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04.27.09 - THE NASA DISCOUNT AND NEW EMILY EDISON
Thanks to everyone who stopped by "Art 'N Go" on Saturday for the Oak Cliff Art Walk. Apparently, ASTRONAUT DAD sold very well. I got the message loud and clear: You like my comics, but you'd prefer buying them when I'm not the one behind the table. That's cool. A big thank you to Photopol for organizing such a great event. (And thank you Rozie for the tomato plants.)
 photo by Ange Fitzgerald In other news, this week, April and I are driving to Houston for Comicpalooza. Still on the guest list, so I assume they want me. I've lived in Texas almost my entire life, and I've been to Houston... twice? It'll be good to take my comics to a new city. If anyone from NASA comes to the convention, you can have ASTRONAUT DAD for free. Also, Brock Rizy re-designed his website, BEEow.com. Keep visiting, because he plans to load some original content on a regular basis -- including a brand new (!) EMILY EDISON short story and pages from OH NO POGO, the quirky comic within HOW TO LOSE BIG. Lastly, John Gonzales re-designed his website, DiabloTexas.com. I especially love the concept art and painting sections. Beautiful stuff.
I live in Arlington, and it's almost time for City Council elections -- a good time to email my representative in Place 5, Lana Wolff. I feel uninformed and disconnected from these officials. And it's a shame, because they have a huge impact on us.
I thought I'd share the email I sent to Mrs. Wolff a few hours ago. Dear Mrs. Wolff,So, I guess the general statement is that I love Arlington -- but if I could move to Oak Cliff, I would.
This Saturday, April 25th from 4 PM to 9 PM, will be the first ever OAK CLIFF ART CRAWL. It will take place in various venues throughout Oak Cliff -- Art 'N Go, Bishop Arts Studio Co-Op, Charley Mitcherson's Studio, Decorazon, Ice House Cultural Center, Soda Gallery (!), Texas Theater, The Cube Creative, Mighty Fine Arts, and 9th Street Townhomes.
I will be one of the happy contributors. It isn't official, but I'm fairly certain I will be set up at the 9th Street Townhomes. This will be quite convenient, since Escalator Maintenance Society, Drawn By Jaymz, and Shibboleth will be performing there as well. (**UPDATE** Actually, I will be at Art 'N Go on 407A N. Tyler Street. I'll be there with my friend Tania Kaufmann. For a complete list on where the artists will be, click here.) Art-minded people of Dallas and Fort Worth, I'd highly recommend coming to this event.  More information: oakcliffartcrawl.com
I've come to a grim realization. Some of you arrived at this point well before I did, and some of you will never admit it.
After reading Death Note by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, Buddha and Astroboy by Osamu Tezuka, Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo, Yotsuba&! by Kiyohiko Azuma, Bleach by Tite Kubo, Ranma 1/2 by Rumiko Takahashi, Solanin by Inio Asano, and Pluto by Naoki Urasawa, I can see that the American comic book industry, as it currently exists, is screwed. One thing is for certain, there is no stopping manga. And in the words of trusted TV personality Kent Brockman, "I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords." The topic is nothing new. In fact, it may be a worn out discussion by now. Other people have responded to this issue over and over. I'm just crossing the line with my head bowed. Here are my eight reasons. 1. The Art. Unlike some, I do not believe the primary debate with American and Japanese comics should be about the art style, i.e. you prefer one over the other and that's that. It seems diplomatic enough. After all, you can't argue with personal taste. Right? I've heard the argument that manga is "more cartoony" with its "big eyes and everything." However, both Japanese and American styles cover a wide spectrum between abstract (i.e. cartoony) and realistic. It's not a matter of comparing Tezuka to Jack Kirby. In some ways, I find Kirby just as abstract as Tezuka. In the tradition of Japanese comics, the backgrounds tend to be more realistic in their rendering. With some American comics, the backgrounds are merely suggested by a few abstract lines. The cartoony/realistic dichotomy doesn't work for me. To lump all American artists under the influence of Kirby, it dismisses many indie creators who borrowed from Crumb or earlier cartoonists. (Tezuka, the godfather of Manga, was influenced by Walt Disney.) Saying that all manga art looks the same reveals an inherent failure to understand the nuances of the artform. Akin to saying all rock'n'roll music sounds the same. I don't like the more spastic style of some manga artists (Tite Kubo, you know who you are), but others are absolutely breath taking (Inio Asano) -- and I would rather read their work than another Jim Lee or Marc Silvestri imposter. 2. The Name. This is a silly reason, but it warrants mention. American terms such as "funnies," "comics," and "comic books" all reference a time when said material was mostly humorous gag strips for kids. Terms like "graphic novel" and "illustrated novel" are ambiguous -- and do not refer to the medium as a whole. Yes, I know "manga" is the Japanese word for "comic book." However, at least, it doesn't carry the ambiguity. The problem we run into then is phrases like "Original English Language Manga" etc. Maybe we just can't win? 3. The Output. To me, this is where the entire debate hinges. It also affects reasons 4-8. Due to the studio system with Japanese comics, their output dwarfs our own. Yes, I realize comics like Spider-Man and Superman have been in existence for years -- but Naruto has 45 published volumes (the book premiered in 1999) with greater singular vision and consistency. Naruto is a popular example. Even the less popular books have an impressive output. (Prince of Tennis, 42 volumes?) In contrast, American artists routinely burn out after just a volume or two. Kazu explains it better than me. It's not that American artists are lazy. The opposite is true. We work too hard. In Japan, a single title will have an entire support staff of interns, artists, inkers, etc. Jeff Smith creates Bone. Charles Burns creates Black Hole. Terry Moore creates Strangers In Paradise. These are lifetime achievements they may never match again. I understand that it's like comparing apples and oranges. It's unfair to use mainstream properties like Superman and Spider-Man to prove my point, and then shift to something like Strangers In Paradise when it serves my argument on the other end. I guess that is my point: American comics do not have anything like this. Series like 100 Bullets, Y The Last Man, DMZ, or Walking Dead get close -- and maybe these examples invalidate my reason? 4. The Money. The reason for the studio format and the increased output? Money. The manga series Slam Dunk has sold over 100 million copies in Japan. Even with our most popular American comics, we can't get anywhere near these numbers. Manga creators are well paid. They are mentored and well trained. They produce great work. With most American comic book artists, they work multiple jobs to make ends meet. Is it any wonder the burn-out rate is so high? I have fantasies of winning the lottery so I can pay artists to go full time. Also, on the financial front, manga sells at about $7.95 to $9.99 for 200+ pages of work. That is a great price point, and a hard one to beat. DC's defunct Minx imprint (one I hoped would survive) tried to mirror this pricing, but could never match manga's page count. Scott Pilgrim only broke the 200 page mark with volume four, and every volume in the series retails for $11.95. In fairness, Marvel's Essential series does give you the best "per page" value of anything I've seen. 5. Diversity of Readership. Sure, we have girls that read American comics. We have some kids that read comics, and we have older people who read comics. These people are still cherished minority to vast number of 20-to-30-year-old white males who consume most comics. (I say "cherished" because we need more of you!) In Japan? Everyone reads comics. It's an Utopian bizarro world where "mainstream" actually means "mainstream." In America, if you have a 16-year-old girl reading comics, I would laid easy odds that it's manga she's reading. Go to any Barnes & Noble or Borders. The manga section is two to three times the size of the American comic book section. And there is always a girl sitting on the ground, next to that section, reading something. 6. Genre Diversity. What came first: the diversity of readership or the genre diversity? A chicken and egg scenario. There must be a causal relationship between the two. If we look at American comics, our top sellers are super hero books. In Japan, the top-selling manga is about... basketball? I can't imagine Marvel or DC publishing a comic book about basketball. Oni Press, SLG, or Top Shelf would, but it probably wouldn't survive past the second volume. Independent and small press companies are our only avenue for genre diversity. (Interesting blog post about this issue.) The teen romance comedy genre is doing well in Japan -- easy money in any culture, if you ask me. In America, we have barely scratched the surface. 7. The Future. As a high school teacher, I can tell you the younger generation reads manga. Some speculate that when these kids mature they will turn to more sophisticated American comics. I would argue that when these kids grow up they will turn to more sophisticated manga. I don't see them switching over. They have too many options on their side to need American comics. 8. The Enjoyment. This reason is anecdotal, but one worth sharing. It's also the reason that scares me the most. I was reading Pluto by Urasawa. It occurred to me I was having more fun reading this book than any recent American comic book. Same with Death Note and all the other manga books I listed above. I'm enjoying manga more. Sad to say, I'm laboring through my unread pile of American comics. Sure, there are some great ones here and there. Nothing mind blowing. Maybe I'm in a funk? Maybe we're all stuck on the great works of comic book past? What's next? These Marvel and DC crossover events are dreadful. Indie comics are sluggish too. (Dang. I am not going to make any friends with this blog post, am I? I apologizee.) I need entertainment in my entertainment. The American comics are failing me. To be optimistic, I could say that both manga and American comics will live together in peace -- but they won't. If the American industry continues on its path (monopolized distribution, lack of diversity, no long-term financial investment in talented artists), there will be a steady decline. We will be happy with readership in the hundreds and thousands, the occasional Hollywood film option. Manga will continue to rise. I can predict right now that manga will make an easier transition to the Kindle and other digital readers. What's an American to do? My advice is to dabble. There are profound cultural differences between America and Japan. Differences that made manga strong and American comics always floundering on the brink of obscurity. We can't reproduce the results by immediately copying their methods. However, if we look at the historical development of manga, we could learn a few things. American comic book creators could start dabbling in manga. Experimenting here and there. I know I am. Not for superficial reasons, but because I love some of these damn Japanese comics, and I believe I can compete with them. The success of Scott Pilgrim is due to the talent of Bryan Lee O'Malley. Oni Press should be applauded for championing someone so influenced by manga. Mainstream publishers need to see manga as something more than an art style. Marvel and DC need to diversity their line of genres. We need smaller publishers to get a larger market share. Publishing models like SHONEN JUMP magazine should be explored in earnest. OEL manga needs to improve -- good solid original stories and no more leaning on licensed property OEL like Ghostbusters and Star Trek. Artists need a good salary, good benefits, and an intern or two. I realize I'm not a scholar on this issue. I sound like a johnny-come-lately. Please post your comments. Give me some hard facts if my assumptions are wrong or misguided. Disagree with me. I still adore American comics, but adapt or die. Those are our options.
I wrote this a week ago, and forgot to post:
When the series finale to Battlestar Galactica aired two weeks ago, I was worried when everyone started twittering and blogging their resentment at how it ended. I don't watch the show when it first airs; I watch it on DVD, and I didn't want anything spoiled. So I rushed through the Season Four, Part 1 on DVD -- and then downloaded the remaining episodes from iTunes. Thus, at around 1 AM, I finished Battlestar. In true hypocritical form, now that I've seen it, I feel perfectly okay with blogging about it myself. I would recommend not reading this blog post until you've seen it yourself. (Josh Howard also has a good commentary on the finale.) I'll admit when someone tells you "You need to watch Battlestar Galactica," the last thing you want to do is watch something called "Battlestar Galactica." I can't think of a more geeky pairing of words. Fans, step back and listen to yourself: "Battle. Star. Galactica." This is the burden we bear: great series, geeky name. In contrast, the show's concept is very cool. Humanity has been wiped out by robots (aka cylons), and the surviving remnant of the human race is looking for a new place to call home, while being chased by the cylon forces. Add to it some interesting scenarios: A prominent scientist, a traitor responsible for naively giving important security codes to the cylons, is among the survivors. Many of the cylons look like humans, and can live among the humans undetected. The education secretary, by way of constitutional succession, is now the President. She's also dying of cancer. The fleet is protected by a recently retired "battlestar" vessel where most of our main characters live. What I like best about this series is the procedural stuff, i.e. how are they going to survive out in space, produce food, find fuel, rebuild the government, manage the balance of power between the military and the government, deal with unruly citizens, religious zealots, mutiny, and a host of other social issues associated with people trying to survive on a journey. Think Noah's ark, Moses and the Israelites wandering in the desert, the Trail of Tears, and Grapes of Wrath. Battlestar Galactica never strayed too far from its original premise. Something I cannot say about another show that I love, namely LOST. In the first season of LOST, they were continually worried about hunting for food, building shelters, fishing, and scavenging for supplies. As of LOST's fifth season, these people are not too concerned about hunting wild boar or basic health issues. I miss that. The second best thing about Battlestar Galactica is that the stakes were always insanely high. People died, often -- men, women, and children. They were always on the verge of their entire civilization being wiped out. There was always a new crisis to deal with. Even something as simple as food and water rationing had me absolutely entranced. The third best thing about Battlestar Galactica is the emphasis on military procedure, terminology, chain of command, etc. It feels more like a documentary about life on an aircraft carrier than science fiction. That's not to say the series was flawless from beginning to end. If I could play "guest writer" to the series, I'd recommend a few changes: * Laura Roslin's cancer. It's a great subplot, but that whole hybrid-blood-transfusion thing as a cure for her cancer was dumb. You wrote yourself into a corner by giving her a deadline (literally). You wanted to keep her around, and this transfusion was a convenient way to do that. Then of course, the cancer came back. I would've gone without a deadline, and make her cancer's progression move slower. * The Starbuck/Apollo love affair. Thank the gods the writers were smart enough to move away from this storyline in season four. It was annoying. I could've lived without it. * Dr. Gaius Baltar, a great character, but his role shifted around too much. Scientist, president, convict, revolutionary, banished to live among the cylons, and messiah -- I would prefer a more focused approach to this character as a corrupt soul searching for redemption. Gaius the Revolutionary was most engaging. Also, the Number Six in his head. It was cool in season one, but it got a little nutty after awhile -- especially with Caprica Six dealing with a Gaius in her head. * Too much mutiny. The mutiny in season four, led by Felix Gaeta, was easily the coolest thing to happen in the series. However, we've had too much deception within the fleet, too much going against William Adama's direct orders, and then everything being forgiven. It becomes a bit of a pattern. Galen Tyrol has made a career out of royally messing up the fleet, especially in season four. It was a little much. Boomer needs to kidnap Hera? He's your guy. Nice truce between human and cylon? Tyrol chokes Tory Foster to death, and ruins it, which turned out in their favor. (Tyrol seems to have issues with violence against women. End of season two? He viciously attacks poor crazy Cally.) * Not enough of the good stuff. The Felix Gaeta mutiny could've gone on for a few more episodes. It resolved a little too quickly. Likewise, their cylon occupation on New Caprica, that could've lasted much longer. It was exciting, and it didn't last. * The relationship between Colonel Tigh and Caprica Six, what was the purpose? It did nothing. We could've skipped that without much lost. These personal gripes are still minor within an otherwise flawless TV show. Let's get to the finale. I loved it. The rescue of Hera was a heroic moment to unite the fleet after the crushing disappointment of a scorched Earth. It was no surprise that the "New Earth" would be our planet, but primitive. I could've done without forwarding thousands of years to the present -- seemed a little forced. Scott Kurtz's PvP had a good response. Other than that, I felt the finale tied up loose ends, offered a few surprises, and had a good pay off for the fans. Maybe a little rushed, I would love another episode or two of them settling Earth, but it would've been anti-climatic. From The Onion: "Obama Depressed, Distant Since 'Battlestar Galactica' Finale"
The signing on Wednesday went very well. Zeus Comics ordered 12 copies of PopGun Vol. 3, and we sold all 12 copies in one day. They will order some more. I also sold a few of my other books, and Zeus was happy to reorder and resupply. So, yes, go to Zeus and they have all my stuff. Their support falls into the beautiful category of "above and beyond." Richard, Barry, I hope you realize how incredible you are.
(Diplomatic fun fact: Other retailers have also been very cool. Titan keeps a good stock. They might be one of the few places where you can still find KARMA INCORPORATED #1. Jeremy is one of the nicer guys in the business, and my daughter loves playing in the kid's area. Madness Comics in Denton hosted a wonderful Free Comic Book Day signing last year with me, Brian Denham, and Robin Gillespie. Austin Books is a mecca for anyone who loves independent and small press comics. I've seen Lone Star Comics carry copies of EMILY EDISON and ASTRONAUT DAD in their local section. Outside of Texas, Speeding Bullet in Norman, OK and Astrokitty Comics in Lawrence, KS have been a home away from home. It sounds cheesy, but I miss those guys. Maybe a dumb idea, but I want to print an official looking certificate for "Most Favored Retailer Status In Support of Me," framed and presented to such indie-friendly stores. Thoughts?) Many thanks to John Gonzales for creating those sketch bookmarks the night before. We were hanging out at Amsterdam Bar and John walked over with some card stock, a tiny papercutter, his pencils, and he said, "We're making some bookmarks!" The next day, anyone who bought a copy of PopGun, also got a free bookmark. How could they say no? I have some awesome friends.  See the enthusiasm? (photos posted on my Flickr) Evan Bryce posted some unlettered pages from "The Heist and The Heart Attack" on his blog (click here). The story will be in PopGun Vol. 4. I wrote it as a continuation/prequel to "50 Miles to Marfa" in Vol. 3. It works. I think. If there is a Vol. 5 and I'm fortunate enough to be part of it, I have an idea for a third and final segment to complete the trilogy. In other randomness: I saw this great review of ASTRONAUT DAD posted on Pop Syndicate. Ken Lowery sent me an email about it a year ago, but I can't remember if I ever posted it online.
Tomorrow, PopGun Vol. 3 will be in stores. The anthology features my story "50 Miles to Marfa" (on page 311), illustrated by Dan Warner. These short stories are good opportunities to work with artists who might otherwise be too busy with their own projects, and it was a real thrill to collaborate with Dan. I hope I might be able to work with him again sometime in the future.
If you live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, I'm signing copies of PopGun at Zeus Comics (more info). I tried to print some spiffy bookmarks for the event, but apparently "Overnight Prints" is a misleading business name. Sure, they'll print them overnight, but that doesn't mean they'll ship it to you the next day. Why should I even pay for 2 Day Air, when they are so slow to process the order? With no spiffy bookmarks, I'm open to suggestions for anything to make the signing fun (because obviously nothing says F-U-N like bookmarks). In other anthology news, Melissa and I wrote a short story for Oni's JAM! TALES FROM THE DERBY GIRLS, which was officially accepted. We're waiting to hear from Editor Jill about which artist we'll be partnered with. And the short story "The Heist and the Heart Attack" (my continuation of "50 Miles to Marfa") is finished, story and art. It will be in PopGun Vol. 4. Some non-anthology updates... ASTRONAUT DAD - Brent is finishing the last chapter. Everything will be completed by the end of May. Yes, it looks awesome. The story will make you cry. More news to follow. KARMA INCORPORATED - Some cool Hollywood stuff going on, but nothing I can talk about. It's frustrating, because if I told you, you'd say: "Wow. David. That's really cool." Instead, you know nothing. EMILY EDISON - Likewise, cool Hollywood-ish stuff I can't talk about. Brock and I are making plans for an EMILY EDISON 2, but it's a long way off. Sorry. FRONTIER - Anyone who pays close attention to my blog knows this story has been around for awhile. I have a great artist attached, Michael Shelfer. He's finishing the pencils to our proposal, and keeps teasing me that he'll send them soon. (The anticipation is killing me. Michael, you are killing me.) Michael is one of those guys where I found an instant connection. Like Brock, Tom, Paul, or Brent, I see this as the beginning of a great ongoing writer/artist partnership. Already, he's sending me ideas for another story. HOW TO LOSE BIG - We're getting closer to a completed proposal. It's looking good. MARGARET MILBY MYSTERIES - Tom Kurzanski and I are still developing this one. It's a series of short "reader-solves-it" mysteries for a younger audience. Margaret Milby is a fun character. I'd love to tell you more about her, but I won't.
The Indie Show returns to Fanboy Radio (listen here). FbR stopped producing the pre-recorded Wednesday episodes, so this is our first "live" version.
In this rowdy and content-filled hour of FbR, David and Scott speak to a crowd of indie comic creators Sina Grace creator of ‘Books with Pictures’ & ‘Cedric Hollows in Dial M for Magic,’ Len Wallace of ‘Love Buzz,’ Kevin Hanna from ‘Frogchildren Studios,’ Aaron Thomas Nelson of ‘Marlow’ & Mike Dawson of ‘Freddie and Me.’Next time, we'll probably have fewer guests. It felt a little rushed, but it was still a fun hour. I also noticed that Scott yells more during live shows.
Thank you to everyone who participated in my little Twitter joke. The premise: "Send me a reply tweet & tell me 'Congrats!' or 'Good job!' etc. Be vague. If people ask what's up, say nothing."
Everyone who participated: @seanjackson Awesome job buddy! @thoughtbrain I'm so happy for you, congrats!! @D_MacPherson Congrats, my friend! This is fabulous news! @ccuellar Congratulations! @carissa That's awesome! @kenlowery Oh man, huge news! Good job, and pack extra socks! @LenNWallace You go, you! @FarfisaLovie High five! Congrats! @jamarnicholas YO THAT'S AMAZING NEWS! Congrats! @Clay_Harrison Congrats! @dcorsetto Hey man, nice job!! I'm really excited for you! @JasonCopland Congratulations, man! Awesome news, indeed! @superleezard Congrats man, that is awesome! @scotthinze Nice work, brother. @fanboyvideo Great job man, AWESOME!!!!! @BrianDenham DUDE! I just heard the good news! Congrats! @kodychamberlain Wow, that's HUGE NEWS! Had no idea you were working with him on that. Keep me posted on the progress. @SCederlund Congrats. That's the best news I've heard all day. @amboy00 That's incredible! Serious congrats. I will be waiting for the net to explode from the news of your success. @Lea_Hernandez Holy SHIT, David! Why didn't you tell me? CONGRATS! @Lea_Hernandez "We'll get your shit together, use our contacts, and BOOM! you are solid gold!" What's so hard about that? @schmeschme Wow, that's huge! Very impressive,sir! @richjohnston congrats! @marcmason That's phenomenal! Congrats! More than a few people were confused. Score. Honestly, this positive energy was so nice, I almost forgot I didn't do anything.
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