D.J. Coffman - Sequential Artist, Thinker

Dog kept me up last night– 2am then 4am… but I can sleep when I’m dead, right? Let’s go through a list of things on my cloudy mind this morning before coffee…

ITEM- If I’m not mistaken, today, entries open for the Comic Book Challenge 3

I don’t see a way to send entries in yet on the site, unless I’m blind or cloudy… but yeah, sharpen those pencils and get to work on your submissions.

ITEM- Flobots - Yeah, there’s a chance you haven’t heard of them yet, but you best seek out their album and start fighting with YOUR tools. I had a nice phonecall with Brer Rabbit from the band yesterday talking comic talk and how i might be able to use some of my tools to get messages out. I’m down for that!- This is a great example how the internet and technology has changed things for the better– it’s only been two weeks since I discovered their music, shot them an email with some ideas, and now we’re talking about 1970s Marvel comics and social messages embedded within comics. I really enjoyed the discussion and can’t wait to take it further. Now is the time.

ITEM- Uncertainty - I don’t like it. But there’s a lot of it bubbling around in different places in my life right now. I will say this though, where others see problems, I see opportunities. It’s hard for people to just jump into the unknown, but I took that leap a long long time ago. I have good friends who get on the edge of things happening, but they never take that next step. And it’s always some SMALL thing in their way. “I can’t afford a car.” - “I can’t do this because…” — You can talk yourself out of things until your blue in the face, but somewhere deep down you know what to do. Don’t hesitate…. jump.

ITEM- Seth Godin has a good thought about self promotion over here.

ITEM- There’s a studio/office tour of IDW publishing on CBR that Chris Ryall just posted about. I was curious when he blacked out some part of his bookshelf pertaining some upcoming projects they haven’t announced yet. This made me go look further at the other photos to see if I could see any posters or clues for something I was looking for– and this one here has a big one in it (on the wall behind guy in the red shirt) : ).

ITEM- Sort of speaking of which…. Have I ever mentioned my desire to draw the crap out of a GI JOE comicbook? My roots in comics and imagination began with GI JOE vs Cobra…. it was through that that I really “discovered” comics by way of the GI JOE comics…. #21 is where it’s at! — Larry Hama– I’ve never met the man, but I’d like to shake his hand, give him a hug and maybe cry on his shoulder and tell him I love him. Just sayin. And I know the the odds of any of that are slim to none. And slim just left town.

ITEM- COLD WEATHER. Not sure if anyone has noticed, but I’ve been trying to curb my language online for a while… that ends right now. FUCK YOU COLD WEATHER! Seriously.

ITEM- I want to run my OWN comic book company and do everything I think is right. Too bad the market wasn’t better.

ITEM- Somedays, I fancy owning my own comic book store, and putting a studio in it where comics are actually being produced. A bullpen inside a comic shop! I’m down! - Too bad the market isn’t getting any better any time soon.

ITEM- Comic Book Vending Machines. Seriously… I’ve droned on and on about this… but I’ve seen the technology, and there’s no reason if they can sell 300 dollar ipods and digital cameras and gear in a big vending machine, they can totally sell comics and graphic novels. Maybe even SIGNED stuff or original artwork inside certain machines…  This could be run out of a centralized distribution office, wherein you get people to lease or run the machines, or a vending company to stock the material– they could send back what didn’t sell and pack it right into the boxes that come with the new shipment. They’d only be billed for what sold, and of course the person tending to the machines make a fine cut. There’s probably an even better way to do it… by my genius mathematical calculations, it would take about 10 million dollars to get a company like that off the ground, and about 2 years of development and planning, engineering… in 5 years a company with 500-1000 machines nationwide could be earning 5-6 million a year in sales if they ran right.

ITEM- I just made up all that shit off the top of my head. It sounds right though. Did you also know that 85% of the public would be willing to buy items from an automated machine like that? What about used video games? Toys? Action Figure vending? - What about teaming with a big chain evil empire like Walmart– actually this is a nice way AROUND their in-store contracts where they make you pay PER INCH of space in their store and everything has to be returnable. It would be perfect because if you worked a deal where it was Walmarts who were stocking the machines and getting a cut of revenue… it would also open up space on their shelves for more toy items, or other materials. Walmarts love to utilize every inch of space.

ITEM- I’m rambling again about innovation and corky ideas. I’ll shut up now. I have comics to go draw.

ITEM- Go read Hero By Night. It’s a story I wanted to make for ALL OF YOU.