Behind the Curtain: SDCC 2014

San Diego Comic-Con is a special time for comic and pop culture fans across the board. It's our mecca, our Superbowl. All the biggest announcements usually come out, and it's one of the largest gatherings of "our people" for the year. For a comic news site, it's just as big, but for much different reasons.

Given that San Diego Comic-Con just wrapped (well, over a week ago now), I thought it would be apropos to do a special installment of the column specifically on the work that goes on behind the scenes for the biggest comic convention of the year for Comic Related and Comic Frontline.

Behind the Curtain: Gathering the Troops

If 2009 was Comic Related's biggest year in terms of coverage and numbers, 2010 had to be our biggest year in terms of support.

As detailed in the last installment, our numbers skyrocketed in 2009. And though they fell off a bit, they were still really good by the end of the year. And now, we were really making our presence known.

Behind the Curtain: Keeping Up with the Parkers

Like in any form of journalism - and yes, I realize "journalism" in comics reporting is a misnomer - one of the key aspects of success is keeping up with the latest news. Be it newly announced titles, new creative teams, the next big event or exclusive contract, or what have you. These are the types of things that catch readers' interest, and staying on top of every move made is a monumental task, especially with a staff of three!

Behind the Curtain: What it Takes

Before I even get started, allow me to apologize for the absence of this column for the past couple of weeks. I have been very busy with Comic Frontline's official YouTube channel launch, CR, work and personal stuff, and I had about three weeks of ongoing colds and the like. So I'm sorry I did not have a column entry for you all.

With that said, where were we? Ah, yes...

2009 was a banner year for Comic Related. As I said last time, we exploded! We had relaunched the site, launched all kinds of new content, did our best San Diego Comic Con coverage ever, and everything was just so positive.

Behind the Curtain: Comic Related Explodes!

2009 was a banner year for Comic Related. We were firing on all cylinders, and everything was falling right into place. We were rocking coverage harder than we ever had, and it was starting to pay off.

Behind the Curtain: Comic Related Ignites

In 2008, I met a bunch of people and hit the convention circuit for the first time. I mentioned last time that my first ever convention was Wizard World Chicago of that year. The very second was Mid-Ohio-Con later that year, which is now also a Wizard show. At the 2008 show, Scott DM Simmons and I got tables for Wannabez, my comic. It was at that show I first met both John Wilson and Bill Gladman if I'm not mistaken.

Mid-Ohio-Con took place in October that year, the first year it had ever not been on Thanksgiving weekend since its inception. It had new owners, and so it was a new experience all around. For a first showing, we did pretty well. We actually sat beside Alan Davis for a bit (before they moved him - and good thing, because he took ALL our traffic!) and Sean McKeever (who was cool to talk to but totally forgot who I was come 2009! lol).

Behind the Curtain: Haven & Comic Related

It was 2008, and I had just lost a potential job and a dream. Not the first for either occurrences, but to have it all happen at once, and in the way it did, really took its toll on me. I didn't know what to do or where to go. I had some lettering work, but not enough to sustain myself. And, at the time, I was helping support my mom and brother. Mom had had knee surgery recently, and my brother was still in school.

I began contacting other comic news sites, submitting to them, trying to get a job. You name a popular comic or popular culture news site around at the time, I sent them an inquiry. I got exactly ZERO responses.
At the time, I had been doing some work for Haven Distributors, which used to be Cold Cut Distribution. I have to back up to tell that tale...

Behind the Curtain: Tales of Wonder

Last week, we left off with me about to create my own site with the help of a benefactor and some staff. We were going to do great things.

Then I got an email.

Behind the Curtain: Absolute Edition

As things with Silver Bullet Comics started to settle down and fade away, I found myself at a loss for what to do next. I had just spent the last year and a half working from home on a comic news website. I was bringing in some money doing lettering, of course, but not enough to sustain myself at the time. So I had to do something.

Luckily, a friend and former colleague brought an idea to mind and pushed me in that direction: my own comic news website!