"What I find more curious is the ire Sturm stoked with Tom Spurgeon over at the Comics Reporter by saying that the Masters of American Comics should have included a woman, to which Spurgeon replies that you can only say a woman should have been included in the show if you are ready to say which man should not have been. Really, the only way to say that women like Lynda Barry and Majorie Henderson Buell helped to define the artistry of comics is by saying they helped to define the artistry of comics more than a man? Really? Perhaps there was an edict that said that only 15 cartoonists could be spotlighted, hence the need to pit cartoonists against each other. Otherwise, this argument seems a little cage match-y to me. Lame."
Yikes!
I'm honestly not sure what I can say here that doesn't make me sound super-defensive on any number of delicate issues. It's my job to communicate my points, so obviously I failed there. But let me take a quick shot at what I think is the heart of it.
The key is that I'm arguing for specificity, not a rigid framework. There are a million ways to discuss the excellence of a cartoonist like Lynda Barry; I just think most of the really good ones apply specifically to Lynda Barry, the career she's had and the books she's published and what's effective about each one. Similarly, if you're going to argue the success or failure of that Masters exhibit, my hunch is that most of the best, most effective arguments are going to be specifically about that show, the list they came up with, the specific oeuvres of each cartoonist selected.
So yeah, let's discuss great cartoonists and comics-makers in every way possible. But if we're going to bring in the Masters exhibit, let's get in there and talk about it. Why bring it into the discussion otherwise? I laugh at rolled eyes and crushing people in five words or less as much as anyone does, but I like it even more when people dig in to say, "Oliver Harrington is a much better cartoonist than Chester Gould" rather than "There are no African-American cartoonists on this list." And I'd be just as happy if people were specific according to Peggy's standard. I prefer, "Any list too small to include Lynda Barry is an illegitimate list" over "Where are the female cartoonists on this list?"
So no enforced cage matches, just a general hope for a dialogue of specific examples over summary dismissals. And no real, stoked ire, just a reminder how frustrating discussions about important comics industry issues can be. If only arguments against the Masters show had been more like Peggy's criticism of me: specific, on-point and brutally direct.
I've known Bob Fingerman for about as long as I've been working in or near comics, although never as well as I'd like to. My first memory of him is as the cartoonist behind Minimum Wage, an autobiographically-informed work of fiction that came along just as the entire industry became determined to set itself on fire and jump off a building. It was a bad time to make the first of what would be several career-defining works. That was a long time ago, particularly in funnybook terms, and Fingerman has stayed busy making himself a "known quantity," as he terms it. He also moved into writing prose, which surprised me for the reasons we discuss in what follows.
Fingerman has two major projects out right now. The first is a comic book series from IDW called From The Ashes, a post-apocalyptic satire starring Fingerman and his wife Michele, and a bunch of comics one may assume will eventually be collected by the surging, San Diego-based publisher. The second is an illustrated book called Connective Tissue, from Fantagraphics, and he's not kidding about the "illustrated" part of that phrase -- it's stuffed with visuals. Next year will see the release of Fingerman's Pariah from Tor Books. It was fun to talk to Bob not at a convention at 4 PM on a Sunday, or at a party while heading in separate directions. He sounded happy. -- Tom Spurgeon
*****
TOM SPURGEON: You currently have the comic book series with IDW that I assume will eventually become a book. You have an illustrated prose work with Fantagraphics. You have a book due next year from Tor that's straight-up prose. Is this kind of mix the ideal for you?
BOB FINGERMAN: I think that actually is the ideal, yeah. A mix. I get restless -- I don't know if "restless" is the right word, but maybe it is the right word. I like to mix it up. I think if I did nothing but comics, I would end up hating comics. For a while there I was actually beginning to hate comics. Although I think that mainly had to do with a lot of the feelings I had about the business of comics more than the creation of comics.
SPURGEON: The old joke is, "Comics has a business?"
FINGERMAN: [laughs] Exactly. That was my point exactly. I kept saying, "Is this a business or is this a hobby?" Not from my point of view, but... well, whatever. I don't want to sling too much mud.
Ideally what I'd love is to alternate. If I could put out a prose novel one year and a graphic novel the following and keep doing that, then maybe for good measure do a couple more of those illustrated novellas? I think that would be great. At least until I got tired of doing that and then I'd want to move onto something else.
SPURGEON: What is the appeal, having all of those options open to you? Is it a sense of telling different kinds of stories with different sets of tools?
FINGERMAN: Oh, definitely. I've always been kind of a believer in knowing your strengths and knowing your limitations as a creator. There's certain things that I would not do justice to if I drew them. There are some comic scripts that I have in mind that I would prefer someone else to draw than me, because I just know I wouldn't be the right guy for them. I think there are certain stories that lend themselves to prose. In particular, maybe ones that are a bit more serious. I don't look at my art and say, "I have a style that lends itself to serious storytelling." I have a tendency to draw in a more humorous vein.
I didn't think of my first novel, Bottomfeeder, as anything other than a novel. But the forthcoming novel, Pariah, the one that Tor's putting out next year? That actually, way back when, began as a graphic novel pitch. That would have been one I wasn't going to draw. And actually the best thing that could have happened -- I didn't feel that way at the time -- was that it never became a graphic novel. I think ultimately it would have been much more superficial and much more compromised. Especially since I was gearing up to do that for a more mainstream comics publisher, they wouldn't have let me go nearly as far as I went with it. It was going to be in its initial incarnation probably only a 64- or 72-page story. It would have been really compromised. Prose lends itself better to some things.
Also, frankly, I just enjoy writing. I enjoy playing with words as much as I enjoy drawing pictures. I don't think I'm an overly fussy writer. I don't think I sit there trying to impress myself with, "I'm going to top Noel Coward today." I do try to turn a nice phrase if I can. To me, sometimes at the end of the day, and there's some really good writing, I feel the same way as if I had made a really good drawing. It's a way to satisfy my creative urge in different ways. For me, writing has always been as important as the art.
SPURGEON: I remember when Ed Brubaker started writing full time, that made a certain amount of sense to me just from what I knew about how he approached writing and the writing in his comics. I'm not sure that I ever saw you as one of the cartoonists that would eventually write. Did you always see yourself as a writer as a well as a cartoonist?
FINGERMAN: It was always there. I think if you had access to me on the same basis as perhaps you did to Ed, you would have seen it. I wasn't in Seattle, in your orbit.
I've always wanted to do it. I've always written, I've just written for myself in prose. It was more a matter of what prompted me to finally take the plunge than actually taking the plunge, because I had always intended to write novels as well as do comics. At the time I began writing -- and I have a couple of unpublished novels, too. You have to have a couple of those. It's where I got my feet wet. Maybe someday they'll see print... if I still want them to. It was a growing dissatisfaction with doing comics that finally made me say, "Fuck it. I'm going to write a book."
SPURGEON: Was that solely the industry stuff you mentioned or were there artistic issues as well?
FINGERMAN: I think it was more industry. I've always had I think an odd place in the world of comics. On the one hand, I think I'm a pretty well-known quantity. On the other hand, I think I occupy strange real estate in the world of comics. I think some of that is because I do jump around. Every project I do is different than the last. I've never created a consistent body of work. I've certainly never had an ongoing character long enough. I do things and I burn them through and then I move on. I don't know. Maybe restlessness will be the theme of this interview, but I definitely want to try different things.
SPURGEON: Does it seem odd in 2009 to be doing a serial comic with IDW? I know that's their business model.
FINGERMAN: That is their business model. So I really didn't have any choice there. But in some ways, it's funny. Again, From The Ashes is something I conceived of as a book, not a comic book series. But being forced to do it as a comic book series made me write it differently. And actually I think in some ways it was good. When approaching something big and amorphous like a book, where you're not thinking page count, you're just thinking story. In writing for a comic book where you know you have 24 pages, it's a very regimented way of writing. You know you have to hit your beats at certain points.
And so in a way it made me consistently end each chapter with a cliffhanger, which is kind of nice in a way. I do that in my other writing, but it's not... like I say, it's not as regimented. I wouldn't want to do that all the time, but I think it made From The Ashes -- I don't know if it's stronger, because I can't compare it to the other thing that only exists in theory [laughs]. But I think it's the best comics I've ever done, and I think maybe in some ways that's because I did it issue to issue. That's one of the things I liked about Minimum Wage, that there was sort of an episodic nature to it.
SPURGEON: Am I right in that the genesis of From the Ashes was the relationship rather than the setting?
FINGERMAN: It was both, and thinking about the end of the world. I conceived of it during the final year of the Bush/Cheney horror show. So thinking of the end of the world was not far from my thoughts a lot of the time. Bush and Cheney had that glint in their eye that "We're the ones that can make this happen. Fuck it. Time to meet Jesus." [Spurgeon laughs] I'm not going to say terrorism didn't scare me, because here I am in New York, the city that got hit the hardest. But I was never as scared of the terrorists as I was of Bush and Cheney. You just never know. Especially with someone like Bush. I thought, "As the clock is ticking down on his presidency, what is he going to do?"
I'm not an overly fuzzy-headed doom and gloomer. My feeling is that certain things like the End of the World are so outside of the realm of day to day thinking, that for me they just become a toy to play with. I wasn't losing sleep over the thought that the End Times were upon us. In some ways, it's two passions: I love post-apocalypse stuff and I love my wife. [laughs] How can I mash these together?
Also, and I'm sorry this answer is so long, it really did spring from a conversation I was having with my friend John Hanlon about memoir comics and how I was just getting sick and tired of memoir comics. I know that's not going to make me any friends with people who do memoir comics. I thought if you're going to do a memoir, have a really extraordinary event. And I thought, "The end of the world would be an extraordinary event." And then the phrase "speculative memoir" popped into my head. I think it was those three things. Thinking of the end of the world, thinking of wanting to do something with my wife, and then this "speculative memoir" phrase.
SPURGEON: Is there a point at which you're putting something together where you can begin to see how it will work, or are you just writing and figuring that when it's done it will either work or it doesn't.
FINGERMAN: Well... for me, the process of putting things together is probably a little more amorphous than with some people. I don't say, "I'm going to go home, sit down and write an outline for this thing." I kind of mull on it for a while. Not months and months but for a few good weeks I'll wander around and as things pop into my head I'll jot them down on post-it notes, little scratch pads or whatever. Then I begin to collate those little inspirations and ideas or what have you. The something will either coalesce as a book or won't, in which case I'll just toss the whole thing. I was thinking, "What do I want to hit with this?" All right... it's the end of the world. That's one thing.
The last eight years I became a rabid news junkie. The worse things got the more detail I wanted to know. I was basically trying to figure out a way to erode any lining left in my stomach. [Spurgeon laughs] The Bush years were quite corrosive in that regard.
It's funny that I keep mentioning Bush-Cheney, because I didn't want anything about Bush and Cheney -- or hardly anything -- in this book. I didn't want it to be overly topical, either. There were certain topical figures I wanted to get in there, certain figures in our culture I wanted to get in there. You haven't seen anything other than the first issue, but as we get further into the apocalypse and we start encountering more survivors and so forth, I wanted to touch on things like religion to some degree. I wanted to touch on the news media. The sort of lemming-like, herding response of people. All kinds of things. It definitely gets bigger and broader. The first issue is every intimate. I think I kept the intimacy between Michele and I as it goes on, but the scope begins to broaden and broaden in terms of satirical targets and things like that.
SPURGEON: I talked with Peter Bagge recently about his Reason essays, and he said that a problem he had is that he doesn't know if he's funny -- if the character of Peter Bagge is funny. Are you able to tell with these characters, that are you and your wife, how well they work?
FINGERMAN: It's so subjective. On the one hand, if I say, "Yeah, I hit it out of the park," people are going to think, "Boy, what an egotistical asshole." On the other hand, if I'm falsely modest and say, "Oh, shucks. I don't know. Gawrsh. That's for other people to decide..."
I think I did a good job. I hope I did. I am a very harsh critic when addressing my own work. The other thing is, in a way I think portraying myself -- and this is the first time I've done it without any varnish. It's just Bob Fingerman and his wife Michele. There aren't any stand-ins.
I don't like to make myself look like a fool, because I don't consider myself a fool. At the same time, I think because I'm not so vain I can't constantly use myself as -- what's the word I'm looking for? -- just use myself as a vehicle to make fun of myself. As long as there's a balance. I don't believe in portraying myself as an idiot. I'm not an idiot. At the same time, I don't make myself, "Look! He's King Capable, he can do anything!" [Spurgeon laughs] If anything, I portrayed myself as a lot more sanguine about what's going on than I would be in real life. If I did a strip about the apocalypse that was realistic, provided I allowed the latitude of me actually surviving such a thing, I'm sure I'd crawl under a rock and die [laughs] just from sheer horror and fright. So there's obviously some creative suspension of disbelief.
SPURGEON: Are there any specific instance of apocalyptic literature you're pushing against? In comics, The Walking Dead is very popular. You mentioned The Road in an e-mail to me. That's certainly a culturally significant prose work.
FINGERMAN: I don't know if I push against them. I sort of embrace them. I really love the genre of post apocalypse stuff. Movies, comics, whatever... I make little nods to things here and there.
SPURGEON: What's appealing to you about the genre?
FINGERMAN: It's funny, because I'm not overly introspective about why I like certain things I like. Why do I like zombies so much? The answer "because I do" isn't very satisfying. [laughs] Or very deep. I think in some ways with post-apocalypse stuff, there's the possibility -- it's not necessarily the actuality, but there's the possibility of freedom that doesn't exist when the structures of society are still in place. You know what I mean? Certainly in a lot of the popular entertainment that's I think the appeal. Things like Mad Max or Road Warrior or whatever. You basically have these nomads roving around. It' not a great life. They're struggling for gasoline and every little scrap of food. But on the other hand, if you look at the bands of marauders, they're all kind of joyful in their psychosis. [laughter]
You're getting to play with some modern things -- there's the trappings of the world that was, but they're all relegated to the background. Simply in terms of drawing, there's something very satisfying about drawing ruins. [Spurgeon laughs] A building that's still standing is a rectangle. A building that's been knocked down is jut a chaos of shapes. And a chaos of shapes is fun to look at.
SPURGEON:Connective Tissue is one of those books that makes sense when you describe it -- "he's doing an illustrated book" -- but it's an odd thing to see. [Fingerman laughs] You illustrated the crap out of this, Bob. This isn't six plates in an Edgar Rice Burroughs book.
FINGERMAN: It is an odd book. There's no other way to put it. It's an odd book. I don't think it fits neatly in with anything. Which will either be its charm that will make it become a huge hit. Or it's the thing that will keep people looking at it and scratching their heads. This is one of those cases where I don't know how they'll rack it in the bookstore. I haven't gone to a Barnes & Noble lately to look for it. It's not a graphic novel. It's not a full novel. It's an illustrated novella. And like you say, it's profusely illustrated. There are 50 illustrations, maybe more. Plus there's an epilogue in comics form. To use a crossword puzzle word, it's a real olio of approaches.
SPURGEON: Nice.
FINGERMAN: I guess in some ways, that's kind of the theme of what we're talking about: the fact I like to try different things. That's a very different thing. Even for me, that's a very different thing. It was doing all different kinds of new things. Even my approach to doing that one was completely different than anything I've ever done before. I wrote it after I drew it.
SPURGEON: Really?
FINGERMAN: It was all an experiment. I wanted to try to reverse engineer a book. Most illustrated books -- most might be an understatement, all illustrated books I think -- tend to have story first and the art comes second, hence the term illustration. In this case I started doing a series of drawings with this girl. She just sort of popped into my head. The way the drawings run in the book isn't quite the order that I drew them. There was a sequence to the art I was doing. I took her from this place to this place to this place. But it was very stream of consciousness. I wanted to start her in her workplace. And then just take her on this journey.
I've always liked Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland. Those are two of my favorite kids' things. And actually Wizard of Oz in particular becomes more and more present in From The Ashes when you get further and further into it. I think Alice in Wonderland is more and more of a presence in Connective Tissue. I wanted to drop my character Darla into sort of a drug infused, hallucinogen-infused rabbit hole. I just wanted to draw stuff I wanted to draw. It was a case where I wanted to scratch a lot of itches. I wanted to draw weird creatures, a city where no one was wearing clothes but her, just keep her this fish out of water and keep throwing different things at her. I didn't know where I was going to go with it or what I was going to do with it. Because it was such an odd project, I was thinking maybe Fantagraphics would eventually be its home. But I wasn't sure. I certainly didn't want to assume, because it wasn't like anything that they've done.
I had started this art blog and put up some of the drawings. They were among the first drawings I put up on it just to show I was still busy. Gary [Groth, co-publisher at Fantagraphics] contacted me -- I hadn't even hipped him to the blog so I was surprised that he came across it. In a way I was kind of flattered. "Gee, he must have actually been browsing." [laughs] I don't know, I never asked. "Why did you stumble across my blog?" Sometimes its best not to know.
SPURGEON: That's too weird for me to even ponder.
FINGERMAN: He sent me a really nice and particularly for Gary quite effusive e-mail telling me how much he liked these drawings and how he thought they were great and how he thought they were the best I'd done. So I thought, "Okay, the door is open." I said to him, "Do you want to do it as a book?" He said "Sure" without me even elaborating on what I had in mind. When I hit him with the idea of it being half-prose, half-illustration, then he got really excited. You know Gary. He's a real reader. He loves words. He and I have talked about how he'd love to jut publish more and more prose. I think this combination of drawings he already liked and working with prose really appealed to him.
So I very happily found an enthusiastic and receptive publisher for it. It is a strange project, but it's one I'm happy with and really proud of. I'm thrilled at the good fortune that it not only came out but it's such a handsome little book. I think they really did a great job. I have to give a little shout out to Jacob Covey, their designer. He's really good. You just look at the books they've been doing the last two or three years, it's just such a quantum leap in quality. They always did good stuff, but they're really beautifully designed book now.
SPURGEON: I think it's the biggest difference at that company over the last half-decade.
FINGERMAN: Even the books that they did that I really liked, they were at best workmanlike in their design. But when Jacob and I forget the other guy --
SPURGEON:Adam Grano. Greg Sadowski was there full-time for a while as well.
FINGERMAN: When they came on board, all of the sudden it's like, "These look great." The book that in a way made me hope that Jacob would be the one who'd work on Connective Tissue is Petey & Pussy. That's just a gorgeous little book. So Jacob's the man, and he did me right. I'm very proud of the book. I think it looks beautiful.
SPURGEON: Looking at your visuals in Connective Tissue, you have these figures in the foreground that are solid, but then the background figures and even the background itself are fading. Is that an approach you've used before on a project?
FINGERMAN: I haven't. It interests me when I look at how consistent al lot of other artists' art is. It will evolve and there will be subtle changes, but it's more a matter of refinement than change. Some artists, you look at what they did 25 years ago and now and it looks the same. The style is completely locked in. For me, you look at the body of my work, each project looks different than the last one. I think there is -- for better or for worse -- a Bob Fingerman style. But you look at something like White Like She, you look at Minimum Wage, you keep looking. They all look different. I'm always trying different stuff.
Starting with the book Recess Pieces, I gave up inking altogether. They stopped making the kind of pen I liked drawing with, and I said, "Fuck it. I'm done." I was always someone who when I did the pencil stage, I thought that's where the vitality was. In a way inking leached away a lot of the vitality. I also always wanted to work looser. Over the years my appreciation of Jack Davis has gotten greater and greater. On the one hand, his work was very polished. But it never looked fussed over. There's such raw, spontaneous cartooning going on in his work, and it doesn't matter if it's his water-colored stuff or his pen and ink stuff. It's just fresh. I think that's the ideal I've always been -- not always, but since... the word maturity is such a loose word when you draw comics. [laughter] That to me seemed like the direction I wanted to go in.
There were two directions I could have gone. One would have been to really become super-refined, and very precise. And the other was to get loose. And loose just... looks more fun to me. I love and respect the guys who do almost surgically precise work, but that's not the direction I wanted to go in. So, for Connective Tissue, which was sort of the next stage after Recess Pieces. That's why I started doing drawings without writing, that was part of loosening up. Not thinking, "I have this plot I know I have to adhere to." If I just do drawings, all I'm going to think about is the drawing. That changed the entire approach. In some ways Connective Tissue is a very apt title because it is the tissue that goes between the older, more... the old Inky Bob, and sort of loosy-goosy Pencil Bob. That sounds idiotic. You can cut that out. [laughter]
I try not to over-analyze this stuff. In a way it's like deconstructing a joke; it becomes very unfunny if you do that. The short answer is that once I dropped the ink, since pencil is more tonal, ink is black and white and if you add tone in ink you're crosshatching, which is still black. You're creating an artificial tone. With pencil you can go soft. Once there was that freedom of drawing soft here and a little hard here, and you get that real light and dark. It is that real light and dark. You can add your shading, and it all depends on how hard you're pressing. It made the art have a different quality.
We also printed that work differently. There's a printing process called stochastic printing, which is different than your standard four-color. It's the kind of thing most people wouldn't even notice, but if you take an magnifying glass, and look at the printing in that and then look at a standard comic book, you don't see the print dots the same way. Stochastic is more of a chaotic way of printing. The dots are not in a standard grid printing like they are in a standard four-color process. It looks more like old lithography or old rotogravure. The best way to print, and I don't know why it hasn't caught on more, the best way to print photographs is with stochastic, because you really get every gradation of tone and the contrast is better. Gary and Jacob were saying that when they were looking at the art some of it looked almost 3-D. That's very flattering. I don't know if that's true or not. They saw a far more dimensional quality to the art than anything I'd done before, and that's great. Some of that's the printing, but I like to think some of that is me moving forward with my art.
SPURGEON: A specific question: is the bulk of From The Ashes going to be landscape panels?
FINGERMAN: A lot of it is. There were obviously conscious decisions... there are some full-page splash pages, but over the course of it there are maybe only six or eight more vertical panels. I wanted to think cinematically. I was thinking letterbox, how I would frame it if i shot it as a movie.
SPURGEON: Maybe this is something that didn't occur to me until From The Ashes, but how much do you consider yourself a creator that creates about New York?
FINGERMAN: I think it's deeply entrenched. I can't help it. Everything I do is set in New York. I don't know if you read Bottomfeeder, it's deeply steeped in its location. I was just talking with my dad about the writer Ed McBain. My dad is the most voracious reader I know. He reads everything. I read a fair amount, but he makes me look like a toothless illiterate.
He was talking about how Ed McBain is just a really good writer and good crafter of the kind of tales he tells. One thing he did say he didn't like is the fact that McBain will for two or three pages here and there just wax anthropomorphic about the city. My dad is more, "Tell the story! Propel the story, don't give me 'The city is like a lady' or whatever." [laughter] That's not his kind of thing.
I don't think I do that. I don't anthropomorphize the city. But I definitely use the city in everything I do. It's just what I know. I did it in Bottomfeeder. To a lesser degree I do it in the forthcoming novel Pariah. That one's set on the Upper East Side. I at least like to change locations. You know? It's not that I'm the guy that does this one neighborhood. [laughter] I bounce from area to area, and in the case of Bottomfeeder, time period to time period. But New York is omnipresent. Even though From the Ashes is set in the ruins of New York, it couldn't be ruins anywhere else. Especially because the headquarters of Fox News ended up being pivotal in later chapter. Literally there's just a few girders left and the News Corporation flag flying. I had to satirize the names for legal purposes. It's POX News in the comic.
But it's New York. It just has to be New York. Even though it's never specified what city Darla works in in Connective Tissue, I know it's New York.
SPURGEON: It feels like New York, anyway. Looking at your own work do you get anything back from it on your relationship with where you live?
FINGERMAN: I don't know if I get anything back. Sometimes it can be slightly purgative. I don't know, I think it's just innate. I couldn't see ever doing purely a fantasy novel or something. New York would figure in there somewhere. Maybe that makes me incredibly limited, I don't know. I'm a creature of my habitat.
SPURGEON: A lot of your work is satirical, too, so you're constantly negotiating your surroundings in that way.
FINGERMAN: Oh, yeah. You couldn't say any of these would be good for tourism in New York. [laughter] I'm not going to be a favorite son. I'm a son, but maybe I'm a black sheep son when it comes to the creative thing.
SPURGEON: I saw a promotional video of you, Bob, and you didn't have any clothes on.
FINGERMAN: The sheer horror... At least my naked video was tastefully shot, from the chest up.
SPURGEON: It was. I know that you've been critical of the way the industry works and marketing plays a big role in how the industry works. Do you enjoy this kind of thing on any level?
FINGERMAN: No.
SPURGEON: That was a quick no. [laughs] Would you rather not talk to me, Bob, or do these kinds of things?
FINGERMAN: Doing interviews is... it's vaguely unnatural. But on the one hand I think I'm a naturally chatty person, so I enjoy doing interviews. I always feel slightly dickish talking about myself, because my Mom raised me to be a humble person and what can be less humble than talking about yourself? But I'm also a pragmatist. I know that if you have new wares to sell, they're not going to sell themselves. The one lesson I learned years ago was that I very foolishly and naively thought at the beginning, "Well, the books will sell themselves." They don't. Even the publishers barely do.
SPURGEON: It used to be in comics people had more certainty about what worked, it's just that most folks couldn't afford to do these things. Now it seems we're moving into a time period where people don't even know what works. Every opportunity brings questions. "If I get this appearance on a TV show, will it drive people to buy my book?"
FINGERMAN: TV and radio definitely help. There's a TV pundit that shows up in From The Ashes that's very pivotal who goes by the satirical name Rile O'Biley. [Spurgeon laughs] I wouldn't be unhappy if this got on his radar and pissed him off. Stephen Colbert, whom I didn't satirize because I like Stephen Colbert, it would thrill me beyond belief if Colbert, who I understand is a comic book reader, waved it around on his show. I'm lampooning his "hero," Papa Bear.
I know that if it got featured on his show, even in passing, my sales would spike. It might just be for whatever issue was out at the moment, but my sales would spike.
The promotional machine is such an odd part of the business. I guess it didn't used to be. So much of it falls on the creator now. I don't take quite as dim a view as a fellow comic book artist friend of mine who will remain nameless, but at this point he refers to publishers as the people who pay the printing bill. I think that's too reductive.
SPURGEON: I think it's possible to see what he's getting at, even if you disagree with it. It's not a bizarre claim.
FINGERMAN: It isn't. I don't even 100 percent disagree with it. It's just overly simplistic. A publisher -- I don't want to make excuses for them, either -- they have a lot of product to push and unfortunately there's a lot of prioritizing that goes in. One of my biggest beefs with a publisher I worked with in the past was that they sold the stuff that was pre-sold. They had a couple of titles that were hits, and that's where all the promotion went. So when you were the guy doing something that nobody knew about that absolutely would only survive and succeed if it was promoted, and it got no promotion, obviously that would leave me feeling quite angry and hollow. I thought, "I just worked for almost a year on this thing and there's no ads for it. There's nothing." And yet the hit X and the hit Y, there's ads all over the place, but they're already on people's lips.
It's a strange business: comics in particular, but I think publishing, also. Comics in particular is trying to negotiate its way through the new media. The web has in a way become the great equalizer. I can put up what is for all intents and purposes a commercial. I did a trailer for From The Ashes. The only commodity I need is time and some resourcefulness in putting it together, but it's free. I put it up on Facebook, I put it up on YouTube, I put it on my blog. I sent it to my publisher and said, "Hey, can you put this on your web site?" They haven't. [laughter]
You have to know a few things. I've kind of taught myself video editing, so there's another skill set to add to my resume. It's good stuff to know. On the one hand I can say -- if I want to feel sorry for myself -- "Why aren't there big ads for this thing or the other thing?" But you can take charge now yourself. If you're completely passive as a creator in terms of promotion, if you don't do well, it's at least partly your fault. With From the Ashes I've also been lucky in that a friend of mine who's a publicist very graciously offered to do PR for me. Which was lovely of her. My friend Emma Griffiths. She has her own PR firm and she treated me like a client. And that's great.
SPURGEON: I consider you one of the cartoonists hit hardest by comics' self-inflicted recession of the 1990s. I thought your work suffered for coming out at a time when comics was acting in a deeply dysfunctional, self-defeating way. You have a number of projects coming out now... is there anything you're noticed about being an artist during this wider recession?
FINGERMAN: Wow. Heavy, man.
SPURGEON: Is it different now?
FINGERMAN: In a way it's so strange because I feel like I'm having a really good streak now. As our economy collapses and so forth, I'm having a really good streak. I've got Connective Tissue out, I've got a series out, I've just sold a novel, I'm setting up what I think is going to be a very nice ongoing relationship with Tor. For me things are looking kind of sunny. So it's hard for me to say, in a way.
Although I'm nostalgic for certain reasons for the Clinton years, they weren't necessarily kind to me economically. [Spurgeon laughs] The world was a better place, but my standing in it wasn't. That's a complex question for which I don't have a particularly cogent answer. Right now, [laughs] as I've gotten this apocalypse out of my system, I'm feeling pretty content.
*****
* cover art to first issue of From The Ashes
* Bob Fingerman photo by Whit Spurgeon
* Bottomfeeder cover
* two of Bob and Michele from From The Ashes
* three of those illustrations from Connective Tissues
* a loose-looking breakdown page from the Recess Pieces era, snagged from Fingerman's blog
* another couple of panels of Bob from From The Ashes
* the promotional video discussed
* cover art to Connective Tissue (below)
*****
* From The Ashes, Bob Fingerman, IDW Publishing, comic book series, 2009, $3.99 per issue.
* Connective Tissue, Bob Fingerman, Fantagraphics, hardcover, 9781606991435 (ISBN13), 134 pages, 2009, $22.99.
FFF Results Post #166 -- Blind Island
On Friday, CR readers were asked, "Try To Assemble For Yourself Five Desert Island Books or Series In An Area, From An Author or Adhering To A Genre Of Comics With Which You Have Little To No Familiarity." This is how they responded.
*****
Tom Spurgeon Science Fiction Comics
1. Adam Strange in Mystery In Space
2. Weird-Science Fantasy
3. Planetes
4. Border Worlds
5. Dell's Star Trek Comics
*****
Dave Knott Funny Animal (Furry) comics from the '80s black-and-white boom
* Dalgoda
* Cutey Bunny
* Time Beavers
* Omaha, the Cat Dancer
* Panda Khan
*****
Michael Dooley French graphic novels about L.A. (with thanks to Leonardo De Sa)
1. "The Girl from Ipanema," Yves H. and Hermann
2. "La Cite des anges," Marc Villard and Romain Slocombe
3. "Le Prive d'Hollywood," Jose-Louis Bocquet, Francois Riviere, and Philippe Berthet
4. "Los Angeles: L'etoile oubliee de Laurie Bloom," Pierre Christin and Enki Bilal
5. "Los Angeles," Michel Vandam and Colin Wilson
*****
Buzz Dixon Did Not Name A Grouping
1 - Classics Illustrated
2 - The Library of Victorian Murder
3 - Sock Monkey
4 - Little Nemo
5 - Prince Valiant
*****
Justin J. Major Did Not Name A Grouping
* Les Aventures de Tintin -- Herge
* Blueberry -- Jean-Michel Charlier and Jean "Moebius" Giraud
* Asterix -- Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo
* Johan et Pirlouit -- Pierre Culliford
* Les Maitres du temps (film) -- Rene Laloux and Moebius
*****
Dan Morris Shoujo Comics
1. To Terra
2. Rose of Versailles
3. Hot Gimmick
4. Nana
5. They Were Eleven
*****
Tim Hodler Western Comics
1. Tomahawk/Son of Tomahawk
2. Blueberry
3. Jack Jackson
4. Indians (Fiction House)
5. Jack Davis
*****
Gary Usher Horror Comics
1. Walking Dead Omnibus (Robert Kirkman)
2. Look Out Monsters (Geoff Grogan)
3. Delphine (Richard Sala)
4. Crypt of Horror (AC Comics reprints)
5. Jessica Farm (Josh Simmons)
*****
Chris Duffy Classic Manga
* Ge Ge Ge No Kitaro
* Lupin III
* Cyborg 7
* Phoenix
* Lone Wolf and Cub
*****
Adam Casey Must-Read Works He's Never Read
1. Concrete: "Think Like A Mountain"
2. Pete Bagge's Hate
3. Cerebus after the first third of the first phonebook that I never finished
4. Miracleman
5. Original Love & Rockets
*****
William Burns Manga
* Iron Wok Jan
* Maison Ikkoku
* Buddha
* Revolutionary Girl Utena
* Sergeant Frog
*****
Tom Bondurant Marvel Monster Comics
1. Strange Tales
2. Godzilla
3. Devil Dinosaur
4. Fin Fang Four
5. Essential Man-Thing
*****
John Vest War Comics
1. Sgt. Rock
2. The Unknown Soldier
3. G.I. Combat
4. Our Fighting Forces
5. Weird War Tales
First Thought Of The Day
I think the loneliest I ever got was when I put down a gallon container with a half-gallon of water in it and it danced around as it sloshed back and forth and I instantly wondered if there was any way I could put the container down fast enough for me to dance with it for a few seconds.
Comic-Con International Sells Out
July's Comic-Con International has sold out of all of its one-day tickets according to the measurement tools on its web site. The last to go where the Sunday single-days; four-day passes and the other single-day tickets were sold out weeks ago. This will make 2009 the second year where no tickets were available simply by walking up to the show that weekend. That's an interesting development for a lot of reasons. One is that some were worried around six months ago about a decline in interest brought on by the recession. Another is that this changes the way they promote the show, because they don't want to ignite an appetite for attendance for people who will be frustrated in any attempts they make to get tickets. A third is that it should be interesting to see how many folks might back out after attending. It's a down economy, but it's also a treacherous one, so one can imagine a few folks here and there making the hard decision to back out on a commitment and lose whatever deposit or investment is involved.
Hotels continue to come back on-line as available here.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up
* the comics consumer advocate Johanna Draper Carlson describes a company that's going to do home delivery in DC. I don't think this is as rare as one might initially think. I was told a couple of Chicago's brick-and-mortar retailers basically got their start from this kind of service. It's still worthy of note, plus it's going the other direction.
* folks are gearing up for MoCCA. Here's the programming schedule, which in the new venue can be held in the new venue rather than separate. People used to screech if you dared to suggest this was a hassle, but a lot of folks I know told me they blew stuff off or simply forgot stuff for it being in two venues. It looks like a pretty good group. Roth/Groth/Jaffee, Tomine/Seth and Panter/Santoro seem like highlights. Here's the fanta-schedule. Also, here's First Second's schedule for BEA, which is next weekend.
* I'm a great fan of Virginia Lee Burton, but I don't think James Sturm makes a very convincing case for her as the godmother of the graphic novel. It may be that the slide-show format doesn't flatter Sturm's arguments. Side issue: at one point, Sturm builds his argument by taking a shot at the Masters of American Comics exhibit from a couple of years back, in a way I find super-lame: castigating that show for its lack of female cartoonist representation without being specific as to who should be put on and who should be left off. The reason why this is lame is because it's very easy to do: you just say, "Rose O'Neill should have been included instead of Chester Gould." Or "Lynda Barry should have been in there instead of Art Spiegelman." Or "Grace Drayton is more important than Gary Panter." I mean, just say it! Otherwise, it's just a rhetorical ploy. You're calling out specific historians in terms of a nasty generality, in many cases (I don't know about Sturm, although he's generally fearless) without even the willingness to step and say you're calling those people out. Stay all the way general or get all the way specific.
* finally, the cartoonist and educator Matt Madden is blogging about the two-week intensive comics class he and Jessica Abel are teaching through SVA. (1, 2, 3, 4)
This Isn't A Library: New And Notable Releases To The Comics Direct Market
*****
Here are the books that make an impression on me staring at this week's largely accurate list of books shipping from Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. to comic book and hobby shops across North America.
I might not buy all of the works listed here. I might not buy any. But were I in a comic book shop tomorrow I would more than likely pick up the following and peer into them for a sense of the world beyond.
*****
JAN090093 TARZAN THE JESSE MARSH YEARS HC VOL 02 $49.95
This second volume collecting the nice-looking, Jesse Marsh-art featuring Tarzan comics should be even better than the first, and the first was just fine.
FEB090231 BAYOU TP VOL 01 $14.99
This is the first release into the print market from DC's Zuda comics initiative; it won like 21,450 Glyph Awards a couple of weeks back, too.
JAN094526 NAOKI URASAWA 20TH CENTURY BOYS GN VOL 02 $12.99
The best volume in an ongoing manga series out this week.
MAR090069 USAGI YOJIMBO #120 $3.50 MAR090233 NORTHLANDERS #17 (MR) $2.99 MAR092444 ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN #16 $2.99 DEC082257 BACK TO BROOKLYN #5 (OF 5) (MR) $2.99 NOV082260 GODLAND #28 (RES) $2.99 FEB092433 SWORD #17 (MR) $2.99 JUN083655 MOUSE GUARD WINTER 1152 #6 (OF 6) $3.50 MAR094037 GLAMOURPUSS #7 $3.00
These are your comic books of interest this week -- well, of interest to me or of general interest in terms of reviews and the like that I happened to notice. Brian Wood is really proud of that single-issue Northlanders story, so if you like Vikings or adventure comics even a little bit you might give that one a try. That's its cover art below.
JAN094196 JOHN STANLEY LIBRARY MELVIN MONSTER HC VOL 01 $19.95
Book of the week (that's a panel from it up top) for sure. I'm looking forward to all of these books.
MAR092418 SPECIAL FORCES TP VOL 01 (MR) $16.99
Yet another under-appreciated title from the always-fun Kyle Baker.
FEB094409 MY INNER BIMBO TP (MR) $19.95
Sam Kieth?
NOV082226 THIS IS A SOUVENIR SONGS OF SPEARMINT & SHIRLEY LEE GN $29.99
One of those big books featuring comics based on songs, with an all-star line-up of the current generation of what we would call back in my day indy comics creators.
*****
The full list of this week's releases, including some titles with multiple cover variations and a long, impressive list of toys and other stuff that isn't comics, can be found here. Despite this official list there's no guarantee a comic will show up in the stores as promised, or in all of the stores as opposed to just a few. Also, stores choose what they carry and don't carry so your shop may not carry a specific publication. There are a lot of comics out there.
To find your local comic book store, check this list; and for one I can personally recommend because I've shopped there, albeit a while back, try this.
The above titles are listed with their Diamond order code in the first field, which may assist you in finding comics at your shop or having them order something for you they don't have in-stock. Ordering through a direct market shop can be a frustrating experience, so if you have a direct line to something -- you know another shop has it, you know a bookstore has it -- I'd urge you to consider all of your options.
If I didn't list your comic, maybe I'm trying to tell you something.
* so here's the final skinny on Rich Johnston's move away from his popular column "Lying In The Gutters" on Comic Book Resources to BleedingCool.com. He swears to me this isn't a prank, the site is sponsored by Avatar Press, he promises innovative content, and Warren Ellis will be making contributions. As always, I wish Rich every success that does not involve taking advertising away from me.
* Alan Martin discusses the current Tank Girl collections and more Tank Girl on the horizon.
* Viz media is launching a new on-line magazine venture, IKKI. The idea here is something they can launch titles in a way that entices readers to buy them in print book form later on. This comes on the heel of the cancellation of Shojo Beat, which had a similar mandate (IKKI will apparently target adventure manga, for instance) but was in expensive print form with paper and whatnot.
* I'm not sure I understand the details on the "promises of more" portion of the release, but it's worth noting that Mike Allred is wrapping up his current Madman series, Madman Atomic Comics, with issue #17. I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that very few series have ended on a 17th issue.
* the cartoonist Richard Thompson lets slip that he's working on a second collection of his Cul De Sac strip.
* the writer J. Michael Straczynski will apparently spearhead DC's attempt to revive the Red Circle superheroes. Someday I'd like to see one of these revivals about to happen and the art comes from people like Jay Stephens.
* this glimpse of Fantagraphics' forthcoming Gahan Wilson collection makes it seem pretty remarkable, and no doubt it is.
* there are a couple of forthcoming books listed in the latest catalog from Conundrum Press. A June book called The Hipless Boy, from Sherwin "Sully" Tjia's column in the McGill Daily; an October book called Poof!, which is an English-language translation of Line Gamache's La poudre d'escampette.
* the writer Grant Morrison talks about his plans for the Batman comics team of the former Robin Dick Grayson as Batman and Batman's son with what's her face, the funny-named guy's daughter Talia, as Robin. He promises that he's found a way to use the 1960s Batman TV show in a way that won't make all the guys with ponytails still buying Batman to quit the book in disgust. Grant Morrison interviews are almost always fun.
* finally, I'm not sure why they just don't do a Millie the Model comic and let it sell poorly for a while to see if they can get something going, but that's why they don't let me run comics companies. That, and I insist on working pants-less.
Germany Restricts Yaoi Manga Title Brigid Alverson writes that her correspondents concerning manga that live in Germany have told her that a Tokyopop Germany-published yaoi title called Finder, by Ayano Yamane, has been "indexed" by the German government. This means that not only is the title banned from being sold, but there are apparently restrictions on discussing/advertising the work. Alverson describes the whole affair more succinctly than I'm able to, but it seems interesting that some of the common-sense rules for the dissemination of such material seem to kick in only when the work is essentially banned.
Handley Plea Post-Game: They Won
I've done a terrible job this week keeping people up to date on the various interesting threads spiraling from the decision last week by manga collector Christopher Handley to accept a plea bargain regarding a pair of obscenity-related charges he was facing. Heidi MacDonald's post provides a fine contextual summary surrounding statements made by expert Matt Thorn regarding his own peripheral involvement in the case. This Wired article provides an even better summary of events taking another step back and covering the whole thing. Plus it features quotes from at least one of the important principals.
Although there are key issues involved yet to be unpacked, primarily the exact nature if not the exact comics involved here, I think the key is this statement, from the Wired article, from Handley lawyer Eric Chase: "Chase says he recommended the plea agreement to his client because he didn’t think he could convince a jury to acquit him once they’d seen the images in question." I don't know whether to be furious at the lawyer for pressuring his client into a plea based on an estimate of his own skills to try the case given that he had access to consultants who would throw themselves off a building to stress a case like this can be won, curious as to what the hell Handley was facing that was worse than a 15-year potential jail sentence if the charges had been fought, or just generally dismayed that what should be the fundamental right to spend our private team reading whatever the heck we want that doesn't harm people in its creation might be decided through decisions like this one.
Zapiro Documentary Goes On-Line After SABC Declines Broadcast
At least that's what I think is going on here. If I'm reading these articles correctly, the Mail & Guardianis running a version of a documentary about the cartoonist Jonathan "Zapiro" Shapiro after the South African Broadcasting Corporation declined a second time to run it as they had planned. This has led to a flurry of charges: that the documentary was not the newspaper's to upload; that the SABC has been bowing to pressure from ruling party ANC, whose current leader President Jacob Zuma is suing the cartoonist for a pair of unflattering cartoons, in not running the piece; and that is somehow not even the best version of the documentary. It also means that all of the controversy about Zapiro's satirical treatment of the once-disgraced politician whose amazing comeback culminated in his taking the presidency comes back up again, this time in a very heated atmosphere.
Detective Comics Scores First #1? Numbers guru John Jackson Miller has written up his piece on April's comics sales, and one thing he notes that's hugely amusing is that this may be the first time in the history of comics sales that Detective Comicsheld the #1 position. This is remarkable from a few angles. One is that Detective Comics never accidentally ended up #1 at some point over the years, another is that of the two caped-crusader main titles Batman seems to have been the home of most of the obvious contenders for #1 in the character's history, but most of all it's just fascinating to have a comic that dang old hit #1 on the charts. It's sort of like Mickey Rooney punching to the top of the film box office numbers.
Miller also notes that after running a comparison between 2009 and 1994 -- before Marvel split off and therefore a time when there were a metric ton of comics coming out under the full-steam-ahead engine created in the late 1980s and geared up in the early 1990s, the market wasn't any more or less top-heavy than it is now. Not to any reasonable extent. According to Miller, the top 61 books accounted for half of all unit sales within the Top 300 comics list in 1994; the top 58 books accounted for half of all unit sales within the Top 300 comics list now.
Print-Only Comics Story Round-Up
Here are a couple of article brought to my attention that I believe don't have on-line iterations:
* the new financial model being utilized by PictureBox, Inc. was the subject of a write-up in Print. The article notes that the boutique publisher started out as a book-packaging company and/or with investors that saw the books got made. It also cites the publication of the Gary Panter art book and the work put it on a massive Andy Warhol monograph as causes for "investing too much time and money for too little paycheck."
The solution is two-fold, according to the article: 1) "a new website with print on-demand services and online versions of all the books so people can flip through them before buying." And 2) the previously-discussed subscriptions service, which the article describes as based on the company being able to reach about 15,000 loyal followers through social networking sites and an e-mail list.
* the latest issue of Monocle has two comics articles of interest. The first is a short interview with South African cartoonist Jonathan "Zapiro" Shapiro, who finds himself settled into a curious relationship with that country's new president, Jacob Zuma. Zapiro notes that the difference between Zuma and his immediate predecessors is that Nelson Mandela has a fine sense of humor and Thabo Mbeki would never complain about a cartoon because he would feel it beneath him. Zuma, on the other hand, is currently pursuing a huge lawsuit against the cartoonist for his portrayal in two separate cartoons.
Zapiro also puts his worries out there about press freedom in an interesting way, saying that his fear is that a political culture of bullying and favors might become the national culture.
The other article is a profile of Kami no Shizuki creators Shin and Yuko Kibayashi, which is more standard but still highly amusing and makes the pair sound awfully laid-back and cool.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up
* new Reuben Award winner Dave Coverly was nice enough to take time away from signing autographs and fielding/avoiding calls from various high-school girlfriends and state senators to send a note to this site a couple days back. Unfortunately, it was to note that we were wrong in suggesting that Coverly was the first Creators Syndicate winner of the Reuben -- Mike Luckovich is with Creators, and he won in 2005. We regret the error and are mortified by the nature of our first exchange with the reigning King Reuben.
* after recently offering its first comic based on a new, licensed, hopes-to-be-leveraged property, Fantagraphics announced what I'm guessing is its first publishing project with an immediate cross-media tie-in, an animated web series from Dash Shaw to appear on IFC.com. Comics is too all over the place these days to be surprised by anything anymore, but I hope this means next week we see them announce something like a line of graphic novels based on on the novels of Steven Millhauser.
* finally, the writer Didier Pasamonik covers the opening of the new Musee Herge, noting (I think) that there are 300 originals on display. I'm curious about the film version: "boy reporter in adventures all around the world" passes (although doesn't crush) my Iron Man/Green Lantern test of "does it sounds like a film I can present to someone in three sentences or less while we're eating hot wings and watching a basketball game on cable?" But there's so much about what makes Herge's presentation unique that one wonders about it appealing in translated form.
Another Bliss Classic Comics Homage?
* Steve Ditko, Tales Of The Mysterious Traveler #3, Charlton Comics, 1957.
* Harry Bliss, New Yorker, June 1 2009.
(a previous, Kirby-inspired drawing; for the record, I don't think this or the other one was a big deal, and this isn't the same thing, even, but it's worth noting given how people freaked out last time)
Mr. Fish Won't Back Down After Criticism Of Memorial Day Cartoon There's a really fun thread at Daryl Cagle's highly-visited comics-related blog about a Memorial Day cartoon from someone named Mr. Fish posted on Cagle's site and what you would expect in terms of response from one of the people that cartoon offends. What makes it interesting is that in his response Mr. Fish doesn't back down a single bit or attempt to find a place for compromise and understanding. You rarely see that these days. One of the reasons I'm not sure cartoonists have significant a role to play in revitalizing newspapers is that I'm not sure this level of discourse really does drive eyeballs to something.
Go, Read: Roundtable On Shojo Beat
I greatly enjoyed this roundtable of opinion-makers at School Library Journal on the recent demise of Viz's Shojo Beat. There was a surprisingly wide range of opinions here, from readers in the targeted age group who took it personally to one person who basically says she's fine with it if this means they can get back to providing her more material with which to work on the boy readers she's targeting. I think the tone's important, too, because this just seems like a bad, generally depressing thing that cannot be spun in a positive direction.
Rich Johnston To Either Launch Own Site Or To Declare Himself King Of Rumors As Publicity Vehicle
As rumored yesterday morning, the longtime comics-industry gossip columnist Rich Johnston is apparently leaving his longtime weekly column "Lost In The Gutters" at Comic Book Resources and starting his own blog, to be called BleedingCool.com. The full twitter posting as forwarded to me by someone who probably doesn't sound an old man talking about these things is, "Next Monday. A new blogsite begins. BleedingCool.com. Imagine LITG four times a day, seven days a week. Bookmark the site." Going to the suggested URL fails to yield a placeholder, however, and there is always room with these kinds of announcements for Internet shenanigans. I guess we find out on Monday.
Johnston's I guess still-current column is one of the most popular on the Comic Book Resources site, and may be one of the most popular on-line sources for comics news and rumors, period. It is also one of the oldest, stretching back across a decade and a half, or, in Internet time, 1400 years.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up
* I couldn't find a specific link, but there's an interview with Keith Knight on the top of this site right now.
* the interviewer Tim O'Shea has a piece up with cartoonist and convention organizer Dustin Harbin about the forthcoming Heroes Con. One of the more interesting stories about the events part of the comics calendar is how these well-run regional shows have fairly locked into place as a kind strong second-tier in one's con-going year: Seattle is another show like Charlotte's.
* the artist Sean Phillips' personal projects are more impressive than my professional projects.
* three folks sent me links to this on-line preview of the complete black and white Zot!, which likely means someone big had a it first and I apologize to that person. I like those comics quite a bit.
* here's a profile of Dave Sim's Cerebus, a comic book series that doesn't get profiled a lot anymore seeing as it's been completed for a while. The one amusing thing in there for me was the thought that Sim was immediately vilified in the comics press -- immediately meant six to eight months only 15 years ago. Mostly I remember everyone being worried for Sim the first couple of weeks after Cerebus #186 came out, as if a classmate of your had done some really shocking and perhaps worrisome in Algebra class.
* the writer and artist J. Caleb Mozzocco talks about some of his aborted project back from when he was a teenager. I had at least one of those, too, with an artist friend. I think it was about the place where magic and science meet. Magic and Science Denny's, maybe.
* missed it: I forget where I found a link to this series earlier this morning, but it's the latest a series of remembrances of another 1990s publisher, this time Defiant.
What Is It With The Pushy Demands For Promotion The Last Six Months?
This site isn't big enough to make or break anyone's events, so pretty much anything I have to say doesn't have to be listened to. But I've noticed an increasing tendency for people to send me things and ask that I promote them. Not "this is an event your readers might be interested in" or "this is happening June 6" or even "we have a new book out" but "post my video" or "help us publicize our book" or "do an interview with me." I find this curious. Some of these things aren't even comics, so it's easy to take a pass. But some of them are. I know things are bad out there and that new media has reached that point where there's a bunch of people clamoring for X level of saturation when there are only Y hours in the day for people to process and/or consume it, but people seem to be mistaking being aggressive with being effective.
The old rule for entertainment news is that if it's something you can buy an ad for, it's probably not news. I love hearing about events and about new books and even videos, and I have a place on this site for all three. But I get to pick and choose what I cover and why I think it's important. I don't understand the hurt feelings I'm seeing more and more when this site or others out there fail to celebrate someone's promotional "get" to that person's satisfaction. I put myself through college in part by working for a PR firm -- it's a tricky field and can be honorable work. But it's not something I'm particularly interested in as a thing in and of itself, even if there is a comics component.
I'm also not interested in sitting down and typing out a tutorial on how you can promote your work. I'm happy to answer questions about how you can work with me, but I don't really track what other people do and what little I learned promoting the Stan Lee book is already up on this site somewhere by now.
I love your enthusiasm and I love hearing about what you're up to, and I love hearing from professionals in the field. I can do a lot better with my event coverage and my publishing news coverage and my reviews. I know that. I'm trying to get there and I will likely need your continued help in doing so. But if anything I can say can convince some of you to consider taking a step back and return to an emphasis on events and comics and creators and not the act of promotion itself, not try to force that echo effect, and maybe afford some of us the respect that allows us to set our own parameters without your being angry about it, that would be a great thing.
Jim was nice enough not to object when I slid him into the Memorial Day weekend slot, so I hope if you missed it you'll consider reading his interview now. I enjoyed doing it.
It's Only Appropriate To Run The Rumor
I heard this morning in a completely unsubstantiated way that longtime comics industry gossip columnist Rich Johnston may leave Comic Book Resources to set up a blog version of his popular column somewhere else. I'm only writing this here for its entertainment value. I give this rumor a reliability rating of a puce light.
The popular comics panelist Dave Coverly of Speed Bumpwon the 2009 Reuben as Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year Saturday during the formal awards ceremony put on by the National Cartoonists Society, this year in Los Angeles. Coverly also provides cartoons to Parade and I believe The New Yorker. The other nominees this year were Stephan Pastis of Pearls Before Swine and Dan Piraro of Bizarro.
Divisional Awards winners in bold:
TELEVISION ANIMATION
* Bryan Arnett, Character Design, "The Mighty B!" (Nickelodeon)
* Ben Balistreri, Character Design, "Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends" (Cartoon Network) * Sandra Equihua and Jorge Gutierrez, Creators, "El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera" (Nickelodeon)
FEATURE ANIMATION
* James Baxter, 2D Character Animator, Kung Fu Panda
* Clay Katis, Supervising Animator -- Rhino, Bolt * Nicolas Marlet, Character Designer, Kung Fu Panda
NEWSPAPER ILLUSTRATION
* Lars Leetaru * Mark Marturello
* Sean Kelly
GAG CARTOONS
* Pat Byrnes * Mort Gerberg
* Werner Wejp-Olsen
NEWSPAPER COMIC STRIPS
* Stephan Pastis, Pearls Before Swine (United Feature Syndicate) * Mark Tatulli, Lio (Universal Press Syndicate)
* Richard Thompson, Cul de Sac (Universal Press Syndicate)
NEWSPAPER PANEL CARTOONS
* Vic Lee, Pardon My Planet (King Features Syndicate) * Mark Parisi, Off the Mark (United Feature Syndicate)
* Jeff Stahler, Moderately Confused (United Feature Syndicate)
MAGAZINE FEATURES/MAGAZINE ILLUSTRATION
* Daryl Collins
* Bob Staake * Sam Viviano
BOOK ILLUSTRATION
* Jim Benton, Cherise the Niece
* Stacy Curtis, Raymond and Graham Rule the School * Mike Lester, Cool Daddy Rat
EDITORIAL CARTOONS
* Mike Luckovich
* Jeff Parker * Michael Ramirez
ADVERTISING ILLUSTRATION
* Roy Doty * Craig McKay
* Jack Pittman
COMIC BOOKS
* Chris Blain, Gus & His Gang (First Second Books)
* Matthew Forsythe, Ojingogo, (Drawn & Quarterly) * Cyril Pedrosa, Three Shadows (First Second Books)
NCS Hall of Fame "Gold Key" awards were presented to Bil Keane and Mell Lazarus. Silver T-Square honors for service to the NCS were given to the late Australian cartoonist James Kemsley and the cartoonist Jeff Bacon. Mike Luckovich hosted the ceremony. The Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist is, along with the Pulitzer Prize in editorial cartooning, the single most prestigious North American award given out on a regular basis and one of a handful of such awards with that stature in the world. Past winners include Charles Schulz, Herblock, Hal Foster, Frank King, Chester Gould and Ronald Searle -- in one six-year period.
Also, someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe this is the first time Creators Syndicate has had the winner, at least in the year they've won.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up
* the second part of writer James Vance's look back at seminal 1990s Spruce Goose comics company Tekno Comix is here.
* the publisher Chris Staros talks about bringing over Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill's League Of Extraordinary Gentleman franchise, and what looks to be a very successful first issue.
* Sean Kleefeld talks to Joe Field about various things related to the comics business.
* not to get all Larry King with this entry, but if you talk to cartoonists about other cartoonists they admire, the name Dan Zettwoch comes up a lot.
* it looks like the standard price for various Viz manga that used to sell for $7.99 or $8.99 will now be $9.99.
* finally, Marc Mason calls for the Death of New Comics Day. Leaving aside the issue of whether I agree with Marc or not, I think one thing Marc misses that I find interesting about New Comics Day is that it might work much better if the big publishers made a priority of disciplined month to month shipping.
Comic-Con By The Numbers: 100 Tips For Attending San Diego's CCI 2009!
Comic-Con International -- also known as CCI, Comic-Con and San Diego Con -- is the largest gathering of comics industry professionals and fans in North America. It is also a show of great importance to hundreds of pros in and fans of related publishing, merchandising and film businesses.
Comic-Con International features on its main floor a massive marketplace of vendors, creators and direct suppliers. You can buy old comics, new comics, original art, movies, t-shirts, toys, and licensed items from every walk of geek life at Comic-Con. The upstairs rooms offer aggressive programming tracks in comics, film, television and a variety of related activities. There are opportunities all over the show to see and meet creators from any number of entertainment fields: actors, cartoonists, academics, models, writers. There are opportunities in the convention center and all over San Diego on Comic-Con weekend to meet like-minded fans, celebrate your favorite, geeky things, and even network on a massive scale.
It's Geek Vegas, Nerd Prom, Fan Cannes, Fandom Branson, the Grand Ol' Cosplay Opry, Four-Color Ground Zero... and it's also an extraordinarily complex vacation event. That's where this guide hopefully comes in.
What follows is a list of observations, tips and insights that may help prepare you for your San Diego con-going experience. The list this year has been simplified somewhat to emphasize the tips and advice portion of its mission. This was done mostly because doing so was easier than writing around the same 10 lame jokes that have appeared in past five guides. But let's face it: these are leaner, tougher times. Simplicity and straight-forwardness are at a premium. This document shall remain ridiculously long, but not quite as long as it used to be and hopefully with more solid advice per column inch.
In 2009, the show is scheduled for July 23-26, with a preview night on July 22. Hope to see you there.
*****
*****
THE FOUR THINGS YOU MUST DO IMMEDIATELY
It used to be you could essentially not plan for Comic-Con and just go if the mood struck you. Those days are gone.
Tip #1. Get Off The Fence And Stay Off
If you haven't decided whether or not to go yet, decide right now. Now. It's really late in the process, but you might still be able to go if you want. You can also still back out if you've made plans to go.
It's okay not to go. This was always the case, and it's even more true now. There was a time when I could argue that Comic-Con was a relative necessity. If you wanted to get everything you could out of comics, if you wanted to enter into the industry, if you wanted to be noticed, if you wanted to stay connected to what was going on, CCI was the primary facilitator of these things. I can't say that with the same certainty these days. There's so many opportunities for daily connectivity and interaction out there. These things replace, I think, much of what used to get crammed into a single July weekend.
The great thing is that now if you want to go, you go because you want to, not because you feel you have to. This makes a huge difference.
So pick a side and decide to really, really enjoy the weekend in the convention center and greater San Diego or stay home and really, really enjoy getting some work done and enjoying a more typical summer weekend. If you think you need a year off, take the year off! There's having a miserable time, and then there's having a miserable time surrounded by people in Harry Potter costumes. And even if you end up feeling you've made the wrong choice, there's going to be another one as soon as next year.
But mostly: make that decision right now. Be like Robot Caveman: commit.
Tip #2. Finalize Your Plans ASAP
If you've decided to go, and if you've left anything to chance on your Comic-Con plans, take care of them immediately. Make your travel plans, hotel plans and ticket plans your highest priority. Travel's pretty good this year -- tickets are down in price a bit. Hotels aren't bad -- you can still find a room here and there on the convention's hotel service, particularly single-day options. Tickets... well, you might be screwed there. The show is sold out of four-day passes and sold out of its single-day passes. If you're counting on tickets as a professional person or press person or from a third, sponsoring party -- and that's just about the only way it's going to happen at this point -- now's the time to make sure you're going to get them. Professional self-registration is closed. Press registration closes June 8. It used to be you could show up at the convention center day-of and score a pass from an exhibitor friend who had an extra pass in his pocket made out to "Gyro Gearloose." (I'm not kidding.) Those days are far behind us now. If you don't have all of your plans nailed down as you're reading this, I suggest trying to take care of it in the next 24 hours. All of it. If you can.
Tip #3. Establish Your Network
There are two things that make just about every facet of a trip to Comic-Con easier to do. The first is networking. All I mean by networking in this context is taking a minute or so here and there to reach out to friends and acquaintances in a modest way and let them know what you want to do at the show. Take some time in the next 24 hours to tell folks you know that you're going, and pay attention over the next few weeks to which of your friends and peers are joining you. Once you get closer to the show, reestablish contact with your fellow soon-to-be attendees to ask after things like social events or to see if they can help you with any of your more specific goals for the weekend.
The number of people I've had tell me they had a disappointing aspect of their Comic-Con weekend because of Reason X when I would have been able to provide them with Reason X had they only asked is... well, it's about a dozen people. Still.
Tip #4. Start Your Bookmarks
The other great, recurrent skill in the con-goer's toolbox is bookmarking sites of use and then making use of them. That's right: research. My suggestion is to start a folder and put the following web sites into it.
A. This Guide -- if for no other reason than I'm going to spend time between now and Comic-Con obsessively re-writing a lot of the lamer jokes.
B. Convention Web Site -- the source for tons of official information
C. Your Hotel's Web Site -- familiarize yourself with your surroundings, join the points club
D. Tripadvisor.com -- preview your hotel experience.
E. SDcommute.com -- commuting options.
F. VirtualGuideBooks.com -- see public areas before you visit them.
G. News From ME -- Mark Evanier has attended every single Comic-Con, and writes about it as the date approaches.
H. The Beat -- Heidi MacDonald's purview is comics culture, and there's no entity of greater importance within comics' culture than Comic-Con.
I. Yp.Yahoo.com -- nearby business scouting.
J. SignOnSanDiego.com -- a halfway decent baseline review place, particularly for restaurants.
That may sound like a lot of sites, and you can tailor the folder for your specific intentions, but I still think it's a good idea in general.
Deciding to go, having your travel and hotel plans set in stone, letting your friends and acquaintances know you're going, and putting together a little bookmarks folder -- you're way up on a significant number of people who will be attending this year. You can stop now, if you want. It's all downhill from here.
*****
*****
TEN TIPS FOR SAVING MONEY ON A CCI TRIP
2009 looks to be the kind of year where people are going to want to save some cash, even in the case of something like CCI. Many folks have already committed to going, or feel it's important they do so. While like any good event of size and scope Comic-con is geared to lift money from your wallet, it's also possible to go and not spend much at all, or at least arrive back home only having spent a fraction of your predicted per diem.
Tip #5. Consider Making Your Trip Shorter
I have friends that only go to Comic-Con if they can be there for five nights and four days. While I'm sure it's still a blast to get the whole summer-camp style experience, I haven't been to the entire show since 1996. Ticket availability may force a shorter trip on those of you who started late, but a four-day pass won't explode in your hand if you only use it for two or three days. The main savings that you get by going for only part of the show is on hotels and expenses like meals. If you plan well, you can do 90 percent of what you want from a Comic-Con in 33 percent of the time spent there. Plus it's way better to leave wanting more than to leave fervently praying you never see a comic book again.
Tip #6. Consider Sharing A Room
I'm too old to do this now if I can avoid it. For one thing, part of my personal San Diego routine as it's developed over the years seems to involve sitting in a fiercely air-conditioned room in my underwear for a couple of hours each day drinking Live Wire Mountain Dew, eating barbecue corn chips and watching ESPN's Baseball Tonight. Not this year, though: I'm sharing a room this year, and about 1/3 of the Comic-Cons I've attended I've either found a roommate or found a place to stay, with the obvious savings this entails.
Reach out to your friends -- you'd be surprised who might need a room or have an extra bed. Some message boards will be used to get people together, but that always seemed kind of slasher-movie to me. Share a bathroom at your own risk. But if you have a friend who's going, why not?
Stuffing people into your room like college kids on Spring Break can be easy or difficult depending on the hotel. Stay away from the Westgate when it comes to this practice unless you want to pay for each and every body. The Westin Gaslamp and the Manchester Grand Hyatt both offer roll-away beds for a modest fee. If you're not a jerk about it, usually something can be worked out even if the hotel knows you've exceeded your stated limit. It's not like these hotels have three-bed guestrooms you're declining to use.
Tip #7. Consider Volunteering (No Longer Applicable To 2009)
There's a whole sub-culture of Comic-Con volunteers, who get access to the show in return for their hard work. I know them as the "please end your panel right now so we can have a less boring one on next hour, thank you" people. My understanding is that all slots are filled for 2009 but if that's something that interests you for the future maybe bookmark the appropriate page and check out its next-year equivalent when it shows up.
Tip #8. Consider Temping
Exhibitors from out of town will occasionally hire locals or people that have made their own plans to be there anyway to work at their booths. This way they save on flying in more people from the home office. In many cases, these exhibitors have the capability to secure you a badge, provide you with a discount on their stuff, or even pay you a small fee. This is the comic-con equivalent of standing on a street corner hoping a comics publisher pulls up in his pick-up and ask you to jump in, so I wouldn't make plans based on this, but you might keep your ears open.
Tip #9. Consider Adjusting Your Plans
It's probably not worth mentioning, but someone actually e-mailed me about this. Yes, if you were already planning on being at Comic-Con as a professional and doing a signing or especially setting up somewhere, you may be able to work up some extra art or items to sell at your signing or table space to make some cash.
People love buying original stuff at Comic-Con. It adds to the uniqueness of the con-going experience. I remember one artist who used to come down on a single day, do one or two signings, sell several thousand dollars of original art, and then fly out after dinner. You're probably not able to do this, but it's something to keep in mind. Big key: check with your sponsor -- they may have a policy on this. One publisher might not want you selling another publisher's work or anything but the item they're having you sign. Another publisher may not have any room for a display of your work. If you are your own sponsor, you're in better shape.
Tip #10. Live Like A Cartoonist
The reason so many comics people are able show up at San Diego despite incomes that would alarm 1930s denizens of Appalachia is because they're really, really good at not spending money. You can be good that way, too. Trying your best to get invited to events where they'll feed you, taking public transit to and from the airport, walking everywhere during the show even when it's far away, not buying drinks but waiting to have them bought for you, leaving your wallet in the room safe while you patrol the show... you might be surprised how freeing this is. Memory will eventually toss any immediate hardship right over the rail: two weeks later you won't remember the stuff you didn't do; you'll remember the stuff you did.
Tip #11. Consider Eating In
You may horrify the local tourism bureau if you choose not to utilize one of San Diego's excellent restaurants at every meal. But let's face it: with various food allergies, pros on deadline who have to stay in their hotel room to get some pages done and people spending enough days in the city that they may simply want a non-restaurant meal, there's no stigma about buying something from a grocery store or deli and returning to your hotel room. I've done this with breakfast a lot when I'm solo at the show -- fruit and yogurt consumed in one's room while watching Hancock on HBO is just as good as fruit and yogurt eaten at a cafe watching Mike Richardson read a newspaper.
Tip #12. Consider Moving Your Getaway Hotel
If you're staying one last night and going straight to the airport the next day, you maybe don't need to be in the same hotel you just spent the days of Comic-Con inhabiting. You may be able to find a cheaper hotel out of downtown and by the airport, even.
Tip #13. If You're Young And Able To Do So, Consider Saving A Night In A Hotel Room By Not Getting A Hotel Room
When I was relatively broke in my 20s and early 30s and wanted to squeeze an extra day out of a Comic-Con, I'd store all my stuff with a friend or at the front desk of the hotel I checked out of Saturday morning, made sure I had stuff to do until 2:00 AM or so on Saturday Night/Sunday morning (the Hyatt's last-closing bar, a party at the beach, a midnight movie), retrieved my bag, went to Denny's on Pacific Highway for a couple of hours and then went to the airport where I caught a super-early morning flight.
On second thought, that was really stupid. Don't do this.
Tip #14. Consider A Secondary Stop To Save On Two Vacations
One of the advanced strategies you might consider when planning for Comic-Con is to build in some vacation time to somewhere else -- Las Vegas and Los Angeles are probably the easiest secondary destinations to pair with San Diego -- either right before or right after the show. Heck, you can also stay a few days on either end in San Diego itself and simply enjoy that city. I remember quite a few people in the mid-1990s using a company-bought plane ticket to get a little add-on vacation in after the rest of us scuttled home.
Going somewhere else in addition to San Diego allows you to take advantage of only minor increases in ticket prices that one can find by stringing together one-way tickets on a travel site. One vacation at X amount of money might not sound great, but two vacations at X + $170 after all the expenses get added up might start to sound pretty good. It can also be a way to convince someone not into all the Comic-Con stuff to come with you, although I never suggest this. Leave that person home.
I've done Comic-Con in combination with a couple of days at Las Vegas three times now. I ate a succession of Reuben sandwiches, sat by the pool, bet on WNBA games, pretended to be an ex-astronaut, denied I pretended to be an ex-astronaut when confronted by angry actual ex-astronaut... good times. Comic-Con may be the only event where you can go to Vegas to decompress, but it worked all three times I did it. The reason I began doing this, and another advantage that's sometimes cost-related, is that you can probably find a late-day flight to Las Vegas when one might not be available to San Diego or your home city. Sometimes it's cheaper and more fun to spend two $53 hotel nights in Las Vegas than one more $199 hotel night in San Diego in order to a get a full day Sunday at the convention center.
*****
PACKING AND PREPARATION
Tip #15. Get Your Pre-Convention Stuff Done One Full Week In Advance
If you're preparing anything at all for the show -- resumes, business cards, art to sell, opening lines, books to sell, art to show, scripts to pass around, your camera, a freelance assignment -- get everything done by July 15. This gives you a day or two leeway if something is screwed up, but it also means you won't be a basket case when you arrive on the convention floor because you stayed up for 37 hours stapling your mini-comic biography of Phil Seuling. Forget entirely getting something done while you're there. It's not convenient and you'll find 10,000 excuses to skip it.
Tip #16. Limit Your Physical Preparations To Fine-Tuning
I know that a lot of people drop a few pounds to fit into their Apocalypse Meow costumes or simply to better show off their late-night cocktail wear, and that others get some walking in in the days leading up to the show so as not to risk their feet falling off while they're standing in the checkout line at Ralphs. But know your limits. If you really have to lose a ton of weight just to walk around an air-conditioned building for a few days looking for old issues of Albedo, maybe stay home and use your Comic-Con funds to buy a gym membership. In the long run, you'll attend more conventions. And don't be that person that starves themselves and then has to take a nap on the floor of Rei do Gado after being overcome by meat sweats.
Tip #17. Check Out The Programming
Comic-Con programming goes up on the official site shortly before the show begins. It's always worth a read even if you only attend one or two panels. If you plan on attending a lot of panels, it's like getting a detailed scouting report.
Tip #18. Pack Something With Long Sleeves
San Diego tends to offer ridiculously fantastic weather, but there are two reasons to remember to pack something with long sleeves: a lot of socializing is done outside, in rooftop bars and on beaches, and some years the air conditioning in the convention center is really, really aggressive.
Tip #19. Pack To Mail Stuff Back
Most years I'll buy a few things and then mail them back from a local post office rather than lug them on the plane with me. I do this because I don't want my luggage to incur an additional fee, and I hate carrying books around. You don't need to have a bunch of stuff to do this. I pack a cardboard tube stuffed with a couple of over-sized envelopes, a sharpie, a couple of labels and a thing of packing tape. There are easy to access delivery stations up by the Broadway hotels and in the convention center itself.
Tip #20. Pack As If You'll Shake 1000 Hands
Because, well, you might end up shaking 1000 hands. Hand sanitizer, breath mints, and aspirin are the three keys to happiness in any Comic-Con dop kit. Okay, not really, but the absence of those three things is definitely a bus transfer to Sucktown, USA.
Tip #21. Consider Cycling Through The Week With A Germ-Resistant Booster
You've seen these travel dose drugs at the store even if you haven't used them -- things like Airborne, designed to reduce your chance of picking something up on the plane. The great thing about taking those a couple days before through a couple of days after San Diego is that it not only helps square you away for close encounters while you travel but should assist in buttressing your resistance for all the meeting and greeting at the convention itself. It's like you never leave the plane, I swear.
Malt liquor is not a germ-resistant booster, no matter how many CCS alumni claim otherwise.
(check tip #100d for a CR reader who claims this is a very bad tip)
Tip #22. Be Super Paranoid About Everything You Need Professionally
If this is a working week, be outright paranoid about getting stuff there. You may be cut off from home while you're on the trip so be fiercely mindful of getting the stuff you need professionally -- from business cards to art samples to cameras to laptops -- to your hotel room. Carry rather than check this stuff, for instance.
The key is that this paranoia should also extend to what people will be bringing to the convention for you. So if you're doing a signing for a publisher, call 'em up a couple of weeks out to see if they're bringing the books you'll need to do what it is they want you to do. There's nothing sadder than the guy showing up at his publisher's table for a signing and the publisher has nothing for them to sign. Okay, maybe when ducks get covered with oil from oil spills, then the guy with no funnybooks to sign. But it's right up there.
Tip #23. Join the 21st Century
If like me you live a life that Amish people admire, don't take your frontier standards into San Diego. I buy a cheap watch every year and I make sure my little-used phone is ready to go. You'll need a way to tell time -- there are few if any clocks in the convention center -- and a way to get a hold of people. And yes, I know how silly this sounds to your average, well-connected person.
*****
EIGHT GENERAL TRAVEL TIPS, YOUR FRONT DOOR TO HOTEL LOBBY
Getting there is nowhere near half the fun.
Tip #24. Remember Lots Of Airlines Charge For Luggage Now
Double-check with your airline. This can be a killer for Comic-Con because you may be taking stuff there to do business, or taking stuff home having done some collection-related impulse-buying. It's better to be prepared than to find out you've hit a weight limit that you can't afford -- or at the very least sets you grinding your teeth.
Tip #25. You're Under No Obligation To Be The Ambassador Of Comics
Travel chit-chat Comic-Con weekend can be fun because few of your fellow travelers are ever doing anything as odd and entertaining as spending a weekend digging around in boxes of Car-Toons magazine and giving Ernie Hudson walking directions to Athens Market Taverna. Have fun with it. You don't want to direct anyone to a show where all the tickets are sold out or anything unfair like that, but you're not going to be paid $1000 for every convert, either. One of the three best conversations I ever had on an airplane was with a 62-year-old guy from New Jersey who asked several questions about an anime/manga show that took place in the Boston hotel where he and his wife had a recent getaway weekend. It's also fun to spot fellow Comic-Con goers during early stages of your trip.
Tip #26. Consider Amtrak From LA; Consider Anything Else From Anywhere Else
I like the Amtrak journey from LA to San Diego -- it's short, it allows you to ramp up or ramp down depending which direction you're going, and you can drink booze from station to station, which is a terrible idea when you're driving. I wouldn't take Amtrak from any point further North or from any points East at all unless you're a veteran of rail travel and a big fan of Amtrak's track record and peccadilloes when it comes to long-haul trips. But that short trip has worked for me a half-dozen times.
Tip #27: If You're Taking Amtrak, Embrace Its Peculiarities
If you're doing the San Diego/LA trip, consider four things. First, realize you may get to ride with people going to or leaving from the Del Mar racetrack, which is hilarious when it happens. That's not really a tip, it's just extremely amusing to see sunburned women in hats and pasty guys with light sabers hanging out. Second, you used to be able to have some leeway on when you made use of your Amtrak ticket, which meant you could schedule for a 4 PM departure and leave on the 8 PM train. I have no idea if they still do this, but it may be worth checking out. Third, be prepared for a reasonably involved brisk walk at both stations to get on and off the trains. You're not going to be able to fake your bags onto the train or out to a cab, so make sure you can carry everything. Fourth, there's a line-up fairly early on for the train from San Diego to L.A. and it's very much worth being towards the front of that line. There's also usually no way around that line, although a lot more people try to circumvent it than succeed. It's outside of the main sitting room.
Tip #28. Realize Your Cab Experience May Depend On The Terminal
At the main airport (most flights), it's easy to catch a cab, but you'll have some distance to walk to get to that island. At the shuttle-service airport (small planes from Phoenix and LAX) , the cab stand is very close. However, since not as many cabs go to the secondary terminal it can be a wait. Consider asking people ahead of you in line to share a cab, if you're going to the same general neighborhood. It should cost about $15 from the airport to one of the downtown hotels.
Tip #29. Call Ahead To See About An Airport Shuttle
Not every hotel has them and a few hotels have cut them in today's poor economy. You also may need to reserve the shuttle rather than summon it to attend your presence. I've never taken one, because I'm shy and vans make me sweaty, but it sounds like a great idea.
Tip #30. Look Out The Window At Your Own Risk
The trip down or up the coast can be very pretty as it frequently uses a corridor a few miles off the shoreline. I've even moved to a window seat to better take it in. On the other hand, the San Diego airport is right there in the city, so a lot of flights coming in takes you near all of these buildings. I've had New Yorkers tell me this can be unnerving.
*****
YOUR HOME AWAY FROM HOME: HOTEL TIPS
I'm convinced that enjoying your hotel is 50 percent of what it takes to enjoy your convention-going experience, but I have an unhealthy fixation on hotels. Still, you're going to be spending up to half your time in San Diego at the hotel.
Tip #31. Research Your Hotel
This is where you start to put your bookmarks to work. Find your hotel web site and bookmark it. Familiarize yourself with the information there. Learn if they have a pool, an exercise room, a restaurant that serves breakfast, the menu that indicates whether you can afford that breakfast. Then take a look at your hotel's listing on TripAdvisor.com. Don't worry about the reviews so much -- those people are like mid-'80s Comics Journal columnists -- but the traveler's photos are almost always great. Then do a location search on your hotel and see what's in the neighborhood.
This sounds obsessive, I know, but spending that 10 minutes some Tuesday morning when you're bored out of your skull can save you an hour wandering around outside looking for a place to buy a soda when you have an appointment you're trying to keep.
Tip #32. Join the Points Club
If your hotel or hotel chain has a points club, join it. The advantages here are many, even if you have no intention of ever staying there again. Hotels are much more likely to bring a manager out to talk to you if you're a member of the points club. You may get your own check-in and check-out line. Joining may bring an instant reward, like a room upgrade, and of course will eventually pay off if you stay at the same place multiple years or during other trips. Finally, if something happens that's unfortunate -- say a piece of luggage gets lost or they keep checking people into your room just as you're squeezing into your Beast Boy outfit, this gives them an easy way to reward you.
Tip #33. Check In As Close As You Can To The Time Given
The hotels are super-booked Comic-Con weekend. According to most basic hotel reservation agreements, they can move you to a different hotel if they get totally booked up. So don't put off getting into your room until 11 PM after dinner. Get over there near or even slightly before the stated check-in time.
Tip #34. Put Everyone's Name On The Room
Unless you're sneaking people into your room, consider putting everyone's name on the reservation. That way they can all get keys and check in at different times. I once burst into tears at the Westin front desk when my co-workers left me off the room and the manager gave me my own room. I don't think they have the rooms to do this anymore. Plus, I am freakishly adorable when weeping.
Tip #35. Exploit Your Hotel's Services
Most convention-goers are naturally focused on the convention center, which makes it a great weekend to sneak in some quality hotel time. Use that research, in other words. If your hotel has a pool, it's not likely going to be used a whole lot. Ditto the gym. Ditto the spa services. Sneaking away from the convention center for a late afternoon swim and gym work-out can be a wonderful way to break up one's schedule. It can also be a cheap date.
Tip #36. Consider Getting A Room On A Higher Floor
Take a look at the neighborhood you're in. If it looks like it could be noisy, consider asking for a room on a higher floor. I've had people tell me this is a good idea for all the hotels on Broadway, the Hilton and the Omni.
Tip #37. Don't Count On The Fridge
It used to be that you could empty your room's fridge of all that stuff they're trying to get you to buy for way too much money and stuff it with chow and drinks you bought at Ralphs. This isn't always the case now. Some refrigerators no longer allow for the hotel items to be unloaded. Improvise with a trashcan, some trash bags and a lot of that sweet hotel ice. I think every hotel except the Westgate has some sort of ice machine. The Westgate actually brings the ice to you, which could severely limit your MacGyver-style temporary icebox creation options.
Tip #38. Befriend The Concierge
The concierge is the person in the lobby of a nice hotel that's there to help you out that's not a hooker. They sometimes have their own desk: look around or ask. Those people are there to facilitate your tourism experience. Now, you're likely to be locked into 95 percent of your time already in ways where you'll know more than the concierge does. Granted. But if you have a question about a place to eat, somewhere to shop, a service of some sort, a place to buy a new camera battery (there are actually two places in Horton Plaza), it's a great first place to stop. If you're like me and you have nothing to ask the concierge, sometimes it's fun to make up stuff to ask them. I'm still looking for that Armenian grocery store.
Tip #39. Check Out Your Hotel's Specific Computer and On-Line Policies
I once got drunk in Las Vegas at one of those terrible gaming floor bars in the Flamingo with a guy who sold hotels their Internet services. He told me that because hotels were so eager to provide these services at such an early date, a lot of chains got locked into strategies that may seem odd or outdated now. Check ahead to see if you'll be paying to hook up to the Internet and what's available to do so in your room. Your hotel may also have a business center. That can allow you to work in your room on something without paying the connection fee and then taking a detachable drive's worth of stuff onto the Internet via the business center for a much smaller, isolated fee. I go pretty computer-light at the show or without one altogether, but if you need one it's worth doing some research about the connections you'll be able to get and, say, if you can store your laptop at the front desk while you're at the show. It might even be worth a phone call.
Tip #40. Leave Yourself Enough Time To Get Out Of There
If you're leaving on Sunday, make sure you give yourself enough time to get out of there. A lot of people are checking out that day, and lot of people are storing luggage until their flight leaves, and a lot of people are parked in each garage. I have had hotel staff lose my luggage, my reservation from their computer and, one year, my car. Be prepared.
Tip #41. Tip The Hotel Staff
A lot of comics people don't tip at all. To those people I say, "Thanks for all the grumpy people I encounter at Comic-Con." For the rest of you, please don't forget the various hotel people: the guy who calls you a cab, the woman who brings you your car, whoever cleans your room. A few dollars here and there can really make someone's day -- doubly so if you're one of the few people doing it. Just because people are crazy enough to leave Jack Chick tracts as tips and somehow manage to avoid getting beat up doesn't mean you can leave your mini-comic and expect it to end up anywhere but the trash.
*****
GETTING AROUND TOWN
San Diego is a reasonably easy town in which to get around. You'll be walking in the immediate convention center vicinity, with maybe a shuttle bus or short cab ride thrown in. Outside of the immediate vicinity you'll be taking a car, occasional cab and public transportation in and out of the immediate area, where you will then also be walking around.
Tip #42. Get Ready To Walk
You'll be walking at the show, sure, but in most cases you'll be walking outside of the show as well. Walking is still the best way to get around a wide space marked by the convention to the south all the way up to Broadway going north and several blocks east and west: basically this map right here.
Tip #43. Memorize The Following Places For A Basic Lay Of The Comic-Con Land
1. The Convention Center
Where the convention takes place. There are entry points from 5th and 1st Avenue. Yes, sometimes people have to wait for a train that blocks those streets. That sounds way more charming than it is when it happens to you or the movie star you waited in line to see.
2. The Marriott
Traditional nearest hotel to the convention and a place for a lot of informal gatherings, pre-convention brunch meetings and sneak-away confabs at their Irish-themed bar.
3. The Hyatt
The nighttime comics industry bar scene social hub.
4. Seaport Village
A set of restaurants and shops that people tend to forget about, just up the road a bit. If you're at the Hyatt, the Marriott or the Embassy Suites, you may be more oriented to these places than to their Gaslamp District equivalent.
5. Rail stop for Little Italy
Gaslamp too crowded? Everyone in your group of friends mad at you? Hit a restaurant up here.
6. Horton Plaza
Downtown shopping mall with tons of restaurants and more than a few shops.
7. Ralphs Supermarket
The San Diego business MVP of every show. Get your late night snacks, your cheap lunches and your mixers all in one place. Worth getting a Ralphs card for this one weekend a year.
8. Gaslamp Quarter
Restaurants! Movie Theaters! Hotels! People willing to yell mean things at you from their cars!
9. Petco Park
Game on Wednesday night.
10. Fed Ex/Kinkos (actually a block north, on C street)
Get on-line; ship stuff home; make copies!
11. US Post Offices
You probably know what a post office is. Media rate is your friend.
12. Omni Hotel
One of the many newer hotels right up next to the convention center. I have no idea why I marked it.
13. Hilton San Diego Bayfront
This is actually a bit further south than my map allows -- the other side of the convention center, basically. It's a new hotel that will be hosting some programming.
Tip #44. If You're Driving In And Parking, Pay Attention To Details
If you're taking a car into the show, there are several things you should consider. Consider going early. It's nearly impossible to find convenient parking later on in the day. In fact, it might be a good idea to park in one of the city lots several blocks away and then go to breakfast. There is parking at the convention center, but that disappears almost immediately -- I've never even tried to park there.
Three things to watch out for when parking: one is that if you need to park all day and choose an all-day lot, make sure that the sign actually means all-day and not just eight hours. Another is that if you're in a facility with a machine to pay, pay the machine. There's a scam apparently common in San Diego's parking garages for people to approach cars in thrown-together uniforms and ask to take the payment from you directly. The third is to take note of your hotel's exact parking policy: you may or may not be able to take the car out, for instance, without a penalty. You might also be able to save money by taking a self-parking option.
Tip #45. If You Have A Car, Consider Using It
If you have a car, either just in for a day trip or parked at a hotel for the duration, considering using it to increase the scope of your trip. Take a meal outside of the immediate downtown area, go to a beach, head to a nearby tourist destination on a half-day away from the convention center. Allowing a couple of friends of yours a temporary respite from people in costumes and the smell of all that pulp can be the greatest gift of all.
Tip #46. Don't Be Afraid To Use The Shuttle Buses
For hotels that are past Broadway going North, when you're carrying a bunch of stuff, or when you're dog-tired, the convention's chartered bus system can be a godsend. Every hotel lobby should direct you to a stop if there's one nearby, and there's also information on the web site.
Tip #47. If You Ride The Transit Trains, Smile
Everyone seems to hate the transit trains, because no one smiles on them. I think they work just fine, and I used to take the one from the nearby Imperial Street Station to the convention center every year. My friends who have tried to use them as a main way to travel to hotels and lodging further away from downtown say they're not exactly reliable time-wise, so maybe keep that mind.
Tip #48. Remember The Short Cab Ride
San Diego has a compact downtown, which means that cabs tend to be an affordable way to supplement your walking when utilized at key times (like when you're intoxicated, or when you're late for something). Once you move away from downtown proper, you're talking more money as the short bursts on the highway really add to the fare. The occasional cab can still be more timely than a train. One thing about San Diego cabs is that they don't exactly cover the town to the extent you'll see in a larger city. Some neighborhoods are largely ignored, even if you call and ask for a ride. So don't count on a cab to always be able to come get you.
Tip #49. Get A Price Before You Get On A Pedi-cab
San Diego has a bunch of pedi-cabs downtown, which are basically bicycles with a chariot-like seat where ice cream might ordinarily go but in this case it's for you and a friend to sit in. The good thing is that if you're tired enough to allow someone to bike you four or five blocks, you don't care how goofy you appear to others when sitting in one of these things trying not to look at your driver's butt. Decide on a price before you sit down, and remember to tip.
*****
REGISTRATION AND PREVIEW NIGHT
You have to start standing in lines sometime; most people do it Wednesday and attend Preview Night.
Tip #50. If You Can Get Someone Else To Register You, Do That
You probably can't, but if you're with a publisher or an exhibitor rather than registered on your own, you usually get to pick up your passes from them rather than by standing in line. This is ideal.
Tip #51. If You Qualify For Registration In Multiple Roles, Consider The Advantages Of Each
This is for future reference, naturally. With a professional registration, you get to bring a guest and people will stare at your badge hoping you're somebody they've heard of until that's beaten out of them by Friday. With press registration, you get a much shorter line and access to the press room which used to be empty but these days can be like Chalmun's Cantina for science fiction television show actors. With an exhibitor badge you can enter and leave the hall early, which isn't that great a thing but triggers all the childhood impulses about getting to stay up late.
I repeat my request to the Comic-Con organizers that people in costumes be allowed to register in separate superhero/supervillain lines, just so I can get that photo.
Tip #52. Enjoy Your Time In Line
The registration line may be your only line of the show. It may also be the first of 38 you'll encounter Comic-Con weekend. Being furious makes few experiences shorter, so enjoy the time. The people on either side of you probably have something in common with you, particularly if you're both press or both pros.
Tip #53. Note The Extended Badge Pick-Up Hours Wednesday
If you're at Comic-Con for the whole thing and are picking your badge up on Wednesday, take advantage of the extended period they offer to process these things to get that task out of the way well before the show is due to open.
Tip #54. On Days Other Than Wednesday, Later In The Day Can Be A Good Time To Get Registered
I can't speak to the attendee line, but with pro and press badges picked up Thursday, Friday or Saturday it's frequently better to get one's badge a little bit after a morning rush.
Tip #55. If You're Selling Stuff, Use Preview Night To Gauge Overall Demand
I got this one from Larry Young: if you're an exhibitor or someone selling stuff in any capacity, use Preview Night to figure out how much stuff you're going to sell -- Thursday morning may be the last time you can call someone back at home and have them send more if that's what's necessary.
Tip #56. If You're Buying Stuff, Hit The Most Special Of The Specialty Retailers First
I'm not a conventions-exclusives person, and I imagine if you are then your shopping patterns are already determined: you'll be heading to x, y and z booths offering x, y and z items. For the rest of you, I'd suggest that maybe you visit those books with specialty and one-of-a-kind items rather than the bigger booths and those that are offering widely-available items. One of my first stops, for instance, is the bookseller Stuart Ng, who sells rare books and limited edition portfolios. You can see whatever giant model DC has tomorrow.
Tip #57. As Far As Con Exclusives Go, I Suppose I Can't Suggest You Skip Them
As noted in the last tip, a lot of companies offer special incentive items that are either specifically intended to be given out Wednesday night or are gone by the time Wednesday night passes. I can't think of any strategies for getting this stuff that doesn't sound unfair: I suppose lining up near a door near your intended first stopping point would be a strategy, as would convincing a friend with an exhibitor badge to sneak over by the target just as the doors are flung open.
Tip #58. Ruminate
The good thing about Wednesday nights being as insanely busy as Saturdays at the show used to be is you immediately have a picture of what negotiating the con will be like for most of the weekend. Think it over a bit and adjust your schedule accordingly: you may want more time to go from one place to another, or want to avoid certain locations when they're bound to fill up. There's also a slight chance you'll be psychologically troubled by what you just saw, so working through some issues over a cocktail or eight might be in order as well.
*****
GOING TO THE SHOW
What do you need to have with you or need to have done between the door to your hotel room and the convention center proper?
Tip #59. Definitely Eat Breakfast
Although it's tempting to use that chunk of time to do something else -- getting over to the convention center that much earlier to snag a place in a big-time panel's line, getting drunk in front of Ralphs and betting your spouse whether you'll see more DC superheroes or men in kilts walk by in the next 17 minutes, wandering around and trying to catch a glimpse of the horrified look on the locals' faces as they make their way around their neighborhood -- you need to eat breakfast. Anyone over the age of 30 and most people under will feel the effects of standing on your feet and walking several miles in the visual cacophony that is Comic-Con; it goes better on a full stomach. Both the Hyatt and the Marriott offer a decent brunch. I'd recommend Kono's and Hash House A Go Go away from the immediate convention center neighborhood; Cafe 222, Richard Walker's Pancake House, Cafe Chloe and the St. Tropez Bistro location near Horton Plaza in the immediate neighborhood. The idea is to get something -- anything -- nutritious into your system.
Tip #60. Bring Enough Money
Don't get caught depending on credit cards (not everybody takes them) or standing in line at the convention center's ATMs (they're long and you'll feel silly spending your con time there). Bring enough money to the show. If you can't hit an ATM away from the show, like one at your hotel or at the Wells Fargo on Broadway, maybe go to Ralphs and get change back on a debit card getting water or gum or something like that. Sometimes if you're friends with a vendor you can write them a check for some of the extra cash they're holding, but that involves carrying a check and it's no longer 1981 so most people don't.
Tip #61. Wear Comfortable Shoes
It's a cliche, but a true one: if you don't wear comfortable shoes to the show your feet will never forgive you. Your feet will do an interview in a comics-related magazine telling all of your secrets, they'll be so mad at you. Your feet will text Rich Johnston. No one will think ill of you if you wear tennis shoes or sandals that don't quite match the rest of your outfit.
Tip #62. Take Your Own Water
Take a water bottle -- you can fill up from the convention center's various water fountains. You'll feel better at the end of the day if it's been a well-hydrated day.
Tip #63. Take A Bag
Some of the companies have been giving away giant bags in recent years in order to utilize shoppers for advertising, but you can't count on this continuing forever. I have a backpack that only gets used that weekend. I keep it stuffed underneath some friend's table -- this is possible if you know someone and in most cases promise them they're not responsible -- so that I don't have people giving me extra stuff to carry, but to and from the convention center it's a blessing.
Tip #64. Don't Be Stinky
This is the graph where I'm supposed to make fun of the poorly socialized people that always show up at these events in ill-fitting clothes and a lack of body awareness that has an olfactory dimension. But, look: there are always going to be people like that at any event that caters to fan interests. I just attended my town's local music festival and there were people there where it was as if dirt could sweat. This tip is for the rest of you. There's a furtive, focused and accepting atmosphere in the air at Comic-Con. The general currency is enthusiasm and love for media, not outward presentation. Sweatpants and suits mingle on equal footing, and I've seen people show up in their pajamas they were so comfortable being there. Nonetheless, no matter how tempting, it's still a very bad weekend to try and pull off the rock star ready to roll right out of bed or college student during finals or all your friends at the same lake house recording music and hanging out on the porch smoking pot thing: it's a convention, and there's a lot of walking, and it's summer. No one expects everyone to be cotillion fresh. Please try to be presentable and to remain so.
Tip #65. Consider Packing Lunch
You're not officially allowed to bring food into the convention center, as they have their own vendors -- as generally bad and overpriced as any set of vendors in the long and distinguished history of convention center vendors stretching back to the tourshi booths at the Assyrian Convention Center in downtown Nineveh, 700 BC -- but people do it anyway and I don't know anyone that's been caught as long as they've been discreet about it.
It's harder than you'd think to get away for lunch. One thing people don't count on is that it's a good four or five blocks to the bulk of the Gaslamp lunch places, and with the sit for service it ends up being a decent investment in time. If you do end up going out, a carried-in lunch can always be pressed into service as a late-afternoon snack. You can buy appropriate stuff for lunch at Ralphs or in the hotels that have deli-style offerings. The convention center has a big back porch that's rarely used and is perfect for some alone time.
If you do leave for lunch, many people love Buster's Beach House or Dick's Last Resort. My favorite place to eat lunch in San Diego is Las Cuatros Milpas, a line up outside to get in Mexican place where they cook everything in front of you in giant tubs of boiling lard. I'm not kidding about that: one cartoonist who went there with me actually covered his eyes so he could deny to himself how they were preparing his food. That's a short cab ride to a neighborhood scary enough you'll have to walk the five or six blocks back, but it's worth it.
*****
AT THE SHOW
You're loaded with money, water, a good bag to carry your stuff. Now what?
Tip #66. Remember Your Badge Skills
Your badge -- a basic ID with your name on it that gets you into events -- will come with a lanyard. Although this year could be different the last decade or so has never seen Comic-Con make a badge with large print of the kind that's easy to read at a glance. So if you want people to know who you are, wear your badge proudly and wear it where people can see it. I dump the lanyard and just put the pinhole into my shirt, as I figure it beats people staring at my belly until my badge flips around.
Tip #67. If You're Shopping, Come With A List With Prices You'll Accept Rather Than Simply Look For The Best Price
If you're shopping -- and you really should shop at least a little bit -- I've found it's better to make a list that includes the price one can get the item in question. That way you know if you've found a good price, and knowing you have a good price you can let go of getting the best price in every circumstance. Comparison shopping is an amazing time-suck when you're standing in a room with 40,000 to 60,000 other shoppers, and saving 80 cents on a copy of Sun Runners #1 probably isn't going to be worth the effort.
Tip #68. Locate The Comics Shopping Core
There are things to buy all over the convention floor, from Artist's Alley to the corridor where the boutique toy makers set up to the dealers on the west end of the convention center to the publishers smack in the middle. Almost everyone will try and sell you something. There is a core of booths I always suggest as a starting point. I don't know if they're all going this year, but traditionally located between the arts and indy publishers and the back-issues dealers is an area containing mega-retailers Mile High Comics, Bud Plant and Comic Relief. Comic Relief has a longstanding reputation -- of which the late founder Rory Root was very proud -- for bringing items that may suddenly become of interest at the show, like an Eisner-nominated comic book few have read.
Tip #69. Keep An Eye Out For Personalized And One-Of-A-Kind Items
It used to be that shopping at Comic-Con meant that you had an opportunity to see and purchase material to which you likely had no access the other 361 days of the year, like going to the best comic book shop. With the Internet and the growth of super-stores and the continuing utility of mail-order, that's no longer the case. Comic-Con has in the 15 years I've been going become a much more excellent place to buy original art, for instance, and I think in general people are seeking out that one-of-a-kind item over getting the best deals or finding the most stuff for X amount of money. Both creators and publishers will do stuff just for Comic-Con: special ashcans, paintings, special watermarks or title stickers, limited editions of toys, and so on. It's a great place to shop if you have the money and the appetite for more stuff.
Tip #70. Consider Having Stuff Brought To You
This doesn't apply the way it used to, but some publishers and even creators will bring something specific to the show for you to purchase if you ask them nicely. It saves you shipping, and sort-of guarantees them a sale.
Tip #71. Attend A Panel
The upstairs rooms are filled with panels, basically speaking and occasionally multi-media arrangements where everyone from 1950s bullpen staffers at the major comics companies to comics podcast suppliers to the cast of a network television show can take questions from and interact with their fans. Some people tell me they never go to them, but as there are so many with so many interests represented, I'd suggest you try at least one. A few traditionally good panels are the ones that feature the non-North American cartoonists in attendance that you won't likely see again at Comic-Con, anything featuring older cartoonists (ditto), and anything featuring funny people or those that work on funny enterprises.
Tip #72. Remember That The Bigger Panels Require Greater Commitment
So I was walking around downtown San Diego at 4 AM on a Saturday morning last year -- totally behaving myself -- when I ran into a man talking on a cell phone pushing a baby stroller. I found this bizarre, but as I listened to him (the sound carried) it was clear that he and his wife were up when I had yet to go to bed because they were angling to get a good place in the line for the best TV and movie panels. Yeah, it's like that.
The closest I get to Hollywood at Comic-Con is random moments like noticing Eliza Dushku is on the escalator 15 fat dudes in front of me. I have no advice for getting into the popular halls to watch the big-time entertainment panels except to note that it obviously requires a lot of perseverance, I'm sure the Comic-Con people have tried to make it as fair as possible, and I bet a lot of people are still dismayed and miserable.
Tip #73. Attend A Panel Featuring Sergio Aragones
If you don't have any idea of a panel you'd like to see but still want to see a panel, I always suggest something with Sergio Aragones. Aragones is a world-class cartoonist who made his name doing silent gag comics in the panel borders of MAD. He is a longtime Comic-Con attendee, and the kind of charismatic guy one imagines has never flown coach. The panels in which Aragones tends to participate are old-school to the old-school power, so you get a sense of the event's history in addition to having some fun.
Tip #74. Participate
If you go to a panel, feel free to ask questions if you have them when solicited. You deserve to: you made the effort to attend this panel of all the things you could be doing. If there's someone on the panel you want to meet, or a conversation you want to continue, wait until that person gets all the way out of the room so as not to further delay the next hour's presentation. If you know you have to leave before the panel is over, sit near the door as not to ignite questions of self-worth in the heads of the panelists who just watched you leave the room.
Tip #75. Again, Enjoy The Lines
This is probably a good place to suggest that if you do invest in panels and programming as a thing to do -- or autograph seeking, or portfolio reviews -- you're likely to be in a number of lines. It's a great place to be social -- you already have something in common with the people on either side of you. Also, the people you meet in line today may be more important to your career and/or leisure time a decade from now than the people you're both waiting in line to see. A friend of mine that watches a lot of panels actually buys a prose paperback book at the airport or someplace similar and carries it along to read in case the people on either side of her are duds (her word) and she gets done with her phone.
Tip #76. Walk Artists' Alley At Least Once
If Comic-Con is a city, Artists' Alley is that city's Historical District: a place where you can get to the heart of what the show's all about and prime real estate a lot of the cool people continue to call home. Artists Alley is that area of the show set up for individual cartoonists to come in without a lot of cost and sell their wares or meet their public or both. The exposure given in this fashion to individual cartoonists is the difference between the show being a full-on, admittedly magnificent flea market and a cultural event. You should really walk it at least once. You'll almost certainly spot a creator that for at least a few months was one of your five favorites and someone you hadn't thought of in 20 years. The writer and too-infrequent artist Jeff Parker offered some good advice about the Artist's Alley experience a few years back.
Tip #77. Network Laterally
As many of the previous tips suggest, Comic-Con can be a great place to meet people. One thing I've noticed from people that come to the show to meet people is that sometimes they get frustrated trying to meet those exact people from the basis of a cold introduction rather than trying to work the connections they already have. In other words, if you're a writer about comics that wants to meet creators, access your fellow writers about comics as to who they know that's a creator. If you're a creator that wants to meet editors, talk to your fellow creators to see if anyone can give you an introduction. Most people are happy to introduce people because anything good that comes out of it reflects well on them. But you have to ask.
Tip #78. Always, Always Introduce Yourself
The person you're with that you expect to introduce you? That person may be too tired to remember to do so, may not actually remember your name, may never have said your name out loud, or any of those things regarding the other person. Always introduce yourself to anyone you come across and save people the hassle of "hosting."
Tip #79. Don't Be Shy About Meeting People
Almost no one out there hates a quick greeting and a smile from a person who seeks them out. Some of my favorite people at most shows, year-in and year-out are Batton Lash, Jim Ottaviani, Paul Karasik, Scott McCloud and Roger Langridge. Richard Thompson is supposed to be there this year and he seems as nice as they come. Cartoonists are generally pleasant and smart; don't waste your time with any who aren't!
Tip #80. If You're Taking Kids, Put Them On Point
The one recurring piece of advice I hear from people who take their kids to the show is to let the kid's interests drive what you do while they're there. If they like looking at artists draw, do that. If they want to go to a certain television-related panel, do that. If they want to shop for early 1970s mimeographed fanzines, do that. If they want to play with the toys they brought while you try to banter with unctuous studio personnel about their securing an option on your comic book, do that. This puts you in the role of making sure they're not overwhelmed by the show or if they need to re-fuel as opposed to browbeating them about how awesome the thing you want them to like as much as you do might be. Also, I believe the con offers some limited daycare and some hotels offering limited babysitting. I'd suggest networking about this subject to see what other parents do.
Tip #81. Look For Secondary Or Tertiary Autograph Opportunities
I'm not an autograph seeker, but my friends who are -- for gifts, for themselves -- tell me that they pay as much attention to slightly offbeat signing opportunities as they do the big ones: the ones organized by cons and major handlers. If you know a creator has a series with a smaller publisher, check to see if they'll be there because the line is likely to be smaller. The CBLDF and The Hero Initiative are two charitable groups that sometimes have signings. So do some of the retailers on the west end of the floor. I believe Comic-Con produces a sheet full of signing opportunities, but it doesn't hurt to check around.
Tip #82. Seek Bathrooms Out Of The Main Flow Of Traffic
The convention center does a generally good job with keeping the bathrooms clean and functioning, but it may be worth seeking out one or two restroom spots far from the maddening crowd. I'd also suggest befriending someone with a room at the Marriott or Hilton, but there's really no good way to initiate that conversation.
Tip #83. To Travel The Floor In A Hurry, Sometimes It's Best To Use The Outside Hallways
If things get gummed up inside, sometimes it's most effective to go around the problem and re-enter the hall further towards or even past your ultimate destination.
Tip #84. Don't Count On Wi-Fi At The Convention Center, But You'll Probably Get It Anyway
I rarely take a computer to the show, and I won't be using twitter that way this year, either. There are ton of hot spots around downtown San Diego, but for the convention center to offer it outside of the press room takes a sponsor looking for a unique advertising opportunity. Someone has stepped up the last couple of years, but it's a down economy.
Tip #85. Enjoy The Crazy Spectacle Of It
You'll find plenty to do at Comic-Con, but I always suggest taking a few minutes each day you're there to just look around. It's an incredible madhouse of people and pulp, high-end movie displays meeting low-end longboxes. Enjoy the show!
*****
EVENINGS AT COMIC-CON
Your feet hurt, you're broke and all you want to do is go to bed. Time to party.
Tip #86. Do Something Outside The Show
Whether you're playing hooky from the show for a half-day or simply leaving the show at night, I always suggest that anyone at Comic-Con for more than two days spend some time away from the show. Tijuana can be an amazing experience for a group of people (although CR reader Mark Coale suggests this may be a no-go this year as "amazing" seems to mean "stabby" in Tijuana these days). San Diego has a lovely zoo, maybe the loveliest zoo, although it requires a lot of walking and somehow seems to have been designed by MC Escher in that you constantly walk uphill. As David Glanzer is fond of reminding me, though, there's no vacation that can't be made 10 percent better by spending some quality time with the pygmy marmoset.
I went to an amazing store that I can't find now that sold mostly old magazines. This may be it. There are activities on the water, including boat rental, which I've done in the past and had a blast doing. I have yet to visit a boat, although I'd like to someday. San Diego has all the traditional big-city stuff, like clubs and malls and movie theaters. There are lovely beaches all over the place, too. It can be psychologically useful to get away from the convention center for a while, plus it can be fun.
Tip #87. Eat Out
San Diego hosts a lot of conventions and is a functioning downtown for business people besides. It therefore offers a significant number of restaurants with entrees in the $15-$30 range, and a few places on either side of that range. A good, leisurely meal can be a great way to socialize and relax before the evening's social festivities. As you get older, you'll find that on some nights having a relaxing meal is a substitute for an evening's worth of social festivities. There are any number of websites devoted to San Diego restaurants. Some of my favorites are the two Persian restaurants Sadaf and Bandar (Persian is one cuisine it's easier to get in southern California than anywhere else), Cafe Chloe, Oceanaire, Mister Tiki Mai Tai Lounge, Rei do Gado, and the eminently affordable Pokez. I also have a soft spot for beers and battered fish at The Field. The best-known local food contribution to the American Experience is the fish taco. You can get one just about anywhere, including a busy The Tin Fish location in the Gaslamp.
Tip #88. Think Small Dinner Groups; Make Reservations
Think small for dinner and make reservations. You should think small because the tendency otherwise is for people to cluster together in a large, amorphous, impossible-to-seat group of people that all want different things, a murder of con-goers that will wander the Gaslamp like a band of grumpy zombies, staring into windows before breaking up in a fit of acrimonious screaming. You should make reservations because that's polite, it focuses your evening and even though Comic-Con attendees don't eat out in as high a percentage as maybe the folks at some other conventions do, there are still enough people around it might be hard to get in at some of the best places. Use your concierge, use an on-line service or look for a city-sponsored booth in the convention center lobby that has menus and will do this for you.
Tip #89. Go To Every Party That Will Have You, And One Or Two That Won't
The party scene in San Diego for comics people is odd. Comics folks generally don't compete with the Eisner Awards, so Fridays are out. Saturday can be very expensive in terms of putting something formal together, so that can be out except for a few major players. Sunday's gatherings tend to be old-school and invitation-only. Thursday is jammed with multiple events. Socializing at Comic-Con is a lot of informal gatherings here and there, "traditions" of three or four years in lengths like certain groups of people hitting certain lobbies to draw together, and a lot of nights that end at the Hyatt or your hotel bar of choice and maybe even begin there. Don't pass up any formal party invitation you might receive, from your comics friends or from any other group.
Tip #90. Keep An Eye Out For Special Events
There used to be more things like art openings and book launches at clubs than there seem to have been the last few years, but if you find out about something to do along these lines, you should do them. I used to love the art openings as a first stop in the evening.
Tip #91. Remember The Charity Events
It's not like I get invited anywhere, so if you're like me and out of the party loop but still want to go out, pay attention to any charity events that might be out there. Comics people take their charities seriously, so you're bound to get a pretty good guest-list together at such a function. Also, since they're fundraisers, a $20 bill buys you an invite no matter if you know every single person there or you don't know a mini-comic from an Absolute Edition.
Tip #92. How To Drink If You're Not Used To It
There's no stigma either way when it comes to drinking alcohol. A lot of people in comics don't; a lot of people do. For summer I always recommend the Gin and Tonic for men and women. It tastes good, it comes in a glass with a flat bottom so you're not likely to spill it as you lug it around the room and you can have both high-end (calling the gin by name; Bombay is a good one because it sounds jaunty) and low-end (settling for whatever they have that's cheapest) versions and get equally loopy. If you're not a heavy drinker, the ice melts in a Gin and Tonic with just enough of the flavor returned to liquid form that you can nurse a single drink for as long it takes most people to drink two. As far as using drinks as a social entry point, if you're cool enough you can buy drinks for editors and creative people you've never met before and not look like a dork doing it, you're cool enough they're probably going to buy you the next round.
*****
GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR WEEKEND
Once you've settled down a bit -- well, below the point of panic -- and adjusted your eyes to the general visual overload that is Comic-Con, here are a few last suggestions to make a well-rounded weekend out of the affair.
Tip #93. Consider Going To The Eisners The Eisner Awards is the most widely-recognized of the American comic book-oriented awards, with the greatest amount of institutional force behind them. They also have the best awards show in that it's really long, recognizes a lot of great artists, features bizarre guest-stars from the wider media world, lets you see and maybe even meet cartoonists you've never seen in person, and asks a certain number of people to be funny in an impromptu fashion that should never be asked to do this. I go every year and wouldn't miss it for the world. My first year at the Eisners I wore shorts, came an hour late and sat at an empty table with Rich Johnston and some person I'm not certain to this day was all the way alive. When I won a prize someone I'd never seen before ran up on stage and accepted it for me. Oh, you Eisners. Now I wear a suit, they actively keep people from sitting at the front tables because so many want to, and people from the television set hand out the awards.
Tip #94. If You're Going To The Eisners, Get The Most Out Of Them
There are any number of things you can do to make your Eisner experience that much better. Eat dinner before you go. If you have to be at the convention center until 7 PM that evening, force your friends to save you a seat at a restaurant so you can go straight there or make someone pick you up some Wendy's. Whatever it takes, make time for a meal. You can dress up if you like or dress down; I wish more of the adults with corporate jobs would dress like adults as opposed to looking like they're hitting the luau at Disney World's Polynesian Resort during the summer of 1978, but I don't mind at all the artists dressing like artists. There's a cash bar that's easy to access, although I've known plenty of people that have supplemented their paid-for cocktails from a flask. You should make your tablemates bet the Eisners by guessing who's going to win and who isn't -- you'll be amazed how little your conception of the industry matches up to what wins. (Betting tip: always choose the entry with the most contributors.) If you're away from the tables and back in the audience, you'll be more comfortable and you can heckle without being fired on the spot. Have fun with that. Have fun generally.
Tip #95. The Masquerade Is Great, Too
I've only been to the Masquerade once, but it was pretty amazing. There's an entire fan sub-culture devoted to costume-making; this is basically their runway show. The atmosphere is Showtime At The Apollo circa 1989, and the people up on stage are having more fun that single night than I've had in any six-month period of my life. One year right after the show a bunch of the costumed people gathered together in one of the open convention center spaces and made a circle to have dance offs. I was lucky enough to be standing nearby, stupefied. You haven't lived until you see Marge Simpson totally own Captain America with pelvic dance moves of the kind that once lead to widespread book burnings and the movie Footloose. It's hard to get in, so it's something of an investment, but it is a one of a kind thing.
Tip #96. Be A Con Hero, Not A Con Zero
Look into giving blood and/or registering to vote, if that's available. There are also ways to informally help the show function smoothly, even if it's just watching someone's table while they charge out to the restroom. Bring people coffee, smile, offer to help. Solano Lopez once brought his publisher some cookies. It's a tough weekend for a lot of people, so cut them some slack if they don't give you exactly what you think you deserve to be given.
Tip #97. Pre-Register For Next Year
You can do that on-site, although it may be restricted to a certain kind of ticket. You may also be able to reserve a room at your hotel once you know next year's dates.
Tip #98. Recover Quickly And Dispose Of New Business Once You Get Home
Take that one day once you get back home and sleep in, but after that, get all of your initial follow-up and thank-yous out the door by the Friday after Comic-Con. Any longer than that, you'll feel silly sustaining any contacts you made. You'd be amazed by how many people let the same projects pile up year after year simply by not taking the initial action with the opportunities provided them.
Tip #99. Read All About It
A great way to re-live the experience -- or to help figure out what happened the first time -- is by going to this site's "Collective Memory" or just generally wandering around and reading various con reports. This year a lot of con report energy will go into Twitter, so the results should be amazing there. But there are also plenty of old-fashioned message board chats and blog posts out there. The great thing about so many people writing about a shared event is that you can fill in the blanks on things that you saw but didn't know quite what was going on.
Tip #100. Heed the Advice of Your Fellow CR Readers
a. Go to a Padres game. This only applies if you come early in the week, since they now (wisely) schedule the Padres to be on the road during the Con. This is especially true now that the team plays right down near the Convention Center and it doesn't require taking the trolley all the way out to Jack Murphy Stadium. Note: It's very possible Jake Peavy could be traded by the time the team is playing July, so cavaet emptor. (Mark Coale)
b. Don't go to TJ. I always miss the Eisners because I go to Tijuana Friday nights during the Con to see Lucha Libre. Not this year, though. My Lucha watching friends that live in SD haven't gone in months, due to all the violence in the city. Your desire to see Santo or Mistico may be great, but it's not worth getting killed or kidnapped. (Mark Coale)
c. One of my favorite tips I give people that I didn't see on your list is to use the Trolley. It runs right in front of the convention center and lets you get a cheaper hotel farther away from the epicenter of the action without having to drive/walk/get a cab. You can get a multi-day pass but in my experience they don't bother checking tickets near the Con since there are so many people. Plus, you get to mingle with other con-goers and compare panels, purchases, etc. (Matt Grommes)
d. I just read your list of Comic-Con tips (following a link from Mark Evanier's site) -- nice work. I've been to Comic-Con three times -- in '98, '99, and 2000. Just reading your tips brought back lots of memories of the convention, and San Diego in general. Not sure if I'll ever get back; someday, perhaps...
Anyway, I wanted to suggest that you edit your Tip #21 (Consider Cycling Through The Week With A Germ-Resistant Booster). The truth is that Airborne (and similar products) just don't work. There is no proper double-blind test in which Airborne users have been shown to avoid colds any more than people who don't use it. Like so much of the herbal/dietary supplement business, it's just snake oil.
Now an Airborne user might say, "Well, I used Airborne, and I didn't catch a cold!" -- but this kind of anecdotal evidence is pretty useless, since the person is assuming that they would have caught a cold otherwise. In reality, if they didn't catch a cold with Airborne, they also wouldn't have caught a cold without it. (And the diehard Airborne believers come up with excuses either way -- even when they do catch a cold, they rationalize that they just didn't take their Airborne soon enough.)
Taking Airborne probably won't hurt you (except for the money wasted) -- but it might! Here's a notice from the National Council Against Health Fraud:
"The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics has concluded that Airborne, a dietary supplement promoted for preventing and treating colds, has not been proven effective. The product contains seven herbal extracts (lonicera, forsythia, schizonepeta, ginger, Chinese vitex, isatis root, echinacea), three vitamins (A, C, E), two amino acids (glutamine, lysine), selenium, zinc and several other ingredients and is available in both adult and child (Airborne Jr) versions. The adult product contains 1000 mg of vitamin C. The recommended dosage -- one tablet every three hours at the first sign of a cold -- contains enough vitamin C to increase oxalate and urate excretion and thus may cause kidney stones."
As someone with an interest in the skeptical/critical thinking movement, I've read a little about Airborne in the past, so it caught my eye in your (otherwise excellent) list. I hope you'll consider removing your recommendation for this type of product. There are plenty of valid health tips for convention attendees, many of which you've listed -- like eating a proper diet, using aspirin or a similar pain reliever (which, unlike Airborne, is real medicine) if needed, washing hands, and staying hydrated. I'd add to that list getting plenty of sleep (although no one seems to follow that one at conventions...). (Kevin Eldridge)
e. Consider eating dinner earlier, and at the bar, even if you don't drink. Several bars near the convention center offer incredible happy hour food and drink specials. If I don't see a sign about specials than I always ask! (Erin Tapken)
f. The USPS offers flat rate Priority Mail boxes that are the perfect size for comic books. You can get them at any post office along with the proper stamp. Then fill them to the brim, tape them up and leave them with the front desk of your hotel for the mailman to pick up. Doesn't matter if they weigh 2 lbs or 10 lbs., as long as the box is not altered, and closes properly, it's all the same price. And flattened, the boxes fit nicely in the bottom of a suitcase. (Erin Tapken)
g. Even if you have met someone before, even if it was the day before, always assume the person doesn't remember your name and offer it to them, along with a reminder of how you know them, if applicable. (Erin Tapken)
h. One tip you might add: If someone ignores your suggestion not to go to Mexico this year, remind them that at least be sure and take your
passport. You'll need it to get back into the USA. I'll bet a lot of comic fans haven't thought about that! (Rick Loomis)
i. If you can't go, remember you can get your ticket money refunded if you ask early enough (usually by mid-June) through information on the convention web site. (John Burgess)
j. If you've not been there, you really don't realize just how big the con really is. My favorite stat for illustrating this comes from looking up the length of the aisles on the dealers' floor on the online blueprints. Each aisle is about 100 yards long. There are 52 of them. So, just to walk down the center of each aisle, not even going side to side to look at things more closely, is about 5200 yards. Since a yard is three feet, and there are 5,280 feet to a mile, that means just getting a look at everything on the floor requires a three mile walk. (Tom Galloway)
k. While you should ask questions in panels and the like, know how to ask them. The key points to remember are a) no one else in the audience cares about you and b) you're not going to become friends with the panelists. Questions should be to the point as to what you want to ask about, and not prefaced with the personal reasons/history that explain why you want to ask that question. They also should not be used to tell the panelists how much you like their work and what your favorite bit was and the like. A while back, Mark Evanier wrote the following approximation of what had been announced at a Stephen Sondheim he'd attended:
"Later, there will be a Q-and-A session and I'm sorry to say I need to explain to people what the "Q" means. It means you ask a question. A question is a sentence that begins with an interrogatory pronoun and it ends with a question mark and your voice goes up at the end. And it's one sentence. If it's more than one sentence, it's not a question. This is not an audition. It is not about you. We don't need to hear what the first Sondheim show was you saw and how it forever changed your life. Just ask a real question and sit down." (Tom Galloway)
l. In recommending the "go someplace else besides SD for a vacation" item, I'd add San Francisco.
1. A flight on Virgin America from SD to SF a few days ago was $38. And that was down from $49.
2. The Schulz Museum is a short drive away from San Fran.
3. Miyazaki is speaking at Berkeley on that Saturday during the Con.
4. It's San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose/etc. Plenty to do there that has nothing to do with comics. (Mark Coale)
m. Take the bus from the airport. It's only $2.25 and it comes every 10-15 minutes. Then take it back to the airport for your flight out. It's only $2.25 and it comes every 10-15 minutes if you're standing on Broadway. (Peter Coogan)
n. If you're interested in getting sketches from artists, go to your local art supply store and buy a hardback sketchbook. Check out the Con schedule and if there's someone you want to get an autograph from, come prepared with something for them to sign, like a DVD they were in if they're an actor or a certain comic book if they're a comic writer or artist. (Brian Carroll)
o. Keep your cell phone on vibrate. At all times. You may not be able to hear it ring on the main exhibit hall floor or any late night bars, and you will disrupt a panel if it rings there. Better: when possible, text a message instead of calling -- again, because ambient sound levels where you are may be too high to hear anything or because they should be very low. (Glenn Hauman)
p. Related: when asking a question at a panel, if it's too long to put in a Twitter message, it may be too long to ask. Consider rephrasing. (Glenn Hauman)
q. And you have no excuse for not having a business card. They're cheap, easy and quick to get. You don't have to go crazy, but you do have to have something. You never know when you'll need one-- buying a drink for a Playboy Playmate, for example. At worse, buy blank cards and prepare to write your name a lot -- but write a few in advance, for speed's sake. (Glenn Hauman)
*****
And that's it. Have fun. Smile. Say hi if you see me; I'd like to meet you. I'll be the fat, bald guy.
*****
Photos by Whit Spurgeon, 2003; Gil Roth, 2005; Tom Spurgeon, 2007. Comic-Con International is an advertiser here, so you just spent all that time reading compromised, biased nonsense.
In his latest effort, T-Minus: The Race To The Moon, Ottaviani with Big Time Attic's Zander Cannon and Kevin Cannon created a story about the space race mostly but not entirely from the engineers' point of view. It's a young-adult book from Simon & Schuster's Aladdin imprint. As someone fascinated by how a giant project like this one transforms from papers being moved around on desks by doughy guys in white, collared shirts to several tons of steel being fired through the atmosphere with fighter pilots in pressure suits strapped on top, I fairly lapped it up despite almost no interest in the poetry and ideals of space programs. Ottaviani was nice enough to talk to me about this new work. -- Tom Spurgeon
*****
TOM SPURGEON: Jim, just to catch up, what's the status of GT Labs? This obviously seems more like a book packaging project than the kind of self-published, stand-alone book by which you made your name. Is there any significance to this sort of project in terms of how you might want to move forward? Are things right now where you like them?
JIM OTTAVIANI: I don't know that it has special significance, other than this is a book I was ready to do myself and publish via GT Labs. When the opportunity came along to do it with Simon & Schuster, I thought it would be an interesting experiment to see how it would work in that context. And you're right about it being a packaging situation -- I can't recall the exact sequence of events, but it was something like this: My agent asked me for a story to pitch, I gave him a proposal for what became T-Minus, he liked it and asked who I'd like to work with on it, I said Big Time Attic, and he was able to sell it rather easily by saying something like "Here's Bone Sharps, Cowboys, and Thunder Lizards. Give these three guys a contract and they can deliver a complete book, cover-to-cover, that you can send straight to the printer." It wasn't as easy as that -- it never is, either in the contract stage or the making-the-book stage -- but that's pretty close.
As for GT Labs, I'm working on some stories now that may find homes elsewhere, but if they don't, they have a home right here. The past few years have been consumed by doing work for other publishers, though, so the main activity I've done with my own publishing operation is keeping titles in print and selling -- I'm going back to press with three titles this spring -- and staying on readers' radars.
I wish I had a new book coming out from GT Labs soon, though. It seems like it's taking me longer than usual to get going at full speed on the two projects that I'm working on right now. So in that sense things are not where I'd like them to be. But I've learned I can't force anything to happen faster than it does, so I work at my best speed.
SPURGEON: You're right around the age where it'd hard to know if you have memories of the moon landing. Do you? In a more general sense, did you have an interest in space flight growing up?
OTTAVIANI: My folks imposed a very early bed time on me and my siblings -- I've certainly rebelled against that in adulthood! -- so as a five-year-old it was a shock to be gotten up out of bed and told I should watch TV. But two people were about to walk on the moon and they did just that. So yeah, I saw that first landing live, built the Revell model kits of Eagle and Columbia, and have had space on my brain ever since. The interest has waxed and waned over the years, but it's always been there. Kat and I tried to get out to see the ITS-119 launch this February, in fact. Some pesky valve ruined those plans, but we still spent two days at the Kennedy Space Center.
SPURGEON: What was the specific genesis of this project? At what point did the idea come together in your head in a way that resembles the book it became?
OTTAVIANI: I knew I'd do something about the space race eventually, so the specific genesis was the one I described above: I got asked for a pitch and I dipped into the list of stories I wanted to do someday and moved this one to the head of the queue. Featuring the engineers and scientists and the Russians was always part of my plan, so in that sense the basic spine of the story you read was there from the start.
SPURGEON: Was it always meant to be aimed towards younger readers? Because it seems like you've targeted that kind of audience. Did that make any difference in the writing?
OTTAVIANI: Yes, the young adult audience was our target audience because that's what Simon & Schuster wanted. That said, Zander, Kevin, and I agreed early on that we were going to require them to bring their A-game to the book. No dumbing down, nothing as simplistic as "Rah Rah Go Astronauts YAY," or any of that sort of thing, since we wanted it to appeal to adult readers as well. Zander put it well when he said he always preferred adult-oriented but kid-accessible books when he was in his early teens, and I realized I did, too. So that's the type of book we tried to create.
It did make a difference in the writing, in that there are things you just can't say or show in books targeted at that audience. Nobody can smoke, for instance. In reality, lots of people smoked in Mission Control. Heck, lots of astronauts smoked. But that sort of detail is one you just let go -- it's not that important.
As far as the story itself is concerned, there are more kids in it than a story about the space race might usually have. But having characters for the readers to relate to, and see themselves in -- if only to get the wonder of the age -- was something Liesa Abrams, our editor, emphasized. So I dug deeper for authentic stories that fit into the narrative arc we wanted. And they're out there, so I found them and it worked out well.
SPURGEON: You're working again with the Big Time Attic gang, as you mentioned. What led you to believe their strengths would lend themselves to this project? What did you learn about working with them on Bone Sharps that might have made for a betting working relationship this time around?
OTTAVIANI: Their strengths are many, but the important ones here were that they can draw anything, they don't blow stuff off just because it might be hard to depict, they're willing and able to do the visual research when I didn't give them everything they needed, they're smart and can catch and correct errors I might have made, they always serve the story, and they're realistic about deadlines.
Those are all things I learned via the Bone Sharps experience, since I only had a gut feeling about them being good before going into that earlier project. It was a feeling based on knowing Zander as a friend and professional. I figured that if he was going to set up a studio, he would do it right, with the right people. And that turned out to be true.
SPURGEON: For that matter, how do you work with those guys in terms of the script you provide and the nuts and bolts of it? Are you a full script writer? Do you design the pages as well?
OTTAVIANI: Yes, I write full script, and it's funny you should ask about page design. Usually, I'll draw out the entire book in stick figure form and send those rougher-than-rough roughs to artists in case they want to refer to them. There wasn't time for that with this book, but I did send layouts in terms of how panels should be arranged for some of the trickier scenes so Zander and Kevin would know what I was after. As you saw, some of those would have been complicated to describe, but a quick sketch showing the panel arrangements I had in mind made things clear.
Our travel schedules worked out well during production, so Zander and I met up in Minneapolis, New York, and San Diego and went through sketches, thumbnails, and penciled pages together, in person, and that helped improve things. He was able to talk me out of some strongly held ideas I had about the way a few sequences should look by showing me that what he and Kevin had worked out was better, and why.
SPURGEON: The most dramatic design element in T-Minus is found in these kind of diagrammatic representations of space missions that you place in the left and sometimes also the right hand margins. I'll try to find a page where the readers can see that basic design structure with the columns containing rockets in them outside of the comics narrative. Can you talk about where those came from and how you hope they work?
OTTAVIANI: Necessity. There were a lot of missions, all which which were important steps towards getting to the moon, and we didn't want to ignore any of them. There were also a lot of failures, especially early on.
The way I called these out in the script was as "marginals," as in the Sergio Aragones bits that scramble around the page edges of MAD. What we did was entirely unlike that crazy and funny stuff he does, but with the same notion of them being there as extra bits for readers that contribute to the book but don't often directly contribute to the main narrative. There were a couple of places where we blurred the story/marginal line on purpose, but for the most part they frame the action and provide time signals.
SPURGEON: How about the change in lettering styles for the Russian view of things? Whose idea was that, and what did you hope to accomplish with that flourish? Was it just a signifier to help the reader keep track of changes in location?
OTTAVIANI: That was my idea, but the excellence of the final implementation is of course Kevin's doing. I initially wanted something even stronger -- think [Ken] Bruzenak's work in American Flagg! -- but there were concerns from the editors about readability, so we scaled back. Again, all hail Kevin Cannon for finding the right balance.
And yes, we did it to help show a change in location, and to remind readers that significant things happened and advanced in places that were far away from the U.S. and the English-speaking world.
SPURGEON: In terms of the narrative, your opening is deceptively straight-forward. It seems like we're going to get the scientists' view of the race to the moon starting in 1957 with Sputnik and some other events, but then T-Minus goes all Billy Pilgrim with jumps around in time and location as you introduce certain players. Can you talk a bit on how you structured the first 25 pages? Why do you feel it was important to contextualize those actors and their actions with a look at their past?
OTTAVIANI: The story of the space race itself is all about context. Why try to get to space? Why the moon? Why in the 1960s? What next? And, as an implied question that we leave unanswered, why not now?
Also, were all these people geniuses who made up the technology and dreamed the dreams in 10 years? The answer to this one is no -- they worked hard, but based that work on discoveries and ideas that went a long way back. I wanted to at least hint at that work, and the international nature of the building blocks, so that's why we went all Billy Pilgrim... without Montana Wildhack, but there's that YA audience to consider so... so it goes.
Sorry, couldn't resist. I just reread Slaughterhouse Five late last year.
SPURGEON: You also fold some characters into one another -- how difficult was that process? Were there earlier drafts with more players that you later pared down or did you settle on your version of the cast pretty quickly? What were the steps involved with doing that?
OTTAVIANI: There are only a few characters that got lost or absorbed into others between early drafts and the final. I knew from the outset that we couldn't include everybody we'd want, so the compression started before I wrote the first panel description. Still, a few engineers like Tom Kelly of Grumman and Owen Maynard of NASA went away relatively late in the game, and it was a tearful farewell, since I liked them both.
The steps involved weren't complicated -- if there were good lines someone said or important activities they took part in, Stormy or Max or C.C. got tapped for the delivery. They were up to the task.
SPURGEON: Were there histories of the race to the moon or general histories from which you derived an approach or two? Were there any that you felt you needed to avoid replicating or recalling?
OTTAVIANI: You know, I don't think there were any specific histories from which I took what might appear a novel approach. Most of the books I read are straight-ahead stories about what happened, and outside of Apollo by Murray and Cox, none discuss the teams of scientists and engineers in any depth, if at all. But even in the Murray and Cox book the storytelling is straight ahead, so I only used it for facts.
One thing I consciously avoided looking at while writing the book were dramatizations, like HBO's excellent From the Earth to the Moon. I was afraid of swiping from that, and though I'd seen it many years ago I stayed away until Kevin and Zander had finished the pencils. Having just gone back to watch it again, I didn't see anything that made me cringe and say to myself "Tom Hanks and Andy Chaikin are going to sue me for that bit." So that's good.
SPURGEON: One historical mention I thought was interesting very early on is that you contrast the Eisenhower Administration's lack of preparedness to process Sputnik with the Kennedy Administration's response to the first manned Soviet space flight. Yet you also showed the horrified reaction of scientists when given Kennedy's 1970 moon-landing deadline. Is there anything you generally wished to say about how politics works with scientific progress like this?
OTTAVIANI: An excellent question, and one I didn't think about consciously while writing the book. Partly because the goal was to make it accessible to younger readers, and I'm not smart enough to figure out how to make geopolitics interesting to them. The other reason, probably, is that I think I already dealt with that in Fallout, a book I did about J. Robert Oppenheimer, Leo Szilard, and the Manhattan Project a few years ago.
But... now that you mention it, maybe there is a little bit to it. Here's 20/20 hindsight: Politicians pronounce many things, but often do so with little sense of the difference between what is currently achievable vs. technically possible vs. only dreamed about. Their speeches usually focus on the last two of those things, because that's what gets the public's interest and what gets them elected. Engineers are by nature conservative in what they promise because -- cynicism alert! -- unlike politicians, we expect them to deliver. But the rule of thumb is that engineers overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten. So if you fund them for those ten years, you'll often get something between the possible and the dreamed-about. Just keep in mind that they're usually wrong about how much things will cost.
SPURGEON: There are flashes of the personal costs involved -- the fire, the resignation that follows the fire, another man imposing on his family to the point he seems to feel bad they're eating at midnight in order to share a meal with him -- what made you decide to include those elements and how conscious were you in an already crowded and complicated narrative in terms of choosing which ones to explore?
OTTAVIANI: Very conscious. Some were already there -- the space race is a story of sacrifices on both sides of the Iron Curtain, and the astronaut and cosmonaut deaths are an important part of the story. Liesa convinced me that it was just as important to show more of the less dramatic but still real costs to wives, children, friends, and the other people linked to the programs. It took some work to pick which ones, and how to integrate them smoothly into the overall narrative, but she was right and I think those moments strengthen the emotional pull of the story.
SPURGEON: While I got a clear picture on the kind of institutional resiliency and practical decision-making that put Americans on the moon, I'm not sure that I got the same sense of why the Soviet efforts failed. There are suggestions that they lost the lynchpin of the program and that they made some poor design choices, but I wondered if you had an opinion as to why they fell short.
OTTAVIANI: This is mostly opinion, but it's backed by the research I did. First, I think they failed because the whole country wasn't publicly involved in the work. Secrecy and too much compartmentalization hurt them in the end -- in an odd twist to the stereotype, the Soviet program suffered from too much internal competition regarding technology, especially once Korolev was gone. Second, they did rely too heavily on a single person to keep things going. We show Max and C.C. and Stormy and John Houbolt and a whole bunch of other engineers making decisions and debating approaches on the U.S. side. On the Soviet side we show Korolev, and that's about it. Not entirely fair, but not wholly inaccurate. Third, and partly as a result of the previous two factors, the Soviet technology didn't end up being up to snuff. We depict the quality control problems they had, and their lack of computing ability in the book, and those were a big deal.
The book suggests all of these things, but doesn't state them outright. Maybe that was a mistake, but I didn't want to lead readers to believe that it's just one thing that caused the Soviets to fail and the U.S. to succeed. And I just as much wanted to show that their designers were good, their cosmonauts were brave and skilled, and that this really was a race. The U.S. won it, but it wasn't a foregone conclusion, and nobody knew if it was even winnable until very late in the decade.
SPURGEON: How careful were you in trying to find the humorous moments? There's a great scene where American astronauts are about to leave the orbit of earth and Michael Collins laughs at the sheer lack of poetry in what they're calling it. How did you decide what stories of that kind to tell and what not to? What appealed to you about that specific moment?
OTTAVIANI: That specific moment was in the very first draft. Michael Collins' book Carrying The Fire is the best astronaut autobiography or biography I've read. Hands down and nothing even comes close; he's a good and thoughtful writer. I'm going to quote from his remarks to Congress now, just as a sample so everybody will go read his book:
"Many years before there was a space program my father had a favorite quotation: 'He who would bring back the wealth of the Indies must take the wealth of the Indies with him.' This we have done. We have taken to the moon the wealth of this nation, the vision of its political leaders, the intelligence of its scientists, the dedication of its engineers, the careful craftsmanship of its workers and the enthusiastic support of its people. We have brought back rocks and I think it's a fair trade...
"During the flight of Apollo 11, in the constant sunlight between the earth and the moon, it was necessary for us to control the temperature of our space craft by a slow rotation not unlike that of a chicken on a barbeque spit. As we turned, the earth and the moon alternately appeared in our windows. We had our choice. We could look toward the moon, toward Mars, toward our future in space -- toward the new Indies -- or we could look back toward the earth, our home, with its problems spawned over more than a millennium of human occupancy.
"We looked both ways. We saw both, and I think that is what our nation must do."
If you've seen him in movies like In The Shadow Of The Moon, you know he's a great interviewee as well. So anyway, that bit from the Apollo 8 mission is essential to the book. It speaks to the wonder of what we're doing, to the inner life that these outwardly cool test pilot/astronauts lived, and yeah, it's funny. Zander and Kevin nailed it visually, too.
Overall, I wanted the humorous bits not to just be funny for their own sake, but to show how these people broke the tension of what was a prolonged period of hard work and stress. It makes them human, especially the astronauts, who people tend to think of as icons. That the best known pictures of them make them all look alike -- I mean, if you've seen one guy in a spacesuit you've seen 'em all -- contributes to that, so showing that there were people inside, people who made jokes even while they're sitting on top of a tons of burning rocket fuel or dealing with alarms or landing on the moon makes them real.
SPURGEON: I wanted to ask about a couple of specific pages. Whose decision was it to make Page 100 a single image? Why did you want that image to hit with the strength that a full-page might in the context of all those visually complex pages?
OTTAVIANI: That was my decision, and was planned from the start. I'm going to try not to give too much away here -- just as you didn't, so thanks for that! -- so I'll leave it at this: You'll notice the contrast between that and the imagery we chose for the next mission we depict. No single-page images, nothing you'd recognize from a photograph, etc. I'm grateful that Liesa didn't push hard for, much less demand, the obvious choices in that second situation. The reason I wanted it that way was because to me, page 100 is the most important image we'll ever get from space.
SPURGEON: The other page I really liked near the end of the book was page 110, with all the flips and toggles. It was a fun page, but it seemed to me to also signify how complex the process was and how much more efficient the American side of things had become. Is that close to what you might have been trying?
OTTAVIANI: Um...yeah. I can't really add to what you just said. It's what we were aiming for, and I'm glad you agree that Kevin and Zander achieved the goal. Can you tell I have a serious writer-crush on their artwork? If you told me I could only ever work with them for the rest of my career, I wouldn't mind at all. Well, maybe a little, but not nearly as much as you might think.
If you told them that they'd probably slit their wrists, though.
SPURGEON: I liked a panel where we see I think Alexei Leonov watching the Christmas Day lunar orbit mission with a smile on his face. It reminded me of an earlier sequence where two Soviets were laughing at the John Glenn rescue mission and the higher-up kind of suggests that this is a perfectly reasonable thing and not funny at all. Did the astronauts and mission specialists and designers have sympathy towards what the other team was trying?
OTTAVIANI: That's an interesting connection to have made. It wasn't intentional, but is one of those happy accidents that my subconscious guided. Or maybe it's just a happy accident full stop. Either way, at the astronaut/cosmonaut and engineer/engineer level, there was respect and camaraderie. These folks did occasionally meet at professional conferences, or in the case of astronauts on goodwill tours, and they talked more freely about their work than you might imagine. There were still secrets, and rivalry, but they were soldiers in the trenches, so to speak, and they enjoyed talking to their peers and wanted to learn what they could from each other and share what they could as well.
SPURGEON: One scene that I found slightly confusing in retrospect was the lunar mode decision conference. Why did you spend so much time there? What would you have us take away from that particular -- and entertaining -- back and forth that made you want to spend a few pages there?
OTTAVIANI: I'm glad it was entertaining at the time you read it, and sorry that it was slightly confusing in retrospect. The conference is there, in detail, because that was the turning point of the moon landing program, and it was an example of many minds getting together and hammering out a solution to the fundamental problem of how you get to the moon and get back. That was Kennedy's challenge, after all:
"[T]his nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth."
It's no good to get 'em there and leave 'em, in other words.
And so the conference brings together a number of big ideas in the book. There's the contrast between dreams and reality, where we see that landing the whole, towering, rocket on the Moon, just like you might have on the cover of a science fiction novel. This Direct Ascent mode -- there and back all in one machine -- has enormous appeal, but as pragmatic people you have to give that one up. Even if you're Wernher von Braun, you have to give it up.
Then there's the notion of what we're capable of doing today vs. what we think we can do tomorrow -- that concern is reflected in the debate that centers around Earth Orbit Rendezvous. It feels safer to do the hard stuff closer to home, and probably allowed the engineers to feel like they could control things better. But again, you have to give up some of the control to the astronauts.
Third, there's the image of one man, John Houbolt, winning over scientists and engineers and managers with a clear conviction and the right idea: Lunar Orbit Rendezvous.
Fourth, there's the sacrifice that Storms and North American Aviation are willing to make. They know their company can't build all these things even though they want to do it, both for pride and money. But they look to the greater good in this case and make an active decision to not work purely for their own self-interest.
And finally, the idea of trade-offs and risk gets pushed through here, and how early those decisions had to get made. Crucial stuff for a moon landing had to be decided before you had any significant experience in space at all.
SPURGEON: Now that it's done, and drawn and you've likely read it with at least the beginnings of distance, what do you think distinguishes your work from others that cover the same period of time?
OTTAVIANI: Pictures! Engineers as well as astronauts! Soviets as well as the US! A suggestion that the most important event wasn't the one everybody remembers best! Pictures!
That's all tongue-in-cheek, but those really are the main distinguishing features, at least to my mind. Maybe that's because you give me too much credit; I'm a long ways away from viewing the book at a distance. I really do like the story too much, have too many things on the cutting-room floor that could make for books on their own, and I haven't yet seen the final printed copy so I'm not sure I believe it's real yet! Ask again in a year, maybe?
SPURGEON: What's next, Jim?
OTTAVIANI: Two books from First Second, and I'm working on two other books right now. One may have only a few pictures, and is fiction, and is something I don't want to talk too much about yet. Terra Incognita. The other is about Alan Turing. I'm not sure if those will be GT Labs books or titles I do with different publishers. I have the inkling of the third book in my "science of the unscientific" series starting to fill up corners of my mind too. That's a ways away, though. And I have a whole bunch of proposals and pitches out there, waiting for nibbles and/or commitments.
*****
* cover from PDF
* photo of Jim Ottaviani by Whit Spurgeon, 2008
* that sharp Big Time Attic look
* what the pages with the columns devoted to launches look like design-wise -- dialogue kept obscured on purpose here
* that Russian lettering
* panel from one of the time-jumps
* Kennedy throws down the gauntlet
* the human cost of the moon project
* Michael Collins cracks himself (and me) up
* panel of question of cosmonaut with family watching US astronaut
* panel from the lunar orbiter sequence
* flip page
* a Cosmonaut landing on his feet (below)
*****
* T-Minus: The Race To The Moon, Jim Ottaviani and Kevin Cannon and Zander Cannon, Aladdin, softcover, 128 pages, May 19 2009, $12.99.
FFF Results Post #165 -- Benefits
On Friday, CR readers were asked to "Name Five Government Employees From Comics." This was how they responded.
*****
Tom Spurgeon
1. Amanda Waller
2. Henry Peter Gyrich
3. Clay Quartermain
4. Willie Lumpkin
5. Harvey Pekar
*****
Kristy Valenti
1. Luba (mayor of Palomar)
2. Mitchell Hundred (mayor in Ex Machina)
3. Theodore Cobblepot (longest tenure as Gotham mayor)
4. Alex Fury (mayor, Welcome to Tranquility)
5. Mayor Stevenson (Astro City)
*****
Tom Bondurant
1. Sgt. Frank Rock
2. Commissioner James Gordon
3. Agent Diana Prince (Department of Metahuman Affairs)
4. Plexus Ranger Reuben Flagg
5. Nick Fury
1. Police Commissioner James Gordon
2. The Youngblood team
3. Raven Darkholme
4. The Professor (Weapon X)
5. Superman (Dark Knight Returns era)
*****
Randall Kirby
1. Jimmy Bond (The Black Dossier)
2. Plastic Man
3. Patty and Selma (Simpsons Comics)
4. Principal/President Cranston (ps238)
5. Dagwood Bumstead's mailman, Mister Beasley
*****
Buzz Dixon
1 - Dr. Doom
2 - Nick Fury
3 - Sgt. Rock
4 - Barry Allen
5 - Dick Tracy
*****
Stergios Botzakis
1. Mitchell Hundred
2. Black Lightning
3. Sharon Carter
4. Invincible
5. Bill Mauldin
1. Major Diana Prince
2. Col. John Jameson
3. Percival Pinky Pinkerton
4. Ice Cream Soldier
5. President Barack Obama
*****
David White
1. Major Kusanagi
2. Detective Kane
3. Sheriff Chelo
4. Plastic Man
5. Joanie Caucus
*****
Don MacPherson
1. Sad Sack
2. Mr. Weatherbie
3. Cameron Chase
4. Jim Gordon
5. Mitchell Hundred (an elected official, yes, but "employed" by the people)
*****
Justin J. Major
1. Nick Fury
2. Dick Tracy
3. General Thaddeus E. "Thunderbolt" Ross
4. Dubbilex
5. Dr. Vulko
*****
Michael Aushenker
1. Dynamo (the U.S. Government at the United Nations)
2. Noman (the U.S. Government at the United Nations)
3. Menthor (the U.S. Government at the United Nations)
4. Beetle Bailey (U.S. Army)
5. Ranger Smith (employee of Jellystone National Park from "Yogi Bear" comics
*****
Brandon Graham
Antonio Valor (Brotherman)
Nike (appleseed)
Helin Macluth (venus wars)
Keif LLama (keif llame)
Lieutenant Nick Martinez (sinner)
First Thought Of The Day
I think wealth should be measured by the size of the thing that if you're suddenly asked to buy it would make you do the math in your head to see if you have enough money to cover the purchase.
The popular comics panelist Dave Coverly of Speed Bumpwon the 2009 Reuben as Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year last night during the formal awards ceremony hosted by the National Cartoonists Society. Coverly also provides cartoons to Parade and I believe The New Yorker. The other nominees this year were Stephan Pastis of Pearls Before Swine and Dan Piraro of Bizarro.
Divisional Awards winners in bold:
TELEVISION ANIMATION
* Bryan Arnett, Character Design, "The Mighty B!" (Nickelodeon)
* Ben Balistreri, Character Design, "Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends" (Cartoon Network) * Sandra Equihua and Jorge Gutierrez, Creators, "El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera" (Nickelodeon)
FEATURE ANIMATION
* James Baxter, 2D Character Animator, Kung Fu Panda
* Clay Katis, Supervising Animator -- Rhino, Bolt * Nicolas Marlet, Character Designer, Kung Fu Panda
NEWSPAPER ILLUSTRATION
* Lars Leetaru * Mark Marturello
* Sean Kelly
GAG CARTOONS
* Pat Byrnes * Mort Gerberg
* Werner Wejp-Olsen
NEWSPAPER COMIC STRIPS
* Stephan Pastis, Pearls Before Swine (United Feature Syndicate) * Mark Tatulli, Lio (Universal Press Syndicate)
* Richard Thompson, Cul de Sac (Universal Press Syndicate)
NEWSPAPER PANEL CARTOONS
* Vic Lee, Pardon My Planet (King Features Syndicate) * Mark Parisi, Off the Mark (United Feature Syndicate)
* Jeff Stahler, Moderately Confused (United Feature Syndicate)
MAGAZINE FEATURES/MAGAZINE ILLUSTRATION
* Daryl Collins
* Bob Staake * Sam Viviano
BOOK ILLUSTRATION
* Jim Benton, Cherise the Niece
* Stacy Curtis, Raymond and Graham Rule the School * Mike Lester, Cool Daddy Rat
EDITORIAL CARTOONS
* Mike Luckovich
* Jeff Parker * Michael Ramirez
ADVERTISING ILLUSTRATION
* Roy Doty * Craig McKay
* Jack Pittman
COMIC BOOKS
* Chris Blain, Gus & His Gang (First Second Books)
* Matthew Forsythe, Ojingogo, (Drawn & Quarterly) * Cyril Pedrosa, Three Shadows (First Second Books)
NCS Hall of Fame "Gold Key" awards were presented to Bil Keane and Mell Lazarus. Silver T-Square honors for service to the NCS were given to the late Australian cartoonist James Kemsley and the cartoonist Jeff Bacon. Mike Luckovich hosted the ceremony. The Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist is, along with the Pulitzer Prize in editorial cartooning, the single most prestigious North American award given out on a regular basis and one of a handful of such awards with that stature in the world. Past winners include Charles Schulz, Herblock, Hal Foster, Frank King, Chester Gould and Ronald Searle -- in one six-year period.
Also, someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe this is the first time Creators Syndicate has had the winner, at least in the year they've won.
Loser Of The Week
Zapiro, who I'm sure didn't change his visual approach to newly-seated President of South Africa Jacob Zuma to get him to stop his lawsuit, but it would have been nice.
Quote Of The Week
"One year on, the show is just in the Ramada, there are no American guests, we're in a recession and we don't have a new book out." -- Joel Meadows
Albert Uderzo On L'Affaire Asterix
I have a harder than usual time reading some of the news articles at ActuaBD.com I think because of the prose style employed, but this latest piece contains elements of a fun romp through the recent ownership battles/questions/drama over the Asterix character and the graphic novel franchise: who's been offered what for however many shares, and what it all means in a bottom-line way. My guess is that the spur for this article is an Albert Uderzo interview in Point a couple of days ago, where he denies that selling some of the shares is the same thing as ceding control to the character. It also hadn't quite broken through to me that this is all taking place as we approach the 50th anniversary of the first album's publication.
On-Line Reactions To This Week's Guilty Plea By Christopher Handley
* the writer Jeff Trexler analyzes this outcome. I would disagree with a couple of things there. I don't think that people thought this would be legal, binding precedent but more of a cultural precedence that would encourage other such prosecutions in the future. Also, I'm not sure the CBLDF can be criticized for a strategy it didn't get to employ.
* the writer and retailer Chris Butcher sums things up for the rest of us.
* Gary Tyrrell sums the case up in a few words and suggests that donations to the CBLDF if not outright memberships are called for. I agree.
Our Prayers And Best Thoughts To The Esteemed Creator Yoshihiro Tatsumi
According to this National Post story, the great Yoshihiro Tatsumi, who recently signed for a line of fans out the door at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival, has been diagnosed with cancer and is negotiating this change in health even as he's been out there in support of his A Drifting Life. One of the great joys of the last few years in comics has been seeing Tatsumi's work gain an English-language audience and his classy and seemingly deeply pleased reaction to same.
And They Will All Live Like Cartoonists: The US Economy And Comics, Post #41
* this report about a launch party for the Seattle P-I on-line effort is fascinating. Although there's a killer pull-quote in there about David Horsey's function at the gathering, the final analysis I think is pretty good, too. There's an opportunity for someone to become a place for localized digital content and the resulting ad interest in accompanying that content, but there are some doubts as to what will accomplish that task and if there will be enough money given the structure that results that will filter back to the people generating the content.
* I saw this link at Dirk Deppey's house, and I'm glad I got to see it. It's fun when people get all cut the Gordian Knot on issues like this: it's very entertaining. But I think this one's wrongheaded more than it gets to the heart of what's going on. The rhetoric depends on agreement and uniqueness. As to the first, a newspaper lover could build a list of elements flattering to that form and apply sarcasm and come up with a list disparaging on-line models. In fact, many did. It's not difficult. They weren't right, either, clearly. The progression of history tends to happen far away from snark on either side, and tends not to resemble it. As to the second, this isn't the first time newspapers or institutions like the newspaper have felt the brunt of another medium that other people like more. Saying they should all go away now is the same as saying comics books should blow because movies are preferred.
What fascinates me is that this is exactly the kind of argumentation that has power because of newspapers shifting to customer service-oriented features in the 1960s and 1970s. When newspapers decided to define themselves on their ability to present user-friendly information and features, they ran the risk of becoming outdated when other enterprises began to do that better. I think newspapers can find a level and a role the same way my town of 8500 people has two radio stations. I don't think we're going to see the destruction of the newspaper as much as the destruction of the daily newspaper as a rich, profitable, resource center with things like sports columnists that make low-six figures for writing two columns a week and the ability to hide completely unproductive and outright lazy staffers in their midst. That probably feels like the destruction of the newspapers, but that's because it's those people just described that have been allowed to set the terms for what constitutes survival. If newspapers can't find a new level, I think that's due to any number of factors including the way the model was primed for exploitation and its inability to recover from the set of lofty expectations ingrained over years of massive profitability, all much more than it being a clear referendum on the newspaper model itself.
* finally, Daryl Cagle's essay on the future of editorial cartooning is worth revisiting for the comments thread, including a note from a cartoonist that indicates that although she's local she won't be attending the NCS annual meeting this weekend because it costs too much. There's also a letter that's practically seething with the culture-war aspects of the Internet/Print battle, without quite spilling over: cartoonists given an opportunity on-line they weren't given in print that aren't sad to see print take it in the nuts.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up
* "despair" looks to be the theme of this weekend's meeting of the National Cartoonists Society, a yearly event held this year in southern California. That should be a tight Reuben race, incidentally, unlike past years when there was an obvious winner among the nominees.
* the writer Tucker Stone compares recent Batman comics to Ed Brubaker's run on Captain America which I believe without knowing for sure is close to starting its final act. I read a bunch of Brubaker Captain Americas recently and the weird thing about them is that they basically substitute the presence of the Cold War and its aftermath for the presence of World War II and its aftermath: the latter an undercurrent that percolated under the surface during the better parts of the character's 1960s/1970s run. It's smart of Brubaker to do this. A murky, unresolved background against which Captain America stands in bold relief is a big part of what made those older comics good, and other Captain America eras have felt untethered in comparison. At the same time, I think the guys 40 years ago had an advantage in that a war no one discussed except in the most banal ways may have made for a better undercurrent than a Cold War no one talks about but which no one really feels anymore, either. Despite the general pulpy fun of the comics, I think Brubaker's done a better job showing the connections between World War II and the Cold War that followed than showing how either have a spiritual presence in the modern day -- except for how certain Marvel characters are really, really old. I get the sense this might have been an even better bunch of mainstream comics had they rolled out in the early 1990s.
* as expected, Thursday one-day passes at July's Comic-Con International have sold out. Sunday one-day passes remain. I'd make a push for getting those Sunday passes, but I haven't been there on Sunday in 10 years.
Kevin Huizenga reports that his effort with Dan Zettwoch, Amazing Facts... and Beyond! With Leon Beyond, "is back in the Riverfront Times as of this week." He says the feature should be weekly for the immediate future. Zettwoch and Huizenga apparently approached the Times looking to see if there was a way the feature could find its way back in the paper, as they loved doing it, and an arrangement was worked out. Leon Beyond's departure from the Times was part of a pretty much nationwide purge of comics-related material by alt-weeklies earlier in this recessionary period, a move widely portrayed as a cost-cutting measure.
The pair is still accepting commissions as described at the linked-to site.
Christopher Handley Pleads Guilty
According to this Department of Justice release, Christopher Handley pleaded guilty yesterday to "possessing obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children and mailing obscene material." The pleas were the result of an outcome negotiated by his lawyers. Handley had been indicted in 2007 after his mail was opened by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and subsequently his residence was subject to search and seizure by the US Postal Service.
If I'm understanding the release correctly, he still faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a potential fine of up to a quarter million dollars, and subsequent term of supervised release. He has already agreed to a small fee and to forfeit to the government the computer with the depictions in question.
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund had served as a special consultant to Handley since October 2008, and expressed disappointment with the outcome. While no doubt Handley's lawyers believe they're acting in the best interest of their client, the case now become precedent when dealing with comics imagery of a kind much, much, much more widespread and even mainstream than most folks want to believe when confronted with an individual being pursued by legal authorities. Dirk Deppey points out a couple in his opening rant here.
Panini Comics' MyComics.de Launches: A YouTube For Comics?
I'm not sure if I totally understand what's going on here, but Stefan Dinter wrote in to say that the Panini Comics site www.mycomics.de could be thought of as a "YouTube for comics," in that it's open to uploads from anyone that has rights to a comic in order to upload it, even though the site itself is owned by Panini. Although it seems dominated by previews and "trailers," and of course YouTube is driven to a large extent by people uploading stuff that doesn't necessarily belong to them, it seems like the big company owned, little company accessible model is something maybe to watch.
Go, Read: A Stark Discussion On Realities Of Succeeding As An Artist There's a thread on the flickr page for a Jesse Reklaw diary cartoon that gets into the issue of success as an artist, and the financial realities of pursuing art as a career, that's as stark and brutal as any you're likely to read. One of the reasons why the issue of exploitation grinds with some folks is that there's so little reward in comics to begin with, and that such a relatively high percentage of the money being made goes to board member bonuses at a far remove from the creative process or to support an infrastructure more suited to 1959 than 2009 or to lawyers or to some asshole publisher who's talked a kid into signing over stuff for the good of a career never likely to materialize is something people in comics need to confront with something more than shrugged shoulders and a "that's just the way things are; let's go have cocktails at the convention bar and tell each other how awesome we are" attitude.
I'm projecting, of course. Good thread, though. Thanks to the person that sent it in.
Your Russ Manning Award Nominees
Comic-Con International has announced this year's nominees for the Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award. That's a traditional award that's been around, the press release tells me, since 1982. It's named for Russ Manning, the talented newspaper strip and comic book artist who was an earlier supporter of the convention. Pas winners include Jeff Smith, R. Kikuo Johnson, Eric Shanower and Steve Rude. This year's nominees as listed by the awards are:
Random Comics News Story Round-Up
* there's a video trailer for a Grant Morrison documentary showing up in various link-to or embed-here forms. I'm going to go link-to and direct you here.
* artist Stefan Dinter writes in to point out German creators are gearing up for Munich's Comicfestival, and that they've thrown their hat in to the ring for coolest comics show venue. "This'll take place at the old Rathaus in the center of the city from june 11 through 14," he writes. "The venue is really cool, a medieval structure with an arched wooden ceiling, painted with the coats of arms of munich's rulers through the ages." Plus they have beer. I think this it, here. Sounds cool, anyway.
* this is only tangentially related to comics in that one of the licensing avenues for the cartoon character Emily The Strange has been comic books, but news of a lawsuit trying to prevent the character's obvious inspiration from claiming that relationship or seeking remuneration at some future date strikes me as gross as it likely strikes most people commenting on it this morning. If there were some kind of Court of Common Sense, the case would be decided against the later character in like 10 seconds, but there isn't, so I imagine this could work. There are examples out there of people complaining they thought up certain generic concepts like "teen vampires" or "magic school" or that some comic strip writer grinding out his 7256th gag has totally ripped off a gag already written by someone else on, say, sandwiches, and now must pay, but this seems to me an entirely different creature. Here's the "hey, look at that" that may have started the whole thing.
* the shop Desert Island is having a fundraiser on Memorial Day for its forthcoming comics publication. All the details here.
* the writer Steven Grant goes on at length on the presumption of the freelancer as a creative agent of control.
* the retailer and occasional pundit Brian Hibbs talks about an interesting aspect of the Direct Market system. Since the retailer catalogs are items of public consumption when it comes to plot points and the manipulation of said plot points can drive publicity, Marvel is keeping secret the content of a title they're asking retailers to order in large amounts. Hibbs is walking away, but almost no one else will.
* finally, you can learn about how to submit work to the Best American Comics series here. If you do work or publish work, I can't imagine it'd hurt to submit.
* looks like there's a new issue of Canicola out -- it's one of the important anthologies of this decade, and in earlier issues the stories were translated with subtitles at the bottom of each page, so I recommend trying to find it if you can.
* the comics business news and analysis site ICv2.com had a brief item on future non-fiction comics at Hill & Wang. The belle of the ball here would be Rick Geary's biography of Leon Trotsky, which is a project that hadn't really registered with me before now. That's due in late September.
* Brandon Graham's in-limbo King Citywill apparently see life as a traditionally-formatted comic from Image.
* the creator and theorist Scott McCloud gives four forthcoming books his stamp of approval: David Mazzucchelli's Asterios Polyp, Vera Brosgol's First Second book, Hope Larson's Mercury and David Small's Stitches: A Memoir and has a few words to say about comics in general. (I'm pretty sure that was supposed to go in one of the Random Round-Ups, but what the hell.)
* Fantagraphics has released their winter catalog, 2009/2010:
September 2009
* All And Sundry: Uncollected Work 2004-2009, Paul Horschemeier
* The Complete Peanuts 1973-1974, Charles Schulz
* Strange Suspense: The Steve Ditko Archives Vol. 1, Edited By Blake Bell
* The Classic Pin-Up Art Of Jack Cole, Edited by Alex Chun
* From Wonderland With Love: Danish Comics In The Third Millennium, Edited by Steffen P. Maarup
* You Are There, Jacques Tardi and Jean-Claude Forest
* West Coast Blues, Jacques Tardi and Jean-Patrick Manchette
October 2009
* Prison Pit Book One, Johnny Ryan
* Gahan Wilson: 50 Years Of Playboy Cartoons, Gahan Wilson
* Conceptual Realism: In The Service Of The Hypothetical, Robert Williams
* The Squirrel Machine, Hans Rickheit
* MOME Vol. 17, Edited By Gary Groth And Eric Reynolds
* Chocolate Cheeks, Steven Weissman
November 2009
* Pim & Francie: "In The Golden Bear Days," Al Columbia
* The Definitive Prince Valiant Companion, Brian M. Kane
* Basil Wolverton's Culture Corner, Basil Wolverton
* The Unclothed Man In The 35th Century AD, Dash Shaw
* Sublife Vol. 2, John Pham
December 2009
* MOME Vol. 18, Edited By Gary Groth And Eric Reynolds
* King: The Special Edition, Ho Che Anderson
* Newave! The Underground Mini Comix of the 1980s, Michael Dowers
* Hank Ketcham's Complete Dennis The Menace 1961-1962, Hank Ketcham
January 2010
* Krazy And Ignatz 1916-1918, George Herriman
* Hotwire Comics #3, Edited By Glenn Head
* Almost Silent, Jason
* Unlovable Vol. 2, Esther Pearl Watson
* Bella Donna: The Pin-Up Girls Of Kremos, Edited By Craig Yoe
February 2010
* Norman Pettingill: Backwoods Humorist, Edited By Johnny Ryan and Gary Groth
* King Of The Flies Volume One: Hallorave, Pirus And Mezzo
* Scream Queen Sand And Fury, Ho Che Anderson
March 2010
* The High Soft Lisp , Gilbert Hernandez
* Temperance, Cathy Malkasian
* The Search For Smilin' Ed! , Kim Deitch
* Our Gang Vol. 4, Walt Kelly
I wasn't aware of the new Malkasian, which is very good news. You can read more about the company's season by accessing PDFs of the catalog in ten parts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. (I initially couldn't find a link for Part 8 because someone left the "previews" tag off of that one, but I went to fetch it the old-fashioned way. That is one anachronistic turd of a site in a lot of ways.)
* according to this post from Gary Groth, Fantagraphics still plans a Gil Kane being interviewed book followed by a Gil Kane doing interviews book. Both would be really great books.
* the great Calvin Reid reports that Papercutz will publish graphic novels tied in to Disney's Fairies initiative.
* the offbeat superhero title Captain Britain and MI-13will end with issue #15. It's a little sad these days when even the slightest variation on the various Marvel comics doesn't have enough support to keep going, but at least there are 15 issues of this comic for people to discover in the discount bins. I practically lived on little discoveries when I was a certain age.
* I'm not sure why folks are making a "licensed property" distinction with Fantagraphics working with a series its creators hope to take into animation. I can't imagine that's a very daunting hurdle after working with the Peanuts folks, even if this is new material as opposed to reprints. In fact, some of the earliest Fantagraphics titles were companion volumes focusing on "licensed properties" like X-Men and Elfquest. It seems to me Fantagraphics' stated interest in doing books for kids would be of greater interest.
* finally, I guess DC is trying a new version of Doom Patrol? That sounds... it just sort of sounds sad, as many times as they've relaunched those titles. Can't they just go try and re-launch stuff like Richard Dragon or Arion for a while just to give things like Doom Patrol and Legion of Super-Heroes a break?
When The Butt Of Jokes Gets Elected
It's a bit rambling and I'm not sure its genial, folksy, even-handed tone isn't just a wee bit forced, but this editorial from the Times of Swaziland is worth reading if you've been following Zuma Vs. Zapiro for its attempt to place that tussle into the wider context of Zuma's unlikely political ascension, up to and including the recent decision by the cartoonist to alter -- for now, at least -- his portrayal of the new South African president. As this article points out, it's not an impulse that's shared by all of Zuma's political opponents.
Analysts: April 2009 DM Estimates
The comics business news and analysis site ICv2.com offers their usual array of lists, estimates and analysis regarding the performance of comic books and graphic novels in the Direct Market of comic and hobby shops, this time for April 2009.
I'm certain John Jackson Miller at The Comics Chronicles is in the process of getting up his own set of numbers up for April 2009, and I'll update this post when he does so.
The big news this month is an overall surge in sales of comic books: both over an agreed-upon terrible March and up six percent over similar sales in April 2008. Whether or not this indicates increased, systemic health or simply more product on the stands is unclear and leaning towards more product: numbers didn't change for comics in series. There were also a number of variant covers employed for top-selling titles.
Although the battle for top position wasn't being fought over in the way it is when there are dueling crossover events, this month seems noteworthy for DC placing a pair of comics at the top of the charts and eight in the top 25, which I think is two or three more than they've been placing in that more solid part of the charts. If there were an instant lesson there -- and I generally push against instant lessons, but what the hell -- it's that it may be that DC's strength is in its individual brands rather than in event titles that are marked by five lines of text. DC's success in the top two would also indicate to me that the recent new Wolverine series launch failed to generate that extra dollop of enthusiasm that might have pushed it over the top. It's still weird for me to be seeing a book in the top 25 falling under 60,000 total copies, but that's because I'm old. Heck, I'm not sure I'll ever understand a DM where Thor is a top ten comic book and this isn't treated at all times as if the creators are shooting flat-screen television sets and live puppies from their asses. In graphic novels, ICv2.com suggests a slight slowdown on Watchmen sales after its pre-movie rush of copies sold.
Initial Talk About Shojo Beat's End
With yesterday's news that Viz will cancel it's high-profile newsstand publication Shojo Beat, there is bound to be additional news notes, obituaries and perhaps even analysis of why that publication did not prove popular enough for Viz to keep it going. Here's what I saw out there this morning, or had e-mailed to me by some of you.
* there's a chance there could eventually be some out-loud rumination from North American industry types and observers in the comments thread at The Beat, although thus far there's a single note of regret from Dave Roman and a couple of posts I don't quite understand.
* Anime News Networkhas the best contextual information, noting an issue #0 I didn't remember, that the final issue will be the 49th, and the initial serial line-up.
* that site's regular readers and message board posters sound off. Some note the role it played in showing them certain titles or appearing in certain, unexpected places; most admit that this can't be a good sign no matter how successful any of the spin-off lines have become.
* in a link that was e-mailed to me, Alex Hoffman suggests that because manga's overall success is based around the notion that this material is sold to female readers, this could be a key and vital loss.
* via another such link, Katherine Dacey says that she'll miss the magazine, mentions the serials it brought to her attention, and ponders its role as a teen magazine generally.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up
* Charles Brownstein and I both ask you to consider becoming a member of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, and in this letter the Executive Director details the swag available if you join up for summer 2009.
* there were personnel changes at an outfit called Radical Comics, which I think is one of those companies designed to deliver comics properties into the hands of Hollywood people. Details here.
* not comics: it's hard to feel sad about the rapid decline of print media when so many apparently participate in this kind of idiotic pre-arrangement. I'm not making a moral judgment but a practical one. In the long run, the few folks who will feel sickened as they hear about this I bet outweigh the few people who bought the magazine because of the protected article. That's the appropriate standard, because the article as I read it in one magazine at the doctor's office was awful, self-serving nonsense -- it wasn't important in any way that taking it with a pre-condition makes sense except for the desire to move some copies.
* finally, someone e-mailed me a link to this long article about kids being weaned away from comics that ran in March that I apparently missed. I'm not sure I totally agree with its central premise, but it's worth your time if you like those general state of things articles.
So says New Jersey-based distributor Alini Magazine Services, according to an item picked up in various places including by CR's David Welsh who communicated it via Twitter. As I'm writing this, any number of phone calls and e-mails to the west coast-based publisher Viz are out including my own; by the time you're reading this, it will likely be confirmed or debunked.
The site says that existing subscriptions for the female readership-focused magazine will be switched to male readership-focused magazine Shonen Jump, which sounds kind of weird, and that the last issue will be July 2009's, which doesn't sound like anything at all. The magazine debuted with a June 2005 issue and has enjoyed a modest, subscription-heavy circulation.
If this turns out not to be true, I think we can chalk it up to recession-like-a-depression publishing instability and anxiety surging to the forefront; if it's true, expect an avalanche of analysis about What It All Means.
Update:CR's David Welsh has written in to share the following from Evelyn Dubocq, Senior Director of Public Relations at Viz:
"Yes, the final issue of Shojo Beat magazine will be the July 2009 issue which is on newsstands June 16th.
"We are very proud of the past issues of Shojo Beat magazine and the efforts of the entire team. The magazine developed quite a fan base but unfortunately in today's difficult economic climate we felt the need to place our resources elsewhere at this time.
"Of course all of our great shojo manga titles previously serialized in Shojo Beat magazine will still be published and available as graphic novels under the Shojo Beat imprint from VIZ Media.
"Each Shojo Beat Subscriber will be receiving a free copy of the August issue of Shonen Jump magazine with the pertinent information on what their subscription/refund options will be.
"Subscribers and fans of shojo manga can get the latest information on all new Shojo Beat titles and news by visiting www.shojobeat.com."
Thanks, David. I guess the one thing that's different than the initial rumor is that there will be sub/refund options rather than an automatic shift to Shonen Jump subs, which seem eminently sensible.
This Isn't A Library: New And Notable Releases To The Comics Direct Market
*****
Here are the books that make an impression on me staring at this week's largely accurate list of books shipping from Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. to comic book and hobby shops across North America.
I might not buy all of the works listed here. I might not buy any. But were I in a comic book shop tomorrow I would more than likely pick up the following and flip through them, enjoying the soft breeze.
*****
MAR090130 FINAL CRISIS AFTERMATH DANCE #1 (OF 6) $2.99
That's an awful title, a give-yourself-to-Darkseid title, but it's the Super Young Team from the original Final Crisis written by Joe Casey and drawn by ChrisCross, so it could be good.
MAR092449 INVINCIBLE #62 $2.99 MAR092546 AGENTS OF ATLAS #5 DKR $2.99 MAR092559 CAPTAIN AMERICA #50 $3.99 MAR092595 UNCANNY X-MEN #510 $2.99
Other well-regarded superhero comics. I think maybe superhero fans don't care for Uncanny X-Men as much as the Ed Brubaker-penned Captain America, but I liked just fine the issues I read. Walks like a mutant, wears an awkward outcast/community metaphor like a mutant...
MAR094269 FLINCH GN VOL 01 (MR) $11.95
This is this thing. It feels too soon for it to be listed after the controversy about its listing, but there you go.
APR090627 JOHNNY HIRO TP VOL 01 (MR) $14.95
This is a charming series and in a perfect world we'd all be at least a little familiar with it because of its comic book serialization and its resulting widespread presence on the stands. In this world, you may have seen one or two copies of the three of five issues that were serialized.
MAR094261 PHOTOGRAPHER GN INTO WAR TORN AFGHANISTAN $29.95
The clear book of the week, I think, and an admirably produced English-language edition of the award-winning comics-photo hybrid about the work of Doctors Without Borders.
FEB094482 OISHINBO GN VOL 03 RAMEN & GYOZA $12.99 FEB094481 PLUTO URASAWA X TEZUKA GN VOL 03 $12.99
A couple of well-liked manga series have new volumes out: the existence of a massive manga volume devoted to food items is a good thing even if you don't care to read it.
*****
The full list of this week's releases, including some titles with multiple cover variations and a long, impressive list of toys and other stuff that isn't comics, can be found here. Despite this official list there's no guarantee a comic will show up in the stores as promised, or in all of the stores as opposed to just a few. Also, stores choose what they carry and don't carry so your shop may not carry a specific publication. There are a lot of comics out there.
To find your local comic book store, check this list; and for one I can personally recommend because I've shopped there, albeit a while back, try this.
The above titles are listed with their Diamond order code in the first field, which may assist you in finding comics at your shop or having them order something for you they don't have in-stock. Ordering through a direct market shop can be a frustrating experience, so if you have a direct line to something -- you know another shop has it, you know a bookstore has it -- I'd urge you to consider all of your options.
If I didn't list your comic, I didn't list your comic.
Your Danish Cartoons Hangover Update
When I woke up this morning the first thing that popped into my head was "I wonder what Danish triathlete Rasmus Henning thinks about the Danish cartoons." Then I got on-line and there it was.
And They Will All Live Like Cartoonists: The US Economy And Comics, Post #40
* the prominent blogger and cartoonist Daryl Cagle's address on the future of political cartooning is a must-read. Cagle comes at the subject from the unique position of assembling a successful on-line syndication model, being a working cartoonist and working as a blogger that pays attention to general issues and trends. This gives him perspective on both the nature of on-line syndication and on a long process of conglomeration and easy access by which editorial cartoons have come to lose much of their once-inherent market value. His piece is also festooned with a lot of great cartoons, which is a kind of testimony in and of itself. It is one dire portrait, but I think one that he's arrived at with a great deal of honesty and introspection.
* here's a fascinating article on Newsweek gambling that they can embrace the model represented by magazine success story The Economist, even if it means discouraging people from subscribing. We live in interesting times. (thanks, Sean)
* Jack Shafer looks to the early '60s newspaper strike for suggestions as to what might happen as newspapers continue to die. I'm a little suspicious that you can draw direct parallels, but maybe not for the reason most people would be suspicious: I wonder if there's all that much talent that will migrate elsewhere because I wonder about a lot of that talent and their ability to transfer those skills to other areas.
* the recently-closed Tucson Citizen was losing $10,000 a day, says this news story from industry bible Editor & Publisher.
* speaking of E&P, they've posted a long piece on bankruptcies and newspapers, reminding us that Chapter 11 is supposed to be the restructuring kind of bankruptcy as opposed to the pull-the-plug kind. It's a big long, but there's some good stuff in there, such as how a couple of newspaper companies seem to be saddled with way too much debt to allow a restructuring to work, how it's apparently been good for Creative Loafing from the point of view of some company executives, and how restructuring doesn't solve the underlying causes or the basic economic stresses that brought the company to the filing.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up
* the Thursday one-day passes for CCI are about to sell out. That's a good day, Thursday. I would totally go for that one day if I weren't already going on a multiple-day schedule.
* this picture of Tony Millionaire all snazzed up comes from a photo report of his recent signing in Seattle. You know, that retail space has worked out really well for them in terms of having a place to host signings. I have no idea if a single person ever shops there, but it's been valuable the other way for sure.
* this profile of Karl Kerschl because of his webcomic The Abominable Charles Christopher notes that it's also available in French. I did not know that.
* finally, the blogger Alan Gardner could use an inside person to help him cover the Reuben Awards in a timely manner.
L. Draper Hill, the longtime Detroit News cartoonist perhaps best known for his stinging cartoons during Coleman Young's five terms as mayor, died last Wednesday. He was 73 years old.
Although he would become a noted fixture of Midwestern media, Hill was born in the Northeast, in Boston, and raised in nearby Wellesley Hills. He attended and then graduated from Harvard, class of 1957. He studied at the Slade School of Fine Art in London on a Fulbright scholarship. He almost immediately settled into his chosen career, working from two papers in Massachussets, starting with the Patriot Ledger in Quincy. During that period, 1958-1964, he doubled as a reporter and a cartoonist. From there he moved to the Worcester Telegram and then the Memphis Commercial Appeal. He joined the Detroit News in 1976.
Hill employed inventive visuals to make his point, often at the expense of Coleman Young, who began his legendary 20th Century run as a major city mayor two years prior to Hill's arrival on the scene.
Hill was also a well-known writer about comics, writing the history column in the magazine published by the Association of American Editorial cartoonists. He received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1983 to work on his biography of Thomas Nast, that eventually became Doomed by Cartoon: How Cartoonist Thomas Nast and the New York Times Brought Down Boss Tweed and His Ring of Thieves, republished in 2008. The Detroit News obituary mentions another book, on James Gillray, which he wrote for Phaidon in 1965. Hill also penned a book on Illingsworth that came out in 1970 from the publishing arm of the Boston Public Library.
Hill illustrated books by Sonny Eliot (Sonny Sez!), Edward Morin (The Dust Of Our City) and James Roper (The Decline And Fall Of The Gibbon). Books of Hill's cartoons were published along with special events in 1975 (accompanying a Memphis-area art show) and in 1978 (accompanying the second inauguration of Coleman Young). In 1985, the book Political Asylum was published in conjunction with a show in nearby Windsor, Ontario. He won the Thomas Nast Prize in Landau, Germany in 1990.
The cartoonist retired in 1999. He is survived by a wife, a daughter, two brothers and two grandchildren.
President Jacob Zuma Continuing With Pair Of Defamation Suits Vs. Zapiro
Despite a public call that South African President Jacob Zuma desist pursuit of two defamation cases against the cartoonist Jonathan "Zapiro" Shapiro, including an act of good faith in his presidency move by Zapiro to alter the most damning part of his characterization of the leader, a government spokesman indicated the suits would continue to be pursue in South Africa courts. One suit stems to a cartoon from 2006 during which Zuma was undergoing a trial for rape from which he was later acquitted, and the second is a rape of the justice system cartoon that ran during the recent presidential campaign. The rise of Zuma to power in a series of stunning political advancements has made many fear that the judicial system could be perverted by his pursuing an agenda of some sort through that legal structure.
Dutch Ministry Of Culture Announces Marten Toonder Prize, Cash Award
The Dutch ministry of culture has announced a new prize for cartoonists, a juried award named after Marten Toonder. The Marten Toonder Prize winner will be named by the Netherlands Foundation for Visual Arts, Design and Architecture and will be granted an award of about $33,000 USD based on their contribution to Dutch culture. As always, CR supports any and all prizes that give cartoonists and comics-related people money, and any reason at all to go stare at the work of the late Mr. Toonder.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up
* the project to collect comic books to replace those in the collection lost by the writer Len Wein in a recent fire continues. I guess it shouldn't be surprising that it looks like more may be done for Wein through the kindness of comic book fans than from a major corporation for whom Wein's creation made a quarter-billion dollars the last few weeks. I'd love to hear something happened to the contrary.
* not comics: you know, he does sort of look like Dr. Strange with that mustache. (Also, who let Shannyn Sossamon do her movies with that unflattering haircut?)
* not comics: John Vest and Kumar Sivasubramanian both believe that this may be the article that detailed consumer experiences in comic book shops that a reader remembered reading but couldn't find. I agree with them.
* finally, the retailer and occasional comics pundit Brian Hibbs breaks down a recent decision by Marvel to flip around some issue numbers in order to better facilitate a tie-in to a movie, and discusses movie tie-ins generally. I know that some people are likely to see this as a retailer grousing about minutiae, but it's this kind of basic publishing failure that I think doesn't get enough scrutiny in terms of long-time, unfortunate, systemic behavior that hinders that particular market.
FFF Results Post #164 -- Art Dept
On Friday, CR asked its readers to "Hire Five Comics People, Living Or Dead, To Your Fictional Print-Only Newspaper; Assign them one of three jobs: a) Editorial Cartoonist, b) Illustrator, c) Comic Strip Creator. You Must Have One of Each, And You Can't Split The Assignments Or Make Up New Ones." This is how they responded.
*****
Tom Spurgeon
1. Bill Mauldin (editorial cartoons)
2. Winsor McCay (illustration)
3. Charles Schulz (strips)
4. EC Segar (strips)
5. Crockett Johnson (strips
*****
Andrew Mansell
1. Steve Rude -- Illustrator
2. Frank Robbins -- Strip
3. Harold Foster -- Illustrator
4. Gary Trudeau -- Editorial
5. Jack Kent -- strips
1. Jim Rugg -- Editorial Cartoonist
2. James Kochalka -- Comic Strip Creator
3. Al Columbia -- Illustrator
4. Jaime Hernandez -- Comic Strip Creator
5. Geoff Grogan -- Illustrator
*****
Tom Mason
Paul Conrad (Editorial Cartoons)
Noel Sickles (Illustration)
Percy Crosby (Strips)
James Childress (Strips)
Bill Watterson (Strips)
*****
J Schwind
S. Clay Wilson (editorial cartoons)
Jack Davis (illustration)
Bill Watterson (strips)
Walt Kelly (strips)
Dan Clowes (strips)
*****
Douglas Wolk
1. Basil Wolverton (editorial cartoons)
2. Chris Ware (illustration)
3. Lewis Trondheim (strips)
4. Bryan Lee O'Malley (strips)
5. Jim Woodring (strips)
1. Joe Sacco (editorial cartoons)
2. Will Elder (illustration)
3. Michael Kupperman (strips)
4. Jim Woodring (strips)
5. Yves Chaland (strips)
The paper's slogan: "Bound to fail"
*****
Ryan Kirk
1. Ivan Brunetti (Editorial Cartoons)
2. Alex Raymond (Illustrator)
3. Brian Chippendale (Comic Strip)
4. Harvey Kurtzman (Comic Strip)
5. Jason (Comic Strip)
*****
Kian Ross
1. R. Crumb (editorial cartoons)
2. Jamie Hernandez (illustration)
3. Michel Zulli (illustration)
4. David Mazzucchelli (illustration)
5. Seth (Strips)
1. Richard Outcault (editorial cartoons)
2. Charles Dana Gibson (illustrator)
3. Alex Ross (illustrator)
4. Milton Caniff (strips)
5. Bill Watterson (strips)
*****
Uriel A. Duran
1) Carl Barks (strips)
2) Jose Guadalupe Posada (editorial cartoons)
3) Alex Raymond (strips)
4) Charles Addams (editorial cartoons)
5) Myself (illustration -- I wouldn't let pass the chance of meeting the former four and because I need the job)
Editorial cartoons: Jack Kirby
Illustration: Charles M. Schulz
Strips: Art Spiegelman
Strips: Alan Moore and Pat Oliphant
Strips: Chester Brown
*****
Tom Bondurant
1. Editorial cartoonist: Jeff MacNelly
2. Illustrator #1: Jack Davis
3. Strip Creator #1: Will Eisner
4. Illustrator #2: Nicola Scott
5. Strip Creator #2: Joe Kubert
*****
Danny Ceballos
1. George Cruikshank (editorial cartoons)
2. Harvey Kurtzman (illustration)
3. Otto Soglow (strips)
4. Jack Cole (strips)
5. John Porcellino (strips)
*****
Johnny Bacardi
1. Pat Oliphant (editorial cartoonist)
2. Nell Brinkley (illustration)
3. Bill Watterston (strips)
4. Al Capp (strips)
5. Milton Caniff (strips)
1. Kevin O'Neill (editorial cartoonist)
2. Jack Ziegler (editorial cartoonist)
3. Simon Davis (illustrator)
4. Michael Zulli (illustrator)
5. Gilbert Shelton (daily strip)
1. David Levine (editorial cartoons)
2. Edward Gorey (illustrations)
3. Chris Ware (strip, preferably whole page color)
4. Ben Katchor (strip, preferably whole or half page b&w)
5. E.C. Segar (strip, variable b&w dailies and whole page color Saturday and Sundays)
I'm honestly not sure what I can say here that doesn't make me sound super-defensive on any number of delicate issues. It's my job to communicate my points, so obviously I failed there. But let me take a quick shot at what I think is the heart of it.
I've known 
I didn't think of my first novel, 
Starting with the book 
* there's OTBP (off the beaten path) and there's WOTBP (way off the beaten path) and then there's Greg Stump 
* congratulations to David Reddick on 
* Viz media 
Brigid Alverson 
Numbers guru John Jackson Miller has written up his piece on April's comics sales, and one thing he notes that's hugely amusing is that this may be the first time in the history of comics sales that Detective Comics 
* young comics industry person Brendan Wright visits 
There's 
* the interviewer Tim O'Shea 
* the publisher Chris Staros 
I've known 
SPURGEON: How about the change in lettering styles for the Russian view of things? Whose idea was that, and what did you hope to accomplish with that flourish? Was it just a signifier to help the reader keep track of changes in location?
SPURGEON: In terms of the narrative, your opening is deceptively straight-forward. It seems like we're going to get the scientists' view of the race to the moon starting in 1957 with Sputnik and some other events, but then T-Minus goes all 
SPURGEON: There are flashes of the personal costs involved -- the fire, the resignation that follows the fire, another man imposing on his family to the point he seems to feel bad they're eating at midnight in order to share a meal with him -- what made you decide to include those elements and how conscious were you in an already crowded and complicated narrative in terms of choosing which ones to explore?
* the writer Tucker Stone 
There's a thread on 
* artist Stefan Dinter writes in to point out German creators are gearing up for Munich's 
* the comics business news and analysis site ICv2.com 
* 
* the Maine Comics Arts Festival's own blog 
* this picture of Tony Millionaire all snazzed up comes from 
* not comics: you know, he does sort of look like Dr. Strange with that mustache. (Also, who let Shannyn Sossamon do her movies with that unflattering haircut?)
![[Ken] Bruzenak's work in American Flagg!](http://s37.photobucket.com/albums/e56/tbondurant/af_03_p27.jpg){kind=link}