At this meeting was DM – David K. Montoya . SB – Stephanie J. Bardy . AR – Alan Russo . KA – Kevin Adams . KH – Kristofor Harris . WE – Walter G. Esselman . JS – Joe M. Sparks . EA – Eddie Aguirre

2pm

Dave opens meeting with announcing that he is working on a Scarefaire Frappe at 6 Beans. Eddie suggests something else, but Dave explains why he is using 6 Beans.

Chairman Dave greets everyone and asks how everyone is doing.

Dave asks Kris if he got the comics that he sent him.


Roll call


Dave

Eddie

Kevin

Walter

Alan

Kris

Joe

Steph


All present


Eddie asks about the diversity on the board since there is only one woman.


Dave reads Mission Statement.


Discusses adding another member due to voting balance.

Treasurer’s Report (Kevin):


Running Total – 12425.50


Money in - 3902.07


Money Out -925.28


Balance – 15398.29

Secretary’s Report – Presented minutes from May’s meeting approved

Business arising from the minutes –

No business arose from the minutes.

Department Reports –


Advertising – Steph gave a report on the current success of the audio plug campaign, and how it has bolstered the banner ad campaign. She suggested that the Board Members branch out into their communities and to business they know to offer ad space to them. Presented the plugs and banners last month, it was passed, and she ran with it. Plugs for not only our own authors for the company but outside companies have been advertising with us. Recommends a price for the talent doing the recording if the author doesn’t do it. Dave asks how big we need to expand our list. Wants to know the expectations. Steph suggests Eddie expands it to some of the vendors coming to Scarefaire to do a plug or banner for their business. Eddie says he was already talking to them. Says they are going to do video. Steph says we can put video up on Facebook and Instagram. Price needs to be revisited as we grow. Eddie says that most of the vendors and artists have committed to the networks show My Life as an American Nerd.


PCE/Scarefaire – Eddie updated us on the 13 celebrities and the fact that now the vendors list was full at 50, and we were turning vendors away. We have now moved into the second building as well, and there was talk of a third. The celebrity list is top notch, and they will be appearing on My Public Life as an American Nerd for promotional interviews. He discussed the activities that there would be for the kids, the contests happening and the entertainment. Got an influencer to come to the Scarefaire event. Bringing her in as a special guest. Clears up the copyright issue using outside music. As long musical clip is less 30 seconds or less, we will not get into copyright infringement. The comic book writers we have for Scarefaire have put the event on their public tour lists. All comic book artists except for one are doing both PCE and Scarefaire. Tried to get Terrifier for this year, but he will do Scarefaire next year. Next year it will be a two-day event. The date will be the 29th and 30th of October. We have actors walking around during the day in costume.


Circulations Department - There were no nominees, so Stephanie threw her hat into the ring since that was part of the job she was already handling. No one voted yay or nay. Dave explains the job, which sounds very much like what Stephanie is already doing.


Steph formally throws her hat in the ring for Circulations Department.


Social Media – Stephanie presented her report on the continued effort to get Jeff Young to follow the guidelines for posting. She has also developed some strategies for promotion of all the sites and is awaiting the list from David as to what all the company’s social media platforms are. Put the brakes on Jeff approaching outside business and schools to get contributors for the magazine. She then asks the Board if she can create a Dark Myth Publications Facebook Page. Eddie suggests that Instagram would be the better bet. Steph presents her opposing argument for the publishing company. Joe asks about Snapchat.


Alan puts forward the vote.

Eddie asks about the Instagram as well. Steph assures him that it will be done as well.


Alan votes yes.

Walter votes yes

Kris votes yes

Joe votes yes

Eddie votes yes

Dave votes yes


Motion is passed.




JayZoModcast – Joe presented his report and talked about the success of the audio experience, the plans he had for Dawn’s installment in the experience and the addition of a new podcast. He discussed the placement of the ads and the success of the program. He discusses the the new shows. Monday is Mythbits, Tuesday is Grindhouse Sleaze, Wednesday is My Public Life, Thursday is The Three No’s, Friday is Lupa’s Bit’s.


Joe explains what kind of editing he does. He has templates that he uses. Discusses the placement of the plugs.


Dave jumps in with an update on the Walmart lady, and that it’s about 200 bucks for her to do an ad.


Podcasts have to be a minimum of 45 minutes.


New podcast update is that they are in the process of producing that podcast, they will be adding that one into the rotation. The stories for Member of the Month they are working on Dawn’s story, Stephanie will be offering their voice to the piece. Adding something special for Dawn’s piece by adding one of her original songs. Joe is going to play with the lyrics and the track a little.


Dave lets Joe know he is doing a great job.


Eddie asks at what point we will be able to do video. Dave explains that it won’t be for a bit, that we used to do video, and we do have a YouTube channel to put up the video for the podcasts.


Eddie mentions a vendor at Scarefaire that sits and draws you while you are doing your podcast. He likes his stuff raw and unedited.


Joe asks Eddie if he wants his audio edited and explains what he does. That he only edits for time and letting ideas be processed.


Magazine Report – New guidelines are up. They have been helpful. Several people remove their submissions, some have chosen not to resubmit due to the strict adherence to the guidelines.

Magazine is doing well. Ad space has been sold. New categories haven’t been implemented yet. Going to add one at a time. If a category fails, then it will be pulled and a new one will take its place, if it does well it will stay and the new one added.


New one will be added in September issue, issue 100.


Myth Mart – As of the meeting, Alan had 11 books in stock, he also is waiting on the lithographs and shirts, going to go with a different shipper, got the shelves in, he has to build them, clear out the spot where they are going to go. Thought there was an issue with the Missing Unicorn, but the issue was fixed.


Should be ready to launch by the next week.


Supposed to be 80 shelves but Alan has to count them.


Dark Myth Comics – Kris read the comics and maybe thinks we should put out an anthology, a short to mid goal. Put a digital on ComiXology is a good start, start small and build up to a print anthology. Put them up individually maybe even offer some for free.


Kris thinks that using that as our test subject would be good. Kris suggests that we slowly build up the Dark Myth Comics brand.


OCC – Challenge is going well, the 10 that moved on have been contacted, the 20 that didn’t have been contacted. Already received 4 of the next step chapters.


People are excited and are contacting Walter directly. Contestants are offering to send in their entire pieces.


Dark Myth Publicastions


Editor in Chief – Just finished editing a children’s book.

Was forwarded a book to be considered for editing, Stephanie presents the book in question, reading the first page to Board. Stephanie feels that it is not a book that our company should publish. David says he won’t ever publish anything that goes against his faith if the piece blatantly calls those who believe in God, idiots. It is voted that the book will be rejected. We have now obtained the rights to Jim Bates’s story Something Better and we will be publishing it now. Unicorn is now finished and off her plate.


Publisher’s Report – We have been doing exceptionally well, SuperHorror Max, The Missing Unicorn in the Land of the Zombie Fairies. Holding off on marketing so we can sell it on Myth Mart.

Jenna is finishing the cover art for Escaping the Darkness, Chris Bice’s poetry book. To be released in June. In July we are going to release Something Better instead of Through the Eyes of Madness, due to the fall of Paper Djinn Press. Moving Madness to 2022. This shows Paper Djinn contributors that we mean business, we are reliable and quick.


Board approves.

July 6 – Jim Bates

September 7 release of Liberty’s Run

October 26 release of Natural Instincts through Zombieworks

December – World of Myth Volume 4 on the 7th, and Magically Bound on the 14th


Eddie wants to know if it will be ready for Scarefaire. It will be.


Joe nails Stephanie down as to whether Penance will be a book or not, and whether it will be a graphic novel or not.






Old Business


OCAE – Kevin – nothing new to report.


Short story contest – has a name Myth Fics. Rules are in the working. Steph wants to use the rules of the OCC as the bones for the Short Story contest. Will launch in November, first theme will be Christmasy will have to have certain festive elements.


Plugs for podcasts – Steph will be reaching out to a broader range of people.

Generating passive income for the magazine. Working up a combo deal.


Spreadsheet for plugs and banners created.


Walter presents the comprehensive plan for the Big Bad Marketing plan; a poll vote will be done to pass it. Steph would like to use it for the authors in Dark Myth Publications. Walter will be using it for the contestants in the OCC.


Steph suggests that the Plan be voted into a Policy of Production with the caveat that the timeline can be fluid. Steph would like to start using it.


Dave seconds, Walter is third.


It is passed.


Elmvale Sci-Fi festival will be presenting Chris Bice, Walter G Esselman and Stephanie J Bardy, reading from their books. Myth Mart has a space in the Vendor’s room. July 17 is the day.


Dave proposed an emergency vote to contact Umair Mirxa, he has not replied to the offer to purchase Paper Djinn Press. From what we have been told is that he has basically washed his hands of the business and is living his life.


Alan wants to do catalogues and ship them out with each order.


Joe will present the idea to Jenna to see if she can do it.


Walter presents a new rule change to the 2022 OCC regarding out of country winners. The new rule would be if the winner is outside of North America, then they are giving the monetary value of the first prize.


It is voted on and passed.


Walter also presents another rule about anyone who is involved in the JayZoMon Company negates them from entering any contests held by the company or subsidiaries.


Dave says he will make sure that both rules get put into the website.


Eddie presents an idea about doing an exclusive cover for Scarefaire. What comics can we do an exclusive cover for.


Dave suggests the Vampire one.


Kris Dave and Eddie discuss doing a short 4-page comic for Scarefaire and Kris is suggested to do it. Dave will sit down and do a 4-page script for Xodus and send it to Kris, and then send it to Eddie to show to the artist and find out how much it will be. The final outcome was a little hazy. Eddie says he isn’t sure if the artists will want to do a cover for a 4-page comic.





Next meeting: July 11, 2021 at 12pm