Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc,alt.zines,alt.comics.alternative
From: [ah 804] at [FreeNet.Carleton.CA] (Kipp Lightburn)
Subject: Zine: KNOTTED #4!!
Date: Tue, 12 Jul 1994 02:51:02 GMT
__ __ __ __ ______ ______ ____ _____
| / \ | \ | | | \
| / \ | | | | | | | \
/ \ | | | | | | | \
\ | | | | | | | | \
| \ | | / | | | |__ /
| \ | | | | /
---------------------#4------------------------
The Electronic Zine of the Comic Book World
-----------------------------------------------
Issue #4 July 1994
------------------
EditoR: - Kipp Lightburn
[[ah 804] at [freenet.carleton.ca]]
DistributoR: - John Macauley
[[h--k--w] at [csd.uwo.ca]]
ContributorS: - Jeff Mason
[[j r m] at [elm.circa.ufl.edu]]
- Gary St. Lawrence (The Saint)
[[s--i--t] at [express.ctron.com]]
- Ray Tate
[[R C TST 2] at [vms.cis.pitt.edu]
- Rich Johnston
[[R J Johnston] at [ncl.ac.uk]]
- Gary Reed
[from Cerebus #171]
DeadPooL: - Tom "The Vampire Lestat" Cruise
StuntS: - Todd Macfarlane's Ego
PubliC RelationS: - Howard Stern (He's a jerk...
...but he's a jerk who can make me smile.)
PicK oF tHe IsH: - Books of Magic #1-4
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|-------------------|
TABLE OF CONTENTS
|-------------------|
- Knotted Notes
[ Me Spewing Zine Info Onto Your Moniter]
- Sam Keith, Frazetta, Kirby and ..Danzig?
[ The goings on at a new company in this
industry of ours. ]
- Two Pieces by the Saint
[ Two articles on Image by Gary St. Lawrence ]
- Where DC went wrong: Azrael
[ Ray Tate gives us his opinions on the
Darker Knight ]
- Dirtbag
[ A comic by Rich Johnston ]
- Self Publishing?
[ A guide to Self Publishing ]
- Comic Book Industry Addresses
[ A comprehensive list of Comic Book companies
and their mailing addresses ]
---------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------
KNOTTED NOTES:
We DO have subscriptions available! Thanks to John Macauley we have a
subscription service.
Send requests to:
address: [h--k--w] at [csd.uwo.ca]
body: subscribe me to KNOTTED
This issue of KNOTTED is what is generally referred to as "Thick as
a whale omelette". Big... Really big. Not due to a overly large amount of
submissions, just a few really big ones. The "Guide to Self Publishing"
by Gary Reed, originally published in Cerebus is probably what takes the
most room. So you have been warned... open your capture...
If you print this out and wrap it around your girfriend she _will_
ask you if it makes her look fat. And it will, even if she's just a
veritable waif...
Submissions come directly to me, with the words:
KNOTTED SUBMISSION
in the subject field of your message. We'll publish whatever we
get. If it's about comic's, then it's KNOTTED material. I'm STILL looking
for someone to do an Industry news column. But its more of a passive hunt
than an all out search. But if you have anything to say about comics, any
comics, you can say it here, we print everything we get.
Okay... I know... Get off the stage and let somebody else have the
microphone...
For your reading pleasure here's KNOTTED #4!
-----------------------------
BRACE YOURSELVES: Sam Keith, Frazetta, Kirby and... DANZIG?
--------------------------------------------------------------
Yes it seems to be utterly true folks. These guys are getting
together and putting out their own comics. I was flipping through what
was a truly fanboy and horrible magazine, "FLUX", and I came across an
interview with Glenn Danzig from the metal band 'DANZIG'. Since I can't
quote the article for fear of infringing on some silly copyright I'll just
paraphrase the whole darned thing for you... (If you want to read the whole
thing then buy the magazine)
Apparently Glenn Danzig has formed his own publishing company.
Seeing as how he's always been into comics, both reading and drawing, he
thinks the company is a logical next step. His first book will a
collection of new art by Frank Frazetta. A 30-piece, 9"X12" collecion of
"what is absolutely the best work he has ever done."
Then there's babbling about Danzig's first and favourite comics.
He says his favourite heroes were Magneto or Sub Mariner because they were
"Anti Heroes".
Then he's asked why his company will be different from the rest.
He says that the problem with most companies is that the arts "sucks" and
if the art isn't good then "the kids won't buy it". He says that Marvel
comics has cool characters but they don't get the right artists because
marvel is too "corporate".
Then there's babbling about favourite artists.
Then Danzig talks about Kirby (If you don't know which Kirby I'm
talking about... sell all of your comics) and meeting him. The company
will be publishing some of Kirby's work, and he's working on it right now
with Kirby's widow Roz.
Has he hired any other artists? Sam Keith (The Maxx), Simon
Bisley (Melting Pot, Lobo), Rob Zombie (From the band 'White Zombie').
Then they talk of Danzig's own creations, such titles as
'Satanica' and 'Goth'.
He's scripted the first two issues of Frazetta's 'Dark Wolf' and
there will be another Frazetta "Death Dealer.
Then they ask him about Gimmick covers. A summary of his response
is basically that gimmick covers are great but they just aren't done
right. And the fact that image sends retailers gold foils for every 50 or
so... sucks. Then they babble...
...as I said if you want to read the whole article buy the
magazine..
-BTYB Kipp Lightburn
------------------------------
TWO PIECES FROM THE SAINT
------------------------------
THE FIRST PIECE...
------------------
Date: Fri Jun 17 15:58:19 1994 From:
[s--i--t] at [express.ctron.com]
Todd McFarlane said in his column in Wizard #34, "Shut your mouth.
When you open your mouth, you will only do yourself damage. Let the
work do the talking for you."
WHY CAN'T THIS MAN TAKE HIS OWN ADVICE?!?
In that same column, McFarlane advises young and aspiring artists
and writers to "ignore submissions editors," because that's what
he did and as proof he tells them to look where he is now. He also
urges industry professionals to respond or comment.
Ergo ... HOGWASH!!!!
"Mail out 200 submissions and expect 199 rejections," he said. Well,
where do you suppose those rejections come from? The truth is, (as
has been confirmed by at least a dozen people whose names I won't
drop here) that if you ignore submissions editors, your submission
will VERY QUICKLY become circular-filed.
Think about your comics submission. You worked very hard
on it and think it's worth publication. You slaved over details and
presentation until your proposal was the best you could possibly
get it to be. The problem is, it's now sitting on a desk (hopefully)
with a thousand other submissions, each of which was worked on
just as hard by someone just as eager and conscientious as you. What
makes yours stand out as something special?
But the real question is: Why the hell would you want to give yourself
an even BIGGER disadvantage by not sending that submission to the
people the publishers have appointed to receive it?!? The whole idea
of submissions is to get yours to stand apart from the crowd? Do you
really think your work will get noticed in some editor's trash can?
Or in a very rarely checked "In" box? Or in some convoluted
inter-office mail?
Let's face it. Todd McFarlane is a good artist. His work is crisp,
clean and eye-catching. He moved up through the Marvel and DC ranks
until he was given the privilege of working on Marvel's flagship
character, Spider-Man. From there, the empire was built. Maybe he
did ignore submissions editors. I really doubt it. But for the sake
of argument, let's say he did. I can only assume that this ... advice
... for lack of a better word, comes from McFarlane's own insecurity.
Is he really so paranoid and afraid of competition that he'd give
absolutely HORRIBLE advice to up-and-comers? How often do you think
McFarlane's kind of lightning strikes?
You'd have to be a moron to want to earn a strike against you right
off the bat by ignoring the process that was created for what you
want to do. True, everyone gets lucky breaks sometime. But you'd be
an idiot to RELY ON LUCKY BREAKS!
Either that, or you'd just be a pompous, egotistical ass who believes
that the average submissions editor is just too incompetent to
recognize your obvious and inherent genius.
So do yourself a favor: Take Mr. McFarlane's advice. Let the work
do the talking for you. Leave the egos to people who can afford to
have them.
In regards to the promulgation of Image, Homage, Extreme, etc. (I will use
the term "Image" to cover Image and all it's subsidiary studios.)
It is my considered opinion that Image is just too much flash and
not enough substance, and I say that in application to not only the
books, but most of the people doing them as well. We've all heard how
"Image rules" and that they leaving the big two in the dust. Yep. We've
*heard* that -- we just haven't *seen* it. Having met some and
seen most of them in convention settings, where one would think they'd
be on their freindliest behavior, they're more often rude, spiteful,
pompous, and just plain offensive.
I think this perpetuates the fanboy/"investor" problems plaguing this
industry, because the more some 12 year old has to go through to get
Erik Larsen to shut his yap long enough to sign a book, the "hotter"
that signature is in the kid's mind. And you know as well as I
that there are scores of scumbag dealers and store owners out there
who are just waiting for a chance to screw some kid by selling him,
as George Carlin said, "cheap crap that you don't need at incredibly
high prices." We've all seen the examples of someone buying a book
at a convention, getting it signed and then turning around to another
dealer and asking if he can sell it for some ridiculous price.
I realize the industry can't ignore that part of its audience, but
we don't need to throw gasoline on an already raging fire, either.
If we worked to dampen the speculation inferno instead of regularly
adding logs issue after issue, we'd see a cure begin to cultivate
for "the investor plague." Perhaps if we simply stated plainly that
just because a publisher hypes the hell out of a book, that doesn't
make it worth an inflated cover price and that there is NO NEED for
multiple covers of ANY book, regardless of the publisher, we could
see an end to the quality over quantity argument.
Todd McFarlane's beloved 12-year-old target audience are smart, they
aren't going to believe every contradiction he utters forever. But
they're also easily duped by what the media tells them. If the media
keeps saying that if Rob Liefield wipes himself and autographs
the tissue, that it's going to be "a hot item," some fan will buy it. I
think Hero, Overstreet, Comics Scene and most all the other industry
news magazines have gone overboard in promoting that kind of thing.
Nobody wants to get burned in this business, even though the
business of this business is profit. I see profit as being the
equivalent to the yellow impurity in a Green Lantern ring,
without it, the thing just doesn't work. Likewise, without profit
there are no comics. Without comics, the industry just doesn't work.
But that shouldn't give carte blanche to publishers, writers and
artists to rip off fans by telling that that anything put out
by so-and-so is a goldmine. Let's stop lying to the fans.
Better yet, how about listening to *ALL* the fans, instead of
just those who pump sunshine?
The Image guys have *terrible* track records in terms of deadlines,
story quality and personal appearances. We don't need to hear ever-
repeatedly that "Image is working on the lateness problem" or about
the even more ridiculous "ghost personna" routine. I think the media
keeps giving the Image writers and artists an excuse to continue
being the undependable, redundant flashes in the pan that they
have been since day one.
I foresee two needs:
1) It's long past the time that someone MADE the Image
writers and artists sit down, shut up and DO THE WORK
that they're constantly telling us is so wonderful.
I, for one, am sick of them telling me to "just wait,
good things take time." They've had four years already,
and we're all STILL waiting. They should just think of
the readers as all being from Missouri: Show us.
2) The media (all of us) have to stop telling the fans
that anything even remotely associated with Image and
its ilk are the comic book equivalent of a high-yield
savings bond. Just because it has flashy art, foil-
embossed whatever, and one of the "chosen ones" working
on it, does NOT mean it's going to be on Southeby's
auction block next to Action #1 and Detective #27.
What the hell ever happened to something being collectable
because it's rare and original?!?
Well, that's my take on the Image frenzy. The last point I'll make
is that Image's writers and artists should take a moment from their
busy schedules (whatever it is they do that makes their books
constantly late) and take a look at the market reports. Your points
are slipping, guys. Perhaps the audience is getting bored with
the opening act and wants to see this main event you've been teasing
them with for years?
Gee, I hope I haven't offended anyone.
The Saint.
-----------------------
AND THE SECOND PIECE...
-----------------------
I'd like to direct a simple and understandable comment
to Rob Liefield in response to the article " Liefield Balks At
Nets."
The message is: "Oh, just SHUT THE HELL UP ALREADY!"
The news content in the article is nothing more than
"Youngblood will go to direct video." Big deal. Whooopie. As
though anyone didn't know this already, or moreover, can bring
themselves to care.
Once again, the mewling 501-boy whined about how unfairly
he's being treated and how nobody will give him the credit and
recognition he feels he deserves. WELCOME TO THE GROWN-UP WORLD,
ROB! Of the Youngblood characters, Liefield says, "[They] are
my babies. They're my children. I've taken great care of these
characters and have been developing them for many years."
Right. And porcine mammals will escape from my
rectal cavity in aerodynamic fashion.
Liefield cared SO MUCH about "his babies" that he
couldn't be bothered to even FINISH THE MINI-SERIES THEY
DEBUTED IN! The wunderkind of the hype patrol got bored and
disgusted when nobody stood up and praised him on high for
Youngblood, and threw a tantrum, not the first and CERTAINLY
not the last. Again, big deal ... whoopie. We're supposed to
rave and drool and stand in awe for some spoiled, self-indulgent
headcase who "creates" carbon copies of this X-Man or that Avenger?
Again with the porcines.
Youngblood's going to video. Why? Because Rob, in his
standard pissy fashion, resented anyone telling him anything
about anything. He said in the article, "... the compromises
we would have had to make would have produced a namby-pamby
show and I'm not interested in putting on a pre-schoolers'
superhero show."
Okay, ***IF*** that were truly the case, I would
probably agree with him (check for icicles WAY south of here).
But what has REALLY brought all this on is the fact that once
again, Rob was told he couldn't have precisely what he wanted
and precisely when and how he wanted it, so he took the animated
equivalent of his bat and ball and went home.
The "compromises" the television networks insisted
upon contradicted Rob's demand that semi-nude women, extremely
graphic blood-n-guts sequences, sexual and violent content,
and language that Detective Sipowicz would have reservations
about using all be included regularly in the show.
What's the matter Rob? Not enough ultra-violent crap
for kids to be exposed to already? Shame you don't have a baby
sister to set fire to, huh? That would be SO KEWL!
This is a case of the spolied brat having a fit when
denied complete and utter freedom. It's compounded by the fact
that Liefield wants all that freedom, and more, but absolutely
refuses to accept any responsibility whatsoever to earn it.
You want to compare yourself to Jack Kirby? You might try to
have a fraction of Kirby's grace, style and dedication, and
maybe we'll begin to consider it.
Until then, this CONSTANT insistence that you're the
most wonderful thing to happen to comics since berries were
first mashed into ink has utterly worn out its welcome. Actions
speak louder than words, Rob. If you could only comprehend
that, all that yucky unfairness in the world would go away.
Just pretend we're all from Missouri: SHOW US how good you
are instead of TELLING us. `Cuz so far, we ain't seen squat!
Grow up, do your work and you MIGHT be able to keep
yourself from wedging that other Reebok in that overused
opening in your face.
The Saint.
--------------------
Date: Thu Jun 23 20:44:06 1994
From: [R C TST 2] at [vms.cis.pitt.edu]
Where DC Went Wrong: Azrael
by
Ray Tate
The "Sword of Azrael" mini-series was a grand story. It had
dynamite artwork and featured a likable, intelligent character who was
strong enough to resist the programming he had undergone since he
popped out of the womb. This character should have had his own series.
Forget it.
DC had other plans for Jean Paul Valley. They decided to doom
the Dark Knight. There would be no telephone polls this time. They
would force upon Valley the mantle of the bat and subsequently alienate
loyal Batman readers everywhere.
The concept of having another man take Batman's place is to be
fair very intriguing. Discussions on the definition of vigilante
could have been opened. Is Batman a vigilante? He breaks laws, but he
does not kill. The vigilantes of the old West were basic lynch mobs,
but Batman respects the law. Sadly, the forum was not explored. Instead,
DC opted for such abysmal stupidity one could write volumes instead of one
article outlining the failure of Knightquest: the Crusade.
Number one, Bane. Is this guy a major threat? He only beat Batman
by releasing Arkham's inmates. If Batman had a decent night's sleep, he
would have aimed a well-placed batarang at those cute pipes pumping venom
into the dork's brain.
"Aaargh! My venom!"
"How about that? It's a gas."
"Aaargh! Gas! Cough. Ugh."
"Whew, I'm beat. Alfred, clean up that mess, please. I'm
off to bed."
Number two, Nightwing. Let's say a worthier villain incapacitated
Batman. Back in the pre-crisis days, Batman used to call up a future
Batman named Bane (coincidence?) to take his place. Of course, that Bane
no longer exists, but at least when I checked, Nightwing is still breathing
on Starfire's--well never mind what he's breathing on. He's fictionally
alive. Batman gave a reason for not calling on Dick Grayson, but it was
so lame. Bruce and Dick buried the hatchet some time ago--two different
versions, both after the crisis. There was absolutely no reason why he
couldn't call Dick. As Batman, Nightwing would have used a batarang to
cut those cute pipes pumping venom into the dork's brain (see above.)
Gotham would have been safe. We, the fanboys and fangirls of the world,
would have been treated to a more swashbuckling tale, and here's the
important part, Dick would have given the cowl back. DC's never
entertained logic. Remember, Monarch?
Number three, Commissioner Gordon. I can see Gordon not connecting
Jason to Time Drake, but how in the hell, would he not notice a replacement
Batman! If someone replaced your friend, you'd probably get the axe and
go down to the basement to search for pods! Gordon knows Batman; he probably
knows who he is. Gordon's not stupid. He doesn't wear Spandex, but he is
a detective. Are we supposed to think Valley has the same body language of
as Bruce Wayne? What about the running joke between Batman and Gordon?
Gordon turns his head. Batman's gone. Gordon turns his head. Valley isn't.
Unbelievable and totally against character. Maybe the Zero Hour will explain
it.
Okay. It's one thing to point and another thing to clothe the
emperor. Was there a way for DC to tell an interesting story without
putting Nightwing or any other sane member of the Batman Family in
the blue and gray? Yes!!
Batman is broken. He gives up the mantle bat to Valley. He
has no choice. Dick is on an outer-space mission with the Titans--isn't
it just like him? Bruce searches for Sondra Kinsolving; so begins Knightquest.
Jean Paul Valley defeats Bane. So far, this story is similar to the one that
stunk up the comic racks, but here's where we diverge. After Valley beats
Bane to orange pulp, James Gordon shouts "Arrest that imposter!" Ah hah.
There is no Crusade. There is a Hunt, and the focus isn't on Jean Paul--I am
a psychotic--Valley. Instead, the spotlight shines on the supporting
characters: the Gotham Police Force. What an opportunity to flesh out
Bullock, Essen, Gordon and Montoya? Zip! Right over DC's heads.
Where were we? Oh, yeah. Valley the hunted starts killing cops.
Robin and the Huntress join the hunt. ORACLE contacts Catwoman, and
Catwoman joins the hunt. Valley of course must leave the batcave and
find a new hole in the ground, but Gordon figures out the hole's location.
Valley cannot escape. He raises his dumblood glove. He intends to fire
a high-powered bat-shuriken into Gordon's throat.
"Back off, old man."
"You're not Batman."
"I fight the good fight. If you can't see that, you're part of
the problem. Here's the solution." (Valley probably thought that bit
of dialogue was cool. Hah!)
Gordon fires. The bat-star slices the bullet and spins toward
Gordon's jugular. A batarang severs the dark. It careens into the
shuriken, and sends it flying into the cave walls. Batman has returned.
My hobby's writing. I'm not a professional, but I came up with a better
Knightquest story, and I'll bet dozens of other fans could have conceived
of something better than the dreck slogging into the comic store every
month. Until we meet again. "Same Bat-time. Same Bat-net."
Some biographical info: I'm twenty-six years old, and I've read Batman
since I was twelve. I
You have my permission to print my little article and my e-mail address.
Sincerely, R
Ray Tate
----------------------------------
DIRTBAG - A comic by Rich Johnston
----------------------------------
Help in the promotion of Dirtbag by printing this form out a number of times
and dropping it off at your local comics shop! Fill one out yourself even!
Ask the owner if you can leave a pile on the counter, or slip them into
Previews/Advance Comics. Thanks! I'll try to reward people who help by
giving out exclusive ashcans, sketches and posters.
- - - - - - - -- - - - - ->8 - - - - - - - - - - -- -- -- -- - - -
DIRTBAG is a comic book by Richard Johnston, self-published by Twist
and Shout Comics, at $2.95. It is offered in this month's Previews
and Advance Comics (Previews lists issues 1 and 2 by mistake, issue 2
will ship in october.)
DIRTBAG is a comic book that I've been working on for well over 6
months now. it tells the story of an intergalactic sentient
teleoprting trash heap called "Dirtbag" and the people who live on
its surface, namely Midge Xypher, an alien vagabond, and Steve
Harris, an English policeman. They are pursued across the galaxy by a
group of bailiffs, intent on repossessing the Dirtbag and killing
Midge Xypher!
DIRTBAG is a science-fiction-comedy-character piece that examines the
lives of these characters and the effect they have on each other.
Each issue uses innovative storytelling techniques and also acts as a
parody of many current comic forms.
Richard Johnston (me!) recently won The National Student Cartoonist
of the Year Award 1994, and has managed to get a lot of top name
comic creators to draw sketches for his covers, including Neil
Gaiman, Simon Bisley, Jeff Smith, Brian Bolland, Mark Buckingham,
David Lloyd, Dave Sim, Gerhard, Brian Talbot, Duncan Fegredo, Sean
Philips, Gary Erskine, Paul Grist, Glyn Dillon and Terry Wiley. Each
issue becomes a veritable gallery.
However, because Dirtbag is a self published black and white title,
many shops may not order many or any. So, if you want to try a copy,
fill in this form and give it to your retailer. He/she will then be a
able to order a copy a month for you. If the retailer receives enough
orders, they may order more copies for the shelves too! Dirtbag cxan
only succeed with customer help! Support small press, and one day
they will grow into much larger presses..
And now the form:
Dear retailer: Please order me ___ copy/copies of Dirtbag #1
for October release, from Twist and Shout Comics.
Name:__________________________________
Address: _______________________________
_______________________________
Thank you.
...................................
Rich Johnston- [r j johnston] at [ncl.ac.uk]
National Student Cartoonist of the Year 1994.
Dirtbag #1 can now be ordered in this month's Previews
and Advance Comics, under Twist and Shout Comics.
So Go On Then! Order it! From your local shop!
-------------------------------
SELF-PUBLISHING?
A Primer into the World of
Self-Publishing Your Comic
By Gary Reed
[ The following is a brief guide to self-publishing put together by
Gary Reed, publisher of Calibre Press. Feel free to copy, modify, pass
out, distribute, etc. to anyone that might be interested. This primer
is meant to be an introduction to self-publishing and is not intended
to be a complete concise guide. The author assumes no obligations,
liabilities, etc. Any inquiries should be mailed, with a self-
addressed, stamped envelope, to: Gary Reed, Calibre Press, 621-B South
Main Street, Plymouth, Michigan, U.S.A., 48170. ]
In talking with comics creators about self-publishing, the primary element
that seems to present itself on why they haven't done it or don't want to do
it is that they are intimidated by the entire process. What this pamphlet
will show you is that the aspects to know are not really that difficult.
The only secret involved is knowing what is required and I hope that this
pamphlet will answer most of the basic questions.
While I have tried to cover everything, I'm sure there are some areas
that I have probably missed, possibly even some of the basic, obvious ones.
All areas covered will be in generalities and exceptions in those areas will
occur all the time. Remember to keep that in mind.
First off, before getting into specifics about the different areas, I'd
like to explain the general overview, the big picture. When you decide to
publish a comic, you must remember to plan ahead, usually at least four
months prior to when the actual book comes out.
The process of offering your comic to the comic book marketplace is
generally called the solicitation process: you are soliciting orders on your
product. Basically you will inform the distributors of your title, they in
turn will put it in their ordering catalogue and distribute those catalogues
to the comic store retailers around the country. The retailers will place
their orders and return the catalogue to the distributor who will then add
up all of the orders. Once a total is arrived at, the distributor will send
you a purchase order which tells exactly how many copies they want of your
comic, where to ship them, and confirmation of the price they will pay.
This will tell you how many copies you have pre-sold and you can use this
information to set your print run.
On the surface, it seems like a highly efficient system. You know how
many you have sold before printing. The distributors order exactly how many
the retailers have ordered therefore they have sold all of their copies.
The only one apparently taking a risk is the retailer who is
essentially guessing four months ahead on how well the comic will sell.
Remember in the direct market, the retailer is bound to accept all the
copies he ordered and cannot return them. If he doesn't sell them, he is
stuck with them. This may give you some ideas of why many retailers don't
bother with smaller press titles. The potential sales are minimal in most
cases but the risks are always there. Of course, it may benefit him in the
long run to offer a wide diversity of titles to his customers, but most
retailers have to worry about the "here and now" and they'll worry about the
future when they get there.
This should give you a general idea of the process itself; now we'll
deal in specifics. Some of this may appear blatantly obvious to you but it
is being assumed that you have very little knowledge of the entire process
and all of its steps.
THE BASICS
First off, your comic should be the traditional size of most of the other
comics. That size is roughly 6 3/4 x 10 inches. Up to 1/2 inch either way
doesn't matter too much but deviations from the comic size will hurt your
potential sales quite a bit. Most stores have display space to fit a comic
size and anything that is odd-sized will often not fit into their displays.
Many stores will not even carry digest or magazine size, especially small
press titles. There is no rule here but it is a strike against you if you
don't do it comic size.
The average black-and-white comic runs 32 pages and has a cover price
of $2.50. Some publishers feel that a reduced cover price will encourage
sales but in small press comics, this is typically not the case. Retailers
are either interested or they're not. Over-pricing, however, will turn off
many interested retailers. If your comic has more pages, then you can up
the cover price. Most publishers also include the Canadian price on their
titles and this runs anywhere from 10 to 20 per cent more. Check some other
titles on the stand or find out what the current exchange rate is prior to
establishing a Canadian price.
On all your correspondence and advertising, make sure you get
everything typeset. Hand-written ads. flash a warning sign to all retailers
that the comic itself is likely to be of low quality. On your comic itself,
make sure you have someone proofread it. All comic companies have some
mistakes that go through even when they think most are caught. Try to make
your comic book as professional as possible. In some cases, however, the
handwritten aspect is part of the appeal.
PRODUCTION
Original art can be any size, but it should be proportional to 6 3/4 x 10
inches. Most artists use a size of 10 x 15 inches or 11 x 17 inches. There
are some suppliers who solicit their art paper with the catalogues or
advertise in the COMIC BUYER'S GUIDE. The type of paper is mostly a matter
of personal choice, but quality will tell in how well the work reproduces or
holds ink.
Having a printer cut in half-tones (black-and-white shots of colour
work) or screens can be time-consuming and may drive the printing cost up.
It is best to do it yourself. If you have a lot of half-tones to be cut
into your art, get them all shot separately and then cut them into your
work. If using Zip-A-Tone, be sure you watch how you lay it over other Zip;
because of the light refraction, you may get some bizarre and unexpected
patterns.
Comic flats that printers use are in paginations of 8 or 16, so your
comic should always be in increments of 8 (8, 16, 24, 32, 40, 48, etc.).
Some printers who use 16-page plates will charge you for the 16 plates even
if you only use 8 of the pages, so sometimes it will cost almost the same to
print a 40- or 48-page book. The covers (inside and outside) are printed
separately and are not part of your page count. Sometimes to save money, a
publisher will print no additional cover and use the first page as the cover
piece (called a self-cover), but reproduction and quality are usually
horrendous when doing this. It is best to run a separate cover.
A full colour cover will have to be separated (a full-colour cover that
needs separations is probably 99 per cent of the covers being done).
Separation is the process where the coloured art is put into negatives of
the four colours: black, red, yellow, and blue. Some printers will cut in
flat colours onto black-and-white art, but if your art requires a lot of
cut-in colours it may cost you the same as a separation.
Most printers can handle the separation for you and then they will also
cut in the logo, prices, and any additional type on the cover for a flat fee
of around $125 to $200. The printers can use almost any type of art you
give them. If it is a collage work or 3-D (sometimes called relief), or on
a very stiff board, the printer may have to shoot a transparency first.
This is an additional charge that can run up to $100. If on a stiff board,
the printer can sometimes "peel" off the top layer which holds the art so it
can be wrapped around a drum for separation.
Don't forget that, while you may want to do another colour piece for
the back to make the comic look even better, you're going to have to pop for
another separation charge.
Logos and other cover type are usually sent along separate from the
cover and just have to be in black and white. Most people typeset it, but
your printer can also do it for a small charge. You must indicate to the
printer what colour you want them to be. Most printers have no trouble
following the general guidelines of giving colours in percentage; for
instance, the deep red colour that is so popular is 100% red with 100%
yellow. Note that 100% red is actually magenta which is vastly different
from your typical red. Pick up a colour guidebook or see if your printer
has a chart for colour processes that they use.
The most important thing in dealing with printers is to remember that
they cannot read your mind. Also, although a comic may be a great labour of
love to you, to printers it is simply a production job that they want to fit
into their schedule and get out whenever they can. It may consume your
passion and time, but to the printer it is one job out of 100. Most
printers who print small print runs have a great deal of other work and
comics to them are low priority. If you expend too much of their energies,
they may decide it isn't worth it. Always give them a full mock-up copy,
not only of the book but the cover as well. Remember that to the printer
there is no "typical" comic book, and sometimes your logic is not their
logic. Spell everything out!
PRINTERS
The following is a list of printers. You can call or write to them to get
prices, but generally for comics that print around 3,000 the price will be
30 cents each, 2,000 will be 40 to 45 cents, and 1,000 copies will run 50 to
65 cents each.
Associated Printers
402 Hill Avenue Printer of many in-
Grafton, North Dakota dependents; higher
58237 print minimums and
(701) 352-0640 very good quality.
Brenner Printing
106 Braniff
San Antonio, Texas Printer of majority
78216 of independents;
(512) 349-4024 good prices.
Preney Print & Litho
2714 Dougall Avenue Printer of CEREBUS
Windsor, Ontario and most Calibre
N9E 1R9 books.
You will also have to pay for the separations and any additional camera
work; if you use the printer to ship your books, figure on another couple
hundred dollars for that.
So if you have orders for 1,600 copies and you print 2,000, here's a
rough idea of what your cost would be at 40 cents each. Adding shipping
costs of $150 and separations for $150 to the actual printing cost of $800
will give you a grand total of $1,100. If you sold 1,600 copies at a cost
to distributors of $0.875 then you have $1,400 in sales, less the cost of
printing for a profit of $300.
When you get your orders from the distributors, they will tell you
exactly where to send the comics. If the orders are too low (under 25
copies or so) to specific warehouses, it would be cheaper probably for you
to ship them yourself to those warehouses. Check with your printer as they
may have specific shipping arrangements with certain distributors.
SOLICITATIONS
When you have your material for your comic basically done, then you are
ready to solicit the title to the distributors. A list of distributors
follows.
Action Direct 200 fliers (see "Ad-
114 A. Building vertising" below for
Kansas City, Kansas more information)
66115
Andromeda Publications 200 fliers
2113 Dundas Street
Toronto, Ontario
M6R 1X1
Capital City Distributors 3000 fliers
P.O. Box 8156
Madison, Wisconsin
53708
C.I.B. 200 fliers
2040 B Steel Drive
Tucker, Georgia
30084
Comics Hawaii 50 fliers
4420 Lawehana #3
Honolulu, Hawaii
96818
Comics Unlimited 500 fliers
101 Ellis
Staten Island, New York
10307
Diamond Comics 4000 fliers
1720 Belmont, Bay F
Baltimore, Maryland
21207
Friendly Frank's 400 fliers
26055 Dequindre
Madison Heights, Michigan
48071
Heroes' World 700 fliers
P.O. Box 877
Dover, New Jersey
07802
Multi-Book Per. 150 fliers
4380-17 South Service Drive
Burlington, Ontario
L7L 5Y6
Robin Hood Distributors 100 fliers
1283 Cottonwood Crescent
Oakville, Ontario
L6M 2W7
Styx International 200 fliers
10-62 Scurfield Boulevard
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R3Y 1M5
You send all the distributors the same information. The basic
information should consist of cover price, number of pages, whether it is
for mature audiences or not, how many issues are planned, black-and-white or
colour, creators involved, and the exact title and issue number of the
comic. You should of course include a general description of the title,
which should fit in one paragraph. You should also have your company name,
if different, an address where they can contact you as well as a phone
number. If you have access to a fax, include that as well.
You must also let distributors know for how much you are selling the
book to them. The general rule is that a publisher will give the
distributor a 60 to 65 per cent discount off cover price. Therefore if you
have a 65% discount, the distributor will pay $0.875 for each copy they
order.
They in turn will offer it to their retailers at a discount of 30 to 55
per cent, depending on how much the retailer orders overall. So the
retailer makes a profit of 30 to 55 per cent, the distributor makes a profit
of 10 to 35 per cent, and you as publisher make a profit of 35 per cent.
This 35 per cent has to go to the talent, production, advertising, and of
course printing of the comic.
Remember, though, that as the "front man", the retailer is taking the
largest chance because he is the only one that has no idea of how many
copies he should sell. The distributor will usually make the lower end as
most of the accounts that carry smaller press are larger stores who will get
the top discount of 50 to 55 per cent. Thus a store has to sell at least
half of their order just to break even on the title, and if they discount
the number can jump up to selling 75 per cent of their order to break even.
It is not only suggested but also required by some distributors to send
a full mock-up of the entire comic. This should be either comic-sized or
letter-sized, but don't send original-art-sized if bigger than that. At the
very least you should include some art examples, especially the cover. Do
not send originals or colour. A black and white stat or half-tone in a size
2 x 3 inches, or proportional to that size, is recommended.
STARTING THE PROCESS
Okay, the comic is finished, you have the printer lined up, you have all
your information for the distributors ready to go. What now?
It is important to note that you have to work far in advance. It takes
time for the distributors to get all the information together into their
catalogues, send them out to retailers, receive them back from the
retailers, and then compile all the numbers and issue a purchase order to
you.
Here is a rough schedule for a comic that you want released in August.
(You may substitute accordingly for any other month you want to figure out,
but more of the larger distributors will send you an itemized list.)
April 25: Send all the information, mock-up, discount structure,
etc. to distributors. (Do NOT send fliers at time of
solicitation.)
May 10: Solicitation fliers due to distributors (contact
distributor first, as many have the fliers sent to a different
warehouse. See "Advertising" below for more information).
June 1: Retailers receive catalogues from distributors.
June 20: Retailers return their catalogues and orders to
distributors.
July 15: Distributors send out purchase orders to publishers.
As you can see, orders don't come in for a comic until about two weeks
before the comic is due to ship ... and those are the early ones. Some
distributors don't get their orders in until the same month that the book is
shipping.
Since most smaller press printers take four to eight weeks to print, it
is very hard for small publishers to get their books to ship later. Usually
if it is the following month it isn't that big of a deal. However, if it
gets too late, they will only take the comic on a returnable basis or not at
all.
ADVERTISING
Everyone wants to advertise and it's hard to argue that it will not help
your comic. But conversely, it may not help as much as you might think.
If you have a comic that is sure to appeal to a lot of people,
advertising will let them be aware of it. If you have a comic that only has
limited appeal, no amount spent on advertising will help. I know of titles
that have dropped thousands of advertising dollars and only pull in orders
of 2,000 copies. Other titles get no advertising and still pull in orders
of 10,000 or more. Advertising is a helping aid, not a guarantee.
At the bare minimum, you should send out solicitation fliers to the
distributors. Fliers should be roughly letter-sized. With the exception of
Diamond Comics, the distributors will pass out your fliers for free as part
of the solicitation process; see the list of distributors for how many each
one gets. Diamond currently charges $150 for each flier they pass out, so
if you have two fliers for two different titles, you'll be charged $300.
One avenue that is available to all publishers is to advertise in the
catalogues of the distributors. This can be very effective as retailers
will be looking at your ad. as they are getting ready to order your title.
Diamond Comics is the largest, so I'll use them as an example. A full-
page ad. (I believe they only take full-page ads.) costs about $800 and has
to be camera-ready. (Other distributors do charge less, but your return is
less, as they are not as large as Diamond.) Now, if you have a comic that
you're selling wholesale for 87 cents, and you deduct a printing and
shipping cost of 45 cents, the cleared profit on your comic is 42 cents. To
cover the cost of that Diamond ad. alone is 1905 copies. If you think that
advertising that comic will generate extra sales of 1905 copies, then go for
it.
Your solicitation fliers will run about four cents each if you print
only one side, so at 10,000 copies that's $400. Add on the $150 for Diamond
plus about $20 for shipping the fliers, and your total cost for the fliers
will be about $570. That means that after deducting the cost of printing,
shipping, separations, and such, you have to sell 1357 copies just to cover
the bare minimum.
Other sources for advertising are available as well. Many magazines
take advertising and their rates range from $180 to over $1000 for a full-
page ad. Gear your advertising to the audience who follows the different
periodicals; you probably shouldn't send a superhero title ad. to THE COMICS
JOURNAL.
Make sure you have an idea of when those issues will ship. Some people
follow the philosophy that you should advertise right before the title comes
out as it will generate interest, and this may be true. If it does work it
may mean a good sell-through for retailers, but they ordered your comic a
couple of months ago; now they will have to re-order the title to get
additional copies, and in the distribution system as it is currently set up
this seems to be one of the weakest service areas.
Also, did you print enough to cover re-orders? If not, you may have to
go back to print. But if you go back to print, you cannot send out second
printings in lieu of first printings; you must solicit the title all over
again as a new title.
Most publishers feel the best time to advertise is when the retailers
are ordering the comic. You must sell to the retailers first!
SOME HARSH REALITIES
* There are reportedly 5,000 to 7,000 comic stores in Canada and the U.S.
Of those, only 800 to 1,500 will probably even consider carrying a
small press independent. Of those, 300 to 400 will probably account
for 80 to 90 per cent of your orders. If you know who those stores
are, target them specifically!
* Each month there are 500 to 600 titles offered to retailers. Marvel,
DC, Valiant, Image, and Dark Horse account for about 200 titles. That
means you are competing with another 300 to 400 comics every month, but
retailers spend only 15 to 20 per cent of their money on the smaller
publishers, including Disney, Topps, Malibu, Innovation, Calibre,
Fantagraphics, Kitchen Sink, Millenium, Archie, Harvey, Eclipse,
Comico, Viz, Revolutionary, Personality, and over 100 other publishers.
There's a lot of scrambling for that 15 to 20 per cent!
* Distributors and the fan press will not give you a lot of attention
until you prove that you will come out with a good comic on a
consistent basis. You may ask how you can do that if they don't
support you in the first place. I suggest you read Joseph Heller's
CATCH-22. Remember that of those small comics offered each month,
sometimes up to 100 of them never, ever come out. No one is going to
spend any energy on "maybes".
* It may seem worthwhile to offer your comic directly to stores.
However, many of the distributors will not carry your title if you do
that. They usually have no problem with re-orders, but on the initial
solicitations they frown on it greatly.
* Remember that in addition to soliciting your title, you have other
office time involved in invoicing your comic, arranging for re-orders,
dealing with shortages and damages shipments, fulfilling mail orders
(if you take them), filing the copyright papers, shipping, etc.
* Most of the larger publishers in the small-press range have very few
re-orders, so don't count on getting a great deal. Not to say it
doesn't happen, but it's rare. Watch your over-printing. Most
independent publishers go out of business by over-estimating the demand
for their comic.
The above information is not intended to scare you or intimidate you, but it
is to your advantage if you know the situation you could possibly get into.
It's a very tough business, and you have to go in with your eyes open and
aware of the pitfalls. I hope that this pamphlet gives you valuable
information so you know how to approach the business without wasting your
energies.
Most publishers get hundreds of submissions a month from new people
trying to break into the field, and new companies are trying to form almost
daily. Your primary purpose in publishing should be to get out your comic,
not to generate a large amount of money. It may happen, but if you go in
not expecting it, you won't be disappointed. Many people have launched
successful books and are doing well, so it is not impossible. Difficult
maybe, but not unheard of.
Self-publishing will guarantee you total control in presentation,
printing, and promotion. But it has to be satisfying in its own right if
you want to do it. I truly wish you the very best of luck.
-------------------------------
Comic Book Industry Addresses
-----------------------------
V5.3, May 8, 1994
Compiled by Jeff Mason ([j r m] at [elm.circa.ufl.edu])
Thanks to Kenneth Chisholm, Richard A. Schumacher, Wayne Wong, Lance
Smith, James Drew, Mark Stadel, Paula Marie Bailey, Otto J. Makela,
Marcus Harwell, Rick Klaw, Michael Fragassi, Patrick Sauriol, Neil
McAllister, Tom Wentzel, Justin C, Mark Ou, E.A. Sumner, Rich Johnston,
Christopher Howard, Winston Edmond, Preston Sweet, Michel Vrana for
updates.
Please let me know of additions and innacuracies. If you know FOR SURE
that a company has folded, please let me know.
The second phone number for any given company is their Fax number (if I
can squeeze it in).
Addresses added in V5.3:
>Abalone Press, 6210 Harlow Drive, Bremerton, WA 98312.
>Alternative Concepts, 3848 Niles Road, St Joseph, MI 49085.
>Babble On Press, 1715 Woodland Drive, Vancouver B.C., CANADA V5N 3N6.
>Chiasmus Publishing, P.O. Box 19872, Kalamazoo, MI 49019.
>Craig Baxter, 214 NW 4th Ave, Box 5, Gainesville, FL 32601.
>Cranial Stomp Comix, Route 1 Box 172-B1, Willard, MO 65781.
>Cult Press, 1047 West Carson St #3, Torrance, CA 90502. 370-328-5830.
>Fanny, 10 Acklam Road, Unit 6A, London, England W10 5QZ.
>Heebeejeebees, P.O. Box 20427, Seattle, WA 98102.
>Simon Bosse, 564 Maple Street, St Lambert QC, CANADA J4P 2S7.
>Skin Graft, P.O. Box 257546, Chicago, IL 60625.
>Strawberry Jelly Comix, 202 East Main Street, Apt G, Hahira, GA 31632.
Addresses changed in V5.3:
>Chaos! Comics, 7349 Via Paseo Del Sur, Suite 515-208, Scottsdale, AZ 85258.
>Raging Rhino, P.O. Box 618, Hollywood, FL 33022.
======================================================================
A-Girl, 137 S. San Fernando Blvd #231, Burbank, CA 91502.
Aardvark-Vanaheim, P.O. Box 1674 Stn C. Kitchner, Ontario, N2G 4R2 CANADA.
Abalone Press, 6210 Harlow Drive, Bremerton, WA 98312.
Abstract Studio, 8600 Westpark #107, Houston, TX 77063. 713-783-2655.
Adhesive Comics, P.O. Box 5372, Austin, TX 78763-5372. 512-478-9900.
Aeon, 5014-D Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105.
Alaffinity, P.O. Box 272064, Concord, CA 94527-2064. 510-370-0762.
Alliance Comics, 812 Stevens Ave., Portland, ME 04102.
Alpha Productions, P.O. Box 1172, Rockland, ME 04841. 207-594-4950.
Alternative Concepts, 3848 Niles Road, St Joseph, MI 49085.
American Splendor, P.O. Box 18471, Cleveland Heights, OH 44118.
Americomics, P.O. Box 1216, Longwood, FL 32752.
AmF Comics, P.O. Box 168, Falconer, NY 14733-0168.
Anarchy Press, Box 1489 Sudden Valley, Bellingham, WA 98226.
Ancient Brain Parts, P.O. Box 14891, Portland, OR 97214.
Andromeda Publications, 2113 Dundas St W. Toronto, Ontario CA M6R 1X1.
Angry Isis, 1982 15th Sreet, San Francisco, CA 94114.
Anime UK , 3rd Floor, 70 Mortimer Street, London W1N 7DF UK.
Antarctic, 7272 Wurzbach #204, San Antonio, TX 78240. 210-614-0396.
Anthem Comics, 20 Fashion Roseway, 220W, Toronto, Ontario, M2N 6B5 CANADA.
Apocalypse Ltd., Unit 3, 28 Canal St., South Wigston, Leicester, LE8 2PL, UK.
Apple Press Inc., 25 Juniper Rd., Box 787, Bethel, CT 06801.
Archie Comics, 325 Fayatte Ave, Mamaroneck, NY 10543. 914-381-5155.
Arcomics, 218 East 24th Street, Elyria, OH 44035.
Aria Press, 12638-28 Jefferson Ave #173, Newport News, VA 23602. 804-874-5247.
Atomeka (c/o Kitchen Sink).
Attic Books, 15 Danbury Road, Ridgefield, CT 06877.
Avernus Comics, 906 South 18th Street, Lafayette, IN 47905.
Axis Comics, 19591 Mack Avenue. Gross Pointe Woods, MI 48236.
Babble On Press, 1715 Woodland Drive, Vancouver B.C., CANADA V5N 3N6.
Bad Habits, PO Box 3684, Chico, CA 95927.
Bangtro Comics, P.O. Box 138027, Chicago, IL 60613. 312-604-9103.
Beanworld Press, P.O. Box 664, Wilmette, IL 60091.
Bill Cole Enterprises, Box 60, Randolph, MA 0236-0060. 617-986-2653.
Blackball, Unit 22, Eurolink Centre, 49 Effra Road, London, SW2 1BZ, UK.
Blackbird Comics, 1201 Levison, Albert Lea, MN 56007. 507-377-8980.
Black Eye, 338 Kribs St, Cambridge, Ontario, Canada N3C 3J3. 519-658-0416.
Blackmore Publishing, 6281 S. Dolphin Dr., Floral City, FL 34436.
Blackout Comics, 23 Lone Star Lane, Manalapan, NJ 07726. 908-446-7894.
Blue Comet Press (c/o Heroic Publishing).
Bongo Entertainment, 1999 Avenue of the Stars, LA, CA 90607. 310-788-1367.
Boom Boom, P.O. Box 181, 4505 University Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105.
Borthick, P.O. Box 890932, Oklahoma City, OK 73189.
Brainstorm Comics Inc., 457 Main Street, Suite 162, Farmingdale, NY 11735.
Bud Plant Comic Art, PO Box 1689, Grass Valley, CA 95945. 800-242-6642.
CFD, 360-A W. Merrick Road, Suite 350, Valley Stream, NY 11580.
Caliber Press, 11904 Farmington Road, Livonia, MI 48150. 313-425-7930.
Cape City, 503 Pond Street, Bristol, PA 19007.
Capital City, P.O. Box 8156, Madison, WI 53708. 608-223-2000.
Cards Illustrated (c/o Warrior Publications) 515-280-3861.
Cartoon Books, P.O. Box 1583, Los Gatos, CA 95031-1583. 408-353-8203/8881.
Cat-Head Comics, P.O. Box 576, Hudson, MA 01749.
Catalan Communications, 43 E. 19th Street, NY, NY 10003. 212-254-4996.
Century Publishing, 990 Grove Street, Evanston, IL 60201. 708-491-6440.
Chaos! Comics, 7349 Via Paseo Del Sur, Suite 515-208, Scottsdale, AZ 85258.
Chiasmus Publishing, P.O. Box 19872, Kalamazoo, MI 49019.
Claypool Comics, 647 Grand Avenue, Leonia, NJ 07605.
Colin Upton, 6424 Chester, Vancouver, B.C., V5W 3C3, CANADA.
Comely Communications Inc., 265 Massey Rd., Guelph, Ontario, N1K 1B2, CANADA.
Comics Buyer's Guide, 700 E. State St., Iola, WI 54990. 715-445-2214/4087.
Comics Hawaii Dist, 4420 Lawahana St #3, Honolulu, Hawaii 96818.
Comics Values Monthly (c/o Attic Books).
Continuity Publishing, 62 West 45th St., New York, NY 10036. 212-869-4170.
Continum Comics, 70 East 10th Street SPT 2D, New York, NY 10012.
Craig Baxter, 214 NW 4th Ave, Box 5, Gainesville, FL 32601.
Cranial Stomp Comix, Route 1 Box 172-B1, Willard, MO 65781.
Cult Press, 1047 West Carson St #3, Torrance, CA 90502. 370-328-5830.
DC Comics, 1325 Avenue of the Americas, NY, NY 10019. 212-636-5400.
Dagger Comics, 516 Oliver Road, Montgomery, AL 36117.
Damage, P.O. Box 1773, Lynwood, CA 90262.
Dark Horse Comics, 10956 SE Main St., Milwaukie, OR 97222. 503-652-8815.
Dark Vision Studios, 826 Elm Street, Reading, PA 19605.
Day One Comics, 1021 Arlington Blvd. Suite 912, Arlington VA 22209.
Defiant, 232 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016.
Diamond, 1966 Greenspring Dr, Timonium, MD 21093. 800-783-2981.
Dimension X Inc., 17C Lion's Head Plaza, Suite 213, Somerdale, NJ 08083.
Disney Comics, 500 S. Buena Vista St, Burbank, CA 91521. 818-567-5739.
Double Diamond, 9300 Northgate Blvd #116, Austin, TX 78758. 512-837-5545.
Drawn & Quarterly, 5550 Jeanne Mance St., #16, Montreal, Quebec H2V-4K6.
Dreamhaven Books (c/o Palliard Press).
Eclipse Books, P.O. Box 1099, Forestville, CA 95436. 707-887-1521.
Egesta Comics, 35 Fulwell Circle, Downsview, Ontario, M3J 1Y4, CANADA.
Epic Comics (c/o Marvel comics).
Eros Comics, P.O. Box 25070, Seattle, WA 98125-1970. 800-657-1100.
Eternity Comics (c/o Malibu).
Eugenus, 3635 Hill Blvd, Suite 520, Jefferson Valley, NY 10535.
Exhibit A Press, 4657 Cajon Way, San Diego, CA 11561. 619-286-6350.
Express Press, 12253 Ohio St., Eureka, CA 95501.
Fanny, 10 Acklam Road, Unit 6A, London, England W10 5QZ.
Fantagor Press, P.O. Box 8632, Kansas City, MO 64114. 816-942-7805.
Fantagraphics, 7563 Lake City Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115. 800-657-1100
Flashpoint Comics, P.O. Box 1529, New Port Richey, FL 34656.
Fleetway, 3rd Floor, Greater London House, Hampstead Rd, London NW1 7QQ
Friendly Frank's Distr., 908 Westgate, Addison, IL 60101. 708-543-1300.
Gauntlet Comics (c/o Caliber Press).
Gene Phillips, 2750 Holly Hall #1105, Houston, TX 77054.
Genesis West Publishing, PO Box 845, Simi, CA 93062. 805-496-1178.
Giant Ass Publishing, P.O. Box 214, New Haven, CT 06502.
Gladstone, 212 S. Montezuma, Prescott AZ 86303. 602-776-1300.
Golden Realm Unlimited Inc., FDR Station, Box 671, New York, NY 10150.
Good Taste Products, P.O. Box 267869, Chicago, IL 60626.
Gothic Images, c/o Terry Jackson, P.O. Box 44, Oklahoma City, OK 73008
Graph-X Press, P.O Box 32292, Tuscon, AZ 85751.
Graphitti Designs, 1140 N Kraemer Blvd, Unit B, Anaheim CA 92806-1919.
Hanthercraft Publications, P.O. Box 719, Corinth, MS 38834.
Hard Boiled Comics (c/o Eros Comics).
Harris Comics, 1115 Broadway, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10010.
Harvey Comics, 100 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 91401. 310-451-3377.
Heavy Metal, 584 Broadway, Suite 608, New York, NY 10012.
Heebeejeebees, P.O. Box 20427, Seattle, WA 98102.
Hero Illustrated (c/o Warrior Publications) 708-268-2498.
Heroic, 6433 California Ave, Long Beach, CA 90805. 310-422-3528.
Heroes World Dist, 961 Rt 10 E, RBC L, Randolph, NJ 07869. 201-927-4447.
High Drive Publications, 4505 University Way NE, Box 536, Seattle, WA 98105.
Highland Graphics, Box 88, Baddeck, Nova Scotia, CANADA.
Humanity Inc., 77 West Main Street, Suite 115, Smithtown, NY 11787.
Ianus, 5000 Iberville St, Studio #332, Montreal, Quebec, H2H 2S6 CANADA.
Image Comics, 2400 E Katella Ave #1065, Anaheim, CA 92608. 714-634-4644.
Joel Orff. P.O. Box 582953, Minneapolis, NM 55458-2953.
King Hell Press; P.O. Box 1731; West Townshend, VT 05359.
Kitchen Sink, 320 Riverside Dr., Northampton, MA 01060. 800-365-7465.
Last Gasp, 777 Florida St, San Francisco, CA 94110. 800-848-4277.
Lightning Comics, 19111 West 10 Mile Road, #200, Southfield, MI 48075.
London Night Studios, P.O. Box 5249, Hickory, NC 28601.
MBS Publishing Ltd., 4 Greenfield Rd, Old Swan, Liberpool, L13 3BN ENGLAND.
MU Press (c/o Aeon).
Mad Love, P.O. Box 61, Northampton, NN1 4DD, UK.
Mad Monkey Press, 33 Villiers St, #105, Toronto, Ontario, M5A 1A9, CANADA.
Magian Line, P.O. Box 170712, San Francisco, CA 94117.
Makeshift Media, 6515 19th Avenue NW, Seattle, WA 98117.
Malibu Comics, 26707 W. Agoura Rd, Calbasa, CA 91302. 818-878-7400/878-7455.
Marvel Comics UK, 13/15 Arundel St., London, WC2R 3DX, UK.
Marvel Comics, 387 Park Ave S., NY, NY 10016. 212-696-0808. Subsc 203-743-5331.
Matt Feazell, c/o Not Available Comics, 3867 Bristow, Detroit MI 48212
Milestone Media, 119 West 23rd Street, Suite 409, New York, NY 10011.
Millennium, 105 Edgewater Rd., Narragansett, RI 02882. 401-783-2843.
Mirage Publications, P.O. Box 486, Northhampton, MA 01061.
Mirage Studios, P.O. Box 417, Haydenville, MA 01039.
Modern Historicality, P.O. Box 877, Tallahassee, FL 32302.
Mojo Press, P.O. Box 140005, Austin, TX 78714. 512-926-7360
Monster Comics (c/o Eros Comics).
Mulehide Graphics, P.O. Box 5844, Bellingham WA 98227-5844, USA.
NBM, 185 Madison Ave., Ste. 1502, New York, NY, 10016
NEC, P.O. Box 310, Quincy, MA 02269. 617-783-1848.
No Joke Productions, P.O. Box 50454, Austin, TX 78763-0454.
Now Comics, 60 Revere Dr., #200, Northbrook, IL 60062. 708-205-2950.
Oatmeal, 40 Moss Ave #204, Oakland, CA 94610-1301.
Optic Nerve, P.O. Box 4025, Berkeley, CA 94704.
Outside In, 8057 13th NW, Seattle, WA, 98117.
Overstreet, P.O. Box 2610, Cleveland, TN 37320-2610. 615-472-4135.
Palliard Press, 1309 4th St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414-2029. 612-379-0657.
Paragon Publicatons (c/o AC Comics).
Pen & Ink, P.O. Box 549, El Centro, CA 92244. 619-352-5458.
Perception Comics, P.O. Box 195, Lincoln, MO 65338.
Peristaltic Press, P.O. Box 95973, Seattle, WA 98145. 206-329-2847.
Planet Studios, P.O. Box 729, Chimayo, NM 87522. 505-351-4155.
Protoplasm Press, 276 Mainsail Drive, Westerville, OH 43801.
Pure Imagination, 88 Lexington Ave. 2E, New York, NY 10016. 212-682-0025.
Radical Comix, P.O. Box 931054, Los Angeles, CA 90093.
Raging Rhino, P.O. Box 618, Hollywood, FL 33022.
Rebel Studios, 4716 Judy Court, Sacramento, CA 95841. 916-443-7629.
RetroGrafix, M. Cohen, 2130 Williams #3, Bellingham, WA 98225. 206-647-2801.
Revolutionary, 9528 Miramar Rd, #213, San Diego, CA 92126. 619-530-4800.
Rip Off Press, P.O. Box 4686, Auburn, CA 95604.
Rubber Blanket Press, PO Box 3067, Uptown Station, Hoboken, NJ 07030.
Russ Cochran, P.O. Box 469, West Plains, MO 65775. 417-256-2224.
SQP Productions, P.O. Box 4569, Toms River, NJ 08754. 908-505-8850.
Schism Comics, 19785 West 12 Mile Rd, Suite 190, Southfield, MI 48076.
Sean Bieri, 1521 Hubbard #4, Detroit, MI 48209.
Shane Simmons, 733 43rd Avenue, Lachine, Quebec, H8T 2J5, CANADA.
Simon Bosse, 564 Maple Street, St Lambert QC, CANADA J4P 2S7.
Skin Graft, P.O. Box 257546, Chicago, IL 60625.
Sky Comics, 264 Main Street, Florence, KY 41042.
Slave Labor, 979 S. Bascom Ave., San Jose, CA 95128. 800-866-8929/408-279-0451.
Starbur Corporation (c/o Caliber). 800-346-8940.
Starhead Comix, P.O. Box 30044, Seattle, WA 98103.
Starlog, 475 Park Avenue South, New York, New York 10016-6989.
Strawberry Jelly Comix, 202 East Main Street, Apt G, Hahira, GA 31632.
Taliesin Press, P.O. Box 40904, Mesa, AZ, 85274-0904. 602-464-2534 m-f.
Thinkblots, Box 47536, 1-1020 Austin Ave, Coquitlam, BC, CANADA V3K 2A0
Titan Books Ltd., 58 St. Giles High St., London, WC2H 8LH, ENGLAND.
Tome Press (c/o Caliber)
Topps Comics, 254 36th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11232.
Tragedy Strikes Press, 30 Wyndham St N, Guelph, Ontario, CANADA N1H 4E5.
Triumphant Comics, 855-D Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY 11735.
Tundra (c/o Kitchen Sink)
Tuscany, 1146 North Central, #365, Glendale, CA 91202. 818-507-4751.
U.S. Manga, 250 West 57th St, Suite #317, NY, NY 10107. 1-800-MANGA-77.
Ultracomics (c/o Harvey Comics).
Valiant, 275 7th Ave, 14th Floor, NY, NY 10001. 212-366-4900.
Vanguard Comics, 3000 Carlisle, #214, Dallas, TX 75204. 214-871-1180.
Visual Assault, 2402 Bronx Park E, 1st Fl, Bronx, NY 10467. 718-519-8303.
Viz, P.O. Box 77010, San Francisco, CA 94107. 415-546-7073.
Warp Graphics, 43 Haight Ave, Poughkeepsie, NY 12603. 914-473-9277.
Warrior Publications, 1920 Highland Ave, Suite 222, Lombard, IL 60148.
Wayne A. Lee, #204-2256 Brunswick St., Vancouver, B.C., V5T 3L7, CANADA.
Wizard, 100 B1 Red Schoolhouse Rd, Chestnut Ridge, NY 10977. 914-268-2000.
-------------------------------
ciao til next time...
--
----------------------------------------------------------------
|/ | [ email at ] -------------
|\IPP |_IGHTBURN [ [ah 804] at [freenet.carleton.ca] ] -------------
-------------------------------------------------------------