San Diego, 2006

PITCHING TO COMICS COMPANIES

I’ve been feeling it lately.  That I can’t seem to make any money, any issue I put out.  That it sure would be nice if I could get paid for doing comics.  Even if I get paid a dollar a page, I’d be, I’m guessing, $50 per page better off than my current efforts.  I decided I’m getting to know a number of editors, so I wanted to make a concerted effort to talk with editors this year, and see if anyone had any interest in what I was doing.

I really like Larry at AIT/Planet LAR.  Whenever I see him, he’s so fun, personable, and friendly, it feels like we’re ol’ friends. 

Matt Silady (helping to watch my booth this year, in case Elizbabeth went into labor) had told me that Larry had announced he would listen to pitches from the first sixteen people who signed up.   I told Larry how disappointed I was to hear I’d missed my chance to pitch to him.  And he gave me an “Aw, come on, already” gesture, and said I could pitch to him any time.  He walked me back to his booth, and said he would fit me on his schedule.  I hadn’t expected anything so formal.  I told him he knows the work I’m doing, and I wanted to see if he liked any of my characters enough to publish a more elaborate story.  He said, as much as he loved my stuff, he just didn’t think it fit with his company, with his readership.  I asked who he saw his readership as, and he said his readership is the couple who comes to the con with the fan, but who isn’t into comics themselves.  He sees his books as the comic books people read if they’re not into comics.

So at this point, I’m realizing he sees my stuff only as the Kirby-style monster stuff, and I walked him back to my table and pointed out all my other characters.  The Dr. DeBunko minis caught his eye, but he was saying it would need to be bulked up, page-wise.  I told him I had a couple Dr. DeBunko stories in mind that, in the format, would be hundreds of pages long.  That seemed to surprise him.  Before he left, I told him about my religious “Limbo Café” book, and he said it sounded good, and he’d like to see it.  Wa….HOO!  I pitched a book, and the publisher was interested enough that he wanted to see more!   Wish me luck, fans!

After that, I spoke with Fantagraphics (who had told me beforehand that they didn’t think my Doris Danger adventures were a good fit for Fantagraphics, but I just wanted to check in), Randy Stradley at Darkhorse and Dan Vado at Slave Labor (neither of whom I gave the impression they had any interest in what I was doing).  I dropped by the Drawn & Quarterly booth, and they recommended I send a package in.  That left Image, who I will go into further detail with in a moment.

EXCITING MOVIE OFFERS

Over the past years, at previous conventions, people have occasionally come up to me and said they’re from this or that movie studio (none of which I’ve ever heard of), and would I like to give them some free copies of my work for them to consider for a film.  And in the past, whenever people have done that, I’ve basically thought, “Beat it, you pricks.  You’re just out for a freebie, and we both know you have no interest in producing something by me.  I’m a starving self-publisher!  If you are who you say you are, why don’t you pay three goddamn dollars and write it off your expense account, you cheap hack.”

This may not be the appropriate way to ingratiate myself toward Hollywood and land a movie option, especially since Hollywood is looking so intently at comics these days.  I know half a dozen self-publishers who have optioned their stories.  Hollywood is looking!  But I’ve just felt, you know, if you really are interested, why don’t you at least flip through my goddamn book and say it looks interesting, you know?  Or better yet, tell me you’re familiar with my work and it looks promising.  Why don’t you ask me what my story’s about, and tell me if that’s the kind of movies your studio produces?  Then we can talk, and I’d see a sincerity, and an actual interest.  But no one ever really did that with me…until this year.

This year, I pitched “The Lump” to three people, and one wasn’t interested, and two were.  These were smaller, independent film companies.  And making my pitch made me think, Actually, the Lump would make a hell of a movie, in my opinion.  And if it weren’t Hollywood, that may be even better for it.  Because the story is too pseudo-intellectual, and the ending isn’t Hollywood.  And it got me all excited, thinking about it.  Thinking about unknown actors instead of big names.  Thinking about what a small budget it could be done with. 

I hadn’t thought about The Lump as a film since I first wrote it, years and years ago.  It made me remember the optimism and excitement of when I first began producing comics.  I assumed I would just create and work hard, and that would be enough to make me a success, and that’s all there would be to it.  But the exciting dreams of becoming a star and success and toast of Hollywood faded as I continued working hard and publishing and spending every spare cent I had to give, and still haven’t been able to see any such successes.  The dreams of a Wisnia Hollywood film had died and gone cold, long forgotten, replaced by debt and disappointment and emotional drain, giving so much and working so hard and getting so little in return.  Woe is me, woe…

But now here was real, genuine interest.  I was getting invigorated by the thought again.  I imagined all the scenes, all the dialogue playing out as a film.  Wouldn’t that be something.  I don’t want to get my hopes up too high, but it made me hopeful, and excited, again.

MEETING CARMINE INFANTINO

 

I was excited to see Carmine Infantino would be at the con again this year, and made a point to go find him in artists alley.  He was selling copies of his “Art of Carmine Infantino” book, with sketches in them.  He had maybe half a dozen books opened up with different characters sketched in each one, and I really liked the Flash sketch he did.  I saw this book had two Flash sketches in it, and realized that one of the pages was folded in half, and the extra sketch must be in exchange for the folded page.  I told him I’d really like one, but thought I was a few dollars short.  He said he would part for it for the money I had, if I took a book that he had already signed to someone.  He said he’d cross it out and re-sign it to me.  Fair enough, I thought, and told him my name.  It turned out, the name he had already signed in the book was “Chris.”  If that isn’t fate saying I should own the book, I don’t know what is! 

I handed him the money, but when he counted it, he said I was actually short ten or more dollars, and (I love this) told me I have to “cough up more dough.”  I ended up going back to my booth to get some cash, and paying the full amount for this book.  If that isn’t a sign of fate saying “screw you,” I don’t know what is!

I showed him my monster comic, and asked him about doing a pin-up.  Last time I had met him, I had the feeling he wanted me to beat it and never bother him again, but this year, he gave me the contact info of his manager.  What a change a professional product makes.  Yet again, a sample of an artist who is uninterested in my project, who becomes interested later, presumably (I like to think) because of the professionalism or quality.

I would love to get a pin-up from Carmine.  I think he’s quite legendary.

 

BRIAN BOLLAND

Brian Bolland was an immense treat to find appearing at the convention this year.  I pestered Brian periodically throughout the con.  He did remember me from the Bristol Con over a year earlier.  He told me he hadn’t been to San Diego for twenty-four years.  At one point, Brian let me sit behind the table with him and show him my Doris Danger treasury, and he flipped through it.  I was impressed that he kept saying he’d still like to do a monster pin-up, when he can find some time.  He was sweet and sincere.  I told him, as I’d mentioned in an email before, that his absolutely fantastic Judge Dredd’s were just getting reprinted in color in America during my formative years, and how important his work was to me growing up.  I reminded him he’d done a great giant monster cover on his Animal Man run.

I met his son, who was one of the most adorable kids I’ve ever seen.  It made it all the cuter to hear his accent.  I tried asking him if he read comics, and what artists he liked, but he was pretty shy about answers.  I asked if he liked his dad’s art, and he said he did.

I witnessed Brian having to put up with two moronic fans.  The first was when I was leaning down on the table so that I could hear Brian speaking with me, and so Brian could hear me in the crazy atmosphere of the con.  The moron was sitting there watching, and he lost his temper and shouted at me, “Could you please not lean on the table!”  At first I assumed this watcher-of-the-table was Brian’s manager or right-hand-man, and in charge of making sure Brian’s deft artistic hand didn’t get jarred while doing sketches, because he was sitting behind the table.  But then Brian told me it didn’t bother him if I leaned against the table, and he was fine.  Then the guy said he’s paying a lot of money for this pin-up, and wants to make sure it’s perfect.

Morons out there who pay a lot of money for sketches beware!  We are professionals!  This is what we do for a living!  Thanks for your concern and care, but we don’t need your help or direction to insure the quality of our artwork, which you purchased and will be ebaying the next day!

The second moron was the next day, and he brought stacks and stacks of junk for Brian to sign, and Brian just patiently, politely went through and signed each piece, one at a time.  This went on and on.  And judging by the quantities this gentleman brought with him, it was obvious these weren’t for his personal collection.  Meanwhile, I was waiting to get a couple quick signatures on a couple of my favorite, most personal Brian Bolland books, because they mean a lot to me, and Brian’s work has meant so much to me.

It was great to see him again, and I hope I didn’t bother him too much, trying to snap so many pictures of him, but I was having a really good time getting photos of all my idols this trip.  Brian Bolland would truly be one of the greats to get a pin-up from, in my opinion.

LOOKING FOR ONE ARTIST, AND FINDING ANOTHER

A couple years before, I’d stumbled onto Alex Maleev, doing sketches at the booth of the art dealer who represents him.  Alex had told me to speak with his rep about a pin-up, and so I did at the convention, and then I emailed later, and never received a reply.  The following year, I found the art dealer again, and was told Alex would not be attending the con.  I poked over yet again this year, and his rep told me that Alex was supposed to come, but that his wife was pregnant, and he didn’t make it after all.  That will be a nice ice-breaker, if he comes back next year, because we’ll both have become dads within a few weeks of each other, and both our kids will be a year old.

So when I was getting this info from the rep, he said, “but Esad Ribic is doing sketches this week.”  I didn’t know who he was, but when he pointed at some of his work and said, “Marvel cover artist, and artist on Loki,” then I knew.  I thought he would be pretty expensive, but I came back looking for him.  He had just left for a cigarette break, so I waited.  When he came back, it turns out he hadn’t left for a cigarette break yet, and he had come back to get his cigarettes, so I asked if I could walk out with him.  We stood outside the convention, and I told him what I wanted, and he agreed to do it.  He said his schedule was full, until the last day of the con.  He said to check back at five pm on that day. 

The next day, when I realized that the convention closed at five, I went and told him.  He said, “Well…then come back at 4:30.  Since it was the last day, I was scrambling around and running late, and a little nervous about getting the pin-up.  But when I got there, he was still working, and had actually finished mine.  He charged me very reasonably for a convention-style sketch.  I thought he drew one of the most sinister monsters anyone has given me so far.  He was so friendly, too.  When I asked him to take a photo with me, I loved how he put his arm around my neck and stuck his chest out.

 

MORE ADVENTURES WITH THE TIE HATER

When Jim Steranko saw us, he mentioned to Elizabeth that I’m the guy who emails him every six months to ask about a commission.  He did his usual round of insults about my tie, but significantly toned down.  I felt like either I was growing on him, or else I was just getting used to his personality and better understood that he’s just kidding around.  I wasn’t nearly as stressed as I’ve been around him in the past.

I asked if I could take my picture with him, and he wouldn’t let me.  The next day, I saw him take a picture with some bombshell-looking woman in a fancy dress and high heels.  Elizabeth called him on it, and teased him, “Jim, what gives?  You said you don’t let anyone take pictures with you, but we saw you with that woman.”  He knew he was caught, but just kind of shrugged the comment aside.

That night, after the convention had closed, I was just walking by his booth on my way back to mine.  I waved hello, and he pulled me aside and asked if I had a cell phone.  He got on the phone with I assume his wife or girlfriend, talked for a few minutes, and finally handed my phone back, told me he was eternally grateful, and bustled on to his next engagement, of which was clearly not invited to participate.

I went over to bug him some more the next day, and I watched someone ask if Jim would sign his book.  Jim said, “Yeah, okay,” then realized he wanted to conditionalize it.  “Well,” he said, “it depends on the book.”  The kid showed him the book he’d brought, and I think it was some kind of compilation or listing of great artists, which I assume mentioned Jim.  Jim kind of looked at the book to figure out what it was, and then he just told the kid he wouldn’t sign it, and then he ignored the kid, who kind of stood there for a minute, confused.  Like, is this a joke?  And he finally wandered off.  I guess Jim didn’t want to sign that book!

Jim and Elizabeth and I spoke a fair amount, here and there.  I think he’s finally warming to us.  We talked about how we live on the West Coast, and he mentioned he flies into San Francisco quite a bit.  He talked about meeting with Francis every now and then.  I can only assume he’s talking about the esteemed Mr. Coppola.  We told him that if he were ever in San Francisco, it’s only an hour or so away, and we would make the drive if he would meet us for dinner.  At the end of the con, Elizabeth asked if he was serious about letting us have dinner with him next time he’s in San Francisco, and he leaned up close to her and said, Yes!  That would be a hell of a night to have dinner with Steranko some time!