Surviving Creativity

Part two of my interview with Donna and Scott Sava the producers of the full-length animated feature film Animal Crackers. We finish discussing the long road to getting the movie distributed.

Scott talks with Donna and Scott Sava about their crazy idea to break out of poverty by making a feature-length 3D animated film.

Learn more about Terry Blas and his stories at terryblas.com.Follow Terry on twitter.

I talk with Norwegian cartoonist Jens K Styve about his affectionate and hilarious comic strip Dunce, going freelance in your 40s, and living with the northern lights as your neighbor.

Scott talks with ex-travel blogger, now full-time podcaster Gary Arndt about how Covid-19 completely shut down his industry, pivoting to a new business, learning versus education, and how he once saved Scott twenty-thousand dollars.

Scott and Kevin catch up and recount how they first met.What Kevin regrets about his time publishing his graphic novelHow the things we make affect other people whether we like it or not.How Kevin became "The fake Stan Lee."Follow Kevin on twitter at twitter.com/kmcshane.

Our return episodes continue. We catch up with Cory, learn about CRWN studios and what he builds while Scott was unable to work.

After a long hiatus, Surviving Creativity returns. Scott catches up with Brad and Cory to find out what they've been up to for the last three years, and drills down with Brad about breaking into "smut" comics.

A quick clip to tease the return of the Surviving Creativity Podcast

Somebody started a hashtag on "the Twitters" because even after ten years of blockbuster Marvel & DC movies, nobody realized that all those characters were based on comic books! Yeah, that's totally what we're talking about. Show Notes: -Brad stirs the pot, then runs away. -Scott yells at Cory and doesn't apologize. -Cory doesn't care because Scott's a dumb-dumb and Cory writes all the show notes so gets the last word in anyway... suck it Kurtz.

What exactly is creative content in an online world and who defines its value? In a new media age who decides the good content from the bad, or is it all just a matter of likes and subscribes? We get deep in the weeds of art and new media. Scott and Brad get very old about it all but Cory doesn't, because Cory is young and hip and definitely not writing this description about himself...

If you're a creative or work-from-home professional you've definitely had someone tell you how lucky you are to "work in your living room" or "make your own hours" or "wear your pajamas all day" ...okay we all do that last one, but still, what the hell do they know?! NOTHING! And now there's an episode you can direct them to the next time they suggest you don't actually work at a "job."

Brad attended this year's Patreon On Tour conference in New York City where Patreon reps shared data, announced upcoming features, and talked best practices with their creators. He's brought us a full report, some juicy gossip, and a show-ender to end all shows. Patreon On Tour Slideshow: https://webcomics.com/uncategorized/patreon-on-tour-slideshow/

Longtime listeners of Surviving Creativity will be familiar with our 5 Question Interview format and some may even remember several years ago when we hit ECCC and spoke with creators at their booths! We've taken those 5Q Interviews and put some of our favorites together into this episode. So travel with us now, deep into the creative psyche of our good friends: Dylan Meconis - www.dylanmeconis.com Antony Johnston - www.antonyjohnston.com Laura Hudson - www.laurahudson.me Meredith McClaren - www.meredithmcclaren.tumblr.com Frank Gibson - www.tumblr.beckyandfrank.com Joelle Jones - www.joellejones.com

Famed game designer Jonathan Ying is known for turning big media properties into table top sensations. Star Wars, Doom, and Game of Thrones are just a few of the titles he helped adapt while at Fantasy Flight Games. Jon recently went freelance and his first game, Bargain Quest, is already a hit. He's joined us this week to talk design, adaptation, and rain dispersal systems. Pickup a copy of Jon's newest game, Bargain Quest! http://www.bargainquestgame.com/

Nothing quite like a self-congratulatory press release in the ol' inbox to help us pick a topic for the show. This week Sony Pictures announced their plans to develop new projects based on the intellectual property of creators exhibiting at Wizard World conventions... yeah, we don't get it either.

Welcome back to the show our lawyer and good friend, Katie Lane! She's here to help us break all the taboos surrounding our pocketbooks. Why we don't talk about our paychecks, why we should, and how we could! Find more from Katie, including her amazing workshops, classes, and legal resources for creators on her blog at www.workmadeforhire.net

Brad and Scott have both stopped using or reduced their use of Twitter over the last few weeks. They're meeting up to discuss their experiences while Cory gets riled up about it... enjoy? It's our very first Bonus Episode! These episodes contain topics we'd discussed during recording sessions that weren't quite long enough to form their own episodes but that we felt were still an interesting listen. Normally our Bonus Episodes will only be released to our Patrons, so if you'd like to hear more of these mini-convos consider joining us on Patreon! Not only will you be supporting the show but you'll also be getting access to Bonus and Outtake episodes, and a host of additional content! Become a Patron Today at: www.patreon.com/survivingcreativity

Twogether Studios Co-owner & Producer, Jenn Ellis, joins us to talk about partnering with your partner, creating with your companion, signing up with your significant other... This week's episode is all about doing what you love with the love of your life, and living through it.

WARNING: This episode contains frank language about sexual harassment and assault. After last month's Listener Questions episode we were inundated with your fantastic queries! But this month there was ONE question so pertinent that we knew we'd end up devoting a entire episode to it . So buckle up Creators, because in any creative career you may end up working with someone you wished you hadn't.

We floated the idea of not attending cons which immediately flooded our feed with questions about attending cons... because, of course it did. So we're diving deep into conventioneering from pre-show orders, to your post show P&L. Plus, a whole a slew of con stories and some good networking & etiquette advice for creators and attendees.

You don't need predictions, you're a creator who makes your own future, what you need are some Near Year Recommendations! Practical advice like: Which social media platform to ditch? Who to follow & unfollow? How about a new income stream? Does this water taste funny? Are you getting enough sleep? How many X's in Triple X? It's only the first week of the New Year and we've already answered the most pressing questions of 2018!

We make an attempt at Surviving someone else's Creativity with another Listener Questions episode! How can you tell when to end a project? How do you differentiate yourself in art? Is there no diversity at the Eisners? What are good resources for new artists? And how to you deal with Fan coopting of your characters? If you've got a question for the show let us know on Twitter @SurvivingShow or with #SurvivingCreativity

Last week Patreon announced some questionable changes to their fee structure. The user response involved dropped pledges, misinformation, and collectively losing their $h!t on social media. Patreon called it off and Surviving Creativity is here to give both sides an earful.

Oni Press VP of Creative, Charlie Chu, joins us this week to help dig deeper into the controversy surrounding Marvel's new EIC. Which leads us straight down the diversity rabbit hole, so buckle up creatives and let's get uncomfortable!

The Surviving Creativity crew has returned, and we're here to save the Interwebs! We know, we know, the Marvel thing is weird. We'll dive-in deep next week... assuming the internet is still here and we're not blocked by your local ISP. Yeah, let's deal with that net neutrality problem first.

What could be better than a candid conversation about comic porn, coupled with an extremely uncomfortable Brad Guigar? All of that plus an earful of this week's guest, that's what. Surviving Creativity is pleased to welcome to the show our favorite Erotic Artist and the purveyor of all things sex-positive, from ohjoysextoy.com, Erika Moen! WARNING: NSFW Unless you're some sort of independent contractor or self-employed entrepreneur who makes your own rules, works wherever you want, and can listen to whatever you please. NOBODY IS THE BOSS OF YOU!

It's the official start of Surviving Creativity Season 2, and for the first episode of the new year the SC crew comes out swinging! France is on the chopping block (or a least a small town in France), there's women in comics too(who knew?!), publishers don't pay enough (or maybe they do), Star Wars, Star Wars, Star Wars (spoilers), and our predictions for the future of media & tech in 2016 (take notes)!

All your ads are blocked by us! The "free" internet isn't really free, users have been paying for it by viewing ads since the inception of the world wide web. But ads have gotten aggressive & users are fed up! We've blocked them all and now the web is clean. But how exactly are content creators going to pay the bills without their sweet precious ad monies?!

The Surviving Creativity crew is back from another long convention run, and we've brought Steve Hamaker with us to talk about a brand new show we attended in Columbus, OH. This of course leads us into the curation of conventions, artists getting pumped, and collecting AOL discs. All in all, another thrilling episode of Surviving Creativity!

Creators are in a tizzy about Orphaned Works, but most folks don't truly understand what they are or how they affect copyright. Thankfully for the Surviving Creativity crew our ace legal eagle, Katie Lane, has agreed to come on the show and sort us out. Assuaged your fears fine Creators, Lord Voldemort isn't coming for your copyright.

Since the beginning of time creators have been signing contracts that they shouldn't, but who's to blame? The companies writing these bad deals? The creators signing on the dotted line? Six of one half-dozen of the other? With manga publisher and notorious bad contract giver Tokyopop coming back on the scene it's time the Surviving Creativity crew does some educating! Are you a creative looking for business advice? As mentioned in this episode, you'll find no-one better than our lawyer, Katie Lane! Check out her site for tons of useful info: http://www.workmadeforhire.net/

How does an artist selling directly to their fans through Kickstarter affect a Retail Vendor? Are independently owned shops around the world closing their doors due to direct fan sales? Why not ask a Retailer? Okay, we shall! Patrick Brower of Challengers Comics & Conversation is with us this week to discuss the impact of creator's direct sales on his business.

Celebs are dropping from twitter in droves and our man Joss is the latest to leave. Let's discuss! More importantly it's the first ever episode of listener questions. We've got two good ones this week all about gardening and quitting your day job (not necessarily in that order). We're joined last minute by Tenko King creators & Toonhound Studios regular Tavis Maiden, who did quit his day job. Good work Tavis!

This week we've got special guest Antony Johnston, writer extraordinaire! You've almost certainly enjoyed some of this gentleman's work, even if you don't realize it! He's penned novels, comics, and video games a plenty. Also, he's on the line with us from the Great Britains, which me's he's wickedly enjoyable to listen to. So join us as we talk authorship in entertainment and what we wish fans knew about the how the sausage is made! More on Antony's work at his website: http://www.antonyjohnston.com/ Also check out Antony's podcast Unjustly Maligned, where guests defend the undefendable: https://www.theincomparable.com/ump/

There are butts in the air and everyone is getting angry on this week's Surviving Creativity, so we thought we'd invite our friend Steve Hamaker to throw some fuel on the fire! With all this technology around us, how exactly do you speak out about something without publicly shaming someone? Also, Brad's got another crackerjack idea that's going to change the world!

Famed Fantasy F'Author Sam Sykes joins the Surviving Creativity crew to discuss the ongoing debate surrounding the Hugo Awards. The Hugo is arguably the most prestigious award in the science fiction & fantasy writing sphere and authors up in arms after vote lobbyists claimed many of this year's nominations. Swords leave their scabbards, laser blasts are fired, Asimov says 'hello'. It's another week of Surviving Creativity!

There's some serious drama this week in the creatosphere and no group is more qualified or more prepared to take on these issues than the Surviving Creativonauts! We go full hashtag into the Batgirl cover controversy, think deeply and talk loudly about the harassment of Val D'Orazio, and get personal with Scott on his experience with clinical anxiety. It's a rough road but we'll ride it together on this week's Surviving Creativity.

Brad and Cory are joined by Kyle Stevens, the lead singer of famed nerd-rock supergroup Kirby Krackle! It's an entire episode of making music with new tech in the new pop-culter... but we mostly talk about beer. It's really an ep all about home brewing and Kyle's start-up micro-brew Charging Hippo... okay, okay, and singing too and following your dreams.

It's US ♡ Canadia in this all out comic love-fest! The Surviving Creativity crew is joined this week by award winning Canadian cartoonist Scott Chantler. What's the difference between the book and direct market? Did you know your TV is listening to you? Also, milk comes in bags in Canadia... BAGGED MILK!

Continuing last weeks conversation on conventions Brad, Scott, and Cory talk conventions from an exhibitors standpoint. As more cons pop up across the world sales are dropping. Who's to blame? Is it adapt or die? Did those hellion cosplayers ruin it all?! Get your carnival out of my convention or bring on the geeks!? We cover the gamut and solve all the worlds problems on this weeks Surviving Creativity!

We're joined this week by Emerald City Comicon (ECCC) founder Jim Demonakos and ReedPOP Global VP Lance Fensterman. With the announcement that ECCC would be joining the ReedPOP family question abound and we're here to get some answers! Who is ReedPOP? What do they want with ECCC's Minions? WILL THE PRICE OF SOFT PRETZELS GO UP AT THE FOOD COURT?! It's hard-hitting investigative podcasting on Surviving Creativity.

Be a fly on the wall in Toonhound Studios this week as we record the room! We talk about Elonis vs US, a supreme court case about online harassment. That leads right into a convo about gender and race equality in comics and gaming which, of course, leads to the most controversial topic of all... Star Wars.

The guys are getting grumpy and showing their age! This week on the show: the FCC gets some suggestions from the Obama Administration on where they can stick their net neutrality, Social Media gets a scolding, and we discuss the dangers of believing what you read. Seriously, we might as well have canes and be sitting in rocking chairs on a porch, drinking lemonade and yelling at the neighborhood kids... actually that doesn't sound so bad!

We're joined this week by the only cartoonist who could ever be mistaken for Matthew Quigley, Mr. Chris Schweizer. We're talking Critics and Criticism: how it affects the creative process, the creator to critic relationship, and the future of criticism. Also, Guigar get's "skymalled" and the whole crew goes full Mamet. Guard your earholes, it's another Surviving Creativity!

Jack is back! Our first, and arguably favorite, guest joins us again to talk about what's happened to Patreon. Specifically the fifteen million dollars they just acquired in Series A funding! What does this mean for Patreon, the site, the users, and the creators? What does it mean for Jack?! Is this the future of all new media business? We ask these questions and many more in this weeks Surviving Creativity!

This week, your childhood! We welcome former Disney Animator Tom Bancroft. You've probably seen his work but here's a short list: Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Lion King, Pocahontas, Mulan, Tarzan, Atlantis, Brother Bear. We talk all about the animation industry, the shift to digital, and the current wage fixing case against the Hollywood studios, Techtopus (no really, that's what they call it).

This week Brad, Cory, and Scott are joined by special guest and cartoonist extraordinaire Dylan Meconis (Family Man, Bite Me). Together we review the Penn & Teller documentary Tim's Vermeer and ask ourselves the essential questions of art: what defines it, who's cheating, and in what year did Dutch traders begin importing and selling coffee to the masses.

It's a battle of the titans and Brad, Scott, & Cory here to officiate... from our armchairs. Cory does his best to dispel the Amazon/Hachette contract debate, Scott Hulks-out (© & ™ Marvel/Disney) on the Jack Kirby estate, and Brad flies a helicopter. It's another gripping episode of Surviving Creativity!

It's a double sized Surviving Creativity in which we spend half the episode singing Spanish Flea, half reminiscing about the NCS, and half talking about the Billy Ireland Cartoon Art Library. That's right, an episode so big it's got three halves! Dave Kellett's "The Freeing of the Comics" Lecture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzRival4atI Creepy Anti-Cable Commercials from the 1970's: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIgZHZpiq1U Delve.tv Video Essays: http://delve.tv/essays/

Off the cuff conversation this week about reporting gone awry, conventions, the relative attractiveness of seventy year old women, and which bond men we'd kiss. All and all, it's a pretty solid week for Surviving Creativity.