The below was a stream of conscious comment at Joe Casey’s blog just now, in regards to the blasphemous past of media-work. I’ve had letters printed in an issue of his Blood Squad Seven as well as the Blood Squad Seven Strikefile special, because they are the craziest thing published now for historical and political reasons which have nothing to do with the price of tits in Chinatown.. All things being what they are, as my mind is expiring as fast as my health I thought I’d post here for posterity. If you like the longer personal diatribes from Warren Ellis, this might be a cuppa bootleg.
Wanted to share this, as it relates and I think a few folks might get a kick. In the brief window I was with Heavy Metal as the text and prose guy, there was a point when the marketing firm they contracted was shitcanned. Dan Berger, the Managing Editor and co-packager of the time and thoroughly awesome dude, told me it was necessary but horrible timing. Dave Elliott, who was guest-editing and co-packaging for a good run, suggested me to then-Publisher/owner Kevin Eastman, pointing out I’d done loads of indie reviews and interviews, but also quietly wrote many an adcopy for various small pressers who managed to get into Previews. Pubs liked my words and would ask if I could lend a hand, I always found the time. I did so much free work for people. Dave pitched me as a one-man band capable of stepping in to cover the promotions for an issue and so buy them time to contract a new marketing firm. No experience whatsoever, but Dave loved dumping the impossible on me. It was to be the all-DRAVN issue, from initiating creator Jesse Negron and a host of global talent. I was working homeless at the time, cashing my Heavy Metal checks at the package store because Bukowski. Without anyone knowing that, the guy funding DRAVN even stepped in to pay me for the work directly, should I be willing, eleventh hour in effect. The deal was for me to conduct 4 creator interviews and get them posted onto 4 different sites, along with composing 2 distinctly different press releases each incorporating an aesthetically separate bucket list of factoids. I had everything finished 7 days before the deadline, along with a 5th interview, and I’d worked a deal so that each of the 5 sites had exclusive digital rights for 30 days, then each interview would get cross-posted at my own site I owned and operated solo, the lottery party. Stories cycle past the front page in a week anyway so that was an easy ask, but it gave added and extended link backs all around to help fill the quiet of the quarterly release schedule. For the PR, I made a list of the top 20 comic news sites, and a list of the top 20 media-blogs which gave at least a third of their coverage to comics. And I ignored all of them, putting together a master list of 138 (because Misfits) outlets, each received the two releases across consecutive weeks like a one-two. I reached out to young bloggers who had like 2 pals contributing, and they had no reach themselves but all the heart of the packs of kids who self-published fanzines in the 60s and 70s. They loved to be approached by HM, like they made the big time. I hit real news reporters at certain papers around the country with tendencies to bring up comics multiple times a year. I hit sci-fi forums and horror forums online, I hit horror culture sites, tattoo magazines and wrestling magazines. I worked a verbal deal with Thrasher mag for a full page ad-swap, no money exchanging hands, but I don’t think anyone upstairs followed through. There was no arrogance of presumption, no “here’s the goods, post as is or no more goods” because I approached everyone individually. If they’re giving the brand I worked for free advertising, which is what press releases are, the utmost least I could do is give them a fucking conversation. The forums, the PR was the start of dialogues, opening a new thread in accordance with the particular site’s rules and after some days the predominance were gushing about how considerate HM was for reaching out like so. I recall one in particular was a place for sci-fi writers to come together, all of them such huge fans of their craft they were largely self-publishing. These were intelligent people who did not want to be insulted, and I met them on their own grounds in such a way subscriptions and submissions both probably had a modest spike. My reasoning was, most comic news sites ignored HM anyway, so this was grounds for experimenting. I titled each of the releases scandalously to get attention, something like Quesada and Palmiotti reuniting for Batman: The Musical! I never heard final sales figures, but I noticed before too long it was not among the many other back issues in their catalog. I was glad they didn’t ask me to stay at it, because the work is just slightly less demeaning than strip club restroom attendant, but still worse than nude model for college-level life-drawing classes or digging graves, all of which I’ve done because Lord Byron. I was a little offended though, because ego. But about a year later, Berger needed a medical leave for surgery, and tasked me with putting together the artist gallery for an issue, my pick scoring so many points with Eastman he got the back cover too. So I guess I didn’t screw up my one major marketing credit too badly. I proved a high school dropout could do it all by his lonesome. But comics press is insular today, as much as the companies they cover. I don’t think any of my tactics are replicated now. Way back when I was writing for smaller comic sites myself, we noticed regularly how scooping the big sites would lead to the big sites ignoring the story, like in retaliation. I understand it is a thousand times worse now, along with more and more people wanting more and more pay for rushed summaries with the endgame of scoring gigs should they flatter enough. I was always way more into being a mocker than upgrading to mod or rocker. Because Ringo.