otisframpton.com

Oddly On TV!

Looks like Oddly Normal was on the latest episode of "Beauty And The Geek"!

Well, the poster at the Viper booth at Comic-Con, anyway.  But hey . . . it's a start.

Some other Viper titles got some good play, as well.  Check it out.

-Otis

Breaking In & Not-So-Silent Cal

At Comic-Con this year, someone asked me how to "break in" to comics.  It was the very first time that I've been on the other end of that exchange.  I spent most of my life asking that question . . . to myself, to other amateurs, to pros at conventions and store signings.  But I'd never heard it asked of me.  I suppose that means that I've officially "broken in" (although I still have the drive to push myself and achieve more, which is comforting that the finish line continues to move forward with me).  So it was interesting to finally hear the question from someone else for a change.

Which brings me to one of my favorite quotes, a quote that I once had pinned to the wall above my drawing table, but no longer need to have there because it has become a part of my character and thinking process:

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; un-rewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”

-Calvin Coolidge

That quote is so ingrained in my thoughts that I unconsciously paraphrased it when answering the question about breaking in.  I replied with something like this:

"How do you make it?  Persistence, luck and talent.  In that order.  If you keep pressing forward and never quit, you'll eventually get lucky by getting noticed by the right person.  Your talent will help to make that luck by doing good work worthy of notice.  But you can never quit.  That's the difference between succeeding and failing.  Never quit."

And I believe that.

I think that in the end, talent is the least important factor in breaking into the business of comics or illustration.  I didn't used to have that mindset.  In my teens and early 20s, I thought that talent was the most important element and that one should achieve success for that reason alone.  And I would imagine that this sense of entitlement is common, especially when you're younger.  But talent really is third in  line.  Think about all of the successful artists or writers out there who are working professionals and then think about all of the talented people doing amazing work but haven't found a way to get their foot in the door and you'll see the logic of this statement.  Coolidge was absolutely correct in his assessment.

That's not to say that talent is not important at all.  It's incredibly important, especially once you do get your foot in the door of the professional world.  But if you quit (persistence) before being noticed by the right person or company (luck), your talent will mean exactly zilch.

And a lot of people simply aren't willing to make the sacrifices necessary to succeed.  And let's face it, it's much easier to quit.  It's a much more fun to go out with your friends than it is to stay at home filling up sketchbooks with practice drawings.  I was sitting next to Cat Staggs at Comic-Con and we had a good laugh about getting the question "how do you learn to draw like that?".  Just put pencil to paper and prepare to have no social life for 20 or so years is my stock answer.  And most people don't like that answer because it's not an easy answer.  It's not a "read this book" or "take this class" or "use this brand of pencil" answer (which are the answers we've all looked for at one time or another, trust me).

I suspect that the "never quit" answer isn't any more satisfying.  So to that person who asked me how to "break into comics" . . . I apologize.  "Never quit" is really all I've got.  In the end, it's all that any of us have.

-Otis

San Diego Comic-Con '07 Wrap-Up

Well, Comic-Con has come and gone once again, and I am exhausted.  Part of my fatigue comes from some bad travel experiences going there and coming back (it was Planes, Trains & Automobiles for me and mine).  But mostly it's because it was the busiest and most successful convention experience that I've ever had!  My amazingly supportive wife Leigh (more about her later) and I sold out of everything we brought to the Con.  We sold all 90 convention sketchbooks (each with a custom drawing in it, which kept me busy from start to finish each day).  We sold all of the Oddly Normal books that we brought and even needed to raid the Viper Comics booth for more . . . and we sold out of their copies as well!  And we even sold the last copies of Oddly Normal Volume 1 that Viper had left (a reprint is in the works, no worries)!  I also did about 20 or so drawings in the personal sketchbooks that fans brought to the convention.  All in all, a very successful convention for Team Frampton, and I'm looking forward to going back next year to try and repeat the experience.

Aside from the good business, I also enjoyed seeing old friends and meeting new ones;  I got to see the Viper crew, including Jessie Garza, Jim Resnowski, Josh Howard, Pat Bussey, Scott Zirkel, Wes Molebash, Bryan Baugh, Ryan Cody and new Viper Intern Matt . . . the Artist Alley gang, including Katie Cook and her hubby Ryan, Cat Staggs, Gabe Hernandez, Tom and Terri Hodges, and Russell Walks & His Amazing Family . . . my friend Brian Fies (Eisner winning creator of Mom's Cancer) stopped by a few times to chat and talk shop . . . Tracy, Sarah and Shelby Edmunds (Oddly fans all and the writers behind Newsarama.com's "All Ages Reads" column) came by to say hello . . . Rich from Rich's Cards was there once again . . . I finally got to meet artist Doug Holgate in person (Doug and I are collaborating on a new graphic novel) . . . my pal Paul Gutierrez stopped by to say hello . . . writer and all around super-star Javier Grillo-Marxuach and his wife came by the table (and I gave him another Grand Moff Tarkin drawing for his ever-growing collection) . . . Lucasfilm diva Bonnie Burton came around to remind me of the pitch we developed for animation 2 years ago (someday, Bonnie, someday!) . . . I got to meet screenwriters Adam Moore and Kevin Abrams (I am providing the artwork for their entry in an upcoming Viper anthology book) . . . super-collector Anne Kong came around with some friends and she helped me convert them into Oddly Normal fans (thanks, Anne!) . . . and I met hundreds of others at the convention, so if I forgot a name here and there please forgive me!

It was a whirlwind of an event.  I have very few memories of the days I spent there because most of the time I had my face buried in a sketchbook doing custom drawings for folks who were kind enough to buy one of my sketchbooks.  So a big "thank you" goes out to everyone who stopped by my table and said hello.  You guys helped make this convention a huge success for me.  I hope to see you all again next year!  And to everyone who bought a copy of Oddly Normal, I hope you enjoyed the books and pleaser stick around for the third book, which will be released next year just in time for Comic-Con!

But the person who is most responsible for the amazing convention sell-out is this woman here:

Not only did she take it upon herself to make a custom Oopie doll just days before leaving for the Con (no it's not a bug, despite the hundreds of people who told her "you've got a bug on your head") but she wore it on her head every day of the convention and acted as my "table barker", attracting people to my area of Artist Alley!  I may have wore my hand off drawing hundreds of drawings for convention attendees, but she made it all possible.  Thank you, Leigh.  I love you.

See you at Comic-Con next year!

-Otis

P.S.  You can see more of Leigh's Comic-Con photos HERE.

Oddly Normal Review Round-Up

There have been a number of reviews of both volumes of Oddly Normal in the past couple of months . . .

The Graphic Classroom, described by proprietor Chris Wilson as "a resource for teachers and librarians to help them stock high quality, educational-worthy, graphic novels and comics in their classroom or school library", gave Oddly Normal Vol 1 a rating of "Highly Recommended" for use in classrooms!  Here's an excerpt:

"I love the character, Oddly Normal.  Her life is not perfect and it only gets worse, but she perseveres, pushing ahead and pursuing the mystery surrounding her parents’ disappearance.  It is a beautiful mystery full of all kinds of references and goodies beneath the story.  There is so much to ODDLY NORMAL and yet the child who simply wants to superficially read for enjoyment can do so.  There is enough meat that the child who enjoys a deeper understanding of the literature can do so and love every minute of it."

Thanks, Chris!

Speaking of the classroom, Scott Tingley's Comics In The Classroom gave Oddly Normal Vol 1 and Oddly Normal: Family Reunion favorable reviews (with a slap at the supposedly "bland" covers in the name of "fairness").  Here's an excerpt:

"The Oddly Normal covers are really bland!       

There. I did it. Whew, that is a load off.

Everything else  is great though – really, really good stuff.  But those covers!  I read first volume approximately a year ago and I thought it was an instant winner.  It is written and drawn by Otis Frampton and features the ironically named “Oddly Normal”, daughter of a normal man and a witch.  Her classmates don't know that she is a witch, but they do know that she is different, and that is enough for them to not like her.  The first lines of volume one were enough to sell me on it."

Thanks, Scott!  And you can expect more bland covers gracing the front of future books!

Laura "Teegan" Gjovaag chimes in positively on her blog about Oddly Normal: Family Reunion:

"Wet Boy!!!!!!!  Ahem.  I love this book.  I finished the book and the first thing I thought was "When is the next installment?  I wanna read it now!"  I bought the first series for the Wizard of Oz reference (witches being hurt by water), and loved it immediately.  Now this book has given me another character to appreciate, in the son of a superhero family who can turn into water. Another excellent book.  Go read it, and the first volume."

I'm particularly happy that she enjoyed the second book.  She loved the first three issues of the original mini-series, but was decidedly frustrated by the "non-ending" of issue four.  Looks like all is forgiven.  Mission accomplished!

The Juneau Empire Online wrote an article last month about comics and listed Oddly Normal Vol 1 as a graphic novel worth reading to "whet your appetite for guest artist Scott McCloud's upcoming presentation and workshop on graphic novels."  Here's their mini-review:

"Written for all ages, this is the story of Oddly, a half-witch 10 year-old girl living miserably in the human world. Everyone feels like an outcast sometimes, but Oddly, with her pointy ears and green hair, feels like one all the time. When an unfortunately-timed wish makes her parents disappear, Oddly is taken in by her great-aunt, who lives in the realm of Fignation. Oddly is hopeful that she'll fit in at last and that she and her aunt will be able to re-appear her parents, but since this is volume 1 of a series, guess what happens!"

Thanks to the newspaper for highlighting Oddly Normal!  And Scott, feel free to stop by my Artist Alley table at Comic-Con next week and I'll give you copies of both Oddly books for Winter and Sky.

Here's a nice review from Alicia the "Book Barker", a librarian from Minneapolis, Minnesota.  An excerpt:

"This graphic novel goes on my list of fun, clever all-ages comics that have enough humor and meat to them to appeal to teens as well as grade-schoolers. The highlight of that semi-theoretical list is Bone- that kind of graphic novel. This is the first of four parts, all available out there in Book-buying-and-borrowing Land."

Thanks Alicia!  I love that librarians are taking a liking to Oddly Normal.  On that note, I was recently informed that Oddly Normal Vol 1 is virtually sold out from Viper Comics due to a very large order from a book buyer who supplies libraries around the country!  The last copies of Oddly Normal Vol 1 will be with me at Comic-Con next week.  A reprint is in the works . . . I'll keep you updated.

And last but not least, a negative review from a blog called Me Read Books:

"Boring!  Basically a Saturday-morning-cartoon ripoff of Harry Potter, featuring bland art, bland characters, and bland plot."

Oh well.  You can't please everyone.

-Otis

San Diego Comic-Con Update

A few updates before I head off to San Diego . . .

I wanted to announce that for the first time I'll be doing convention sketches at the upcoming San Diego Comic-Con!  I admit, I've been a bit apprehensive to do them in the past since I didn't feel confident enough.  But it's time I stepped  up and joined the ranks of those who walk the walk.

There is a place in my new convention sketchbook for a pen and marker sketch.  Any character you want.  And the book will still be just ONE BUCK! I've printed up 100 copies of the book (and it looks pretty darn good, IMHO.  Thanks, Leigh!) and it's first come, first served.  Sorry . . . no "save one for me" or "can I mail you some cash?".  These are just for conventions.

Here are some examples of what to expect from these sketches:

Also, make sure that when you're amblin' through Artist Alley at the convention to look out for this sign at Table BB-03:

Josh Howard and I will have 50 free prints of this image to GIVE AWAY FOR FREE to people who buy one of our books.  First come, first served.

And don't forget . . . Oddly Normal book are just FIVE BUCKS at the con!

See ya in San Diego!

-Otis

"Oddly Normal: Family Reunion" Special Price At Comic-Con!

Good news for Oddly Normal fans attending the San Diego Comic-Con this year . . .

Viper has allowed me to sell copies of Oddly Normal: Family Reunion at a special reduced price at my Artist Alley table (and the Viper Comics booth). The price?

FIVE BUCKS.

That's more than half the retail price. What a bargain! 

See you in San Diego!

-Otis

San Diego Comic-Con 2007

Well, Nerd Mecca (aka the San Diego Comic-Con) is right around the corner.  On the 25th (I won't be there for Preview Night) I'll be flying across the country to join the other uber-nerds for our annual pilgrimage.  And I can't wait!  I'm really excited to be there this year, having two Oddly Normal books to sell and promote.  Plus, I'll be sharing a table in Artist Alley with fellow Viper Comics creator Josh Howard, so the SDCC should be a ton of fun this time around.

Our table number is BB-03:

It's the same table I had last year, which is nice.  Like going back home.  And if you're going to the con, be sure to stop two tables down from me to BB-05 to meet future Oddly Normal artist Katie Cook!  Go HERE to read Katie's LiveJournal post about the Con.

I'll also be signing Oddly books at the Viper Comics booth, which is listed on the Comic-Con site as being at booth #1903, but that number is not listed on the map and is different from where the Viper booth has been for the last two years (#1947), so who knows.  I'll update you if I find out.

Last year I did a daily countdown before the con (go HERE for the SDCC 06 archives), but I'm happy to say that I'm so busy with work that I have no time for that kind of thing this year!  I may post additional info right before I leave for the con, though.  So check back soon!

See you at the con!

-Otis

2007 Convention Sketchbook

Here's the cover for my 2007 convention sketchbook:

And some preview pages:

I'll be selling them only at conventions and for just ONE BUCK.  They'll be printed in black and white on the cheapest paper possible!

And I'll be GIVING AWAY the original artwork featured in the sketchbook to anyone who buys a copy of "Oddly Normal" volume 1 and 2 (or two copies of either book)!

See you at the cons!

-Otis

Conventional Blog Post

As some of you know, I don't go to a lot of comic book conventions.  Since I started working on Oddly Normal, I've been to the Orlando MegaCon once and the San Diego Comic-Con twice.  I was invited to Star Wars Celebration IV, but this came around the same time that I was making the decision to re-focus my creative efforts on  my own projects, so I decided not to join in on the big 30th Anniversary hoopla in Los Angeles.

Instead, Leigh and I are planning to attend a couple more comic book conventions this year (along with the San Diego Comic-Con, which we plan to attend annually, no matter what) to promote the release of Oddly Normal: Family Reunion.  So if all goes well, we'll be at the Small Press Expo and the Baltimore Comic-Con later this year!

The Baltimore Comic-Con will be held on September 8th and 9th at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland.  The Small Press Expo will be held on October 12th and 13th at the Marriott Bethesda North Hotel & Conference Center in Washington, D.C.  SPX touts itself as  "the preeminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comic books and the discovery of new creative talent."  It's like the San Diego Comic-Con of the Indy scene.  I'm really looking forward to this show, so I hope I got my table application in on time.

Both of these cons are local shows for me now that I live on the outskirts of Washington D.C., so Leigh and I will be able to drive to them from our apartment each day, which is nice.  One of the worst parts of going to cons is the travel involved, from a financial and a practical standpoint, it's a real pain.  It costs a bundle and we have a cat and a dog to think about when going away for any length of time.  I really don't know how some comic creators do this all year long.

And, of course, we'll be attending the San Diego Comic-Con, which will be held from July 25th to July 29th at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California.  This will be my third year attending this con and I'm really looking forward to it this year, since I'll have two Oddly books to sell!  I'm also looking forward to sharing a table in Artist Alley with fellow Viper creator Josh Howard.  And, as usual, I'll also spend some time in the Viper Comics booth.  It should be a very good show this year.

See you there!

-Otis