If you know you want a hard copy of the coloring book “There Are No Penguins in Alaska,” now’s the time to preorder it. Because we will be printing them in Russia, we will be unable to replenish our supplies between events. While we would love to sell out of them at Lilac City Comicon 2019 on June 1 and 2, we would hate for anyone to miss out on the coloring book just because they were later on our journey.
So, if you’re going to be at City Cakes and Café for my author signing on June 5, or you’re going to find us at Ogden UnCon on June 7 to 9, or you’re coming to Amazing Las Vegas Comic Con June 14 to 16, preordering ensures that we will have a copy with your name on it ready for you to pick up. More importantly, you can order them at the convention price of $5 and not have to worry about shipping and handling. Just click on the link to the event you’re going to.
If you aren’t going to make it to any of the events listed, but you can meet with us while we’re in Salem or during our journey, you can still get the $5 price. You just have to be able to pick the coloring book up. Otherwise, they are $8 plus shipping.
If you have no idea how to order, or you know you are going
to get one but you don’t want to officially order, leave a note in the comment
or contact us through our Facebook page. We’ll set one aside and contact you
about payment and delivery.
Of course, preordering anything else you might want is also
a good idea. Penguins take more than a day to make, so if we sell out of them,
they’ll be gone. Other books we may be able to replenish, but there’s no
guarantee. The best way to get what you want is to preorder! You can also order
items directly from Amazon or on Amazon Kindle, but they will not be eligible
for any discounts.
Remember, members of our Patreon Penguinator team get $1 off for every $10 they spend at our table during an event. If you know you’re going to buy something from us, you might want to join our Patreon and get your discount as well as more information on creativity and stuffed penguins.
That’s all this stuff is… It’s just practice, you know, and you continue to practice.
Tim Perkins at Malta Comic Con 2015
You were creative once. School, authority figures, and a
system that punishes mistakes and failures, while rarely rewarding those who
create, beat it out of you – or rather, it beat the belief that you are
creative out of you. But that’s where your ascendancy in creativity starts:
Believe you are creative and start practicing. Creativity is a skill. Some
people have more talent at it, but everyone can become more creative. All it
takes is practice.
Practice your problem-solving skills, look for more than one
solution, even if you find one that will work, go an extra two or three steps
and find more ways to solve the same problem. The more solutions you come up
with, the more likely you are to hit on one that will be better than the
others. However, even if your first solution is the best, you’ll have explored
other options and exercised your creative muscle.
Practice coming up with ideas. Keep the idea process flowing, track them, and make the ideas important. Then choose one to implement. While you’re implementing the idea, don’t stop coming up with new ideas. As long as you track them, they’ll be available when you finish implementing the first idea.
When you do implement that first idea, it won’t be great.
It’s not supposed to be great. If this is your first foray into the realm of a creative
endeavor, you will probably make mistakes, and the effort will probably fail.
That’s okay. It’s like walking when you were a toddler. You probably fell
hundreds of times; you’ve probably tripped and possibly fell recently. That
didn’t stop you from getting up and going again.
Write every day. Draw every day. Do something creative every
day. You will get better at it.
Of course, classes, mentorships and knowledge about your chosen area are essential to being more creative. If your new to physics, you’re not going to know enough to be creative in the field though you could be creative for yourself. Once you have a could base, it’s just practice, practice, practice, even if you’re Allen Iverson.
It’s just one month until we board the train in Blagoveshchensk to head to Khabarovsk. From there we’ll fly through Seoul and Honolulu to touch down in Portland, OR as we make our way to Lilac City Comicon 2019. Before we get to Spokane though, we’ll make a stop in Independence, OR to get our supplies and make any last-minute preparations. (If you’d like to see what we did last year, check out our archives and videos.) At Lilac City Comicon, I’ll be presenting the sequel to “Disneyland Is Creativity” with the release of “The Haunted Mansions Is Creativity.” Come see my panel “The Haunted Mansion: 50 Years of Creativity.”
From Lilac City Comicon, we’ll head toward Salt Lake City, with a short stop in Idaho to relax, for my author signing at City Cakes and Café on June 5. I can’t wait to see what they have for dinner, and I’m sure I’ll grab some great vegan pastries.
Ogden UnCon 2019 will be from June 7 to 9 in Ogden. The stars of “Black Sails” will be on hand as well as stars from “The Land of the Lost” – talk about retro! Drue M Scott is scheduled to be at our table, and we may have another special guest. On Sunday, I’m schedule to present “The Haunted Mansion: 50 Years of Creativity,” which will give attendees ideas for habits and activities they can do to become more creative.
When we leave Ogden, we’ll head over to Moab in the hopes of seeing Arches National Monument. After that little bit of relaxation (and celebrating Jenya’s birthday), we wind up the tour at Amazing Las Vegas Comic Con 2019.
Of course, this travel schedule may seem epic, but it won’t truly be epic unless you show up. Come by and say “Hi!” If you can’t make it to one of our events but are in the area, let me know I’ll see of I can make it work to meet up. We have some time after Amazing Las Vegas Comic Con to set up other events if you have a lead on something in the west that’s inexpensive. For those who want signed books sent to them, just use the order form on this website and we’ll get them to you as soon as we arrive in the U.S.
If you want one of our books or penguins, preordering will ensure that you get what you want. Our supplies are limited, so click on the event links above and order what you’d like. We’ll have them ready for you at the event, and you won’t have to worry about us being sold out! Remember, everyone of our Patreon Penguinators gets a discount on items bought at our events. Join today at any level!
Rod Serling’s original “The Twilight Zone” is a timeless television show that continues to be relevant and thought-provoking. I have wanted to own the entire series for a very long time. With each trip to the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror in Disneyland, I looked at the collected series and its price, and decided I just couldn’t afford it. During one of my brainstorming sessions, I thought about adding Rod Serling and “the Twilight Zone” to my “… Is Creativity” series. That gave me the excuse to get the series on DVD, and I’m so glad I did.
I waited until recently to open the DVDs because I was working on “The Haunted Mansion Is Creativity” (to be released June 1, 2019 at Lilac City Comicon 2019). Now that I’ve started watching them though, I’m so glad I bought them. “The Twilight Zone” is hands down one of the best written series I have ever watched. In 30 minutes, Rod Serling creates characters that you can engage with and stories that move you.
Nothing may ever come of my wanting to do something with Rod
Serling, creativity and “the Twilight Zone,” but that doesn’t matter. What
matters is that the was a man who wrote such wonderful stories for the
betterment of the world. I may never attain the stature of Serling, but I’m
glad that I have been able to see the fruits of his labors.
Phife Dawg: Age 45, diabetes in 2016, member of
A Tribe Called Quest.
MCA: Age 47, cancer in 2012, member of the
Beastie Boys.
Guru: Age 48, cancer in 2010, member of Gang
Starr.
J Dilla: Age 32, cardiac arrest in 2006.
Jam Master Jay: Age 37, shot in 2002, Run DMC.
Lisa Left-Eye Lopes: Age 30, car crash in 2002,
TLC
Big L: Age 24, shot in 1999.
Notorious B.I.G.: Age 24, shot in 1997.
Tupac: Age 22, shot in 1996.
Scott La Rock: Age 25, shot in 1987.
“Accidental overdoses having
claimed the lives of Mac Miller (26), Pimp C (33), Kriss Kross’s Chris “Mac
Daddy” Kelly (34) and Ol’ Dirty Bastard (35).”
“N.W.A. member Eazy-E (31) perished
from complications due to AIDS in 1995. Mobb Deep rapper Prodigy (42) died from
complications related to sickle-cell anemia. ig Pun (28), Nate Dogg (41) and
Craig Mack (47) all had heart failure. For MC Breed (37), it was kidney
failure. Three 6 Mafia co-founder Lord Infamous (40) died of a heart attack.
Heavy D (44) suffered from heart disease and died from a blood clot in his
lungs. Like Phife Dog, Tim Dog (46) died from complications related to
diabetes.”
I have been to enough comic conventions to know that people
who love comic books complain about the people who love the movies but don’t
buy comic books. There’s a whole faction of geeks who love every issue of their
favorite comic and consider someone who only knows the character from the
movies and abomination.
Comic stores say they haven’t noticed an uptick in
individuals coming into their store because of the film. For them, there just
is no crossover. Perhaps, that’s because the comic stores need to take more initiative.
Call it “The Avengers Initiative.”
A majority of movie-goers don’t go to comic stores. They
probably don’t even know where the comic stores are. The simplest way for a
comic store to attempt to harness the movie-goers who love the movies is to pay
for an ad before the movie. Most movie theaters offer the opportunity to be in
a slide show before the trailers. This offers an easy and less expensive way to
get the word out about the shop, and placed before a “comic book” movie, it
hits the target audience right where they live.
If the comic store can afford it, a comic store trailer, shot
in high-def, should be appropriate for the movie screen. A trailer will even
reach more people in their seats. Still, this isn’t the most effective way to reach
people because most movie goers probably don’t have a reason to go to the
store.
Setting up a booth with items themed to the film is the
single best way to provide movie-goers an opportunity to find out about the
comics. Any comic store that has also participated in a comic convention should
already have the tools available to create a booth. By targeting the movie(s)
in the theater at the time, a comic store can create an impulse buy and point
of contact for new fans. Include a business card with every purchase, and you’re
all set for getting new people involved in comics fandom.
It won’t be that easy. “Avengers: Endgame” openings promise
to be chaotic. Imagine Free Comic Book Day without the giveaways. That also
means more opportunities to generate revenue from the event.
National chain theaters may be less willing to give up lobby
space for a booth. Of course, DC and Marvel could step in because it would be good
for their comic sales and their movies. The theaters could see a rise in movie
goers if the comic store is able to bring their patrons to the movie. Theaters
also get the good will of comics fans and the advertisement that comes with the
promotion of the event. A local theater may be more willing to partner with a
local comic shop, and both could benefit from the exposure.
Most shops are run by one or two dedicated people. Having to
give up a weekend, move everything, set up and take down is already a lot of
stress. The change in routine, in addition to the increase in dealing with
people who may not know what they want, can also be daunting, especially when
there may not be any return. The keys to a successful theater run for a comic
store setup is a willingness to get out of the comfort zone and a desire to improve
sales at the store. Even if there aren’t any sales at the theater, the chance
to meet people who love films can be worthwhile in and of itself.
Wicked Comics in Malta has partnered with Eden Cinemas for the opening weekend of “Avengers: Endgame” for Comic Fest. They will have booths, cosplayers, retro-gaming, performances, local artists’ booths and comics. It looks like they’ve organized a mini-comic convention to celebrate “Avengers: Endgame.” Wicked Comics organizes the annual Malta Comic Con, so they have a head start on any comic store that may not have organized events outside the store before.
Private showings are already sponsored by larger comic conventions like Salt Lake’s Fan X’ “Avengers: Endgame” screening. They could add a comic store component to the screening, giving people more opportunity to purchase from local businesses.
It may be too late for comic stores to partner with movie
theaters for “Avengers: Endgame,” but it can be something to keep in mind for
the next big movie. Of course, it doesn’t have to be applied to just Marvel
movies. Disney’s “Frozen 2” and DC’s next film could also make for good
opportunities to partner with a local movie theater.
“Aloha” (2015) brings broken Brian Gilchrist (Bradley Cooper) back to his Hawaiian military roots as a contractor designated to get the blessing of the king of Hawaii for a military base’s pedestrian gate, which would allow private contractors access to the launch area of the military base. Gilchrist is assigned Fighter Pilot Allison Ng (Emma Stone) as his military watchdog for his time in Hawaii. There is a love triangle involving quiet man Woody (John Krasinski) and his wife Tracy (Rachel McAdams), who also happens to be Gilchrist’s ex from 13 years ago.
The real problems arise when Ng discovers that billionaire
Carson Welch (Bill Murray) has put a nuke in the payload of the rocket being
sent into space. Weapons aren’t allowed in the sky, and this would violate
treaties. However, because Welch is a private citizen, it falls in a gray area;
he never signed a treaty. Gilchrist is faced with the choice of further
disgrace and saving the sky or keeping his lucrative job and losing Ng.
Stone chews the scenery as the intense, socially awkward,
quarter Hawaiian, who loves the sky and Hawaiian mythology. Krasinski provides
an amazing performance as the man who doesn’t talk much. Cooper and McAdams are
good in their roles as is the rest of the cast, which includes Murray, Alec
Baldwin, and Danny McBride.
“Aloha” is a surprisingly good film. It’s low key nature and
quirky characters provide an interesting family/friend drama. If you need to
find your way back to yourself, there are worse places to do it than Hawaii.
Welcome to a pleasant diversion, or as they say on the islands – Aloha!
The Haunted Mansion was always my favorite Disneyland
attraction growing up. Sure, I enjoyed singing and clapping with the Country
Bears. I had fun sailing with pirates in the Caribbean, and I really loved
Adventures thru Inner Space. However, it was the Haunted Mansion and its magic
that remained the attraction I would choose to go on first.
This year marks the Haunted Mansion’s 50th anniversary. Because of that, I wanted to delve deeper into its history and its links to creative principles. From the late 1950s when Ken Anderson was the only imagineer assigned to the project through to Yale Gracey and Rolly Crump’s shenanigans to opening day and beyond, “The Haunted Mansion Is Creativity” takes you on a tour of the home of 999 happy haunts linking attraction details and designs as well as stories of its creation to creative principles as revealed through scientific studies and interviews with people who create for a living.
When Walt Disney assigned Yale Gracey and Rolly Crump to the Haunted Mansion, he gave them time and space to play. Gracey and Crump were assigned to come up with ideas and effects for the Disneyland attraction. They would come into the studio and work on whatever they felt like. As Marty Sklar put it in the forward to Jason Surrell’s “The Haunted Mansion: Imagineering a Disney Classic,” “Yale and Rolly Crump, especially, were free to experiment, to try out their wildest haunting ideas… to ‘play ghost’ if you will.”
Domovoi are the house elves of Russia. They live in the home,
and as long as the people in that home are peaceful and respectful, Domovoi
will help the family. If they are unhappy, Domovoi can become mischievous,
petulant and violent. Most Russians cherish their Domovoi and will invite the
house elf to come with them to a new home when they move. If the Domovoi is
abandoned, it can spell trouble for the next family.
In “Domovoi” (2019), this all gets explained, which makes
the film a good place to jump into Russian fairy lore. A mom and her daughter
find the perfect place to live, and it’s sold to them by an unscrupulous real
estate agent, who has made use of the angry Domovoi to resell the same property
over and over.
Slapstick comedy ensues as the Domovoi fights against the
mother and the cat for dominion over the house. Only the daughter offers a voice
of reason, which goes unheeded by the mother, but softens the heart of the Domovoi.
The strange characters in the film and its effects create a nice fantasy world
for “Domovoi” with enough Russian culture to put this out of your ordinary
world experience (if you’re not one of my regular Russian readers; though those
familiar with Germany and Austria will recognize the Domovoi as akin to wichteln,
and Britain has house elves.)
Watching foreign films is a good way to improve your
creativity, especially when they are fun. Let “Domovoi” help you gain a new
perspective, spark new ideas, and replenish your creative well.
Penguinate! Positive Creativity 