Saturday 19 March 2016

The Cerebus Oversize Project: MY Kinko's vs YOUR Kinko's


DAVE SIM:
Okay, as I'm typing this, we are six days and roughly 21 hours away from the actual TCOP launch (see SLEDGEHAMMER below)!

If you have questions or, particularly, suggestions, they're certainly welcome since, so far as we know, this has never been done before and it's certainly something virtually ALL artists and publishers have been leery about:  making high resolution digital files available for sale.  If you want, you can try talking us out of it!  :)

LOTS of tweaking has been done but, as I always say, a good idea can come from anywhere.

It has definite pluses.  As compared with Kickstarter where, four months later, we're still only part of the way through the fulfillment process (John is suggesting that we'll be at the printing and signing point sometime in the next week: I sure hope so! SINCERE apologies!), unless something goes seriously wrong next Friday, if you click on SLEDGEHAMMER and pay for it, you'll get it immediately.

Some allowances will have to be made in some cases for download time -- they are HUGE, HUGE files -- but even then it will be "ALMOST immediately".

I liked Sandeep's comment:  "It's really a question of MY Kinko's versus YOUR Kinko's" if we had gone the route of printing and shipping them.  High resolution files like these you will be able to print anywhere.  Some places will farm them out (the place who did the #187 cover did it and had it back in two or three days), other places can do them "on site".  You can definitely shop for the best price, as well online.

This way also allows you to choose what you want the images printed on if you choose to have them printed.

I wouldn't underrate that as a key "individualizing" point.  "MY Kinko's comes with MY choices and you're stuck with them".  Some people are "glossy" people and same people are "flat" people.  I prefer artwork on glossy paper.

If I was getting SLEDGEHAMMER printed here, as the co-artist, I would go glossy.  However, beyond a certain size -- if I was getting SLEDGEHAMMER printed the same size as the #187 two foot by three foot -- I might go "flat".  My choice would also depend on whether I was getting it framed under glass or getting it laminated or hot-pressed or cold-pressed onto some kind of board.  Those aren't right or wrong ways: it's all personal preference.

But, if I was doing it, you would be stuck with glossy. 

If you're getting all of them printed and storing them in a portfolio or folder, then you can print them to the exact size of the portfolio or wherever it is that you'll be storing them.

Most print shops have examples of their oversized work either on display or available for view.  The average customer isn't going to notice because the average customer isn't getting oversized work done.

The people in the print shop can explain in great detail what the different processes are that they have available and what the different visual effects created by those different processes are.

7 comments:

Margaret said...

I'd love to get a hi-res picture of the cover to issue #114, but without the text on it, just the artwork. It would be cool to have it as a background on my computer, my phone, and to also have it printed out and hung up on the wall. Will there be some sort of letter provided so I can get them printed out professionally in the event someone gets their knickers in a twist about it?

Oh, and I'd like a hi-res copy of the artwork for issue #162, page 2. The page with the original artwork of my tattoo. Not that I want to redo the tattoo, but I'd like to be able to zoom up super close and take a look see at it.

JLH said...

I second what Al Roney said in this week's video thread: phonebook covers. Without any doubt, those, in particular, would be incredible to have in giant format.

(By the way, Dave, it's me, Cerebus "Superfan" Jesse Herndon! I have not given up doing videos on Cerebus, just been super busy with work. Going to film 8 more episodes, concluding C&SII, in the next two days, God willing.)

Steve said...


Dave -

For cosmic comic metaphysics sake, get that extension cord out of the way, out of the traffic lane on the rug there.

We REALLY don't want you living out Something Fell, OK?

Thanks -

Steve

Unknown said...

HI MARGARET! Whether we add images into TCOP after launch will depend on what kind of a launch we have! Four days, five hours and nineteen minutes as I'm typing this! One of the things that kept TCOP "green-lighted" from the git-go was that it was a FINISHED PROJECT. Off my desk, onto Sandeep's, onto the Internet and done. If it produces revenues comparable to, say, CerebusDownloads then it will be in the "Okay, good. Money we didn't have before." But it wouldn't be something we would revisit. If it produces revenues comparable to Kickstarter, THEN we would revisit it.

Even if we don't add any more images, I'm sure Sandeep will be DELIGHTED to send YOU and ONLY YOU the 114 cover scanned to, say, 2400 dpi so you can graft it onto the side of your house or use it to pave your driveway or wrap around your garage.

The hidden benefits of Being THE Margaret Liss!

By the way, did you send the Boston Bruins package to you-know-who? I never heard anything (which isn't unusual for kids today, of course)

Margaret said...

Dave - I'm looking forward to seeing what other pieces of Cerebus artwork will be available via TCOP!

I did send the package, and Mike let me know it was received and appreciated. I mention that they should send a thank you note to you, as it was your idea, so we'll see.

I'll take you up on the 114 cover scan - as much as I love to use it to wrap it around my garage, I'm afraid the birds would fly into it. They might think it is just part of the woods. So a nice large print in the home will be nice. Thank you.

Unknown said...

JLH - Hi Jesse! Sorry I missed your post the last time through. Sandeep was saying in our last Thursday meeting that your reviews had come to an abrupt halt. I told him, hey, it happens when The Job comes along! Glad to hear that you'll be back shortly!

M Kitchen said...

Sent Dave a fax after reading the above.

Gist of it is; the letter was sent, but not delivered.

Dave says: "chalk it up to my 'extra special treatment' from the post office".

First time a twelve year old sends a letter via snail mail, and (go figure) - it doesn't get there. Guess that's why kids these days would rather just post a video on youtube.