Rising Phoenix Infopak (Hot Wings #2)
Scott Alan Malcomson
email version of our most recent company newsletter. Enjoy!
Scott Malcomson
Liaison Officer, Rising Phoenix Comics Group
Table of Contents
Introduction: Notes from the Liaison Officer 1
RPCG and You:
Legal Matters 2
Corporate Philosophy 3
Funding 4-7
Organizational Structure 8-10
Proposals:
Operations 11-17
Literature
Monthly
Quarterly
Annual
Games
Board
Role-Playing
Audio/Video
Animation
Music
Marketing 18-19
Catalogs
Direct
Unconventional
Budget (First Year, Theoretical) 20-22
Frequently Asked Questions and Their Answers 23-24
Contacts List 25-39
Notes From the Liasion Officer
Heyla! It's time for Issue #2 of Hot Wings, and while it's
still a silly name, I haven't yet gotten any better suggestions. In
fact, one or two people said they liked it, so I guess it's gonna
stick <gryn>.
First things first...you may have noticed that this issue is
following rather quickly on Issue #1's heels. Fact is, so much has
changed in the past couple months that a second issue was warranted
almost immediately! So to some extent, I've been able to make up
the time lost getting Issue #1 out. RPCG continues to grow and
evolve every day thanks to your feedback...keep it up! At this
rate, Issue #3'll be out right on schedule!
For those of you new to Hot Wings, it's intended to run for a
year on a quarterly basis to provide interested parties with hard
data on Rising Phoenix Comics Group, as well as to get feedback on
how best to organize this company before we actually seek funding
for it. It's not for art or story submissions, and it's not for
sale --- Hot Wings is for the discussion and refinement of Rising
Phoenix Comics Group and related projects, and costs come straight
out of my pocket. I'm doing this to get people interested and
informed about this company, not to make a buck on the side!
In this issue, we've revised the budget, contacts list, and
project proposals, plus added a list of firms RPCG will be working
with to obtain financing later this year. Some projects have been
withdrawn from the proposals list (Twilight Agency, Guardian
Knights, Fangs of Ka'ath and Sweeney Todd) due to their being
picked up or optioned by other comic companies, while other
projects have been added --- overall, we're continuing to grow and
steadily improve.
Rising Phoenix Comics Group is interested in ANY feedback you
may have, and will accept it in any form you can get it to us...
we're not picky. What we are is determined to get a corporation
down solidly on paper, with as much preparation as possible, in
order to show various venture capital firms that we're a worthy
endeavor to invest in. Without feedback, the only people likely to
tell us about major flaws in our concepts are the backers...right
before the door slams shut! So if you've got ideas, suggestions,
heck, even lewd commentary, send it on in!
That's all the yapping from me for now...on with the show!
Scott Malcomson
Liaison Officer, RPCG
RPCG and You
LEGAL MATTERS
> WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?
We do not want your money...you need it more than we do! What
we do want is feedback and/or advice, and people who are willing to
work for RPCG IF, and ONLY if, we can put a check on their table
FIRST. We need people in all areas, from business management to
inking, and it's my opinion at least that everybody has something
to offer. The question is, what do YOU want to do?
> WHAT'S RPCG'S CURRENT STATUS AS A BUSINESS?
RPCG is not yet formed as an actual corporation. As such, we
CANNOT and WILL NOT accept materials for publication at this time.
That doesn't mean we're not interested in your work; it means that
we're limited to reviewing it and hashing out informal terms for
future publication. RPCG intends to incorporate in the State of
Arizona in January of 1995, and at that time contracts will be sent
to interested parties for their approval/revision/rejection.
> WHO HAS COPYRIGHT?
In all cases, the original owner(s) of the copyright retain(s)
that copyright, PERIOD. We have seen that a corporation which owns
copyrights will try to maximize short-term profits by enhancing
appearance at the expense of substance. Undependable storylines and
fluctuating art styles require an inordinate level of marketing to
sell, causing long-term profits to suffer. We at RPCG feel that
artistic integrity and a commitment to treating our personnel right
will result in better work, which in turn results in higher sales.
> WHEN CAN I START, ASSUMING I'M INTERESTED? WHEN CAN I EXPECT TO
HAVE A CONTRACT, GET PUBLISHED, AND GET PAID?
Plans are to approach the backers in late 1994 and incorporate
in January of 1995. Contracts will be sent upon the corporation's
legal formation, and once signed and returned a month's pay will be
delivered as a sign-on bonus. Thereafter, checks for salaries and
royalties will be disbursed in the last week of each month. January
will be set aside for the pre-production phase, with work beginning
in earnest by February. We're aiming at having our first issues hit
the stands by June, giving us four months of lead time to get into
the swing of things. During this time, we'll be advertising and
soliciting our material to the distributors and dealers.
> WHO'S LEGALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THIS? (WHO DO I SUE?)
Scott Malcomson, the acting Liaison Officer, is responsible
for all legal matters at this time...when RPCG incorporates, the
corporation as a whole will be treated legally as a single entity,
and the Legal Department will handle such affairs. In the meantime,
should you feel a need to put Mr. Malcomson on the grill of law,
please use a spatula and tenderizing mallet for best results.
<yes, that tongue is FIRMLY in cheek>
COMPANY PHILOSOPHY
After careful research into the small press comics market,
it's easy to see why good material by small, independent companies
does not sell nearly as well as the lowest-quality mass-produced
Marvel/DC titles. While one can decry the writing, the artwork, the
layout, the lack of color, or any of a dozen things in virtually
any indie comic, the fact remains that many indie titles are
superior to many of their Big Two counterparts in many ways. Then
if they're quality, why don't they sell...? Put simply, it's the
lack of money, capital.
Because of that lack, there is no money to pay people a
livable wage, meaning they have to hold down a "real" job. Having
less control over how much time one can put towards producing a
comic will affect that comic's quality and frequency drastically...
which in turn will affect sales. A lack of capital also means a
lack of color or worse, a cheap color job. While the introduction
of color would actually detract from the quality of some comics
(the Desert Peach, for instance), in most cases the level of
quality and consumer demand skyrockets.
And finally, when you're struggling just to get the comic out,
odds are you don't have dime one to spend to advertise your book in
trade catalogs, do posters for comic stores or much of anything
else. You're in the position of having what might be the next
Cerebus and not being able to get the word out!
Enter Rising Phoenix Comics Group. The basic idea behind this
organization is that if the creators are supported by the company,
they will turn out work superior to that currently issued by
companies which insist that creators support them. This, in turn,
should result in a higher level of product quality and thus higher
sales. RPCG pays for all the advertising, shipping, printing, and
so on...all the creators have to do is get their material done on
time, the way the creators want it done!
So where's the money to pay for all this coming from?
The next section, FUNDING, will discuss this.
FUNDING
It's rather obvious that a comic company that wants to
maximize its chances for survival and growth needs a hefty chunk of
change to start things off. The best way to get that kind of money,
aside from winning the lottery, is to get financed by a large
institution.
There's no bank that will let that kind of money go without an
ungodly amount of collateral, so that's out. The Small Business
Association refuses to back any business that prints material
"intended to relate ideas", including comics companies --- we were
told that the SBA would be seen as engaging in "favoritism of a
point of view by a government agency", and therefore it would be a
violation of the First Amendment to bankroll us. It's in their
regulations, and letters to Congressmen have yielded nothing but
support --- for the SBA. So that's out too.
Out of all the possible funding sources we might look into, our
best option is venture capital. Firms specializing in this area
make money by investing for their clients in risky ventures with a
potentially high rate of return. Venture capital is a common source
of support for starting large-scale businesses, especially ones
which don't deal with an easily-predictable sort of market. It is
expected that the start-up costs for Rising Phoenix Comics Group
will be approximately $10 million. That sounds like a lot, and it
is, but not compared to most other businesses of this scale. The
question will be: can we justify the costs to the backers with the
promise of potential returns?
Well, in 1993 a new company appeared on the comics scene. In
that same year, they did something almost unheard of: they took
over nearly 15% of all sales in American comics. This, as compared
to DC's 19% and Marvel's 33%, the latter of which dropped from 45%
the previous year.
The company was Image, crewed by an excellent staff of artists
who broke from Marvel to do their own material and survive on their
own merits. Image made a number of screwups...one being that they
began with the attitude that story was secondary to art...but this
did not stop them from becoming successful in a market known for
for the failure of new companies.
Instead, Image succeeded despite its faults because its
members knew a very essential point to survival in comics: sales
are made not just because a comic's art or writing or layout or
editing is superb...a comic may have all that, but still die
because NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT IT. Good marketing campaigns have been
known to sell material that's mediocre (witness Batman II, Aliens
III, and virtually anything from Marvel)...so a good campaign
should be able to work wonders for material that's good to START
with!
These facts will be the cornerstone of our intended pitch when
we seek funding...that traditional forms of corporate-run comics
are wearing sorely thin with the general readership, and that a new
company with new stories can make out like a bandit if handled
properly. Armed with these figures, RPCG intends to form in the
same manner as modern corporations do: seek funding at the start to
pay for payroll, operations, and advertising from Day One.
In this way we hope to succeed where others, trying to survive
without financial support, have either had their efforts blunted or
have sputtered and failed. And incidentally, one reason we're
putting the Contacts List together is so we can show potential
backers that a core of personnel already exists, ready to start
operations as soon as we incorporate and send out the contracts. It
reassures the firm that we're not a fly-by-night operation and that
we won't spend six months filling our ranks before we actually get
any work done!
Now, there are several firms whose basic investment criteria we
meet, and I've listed them elsewhere in this issue. What we're
doing now is formulating long- and short-term business plans to
provide these firms with data they need to make their decision,
including budgets, demographic analyses, and marketing plans.
Last issue, however, I left out info pertaining to exactly who
these firms are. This wasn't a mistake, it was deliberate...RPCG
hasn't actively sought funding yet. We're simply not ready, and
we're NOT going to contact these firms on an official basis until
we ARE ready. But since I didn't include the info, a lot of people
got the impression that there were no firms and that this was all
some sort of scam.
So to clear up that rumor, I've included a list this issue.
It's not complete --- these are only the groups we're most likely
to get funding from. There are a number of other companies we may
be able to work with, but these are our prime candidates. Included
are addresses, phone numbers, contacts, min/max funding levels,
investment criteria and requirements of the company.
ARETE VENTURES, INC
6110 Executive Blvd. (#1040)
Rockville, MD 20852
(301) 881-2555 (contact Jake Tarr)
Min/Max Financing: $250,000/no limit
Requirements: Executive summary, business plan, resumes, financial
info, projections.
Preferred: Historical background, industry description, competitive
analysis, product description.
Investment Criteria: Business is U.S./Canada based.
Investment Policies: No preference specified as to size, assets,
sales or potential earnings; prefers 5yr
projections/pro formas and 2yr financial info.
Response Time: 2-6 months.
BLALACK-LOOP, INC
135 N. Los Robles (#600)
Pasadena, CA 91101
(818) 449-3411 (contact Calvin Loop)
Min/Max Financing: $500,000/$30,000,000
Requirements: Business plan, resumes, financial info, projections,
historical background, industry description, income
tax info, competitive analysis, product description,
management financials, company structure, proprietary
info, product literature.
Investment Criteria: Varies. Experienced management necessary.
Investment Policies: No investor control required; high growth and
return on investment for risk capital.
Response Time: Usually 1-2 weeks.
EQUITY DYNAMICS
2116 Financial Center
Des Moines, IA 50309
(515) 244-5746 (contact John Pappajohn)
Min/Max Financing: $250,000/no limit
Requirements: Business plan (with historical and projections),
historical background, financial info, projections.
Preferred: Proprietary info, industry description, competitive
analysis, product description, resumes.
Investment Criteria: No preference specified as to size, sales,
assets or potential earnings.
Investment Policies: Prefers 3yr financial info and projections/
pro formas.
Response Time: 1 month to express interest, 1 month to commit.
FRONTENAC COMPANY
208 S. LaSalle St. (#1900)
Chicago, IL 60604
(312) 368-0044 (contact Martin Koldyke)
Min/Max Financing: $250,000/$25,000,000
Preferred: Business plan, industry description, competitive
analysis, resumes, financial info, projections.
Investment Criteria: Revenues of $1-$20MM for early stage
financing.
Investment Policies: Investing from Colorado to Pennsylvania;
controlling interest not required; prefers
up to 5yr financial info and 3yr projections/
pro formas.
Response Time: Not indicated.
LUBAR AND CO
777 E. Wisconsin Ave
Milwaukee, WI 53202
(414) 291-9000 (contact James C. Rowe)
Min/Max Financing: for early stage capital, $250,000/$1,250,000
Requirements: Business plan, historical background, industry
description, competitive analysis, product desc.,
product literature, resumes, income tax info,
financial info, company structure, projections.
Investment Criteria: No preference specified as to size, sales,
assets or potential earnings.
Investment Policies: Active role in company, taking a board seat;
no assistance in day-to-day management;
investing early stage capital in Wisconsin
only; prefers 5yr financial info, income tax
statements and projections/pro formas.
Response Time: 1 week.
MERIDIAN LTD
10220 River Road (#115)
Potomac, MD 20854
(301) 983-5000 (contact Jack Casey)
Min/Max Financing: $500,000/$20,000,000
Preferred: Business plan, historical background, industry
description, competitive analysis, product description,
resumes, income tax info, financial info, company
structure, projections, proprietary info, management
financials.
Investment Criteria: High-margin recurring cash flow; strong
management team.
Investment Policies: Must have return of 35% or better; prefers
5yr projections/pro formas, 3yr financial
info, 2yr income tax statements and
management's financials. Management character
and vision a must.
Response Time: 10 days to express interest, 1 month to commit.
RAIN HILL GROUP, INC
90 Broad Street
New York, NY 10004
(212) 483-9162 (contact Michelle Ciacio)
Min/Max Financing: $100,000/$100,000,000
Preferred: Non-confidential product/company/tech description,
business plan, historical background, industry
description, competitive analysis, product description,
resumes, financial info, projections.
Investment Criteria: No preference specified as to size, sales,
assets or potential earnings.
Investment Policies: No financial position in any transaction,
arranger only; prefers 5yr projections/pro
formas, 3yr financial info; firm actively
seeks out investment and acquisition targets
for various corporations.
Response Time: 2 months.
U.S. DOMINION FINANCIAL CORP.
225 N. Palomeres St.
Pomona, CA 91767
(714) 623-4200 (contact Conelly Davidson)
Min/Max Financing: $500,000/$20,000,000
Requirements: Historical background, industry description,
competitive analysis, product description, resumes,
financial info, projections, proprietary info,
management financials.
Preferred: Business plan.
Investment Criteria: Involved worldwide in Europe, South America,
Africa, Far East, and Canada.
Investment Policies: Likes to see ideas with patents; strong
management team; investment levels refer to
each stage of venture: may invest up to
$200MM in a company.
Response Time: Not indicated.
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
Since last issue, several Offices have been dropped due to
high expense compared with relatively low utility. The Investments
Office was dropped when it was noticed that operating the office
itself would cost more than the income it might net. The Stage
Office was let go due to costs and relatively low advertising
efficiency. Finally, the Strategy Office was cut when someone noted
that its functions would be duplicated by other Offices in the
normal course of their operations.
Rising Phoenix Comics Group will operate with a "matrix" style
of management...meaning that all Division, Department, and Office
managers will retain an "open-door policy" at all times, and there
is no strict "command and control" network. People are, of course,
encouraged to use common sense and courtesy in the use of this
policy, which will be included as part of the basic corporate
charter and will not be revokable even if abused. This company
needs as much flexibility as it can get, and if need be we'd rather
hire more assistants for the managers than slam the door shut on
people trying to communicate their ideas and needs!
OVERVIEW
Each Office, Department, and Division will elect a Manager
annually from within its ranks by simple majority vote. In the
event of a tie vote, the Manager of the Internal Relations Office
will cast the tiebreaker. Managers may be recalled and replaced
with an unscheduled election at any time in the event that a
petition for a Vote of No Confidence is submitted to the Internal
Relations Department with a minimum of 75% of RPCG personnel
signing.
The manager's job is to oversee operations within his or her
Office, Department, or Division. This does not include the ability
to fire anyone or regulate a creator's project...such projects are
self-regulating, and the manager's only impact on same is to ensure
that the projects are turned in on time and within the company's
allowable rating level (currently PG-R). Managers also screen new
projects for publication (as applicable) and either give it the go-
ahead or return it based on feasibility, preside over monthly
committee meetings (most likely via computer, using Internet) and
maintain various administrative functions. Managers receive $400
per month in addition to their base salary to compensate for the
increased workload.
In the event, however, that an employee fails to adhere to
their end of their employment contract, the Office Manager has the
right to review said contract and recommend that the Internal
Relations Office Manager declare it null and void. The employee has
the right to a review of the contract and circumstances pertaining
to the given situation by the Internal Relations Department
Manager, who may choose to overrule the IR Office's decision.
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
Literature
* Handles all publications, be they monthly, quarterly,
annual, one-shot, graphic or text, from start to
finish. It will be made up of the various creative
teams, each with a team leader (the copyright holder or
assigned stand-in). This will be supplemented by a
"bullpen" of editors, writers, artists, inkers, etc.,
who will fill in for people on vacation or sick leave.
When not on a project, the bullpen's members will
devote their time to brainstorming, proofreading, and
other odd jobs.
Games
Board
* This Office designs, produces and supports more
traditional forms of gaming, such as wargames,
card games, and so on.
Role-Playing
* Of course, this Office is for RPG development,
but rather than create new ones, it will focus
initially on the development of existing
anthropomorphic RPGs such as Albedo, to include
modules, supplements and miniatures.
Audio/Video
Animation
* For now, Animation has been scaled back to its
original mission of producing homegrown animation
shorts for commerce and the music industry and
doing cleanup/colorization for existing pencil-
test animation.
Music
* Manages the production of music, especially scores
for the Animation Office. Other projects include
the creation of filksinging tapes, most likely
with an anthropomorphic bent.
LIAISON
Public Relations
* This Department handles the press releases and
monitors public reaction to RPCG. Activities
include poll-taking, fielding questions from
fans, assisting creative teams in screening
fan mail, and similar functions.
Internal Relations
* IR is solely for the purpose of making sure
everyone stays away from each others' throats and
plays nice. It serves as a mediator for problems
by providing a nonpartisan forum.
Corporate Relations
* CR manages matters between RPCG and other
businesses, including distributors, dealers,
printing companies, etc.
ADMINISTRATION
Finance
Accounting
* Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable. Manages
all the bills and authorizes monetary outlays.
Marketing
Advertising
* Advertising also includes merchandising. Things
like pawgs, coffee mugs, plush toys, buttons,
calendars and portfolios are very good at getting
our name out to the actual buyers of comics ---
the fans! However, a creator will ALWAYS retain
veto power over the Advertising Office.
Distribution
* Works with distributors, handles shipping, and
manages direct-marketing projects such as phone
sales, referral cards, and so on.
Legal
* RPCG's Legal Department will work to ensure that
infringements on the rights of its affiliates are
firmly dealt with, as well as ensuring company activity
stays in keeping with local, state and federal laws.
Some notes on the processing procedures for comics and
animation: artwork will be penciled and inked as normal. The art is
then fed into a flatbed scanner, which creates a copy of the work
inside the computer (sort of like a Xerox machine, only much more
accurate). Lettering and color is added using a paint program. The
finished product is uploaded to the RPCG Internet server (we don't
have one now, but we will), where it is then downloaded by your
editor. After proofreading, he/she either sends it back to you via
the Internet for more work or forwards it to the central collation
site. At that point, it's organized, put on a diskette, and taken
to the printer's. Ta-daaa!
For animation, it's obviously going to be a little different.
We'll be using tabletop scanners and Amiga 4000s with Video
Toaster/Screamer arrays to minimize workload. Art is drawn as
normal, scanned, and then manipulated using the computer (primarily
in terms of tweening, coloring and editing) to cut down on time and
expense. When complete, the entire animation can be read directly
from the computer to a VCR, just as if the computer were a cable
box. This means that clarity remains high since there is
effectively no "reproduction" step. The resultant videotape is, for
all intents and purposes, a "first-generation" recording.
Insofar as the actual hardware/software goes, we're going to
be upgrading the systems people already have as much as possible to
bring them up to standard (min. of 200Mb HD, 14.4K modem [plus SVGA
and 1200 dpi scanner for artists]). Those who don't have a system
at all will be provided with one. All personnel will be provided
with Internet access to boot.
Next up on the agenda: PROPOSALS.
Proposals
OPERATIONS
Rule Number One: We can never afford to suppress creativity.
If someone has an idea for a game, comic, calendar, what have you,
that person is encouraged to develop the idea and submit it for
approval. The appropriate Office manager will retain a yea/nay
policy where the project is impossible or impractical, but we will
not base decisions on any criteria other than basic quality and
rating limitations (G to R). The creator(s) of a new project will
receive a share of royalties as copyright holder(s), regardless of
whether or not they actually work on the creative team.
Below are listed the current projects under consideration. In
no case should this listing be interpreted as a solid committment
on anyone's part --- this list was compiled by asking the copyright
holder(s) what projects they would like to do if RPCG could afford
to pay them for it. Different creators have different attitudes
towards RPCG, so I've put a number beside each entry ranging from
1 to 5. One essentially means "We'll see", while five means "If you
could bankroll this now, I'd already be at the printer's!".
Since our last issue, some projects have been pulled, either
permanently or temporarily, by their creators. They've been picked
up by other, existing companies or put on the back burner for now.
These include Lia Graf's Guardian Knights and Twilight Agency, as
well as Paul Kidd's Fangs of Ka'ath, and Sweeney Todd by Neil
Gaiman and Mike Zulli. We wish them success!
Literature
MONTHLY PROJECTS
Monthly comics are planned to be 32 pages long, with 8-12 set aside
for advertising at $50/page. Besides producing extra revenues, this
will help reduce workload and let us get the comic out on time!
(3) Rossweisse by Ted Sheppard
A valkyrie and her unwilling servant muddle their
way through the Norman invasion of England, trying to
find a way back to the better graces of Odin.
(5) Nitrocoon by Avi Melman/Mitch Beiro
When evil threatens the city of Tri-Point, only
powered armor flown by Nitrocoon and his comrades can
save the day! Unfortunately, there's this little matter
of surviving high-school midterms first...
(5) Red Shetland by Jim Groat/Richard Konkle
In this parody of Red Sonja, a fiery war-mare must
endure chastity, the antics of her comrades, and PMS in
her search for a stallion who can best her in three
contests --- arm-wrestling, dart-throwing, and drinking!
Also features the copyright enforcement tactics of the
inimitable Atu and Kupu (the Samoan Twins)!
(5) Equine the Uncivilized by Jim Groat/Richard Konkle
"Big brother" to the later Red Shetland series,
Equine began as a parody sketch depicting Conan as a
horse...and took on a life of its own from there. Due to
various problems it was put in stasis, but RPCG is proud
to help revive the title in a monthly color format!
(2) Legends by Terrie Smith
Frankly, folks, your guess is as good as ours. This
is a comic that Terrie Smith has been wanting to do for
quite some time, from what we've been told, but besides
the author's name and the title we have no idea what it's
about. Still, Terrie's one of the best in the business
--- whatever she has in mind, a bomb it ain't!
(5) Moots in Paradise by Chris Sutor
When humans made first contact, the universe
welcomed them with open arms...but humanity wasn't quite
ready to be so trusting. San Diego and its surrounding
environs became a walled-off metropolis called SANCTUARY,
a safezone, trade center and embassy for offworlders.
Join Kilroy Moot, Sloopy Moot, Mosh McMoot, and a host of
other loopy characters as they try to make their own
inimitable way in the SANCTUARY suburb of Paradise City!
(1) (no title as yet) by Vicky Wyman
Anthropomorphic vampires...a story that Vicky Wyman
has apparently been considering doing for some time now.
It will not, we've been told, have to do with Vicky's
well-known Xanadu works.
(3) Virtual Space by Jason Jensen/Stephnie Stone
A state-of-the-art virtual reality center depicting
the players in a furry space opera is being put through
its shakedown paces...but when everything suddenly
becomes very, very real, can the cybernauts cope?
(5) Herman's Tails by Kjartan Arnorsson
The saga of a diehard rat in a dark future, alone
against a government that values expediency above honor.
(4) Dragon's Honor by Tad Withington
A quest of honor and courage lead two mated warriors
to dangerous adventures...with only their mutual love and
combined experience to see them through the perils ahead.
(5) Quilibet by Barry Deutsch/Kip Manley/Jennifer Lee
Other than it's a "fuzzy" fantasy comic about a
frog, I have no other information at this time about
Quilibet.
(5) Kathy and Ash by Barry Deutsch
I have absolutely no info on this one.
(4) Blighted Earth by Tad Withington/Gavin Claxton
Five furries brought together by fate try to survive
as unseen forces push them to an unknown destiny. Set in
a time where the world is wakening and the human race is
dying, leaving behind a legacy of hate for the "Kin".
(4) Shadowtown by Tom Riccardi
In Shadowtown, where the skyscrapers of bloated
corporations and everpresent smog blot out the sun, only
the tough survive. The Wylde Ones, an anthropomorphic
gang operating where they please, are the toughest.
(4) (no title yet) by Gary Wells
Can a handpicked group of commando furries from an
alternate future assassinate Hitler, install a less
fascist regime, break up the death camps, stop the Soviet
juggernaut from overrunning Eastern Europe, and come to
terms of peace with the Allies? Well, just remember...no
plan of battle survives contact with the enemy!
(4) Hart's Blood by Jon Miller/Laurie Beth Brunner
A human boy thrown into a world of anthropomorphic
beings must survive by his wits in order to get home.
(my mistake on this one last issue...it IS supposed to be
a monthly, not a one-shot. Sorry, Jon!)
(3) The Victoria Papers by Reese D'orrycott
A anthropomorphically-told turn-of-the-century
adventure saga, intricately woven with a more serious
bent and in the flavor of the old masters such as
Burroughs and Wells.
(3) Small Conspiracies by R.J. Johnston
What do the death of Marilyn Monroe, the JFK
assassination, and a myriad of tiny, apparently
unconnected, details have in common? Maybe nothing...
maybe everything.
(3) Nevermare by R.J. Johnston
My apologies...I HAD the info on this one, but
lost it. I wasn't able to contact Mr. Johnston again
before this went to press.
(3) Immortality by R.J. Johnston
Again, my apologies. Frankly, there are far too
many comics in this listing with no information on
them --- I'll work on filling the gaps in.
(3) Outpost #29 by Greg Fishbone
Tired of warfare, the hero Minari chooses command of
the isolated oceanside fortress called Outpost #29. But
when daughter Siari returns from exploring with a Human
child in tow, will he ever know peace again?
(3) Balance by Mark Barnard
Opposites attract...though the reasons for that
attraction are sometimes not apparent. A case in point
are the partners of the Just'Us Detective Agency. Tao
is a stolid, cultured ox. Chiang is a street-smart
fighting cock. Whether they catch the crooks or kill
each other first is anyone's guess...
(3) Spire by Mark Barnard/Steven Carter
It's not easy maintaining a reputation as a tough
private eye --- especially if you're a three-foot-tall
felinoid. While detective Adam Spire doesn't inspire
overwhelming confidence by his stature, he has a trick
or two up his sleeve to get the job done...
(3) Gunbunnies! by Mark Barnard
In order to keep their xenophobic lepine culture
untainted by alien elements, the Gunbunnies have set up
an orbital patrol to turn aside all incoming ships. When
the crew of the patrol vessel Redundant slips orbit and
moves out into the more heavily-traveled sections of deep
space, well...we think you get the picture.
(3) Team Ajax by Mark Barnard
In the future, Neo Reno is the capital of the United
States, the insurance industry has become the dominant
force in world politics, and Ajax Underwriting just made
a big mistake...by forming Team Ajax, a group designed to
catch public attention by foiling easy, preset crimes.
Which might have worked, had Team Ajax been allowed to
read the script...
(3) Dog and Cat by Mark Barnard
"Dog" is a male human more involved with the love of
life than methodic investigation. "Cat" is a female
felinoid obsessed with discipline. Together, the loosely-
sanctioned pair (along with their mobile computer Orb)
walk a fine line in the cutthroat world of investigation.
(3) Scarves by Mark Barnard
An anthropomorphic high-tech series set in a dark
and vaguely corrupt future, where the "police" format of
criminal investigation been privatized. The Scarves,
known for the sensor arrays they carry disguised as
neckwear, are some of the best freelancers around.
(3) Skorpion by Mark Barnard
What good is a world of artistic splendor and
wonders, if you can't make a fast buck out of them? At
least that's the way Skorpion, an eccentric master thief,
sees things. With a quirkish love of adventure and using
unorthodox methods and disguises, he sets out to liberate
more than his fair share of the world's wealth.
MONTHLY ANTHOLOGIES
Anthologies are managed differently from the regular titles.
A basic crew will handle editing and layout, and submissions from
artists and writers will fill them out. Creators will be paid from
a pooled fund equal to 5% of gross sales of the book in which their
material appeared. Individuals will receive a share equal to the
percentage of the book which was comprised of their material.
Savage Funnies edited by Kjartan Arnorsson
Anyone who's familiar with Savage Squirrel can
attest that he's a nice enough character --- he just
happens to be certifiably homicidal! This one's for
darkly-humorous stories, furry or otherwise.
All's Fair
This anthology is set aside for high-quality, short
submissions in the PG/R area. Serialized stories are
possible, but not preferred. As the title implies, love
and war are equally valid genres. This title is reserved
for people already known for their work.
The Slamhouse
Reserved for budding artists and writers, Slamhouse
is based conceptually on The Dallas Brawl, a fanzine that
practices interactive general anarchy. Besides keeping the
rating to PG/R, this is an arena for more serious fans to
do comics of their own --- and get paid royalties for it!
QUARTERLIES AND ANNUALS
Generally intended to be 72 pages long, no ads, will likely
sell in the $3.50 price range. Ratings are G-R (no ultra-cute
stuff, although just plain cute is okay, and no disembowelments).
(qtr) Wallflowers
A seasonal pinup magazine, themes being Spring,
Summer, Fall and Winter.
(qtr) Various Supporting Fanzines
Each main title will have a supporting fanzine, run
in the traditional manner (low-cost xeroxed digests and
the like, designed to break even on costs or maybe do a
little bit better) to increase and maintain fan support.
(ann) Wet and Wild!
Annual swimsuit issue. RPCG title characters are
preferred, but space allowing we'll put in just about
anything that doesn't exceed an R rating and is well
drawn.
(ann) RPCG Universe Update
Character Biography Update issue, keeping fans
aware of what's going on in the "lives" of their
favorite characters.
Games
Board
Domination
Currently in the works is a mecha combat game
with mechanics based loosely on those found in the
Magic: The Gathering card game. As with Magic, the
game will be comprised of a series of collector's
cards, which the players use to build decks for
competing with each other. Unlike Magic, there will be
eleven "colors", each representing a race, and the
setting will not be fantasy magery but a futuristic war
for domination of the galaxy. Nine races are derived from
species --- there will be Equines, Mustelids, Avians and
so on, each with unique properties and abilities. The
last two races are the Mysticals, composed of legendary
beings such as dragons and unicorns which have developed
magic-like powers, and Humans, the rarest (but very
potent) race.
Varying levels of technology and equipment, not to
mention types of forces (infantry, armor, mecha, stellar
navy, etc.), can be built through the use of Factories,
which takes the place of the Lands found in Magic. Up to
eleven people can play, each representing a faction
present in a single battle somewhere on the galactic
front, and a solitaire version might be doable.
At this time, approximately a hundred cards have
been created for preliminary playtest, with a couple of
hundred more planned to round out the initial release.
Once playtesting is complete, we will seek out artists to
do artwork for the cards. A couple of future expansions
are already being considered, one being Colony X (wherein
the humans finally get settled into their own solidified
faction and get their hooks into everyone else!). If
Domination gets off the ground before RPCG does, we may
well solicit it to another company or print it on its
own merits.
Albedo at War (possible name)
We might be able to do an operational/strategic-
level wargame based on the Albedo universe. Players will
be able to take the role of the High Command at EDF or
ILR headquarters, moving military assets on the strategic
board and then deciding combat abstractly or moving to
the operational level to micro-manage individual units
such as battalions and regiments. But keep an eye on the
Political Scale...if things drag on too long or the EDF
commits too many atrocities, the ConFed will sue for
peace, and if the ILR loses too many battles or too many
troops, their government will do the same!
Role-Playing
Albedo Supplements and Expansions
Paul Kidd and Steve Gallacci are very interested in
seeing this RPG get more support. RPCG would be working
as a subcontractor to Mr. Gallacci, who along with Mr.
Kidd and Chessex would retain quality control capacity.
Adventure modules, atlases of Known Space, expansions
to the Second Edition and miniatures are all possible
projects.
Audio/Video
Animation
(3) Various Rock Videos
As the popularity of animation, both computer- and
hand-drawn, in music videos increases while expenses of
doing live-shoot videos rise, animation is becoming a
more popular choice of musicians for their videos. It's
RPCG's goal to provide low-cost, high-quality animated
shorts to this market and undercut opposing animation
firms who have much more expensive services. Possible
projects would include animation albums: a videotape
of "oldie" heavy metal songs put to animation would
likely go over very well.
(5) Twaces of Death, Parts I-IV
Ideal Marketing, a video distribution company based
in Mesa, Arizona, wants to compile animation of a violent
nature into a series of four tapes, each being 80-90
minutes in length.
Now, I've seen for myself a lot of good material
that'd fit what they're looking for done as class
projects and such for CalArts Animation College and other
institutions, plus homegrown material that'd fit the
bill. Much of it, however, is in the form of pencil-test
work, and would need a lot of touching up before release.
Given that current technology allows one to read a video
tape directly into a computer, from which point cleanup
and painting becomes much faster and easier to do, I
believe we can manage this project easily enough.
Terms have changed since last issue...for the
better! Royalties are now set at 40% per tape sold, each
tape costing $25 wholesale and estimated sales reaching
25,000. Given those figures, we're looking at $250,000
in royalties for the FIRST tape! Those royalties would be
split evenly between everyone involved with putting the
tape together. Rights to the animation remains with the
creators; one-time release rights are what's being done.
Music
As might be expected, major projects will include writing
the scores for projects in other departments as needed.
The production of filk tapes in conjunction with another
company is a likelihood.
MARKETING
Twenty comic titles will provide the company's backbone.
These titles will be monthly, color when applicable, and high
quality, all marketed with vicious tenacity. These books will be
supported by RPCG's merchandising lines (pawgs, cards, posters,
calendars, portfolios, buttons, pins, stamps, etc.).
Monthly per-title sales figures we're aiming for are 20,000,
which, given 20 titles selling at $2.50 each, gives us a $12M/year
(not counting any merchandising sales) gross income...enough to pay
for operations and show a seven-digit profit into our second year.
That gets investors interested!
A major portion of our budget is geared towards attaining
those high sales goals through aggressive marketing to dealers and
comics buyers through use of distributor services, direct-to-dealer
marketing and maintaining a high profile at conventions and trade
shows around the nation. Less conventional advertising, like doing
custom animation for rock videos and use of a referral card system,
will supplement the primary marketing plans.
CATALOGS
Unfortunately, at least for the first year there's no way
around dealing with the distributors. Previously I suggested we
sell a minimum of our material through them and use their catalogs
to advertise direct-market discounts, but a lot of people are
against that, and on further reflection so am I --- it's too flaky.
However, there's a major drawback to selling via distributors:
they want 60-70% of cover price, which doesn't include shipping and
freight charges to distribution centers nor does it cover any sort
of advertising above the basic solicitation listing...a mere
paragraph in their catalog. That's a big chunk out of our hides, no
matter how you slice it, for little in return. After the first
couple of years RPCG will likely produce its own catalog to be sent
directly to dealers, but initially we'll have to work distributors
until we can build a reputation for prompt, courteous service.
So we're gonna do it with a VENGEANCE. We're figuring on
grabbing a solid block of at least ten pages in the major catalogs
plus Previews and other trade 'zines for the first six months prior
to release of our first issues. These ads will include cards that
can be sent in for free copies of #1 issues so that buyers can
"test the waters" and see if they like us...the freebies will be
limited to 2,000 copies per title, which is our currently-planned
overprint margin. We'll see if we can't swing some interviews as
well. The emphasis will be to illustrate how other comic companies
are look-alikes and that RPCG represents a new, fresh change from
angst-ridden anti-heroes and fights in tights.
Right now, Dark Horse is in the middle of a similar ad
campaign, but our material is even more different from the
mainstream than their is --- I think we stand a good chance of
stealing their thunder in a big way. If 1994 is going to be the
Year of the Horse, 1995 will be the Year of the Phoenix!
DIRECT
During our first year, our direct dealing will of necessity be
limited to sending flyers offering 40%-50% discounts to dealers via
the distribution network. This is already a standard business
practice, and a generally successful one for independent companies.
It's also been brought to my attention that subscriptions should be
made available at a discount so that the fans can get the stuff
direct. D'oh! Why didn't I think of that? Sounds good to me...a 25%
discount on annual subscriptions has been suggested as a reasonable
starting point. We can really use some feedback on this one, folks!
UNCONVENTIONAL
One means of unconventional marketing would be the Referral
Network. RPCG will print up numbered and laminated Referral Cards,
each one having our company logo and information for dealers on how
to order. These will be freely distributed at conventions to fans,
who will be paid $10 every time a dealer purchases at least $250
worth of merchandise and sends in the card number with the order!
Then there's simple bribery: all of our comics will be
numbered, and each month the Manager of the Literature Office
chooses one of those numbers at random. The next month, that number
is published in the editorial section of all of our comics, and
whoever turns the comic in gets $10,000! They can mail us the whole
comic for later return, clip the number out, whatever. This will
inspire confidence in buyers that we won't simply dry up and
disappear next month, plus get a lot of people to check us out in
the first place!
In the next section we cover the revised BUDGET.
BUDGET
I've done some heavy revamping on this one to bring it in line
with reality. It still assumes we'll have twenty monthly titles
plus quarterlies and such, but it no longer leaves out estimated
revenues from merchandising and it cuts estimated monthly sales
back to 20,000/title/issue. It also writes off the first six months
as loss leaders with no income whatsoever and rewrites the budget
to reflect an annual arrangement. Further, I'm assuming no direct
sales of significance can be managed during our first year, so
everything we do will be through distributors at first.
Deemed unnecessary during our first year are the Investments,
Stage, and Strategy Offices, so they've been cut entirely. The
personnel slots for all Offices have been shaved down quite a bit,
too, while at the same time the payroll has been expanded. All
figures are generalized to include the Office's total expenses for
the year, including supplies and cost overruns. Remember: a central
location, most likely someone's house, will act as the collation
center. Everyone else will operate from their homes as well, doing
the work and uploading it to a computer net for transfer. This is
to avoid the costs of relocating everyone and paying for commercial
space in an office building --- it's just not necessary. Many
thanks to Mitch Marmel, whose advice pertaining to payroll proved
drastically helpful! Kudi, Mitch!
ESTIMATED INFLOW/OUTFLOW FOR 1/01/1995 - 6/30/1995
Inflows
Gross Sales 0
Outflows
Loan Repayment (@12% APR) 149,122
Interest Paid on Loan 330,878
Payroll/Estimated Royalties 1,110,000
Printing Costs (sans Jan/Feb) 1,408,000
Merchandise/Advertising Costs 700,000
Computer Network Setup Costs 250,000
Office Budgets 763,000
OUTFLOWS, 1/01 - 6/30: $ 4,711,000
ESTIMATED INFLOW/OUTFLOW FOR 7/01/1995 - 12/31/1995
Inflows
Gross Sales 7,200,000
Estimated Advertising Revenue 60,000
Outflows
Loan Repayment (@ 12% APR) 149,122
Interest Paid on Loan 330,878
Payroll/Estimated Royalties 1,470,000
Printing Costs 2,112,000
Merchandise/Advertising Costs 700,000
Office Budgets 752,000
OUTFLOWS, 7/01 - 12/31: $ 5,514,000
1995 INFLOWS $ 7,260,000
1995 OUTFLOWS $ 10,225,000
1995 PROFIT/LOSS $ -2,965,000
1996+ INFLOWS: $ 14,520,000
1996+ OUTFLOWS (est): $ 11,000,000
1996+ PROFIT/LOSS: $ +3,520,000
INCOME BREAKDOWN (1/01 - 6/30)
No sales are assumed for this period.
INCOME BREAKDOWN (7/01 - 12/31)
Literature Office
Comic Sales, Distributor 2,400,000
(20 titles x 20,000 sales
x 6 months x $2.50/copy,
net after 60% discount)
Advertising Office
Merchandise Sales 4,800,000
(twice Literature: CSD)
Advertising Revenue 60,000
COSTS BREAKDOWN
Note: All Payroll entries include Sign-On Bonuses.
Accounting Office (2 people)
Payroll 40,000
Budget 50,000
Advertising Office (3 people)
Payroll 60,000
Merchandising Costs 1,400,000
Budget 385,000
Animation Office (5 people)
Payroll 100,000
Computer Network Setup Costs 50,000
Budget 225,000
Board (Games) Office (5 people)
Payroll 100,000
Budget 90,000
Corporate Relations Dept. (2 people)
Payroll 40,000
Budget 65,000
Distribution Office (2 people)
Payroll 40,000
Budget 64,000
Internal Relations Dept. (3 people)
Payroll 60,000
Budget 65,000
Legal Office (1 person+retained firm)
Payroll (includes $10K retainer) 40,000
Budget 44,000
Literature Office (75 people)
Payroll 1,500,000
Royalties (estimated) 360,000
Printing (.80/copy x 22,000) 3,520,000
Computer Network Setup Costs 200,000
Budget 180,000
Music Office (5 people)
Payroll 100,000
Budget 20,000
Public Relations Dept. (2 people)
Payroll 40,000
Budget 65,000
Roleplaying (Games) Office (5 people)
Payroll 100,000
Budget 90,000
Our next section covers Frequently-Asked Questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
> WHEN AND WHAT WILL PEOPLE BE PAID?
Right now we're going with a salary plus royalties. There's
been a change here...we used to have a base salary of $13.5K/yr for
everyone, but this would be unfair to those who do more work of
higher quality than others. Thus, the total number of job slots has
been cut back in order to allow a range of salaries from $13.5K -
$40K/yr, paid on a monthly basis. On average, salaries will gross
roughly $20K/yr, and will be adjusted for cost-of-living increases
annually. This is currently estimated at 5%. In no case does this
salary require 40 hours a week to be worked: the idea is to get the
material done on time and done well, and the salary is there to
support the people who do it, period.
Holidays and two weeks of vacation a year will be paid.
Conventions and similar functions will be considered business, and
therefore paid, although Rising Phoenix will not necessarily foot
the bill for travel and lodging accomodations.
Five percent of the gross sales for any project will be split
between the members of its team as royalties. A team is broken up
into jobs, so if five jobs are required to put out a comic and one
person does two of them (say, pencilling and inking), that person
gets two shares of the royalties. The copyright holder(s) is (are)
considered to occupy a job slot on any creative team. In event of
multiple holders, the slot's royalties are divided between all
holders evenly. The same holds true for other "split" jobs (for
instance, if more than one person letters an issue).
> WHAT RATING/COMPLEXITY OF MATERIAL DO YOU WANT TO PUBLISH?
Primarily, we're gearing towards PG and R ratings. NC-17 and
the various X materials will be handled, but most likely under a
separate imprint...and the expenses incurred by that will mean that
the NC-17/X stuff will unfortunately have to wait until we can
afford to print them. G-rated material will not be handled unless
the content is complex enough to engage older readers. Our primary
marketing target will be people in their late teens to mid-twenties
...the age when most people drop comics as too "childish".
> HOW DO WRITERS AND ARTISTS ASK TO WORK WITH SOMEONE ELSE WITHOUT
HARD FEELINGS OR POLITICAL BACKLASH?
Again, this is self-regulating; Rising Phoenix doesn't want
anyone working with people they can't perform to top capacity with.
Internal Relations will mediate if asked to by at least one party.
We can't afford to let petty power politics run this business.
> WHAT ARE YOUR DEADLINES FOR SUBMISSION?
We'll be working a monthly rate for our main titles, with
one or two quarterlies, a couple of annuals, and various miniseries
or one-shots as the mood and funds become available. A title should
be completed at least four months prior to its hitting the shelves,
due to the time required to solicit dealers and distributors, as
well as necessary interim marketing. We intend to use a graphic/
text computer network to transmit work across the nation, making
the deadline crunch easier to deal with.
> HOW WILL WRITERS AND ARTISTS INTERACT AS TO THE FLOW OF A STORY?
The creative teams will be self-regulating. The only
requirements from the company are that the work be of high quality
and produced on time. The owner of the copyright on a project will
have final say in all matters. In the event of multiple ownership,
one person will need to be designated by the holders as "team
leader". This will have no actual impact on copyright holdings.
> HOW FURRY-LITERATE DO YOU EXPECT THE AUDIENCE, WRITERS AND
ARTISTS, AND FINANCIAL BACKERS TO BE?
Well, as to the backers, they don't need to be literate. No
investment firm is an expert in every field that they invest in;
what they do is ensure that whoever's in charge knows what they're
doing. For writers and artists, as not all of our titles are
expected to be furry (we will not restrict ourselves) in the first
place, there is no requirement of "furriness". The company's only
requirements are quality and punctuality. As for the audience...
that's kind of a tricky question. Anthropomorphics exist throughout
American popular culture; it's just not very mature for the most
part. We feel there is a broad base to build a market from, but it
has not yet been properly dealt with due to lack of funds for
decent marketing. The true market may range between 1% to 20% of
the current buyers of comics in the United States.
> HOW MUCH LATITUDE DO THE INVESTORS HAVE IN DETERMINING WHAT GETS
PUBLISHED?
None. We aren't approaching furries, or even comics fans; we
are approaching venture capital firms. What intervention they may
demand will likely be within the management of our Finance
Department, to keep tabs on what we're doing with their money. If
the investors are not well-informed as to the comics industry, but
demand the right to micromanage, we will not deal with them. We'd
go under very quickly if we did.
> WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR FINANCIAL AND EDITORIAL QUESTIONS?
Currently, that's Scott Malcomson. As Liaison Officer in a
company without many positions yet filled, those duties fall to him
until we can get more qualified personnel to fill the slots.
> WHERE DO I SEND SAMPLES OF MY WORK?
Rising Phoenix Comics Group
c/o Scott Malcomson, Liaison Officer
1834 E. Citation Lane
Tempe, Arizona 85284
or call: (602) 839-5405 or (602) 820-5169
Also on InterNet at hors...@indirect.com.
Contacts List
As of this writing Steve Fellows, Jeff Dee and Chris Keroack
have chosen to drop from involvement with RPCG. All cited pressing
schedules and inability to devote time to the project as reasons
for the drops... I know we all wish them luck in future endeavors.
Also, by popular demand (letterbombs do wonders for editorial
changes, believe you me! <gryn>), the List has been alphabetized!
Huzzah! Now, can I have those incriminating negatives...?
By no means should this contacts list be interpreted as a
solid committment by any party in regards to RPCG. These names are
solely those of people interested in the project and who wish to
receive more information. Do not abuse this list by using it for
other than business purposes; such actions may be punishable by
civil and criminal codes under federal, state and local law.
NAME Kjartan Arnorsson
ADDRESS Hrunbraut 14, Lava Lane
CITY/STATE Kopavogi, Iceland 200
INTEREST1 Penciling
INTEREST2 Inking
INTEREST3 Cartooning
NOTES Creator (Herman's Tails/Savage Funnies)
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature
POSITION Creator/Artist
NAME Mark Barnard
ADDRESS 552 S. Paula Street
CITY/STATE Wichita, Kansas 67209-1617
INTEREST1 Writing
INTEREST2 Inking
NOTES Creator/Writer (Skorpion/Scarves/Team Ajax/Spire/
Gunbunnies!/Balance).
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature
POSITION Creator/Writer
NAME Mitchell Beiro
ADDRESS 14800 Lemoly (#1)
CITY/STATE Gardena, California 90249
PHONE (310) 973-0660
INTEREST1 Pencilling
INTEREST2 Inking
INTEREST3 Writing
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature
POSITION Artist
NAME Laurie Beth Brunner
ADDRESS 35 Birch St.
CITY/STATE Quincy, Massachusetts 02171
EMAIL sn...@glue.umd.edu
PHONE (617) 773-9351
INTEREST1 Drawing/Inking
INTEREST2 Coloring
INTEREST3 Writing
NOTES Co-Artist/Writer (Hart's Blood)
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature
POSITION Artist/Writer
NAME Charles Caffrey
ADDRESS 196 N. Purdue (#210)
CITY/STATE Oak Ridge, Tennesee 37830
PHONE (615) 483-3342
EMAIL cca...@ctp.org
INTEREST1 Illustrating
INTEREST2 Writing
INTEREST3 Video/Music
NOTES 7-year Amiga vet; has friend with an Amiga 4000
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature/A-V
POSITION Writer/Artist
NAME Susan Van Camp
ADDRESS 768 Tacken Ave.
CITY/STATE Flint, Michigan 48532
INTEREST1 Painting
INTEREST2 Portraits
NOTES Will do cover art, illos, but not comics.
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature
POSITION Cover Artist
NAME Gavin Claxton
INTEREST1 Artist
INTEREST2 RPGs/Miniatures
INTEREST3 Animation
NOTES Co-Creator/Artist (Blighted Earth)
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature
POSITION Creator/Artist
NAME Genesis Cook
EMAIL Gen...@okcforum.osrhe.edu
NAME Steve Corbett
ADDRESS P.O. Box 44285
CITY/STATE Tucson, Arizona 85733
PHONE (602) 881-7318
INTEREST1 Drawing
INTEREST2 Inking
INTEREST3 Plot Development
INTEREST4 Comic Layout
INTEREST5 General Reference
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature
POSITION Writer/Artist
NAME Mike Curtis
ADDRESS 4455 Galveston
CITY/STATE Beaumont, Texas 77703
PHONE (409) 898-7864
INTEREST1 Writing
NOTES Mike has been writing comics for several years, from
Harvey's Richie Rich to Antarctic Press' Shanda the
Panda.
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature
POSITION Writer
NAME Ron Deaver
ADDRESS 3873 Bach-Buxton Road
CITY/STATE Amelia, Ohio 45102-1011
PHONE (513) 752-5409
PHONE (BBS) (513) 752-8431 (Changewinds, 1:108/237)
EMAIL ron.d...@chgwinds.darkhrse.com
INTEREST1 Computer Consultant
INTEREST2 Business
INTEREST3 Marketing
INTEREST4 Product Development
INTEREST5 Graphic Layouts
NOTES Taliesin (McLeod) on FurryMuck, BBS Sysop
DIVISION Liaison/Product Development
DEPARTMENT Public Relations/Literature
POSITION PR Assistant/Layout Assistant
NAME Paul Defenbaugh
ADDRESS 1007 N. Neil (B)
CITY/STATE Champaign, Illinois 61820
INTEREST1 Colorist
NOTES Ravenscroft on FurryMuck.
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature
POSITION Colorist
NAME Barry Deutsch
ADDRESS 17 Edgehill Place
CITY/STATE Amherst, Massachusetts 01002
EMAIL enn...@student.umass.edu
INTEREST1 Writing
INTEREST2 Drawing
INTEREST3 Inking
NOTES Creator (Kathy and Ash), co-writer/artist
(Quilibet).
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature
POSITION Creator/Writer/Artist
NAME Reese D'orrycott
ADDRESS 7503 Westlyn Dr.
CITY/STATE San Antonio, Texas 78227-2772
PHONE (210) 670-1626
INTEREST1 Writing
INTEREST2 Computer Consultant
INTEREST3 Desktop Publishing
NOTES Creator/Writer (The Victoria Papers)
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature
POSITION Creator/Writer
NAME Eric Elliot
ADDRESS 3925 N. Ceanothus (D)
CITY/STATE Calibasas, California 91302
EMAIL rey...@netcom.com
INTEREST1 Pencilling
INTEREST2 Inking
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature
POSITION Artist
NAME Michael Elliott
ADDRESS 7721 N. 23rd Ave.
CITY/STATE Phoenix, Arizona 85021
PHONE (602) 995-1037
INTEREST1 Music (synthesizer)
NOTES An excellent keyboardist.
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Audio/Video
OFFICE Any
POSITION Musician
NAME Charles Ettinger
ADDRESS 3240 Cortina Court (#6)
CITY/STATE Memphis, Tennessee 38115
PHONE (901) 360-0245
NAME Darrel L. Exline
ADDRESS 2020 E. Broadway (#107)
CITY/STATE Tempe, Arizona 85282
PHONE (602) 966-9237
EMAIL dar...@indirect.com
INTEREST1 Computer Consultant
INTEREST2 Public Relations
NOTES Sysop, Polar Den BBS
DIVISION Liaison
DEPARTMENT Public Relations
POSITION PR Officer/Technical Assistant
NAME James Firmiss
ADDRESS 1309 Spring St. (#203)
CITY/STATE Madison, Wisconsin 53715
EMAIL fir...@cae.wisc.edu
NOTES Neikrad/Foxx_Fox on FurryMuck.
NAME Leslie Fish
ADDRESS P.O. Box 9284
CITY/STATE Phoenix, Arizona 85068-9284
INTEREST1 Songwriting
INTEREST2 Filksinging
NOTES One of the premiere members of filking fandom.
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Audio-Video
POSITION Musician
NAME Greg Fishbone
ADDRESS 1300 Cecil B. Moore Ave. (#112)
CITY/STATE Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122
EMAIL fish...@astro.ocis.temple.edu
INTEREST1 Writing
INTEREST2 Legal Assistance
INTEREST3 Marketing Assistance
NOTES Creator, (Outpost #29), second-year law student.
DIVISION Admin/Liaison/PD
DEPARTMENT Marketing/Legal/Lit
POSITION Creator/Writer
NAME Timothy A. Fitelson
ADDRESS USS Valley Forge CG-50 MP Div.
CITY/STATE FPO, AP 96682-1170
INTEREST1 Colorist
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature
POSITION Colorist
NAME Stefan Gagne
ADDRESS 912 Pointer Ridge Dr.
CITY/STATE Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878
INTEREST1 Writing
NOTES Twoflower on FurryMuck
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature
POSITION Writer
NAME Roz Gibson
ADDRESS 25735 Hogan Dr. (#E-14)
CITY/STATE Valencia, California 91355
EMAIL Cus...@netcom.com
INTEREST1 Artwork
INTEREST2 Writing
INTEREST3 Bird-watching
NOTES Graduated Cal Arts Animation School late '80s.
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature/A-V
POSITION Creator/Animator
NAME Daniel Gill
ADDRESS P.O. Box 138
CITY/STATE Portage, Ohio 43451
PHONE (419) 352-5072
EMAIL dg...@andy.bgsu.edu
INTEREST1 Writing
INTEREST2 Ad Design
DIVISION Product Development/Admin
DEPARTMENT Literature/Games/A-V/Marketing
POSITION Writer/Ad Designer
NAME Dean Graf
ADDRESS 6250 Holabird St. (#1)
CITY/STATE San Diego, California 92120
EMAIL tyg...@netcom.com
INTEREST1 Art
INTEREST2 Writing
INTEREST3 Business
DIVISION Administration
DEPARTMENT Finance
OFFICE Accounting
POSITION Accounting Office Manager
NAME Lia Graf
ADDRESS 6250 Holabird St. (#1)
CITY/STATE San Diego, California 92120
EMAIL tyg...@netcom.com
INTEREST1 Art
INTEREST2 Writing
INTEREST3 Business
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature
POSITION Creator/Artist
NAME John C. Grindstaff
ADDRESS 38 Baxter Dr.
CITY/STATE Norwalk, Connecticut 06854
PHONE (203) 855-1341
EMAIL j.grin...@genie.geis.com
INTEREST1 Computer Consultant
NOTES Specializes in electronic systems design.
DIVISION Administration
DEPARTMENT Planning
OFFICE Policy Formation
POSITION Computer Specialist
NAME Jim Groat
ADDRESS P.O. Box 8554
CITY/STATE Madison, Wisconsin 53708
INTEREST1 Penciling
INTEREST2 Inking
INTEREST3 Editing
NOTES Manages GraphXpress as one of several co-owners.
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature
POSITION Creator/Editor
NAME Bill Grobe
ADDRESS 201 S. Muroc Pl.
CITY/STATE Fullerton, California 92633
INTEREST1 Writing
INTEREST2 Art (maybe)
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature/Games/A-V
POSITION Writer
NAME Christina Hanson
ADDRESS 1044 Valentine Lane
CITY/STATE Fallbrook, California 92028
PHONE (707) 554-3415
INTEREST1 Pencilling
INTEREST2 Inking
NOTES Part One of "Team Cris".
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature
POSITION Artist
NAME Robert Hanz
EMAIL xrh...@ccvax.fullerton.edu
NAME Robert Henney
ADDRESS 11 Institute Dr. (Strout Hall, Box #241)
CITY/STATE Concord, New Hampshire 03301-7412
NAME Richard Hernandez
ADDRESS 424 Church Ave.
CITY/STATE Chula Vista, California 91910
PHONE (619) 425-7519
INTEREST1 Woodcarving
INTEREST2 Cartooning
INTEREST3 Oil painting
NOTES Carved figurine depicted in "Dragoness.GIF".
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature
POSITION Artist
NAME Max Ink
ADDRESS 276 Mainsail Drive
CITY/STATE Westerville, Ohio 43081
PHONE (614) 899-1809
INTEREST1 Penciling
INTEREST2 Lettering
INTEREST3 Inking
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature
POSITION Artist
NAME Jason Jensen
ADDRESS 2421 Tottingham Road
CITY/STATE Henderson, Nevada 89014
INTEREST1 General Assistance
INTEREST2 Writing
NOTES Creator/Writer (Virtual Space)
DIVISION Administration/Product Development
DEPARTMENT Finance/Literature
POSITION Finance Department Manager/Pool Writer
NAME Richard Johnston
ADDRESS 340 Sunderland Road, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear
CITY/STATE England NE8 3QP
PHONE c/o 0977 795196 (parents)
EMAIL r.j.jo...@ncl.ac.uk
INTEREST1 British Weirdo Artist Writing!
INTEREST2 The Global Media
INTEREST3 Pop Culture
NOTES Writer/Artist (Nevermare/ Small Conspiracies), Writer
(Immortality)
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature
POSITION Writer/Artist/Letterer
NAME Paul Kidd
ADDRESS 45 York St.
CITY/STATE Eltham, Victoria, Australia 3095
PHONE (+613) 431-2437
INTEREST1 Pro games designer
INTEREST2 Novel/comics author
INTEREST3 Film scripts
NOTES Writer (Fangs of Ka'ath/Albedo RPG)
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature/Games
POSITION Game Designer/Writer
NAME Jennifer Lee
ADDRESS 17 Edgehill Place
CITY/STATE Amherst, Massachusetts 01002
INTEREST1 Writing
INTEREST2 Drawing
INTEREST3 Inking
INTEREST4 Coloring
INTEREST5 Logo design
NOTES Colorist (Quilibet)
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature
POSITION Writer/Artist
NAME Ron Levy
EMAIL rl...@aludra.usc.edu
INTEREST1 Writing
NOTES Primarily interested in X-rated writing.
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature
POSITION Writer
NAME Michele Light
ADDRESS 8009 Nightingale
CITY/STATE San Diego, California 92123
PHONE (805) 943-6919
INTEREST1 Cartooning
INTEREST2 Illustration
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature
POSITION Artist
NAME James B. Littlejohn
ADDRESS 4248 Altadena Av.
CITY/STATE San Diego, California 92115
PHONE (619) 284-7852
EMAIL jj...@pro-amber.cts.com
NOTES Has experience in printing.
DIVISION Administration
DEPARTMENT Finance
OFFICE Accounting
POSITION Admin Assistant
NAME Walter Lyzohub, Jr.
ADDRESS 24919 S. Sylbert Rd.
CITY/STATE Redford Township, Michigan 48239
PHONE (313) 534-8650
INTEREST1 Writing
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature/Games/A-V
POSITION Writer
NAME Michael-Scot McMurry
ADDRESS 7414 E. Moreland St.
CITY/STATE Scottsdale, Arizona 85257
PHONE (602) 945-8801
INTEREST1 Cartooning
INTEREST2 Illustration
INTEREST3 Bookkeeping (?)
DIVISION Admin/PD
DEPARTMENT Finance/Literature
POSITION Artist/Bookkeeper
NAME Scott Malcomson
ADDRESS 1834 E. Citation Ln.
CITY/STATE Tempe, Arizona 85284
PHONE (602) 839-5405
EMAIL hors...@indirect.com
INTEREST1 Internal Relations
INTEREST2 Business Management
INTEREST3 Accounting
NOTES The yahoo who came up with this loopy idea...
DIVISION Liaison
DEPARTMENT Public/Internal/Corporate Relations
POSITION Liaison Officer
NAME Kip Manley
ADDRESS 17 Edgehill Place
CITY/STATE Amherst, Massachusetts 01002
INTEREST1 Writing
NOTES Co-writer (Quilibet)
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature
POSITION Writer
NAME Peter Manly
ADDRESS 1533 W. 7th St.
CITY/STATE Tempe, Arizona 85281
PHONE (602) 966-3920
EMAIL pete...@bix.com
INTEREST1 Writing
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature
POSITION Writer
NAME M. Mitchell Marmel
ADDRESS 263 S. 9th Street
CITY/STATE Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107-5732
PHONE (215) 238-9899
EMAIL marm...@dunx1.ocs.drexel.edu (Internet)
1:273/952.1 (FidoNet)
INTEREST1 Desktop Publishing
INTEREST2 Computer Graphics
INTEREST3 Telecommunications
INTEREST4 Writing
NOTES Experienced executive assistant; Major Matt Mason on
FurNet/FurryMuck/Internet. Lettering experience
(Red Shetland); writing experience (Refractions/
Philadelphia Welcomat).
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature
POSITION Facilitator
NAME Avi Melman
ADDRESS 13 W. Yale Loop
CITY/STATE Irvine, California 92714
PHONE (714) 786-0806
EMAIL do...@orion.oac.uci.edu
INTEREST1 Writing
INTEREST2 Subtitling
NOTES Creator (Nitrocoon)
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature/AudioVideo
POSITION Creator/Writer
NAME Karl F. Meyers
ADDRESS 5590 Maverick Rd.
CITY/STATE Middleburg, Florida 32068
EMAIL kme...@nyx.cs.du.edu
INTEREST1 Writing
NOTES B.J. Bunny on FurryMuck.
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature/Games/A-V
POSITION Writer
NAME Jonathan L. Miller
ADDRESS 420 Riverglade Dr. (#740C)
CITY/STATE Amherst, Massachusetts 01002
EMAIL jlmi...@hamp.hampshire.edu
INTEREST1 Writing
INTEREST2 Editing
NOTES Creator/Writer (Hart's Blood)
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature
POSITION Creator/Writer
NAME Phil Morrisey
ADDRESS 3907 W. Division
CITY/STATE Springfield, Missouri 65803-5443
EMAIL pmor...@ozarks.sgcl.lib.mo.us
INTEREST1 Inking
INTEREST2 Pencilling
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature
POSITION Artist
NAME James Mullen
ADDRESS 2500 S. Salta Ave. (#45)
CITY/STATE Santa Ana, California
INTEREST1 Games Development
INTEREST2 Writing
NOTES Project Manager (Domination), Kensan on Furrymuck.
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Games
POSITION Writer
NAME Robert Newell
ADDRESS P.O. Box 44285
CITY/STATE Tucson, Arizona 85733
PHONE (602) 881-7318
INTEREST1 Penciling
INTEREST2 Inking
INTEREST3 Lettering
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature
POSITION Artist
NAME Dennis Palmero
ADDRESS 7030 Albatross Dr.
CITY/STATE Buena Park, California 90620
PHONE (714) 522-2924
EMAIL dpal...@benfranklin.hnet.uci.edu
INTEREST1 Writing
INTEREST2 Research
NOTES Phesius on Furrymuck.
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature
POSITION Editor
NAME Zjonni Perchalski
EMAIL ro...@netcom.com
INTEREST1 Editing
INTEREST2 Marketing
INTEREST3 Publishing
NOTES Has experience talking to venture firms.
DIVISION Administration
DEPARTMENT Marketing
NAME Tom Riccardi
ADDRESS 201 S. Muroc Place
CITY/STATE Fullerton, California 92633
EMAIL joh...@kaiwan.com
INTEREST1 Writing
NOTES Creator (Shadowtown)
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature
POSITION Writer/Creator
NAME Steven Scharff
ADDRESS 926 Chaps Cir.
CITY/STATE Henderson, Nevada 89015
PHONE (702) 566-1802
INTEREST1 Typesetting
INTEREST2 Copywriting
INTEREST3 Publicity
INTEREST4 Writing
INTEREST5 Logo Design
DIVISION Liaison
DEPARTMENT Public Relations
POSITION PR Specialist
NAME Paula Schricker
ADDRESS 1220 E. Clearwind Pl.
CITY/STATE Tucson, Arizona 85737
PHONE (602) 825-2265
INTEREST1 Colorist
INTEREST2 Design
INTEREST3 Inking
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature
POSITION Colorist
NAME David Shapiro
ADDRESS 10926 Jollyville Rd. (#805)
CITY/STATE Austin, Texas 78759
INTEREST1 Editor
INTEREST2 Writer
NOTES Interested in short story work.
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature
POSITION Writer/Editor
NAME Ted Sheppard
ADDRESS 3435 E. Water
CITY/STATE Tucson, Arizona 85716
INTEREST1 Penciling
INTEREST2 Writing
NOTES Creator/Writer/Artist (Rossweisse)
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature
POSITION Artist/Writer
NAME B.J. Smith
ADDRESS 209 Milford Street
CITY/STATE Toledo, Ohio 43605
EMAIL bsm...@andy.bgsu.edu
INTEREST1 Penciling
INTEREST2 Inking
INTEREST3 Writing
INTEREST4 Animation
NOTES Simon_Katt on FurryMuck
NAME Terrie Smith
ADDRESS 3675 Bellingham Ave.
CITY/STATE San Diego, California 92104
EMAIL jag...@netcom.com
INTEREST1 Penciling
INTEREST2 Inking
NOTES Creator (Legends)
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature
POSITION Creator/Artist
NAME Greg Stilwell
ADDRESS 3240 Cortina Court (#6)
CITY/STATE Memphis, Tennessee 38115
PHONE (901) 360-0245
NAME Stephnie Stone
ADDRESS 115 Marsh Oak Drive
CITY/STATE Brunswick, Georgia 31525
NOTES Artist (Virtual Space)
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature
POSITION Artist
NAME Chris Sutor
ADDRESS 111 Dunsinane Drive
CITY/STATE Newcastle, Delaware 19720
PHONE (302) 328-0665
EMAIL richa...@eworld.com
INTEREST1 Writing
INTEREST2 Artwork
NOTES Creator (Moots in Paradise); two years at Joe Kubert
School of Cartoon Art/Graphic Design; Cobalt on
FurryMuck
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature
POSITION Creator/Writer/Artist
NAME Kimberly Wajer
ADDRESS 5014 Fairmont Drive
CITY/STATE Evansville, Indiana 47715
PHONE (812) 479-2931
EMAIL lil...@tigerden.com
INTEREST1 Illustrating
INTEREST2 Inking
INTEREST3 Writing
NOTES Anasses on FurryMuck
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature
POSITION Artist/Writer
NAME Gary Wells
ADDRESS 2500 S. Salta Avenue (#45)
CITY/STATE Santa Ana, California 92704
EMAIL meta...@kaiwan.com (this is not a typo)
INTEREST1 Writing
INTEREST2 Conceptual Work
INTEREST3 General Assistance
NOTES Creator (Furries in WWII), Metalhead on Furrymuck.
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature
POSITION Creator/Editor
NAME Tad Withington
ADDRESS 29 Maddaket Ln.
CITY/STATE Centerville, Massachusetts 02632
PHONE (508) 778-2842
EMAIL DRAG...@delphi.com
INTEREST1 Writing
NOTES Creator/Writer (Dragon's Honor), Co-Creator/Writer
(Blighted Earth)
DIVISION Product Development
DEPARTMENT Literature
POSITION Writer/Creator