so you support independent work?
Arsenic Lullaby is an independently owned property.
This means I make the final decisions. This means I decide what is funny enough, drawn well enough, and deserves to see the light of day. No editors second guessing or putting a halt to anything because it is not palatable to the general public. Which is a good part of the reason why it is so good, so cutting edge, and so original. Pretty sweet huh? All the stuff the big companies would have taken a pass on or prevented from seeing the light of day if they had any say in things WILL see the light of day. Furthermore all the watering down, clowning up, crappy changes, and cheap stunts that would have been attached …will not be attached.
Here’s what else it means…I pay for everything, I take all the risks, and I have no safety net.
So, let’s be very clear on what is and is not actually “support”.
Support is YOU exchanging money for Arsenic Lullaby, and/or finding others who will exchange money for Arsenic Lullaby.
PERIOD.
Nothing else is actually support. Anything other than that, is you stroking yourself off about how hip you are. PERIOD. You can go around and feel more edgy and hip than some average Joe with a Marvel T-shirt on but guess what? if you aren’t spending any money than HE is actually supporting his books more than you. HE is putting his money where his mouth is while you strut around like a peacock because you know of some book that is better than Spider-man.
“But I don’t have the cash right now ” Oh really? how much have you spent on fast food (big faceless corporation), of fancy coffee? (big faceless corporation) Movies(big faceless corporation)? video games? (big faceless corporation) or other assorted crap that will continue to be produced whether or not you buy it. Furthermore…reread my definition of “support”. Don’t have cash? encourage someone who does to give Arsenic Lullaby a try.
” I got some Arsenic Lullaby stuff last year!” Hey that’s great! funny thing though…I have to pay bills this year too. In fact, and this may shock you, I have to pay bills every month. Furthermore, I have to pay for Arsenic Lullaby to be produced. So you paying for something last year is not “supporting” it is actually “supported”…past tense.
Let me put it this way. You saying you like something is just words. You spending money on it is action.
Arsenic Lullaby has no corporation behind it, no shareholders to fund it, it has YOU. If you support it with your dollars it will continue, if you don’t it will not. Simple as that. Remember Hostess (makers of the twinki)…everyone took it for granted and so it went away, to be bought up by a larger company. The twinki has a simple recipe, anyone following that recipe can make a twinki. Arsenic Lullaby does not have a simple recipe, if someone else owns it , it will likely be vastly different. Arsenic Lullaby is full of stories no one else can or will produce and it will continue on in all of its despicable glory for as long as you exchange dollars for it…and NOT…ONE…SECOND …LONGER.
Arsenic Lullaby has lasted a long time, but just like the twinki…it can go away forever or be changed.
One last thing to keep in mind. The longer it lasts the better it gets. Here is an average page from issue one.
Now, here is an average page from our most recent issue.
Quite a difference. It took a decade to get that good. A decade of hard work, practice, trail and error and sacrifice…and a decade of actual support. The longer it lasts, the better it will get. Keep that in mind when looking over up and coming independents. See something that’s okay, that shows promise…support it. Give it the time it needs to become great. It does not happen overnight.It takes years and hours upon hours…and every hour that the artist, musician, filmmaker, has to spend finding money is an hour less he/she has to improve and become great.
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