Another collection of random plugs, anecdotes, observations, and career advice from the writer of Dark Horse Comics' ArchEnemies.
WHO'S SIDE ARE YOU ON?
A few weeks back, Yvel, Joe and I did a signing for ArchEnemies here in NYC. Or, at the very least, we ATTEMPTED a signing. It was Good Friday, and it was raining. (Which kind of made it a BAD Friday.) And if you don't know this about New Yorkers: we're all either devout, devout, devout Christians OR obscenely skittish about precipitation.
So the turn out was not great, though there was this one exciting moment where we were beset by Spanish tourists. There were eight or nine of them, and they were all very enthusiastic about the book, and they all bought copies and smiled while we signed them.
Mind you, they didn't speak a word of English. I'm pretty sure they thought we were the guys from CIVIL WAR. But that's okay. (A sale's a sale.)
And I should probably learn Spanish at some point. If not for the fact that I live in SPANISH Harlem and 50% of the people I know are Hispanic...
...then at least to communicate with my rabid fanbase in Europe.
"¿Qué posición usted pertenece?"
ARCHENEMIES #2
ArchEnemies #2 arrives in shops on Wednesday. If you hated Ethan after issue one, this will be the issue that makes you hate him slightly less. Maybe.
If you enjoyed #1, please pick up a copy of #2. If you didn't enjoy #1, please pick up a copy of #2 for someone you hate. (A sale's a sale.)
THE NEXT SERIESES
Over the past few weeks, I've been finishing up my proposal for the next series of ArchEnemies. I sent a draft doc to Philip earlier this week, and we're hoping to secure a greenlight sometime in the next couple of weeks.
If all goes well, I'll be writing more ArchEnemies this summer, and we'll have the next series out this fall.
And speaking of next serieses, I have an update on the brand new project that I'm developing. (The one I first mentioned last column.) And here it is:
I talked to Philip about the book this week. He's worried that my working title might be trademarked, but I'm pretty sure it's not. (After all, who's gonna trademark This Other Thing That Drew Might Be Writing?)
But seriously: After the Busiek incident, I need to be extra careful about things like this.
A new creator comes on the scene with a blank slate. You make a mistake, and people will generally give you the benefit of the doubt. You make the same mistake again? And again? Sooner or later, people are gonna stop trusting you.
I've got a great title for this book, and I'm pretty sure I'm within my rights to use it. BUT! I don't want to become "Guy Who Rips Off Other People's Names and Titles" guy.
So maybe I'll switch titles. Or not.
Haven't decided yet.
And in other Batm--I mean, Unnamed New Comics Project news, Philip and I agreed on a tentative creator budget for the series.
The money stuff is always tricky. You want to be fairly compensated for your work. If possible, you want to be OVERLY compensated for your work. But at the same time, you need to consider the economics.
You have to be responsible with the company's money, or the company's going to stop giving you their money.
And with this new project, I'm not just negotiating my own page rate. I'm not just negotiating the page rate of the artist that I'd LIKE to have on the book. I'm also negotiating the lettering and coloring rates for people we haven't even hired yet.
And I'd like to pay them all a bajillion-and-a-half dollars, but Dark Horse just can't greenlight that book.
But, like I said, Philip and I agreed on a budget, and I took it to the artist, and he's on board. So we're one step closer to getting this new thing approved.
Hopefully, I'll have a couple new Dark Horse minis to write this summer.
And they will pay me.
And I won't starve.
Hopefully.
