Slacktory.com

Today is a new day in the world of My Damn Channel because we officially launch the My Damn Channel Blog Network with Slacktory (http://slacktory.com).


Slacktory is helmed by one of our favorite internet users, Nick Douglas, former editor of Valleywag and Urlesque, where he helped us navigate the vast internet with humor and wit.  We were so impressed by him, naturally we stalked followed Nick on Twitter and Tumblr and when he mentioned briefly that he was looking for a new challenge, we pounced.  Social Media: it works!

(Nick!)

Now Nick and his merry band of writers are all part of the Damn Family.  We always wanted more brothers and sisters, but Mom said "over her dead body," so this is, like, the best kind of compromise.  We get some new playmates and Mom's still alive.

Make sure you visit Slacktory.com daily to find out what shenanigans that crazy internet has gotten itself into this time!  Today, we have stories about Jessi Slaughter, a Harry Potter/Book of Mormon parody, a visit to Jack In The Box with Tom Waits and a weekly column from Mark Zuckerberg that Mark Zuckerberg has nothing to do with at all.

But, don't worry! We haven't forgotten our online video roots! Slacktory will curate, remix and mashup videos at MyDamnChannel.com/Slacktory.  Our first Slacktory video has cats, babies and Hitler explaining "Planking," so, you know, there's something for everyone!

Slacktory is just the beginning.  We're coming for you, Internet.  Please continue to do ridiculous things so we always have something to talk about.

HOW DOES IT FEEL?

I'm watching a rebroadcast of the original Woodstock movie on the 40th anniversary and reading the news that broke a few days ago about Bob Dylan.

Dylan didn't play the Woodstock festival, but his unique magic has some roots in the earth and mud  surrounding this holy ground 90 miles northwest of New York City.

Long Branch, N.J. is about 150 miles south of the spot where a 3-day festival in 1969 became an external example of rock's power to create community.

Bob Dylan was walking through this oceanfront community last month - taking a break during his never-ending tour. Dylan was reportedly on a stroll looking at houses when he was detained by two officer in their 20's suspecting him of suspicious behavoir.

The reason the story captured the world's attention is that neither of the officers had any idea of who Bob Dylan was. The incident was resolved peacefully and the best part of the news mentions how cool Dylan was about the whole thing.

Here's hoping the officers are online now - buying some of his music.

CELEBRATING OURSELVES

MY DAMN CHANNEL CELEBRATES ITSELF

First Birthday Stats and ‘Terrible Two’ Plans Revealed

NEW YORK, July 31, 2008 - My Damn Channel (www.MyDamnChannel.com), the entertainment studio and new media platform, today celebrates its first birthday by revealing year one statistics on traffic and revenue, and announcing new community features and a full development slate.

My Damn Channel has built a brand that empowers professional filmmakers, actors, comedians, musicians, and athletes to co-produce, mass distribute and monetize original, short-form video.

My Damn Channel has produced over 325 original videos viewed over 29 million times in the past year. The company created a studio, a destination site, syndication network, and branded entertainment exchange to match advertisers with top talent who deliver high-quality, episodic content.  

Today, the channel celebrates itself and the first 9 channels co-created with Harry Shearer, David Wain, Big Fat Brain, Don Was, A.D. Miles, Andy Milonakis, Grace Helbig, Steve Kerper, and Coolio.  

Watch our Birthday Meltdown

Watch 07-08-Oh-No

Twenty-two original series have featured over 120 professional artists including Ozzy Osbourne, Paul Rudd, Jonah Hill, Rob Corddry, Janeane Garofalo, Kristen Schaal, and Elizabeth Banks.    

My Damn Channel currently reaches over one million unique viewers monthly. Major brands including Lincoln, Universal Pictures, Lionsgate, Southern Comfort, Puma, and HBO have signed on. Revenue is pacing to exceed $1 million by year’s end.

A low-cost model eliminates multi-layered management tiers found in traditional media and puts artists in direct contact with their fans. My Damn Channel founder and CEO Rob Barnett said, “Our team and our talent are inspired by cynics who say you can’t build a brand and create the traffic and revenue needed to succeed with original video. Our birthday blood sugar rush is strong enough to keep us laughing and beating projections in year two.”     

A new syndication deal has just been signed with a major portal and will be announced and launched in August. New community features on the destination site include video alerts via email for premieres and featured clips; customizable profiles; friending; and favorites.

The development slate of new My Damn Channel programming includes:

•    “Pilot Channel” (working title) – content creators get full access to the company’s branding, technology, community, syndication, promotion, and revenue. Advertisers bid to sponsor new series through a branded entertainment exchange that guarantees placement and distribution throughout our network.                             
    
•    “Lapdance with Kurt Loder: Saving The World One Interview at a Time” – Author, journalist, MTV anchor, movie writer and former Rolling Stone senior editor Kurt Loder interviews filmmakers, musicians and anyone else who’s around, anywhere in the world, via iChat.  The first episode with Harry Shearer premieres in August.

•    New Big Fat Brain series – the creators of “You Suck at Photoshop” will “tweak the geeks” once again.

•    “Face Time presented by Puma” – athletes and musicians interview each other to find out where they get their inspiration.  Three 6 Mafia and Terrell Owens star in the channel’s first sports series.

•    “My Damn Channel Music Nights presented by SoCo” – Grace Helbig, host of the channel’s “Daily Grace” hits the highway this summer with Southern Comfort for 12 weeks of programming starring fans and artists including Common, The Black Keys, and The Roots, filming in NY, CA, AZ, and WI.

•    Harry Shearer – the Sultan of political satire has just released a new album, “Songs of the Bushmen.” New videos from the album include “Turd Blossom Special” (Shearer as Karl Rove) and “Gym Buds” (Judith Owen as Condeleeza Rice). Shearer continues to produce “Found Objects,” featuring news anchors and newsmakers in unscripted moments captured on film.

•    Don Was – the creator and host of My Damn Channel’s Wasmopolitan Cavalcade of Recorded Music is producing a second season of all new music. Don and his Cavalcade just filmed over 55 musicians live in Detroit at the “Concert of Colors” diversity festival.


About My Damn Channel

My Damn Channel is an entertainment studio and new media platform created to empower professional filmmakers, actors, comedians, musicians and athletes to co-produce, distribute and monetize original, episodic video. Artists create programming for the My Damn Channel site and for syndication on today's most heavily-trafficked online communities and social networks. My Damn Channel delivers creative control, funding, distribution, and revenue to co-conspirators including Big Fat Brain, Coolio, Grace Helbig, Steve Kerper, A.D. Miles, Andy Milonakis, Harry Shearer, David Wain and Don Was. The company is supported by an advertising revenue model, and by licensing the studio's entire portfolio of content across all forms of digital distribution.

Media Contact:
Maria Diokno
866.424.8864
Maria@MyDamnChannel.com
 

ANNOUNCING "Music Nights"

For Release – Monday, 6/16/08 – 7a et

MY DAMN CHANNEL CLOSES MAJOR BRANDED ENTERTAINMENT DEAL
 
Southern Comfort Launches Partnership for Summer Music Campaign

 
New York, NY – June 16, 2008 – My Damn Channel (www.MyDamnChannel.com), the entertainment studio and new media platform today announced a major branded entertainment deal with Southern Comfort. The two companies are partnering to create twelve weeks of “My Damn Channel Music Nights” in music bars and clubs in New York and Los Angeles and on the SoCo Music Experience festival tour this summer. Tour dates feature Gnarls Barkley, Justice, The Roots, The Black Keys and more. Starting in July, original content will be produced for a customized, co-branded channel presented by Grace Helbig, host of My Damn Channel’s “Daily Grace.” Programming will appear on My Damn Channel and across its network of syndication partners.
 
Founder and CEO of My Damn Channel, Rob Barnett said, “We’ve started building a big audience and turning quality content into significant sponsorships. Southern Comfort made a major commitment to back branded entertainment and to put our channel and our fans together on the road. We love our jobs.”
 
Southern Comfort U.S. Brand Director Ken Rose said, "Music is a major part of the lives of our consumers.  Whether it's at a club or a music festival, they're going out with their friends to see live music.  Partnering with My Damn Channel allows us to speak to our consumer in a relevant and meaningful manner, as well as take the SoCo Music Experience to music fans that can't make it out to one of the six festivals."

About My Damn Channel
My Damn Channel is an entertainment studio and new media platform created to empower filmmakers, actors, comedians and musicians to co-produce, distribute and monetize original, episodic video. Artists create programming for the My Damn Channel site and for syndication on today’s most heavily-trafficked online communities and social networks. Co-conspirators include Big Fat Brain, Coolio, Grace Helbig, Steve Kerper, A.D. Miles, Andy Milonakis, Harry Shearer, David Wain and Don Was. The company is supported by advertising revenue and by licensing the studio’s entire portfolio of content across all forms of digital distribution.
 
About Southern Comfort
Southern Comfort®, a fruit, spice, and whiskey flavored liqueur, was founded in New Orleans by bartender M.W. Heron in 1874. Today, it is sold in over 90 countries around the world and continues to grow as an icon brand.  Please visit us at www.SouthernComfort.com.  For Southern Comfort press information, please visit www.socopressroom.com.

From Sound Check to Encore, Play It Safe.  Please Drink Responsibly.
Liqueur, 21-50% Alc. by Volume, Southern Comfort Company, Louisville, KY ©2008
 
Media Contact:

Maria Diokno

866.424.8864

Maria@MyDamnChannel.com