**Here's the IHEARTCOMIX YEAR IN REVIEW that went out with today's newseletter. I don't usually post these kinds of things on the blog, but I felt this one was particularly important.**

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Hello everyone!

Happy New Year and welcome to the IHEARTCOMIX year in review. It’s a bit long, but it’s something that I needed to say. Consider it my ‘State Of The Union’. I’d appreciate if you took the time to read it and I’d love to hear your thoughts. You can email me here: franki@iheartcomix.com

Part 1: The Set Up.

2009 was a weird one. More than anything else, I consider it a year of major change. Not just for me, but for a lot of people in my life, maybe for everyone. I know that I didn’t get out of this year a lot of things that I wanted, but that I ended up with a lot of things that I needed. It was no different for IHEARTCOMIX. While in year’s past I might list the bevy of cool shows and crazy things that we did all year, but in 2009, most of the accomplishments were internal. They were things that needed to happen.

Coming out of 2008, IHEARTCOMIX was in a dire place. The growing pains of running a label and becoming a business had really began to take it’s toll. I had problems. There were several elements of the business that needed to be fixed, my longtime collaborator, Travis, moved to New York to pursue his own dreams and I was exhausted. Some of these things began to become apparent midway through the year and the decision was made to pull back on doing a ton of shows and focus on getting the label in order. It would turn out to be a year and a half long endeavor. 2009 became about maturing the business at whatever cost. This meant facing certain truths and fears and solidifying what the future was going to be for IHEARTCOMIX. So, I made a list and began to work it out:

1. I needed new distribution, which I found in RED/Sony.
2. I needed to pay off outstanding debts, I bit the bullet, lived leanly and did it
3. I needed new employees, enter Trevor, Danielle and Katie.
4. We needed to launch a new merch store, redesign our web stuff and re-launch our email blast.
5. Finish up all the outstanding projects and records that had been percolating for a while.
6. Get all of our internal filing, accounting and systems in order.
7. Get a proper home and office.

I know it’s not the most exciting list of things, but if you have ever run or intend to run a business, these are all essentials.

The year wasn’t without it’s fun moments either. Despite the economy bust and having our budgets severely cut we still managed to pull off bad ass events at both SXSW and WMC by partnering up with our buddies at MAD DECENT, JELLY NYC and SCION. We went to PITCHFORK FEST and COMICON for the first time and threw rad events at both. We even managed to throw a few cool local shows with METRONOMY, GLASS CANDY and THE FRIENDLY FIRES and took part in a couple weekly events around town with CONTROL and THE MAIN EVENT.

We released a bunch of amazing records exploring the more dance centric side of IHEARTCOMIX with albums by ACID GIRLS, FUTURECOP, DESIGNER DRUGS, JUICEBOXXX, HEARTSREVOLUTION, MARINA & SOKO and THE TOXIC AVENGER. 2009 also finally brought the release the vinyl versions of MATT & KIM S/T and TOTALLY MICHAEL full lengths. My inner Geek probably got the most excited about the 2009 IHC music videos. We made a bunch this year: 3 HEARTSREVOLUTION promo spots, 4 TOTALLY MICHAEL promo spots, 2 ACID GIRLS videos, 2 TOTALLY MICHAEL videos, 1 THE TOXIC AVENGER video and 1 JUICEBOXXX video! All of these were made by our friends TAYLOR COHEN, OTTO ARESENAULT, STEVEN ILOUS, JAY BIUM and DEMONBABIES (aka the IHC video dream team).

Congruent to all that was happening with IHEARTCOMIX proper, the very first band we ever signed, MATT & KIM, had one of the best years of anyone on the planet! They began 2009 with a bang by releasing their follow up to their IHC album with ‘GRAND’ on FADER. From there they went on to rule the year, smashing into the mainstream with their charm and their hit ‘Daylight.’ After numerous tours around the world, their next video for ‘Lessons Learned’ took home a MTV VMA and MTV WOODIE. MATT & KIM sprung into the world’s consciousness as winners. It was amazing to watch.

I accomplished most of what I set out to do in 2009, but the results of doing all these things were wholly unexpected. What I found at the end maybe wasn’t what I was looking for….

Part 2: The Whine.

In 2004 I came up with this name IHEARTCOMIX cuz I wanted a pseudonym for all the stuff I was doing and making. In 2006 IHEARTCOMIX became a real business, striking off on our own to do shows, launching a blog and starting a record label. I began it myself and paid for everything out of pocket. No investors, no loans, no credit cards. Nothing. Just whatever cash I had in the band or under my mattress. IHC still exists this way. Everything I make as a DJ, artist and from the business goes right back into the ever forming idea of what IHEARTCOMIX is. It wasn’t by choice, it was the only option. It’s all I know. I’m very proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish on my own. Our independence has allowed us to do some truly amazing and memorable things. But everything comes with a price.

Every part of IHEARTCOMIX has been born out of my various passions. I love making music, DJing, drawing, doing shows and working with people I admire. I love making rad shit happen and I feel like I’ve been blessed with a great ability to get other people excited about things as well. So far, all these traits have outweighed anything I lacked in business experience or cash. I’ve created a machine that feeds off my energy. Its crazy to think about it that way, but it’s true.

But there’s a catch. There’s always a catch.

You see, as the business has grown, each project has taken on a life of it’s own. In order to sustain and grow the business, I’ve been forced to slowly give up the things that make me, me. The more IHC expands, the more there is to do. More costs, higher stakes and infinitely more responsibility. This past year, I found myself behind a desk more than anything else. I had to be a boss. And I have to do accounting (ew)!

These are all things I am proud of, but not exactly what I signed up for. You might ask, “then why do it?” and I’d say, “it sounded fun at the time”. And it does, it really does, really. And it still does, it still is. I love it, but there’s this other side of me. The side that draws, writes, makes music and DJs. It’s the part that I kind of maintain, but don’t really develop, that is calling out to me. It’s suffocating, wanting to be set free. That side of me has things to say. It has it’s own mark it NEEDS to make on the world, and who am I to deny that??

So what do I have? I have a year spent focusing internally on building an empire only to stand out on the castles ledge and want to jump. Is that fucked? Am I wrong for thinking that? Or am I just being a pussy? Am I facing the brunt of responsibility, of finally growing up and being a man and wanting to turn around and run the other way? Maybe a little of all of the above?

This is the first time that it was truly just me. In the past I always had good ole reliable Travis to depend on if there were things that needed done or if I was falling behind. We’d truly come of age together. When the time came that he wanted to go, I respected that and part of me wanted the responsibility, the change. At the time it needed to happen for the sake of our sanity, for our friendship, so IHEARTCOMIX could grow. The hard truth. What I’ve learned about myself in the process is that being ‘the boss’ isn’t me. Not in the Bill Lumbergh sense at least. Being a leader, I can do, being a boss, I struggle with. I get too caught up in life.

Part 3: In Conclusion

I’m excited about the future.

I do need to man up. I know this. Change is never easy. As much as I like to shake things up, I can be a stubborn old man at times clinging on to the ways of old. My shit has needed to get in order for a long while and it’s finally happening. I’m still broke and still uncertain about the future. But I’m OK with that.

Every day there are a few things I need to remind myself:

I need to remember to ask for help.
I have amazing friends I can depend on.
I am fortunate that I get to do things I get to do.

Amazingly enough, coming out of this huge transition period, I’ve somehow managed to carve out enough time for myself. I’m drawing more than I have since I started IHC. I’ve begun a daily journal (and soon to be blog) about my comings and goings (I need to remember to let it out). I’ve been practicing my DJing, making remixes and finally working on my first original music. I’m going to be putting out my own music this year! It’ll be good for me and it’ll be great for IHEARTCOMIX. I need to know that I am a part of this thing I’ve created. Not the dude behind the dude.

The biggest lesson of all is that I’ve figured out that I alone can no longer be IHEARTCOMIX. I need to let it go. That’s not to say that I’m quitting, not at all. What that means is that IHC needs to stand on it’s own 2 feet as much as I do. We need to happily co-exist. I need to trust in these amazing people that have been on this great ride with me and let them now make it their own. This is me saying goodbye to my childish ways and hello to the new future.

Oh, and I can’t believe I almost forgot to mention this, 2010 is IHEARTCOMIX’s 5 year anniversary! It’s been that long and we’ve survived this long on the strength of the family. I can’t thank everyone that has been a part of IHEARTCOMIX no matter how big or how small. It’s been an amazing ride.

We have some pretty rad things on the burner this year. Our biggest celebration at SXSW yet, more shows, new signings and a few 5 year anniversary specials. All will be revealed soon... For now, thanks for reading this and thanks for your support. It means a lot. Now, let’s get out there and do it big!

Xoxo
Your Friendly Neighborhood,
FRANKI CHAN

P.S.

Just to put it out there. I’d love to find a business partner. This ship can’t run on bread crumbs forever. If there is some awesome rich dude out there that wants to get involved, gimme a call. I’m open to ideas and suggestions.