Greg Gildersleeve

In recent discussions with other comics aficionados, I came to realize that there are certain hazards involved in growing older as a comics fan, much less a comics creator. It's a well established fact that most comics characters never age (and even those who do age in a very unrealistic fashion; in Gasoline Alley, for example, Uncle Walt must be about 112 now. I haven't read GA regularly in quite awhile, but, when I recently found an installment, Walt seemed as spry and active as he was when he was, oh, 92). But fans and creators aren't so lucky. So, how does one stay focused on and interested in characters who initially are older than you, then younger by a few years, then by 10 years, 20 years, etc.?

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Writing is a discipline. Just like art, or dancing, or medicine, or anything worth pursuing. To master writing, or even to be reasonably good at it, you have to practice it regularly, even when you don't particularly feel like it or you don't feel you have anything to say. I call this the "Applying Keister to Chair Method." It basically means that you sit down and write (or draw) until something comes. Even if nothing comes that particular day, write anyway. J. Michael Straczynski, creator of Babylon 5 and writer of Spider-Man, has said that no time at the keyboard is ever wasted. Every writer should frame those words and hang them above his or her desk, or wherever writing takes place. "No time at the keyboard is ever wasted."

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I've been mulling over whether or not to write about the Danish cartoon fiasco, which has been much in the news lately. On one hand, whenever comics or cartoons get such international attention, it merits comment from those of us to whom comics mean so much. On the other hand, do we really want to get involved in such an explosive issue, particularly one that has led to violence and cries of censorship in other countries? Don't we have more immediate concerns in the comics scene here in KC? And who cares what a bunch of local creators would say about such a distant issue, anyway?

Yet one does not have to be famous to have a view worth expressing. Nor should distance prevent us from weighing in on the issue; after all, this issue affects, or could affect, cartoonists everywhere, whenever the issue of censorship comes up. Further, to remain silent on the issue implies that we endorse one view or another.

So, I want to state unequivocally that, in my view, the Danish cartoon fiasco is just that: a comedy of errors and stupidity perpetrated by both sides of the conflict: the Jyllands-Posten newspaper which originally published the cartoons, and those who have riotted to protest their publication.

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Next month at the Storyteller's Workshop, we are to bring a comic that best describes when we, as writers and artists, decided "I want to do that!" What comic story, single panel, etc., motivated you to do what you do (or aspire to do)?

After giving this some thought, I came up with a distinct possibility. I'm not taking anything away from the Storyteller's Workshop by posting it here since the comic is in storage and not in my immediate possession to share. Besides, the comic is so old and worn out that I wouldn't bring it anyway. But when I think about the kinds of stories that made me want to write comics in the first place, one rather subversive Marvel comic from the early 1970s comes to mind.

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Writers use many different books for reference. Some of them were on display this afternoon during the Storyteller's Workshop. The topics of the books ran the gamut from dramatic techniques to general reference works, from cartooning to film analysis. It was readily acknowledged that good storytelling has certain basic principles in common, whether one is writing a comic book, a novel, a film, or short story, and whatever target audience one has in mind.

One of the books I brought, and which I've referred to for years, is Writing for Children & Teenagers by Lee Wyndham, revised by Arnold Madison. First printed in 1968, but revised in 1980, this book is a primer for writing short stories and novels, but it also contains storytelling techniques and advice that can be applied to any genre, particulary comics.

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Saturday marked the 20th anniversary of the Challenger accident. There's nothing comics-related about that, or this post, but I choose to observe it nonetheless.

Challenger is one of those high water marks of our generation (speaking for people who are about the same age as me). It isn't quite remembered in the same way that JFK's assassination is ("Where were you when ...?) or 9/11 probably will be. But it should be remembered, particularly by those of us who enjoy comics and science fiction and all that those products of imagination represent. Astronauts, after all, come the closest to living out our fantasies: exploring strange new worlds, going boldly, etc.

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Which comic book characters do you relate to and why? Do they represent some idealized self that you aspired to be when you were a kid (or perhaps still aspire to)? Do they have foibles and problems that you can identify with?

Superman is usually thought of as an example of the former type of character, while Spider-Man is a classic version of the latter. Superman, with all of his mighty powers, represents (or at least represented for many years) the American ideal: someone who made the world safe for Democracy (with a capital "D"), and had the power to do it. Spidey, on the other hand, was Everyman: an awkward teenager who tried to do good and had the power to do it, but whose efforts frequently failed or were misunderstood. In his alter ego of Peter Parker, Spidey had to contend with ordinary but serious problems, such as earning money and taking care of an elderly aunt, while Superman's most common "civilian" problem was getting Lois Lane to notice him as Clark Kent.

Which character do you think people (and comics fans specifically) identify with more: the Ideal or the Everyman?

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The book signing at Hastings was an amazing success. We were there for three hours, talking to people and showing them our comics. In the end, we sold seven of the nine issues of GOLD DUST that Hastings had on hand (one copy had sold previously). Mike had also brought along several copies of VIRTUAL INFINITY PRESENTS and his Ashcan comic, and sold many copies of each. I guess that "personal touch" of being present really does make a difference.

So, what was it really like? We sat at a small table covered with a green cloth right inside the door, just across the aisle from the service desk. It was impossible for customers to miss us as they walked in. Our first customer was a 40ish man who asked us to sign our comics to his sons, Stephan and Lucas. (I'll always remember their names; it was the first time I was ever asked to sign a comic to somebody else.) The older of the boys is quite an artist himself, Dad said.

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Mike Sullivan and I will be at Hastings Book Store in St. Joseph, MO, this Friday to do a book signing for our comic, GOLD DUST. The address is 607 N. Belt Hwy., and we'll be there from 5-8 p.m. That's a bit of a drive from KC, but, if you happen to be in the area, drop by and say hi.

My Dec. 27 post wasn't intended to be Part I of anything, but the idea of heroes who kill, either accidentally or on purpose, is so compelling that I just had to do a follow-up. The idea particularly hits home because it is eerily similar to the theme of GOLD DUST, my recently self-published comic collaboration with Mike Sullivan. Both GOLD DUST and recent issues of Wonder Woman are about heroes who kill and and how their place in the world changes as a result. But even though the comparisons are obvious, the contrasts are even more startling and, I think, telling of the different world views represented in each comic.

Inevitable Spoiler Warning: Plot elements of recent issues of Wonder Woman and GOLD DUST are discussed -- but not too many. I still want you to buy both -- particularly the latter!

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A friend recently loaned me Wonder Woman # 219-221, which tie in with the OMAC Project storyline running in several DC Comics. It features what DC obviously intends to be a very controversial storyline concerning everyone's favorite princess of Paradise Island/Themyscira/whatever it's called this decade. The story is controversial, not only in depicting Wonder Woman's actions, but also in what it says about DC's other two big guns, Superman and Batman, as well as the place of super-heroes in the DC Universe, in general. As a result, this story manages to be both thought-provoking and depressingly real in its portrayal of flawed super-heroes.

Spoiler Warning: This post discusses in depth the happenings of the recent OMAC storyline. If you don't want to let the Bat out of the bag, as it were, leave now!

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I'm going to be moving soon, and there are certain things I don't want to take with me. One is a collection of Comics Buyer's Guide's -- 127 in all, dating from January 13, 1995, to October 31, 1997. Most are in excellent condition.

Unlike the CBG of today, a slick magazine that comes out once a month, CBG in those days was a weekly, tabloid-size newspaper. They take up a lot of space, but they also have more room for features, columns, cartoons and letters, where creators as well as fans shared their views on comics, argued and sometimes caused controversy.

These CBGs are a valuable research tool (which is why I've kept them all this time). At a glance, some of the cover stories include Marvel's Chapter 11, Elfquest, Bone, 20 years of Star Wars comics, Atlantis Attacks, and Will Eisner. Regular CBG columnists included Peter David and Mark Evanier.

I'm offering to sell them, dirt cheap, by the end of July. If anyone is interested, please contact me at GregGildr@aol.com.

When I spoke to B. Clay Moore recently at I-Con about his current Image mini-series, Battle Hymn, he described it as a tale about 1940s heroes with a less-than-sterling side. I immediately thought of DC's uber-influential comic of the ‘80s, Watchmen, or, more specifically, its briefly seen but unforgettable back story of the Minutemen. Clay seemed to bristle at the comparison and went to great lengths to explain that his five-issue series was not influenced by the work of the other Mr. Moore (Alan). Perhaps Clay feared, like many creators do, that his work would be pigeonholed as derivative or unoriginal.

He needn't have worried.

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June 18, 2005, will go down in history for several reasons. Number one, it was Sir Paul McCartney's 63rd birthday (which is significant only if you're amazed that a Beatle could be that old, or if you find arcane music trivia interesting). For a second, I-Con was held in Des Moines on that day (which is highly significant to those of us who went and had a great time). For a third, my comic book collaboration with Mike Sullivan, GOLD DUST, debuted at the show!

GOLD DUST is a "done-in-one" comic book about a super-hero named Mangold who, in a moment of anger, abused his power and caused an innocent's death. After serving his debt to society, Mangold returns to the superteam he once lead, but finds that things have changed. Thanks to his actions, restrictions have been placed on heroes by a world that no longer trusts them. Mangold must find a way to earn that trust back, for the good of all.

GOLD DUST also contains a second story, written by me and drawn by Peter Cutler. It features Mangold's teammate, Fairchild, as she literally encounters a nightmare from her past.

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My, how time flies! It's been exactly two weeks since I last blogged. Maybe I ought to change the category title from "Daily (or Whatever) Reflections" to "Fortnightly Reflections."

Since I last posted, I have been to three CCN events: a Comixtravaganza meeting (which, unfortunately, took place during a tornado watch, resulting in understandably low turnout), the second Storyteller's Workshop (which was a lot of fun), and the Graphic Novel club (ditto). During the latter, we dissected Matt Wagner's classic work,
Mage, the Hero Discovered.

Originally published by Comico in the mid '80s and collected and republished several times since, Mage is a compelling work that combines mythology and folklore in a modern-day setting. It features a modern (well, for the '80s) protagonist searching for his own identity, yet not ready to accept the hero he was born to be.

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Just for the heck of it, the following are my responses to a thread called "Kewl Comics Moments of the Past," from the Legion World message board (www.legionworld.net).

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Another "kewl" comics-related moment for me was when I discovered the Marvel Index series written by George Olshevsky. It consisted of 11 or so, book-sized, softcover volumes that ran from about 1975-82. Each volume covered a series of related titles. Volume 3, for example, covered AVENGERS, DEFENDERS and CAPTAIN MARVEL.

Every issue of each title was represented by a black and white cover reproduction, and an organized listing that detailed 1) what was happening on the cover, 2) the story title and page length, 3) credits, 4) notable guest-stars, appearances and cameos, 5) the villain, and 6) commentary on anything else of importance.

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I'm jazzed.

I just finished an interview process for a teaching position at a major university. One of the requirements of the process was to give a "lesson" on something in which we have expertise.

I chose, what else, comics!

I brought along several comics published and/or written by CCN members and passed them around for the faculty and other job candidates to peruse. Among the comics I selected were JACK SKULL by Mark Stinson, THE BELIEVER by Rob Schamberger and others, FOXYMORON by Travis Fox, SEE DICK DIE by Duane Cunningham and Michelle Arcand, VIRTUAL INFINITY PRESENTS by Mike Sullivan, and my own collaboration with Mike, the GOLD DUST ashcan. I also wrote the website address on the board as a resource that people could go to for more information.

Many of the candidates and faculty were surprised to learn that 1) comics are being produced locally, and 2) that comics had much more to offer than super-heroes and children's entertainment.

One of the faculty members, a fellow English instructor, was obviously familiar with comics. When I opened my discussion by asking "What comes to your minds when I say the words 'comic books'?" she replied "Stan Lee." This bodes well, methinks!

Why did I choose comics to talk about during a teaching job interview?

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A few weeks ago, some of my students, knowing I'm a sci-fi/comic book fan, asked me if I planned to see STAR WARS III: REVENGE OF THE SITH. I balked. I described how disappointed I was in the first two prequels and said that George Lucas should have quit while he was ahead. Like, say, in 1984.

But despite the fact that the only thing I remember about SW II is C-3PO losing his head, and despite the fact that I only saw part of SW I on TV and remember even less of it, I got caught up in the excitement of the new movie and saw it earlier today.

[SPOILER WARNING: The rest of this post discusses elements of ST III. I've taken pains to avoid giving away much, but if you want to see the movie without knowing anything about it, read no further.]

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"Who am I and what am I doing here?"

With these words, Admiral Stockdale defined his image for the entire world during the 1992 televised vice presidential debate. Stockdale, picked by H. Ross Perot to be his running mate, was given little if any briefing for the debate, and didn't even know he was going to be appearing until a week or so before the event.

It showed.

Under different circumstances Stockdale might have performed better, and might even have held his own against Democratic candidate Al Gore and Republican incumbent Dan Quayle, both seasoned public debaters. As it turned out, Stockdale's opening comment set an unfortunate tone for his appearance that night: befuddled, confused, a fish out of water. Stockdale no doubt intended for his comment to mirror what American's thought of him at that moment: Who is this unknown guy and why should we think he'd make a good president? Instead it is remembered as a plaintive cry from someone who was in way over his head.

So, what does this have to do with me or comics or blogging?

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