Oh, What Tangled Web-Related Conversations We Weave...

Over the last few weeks I had been anticipating an article that was to come out in the local VOX Magazine, in which they were going to focus on the "webcomics-phenomena" and why the internet has become such a great place for comic artists to present their work. The main reason that I was so excited was because I had been asked by VOX Magazine to be a part of the article.

The "rise to fame" for the "Jeremy And Tim" comic strips last year (almost entirely because of an online contest to find the next big comic strip superstar) made me a shoe-in as an interviewee for the article. I enjoyed the opportunity to talk about the comics again during my conversation with the reporter and looked forward to sharing the article with my friends and family.

Then, this evening the article was published to the internet. I didn't get halfway though the article before both my wife and I came to the horrible realization that I had not handled this interview as well as I had with some of my previous opportunities.

One of my only statements in the article cast me as an anti-syndication, web-only comic artist who felt that there was no need for syndicates any more in the world of comic strips.

...I was (and am) very dissappointed by the statement(s) that they elected to include, and frustrated by other statements that were NOT included in the article.

Ultimately, only the printed version of the article will stand the test of time (an irony that has not escaped me, btw - considering the content of the story), but I took the time to post the following comment to the online version of the article:

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Hi,

I'm Jeremy Burt, (the artist of "Jeremy And Tim" - from the article above)

I'm afraid that one of my statements in the article may have been taken a bit out of context, and I want to take a moment to clear it up...

My comment(s) were directed towards the question as to why webcomics have become so prevalent today. The statements reflect the attitude of comic artists who are either using the web exclusively to publish their content, or those who are no longer seeking syndication of their material - UNLIKE myself.

Though it wasn't printed in this article, I went on to say that while you do have more freedom over your content and availability online as an "independent", you don't receive the benefit of a syndicate's value, which is to place your comic strip in a number of venues and media that you would never have had access to on your own.

I would like to say again here what I said then:

While I enjoy putting my comics online, and appreciate the freedom to do whatever I wish with "Jeremy And Tim" for now - I would GLADLY accept an offer from ANY syndicate that showed interest in the "Jeremy And Tim" comic strip. This is an attitude that I have had since I was a child (and, frankly, one that I hope has not been effected by the publication of this article.)

Anybody who has followed my story knows that the only reason that I revived the "Jeremy And Tim" comic strip last year was to generate an entry for Amazon's "Comic Strip Superstar Contest"... a contest being held by - among others - a syndication company. The whole purpose of entering the contest was ultimately to achieve syndication... an achievement that I would still very much love to see come to pass for "Jeremy And Tim" some day (ideally some day in the near future :)

It's unfortunate that one of my only quotes in the article sounded so negative toward the very type of organization that ended up putting me "back on the map" last year with the "Comic Strip Superstar Contest". I owe a great deal of gratitude to Amazon and Universal Press Syndicate for presenting a venue that allowed me to get back into the comics like I have, and it's a shame that the printed version of this article will not reflect that gratitude.

I greatly appreciate VOX allowing me to be a part of this article, but I will say that I have learned a big lesson here about how to respond to questions, and what exactly to avoid saying in the future - regardless of my intent.

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Well, there's no changing the article now (or going back and un-doing my interview) - what's done is done. I can only hope that this article doesn't come back to haunt me in the future as I continue to seek syndication of "Jeremy And Tim".

But just one last time, I want to take this opportunity to say:

"I welcome any and all interested syndication organization(s) to contact me about syndicating the 'Jeremy And Tim' comic strip. I fully understand the value of your organization and would be honored to speak with you about how my comic strip might find itself in the company of other successful artists who formed a relationship with you in the past."

...there...

I hope that clears things up!

Character Summary: "Tim"

Tim is Jeremy's patient little best friend. To be more general, he is an imaginary lamb who walks upright and speaks perfect english. Tim is the Yin to Jeremy's Yang. His low-key attitude and conservative approach often clashes with Jeremy's "shoot- first-ask-questions-later" mentality.

He plays many roles in Jeremy's childhood: a comrade, a conscience, a confidant, a partner-in-crime, or even the perfect traveling companion to the undiscovered.

But above all, Tim is Jeremy's best friend. And he is always up for what Jeremy has in store for them next.

To learn more about the characters from the "Jeremy And Tim" comic strip, click here.

Local (and National) Press Coverage: Check... and Check!

After today's feature article in the Tribune, "Jeremy And Tim" have officially saturated all of the local newspapers. This feat was admittedly made easier by the fact that there are only two major newspapers in my town, but I must say that today's article rounds off what has been a very abnormal month for the "Jeremy And Tim" comic strips.

*(Though, I really don't know that "Jeremy And Tim" has had a "normal" month in over 10 years - and even then, only if you want to consider a teenager's artwork being published every week of that month "normal".)

The craziness began a few weeks ago when the Missourian decided to run an article featuring the comic strip's rise in Amazon's Comic Strip Superstar contest. After a few in-depth phone calls and a very professional photo shoot, I was expecting a decent article. What I was NOT expecting was that the following Sunday I would walk up to the newspaper vending machine and see my face on the front cover - and above the fold - staring me in the face through the glass.

I had achieved what any marketer worth his/her salt would consider one of the most valuable and (literally) priceless accomplishments in terms of self-promotion... a front page article, in full color, on the Sunday edition of the newspaper! What made it even better was that the Missourian had also decided to run two of my comic strips right in the story (also on the front page!!!) and they continued the story on to an inside page that went on to include a promotion of the "Jeremy And Tim" website, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and Flickr account!

I was floored... and thrilled! Over the following week I had a number of new people and fans contact me saying that they had seen the article and how happy they were for me. A few local organizations and websites even contacted me about follow-up articles.

But the real shocker was yet to come...

One week after the article had run in the Missourian, I was on the internet looking up the website by typing "Jeremy And Tim" into a Google search, when I noticed that there were a few new entries featuring the comic strip... in fact, I noticed that there were quiet a few new entries... about 14 Google pages worth of search listings!

After conducting a bit of research, I soon found that the Associated Press had picked up the Missourian's story - photo and all - and posted it to their database. Within hours, the story of "Jeremy And Tim" was gracing websites and newspapers of hundreds of newspapers, television channels and radio stations across the country!

This was a real game changer.

I started getting 3-5 emails per day from random new fans from Florida to Alaska. The Facebook fan-page went from 350-ish fans to almost 450 within a week. The "Jeremy And Tim" website's viewer stats skyrocketed and I suddenly had companies from across the country calling and offering to frame "my" news article that had run in their local paper - for a fee of course...

*(as a sidebar, I should say that I was amazed to find how many of these sort of "we frame your article" type of companies actually exist... I mean, I get the idea, and it is a great concept, but it seems like if there were really that many people buying their own articles that the newspapers themselves would have created an in-house department devoted soley to following up with subjects who would buy their framed pieces...)

But, I digress.

The world of "Jeremy And Tim" had changed. I was now an official webcartoonist with a legitimate "coast-to-coast" fanbase. I was getting emails and fan-messages offering ideas for the next comic strip, and others just asking when the next one would be published to the site.

With today's article has come a new set of fans inquiring even more (and slightly deeper) questions. Everyone wants to know what comes next for "Jeremy And Tim" - whether I will be seeking out newspapers to print the strips, or simply publish them to the site semi-regularly. Some of my Twitter-pals have even asked if I am going to now seek out a publisher, or go the route of self-syndication.

I think the best way to answer most of these questions is to imply that they will be answered in a future blog... or, (who knows?) maybe my next news article!

Welcome to My 15 Minutes

I have decided that the level of one's success may directly be linked to their ability (or inability) to embrace acts commonly associated with shameless self-promotion. With this new-found concept in mind, I recently took it upon myself (after much encouragement from my very supportive wife and family) to inform the local newspapers as to how news-worthy I really am. Surprisingly enough... this tactic seems to have actually worked!

Last week it occurred to my wife and me that while I am still currently "in the running" for Amazon's "Comic Strip Superstar" contest as a quarter-finalist, the truth is that if I was not selected to advance to the next round (from 250 quarter-finalists down to 50 semi-finalists) then my classification in the contest would suddenly be "also-ran". It became evident that while I may find myself in the company of 49 other very lucky cartoonists the following week, there was a good chance that I might not - meaning that this might be my only "15 minutes". In other words, in this moment I am still considered "news", whereas in one week's time, I would just be another guy who once competed in a contest.

So, last Thursday I mustered up my pride and walked in to both local newspapers with my story... only to find out that my timing couldn't have been worse. Not only was the homecoming game that evening (for those of you who aren't aware... "homecoming" actually STARTED in my home town, so it's kind of a big deal around here) but we were also experiencing more rain and flash-flooding than we'd had since the floods of '93-'95. I was basically shooed away by both papers and told that I would hear something back in the afternoon if they got a chance.

I left really not expecting too much.

But, by lunch time I had received confirmation that one of the papers wanted to meet with me early in the afternoon. When I met with them, at first they were confused as to why I felt that being a contestant in a comic strip contest was "news", but once I had a chance to explain the story behind "Jeremy And Tim", the interest turned to excitement. By the end of the conversation, the reporter had decided that he would like to work up an official profile on me and the comic strips, and run them in the paper later this month (since profiles are planned far in advance). But, to "capture the moment" that I had (currently being a quarter-finalist) he also said that he would begin blogging about "Jeremy And Tim" and the contest that very day!

I was so grateful and excited. It seemed that my wife's idea and my willingness to bear my pride openly was working - at least with half the newspapers in town, anyway...

...until about 5 o'clock that afternoon when I received a second phone call, this time from the other newspaper. A reporter had been handed the story and, true to their word, they had contacted me after things had calmed down a bit.

She and I talked for quiet a long time about the comic strips; the history, the characters, etc. She had done quiet a bit of research on my website, the social networking pages, and even this blog. Even though she wasn't an avid comic-reader (she had never heard of "Calvin and Hobbes", which made me cry inside), she was very interested in the story and moved things along quickly in hopes of putting together a good article that would make it into the Sunday paper.

After a couple of face-to-face interviews, a few emails, many phone calls, and a Saturday morning photo shoot, I now sit at home this Sunday morning happy to blog about the successful news-media presence of "Jeremy And Tim".

Welcome to my "15 Minutes":

Columbia Missourian:
"Columbia Comic Artist Brings Back Comic and Advances in International Contest"

Columbia Tribune:
"Local Artist Moves Closer to the 'Comic Strip Superstar' Crown"

*Thanks to Aarik Danielsen (Tribune) and Tanya Ortiz (Missourian) for picking up the story, and John Schreiber (Missourian) for the great photos!

"Jeremy And Tim" Has Advanced!

I received notification that the "Jeremy And Tim" comic strip has been qualified as one of the 250 quarter-finalists (of an original 5,000) in Amazon.com's "Comic Strip Superstar" contest.

The official language I received was:

"Your comic feature has qualified you as one of the 250 entrants in the Comic Strip Superstar contest who will advance to the second round!"

So, what this tells me is a few things:

1. I uploaded the comics/info correctly to the site before the due date back in Aug.
2. I used the right guidelines in creating the strips.
3. The real "competition" has started, and I know I am a part of it.

I'd love to say that this tells me the strip is definately the type that they were looking for, or that I am overjoyed at receiving the email today. I am certainly happy, but at the same time, there is no way of knowing how many original applicants there actually were (they said that there was a max of 5,000, but how many there actually were hasn't been publicized yet).

This probably makes me seem cynical, but I am actually just trying to be realistic about the situation (likely so that I don't get my hopes up as the contest graduates to the next levels of competition). "Jeremy And Tim" is a solid comic strip - and I am very proud of it - but I can't imagine that it is internationally superior to what might have also been submitted in this contest. I suppose only time will tell. The next round of "reviews" ends Oct.11. I'll keep you posted!

For now, though, I can and always will be able to say this:

"The 'Jeremy And Tim' comic strip was a quarter-finalist in Amazon.com's international 'Comic Strip Superstar' contest"

This is and always will be true, so regardless of how the contest goes from here, I feel blessed to say that nobody can take that away from me!

On the Eve of the Contest Deadline

So, here I am... hours until the deadline for the "Comic Strip Superstar" contest of 2009; and I am exhausted!

"Why?", you ask? Well, since you've asked...

It all started about 3 weeks ago when my aunt sent me an email about a national competition that Amazon was putting on to find the next big cartoonist.

At the time, I told her that I was flattered, but realistically would probably not have the time to devote to creating the two Sunday comic strips that were required (alongside 10 dailies - which at the time I thought I had taken care of - but I'll come back to that). I tucked the email away and didn't really give it much more thought... Until...

As fate would have it, just days after my aunt's suggestion, I was laid off from my full-time job. While at first, this was devestating for all the normal reasons, it wasn't long before my aunt's email came to mind, and I decided that now the only thing keeping me from entering the contest was something that I had in spades- TIME!

I set to work generating ideas for two good Sunday strips (even though the "Jeremy And Tim" comic strip is over 20 years old, I had never actually made a true Sunday strip). Once I had the concepts lined out, I began rendering the artwork between job hunting sessions.

Everything was going well until last week sometime when my wife and I were reading through the rules of the contest again. We both stumbled upon a rule that seemed as horrifying as it was unwavering. It said (generally) that while it was acceptable to enter a feature which had been published, the content that was submitted for the contest must be made up of all-new material that had not been made public.

Suddenly, with less than a week left until the contest's deadline, I would need to not only finish my Sunday strips, but also crest 10 brand new dailies... And they had to be good enough to replace the current 10 that I had cherry-picked from my current library of hundreds of old "Jeremy And Tim" comic strips.

I essentially had two choices:

1. Give up and be resonable... You're unemployed, and the days are ticking by; you need to find a job, not spend time generating comic strips for a contest that you have no way of winning at this point...

OR

2. Suck it up, pull your creativity together and spend the next week making absolutely the best examples of the "Jeremy And Tim" comic strip that you can.

Needless to say, I chose option #2.

Thus began a hectic, non-stop, sleep-deprived week of more illustration and comic strip generation than I have ever had before. I now lay on the bed in my home office the night before the competition with only a few more panels on the last Sunday strip to render. With the help of God and the loving patience of my wife and family (who helped by letting me have as much time as possible) I have actually done it! I am ready to enter this contest!

I have no delusions of being the grand prize winner, or even of making the finals, but this last week has proven something to me that I think has changed things... it has showed me that I could really do this whole "cartoonist" thing...

And what's more... I would really enjoy it!

So wish me luck and send up a prayer over the coming weeks/months. I will be sure to keep everyone updated, but regardless of the outcome of this contest, I have a renewed ferver now.

As long as God lets me keep my talent, and continues to give me the chance, I will be pursuing a career as a cartoonist. I know that now.

Signed, Jeremy Burt
The Artist responsible for
The "Jeremy And Tim" comic strips
Posted via my iPhone

Comic Strip Superstar - Update #1

So, as my wife and I were looking over the rules a bit closer for the "Comic Strip Superstar" contest, we noticed something horrible... one of the items mentioned in the rules is that the content must "not have been previously published in whole or in part". Also, in the "FAQs" section, there is a mention that to "please make sure the individual strips or panels you submit as your contest entry have not been previously disseminated to the public in any way--including posting on a website"

These requirements quiet ironically mean that all of the work that went into publicizing the "Jeremy And Tim" comic strips (via publishing on Facebook, MySpace, Ning, Flickr and other Social Media) has now forced me to generate all new material this week before the due date this Friday!

That means that although I have over 300 strips, and almost 50 or them recently re-rendered in PDF format, I have about 5 days to come up with 10 all-new dailies while attempting my very first 2 Sundays.

So wish me luck, and send coffee... It's going to be a long week! I'll let you know how it all turns out.

P.S. - Sending a prayer or two would also be appreciated!