a New World
on the road again
There’s an epilogue left to do on a story I have. Years ago, when I had a story on my plate, I wouldn’t stop thinking about it and wouldn’t rest until I finished it. You could feel the energy that creative immediacy brought to every panel of every page. As I went to work on more challenging and ambitious projects, I learned to pace myself a little more and care more about how I could dig deeper into the meanings of my stories and how to tell the stories with as many layers as they could have. More time passed, and as I search for more challenges, I tried different things on each new story. Now, as I struggle a little to balance writing, drawing, traveling and public speaking engagements, I see that epilogue over there, looking at me, craving for my attention but waiting for me to approach it. I want the excitement that the artist feels when the project is done, and the excitement that follows it as so many new creative doors open for whatever comes next, to infect the reader, and maybe I’m being possessive and want that story to be only mine a little while longer, but still a new world is always ahead, and we must be brave and see things through until the end to open space for new beginnings.
On the road again
A normal town called Normal is home of the Illinois State University, where they have the Reggie Con festival, which is free and open to everyone. I’m one of this year’s edition of the guest, and I’ll be there for the opening conversation on Friday, and then on Saturday we’ll watch a movie at the Normal Theater and talk about it later. I guess you need to be there if you want to find out how influential in my career was Much Ado About Nothing, and why.
Besides the festival activities, I will also do a signing on a comic book store on Sunday morning (assuming I survive the festival’s Saturday night fever).
I wonder if this will be the trip I make with a carry on bag only.
This is the way
Back at C2E2, Terry Moore was telling me about that weekend’s Studio Sunday video he prerecorded before leaving for the show, and it was about surviving as an independent self-publishing author. Here’s the video. He’s very clear and it’s a great video to help creators understand the options of a independent creator in American comics, and many of the things he says apply to artists in any country.
You had to be there
Two recent interviews I’ve watched on YouTube have been extremely educational when it comes to understanding the evolution of comics in the American market: One with my former editor Diana Schutz, and another with Denis Kitchen. When you live in another country and all you get is the final product, sometimes years after it was published, you understand one part of history. You had to be there to understand how it was for the creators, for the editors, for the retailers, how the mentality of what comics are have been changing and what helped each shift. Diana and Denis were there for a big chunk of some major changes and they give great testimony of over 40 years working in comics.
Be safe. Be kind. Be curious.
Pa-ZOW!
Fábio Moon
Moon Base, São Paulo
April 10th, 2023