3Q3A 002

No Subtitle Necessary

First off…

Big inhale. We need it.

Cheers.

Art by Jason Howard and Michael Garland

Another week busy with lots of planning in the 3W/3M campus.  If you like Excel sheets and Slack channels, this is the place for you!

Hopefully, you saw last week’s news about our upcoming tome, which will be a beautiful Sourcebook showcasing all the content you've been lucky enough to watch develop in this space.

Design by Sasha E. Head

If you missed the details of our partnership with Zoop! make sure and check it out HERE.

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Obviously, much of the past week has been spent consumed with the news of the world (Ain't that always the case?). Still, amidst these real-world happenings, we’ve also sat and made some storytelling decisions for where we’re headed over the next year and how we transition from our overall world-building into our larger narrative.

If it all goes according to the plans of the 3M3W hivemind, it should be a big summer of ALL-NEW COMICS that begin to open the doors wide to the story of the VALLARS and the mysteries of our universe. 

All of that is to say, with the upcoming Sourcebook and the stories (and more!) headed straight to your face, it’s probably time to make sure everyone you know has signed up for what’s next.

And now that I’ve tickled your private parts with a feather, let’s get down to why you’re here!

You have Qs!  I have As!

LET’S get to the Queries!
(And don’t forget to leave your own Qs in the comments!)

Q1

Christian Josiah writes (regarding our partnership with Zoop):

Zoooop Zooooooooooop! Nice! 

What is the distinction between Founding Members and Annual subscribers? Is it actually possible to upgrade to a Founding Membership at this point? I only ask because, as a Founding Member, I’m still a little confused how this works.

A1
We got a few versions of this question, so it’s worth addressing.

FOUNDING MEMBER is a distinct subscription tier that is the highest level and gives you access to EVERYTHING we offer (it does NOT simply mean you subscribed on Day 1).

Q2
John McNamara (after watching the Livestream with Hickman and me):

You both kept saying that the Sourcebook was for Founders. I thought it was also going out to Annual subscribers, and I just wanted to clarify that was still the case.

A2
Good catch!

All Founders and Annual subscribers will be getting a Sourcebook.

The Founders will get a Hardcover, Limited version. Annual subscribers will be getting the Softcover, non-Limited (but still gorgeous) version.

Whichever you get, I believe you will be blown away. It’s going to be a beautifully designed artifact of our first year and the world you have helped build.

Q3
Joe St.Germain writes:

I haven't gotten any emails regarding the 13 Questions and the like and signed up as a Founding Member in the first few days. I've tried emailing and have gotten nothing back. Can anyone please contact me about this? Thank you!

A3

Thank YOU, Joe! If you or anyone has issues along these lines, drop an e-mail to info@3worlds3moons.com and we will figure out the problem.

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That was just the tip of the iceberg question-wise! But, y’ know…I am such a rule-breaking, devil-may-care, 21st-century James-Dean rebel type that I’m going to do what NO ONE HAS EVER DONE BEFORE in a 3Q3A editorial column…

…I AM GOING TO ANSWER FOUR QUESTIONS!!

“But what about the branding?!” I can hear some of you yelling into your phones!! “Your whole thing is 3s!”

Well, “Branding be damned !” especially when SeanW has a question!

Sean! Let’s break some hearts!

Q4
Our hero SeanW writes:

With so much art and entertainment available via streaming or subscription and audiobooks providing 4-40 hours of content for $15, how are you feeling about things in the Direct Market?

As a long, long-term fan of the medium, it is increasingly difficult to justify the cost-per-story with most comics. Is there any way around the fact that the time it takes to create print and ship a book makes it so expensive on the retail end?

A4
The Direct Market just had one of its strongest years ever, so I’m not particularly worried about that.  People being worried about the Direct Market is older than the Direct Market itself! 

However, your issue — as stated — seems more about the actual comics you are buying, which is a valid and important concern.

I have a simple, straightforward comics buying tenet…one that I’ve received puh-lenty of frustrated comic fan responses to over my many years dealing with frustrated comic fans.

Still, it’s a tenet I believe firmly in and one that is the only logical solution to your concern:

Don’t spend your money and time on comics that are not worth your money and time.

You don’t owe ANYONE your attention or your paycheck (well, unless you have kids, then take care of them first!)

If you feel like you aren’t getting your money’s worth from whatever it is you’re buying, stop. Cold Turkey. Just stop.

A Direct Market as strong as this one means there is PLENTY out there that you may find a stronger connection to.

However, thinking on it a second more …  you also live inside a new Golden Age of Comics, which is not limited to four walls and a roof. Places like 3W3M or other comics Substacks provide a fantastic opportunity to dive deeper into new creators, stories, and worlds in ways that would have been undreamt of even ten years ago. So, finding something here that is worth your money and time would also be a solid solution.

(And if you are really just looking for a new jam that is totally worth your time/money…I can highly recommend THE ME YOU LOVE IN THE DARK from Skottie Young and Jorge Corona!

Ask your comic store to get it!

What about you folks in the 3W3M orbit? What are some great comics you are loving right now? Leave some suggestions below.

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All right, I gotta go get this week’s comic ready and prepare for the 3W/3M Member’s Only Live Draw with Mike del Mundo on Friday.  (Yes, work-from-home folks, that means it’s a Shower Week!)

REMEMBER: Leave your questions below, and you may get them answered in THIS VERY COLUMN!!

Viva Templar!

Simperin’ Steve

03/01/22

PS: Coming Soon… Kristian Donaldson!
PPS: Don’t tell anyone I’m showing you this!