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I'll be away from the internet for the next couple of days. I know you'll miss me terribly. But when I'm back, my summer writing marathon begins -- my opportunity to get as much writing done as possible in the next two months, before I have to go back to school and begin teaching again.
Thank you Melissa for taking this new photo of me... with a pipe. I'm selling out. Re-branding myself. Hiring a team of marketing gurus to develop my new look. I'll be a writer super star. Or at least, I'll look like one. After all, the pipe?
 You wish I was joking. The new me likes to drink rum and cola (with a lime) every evening before I start writing. The new me will talk about the industry and pitching my intellectual properties. The new me is photographed only in black-and-white. The new me watches everything in widescreen. The new me reads Variety. The new me needs an agent. Why? Because having an agent means... um... wait, why do I need an agent? The new me likes to hold a pipe. Oh yeah. I am a writer. Speaking of, got my copy of Douglas Coupland's Jpod. I'm going to start reading it this weekend. (As I mentioned on MySpace...) With some people, it's a particular band or album or movie. Me? It comes back to his books. I held up the dust jacket photo of Coupland from this latest novel. "Sweetie, can you make me look like this?" Melissa said no.
Paper Jones is now available on the iTunes music store. Go now! Get it! Now! Only $5.94, trust me on this one. Best thing I've heard in a long time.
Cue the Alice Cooper music. School's (almost) out for summer. The past two weeks have been rather hectic. The students are ready, and so am I. This year, more than most, was a back-breaker. Some students like to pride themselves on being able to devour a wayward teacher and spit them into early retirement. I'm sorry to burst any myths you may have about that "one class" with that "one mean teacher" who quit teaching "because of you" -- it usually doesn't work like that. The faces change, but the archetypes stay the same. The one troublesome student who's leaving will be replaced by another troublesome student next year.
It's only the good students, the kind you want to adopt and call your own, the ones you wish you could take credit for, who seems to break from the archeytypes. They stand out in your mind as the exception. Teachers retire early, because of the overall weight of the profession -- not from one class or one student, but hundreds of students in hundreds of classes that you've taught over several years. (In August, I'm starting my seventh year. Or the way I measure it, my oldest former student would be 23.) This year was my toughest, and not because of the students or the work load. It's the politics, the bureacracy, the meaningless forms and paperwork I have to do. Everything that doesn't involved standing in front of my students and teaching. There was a month or two where if someone could offer me a job with better pay I would've left. And speaking of pay, it wasn't too bad when I first started. Considering I had only worked minimum wage jobs before I began teaching, that monthly check felt like a million dollars. Hence why I bought a Volkswagen Jetta GLS with black leather and a killer sound system. Won't do that again. Now, six years of work experience later, and I'm making almost exactly the same amount as when I started. How many of you would work for seven years at the same job without a raise? My pay scale has gone up, but so has my health insurance. Some years, insurance costs have risen faster than my salary. Add in the expenses of a house and daycare, and that glorious pay check doesn't feel as glorious as it used to. Sorry. I must remind myself to be thankful. I'm fortunate to have a job, especially with so many skilled and college-educated people unemployed. Teaching represents a secure profession, where the company won't downsize me in order to improve the value of their stock. Employers complain that their employees have no loyalty. However, I've found my generation to be intensely loyal -- it's just the baby boomers (if you must be called that) aren't trustworthy. The 20 and 30 year olds are having to relive the experience of their absent parents through an equally uncaring management. Pursuing wealth and the "standard of living you've grown accustomed to" became more important than creating something that would last. I realize it's a generalization, but not a hasty one. Should we be surprised the wealthiest generation is also the most corrupt? My peers, in order to simulate the same appearance of wealth, will live and die in credit card debt and college loans, wallowing our parent's optimism. Happy Monday everyone. A miscellaneous request: Everytime I meet someone new and they find out I'm a teacher, they immediately share with me an anecdote about some teacher they hated. Please stop doing that.
Yesterday, I mentioned a new comic by Justin Madson. Here are two more books I'd highly recommend, available for online purchse with paypal.
Rob Ullman's That's Just Super 48 pgs, b&w, $3.00 Danica Novgorodoff's A Late Freeze 48 pgs, full color, $6.50 I'm absolutely in love with independent and small press comic book creators. What other artform is so accessible? To pursue art and story without the commercial constraints that limit every other popular medium. Both the film and music industries have been co-opted and abused by larger corporate interests. While it'd be nice to make a living selling mini-comics, you find that comic book creators don't have the same delusions of grandeur that many other artists have. I might be wrong here, but the people I've met just want to make art and tell stories, and hopefully get some respect along the way. They've avoided the ridiculous posturing of other art-rock-gods, the cult of cool that strangles genuine expression. I could ramble some more on this topic, but I feel like keeping it simple right now.
Justin Madson's got a new 32 page full color comic available called "Laundry Day" -- a tale of searching and letting go. It can be ordered from his website (click here) for $5 via paypal.
Heidi MacDonald posted about Cape on her super cool blog. It's particularly amusing because there's a photo of Melissa and Aimee in their roller derby gear. In the report, Heidi was a bit skeptical of the numbers (6,000 in attendance) based on the photos. Although, I'd say that's a safe estimate since it was steady come-and-go traffic from 10 AM to 6 PM.
Also, if someone has Heidi's e-mail address (I don't), can you let her know she doesn't have Viper Comics listed on her publishers links? We need some love from The Beat. Luke posted this amusing and slightly melancoly comic strip about Free Comic Book Day. Geek Like Me by Mark Hay and Aaron Wilson -- highly recommend this comic. I sympathize with Dylan. I wish Cape didn't detract from local events at other area stores, because I love all the DFW retailers. I've spent money in every single comic shop with 100 miles of my house... uh, you can decide for yourself if that's something to be proud of. At the same time, I'm happy for the success Zeus Comics has had. They've gone above and beyond the call of duty (and rational thought) in supporting my own work. I greatly appreciate it. Not to say other stores haven't, they have, but... you get the idea.
Fanboy Radio nerds unite. I love this photo, even though my "super villain glare" needs some work. I can't do menacing. We were giddy from all the food at Razzoo's.
 Today is Kennedy's birthday. She's two years old. So from now until Saturday, non-stop three day celebration. I offered to hire a mime for the party, but that didn't fly. What... mimes are scary? Also, the 3rd (not so) annual Fannie Awards -- all details posted on my forum. CLICK HERE.
Thanks to Justin Stewart for creating this Emily Edison banner. Let all the kiddos on your favorite forums (and MySpace) know which side you're on.
 Image --> http://antiherocomics.com/images/emily_banner.jpg Link to --> http://vipercomics.com/features/emily_edison.asp
I have survived Cape, and it was awesome. I'm still a little buzzed from the past two weekends of both Dallas Comic Con and Cape with Free Comic Book Day. Christian Beranek, Jeff Elden and Justin Stewart came in from out of state to stay at our house for the weekend, which was a lot of fun. Jim Lujan made the trip from California, and crashed with the Hinzes.
On Friday, we had a cook-out at the lovely Bower residence. Greg and Marcie were very hospitable. Afterwards, a few of us went to the Caves Lounge for a few drinks. Saturday morning started early, and off to Dallas. Cape was well organized, and a pretty easy set up. Under a tent, at our table, Brock and I handed out copies of Viper Comics Presents with the five page Emily Edison sneak peek. I sold a few copies of Man from Krypton (now available). Brock did some sketches. I got an Andy Lee painting of Emily Edison. I'll scan and post it soon. It rained later in the day, and I scrambled to protect my stuff since we were close to the tent's opening. If anything, the rain made for a more memorable experience -- a nice friendly vibe. Got a cool mini-comic preview of Ian Shaughnessy's Shannigans. Stumblebum Studio's Mars 1938. Jeff Elden's The Middle Child Do Better. Jim Lujan's Paraphernalia, featuring one page I wrote: Exile from Stepford. (Geez, I need another blog post just to talk about all this stuff. I haven't even mentioned Devil's Panties and Death Comes to Dillinger... okay, now I have.) The biggest challenge of the day was organizing a massive group dinner at the ever-so popular Chuy's on a Saturday night. Clay and Lori Harrison got there early to reserve our spot. Final count: over 20 people! From Chuy's, it was walking distance to the Metro Bar for the live art show. Highlight of my weekend. Mostly because of Brock. I feel very proud, obsessively so, of the artists I work with. Seeing him in control of his craft, up there doing his art, to hear people gush over how good it is. Well? Makes me feel fortunate to work with him. I'm a fan. I can't help it. Sunday. Slept in. Then Scott and Britta took us to lunch at Razzoo's in downtown Fort Worth. A nice final meal together before everyone went their separate ways. Also Christian and I signed a contract (more about that later). After dropping Christian off at the airport, listened to Fanboy Radio's 300th episode, the Fannie Awards (more about that later). Ninety-Five Design I've hired Dai Balawejder and Ninety-Five Design to build my new website for Antihero. Yep, a new website. I chose them because they do great work. Plus Dai likes comics and she's much cooler than I am. With all my new projects and Emily Edison coming soon, I figured the time was right. Hopefully move to the "next level". That sounds contrived, but I want to get more people reading my work. If a little bit of online marketing helps, score. I also want to improve my blog. I don't know if it's been all that interesting lately. I'd like to do something more like what Wes does with his blog. Marlena also has a good blog. I want to do more than simple updates, more of a "daily column" approach. I'm still working it out. I'm open to anyone's suggestions and ideas.
Cape is this Saturday, May 6th. No more waiting. We've got lots of friends coming into town. Kennedy will be staying with her grandparents, so Melissa and I can stay out late for the Live Art Show. And of course, Emily Edison makes her print debut in Viper Comics Presents.
Completely unrelated: I have a new favorite blog Kung Fu Monkey. An interesting commentary on Colbert's presidential roast (click here).
Cal Slayton posted about Dallas Comic Con and our project: The Last Babysitter. (click here)
Another impressive convention. I hope the DFW fans don't take it for granted. Mark Walters does a great job organizing this event -- and they do it a few times each year! Few cities are so fortunate to have something like this.
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