Do Not Siege Walled Cities - 297

I Was a Pink-Headed Bug Climbing Up the Side of City Hall

MY BAD

I held off on a newsletter until I knew when the new Image catalog hits Lunar. As it turns out, that’s still a couple weeks away. And I can’t wait that long to inflict a newsletter on you. Hope this finds everyone well. And regarding that, a quick story:

My town doesn’t have a dog park, just an off-leash area. It’s nice enough, but there’s never enough dogs there for my guy to get a real play. So when we found an older woman and two small dogs there, both the dog and myself were excited. They were little guys, but beggars can’t be choosers.

The woman and I spoke for 30min while my dog tried to herd two Maltese around a dirt lot. She asked me about my life a bit, but wasn’t invasive. She told me about some health issues, but didn’t labor me with it. A nice conversation with an 80-year-old.

And then, as I was readying to leave, she explained that she’s dying. And she doesn’t wanna forfeit her dogs to the council. So she’s looking for someone kind to take them on when she’s on her way out.

We exchanged numbers. I don’t actually want two 5-year-old Maltese dogs, but what can you do?

I bring this up because sometimes I’m online. And I see how nasty everyone is to each other. Sometimes for the sake of it. Other times because people believe moral superiority comes with a pass to abuse their ‘inferiors.’ And the older I get, and the closer to my own death, my parents’, and strangers like Maltese Lady’s, the less patience I have for the petty and mean stuff.

“She’s on her way out.”

“We all are. Act accordingly.”

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WHAT’S GOING ON IN COMIC BOOKS

ComicsPro happened. And I didn’t feel all that inclined to comment on it. When the big announcement is a Marvel/DC crossover, it’s a case of if you don’t have anything nice to say.

Everyone has a prescription for how to fix comic books. But mine stalls out due to lack of cooperation. There’s no trust between the parties. Publisher, retailer, and reader are outta sync. We’ve all failed this prisoners’ dilemma.

So I don’t know what to do other than make great comic books. I’m doing my best in my next few titles to provide the type of books no one else is. That’s the angle, if I can be said to have an angle at all.

Some people at ComicsPro were hopeful, others were dooming. I’m hopeful because I have to be. I’m putting a lot into the world this year and beyond it being good I also need the winds in my favor. So let’s go.

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WHEN YOU KNOW YOU AREN’T MEANT FOR IT

I know I’m not intended to be a public figure or perhaps even public-facing figure when I see the streamer Hassan Piker get banned from his source of income for suggesting the ideologically consistent course in fighting Medicare fraud would be to kill Rick Scott.

Piker is a classic buffoon. Someone I think brings down the IQ of already stupid kids.

But to act like hyperbole is a threat is even dumber. Or at least critically dishonest. And this is just me giving fair warning to anyone new to this newsletter or my work: I believe with my whole self that saying dumb things is how you eventually arrive at smart things. And any effort to stamp down language that can be called dangerous but no one actually believes is, chaps my balls.

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FAVORITE PANEL IN MY INBOX THIS WEEK

Tough choice. I am so damn blessed to work with some of the greatest artists in comics. And this week had some treasures, as a partner and I are putting together a new pitch. I won’t share that just yet, but my co-creator is someone many of you love.

So instead of sharing stuff I shouldn’t, I’m gonna highlight some inks from Pramono. He doesn’t consider himself an interior artist, I don’t think. More of a commercial illustrator who loves comics. So he was a little reticent to take on sequential pages. But I’m happy to say I talked him into a few. And here, instead of a single panel, I’ll share one of those pages.

Our man just stepped in some cow shit

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SOME VIDEOS I MADE

I can’t just enjoy something. I have to try to create it or to critique it. I don’t know why. But here’s my new channel where I make comment on the movies I’m watching on Tubi.

And here’s a couple new videos from my comics channel.

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MEDIA CONSUMPTION

Raymond Chandler is the most fun author I’ve read in my life. There’s guys I like more, I suppose, but nobody who is as addictive. I can’t examine it too much. I’d just be repeating what’s been said about him for 85 years. The cadence above all. The metaphors. Just so damn fun.

And Farewell, My Lovely is among my favorites so far. It’s almost stupid, but is SO damn confident. Not as expertly done as Lady In the Lake, but swag is on 100. A great time. Oh, and I should say, don’t read it. Listen to it read by Elliot Gould. It’s a joy. Get on your library app and give it a go.

I don’t know if I can call this next bit of media a ‘joy,’ but it is an impressive and gripping time at a laptop.

Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth is a PC game from 2005, and in significant ways that sums it up. But it’s also well-written (apparently borrowed by agreement from a Call of Cthulhu TTRPG module) and the set-pieces are fantastic. I think that’s something so lost both in current games and current comics. Give us a set-piece that thrills and convinces us for even one moment that the protagonist is in danger. Make us lean forward.

Game took me almost 10hrs longer than it was supposed to. But I wasn’t mad. As some fans point out, up to the scene where you get a gun and even the odds a bit, this is a genuinely scary game. Recommend.

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FROM MY DESIGN FOLDER

This is obviously of a time, but I think that’s what makes it interesting. If I was to try to replicate it, I couldn’t. I’d fail outright. The 80s are fascinating for how everyone has a feeling on what it was, but nobody is capable of accurately capturing it.

Also, on a pure ‘is this cool to look at’ level, this poster succeeds. Are the masks corny? Oh my. But as a whole piece it works. Flip the logo to the top and you’ve got a cover. Also, why when comic books do photo covers can it never look like this? It’s always in a flat over-lit room with no vibe. Where’s the Dave McKean of partially nude photo covers?

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ALRIGHT UNTIL NEXT TIME

I PROMISE I’ve got all sorta reveals soon. It’s not a scam I’m running. I hope you all have a great week. I intend to. Do for self.