[Groop] Eric's Call To Action!!!

[Gary Grossmann]

Hi Folks!

First, thank you all for your kind words.  (blush, blush)

Second, Lary & Glorko are correct. Anyone who sends Eric hate mail is a 
really sick person.  It's one thing to disagree with a portion of something 
that he, or anyone, has said, like Dan did.  That's cool.  But hate mail, 
especially to someone like Eric, is just...well I don't know what it is, but 
it's not good! (As any fool can plainly see!)

OK, most importnatly, Eric has put out a call to action!  And he's right. 
We need to do whatever we can to promote Groo.  I can't draw, and I can't 
make a website, (and my arm is too hairy for a tattoo to make sense,) but I 
can go to Dark Horse message boards and try to promote Groo there.  I can 
write an article (I didn't know that was an option, Eric.)  Maybe the Con 
would want a scan of some rare Groo drawings that I have.  Maybe not, but I 
could find out.  And I know we have a lot of fine artists in the Groop.  So 
anyway, we should try and do something, cuz Eric is right.  Groo is slipping 
from the short memory of the comic reading public, we need to at least try 
and stop that dastardly trend, and the recognition of Groo's 25th 
Anniversary at San Diego is the perfect oppurtunity.

If anyone has any ideas that might take a Groop effort, let's hear them!

Take care all -Gary G.


From: "Eric Chun" >
>
> There are other fans who enjoy what they have, and try to share it with
> others.  When I walk around conventions, I take a moment to look at the
> costumes people have made and are walking around in.  Even take photos
> of some of them.  They must -really- like the characters to spend the 
> time,
> effort, and cost to make the costumes and are brave enough to wear them
> in public.  Why else would they do it?  Very few of them win masquerade
> prizes.  They even stop to take photos with other fans.
>
> I was right there when the gentleman with the Groo tattoo showed it
> Sergio, and both Sergio and I were were floored!  It was unbelieveable
> that someone would do that!  Sergio said, "You're sure you wanted to do
> that?  Now you're stuck with it forever!" (or something to that effect.)
> The gentleman said, "Yeah, I really love Groo."  Sergio then said that he
> wanted to take a photo of it.  I said I did too.  While Sergio searched 
> for
> his camera, I snapped my photo.  Sergio said that he wanted to get the
> gentleman's face in his picture, when he snapped his photo.  The gentle-
> didn't want anything in return, just wanted the chance to meet Sergio.
> There's no question that this is a "real fan."  No question at all.
>
> You may have seen Kaytee's (literally) award winning bead work.  These
> take many, many hours to create, and are at her own expense.  After
> entering them in the art show, she gives them away.  (Stan proudly dis-
> played one on the wall of his Usagi Yojimbo booth.  Note the "1st Place"
> ribbon!)  Is she a "real fan?"  She gets my vote.
>
> http://www.geocities.com/groosite/Rufferto2.jpg
> http://www.geocities.com/groosite/sd2004.html
>
> I simply cannot say that all fans are the same, that those who go out of
> their way to promote their favorite characters without any thought of
> reward are the same as those who are "fair weather fans," ("collector 
> fans")
> who only help their own collection, who disappear when no new comic
> books are being released.  It just wouldn't be fair.
>
> Evidently, I can't spur anyone to action.
>
> At the comic book shop that I go to, the best one in the bay area,
> there was a separate shelf for Sergio's books.  The shelf was even
> labeled with his name on it.  It used to be stocked with the Sergio's
> latest books and even the back issues.  Now, the shelf is gone.
> The last Groo comic book was released in 2002.  (5 years ago!)
> The last Groo TPB was released in 2003, and Dark Horse doesn't
> even want to continue releasing the alphabetical series.  Nothing is
> being solicited in Previews.  Nothing on the horizon.  Is it any
> wonder that Sergio's shelf is gone?  There is no visibility for Groo.
> Out of sight, out of mind.
>
> Now, there is a golden (well, silver) opportunity -- something that may
> never happen again.  Out of the hundreds of choices that Comic Con
> could have selected, they have selected "Groo's 25th Anniversary" as
> one of the themes for this year's souvenir program book.  Fans are en-
> courage to submit fan artwork or articles for the program book.  The
> program book is given to each attendee.  100,000+ of them.  Most of
> them comic book reading, comic book buying fans.  What better way
> to get Groo back into their memory?  To remember the adventure, the
> laughter, the great times reading Groo comic books.  The last Groo comic
> book circulation was down (from 100,000 with Epic Groo #1 to 20,000
> with Dark Horse).  You could reach 5 times the last circulation.
>
> The alternative is to do nothing.  Not bother.  An inconvenience.  But
> then, don't cry as the shelves once full of Groo comic books slowly dis-
> appear.  (My comic book shop this time, next time yours.)  Wait 'til next
> time to do something you say?  If the Groo movie doesn't get released
> for some reason, will there be a 30th anniversary in the program book?
> Will -we- be around for the 50th anniversary?  Sergio turns 70 this year.
> He'll be 95 at the 50th anniversary.
>
> I'm willing to risk taking a lot of flak for these posts -- they're 
> nothing
> new.  (I already get hate mail from well-known posters from time to
> time.)  But, if I can spur/shame anyone to at least attempt to get into
> the program book, then my efforts won't have fallen on deaf ears and
> will have been worth it.  You may not make it into the program book,
> and even if you do Groo may disappear by the wayside, but the saying
> in basketball is "you miss 100% of the shots you don't take."
>
> Let's shoot some shots ...
>