DAY 1
This past Christmas, I purchased my father and I two tickets to see the Boston Red Sox play the Baltimore Orioles in historic Fenway Park. The purchase was made on a whim, but what a glorious whim. I'd just started working at my current job (after nearly a year of unemployment) and I had money in my bank account for the first time in a long time. I was tired of the typical "here's a CD you'll like, here's some awesome movie" gifts I usually get my dad, so I decided to go bigger.
My pops and I have been talking for years about taking a trip to the great East Coast ball clubs. Unfortunately we didn't get a chance to do it before the original Yankee Stadium closed down. The trip would have consisted of Baltimore's Camden Yards, New York's Yankee Stadium and (this Sawks fan's personal favorite) Boston's Fenway Park. We may still do it someday (though I don't care much about the new Yankee Stadium), but I got tired of waiting on Fenway.
I've been a Red Sox fan since I was a kid, which wasn't easy growing up in Tennessee because I never got to see any of the games. My pops taught me a lot about old baseball when I was a kid and I just decided that I liked the Red Sox best of all, probably, honestly, because they had a superstar with the same last name as me. I decided this was the year we would do it, the year I'd finally get to see Fenway, so I pulled the trigger and got it done. Now, pops, mom, the wife and I are all in Beantown. The game's on Saturday, but that doesn't mean we're sitting around on our hands until then.
Yesterday we had a couple of great pizzas from Regina Pizzeria, did some hoofing around the Italian area of town, had some Boston Cream from Mike's Pastry, then headed back to the hotel for some much needed rest. Well, dad and I did at least. Mom and the wife got stuck in a genuine all-of-a-sudden-man-this-must-happen-all-the-time Boston thunderstorm. After resting and drying were achieved, we went our separate ways. Mom and Dad to do whatever and Agnes and I to hop a train and go see my friend Ming Doyle, who you may remember from such work as Jennifer's Body, Girl Comics, and of course, The Surfing the Bleed Interview.
Ming and her lovely assistant (read boyfriend) Neil Cicierega met us down in the Newbury St. area of town and took us to a great light dinner at Trident Booksellers & Cafe, a simple bistro located inside an independent bookseller. At dinner we talked about comics (of course), being a You Tube superstar, spider bites and various other topics of interest. Afterward we took a leisurely stroll around the neighborhood and stopped to pose for one Facebook-pose photo which unfortunately has yet to be uploaded to the computer. But there are pictures coming, I assure you!
It was during this leisurely stroll that I got my first glimpse of Fenway Park. I have to admit to you that I had to pause and collect myself for fear that I would shed a tear for the legacy of Red Sox Nation right there in front of my friends. And as Tom Hanks so famously iterated, "There's no crying in baseball."
After we split up with Ming and Neil, we came back to the hotel for a much needed night of good sleep. Well, Agnes slept, I watched ESPN for two hours then did the same. Sorry this post wasn't much about comic books, but I've decided of late that this blog is about my life, not just comic books. Comics is a huge part of my life and will remain the focus, but I'm more than just a collection of glossy covers and paneled pages. After all, in the immortal words of Mike Gundy, "I'm a man! I'm 40!"
Well, 29.
GB Williams out.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Monday, April 12, 2010
Comic Twart
Sure, the name sounds dirty, but Comic Twart may be the coolest thing happening in comics social networking right now. Originally started as a way for a few comics artists following one another on Twitter to share their artwork, it has become a weekly must-visit for anyone who enjoys comics and cartooning.
G.I. Robot by Evan Shaner
Featuring the artwork of veterans and talented newcomers alike, the Comic Twart blog is a sight to behold. Each week, a member of the collective picks a character from the long history of comics and each member puts their own spin on that character. The posts are collected in one easy to locate blog (seriously, what else are you going to find on Google when you search for "twart?" Actually, don't answer that.) that is chocked full of awesome.
Clara de Noche by Chris Samnee
Some of the characters the Twarters have already tackled include Zorro, Hawkman, Dan Dare, & Clara de Noche.
The Rocketeer by Mitch Breitweiser
Most of the contributors already have fairly steady jobs in the field, but a few diamonds in the rough (like newcomer and friend of this blog Evan Shaner) are waiting to be plucked. Equal parts drawing group, portfolio review and professional audition, Comic Twart is a must for the blogroll of every serious comic fan on the net.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Rebutting Myself?
In the time honored tradition of media outlets issuing apologies for less than professional work, I give you all the first ever Surfing the Bleed Official Apology.
As those few of you who read my blog regularly (which is apparently everyone in the offices at BOOM! Studios) already know, I posted a rather heated response earlier to this years Eisner nominations. While the post remains, it has been edited from its original form. I'll tell you why.
While I stand by my opinions, I don't necessarily stand by the way I delivered all of them. In the original post, I allowed my ire to interfere with my professionalism. I put forth a misinformed opinion about BOOM!'s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep and have omitted the entire section that dealt with that book. While I do think it odd that an adaptation made it into the Best New Series category, my knowledge of the book is admittedly cursory and I had no right to dismiss it out of hand. I intend to review Do Androids...in its entirety over the coming week in an attempt to assuage any guilt I feel about jumping to any conclusions.
The original post also made it sound as though I'm not a fan of Mark Waid and Peter Krause's Irredeemable. I personally feel like the last few issues of the book have left something to be desired and don't resonate with the same oomph! that earlier issues did, but it was brought to my attention that those issues in question didn't even occur in 2009 and therefore aren't part of this Eisner nominating process. Irredeemable was one of my favorite titles of the year in 2009 and despite my misgivings about the current story arc, I do still purchase the book each month. I've also kept a few friends who were less sanguine about the future of the series than I from dropping it from their pull boxes. Why? Because Mark Waid has so seldom let me down.
While I don't believe I expressed any opinions in my original post that I wouldn't gladly stand behind, I was, upon reflection, disappointed at how I expressed them. I endeavor, as a blogger and a hopeful creator, to bring a level of professionalism to this blog absent from many corners of the comics internet. I'd like to think of myself as a true celebrator of comics, not just a fanboy with as much vitriol as sense.
While many of this years Eisner nominees troubled me, I can't reiterate more that this is just one man's opinion. If you disagree with it, fine. Great, even! I want to invite intelligent discourse. I realize that my last post, in places, sounded less intelligent than incendiary. I fear that in an effort to be honest or humorous I may have come off as simply mean. That was never my intention.
I love this industry and want very much to be a part of it. That certainly doesn't mean that I'm going to give it a pass or that I won't call something out if I feel like it isn't up to par. But I will try to be less vitriolic in the future (unless the situation really calls for vitriol).
As those few of you who read my blog regularly (which is apparently everyone in the offices at BOOM! Studios) already know, I posted a rather heated response earlier to this years Eisner nominations. While the post remains, it has been edited from its original form. I'll tell you why.
While I stand by my opinions, I don't necessarily stand by the way I delivered all of them. In the original post, I allowed my ire to interfere with my professionalism. I put forth a misinformed opinion about BOOM!'s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep and have omitted the entire section that dealt with that book. While I do think it odd that an adaptation made it into the Best New Series category, my knowledge of the book is admittedly cursory and I had no right to dismiss it out of hand. I intend to review Do Androids...in its entirety over the coming week in an attempt to assuage any guilt I feel about jumping to any conclusions.
The original post also made it sound as though I'm not a fan of Mark Waid and Peter Krause's Irredeemable. I personally feel like the last few issues of the book have left something to be desired and don't resonate with the same oomph! that earlier issues did, but it was brought to my attention that those issues in question didn't even occur in 2009 and therefore aren't part of this Eisner nominating process. Irredeemable was one of my favorite titles of the year in 2009 and despite my misgivings about the current story arc, I do still purchase the book each month. I've also kept a few friends who were less sanguine about the future of the series than I from dropping it from their pull boxes. Why? Because Mark Waid has so seldom let me down.
While I don't believe I expressed any opinions in my original post that I wouldn't gladly stand behind, I was, upon reflection, disappointed at how I expressed them. I endeavor, as a blogger and a hopeful creator, to bring a level of professionalism to this blog absent from many corners of the comics internet. I'd like to think of myself as a true celebrator of comics, not just a fanboy with as much vitriol as sense.
While many of this years Eisner nominees troubled me, I can't reiterate more that this is just one man's opinion. If you disagree with it, fine. Great, even! I want to invite intelligent discourse. I realize that my last post, in places, sounded less intelligent than incendiary. I fear that in an effort to be honest or humorous I may have come off as simply mean. That was never my intention.
I love this industry and want very much to be a part of it. That certainly doesn't mean that I'm going to give it a pass or that I won't call something out if I feel like it isn't up to par. But I will try to be less vitriolic in the future (unless the situation really calls for vitriol).
Eisner Noms - A Rebuttal
The 2010 Eisner Award Nominees were announced this week and the internet has been understandably abuzz with speculation about who will win and who will go home disappointed. Before we even speculate about who will be leaving empty handed, let's first address all the deserving creators who didn't get invited to the dance at all.
Certainly every year the Eisners leave out creators or titles that a large section of comicdom believe to be deserving of nomination. But this year seems particularly baffling. No nominations for Jason Aaron in any category? No love shown for Batman & Robin or B.P.R.D., two of the most successful and rewarding ongoing series? A nomination for James Robinson for Cry for Justice, a book widely considered to be one of the worst comics ever? And that's just a few examples.
In response to my own confusion over this list of nominees, I've decided to highlight a few categories and give you my opinion on who should have been nominated and who should have been omitted.
BEST ONGOING SERIES
Even with my misgivings about the series currently, I've certainly enjoyed what little there has been of Irredeemable more than I ever have The Walking Dead or Fables. While I'm aware both have a very large, dedicated following, neither title has ever really moved me. The Walking Dead has always had trouble holding my interest, as I don't see anything in it that I feel goes beyond the things I've already seen in the oeuvre of George A. Romero. As for Fables, my issues with the title run deep and would require more than a few sentences to address. Needless to say, I don't think it's more deserving of this nomination than either of the two Vertigo titles I mentioned above.
BEST PUBLICATION FOR KIDS
BEST WRITER
As egregious as I may find that nomination, nothing is more baffling than Robinson's. The once great storyteller behind Starman and The Golden Age has, of late, seemed unfocused at best and unreadable at worst. His contribution to the Superman mythos over the last year had it's high points, but for the most part fell short of my (less than considerable) expectations. But Cry for Justice, a book that DC has stood so bafflingly solid behind, was one of the worst stories ever committed to the pages of our fair medium. While I may sound hyperbolic, I defy you to find evidence to the contrary. The series was panned by most major comics media outlets and the final issue even managed to net the dubious honor of a 1 Star Review at IGN . It is this title, and this title alone, that Robinson receives a Best Writer nomination for.
Certainly Jason Aaron, who has made Ghost Rider a must-read, who understands Wolverine as well (if not better) than any writer to come before him and who continues to weave a compelling story on his own title, Scalped, deserved some recognition here. But Aaron isn't the only omission. What about Rick Remender, whose ballsy turn on The Punisher has been one of the most enjoyable books on the shelf throughout and beyond Dark Reign? What about Brian Wood, who has returned recently to Demo and who puts out two consistently good titles in DMZ and Northlanders? Or how about Jeff Parker, who turns every Marvel character he touches into a must read? Is this category about guys who sell the most books, or guys who tell the best stories?
The above are the categories that bugged me most, though there are a few other issues I had with the nominations this year (no nods for Batman & Robin). One of the biggest is the complete omission of Wednesday Comics. Did the committee simply not know how to categorize it? Perhaps, though it seems to me it would have worked just fine in the Best Anthology category.
I believe I've said my piece (doubtful, actually), so I'll open this up to discussion now. I hope you've enjoyed my career suicide.
GB Williams out.
Certainly every year the Eisners leave out creators or titles that a large section of comicdom believe to be deserving of nomination. But this year seems particularly baffling. No nominations for Jason Aaron in any category? No love shown for Batman & Robin or B.P.R.D., two of the most successful and rewarding ongoing series? A nomination for James Robinson for Cry for Justice, a book widely considered to be one of the worst comics ever? And that's just a few examples.
In response to my own confusion over this list of nominees, I've decided to highlight a few categories and give you my opinion on who should have been nominated and who should have been omitted.
BEST ONGOING SERIES
- Fables, by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Andrew Pepoy et al. (Vertigo/DC)
- Irredeemable, by Mark Waid and Peter Krause (BOOM!)
- Naoki Urasawa's 20th Century Boys, by Naoki Urasawa (VIZ Media)
- The Unwritten, by Mike Carey and Peter Gross (Vertigo/DC)
- The Walking Dead, by Robert Kirkman and Charles Adlard (Image)
Even with my misgivings about the series currently, I've certainly enjoyed what little there has been of Irredeemable more than I ever have The Walking Dead or Fables. While I'm aware both have a very large, dedicated following, neither title has ever really moved me. The Walking Dead has always had trouble holding my interest, as I don't see anything in it that I feel goes beyond the things I've already seen in the oeuvre of George A. Romero. As for Fables, my issues with the title run deep and would require more than a few sentences to address. Needless to say, I don't think it's more deserving of this nomination than either of the two Vertigo titles I mentioned above.
BEST PUBLICATION FOR KIDS
- Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute, by Jarrett J. Krosoczeka (Knopf)
- The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook, by Eleanor Davis (Bloomsbury)
- Tiny Tyrant vol. 1: The Ethelbertosaurus, by Lewis Trondheim and Fabrice Parme (First Second)
- The TOON Treasury of Classic Children's Comics, edited by Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly (Abrams ComicArts/Toon)
- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz hc, by L. Frank Baum, Eric Shanower, and Skottie Young (Marvel)
BEST WRITER
- Ed Brubaker, Captain America, Daredevil, Marvels Project (Marvel) Criminal, Incognito (Marvel Icon)
- Geoff Johns, Adventure Comics, Blackest Night, The Flash: Rebirth, Superman: Secret Origin (DC)
- James Robinson, Justice League: Cry for Justice (DC)
- Mark Waid, Irredeemable, The Incredibles (BOOM!)
- Bill Willingham, Fables (Vertigo/DC)
As egregious as I may find that nomination, nothing is more baffling than Robinson's. The once great storyteller behind Starman and The Golden Age has, of late, seemed unfocused at best and unreadable at worst. His contribution to the Superman mythos over the last year had it's high points, but for the most part fell short of my (less than considerable) expectations. But Cry for Justice, a book that DC has stood so bafflingly solid behind, was one of the worst stories ever committed to the pages of our fair medium. While I may sound hyperbolic, I defy you to find evidence to the contrary. The series was panned by most major comics media outlets and the final issue even managed to net the dubious honor of a 1 Star Review at IGN . It is this title, and this title alone, that Robinson receives a Best Writer nomination for.
Certainly Jason Aaron, who has made Ghost Rider a must-read, who understands Wolverine as well (if not better) than any writer to come before him and who continues to weave a compelling story on his own title, Scalped, deserved some recognition here. But Aaron isn't the only omission. What about Rick Remender, whose ballsy turn on The Punisher has been one of the most enjoyable books on the shelf throughout and beyond Dark Reign? What about Brian Wood, who has returned recently to Demo and who puts out two consistently good titles in DMZ and Northlanders? Or how about Jeff Parker, who turns every Marvel character he touches into a must read? Is this category about guys who sell the most books, or guys who tell the best stories?
The above are the categories that bugged me most, though there are a few other issues I had with the nominations this year (no nods for Batman & Robin). One of the biggest is the complete omission of Wednesday Comics. Did the committee simply not know how to categorize it? Perhaps, though it seems to me it would have worked just fine in the Best Anthology category.
I believe I've said my piece (doubtful, actually), so I'll open this up to discussion now. I hope you've enjoyed my career suicide.
GB Williams out.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Wrapping It Up and Looking Ahead...
So yeah, the girl. She came along just as I was making the decision to seriously get my life in order and boy was she a big help in that. She helped me walk the line, fly right, etc, etc. She was an artist pursuing a dream and she really helped me realize that it wasn't unrealistic (especially not at the ripe young age of 25) to be doing such a thing. I'd (mis)spent all those years telling myself that it was just a pipe dream, not even knowing where to begin. She wouldn't give me the door into the industry that I'd need, but she did give me will to get off my ass and make something happen.
It was slow going of course. Life had its ups and downs, as did we, but storms were weathered and lessons were learned. Through it all, comics remained a constant. Unfortunately I was broke (and into record collecting in a bad way), so most of what I read was stuff I already owned or stuff I got from the library, but I was always reading. The thing about making comics is, reading them is half the work. You can have the most unproductive day ever, and if you read at least two graphic novels that day, it wasn't a total loss.
Comics is a language and, regardless of what more "serious artists" might believe, it's not a language easily learned. It requires you to be artist, writer, art director and editor all at once, even if you only know how to do one or two of those things well. It requires collaboration (something very few people excel at, according to the sorry state of the world), imagination, dedication and other words that end in -ation. But most of all, beyond anything else, it requires support. You don't choose comics because you want to be famous or rich. It offers very little in the way of fame or riches. You choose comics (at times over being a designer, a novelist, a journalist) because you can't do anything else, because you love the medium so damn much that the thought of telling your stories anywhere else rings a little hollow. Or maybe you're just a failed novelist. Regardless, it takes support. Support from family, friends, lovers, and strangers alike. Luckily I have support in spades.
There was another cat that came along a little later, some of you know him some of you don't. Most of you will know him soon though, as his is a star that's rising fast. We don't speak as often now as I'd like, but he was the ignitor. She got me on the road and he got me focused. This friend, who I met quite by chance, showed me that comics wasn't this big, scary world way off in the distant lands of NY and LA. He showed me that comics was everywhere, an organic and supportive community that was so concerned about the omnipresent fear of industry death that they welcomed new creators with (relatively *cough, Marvel, cough*) open arms. He showed me how to get started, gave me feedback and introduced me to just enough people to prove to me that, while I assumed I was about fifty steps away from breaking in, it was actually more like fifteen. Regardless of how our friendship waxes and wanes from here on out, I will always be grateful to him for that.
So that catches you up, relatively, and gives you an idea of who I am and what I'm trying to do. I promise more "breaking in" content in the future.
GB Williams out.
It was slow going of course. Life had its ups and downs, as did we, but storms were weathered and lessons were learned. Through it all, comics remained a constant. Unfortunately I was broke (and into record collecting in a bad way), so most of what I read was stuff I already owned or stuff I got from the library, but I was always reading. The thing about making comics is, reading them is half the work. You can have the most unproductive day ever, and if you read at least two graphic novels that day, it wasn't a total loss.
Comics is a language and, regardless of what more "serious artists" might believe, it's not a language easily learned. It requires you to be artist, writer, art director and editor all at once, even if you only know how to do one or two of those things well. It requires collaboration (something very few people excel at, according to the sorry state of the world), imagination, dedication and other words that end in -ation. But most of all, beyond anything else, it requires support. You don't choose comics because you want to be famous or rich. It offers very little in the way of fame or riches. You choose comics (at times over being a designer, a novelist, a journalist) because you can't do anything else, because you love the medium so damn much that the thought of telling your stories anywhere else rings a little hollow. Or maybe you're just a failed novelist. Regardless, it takes support. Support from family, friends, lovers, and strangers alike. Luckily I have support in spades.
There was another cat that came along a little later, some of you know him some of you don't. Most of you will know him soon though, as his is a star that's rising fast. We don't speak as often now as I'd like, but he was the ignitor. She got me on the road and he got me focused. This friend, who I met quite by chance, showed me that comics wasn't this big, scary world way off in the distant lands of NY and LA. He showed me that comics was everywhere, an organic and supportive community that was so concerned about the omnipresent fear of industry death that they welcomed new creators with (relatively *cough, Marvel, cough*) open arms. He showed me how to get started, gave me feedback and introduced me to just enough people to prove to me that, while I assumed I was about fifty steps away from breaking in, it was actually more like fifteen. Regardless of how our friendship waxes and wanes from here on out, I will always be grateful to him for that.
So that catches you up, relatively, and gives you an idea of who I am and what I'm trying to do. I promise more "breaking in" content in the future.
GB Williams out.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Brett Williams, This Is Your Life!
So there was college. That didn't work out. So I tried it again and it worked out a little better, but ultimately it wasn't for me. I would, eventually, try it one more time. It lasted less than a month that third time, so maybe what they say about third times and charms isn't always true.
Or maybe it is. If I'd stayed in school that third time I might never have devoted myself to comics the way I have now. I probably would have devoted myself to being a librarian or a high school teacher. Admirable, but not comics.
I moved to Chattanooga, TN after high school. I moved there to go to college but as I mentioned above, college didn't take. Chattanooga didn't take either, even though I stayed well into my twenties. Chattanooga is a strange place. Everyone who has never lived there thinks its beautiful and everyone who ever lived there thinks its a giant waste of space in the otherwise lush and gorgeous wilderness that is East Tennessee. That's hyperbolic. I'm sure there are people who live in Chattanooga who love it, but I wasn't one of them.
My time in Chattanooga was strange. I dropped out of college my first semester and moved in with my girlfriend of two years. I had a live-in girlfriend and a full time job by the time I was 19, which was fine with me. School had always bored me, had never really challenged me, and having money in my pocket and a girl at home at the end of every day was just fine with me. That job was in a major chain entertainment store, the kind that sold books, movies, software, music, video games, etc. I worked in the book department, which afforded me a ludicrous discount off cover prices and access to the entire Baker & Taylor ordering system. I bought a LOT of graphic novels.
During that time I really discovered Alan Moore, Frank Miller and Mark Waid. It was Kingdom Come that eventually got me back into comic books, followed shortly after by Watchmen, The Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Year One. The dystopian view of the superhero comic presented by Moore in Watchmen and Miller in DKR had a profound effect on my rebellious young mind. I was discovering punk rock at the same time I discovered those titles and I longed for more "adult" comics, more "adult" themes. So I rebelled long and hard against superheroes, choosing instead to turn my eye toward Vertigo. That's when I really got into the comics that would shape my tastes as a young adult. Hellblazer, Swamp Thing, Preacher, Sandman, these were the books I clamored for, the stories I devoured.
It was at this time in my life that I really got back into comic books and for the first time realized that this wasn't just a medium for children and that comics could be a genuine career. I wish I could say that I diligently began pursuing that career but I can't lay claim to that until much later. Like many people in their early twenties, I spent a lot of time, well...wasting time. I drank, chased girls, got caught up in a bad relationship, got the shit kicked out of me mentally and took more than a little time to recover. I suppose that happens to the best of us, but there are moments, in the shadow of younger creators who have accomplished so much more than me, where I want to flog myself for my misspent youth.
I know that hard work gets rewarded and that ultimately it's nobody's fault but my own that it took me this long to make even the tiniest of ripples in this industry, but it doesn't make reminiscing about days that could have been better spent any easier.
What was it that sapped such a will as mine and made me lose sight of my dream for a time? Well, that would be telling. I know I promised to be candid but there are some things that not even you, fearless reader, get to know. Needless to say things got dark for a while and then, as they tend to do, things got a hell of a lot better.
How did they get better? Well, I met a girl. Not just a girl, but the girl. And not long after that I made a friend. The collective fire they lit under my ass led to the man you (figuratively) see before you today.
More on that next time.
Or maybe it is. If I'd stayed in school that third time I might never have devoted myself to comics the way I have now. I probably would have devoted myself to being a librarian or a high school teacher. Admirable, but not comics.
I moved to Chattanooga, TN after high school. I moved there to go to college but as I mentioned above, college didn't take. Chattanooga didn't take either, even though I stayed well into my twenties. Chattanooga is a strange place. Everyone who has never lived there thinks its beautiful and everyone who ever lived there thinks its a giant waste of space in the otherwise lush and gorgeous wilderness that is East Tennessee. That's hyperbolic. I'm sure there are people who live in Chattanooga who love it, but I wasn't one of them.
My time in Chattanooga was strange. I dropped out of college my first semester and moved in with my girlfriend of two years. I had a live-in girlfriend and a full time job by the time I was 19, which was fine with me. School had always bored me, had never really challenged me, and having money in my pocket and a girl at home at the end of every day was just fine with me. That job was in a major chain entertainment store, the kind that sold books, movies, software, music, video games, etc. I worked in the book department, which afforded me a ludicrous discount off cover prices and access to the entire Baker & Taylor ordering system. I bought a LOT of graphic novels.
During that time I really discovered Alan Moore, Frank Miller and Mark Waid. It was Kingdom Come that eventually got me back into comic books, followed shortly after by Watchmen, The Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Year One. The dystopian view of the superhero comic presented by Moore in Watchmen and Miller in DKR had a profound effect on my rebellious young mind. I was discovering punk rock at the same time I discovered those titles and I longed for more "adult" comics, more "adult" themes. So I rebelled long and hard against superheroes, choosing instead to turn my eye toward Vertigo. That's when I really got into the comics that would shape my tastes as a young adult. Hellblazer, Swamp Thing, Preacher, Sandman, these were the books I clamored for, the stories I devoured.
It was at this time in my life that I really got back into comic books and for the first time realized that this wasn't just a medium for children and that comics could be a genuine career. I wish I could say that I diligently began pursuing that career but I can't lay claim to that until much later. Like many people in their early twenties, I spent a lot of time, well...wasting time. I drank, chased girls, got caught up in a bad relationship, got the shit kicked out of me mentally and took more than a little time to recover. I suppose that happens to the best of us, but there are moments, in the shadow of younger creators who have accomplished so much more than me, where I want to flog myself for my misspent youth.
I know that hard work gets rewarded and that ultimately it's nobody's fault but my own that it took me this long to make even the tiniest of ripples in this industry, but it doesn't make reminiscing about days that could have been better spent any easier.
What was it that sapped such a will as mine and made me lose sight of my dream for a time? Well, that would be telling. I know I promised to be candid but there are some things that not even you, fearless reader, get to know. Needless to say things got dark for a while and then, as they tend to do, things got a hell of a lot better.
How did they get better? Well, I met a girl. Not just a girl, but the girl. And not long after that I made a friend. The collective fire they lit under my ass led to the man you (figuratively) see before you today.
More on that next time.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Do you guys know anything about me?
I realize that you can glean a few things about my various tastes by what I write about. I realize you even know a little bit about my personal life, as I've occasionally talked about my wife, posted pics from my wedding or given you con updates that include some info about my friends. But do you guys really know anything about me? I realized today that, while I've promised to be as candid as possible here, I've not been exactly true to that.
Some people would probably say, "So?" I mean, the thought of airing all your personal stuff on the internet is a pretty mortifying one for many people. But I grew up online (for better or worse) and the idea of people out there in the ether knowing more about me doesn't frighten me at all.
I have a Facebook page and a Twitter feed, and you can learn things about me there if you're willing to seek them out, but this blog is supposed to be about my life, not just about what comics I'm reading. So, in the interest of getting to know you guys, I'm going to help you get to know more about me.
I live in Nashville, TN. I haven't lived here my entire life, but it still feels like home. I grew up about an hour and a half from here, small town called Lawrenceburg near the Alabama border. Our claim to fame is being the (supposed) birthplace of American folk hero (or cowering coward) Davy Crockett. It's the kind of small town you hear about in Bruce Springsteen or John Mellencamp songs. Growing up there wasn't easy. I was a very smart kid with very little access to decent education, so I wasn't always the best student because I had very few challenges to hold my interest. I went to a local Catholic school (almost everyone in the school was a relative. My family is pretty much 90% of Lawrenceburg's Catholic population) and that's where I first discovered comics.
My best friend at the time, a kid named Jeff Brink (if any of my friends from the past who read this know how two get in touch with Jeff, please let me know) introduced me to comics on a class trip to the circus. That story has been told elsewhere in the blog, so I won't bore you with a repeat performance. Jeff was big into comics, specifically X-Men, and he got me involved in it as well. My favorite comic growing up was the Infinity Gauntlet and I can remember Jeff and I collecting it together, each of us spending allowance on alternating issues and sharing them back and forth. I still engage in the activity of sharing comics with my friends today.
High school in Lawerenceburg wasn't great but it wasn't as horrifying as high school was for a lot of geeks. I had close friends who were interested in much of the same stuff as I, a steady girlfriend who loved comics (and her older sister who taught us a bunch about guys like Moore and Gaiman) and a steady diet of theatre to keep me safe from the rigors of small town geek life. Theatre was my big passion at the time and I thought for a while that I wanted to be an actor. The biggest obstacle was the fact that I hated most of the college drama kids I knew and didn't really want to be a part of their world that seemed rife with backstabbing and ladder climbing. In the back of my mind writing was always the thing that drove me and comic writing always the thing that excited me.
Of course I would go a long way toward screwing that up and tearing it down before I finally came out the other side ready to work. I'll expound on that in the next segment of this trip down memory lane.
I mentioned earlier that Nashville felt like home. It was the largest city in close proximity to my hometown so we spent a lot of time here when I was a kid. When I got to high school, my friends and I would escape to Nashville and the surrounding areas a lot to mallrat around and basically do dumb, fun kid shit. Laser tag, coffee houses, all ages punk shows (though not as often as I'd have liked), etc. I had a lot of baggage as a teenager (some of it I'm still dealing with, in various forms, as an adult) but for all rights and purposes, I had a pretty good teenage life. And through it all, comic books were always present. I didn't always focus on them as much as I should have, never got the collector bug that so many of my other friends had, but I never forgot them, never stopped wondering what it would be like to create them.
It would be a long time before I took the steps toward making that a reality, but I was surprised to find that the steps were a lot easier to take than I'd always feared...
Some people would probably say, "So?" I mean, the thought of airing all your personal stuff on the internet is a pretty mortifying one for many people. But I grew up online (for better or worse) and the idea of people out there in the ether knowing more about me doesn't frighten me at all.
I have a Facebook page and a Twitter feed, and you can learn things about me there if you're willing to seek them out, but this blog is supposed to be about my life, not just about what comics I'm reading. So, in the interest of getting to know you guys, I'm going to help you get to know more about me.
I live in Nashville, TN. I haven't lived here my entire life, but it still feels like home. I grew up about an hour and a half from here, small town called Lawrenceburg near the Alabama border. Our claim to fame is being the (supposed) birthplace of American folk hero (or cowering coward) Davy Crockett. It's the kind of small town you hear about in Bruce Springsteen or John Mellencamp songs. Growing up there wasn't easy. I was a very smart kid with very little access to decent education, so I wasn't always the best student because I had very few challenges to hold my interest. I went to a local Catholic school (almost everyone in the school was a relative. My family is pretty much 90% of Lawrenceburg's Catholic population) and that's where I first discovered comics.
My best friend at the time, a kid named Jeff Brink (if any of my friends from the past who read this know how two get in touch with Jeff, please let me know) introduced me to comics on a class trip to the circus. That story has been told elsewhere in the blog, so I won't bore you with a repeat performance. Jeff was big into comics, specifically X-Men, and he got me involved in it as well. My favorite comic growing up was the Infinity Gauntlet and I can remember Jeff and I collecting it together, each of us spending allowance on alternating issues and sharing them back and forth. I still engage in the activity of sharing comics with my friends today.
High school in Lawerenceburg wasn't great but it wasn't as horrifying as high school was for a lot of geeks. I had close friends who were interested in much of the same stuff as I, a steady girlfriend who loved comics (and her older sister who taught us a bunch about guys like Moore and Gaiman) and a steady diet of theatre to keep me safe from the rigors of small town geek life. Theatre was my big passion at the time and I thought for a while that I wanted to be an actor. The biggest obstacle was the fact that I hated most of the college drama kids I knew and didn't really want to be a part of their world that seemed rife with backstabbing and ladder climbing. In the back of my mind writing was always the thing that drove me and comic writing always the thing that excited me.
Of course I would go a long way toward screwing that up and tearing it down before I finally came out the other side ready to work. I'll expound on that in the next segment of this trip down memory lane.
I mentioned earlier that Nashville felt like home. It was the largest city in close proximity to my hometown so we spent a lot of time here when I was a kid. When I got to high school, my friends and I would escape to Nashville and the surrounding areas a lot to mallrat around and basically do dumb, fun kid shit. Laser tag, coffee houses, all ages punk shows (though not as often as I'd have liked), etc. I had a lot of baggage as a teenager (some of it I'm still dealing with, in various forms, as an adult) but for all rights and purposes, I had a pretty good teenage life. And through it all, comic books were always present. I didn't always focus on them as much as I should have, never got the collector bug that so many of my other friends had, but I never forgot them, never stopped wondering what it would be like to create them.
It would be a long time before I took the steps toward making that a reality, but I was surprised to find that the steps were a lot easier to take than I'd always feared...
Monday, March 22, 2010
A Brief Apology
Sorry that I haven't been around all week. I work in a bar in the really real world and St. Patrick's Day sort of kicked the crap out of all of us this week. I spent most of my week just trying to relax before the big event and celebrating afterward. I know that isn't the most professional of approaches to my blog, but hey, at least I'm honest. Expect increased output from me this week as a way of apologizing to my many (six or seven) fans.
Friday, March 12, 2010
The Comic Script Archive
I've recently discovered a site that, as a creator, I value as a very important research tool. It's called the Comic Book Script Archive and it is as simple as its straightforward name. Culling contributions from various creators, the site provides a very accessible database of comic book scripts. There aren't a lot of resources for people trying to break into this industry, especially people breaking in as writers, so I can't recommend this one highly enough. It's simple to navigate and very, very helpful. Check it out.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Batman XXX - Suprisingly SFW
Bleeding Cool reported on this recently and I was so amused at the prospect of it that I went out and did a little more research. There's not much I can say, it sort of speaks for itself. Here is a link to the Examiner's article about the film. Look below for a very Safe For Work trailer for the film.
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