SEQUENTIAL SMARTS #7: Branding
Still catching up…
You’re an ugly, fat-assed comic book reading loser.
Being stereotyped sucks. Comic fans aren’t the only ones getting it - Self-publishers get the “Oh, you’re… self… publishing” treatment too. Manga creators are often being treated as if they aren’t creating “real” comics. Even big name creators like Joe Quesada and Warren Ellis get the occasional label for being late on book releases.
Stereotypes are just brands-gone-wild and although stereotypes are typically negative opinions born in the social subconscious, the act of branding is an intentional engineering of a positive stereotype. Having a brand is having a pre-existing opinion that anyone can tap into and assume is knowledge. It’s a reputation. An identity.
In Comicland, there are thousands of titles and creators trying to create a positive reputation for themselves. Some of them are with publishers. Some without. Some write comics. Some draw them. Regardless, all of these people including you and me are competing for the adoration of comic readers. The only way any of us can stand out from the rest is to build a brand for ourselves. And not just any brand, a STRONG brand.
Without a brand we’re just another guy or girl who: “Oh, you’re… self… publishing.”…