Random Notions
Things of interest all over the damn place today. Let’s dive in, shall we?
- Merchwatch Say what you want about Rich Stevens, the guy is nimble and knows how to execute. Got an idea in his head to sell customized Sharpies (an item of almost totemic power, I believe he never has less than 14 on his person), but big deal, a Sharpie is a Sharpie. So he looked to the month (October), the proximity of the most popular holiday for adults (Halloween), and the humor stylings of his audience (willing to put up with vicious punning) and announced The Marker of The Beast — Satanic Sharpies selling for $6.66 at the stroke of midnight tonight, in hand-customized boxes. Idea-to-shipping should be for the independent creator type the equivalent of a motor vehicle’s zero-to-sixty, and right now Stevens has the time to beat.
- Grossly Compelling Speaking of understanding your audience, Andy Bell‘s got an ability to design toys that compel collectors to plunk down the bucks. Whether it’s low, medium, or high price points, something about his designs is entirely unique and couldn’t be the work of anybody else. Today he announced the new Glop In A Box collectible debuting at NYCC (and well in “serious collectors” price range at $90); it’s disturbingly organic and … bulgy. It also appears that with the Android figure breaking Bell’s long trademark of characters with butts, the Glop will continue the trend and may mark a new phase in Bell’s career. Picasso had his Blue Period, Bell may be on the verge of the Buttless Times.
- Contest Time The all-new Blank Label has been much more interactive with its fans than the old Blank Label had been in some time (maybe since the days of the Blank Label Comics Podcast). The Artist Highlights section of the BLC main page has had some nice analyses of comics creators, the forums have been revived, and there was livestreaming of 24 Hour Comic Day. To that, one may now add the Art Off — a monthly themed drawing contest for fame (you get pimped and linked on the main BLC page) and fortune (you get, uh, pimped and linked on the main BLC page). Okay, so not so much fortune, but definitely bragging rights. Hop to it.
- NEWW Alternative Those of you on the Left Coast of North America during NEWW may want to drop by the always-interesting Cartoon Art Musuem in San Francisco, as they’ll be having their seventh annual fundraiser across the bay in Emeryville at the studios of Pixar. Various packages are available, and I can’t imagine any of them disappointing.
- Not Webcomics But you knew I couldn’t let this pass: from the pages of The Atlantic, Twenty Moustaches That Changed History. My favorite is #15.
While I will sadly not be able to go to *either* CAM in San Francisco or NEWW in Easthampton, I don’t see how going to one would be any help to going to the other.
By Alice Bentley on 10.05.10 7:38 pm
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