Dallas Comic Show

This past weekend, I was a featured guest at the Dallas Comic Show. This is a fun show, most of the featured guests are comic creators with a handful of media guests and cosplay guest. The big focus of the show is the comics. 

This was my first show as a featured guest. I have exhibited before at cons but this was the first time with my name on the marquee. It was a great time.

A few days ago I posted about my concerns bringing a preview book that only had a portion of the first issue of Sword of Freyja and those pages didn’t have the final colors. Looking back in hindsight, it was the correct decision.

The show gave out a copy to their 150 VIP attendees and because I am completely OCD on things, I noted each interaction with the fans. 

54 people brought their copy to be signed by Matthew Waite (artist), Elizabeth Breitweiser (cover color) and I. We got a lot of great feedback, most of it positive. Even the negative was constructive so I will consider that positive in the long run.

Signing books

One thing I did learn at the show was, I need to work on is my quick pitch for the book. We had several folks who didn't get a VIP copy come up and ask me what the book was about. For the first few, I found myself stammering around trying to explain the plot for the first story arc. 

After doing that three or four times, I finally got it down to a more concise pitch. "The Sword of Freyja is the story of Jenifer Nguyen, who has just recently gotten out of the Army and started her first civilian job. It should have been easy money, going on an archeological dig for the tomb of the Goddess, Freyja but once they find the tomb, things go horribly wrong. Talk about your bad first day on the job."

This provided enough information to start a conversation without overloading the person with a lot of details that they may not have cared about.

So to summarized, Dallas Comic Show was a great time, the gamble of doing the preview book paid off because we got a lot of great feedback and it gave me an opportunity to practice my book pitch.

So now it's back to finishing the book. We still have to find a interior colorist and finish the last 10 pages of issue number 1. I will try to give you some sneak previews along the way.

See you in the funny books,

Allen

Elizabeth Breitweiser and I in front of the my banner

Matthew Wait and I pitching the book!

Here We Go!

So a new blog, huh? Yeah, I want to share my journey as I attempt to write my own comic series. Full disclosure, comics aren’t my day job, I am a Microsoft programmer/architect to pay the bills. Creating comics is more a hobby (as Jim Zub says a very expensive hobby).

Also sharing a little more truth, this isn’t my first comic either, I have written short stories in 8 Percent and Vanbreed Studios Presents (both on Comixology at https://www.comixology.com/Vanbreed-Studios/comics-publisher/2426-0). 

This will be the first time I have tried to do an on-going series. Luckily, I am not going it alone. Matthew Waite (Deadpool, Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers) is doing the line art and Ron Marz (Green Lantern, WitchBlade and a ton more titles) is doing the editing. We also have the talented Rachel Deering doing the lettering.

So, I have pretty much buried the lead, the book is called Sword of Freyja, which ironically enough is about a sword and a Norse Goddess named Freyja. It’s not a Sword and Sorcery book, per se. More of a “what happens when a crazed ego-maniac gets one of the most powerful artifacts in all of history and ruins your life with it” kind of story.

This won’t be a hype page, though if you get hyped about the book I won’t complain. This is more about what I learn about creating a comic and how I work with my team. I will share some script notes and art work along the way to demonstrate some of these points.

So stay tuned.

Allen