Read the real life stories and experiences of freelance writer Mike Gagnon.

Website stuff...

Glimpse - before I left I tested my automatic upload that I scheduled into the computer. It seemed to work then, but now that I am online here it appears that the pages may not have uploaded properly. This means that the Glimpse update may not get posted on Thursday. That sucks. The pages are done, but if they don't upload properly I'll have to do it myself when I get home on Saturday. Only a couple days late at least anyway.

Creative Services - I need to get this page re-designed soon, I'll start on Monday.

SMASH! - I'm gonna tweak the mainpage and submission guidelines, as well I'll be adding some info on Captain Canuck as well as Monkey's and Midgets.

 

 

Advertise Here - e-mail me!

Why Image has the right idea, business wise...

Any publisher who doesn't roll with a big budget only has to look at Images submission guidelines to see why the whole business modell that they use works better. It's the smartest setup around. No high overhead costs or legal setup fees. This could be the way to go in the future. Leave the licensing and other things up to the production studios. As well do you know what Image made in 2002? $10 Million dollars. Nothing compared to Marvel, but get this. In that year they only had 10 permanent employees. They made $1 Million for every person on thier payroll. And they don't have to worry about legal matters of any sort for any of their characters.  

Next time some plugs and some comic business stuff. I need to go to sleep now!!!!! Oh yeah, I'll pass along the latest news about my web server too...

Mike

Posted by: lightning at 02:42 | link | comments

 

 

Penance Blog 2...

Changes...

Like I mentioned in the previous blog, It's time to really stand-up for myself. Especally with all the big business changes going on. Too many people have Mickey Mouse attitudes and some don't even realize it.

I haven't made any 100% decisions on business changes yet, but I have an idea what they will lbe. If I piss people off it will have to be the result. No more favors. I have to run things like a professional business. It's hard, I'm friends with everyone involved. That being said as friends everyone is going to have to respect my decisions and understand that business is business and that our friendship has to exist outside of that. If that is going to cause a scene then as much as it hurts they'll have to be cut loose. I have to be sure that my circle of people can be professionally minded the way that I have to be. Hey I'm not saying that I'm perfect by any means, I need to change too! Maybe most of all.

Could this piss some people off? Yes, certainly. Will it. Probably. But like I said, business is business. I'm not a babysitter and I didn't start publishing comics to do people favors. I love all of my friends. I have no ill will to any of them. But for all of our sakes, I have to run things professionally and make sure that business is business.

Being week willed hasn't gotten me very far has it? No. And no-one can argue with that.

More (upbeat) tommorow...

Mike

Posted by: lightning at 00:00 | link | comments (3)

Penance blog 1

Sorry folks, I'll have to try to play catch up here and cover some of the topics I've been saying I would.

More apartment building fiasco...

As of late Russ the super has been slowly getting me to do more and more of his job to the point were he doesn't have to do anything. I let it slide because I figured I'd bill him anyway.

I told him repeatedly last week that I'd be gone away this week. Now that I'm not there Pam tells me that he left a pissed off phone message because I'm not there to do his job. God what a sheister. So I had to leave him a phone message. I am actually quite surprised. I really thought I could handle it, but by the time I was half done my message I was so angry that I was shaking. I also had to send him an e-mail clearly outlining that I am not available to do his work at the drop of a hat and several other matters.

You know, everytime it seems like we're going to start getting ahead in this building something else happens. One thing is for sure, no more favors. I'm not going to be taking any shit from him or from anybody. This is ridiculous. And to have the nerve to leave a nasty message when he knows I'm not home.

AAAARRRRRRGGGGG!!!

He's just a regular old telephone tough guy.

BRB...

Mike

Posted by: lightning at 23:49 | link | comments

I was gonna write some stuff about the comic industry today, but I'm exhausted. I just finally quit at 8 o'clock toight, so I'm saving the heavy stuff for tommorow.

Ryan called today...

Ryan called today. It was weird. I've been thinking about him for 2 days and the only reason I didn't e-mail is because of this damn business plan. So he called me. He's getting married in October! Double weird! So we're going to try to make it for that. He's living in Pittsburgh now so we'll have to rent a car or take a train.

Business Plan...

Sweet Jesus it's done! (I hope) I had to cancel a laywer meeting and put off all of my other work, but it is done. I was hoping to get it into the financing company office for 5pm, but I didn't finish untill 8pm so that didn't work. I may mail it in next week when I'm away. Not sure yet. The guy I'm dealing with over there still has to give it the final pass over and if he doesn't suggest any changes then it will move on to his board of directors for financing approval. Now I just have to fill out 4 more pages of application. YAY!

Today's Sponsor:

 

 

Advertise Here - e-mail me!

Next Week...

Since the first stage of the government financing approval has been changed to Apr. 30th (from March 17th), that leaves me unexpectedly strapped fer cash, so I'm going to work for Dad next week. I was planning on going to help him anyway, but I've been putting it off untill I know that the crazy bugger in the basement is gone. She says her brother is gone now, if you can believe her, but I can't put of going any longer, so Pam will have to remember to not answer the door for any crazies while I'm gone and to stay inconspicuous.

Monkeys & Midgets...

Well, I got the preliminary art in the mail on Wednesday and it looks friggin' great! Boneyard Press vet Nelson Danielson will be doing the art chores. This looks so awesome! I am so hyped up!

Captain Canuck...

The work is coming together for September's "Giant-Size Captain Canuck" #1. I've got talent signed up for 2 back-ups and the feature is pretty well accounted for as well. The cover is already assigned too! Self-publishing vet Tom Muzzell will be doing an 8 page back-up, the previously mentioned Nelson Danielson will be doing a 5 pager, and Kevin Clorey is providing an awesome cover.

Tommorow...

A list as long as my arm still needs to be done before I leave town. I think I'll be able to handle it. Rest assured that this month's Independent Glimpse updates will make it up as scheduled. I'll either set the automatic upload function on my computer (after I read the tutorial) or I'll bring the files with me to mom & dad's on disk and upload from there.

Business...

The last couple days my head as been bouncing around a couple of new and innovative changes and ideas. Nothing drastic, just better. No major changes, just maybe more organized and professional. If I decide that this is the direction to go anyway.

Well, untill tommorow...

Never turn your back on the man!...

Mike

Posted by: lightning at 23:15 | link | comments

New Sponsor...

I'm proud to announce another new sponsor to this here weblog. That sponsor is HeavySoftware.Com. If you need new computer software and operating systems trust the pros at Heavy Software! Please check them out with the banner below!

 

 

Advertise Here - e-mail me!

Well, It's been another hard day, but I will survive, and I will flourish.

I spent most of my day typing up the good copy of the business plan needed to get government funding. Hopefully this will be the final draft. whoa.

Well Captain Canuck is developing well, I just need a few more details from Rich and I can finish the final draft of the feature script for the giant-size issue and one of the back-ups. Good god I'm busy.

No websites or press releases to annouce this week yet.

Lately I've been playing my Playstation again. I got back into my Ready 2 Rumble Game. It's awesome. One of my fav PSX games. So far in Championship mode I've taken both Buthcher Brown and Boris Knockimov from nothings in the Bronze League to Gold level world champions. I've got Afro Thunder halfway through the Silver League as well. Just over half of the hidden characters are unlocked. I think once I take one more charcter to champ after Afro Thunder that's when the bosses and secret characters start to get unlocked. I am going to beat the game with every friggin' character. So that's what I've been doing when I take breaks or when CSI is a re-run. I've been sure not to play it too much during the day when I'm supposed to be working. Never more than a half hour at a time usually. It really helps unwind and relieve tension though.

Crazy is moving next weekend. YAY! She says her brother is gone so I might go work for Dad next week. It will help because the damn government told me that they are going to take longer to approve my eligability for financing than originally stated. Typical.

I've gotta get some more done, a lot before the weekend if I'm going away actually. Hope everything works out.

I've been thinking a lot about the business lately. Looking at what things work and what things don't work. Where I need to make changes and where I want to head in the industry. Thinking about things going on in the industry and where I agree and disagree with the way things work.

I'm outta time, so I'll have to start explaining more of that tommorow...

I am forever...

Mike

Posted by: lightning at 19:09 | link | comments

Hey everyone! Sorry for the irregular updates, I've been super busy. I'm pretty much exhausted actually, which has led to a pretty funky mood lately. Today I am bitter with the entire world. I was so tired last night I kept falling asleep during CSI. What happened dammit?

Things are actually going well, but slower than I'd like. At least it's moving forward though.

Lately I'm really really starting to examine what it means to be a professional publisher and what steps I have to take and changes to make to make SMASH! what it should be.

Lately too I've been feeling like I'm being dismissed by different groups in the comics world. Other publishers don't seem to relate because I'm also a creator, and other creators seem to be interested in me because they see me as  a publisher.

Well, I stewed on it for awhile and all I can say is I'm sick of it. You can all eat shit.

Thank god for my friends. If it wasn't for a few choice friends, old & new, I'd probably be writing this saying that I quit comics for good.

I really don't feel that I should, but some things have been grating me lately. I have no reason to quit, I mean I have some GREAT opportunities available to me. Hell Captain Canuck! And there are other things in the works too. I'm being considered for a sponsorship by Nintendo as well!

The big problem lately is that I'm trying to get ahead and I keep bumping into things in my way. If it's not the inept friggin' government, it's the fact that there are so many unproffessional people with childish attitudes in this industry. The worst part is half of them have more power than me, or have been embraced by the community. Then there's another faction where I'm judged and labelled an idiot and unprofessional myself if I don't do exactly what eveyone else thinks I should do, or I write a fuckin' e-mail with a typo.

A lot of it boils down to the fact that this industry is loaded with jealous petty people who think that they can do everything better than everyone else.

I could go into this a lot further, but I'm just going to stop now, I have work to do...

Mike

Posted by: lightning at 15:11 | link | comments

9000 hits!...

Woohoo! RIght now, jst when I logged on, this blog just reached 9000 hits! Holy cats! That's great! Thanks to all of the regular readers, subscribers, friends, family, and any reading this!

Studio...

It's official. The spare room is now an office only! I was able to get it a lot better organized and less cluttered today. Now all the artstuff is outside in the shed which will now be serving at my art studio. Wicked!

 

 

Building...

Well, that crazy bitch and her convict brohter haven't left the basement apartment yet. I was going ot go work for my dad and help finish the house so he and my mom could move in next week, but I will not be leaving this building untill I know that nut and her crazy brother are gone. There's no way I'm going to leave Pam alone here with a guy like that in the building. Plus she has been leaving her cat in the hallway again so now the whole lobby reeks of cat piss. Filthy wench. And her dog was all covered in dog shit today because she had it tied up to the railing out back and there are piles of shit out there everywhere because she won't pick them up.

If the nuts don't leave I'll be staying here this week. If so than it's lucky for you guys because that means I'll be here to get more comic work done!

High-speed internet...

Well, the high-speed internet is connected. It's amazing! It really is 5 times faster, maybe more. It is beautiful. This is going to help a lot! I've got to get a new phone cord now so that I can hook my dial-up modem back up. It turns out I can't use my fax program through my high-speed modem. One of those weird catches. SO I need to get another phone cord and plug it in so my computer can use dial-up for faxing. Maybe I can find a program download that will fax over high-speed. I'm not even sure if that is possible though, as faxes got over phone lines, and there is no dial-tone on my DSL modem for the computer to detect. hmmmm........

Press Releases...

My recent press releases about hte new SMASH! Entertainment website have been posted at:

Digital Webbing: http://www.digitalwebbing.com/news/031804-3.html

Pulse: http://www.comicon.com/cgi-bin/pulse.cgi?http%3A//www.comicon.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi%3Fubb%3Dget_topic%26f%3D37%26t%3D002177

Well, that's all for now! I gotta get back to MAD TV!

Mike

 

 

Posted by: lightning at 00:30 | link | comments

OY! Another hectic friggin' day! I can't believe it! I did manage to get a fair bit done though. I got a new press releases out, website announcement, new website up. Worked on some idea roughs, started sorting reciepts for taxes, started cleaning out my computer harddrive, went to the phone company ....

New website...

Got the new SMASH! Entertainment website up! It's chock full of indie type goodness. The big part of the site is the new automated area where you can hire me to do your business promotions. Secure Paypal buttons and Bravenet forms are super easy and make everything safe! Plus news about what SMASH! Entertainmment is, Trade Shows, short film, and more! http://www.lightningstrike.ca/smashent

High-tech web...

Sweety sweety sweetness. Today I picked up my equipment for High Speed internet! We're actually signed up for "Cheetah Light" which is somewhere between dial-up and high-speed. It's a type of dial-up that leaves your phone line open for calls. It's 5X faster than the dial-up service we're on now, and for the first 3 months it's cheaper too! The account will be active on Friday! SO as of Friday I'll be hitting the net at 5X the normal speed! I'm hoping this will help me get more work done faster.

Today's Sponsor:

 

 

Advertise Here - CHEAP! - e-mail me!

True Trailer Trash Drama... 

It's really hard to not be disgruntled today. I had a business metting about the financing for my business today in Walkerton at 9am. That's not the problem. The problem is that The Police were at my door this morning at 7:20 am. It seems that a man covered in blood took a cab from the saugeen indian reservation to Tiverton, got the cab to stop at our building, and then ran out of the cab into our building, all without paying the cabbie. SO the cabbie called the cops. It turns out that this person is a wanted man and apparently the blood on him was from several women be beat badlly early this morning on the reservation. It also turns out that he is the brother of the crazy lady that lives in the basement. Since the super lives in Kincardine and I am the maintenance man I had to go through the building unlocking common rooms etc. for them to search. They didn't think he left the building.

I was questioned several times by several officers, thus making me have to cancel my meeting and it may be weeks before I can get another one! ARG! They questioned the crazy bitch and searched her apartment multiple times. Then they didn't find him so they left, on a tip that he did leave the building and went somewhere else.

I called the super later in the day to tell him. He told me that he had recieved a warning the other day that we should keep an eye out for him in case he tried to contact his sister because he's a wanted man, known drug dealer, and has been deported from the US several times for violent crimes. Great.

Then Pam took the dog out to pee before supper and crazy comes out and tells her, brags to her how stupid the cops are. She tells Pam that her brother is in her apartment right now, that she's washing the blood out of his clothes, that he was hiding in the neighbours bushes the whole time watching the cops search for him. SO at that point I called the cops, like the cops asked me to if anything else happened and told them. The cops never showed up. THEN they came up here tonight trying to convince us to help them sneak him out of town and give them a ride to meet someone somewhere on the highway over an hour away.

HOLY FUCK! I was actually downstairs in the apartment looking at a map of where they wanted to go and this punk was hovering in the bedroom doorway behind me. I made damn sure I never had my back to him and I was ready to bite some fuckin' ear if he came at me. Of course the one day I need one of my many pocket knives I can't find any! I just saw one laying out last night. Geezus!

Now this guy is in the building, the cops don't seem to care anymore and Pam and I are supposed to be able to sleep?

I hate people. I swear to god, I can't be in politics because I hate people. If I was in charge, as horrible as it sounds, these wastes of skin, these lowlife human scum, would be dumped in a hole and buried alive. Or much worse.

Until tommorow...

Mike

 

  

Posted by: lightning at 00:17 | link | comments

Hey everyone! This is gonna be short. I have a list as long as my arm of work to do, so I don't really have time for a decent blog. Not even a penance blog. I can't guarantee I'll even be on everyday this week. Lots of heavy duty business stuff!

Today's Sponsor:

 

 

 

Advertise Here - e-mail me!

Press Releases:

Here are the places that have carried my "Dreams in Texture" press release!

Digital Webbing: http://www.digitalwebbing.com/news/031104-3.html
Pulse/Comicon.com: http://www.comicon.com/cgi-bin/pulse.cgi?http%3A//www.comicon.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi%3Fubb%3Dget_topic%26f%3D37%26t%3D002135
Hero Realm: http://herorealm.infopop.cc/eve/ubb.x?a=tpc&s=5651063&f=7501094&m=576103804

The comics theme blog called "Sequential//" also carried it, but for some reason the site isn't working now.

New Sponsor...

I'm also proud to announce another new sponsor, King Cock Studios! Thanks so much for all of the support you guys! You can get some fantastic design, illustration, web design and more there. Check out King Cock at: www.kingcockstudios.com

Sorry guys gotta go NOW...

Mike

 

 

Posted by: lightning at 20:47 | link | comments

Holy crap-o-meter...

Hole crap! I have 10 million things to do tommorow. This whole week is gonna be tight. I NEED AND HAVE TO DO several very important things TOMMOROW! This sicks! Plus the friggin tires are going out on the van! One keeps going flat, so now I've gotta go to Port Elgin and get new friggin' tires tommorow! AAAAAAAAAAA! Where am I gonna get the time!

Today's Sponsor:

 

 

 

 

Advertise Here - e-mail me!

Ken's a stupid dink...

Remember my old boss Ken from last year? Well I finally had to sick the government after him for my proper employment records. Now he's even trying to screw me again. He sent me my records, but he's claiming that I only worked there for 1 month! This is going to screw me because I have to provide all of my employment records for the government financing that I'm applying for. What a bastard. There's no way I'm letting him screw me. I've already told the government most of what went on there and tommorow I'm sending them my records as well as a letter informing them of his problems. SO all he's gonna be doing is getting himself in shit. What pisses me off most is that his method of record keeping means he probably pocketed most of the money that he took off of my pay from deductions. Son of a bitch.

Today...

We went for a drive to town today,  we went to Canadian Tire and stuff. Then tonight before we could make supper Dan and Kev ended up coming over. So us guys took turns playing Playstation, then Dan ordered some pizzas and we watched Jackass the Movie. Then they headed back, we watched Simpsons and now I'm trying ot get this thing done while Pam is in the shower. I forget whether CSI or Law & Order is on tonight. I know one of them is, so I'm going to watch it...

Bye...

Mike

Posted by: lightning at 22:01 | link | comments

Busy Saturday...

SO we got up early today, planning on doing stuff and going shopping. Then we watched 2 hours of cartoons instead. Turtles, Teen Titans, Justice League, and He-man if you must know. Then we took Scooter out for a play with his new tennis ball and Pam and I also moved a fair bit of my art stuff out to the new shed/studio. I got sick of holding out and moved out most of my art supplies. I just really need to bring out my sketchpads, drawing table and a few other odds and ends now. It's starting to look different in here. More sterile and officy. Hopefully all the comics on the wall will keep it from going to stuffy looking in here. Well, that and the fooseball table will always be in reach.

SO we drove into Southhampton after that. On the way there the radio gave a horrible forecast. Cold and snow for the next 5 days. CRAP! I want to use my studio! I can't until the weather starts to heat up though. Goddamn. Anyway we went to Southhampton Market, Pam bought some housey stuff, insence and crap. Then we visited all the stores in Southhampton. Pam bought some more stuff, then we got a new training colar and some treats for Scooter at the pet store. We got groceries at the Indepedent store and then we went to a greasy spoon type restaurant called "The Burger Trail" for supper. Then we came home and took Scooter out for a play with his new frisbee and took him for a walk.

Today's Sponsor...

 

 

 

Advertise Here - e-mail me!

My slow decent into curmudgeonhood...

I find lately my patience for people with no common sense is wearing thin, as is my tolerance. In the last 2 days I've had at least 4 different people pull out in front of me at intersections while driving on the highway. And what's worse is that although they had to rush to get onto the highway, and be in such a rush they had to pull out in front of me to do it, but then they don't even do the highway speed. They don't even go the speed limit. And half the time there's no-one behind me for miles. 2 more seconds and they could have pulled onto the highway behind me and I wouldn't be foced to slam my brakes and release a string of expletives. I swear to god if I ever recognize the same person doing this to me twice I will pull them over and rip them out of their car by their stupid head right through their friggin window. AAAARRRRGGGG!!!! Stupid bastards.It's a good thing I don't own guns.

Maybe this kind of stuff is getting to me more now because I'm working myself too hard. Pam thinks so. I on the other hand believe quite the opposite. Who knows.....

New Sponsor...

I am pleased to welcome a new sponsor to this here blog. Many thanks to all of the fine folks at Landwaster Books for helping keep this here little old site going. Check out their site at: www.landwaster.com

League of Extrordinary anger...

Last weekend we rented League of Extrordinary Gentlemen. I can't really pass judgement on this movie or do a review yet. Why? Cause in the middle of the damn movie the DVD started alternating between freezing for minutes at a time, or just skipping 10 second-2 minute sections. Needless to say I was pissed. We made it through the movie, but I can't say I was able to stay focused enough to even say if it was good or not. I took out the DVD and saw that it was covered in huge scratches. I almost used my disk refinisher on it, but decided it was best not to, as it was not mine. So we returned the movie and I told the lady who owns the place about the problem with the movie.

She was a complete bitch. She asked me a bunch of questions like she was trying some way to blame me. When she couldn't she agreed to give us a free rental. At this point I was pissed for all the hassle, I took the offer of a free rental fully planning in my head to never come back. Pam remembered that we had plans that night, so we couldn't get a movie. The lady said we could get the free rental another day so we left. We don't ever plan on renting there again, but I want my free rental. So tonight we went and picked up SWAT. We got home and I checked out the disk. Theres about one square centimetre packed full of very close zig-zagging scratches. ARG! I don't know if I should refinish the disk and then play it, or just play it and hope it works. Stupid assholes! If I can get the stuff I need to fix DVD's for 10 bucks in a record store why in the hell wouldn't a business making it's money on renting movies do the same.

Oh, and that scratched up copy of League of Extrordinary Gentlemen is still available for rent.

Well, I'm going to watch my scratched up movie now...

Mike

Posted by: lightning at 21:21 | link | comments

Old man winter is a skanky manwhore with herpes...

This time last week I was actually prepared to draw a comic strip depicting me beating the crap out of old man winter. I was also moving my art stuff out to my future studio. Good thing that I got too busy to finish either! Rotten ass friggin' winter is back. It's horrible here and they say we'll get 10 more centimetres of that white shit tonight. Crap...

Today's Sponsor:

 

 

Advertise Here - e-mail me!

Lance in Madrid...

Since yesterday I've spoken with Lance Tooks in Madrid. He tells me that luckily he and all his family and friends are safe after yesterday's Al Queda attacks. He says he was lucky and that it could have been anyone at anytime, one of the explosions was in a subway station just down the street from his house. He said everyone was panicking and all he could see from his house was the smoke and burning rubble form the explosion.

Here's a thought, sure this has got media attention, but where's the big outcry for vengeance now? Why isn't George Bush up in arms and on TV declaring that they will aid Spain in fighting terrorism. He expected it from every other country when he was in that position.

Also, I may have added to the misinformation on the death toll yesterday. Although I'm sure that the news said 600 dead yesterday, last night they said 600

Ideas, ideas, IDEAS...

I wish I could turn off the creative part of my brain. I keep getting more and more ideas for comic series in my head and writing down rough concepts. What's worse, and no I don't mean to sound egotistical, but I know that the majority of them are good and original. I realy need to do something with them. There is so many it is overwhelming and I have to let them out. Problem is that I have such a stack of ideas as is I likely have more than I'll ever be able to publish in my lifetime, and I barely have enough time to write the scripts for the ones I am doing AH!

IF I get the government financing, and IF stuff takes off the way I'm projecting in the future I think I'll have to start hiring people to run the business just so I can devote more time to writing.

Good god I hope I get that money...

New account...

Today I set up a spiffy new business bank account! I can now accept payments under the name Lightningstrike pUblishing again! And I have somewhere to put my online payments form the website!

Well, I gotta go take care of some of that banking online so, see ya later...

Mike

Posted by: lightning at 20:25 | link | comments (4)