Keynote
The Value Of Culture
Schoolyard has grown over it's time. This keynote addresses the next chapter in the
SYBC history books.
Welcome. This is the 2024 Autumn Keynote. This year Schoolyard has grown these past
25 years. A new chapter in the Schoolyard Book Company story begins as Autumn brings in new ideas into the ecosystem. Cutlure is
extremely important in the scope of where you want creation to land. And for two decades now, I feel that Schoolyard has earned
enough to have establish it's own "culture" or so. As the ecosystem continues to grow, the culture of Schoolyard grows with it.
At this point in time, Schoolyard is essentially a platform. From books to Okra, SYBC has
plenty of the entertainment beats covered. Not only covered for a limited time. This is now a platform where creations will have a forever
lasting impact. That means, where else would a Schoolyard project go at this point from here? I understand that external platforms are
available. That's wonderful and all. However, the platform of Schoolyard is a sturdy building block for SYBC's independent spirit of creating
something unique.
So what does that mean? That means you can only expect Schoolyard works on Schoolyard platforms.
From this point on, Schoolyard and it's divisions will continue to display great content, only available here in Schoolyard's ecosystem. Yes,
that includes video games. That value will go a very long way, because it's about establishing a groundwork for giving these IPs the chance to
be a part of their own history. Meaning, you can dive into these entities anytime you have the chance. It no longer means that a FOMO atmosphere
has to be inducted. You miss book one when it first hit? No worries, that book one will still feel like the first time whenever you engage it.
So you will be able to always check that work out on a Schoolyard platform.
With that, a culture of Schoolyard and it's various worlds will begin to take shape and establish the
polish and indentity that makes SYBC the thing it is. Kinko, Maya, Spy-Man, Soapbox. This is Schoolyard. Frankie, Night Diamond, Mullberry. This is
what Schoolyard is about. Comics, children books, poetry. The staples of Schoolyard, and it's foundations. From this year, and beyond, this will just
continue to flourish.
Lastly, the supports, Schoolyard Scribble and Brry, will continue to evolve as well. These will
remain the archival divisions of Schoolyard projects, and continue to perserve the history of SYBC. That will absolutely important as SYBC heads
into it's third decade. The fabric of all Schoolyard will need to be saved, as someday it's journey will become a marker for those will arrive
after. Paving the way for a better future in the cartoonist/art industries. Because it will be a well needed fix in the near and distant future.
You may not understand it now, but someday you will see the bigger picture. Schoolyard will continue to be
a fierce independent entity for as long as possible. In this day and age, it's becoming a bleak obsolete concept. So creating this culture of Schoolyard
will continue to be of importance once time makes SYBC "obsolete" in a sense. But If I can too "Leave luck to heaven", then I hope to see Schoolyard lasting
for a very long time. Thank you for your time.