Joshua Hale Fialkov

Purveyor of sheer awesomeness.

Joshua Hale Fialkov is the Harvey, Eisner, and Emmy Award nominated writer of graphic novels, animation, video games, film, and television, including:

THE LIFE AFTER, THE BUNKER, PUNKS, ELK'S RUN, TUMOR, ECHOES, KING, PACIFIC RIM, THE ULTIMATES, I, VAMPIRE, and JEFF STEINBERG CHAMPION OF EARTH. He's also written television including MAX’s YOUNG JUSTICE, NBC's CHICAGO MED and NETFLIX’s AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER.

Untitled Project Playlist

March 27, 2008  /  Joshua Fialkov

For that new creator owned book I mentioned, I put together the following play list.  The book's got a weird inner city 70's vibe to it, despite being modern, but, it's not in the Parliament/Chi-Lites mold, so much... there's a sense of history and decay to it that most 70's stuff doesn't quite capture.  So instead, I built it mostly from blues and jazz from the mid 50's to the mid 70's, the kind of music that you might hear on a small power AM station back in my hometown. The key song, from where I built the entire playlist, and mood of the book, is one that I've been moderately obsessed with every since the first time I heard it used, which was on a production of a couple of Richard Wright One Act Plays that I was the Assistant Director of as a teenager.  The song was David "Fathead" Newman's version of Ray Charles' Hard Times.  It's a song, that as performed by Ray is a sad, solitary little song about the shit life can throw at you.  The Fathead version (from the album "Fathead Ray Charles Presents David Newman") is the opposite.  It's about triumphing over adversity and telling it to go fuck itself.  For a simple little blues song, it really drives it home.   You can actually listen to it on Newman's Myspace Page.

Here's twenty of the tracks, after the jump.

Song/Time/Artist/Album

Big Black Cadillac Blues    6:59    Lightnin' Hopkins    The Best of Lightnin' Hopkins

Fathead (Remastered LP Version)    5:21    David Newman    Fathead Ray Charles Presents David Newman

That's Enough    2:46    Ray Charles    The Best of Ray Charles: The Atlantic Years

Blue Monk    5:19    Thelonious Monk    The Columbia Years (1962-1968) Disc 2

Six And Four    7:18    Oliver Nelson    Straight Ahead

Brand New Car    5:32    Lightnin' Hopkins    The Best of Lightnin' Hopkins

Now She's Gone    2:19    Ray Charles    Blues Is My Middle Name

Walkin' Blues    2:58    Muddy Waters    The Anthology: 1947-1972

Epistrophy    4:30    Thelonious Monk Quartet With John Coltrane    At Carnegie Hall

Mean Red Spider    2:20    Muddy Waters    Muddy's Blues

It's Alright    2:18    Ray Charles    The Best of Ray Charles: The Atlantic Years

Goodbye Pork Pie Hat    5:45    Charles Mingus    Ken Burns Jazz Series: Charles Mingus

Red Sails In The Sunset    3:07    Jimmy McGriff    Groove Grease

(I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man    6:00    Jimmy Smith    Got My Mojo Workin' Time After Time    7:24    Oliver Nelson    Nocturne

Epistrophy    2:24    Thelonious Monk Quartet & John Coltrane    Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall

She's Nineteen Years Old    3:20    Muddy Waters    The Anthology: 1947-1972

Misterioso    3:22    Thelonious Monk    Ken Burns Jazz Series: Thelonious Monk

A Little Max (Alternate Take)    2:56    Duke Ellington With Charles Mingus & Max Roach    Money Jungle

Baby Please Don't Go    3:48    Muddy Waters    Muddy Waters Blues Band

Comment
categories / Comics, Comics Business, Music, My Comics

Tony Lee interviews me and a bunch of other folk...

March 24, 2008  /  Joshua Fialkov

about how to make it in the comic business.

 1. HOW IMPORTANT IS THE PITCH?

JHF: It's important. I think having a good relationship where your editor (or the publisher) trusts you to actually execute on that pitch is probably more important. Having a great idea is easy, executing a great idea is the hard part.

2. WHAT DO YOUR PITCHES CONSIST OF / EDITORS - WHAT DO YOU WANT IN A PITCH?

JHF: If it's for a creator owned property, I tend to do a one sheet with the basic concept, the format, and any imperative information, along with some art. Then I'll try and put together a few pages of art (ten is probably best), and include a three or four page synopsis of the whole story.

And so on.

Comment
categories / Comics, Comics Business, Friends & Collaborators, Interviews, My Comics, Other People's Comics, Web

At the Hollywood Public Library...

March 23, 2008  /  Joshua Fialkov

I got asked to host a panel at the Durant Branch of the Public Library about making comics.  It's literally two blocks from Meltdown, so, I hope some of y'all can join us.  It's convenient, on a Saturday, and should be lots of fun.

Jun 07 - Comic Book Writing 4:30 PM Comic Book Writing Joshua Hale Fialkov, award winning author of "Elk's Run" and "Princess Resurrection" shows how comic books are written and produced.

 Will & Ariel Durant Branch Library 7140 W. Sunset Boulevard Los Angeles, 90046

Comment
categories / Comics, Comics Business, Events, My Comics

Today in Twitter

March 20, 2008  /  Joshua Fialkov

  • I'll happily take @bclaymoore 's votes. I'd like to beat our 7 nom, No Win from two years ago. 10 nom, No Win, here we come! #
  • Free Download of avant-garde industrial pop type thing. (or as I call it, good writing music.) http://tinyurl.com/2tjfpl [http://tinyurl ... #
  • After spending a week writing my usual angry comics, I have to go write the next Firebreather backup... so, I'm watching videos of kitties. #
  • I guess sometimes you just need to listen to Rod Stewart and Ronny Wood. #
  • Yar, I'll beat this blindness yet. With pirate talk, apparently. #

Powered by Twitter Tools.

Comment
categories / Twitter

Last Chance to Vote for the Harvey Awards...

March 20, 2008  /  Joshua Fialkov

Hey gang,Harvey Award ballots are due tomorrow by midnight. So, once again, if you're a comics professional of any kind (writer, retailer, artist, editor) you may submit a ballot.

And, just to coordinate our efforts, I've gone ahead and prepared one for you.

http://hoarseandbuggy.com/Downloads/Harvey_2008_nom_ballot.txt Right click and save as, then edit in your name, and send it to the address on the ballot.

Thanks again for taking the time. The nominations can mean a bump in sales, which means we get to publish another day.

Viva la resistance (or some such thing.)

j.

Comment
categories / Comics, Comics Business, My Comics, Other People's Comics, Personal

Today in Twitter

March 19, 2008  /  Joshua Fialkov

  • I went to college with the two 'new guys' in this. It's pretty good, actually. http://tinyurl.com/2sfuy3 [http://tinyurl.com/2sfuy3] #
  • There was a Karate Kid cartoon? How has that been erased from my memory? #
  • And they apparently hired a John Travolta impersonator to do Ralph Maccio's voice. #
  • Somebody's going to see the Kids in the Hall in May. #
  • :D #
  • I got this new cool air humidifier that seems to really be helping my blindness. It is highly recommended for those with allergy-caused ... #
  • I really need to write down when the cleaning lady is supposed to come. Been waiting on her all day, and I think she's coming tomorrow. #
  • Going here tonight: David Hadju talking about his book, "Ten Cent Plague" about EC comics etc. http://tinyurl.com/2sktbl [http://tinyurl ... #
  • @jeremyhaun didn't mention Alibi got announced, too. #
  • Oh wait. He did. I'm just stupid. #
  • Honor Fred Rogers with Wear a Sweater on Mr. Roger's Birthday-day. http://www.fci.org/NeighborDays/sweater.asp [http://www.fci.org/Neigh ... #

Powered by Twitter Tools.

Comment
categories / Twitter

Buried

March 18, 2008  /  Joshua Fialkov

I've got three or four projects crushing down on me this week, and a few of my beloved Creator Owneds look like they may have homes later this year... so I'm in total and utter lock down mode.  Forgive me for disappearing for chunks of time. Viva la resistance.

Comment
categories / Comics, Comics Business, Personal

Top Cow Announced Alibi

March 15, 2008  /  Joshua Fialkov

Comic Book Resources - CBR News: WWLA: Top Cow Launches Pilot Season Two in May Alibi Cover

CBR: Coming up in June you've got "Alibi" with Joshua Hale Fialkov and Jeremy Haun. Tell us about "Alibi."

Rob Levin: "Alibi" is essentially the story of an assassin who can't be caught, because even when you catch him, the targets still end up dead. How does he do it? Well, I guess you'll just have to read the book. Jeremy's pages have started rolling in and man did we get it right on the art. If you thought he was good before, watch out.

More art and stuff about the rest of Pilot Season at the link, also, Rob Levin attempts to give me a new nick name...

Hey, hey, man. Josh isn't just a holdover, he's "The People's Choice." If you remember, we were quite fond of calling Witchblade artist Stjepan Sejic "Croatian Painting Sensation," for a while. Well, ever since Pilot Season 2007 voting ended, I haven't called Josh by his name even once. I just printed up his name placard for the con this weekend, and it says, "The People's Choice."

Comment
categories / Comics, My Comics, Previews