(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.
"Why would a reviewer make the point of saying someone's not a genius? Do you especially think I'm not a genius? You didn't even have to think about it, did you?"
- Eli Cash, The Royal Tenenbaums
Ever so often I get the reminder, as if I needed one, that I am definitely "not a genius." Last night, it came when I started reading Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer.
In other news, Quick DFW's Battle of the Bands is down to the Final Four with my friend's band Lovie still fighting.
April is moving in next Friday. Thus, I've been busy making space at the house. Throwing away stuff, removing clutter, organizing the garage, the office, the bedroom. While doing so, I've stumbled across some old scripts I've written. Notebooks upon notebooks of ideas and bits of dialogue. Some of my old stuff isn't too terrible. Good intentions, so-so on the execution.
Two seconds before I started writing comics, I wrote a short play performed at UTA. Due to time constraints, I had about two weeks to come up with the whole thing from beginning to end. It was an interesting first step into my new identity as "writer." Anyways, I found the script today, and read through it. Yeesh. This thing needed at least two or three re-writes. However, not surprisingly, the final scene was the most solid-ish. Here it is. Unedited for your scrutiny. Do not expect any more plays from me.
Basic set-up: The normally eloquent student philosopher WILL is going to commit suicide by setting himself on fire. However, the gas fumes render him completely nutty and unable to light a match. Chinese food delivery girl ASHLEY comes to stop him, maybe.
ACT II, SCENE 3
Stage lights rise. The scene takes up where we left off in Scene 2. Will is drenched in gasoline. Ashley stands behind him -- conflicted. Will progressively gets more and more "out of it," as the gas fumes affect him.
WILL (not looking at Ashley). Are you here to stop me or to watch?
ASHLEY. I don't know.
WILL. If you don't know, then I sure as hell don't know.
ASHLEY. So this is it.
WILL. I was thinking about doing this alone. It saves me the stress of trying to have "last words."
ASHLEY. Do you have any last words?
WILL (not really listening). I'm getting lightheaded from the fumes.
ASHLEY. Those your last words?
WILL. No, I got different last words and you can't hear them, because it ruins the moment to tell you before the fact.
ASHLEY. I guess so.
(Long awkward pause.)
WILL. Don't feel guilty. That whole "I could've said or done something to stop him." You know my mind has been made up.
ASHLEY. You can't tell me to not be affected by your decisions. You do this, I will feel responsible for not stopping you.
WILL. Then I'm sorry for including you.
ASHLEY. Why me? And not because I'm a stranger. You knew me. Why me?
WILL. I thought you'd understand.
ASHLEY. What do you mean?
WILL. I don't know anymore, but this is not your fault.
ASHLEY. I know it's not my fault, but I will feel guilty.
WILL. Well, that's awfully-- (long pause) Oh man--
ASHLEY. Are you okay?
WILL. Just fuckin' peachy. I'm covered in gasoline with a box of matches. What do you think? (pause) What was I talking about?
ASHLEY (prompting him). "Don't feel guilty."
WILL. Exactly! I chose this nine months ago. My decision. Not yours.
ASHLEY. I can't stop you.
WILL. Well, that's awfully (pause) something.
ASHLEY. You know, you can't do this.
WILL. Where are my matches?
ASHLEY. You're holding them.
WILL. Shit. I'm messed up. (Opens the match box upside down. Matches fall out.) Oh shit. (Begins trying to put the matches back in the box... unsuccessfully.)
ASHLEY. Need some help?
WILL. Yeah, do you have a lighter?
ASHLEY. No.
WILL. Does God?
(Ashley goes to help put the matches back.)
"Per molestias eruditio." It's Latin.
ASHLEY. What's it mean?
WILL. I forgot. My last words -- I forgot what it means. "Per molestias eruditio." (pause) What am I doing? (Will breaks down.) It -- hurts -- so -- much. I'm just -- I'm just -- I'm just scared of what happens next. You know -- after we're done preparing to live our life. (pause) I don't know what to do, where to go, who to be.
ASHLEY (comforting). I know.
WILL. I don't want to settle for -- (Can't think of what to say next) I don't want to -- (Still out of it) I don't feel too good.
(Will can barely stay vertical. He's swaying. Ashley moves closer to him and holds him lovingly like a mother.)
What are you doing?
ASHLEY. It's okay. (Catches a whiff of the gasoline) Ooo, that cologne. Let me guess... regular unleaded, Texaco.
WILL. No, it's super unleaded. Hell-- if you're going to go -- don't be cheap about it. (pause) I'm sorry about your mother.
ASHLEY. I am too.
WILL. Can't set myself on fire if you're holding me.
ASHLEY. I guess you'll have to wait.
WILL. How long?
ASHLEY. It might be awhile. I don't have anywhere I need to be.
(Music cue #6. As in the beginning, a home video montage is projected onto the back wall of the set. Slowly, very slowly, fade to black. The home videos continue until the end of the song.)
END.
My forum has been more active recently. If you want to participate, let me know (post comment or e-mail) and give me your screen name, that way Jamar can authorize your account. The JNN forums have had trouble with spambots in the past.
I was interviewed again for the podcast Half Hour Wasted. And actually, I talk a bit about Bolivar. Check it out. You can also subscribe to the podcast via iTunes.
I was mentioned in the STAPLE! report for Ain't It Cool News by Prof. Challenger. http://www.aintitcool.com/node/35889
Plus, he posted a nice photo of Brock and me.
Brent Schoonover has been busy working on ASTRONAUT DAD VOL.2. Here's a preview of one of the more important scenes, un-inked and un-lettered.
I've been a public school teacher for eight years. Every month, the school takes a sizable amount from my paycheck to cover health insurance. Costs have gone down in the past year. But for awhile, insurance costs rivaled my mortgage. Recently, I removed my ex-wife from my health insurance -- and instead went for the "employee + child" rate. My pay stubs confirmed as much. However, in the past week, my daughter Kennedy got strep throat, and things became hectic. The doctor's office and the pharmacist both said that my daughter was not covered. M'kay. I check with the benefits department for my school district. Yes, I have been paying for "employee + child." And no, your daughter is not covered.
There was a glitch in the system.
My school district talked with our insurance rep. The insurance company said it would be fixed within one to two hours. Four hours later, I go back to the pharmacist. Kennedy is still not covered. I left a message with the district, and talked with them the next day. The school district is working hard on this, and will call me once everything is resolved. I still haven't heard back from them. It's not my district's fault. They've done every they can do. Bless them. The insurance company has been the one dragging their feet. All the while, I've been paying for antibiotics and ear drops without insurance, and it's getting expensive. These costs though still don't come close to what I pay every month for the insurance itself -- even when I'm not using the coverage.
I'm not a politician. I'm not an expert in economic theory. But there's something jacked with this system. There are a lot of people getting paid who have nothing to do with the doctor, the nurses, or the medicine. It's too simplistic to say the problem is "frivolous lawsuits" or to say we need to adopt a system like what Canada has. If we can pay $500,235,485,000 (or whatever) for a war in Iraq, surely, we can make health care more affordable. Yes?
I'm sure my district will resolve everything soon enough. I can get reimbursed by the pharmacist, since I kept track of my receipts. That's not the issue: If things had been worse, and I was at the emergency room with Kennedy, I don't want to be told she's not covered. Republican. Democrat. Who cares. I hope you can sympathize.
I've posted my photos. Check them out. Another great year! A big thanks goes to Uncle Staple, all the comic book creators, and volunteers who made this convention possible.
Here are some 24 hour comics by artists I've worked with. I wanted to post these links for awhile, but I was waiting to see if Brock Rizy or Brent Schoonover would make their 24 hour comic available online. (Daniel Warner, have you done one?) Diana and Paul, both amaze me with their talent.
Diana Nock, UrbEX
Paul Milligan, God of Rock and The God of Rock Strikes Back
My fantastic, beautiful girlfriend April said it best in a mass e-mail to her friends:
Kids, if you're looking for something to do on SATURDAY, maybe you should pretend to be awesome and head over to Austin's Indie comic book convention. I promise it's not geeky. All the cool hipster kids will be there. Namely, me. Oh, and David, who like, writes comics or something.It is at the Monarch Events Center, off of I35 and 2222. Here is the link for the convention: http://www.staple-austin.org
And here is the link for the most fantastic comic book writer ever: www.antiherocomics.com
Hopefully I will see you there! As if you have anything better to do....
So there. She's not biased or anything. It's this weekend.
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.
Some of you might know, for the past four years, I've been doing research for a possible graphic novel about Jack Ruby (preview here). I've read numerous books and articles about him, listened to audio, watched several bits of video, analyzed photos, documentaries. I've walked about Dallas, visiting the places where he's been. Better than most people, I know Jack Ruby.
I've read the transcript. I promise it's a complete fake. This so-called conversation does not sound like Ruby. It doesn't pace like how Ruby talks. It doesn't use Ruby's vocabulary, or have his personality. It reads like bad crime noir fiction. Besides, Ruby's involvement with the Mafia is HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY unlikely. He simply wouldn't be trustworthy as an Mafia operative. All available evidence shows that he liked the President. He was more fixated with other matters at that time in his professional life. This is not Jack Ruby.
I'm not a conspiracy theorist. Instead, I side with Darnay Hoffman: Ruby's dog disproves any and all conspiracies. Not kidding.
April sent me this link (click here). You can play matchmaker with the different fonts: Mistral, Papyrus, Comic Sans, Helvetica, Stencil, and American Typewriter. You have to check it out.
American Typewriter on a date with Comic Sans...
"Oh my god. Are you crying?"
I love Mistral. Not the actual font, but the character on the website -- Helvetica is waiting for him to arrive, and he's passed out with his head in the toilet.
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.
Movies I want to see:
The Bank Job | Smart People | Defiance | Jumper | Priceless | In Bruges | Be Kind Rewind | Backseat
Cracked has a list of the 5 Ballsiest Con Artists of All Time, including (of course) the king, Mr. Frank Abagnale. For fans of Karma Incorporated, you know how intrigued I am by the lives of confidence men. If I ever dare to attempt non-fiction again, the Fox Sisters might make for an interesting graphic novel. I've got dibbs.
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.
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.
This film looks good. I just added it to my Blockbuster queue.
Kurt Cobain About A Son is a an intimate and moving meditation on the late musician and artist Kurt Cobain told entirely in his own voice - without celebrity sound bytes, news clips, sensational tabloid angles or attempts to mimic a grunge aesthetic. Instead, filmmaker AJ Schnack has created something closer to an autobiography of Cobain - a profound first hand account of Cobain's own successes and failures, thoughts and experiences, allowing the audience unprecedented intimacy with a legendary figure in popular culture - set against the wildly divergent Pacific Northwest locations that loomed so large in Cobain's life.
(via The Beat)
If you can stare at your computer for 77 minutes, you can watch The Mindscape of Alan Moore on AlterTube.
