Celebration Day, part 2

Well, today presents me with yet another big reason for celebration. I've just learned that Alan Moore on His Work and Career, the fourth volume of my interview books which launch the new "Talking with Graphic Novelists" line of books from Rosen Publishing, is hitting the shelves of comic shops across the country. [And, for those of you who might have missed this caveat previously, please be aware that this book reprints the Alan Moore Spells It Out edition from Airwave Publishing which was released early in 2006, and sold out within 7 months.]

Again, to say that I'm excited about this release would be a real understatement. Not only does this mark the return to the comics market of my first book, but it also clearly marks the point of entry of my work into the mainstream market represented by online booksellers of various stripes, including the all-important Amazon and Barnes and Noble websites, but also and more importantly libraries and other "institutional markets" across these United States. Even cooler, this and other volumes have already begun to turn up in the online catalogues of various libraries here. So, these books are actually making into the spaces that I and Rosen hoped they would...and will, eventually and ideally, into the hands of readers who might otherwise have missed them for any number of reasons.

As those of you that have followed my career for the past decade or so have probably gleaned from the general tenor of my work, this idea is not just important, but central to what I've been trying to accomplish over the years. Quite simply, I've been trying to not just have good and interesting conversations with various creators of comics, but to also delve into the reasons why they create the kind of work that they do, why they approach that work in the manner that they do, and what influences have had a direct or glancing impact upon that process over the course of their careers. Yeah, in a very real way, I'm just a fanboy at heart, but this idea of exploring the general phenomenon known as the creative process by investigating various individual's experience of, and approach to their art is central to just about everything I do as a journalist, and as a writer.

Another, secondary concern of my work has been capturing their experience of the business side of the work. As much as we'd all like to act or believe that the mundane daily aspects of plying one's trade in this industry we all love and, sometimes, hate are inconsequential or easily dismissed, the fact of the matter is that, in many cases, those factors have a direct and large impact upon what creators are allowed to do with their craft. As such, to ignore this side of the modern creators' careers will only result in investigations that are subtly flawed at best, if you're incredibly lucky.

Anyway, it's another good day to be me, marking the release of my sixth book--even if it is, essentially, a reprint. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, after all. For those of you who need it, here's the Diamond reorder number and other basic info on this book:

JUL073786 Alan Moore on His Work and Career HC $ 30.50

But that's not the only reason for the general glow of satisfaction hereabouts. I can now also talk about one of the projects I've been working quite hard at for the past few months, since it's now been officially announced by the publisher. Specifically, that I've been asked by none other than Steve "Dude" Rude to write up a brief history of Nexus for that book's 100th issue. In fact, I've already interviewed a fair number of folks who helped shepherd this seminal Sci-Fi series from conception to completion month after month [including both Dud and Mike Baron, as well as Milton Griepp, Alex Wald, and Anina Bennett], finished writing it and turned in the piece. Steve seems quite happy with the results, and already begun work on the layout, etc for inclusion in that historic issue, which will be hitting the stands in January of '08. And you can bet that you'll be hearing more about this project in the near future, from both Rude Dude and myself.

And there's more going on, some of which I'll be able to talk about soon, I hope. A couple of them are similar to the Nexus gig, but targeted at the mainstream market rather than solely the comic shops. Also, as I believe I've hinted in an earlier entry, one of these is a pretty high profile gig. No, even bigger than that...really big. And incredibly cool, to boot. It's really hard not to blather on about it right now, but I can't. I'll just leave that subject by noting that you will be hearing about it, and not just here. Honest.

Finally, as if all the above wasn't exciting enough, I've actually been the subject of two interviews in the past month or so. The first was for the Comic Book Novice radio show hosted by Mark Torres, Peter Palmiotti and friends. That took place during the same period that the San Diego show was going on, but you can check it out for yourself thanks to the wonder of downloading via Mark's webpage http://testsite.pixeltao.com/download.html. It's the July 28th, 2007 edition of the show. The direct link to download that installment of Comic Book Novice is http://testsite.pixeltao.com/audio/thecomicbooknoviceJul26.zip. I had a great time talking about my career, my approach to doing my work and, of course, comics generally.

I also talked with the good folks behind the Supernaut podcasts, Rob Schneider and Mike [sorry, I don't have his last name handy]. Again, a great time talking about the Rosen series and my other books, my career and what I've been reading, as well as all the other burning topics you all want to know. Unfortunately, I haven't received the links from Rob yet, but as soon as I have that info I'll be sure to post it here.

And that should do it for now, I think. Except for this week's installment of...

What's Bill been reading for the past month+? [for the period of 7-16 to 9-12-07] part B


Harry Potter and The Deathly Hollows
by JK Rowling
Scholastic Books
http://www.scholastic.com/

I know that by now everyone who wanted to read this book, or a review of it, probably has done so. And those who aren't interested, or are adamant about resisting this modern publishing miracle, will continue to avoid the entire series and any critique of same with a passion. I'd just like to note that I have generally enjoyed this and the other installments of Harry's seven years of trials, tribulations, terrors and, ultimately, triumph. Rowling has proven to be a pretty good writer on the whole, and one who actually learned and advanced her craft in discernable steps over the course of creating these books. As always, there's plenty of action, stifled dreams and yearnings finally allowed to blossom, and more than one surprise and turns of events which can prove heartbreaking. Even if you hate these books or what they represent, ya gotta admit that, in this day and age of highly addictive games, webprogramming and other high tech indulgences, the ability to get anybody to willing read a series of seven rather expansive books is something magical in and of itself.

In the end, while it's quite obvious that this and the other Potter books are not for everyone, they are essential reading for anyone with an interest in writing books that kids and teens will not just read, but devour again and again.


Devil Dinosaur
by Jack Kirby with Mike Royer and Petra Goldberg
Marvel Comics
http://www.marvel.com/

This omnibus edition collects the entirety of Kirby's beautifully odd late 70s series detailing the prehistoric adventures of that original comic book odd couple, Devil Dinosaur and his companion, Moon-Boy. Again, this is one of the King's more maligned books, often seen as crude and silly. And, yeah, at times it's silly, and perhaps even seemingly crude. However, if you approach it without any preconceptions other than a sincere longing for some wildly entertaining, weirdly compelling comics, I suspect that you'll be pleasantly surprised by this collection. Sure, the plots might have some big holes in them if you think about the proceedings too much, just as some of the characters' motivations and utterances can be troubling if you're looking for realistic scripting. Too which I can only say, "Get over yerself!"

Aside from the fact that most comics from that same era now are quite dated at this point, there's a lot to be said for this attempt to do something a bit different from the typical superheroic tale. This is Kirby completely unfettered by any but his own conventions, at play in the field of the four color lord we all worship. And the results are pure, unadulterated comics goodness for all ages. Just think of it as that TV show that inexplicably bombed, despite being completely, madly entertaining. Not essential reading for most, but for anyone who is interested in what Kirby wanted to try to do with the comics medium--or who is just looking for some purely fun reading--this is worth checking out.


Marvel Masterworks: Captain Marvel volume 2
by Arnold Drake, Gary Friedrich and Roy Thomas, with Don Heck, Dick Ayers, Gil Kane and others
Marvel Comics
http://www.marvel.com/

This second hardcover collection reprints Captain Marvel #s 10 through 21, and represents a major turning point in the story of Marvel's star-crossed spaceman. After lapsing into cleverly disguised superheroics for a number of issues, the titular hero is reconfigured and completely reborn, this time literally grafted onto one of the House of Idea's enduring sidekick characters, Rick Jones. And while some of the concerns of the book do seem a tad dated, there's still some real fire and invention happening here. Again, certainly not everyone's cup o' poison, so to speak, but something of real interest to those who lived these issues back in the day, and anyone who is interested in seeing how one pair of Protean creators named Thomas and Kane could work real magic when re-imagining the very nature and purpose of a character.


Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor volume 6
by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, with Vinnie Colletta
Marvel Comics
http://www.marvel.com/

If you haven't started checking out these tales, perhaps the single greatest group of tales that the titanic twosome of Lee and Kirby every penned, you're missing out on some of the most important and entertaining comics published in the past century. Period. And, yeah, that even includes their seminal, highly entertaining run and even historic run on Fantastic Four. These stories present some of the best spectacles Kirby ever rendered, fully supported and brought to life by what might be some of Stan's best scripting, bar none. And what's even more staggering is the simple fact that the tales contained in this volume are, in reality, only ramping up the title for one of the most brilliant series of stories these two guys ever did ["The search for Galactus" arc]. Sounds like I'm overstating things? Well, I'm not.

If you've ever worried what all the excitement surrounding this character and his cohorts was about, this [or even the preceding volume] is the start of it all. Essential reading for anyone hoping to fully understand the work of Jack Kirby and Stan Lee, and required reading for anyone hoping to create mind-bending scenarios and scenery, or to capture the pure kinetic energy of a battle of truly epic scope. If you're not reading this particular series in reprints, you're missing out on some great fun, my friends.


Marvel Masterworks: The Sub-Mariner volume 2
by Stan Lee and Roy Thomas, with Bill Everett, Gene Colan and others
Marvel Comics
http://www.marvel.com/

I've got to admit, while I loved Gene Colan's work, for some reason I never got into Prince Namor while growing up. Sure, I'd check out the occasional issue of Tales to Astonish or his eponymous series now and then, lured in by Colan's brilliant designs and layouts, but I never really got into the character. Nowadays, I have an even greater appreciation for what Colan, and Namor's original creator, Bill Everett, accomplished with this character and his story. It's good, fun reading, and the art work is often breathtaking. Worth checking out if you're into the character, or great Gene Colan and modern Everett art. And the scripts, while not necessarily sublime, are worth the time invested, too.


And I think that's enough for now. Next time, the finally installment of these long overdue reviews of this period will be joined with those of books read more recently. Until then, take care, try to get outside to enjoy this glorious fall season we're currently inhabiting, and make sure to have some fun!