New York Comic Con

I’m coming up on my second year of being “in the comics game.”

Yes. The comics game. That’s what we call it in the industry.

I’m kidding. I don’t think they call it that.

Anywho, one thing I’ve learned over my years of working with collaborators, speaking with artists and sharing tips and processes with fellow writers, is that this industry is all about the connections. Like any industry it’s a gigantic web of helping people who help you back.

Off the top of my head, I can think of nearly two-dozen people who have helped me, shared advice, taken my advice, encouraged me, pushed me, offered input, said the right thing at the right time, took precious moments of their life to view or review things that I had created or spent time at a desk putting pencil to paper or style to tablet bringing ideas of mine to life.

In a time where the internet has made the world so small. It’s incredible how one can also feel so alone. Writing is a solitary profession, but in comics you’re putting together and working alongside a team of human beings to bring a product to life. You have each others’ backs, you encourage each other and tell one another when a better job can be done. At the end, you wish you could high-five them for a job well done.

That sounds like a pretty solid friendship to me.

My collaborators are people who, regardless of where they live in the world, I consider to be friends even though I’ve only ever spoken with them through email or via instant message. These are people who have sent messages just to see how things were going in my world and people who have wished me happy birthday each April. As great as it is to have these friends, it’s completely and utterly bizarre because I’ve never met them face to face.

This is the reason why I’ve decided to attend the New York Comic Con in October.

I want to meet these people, my pals. I also want to make new friends and transition from being a face on a social network profile to being a living, breathing entity. I want to have that same connection with them. I want to hear them laugh instead of say “LOL” on a computer, shake their hands, and give high-fives I haven’t been able to previously.

The convention is one of the largest on the east coast I’m excited to experience a bigger show than central Florida’s MegaCon. I’m anxious to see booths from actual publishers and be able to thank big-name artists and writers for the work that they’ve released that has inspired me and made me want to get into this business in the first place.

I’ve loaded the chamber with comics that will start seeing daylight over the next few months and into next year and it’s time to get these books into some hands.

Right Place at the Write Time

A few weeks ago, I added a Column page to this website, but never really gave it any air time. Time to correct the oversight.

Recently, I pitched a column idea to the comic book news/info website Fanboy Buzz.

Lots of comic book websites have columns where people do reviews, interviews, talk about things they like and dislike within the industry. I wanted to bring something a little bit different to the table, so my column idea was to follow me, an up-and-coming comic book writer as I try to break into the industry. A place where I could share my experiences, thoughts, emotions, successes, and failures. I’ve been cranking these columns out as I have time (or when I need a break from actually writing comics) and thus far, they’ve mainly been about foundational ideas and expectations from anyone who is actively looking to make comics.

As they progress I’ll go deeper into details and experiences with my current projects, and I hope to do some interviews with professional writers within the industry. Start reading now and I’ll post new columns as they become available!

Here are the current selections of my column, Right Place at the Write Time:

5.18.12 – RPWT #4: Thou Shalt Motivate Thyself
5.01.12 – RPWT #3: Writers Gonna Read
4.18.12 – RPWT #2: Writers Gonna Write
4.15.12 – RPWT #1: Introduction

Pull List!

I just spent an awesome two years catching up with comics that I missed. See, I’d been out of the comics reading biz for about 10 years, so there was a whole lot I hadn’t seen. I’m now caught up on most of the major series I used to follow. I bought a lot of trades. A lot. In fact, 129 of them by my quick scan of the nearby bookshelf.

Realizing that I’d like to one day have some sort of career in the comics industry, I knew it was time that I got back to my roots and started supporting the creative teams by buying the single issues. While I haven’t gone back to issue format on all series I read (at least, not yet anyway), here are a few series I’ve been following over the past month or so, and some thoughts on them.

SAGA – Published by Image Comics / Written by Brian K Vaughan / Art by Fiona Staples
We’re 2 issues in to Vaughan’s triumphant return to comics, and I’m still completely jazzed on it. I really enjoyed the Ex Machina series so I was curious to see what he’d bring to the table. What we get is a Space Opera following an inter-species rebel couple who are trying to get their newborn baby to safety while the rest of the galaxy seems to be on a mission to locate the infant (simplified x100). The dialogue is fantastic, the art is amazing, and I can’t wait to see where this series takes us.
Verdict? Stickin’ with it!

THIEF OF THIEVES – Published by Image Comics / Story by Robert Kirkman & Nick Spencer / Art by Shawn Martinbrough
I’m a Kirkman fan (almost caught up on Walking Dead) and a Spencer fan (read Morning Glories vol 1&2) and a heist fan (check out my comic book, The Undoubtables, coming in 2013) so how could I not pick this up? We’re three issues in and the story of career thief Redmond is still holding my attention though we’re still being introduced to characters and back story. Each issue is poignant and holds up on it’s own. I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes. The creative team on this book is absolutely fantastic!
Verdict? Stickin’ with it!

SCARLET SPIDER – Published by Marvel Comics / Written by Chris Yost / Art by Ryan Stegman
I grew up on 90′s Spider-Man comics. It’s what made me love comics as a whole. I survived the Clone Saga. Bought and read that whole darn thing. All 18 years of it. When I saw the Scarlet Spider name being tossed around, how could I NOT get on board? Though I’m only reading Amazing Spider-Man in trade currently, I wanted to support this new series as it launched. The art is great and Stegman shows us his versatility in creating a new approach on a different Spider-Man. You can tell he’s put a lot of thought into the way our main character moves. He’s developed a new style on an old classic all while helping to show us a Spider-Man with “all the power, but none of the responsibility.” It’s fun to see how Marvel has brought back Kaine and displaced him into Houston, Texas. The humor is great, and story has been fun so far, though so far lacking the heart of the main Spider-Books. I’m hoping it will find it’s footing and gain some momentum soon. 4 Issues in, hoping to see if the first story arc takes us somewhere intriguing.
Verdict? Stickin’ with it… for now.

SAUCER COUNTRY – Published by Vertigo / Written by Paul Cornell / Art by Ryan Kelly
I read some great reviews about this book and picked up issue #1 a week after it came out. Sadly, it just wasn’t for me. The characters didn’t really hold my attention and the ending didn’t make me feel the need to read on. I hope it finds it’s audience, but I’m going to pass on this one moving forward. I can only hope that it gets awesome and reads as a great trade paperback.
Verdict? Droppin’ it.

SUPER CROOKS – Published by Marvel Icon / Written by Mark Millar / Art by Leinil Yu
Mark Millar is hit or miss for me. I really enjoy the majority of his work, but sometimes it’s a little too extreme for my tastes. I’m happy to report that Super Crooks #1 absolutely hooked me and I can’t wait for more. The concept is simple, smart, and this book will full of fun little jabs at Superhero clichés and rich humor. It was my pick of the week when it came out. Grab it if you haven’t!
Verdict? Stickin’ with it!

AVENGERS VS. X-MEN - Published by Marvel Comics / Written by Brian Bendis / Art by John Romita Jr.
It’s been about ten years since I read a Marvel event in issue form so with the hype machine rolling behind this title and and two amazingly talented creators at the helm of the first issue, I just had to give it a shot. My local comic shop, A Comic Shop in Orlando, Florida, even gave me the #0 issue for free so how could I say no? It was a rollicking good time, even though I didn’t have the slightest clue who some of the newer characters were, and the Augmented Reality feature was a fun use of new technologies. They’ve gotten the biggest Marvel talent together to tell this story, so I’ll definitely give the next issue a go, but at its current price point, I’ll really need it to deliver!
Verdict? Stickin’ with it… for now.

THE MANHATTAN PROJECTS – Published by Image Comics / Written by Jonathan Hickman / Art by Nick Pitarra
Much like with Millar, I either love Hickman’s projects, or just don’t get them. When it took me a whole month to track down a copy of the first issue, I was really hoping for the best. I’m glad to say that I wasn’t disappointed. I loved every second of this book and can’t wait to see where it takes us next. The plot and concept are firing on so many cylinders and so many balls are in the air that I love the feeling that anything can happen. Check this out if you even moderately enjoy sci-fi on any level. The fact that it borrows folks from history (Oppenheimer and Einstein, with more to surely come) grounds it in a really fun “What if?” type place. Highly recommended!
Verdict? Stickin’ with it… If the next issue doesn’t sell out so fast!

AMERICA’S GOT POWERS – Published by Image Comics / Written by Jonathan Ross / Art by Bryan Hitch
Bought the first issue on a recommendation from someone at the local comic shop. It didn’t thrill and excite, but it held my attention through the double-sized issue. Playing off media tropes that currently exist in our world (Super heroes battle on television, the winner joins a Super Team) and taking them to the next level is fun, but seems the thing to do right now and I worry that I may tire of it before the miniseries ends. This creative team has a history of lateness, so hopefully it won’t affect the book. I’ll pick up issue #2, but right now, the main character isn’t anything I haven’t seen before. It has potential, I just hope a big hook is unleashed upon us readers soon!
Verdict? Stickin’ with it… for now.

THE SECRET SERVICE – Published by Marvel Icon / Written by Mark Millar / Art by Dave Gibbons
Back to my Mark Millar conundrum – Super Crooks was great. Tons of fun. Then I read this. The Secret Service #1 with art by the legendary Dave Gibbons. How could I NOT pick that up? As expected, the art is absolutely fantastic, but sadly, I just did not care about the characters. In fact, if I hadn’t read the back cover synopsis, I would have finished the issue and still not known what the ongoing plot was supposed to be (something about spies? I think? Maybe?). Too much excessive action and swearing, not enough plot movement and hook. Still, the art was great! It’s a good looking book, but I think I’ll be exiting the ride.
Verdict? Droppin’ it.

SECRET – Published by Image Comics / Written by Jonathan Hickman / Art by Ryan Bodenheim
Back to Jonathan Hickman. Another win for this guy. This was by far the best book I read last week. The plot is intricate and well-paced and, while predictable, the dialogue and characters all have a charm about them that made me want to know more. I’m really excited to have two Hickman books (both with amazing art teams) that have me excited for the future of comic books and are a perfectly display of what you can do with creator-owned works. Support his work and enjoy a story that makes you think! I’d try to explain the plot, but it’s a secret. Actually, it’s not, but it’d be very difficult to explain. Read it!
Verdict? Stickin’ with it!

The Gathering: Crime Anthology

A few weeks ago I got word that my crime short comic, CHAMBERS, will be released in April 2013 within The Gathering Crime Anthology!

If you’re unfamiliar with The Gathering series by GrayHaven comics, be sure to visit their website, check out their past anthologies, and support what they’re doing!

My Wife Letters Revenge Rooster!

My wife, Amanda, has recently done some comic book lettering on the side. One of the books she’s worked on, REVENGE ROOSTER, written by Fabian Rangel Jr. with art by James Gilmer is getting some steam.

We recently received some copies in the mail and it’s looking great! The first run sold out, but if you can find it online or in store, pick up a copy!

It’s full of irreverent fun — and it’s about a rooster — that KILLS people. What’s not to love?

Learn more about the comic by reading an interview with Fabian here:
Comic Book Interviews: Fabian Rangel Jr.

Stan Lee’s The Seekers!

As you may or may not know, MTV Comics, in collaboration with (the man, the myth, the legend) Stan Lee announced that they’d be publishing his new comic called THE SEEKERS.

Why is this big news? Because they’ve launched a contest to one up-and-coming artist and one up-and-coming writer to create the book! Submissions opened up about a month ago and will go through the end of September. Ultimately, Stan Lee will hand select the creative team who will then produce THE SEEKERS comic and bring it to life.

Why is this information on my website?
Because I entered the contest!

Based off of a treatment written by Stan himself, artists were asked to draw 5 pages of sequential art that showed one of the scenes described and writers produced a 10 page script based off the characters and story provided. In addition to the 10 page script (which was a real blast to write) I also turned in a 2 page treatment outlining the beats of the series over the course of 110 pages (5 issues).

At the end of September, the top 15 artists and writers will have their work displayed on the MTV website and public voting begins! Once the top 5 finalists in each category have been narrowed down, Stan himself will pick the winners. They’ll then have the opportunity to meet with him at the New York Comic Con to hash out the details of the book.

Sounds awesome, right?
I know!

Wish me luck!