Issue #2 off to the printer

Issue #2 went thorough its proofreading stage, some small edits were made (I can't believe I wrote "onto" instead of "on to"...seriously, I should know better), and now the pdf file is off to the printer.  It's out of my hands!  And that's a great feeling.  We're still on schedule for a February release, which is just where I wanted it to be.  Most folks got a hold of issue #1 at the December 30th Indy Comic Book Week release, so those people will have to wait even less than the folks who got it when I took it around to stores myself.

Issue two, just like the New Dimension Comics exclusive edition of #1, is being printed through Comixpress, a fairly well-known small print run printer.  Issue #1 (the one with the Phil Hester cover) was printed through Brenner, and the folks there did a wonderful job; I'm not switching because of any problem I had with them.  Their pricing scale, combined with Diamond's suggested minimum print run, is set up more for larger print runs, and that ultimately doesn't fit the numbers for an independent book like Teddy and the Yeti.  Now that I'm distributing through Haven (and going door-to-door in some cases), I can be a little more conservative in how many books I print at once.  If I run out of books (what a great problem that'd be!  Assuming they didn't just get dumped in a lake or something), I can just place another order with them as necessary.

I'll be taking a few days off before getting down to the details on issue #3, but that issue, honestly, is pretty well put together as it is.  The entire book is colored (minus the cover) and about a third of it is already lettered.  So maybe I won't have as many late late nights this time around.  One can dream...

Even MORE random updates

Because knowledge is power, here's more updates about Teddy and the Yeti that might not merit their own blog.  I apparently have standards when it comes to blog length.

- Indy Comic Book Week has been good to Teddy and the Yeti, even though I just kind of lucked out and released the book right around the date when Diamond decided to take a week off.  The extra spotlight (releasing the issue wasn't enough?!?) led to some reviews, most of which mention the fact that the title rhymes.  This is fine, because I think about it daily.

"Just a Few Comics" is one such site to take a look at the title.  The author postulates that I call the book "Teddy and the Yeti" because "the Yeti's name did not rhyme with 'human'".  "Human and the Crewman" was actually my second choice for the title.  How did he/she guess?

- Project Fanboy named Teddy and the Yeti #1 one of their "hot picks" for the last Wednesday of 2009.  Click the link and scroll down to see a tiny thumbnail of issue #1s cover.  You might even print it out and stick it with your action figures so they get a chance to flip through it.

- I've just heard back from Lone Star Comics, another big online retailer who will soon be carrying and selling copies of Teddy and the Yeti.  I've got a package ready to ship to them now, so I imagine they'll have it available soon.  Lone Star, which has about a billion stores in the state of Texas, joins Midtown Comics and Mile High Comics as online retailers carrying the book.

I'm particularly excited about this because Lone Star has a great back issue selection, and I place big orders with them several times a year to plug holes in my collection.  Yes, I will be tempted to order my own book once it's up and online, even though that really serves no purpose.

- I've sent in my application for the 2010 Pittsburgh Comicon. The powers that be cashed my check with lightning speed, so I assume that means one of two things: I just got robbed, or Wagon Wheel Comics has a spot at the show.  I'll post more about this once I know more!

- The New Dimension Comics Exclusive version of issue #1 has been approved for print and should be in my hands within a week.

The assembly line keeps moving, as I'll immediately send them issue #2, which I just (as in, half an hour ago) finished lettering.  Once it goes through the proofreading process, it'll be officially in the hands of the printer.  This is a bit later than I had hoped, but it shouldn't affect the in-store date of the book, which is still February...less than a month from now!

- This has nothing to do with comics, but I don't care.  I met Jerome Bettis the other day.  Did I mention how much I love Jerome Bettis?  Well, I do.  One of the best running backs of all time, and Mr. Steeler to me!

Teddy and the Yeti is inadvertently part of an event

I just happened to come across a website promoting Indy Comic Book Week, which as it turns out culminated with last Wednesday's new comic book releases.  Diamond distributing decided (alliteration!!) to take last week off from shipping comics - that means that no new comics from the bigger companies arrived in stores last week, leaving an opening that a group of independent comic book creators tried to take advantage of by promoting a number of independently created books.

It seems to have been a success, in that now that I'm looking for it, it did get a good deal of publicity.  What is surprising to me, though, is that I apparently took part in the festivities without even planning on it.  Not only was there the signing that took place at Evil Genius Comics, but if you click on Midtown Comics' banner advertisement for ICBW (wait...don't they make root beer?  Oh, that's ICB), you'll find 45 comics listed and Teddy and the Yeti #1 is one of them, which is great.

Click on the title, and you see the T&Y cover with the Midtown watermark on it, which for me is strangely satisfying.  Now, at least, I have a better idea as to why Midtown decided to put such a big order in - I guess that on Wednesday the book was highlighted along with other indy fare.

Talk about your blind luck.  Maybe next year, if they decide to continue this tradition and especially if it's aided by Diamond taking a week off, I can take part in ICBW 2010...and actually know about it while it's happening.

The signing at Evil Genius

"But Jeff," you ask, "why such a despondent look?"  In return, I reply, "Don't use such big words!  And we're not really on a first name basis, now are we?"

Ah, the magic of fantasy.  Where you look up and see a picture of me looking like I'm reconsidering all of my life's goals, I am, in fact, having a great time down at Evil Genius Comics.  As I had mentioned a few times, I took a trip down on Wednesday of this week and, with the help of a newspaper article promoting Teddy and the Yeti, I was able to meet a lot of people and sell a whole lot of copies of the first issue.

I want to thank the guys at Evil Genius for setting this signing up - it was a great success in a number of ways.  From a purely selfish standpoint, I sold more books on Wednesday than I had in any other given day other than when Midtown Comics put in their giant order.  From a personal standpoint (and perhaps also a selfish one), I got to interact with a lot of great people, both those that I knew (get in the paper and you see high school friends you haven't seen in years, I guess) and those I didn't before Wednesday.  Lots of great conversation and interesting people.  Heck, even my barber showed up.  My barber!  This is the first time I've seen him outside of his shop, and I've been going to the place since I was 13.  Unreal.

Maybe we'll do it again when issue #2 comes out (next month, kids).  College will be back in session and hey, Evil Genius is situated right off campus from Cal U.  We'll see what happens.