OPEN MOUTH
This week marks the first collective BIG POND column at Scryptic Studios. This is an example of what the column will look like from week to week (with, of course, different contributors and topics).
This week I muse about discipline, doing the work and not wasting too much free time with writers Brian (CHANNEL ZERO, DEMO) Wood and Antony (JULIUS, THREE DAYS IN EUROPE) Johnston.
Thanks for checking it out!
And who knows - one of these days I might have a proper journal entry...
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Bristling at being ranked 100th best stand-up, the comic tees off on others who've hit the big time
"Gallagher, famous for punctuating each show by smashing watermelons and other fruit, smashes some comic sacred cows:
INTERVIEWER: Where are the people who do get you?
GALLAGHER: Green Bay, Wisconsin. I can play a 2,000-seater there and do three shows. I'll do a show in Los Angeles in front of 800 people . . .
INTERVIEWER: How did it feel when you received the news that you were the 100th best stand-up according to Comedy Central?
GALLAGHER: It stunk. I looked at the other people and I was trying to find anyone I ever heard of. How could I be behind people I never heard of? How many of these people stayed in the business for 20 years? I made 13 one-hour shows for Showtime, which are available on videotape. I invented the one-man show on cable."
Dude...
YOURE THE GUY WHO SMASHES WATERMELONS FOR A LIVING.
Get over it.
OPEN MOUTH
I just realized that one year ago I was in the middle of working on a community play, rewriting and rehearsing AMERICAN CAESAR until 3 AM all while writing two graphic novels and drawing a short cartoon story for HOUSE OF TWELVE.
Go back and look at the January-February-March entires and reel.
I mention this because I'm starting to feel that way again with the community play rearing its head, along with the column and books/comics I got going.
Head down, energy up.
On the cool side, got to finish the second column today and line up some good writers for future installments. Plus, I traded emails with Kevin Smith, so that was pretty neat.
Back to the keys.
OPEN MOUTH
Randy Lander and Don MacPherson have posted their Best of 2004 picks at The Fourth Rail and wouldn't you know it - they both pick NINETY CANDLES as runner up for the best original graphic novel of the year!
Big congrats to my pal Damon Hurd and to Craig Thompson for nailing the top spots!
OPEN MOUTH
NEIL KLEID'S "BIG POND" DEBUTS AT SCRYPTIC STUDIOS
Somewhere in Kansas, a young girl crafts her first short story.
Way up north, a man begins a second career, deciding to write his Great Canadian novel. On the Left Coast, a couple builds a publishing empire out of their San Francisco home simply because one of them wants comic books on the shelf that he would like to buy. And in Manhattan, a quasi-published writer wants to know what they know. And he wants to let them know what he knows.
And of us, no matter how experienced or how green we might be – have opinions. And ideas. And advice that you or you might never have thought of. We are all fish, swimming in and around the creative pool, this Great Big Pond we call Storytelling. And we are Legion.
BIG POND is a bi-weekly collective column that begins with ideas and continues with opinions. Each column focuses on an aspect of writing for the comic book, film and television industry – whether discussing writing, editing, pitching, business or what have you. The column begins with opinions on a topic and then gives way to comments, advice, responses by a diverse group of writers. Some of them will be names on book covers in your local store. Some will be names you’ve never even heard of. But they are all writers. They are all swimming in the Pond.
From there the reader is invited to offer his or her advice on the week’s topic via a message board thread and hopefully, debate those who have already offered their own.
We all have opinions. We all have advice on how to navigate the Great Big Pond. And I don’t know about all of you, but I can always stand to learn something unique and original.
Come on in. The water’s fine.
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BIG POND, a bi-weekly column by Xeric-winning cartoonist Neil Kleid, runs at Scryptic Studios, an online writer’s studio and resource center.
The purpose of SCRYPTIC STUDIOS is to provide writers of all types a place where they can easily access story references and resources, as well as discuss ideas and techniques with other writers. Scryptic Studios gives writers a place to be themselves.
Visit Scryptic Studios online.
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Neil Kleid won the Xeric Grant for NINETY CANDLES, an experimental graphic novella, and his first graphic novel, BROWNSVILLE (with artist Jake Allen) debuts from NBM Publishing in 2005. Senior Columns Editor for Scryptic Studios and a graphic designer by day, Neil harbors notions of writing full time. Weep for him.
OPEN MOUTH
For thise that are interested, Ninth Art asked me to expand my thoughts and personal exploration as a Jewish cartoonist in regards to the late, great Will Eisner.
The article can be read here.
I hope my meager words did him some credit.
OPEN MOUTH
On the heels of the last post, Scott Wherle tells me that he's named Ninety Candles one of the top ten books of 2004 at Randomvile!
Thanks, Scott!
OPEN MOUTH
As the New Year gives way to the hustle and bustle of convention season, the comics industry prepares to honor their own. Submissions are being accepted for awards and nominees are being accepted from those associated with the industry for the Harveys, set to be awarded at this year's MoCCA Arts Festival in New York .
Rant Comics would like to take a moment to ask you to consider NINETY CANDLES, a Xeric-winning improvisational graphic novella from Neil Kleid. The book is eligible this year for various categories, most notably New Cartoonist and Best Graphic Album.
The Daily Oklahoman named Ninety Candles the sixth best graphic novel of 2004 and both Randy Lander and Don MacPherson at The Fourth Rail gave it a 10/10 grade.
Ninety Candles is a completely improvisational comic book - no script, no net. Each panel represents a consecutive year in the life of its protagonist, Kevin Hall. The "spaces" between panels morph into "spaces" between years and as such the reader experiences our intrepid cartoonist's life, the decisions that shape his existence from birth to death. It's a personal exploration of life, comics, fatherhood and legacy.
The book was relisted in December's Diamond PREVIEWS and if you missed your chance to experience it, Rant Comics asks you to consider a second look at what Alan David Doane at Comic Book Galaxy called "about the most unique graphic novel I've read so far this year" and Brian Wood, Eisner nominated writer of CHANNEL ZERO and the highly popular COURIERS graphic novels, called "a deep, sophisticated story that grabs your heart strings and refuses to let go."
Ninety Candles is available from Diamond Comic Distributors and can be easily reordered through your favorite local comic book retailer by giving them the Diamond Item Code (JUL043096). To find a comic store near you, please refer to The Master List .
More information, reviews, interviews and previews can be found here.
Neil Kleid and Rant Comics thank you for considering Ninety Candles.
OPEN MOUTH
Woo, lots going on.
Last night, as y'all know, was the Hanley's signing... had a great old time sitting with pal Josh Neufeld and new pals Matt Manning and Joe McCabe (and his partner whose name escapes me!) shilling our books and talking about everything from Will Eisner to digging unmarked graves. Started off slow but it picked up when folks came by around 5:30, including Dino, Nick Bertozzi, Alex Robinson and Mike Dawson, Leland and E. Bess, my editor April over at iBooks, my roomate Jason, Jeff Coleman and assorted comics hooligans. Got a real nice phone call from publisher Larry Young who was ridin' the counter on the West Coast at the Isotope, checkin' to see how the signing was going. Sold about 5 copies of CANDLES, one copy of the HERO HAPPY HOUR special and one mini (I forget which). The funny thing was that the stack of CANDLES that the boys at Hanley's provided were already pre-signed! I must have sold them a stack I had signed for MoCCA or Chicago by mistake... eeps! In any event, a good time was had by all - thanks, Vito!
After the signing Coleman and I swung on over to the comics jam and talked Eisner with the gang... Ninth Art has asked me to write an essay about Eisner and the Jewish cartoonist so I was garnering thoughts and suggestions... the one that struck me most was from the conversation Coleman and I had about the fact that Eisner started the concept of "comic book packaging studios" back in the '30s. Those fell by the wayside with the advent of the freelance life... but now guys like Udon and Grafik Sismik are bringing the packaging studio cocnept back right at the end of Eisner's life/career. Interesting.
Then I went back to work for a few hours. Shut up.
Tomorrow I head to Detroit for the weekend as I write the Ninth Art piece and decided whether or not I want to be part of this. I also have to finish writing the third issue of this and hit page 50 of MIGDAL DAVID (It's always fun when your publisher asks "what's a splash page?") Next week I talk with Gallaher about some interesting things, some monster related and some not. Either way - both bode well for future series...es.
Sigh.
I really need to start pitching Marvel/DC again.
Hey, look - I'm drinking Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper. It's like they decided that they had to catch up to Coca Cola in a single bottle.
Peace, yo.
OPEN MOUTH
I hear all the time about the deaths of famous celebrities, authors and personalities. But it isn't often that I get affected by the death
of someone I do not know the way I have today.
Will Eisner, was known by many as the father of the graphic novel. A man whose career spanned from the pre-war comic strip/cartoon sweatshops all the way to today's golden age of renewed interest in the medium he helped birth and mold. I could go on for pages about his life, career and history, but there are better and more qualified historians than I better suited. A somewhat comprehensive history and biography can be seen at here.
The thing that struck me about Eisner's work was his innovative use of typography, often incorporating the title of his story into the artwork itself (most notably seen in THE SPIRIT, his newspaper strip action hero). As well, his stories were so complex, not always following a central character but sometimes using a plot device, camera angle or object to serve as "narrator" akin to Welles' CITIZEN KANE. In fact, I'd go on record saying the Eisner was the comics industry's Welles, and that excerpts of Michael Chabon's Pulitzer Prize winning THE ADVENTURES OF CAVALIER AND KLAY pay homage to his
storytelling in scenes set after the protagonists' viewing of KANE.
Eisner's work also heavily dwelled on Jewish themes. While I count THE SPIRIT and THE DREAMER, his book about the early years of the comics industry, as my favorites, there's a part of me that feels closest to his Judaic-centric graphic novels. A CONTRACT WITH GOD, DROPSIE AVENUE and THE NAME OF THE GAME are all infused with early 20th Century New York events and characters that create an atmosphere that's come to be known as "Eisner-esque."
I never met Will Eisner but news of his death today shattered me. A great bulk of what I do as a Jewish creator has been inspired by Will Eisner's work, his style, the worlds he created.
Not only did he reinvent the wheel and pave the way for the future of the graphic novel, but he has inspired so many creators, fans, readers, and storytellers that there's a bit of him in all of us. Everything I do, as a comic book creator or graphic novelist or storyteller has been and will be inspired by the work, passion and genius of Will Eisner.
Best wishes to his family and those who know him best.
Farewell, dreamer.
OPEN MOUTH
Hey all-
I'll be signing copies of NINETY CANDLES, my Xeric-winning graphic novella, this Wednesday from 5-7 PM at Jim Hanley's Universe along with pal and fellow Xeric grant winner Josh Neufeld, signing copies of A FEW PERFECT HOURS and Matt Manning, writer on JUSTICE LEAGUE ADVENTURES and SPIDERMAN UNLIMITED.
Hanley's is located at 4 West 33rd Street, around the corner from the Empire State Building in the heart of Manhattan.
NINETY CANDLES, a 48 page graphic novella funded by a grant from the Xeric Foundation, is a completely improvisational comic book - no script, no net. Each panel of NINETY CANDLES represents a consecutive year in the life of its protagonist, Kevin Hall. The "spaces" between panels morph into "spaces" between years and as such the reader experiences our intrepid cartoonist's life, the decisions that shape his existence from birth to death.
Minicomics will be available, as will preview ashcans of BROWNSVILLE, my upcoming OGN about Murder, Incorporated with artist Jake Allen. An in-depth interview about BROWNSVILLE can be found here.
I'll also be signing past anthology work such as 9-11:EMERGENCY RELIEF, HERO HAPPY HOUR SUPER SPECIAL, COMICS PROSE, HOUSE OF TWELVE, MAULED and more!
Hope to see you all there!