The indie pamphlet is screwed. If there was any doubt before, the new Diamond policy has put the final nail in the coffin on starting up the next Eightball or Bone. People interested in starting up a new comic will have to jack it up to such a high price point, it's going to discourage new readers. The smart publishers ditched the floppy and went to the OGN only format quite some time ago. The only thing keeping the floppy alive is nostalgia and that hasn't  changed.

Best recommendation I have is to have your serialized work in both digital and print formats. Pop off a low run at a copy shop for shows but definitely have it online. How many shows you do can determine your print run. What type of shows? SPX? Heroescon? 50? 250? There are only a handful of indie friendly comic shops left in the DM. The majority of shops focus only on their pull accounts and keep the bare minimum on the walls. Reordering is a challenge. Most shops kinda suck at this. My local comic shop's pretty good about it but they subscribe to the pull account/ minimum on the walls model. Only focusing on this small handful of shops isn't going to help get your work traction. You have to diversify. You have to embrace the web.

The web is still like the wild west right now for comics. Some people make it off advertising and merchandise. Some don't. Micropayments? Downloadable comics? There's no set model yet for monetizing comics on the web.

If your goal is to someday draw for Marvel. This Diamond policy, to some degree, affects you too. With the new Diamond policy, those opportunities will also be shrinking. The only way you'll get in an editor's face is vying for gigs drawing indy books. Cold submissions will usually be ignored. Marvel and DC treat portfolio reviews like contests. I get that the review lines at cons are ridiculously long, so I understand the solution. The other interesting development is art directors are looking online for new talent. Everything isn't all doom and gloom I guess.

It will be if the industry doesn't think of the next big step because the clock is ticking on the DM market.

On the way to the day job this morning, I was hit by a lady turning in front of me. I am okay. A little sore from the airbag. It was pretty much all a blur. The car, I'm afraid, is not okay. The front end took the hit pretty bad. Airbag caught the windshield, cracking it. So I'm without a ride right now. Waiting to see how the insurance shakes out. Both the driver and I have the same insurance. Man this sucks. I look forward to the day where I don't have to do the commute to work every morning.

I am trying to post up a sketch drive to help pay for the possible deductible. Think of it like early Christmas shopping. $25 plus shipping. Thanks gang.

I've finally capped off a set list of bands that irritate the hell out of me tonight.

Let's start off with the Spinto Band. Followed by Of Montreal... then the Decemberists. Ending it with a guy screaming 'Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee' into the mike for an hour. Geesh.

I came to this conclusion immediately after the Frightened Rabbit / Spinto Band show tonight. The tool at the door jacked up the cover by $2. Everywhere else said $10 door. If he said $15, I was going to laugh in his face and walk away. Judging by the crowd that showed up for Frightened Rabbit, they'll be back. There were scarcely anyone left after the Scots finished their set. I haven't witnessed such an uneven show since Blonde Redhead opened for Man or Astroman. Seriously, Frightened Rabbit blew Spinto out of the water. I knew what I was going to hear when the Spinto Band came on. They get points for the kazoos but I walked out midway between the 4th song of their set. Terrible. Just terrible. They remind me sort of like Apples in Stereo without the nasal vocals. I freaking hate Apples in Stereo!

I had to go. Frightened Rabbit's Midnight Organ Fight has been in my head for a straight month. It's so epic, it could flood a stadium. The set was too to short but worth it. The Spinto Band needs to scrap everything but their rhythm section and start over. The only thing that could wash that memory out of my brain was listening to The Modern Lovers disc in the car.

Barley's Brewing Company. 8pm till midnight. Friday Oct. 3rd.

In case I missed anyone, the Panel gang is throwing another pre-show party before the Mid Ohio Con. We're having it at Barley's again, which is across the street from the convention center. (I'd recommend checking out the new google 'street view' for a brief visual) It's hard to tell since I'm getting mixed reports on who's going or not. Even if you're not and don't have anything to do that Friday night come on by. There's no cover and you can always bounce to one of the Park Street clubs after.

Tell a friend. Bring a date. We'll see you there.