Cleveland resident Sequoia Bostick enjoyed comics as a girl, particularly the world of Japanese manga, although she took the occasional dive into Batman as well. Bostick鈥檚 joy for the medium led her to explore library shelves and trade with friends in her native Tennessee, ensuring she never missed a new adventure.
While attending the Cleveland Institute of Art in the early 2010s, Bostick fell in love with the local arts scene, later harnessing the region鈥檚 creative energy for , an anthology of short, narrative tales she helps illustrate. Founded in 2015 alongside fellow CIA alum Amalia DeGirolamo, Vagabond bills itself as 鈥渁 periodic collection of comics for the modern misanthrope.鈥�
Vagabond has released 13 issues, collaborating with 40 nationwide artists. Subtitled 鈥淭ales From Around the Trashcan Fire,鈥� the books are available through outlets such as the indie-friendly online store Storenvy.
Issues can also be found at Northeast Ohio comics purveyors like , while Bostick and co-founder DeGirolamo curate Scene Magazine鈥檚 annual comics issue, providing an additional platform to spotlight Vagabond and attract new readers.
While major publishers such as DC, Marvel and Image Comics may rule the shelves, Cleveland鈥檚 independent creators sometimes struggle to secure visibility, or lack the resources for large-scale marketing campaigns. Understanding these barriers, Bostick leads , a small press and indie comic convention scheduled annually on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
This year's show attracted 1,200 attendees to Cleveland鈥檚 Pivot Center for Art, Dance and Expression, featuring 70-plus exhibitors and workshops on drawing and layout. Bostick's mission is to challenge the status quo, showcasing the creativity and innovation of indie comics and igniting a new audience of readers.
鈥淢y goal has been to bring in more of the younger generation into comics, because just enjoying comics at a young age is good for you,鈥� said Bostick, 32, by day the community engagement manager at Cleveland printmaking studio Zygote Press. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e an individual who鈥檚 interested in comics, you鈥檒l have a good time here. Or if you鈥檙e a family who鈥檚 looking for something to do with their kids, you can come to this show and see the art, do the workshops, or participate in the DIY spaces."
The cost of doing business
Cleveland鈥檚 independent scene has a robust history, with names like Gary Dumm 鈥� who illustrated local legend Harvey Pekar鈥檚 stories 鈥� and 鈥淢y Friend Dahmer鈥� creator John 鈥淒erf鈥� Backderf making international headlines. John Dudas, owner of in Lorain, points to Strongsville-based Ryan Drost as another up-and-comer thanks to his crowdfunded 鈥淪tealth Hammer鈥� series, a sci-fi supernatural adventure about a woman exploring her inherited powers.
Although spandex-wearing heroes rule the shelves at Dudas鈥� shop, he is eager to make space for self-published artists as well. A 鈥渓ocal creators鈥� shelf is reserved for DIY storytellers, while small-press artists get run on a 鈥渘ew release鈥� table alongside the big brands. Dudas displays these works with an understanding that they won鈥檛 be a money-making endeavor, he said.
鈥淚 try my best to support the scene - I鈥檓 even happy to take a financial loss on a book,鈥� Dudas said. 鈥淪ome books may not sell, but that鈥檚 not something I keep track of, or worry about.鈥�
In addition, Dudas is discerning in his curation 鈥� that means no art books and the owner getting a 60% cut of sales.
鈥淧eople will come to us with a book that cost $10 to make, and they鈥檙e selling it for $12, which is not something we can work with,鈥� Dudas said. 鈥淭he business itself is an art, because it鈥檚 a big marketplace. There鈥檚 always a challenge in getting yourself noticed, or even getting a product made in the first place.鈥�
The costs of printing, distribution and marketing can be prohibitive for independent creators, especially those just starting out, added Dudas. Should an artist overcome that hurdle, Genghis Con or other industry get-togethers like are prime resources for networking and information.
鈥淚 see a lot of people at events talking about where they got something printed, and they may be paying half as much for printing as someone else,鈥� Dudas said. 鈥淪o, you should be networking with the community as much as possible.鈥�
Visibility, even more than simple economics, is the coin of the realm for Bostick and her peers, she said. Genghis Con costs about $3,000-$5,000 to organize, with tote bags bringing in a few hundred dollars alongside any book sales.
鈥淭he economic impact for us is always word of mouth, or people excited to meet an artist in person,鈥� said Bostic. 鈥淲e鈥檙e also the last comics show of the year, so there鈥檚 a certain amount of hype around that.鈥�
Find your lane
Keith Harris started as an independent development company with its own original character 鈥� the muscle bound inner-city hero Big Bruh - along with commission-based services for creation of personalized comic characters. Want to give your kid a book that features them as the high-flying hero? Just click the 鈥淚 want a comic鈥� tab on Harris鈥� website.
Not an artist himself, Harris built a small team of writers, colorists and illustrators to bring Big Bruh to life. With the first issue released, Harris and his team are working on the second, due out next August. Even as sales for Big Bruh #1 remain strong, custom character commissions, including work for the LeBron James Family Foundation, contribute significantly to company profits.
There is also the matter of marketing: Harris, a former engineer with no marketing experience, quickly learned that fans are interested in character creation almost as much as the finished books themselves.
鈥淲e do 30- or 40-second clips of a character that鈥檚 developed, where you鈥檒l see the artists finishing the work, doing some coloring, or creating a costume,鈥� said Harris. 鈥淔or an independent comics developer, it鈥檚 all about finding and working your lane.鈥�
Customers can buy physical or PDF copies of 鈥淏ig Bruh鈥� 鈥� FutureGen gets the word out over social media as well as comics conventions such as Akron Comicon and Fan Expo Cleveland.
鈥淲e love those events,鈥� Harris said. 鈥淲e haven鈥檛 found value in a booth yet, but it鈥檚 in our best interest to meet other writers and illustrators. (When) we meet people, we learn. If your goal is to create stories, you don鈥檛 need much other than imagination and money. If you want revenue from your comics, then networking is crucial.鈥�
Creators cultivating an online following have a better chance of getting noticed, considering publishers are always scouring webcomics for talent, said Dudas, the West Side comics store owner. Webcomics, a series of strips published exclusively online, help create an active community of support, he noted.
鈥淧urchasing agents see people generating their own buzz,鈥� Dudas said. 鈥淭hese artists can have this little microcosm of success in the bigger market.鈥�
Even uploading sketches to a personal website is enough to attract and retain an audience, noted Cleveland illustrator and convention director Bostick. She also offers one piece of advice for any budding dream maker:
鈥淚 tell kids to get reading,鈥� said Bostick. 鈥淭here鈥檚 so much out there for you to enjoy.鈥�
