Columns

Issue #11 – Tools of the Trade

A few months ago, I went out to my car to go pick up some lunch, and found a flat tire. I knew I had a spare, a jack, and a lug wrench, so I figured changing it wouldn’t be that big of a deal (other than it being 115 degrees outside (ahh Phoenix in July)). So, first things first, I went to remove my hubcap. I should mention now that the vehicle in question is a 1997 Ford Crown Victoria. My previous vehicles have been an 86 Crown Vic Wagon, an 83 Buick Riviera, a 78 Pontiac Catalina/Bonneville mix, and a 1974 Buick Electra. I’ve change the tires on two of those vehicles with no incident. Yet after trying a crowbar, hammer, screwdriver, and various other prying tools, I could not get the hubcap off this wheel! Two hours and buckets of sweat later, I resorted to extremes and read the user manual. Apparently, these new-fangled cars come with a special key for the hubcaps, so people can’t steal them. So I used the key (which was in my glove compartment, conveniently), and in about ten minutes the tire was changed and I was on my way to my local shop to get it repaired.

New tools for old jobs. Continue Reading →

Issue #10 – We, the consumers…

When I go to a restaurant, I have certain expectations about the service I’m going to get. I want my food to come to me as I ordered it (what I ordered and how I ordered it prepared, and not pay more than what it is on the menu), I want my server to be polite and efficient (check in on me when needed, fill my glass when it is low (or if no free refills, ask before filling it), bring me my food and bill in a timely manner, etc.), and I want to be comfortable in the environment I’m eating in (non-smoking sections that actually have no smoke, no one pestering me at my table wanting to make balloon animals or sell me flowers or crafts, etc.). These aren’t just things I would ideally like, they are actually my minimum expectations for my experience at that restaurant. The more of these that aren’t met, the less likely I am to either a.) tip the server, b.) come back to the restaurant, and/or c.) recommend the restaurant to friends. Continue Reading →

Issue #9 – The Shape of Creativity

“You can’t be creative in a box.” – Faith Erin Hicks, of Demonology 101.

I conducted a sort of “pseudo-interview” via e-mail with Faith Erin Hicks a little while back, at the heart of which was the question of what motivates webcomics creators and which of those motivations tends to breed success in the webcomics field. She recently asked her readers whether it was worth it to them for her to continue with her webcomics project, and the result was overwhelmingly positive. I was just going to quote bits and pieces of her response in this column, but what she has to say just seems too important not to share. Continue Reading →

Issue #8 – Scheduling Conflicts

I’ve pretty much handled schedules in every form possible when it comes to updating my comics sites over the years. I’ve done daily, three times a week, weekly, and sporadic. I’ve done open-ended schedules and schedules for set periods of time, updating at different times of the day or set times of the day. Right now, as an experiment, I’m posting the schedule for the main things on the site every quarter, and then periodically putting up something new at random times as well. After trying it all, I can say one thing with a reasonable amount of certainly. Continue Reading →

Issue #7 – Eight Resolutions

Every year I make twelve personal New Year’s Resolutions. I don’t do it as an absolute strict rulebook I have to follow the rest of the year, because if I did that I would fail. The rebel in me would reject the authority of those rules in about a week. It’s really more about resetting in my head more firmly the things I am working towards; it’s taking a day or two to seriously focus on my goals and how to reach them, and then get myself motivated to go at it for another year. Not all of them work, but usually a half to three quarters of them do work pretty well, and that just leads into my first few resolutions for the next new year. Continue Reading →

Issue #6 – The Art Of Avoiding the Middleman

From a recent conversation continuing the comparison between self-publishing music and self-publishing online comics:

Iain: “So, the question to you really, is just how viable it is to sell your own wares directly rather than use a third party to distribute. I get the feeling the best case scenario is a meshing of the two concepts for maximum exposure and maximum profit, but I’d like to get your thoughts and experiences on it.”

Kelly Neill (of the band Natasha’s Ghost): “You’re right. Corporate distribution offers the advantage of an effective promotion and delivery system (a la Coca-Cola, Britney Spears and Fantastic Sam’s), while smaller companies rely predominately on word of mouth, perceived value, a non-corporate hipness factor, and whatever publicity they can muster on a significantly smaller budget (Jones Soda, Natasha’s Ghost, and that oh-so-cool salon down the street). It’s tricky to merge the two, but such an approach offers the best chance of success – next to what I call “covert corporate marketing,” which is the increasingly popular ploy of disguising a corporate product as non-corporate by spending big corporate bucks on the kind of “grass roots” marketing generally utilized by smaller companies, but on a huge scale.” Continue Reading →

Issue #5 – Bricks and Clicks

Back in March of 1999 I discovered a band called Natasha’s Ghost by downloading a copy of one of their singles from MP3.com. I established contact with the lead singer through an e-mail address I found on their website (www.natashasghost.com), and eventually became friends with her. I found out the names of her other albums and listened to more examples of their work at the site, and ultimately bought three of their albums and several more copies for my friends. Then I went to San Diego in the summer of 2000 and met the group, had coffee, went to a concert of theirs, helped them sell a bunch of CDs at the concert, and had a great time all together. Continue Reading →

Issue #4 – How Much Is Your Entertainment Dollar Worth?

One of my favorite pastimes is going to the movies. Before I got a “real” job, went back to school, and got married, I would make a point of seeing almost every movie that came out during the summer, and a good chunk of them the rest of the year. As it stands, I still go to the local theater every week or two to see the films that intrigue me the most. Every time I do so I pay $5 for about two hours of entertainment. Continue Reading →

Issue #2 – A Sweet Tooth For Online Comics

Many people out there have a sweet tooth. Bakeries, ice cream parlors, chocolate shoppes, and dozens of other industries are kept in business by those teeth. I personally have a taste for salty things. When someone else might head for a Krispy Kreme, I make a beeline for the nearest Hot Sam. While it is true that I probably get enough salt to sustain my body’s needs through normal meals, if popcorn, peanuts, and pretzels were taken away from my life I would miss them, and I probably would never really stop missing them. Continue Reading →

Issue #1 – Why Do Online Comics?

This is the introduction paragraph. My name, so you don’t confuse me with anyone else, is Iain D. Hamp. You are quite welcome to call me Iain, “E,” the Hampster, or Ishmael if you like. I may not answer to some of those, but you are welcome to call me them.

At any rate, Joey Manley has asked me to do a column for his site talkaboutcomics.com*. He said it should be about the digital comics industry, which is reasonable, as his site is not called talkaboutmonkeys.com. Actually, truth be told, I wouldn’t mind writing an article for that site either if it existed. However, that is not the task at hand, so I will just get on with what is. Continue Reading →