IndyFest Magazine #98: Indyfest Magazine, #98

By Ian Shires

This October 2016 issue is one you need to read. 

Inside you will find in-depth interviews with:

Matt Dawson and Matt Feazell of Mud Slingers
Stephanie C. Lyons-Keeley and Wayne J. Keeley
David Scacchi
Trisha Sugarek

Also included in this issue:

Eitorial by Ian Shires

Motivational Moments by Trisha Sugarek
A Written View by Douglas Owen

Hall of Fame - The October, must-read Update on the latest progress
Reviews of small press and indy publications

Sneek Peek:

Earthling #2
Planet Earth
Tales of Terror

Published by Ian Shires, Dimestore Productions 

Managing Editor Ellen Fleisher

Circulation Coordinator Douglas Owen

Cover Crifero

IndyFest Magazine spotlights the creative efforts of artists taking control of their work. Each month you will find interviews, how toos and great advice from talented artists. Not stopping there, the magazine interviews the most amazing people and uncovers what it takes to be on the cutting edge of Self-Publishing.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dimestore Productions
• Release date: Oct 30, 2016
• ISBN: 9781533721143

Book preview

The Driving Force

I have been following the election season pretty closely this year. Allow me to make it clear: I’m not about to endorse anyone or take either side. Fact is, the choices presented right now are a mess for the public to figure out. Therefore, we’ll leave those choices to each of you as individuals, and instead, give you over to the super-fun topic that is our lead article this month.

It has been a long time since we featured a game in the magazine, and I only seem to remember one other time we did. But this speaks to the heart of what changing our name from Self Publisher! to Indyfest was all about. We have fantastic opportunities to cover cross-market small press stuff. The things going on out there that put someone with talent and an idea, onto a collision course with unheard-of success.

To that point, my longtime friend Rich Case came to visit me recently. I knew he’d become involved with a production company in New York, but I was surprised when he presented me with a copy of Black Salt, a live action mini-featured DVD based on the Indy comic of the same name. My first reaction was of course... And why aren’t we doing a cover feature of this in the magazine yet? I mean, we’ve covered a couple live action things, most notably the Charlton Movie, which is still holding on to the title of best0read issue to date.

I have long been saying cross-promotion of different aspects of Indy in the same magazine is going to be the key to our break-through success. I think few could see any disadvantage to covering comics, music, books, motion pictures, zines, etc... all together in a way that our potential audiences mix. I feel like we have not quite cracked the code on making it happen on the level it needs to. And we certainly have not gotten the publishers and creators really behind this effort, to where we have decent advertising and ability to grow.

I will speak in the HOF column a bit about what I have done since last issue to move us all forward. I feel lot of it does all boils down to politics. Or maybe propaganda. Those of us who have made the commitment to following our own pathways owe it to each other to help show the way to new talent, new readers, and new pathways of potential. Giving any of this up to corporate control leads us to an end of how we got started ourselves.

So that is why I cannot take a side or endorse anything. I have to stand at the edge of what can be and poke at the ground to see what steps we can take to build the marketplace we all deserve. Sometimes, you need to sling some mud to see what sticks. I don’t know what the future is going to bring us, any more than anyone knows who is going to win this election. We’ll keep going either way.

Table of Contents

The Driving Force

Mud Slingers – Interview with Matt Dawson and Mat Feazell

Dead Raiser – Interview with Stephanie C. Lyons-Keeley and Wayne J. Keeleyan

Earthling #2 – Sneak Peek by Davie Brink, Jim Jimenez, and Jeremy Scott Browning

Motivational Moments – Article Series by Trisha Sugarek

He Came From Southern Canada – Interview with David Scacchi

They Came From Planet Earth – Sneak Peak by David Scacchi and Gary Welsh

A Written View – Article series by Douglas Owen

Tales of Terror – Sneak Peek by David Doub, Lou Manna, Jerry Gonzales

The Power