What is Comics Doing Good?
We talk about Comics Doing Good a lot. So what does it mean?
Well, it is not just a catchy hashtag. It is not some marketing gimmick. It is not something we say to guilt people into working with us. So let’s just clear that up off the bat.
I suppose CDG could mean something different to everybody. To me doing good is just a way of life. It’s a mindset that I approach everything I do. It’s something I tell myself to work towards each day. Publishing comics is no different.
My life has been shaped by public service. Volunteering was kinda drilled into me from a young age. I kept it up in college and then went off to serve my country. Post-military service I continued to find ways to be active in my community and today I am a volunteer firefighter.
Something about private business that always bugged me was the goal of making money just to make money. I simply never understood that. Gotta pay the bills, and there’s nothing wrong with wanting some comforts, but an entity existing solely for the purpose of generating profits just doesn’t click in my brain.
So with Band of Bards we decided we could make some brilliant & entertaining stories while also doing good. Representation, Inclusion, and Diversity in comics is our priority. That is in respect to both the stories we publish and the people we work with. We also believe that all labor must be honored (I’m a union guy, can ya tell?), and we have committed to creating a more equitable compensation model. We also are not in the business to gobble up intellectual properties. Creators work hard and pour their souls into their OCs, they shouldn’t have to sell them just to get them published. Band of Bards supports creator-owned IP and preserving that ownership.
Beyond those basic principles Band of Bards will operate to a higher ethical standard. While we are currently an LLC, we are working towards certification as a Benefit Corporation. If you’re unfamiliar here’s the short version – Private companies have a legal obligation to maximize shareholder profits (publicly traded or not). Incorporating as a Benefit Corporation provides a legal framework AND obligation to use part of a company’s revenue for public good. Think of all those Corporate Social Responsibility programs, except as a Benefit Corporation there is a legal obligation to execute those policies, you can’t just abandon them when it’s no longer beneficial to the brand.
We have a few things planned already to achieve this goal. We will donate a portion of book revenue to charities based on the title’s theme or creator’s input. We will also run a permanent comic book donation program to support local libraries. When we are looking for vendors or contractors to partner with, priority will be given to Woman & Minority Owned businesses and companies that also commit to a mission of public good. When we’re looking at printing and shipping materials we will be looking for environmentally friendly sourcing that reduces carbon footprint.
Most importantly we will work with creators who share these values. We will elevate those creators. We will bring them to a wider audience and celebrate their amplified voices.
There is a lot that goes into Comics Doing Good. You’ll see us talking about it all the time because it is always at the forefront of our thoughts and actions. I hope, Dear Reader, that you will pick up that mantle and join in with us to spread some good.
#ComicsDoingGood