tough to know when to release from the creator’s point of view as it is an exciting process and everyone want to see their ISSUE on shelves. Sometimes they forget about the story. Now, I’m not saying I won’t work with new creators or that I don’t want to…but it feels like I’m always having to temper their experiences and emotions with a sensibility of what is best for the story. Of course there are also some potholes that come when working with others…mostly I’ve found living up to another person’s expectations can be tricky. Sometimes due to lack of communication or through an implied misunderstanding it’s possible to not meet the other person’s expectations and the results are disastrous and usually expensive.

It is easier to pursue one’s own vision, but the rewards of collaborating with others can definitely be worth the risk.

I’m sure people have seen that I’ve slowed down on comic book publishing and am taking on a LOT less submissions…we were probably taking one out of every 10 or so about a year ago…now we’re down to maybe one out of every 40 submissions or less. You can make your own judgments on how hard or easy I’ve been on submissions and my choices but I try to make choices on people committed to the vision, the dream and their story.

It’s definitely easier for me to work with talented people who understand the laborious process. Adam and Todd are two creators I’ve worked with on 100 Girls and our relationship has developed into what I would to be my closest friends in/from comics. They totally understand the process of creation and story telling and both are currently creating a NEW 100 Girls series (which is AMAZING) while doing new projects. 100 Girls will be released…when the story is ready.

‘A fruit should not be picked before it’s ripe’…this phrase resonated with me and is in my conscious whenever I create. Why has it stuck with me? It could have been the timing, the location or even the person (okay, it was Gene Simmons who told me this while he was driving me to his house, so it definitely was a memorable moment) but honestly truer words could never have been spoken.

Comic book creation and publishing sometimes contradict each other because I believe the creative process should be without time constraints…having said that, anyone who has done any sort of publishing from a high school year book to a newspaper knows that publishing is ALL about time constraints. My journey as a comic book publisher has continually been a steep learning curve and is a process that I will always be refining…but at this stage, I know comic book creation is about pursuing the full potential of a great story and working hard to realize it.

I consider myself to be a life-long student and I have just finished my first year in a three year program for my Ph.D. I recently submitted a well-timed post that really resonated with my personal and professional life.

There are times we are expected or asked to step up to lead. It is during these times that, if we reflect, we can begin to know who we are, or at least what we stand for.

Leadership in the 21st century has become an ever changing and dynamic role that demands unique attributes, attitudes, skill sets, philosophies and an ability to modify structures and practices in response to technological advances while continuing to move the organization forward. Being a leader of the 21st century involves searching, acquiring, organizing, analyzing, synthesizing and evaluating an information pool that is doubling at a rate the history of the world has never experienced. With this much novel information being added continuously to our understanding, and with the half-life of valid information reaching all time lows, it is imperative that leaders understand that their vision remain as clear as ever, while understanding that the means to the vision might need to change with the times.

Sean’s recent amount of blogging has gotten me off my butt and back to the blog. Anyway, it’s been a week since Wizard World Chicago. For those that don’t know, I had a horrific time trying to get there. It all started on Thursday morning as my wife and I sat in our plane on the tarmac for 7 hours before the flight was cancelled. The first 3 hours we were delayed because the Philadelphia Airport thought the middle of the day was a perfect time to paint the runway. We literally watched paint dry for 3 hours. Then a storm came in and that was another 3 hour delay. Finally, they decided to take us back to the gate and the walkway broke (so there’s another hour waiting for them to fix that).

Chrissy and I eventually did make it to Chicago although the earliest flight we could reschedule was for Friday night. So in all we ended up missing 2 days of the con. But once we got there, it was well worth it. It was probably one of my favorite shows. The Koni Waves/Demonslayer “Windy City Showdown” variant sold really well considering they didn’t make it to the show until I showed up with them. I have to thank Wizard who was a big help promoting the book on their website as one of their con exclusives… as well as my appearance there. Thanks Wizard! If I do WWTexas, I might have to revisit the con exclusive idea.

I got to run into some familiar faces there. I saw Dennis Hopeless and Kevin Mellon from Gearhead, RD Hall from American Wasteland.  With such a good Arcana turnout this year, maybe Sean will bring the Arcana booth back to Chicago. Besides talking with friends, I I found a new artist to work with. If things work out, we’ll be collaborating on a series called Club Vampire. This is a book I have been wanting to do for awhile, but I just couldn’t find the right artist to work with. Well, the search is done. I gotta thank my wife for finding him! The way she networks she should be my agent.

Anyway, I have some more press releases to write for the boss. As for more cons, I will probably check out Baltimore. I won’t have a table, but Chrissy and I will most likely go down for one day just to walk around.

 Oh yeah, go see Super Bad. It’s hilarious! McLovin is gangsta.  

Time. There simply isn’t ever enough of it…trying to balance everything at once is a daunting task and I’ve been at a point for a couple months where I’m trying to get more efficient. Pretty much since my son, Kiefer Patrick O’Reilly, was born (June 19th, 2008) things got even faster. Egg Embry and Mark Poulton have been helping me on press releases, Arcana’s MySpace page, interviews, forums, etc. I find it funny that these digital ’solutions’ have actually taken away more time than they’ve freed up for me. Email and wireless devices have now made people accessible nearly 24/7 and sometimes all I’m trying to do is to ‘keep up on the treadmill’. I try to reply to most emails (I hit about 98% response) but the responses I give can be quite brief. I’ve heard is others talking about how short my responses are…the funniest being Dennis Hopeless where I read Gearhead #1 (well half of it) and I replied back to Dennis with a contract and the words “Looks great!”. He made the natural assumption…

So with so much on my plate I’ve been trying to do more with less. I’ve began to slim down on properties trying to focus on fewer properties but to get more out of them (the long tail which I will blog about maybe next week). I’ve also been MUCH better at working with others allowing different people to champion different projects.

I mean money is not the end game for me when I make comic books but I am hoping to be at a point in my life where money doesn’t dictate when, how or what gets done. Unfortunately for now the reality is finances do matter and as a result I take on ‘client work’ (Arcana Studios) and I’m still swinging for the fences trying to get a decent pay day (BIG movie or video game). Business has an element of risk to it and many people increase their odds by ‘playing the table’ and diversifying in various projects. I’ve definitely done that…but now that I’m spread out and have ‘hedged bets’ what I’m wanting to do is to develop a property deeper. I’m hoping by going deeper, not wider, that the payout will be better…at the least I know, from a personal perspective, that the process has been much more enjoyable. The hard part is I’m usually developing ‘new talent’ and they are eager to get their work ‘out there’. It’s easy to do press releases and tell people what’s going to happen, but it’s so much harder to just do it and get the books on stands where people love to read them. I want to really monetize properties better and as a result scheduling (so that everyone gets their 15 minutes) becomes much more difficult and everything slows down.

Depending on the property I’m now developing style guides, storyboards, voice overs, animatics, budgets and more. It’s becoming quite the production and hopefully I’ll have a chance to get some of those projects ‘on shelves’ as well.

So I have been scaling back a bit in regards to output, but hopefully the quality of outputted material will soon be seen…

I’ve heard the term ‘million dollar idea’ before but I really have to wonder if it’s still applicable in the 21st century. It’s the information age and with literally billions of thoughts beings self-published and shared through the Internet, can there truly be an idea so novel that it’s a ‘million dollar idea’? It’s my belief that much of the intellectual novelty of an idea can either be sourced, referenced or at least inspired from another idea.

Christopher Booker says there’s only seven (plus two) types of stories:

http://denisdutton.com/booker_review.htm

and Joseph Campbell provides his insights into myopic story telling:

http://www.divineparadox.com/Arts/archetypes_on_the_path.htm

Movies can have ‘high concept ideas’ which is usually an innovation on pre-existing material, but from my humble experience the most valuable intellectual property (IP) stems from putting forth time, thought, energy, resources, money, etc. to develop an idea from creation to completion. Comic books are a good example of this…I get a LOT…a LOT of submissions and many are either just a concept or possibly a concept with three pages of art. I enjoy seeing these but at the end of the day in comic books a company needs a ‘widget’, that is something I can print and put on a shelf. Arcana’s submission policies actually reflect this as I don’t want to promise that something will be delivered and then it doesn’t arrive. The more time and energy someone puts into an IP, the more it’s worth…so here’s a provocative thought that is somewhat close to home…

Superman was created by Canadian Joe Shuster and apparently sold for thousands of dollars. I’m not wanting to argue if it was/is fair or put a judgment on this…I just want to provide an insight about IP value and the money that helps establish the product. So, from the moment where Superman’s rights were transferred to the point at where Big Blue is today his visibility, cache and recognizability has gone way up. My dad even knows Superman and Clark Kent but has never read a comic book (maybe outside of Kade). The right’s holder of Superman has spent tremendous money in writers, pencilers, inkers, colorists, editors, paper, toys, movies, video games, etc. over the decades to brand and establish the ‘Superman’ name to where it is today. Had the rights never been sold, and had all that money been funneled into, say, Shazam, would Shazam have the same level of IP value that Superman has? (would my dad be able to recognize Shazam). Is it just money equals fame? Or is there an elusive combination of idea, execution and financing? (I’m sure you can guess my answer).

I’m not saying Superman should or should not have been sold and I’m not saying it would or would not have worked…I’m hopefully just trying to give some insights into branding and establishing IP’s in the comic book industry.

Just one man’s humble thoughts as he continues to blog…

Well I’ve been challenged to blog at least twice a week so I’m going to try to give this a good shot…the key for me to successfully blog will be to ensure that the times and scheduled and routine. Wish me luck on this…

What makes independent comic book publishing so difficult is the fact that so many hats have to be worn. Everything from the creative to editorial to workflow to legal to advertising to business development to accounting…it’s been a daunting task and one I can say I’ve done for three and a half years. I’m passing judgment on how well it’s been done…

The irony is the most difficult part of this industry, from my humble perspective, is the people element. Yes it’s difficult to develop new ideas and develop a comic book that can hold it’s own in a small and competitive market. Of course it’s tough to keep up on bills…to manage a company or comic that can continually be improved with regards to quality and promotion….to search out new properties, nurture and monetize old ones and take advantage of ever changing opportunities. But what is the hardest thing to manage can be people and personalities and to live up to other’s expectations.

I’m sure I’ve failed as many times as I’ve succeeded and of course I’ve made mistakes. I’m usually the first one to recognize it and I’ve tried to amiably work things out with every person…with limited resources and time I’ve always tried to do my best but sometimes it’s not good enough. What I’ve now recognized is the value of collaboration…there are some people who I’ve worked with that simply make situations better. This is a business of ideas, pencils and paper but ultimately it’s the people that really drive forth a project or company. It is integral to find people who are talented, optimistic, intuitive, resourceful and ultimately collaborative…people who want to work with other people and who actually make the entire project better.

Surrounded with talented individuals who are collaborative team members, a person is able to achieve a greatness they could not have achieved alone.

I am really taken back at the news of James Redington passing away. He was a talented writer, creator, journalist and a truly great individual. He started up the comic book company Portent…

www.portentcomics.com

I was just talking to James recently about working together on Elite and he was doing two interviews with me. The comics business is a tough one and I am saddened that we’ve lost one of the rising stars. I’ve known James for a long time and when I look back at our relationship, I am able to smile because I know with certainty he was doing what he loved. I will never forget his integrity, his incredible positive attitude and his passion for comics.

You will be missed…and remembered.