InvestComics™ Year End Newsletter

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InvestComics™ End of The Year newsletter 2010.

 

 

 

Jay Katz;

2010 is over. Man was that quick or what? Guess time flies when you’re having fun ….

There were the conventions; MegaCon, SuperCon, and the New York Comic Con. All were some amazing experiences in different ways. Special thanks to Scott Williams of Project Fanboy for starting off the year with MegaCon.

InvestComics also teamed up with Tom Gordon III of Comics Price Guide.com. IC now runs the Comic Hot Picks on Tom’s site, as well as the Top 10 list on the front page.

The web site received a major facelift thanks to IC web guy Christopher Moshier of Fan Film Follies.com. The web site is now free of clutter, and has a very nice flow to it. If you need any work regarding your web site, or a new one I suggest you get in contact with Chris. You can find his email on the IC Staff page. Fan Film Follies and InvestComics joined forces in July this past year. Fan Films, InvestComics is a match made in heaven.

It really was a fun year for InvestComics. The growth investComics experienced was astounding. There are so many people to thank for this; I don’t even know where to begin. We’ll start with Mr. Heske. Bob Heske has been a spectacular force from the beginning. His IndieCreator column has brought so many people to read his column and to check out InvestComics. Bob Heske became the Creative Consultant very early in the year for InvestComics, and continues to play a vital role behind the scenes in bringing IC new blood, and creativity. Bob Heske also landed actor Eric Robert’s in his Indie Horror movie Unrest. I cannot be happier for Bob Heske, (even though he’s a Red Sox fan!) and his accomplishment for getting such a fine actor to play in his movie. Congratulations Bob, 2011 is looking very bright for you!

The InvestComics forum has enjoyed a huge surge this year. The InvestComics forum was originally on proboards, in which it was very active there. In the middle of the year, IC decided to take the forum and move it to its own place on the main website, thus starting from ‘scratch’ in a way, because not everyone was guaranteed to follow. Robert McClelland has been the sole provider of the forum from proboards to the IC site. He has made the forum what it is today as far as working on everything from the style, buttons, and overall policing. In my opinion, you will not find another dedicated person on any forum as you will Rob McClelland. Not only is Rob Co-Admin of the IC Forum, he is also doing something on the forum that is basically a FIRST anyplace, in any comic book forum out there  (Yes InvestComics sets the standards for being the FIRST in many areas; deal with it). Rob is doing an interview session with other forum admin’s, or dedicated fans in ANY genre, not only comics related, and posting the interviews on the IC Forum. The Interview is called “InvestComics™ Forum Presents: A Meeting of Minds!” Not only will the IC Forum get to hear and see other fans from different areas on the internet, but it’ll draw people on different topics as well as each other’s forums to cross promote! Genius I tell ya! Mr. Rob McClelland doesn’t stop here, oh no. Rob recently began his own review column on the InvestComics web site called “Awesome Sauce”. Rob is the essence of a true team player. Look forward to working with Rob in 2011, with more fun stuff coming for the forum. Thank you Rob for being such a team guy.

This year also began the running of a regular commercial spot heard on Secret Identity Podcast. Matman and Brian OF SIP also write regular columns on InvestComics. “Matt’s What She Said”, and “Toy and Game Reviews”. I was also interviewed at the New York Comic Con by Matman for the Secret Identity Podcast. The interview turned out awesome! Check out their Podcast on the Secret Identity Podcast Web site.

David Kind of the very popular comic strip Oscar & Sid came on board InvestComics in July with his very FIRST weekly colored strip of Oscar and Sid simply titled “Oscar & Sid’s InvestComics World”. If you haven’t checked out David King’s Oscar & Sid’s web site yet, you truly are missing out on some great weekly material. IC was very fortunate to celebrate with David as he released his 500th strip with having David appear on the InvestComics TV show. David recently appeared on the Jacksonville.com (major Florida newspaper) regarding his Oscar & Sid comic and his collection that will be coming out in February. I am truly honored to have David here on IC with original Oscar & Sid content, with O&A within the comic book world in Oscar & Sid’s InvestComics World. If you haven’t seen this, please go on InvestComics right now and check it out, funny, funny stuff. David, it’s going to be a fantastic 2011 for you as well. IC will be behind you, and support you every step of the way.

2011

So what does the future hold for InvestComics? Well for one, the InvestComics TV web site, and its concept in general is forever expanding. Once again, the InvestComics TV is the FIRST of its kind in ANY comic book web site on the World Wide Web. Never before has an interview session taken place the way ICTV is doing it. Thanks to Rick Osmon, Angel Espino, and Crystal Storm for getting these interviews done. Rick Osmon became the Marketing Director/Promotions person of ICTV a few months back. Rick has been the driving force to help ICTV each and every week. Rick and I spend countless hours and weeks getting things in order for the show every week. Rick has been a catalyst for the show, and for this I thank him. Rick is the owner of the Soup Media Network Radio shows. You can catch the amazing radio that is going on at Soup Media Network.com.

Can ICTV use some improvements, yes, but that is all part of the learning curve we will handle. I feel we have put together a product that will surpass anything that you could imagine by this time next year. Rick and I have things in the works that will simply blow you away.

The InvestComics TV interview show will focus on EVERYTHING comic books, NOT just the people who write them, draw them, or create them. ICTV will get the auction houses, the collectable insurance’s, the distributors, well you get the idea. So ICTV will be a unique blend/brand of comic interview television to the likes no one has ever seen. The uniqueness will allow us to have a split screen interview on a global scale. ICTV will interview creators from Italy, Greece, Israel, and many other countries as the year progresses. This also includes talent right here in the U.S.A. The First, The Best.

So far InvestComics TV has had on Mark McKenna, Jeff Balke, Steve Younis, Andrea Grant, Alex Rodrik, Koi Turnbull, David King, and Legend Neal Adams. Neal is currently at part 2 of a 4 part interview. There are some great interviews coming up with Sissy Pantelis, Jamal Igle, Tim Seeley, and many more!

The InvestComics TV web site is up right now, but it will look drastically different within the first quarter of 2011. The site will be completely media driven, with trailers, various videos, images, and most of all the InvestComics TV show. A guest wish list will accompany the site, this way fans can tell us who they’d like to see come on for an interview. We’re sure Stan Lee will get a lot of votes, and yes that’s being worked on too. There will be a section that will be dedicated to the upcoming events as far as conventions or special signings. There will be many things going on at the InvestComics TV web site, we can’t tell you everything! But do know that ICTV will deliver a great product that you will be able to sit back and enjoy each and every Wednesday with your new comics in hand.

Also, with the InvestComics TV show, in the first quarter of 2011 I will be giving a personal Video Hot Pick of the week from the Comic Hot Picks that come out regularly each week on the main site. Here’s a catch though, I will purposely exclude the “BEST” pick of the week from the regular feature article (that has been running for 5 years straight now!) and include it on the InvestComics TV show only. That’s going to be fun!

Sticking with the Comic Hot Picks article topic, this featured article on InvestComics has been the cornerstone of the web site for 5 years now. The Comic Hot Picks will be available only via app within the New Year. There will still be a form of the Comic Hot Picks on the site, just a condensed version; you’ll have to purchase the app for only 99 cents. The Video Hot Pick on ICTV will stay in place for the mean time.

I can’t give out much detail with this next project, but it involves myself writing a one shot comic book or short story that will see print in 2011. This is all very exciting, but I am extremely limited to saying much about it. All I can say is, you WILL hear more about this when it happens, believe it!

InvestComics Facebook page has enjoyed a great amount of feedback, as well as a great source of meeting people. If you haven’t “liked” the InvestComics Facebook page, do it now! Get some great press release news, updates, and Forum news as well.

 

I’d like to thank the following people from the past year that either helped contribute to InvestComics, or just were flat out A List for helping me out; Jeff Balke (The best colorist in the industry right now, watch this guy in 2011, wow!), Mark McKenna (you’re a friend, thank you for being there for the first ICTV show and everything else you have done for IC), Topher Seal, Christopher Walker (Headhunta’ Studios), Ben Akers (Mod – InvestComics Forum, New Releases on IC ), Zach (DCBS – Discount Comic Book Service.com), Rob Hunter, Andrea Grant (MINX), Paul Levitz, Victor Gorelick, Danny Vozzo,  Susan Cirigliano, Erik Larsen, Mark Texiera, Lan Pitts (Newsarama), Martin Pierro (Cosmic Times.net), Andrea Millhouse, Jeff (Zaldiva), Mark (Past Present Future), SuperCon Mike, Stefano Cardoselli, Rob Jones, Stephanie Vozzo, Neil Jorge, Debbie Katz, Enzo T. Velazquez, Chris Noeth, Bill Sienkiewicz, Alex Rodrik, Brandon Filbert, Manny Cartoon, Don Smith, J.M. Hunter, and Echo Chernik. If I forgot anyone, I sincerely apologize it was not intentional.

There is so much to look forward to in the New Year. More collaborations, and there is a ridiculous amount of things that are getting worked on as I write this! But it will all unfold in 2011! Look for more major announcements forthcoming!

 

Saving the best for last, I’d like to thank the fans of InvestComics. Thanks for being there since the beginning and riding this great adventure with us. Without you, there is nothing to write. Thank you so much, see you in 2011.

My true inspirations, Joel, Joseph, and Jason, here is to a successful 2011. Love you boys.

Thank you.

Jay Katz

Principal and Owner, InvestComics™

 

Now some words from the InvestComics™ Forum Crew…….

 

Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages.. Its back.. The one and only..

STATE OF THE IC NEWSLETTER! And another year of schoolin’ has been happening! So

that means the young ones have been getting their brains filled with all sorts of

knowledge. And just to let ya know, Bieber Fever has yet to affect any of us. And

hopefully never will. Anyway.. I have to say, I do think 2010 has been our

year. Just been one good thing after another. And much more to come!  And as you’ve

noticed, over the past few weeks and months. New additions to the forum has been

added. Along with an expanded website staff team. The forum has also *despite being

re-launched on phpBB* been open for a year now. And I have to say, I am damn proud

of this achievement! A big thank you to everyone for helping us with this.

 

Also, those lovely things known as the Holidays have come!  We‘ve been spooked,

gobbled, and much merriment with friends and family when Christmas is about! Course

along with lots of Holiday related Music that for those of us who work in stores are

forced to listen too. Could be worse I suppose, could be forced to hear Justin

Bieber all the time. *Shudder*

 

One of the new areas I added as many of you know of by now is the ‘Writers and

Artists’ sub section area in our Literature board. So if you like to talk about your

favorite Writers and Artists.. Feel free to go in there and get a little crazy with

it! We’ve hit triple digits in the members area! And I for one am happy about it. As

it feels we’re even more successful and growing quite quickly than originally back

on Proboards.  I wager we’ll also be hitting the 10,000 mark in total posts very

soon as well! Also, if you’ve yet to add in your input to the debate of Artists vs.

Writers.. Then what are ya waitin’ for!? Get to it folks! And as always, our 4,000

posts thread is eagerly awaiting your contribution to get it to 4,000. So stop by

and help us hit it! Another thing I want to mention is the area I added known as

‘Comics around the World!’

 

An area dedicated to bringing us all a little closer to everyone by learning about

different Comics in different Countries. Another area a good deal of you have seen

by now, is the ICTV section. And is a very unique idea in of itself. As no other Comics site is doing this sort of thing. There have been quite a few good video interviews so far! 2010 is going to be leaving us soon, to make way for 2011. And it is my hope that 2011 will be just as much our year as 2010

was! We’ve also seen folks come and go this year at both the website and the forum.

But never the less, we wish them all the best in whatever they may do! Well good

buddies, its time to hand this over to Rich, followed by Chintzy.

 

Rich: Hey members as it is X-Mas time, there is a lot of kids with nothing better to

do then try hacking peoples emails and passwords. People who use G-Mail, Yahoo or

Hotmail are more at risk then others. So please make sure you have a strong and

secure password,  and you update your password once a month.

 

If you use MSN or other chat based software, be very careful on what links you

click. As hackers have been hiding keylogging software that infects your PC, and

gives the hacker access to every key you type. Allowing them to work out your

password. Also if you are on various sites please use different passwords and use a

site like strong password generator to get your password and save them in a .txt

file. This means no more typing out passwords and helps keep your online identity

safe.

Chintzy Beatnik: Hey guys and gals, it’s your mad mod Chintzy Beatnik (aka Ben)

here. I’m not afraid to dare everyone to do better. 2010 was a great year, but let’s

strive to make 2011 even better. We have some great things planned, but now more

than ever we need your participation.

 

Thanks,

 

BLA

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