Webcomicon 2007

For the first time ever, Webcomics have unified their presence at Comic Con International. "WebComiCon," the heart of the webcomics action in San Diego, will be found in the middle of Aisle 1300, where some of the top names in webcomics -- Abismo/Nerve Bomb, Blank Label Comics, Dayfree Press, Dumbrella, Keenspot, Penny Arcade, PvP, Rooster Teeth and Studio Foglio -- will be assembled. With a combined readership best counted in millions, this will be a gathering to remember.

Located in a prime location in Aisle 1300, WebComiCon is a short walk away from DC and Sideshow Collectibles -- and just around the corner from the Small Press Pavilion. Download our handy map (PDF) and print it out to guide you along your way.

This centralized location is tailor-made for fans of webcomics who want to see many of their favorite creators in one area. Expect to see all your favorite artists joining up for group sketches, sketch mashups, practical jokes, and a sense of excitement that only comes once a year at the biggest webcomics meetup in the world.

Other webcomics creators can be found in Artist Alley and Small Press, making WebComicCon the center of the ultimate webcomics gathering in the world. Watch Fleen.com for an updated map of all of the webcomics creators in attendance.

Please visit Keenspot at booths #1328 and #1229 and attend our panel discussion on Saturday at 5:30pm in ROOM 3.

posted by Chris on 07/10/2007 09:17:00 PM

Keenspot co-sponsors Child's Play charity

We are proud to announce that Keenspot is a silver sponsor for the Child's Play charity. Child's Play has sent over a million dollars in toys, games, and cash to the sick kids in children's hospitals around the world. Visit childsplaycharity.org to learn more and contribute.

posted by Chris on 11/09/2006 06:05:00 PM
Keenspot's 2006 Comic-Con Announcements
Here's what Keenspot announced on the Comic-Con panel Friday evening...

Keenspot Updates

KEENSPOT AD SALES TEAM LED BY FORMER CBS VP
In January, Keenspot assembled a small ad sales team led by Albert H. Crane III, a former VP of Primetime Ad Sales for CBS Television Network as well as an East Coast Sales Manager for Salon.com. The experienced team is slowly making progress for Keenspot with major media buying agencies, where webcomics are still a fairly unknown quantity.

YOU DAMN KID! DEVELOPMENT UPDATE
As we announced in September, 20th Century Fox Television and Phase Two Productions optioned Owen Dunne’s long-running Keenspot webcomic You Damn Kid! for TV. Since then the project has remained in active development, with numerous big names trying out for the showrunner position, and YDK! creator Dunne writing a pilot script. Fox continues to seek a new edgy animated sitcom. As Fox programming chief Peter Liguori said in June, “we have two straight hours of animation on Sunday. We'd like to make it two and a half.” If all the production pieces fall into place (easier said than done), YDK! could become Fox’s newest Sunday night animated hit. Stay tuned…

KEENSPOT HEARTS PODCASTS
- In December Keenspot launched the Keentoons Video Podcast Network, a video podcast featuring Keentoons like Bonus Stage, Space Tree, and Evil Josh and Billy. Within two weeks Apple’s iTunes selected it as “New & Notable” and it cracked the iTunes Top 25.
- In February Keenspot presented Keencast, an audio interview and news podcast hosted by Chris Daily (Striptease) and Chris Layfield (Zap!). John Troutman later joined as co-host. 17 episodes of magic!

Keenspot News

FALL 2006: KEENSPOT LAUNCHES MAJOR MARKETING CAMPAIGN
After extensive research over the past year, this fall Keenspot will launch a major web-based marketing campaign the size of which is thus far unprecedented for webcomics. Keenspot’s fall marketing initiative, running across dozens of high-traffic non-comic sites, will expose more than 15 million new readers to Keenspot comics, and possibly to webcomics in general. Keenspot is working with an ad placement expert to secure the lowest possible rates on some of the web's most popular sites, many of them ranked in the Top 500 of all sites on the internet by Alexa.

DARKEN JOINS KEENSPOT
Kate Ashwin brings popular webcomic Darken to Keenspot!

TV SERIES BASED ON SUPEROSITY CHARACTERS GREENLIGHTED
A new animation production and distribution company comprised of former Cartoon Network and Disney animators have ordered into production 13 episodes of Angelipups, a 3D computer-animated children’s series based on the show-within-a-strip from Chris Crosby’s long-running webcomic Superosity. Broadcast and DVD rights have already been pre-sold to some overseas territories, and the series will be shopped to North American distributors soon. Crosby wrote the pilot script and has been commissioned to write additional episodes. Angelipups follows the adventures of a group of winged, candy-colored puppies who live in the sky and are responsible for keeping clouds fluffy. It combines surreal humor with moral and educational elements.

SORCERY 101 JOINS KEENSPOT
Kel McDonald brings popular webcomic Sorcery 101 to Keenspot!

NEW KEENTOONS IN THE PIPELINE
New Keentoons projects are in the works, including Bonus Stage creator Matt Wilson’s new series The Stupid Adventures of Mark an’ Tony, the law enforcement comedy Banion from You Damn Kid! creator Owen Dunne, and animated adaptations of fan favorite Keenspot webcomics to be announced. Keenspot is also in negotiations with a cable network available in more than 25 million homes to produce a Keentoons TV series for their late night schedule. If a deal is made, the TV show would premiere new Keentoons episodes before their web release.

YIRMUMAH! JOINS KEENSPOT
D.J. Coffman brings popular webcomic Yirmumah! to Keenspot!

posted by Chris on 7/23/2006 08:01:00 PM
Comic-Con's Less Than One Month Away!
Comic-Con International: San Diego is coming! Stop by the Webcomics Pavillion (see mini-map below) to meet many of your webcomics favorites! Keenspot will be at booth #1229.

And don't miss the 6th annual Keenspot panel! It's Friday, July 21st at 6pm in ROOM 9.

posted by Chris on 6/20/2006 08:47:00 PM
Keenspot launches Keencast!
Keenspot has launched Keencast, an all-new audio podcast hosted by Chris Layfield (ZAP!) and Chris Daily (STRIPTEASE). This week's guest is Starline X. Hodge (CANDI).

posted by Chris on 1/30/2006 01:14:00 PM
Keentoons Podcast is iTunes' "New & Notable," #15 on "Arts & Entertainment" charts
Keenspot's Keentoons Video Podcast Network is now being featured on the homepage of Apple's iTunes Podcast Directory as "New and Notable." It's currently being displayed third on the list of 32 "New and Notable" podcasts that iTunes has chosen to feature, in the top row on the homepage. It is also curently ranked #15 on iTunes' "Arts & Entertainment" charts. Apple's iTunes Podcast Directory attracts millions of visitors.

Keenspot launched the Keentoons Video Podcast Network on December 26th. It's a free video podcast offering animated episodes of Keentoons shows such as Bonus Stage, Space Tree, and Evil Josh & Billy three times or more per week. The podcast be downloaded direct to your iPod using iTunes (click here to subscribe using iTunes) or any other podcatching application.

posted by Chris on 1/04/2006 03:32:00 PM
New comics on the 'spot!
Check out newest Keenspotter Starline X. Hodge's CANDI and a new strip from long-time Keenspotter Carson Fire, WINGER!

posted by Chris on 12/14/2005 03:32:00 PM
20th CENTURY FOX TELEVISION AND SANDY GRUSHOW'S PHASE TWO OPTION POPULAR KEENSPOT WEBCOMIC 'YOU DAMN KID!' FOR TELEVISION
Cartoonist Owen Dunne and Keenspot Entertainment have signed with 20th Century Fox Television and former Fox TV group chairman Sandy Grushow's Phase Two to take their popular web-based comic strip "You Damn Kid!" from the computer monitor to the television screen.

Dunne's "You Damn Kid!" revolves around two naive children, a boy nicknamed "The Kid" and his little sister Dot, who attempt to figure out how the world works by observing the odd group of grownups who surround them. In the world of "You Damn Kid!," an A.A. meeting becomes a playground and an inflatable doll is your friend's new stepmother.

"I am thrilled and excited to have this opportunity," said Dunne. "I've always felt that my comic strip family would do well as an animated television show, and this is a huge first step in seeing that dream become reality. It is tremendously gratifying to be working with Fox, Phase Two and most importantly, someone as respected and accomplished as Sandy Grushow."

While "Kid!" may tackle provocative subjects, the themes are universal. "Everyone's been a kid, and most people believe their family is strange," said Keenspot Co-CEO Chris Crosby. "Owen's created a family comedy in the proud tradition of 'The Simpsons,' 'Family Guy,' and 'Arrested Development.' It'll feel right at home at Fox, no doubt about it."

Said Dunne, "I'd really like to thank Chris Crosby and the folks at Keenspot for publishing my book, hosting my comics and working hard to put my work in the hands of the people who could make this deal happen."

"You Damn Kid!" (www.youdamnkid.com) has been published on the web since 1999 and exclusively with Keenspot since 2000. In 2004, Keenspot published the first "Kid!" book, 'Fun at A.A. Meetings' (ISBN #0972235051). The second collection, 'Naked Lady Balloons' (ISBN #1932775056), is scheduled for publication this winter. "Kid!" is also published in print as part of the Keenspot Comics Page, a newspaper supplement that runs regularly in various papers including The Turlock Journal of Turlock, California. As well, other newspapers carry the strip separately.

Keenspot Entertainment (www.keenspot.com), which is represented by manager Marc Manus of Manus Entertainment and attorney Frank M. Lunn of Rosen Feig Golland & Lunn LLP, is the largest publisher of web-based comics with more than 50 comic properties, over 30,000 pages of content, and thousands of characters in its roster. Keenspot webcomics attract more than 2 million unique visitors which view close to 1 billion Keenspot pages annually.

posted by Chris on 9/19/2005 05:56:00 PM
Webcomic Hurricane Relief Telethon ON THE AIR!
Keenspot is a proud sponsor of the Webcomic Hurricane Relief Telethon, which in its first 24 hours has taken in nearly $20,000 for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. A new comic is broadcast on the Telethon every twenty minutes, including many by your favorite Keenspot cartoonists. As well, during the Telethon look for a special exclusive sneak preview of GOD MODE, an all-new gaming comic by Ryan Kerns that will debut on Keenspot soon. GO WATCH! Read some great webcomics, and then open up your electronic wallet as wide as you can for a worthy cause.

posted by Chris on 9/13/2005 11:22:00 PM
Mark Mekkes on G4TV's ATTACK OF THE SHOW this Friday
Watch ZORTIC cartoonist Mark Mekkes talk about the Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards on G4TV's ATTACK OF THE SHOW live this Friday, August 12th at 7pm ET/4pm PT! The show repeats this Saturday at 3am ET/12am PT and 11am ET/8am PT and this Monday at 3am ET/12am PT and 12pm ET/9am PT.

posted by Chris on 8/11/2005 12:18:00 AM
Keenspot's 2005 Comic-Con Announcements
KEENSPOT INCREASING PROMOTIONAL BUDGET TO $25,000 ANNUALLY
Keenspot plans to spend a minimum of $25,000 over the next year on paid promotion of our webcomics. An average of $500/month will be spent exclusively on web-based promotion outside the Keenspot network, while the rest will be spent on misc. promotion including convention appearances, print advertising, promotional giveaways, and more.

KEENSPOT TO HIRE FULL-TIME ADVERTISING SALESPERSON
In order to further grow our ad revenues, Keenspot plans to hire a full-time advertising salesperson with experience in the online ad sales arena. We will be accepting applications for this position shortly.

KEENSPOT LOWERING ADVERTISING RATES FOR WEBCARTOONISTS TO $0.50 CPM
Webcomic creators who choose to advertise their webcomic with a 728x90 banner on the Keenspot network will be charged only $0.50 CPM (50% off the $1 CPM minimum for non-webcomic advertisers), with a minimum purchase of 50,000 impressions ($25).

KEENSPOT ROLLS OUT GOOGLE ADSENSE, PAYS TO TRANSCRIBE EVERY ARCHIVED COMIC
The option to include Keenspot-supplied Google Adsense text advertisements on their site is now available to our creators. We work with creators to implement the text ads using the most effective methods available. Keenspot plans to join the Premium Adsense service, which supplies a variety of Adsense advantages not available to clients receiving less than 20 million pageviews monthly. Keenspot also plans to pay to have the archives of every Keenspot comic transcribed in text form. This will not only allow each comic to be fully searchable, it will also allow Google Adsense to deliver more effective and targeted advertising on every page they appear.

D.J. COFFMAN JOINING KEENSYNDICATE THIS FALL
Cartoonist D.J. Coffman, who successfully self-syndicated his comic strip GRAVITY to 50 newspapers in 2000, will be joining our print syndication service KeenSyndicate this fall in an executive capacity. He will head up the recruitment of new clients for the Keenspot Comics Page and other print syndication endeavors planned by Keenspot, contacting and meeting with editors across the country to spread the gospel of Keenspot to the print world.

KEENSPOT ACTIVELY DEVELOPING PROJECTS FOR TV AND FILM
Keenspot has teamed with experienced entertainment industry managers Manus Entertainment and The Gotham Group. We are now developing various projects for TV and film based on Keenspot webcomics.

KEENSPOT PREMIUM TO OFFER SUBSCRIBERS DOWNLOADABLE PSP COMICS AND KEENTOONS
Subscribers to the Keenspot PREMIUM service will soon be able to download Keenspot webcomics and KeenTOONS shorts for viewing on their PlayStation Portable (PSP).

IT'S OFFICIALLY OFFICIAL: KEENSPACE TO BECOME COMIC GENESIS
A long time ago, we chose to change the name of KeenSPACE (our free webhosting service for aspiring comic creators) in order to avoid the frequent brand confusion caused by the name's similarity to KeenSPOT. Though "ToonSPACE" was originally chosen as the new name, it received a negative response from users of the service. We took their opinions heavily into account, and after a number of user polls made a new final decision: KeenSPACE is now Comic Genesis, or ComicGen for short. The dictionary defines "genesis" as "the coming into being of something; the origin." We hope many wonderful new webcomics will come into being on Comic Genesis, as many did on KeenSPACE over the past five years.

TWO LUMPS JOINS KEENSPOT
TWO LUMPS, the popular and acclaimed webcomic by J. Grant and Mel Hynes, has joined Keenspot.

EVIL JOSH AND BILLY IS NEW KEENTOONS SERIES
John Berry's critically-acclaimed Flash cartoon series EVIL JOSH & BILLY, about two aspiring super-villians trying to survive everyday teenage life, has joined the KeenTOONS network and will begin running soon.

posted by Chris on 7/19/2005 03:44:00 PM
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