A few years ago, I attended my first local Drink and Draw in Chicago and eavesdropped on a conversation that Tim Seeley was having with a bunch of local creators.  At one point he said that no one ever really breaks into comics.  The truth of the matter is that you are ALWAYS breaking into comics.

I always grew up thinking that there was some sort of invisible firewall that separated average folks like me from the fortunate few that make comics for a living.  I used to think that if only I could somehow break through that firewall, everything would be all right.

Growing up, I didn’t know anyone who worked in comics for a living because I was raised by Russian Jewish immigrants.  Everyone I knew was either studying to become an engineer, a lawyer, or a doctor.  I was the odd ball who wanted to write comics.

And so that’s what I ended up doing.  Tim’s words finally made me realize that the invisible firewall never actually existed.  You never break into comics–you ALWAYS break into comics!

Today, I’d like to share three very short stories to support this theory.  I hope you will find them enlightening and helpful!

A TALE RE-PITCHING

Next month, YI SOON SHIN will sell a total of 20,000 units.  Almost 90% of those sales were acquired through my interactions with actual comic book readers at various conventions located all over the US and abroad!

I have had numerous customers tell me how much they are enjoying the series and reviewers are all raving about how great my series is.  Hell, Stan Lee himself wrote the foreword to the damn book!  That should count for something, shouldn’t it?

Well…no.  Not really.

I will ALWAYS have to pitch YI SOON SHIN to everyone for the rest of my life.  It doesn’t matter who I have working on the project or who I have doing variant covers.  EVERY book must be pitched and re-pitched!  Again and again and again!

And it makes perfect sense!  Every organization has to do this.  Take the military for example.  How many people actually want to join the US Marines and be a part of one of the most powerful military organizations in the world?

Only a select few say, “HELL YES!  SIGN ME UP!”  But the majority say no.  Of all the US military branches, the Marines have the lowest rate of recruitment, which is why they coined the term, “The Few.  The proud.”

The same principles apply to selling people comics.  The same thing applies to a company like Sony that wants you to buy their latest model television.  Why should you buy it?  Simply because it says “Made by Sony”?  No way!

People consume and invest in the things that they believe in.  Whether it’s a name brand or not.

That is why you will ALWAYS be pitching and re-pitching your work!  Writing and creating your story is one thing.  Convincing others why they should endorse your work is something that only you can master!

BREACHING THE PUBLISHER’S STRONGHOLD

Don’t think that just because your book is now being published that you can just sit back and wait for the money to start rolling in.  The truth of the matter is that unless you make publishers a ton of money they will do virtually nothing to promote you or your book.  That responsibility falls on you.

And the creators that do make publishers lots of money do so because they have already established themselves after years of back-breaking work.  Overnight success is a myth!  Those who are in true positions of success, such as the creators who have huge lines in front of their tables at conventions, have earned it and are still earning it!  Otherwise, nobody would approach them.

It doesn’t matter if you are young or old talent.  At every show I’ve seen him at, Mark Bagley (who has been drawing comics for decades) has crowds of people at his table.  So does Neal Adams, Greg Horn and Arthur Suydam.  Don’t think they didn’t work their butts off to achieve this level of success.  These artists are workhorses and that is why we admire them and their work!

As a creator you have two responsibilities–to master your craft (be it writing, drawing, inking, coloring, lettering, or all of the above) and to promote your image.

The reason why is because nothing is ever 100% certain.  Today, you may have everything going for you.  But tomorrow, everything can instantly go to shit.  If you choose to work in this business you cannot give up!  Ever!  The only way that is an option is if you decide to pursue a new line of work.  If you’re like me and comics and entertainment are the only things you know, then you have no choice but to survive, especially if you have a family to provide for!

A good friend of mine was working as a regular artist on a DC title and recently discovered that DC no longer wants him working on that book.  Yesterday he was working for one of the top publishers in the comic book industry and now he’s back to square one and trying to figure out a way to break back in!

There is no such thing as a permanent position at a publishing house unless you bring in money or are cleaning toilets and fetching people coffee for pennies on the dollar.  However, if you manage to break in as a creator, there is no guarantee that you will be there tomorrow.   Even if you are a top writer or editor.

There are countless stories of talent getting jobs from editors at the Big Two who are then fired, thus leaving both the editor AND the talent out of work.  There are even more stories of creators discovering that they’ve been fired from the Big Two from outside sources like Bleeding Cool and CBR.  Yep, the industry is that cruel.

The lesson here is that you must first win the hearts of your readers and then they will follow you wherever you go so long as you continue to maintain your promise to them and deliver the best damn work you are capable of putting out there!  That will ensure your survival even when the shit hits the fan.

BLEEDING THE SAME BLOOD

Being a creator means the following;

1.)  You are going to worry endlessly about the survival of your project.  You are your work!

2.)  You are going to be envious and jealous of other creators that are successful.  Hopefully, that will encourage you to work even harder.

3.)  Money is going to be an issue for you.  Whether you are struggling to make ends meet or making millions of dollars.

All creators bleed the same blood.  We all worry about the same things.  We all want to succeed and we are all deserving of our fate!

If you come to a show, sit on your ass all weekend waiting for people to come to you, and don’t make a single sale–you deserve it!

If you come to a show and work your ass off to make every single sale–you deserve it!

If you come to a show and work your ass off but don’t get any sales–learn from it!

It helps to work with your neighbors at shows.  Promote each other.  Help one another.  Because whether you have more or less experience than them, there is something to be learned.

Last weekend at Heroescon, I was setup next to an upcoming writer named La Ron Jenkins.  La Ron has written two wonderful sci-fi prose novels so if you’re looking for something new to read, check out his stuff HERE!

This show was La Ron’s first time exhibiting and throughout the entire weekend, he was carefully watching me work.  He asked me lots of questions, which I was more than happy to answer.

By Sunday, La Ron’s book sold out.  He made that show work for him where many others couldn’t.  His wife and son were there too and I have no doubt that they were proud of him for putting all of his efforts into pushing his book.  I hope that one day, I can perform a perfect sell out in front of my own son when he’s old enough.  That is my dream!

Seeing La Ron interact with his customers made me realize how much I love this industry.  La Ron LOVES sci-fi!  He wouldn’t have written two books within the genre if he didn’t!  Seeing him share that love with his newly acquired readers as if they were his closest friends was a touching moment for me.

He wasn’t just trying to take people’s money.  Once La Ron’s customers invested in him, he reciprocated.  That is a very powerful thing.

La Ron earned his success at Heroescon.

Nothing in life is easy and nothing in life is impossible!  Fight for your dreams and force your own path!  No matter how hard it may seem!  You can do it!

TO VICTORY!

Onrie Kompan

Hey Folks,

The gracious and humble head honchos of Challengers Comics in Chicago have decided to chat about the YI SOON SHIN: WARRIOR AND DEFENDER graphic novel!  So this month’s Chattingers book club will be discussing the graphic novel that Mark Waid himself calls, “Ambitious and smart!” 

Challenger’s invites everyone to come to their shop and buy the graphic novel at 20% off the cover price between today and June 26^th, 2013.  Each copy has been signed by Yours Truly and also comes with your choice of one FREE YI SOON SHIN poster and sticker!   

So if you’re looking for a new book to read and discuss with your fellow peers, look no further than YI SOON SHIN!  Chattingers will be gathering together to discuss the book at Challengers on June 26th, 2013 from 7-8PM!

It’s going to be one heck of a local gathering at Chicago’s premier comic shop!

Don’t miss out!

GO CHALLENGERS!

Onrie Kompan

To Our Dearest Friends and Fans,

After premiering and rapidly selling out of YI SOON SHIN: FALLEN AVENGER #1 this weekend at C2E2, it is my sincere pleasure to announce that YI SOON SHIN has achieved yet another magnanimous victory at the very same show!

YI SOON SHIN: WARRIOR AND DEFENDER #1 has now broken 6000 unit sales with very limited distribution.  Our first book continues to see sales grow with each passing year!

In 2010, YI SOON SHIN: WARRIOR AND DEFENDER #2 was premiered at the very first C2E2 convention.  This weekend, YI SOON SHIN: WARRIOR AND DEFENDER #2 broke 5000 unit sales without ANY distribution!

This series has proven that it is unlike anything else that has come before it in the comic book industry.  It truly is unique unto itself standing taller and stronger than ever thanks to our wonderful readers who continue to support us!  We love all of you!

To achieve such an incredible feat in my hometown of Chicago is a great honor and I couldn’t have done it without the help of some very good friends of mine who I would like to express my humble gratitude towards!

First and foremost, the folks at Reed Pop deserve my thanks for allowing me to exhibit at their wonderful show!  Their tireless efforts to expand C2E2 is an inspiration!

I would also like to thank my friends at Comic Book Displays who were tremendously successful this weekend!  If you haven’t heard about these guys yet, I HIGHLY recommend you check them out by clicking HERE!

And finally, I would like to thank my booth buddies from Traffick Free!  Not only were they a fantastic group of people but their noble cause is one that I think everyone should support!  Feel free to learn more about them by clicking HERE!

To be a part of this industry is a dream come true!  Thank you for helping my team make the impossible possible!

We can’t wait to show you what we have in store for you next!

TO VICTORY!

Onrie Kompan

Dear Friends and Fans,

It is my pleasure to officially announce that YI SOON SHIN: FALLEN AVENGER #1 has completed production as of tonight!

The start of the second act of the YI SOON SHIN Trilogy features some of the most INCREDIBLE artwork and storytelling you’re ever going to see!  Rather than spoil the fun for you, we’ll entertain your curiosity with a fresh new spoiler-free trailer that will go live on Tuesday, April 23^rd at 4:00PM US Central Time!

We’ve got all kinds of surprises lined up for you this time around!  Fans of YI SOON SHIN: WARRIOR AND DEFENDER are about to have all your questions answered after Issue #4’s shocking conclusion!

We’ve got more action than you can shoot a cannon at!  We’ve got not 1, but 2 brutal Kirby-style fist fights that would make King Jack himself proud and a story that is going to leave you salivating and yearning for more!

So don’t miss out!  We’ve got a very limited amount of books for sale at C2E2 next weekend so be sure to snag your SIGNED copy!  I’ll be setup at Booth #1136 and I’ll have plenty of copies of YI SOON SHIN: WARRIOR AND DEFENDER for all you folks that still haven’t made the plunge into our fantastic series yet!

Buy the single issues or go all out and pick up the graphic novel, which features a foreword by Stan “The Man” Lee and over 50 pages of additional content including a director’s cut of how the book was made, interviews with the creative team, and character profiles!

Pick up the graphic novel and not only are you getting this awesome 176-page hard cover bound book but you’ll also get a FREE poster and 2 letter illustration stickers designed by letterer extraordinaire Joel Saavedra!

So come on by, say hello and get your comics!

And if for some reason you can’t make it to C2E2 this weekend, don’t fret!  YI SOON SHIN: FALLEN AVENGER #1 is still available for pre-order on Amazon!  Just click HERE!  Or pre-order it from our website directly by clicking HERE and I will sign and send your book right to your door!  We ship worldwide!

TO VICTORY!

Onrie Kompan

Hey Folks,

C2E2 2013 is right around the corner and it’s going to be an GIGANTIC event for us!

Not only are we launching YI SOON SHIN: FALLEN AVENGER #1 but we will also be partnering up with a very cool group of do-gooders who have set out to solve a very common problem in America and the world! Today, I have Brooke Hennen with TRAFFICK FREE to tell us all about their awesome operation and if you’re interested you can help join their cause by clicking HERE!

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased to introduce you all to THE Brooke Hennen!

So tell us about Traffick Free.

Traffick Free is a Chicago-based non-profit organization. We are a volunteer run operation that specializes in raising awareness and putting a stop to human trafficking. This is how we get our vigilantism on. There’s no capes or masks and we’d never condone anyone directly confronting traffickers but we are supporting law enforcement and many other non-profits in the fight against human trafficking in Chicago! My wife runs monthly Green Light meetings, which is the first step to becoming a volunteer for Traffick Free. We are known in the anti-trafficking community for our panel events. The next of which is our big annual on May 17th, 2013 at the Fair Trade Wine & Chocolate Expert Panel via Housing for Survivors.

What is the human trafficking situation in Chicago?

The New York Times named Chicago as a hub for human trafficking and it’s no surprise given the central location of this city in the United States. Chicago has two international airports and that makes it a strategic point for traffickers because international victims are commonly transported here. Chicago is also a hotspot for domestic victims when you look at the city’s high rates for gang activity, runaways, and homelessness. All are related issues directly affecting the sex trade. It is impossible to quantify “an average of victims in Chicago”.

The Illinois Department of Health and Human Services quotes an average of 16,000 to 25,000 girls and women are at risk for commercial sexual exploitation each year. Those numbers are right around one percent of Chicago’s population! It used to be the case in the early and mid 2000’s that traffickers were allowed to operate on gang territory. In the last several years, Chicago gangs realized there was more profit if they sold the sex, making this a domestic issue.

What does Traffick Free do beyond raising awareness?

Everything starts with raising awareness. We continuously run into people who do not realize that human trafficking happens everywhere. Between schools, community groups, radio and print interviews, and Traffick Free events, we reach thousands of individuals annually and each person who becomes aware of the issue becomes an advocate as well. The only other way to prevent human trafficking is through mentoring.

Traffick Free does not have the capacity to directly host a mentorship program but we do partner with organizations like the Dreamcatcher Foundation that does. We leave the crime intervention to the police. We do support that anyone who sees suspicious behavior, warning signs and such call the human trafficking hotline. You can even put this number in your phone! (888) 373-7888.

The more calls that go in on suspicious activity justifies the allocation of resources to respond. One third of all arrests come from anonymous tips called in so every call counts!

What can people who aren’t from Chicago do to help your cause?

People can donate and get behind legislation in their state as well as their local political circle. At Traffick Free, we realize that it is not a one-organization solution. We have chosen to focus on the Chicagoland area knowing how critical the issue is. We do learn and exchange practices from other organizations nationwide. People outside Chicago can certainly donate to Traffick Free from anywhere. Just recently, Wyoming became the 50th state to enact anti-human trafficking laws so we know that efforts are being done all across the country. Get involved in the issue locally or internationally. Use whatever talents you have to speak about the issue and affect change – just like Traffick Free is made up of all sorts of talents, so anyone and everyone can make a difference!

It’s really awesome that you guys have targeted the comic book audience in order to help spread the word about your cause! Just out of curiosity though, what connection do comics have to Traffick Free?

It’s that vigilante connection. As a comic book reader I’ve discovered this marvelous opportunity to go from reading comics and thinking about vigilantism to becoming a part of the solution without becoming a part of law enforcement. I want to share this opportunity with as many other comic lovers as I can. It was the PUNISHER MAX VOLUME # 5: SLAYERS that introduced me to human trafficking before I met my wife, a founder of Traffick Free. I was so excited to see what fighting crime was like with Traffick Free.

It’s transformative, going from thinking about the fantasy of comics, the vitality you get from reading WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN and seeing that mentorship to finding a way you can provide a version of that to trafficking victims.

How has your approach of spreading awareness at C2E2 differed from your usual events?

C2E2 is the only event Traffick Free participates in where human trafficking isn’t the reason people have gathered. It’s the biggest test of our outreach abilities because maybe only a third, or less, of the people we engaged with last year knew trafficking was happening in Chicago. We then have to assure them that groups like Traffick Free are fighting the trafficking and offer them the opportunity to join the fight as well. There are two fronts at the convention.

We’ll have a booth as a home base but I’ll be directly reaching out to friends in the community, creators whose stories have touched on human trafficking and Chicago-based creators. We are a potential resource for creators who may want to go beyond the “This person is bad because they run a human trafficking ring” line we see in comics.

How has the comic book community responded to Traffick Free?

Since C2E2 last year I’ve been approaching comic book stores in Chicago. I used to have my comics sent to me from Clem’s Collectibles where I used to work in Lansing, Michigan, cause I still had a great discount. Last fall I decided I needed to commit to stores in Chicago and the first way to do that was to buy my comics from them. I’m a bit ridiculous though because I have subscriptions at three stores now, First Aid in Hyde Park, First Aid in Little Italy and Graham Crackers in the Loop. I just wanted to be connected.

They each have worked with non-profits before my arrival. And I’ve been open with them about my pulls. Fortunately, the First Aid owners have responded very favorably to Traffick Free’s desire to team-up with them! I’ve finally started spreading awareness to more stores. I’ve spoken with Graham Crackers in the Loop and Edgewater, Alleycat Comics as well as Third Coast Comics.

Is there anyone in the comic book industry in particular that has helped you guys?

It would not surprise me if Geoff Johns doesn’t recall this but our first C2E2 donation last year came from him! It was before the floor was open to everyone, and Johns walked by and I called out to him, “Hey Geoff Johns!” He turned, and I said, “Thank you for your contribution to the comic book industry!” Then I gave him our pitch. It was huge for me. Of all the people at the convention, Geoff Johns was our first supporter!

Marc Wolfe and I go way back. He’s done work for Lucas Arts in the past. We’ve yet to collaborate on a book together. He donated over a dozen prints last year and helped our booth immensely.

Matthew Sargent is the artist behind Traffick Free’s convention print. He’s working on something new for Traffick Free right now that we’re hoping to have it ready for C2E2!

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions Brooke! I can’t wait to partner up with you guys at C2E2!

Likewise Onrie!

We’re gonna have a blast!

See you folks in two short weeks!

TO VICTORY!

Onrie Kompan

Change can be a very scary thing.

It’s scary because you only have two choices when confronted by it–adapt or die!

Change is an everlasting thing that happens everywhere all the time, especially in comics.  Today I want to talk about how to adapt to change.  Whenever I have been confronted by it, there are always three steps that I use to move forward and I’d like to share them with you!

STEP 1: THE MOURNING AFTER

When first confronted by change, allow yourself a mourning period because it will always hit you when you least expect it and in order to move forward from it, you need to be able to deal with and accept what has happened.

Don’t let anybody tell you that you shouldn’t feel negative emotions.  First off, you’re human so it’s impossible to not embrace some level of negative energy, especially when you get rejected by a publisher or lose your artist.

At the same time, this is an unavoidable and very dangerous step because it’s easy to get sucked in and change your entire attitude so that you’re constantly in a negative state of mind.

The point of mourning is to allow yourself to embrace negative emotions for a very short period of time.  It should be no longer than two days.

In 2010, an editor from a big name publisher looked at my work and said that the quality of YI SOON SHIN wasn’t up to par.  When I asked for specifics, the editor just started pulling stuff out of his ass.  We were both at a signing, stationed right next to one another, and he was most likely angry with me because I was selling more books than he was.  So he wanted to knock me down.

At first, it was tough hearing what he had to say because I was really trying to break away from my day job at the time and was in the middle of production on my book.  Another acquaintance of mine in the industry suggested that I replace my art team in order to make this editor happy.

I gave myself literally two days to get over it and then I had another signing and sold 100 books in two hours.  After that, I no longer cared what this editor thought about my work.  If people were buying and commenting on how great the art in my book was, then I was obviously doing something right.

Opinions are like assholes.  Everyone has one, especially editors.  So don’t take your negative emotions out on them.  Just accept what they are saying and deal with it on your own among friends and family.  Don’t take it out on anyone that could one day be putting food on your plate.  That would be a big mistake!

STEP 2: TRANFORMING NEGATIVITY INTO POSITIVITY

This is a tough thing to do.  Once you’ve had your mourning period it’s time to take all of those negative emotions and turn it into positive energy.  There are a few ways to go about doing this.

Smile more.  Really, it helps.  Human beings are animated by energy and we feed off of it so when you act positive, it can help change the mood of others.  Say thank you more often.  Open doors for people.  Help an old lady across the street or up the stairs.  It will make you feel a lot better.

Do the exact opposite of what you feel.  If an editor tells you that your work sucks and that you shouldn’t be working in comics, rather than slugging him in the jaw, stick out your hand say, “Thank you so much for your time.”

If he continues to antagonize you, which is highly unlikely because most editors are professionals, just ignore it because they are obviously not embracing the same philosophy you are.  Just walk away.

See yourself succeeding.  What doesn’t kill you only makes your stronger, right?  Here is a quote by Jacob Riis that kind of stuck with me.

“Some defeats are only installments to victory.”

No matter what happens, whether you get rejected by a publisher, lose an artist, or both, see yourself succeeding.  Do not get swallowed up by the mourning period.  Start taking actions to move forward.  The words “I CAN’T” are not in your vocabulary.  Accept the fact that whatever happens is for the best.

 STEP 3: GET BACK TO WORK!

Congratulations!  You have managed to make it to the third and final step of embracing change by turning negative energy into positive energy.  That is not an easy feat.  Before you do anything else, go out and celebrate!

Seriously.  Take your significant other out on a nice date.  Go buy yourself a new video game.  By that hard cover graphic novel you’ve been eyeing for the last two months.  Reward yourself.

Once you have indulged a bit its time to get back to work.  Start submitting to more publishers.  Start looking for a replacement artist.  Start getting back on track with your work.  Lead by example!  If you work hard, others will follow and whatever you’ve lost will hopefully be replaced by something better and more efficient.

Pick yourself back up.  Whenever I used to be down in the dumps, my mother would always say to me in Russian, “Take yourself with your hands.”  People have been doing this since the dawn of mankind.  How many stories do we know of people who have overcome great feats?  Everyone has their story including you, so make it one worth telling.

Here’s me taking a cue from Patton.  One day when you’re old and gray and your grandkids are sitting on your lap asking you about how things were back in the day, you’ll be able to tell them how you overcame all the odds set against you and prevailed!  And it will all be true.

Adapt!  Succeed! Conquer!

TO VICTORY!

Onrie Kompan

If you’re planning on making a career in comics, be ready for the endless challenges that you will face.

Challenges will come at you from all directions.  They will wear you down both mentally and physically.  So if you can’t find strategic ways to overcome them, you will fail or become like the many people in this business who do this as a hobby as opposed to a profession.

Overcoming challenges is key to achieving success and that is what I want to talk about today!  If you don’t have the right attitude, you won’t be able to develop the right approach and thus you will fail.

So let’s dig into this!

STOP MAKING EXCUSES!!!

Human beings are programmed to HATE hearing these three pride bashing words.  I have been told this SO many times throughout my life.  And the reason why I hate it (and the reason why everyone else probably hates it) is because it’s the brutal, stinking truth!

Every time you say that you CAN’T do something, you are making an excuse.  Sorry to put it so bluntly, but it’s the truth.  Granted there are things that are beyond your control and maybe you truly CAN’T make something happen in the present moment.

For example, maybe you CAN’T afford to hire a big name artist like Frank Miller to do the art for your book.  However, that doesn’t mean that this can’t change in the future.  Hell, maybe it’ll never happen but if you don’t try and if you keep telling yourself that it CAN’T happen…IT WON’T HAPPEN FOR SURE!

As Wayne Gretsky once said–

If you fail, fail giving it everything you’ve got.  Don’t fail before you suit up for battle!  Stop making excuses or don’t even bother getting into this business!  It’s saturated with enough people that have negative attitudes.  Dare to defy the impossible!  Grow a pair of balls, get out there and fight for your dreams because no one else will!

EMBRACE SOLUTIONS

Embracing solutions is all about being honest with yourself.  Now that you’ve stopped making excuses, you can start looking for ways to achieve the impossible.

Accept the reality that whatever it is that you have set out to do CAN be done.  Believe it and it will be so!  All it requires is for you to fight to the bitter end to make it happen.  You have to step up to the plate.  If someone says NO to you, figure out how to work around them.  Don’t look at nay-sayers as stopping blocks.  Think of them as people putting you up to a challenge.

There is no better feeling than proving a nay-sayer wrong.  It is glorious!  I once interacted with a retailer that assured me without the measure of a doubt that YI SOON SHIN would NOT sell in his store.

He was so incredibly adamant but I finally managed to convince him to let me do a signing at his store.  Within 2 hours, I sold over 50 units and almost EVERY customer asked the retailer to make sure that his store stocked YI SOON SHIN.  Once the signing was done, the retailer came up to me, stuck out his hand and said that he was sorry that he doubted me.  I shook his hand and thanked him for inviting me into his shop.

I saw a problem.  The problem was a retailer looked at my product and was convinced that my book would not sell in his store without doing any test marketing.  The only solution was for me to come into the store and sell the book myself in order to prove otherwise.  And I did.

Embrace solutions and get results!  That’s how you succeed!  There are many people who will doubt you at first but if you prove them wrong and embrace them, they will fight for you!

DON’T GIVE UP!

There will always be people that will challenge you.  More over, there will be people that will want to see you fail and nothing you do or say can change that.  Some people are just assholes.

There will be days where you get smacked down with bad news on multiple fronts.  Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do about it.  But don’t you dare throw in the towel!

The second you’ve decided that you’ve had enough and quit, it’s really over.  You jump in with both feet.  That’s how it works.  If you want out before you’ve reached a level of success, then quit!  Save yourself the effort because it’s not going to get any easier.

The most brutal day I experienced was back in June 2009.

The universe really had it in for me then!  I had just spent my last dime putting together the first issue of YI SOON SHIN after having been rejected by multiple publishers.  I remember walking home from my day job on a Friday afternoon and my boss at the time was on my case more than usual that day.

As I was heading home, I got a call from my girlfriend at the time and she decided that TODAY of all days was the perfect time to dump me.  Little did she know that she was doing me a great favor but in that moment, it was the worst day of my life!

Two hours after she dumped me, I got a very blunt email from a publisher that I thought was a shoe-in for YI SOON SHIN.  They expressed their sincere disinterest in my book.

It felt like my entire world had come crashing down around me.  In my eyes, I had failed but this couldn’t be further from the truth.  I had endured everything that was thrown at me and once the dust cleared, I survived and was now stronger because of what I had experienced.

The saying is true, “WHAT DOESN’T KILL YOU ONLY MAKES YOU STRONGER.”

Weather the storm.  No matter how bad things get, do not give up!  FIGHT!  FIGHT!  FIGHT! And see the battle won!

This image hangs over the door in my office.  I’ve had it since I was 16 years old.

Success is something that is unique unto every individual.  All of us experience it on some level at some point in our lives and we get there because we are committed to doing something great!  Keep your eye on the prize and don’t give up.  Your chances of success will increase dramatically!  I guarantee it!

TO VICTORY!

Onrie Kompan

What do comics and sales have in common?

Personal relationships.

Not many artists believe that they have the ability to both draw and sell their own work.  Many are prone to believe that the ability to sell is a trait that you are born with much like the ability to draw.

But this couldn’t be further from the truth!

Everyone has the potential ability to sell and if you’re an artist looking to sell your own work, nobody is going to be able to sell it better than you!  Today, I’m going to talk about why being YOU is so important for the future of your work and how it can help you really hone your ability to sell the art that you poured all of your blood and sweat into!

ACCEPT YOU FOR YOU!

First things first–you have to accept and be okay with the fact that you aren’t perfect and will never be perfect.

Nobody is perfect.  We are all flawed.  As human beings, we are all very introverted because we can only perceive the world from inside ourselves.  We firmly believe that everyone is paying attention to every iota of what we are and how we behave.

Don’t worry, they aren’t.

I have seen artists put themselves out on the sales front, pitch a potential customer, get rejected and then give up completely!  The word “NO” can have a strong impact on you if you let it.  However, if you look outside yourself, you may realize a few things;

1.)  If you’re at a convention or a local comic shop and someone decides not to buy your work, consider that they are REALLY, TRULY out of money.  For example, conventions on average cost about $20USD-$25USD a day to attend.  Many folks also travel to conventions from other cities and thus they have other expenses such as gas, hotel, parking and food.  If someone chooses not to buy your work at a store signing, consider how much comics cost on a weekly basis.  Unfortunately, not everyone is made of money.

2.)  Sometimes people don’t realize that what you have to offer them is gold.  I have been rejected by customers at conventions who later find me at different conventions and tell me how much they regretted not buying the book when they first had the chance.  Just because someone says no today, doesn’t mean they will say no tomorrow!

3.)  People that attend conventions and go to comic shops all have an agenda.  They are there to find what they are looking for and leave.  Always keep that in mind.  Chances are you do it too.  How often do you stop when one of those Green Peace folks want to tell you about how you can save the environment?  We all have places to go and things to see or as Play used to say, “I got people to do and things to see!”

IS CHRISTOPHER MARTIN GONNA HAVE TO CHOKE A BITCH?!

These are just three examples of the infinite amount of reasons why people could pass up on your work.  Don’t be so hard on yourself and don’t take it so seriously.  Accept you for you.  Stand your ground and keep at it.  Rejections come and go but a sale lasts forever!

BE YOURSELF AND NOTHING MORE

People are not stupid.  They can tell when you are being genuine or not.  I have seen people lose sales because they pretend to be someone they are not.  For example, I once had a friend come help me at a convention and he had never read a comic in his entire life but he would tell customers that he loved comics.  When customers asked what his favorite comics were, he was stupefied.  After that, he decided to sit down and didn’t get back up again.

You are not anyone but who you are and who you are is very special.  Whether people see it or not is one thing.  You alone have the ability to show people your best sides.

People respond to positive energy.  When you come to the table with energy and optimism, it inspires people.  Human beings feed off of positive energy.  So get out there and just be you and nothing else.  Chances are people will be more receptive to what you have to say.

Here is another example.  A friend of mine had one of the worst pitches of all time when it came to selling YI SOON SHIN.  He would stumble on words and mess up all the time but he was so damn confident that people still actually bought the book!

Despite the fact that he didn’t even work on it, customers would ask my friend to sign their book for them!  Not only is my friend confident but when he sells he simply knows how to be himself.  What people were buying wasn’t just YI SOON SHIN.  They were buying him too.

POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE

Before you dismiss what I am about to say and before you profess that no matter what I’m about to tell you is something that you CAN’T commit to, think for a moment that the word “CAN’T” simply doesn’t exist.

If you have a voice, you CAN make a sale.  If you have friends, you CAN make a sale.  If you are healthy, you CAN definitely make a sale!

How you ask?  Break the ice!

The next time you see someone pass your table at a convention or approach you at a store signing, start up a conversation.  I love BREAKING BAD.  It’s my favorite show on TV.  When I see people at conventions wearing BREAKING BAD shirts or doing BREAKING BAD cosplays, I always stop them and point out how much I love their attire and they almost always respond to it.

My goal isn’t to steal their money.  My goal is to find common ground with them, which in this example is BREAKING BAD.  So the second thing I will say is how much I love the show and how I can’t wait for the next season to kick in.  After a few moments of conversation, I can now change the subject and SHARE my project with them.

Again, it’s not about taking their money.  It’s about relating to the audience much like we relate to our friends.  We crack jokes with our friends.  We talk about common interests with our friends.  We SHARE the things we love with our friends.

If you don’t love what you’re selling, then you need to stop selling it.  Believe in your project as much as your audience believes in BATMAN and you’ll hook them!  Forget the words, “I can’t!”  You can!  Just put your mind to it.  Forget the fear and go for victory!

ALL NIGHT LONG!

Forget all the negativity surrounding you and cast aside all of your doubt.  Just get out there and do it.  Nothing is impossible!

And remember, sales are not easy.  It takes practice.  You’re going to fall a lot at first and that’s okay. Don’t give up.  Stand tall and stay strong.  Never give up until you prevail!

TO VICTORY!

Onrie Kompan

I have experienced all kinds of failure throughout my life.  It’s something that I’m very used to.  I have lost fights, jobs, girlfriends, contests, you name it!

The one thing I learned however is that my failures have taught me everything I need to know in order to succeed!

In 2004, I made my very first comic book.

The process took a year.  Literally.  I was in college and I didn’t know anything about making comics.  I just decided to set off on my own and do it.  So I found an artist at my school and we began working together.  I paid him nothing and he put all of his efforts into my book.

In my mind, I saw this comic being something on the level of Bendis and Bagley’s ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN.  Back then, I tended to set my sights high when I could.  Not much has changed since other than the fact that I now have more experience.

I was comparing my book to all the stuff that I read and enjoyed so I naturally expected my own comic to look better than what I read.

The Great Gerry Conway has an excellent blog where he talks about people’s intent on doing good work.  Check it out HERE!

Gerry’s right.  Nobody comes on board a project with the intent of doing bad work.  That would just be stupid!

Everyone wants THEIR work to be great.  And therein lies the problem!

As artists and creators, we take our work very seriously and very personally.  In some cases it can help our creations, but in other ways it can be a huge determent if you’re not careful.  When we take OUR work too seriously we lose focus on what is important, which is the overall story!

You always need to know where you are going with your project and so does your team.  As a creator, you are taking on the mantle of a leader, whether you like it or not!  It is your duty to steer your book in the direction that it is destined to travel.  It isn’t just about you and it isn’t just about them.  It’s about the team and there is no “I” in team.

Because I didn’t pay this artist, I couldn’t demand anything from him.  I saw the direction of the book going one way and he saw it going somewhere else!  The result was a book that neither of us were satisfied with despite all the effort that we both put into it.

If anyone ever has the misfortune of reading my first comic, blame me and only me for how craptastic it is!  Not the artist!  He worked his butt off for free!  He spent weeks on end bleeding and sweating over every page doing the best damn work he was capable of doing and he didn’t get a dime from it.  Don’t worry.  Neither did I.  In fact, that comic put me in debt and it took me well over a year to pay it off.

I didn’t make another comic until 2008.

As soon as I got out of debt, I realized that I needed to pay my artists if I wanted them to do the work that I envisioned.  I spent years saving money while working a job I wasn’t very fond of.  When I wasn’t working, I was teaching myself how to write comics by intricately studying the work of creators whose work I enjoyed.

I read their books, summarized them, broke them down panel for panel, and started to pick up on their patterns, which allowed me to develop my own pattern for scripting.

But I don’t regret making my first comic and I don’t regret working with this artist.  Had I not, I would never have learned what it was like to hear that my work sucked ass!

A few months after the book was completed, I decided to have it redrawn the way I envisioned.  A friend of mine read the script and told me that it was the worst script he had ever read.  I was CLEARLY doing something wrong.

I could have gotten defensive about it or I could have learned to improve.  I chose the latter.  Nine years have passed since I made my first comic.  And since then I have only released four comics.

According to comic book industry standards, I am a tortoise.

But to me it isn’t about being slow or fast.  It’s about winning the race.

It’s about doing the work that is best for the book.  It’s not about my ego or my fear of being scolded by my peers and/or investors, or even worrying about what outsiders think.  It’s about my desire to push myself passed all of my limitations and grow.

In order to do that, I need to focus my full efforts on my books.  Not 20% here and 30% there.  Whether you like our work or not, know that you’re getting 1000% of me and my collaborators anytime you see the Onrie Kompan Productions logo on a comic or any other form of media!  We don’t just work hard, we work smart too!

I could have made another hundred comics between 2004 and 2013.  Instead I decided to focus on making fewer comics but putting ALL of my energy into making those four comics right.

In order to get to this point, I had to fail.  I had to have people telling me that my stuff sucked many times over.  No one knows rejection like I do.  I have been thrown around like a ragdoll!  My pride has been beaten to a bloody pulp on many occasions!

But I will always stand by my belief that LESS IS MORE.

What does that mean?  It means that by making fewer comics I can lend more attention to them.  This allows me to wear different hats (as my humble YI SOON SHIN editor/co-writer David Anthony Kraft would say) and observe my stories from various angles.

There are all kinds of hats.  The hat of an average comic book reader, the hat of a writer, the hat of a continuity freak, the hat of a film buff, the hat of an editor and so on and so forth!  I believe that THIS is the first step to doing good work.

The next step is to get others to do the same.  The only way you can do this is by taking charge as a leader and providing an example for your fellow collaborators.

I can look at my books and determine whether or not the audience will be susceptible to my work.  I can find ways to surprise myself with the story, which will no doubt surprise the audience.  I can give the book the attention it deserves so that rather than WANTING to do good work, I can actually PRODUCE good work.

Just because something takes more time, doesn’t necessarily mean you’re working less.  My duties on YI SOON SHIN require me to go beyond writing a script.  In fact, all of our scripts are like swiss cheese.  They have holes in them that need to be filled and that’s where DAK comes in.  For him, reading my scripts is like playing a game of Whack-A-Mole with a bloody fist instead of a mallet.

The YI SOON SHIN Team works the way it does because we are not married to any one idea.  We work as a unit with the objective of creating great work.  We are 100% in service to the story.  The result is something we are all 100% satisfied with 100% of the time.

If I never failed so spectacularly back in 2004, I would never have figured this out.  The artist that I collaborated with on my first comic book no longer speaks to me.  Our relationship ended on very bad terms and that was completely my fault.  I have no ill will towards him and I hope that he finds his own measure of success wherever that may be.

I don’t have even a sliver of the amount of experience that Gerry Conway has but after making one bad comic that I intended to be great, I made a vow to myself to never repeat the same mistakes twice!  Doing good work goes beyond you.  It doesn’t matter if you’re doing a monthly, bi-monthly, or annual comic.

It’s about team work and working with others to see things through to the end while keeping your eyes, and your team’s eyes, on the damn objective!  Does this mean my work will always be perfect in everyone’s eyes?  Certainly not.  But I can tell you that anything I put out there will always have my seal of approval before it meets anyone’s eyes after I’ve worn all my hats.  I’m my own toughest critic and so are my collaborators.

In 2004, a friend of mine saw that I was down in the dumps after my epic fail.  I told him that I might as well give up and he looked at me and said, “The only point at which you fail is when you decide to give up for good.  Get back out there and fight!”

That was some of the best advice I ever received!  Never give up!  Stay in the fight and find a way to win!

TO VICTORY!

Onrie Kompan

Hey There History Buffs!

YI SOON SHIN: FALLEN AVENGER #1 will be debuting on the same weekend as Admiral Yi’s 468^th birthday (April 26^th-April 28^th 2013)!  In celebration of our great hero’s birthday, we are going to have a fun contest for all you aspiring artists out there!

Submit your sketch of Admiral Yi and win a chance to receive one of three INCREDIBLE prizes–

 THIRD PLACE:  6 collectible letter illustration stickers designed by YI SOON SHIN letterer and designer Joel Saavedra!

SECOND PLACE:  2 exclusive collectible YI SOON SHIN: FALLEN AVENGER prints SIGNED!

FIRST PLACE:  1 FREE and SIGNED copy of YI SOON SHIN: FALLEN AVENGER #1!

Submit your artwork to subart1982@gmail.com today!  This contest will be open until April 28th, 2013!  EVERYONE from around the WORLD is welcome to enter this fun and reward filled contest!!!

Be sure to include your FIRST and LAST name and what COUNTRY and CITY you currently reside in!  Otherwise, no one, including us, will know who you are!

SUBMIT YOUR SKETCH!

All contestants will see their work posted on our website after the official debut of FALLEN AVENGER #1 on the last weekend of April!  No matter what happens, everyone is a winner!!!

So let’s see your best sketch!

ONWARD TO VICTORY!

Onrie Kompan