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

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Well I'm finally back. I've been working night shifts all week. Plus this morning was the first time I slept since Sunday, I just couldn't sleep.

Things are screwed up for the comic show this weekend, I probably won't be attending. I may be able to go as a spectator on Saturday but maybe not.

I actually have a lot of stuff to write about, but none that I will be able to finish in the amount of time i have, so I'll come back later and try to cver some topics whgen I have more time to write.

Mike

Posted by: lightning at 17:55 | link | comments (2)

Penance Blog 1...

NO excuses, I've been busy, but I should have have been on here sooner.

Quick update, the whole table at this weekends Canadian National Comic Expo is all fucked up. A bunch of people who thought they had tabels now don't and I'm one of them. SO we're on a waiting list so we may or may not get in. It sucks balls and now everyone's mad at me. I'll do my best to get us into the show, but even if I do I personally won't be attending. I may try to attend as an event goer on Saturday, but that may be iffy.

The organizer has extended his sincerest apologies over the confusion and has offered me a deal on my publisher tabel for next year. Although that does not make me happy for this year, it's almost a silver lining. Almost, but not quite. I still have to try and fix the situation for this year.

Getting caught up on all the payments and mailing today. I should be in bed, I'm starting back on the night shift tonight for two weeks.

In fact I need to go to bed NOW. More penance blogs tommorow.

Mike

Posted by: lightning at 12:53 | link | comments

Well the friggin webpage is still not up. Bastards called me to tell me that they no longer accept cheques asd payment! Can you belive that? SO now my cheque is supposed too mbe on it's way back to me in the mail and I've got to send a money order. SO I went and got one. Always getting screwed I tell you.

We worked way longer than we should have today, but we got out way early yesterday,a nd we started way late. There was a problem witht he filtering again. SO I had a lot of free time yesterday, but I was so busy doing business stufff I couldn't even do the weblog.

I got promoted starting tommorow morning I am now a member of one of the factory work crews. Those are the peopel that make, brew, filter, test, the beer etc. It's a 12 hour shirft every day, but the nice thing is that we work for 3 days , then are off for 3, then work 3, then off 2, and so one. Starting nthis coming Monday my new crew will be on nights for 2 weeks. It stitches between nights and days every 2 weeks. Fuun stuff.

Mike

Posted by: lightning at 20:55 | link | comments (2)

Weekend blog...

Hey all, thanks for all the traffic and interest in the merchandising and clothing page. I've gotten lots of good comments and suggestions.

It appears that my server is still not up, so I'll be hoping to see my page back up on monday, as the company should have payment by now.

I've forgotten to mention it, but I'm taking a short hiatus from the Take 5. There will be no August editions as we re-plan and revamp the paper. We'll probably go to a monthly format, and if we get enough advertising support we'll double the size.

Tons of loose ends on various projects to tie up this week. Getting things solved and figured out for Captain Cnauck, Dreams in Texture, and Monkeys and Midgets. I have to call a biz rep tommorow about whether or not we got the new business financing. Hopefully they'll know. It's a process that takes generally 2 to 3 weeks. It's been about 2 weeks now.

Work has been all right. I was working with the night shift crew for most of last week. By friday I was a bit tired. It was okay though. None of the super visors have told me when I'me working yet this week so I've left a message and I am awaiting an answer. There has been speculation that I may get promoted form the bottling line to one of the brew crews. It seems that there are two supervisors who want another guy on their crew, and it sounds like management conisders me a front runner. It would be kind of cool. I'd miss the bottling line, but the swing shift that the crews work would fit much better with my bisiness. Oh, well, we'll see.

Getting excited for this Canadian National Comic Expo coming up on the last weekend of August. I knwo the other guys are all hyped up too. I am slioghtly worried about the difficulty in trying to communicate witht he people in charge, and still waiting for a response to questions, but the same thing happened last year as well, and it all worked out, so I hope to get everything confirmed ASAP!

Well, gots ta go!

Mike

Posted by: lightning at 14:13 | link | comments

Another note...

I just wanted to say that I forgto to mention another part of my idea yesterday. Along with the whole business, partnership thing. It may be possible to have even more profits and less overhead if SMASH! was to publish just a few comics, and the rest of the ideas would be produced under a nother name for other publishers like Platinum Studios & Image. Just an idea.

Work...

Well I'm on Midnights this week. Yeah, it sound crappy, but it's not that bad. I had to mill the grain for the beer for the first time last night. That kind of sucks. I had corn mud running out of the corners of my eyes this afternoon when I took my shower. Oh well, I must keep on truckin', I may catch a couple more z's before going to work.

Sellin' out to the man!...

Hey remember folks, you can head on over to my web merchandise store and get some grwat clothing and accesories featuring the logo of this here very weblong. T-Shirts, hooded sweatshirts, even a teddy berar! Plus apparel with humourous slogans, SMASH! gear, and now we even have some Dark Delicacy Press apparel too! Check it out! www.cafepress.com/smashcomics.

Mike

Posted by: lightning at 16:53 | link | comments

Something went screwey with motime the other day. I wrote my last entry on Tuesday, but it says Wednesday. So I'm just not going to do a penance blog and we'll call it more than even.

Web...

Yes the server for my main site is down. I've issued the payment to Doteasy, now I'm just waiting for them to get my frigging server back up. I'm hoping for tommorow.

More business stuff...

Well you all know that I've mentioned before about how small press comics is always a money tight business. And you know I've solicited interest in becoming a partner here before etc. You know I've approached well known people about becoming a partner from what I've written here. There are still a couple of well known companies/people who may become involved with Lightningstrike and SMASH!, and I'm also waiting on confirmation about new bank financing etc., but I can't spend my life and valuable time waiting around for other people to make a decision. So here goes what's been on my mind...

Here's the idea...

I understand people being leary and worried when it comes to money. SO I'm willing to sacrifice a part of my stake in order to improve everyone's situation. I know we can be succesfula nd make some big money if I can get enough people in on this together. So this is my idea. It's a call to all family and friends, as well as my comic book brethren. It's a simple idea. It's a fact that a single one of us can't come up with the budget to support a large national operation like Image Comics on our own. Heck, it's hard just to run one title. So here's my idea.

Family, friends and comic folk. Let's all band together as one group and turn Lightningstriek and SMAHS! into oine huge partnership. We can even go corporate and vote in a board of Directors. Just to prove I'm not trying to swindle money from anyone buying in would be a super low cost. $100 for example that $100 would make you and equual partner, then we re-register the business as a partnership and we generate a business plan and approach financial institutions for expansion money using the full force of out total combined credit worthiness. Even if it takes 10 people, applying together would give us plenty of credit to start up. Profits would then be distributed evenly out to partners. We should easily be able to get funding to start an operation. No one would quite their job. We'd all keep working and then slowly we'd be abel to set up a physical production office. After that slowly one by one those partners who have business, comics, and other experince woulf begin to leave thier jobs and take up work in the central office.

Those family and frinds who don't know business or comics or just don't want to work in comics could continue dooing whatever they want and getting thier share of profits.   

Anyway, that's the concept. I encourage anyone out there who knows me and its reading this to contact me and at least let me know your thoughts and opinions. Everything helps. I know we can make a success of this if we all team up together. SO any and all family, friends, comic buddies, and acquiantances. Call, e-mail, whatever. Just let me know what you think, even if it's no way.

As always, everyone is welcome to post comments here on their thoughts.

Mike

Posted by: lightning at 12:31 | link | comments (1)

Today really sucked. I smashed a lightbulb with my back (don't ask), I waled my head off the garage door trying to duck under it, I accidentally dumped a pile of broken (lightbulb) glass all over the kitchen floor when I went to empty the hand vac, I'm losing my ability to draw regular comic people. And much much more. I'm trying to stay positive.

Anyone been watching last comic standing? Todd Glass was robbed. HE should have been in the top 3. That being said got to www.votenbc.com and vote all 3 times for Jon Heffron.

Later...

Mike (holding my throbbing head)

Posted by: lightning at 00:03 | link | comments

Check out the swag!

Hey all, move yer asses on over to www.cafepress.com/smashcomics All kinds of new stuff! Everything revamped. Top notch quality SMASH! Merchandising and clothing. Even some new Captain Canuck items! Plus cool items with the "My LIfe In Comics" logo. Even a little teddy bear. And some funny new one-liner type shirts too! Head on over!

Business Ruminitions...

Well I've been thinking over a lot of business stuff lately...

I think that a lot of the things I've done and jobs I've worked over the last couple years have all happened for a reason. I've taken and learned something from each experience that I can apply to my own professional life.

Now with working at Steelback I can see and identify the weaknesses there, therby helping my look at my own business objectively and see where there are some chinks in the foundation I've built for myself.

NO offense to the company, it's founder or the folks there. I enjoy my job and my co-workers, but there are a lot of important management and marketing weaknesses there.

At times it really feels like the owner is an idle mind with too much money who has decided to pick up a new hobby, beer brewing. It seems sometimes that the operation is half assed and that the only reason we exist is because the owner wants to be able to tell people that he owns a beer brewery.

This has made me look at my own motives and methods of operation. Although I strive to be as honest and professional as possible, I can see where my own desire to impress people, or enter into somehting before I am ready has made the business less than it could have been by this point. So, one step at a time I'll be analysing how the business runs and eliminating the weaknesses and inconsistencies that I find.

To this end I've been thinking long and hard and made a few decisions. A few financial and marketing changes need to be made. The other thing is that I have to take one more step toward the more serious.

This means hiring. Beginning immediately I'll be reviewing applicants. I'm going to slowly build a pool of management talent. My first step is to hire people whose jobs will be directly related to increasing the business income. These positions will be freelance/work from home, and will pay on a commision basis. These will be people like company ad agents, sales reps, web marketers, and maybe someone to do accounting.

Once we are well established and making money witht his loose knit management team, we can begin to bring in other positions and look for a central office location. I think that's my best strategy for business expansion.

So you'll soon see my ads in local newspapers, and at comicbookclassifieds.com

I really meant to go more in depth, but I've kind of lost my train of thought. I should really start writing down more often.

Also, Pam wants me to mention that her boss is a stupid bitch.

Don't forget to check out my merchandise page!

Until tommorow...

Mike

Posted by: lightning at 20:25 | link | comments

What promises to be a really long weblog...

WHERE THE HELL HAVE I BEEN?!?

Well, if you're a regular reader then you've probably been asking this question for the last week. I know several friends have asked the same thing. I think the only way to tell the story is to explain from where I last left off in this blog...

Saturday...

So last weekend Pam and I went and saw "The Village", It wasn't as scary I expected, and there were many an unexpected twist. I was really conflicted about this movie. On one hand I was dissapointed that it was more of a drama than a scary movie, but on the other hand this was one of the best written movies I've seen in awhile. I guarantee nobody sees the end coming...

Sunday...

On Sunday mom & dad came over for a visit, we hung out, drank some coolers, I took them to my work, then we ordered pizza and rented "The Bourne Identity" That morning I had woken up with a strange heartburn feeling. After mom and dad had left following the movie it returned. It got worse, and by evening I was spitting small amounts of blood up from the back of my throat. Pam wanted me to go to the hospital, but I was too stubborn, and it eventually went away anyway.

Monday...

Lots of beer to bottle at work. Yes, we had to work the holiday, but I think we're getting double time. Monday morning the burning sensation returned and I spit up a little blood. I spoke to the supervisor, Scott, and he allowed me to leave after the regular shift time instead of staying for overtime like everyone else did. We were supposed to go to the hospital, but Pam's dad invited us over for supper so we just had to go over. Afterwards We went to the hospital before going home. The doctor I saw did a bunch of tests. checked my cardio, gave me an EKG, and was thinking about keeping me over night. In the end he figured that my heart was fine, and that the problem was either Esophogitis, which is a very severe form of acid reflux, or it was ulcers. Since I know some people with ulcers who have the same symptoms I'm thinking it's ulcers. He decided to let me go home, but I had to come back in the next morning to get some more tests done.

Tuesday...

SO at 9 am I arrive at the Kincardine Hospital to get some more tests done. They gave me a thourough exam of my blood and chest x-rays. Then I had to wait till the lab results came in, were given to the doctor, and then wait untill he could see me. This was a different doctor than before and Pam tells me that he's a temp doctor filling in for someone on holidays. Anyway he was a prick. He didn't seem to care about telling me what's wrong, but what wasn't wrong. He said my heart was fine, not to worry, go home and take some Maalox and come back later in the week if the burning was still a problem. SO I've been having this problem all week and popping antacids to no avail. SO I will have to go back in again soon because the doctor  was a lazy ass.

Wednesday...

We showed up to work but got sent home after an hour, it seems that the filter machine wasn't working properly the night before, so the beer wasn't ready to bottle because it had to be refiltered. So I got some business work done, tried to get things resolved with BMO, still working on that. Then Pam and I went to the beach to a new area of the Inverhuron beach we'd never been to. When we got home we had a message. Mom called because some of her family from windsor had come up to visit. SO Pam and I went over there that night. Dana and Jeremy were there, we brought Scooter and we got to visit with my Grandma Knight, Uncle Tom, My cousin Katie, and Aunt Elaine. It was nice to see them all and talk. Scooter got spoiled.

Thursday...

Long day, lots of beer to bottle, worked late, came home, went to bed.

Friday...

We got the machines rolling the fastest we ever had. Even though we got a head start on the bottling we had to do the day before we got the the Friday batch done in record time. We had a staff meeting that included free pizza too! Since we did so well we all got off early! I got some business work done. I had to go into the bank and make deposits. And talk to the business banking people. Right now we're working on BMO becoming the new financial backer of Lightningstrike Publishing. We're trying to get things pushed through quickly in light of the recent banking screw up at my local branch. I knew my renewal for my Doteasy web server was coming up soon, but they screwed me again. I was waiting until I got my financing approved, but Doteasy decided to deactivate my files 3 days early. Bastards always screwing me. I know I've said I need to switch servers in the past, I'm just waiting until things are more stable. Anyway though, now my main website is down until I pay them their exorbitant reactivation fee. BASTARDS!

Saturday...

Pam and I went to Goderich because she wanted to go shopping. I had to pick up some gardening stuff for the building. I also bought an awesome batmobile hotwheels car for $1.17! I'm such a dork. I also got a cheap marketing refrence guide. That's for all the stuff I'm trying to get launched this year. We stopped at this fleamarket on the way home. It was run by this crazy couple. I was waiting for an inbred cannibal child to come jumping out of the piles of mouldy shit. The crazy bastard was trying to sell musty old low grade comics for top dollar. Most more than what they are worth mint! SO we said "FAH KEW" and headed home. I've seen some nasty flea markets, but that place was just one crazy pile of over priced crap! Pam says she think the owner was a complete dink! She says that he'll never sell anything and die with all that shit.

Today...

SO today I'm catchin' up on my weblog and I also finally did a long needed update to my clothing and merchandising webpage. I've been meaning to do that for some time. Check it out at: www.cafepress.com/smashcomics everyone should buy one of my new shirts. Seriously!

Anyway, well over a week ago I promised to post some new thoughts and contemplations on my business. I'm all blogged out right now, but I'll finally deliver the deep thoughts that I promised next time I can get on (Today or tommorow).

PEACE OUT!!!

Mike

 

 

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