JAVILAND Episode 40: Solo episode with Javier Hernandez, new format, new music!

JAVILAND turns 40! 

To celebrate, we've got a brand-new spiffy opening musical intro (and outro).  This episode is actually a solo episode, the first in the show's history! Just me and a whole lot of "Ah"s and "Um"s. Actually, for the first time ever I took some digital scissors to this episode and snipped and cut and nipped and tucked! Little bit of editing goes a long way.


Basically I used this episode to function both as a look back on how and why I chose to become a self-published cartoonist, and also a 'jumping on point' for new listeners. It's a look back on why I love publishing my own comics, and a look into the future of the show.


What I'll be doing for the upcoming shows will be to have one-on-one discussion with a creator, very similar to the way Episode #39 (Mike Kitchen) was done. I'll have a topic or two to use as starting points, then me and the guest will discuss our personal viewpoints and share our own experiences about it. Basically our content will continue to focus on comic book self-publishing, and also with any and all topics related to the creative process and finding ways to get our ideas out there.


Thanks to Jim Lujan for the help with learning about Garage Band and editing and upping my Tech game! Also thanks to Mark Rudolph and Jerzy Drozd of the Art & Story podcast for sending me the catchy tune that I'm now using as the JAVILAND theme song. 

SPECIAL NOTE: Due to an error on my part, the original, unedited version of episode #40 went out last week. If you downloaded that one, please delete it! The new, edited version, with the musical intro/outro, and a more streamlined version of the podcast, has now been uploaded via Talkshoe. 

If you downloaded the old one via iTunes (Time: 1:05:41, Release date: 9/17/10) , please delete it. To listen to the edited, 'official' version (EPISODE 40- JAVILAND 'Relaunch! 40th Ep Anniversay, new format!') please go to my TalkShoe page and download the episode there. And it's less than 57 minutes long! Also, if you haven't yet, please subscribe to us via iTunes so you can get every episode as they're released. You can subscribe to us from our TalkShoe page or go to your iTunes store, search JAVILAND, and subscribe from there.


Thanks to everyone whose followed the podcast, and to the numerous creative individuals who've called into the show to help me discuss the various topics. I really do enjoy talking with others about these topics, and my goal continues to be to provide some helpful, informative ideas, delivered in a casual, conversational manner.

JAVILAND Episode 39: Self-publishing with Ultraist Studios cartoonist Mike Kitchen

For this JAVILAND we try something a little different. It's a one-on-one discussion with Mike Kitchen, the creator of SPY GUY. Mike publishes his comics through his imprint Ultraist Studios. I first heard of him through his brother, Blair, who creates his owncomic, THE POSSUM, through his own imprint Possum Press. (Over at my blog JAVZILLA, I reviewed the POSSUM three years ago.)

 Mike and I start our discussion talking about the recent address given by writer Mark Waid concerning copyright and downloaded comics. From there we cover a range of topics about spreading one's work across they internet, how to capitalize on the idea of 'giving it away for free', taking full control of one's self-publishing career by literally becoming 'your own media', as well as the reasons to exhibit at comic book conventions.


Mike puts a lot of thought into the whole idea behind being a self-sufficient artist. Creating his stories, and getting those stories into people's hands, is driven by his desire to do things his own way, and working hard in accomplishing his goals.

One of my favorite things the Kitchen Bros. do is compile together some great little films of their various convention appearances. Here's PART 1 of the WONDERCON 2010 video. That's actually where I first got to finally meet Mike and Blair. There's historic footage of me at their tables, followed by Sergio Aragones drawing a picture for Blair.

During the interview Mike mentions briefly about the time he and Blair were flown in from Canada to Hollywood for their appearance in THE SUPERHERO MOVIE. There are some great pics at his blog showing some of the scenes they're in.

One last thing: I mention in the interview that a few years back on another comic book podcast I used to host, Blair Kitchen was one of my guests. Well, I dug around the internet and found that interview. Give it a listen after wards as well: BLAIR KITCHEN inteview.


To listen to Episode 39, use the player located on the right (click on VISIT MY CALL) or just click here to go to JAVILAND page at Talkshoe. And remember to subscribe to JAVILAND for free on iTunes so you can get every episode delivered to your music library!

JAVILAND Episode 38: Art shows for galleries and other venues

Exhibiting artwork in galleries and other venues allows you to expose your work to different audiences beyond your comic book readership. Besides the exposure, you've also got the opportunity to sell the work as well as meet other artists and like-minded people that can lead to further opportunities. I've been involved in group shows, as well as solo shows, both as a participant and an organizer, and they've always been rewarding experiences for me on various levels.

Here's a photo that I mentioned on the show, so I'm sharing it here with you now:

Back in October 2004, I had a solo art show at the Froden Gallery in Los Angeles. We were in the process of putting together the EL MUERTO film and had just signed Wilmer Valderrama (THAT 70s SHOW) in the lead role. Wilmer came to the Opening Reception, with his date, Lindsay Lohan. It's the first time I met him, and his appearance at the event brought some extra buzz to the show. He even bought a couple of my original pieces. This photo was actually taken by our director, Brian Cox. Brian would shoot us again some 5 months later when I filmed my cameo scene in the movie with Wilmer.

On this episode we talk about the various issues related to displaying artwork in a gallery, particularly the commissions that galleries often ask for. We share our various experiences in appearing in art shows, and the different situations that come up. The exhibit is a two-way partnership, the artists and the host both have to work together to maximize the event, at least that's what we find to be the case. We discuss strategies to get the most bang for your buck, and we also discuss a few of the 'downsides' of art shows.

I'm joined, for the first time on JAVILAND, by Joseph 'Chogrin' Games, illustrator and President of the Autumn Society of Philadelphia. Joseph and his group will be exhibiting in The G3 Show at Gallery 1988 in Los Angeles on September 3. Also joining us on this episode is web cartoonist Ryan Dow of LI'L BUDDHA fame. Ryan was recently in a group show called Lutefisk Sushi D in Minneapolis. 

To listen to the Episode 38, use the player located on the right or just click here to go to JAVILAND page at Talkshoe. And remember to subscribe to JAVILAND for free on iTunes so you can get every episode delivered to your library!

JAVILAND Episode 37: Maximizing a convention appearance

This new episode, in which we discuss strategies in maximizing your appearance at a comic book convention, was recorded as part of the JAVCON! What's the JAVCON? It's a fun little project I have running on my blog JAVZILLA from July 21-July 26. I'm running it concurrently with the San Diego Comic Con not because I'm actually trying to compete with them, but as a way of allowing myself to exhibit my work within the format of a 'virtual convention'. Now that's maximizing my San Diego Con experience by not even being there!

Joining me for this episode are cartoonists Tyler James (OVER, EPIC), Ryan Dow (FAILING BUDDHISM) and Ted Seko (BILLY COLE, THE SUPERMONSTERS). Tyler's artistic collaborator on EPIC, Matt Zolman, joined us via the chatroom.

One of the ideas that sparked this topic for me was Tyler's strategy of offering free sketchcards to his readers who'll be attending a convention he's appearing at. He asks them if they'd like a free card, then they show up to his table at the convention to pick it up, often leading to sales of his products. He tells us in the podcast that he once pre-sold $400 worth of commissions before even arriving at the show. If that's not maximizing your investment in a comic book convention, I don't know what is!


So if you want to exhibit your comics at conventions, take a listen and I think some of these various tips and anecdotes could help you make the most of your experience.


You can access the episode via the player on the right, or go to my JAVILAND page on TALKSHOE.

JAVILAND Episode 36: The Return!!

 Haven't done a new episode of JAVILAND for about 2 months, due mostly to catching up on lots of various things. But I thought it was time to get back in the podcast booth and bring back the JAVILAND!

This episode's talk focused on catching listeners up on projects and events I'm involved in, such as the Phoenix Comic Con and the upcoming GEEKS CON here in Whittier, CA.

Joining me on the call were two long-time JAVILAND participants, Ted Seko and Ryan Dow. Ted's been busy himself, releasing his latest cartoon. "OVER THE TOP AND UNDER THE PANTS", to much acclaim. Ryan Dow has released his first trade paperback collection of his entertaining and thought-provoking web comic INTROSPECTIVE COMICS. The book, FAILING BUDDHISM, comes with a intro by Tuscon wonderboy Eric M. Esquivel.

Picking a project involves various factors, and we discuss how we choose to work on a particular endeavor. 


To listen to the Episode 36, use the player located on the right or just click here to go to my page at Talkshoe. Don't forget that you can subscribe to the JAVILAND podcast via iTunes on my Talkshoe page, so you can take these episodes with you on your morning jog to the donut shop!


Welcome back to JAVILAND, it's good to be back!

JAVILAND Episode 34: Talking about Mentors

 "Mentors: Do you have one and do you need one?" was the topic for this episode. I actually got the idea for this by a Twitter exchange between two artists, one wishing that he had one, and another responding that he was fortunate enough to have studied under a mentor.

I myself never had a formal mentor/apprentice relationship, but I have learned from others with more experience and knowledge than I had in a particular field. I'm joined by the following artists on the call: Krishna Sadasivam, Luis Escobar and Ryan Dow.


Luis speaks of his experience with a mentor, and the positive benefits he derived from the experience. Krishna is actually an instructor at the Art Institute of Tampa, and has a perspective from a teaching point of view, but also as an artist still striving to learn and grow. Ryan and I talk a bit about what type of mentorship a self-published cartoonist might benefit from.


Among the artist we mention on this blog are Raul Aguirre and self-publishing pioneer Dave Sim, creator of CEREBUS (whose weekly web cast, CEREBUS TV, has provided lots of useful advice to me personally).

To listen to the Episode 34, use the player located on the right or just click here to go to my page at Talkshoe. Don't forget that you can subscribe to the JAVILAND podcast via iTunes on my Talkshoe page, so you can take these episodes with you on your morning jog to the donut shop!

JAVILAND Episode 33: "Teaching the Art of Comics"

We ended up recording this episode on Monday evening, as the Super Bowl and other events prevented us from recording on our usual Sunday night time slot. 

"Teaching the Art of Comics" was our topic. My callers and I have all had experience in teaching comic book classes and workshops. We talk about how we structure our classes (course outlines), issues one confronts when teaching a room full of young students, and how the storytelling aspect of comics seems to be the primary thrust of our instruction as opposed to perfect drawing skills. We also share some tips on proposing a comics class to your local libraries or other interested organizations and businesses.

Joining me on the call for the first time on JAVILAND was Kiyoshi Nakazawa. I've known Kiyoshi over the years, often running into him at numerous conventions and events in the Southern California area. Kiyoshi is a multi-talented artist whose long-running zine, DRUNKEN MASTER, features coverage on local bands and people, comics created by Kiyoshi, and lots of his trademark wit, all told with a DIY, punk rock sensibility. His art has been displayed in galleries in Australia, Japan, New York, Portland and other states.

He's taught comic book classes at a local art store here in Los Angeles, BLUE ROOSTER ART SUPPLIES, and in fact has an upcoming 5-week class starting Feb/ 28th. Click here for info.

Joining us again on JAVILAND as well is Tyler James, creator of the web comics OVER and TEARS OF THE DRAGON. Tyler is currently teaching a comics class for younger students, and shares his recent experiences in the classroom. Tyler also writes a column called "Creating Comics:The Art & Craft" over at the COMICS RELATED website.

I myself will be conducting my seminar "DIY COMICS:The Secrets of Self-Publishing" at GEEKS Comics in Whittier. It's a free to attend, and it starts at 2pm, Saturday, Feb. 13. And at the seminar I'll be announcing about the upcoming comic classes I'll be teaching at GEEKS, too.



To listen to the Episode 33, use the player located on the right or just click here to go to my page at Talkshoe. Don't forget that you can subscribe to the JAVILAND podcast via iTunes on my Talkshoe page, so you can take these episodes with you on your morning jog to the donut shop!

These are some of the books about making comics that we mentioned during our discussion:



 









Thanks to Kiyoshi and Tyler for joining me on this episode, and of course to all the people who listen to the show!

JAVILAND Episode 32: "Making Web Comics: The DOs and DONT'S"

This episode we put our focus on web comics. Something I personally have had little experience in, aside from two of my comics that I've put on WebComics Nation. But I've been asked to do an episode on web comics, and I thought I had just as much to learn as any listening to the show, so I put together a pretty good panel of web cartoonists who shared lots of valuable info on the ins and outs, the do's and dont's of online comics!

Joining us on the call for the first time on JAVILAND were Jules Rivera of MARSH ROCKET and Jimmy Aquino of THE PALACE. (Jimmy, by the way, is also the host of the internet radio show A FISTFUL OF SOUNDTRACKS, one of my favorite radio shows to listen to when I'm drawing.)

Our other callers included: Tyler James, Ryan Dow, Krishna Sadasivam and Peter Palmiotti.

This may be the most callers I've had on one show at the same time. But the good thing is the experience they each brought as web comic creators really added a lot of valuable content to the show. Issues we talked about included:

-Having as much of your comic done before beginning to release it online
-Creating a reasonable schedule that allows you to maintain consistent quality in your work
-Maintaining a fixed schedule for the updating of your webcomic (same day every week, for example)

One interesting news item we heard on the show was from Ryan Dow. He had just won the BEST WEB COMIC for the 2009 SPACE Prize! Congratulations to Ryan. I've been reading his web comic for about a year or so, and it's always nice to read his personal, reflective comic. It really captures his voice.

To listen to the Episode 32, use the player located on the right or just click here to go to my page at Talkshoe.

Thanks to all in the chatroom, the callers, and of course the people who listen to the show!