Too Many Things
When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's |FNAME|
- matt fraction -
Do you remember the part of BOOGIE NIGHTS where Julianne Moore is nuked to the gills on the seventies and just keeps saying too many things too many things too many things? I feel like that pretty much all of the time.
SATELLITE SAM V3 came out maybe two weeks ago? Wraps up the first storyline entirely in one sordid, sex-soaked, and sad-ass package. I loved writing this book and spending time with all these doomed TV people so much -- it's hard to express why but I miss them already.
End of last week, we sent the giant hardcover SATELLITE SAM collection to press. 400 pages, 40 bucks, all the story, all the extras, and even some collection-exclusive stuff. It should be a beautiful book; I can't wait to see so much of Howard's work reprinted that large.
CASANOVA: ACEDIA #4 comes out this Wednesday. Bá draws the whole issue (save for the cover) as we flash back into the youth of the man we know as Amiel Boutique, before anyone knew him as anything, let alone that. It's the issue so beautiful that Moon thought for sure we were going to fire him from the rest of the book. He is nuts. I mean, yes, it is beautiful but you'd be nuts to break-up that murderer's row. This wraps the first 'arc' of the ACEDIA and an affordable collection will be on its way soon just in time for the second part that starts up in issue #5.
I have never been to DragonCon but this is apparently about to change. I will do my best to loiter after each of my scheduled things to make sure that I can say hi and sign what you like or pretend like I'm sticking my dick in your hair or whatever. Schedule is down below.
I feel like I should write more. I have a lot of stuff banging around in my head about a lot of stuff but too many things too many things too many things too many things too m
- kelly sue deconnick -
As I write this, Henry Leo and Matt are off at a 2nd grade laser tag party and Tallulah is laying on the dog's bed watching a show on her iPad because it's raining outside, and also I am a terrible mother.
My brain's been all over the place lately.
I've had a lot of trouble sleeping, which is ENTIRELY unlike me, and I've been obsessing hard over things like planners, pens and notebooks. The planner/pen/notebook thing isn't that surprising, really, it's the sort of thing I can always get lost in, but I suspect the level of my recent obsession is directly proportional to my current level of overwhelm. It's not subtle really. My brain never is. It's back-to-school time, I've got (what feels like) a billion work projects going, management responsibilities, mom responsibilities, tv writer responsibilities, comic writer responsibilities and the desire to occasionally get some exercise, take a shower, hang out with a friend or see a movie with my husband. And I don't want to just be good at all of it. I want to be the best... which is both unhealthy and unpossible. So I get why feeling pulled in a hundred directions would lead one to examine systems, but there's always that danger of mistaking time spent on tools and systems with time spent actually moving forward. I see a lot of people do this so at least I know I'm not alone, but there's a point at which you can spend an hour on jetpens.com OR you can pick up the closest Bic and actually write something. You know?
I can feel some of you bristling through the internet. Don't be mad, bro. I do the same thing. I get it. No really: I get it.
It's a balancing act. Like everything, really. The best systems are those that disappear. The best tools are the ones that bring enough pleasure to the process to enhance the experience of ACTUALLY DOING WORK without overshadowing it. Similarly, planning is vital. I can't overstate how important planning is; planning will keep you on track and set you up to succeed... as long as planning is followed by execution. If you spend all your energy on the plan and never execute... well, it's possible to end up with a really cute instagram account and a bin full of washi tape and still not haven't actually done jack shit.
"Stay on target," is what I'm saying, to myself and to you, my fellow obsessive nerds. "Stay on target."
All of that said, here are links to some of the things I've been obsessing over lately. Because misery loves company and I am a terrible person:
"Faux Dori" variations on the classic Midori travelers notebook. I think I've settled on the Maverick Deluxe version from Chic Sparrow for our trip to Europe later this year, but I'm paralyzed choosing a size. (Yes; they are expensive. I am aware of that and of course it gives me pause. Please don't lecture me; I promise if I do purchase the notebook, my children will not go without shoes.) Other contenders are Leather Planners Plus, Buteo Bunker and the blue classic Midori (assuming I can still find one; they're a limited edition).
If I ever manage to make a decision and pull the trigger on the Faux Dori, I'll order paper for it from Yellow Paper House.
Pretty much EVERYTHING at MochiThings.com but especially the pouches and the packing supplies. My current planner is actually the Large Monthly Planner from MochiThings (which costs like $5), used in conjunction with the a bullet journal that I keep in a Leuchtturm1917 medium lined notebook.
Rescue Time. Merlin Mann put me onto it and I'm very interested, but I absolutely do not have it set up to be properly useful yet. Soon.
Momentum browser plugin.
Pilot FriXion Erasable Markers. They work. I loooooove them. I want more.
Just for fun: the Death Star Lamp from Ikea. I'm not really obsessed with this, I just think you should see it.
___
Well, that was just dirty.
I guess I should talk about some books, huh? BITCH PLANET 5 is at the printer!! FINALLY! Barring some unforeseen disaster, it'll be on shelves 9/9. And we've all saged our houses. The trade will be out the following month -- October 7th, I believe -- and then we were planning on being back with volume 2 starting in November but Image is suggesting we push a month or two so that we're decidedly ahead, so we can keep this from ever happening again. I hate to do it, but they're not wrong. I'll give you the date for BP6 when we settle on it.
Did you see the Bitch Planet leggings? And you know about the nail wraps, yeah? Okay, cool.
You read this far, so here's a treat: a never-before-seen page from the second volume of Pretty Deadly. Emma Ríos is a genius. Hold on to your butts.
Milkfed @ DragonCon:
Where to find us
Friday (September 4)
11:30AM —12:30PM Milkfed Criminal Masterminds (Kelly Sue, Matt, Laurenn McCubbin). International North - Hyatt.
1:00PM—2:00PM Heroes vs. Villains (Kelly Sue, Matt). A708 - Marriott.
5:30PM—6:30PM Complete Guide to Creating Comics, Day 1: Concept Design, Writing/Marketing (Kelly Sue). Hanover F - Hyatt.
7:00PM—8:00PM Carol Corps Presents Meet Up With Kelly Sue DeConnick (Kelly Sue). Regency V - Hyatt.
8:30PM—11:00PM Roundtable: History of Gender and Race in Comics (Matt). Hanover F - Hyatt.
Saturday (September 5)
8:30PM—11:00PM Round Table: Race, Gender, and Sexuality (Kelly Sue, Matt, McCubbin). Hanover F - Hyatt.
Sunday (September 6)
9:00AM—10:00AM Dragon Con Late Show (Matt). Streaming on DC channel (Matt’s on around 9:15.)
1:00PM—2:00PM Autograph Session (Kelly Sue and Matt). International Hall South - Marriott.
Monday (September 7)
11:30AM—12:30PM Kelly Sue DeConnick in Focus (Kelly Sue). Hanover F - Hyatt.
Retailers! Please to be enjoying these goodies:
Black and White printable Pretty Deadly 6 Preorder Form.
Let us know if there's anything else you'd find helpful.
#ICYMI
Kelly Sue's 99U talk is up!
From Broadly (Vice): Casting Angry Women Off to Space With Kelly Sue DeConnick
Yahoo! News with Katie Couric: Rise of the female superhero
Sex Crimz #11 Review on Rainbow Hub.
Mythic Noncompliance: Kelly Sue on Kill Your Darlings
Warren Ellis's new ebook ELEKTROGRAD: RUSTED BLOOD is out!
Demerit Badges. Do want.
Seibei just restocked their classic hits. (Gave Zdarsky the "A Single Rose on Garfield's Grave" one.)
@nakashojiart found these beauties and sent us a pic on twitter.
If you're around PDX on September 4th, Bridge City Comics is throwing a release party for Chelsea Cain and Joelle Jones' Mockingbird #1!
tl;dr
Aug 12 - ODY-C #6 on sale
Aug 12 - Satellite Sam vol. 3 trade on sale
Aug 26 - Captain Marvel & the Carol Corps #3 on sale
Sept 2 - Casanova: Acedia #4 on sale
Sept 4-7 - DragonCon
Sept 9 - Henry Leo's birthday
Sept 9 - Bitch Planet #5 on sale
Sept 19-20 - Rose City Comic Con
Sept 23 - Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps #4 on sale
Oct 7 - Bitch Planet vol. 1 trade on sale
Oct 29-Nov 1 - Lucca Comics and Games Festival
Nov 11 - Lauren Sankovitch's birthday
Dec 1 - Matt's Birthday
Dec 20 - Kit's Birthday
Nov 18 - Pretty Deadly #6 on sale
Dec 23 - Pretty Deadly #7 on sale
Jan 27 - Pretty Deadly #8 on sale
Feb 21-28 - JoCo Cruise
Feb 24 - Pretty Deadly #9 on sale
Milkfed Logo by Rian Hughes.