ComicSubz.com -- The Blog!

It’s been fun...

2007-12-18T15:24:00.000-06:00

As of Feb. 1 2008, ComicSubz.com will cease operations. This is something that we were hoping that would not happen, but decisions had to be made, and we made them.

Thanks to everyone that contributed with feedback and the kind words every once and a while. We had a blast putting this tool together for you, and we hope you enjoyed it.

If you have any questions, we can be reached at: comicsubz@gmail.com.

Hal!

Thanksgiving and Wizard World Texas! Whew!

2007-11-27T17:02:00.000-06:00

We hope Thanksgiving was good for all of you. We at ComicSubz HQ laughed, chatted and enjoyed (too much) turkey with friends and family. It was a nice kick off to the holidays.

But before any bird was carved, we got back from Wizard World Texas where we had a good spot in artist alley. That was really exciting for me personally since I was sitting right in front of Michael Golden, and next to him Hurberto Ramos. To my right was Phil Hester and Andy Kuhn. And there I was, doing free sketches and telling anyone who will listen about ComicSubz.

I did 30+ sketches and handed out over 300 business cards to passersby.

If you were at the show and said hi, it was nice to meet you and I hope you are enjoying the application. If you weren’t at the show, sign up for a free account and start managing your pull list. You know you wanna. . .

Attached are some pics from the show. I didn’t go too crazy with the pictures since I was either talking someone’s ear off or nose deep in a sketch.

Which brings me to a little post thanksgiving giveaway. What are we giving away? Well since I am still loose from all that sketching at WWTX, I am going to draw a sketch for the first 5 ComicSubz users that leave a comment on this post. Leave a comment, and what you want me to sketch. This is open until I make the next blog post which will announce the 1st ever ComicSubz.com contest. We will be giving something AWESOME away. I want to keep it, but I got it specifically for this contest. Doh!

So with that said, get your comments in and I will get sketching.

More soon.

New Feature: Your New Comics RSS Feed

2007-07-20T15:04:00.000-06:00

We just added a new feature to the customer section of the application. We have added a RSS feed to every customer account that displays the comics that are shipping that week that are on your subscription.

The feed is updated every Monday afternoon.

Let me know if you have any problems. More updates are on their way.

Hal!

Be my friend on Pownce

2007-07-13T13:32:00.000-06:00

Hello,

I recently got an invite for Pownce and I have a few to distribute. Wanna be my friend, just leave a comment. Also if you signed up for ComicSubz, left feedback, and told your retailer about it, I wouldn't mind that either. :)

More Soon.

Hal!

A Qucik Poll

2007-07-02T11:37:00.000-06:00

I am finishing up the listings for September and they seem to be getting longer and longer. It seems that processing the independent comics takes 3 times longer than top publishers.

So I had a thought. What if I cut the independents and made the "add an item" option more robust.

What do you think? This poll is about independents and how many you subscribe to. If you have any other comments about this, please let me know.

H!

New New New Discussion Board

2007-06-20T15:14:00.000-06:00

I have been swamped with spam accounts over at the current ComicSubz forums. So much so that I cannot manage to keep track of the real accounts versus the spam ones.

So I am going to try to do something a little different.

Come on over and check out our new Google Group for ComicSubz here. Sign up and let me know what you think of the updates we are making with the app.

More soon.

Hal!

August Listings and More!

2007-06-18T10:24:00.000-06:00

August listings are finally up. I promise it won't take this long in the future. It is a combo of getting them done and waiting for a few features to be released.

On an application front, we are squashing bugs left and right. I have gotten email from a few of you when you get an application error. I appreciate that, but I have it set up to when you get an error, I get an email about your error. So I have a lot of emails. Luckily, we are identifying the problems and fixing them as they come.

We still have a bit of work ahead of us, but we are moving fast, and a full fledged app is right around the corner.

Also, we are still looking for retailers that want to take the retailer side of the app for a spin. Shoot us an email if you are interested.

More soon.

Best, Hal!

New Beta is ALIVE!!!!

2007-06-08T15:41:00.000-06:00

The new beta app is live with new features and snappier performance. Have a look!

Expect August listings to be added this weekend and starting this week... weekly shipments will be displayed. So what you have subscribed to, if it ships this week, you will see it when you log into ComicSubz! Also, when we upload this weeks comics, you can get an email update. This leads us to the new settings we just introduced.

If you go to your Account Settings, there are 2 checkboxes:
Receive periodic newsletters - When checked, you will receive emails when we have application updates or something important related to ComicSubz or the service.
Receive e-mails with shipping updates - This is covered above.

Those are just 2 of the new things that are up there.

We are still in beta, which means, if you see something wrong, or something breaks, or you see a place where we can improve things, let us know! You can get in touch with us on the forums or via email at hello [at] comicsubz.com.

1 last thing before I get back to getting working on August listings, We are looking for retailers to test drive the retailer portion of the application. Are you a retailer? Shoot us an email and we can get you set up. If you are not a retailer, tell your retailer to contact us and we will get them all set up.

August Listings

2007-05-28T11:54:00.000-06:00

Hi All,

I am working on getting August listings into the system.

Expect them to be in there in the next few days. Sorry for the delay, but I wanted to roll out the new listings with the super improved app I am rolling out at the same time. . . wait, I think I have shared too much!!

Expect some big changes towards the end of the week!!!

H!

Is it friday already?!?

2007-05-25T15:54:00.000-06:00

I am sorry for not posting lately. I have been very busy with a lot of things. We are getting close to posting a beta app update. This will be a release candidate for the big launch.

With that said, we will be unveiling the retailer side of the app soon. Any retailers out there? Want to help beta test the retailer app? Let me know - hello@comicsubz.com.

More soon!

New Feature Friday -- Part 2

2007-05-11T16:17:00.000-06:00

Well, it is that time of the week again. New Feature Friday!

First an update on the next release of the application. Optimization is done!!! The app is fast fast fast. We are wrapping on all the new features. And we should be testing the app fully next week! Super excited!!!

So that is that. Now lets get on with it.

Customer Account New Feature
Search All Comics
Are you looking for a certain comic, but can't find it with intertwined in the other comics? Or you are looking for that indy book you heard about on Newsarama, but you forgot who published it? Worry not!!! Simply enter the name of the comic, a word that is in the comic, or a few letters of the comic name you are looking for in the search field and all books that have that search information in it will be displayed.

Retailer Account New Feature
Invite Customers to your Store
As a retailer, you signed up for a retailer account. So how do you get customers to your store? If your customers have an account with ComicSubz, simply invite them with the Invite a Customer feature. All you need is their name and email address. When you enter that, an invite will be sent to that customer, and if they accept, bam! New customer to your storefront.

But what if the customer does not have an account with ComicSubz. You can still invite a customer by entering their name and email address. They will be sent a invite to create an account with ComicSubz and and invite your store front.

I know what you are thinking. . . what if a customer doesn't have an account with ComicSubz AND has not way to manage an account if they had one. Fear not! We have thought of that as well. On top of inviting new customers to your storefront, there is also a feature called Create a Customer. This gives the retailer full control of a customers subscription if they don't have a means to manage it themselves. All information that is in subscriptions that users manage and subscriptions that the retailer manages will all be pooled into 1 source.

Well, that is it for New Feature Friday. If you have any questions, leave a comment or join our forums and post over there.

More soon!

New Feature Friday!!!

2007-05-04T15:33:00.000-06:00

Well we are burning and churning over here. Things are looking really good!

Since it will be a few weeks since we pull back the cover on this thing, I wanted to announce a new feature from now until that day we launch.

The new feature is called, New Feature Friday!!!

Every Friday I will share a new feature on both the Customer side and Retailer side of the application. Sound cool? Lets get started.

New Customer Feature
Weekly Email Subscription Notifications
Would you like to know at the beginning of the week what comics are shipping this week that are on your subscription? Well you got it!

You now have the option to receive email subscription notifications at the beginning of every week.

Sweet!

---

New Retailer Feature
View all your Customers Monthly Orders
So you have all of your customers pooled. What about their monthly orders? Do I have to go through all of their subs to pull what they do and don't want? Nope!

All your customers subscription details are all added up and presented to you on 1 screen. Even the special orders. Handy? Maybe. Freaking cool? Indeed!!!

So there you have it. Let me know what you think.

Definitely more soon.

H!

Update on the Application

2007-05-01T16:03:00.000-06:00

Well, we have been signing new members left and right. That has been. . . what is the word I am looking for? AWESOME!!!!

I am also very excited about the next release of the application. Some really awesome features for customers and the unveiling of the retailers section of the application. It is coming together nicely.

I am still thumbing through a few features that will be implemented into the application. If you have an idea that we should consider, head over to the forum and let me know what it is.

More soon. . . Very soon.

H!

What a day!!!!!

2007-04-27T22:12:00.000-06:00

Did you notice the nice things Josh from Comicspace had to say about ComicSubz?

Wow!

Well, his good words secured us a TON of new sign ups, and it has only been less than 1 day!

Thanks Josh.

On the ComicSubz front, we are coming close to the end of our beta. That means that we are DEFINTILY going forward finishing the app and incorporating a few new features for the version 1.0 release. More on that as the release date draws nearer.

Have any comments or recommendations? Share them with us at our forums.

Until next time. -Hal!

New New Forums

2007-04-23T00:43:00.000-06:00

Got rid of the old ones. If you are a fan of message forums, the new solution may be more to your liking. . . So post away. I am looking forward to hearing from you.

ComicSubz.com Forums

More soon.

H!

July solits are uploaded. . .

2007-04-21T23:14:00.000-06:00

That is all. -H!

I was out. . . Now I am back

2007-04-21T22:56:00.000-06:00

Boy has it been a crazy week...

Back in Nov. '06, I wrote about going to New York. In that post was picture that showed me, my wife, and my little peanut child (this post). Well, time does fly.

On Tuesday, April 17 2007, at 8:40 pm, Jess gave birth to our first child. Our Daughter, Cameron Saville. She is a cuite. . .

Mom and baby made it home fine and are doing very well. . . Since no one asked, I am doing well too. I have feelings too. . .

Well, here is team ComicSubz.com for 2007. Enjoy the beta and sign up if you haven't already will ya.

More soon. -H!

MySpace does not like me. . .

2007-04-15T22:09:00.000-06:00

Ok, we are coming in on a week on the beta, and I am trying my best to get the word out on this whole ComicSubz thing. . . so I have a few options:

Post in forums - Where I little to no response (with 1 board being the exception) or get my thread deleted all together. . . great!

MySpace/ComicSpace Bulletins - These get buried in a matter of a few hours. So nothing there.

MySpace Comments - This is what I was just doing and to a complete disaster. Lets just say, that when I posted to someone's comments, sometimes, after a few errors, my post would appear several times. This is the time when I send a message to the persons profile begging for forgiveness for this gross error and that I did not mean to do that.

So there you have it. My gurilla campaign to get ComicSubz out there in front of people is not really as successful as I would have liked. Jessica keeps telling me that these things take time. There is a reason she is my better half. . .

More soon.

New sign up form up and some fixes

2007-04-14T22:09:00.000-06:00

Hello all,

I know you were worried about the sign up form being down. At this point, I can say, WORRY NO MORE!!!

I have implemented a new solution that has a few cool features (for me). I will know exactly who is misusing this form from now on, if anyone chooses to do so that is.

While I was under the hood messing with things, I also fixed a few things in ie6 and ie7. So now it should look nice over most browsers.

This is not what I would have liked doing today, but it is what it is. I am still getting feedback from people about where they would like to see the application go in future releases. AWESOME!! Thanks guys. Any and all feedback is good. Keep it coming.

More soon.

H!

Sign-up form removed temporarily

2007-04-14T12:10:00.000-06:00

A quick note to say that I temporarily removed the contact form from the ComicSubz.com main site.

As it turns out, the evil spam gremlins have manged to use it to spam quite a few people. If you have gotten a spam message and made your way to this post because of that message, I would like to apologize. I am sorry, and we are doing everything we can to make sure that you would never get spam from comicsubz.com ever again.

With that said, I have to do some reading and get something up there.

If you have any suggestions, please post a comment. I am weighing all options right now.

Thanks.

Updated on Beta Launch and June solits up!!

2007-04-13T17:49:00.000-06:00

Hi all,

Boy has it been a crazy week! First things first. . .

I just uploaded the preview listings for June's solicitations. What does that mean? All comics that have been solicited from solicited from April to June are available to subscribe to. And if you have subscribed to a books entires series, well don't worry. The new books are added to your subscription. COOL!!!!!!

The beta launch is going very well. A study flow of visitors, invites, and sign ups are happening. So far the response has been positive. yay. But I am trying to really get the word out on this app. We just sent a press release to the heavy hitters in the comic news space (they haven't posted those yet), and we have a myspace, and comicspace page. Other than that, we are still a little early in the process to consider traditional advertising (we will do that for the full launch), but if you have any ideas on how we could get the word out there, post a comment and let us know.

More updates soon!

H!

We are in BETA!!!!!!

2007-04-11T19:40:00.000-06:00

We launched the new design for the site the other day and that was awesome! Then we sent out the first batch of invites for the applications private beta, and that was even more awesome! And now, we are getting hits and inquiries left and right, and that is super awesome!!!!!

Ok, enough with the awesome. Nothing can be that awesome. . . can it?

The burning question everyone has on their minds is. . . wait for it. . . WHAT IS BETA?!?

These days, beta means many different things, especially when speaking of web applications. In the case of ComicSubz, beta means that we have reached a point in development where we want some user feedback.

We have gotten the member section ready for some user testing, but before we go all the way with the plan, we have to make sure this is an idea that will somewhat be embraced. I guess, you could say we are being cautious, but we have spent a little over a year getting to what you see today (that is if you have created an account).

Also, beta means that we are testing the servers and making sure they don't buckle. So far so good.

We are also testing the integrity of the application. Will it hold up? Do you like it? etc, etc.

So that is beta to us.

I know that generally this blog has been quiet in regard to comments. That is cool with me. I know a few people read this thing. But, if you have signed up for an account, I would really like to hear what you think.

After all, I am making a tool for you as well as for myself.

Enjoy the beta.

Hal!

Oh, 1 More Thing . . .

2007-04-08T22:58:00.000-06:00

And a new site.

http://www.comicsubz.com

Hopefully a beta app will follow. . .

H!

Forums Forums Forums!!!!

2007-04-08T22:32:00.000-06:00

I just added some forums to the site. This is so I can get your feedback and ideas for future releases.

Don't get me wrong. I have a ton of ideas that I would love to see happen in the next 5 releases at least! But I am just 1 guy. What do you think?

Check out the forums here: http://forum.comicsubz.com/

More info soon. VERY SOON!!!

Expecting a delivery. . . You should too!

2007-03-23T23:35:00.000-06:00

Howdy!!!

I hope all of you are doing well. I am doing great!!!

First things first. My beautiful wife and the COO of ComicSubz.com is very very close to having our first child. Cameron Saville (Our soon to be CTO) will come into this world very soon. Which leads me into the next order of business.

Just as Jessica is about give birth to our new daughter, I am frantically tearing my hear out trying to give life to a beta of ComicSubz. What has taken me so long? Well, a series of events that I will not delve into, but circumstances out of my control non-the-less. One of them being the final beta site design. I finally came up with something that I really like. Below is a small preview of something you will see VERY soon.

Also, something to expect very soon, if you have signed up at the main site, expect an email to invite you to be a beta tester for ComicSubz. What I am testing for this first round is the server and if it can hold the 1000 invites I am sendin. . . whoa. I didn't write that did I?. That can't be true. Can it? Sign up to find out what everyone is talking about. Really. Everyone. Ok, not everyone. Just everyone else. . . . MWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!

Captain America #25. . . whoa

2007-03-10T00:36:00.000-06:00

Hello all,

I got my copy of Captain America #25 on Wednesday.

First of all, this is a huge whoa on my part. I didn't think Marvel would have the marbles to do this. Especially after Civil War #7.

But early in the day on Wed. I started to see stories on CNN and local new channels. So I knew I had to grab it. I luckily pulled it off the shelf. The last copy! My retailer was quite surprised that there were any left. He also said that there was quite a demand because of the press coverage. Wow! I love seeing comics in the press.

Anyways, if you want to buy my copy of Cap #25, let me know. If not, EBay is only a click away. :)

On the ComicSubz front, I am only days away from flipping the switch and start testing the server with the load it may receive. Sign up on the main page if you want to be one of the first beta testers.

More soon.

The Latest

2007-03-02T00:21:00.000-06:00

Hello All,

I am still burning and churing on entering a few months worth of comics into the database. But in the mean time, my developer is busting his chops on the retailer section of the site. If I do say so myself, this whole thing is coming together quite nicely.

I would say that it has been very close to a year since I put pen to paper with this idea. Now I am looking to have it complete. Crazy. It's been very hard work (sleepless nights) and I'm very happy to see version 1.0 be done, but there is still so much to do. Even before I finished what I considered version 1.0, I already had ideas for versions 2 and 3.

So know that even if you sign up and you like what is there when the service available, know that this is just the tip of the iceberg.

So many ideas, so little time.

Those who have signed up already, you will be the first to know. What that means?!? Wait and see.

MWHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!

Entering in all these comics!!!!

2007-02-09T00:31:00.000-06:00

Let me tell you that it is no picnic putting in all these comics into the database. Hundreds of comics. Literally.

But knowing that the masses will flock to this app like bees to honey makes it all worth while. :)

Bugs Bugs Bugs!!!!

2007-01-28T22:00:00.000-06:00

Hello all,

Hope this winter weather isn't bringing you down. I love it! Makes me want to buckle down with a nice cup of hot tea and get some work done.

These last few days have been nothing but squashing bugs and populating the database with comics. Yay!!!

This is no small task, but it just makes ComicSubz that much more close to being released with every posting. I know I sound like a broken record, but expect some goodness soon.

Sign up!

More soon.

H!

SNOW DAY!!!!!!

2007-01-15T20:44:00.000-06:00

So close!

Thank goodness for the ice storm that is on it's way to Austin. What? Why would I welcome a possibly destructive weather event such as an ice storm? Well, selfishly, it gives me a snow day. A day at home to, well, work at home. But I can also do other things like work on finishing up the last few things for the customer section of ComicSubz.

I am SOOOOOO close to having something for you to get your hands on.

Keep in mind that this tool is not super robust in the features department, but it is a great first step in creating a tool for you to manage your subscription.

I don't want to put a timeline on when I open the doors, but soon the customer side of ComicSubz will be ready for primetime with the retailer side showing up shortly there-after.

Those who have signed up early, you will get a peek early. This will be part of the beta test I am planning before the launch. If you haven't, sign up here.

Stay warm.

Hal!

Happy New Year!!!!

2007-01-05T01:07:00.000-06:00

Is everything already over?!?

Wow, I can't believe that the holidays have already flown by.

First off, Happy New Year! We, here at ComicSubz.com hope you had a wonderful holiday. Simon and Duke could not stop posing for their glamour shots (see below).

Crazy kids. . .

On a personal note, I started a new job right before the holiday. Literally. It has been fun and crazy and exciting all at the same time.

The best part of the new jobby job is that they are very supportive of ComicSubz.com and me developing it.

Speaking of ComicSubz. . . Just had a meeting today with the developer. Things are going very well. So much so that I feel pretty confident to say that a release candidate (beta) of the app should be ready early next week. I am going to start to introduce it to the ones that have signed up early via the main page.

If you want to get in on the ComicSubz goodness, signup now.

More soon.

Moonlighting

2006-12-14T01:19:00.000-06:00

To say that ComicSuz is always on my mind would be a complete lie. My interests are far and wide. It does not help that I have the attention span of a gnat.

I may have mentioned it previously, but I do have a strong interest in creating comics. I have written several stories and am looking to ultimately finish them by actually drawing them someday. This is after ComicSubz launches and takes over the world, and after my beautiful baby girl is born and I raise her to be an upstanding citizen in this world, and I up my game as being a great husband to my wife, and I become a creative director in my day job and I have a lot of people doing my work for me. . . After all of that, I want to be a comic book creator.

So every chance I get, and every deadline I can blow by at least a month, I take on something extra. This time around, my old friend Vito Delesante asked me to do a 5 pager for his book, The Mercury Chronicles Annual. The character is awesome, and Vito is a great writer. . . how could I pass this up. Here is a little preview.

And speaking of previews. . . well, since I had the camera out, I could not resist taking a pic of where I am with both the application and the front facing site. I can't wait to show you guys all the progress I have made, but this pic is going to have to do until the new year.

Comments always welcome.

More soon.

ComicSpace is neat!

2006-12-12T16:27:00.000-06:00

Another web based service/social networking site geared towards the comic audience has popped up. ComicSpace.com!

A really nice, streamlined site where I can network with fellow comic enthusiasts (I really mean fellow nerds). It is only getting off the ground, but it is seeing some really amazing numbers. Nice! Also, the site has already seen an update by allowing the users to add searchable tags to their account and with more features to come.

My hats off to Josh over at ComicSpace. He has done a great job launching his site, and I will be looking forward to checking out how the site shapes up.

Check out my little piece of ComicSpace and be my friend.

More soon.

Looking forward, but keeping an eye on the past

2006-12-05T16:16:00.000-06:00

I love comics. I do. So much that one day I hope have something on the stands. I am an artist (wannabe). Comic Art is a passion that has to take the back burner these days because of things like my day job, starting ComicSubz and trying to be a good husband. So something has to give.

But even though I can’t practice that much, I can still enjoy a book as Jessica watches the season finale of The Bachelor (which comes on at the same time as Heroes!!!).

Now that my collection encompasses most of the modern comics over the last 15 years, I have to start looking to comics that pre-date my collection. I picked up a trade of Jack Kirby’s Black Panther. WOW! This is amazing. I find that I like Kirby's more refined work as opposed to his early work... like the first issues of FF.

Do you have any recommendations for trades that have Kirby’s more refined style? Let me know by shooting over a comment.

On the ComicSubz front, development just closed up a major milestone. I am currently testing the app, and so far, it is coming together nicely.

I also just finished a first draft of the web site for ComicSubz. Waiting for feedback, but I think that it is coming together well.

More on every front soon!

The digital landscape

2006-12-04T17:50:00.000-06:00

Today I was going to post about my new found love for old school comics. I am talking Jack “The King” Kirby here, but something just popped up on the digital landscape that captured my attention.

While reading Newsarama today, as I do everyday, I noticed a new web service had just popped up.

Pullbox Online.

The reason this is so intriguing is because I noticed something about a year ago which prompted me to start ComicSubz. The landscape of web apps geared towards this audience (comic book enthusiasts) is practically non-existent. So there are opportunities. There are obvious ways to try to get in on this digital playing field. The first, and probably most obvious, is distribution of digital content. After Pullbox Online has opened its doors, it is now in competition with Wowio that has the same idea.

I had this idea as well, but simply getting a few independents on a modified e-commerce "out of the box" solution is not the way to go. I have a few strategies, but I am holding those close to my chest. I have been talking with a like-minded individual and he has some great ideas in this arena as well. Again, I am not saying anything.

My point with this post is that if these apps either go big or go home, either way, this niche market is starting to see some traction in the digital space. No matter how you slice it, the consumer wins. Yay for you!

I will share one secret with all of you guys that are developing apps for this market. The idea is only 1 part of the equation. It is the quality and execution of your idea that is going to put asses in seats.

And here is one for Pullbox Online: When your whole business is about pushing digital comics, you should have started with a more robust inventory. But good for you for trying to get out there. Good luck guys!

Another holiday down

2006-11-28T16:21:00.000-06:00

Wasn’t it just Halloween yesterday? This year has flown by.

We here at ComicSubz hope that you had a good holiday. I know that I did. I ate enough to put down a baby elephant. It was oh so good, as I was laying there moaning in wonderful pain. Then the sleepiness took hold and I had wonderful dreams of dancing cranberry sauce and delicious gravy as far as the eye could see.

I love Thanksgiving. Too bad I can’t eat like that every weekend.

After coming home from visiting the family for the holiday, I got wonderful news that there had been great progress made on the development of our app. Well, that just made my day. We are still on track for an early 2007 launch.

Expect some updates soon about the ComicSubz website. There you will find more information on how the service will work.

Until next time. . .

Hal!

P.S. I got the 2nd hardcover of the Invincible comic. AWESOME! Go get it if you haven’t already.

An INCREDIBLE New York Trip!

2006-11-19T23:57:00.000-06:00

Jess and I recently headed to NY for a week to hang out with some family, and generally putz around. This was an opportunity to unplug from day to day life.

No comics, no computers, no ComicSubz, Nothing.

Well, that didn't last long. . .

While visiting a wax museum, the first thing we saw was a freaking huge figure of the Hulk. Not the Ferrigno Hulk, the (too) massive movie version. I will admit, I was a bit startled, but was able to strike a pose with my lovely wife.

After the amazing wax museum, Jess went back to the hotel for a nap, which left me and my brother to wander a bit. Of course, the question came up. . . Want to go to a comic store?

We ended up at Mid Town Comics. I had seen the advertisements all over the place online. Sweet store! Tons of graphic novels, toys and back issues. I walked away with the Invincible Ultimate Collection 1. Me and my brother went back to the hotel to meet up with Jess. She was still a little beat so we cracked open the book and started flipping through it. It was like we were kids again. Sitting next to each other commenting on the artwork like, "How did he do that?". If you have not picked up the ultimate edition, it has a ton of sketches and stuff that did not make the original book. It has probably been printed in other version of the softback graphic novels, but it was new to me. So good that as soon as I got home, I bought the 2nd one on Amazon. Can't wait to get it!

Well, the trip was great. I will definitely be making a trip back. Maybe for convention season. But when I go back, I will be pushing ComicSubz, so it won't be a total pleasure trip. ;)

I will leave you with a Reservoir Dog-esque pic of Me and Jess. Oh and if you haven't already, sign up at the site to get an update of when we reach an open beta.

More soon.

Hal!

What is the latest?

2006-11-12T23:47:00.002-06:00

I have dropped off the face of the earth since my last post.

Why?

Well, about a month ago, we hit a snag with development. Everything is on track now and we are looking to offer ComicSubz.com to the public in early 2007 (with a preview to those who have signed up before then). So if you haven't signed up, please do so here.

And we have changed where we are hosting our blog, yet again. It seems that wordpress would not allow us to update our blog look, so we packed our posts and headed to blogger. So here is the final resting place for this blog. Yay!

Have any questions? Shoot 'em on over.

Like always. . . More soon.

Hal!

New home for blog

2006-11-12T23:47:00.001-06:00

This is the new home for the ComicSubz.com blog.

I have added all previous posts below so if you are new to this, you can check out what we have been up to up to this point.

Development is still rolling. More on that soon.

Hal!

Development is moving along. . .

2006-11-12T23:46:00.003-06:00

Heard from the developers today. That is always good. Things are moving along. Hopefully I will have a launch date for the app soon.

Also, if you haven’t, sign up. We are looking to let those who have a few days head start when ComicSubz is ready to go.

Sign up here!

Also, if you have any questions as a customer, retailer, or someone who is just generally curious, just drop a line.

More soon.

H!

Behind the curtain of ComicSubz.com

2006-11-12T23:46:00.001-06:00

I thought it would be a good idea to let you guys know who is making this super great service (I know you were thinking it) possible. Believe it or not, it falls on the shoulders of just 2 people!

â€œMy goodness. . . they must have the might of the Hulk and the mental capability of Professor X?!?â€. True, true. . . but enough with the compliments (again, I know you were thinking it).

First in line is Jessica. She is the lovely young woman behind the scenes signing checks, talking to lawyers. . . the fun stuff. She will make sure that this business is as successful as the worldâ€™s largest corporations. Well, not really, but she will make sure it goes smoothly. Oh and she happens to be hitched to little olâ€™ me.

I am Hal. Please. . . hold your applause. I came up with the idea for ComicSubz.com. I also designed it, and worked a few too many sleepless nights to generally put this whole thing together. So if you think this whole thing is dumb and want to slap the guy who came up with it, I will gladly stand up, and pass the blame to the person directly left of me. No really, I will.

You canâ€™t build a massive machine without a few gremlins. We have 2. Sir Dukertons (Duke for short), and Princess Simon (He is really a dude but he has the attitude of a Diva!). At any given time you will find them on my lap as I am updating schematics for the site, coding templates, or generally designing anything for the site. Despite the fact that Sir Dukertons also wants to type blog entries when he is perched on my lap, these gremlins are not too much of a concern.

Things are moving along wonderfully, and if all goes well, we should see a launch early fall. A more firm date will be posted as development comes to a close.

More soon!

- Hal!

Thanks for your interest!

2006-11-12T23:45:00.001-06:00

For all that have signed up, Thanks for your interest. in ComicSubz.com.

Things are moving fast and furious here at HQ. And we should have more news concerning the site and progress in the next few weeks.

For those who have not given us their email address. . . (ahem http://www.comicsubz.com ), there is still plenty of time to get in on the beta round we are planning for those who have expressed interest. This round shall consist of a preview of the site/service before the grand launch to John Q. Public.

If you are still a little weary of shooting over your email address, rest assured that we WILL NOT share any information you provide to us. This will still be the policy after we launch the site.

So there you have it. Thanks to those who want launch information as soon as it becomes available. To those who have not gotten on board. . . what are you waiting for?!?

More soon.

- Hal!

P.S. Next: The mad geniuses behind ComicSubz.com!!!

The Origin of ComicSubz.com!

2006-11-12T23:44:00.000-06:00

I know what you are asking. . . Where did it come from? Was it created from a gamma bomb accident? A radioactive panda bite? Or landed from space to be the mightiest web service on earth?

The answers, in order, are: No, No, and Yes!

Actually, the idea came from a combination of things.

My love for comics and seeing a problem that needs a solution.

While sitting with my wife over a dinner when I threw out the idea for ComicSubz to her (I will lay out more details of the service as the launch gets closer). I was expecting her to say, “Are you kidding?”. But when she thought about it, she lit up and said, “That is a good idea.”

If I could get someone who is not interested in comics at all, to say that it might work. . . I could not get it started fast enough.

So here we are today, with a holding page, the site currently in development, and high hopes for my little idea.

More soon.

- Hal!

First Post!

2006-11-12T23:33:00.001-06:00

Welcome to the ComicSubz.com Blog!

Here, we will share latest happenings with the development, and ultimately, the launch of ComicSubz.com.

If you have any questions regarding ComicSubz.com, please post a comment, and I will be sure to respond ASAP!

More soon.

- Hal!