Jennifer de Guzman » Comics

August Life in Comics

Jennifer de Guzman — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 19:08:53 +0000

My latest Life in Comics column is up at Publishers Weekly. This one is about the first graphic novel I ever read, The Picture Bible.

What’s strange is that in re-reading my favorite chapter in the book — the one about Esther — I did not find a panel I clearly remember. The panel pictured Vashti and a servant telling her that the king had summoned her to appear before his guests. Vashti answers, bad-ass style, “Tell the king I will not be stared at by a group of drunken men!” And then she’s exiled and there’s mass abduction of girls to replace her. But in The Picture Bible, it cuts from the king throwing lavish parties immediately to him crowning Esther queen.

I must have had a longer version of that chapter that I read. It’s the only explanation I can think of. I don’t think I made up that scene.

Free Range Comic-Con

Jennifer de Guzman — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 06:12:54 +0000

Brian, Mateo, and I returned from Comic-Con Sunday at five p.m., after spending three great days at Comic-Con. Mateo was a champ on his first plane rides and the overwhelming experience of Comic-Con. I spent most of the convention doing the legwork for some of my personal projects. I didn’t get to do the movie about creativity as I had planned because of that, and the only panel I got to was the one I thought I wouldn’t be able to get into (we wandered into the Scott Pilgrim panel after it had already started), but I think my time was well spent:

I met with an editor at a book publisher about my novel Sliver of Light (working title — I also call it Half a Person). She gave me some notes for my next revision, which will be the third one, and gave me some encouraging feedback about what the other editors thought of it. They’re quite excited about my writing but want to help me get the structure and content to be as strong as possible. Everyone loved my supporting characters — the exuberant Luci, who is the best friend of my protagonist Chi, and the introverted Juan, Chi’s brother — and want me to make them more of co-protagonists, so I’m telling the stories of these three characters almost equally. They also want me to streamline the interstitial chapters that tell the story of Chi’s and Juan’s dead sister so that they don’t repeat any of the details that are already in the main narrative. I’m excited to get started.

I talked to Eric Stephenson at Image Comics about an anthology I’m getting shaped up. I just need to get the contracts squared away and I’ll be ready to start inviting contributors.

I talked to Meredith Yayanos and finally met her fellow creative powerhouses behind Coilhouse, Zoe (with whom I have shared mutual acquaintances for about a decade) and Nadya. I am so impressed with what these three women have accomplished with their exquisitely-designed “love letter to alternative culture.” Once I get Fascinator closer to a final stage, I’ll be contacting them to pick their brains about distribution.

I talked to Mariah Huehner at IDW about a graphic novel I’m outlining. It’s been rolling around in my head for a while now, and I’m trying to inject it with the most energy and emotion as I can. The concept is a little gimmicky (I call it a cross between The Prince of the Pauper and Pygmalion), so I want the characterization and details to be as strong as possible.

I lunched with some friends and they offered to get my comics writing portfolio out to some of their contacts.

Comics we picked up: The Last Unicorn #1 (for me), Bumper Boy and the Loud, Loud Mountain by Debbie Huey (for me and Mateo), Droids (for Brian). And of course Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour — I even waited in line to get Bryan Lee O’Malley to sign it, to which he said, “What are you doing in line?” It has spot varnish. Fancy!

As always, the amount of creativity surrounding me at Comic-Con was a great inspiration. I’m ready to get to work on my projects. If only the days had more hours or I didn’t have to sleep! Now, I’m off to shower and crash out. (Mateo’s been asleep for a couple of hours now, and I’ll regret it if I don’t get to bed soon.)

Comic-Con Panels

Jennifer de Guzman — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 22:04:54 +0000

My latest Life in Comics is up at Publishers Weekly!

I did something for Comic-Con that I haven’t done in a long time: I made note of those I’d like to attend. Because of baby-imposed limitations, I probably won’t get to some of those that will require standing in line for long periods of time, but we’ll see how it goes. Here are the ones I picked out:

THURSDAY

10:00-11:00 The Spark of Imagination— Peek inside the minds of leading authors and filmmakers to explore how imagination informs the creative process. New York Times bestselling children’s author Tony DiTerlizzi (The Spiderwick Chronicles) details the precedent-setting augmented reality used in his new Simon & Schuster novel The Search for Wondla; LAIKA president/CEO Travis Knight (lead animator, Coraline) explains his studio’s commitment to bold subject matter; artist/writer Mike Mignola (creator of Hellboy) pinpoints how and where inspiration strikes; director John Stevenson (Kung Fu Panda) explores how creativity is enhanced by artistic collaboration in moviemaking; and graphic novelist and Comic-Con special guest Doug TenNapel (Earthworm Jim) describes exactly how a blank page comes to be inhabited with his compelling imagery. Join moderator Geoff Boucher, reporter and HeroComplex.com blogger with The Los Angeles Times, for this fascinating panel discussion and Q&A. Room 25ABC

MY NOTES: I would have liked to see some women on this panel, to perhaps see how women and men develop their creativity differently. Being creative is often very self-centric — you have to believe that what your mind invents is engaging and important enough for others to be interested in it, and I think that boys and men are often socialized in such a way that makes it easier for them to accept such a belief. (I won’t be able to attend this panel because I won’t arrive in San Diego until 3.)

10:30-11:30 Danny Elfman— From Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure to Alice in Wonderland, composer Danny Elfman discusses his 25-year collaboration with director Tim Burton. Their legendary partnership includes such films as Beetle Juice, Batman, Edward Scissorhands, Nightmare Before Christmas, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Joining Mr. Elfman will be Warner Brothers Records executives to announce their plans to celebrate this quarter-century milestone. Room 6BCF

MY NOTES: I’ll have to choose between this panel and the preceding one. Honestly, this is the one I’d drop. I love music, but I’m not a musician (I play the piano at a shaky intermediate level), so I think the other panel will be more relevant to my interests.

1:30-2:30 Spotlight on Dusty Higgins and Van Jensen— Pinocchio the Vampire Slayer creators and Comic-Con special guests Dusty Higgins and Van Jensen are spotlighted in a panel moderated by Heidi MacDonald. The pair talk about the origins of their project, their reactions to the positive feedback — which included having their debut graphic novel from SLG Publishing named as one of the top 10 best graphic novels for teens by the Young Adult Library Service — and show art from the upcoming sequel. Room 3

MY NOTES: I’ve mentioned before that when my boss told me about Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer I was a little dubious. It sounded so high-concept. But then I read the story, and was pleasantly surprised to find it full of heart — and the art is great. I’m really into young adult literature these days, so having Pinocchio named as one of the 10 best graphic novels for teens by YALSA made me very happy. I won’t be able to attend this one, either.

6:00-7:00 Universal: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World— Genre-bending filmmaker Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz), graphic novel author Bryan Lee O’Malley, and the cast of Universal Pictures’ Scott Pilgrim vs. the World provide a sneak peek of summer 2010′s epic of epic epicness. Joining Wright will be our hero, Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera of Superbad); Scott’s two current girlfriends, Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead of The Thing) and Knives Chau (Ellen Wong of Unnatural History); his band, SEX BOB-OMB: Kim Pine (Alison Pill of Milk) and Stephen Stills (Mark Webber of Broken Flowers); SEX BOB-OMB super-fan Young Neil (Johnny Simmons of Jennifer’s Body); Scott’s awesome roommate, Wallace Wells (Kieran Culkin of Igby Goes Down); and four of Ramona’s seven evil exes: Matthew Patel (Satya Bhabha of Fair Game), Todd Ingram (Brandon Routh of Superman Returns), Gideon Graves (Jason Schwartzman of Funny People) and Roxy Richter (Mae Whitman of Parenthood); plus Scott’s younger sister, Stacey Pilgrim (Anna Kendrick of Up in the Air), and the obnoxious Julie Powers (Aubrey Plaza of Parks and Recreation). Q&A to follow. Hall H

MY NOTES: I don’t anticipate being able to get into this one, not even if I say something like, “C’mon, I liked Bryan Lee O’Malley before it was cool! I have the first printing of Lost at Sea!”

FRIDAY

10:00-11:00 From Fan to Creator: Goal Setting for Creative Types— Which side of the convention table do you want to be on, artist or fan? And what’s keeping you from getting there? If you have a project in mind that you’ve had trouble bringing into reality, you might benefit from this fun and practical goal-setting workshop, designed specifically for the Comic-Con crowd. Hailed as the “Tony Robbins of Geeks,” motivational speaker Douglas Neff will give you simple, proven techniques for achieving your most important goals. Whether you want to write your own screenplay, draw your first comic, or shoot your independent film, you’re sure to get something useful from this informative and energizing workshop. Room 24ABC

MY NOTES: I’m not so keen on someone branding themselves the “Tony Robbins of Geeks,” but we’ll see how this goes. I like workshops. I have an MFA, after all.

5:00-6:00 Girls Gone Genre: Movies, TV, Comics, Web— Meet and talk with women who write, read, game, and perform in arenas that are historically and statistically dominated by men. What’s it like to try and get a job in a field where most of your competitors and colleagues are guys? Can women write men, and vice versa? And what happens when traditionally “male” genres are reinvented by female writers and embraced by female fans? Sex and the City it ain’t! Meet the women who like to play with trucks and Barbies…and Wolverine action figures. And flux capacitors. Featuring Felicia Day (writer/producer, The Guild; actress, The Guild, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog), Kathryn Immonen (writer, Patsy Walker: Hellcat, Runaways, Heralds), Laeta Kalogridis (screenwriter/producer, Shutter Island, Ghost in the Shell, Avatar), Marti Noxon (screenwriter/producer, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Mad Men, I Am Number Four, Fright Night), Melissa Rosenberg (screenwriter/producer, Dexter, The Twilight Saga), and Gail Simone (writer, Wonder Woman, Birds of Prey).Moderated by Io9′s Annalee Newitz. Room 24ABC

MY NOTES: Oh, so there are the women I hoped would be on that first panel! I do think giving women their own forum to talk about creative work in male-dominated industries is smart, but wouldn’t it be nice if it weren’t necessary?

SATURDAY

12:45-1:30 Futurama— Celebrate Futurama‘s triumphant re-return to the airwaves! World-premiere footage will offer an exciting and informative glimpse of Comic-Con in the year 3010. Panelists include executive producers Matt Groening and David X. Cohen, cast members Billy West, John DiMaggio, Katey Sagal, and Maurice LaMarche, director Crystal Chesney-Thompson, writers Ken Keeler and Patric M. Verrone, and animation producer Claudia Katz. Ballroom 20

MY NOTES: I went to the very first Futurama panel at Comic-Con way back when (at least I think it was the first one), and it was loads of fun. They had an advance screening of a new episode. “These balls are making me testy!”

1:30-2:30 Comics Criticism— Comics are a staple of the arts and book review sections of everything from The New York Times and Publishers Weekly to a current golden age of published biography and history, such as Gerard Jones’s Men of Tomorrow, R. C. Harvey’s Meanwhile…, and David Michaelis’s Schulz and Peanuts. Some of the nation’s leading critics discuss the state of the art and the state of its journalism, 2010. Panelists include Gary Groth (The Comics Journal), Douglas Wolk (Reading Comics), Brian Doherty (Radicals for Capitalism), Ben Schwartz (editor, Best American Comics Criticism), and R. Fiore (Funnybook Roulette). Room 4

MY NOTES: Mmmm… seriousness. I’ve been considering how to get started at writing comics criticism professionally. My background is in literature , so I know how to read and analyze. I’ve been wary about conflict of interest because of my job, but I’m starting to think that doesn’t matter.

3:00-4:00 Spotlight on Ray Bradbury— He was at the very first Comic-Con and we kind of think he’ll be at the very last one, too, far off in the future. Science fiction author Ray Bradbury is literally a national treasure. Ray talks with biographer Sam Weller and moderator writer/producer Arnold Kunert in his yearly visit with his fans at Comic-Con. Room 6DE

MY NOTES: Ray Bradbury!

3:00-4:00 NBC’s Community Cast and Creative Team— The cast and producers — Joel McHale (The Soup), Chevy Chase (Hot Tub Time Machine), Donald Glover (30 Rock), Yvette Nicole Brown (Rules of Engagement), Danny Pudi (Greek), Gillian Jacobs (Choke), Alison Brie (Mad Men) and executive producers Dan Harmon (The Sarah Silverman Program), Joe Russo (Arrested Development), Anthony Russo (Arrested Development), Neil Goldman (Scrubs), Garrett Donovan (Scrubs) and Russ Krasnoff (The Soloist) — are on hand for an animated discussion and Q&A session about what’s in store for viewers this fall. Indigo Ballroom, San Diego Hilton Bayfront

MY NOTES: God, I love Community. It’s streets ahead any new show out there. It taps into pop culture in a way that’s funny and sweet, and somehow it reminds me of the best parts of John Hughes movies. (With the improvement that the people of color aren’t there just for… well, color.)

3:30-4:30 Comics in the Classroom— Comics are becoming increasingly common in elementary and secondary classrooms. But how can teachers incorporate comics into their course curriculums? This panel provides practical strategies for teachers to do just that. Presented by Anastasia Betts (UCLA), Christina Blanch (Ball State University), Deborah Ford (San Diego Unified School District), and Tracy White (NYU). Moderated by Chris Butcher (The Beguiling). Room 26AB

MY NOTES: Once upon a time, my ambition was to be a college professor or high school English teacher. My interest in academia is long-standing, but I’m not sure what I might get out of this, seeing as I’m not a college professor or high school English teacher. Maybe I will be someday, though, who knows.

Great Convention Moments

Jennifer de Guzman — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 01:27:48 +0000

Conventions aren’t always about falling into humiliating pitfalls, no. Sometimes, there are small, great moments that make it all worth it. Here are a few, again in chronological order:

Devouring a homemade loaf of bread on the floor of the hotel room. You live a kind of in-the-moment existence when you’re at Comic-Con as a fan. The first year I went, my husband and two of our friends drove down from the Bay Area. Our friend Igor had a loaf of bread that his mother had made for us. By the end of the first day, we were so exhausted and hungry that we collapsed on the floor and tore it apart with our bare hands, leaving nothing but miniscule crumbs.

Praise from Will Eisner. I never got my wish of shaking Will Eisner’s hand, but one year he stopped by the SLG booth and praised our comics, telling SLG Prez that he was the “future of comics.” It was a great moment.

A compliment from Noel Neill. Despite my indie-comics credentials, I love Superman. Specifically, I love the innocent, fun Superman as embodied by the 1950s TV show The Adventures of Superman. (A recent topic on “Talk of the Nation” on NPR was about making Superman more relatable — I didn’t hear it all, but I wish someone would have mentioned the best way to accomplish it: To remember that Superman is actually Clark Kent.) I also adore Lois Lane, who was played in the TV show by Noel Neill. Brian is even more of a fan than I am, as he grew up watching the show. When we went to get Ms. Neill’s autograph at Wondercon one year, Brian was too thrilled to say much of anything, so I told her how much we enjoy the show and all that pleasant chit-chat you try to make at conventions. Ms. Neill replied, “You’re so pretty!” I was elated. (Oh, vanity!)

Talking stories with Lynda Barry. Lynda Barry has a profound understanding of creativity and storytelling, and is so friendly and easy to talk to that you wish you could just hang out with her all day. (Don’t do this, though. I am still mad at the Canadian guy who talked in line to Guy DeLisle for so long that I didn’t get to have my books signed and talk to him.) Somehow, when she was signing my copy of What It Is, it came up that I had be re-reading The Epic of Gilgamesh. We exchanged a few words of how primal that story is, how it touches on the heart of human doubts and desires, and then parted. It was great.

Embarrassing Convention Moments

Jennifer de Guzman — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 21:52:56 +0000

For the first time in eight years, I won’t be working at Comic-Con. I’ll be there, though, experiencing the convention on the other side of the table. (And not appearing in the background of pictures people take of other people at the booth.) The hotel and flights are booked, and Brian and I are figuring out how to travel with a six-month old. (Luckily, the flight is only an hour and a half long.)

Looking toward Comic-Con, I have been reminiscing about some moments at conventions that were a little embarrassing. I try so hard not to be an awkward and socially stunted nerd, but sometimes I just do stuff that makes me feel stupid. Here are some, in roughly chronological order. They illustrate common pitfalls of attending comics conventions.

I confused the then-current artist on The Tick with its creator, Ben Edlund. He said to me, “You don’t even know who I am, do you?” I think he also resented that I didn’t ask him to sign my midriff and give him my phone number, as the girl ahead of me in line did. (I know this dude’s name, but I’m not going to mention it.)
The Pitfall: Revealing that you don’t know Your Stuff. Or actually, revealing to an artist that you don’t know His Stuff. He could be the kind of artist that think His Stuff’s the Hottest Stuff Around, and he might be kind of jerky if you ask him something he thinks you should know. Just get your sketch or autograph, say hello, whatever, and get answers to your questions on the Internet.

I asked Dave McKean for a sketch after I’d been standing in a line that had “NO SKETCHES” signs near it for fifteen minutes. He did a sketch for me anyway, of Death from Sandman.
The Pitfall: Not being on the lookout for signing rules. Especially with the bigger names, there will probably be some.

I tried to introduce myself to someone I don’t know. This artist knew someone at the booth and had stopped by. I wandered over. The other person didn’t say anything in ways of introduction, so in a break in the conversation, I started to extend my hand to introduce myself. Unfortunately, the artist was using the break in the conversation to say goodbye. So he said to me, “I don’t know you, but I’ll shake your hand anyway.” I felt stupid. And also unimportant. Wah.
The Pitfall: Conforming to our culture’s expectations of interpersonal decorum. It doesn’t always work. Comics conventions are kind of full of people who aren’t great at doing this, so when they meet it, they might not recognize it. But don’t stop doing it — because the people who try to mind their manners as well will appreciate it.

I was rendered speechless. I was talking to someone about a book I had encountered, saying it seemed like it was trying to ride on Lemony Snicket’s coattails while simultaneously copying Jhonen Vasquez. A dapper, roundish man approached us and asked what we were talking about. I showed him the flier for the book. “Well,” the man said, “I’m Lemony Snicket, and I think it’s a wild outrage!” I looked at his badge. It read “Daniel Handler.” I stared at him and said nothing until he slinked off, at which point I sputtered: “You are Lemony Snicket!”
The Pitfall: Not being prepared to meet someone whose work I admire. Conventions are stuffed full of them. Be prepared to be as scintillating as you are in your daydreams — you know, the ones where people gather around you as you show off your wit and they laugh and say, “Oh, my that is humorous! Very clever! Bravo!” Or at least the ones where you have a pleasant, though not deeply meaningful, exchange with someone whom you admire. (See also, “This part of San Jose always smells like onion rings.”)

I heard the words, “It’s nice to meet you,” coming out of my mouth as I was speaking to someone I had already met. I saw her expression change as she thought, “This snob can’t even remember that we’ve met before!” I was abashed.
The Pitfall: This has probably happened to everyone at a convention — you meet so many people and then you forget whom you’ve met, or you don’t connect a name to a face, and then, ugh, you make an ass of yourself. What you need is one of those personal assistants who memorizes faces and names and whispers the information to you as people approach you. Failing that, you need to have a good “con apology”: “I’m sorry, I realize now we’ve met before! You know how these things are! Sensory overload and what not… Anyway, how are you? How’s [insert something that proves you remember who they are]?”

Have fun at Comic-Con kids. Don’t embarrass yourselves.

New Life in Comics

Jennifer de Guzman — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 18:13:06 +0000

My new Life in Comics Column is up at Publishers Weekly. It’s about how women and girls are treated in the comics community.

When I turned it in, I was a little concerned that I had struck too strident a tone and was being too harsh or unfair. But then I read the comments on this interview with graphic novelist Hope Larson, and I knew that I was right. A strident tone is necessary when you want to make it clear you’re not going to take any more nonsense.

New Publishers Weekly Column

Jennifer de Guzman — Sun, 09 May 2010 06:14:12 +0000

My latest Life in Comics column is up at Publishers Weekly’s website. It’s about being a judge for the San Jose library’s graphic novel contest. I was a judge in the children’s category, and I had a great time reading the submissions. Today, I attended the awards ceremony. The comic I mention as my favorite in the column, about a man who becomes a werewolf and uses it as an opportunity to study wolves, won second place. I was very pleased to be able to tell the young artist and his mother how much I enjoyed it. He told me he spent two weeks making it, and you really could see the work that went into it.

Another one of my favorites was about robbers who also loved tea parties. They encounter a blob who lures them to his home with promises of a party. “What kind of party are we having?” asks one thief when they arrive. “Are we having a tea party?” asks the other. “No, we are having your DOOM!” the blob replies. The end. I laughed so hard at that one, but, alas, it was not one of the winners.

New Life in Comics

Jennifer de Guzman — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 20:16:54 +0000

My latest Life in Comics column for Publishers Weekly is up. It’s called “Life and Death and Life Again in Comics,” taking a look at the dead-and-resurrected god archetype in supherhero comics.

New Publishers Weekly Column

Jennifer de Guzman — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:07:51 +0000

My latest Publishers Weekly Life in Comics column is up — and of course it has to do with the baby. It’s fascinating to me how the little creature has managed to wrap my whole existence — for now — around his little tiny pinkie finger. It’s necessary, of course, the result of ample oxytocin coursing through my body, but, subjectively, I’ll say it’s because Mateo is completely marvelous and beautiful, simply the best baby in the world, and he would amaze everyone who ever thought that they knew a great baby because their experience of a great baby is like the shadows on the cave wall in Plato’s allegory. Or so I was telling Mateo earlier after he lifted his head and turned it while I was making a stuffed octopus sing “Friday I’m in Love” to him. I’ll acknowledge that I’m probably an insufferable bore to anyone else right now, but I don’t suppose it matters at the moment.

Still, the outside world is starting to creep back into my consciousness. I expect to be a fully functioning adult human before Mateo goes off to preschool. Until then, I’m happy to read Middlemarch aloud to him. He’s a very precocious three-week-old.

Questions I’m Tired of Answering

Jennifer de Guzman — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 14:01:03 +0000

I get a few people emailing me every year to ask me how to become a comics editor. They seem to think that it’s a line of work that is “fun” or “rewarding” or “cool,” and they want in on the glorious words-and-pictures life. They also seem to think that there’s some secret to getting a comics job that is different from getting any other kind of job. But there’s not. If you want to be a comics editor you:

Have skills that apply to that line of work, like experience reading comics, good instincts for storytelling, a good grasp on spelling and grammar, experience with graphics software, and the ability not to equate your self-worth with your salary.
Send your resume to comics publishers.

That’s it.

You definitely don’t write to comics editors and ask for advice, get some, and then never even bother to say “thank you.” Because that shit’s just rude. This also applies if you ask for advice about an MFA program.

For the record, here’s my advice for getting into an MFA program:

Write well. You get an MFA to write work on writing better.
Submit an application to an MFA program. Don’t tell the professors on the acceptance committee, “I’ve always wanted to be a writer and this will teach me how” in your statement of purpose. Show them what kind of writer you are and why you will be an asset to the program, not just how the program will help you.

That’s it. I have no further words of wisdom.