Sunday, October 31, 2010

A HALLOWEEN SCARE

I’d been under-the-weather earlier in the week—so much so that I had to cancel a trip to the Ottawa International Writer’s Festival—and was just starting to feel better.  My wife and I were out taking an afternoon walk, enjoying the fall weather, when I felt the beginnings of an allergic reaction:  face itching, red bumps forming on my face.  Well, I’ve got a host of food and environmental sensitivities that often seem to kick in without warning, so this wasn’t all-that surprising.  What did surprise me was the speed with which the reaction spread across my entire body.  By the time I’d reached my front steps, I was itching violently, covered in hives, the universe was spinning way too quickly and my vision was blurring.  Shortly after I staggered inside, I passed out (apparently my blood pressure had taken a precipitous dive):  I remember looking at my wife just before I descended into the Twilight Zone and she appeared to be standing at the wrong end of a telescope.  With her usual skill and determination, Diane managed to bring me around and, before I knew it, a band of angels, in the form of EMTs, had arrived to rescue me from the demonic depths:  I soon found myself on a stretcher, hooked up to an IV, taking my first-ever ride in an ambulance.  I ended up in the hospital overnight, body pumped full of Benadryl and steroids, the whole thing feeling like a Halloween hallucination of the first order.

I’ve been home for a few days now, still not quite right (for someone like me, ultra-sensitive to medications, the cure can sometimes be as bad as the disease), but certainly feeling better.  The strangest part of it all is that I can’t, for the life of me, figure out what caused the reaction:  I hadn’t eaten anything I’m allergic to, so my best guess is that there was some mutated mold lurking in a pile of autumn leaves, waiting to spring on the first biologically-vulnerable writer to pass by.  Either that or it was a genuine Halloween ghoul, arrived early to the party, ready for mischief.

In any case, the doorbell’s ringing, and a far friendlier class of spirit is on my porch.  I’m happy they’re here.  That other ghoul can stay away forever:  

Begone!


Happy Halloween to one and all.

©copyright 2010  J.M. DeMatteis 

77 comments:

  1. Whoa! That is really strange. Not unheard of, but certainly strange! Glad you're feeling better, JM. Let's keep it that way, okay!? Hang in there, take the week to completely recover. It sounds like an environmental allergy--something happened to strike you while on the walk. Blowing in the wind perhaps. Who knows for sure? Hang in there, my friend. And HAPPY HALLOWEEN to you and yours!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yep, I think you're dead on about the environmental aspect, A. Jaye. Thanks for the good wishes...and Happy Halloween right back at you.

    ReplyDelete
  3. SO glad you're on the other side of that experience! The world needs all the great guys it can get so we're all gonna stand behind you to push you back to the 100% mark. Didn't we tell you to stay away from that Goblin forumla?

    ReplyDelete
  4. The thing is, Jeff, that Harry and Norman BOTH told me it was safe!

    But, seriously: thanks for the kind thoughts. VERY much appreciated!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Do you know how many years it took for Harry to come back from that (if anyone should...)???

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wow, JMD. Glad to hear you're doing well now. Maybe whatever had kept you down this past week has been exorcised from your system now. (Personally, I suspect Wally Lombego's invisible hand at work...)

    And Harry and Norman are right. The Goblin formula IS safe...they've both recovered from some grave situations no worse for wear.

    Happy Halloween!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I wish you a fast recovery.
    Get well soon, JM.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Yeah, Jeff, but you'll notice that both Harry and his father are in perfect health now: They must have a terrific health care plan!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks, David.

    I wouldn't worry about, Wally L. He's always been a total gentleman with me!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hope the sketches on our blog took your mind off the discomfort for a bit!

    Tim H.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Sure did, Tim. I hope you saw the comments I left, thanking all of you for "J.M. DeMatteis Day"! Your Vermin sketch was terrific, by the way: you were born to draw a moody Spider-Man epic.

    For those of you who have no clue what we're talking about, hop on over to

    http://draw-bridge.blogspot.com/

    and check out today's posts. I think you'll enjoy 'em.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Sorry to hear about that. I had a very similar experience like once due to food allgery that I was unaware of at the time. I'm so glad to hear you're doing better. Here's hoping for a speedy recovery!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Glad to see you overcame the reaction!

    MEANWHILE, IN AN UNDISCLOSED BUNKER...

    Five shadowy men sit in a five-cornered shadowy room. Their shadows appear to be less shadowy than the men themselves, if you can believe it. They sit in their shadowy chairs, watching images flicker across a shadowy HDTV.

    The images show a very non-shadowy J.M. DeMatteis recovering from his full body allergic reaction.

    One of the shadow men slamms his shadowy fist to the table, "NO! It wasn't supposed to be like this!"

    Another of the shadowy men sighs, "We know. We hired the Mold Master to put a stop to him."

    A third shadowy man continues their shadowy narrative, "The law suits are falling apart, the consensus reality is standing behind him."

    The fourth shadowy man took a puff on a shadowy cigar, blowing a large quantity of shadowy smoke across the room, "We simply must stop the inspiration he gives...stop him from spreading hope...from making people aim for the impossible."

    The fifth shadowy man was silent, the shadowy eyes of the other shadowy men turning to him, waiting for his shadowy voice to speak. He continues to watch the monitor for a few moments more as Mr. DeMatteis, almost entirely recovered, took a seat at his desk to begin writing anew.

    With bated breath the other shadowy men waited for their shadowy leader speak. As Mr. DeMatteis began to type on the surveillance footage the shadowy fifth finally spoke, "Mold Master has failed us. Send out the Hope Eater."

    The other four shadowy men look at each other uneasily. There was silence for some time before one of them finally spoke, "Sir...he destroyed the Hope Eater while writing IMAGINALIS."

    "Then send Miracle Miser."

    "Moonshadow."

    "Repression Rager!"

    "SEEKERS Into the Mystery."

    "JOVIAL JUNKIE!"

    "Justice League."

    The shadowy leader stood up in a huff, his chair falling back to the ground, "THEN WHO DO WE HA..."

    He stopped as Mr. DeMatteis turned around at his desk and appeared to be looking directly at the shadowy monitoring orb which mortals shouldn't be able to see.

    "He's not watching US...is he?" one of the shadowy men asks.

    Mr. DeMatteis smiled, "Actually, I am. And I just want you to know that I don't believe in you. I believe in hope. In dreams. In joy. In faith. NOT in you."

    A twinkle twinkled across Mr. DeMatteis' eyes as a flash of golden light pulsed forth freely from his heart into the monitor orb, moving through the ether, exiting the HDTV monitor, and engulfed the five shadowy men in the shadowy room.

    And when the light fades the shadows were no more. Five smiling men in white robes sat around a well lit table in a circular room. On the HDTV before them the image of a young child, crying.

    The leader of five smiling men looks on, and with hope in his voice spoke, "Send out the Joy Maker."

    ReplyDelete
  14. Since this is the most current discussion, I'm posting this link to Mark Waid's questions session here:

    http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=29185

    And here's the question about SEEKERS:

    Weiland: Question 22, Kyle and Theophilus ask: Will "Seekers Into Mystery" ever be collected in its entirety?

    Waid: Oh, that's a good question. We did one volume. If you buy enough, if you keep going to Amazon, keep going to the BOOM! site, keep going to enough places like that and keep buying that until we're sold out of the first volume and it's out of print, then we'll talk. I would love to see it. It's a nice piece of work, it's J.M. Dematteis and John J. Muth.

    ReplyDelete
  15. MUCH appreciated, Eve: thanks. Feeling significantly better today; I think I'll be 100% in the next couple of days.

    ReplyDelete
  16. At the risk of exposing myself as the total sentimental sap I am, Kyle, that actually brought a tear to my eye. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Well, that, at least, is encouraging, David. Thanks for posting that.

    ReplyDelete
  18. You're quite welcome. All the emotion and joy and inspiration I've gotten from your works, well, I'm glad I could return the favor, at least a little.

    Also, I read IMAGINALIS over the weekend. I really enjoyed it. I especially liked the India connection. While I've never been there, of all religions, Hinduism is the one I'm most drawn to.

    I don't so much believe that the Hindu gods are real and once walked the earth in as much as they are sort of...dynamic myth-forms that can be called upon to affect ones life and reality. The faith behind them gives them power, I feel.

    But then, I don't so much believe in religion as much a personal spiritual paths and my beliefs are a sort of amalgam of different paths, merged into my own yellow brick road. Though the road is incomplete as I'm still seeking, truth be told.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Next ad campaign:

    "SEEKERS makes a great stocking stuffer!"

    Fine Print: "Stocking Stuffer" is a figure of speech. We do not actually encourage stuffing SEEKERS in a stocking, as it will damage the binding.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Consider the favor very much returned, Kyle.

    Very glad you enjoyed the book.

    The Hindus believe that all the gods are reflections of the One God that we all are. I see them as thought forms...created as much by the soul of man as the whim of the Divine. But (and here's the paradox), I also see humankind as thought forms dreamed into being by the gods/God. In the end, it's all One Infinite Being and all of this separation is just a beautiful shadow play. At least that's been my experience.

    I totally agree that it all comes down to a personal spiritual path. (I've never been one for groups. As Groucho Marx said: "I don't care to belong to any club that will have me as a member.") Even when one shares a belief system with other people, there's a deeply personal connection to God that is yours and yours ALONE. As unique as a fingerprint or a snowflake.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Maybe Boom! should hire you for PR, David!

    ReplyDelete
  22. I do believe it was reading the Bhagavad Gītā that first drew me to Hinduism with any sort of serious/spiritual interest (Virgin Comics' India Authentic is was spurred my interested on an academic level),more particularly that very part you referred to, JMD, of their gods being a reflection of the One God.

    I have lots of ideas and few beliefs, but I think that stems more from self-esteem issues than anything else. One of the very few things I feel absolutely certain of is that there is no way there isn't SOMETHING (be it God, Gods, an infinite pool of sentient creative potential, or even just Consciousness itself) that everything unfolded out of. I make no claims of knowing just WHAT it is, just that it is.


    Re: SEEKERS
    Well, Amazon has two copies of SEEKERS left at the moment. If still there I'll probably pick em both up this next pay period. It's one of the few things I like to pick up multiple copies of, repeatedly, to give as gifts.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Wow, that sounds like an awful experience, JMD. Hope by this point you are in the clear and back at the computer/typewriter/quill pen.

    ReplyDelete
  24. here's hoping you keep feeling better. Lord bless.

    ReplyDelete
  25. You, sir, a prince! And speaking of princes...

    If you enjoyed the GITA, you might enjoy reading the RAMAYANA, the great Indian epic. (I think it's one of the greatest stories ever, in any culture. It's said that just reading the story of Prince Rama is a blessing.) A wonderful Indian writer named Ashok Banker took that ancient saga and turned it into a fantastic seven book series that works both as an accurate reflection of the original and a memorable fantasy-adventure that requires no foreknowledge of Hindu culture and religion. I read the first volume while in India about five years ago and the experience was utterly magical. There's another amazing, one-volume, retelling of the story by Ramesh Menon that pierced my heart and exploded my imagination. Both are available from Amazon. You can find MANY iterations of the RAMAYANA, but those two are my favorites.

    My own feeling about God is that He (She or It) isn't arrived at through intellectual musing, but by experience. I think the Divine is accessible directly to everyone. And that's why, ultimately, philosophical arguing about the nature of God fails (as much fun as it can be): because it's one thing to discuss the Divine, another to be touched by it.

    There's an old Zen saying that Zen can never be taught, it can only point the way. And that way is uniquely personal.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Easing my way back to work, Rob. This blog, though, isn't work: it's a pleasure.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Blessings right back at you, Mike. And deep thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  28. I'd added the Vedas and the Upanishads to my Amazon wish list but I may just have to move the Ramayana up to the top of the list now.

    I really miss Virgin Comics, I loved their Hinduism infused stories, particularly the Sadhu and Ramayan 3392 A.D. comics. I was pretty bummed when I learned they were done with comics as quick as they were. Actually, if they had stayed around longer I think SEEKERS would have been a great fit there.

    As for God...honestly, I think I'm holding myself back however unconsciously (and isn't it great that it seems like just knowing what ones problem/s are it doesn't make resolving them any easier!(at least for me)) because on some level I'm pretty sure I feel like I'm not worthy of that direct experience/connection/relationship with the Divine.

    ReplyDelete
  29. I met Gotham Chopra and Sharad Devarajan -- the guys who ran Virgin Comics -- and we discussed some potential projects along the way. I'm sorry they didn't happen and I was sorry to see the company dissolve. They had a clear, strong vision -- but the comics market, which is very unkind to new ideas, just couldn't sustain it.

    As for you not being "worthy" of a direct relationship with the Divine...well, I have a strong suspicion the Divine doesn't feel the same way.

    And that Unworthiness Programs running on your inner computer? Maybe it's time to drag it to the trash and delete it, Kyle.

    ReplyDelete
  30. You strike me as the kind of guy God would love to chat with, Kyle.

    I find myself feeling the same way sometimes, incidentally. In my experience, the best way to deal with that is to talk to God like you're just having an everyday conversation with an old friend. (Because you are!) When I do that, things just fall into place.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Thanks, JMD. I also find that hanging out with friends--be that here, at CBR, at the house, whatever--is a great encouragement in the way I approach God and my life.

    So thanks to you and everyone here for being a part of that. It really does make a difference.

    ReplyDelete
  32. You're welcome, David. I love the fact that folks can come to Creation Point and express their opinions on anything from Spider-Man to Dostoyevsky to the nature of the Divine. Certainly keeps things interesting!

    ReplyDelete
  33. Yeah, the market...I always find myself love many a new company, jumping in (collected almost all of Crossgen, picked up every trade Virgin published, the Ultraverse was my favorite 'verse when it came out), only to have it end pretty soon after.

    As great as characters like Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, and company are, I really wish people would try more new titles more often...variety isn't a bad thing on the comic shelf!

    I agree, it is time to trash that program. I've actually come a long way with doing that in the last few years, it's just still got a few strings of virulent code hanging on, mucking up the works.

    And thanks to both of you (JMD and David). I'm still very much a work in progress, and having good friends and good people in your life, regardless of the form that takes, does help.

    Thanks again, to both of you lovely people.

    ReplyDelete
  34. That's a program that we all have in some form, Kyle. We have to trash it over and over again. In my own life, I've seen it come back, but less powerfully each time. Once you're on to it and see what lame games it's running, it's easier to ignore it. Eventually it'll get dragged to the trash...and never come back.

    And thanks back to you for your openness and honesty.

    ReplyDelete
  35. I like the computer metaphor. Self-doubt is kind of like an annoying pop up ad--it's a distraction from what's really on our desktop. Awesomeness.

    BTW, I just realized something really cool. Joe Johnston, of THE ROCKETEER fame, will be directing the Captain America movie. Great news. Here's the link to some pics:

    http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=29194

    I love THE ROCKETEER, and this is looking like a sweet period piece.

    You ever get a SAVIOR 28 movie lined up, I think Joe's your guy, JMD!

    ReplyDelete
  36. I LOVE the pop-up ad metaphor, David. It's perfect. A lot of the things we THINK are majorly traumatic are actually like those ads...persistent, annoying -- but, ultimately, powerless. And once we realize that, then we've got a built-in pop-up blocker. (I don't want to stretch this metaphor too far or it will break.)

    A SAVIOR 28 movie? I'd love it!

    ReplyDelete
  37. Best thing about a SAVIOR 28 movie is that it could bounce off the superhero movies in the same way the book makes comics homages. It's all in the public consciousness now.

    Heck, you already worked in the BATMAN BEGINS reference!

    ReplyDelete
  38. Think Christopher Nolan's ready to satirize himself?

    ReplyDelete
  39. Thanks fellas, the pop-up/pop-up blocker metaphor does add a new spin to the whole concept that I hadn't actually thought of.

    I have not yet read Savior 28, me thinks it shall be added to my ever growing Wish List on Amazon (which, really, is less of a Wish List and more of an eventual purchase list...it's just easier to keep track of things there than in one of countless .txt and .doc files).

    Speaking of Christopher Nolan, I am a little concerned of what the new Superman movie will be. I'm worried that between Nolan and Zack Snyder that it will be too dark to really be Superman.

    On the other hand, some of the most accurate comic-to-screen movies have been from Snyder...but they were dark movies.

    I'd be okay if the movie had a dark tone through most of it as long as Superman was a beacon of light and hope. Not another origin story, but maybe Superman's early days in Metropolis and the city is more like Gotham than the Metropolis we know and love. And as the movie/trilogy/whatever-gy progresses the city becomes lighter, and brighter, ending with it being the shining city that it is supposed to be...but only because of the tireless, sometimes thankless, effort (and the inspiration he gives off just by being) of Superman.

    ReplyDelete
  40. I'm sure he'll ready for self-satire once he gets that Jennifer Anniston comedy he's always wanted to do out of his system.

    ReplyDelete
  41. I pretty much agree with everything you're saying about the new Superman film, Kyle. Especially that last part: inspiration. That's one of the major keys to the character. I also love the idea of a Metropolis that goes from dark to bright in the course of three films.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Weird, JMD...but how could you NOT watch????

    Kyle, I, too like your idea, and I wouldn't be surprised if Nolan does something along those lines. The next Batman movie is called THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, so I think Nolan does know something about hope. I took the ending of the last Batman film to be hopeful, just in an odd way. Batman sacrificed his reputation to give Gotham its martyr.

    As far as Metropolis goes, I liked the "City of Tomorrow" story arc from a while back. I'm not sure that's what it was called, but it's the one where BRANIAC 5 updates all the Metropolis tech so it is literally centuries ahead of the rest of the world. (I can't remember if you were still part of the Super-team around that time, JMD?) Probably not sustainable in a long-term comic book, but Nolan seems to like closure.

    ReplyDelete
  43. The "City of Tomorrow" arc was going on during my brief tenure on ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN, David, and, honestly, I wasn't crazy about it. I liked Superman in a real, believable city...not in some sci-fi futureland. We suspend a LOT of disbelief with all these characters and adding that element pushed my disbelief too far.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Well if it went too far for you, JMD, we'll probably see that Nolan/Anniston flick before Nolan's "The City of Tomorrow" makes it to theatres.

    I can see where you're coming from. It's probably not the best idea for the long term. But as a metaphor for what Superman brings to Metropolis, maybe it works as an imaginary ending.

    I haven't revisited the story in a long time, though. I remember that I liked pretty much everything Superman and Batman during that era, from about 1992 all the way through 2000 or so. But those stories are all too MASSIVE for me to go back through. I had more time then!

    ReplyDelete
  45. I think my memories of that era are colored by the fact that I didn't particularly like what I did with the character, David. The Superman books were constantly crossing over in those days, almost always part of some bigger story; there was hardly a moment to develop a truly original plotline, and I just didn't connect. I work better when I'm left in my own little corner, creating my own little universe.

    ReplyDelete
  46. I'm generally agreed with your sentiment. For some reason the Superman titles clicked for me then, though.

    I tend to think the Clone Saga would have worked better if the creative teams had kept to their respective corners. I felt like everyone involved had their own unique voice.

    It was pretty obvious at times that you were all being forced to work with concepts that you were fine with, but not especially interested in.

    Judas Traveller is the most obvious example. I'm not sure the other creators had the same passion for him that you did. And that's probably equally true of the concepts that Howard or Terry "got" that you didn't feel enthused about.

    The stories from the Clone Saga that excite me the most are the ones that exemplify a consistent creative vision--like the Ben Reilly backups and LOST YEARS, or the parallel arcs like "Web of Life" and "Web of Death."

    ReplyDelete
  47. Agreed, David. I think the way the current Spider-writers work -- cook up an idea together and then LET ONE WRITER-ARTIST TEAM TELL THE STORY -- is much better than the way we worked then. Strange that it never occurred to us.

    ReplyDelete
  48. It is, isn't it?

    In my heart of hearts, I ultimately prefer several satellite titles with consistent creative teams and a unique focus. Loved it when ASM was the core book, PPTSSM focused on the supporting cast, and WOS was more off the wall (though it never really found its ID).

    ReplyDelete
  49. I actually kind of miss the days where you'd have the occasional crossover between unrelated titles. "Now that you've seen how our story begins for Spider-Man, head over to the Punisher #256 to see how it ends!"

    And while on average, I imagine the storyline jumping from Superman, to Adventure, to Action, etc, etc (or any character/series that does that, mind you) gives more satisfaction to most readers, as what would have been an eight month long storyline is now told in two through four books.

    Then again, nowadays with the economy, most readers would probably rather have it take eight months of single issues to finish.

    Now, viewing from the writers perspective, I can see how that roving storyline could be an annoyance that goes to eleven. Never getting a chance to have the character really merge with ones vision/voice since the story is done, chapter by chapter, by someone else.

    It's almost like, why bother calling it Man of Steel this month, and this one Action Comics...let's just make Superman a weekly book with three or four writer/artist/inker/etc crews to keep it timely) while Action, Man of, Adventures, etc go on about their own business.

    ReplyDelete
  50. I agree, Kyle. I understand that some people love the interconnected epic, but, from a creative POV, it's usually a frustrating experience. For me, anyway.

    ReplyDelete
  51. "Okay, so at the start of the issue Spider-Man is hanging from a precipice without his sticky powers. At the end of the issue he'll discover that it's all been an illusion by Mysterio! So, basically, we need you to fill 20 pages with some, er, stuff that happens in between. Awesome, right?"

    ReplyDelete
  52. It's that way sometimes, David, but many times -- the Clone Saga, for instance -- the process is very detailed. (That's the fun part for me: sitting in a room with fellow writers, batting ideas around. You can't beat it.) But no matter how clear the blueprint, three or four different writers will go home and write their chapter in three or four very different ways. And, at some point, each writer will look at another's work and say (either in admiration or with a more critical eye): "I wouldn't have done it that way."

    Working on Superman was closer to what you mention. I had a story to tell, and I could (kinda/sorta) tell it, but I also had to remember that Superman was searching for the missing Lois or that he had kryptonite poisoning or there was something going on with Luthor that had to be included. I don't know if there was any single story -- there may have been, but I don't recall -- that didn't have some kind of overlap. And some of them were straight-ahead crossovers, where I was back to writing chapter two again.

    There are writers who can play in that sandbox and knock it out of the park. (In fact, the other guys working on the Superman books at the time were much better at it than I was.) I'm just not one of them.

    ReplyDelete
  53. Whoa, just checking in this week and wanted to drop you a line and say I'm happy to hear you are recovering. Take care and I hope you had a Happy Halloween following that mess!

    ReplyDelete
  54. Thanks so much for your concern, Drew. Very much appreciated. I'm feeling a LOT better: almost normal (well, as close to normal as I ever get!).

    ReplyDelete
  55. Well, this pay-go-round I picked up a copy of SEEKERS vol 1 from Amazon (one left atm, after I ordered it) and a second hand copy of both Mercy and Supergirl: Wings and am having them shipped directly to a couple of my friends (husband & wife duo). I fully intend to bug 'em until they read them and give me their thoughts on the books. And then I will inform you of those thoughts here.

    Also, Newsarama had a preview of Chaos War: Thor #1 posted up last night ( http://www.newsarama.com/php/multimedia/album.php?aid=39655 ). I'm pretty stoked about it based on those pages. If it plays into the main series in an important, direct manner, I hope Marvel collects it with said main story, though I expect a Chaos War trade and a Chaos War Tie-In trade at best.

    ReplyDelete
  56. Thanks for spreading the word, Kyle -- and parting with your hard-earned cash. (Which, in this economy, is no small thing.) I look forward to hearing what your friends think.

    Didn't know about the CHAOS WAR: THOR preview: I'll check it out. There are a number of tie-ins so I suspect they'll be collected together. My story's two issues, so it could hardly hold its own trade.

    ReplyDelete
  57. I may have to get the single issues, just to get them read sooner. I've pretty much ended my single issue collecting of new books, going more the trade paperback route due to financial ease.

    Which doesn't help the industry (nor the titles I enjoy and would like to see kept going) nearly as much as if I were buying the single issues of the titles I get...

    ReplyDelete
  58. Given a few more years, Kyle, I think those single issues, as we know them, will disappear, replaced by solely digital versions...which will eventually be collected in trades.

    ReplyDelete
  59. And even if I'm not actively buying them, that's a sad thought. I've read comics on my computer. I don't find it very fun or enjoyable, not like actually holding the book in front of you.

    That also pretty much means the end of the comic store (let's face it, when you're selling the newest DC Absolute for the printed price of $99.99, but Amazon is selling it for $60, and this is repeated across everything you sell except the single issues, you're days are already numbered unfortunately), and that too is sad.

    I still enjoy going in to my my local shop (I've only recently fully stopped buying new single issues as I was hoping to have moved across the country by now, but that hasn't panned out... yet!) and seeing the expanse of new titles on the shelves. Interacting with other fans who, lacking the anonymity of the internet, tend to be less jerk-like in person.

    My eye roving the shelves, only to spy that one hidden gem of that week that I never even knew existed but now must get every issue of. Or discover a new writer by happenstance of picking up a random book and realizing that I must go on a back issue hunt for all their major works.

    Going to Marvel.com and clicking to download the newest issue of Wolverine/Deadpool/Spider-Man: One More Title Won't Kill You just won't be the same.

    ReplyDelete
  60. I hear you, Kyle. And, on one level, it's a terrific loss. (It's not that long ago that I was roaming through record stores for hours, flipping through the stacks of albums.) But just as digital music has infiltrated our lives, bringing many positives, I think digital comics will do the same. The key's going to be a great, accessible reader that matches, or surpasses, the print experience. (Imagine having every issue of the Lee-Kirby FANTASTIC FOUR on your iPad, with click-through footnotes, web-links and video interviews. That's something I could absolutely get behind.)

    ReplyDelete
  61. Put like that, yeah, I could get behind that (as long as my trades/collected editions remained tangible).

    OH! Sorry for the sudden subject change, but while I was leaving the dentist earlier I just remembered something I've been wondering for some time; did the Man-Thing story you were writing that moved from Man-Thing to Strange Tales ever finish?

    I've never found a Strange Tales #3 anywhere, so I'm not sure if it is just hard to find or if the series was canceled at #2 and the story went unfinished.

    ReplyDelete
  62. Funny you should mention that, Kyle. I recently came across another Lost Interview, about Man-Thing, that went into great detail about the collapse of that series. (For the record: I loved working on that book, my collaboration with Liam Sharp was as good as it gets.)

    The short version is that we did get to finish the story, but it was never published. There was one complete issue and another issue -- which was drawn and scripted but not lettered or colored -- that wrapped everything up.

    That's the short version. Maybe I'll run the Lost Man-Thing Interview sometime soon and share the long one.

    ReplyDelete
  63. Wow. I came in looking for an informal way of contacting you, and I found philosophy, links to great art blogs, and new reading recommendations. I like this blog already!

    Here's my original intent: in Brooklyn Dreams, which translation does the main character read? When I read Constance Garnett's translation, I looked for the "monstrously mixed up" quote the whole time, and couldn't find it, and I really wanted to.

    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  64. My memory is that it was the Garnett translation of BROTHERS K, but it's been a while so I could be wrong. Just did a web search, seeing if I could locate the source, but, aside from a few references to the quote (so I know it exists, I didn't dream it!), no luck.

    I pulled out my copy of the Garnett, but it's so old that it's moldy and, given my recent experiences with mold-monsters, I can't risk spending time thumbing through the pages.

    Can anyone out there help us? Does the Garnett translation have that quote or is it another translation?

    ReplyDelete
  65. Thanks for looking for it. Don't put out your lungs with that mold though! I'll keep looking for it. I'm almost done with "Notes from the Underground" and it's sparked the idea that I should reread it very soon.

    ReplyDelete
  66. We'll find it, one way or another, EM (or is it Narkie?). Unless, of course, I was reading a copy of BROTHERS K that dropped in from a parallel universe.

    ReplyDelete
  67. http://books.google.com/books?ei=EerXTO3yFIaTnwemifXACQ&ct=result&id=cPd8AAAAIAAJ&dq=the+brothers+karamazov+monstrously+mixed+up&q=monstrously+mixed+up

    The Heinemann & Zsolnay translation has it, according to Google books.

    ReplyDelete
  68. Deep thanks, Kyle! So it WAS the Garnett version after all. I thought it was Ivan who said that line, but it was Dmitri -- and it really does suit him more than Ivan.

    Emnarkie, I hope you're out there reading this. We've solved the mystery!

    Could this be the universe's way of telling me it's time to re-read THE BROKTHERS K?

    ReplyDelete
  69. You're quite welcome.

    I bought The Brothers Karamazov because of Brookyln Dreams, actually. I should probably get around to reading it one of these days.

    ReplyDelete