An Inexpensive Way To Promote and Advertise Your Comic Book Company

As a small business owner, I always try to find ways to be effective in marketing without it costing me a fortune. My advertising and marketing budget in no way mirrors companies like Coca-Cola or Disney. At the same time, however, when I decide to spend money on advertising or marketing I want quality. Far too often there is a disproportionate relationship between value and cost. Generally the higher the cost the higher the quality and vice versa. Is it possible to find quality at a fair price? Yes. I recently decided to find ways to increase my advertising efforts other than Facebook or Twitter. Since I am also an artist I decided to creat a logo for my company . Once I finally had the logo I felt it necessary to order some business cards out to give to those who might want to contact me in the future. In addition, business cards are an excellent way present oneself professionally and it solidifies in your own mind that you are legitimate in what you are doing. I, therefore, began my quest for a company that prints business cards. After several searches I decided to give Vistaprint a try. Vistaprint advertises so much on the Internet that most everyone who has spent time surfing has seen their adds or received their emails. I received an offer for free business cards and a free t-shirt with my company logo. I was concerned that the quality of the cards my not be what I desired since they were free. After all, is anything that is free of any value? The answer is YES! I took a chance and order a number of items from Vistaprint and I was more than pleased. I received 500 business cards, a t-shirt, a coffee mug, a mouse pad, postcards and a small vinyl banner with my company logo on them. When they arrived I was pleased with the quality of the products I received, and I plan on doing business with Vistaprint again. I believe in promoting and helping others grow their reputation or business, especially if they merit it. I would want others to do the same for me. Vistaprint has taken very good care of my advertising needs. If you have a new comic book company, character, supply company or any other type of business related to our industry then do not let Vistaprint pass you by. Give them an opportunity to help you. Check out their ad on our blog. It is worth it! Visit our new website at www.kryptoknightcomics.com

The Evolution of Batman, Great Artists Create A Legacy

Bob Kane, with the uncredited aid of Bill Finger, sold the rights for a superhero in 1939 to National Comics. The hero proved to be an everlasting icon among comic book characters. Batman has gone from the pages of comics to be featured in newspaper comic strips, novels, graphic novels, television shows, cartoons and films. He is among one of the most celebrated and recognized characters in all of comic book history.

Despite the diverse markets in which Batman has been shared, the one that continues to define him is the comic book. His history is written and established through the pages of one of imagination's oldest outlets. The artists who have been privileged to bring Batman to life have also affected the dynamics of such a visible character. Many great artists, and some not-so-great, have penciled the Caped Crusader and Dark Knight to life each leaving him with their own touch, their own mark and their own interpretation.

Different eras have defined different styles. Different artistic media have also been used, such as animation, painted art and dynamic pencils. Among the greats are such ones as Jack Kirby, John Byrne, Neal Adams, Dick Sprang and others. Through their work Batman has grown to what he is today. Their definition of justice is revealed through their artistic impression of Batman.

We would like to know what you think. Which art style and artist do you prefer and enjoy. Cast your vote below, leave a comment about your favorite Batman artist and share with us as we continue Batman Week. Be sure to visit us at our website, http://www.kryptoknightcomics.com.

PollPub.com Vote

Which Batman Artist Do You Like The Best?

Bob Kane

Dick Sprang

Neal Adams

Jim Aparo

Frank Miller

Norm Breyfogle

Tim Sale

Jim Lee

Other




View Results

Poll powered by PollPub.com Free Polls

Legends of "The Fall": Grifter Meets the Punisher

Comic books got their name early in the 20th Century because they began as collections of comic strips. They were funny, whimsical, comical. However, with the introduction of characters like The Shadow, Superman, Flash Gordon and Captain America, comic books began to take on new roles and address new issues. These issues have varied from warfare, mob violence, crime, drug abuse, murder, racism, political indifference, extraterrestrial invasions and much more. Today comic books are far less comical. While characters like Archie and Bugs Bunny still exist, far more common are mutants like Wolverine and dark vigilantes like The Punisher. There are comic books that focus on teaching kids moral values, heroism and equality. Many, however, are geared toward adult audiences with their gritty nature, hard language and graphic violence. Among the ranks of the grittier characters is a vigilante known as "The Fall".

Published by PLB Comics, The Fall is a character that seeks out those who cause harm to others, such as drug dealers, murders, occultists and the like. He brandishes his own style of justice. He is mysterious, elusive and strikes fear into the hearts of those who are determined to do wrong or who bring harm others. He is a cross between Wildstorm's Grifter and Marvel's Punisher. He brings an edge and a darkness to justice without mercy.

I have never been a fan of these type of characters. However, the artwork which PLB brings to there comics is undeniably great. Mat and Josh Shockley, the owners of PLB, enhance the darkness of the character and his story by leaving the book in a black and white format. The artwork (contributed by Russell Walton, Jim McMunn, Nathan Thomas Milliner, Brad Hudson and Larry Crew, Jr.)is fabulous and clean. Unlike a Bill Sienkiewicz who could bring a gritty edge even to Superman, the guys at PLB Comics do the opposite. By maintaining a clean, crisp look to their art and keeping the flow of the story solid, they have been able to establish the fierceness of the character to the point that even the reader feels intimidated by him. Good art is a challenge and the guys at PLB comics have conquered it.

As a warning to all readers, though. The Fall, along with other comics that PLB prints, is full of hard language, adult subjects and scenes that are not appropriate for younger readers. If you do not like this type of comic then this is not the book for you. However, if you enjoy the grittiness of both story and character, then The Fall is your guy. He makes the Punisher look like a big baby!

The Cape, Television's Newest Comic Hero

Comic book superheroes and characters like them have become increasingly popular both in television and on the big screen. Sunday night saw the newest of these programs hit NBC with the show called The Cape. If you are a comic book and superhero fan then no doubt you watched it just to see if it would be worth following. We understand because we watched it too. Here is what we thought.

The Cape is obviously a made for TV superhero and we are sure that there will be a comic book adaption of the show. As to who will nab the honors, our guess will be DC but we will have to wait and see. In the meantime, we were pleased with what we watched. Visually it was exciting because the show presented more costumed characters, villains with unique names, crimes in line with what comic books might present, and great separation between the heroes and the villains. You knew early on who was on what side.

The explanations as to how the cape worked, his abilities to use it, and the illusions he was taught in order to appear to have super powers were original. We liked the Oracle type character called Orwell (obviously similar), and as time goes on we will learn more about her background and her reason to fight crime. Our guess is that she must be the daughter of Chess. We will have to wait and see if our predictions prove true.

We enjoyed the interaction between the characters, the sacrifice made by the hero (there is always a sacrifice), the hilarious one-liners and off beat jokes which gave it some color, and, of course, the overall look of the show.

The down side, if there is one, is that it was cliched and predictable. You almost knew what would happen next with each frame. Every aspect of the show was much like a comic story line. The bad guy wins one and the good guy wins one. Both live to fight another day. The hero is framed for what the villain has done while the villain goes on being the town hero to everyone. However, this is nothing new as comic books are often cliched much like films and TV programs. There is rarely anything new under the sun. However, the predictability of the show was not necessarily a turn off. It seemed to be very well written in a simple style, easy to follow and the special effects gave the show an eye catching flare. Regardless of what happened you wanted to keep watching.

The Cape will prove to be interesting. We hope it will continue to catch viewers attention and keep them intrigued. At this point, we give it a positive review. We would like to know what you think. Did you like the show? Will you continue to watch it? Share your insights with us. The discussion is now open!

I Love Lucy and 1957 Superman (George Reeves)

Here is a great clip I found featuring George Reeves playing Superman on the I Love Lucy Show! Enjoy!

All I Want To Do Is Sell Comic Books

Many of you have the same passion as myself. We love comic books! I have been collecting comics since I was 14 years old. That was 24 1/2 years ago. While I would not classify myself as an expert, I have a vast knowledge of the industry and consider myself a continuous, progressive student. There are so many interesting things to learn ranging from artist techniques to character history to creator biographies. The field is wide open and as a true lover I am always striving to learn more.

Most of my life I have had careers that were non-related to comic books. However, my heart's desire has always been to have a comic book store or to have a job somehow related to comics. As a kid I wanted to write and pencil for DC or Marvel but those dreams never came about, nor have I given up on that completely. They are still goals I have along those lines. Still, the desire to be involved has never been stronger.

As the economy began to fall, I began to make plans to open a store. But those plans have slowed due to the economic troubles we have all faced. The business I did own practically dried up overnight and the last two years have been a struggle. So I taught myself how to build a website and I am still learning new things. I decided to build an online store and start working towards my dream of a physical store. I opened the online store before it was 100% complete and named it after the name my best friend and I came up with years ago, Krypto-Knight Comics. I try to make my prices fair amd I have worked to do all I can in promoting the store. Jobs are scarce around here and this is my primary means of survival. Having visited many comic book stores in my time and having noted that many are dark, dirty or have a negative atmosphere, it has been my goal to do just the opposite and create a place where positivity and creativity thrive. I would like to see a place where the colors are bright and super-heroes are the order of the day. In today's negative world who wouldn't want to visit a place like that?

At present, though, it's more about survival. I appreciate all who have done business with me and who have helped fuel my dream of owning a literal store. I want to thank all of you for your business, you support and your passion for comics. I look forward to 2011 being our best year yet!