Second Acts.
Hiya,
.
- matt fraction -
I realized I was writing all second acts, all abyss-stuff, all atonement chapters. Everybody swimming back up towards the liminal -- Clint, Michael, Jon, Suzie. Casanova. Hell, what's THE ODYSSEY if not the ultimate transformation and return? I think maybe it takes a toll.
Here's the thing about therapy: it's fucking awful. I mean -- it's not, not really, but it is? In the way that, say, corrective dentistry is awful-but-not. I try to leave my time in the Black Lodge in the Black Lodge along with the rest of the creamed corn but sometimes it follows me out. I'm running again and almost-working out again regularly and sleeping better than I have maybe all my life. It's a war of inches, this depression shit. And it's real and it's hard and too many people deal with it alone and suffer in silence and it pulls them under.
Not me, though. Don't worry: I'm going to Comic-Con.
If you wanna say HEEYYYYYYY, on Friday from 11-12 is the IMAGE PANEL in room 23 ABC. Me and Kel and Chip will be there and many many more.
Then from 12-2, roughly, at the IMAGE BOOTH there's a ticketed signing. That's a me-and-Chipper affair.
Then at 4 I'm doing the #HowardCon show with Bendis, Jim Lee, and Scott Snyder. That's a small town hall style thing, I'm told; I don't know if they've released where it's going to be so if you're into that kind of thing, search that hashtag some.
We're presenting at the Eisners on Friday evening, Kel and I, so we'll be there that evening. She will look dynamite in a royal blue floor-length stunnah; I will look like a hobo someone paid in lunchmeat to act as my assassination decoy.
Then on SATURDAY from 11-12, same deal, a ticketed thing at Image. I'll just look like me then.
Other than that I'll do my level best to swing by the Fantagraphics booth, as it remains a singular thrill to buy Fanta stuff in advance of its publication, especially if it's LOVE AND ROCKETS related, and even more so if it's from Los Bros theyowndamnselves.
SEX CRIMINALS #7 will upload to press as Chip gets on the plane for San Diego; that puts it out, oh, August... 13th maybe? Or the 20th? We're wrapping it up now. The delayed-because-manufacturer-error SEXUAL GARY t-shirt is available NEXT WEEK through all shops serviced by Diamond.
David, Sana, and I, did a major news outlet piece for HAWKEYE #19, still out July 20th. I dunno when it drops but the magnitude of attention it got surprised me, I gotta say. I've worked in advance with WeLoveFine to make a special HAWKEYE shirt to commemorate the issue; my proceeds will go to the Signing Time Foundation. Keep your eyes peeled on my page or my curated section at WeLoveFine.com; it'll be out, we hope, when the issue drops.
SATELLITE SAM #10 is being drawn as we speak; Howard Chaykin remains a fount of light, generosity, and richness of spirit upon his return from Europa.
ODY-C #1 will have an eight-page foldout section that starts the book off. We wanted to do ten but apparently ten pages would break the fucking machine. And there'll still be a full-length issue AFTER that. So never let it be said we didn't try to make a first issue worth remembering.
In September, at Powell's books here in Portland, I'm speaking to John Darnielle about his excellent novel WOLF IN THE WHITE VAN. I dunno the day yet but people have asked me about it so it's clearly been announced.
Oh! I got to talk to ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY about the legend of Jim Steranko. I think that's out now; someone sent me pictures. Go buy the STERANKO ARTISTS EDITION that IDW just put out.
- kelly sue deconnick -
Wrote 16 script pages in one day this week without pulling crazy hours (or at least not any crazier than my normal hours), a fairly astonishing feat for me. My work practices are evolving but not in a way that I'm able to articulate quite yet. Productivity is way up, but because I'm an idiot, my obligations feel like they've quadrupled. I don't know... it might just feel that way because of all the family stuff in the last few months and the addition of some work out of Los Angeles...? We'll see. I'm trying to observe and not judge.
BITCH PLANET letter column name survey was a hoot. BITCHES BE LIKE won by a wide margin, but I liked BITCHFEST, SEALED WITH A BITCH and THE BITCHING HOUR a lot. Well done, bitches.
CAPTAIN MARVEL 6 is off to the printer. 7 is drawn, 8 and 9 are both being drawn. I'm having more fun on this book than I have in a long time -- flerken fiascos and intergalactic 80s rockstar shenanigans. My favorite number is 9 and for whatever reason Issue 9s tend to be special to me. In the last run, CM9 was the datebook issue -- the one with the tumor reveal. (Avengers Assemble 9 was my first issue and my favorite Ghost issue was 4, but if you count up my previous run, including the 0 issue... it's actually #9.) Captain Marvel (2014) 9 is a one-shot featuring a guest X character and David's clearly having a blast -- I think this'll be a special one for both of us. Of course I'm stumped on CM10. Of course I am.
Recorded an AR video for CM6 yesterday -- so look for that with your mobile device. And William Evans did a nice piece on CM and white savior complex for Black Nerd Problems that really struck a chord with me. Grateful for that.
PROMETHEUS FIRE AND STONE: OMEGA is coming along. Check out some preview thumbnails below.
PRETTY DEADLY VOLUME ONE went back to print! Thanks again for that. PRETTY DEADLY VOLUME TWO is in the works.
My SDCC schedule starts with the IMAGE PANEL at 11:00 on Friday in Room 23ABC. Next up is a ticketed signing at the Image Booth (2729). Details about how the ticketed signings work are here. As soon as that's over, I'll be RUNNING over to the steps out front between Halls C & D for the Carol Corps meet up. I'll be there, Nakki will be there, I dunno who all else. YOU? I'll have swag and be available for hugs and duck face selfies and whatnot until about 3:00, when I have to head to the Marvel Live booth. From there I go back to the hotel to get dolled up for the Eisners. (Fraction bought me two new lipsticks yesterday. I'm mortified by how much I love the Kat Von D liquid lipsticks, y'all. But they're really, really good. I have Underage Red, Backstage Bambi and Bachelorette. Oh, and the crazy pink one. Armageddon, I think?)
Saturday stars with Breakfast with the Valkyries. Then another ticketed signing at Image at noon, followed IMMEDIATELY by a signing at the Marvel Booth (2329) at 1pm. Then meetings, then home. Then crying, hugging my knees and rocking back and forth.
Bitch Planet: the Model concepts by Valentine De Landro.
(We're repeating last week's special request because we're lame like that. -- ksdc)
"It would be pretty cool to have a 'currently reading' or 'currently watching' for the both of you so that we'd see what kind of stories you're into while you're writing what you're writing!"
Fraction:
READING
INVERTING THE PYRAMID still primarily
TERROR ASSAULTER OMWOT, B. Marra
TWELVE GEMS, L. Milburn
VILE DECAY, M. Ward
FORMING II, J. Moynihan
And I read two chapters of Rucka's new novel BRAVO and felt my bedtime slipping away so I forced myself to stop. Immediately recommended.
Oh! And a little of SOCCER IN SUN AND SHADOW, E. Galeano. But only because the Maradona documentary 30 for 30 did had excerpts.
WATCHING
SNOWPIERCER
APES 2: FUCK THE APES
A HARD DAY'S NIGHT
I just got POINT BLANK on blu and want to tear in but SDCC beckons, and I have a half marathon to train for yet.
Oh! I think TWIN PEAKS is out next week.
LISTENING
Inspired by A HARD DAY'S NIGHT I hit a bunch of Beatles; I like those stereo remasters a lot, if for no other reason then how revelatory I find Paul's bass-playing.
IN THE AEROPLANE OVER THE SEA, Neutral Milk Hotel
RETURN OF THE FROG QUEEN, Jeremy Enigk
GOOD MORNING SPIDER and IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE by Sparklehorse
YEEZUS by Yeezus
Kelly Sue:
READING
ORYX AND CRAKE - Margaret Atwood
THE BIG CON: THE STORY OF THE CONFIDENCE MAN - David Maurer
WORDS FOR PICTURES - Brian Bendis (we got an advance copy)
ONE KICK - Chelsea Cain (ditto - advance copy)
HARLEM'S RATTLERS AND THE GREAT WAR: THE UNDAUNTED 369TH REGIMENT AND THE AFRICAN AMERICAN QUEST FOR EQUALITY - Jeffrey Sammons
WATCHING
SNOWPIERCER
LISTENING
Uh... does NPR count?
SHADDUP AN GET OFFA MY LAWN
Prometheus Fire & Stone: Omega
A sneak peek at some of Agustin Alessio's layouts. Underpainting. Pretty cool, yeah?
tl;dr
July 25 - Eisner Awards
July 25-26 - KS & Fraction at San Diego Comic Con
July 30 - Hawkeye 19 in stores
August 13 - Captain Marvel 6 in stores
August 13 - KS signing at Illusive Comics and Games in Santa Clara, CA
August 27 - Hawkeye 20 in stores
August 29-31 - Kelly Sue at Dragon*Con
September 5-7 - Fraction at Cincy Comiccon
September 9 - Henry Leo's Birthday
September 10 - Hawkeye 21, Captain Marvel 7 in stores
September 20-21 - KS & MF at Rose City Comic Con
October 8 - Hawkeye: LA Woman tpb & Captain Marvel: Higher Further Faster More tpb in stores