100 Hour Tour: The Newsarama thread

What follows are the posts from Dave Sim made to the Newsarama's message board as part of his "100 Hour Internet Tour" on Feb 6, 2008.

02-06-2008, 11:23 AM

Okay, I thought I would start off by mentioning -- along the lines of what we were discussing yesterday on Comics Village -- that there is an effect in the field that's happening because of all of the late books.

Most of the retailers that I talked to noted that the "window" where their customers ask about the next issue of a book that they bought is closing much faster than it used to. Most attribute it to the variety of material that's available. Whereas a book that they sold 10 or 15 copies of would -- in earlier years -- have meant that at least 10 people would still be asking about it three or four months later, now if the book doesn't come in customers are far more likely to just forget about it and buy something else.

It doesn't sound as if this is just an "indy" phenomenon, either. A lot of big names are having interest in their mainstream books drop off the radar screen because the book just isn't showing up.

To the Dream King: no problem. Glad you enjoyed the free comic. I still get the occasional letter asking about Neil's offer.

02-06-2008, 11:32 AM

It was actually one of the motivations behind doing CEREBUS in the first place back in 1977. I had worked with a few different "Groundlevel Comics" back then and I thought they had some basic elements missing. The biggest one was regular publication. That was why I decided to do three issues of a bi-monthly comic book with the first issue coming out in December, the second one in February, the third one in April. Keep the format the same, keep the logo the same, do a continuing character.

But, you really have to do all of those things simultaneously and with no excuses. It just seems odd that thirty years later we're in the same situation. You can move onto everyone's radar screen just by being reliable.

And yet everyone who asks me how to self-publish when I tell them that's the top priority, their eyes just glaze over.

"No, tell me the REAL secret."

That IS the secret.

02-06-2008, 11:42 AM

GLX: Hi. I don't have a television so I've never seen Ugly Betty but I've read all the reviews of the show in the NATIONAL POST. I also read America's interview in GLAMOUR a couple of months back. It's very hard to tell but most of the reaction I've read seems to think that she's really good but the show itself could be better.

I did see The Devil Wears Prada and I thought it really missed a lot of opportunities to be a lot more interesting. The footage that was shot at Paris Fashion Week was spectacular -- really jaw-dropping stuff -- but that was a) second unit stuff and b) not really part of the narrative. The "Oh what is going to become of me now that my latest marriage has broken up and all I have is my fabulous job most women would kill for" seemed, well, trite. Meryl Streep could mail that in without even having to think about it. If you're going to pay for Meryl Streep give her something interesting to do.

02-06-2008, 11:47 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by David Bird: I have already signed up for it. This might be a little general, but why Glamourpuss? What are you hoping to do with this title and why did you choose the fashion industry to do it?

It's really my homage to the Alex Raymond School -- Stan Drake/Al Williamson/Leonard Starr/Neal Adams in the Ben Casey days -- that is, it's a comic book that originates in the art rather than being story-driven like CEREBUS. I think the fashion industry is inherently interesting and the "fashion voice" in all the fashion magazines is ripe for good-natured parody.

Anyone interested in reading an advance copy of glamourpuss, ALL of the stores will be getting a COMIC INDUSTRY PREVIEW EDITION of issue number one in their Diamond Dateline package for Feb 13 and about 300 stores have autographed copies right now.

Just go in and ask "Can I take a look at your glamourpuss Preview edition?"

02-06-2008, 11:51 AM

Hi Scott: I notice you have Supergirl on your list. I had Andy at Carry-On Books in Waterloo pull $50 worth of books for me that he thought were the best mainstream works and one of them was part of the Brave and Bold Green Lantern/Supergirl team-up.

Is Mark Waid "on character" with Supergirl in your opinion? She's very different from the Supergirl I used to read in Action Comics back in the mid-60s.

02-06-2008, 11:54 AM

Cover price is $3.00. Kind of strange. When I put CEREBUS out it was the most expensive comic on the market at $1.00 for 24 pages. Now glamourpuss is going to be one of the least expensive comics on the market.

Hope I can see enough copies to keep from losing my shirt.

02-06-2008, 11:58 AM

Scott M Davis: I suppose that's always going to be a danger when you have characters appearing in multiple titles all written by different writers.

02-06-2008, 12:01 PM

Whereabouts are you in BC?

02-06-2008, 12:05 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by scottmdavis: Indeed, There's a new writer on the titles every 5 issues. DC is so lost on what to do about the character.

I really don't envy the editors at the big companies on the super-hero titles. Obviously you have to try to do something interesting with every character but in order to keep it consistent you have to "rein in" the writers. But if you get a top writer, the temptation is always going to be to go "off character" to accommodate him.

Imagine doing that every five months and then saying, "Okay, NOW what have I got to work with here?"

02-06-2008, 12:09 PM

Does Duncan have its own store or do you go to Victoria for your books? I was interested to note that they've got three stores in Victoria all basically right next to each other. Curious Comics at 631 Johnson, Legends at 633 Johnson and Yellow Jacket at 649 Johnson.

When I was doing my phone campaign, I was going to ask them about it and then I thought, "No, better just leave it alone."

02-06-2008, 12:17 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by GLX: Dave, have you thought about doing a comic for one of the big two before?

I've thought about it. Aubrey Sitterson at Marvel called me about a project they were working on and wondered if he could get 8 pages out of me for it. We entered into a lengthy discussion of it by fax but there were some (to me) insurmountable problems. The first was a disclaimer that you have to sign if you're going to pitch them a story idea saying that if they're working on something similar you don't have any grounds to sue them. That required a level of trust I don't have in my genetic make-up. From there we went to me just drawing something written by someone else and Aubrey asked who I'd like to have write it.

"Stan Lee."

That got into problems of me having to commit before they would even suggest it to Stan Lee (which I could understand -- I was just impressed that they would even consider it).

Finally it got down to just a cover. What I was picturing was doing my photorealism style I'm using on glamourpuss and just finding a really jazzy shot of a model (probably in a European fashion magazine like Italian VOGUE or MARIE CLAIRE) and turn her into Sue Storm or the Scarlet Witch or somebody.

Ultimately even when they came up quite a bit in their cover rate, it was still well below what I was getting for a CEREBUS commissioned piece and the cover would still need to be approved. If they didn't want to use it for any reason they didn't have to use it.

I guess I've just gotten spoiled by self-publishing. If I want it to see print, it sees print.

02-06-2008, 12:24 PM

One of the things I'm hoping to do with glamourpuss is to provide a bridge between independent and mainstream books. That's one of the big reasons that I'm putting in a lot of time on the Internet this month trying to get people to go in and ask to see the Comics Industry Preview Edition of glamourpuss (all three stores in Victoria should have the autographed copy I sent them). A lot of folks don't like to "spoil" a book for themselves by reading it ahead of time (I'm the same way) but I really do think if you just flip through the pages and read a couple of them -- mainstream or indy fan -- you're going to say, well, okay I'll risk three bucks on this. Also, wouldn't it be nice to buy a comic book that actually comes out when it says it's going to?

Okay, end of sales pitch.

02-06-2008, 12:27 PM

Do all the stores get along? That's a pretty compact environment. And what order did they open in?

02-06-2008, 12:34 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by David Bird: How would you characterize the state of things when it comes to independent and mainstream? It seems that independent just means small -- or neither DC or Marvel -- and that there aren't a lot of self-publishers out there.

I think it used to mean "small" but now I think the working definition is "not Marvel or DC". I think that might be a reaction on the part of Marvel and DC fans because the borderline got pretty fuzzy pretty quickly. Ed Brubacher and Bill Willingham were definitely indy guys. Frank Miller is probably better known for 300 and Sin City -- his indy projects -- than for Daredevil and Dark Knight at this point. Making comics into "Marvel and DC" and "Not Marvel and DC" keeps the borderline a little sharper than it actually is.

02-06-2008, 12:39 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by scottmdavis: they've been around for at least 10yrs. Each has their own loyal set of customers. I tend to go to all 3 whenever I go to pick up comics.

I think I'd have thought I had died and gone to Heaven if I had four comic book stores all on the same block. I never even DREAMED of something like that.

02-06-2008, 12:47 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by GLX: What comics are you currently reading?

MOUSE GUARD by David Pedersen I think is great. THE SPIRIT by Darwyn Cooke. I really appreciate him staying on schedule and he's always got at least three or four pages that are worth the price of admission. The two-page Sand Saref splash in the latest one. Yeah. Thanks, Darwyn. Love watching it evolve.

02-06-2008, 12:50 PM

Prayer time. I should be back around 12:40 or so.

02-06-2008, 02:00 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by RantzH

Hey Dave... seems I might have actually caught up with you while you're on the net. Randy's description of you actually posting on forums was "Dear god, isn't that the 4th seal of the end times?!"

From what I've seen of Glamourpuss, I'm really interested... Larry Marder and I were hanging out Monday and he had nothing bu nice things to say about it, so I'll definately be picking it up.

couple GP-related questions:

I had read somewhere that you were planning on doing a few issues, then taking a couple months to gauge market reaction. If market reaction is favorable, is this seen as a 'finite' series or an ongoing? If the former, about how many issues to tell the story you want to tell?

There's been a lot of kerfluffle about you switching to Starkings/CC's 'Kubert' font... has it been an odd adjustment in terms of your workflow, especially since you've stated multiple times you're not really a computer kind of guy?

I'll think of some others in a bit. Unrelated, Derek McCulloch and I have an OGN coming out from Image in May called Displaced Persons... Derek's proving himself to be quite the writing badass... We'll happily send you a copy if'n you are interested.

Also, while you are doing the forum tour, I'd suggest, if you are up for it, hitting the creator-cetric forum I run over at www.panelandpixel.com. Let me know if you decide to and when you are 'in' and I'll flag your account with 'pro' status. A lot of discussion about the industry, the art and craft of the comics form, as well as being generally 'helpful' and less 'snarky' than most forums.

glad to see you back in the scrum.

Hi Rantz -- Nice to hear from you again and thanks for the "Taupe or Salmon" headline you submitted in the Editorial Meeting section on the website. Also glad to hear that Larry Marder liked glamourpuss. The big question is: did Corey? glamourpuss: People in the Real World swear by it.

When I got the issue done and had my first complete read-through I have to admit I did a couple of victory laps around the studio. Hope you like it when you read it.

Also glad to hear (indirectly) from Rob McCulloch. How's Derek doing? I'm having a mid-80s flashback. This is like a Mike Bannon Fan Club meeting or something.

The Kubert font is more difficult to work with in some ways but the overwhelming reason for using it is being able to make on-going corrections and tweaks in the text. The writer has a much higher status than the letterer so he got to call that one. The artist wanted something as close to Ben Oda as possible...and that definitely ruled ME out.

02-06-2008, 02:05 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by IzzySlash: I know you'll probably never take on anything as monumental as Cerebus again but do you ever see your self taking on another long term project of a possibly 50-60 issue length?

It would have to be something that warranted it. I'd say that I've probably mined that area to my own satisfaction and I'm now more inclined to do shorter works. There is a tendency abroad in the land to assume you have to do incredibly long stories to have credibility (which I might be partly responsible for). I think there's a lot to be said for shorter works. Secret Project One was suited to 48 pages. Had I made it any longer or serialized it I think it would have been a lesser work.

02-06-2008, 02:13 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by RichJohnston: Glamourpuss looks like it will fit in right between Understanding Comics and Alice In Sunderland in terms of subject and storytelling - is that a fair pigeon hole?

Thanks for the kind words. Always nice to hear from someone you've had that much of an impact on!

The commentaries on Alex Raymond and RIP KIRBY are definitely in that category -- but "in between" might be a stretch. If you look at Scott's pyramid of the spectrum from cartoony to realistic in UNDERSTANDING COMICS, things like RIP KIRBY are way out in the thematic boonies. That's one of the dominant attitudes in the field that I'd like to counterbalance with glamourpuss. The comic-book field STARTED way, way, way, way over here with Alex Raymond, Hal Foster and Milt Caniff. This isn't the boonies, this is the City Centre!

02-06-2008, 02:21 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by RantzH

Corey just got back from 3 weeks in Africa, so I know she hasn't read it yet. My wife actually owns/runs a 'couture' fashion company, so I'll be interested in seeing what her reactions is, especially since she reads a lot of chick lit like Sophie Kinsella and the like.

Derek is Good, Stagger Lee, his first OGN with Image got nominated for an Eisner and an Eagle, Displaced Persons come out in May, then he's got two more OGN's handed off to artists, one of which you know quite well, actually. He's married and has a daughter... *I* got married and have FOUR daughters... so.. a far far cry from the raging loon I was back in 92.

Are you doing any appearances to promote the book? I'll actually be hitting multiple shows this year to promote everything, which'll be the first time I've ever gone to any of the east coast cons.

I'll fax you about some other stuff...

I'll be at S.P.A.C.E. March 1 and 2, Motor City in Detroit in the middle of May and New York Comic Con the third week in April. Waiting to hear back from Shelton Drum about Heroes Con in June.

I'm trying to keep a lid on it. This is how everyone ends up getting years off schedule. STAGGER LEE -- never heard a word about it. I'll have to ask at The Beguiling the next time I'm in. Tell him congratulations from me.

Include your wife's name and address with your fax and I'll send her one of the Platinum Access VIP Fashion Preview Editions. If you ask nicely she might let you read it when she's done. I think I sent Corey the Fashion Preview. That was "couples" day in the promotion campaign. Comic Book Edition for the guy, Fashion Edition for the wife.

02-06-2008, 02:29 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by srick77: Dave, What made you decide to attend S.P.A.C.E. and unveil the project there? ~ Stephen Lindsay

Well, it's very sensitive subject matter so I wanted a low-key environment. As I said elsewhere, "glamourpuss is being promoted, Secret Project One will be released". I have 100% confidence in Bob and Kathy Corby's ability to get things right. It's a two-person operation (with major help from Bob's brother Ron and daughter Megan) so I can always talk to the person in charge and get definite answers. Also, the March 1 and 2 dates were conveniently at the end of the glamourpuss solicitation period which seemed like the ideal launch date.

Keith Davidsen at Diamond tells me I got another "Featured Item" for Secret Project One. That's two FI listings in back to back catalogues! I'm really pleased.

Your project sounds blasphemous (or at least heretical). On the other hand, as far as I know Jesus actually does hate zombies. Hope you'll be submitting it for Day Prize consideration.

02-06-2008, 02:35 PM

Rich Johnston: Thanks for posting the Cho piece. That should bring folks running from all directions. It's a knockout. It does indicate how bizarre everything's getting. You reject the piece, someone posts it to the Internet and the whole world makes up its mind whether Marvel is crazy or Frank Cho is.

Derek: Goat farming. Do they have award nominations for that?

02-06-2008, 02:41 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by loupgaroukid: Hi Dave, thanks for taking the time to do this. I was able to take a peak at the GP preview copy last time I was at Looking For Heroes (since we're name dropping local shops ) and was very impressed with the fine line quality of the artwork. Any hints/teases as to what the story will be about?

Oh, thank you for dropping by and saying hello. I appreciate John and Duane pushing the book the way they are. And it's Lookin for Heroes. No g. I'm compulsively noticing those things since the autographed copy part of the campaign. Writing a dedication to a store and spelling the name wrong -- talk about shooting yourself in the foot.

hints/teases: Not yet. I'm trying not to close off any avenues (which is what happens very early in the creative process). High wire act staying faithful to the fashion magazine voice while also poking fun at it.

02-06-2008, 02:44 PM

Originally Posted by GenerallZodd: What you did on Cerebus was amazing man. That type of dedication is rare these days.

Thanks, I appreciate the acknowledgement a great deal especially in a society that often seems to take a dim view of the term "dedication".

How are things in the Phantom Zone, these days? You up for day parole yet? And how does that work? Do they make you gradually more substantial or just let one of your legs go for an unescorted walk or what?

02-06-2008, 02:47 PM

Originally Posted by DMcCulloch: Yeah, I believe the winner gets to run for Prime Minister against a belligerent anteater.

That sounds oddly familiar in some way. And YOU were there. And YOU AND YOU...and I just kept telling everyone -- I want to go home! Oh, Auntie Em, Uncle Henry. There's NO place like home.

02-06-2008, 02:50 PM

Originally Posted by RichJohnston: Approved by editorial. rejected by people-higher-than-editorial. I'm reminded of that cartoon you drew with business sitting on editorial sitting on the creator...

Of course now Frank gets lots of publicity for a knockout piece which he can sell on eBay for much more than the Marvel rate would have been. And does another cover.

And Marvel gets the publicity from a cover they didn't have to pay for and another Frank Cho piece to say "yay" or "nay" on.

As my dad used to say, "If I'd known I was going to live this long, I'd have taken better care of myself." Never thought I'd live to see what eBay would do for the standard of living of artists (positive) and their productivity (negative).

02-06-2008, 02:54 PM

I'm basically going from website to website, spending a day at each one as a way of promoting glamourpuss. Be honest. Do you think it's going to help circulation or is it just a way for me to use Mort Weisinger one-liners I can't use in glamourpuss? This is my first time on the message boards, one week down three weeks to go.

02-06-2008, 02:58 PM

No, I threw away my television, VCR (remember those?), CD player, tape deck and turntable back in 2001 so I don't have anything to play music on. Songs going through my head lately include Joni Mitchell's "Free Man in Paris" or whatever it's called. That's the tough thing about not having anything to play music on. When a song gets wedged in my head because I heard it in a store or something, it'll keep "playing" for weeks.

02-06-2008, 03:05 PM

Speaking of signs...the new books didn't come in on Wednesday AGAIN (which is getting to be a regular thing according to John and Duane). John was taking a poll as to how to announce it: tsunami or chinook. Since they're coming in from Montreal, I suggested "Unrest in Quebec". Duane modified that to "CIVIL Unrest in Quebec". Good call. Now he's got signs up on the new comics rack. Vote for your fave:

TOMORROW MUST BE WEDNESDAY BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN THE NEW BOOKS ARE COMING IN.

THE NEW BOOKS WILL BE IN ON THURSDAY...THIS IS A RECORDING

NO BOOKS TODAY... ANYWHERE! PLEASE COME BACK THURSDAY

02-06-2008, 03:11 PM

I usually get in an hour or so before S.P.A.C.E. opens so that's usually a good time to drop by the table and say hello. Don't worry about interrupting another conversation. That's usually all that's going on whoever I'm talking to. Tim Corrigan or one of the guys. It's all just shop talk which is a lot of the point of a Small Press show. I'll look forward to meeting you!

02-06-2008, 03:14 PM

I thought I was going to get it for 15 bucks but then everything went berserk in the last half hour. If it had been Rob's GREAT GOATS & WHERE TO FIND THEM with the Gerhard cover I would have hung in but...t'heck with it...I've got eight copies of it already. What am I going to do put the whole print run back together? Life's too short. y'know?

02-06-2008, 03:16 PM Is that what it's called? "Free Man in Paris"? Is Rosie O'Donell lurking? She's a huge Joni Mitchell fan. Unless she's lost some weight lately.

02-06-2008, 03:22 PM

Originally Posted by Jason A. Quest: I'm curious about your position about other creators using Cerebus, which (as I've heard it described) is blanket license to "do what thou wilt" with him. First, is this correct? Second, even aside from wanting to be paid, most creators won't do this because it would mean losing control over their creation, while they're still around to see it. Does this not concern you? What if someone were to produce a comic in which Cerebus rises from the dead as a time-traveling cyborg, using first-person pronouns, and nursing abandoned puppies? And it just occurred to me to wonder: does this permission apply to your other characters (from Cerebus, GP, SP1) or just the earth-pig?

No, it applies across the board. It's a "people who live in glass houses" thing. Having "sampled" Groucho Marx, Woody Allen, the various Roaches, etc. I'm hardly in the position to make my own stuff unassailable. The danger for the guy doing it -- me in the case of the above -- is that you have to measure up. If you do a really sad Groucho riff and call him Lord Julius you're really just digging your own grave.

02-06-2008, 03:31 PM

Okay I've got to go pick up inserts for my flossing wand and Listerine and V8 vegetable juice (to have with my salad when I'm done fasting tonight at 0630) before my 3 o'clock prayer.

Yes, the life of Dave Sim, CEREBUS and glamourpuss creator is just as exciting as you always imagined it would be!

02-06-2008, 04:44 PM

Originally Posted by seilerjeff: So. . .What are your tour parameters/requirements? You know, like only beige M&Ms in the dressing room, or is it something weirder? Jeff

Hey, Jeff. Um, as I said yesterday I really have rethought the whole Tour idea in light of the fact that the idea is to promote the sales of my work. Unless the trade paperback order from last week -- two full SKIDS of trade paperbacks! -- was just a coincidence, the best thing I can do is just stay in touch with the retailers by phone. I have a phone message from a Toronto retailer asking me if I want to come in for Free Comic Book Day. That's solely based on the phone call I placed to him because he was listed in the Yellow Pages. If I do a tour, I go to the Beguiling or Silver Snail and it has zero impact anywhere else in the GTA. By phone, I was able to talk to just about every Toronto store -- about two dozen -- in the course of two or three days.

I appreciate the offer but this is comics, this isn't rock 'n' roll, and one of the big differences is where it makes the most sense to put your promotion time -- particularly if, as I do, you put a premium value on getting your work out on time and putting in as much working time as you can. Spending the better part of a week basically getting to three stores for three hours each is just terrifically inefficient.

And about your phone message: just include anything that you think looks like a letter/answer combination. Be choosy. With 60 days between issues there will probably be no shortage of good "glamour shots" letters. Put together the best three pages you can and hang onto any leftovers just in case.

Hope work's going good today. Looking forward to CEREBUS READERS IN CRISIS #3

02-06-2008, 04:53 PM

Originally Posted by Talon T M: Heh. OK, this reads perfectly in a Lord Julius voice. Check here to see all the places Dave has visited (and will re-visit), as well as special links for each site that consist solely of Dave's posts. Thanks, Margaret!

Yes, thanks, Margaret as always. Couldn't find your fax number today. I was wondering if you could do close-ups of the variants I sent you for Glamourpuss Bulletins? I don't think you're in the collector/investor end of things (in fact I'm pretty sure you're as far away from it as you can get) but close-ups are the duck's nuts for collector/investors. Nice tight shot of the 1 MAR variant, the two different gold seals, the silver seal. Fill the whole screen. PANOVISION VARIANT DETAILS!

And as long as we're on the subject, let me get my list out here. Comic Book Resources. How about Comic Book Resources tomorrow and then Brian Bendis' site on Saturday? I've already said Comics Bulletin for next Tuesday, I think. So, let's say Brian Bendis' site Saturday and Monday, CB Tuesday and then back to The Comics Journal message boards next Wednesday?

02-06-2008, 04:55 PM

Once again, never even heard of it. I've made a note in my little notebook and will ask about it at the Beguiling the next time I'm in. Sounds good, though.

02-06-2008, 05:02 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Al Nickerson: Hi, Dave! It’s great to see you hanging around the World Wide Web. Again, I really enjoyed GLAMOURPUSS #1. (Everyone should make sure that their local retailer orders many copies.) Thanks for spending so much time with us on the Internet.

Oh, thank YOU all. It's really not my kind of thing. My stomach clenches on the way in every morning just thinking of typing all those weird characters just to get in here and that panel full of smilies to my right is a good reminder of why this is not really my kind of thing...but it does beat the 26-city tour in '92 for ease and comfort. Especially on a fasting day. 100 hours on the Internet was just one of those things that I thought would show the retailers I was serious about Shared Risk, Shared Responsibility, Shared Rewards (i.e. meeting them halfway). I don't know (and probably will never know) if it actually did any good.

You were born to ink Joe Staton on E-Man. Thanks for the NIHILIST-MAN.

02-06-2008, 05:12 PM

Hand-off at S.P.A.C.E. will be fine. Much obliged.

Well, different retailers mean different things by that. One of the things I'm fighting uphill against is the tendency for a lot of them to just order copies for their former CEREBUS customers. It's the cloudy part of the silver lining of being known -- being pigeon-holed. Likewise being classed as an "indy" as if only indy people are even going to look at it.

That's why (and here I go again) I keep urging people to go in and look at the book themselves. If the store you go to is in that category, unless you specifically ask your retailer to order you a copy you're not apt to see one on the shelves in April. At least theoretically what I'm doing is putting A copy on the shelves of every store in the English-speaking world so everyone can pretend it's April and they're deciding whether they want a copy of No.1.

Yes, the superheroine thing continues although I'm trying not to definitively establish her powers in my mind since I think that will be a fun part to just let develop. In issue two...well, no. You'll just have to wait til July, Jeff.

02-06-2008, 05:14 PM

Sim Sketch of Cerebus

I had forgotten that sketch. Do you remember where and when you got that?

02-06-2008, 05:17 PM

You should at least tell Joe. Anything that would get a new regular E-MAN title out (and how could a reliable inker hurt?) is a good idea in my book!

02-06-2008, 05:24 PM

Seriously? Or is it just one of the many "Oh, er, um, I'm...uh...I'm PROMOTING my WORK. Sure. THAT'S it. I'm PROMOTING my WORK. I'm not actually [frittering my life away living inside the little TV/sitting at a table for three days so I can drink myself into a stupor at Bar Con and charge it to the government's tab on my taxes/some other transparent rationalization to stay away from the drawing board]...I'm PROMOTING my WORK."

I love that Jon Lovett "liar" character voice from SNL. Johnny Depp swiped it shamelessly in the Tim Burton film about the PLAN 9 director.

02-06-2008, 05:27 PM

I'm telling you everything I know. Sure. THAT's it. My life is a cybernetic open book.

02-06-2008, 05:31 PM

Well, THAT''S good news. Have Nick and Joe ever done a "grim and gritty" E-man parody in the book? It just popped into my head. What if Frank Miller did E-Man?

02-06-2008, 05:38 PM

No, I'm pretty sure that was the only Norbert sketch I ever did. 43 skatillion? Look, vb, I don't know how to break this to you: Norbert is famous but he isn't THAT famous.

Fine company indeed, indeed.

Send me a Norbert in the mail and maybe I can get him on a glamourpuss t-shirt or as a pair of earings or something. I thought I was too old to join a Dread Inner Circle...any Dread Inner Circle. I tell you I feel ten years younger. And I owe it all to Norbert!

02-06-2008, 06:11 PM

Okay, I had a nice long answer to your retailer question Jeff and then got knocked off of the site for some reason and when I got back here the nice long answer was gone. Well, I've got a prayer time. I'll be back for a last hour or so around 6 pm.

Sorry about that.

02-06-2008, 07:21 PM

Originally Posted by seilerjeff: Oops. I was going back over these cutting and pasting to a word file to save to flash drive for my new project and I remembered that I had a question in response to this post: What is the status of your jam cover with David Pederson. I love Mouse Guard and thanks again to Tundis for turning me onto that.

Hi Jeff. Sorry we're getting up to serious winter storm here and it took me a while to make it back through the drifts.

John said "Wow. I didn't think you'd be back."

Me: "That's how I know I really want to do this comic book. Just like in hockey. 'Y'gotta WANT it.'"

The retailers are all individuals so they'll make their own choices about whether to REALLY get behind glamourpuss. I've built my half of the bridge and now the issue is being decided (I would guess) on an hour-by-hour basis on the CBIA website and the ComicsPRO inner circle. The clock is ticking and I have roughly three weeks to try to generate as much interest in the book as I can. The length of time isn't a variable in the equation -- which is one of the reasons I slogged my way back here for the sake of another hour on Newsarama. The retailers have to have confidence that I'll do what I say and (seemingly) little things like that can tilt the playing field away from me or in my favour.

This might not be the best use of my time, but it was what I decided to do with the last four weeks in the "campaign". I'm gratified by what Rantz said about it -- that he wishes the Internet had been around in the '80s.

Ralph DiBernardo is committed to ordering 250 copies (and -- if the book is in stores before NYCC -- as many as 500). Robert Rowe who is a long-time CEREBUS reader has ordered 100 himself. Is everyone going to do that? No, of course not.

But I really believe if the retailers see someone making more of an effort -- a joint effort -- with them and I've got three more weeks to convince them: "Put me in coach -- I'm ready to play." hey, the SuperBowl wasn't decided until the last minute, right? Against a team that had gone 18-0.

Y'gotta WANT it.

02-06-2008, 07:26 PM

Yes. That's one of the best things about Tom Roberts' Alex Raymond book. Lots of photos. I've got three in particular I can't wait to do. Neal Adams and Al Williamson are in the first one, as is John Prentice. I got a great shot of Milt Caniff from the Cartoon Research Library at OSU.

02-06-2008, 07:29 PM

Hello Francesca and Kevin and particularly "Basta Emily". I bet she isn't two years old anymore isn't she? Six? That can't be right.

Kevin, are you still a Spider-man fan? I remember the back-pack. And still fishing?

02-06-2008, 07:36 PM

Hi Dave,

Everyone was very complimentary about the artwork itself but they claimed that only paintings can really achieve photorealism, because it seems that only paintings can really aim to look EXACTLY like a photograph.

I am really impressed by your beautiful line work and use of the brush in glamourpuss, but I have to agree that line work is line work and that that will never generate a perfect replica of a photo. I suppose obtaining a photographic effect could be done with near to microscopic cross-hatching, but that doesn't seem to be your aim in glamourpuss. To me, from both the artwork itself and the comments in the text of the comic it seems that a true photographic effect is not your objective, your objective apart from exploring the Raymond artistic school would seem to be to draw the girls as realistically as possible while still having a black and white (none of the greys that are in black and white photography) line-art comic book look to it. Am I correct in that assumption?

Reply to Billy Beach Well, yes. Exactly so. It's the art of translation. This is what this photograph would look like it if was a piece of comic art. It's an amazingly fine-tuned nuance with the translation being as individualized as a thumb-print. Raymond looks like this...Drake looks like that...Prentice and Williamson are the toughest to tell apart I suspect because they both worked on RIP KIRBY and they were both trying to "do" their best Raymond. Working that fast, virtually side-by-side you're eventually going to turn into each other.

I would also like to say a quick hi to Jeff Seiler and I wish him all the best with this year's Cerebus Readers in Crisis #3!

best wishes as always to you Dave

02-06-2008, 07:41 PM

Yeah, I think we'll have trouble with the definition. I got it from Armando Mandez's website on the subject. It's probably more accurateto say "Most Realistic Comics Illustration" but photorealism sounds better. Of course the things I'm doing are still called comic books and -- if you've read many mainstream comics lately there's nothing particularly comic about them.

HIGH SOCIETY is called a phone book and SECRET PROJECT ONE at 48 pages will be called a graphic novel.

We have a long way to go in this field before we have accurate labels.

02-06-2008, 07:43 PM

Do you know where they've taken your "r" by the way? Do you get it back eventually? Should we send in the CRC (Consonant Red Cross) to ensure that your "r" is being treated humanely?

Dave Sim

Photorealists Without Frontiers

02-06-2008, 07:46 PM

Sorry, Jeff. Missed one of your questions.

The jam cover for FOLLOWING CEREBUS 12 is done. David did his part and then coloured it on the computer. Craig Miller assures me that it's a jaw-dropped piece of work. We're in the middle of the lengthy interview process now. It's coming out really good!

02-06-2008, 07:49 PM

The fiends! The heartless inhuman FIENDS! Don't they have consonants of their own? Can't they see that we're .... ALL! ... CONSONANTS UNDER THE SKIN!

Why always "r's"? That's the other thing I want to know. And don't tell me it's a cultural thing.

02-06-2008, 07:52 PM

What about the cigarette butt that I signed for the guy outside the downtown Jim Hanley's store in '92? Doesn't that qualify?

02-06-2008, 07:56 PM

Okay...John and I are getting out of here while we can still get the door open. See you tomorrow at...wherever it is.

ON HUSKIES!