Friday, November 25, 2005
I'm in a good creator mood this week. Why you ask? Because I'm working with some really talented artists on a few projects that I think have a chance of seeing print.
Of course, being the person that I am, this means that I can expect a visit from Captain Killjoy. Captain Killjoy is the part of my mind that seeks to sabotage any good feelings or optimism that I have about something. The good Captain right now is whispering in my ear: Aren't you a little too old to be starting something like this? The Captain says this because I'm 33, might as well say 34 since my birthday is next month. I have a wife that I adore, a baby girl on the way, a teaching job, a mortgage. Shouldn't I be focusing on my adult responsibilities instead of trying to break into a industry notoriously hard to break into---when I'm 34?
Don't take what I'm about to write next as any kind of disillusionment with the stuff I mentioned earlier (well, maybe the mortgage) but why shouldn't I try this. I love writing comic books (why I do is probably another good topic for discussion) and I really feel that this is what I should be doing. Sure, it would have been easier to have grasped this simple concept 16 years ago when I was fresh out of high school but I didn't. So the question becomes should I pine away the rest of my life on missed opportunities or should I just get busy and keep the old axiom "Better late than never" in mind?
I've went with the latter choice. Right now, I suppose this could be considered as more of a hobby but it's such a great hobby to pursue. And if I ever get my big break, then I can work at something that I really love. If that big break never comes, I could be happy writing indie comics and, hopefully, reaching readers. The thing with all writing is that is, oftentimes, a lonely, frustrating endeavor, but once it gets in your blood, you'll have a devil of a time trying strain it out.
My wife says about my comic hobby (and my Mego hobby but, that too, is another tale) that she doesn't mind a bit. I could be spending my money on whores and crack. Same with my writing. What better way to spend my free time? I could be playing games or watching television shows about whores and crack.
Of course, being the person that I am, this means that I can expect a visit from Captain Killjoy. Captain Killjoy is the part of my mind that seeks to sabotage any good feelings or optimism that I have about something. The good Captain right now is whispering in my ear: Aren't you a little too old to be starting something like this? The Captain says this because I'm 33, might as well say 34 since my birthday is next month. I have a wife that I adore, a baby girl on the way, a teaching job, a mortgage. Shouldn't I be focusing on my adult responsibilities instead of trying to break into a industry notoriously hard to break into---when I'm 34?
Don't take what I'm about to write next as any kind of disillusionment with the stuff I mentioned earlier (well, maybe the mortgage) but why shouldn't I try this. I love writing comic books (why I do is probably another good topic for discussion) and I really feel that this is what I should be doing. Sure, it would have been easier to have grasped this simple concept 16 years ago when I was fresh out of high school but I didn't. So the question becomes should I pine away the rest of my life on missed opportunities or should I just get busy and keep the old axiom "Better late than never" in mind?
I've went with the latter choice. Right now, I suppose this could be considered as more of a hobby but it's such a great hobby to pursue. And if I ever get my big break, then I can work at something that I really love. If that big break never comes, I could be happy writing indie comics and, hopefully, reaching readers. The thing with all writing is that is, oftentimes, a lonely, frustrating endeavor, but once it gets in your blood, you'll have a devil of a time trying strain it out.
My wife says about my comic hobby (and my Mego hobby but, that too, is another tale) that she doesn't mind a bit. I could be spending my money on whores and crack. Same with my writing. What better way to spend my free time? I could be playing games or watching television shows about whores and crack.
Monday, November 07, 2005
It's been a little while since I've written one of these and this one is on a little different track. Instead of discussing the continuing saga of my attempt to break into the comic book business, I've got a little bit of news: my wife and I are expecting a baby. She's now four months pregnant and, while the doctors say that it's a little early to tell for sure, they're reasonably certain that it's a little girl.
I really didn't care what the sex was as long as it is healthy and happy. We'll probably have another one and I'm no different than most people in that, if you have two, you'd like to have a boy and a girl. I hear girls are a little easier to raise (until the dreaded teenage years anyway) so maybe a girl will be a good one to break in the wife and I.
Since we've been trying for a little while, I've had a little time to wonder how I would react to the news of an impending bundle of joy. And to be honest, I've been a little worried what my reaction might be. I wasn't against having a baby, mind you, but, growing up as an only child in a rural area, I've come to value some time to myself and some quiet. With a baby, you have neither. I'm happy to report that I'm really excited about the whole thing. I saw a little baby the other day and thinking "I want one of those". That type of thought has never really happened to me before.
Now to tie this all in to the prevalent theme of this blog, writing comics. I worried a little on how our baby would effect my quest to break into the business. And I've come to this conclusion: it will only effect it as much as I let it. I waste a lot of time in the evenings. I can use that time a lot more wisely with my daughter and still have time to devote to writing. If Stephen King can write in a tiny wash room with an old typewriter, then I can write after the baby's asleep (and before she wakes up again).
I'm working on a comic with an artist that I'm planning to submit to all the indie publishers. If it's not picked up, then I was going to self-publish. With a baby, I won't have as much disposable income for self-publishing. What this means is that I might have to save a little longer or maybe do without some other non-necessities in order to publish our book. If that's the case, then so be it. This is not an easy business to break into, you have to be willing to plug away and make some sacrifices.
I really didn't care what the sex was as long as it is healthy and happy. We'll probably have another one and I'm no different than most people in that, if you have two, you'd like to have a boy and a girl. I hear girls are a little easier to raise (until the dreaded teenage years anyway) so maybe a girl will be a good one to break in the wife and I.
Since we've been trying for a little while, I've had a little time to wonder how I would react to the news of an impending bundle of joy. And to be honest, I've been a little worried what my reaction might be. I wasn't against having a baby, mind you, but, growing up as an only child in a rural area, I've come to value some time to myself and some quiet. With a baby, you have neither. I'm happy to report that I'm really excited about the whole thing. I saw a little baby the other day and thinking "I want one of those". That type of thought has never really happened to me before.
Now to tie this all in to the prevalent theme of this blog, writing comics. I worried a little on how our baby would effect my quest to break into the business. And I've come to this conclusion: it will only effect it as much as I let it. I waste a lot of time in the evenings. I can use that time a lot more wisely with my daughter and still have time to devote to writing. If Stephen King can write in a tiny wash room with an old typewriter, then I can write after the baby's asleep (and before she wakes up again).
I'm working on a comic with an artist that I'm planning to submit to all the indie publishers. If it's not picked up, then I was going to self-publish. With a baby, I won't have as much disposable income for self-publishing. What this means is that I might have to save a little longer or maybe do without some other non-necessities in order to publish our book. If that's the case, then so be it. This is not an easy business to break into, you have to be willing to plug away and make some sacrifices.
