Thanks for the update Jim and no real need to apologize. That was some fragging serious shit you were going through and more that enough reason to being so quiet lately(and not going to cons XD)
From: jmhcustomart2004 <a_change_of_plans_at_yahoo.com>
To: SkunkworksAMA_at_yahoogroups.com
Sent: Saturday, April 20, 2013 4:04 AM
Subject: [SkunkworksAMA] Gearing up...
This journal information is being posted on both my FA and IB pages (I have nothing on Weasyl at this time)...
Hey all! My apologies for being quiet lately. I had to go to the emergency room at the local hospital on Monday the eighth, and was transported to St. Louis via ambulance afterward, where I was stuck until the evening of Saturday the thirteenth. I'm at home currently, taking a shit-ton of pills and some new antibiotic I've never had before called "cefpodoxime 100mg". They gave me that when they took me off IVs on Saturday. I had to postpone my stent exchange until early May, since I was running a fever and having sinus issues last Monday, and would not have been able to go under anesthesia without risking severe complications. Turns out I had some sinus infection which my immune system just couldn't fight off (and people actually wonder why I don't attend cons anymore, haha!).
In any case, this journal is to let you know that Angry Viking Press is coming out with Evil Diva issue 2 and SWIPE issue 1. Both will be available via pre-order through AVP's site:
http://www.angryvikingpress.com
The pre-order option for these two titles will go up during the week of April 20-27 sometime. Issue one of Evil Diva is still available at
http://avpressstaff.dot5hosting.com/evildiva.html , so if you don't have that issue yet, go get it! Which brings me to the second part of this journal...
Angry Viking Press is a small comic book company, recently offered to be covered by Diamond Distribution in their Previews books, which are available at comic stores. However, this coverage and exposure comes at a cost, which is the requirement that AVP sell a certain number of books in order to stay in the Previews catalogs and to continue to be carried by Diamond. Now, for the big comic companies, this isn't an issue. They print up thousands of issues of multiple titles every month, and they have a wide fan base to help support those numbers and keep them listed. But AVP is much smaller than those companies, and it relies very much on the support of its artists and its fans. If the artists do not advertise the upcoming books to the fans, then AVP will have a difficult time getting the sales required to stay with the larger distributor.
Likewise, if the fans are not able (or willing) to purchase the books being produced, this can result in the company being dropped by Diamond (which would make it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to reach such a large audience). This, in turn, could result in the company having to cease production of their books, which would mean folks would no longer be able to read about the adventures of their favorite characters.
Now, the "Skunkworks" book has been covered, but future books such as "Penance" and the "Caterwaul" series, not to mention the various assorted titles by the other artists in the company, may never see the light of day if the company gets dropped. The amount of exposure that Diamond can provide is necessary for AVP's continued success. The sales of the books are also mandatory to the company's continued existence. I realize a lot of folks would rather just get the scanned books off some media sites, but that sort of behavior is actually going to harm the company. If no money is generated by sales, then the artists do not get paid, the books do not get published, Diamond does not advertise the books anymore, and the company ends up folding. It's not a good thing. Many people state piracy/not paying for stuff is the way things are these days, but that sort of practice does have very negative effects on new stuff being produced. Hell, just look at what I'm
churning out these days as an example. No prints, no portfolios, no more printed material, nada. It cost me money and time to make it, and if there's nothing coming back in, it becomes a money pit and a waste of time.
But I digress. As fans of these comics, help us keep these stories going! Believe me, the artists want to keep making these books, but it's a bit of an uphill battle that neither the artists, the writers, nor the company itself can hope to win without the support of the fans. So please, let your local stores know about these books, ask about them whenever you visit the shops, tell your friends, and place your orders for the comics. I'll admit I stopped reading comics back in the late 1990's, but I will do whatever I can to help AVP get these books out and exposed. This means I will also be buying every book they make, not simply for support, but to also see what the other artists are doing. A machine can only work if all the required pieces are working together and moving towards the same goal.
If you aren't sure where any comics shops are located near you, check out the following link:
http://www.comicshoplocator.com/
You can also order online through Angry Viking Press' website.
Many thanks for your continued support!
--JMH
Received on Sat Apr 20 2013 - 14:57:46 CDT