NJW&C 17: What If...?
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!
School’s back in session, kid! Get yer notebooks and binders, your bag lunches and calculators and jump on the big yellow bus!
That means that summer is coming to a close, and Neil has the space again to think, write, read and dive back into this newsletter. So here we are, with a brand new Fall installment.
Hope everyone reading here had a wonderful weekend, whether or not you celebrated the Labor Day holiday as we did here in the States. For me, that meant a drive back to Detroit—often imitated, never forgotten—to see family, drink Faygo RedPop, Vernors ginger ale, and pick up some new Lions gear in anticipation of football season picking up this weekend.
It also, as it always does, gives me a chance to indulge in a little “what if.” See, I left Detroit back in 1999, ready to make a life and name for myself here in the New York tri-state area—in comics, as a designer, as a lover of all things Big Apple. But visiting my family back in the Great Lakes State, looking around at the last of my things left in my Dad’s house (toys, mostly, and old photographs), and some comics…including issues from the 1990s volumes of Marvel Comics’ What If…? Series.
After devouring tales such as “What If demon Wolverine ate some small babies” and “what if the Scarlet Witch was even sadder than she is now”, I did take a moment and think what if…what might have happened if Neil Kleid had never left Detroit? Would he have the same life? The same family? Would he have been in a position to ever make a career in comics?
If I had never moved to New York, I doubt I’d have ever gone beyond crafting my own lil’ mini comics, and selling them in local stores. I probably wouldn’t have gotten involved in the larger Brooklyn indy/alt scene, inspired to make Ninety Candles, won a Xeric grant, met local folks who’d introduce me to editors at Marvel and DC Comics. I would never have been able to drop by the DC offices to get that random Perry White story. Never have been local to meet Byron Priess, who paid me to adapt Call of The Wild. I’d have never met the ZudaComics folks and done a bunch of webcomics, never have run into Stuart Moore in Brooklyn and been offered the “Kraven’s Last Hunt” adaptation. I’d never have met the Comixology folks, have gone to MoCCA or SPX where I sold both Brownsville and The Big Kahn, never have been at Topps where I got to work on Star Wars and baseball cards—scoring me invites to SDCC, Star Wars Celebration and the MLB All-Star game, all of which impacted my life. I’d have never met my wife. I’d never be living where I am now.
I’d probably never have been able to bring you amazing comic books.
And because of that, you would never have been reading this newsletter in the first place, Dear and Beloved Friend and Reader.
“What if”? I say, No Regrets. I’m happy my life turned out this way—the good and the bad—and whatever happens, happens. Especially if I’m able to work on great comics and books, like the ones below.
WHAT IF… KINGS AND CANVAS SHIPPED TO STORES?
Good news, everyone! Do you like a little fisticuffs with your fantasy? Did you miss out on a chance to pledge toward the collected edition of Kings and Canvas, the “fantasy boxing” comic book I co-authored with Jake Allen and Frank Reynoso? Well, you’re in luck, friend-os…
…because now you can pre-order copies of Kings and Canvas today from our pals at Outland Entertainment and CEX Publishing, for when it ships to comic book shops and bookstores this December, in time for the holidays!
Just walk into your local comic book stores, and ask them to preorder Diamond PREVIEWS item number SEP241600 or Lunar order code 0924CX447 in the September edition of their wonderful catalog, and before you know it, you’ll have a lovely little pugilistic stocking stuffer—or something for one of the many, many nights of Chanukah—to gift your best friend or loved one. A comic lives or dies by its preorders to stores, my friends. You did a great job bringing this one to life on Kickstarter; now let’s make sure it appears on every single comic book store’s shelf…and demand we make more stories in this world!
What is Kings and Canvas, you say? It’s like “Game of Thrones” meets “Rocky Balboa”! It’s got a boxing dragon! It follows the story of a boxing champion named Mammoth, who was exiled and imprisoned. Then, a decade later, he punches his way out of prison, ready to return to the family, title and country he’d left behind. In a transformed America, Mammoth embarks on a journey alongside a motley crew of pirates, sea dwarves, and talking, boxing polar bears, prepared to challenge and unjust king and the malevolent councilor who once banished him.
Thanks for checking it out, and tell your local comic shop and bookstore owner, your friends and foes!
WHAT IF… MULTIVERSE OF MYSTERY WAS ON IT’S WAY?
For the folks who backed Multiverse of Mystery, a prose anthology in which various writers—Neil included—have placed the archetypal detectives, Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, into new genres, worlds, or time periods…well, good news: it’s nearly here!
The digital edition should be out soon, and the printed version following soon after. I’ve proofed my story, and am very happy with the final result. Thanks for your patience…I think you’ll enjoy my little literary romcom at the back of the book. In the meantime, here’s a look at when I visited the Sherlock Holmes Museum on Baker Street a few weeks ago on a well-deserved trip across the point. You’ll be sad to learn the good detective wasn’t home when I knocked on number 221B—perhaps he was off to America, while I visited Blighty? We’ll never know.
Meanwhile, here are the titles and authors to remind why those of you who did backed this unique collection of Holmesian lore.
"The Adventure of the Lioness’s Mane" by Diane Duane
"The Curious Incident of the Blog in the Night-time" by Marsheila Rockwell
"Threads of Deceit" by Ammar Habib
"A Study in Alchemy" by Scott Pearson
"The Adventure of the Greenwoods Bandit" by John Peel
"The Junkyard Dog of the Baskervilles" by David Avallone
"A Study in Vacuum" by Dayton Ward
"The Case of the Unseelie Terror" by David McDonald
"The Mystery of the Brothers" by Lorraine J. Anderson
"Sherlock Hominid and the Baker-Street Irregularity" by Teel James Glenn
"The Rats of Saint Servatius" by Bryan Young
"The Case of the Leaping Leprechaun" by Will McDermott
"Touring Company" by Gini Koch writing as Anita Ensal
"The Mortal Case of the Eight Seven Six Five Ba Xian" by Ben H. Rome
"The Norwood Contractor: An Adventure of Shirley Holmes and Jack Watson" by Keith R.A. DeCandido
"My Tombstone Days, by John H. Watson, M.D." by Steven Philip Jones
"Hella AFK" by Jennifer Brozek
"The Case of the Displaced" by Aaron Rosenberg
"The Silence of an Empty House" by Neil Kleid
"Does Sherlock Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Jennifer Brody
WHAT IF… POTS AND PANELS WAS ABOUT TO LAUNCH?
Next month, you’ll have the chance to pledge for copies of a fun, new comic book anthology from over eighty creators, featuring short stories themed around food paired with recipes! Yes, the Pots and Panels anthology is going live on Kickstarter very, very soon and we’ve been working really hard to finally complete our story, a new original tale set in the world of Savor, the young adult adventure graphic novel I co-authored with John Broglia and Frank Reynoso, published by Dark Horse Comics.
For those who don’t know, warrior chef Savor Batonnet undertook her very first quest as a newly minted hero, and faced five deadly restaurants—and demon cooks— to save her parents, and the woman she loves. This new short story—”How Not to Cook For Twenty Sailors, Or How Savor Started a Mutiny On Her Very First Week”— follows a young Savor as she sails from her island home on a merchant ship, determined to become an adventuring cook. But skeptical about her ability to become a hero, when tasked to cook dinner for the ship's crew, Savor’s indecision and doubt leads to culinary mutiny!
Check out the anthology website here. And then check out a sample page with art by John and Frank below! Keep your eyes on the Pots and Panel website and social media account for when the Kickstarter pre-launch page goes live.
WHAT IF… NEIL WAS INTERVIEWED ON A PODCAST?
If you missed it, here’s a fun little podcast I did over the summer with Jason DeHart at Words, Images and Worlds, in which we talked about my work, Nice Jewish Boys, how I started making comics, collaboration as a team sport and a lot more. Have a listen to it on Spotify.
WHAT IF…NEIL STUCK TO HIS WRITING PLAN, AS IT WERE?
Speaking of Nice Jewish Boys, we’re still working on getting a print edition out to interested readers, so more on that as it comes together. I hope to have more definitive news around New York Comic-Con this October.
Speaking of NYCC, I’ll only be attending on Sunday, October 20th, wandering the floor and Artist’s Alley, saying hello to friends and editors, and trying to meet new ones (both friends and editors!) If you see me walking around, wearing the Detroit colors, offer a high five and let’s chat about the comix, shall we?
Speaking of conventions, I’ll also be attending JewCE in November. You still have about a week to nominate Nice Jewish Boys for this year’s annual JewCE Awards (remember? I won Writer Honoree of The Year in 2023?) Just head over to this here nomination link, and put in a good word for Nice Jewish Boys, a suburban Jewish crime comic book by me, John Broglia & Ellie Wright with edits by Sarah Litt from Comixology Originals. You can also still check out the book digitally on the Kindle app by buying it here on Amazon, and then downloading it to the app on your device. Mostly, though, don’t forget to nominate us!
Speaking of other work (okay, that one was a stretch) I accomplished quite a bit of writing this summer, really, while the kids were in camp. This month alone I put my finishing touches on the first issue of Project Mantle, and I completed the first draft of the short film I’ve been working on…and my quick hop to London inspired an idea for my first ever feature-length screenplay, so I’ll begin working on that this week. Don’t worry, folks; comic books are still my main literary squeeze, and I have no plans to ‘go Hollywood’ any time soon. Now, if Hollywood wants to go for Kleid, though, who am I to say no…?
Short one this month. Back again next time before the High Holidays.
(But then again…what if I don’t?!)
Ah, who’s kidding? Like Arnold, I’ll be back. Fall forward, fearless friends! See ya in 30(?)
Neil
MIGDAL: Neil Kleid's Nice Jewish Words & Comics is free! Tell your friends, enemies and interested dragons. If you enjoyed this email, you can show Neil that his writing is valuable to you by checking out his books here and supporting independent comix: https://bookshop.org/shop/neilkleid