In all honesty, I feel strange even writing this article. Talking Comics has been gracious enough to give myself and my fellow comic book enthusiast an avenue to be creative and write (or in my case try). So for them to give me an avenue to shamelessly self promote makes me eternally grateful.
Three years ago, an employee and friend (Tim Whicker) brought his decent sized comic collection in for me to buy, which I did. Two months later we lost Tim in a car accident. In the aftermath, once I regrouped professionally and personally, I started to catalog the collection in my IPad. I discovered we had a lot of the same taste, and books. So, in an effort to promote reading and comics, I reached out on social media to my friends. I told them, send me your childs age, gender, and some of their interests and I will mail you a pack of comics for them for FREE. I had about 20 requests, However, one of the requests was different. A high school friend, now a 4th grade teacher, asked me to do a presentation on comics to her class. I basically did a show and tell. I showed them the process of making a comic, I taught them about real history and comics, I taught them about female creators, and shared stories on how I got into reading and comics. And when I was done, every kid left with two comics. It was a hit, word spread. I’ve now done almost a dozen presentations, including a Halloween one with stories about banned comics and a Star Wars only one.
Over the last 3 or 4 presentations, a documentary film crew has been filming the talks. They have also done interviews with me, my mom, my wife and kids, Tim’s family, and Daddy Jim Bailey’s family (a comic shop owner and the person who got me back into comics, now, also deceased). The production company, Wreak Havoc Productions (full disclosure, I own a small percentage of the company, but did not when this all started) has started a Kickstarter to help get the film finished. We’re trying to raise $1000. the main reasons are two fold. First , we are looking to set up a personal art exhibit for one of the young ladies who I’ve met through this. Second, we would like to hire a professional editor to finish the movie. The kickstarter began last Tuesday and ends May 14th. So far $195 of the $1000 has been raised. The goal is, that through this film, we can promote reading and comics and get kids involved in our wonderful world. I hope you can find it in you to help or at least spread the word.
My name is in the title, but this documentary is about comics, kids and the comic book kid in all of us.
[embedvideo id=”yTc52c362BE” website=”youtube”]
Check out the official Kickstarter campaign by clicking here!
twitter: @sammiecassell
Instagram: @sammiecassell
Facebook: Sammie Cassell, Wreak Havoc Productions, or Sammie the Comic Book Man
