[Dailydrool] Calendar Comments

[Kenneth Miller]

All

I’ve been lurking for a good while, since I do not have a hound at present. But I do have some background as a graphic designer. I presently do, among many others a four color magazine, 32-48 pages every quarter, plus an addition 16-20 pages of content each time, and whatever else we need. This magazine is tough, but probably no where as tough as doing a calendar is.

I am not trying to speak for our calendar folks, I am sure they have their own story. But I fully respect them for their efforts.

However, putting together a calendar such as the Daily Drool is a HUGE labor of love. It is trying, frustrating, irritating and a royal pain in the rear.

Not only do you have to deal with probably 250 plus people to order a specific date, and then get all that coordinated and deal with the money.

Then the harder part comes, getting suitable photos for the calendar, printers require certain image quality, most phone photos are not really usable without work, scanned images by folks who are not professionals at it vary in quality dramatically. Then photos do not come through in an email, then the calendar folks need to follow up with however many are late, or close to deadline, or the image did not come in, or the image is not really suitable for printing, etc. etc.

Then once you have the pieces, you have to get it laid out, then coordinate with a printer to make it happen.

That alone can take a year off your life, believe me.

Then once you get the calendars back, you need to pack and mail them, which can also be a real nightmare. So, calendars get lost, pages missed, who knows, so now you get an angry email because my hounds page was missing, or got messed up.

I fully support the folks who did the calendar, and wish to offer them congratulations for the efforts to help the houndies out here. This is not a for profit operation, any excess proceeds go to rescue.

I recall that they were short of orders the last few years, and it made the calendar much more of a slim or no profit margin. 

So, before anyone offers complaints, think how many hours these folks put in to make those great calendars over the years, and raise a glass in toast, give them a break and your thanks. Perhaps even donate to a rescue group in their name. I for one, if the only one, appreciate your efforts. I could not afford to do a calendar last year, it was just a bad time for me.

Take my word for it, the calendar is a job almost nobody wants to do because it usually is a huge job that brings only complaints, so please be kind.

Back to lurking

Ken and Beth Miller
with Bosley (ATB 11-6-2015) and Edsel (ATB 9-20-2002