A piece of comics history

http://www.wnyc.org/blogs/neh-preservation-project/2012/aug/24/senate-subcommittee-juvenile-delinquency/

The link above is to none other than the senate sub committee on the impact of comics on Juvenile Delinquency. Enjoy  

Starting over with Moxie.

OK, I'm saying this to myself as I write "commit! commit! commit!" this blog WILL be more active! I will dump my thoughts here more often, move mountains to get my work out there despite being a decent bus ride away from a copy machine/ large enough scanner(I hope to buy a nice Brother all-in-one. only home scanners I found with a 11x17 flatbed!). Here we go!
For some time I been wanting to put together an anthology since I learned what the word meant, the romantic idea of artists presenting their work together for the masses was always alluring to me, the only problem was I lived in a city with few cartoonists and a school that was concerned with weekly testing and core academics. I was mostly on my own. 

I tried to make my own anthology, but at the time the content was not school appropriate(all the typical tropes of manga) and I was barred from using the scanners or copiers in the school, so that and being broke stopped my first and later attempts in HS. I tried again at Holyoke Community College, but this was a turning point for me as I drifted away from manga along with the talent-pool there was slim pickings. The few good cartoonists(who are also good friends) there were too busy to make comics. When I got to SVA, I was kid in a candy shop, scoping out people to work with, but artist are people. Rapport was the ultimate decider in who I chose to work with or wanting to work with. Friends, people who I respected, and/or people I saw a hidden potential nobody else did were the reasons why I chose them for my next shot at "the anthology".

Over time the anthology became a magazine then a publishing company with a grand vision and at that time I was gathering the people I wanted to start it with. In short I told them the vision, how it would be done, what I needed, and asked when I get everything situated could I call on them to join me to make this a reality. Some said yes, some said maybe, one said no(She was someone I saw being my "COO". It rly hurt that she declined.) but by then I got back into doing research on setting things up again and asked for advice from some professors. One gave me the most practical I needed and said if you just print something then your a publisher, he helped focus my vision/goal on "the anthology" i wanted to make for so long. 

What I want to make is something to aspire to, a young cartoonist's North Star. Where when they make that bold and gutsy decision to want to be a Cartoonist they turn to this anthology, which is why It's called Moxie. 

Moxie will be an anthology highlighting young and mostly unknown cartoonists with a strong personal voice. Each cartoonist featured in Moxie will be given a minimum of 30pgs to tell two or more self contained stories along with a short bio and interview. For now it will be an annual publication but the goal is to be quarterly in print and later implement a very unique digital format. The anthology will be distributed to comics publishers, press, and art directors to expose those featured in conjunction with online and convention sales. all profits will go into the production of the next book.

The goal is to give young experienced yet inexperienced cartoonists a fighting chance. A platform to collectively say "This is who I am!" and for their ultimate potential be noticed by publishers, press, and art directors to give us a chance at doing what we love to do for a living. 

Were not looking for a easy way out of paying our dues, just a definitive long shot. Moxie is something we want young readers and cartoonists to aspire to and know when they honed their cartooning skills and feel ready, they can test them with us and return with hard, unwavering, yet passionate feedback to take back to drawing board when they fail or succeed in getting into our anthology.

In the 30pgs they earned, we only ask that they be shameless, say in their pages who they are with pencil, ink, and pixel without a shred of doubt; For this their opportunity to shock and awe the people who can give them that chance at a creative career. We offer no guarantees, only a chance.

As I make progress on Moxie, I will reveal more about this publishing endeavor and the cartoonists that will be featured in the first volume.

Sincerely,  AACRO