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July 25, 2024

NJW&C 16: The Not At San Diego ComicCon Edition

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Hey, Kids! It’s Nice Jewish Words & Comics!, the latest installment from Neil Kleid's bi-monthly newsletter with updates and info about his latest projects!


Hello, friends. It’s been a while. Our last newsletter went out in early June, and here we are on the cusp of August. So let me explain.

Simple as this: I got busy. That’s the plain truth of it.

For the last month, I’ve been handling personal, non-writing stuff in my life (day job get busy, kids, some time off) and also had to focus on writing and comics work that was falling behind. In order to focus energies on those tasks, I had to prioritize, and this newsletter got pushed down the list. That doesn’t make it any less important, no, but as I continue my make things / non-promotion year, the scripts, pitches and prose tend to take precedent.

To that end, starting with this installment I’ll be moving this newsletter to a monthly cadence. This way, your inbox will get fewer hits from me, but the hits that come will be satisfying and substantive. Like City of Ruins by Bruce, or Patience by Guns N’ Roses. But less slow and ballad-y. More like literary bangers.

I appreciate your patience and understanding with why I have to do this, dear reader, and thank you for both continuing to welcome me into your inbox and continuing to support my work / writing. Other than the cadence, nothing else has changed—still all killer, hardly any filler.

With that out of the way, let’s get to it.

COMIC-CON, BABY 

So, as we speak San Diego Comic-Con is now underway—the annual intersection between the comics, film, toy, and gaming industries—and yes, I am not there. 

photo of san diego convention center, during the day, with people in front of it and a banner that reads "welcome to comic-con international"
The San Diego Convention Center. You will never find a more wretched hive of high-priced soft pretzels and villainy

But that is okay! I have been to Comic-Con several time (“SDCC”, from here on in), and each time has offered plenty of networking opportunities, unique experiences, and both new and renewed friendships and acquaintances with folks from all backgrounds and parts of the shared confluence of entertainment worlds. In fact, I’ll post some photos below.

image of neil kleid in a blue topps star wars shirt and brian michael bendis in a tan shirt with a red tie
Neil and Brian Michael Bendis, two comic book Jews who wrote a big-time comics-related novel together

I love SDCC very much, but over the years…attending has become somewhat prohibitive to creators both from a practical perspective (getting a hotel walkable to the convention, securing a booth) and a financial perspective if you’re not a guest. And though there is a certain amount of FOMO in terms of hanging out with fellow creators and seeing all the cool shit, even networking is difficult to do at a convention so large and hard to navigate. I tend to do better at New York Comic-Con where that is concerned, or at smaller shows, and SDCC is becoming more of a “if I can figure it out” scenario for me and some others. Obviously, if I had something immediate to announce. promote (or, you know, if I was nominated for an award) my outlook may change. But for now, I’m good with not being able to attend SDCC.

james owen, neil kleid and rantz hoseley signing copies of comic book tattoo at a convention table
Me signing Comic Book Tattoo at SDCC with my buds, James Owen and the book’s editor, Rantz Hoseley

Now, I know there are other creators out there who aren’t. They feel like if they’re not getting face-time at this big celebration of comics, film, games, etc—or if they’re not announcing anything—that it makes them less of a creators, makes it seem as if they’re not part of the industry. So, I just wanted to take a second and say to those folks: it’s okay that you’re not at Comic-Con. It’s okay that you aren’t announcing anything right now. It’s okay that you’re not part of the PR and the hullabaloo, and are home working on your comic.

Look, if you're a creator NOT at SDCC, and not announcing projects or being offered work, and generally feeling ignored by the industry as a comics creator...KEEP WORKING. Hone your craft. Make stories. This is a hard self-esteem weekend for many, yes, but it doesn't make you any less of a creator, so please keep going.

dan fogler, neil kleid and ben mccool smiling and standing a table with banners and a robot in the background
Me with pal Ben McCool, English gentleman, and our pal Dan Fogler, who played a New Yorker in movies full of English gentlemen

I promise you, friends: talent does rise. Some months or years your email is tumbleweeds; and some others it's a hard downpour. For now, just keep on writing / drawing / coloring / lettering / editing / etc. Tell your stories. Make cool comics. All of the other stuff, the things you fear are missing from your career, all of that will eventually come in time. This vocation is a marathon, friends, and not a sprint. One day, you'll be there and you'll announce. For now, vocally support your peers and friends who are also out there making cool comics. Point to the ones that are at SDCC or other shows, tell readers and followers to check out what they’re doing, too. Applaud their victories and please try not to let that devalue where you are or what you're doing. And perhaps, one day when you’re in a position to be at the big show, to announce and promote…your peers and friends will point to your achievements and applaud, as well.

five handsome guys at a restaurant table with a window in the background, low lighting
Saturday night dinner with friends (from left) Kody Chamberlain, Dan Taylor, I believe this is Nick Jones (?), and Rob Guillory

Just. Keep. Making. Comics (if you can.) Don't let the announcements, offers, or awards make you feel like you're not making headway. Every story you get out into the world is a huge accomplishment and should feel like a success, even if it doesn't lead you to writing Batman or getting nominated for an award.

(That said, if this is affecting your mental, physical or even financial health ...it's okay to take a break, to remember that it’s just comics in the end. Comics isn’t worth killing yourself or putting yourself at mental or physical risk. I promise that comics is not going anywhere, and your desire or talent isn’t either. It will all still be here when you're in the mental, physical or financial space to return. Comics are not worth burning out over.)

Look,I've been there too—some days I'm at the peak of a writing career, and some years I’m down in in the valley, restarting the climb. It happens to many of us. I wrote about it here in this past newsletter installment. The trick is to strike a balance is to get to a place where you are happy with your own little comics wins, and also be happy for the larger wins of your peers and friends. It takes time to find that balance, but you'll get there. I believe in you. I believe in us. I know this feels preachy,  but I'm speaking from experience. This newsletter is a pep talk to myself, as well—I'm in the valley now, working on one single book of my own. Only one, a creator-owned mini-series currently under contract. I'd like to be working on more. I’d like to be working on stories for other people, other franchises—to get the big offer, to play with all the toys. I'd like to write Star Wars, Marvel or any of the others. I’ve done it before. I’m not right now. I'll get there again. It's a marathon, not a sprint. Little wins build to bigger ones. You’ll get there, too.

Grant Morrison wearing a black jacket and red and white badge lanyard with Neil Kleid wearing a blue topps star wars shirt and a black lanyard at the Legendary Comics booth
Grant Morrison, putting a magic curse on me. A curse of FRIENDSHIP.

I hope this helps some of you (hell I hope it helps me.) We'll get through SDCC — and other conventions, other announcements—one win at a time, one page at a time. Next year with any luck, we'll all have cool shit to talk about, too. For now? Let's start climbing out of this valley together win by win, page by page, book by book. L’shana Haba B’San Diego Comic-Con (Next Year in San Diego Comic-Con), right?

And in the meantime, as incentive, here’s a photo of the great Grant Morrison whooping it up on a speeder bike at an EA Star Wars Battlefront party.

Grant Morrison and two pals laughing on a speeder bike replica at a party, with purple and red lighting, and the logo Star Wars Batllefront
GET THEM EWOKS, GRANT

NEIL’S WRITING ANNOUNCEMENTS: THE PLAN, SHE CHANGES AGAIN

Since though, this is a time for folks to announce what they’re working on, since last we met I’m happy to report that my 2024 Writing PlanTM has yet again gone through a bit of an overhaul (omnia mutantur, kids.) Some work has progressed, some of it has been shelved, and still others have shifted about. When last we met, this was The Plan:

  • Project Mantle (5 issue mini-series, Fall 2025)

  • Project Vigilant (spec novel)

  • Project Long Ago (comic book pitch)

  • Project Red, Book 1 (spec novel)

  • Project Katz (script, short film)

And in 2025, we’d follow this up with whatever was left in Project Mantle, the second book in Project Red, and pitches for Projects Orlando and Burn.

Funny thing. Project Mantle is still on track. In fact, I have finished the plotting and panel descriptions for the entire first issue, and will start dialogue on Monday. Protect Vigilant is now at 32,000 words and growing, and I’ve written four pages of Project Katz (and we’re already exploring a shooting location, true.)

Here’s the thing. During that time, I got some interest from a publisher on a different pitch—Project Dog Day—and am partnering with a co-author to see if we can make that happen, too. I also heard from a former co-author who wants to work with me again, and we’re going to see if we can land Project Unwanted at a lucky publishing outlet, as well. While all of those conversations have been happening, I’ve also been musing on the marketability of some of the above items on my 2024/2025 lists—and the feasibility of what I may or may not get done this year—and so I’ve moved a few things around. So! The NEW 2024 Writing PlanTM (for the next six months, anyway, or until it changes yet again):

  • Project Mantle (5 issue mini-series, Fall 2025)

  • Project Vigilant (spec novel, 32k out of 85k words)

  • Project Orlando (comic book pitch)

  • Project Katz (script, short film)

  • (Tentative) Project Long Ago (comic book pitch)

  • (Tentative) Project Red, Book 1 (spec novel)

Now, if I finish all of the above—and no other licensed or creator-owned pitches get green-lit—that’s a lot of great writing for 2024. If I don’t finish it all, Project Long Ago and the first volume of Project Red slide into 2025 with whatever is left of Project Mantle (the logo for which I really need to design this week, as well.) That would pair those with the pitch for Project Burn and, if I can get to it, the second volume in Project Red.

Ambitious? Yes. Will it change again? Most probably. Is it thrilling? Hell yes.

Let’s get writing.

NOTES FROM THE CONVENTION FLOOR

Three actors from the TV show The Bear, sitting in an office, looking at something off camera
Carm and the Brothers Fak, checking out The Bear’s new organizational plan for recognizing food critics
  • Loved Season 3 of The Bear and Season 4 of The Boys. Messy as hell, incredibly compelling television shows both of which left me wanting more. I love shows, films and books that explore flawed humans dedicating themselves to a purpose, and what happens when either the purpose turns out to be flawed itself or goes of the rails, and how they pivot, react and either triumph or fail. Both of these seasons gave that to me in buckets PLUS I got to see Will Ferrell in a fake Marvel movie, and John Cena give a haunting performance as one of the ridiculously fun Fak Brothers (give them their own show!) What I’m wondering is, can we swap the casts for one season—but have them keep their characters. I’d kill to watch one season of The Seven and The Boys in competing restaurants, and another season of Cousin Richie taking down a bunch of Vought supes. Yes, Chef.

    The Homelander and Victoria Neuman, smiling with their backs to us, from The Boys
    If the election doesn’t work out, Homelander, you can always run a food truck.
  • Speaking of chefs, work on the Savor ten-pager for Pots and Panels continues, and here’s a lovely sample page by me, John Broglia and Frank Reynoso. Our girl’s in the hot water now.

    a comics page from the Savor comic book short being featured in Pots and Panels, an upcoming cooking comic book anthology
  • Speaking of Pots and Panels, I gotta write up a lil’ recipe to include with the book. For the graphic novel and our holiday special comic strip I had Savor give us the recipe herself, and so I think we’ll do that here, too. There’s a bit in the comic about tacos, so maybe get ready for Savor Batonnet’s Wednesday Tacos. Relax, Taco Tuesday. It’s just a comic book bit. No need to get all political and stuff.

  • Speaking of getting all political and stuff, I don’t get real political in this here newsletter, but holy crap what a month, right? An assassination attempt, a change in party candidates, and the selection of a running mate that really enjoys himself the love seat. Any actual reason for grandparents to put plastic covers on their couches is okay in my book, even though if the guy who can’t stop loving couches is not in said book.

    the book cover to tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow - a novel by gabrielle zevin, best selling author of the storied life of a.j. fikry
  • Speaking of books, a few weeks back I was traveling and needed something to read, and almost picked up Gabrielle Zevin’s Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow which is a New York Times best-selling love story about college friends who become creative partners in the the video game industry. I didn’t pick it up at the time (it felt too engaging for a quick flight, and I had a copy of Douglas Adams’ fantastic The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy in my bag, which has one of my favorite lines of dialogue about spaceships—“the ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don’t”) and didn’t give it a second thought. That is until this week, when I saw that the book was removed from a book club by a Chicago bookstore, City Lit, and also that Zevin, a writer of both Jewish and Korean descent who has never broadcast her views on Israel, was being boycotted as a Zionist. There’s a whole article about it here, and a further account of the same sort of backlash that happened with Zevin last December. Anyway, all that to say that I kind of want to read the book now and will be checking it out soon. There’s a larger article about the current landscape of Jews and publishing here at the New York Times. So, you know, take it with a grain of salt. Still, there’s a lot of discussion happening about incidents like this by Jews in publishing behind closed doors. I won’t comment on any of that here, but I’m definitely keeping my eye on it.

    an image of deadpool and wolverine, fighting one another with claws and guns
    Two best frens forever
  • Speaking of keeping my eye on it, I’ll be doing just that with SDCC news all weekend, mostly here at Popverse, overseen by friend of the newsletter, Chris Arrant. I’ll be taking breaks to get some writing done, and also take in a viewing of Deadpool & Wolverine, which I believe is about a hitman who tries taking down a quarterback at the University of Michigan and gets his butt handed to him by the entire team. Okay, when I start making college football jokes, it’s time to end this thing. But seriously, excited for the new Marvel movie, and especially for Succession’s Matthew MacFadyen who I still think would make a fantastic Henry Peter Gyrich but is instead playing some kind of bureaucratic time cop whose character is ultimately based on the late, great Mark Gruenwald. Also, there will be drug and poop jokes, of which I am reasonably certain, and maybe some cameos (no spoilers!)

Time Variance Authority agents, the design of whom was based on Marvel editor Mark Gruenwald
In the comics, the design of Marvel’s Time Variance Authority (TVA) agents were based on late, great Marvel editor Mark Gruenwald

So, that’s it for me this month. If you’re at or headed to San Diego Comic-Con, travel safe and mask up. Have fun and know one another, and say hello to all of my friends.

Maybe I’ll see you there next year?

Back in 30

—Neil


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