WHAT TO WRITE WHEN YOU'RE NOT WRITING

With it being summer and me being a teacher, I have June, July, and half of August away from my classroom. It's nice. One would think I'd get a ton of writing done during this time. Although the past few years have proven, contrary to popular reasoning, I actually get less writing accomplished. Maybe it's because I'm out of my routine, or maybe it's because I have Kennedy during the day and she keeps me occupied? Whatever the case may be, I tend to get restless during this time.

I have a few proposals that are more or less complete -- some with artists, some without. I'm in the finding-a-publisher phase, which is the most frustrating part. I can't really do more work on any of these stories until then. NOTE: I decided awhile ago that it doesn't make sense to script every single story idea I get from beginning to end. After I've written a decent synopsis and scripted the first chapter, I should probably move on to finding an artist or a publisher. Then once those things are in place, I can finish it. After all, with my synopsis, the story is all there and the script will come. Also, I don't always know which stories to focus on until I get some confirmation through finding an artist or a publisher. Make sense?

* The BOLIVAR proposal looks beautiful. Diana Nock illustrated the first sixteen pages, and she did an amazing job. Who doesn't want a wonderland fantasy story involving animal spirits, pirates, cannibals, a mysterious light house, and true stories of my family's experience during World War II?

* FRONTIER is without an artist, so is DELTA COUNTY. I have some people in mind. Epic in scale. I don't want either of these stories to fall in the cracks.

* If you keep track of my blog, Greg Zadrozny is the artist for OMISOKA BRIDGE. He's been busy with his freelance work, but the guy is too perfect. If it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. But right now, I can't imagine anyone else doing it.

* I've been wanting to work with Cal Slayton for awhile now. THE LAST BABYSITTER seemed like a perfect project. However, I had a difficult time selling my "quirky caretaker" story -- Mary Poppins or Nanny McPhee, but with big guns and grenades, fighting off the robot uprising. The apocalyse, but for kids. It's just as well: Cal is working on his own story Spookytown, which is very cool. I'm excited for this one.

It's hard to keep track of everything. I've thought about finding a manager or agent. Antony Johnston discouraged the idea. He told me, comic book writers make so little money, why split the percentage even further? I simply need to find a better system for keeping everything organized. Who knows? If something hits, it might be easier to sell some of the previous stories.

For stuff that's already written, Brent Schoonover recently finished the first chapter of ASTRONAUT DAD VOL. 2. Tom Kurzanski is busy on KARMA INCORPORATED VOL. 2. Both should be in stores by the end of the year. Both look great.

It hasn't felt like I've been busy lately, but the past twelve months have been more productive than I originally thought. I scripted four issues of LAKE ARCHER, a side project never intended for publication. I wrote "50 Miles to Marfa" (illustrated by Dan Warner), tentatively scheduled for PopGun Vol. 3 and "Of All Time and Forever" (to be illustrated by Chris Mitten), part of an upcoming anthology project. I don't want to say too much about these short stories, since nothing has been finalized. Around Free Comic Book Day, I released a 16 page mini-comic MINE ALL MINE, which featured several of my favorite artists. And every other month, Paul Milligan and I produce SOUVENIR OF DALLAS for D Magazine.

Still. None of this has the momentum of a "next big project." In the meantime, I've been restlessly friending people on MySpace, twittering, visiting other people's blogs and webcomics, and scheming, definitely scheming. With a notepad and everything.

Currently reading:
DEATH NOTE VOL.1-12
ATOMIC ROBO VOL. 1
GOOD IN A ROOM

PRAISE FOR SOUVENIR OF DALLAS

On page 18 of D Magazine's July issue, in the comments section:

"Prepare to laugh like an unstable hyena over this mighty hilarious D Magazine comic strip [Souvenir of Dallas] by David Hopkins and Paul Milligan." - Morning News Reporter Dave Levinthal on June's "Mayor Big Hands" Strip.

Our next installment will appear in the August issue. Expect more hilarity.

JUNE ISSUE OF D MAGAZINE

The latest installment of "Souvenir of Dallas" (illustrated by Paul Milligan and written by myself) is now available in the June issue of D Magazine. The editors loved this one so much, for the first time, they've also featured it online. Enjoy. However, you should still pick up the print version -- April read the "Sex and the Single Woman" article in this issue. It's hilarious.

I'm considering a "Souvenir of Dallas" subdomain site for Antihero Comics. Maybe expanding the concept? I don't know yet. Just thinking about it.

Thursday, June 26th, I'll be at Meltdown Comics in Los Angeles for a book signing from 6 PM to 9 PM. If you live in the area, please come by and say hello.

IN THE MAIL

I'm shipping complimentary copies of MINE ALL MINE to the following retailers:

Zeus Toys & Comics (Dallas TX), Titan Comics (Dallas TX), Keith's Comics (Dallas TX), Austin Books (Austin TX), Speeding Bullet Comics (Norman OK), Astrokitty Comics (Lawrence KS), Star Clipper (St. Louis MO), Big Brain Comics (Minneapolis MN), Comix Revolution (Evanston IL), Quimby's (Chicago IL), Chicago Comics (Chicago IL), The Beguiling (Toronto Ontario), Strange Adventures (Halifax Nova Scotia), Strange Adventures (Fredericton New Brunswick), The Million Year Picnic (Cambridge MA), Comicopia (Boston MA), Jim Hanley's Universe (New York NY), Rocketship (Brooklyn NY), Copacetic Comics Company (Pittsburgh PA), Atomic Books (Baltimore MD), Bizarro Wuxtry (Athens GA), Skylight Books (Los Angeles CA), Meltdown (Los Angeles CA), Comic Relief (Berkeley CA), Hijinx Comix (San Jose CA), Needles and Pens (San Francisco CA), Isotope (San Francisco CA), Reading Frenzy (Portland OR), Zanadu Downtown (Seattle WA)

If you happen to live near any of these stores, stop by later next week and see if they have it on the shelf somewhere.

GHETTOMANGA LIKES IT, THUS IT MUST BE GOOD

At least, that's my thinking. My friend Samax at ghettoManga gave a great review of Karma Incorporated. If you haven't been to Samax's blog, you need to bookmark it. I visit the site regularly, and he keeps me updated on everything that's anything that's enjoyable. I know he's developing a magazine, and I can't wait to read more. Financial backing, my dear ones, that's all we need to make this world a little more hip. On his blog, you will notice he has copies of "Mine All Mine" for sale. If you can't wait for the minicomic to arrive at a comic book shop near you, here is the only place to get an early copy online.

Also, I started a twitter account. I've added the function to my website and MySpace page. Let me know what you think. Love it? Hate it? Too much? Not enough? Care less?

MINE ALL MINE

I'm not quite ready for the press release, but I thought I'd share an update on the minicomic. It's going to be called "Mine All Mine," a series of one-page vignettes about taking what doesn't belong to you. Uh, stealing. The minicomic will debut at CAPE on May 3rd. I wrote all the vignettes. So far, here's who I have involved on the art end...

Cover by Tania Kaufmann

Samax Amen ("The Plan")
Ryan Cody ("Long Walk Home")
David DeGrand ("Stealing Electricity")
Joe Eisma ("Lost Wallet")
Jake Ekiss ("Vending Machines")
Derrick Fish ("Misdirection")
John Gonzales ("My First Stolen Car")
Michael Lagocki ("Tools of the Trade")
Jim Lujan ("The Nigerian Scam")
Paul Milligan ("Kidnapping")
Wes Molebash ("I Found It")
Chad Sell ("Will Run for Food")
Cal Slayton ("Return Policy")
Justin Stewart ("Blanket Thief")
ZeeS ("Pickpocket")
Scott Zirkel ("The Oil Change")

I appreciate everyone who decided to jump on board despite the time constraints. In a better world, I would have thought of this project months ago, and then you could've procrastinated to the last minute. Now I've taken that away from you. My apologies.

MY BAD IDEA

I just sent an e-mail (posted below). This could get ugly. If you did not get the e-mail and you want to participate, let me know. I didn't contact some folks, because I knew you were incredibly swamped with other projects that we're collaborating on, such as 50 Miles to Marfa, Omisoka Bridge, Bolivar, Astronaut Dad Vol.2, and Karma Incorporated Vol.2.

Already, I've received six confirmations (UPDATE: 15 confirmations) from some very talented artists.

Hello friends,

I'm working on a one-shot comic that will consist of a series of one page vignettes -- about thieves, crooks, scoundrels, con artists, etc. Each page, a different artist. I'm trying to pull some favors with all the artists I know. With CAPE (http://capeday.com) and Free Comic Book Day right around the corner, why not release it as a mini-comic with anyone who can contribute? I'll see if I can get a lovely publisher for the final version.

If you're interested, let me know and I'll send you a script by Friday. Due date for the finished inked and lettered page: April 25th. I need it grayscale, 300 dpi, tiff, 5.5"(width) x 8.5"(height). Put your name on page somewhere at the bottom, title at the top. I'll credit myself on the title page, along with all the participating artists.

Some of you may not be able to make the April 25th deadline, but would be interested in playing along for the final version. If so, let me know, and I'll add you to that list.

For people in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, I'll print enough (I hope) for you to have some copies at your booth at CAPE or wherever else you will be that day. If you want to make a print of your own page to sign and sell, have at it -- hell, I'd be seriously honored.

If you live outside of DFW, time permitting, I'll try to mail you the copies before Free Comic Book Day. Otherwise, I can mail the files to print your own mini-comic for Free Comic Book Day.

**Working with this many artists is really a bad idea**, but I'm also excited about what will come together. I know you all are insanely busy with your own work. I apologize if my request is a last minute inconvenience on top of the thousand other people who want a piece of you. I'd like to say I'd never bother you again, but we all know that's not true. If this one page project sounds like fun, jump in and join the mischief. If not, no worries.

:: David H.
http://antiherocomics.com

A little experiment. Let see how this goes.

D MAGAZINE, FBR, ETC

The April '08 D Magazine is now available. This particular issue includes the latest installment of "Souvenir of Dallas" (written by me and illustrated by Paul Milligan), and an article "The Dallas Museum of Art Is Validating a Marginalized Art Form" also written by me. I could get used to this.

I'll be attending DenCon on Sunday (see yesterday's post). The day before, on Saturday, I will be giving a comic book presentation at the Ridglea Library in Fort Worth with Paul Milligan. 1 PM. Anyone in the DFW area -- feel free to come by and check it out.

The March Indie Show for Fanboy Radio is online. Scott Hinze and I interview Jim Mahfood and Mike Heronime. It's a great episode. I'm glad to have the Indie Show back in regular rotation.

And yes, LOVIE did win Quick DFW's Battle of the Bands. Congrats to Cari, Rebecca, Grace, and Cathleen. Well deserved.

AVATAR OF COOL

(via The Beat) The New York Times has done a FASHION spread on indie comic book creators -- described as "brashly confident avatars of cool."

Of course, the ever-so fashionable Tim Leong of Comic Foundry knew this all along with his red carpet treatment of the Eisner awards. Video (check out 2 minutes 42 seconds).

On top of this, comic book artist James Jean has done some work for Prada; Paul Pope designed for DKNY.

THE BIZ

As if the Internet, in all its infinite wisdom, needed another social networking site -- we've got one. It's through Variety Magazine, called The Biz. I'm assuming this site is more specific to people involved in the entertainment/film industry. Although, I've received some odd "contact requests" from people I don't know, and I don't really know how they stumbled upon my profile.

Here's my profile:
http://thebiz.variety.com/people/davidhopkins

The Q&A section is interesting. And for comic book creators, this site could be place to post a resume, if you're looking for work in other media. (I can't say I'm one of those people. I'm rather happy staying with comics, but who knows?) I seriously doubt this site will be your answer to a multi-million dollar movie deal. However, it looks like a better alternative to LinkedIn or Craig's List.

HARVEY AWARDS

The 2008 Harvey Awards nomination ballot is now available. If you are a journalist, editor, creator, blogger, etc., you are eligible to participate in the process.

http://www.harveyawards.org/2008ballot/Harvey_2008_nom_ballot.pdf

You can also send your ballot via e-mail (click here), which is pretty cool. It seems like they are trying to get as many people involved as possible. A lot of great stuff has come out. Thankfully, there are plenty of blanks on that ballot.

ASTRONAUT DAD UPDATES

Where have I been lately? I missed some great reviews for Astronaut Dad. On January 14th, Marc N. Kleinhenz from Silver Bullet Comics gave our book "4.5 out of 5 bullets."

To put it simply – and it should be, given that David Hopkins’s story is simple yet sharp, its focus narrow but highly refined – the script is extremely well written, combining characterization, humor, and even touches of romance deftly and effortlessly. Its fast, even pace moves at a consistently and refreshingly crisp pace, yet not so fast that one thinks he’s reading a Fiona Avery-penned script. Indeed, if brevity is the soul of wit, then Astronaut Dad has more soul than most other comics combined; in fact, that it has a soul at all speaks volumes about its conception, construction, and execution.

Then on January 28th, Michael May at Newsarama said in his review:

The story spends some time with the three astronauts, but the most powerful moments are when it focuses on Jimmy and Ed Kelly’s daughter Vanessa. Jimmy resents his dad, but Vanessa is fiercely proud of hers. The two kids are different in other ways too, but they strike up a friendship and that – in the midst of so much uncertainty about their dads, their country, and the fate of the world – is the beautiful part of this story.

Both reviewers dug deep to analyze this story, and I appreciate all the thought they put into it.

Astronaut Dad is also the January selection for the Steve Austin Book Club (click here for the announcement and then here to read their discussion). I'm especially pleased Astronaut Dad encouraged EG and OG of the Book Club to share some touching stories about their fathers. How cool is that? I couldn't be happier.

D MAG, DMA, DANIEL, DOCTOR, DOUBLEWIDE

The script for my third "Souvenir of Dallas" comic has been approved. Paul Milligan is working on the art right now. He showed me the pencils, and it looks great. Expect this comic to be in the April issue of D Magazine.

Also for the April issue, I wrote a pulse article on the DMA's Comic Book Club. Hopefully, it will be included.

Daniel Warner sent me the character sketches for our short story "50 Miles to Marfa." Good stuff.

Beyond that, it's been a crazy week. Kennedy has been sick. We went to the doctor on Monday, and she's been away from daycare the past two days. I kept her on Tuesday. Melissa had her today. Fortunately, Kennedy's temperature is now down. Thus, she'll be heading back to daycare.

Tomorrow, I might see Sarah Jaffe at the Doublewide. Looking forward to it.

A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE

It looks like you can read my entire essay "A History of Violence" on Google Book Search. The essay was originally published in The Man From Krypton: A Closer Look At Superman as part of BenBella Books' Smart Pop Series. (click here)

I also wrote an essay for the Spider-Man Smart Pop Book.

MISCELLANY

A review from the Comic Book Gazette (click here to read)

Astronaut Dad is on sale -- $4.99 at Silent Devil's website for a limited time. (click here)

The Dallas Comic Con is this weekend. I will be participating in a panel with Terry Moore, Scott Kurtz, and Kris Straub at 2 PM. If you're able to attend, I hope to see you there.

Make sure to pre-order the next issue of Comic Foundry. It's a great magazine. Well worth your time and money.

I took a typing test on this website -- 68 words per minute with no errors. Feel free to post your scores here.

PEOPLE SEEM TO LIKE ASTRONAUD DAD, PART 2

A good review from Pop Syndicate's Ken Lowery (click here):

It’s a truism that you can never truly understand your parents until you’ve been where they are, and by then it’s often too late. That Astronaut Dad walks the line of intersection between these two perspectives so flawlessly is a minor miracle, and shows a dimension to Hopkins’ writing that hasn’t previously manifested.

You need to read the whole article. More than just throwing his opinion around, Ken gives great analysis of everything he reviews. For instance, check out his new film review website.

PEOPLE SEEM TO LIKE ASTRONAUD DAD

As posted in The Oklahoman newspaper, Matt Price lists his top 10 graphic novels for 2007. Astronaut Dad is #9. (click here)

If you haven't purchased a copy yet, you can now order it through Silent Devil's website. (click here) So far, we've received incredible reviews for Astronaut Dad. And here I thought no one would dig on a family drama.

Also, next weekend, I'll be a guest at the Dallas Comic Con. There's going to be some great guests -- including my indie hero Terry Moore, and my favorite artists Nick Derington, Kristian Donaldson, Brian Denham, Cat Staggs, and Cal Slayton.