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Finishing NINETY CANDLES (sans cover) this week.
Tightening up the AMERICAN CAESAR script for the March run.
Talking covers for BROWNSVILLE, set to bow in October.
Handed off the first ish of WALLY MEIERS to Beland.
Rewriting DEAD RONIN and starting BIG KAHN issue 2.
Bring 2004 the fuck on.
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Yea, shut up... I am hungover and at work.
I leave for Detroit in 20 minutes. Be excellent to each other and fuck you, Jesus.
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Almost forgot: All that stuff about getting work done after the holidays?
Not unless I get through this On Demand.
Season Four, baby.
LOCKDOWN.
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I CAN'T believe I'm working tomorrow.
So last year I was jockeying a counter at Bloomie's, right? Awful work, no self respect and minimal pay. But the days I had off - Christmas, New Year's, etc_ were great... I knew that I had a reprieve from the Hell that was my work day. So you figure, now that I have a real job, it's even better, right? Better pay, greater esteem, etc. PLUS i get off!
Then I had to work Thanksgiving weekend...and now I have to get up (after a night of holiday eve partying, mind you) and drag myself to work to print a damn journal before I fly home.
Where, I ask, is the justice?
Am I off January 2nd? UhNO.
Crazy Talk.
I am off to Detroit this weekend... bought all the Chanukah gifts on Sunday and I think I did pretty well. I know the 'rents will like what I got them, and I have a feeling so will everyone else. Looking forward to getting away even if for simply two-three days. The downside s I may have to see a dentist when I'm there. I've been having some gum/wisdom tooth problems and I canna push off he drill anymore. Time to find out when I need dentures.
Going to a 70's themed party tonight. I was gonna do it up SHAFT stylee but couldna find a long trenchcoat... instead I'm going Rocky style with sweats, knit cap and boxing gloves.
Up to Illo 85-86 in NINETY CANDLES. That makes it 4 more and the cover to go, yeah? Plus I may do up a back cover image... I have to decide whether I'm painting it or just macking the digital pallete. Also finished the first issue of WALLY MEIERS and bundled it off like a baby to Tommy Beland. Can't wait to see some work!
Post holidays? Back into the DEAD RONIN rewrite and a general push on 90C to get it ready for Diamond by January's end. I'm also going to have to focus on CAESAR which now has a director... that's gearing up for a March showing, I hear. There's also some minor deadlines (MAULED, OTHER Magazine, HO12) and some new projects. I have to get back into COFFIN after the New Year plus I want to map out what my next graphic novella is going to be after 90C. I imagine I'll start working on CREATIVITY, a 72 page silent comic, but I'm burning to do a straight narrative... I was thinking of tackling AMERICAN CAESAR as a graphic novel but the damn thing's already 80 pages and just about halfway through. If I start drawing it now I won't be done til around 2007.
So we'll see.
Feeling mellow and bright.
May all your Chanukahs be white.
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Hoping everyone gets what they want in this holiday season.
And that goes double for the New Year.
-Neil
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Man... I haven't touched coffee since college - so why the need to try it today? Couldn't say... maybe it's 'cause it's cold outside and I'm sleepy. Maybe it just smelled so good.
Dunno. But I like it. I hope I don't become a Starbucks Guy. I hate that guy.
Quiet as the week winds down... finishing up NINETY CANDLES and doing a spot of holiday shopping - going home next weekend for Chanukah. Almost done with the first issue of WALLY MEIERS and I'll get that to Beland post haste... once that's in his hands I'll have to rewrite the beginning of DEAD RONIN and the second issue of THE BIG KAHN.
Jake and I are back and forth on the BROWNSVILLE cover. We're trying not to do what Dalrymple did with CAPER but I have a good idea that ties in the corner mentality of the 1930's hood and the wanted poster announcing Lepke as the Most Dangerous Man in America... NBM is going to have Jake and I at their table at MoCCA and SPX this summer, and I should have some previews at the JCC event on the 11th of January. They also want to hear what else I have in mind.
2004 is starting off pretty good, bli ayin hara.
Time for a new girlfriend.
Hey - no sooner do I open my mouth:
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Imaginary Girlfriend with BIG Imagination!
"Hi there! I'm Kathryn, an eighteen year old college student, and I want to be YOUR girlfriend. Well, at least for a month. What I'll do for the highest bidder:
- Send at least one letter a week via Postal!
- Write at least THREE emails a week!
- Send pictures! (you won't be disappointed!)
All for a full calendar month! How fun! As of winning the bid, I will immediately contact the buyer to establish proper addresses. The first day of the month begins when full contact and arrangements have been made with the buyer. The month will end promptly one whole calendar month later (for example: Begins December 30th, ends January 30th).
You just let me know the details for our imaginary "meeting", as well as our imaginary "break-up"!!! Please, be as original as you want, and I'll play along! I have a very good imagination, and can write some detailed letters! "
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Ladies and Gents, the heir to the FINDER kingdom, David McNeill.
Congratulations, Speed!
More importantly, check out my kick ass niece and nephew.
More cute Kleids here. Well...except for my brother... he's "distinguished."
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It has to be a good life when you get to create a comic called "DUDE, WHERE'S MY PENIS?"
There's no 3:30 PM Office Drowsiness that Caffiene Drinks and Springsteen can't solve.
It's not my fault that the toner ran out.
You'll always have a smile on your face if you run porn in the back of your mind.
You know that little computer guy that pops up on your Microsoft Office programs asking if you need help? He's trying to get in your pants.
Knowing really IS half the battle.
It isn't stalking if you're on a first name basis.
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I WENT TO SCHOOL WITH THIS GUY.
"A Mac/Windows CD-ROM multimedia project containing hundreds of digital images, photographs, video, 3D animation, text, and an ambient/techno soundtrack inspired by Dolphins, Ethiopian Women, the Manhattan Project, the Cyber-Spirit and the Jedi."
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Ok... so someone help me out with this:
I'm working on something revolving around samurais and i'm getting conflicting definitions on what the word "ronin" translates to. I've ready books like the HAGAKURE and BUSHIDO which infer that a ronin is a samurai who is send on a type of enlightened journey away from his clan and master. It says that one can be ronin several times in one's life. However, most definitions I find online say that ronin is a samurai that is in disgrace, a renegade and outcast - a masterless samurai.
Now, i've been proceeding on the first definition and if i'm wrong, you can see how this might toss a kink into what i'm working on (not a BIG kink... just a rewrite and redefinition of character).
Can someone clear this up?
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Muzak is the Devil's Playground.
Can't walk into a store these days without my chestnuts roasting over open fires or Gramma getting run over by some dude named Rudolph. It's a mad dash to get the last talking Powerpuff doll or big action game system. If everyone's so full of holiday cheer why'd two women flip me the bird as I grabbed the last Batplane off the shelf at Toys R Us?
Don't you Ho Ho Hoes know it's better to give than to get?
Know what the funny part is? I'm Jewish. HA HA.
But still - P.A.s are dreaming of White Christmases and Jinglin' their goddamn Bells... but are they making little dreidels out of clay? Bah, humbug muthafuckas.
That being said.
The SPIDERMAN 2 trailer is live, as is HARRY POTTER 3. But my focus is going out to see the RINGS tomorrow night... im so damn unproductive.
Well... tis the season.
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I have deadlines. DEADLINES. It's weird, because usually it's just me fucking around drawing and writing comics... but now I actually have to answer to people. I have a story due for MAULED by the 15th of January, a one pager for OTHER magazine by the 3rd and the entirety of NINETY CANDLES needs to be on it's way to Diamond by the end of January... have I mentioned I haven't THOUGHT of a cover yet? FUCK. BROWNSVILLE needs to be in by June and we need the cover done by April so Jake has to bust pistons on that... sheesh. Lots to get done.
Thank G-d I took off this weekend.
Yep, didn't do much. Snow hit our city yesterday and I spent it at the gym and doing one illo for 90C. The night before was awesome - an hour and a half at the gym, then it was off to Dougie's Dairy with Jay and a few girls... had me a portobello/apple wrap and some mozzerella sticks. Then we all trooped off to the girls' building where they have this decked out movie theatre room you can rent. We popped up some corn, snagged some drinks and watched PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN at decibels so loud the fillings in my teeth cried uncle.
Plans progress apace for the production of my play. As well, it's time to start thinking about writing the Purim play for the Jewish Center. I just watched last year's on tape and I need to up the ante. Maybe pies this year.
Time to ramp up the PR and retailer contact for 90C - have to wait to see whats what with Diamond first.... so February/March will be tight what with work, 90C and the plays. Forget going to Israel, Neil. No trip for you.
However, I WILL be going home soon for a weekend. My neice, Hannah Emily Kleid (or Chana Emunah, named after my wonderful aunt Anita) is just waiting to meet Wacky Uncle Neil plus I would like to see Noah, Dave and everyone else. I need a break... also, it's rough being alone for the holidays. I have no one to share gifts with this year (apart from family, natch) and while I am going to two Chanukah parties so far, its tough going alone. New Year's...don't get me started. I think I'm gonna go drink with cartoonists. Sean Bieri is coming to town, so that'll be fun.
As most of you know, I'll be on Graphic Music Radio this Sunday. Tune in and call in.
Time to start looking for mainstream comics work again. Soon. Maybe.
Hey, look... I went through a whole blog without mentioning Saddam being captured.
Damn.
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Dan Merritt, owner of Green Brain Comics in Dearborn, MI runs a Sunday radio program (accessible on the net!) called "Graphic Music and this Sunday I will be talking with him via the magic of this new fangled telecommunications thing all the kids are talking about. Please tune in and listen to me talk comics, Detroit and with any luck, my newfound love of the word "bushido."
Here's the press release:
""New York Cartoonist Neil Kleid interview. Live on-line!
Sunday, December 21st at 6pm (EST).
Neil Kleid, Xeric award winning writer/cartoonist of of the upcoming NINETY
CANDLES, creator of minicomics such as RANT COMICS and LATE NIGHT BLOCK and contributor to 9-11: EMERGENCY RELIEF(Alternative Comics) and HOUSE OF TWELVE , will be interviewed live on Graphic Music at 6pm (est).
Graphic Music is a 3 hour program focusing on music from movies, TV,
cartoons, comics, video games, and whatever multimedia source that uses
sound to compliment vision.
Airing live, every Sunday at 5pm. Broadcast from the WHFR studios, located
on the grounds of Henry Ford Community College, in the real motor city,
Dearborn, Michigan.
Listen at 6pm for occasional interviews with creators behind some of today's
most innovative comic books.
Every Sunday at 6:30pm, Dan Merritt presents a news segment focusing on
events in the world of Sequential Storytelling (aka comic books). Listen in
to find out more about an original American art form.
Thank you for your attention.
Dan Merritt
WHFR Dearborn Michigan
1-800-585-HFCC ext 9676
WHFR "Making Waves"
www.whfr.fm
Listen live: http://whfr.hfcc.net:8000 or http://whfr.hfcc.net/whfr.m3u
"
Hey, cool - buddy o' mine, Peter "Not the Baseball Guy" Rose runs a great site with Warren Ellis, Matt Fraction and Kelly Sue Deconnick called Artbomb which pimps graphic novels.
I strongly urge you to flip through it at your leisure and pick up some work.
Apparently the NINETY CANDLES website has been artbombed on their new blog today.
Thanks, Pete!
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Work - and by work, i refer to my day job, graphic design - used to be more rewarding. At least it was more exciting when I started... the challenge of a new day, new projects. Nowadays I'm jaded - hack out some design for a company I don't believe in... but they pay me. I'm not all WHIZBANG and YEEHA about design anymore and perhaps I need a jolt. When I was in school, or interning - or hell, even at Comedy Central - I felt like, hey... i dig this. Let's try something new..new idea, new worlds. I was surrounded by creative mins trying new ways to print cards and new fonts to try in logos... but here... here i have no creative circle around me. The most creative I get is when im among cartoonist folks. But here... not so much.
Trying to do some freelance illo work and design for magazines and such... writing up a small query letter and then away we go... if anyone has magazines and publications that i should try, please email me at
Other than that? minor anxiety attack. Need dough and need some social something... freaked out on the phone to jen last night about my need for more work not remembering shes in finals now... duh. Then i calmed down, ate dinner and drew illos 76-77 for NINETY CANDLES.
Talking to Merry about revamping the website. Bits and starts, folks... bits and starts.
Have I mentioned I have a new niece? Yeah... going home soon to see her and spend time with the little prince, Noah. It's grand that everyones happy about the new princess, but i dont want my boy to get lost in the crowd. I have to buy him something.
Short entry today - ramping up some work for tonight and i gotta go RGB to my FTP.
later, pop fans
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Ramping up some work and getting shit fucked up.
Took the night off to watch the Hammer and boy, was it worth it. Two hours of cheesy stereotypes and offensive in-your-face action that would make any underground cartoonist proud. Adam Goldberg nailed the part of Mordechai Carver perfectly and took away from a not-so-stellar performance by Andy Dick.. and the in jokes... oh, the in jokes... Duke's Nazi bar (david duke, i imagine)? The little Mike Hammer jibe... the guilt, the pathos - it was something to kvell about. For my money, it was the best two fucking hours of TV i've seen in a long while.
Apart from that I been doing a bit of drawing. NINETY CANDLES is wrapping - up to illo # 76 - and I have a slapdash website up here.
I finished the first page of my MAULED story and am hammering out the layouts/proposal for my HO12:FILTH story... i find that I'm not as filthy as I'd like, and I probably will get some shit about that... but I think the title alone - TOURETTE'S THE APE- is enough to make folks crack up. Apart from that, I'm pondering doing some RANT COMICS single pages ala Evam Dorkin... I'd love to get an ongoing RANT gig in some magazine... anyone know people to talk to?
Pushing ahead on two projects: DEAD RONIN is up to 12 pages and I need to nail an artist down; THE SECRET LIFE OF WALLY MEIERS is in the pitch/sketch stage with Beland. Putter, putter.
I find that the hardest part of the whole comics thing is getting the admi side started. I need to get a cover together for NC so that I can start dealing with Diamond and I need to start talking to retailers about ordering info and signings... I also need to start talking about BROWNSVILLE p.r. and signings with folks... and on top of that I'd like to drum up a bit of freelance design/illo work..which ain't that easy. I set up an illustration page here but I need to find out who to talk to.
Some news bits:
Gail is exclusive, Warren is not, Ryan is wacky, Rock is hot.
Dude...
Mayor's request: 'Don't call me dude'
"BAKERSFIELD, California (AP) -- Arvin Mayor Juan Olivares had just one request of a Kern County sheriff's deputy during a traffic stop -- "Don't call me dude." Olivares planned to file an official complaint with the sheriff's department, seeking to have the deputy fired for what he called disrespectful behavior. "I asked him five times, 'Please, officer, don't call me dude.' I'm not a dude. I'm 41 years old, I'm a businessman, I'm a Christian and I consider myself a gentleman," Olivares said Monday."
By the by, check out this website I designed for my company. Swank, no?
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BENEATH ENEMY LINES by Neil Kleid
PANEL ONE: Night time. A lone soldier paratroops behind enemy lines. He's loaded for bear and ready for a fight. The Germans scramble their floodlights and rifles, swinging them up to poke holes into his army-issue canvas as he descends on the Jerries.
CAP: THERE IS NO WALL HE CAN NOT BREAK....
PANEL TWO: The soldier lands, fists flying into the midst of the pile of Germans. They're bringing bayonets and handguns up, but this is the cool hand luke of military men - he's no Sgt. Rock, but he gets the job done. Rugged, confident and smooth under fire, he calmly begins to take the Krauts apart.
CAP: THERE IS NO FOE HE WILL NOT FIGHT...
PANEL THREE: He unslings his chute and pulls a knife from his side harness - it's a scary looking jungle blade, teeth and all. The Jerries are regrouping, trying to keep our man from the bunker - his objective this night. They pull their pistols and shout their Ratzi curses but our boy is not shaken.
CAP: TRAINED BY THE BEST AND PREPARED FOR ANYTHING, OUR HERO DEFENDS OUR SHORES FROM ENEMY THREAT!
PANEL FOUR: Large, Kirbyesque panel - our hero bursts through the crowd of Germans, fists flying and knife taking names. The Ratzis scatter before hie might and zeal and we are inspired, afire... this is war and heroism at its finest.
CAP: THERE IS NO WAR HE WILL NOT WIN...
CAP: ... BECAUSE HE'S WEARING PANTIES.
copyright 2003, Neil Kleid
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Lots to get to about the weekend but I'm on a little deadline - get to it later.
In the meantime, a quick note to say that I'm an uncle again. My sister-in-law gave birth an hour ago to a bouncing baby girl.
Time to start buying girl presents as opposed to the stuff I've been getting Noah. What do girls like again? Prada? I forget.
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Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus... kicking the shit out of us with his fucking negative zero wind chill.
Boy, it's cold. My gloves needs gloves. And even still I'm making tea with honey and scotch for them.
Despite the cold, I'm warm inside with the knowledge that I'm going to blow every one of my deadlines. I have to kick ass on NINETY CANDLES now to get it done by January's end (in order to get it into the April PREVIEWS). I also need to get the NINETY CANDLES web page up and that's one of the three jobs for the weekend. The other two include writing the pitch for WALLY MEIERS, the all ages book I'm tossing around with Tom and drawing the first page of my MAULED story for Musikoff, the slavedriving Hebe brotha. It's a fascinating tale of screwed up circumcision. I think I'll toss some Chasidim in the mix. Yay Botched Bris! During all of this I also need to do the proposal for my next HOUSE OF TWELVE story which is going to be tentatively titled "Tourette's the Ape." Let's not forget that I'm also writing DEAD RONIN and COFFIN during this time, so things are a bit... tight.
As is money, which is a whole other story. I gotta figure out how to pay for my MoCCA table... and then I have to plan an attack for SPX (which i cant go to because of Sukkot) and APE '05 which might be my first California trip.
But apart from being broke, things are....okay. Being single sucks, but I'm dealing with it. I spend so much time doing work and at comics events (though I am being a good boy tonight and skipping the Millar signing at Midtown and the MoCCA Little Lit opening to get some gym/work time in) that women things aren't getting me down as much as last week. I have been drinking a lot lately, though. That can't be good.
Did I mention that Jen and I saw Jason Biggs at the bar on Saturday night? PIEFUCKER!
Also, I saw the MATRIX REVOLUTIONS. Ass. Ass ass ass. What an awful ending. I liked the Agent Smith scenes (especially the impostor ...when he said "Mr. Anderson" i was, like, YEAH) but the movie is just ass. 13 days til LORD OF THE RINGS.
Oh, and if anyone is feeling nice to me, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN came out on DVD yesterday. Buy it for me, k?
Thanks.
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So explain something to me: a guy writes a story. He sends it along to an editor. That editor likes the story and makes a commitment to buy the story. The guy then starts to develop the story and everything is good. Then the editor leaves and the new editor decides the story doesn't work - the guy is back to square one with no sold story. Then, a year later, he sells a story, nay- a series to the same place (different editor, though). He works and works on the story and everything looks good. Then the editor tells him they're not going to print the series for reasons that are beyond anyone's control, but go ahead and send some more ideas. The guy does, and is told they can't use the stories right now - and in fact, he should stop sending unsolicited stories at all... and just kind of update the editors as to what he's working on so that if something comes along he's right for, they can match him up.
Welcome to the life of a new work-for-hire comics writer.
Now, I can see where they're coming from, right? If a guy writes a good mob story and the company decides they want to do a mob story, they'll get in touch with him. But then isn't the writer going to be pigeonholed as the guy who writes mob stories? What if he wants to write a kids book for the company? Where's the outlet for diversity?
Let's move on. Guy comes up with an idea. Guy contacts editor explaining idea and the editor likes it. The editor asks to see a sample script, some outlines and a full breakdown. Heck, the editor wouldn't mind seeing some art samples and asks the guy to find an artist willing to work on spec. The guy does and after a weel or two of work, the job is ready. The editor takes it and passes it around to other editors and publishers and they decide it isn't right for them.
Well, what about all that work the guy did? The pitch is pointless. The pitching process is ridiculous. But the only other way to get work is a) on the basis of finished work (whether completed or past work) or on utter blind risk. No one is going to ask Neil Gaiman to pitch a project. But Neil Kleid? Get to stepping.
One more try. Guy writes a story. Guy finds a willing artist to collaborate with. Guy writes the outline and script, hands it to the artist who dos the character sketches and starts working on pages. Guy does his research and finds out the cost to produce the project and realizes it might be out of his financial league. Guy sits and packages the pages and sends to publishers. Publisher likes it. Publishers buys it.
OR guy draws it himself (or still collaborates) and send it for a grant review. Guy wins grant. Grant gives guy money. Guy self publishes book along with the help of friends and advisors. Guy owns book and rights.
And that's how it should be done.
I'm learning.
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Here, lads and ladies, is the only 80's revival I care about.
Truly, truly, truly outragoues.
Whoa-oh-oh.