007: A Long December Ahead
Back from George Town and gearing up for Singapore Comic Con. You know the drill, folks.
Support my work
Work-Life Balance – the multi-award-winning prose/comics hybrid co-created with Benjamin Chee
You can also get the Work-Life Balance bundle, which comes with the book, a mug, washi tape and more
Worlds Apart: A Conversation About Mental Health – a comic co-created with Nurjannah Suhaimi
HANTU – Spotify channel for the award-winning narrative series, Ghost Maps, and the talk show, Dead Air, both of which were co-created with Kyle Ong
And, hey, with Christmas coming up and stockings that need to be stuffed, maybe consider getting one of my books for your nearest and dearest—or even your enemies. I mean, I'd prefer it if you gave my books out of love, but really, a sale's a sale.
Diamonds are our books' best friend
The official press release is out!
Diamond Book Distributors is pleased to announce that it has signed a worldwide distribution agreement with Difference Engine to exclusively distribute their graphic novels, books, and comics to North American and international markets. This agreement also sees Difference Engine products distributed to the comic book specialty market exclusively through Diamond Comic Distributors.
There's an article on ICv2 about the deal too.
I've spoken about this in a previous edition, but just to sum up and reiterate what I said there, this is wonderful news and I can't wait for Work-Life Balance and Worlds Apart to hit the shelves at your local stores.
Con job
My last event for the year is, as always, Singapore Comic Con, which takes place on 9 and 10 December, at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre. I'll have two panels on the second day.
The first is a session that I'm moderating. It's about comic covers and is aptly titled Judged By Its Cover. It features DC Executive Editor, Ben Abernathy, as well as four wildly popular cover artists: Stanley "Artgerm" Lau, Derrick Chew, Alan Quah and Kael Ngu. It'll be happening at 2pm.
The other is a session called New Talent Showcase, moderated by Leslie Lee. I'll be on the panel with Ben, Elvin Ching, Samara Gan, Kang Jing and Edison Neo. This one happens at 4pm.
Both of these will be at The W.I.P Lab. You can check out the full schedule here.
I can't remember all the times I tried to tell myself to hold on to these moments as they pass
I feel like The Bear has given the world permission to like Counting Crows again—which is great for me because I have this year-end tradition of playing their most on-the-nose-for-the-season song over and over.
Yes, the hook for this edition is one particular track, but it's also kinda about more. It's a song that—for me, at least—is perfectly designed for reflection. I mean, come on. This is its first line: "A long December and there's reason to believe maybe this year will be better than the last."
But there's also the fact that it was released in 1996, one of my most formative years. While I don't really indulge in nostalgia too much these days—even when watching shows or listening to other songs from this era—A Long December's the one time I'll allow myself to get transported to a particular time and mindset.
That two-hit combo of assumed intention and personal interpretation put me in a headspace to always look back on the previous twelve months. More and more these days, I think it's important to do that. Sure, a year's end is an arbitrary time for introspection, but the point isn't when you take stock, but that you actually do.
It's been a hell of a year for me, and its momentum might pick up even more speed as we head into 2024. If I don't take this time to look back—to sit with and appreciate everything that's happened—then I risk losing sight of why I even do this.
Or, as Adam Duritz croons while Courtney Cox looks sadly out a window, "I can't remember the last thing that you said as you were leaving. Now the days go by so fast."
Makes the heart grow fonder
I've got COVID (again) and have been quarantining away from Luca, so that he isn't affected. We miss each other dearly.
Links and things
I respectfully disagree with this very well-written and thoughtful piece, which posits that Watchmen isn't necessarily the best introduction to comics. To be fair, my argument against it is a personal one. One of my favourite things about this comic is how much more I've grown to love it with every passing re-read. I think that, at any point in your relationship with this medium, you can appreciate Watchmen on very different levels—and that includes when you're just entering this wonderful world of comics. So, yes, if you're not getting one of my books for a friend this festive season, at least get 'em Watchmen. (And then, when you think they're ready, get 'em From Hell.)
David Brothers' piece exploring his relationship with Frank Miller's work is fucking excellent. This line, in particular, hits hard: "I don't believe in separating the art from the artist because the art is the artist, and vice versa. Art-as-product is one thing, but art comes from somewhere. It's expression. And over the years, Miller's expression and mine have diverged greatly."
A short video from Caregivers Alliance Limited that looks at how this amazing non-profit helps those who are caring for persons with mental health issues. Representatives from CAL were early readers of Worlds Apart, and were invaluable in getting the tone and message right. Also, the voice talent for this video? One seriously hot gal. (It's Nadia. I'm not being creepy, I swear.)
And we're done
Would you look at that! There are only twenty-four days till Christmas. Soooooo...
See you in two weeks!