OPEN MOUTH
We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming to tend to life.
Programming will return once my parents are back in Detroit, my play is up and running, NINETY CANDLES is at the distributor, pages are in to Dabb and I get a little sleep.
Sometimes around 2006, I imagine.
As you were.
OPEN MOUTH
Searching for Magritte pieces for the AMERICAN CAESAR postcard/poster design... something about the surrealistic imagery and question of identity really sum up what this play is trying to say. Identity and lack thereof. The show deals with masking one's true self - alot like THE USUAL SUSPECTS.
Finished the 5 spec pages for the Dabb-related project last night - the dialogue's fighting me and I hope the script doesn't suffer for it. S'pose I'll find out when I hand it in. Also pimped up a character sheet for the artist... whoeevr he or she might be.
Spending the week/weekend making the final touches on NINETY CANDLES for Diamond - then I'll hack away at it and rescan, letter and build for print. Gotta ask Xeric how I work the print payment thing. Drawing the cover on Sunday... think i'll go watercolor pencil on its ass. Book's gonna carry a 6 dollar cover price, its lookin' like. Gotta start thinking PR ...
I could use a nap.
OPEN MOUTH
Today, it's all tarnished gold.
This scotch mailer design is coming out great - I bet, though, that the client hates it. Much like the movie poster I did yesterday. I have to now find some more candy store shots. Yaaaaay.
Got three pages of a new project done last night - finishing the pitch and the last two pages tonight and I'll shoot it to the editor.
Also working on a community comedy thing. What rhymes with "I hate you, Celine Dion"?
OZ, Season 4 Part the Deuce is up on HBO: OnDemand.
It's new comic day.
Ladies and gents - I do believe I'm smiling.
OPEN MOUTH
Seems that the theme for the SPX anthology is "war." How... well, timely, I guess. The deadline is June 15th (received by, that is) so I have a little time after the HOUSE OF TWELVE deadline.
Workin' on the 90C page layout tonight - then writing the first 3 pages of a new project.
Mellow yellow, I am.This is killing my work day.
"Connery: I've gotta ask you, about the penis mightier.
Trebeck: The what? No. No no no no no no, that's the pen is mightier.
Connery: Classy it up however you want, Trebeck. What matters is does it work? Will it really mighty my penis, man?
Trebeck: It's not a product Mr Connery.
Connery: Cause I've ordered devices like that before. Wasted a pretty penny, I don't mind tellin you. And if the penis mightier really works, I'll order a dozen.
Trebeck: It's not a penis mightier Mr Connery. There's no such thing.
Cage: Wait, wait, wait. Are you sellin' penis mightiers?
Trebeck: No. No, I'm not.
Connery: Well you're sittin on a gold mine, Trebeck"
INSERT FOOT
Dabb and I, talking about a project I'm writing that he's editing:
advantagesneil: i've decided to turn (main characters) into a hooker with a heart of gold.
AndrewDabb: Hey, hey, save it for the sequel ;-)
advantagesneil: did PRETTY WOMAN have a sequel? No! This is art!
AndrewDabb: Alright, go for it. Just remember that back then they didn't have condoms, they used sheep intestine.
advantagesneil: editors!
AndrewDabb: You're just bitter because I won't let you murder the ships crew one by one. I know you... ;-)
advantagesneil: im going to afflict them all with the clap
AndrewDabb: Works for me.
AndrewDabb: Well, at least 1 of them anyway.
advantagesneil: the young apprentice, Clappy
advantagesneil: which is quite an unfortunate name if you think about it
AndrewDabb: His parents cursed him. He and Hymie can be best friends.
advantagesneil: i see spin off: ON THE ROAD WITH HYMIE AND CLAPPY!
AndrewDabb: They're the medieval, diseased Abbot and Costello.
advantagesneil: they might be the reason Bing Crosby died somewhere between Morocco and Katmandu
AndrewDabb: They always did hate wife beaters.
OPEN MOUTH
So could it BE any colder? It's chillier than a supermodel at a sci fi con. Heat's broke in the dayoffice and my fingers are shattering as I type this - looking forward to heat at home and some comics goodness tonight.
In the ongoing regularity of my alkie lifestyle these days, went to a Johnny Walker scotch tasting last night. Not a blend man, usually, so I steered clear of the Black and Red - but how surprised was I when the "smoky" scotch they were dispensing turned out to be Talisker, a single malt? Good show, Johnny.
Creativity these days at an all time fever pitch. Eight to ten pitches swirling around in my mindpool and it's just a matter of tossing in the line and see what bites hard. Speaking of biting hard, how about this? Feel better, Dave.
Working my way through Paul Chadwick's complete CONCRETE after a fairly productive library trip. This is the type of story I'd like to aspire to: philosophy, romance, high adventure and aliens. It's a nice meld of indie and mainstream comics that's failry hard to nail correctly. It's funny... I think G-d came along and handed me the right mix of graphic novels to show me the type of work I should be doing. I also got Moore, Totelben and Bissete's SWAMP THING along with Robinson and Smith's LEAVE IT TO CHANCE. All three books represent a diverse showing of storytelling, each one pointing out the faults in my own writing and ways and means I can fix it.
Fascinating. Go buy them now.
I (among others) am exhorted by Larry Young to quit my day job as he heads to ILM. A) I hope that bears amazing fruit i.e., an AIT movie and B) One day, Lar. One day this comics writing thing will pay off and MY mad movie checks will pour in.
Shabbat Shalom, y'all.
OPEN MOUTH
Another day, another drink. That's the way it seems sometimes.
Tonight's the monthly NYC Comical Jam and plenty of laughs and drinks wil be had - especially after last week's Hellmanesque Art Show. I have, in my hand, the two pages for MAULED to hand off to Musikoff and then, with the one pager for OTHER off to the magazine, I'm clear to finish up 90C's cover and then start planning HOUSE OF TWELVE, due in March.
And THEN, it's time to start the next cartoon book.
I haven't decided if I'm going to do a mini this year. I'd like to do another RANT COMICS, but time and money may not let me finish SUBURBIA in time for MOCCA, which is when I would like to get it out. I think I'll be able to put out the last LATE NIGHT BLOCK because it's basically done but the printer layout. We'll see. I just possibly got another mini series work for hire gig and I have to balance my time veeerrrrry carefully now.
This week should be the last of the social calendar for a bit, and then it's back to the keys - knocking out WALLY MEIERS #2, more DEAD RONIN and HOPEfully this new project. I'm going to hold off on BIG KAHN #2 until the series is under contract, I think.
Apart from that, smooth sailing. Going to a scotch tasting tomorrow night with the new girl.
No, I am not an alcoholic. I swear.
Off to mine the research vaults.
OPEN MOUTH
I've been drinking alot lately - not like an alcoholic thing, or anything... I just happen to be in a social upswing (yeah yeah - deny, deny...). As such, I've been trying to at least drink different things in these different places to give myself a more diverse palate. On Tuesday night I was lucky enough to be out at the Westside Brewery where they actually advertise a nice selection of unique beers. Ever since the Times Square Brewery was razed to make room for another Starbucks or some such, I haven't been able to find a good outlet for different imports and microbrews. The Westside actually highlights a different beer for a different are of the world - Germany, Holland, Japan, etc. So, on Tuesday I tried something called Arrogant Bastard Ale - and lemme tell you, that's sucker was strong. It didn't have the kick a regular stout does, but it was thick nonetheless with a bitter/fruity taste around the edge. It took me about 3-4 swallows to really get into it, but in the end, it won a fan.
Often, when out and about at the NYC bars, I notice that their beer/liquor selection tends to run the same. Everyone has Bass on tap and you can find Rolling Rock and Brooklyn Lager wherever you go. It's become cookie cutter - everyone knows your drink because everyone HAS your drink. McCarthy's, the home for the NYC Comics Jams on 20th and 2nd, does its best to shake up their menu and I've had some good beer there - most notably Tetley's (pronounced TAITley's) and a one time deal - Boddington's. Both are frothy and bubbly.... good tasting and refreshing. I'm not so much one for the thick Guiness and such they serve there, so It's good that they don't fit an Irish pub stereotype.
Saturday night, I was at the Motor City Bar with Sean Bieri and we were noting how cool it would have been if the bar served local Detroit microbrews like Bad Frog beer and Motor City Brew. It would definitely add a more authentic feel to the joint than the bottles of Brooklyn, y'know? 'Course I imagine importing microbrews isn't cheap.
Last night, I went to CBGB to take in the LEGAL ACTION COMICS art show. Spent most of the night drinking Bass with a little single malt scotch thrown in (normally too expensive to sample at NYC bars), and at one point I tried Rolling Rock. Now, I remember when Rolling Rock was the "soda beer" you drink in high school, one step up from Zima. The staunchest high school drinkers would laugh and point if you so much as TRIED to rock n' roll during late night drink-and-piss sessions.... but I gotta tell you... I found that it was a nice taste and a an almost explosive juxtaposition to the more earthy, bitter beers I drink. Same thing with Red Stripe - a jamaican, island-y beer... I think I'll start stocking more of those at home to go with the homemade chili, dig?
Anyway, in the end it's about personal taste I suppose (though don't get me started on the differences between dry, semi-dry and sweet wine)... but wouldn't it be nice if instead of having one big amorphous, non-descript, non-unique drinking experience, we could at least have some more excitement when we go out to drown our sorrows?
Bottoms Up.
OPEN MOUTH
Back in the saddle after a bout of flu and the Happy, Happy Holidays and let me tell you: '04 is a Busy, Busy Boy.
I'm laying out the schedule for the year and it looks to be that I'm literally PACKING my days til March/April. Just this week I have a JCC Comics event, a one page deadline for OTHER Magazine, a date, The LEGAL ACTION COMICS Art Show and the rewrite of AMERICAN CAESAR.
Met with the CAESAR director yesterday and she's a smart cookie. We tightened the characters and pointed out the glaring holes in my narrative and I think it's stronger for it. We begin auditioning soon.
How was your New Year's weekend? Mine kicked all sorts of commie ass. Wednesday night I went with friends to a local chineseatery and had some sesame chicken and many small beers. The heart attack commenced when I realized I had left my cel phone in the cab - luckily said cab was only blocks from the joint so the guy swung by and handed it to me (ten buck tip, natch!) - it was a NEW YEAR'S MIRACLE! Then proceeded to several apartment parties and assorted stages of drunkeness and debauchery. On Thursday I saw LORD OF THE RINGS - it's disturbing to walk into a movie during the sunshiny day and come out 80 hours later in the dead of night. LOTR was ok... a bit long, though. Also, I kept wanting to shout "JUST KISS HIM, SAM!" Anyway, Thursday night I had a good date and then Friday was work-from-home and comics buyin' day. I bought DAVID CHELSEA IN LOVE which is now the godfather for any and all of my autobio romantic comics... i just cannot beat the pure, sheer neuroticism of this story. It's beautiful and horrifying all in one. Like a train wreck filled with Swedish models.
Saturday eve I went drinking and jamming with the NYC Jam boys in honor of visiting cartoonist Sean Bieri. Sean is truly the funniest man in minicomics. Check his work out here. I got much drunk. VIVA EL LUCHE DRUNKADOR.
Comics work: The art for NINETY CANDLES is finished sans cover. I begin working on the cover this week and will lay out the book for Diamond shortly. Once the Diamond package is out I start lettering and assembling the book for print. I'm pretty stoked.
The other big news is that noted hooligan Chip Zdarsky has agreed to helm the art for BEAR SUITS, the project I wrote with Paul Cote. I heart Chip and I heart Chip's style.
This month work progresses apace on:
AMERICAN CAESAR: Gotta get the play rewrite in by the 15th.
MAULED - I have to complete the second page of my story. Deadline is the 15th. Hoo-ha!
SUPER HERO HAPPY HOUR: Might be doing a 4 pager for the SHHH special. It'll have to be in early to get pages done by second week of February.
HOUSE OF TWELVE: I handed in the script for my FILTH story... time to lay the fuckah out.
THE BIG KAHN: Get Max's art to the publisher post-haste.
DEAD RONIN: Rewrite; Keep on it.
Plus I need to follow up on publisher pitches and the like... woo!
Anyway, that's my day. What's yours like?
INSERT FOOT
I know what I want for Chanukah...
For sale: Aircraft carrier
Listing of WWII-era ship draws $90M bid on eBay; aircraft, weapons not included.
"NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - It might be a bit tough to kick the tires of the hottest offering on eBay Motors Web site right now -- a 693-foot long, 36,000-horsepower World War II era aircraft carrier. "
Oh f'god's....WHO GIVES A SHIT?...and what will Justin think...?
Britney Spears weds -- but will annul marriage
"LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Pop star Britney Spears married a childhood friend from Louisiana in an early morning ceremony, but quickly arranged to have it annulled, a source close to the singer told The Associated Press on Sunday. "