shannon e. riley

womanthology - funded!

2,001 Kickstarter backers helped the Womanthology project become a reality as of tonight. The initial goal at launch was $25,000. Seems like a tall order, huh? That goal was met within the first 18.5 hours. As of tonight, the project had raised a whopping $109,301. Comics aren't dead, people. And this just proves that there's a demand for comics written and illustrated by talented women. Check out this amazing project, which brings together both industry veterans and newcomers looking for their big break.

 

In the words of project manager Renae de Liz:

The purpose of the book is to show support for female creators in comics and media. There will be multiple short stories, "how to"s & interviews with professionals, and features showcasing iconic female comic creators that have passed, such as Nell Brinkley and Tarpe Mills. A Kids & Teens section will also be included, showcasing their work, and offering tips & tricks to help them prepare themselves for their future careers in comics. Overall, this is pretty much a huge book showcasing what women in comics have accomplished, and what we are capable of :) We are also hoping that by doing this book, it will encourage a new generation of women to pick up the pencil and create!

 

 

traffic, traffic, traffic

The Cisco VNI video that my agency produced has been getting lots of traffic - it just hit over 10k views on YouTube. Oh, and you might recognize my voice!

 

 

making a difference

Back in '97-'98, I spent 1,700 hours performing community service over a 10 month stretch as part of the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps. I had just finished college and was looking for a new challenge. And, uh, full disclosure: after spending countless hours studying and writing papers, I also didn't want to work a boring desk job. Or any job, really.

Alongside a team of 10, I worked in the San Diego public school system tutoring 1st and 2nd grade bilingual students, did trail maintenance and restoration at Torrey Pines and the Presidio here in SF, and lived on a remote Alaskan island that was only accessible via a 30 hour ferry ride. It was honestly one of the greatest experiences of my life - and I have a ton of great memories and strong friendships that remain to this day. I've always been a big proponent of giving back, social justice, and contributing in positive ways to the global community.

In line with that, Tolleson just launched the redesigned Goal4.org website. Goal4.org is a non–profit corporation, formed with the mission of reducing infant and child mortality. The corporation supports and has taken its name from the fourth United Nations Millennium Development Goal to reduce by two thirds the mortality rate among children under five by the year 2015. Goal4.org strongly believes that their approach will become a model that can be replicated in other communities.

My agency provided art direction, design and development pro bono for the revamped website. I also donated funds to purchase stock imagery to support the Goal4.org story. One of the founders invited me to come to Kenya. While the timing didn't work out, I really do believe in the work that Goal4.org is doing - and I can't wait to make to Africa in the near future to witness their work firsthand.

cisco vni - mobile data traffic forecast 2011

Here's a video that my company produced in partnership with Westernized Productions. VO recorded at Sirius Sound.

new demos & a reel. soon, i promise... myself, mostly.

Work has been crazy lately and I've had limited time outside the office... BUT I've been really motivated to get some new demos done. Just finished my new commercial demo today - and a new narration demo is in the works. A few recent VO gigs are still in production, but I'm hoping to get the final files this month and drop them into my narration demo. A big thanks to Elaine Clark at Voice One for her excellent direction, engineering and support on my demos!

We're still in the planning stages, but I'm getting my reel together with the help of Jeff Diehl over at Spots Unknown. Nothing bugs me more than a page with "coming soon" on it, but hey... good things take time. I never realized how tough it would be to gather all the source files from disparate projects over the years. 

this dude will totally clean your toilet.

listen to my new commercial demo and it'll probably make more sense.

war zone

Sale racks at Urban Outfitters on Powell. Sent from Yahoo! Mail on Android

remembering dr. martin luther king, jr.

When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

Dr. King's full speech at the 1963 March on Washington can be viewed here.

don't give up on me, america

Ted Williams is on his way to rehab. I hope he can kick his addictions and have a great career.

steve englehart

I recently had my first article for TwoMorrows' Back Issue published. It's an interview with creator Steve Englehart and covers his influential 1977-78 run on Justice League of America. We discuss what the creative process was like at Marvel and DC in the '70s, what it was like working with unsung veteran artist Dick Dillin, and Englehart's lasting impact on the franchise. 

Download a digital copy or order the print edition here. I have another article in the queue to be published later this year.

 

 

 

listen to your mother, ted williams

Radio announcer with a deep, rich '70s-era voice goes on a downward spiral, gets involved in drugs and alcohol, and loses everything, becoming homeless. Panhandles around Columbus, Ohio with a sign extolling his "God-given gift of voice." Videographer captures his talent on camera, video gets posted to YouTube. That was Monday. It's now Friday and Mr. Williams has done voice-over work for Kraft Macaroni & Cheese and MSNBC, and is fielding offers from numerous other sources, including the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Yesterday, Mr. Williams was reunited with his 90 year old mother, Julia. She's the sweetest woman in the world and is thrilled to see her son again after 10 years. It's a very emotional meeting, but I can't but feel a little weird about all the cameras around them during this very private moment. Aside from that, I love that Julia's first comment to her son is along the lines of "don't f--k this up." 

Whatever happens to Mr. Williams, the guy has talent and deserves a second chance. I just hope he listens to his mother.