The Costs Involved in Producing our Industry Comic Book

2021 started off with a bang for the geospatial industry when the GeoSquad Comic Book was released back in May. Two whole years in the making, this really was a very exciting time and we finally saw the results of our efforts both online and in our hands.

Our team has seen first hand the changes in the industry over the last 20+ years, with an aging demographic, less recruits, and university courses struggling to attract applicants. Something had to be done about it … kickstarting the #GetKidsintoSurvey movement. At first there were a couple of posters which promoted the industry in a fun way, followed by quiz questions and colouring in sheets. But we needed something MORE, something bigger, something better!

A comic is something that can be put into libraries, schools, kids clubs, waiting rooms… the list could go on! Our aim: to give exposure to the industry by getting as many eyes on our geospatial resources as possible.

 

So, let us answer a few overriding questions that you may have about the Comic Book:

Why is there a high shipping cost? Our Comic has been designed and produced in the UK (where Elaine Ball Ltd are based). We wanted to keep it British and ensure the product can be quality checked easily by us, they are printed and shipped by our fabulous printers here in Yorkshire, UK. 

Our shipping cost is correct for the size/weight of the comic book, as per Royal Mail. We put a small mark up for admin costs and packaging. Currently, the exchange rate is higher due to covid/political reasons, to certain countries such as Australia which is out of our control.

*We are happy for you to print in your country for bulk orders. The downside of this is that the quality check will still need to occur, making the process quite long. If this is something you’d like to do we are happy to oblige.

 

Who is the GeoSquad Comic Book aimed at? All of our resources are aimed at 8-12 year olds, although some younger children have read it with the help of their parents. Adults are known to enjoy it too so it has a very broad appeal!

 

What went into making the Comic Book? As previously mentioned, this venture began over two years ago with a basic idea. This was transformed into a story chapter by chapter, by our fabulous teacher and writer Mat Sulivan. Not only did the story need to be thought out from scratch, so did all of the characters, followed by each scene in every comic strip. Once the basics were sketched out, Marek, our fabulous cartoonist, transformed it into what you see as the finished comic strip. 

But that isn’t all… The team worked so hard to get the first couple of chapters sponsored by different geospatial companies which were kindly published in POB and CES magazines. Building the brand up and gaining more exposure to kids via their parents. Once the final ten sponsors had been sourced for the book we were nearly ready for lift off. Countless hours have been spent by multiple team members on this project. This process took over 2 years, and cost £29,000, most of this was covered by our fabulous sponsors.

 

How much is the Comic Book? A hard copy printed comic book is £10.99 and is only available in GBP due to the ever fluctuating currency rates. We also have an e-book which is slightly cheaper at £6.99, which wouldn’t include postage charges. 

 

Is Get Kids into Survey a Charity? No we are not a charity. Unlike other organisations we do not receive any external funding to produce these resources, so rely purely on the industries good will through sponsorship. We do however have an Education Fund which can be contributed to in order to help us produce and distribute these resources to those who cannot afford it.