Brief Update

★ Don’t forget to check out my graphic novel, The Poet and the Flea!

A new page every Wednesday!

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Here is a brief update on my current creative projects and endeavors…!

Monday, February 18th

1. E-mails, e-mails, e-mails…!
2. Worked on first zine.

Tuesday, February 19th

1. Meeting with Gabe! Showed him some new work for Elias & the City of Cats. 
2. Worked on The First Reich.
3. Worked on Elias & the City of Cats.
4. Spoke with my high school friend Tina L. about SPX (Small Press Expo) in Maryland. We (Tina, some of her friends, and I) are going to try to get a table there this September! Also, Tina may share a table with me for this year’s APE!

Wednesday, February 20th

• Zest Books Internship, Day #7: Super busy with some editing/fact-checking work! Also, sat in on a Teen Advisory Board meeting, which was interesting. Going in again tomorrow instead of Friday to sit in on a meeting and meet a tight deadline!

Thursday, February 21st

1. Sent Hannah some follow-up answers.
   
2. Zest Books Internship, Day #8: Came in Thursday instead of Friday. Managed to complete a big project before the deadline. Finally met Dan in person (had only talked on phone before). Going to help Hallie with a photoshop project on Wednesday. Busy, busy, busy!

Friday, February 22nd

1. Day off from Zest Books Internship!
2. Worked on Elias & the City of Cats.
3. Worked on some extra assignments for Zest.

Saturday, February 23rd

• Feeling under the weather today.

Sunday, February 24th

1. Lunch with cousin Cheryl Ann.
2. Date night with Wes!
3. Nominated for The Very Inspring Blogger Award.

Monday, February 25th

1. Did some errands downtown.
2. Worked on some upcoming blog posts.
3. Worked on some extra assignments for Zest.
4. Nominated for The Liebster Award.
5. Contacted by potential director for one of my short scripts!
6. The Flea‘s First Fan Art!

Tuesday, February 26th

1. Correspondence with potential director.
2. Worked on Elias & the City of Cats.
3. Worked on first zine.

Wednesday, February 27th

1. Continued correspondence with potential director.
2. Zest Books Internship, Day #9: Did some more image research and worked on photoshop to convert images into multiple formats.

Thursday, February 28th

1. Continued correspondence with potential director.
2. Worked on Elias & the City of Cats.
3. Worked on The First Reich.

Friday, March 1st

1. Continued correspondence with potential director.
2. Zest Books Internship, Day #10: Little jobs here and there. Working on some projects for Little Fish. Took home a copy of Regine’s Book.

Saturday, March 2nd

1. Worked on some upcoming blog posts.
2. Attended a show at Gallerie Citi with some of my mom’s art on display.

Sunday, March 3rd

1. Hannah Meiklejohn Interviews G. E. Gallas for Lemonade Magazine
2. G. E. Gallas Invited to Speak to The Blake Society!
3. Date night with Wes!

Monday, March 4th

1. Celebrating 1,000 Followers on Twitter!
2. E-mails, e-mails, e-mails…!
3. Research, research, research…!

Tuesday, March 5th

1. Planning for Blake’s London!
2. E-mails, e-mails, e-mails…!
3. Research, research, research…!
4. First skype meeting with film director Josh! He’s interested in my short script The Man Who Never Smiled. Soon, he’ll be scouting locations and creating a shot list. Wants me to write detailed notes about the script and eventually create a simple storyboard. Set filming date for July. Extremely excited!!!
5. Worked on The First Reich.

Wednesday, March 6th

• Zest Books Internship, Day #11: Worked on a graphic-novel-related marketing research project.
  

Thursday, March 7th

1. Meeting with Gabe! Hoping I can finished illustrations for Elias in a few weeks, scan them, then meet with Gabe to get everything prepared to send out to publishers!
2. Worked on The First Reich.

Friday, March 8th

1. Package from The Blake Society!
2. Zest Books Internship, Day #12: Continued to work on a graphic-novel-related marketing research project. Received some very interesting advice about publishing.

Saturday, March 9th

1. Feeling under the weather today.
   
2. Worked on some upcoming blog posts.
3. Nominated a second time for Versatile Blogger Award!

Sunday, March 10th

1. Feeling under the weather today.
2. Worked on some upcoming blog posts.

Monday, March 11th

1. Ran some errands.
2. Worked on some information for the Blake Society.
3. Worked on some upcoming blog posts.

Tuesday, March 12th

1. Feeling under the weather today.
2. Worked on The First Reich.
   
3. Worked on some upcoming blog posts.

Wednesday, March 13th

• Feeling under the weather today.

Thursday, March 14th

1. Worked on a special illustration.
2. Worked on The First Reich.
3. Worked on The Poet and the Flea.

Friday, March 15th

1. Zest Books Internship, Day #13: Worked on image research and packing for the Bologna Children’s Book Fair!
2. Worked on notes for The Man Who Never Smiled.

Saturday, March 16th

1. E-mails, e-mails, e-mails…!
2. Applications, applications, applications…!
3. Nice dinner with extended family in Palo Alto.

Sunday, March 17th

• Date night with Wes.

The Ice Cream Bar, San Francisco

Monday, March 18th

1. Worked on notes for The Man Who Never Smiled.
2. E-mails, e-mails, e-mails…!
3. Applications, applications, applications…!

Tuesday, March 19th

1. Worked on notes for The Man Who Never Smiled.
2. Second skype meeting with film director Josh! Discussed casting and locations.
   
3. Talked with Tina L. over phone. Always so much fun!

Wednesday, March 20th

• Zest Books Internship, Day #14: Worked on research for graphic novels, London Book Fair, and literary agents.

Spring is here?

Thursday, March 21st

1. Worked on Elias & the City of Cats.
2. E-mails, e-mails, e-mails…!
3. Dinner with friend Tina C. 

Friday, March 22nd

• Zest Books Internship, Day #15: Worked on research for London Book Fair and literary agents. Put together a bunch of packages to be mailed. Image research for computer/internet-related ebook.
  

Saturday, March 23rd

1. E-mails, e-mails, e-mails…!
2. Date night with Wes. Saw The Incredible Burt Wonderstone — actually much more entertaining than we were expecting. Bought David Bowie’s new album!

Yay!

Sunday, March 24th

1. E-mails, e-mails, e-mails…!
   
2. Received reply from a potential job — interview on Thursday.
3. Worked on The First Reich.
4. Worked on Elias & the City of Cats.
5. Packed for Passover trip.

Monday, March 25th

1. Passover trip — had Passover and stayed overnight at cousin’s house outside of Sacramento. Would be perfect location for filming Death Is No Bad Friend.
2. Received e-mail from local production company. Interview scheduled for April 11th!

Tuesday, March 26th

• Return drive from Passover trip.

Wednesday, March 27th

• Zest Books Internship, Day #16: Worked on image research and fact checking! Fact checking is definitely one of my strong suits — I have so much random knowledge stuffed away in my brain that I can immediately sense when something is off.

Beautiful but deadly pollen!

Thursday, March 28th

1. Interview with potential job unsuccessful, but that’s fine by me. Looking forward to next interview on the 11th!
2. Entered two screenplays (one full-length, one short) into Table Read My Screenplay contest. Wish me luck!
3. Check Out “The Poet and the Flea”!!!

Friday, March 29th

1. Zest Books Internship, Day #17: Continued to work on fact checking and image research!
   
2. Tina L. called to tell me we got the table at SPX!!! Now to buy plane tickets…

Saturday, March 30th

1. E-mails, e-mails, e-mails…!
2. Arr, Ye Matey: “Assassin Bound” Ho!!!
3. Worked on The Flea plush toy.

Sunday, March 31st

1. Worked on The Flea plush toy.
2. Date night with Wes!
   

Monday, April 1st

1. Worked on The First Reich.
2. Worked on Elias & the City of Cats.
   
3. Worked on The Poet and the Flea.
4. Online research/shopping for Cannes/London trip.

Etcetera

• The Poet and the Flea: 63 pages of written script (1 page of script = 4-6 illustrated pages), and about 36 pages (1-30 completed, and 31-36 in progress) of illustrated work.
• The First Reich: about 1-10 pages of illustrated work in progress.
• First Zine: about 6-8 pages of illustrated work in progress.

To Do:

• Finish work on Elias & The City of Cats.
• Continue to work on The First Reich.
• Add more information to my Behance.net profile.
• Add more information to my Coroflot.com profile.
• Continue adding blog content to The First Reich.
• Complete script for The Poet and the Flea.

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For more updates, don’t forget to follow me on facebook, tumblr and/or twitter.

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Copyright 2013 by G. E. Gallas

Experience of APE

Related post: Plans for APE

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Wow, what can I say about APE?

Well, this was definitely an experience!

Firstly, I believe that APE (Alternative Press Expo) was a productive endeavor. I learned much more about the nature of each publisher I’ve been tracking online. I hope that Shannon and I managed to get the names of our projects (The Poet and the Flea and The First Reich) out there just a little. And I learned a lot about what techniques make a successful table.

As far as the bigger publishers go (Fantagraphics, Drawn & Quarterly, Last Gasp, Top Shelf, etc.), I was glad to see them at the Expo — to see all their products laid out in front of me, rather than squinting at images on a computer screen. Some of them only had marketing representatives who didn’t know much about the submissions process, which was too bad. Others had more knowledgable people to talk to, who offered some useful advice. I guess it really just boils down to submitting material and seeing what happens!

I very much enjoyed talking to some of the smaller publishers. They were very enthusiastic, helpful, and informative. And just because they’re smaller doesn’t mean they have inferior products. They are extremely professional (but in a laid back sort of way) and their books are gorgeous!

I loved talking with the kind folks at Yam Books. Tim Hensley (creator of Ticket Stub) was shocked that someone in their twenties (me) was a Barbara Stanwyck fan!! Both Saturday and Sunday, we had conversations about the film noir starlet, exchanging movie titles and laughing away. He even drew me this awesome illustration of Barbara (see below) in Double Indemnity — bangs and sunglasses and all!

Also had good but brief conversations with the good people at A Raven Above Press and Never Press.

I’ve only recently become interested in learning more about the world of zines. And Tugboat Press seemed like a good place to start. I really admire what they’re doing. I’m glad I talked with them because I learned that, rather than taking submissions, they commission artists. I also received recommendations about which volumes of their anthology Papercutter to buy and realized that they are interested in a vast array of genres. I’m excited to really sit down and read my purchases.

Sunday, I finally figured out where Uncivilized Books got to (I just could not figure out that map!). Their chief Tom was excellent at patiently answering my questions and encouraging me to submit my work. I’m excited to start working on sending out some follow-up e-mails to everyone I talked with!

Also, I picked up a lot of interesting flyers, cards, stickers, etc. from around the expo and from the free table. Below are some of my favorites!!

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Here are my notes of what makes a successful table in case I end up getting one for APE next year!

(This is just a rough list for my personal use. In no particular order!)

• Need a billboard/banner advertising name of artist/graphic novel.
• Need a tablecloth.
• Need a sign (or maybe t-shirts) to hang off the front of the table.
• Wear one of your own t-shirts to further advertise your graphic novel.
• Perhaps a sign or two saying: “Pleas talk to us — we’re friendly!”
• Perhaps a big bowl of free candy.
• Attract customers with a selection of cheaper items ($1 pins or stickers?).
• Need a clipboard and form for customers to sign up for your mailing list.
• Provide plenty of business cards and/or postcards.

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Among the flyers and such was a postcard for the East Bay Alternative Book and Zine Fest, free and taking place December 8th in Berkeley. I’m very interested in checking it out!

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For more updates, don’t forget to follow me on tumblr and/or twitter.

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Copyright 2012 by G. E. Gallas