My 10 Favorite Comic Book Fonts by Comicraft
I’m a huge fan of the fonts created by the Purveyors of Unique Design and Fine Lettering, Richard Starkings and John Roshell of Comicraft. I’ve been collecting there fonts for 10 years and I am never disappointed with what I get. I’ve built up quite a collection for myself and I thought I would share with you my favorite fonts by Comicraft.
I'm Taking the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Challenge
I decided to take the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Challenge organized and taught by Darren Rowse of Problogger.net. Thirty-one days is not all that long so I thought what better opportunity than to get taught by someone who has made a living at blogging.
1st Challenge: Elevator Pitch
The first challenge is to write an elevator pitch for my blog. This isn’t going to be too hard as I think I’ve already done this in the past, I just didn’t know that is what you called it. Up until now, I have been running my blog, Kris Black Digital Studio, under the notion that I am the following:
a digital artisan that specializes in providing lettering and design services for the comic book professional
I guess that’s okay but to take advantage of this challenge I want to rethink this. So let’s deconstruct my elevator pitch.
1) What is a digital artisan?
I think this is a great question as I get asked this a lot, but at the same time I’m told that it is a great way to describe what I do. I create art and design digitally using a computer, graphics applications and other supportingperipheralsand applications to produce my projects.
2) What is lettering?
Lettering, in terms of what I’mreferringto is creating the title, logo, words, balloons, and sound effects for a comic book, comic strip or Webcomic. I haven’t had the opportunity to do as much of this as I like over the last year because I do this in my spare time when I’m not working at my day job, night job, or hanging out with my lovely family.
3) What is design?
The type of design I am offering is graphic design for print and the Web. I have been working professionally in the graphic design industry since 2000. This is a natural service for me to provide as I am very comfortable providing the type of skills needed to compete with other designers.
4) Comic Book Professional
Ever since I was a little kid I wanted to work in the comic book industry. This is a life-long goal of mine and I want to make sure that this is something I do. I have made a lot of contacts with professionals in the industry while working with my colleagues on the Dollar Bin comic book podcast I helped found several years back.
Conclusion
After decontructing my elevator pitch I think that I still like it. It has gone through several revisions over the last couple years. Mostly it’s just gotten shorter. In fact, at the bottom of my site is the shortest version I’ve ever used, Lettering and Design for Comics. So here’s my full length elevator pitch:
Hello, my name is Kris Black. I am a digital artisan that specializes inproviding lettering and design services for the comic book professional. I have a Web site where I post tips and tricks about lettering, review the work of other letterers in the industry, discuss graphic design and how it’s important for comics, and also display my most recent work in my portfolio. You can find me online at www.krisblack.com to learn more about me and my profession.
Let me know what you think about my elevator pitch in the comments. I look forward to any ideas and critisism.
My Plush Steve Jobs
My Plush Steve Jobs
Plush Jobs has Arrived
It came in the mail today. My very own Plush Jobs by Podbrix.
I seriously couldn’t believe it when I saw the email from PodBrix that there was going to be a Steve Jobs I could buy for my very self. Seriously, how cool is it going to be to have a little Steve to whisper in my ear, “One more thing.”
As if collecting, reading, podcasting and writing about comics, subscribing to Mac news feeds and getting all worked up about the latest A List Apart article didn’t secure my ranks in the geekdom, I had to go a order a Plush Jobs. I will admit that I totally ordered this for my son’s birthday coming up at the end of this month. I’m not kidding, I really did. I would have killed for a Plush Jobs when I was just a year old. Of course when I was just a year old was when Steve was just forming Apple but still I would have loved one.
What will I do with my Plush Steve?
That’s a tough question. Like I said, since this is going to be my son’s Plush Jobs I can’t tell you what I will do with him. I hope that this little Steve brings great success for my son’s passion to be the best and for never accepting second rate work from anyone. Is that too much to ask for in a plush toy?
Should You Get Your Own Plush Jobs?
Absolutely! Why would you not get your own Plush Jobs is the real question. He’s a one-of-a-kind find, real or stuffed. With an initial limited availability of just 500 Plush Jobs you better hurry. If you do get your own Plush Jobs let me know so we can arrange a play date for them.
Squarespace Commercial
As you can guess from the Squarespace link over on the right I’m a HUGE fan of Squarespace. So much so, that I swear by it and have moved all of my Web sites that I manage to them. Check out this awesome commercial made by the CO-OP guys over at Revision3.
If you want to give Squarespace a try go ahead and get you a FREE 14-day trial. Squarespace is so cool you don’t even need a credit card to use the trial.
CO-OP Revision3 Squarespace