TerryMooreArt.com

So, David Walter writes to ask two questions I hear a lot, meaning a lot of people wonder about this, so I’ll answer them publicly:

1. A quick study of the comic book business will reveal that it relies on one main distributor, Diamond Comics. Diamond publishes a monthly catalog of new books and merchandise offered in the near future. Retailers selectively order from that list. There is actually a printed version of this catalog that fans can read called Diamond Previews. For example, the catalog for January will list all books and merchandise shipping from Diamond warehouses in March, so you have a two month lead time to place your order with your beloved retailer who will then order the books for you through the distributor and have them for you in March.

That is the system you, the creator, have to plug into. So the simple answer to your questions is, the most reliable way to get your books into comic stores is to be carried by Diamond Comic Distributors. The trick is, Diamond has the right to refuse you. They must first approve of your book(s) based on content, quality and professionalism. You can’t show up brand new with just one book because they want to see proof you can do more than one (too many people only make a first issue or two then disappear). And if they do list your book, it must collect a cash minimum of orders. You would have to check with them for the current amount required. You can contact the Diamond home office and speak to a rep at (800) 45-COMIC, or (410) 560-7100. They’re nice people and if you have a great new book or series, they would love to know about it. We all would!

2. For a writer to find an artist they can bond with, they’re going to have to go where the wild things are… like the “artist alley” section at comic book conventions—always a ton of talent behind those tables just looking for opportunity. There is the classic website, DeviantArt, where artists have pages with their own galleries and easy contact/interaction. And, this would require some shopping around but, I have to tell you, Tumblr is jammed with artists posting their work. It’s a big universe so you have to surf around, but the tumblr system is easy to navigate and you can see more artists in one hour than you could in a year of flipping through books. To get you started, the link I’m giving for them is set to show results for comic artists. Happy shopping!

If none of that works, try the hotel bar at your local comic convention and be prepared to buy drinks. A lot of drinks. Artists are notoriously bribeable.

And just in case you ask, sorry, I’m not available. I’m in a relationship with some dead characters right now.

I’ve made a Facebook page I can finally use properly. This is the best place for us to talk to each other because it’s fast and easy. Like a 21st Century Letter Column. Check it out: www.facebook.com/terrymoorebooks

And now you know what’s in my menu bar, too. You can see I’m also on Twitter, Tumblr, Deviant Art, SoundCloud and ComiXology. I’ll post more about each page later and tell you how I use them to get my art out to the world.

Rachel Rising #8 is truckin’ to ya. Global release date for print and same-day digital is May 23.

When Charles Schulz was sick with cancer, all the cartoonists in the Nat’l Cartoonists Society sent him a card. This was the sketch I drew for him.

Frick Weber’s homemade series on comics is very interesting because he bravely goes up to people you want to hear and asks them to explain things, like how to make comics that people will actually like. Don’t let the handheld cam fool you… Frick’s actually an experienced video pro making this labor of love on the side. In his latest installment, I share time with two of my favorite artists, Jeff Scott Campbell and Humbertos Ramos.

The Torino comic show I attended was covered by some funny guys with an on-site radio broadcast. Here’s my 5 minutes on the program. It was all in good fun.

So Robyn and I went to Italy for a week, came back to Houston for a few days to do our laundry, then went back to europe for a week in Paris and an overnight trip to Arras. Now we’re home for two days before leaving for Indianapolis to attend a wedding this weekend. While Robyn is coming home Sunday, I will stay through Monday to watch the cars practice for the Indy 500, then come home that night. In the midst of this, I have to start Rachel Rising 9, which is due in 4 1/2 weeks. I haven’t even drawn page one yet. Plus I have to write a screenplay and deliver a ton of SiP files to Comixology. (That’s the problem with SiP—everything you do with it involves a ton of files. If you want to format the pages, you format 2300 pages.) Oh, and somebody asked for a sketch.

So, that’s my excuse for not posting some pictures and a report of the two trips, even though I have a lot of pictures and I had a great time. I made new friends, saw some old ones again, and was happy to find that my books are healthy and alive across the pond.

The Tell-Me-Everything-In-10-Seconds version is:

We met and signed with our new Italian publisher, BAO.

I met a writer named Barbara that you should know about and follow as she cleverly navigates her way through the obstacles between her and a lucrative writing career. Barbara is a writer’s writer… meaning this is her life. Watch and learn from her.

I learned it is a big mistake to travel to leave the country without getting your phone set up to work out of the country. I only needed it about every other second.

I mistakenly did not buy the beautifully accurate 120 euro Venus de Milo statuette at the Louvre gift shop. Regretted it the minute we walked outside. So now I have to go back someday and get it.

I learned not to visit Paris museums with a pocket knife in your pants.

I ate enough jambon and fromage to last me a lifetime, thank you very much. I think I’ll go veggie from now on.

Seats A&B on aisle 17 of a 767-200 are right next to the bathroom, with the door swinging open your way like a fan… delivering a constant gentle breeze of refused airplane food. Never sit in seats A&B on aisle 17 of a 767-200.

I’ll be back with more details of my ridiculous life when I get caught up a bit on work.

In case you missed it, like me, Lauren of Ink Hero picked Rachel Rising 6 for her Pick Of The Week, starting at 5:05.  This is a very good review team, by the way. I like the dynamic between Lauren (who has a very Katchoo-like quality to her personality) and David. Their video reviews are called Ink Hero, located at ThinkHero.com, just to make that clear.

She’s back! Run to your store. If you fall and break your legs, call them, ask if they deliver, or go to comiXology.com and read it NOW!

New podcast chat with The Cube about my books, with my music included.

Funny review by Lizzie Boyle about the women of Rachel Rising… oh, and the men.