Tomato TV

San Diego Comic Con 2010

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 00:00:00 CST

So it’s time again for that secular Mecca like trek for geeks of all color, size & shape & level of profession – The San Diego Comic Con. TomatoTV and it’s staff will be there with all out fellow pilgrims. We are sharing a booth with out sister company Geekdom Wear at Exhibitor tables B02 in the very back corner of Hall A. Come by and meet the staff (when they’re not running around doing other stuff) and follow our twitters on the links on the home page.

I’m particularly looking forward to this year for several reasons:
First it’s the first real launch of TomatoTV. Last year it was barely up and then things got busy. This is what I’m considering this year our first major start.

Second, on a personal level with actual booth help this year I should have time to actually get away to look for work in illustration and animation. So if any of you execs, art directors or editors are interested stop on by and I’d love to talk to you.

Third, Geekdom Wear’s test sales have done VERY well in the last two years, well enough to take the concept to the next level. San Diego will be Geekdom Wear’s debut as an online store, and with a whole new slew of shirts for sale. So come by and support both your geek interests and TomatoTV by seeing what wears we’ve got that matches you geek interests. Also be coming back after Con as TomatoTV starts telling its stories in ways we haven’t yet.

Fourth, You. Conventions are a great time to have such a variety of people under one roof: fans, professionals, editors, old friends, new friends, consumers, people with geeky goodies to buy from to name a few. I’m the polar opposite of the guy who sits at the table looking down at his sketchbook the whole time. I love to talk and meet new people so stop on by and let’s talk!

new to TomatoTV because of San Diego Comic Con: TomatoTV 101

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 00:00:00 CST

We’ll probably have quite a few new visitors at from San Diego Comic Con, and as TomatoTV.net is a somewhat unique model in webcomics a quick 101 might help.
Our model is unique enough that the whole site had to be custom coded from the ground up because there was literally no template or comic press version we could use. Why? Simple. Most webcomics are one site, one theme, and one strip. We are one site, multiple entries and comics but all under one theme of classic TV about shows you’ve never heard of, but genre’s you have. It’s the kind of stuff that we grew up with watching on the local UHF stations. The idea is that each entry (article, blog, TomatoTV Guide or comic) is something that you’d see on a local UHF station. TomatoTV.net is the kind of thing for the TV historian, pop culture enthusiast, Gen X’er, and anyone that likes TV reruns of the Television from it’s golden age to the most recent show’s showing up in rerun circuits.

Our Panel "Full Time Creative Work on Part Time" at SDCC

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 00:00:00 CST

For the second year in a row the planners of San Diego Comic Con thought Tomato TV’s co-operative work model was interesting enough to award panel time for us to share how we are able to end up with a singularly branded product, even though it’s made up of a mix of separate individuals and stories. I’ve always said our model and how we work together is unique. It’s a kind of fun wonderful to have that validated by the fact that they want us to share they way we work together. The panel will be Sunday, July 25, 3:00PM - 4:00 PM “Full Time Creative Work on Part Time” Room 24ABC. The panel gist is simple. The creative industries demand full time output, even if it’s not your full time job and thus you don’t have time for full time output (if for example you’re a hobbiest or breaking into the business). We’ll show you how to work with others to have a product that’s singularly branded but made form a group effort.

Here’s the booth description:
Come learn the secret to using part-time collaboration to achieve full-time results! No matter which industry (comics, illustration, movies, design, animation), breaking in to today’s media is a full-time job, even if you only have part-time hours to accomplish it. Come hear Topher Davila (editor and co-creator of TomatoTV.net, art director for GeekdomWear.com), Mario Martinez (Co-creator of TomatoTV.net & TomatoTVAnimation.com), Kevin Flessing (TomatoTV.net columnist: TomatoTV Guide & staff writer for TomatoTVAnimation.com), Jonelle Cobb (web designer, art director for GeekdomWear.com), Ron Coleman (P.H.D Student and TomatoTV.net columnist: Doctor Professor), Chad Welch (illustrator) and Jessica Grimshaw (animator) how they successfully juggle time between the creative and business sides from their experiences in illustration, business branding, writing, design, and animation. Emphasis on defining common goals everyone is happy with, workflow, building your team and perhaps most important: mistakes not to make! Whether you struggle with deadlines, are a creative hobbyist, or simply want to know how to get your foot in the door, this panel is not to be missed!

See you there! We'd like to not hear crickets.

Regular programming to resume July 28th

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 00:00:00 CST

When last I posted it was to say that regular programming schedule would be spotty until life got less crazy and I could devote the proper time to TomatoTV that it deserves. It was a usual webcomics post, but this one saying we’ll be resuming regular programming isn’t. Regular postings will be Wednesday and Friday starting Wednesday July 28th with a special post con post then again Friday July 30th. I can’t say how happy I ma that the staff and I will be back to regular postings. With it’s unique model and voice the staff and I wanted to do TomatoTV right, and now we can share our stories with you. Thank you for anyone left that stuck it out with us. There’s lots of fun ahead so stay tuned!

Program schedule may be spotty, but we'll be back on the air sooner than later...

Sat, 2 Jan 2010 00:00:00 CST

This is the post I’ve been trying to put off as long as I could. For anyone that’s dropped by after San Diego Comic Con or Long Beach Comic Con you’ve noticed unfortunately a diminishing amount of publishing. It’s because I’ve learned that freelance is a good thing and so is web comics, but the two don’t mix well at all. Trying to both freelance as well as a be a web comics illustrator, writer AND editor for TomatoTV.net has not worked out as evidence of our terrible publishing “schedule”. I’ve been evaluating and some things gatta go. Now, you’ve read several posts that start with a similar prompt of “not enough time. Too much life” then they usually end with “it’s been great. Bye bye webcomic.” Well not here, for me it’s “Freelancing has been great, but bye bye Freelance. Hello TomatoTV.net” I’ll be returning to regular work for a company for a variety of reasons, but amongst those so I can donate the proper time to TomatoTV.net and really take it where I know it can go.

Why am I doing the opposite of what most people do when they get to this point? Am I the battered spouse that won’t leave? Do I need to admit I have an unhealthy addiction? Am I incapable of figuring out what real priorities are? Do I have delusions of grandeur? No.

On the personal side, TomatoTV.net is not something that I want to do; it’s something I NEED to do. It’s addressing an inner song that must be sung, or like a balloon filling with air MUST be let out other wise the pressure just increases until it pops. The characters and stories literally tug at me and demand to have a voice. Not updating the site isn’t going to stop the voices. I’ve tried that on another project and the voices never did fade away. In the end I’m a storyteller, whether I like it or have time for it or not.

On the professional side, if you’re wondering why I’d do such a thing for a “side project”, simply put TomatoTV is far, far from a “side project”. In the creative business world that we exist in with the “do your own thing THEN we’d love to talk” “side projects” like TomatoTV are almost as required as a portfolio. TomatoTV has been the reason I’ve stumbled onto such amazing professional attention, opportunity and connections that my portfolio alone would not have lead me too. It’s lead to such wonderful things as: developing pilot animation with LATV (and came a hairs breath of turning this volunteer staff into a animation production studio), development with Disney Television Animation, finding and becoming part of Animation Army and development of Geekdom Wear, and a “wow that sounds like an idea I’ve never heard of. I going to definitely check that out” with every art director, animation exec, and animation company owner I’ve shared it with and so much more. This site may not have paid the bills directly, but it’s far from a “side project”.

Also there are a few IP’s on this site where they really have potential. I truly believe that TomatoTV has content on it, and that it has enough quality and unique ideas and structure that if given proper time and growth will lead to this website being part or more of my income eventually, as well as the other staff who have graciously given their time.
So the plan:

TomatoTV is going to be updating when I can, but effectively now will be on hold for a short while as I look to transition back into working at a company again. Freelance has been fun, but it’s time to have something close to a set schedule again. That said it’s important to find the right job, and not just a job, as there’s a huge difference. I’ll make a separate post of what kind of work I’m looking for and what I can do so if any one knows work they can contact me, but this post is about you. Me letting you know that I’ve been truant, but am working things out to get back on track.

So viewers, TomatoTV.net reception may be spotty for a little bit, but I’m working on getting everything fixed much sooner than later.
Thank you and apologies for any interruption in regularly scheduled programming.