On Writing and some Interviews

It’s almost two weeks now and most of the comic news sites are still running press releases and panel descriptions from San Diego. It seems that many of the releases wouldn’t get any attention otherwise…but if they were announced at San Diego, then they must be worthwhile.

I have to admit that I don’t read most of them, and by most, I mean virtually all of them. I glance at some of the headlines but that’s about it. I don’t understand what the two large companies are doing as the major cross over events are just a blur to me and I can’t even distinguish them. Obviously, since I don’t read them, I’m not going to be aware of all the ramifications but it seems to me that they sound very repetitive.

The “other” comic companies are announcing some interesting things, mainly digging up old concepts and relaunching them in comic form…which I think is a great idea. I don’t know of any other industry that seems to frown on having too much product as the comics market does. Sure, some of the ideas are surefire misses, but at least they’re trying to do something that brings a familiarity to the comics world to those folks outside of comics. And isn’t that what everyone in comics wants? To gather in the general public? The movies don’t seem to be doing it even though the comic characters are becoming household names. Watchmen seems to be an exception as the graphic novel is selling really well and the only promotion so far as been the trailer. That’s very impressive so far.

I am continually perplexed by what some people are doing…and not doing. I mentioned before that I cannot fathom that Disney is not putting out its own comic line. I know they’re licensing out some of their titles but it seems to me that they could set up a complete publishing company and really promote their titles. It seems they would sell enough in their parks but last time I went to Disneyworld, I never saw comics there. Maybe they’ve tried that route, I don’t know…but it seems so obvious. Then again, many things that seem obvious end up not being tangible for various reasons.

For that matter, I’ve always wondered why movie studios don’t automatically gobble up the comic rights for any films they do. Of course, not all films would be applicable in comics but many are. After all, if a studio is going to invest millions or tens of millions, or even 100’s of millions into a project, asking for the comic rights doesn’t seem too far out of line. They could set up a publishing house or form a liaison with a publisher to release them as comics. Then again, since so many of the big budget movies are based on comics, maybe there aren’t any rights available now.

How come Marvel and DC (Warner) don’t produce graphic novels for their films and sell them at movie theatres. Don’t you think that if you’re buying popcorn and pop (which are nearly the price of most graphic novels nowadays) that the Batman movie, for example, could’ve moved a tremendous amount of graphic novels starring Batman? Movie theatres would undoubtedly appreciate the sales. I’m sure there are some logistical problems but it seems easy enough to work out.

I mentioned last time that I was going to revamp the Caliber Comics website because even though I keep it up for reference and to direct people on how to get some of the stuff, Caliber hasn’t published anything in 7-8 years. I am always surprised on how many submissions I still get from the website and I bring this up because since San Diego ended, I have received almost 20 submissions! I guess the excitement of the con just motivated people.

One of the most common submission types I get is from “screenwriters who want to get into comics”. First off, since they usually don’t give any credits, I have to assume their screenplays were never produced. Secondly, they have never written comics. Just makes me wonder why they think publishers would be interested? I find it funny how the labels people use vary depending on what field they’re in. Most comic writers don’t call themselves writers until they have something published. However, I see a lot of people calling themselves screenwriters even though they have never had anything produced. Kinda odd, I think.

Speaking of writing, Steven Grant in his column, Permanent Damage (on Comic Book Resources) discusses a panel he did at San Diego called “So You Want To Do A Graphic Novel." Steve does a great job in explaining the idea, so much so, that I’m grabbing a few of his lines. His thoughts echo mine so completely that I see no sense in wording it differently as he did so well on it. There’s a link at the end of the blog so you can read the whole column…well, worth reading. So, here’s what he said regarding writing graphic novels….

“It's a short answer anyway: the way to do it is to do it. Period. Everyone's looking for "The Secret" but there ain't no secret. The way to do it is to do it, and every story, particularly if you're creating your own work from scratch and not working with an established, formulized franchise, generates its own needs. Those are the needs you have to serve. Rules are for schmucks and businessmen. A few people were looking for "the secret" to putting together a comic story/graphic novel " someone asked a question about structure, but, as someone on the panel mentioned (not me; I basically just grumbled about the word because you can have the greatest grasp of structure in history and still churn out totally crap stories " see: George Lucas) structure is something you learn, internalize and forget about. Like a lot of elements of storytelling. It's worth familiarizing yourself with them and putting them in your toolbox " less so that you know what rules to break because, let's face it, you don't have to know rules to break them, but if you don't know what's already been done you're far less likely to break the rules that to waste a lot of valuable time reinventing the wheel, and that's strictly a mug's game, know what I mean? " but the moment you let any one element, even structure, rule your life you're done.” (From Steven Grant’s Permanent Damage column, August 6, 2008).

A great summation that I endorse whole-heartedly. I get invited to a lot of discussion boards about “writing comics” and as I mentioned before, I find so many “writers” who dissect, maneuver, and analyze the method of writing that they don’t actually write.

SOME BLABBERING MOMENTS

If you’re familiar with the horror mag, FROM THE TOMB, which is a U.K. publication, the current issue (June) has a rather lengthy interview with me...8 pages worth. In addition, there is a 5-page feature on Deadworld. I think they’re available at Borders and Barnes/Noble and maybe comic stores. When I can, I’ll scan in the pages and post a PDF on my website.

I also have another interview…sort of, on Comic Village. The Village “Gossip” has a bag of 64 questions and I was asked (as were all others) 20 random questions of those 64. Check it out at Comic Village Gossip

Next week, I believe Wednesday, August 13, a podcast interview on Comic Related will be run featuring a lengthy interview with me. Not sure how long it will be but you can check it out at Comic Related Podcasts next week...or even now as I’m sure they have others on there that you would find interesting.

PROJECTS UPDATE

There are two Deadworld projects coming out in October so that means they’re in the Diamond Previews right now.

Slaughterhouse is a stand alone mini-series within Deadworld. It features art by Sami Makkonen who did the Blue graphic novel with Elizabeth Genco (also by Desperado). I love this guy’s stuff and thought it made a great match for the Slaughterhouse story. Check out the website for more information and preview pages.

Deadworld Chronicles is a graphic novel anthology of ALL NEW Deadworld stories. Although not tied into the continuity of Deadworld, they all fit in and explore some different things going on in Deadworld. Check out the previews and more information here.

Coming in September will the the third Saint Germaine graphic novel. This one collects the entire Magus storyline plus brings in the story that ran in Negative Burn plus TWO brand new stories, one featuring Genghis Khan and the other touches on the legend of The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Hope you all enjoy the rest of your summer. Please drop a comment if you have any, uh, comments.

And be sure to check out Steven Grant’s Permanent Damage column regarding writing graphic novels. It’s insightful and worth reading (as always).

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Cons and Contracts

Just got back from vacation with the family and now playing catch-up. I had meant to post a new blog prior to leaving but you know how it goes. The trip was good as my wife, Jennifer, and 3 of our 4 daughters flew out to Las Vegas to see Jenny's folks who moved there about 10 years ago. After spending a couple of days there, we drove out to see the Grand Canyon and I was glad to see my kids really appreciated the wonder of the canyon. Did quite a bit of hiking (well, walking...not official hiking) and then we returned to Las Vegas for a day's rest before heading to Los Angeles. The kids have always wanted to see LA although I've been there about 15 times. Did much of the tourist stuff but they enjoyed just relaxing on the beach for the most part. One of my daughters wants to go to school in California and with the rising costs of everything in Michigan and the declining prospects here, it actually is about the same cost. So, we checked out the Long Beach campus and it was very nice. I think my daughter is not long for the cold winters of Michigan. Part of our trips in recent years is for us to evaluate where we want to move once all the kids are out of the house and on their own paths. Still a few years to go for that but we're getting a good idea of the different areas we might be interested in. So, far we like Colorado and North Carolina the best but there's a lot of great places around this country. I do like Ann Arbor but the winters are becoming increasingly annoying. I won't be going to San Diego this year which is nothing new since I haven't gone for a few years now. Just too insane and expensive and the time never seems right. I absolutely love that city though, and that's another contender for our post-kid home but California can be a bit pricey. One of the things I used to hate about San Diego Con was the sheer number of people who brought their portfolios there. So many were bad and even the good ones were just not suitable for Caliber. It was frustrating to look at so much stuff that just wasn't applicable (or good). I don't think the con still has the same problem mainly because of the Internet which is the vehicle mainly now to showcase work. But I did get some submissions and portfolios to review in Chicago. I really wish some people (not all, but most) would really think about what they're doing. Some hints on what to do if you're looking for work at a comic convention. 1) Don't just plop your portfolio on top of the books, prints, flyers, etc. that are on the table. Your portfolio may be vitally important to you but the published work already on the table is also important. Use some common sense. 2) I can't think of any publisher that wants to see color pinups of Marvel and DC characters as a representation of your work. Fine, you can do a pinup...but that's not comics (well, for the most part). 3) I'm always amazed at how many artists say they're only interested in doing covers. Unless you can provide mind-blowing work or have a name that will sell copies (rare), why would I use your cover over an artist who had done the entire book? 4) If you ask for a critique on your story-telling abilities, just accept it. You can think I'm an idiot and totally disregard anything I say...you can even think I'm an asshole for not seeing the obvious. But when I start asking questions about the story because I can't tell what's happening (and often this is with art and lettered scrip), then maybe you should start thinking that there just might be something wrong with your story-telling. I'm not looking for a debate so when I say I don't get it...just accept it. If you have to explain it to me, then obviously, it isn't working. 5) No, I don't want to hear your 30 minute spiel on how great your epic series is. My mind goes blank after two minutes or 15 names of characters...whichever comes first. I can't think of anyone that ever sold something based on a rambling narrative of an idea with no artwork. 6) Business cards are really cheap now and you can even print them off on your ink jet printer. I laugh when I get a business card with the names crossed off and a new name written there along with a new phone and new email address. Yeah, reusing someone else's card really screams professional. I think people would be amazed at how often this happens. 7) Please, please, please...do not come up to the table with your mom to handle all your discussions. I know she thinks you're wonderful but your work should stand on its own. 8) I love when someone comes up and tells me how much better they are than someone who has been producing comics for years. If you're so much better, than why aren't your books on the table. No one wants to hear an artist or writer get ragged on....especially when you don't know if I might be friends with them or not. These are just a few things that do actually happen at cons and quite often. Don't be that guy. Lots of interesting stuff going on with Wowio and Platinum. It seemed Wowio was really taking off but obviously, the model wasn't working as well as it first seemed. Not sure what is happening now. I was just about to sign up some titles with Wowio but once the Platinum deal started circulating, I held off. I'm adopting a wait and see attitude. I know Platinum gets a lot of flak but I don't know all the particulars except that perhaps some people don't read contracts too well. I've always found it surprising that so many creators think that someone should pay for their work without the publisher getting anything in return. Sure, they'll get part of the sales but unless you're a big name, it's not likely the project is worth the risk unless something else is included (usually some portion of movie rights). I totally understand those creators who do not want to give up those rights...after all, I'm also a creator. But if you want to get the work out there, you may have to include some of your "assets". Some creators will and some won't. I will on some of my properties but others I won't. I don't like the idea of how a publisher is painted in a broad stroke of scum when they offer a deal that is eagerly accepted by the creator. It always takes two sides to sign a contract. I have no idea of how Platinum operates or what is going on but I did talk with Scott Rosenberg a long time ago. We discussed bringing in the Caliber lineup to Platinum. I forget the details but obviously, it wasn't suitable so it never happened but it appears that the conditions were up front for me to decide on. With the advent of the big blockbuster comic movies (although most are superhero from the Big Two), the contracts between publishers and creators are getting quite a bit more elaborate. So, creators need to understand the specifics included in the contracts and also have to realize that both parties are getting something out of the deal...so always approach it from that point of view, break it down to what each party is getting. And if you can live with it, not just at the beginning but also in case the book takes off, then at least you know what you're getting into. There is no excuse regarding a bad contract...you either signed it or not. Another thread that I wanted to just touch on was Brian Hibbs' use of point of sale system and the revelation to him that he had some high profile titles that have actually never sold a copy in the last 12 months. The POS system has got to make life easier as when I had my stores, we took inventory every month and that was a tedious process but a necessary one. Since my stores were carrying so many foreign books, we could never take the chance on ordering an additional copy of something we already had in stock at one of the four stores. The worry about Hibbs' research and report is that it insinuates the trade paperback market is finite, not just for the comics market but perhaps also for the book market. I agree. The comics market is obviously limited because it is a specialized market that caters to a very select group. The book market has the opportunity to grow (and consequently would grow the comic market) but most of the buyers are still adhering to the Top 100 mentality. They buy the top comics in the comics market to display and my question is who buys at a book store if they can get them at a comics store? Sure, there is some cases where customers can't get to a comic store, but even in big cities, you see the bookstores carrying primarily X-Men, Spiderman, Batman, Superman and just a smattering of other titles. I have no idea if the big superheros sell that well on the book shelves and if that is the determining factor or not or are they just ordering "known" commodities? I think a couple of avenues that don't get a lot of attention is Internet retailers and direct sales. Obviously, unless someone reports on the direct sales, that information is not going to be known. But Amazon can be tracked fairly easy and I'm very surprised at just how many copies of graphic novels can move through there. Direct mail, for me anyway, is sort of a hit or miss. Usually just sell a few but sometimes will get hit with a flood of orders. I encourage sales through bookstores, comic shops, Amazon, etc. as doing orders can be a hassle. But for some people, who either can't find them elsewhere or want an autograph, it's the best way for them. With Wowio now mired in a holding pattern as far as most creators are concerned, it should be interesting to see what happens with the digital distribution system that everyone seems to be waiting for.

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WIZARD WORLD CHICAGO 08 REPORT

Figured I'd give a look at my experience at Wizard World Chicago 2008 (can't we just call it Chicago Con?) and the important thing is that it is MY experience. That means I won't have anything about any panels and the announcements that came out of that because I didn't attend any. For the pictures I have, it's primarily creators and no costumes. First off, I was set up next to Transfuzion Publishinig, a venture started by me and Rafael Nieves.

We were part of the MOB RULES contingent which was organized by Raf as a very loose coalition of creators that would share space together. Not really a stronger alliance than that but obviously, in some ways because of the loose association, it leads to a stronger one for later. The Mob Rule had spots 4600-4616 which I believe was 9 tables in a row. There was me, Transfuzion, Nate Pride, Rafael Nieves, General Jack Cosmo Productions which was Aaron Shaps, Michael Beazley, Jim McKern, and Adam Lahners, Doug Klabuba, Juan Arevalo, Tony Maldonado, Juan Gomez, Len Kody, Rex Mundi's Eric J., Dan Doughtery, Lamorris Richmond, Stu Kerr, Ralph Griffith, and Tom Roberts. Hope I didn't leave anyone out.

I heard from some people that the show seemed slower than last year but I thought the crowds were pretty good and fairly consistent. We had a good spot so that probablyy helped. I sold a lot of books, both Transfuzion and mine, and I did see a trend for people picking up graphic novels based on the subject matter which appealed to some peripheral fans. Worlds of H.P. Lovecraft moved well as did Jack the Ripper. Zululand got a lot of interest. As usual, Renfield and Saint Germaine sold well. Deadworld is pretty much a given, of course, but it seems with each con, I move more and more of the CD collection of the first 46 issues (some 1,500 pages). I sold out on Friday but luckily, Eagle One Media was also at the show and he had brought extra stock so I got a chance to get more. But I'm just about out again and I didn't have a chance to get to their booth during the show again.

For most of the friends and creators I came across, I'll just use the pictures that were mainly shot by Nate Pride. Nate handled quite a bit of the production for Caliber and most of the books that were printed were put together by him and he also designed much of the look and logos of the books. If you go way back to the beginning of Caliber, that was me...the good stuff came when Nate took it over. Nate drove with me to the con and it seemed like old times...going back to the Caliber days. A lot of people don't realize what a good artist Nate is as he was so involved in production, he never got too many chances to show off his work, but his portfolio at the con got lots of attention and too man commission sketches he's going to have to mail some. Nate and I hung out with Rafael, Juan Arevalo, Tony Maldonado and Juan Gomez most of the time and picked up a few extras along the way. Had a great time. We were usually some of the first ones at the Hyatt bar which was the "happening" place and then we'd leave to grab dinner before going back. Later, around 11-12, is when the bar became packed. Good mix of creators and fans all intermingling together. If you go to Giordano's Pizza and get the stuffed pizza, just be aware that you will not eat more than two pieces so order accordingly. One pizza will feed four people. I forgot that and will probably do it again if I go next year.

Talked at length with Steve Leaf of Diamond Comics and I think he's a Vice President of something. If not, he should be. We talked about the old ways of the industry and the new way of it. I prefer the old and he has to prefer whatever gives him a paycheck. Good guy and just shows that you have to separate a company from the people there. Although I don't have a problem with Diamond, I know a lot of people who detest what they do...but if you remember that business is about the bottom line, I can't see how people can get so upset. Stealing a line from The Godfather, business is business, it's not personal (in most cases).

Had a brief conversation with Bob Layton and it centered on Future Comics which was his foray into publishing and going direct to stores and consumers. It didn't work out but we both agreed that it would be a vast different set of parameters in today's connected world.

Met up with Matt Anderson who does the charming White Picket Fences and got to meet some of the other creators involved with Ape Entertainment. To my surprise, Paul Daly, who did a few projects for Caliber early on, was also doing a project with Ape. We played booth tag for most of Saturday before finally hooking up together. It was good to see him and see that he's back into comics.

I also got a chance to hook up a bit with Tim Vigil who is working on some of the Frazetta book. People who weren't around in the early 90's may not remember just how big Vigil was back then. I give him some credit in helping Caliber Comics launch as his cover story on Caliber Presents #1 was our big roll out.

Chuck Moore who puts together the Comic Related website where the Transfuzion blog is hosted stopped by as he was arranging podcasts. We're going to do a longer version upcoming which will also cover the Caliber years in addition to what's new at Transfuzion and Desperado. You really should check out the site if you haven't because it's not just message boards but also blogs, news, reviews, podcasts...a great informative site at comicrelated.com.

Had far too many brief conversations and not enough long ones so it was obviously a fairly busy con. Here's some pictures.

The Transfuzion Booth at Wizard World Chicago 2008. We went with low level signage as we were told that large displays in Artist Alley were not allowed, but quite a few people had them. I think its the trend of the future that more and more people are moving to Artist Alley because the costs of "Small Press" booths are just too much, especially at some shows where placement is horrific. I have to admit that for most of the actual booths this year, the placement was much better than last year.

I had the King Zombie prototype mask on display and that got a lot of attention and lots of people asked about the King Zombie (from Deadworld) action figure coming from Shocker Toys. The mask proved to be a great "picture spot" for kids especially.

Rafael Nieves and me. We're responsible for Transfuzion but the policy is that if you want to compliment the company, you contact me. If you want to bitch about something, it's Rafael. He may not be up to speed on that policy yet but he'll get there. I never take a good picture but usually Raf does...in fact, some woman came up to him just to get a picture of his hair.

Phil Hester is one of the nicest and most talented guys in the business. I still think his Fringe series he did with Paul Tobin for Caliber in the beginning days was one of the best things Caliber ever published. But Phil would rather work for large publishers and make lots of money. Actually Phil is one of the few "mainstream" creators that keeps a hand in the independent comics arena.

Got a chance to talk a few times with Mike Perkins. Mike did a number of things for Caliber in his early days and of course, most people know him now for Captain American and Union Jack. It was just announced that Mike will be dong the art chores for Stephen King's THE STAND. Good for him as he deserves all the success he gets. I didn't get a chance to hang with Mike too much as his schedule was unbelievably busy.

Stu Kerr of Ralph 'n Stu but Ralph Griffith was probably entrenched in the dealer's area. They're releasing the complete OZ collections via Transfuzion and relaunching Arrow Comics.

Eric J. co-creator of Rex Mundi. He ended up in Mob's Rule and we welcomed him with open arms but we forgot to tell him that he had to buy the first 16 rounds at the bar. Maybe he did hear that 'cause we could never find him at night.

Three guys that made the con so enjoyable for me. All very talented and a great bunch to hang with. Juan Gomez, Tony Maldonado, and Juan Arevalo. Damn, I hope I got them in the right order. (Just kiddin' guys). Look for their names soon on some exciting projects....

The crew from General Jack Cosmos who really know how to put together a display. Shown here are Adam Lahners and Michael Beazley.

Len Kody, had his comic, CHICAGO: 1968, the story of the Democratic National Convention on hand for people to check out.

Dan Dougherty is an artist that really deserves more attention. Nice guy who is hooking up with Raf on one of the projects that will help launch Transfuzion's excursion into all new material.

Tom Roberts was one of the Mob Rules guys but this was the first that I met him. Lots of great pulp books but the highlight of his stuff s the gorgeous book on ALEX RAYMOND.

Jim Calafiore got his start at Caliber and now has a good home at DC which keeps him busy. He's doing a new cover for the CAMELOT ETERNAL collection that Transfuzion will be putting out in the next few months. He said that he already started working on it. Camelot Eternal was a series he did for Caliber.

Scott Story who puts out his Johnny Saturn through his publishing company, Story Studios. He wasn't part of Mob Rules but since I see him at all the conventions I do, I figure he's worth a pix.

Overall, I thought it was a good con. I had a few boxes less leaving than I had coming in so that's always good. I never have high expectations for Wizard World as it is a superheroish convention for the most part but because of the people there, I always have a good time and it usually ends up being a trip worth taking just for other business matters.

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