What 80s and 90s Cartoons Taught Us About Nerdy Girls

Ok so I was doing a little research for fun. I thought it would be funny to point out some of the stereotypes of the smart female characters of the 80s and 90s...the fact that I actually grew up on these characters makes me sad. Most of the characters have large glasses, are shy, klutzy, desperate for love...and even at one time a man and no one seemed to notice their huge transformation? I know...right? Some of them have their better qualities sometimes I mean they're all quite smart or at least leave something to the imagination with their ensembles. Oh I also noticed that a vast majority of them either wear blue or purple or even have blue hair. Coincidence? Probably not, it's most likely just the characters I chose. Anyways here's a few pix of the characters with little write ups about them*:

Shy Violet from Strawberry Shortcake:

"Shy Violet is a studious little girl with the mind of a genius. She wears great big glasses and looks just as intelligent as she is. Most of the time, Violet can be found reading or writing or working on her theories about color. She is Rainbow Brite's problem-solver and can always be counted upon for quick answers to difficult questions. Though Violet is very shy, she never hesitates to speak up to offer advice. And when she speaks, everybody listens because she's always right! Hers is the color of wisdom and enlightenment, so when she's not busy offering advice, she's managing the work of the violet Sprites, supplying violet colors to our world." ~Quote brought to you by: http://www.rainbowbrite.net/characters/violet.html

Plum Pudding from Rainbow Brite:

This one shocked me a bit too, but I also find it somewhat amusing: "The last of Strawberry Shortcake's original 1980s friends, Plum Puddin' was the bespectacled genius of the group. A surprisingly non-token second male character in Strawberry's early adventures, Plum Puddin' vanished from Strawberryland in 1982, only to return to the series in 1984 as a brainy female. Strawberry Shortcake seemed not to notice. Plum remained Strawberry Shortcake's scientific advisor through the franchise's disbanding in 1985."~Quote courtesy of: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Strawberry_Shortcake_characters#Plum_Puddin.27

Jeanette from Alvin and the Chipmunks:

Now I dunno about you but I watched a lot of the Chipmunks as a kid, it just always seemed to be on. I noticed later on that Jeanette slightly resembled Irma from Ninja Turtles. Anyway, here's another quote from Wickipedia: "Jeanette Miller is the tallest of the Chipettes. She is the female counterpart of Simon. She is the middle sister of the Chipettes. Jeanette has a high amount of intellect which she is often not afraid to use, and is considered the lovable klutz of the Chipettes. Her klutzy personality is shown in her outfits, and is often seen with her shoelaces untied, a strap on her dress shoulder crooked, etc.. She wears glasses due to extremely poor eyesight. Jeanette has brown hair in a bun, green eyes, and her signature colors are royal blue and purple. In the 2009 film, Jeanette is voiced by Anna Faris.~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chipettes

Irma from Ninja Turtles:

Is it me or is there a striking resemblance between Jeanette? It's uncanny! "Irma Langinstein is the bespectacled, dorky best friend, and colleague of April O'Neil at Channel Six, where she serves as Burne Thompson's secretary in the 1987 series and Archie Comics." ~http://tmnt.wikia.com/wiki/Irma_Langinstein

Janine from The Real Ghostbusters:

"Janine's character was changed at the suggestion of consultants, who said that they wanted to change the shape of Janine's glasses (which they thought would frighten children), and change her from a feisty character to the "mother" of the Ghostbusters group as they felt she was "too abrasive". Additionally, the Brooklyn accent was discarded with a change in voice actresses. This, among other reasons, was why writer J. Michael Straczynski left The Real Ghostbusters." Quote found and additional info about this can be found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janine_Melnitz

Ami Mizuno/Sailor Mercury from Sailor Moon:

"A quiet, fourteen-year-old bookworm in Usagi's class. Highly intelligent with a rumored IQ of 300, she can transform into Sailor Mercury, Soldier of Water and Wisdom. Ami's shy exterior masks a passion for knowledge and for taking care of the people around her. She hopes to become a doctor one day, like her mother, and tends to be the practical one in the group. Secretly, she is also a fan of pop culture and romance novels, and becomes embarrassed whenever this is pointed out. Ami would also be considered the "tech girl" of the group, Utilizing her mini data computer, which is capable of scanning and detecting virtually anything she needs." ~More info as well as this can be found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sailor_Moon

So what have we learned here today? I personally have learned that smart girls (at least in cartoon land) are often reserved and shy, with head buried in a book while toting laptops and wearing their hair either really short or in a convenient ponytail.

*Note: Most of these characters are obviously from girly cartoons or shows that drew an equal male/female audience...with possibly the exception of The Real Ghostbusters and Ninja Turtles.

Awards, Interviews, and Ponies?

Ok, so a few things have happened to me this month that I'd like to share. The list of articles I'm addressing is as follows: 1: I'm up for an award, and if you'd like to vote I'll tell you how.
2:I was interviewed about my career by a 15 year old who had a project, if you'd like to know what I think about being a cartoonist read on, it's long-winded.
3: My friend Kelly Mills made me a wonderful My Little Pony version of Tom Boy Tara!
If you'd like to read all three topics, please feel free, but if you'd like to skip one or two at least you know what I'm going to rant about so you can skim.

The Prix Aurora Award
So I'm pleased to announce that the lovely and always wonderful Liana K. has nominated my comic "Tom Boy Tara" for a Prix Aurora Award. I'm in the "Best Graphic Novel" section. Apparently webcomics are able to be nominated for it. My comics 129-165 from 2010 are in the running which involves *SPOILER ALERT* the huge story arc of my one character Jade coming out as a bisexual and Tara questioning her own sexuality. If you haven't read it, lots of stuff happens after that too...it's a crazy read.

Liana and the fine people at Futurecon (a fabulous 3 day New Years Relaxacon that she and a few others made up and then donated all of the money gained from it to epilepsy Toronto) were also nominated for a Prix Aurora Award. Please vote for them if you can!

The Prix Aurora Awards are Canada's national popular vote Sci Fi & Fiction awards, meaning the public gets to vote on the best of the best in Canadian SF!

The nomination period is open, and it is free to nominate. However, since the awards are a one person/one vote system, you must register with the society and get your society number before proceeding to the nominations.

Nominations are live now, and close April 30th, 2011. Please help us get those who supported the Futurecon convention on the ballot! They donated a lot of time and work to help raise epilepsy funds.

Come voting time, there is a nominal $5 fee per ballot. This money goes directly to paying for the swanky trophies they give out, and other expenses related to the awards. You can donate more if you wish.

The nomination form can be found here:

http://www.prixaurorawards.ca/Membership/nomination.php

The Prix Aurora Awards prefers that you complete all categories when you nominate. So to help you with that, here is our preliminary "Friends of Futurecon" list of recommendations. Let's get all our Futurecon guests nominated, so we party at SFContario, November 18-20th, 2010 in Toronto:

PROFESSIONAL NOMINATIONS:

Best Novel - English:
Robert J. Sawyer: Watch (Penguin Canada)
Derwin Mak: The Shrine of the Siren Stone (Orchard House Press)

Best Short Fiction - English:
"Cloned to Kill", Derwin Mak, Infinite Space, Infinite God II, Twilight Times Books
"The Polar Bear Carries the Mail", Derwin Mak, The Dragon and the Stars, DAW Books
"Family Tradition", Derwin Mak, Night to Dawn, issue 17, April 2010

(Note: All these short stories can be read online here: http://www.derwinmaksf.com/Auroras.html )

Best Poetry/Song - English
Robert J. Sawyer: "The Transformed Man," Tesseracts 14 (EDGE)

Best Graphic Novel - English
Tomboy Tara, strips 129 - 165, Emily Ragozzino, Tomboytara.com, self-published.

Best Related Work - English
The Dragon and the Stars; Derwin Mak and Eric Choi, Editors, DAW Books

Best Artist:
Leonard Kirk, Examples: Dark X-Men: Issues 3, 4 and 5 - Penciling and Inking, Marvel Comics
New Mutants (vol.3): Issues 15 - 19 - Penciling and inking, Marvel Comics

FAN-BASED NOMINATIONS

Best Fan Publication:
The Dominion Dispatch, Adam Smith, Editor, http://www.steampunkcanada.ca/dominiondispatch.htm

Best Fan Organizational
Liana Kerzner, FUTURECON!!!!!!!!!! (This was a team effort but the Auroras make you list a single name. This was the one RJS provided, so let's keep it consistent!)

Best Fan Filk:
Nero's Fiddle, Red is the Rose Album

Best Fan Other:
Andrew Gurudata, The Constellation Awards, Polaris 24
Nero's Fiddle, Live performance, Futurecon, December 31st, 2010 (In case the Aurora committee doesn't see the gals as "filky" enough. The official definition is muddy.)

An Interview About Being in the Cartoon Industry
Interview for Comic Book Artist and Author Emily Ragozzino

Q: How did you first decide to become a comic book artist?

A: When I was eight years old, I used to do my own comics based off of cartoons I watched on T.V. and newspaper comics I read. I didn’t have a comic book store near me, as I grew up in the country so I didn’t really base them off of comic books, but I always found all sequential art and animation to be extremely fascinating and an amazing storytelling method.

Q: Is there anything you think is important to do during your formative years if you want to become a comic book artist?

A: Well for one thing, I think it’s best to learn a thing or two about writing and art, especially if you want to do both. I’m mostly self-taught but I took Fine Art in college and all through high school, I also loved English. I think it helps to know how to craft your own stories and create some kind of movement with your art to make the story interesting. Creating a story that includes body language often helps make the art look more appealing, however if the story calls for it, small gestures can make the art look more organic, more boring perhaps but also more realistic if that’s what you’re going for.

Q: Do you think it was luck or your own choices, or a combination of both, that got you where you are today?

A: Well, I’ve always worked hard to achieve any goals. Sometimes coincidences happen where I met a cool person at the right time that would help me to further my career, but most of the time if was motivation and sticking with what I loved and never giving up hope that got me to where I am.

Q: How often do you work as a comic book artist?

A: I try to post a comic a week if I can. Sometimes more, sometimes less, but I try to stick with that goal. I think having goals and giving yourself a deadline really helps a lot. I try to work on a comic for about 3 hours more or less. I just began colouring it in. Because I change my style frequently and experiment a lot it can take more or less time, but I mainly have fun with it and the time flies by. It’s what I love to do, so it’s hard not to have fun.

Q: What are your favorite parts about this job?

A: Just being able to create something new and different really makes me content. I’ve always loved art and writing, so I think the fact that I’ve found something to combine both of my loves has really helped me to progress.

Q: What are your least favorite parts about this job?

A: Trying to find the time to do it among my day job and other daily tasks and challenges and at the moment I’m not making a ton of money off of it. It’s the price I pay for being an artist and enjoying what I do.

Q: Are their any particular skills and interests that are required for the job?

A: I think most people can do this type of work if they really have the passion for it, dedication and the talent. Talent comes last because I’ve seen some comics with good writing and bad art or vice versa and they still make it alright. I think if you have a new and different idea that will relate to people, that often helps. Creativity is a big requirement. I say passion and dedication because I’ve seen enough artists give up because they don’t think there’s enough money in it or they’re too shy to show their own work. If you like what you do you’ll want to show it to the world and keep going with it. If you put your mind to it, I really believe you can accomplish anything.

Q: Which of the following types of abilities are useful within your job?
(Copy from the following list)
Kinesthetic
Linguistic
Logical
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Musical
Visual/Spatial
Natural

A: Definitely Linguistic, I think without language in the comic realm (body language or speech) it would just be a bunch of random pictures. There must be a concept or some kind of story to suck the reader in. Visual is definitely another strong ability needed, or else it would just be a regular short story, conversation, narrative, etc. Art is what makes comics such a fascinating medium; it can convey a mood or set a scene. I believe you can use most of the other abilities in the above list to write about something, the ideas for comics are endless. I for one will use music in my writing to display the characters likes and dislikes or again, set a mood.


Q: Within the job, what sort of thinking is important?
(Copy from the following list)
Respectful
Disciplined
Creative
Synthesizing
Ethical

A: I think “Creative” and “Discipline” are the top ones on the list. You obviously need to have creativity to even craft your own comic, and discipline to keep going with it, especially if it has a storyline that lasts a while like mine does.

Q: Is there a particular personality that best suits the job?

A: Well, like in any career, an ambitious personality will allow you to take the career far. Especially because you will most likely not receive overnight success, it takes a lot of hard work, dedication and a lot of money into it (that you may not easily get back) you have to enjoy what you do and I think creative methods in marketing yourself can really help get things out there a little bit. Most artists forget that if they begin this career, you must market your product and unless you have a partner you must do it on your own or with the help of friends and possibly family. If you have a business mind and a fabulous support system, it sometimes helps to get your idea out there. Creativity also helps obviously, but being logical about your goals in your freelance career also helps a lot, you’re your own boss, you call the shots, they may as well be smart decisions.

Q: Are there any good things that people can do to volunteer that prepare them for your job?

A: Well, I think if you have the time to dedicate to your future goal while you’re young, it can help. If my college had a newspaper that was published often, I would have definitely volunteered to do the comic in that newspaper. I have in the past made comics for things. I used to practice making birthday cards for people and coming up with funny little slogans and caricatures, just writing and doing random sketches can often help. Carrying a small notebook with you at all times too can help you get ideas down that you later forget about. I just practiced art a lot, and wrote whenever I could to keep things fresh. I think that’s all you can really do to prepare yourself.

Q: Are there any other interests that your job makes it easy to pursue? Are there ones that you feel are difficult to pursue?

A: Caricatures and face painting have been things I have done on the side. I can easily do storyboards for film because I know how to do sequential art. I can easily also write scripts for film as well, as I normally write out scripts before I draw out the panels.
I feel it is a very limited career, but you can also do a lot with art and writing. I have published books because of it, I have created t-shirts and other products with my art, there are endless possibilities. My core interests are art and writing, I find that this career path helps me fulfill all of my needs.

Q: Does your job often interfere with your personal life, and vice versa?

A: It can sometimes. I have been distracted at past side jobs because I was so focused on what I wanted to do next in my comic. I have even been fired over it. Although that job was not for me and the employer knew it, it was just at a bad time in my life that I lost that job. I have had friends and family think I was delusional for wanting to do this as a career as it makes very little money, especially at the start. I have ignored a lot of people because I have followed what most consider “just a dream”.

Q: Is it possible to create a healthy work/life balance, without cutting too much of either?

A: I have created one. I now work full time at an art store for spare money so I can eat, pay bills and generally have a roof over my head. It also helps me save money on supplies if I need them. I find doing a comic a week at least until I make some money off of my comic gives my viewers just enough to constantly go back to check in with it, and it allows me to pursue what I love while still giving me time to work and have a social life, and do all the things I need to do.

Q: Is there anything else you’d include that’s important information about your job?

A: It can be a difficult career. It may sound glamorous at times, but believe me, it takes a lot of discipline, and dedication and laborious life balance to allow you to survive in this incredibly sought after career. Let’s face it, a lot of people want to be their own boss and work mainly from home while making massive amounts of money doing it. If that’s why you got into this career in the first place though, you may want to rethink your life choices. It’ll take years to get there, I haven’t even received that luxury yet, and don’t know if I ever will. That’s the price I pay for doing what I love though.

Kelly Mills Makes My Little Ponies Even More Awesome!
So I just got the best present of the year, and I was so excited to share it with everyone! My friend Kelly Mills makes customized My Little Ponies. She came to visit me one time recently on her way to see the play "Wicked" with her boyfriend and told me she was going to make me a Tom Boy Tara pony. I didn't think she'd be making it so soon. I can't stop staring at the pictures she had of them below, I was just in awe of all the detail she put into it. She took my childhood girly toy and made it something tomboyish! Such an amazing thing! Well I luckily snagged the pictures of the making of the pony and the finished result is there too. If you want to see Kelly's other ponies she's customized she does such an amazing job, they're here, just click on this link: Midnightflurry
Please hire her if you know someone (or yourself) who would like a My Little Pony customized. She does an incredible amount of work, as you can see!

The Future Is Here!

So it has been a while since I last posted in here. Since my random cartoon teaching gigs I've had two friends ask me to teach "the making of comics" to more students. My one friend who is part of the Literature Committee at her high school was going to see if I could speak for an hour about comics as a piece of literature. I've also been asked to teach a few girls from an all girl high school how to draw comics. Both gigs will be in April of next year, but they want to book me in advance before commencing the next semester. I'm pretty excited that I was asked to do these things, even if it doesn't pan out, it's the thought to ask me that counts. Very exciting!

So I had just completed some works for an upcoming event called Futurecon! Futurecon is a cool 3 day party right on New Years put on by constant con goers who wanted to make their own convention. It's based on a sci-fi movement that doesn't seem to be primarily focused on for most conventions (normally when you think of sci-fi you think of aliens) which is Time Travel. It's one of my favorite kinds of Sci-fi being a fan of such movies as "Back to the Future" and "Time Bandits". I was asked to participate in drawing for the very cool event. I made caricatures of Liana K and Ed the Sock (who will be running the event) dressed in gear from different time periods and also as Marty McFly and Doc Brown from "Back to the Future".

These caricatures have been put on a cover for the event's free keepsake program book that doubles as a photo album. Also my line drawing of Ed and Red as Marty and Doc has been put on the official t-shirt for the convention. Sales from the t-shirts will go to help banish epilepsy as well as the money from most of the con. I'm really proud to be a part of this history-in-the-making event. It will be the New Years party of a lifetime! If you would like to go to it, please feel free to register for it on the website here.

That's all for now, I hope everyone's holidays go smoothly and hopefully next year will be just as wonderful, if not more wonderful than this one. For me, it'll have to be pretty darn wonderful, I had a blast this year!

I'M IN THE NEWS!

Even though it's small town news it still counts. I grew up in the country, this is awesome to me! So, this is one of the creative things I was doing a few months ago that I said I'd get back to you about later. The very awesome Liana K from "Ed the Sock" and "This Movie Sucks" asked me to join her in participating in a very cool program at a public school that connects children to their young parents. I was thrilled to be asked and therefore taught a whole bunch of kids about grade 1-3 and their parents how to create their own cartoon character and then their own comic strip. What the article doesn't mention here (because the photographer/writer of the article left before this)is that the school asked us to stay and do another more advanced presentation for about 60 kids from grade 4-6. We had all of their attention and it was so super fun! I made an interesting suggestion that you can turn any shape into a head or body if you just use your imagination. We had kids asking to come up to draw a shape in front of everyone so we could turn it into something cool! Liana who is a huge fan of comics and claimed she wasn't an artist at all was drawing more than I was up there. Everyone wanted to participate! Needless to say, it was a very fun day! Thanks to Adam Hodgins who arranged the whole thing and the awesome school of Brechin for having such a wonderful program. I wish I had something like that when I was their age.

Interview

Well it's been a while since I wrote a blog post...lots of artistic things are going on, but stuff I can't really discuss too much now. Instead I wrote a little interview out about my life and my art/writing career. Enjoy!:

• What is your birthdate?:
March 5th, 1982, yes I’m getting up there in age, I don’t care, grow old gracefully.
• Previous occupations:
For art: graphic designer, caricaturist, art director, storyboard artist, face painter, cartoonist, fashion designer, etc…I’ve also done a lot of random retail jobs to keep this art career afloat.
• Favorite job:
I’ve had a few, but I’ve always enjoyed making my own comics.
• High school and/or college:
Went to school in Banting Memorial High School then went to Georgian College for Fine Arts for 3 years and eventually moved to Toronto.
• Name of your favorite composer or music artist:
I love the band “Cake” ‘cuz they experiment with all kinds of instruments in their band. I enjoy artists who experiment. I’m also into MGMT.
• Favorite movie:
It depends, I have a few favorites…but it changes with my mood…Maybe The Fantastic Mr. Fox most recently.
• Favorite television show:
Freaks and Geeks.
Revealing Questions
Q. How would you describe your life in only 8 words?
A. Life is hard, but when drawing, it’s fun.
Q. What is your motto or maxim?
A. If I have time to watch a movie I have time to draw a comic.
Q. How would you describe perfect happiness?
A. Getting to wake up everyday and make a living doing what you love.
Q. What’s your greatest fear?
A. Knives.
Q. If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you choose to be?
A. I’ve always wanted to go to England to see the history there.
Q. With whom in history do you most identify?
A. Jim Henson, I love creating new characters, imagine and inspire imagination in others like he did.
Q. Which living person do you most admire?
A. My boyfriend, he is the most amazing boy I’ve ever met, he is so calm and together, successful in his career, and he knows when to be mature and when to have fun.
Q. What are your most overused words or phrases?
A. “That’s insane!” I’ve been told I say that a lot when talking to people…some people tell insane stories though, in my defense.
Q. What do you regret most?
A. Not taking a photography job that was offered to me when I was in high school ‘cuz I was lazy then. Woulda been great on a resume.
Q. If you could acquire any talent, what would it be?
A. I want to learn the drums. Never became musically inclined but I woulda loved to learn something cool.
Q. What is your greatest achievement?
A. I think publishing my very own comic books and my own web comic.
Q. What’s your greatest flaw?
A. I’m too self conscious and I sometimes blame that on the fact that I’m a girl.
Q. What’s your best quality?
A. I have a good imagination which helps me to tell stories and create.
Q. If you could be any person or thing, who or what would it be?
A. I would love to be some kind of mythical creature. I love mythology, Unicorns, Pegasus, anything horse-like were such powerful animals that inspired imagination
Q. What trait is most noticeable about you?
A. I think the fact that I’m tall…when people would describe me to someone they often referred to me as “the tall girl”. I change my look too frequently to pin-point a single trait.
Q. Who is your favorite fictional hero?
A. Daria
Q. Who is your favorite fictional villain?
A. The plant in Little Shop of Horrors.
Q. If you could meet any historical character, who would it be and what would you say to him or her?
A. If I could go back in time I would tell all of King Henry the Eighth’s wives to watch out and never marry him ‘cuz they’re going to die a horrible, horrible death.
Q. What is your biggest pet peeve?
A. When people ignore their inner nerd and mask it with a phony version of them selves.
Q. What is your favorite occupation, when you’re not writing or drawing?
A. Creating new products for people to use or wear.
Q. What’s your fantasy profession?
A. To be a shape-shifter…then I could do almost any profession…even if it is just temporarily.
Q. What 3 personal qualities are most important to you?
A. Having an imagination, a sense of humor, and being open-minded
Q. If you could eat only one thing for the rest of your days, what would it be?
A. Rice Krispies…I could make so many things with that.

On Books and Writing
Q. Who are your favorite authors?
A. C.S. Lewis, J.D. Salinger, Daniel Clowes, Mike Carey, Craig Thompson, and Graeme Roland Base.
Q. What are your 5 favorite books of all time?
A. The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe, Catcher in the Rye, Ghost World, The Unwritten, Blankets, and I know you just said 5, but it’s a short children’s book and so awesome anyways in art and in writing, The Eleventh Hour: A Curious Mystery.
Q. Is there a book you love to reread?
A. I just read Blankets but would love to reread it. I’ve reread The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe several times as a kid and have reread Catcher in the Rye.
Q. Do you have one sentence of advice for new writers?
A. Keep trying, you will have a magnum opus someday, if you get rejected, don’t let that stop you, Stephen King kept every rejection letter he ever received when he first began, that’s words of encouragement enough I’d say.
Q. What comment do you hear most often from your readers?
A. That Tom Boy Tara is awesome and I’m not allowed to stop making it…their words, not mine.

Marketing Strategies For The New Comic Artist

People often come up and ask me at conventions, “How do you get your web comic out there?” To be fair I’m not famous…yet, but I have become a little more known with a few marketing strategies I’ve discovered through trial and error. I took Fine Arts Advanced in college and they teach you a little bit about how to market yourself as an artist, which has been helpful, no doubt, but once I got into the real world and realized the competition and how fierce it is I soon had to rely on my creative skills to stand out above the rest. Plus I find a lot of these strategies work well online, which is what you want when you’re a web comic creator.

Business Cards: One of my favorite old fashioned strategies has always been the business card. I’ve tried many printing places and they were all well and good, but at one particular convention I saw one man’s cards that stood out above the rest. He had these tiny cards, about half the size of a regular one, and he had many different images on them. I thought they were adorable and showing off numerous images as if to have a mini portfolio seemed like such a wonderful idea. I quickly asked him where he got them printed. He said, “Online at moo.com.” He then proceeded to tell me how cheap they were to make. I joked with him about possibly working for them and he assured me he wasn’t. I took a card and remembered the easy-to-remember web address when I got home and looked it up. Such a fun site it was too! I made some cards with their wonderful “printfinity” function to showcase a few of my different styles I use. I’ve gone to them several times for mini cards too, because I find they actually arrive quickly and in a cute, little protective box. Whenever I hand them out at conventions I suggest to people to use them as bookmarks for their graphic novels they’ve just purchased. They’re such handy little things. Plus not only can you make business cards but you can make postcards, stickers, greeting cards, etc. Another great thing about moo is if you join their newsletter they will keep you updated on cool events, contests and the best is their marketing strategies. They sure know how to market (it is their job after all) and man, I’ve learned a lot just from reading their newsletter updates!

Edible Business Cards: I find people really seem to like free food at cons, not all mind you, but most. Plus, if the con was anything like last Fan Expo where it was impossible to get food because of the long lineups people will be thankful for it. I had an epiphany one day about the best food that would get messages across to people and I thought, ‘Of course! Fortune cookies!’ I swiftly began searching for sites that provided great deals with Fortune cookies and one place has served me well. Goodfortunecookies.com had the best and coolest deal! The site may look a little sketchy, as well as the box the cookies come in, but believe you me, they make them fresh and delicious, and they’ll get them to you on time! I’m not one to procrastinate so I like to order them way before I need them, and they don’t go stale for about 3 months or so. You can set the date for when you want them delivered by, and you’ll bet they get it to you. Best part, you can write your own fortunes! I like to get huge amounts of them for a fairly good price and I write 17 different fortunes (all having to do with situations that happen in my comic on them) then I put my website underneath the fortune and tell people to go check out my comic from there. Another cute option they have (perfect for the artist with the cool style) is you can put a logo on there for free with a big order. They have different deals going on but I know they can do it, just make sure there’s no writing on the logo because it’s so small few people can read it. Leave the written anything to the fortunes themselves. Now, this business card method doesn’t always work mind you, some people are superstitious when it comes to Fortune Cookies, or have food allergies, that’s where backup cards come in to play, and you can rely on your moo cards in that case.

Be A Walking Billboard: Okay, so I have come up with so many kinds of clothes to wear in the past it’s ridiculous! The old fashioned t-shirt logos work wonderfully, don’t get me wrong, but I also find other types of clothes, the ones that you can’t find at a normal convention also make you stand out. Remember: If you’re doing a different comic, one that has barely been established it’s best to do something different so people will take notice. Sometimes causing a scene works but people see through it and it seems hokey. I like checking out different product ideas I could do that will also showcase my stuff long after the convention is over, so if people want to purchase something online, they have the option to. I once wore a tie with my logo on it and people seemed to love it! You can always shop around to see what sites work best for you, but for now I’m using zazzle.com to make numerous projects, including skateboards, doggy shirts, hats, purses, ties, shoes, stickers, magnets, posters, and so much more! You can do so many cool ideas with it! You can customize your store too if you’d like, just play around with it. Fun to make new and unique products! You can also make shirts on Zazzle, but I like to go to a Canadian site called tshirtmonster.ca where you can change the colour, style, brand, size, gender and if it’s an adult, child or baby shirt to suit your needs. You can also opt for an environmentally friendly organic blend shirt for those who like that sort of thing. The quality of shirts is excellent. I like to wear the shirt randomly out, or to comic related events. If I do a bulk order of shirts I ask friends if they want to wear them at the table with me so not only is the order cheaper and you know they’ll be bought, but your friends can advertise the different styles that suit them made specifically from the site. I also have a few shirts at the table for people to pick up in case they want something now. Getting a size people will want is tough though, but through trial and error I find the bigger the shirts the better, not everyone can fit into a small and some people would rather wear a big shirt than a tight one, you can wear it as a shirt to bum around in at home. Another new product I wanted to do because my site is a bit edgy was make temp tattoos. They’re fun at conventions. They’re a little different than some products too so they stand out and if you go to straytats.com you can make any image into a tattoo and you can re-size it to suit your budget so you can either make one big one for you or a bunch for conventions! I made a bunch of Jack the ferret from my comic; I think he worked out well. Also, there are a lot of people who are crafty and make one-of-a-kind customized products. My friend Valerie Scovill just created some beautiful jewelry for my comic and if they don’t do well at this next convention I go to I’m thinking of putting them for sale on Etsy.com which is fabulous for any kind of unique, handmade trinkets. Also, my moo business cards ended up being wonderful for making jewelery! Valerie realized the cardboard they used to make the business cards were perfect for being suspended in resin. The cards were the perfect thickness and lightweight enough to not be too bulky. The cards at the bottom were used to make pins to put on your clothes!

Social Events: If you have the money for it, go to conventions, trade shows, and any related event that has to do with your audience. If you can afford a table by yourself or can share some with friends please do. If not, fliers or business cards at these events are also a good idea for getting it out there. Unfortunately you can’t be shy here, this is where you must hone in on your social skills or at least appoint a friend who has no fear going up to people who supports your business choice. If you don’t approach people and let them know what you’re doing, word of mouth can’t develop and your creation won’t get out there. Go to as many art shows as possible too. There are lots of free events in the summer time especially that may have people that are interested in the same things as you. Research online. You can also make your own event, with the power of Facebook invite friends to a gathering you made up. Hold it at your house or a public place like a pub, restaurant where you can talk with people. Maybe see if there are any art shows involving comics or even approach restaurants that look like they're artist friendly to see if they'll hand out fliers for you or showcase some of your art to possibly even sell. If you have a book you've published go ask your local comic book store if they accept books from Indy comic artists. See how they do business if they buy your stuff outright or do commissions, a lot of stores do things differently. So if your comic features music in it ask a local music store if they can take some of your books to sell. Try to find local Indy 'zine creators to see if they'd like to showcase your art or comic in their magazine. It helps get your name out and you're checking out the cool community and what they're doing too. People may even give you some of their business advice while you're at it.

Online Marketing: Well if you’re just starting out with a new comic it is hard to get it out there. What I like to do (especially if you’re promoting a web comic) is check out different online forums, maybe ones that are specifically art, comic related or would appeal to your audience, for example, (again I'm using music as an example)if your comic is about music, try to check out some music forums as well. I’ve tried forums like CBR.com the comic book website in the Indy comic section and also craigslist.com to show off what I’ve done. They’re free for the stereotypical starving artist and it’s online so it’ll be easy to access. You’re zeroing in on your target audience too so you’re bound to get some interesting feedback. If not, just remember not everyone will like your comic, especially at the beginning stages, so don’t be so sensitive to harsh criticism, some people don’t know what they’re talking about and just want to insult or some people just want to help so you can heed some of the advice if it seems necessary but remember this will happen a lot if you’re getting your art out there so it’s good to develop a thick skin now, which is something some artists have trouble with I’ve noticed. If you have passion and drive for what you do and feel you have a lot to say I think you should keep going with it. If it’s something you want to make money off of, don’t expect anything right away. I find the people who do it for fun because they enjoy it and they don’t care about the money portion of it have the right idea. Also ask the web comic creators that inspire you if they can help you advertise your stuff on their site. Sometimes they're nice and have been in the same boat as you so they may help you out, if not you tried and if they have forums on their site post on there for others to find or even create some advertising by making banner ads to post on your site or others. Also you can try to get other people to advertise on your site, and join affiliate programs. It may help you earn a little extra income to maintain your site. Adding a button from paypal to your website in case someone wants to donate to you for all your hard work doesn't hurt either.

Other Marketing Techniques: If you do happen to get a table at a convention or trade show I’ve seen different strategies, some work, some don’t. I haven’t tried this yet but I want to either get a large cardboard cut-out of one of my characters or buy a cheap mannequin (maybe at a flea market) I can dress up to look like my character and put a wig on, paint her face and maybe add some of the merch I’m selling, like buttons, jewelry, t-shirts whatever to give an interesting display. So many people have cool ideas at these things. I have also cosplayed as my character before, or if you have friends that like to cosplay maybe you can ask them to dress up as a character from your comic for you. I once did a photo shoot with a bunch of friends of mine so I had a photo album to show at these conventions and during the shoot people were wondering what we were doing so we did a little promoting then. You can do it any time during the year; you just need a little creativity with your promotional methods. Of course Facebook, twitter, blogs and a whole plethora of social network sites are right at your fingertips too so take advantage of the free advertising methods and if you have the time try to look into new ones and see what's gaining the most audiences.

There are lots of different methods that work for different people; again it’s all trial and error as you go. If you don’t mind doing a little shameless self promotion and if you also have friends who support what you do they can help you and you have some of the ingredients to be successful. These are just some tips I have used that have helped and stuff I’ve noticed other people have used. It sounds like a lot of work and some of the tips may cost money if you really want to get into it, but if you display stuff online and keep it simple by directing people to your website where all this stuff is, they’re bound to stumble across it and enjoy it. Most of these ideas are either free strategies or fairly cost effective so have fun marketing!

A Blog About a Blog

So I already enjoyed the idea of the wonderful blog T-Dot Comics before because it's all about the rich comic industry in Toronto and we have a lot of cool and interesting comics here. Let's face it, people come from all over the world just to enroll in Sheridan College which has proved to be a tremendous school for animation and sometimes those honor students get picked to work for Disney...or at least they used to. Not only that but we have countless new schools popping up randomly to teach people how to draw cartoons properly, what with Max the Mutts Animation School as well as Ty Templeton's Comic Book Boot Camp! So not only is the idea behind T-Dot comics a fabulous one but I like it even more now that there has been a video interview of myself posted on there (call me self indulgent, call me what you will, I still think it's pretty cool) along with a number of very cool artists like my friend James Turner who has a link to the side of this blog if you notice. If you'd like to visit the blog please feel free to go there at: http://tdotcomics.ning.com/ but if for some reason that doesn't work you can always check out the side of this blog and click there under the video posted or you will notice a link has also been established for the blog itself.

On a sad note, today is the unfortunate anniversary of my mother's passing. Four years ago today she had ended her 5 year struggle with cancer. Before she got to the point of not speaking because she was on so much pain killer medicine she told all three of her children that she wanted us to do everything that we wanted to do with our lives. That was one of her last spoken wishes. She was a very unselfish woman, one who always encouraged artistic endeavors and creation in any way. She was an amazing artist, as well as a great fashion designer and I always admired how she was always positive no matter what happened during her life. She was my inspiration and the inspiration of all of her children, as my older brother pursued his dream of working in the film industry and my younger brother still plugs away recording for his musically talented friends. She will always be in my heart and I think it is one of the reasons I keep on going with this comic as much as I do, I not only want to fulfill my dream but I want to make my mom proud as well. I'm happy with all that I have accomplished, and must say I never thought I'd get to where I am today if it wasn't for her. Miss you mom!