Essays and other writing

• On Comics:


1. Guerrillas in the Mist Part One - the effectiveness of exhibiting at comic book and graphic novel conventions.  This and the concluding part below received quite a bit of blog attention, which caught me by surprise.  I think it resonated because no one had really done a pragmatic and analytic look at conventions before.  Why do artists and writers exhibit at them?  Do they really stand to gain anything? Especially if you're new and unknown?  I based this on a lot of my own experiences but I still stand by my conclusions.
2. Guerrillas in the Mist Part Two - the concluding essay that sums up my thoughts on exhibiting at conventions.
3. Xeric Grant Proposal - while this proposal was ultimately rejected, I think the research I did could benefit writers and artists thinking about entering the world of comic books.  I will add that you should always do your own research, of course, but this is a good starting point if nothing else.
4. Marketing the road to god knows... - this essay details all of the marketing efforts that my wife and I put into the road to god knows...  If you're new to the Direct Market, I think this is well-worth a look.  Especially because most of the marketing efforts failed and you can come to your own conclusions on the reasons why.
5. Tony Shenton and Fantagraphics' recent move to exlusivity in the Direct Market.
6. On Merit - a response to Brady Russell's essay on creativity.
7. Webcomics Blueprint - before I launched road on GirlAMatic.com, I did as much research as I could on webcomics.  I wrote this report to try and crystalize my own thoughts on online readership, advertising, revenue generation and the like.  It's fairly extensive but the opinions, of course, are mine. I'd certainly encourage you to do your own research and come to your own conclusions.  Certainly some of mine have changed since this piece was written!
8. Bill Mantlo - Mantlo was a prolific writer for Marvel Comics in the late 70s and 80s before he suffered a catastrophic injury that caused brain damage. This piece goes into my feelings of Mantlo as a writer and the recent downloadable version of his Swords of the Swashbucklers.
9. Comic Shops - some of my favourite stores across North America.
   
10. Image Comics and Rejection - back in 2005, I submitted the road to god knows... to Image Comics.  It was rejected.  In hindsight, it was the right call.  This essay, written just after I received the rejection, discusses going forward when you've been told "no."  It also touches on the direct market and why I feel that Image is so important for small and self publishers.
11. Robert Kirkman and Invnicible - a few years back I took a look at the rapid rise of Invincible and tried to determine why such a rise occured in the first place.  I'll never know if this anaylsis is correct, but it certainly was interesting to look at.  And I think it does shed some light on what factors lead to a comic's success or failure.
• Other pieces:


1. Wrestling - A discussion on the kayfabe era of pro wrestling and my love for tag teams.