Gender: Male
Status: Married
Age: 37
Sign: Capricorn
City: RALEIGH, NC
State:
Country: US
Signup Date:
08/20/04
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Blog Archive
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May 27, 2008 - Tuesday
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January 11, 2008 - Friday
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PINKRAYGUN.COM compares SSN to ’THE WIRE’
http://www.pinkraygun.com/2007/08/20/review-southside-nefertiti/
I often wonder how white fans of the book feel about SOUTHSIDE
NEFERTITI. I make a point to try to keep the characters authentic,
and not sugarcoat their settings, their stories or their motivations. I often
wonder if I am 'perpetuating stereotypes' - the DREADED BUGABOO
of the black telented tenth set. I particularly worry about that as I make
more and more plans to push SSN into the mainstream comics market,
which is VERY white and hasn't had a great history of dealing comfortably with hip hop (the success of MF GRIMM'S SENTENCES notwithstanding)
So, it was with some nervous anxiety that I read my official review
from PINKRAYGUN.COM. Turns out, some of my fears were
true: the dialogue and the writing is sometimes dense, making white
folks unaccustomed to urban america feel like 'an outsider looking
in.' But, on the flip, the complexity of the characters and the authenticity
of the dialogue seems compelling enough - so far - to make the story
a good read.
Peep:
I like that the characters speak in urban slang (was that IWL of me?) rather than talking like white people, or worse, the way white people think characters of color would talk. There were time while reading that I felt like an outsider looking in, and was reminded of The Wire (best show ever), wherein I didn't always get the dialogue, but could still follow the action and arc. The language is genuine to who the characters are and to their experience.
Where Southside Nefertiti really succeeds is in the complexity and depth of the characters and their relationships. Nefertiti's single motherhood brings an added layer to her character and her reasons for her actions. Her partner, Brian, is a cop, but also has a history as a car thief and is now put in the position of policing people he used to run with on the streets. Nefertiti and Brian are good friends, but there is clearly sexual tension and some gender conflict between the two. 
Lately when I'm at the comic shop, there is less and less that interests me. I'm tired of the registration act, I don't care about the "No more mutants" thing and the "everyone's a Skrull!" thing is just irritating. I'm tired of mainstream comics resorting to reader exploitation and just want something with a good story and compelling characters that is also challenging. Southside Nefertiti fills that need.
You've got to buy this comic.
Big shouts to the folks over at PINKRAYGUN for not letting
the 'rough rugged' stop them from appreciating a good story.
Get check it out peoples.
9:00 AM
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October 15, 2007 - Monday
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TYPE ILLY UDPATE ’PROFILES AND PROMOS!’
TYPE ILLY is still out here grinding, building buzz and getting more attention.
First, we've been profiled by ASONE.COM, a national website that highlights and advocates for black businesses of note. ASONE is opening sites all over the country, so it was good to be noticed by folks with such wide reaching influence.
Go here to read the article:
http://www.asonenational.com/templates/System/details.asp?id=39784&PID=503340
Next, my boy SAMAX over at GHETTOMANGA dropped a good review on me. Peep:
http://ghettomanga.blogspot.com/2007/09/i-got-your-superwoman.html
Samax raved, saying:
"i REALLY enoyed the most recent issue of Southside Nefertiti....and series creator Mike Sales is one hell of a great writer..."
He had even more praise for Pencilism's art:
"Pencilism has been on my Favorites list on every art message board and networking site i've ever been on, and if you give this book a look, you'll see why! Williams' characters actually act out the sharp, naturalistic script that Sales writes for them, and he shifts from action scenes to monologues and talking head sequences and back quick and effectively enough to snap that NECK, son!"
Go hit GHETTOMANGA.COM and peep the blog. Also, be on the lookout for SPONTANEOUS, the art book my man SAMAX is dropping very soon.
Finally, some quick sneak peeks for next issue. As always, covers by Pencilism, with new interior art by my man KENJJI (of WITCH DOCTOR fame). Peep:
(COVER ART BY RANDOLPH WILLIAMS AKA PENCILISM)
(INTERIOR ART PREVIEW BY KENJJI)
CHARACTER/EMBLEM DESIGNS
"I thought I told you that we won't stop!!!" (c) Puff
Holla
7:54 AM
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August 17, 2007 - Friday
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FANGIRLS LOVE SOUTHSIDE NEFERTITI!!
PINKRAYGUN.COM is a new website devoted to comic book fangirls.
SOUTHSIDE NEFERTITI is a comic with direct appeal to women.
The interview below was inevitable, then. Peep:
http://www.pinkraygun.com/2007/08/15/interview-mike-sales-creator-of-southside-nefertiti/
Big shouts to Lisa Fary and all the good people at her site.
Excerpts:
I listen to a lot of hip hop music and I get stories from songs, usually older songs and a lot of more politically influenced hip-hop like Ice Cube or Public Enemy. What ends up happening is that I weave these political themes with semi-feminist themes into my stories dealing with gender issues. One example is Nefertiti's partner, who is a man. Because she's one of the strongest people in the community, he gets picked on a lot and called her pet. He doesn't have any powers, but she does and they both go out and fight. It's sort of inverse in that Nefertiti is the Batman and the guy is the Robin. So he's a guy that everyone looks at as if, if it weren't for Nefertiti, he wouldn't even be out there fighting.
Also, as promised, more pics from the CHARLOTTE ARTS FESTIVAL:
Finally, a pic of your boy lamped up at COMICON, 'thinking of a master plannnn' (c) rakim
More to come...
Holla
7:51 AM
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August 14, 2007 - Tuesday
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SOUTHSIDE NEFERTITI AND THE ANTIDOTE
The CHARLOTTE ARTS FESTIVAL turned out to be the most succesful
outing TYPE ILLY PRESS has ever had. Not only in
terms sales, but also in solidifying a long term business strategy
for independent comic creators (particularly of color)...
The grassroots interest shown not only by fans but by independent
urban VENDORS reinforced to me that there is another way for
us to sell our product. MARVEL, DC and other mainstream comic
companies are doing a commendable job of trying to update their
comics to a modern, diverse world. Still, their fans are often unwilling to follow.
What's ironic, is just last week, I celebrated how big it was to
have the very same DWAYNE MCDUFFY at our booth in
San Diego. (peep last week's blog for more details) This man
is an acclaimed writer, having not only spearheaded a hit
television show (Static Shock) but also a groundbreaking
comics line (MILESTONE). He has proved himself in the
comics and superhero game over and over. And please
believe, he is as gifted writing caucasian characters as black ones.
Not only that, he has ALWAYS shown me love - he picks up
copies of my stuff whenever he gets a chance. He is a writer
I aspire to be like one day.
Yet still, mainstream comic fans nitpick at the RACIAL COMPOSITION
of the new Justice League he is writing.
In that kind of climate, I think its crazy for people of color who
love comics to wait for MARVEL and DC to negotiate the ugly
racial politics that always come up whenever a beloved comics
institution is dragged into the 21st century.
A brother like ME....
....would much rather get down
and do his OWN thang...
FIRST...
Don't nobody own my imagination...
This is not to say that I would never write for MARVEL or DC.
Or even that if the right business opportunity presented itself, I
wouldn't do business with mainstream comic shops. It's only to
say that when faced with a traditional business model that doesn't
offer us a way to get our product to the people who want it, there
IS another way...
If lack of diversity in comics is a sickness, y'all need to
get THE ANTIDOTE
My man DEACON gives major props to my crew, THE ANTIDOTE
TRUST. We are a collective of indpendent artists who have banned
together to share resources, connections and industry access to help
each individual further his own dreams and goals. Check this blog,
and read about the new, underground comics supergroup:
Peep what he wrote about your boy:
Mike Sales— He's a writer, he's an artist and he's publisher of quality Comics, so of course he's Triathlon (Mike actually wears many more hats than those but Multiple Man didn't quite fit the analogy). To be good at so many facets of the business and still be a team player is a super power all by itself.
We're making moves on this comic game, y'all. Through unconventional means and creative tactics, we're gonna make our dreams happen one way or another.
The question isn't IF...the question is will yall still ride with us when MARVEL and DC try to duplicate what we did.
We'll see.
7:02 PM
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August 13, 2007 - Monday
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CHARLOTTE LOVES SOUTHSIDE NEFERTITI!!
Family:
First and FOREMOST, Big shouts to my man Jaz at REALEYES Bookstore for putting together a great show at the CHARLOTTE ARTS FESTIVAL this weekend. Jaz supported TYPE ILLY from day one, and always gave a lot of love and support. His staff was professional and supportive, had a thorough understanding of their jobs, and were always friendly.
Number two, we did our HIGHEST first day sales numbers at the CHARLOTTE ARTS FESTIVAL, and we owe it all to the lovely parents and children who came out and dropped HEAVY support for SOUTHSIDE NEFERTITI. Parents looking to get their children reading took to the book, and young teens dug the hip hop angle. The incredible cover art by Randolph Williams caught eyes all weekend, and the story kept them reading.
(Young kids went 'OOOOOooooooh' when they first saw this cover, even if they didn't understand the story, the cover made worry their parents for a copy...)
DEEP MOMENT NUMBER ONE: Everybody's experience is different, but the reaction to SOUTHSIDE NEFERTITI and the continual support reaffirms to me that there is a significant audience for high quality comics by independent creators and people of color. Not only that, but people of color will SUPPORT high quality comics if they are done well and if the story resonates with them. In one day, I moved more units at the CHARLOTTE ARTS FESTIVAL than I did in an entire weekend at WIZARD WORLD LA and mainstream comics shops put together.
And the Charlotte Arts Festival had a LOT FEWER people. Men lie, women lie, but numbers don't lie. (c) Jay Z And the numbers keep saying to me that people of color – ESPECIALLY PARENTS – are much hungier for this particular TYPE ILLY comic than mainstream comics fans.
Dunno what that means for my business plan yet, but it is definitely something I will factor into my goals for next year.
DEEP MOMENT NUMBER TWO: From my side of the booth, there are STILL concerned black parents out there who don't want their kids getting exposed to 'mess.' Y'all should have seen how some parents went over my comics with a FINE TOOTH COMB before they copped. In fact, some even DECLINED to by my comic, because they thought the language was too strong or the imagery too harsh.
I wasn't mad at them – that's what they are supposed to do. At the same time, though, it gives me something else to factor into my gameplan. If profanity is gonna hurt my sales, it may be something I re-consider in my story-telling.
At the very least, I might add a RATINGS SYSTEM to the cover, to give parents a heads up.
I will have more updates on the CHARLOTTE ARTS FESTIVAL in a few days.
(Maybe even some pictures)
Watch this space!!
8:55 AM
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August 5, 2007 - Sunday
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SOUTHSIDE NEFERTITI CONQUERS COMICON!!
From the SOUTHSIDE TO SAN DIEGO... SOUTHSIDE NEFERTITI has stepped into new territory. TYPE ILLY'S
latest release SOLD OUT the entire special edition print run for
the 38th Annual COMIC CON INTERNATIONAL at the San Diego Convention Center!
As always, fans were immIdeately attracted to the story of a young, urban single mom trying to balance the demands of raising a young child with fighting crime and helping everyday people in her SOUTHSIDE neighborhood.
On top of that, the INCREDIBLE artwork from Pencilism had the story leaping off the page. 
Those things, along with the incredible fans that came out and supported black comic books, made this convention one of the most positive experiences I've ever had in this game. SOUTHSIDE NEFERTITI was popular not only with the fans, but with press outlets as well. PINKRAYGUN.COM, a website devoted to female comicbook fans, gave NEFERTITI stellar coverage. They dug the idea of having a single mom be a superhero, as well as the political and feminist issues brought out in the story. That interview should be popping up in a few weeks. When it does, you guys will be the first to know.  Another independent online entertainment spot called SHINDIG.TV gave your boy some serious video facetime. SHINDIG.TV interviewed several outfits in San Diego with hip hop style comicbooks, and I was very glad they gave me an opportunity to give the TYPE ILLY perspective on not only hip hop, but the role of women in the artform. I made it plain that NEFERTITI was heroic not because she has a 'big booty', but because she's strong, she can scrap, and she uses her power and street smarts to win battles and help people. .. SHINGDIG.TV is a startup site. They expect to be up and running this fall. When that drops, I'll put you guys on. Finally, the impact made by THE ANTIDOTE TRUST crew at this year's COMICON cannot be overstated. Our booth eventually became THE destination for black comic fans at the convention. By Sunday, section 828 was more like a BARBERSHOP than a comicshop, with folks standing all out in the aisle!
(WEE PALS Creator Morrie Turner and KUNTA KINTE at our booth, yall!!)
Over and over, fans told us they had been waiting for 'something like this' - a place where they could go, hang out, and comfortably discuss and support topics that were important to people of color who have always felt their concerns and outlooks were ignored by larger publishers. This year, we had DWAYNE MCDUFFY - who writes STATICK SHOCK - and JOHN SINGLETON both stopped by our booth.
(Dwayne McDuffie, writer of JLA and Static Shock, yo!!)
As we continue to build and EXPAND our presence at comic conventions, we hope to cement the TAT brand as a destination of choice for fans looking top notch, well produced comics that speak with an independent and unique voice in the comics game. To see our coverage, go here: http://comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=11413 http://www.silverbulletcomics.com/news/story.php?a=5648 That's all for now. More updates in a few... Holla
4:04 PM
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May 1, 2007 - Tuesday
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February 28, 2007 - Wednesday
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TYPE ILLY COMICS AND BLACK HISTORY MONTH
TYPE ILLY COMICS AND BLACK HISTORY Yo, before black history month ends, I wanted to drop this one on yall…
SILVER BULLET COMICS recently did a story called MYTH CONCEPTIONS, BLACK HISTORY IN COMICS. It's about the uphill battle many black writers, creators and their characters have had to fight in the comic book industry. The story gives new jack black writers the opportunity to speak freely on race, history and art in the American comic book game. It highlights several black comic book creators, including Kevin Grevioux – who co-wrote the movie UNDERWORLD – as well as your boy. I was thankful and gratified for the opportunity to speak on something like this, especially during for BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
Excerpts: Mike Sales, owner of and creator for Type Illy Press had a more impacting first experience though. "As a Marvel guy, I'd say Black characters have come a long way. I remember when TURK - the quivering snitch Daredevil used to harass for info - was the only black character I read on a regular basis," recalls Sales. "In a genre built on HEROISM, back then it was hard for me to find a true black comic hero. Even when we weren't small time crooks like Turk, we were sidekicks or background players that never really RAN anything or controlled our own destinies." Sales still agrees that characters like Luke Cage have changed much for the better though. "Now Black Panther is seen as a global power in the Marvel Universe, Luke Cage has taken center stage on the Avengers, and Nick Fury is the black equivalent of the American Super Sheriff. That's a lot of progress in a very short amount of time, and I give a lot of credit to the new wave of writers like Bendis, Ellis and Millar, who brought a different, fresh perspective to comic book story telling, in my opinion." "…I think the thing that really holds back 'racial progress' in comics is that lack of writers, artists and editors of color that can make story-telling decisions about the directions of these characters. No, I'm not saying that non-ethnic folks can't create good stories about people of color. (My favorite show is THE WIRE, and most of the writers of that show are White.) I'm saying that there are TONS of talented comic writers and artists out here, and it only makes sense to let them write these stories, too." For the whole story, go here: http://www.silverbulletcomics.com/news/story.php?a=4133 Also, I will probably be speaking at NORTH CAROLINA A & T in late March or early April, promoting my comics and talking about hip hop and commercial art. More on that as it becomes more solid. Last thing. You KNOW I couldn't drop an update without blessing yall with some PENCILISM HEAT, right? Peep this rough sketch art preview:
Stay tuned, yall. More news in a few. Holla
1:04 PM
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tired
