Oh the Places You Will Go...

It's been one of those 'spin around and see where you land' kind of weeks... hell, months. I had what can only be called a golden opportunity pop up the past few weeks that is going to massively alter my career path (at least for the time being.) I can't quite talk about it yet, but as soon as I can I will. So, I've been racing through as much of my already lined up work as possible trying to wrap it all up before starting on this new gig. It's been... harrowing, I suppose is the word. But, totally worth it. The thing about this job, and what I've come to realize about life/careers/writing in general, is that I got this job for because of more than just my writing. It was a confluence of events... I had my agent cheerleading for me, an amazing meeting with the folks from the company, and then... the suprising part. It turns out the years of non-writing that I did. Working in TV production, running Hoarse and Buggy, hell, even running the movie theater I ran in college... all these little things that at the time were just jobs added together become a "wealth of experience" that got me, what in many ways seems to be a dream job.

So, to all of you out there slaving through a day job and hating every minute of it, and wishing you were writing for a living, don't forget that whether you realize it or not, that job will come in handy one day. Whether it's the characters you meet (and then use in your work), the practical skills you pick up, or even just the discipline of doing the same thing every day.

If you work in the entertainment industry, the government let's you write off a LOT of stuff come tax time. Just be marking your occupation as Entertainment Industry, suddenly, you can write off DVD's, CD's, TV's, Computers, Software, Video Games, Comic books... I suspect most people are just happy to get the write off, but, the truth of it is the experience of reading, listening, watching, and experiencing art is what allows you to grow as a creator. I just think it's important to realize that it doesn't stop there.

Practically speaking, I'll still be working in comics, and I have a slew of books already lined up for the next year or two, and in fact, should have more books on the stands than I did this year. I'll probably be a little less on the blog and the twitter, and won't be attending as many conventions, but, that aside, it'll be business as usual.

So, folks, here's to the future.

I do a lot of these...

The "Where I've Been" posts, that is.  I've been incredibly swamped the past week or two with getting ready for New York Comic Con, and the coming months of cons and deadlines. in the next few weeks, I've got a couple of books coming out, and, hopefully, a few more announcements of things to come.  I've gotten a bunch of Manga jobs, adapting and creating OEL's, so I've been spending my time catching up on some of the more popular manga on the shelf.

I drifted away from it a few years ago for a few reasons, primarily lack of cash, but, I felt like so much of the manga that made it here was sort of the cliche-laden version of manga, rather than the stuff I fell in love with as a child.  For every Iron Wok Jan, there was three dozen faceless stories about boys with magical powers.

So, with that in mind I entered into reading Death Note with great hesitation.  Plus, it's so insanely popular that it more or less has to suck, one would imagine.

But it doesn't.  It's superb.  It's some of the most sophisticated long term storytelling I've seen in comics of any kind in years.  The way that the concept of the book manages to be turned on it's ear again and again, each time turning the book into something brand new.

It's completely worth checking out.

I'm also pouring through Uzumaki (also amazing... some of the best straight horror I've ever read in comics form, in fact.)

As to what I'm working on... Mark and I turned in the third Cleaners script to Dark Horse this week, I'm on the 2nd draft of my last Vampirella, which should be a doozey, and I'm just getting started on Cyblade #2.  I've got one of those aforementioned manga projects cooking that's alarmingly cool (and has been LOTS of fun, thus far), and a few other unannounced iron-made trinkets

So, yeah, keeping busy.

I'll post my NYCC schedule in a few days.  East Coast here I come.

Afternoon Playlist

Just what have I been listening to today? Going between working my way through The Orestia (by Aeschylus) and the script for Guillory, which means i need some bad ass 70's rambling.  And a little Abba to take the morning edge off. After the jump.

Trippin' Out 3:53 Curtis Mayfield Soul Anthology

I Was Blind 2:30 The Superbs Soul Grooves, Vol. 2

The Dark End Of The Street 2:48 Percy Sledge

Don't Leave Me This Way (Single Version) 3:40 Thelma Houston

Tainted Love 2:16 Gloria Jones Vixen/Windstorm

7-Rooms Of Gloom 2:33 The Four Tops The Ultimate Collection

Memphis Soul Stew 2:57 King Curtis Soul Anthology

Mighty Mighty 3:05 Earth Wind & Fire 70's Funk 'n' Soul Classics

Do It Any Way You Wanna 3:17 People's Choice 70's Funk 'n' Soul Classics

Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get 3:58 Dramatics

(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me 3:02 Dionne Warwick

(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me 2:48 Brenda Lee In the Mood for Love: Classic Ballads

Waterloo (English Version) 2:45 ABBA 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of ABBA

Radio DavidByrne.com

Radio DavidByrne.com has streaming playlists of music hand selected by David Byrne to help showcase a different artist, genre, or, well, whatever he may desire every month.  This month's list is all Morricone.  Which is startalingly similar to my own favorite playlist, which I probably write about 90% of my scripts to.  Mine has a bunch of Nino Rota, Luis Bacalov, and a few other odds and ends thrown in for good measure.   For interest, after the jump, is a complete listing of that playlist. Suspicion    Ennio Morricone    Curb Your Enthusiasm (Music from the TV Series) Slow On the Uptake    Luis Bacalov    Curb Your Enthusiasm (Music from the TV Series) Piume Di Cristallo (Crystal Plumage)    Ennio Morricone    An Ennio Morricone - Dario Argento Trilogy Non Rimane Piu' Nessuno (There's No One Left)    Ennio Morricone    An Ennio Morricone - Dario Argento Trilogy La Citta' Si Risveglia (The City Wakes Up)    Ennio Morricone    An Ennio Morricone - Dario Argento Trilogy L'uccello Dalle Piume Di Cristallo (The Bird With the Crystal Plumage)    Ennio Morricone    An Ennio Morricone - Dario Argento Trilogy Silenzio Nel Caos (Silence In the Chaos)    Ennio Morricone    An Ennio Morricone - Dario Argento Trilogy Violenza Inattesa (Unexpected Violence)    Ennio Morricone    An Ennio Morricone - Dario Argento Trilogy Ninna Nanna In Blu (Lullaby In Blue)    Ennio Morricone    An Ennio Morricone - Dario Argento Trilogy 1970    Ennio Morricone    An Ennio Morricone - Dario Argento Trilogy Paranoi Prima (First Paranoia)    Ennio Morricone    An Ennio Morricone - Dario Argento Trilogy Dissociazione (Dissociation)    Ennio Morricone    An Ennio Morricone - Dario Argento Trilogy Metafora Finale (Last Metaphor)    Ennio Morricone    An Ennio Morricone - Dario Argento Trilogy Placcaggio (The Spot)    Ennio Morricone    An Ennio Morricone - Dario Argento Trilogy 4 Mosche Di Velluto Grigio (Four Flies On Grey Velvet)    Ennio Morricone    An Ennio Morricone - Dario Argento Trilogy 4 Mosche Di Velluto Grigio - Suite    Ennio Morricone    An Ennio Morricone - Dario Argento Trilogy Come un Madrigale (Like a Madrigal)    Ennio Morricone    An Ennio Morricone - Dario Argento Trilogy Dario Argento Speaks    Ennio Morricone    An Ennio Morricone - Dario Argento Trilogy La resa dei conti    Ennio Morricone    For a Few Dollars More (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture) [International Version] Osservatori osservati    Ennio Morricone    For a Few Dollars More (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture) [International Version] Il vizio di uccidere    Ennio Morricone    For a Few Dollars More (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture) [International Version] Il colpo    Ennio Morricone    For a Few Dollars More (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture) [International Version] Addio colonnello    Ennio Morricone    For a Few Dollars More (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture) [International Version] Per qualche dollaro in più - Titoli    Ennio Morricone    For a Few Dollars More (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture) [International Version] Poker d'assi    Ennio Morricone    For a Few Dollars More (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture) [International Version] Carillon    Ennio Morricone    For a Few Dollars More (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture) [International Version] The Ballad of Sacco and Vanzetti    Ennio Morricone    The Gangster Collection Violent City (Main Titles)    Ennio Morricone    The Gangster Collection Extreme Moment    Ennio Morricone    The Gangster Collection The Sicilian Clan (Main Titles)    Ennio Morricone    The Gangster Collection Deborah's Theme    Ennio Morricone    The Gangster Collection Al Copone    Ennio Morricone    The Gangster Collection The Untouchables (End Titles)    Ennio Morricone    The Gangster Collection Act of Faith    Ennio Morricone    The Gangster Collection Terrorists!    Ennio Morricone    The Gangster Collection The Iron Mayor    Ennio Morricone    The Gangster Collection A Net of Protections    Ennio Morricone    The Gangster Collection The State'S Repression    Ennio Morricone    The Gangster Collection Drought    Ennio Morricone    The Gangster Collection Theme of Memories    Ennio Morricone    The Gangster Collection Tacit Complicity    Ennio Morricone    The Gangster Collection Song of Sicily    Ennio Morricone    The Gangster Collection The Mafia    Ennio Morricone    The Gangster Collection Secret Reunion    Ennio Morricone    The Gangster Collection Goodbye Palermo    Ennio Morricone    The Gangster Collection Corleone    Ennio Morricone    The Gangster Collection Conspiration    Ennio Morricone    The Gangster Collection Goodbye to Palermo    Ennio Morricone    The Gangster Collection The Penitent    Ennio Morricone    The Gangster Collection Message    Ennio Morricone    The Gangster Collection Far Memories of Sicily    Ennio Morricone    The Gangster Collection Final Event    Ennio Morricone    The Gangster Collection The Penitent (Alternate Version)    Ennio Morricone    The Gangster Collection Degradation    Ennio Morricone    The Gangster Collection Insinnation    Ennio Morricone    The Gangster Collection To Come Back to Palermo    Ennio Morricone    The Gangster Collection Machine Gun McCain    Ennio Morricone    The Gangster Collection Machine Gun McCain 2    Ennio Morricone    The Gangster Collection Machine Gun Mccain (Alternate Version)    Ennio Morricone    The Gangster Collection The Ballad of Hank McCain    Ennio Morricone    The Gangster Collection Strangled Lives    Ennio Morricone    The Gangster Collection Colonial City    Ennio Morricone    The Gangster Collection Hidden Symptoms    Ennio Morricone    The Gangster Collection The Other Octopus    Ennio Morricone    The Gangster Collection The Godfather Waltz    Nino Rota    The Godfather I Have But One Heart (O Marenariello)    Nino Rota    The Godfather The Pickup    Nino Rota    The Godfather Connie's Wedding    Nino Rota    The Godfather The Halls of Fear    Nino Rota    The Godfather Sicilian Pastorale    Nino Rota    The Godfather The Godfather (Love Theme)    Nino Rota    The Godfather The Godfather Waltz    Nino Rota    The Godfather Appollonia    Nino Rota    The Godfather The New Godfather    Nino Rota    The Godfather The Baptism    Nino Rota    The Godfather The Godfather Finale    Nino Rota    The Godfather Il Buono, Il Cattivo, Il Brutto (The Good, The Bad And The Ugly)    Good Bad Ugly    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Soundtrack Il Tramonto (The Sundown)    Good Bad Ugly    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Soundtrack Sentenza    Good Bad Ugly    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Soundtrack Fuga a Cavallo (Escape to Horse)    Good Bad Ugly    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Soundtrack Il Ponte di Corde (The Bridge of Ropes)    Good Bad Ugly    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Soundtrack Il Forte (The Strong)    Good Bad Ugly    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Soundtrack Inseguimento (Pursuit)    Good Bad Ugly    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Soundtrack Il Deserto (The Desert)    Good Bad Ugly    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Soundtrack La Carrozza dei Fantasmi (The Carriage of the Spirits)    Good Bad Ugly    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Soundtrack La Missione San Antonio (The Mission San Antonio)    Good Bad Ugly    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Soundtrack Padre Ramirez (Father Ramirez)    Good Bad Ugly    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Soundtrack Marcetta (Marcia)    Good Bad Ugly    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Soundtrack La Storia de un Soldato (The Story of a Soldier)    Good Bad Ugly    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Soundtrack Il Treno Militare (The Military Train)    Good Bad Ugly    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Soundtrack Fine di una Spia (Death of a Spy)    Good Bad Ugly    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Soundtrack Il Bandito Monco (The Bandit Monco)    Good Bad Ugly    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Soundtrack Due Contro Cinque (Two Against Five)    Good Bad Ugly    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Soundtrack Marcetta Senza Speranza (Marcia Without Hope)    Good Bad Ugly    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Soundtrack Morte di un Soldato (Death of a Soldier)    Good Bad Ugly    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Soundtrack L'estasi Dell'oro (The Ecstasy of Gold)    Good Bad Ugly    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Soundtrack Il Triello (The Trio)    Good Bad Ugly    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Soundtrack Nuovo Cinema Paradiso    Ennio Morricone    I Solisti Italiani On Cinema Il Tramonto (Album Version)    Various Artists    Kill Bill Vol. 2 (Original Soundtrack) The Grand Duel: (Parte Prima)    Luis E. Bacalov    Kill Bill, Vol. 1 Queen Of The Crime Council    Dialogue    Kill Bill, Vol. 1 Titoli Di Testa (Canzonetta - Notturno II° - Cadillac)    Nino Rota    La Dolce Vita La Dolce Vita (Arrivederci Roma - Caracalla's la Bersagliera)    Nino Rota    La Dolce Vita La Dolce Vita (In Via Veneto)    Nino Rota    La Dolce Vita Patricia (Canzonetta - Entrata dei Gladiatori - Parlami di Me (Valzer))    Nino Rota    La Dolce Vita Lola (Yes Sir, That's My Baby) (Parlami di Me  (Valzer) - Stormy Weather)    Nino Rota    La Dolce Vita Via Veneto e I Nobili    Nino Rota    La Dolce Vita Blues (La Dolce Vita dei Nobili)    Nino Rota    La Dolce Vita Notturno O Mattutino    Nino Rota    La Dolce Vita La Dolce Vita (La Bella Malinconica)    Nino Rota    La Dolce Vita La Dolce Vita Nella Villa Di Fregene (Can Can - Jingle Bells - Blues - La Dolce Vita - Why Wait)    Nino Rota    La Dolce Vita La Dolce Vita (finale)    Nino Rota    La Dolce Vita Tema di primo    Luis Bacalov    La Tregua (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) I Sommersi e i salvati    Luis Bacalov    La Tregua (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Il Greco    Luis Bacalov    La Tregua (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Il latino di primo    Luis Bacalov    La Tregua (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Verso casa    Luis Bacalov    La Tregua (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) I sommersi e i salvati - Variazione 1    Luis Bacalov    La Tregua (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Tema di primo - Variazione 1    Luis Bacalov    La Tregua (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Noch svetla    Luis Bacalov    La Tregua (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Tema di primo - Variazione 2    Luis Bacalov    La Tregua (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) I sommersi e i salvati - Variazione 2    Luis Bacalov    La Tregua (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Moskva majskaja    Dmitrj e Danilo Pokrass, Luis Bacalov & V. Lebedov-Kumach    La Tregua (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Sinij platocek    Egy Petersburgskij, Luis Bacalov & Y. Galizkij - M. Marsinov    La Tregua (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Facci piangere    Luis Bacalov    La Tregua (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) We Have Won    Luis Bacalov    La Tregua (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Bivaccando a Cracovia    Luis Bacalov    La Tregua (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Tema di primo - Variazione 3    Luis Bacalov    La Tregua (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Nel bosco    Luis Bacalov    La Tregua (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Sinij platocek II    Egy Petersburgskij, Luis Bacalov & Y. Galizkij - M. Marsinov    La Tregua (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) We Have Won II    Luis Bacalov    La Tregua (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Danza Ungherese No. 5 in F Sharp Minor: Sangue Viennese    Luis Bacalov    La Tregua (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Tema di primo    Luis Bacalov    La Tregua (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Titoli di coda - Prima parte    Luis Bacalov    La Tregua (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) A Gringo Like Me    Ennio Morricone    The Legendary Italian Westerns Guns Don't Argue    Ennio Morricone    The Legendary Italian Westerns The Indians    Ennio Morricone    The Legendary Italian Westerns Lonesome Billy    Ennio Morricone    The Legendary Italian Westerns Overture (For a Few Dollars More)    Ennio Morricone    The Legendary Italian Westerns Almost Dead    Ennio Morricone    The Legendary Italian Westerns Square Dance    Ennio Morricone    The Legendary Italian Westerns The Chase    Ennio Morricone    The Legendary Italian Westerns The Result    Ennio Morricone    The Legendary Italian Westerns Without Pity    Ennio Morricone    The Legendary Italian Westerns For a Fistful of Dollars    Ennio Morricone    The Legendary Italian Westerns A Gun for Ringo    Ennio Morricone    The Legendary Italian Westerns Waiting    Ennio Morricone    The Legendary Italian Westerns The Massacre    Ennio Morricone    The Legendary Italian Westerns Angel Face    Ennio Morricone    The Legendary Italian Westerns Sixty Seconds To What?    Ennio Morricone    The Legendary Italian Westerns Aces High    Ennio Morricone    The Legendary Italian Westerns The Watchers Are Being Watched    Ennio Morricone    The Legendary Italian Westerns The Vice of Killing    Ennio Morricone    The Legendary Italian Westerns The Musical Pocket Watch    Ennio Morricone    The Legendary Italian Westerns The Showdown    Ennio Morricone    The Legendary Italian Westerns Goodbye, Colonel    Ennio Morricone    The Legendary Italian Westerns For a Few Dollars More    Ennio Morricone    The Legendary Italian Westerns Ringo Rides Again    Ennio Morricone    The Legendary Italian Westerns March of the MacGregors    Ennio Morricone    The Legendary Italian Westerns Santa Fè Express    Ennio Morricone    The Legendary Italian Westerns From Man to Man    Ennio Morricone    The Legendary Italian Westerns Once Upon a Time in the West    Ennio Morricone    The Legendary Italian Westerns Farewell to Cheyenne    Ennio Morricone    The Legendary Italian Westerns Man with a Harmonica    Ennio Morricone    The Legendary Italian Westerns Jill's America    Ennio Morricone    The Legendary Italian Westerns The Good, The Bad, The Ugly    Ramones    Loco Live The Ballad Of Sacco And Vanzet    Ennio Morricone    Movie Masterpieces Chi Mai    Ennio Morricone    Movie Masterpieces Cinama Paradiso    Ennio Morricone    Movie Masterpieces Death Rides A Horse    Ennio Morricone    Movie Masterpieces Deborah Theme    Ennio Morricone    Movie Masterpieces A Fist Full Of Dollers    Ennio Morricone    Movie Masterpieces A Fistfull Of Dollers    Ennio Morricone    Movie Masterpieces For A Few Dollers More    Ennio Morricone    Movie Masterpieces Frantic    Ennio Morricone    Movie Masterpieces Gabriels Oboe    Ennio Morricone    Movie Masterpieces The Good The Bad The Ugly    Ennio Morricone    Movie Masterpieces The Man With The Harmonica    Ennio Morricone    Movie Masterpieces Metello    Ennio Morricone    Movie Masterpieces The Missing    Ennio Morricone    Movie Masterpieces Once Apon A Time In The West    Ennio Morricone    Movie Masterpieces Once Upon A Time In America    Ennio Morricone    Movie Masterpieces Paying Of Scores    Ennio Morricone    Movie Masterpieces The Scillian Clan    Ennio Morricone    Movie Masterpieces Secrets Of The Sahara    Ennio Morricone    Movie Masterpieces The Untouchables    Ennio Morricone    Movie Masterpieces The Vice Of Killing    Ennio Morricone    Movie Masterpieces 1900s Theme    Ennio Morricone    Movie Masterpieces Nozze in Campagne. "E arrivato Zampano"    Yannick Nézet-Séguin with Alain Trudel & Jennifer Swartz    Nino Rota: La Strada I Tre Suonatori e il "Matto" Sul FiloIl Circo    Yannick Nézet-Séguin with Alain Trudel & Jennifer Swartz    Nino Rota: La Strada Il Circo    Yannick Nézet-Séguin with Alain Trudel & Jennifer Swartz    Nino Rota: La Strada La Rabbia di Zampanò    Yannick Nézet-Séguin with Alain Trudel & Jennifer Swartz    Nino Rota: La Strada Zampanò Uccide il "Matto"    Yannick Nézet-Séguin with Alain Trudel & Jennifer Swartz    Nino Rota: La Strada L' Ultimo Spettacolo Sulla Neve "Addio Gelsomnia"    Yannick Nézet-Séguin with Alain Trudel & Jennifer Swartz    Nino Rota: La Strada Solitudine e Pianto di Zampanò    Yannick Nézet-Séguin with Alain Trudel & Jennifer Swartz    Nino Rota: La Strada Concerto for Harp in G major: 1. Allegro moderato    Yannick Nézet-Séguin with Alain Trudel & Jennifer Swartz    Nino Rota: La Strada Concerto for Harp in G major: 2. Andante    Yannick Nézet-Séguin with Alain Trudel & Jennifer Swartz    Nino Rota: La Strada Concerto for Harp in G major: 3. Allegro    Yannick Nézet-Séguin with Alain Trudel & Jennifer Swartz    Nino Rota: La Strada Concerto for Trombone in C major: 1. Allegro giusto    Yannick Nézet-Séguin with Alain Trudel & Jennifer Swartz    Nino Rota: La Strada Concerto for Trombone in C major: 2. Lento, ben ritmato    Yannick Nézet-Séguin with Alain Trudel & Jennifer Swartz    Nino Rota: La Strada Concerto for Trombone in C major: 3. Allegro moderato    Yannick Nézet-Séguin with Alain Trudel & Jennifer Swartz    Nino Rota: La Strada Le/passerella Di Otto E Mezzo(suite) Interviste - Federico F    Nino Rota    Prova D'orchestra I Gemelli Allo Specchio    Nino Rota    Prova D'orchestra Risatine Maliziose    Nino Rota    Prova D'orchestra Valzerino N. 72    Nino Rota    Prova D'orchestra Orchestra In Attesa    Nino Rota    Prova D'orchestra Galopp    Nino Rota    Prova D'orchestra Risatine Maliziose    Nino Rota    Prova D'orchestra Prova D'orchestra (suite)    Nino Rota    Prova D'orchestra Paranoia Prima    Ennio Morricone    Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture) Symphony No. 1 in G major: I. Allegro con moto - Norrkoping     Nino Rota    ROTA: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2 Symphony No. 1 in G major: II. Andante - Norrkoping Symphony    Nino Rota    ROTA: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2 Symphony No. 1 in G major: III. Allegro vivace - Norrkoping     Nino Rota    ROTA: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2 Symphony No. 1 in G major: IV. Largo maestoso - Poco piu and    Nino Rota    ROTA: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2 Symphony No. 2 in F major "Tarantina - Anni di pellegrinaggi    Nino Rota    ROTA: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2 Symphony No. 2 in F major "Tarantina - Anni di pellegrinaggi    Nino Rota    ROTA: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2 Symphony No. 2 in F major "Tarantina - Anni di pellegrinaggi    Nino Rota    ROTA: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2 Symphony No. 2 in F major "Tarantina - Anni di pellegrinaggi    Nino Rota    ROTA: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2 Una pistola per ringo (Titoli)    Ennio Morricone    Spaghetti Western Suspense grottesca    Ennio Morricone & His Orchestra    Spaghetti Western Messico eroico    Ennio Morricone & His Orchestra    Spaghetti Western L'attesa    Ennio Morricone & His Orchestra    Spaghetti Western La strage    Ennio Morricone & His Orchestra    Spaghetti Western Angel Face    Ennio Morricone, Ennio Morricone & His Orchestra & Maurizio Graf    Spaghetti Western La vita a volte e' molto dura, vero provvidenza? (Titoli)    Ennio Morricone & His Orchestra    Spaghetti Western Marcia dei Mc Gregor    Ennio Morricone & His Orchestra    Spaghetti Western Santa Fè Express    Ennio Morricone & His Orchestra    Spaghetti Western A Gringo Like Me    Ennio Morricone, Ennio Morricone & His Orchestra & Peter Tevis    Spaghetti Western Lonesome Billy    Ennio Morricone, Ennio Morricone & His Orchestra & Peter Tevis    Spaghetti Western Gli Indiani    Ennio Morricone & His Orchestra    Spaghetti Western La ragazza e lo sceriffo    Ennio Morricone    Spaghetti Western Le pistole non discutono (Titoli)    Ennio Morricone & His Orchestra    Spaghetti Western 7 donne per i Mc Gregor (Titoli)    Ennio Morricone    Spaghetti Western Da uomo a uomo    Ennio Morricone & His Orchestra & Raoul    Spaghetti Western Mistico e severo    Ennio Morricone & His Orchestra    Spaghetti Western Notturno Per Chitarra    Ennio Morricone & His Orchestra    Spaghetti Western Rabbia e Tristezza    Ennio Morricone & His Orchestra    Spaghetti Western Ci Risiamo Vero Provvidenza? (Titoli)    Ennio Morricone & Bruno Nicolai    Spaghetti Western Bocca a Bocca    Ennio Morricone & Bruno Nicolai    Spaghetti Western Galoppata    Ennio Morricone & His Orchestra    Spaghetti Western Il ritorno di ringo (Titoli)    Ennio Morricone, Ennio Morricone & His Orchestra & Maurizio Graf    Spaghetti Western Il travestimento    Ennio Morricone & His Orchestra    Spaghetti Western Dai fuentes    Ennio Morricone & His Orchestra    Spaghetti Western Il funerale    Ennio Morricone & His Orchestra    Spaghetti Western Il matrimonio e la vendetta    Ennio Morricone & His Orchestra    Spaghetti Western La pace torna a mimbres    Ennio Morricone & His Orchestra    Spaghetti Western Shango: "Jeff Bloom"    Gianfranco Di Stefano    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Shango: "Fiesta fiesta!"    Gianfranco Di Stefano    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Shango: "Pistole che scottano"    Gianfranco Di Stefano    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Quanto Costa Morire: "Quanto costa morire"    Francesco De Masi    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Quanto Costa Morire: "Una colt bruciata"    Francesco De Masi    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Quanto Costa Morire: "C'e sempre una vita"    Francesco De Masi    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Amore Piombo E Furore: "Tema di Clayton"    Pino Donaggio    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Amore Piombo E Furore: "Tema d'amore"    Pino Donaggio    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 And Now Recommend Your Soul to God: "Just a Coward"    Mary Usuah    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 And Now Recommend Your Soul to God: "Just a Coward" (Instrumental)    Franco Bixio    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Wanted Johnny Texas: "Main Titles"    Alessandro Nadin, Aristicle Bascerano & Marcello Gigante    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Wanted Johnny Texas: "M 22"    Alessandro Nadin, Aristicle Bascerano & Marcello Gigante    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Wanted Johnny Texas: "Finale"    Alessandro Nadin, Aristide Bascerano & Marcello Gigante    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Los Desperados: "Tema per una vendetta"    Gianni Ferrio    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Los Desperados: "Olte il confine"    Gianni Ferrio    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Los Desperados: "Tema Per Un Amore"    Gianni Ferrio    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Los Desperados: "Cento cavalleggeri"    Gianni Ferrio    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Kid Il Monello Del West: "Black Jack"    Enrico Simonetti    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Deserto Di Fuoco: Main Title    Edda Dell'Orso    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Deserto Di Fuoco: "Ombre sulla sabbia"    Franco Bixio & Roberto Pregadio    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Deserto Di Fuoco: Finale    Franco Bixio & Roberto Pregadio    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Carambola: Main Titles    Fabio Frizzi, Franco Bixio & Vince Tempera    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Carambola: "Mexican Cantina"    Fabio Frizzi, Franco Bixio & Vince Tempera    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Carambola: Finale    Fabio Frizzi, Franco Bixio & Vince Tempera    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Carambola Filotto Tutti In Buca: Tema Principale    Fabio Frizzi, Franco Bixio & Vince Tempera    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Carambola Filotto Tutti In Buca: "Filotto tutti"    Fabio Frizzi, Franco Bixio & Vince Tempera    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Ben and Charlie: "Let It Rain, Let It Pour"    Giani Ferrio    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Ben and Charlie: "Un passaggio per Red Rock"    Giani Ferrio    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Ben and Charlie: "Sensazioni"    Giani Ferrio    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Ben and Charlie: "Ridendo e scherzando"    Giani Ferrio    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Ben and Charlie: "Addio Sarah"    Giani Ferrio    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Ben and Charlie: "Controluce"    Giani Ferrio    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Duck you Sucker: "Giu' la Testa"    Ennio Morricone    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Uno Straniero A Paso Bravo: Main Titles - Single Version    Wolmer Betrami-Fisarmonica    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Uno Straniero A Paso Bravo: Main Titles - Film Version    Angleo Francesco Lavagnino    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Uno Straniero A Paso Bravo: Main Titles - Vocal Version    Vittorio Bezzi    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Pray to God and Dig Your Grave: Main Titles    Alessandro Nadin, Aristicle Bascerano & Marcello Gigante    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Pray to God and Dig Your Grave: "M 226 Lll"    Alessandro Nadin, Aristicle Bascerano & Marcello Gigante    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Pray to God and Dig Your Grave: "M 9 V"    Alessandro Nadin, Aristicle Bascerano & Marcello Gigante    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 La Notte del Serpenti: Main Titles Xlll    Riz Ortolani    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 La Notte del Serpenti: "Canzone Vll"    Katina Ranieri    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 La Notte del Serpenti: "M2 L"    Ennio Morricone    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 La Notte del Serpenti: "M 38 Xl"    Ennio Morricone    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 La Notte del Serpenti: "M 31 L"    Ennio Morricone    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 La Notte del Serpenti: "M 25/XVll and M 42 Ll"    Ennio Morricone    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Requiem Per un Gringo: "Sandstorm"    Ennio Morricone    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Requiem Per un Gringo: "Twilight"    Ennio Morricone    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Requiem Per un Gringo: "The Moon and You"    Ennio Morricone    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Requiem Per un Gringo: "Pistols Galore"    Ennio Morricone    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Vado Vedo e Sparo    Ennio Morricone    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Galoppa Susanna    Ennio Morricone    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Disco Western Lll    Ennio Morricone    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 M 4 Lll and M 6 L    Ennio Morricone    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 M 21 L and M 65 Lll    Ennio Morricone    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Finale    Ennio Morricone    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Suite (M 6 LV M 19 V M 13 LV M 5 Lll M 33 Ll M 34)    Ennio Morricone    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 M 6 M 7 and M 8    Ennio Morricone    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 A King for a Day    Ennio Morricone    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 M 18 V    Ennio Morricone    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 M 5 M 9 M 15 and M 33 Lll    Ennio Morricone    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 M 9 and M 15 V    Ennio Morricone    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 M 34    Ennio Morricone    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Fantasia Western    Ennio Morricone    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Main Titles    Ennio Morricone    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Suite    Ennio Morricone    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Slow Violence    Ennio Morricone    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 L'estasi del Miracolo    Ennio Morricone    Spaghetti Westerns, Vol. 1 Once Upon A Time In The West    Man With The Harmonica    Way Out West Morricone    Geneva    Weather Underground Two Mules For Sister Sara    Main Theme    The Wild West - The Essential Westerrn Film Music Collection (Disc 2) A Fistful Of Dollars - main theme    The City of Prague Philharmonic, Paul Bateman cond.    The Wild West-The Essential Westerrn Film Music Collection (Disc 1) Once Upon A Time In The West - main theme    The City of Prague Philharmonic, Paul Bateman cond.    The Wild West-The Essential Westerrn Film Music Collection (Disc 1)

And these are the days in our lives...

I've been closing out my gmail account for the past few days now.  I've had it since their first open beta however many years ago.  I love the service, but, have had a few issues with it as of late, including mail not getting through, massive amounts of incoming spam, and general unreliability.  I'm also really not a fan of the new interface (even knowing you can switch to the 'classic view' I have a bad feeling about how long that'll stick around...).  Add to that I've had a .Mac account for a while now that aside from being paid for, is also about a thousand times more reliable... Anyways... what's been interesting is spending the time going through my life of the past four or so years, in e-mail.  Watching the evolution of my career, friendships, loves, and all the rest.   There's the obvious 'first e-mail with' Wheaton, Dauberman, Fleecs, James Patrick, J-Rod, and all of the guys who've become an essential part of my life, creatively, socially, and spiritually.  There's the first awkward e-mailing between Christina and I, where I try desperately to impress someone who was clearly the coolest chick I've ever had the pleasure of knowing.

There's the first few attempts to get work for hire, followed by the slightly more successful attempts, followed by the "Hey, I'm actually hired," style attempts.  Getting to watch the whole Speakeasy debacle from the first "This is a good thing" through the "Oh right, these guys are obviously clueless and shouldn't be in the business..." winding up at the "Hooray for Random House!"

Through many leaps, stumbles, wins, losses, and all shades of gray in between, it's been a helluva a few years.  Thanks to all of you for being along for the ride.

TheList for 10-17-07

Hey Gang, Just a quick word as the week of my nuptials bears down on me. We get married this weekend in Encino, and lots of friends and family are flying in, so I'm about to do a nice disappearing act for all of those not in the flesh for the next few days. Before I do, here's a quick look at what's going on.

First off, on the wedding kick, we made a comic book as a hand out for our guests, and got an amazing bunch of guys to contribute. Elk's Run's Noel Tuazon did an amazing job on the bulk of the pages, with a quick section of my Postcards collaborator Micah Farritor's work, and good friend Tony Fleecs put the thing together. Add to that it's wrapped in the above beautiful cover by Phil Hester. Keep checking the blog, as we're doing a giveaway of a few copies of this extremely limited comic. It's like if Elk's Run wasn't a miserable adventure in death and family.

Next up, over at Newsarama.com, John Siuntres's Word Balloon podcast has been posted, and it's the first of two parts of the Library Panel with myself, Mark Waid, Kazu Kibuishi, Christos Gage, Ross Richie, and Tony Fleecs. The panel was great, and relistening to it makes me feel pretty confident that it was a worthwhile endeavor for all involved. Special thanks to Dan Dupill from the LAPL for helping to set the whole thing up. Here's the full story.

Also, this week in stores, from IDW Gene Simmons House of Horrors #2 featuring a story by me drawn by the inimitable Andy Kuhn. I saw his original pages back at Comic Con, and they were absolutely amazing. Do yourself (and us) a favor and pick up a copy.

Finally, in somewhat bizarre news, a movie I wrote is actually on its way from Mark's and my pens (through some unknown Canadian rewrite guys) to the small screen. The movie's gone from being called They're Among Us to The Hatching (which I mistook for The Hutching, assuming it had something to do with vertical storage) and seems to possibly have at least something to do with what Mark and I originally wrote so many months ago. Best of all, it stars Isabella Rossellini and Judd Nelson. (I hope there's a walking away/fist pump/freeze frame at the end, but I doubt I'm that lucky.) God knows how the thing'll turn out, but, at the very least, I'm proud to cause each of you pain on a Saturday night in the near future. Here's the PR on the movie.

That'll do it for me. Thanks for reading, and see y'all in a week or two. Keep checking the blog and the Twitter if you'd like to watch my descent into insanity during my final week of pre-marital bliss.

Cheers,

j.

Oh yeah, I wrote a TV movie.

Mark and I wrote the first draft, and then it was handed off to some other guys who wrote the shooting draft, so it's very likely the movie has very little to do with what we wrote (there's already a few characters listed in the release below that I can't place.)  Anyways, here ya go. Northern Stars - News

Cameras roll for Theyre Among Us by David WiserOctober 10 2007 - Montréal, Québec - Principal photography on the Muse Entertainment MOW production Theyre Among Us has started in Montréal. The frightening tale of alien invasion stars Gil Bellows and Maxim Roy.

What makes this movie different is that the story isnt about an alien invasion from some distant, strange world, but an invasion from within. Literally. Theyre Among Us — directed by Adam Weissman and produced by Irene Litinsky and François Sylvestre — brings the aliens down to earth.

Bellows plays Ben Moosher, an unlikely hero with a dead-end job and a broken heart. Roy plays his ex, Lisa, an ambitious reporter. But when they find themselves in the middle of an alien conspiracy where humans are being poisoned and impregnated with Alien larvae, the pair must put their past behind them and work together to save mankind.

The television feature guest stars Isabella Rossellini as Karla, the editor of the newspaper where Lisa and Ben work, and Judd Nelson as Malcolm, a friendly alien who helps the couple fight his own kind.

They’re Among Us will be broadcast in Canada on SuperChannel and distributed internationally by RHI Entertainment. Based on the story by Thomas Schnauz The X-Files the script was written by Joshua Hale Fialkov and Mark Wheaton along with writing partners Christian Ford and Roger Soffer. Adam Weissman took time out to say, "heres so much talent contributing to this film, both in front of and behind the camera. If a smart and stylish science fiction thriller is your kind of movie, Theyre Among Us will be one to watch"

The film shoots in Montréal until October 27th.

Please note: This movie satisfies a personal goal of having my name appear relatively close to Judd Nelson's.  Go Judd Nelson!

Three Rivers Chapter 1 is LIVE!

Hey Gang,Just a quick note.  The first chapter of Three Rivers went live this morning.  The Prelude from last week has been moved into the archive.  You can access the full archives, including exclusive comics by Noel and I for a measly buck a month.

All of that and more here: http://www.webcomicsnation.com/joshfialkov

We got a ton of hits when we announced, and the feedback's been great.  Please, keep the feedback coming!

Secondly, the Hoarse and Buggy site has been relaunched, minus the online store, but, with plenty of info and links to keep you busy.  We're still beta testing it, so, if you see anything wrong please let us know.

That can of course be viewed here: http://www.hoarseandbuggy.com
Finally, thanks to everybody who stopped by the Random House booth at New York Comic Con, where they had the very first copies of the complete Elk's Run for your viewing pleasure.  I've heard the reaction was great, and everyone who saw the book said it was spectacular.  I'll give you a first hand report as soon as I get my hands on one.

Thanks again for all of your support, and don't forget ER-Day on March 27th! -- Joshua Hale Fialkov www.joshuahalefialkov.com www.hoarseandbuggy.com

Happy Holidays from Hoarse and Buggy!

Thank you one and all for all of your support, kindness, and well-wishes throughout 2006.

The best, as they say, is yet to come.

Best wishes --

Josh, Noel, Chris A. J-Rod, and the rest of the Elk's Runners...

Yeesh

What a weekend.  I wrote for around 30 hours this weekend.  Mostly stuff nobody'll ever see which is... strange.  But, I'm definitely back in the zone, and am cranking stuff out at an alarming rate.  The week before Comic-Con is always highly productive, if only to make up for the weeks afterwards where I'm too dead to do anything but sleep. And I recorded two songs somehow during all of that.  And saw Pirates of the Caribbean.  Jebus. I need a vacation.

I had this strange dream about me and a few friends hanging out outside an abandoned building and being chased by a slasher villain who's weapon of choice was something akin to the Flying Guillotine mixed with a giant fucking bear trap.  I'm still unclear on what it meant, but I'm happy to take Freudian/Jungian analysis.

Come See My Comic-Con Panel

Comic-Con 2006 :: Programming for Thursday, July 206:00-7:00 Random House Publishing Group Graphic Novels— The Random House Publishing Group are the publishers of Harvey Pekar’s American Splendor and Flight 3, edited by Kazu Kabuishi. Two of the company’s newest titles are the critically acclaimed Elk’s Run and the highly anticipated Dark Wraith of Shannara. Join Kazu Kabuishi and Joshua Hale Fialkov, as well as the RHPG editors, to hear more about these books as well as Random House’s graphic novel plans for the future. Room 7B

Elk’s Run Nominated for SEVEN Harvey Awards!

Hey gang, Just wanted to send out a quick congrats/thank you to everybody who's helped and been a part of the Elk's Run team. For those who don't know we were nominated for SEVEN Harvey Awards (Best Writer, Best Artist, Best Limited Series, Best Letterer, Best Cover Artist, Best New Talent, Best Single Issue).

It's a real privliedge and an honor to be nominated, and each and every one of you have been key to keeping the word alive about this book. Your advice, well wishes, kind words, and generosity have made what's been a very strange and bumpy ride one that's filled with reward and pleasure, and for that I'll be forever grateful.

So, without further ado, you can see the complete list here, courtesy of TheBeat..

Thank you all again, we couldn't ask for a better bunch of friends.

Profound Statement from a review of DaVinci Code

Da Vinci Code, The (2006): ReviewsAction and ideas -- they get in each other's way, pal. And director Ron Howard didn't want to choose between 'em. Good impulse, not such a good result.

I don't actually know what I think about that.  I tend to get tripped up when I use both simultaneously, which accounts for the bi-polar nature of my writing.  Half of what I do is action packed pun fueled action-comedies, and then there's the Elk's Run stuff.  I've yet to find a way to balance the two disparate tones...

But, I'm working on it.

Me and Keating Talk About Elk’s Run

So, Keating and I talk almost constantly while he colors Elk's Run. It's a very... interesting process to me. Anyways, I just had my first chance to see 95% of the book colored (And that's nearly 200 pages of comics, people) and I got a chance to see just how much of a genius Keating is. So, we talked, I copy and pasted, and here's what's hopefully not a boring ramble about the creative process behind Elk's Run. This contains some spoilers if you haven't read the book at all, so, be warned. SPOILERS FOR ELK'S RUN 1-4 BELOW!

josh@hoarseandbuggy.com: what's nice is that the colors that we've used through out are now just totally opressive. josh@hoarseandbuggy.com: like they've come to a boil. Keating: okay Keating: so here's the thing Keating: This was my plan for the coloring of this thing. Right from the start. josh@hoarseandbuggy.com: heheh. Keating: The colours have a bunch of purposes. Different lighting situations, etc. Times periods. All with different qualities. Keating: But as it gets going, what happens is that the colours start coming together. Little bits in different 'sets'. As the more and more things start happening to the town/citizens, the color spreads to them. But not the family. So, if you look at the townsfolk in the 7th issue. They're colored as a group. They've become a single entity. josh@hoarseandbuggy.com: you've officially put more thought into the book than I have. Keating: And during the SPOILER DELETED, the family, especially john jr and sr become totally seperated from the background. Everything else just bcomes 'the town' Keating: So, the other characters take on more of the background color. So everything is focused on the family. Because, in the end, it's really only about them. Keating: And that's it :) haha josh@hoarseandbuggy.com: Right. Keating: And the last thing is that the colors the characters wear tie into their place in the story. Keating: So, john and john start out both wearing blue. His mother has a slightly greenish blue. Keating: As john becomes seperated from his family, he loses he jacket and takes on a grey shirt, since he doesn't belong anywhere. Keating: In the end, only the father is wearing the blue. josh@hoarseandbuggy.com: yep, 10x as much thought as I have. josh@hoarseandbuggy.com: the jacket thing was intentional, actually. josh@hoarseandbuggy.com: it's my little Ibsen nod. josh@hoarseandbuggy.com: Ibsen was obsessed with when people took off and put on clothes. josh@hoarseandbuggy.com: it was a symbol of vulnerability. Keating: It's awesome. I was really happy as I read it, since I saw so much opportunity as the colorist to sort of back up what was happening in the narrative. Keating: rather than just color things as the color they are. josh@hoarseandbuggy.com: i love page 10 josh@hoarseandbuggy.com: makes it that much sadder. josh@hoarseandbuggy.com: which is the thing. josh@hoarseandbuggy.com: it's not just sad for Jr. josh@hoarseandbuggy.com: it's sad for Sr. josh@hoarseandbuggy.com: He's a man out of time. Keating: Yeah. Keating: And it plays against the 'drop out' coloring that we do. Which is normally when the character seperates himself from his surroundings. But this is the town's people seperating themselves from him. josh@hoarseandbuggy.com: and ultimately from the town. Keating: Yup. Keating: It's good stuff ;) josh@hoarseandbuggy.com: I've been in creative meetings all day, and have been sort of bickering about plot and semantics and things like that. It's nice to get to talk about the actual fucking craft of the book. josh@hoarseandbuggy.com: and, the thing about this book, and why it works so great as a comic is that it's more than the sum total of it's parts.  I think there's magic between the three of us. josh@hoarseandbuggy.com: and as we try and disect the plot and break it down into set pieces and elements, you start to realize that what makes it fly is the subtlety and the pacing. josh@hoarseandbuggy.com: Honestly, that's Noel's strong point. He controls the pacing so well. josh@hoarseandbuggy.com: Despite giving you 10,000,000 extra panels to color. Keating: The pacing and he reigns in the drama, I think. Some of the scenes could be drawn very heroic and romantic. But instead he mostly draws at an even sort of level. Which, when the town starts to burn, really works. It's like a slow build. Which adds to the tension, because we expect 'big' moments but they never quite get there. Until the last pages of issue 7 josh@hoarseandbuggy.com: and you sort of realize how Jr. is really rising above the whole thing. because they have this lackluster miserablely mundane existance, and he finally steps up and does something remarkable. Keating: yeah Keating: And this is coming from a guy who absolutely hates colouring this book :) haha

Most Ominous Spam I’ve Ever Received

How's it going,

You still seeking for a place to get ur meds. LINK DELETED the place then for sure.

those who support the existence of the entity called fate believe that human progress is pre- my ill-fated luck I fought and won against my own father whom I killed. Worse, fate made me ma

Eric

I received that while doing the final proof on the lettering script for Elk's Run #8.  The tone was... remarkably appropriate.

I’m Convinced the FBI Has a File on Me Now

Over the past two years alone, the research topics I've had for various writing projects include:

• Torture
• Militas
• Cults
• Brain-washing
• Kidnapping
• Bio-Terrorism
• Weapons of Mass Destruction
• Explosives
• Serial Killers
• Shamanism
• Voodoo
• Building Demolition
• Anarchy

So, for all you FBI guys, please understand, I JUST HAVE POOR TASTE IN SUBJECT MATTER.

Thank you.

And due to my laziness, and their kindness, Benito Cereno and Scott Keating probably have files now too. Sorry guys.

Ego, Super Ego, Id, and Counter Ego

or, How I Over-Analyze Punks, a comic about four guys setting each other on fire and punching each other in the nuts.

I had a long intellectual conversation with my manager about Punks today. He has a great knack for finding a greater depth to what I do then I ever really touch on. He’s also a real ball breaker in negotiations, but that’s beside the point.

So, one of the things he gave me to chew over was the idea of Ego, Super Ego, and Id. This pretty successfully covers three of the four main characters of the book, (and for that matter, just about every sitcom character structure there’s ever been.) But, we have one piece that doesn’t fit.

Ego, is that rational middle ground, trying to balance pleasure with survival, rationality with living a satisfied life. In Punks, that’s Abe. He’s the emotional center of the book, his whole thing is chewing over the right and wrong, the real and unreal, and while not necessarily always deciding properly, his decisions come from a place that is at the very least balanced. For those unfamiliar, using Seinfeld, he's the Jerry.

Super Ego is Dog, the self-doubting, self-hating, angry young man. He serves as that voice in the back of your head saying “You’re not good enough, and everybody’s on to you.” Again, to Seinfeld, he's the George.

Id is Skull. Skull is pure sensation. The pleasure in violence, the lack of interest in anyone other himself, and a temper that’s only matched by his need to feel in a very guttural sense. He is what he appears, and does what you’d expect (although, the uses he finds for duct tape are pretty remarkable, if I do say so myself.) So, now, and maybe this is a stretch, in Seinfeldian, he's the Elaine.

So, that’s all your Freudian labels applied, and yet we’re left with Fist (or, our Kramer). He’s the guy in the Mentos ads. He’s not particularly interested in where he’s going or what’s happening around him, and because of that, he tends to always come out, if not on top, at least better off than the rest. So, for the sake of this conversation, I’m looking at him as the Counter Ego. He goes against both Super Ego and Id, neither filled with rage nor self-doubt, and, further, has virtually no interest in figuring out which option is best. He simply is. And that’s why he succeeds.

Punks, as a book, is about a world that shits on you. We live in a time where we’re constantly attacked by world events, from the crush of gas prices to a whole generation sent off to a war with a purpose, at the very least, that’s unclear. In the comic, this comes across as a positively surreal wash of constant insanity that never quite manages to get the boys out of their self-obsessed funk. So, in theory, all the comedy comes from how these four parts of the mind deal with it.

And lots of groin punching.

Oooh, Mutants on Hoverbikes!

Have you been reading the World's End blog? There's a bunch of new stuff up from last week, including the above.

Check it out.

Addendum to the last post…

Poof of Pudding = In Eating. Just finished the first draft. I'm... well. That was emotionally draining to say the least. Very fucking cathartic though. I think I'm going to go pass out for a bit.

Oh, also, the script is LOADS better with the different approach. I swear.

The Most Interesting Thing About Writing…

for me, anyhow, is no matter how well planned out a story is, when you're actually executing it, things have a tendency to just go where they want. Best laid plans and all of that. I've been hammering hard at Elk's Run 8's script for a couple months now. When things slowed down at Speakeasy, I took some time away from the book to get the other projects up and running, only to come back to the book with, at the very least, a very different sense of place and purpose for what I'm doing. So, I have this interesting little fight with myself between the story that I've been planning to tell since page 1, panel 1 of issue 1, or, just letting it roll where it needs to.

We'll see how it goes, I suppose.