RETURN of the ...

It's been a bit of a delay since my last post, c'est la vie.

No surprise the economy has played it's hand in what could be on record as the slowest start-up year in history. Unfortunately a few devastating personal matters took their toll to round the year out. After realizing my entrepreneurial effort was moving at the speed of moss, I partnered with two other start-up businesses. Why start one, when you can start three? Well, what do you know, the other two have gained traction right out of the box.

The second biz, can be classified as collaberation between, an ad guy, a photographer, a set producer and yours truly. Our model is simple, bring together complementary creative talents in a compelling setting and offer that to corporations to partner with charities so all benefit. Do good, get paid. Well, our idea has the corporations excited and the project is moving close to the start line. I've been around long enough to not get too excited until the ink dries on the contract, but my greatest excitement is to see this "crazy" idea work out so well, so soon. We have the next two project mapped out using this current model and I'm really looking forward to building this "side" business up.

The third business started with the premiss of; "I have a good idea of an ad for Brand X, let's sell it to them!" Of course this is a daunting and most impossible task to undertake, but what do we have to loose? So, that same set producer, a director/photographer and me met on a Monday to talk about it. We chose a name, a general creative model and discussed the first client (an up and coming fashion designer, who is winning the PR battle). But before the first meeting was over, the client called us and wanted to meet with us the next day. So, we brainstormed the pitch, structured it out and broke. On Tuesday afternoon we met the potential client, pitched him the 30 second spot and he loved it. We have our crew, our shot list, our location, our models and now, we shoot the spot this Thursday. Just over two weeks, from pitch to shoot. So that's a positive response.

What about biz number one? Well, I've been busy all last month and I have had four solid client leads in the last week. I may have to move office space, increase size and steal away a great young designer to come and work with me, because it looking to be much more than I can handle solo.

So what gives? I don't think the economy has snapped back, that's for sure. But I do believe that many companies are spending the remainders of their budgets to ensure more money from Finance next year. I also believe that networking has paid off here, I have been laying the foundation all year and nudging things along where I can and now there is life. Finally, I think some reckless abandon has been good here. I tend to plot, plan and move cautiously. Here I tossed some caution to the wind and choose to act and react. It seems to be working.

More to come...

Vision

I was talking with a fellow designer they other day and something slammed me in the face, maintaining vision.  He commented that it was great that I have the time to plan and plot what sectors I am looking for new clients.  So the question  presented itself; How do I maintain this point of vision when I am deep in the work? 

I know it's not an impossibility, many of the design firms I consider "successful" clearly keep this vision.  Though I have seen many a designer/firms new business growth suffer due to being buried in work.  What separates the two?  Is it staff, is it personality, or is it something else?  

Most businesses start off under staffed,and most problems can be solved with more resources aka. people, but that takes time and money to acquire. So that rules out the first option.  I believe personality may be a large factor.  Personality drives the culture of a firm, if the culture is one of curiosity and development, they will most likely search for new challenges.  

But what is the X factor?  Website, mailers, brochures, business lunches, seminars, call lists?  These are all even sum items, they offer no unique advantage to competitors, save various content.  I feel it is what we do with these things that make the difference.  It is how we get our message out there that drives the clients toward us.  Referrals, word of mouth, press and awards.  These things are the great return on our investment in our own brand.  They allow the proper growth to happen to allow us the ability to maintain that vision.  I really hope that the foundation I am laying will offer that to me in return.

Subject Hunting

I've been digging through my old files looking for some interesting material for the comic book project.  The subjects all seem too big to tell in my single panel per installment format.  They range from; a space epic, period adventure, fantasy adventure, spec ops adventure, teen girl superhero and a geo political superhero story.

I thought I'd keep posting things until something comes to the surface, or one of you stops me.  This post features the seed of the space epic, be kind this work was done almost 20 years ago.

Black Widow, Wolverine, alt Shang Chi + Electra, and M vs. Sentinal

Panel One

As all things with me when change is upon me I begin to think and review my life/career.  This process had me reviewing my first career as a comic book creator.  There is, and always will be always will be a soft spot in my heart for the medium.  So I was was vulnerable.  

Fatefully this effort was timed with the 2009 NY ComiCon happening, and the Friday of the Con weekend found me sitting in the Illustration House (www.illustrationhouse.com) meeting up with my mentor from when I was in the comic book racket.  Now I have to say I left the biz over ten years ago so I am wistful of that time.  At table I was also joined by some other greats; Craig Hamilton and Chris Claremont.  The conversation was great, and all of it not focused on comics, who knew we were so multi-dimensioned.

This left me wondering is there is still something left in the tank?  Not as a full-time thing, but just to have some fun with.  The volume of sketches and story ideas accumulated over the past decade have piled up and there might be some worthy items there.  I have a couple of ideas that I'll flesh out. but I want to chart the process here through sketches and roughs.  Until then, I'm adding some unpublished cover pieces of mine from here and there.

The Beginning

Welcome to this, my first effort with the Burnbox.  Here I will write about matters of interest on myriad subjects including; sociology, design, pop culture and the personal.

In December I was caught in the broom of Bushinomics [sic] and my high profile position with a world renowned brand was eliminated,  along with hundreds of my fellow employees.  This was OK with me, I wanted a change and this was my motivation. In response I've begun a graphic design consultancy and intend to chart some of that here.  The Burnbox is an experiment in creativity, expression and my documentation of this journey from the secure life in a giant company to building a creative business from scratch and what it brings out in me worth sharing.