SAGA OF THE TRAVELING COMIC

January 11, 2009

My friend Jeff Elden created a blog for his epic Traveling Comic (click here). What is the Traveling Comic? A lovely creation of Jeff's, a collaborative sketchbook containing one progressive comic book story. Each new artist to receive the sketchbook in the mail continues the story by drawing the next page. When they have completed their page, they mail it to the next artist so the story may continue.

I'm not much of an artist, but Jeff still entrusted me with page eight. He also shares an amusing true story of when I visited St. Louis... and punched a moving car to represent Dallas. I don't know. It made sense at the time.

FROM SOMEONE WHO ATTENDED WWTX EVERY... SINGLE... YEAR

January 9, 2009

It looks like Wizard World Texas has been canceled (click here or here or here).

Oh well.

While in theory it should be disappointing that Wizard World Texas couldn't continue, I'm not really that concerned. It's hardly the only convention in town or even the best. Also, try explaining the name "Wizard World" to someone outside the comic book industry. I feel like a loser trying. It's a dumb and confusing name.

Dallas Comic Con has run a great show for several years now. Well before WWTX invaded. DCC is locally owned and operated. They are friendlier to small time comic book creators. Where a booth at WWTX might cost $300, I've always been an honored guest at DCC without having to pay for a table. No matter how insignificant I may be, they promote me. Wizard World Texas charged $50(?) for a weekend pass. DCC charges only $10. Not to mention, DCC has consistently better media guests -- Bruce Campbell, Carrie Fischer, Billy Dee Williams, Jake Lloyd, Sean Astin, Michael Keaton, Alan Tudyk, Adam Baldwin, Jewel Staite, Ron Glass, Robia LaMorte, and Iyari Limon. There are more. I just can't remember them off the top of my head. Who does WWTX bring every year without fail? Lou Ferrigno. The problem with Wizard World Texas, from what I've heard, is that it looks like every other Wizard World convention. It doesn't change. I feel like I'm in a time warp attending the exact same event over and over again, but with fewer people each year.

I haven't even mentioned CAPE yet. Free booths for anyone and everyone (!), free admission, and consistently much better comic book guests than WWTX -- Mark Waid, Gail Simone, David Mack, Robert Kirkman, Bryan Hitch, Chynna Clugston, Jamie S. Rich, Marc Andreyko, Dave Crosland, Jim Mahfood, Scott Kurtz, and on. It's a more family friendly event. So between these two events (or the awesomeness that is STAPLE), how does Wizard World even compete?

Because it's Wizard, I guess. Because Wizard has this odd monopoly on the hearts and minds of comic fans.

With WWTX gone, I would make two suggestions:

(1) Comic book fans, creators, and retailers need to stand behind the Dallas Comic Con. It benefits everyone locally to have a strong convention that will bring in people from around the area, even better if we can get people to drive down and stay the weekend at a nearby hotel.

(2) Online sources like CBR, Newsarama, and The Beat need to cover this event. Somehow, Dallas Comic Con gets lost. We exist, dammit!

The real thing that everyone wants to know: Will the annual cook-out and house party live on? But of course.

LIBRARIES BETTER THAN PUBLIC STORAGE?

January 7, 2009

I was listening to the Diane Rehm Show on KERA. Topic was the role of libraries in economic hard times. It got me thinking, and I wanted to bounce an idea off some people.

Problem: I'm running out of shelf space for my graphic novels, and every week I keep buying more. In class, we're reading Thoreau, and his admonition to "simplify, simplify" led me to a possible solution.

Donate all my graphic novels to the nearby library. I've heard some people put their massive comic book collection in public storage. The library is certainly cheaper, and it would give me the opportunity to share my books with others. I could visit my books whenever I want. Bonus: If I could convince others to do it, I expand the number of graphic novels I have access to. Possible drawbacks: (1) Library may not take all my books. Sometimes they get diverted to a book sale, and now they're gone. (2) I will have to assume a few will get lost, stolen, and damaged. (3) The library may take my books, but they may not keep them for as long as I would. I'm afraid they might throw them away to make way for other books. (4) I can't access the books on a whim. It's 2 AM. I'm bored, and I want to flip through chapter 10 of FROM HELL. (5) If I move, I've lost my books.

I don't think it would work unless I went all in. To some degree, I need to get over my sentimental attachment. I read them. I keep them. And now, I have no room for anything else. How often do I re-read comics anyways? Sometimes, sure, but enough to justify permanent archival? This way, I'm just moving them down the street. The moving issue wouldn't affect me for a few years. With Kennedy and Melissa in Arlington, I'm locked into this zip code. I have about 14 years before Kennedy is college bound.

What are your thoughts? Am I crazy? Is it just crazy enough to work? I don't know. If any of you have a library background or experience, I would love your thoughts.

I HEREBY RESOLVE

January 5, 2009

I like New Year's Resolutions. They can be hokey, but there's nothing wrong with figuring out what you want to accomplish in next year. To keep me honest, here are mine:

* Lose weight. Get healthy. Oh god. Isn't that terribly predictable? Me and every other American. I'm 5'6" and roughly 175 lbs. I wouldn't say I'm incredibly overweight, but I certainly cannot let it get any worse. My days of drinking six sodas and having a bowl o' meat for dinner are over.

* Redesign Nunzio and Christina's website. For those who don't know, I'm responsible for their site. (click here) The blog itself is beautiful. They have much to say. The site, however, needs an update. Every year I tend to update my own site, I'm holding off to refocus my nitpicking on Nunzio and Christina's.

* Get something published. This resolution might be the number one priority. I've mentioned this before, but 2008 was a slow year -- not including my work with D Magazine. I have the upcoming PopGun Vol. 3, but beyond that, I need to get some more material in print.

* Read. Last year's resolution was to read every play written by Shakespeare. I wasn't able to complete the task in one year, but it's still a goal. There's so much to learn from Shakespeare. It would be absurd to ignore him. This year, my resolution is more general: keep reading. April and I have a two person book club. So far, we've read Lord Vishnu's Love Handles, No One Belongs Here More Than You, The Gum Thief, and Slam. We went on hiatus for me to read Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, while April read Eat Pray Love. However, the book club returns with The Sportswriter by Richard Ford, followed by Chip Kidd's The Learners. This year, I also want to read The Corner and get in the habit of reading more scripts.

* Pay off some bills. Last year was all about survival. After the divorce, money was tight on both sides. Reality: I will never make much money as a high school teacher and comic book writer. The best I can hope for is to live comfortably within my ability. That means, I need to get rid of my debt. Fortunately, my car payment is over and done with by November. Let's all hope my VW Jetta lives a long time before I need to purchase another car. I tried to consolidate my bills through Frost Bank, but my credit rating was deplorable after not paying Dish Network for a few months. (It's all paid off now.) If I had $8650, I could pay off everything. Anyone in Hollywood want to option KARMA INCORPORATED or ASTRONAUT DAD? I have a very specific number in my head.

There you go. My resolutions. In the comments section, please share your own. I'd love to read them.

YEAH, WHAT HE SAID.

January 3, 2009

(via Newsarama blog and Gaiman's journal)

"...I hope you will have a wonderful year, that you’ll dream dangerously and outrageously, that you’ll make something that didn’t exist before you made it, that you will be loved and that you will be liked, and that you will have people to love and to like in return. And, most importantly (because I think there should be more kindness and more wisdom in the world right now), that you will, when you need to be, be wise, and that you will always be kind." - Neil Gaiman

YOU'LL HAVE THAT! FINALE

January 1, 2009

Happy New Year!

I wanted to post something short and sweet to say congratulations to Wes Molebash on his finale to You'll Have That. Well done, Wes. I know it was hard to end the comic after four years, but I look forward to your next online creation to debut in February. Thank you for sharing your friendship and your talent.

In other news: April and I just got back from our trip to Wisconsin. Photos posted on Flickr.

GOODBYE YEAR OF THE RAT. HELLO OX.

December 25, 2008

It's almost 6 AM. My back was killing me, so I had to get out of bed. I slept awkwardly on my side. Once the aching stops, I can return to bed for another hour or two before Kennedy wakes up. Later today, April and I are traveling to Wisconsin to visit her family. We'll be there for a few days pending weather. It's the first time I've had a chance to meet them, and I'm excited. They sound like wonderful people. Before we board a plane and head for much colder climates, I need to post my obligatory "year in review." While last year was the definition of bittersweet (i.e. getting divorced and then meeting April), this year has been incredible. I've never been happier, happy to be with April (my partner-in-crime who I absolutely love) and happy to be Kennedy's dad. Kennedy has grown up so much. Sometimes, I'll sneak into her room and just look at her while she sleeps. It's a parent-thing. Amazed at this little person before me, who refuses to play Candyland unless she wins. (We need to work on that for 2009.) These two women continually make me smile. And of course, Melissa is still very much a part of my life. I talk with her and see her almost every day. Melissa and I have accomplished the almost impossible: We're a divorced couple who separated on friendly terms. I hurt when she hurts, and I'm happy for her happiness. I know she feels the same. We're raising our daughter and keeping her as the priority.

If I have only one regret from this year, it's that I didn't get anything new published. I wrote some for D Magazine. The "Souvenir of Dallas" one page comic has certainly been a fun experience. And I've been working on other comic projects. It's simply the timing was such that nothing new hit the stores. After a busy 2006 and 2007, maybe I've been spoiled? I did self publish that mini-comic "Mine All Mine," and it was great to collaborate with all those talented artists. There's the irony. My comic work has been seen by more people this year (D Magazine = insanely large readership), and I've worked with more artists this year than ever before. And yet, I'm disappointed. I guess that's a good sign? I'm optimistic about 2009. I have to believe something will push through, and I'll have more to announce.

This "year in review" blog post is a tradition.
Previously: 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007

Memorable events for 2008:

* April moving in.
* Barack Obama elected president
* My cousin's wedding
* Family reunion
* Wolf Parade concert
* Meeting Lisa Loeb
* CAPE and Live Art Show / Birthday
* Taking Kennedy to the Great Wolf Lodge

Favorite comic books in 2008:

* Death Note
* Yotsuba&!
* Palestine
* Comic Book Comics
* Solanin
* Akira
* Echo

Favorite TV Shows in 2008:

* Lost
* How I Met Your Mother
* Weeds
* The Wire
* Venture Brothers
* Middleman

Favorite movies I watched in 2008:

* Dark Knight
* Slumdog Millionaire
* No Country For Old Men
* Steamboy
* Vicky Cristina Barcelona
* In Bruges
* Lars and the Real Girl

Favorite food for 2008:

* Steak burrito from Chipotle

Favorite music for 2008:

* Bon Iver, For Emma Forever Ago
* Sunset Rubdown, Random Spirit Lover
* Wolf Parade, At Mount Zoomer
* Joanna Newsom, The Milk-Eyed Mender
* The Walkmen, You & Me

Going to get some sleep now.

COLLECTION OF MY ONLINE ESSAYS (1999 to 2007)

December 25, 2008

This archive is more for my own benefit. I've been writing online since 1999, and I thought it'd be good to post the links of everything in one place. Before I started writing comics, in college, I wrote for Next-Wave. It's a web magazine that examines the intersection between church and culture. The site design has much improved since that first installment. Some of these early essays make me cringe a little bit. I can see the shift in my understanding of things. There's a lot of youthful restlessness, several false steps and a few grand ideas. I could spend a long time analyzing why I no longer write about faith issues, and I don't know if it would lead anywhere. It wasn't where I was supposed to be. Fact is I'm at my happiest when writing a comic script, and hey, "follow your bliss."

Next-Wave (from April 1999 to September 2002)

Who's afraid of the big bad... anyone? anyone?
The next new thing... bored with being "postmod"?
Ask Constantine: You fight the system. You become the system.
Front page fallen: The news media informs America on how to grieve
Control Alt Delete: Rebooting the Purpose-driven church
You don't know me
The Industry of Cool
Cracker: How multi-cultural is the postmodern church? Really.
Consumer-Friendly Postmodern Cool
Impressionistic Theology: Painting God with Color, A Possible Approach to Postmodern Doctrine
Sacred Distractions: Concerning the Art of the Spoken Word
Running to stand still: How does the church catch its breath? Part 2
Running to stand still: How does the church catch its breath? Part 1
Marked by God: Experiencing divine connection through skin art
Postcards from Cyberspace: Online addiction may distract us from our Gospel mission
The ABCs of Ministry in the 21st Century
Francis Schaeffer: The Last Great Modern Theologian and the reason why I have a goatee
The God of Chaos Theory: Some thoughts from the movie "Pi"
The Deception of the X-treme church
Schindler's Regret: A call to love a friend arrested for murder
Everything I ever needed to know for ministry, I learned from ... MTV?
The Church Finds Its Pulse: Understanding the significance of a drum beat in worship
Superman is Dead: No More "Hero-for-Hire" Clergy

Monkhouse Blog (April 2002 to November 2004)

Antihero Comics Blog (August 2003 to Present)

Weekly column for Fanboy Radio (not archived)

Pop Syndicate (July 2006 to March 2007)

MERRY CHRISTMAS

December 25, 2008

I hope everyone has a great day.

Fanboy Radio #496 - WISH-LIST-A-THON ‘08: Part 4
I co-hosted this episode of FbR with Scott. ("Stop the hate, aliens.") I list my recommended reads for 2008, and we discuss the motion comics available on iTunes. (click here)

AN ANTIHERO CHRISTMAS TRADITION

December 20, 2008

It's December 20th, which marks the 4th annual posting of O Holy Night (trainwreck version). Can you believe it? Four years.

If this is your first time, you're in for a real treat. Listen and enjoy this beautiful Christmas hymn. Share the song with others. They will hate you for it.

POPGUN VOL. 3

December 18, 2008

Image Comics listed POPGUN VOL 3 for March solicitation (click here). Daniel Warner and I have an eight page short story "50 Miles to Marfa" included in this volume. It's one of the best things I've written. I'm very proud of our contribution, and I hope you'd consider pre-ordering a copy.

edited by Mark Andrew Smith & D.J. Kirkbride
cover Tara McPherson

The Harvey Award-winning graphic mixtape returns for a third round with a new generation of cartoonists teaming up with some of the industry's most celebrated names to produce nearly five hundred pages of all-new, full color comics! Always exciting, unpredictable, and bursting at the seams with unhindered creativity, POPGUN keeps getting better and better!

MARCH 25th * 448 PAGES * FC * $29.99

Also, I'm working on a script for something in VOL 4 with art by Evan Bryce. I'll keep everyone updated.

ON CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE

December 18, 2008

In my English III class, we're studying the work on Henry David Thoreau. I opened class with these five quotes. The last quote I included as an interesting contrast.

"What country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance?" - Thomas Jefferson

"The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions, that I wish it to be always kept alive. It will often be exercised when wrong, but better so than not to be exercised at all. I like a little rebellion now and then." - Thomas Jefferson

"Every generation needs a new revolution." - Thomas Jefferson

"While some people think that dissent is unpatriotic, I would argue that dissent is the highest form of patriotism. In fact, if patriotism means being true to the principles for which your country is supposed to stand, then certainly the right to dissent is one of those principles. And if we're exercising that right to dissent, it's a patriotic act." - Howard Zinn

"Honestly, I think we should just trust our president in every decision that he makes and we should just support that, you know, and be faithful in what happens." - Britney Spears

Fortunately, Miss Spears, our U.S. Constitution does not agree with you. You wonder why students are often at the front lines of every protest? Blame teachers and Thoreau.

THREE ARTISTS AND ONE AWESOME GRAPHIC NOVEL

December 16, 2008

An update on HOW TO LOSE BIG: Brock Rizy is on board to illustrate the comic-within-a-comic OH NO POGO, and Erin Riggs will illustrate the other comic-within-a-comic PRINCESSES VS. UNICORNS. Yes, that is the title. Of course, Paul Milligan is on the main story.

Two days ago, Erin sent some princess designs. So, let me clarify: Our graphic novel will include graphic violence between princesses and unicorns. I'm having too much fun.

MORE EMILY

December 10, 2008

(via Brock)

EMILY EDISON debuted two years ago, which means it's been four years since we first created the character. Last night, I got an email from Brock. We've begun discussing the details of a volume two. I'm excited, because there are some ideas we tucked into the first volume that we'll finally be able to explore. Emily is such a fun character to write. And of course, I love working with Brock. Anyone who knows him knows he's such a creative savant, it takes a lot just to keep up. More updates soon, I'm sure.

THE MANY FACES OF FAILURE

December 9, 2008

Paul Milligan finished some character designs for HOW TO LOSE BIG, a wonderful comic book project that we're working on... about working on a wonderful comic book project.

UPDATE ON "MAKE SPACE FOR ARTISTS"

December 8, 2008

KERA's Art&Seek posted a blog about this Thursday's panel discussion at the DMA (click here).

Q: What do you get when an architect, sculptor, writer and historian head to the museum?

A: An interesting panel discussion, that’s what. La Reunion TX and the Dallas Museum of Art present a FREE event on Thursday, December 11 at 7pm in the Center for Creative Connections Theatre as a part of the collaborative program Make Space for Artists: Design a Studio. Our topic? The artist studio – historic and contemporary.

Well-published graphic novelist David Hopkins knows a thing or two about working remotely and in collaboration with other artists to produce his artifact – the graphic novel. Designer Bang Dang was the winning architect for La Reunion’s architecture competition, Make Space for Art. He won, in part, for his “white box” studio design and lucky for us, he’s local. Established artist Frances Bagley is represented locally by Marty Walker Gallery and provides the panel with the perspective of a truly mixed media sculptor. Last, art historian Eric Stryker is a professor at SMU also happens to be an expert on Francis Bacon’s studio.

We’re not sure exactly where the conversation will go, but we’re sure it will be interesting. KERA’s Jerome Weeks will moderate. See you then!

I know a thing or two? Actually, I know only two things about collaborating and working remotely with artists: (1) Defend and support them unto death itself. Disagreements need to be settled privately and with unconditional respect. (2) Give them your best work, and they will give you their best work. I apologize for my lack of humor and sarcasm -- but those are the two things. Oh yeah and e-mail. You use email a lot.

Any other thoughts on remote collaborations?

ART CONSPIRACY

December 7, 2008

This past weekend, I participated in my fourth Art Conspiracy. I'm not much of an artist. So instead, I stick to what I know (as seen below). The finished piece looked kinda cool with all that text on plywood.

photo by Ange Fitzgerald (click here for more Art Con photos from Ange)
It was odd seeing people bid on my work. Really? You're willing to pay that much? Cool. I've spent too long at conventions where people cringe and moan over a $3 comic book. Eat it. My confidence is recession proof.

I've posted my Flickr set from Art Conspiracy.

UPDATE (12/09): Video

BY THE NUMBERS

December 3, 2008

While lurking on Twitter, I came across this comment from writer Matt Sturges: "As of today I've written sixty-one comic books, which is about 1,342 pages of comics. It seems like a lot when you put it that way."

Thus, I thought it might be interesting to visit my script folder on the external hard drive and see how many pages I've written. I did not include the synopsis or outlines, just pages of comics. Lo and behold, as of today, 1000 pages. Exactly. It breaks down this way: 461 pages of published work (including mini-comics) and 539 pages of unpublished work. It means I write about 200 pages a year, approximately 17 pages each month.

That doesn't feel like a lot. I should be writing more.

THE GIFT SHOW

December 2, 2008

Attention Christmas shoppers: I will be set up at F6 Gallery's Gift Show. I know you're thinking: "But I already have all of David's graphic novels, why should I go?"

#1. I'll bring cookies. #2. Buy KARMA INCORPORATED for your boss or EMILY EDISON for your best friend's daughter. Buy ANTIGONE for your mom, or ASTRONAUT DAD for... well... your dad. #3. Lots of other talented people will be there with original work to sell.

To my friends in Dallas, there is a world beyond your city limits! Drive to Arlington, for once. It'll take you 40 minutes at most. Visit the F6 Gallery. All proceeds from sales will benefit my daughter's Christmas.

MISCELLANY FOR A MONDAY

December 1, 2008

* We're back from California, and we have the photos to prove it.

* Update on WHERE's OSWALD (previous post): The next day, Kennedy and I visited Rosehill Cemetery again. We found the OSWALD gravesite, next to Nick Beef, just as described. Now I wonder if the story the neighbor told about moving the body and the secret acronym is true or simply an urban myth? It's fitting that even Lee Harvey's gravesite should have a conspiracy theory. So far, I haven't been able to find a female L.H.O. marker near the area he indicated.

* After a month or so of using Google Reader, I'm convinced that my subscriptions are cooler than yours, and I've done a better job of keeping track of everyone. (Maintaining my inbox is a little more daunting. The goal is to read and respond to everything by the end of the day.)

My subscriptions:
Andi Watson, April Wenzel, Benjamin Hall, Book/Daddy, Brent Schoonover, Brock Rizy, Cal Slayton, Chris Williams, Chynna Clugston, Clay Harrison, Comic Foundry, Daniel Miller, Daniel Warner, Evan Bryce, FrontBurner, ghettoManga, Jake Ekiss, Jamie S. Rich, Jeff Elden, Jenni Leder, Jim Lujan, Josh Howard, Justin Stewart, Kazu Kibuishi, Kristian Donaldson, La Reunion TX, Laura Hudson, Marlena Hall, Otis Frampton, Paul Milligan, Pop Syndicate, Raina Telgemeier, Sarah Jane Semrad, Scott Zirkel, The Beat, Unfair Park, Vinh-Luan Luu, Warren Ellis

Is there anyone I'm missing?

* Finally, Pop Syndicate has been nominated in the Bloggers Choice Awards. It'll only take a few seconds. If you can, vote for Pop Syndicate in all five categories:

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