Posts Tagged ‘On Writing’

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How Red Sonja Recharged My Battery

by Vito Delsante on May 14, 2013 at 1:15 pm
Posted In: On Writing

There is a small segment of readers who will read this and think I’m bragging. I assure you this isn’t the case, but it may come across as…call it a “humblebrag.”

The above book, Dynamite Entertainment’s Savage Tales of Red Sonja, has left my house twice and arrived twice this month. It’s not a book I usually associate with what my core audience associates with me or my work. In fact, when it comes up in conversation or in my bio, it’s the fifth or sixth book listed, in terms of importance. Mostly because, if we’re to be honest, I tell folks I worked on Superman, Batman, Wolverine, and then my creator owned stuff (FCHS, etc), and then Red Sonja. And I usually do this because…I know folks know who the first three are and it’s impressive. I throw my stuff in there next to make it seem like I’m focused on my own IPs (which I am). Then I go for Sonja, Scooby, etc. I’m not doubting Sonja has a fan base; I just never know who is in it. She’s a tough character to gauge because, on the surface, folks see the bikini. And I hate to put a character into a corner based on appearance (because that’s a crappy way to live), but there you have it.

And yet, I’ve purchased this book and shipped it twice in 30 days.

It’s the second one that really means something to me. On February 20th, I got an email from Roger, an elementary school social worker and reader, who was a big fan of Sonja. He had sent me some cards (I think Dynamite put them out) and asked me to sign them. When I finally got them, I signed them immediately and had them on my desk for a few days. I kept staring at them because I wondered, “Does he have the books? Why did he send me cards?” The cards weren’t even art from my issues (neither interior or cover), so I couldn’t understand what I had to do with them. I certainly didn’t draw them! So, I went into my stash (comps and convention stock), and pulled out the first issue of Savage Tales I did (I ran out of the second issue a while ago). Signed it, and put it in a new, bigger envelope. Then I said, “Wait, how can I send him part one and not part two?” So I grabbed the trade, literally, as I was walking out the door to the post office. I had just received the trade after sending my own copy to someone else. Sent it off to Roger and just hoped he didn’t have either, but secure in the thought that if he did, he’d still appreciate it.

Then I got the following email:

Wow!  Thank you so very much!  I have always thought the Arthur Suydam cover was one of the greatest pieces of comic art EVER so that was a treat to have signed by you…thanks!  I had a very long day at the elementary school and was just loving finding your treats waiting in the mail box, made my day.  Getting ready to reread some of your work before I head to bed.  Thanks again and keep up the great work!

Roger

See that? I did the right thing. Even after second guessing myself a million times.

This isn’t the first fan letter I’ve ever received, nor is it the first autograph request via mail. I’m hoping these aren’t the last, either. Getting these, and emails like this one, really encourages me. I’ve often said that you never know who is out there, reading your stuff, and enjoying it. We get as many (if not more) negative emails, message board posts, etc., as we do positive ones. But if I got one positive for every 100 negative, I’d be more than happy with that.

Here’s hoping that there are more Rogers out there, willing to step out of their comfort zone to reach out to creators just to tell them how appreciated they are. For them, I don’t mind going on Amazon to get my book over and over again. 100% worth it.

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#FreelanceLife Week 3

by Vito Delsante on January 16, 2012 at 1:19 pm
Posted In: On Writing

No video this week, which I’m sure terribly disappoints Jeff Powell, but I have to hurry up and get this down and get back to work.

Found out last week that I’m not truly a freelancer…because freelancers make money. I have yet to line up a paying gig, so if you know of anyone that’s hiring, or needs some scripting, please send them my way!

Other than that, finished (finally) a script that’s been taking a lot of my time and I’m doing really well on that novel.

Back to work!

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#FreelanceLife Week 2 (Video)

by Vito Delsante on January 9, 2012 at 7:10 am
Posted In: On Writing

Yeah, now I’m hashtaggin’ on the blog. What’s wrong with me?

Week 2

I had other stuff I wanted to write here and now, can’t remember even one of them. C’est la vie.

-V

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First Day at the “New Job”

by Vito Delsante on January 2, 2012 at 7:00 am
Posted In: On Writing

Today, January 2, marks my first official day as a freelancer. I “start work” in about 20 minutes (9 am EST), but I wanted to commemorate this day somehow, so…

First video

Forgot to mention that I’ll be lettering a bit today as well. Bought two new fonts yesterday during ComiCraft’s annual sale, and I’m dying to test them out.

And here we…go!

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How’s That For Coincidence?

by Vito Delsante on December 20, 2011 at 6:54 pm
Posted In: On Writing

I don’t know where I heard it, but I was reminded that Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring came out 10 years ago yesterday, December 19, 2001. Well, that day has great significance for me, too. See that little gem up there? Batman Adventures #9 came out on the same day, two years later (I was mistaken in thinking that it came out in the same year…it came out on 12/17/03). December 17, 2003 also marks the eight year anniversary of my very first signing (at Jim Hanley’s Universe, naturally). I believe I signed with Dean Haspiel, Gabe Soria, Alex Robinson, Mike Dawson, Mike Lilly and Jamal Igle. Not bad company, huh? Here’s a pic from a signing Dean, Gabe and I did at JHU New Dorp that Saturday afternoon (Dec 20):

Batman Adv 9 signing

Funny how time flies. Jim Hanley’s Universe New Dorp isn’t on that corner of New Dorp Lane anymore (it moved further into the block). Dean has gone on to be one of the biggest proponents of webcomics and won an Emmy for his work on Bored to Death. I don’t even own that shirt anymore.

December is a very big time of year for me, I guess. After yesterday’s post, I didn’t think it could get any bigger, but within the context of personal history? Wow!

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Open Letter To The Comics Industry – 2011/2012

by Vito Delsante on December 18, 2011 at 9:58 am
Posted In: On Writing, Projects

To: The Comic Book Industry (writers, artists, letterers, colorists, inkers, editors, assistant editors, publishers, EIC’s, retailers, distributors, readers, bloggers, lovers, fans)

Re: The Year That Has Passed/The Year To Come

This year, 2011, was probably the worst in the 10 years that I’ve been writing professionally. No paid work. It’s been extremely depressing, and as my wife can attest, I had a lot of awful days as a result. I think it’s safe to say that up until October, I was in a tailspin. I was writing, for sure, but for who? For what? The answer has to be, “Me and my sanity.”

And then October came. And the NYCC happened. And things moved in ways that I can only describe as “in divine ways.”

I usually write these things and look over what I did accomplish and what is next, but I think that before I do that, I need to drop a huge bomb.

(A deep breath is taken…)

The day that I have been looking forward to and always dreaded has finally come.

As of December 22, I will no longer be working at Jim Hanley’s Universe. 10 years. 8 months. 1 day.

As of January 2, I will officially be a freelancer. And I’ve never been so scared in my life.

Something about me that I don’t know how well known it is…my greatest fear is failure. I have learned, however, that never trying is probably an even greater fear of mine. It’s easy to sit and play the “What If” game, but it’s like Yoda said; “Do or do not. There is no try.”

With the exception of a great wife (got that) and great kids (working on it), I’ve never wanted anything more than to entertain people. I’d like to think that I can still act, so maybe that’s not off the table. I can still sing, so I won’t rule that out either. But for the past…wow, has it been 15 years? For the past 15 years, writing (specifically, comics) has been the way I’ve entertained folks. I hope. God knows I might not always be on, but I hope I’ve entertained my readers. I’ve accomplished a lot, but I know that if I dedicated my life to my craft, I could accomplish more. And that’s what the hope is here. The hope is that I can put my money where my mouth is…and actually put some money in my mouth. More on that in a few…

I love(d) (since I’m still working, I’ll include the present tense) working at JHU. I’ve been to a bunch of stores, all over the country, and I think, from a totally unbiased POV, that it is one of the best, if not the BEST, comic book retail outlets in the country. Bar none. I know that those trips have always given me ideas and ways to improve the store, and I’ve always done my best to implement or suggest my ideas, but the one thing that I think we do better than anyone is customer service. I think we’re unmatched in that area. The selection doesn’t hurt either. I never intended to stay as long as I did, or even become a manager, or even work full time, but those were the cards that were dealt. With that, I have to thank Jim Hanley, the late Rich Hafstead and everyone I’ve ever worked with and for here. I know that I’m not easy to work with, and somehow, someway, everyone I worked with put up with my roller coaster emotionally sensitive and moody self and for that, I thank you. Jim has always been supportive of my endeavors, and the store has always been supportive of my career path, and again, I can’t express enough how gratifying that is. It’s a rare treat to be able to work in an industry you love, with people you like, doing what you’re good at. You should all be so lucky.

And with that, he was gone.

So, when the cowboy rides off into the sunset, where does he go? What does he do?

20111215-213821.jpg

(from Preacher #66)

The truth is…I don’t know. This is the great unknown. I know what’s immediately next; I’m going to dedicate myself to writing full time. Not just comics, but novels (yep), screenplays (yessir) and even…a musical. These are all things that have been on the back burner for years. I’ve always said that my biggest hurdle was time and not having enough of it to do all that I wanted to. So this is all very “make or break.” Put up or shut up. S#!& or get off the pot.

Oh, I never mentioned this in the past months, but this should show how serious I am. In June of this year, on my birthday to be exact, artist ChrisCross and I started our own company, Eternal Kick. You haven’t missed anything; we’ve been plotting and planning since then, but we’ve taken some early steps to ensure that in 2012, you will know exactly what it is we’re selling. And it’s HUGE.

All in all, I’m looking at…19, maybe 20 DIFFERENT projects on my plate. Some familiar ones on there (FCHS Vol 2, Stray) but the majority are all brand new. In years past, I would list everything that I did in the past year and then list what is coming, but I don’t know. That’s kind of setting myself up to fail, isn’t it? I mean, only if I don’t do them all, right? Besides, the mystery of it is much more appealing. But for now, a tease. Below is a promo image for a new book called DOUBLE. It’s co-written with my good friend, Caleb Monroe, and drawn by my Superman 676 artist, Julián López. I think you’ll agree that what we have planned looks phenomenal. When we announce it, I expect everyone, whether you follow me on Twitter, Facebook or whatever else OR not, to pre-order this at their local comic shop.

This isn’t the only big project. Remember AQUARIAN 7? Unfortunately, Eshwin Dhir’s schedule didn’t permit him to do the book (but I’m hoping to talk him into working with me on something). So, welcome new artist, Sean Izaakse! Sean will also be the artist on STRAY 2 (I know, I know…where’s STRAY 1? It’s coming! We’re trying to get as much of the books in the can so there’s a seamless reading experience). Here’s his version of Stray…

(Don’t worry…Edi Torres is still drawing the first mini.)

Also, I’m lettering now! Thanks to Andy Schmidt, Dave Sharpe and Comics Experience, I’m a full blown letterer! So if you need one, let me know! My rates right now are very reasonable!

The IRS doesn’t consider me a writer since, for the past two years, I haven’t made any income from writing. That might not change in 2012, but on December 31, 2012, if the Mayans are wrong, I’ll be able to look back on my year, look at all I’ve written, and say, “I don’t care what the IRS says, I AM A WRITER!”

For all of you who thought for years that I had, “…so much potential, but…” 2012 is the year I prove you right. And for those that thought I couldn’t write because I work in retail…what’s your excuse now?

Thank you for sticking by me and for believing in me.

Now, I’ll make you believers.

-Vito Delsante

12/18/11

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On Tim Tebow

by Vito Delsante on December 17, 2011 at 10:30 am
Posted In: On Writing

This is as much as I will ever say about the guy, unless he ends up on the Pittsburgh Steelers (aka, the greatest football team that ever footballed).

Say what you want about the guy, but his faith really works.

I think he’s a terrible quarterback (at best, a decent running back). His arm is awful, his passes look like crap, and he releases the ball late. But, he motivates everyone around him. Chalk it up to charisma, or the will to succeed, but I’m sure he would say that it’s his belief and relationship with God. That might make him the butt of a lot of jokes, but that’s really quite wonderful. And the thing we need to understand? He’s eventually going to correct those mistakes and become a better quarterback.

So, why am I posting this? Well, let’s bring it back to writing. Writing is about the most un-football thing there is. It’s solitary and lonely (I know that’s essentially saying the same thing, but I’m trying to say that not only are you alone, but you’re also lonely). If anything, it’s closer to golf or, maybe, batting in baseball. It’s all about individual effort (unless, of course, if you’re writing comic books; it’s still lonely, but only up until you hand the script off). If you let it, it can really bring you down. I know a lot of writers that go through depression (whether clinical or slight) and for me, it’s because I get upset that I’m working, essentially, for myself.

Tebow, as a quarterback, has to rely on individual effort, just like writers do. And I’m convinced that it’s because of his faith in Christ that he finds a way to win. What I’m suggesting is that we need to find faith in something, anything, to center us. Holding on to faith is a great thing because, for me, it’s the difference between drifting in space and looking for something in the void and drifting in space and seeing a planet; knowing there’s someone out there.

Should you put your faith in God? That’s your choice. It helps me, so maybe you can take that as one person’s testimonial. All I’m saying is that if you find yourself with writer’s block, and you feel alone…have faith. You’ll pull through it. Find other writers to talk to. Find artists to talk to. I had a conversation yesterday with a writer friend that is going through a rough patch in his personal life, which is affecting his writing. Did our conversation help? Maybe, maybe not, but isn’t it great to know that he had someone to go to?

All I’m saying is find your support network for when you need it. Tim Tebow isn’t even a good quarterback but yet, he’s a part of the cultural vernacular because of his faith and his ability to win. There’s definitely a lesson in there for us all.

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The Wand Chooses the Wizard

by Vito Delsante on December 15, 2011 at 8:58 am
Posted In: On Writing

This is a bit of an odd post. Kind of useless, but after watching Deathly Hallows Part 2, and hearing, “The wand chooses the wizard,” it made me wonder. Why do I use some writing tools more than others? Why do certain pens work better than others for me? So, if you’ll indulge me, I want to show you the tools of my trade.

1. Pen – Zebra F-301 Stainless Steel Retractable Pen

In choosing a pen, it has to feel good in your hands, between your fingers. It has to have some weight, but not too much. I don’t know what attracted me to this pen in the first place. I think Michelle bought me two and I just fell in love with them. I stick my pad (which I’ll talk about in a second) in my back pocket, and the pen is usually stuck inside the pad…so it has to be nigh unbreakable. The F-301 is. The thing I like the most about it? The line weight. This is going to sound really odd, maybe even stupid, but different pens give you different lines, and (here’s the odd part) those lines will only write certain words. What I mean is…if I use a thick point, it changes my penmanship. The words look odd. In all the years I’ve used pens (it’s a lot), this F-301 gives me the best line, the best line weight, and the maximum amount of words on the page.

2. Pen – Pentel RSVP (Fine) Pen

This one is purely aesthetic. It reminds me of a crow quill in length, but writes like the F-301. The difference is the fine line. It’s almost artsy, when I write with this. I prefer the black ink, but blue is fine too. Great back up pen.

3. Staples Pocket Notebook (5.5″ x 4.25″/Narrow Ruled/Perforated)

It doesn’t have to be the Staples brand, but the size is the most important factor. Fits right in your back pocket. Perfectly. I know people swear by Moleskin products, especially the notebooks, but I love how thick these are, how many pages are in there. I’ve written entire scripts in these since I started using them. They’re great. I like the perforated paper, too, because then I can rip out the page if need be. Very versatile. Better even than…

4. Mead 45478 Cambridge Fashion Wire Bound Notebook MEA45478

This one is bigger, and can’t easily fit in the back pocket, but what I like about it is the inclusion of pockets. Size isn’t that important…bigger pages equal bigger ruled lines which equals legible writing. Again, highly recommended, but I use it as a back up.

5. iPhone App – Voice Memo

My phone is always in my pocket. You get ideas randomly. This is a no-brainer. It’s quicker than writing, but I wouldn’t dictate an entire script on here. This is used to jog my memory, get instantaneous ideas down instantaneously.

6. Black Mana’s Screenplay App (for iPhone)

I should really just do an iPod app post, but for now I’ll keep going here. One of the only apps I use to write, because it formats automatically. One thing folks don’t know about me is that I don’t use a formatter for my comic scripts. I don’t use screenwriting programs to write comics…they are two different animals. So, I use this purely for screenwriting. There have been screenplays that I’ve started on here and changed them into comics scripts, but again, I shy away from that kind of thinking…I can’t stress how different the two are.

7. Apple Macbook Pro (15″)

Obviously, this was a choice that I made that not everyone will agree with. That’s fine. You pick the computer you’re comfortable with. I’m not trying to convert PC’s to Macs. There are a lot of shortcomings to a Mac, as there are to PC’s; the one I came across quickly was the fact that I have used Word as my writing program of choice. Yes, they make Word for Macs, but when I upgraded my OS, Word wasn’t compatible. So now, I’m stuck with Pages. Pages isn’t that bad. It’s just not word. It’s problematic at times, but I’m still able to work on it. My word processor of choice, however…

8. Google Docs

PURELY out of convenience. I’m always in Gmail, but sometimes, I’m not at my home computer. This has become a Godsend. It’s not perfect. I had a problem where I uploaded a script from Pages into GDocs and it eliminated some letters throughout. Why? No idea. So, it’s not the greatest. But in terms of convenience? Can’t be beat.

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The Allure of a Blank Page

by Vito Delsante on September 5, 2011 at 8:31 pm
Posted In: Uncategorized

(With much respect to @ruckawriter…)

I wrote this a few years ago, on my (sadly neglected) LiveJournal.

 Greg Rucka posted something the other day* and it struck a chord with me. So much so, that I had to copy and paste it and send it to two writer friends. And it hit me just now that I too am afflicted with the same disease.

How it starts for me is really quite backwards since the “flare-ups” occur when I look at a blank piece of paper, especially yellow legal pads. One might call it a fetish, but I prefer to think of it as a symptom. If I sit in front of a computer, I can’t just go; it only happens with paper. I’m in the market for a typewriter just to see if it happens with that too, but yeah…paper. There are at least 5 within reach right now, and I’m seriously twitching. But I had to post this because Greg just might be my patron saint. His words cause me to think about writing in different ways…more so than Robert McKee ever did.

Now to find the right pen with which to deflower that legal pad.*

*yeah, I’m that ritualistic when it comes to these things and I use certain pens…sometimes a different pen for different projects

Unfortunately, Greg’s original post* is lost to the wind (he’s since moved from LiveJournal to his own blog, which you should RSS right now), but I found this nugget of wisdom:

“… it’s always a question of discipline. You know, talent is God given and you can learn every trick in the book, but if you don’t have the discipline to sit down and hone your craft and do it every God damn day, then you’re not going to get anywhere.”

Going back to my original thought, the title of this post is about the allure of the blank page. Part of the impetus for posting these thoughts stem from seeing my friend, Adam Knave, post something similar a while ago. Adam was more into telling how he deals with the blank page, and, to an extent I’m sure, writer’s block. But me? I’m talking about the addiction of writing. The physical pain I feel when I’m unable to write. And this might be a script, a plot, a song, or just an idea…just the idea of having inspiration hit…and not being able to do anything about it. I have never had a drug problem. I will not lie and say that I’ve never tried anything, but I’ve never had a drug problem. I’ve known folks who have, and seeing the physical pain of withdrawal is quite an eye opener. I wont claim to have the shakes or the DT’s or any of those actual physical reactions when I don’t or can’t write, but mentally, emotionally, things like (again, LIKE, not exactly) that happen. For me, for the writer side of me, I get struck with inspiration in some odd places, odd situations, and most of the time, it’s not at my computer during “work hours.”

I love writing. It’s one of the few things I feel that I can control (to a degree) in my life. What I mean is…when I sit down to write, I feel like I’m on a stage and I feel like the audience is waiting for me. There’s a hush, maybe someone clears his throat. A rustling in a chair in the back. I see it all. I see them all. I hear every sound. I wait for that moment…

And the dam breaks.

Yeah, that’s the perfect moment. The perfect situation. I won’t lie; it’s not always like that. Sometimes I’m Led Zepplin; sometimes I’m that guy on the corner with the cymbals on his knees and a dancing monkey. I won’t be so presumptuous to say that it’s always perfect. But the show goes on. I still sit down and I still put the work in.

I want to get better. Of course I do. I want to be an author, not just a writer. I feel like I’m on my way there, but discipline is always a problem when you don’t devote yourself, 100% to the craft. When you have a full time job (like I do) or even a part time job, that’s time away from the page. One day soon, it won’t be like that. One day soon, writing and authoring will be my life. I just want to improve my habits and yet never lose that lust and “sickness” for writing.

***

I guess the point I’m trying to make is this; remember the Boy Scout motto. Always carry a pen and pad with you. I have two that fit in my back pocket. Always have a pen.

Always.

If anyone ever wants to know HOW I write…I probably wont tell you. It’s really embarrassing.

*Greg kind of reposted the idea…basically, he wrote that writing is “an illness.” For more, read this recent blog post on his (and Rick Burchett’s) new webcomic, Lady Sabre and the Pirates of the Ineffable Aether. And read the comic. It’s the best thing to come along since comics. Yes, I said that.

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How @CMPunk could save the Comic Book Industry

by Vito Delsante on August 1, 2011 at 4:04 pm
Posted In: Uncategorized

Many of my friends know I’m a huge wrestling fan. Have been since…jeez, it feels like birth. And I think it’s a well known fact that I’m a comic book creator. It’s weird how, for some, the two groups of fans don’t always mix. I can’t understand how a wrestling fan wouldn’t like comics and a comic fan wouldn’t like wrestling, but that’s how things go. Anyway, lately in wrestling, WWE Champ, CM Punk, has caught the collective imagination of wrestling fans, and in watching his promos, reading his interviews, it strikes me that the comics industry use this kind of fire.

It started a few weeks ago, prior to the Money in the Bank PPV. Punk came out at during the Raw telecast in Las Vegas to announce that his contract was up and that he has not resigned, nor did he intend to resign his contract. Usually, when this kind of issue happens in the wrestling industry, a wrestler signs a loser leaves town match, or they’ll come out and say, “If I lose at the PPV, I will retire right there on the spot!” Punk came out and mentioned his contract…that rarely (if ever) happens. And this is at the top of the second hour of the night…it was a shape of what would come later.

The sonuvabitch changed history.

Before I go further, I feel the need to explain two terms; “work” and “shoot.” A work is when someone does something (promo, injury, etc) that furthers a storyline; a shoot is real. In other words, actual opinion, actual injury, etc.

Now, I don’t know if, when this happened, if this was a shoot or a work, but it came across as the latter. What strikes me as amazing is how when the promo starts, the crowd is booing him, and before long, he is cheered. Praised, almost. The next day, the WWE suspended him. Two weeks later, he came back with this promo:

Part 1

Part 2

I’m getting to the point, trust me.

In between these two events, Punk did an interview with GQ. And this is where the words really started to sink in. This is where I saw parallels in wrestling and comics. To wit, the guy knows his business…

C.M. Punk: Pro wrestling has always been ingrained into American culture. It was one of the first things that was ever on television, so everybody watched it. Countless people tell me, “I got into wrestling because my grandfather watched it.” It was always there. No matter how much people want to pretend that they’re embarrassed by it, that they don’t watch it, everybody knows about it. It’s truly, I believe, one of the only art forms that America has actually given to the world, besides jazz and comic books. The media, no offense, likes to latch onto negative stuff. They’re not going to report that—there’s no truth to this story; I’m just using it as an example—that John Cena and his wife just had an eight-pound baby. But you’d better believe that if somebody dies, they’re going to report it.

But this…this is what I read…this is what he said that sent a shiver down my spine:

GQ: You’ve talked a lot about your treatment within the WWE and the way the company generally runs. How could it be done better?
C.M. Punk: A lot of the people who are in charge—and this isn’t a negative thing—are old. They have a wealth of experience, yes, but there’s no youth that’s involved in anything. The youngest people there are all performers. I don’t envy their job, trying to get inside somebody’s head and figure out who they are and what their character is. It’s a nerve-racking thing when you first get there. If you’re like me, this was your dream job; you worked 13 years to get to where you are. The normal course of action is mouth shut, eyes and ears open, not stepping on toes. But that’s how you get ahead. A squeaky wheel gets the grease. If something sucks, I’ve always been completely vocal about it, and I’ve been punished many, many times because of that. But I don’t think I’d be in the spot I’m in right now if I wasn’t me. I’ve always just been me. I don’t think we should be looking externally for talent; there’s plenty of guys and girls in house that are super-talented that we don’t do enough with. A guy like Evan Bourne, who’s a fantastic high-flyer, does the most fantastic stuff on the roster. I could go on: Kofi Kingston, Dolph Ziggler, Beth Phoenix. There’s Nattie Neidhart, Tyson Kidd. Tyson Kidd is a fantastic wrestler, maybe not the greatest promo. So let’s help him. Let’s teach him to get better instead of signing someone from Europe who failed at Euro football. I could talk about this forever. Part of it is that there’s no territories; there’s no place for people to learn. And the places that people can learn aren’t the best, and they’re completely looked down upon. Like independent wrestling. It’s easy to shit on people from a great height, but it’s another thing to pull them aside and try to impart knowledge. And I’ve been on the other side of the coin where I try to help somebody out and they blow me off like they know everything.

What I saw here was reflection, a mirror to what I was…am…experiencing in the comic industry. It bothers me that in our industry guys like Bobby Nash and Caleb Monroe and Neil Kleid and Greg Thompson…all fantastic writers, all imaginative men…can’t get mainstream work. But, the companies hand work to their editors, or they seek out the showrunner of some hit tv show, or they look at the non-fiction best seller list. Now look, I’m not saying the editors aren’t talented, but they were hired to edit or assist an editor, not to write. The showrunner is a pseudo celebrity…comic fans don’t necessarily care who you are, just wow them with imagination. There are writers right there at your fingertips. And you’re just ignoring them. I have nothing against Tony Daniel, but I’d rather he was drawing Brian Wood’s Detective Comics than writing and drawing the book.

I don’t have anything against any of these guys…I just have a problem with how this industry is run. I have nothing against anyone trying to make a buck, or anyone trying to put food on the table, but this industry consists of more than 4 or 5 writers. This industry has more talent wasted and ignored than it has employed. Comics are one of the greatest forms of entertainment in the world, and we’re just listening to the same voices over and over. That’s like listening to nothing but one band, buying one band’s CDs, watching one band’s videos, and turning on the radio…and listening to one band’s music over and over and over. No one goes to the movies and sees just Martin Scorcese movies on the marquee. Even he takes two years to put a new movie out. Other voices get heard. Just not in comics.

If you know your comic history, it all started with the Jemas age of Marvel Comics, possibly the Alessi age of CrossGen. It started with exclusive contracts. Take the comics industry’s best, and sign them to a long term contract to work just for you. The big time writer signed with the competition? You sign the director of a popular movie franchise. Hollywood has a writer’s strike going on? The other guys signed a tv showrunner. Etc, etc… The competition got out of hand. And what happened was the comics sold. They did very well, but no one sold a million copies like they did in the 90’s. But success is success. The two top companies fought for those talents and basically told everyone else that they weren’t as good as these 4 or 5 top guys.

If you think this is sour grapes, I’ve got news for you. I accepted a long time ago, around the time of my Superman comic, that the big guys would not hire me while I was working my day job as a comic book retailer. Since then, the output of my work has dropped, and I’ve done a few anthologies that paid nothing. But I’m still at it. I’ve been told that I’m not a superstar, that I have no place at X, and I’ve seen projects I’ve been paid for cancelled outright. I’ve done the “bake sale competition”-like pitching. I’m bitter, yeah, but I’ve gotten over it. I know I am one of the best, that I am at the top of my game in my chosen vocation. I’m not going to rub it in everyone’s face, but I know this, despite the bitterness and the depression this industry has caused me. What this industry needs is bravery, courage under fire. Being able to stand in the face of the oppression and say, “I’m better than you.” And you need to mean it. You need to wear a “Best in the World” t-shirt and believe all 14 letters. It’s not about Eisners or Harveys or whatever award means something to you; it’s about being the best. It’s about going to work and giving a damn. It’s about standing there, behind your computer or your drawing board or whatever and saying, “I am the Best in the World.”

Give me five guys like that, and I can save the comic industry.

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