Posts Tagged ‘CO2 Comics’

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Repartee

Monday, May 16th, 2011

Over the last few weeks I took the time to outline the Process of Penciling for Comics. There were no lessons on how to draw or develop a sequential story line. It was just a quick look at the actual physical process of preparing to work and a description of the essential tools that make the job easier. It was a look at the traditional way of making comics that many people who have not converted to an all digital workflow enjoy and are comfortable with.

More specifically it was a description of how I like to work when creating comics while deferring to many other options that are available. How each individual artist works is a very personal ritual and I will be the first to say that there is no right or wrong way provided the final image is the intended expression of the idea that the artist was attempting to convey.

Coincidentally the very talented Raine Szramski, whose comic Heaven and the Dead City graces the web pages of CO2 Comics, was haggling with someone on Facebook over her own process of creating comics. Her reactionary post read like this:

Painting by hand obsolete and old-fashioned….?
I just had someone ask me why I’m bothering to paint my comic by hand since (as he says) my style will become obsolete and I’ll “learn to jump on the Photoshop bandwagon.” And he used the strange example of Borders Bookstore as being “old-fashioned” as opposed to digital and “that’s why they went out of business.” Umm, there are many OTHER reasons they went out of business and it has nothing to do with not using Photoshop.
GRRRRRR….. Anyway, to say the least I was a bit offended. Thoughts??


Well, it is nice to know that the creators who give us the opportunity to post their work here on CO2 Comics stick together and have each other’s back.

Joe Williams to the rescue!

Joe, who is responsible for the very clever Monkey and Bird comic that he co-creates with his lovely wife Tina Garceau launched into a witty defense of Raine on his own blog at Willceau illo. You can read his lambasting here:

Raine! Raine! Don’t Go Away! or Pigments Versus Pixels

Joe follows up the next week with another protective zinger:

Raining on Raine’s Parade

Joe even suggested that we follow up the Process of Penciling feature with a look at Raine’s Painting Process which she happily agreed to allow us to present as follows:

If anyone is curious, this is how I paint my pages. Up on the easel is an upcoming page in progress, with a photocopy of my unpainted pencils taped next to it for reference. (I could get in closer, but it would be a story spoiler…)

Necessary for ongoing work…Dog Under Computer Desk…
Note as well as my Waterhouse print that I haven’t hung up yet because I have to buy some nails. Um, I’ll get around to it…


Cat at Drawing Table…
There always needs to be a cat in the vicinity of the drawing table. Very important.
This is GoGo.


Box o’ gouache, sketches, paper towels, props…
That’s Yaira’s hat, by the way. I got it at a Rennaissance Festival years ago.


A shelf of brushes, Pigma pens, inks, templates, pencils, etc.,etc. The big daruma on the far right was given to me by my friend Satomi. For those who don’t know it’s a Japanese tradition to give one eye a pupil and make a wish. If your wish comes true, you fill in the other pupil. (You can see that the smaller daruma has 2 eyes filled in!)


Lots and lots of gray gouache. Very messy. But that’s why it’s more fun than Photoshop!


The next 50-plus pages of “Heaven & the Dead City” that need lettering and the pecilling finished before I even begin to paint them… Yup, I’m in this for the long haul. Mind you, this is just for Chapter Three.


And most importantly–FUEL. Coffee and keep it coming. The cup was designed by Mark Trepel (and is available at Cafe Press) and actually features 2 black Maneki Nekos.


This is a rough sketchbook drawing of Yaira that will be turned into a color painting. It will be a bit like the Swamp painting, with a decorative border and background architecture. The color scheme will probably be rose and gold (sunset colors.)


What did I tell you? The creative process is very personal and Raine just proved it. I can guarantee that I have never heard that a cat and a dog were a necessary element of a productive studio! Fortunately I have a few of each. I can’t wait to see how my work may improve once I get them into my studio space!

Speaking of studio space, Raine says, “I only wish I had a cooler, less sloppy studio space to show off rather than a corner of a studio apartment. Maybe it will let people know that yes, you too can be this messy and still be creative.”

Raine, my studio is in the garage, and I am so messy that on a good day you’d swear I was a refugee from the A&E’s Hoarder’s show. I think the creative chaos breeds entropy which results in progressive works.

The bottom line is in the final quality of the work. How you get to that point is ultimately your call and regardless of how you do it the important thing is that you actually do it. Most people just dream of doing things. By doing it, and doing it your way, you are already head and shoulders above the crowd.

Making Comics Because I Want to

Gerry Giovinco


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Posted in CO2 Comics, Creationism, Encouraging Comics, Making History, The Comic Company | 4 Comments »

Finders Keepers

Thursday, May 12th, 2011

It’s a sad truth that the term Finders Keepers is still a law of the land in the comic book industry, especially when it comes to original art. I thought that this had changed during the 80′s when creators had fought long and hard to insure that their work was returned to them. By then we had already watched too many old timers find their work for sale in dealer rooms at conventions around the country.

Those old guys who had given us the Golden and Silver age of comics created their comics for companies that bought it as “work for hire.” The artists handed in their work and never saw it again until it would come to market selling for grand prices valued far greater than what they had originally been paid to do the work. Those creators watched the dealers make big money while they struggled to pay healthcare bills because comic companies offered no benefit packages. They never saw royalties either and cringed every time the publishers made big deals with their characters while they looked for ways to feed their families.

One of the primary goals of the independent publishers of the 80′s was to change this situation. Indy publishers proudly proclaimed the comics they published as “creator owned” and struck deals with comic creators that included royalties, copyright ownership, and returned artwork so the creators could bolster their income by selling the works in the growing, secondary, collector market. Soon even the major publishers began doing the same, even creating benefit packages that included healthcare!

As one of the publishers of Comico the Comic Company, a brief juggernaut in the industry during the mid-eighties that paved many roads for future indy publishers before its demise, I was proud to have been on the forefront of such a great movement that seemingly impacted the future of the industry forever. Now as a publisher of CO2 comics those same principals of creator’s rights remain the highest priority to myself and Bill Cucinotta who has partnered with me in both publishing ventures.

It is a matter of history that Comico had a very tragic ending from a stellar run as one of the great independents of its time. What is a dirty secret is that Comico was often a very hostile work environment where the threat of verbal, mental and physical abuses were real and frequent. It was this caustic atmosphere that destroyed the relationships in the partnership and drove first Bill and eventually myself to leave Comico. We have both taken great pains to remain focused on positive accomplishments of our experience when we blog about Comico here on the CO2 Comics site, especially since we know that we do have a lot to feel proud about.

When it became news late last year that huge archives of old Comico production material which vaguely stated it included original art of which little was shown was for sale on ebay, Bill and I made sure to be clear that we had no involvement in the auction and to state that we felt any original art should have been returned to the creators as was always the policy when we were part of Comico. Personally and regretfully, the emotional scars of my Comico experience ran too deep for me to take a more proactive role in retrieving the material and insuring that if there was original art it would be returned to its rightful owners.

This week I was contacted by Rick Funk owner of Collector Haven Comics who purchased the archives which includes a number of original pieces of art and plans to inventory it and sell it on ebay. The auctions have already begun.

I know that Rick is only doing what dealers do, hunt and acquire treasured collectibles then capitalize on them. Maybe I’m too idealistic but I had hoped that somehow the “Ruins of Comico” would not result in a creator who trusted Comico with their creation finding their work lining the pockets of somebody else when they never had the opportunity to sell it themselves.

Rick claims to have “Saved the Comico Production Art,” possibly from rotting, lost in some storage facility outside of Norristown, PA but the
principals that Comico were founded on and recognized for are so totally disregarded in this situation that it is hard for me to consider any of that original art “saved.” Rather it is damned to resurrect demons of a bygone era that we had all hoped would never be seen again.

The following is correspondence between Rick and myself. I believe it is very civil on both sides yet clear as to what I would like to see done with the material:

Greetings Gerry,

First and foremost I want to state that Justice Machine, Elementals and Mage were the Comico titles that I followed. so yes I was a Comico fan.

I have read all your comments about the ebay auction that appeared in the last part of 2010 from Coyote storage.

I have researched the history of that ebay listing and I am aware that a couple of art dealers expressed an interest in it, and it attracted a
couple of phone calls too. However when faced with the fact that this accumulation of material that seemed to have once belonged to Phil, was not the original line art and was a large volume of production material, they all passed on it.

I did not.

To be honest we purchased it with the intention of bringing it to market.

We have had experience handling large amounts of material before. In 2000 we purchased the back stock of Passiac Books, one of the original comics dealers from the 60s and we also had a hand in bringing the Jack Adler art collection to market.

This turned out to be about 2500 lbs of material that we are just now starting to inventory and list on ebay.

More of the story will come to light with the upcoming publication of a Comics Buyers Guide article. In comic book culture Comico is a signicant contribution made by you.

I personally wanted to close the loop on the internet story for you, in regards to the original ebay auction.

Here is the arrival of the collection at our store, Collector Haven in Mesa Arizona.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.206168106069592.54106.119884131364657

Sincerely,

Rick Funk
Collector Haven Comics

PS: I read your articles about the color production process, however I have a couple of questions about that process and how some of these production pieces fit into that.

Rick,

I appreciate that you wanted to “close the loop,” for me and I know that you made a significant investment acquiring the material but I still have personal and professional issues with the fact that much of the material should not have been available for sale in the first place by anyone other than the actual owners of the individual pieces, the creators.

The images of the early inventory that you have sent me clearly show original art that in my opinion belongs to the creators of the works. I saw three pieces that were actually mine.

Phil’s or Dennis’ possession of the works, at any time, is in question to me since it should have been returned to the creators immediately after its publication which was the long standing policy of Comico.

Also, as I mentioned in my blog, I would have expected that Andrew Rev would have taken possession of the production proofs when he bought Comico. I would have expected them to have been part of the deal.

Phil’s passing does not make the situation any different besides I am sure that his brother, Dennis, would have been quick to take charge of his estate, especially if he felt it had value.

Regardless of how Coyote came into possession of the material, the right thing would be for at least the original art to be returned to the creators. I know I would like mine returned.

You and Collector Haven have a unique opportunity to do something that publishers like Marvel and other dealers who have sold art that they acquired from publishers like Dell and Gold Key have historically declined to do. Do the right thing and help place those works where they should have been a long time ago, back in the hands of the creators to which they belong.

I think that as another option, if you worked closely with The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund or the Heroes Initiative and used this material to help raise funds for these great organizations in the name of the creators you may either be able to negotiate your investment back or at least write it off.

Regardless of how you might proceed in righting this situation the benefit would be a huge Good Will return to you and your company for setting a remarkable example that I believe would be applauded tremendously throughout the industry.

I will be happy to help you do this I any way I can and I will be your biggest supporter for championing the rights of the creators without whom we would not have a comics industry to feed off of.

I will not, however, be able to help you in any way to sell and profit from these works and I will remain a vocal supporter that they should be returned to their rightful owners.

I hope you understand that as a publisher of Comico and now CO2 Comics, I and my partner Bill Cucinotta have always placed the rights of the creators as our highest priority. It is against everything we have stood for our entire careers in the industry not to take a stand on this issue.

I hope you appreciate our position and will work with us to make an important and valiant statement.

Very Sincerely,

Gerry Giovinco
CO2 Comics

COMICO Original Painted Art And Black Line Overlay

http://cgi.ebay.com/COMICO-Original-Painted-Art-And-Black-Line-Overlay-/280665180072?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4158f2c7a8#ht_2447wt_907

U.D.I.C. 1 page 6

http://cgi.ebay.com/U-D-I-C-1-Page-6-Original-Pencil-Art-Splash-Page-/280668529028?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item415925e184#ht_1534wt_907

U.D.I.C. Ad

http://cgi.ebay.com/UIDC-TWO-PAGE-AD-Original-Black-and-White-Overlay-/270747384248?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f09cd39b8#ht_1331wt_1026

COMICO ORIGINAL PAINTED ARTWORK Grendel Page

http://cgi.ebay.com/COMICO-ORIGINAL-PAINTED-ARTWORK-Grendel-Page-/280665180077?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4158f2c7ad

U.D.I.C.Page 23

http://cgi.ebay.com/U-D-I-C-1-Page-23-Original-Pencil-Art-Splash-Page-/270743154453?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f098caf15#ht_2414wt_907

STAR BLAZERS 4 Original Black Line Artwork

http://cgi.ebay.com/STAR-BLAZERS-4-Original-Black-Line-Artwork-/280674804781?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item415985a42d#ht_1269wt_1026

Trouble With Girls Ad

http://cgi.ebay.com/TROUBLE-GIRLS-Ad-Tim-Hamilton-Original-Pencil-Art-/280674708117?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4159842a95#ht_1382wt_907

ELEMENTALS Blue Demon Original Pencil Art

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280668528410#ht_1506wt_907

COMICO CHARACTER ORIGINAL ART Frog Prince Dr Danger

http://cgi.ebay.com/COMICO-CHARACTER-ORIGINAL-ART-Frog-Prince-Dr-Danger-/280672437134?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item415961838e#ht_1372wt_1026

COMICO CHARACTER ORIGINAL ART Vesuvious Red Dragon

http://cgi.ebay.com/COMICO-CHARACTER-ORIGINAL-ART-Vesuvious-Red-Dragon-/280668528220?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item415925de5c#ht_1381wt_1026

COMICO COMMANDER CHAOS Original Pencil Art

http://cgi.ebay.com/COMICO-COMMANDER-CHAOS-Original-Pencil-Art-/270745861291?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f09b5fcab#ht_2389wt_907

Elementals Cmdr Cord

http://cgi.ebay.com/ELEMENTALS-Cmdr-Cord-Original-Art-Character-Design-Page-/280674832529?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4159861091#ht_1570wt_907

ELEMENTALS Demon Original Art Character Design Page

http://cgi.ebay.com/ELEMENTALS-Demon-Original-Art-Character-Design-Page-/270747459270?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f09ce5ec6#ht_1580wt_907

ELEMENTALS Kid Chaos Original Art Character Design

http://cgi.ebay.com/ELEMENTALS-Kid-Chaos-Original-Art-Character-Design-/270747459279?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f09ce5ecf#ht_1480wt_907

ELEMENTALS Leviathan Original Art Character Design Page

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ELEMENTALS Monolith Original Art Character Design Page

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ELEMENTALS Morningstar Original Art Character Design

http://cgi.ebay.com/ELEMENTALS-Morningstar-Original-Art-Design-and-Notes-/280674832672?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4159861120#ht_1505wt_907

ELEMENTALS Morningstar Original Art Design and Notes

http://cgi.ebay.com/ELEMENTALS-Morningstar-Original-Art-Character-Design-/270747459323?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f09ce5efb#ht_1531wt_907

ELEMENTALS Oblivion Original Art Character Design Page

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ELEMENTALS Vortex Original Art Character Design

http://cgi.ebay.com/ELEMENTALS-Vortex-Original-Art-Character-Design-/270747459358?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f09ce5f1e#ht_1497wt_907

RATMAN Comico Original Art Character Design Page

http://cgi.ebay.com/RATMAN-Comico-Original-Art-Character-Design-Page-/270747439895?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f09ce1317#ht_2401wt_907

Monolith Pencil Art

http://cgi.ebay.com/ELEMENTALS-Monolith-Original-Pencil-Art-/280668528436?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item415925df34#ht_1413wt_907

Vortex Pencils

http://cgi.ebay.com/ELEMENTALS-Vortex-Original-Pencil-Line-Art-/270743153923?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f098cad03#ht_1513wt_907

JUMPSTART SKY SCRAPER Comico Original Character Art

http://cgi.ebay.com/JUMPSTART-SKY-SCRAPER-Comico-Original-Character-Art-/280674814031?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item415985c84f#ht_1498wt_907

JUMPSTART Comico Original Character Art Design Page

http://cgi.ebay.com/JUMPSTART-Comico-Original-Character-Art-Design-Page-/270747449432?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f09ce3858#ht_1519wt_907

GHOST GIRL Comico Original Art Character Design Page

http://cgi.ebay.com/GHOST-GIRL-Comico-Original-Art-Character-Design-Page-/280674833001?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4159861269#ht_1502wt_907

MICROMAN Comico Original Art Character Design Page

http://cgi.ebay.com/MICROMAN-Comico-Original-Art-Character-Design-Page-/270747439804?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f09ce12bc#ht_1359wt_966

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Posted in CO2 Comics, Making History | 8 Comments »

Transformers

Monday, April 4th, 2011

“Making Comics Because I Want To,” has been my sign off slogan on this blog for months now and my own personal mantra since I was a youngster. It was always my dream to be a cartoonist/comics artist but somewhere in my life’s history the idea of making comics changed. Just drawing comics was no longer enough. The act of making comics included publishing them. I could not consider the work complete until it found its way into the hands of the reader.

Bill Cucinotta who has been my partner publishing comics both with Comico and CO2 Comics chides me on a regular basis when I lament not having drawn comics as much as I would have liked in my career always deferring to my publisher self. He continually reminds me that our role in making comics is just as noble. We provide the vehicle that completes the work providing a duty that many creators either have no interest or experience in and we do it well.

Over the years we have experienced a number of transformations as publishers. Originally we were self-publishers creating black and white newsprint comic books featuring our own characters. We quickly transitioned into full color and began publishing other creators whose work we respected and valued. Graphic novels were a natural evolution, Comico published several.

The WORLD Of GINGER FOX Read it on CO2 Comics

The World of Ginger Fox by Mike Baron and Mitch O’Connell which is about to complete its serialized run right here on CO2 Comics is an example of our commitment to quality and diversity. Eventually we set our sites on the internet and began publishing comics on the web. Co2 Comics has flourished, presenting an array of over 800 pages of comic material from notable creators without losing our appreciation or interest for print.

COMICS INTERVIEW: The Complete Collection Volume 1

Our first print project as CO2 Comics ironically was not a comic book but a book about comics. David Anthony Kraft’s COMICS INTERVIEW The Complete Collection Volume 1 was our departure from publishing actual comics and a big departure it was, 640 pages of text and images culled from Dave’s magazine. We produced paperback and hardback editions and explored the virtues of POD publishing.

We had crossed over as publishers. Little did we know that soon we would be morphing from CO2 Comics to CO2 Publications where we would add a new imprint, CO2 Books to our shingle with the publication of our first literary project that has nothing to do with comics.

This spring we will publish George Richard Phillip Zimmerman, Jr.’s For the Convenience of the Government, a memoir of a veteran discharged from the United States Navy for being Gay.

This is an important book to us that we knew we had to publish. It is a book about something that we as comics publishers are all too familiar with, heroes. In this case the heroes are the fine men and women of the military that risk their lives for our freedoms as Americans.

There is no doubt that these people are heroes that deserve our respect and admiration. They deserve their dignity. For too long many of these fine men and women have been denied just that, because of their sexual orientation and nothing else. This would not be accepted in our private sector and it should especially be unacceptable in our military.

For the Convenience of the Government is just one veteran’s story of how this injustice affected his life. It is our hope that the publication of this story will enlighten the American people to a grave injustice directed at so many gay people who merely wanted to proudly serve their country.

Our publication of this book is about showing support to these men and women and anybody else who is persecuted for any reason whether it be race, religion, color or sexual orientation. This support is paid forward when you read the book and share it with your friends to establish a consensus that effects change.

Support for a project like this has to begin somewhere. We and the author chose to enlist the power of Kickstarter to aid in the mission of launching this book as quickly as possible and to promote it to the vast group of people around the world that are sympathetic to this type of indignity.


Kickstarter is all about supporting a project that touches you. We invite you to please check out the project which will fully inform you about the details of the book and familiarize you with the author, George Richard Phillip Zimmerman, Jr. who states his case eloquently in a short video. As with all projects on Kickstarter, your support will be rewarded with fine offerings.

We expect to have For the Convenience of the Government available for sale by this Memorial Day Weekend. You can follow all of the updates regarding this book on www.fortheconvenienceofthegovernment.com or on facebook by joining the group: http://www.facebook.com/home.php? or liking the page: http://www.facebook.com/4.the.Convenience

Co2 Comics will always continue to publish great comics. We thank you for all the great support you have given us as we approach the second anniversary of our own launch in 2009 and we are looking forward to plenty of great excitement in the coming months as our transformation as publishers continues.

Making Comics (and Books) Because I Want To

Gerry Giovinco

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Posted in CO2 Comics, Making History, The Comic Company | 1 Comment »

Appless Comics

Tuesday, January 18th, 2011

Apps, apps, apps! That is all we hear about anymore, especially when the discussion is about digital comics. Maybe I’m dense, too old fashioned or just plain stupid but I have to admit that I just don’t get it.

I know that there are apps for just about everything. Apple boasts over 300,000 apps available just for the iPhone. There are thousands of apps for Droids, Smartphones and Blackberries too but, face it, apps are a brilliant marketing tool for “App”le more than anyone..

Now that the iPad is on the scene everyone and their sister can see the potential of comics flourishing on that brilliant 9.7 inch screen and of course the imitators are already popping out everywhere.

In the midst of all this commotion we have all been sold the idea that an app is needed to be able to read comics on these portable devices. An app! Quick run out and get one so you can read comics! Hurry, hurry, hurry!

If you are a creator or a publisher you especially better get a jump on it before you are left in the dust. Times-a-wasting! Lock into a deal, NOW! Tie up your rights and spread that wealth with Apple, the app developer, and the publisher leaving little for the creator before it’s too late!
Hurry, hurry, hurry!

What a bunch of sheep we are. Happy to be herded to a promised land by the carrot of new source of possible revenue.

WAKE UP!!

SMELL THE COFFEE!!

STOP BEING A PANSIE!!

Let me bring you back to Earth with a simple truth. You do not need an app to read tons of great digital comics on a computer, a net book, an e-reader or a cell phone.

You don’t need an app!

All you need is a browser.

If your device can read Flash files your options are even greater.

New devices are coming soon from Samsung and Blackberry that read Flash. Soon Apple will have to include it as well. Even if they don’t Flash created with HTML 5 is readable so eventually all web comics will be an easy read on any tablet or phone, app-free!

If you are a creator or a publisher, post your comics on the web, market a PDF download, or make your own app if you feel that you really have to and guess what?

You are in command!

You have control over your content, no censorship, no digital rights management that ties up your property indefinitely and, if you wish to sell your works, get paid directly from your readers without sharing any of the profits except your PayPal fees.

I know this all sounds like blasphemy!

The digital comic download is supposed to be the savior of comics and finally provide a source of revenue to creators while opening up the huge untapped market of the masses.

The magic bullet!

But it is not.

If we allow ourselves to be led down the narrow road of the app it is business as usual. In the comics industry we know who wins. Everyone else loses. Even the readers.

Look, as a publisher, I have gone toe-to-toe with Marvel and DC in the Direct market. I’ve waded into the dark and murky waters of the mass market. I was there championing the rise of creators’ rights and the proliferation of independent publishers from the beginning. I know what I’m talking about.

As a comic creator and publisher I sought the Holy Grail and it wasn’t profit. I’d be lying if I told you money wasn’t part of the motivation but the real prize was freedom.

CREATIVE FREEDOM!

The internet gives comic creators the opportunity to enjoy creative freedom like never before. Creators can reach a global audience with little expense and retain complete ownership of their works.

Creators don’t need to be confined to an app. They need to be creative and they need to discover creative ways to generate revenue.

When Bill Cucinotta and I conceived of CO2 Comics this was and continues to be our mission, to create a cooperative community of comic creators that support each other to reach a wider audience with diverse material and to maximize the profitability of our individual intellectual property by exploring product options of digital, print, merchandise, other media and licensing.

In a year and a half we have amassed nearly a thousand pages of comics from over twenty distinguished creators that attract about ten thousand hits a day. We have published a 680 page book that is the greatest collection of comic interviews in the history of comic books. Most importantly we have created a venue that supports the creators that share in our mission by helping them sell their print products, services and merchandise while maintaining complete ownership of their creations.

We are just getting started.

I know that I am coming down pretty hard on apps, but I am just trying to make an important point that I believe has to be made.

Apps can be part of a successful comic marketing strategy but I don’t think that they can be viewed as a panacea for the entire industry or surely the little guy will get crushed, unnoticed in the shadow of the usual giants and trampled by the rush of new readers herded by powerful marketing machines toward product they are already familiar with.

Comic creators need to take advantage of the internet while it is still inexpensively accessible. Maximize it as a resource while you still have a chance. Don’t be distracted by the temptations of a huge corporation whose sole motivation is profiting from the work of every creator possible.

That “app”le looked good to Eve, too and look where it got her.

Making comics because I want to.

Gerry Giovinco


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Posted in CO2 Comics | 11 Comments »

The Gutter | FAT IS BACK!!

Tuesday, November 16th, 2010

We may not like to admit it but there are fat people roaming the earth.

It is true!

They are not just a few pounds overweight, either. These people are huge, three-hundred, four-hundred, even five-hundred pound folks that are so fat they pose a danger to themselves and the people around them.

Every day more of them show up as America struggles with an obesity problem that is epidemic. Over 30% of Americans are obese making the good old USA the fattest country in the world.

So let’s not be ignorant. Pretending that fat people don’t exist is like pretending that there are no such things as black people, gay people, or women that are more than sex objects.

Fat people are real. Real people with hopes and dreams, fears and joys, loves and hates. Look in the mirror. You may be one.

So please do not get pious and all politically correct when you read the following:

CO2 Comics announces that CAPTAIN OBESE by Don Lomax will be the latest feature added to the popular webcomic site www.co2comics.com!

Captain Obese

That’s right.

CAPTAIN OBESE is a comic about a morbidly obese superhero that was previously published in the 1980′s by Warp Graphics and disappeared from the comics scene mostly because it is politically incorrect to notice fat people in popular media unless you are trying to shrink them back to normal size.

It is OK for shows like Biggest Loser to capitalize on fat people because it’s objective is to get rid of them by teaching them the healthier ways of the thin world.

I’m sorry, but CAPTAIN OBESE is fat and he is making no apologies for his size.

He is fat, proud, and most of all, he is back!

What makes CAPTAIN OBESE special. His creator, Don Lomax.

Don is, without question, graphically and literally, the most brutally honest comic creator I can remember ever seeing in print.

Vietnam Journal, Click to read online

His Harvey nominated Vietnam Journal which is currently published by Transfuzion Publishing and his work on the Marvel comic The ‘NAM is testimony to his ability and willingness to tell it like it is. Don lays it out on the page, panel after panel and pulls no punches. Don draws from experience, having served in Vietnam and it shows in the work which is described as the most accurate graphic depiction of the Vietnam War, ever.

Vietnam Journal Graphic Novels available from Transfusion

Whether it is war comics or the tremendous volume of adult comix that Don has created in his four decades as a comic artist, one thing is certain, Don is not timid when it comes to laying down the ink. His images are exquisitely rendered and often openly raw.

Of all Don Lomax’s works, CAPTAIN OBESE may be one of his most tame and easily digested by the faint of heart. That still will not prevent people from being uncomfortable with the idea of a fat guy in long underwear and a cape throwing his weight around for truth, justice, and the American way.

My suggestion to those dissenters, “Get over it!”

There’s a new superhero in town, his name is CAPTAIN OBESE, and he is fat.

Too Bad! Go eat a cheeseburger or two.

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The Comic Company: Direct Marketing with Style

Tuesday, November 9th, 2010

In 1987 the Comico graphic novel The World of Ginger Fox was wowing readers with its action, adventure and style. Lucky for us all this brilliantly executed work is available in serialized form right here at CO2 Comics where it is updated weekly!

Ginger Fox Cover

Ginger Fox attracted a lot of attention because, not only was it written by Mike Baron, one of the top talents in comics it was illustrated by a young and outrageously gifted Mitch O’Connell who’s work was already infiltrating pop culture.
Mitch’s art had a signature style that had already caught the eye of Playboy magazine and propelled Ginger Fox into a larger arena than the Direct Market could provide at the time.

A creative director at Jordan Marsh, which was a big department store chain in New England but has since been absorbed by Macy’s, took notice and evolved a plan to turn a negative into a positive.

Jordan Marsh had been heavily criticized in the press for a “Jack and Jill” themed ad campaign that many felt targeted white’s only and slighted other races in their demographic. They needed to patch things up with their minority shoppers.

The idea was to create a comic that had the feel of “Archie” with a multi-cultural cast to support the Jackson and Jillian characters. The characters would be presented in numerous situations that would allow for wardrobe changes where they would model the outfits that were being sold in Jordan Marsh’s Style-o-rama department for young men and women. Text boxes with pointers would be used to describe the products and their prices.

The call rang out to Comico. We knew how to get Mitch and we knew how to make comics that looked great. Who else would you call, Ghostbusters?

I flew up to Boston a few times to work out the details of the campaign and I wrote the script. Mitch of course provided the art which was colored by Linda Lessman.
L. Lois Buhalis provided the lettering and Maggie Brenner had the editing chores.

This was to be Jordan Marshes fall catalog and though it had a playfully spooky theme to the story it was not particularly about Halloween.

Style O Rama cover, click to see the catalog

The finished product was stunning and was used as a direct mail ad to be distributed to mailboxes throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island. (Sorry Vermont!)

The effectiveness of the mailer was questioned by the venders of the outfits who would have rather seen actual photos of their products but Advertising Age magazine, the leading source for news in the advertising industry, awarded it as one of the best Direct Marketing campaigns of 1987!

Best of Advertising Age

We also produced a few full-page newspaper ads to support the campaign. Though they were black-and-white, they they were just as stylish and beautiful as the color comic which was separated by Murphy Anderson’s Visual Concepts.

Style O Rama newspaper ads

As I mentioned in previous blogs Murphy’s son, Murphy Jr. was a master at creating effects in flat-color comics. His specialty was an effect that looked like acid washed denim which was the rage in the late 80′s. Needless to say it was used often in this sixteen-page catalog that was disguised as a comic book.

Jillian makes a point

I’m sitting here re-reading the comic twenty-three years later and I notice a line that had to be changed for political correctness and was never quite as funny as it was intended (heck it barely made sense.) In the first panel on page 8, Jillian originally points out to Jackson that his fly is open. This is what was suppose to cause the fit of embarrassment in the next panel that is lost on the reader in the final copy.

It’s amazing the power one word balloon can have!

The most influential word balloon I can think of is the one that graces the cover of CO2 Comics very own publication as the logo of David Anthony Kraft’s COMICS INTERVIEW: The Complete Collection.

Comics Interview Standard Edition

That balloon represents the voices of a generations of comic professionals and fans that provide unique insight into the heart and soul of the comic industry over the last seventy years.

If you are not familiar with COMICS INTERVIEW stop over at http://www.comicsinterview.com/purchase.html for a little sample of what the excitement is all about.

If you love comics and the history of the industry you will love this collection.

There you have it! I am not ashamed to blatantly plug a product that I so passionately believe in. When you get your copy, you’ll be wanting to tell your friends about it too!

Making Comics Because I Want To!

Gerry Giovinco

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The Comic Company: In The Black

Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010

Anyone who has been reading this blog over the last couple of months knows that it is intended to be a trip down memory lane focusing on the accomplishments of Comico the Comic Company and its relevance to the comics industry both then and now.

Bill Cucinotta and I were both founding partners of Comico, giving us both a unique authority on the subject. Though I get the credit line at the bottom of the page, these words wouldn’t get to you without Bill’s diligence and tireless effort to design and post the blog along with all of the other chores as he maintains the entire CO2 Comics site on a daily basis.

We are both dedicated to bringing our audience great quality comics and remembering the history that brought us here. Not just the history of our experience publishing Comico comics, but the history of the industry that inspires us to be part of it.

We know that our readers appreciate the notes on history too. It is reflected the traffic to the site and the comments made on the threads. Thanks for your enthusiastic support!

In 1987 Comico took a trip down memory lane with the publication of Comico BLACK BOOK our fifth-anniversary special.

Comico Black Book cover

Creative Black Book 1986

When I conceived BLACK BOOK I readily admit that I was a candidate for the Swipe File. A year earlier I had the opportunity to provide comic book lettering to go along with parody images of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! for the 1986 edition THE CREATIVE BLACK BOOK (www.blackbook.com) which is a huge creative directory for people in the creative industry.

My good friend Angela Corbo, who had grown up in my neighborhood and attended PCA briefly with Bill and myself, was working in the production department of the THE CREATIVE BLACK BOOK. When it was decided that their theme required comic lettering, I was her first call.

My lettering on the Creative Black Book 1986, Click for larger image

Gerry Giovinco Black Book photo

I had lettered all of Comico’s early black-and-white books; Primer, Az, Grendel, Skrog and Slaughterman. This was a great opportunity to work on such a prestigious project and I jumped at the chance.

With the publication of that work behind me, the name BLACK BOOK stuck in my head. I couldn’t help but attach it to another directory, that of a historical chronology of the first five years of Comico.

The Comico BLACK BOOK was published in comic book format and featured our trademark, wrap-around cover design. It read more like a catalog of our entire inventory with a historical time-line that ran the bottom of each page highlighting moments of achievement and publication dates.

My favorite page was the centerfold that listed the names of the impressive 155 creators that had worked with us those first five years.

Comico Black Book Spread, Click for larger image

The Comico BLACK BOOK became the chronicle of my own history at Comico. Shortly after its publication it became impossible for me to continue working at Comico for personal and professional reasons. My name remained in the publishing credits but it was clearly time for me to move on.

The book also signaled a turning point. Comico began its downward spiral. It was a company that had risen from nothing to an independent powerhouse, challenging Marvel and DC all the way into the mass market only to become a bankrupt shell of itself that would be sold into obscurity.

This is a story that has been repeated over and over by other great comic companies of the era and continues today. In its wake is a trail of incredible comics and incredible comics history. There are lessons to be learned. Observations that need to be noted. Mistakes that should not be repeated.

Comics Interview Premier Edition

This is why we are so excited to be publishing David Anthony Kraft’s COMICS INTERVIEW: The Complete Collection. We know that it is the most transparent window into the mind-set of the comics industry at a time when creators discovered that they had some control in the future of comics.

Comics Interview Standard Edition

It is shocking how issues that shaped the industry then are relevant to issues that are shaping the industry today.

A whole new generation of comic creators needs to be aware of the insights of those who pioneered creator rights, independent publishing, the graphic novel, and the marketing and merchandising of comic franchises that are household names today.

I recently read an obituary for the Sony Walkman and it sited how Apple tapped into the elements of personal entertainment that were provided by the Walkman when it made music personal. Apple embellished upon those elements to create the success of the iPod. Apple looked back to move forward.

With the introduction of e-readers and the iPad comics will become more personal and interactive than ever just as music did. It is time for the comics industry to move forward and we all know it. Just remember to look back. Note the successes and failures. Don’t become a statistic.

When David Anthony Kraft was publishing COMICS INTERVIEW he had a keen sense for how the industry worked. He listened to the people he talked to. He saw the writing on the wall and was able to make a controlled decision to end COMICS INTERVIEW at a nice round number and at the top of its game. DAK controlled the destiny of his creation at a time when the market was in free-fall.

Because of his foresight, we now have the opportunity to enjoy COMICS INTERVIEW as a completed work, not something that was extinguished in its prime like Comico and a long list of other comics publishers.

We believe that David Anthony Kraft’s COMICS INTERVIEW: The Complete Collection is an important work that belongs in the library of every comic creator, educator and library for all of the reasons I mentioned. Take the opportunity to see for yourself.

We think you’ll agree.

Making comics because I want to.

Gerry Giovinco

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The Comic Company:
True Colors – Part 5 (Finally!)

Tuesday, October 26th, 2010

ROBOTECH is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year and mourning the loss of of its producer and biggest cheerleader, Carl Macek.

Robotech/Macross #1 cover, Comico 1984

ROBOTECH was a big reason for the success of Comico in its heyday and is a blog all unto itself but before ROBOTECH became the successful franchise that it still is we published a comic book based on ROBOTECH’s original source material, the very popular Anime series MACROSS.

We were big fans of Anime having grown up watching classics like 8Th-Man, Gigantor, Astro Boy, Prince Planet, Marine Boy, Speed Racer, and Kimba the White Lion. We wanted to maintain the luster and integrity of the original.

Classic Anime

Our vision was to produce the pages using images taken from the actual video. When this proved to be an impossible option we decided that we would create the pages using a technique similar to that of genuine animation cels.

Line Art

Carl Macek’s wife Svea Stauch provided the pencils. Phil LaSorda and I inked all of the main characters which included all of the aircraft, spaceships and robots. The inks were done on a separate overlay that was later lettered then photographed as a positive transparency. This was an important layer of the final art since it would hold the black line separate from all the color work just as we would in the grey-line and blue-line systems that I have written about in earlier True Color blogs.

Matt

The backgrounds were all transfered to a different layer and painted much like the backgrounds in an animation cel.

Cel

Between the line art and the background paintings was a layer of clear acetate. All three layers were aligned to each other with registration marks. The clear film was then attached to the back of the line art and painted from behind with animation cel paint mimicking the flat look of cel production. After it dried, the layer was then removed from the line art layer and then attached over the more heavily rendered, painted backgrounds.

Printed

The two color layers would be separated by the color separator as one piece then the black line layer would be added. This all created the dimensional effect that the original animation cels had while preventing the black line from suffering from registration problems in the print process.

Macross 6 Line Art & Matt

This system, though it produced the intended results, was painstaking and required a small army of extra hands to chip in to get the work finished. Macross #1 would be the only time we used this technique. When Macross became ROBOTECH with issue #2 it was clear that the only way we would be able to produce a ROBOTECH issue every 2 weeks, which was our intended schedule, was to use flat color.

Macross 6 Cel & Prod

Our experimentation with all of the various techniques for producing color for comics proved that we respected the individual requirements of each property that we published. We were never content to produce a line of cookie-cutter comics.

Macross 6 Mount & Print

I like to think that our readers appreciated this and that the creators who worked with us understood that our priority was the integrity of their work. This provided us with the opportunity to work with many talented comic creators and made it easier for us to attract other licensed properties.

Today, nearly all color for comics is produced digitally. One thing I have discovered about creating comics digitally is that every creator has their own special technique to achieve a desired result. There is no real right or wrong way to produce quality comics.

That’s good for us at CO2 Comics because we love to experiment and we love to tap into our own experiences from the good old days. Our priority is still the integrity of the work and it will always be regardless if we are producing comics for the internet , digital readers or print.

In the next few days we will be announcing our first print project from CO2 Comics. It is big, bold and beautiful and has required a fair amount of experimenting to produce the product that we have been hoping for.

I promise this one will have people talking for years.

Making Comics Because I Want To

Gerry Giovinco.

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The Comic Company: Anticipation

Tuesday, October 19th, 2010

What a powerful motivator anticipation is.

When I think of our motto here at CO2 Comics, “Making Comics Because We Want To,” it dawns on me that it is the anticipation of the finished product that excites me the most and stimulates my desire to create comics.

I find that anticipation exists through the entire creative process and is later passed on to the reader. I even thrive on the anticipation of the reader’s reaction to the final work.

A single idea can initiate the anticipation process. The conception of a character or a story line launches the desire to create a comic that allows the character or story to come alive.

Comico Covers

Whether the comic is created by a single person or a production team, the anticipation of the finished product is not complete until the comic is published and enjoyed.

The reader is in a state of anticipation through the whole story. Word-to-word, panel-to-panel, the reader anticipates the development, climax and resolution of the comic’s story.

Satisfied readers continue the anticipation process by immediately desiring the next issue.

When Bill Cucinotta and I were publishers of Comico comics in the 1980′s every new product and innovation was approached with great anticipation on our part.

Primer #1

We couldn’t wait to see our first comic, Primer #1, in print. I remember the excitement of the day it was first delivered in boxes to our studio. It was a proud moment for us but it was only the beginning.

At the time, we were not prepared to anticipate Comico’s future accomplishments like color comics, graphic novels, licensing deals, and the relationships we built with creators and readers.

CO2 Comics has given us a new reason to be in a state of anticipation. Every week we deliver new content to new readers and the popularity of our site is continually growing.

Very soon we will be announcing CO2 Comics’ first print project and the thrill of the anticipation is KILLING us!

Coming Soon

This project will be the single, biggest print project that we have ever attempted. It has been in the works for nearly thirty years and we promise that it will be both huge and historic.

Our anticipation is, that if you love comics as much as we do, you will love what we have in store for you.

So, please, anticipate a big announcement soon, and don’t worry. You will be able to get your copy in plenty of time for Christmas… if you can wait that long.

Making Comics Because I Want To

Gerry Giovinco

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The Gutter:
Land of the Free

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

The debate over free content on the internet is heating up to a fever pitch and it is getting ugly. Discussions about piracy and devalued intellectual property with regards to comics, fueled by a terrible economic climate and rapidly changing technology is generating hysteria among comic creators and those of us who love the medium.

 

 

At the heart of it is free content on the web of which I am a strong supporter.

This does not mean that I do not respect the value of the work! If anything, I appreciate its value more.

Comics as a medium has a power that few mediums have. It has the ability to connect with the masses in a genuine way. The creator can convey their concepts through words and pictures and deliver it directly to the reader with a minimal amount of production in between. This can be a photocopy, a printed page, a jpeg or a web site.

Creators have the opportunity, now more than ever, to reach the largest possible audience, unencumbered. More importantly, they have control of their work. The creative opportunities are endless but shouldn’t there be some compensation for all the hard work that goes into making those comics? Absolutely.

Then why do I, Bill and the rest of the fine creators here at CO2 Comics, give our work away for free?

We know that good comics attract readers like a light bulb attracts moths.

This is no secret!

 

Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst knew it in the 1880′s when they put a free comic supplement in their newspapers to sell more copies and attract more advertisers.

The first American comic book Funnies on Parade was given away as a promotional tool by Proctor and Gamble in 1933.

Bazooka Joe comics have been given away free with bubblegum since 1953.

Free comics are nothing new. They have launched the industry and made money for publishers, promoters and packagers for over a century! In the process many creators worked for peanuts and others made tons of money.

For the record, I consider comics in newspapers and magazines to be free content the same way I consider the prize in a Cracker Jack box or the Happy Meal toy to be free. We all know that we are somehow paying for that little premium but it just seems like an added bonus and that’s what makes it special.

I remember reading the top ten grossing entertainers list in the 1980′s and being surprised to find Charles Schultz and Jim Davis up there with Michael Jackson and Bill Cosby. Those comics that I perceived as free content in the newspaper sure made a lot of money.

Excuse me while I venture out to my mailbox. Let’s see what is in here today. More catalogs. Who sends this crap to me? I don’t ask for this stuff! Full-color, well produced magazines with nothing but ads in them from every company imaginable.

These things are produced better that almost any comic on the market and I get them for free.

What a waste of content and paper. Do you think? This stuff would not be in my mailbox if the sender did not know that if they sent out enough of them they would make a lot of money. I sure wish they were comic books.

In 1987 Comico made a sixteen-page fashion catalog for Jordan Marsh that was bulk-mailed to households in New England. It was a comic book that featured the characters wearing the clothes that the department store was selling that fall. I wrote the story and Mitch O’Connell did the art. It was selected as one of the best direct mail ads that year by Advertising Age Magazine. I’m sure it sold a lot of clothes.

Comics are powerful marketing tools folks! Do not kid yourself! There is a reason that Mickey Mouse built Disney and Superman built Warner Brothers.

Free content on the internet is not much different than free content in my mailbox except that it can reach a larger audience with minimal expense. If my free content is comics, I believe that I will attract more people to my site where those visitors will be exposed to product and advertisers that will generate revenue to support the creators that make the comics.

If you are enjoying free content on the internet; if you are especially enjoying the free content here at CO2 Comics, do yourself and us all a favor. Share the comics with your friends! Allow the free comics on the internet to reach the widest audience possible!

Support the creators by buying product that they may have for sale: original art, graphic novels, related merchandise. Support the advertisers that chose to promote on our sites.

Enjoy the free comics product as much as possible and the comic creators will enjoy success and creative freedom that they have never known in this field.

This is not revolutionary stuff. It has worked in newspapers, television, radio and sports forever. Don’t let an old-school, failed system of distribution and marketing of comics suffocate this medium. Now is the greatest time to be a comics creator. Now is the best time to be a comics reader. Now is the time to build the profitable and prolific future that the comics medium should enjoy!

 

 

Making comics because I want to

Gerry Giovinco

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