Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Enjoy a New Breed of Indie Comics with Viper Comics



Independent comic books and graphic novels have been gaining popularity over the years. This is because more and more people are appreciating comic books for what they are – pieces of art that tell a story. As the number of comic book enthusiasts grows, the number of publishers and specialty stores that carry independent comic books and graphic novels grows as well. 

One of the more popular independent comic book publishers today is Viper Comics. Founded in2003, Viper began its publishing legacy with a hit comic book called Dead@17 which led to many sequels and a movie that is soon to be released. Since the publishing company was established, they have released a number of hit comics and graphic novels created by many of the notable independent comic book artists and graphic artists today. To date, they have published 45 graphic novels and over a hundred comic books. Viper’s hit titles include The Middleman, which had a one-season TV show spin off, and another popular comic called Villains. The American Library Association has also recognized and recommended four of Vipers titles. Aside from The Middleman, the other titles on this list include Emily Edison, Oddly Normal, and Daisy Kutter. Aside from print, Viper also has webcomics on their site with titles like Kung Fu Bean, Riverside, and Sanford Park.

As an independent publisher, Viper Comics relies on Diamond Comic Distributors to make sure that their titles make it to the shelves of bookstores and comic book specialty stores across the US and in other countries as well. They also work with other distributors like Baker & Taylor Books and Ingram Books for their graphic novels. Aside from retail stores here in the US, Canada, Australia, and several countries in Europe, Viper comic books and graphic novels are also available at several established and well-known e-commerce site such as Amazon.com, Target.com, and Walmart.com.

Monday, January 28, 2013

Jed Drake and ESPN: Growing Up Together


When Jed Drake joined ESPN, Inc., as a producer and director in 1980, the possibilities for him and the all-sports network were endless. Established in 1979, the network did not begin broadcasting 24/7 until the following year. A cable pioneer in devoting programming to one subject, ESPN took shape almost by accident. In 1978, out-of-work sports announcer Bill Rasmussen rented satellite time from RCA Corporation to broadcast basketball games of the University of Connecticut via cable-TV stations across the state. Because renting 24 hours of satellite time was less expensive than renting for the five hours he needed, he decided to offer 24-hour sports programming nationally. He made his first payment on air space by credit card, with Entertainment Sports Programming Network (ESPN) debuting in September 1979. By the time Jed Drake came on board, coverage included NCAA football games, preliminary rounds of the NCAA basketball tournament, and weekly boxing matches.

With an early $10 million investment from Getty Oil and another $25 million in venture capital raised with no profits in sight, Getty hired a management firm to assess ESPN’s future. The company’s top consultant on the project, Roger Werner, predicted the network would become profitable in five years with another $120 million in investment. Werner, who became Vice President of Finance, Administration, and Planning at ESPN, introduced the concept of charging affiliates for programming, now a standard industry practice. By December 1983, ESPN had become cable television’s largest network, broadcasting to 28.5 million households.

ABC, Inc., acquired ESPN in 1984, and two years later, the parent company became Capital Cities/ABC, Inc. The network began airing National Football League games in 1987 and covering Major League Baseball in 1989. Other milestones include The Walt Disney Company’s 1995 acquisition of Capital Cities/ABC, Inc.; the launch of ESPN Classic in 1997; and the debut of ESPN: The Magazine in 1998. Jed Drake’s career has paralleled the rise of the all-sports network. Today, he oversees the remote production of more than 6,000 hours of sports programming on ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC as Vice President and Executive Producer of Event Production.

To learn more about Mr. Drake and ESPN history visit jeddrake.tumblr.com

Friday, January 25, 2013

EasySeat: The Ticket to What’s Happening All Around



Established in 2005, EasySeat is a premium reseller of hard-to-find tickets to events within and all around Connecticut, and across the United States.  The company purchases and sells tickets for concert, theatre and sporting events of all sorts, but specializes in UCONN Huskies and New York Yankees, and concerts at Comcast Theater, Mohegan Sun Arena and XL Center.

EasySeat has four convenient retail locations in Connecticut for last-minute ticket purchases, ticket pick-ups, same-day tickets, as well as an even more individualized and personalized service for which the company has become famous for – coast to coast.

As of this moment, EasySeat has sold hundreds of thousands of tickets for countless customers all over the country. It is currently ranked as 38th in Connecticut’s Top 100 Companies and has been recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing companies in the United States.  It has become one the nation’s leading ticket retailers to the coolest events happening around.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

ItsHot.com: Where Luxury Costs Less



ItsHot.com is a web-based diamond watch and jewelry retailer with a sprawling showroom in the diamond district of New York City. The company offers diamond jewelry and watches for men, women and children for up to 80% off the manufacturer’s suggested retail price. ItsHot.com also offers custom-designed diamond jewelry, and is the one primarily behind most of the celebrity blings including the ones used by Kim Kardashian, Ja Rule and Snoop Dogg. 

ItsHot.com prides itself with a broad selection of diamond jewelry, from round diamonds to priceless cut diamonds mounted on 10K, 14K or 18K platinum, white gold, rose gold or yellow gold. The company has established the highest levels of customer satisfaction by offering the most superior quality products, the greatest selection and prices, and the best customer services in the entire jewelry industry. Not only that, ItsHot.com manufactures nearly all of the items in its selection, and sells both in wholesale and retail, ensuring customers that they are buying directly from the manufacturer sans the middlemen, who are usually the main reasons behind the high prices of jewelry. The company is an authorized reseller of the diamond watches they offer, and all of the products are sold with complete warranty, original papers and packaging. 

ItsHot.com’s more than 20 years of experience in designing, manufacturing and selling fine diamond jewelry, and extensive knowledge on workmanship and customer needs has helped the company develop an exemplary line of diamond jewelry, from diamond rings to earring and pendants, bracelets to charms, and necklaces to bangles. ItsHot.com has more than 20,000 different kinds of jewelry and watches designs, and it is constantly expanding. It has become one of the leading manufacturers of diamond jewelry in the entire United States, and its unparalleled reputation is known globally, with its exports reaching as far as Southeast Asia.

Friday, January 18, 2013

Beyond the Office Door: Offering Stylish and Ergonomic Office Furnishings at Affordable Costs



Beyond the Office Door is a retail company that offers high-quality, ergonomic office furnishings at factory-direct prices. An Inc. 5000 business, it has everything one needs to create a stylish, contemporary corporate headquarters, from lobby furniture to reception chairs, training room tables to adjustable height desks, and modifiable work stations to file cabinets.

It is a company that constantly designs, manufactures and sells innovative, premium quality furniture pieces that are not only stylish but comfortable as well. Each of their products ensures utmost comfort and is easily adjustable to ascertain an excellent workplace that does not interfere in meeting the day-to-day demands of office operations.

Furthermore, Beyond the Office Door website boasts of a state-of-the-art, user-friendly, secure web-based shop that allows for easy navigation when one is looking for the best office furnishings. Every product sold by the company is affordable and shipped directly from the manufacturing facilities, making the entire purchasing process fast and at the same time, saves customers with huge amounts of dollars.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Better World Books: The Book Store with a Cause



Better World Books was established in 2002 by a group of friends studying in the University of Notre Dame. They started selling textbooks through a web-based shop to earn additional money, which eventually led to the founding of a groundbreaking social enterprise – a venture that aims to promote literacy. The company sells new titles, funds book drives and collects old and used books through a wide network of nearly 2,500 schools and partnerships with more than 3,000 libraries across the globe. So far, Better World has transformed over 58 million books to almost $11 million in funding of education and literacy, and along with that, it has also diverted over 40,000 tons of books from the landfills.

Ever since its inception, Better World Books has been blazing a trail in online book-selling. It believes that education and easy access to books are basic rights of any human being, which is why all of the books it sells help fund several high-impact literacy programs in America and all over the world. Every book sold in Better World corresponds to a book donation to an individual in need, and all books are delivered for free wherever the customer or receiver may be. Furthermore, Better World Books also ensures that all of its operations do not contribute to the worsening of the planet’s environmental problems. Every order delivered from its headquarters in Alpharetta, Georgia is carbon-balanced with Green-e Climate accredited offsets from a leading carbon-balancing, green power firm.

Every book purchased at Better World contributes to literacy, education and environmental protection all over the world, and provides opportunities for a better life. Needless to say, the company cannot do this without the help of its customers, which is why they always strive to do their best in offering the greatest selection, prices, services and overall shopping experience – and succeeds in doing so.
Indeed, Better World Books is not like any other traditional business with a supplementary “cause” constituent, but truly one that puts social responsibility and environmental stewardship at the very core of its operations.