Posted in: Comics, Recent Updates | Tagged: brian bendis, Comics

Crossing Boarders #1 by Andrew Goletz

Published Tue, 01 Mar 2011 08:00:08 -0600

Andrew Goletz writes for Bleeding Cool.

Gathering Of Ideas:

A little over a year ago I set out to do a self published anthology with some friends from Brian Bendis' Jinxworld forums. Close knit members of message boards often attempt to do comic projects together and I recall seeing several attempts made though I'm not exactly sure what became of them. The projects usually fell apart. A combination of dozens of different opinions and a realization of how much time, energy and money go into such an endeavor usually spelt doom for the collaborations. Still, I wanted to try again. With just a touch of ego, I believed that if I maintained total control over the entire process it could really be accomplished this time. Thus, The Gathering was born.

With the help of a lot of talented people I was able to get the first issue out about seven months after the idea was first presented to people. The final product was everything I hoped it would be and the feedback from fans, critics and pros exceeded my expectations. I think the second issue came out even better, and as pages from issues three and four begin to come in I can honestly say that the content of the book is improving with each volume. 2010 was an exciting year for the comic and as we move forward with even loftier goals and an accelerated pace this year I want to use this column as an opportunity to help others find inspiration in what we're doing.

I remember reading Cerebus in the late 1980s and early 90s and being introduced to the likes of Bob Burden, Colleen Doran, Neil Gaiman, Jeff Smith, and Martin Wagner, among others. Some names you probably recognize and others you may not but for a moment in time these folks were the Small Press Industry (as well as several other creators). I remember thinking how incredible it was that Dave was using his comic book to help promote other creators and books. There may have been competition but Dave helped to unify these creators and they worked together to carve out a piece of the pie in an industry that still seemed to only recognize two viable comic companies. Getting to accompany Dave and some of these other talented individuals on the Spirits of National Unity Tour opened my eyes even more and I discovered amazing talents like Shane Simmons and his Eyestrain Comics and Sean McKeever and The Waiting Place.

In putting together my own comic, I didn't just simply want to tell my stories. Interestingly enough with two issues completed and another 3 in production I still haven't written a single story in any of them. I wanted to use some of the knowledge that I accumulated by working freelance to help other talented individuals achieve their goals. There are plenty of talented writers and artists out there who may want to work in comics but simply don't know how to get started or don't have the resources on hand to self-publish on their own so The Gathering exists to help them.

For as long as people are interested, I'll discuss how this germ of an idea that began as a one shot anthology with some message board friends morphed into that becoming just the first issue of an ongoing anthology…which itself will inevitably be just one part of a larger company plan. I'll discuss the successes and stumbling blocks that occurred along the road as well as everything from choosing a printer and finding creative teams to how Gail Simone came to be involved with the second issue. At some point I'll suppose I'll even have talk about something Dave and I have been discussing that I sincerely believe will revolutionize a major facet of the industry.

In the first two issues of The Gathering we have had over 40 talented writers and artists participate in a couple dozen short stories and many, many more are already confirmed for the next several issues set to be released throughout the year. Many of these creators are having their work published for the very first time and it is a real treat to be able to provide them with the opportunity. The excitement of collaborating with these folks and seeing the quality of the final product is what fed my drive to tweak and expand my own publishing goals. It is my hope that in the future more small press talents can come together and help each other through sharing their own experiences and resources.

The second issue (featuring the likes of Jeffrey Burandt (Americans UK), Brian Koschak (Star Wars: The Clone Wars), Gail Simone (Birds of Prey, Secret Six), and Len Wallace (Love Buzz among others) is out now and can be ordered at our website.

Stop by www.grayhavencomics.com or email me directly at gatheringanthology@hotmail.com to find out more details and thanks for supporting small press creators. Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/GatheringComic

COMING NEXT WEEK: WHAT'S IN A NAME?

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