NECESSARY MEASURES
QEW Publishing has been creating and producing its own independent comics ever since it was established in 2003. When it reformed itself in 2011 and became its own self-publishing enterprise, it has maintained an annual standard of publishing and releasing two new comic books the first quarter of every new year. Numerous new comics were now being created, but gradually, QEW Publishing's annual standard was placed in financial jeopardy. The number of current active projects and developing future ones had begun exceeding the funding available for them. This drastically effected QEW Publishing's operations for comic book production and artistic support. Monetary cutbacks on significant activities were applied. The majority of active productions were immediately consigned to an inactive status and QEW Publishing's operational flowchart was revised, which reduced the overall workload to a more manageable configuration. Now that operations have now been drastically minimized and crucial cutbacks have been put in place, QEW Publishing still remains functional and productive. The focus here at QEW HQ will now be strongly fixated upon acquiring more funding to resume the majority of its productions again.
THE PATREON CAMPAIGN
During a brief conversation about fund-raising at the 2015 Rose City Comi-Con in Portland, Oregon with friend and colleague, Cara Nicole aka AZPowergirl, she suggested the idea of launching a campaign on Patreon. She believed it could help QEW Publishing with raising funds for its production and marketing efforts. QEW Publishing took Cara's suggestion as sound advice, and did just that, and discovered that Patreon offers a wonderful venue. QEW Publishing can still avidly promote its brand as it seeks out prospective supporters, who could gradually help comprise an exclusive readership willing to help the goal of continuing to create and produce comics. Supporters, who choose to become Patrons, can select to pledge a monetary allowance ranging in amounts between $1.00 to $10.00 per month. Depending on the amount pledged, these Patrons can be be rewarded either 1 to 4 downloadable e-comics currently available from QEW Publishing. Patrons can also attain periodic updates on the progress of QEW Publishing reaching goals on Patreon, Facebook, and even Twitter. QEW Publishing's Patreon Campaign can be visited via the following active link here at: QEW Publishing's Patreon Campaign.
2016 1ST QUARTER NEW RELEASES
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| BLOOD & SILVER #3 |
Despite overall production operations being effected, QEW Publishing's annual standard of two new comic book releases has still managed to be maintained for this year, but with a bit of a twist. The 2016 1st Quarter Line-Up of new releases are BLOOD & SILVER #3 and BLACKSTONE #1. BLOOD & SILVER #3 is the third sequel of a 6-part, werewolf mini-series and BLACKSTONE #1 is first issue of 3-part, action/crime yarn. While BLOOD & SILVER #3 will be published and released as both printed and e-comic editions, BLACKSTONE #1 will be released only in e-comic form, but with an intention for a printed edition pending for a later release. Considering the new measures that have now been put in place, this is a partial achievement. Nevertheless, wrangling resources for printing and marketing these new books has been quite the financial struggle. New incentives are now in play for an emphasis on strictly producing and releasing e-comics instead.
EMPHASIS ON E-COMICS
Since a portion of necessary cutbacks have been plied principally to QEW Publishing's operational budget for printing, there's been a renewed focus mainly on e-comic production as the annual new releases. There are naturally no printing costs required for e-comics and the internet are their ultimate distributor. Payloadz and Amazon's Comixology are the two key venues being utilized as the online platforms for downloadable sales. An active direct link to Payloadz is located on the footer of QEW Publishing's official website in the form of "e-Book" clip art and more e-comics are being submitted to Comixology. This emphasis on e-comics is necessary, but it's most assuredly a temporary adjustment. QEW Publishing is continuing to strive to resume producing and releasing its comics as both e-comics and printed editions.
DRAFTING OF BLOOD ROOT CONTINUES
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| BLOOD ROOT Promo Art |
BLOOD ROOT is the first novel ever put into production by QEW Publishing. It is also the first book of a quadrilogy vampire fiction series. From its original handwritten draft composed of two regular notebooks, the production of the novel's actual manuscript continues with due diligence. The novel has a tentative projected length comprising a total of twenty-six chapters while the rough draft of Chapter 18 is currently in composition. BLOOD ROOT is based on the original idea of its co-creator and commissioner, Moya Jackie. BLOOD ROOT's premise is about two sisters with a contentious relationship. One of them human; the other a vampire. The crux of the premise revolves around the vampire sister's struggle with a mystery about whether her human sister is somehow responsible for her being turned. Moya Jackie had commissioned QEW Publishing to expound further upon her idea, which helped transform it into a 4-book series. With only eight chapters ideally now remaining for drafting, it's plausible the entire rough manuscript could finally be done by the end of the year.
HELLION'S AMAZING PROGRESS
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| HELLION #3 printed editions at Rah-Coco's Collectibles |
When Jim Savard first submitted his idea for his creator-owned, horror comic mini-series, he had no idea of the amount of time, talent, and patience that would be invested in keeping its production on a consistent arc toward completion. The launch of HELLION's production has been amazing. Despite some unfortunate setbacks with some technical difficulties and losing creative team members along the way, HELLION has stayed the course. Jim has kept up with writing the scripts of every issue for submission. Phillip Hudson has been exemplary maintaining his due diligence as penciling illustrator, producing the penciled story art for issues 1-3, which have been published and released. Jim has also been outstanding in his inspiring efforts of promotion and marketing HELLION. The series' own Facebook page, Hellion: the comic book, has over two thousand followers. He has inspired his good friend, Regan Hurst, to carry the mini-series on the shelves of Rah-Coco's Collectibles, the comic store Regan owns. Jim has even inspired a local music band, Impending Reflections, which has composed and produced a song and music video titled Ghost in the Mist. He has also exhibited HELLION at Boston Comic Con, helping to make it QEW Publishing's most distributed comic book series on the east coast. So the course remains steady as production continues to ensue with issues 4 and 5.
THE RESURRECTION OF PIX
In 2003, the idea for an action/fantasy comic about magical faerie creatures at war with monstrous imps became the catalyst for the creation of a 4-part, comic mini-series titled PIX. It was one of QEW Publishing's earliest titles that sadly never seemed to ever get finished. After suffering a succession of artists failing to fully commit to its completion, PIX had been consigned to a categorical archive of indefinite stasis where it has been for years. Then just recently, a new artist named Kayla Townsend, who had showed some previous interest in the project, decided to join QEW Publishing and help to revive its production. Kayla admired PIX's premise and artistic theme. She has never worked artistically in comics before, but she has presented a significant amount of potential illustrative and inking talents and has displayed a sincere passion of rising to the challenge to complete PIX's production. So it's with great elation that this mini-series will finally receive a full restart after so many years in administrative exile.
NO CONVENTIONS...AT LEAST FOR NOW
QEW
Publishing has sadly elected for now to forgo exhibiting at any comic conventions
scheduled for this year. Annual attendance and presentation at conventions have
been paramount to QEW Publishing's promotional and marketing operations, but cost-cutting has
impacted budgeting efforts for covering reservation, attendance, and travel
expenses. This is a necessary and bittersweet decision, but also a very tentative
one. Even though QEW Publishing is fervently now fixated on its freshly launched Patreon
campaign and concentrating mainly on producing and releasing e-comics instead of printed as well, due diligence will continue to be
dispensed to return to the convention circuit as soon as possible.
Next Quarterly Blog Update: June 30, 2016
