Tawannawangaaa!!!

A forum called "Creator's Conference"?

That sounds inviting.... look, a thread called "Grass Roots", all about what small publishers and creators are doing or have done to rise above grass-roots and be "visible over the weeds".

Look at all these interesting things my FELLOW COMICS CREATORS have done to promote themselves and bring the comics community together!

I think I'd like to post something and share some of OUR experiences in this venture. I'm sure they would like to know the different angles we've tried: sending a bottle of "Doom Wine" (along with one of our catalogs) to Patton Oswalt (and receiving a kind thank-you card back), coordinating a reading at a well-known local bookstore in conjunction with being a guest at a world-wide book conference sponsored by the University of Iowa, having one of our books named a finalist in the ForeWord "best graphic novel" category, placing a red-n-white checkered cushy mat out front of our table at WizardWorld to make people linger and relax with our books in their hands. A giant red pen people can't resist using to triple our list of newsletter email addresses.
Wouldn't people like to hear these things?

Well, they can't yet.

When I ask at the great iron door with my best C-3P0 politeness (and really looking the part in my little profile-photo) I am asked for my papers. My "creator credits".

Certainly. Four big books. Lots of graphic design work. See?

"Right. Come back at Xmas."

So. Does this mean, "Come back on December 26th and see if there is room for me."? Or maybe, "Will I turn into a real creator by then?"?

After a while Bib Fortuna comes to the door and tells me, "Warren is restricting creator-level access at this time... nee Jabba no barghaaa!"

But the sign over the door reads:
This section is viewable by all visitors to The Engine, but can only be posted to by comics creators.
For the purposes of the section, "comics creator" is given to mean a published or contracted-to-publish creator. I will also take this to mean a webcomics creator publishing on a paysite or working ad-supported, on a case-by-case basis. Which I know sounds kind of snooty, but, right now, I'm looking for a separation between hobbyist creators and the people who are risking significant chunks of their lives on this stupid game...
By "comics," therefore, I mean comics, graphic novels, manga, OEL, BD and any other contortion of the intended meaning. I was discovering manga and BD while some of you comickers were still twinkles in a tentacle-beast's eye, and it's all bloody comics as far as I'm concerned...

"Published" and not "hobbyist".

Well, that's me. That's John, that's Carter, that's Will, Ian, all of us. That is Candle Light Press. Eleven books and counting, available wherever books are sold.

After the door slams shut, I leave a post-it on it.

"Thanks for clarifying. You, however, are both welcome to visit our place anytime. No Restrictions."

So are all of you. You don't even have to worry about fitting my definition of you and my rules for your entry before I contradict that definition and those rules and lock you out with a sneer anyway. 'Cause I wouldn't dream of doing that to someone.

Come on in, everyone. Glad to have ya!