So, I wrote and produced this short film last year and now it has a trailer!
Visit rooneysworld.com to find out more about screenings & festivals.
Rooney’s World (OFFICIAL TRAILER) from The Brothers Ray on Vimeo.
Filed under: CREATING
Creative people often work in industries with gate keepers. We write, create, draw, send it off and wait for our ‘big break’ to come. And it MAY very well lead to success (I occasionally read about this happening), but more often than not it leads to disappointment. We start to question our work (ourselves), we redo it, start over, create something new and send it back out again. The process continues.
But I believe putting your fate in the hands of others is a dangerous way to live your life.
More and more people are realizing, myself included, that you don’t need permission to create. With technology as cheap and accessible as it is, we have no excuse not to bring our ideas to life on our own, even if it’s on a large scale. (To bring those super large ideas together, you just need to surround yourself with super talented people – I’ll post more about this later).
And here’s the real kicker: the less you ask for permission, the more access you’re granted. Who doesn’t love a self-starter? Not only that, but everyone in the world has ideas, but the person who takes those ideas and makes something out of them is a rare breed. Its how you stand out from the pack.
What are you waiting for?
Filed under: COMIC BOOKS
1. You can be incredibly productive when you don’t have a girlfriend, but…
2. The rewards of being productive are less rewarding when you don’t have someone to share them with.
3. Everyone is just as insecure as you are, no matter how confident they seem.
4. The only things worth worrying about are the things we have control over. Everything else is a waste of energy.
5. No matter how successful you are, you we still be defined, first and foremost, by the way you treat people.
6. Write down your goals and review them daily. It helps you focus your time on what really matters.
7. Not every question is meant to be answered. Make peace with the unknown.
8. It’s important to reconsider your values on a regular basis. This comes in handy when making decisions.
9. Human beings can be SO wonderful when they aren’t trying to impress each other.
10. If life is hard, you’re probably doing it right.
My last post talked essentially about the importance of selling out, slightly tongue in cheek, but still solid advice. This time I’m gonna throw all that out the window.
I recently picked up the must-read book If You Want to Write by Brenda Ueland. I recommend it to anyone who works creatively. The main theme of the book is “everybody is talented, original and has something important to say.” Which I completely agree with. Interestingly she says the ones without anything to say are the ones to whom writing comes easily. Because they just blurt out without investing anything into it. Remember – if it’s hard, you’re probably doing it right!
Ueland says it better than I do, so lets jump right into her words:
“It is our nasty twentieth-century materialism that makes us feel: what is the use of writing, painting, etc., unless one has an audience or gets cash for it? Socrates and the men of the Renaissance did so much because the rewards were intrinsic, i.e., the enlargement of the soul.“
“Yes we are all thoroughly materialistic about such things. ‘What’s the use?’ we say, of doing anything unless you make money or get applause? for when a man is dead, he is dead.’ Socrates and the Greeks decided that a man’s life should be devoted to ‘the tendance of the Soul’ (Soul included intelligence, imagination, spirit, understanding, personality) for the soul lived eternally, in all probability.”
“I think it is all right to work for money, to work to have things enjoyed by people, even very limited ones; but the mistake is to feel that the work, the effort, the search is not the important and the exciting thing. One cannot strive to write a cheap, popular story without learning moe about cheapness.”
During his life, van Gough made a total of 109 dollars from all his paintings, yet his art transcends time because this is a man that believed “The world only concerns me in so far as I feel a certain debt and duty towards it and out of gratitude want to leave some souvenir in the shape of drawings or pictures – not made to please a certain tendency in art, but to express sincere human feeling.”
Ueland goes on to say that if you write with “real love and imagination and intelligence” you may very well become famous and make a ton of money, BUT “if nothing is ever published at all and you never make a cent, just the same it will be good that you have worked.”
The reason I made this a part two is that I love the contradiction of working in Hollywood, where everything is about money and fame, while trying to make honest, transparent art that reveals beauty. I believe the two CAN co-exist (though they rarely do) and this is my goal.
So I went to see Drive a month or so ago, the Ryan Gosling flick. It’s no secret that I’m a massive fan of his and I thought the film was fantastic, one of my favs from the year so far (Top 3 – along with Moneyball & Harry Potter 7 part II). But there’s a bit of a controversy surrounding it because a lot of people went into the film expecting to see Transporter 4 (are there really THREE of these???), and instead got a love story.
Personally, I thought it was very much an action film, but apparently the guy sitting behind me in the theater disagreed as he turned to his date and said “This movie should be called ‘Talk’”.
And last week I saw this:
What you see in this chart is the number of explosions per Michael Bay movie alongside the amount of money each movie made. More explosions = more money!
And it made me wonder. Do people really just want to go to movies to see explosions? Was the success of Transformers: Dark of the Moon due simply to special effects? Would Drive have been more of a success if it had a couple more car chases in it?
But I don’t think it’s so much explosions exactly as much as it is delivering on the promise of the premise, whether that be thrills in an action movie or laughs in a comedy. People go to the movies with a certain expectation. Apparently a LOT of people want to see people drive fast, blow stuff up, and hear guitar solos. And, as a writer, if you can deliver on that expectation, you will probably make a lot of money.
Now, I didn’t get into writing to (only) make money. It’s my desire to tell stories that challenge people to live better lives. And Drive did this for me, challenged me, reminded me that unconditional love is real and that life is short. It reached me with a level of honesty that is unfortunately rare in film.
I think it’s safe to say that not one person was challenged to live a better life by watching Transformers: Dark of the Moon. But a HELL of a lot of people saw it.
Whether you like it or not, when you work on the canvas of massive, explosion-laded movies, you have a larger audience to reach. Is it possible to deliver on what the mass-audience wants and still challenge them? Of course it is. Does it happen very often? Unfortunately, no. But that’s where you, the writer comes in. The producers & directors may only care about delivering a visually stimulating movie, but it’s your job to write a film that reaches through those explosions to challenge brains and touch hearts.
So my challenge is to all creatives (not just writers): how can you make art that reaches the widest audience possible that still challenges them in a unique and life-changing ways?
Filed under: SCREENWRITING
When you think about your friends and family what pops into your mind? Is it their clothes? Their job? Or is it the thousands of hours you’ve spent together where they’ve either gone out of their way for you… or didn’t.
For me, people are defined by four things:
1. How they treat other people.
2. Their dreams and passions.
3. Their environment (people, places, & things that surround them.)
4. Their career.
You may disagree with my order here, but it’s an important lesson to learn how other people see you. To learn how to define yourself. First and foremost, it’s how you treat others. I think that’s pretty hard to argue, yet we spend an awful lot of time trying to define ourselves with the latter two. As a professional writer, treating people with respect and love should be a higher priority for you than to be a great writer.
Now, apply that to the characters you write. How often do we try to define our characters using career or environment? Those are just facts, paper definitions. They don’t tell you anything about a person.
I challenge you to attempt to write characters that are defined by their decisions, by the way they treat others, by what they do when faced with adversity. This is how we get unique, well-defined characters.
I just got done watching Moneyball – completely blew me away. Loved it. And it got me thinking about sports movies and how I’m so thoroughly engrossed in them – and I don’t even like sports! Yet, I love action movies, romantic comedies, science fiction – all genres with much bigger stakes than just playing a game. So what is it about this magical genre? A couple things occurred to me:
1. Everyone can relate to a dreamer.
And sports are all about dreams. A little kid playing baseball with his dad. All he wants to be when he grows up is a baseball player. He works hard, finally gets his big shot. You can replace “baseball” with acting or ballet or politics, but the dreams remain the same. Everyone can relate to it.
For a lot of the world, they hang up on those dreams somewhere in or around college. So when we see someone on screen, living out those dreams, we see ourselves living out those dreams. It’s a “what if” scenario. What if I had stuck with piano lessons? What if I had written that novel? What if I had traveled the world? Everyone asks these questions, and it’s those questions we want to see lived out on the screen.
A hero who follows his dreams in the face of adversity is always a good story. No genre does this as well as Sports, but it can be applied to every genre.
2. There’s always a clear goal (or basket or touchdown.)
In the Sports genre, there’s always a final hurdle. And it’s clearly defined: Win the state championship. Go toe-to-toe with Apollo Creed. Defeat Johnny and his Cobra Kai pals. We usually know from very early on what that goal is and we’re along for the ride.
Almost always, our heroes are the underdogs. They are the LEAST likely to win. But they put that goal in site and don’t stop until they’ve arrived. And that’s key to a great character. We love someone who dreams big, and we love someone who doesn’t give up.
3. It doesn’t matter whether you win or lose, but how you play the game.
In writing classes, they always say raise the stakes. Yet, the larger the stakes, I believe the less you relate to them. The world is going to blow up? First of all, no it isn’t. Secondly, I have no frame of reference for that. What does that mean to me? I can’t relate to it. I’ve never been put in that position.
So, then they say make it personal. Your daughter is kidnapped? Okay, I can relate to what it must be like to lose a loved one. What if she dies? Well, in this scenario, there is only one way for our hero to win: rescue his daughter. And that’s boring, because we expect it. Some gutsy filmmaker might have the daughter die in the end, but then our hero is destroyed. He’s a failure. There’s no satisfying arc in that, (at least not in the same way Sports movies are satisfying.)
How do Sports movies do it differently? By creating a scenario where win or lose, the hero succeeds.
Two of my favorite Sports movies are Rocky & the Karate Kid – both referenced earlier. Both are similar stories. Guys who don’t stand a chance, up against insane odds. They stick to their guns, no matter what obstacles come their way (and they face a lot of obstacles), and finally arrive at their goal. Simply arriving at that goal is an accomplishment. Enough to end the movie right there. But there’s that last hurdle. That final goal that’s been driving the film. And as a result of everything that came before it, you pull for them to win even more. You are invested.
At this point Rocky & Karate Kid have two different endings: One wins the big fight and one doesn’t. (I won’t specify which one is which in case for some weird reason you haven’t seen them.) But both are equally satisfying. And I believe that they are so satisfying because they are unpredictable.
If your goal for your action hero is to save your daughter or she dies – they are probably going to save their daughter. If your goal for your action hero is to keep the world from blowing up – they are probably going to keep the world from blowing up. These are predictable endings.
Is it possible to take an action film or a romantic comedy or a sci-fi film and create an ending that is both unpredictable and satisfying no matter how it ends? Sports movies do it all the time.
I had no idea how Moneyball was going to end. Leading up to and even after the final hurdle. Yet, had the movie gone in either direction, it would’ve been a satisfying ending. I think that’s remarkable writing.
Filed under: PERSONAL
Tonight I gave a talk on storytelling, inspiration, & facing failure at the Adventures in Missions Media Training Seminar. Had incredibly amazing time being inspired by all the attendees who are about to leave on an 11 month(!), 11 country(!) round-the-world trip serving those in need. So blessed to be a small part of it.
To all of you guys in attendance, I would love to keep up with your adventures! Find me via facebook, email, twitter, or comment below.
Thanks!
Filed under: COMIC BOOKS, CREATING, MARKETING, PERSONAL, QUOTES, SCREENWRITING, SELF-PROMOTION
My brother is a born salesman, he’s constantly rising the corporate ladder of whatever fill-in-the-blank company he’s currently working for. He quits one job, immediately gets a new higher paying one. He started a coffee shop from scratch, only to turn around and sell it six months later. He’s one part Gordon Gecko, one part Patrick Bateman.
If “born salesman” is at one end of the spectrum, then “starving artist” as at the other. One look at my bank account, and I’ll let you guess where I land (usually in the negative).
I have a theory for this. I believe that creatives usually have some kind of pain in their past, and as a result disappeared into their imaginations to deal with it. This is certainly true of myself. And while this has led to a rather creative & talented mind, it’s also led to a terribly shy, somewhat bumbling personality. If you’re anything like my brother, then this essay is not for you.
For us creatives, the problem is that if we ever want to be successful (read: pay our rent) then we have to be salesmen. We have to master self-promotion. Here is my 4-step process to doing so.
1. Get out of your comfort zone.
I would much rather sit at home typing safely into my computer than put myself out in the real world. The real world is harsh. Rejection is personal. Technology provides us with a buffer of safety. You don’t have to look in the eyes of someone who is telling you your life-long dream is a terrible idea (there’s also nothing more satisfying than looking into the eyes of someone who “gets it.”) But in the world of writing, at least in film or comics, it is extremely hard (if not impossible) to “break-in” from behind your computer.
In the past month I’ve gone to two events – Nashville Screenwriting Conference in Tennessee and HeroesCon in North Carolina. Both provided me with experiences and contacts that would never be made sitting at home. I personally believe that you don’t have to move to a new city to follow your dreams (some professionals disagree with me), but I do believe you have to at least travel to where others in your industry are from time to time. Both comics & film are about relationships. Talent takes you a long way, but nothing replaces relationships.
2. Look them in the eye.
Craig Mazin, the screenwriter behind Hangover 2, told a story at the Nashville Screenwriting Conference about an anonymous writer who slid a letter under his hotel room door. In the letter, the author introduced herself and stated that she had left her script for Craig to read at the first desk. Craig said that this person made the wrong decision and he refused to read the script.
This was of course an awkward story as the author was sitting in the room, but it was a very important lesson. If you want to make it, you have to have the guts to put yourself out there. Nothing replaces a handshake. Nothing replaces looking someone in the eye. Craig will forever know this writer as the writer too afraid to face him in person. Would he have read it if they did talk to him in person? Maybe not, but they would have at least had the opportunity to make a good first impression.
3. Sell a personality.
Great stories are about great characters. The first ten minutes of a film should set up your character so that the audience falls in love with them, so they are invested in that character’s plight for the next 90 minutes. No matter how great the plot is, if the character’s aren’t worth investing in, the story suffers. The same applies to your career. You could have a great plot (written ten screenplays, shot a bunch of shorts, created a 1000 page graphic novel) but if the powers-that-be are not interested in YOU, then they won’t be interested in your art. (And by powers-that-be I mean the gatekeeepers: agents, publishers, pros, managers, producers, investors, etc.)
If you stay behind your computer screen, you are nothing but a product. A faceless, personality-lacking, dime-a-dozen drone. Your greatest product is yourself. Get out and sell you. BUT your first goal should not be to “sell them.” Just like a bad salesman, the gatekeepers can see you coming a mile away. Don’t be the telemarketer.
I don’t know much about sales, but this sounds like something they would say: “You have to earn someone’s trust before you can sell to them.” The key is trust. The key is friendships. If you come up to someone and immediately start in with your pitch, they never get a chance to know your personality, only your product.
4. It’s a date.
Practically speaking, how do you “sell yourself?” Well, think of it as a date. What’s the worst thing you can do on a first date? Talk all about yourself. The key to getting that second date is asking questions (and to actually be interested in the answers). Getting to know the person sitting across from you. If it’s a good date, they’ll be interested in you as well, and that will hopefully lead to a second “date” where you can talk more about your career and goals. And if they aren’t, then you politely move on to the next suitor.
The thing is, in the grand scheme of things, these friendships are going to be more important than whatever career you have anyway. The friendships I’ve made in the industry, I wouldn’t trade for anything, not even “success.” Life is ultimately about relationships – the people we bump into while we’re busy living life. Those are the moments that really matter.
In the opening paragraph I made my brother out to be this superhero, but the truth is his success lies in the same principles I’m discussing here. This was made clear to me when he recently shared his definition for success, quoting Sir Winston Churchill: “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.”
- Just like dating, you’re going to have some bad ones. You’re going to get hurt. You’re going to be beat down and disappointed. You’re going to fail a lot. But if you keep at it, you will find what you’re looking for.
- Hudson
My 9th grade science teacher used to say “no question is a stupid question” but I like to think I put that to the test. My first semester I ended up with an ‘F’ in the class, due in part to a leaf project in which I made up my own leaves. I thought it was creative. My teacher thought I was an idiot.
A question I see asked a lot of other writers is “where do you find your inspiration?” And my first though is “if you aren’t inspired a million times a day with ideas, then you’re probably not a writer.” Or at least not a very good one. Now, I’m not saying it’s a stupid question, but… yeah, okay I am.
Luckily, even if you are a terrible writer who asks stupid questions, there is a way to become a great writer who asks smart questions. And the key doesn’t lie in reading scripts or taking classes or collecting all the great books or watching all the great films.
The key lies in living a life worth writing about.
They say “write about what you know,” but obviously if I wrote about what I know, I’d be writing stories about guys who sit in front of their computer checking Facebook all day. (And even though last year’s Oscar winning adapted screenplay ended this way, I wouldn’t recommend it.)
So what does “write about what you know” mean? Well it means write about emotional journeys. Write about theme’s that are important to you. Write about life lessons that you’ve learned as you’ve LIVED life. And that’s the key to being a great writer. In order to be a great storyteller, you have to be a great storyliver. (See what I did there? I know, it’s very Tony Robbins, but hey, that guy’s a billionaire, so there.)
When’s the last time you went on an adventure? The last time you took a risk?
Stop reading this right now and go drive to the beach. What’s that? You live in Arizona? Good! More adventure for you. That girl sitting next to you who you’re afraid to talk to? Ask her out. That job that you’ve done for ten years and hate? Go quit. The brother you haven’t talked to since that fight last Thanksgiving? Go visit him. Go hiking. Go hitchhiking. Crash a wedding. Jump on a moving train. Run a marathon. Take up skateboarding. Go perform at an amateur stand-up comedy night. Strike up a conversation with that weird dude that hangs out in front of your apartment building. Make a new friend. Go treasure hunting. Buy a motorcycle. Surprise your wife with a different gift every day for a week. Climb a mountain. Eat something you’ve never tried before. Get in a fight. Build an orphanage. Take a homeless person out to dinner. Throw a dart at a map. Go there. Call up a random number and see how long you can keep the conversation going. Take a break from all technology – tv, computer, phone – for an entire day, nay, a week. Build something with your hands. Plant a garden. Make a list of 100 things you wanna do before you die, then do them.
A storyteller should have stories to tell. Stories come from EXPERIENCING life. You know why your grandparents have such great stories? Because they’ve lived a life. They’ve survived. The truth is that 9 times out of 10 you are going to fail and you are going to be embarrassed and you are going to make a mess of things. But success is defined not by what we accomplish, but by what we survive. And those are the stories people wanna see up on the big screen.
There are some things you can’t learn by reading a book or watching a movie. If you want to be a great writer, you have to live a life worth writing about. Just like if you want to pass a leaf project, you have to go out and actually gather some leaves.
Mark Andrew Smith is the Harvey & Eisner award winning writer/creator of the Amazing Joy Buzzards, Kill All Parents, & Aqua Leung (all published by Image Comics), as well as co-creator and editor of the brilliant Popgun anthologies. Along with artist Matthew Weldon, Mark is currently working on his second volume of New Brighton Archeological Society, the all-ages original graphic novel series, following the fantasy adventures of the “world’s most famous explorer’s” offspring.
How did you first break-in and get connected with Image?
It seems like so long ago. I think it was a case of determination and then finding Dan Hipp to work with on the Amazing Joy Buzzards. Those two things started the career that I have now.
How did you get hooked up with artist Mathew Weldon?
The New Brighton Archeological Society began as a series of shorts in the Popgun Anthology with Matthew Weldon who I met when he did a pinup for one of my other books.
What’s your process like?
I’ll usually work in scene sections. I’ll be about 40 pages ahead of Matthew and then when he catches up I’ll write the next 40 pages until the book is finished. I like it because it gives me enough of a break in between to muster up creative forces and then I can see his art as it comes in and be inspired as I write the next scenes.
Why an all-ages OGN?
I enjoy the Original Graphic Novel as a format to read but also I enjoy it as a writer for the space and freedom it provides when creating a story. With monthly comics I feel like I’m too ADD to wait for a month. It’s hard to remember what happened in the story after a month. But the direct market is really based on monthly books and that’s what a lot of readers enjoy. My next project out in May, Gladstone’s School for World Conquerors, is a Young Adult monthly series.
A huge drawback is that when an Original Graphic Novel comes out it’s got a life of about three months if it’s lucky and then it’s gone. But if you do a monthly series then your name is out for a year with the same amount of work and it can go farther to build an audience. For readers and comic/bookstores it’s hard to take a risk with something in OGN format at a higher price-point that isn’t yet tested material.
Do you think the format is currently overlooked or underexplored?
I don’t think that this particular area of comics is that overlooked and there are a lot of all-ages OGNs that do well. I think it’s much more the larger picture of retailers not ordering a lot of copies of untested material and not reordering when it sells out. The market is flooded and most creators do almost nothing to promote or sell their books. I think creators really should do their best to get the word out about their books outside of the comics market.
Talk about your marketing strategy a little bit. Currently you have a campaign going at Kickstarter to help in production on the next volume, but I imagine you’re also constantly trying to bring new readers in. What creative things are you doing to promote the book?
The answer to that question is ‘everything I can’. I feel like I can be smart with marketing but I don’t want to give away my tricks here for others to use because I learned them over time and they’re mine. I definitely have a playbook but also I wish the book would market itself or elves would do it for me. We did a lot of things that didn’t work also like mailing hard copies out to YA review sites and creating a website. We probably spent $300 mailing out copies and got ten quick reviews.
I think a while ago I heard some famous Authors state that giving away stuff for free was a good way to get people buying the material. So we thought we’d experiment and try it out by posting the comic book online. Web Comics and the idea of doing those were also interesting to me at the time in having something that got over a certain number of subscribers. I think it was great to try but this idea didn’t work or have much of an impact. For webcomics it’s important to follow the form and have something new and then for the free material angle. I think it just didn’t circulate around enough that it was there and that people were able to read it or the updates were so slow that it was hard for people to follow.
So those ones failed but other things that we do are very successful and have an impact. We tried and not everything works. Still it’s important to try new things out.
Is New Brighton available digitally?
I’ve really wanted to get New Brighton onto the Ipad but the wait is next to impossible with the Ipad gatekeepers. I think that approach of the gatekeepers isn’t the best because they all go through one app and then they’re in a candy bowl with a million other books.
The trick is to stand out and to get in front of as many people as you can. I’d like to finance our own app and also go straight to ibooks store. I’m going to look into that and getting my own distribution digitally. I like print because anyone and everyone can publish digitally. I would like to distribute digitally also but not solely digitally.
What does it take for you to consider your book a “success?”
I think what’s important is to get your book out in front of as many people as you can. I think our book is already a success on a personal level. I’d like to get to best seller status of course.
I think success for me then probably means that the book pays my bills and Matthew’s bills for the time that we’re working on it. But we’ll keep working on it for free and do our best to finish the series.
How and where can we find out more about New Brighton and your other projects?
New Brighton Archeological Society has a Facebook group that people can join and they can follow me on Twitter.
Thanks Mark!
- HP
Wow… 10 months since my last post. The thing is, I promised myself that when I started this site I would only post if I had something unique to say. So, when I write an article for this site, it’s usually because I’m interested in something yet can’t find it already existing on the web. I feel like I haven’t had much to say the past ten months, but I’d like to get back in the game when I have the time, starting with this one:
A friend of a friend told me he just completed a screenplay and wondered what he should do with it. Good question, right? I’ve had some MILD success in the area, so this is what I responded with.
1. Congratulations!
Writing a screenplay is hard work. The fact that you finished one puts you ahead of the majority of “writers” out there.
2. Send queries (emails to people in the biz asking them to read your stuff).
I’ve heard some industry people say that this is useless and doesn’t work, but I can tell you it does because I’ve done it with some success.
I sent out about 100 emails when we finished Hourglass and got about 15 responses to read. Of the 15 we sent to only about 5 actually read it. All passed but it created some recognition with these reps so that when I finished my latest screenplay, I was able to use those same contacts. The fact that we had already optioned something and that we had a lawyer probably helped. Any contests you’ve won would also be a help, although ultimately it comes down to having an awesome idea. If you’ve got a great logline, they’ll wanna read it. Just be polite, professional, and brief.
Here is an article that mostly discusses writing loglines (which you’ll need when you send out the queries), but it also talks specifically about how to find emails for agents, managers, & producers and send them queries to read your script -
THEUNKNOWNSCREENWRITER.COM/THE-ELEVATOR-PITCH
3. Send your screenplay in for “coverage”.
Not only do you get honest feedback on your script, but if it’s good, they will forward your screenplay to agents/managers/producers. Just be careful which coverage services you choose. I would suggest these:
4. Enter your script into contests. If it’s good and it places, agents, managers, & producers will get ahold of it. Here are links to ones I am aware of:
NICHOLL FELLOWSHIPS
AAA / CREATIVE SCREENWRITING
SCRIPTAPALOOZA
BIG BREAK / FINAL DRAFT
5. Collaborate. Be on the look-out for young, hungry directors. With the advances in technology, directors are popping up everywhere online. Many are looking for scripts to shoot in order to advance their own careers. The same can be said for producers. The best thing you can do is contact and network with others that are in a similar place as you. The internet is your friend here.
6. Call in favors. Does your uncle’s dentist know a producer? See if you can’t get the script to him. It’s tacky and a little lame, but what’s it really gonna hurt? Half of being a writer is being a salesman.
7. While you’re waiting on all that, write another script. Then another. Then another. You’re only as good as your next idea. And every script gets better than the one before it. It’s completely normal to write 5-10 screenplays before making your first sale, so the sooner you get to number 10, the better. I sold my second script, yet I’m still struggling to ‘break in,’ and I’ve written three more since then. According to Malcolm Gladwell, if you do anything for 10,000 hours (or approx. ten years) you become an expert, so give yourself time.
Filed under: COMIC BOOKS
THE DETAILS:
• Compiled from over 60 “Best of the Decade” lists.
• Only those books that made at least 5 lists are included on the master list. Organized by number of mentions.
• Limited to comics books and graphic novels released between 2000-2009. 38 comics in all.
THE LIST:
24 MENTIONS:
Y: THE LAST MAN
Brian K. Vaughn, Pia Guerra - Vertigo
19 MENTIONS:
ALL STAR SUPERMAN
Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely – DC
SCOTT PILGRIM
Bryan Lee O’Malley – Oni
17 MENTIONS:
BLANKETS
Craig Thompson – Top Shelf
16 MENTIONS:
FABLES
Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, Lan Medina – Vertigo
14 MENTIONS:
CAPTAIN AMERICA
Ed Brubaker, Steve Epting, Mike Perkins, Michael Lark - Marvel
THE WALKING DEAD
Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn - Image
13 MENTIONS:
PLANETARY
Warren Ellis, John Cassaday – Wildstorm
11 MENTIONS:
FUN HOME: A FAMILY TRAGICOMIC (11)
Alison Bechdel – Houghton Mifflin
THE ULTIMATES
Mark Millar, Bryan Hitch, Steve Dillon – Marvel
10 MENTIONS:
BLACK HOLE
Charles Burns – Pantheon
DC: THE NEW FRONTIER
Darwyn Cooke -DC
BONE
Jeff Smith - Cartoon Books
JIMMY CORRIGAN: THE SMARTEST KID ON EARTH
Chris Ware - Pantheon
PERSEPOLIS
Marjane Satrapi – Pantheon
9 MENTIONS:
ASTERIOS POLYP
David Mazzucchelli – Pantheon
DAREDEVIL (9)
Brian Michael Bendis, Alex Maleev – Marvel Comics
8 MENTIONS:
ACME NOVELTY LIBRARY
Chris Ware – Pantheon
LOUIS RIEL: A COMIC-STRIP BIOGRAPHY
Chester Brown – D&Q
PROMETHEA
Alan Moore, J.H. Williams III - America’s Best Comics / Wildstorm,
WE3
Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely – Vertigo
7 MENTIONS:
100 BULLETS
Brian Azzarello, Eduardo Risso - Vertigo
GREEN LANTERN
Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, Ethan Van Sciver, Doug Mahnke – DC
HELLBOY
Mike Mignola -Dark Horse
SAFE AREA GORAZDE
Joe Sacco, Christopher Hitchens – Fantagraphics
THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN
Alan Moore, Kevin O’Neill - America’s Best Comics / Wildstorm
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN
Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Bagley – Marvel
6 MENTIONS:
ASTONISHING X-MEN
Joss Whedon, John Cassaday – Marvel
CRIMINAL
Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips – Icon
PUNISHER MAX
Garth Ennis, Lewis Larosa, Leandro Fernandez – Marvel
5 MENTIONS:
100%
Paul Pope – Vertigo
ACHEWOOD
Chris Onstad - achewood.com / Dark Horse
EPILEPTIC
David B. – Pantheon
IDENTITY CRISIS
Brad Meltzer, Rags Morales – DC
KRAMERS ERGOT
Sammy Harkham, Various – Buenaventura
POWERS
Brian Michael Bendis, Michael Avon Oeming - Image / Icon
THE AUTHORITY
Warren Ellis, Bryan Hitch – Wildstorm
THE GOON
Eric Powell – Dark Horse
Writer’s Anonymous is a new multi-part series I’m working on where I interview entry/mid level writers about lifestyle subjects such as organization, prioritizing, and dealing with rejection.
This is not about how to write or how to break into the business, but about the everyday mental and emotional journey of the writer. Hopefully these articles will give writers a place to know they are not alone in that journey.
In the first installment, I interview David Accampo about finding time in his busy schedule for his many writing projects.
David, along with frequent collaborator Jeremy Rogers, has developed a number of critically lauded pitches, shorts, and feature-length screenplays. He is a co-founder of the independent production company, Habit Forming Films, LLC where he and Jeremy wrote, directed, and produced three award winning films. Additionally, David writes, produces, & edits “Wormwood: A Serialized Mystery,” a full-cast audio drama he co-created.
All of this in addition to a day job.
What all do you have going on right now creatively?
Habit Forming Films has launched the third season of our audio series, Wormwood: A Serialized Mystery. We’re in the midst of the post-production on an 8-part series we’re calling Wormwood: Portraits. I edited the first two installments, and right now I have a break before I have to go back to the editing room for Episode 5.
And during this break, I’ve decided to use the advent of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) to knock out a draft of a novel that I’ve been mulling over for a year.
How much time do these creative projects take out of your day?
Wormwood varies — it’s a three part process. First, we write the episodes. This usually involves a writer’s meeting via Skype that takes 2-3 hours. Then I have actual writing assignments. On the last batch, I scripted two episodes, which is roughly about 40-45 pages of script.
I’d say that each script takes about a week to write. I also get scripts in from the other writers, and as one of the show’s producers, I then have to work with the writers to tweak and polish the scripts. This is a nebulous period of creative time, so it’s hard for me to track.
The production of 8 episodes of Wormwood takes about 8 hours. We gather our actors, and we record the episodes back-to-back, sending the actors in and out as we need them. We keep a strict one-day schedule to help accommodate the actors, since we have about 16 cast members, and it’s tough to coordinate schedules.
Post-production is divided up by me and my co-producer, Jeremy Rogers. We each take half the batch, and we’re each responsible for editing together the audio and layering in music and sound effects.
The inspiration for the Wormwood writing process was to create a virtual version of a TV show’s “writer’s room.” That always sounded like a magical place of collaboration, so we figured we’d just make our own idealized, virtual version with our writers who are living all over the country.
The novel I’ve started as part of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), is a move back to prose. I’m more comfortable writing than producing and editing, so right now, the writing is almost relaxing to me. I’m trying to spend about 2 hours a night writing.
And this is in addition to your day job?
Yep. By day, I wear the title of Marketing Communications Manager. This job involves everything from writing copy to doing graphic design. There was a time where I figured that I needed a very physical job (I was a bartender while in college), so that I could come home and pour all of my creativity into my writing. Now I see that the more creative I am at work, the more creative I am at home.
What is your daily schedule like? Do you have a set time when you write?
My scheduled time to “sit down and knock it out” is usually the evening, after work, before I get too lazy watching television. Or if work is too grueling, I’ll allow myself to vegetate until, say, 9pm, and then force myself to sit in front of the computer.
Where do you find the time for your “passion projects” while trying to balance it with work & personal life?
That’s the million dollar question, isn’t it? First of all, my day job is great because they value my creativity, and they know and respect that I have a life outside of work. I’ve found that some employers don’t subscribe to this concept. I suggest staying away from those employers.
Similarly, I think you’ve got to surround yourself with loved ones who understand your passion as a writer. I think I’ve lived my life long enough just saying “I’m a writer,” that there’s no one around me who doesn’t understand this and understand that there are times when I need to close myself off and write.
How do you go about “closing yourself off” for those times where you need to get away and write?
Well, the first thing I do is make sure that friends and loved ones know I need this time to “work” and they understand that I can’t really be bothered in this time.
Another thing I’ve found recently is that getting out of the house really helps me. It forces me to think: this is WRITING time — no catching up on those shows on the DVR! So, I like to sit in cafes with WiFi with a laptop and headphones and work there.
With both NaNoWriMo & Wormwood, I assume these are deadline driven projects?
Well, that’s the beauty of NaNoWriMo — it forces a deadline on you. The goal there is to keep writing — 1,600 words a day. So far, so good
With Wormwood, we establish our own deadlines. The goal is a weekly audio series, but we’ve found it necessary to take breaks at various points along the way in order to recharge, catch up, etc. We have a staff of six writers, but we all have other jobs and other projects. I’d say that we’ve given the writers between 1-2 months to do the scripts needed for an 8 episode installment.
I’ve realized recently that I REALLY need the deadlines. It’s part of how I’m wired. I will often wait, wait, wait and then rush to do the work right before the deadline. I do get a rush from the thrill of the approaching deadline, but I also have realized that all that time I’m “waiting” is actually still part of my process. I tend to live with the story rattling around in my skull. I’m always thinking about it — it’s always in the back of my mind. Then, when the deadline looms, all of that subconscious work comes to the forefront and I spit it all out in one big burst.
I’m sure the goal would be to one day do the creative work full time. What exactly is your goal? Where would you like to see yourself in 5 years?
Ultimately, I’d love for my full-time job to involve writing my creations. I don’t have anything more specific than that. In one sense, I’d love to make Wormwood a full-time job. I’d love to transition that into a TV writer’s room, and actually create the series as a TV show. But I’d also love to be writing screenplays. I’d also love to be writing novels. There’s no “one goal” aside from… well… telling stories that I’m excited to tell.
Any other tips or ideas on time-management?
1) understand your OWN process, but don’t make excuses. If you’re a procrastinator, then own it — don’t let it own you.
2) Give yourself deadlines. Tell other people (whom you respect) about these deadlines. They’ll keep you from getting too lazy.
3) Even though this isn’t necessarily the way I’ve written in the past, NaNoWriMo is teaching me that it’s very good to give yourself 2 hours every day to just work creatively and without stopping.
4) But my caveat to that is Step 1 above — know your own process. If Suggestion #3 is making you miserable, then don’t work that way. Find your own way. There’s no ONE way to do this stuff. You just have to do it.
Wormwood: A Serialized Mystery can be found at www.wormwoodshow.com
Some of my personal writing and scripts can be found at www.davidaccampo.com
Information on Habit Forming Films can be found at www.habitformingfilms.com
And folks can join me for the final days of NaNoWriMo here: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/53946
If there are subjects you’d like to see covered in future installments of Writer’s Anonymous, let me know in the comments below!
Here’s a “teaser” for a new project in the works… written by me with art & lettering by Brandon Earnhart:
I don’t think there is anyone who would disagree that the comics industry needs kids. Without them the industry dies off. And as of right now, the overwhelming majority of comic book readers are not kids. I’ve read a number of people state this, yet have seen very few solutions.
Michael Chabon has a fantastic essay in his book Maps and Legends where he offers those solutions. What follows is his list (along with my summary) of how to successfully write stories for kids.
1. Let’s not tell stories that you think kids of today would like, tell stories that you would have liked as a kid. I would add to that: tell stories that you would like NOW as well. The greatest “children’s” stories work on both levels. For me personally, the kinds of stories I like are generally the ones that are enjoyed by both audiences.
2. Let’s tell stories that, over time, build up an intricate mythology that is also accessible and comprehensible at any point of entry. Kids want to explore, go on a journey where new information is revealed along the way, challenging what came before. But at the same time need an entry point, especially in comics – to tell a complete story (or part of the story) in every issue.
3. Let’s cultivate an unflagging readiness as storytellers to retell the same stories with endless embellishment. To give the comfortable, but something new. Kid’s love repetition, anyone who has ever told a story to a kid can understand that. But they also want
4. Let’s blow their minds. Their minds are not blown simply by thrilling action sequences, but by taking them to places they’ve never been, both mentally and emotionally. When you make their dreams come true, and at the same time create new dreams to fill that space.
5. Let’s tell stories about children. An overwhelming number of stories in comics, that are aimed at kids, are about adults or teens. If you want kids to relate and go on the journey with these characters – kids relate to kids.
6. This last one is not from Chabon, but from Jacob Medjuck – writer and director of the film Summerhood. “If you want to reach kids with a moral, wrap it in the dirtiest joke possible.” Now, you have to take that and apply it to your own story & audience, but his point is valid. In other words – Let’s share our values, yet not hit them over the head. Even kids can see the moral coming a mile away. Simply tell stories that are honest and unique to your life.
Do any comics you read fit the above descriptions? What are the cartoons, books, or films that do? Can you help fill that void in the comics world? Go create.
- Hudson
Randomly picked up a book at the library recently. It’s called “Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer” by Roy Peter Clark. I knew nothing of the author, but it looked up-to-date and easy to digest.
After flipping through a few chapters, it’s quite an interesting read. Most of the books I’ve consumed on writing have been screenwriting focused, which tend to be more story-oriented. Clark’s book however (which is intended for all kinds of writing, from poetry to journalism) talks about the joy (and power) of words, sentences, paragraphs… And how to use them effectively. And it’s quite good.
One particular chapter I enjoyed is “Draft a mission statement for your work.”
For myself, I think it’s something I do informally with every script that I write, but I really want to start applying it in a more focused manner.
A lot of times I find myself losing focus. Maybe it’s a producer wanting a rewrite, or maybe it’s just me getting bored with a character. When these issues arise, a mission statement helps me to find that excitement and purpose behind the story.
For myself I divided this mission statement into 4 categories:
• Theme – What is the “big idea” I want to get across, not just the theme that arises in every story, but also my personal beliefs?
• Form – What makes this script different than the one before it? How can I push myself as writer? How can I tell a story in a new way?
• Tone – What emotions do I want to evoke? What “kind” of story is it? Adventure, comedy, drama? How does this affect the themes?
• Character – What is the character journey? Why is it happening? What makes these characters unique?
What other areas can you think of that might be applicable in a writers mission statement?
New comic, written by me with art by Brandon Earnhart. Check it out at our new preview site here:
http://sequentialshorts.wordpress.com
Artist Brandon Earnhart and I created a short comic called Strawberries for a competition over at iFanboy.com (where we were really excited and flattered to get a runners-up nod).
Strawberries tells the story of a monk, a tiger, and two kids in love.
Click here to download a pdf (or view jpg’s at the iFanboy link above).
Would love to get your feedback! Look for more from Brandon and I in the near future.
Filed under: COMIC BOOKS
It seems like every day we read a press release about a new comic book project being optioned for film. And, it’s no wonder, with the critical & box office success of such properties as 300, Wanted, and Watchmen. For better or worse, Hollywood is going to keep mining the comic book industry for creative property until it has nothing left to give.
What does this mean for the future of the comic book industry? Is Hollywood helping to create a financial model where independent creators can make a fortune off of their small-time properties? What exactly IS an option?
I spoke recently with three different comics creators who are all in the thick of this discussion to get their honest take on these questions:
B. Clay Moore is the writer of Hawaiian Dick (published by Image Comics and previously optioned by New Line Cinema), the Leading Man (published by Oni Press and optioned by Universal Pictures), and Billy Smoke (soon to be published by Oni Press and optioned by Warner Brothers with Matthew Fox set to star).
Robert Venditti is the writer of the Surrogates (published by Top Shelf and optioned by Disney. Directed by Jonathan Mostow with Bruce Willis starring, set to be released this fall.) Venditti also works a day job in the Top Shelf mail room.
Kevin Mellon is the artist and co-creator (along with writer Dennis Hopeless) of Gearhead (published by Arcana comics and optioned by producer Gale Anne Hurd for Valhalla Films.)
Clay, you’ve got Billy Smoke, Leading Man, & Hawaiian Dick all set up at various studios. Am I missing anything?
MOORE: As of now, no, although Hawaiian Dick’s option was renewed and then expired, so it’s technically on the market again as a property. I have other things in the works (some comic related and some not), but those are the announced options.
Is there any “secret” to you having so many projects optioned?
MOORE: I don’t know about that. I know that I tend to write stories centering around a strong protagonist, building a world around that character. That appeals to Hollywood, and, particularly, to actors looking for meaty roles.
In comic book terms, I try to make the “hook” clear and engaging, and I try to build a unique and entertaining world around the characters. Those things seem to translate well to other media.
Two of your projects are set up at Closed on Mondays (The Leading Man, Billy Smoke), Oni Press’s sister-production company. How does working with this company, which has closer ties to the comics industry, vary from your experience with other companies?
MOORE: I love the guys at Closed On Mondays. Eric Gitter and Peter Schwerin, along with Oni Publisher Joe Nozemak, were some of the first guys to realize that they were sitting on a virtual catalog of ideas that were marketable to other media, almost all of which also happened to be fantastic comic books. I think Hollywood now understands that Oni (much like Image Comics) produces a broad range of material that works in a broad range of genres, and that the new spin comic books put on old ideas is often a lot more fresh than most ideas generated exclusively with film in mind.
When I work with Eric, Peter and Joe, I’m working with guys who have gone out of their way to help me push my career in new directions, and not always to the benefit of their companies. They value talent, and do their best to set projects up with actual hope for development. I’m not officially attached to them in any capacity. I’m just a freelance creator who trusts them to take care of his properties.
Robert, Tell me a little about your experience getting the Surrogates optioned: Was the option as a result of your self-promotion? Top Shelf? An agent/manager?
ROBERT: I’d say it was in part a result of all three factors, but mostly it was just the circumstances of being in the right place at the right time. I know the property ended up on Hollywood’s radar because of some of the positive press the early issues of the series received, and I was able to meet a lot of producers because Top Shelf has such a consistent presence on the convention circuit. Ultimately, though, it all comes down to the story resonating with its audience, and the team involved in the film production having an honest appreciation for the material.
MELLON: The first Gearhead option was on the table before the first issue even shipped. A small Canadian production company that Arcana had been trying to develop some things with over the years became interested, and ended up optioning the book on the basis of a director/writer/producer there wanting to make the film. That was in early 2007.
They basically sat on the project for a year until the option ran out, and we were in the middle of discussing renewing the option when the possibility of working with Valhalla came up. I, personally, wasn’t too keen on renewing with the first company due to their lack of development and my complete disinterest in the producer and the director’s vision of the film, so we let that option lapse and worked out a producing option with Valhalla in the fall of 2008.
MELLON: Valhalla has a long track record with comic book properties, and I think they saw the same things in Gearhead that made Dennis and I do the book in the first place; a strong female lead on a quest to find herself amidst the crazy world she lives in. Plus she kicks the shit out of a bunch of stuff. What’s not to like?
How do you think the current “comic book option frenzy” is affecting the comics industry as a whole?
MOORE: Positively. I mean, companies that are producing bad comics in an attempt to get things optioned would probably be producing bad comics regardless. But for creators such as myself, it puts us in the enviable position of being able to make ends meet, and to further publicize our work and our “brands,” all while creating our own books.
MELLON: I don’t hold a lot of stock in the movie side of things, Hollywood being the snooty bitch at the party everyone wants, but is only giving out handjobs to a handful and the full vag to a few, and anal to Frank Miller [NOTE - conversation conducted before "the Spirit" did less than stellar at the box-office]. I have to treat that shit like it means nothing because if you let yourself get too caught up in it, it takes your head away from the things that matter in life, making the books.
VENDITTI: I worked in book retail when the comics-to-film trend started, and the increase in the number of customers buying comics was very noticeable. Even if a customer only buys the book that’s been adapted, I still think that’s a good thing because they’re being exposed to the comics medium, whereas otherwise they might not have. Where the “option frenzy” can become a problem, however, is with creators and, worse, publishers who base they’re entire business model on the hope that their properties will make it to the screen. When that becomes your primary goal, the material suffers.
MOORE: One of the best things about seeing Hollywood poke around comics for new ideas is that ideas and concepts one wouldn’t normally associate with a film have been snapped up, and some are in development. Scott Pilgrim is a great example of that. And it is spreading awareness of the medium. Whenever a film based on a comic book gets a lot of press, the comic’s sales leap upward. We saw that with Hellboy, Sin City, 300, and even the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. I was on a flight back from an authors event in Milwaukee last month, and a (female) television reporter was explaining to the guy next to her how she’d never read a comic book before in her life, but was really curious about Watchmen, which she had on her lap. I’m hoping the Scott Pilgrim film makes Bryan Lee O’Malley a gazillionaire.
MELLON: It’s a double edged sword. It’s good in that it can provide much needed exposure and a little bit of money that just doing the comic books alone won’t provide.
MOORE: And it never hurts to have your name attached to projects associated with other media.
What about you personally? When writing a project, are you considering Hollywood at all?
MELLON: Dennis Hopeless and I talk about those aspects on our projects in development, but those conversations usually consist of the phrase “will go over like a lead balloon in Hollywood” and “this will never work as a movie” being bandied about over and over. It’s something we’re aware of, but don’t tailor anything we do towards.
VENDITTI: I never thought about The Surrogates in terms of Hollywood viability—I just wanted to tell the best story I could. That’s still my focus, but if Hollywood continues to come calling, so much the better.
Has it changed the way you look at your own career?
MOORE: It has, to some extent. I’ve enjoyed working on the work-for-hire projects I’ve tackled, and enjoy writing and putting my spin on existing characters, but I don’t feel a desperate need to sell a billion copies of a “hot” character’s book to qualify as a success. I’m open to conversations with anyone about any project, but diversifying my income streams and shifting the focus of my work from one project to the next is pretty gratifying.
A lot of young creators now look at the Hollywood option as having “made it,” as if it’s this magical doorway to fame and riches. Is this true in your experience?
MELLON: Contrary to what I’m sure other people will say, it’s not a lucrative or consistent way to make a living. It’s very hit and miss, and the guys that hit tend to do well, in a fashion, but there’s thousands of other comic people who never see a dime from dealing with Hollywood.
Publishers tend to dislike creators talking about this shit, so do movie studios, but here’s the dirt from my very limited experience. The money in options is with HUGE studios. Most comic books are optioned by producers or production companies for very little to no money and those options rarely mean anything of substance is taking place with the property. The first option for Gearhead, with a Canadian production company, was for no money. This is so fucking common in comics it’s ridiculous.
VENDITTI: In a lot of cases, having a property optioned doesn’t really net the creators much because the bulk of the money comes when a studio makes the final purchase of the property, usually on the commencement of principal photography. If you get to that stage you can do alright for yourself, but it’d be a mistake to think that all you have to do is sell one property and then you can retire. Literally, the day after I received the purchase check from Disney, I was back in the warehouse at Top Shelf.
MELLON: Most of the announcements you see are just option announcements, which rarely mean anything other than that company has signed a contract giving them the sole rights to make that film for a certain amount of time. When a film studio makes a movie, they’ve usually bought the rights to make that movie outright and own that property forever. There’s a huge difference in meaning and in money in both of those things.
Most people don’t understand the nature of an option. When you option with a producer or a film studio, it’s less money and you (usually) get the rights back after a set amount of time. When you sell it to a studio, you (usually) are selling them the rights in perpetuity and you get a lot more money for it. Sometimes enough to buy a car, in the best cases enough to buy a few houses and live off for a while. There’s no formula, and there’s no hard rule. Everyone and every deal is different.
MOORE: And you can’t just short-circuit the art of producing comic books and just go to work selling options. The reality is that what works well in comics, and comes across as a unique and engaging concept, might work in film, and you might be able to attract the attention of a studio or a producer, and you might sell an option and see some money, but that’s a lot of “mights” to rely on. What you’d better be doing is producing a comic book you’re honestly proud of, and one that you’d be perfectly happy with even if Hollywood never came knocking on your door. And, you know, producing comics is really, really hard work.
MELLON: The thing about Hollywood from my POV is that you either have to earn someone’s trust in order to just sell the idea before doing the book, or you have to do the book in full so they can visualize the project and also know that it exists in some other form. There’s a long discussion to be had about the way Hollywood works when they’re developing original material versus adapting something from another medium. It seems (from my vantage point) to be a lot cheaper for them to adapt from another medium than to spend the money needed to pay people to generate new ideas.
VENDITTI: Having your story get translated into film is a good way to get your name out there, though, so it can lead to more writing work and help get your career off the ground.
MELLON: Those press-releases are fucking gold for young creators. Your name begins to mean a lot more to a lot more people when every comics news site is running your press release about your option being announced. You just have to make sure you can back up the hype with good product or you’re just another shmuck whose name comes and goes in a bullet point on newsarama and cbr.
I don’t count on it for anything and will be shocked if any of what I have “in Hollywood” at any time amounts to more than a press release or two. For me, personally, it’s better to remain distant and cold to it or you can fast end up on the roller-coaster of diminishing returns both creatively and emotionally. I make comics, not movies. If they never make the Gearhead movie my life changes not one bit.
Thanks so much guys! I love your comics and can’t wait to see the films adapted from them.
- Hudson
