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MARK BADGER
FIRST STEPS TO ORGANIZING THE GUILD
You can't do it. That's what the smart set will say. Creators won't work together, won't be political, won't make things happen. You can't organize a guild or a union of artists and writers, it's like "herding cats". That's what the smart set will say.
Now, I'm not as smart as the smart set, but I did spend 4 years working with graphic designers, illustrators, some cartoonists and writers. This rag tag band of 125 artists grew to over 400 during those 4 years. We took on California's sales tax laws, went to the legislature and worked with powerful people and compelled the California State Government to rewrite it's sales tax laws for artists. We even received a little bit of help from The United Auto Workers. So, I'm not as smart as the smart set who say you can't herd cats, but that experience looked like lots of little kitty cat paws stampeding together, to me.
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CLIFFORD METH
A HOPE ON THIS FREEDOM EVE
In another recent correspondence with Clifford Meth, I asked him for a few words on the need for comics creators to come together to form a guild in light of the conditions we remain under as free lance contractors with no supporting organization which binds us:
"Frankly, Michael, I never quite understood why there wasn't already a comics guild or a union or collective of some sort. My understanding was that a movement in that direction was germinated more than three decades ago but, apparently, it never received the nurturing of enough rank and file creators to amount to a hill of beans. A guild, however, would afford members the strength of collective bargaining necessary to assure safer futures for the vast majority of comics creators who, let's face it, will never receive the star power necessary to sustain lifelong careers in the field. I believe the best way to set this in motion would be with a looser - yet meticulously organized - group of creators that share a central cause and are willing to put their shoulders to the grindstone. The group should elect a smaller team of spokesmen and offer benefits to potential members, such as group-rate medical insurance and shared resources (lawyers, accountants, and so forth). It wouldn't take that many folks to get this going."
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MIKE PASCALE
ON THE CREATORS' STRATEGY AND DEAR PRUDENCE
In the item on The Comic Book Creators' Guild where Mike Pascale replied with some insight as to what might be preventing comics creators from voicing support for and taking steps to forming a guild, I thought it relevant to address with greater depth one of Mike's assessments which has long been a popular perception amongst the creators' community.
"Unlike assembly-line workers and such, most comic folks cannot simply "walk" off their jobs in unified protest. A), There is no shortage of people wanting work who would be willing and able to take their places, and B) given the economic nature of their profession (and common check-to-check existence), they can't afford to drop work, especially a steady book.(I constantly go from "Crap, I'm too busy and can't handle it all" to "Crap, I haven't worked in weeks and I think the world forgot about me!" It was much worse before I married someone with a "real" job.)"
The question I ask is: Why must the formation of the Comic Book Creators' Guild automatically entail the calling for a mass strike of the creators' community and the halting of work for most creators? Why must this be a pre-requisite for forming the Guild?
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PETER DAVID
IS PETER RIGHT ABOUT THE CREATORS?
I had a discussion recently with Peter David at the Joe Quesada forums. Peter chimed in on a thread I opened which discussed creators coming together to form a union and improve their lot in life and in the comics.
"Yeah, well, you know what, Michael? The last time I wrote an "open letter" to a publisher about creator endeavors, I was crucified for it by my fellow creators. Not a single one took a public stand in support of me, and most who made any mention of it at all either undercut me or flat out lampooned me. So I hope you have more luck with such endeavors than I did insofar as the creative community is concerned. But I wouldn't hold my breath."
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NEAL ADAMS
SCIENCE OR FICTION?
Excerpts from a discussion at the Silver Bullet Comic Books forums about Neal Adams' science project, which calls into question long held scientific theorems, including Relativity, Pangea and Subduction. The discussion was edited for this presentation.
BR: a) When and where has Neal Adams presented a science project? b) Pangea and the Big Bang (or at least expansion of the cosmos) are backed up by evidence.
MN: There is only circumstantial evidence for these theories. No real proof for Pangea or subduction, though. These are theories based on assumptions made from observing certain phenomenon. That's the problem with all this and this is what Neal is showing. There are other answers to these phenomenon which Neal suggests. READ MORE... |
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BRYAN TALBOT
RENEGADE CLASSICIST OF THE COMICS
Considered to be the "godfather" of modern British underground, bridging the underground movement of the early 1970's to the emergence of the English 2000 A.D. Generation at that decade's end, Bryan Talbot has carved out a presence in the comics industry that mixes the classicist spirit of his storytelling, writing and art into the relentless social and historical commentary for which he's become known. Bryan Talbot, said to be the best kept secret in the comics, is perhaps the primary predecessor and influence of raw talent, the likes of Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, Neil Gaiman, Garth Ennis and Warren Ellis, among many others, who all came out of Britain in the 1980's to grace the graphic storytelling form with critical relevant commentary, geared for a more mature audience than the mainstream comics had known at the time.
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JIM SHOOTER
ONE MORE STORY FOR THE CREATORS
It was a cool day in the summer of 77 on 45th and 9th . The premiere season of the comic book creators' volleyball games in the Sheep Meadow of Central Park. Years before the fences and "Keep Off The Grass" signs dominated the scenery. Amongst the regulars at the games were Berni Wrightson, Jim Starlin, Alan Weiss, Mike Kaluta, Walter Simonson, Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Jim Salicrup, Roger Stern and Jim Shooter. All players in an all-star cast of the comic book makers, in their heyday of professional brotherhood, enjoying a little weekend fun in the park.
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HOWARD CHAYKIN • JACK ABEL
CRAZY ABOUT COMICS
I had barely been at Continuity for a month or so when Howard Chaykin stopped by for a visit and spent some time in the room I shared with Jack Abel. Howard and Jack, both Jewish, drifted into a conversation about the Jews in the comics since Siegel and Shuster, Lee and Kirby and everyone in between. Jack Abel explained the phenomenon by telling how the early Jewish emigrates to America couldn't get work in the mainstream industries and thus turned to the budding communications and entertainment mediums, which nobody else wanted to work in then, because they offered little promise of a good livelihood. The comics were the more obscure black sheep of the entertainment world, Jack said, but succeeded in attracting talented Jewish creators who've sat at its helm since its inception.
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| FRANK MILLER • NEAL ADAMS
THE GREAT STORYTELLER
It was a hot and busy summer day at Continuity. A tall and lean aspiring comic book artist visited the studio in order to show his artwork to Neal Adams. Neal flipped through the sample pages, handed them back to the artist and told him he was wasting his time trying to draw comic books. The young lad from Vermont took it in stride, returned his artwork into the envelope, thanked Neal for his time and left the studio.
Several months later Frank Miller returned to Continuity to show Neal new sample pages he'd drawn. Neal flipped through the pages, laid them on his table and told Frank that he was still wasting his time trying to become a comic book artist. He then placed a sheet of tracing paper over one of the pages. "If you begin to fix things like this, however." Neal said, as he drew over Frank's art on the tracing paper, "You might have a chance at becoming a good artist one day."
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PAUL LEVITZ
KEEPER OF THE KINGDOM
It was around Christmas time of 1975 when I began to frequent the DC Comics offices in Rockefeller Center, as I delivered the artwork for "Tales of the Great Disaster" back-up for Kamandi which I illustrated at the onset of my career in comics. The atmosphere at DC was joyous and filled with chatter. Jack Adler advised me to leave a little more room for the lettering on the art and Paul Levitz asked me to join him as he recorded the details of the artwork I'd delivered. Paul was an assistant editor who coordinated the orderly conduct of the flow of work at DC. He exhuded serious intent, as a bookkeeper who recorded the chronicles of the kingdom would.
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LARRY HAMA • NEAL ADAMS
THE PEACEMAKER
It was the night we played the World Game with Rick Meyer. The first night of my return from a 40 day and 40 night trek through the wilderness of California set off by the San Francisco treat. 40 days after the Martian went to Titan in the fall of the summer of 77 on 45th and 9th. Rick had just left Continuity and I walked into the front room to see Neal. "Look Mike..." Neal said right away, realizing I wasn't yet willing or able to talk about it. "You want to know what religion is all about? I'll tell you. Shouldn't kill, shouldn't steal, fair play..." Neal went on to list several other commandments as he pointed from finger to finger on his one hand with the index finger of his other and then switched hands for the next five. Neal is Moses, I thought to myself as I listened to him wind down his speech and went back to my room.
A couple of hours later everyone was gone from the studio except for Joe Barny. Joe was a night owl like myself. He sat in Larry Hama's room listening to a late night radio talk show about comics. Larry always left his room unlocked so Joe could listen to the radio.
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| CRAIG RUSSEL • ALAN WEISS • MARSHALL ROGERS
PLAYING THE WORLD GAME
It was the summer of 1976. I was in the lobby of Marvel Comics' offices on 575 Madison Avenue delivering a White Tiger pin-up for the Deadly Hands of Kung-Fu black and white magazine when I ran into Craig Russell. We stepped into the open bullpen as we exhcanged hellos and some small talk. Knowing I was a newbie in the comics, Craig took an interest in how I was progressing and spent some time looking at the art I carried in my portfolio. He then pulled out a felt tip pen and proceeded to pass on a few tips he thought I could use.
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| STEVE LEIALOHA • MIKE FRIEDRICH
THE SAN FRANCISCO TREAT
November 19th, 1977. Fall of the summer of 77 on 45th and 9th, the day the Martian went to Titan. I've now severed all my connections with work commitments in the comics. All save for Mike Friedrich and his 8 page story for Star*Reach to be colored by Steve Leialoha in San Francisco. Steve, an artist of exceptional talent whom I'd spoken with several times by telephone, was the only creator we knew in the comics who didn't reside in the New York City area. I planned to pass through San Francisco anyway on my hitchhiking excursion across the great divide in search of America. Hal and Ollie had convinced me that it was a necassary experience in order to begin the mission which the sirens of Titan whispered to me.
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| MARV WOLFMAN
THE MARTIAN WHO WENT TO TITAN
It was towards the end of the summer of 77 on 45th and 9th. The party was winding down and Autumn was falling upon the City. I was in the midst of finishing the first book of Ms. Mystic with Neal Adams and a Princess Projectra back-up story for the Legion with Paul Levitz. Mike Friedrich stopped by Continuity and networked the studio in preparation for the publishing of the 12th issue of Star*Reach. He came into the back room and invited me to participate by contributing the first color story in his above-ground comic book. Marv Wolfman called to ask If I'd like to pencil the John Carter Warlord of Mars series he was launching as an editor at Marvel. "We have a little time," he said, "so maybe, in the meantime, you'd like to come up with the character designs for the book". "Sounds great", I said.
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| ALAN WEISS • MARSHALL ROGERS
THE SUMMER OF 77 ON 45TH AND 9TH
That's what Alan Weiss calls it. The summer of 77 on 45h and 9th. I shared an apartment on 45th st. and 11th Ave in Manhattan with Chris Goldberg. A comics community insider adopted by the gang, found this sublet at the same time I was looking to move into the city from Queens. Didn't matter much where we lived then because we spent most of our time at Continuity. Neal Adams' studio, where we hung out and made comics. I shared a room in the back with Marshall Rogers. Both of us drew lots of Batman. A couple of years later, Chris also became a creator and wrote 'Cap'n Quick & a Foozle' for Eclipse. Marshall drew it. That sublet was a little surrealistic. Big furniture, four poster beds, plants everywhere. A spaced out movie set is what it really was. We hung out there a little but Continuity was the real home. That's where we made the comics. Alan had an apartment on the corner of 9th Ave and 45th st. We'd sit on his fire escape having a smoke and waiting for Lisa Chapin, Harry's sister, while we conspired how to fix the big mess of a world we were having such a good time in. Alan and I spent more time on his fire escape, overlooking 9th Ave, than I did at my sublet.
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RICH JOHNSTON
Rich Stoned John's FLYING IN THE GUTTERS A Satire
Rich Checks out Neal Adams' new Batsuit, maxes out an Identity Crisis, looks at a CNN fiasco, interviews Michael Netzer and much much more.
FITG 2,004,130. Welcome to the two millionth, four thousand one hundred and thirtieth chapter in the latest volume of the longest running verified gossip column in the world - and also in comics. I verify everything with my parrot, Napoleon, who says yes to everything I write here or else I don't let him out of his cage to conquer anything. Over four hundred and twelve years, damnit and I'm still using the same keyboard I had back in 1592!
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MICHAEL NETZER
GOD, SEX AND THE NEW POPE
I've heard the argument made that the Pope shouldn't be compared to Saddam Hussein for insisting that the killing of innocent unborn children is wrong. The Pope, however, does not only insist. He manipulates large segments of the population in order to enforce moral and political legislation and thus force the people into a moral behavior regardless of their choice. Male Masturbation, by this definition, is also the killing of innocent unborn children. Yet men of the clergy and common men continue to support the church's attempt to forbid a woman her God given right to make a choice as to what's in her own body. Why is it that all these men, who are not at all without sin, continue to cast their stones upon our women today?
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