The future is bright, and I'm happy about it.
Band of Bards is changing, and while this is all pretty terrifying, it couldn't be more awesome.
Hey everyone!
My name is Chris.
I’m an illustrator, author, and one of the co-founders of Band of Bards (an independent publishing house based in Buffalo, NY). As much as this space is about what I’ll be doing, I’m also aiming to help other creators, and spread some positivity with my platform (not to mention dispel and demystify a little bit of how the publishing industry works from my own point of view).
I’m not perfect, but I think maybe I can do some good.
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In this issue of ‘The Great and Terrible Blog’ we’re going to talk about Band of Bards and how we became the first co-op comics publisher and what it means for the community.
The Future is Creator-owned. The Future is Worker-owned.
A Positive Charge
Half-way to 2025
The Future is Creator-owned. The Future is Worker-owned.
I definitely have more to say today than I think I have said in the last year and a half... but outside of the present, lets reflect back onto the last three years to see the seeds of where this idea has grown from... it's mind boggling. I apologize for my lack of blogging, and poor responsiveness to emails over the last 365+ days. It's been an absolute whirlwind. A bit over a year ago Band of Bards officially launched into the direct market when we signed a distribution deal with Diamond Comics Distributors.
To say the least , there was a huge learning curve, and this very aspect of the business absorbed an awful lot of our available hours. Couple that with completing reams of meta data per release, building individual issues, art assets, web-site updates, trying to communicate effectively with the creative teams, dealing with delays, marketing, managing social media, and lots of eating crow when we messed up (either privately or in public)... it's been a full three years of lessons learned. Some of those harder than others.
That's kind of where we've been.
I'm not any kind of a brilliant business mind... I'm neurodivergent, and I easily get mentally exhausted. You can't ask me anything about financials and I admittedly have no idea about them. Not to mention, as much as I would like to learn it, my brain won't let me. But I think I know enough to tell you that Tim and I were burning out. Like a candle lit at both ends, by the time 2023 was coming to a close, so were we.
At the beginning of last year we started to talk about what we thought Band of Bards should look like.. it definitely wasn't shaping up to be what we wanted. We promised from the start that we were going to champion diversity and inclusivity... but the company really wasn't reflecting that. We were starting to look too much like the industry we were seeking to change, and it was time to look at our organizational structure from the top down, do a hell of a lot of research, and excitedly we applied to (and were accepted into) a local Buffalo area Co-op Incubation program. We needed to see if this idea we started to form would work, and they could not only help us understand that, but also help us put it into practice.
What does it mean to be in a worker-owned co-op?
I've seen supermarkets that are cooperatives... farms for sure... but a publisher? In a worker-owned co-op, the employees themselves collectively own and manage the business. This model empowers every individual involved in the organization to have a direct stake in its success, fostering a culture of collaboration, shared responsibility, and equitable decision-making. Each member contributes not only their skills and expertise but also has a voice in shaping the direction and priorities of the company.
We reached out to the Bards first to see if there was anyone out there who wanted to devote the time and energy needed to help carry us forward... we needed to gauge interest, and while I don't know if the full scope of this idea was understood at the time, we received a lot of questions and confirmation that there was. Narrowing it down was tough, and I don't want people to feel any certain way if you didn't get the call this round.
Megan, and Joey to different extents have already been helping us along. They've gotten to know us, they know our goals, ambitions, and what Band of Bards is supposed to be. They know the creative teams we're working with, and are both on the same page with matching our energy and aspirations. I'm happy that we get to keep working with both of them.
Brent and Marcus have been around us in one form or another too. Both have had works in From the Static (our horror anthology), and Marcus' label Dauntless Stories incorporated right around when we did... surprisingly enough, we all share the same ideas and ideals. It finally started to make sense. I'm excited (and smitten honestly) to now have Dauntless Stories under the Band of Bards umbrella, and I’m so happy to welcome Brent and Marcus into the decision making fold of ownership.
These four amazing humans alongside Tim and I have a huge stake in making Band of Bards the success we KNOW it can be. They each bring a wealth of knowledge and experience that will help us to become a catalyst of change as we move forward through this industry's evolution.
With that evolution also comes increased accountability. To help us manage this new era, and provide suggestions, guidance, and some oversight we've also created a Board of Directors. Following industry standards four seats on the current seven seat board will be occupied by worker-owners, and three community chairs will be occupied by members of the comics community on a 1 year rotational basis.
The inaugural board community members are: Anne Brennaman (Anne Comics, Community Chair), Melissa Meszaros (Don't Hide PR, Creator Chair), and Allen Harrington (Krazzy Comics, Retailer Chair).
Band of Bards has always been focused on the community, and I hope that establishing this board will help show our continued commitment to the comics community and our focus to include their input on how we do business as as part of it.
I hope that everyone will join me in welcoming this expanded crew on board! Thank you so much for supporting Band of Bards these last three years! We're so excited to share this entire experience with everyone!
Positive Charge
June 2024
Confronting obstacles and dealing with negative emotions can be tough. Nevertheless, it's vital to understand that failure holds equal importance to attaining success. Embrace failure as an integral aspect of the learning journey, and keep in mind the importance of picking yourself up.. and keep moving forward.
We’re Halfway to 2025…
This year has gone by in a whirlwind and doesn’t seem to be slowing down. This coming weekend Band of Bards (and myself) will be at Nickel City Con in Buffalo, NY.
The most important thing that I need to focus on is remembering that I need to take time for myself, my family, my personal projects and ideas. Life this year has proven to be incredibly short, and we’re not meant to be here forever.
Remember to be kind, be patient, and be understanding.
That’s all I’ve got for now! Let’s do this again next month!
Chris
I love the co-op concept. Excited to see where it goes!
Proud of you all!