San Diego Comic-Con 2008: Part 2

My professional agenda for Comic-Con was fairly simple: Soak in the visuals, get a general feel for the industry and do some basic networking.  With this in mind, here are some useful tips I learned along the way on how to take advantage of the convention:

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Drawing on my Computer…

One of the most amusing things I feel about my job is the lack of knowledge most people have of it.  I often have people ask what I do for a living. If they know I office out of my home then I their fist vision of me is sitting around in my PJs watching opera with a diet coke in one hand and letting my nails dry on the other.  I may or may not have a computer sitting next to me, but most likely not or else it would be in the way of those feet I am propping up.

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Write of Passage

I never really gave much thought about the actual process of writing, or even that it was a process at all. I liken it to brushing my teeth or walking or breathing. It’s just something I do. And while we all get a little writer’s block from time to time, like constipation, eventually you know that something’s gonna give.
 
So when a friend recently asked me to blog about "signs" (no smoking, no parking, caution-crime scene etc) I thought "Sheesh. What could I possibly write about signs that would be interesting, sardonically humorous or even remotely relevant?" Enter Pom Cosmos because hey, it’s five o’clock somewhere… »»

Employment Adventures

Or One Way To Become A Game Designer

Sunday night.  The phone rings.  It’s my boss John.  “Brad, do you want the good news or the bad news?” 

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Internet Radio’s 1st Live Music Festival

Internet radio is taking another step forward as a legitimate entertainment medium this month as the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System’s IBS Student Radio Network by Backbone (IBS-SRN) launches the Web’s first live music festival.

IBS-Palooza, Internet radio’s first live multi-venue music festival, will be webcast simultaneously by WIBS, iTunes Radio, and participating colleges’ website, September 19th through the 21st, 2008.  Broadcast Schedule available here. »»

Aikido Al’s Comic Con Slideshow

San Diego Comic-Con 2008: Mostly highlights of the vast Exhibitor’s Hall, with some additional shots of around the convention area. »»

San Diego Comic-Con 2008

Part 1: Yikes! (an overview)

"Geek is good" said Marc Bernardin, Entertainment Weekly and EW.com Senior Editor on Friday’s Entertainment Weekly’s Filmmakers panel. 

That’s the second impression you get after the initial shock of the sheer size of the convention.  It is about 200,000 of your closest friends.  This year was the first Comic-Con that sold out entirely through pre-registration.

  The central core of Comic-Con is "comics."  In reality it’s a multimedia cross-section of pop-culture.  Picture if you will the football field-sized Exhibitor’s Hall.  Major movie studios such as Sony, Paramount, and Warner Brothers rub shoulders comfortably alongside the big two of the comics industry: DC and Marvel.  Video game companies such as NCSoft, Square Enix, and Sony Computer Entertainment also showcase their latest work, as well as television networks such as Fox, BBC America, and the Independant Film Channel giving previews of their latest shows.  Add to that a myriad of independant artists and comics companies, comics vendors, art suppliers, tabletop gaming companies, toy companies, and organized fan groups. »»

Highlights of GigOfHam.com’s Comic Con 2008 Gallery

Photos by Carl Perry/ GigofHam.com »»

Marketing in a Digital Era

A new landscape in the world of marketing is appearing now.  The strength of a company is defined by its digital web presence and that standing is critical to its profit margin and ultimate survival.

Almost everyone has dabbled in throwing up a web page to promote their business.  With the invention and discovery of the internet, I think all of us have considered the latent power of owning web real estate.

Some web pages are extremely well designed. They satisfy the creative eye, are informative and insightful.  But do you ever feel like your site is just sitting there in the vast galaxy of time and space going unnoticed?  Wouldn’t it be nice to get a little more traffic and create some sales out of it?

I know many of us have had that thought run through our heads. »»

Recession Proofing Your Studio- Pt. 1

Whether you believe we are in a recession or you are simply seeing a slow down in your business, are you going to kick back and hope the phone starts ringing or wait for our government to help you out? The governments plan of course is to stimulate the economy by pouring money into it by issuing tax rebates to all US taxpayers, most of which have been delivered by now. Whether you agree with this philosophy or not, if you have been losing sleep wondering where your next job is coming from, you need to do more than sit by the mailbox waiting for a $600 check from Uncle Sam.

It never ceases to amaze me every time I am at a gathering with another group of photographers, whether at a convention, an association meeting or just the local camera store, the news is almost always the same–”I’m so slow.” “The phone is just not ringing.” “The economy sucks.” “Nobody wants to spend any money.” »»