Tag: Opinion

Pet Peeves…. every Wednesday…. maybe?

Posted on by CV Whitfield

Today’s pet peeve. Flip-Flops. Say what? What’s wrong with flip-flops you say?

As the title states, this is a pet peeve. It’s my own neurotic disorder and opinion. If you don’t agree, then that’s fine. I don’t need to hear your reasoning behind it. But you will hear mine. haha.

OMG. I really can’t stand people who wear flip-flops everyday and everywhere. What in the hell? Put on some real shoes for god’s sake!

This goes mostly for men. Yet, I can easily say the same for women too. If you’re not by the side of a pool, or on a beach, or a boat, or locker room shower, PUT some real shoes on! They are not the appropriate foot wear to go shopping. They are not the appropriate foot wear to board a plane. They are not the appropriate foot wear for site seeing. They are not the appropriate foot wear to got to a restaurant (even if that formal dining is a Taco Bell or Hardy’s).

Why in the world would one think I want to look at their nasty feet while I’m eating my chalupa? Or stuffed next to you on a flight to New York? Or standing behind you in the grocery store? Is it just laziness? Does the person not own any real shoes? Like pair of boots, tennis shoes, flats, heels, docs, Mary Janes, high-tops, vans, or converse? What if you needed to walk or run. Those things can’t be a wise choice. And the noise. Flip. Flop. Flop. Flip. Flip Flop. AAAAGGGG. Make it stop!

Oh, ladies….sandals, if nice and pretty, are exempt. Carry on.

Oh and everything I just said also goes for CROCS!!!!

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The Book Market…. and why it’s chaotic…

Posted on by CV Whitfield

Do not take my word for it. Just think about this observation and make your own conclusions. I have no real reason or even a clue why it is this way. Maybe there’s some industry secret that makes sense and the senior’d Editor or Publishers would get in my face and say, “yeah, duh dude!!” (I used two exclamation marks because that means it’s more exclamatory than just one, right?)

It’s been over a decade since I bought my first e-reader. When the Amazon Kindle entered the market, it basically dominated. It was a nice piece of engineering. It was CHEAP! And it with the power of Amazon books behind it, the sky was the limit. I remember when the big book sellers all had one: B&N had the Nook, Borders had the Kobo. I really struggled with which to buy. Because like everything in America, they were proprietary. I wanted something more universe. I really didn’t like how I had to buy my books from one business —all the time. In the end, my mother solved it by buying all Kindles one year for Christmas. Why? They were the cheapest and technically the largest source of books.

I was so excited. Don’t get me wrong. I love books. And when I say books, I mean real books. You know, paper, ink, the smell of a printing press. But, like the iPod, I was amazed and fascinated by the efficiency to carry around every song I owned and not have to worry about a back pack full of CDs and Cassette tapes. Now I had something for books too. Wow. No more rooms full of books. No more storage units filled with books. No more sleepless nights thinking where I put that one book that I now want to re-read. Yet, there was a problem. A very big one.

The cost! I would literally have to rebuy all my books. Or I could just simple move forward with digital only books. And that was a problem just as big. I love books. I want to hold them and smell them. So, okay, I’ll just buy most books digitally and then the favorites I would buy the real deal. Ok. That might work. Then it didn’t…. see, digital books should be cheaper. And when I say cheaper, I mean A LOT cheaper. And unfortunately they weren’t. Even a basic knowledge of commerce knows that a book you pay $26 for is really only getting about $6 to the publisher and $3 to a writer. (And cost of printing isn’t even factored here for ease of understanding). Because the universal rule of business is 50% as in everything is purchased at 50% to make the seller money. So the book is printed and sold to Wholesaler who buys book for around half the cost they’ll sell it to a Bookstore. Then that bookstore needs to double it so they can pay the rent, employees and make a profit. What if? The book never has to be printed. This cuts out a bunch of middle men and costs. The book never has to go to a printer. There’s no paper, no trees sacrificed to feed the machines. The books are not stacked on pallets and stored in warehouses (rent of warehouse costs money). Nor is the book put on trucks and trains and shipped to the Wholesalers warehouse. No gas used, no salary of a truck driver (or train driver…huh engineer?), no wholesale warehouse rent. Then those books would have to be back on a truck or train to ship to the bookseller. See where I’m going here?

There’s a ton of cost in printing a book and just getting it where it needs to be. But digital doesn’t have that. I mean its basically just electrons and photons right? How do you put a price on tiny particles of energy. I guess if you wanted to get picky you could say how much does it cost to transmit the file of about 1MB to a user. There’s the small cost of the user’s internet and electric bill. The publisher or writer has to store the book on a server or hard drive that costs money to buy or maintenance. But isn’t that literally pennies. I mean like 5 cents or a dime! So I’ve concluded that a book, with the original profit margin in place, should sale for about $4.99. Split that 50/50 with the writer / publisher…. huh? HUH? Sounds good. Maybe the publisher worries about lost sales buy sharing digital files?….

Now my RANT and gripe. Why in hell are digital books more than paper books? Clearly this is a big issue and why digital books will fail. Unlike digital songs which went to a very cost effective (cheap) model. .99cents a song…. So why can’t books do something similar and stay around the 4.99 price model? You know why I’m still buying tons of paper books to my regret. Because the books I’d most likely buy digitally are usually $14.99 and I can get the Hardcover for 12.99 (or a soft cover for 8.99). Sorry, I’m not JK Rowling and I don’t have $billions to burn. Is it me or is this just backasswards??

to be continued…..maybe….

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Writing is Hard Work….

Posted on by CV Whitfield

I know I’ve said it before. But writing is hard work. Especially for me. Mostly because, I have good days and great days. And then some not-so-good days.

I can easily sit down and work the keyboard for a few hours and write pages and pages. Yet, then my OCD and Anxiety kicks in and I look at the writing and feel its not very organized. Or my thoughts are not coming out right. Even when I know its just a rough draft. Or a quick blog post thats not polished. I sit and worry that it’s crap.

Then, the internal debate happens. Delete. Leave it. No. Delete it. Okay, lets revise and edit it. No, it wasn’t meant to be edited. Okay. Delete it. Forget it. Just leave it. I’ll come back to it tomorrow and edit.

Sometimes writing is a chore. Yet, I do it because I know its something I have to do. Like a job, you have to do it even if you’re not really into it. So I just write. Mostly garbage or just stream of conscience stuff. This is when I rant or throw common sense at a problem and try to explain the upside or downside.

I hope I’m not alone in this battle to write. I think this is why I’m insanely curious to how others write and try to voyeur on their writing process. Like a nerdy 7th grader, I’m trying to justify I’m not alone in this complex world.

And don’t get me started when I think I’m just writing this stuff and its like a note in a bottle. I doubt anyone is reading it or even finding it on the web…..

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Some simple bullet points….

Posted on by CV Whitfield

Here are some simple bullet points that could save the Comic Book Industry. First off, I’ve been a reader, a consumer, a business owner, a manager of a company and lived life. These are based on common sense, not political correctness nor social pandering….

  1. Cover price must drop. $1 sounds right.
  2. Reprint issues from the past. Like all the time.
  3. Return to newsprint (or similar) paper.
  4. Advertise the comic book! I’ve seen a dozens of comic book movies in 10 years, NOT one time did I see some kind of promotion or tagline to go buy the comics these stories were based on. Poor marketing!
  5. Get comics at every check stand in America. Again, this should be a $1, reprint or even first run.
  6. Advertise. Plan and simple. Where does DC or Marvel advertise besides their own comic books. I remember as a kid seeing television commercials to pick up G.I. Joe, X-men and Superman comics “where magazines were sold!”
  7. Stop hiring comic writers simply because they fit a demographic.
  8. Overhaul the compensation of comic creators, writers and artists, so they want to create the best comics possible. This starts with lower salaries and more royalties. If I’m making $75K write a book and you hired me just cause of my skin color, why do I care if the book sells or is popular. Lower the going rate and offer more sales incentives. Allow creators to feel some ownership of the characters they are writing even if its owned by a mega-corporation.
  9. Run it as a business not as cultural propaganda. Tell good stories and everyone, all diversities will buy it.
  10. Listen to your consumers, the customer, your readers, your fans, your audience. Even 1 bad review is 1 too many. Ask yourself, why are readers angry. Don’t blame them for the poor quality of the product.

Simple stuff. And that’s probably not all of it. Comic books should LIVE!

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Comic Book Rant….

Posted on by CV Whitfield

Be warned this will be an unbiased and honest rant about an aspect of the comic book industry and those that are in leadership of said comic book industry.

It’s my opinion. It may be lacking all facts but its what I see and how I feel. And if I can conclude these feelings from simple observations, than perhaps, those folks should look into a mirror and ask themselves: what the hell are we doing? Because these simple impressions are very important to business.

I will focus on a publisher I have loved since I was 10 years old. I grew up on their characters and by 1985 would spending nearly all my allowance and then some buying roughly 20 monthly titles. (Just be aware, comics were only 60 cents back then. Hell, I can’t afford 20 books a month today and I make a pretty good salary for a middle aged man. Math: 1985 20 books = $12. 2019 20 books = $80) That publisher was DC Comics.

Besides the simple cost, what kid in his right mind would pay $3.99 for 20 pages of a funny art book? I know I ask that every time I buy one today. And these f’ing Publishers want to cry and moan that children aren’t getting into comics anymore and the industry is collapsing because of old grumpy white men? These publishers are idiots!

So, this opinion is based solely on a consumer perspective. I’m a consumer and I have money to spend. How will the publishers earn my support? That’s the real question isn’t it? Let’s say that social media doesn’t help their cause!

Well, social media can literally best or break a company. (One can ask Gilllette?). So, it doesn’t help the cause or earn my support with some careless social media posting. And yes, this could be shallow and trite but hey I think it and I have a right to question and talk about it. Thus, I think ‘all’ entertainment companies should have some strict social media rules when they want to lure my money out of my pocket. And to be shallow and honest, this could even be simple family pics highlighting over indulgence….

Not to be someone that just wants to dox another, I will not use the co-publisher’s name. Let’s say his name rhymes with Stan Lee but he’s Asian and much shorter. I’ll refer to him as ‘Little Timmy’ (That kinda rhymes too). So, Little Timmy is a very talented artist. He creates a style and brand for his art; he sets out to be an independent comic creator. And, after all said and done, is a very influential name in the business. He returns to the company that helped him rise up through the industry and has become the co-publisher of all the books this company prints. That’s a pretty impressive CV, right CV? (Why, yes it is!)

So, like every other dumb American, I follow him on social media. I thought it might be a platform to see his art. Well, I was wrong. (Edit: I lie for exaggeration and embellishment! There are posts of his work. Mostly Batman stuff and self-promotion of DC stuff and movies.) Instead, I get photos of him jet-setting around the world. I mean literally “around the world.” There are pics of him front row-courtside at Lakers games ( just a few chairs away from Jaaack!). There, he is, in Greece (I think it was Greece), Saudi Arabia, Dubai, China, Japan, and all of the other European countries. Then I see he’s celebrating a aniversary with his wife (most likely Hawaii) and her brand new Lamborghini Aventador (price tag: just south of a half a mil.).

I know what everyone’s thinking: “So!” He’s worked hard to get where he is. He deserves to treat himself to some luxuries out there in the most expensive real estate of California. And honestly, I’m all for the American Dream and pursuit of wealth. I hope to be there one day too. (Correction: I think I would be more conservative. Chalk it up to growing up poor and knowing the value of things…or more importantly, happiness….) Now to my POINT!

DC COMICS is in trouble. Of the two engines keeping that plane in the air, one is on fire and the other is starting to sputter. So, I question how much time does he actually spend in the board room or his office? Isn’t his job to make sure his company is selling millions of comics and thriving? So when I just see him traveling or buying super sport cars, I feel like somethings being ignored. I want him to wake up and put some dedication in keeping comics around for the next generation — like: try and create solutions to get comics back into the hands of children! My first instinct is to think he’s just milking the cow and not really caring about if the cow is eating a healthy diet.

Little Timmy, pleas stop traveling the world. Instead get in that office and make a difference. Change the scope of the industry once again like you did so many years ago. That would convince me to open that pocket and let that money fly out….

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The New Trilogy…. How I would have done it!

Posted on by CV Whitfield

In 2005, we watched Episode III with great enthusiasm and excitement. Then, we were saddened when George Lucas announced that the Star Wars Saga was complete and there would be no more movies. The dreams of seeing Episode VII through IX (7-9) were destroyed. Yet, we excepted it as this was a story about the life and redemption of Anakin Skywalker.

Suddenly, George Lucas sold Lucasfilm to Disney. Every fan suddenly realized maybe more Star Wars movies would be on the horizon. The news broke really fast that yes indeed Star Wars would return with a new Sequel Trilogy that would take place 30 years after Return of the Jedi. The movies would reunite the original trilogy cast and introduce new characters. When we got The Force Awakens, we were confronted with the truth that perhaps we were deceived. Just like the Jedi were deceived by Chancellor Palpatine and the Army of the Republic.

The new trilogy wasn’t going to focus on the classic characters. It was a clear and present bait and switch. The new characters were going to be the complete focus. The original characters weren’t even given the respect to be supporting characters. No, they were basically cameos. This was the first mistake made by Disney Star Wars. You sacrificed established characters. The right course would have been introduce the new characters but they should have been an extension of the classic character story.

Episode VII opens with a crawl that informs the audience Luke Skywalker is missing. I loved this concept. Like any classic fantasy story, we set up the quest. The journey the characters must take to resolve the conflict. Where could Luke be? Was he captured? Or was he just lost? I could see this resonating out of George Lucas mind and based on his appreciate for Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth. Regardless of the reason behind Luke’s disappearance, it reminded me of the exile of Yoda. Yoda wasn’t running away from the problem. He was simply waiting for the opportunity of returning to the battle. After learning that Luke went in search of old and lost Jedi Temples, I figured this could have been his motivation. He was looking for the knowledge. He was waiting for the right time to return and take on the First Order.

Then, Last Jedi was released and our perception of Luke was destroyed….

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Star Wars….other possibilities….

Posted on by CV Whitfield

With the Skywalker Saga (as they are calling the core Star Wars movies nowadays) storyline coming to an end with Episode IX, I dream about the possibilities of what could have been.

I want to get my thoughts and opinions down on digital paper. When Lucasfilm sold to Disney I was very optimistic about the future of Star Wars. Unfortunately, my optimism was cut short with the release of the new ‘sequel’ trilogy of films. And the basic destruction of the expanded universe cannon. I will clarify that I never expected the expanded universe to become the stories of any new movies. Yet, I hoped that they would at least try to blend in. The reason I stand by this: Lucasfilm took such care and consideration of any and all post ROTJ stories. Thus, I figured George Lucas essentially approved it all. Yet, the films are truly the only ‘true’ cannon. Thus, if Mr. Lucas would have changed his mind, then that would be acceptable and understandable.

In this process, I hope it makes sense. I hope my thoughts and ideas are clear and find a audience. I think the narrative of my opinions would have made in some regards better Star Wars movies. I believe this as I would have written my Star Wars from the aspect of the known source material and universe. I would not have made decisions on the risk and ridiculous hope of ‘pleasing audiences’ and being ‘diverse’.

I think its best if I start from the beginning….

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Snake-Eyes Solo Movie….no thank you!

Posted on by CV Whitfield

Again, Hollywood has no clue. Yet, I still blame Hasbro too. Because Hasbro could oversee and control the out come as they “own” the property.

I’ve never understood the motives of film writers and producers that have (literally) the easiest job when it comes to adapting a iconic 80s property. The backstory is there. The characters are there. Heck, the fans and viewership is already there! All you have to do is come up with a great story! How hard is that?

But noooo. Producers and writers have to come in and F*#k it all up. Why? I truly believe its because they have absolutely no clue about the actual source material. Either this is complete ignorance or simply a matter of no respect. Because its all about the money.

Thus, if these producers (or Hasbro) had any clue, they would not be moving forward with a Snake-Eyes solo movie. Snake-Eyes is a product of G.I. Joe. G.I. Joe is a team. G.I. Joe, in definition, is a group of diverse characters with unique skill sets that work together to defeat Cobra, a terrorist organization determined to rule the world. Snake-Eyes excels when he’s fighting alongside Duke, Scarlett, Roadblock and Tunnel Rat.

Honestly, Snake-Eyes is a bad-ass character and he’s freaking awesome. But I don’t want to see him in a movie by himself. He needs his supportive cast. And if you bring even one of those characters, or a member of Cobra (i.e. Storm Shadow) then it’s a G.I. Joe movie. Why not just make that one?

There’s over 200 stories in the form of comic books. Its okay to use those as the basis for a good story – a great story. Yo Joe!

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Today’s Word: Patience.

Posted on by CV Whitfield

Hello, boys and girls. Today’s word is patience.

This is something some writers don’t have. Okay. Well, maybe not some. Let’s just say me. I try hard to have it but ….

My head is filled with stories. It’s full of scenes, dialog and … things. I sit and as I write, it flows so much slower. I can spend a full solid morning and only have a few pages to show but in my mind, I’ve seen the beginning, the middle and the end.

So, with the patience comes focus. With that head so full of stories and ideas, its hard to stay focused on just one. I easily get something else caught in my imagination and start to document that. And typically, as I’m working on that, a new idea bursts forth.

I’ve learned that patience comes with discipline. To ease the chaos of my mind, I try to satisfy it by working on more than one project at a time. I’ve been asked if that isn’t confusing or difficult. To be honest, not really. But it does do, is: it slows down the process and extends the completion of the story.

So, I’m trying to focus on only 2 or 3 projects. I can rotate as needed but I feel it will help me and my blocks. But its not rigid. If I find that I spend all my time on 1 project, then so be it. And congrats to me. The only benefit to a slow process is that I get to think more about the story. I find places to make changes and fix problems. In the end, maybe thats the reward….

Oh, and with that: I use a notebook to catalog all those new ideas. Let’s just hope I can get to them one day!

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Writers and Writing….

Posted on by CV Whitfield

OMG

I feel like I just woke up after spending all weekend immersed in authors panels and looking at art and reading about new writers.

I met so many fellow authors and new literary adventurists.

One of my favorites this weekend was Cinda Williams Chima, writer of the Heir Chronicles, Seven Realms, and Shattered Realms. My daughter was introduced to her writing back in junior high. She had read a lot of fantasy books and was sitting on her wall that the best book in the world was Harry Potter. Well, she read The Warrior Heir and the changed overnight. She brought the books home and introduced them to her parents. We became instant fans. Cinda was very nice and supportive.

Other writers: John Scalzi, Pierce Brown and Tricia Levenseller. All of them were very positive. All were more than willing to encourage you and your writing. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. If you want to write for more than yourself, you need to find a community. And don’t be afraid to seek out even the big authors. Those that have New York Times Bestsellers books. Those that have the Hugo or Nebula or Locus awards. You’ll find most if not all are very humble. Yet, be respective and don’t try to be the new best friend. If you’re not careful thats where restraining orders come into play! (Just a little joke folks!).

I find that other writers inspire me. I’m sure they inspire all of us. So have fun and find time to meet your favorite authors.

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The Future!

Posted on by CV Whitfield

“Always in motion, the future is.” – Yoda, Empire Strikes Back.

We can sit and do nothing. We can sit and worry about it. Or we can get up, plant our feet on the ground, and take advantage of it.

This is my attitude about publishing. The future is rapidly approaching. The fate of storytelling as we know it could flip in on itself. Not only for novelists, prose writers, short fiction writers but also the comic writer and the comic artist.

Technology is now so advanced; anyone can write and publish a book with little or no fuss (and/or budget). Tools like Amazon or Lulu allow you to place your story online and sell it digitally to millions of Kindle readers or tablet users. WordPress is a brilliant platform for sharing creative content absolutely free!

Then there’s crowdfunding sites to “pre-sale” your product so you absolutely know the demand of your market (and reader)! Sorry big presses; this is the future. One needs to adapt or get out of the way. The time of worrying if a major publisher will accept your work (or story) is over. With the right enthusiasm and motivation, a storyteller can sell his work and bypass them altogether. And actually make a full-time career out of it; paying the bills and paying their taxes.

Right now, you can get lost in a very big sea of content and creators. But soon, millions of people will know where to look for it besides the local Barnes and Noble or Walmart. Comic book stores will become digital stores selling both digital and physical items. And publishers like DC and Marvel need to learn quickly how to stay relevant. Or by 2024, these guys will be only selling reprints of archive stuff or hoping another billion dollar movie can be made. I see Marvel (or DC) being a one room office with a staff of little just trying to protect their copyrights.

I am inspired by the future. And honestly, I still want a big publishing deal. Yet, I know it’s not the only option anymore. I challenge all of you to go to IndieGoGo or Amazon to look for independent stories. Support the next generation of writers and creators! Or be the next generation writer and put you stuff out there, any way you can!

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Meet those that Inspire You

Posted on by CV Whitfield

So I’ve been reading books from this author for nearly 20 years. My first book of his I read in only a few days while working a tedious office job. I consumed it as it made my imagination go into over drive. Mainly because the topic was fantastical and wondrous – and in some ways, very possibly true.

It was Fingerprints of the Gods.

And the author is Graham Hancock!

Although he has dabbled in fiction, his books are mostly hypothetical pre-history investigations.

I find this stuff incredible fascinating and I like it as it questions orthodox understandings of our recorded history. I’ve always questioned many of today’s understood facts – say like the Big Bang theory. Like how do scientists even know this- they took some readings and guessed. Yeah, they don’t really know. Maybe Thanos snapped his fingers!?

Personally, I think it’s a bit of truth to something normally believed to be myth and fantasy. It’s a bit of science fiction but done in reverse. The superior tech was in the past not the future.

Mr. Hancock inspires my own creativity and fiction writing. And as a writer, one should meet and talk to those that inspire you. Let them know as it builds our small community and it scan truly be motivational to continue what we do. So go. Do it. Enjoy.

Here’s Graham Hancock signing my copy of America Before and like his other books will definitely be interesting and entertaining!

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He works in mysterious ways….

Posted on by CV Whitfield

A beloved treasure of history and religion suffered major damage due to a fire on Monday. It was a heartbreaking day. I couldn’t function. I was stunned. I wrote about this yesterday.

As I watched the news and found other articles, I learned the current state of Notre Dame. It had entered a restoration process, the first major restoration in over a 100 years, to fix and repair the structure, ceiling and outside facades. The original restoration cost was going to be 100s of millions of euros/dollars. The church sought to get at least €20M – roughly $23M (thats million, folks) to start the process and begin work on restoring the Spire which was causing water damage to the timber roof. (This is the work that we see happening now) The cathedral struggled to find funding. In the end, the cathedral landed with roughly €6M (6.8M dollars). Nearly all of these coming from the Ministry of Culture. Since the French government owns the building, allowing the church to use it for free, I’m assuming this is why the Vatican wasn’t providing the money. The cathedral started a crowd funding program to raise the rest. The archdiocese launched Friends of Notre Dame to raise another €100M over the next ten years.

THEN! FIRE erupted from the Spire and the roof on Monday! We watched in horror as flames reached toward the sky. And as I wrote yesterday, I was amazed to see that most of the church survived. Some of the priceless windows and statues had survived. Yes, the roof was gone. Yes, there is massive water damage to furniture and floors. Amazingly, most of the vaulted ceiling survived as well. Now my point:

Remember when Norte Dame couldn’t find the money it needed to do the restoration? The price tag to fix it was maybe €150M? They were lucky to get €6M! Well, in the last 2 days, French Billionaires, Video Game Developers, French Government and citizens of the world have pledged over €500M! To rebuild! The generosity is amazing. Yet, it took a tragic and devastating fire to bring attention to a marvel of architecture and religious art in need of repairs. One of the donors, the French Government has pledged €20M – this was the original request yet settled on 6M! Yet now the government finds the funding. The new funding also begs questions of why did we let the building get this state? Why didn’t the Billionaires of the country support it prior to the fire? Was it done on purpose? Was it an accident?

Regardless…. one has to wonder, was it a message from God. Was this Devine intervention? I honestly have to place this in the category of:

HE works in mysterious ways….

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