Views from the Middle with Shane Houghton

So, here’s the deal.  Starting the second week of a series of interviews where I ask the same five questions of friends that I respect in different industries such as film, comics, music, and more.  The goal is to get a more realistic idea of what it looks like to “climb the ladder” of success and whether or not there is such a thing as “breaking in.”  

Shane Houghton is the incredibly nice, clever, and funny writer behind the fantastic all-ages comic series, Reed Gunther, drawn by his equally nice and talented brother, Chris, and published by Image Comics.  He’s also written comics for licensed properties such as The Simpsons, Peanuts, and Casper.  If that wasn’t enough (for a 26 year old!), he’s also a talented filmmaker.

At what point did you consider yourself a success?

I don’t think I have considered myself a success yet! I’m very grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given, but I still have a lot of goals to accomplish. Personally, I feel like I’ve just now began to scratch the beginning of what I’ve always wanted to do. I really enjoy working with my brother, Chris (artist and co-creator of REED GUNTHER), and I hope we can continue making our bear-riding cowboy comic, REED GUNTHER, come up with more creator-owned comics, and even run an animated TV show together.

How long did it take you to get there?

I’ve been writing comics for about 4 years. But really, that was when the first issue of REED GUNTHER came out. When my brother and I first started self-publishing REED GUNTHER, we were releasing about two issues a year, which means I only wrote 64 pages a year for two years. While we were working on Reed, I wrote a few other short comics (2, 6, and 8 pagers) so my brother and I could flex some different creative muscles.

After about 2 years of self-publishing REED GUNTHER in black and white, we started getting some attention from publishers. Dark Horse asked us to pitch some stories for STAR WARS ADVENTURES, a digest sized self contained story. I wrote 10 pages of outline for three different stories (which I thought were pretty awesome) but Dark Horse ended up turning them down. The one-page version of those pitches and some artwork are posted on a blog we like to call: Rejected Comics by Shane and Chris Houghton. You can see all of our failed pitches there including lots of submissions to MAD MAGAZINE, KUNG FU PANDA, and Dark Horse’s CREEPY.

Around this same time, Image Comics became interested in re-releasing REED GUNTHER and having us continue the series. We finally came out nationally thanks to Image, in color, in June of 2011. Now it’s been one full year and we have 10 issues of REED GUNTHER and two trade paperbacks.

Because of Reed, I also have had the opportunity to write for a few other books including CASPER’S SCARE SCHOOL, PEANUTS, and THE SIMPSONS’ TREEHOUSE OF HORROR. But there have been plenty of failed pitches for lots of other properties.

Who do you look at in the comics industry as someone you respect, that is “doing it right?”

As a writer, Sam Humphries (writer of OUR LOVE IS REAL, HIGHER EARTH, and Marvel’s ULTIMATES) is doing it best. Sam has been hovering around the comic creating business for years. He created MySpace Comics when that was a thing. He knows everyone in comics and has been attending San Diego for like a billion years. Sam and I have been friends way before either of us was anything in the comics industry– before he wrote the FRAGGLE ROCK story that put him on the map and before REED GUNTHER was at Image.

I’ve seen Sam work at San Diego for the last three years and he is doing it right. Sam is there not to sell his book(s), but to sell himself. He doesn’t have a table, but floats from signing to signing at BOOM!, Archaia, Marvel… And meets and parties with editors constantly. He gets a hotel real close so he can take naps during the middle of the day. Something I couldn’t ever do because I have a table to cover. Sam also knows a lot of press folks and comes up with new and innovating ways to promote his new books. Press guys love that so they’re helping each other out. Sam knows his jam.

What’s the biggest surprise for how you expected life to be at your level vs. how it actually is?

That’s tough. I never really knew what life was going to be like after college. Up until you graduate from college, everything is set up and pre-planned. In school you always know you’ll move up to the next grade, then high school, then college. But after, everything is up to you. I got a boring day job for a while, but it took me a few years before I could freelance and transition into writing comics full time.

By the way, I only started writing comics full time this year, around April. So I haven’t been doing it long and I could totally crash and burn. Plus I’m getting married this year, which is pretty crazy. So those are both things that are surprises to me the year… sort of. Both writing full time and getting married are things I’ve been working at and developing for years! So it’s cool they’re both happening around the same time.

I’m 26, and if you ask me what my 5-year plan is, I’ll laugh in your face. Well, probably not because that seems mean, but what I’m saying is that I have no idea what I’m doing 5 months from now. Hopefully still working and married. Those are my goals into my very limited near future.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to break in to the comics industry?

DO IT! If you want to get in, start working. Don’t wait until someone gives you an opportunity because they won’t until you have shown them what you can do. My brother and I self-published for two years before we got a chance at Image. Check out our failed pitches site and you can see a ton of work we did that never went anywhere. And there’s a lot more stuff that isn’t on that site. But hopefully you’re doing what you do because you love doing it. And that is the reward right there. No one gets into comics for the money, because you can make a lot more of it doing a lot less work. Enjoy what you do and then don’t stop doing it.

You can keep up with Shane and Chris and their bear-riding cowboy at reedgunther.com or buy the first two volumes of the comic here and here.  

Views from the Middle with Kevin Mellon

Well, this is awkward.  Two interviews back to back from guys with extraordinarily similar names.  This is the 3rd part in a series where I interview my friends who are professionals in creative industries – what that might look like, and how it might be different than what you assume.

Kevin Mellon is the talented and unique artist behind the comics American Muscle (written by Steve Niles as part of Creator Owned Heroes), Heart (written by Blair Butler), and LoveStruck (written by Dennis Hopeless) all published by Image Comics.  He’s also a storyboard artist for the animated show Archer airing on FX.  Kevin is a new transplant to Atlanta from Kansas City – which he’ll continue to regret until we get an Alamo Drafthouse.  And after you take a look at his books (and the following interview), you’ll realize why I respect him so much.

At what point did you consider yourself a success?  How long did it take you to get there?

These first 2 questions imply a definition of success and an awareness of it as a concept that I am unsure I have.

When you set out to do a thing, you tend to have a list of “goals” / things you want to accomplish in doing said thing, and that might be a definition of success.

The problem with that is, your goals and list of things to accomplish changes as you get farther along the path, and as is often the case, you surpass your earlier goals and “definition of success” without realizing it, because you’ve long since added new/different goals and things to the list. Often times, your whole priority in life and work can change, taking all those goals out of the equation. Making success an unattainable thing that you will never see when you’ve “made it” because you’re often looking and working so far above it to notice.

Success, for me personally, is defined less by goals and some outside-world definition of it, and more-so by “did I do good work today? Did I learn something today? Is this project something I can bring myself into and have it be better for it? Will doing this project make me better at my craft and as a person? Will this be fun?”

Those are some of the things I set out to do in life and with everything I take on. Doesn’t always work out, and doesn’t always end up that way, but by asking those questions I find that I’m less disappointed by a false set of expectations (internal and external) I thought I wanted to accomplish, and more satisfied in knowing that I’ve done the best I can in the time I had with the tools/knowledge at my disposal. If I’m not satisfied, then I do better tomorrow.

I always want to do better tomorrow.

That’s about as successful as I can be.

Who do you look at in the comics industry as someone you respect, that is “doing it right?”

I think everyone has their own path, so you have to look at and inspect people who’s paths you admire. More and more, I find that with twitter and facebook, you can find out so much about another person and their way of doing things as to go from respecting it in an abstract way, to loathing it in a “fuck, I wish I didn’t know this about you” way.

The people I admire currently are excited about what they do and bring the best they can to it and “success/failure” aside, their enthusiasm for throwing everything they can into it never wanes.

What’s the biggest surprise for how you expected life to be at your level vs. how it actually is?

Not sure what level I’m at. I don’t have anything else to reference in order to make any sort of comparison.

Life is good. Shit, life is great. Everything in my life changed this year, and that’s been a sum of the last few years leading up to it and will be a precursor to the years after it.

Can’t really ask for much more, wouldn’t know what more to ask for.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to break in to the comics industry? 

There’s nothing to break into anymore.

Do your thing, put it out there in the best way you can, do it all over again the next morning.

Ask yourself if you want an audience or attention. If it’s the former, you’re well on your way. If it’s the latter, nothing anyone can say will help you.

You can find more about Kevin and keep up with his various social media personalities at about.me/kevinmellon.

Views from the Middle with Van Jensen

I’ve interviewed a number of friends, who are professionals in different creative industries (comics, music, film), asking them the same five questions that explore “life in the middle.”  That is, they’ve found some success, but haven’t yet reached their ultimate goals.  The idea was first brought up in this post exposing the myth of a lottery-style “breaking in” to these creative industries.  Here’s the first of those interviews:

Van Jensen is the writer of the Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer series of graphic novels published by Slave Labor Graphics.  The first volume was named to American Library Association’s Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens.  In addition to living in the great city of Atlanta, GA, Van is also an amazingly smart and hard-working dude.  Be sure to look for him and his life-sized wooden Pinocchio (not a euphemism) at a convention near you.

At what point did you consider yourself a success?

I think I’ve enjoyed a decent amount of success at the different things I’ve done. I was the editor of my college paper, I was the lead crime reporter at a major metro daily paper, I’m the editor of a magazine that just went through a widely praised redesign, I’ll have my fourth graphic novel out this month, and they’ve done well for indie comics. But I won’t think of myself as a success until I’m one of the top writers in comics/prose, which depends more on how others view me and my work than on my opinion of myself.

I tend to be really self-critical, so I have to remind myself from time to time that I’m not a complete failure.

How long did it take you to get there?

I always wanted to be a published author by 25, but it took till I was 27 for my first book to come out. I’m 30 now, and I’m guessing it’ll take another four to five years at least before I start to really gain any traction as a writer in comics. You never know. A lot of it is luck. You just grind away and try to keep getting better, day after day. Sometimes I hope that I never consider myself a success, that on my death bed I’m still fighting to improve.

Who do you look at in the comics industry as someone you respect, that is “doing it right?”

I’m fortunate to have a lot of good friends in comics who are good people. Matt Kindt is a brilliant artist and writer, and he’s ridiculously nice and funny. Andy Runton is a comics genius, and he turns out perfect story after perfect story. Rob Venditti has long been someone I’ve regarded as the smartest writer in comics, and he’s in the past year really been gaining widespread recognition for his excellent work.

All of those guys are nice, honest and above all hard-working. That’s a trait I respect above any other.

What’s the biggest surprise for how you expected life to be at your level vs. how it actually is?

Money is probably the obvious answer. I thought that the amount of success I’ve had would translate to something nearing a living wage. It has not, to put it mildly. I still work full time and have no plans to leave my job. For one, I really like my job. But there’s also not a lot of money in comics until you start to have big mainstream success.

On a slightly more positive note, I’m frankly just surprised by how well the books have done so far. I didn’t expect them to gain much of an audience, and it’s really been a pleasant surprise to actually have a fan base and to get to meet so many of them. That’s by far the best part of working in comics.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to break in to the comics industry?

Work hard. Go to conventions. Meet people. Ask questions. Be nice. Don’t ask favors. Buy lots of books. Know the industry. Work some more. Study your craft. Ask for critiques. Take the criticism to heart. Don’t be a jerk about it. Be patient. Have faith. Most importantly, just make comics.

Be sure to keep up with Van and his future successes on twitter and tumblr. 

Chris Schweizer on Pitching a Graphic Novel

Chris Schweizer is the ridiculously talented cartoonist behind the Crogan Adventure Series from Oni Press and a professor of Sequential Art at Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta.  He also has great tips on how to drink for cheap while at conventions.

I attended Chris’s panel on “Pitching a Graphic Novel” at this year’s HeroesCon in Charlotte, NC.  And it was really refreshing to hear from someone like Chris, a professional who has been through the process, share a lot of his wisdom.  He walked us through the process of pitching original graphic novels to publishers.  What follows is based on my notes from the talk, not direct quotes from Chris.

STEP 1: DO YOUR RESEARCH

The first thing you have to figure out is which publisher is right for your project.  There are a lot of publishers out there.  Each one has a specialty.  The key is to read a lot of comics. If you don’t have the cash, your local library is a great place to start.  Which publisher has similar books to yours thematically, aesthetically, and/or tonally?

STEP 2: GET YOUR FEET WET

A great place to start is with short stories or mini-comics.  8-20 page comics, self-contained.  If you’re not an artist, get creative – use stick figures or partner with an artist – but just concentrate on telling the best story possible.

These quick reads are easy, non-threatening ways to introduce people to your work.

STEP 3: MEET PEOPLE

Go to conventions.  Meet editors at publisher booths.  Approach when they are slow.  Introduce yourself.  BUY THEIR BOOKS.  Hand them your mini-comics.  Be nice and professional.  Think of it like a first date, don’t try to sell them on marriage, just make a friend.

Schweizer list of “Best Conventions for Networking”: MOCCA, SPX, Heroes, Emerald City, and Baltimore.

STEP 4: SELF PUBLISH

A great way to get noticed is to just do it yourself.  If you have a story to tell, don’t wait for anyone’s permission.  Put it up on the web.  Build your own audience.  Make the publishers come to you.

STEP 5: THE PITCH

First check with each publisher to see if they accept unsolicited submissions.  Some companies do (and you can find this info on their websites) but a lot don’t.  That is, if they didn’t ask for it, you can’t send it.  That’s why the networking portion of this is so important.  You can get to know these editors so that when you have a pitch ready, it’s a matter of asking a friend if they’d like to read it.

Once you do have permission from the editor, send them an email with a LINK to your pitch.  Attachments often get bogged down in SPAM or overload mailbox size limits.

WHAT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR PITCH:

1. Cover Letter (1 page) -

• Your relationship with the editor – Have you met before?  Where at?  What books of theirs do you connect with?
• Thank them for requesting. 
• “Back of the DVD” description – A brief synopsis of your story dwindled down to a few sentences.  Think of it as leaving a movie and someone asking you what it was about.
• Why the book exists –  Why is it important to you?  Why is it personal?  What’s your emotional connection to the material?
• Your plans for the book – Page count, color or bw, time frame, series or stand alone, other companies that might have requested your pitch, reviews if you have them.

2. Finished sample pages (3-5 pages) – Sequential pages, in order, but can be from any spot in the book.

3. Outline (5-15 pages).  A tight story outline walking through all the beats of your story including the ending.  Don’t just describe the world, but focus on the character arc.  Hit the emotional beats.

4. Character descriptions (if needed) – If your story has a lot of characters that you think are difficult to keep separated, a character description sheet might be helpful.

Thanks to Chris for the info!

Tiny Opinions on a Gigantic Comic-Con

Got back from San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday so I should be fully adjusted back to normal life… sometime next year.

What an amazing experience!   For those of you who haven’t been, the best way to describe it is MASSIVE.  So like picture in your head what you think ComicCon is like and multiply that times a thousand.  130,000 people, a GIANT convention floor with thousands of booths and exhibitors, barely able to move through the crowd, and literally 100 things to do every hour – most of which sound awesome.

There’s something for everyone – video games, animation, comic books, role-playing games, cosplay, movies, television, toys, visual arts, books, anime, manga, and every mixture in between.  I mean, you’d really have to be a douche-bag to not be into at least one of those things, right?

And there’s something about being surrounded by so many like-minded people…

I’m now having withdrawals.

We were invited to take part this year by screening the short film I wrote, Rooney’s World, at the convention and therefore got free professional badges, which was totally rad.  The screening was a lot of fun.  We had a decent turn-out and got to do a Q&A following.

My favorite part of the week was (arguably) the meet and greet time we had with other filmmakers.  It’s an odd thing, making movies.  You put SO much time and effort into this creative outlet and put it out there, hoping it finds an audience.  It can be very nerve-wracking when this product, which is a huge part of you, is rejected.  It can be soul-crushing.  For example, we were turned down for ten festivals before Comic-Con accepted.  So it was nice to discuss with these other filmmakers the ups and downs of the process… to know that we weren’t the only ones going through it.

And that in a nutshell is what Comic-Con is all about: 130,000 people getting together and validating each other – learning that our passions (whether that be film or cosplay or toys) are worthy passions.  Isn’t this what we all want from life?  To be understood?  To connect with other human beings?

I encourage you to find your own group of encouragement – a small group of people in your area that share in your passions – to be your light through the darker periods of your creative endeavors.

Putting ourselves out like this is a risk.  We’re not always going to get that validation we’re looking for.  We all need to be reminded during those times… WE ARE NOT ALONE.

HeroesCon

Just made it back from HeroesCon in Charlotte yesterday.  Such a wonderful convention, HIGHLY recommended to anyone interested in creating comics.  I was only there for a day and a half but was able to set up a booth and do some Rooney’s World promo, caught a panel on pitching comics by Chris Schweizer, met dozens of AMAZING comic book artists and creators, ate lots of food, drank lots of drink, and made lots of new friends.  Sleep?  Not so much.  Thanks to everyone who was so awesome to me.

It just occurred to me that the only photo I took was the one to the left.  NOTE TO SELF: Take more photos next year.  Love, Hudson.

You should make it a point of being there next year and come hang out with us.  Yes, YOU!

Candy’s Not Supposed To Be Sour

Memories and anecdotes from my last long-term relationship.  Presented here out of context and out of order.  New comic every Wednesday.

 

• Ten Things I’ve Learned This Year

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.

• Look Them in the Eyes (or how everything I know about networking I learned from dating)

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

• Mark Andrew Smith’s Secret Society

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

• The Definitive “Best Comics of the Decade” (2000-2009) Master List.

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

• Dr. Phantasmic’s Fantastic Estate

Here’s a “teaser” for a new project in the works… written by me with art & lettering by Brandon Earnhart:

• Michael Chabon on Writing “All-Ages” Comics

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

• All These Days Undone (NEW SHORT COMIC)

New comic, written by me with art by Brandon Earnhart.  Check it out at our new preview site here:

http://sequentialshorts.wordpress.com

• Strawberries (Free Comic)

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.

• “Comics & Hollywood” Roundtable with B. Clay Moore, Robert Vendetti, and Kevin Mellon

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.

Kevin, you and Dennis Hopeless have a brand new option for Gearhead… can you tell me a bit more about how that came about and a bit of history with the project?

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.

What is it that made Gearhead stand out to a company like Valhalla?

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

• Shaun Tan’s “The Arrival” and thoughts on Second Chances

I don’t do reviews much… mainly because I’m not that great at it… and also, you can find a thousand reviews of just about everything out there possible.

However, I took a gander at Shaun Tan’s breathtaking book, “The Arrival”, recently and I just can’t keep my mouth shut.

The Arrival is a story told all in pictures.  Beautiful, painstakingly drawn pictures.  In the credits of the book, Tan mentions that the book took 4 years to complete, and it shows.  Even without the story, the artwork is stunning on it’s own.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from a wordless story, but what I discovered was a wonderful lost art form.  Usually reserved for children’s books, Tan uses the technique to tell one of the most touching stories I’ve read all year.

And the story itself is what really got me.  The Arrival follows a man as he leaves his wife and young daughter to journey to a new land in order to give himself and his family a new home and a new hope.

It is an incredibly imaginative allegorical retelling of the immigrant story.  Instead of escaping wars and turmoil, the characters escape creatures and giants.  The language and customs of the new land are like nothing you’ve ever seen.  And what you find is, in today’s society, of being so modern and in touch with the rest of the world, Tan’s take on the immigrant story is really the ONLY way to really get across the confusion and strangeness of a new world.

The Arrival, ultimately, is about second chances.  The book touched me deeply in this way.  I’ve always held such deep respect for the immigrant.  To not settle for the hand you’ve been dealt, but to dream of greatness, and to do whatever it takes to make that greatness a reality.  And I think that’s something we can all relate to, whether the hand we’ve been dealt is being born poor or sick, or whether we just live with regrets & mistakes.

Three ideas stood out to me from the book that I would say are key to second chances:

1. Determination – The hero of the book sets out on his journey with no doubt that he will soon be reunited with his family.  He hits a number of road blocks and a great deal of time passes, but he never gives up.  He never says “this is too hard” and falls back into the hand he’d been dealt.

2. Simplicity – The hero of the book doesn’t immediately search for lavish surroundings or a quality job.  He takes what he can get.  To him, to simply be in a new, safe, free country is all he wants.  He doesn’t need more than that.  His goal is simple.

3. Community – The hero of the book quickly surrounds himself with people who help him along the journey.  Along the way, they help meet his needs, point him in the right direction, and provide a joyful escape.

If you haven’t read it already, please take a look at Shaun Tan’s The Arrival.  It is a very simple, but very beautiful story.  And as you face your second chances, keep these ideas in mind and know that no matter what you are facing, it is possible to overcome whatever hand life has dealt you.

• Finding Purpose in Art (and how Lynda Barry says it better than I do)

I had the pleasure of listening to a dialog between the great cartoonists Lynda Barry & Alison Bechdel on a podcast called “Live Wire!” recently and Lynda in particular hit on something that I had been thinking upon a great deal lately. And that’s the idea of purpose behind art.

I struggle with art a lot of times because it feels like such a selfish endeavor. Many times it’s driven by pride or money or fame… particularly in the movie industry (although I imagine it’s true of all art, I just have less experience with other industries.) Even the idea of struggling artists who create art “just for themselves” really turns me off. I think anything done “just for yourself” is a bit of a waste. I think it’s why I am happiest when I’m creating in a collaborative environment, whether that be a comic book artist or a writing partner, where I’m forced to bump into people. I believe that we’re put here on this earth to touch people and change lives, through our friendships, through our giving, and certainly through our art.

Lynda spoke to this during the conversation with this brilliant story:

“You all know what phantom limb pain is? That’s that thing where you lose part of your limb but you still have the sensation that it’s still there. There was a guy who had a particularly intractable case of it. He had lost his hand from here down. But his sensation was that his hand not only there, but it was in a really painfully clenched fist. He was in misery, the pain was constant. His life was really deteriorating. They didn’t know what to do for him.

And there’s this brilliant neurologist named V.S. Ramachandran who has done a lot of amazing work with imagery on the brain. And he had this idea, and his idea was, well, let’s make a box and we’re going to put a mirror in that’s slanted this way and there’s a hole on this side so that the guy can put his hand into the hole on this side, and then when he looks down it’s going to be the illusion of seeing two hands. You follow me on that? And so the guy did it. So he sees two hands. And Ramachandran says, ‘Open your hand.’ And he did. And he saw the other one open. And the pain went away.

And I believe that’s what images do. That there’s something about – whether it’s in another book, or it’s something that we make – there’s something about seeing something – and I don’t mean literally, necessarily, although with art that’s true – there’s something about working with images that can unclench something that we have no other way to get to.”

I was listening to the program in my car and after hearing this, I literally cheered. It was exactly everything I had been thinking, put into a simple, beautiful illustration.

What got me thinking about all of this was a lunch with a very good friend of mine named John Ray. John’s son, Marcus, was one of my best friends growing up and he took his own life almost 10 years ago now. After the death of his son, John became a pastor. And he did this in part, I believe, in order to help the hurting. Here is a man who has been through the worst pain imaginable, who very easily could have turned all of that pain inward and slowly morph into a twisted bitter old man. But instead, he took that pain, as inexplicable as it is, and used it to help others. Myself included.

When I had lunch with John, I was really struggling with my place in life. I was broken, not sure of what I should be doing. Just burnt out on trying so hard to be successful, in life and in art. And John said to me with such clarity, “Hudson, what you should be doing is taking the gifts God has given you, and using those gifts to tell your story. To share with others the questioning and the brokenness and the hurt that you’ve been through in order to help those who are on similar paths.”

This, to me, is art. Art is personal. It’s vulnerable. Art is not teaching. Just like John, I have no more answers now than I did before the pain. A lot of times, there are no answers. But I do know how to come through to the other side.

After the above illustration, Lynda goes on to talk about how Alison’s fantastic graphic novel Fun Home “opened a lot of fists” with it’s auto-biographical portrayal of a girl dealing with the death of her father who was a closeted homosexual. It is a story exploring death and life and sexuality and father/daughter relationships in a way that is completely unique to Alison.

The greatest desire all of us have in life is to know we’re not alone. It’s these unique, personal stories that speak to the hearts of the lonely.

We create, not for our own benefit, but for the benefit of others. To share beauty and to ask questions… to challenge minds and to warm hearts.

Tell your story through your art. You never know whose fist you might be opening.

Go create.

• Back from the Dead: Thoughts on Life, Love, & Writing.

I made a promise to myself, that when I started writing, learning the in’s and out’s of the film & comic book industries, that I would always remain transparent. No matter how desperate it might make me appear or how embarrassed it might actually make me. I have no desire to sell myself as anything except for what I am. So, here I go with another soul-exposing rant:

I’ve been on a journey this year of losing jobs, losing girls, and just about losing my mind. But sometimes we have to have our house of cards destroyed in order to see just how shitty our craftsmanship is. Thanks to a good therapist & a good bit of reading (highly recommended: A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis) and life-searching, I feel like I’m ready to start building that house again… but this time with a solid foundation.

Let’s start with least personal aspect of my life (although probably most applicable to those reading this) – screenwriting. Over the past 4 years I’ve written 4 full film & TV scripts. (Having said that, I realize just how unproductive I’ve been, and as much as I want to, I won’t make excuses [although I have written numerous treatments and comic projects and journalistic endeavors as well]). For now, I’ll not consider whether these scripts are any good or not. For sake of argument, let’s just go ahead and say they aren’t. Of these 4 scripts, one of them was optioned by a major studio, although we were later fired from the project, and although it may still see the light of day, it will not resemble our script in any way. Another made it to “talks,” but fell through. Another was, admittedly, so bad that we never showed it to anyone. And the last was read by a few agents and managers, but no one was interested. (Also, of note is a comic project that had no less than 3 false starts.)

So, looking back on this now, I would even say this is a pretty successful track record. 4 scripts and 2 of them generated interest. That’s pretty good! I should be proud of my accomplishments and keep moving forward, right?

However, in the thick of things, the disappointment along the way just stacks up. (And really, you’re getting the clean abbreviated version, not the dirty, down in the trenches, war stories.) Add to this financial and personal problems, and life starts to get you down.

I began to think in these big terms like “I’ll never make it” or “my dreams will never amount to anything” or even “I’ll never be happy and die alone.” But the truth is, a lot of people wouldn’t even look at the above record as a disappointment! So why are we so blinded by the moment of things?

For me in particular, the problem lies in two things:

1. I become a slave to the past.

I tend to think it terms of “fate.” That I’m going to fail or succeed because I’m destined to fail or succeed. Yet the more I live my life, the more I have to disagree with this. Everything was so clear at 16. I knew exactly what I wanted to do and (thanks to my faith in God & fate) I knew that it would happen TO me. And now at 30, I FINALLY realize that if I want the life I dreamed of at 16, I have to MAKE it happen (even if I still believe in things like God & fate, which I do).

And if I fail at this goal, it’s not because I’m destined to fail. We fail, because well, shit happens. But we don’t have to be a slave to that. We don’t have to be a failure just because we fail. We have the freedom to get back up and try again. Every single time.

I think this applies to dreams, life, work, LOVE, everything in life. We always have 2nd chances. We always have ta choice at each step in life. For me, this could be that I CHOOSE not to write anymore, but it would be my choice, not destiny giving me a shitty hand.

This idea of choice fills me with crazy freedom. That I can do anything I want with my life, because I’m not limited by fate or circumstances anymore. I refuse to be a slave to my past mistakes, to my circumstances, to people who discourage me, or to fear of rejection.

2. I strive too hard for “happiness.”

In the past, I’ve had this ideal life in my head. This life, to me is happiness. I want to be a writer, I want to marry a particular girl, I want to live a particular life. So, to me, if i don’t have these things, then I can’t be happy. What a limiting view on life!

I think if we strive for happiness, the only thing we’re going to get is more striving. I think true happiness comes from COMMITMENT to who you are where you are.

Life is a journey. If we can’t enjoy the journey, then we’re never going to enjoy the destination.

I’ve always had a problem with this idea, because I felt like enjoying life where I was at was like settling. I hate the word “contentment.” It sounds so bland. I don’t want to live a content life, I want to live an extraordinary life.

But again, if I believe in CHOICE, then whether I live an extraordinary life or not is in MY hands. If I want to be a writer, I have to commit to being a writer. If I fail at it, then it’s MY fault. Not God or fate or destiny. It might take 40 years, but I’ve got to find joy in the journey.

The more I think about it, I realize that all of my past pain comes from searching for “answers” and when I don’t find those answers, I get frustrated and angry. What if there are no answers? What if there is no perfect place to be? How much freedom does that give us if we just give up the search and just choose to simply LIVE?

These thoughts are certainly for my own self. Maybe you can relate, maybe you can’t. Maybe everyone gets this idea already and it’s just taken me 30 years to figure it out. But I’d love to hear from you if you’d like to continue the discussion.

• INTERVIEW: Amy Pearson on Mathema

As most of you know, Zuda is DC comic’s entry into web comics. And I’ve got to say that, just based on my limited web comics experience, they have been innovative in bringing original web comics to the masses and really encourage fresh new voices.

One such voice is Amy Pearson. Amy is the writer/artist of Mathema, which is part of Zuda’s web comic competition for October. Mathema intrigued me from the beginning described as a “comic set in Victorian London and has themes of clockwork, magic, and math.” It reminded me of “Steam Boy,” and in a really good way.

Mathema tells the story of Emery Hall, a troublesome young man who learns of a device called mathema, which allows the welder to access ancient mystic powers. Emery finds himself on the run with William Wenbury, the young son of Mathema’s discoverers, (who, taught by his parents, is more skillful with mathema than anyone else) after a group of sorcerers track down the device for their own evil purposes.

I spoke with Amy over email to learn more about the project and her experience working in web comics.

How does Zuda’s web comic competition work?
The competition runs monthly; anyone can submit a comic and the editors pick 10 comics to compete. 8 ‘screens’ and a synopsis are originally submitted and the winner will then be commissioned to produce a further 52 screens of the comic. For the most popular comics, there are also opportunities after your 60 screens.

What drew you to the competition?
Zuda’s approach to complete creator control really opens the board for the range of comics available at Zuda. I’ve been with the competition for a while and I’m always surprised by what is posted each month; for this reason I was drawn to Zuda specifically with ‘Mathema’, since it was never going to be a conventional comic.

Perhaps the best reason for being part of the competition for me though is the feedback. Zuda has some very talented folk in the community – as a new creator the feedback and advice has already been invaluable. I like the comments from people just reading the story for the sake of it too; it’s good to know you’re trying to tell a story people actually want to read.

What drew you to web comics in general?
Accessibility. I’d love to be able to share stories and the internet is obviously a great way of reaching people. On the other side of that, it means the response is just as immediate and varied.

Do you work in print comics as well? Do you prefer one over the other?
No, I am very new to comics in general, which leads to what I guess must be one of the greatest benefits of web comics – exposure. The competition has put my comic and art right out for public view (and scrutiny), I’m not sure an attempt at print would have been as effective as quickly.

However, for what I read personally, web comics has been something I’ve warmed to; Zuda itself has changed that a lot. My immediate reaction to the question may have been ‘I want to be holding the art work in my hand’ – but I’m not sure that’s really true. With the risk of sounding indecisive I’d say for me it depends on the story/art rather than the format.

How did you get involved with art and storytelling?
I’m from an animation background; involvement with this medium really sparked a need for storytelling, though the 2D art and comic path has been something I’ve had to find myself. I think one of the things I enjoy most is really how the story can be told – by this I mean I love it when a comic sets up a visual style and set of rules and then plays these or breaks them to provoke something different with the story – an author will do the same with words. The methods used in visual storytelling are something I like to explore and learn – there becomes so many different ways for something to be said.

What are some of your favorite stories / story tellers?
I’ll try not to make the list too long, so I’ll go with the ones that spring straight to mind…

Most recently in comics I’m reading ‘Blacksad’ and ‘La Licorne’ in both cases the art is just amazing and I find the stories pretty intense. I’m also very fond of a new one called ‘Clues’ – I met the creator and it was really inspiring for me.

I don’t go far without a book and to date my favorite authors are: Robert Jordan, Ursula Le Guin, H. P. Lovecraft – and right at the other end of the scale I guess Philip K Dick and Brett Easton Ellis; different storytelling styles interest me as much as the stories themselves to be honest.

What is Mathema? How did the idea come about?
‘Mathema’ is the concept of magic through maths and is perhaps almost a character itself – the Mathema device could essentially make anyone who controls it a sorcerer.

I’m not really someone who can force an idea, and though the concept seems almost inevitable to me (given themes that interest me personally) the very first glimmers of Mathema were probably the product of daydreaming. Quite often with my projects once it’s started there is a danger of it building itself into something huge; depending on how far Mathema goes it has parts that make it quite an intricate story.

With stories I am always very character driven, a lot of Mathema has been guided by the main character Emery; I usually find if the character works they’ll tell me how the story is going to go.

What kind of marketing are you exploring to bring attention to the comic?
I’ve been trying several approaches, but these are the main two of note so far; firstly and perhaps most basically I’ve been supporting some banners across comic and art sites. In terms of the competition I think this method is good for general awareness, though it only really seems to apply to weight of views – it doesn’t offer so much constructive response.

I’ve been contacting smaller communities of people through blogs and forums; I’ve spent quite a bit of time searching them out for not only comic people but those I thought may enjoy the comic anyway. I think this has been the best sort of response. Despite offering a smaller volume of potential voters individually, contacting these people personally has made the difference perhaps to the votes but to me as the creator as well.

Do you have anything else in the works?
I am working on a couple of my own projects right now that hopefully will one day come to light – but it may be some time before I have the opportunity for this.

Where can we go to find out more about yourself, Mathema, and support your strip over on Zuda?
Well a direct link to Mathema at Zuda:
www.zudacomics.com/node/756
The best way to support the comic is to ‘vote, fave and rate’ at Zuda!
This is also where people can leave comments, it’d be great to know what you think of it.

Also the Mathema Blog runs alongside the comic and has the most current art:
mathema-comic.blogspot.com
It’s a good way of keeping up with the competition and will link you to other parts and people at Zuda – it will also be the best way to learn ‘Mathema’s’ fate after the competition.

Mathema is also making friends at Myspace;
myspace.com/mathemacomic

Thanks Amy! Best of luck with the competition.