MIKE PELLERITO, was recently named the new Managing Editor of Archie Comics. In addition to looking over the Archie universe he also editÃs some of Archie Comics most popular titles,
This column came about after having very few avenues to promote and find out about All Ages and Younger Reader Comics and Graphic Novels. Most knowledge seems to be passed along by word of mouth, so this is in the sprit the column is written. Now, sit back and join in the conversation!
To learn more about any of the above-mentioned projects please visit Archie Comics.com
One Last Go Around?
One last go around?
Welcome to Tuesday. Christmas is over, as is Hanukah, Kwanzaa is just beginning and the next time we talk it will be the first Tuesday of 2007. The world shuts down this week, many people go on vacation, and the ones who stay behind at work usually are finishing old projects as new ones are about to pick up. In some ways it is the perfect time for some reflection.
Readers have been emailing more frequently now with lots of good suggestions that are slowly going into practice. Colleagues have, due to incessant begging, given the column fair bit of criticism and several ways to improve. It is always nice to have the opportunity to try to make the good better.
Since, in most cases this will be a slow week, it seemed a good time to fulfill a promise made to you in the very first column over six months ago. The best of the worst freelancer excuses ever.
The names will be hidden to protect the guilty. Remember: every story has at least two sides to it, and this is just one. Also remember that at Archie Comics, books do not ship late. That is iron clad; the sky has to fall.
The first story was handed down. Neither part works for Archie in any way shape or form. This is not a personal story, but it’s still funny as anything. A certain Sonic artist, who had a history of being late, was surprisingly so, running late. Very late. Like the publisher will fire everyone on the book, and anyone who looks like someone who works on the book, late. The then-editor knowing this, was calling the artist almost hourly, trying to find out what had happened. Rule one as a freelancer: Don’t hide. Actually Rule One is: Make your deadlines. Rule Two is: Once you blow it, don’t make it worse by hiding. Finally after days the editor gets a hold of the artist and yells: “Bring me whatever you have, now!” Apparently the artist agrees. Which is when thing get much worse. As a few of us can confess, we are creatures of habit. One of these habits is taking lunch at the same time of the day everyday. Apparently the artist knew this, came when the editor was out dropped off the package to one of the production guys, and said: “Give this to the editor, tell him it is everything I have,” and left the building again. No one knows if the artist ever wanted to contact the editor for work again, or if this was his intended last project. The answer was given for him, when the editor, none of which is repeatable by the way, informed him he would never work here again. 
What could have made the editor so mad if the artist handed in everything he had, as was the editor’s demand? The artist had two months for a 22 page story, and all he had was three pages of panel borders. No layouts, no under drawing. Just boxes, and no art in them. The best part was the artist had no car to drive the pages to the office. The Artist took 2 buses and a train, walked a quarter of a mile, did the same in reverse, to hand in three pages of panel borders. And still managed to show up when the editor was out to lunch. If any one put that much effort into not doing work, imagine how nice the story could have been if the artist actually did the story.
The book made it - as late as possible - to the printers, with the help of several artist to pitch in, and after all that, shipped on time. Years later when yours truly took over the reins of Sonic, the same artist called looking for work. I asked for some new samples, still nothing almost six months later. I half expect, even hope, to get some panel borders of my own some day.
The second story is, ironically, first hand. This other artist who had a problem with lateness, just so happened, of all things, to be running late. After several calls I finally get a hold of the artist on the phone, which quite excitedly, nervously, and fearfully relays the following story. Basically what happened was simple. Most of the issue was completed. The artist knowing that they were running late, independently, decided to send off the assignment unfinished. This would enable the inker, letterer and colorist to proceed while the remainder of the issue was completed. A nice thought indeed. So late that night the artist set up all the pages put them in their portfolio case, then placed them in their car’s trunk so that first thing in the morning, without fear of forgetting a single scrap of paper, could just hop in the car, go to Kinko’s, make copies and Fed Ex the package.
Seems simple enough. Or so you would think.
Apparently, a horrible storm struck the land. As luck would have it, a large tree happened to get struck by a powerful, even vengeful bolt of lighting. The tree, old and diseased, splintered at the base, and fell crashing and flattening the car, pinning its trunk closed. Of course this car was the artist’s car, and of course those pages could not be saved. Couldn’t go through the trunk, and so much rain water damaged the pages beyond repair. After this long story, involving years of complaints to the city, and other details, there was a pause in the talking. A short pause, but one left open for me to reply. Just as the bolt of lighting struck that tree, unknowingly and with intense speed, like a bolt, a reply came out of mouth faster than the thought was created. “Send me a picture of your car, the tree on your car and you smiling and waiving to me in front of your car with the tree on it, in 30 minutes. Or you’re fired”
There was a picture, no smiling or waiving. The pages did make it. Very late but in one piece. We decide to go our own separate ways after that.
Both of these artists are incredibly talented and wonderful people. It would be a real pleasure to work with either one, and I would do so, as long as deadlines aren’t an issue.
Or acts of nature.
Have a good New Year and would love to hear from you: MikeP@SilverBulletComicbooks.com
Check out some new All Ages reads on sale this week:
OCT063139 ARCHIE DIGEST #231 $2.49
OCT063140 BETTY & VERONICA #223 $2.25
OCT063148 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #170 $2.25
OCT060026 USAGI YOJIMBO #99 $2.99
OCT060239 CARTOON NETWORK BLOCK PARTY #28 $2.25
OCT062133 SPIDER-MAN LOVES MARY JANE #13 $2.99
OCT062218 SPIDER-MAN LOVES MARY JANE VOL 2 NEW GIRL DIGEST TP $7.99
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