Catch Da Craze

Catch Da Craze TV Episode 136 Girls Drawing Girls

2009-06-01T18:07:00.001-07:00

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This week on Catch Da Craze TV our field reporter Keith Murphey caught up with the creative team behind Girls Drawin Girls at the San Diego Comic Con International. This show is sponsored by There's an Alien in my Toilet by Crazee Comics. Become a sponsor today.

Catch Da Craze TV Episode 135 Stan Yan

2009-05-23T20:16:00.001-07:00

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Live at the San Diego Comic Con 2008, field reporter Keith Murphey caught up with comic creator Stan Yan to discuss his career and more. Sponsor an episode of catch da craze today. visit www.catchdacraze.com A division of Crazee Media

Catch Da Craze TV Episode 134 creator Shawnti Therrien

2009-03-21T06:30:00.001-07:00

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Live at the Big Apple Comic Con, The Catch Da Craze Street Team caught up with CAG member and comic book creator Shawnti Therrien for a one on one discussion on the her current project and CAG (The comic book artist guild). Episode sponsor: There's an Alien in my Toilet® in stores this spring. Become a sponsor today: guests@catchdacraze.com

Catch Da Craze TV Episode 133 with Creator Everett Soares

2009-03-15T14:55:00.001-07:00

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This week on Catch Da Craze TV we were live at the Big Apple Comic Con with Sky Pirates creator Everett Soares. Field reporter Michele St Martin caught up with the comic creator during down time. Sponsor an episode of Catch Da Craze today.... www.catchdacraze.com

Catch Da Craze TV Episode 130 Comic Strip Creator Doug Bratton

2008-10-22T18:46:00.001-07:00

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Live at the Mocca Art Festival, field reporter Darien Torres of the Catch Da Craze Team caught up with Newspaper strip creator Doug Bratton and discussed his work on "Pop Culture Shock Therapy". Episode 130 Become a sponsor of Catch Da Craze today and reach your targeted market! Catch Da Craze is the number one source for all things independent. www.catchdacraze.com

Catch Da Craze TV Episode 128 Marcos Perez

2008-09-11T16:55:00.001-07:00

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Live at the Mocca Art Festival with creator Marcos Perez. Filed reporter Darien Torres gets the scoop on this indy talent and more. Catch Da Craze is the fastest growing independent show on the web with a thriving listener base and valued sponsors. For more visit www.catchdacraze.com and sponsor an episode today.

Catch Da Craze TV Live at MOCCA with New Radio Comics

2008-08-05T11:55:00.001-07:00

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Catch Da Craze Tv was on hand at the MOCCA Art Festival and had a chance to speak with New Radio Comics Jad Ziade and Alex Cahill. Field reporter Darien Torres was on hand. For more interviews and the latest on all things independent visit www.catchdacraze.com Sponsor and Episode of Catch Da Craze and same big today.

Samuel Vera on Streetside NBC San Diego

2008-07-28T12:38:00.001-07:00

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During his exhibit at Comic-Con International 2008, Samuel Vera was invited to appear on San Diego's Streetside NBC to discuss his newest initiative "Crazee Kids" and There's an Alien in my Toilet. Visit: www.crazeecomics.com for more.

Live at the Big Apple Comic Con with Actress Yancy Butler

2008-07-19T07:29:00.001-07:00

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Catch Da Craze TV was on location at the Big Apple Comic Con and caught up with Witchblade Actress Yancy Butler. Field reporter Michele St Martin conducted the interview. Become a sponsor of Catch Da Craze Today!!! www.catchdacraze.com

Catch Da Craze TV Live at Big Apple Comic Con with Actor Doug Jones

2008-07-14T07:38:00.001-07:00

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Catch Da Craze TV was on location at the Big Apple Comic Con Summer Sizzler and caught up with Actor Doug Jones who is credited for roles in Hell Boy, Pan's Labyrinth, Silver Surfer and more. Field reporter Michele St Martin gets the scoop in this one on one interview. Visit www.catchdacraze.com for more. Become an episode sponsor and save big NOW!!!

Catch Da Craze TV Live at Big Apple Comic Con with Mike Lilly Part 2 of 2

2008-06-29T19:49:00.001-07:00

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The Catch Da Craze TV Crew were on location at the Big Apple Comic Con Summer Sizzler and caught up with Mike Lilly for an in depth interview. Here is part 2 of a two part segment with field reporter Michele St Martin and camera man Jorge Solis. Become an episode sponsor today and save big. www.catchdacraze.com

Live at the Big Apple Comic Con with Mike Lilly

2008-06-20T16:09:00.001-07:00

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Catch Da Craze TV was on location at the Big Apple Comic Con summer sizzler and caught up with artist Mike Lilly. Field reporter Michele St Martin along with camera man Jorge Solis. Episode # 123 Become a sponsor of Catch Da Craze Today

Live at Wizard World Philly with Sean McManus

2008-06-20T15:49:00.001-07:00

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Catch Da Craze TV was live at the Wizard World Convention in Philadelphia and caught up with Sean McManus, the man behind Mark Grimm. Our new field reporter Darien Torres made it happen along with camera man Luis Torres. Become an episode sponsor today.

Live at NY Comic Con with Cup "O" Java Studios on Catch Da Craze TV

2008-06-08T20:00:00.001-07:00

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Catch Da Craze TV was at the 2008 NY Comic Con and caught up with Cup "O" Java Studios. Filed reporter Michele St Martin conducted the interviews. To become a sponsor visit www.catchdacraze.com

Live at NY Comic Con with Team Street Journal on Catch Da Craze

2008-06-06T16:15:00.001-07:00

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Catch Da Craze Tv street team caught up with Team Street Journal; Jorge Medina, Jonathan Syphax and Anibal Arroyo. They were there launching their newest project Street Journal. For more visit www.catchdacraze.com

Live from New York Comic Con with Artist Susan Heidi on Catch Da Caze

2008-05-28T18:35:00.001-07:00

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Catch Da Craze TV was on location at the 3rd annual NY Comic Con and caught up with Artist Susan Heidi. Field reporter Michele St Martin gets the scoop. visit www.catchdacraze.com for more on the latest from the independent community.

Catch Da Craze TV Featuring Chaotic Designers Matt Wang and Drew Nolosco

2008-05-09T18:25:00.001-07:00

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Live from the New York Comic Con 2008, Catch Da Craze TV Hosted by field reporter Michele St Martin caught up with the designers behind the Trading Card Game Chaotic Matt Wang and Drew Nolosco. For more visit: www.catchdacraze.com

Catch Da Craze TV Featuring Neal Adams at NY Comic Con

2008-05-01T11:51:00.001-07:00

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Live at the NY Comic Con Catch Da Craze TV features a live interview of Comic Book Legend Neal Adams. Michele St Martin (Host of Catch Da Craze) conducts an impressive interview with Neal Adams. For more visit: www.catchdacraze.com

Catch Da Craze TV Featuring Shawn Smith at NY Comic Con

2008-04-22T18:16:00.001-07:00

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Michele St Martin caught up with Shawn Smith; President of Shawnimals at the NY Comic Con April 2008. visit www.catchdacraze.com for more... About shawnimal smith Shawn Smith was born in Joliet, IL in 1975. Back then he was interested in G.I. Joe, Kermit the Frog, drawing pictures and playing video games. In fact, he still is! Shawn started Shawnimals after becoming disenchanted with the droves of sketchbooks he had lying around, with characters that may not have been used otherwise. "Why not make plush versions of these simple-shaped characters?" Shawn's quick history: He worked at Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine from 1995 - 2000 as a video game and gaming hardware reviewer. He decided to go back to school to study art. It was there Shawnimals were born in a town called Normal, IL. Shawn is interested in all areas of art, but is currently most interested in character-based art in its many forms (plush, drawings, vinyl, etc).

Joe DiDomenico of Teddy Scare on Catch Da Craze in NY Comic Con

2008-04-21T15:13:00.001-07:00

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We caught up with Joe DiDomenico of Teddy Scares at the NY Comic Con 2008. www.catchdacraze.com

NY Comic Con 3rd Annual Indy Party Commercial 2008 #1

2008-03-09T17:33:00.001-07:00

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New York Comic Con Indy After Party Commercial #1

Creator Samuel Vera on American Latino TV

2008-02-10T20:52:00.001-08:00

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Comic book creator Samuel Vera was featured on American Latino TV, a Nationally syndicated show which highlights Latinos in business.

The Comic Book Show Episode 19

2008-01-29T20:41:00.001-08:00

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Catch Da Craze TV Presents The Comic Book Show Episode 19 where I discuss Wildstorm's World of WarCraft, BloodFire Studios House at the edge of nowhere and Zenescopes The Living Corpse. Plus more, Sponsor a show today by visiting www.catchdacraze.com

The Comic Book Show Episode 18

2008-01-17T18:46:00.001-08:00

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Catch Da Craze Podcast presents "The Comic Book Show" Episode 18 where I focus on Pit Bros Productions, Devils Due Productions and Crazee Comics.

Creator Samuel Vera on Nuff Said Radio Show

2008-01-08T20:07:00.001-08:00

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Samuel Vera of Crazee Comics was a special guest on WBAI-FM Nuff Said radio hosted by Ken Gale in NYC. The Show focused on Cosmic Wars, Forbidden and There's an Alien in my Toilet, all comic books created by Samuel Vera.

Samuel Vera on WVOX1460AM On the Inside Now Radio Show

2008-01-08T15:12:00.001-08:00

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Creator Samuel Vera is a guest on "On The Inside Now Radio" show. Hosted by West1Media founder Aaron B. Kershaw. The interview covers everything from the history of Crazee Comics to the recent projects like critically acclaimed "There's an Alien in my Toilet" and the all ages picture book "The Oogoolie Boogoolie's". Visit: www.crazeecomics.com for more.

Project Doodie Official Trailer #1

2007-12-06T21:15:00.001-08:00

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Here is the Official trailer of Project Doodie, the 3D animated adaptation of the Critically Acclaimed series "There's an Alien in my Toilet". Produced and developed by Crazee Media Group. All rights reserved.

There's an Alien in my Toilet Teaser Trailer #4

2007-11-30T12:28:00.001-08:00

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Here is the 4th Teaser of the 3D Animated Adaptation of the Critically Acclaimed Series "There's an Alien in my Toilet" by Creator Samuel Vera. The full length trailer will debut at the New York Anime Festival December 7th - 9th at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in NY.

There's an Alien in my Toilet Teaser Trailer #3

2007-11-28T19:45:00.001-08:00

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Here is the 3rd Teaser of the Critically Acclaimed comic series "There's an Alien in my Toilet" adapted into 3D. The full length trailer will debut at the New York Anime Festival.

There's an Alien in my Toilet Teaser Trailer #2

2007-11-26T19:39:00.001-08:00

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Part 2 Teaser Trailer of the Critically Acclaimed Series "there's an Alien in my Toilet" by Creator Samuel Vera.

There's an Alien in my Toilet Teaser Trailer #1

2007-11-26T19:26:00.001-08:00

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The first Teaser Trailer of a series to promote the Critically Acclaimed series "There's an Alien in my Toilet". Each 48 hours there will be a new trailer promoting the full length debut at the New York Anime festival. Visit: www.doodiesworld.com

There's an Alien in my Toilet Teaser Trailer #1

2007-11-26T19:17:00.001-08:00

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Official Press Release

2007-10-21T10:15:00.001-07:00

Crazee Comics Unveils New All Age Projects And Year End Appearances for 2007

KUSI Interviews Creator Samuel Vera about There's an Alien in my Toilet

2007-07-30T12:36:00.001-07:00

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While at Comic Con 2007 San Diego, Samuel Vera of Crazee Comics was invited to appear on San Diego's own KUSI morning news to discuss his critically acclaimed series "There's an Alien in my Toilet".

LIVE FROM PODCAMP NYC 2007 WITH BLIP.TV

2007-05-14T18:07:00.001-07:00

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We were at Podcamp 2007 and sat it on a panel hosted by Team Blip.

Think you're ready for Comic-Con 2007?

2007-05-11T10:27:00.000-07:00

So as I sit here contemplating on how to raise the revenue to pay for Comic-Con San Diego, I can't help but wonder if I will be ready and bring my "A" game? This years event means more to me then any of the former. I have committed to delivering my first trade and have several appointments to try and woo investors. Did I put my foot in my mouth and bite off more than I could chew? That remains to be seen.

I know I am determined to deliver the fifth and sixth issue of "There's an Alien in my Toilet" and if I don't get the trade back in time I will certainly have the 6 issues with me. Now, presentation is key to alluring traffic my way. Are my props enough, or should I make another investment and create a look so DYNAMIC that people will want to stop and find out what this is all about? I know funds are limited so my spending must be scrutinized and cost effective so that my ROI is guaranteed. Is it really? The only way to make certain is to be consistent and different. The fans will continue to come back for the next issue's. It's the new fans that I need to attract and get them to become subscribers of my work.

This will be the first time I am exhibiting alone at San Diego so the amount of props, merchandise and luggage must be limited to the absolute necessities. I know I will need postcards, pin-ups, and the books. This year I will not have any T-shirts, which will probably hurt business considering the current fans of TAAIMT, are looking forward to the shirts. I also know that without the assistance of a team, which was able to hand our promotional material to drive traffic to the table, I have to be aggressive in my public relations and marketing to drive business.

This will be a unique experience for me considering and one I feel will only make me stronger and more determined. I am so looking forward to San Diego and have nothing else in my mind. Doodie and I will return from that event confident that we gave the fans exactly what they wanted from the series and keep them coming back. So am I ready,... I will be... I will be.

Catch Da Craze Presents The Comic Show Episode 16

2007-05-07T14:13:00.001-07:00

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Take a look inside a day of the Craze and watch as Mr Crazee discusses books he picked up like WormWood, The Game Keeper and Grumpy old Monsters.

Pittsburgh Comic Con and the road there

2007-04-28T05:00:00.000-07:00

As I sit here in my room which I share with three others, David Quiles, Jonathan Syphax and Sketch card Artist Brian Kong, I can not help but review the months that lead up to Pittsburgh. This was a con; although good, was not on my radar for 2007. Expense wise I really wanted to focus on the local shows and prepare for San Diego. Money was a factor and I had to try and find ways to cut costs. I also knew making re-orders of my books for the con would be an issue because the freelance work to pay for the company has been sporadic. So, I counted my pennies and pulled enough just to print what we needed, not what we expected to sell. There is a BIG difference! We always want to sell several hundred books, but in reality it is a gamble so to place it safe and avoid having to lug around heavy gear I decided on 50 copies of each title.

I also used my wife's car to cut costs of having to rent a vehicle. I packed a cooler with sandwiches, drinks, snacks and was ready to hit the road. The goal was to drive out and meet Jorge at the show. It is now Saturday and I have not heard from Jorge and he has yet to arrive. I had plans to conduct some interviews but, because we need to generate revenue I focused on remaining at my booth and promote the books. We arrived in good time to the show and after a few drinks and some good eats at Houlihans, I went to sleep early to get up for my 7:00 AM interview with KDKA radio LISTEN HERE , Pittsburgh's largest station. The interview was great but the final version was edited to an introduction and me giving a synopsis of There's an Alien in my Toilet.

The guys stood out until 2:00 AM and returned bombed, waking me in the process. @#$%!. Day 1 of the show was pretty slow and the floor traffic was sporadic at best. We managed to make some sales and catch up with some friends but the Friday crowd seemed to want commission art. So, I decided to get the rusty pencil out and start selling art. I got into the groove and took some photo's of the pieces I worked on and the commissions David sold as well. George Perez had a line for miles and considering this is the last con for him until 2009, it is understandable. So as the show wrapped up for Friday, we headed to KFC and ordered to buckets of chicken four mash potatoes, biscuits, and tons of sides. I feel like a bloated camel. But it was good and the gas still passes on Saturday. The affects of greasy chicken! UMM UMM GOOD!!! One of the highlights of the Comic Con was the VIP suites. All guests had a floor with sofa's, free food and drinks, a poker room and tons of networking.

I had a lengthy conversation with Angel Medina about politics in comics, the future of comics and his new project "Venom". It's funny; we met several years ago at a Wizard show and have been in contact since. I absolutely love his work and the fact that he is so down to earth is a bonus. I also chatted up with Peter Rios of Comic Geek Speak, Ryan McLelland of Newsarama, Rich Bernatovich of Sentinels and tons more. The event itself was great for commission artists and the vendors with the half off signs. In small press traffic was sparse. It was torture. What can you do though? The road home I realized something important. There are things I am not willing to compromise and certain decisions I needed to make. More on that in building a brand.

PodCamp NYC Part II: The Real ROI for Podcasting

2007-04-14T11:12:00.000-07:00

Okay, so we were now off to the Real ROI for podcasting with guest speaker and Podcamp NYC organizer, John C Havens. I have to say this was a pretty good lecture. John addressed many issues I feel we all (podcasters) ponder about from time to time. One thing in particular was not to underestimate your worth as a professional. Sometimes when faced with the massive amount of competition we tend to judge ourselves too much and doubt our capabilities by making comparisons to larger more established companies. This causes us to lower our prices just to secure that client.

I for one started podcasting as a means to provide another resource for comic creators, independent publishers, writers, musicians and more to expose their product/s or themselves to an audience. There are far too few open doors for the little guy and speaking as a little guy I know from experience. Unless you have a connection in some serious places who can expose you to the right people you practically have to knock down doors to get heard. What does this have to do with the topic of this blog? Glad you asked. It comes down to expectations. Wanting to create a show which promotes the other guy means creating a show which the masses begin to tune into. How does that happen? Through consistency, hard work, promotion and quality. People will talk and eventually you will begin to see a return on your investment. Until later.

PODCAMP NYC: Why you need to be a part of this?

2007-04-09T14:19:00.000-07:00

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Catch Da Craze TV was on location at the first annual Podcamp NYC located at the New Yorker Hotel. We sat in on a conference and collected some footage of Team Rocket Boom.

I have to say; this event was a tremendous educational experience for me. Not knowing what to expect, I went fully equipped and ready for anything. I mean, I had my Sony Cybershot 7.2 ready, I had my Sony Digital HandyCam with me, I had my Olympus WS-100 digital voice recorder and my portable AKG D750 microphone. Not to mention I had my pen and pad just to write things down so I can remember for later.

I met up with fellow podcaster and independent film-maker Omar Solis at the New Yorker Hotel. I made certain to get my cup of Joe and breakfast sandwich so I wouldn't have to leave the event later. 8:45 AM was to have a panel entitled "Podcasting for the Hispanic Market". Guess what? The speaker did not show... WHAT HAPPENED?!! We were miffed! What made it worse is that just before we joked about how we would be the only two people who showed and DAMN we were right, but we never expected the speaker would not show.

So after sitting through the hour waiting until the next panel we headed off to the Rocket Boom presentation. I did not realize how big these guys were not to mention I never even heard of them. This panel discussion made me realize how important it is to drive your business and produce consistent, on time, quality content. Until the next update on Podcamp…

Quiles Kills It!

2007-03-10T15:10:00.000-08:00

It's tough as nails to find a committed artist! Add to that, finding one who can tell a great story through sequential art! Enter Mr. David Quiles. The Crazee Comics crew has known David for a few years now and since the very beginning David has shown us nothing but love. His words of encouragement from someone who has been in the industry for more than a decade meant a lot to us young bucks! He picked up the first issue of Russ 5377 at a Big Apple Con in NY and seemed to like the story. It's funny, back then little did I know that he would be working on this project and taking it to another level.

Russ 5377 is a story that I created back in 1999. It's the tale of a young man who through dreams is beginning to remember a past that has been erased by a demented scientist. The story was first released in 2003 and it was welcomed by the fans as something new and fresh. Unfortunately, the critics did not feel the same. As a matter of fact, one of them posted a review so bad that it made Simon Cowell look like Paula Abdul on American Idol. Man, that dude ripped it apart! It was a hard pill to swallow but thanks to Sam and the crew, I decided not to give up on the story and released a second issue, and a third. At that point, I felt like the story was beginning to hit a wall and decided it was time to revisit the original script and make some changes. This included redrawing the entire series. That's when I decided I was going to get an artist to draw it and I would concentrate on just writing it.

The search for an artist never truly began when I received a phone call from Samuel Vera informing me that David Quiles had shown interest in penciling the entire series! WOW! Before he could begin work on Russ however, David took over the OOgilie Boogilies project. This is a children's book about scary things that go "bump in the night" from the Crazee mind of Samuel Vera. The project was completed and released at the New york Comic Con this past February and you can get your very copy of it at www.crazeecomics.com.

David was now off to Russ world!

I met with David a week ago this past Wednesday and we sat down to discuss the direction and his method for drawing the book. In a matter of hours Mr. Quiles thumbnailed 10 pages of the 33 page script! Did I mention he was committed? Oh and the sequentials? The man can tell a story! So, Russ is off and running. We are gearing up for a July release at the San Diego Comic Con! Here's a sneak peak at some of the thumbnails from that meeting.

The Wolf & The Craze You think you know?

2007-03-08T12:28:00.000-08:00

It's funny how life plays out. You never know whose path you’re going to cross or who you will be working with. We are a prime example of this. A few years back when we first entered the convention scene we met a few local artists at the con and were directly across from each other at the shows. One artist in particular is David Quiles, known for his work in books like Arcane and Bare Knuckle Fighters and owner of Infinite Line Comics.

David eventually became a friend from just being at every big apple together. He would always show his appreciation of our work by giving us beautiful renditions of our characters; originals mind you. Now being a small press with limited revenue, I knew I could not afford to bring in another member to Crazee Comics, but I admired his style and quality of work. One of the first renditions was of Jorge Medina’s character Russ of Russ5377. It immediately caught my attention and I knew one day we would work together but the how and when was a mystery.

I was the next target of David’s artistic ability when he produced his version of the main character from There’s an Alien in my Toilet. WOW!!! I was floored by his fluid style and control of tones and lighting. I fell in love with the piece that I purchased a frame for it and hung it on my wall. That design became the schematics for the Pooh-Pooh design (Doodie’s arch nemesis).

After spending time in San Diego Comic Con together our friendship grew and David inquired about illustrating the Oogoolie Boogoolie’s for me. I was taken aback and really did not expect it. I finally had my opportunity to work with David and off he went into a sketching frenzy. The designs he produced were as I expected from an artist like David. He captured the soul of the project and ran with it. The Oogoolie Boogoolie’s is an all age’s nursery rhyme picture book I developed years ago. I was planning on producing it eventually and David only allowed me to expedite its development. Now if you look at David, he is this big scruffy dude and he wanted to draw and kid friendly book like Oogoolie Boogoolie’s? Go figure?

While illustrating the Oogoolie Boogoolie’s, David also submitted a piece for my Fantasy series Forbidden. The rendition was so impressive that I used it as the cover for the first issue. It is quickly becoming one of the most sought after pieces in our repertoire. Once completed, David signed on to produce Jorge Medina’s Russ5377, which is slated for a July debut at the San Diego Comic Con. I don’t have to tell you how stunning the book looks. I won’t but Jorge Medina will. Next up, the development of Russ5377.

Surviving Comic Con NY Final Wrap Up

2007-03-06T15:33:00.000-08:00

So, you've heard me rant on the show and read about my mixed opinion of the convention. Now here are my final thoughts of Day 3 and the event as a whole. Day 3, Sunday was probably the most productive day for us at the show. I was able to break away from the table and just enjoy the show. I sat down to watch the Jedi combat performance while indulging myself with some popcorn and soda. I strolled around the floor and observed some of the booths and exhibits.

For the newer exhibitors and small press companies, it was refreshing to see the energy and enthusiasm they had and shared with any passerby that would take interest in their products. It reminded me of the first time we did a convention and made me appreciate why I do this thing we call comics now. Did the convention live up to my expectations, no. But it did serve it's purpose and was consistent in keeping the East Coast on the map by having the show here. There were 40,000 people who appreciated it and will continue to come back. Let's hope next year is even bigger.

So once again we tare down and pack up while reflecting on the weekend. Jorge and I wait outside in the freezing weather until our rides show up and we depart. I get home to the real world and realize in a few hours I will be back to my other job as an Associate Director of Operations. I take a deep breath and hit the sheets. Thank you Comic Con and good night.

Surviving Comic Con NY Pt 4

2007-03-04T14:27:00.000-08:00

Okay, the night has ended at the NY Comic Con and it is time to head to the 2nd Annual Indy after Party sponsored by DreamChilde Press, Drumfish Productions, Comic Artist Guild and Crazee Comics. I so need this at this point and collect my things to head out with Jorge Da Dreamer and Anibal Da Animal.

We get there and it is already full of creators of the Indy world. I head upstairs to gather our recording devices to cover the show. I go to place my bag, which contained extra batteries and my PowerBook G4 by Co-Sponsors Phil Clarke’s things and the DJ seems to have an attitude about it. Not a good way to start the night and I definitely wanted to consume a few brews before having to get into it with anyone (it justifies behavior when the law arrives).

So the bag was safely stored away and we headed downstairs to discuss POA for the night. At one point (first half hour) the two floors of the Twins pub was crowded. It changed when people assumed there was not food. The fact is that it took time for the caterers to replenish tables so people left to get something to eat elsewhere and never actually returned.

The music was the kind you would here at a museum (BORING). New DJ next year! The atmosphere was tenser then last year and people huddled in sections with those they knew rather then mingling and connecting with those they did not know. The large round tables made it difficult for navigating (get rid of the tables next year). Those who were seated never got up for fear of losing their seats. The live performances were shorter this year which was an issue since we had the pub all night but the DJ owned the mixer so he left earlier (not a good thing).

One comedian / performer made some comments that did not sit well with several others in the audience and a full out demolition almost erupted had it not been for the professionalism of the individuals insulted. There was one female who had too much to drink and collapsed. She had to be seated and monitored until she was able to leave safely. Another altercation almost erupted between two artists over a misunderstanding. I am telling you, tension was the mood of the night and who knew why an all out brawl did not consume the night.

Other then that, it was cool. If you’ve seen ST. Elmo’s Fire, then that is what it was like to be at this years Indy party; a get together of friends, and colleagues. Last years party was a coming out party and it was lively, hilarious, and an all out blast. This year it was toned down a bit, which I felt should have been the exact opposite. A party or event should be BIGGER each time out. This was no fault of any individual; in fact Phil Clarke did an extraordinary job considering he handled the bulk of things from California. I think for next year the sponsors should start working together four months out to secure acts, communicate to the Pub floor layout and plan, make certain individuals being paid for services are under contract to remain until time indicated and a play list is prepared with the latest and best in music.

I enjoyed catching up with friends I have not seen since the last show and just unwinding. Next up Day 3 of Surviving NY Comic Con 2007.

Surviving Comic Con NY Pt 3

2007-03-03T15:11:00.000-08:00

Okay, it is day 2 and I am optimistic and psyching myself for a dynamic day (considering the first was challenging). We repositioned our table to create an open space so that consumers would enter our area like a booth. I also lugged my pod-casting equipment to the show (3 mic’s, a mixer, G4 notebook and portable power supply) as well as a small table and two extra chairs from my deck.

I wanted to conduct interviews at our makeshift booth but we were on the floor so often that we collected enough interviews in the field and did not need to use my equipment. ARGH!!! Seeing the 6 block long line outside when I came in to the center drove a jolt of energy through my veins.

As the day progressed I realized most of the attendees were passing through Artist Alley heading to the celebrity signings and we had to work our magic to get them to take notice that “HEY WE EXIST TOO”. The event was crowded and there were Fire Marshals walking about to make certain everything was copasetic. On the Catch Da Craze front, Saturday was extremely competitive with regards to conducting interviews. It seemed everyone had the same lists of who they wanted to interview.

It was not a problem for us since we focused on the small press and independents “No one wants to interview those guys”. We do and we did! Viva La Small Press. Jonathan Da Psycho Syphax had me wanting to drink by the gallons when he conducted interviews. He would forget our show name; ask the same questions twice, I mean I was getting ill. It was entertaining though. When I went home to edit the interviews I broke out laughing. He is original! Anyway, comic sales at the booth were acceptable but not extraordinary. What I mean by that is; in comparison to last year’s event, we did extremely well. In San Diego we sold out. So with a big event there are big expectations. NOT!!!

The press spent most of the time on the Exhibitor floor and when they did enter the AA it was to pass through and see the celebrities or the likes of Neal Adams and David Peterson. The end result of the day was average from a business standpoint. From a Fanboy POV, I was sum it up as being cool. The show was cool enough to hang out and check things out like the gaming stations, or the American idol station and even attend some of the cool panels. Was it a WOW? Absolutely not! WOW is San Diego. NY Comic Con has a long ways to go before they can compete with SDCC. One suggestion is to keep the AA on the same level as the Exhibitors.

So as the night comes to a close we are all feeling mellow. That was not a good sign since last year we were all hyper and super charged to rock the night away. Everyone did need to unwind and just chill which we did. I almost got pummeled by Big Val because I left his coat at our booth and headed out to the party. I'd hate to think what he would have done had his jacket disappeared? Okay now we get ready for the 2nd Annual Indy After Party. Next on Surviving Comic Con. For now check out some photo's from the Con and party here at http://catchdacraze.com/Comic_Con_2007.html

NY Comic Con (What a difference a year makes)

2007-03-01T11:40:00.000-08:00

WOW! It felt like I was at an out of town convention. I’m from New York, and even though the NYC Comic Con was at the Javitz Center in Manhattan, I just felt like I was an out of towner! That’s how much fun I had!

That’s me paraphrasing a statement I made last year around this time after the first ever NYC Comic Con burst into NYC with the force of a level 5 hurricane! This year however that same monster was narrowed down to a tropical storm as the strong winds had calmed down to a warm breeze. Now don’t get me wrong, the show brought in top talent and even increased in size, and for the public it was something else. But for the independent creator who scraped up enough cash to pay for a spot, print out some POD books and make the trek into the city that never sleeps, this show didn’t quite live up to its predecessor. It left me thinking, man, it’s amazing what a difference a year makes!

I remember glorifying the show, saying how this is what New York needed, a show of this magnitude. I remember anticipating the much bigger show with bigger stars and the reality is that sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for. See the show was BIGGER, it did have BIGGER stars (Stan the MAN Lee, Steven King, etc), but what I didn’t expect was to be shoved upstairs like a stepchild on an upper level few knew was there. Granted top talent was also ushered upstairs and that drove crowds our way, but (and maybe I’m being a bit too critical) last year’s show was different. It was a mini San Diego Comic Con in the sense that neither big nor small, everyone on the floor had an equal opportunity to display their product and sell!

I spoke to a few independent publishers who were disappointed with some of the promises that were made and then broken. For example, “the rate will remain the same for all those that had a table last year”. That was a 100-dollar lie, although the show does promise to increase the dollar amount for each table. In one instance one publisher was given a spot on the floor only to be moved to another spot two weeks before the show. Was he given notice? Sure, he was told two weeks in advance, but lets think about this. For us small guys, advertising is very, very important! Getting the word out so that in a huge show like this we can be found is what we spend a lot of our money on.

With that being said, how do you tell an independent publishing company they have to move their table two weeks in advance when they have been advertising for months by spending hard earned money on flyers and cards as well as any other cost effective (but still costly) way to let everyone know where to find them on the floor. The 23rd – 25th was just another weekend in February in my book. Most of us barely made our money back, but next April, most of us will be back.

I heard The Comic Con is getting 80% of the Javitz…how about giving us just 5% and an even playing field. We will see what happens from now till then. Lets see how strong those April showers are when the NYC Comic Con returns. I know what you’re thinking…if you can’t afford it, then don’t do the show! But hey, we can’t afford to print, advertise, or even distribute (Diamond is another issue) our books, but we still do it! So the little guys will continue to knock on the doors that are barely opened to us but left wide open for the big guys. And we will continue to sneak in right behind them just to get a shot to display what the industry is sorely lacking: originality.

Surviving Comic Con NY Pt 2

2007-02-28T19:38:00.000-08:00

Okay, so it is the morning of the Comic Con and I still don't have the fourth issue of There's an Alien in my Toilet back from the printer. I also don't have the corrected file of the Oogoolie Boogoolie's. Am I nervous? ABSOLUTELY!!! To put things into perspective, a full-page story hit the newsstands on Friday 23rd featuring There's an Alien in my Toilet and our plans for the Comic Con. This was not all; I had press releases, radio interviews and a full campaign to promote these releases.

So the printer called and said we would need to collect the Oogoolie's Friday morning so after I got to the con, Jonathan set off to collect the books. I knew we would be in a different room from the exhibitors but when I witnesses first hand that we were on the third level up, I knew we would have to hustle to get attention. The isolation from the rest of the event and the limited isle space made it challenging for all of the artists in Artist Alley. On the plus side we did have a good amount of legroom behind our table so that was cool.

This would also be the first convention where we would have David Quiles with us (David currently illustrated Oogoolie's and the cover for Forbidden). In fact we had the entire team with us so that allowed us to be on the floor (Jorge and I) to collect interviews for Catch Da Craze.

Jonathan gets back with the book, which have not been bound together due to the short notice, so we had to staple and fold each of the issues. We set up the table and wonder the entire time why Artist Alley is free from traffic while the main exhibitor floor is jam-packed. Good Grief Charlie Brown! Sheesh...

Day one proved to be a long one (considering the event ended at 9:00 PM) and although the other publishers wanted to go for drinks and grub, I bailed and went home to sleep. Day 2 coming up.

Surviving Comic Con NY

2007-02-25T17:51:00.000-08:00

This being my first blog ever, I thought it fitting to reflect on my journey to the 2nd Annual NY Comic Cob 2007. This will be a two fold process since I run Crazee Comics and Catch Da Craze. About a month back we were really gearing for the Con and have been plugging out commercials, press releases, posts on dozens of forums, doing interviews and just discussion the coming event on our show.

Trying to overmanage the talent in the Crazee Camp was a bit tidious, especially when you are trying to meet a deadline. I was sending out the last pages of "There's an Alien in my Toilet" to Jorge Medina who was handling the colors and lettering for it while I was coloring the pages of "The Oogoolie Boogoolie's" which artist David Quiles rendered. Communicating to the printer trying to make certain they would be able to get the books to us in less then a week, and conducting interviews with the New Jersey Journal and Comic Novice Radio started to become challenging. This while updating the sites and proofing all finished samples became work rather then a labor of love.

You are probably saying, what's the big deal? Well, here is the kicker. In the same few weeks, my pipes burst in my home and my PC crashed with a virus. This forced me to cancel shows on Catch Da Craze and redesign the Catch Da Craze website in my powerboook G4. That plus the fact that a fews days out of the con I got back my book the Oogoolie Boogoolie's and realized the pages were printed in the wrong order and I had to shell out more money for a reprint and for the printer working overtime for the Alien book 4 printing because we sent it in late.

So you must understand why I have labeled this blog surviving Comic Con. Next: Day 1 of Comic Con.