Back To The Grindstone...

By Tony Lee

Originally, this was going to be a kind of convention wrap up column, with a variety of other things thrown in, but the last week has been mental and to be honest? I think I couldn't cap what I wrote on my daily blogs from San Diego, except with some more 'dear God why my eyes my eyes are bleeding damn you damn you' for comedic effect.

But San Diego this year? Was a bit up and down for me, some parts, well, it just wasn't as fun for me as previous years. Sitting back at my desk in castle 'Britwriter', I'm a bit curious as to why that is. Could I have lost my love for the San Diego comic con?

Of course not. I'll admit, there were parts of the con that annoyed, even pissed me off, and I'll definitely be changing the way I stay at the conventions next year, and these issues will have affected me a little, but I think the biggest problem was that I didn't have much to do.

And I know, as I entered San Diego I was looking forward to a year of this, but the hotel that I was staying at, the Coronado Marriott Resort was across the bay, which meant that when I had a few hours to kill I couldn't just wander over to the hotel and chill out by the pool, I had to time it with military precision by timing my water taxi's departure just right and of course with each trip being six bucks, I got to pay for the privilege in the process. Which meant that I avoided the hotel room a lot of the time, something I wouldn't have done if I was in, say the Hyatt or the Marriott Marina. So next year, I intend to come back across the bay, stay nearby so that I can say 'whoo hoo nothing to do' and actually mean it.

Also, I hadn't realised until I hit the convention just how much of an adrenaline junkie I am. Previous years have had me running from meeting to signing to panel to meeting and for all the stress it added, this year I had none of that. I had three actual 'meetings' the whole weekend. Another was at 1 a.m. in a bar. A couple more were one step higher than 'casual chats with good friends'. Which is nice, you know, that I can reach this level, but at the same time I watched many of my peers and friends in the industry constantly off to signings and panels and I'll admit, I did feel a little like 'Billy No Mates' at times. The biggest comic for me, of course was the upcoming Doctor Who: the Forgotten from IDW with Pia Guerra, but although it's out in about three weeks, IDW only had about four proof copies total at the booth, which of course meant no pre-release signings and panels. I was able to talk about it at a couple of interviews though, so that made things a little better.

I also thing a chunk of the 'downer' this year was the fact that I missed Tracy, my wonderful girlfriend. I've had girlfriends before at convention, but I've usually been okay while away, but this year there was a little more of the blues there. I think this was also due to the increased amount of spouses, boyfriends and girlfriends attending this year – something again to consider for next year.

What was fun about the con, as it always is, are the people I got to hang out with and have fun with. People like William Christensen of Avatar, Dave 'the marketing guy' and Jacen Burrows who were so enamoured with me they even hunted me down at San Diego Airport to catch the same flight. That's dedication, guys. And next year William promises to take me to the zoo and buy me candy.

And of course there were my compadres, Chris Kirby, Bart Thompson, Sean Dulaney, Neil Kleid, Dan Taylor and Kevin Colden. Lots of drinking time was spent with them. I didn't drink enough with Gillen & McKelvie, Rantz Hoseley, Jimmy Aquino, Bob Schreck, Scott Dunbier, Steve Niles and Sarah Wilkinson, Rob Levin, CB Cebulski, Kwanza Johnson, Antony Johnston and Marcia Allass, Mike Marts, Jann Jones or Chris Ryall, although I did manage to have that Guinness with him and Ben Templesmith at one point.

I saw, drank with and enjoyed good company with people like Rich Starkings, Ben McCool and Heidi MacDonald, the aforementioned Templesmith and his good lady Lorelei, Dave Gallaher and Valerie D'Orazio, Steve Ellis, Marc Bernardin and a brief Josh Fialkov, Kody Chamberlain, TJ and Jason May and Shawn Granger, I got to properly drink with Nikki Cooke and Molly Crabapple which of course raised my 'cute drinking pardner' quota, I spent unfortunately minimal time with Ray Dillion, Renae De Liz, Liz Genco, Larry Young, James Sime, Daniel Merlin Goodbrey, Leland Purvis and Rich Nelson and I had driveby times of fun and laughter with Andy Schmidt, Jazan Wild and his lovely wife Sharon, Patty Jeres, Rod Reis and Nick Barrucci.

I know, its name dropping of the worst kind, but these are all people I want to see out of hours and this isn't a 'hey guys, work with me' document. This is simply name checking friends. Friends like Pia Guerra and Shane McCarthy, Ian Boothby and Pia's sister Vicky. Matt Gagnon and Denton Tipton, the latter of whom has a nightmare task ahead of him as the buffer between angry Doctor Who fans and me. I explained the plot of the series to him (he's just taken over as editor) and I swear he almost started to cry.

I hung out at swanky parties with famous people like WWE wrestler Mick Foley. I chatted to the guys at The Stack. But you know what? Seriously? All these parties – they were nothing compared to the Doctor Who Cosplayers. These guys can seriously party.

Photo Courtesy of Vickie Sebring

It was the Saturday when I bumped into an incredibly enthusiastic Tenth Doctor Cosplayer, she was spot on – yes, I said she – with all the mannerisms and everything. Of course when she realised who I was she jumped for joy (as you would) and when I showed her the comic I think she was so excited she almost died. Twice. And in fact she invited me up to the Masquerade area later that day – not for some kind of deviant Tenth Doctor canoodling, but to see all the Doctor Who Cosplayers in one place.

It was a Doctor Who fan's wet dream, so many Doctors and companions and all that, and here I was being introduced as 'the guy writing the new comic'. I was worshipped. Someone thought I was called Tim. I wasn't so worshipped after that.

But a few pictures later, I left to group to their photo shoot and to be honest? I felt a little sad to leave – for a brief moment of the convention, I had felt a part of something, I didn't have to pitch, shmooze or talk shite, I was accepted by fans of Doctor Who as simply another fan of the show, one of their own, which indeed as a fan in my own right, I am. It felt nice, reassuring. I knew right then that the comic was going to do well.


Photo Courtesy of Vickie Sebring

Later that evening four of the guys who had been there sought me out in the Hyatt bar – Salina, Steve, Jessica and an incredibly quiet girl dressed as Sarah Jane Smith whose name I never quite got - and we discussed the comic in more depth, while they told me about a convention in LA called Gallifrey One. Chris Ryall, hearing this mentioned in passing that if I was made a guest, IDW would bring comics and a booth for signings. Later Pia Guerra, when hearing of this possible Doctor Who con dragged me to my knees and threatened to beat me half blind and into a bloody pulp with her Eisner Award if I didn't tell them to invite her too.

Of course, I'm not saying I am going – but it'd be nice to catch up with those guys again. I truly enjoyed the time I spent with them and I can see why Paul Cornell always speaks highly of them.

Anyway. Thinking about it, I did have a good convention. I hung out with cool people, met personal heroes like Darwyn Cooke, literally ran past both Geoff Johns and Jason Badower in a lobby and had possibly one of the most interesting chats with Mark Buckingham that I have ever had. And if you know Bucky, you'll know that he's incredibly interesting anyway...

Roll on next year.

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So did I get any work this convention? Well to be honest I wasn't really trying. I was given the opportunity to pitch a couple of things, Journal might have a home (although we're waiting to see), as might Shotgun Samurai. I have a couple of incredibly exciting things I'm researching like crazy about, and we'll see how that plays out.

Apart from that, life still goes on. This month we see my Museum tale hit Judge Dredd: The Megazine and Stalag #666 starts in 2000 A.D.. Doctor Who: The Forgotten comes out in the USA, and The DFC starts serialising The Prince of Baghdad. And that's the stuff I've finished. I'm already writing Necrophim, a kind of 'Point Blank in Hell' for 2000 A.D. and I seem to be looking at a lot of Zombie stuff. Hey ho. Victoriana and Steampunk seem to be high on the list too. I was actually called 'Neo-Victorian' by one chap this weekend purely because I had a pocket watch and waistcoat. Bless.

Hopefully this month I'll be able to announce exciting new news in relation to Robin Hood: Outlaw's Pride as well, involving a name change and a new book announcement, once contracts are signed...

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Talking of books I've written, I know that many of you read this, having never read anything that I've ever written. Well I have the solution for you!

There have been a lot of ups and downs on the Internet tubes about wowio.com. It's been bought by Platinum Studios and many creators are concerned.

Markosia however aren't, and they've kept their books up on the site. Which is good because it means that you, the reader can now read my books online FOR FREE!

That's right, children. Wowio has always been a US based service where you need to register a credit card to download the comic PDF, but now they have an online 'Preview' page where you can read any wowio comic for free. No credit cards, you don't even have to register. And this means you can read:

• All of Starship Troopers: Blaze Of Glory


• All of Starship Troopers: Dead Man's Hand


• All of Starship Troopers: Damaged Justice


• All of Starship Troopers: Marooned


• All of Midnight Kiss


• All of Hope Falls

That's right; each of these comics is available to read right now for free on wowio.com. Go and read. Tell your friends. Get them to read. Every person who reads means that Wowio gives Markosia money from advertising. It's not a lot, but the more people who read, the more money they pay Markosia. And the more money that Midnight Kiss makes? Means that it gets closer to making a profit. And the moment it does? I've promised to write Midnight Kiss book 2.

And the more people who read Hope Falls? Will convince Markosia to release that Hope Falls trade to the world.

So go read. Tell your friends. Tell everyone. Tell your workmates. Tell total strangers. Get the message out there.

Comics should be read.

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And so we're into August, and already I'm looking to September – Saturday the 27th of September in fact when I will be at Orbital Comics in London to sign copies of Doctor Who: the Forgotten with Gary Russell, who'll be signing copies of his own Doctor Who series.

I'm not asking how Orbital are getting the comics, I just know that this will be one of the few times in the UK that you'll be able to buy it. So come along to the store on Upper St Martin's Lane between 2pm and 4pm and say hi. Come in costume too!

There's a Facebook events page too for this.

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And that's it for another week. Next week, I'm going to go back to talking about the role of the writer, after having an argument this week with an artist about how all writers do sod all and the artists carry the book... Should be fun.

See you in seven.

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Discuss this column at the Only A Forum forum.
© 2008, Tony Lee

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