It?s no secret that most all creators who have a booth at Comic-con are lusting after that one big Hollywood score. You know, the one where Mr. Hollywood Producer/Agent Dude (HPAD), comes by your booth, falls insanely, madly in love with your book, whisks you off into a side room and begs you to sign a multi-million dollar contract (before anyone beats them to the punch) with movie rights and DVD payoffs and TV series spin-offs and posters and T-shirts and signings and all the other trappings ofIt?s no secret that most all creators who have a booth at Comic-con are lusting after that one big Hollywood score. You know, the one where Mr. Hollywood Producer/Agent Dude (HPAD), comes by your booth, falls insanely, madly in love with your book, whisks you off into a side room and begs you to sign a multi-million dollar contract (before anyone beats them to the punch) with movie rights and DVD payoffs and TV series spin-offs and posters and T-shirts and signings and all the other trappings of success.

That?s why the HPADs show up. They?re looking for the next property to be Spiderman big. Things is, while the HPADs are in no hurry to give you all that you want, we have what they want (in theory), so there?s a bit of a game going on. And of course, every creator there just knows?[i]absolutely knows[/i]?that his or her book or idea is just the greatest one ever, and that it would be worth millions if only one of the HPADs would open their eyes and see our inherent brilliance?and marketing potential.

So you man your booth all day long, every day. It?s tiring. The days are long, generally 10 am to 7 pm. A friend at the show said to me that when he first heard about creators complaining about the long hours, he thought we were just being whiners. But after a few days, he said to me, ?you know, this really is hard. You?re on your feet all day, you have to be on all the time. You?re not here just hanging out it. It?s work.?

And it is.

But there?s the rush. We lust for it. We need it. The HPAD high.

Selling books at the booth is good. Very good. But if you?re not having the greatest sales day?and even if you are?we?re all the while waiting for the HPADs to come by and see that brilliance I was talking about. We want it. We all want it.

So when an HPAD stops by and seems to genuinely like what you do, even spends money to take away your book and leaves a business card with you saying they?ll follow up, you?re stoked. You got the buzz. The rush. Now, we know it could all be B.S. We know it?s their job to scout out properties. With some HPADs, that?s all they do. Scoop up properties so no one else can make them, and then leave them in a locked closet. And we know that very few comic book projects ever amount to anything movie- or TV-wise, and that even when they do it can take years, if ever, and the money is rarely even a fraction of what you hope.

But still.

We all want to be the one who wins the lottery. So when HPADs shine us on, we love it. We?re high. We?re high-fiving. We?re stoned on the dream.

For about 10 minutes.

And then the buzz wears off, we?re deflated even, and we revert to just being some mostly unknown dude at his booth selling our goofy little books for a few dollars. Until the next HPAD comes along. Which could be in 10 minutes.

Or three hours. Or the next day.

Or never.

There are no guarantees. There are no promises. It can be so completely random as to how many HPADs stop by, if any do.

So all through the convention, me and Rich Henn and Rich Koslowski are there, all trying to sell our books, looking to sniff out the HPADs from a distance, because they can be sneaky. A lot of them have the HPAD look, so we just know right off who they are (kinda like how TV criminals can always spot a cop). The HPADs, for the most part, are well groomed, usually in jeans and a dress shirt, with their name badges turned around so you can?t see who they are right away. They?ll tell you they?re an HPAD when they?re ready. Not all HPADs are like this, but there?s a lot.

But once they show interest, you put on your best smile and you sell your book. You sell yourself. You want to get them excited?interested?in your book, with the idea there?s a way to turn it into a TV show or a movie, and for the HPAD to make money off you.

And being the writer dudes that we are, we jump at the chance to snort another line of HPAD … to get high, ride the buzz … and then come back down. Again.

This is how it goes all week long. Jonesing for that HPAD high.

Of course, what we [i]really, really[/i] want is that big, fat, juicy never-have-to-work-again deal, but until it comes along, until one is in writing and the money?s in our bank account, the HPAD high is all we get. And during what can be a long week behind the booth at Comic-con, we’ll take it.

Post edited by: rcolchamiro, at: 2007/08/02 15:37

Post edited by: rcolchamiro, at: 2007/08/02 16:20

Also, check back periodically for more photos. There were a bunch of there with cameras, so once we exchange photos I’ll get those up on the site.Also, check back periodically for more photos. There were a bunch of there with cameras, so once we exchange photos I’ll get those up on the site.

The Big Apple con comes to NYC around March. I went the last two years as an attendee, which is likely what I’ll do next year. But my plan is to go to the Baltimore show next month, which is much smaller and more manageable, but I’m not confirmed yet. Although right now I’m leaning towards going.The Big Apple con comes to NYC around March. I went the last two years as an attendee, which is likely what I’ll do next year. But my plan is to go to the Baltimore show next month, which is much smaller and more manageable, but I’m not confirmed yet. Although right now I’m leaning towards going.

Photos are now up. Had a technical glitch, which I straightened out. Enjoy!Photos are now up. Had a technical glitch, which I straightened out. Enjoy!

Amid the madness at Comic-con, our booth location was actually quite good. We had a corner position?in an L shape?near the front in a key spot (and close to Lou Ferrigno, a.k.a. the Hulk, and porn queen Jenna Jameson?s booth, although she only made a brief appearance).

And when I say we, there were a bunch of us: yours truly, with Finders Keepers; Rich Koslowski, with The King, The List, Three Fingers and 3 Geeks (www.richkoslowski.com); and Rich Henn, with Timespell (co-written by yours trAmid the madness at Comic-con, our booth location was actually quite good. We had a corner position?in an L shape?near the front in a key spot (and close to Lou Ferrigno, a.k.a. the Hulk, and porn queen Jenna Jameson?s booth, although she only made a brief appearance).

And when I say we, there were a bunch of us: yours truly, with Finders Keepers; Rich Koslowski, with The King, The List, Three Fingers and 3 Geeks (www.richkoslowski.com); and Rich Henn, with Timespell (co-written by yours truly), his comic book documentaries, and Zoomies (www.timespell.com). Sharing the little corner with me was Brad Webber, with his 24-hour mini-comics (www.juniormadscientist.com).

For pictures, go to the photos section. I’ve uploaded a few. And the posters you see in the background are all courtesy of Rich Henn, who has just an amazing eye for this sort of thing:

Wednesday was just a few hours long, so that was manageable, 5 pm till 8 pm, and overall Thursday was a good full day, 10 am to 7 pm. We all had a decent amount of traffic, and we had general enthusiasm. But though my day ended well, I got off to a rocky start. I?ll explain.

One of the main reasons I came out to Comic-con was to get the opportunity to talk to Hollywood agent/producer types about Finders Keepers, assuming they stopped by at all. That?s why I went nuts the preceding few weeks tweaking the manuscript for convention shape. Only, when the time came, I wasn?t ready. I wasn?t in game shape. The idea of talking to them appealed to me, but actually doing it was something else. First off, they usually don?t come up to you and announce who they are. They try to be sneaky. They usually have their name badge turned around, so you can?t tell who they are right off, and they tend to start off just browsing, as if they are regular attendees.

But early in the morning, Rich Henn starting to talking to a guy, who turned out to be an agent type, and there I was, sitting behind him, feeling both jet lagged and very hung over, but more importantly, lost in a tiny sea of anxiety?and doing nothing. I needed to just physically stand up and start talking, but I didn?t. I was caught unprepared, and it showed. Same thing happened not more than an hour later.

After that I physically stood up around the booth as much as my back could handle, and started talking to folks. And once I started, I shook the nerves right out of me pretty quick. I was back to my old self, and kept it up comfortably the rest of the show. Overall I probably talked to a half dozen agent types, maybe more. And then another 20 or so attendees, one of who even bought a copy of Finders Keepers, so that was a nice boost.

I also had to keep in mind that Comic-con is a more visual experience, in that most people are looking to buy merchandise?comic books, DVDs, posters, T-shirts?all designed for more immediate, visual interaction. I was shopping a novel, so I was prepared for reduced interest, although the cover printing was really great?Henn, thanks again!?and I also had a glossy flier and business cards to hand out, which also really helped, and also courtesy of Rich Henn (who works for a printer). I found that the walk-by interest was pretty strong once I started talking to them.

Friday and Saturday were tough in that we got the full blast of attendees?almost 100,000 in total?but had less traffic at the booth those days then day before. Most people were there for the big stuff?the Heroes booth, the video games. Comic-con has morphed into an entertainment con far more than comic books, so the weekend brought in the masses, the general interest fan. It was frustrating to see so many people so close but so far. It?s a tease. You really want them to be there for you, but most of them weren?t.

The nature of the show is that it?s getting tougher and tougher for the little guy to do well there. Our booth alone cost $2,500. So that means that you have to sell $2,500 worth of merchandise just to [i]break even[/i]. And that doesn?t count airfare, hotel and food. As for me, the pressure of selling wasn?t there, as Rich Henn and Rich Koslowski paid for the booth (as they do every year), and graciously allowed me (and Brad) to grab a little corner in exchange for helping work the booth and selling their books for them, which I did happily. Plus, since I co-wrote Timespell, it?s a bit easier for me to help sell that one since my name?s on it.

But for me at least, the interest in Finders Keepers seemed quite positive. I came away feeling good.

There?s still so much more to report from Comic-Con 2007, so stay tuned for more posts this week …

Post edited by: rcolchamiro, at: 2007/07/31 20:27

Post edited by: rcolchamiro, at: 2007/07/31 20:29

Post edited by: rcolchamiro, at: 2007/07/31 20:29

Post edited by: rcolchamiro, at: 2007/07/31 22:44

Post edited by: rcolchamiro, at: 2007/07/31 22:46

Wow –

Just got back from the San Diego Comic-con, so I’m still a little out of it, but it was madness! Something like 100,000 people were reported there, and I can believe it.

I’ll report in more detail throughout the week, but just a few highlights for now, personal and Finders Keepers-wise:

Big thanks go out to Rich Henn (www.timespell.com) and Rich Koslowski (www.richkoslowski.com), who laid out big bucks for the booth at Comic-con, and let me grab a little corner so that I Wow –

Just got back from the San Diego Comic-con, so I’m still a little out of it, but it was madness! Something like 100,000 people were reported there, and I can believe it.

I’ll report in more detail throughout the week, but just a few highlights for now, personal and Finders Keepers-wise:

Big thanks go out to Rich Henn (www.timespell.com) and Rich Koslowski (www.richkoslowski.com), who laid out big bucks for the booth at Comic-con, and let me grab a little corner so that I could shop Finders Keepers, and also to Brad Weber (www.juniormadscientist.com), for helping work the booth and promoting Finders Keepers.

We had a decent amount of traffic at the booth, and much to my own surprise and pleasure, I actually sold a few copies of Finders Keepers! My first sales. One was to a regular fan (or so I think), and another was to a Hollywood producer/agent type, so who knows? Maybe Finders Keepers will get the big screen treatment some day. And although I wasn’t at the booth at the time, we got a copy of Finders Keepers into the hands of a very major Hollywood writer/director (I will resist my instinct to go all fan-boy and not name drop), so that was very cool.

Other fun tidbits included:

Touching and taking a picture of the actual Batmobile from the Adam West show. It was awesome! I totally nerded out! You can check out my pic with the Batmobile on the photos page.

We also had a booth not far from Lou Ferrigno–a.k.a. the Hulk–and he stopped by the bar we were in the first night, so that was cool.

There’s just so much to tell that I can’t get it all in now, but more to follow throughout the week.

Stay tuned for more …

Post edited by: rcolchamiro, at: 2007/07/31 22:46

Hey Gang,

I’m off in a few minutes to the San Diego Comic-Con, the biggest comic book convention of the year. But it’s also become a huge draw for Hollywood agent types looking for new properties to scoop up–and maybe Finders Keepers will be one of them!

Thanks to good buddy Rich Henn I’ve got about a dozen copies of Finders Keepers printed up in standard book format–with color cover and back–to hand out to agents.

I’ll be there along with Rich Henn (www.timespell.com) and RichHey Gang,

I’m off in a few minutes to the San Diego Comic-Con, the biggest comic book convention of the year. But it’s also become a huge draw for Hollywood agent types looking for new properties to scoop up–and maybe Finders Keepers will be one of them!

Thanks to good buddy Rich Henn I’ve got about a dozen copies of Finders Keepers printed up in standard book format–with color cover and back–to hand out to agents.

I’ll be there along with Rich Henn (www.timespell.com) and Rich Koslowski (www.richkoslowski.com) at booth # 1907 in the Independent Publisher Pavilion.

I’ll blog with a full report when I get back.

Wish me luck!

Post edited by: rcolchamiro, at: 2007/07/31 22:43

A few years ago someone suggested to me that Liz and I start having a weekly family meeting, to catch each other up on the week ahead so that we?re coordinated. My initial reaction was: [i]Okay, Mr. 1955. I don?t think so. Family meeting. Yeah, right.[/i]

I?m not really sure why I reacted that way. Maybe it was just that the idea had never been introduced to me before, so I rejected it outright. Maybe it was the word [i]meeting[/i]. It just sounds so formal and impersonal; not something forA few years ago someone suggested to me that Liz and I start having a weekly family meeting, to catch each other up on the week ahead so that we?re coordinated. My initial reaction was: [i]Okay, Mr. 1955. I don?t think so. Family meeting. Yeah, right.[/i]

I?m not really sure why I reacted that way. Maybe it was just that the idea had never been introduced to me before, so I rejected it outright. Maybe it was the word [i]meeting[/i]. It just sounds so formal and impersonal; not something for a marriage. Maybe it was something else entirely. I don?t know.

But not long after the suggestion?and my getting over my initial rejection of it?I mentioned it to Liz, and she took to it right away. We?ve been having our family meeting ever since.

We generally sit down late Sunday afternoon/early evening, turn off the TV or the music, and don?t answer the phone. Liz gets her day planner; I get mine. And we bring any lists or notes that we have, and then we just start mapping out the next week or two. Our meetings usually take about 30 minutes.

We?ll start with the upcoming week?I have this on Monday, she has that on Tuesday, etc., and then coordinate any plans we have together. This includes vacations, days off from work, family obligations and dinners with friends, as well as who needs to be home when the electrician is coming, or when the cat has to go the vet. We usually look at the coming week, the week after, and then any bigger plans over the next month. And we make sure that our respective calendars match up.

And I can say that because of our family meetings, we have cut down on our bickering and misunderstandings by half. Maybe more.

The reason is that so many of our minor arguments and frustrations were the result of not being on top of the little things. Because we weren?t, as a couple, staying on top of all the little things that are a part of our daily lives?picking up the dry cleaning, arranging for the plumber, etc.?they started to pile up and cause frustrations.

Having the family meeting acts like a sieve; it helps us filter out our individual and collective responsibilities, and catches those little things that can become big things if left undone or ignored. It helps clear up our roles and responsibilities.

During these meetings, we agree that I will do this, by when, and Liz will do that, by when, and because we know what to expect from the other, it helps us relax. We each know what the other will do, and when. It also cuts back on the frustration of those times when we didn’t coordinate all that well, and Liz would come home later than normal after work, because she had dinner plans with a friend, I didn’t know, or forgot; or I had a writer?s workshop, and Liz didn’t know, or whatever.

Now we’re real clear about these things. It?s the kind of thing we talk about on Sundays. We know what to expect from each other. And since we have our family meeting every week, there aren?t nearly as may gaps in communication. The great thing about these meetings is that they are so doable. We just sit down and talk, with no disruptions. And because we?re talking every week about the elements of our daily lives?big and small?it brings us closer together. We?re in it together. It helps cement us as a team.

That said, having these family meetings doesn?t magically remove all of our frustrations. We don?t always cover everything during these meetings, and sometimes we forget a few things over the week that we discussed just a few days earlier. But having the weekly meeting significantly cuts back on our misunderstandings and confusions. They help our relationship; our lives are more coordinated, and as a result, we have more time for each other, and we argue less.

Also, as a point of full disclosure, we don?t meet every week. We plan to, but it doesn?t always happen. And it?s usually on those weekends when we?re away and we get back late on Sunday, or one of us has plans that day. But overall I would say we have our family meeting about 70 percent of the Sundays. And it?s not like we don?t talk about these things throughout the week anyway. It?s just a good point to either start a new discussion or continue an existing one.

The Family Meeting was something I never even considered until just a few years ago, but now that they are a part of our lives, I can?t imagine how things would go between Liz and I if we stopped having them. They help us in a very real way. They help us manage our lives more effectively, and as a result, we?re happier.

Post edited by: rcolchamiro, at: 2007/08/02 09:59

Check out who’s the leading actor to play the young Spock in the new Star Trek movie. That’s right, Sylar from Heroes. And Matt Damon as the young Kirk? I’ve heard that rumor before. That’s a great choice, but I don’t know if that will happen:

http://www.darkhorizons.com/news07/070722e.phpCheck out who’s the leading actor to play the young Spock in the new Star Trek movie. That’s right, Sylar from Heroes. And Matt Damon as the young Kirk? I’ve heard that rumor before. That’s a great choice, but I don’t know if that will happen:

http://www.darkhorizons.com/news07/070722e.php

At long last I saw Syriana, and while I liked it overall, I had a tough time following it. By the time the movie ends–a lot of corporate/political/oil intrigue–the bit pieces tie together. And it’s pretty intense. But in between there were so many little scenes with tons of characters and mumbled dialogue that Liz and I were shrugging our shoulders as to what was going on.

If you like political thrillers, Syriana is worth watching–I give it a thumbs up–but you’re going to have to work At long last I saw Syriana, and while I liked it overall, I had a tough time following it. By the time the movie ends–a lot of corporate/political/oil intrigue–the bit pieces tie together. And it’s pretty intense. But in between there were so many little scenes with tons of characters and mumbled dialogue that Liz and I were shrugging our shoulders as to what was going on.

If you like political thrillers, Syriana is worth watching–I give it a thumbs up–but you’re going to have to work at it.