Am I Wrong To Produce Art In This Business?
 

Okay, many many moons ago while working in comics and animation I saw the forest for the trees and looked at adult entertainment as an alternative income and promotion source as I saw the executives in mainstream comics and animation fucking up so bad that I knew thousands of people would soon be fired.

My forecast has come true unfortunately. The animation and comics industries are destroyed. Recently Disney closed it's last animation studio in Australia, ( http://au.biz.yahoo.com/050726/31/69f6.html )

so that's the last nail in the coffin in an industry that made trillions for almost a century.

So I tried to warn guys years ago to diversify. Sure I still do comics and found alternate distribution routes. I have a bright future ahead but now I'm surrounded by thousands and thousands of animators and comics people who are FUCKED.

They never got their computer skills together or learned the web and any old timers here know I wrote about this years ago in Andy's Sex Swap as well as posted to several top boards.

People have and are losing their homes and marriages over this shit and I'm not crying one bit. I tried over and over again to get people to team up and take the bull by the horns but all I got from these guys was grief and " you're doin' porno ewww! " Now it's " Hey, can you get me a job...."

To tell the truth I'm no fan of porn. Really. But I learned back in '96 from some Japanese pals and fans who were running Anime/Hentai sites back then and were making high 5 and 6 figures just to pay for college. I saw the writing on the wall and knew it was best to diversify. After many years I've come to meet lots of you guys who are pros in many, many areas and shared tips and offered services. I KNOW you know what you're doing because you've grown like I have and many of you won't have to worry about money for the rest of your lives.

On the other hand I'm now looking at people who animated top films and movies and they have no hope to salvage themselves. It's fucked up for sure but look at the reality of the world nowadays.

You either make money or end up a fucking slave. I don't listen to anymore bullshit because we who know the web and get the real info know the fucking real deal. Either make your money and get the fuck outta dodge or don't.

What's extra cool is I won't have to depend on porn to make money as the skills I've learned are applicable to all forms of business. That's the real wealth, getting the skills.

It took me a long time as I was only one of a handful of guys in the states to venture into this realm and many have fallen off. Only one or two guys are still around. Others got greedy and thought the tactics they use to run big corporations would work on the web. The web separates the men from the boys and does it quick.

I've got some new opportunities I'm pursuing and am knuckling down to just produce and have fun.

I've been a professional artist ever since I got out of high school and haven't stopped. I learned way back then how to survive at it. Some guys get a cushy job and think it'll last forever. They found out wrong.

For us cartoonists who now have CG studies under our hats, we'll survive.

nice read...
hit me up Greg

Hand draw has been on its way out for a while. I also think the use of computers for 2d is on its way out too. CG cell shading is just too good. Easier and faster

I too have been doing toons for the last few years now, But at the moment I am selling my 3D toon company For the last 2 years I had pretty much done everything myself, and now can no longer dedicate the time I used to to it. So It's up for sale.

I still think the 3D toon market is in it infancy stages and will continue to grow as time passes, more and more mainstream 3D is popping up, so it's a natural thing that it will continue to progress in our industry as well.

-Loki-

Good for you Loki!

At least you saw the writing on the wall. 3D toons and content are still in their infancy. I know some toonists who could rock the web with their stuff but they are so thick-headed and still sit on their asses waiting for Disney or Dreamworks to call them and pamper them.

They'll be waiting forever. It ain't gonna happen.

There's lots of 2D toons on the web but after years of me trying to show them how to cut a profit they're still wallowing around like some magic fairy is gonna save em'.

Thanks Rinaldo, will do!

Awesome ... an honest thank you, for sharing those few paragraphs, from your life story.

I love cartoons, comics, animation etc and prefer it to 'live' entertainment. Could you post some of your work?

You're more than welcome Paco!

The only thing I can post is the lead graphic from my site www.gregboone.com

http://www.gregboone.com/sloppy.gif

Nice read Greg. I felt the same way when I worked in FX. For years as FX artists we had to learn and adapt new methods of creating FX. Back in the 20's it was just straight eyeliner and powder, by the time I started, we had incorporated makeup, mechanics, fabrication and engineering into the FX shops. There were several seperate departments per shop. And when computers came along and CGI was born, all the FX shops turned their nose up at the thought of using computers for FX.

Now... years later, all but a few shops have closed down. All my friends moved back to their hometowns. I only told a few people what I do now, and the response I get is the same response you get.. "Can you get me a job in porn?" or " Can you show me how to start a site?"

I think its the same shit in any industry. You have the people making money for themselves, and then you have the people who make money when they have a job. Often the people making money when they have a job have more talent, but at the end of the day they walk away with a lot less money because they don't have any initiative or motivation.

Just take a look at Slashdot. Day after day programmers bitching about having no job, outsourcing, and how everyone is against them and their families.

I was planning on becoming an artist when I finished high school. Amusingly, at the time I thought adult cartoons were what untalented people did. I would have never guessed that those were the guys making the real money. Now I look at things very, very differently.

that's a nice read greg...something inspirational for the new peeps on this biz,
yeah right we will survive bro, just keep on being professional & keep on dreaming!

fly high

Red Shoe you hit the nail right on the head!

You would roll on the floor laughing if you knew who IM'ed me from a popular FX shop a couple of weeks ago whining about needing work!

It used to be heartbreaking to see these people get the boot after years of eating high on the hog.
I guess the real world has suddenly jumped up and bitten them in the ass.

For you guys who don't work in mainstream entertainment like tv, movies, literature you would be surprised at how scummy and criminal these businesses are. You're constantly surrounded by some asshat retard or crook or their flunkies.

With all the terrorist shit goin' on and Bush having successfully turned the rest of the world into the state of Israel you can't trust shit nowadays. It's a literally come to a survival situation of scary proportions.

Damn near all of the cartoons that my kid watches were drawn in Asia....Look at the credits for some of these cartoons...all of the "worker" positions have nothing but ching chong names...The only time you see American names is when you get into the producer and other management positions.

Somebody needs to go over and teach those Japanese how to draw American style cartoons. You can easily tell that cartoons like Teen Titans are Japanese drawn.

yes

While I was fuckin Mrs. Tribble I saw a light out the window
I got up and took a look at it, and I ended up jizing on my window
I got pissed off so I went out side naked and started screaming at the light
The neighbors sat me naked so they called the cops
They cops show up and yell at me for being naked in a residential area
So I get all pissed again, I get on top of the car and pissed on the windshield
The big nig ger one grabs me and handcuffs me
Then they wrap me in a foil blanket and throw me in a cop car
Then I get all pissed off again, and I took a big shit on the seat
I smeared it in a circular motion with my crack
Then I got violent and banged my head on the window
Then the big nig ger one and asked me what that smell was
So I said I took a shit, and the big nig ger one hit me
They drove me to the station booked me, and took me in a room and told me to wait
I waited about 30 minutes
Then the 2 men in black came in one stands in the corner and the other sits down
They asked me what I saw, and I told them I saw a UFO
He then I told me I didn?t see a UFO
I then you don?t tell me what I see
Then he said we can make you disappear
Then I tell them not to threaten me
He then says we can make your wife, kids, and house disappear
Then he pulls a paper out that said I saw a helicopter and I was drunk and high
So I signed it, then I asked what organization they were from
Then the one in the corner and looked at the other and the the one talking said the meeting was over
The cops then took me and threw me into a cell
And the next day I was released and I went home.


Later that afternoon a black military helicopter flew over with no numbers
So I get all pissed off and started throwing shoes at the helicopter and screaming profanities
Then it quickly flew off
15 minutes later a black car pulls up, and the two men in black I saw the day before confront me
The one that didn?t talk cuffs me throws me in a sack and puts me in the trunk
I then start yelling, and Mrs Tribble comes up with a shoe and beats the one that talked yelling I saw it
The one that doesn?t talk pulls out a black object and hits her with it knocking her out
They take her and throw her in the back seat and I still in the trunk in the sack
I start to get pissed off, so I took a piss and yelled I pissed my sack, I pissed my sack
Then they pick me up from the wet sack and put me in the trunk.
The car then starts driving
Were in there for 10 hours
I had to take a shit so I decided to shit my sack
Once we got to the destination they opened the trunk and asked whats that smell
I then reply I shit my sack
They pick me up and took me in a building and then a room
They they bring Mrs Tribble in , She then starts biting the one that don?t talk so he pulls his object out and hits her again
They put her in the corner of the room
Then the one that talked sat me down and said ?you witnessed something that you weren?t suppose to witness that you didn?t witness
What you saw was out of this world technology that you didn?t witness
There are beings that come here to this world that don?t exist
We have an actual alien being here but we don?t actually have it
Were gonna show you it, but you didn?t see it.
Then he says come with me?
And then we all walked down a hall way
We come up to a locked door that opened by DNA finger prints
We go down another hall and in a cell is an alien standing there jizzing on us
And we get hit with a bluish goo. The man in black that talk opened the cell and hit it with the object knocking it out cold
While it?s on the ground it craps itself
The one that talked said ?we showed you something that we didn?t show you
We walk down to the gate and I see Luther Reigns in a cell
Edd asks whats he doing here
He replys he?s not actually here, you didn?t see him
Walked back to the security room where Mrs Tribble is getting up
As soon as she the men in black she throws a chair at the one that talks knocking him down
The 2nd one hits her with object again knocking her out
Then he dragged her out of the room and puts her in the car
And the one that talks put me back in my sack
I asked for a clean one and said your not in a sack it doesn?t exist
They drive me back to my house on the way I piss my sack again.
They take me out of the sack and Mrs Tribble bytes the one that don?t talk
The 2nd one hits her with object again knocking her out cold
He dragged her to the steps and left her there the one that talked said I didn?t witness anything
He said if anyone asked where we were to tell them we weren?t anywhere.
He says we will be watching you and digging threw your trash
They get back in the car and dvive off

So you're the asshat retard of the Brady Bunch? They had you living in the basement and didn't have your picture in the tic tac toe graphic at the front of the show?

Man I love your work, keep putting out those big hootered hotties. I doubt there is a shortage of fans.

:thumbsup to your art


:pimp


PS: Also glad you are spreading your insight that may help a few others see the light. Skills that are transferrable are gold.

Ja, they're drawn in Asia cause you can pay them people a bowl of rice to draw an entire cartoon series. It's nothing short of slave labor and they know Americans will buy the shit just to keep the kids sitting in front of the tv all hypnotized. The Japanese do brilliant animation. Comics too. It's astounding the output and popularity.

Problem with American animation and comics is the artists were the power behind the throne but they got suckered int a false sense of security and let that power slip into the hands of greedy corporate types. Now they've destroyed their own futures.

I listened to Andy from SexSwap and Legendary Lars and the rest of you old timers and made sure all my eggs weren't in one basket.

Now I can start a new site and affiliate program and weep not! I know I can sit down for 3 months cranking out toons and have enough content to last for 6 years. I need to break the $1 million barrier so I can retire and avoide all this shit.

Move to Denmark and have gorgeous blonde chicks tending to me.

Retire rich and young and healthy is the goal. All else is bullshit.

Thanks man! I really appreciate it. You're right, transferrable skills kick ass. It's what's saved my butt. Justa few days ago a pal turned me onto a minstream affiliate program. I slabbed that banner on my sites and am surprised at the results in just one day! Luckyily I have enough traffic from adult stuff that a program like that can get the attention and clicks necessary to build a fast upstream.

You can say that again!

I ain't ending up like the "Living Dead" I see around Hollywood. Fuck that starving, living in your car shit!

You can't trust the government anymore as they're stabbing the U.S. worker in the back for a $ and the unions are powerless because it's too easy to pay guys off.

California has opened my eyes to just how stupid people can be and how greedy and negligent. It's like a cesspool for fuckovers and nobody cares.

That's a wake up call that I was doing things right in the first place.

I need to get away to some isolated mountain retreat for 6 months to just draw and animate enough content to last me and my upcoming affiliates for years.

WayneBrady wants some attention on his post.

Interesting thread Greg. Kind of like what happened to people in the graphic design biz that didn't embrace computers.

Please contact me about doing some Asian graphics...

E-mail me at webmaster (AT) asiandivagirls (dot) com

ADG Webmaster

"art" sure, your pinnacle artistic accomplishments probably not,

"illustrate" dont give too much.. .

Awesome work Greg B !

Thanks ADGWD! Will do!

Good luck to you man.
FYI, Reynold am also a frustrated cartoonist.

Boone is an undiscovered secret some of us have known about for years. His stuff is incredible and totally awesome.

G you got a recent price list up? I have a solo girl site we are considering a toon on.

Wow!....

Yes Greg you are very wrong and on top of that you will probably not be going to heaven now. :winkwink:

Thanks GonZo! LTNS!

I don't have a price list because I don't charge anymore for logos. I do them for trades/barter like traffic or software etc. I would only charge for the big projects like toons and animation.

I make good easy money as it is and need to spend more time on my sites and expand so that's where I'm headed.

If you need a toon logo just hit me up via email and we'll go for something.

Reynold, I didn't know you could draw too!

I'm not so much a frustrated cartoonist as a pissed off businessman. I've now grown into a hard boiled realist after watching decade after decade of those appointed or elected to guide and govern us fuck up everything they've touched and must really think we're that stupid to fall for it again.

NO way dude :)

I'm gettin' on in years and know that I can do this full time instead of part-part time and be able to retire in a few years instead of 20 or 30 years. You guys in the biz who have made your fortunes and are still young let me warn you now to stash as much cash for safety and not spend it all on dumb shit like dope. I say this cause I remember when I was 20 or so and saw old folks who were struggling after working for 40 or more years. I said 'fuck that!' and hit the books more. I've breezed by relatively comfortable although I was always surrounded by dangerous shit. I saw that sometimes you watch the news and there's a new fucking disaster every damned day and you can make the mistake of saying that today you live, tomorrow so what, but there's always gonna be a tomorrow and you'll pull through. My one big mistake was thinking the authorities could actually do their job but I didn't take into account how damned stupid the average person is in the U.S. until the Jerry Springer show came out. I thought that show was a joke. Now I know better. You figure years of studying the humanities in college I would have known better.

Anyhow, bottom line is you gotta grab the bull by the horns and roll with people who know what the fuck they're doing ONLY. Sitting around waiting for shit ain't happenin'. Make that loot and take care of your health and get that schoolin' is the key.

i got you Greg, just continue what you enjoy doing and it will be very rewarding in due time. I know your good in your field, just hang on, who knows your lucky day is just around the corner. i wish you the best of Luck but ofcourse Hard Work is a must.

It might be a toon tour. Ill let you know as we progress. Still the same AOL email address?

Thanks Reynold!

I have to say however that it's not 'hard work' but 'smart work' that wins the day. Gotta have that target and managerial skills to maximize profits and minimize risk and resources.

Good ol' art pad and some CDs to pass the time!

Yep, same address it's in my sig below. I'll be on stand by.