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Dec 11, 2009, 11:03am

Message Board :: The Project :: 100AP Discussion :: Promotion

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Topic: Promotion (Read 284 times)

Ben Rollman
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Promotion
« Thread Started on Oct 6, 2008, 11:10am »

So over the past year I've been doing my best to promote the 100AP on the cheap - meaning message boards, social networks, emails, etc. It's to the point that even with a good push every month to the same places, the project is losing viewership and participation. I can't tell if it's because I've just tapped the artistic well dry (unlikely) or people see me and say, "There's that annoying 100 whatever guy" (possible) or because I'm not doing ENOUGH and need to push harder.

I'm open for ideas. (And I've started this discussion four or five times already and haven't had a response, another indicator?)

So, here's the places I udpate about the project. Sadly, most are just threads where I reply to myself. I feel bad enough about talking up the project on someone else's site, but double bad were I to start a new thread each time. (However, this practice just got me banned from Illustration Friday. It was an automatic thing so I'm sure the admins will reverse that, they were cool when the project first started.)

In order of visit frequency.

Penciljack
Ugga Bugga (Awesome Storm Justice)
Comic Book Resources
Dimestore Productions
Eat Poo
Concept Art
Flickr
Drawing Board
Comic Space (bulletin)
MySpace (bulletin and blog)
Gutterzombie
Comic Art Fans
Drawn!
Outcast Studios
Illustration Friday (banned?)
Deviant Art (journal)
Comic Craft
Blambot
Neatorama
Twitter
Facebook (group, wall posts, smoke signals, whatever they have there)
Ning (fairly dead)
Blogger
Newsarama
Little Chimp Society

I've also written to the following people to let them know what's going on. Responses over the last 18 months have ranged from nothing to people wanting to set up an interview and then not hearing back. You should feel free to write to them if you've contributed, tell them what you think of the experience or the project.

info@cbldf.org - Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
jmclauch@aol.com - Hero Initiative
childart@icaf.org - International Child Art Foundation
info@capeweb.org - Chicago Arts Partnership in Education
WRITEON9000@cartoonstudies.org - College of Cartoon Studies

I've also written to Image, Marvel and DC. Marvel just did the 100 SPidey's and 100 Hulks (for real) so didn't reply, and Image actually responded before the SDCC but not since.

Shot in the dark here, but if you know people who are artists, in the art business, in the comic book or illustration or graphic design industry, tell them about the 100AP. It's the only way to get the word out. And if you've got promotional ideas, let me know. No idea is too crazy.

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sacredbob
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Re: Promotion
« Reply #1 on Oct 8, 2008, 11:00am »

I'm an elementary school art teacher in real-life, and I've hit up some of my High School art teaching friends to pimp the project(s) to their students. Hopefully you'll get some contact from them soon (One of my friends said she could do comic-style illustration as a class project with her Seniors and Juniors, which may generate LOTS of work for you).
Would you prefer those pieces to be for the "Junior" 100 artists project or, say, the Digital art book? Does age really make the difference or the quality of work?

Along those same lines (while I'm at it), how young is TOO young for the youth submissions? I've got some REALLY talented youngsters in my art classes who draw the coolest (albiet a little raw) renditions of comic characters- even their own original characters. Can I (with parental permission, of course) submit some of their drawings? They are only in elementary school, but I could also expect a large number of our school's student and parent population picking up copies if they knew one (or more) of the artists.

Just a thought.

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Ben Rollman
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Re: Promotion
« Reply #2 on Oct 8, 2008, 11:28am »

The youth bit only came around as a way to focus solely on artists under 18. There are going to be truly skilled artists at any age and some at 16 are better than some at 40. Plus the fund chosen supports childhood art so it was a natural fit.

That said, I hadn't thought about what's too young. It'd be nice to be able to include children of all ages, but in the end I have to make sure this is something people would buy in order to support the funds and I don't know if 25 pages of stick figure crayon drawings (masterful or not) would be something people would buy. I don't want to turn people away (and really can't as this is volunteer) but if you're in the position to bring in some students, I'd only ask that they are artistically inclined.

That's not a bad idea, though. Get a bunch of students together and draw something and raise money for that school, or even if it was more of a national fund instead of just the Chicago thing, more people would participate if they knew their kids were in it.

And no, if they want to be involved in the other projects that's ok. I have the consent form to cover my butt. I don't really want a 16 year old's parents coming after me because I've published their child's work and didn't pay them for it because they misunderstood what it's all about. Since it's volunteer I don't have to really do that, there's no contract, but this is just to make sure parents feel safe knowing I'm not a predator or sleazy capitalist.

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fiendish
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Re: Promotion
« Reply #3 on Dec 5, 2008, 9:32am »

Maybe some guerrilla advertising? Stickers, or small flyers to be tucked into art books at libraries and bookstores?

You might also want to get in touch with the organizations the project benefits and see if they'd be willing to plug you on their sites or in their blogs. Since it is a nonprofit project I don't think they'd have any big problems with sticking a 100AP ad and/or link in the sidebar of one of their pages.

Small comic shops might also be interested in lending you a hand since it benefits their market and would be a way for them to engage and build relationships with their customers. It could be worth the effort to call the local comic shops in your area and ask to put a poster in their window or at the front counter. Online comic shops might also be willing to plug the project on their sites or blogs.

Same thing with webcomic artists; even if they stuck a 100AP ad at the bottom of one of their pages it would increase exposure.

In turn you could make a section on the main page for 'Partners' or something to recognize them and return the favor.

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fiendish
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Re: Promotion
« Reply #4 on Dec 5, 2008, 9:44am »

Figured I'd throw some more ideas down since they keep coming to mind.

I don't know if you already do this, but you could offer a discount on the 100AP books to artists and writers who contributed work.

Or hold some sort of contest and offer prizes. I think a free 100AP book would be a good prize for the first place winner.

Since volume 1 is complete you could see if comic shops and bookstores would allow you to sell it through them.

Vendors at comic conventions might also be willing to let you sell books at their tables.

Getting some big-name comic artists or publishers involved would be cool. (Unfortunately I'm uninformed when it comes to comics.) It'd be really cool if you got some famous or even semi-famous artists to donate a picture to the cause.

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fiendish
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Themed Editions
« Reply #5 on Dec 11, 2008, 12:51am »

Maybe doing a book or two with a theme would catch people's interest?

I've only thought up a few, and they're all kind of cheesy:
"Fight for a Cause" - A book of battle scenes
"Power of the People" - Portraits of super-powered people
"Awesomely Bad" - Unique villains ('Awesomely Bad' might be copywritten, so maybe 'Terribly Awesome' or 'Wicked Awesome' instead.)
"100 Selves" - Book of artists' self portraits

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