Thursday, April 20, 2006
It's been a few days from my last post but I have a great excuse this time as I've been settling (a little) into fatherhood. I say a little because I can look at my daughter and it all still seems so surreal that she is mine--that I had anything to do with her creation.
Other parents will tell you that you can't imagine what being a parent is like and that it will change your whole outlook, your whole life. If you're anything like I was, you'll just politely nod your head and then roll your eyes when they're not looking.
Well, they're right.
I don't expect you to believe me either. Really, it's just something you've got to experience. No amount of words can get these feelings across to you. It's impossible to describe the amount of love you have for this little crying, sleeping, crapping, peeing baby. She'll reach up and touch my face and I become every stereotype of the goofy dad that I used to make fun of.
But that's all right. Sometimes, eating crow doesn't taste that bad.
______________________________
Off the Grid is going very well. I'm really excited about the direction the story is going in (even more so now as some questions I had in mind with the story are resolving themselves) and Roger is a dream to work with (and a great artist). I'm busy working on issue #4.
The other projects are coming along as well. It seems to be feast or famine with them. I'll go for days with nothing and then, boom, several emails coming in with some good news. If this doesn't teach me patience, nothing will.
Other parents will tell you that you can't imagine what being a parent is like and that it will change your whole outlook, your whole life. If you're anything like I was, you'll just politely nod your head and then roll your eyes when they're not looking.
Well, they're right.
I don't expect you to believe me either. Really, it's just something you've got to experience. No amount of words can get these feelings across to you. It's impossible to describe the amount of love you have for this little crying, sleeping, crapping, peeing baby. She'll reach up and touch my face and I become every stereotype of the goofy dad that I used to make fun of.
But that's all right. Sometimes, eating crow doesn't taste that bad.
______________________________
Off the Grid is going very well. I'm really excited about the direction the story is going in (even more so now as some questions I had in mind with the story are resolving themselves) and Roger is a dream to work with (and a great artist). I'm busy working on issue #4.
The other projects are coming along as well. It seems to be feast or famine with them. I'll go for days with nothing and then, boom, several emails coming in with some good news. If this doesn't teach me patience, nothing will.
Monday, April 03, 2006
Okay, this is a rant. Probably one I'll regret at some point but, right now, I need to vent. Bare in mind that I'm not talking about any of the people that I'm working on projects with now. I'm very lucky in that regard. But I have had problems of this sort in the past and I've gotten myself worked up thinking about them.
I'm talking about the person that says they want to break into comics, may even accept payment for working on a submission and then...nothing. It takes them months to get the work done and only after email after email almost begging for them to send something--anything.
I don't think I'm an unreasonable person. I realize that writing a comic script is, in most cases, the quickest, least-time consuming part of the process. And I realize that these people have lives that sometimes interferes with their dreams. I have a life (and if you follow this at all, you know it just got much more busy). But to wait months for a sample to be finished seems a bit much to me.
This business is in no way easy to break into, even if you have the necessary talent. Tales of people falling into this business are few and far between (there is the current trend to take writers from other mediums such as movies and books but those people have worked hard and been dedicated in some medium or other). Far more the norm are the stories of people that worked, worked, and worked some more and were prepared when that break finally came.
I don't know, maybe I have a different work ethic than some. To me, it seems a good idea to hedge your bets in every way possible and that means to be prompt and act in every way the professional even before you are a professional. You can't expect editors to believe there's some magic switch that will flip once your hired. "Well, it's taken 5 months for these 5 pages but I bet if we hire him he'll deliver on time." If I'm working with someone and it's time for me to deliver a script, a pitch, a dirty limerick, whatever, I try to get it to them in the shortest time possible. To me that's the only way to work, the way to build that all important reputation.
I dunno. Could just be the OCD setting in.
I'm talking about the person that says they want to break into comics, may even accept payment for working on a submission and then...nothing. It takes them months to get the work done and only after email after email almost begging for them to send something--anything.
I don't think I'm an unreasonable person. I realize that writing a comic script is, in most cases, the quickest, least-time consuming part of the process. And I realize that these people have lives that sometimes interferes with their dreams. I have a life (and if you follow this at all, you know it just got much more busy). But to wait months for a sample to be finished seems a bit much to me.
This business is in no way easy to break into, even if you have the necessary talent. Tales of people falling into this business are few and far between (there is the current trend to take writers from other mediums such as movies and books but those people have worked hard and been dedicated in some medium or other). Far more the norm are the stories of people that worked, worked, and worked some more and were prepared when that break finally came.
I don't know, maybe I have a different work ethic than some. To me, it seems a good idea to hedge your bets in every way possible and that means to be prompt and act in every way the professional even before you are a professional. You can't expect editors to believe there's some magic switch that will flip once your hired. "Well, it's taken 5 months for these 5 pages but I bet if we hire him he'll deliver on time." If I'm working with someone and it's time for me to deliver a script, a pitch, a dirty limerick, whatever, I try to get it to them in the shortest time possible. To me that's the only way to work, the way to build that all important reputation.
I dunno. Could just be the OCD setting in.
Saturday, April 01, 2006
She's here!
I'm going to make this post short and sweet because I've just finished plotting out issue #3 of Off the Grid and I'm running low on sleep anyway because...
Tera Elizabeth Strunk was born Tuesday at 3:50 pm. Even though she was 3 1/2 weeks early, she weighed 8 lbs, 7 oz and was 20 1/2" long. If she had went full term, she would have slapped the doctor back.
Some really exciting events happening with my projects but I'll save that for a better run down next time. Now--Crisman sleepy.
I'm going to make this post short and sweet because I've just finished plotting out issue #3 of Off the Grid and I'm running low on sleep anyway because...
Tera Elizabeth Strunk was born Tuesday at 3:50 pm. Even though she was 3 1/2 weeks early, she weighed 8 lbs, 7 oz and was 20 1/2" long. If she had went full term, she would have slapped the doctor back.
Some really exciting events happening with my projects but I'll save that for a better run down next time. Now--Crisman sleepy.
