Highway 62

Last year, I attended Wondercon in San Francisco as a respected member of an comics news site, thus getting me in for free. I didn’t feel anything like a pro or industry member. I wandered about, pingponging and kind of aimless.

This year, I coughed up the entrance fee, had no affiliation with any site other than this blog and was weighed down by a Kinko’s box full of ashcans that I’d picked up at 7am that morning, just before dashing to the airport. Most of the week before, I’d spent putting together the booklet itself, first with low-res files and then with the final art which had just come in after I’d spent a day on the junky stuff. Of course, the finals look so much better, but they also brought the hamsters in my printer to their little digital knees. I was forced to print a page and then reboot the printer to clear memory.

Needless to say, I’ve had better times. But each little baby step was a baby step closer to getting Strangeways off the ground, so I can’t complain. Doesn’t make it any easier, mind you.

So, I cleared the smoke from the smouldering ruin of my printer, packed my things, dropped the kids off at their daycare and rushed to the airport. To find my plane delayed. Non-shocker. I munched an egg and sausage bagel that had the consistency of hot vinyl, added coffee to that to make a viscous mixture that posessed the pH of the Venusian atmosphere. If I twitched while reading Bluesman followed by the recent Black Panther collection (of the Kirby run, which has SO MUCH to do with the new take on the character that Marvel’s recently brought out, doncha know?) it was the bagel’s stubborn refusal to digest, and not a lack of quality on the part of the reading that fueled my discomfort.

Jeez, my grammar teachers would kill me if they saw that. Anyone wanna diagram that bad boy?

Landed, got my car with little fanfare and headed out to the big city, head filled with starry dreams. Which were immediately crushed when I found out that Paris Hilton had cancelled her convention appearance. I guess she found out it was a comics show or something. Yeah, fuck you too, Paris.

Made my way over to artist’s alley, as that was my primary destination. I had collaborators to talk with. Dig that. Co-lab-orators. Cool. In this case, it was Jeff Parker (who’s doing character design, logo and covers for The Ward) and Steve Lieber (who’s doing covers for the first story arc of Strangeways). Can I say that? I guess I can. I just did.

Jeff knows what the hell The Ward is about, and so far as I’m concerned he nailed the feel I wanted out of the designs. Should I post one? Maybe later on. I’ll let the suspense build. I also read over his pages from Detective Comics, which were damn nice and funny as hell and paid off beautifully. Too bad they’re not going to run. Apparently they were pulled at the last moment, which is a damn shame. Though his backup stories featuring Alfred in his secret agent days are still happening, as is his Escapist story, which is just beautiful. Jeff himself was filled with good humor, even if his energy had been sapped by his young son over the last several weeks or so.

Steve was his usual fount of energy and goodwill, virtually daring passers-by to hit him up for a sketch or a look at any of his fine wares. He’s a true professional, even if he dresses better than most of his editors. Or is that “especially”? Ask him nicely and he’ll show you pages from his collaboration with Jeff Parker, entitled “Underground” and appearing in the soon-to-be-released Four Letter Words anthology from Image (as well as to be done up as a standalone OGN later on down the road.) Steve also shared with me the secret of working a table, which I may perhaps share will you all a little later.

Having arrived late in the day, I dashed off to catch the Wildstorm/Vertigo panel (missing a fair bit of it in the process, like all of the Wildstorm stuff, which boiled down to “Yes we have plans for The Authority and no we can’t tell them to you.”) I have to say that the q/a session was the highlight of the panel, primarily due to the precence of Howard Chaykin. You wanna know how we got where we are in comics today? Ask Mr. Chaykin, kids! He’ll give you the straight dope, unvarnished and totally without malice. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt. I’m not the biggest fan of his writing (heretical, I know), but damn, if I bought DC, I’d put him in charge posthaste. There were a handful of Vertigo projects that looked intriguing (The Fountain among them, for Kent Williams’ beautiful art as much as anything else). What I was really hoping for was something that would jump out at me and scream “I will appeal to people who don’t buy comics already.”

Still waiting for that. The DCU panel the following morning did nothing to satisfy that hope, either. In fact, it sorta did the opposite. All ballyhoo about Countdown #1 being 80 pages for just a buck aside (of which there was PLENTY), DC’s plans (with but a handful of exceptions) scare the heck out of me. “Continuity is very important” said Bob Wayne. Continuity isn’t important. Characters are important. Stories are important. Big events that are driven by plots masquerading as character studies aren’t. Yes, I’m being arbitrary and unfair and I haven’t even read these things because they’re not out yet. But I have to call it as I see it. When you have four miniseries building out of the same event, I get a little worried. When I see books being sold on the basis of our favorite nostalgic characters being put in false crises and tugging at fan heartstrings, I get a little worried. The only thing that I saw that gave me any hope was the cover All Star Superman #1 (which you can see right here. Though I suspect that it’ll still be a tough sell to non-comics readers.

Unless DC goes to great lengths to get the All Star books out in outlets beyond the DM, it’s going to be a big gamble. I can only hope that there’s plans in that direction, but I have to admit that I didn’t have the guts to ask (and who am I do deny someone asking their questions in the limited time we had).

Oh and yes, I’m aware my blanket statement about crossovers above quite likely applies to Seven Soldiers of Victory, which I’m dearly looking forward to. Oh well. I like the idea as much as nearly everyone else on the planet, but I’m guessing that it’s not going to prove to be a huge seller. Sadly, Grant Morrison only sells big numbers when he’s on big franchise characters. Sure, Superman will probably sell a ton, and stands a good chance of being the top of the comics market that month, but you know what? The comics market isn’t all that big, and the characters in Seven Soldiers aren’t that well known, for the most part. That aside, the previews of Seven Soldiers look just great. Mick Gray III’s inking on Ryan Sook’s pencils for Zatana are utterly beautiful. Cameron Stewart’s work on The Guardian are cleaner and more refined than anything he’s done before.

The rest of Saturday was relatively uneventful, though I became a member of the Legion of Substitute Cartoonists for a time, holding down tables while artists got much-needed breathers. Gave me a chance to practice up (because that whole running a table thing is a little trickier than it looks. And I’m such a social guy to begin with.) Spent a lot of time talking kids with other recent and not-so-recent dads. There’s more of us than ya think.

I did manage to run into Larry Young, which was good, as I’d missed the under-the-radar Isotope event of the previous night (and there’s no way in Hell I’m going to try to keep up with James and the Isotope crew barhopping; I accept my limitations.) Passed him a copy of the ashcan and thanked him for the advice he’d handed out both in True Facts and online over the last eighteen months or so.

I should mention that Saturday at the show was nuts. It was incredibly busy, probably due to a combination of the Bendis/Smith panel (cancelled) and the rain driving people indoors. I guess Christian Bale showing up for the Batman panel (among the worst-kept secrets at the show) had something to do with it as well. Walking up and down the dealer aisles became unworkable later on in the day, so I just gave up and hid out, reading Whiteout after getting my recently-acquired copy signed.

After the con wrapped on Saturday, I headed out to grab some dinner with Steve and Jeff, then across the bridge to Berkeley for the Comic Relief grand opening party. All mad props to the Image crew for providing the keg for the event. The night’s brew was called “Tree Frog”, a dark ale, with plenty of bite. Allergic to beer as I am, I allowed myself a second glass it was that good. Chatted with a handful of lovely folks, including the talented and take no guff from anyone Lauren McCubbin, the ultraredheaded Kelly Sue (Fraction) and gentle giant Jeremy Love of Ghettosake Entertainment fame.

And oh yes, I saw as the transparent racks that cradled the store’s comics claim not one, but two victims by savagely grabbing them by the ankles and tossing them to the floor like Chevy Chase. Maybe comics and beer don’t mix after all. Oh, and note to the DJ, Wang Chung is never welcome. I don’t care if everybody wants to have fun tonight or not. Your incessant bouncing between that and “Head Over Heels” and not getting it right just made me wanna hit something.

Don’t get me wrong. Playing the “Batman” theme by The Jam is always welcome, but some stuff just shouldn’t be done.

Rolled in late on Sunday and rather quickly ended up behind the table at Jeff’s spot in artist’s alley just sorta hiding out. Though it was quieter than the previous day, I was ready to be off my feet for a little while. But it was not to be. Mack Daddy Graeme McMillan (you know, that Fanboy Rampage guy. Oh come on, admit it. You read his blog and you love it) tapped me for a quick tour of the place, having just arrived there himself.

Not long after, I ran into James Sime, who as is his nature, was filled with enthusiasm on receipt of the Strangeways ashcan. James is another of those guys who’s been of immense help and support over the duration of my work on this damned thing, so it was gratifying to be able to hand him one personally (particularly as I’d heard he wasn’t going to be coming to the show, for fear of making himself penniless after buying out runs of Iron Man and Captain America. And yet, there I saw him, clearing out runs of those very same comics, before dashing off to track down some Dr. Strange pages that were for sale off in the alley.

Had to make an early afternoon of it, running off to catch my flight back to San Diego. I picked up my son’s sketch (the only original art I picked up this trip out) which you can see here.

Paid too much for a bad meal at California Pizza Kitchen and finally got back home. Nice to get out for a couple days, but just as nice to get back.

Of course, I get to do (almost all) this again in a month for Wizard World in Los Angeles. Ah, the glamour!