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10/31/06 ~ Too Busy Writing to Write
I've decided to take a break from my blog for November. I'm attempting the NaNoWriMo challenge -- to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. As a result, I need to devote all my free time to working on that. I promise if anything interesting happens in the next 30 days, I'll let you know as soon as I'm done with NaNoWriMo.
I have several projects in front of me: Astronaut Dad, The Last Babysitter, Jack Ruby, more Karma Incorporated?, two as-of-yet unannounced projects (Delta County and Bolivar), and a few more Smart Pop essays. My weekly Pop Syndicate column will still post each Thursday. I finished several of them this past month, and they are already uploaded. If you get lonely and miss my blog, you can always check out the archives. My first post dates back to August 2003. It mentions both Astronaut Dad and Jack Ruby. I've been working on those for awhile, haven't I? Don't forget our annual cookout is Friday, November 10th. All the information can be found on the Fanboy Radio forums. Click here.One last thing: A newly designed Antihero Comics dot com. Maybe. This would be version 6.0. I'm currently without Dreamweaver. It's slowing me down, because I'm messing around with html source code. See you in 30 days.
Friday, November 10th, starting at 8 PM ~ Kristian Donaldson will show recent painted works, and a collection of original comic pages. The show will be held at Zeus Comics in Oaklawn, Dallas. There will be free drinks and food, a DJ, and the chance to win a framed original page from DMZ. RSVP at prodigalnine[at]gmail[dot]com to enter the drawing. The show will take place the first Friday of Wizard World TX.
 If you've never seen any of Kristian's work, it's amazing -- yet another talented local artist. I'd recommend checking out Supermarket, published by IDW and written by Brian Wood.
Silent Devil has agreed to publish Astronaut Dad. It will be released as a two book series. The first trade paperback will be in stores later next year, and the second volume, a few months after that. Obviously, it's still too far off to get into the specifics. (Heck, I'm still in the middle of some massive revising with the script, 144 pages worth.) I can say it's been incredible working with Christian Beranek at Silent Devil. Here's a guy who approached me, asking what I wanted to do, and has shown complete trust of my creative vision at every level. It's a rare opportunity to play the part of the auteur.
Astronaut Dad will be illustrated by Brent Schoonover. We've been talking about this project since last year. (You might remember some of the earlier character sketches, 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7) Brent brings so much talent to our collaboration. I'm excited to work with him. Also, this weekend, I got approval for my third Smart Pop Book. I contributed essays to The Man from Krypton and Webslinger (available March 2007). Next up? I'll give you a small hint.
Trailer for Douglas Coupland's first movie (CLICK HERE). Unfortunately, with his last novel JPod, I've had to spend more energy defending his work to myself and other Coupland readers, speaking in terms of "his legacy" and "voice of a generation" and all that back-of-the-book type crap. Here's his thoughts from his website:
Because my writing comes from a different place (art school) than most other fiction, it tends to not fit into too many molds, and each book tends to be quite different than the one preceding it - which is, after a dozen books, my own pattern. "Life After God," say, is radically different from "jPod," and as a consequence I have frequently received polarized responses from readers who love/hate books in comparison with each other. The most fascinating reviews are from people who've read just two books, which seems to bring out their "Inner Simpsons Comic Book Man." If I had to read just two of my books, I'd read "Hey Nostradamus!" and "jPod."I first read Generation X in junior high; and ever since, I have read each book in order. Coupland's voice and vision has infected my own thinking, probably moreso than anything else. It certainly made me want to be a writer.
If your local retailer isn't carrying Antigone, ask them nicely if they'd consider ordering some copies. Published by Silent Devil, order code: AUG063534. Otherwise, you can buy it online direct from the publisher. (CLICK HERE)
Staff writer and owner of Speeding Bullet Comics Matt Price interviewed me for The Oklahoman (CLICK HERE). We talked about the process of adapting Greek theatre to the comic book medium, and other things Antigone-esque.
* Antigone is mentioned in today's Quick DFW. CLICK HERE
* "Emily Edison: Teen Heroine vs. Evil Robots, Monsters, and...Her Grandfather" a review by Scott Tingley, Comics in the Classroom dot net. CLICK HERE * Tom finished the art for our guest strip in the You'll Have That, 2nd volume TPB. Meanwhile, Brock is working on the art for our contribution to the upcoming Tick anniversary special. * Don't forget that Lost Books of Eve and A Bit Haywire will be in stores next month. Talk to your local comic book retailer for more information about reserving a copy. * Kennedy had surgery yesterday to get tubes put in her ears. According to the doctor, there was "a lot of goo in there." She's doing great, and we're certainly glad to have that taken care of. * Our heater spit out a massive fireball this afternoon whenever we turned it on. We called the fine folks at Douglass Heat and Air, best local place to get this kind of stuff fixed. They'll be installing a new heater tomorrow. * If anyone owes us money, we want it now. Thank you.
Scott Hinze features Antigone in his weekly column "The Fix" for Newsarama. READ HERE
One of the themes that keep coming up when discussing adaptation is the burden and motivation of the creator. A retelling won't likely be sold for millions to a film studio and a writer won't be dubbed a 'creator' of the characters or plot, but it will exercise and stretch those that labor for the comic craft. Quite frankly, comic script writers may need to indulge in the painful practice that traditional writers undergo constantly, steadfast research. It's certainly a burden but the medium as a whole will benefit.Don't forget Antigone will ship to stores tomorrow. If your local retailer doesn't carry the book, make sure to ask him or her to re-order or order online through Silent Devil.
I've updated the comics section on my website, adding the scripts for both Antigone and Emily Edison. If you're interested in how I write what I write, I've got nothing to hide -- it's all there.
My friend Andrew Careaga is working on a blog/book-in-progress called "Nevermind the Bibles: A Theology of Punk." So far, the preface and introduction are available. CHECK IT OUT. "We're anti-fascist, we're anti-violence, we're anti-racist and we're pro-creative. We're against ignorance." - Joe Strummer, The Clash
Just a reminder, I'll be signing copies of Antigone at Zeus Comics from 11 AM to 7 PM this Wednesday. Thanks to Silent Devil donating the comics: proceeds from all sales will go to help Lea Hernandez and her family. 200 copies of Antigone arrived on my doorstep this afternoon courtesy of FedEx, and they look good.
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