Meet Keith Cooper | Podcaster, Online and Pop Up Comic and Book Seller

We had the good fortune of connecting with Keith Cooper and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Keith, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Blerd-ish was first created as a podcast with me and my co host, Mark Wallace. We started hanging out around the way a few years back after meeting through mutual friends. We basically found out we have a lot of the same interests. We both grew up loving comics and the usual pop-culture escapes that guys born in the late 70’s/early 80’s grew up loving. However, our nerd fandoms vary in such a way that discussing them never gets stale.

So we decided to create our own podcast, trying to avoid the same old boring nerd hot takes and musings that are so common in this subculture. In addition to reviewing movies, shows, etc, we really wanted to feature folks who look like us and create in these genres with black people in mind. We also wanted to feature folks doing something positive in their communities. This has allowed us to interview a myriad of folks, from independent comic book creators, up and coming cosplayers, black yoga teachers, and even a black NASA rocket scientist, who just so happens to be a children’s author in her spare time.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
our podcast lead to us starting a comic book and art pop-up shop. One of our Year One guests, Jason Reeves of 133 Art, helped kicked it off by asking us to sell his self-published and printed comics and children’s books. That facet of our business wasn’t even a thought initially, but has been fun, fulfilling, and rewarding. We went from being distribution for one creator to having several talented and really remarkable artists gracing our table at various events like Wizard World and Essence Fest. The cons are fun, but sometimes there is something special about meeting folks at small events who would never touch a comic book or graphic novel and you introduce them to something that is outside of the norm for them. I have had several people say they weren’t aware that there are so many black comic creators or black science fiction writers. It is an absolutely wonderful feeling being able to bring smiles and excitement to families who want to read diverse works of fiction.

I think we encounter some of the usual issues and growing pains that you encounter with pursuing your passion. Having enough funding and time for projects and event attendance is a consistent issue. How do you make your podcast or brand profitable? That is the grand question. Other than that, there are always hills to climb trying to get folks to listen or grab some merch from your affiliate stores. We have had some misfires working with some potential creators for the pop-up shop; collaborations that were discussed but never materialized. There are some titles we have wanted for a while that we were finally able to acquire after a year’s time. Other times, we will get a title to sell, and the print costs increase for the creator, causing us to no longer be able to carry it. As a small operation that we do in our spare time, you have to make sound fiscal decisions, make sure you don’t get stagnant, and still try to take some risks to grow.

The podcast’s challenges are the probably the same most people have. You want the show to stay fun, fresh, different, and a joy to do. We started out doing it as a weekly show, but after almost six months of doing it that way, we scaled back to not burn out. That was one of our best decisions, and has kept the show going for as long as it has. We will make 6 years in June this year. We now have a more refined eye for selecting the guests we want to invite and the topics we cover. We strive to not only have memorable guests, but to also avoid problematic ones.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well since we are based in south Louisiana, Baton Rouge, LA to be exact, the answer lies in what time of the year they visit and how far they feel like traveling. There are so many good places to eat from here to NOLA to Lafayette. I would take them to a nice low key eatery, a good bar, and if during crawfish season, I would treat them to a pound or two.

If they come in July, if Mechacon was still a thinking ( ended last year) I would definitely take them there if they are a con goer. However nothing beats the joy, love, and fun of the Essence Fest. The convention is free and you meet artists, vendors, panels from diversity of black people across the world. Honestly though, just pick a month from Mardi Gras to football season and there is something to get into around here.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
David Gordon- Artist 4 Sight Publishing Jason Reeves- 133 Art
Milton Davis- MV Media
Michael Young II- NerdSoul (youtube, fellow Podcaster)
Dj Sole Lab ( barber, Dj, Supporter of the arts and creator of Sole Lab Sundays)
Ground Nova – Artist, table mate on occasion
Lazy Nerds Designs- Black Owned Nerdy Store and fellow vendor
Janiece Campbell _ Artist
Cherie Ayers-Ninja Sama Cosplay
Rachael Sprinkle Gamma Rae Cosplay

Website: www.blerd-ish.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blerd.ish/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Blerdish1

Other: https://www.twitch.tv/blerd_ish