The things we leave behind...

     I know its been a while since I made a post and I wish I had a better excuse than school and work, but honestly, if someone wants to do something, they will find the time to do it. With that said, things have been going very well for me recently. Last August I got a new job working in a call center, and one of the major benefits to it, other than not having to look a customer in the eye when you tell them their package isn't going to make it in time for Christmas, is the rewarding social skills. Yes, believe it or not, when you put all the visual insecurities of human interaction to the side, most people tend to come out of their shells and talk with you as if they have known you their whole life; of course they may be sweet talking you because, working in a call center, we have all the power on our side (of course we never abuse that...).
     So, why am I telling you about my job? Well, I can honestly say that this last 5 months I have been really blessed. My finances are growing, my relationship has just his the 2 year dating mark with my girlfriend, Mandi, and the Comic Book League organization I represent at Wright State University is entering its second second semester. For those that know me, they know that comic books and writing have been a passion in my life for quite some time now. My hope is to turn Angelicomics into my own publishing company, but until that day, I make due with what I can with exterior resources to fuel my projects. For anyone who is interested in making a splash in any career, the first thing they need to understand is that a big part of success is all about who you know.

 (Cross stitch courtesy of Mandilyn Horton)

     A year ago, (well, a year come February) I created Angelicomics as a way to put myself out there and get noticed. Since that time I have had over 5 thousand views on my blog. To most, this may seem small, but it's a start. After Gem City Comic Con 2013, I got together with Jesse Noble, the owner of the convention, and we put together a plan to start a student organization on campus that would house students who took an interest in comic books. The product was the Comic Book League.
      I knew what I was getting myself into when I decided to President and facilitate for our meetings. It would take time, money (out of pocket) and the will to continue to do it, even if there were only one or two people who showed up. To my surprise, we have had a fairly consistent group of people coming to each of our meetings. Some nights were better than others, but there has been so much I have learned from this group over the past 6 months about being a leader. Being a leader to me, means being able to make tough decisions and the biggest sacrifice for the benefit of the group. Not to toot my own horn, but even when I didn't feel like going, I knew I had to. This was a commitment I made, not only to myself, but to those willing to show up each week. At times it was frustrating, because I knew that not everyone was there to learn about comics, but they were there for the community we brought to the campus; and I can appreciate that.

 (Comic Book League's final meeting of first semester)

    One of the biggest struggles has been trying to find books to give out for people to read, and in hopes that they would be inspired to break away from the simple Marvel/DC loop of comics. Each week would consist of me purchasing a few comics and usually throwing in a half priced gift card to get these students motivated to go places and read things. Of course, I saw the error in the random giveaway when I realized that people were getting prizes they would never use or read. I think its safe to say that everyone has their own taste in literature, and if I gave a Batman comic to a Bronie (My Little Pony enthusiasts), they were never going to read it. One student has about 15 dollars in Half Priced Books gift cards but can't even make it to the store.
     In order to solve this problem, I implemented an auction. By doing things each week, such as, going to a comic shop, giving a review of a comic they read or even donated money for prizes, I would award auction points for them to bid on prizes. What this allowed was a way for people who actually wanted prizes to bid on them, and it also helps relieve some of the expenses for those prizes. So far this new addition has been fun and refreshing.
     Being the President requires a lot of responsibility and sometimes there is a lot of regret for mistakes if something goes wrong. Thankfully nothing bad has really happened, other than the night we were going to talk about conventions and cosplay, (big mistake on my part). But, since I started this organization, so many good things have happened for me, and I feel will continue to help me in my pursuit of a career in the comic book industry.
     Last semester I was asked to open a panel discussion, of which Mark Waid was in attendance, on who the X-Men were. I've made new connections with the owners of both Gem City Comic Con and Champion City Comic Con, the creators of Twilight Star Studios and Vantage Inhouse Productions. Knowing that I will be graduating in the Fall I have had to start looking at what kind of organization, or legacy if you will, that I would leave behind in the Comic Book League. We have grown so much together as friends and we now have a committee of President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. These are people who I chose that I felt would best represent us as we continue past the second semester. One of the most important things as a leader is to embrace humility, to know when your time has come to pass the torch and hope that some part of yourself will remain as a memory; perhaps the same can be said about life and death.
     Again, I apologize for the long drawn out description of the past few months. On to new news, I am excited to announce that I am currently working on the first script of "Requiem" for it's comic adaptation. I am only about 6 pages in out of a possible 22 page book. I am hoping to have this done by April in time for Gem City Comic Con, to see if there are any interested artists who might want to pick it up. If all goes as planned, possibly by Champion City Comic Con, I may have a first issue for sale. Hopes are high but my schedule is still very busy with school and work. Be sure to look for me at this years Gem City Comic Con, I will be hosting a panel, what topic has still yet to be seen, but I assure you it will be fun, educational and fantastic.

Till next time...