For independent comicbook creators, getting their characters out into the marketplace is often very difficult. First of all, unless you are already an established creator with a fan following, you are essentially unknown to the public at large. Second, you have to compete with the better-known characters at the larger companies, not to mention you must compete with all of the other self-publisher and small-press publishers who are also trying to garner their share of the Indie market. Needless to say, all of this doesn’t even take into consideration how you are going to get your books distributed, not just in you own area, but across the country as well.
Here is where a savvy marketing plan, social marketing, and networking with other creators all comes into play. Take Jay Piscopo for example, Jay is the author and illustrator of The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli graphic novel series. He is also the creator of Sea Ghost #1: The Sea Ghost in the Machine one-shot comic book, which he wrote and illustrated in his unique signature style, combining 2D characters with 3D backgrounds. The character of Sea Ghost is born out of Piscopo’s love of Marvel’s Namor, DC’s Aquaman, and just a touch of Space Ghost thrown in for good measure.
Leaping out of the pages of Capt’n Eli, Sea Ghost discovers a dangerous secret when a mysterious sphere transports him to an alien world that has been locked in an endless war. It is now Sea Ghost’s task to attempt to end the hostilities between the Phlan and Simas, and discover who the true enemy truly is, and direct their combined might against the actual foe, instead of each other’s races. Assuming he accomplishes this task, Sea Ghost is due to return in the third Capt’n Eli graphic novel due out in the Spring of 2011.
What Piscopo has done to attract the attention of retailers is to film an 11:22 minute video that he has posted on YouTube as well as a special site for retailers, and then utilized Facebook and an online viral marketing campaign to help spread the word. The retailer link to the video opens at Piscopo’s studio where he gives an engaging tour of his studio space, explaining not only his influences, but his intention to appeal to both older and younger readers with his all-ages titles. In Piscopo’s studio, we see not only his art and comics, but numerous toys he’s acquired throughout the years, as well as numerous versions of his own Commander X character that are available for sale.
Next he takes us to his local comic shop Casablanca Comics where we meet Rick Lowell the owner who explains a bit about the marketing of comics as well as a bit of the business of running a shop in Portland ME. While at the retailer site, (and after they watch the Sea Ghost video), viewers can then view several other videos of Piscopo on various TV programs touting the value of comics in general as well as the entertainment found in his own line of Nemo Comics. In addition to comics, graphic novels and action figures, Piscopo’s Capt’n Eli website also has Capt’n Eli soda for sale, Glasses, T-shirts, and Volume 1 of Reading with Pictures, a full color, 192 page anthology with stories by over 30 all-ages comics creators including Piscopo’s 6-page Capt’n Eli story The Goblin of the Deep.
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