3.28.2006

What is CreatorDirect.com?

The idea for the site is to have multiple creators contributing to a single blog. Exchanging ideas, inspirations and project news.

An idea created by critically-acclaimed IDW and BOOM! Studios artist Kody Chamberlain, Creator Direct is a group blog that involves some of the most prolific, notorious, upcoming and currently lesser-known names in the comic industry from around the world. Each of the creators involved can post entries, interviews, tutorials, announce projects or generally discuss comic and non-comic matters. Oh, and insult each other, mock other creators and pimp their projects like two-bit gangsters with a truckload of whores.

“The reason for starting it was to be able to offer a blog that's updated daily rather than once or twice a month like most blogs I visit. We’re ganging up on content.” Explained Kody. “I felt that was the best reason for having multiple creators. The decision to do it on Google’s Blogger came from the idea that the information could easily be shared and reposted by other bloggers with a single click. If someone likes a piece of content, they can pull it into their own blog and share it with their readers.”

Kody (whose credits include 30 Days of Night – Bloodsucker Tales for IDW and Tag with Keith Giffen for BOOM! Studios) wanted to find some fellow creators to join him. Artists and writers, like Kody himself, are fairly new to the industry but are doing fantastic work and making a real impact on the industry. Creators like Tony Lee (X-Men, Doctor Who, Starship Troopers, Midnight Kiss), Joshua Hale Fialkov (Elk’s Run, Western Tales of Terror, Punks, World’s End), Troy Wall (Digital Webbing Presents, BloodRayne) and Rob Guillory (CloudCircus, Grey, Shortbus Superstars!) were amongst the first wave, with William Harms (Abel, Bad Mojo), Chuck BB (Secret Skull, Black Metal), Christopher G. Kirby (The Lost Squad, Freakshow), Steven Perkins (Pacify, IDW’s C.S.I.)and Ty Gorton (Runes of Ragnan) following shortly after. And the list continues to grow!

“The reason these specific creators were invited was that most of us are in a similar place in our careers, no one here is a superstar (yet) – well apart from Tony, but he takes tablets for those delusions.” Kody continued. “But we've all got professional work out there, and there's a consistency of quality from everyone on the list. Everyone I’ve approached about contributing to Creator Direct are people I know from conventions or online and I have a lot of respect for their work. I wanted to get a group of creators together that are really starting to make things happen and to feed off each other’s energy.”

Creator Direct is looking to grow with a lot more upcoming creators already invited, hopefully earning a strong enough reader base to have a positive influence on comics as a whole.

“We’re fun. Apart from Joshua. He’s got the cold, dead eyes of a killer.” Explained one British creator who refused to be named in case Fialkov kneecapped him. “And if you want some real fun, ask Kody about Gambit being Cajun.”

Creator Direct can be found at www.creatordirect.com. Go visit. Tell your friends.

1 comment:

Cadre said...

How would one become a member of this group? I'm very intrigued as it sounds like a great idea.

Thanks for letting me know. :D