Still here...

No. I'm not dead.
It's been an insanely busy week, and it doesn't seem like it's going to slow down until after the weekend. So the blog posts have been (and will be) few and far between this week.
Going through Sumerak withdrawl? Go out and buy my new book (HULK & POWER PACK: PACK SMASH!), think of me fondly, and eagerly await my return to blogging in the very near future...
See ya soon!

Unexpected credit

It's always nice to open up a book and see your name in the credits... especially when it's a complete surprise. That happened this week in THE LAST FANTASTIC FOUR STORY.
This was a project written by Stan Lee himself and drawn by John Romita, Jr... and we started work on it waaaaaay back when I was still an Assistant Editor. I left staff long before it was finished (obviously) and several Assistants came and went before the comic was finally published this week.
Bought my copy on Wednesday, and it turns out that Tom B. was kind enough to include a "Special Thanks" to the many former Assistants (Jeff, Andy and myself) who worked on the project over the course of its development.
Much appreciated, sir! Another fine comic to add to the resume!
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On-Sale August 29, 2007...

ON-SALE NOW!

HULK & POWER PACK: PACK SMASH! Digest

Power Pack couldn't be more excited to meet their father's new colleague, the world-famous Dr. Bruce Banner. But when the kids find themselves trapped in the tunnels beneath Manhattan by the Absorbing Man, they find out what happens when the good doctor gets angry! Get ready to go gamma as a brand-new team-up begins here!

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Off switch...

I was really planning to take a day off today. An honest-to-goodness day off where I just laid around the apartment and did nothing of any significance.
I'm apparently not so good at that...
After skating 15.5 miles this morning, I met my folks for lunch and then came back home to watch the Indians game. That last part sounds relaxing, right?
Well, about halfway through the game, I started hearing dialogue in my head for my second issue of [project yet-to-be-announced] and I didn't want to potentially lose any of it by waiting for a workday to write it down...
So what did I do? I wrote the entire 22-page outline for the issue! On my day off!
Sometimes I really wish my brain had an off switch...

Not so lazy...

Screw resting.
15.5 miles on my skates was a much better idea!
NOW I can rest...

Lazy Sunday

The wedding last night was nice. The food was good, the band rocked, and Joey seemed really happy. So overall, it looked like a win. Only a few people there that I knew, but we all still managed to have a pretty good time.
And I'm absolutely amazed at how small my desire to drink has become after the diet. There was an open bar right next to my table, and I only had one drink early on... and it took me a good hour or so to finish it off. The rest of the night was just tonic water. Weird.
Today, I'm just gonna relax.
Maybe I'll go out skating to work off that piece of wedding cake.
Maybe I'll go to the zoo like I was thinking earlier in the week (but probably not).
Maybe I'll just forget all that stuff, chill out here and do nothing.
After all, that's what Sundays are for, right?

Another wedding

I've had to go to a lot of weddings this summer. That hasn't exactly been fun for me... but each one gets a little easier.
Tonight Little Joe is tying the knot. He's a good friend from my Sea World days, and I would never skip out on him, no matter how uncomfortable these things make me.
At the very least, tonight should be a good chance to hang out with Jeremy and Liz for an evening and drink for free.
And who knows... maybe there will be a cute bridesmaid or something. After all, as Vince Vaughn said in Wedding Crashers:

"We are gonna have tons and tons of opportunities to meet gorgeous ladies that get so aroused at the thought of marriage that they'll throw their inhibitions to the wind... Grab that net and catch that beautiful butterfly, pal!"

One of those days...

Today was one of those days.
It started out promising... got pretty disheartening... and then ended up somewhere in the gray in-between.
At least things don't look quite as bleak as I originally thought. But more than anything, I'm left confused and bewildered.
I guess that's life, ain't it?
I look forward to tomorrow. Not because I think it will be any better or any less confusing... but mostly just because it won't be today.
More then...

Sometimes...

Sometimes you rollerblade 13.5 miles on a 90 degree day and you just come home with sore legs and mild dehydration.
Sometimes you come home with a new poem...

"Just..."

You could tell from the kiss
Something just wasn't right.
A slight reservation
That leaned towards "polite".

Perhaps just a "thank you"
For buying her dinner.
Not a victory lap
To declare you the winner.

Still you hope and you worry.
You wait and you pace.
And her e-mail pops up,
And your heart starts to race.

Everything seems just fine
'til you get to the end,
Where she tells you she thinks
That you'll make a great... "friend"?!?

Like a kick to the face.
You weren't ready for this.
Though, you know that you knew
From the very first kiss.

It was clear from the start
She was out of your reach.
You're just one grain of sand;
She's the whole fucking beach.

It's your own goddamn fault
For still trying to believe
After all of the pain
From this heart on your sleeve.

But it's no big surprise.
It ends just how you thunk:
With your heart being ripped out.
(Okay, just a small chunk...)

Fuck this poetry shit, man...
I need to get drunk.

Roller coaster

Looks like my trip to Cedar Point couldn't have come at a more appropriate time.
My life has been an absolute roller coaster this week. Full of insane ups and downs. Today already seems to be one of the latter. Bummer...
I'm going out to skate for a while. Maybe the fresh air will clear my head and lift my spirits.

Too many Jennys

There can't REALLY be that many girls my age with that name, can there?
Seems like everyone I meet these days is a Jen, Jenn, Jenny, Jenni or Jennifer (though I haven't met a "Genaphyr" yet... at least that would be something different...)
My brother's wife, my cousin's wife, my cousin, She Who Must Not Be Named -- all Jennifers.
I mean, sure, "Jennifer" was the #1 most popular female name in America every year from 1970-1984... but, come on, people!
Don't get me wrong. I love the 70s(VH1 told me so!)... but what ever happened to a little variety?

Well then...

Didn't see that coming...
Not that I'm complaining...
But... yeah... hmmm... wow... okay...
I love my life...

THE BIG 3-0!!!

No... not my birthday... I've still got about 7 months left before I have to deal with THAT "Big 3-0"...
I just did my final weigh in for this phase of my diet... and I've now officially lost 30 pounds (in 58 days)! That's freakin' crazy!
I'm at the lowest weight I've been in about 10 years. I'm 12 pounds below my inital target for this diet... and I even lost 2 pounds more than my newer re-adjusted target! Any more weight loss would probably not be good, so from here on out, it's all about maintenance and toning.
The difference in how I look and feel is astounding, and I plan to take all the habits I've picked up during the early pahses and continue applying them to my everyday life from here on out. But the occasional plate of nachos or piece of pizza will definitely be a welcome treat now that they are allowed again!
This process reminded me how much I love to be active (which is the complete opposite of how I felt right before the diet) and how great it feels to look in the mirror and be happy with what I see. I take pride in the hard work I've put into this... and it's so cool that the results are clearly visible!
Never thought I'd make it this far...and I wouldn't have been able to if not for friends and family keeping me focused and on track. Thanks to everyone for their support!
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Drink, drank, drunk

So, now that my diet is officially "done", I'm allowed to go back to eating and drinking anything I want (in moderation, of course).
Some of my dear, dear friends see that as a free pass to drag me out and get me sloshed with them. Since I'm allowed to drink, that means I should, right?
Everyone seems to think that. Everyone except me.
Mind you, I'm thrilled to once again have the option to have a glass of wine with a nice dinner or a beer with the boys... but when it comes to going to the bars and knocking back shot after shot (after shot) of Jack? Not sure I am up for that anymore.
Sure, the couple of months I spent hanging out at the bars with the boys was a lot of fun... and fairly necessary during that period of my life. But that's not really me. Never was.
And now that I'm getting things back on track in so many areas, that's one place that I think I just don't belong anymore. I just feel too good physically after all of this to put that many toxins back in my system. And the escape alcohol provides is just a temporary one. I would much rather be proactive and work to make my life better through positive change than hide from it at the bottom of a bottle.
Don't get me wrong. I'm sure that a special occasion will arise now and then that calls for such celebration... maybe I'll even kick a few back at Joey's wedding this weekend...
...but for now, I think the forecast is looking fairly dry...
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Back in the game...

Yesterday was a blast! It rained all the way up to Cedar Point... but as soon as we pulled into the parking lot, it stopped. Sure, it was cool, gray and humid... but there wasn't another drop of rain the entire time we were at the park! And since the weather looked like it was going to be so horrible early on, it kept a lot of people away. We got to ride everything we wanted to (including the new coaster, Maverick) by 4:30 or so... so we left the park, got some dinner, and then came back to ride everything again before the park closed at 8:00. Not a bad way to do it at all!
I had a lot of fun with Scott and Jenn, too! I don't get to see them too often these days, what with them being in Chicago and super busy with jobs and theatre and whatever else... but it was really great just to have a day with the whole family together. Makes me really look forward to the holidays (which, last year, I definitely did not look forward to... for other reasons...).
We did mainly coasters yesterday. Of course, the three standouts were Maverick, Top Thrill Dragster and Millennium Force. (I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for the Blue Streak and Gemini, though!) The speed and adrenaline was much needed after a weekend stuck inside behind the writing desk. The release of tension was a huge help to get my head back in the game.
And that's where I am now. Back in the game. Whatever that means.
More later...

Coming in November, 2007...

Shameless self promotion time!

IRON MAN & POWER PACK #1
Written by MARC SUMERAK
Art by MARCELO DiCHIARA
Cover by TAKESHI MIYAZAWA

What's 50-feet-tall, nearly indestructable, and on a rampage through New York City? Iron Man calls it "Ultimo"... but to the members of Power Pack, it's just another super-jerk trying to ruin their day off! And while our young heroes join forces with everyone's favorite armored Avenger to bring down this mega-sized metallic monstrosity, are they missing something far more sinister going on behind the scenes? Does the action ever end?!? Not for Marvel's youngest heroes!

FRANKLIN RICHARDS: FALL FOOTBALL FIASCO!
Written by MARC SUMERAK & CHRIS ELIOPOULOS
Art by CHRIS ELIOPOULOS

It's first down and 10,000,000 BC as Franklin Richards hits the field for another batch of terrifically terrifying tales! But it's not just monsters from the past out little hero has to worry about. He's also got to deal with visitors from the future, invaders from outer space and some very angry foliage! With five new stories for the price of one, this all-new special is a guaranteed touchdown!
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Homecoming...

I'm going to be crashing at my folks' place tonight so that we can head out of town early in the morning. Always nice to go back home for a night every now and then. (Though, sadly Shemp won't be there... he's already off to the kennel because of the early trip tomorrow...)
As for tomorrow, I'm soooo excited to see Scott and Jenn at the park!!!
Even if it rains, I'm sure we'll have a blast!
Regular blogging will resume Wednesday. Maybe.

My best friend's wife

Jeremy is out of town this week, so I went out to dinner with Liz tonight (with his blessing, of course!).
We had a great talk and I'm really glad we got to spend some one-on-one time together. I almost never get to talk just to her. It was nice to mix things up a bit in terms of the friend hierarchy!
Thanks to both Jeremy and Liz for being such great people and the bestest friends a boy could have... (awwww....)

PAYDAY!

Whenever an envelope with Spider-Man on the front shows up in my mailbox, I'm a happy man!
This is definitely shaping up to be the best Mondays I've had in a while...
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Finish line...?

I'm at the finish line...
Not only did I wrap up this weekend's rush script (before the deadline), but today is officially the last day of my diet (well, actually tomorrow is the last day, but I'm going to be at Cedar Point, so I'm giving myself a free pass)!
So tomorrow, I can finally take a nap, ride a roller coaster, eat some french fries and drink some whiskey. Prefereably not all at the same time. That might get ugly...
But as one set of trials ends, many more are sure to begin.
As of Wednesday, I'll be back in this crazy game called life, ready to face whatever new challenges are coming down the road. And I must say, some of the things ahead of me look like they could potentially be very bright...
A few years ago, no one would've ever expected me to say this... but change is good.
I kinda like new beginnings...
Who'da thunk?
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Draft one is done

Finished the first draft of my script, and I'm calling it quits for the day. Will do another pass through it tomorrow morning and tweak any necessary pieces before sending it off to my editor.
It's almost done...
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Rainy day...

It's rainy and cold and gross outside. The bad weather will be keeping me inside today... which is a good thing I guess, because I have a script to finish.
I conquered two stubborn pages this morning. They are early in the issue, but I skipped over them before because they just wouldn't click. Now that those are finally ironed out and completed, I've got seven pages at the end of the issue to write and I can call it quits. I'm hoping to finish the script today so that I can get it in to my editors (and out of my hands) early tomorrow morning. And with this weather, it may definitely be a possibility.
Who needs a weekend anyway, right?
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Only half the fun...

Had a great time catching up with my friend at dinner. Definitely hoping to see her again sometime soon!
But sadly, the party at John's place ended before I could make my way out there. Not that it was terribly good pool weather tonight anyway... but still, it would have been nice to have something to do for the evening.
Anyone out there want to do something tonight? I'm open!
Of course not. It's Saturday night. Why would anyone be reading my blog right now?
Oh well...

Everybody's workin' for the weekend...

Okay... It's Saturday afternoon and I'm a little bit more than halfway done with my new script. I should be able to finish the last less-than-half of it between tomorrow and Monday. Unless I completely hit a creative wall before then. If so, who knows? Eh. No matter what, I'll find a way to make it happen. That's what they pay me for.
I'm calling it quits for the day, though. I'm going to meet a friend for dinner (haven't seen her all summer) and then I'm heading to the Schoff mansion for an evening by the pool. Should be relaxing. I need that.
Tomorrow, more scriptification.

Money for nothing...

I love royalty checks. They're like Christmas in my mailbox.
The idea is simple. I write some books and get paid for my work. Then, when those issues are reprinted in a collected edition (i.e. a trade paperback or a digest), I get another payment for the reprint (if enough copies were ordered). So it's like getting a special little bonus for my work months and months later!
Sure, it takes a long time to process royalties (I got a check today for a digest printed last November). And the amount of money isn't huge (especially for the books I write). But I never really depend on them or work them into my budget, so it's always a pleasant surprise to have some extra cash show up unexpectedly!
And getting paid twice for doing the work once? I'll take it!
Okay. Happy time over... Back to the script of the week.
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Fall down stumble

I started today with a 'THUD'. But things got better. Then worse. Then better. A lot better, actually...
First, the 'THUD'. I was skating this morning and hit a dewey wet patch on the trail that had not evaporated yet (thanks to the morning's intense humidity). My skate went in one direction, my body went in the other... and I ended up skidding about ten feet down the paved bike path. Luckily, no brain dmage. My elbow was the only major casualty... and even it only got a little bit road rashed. I brushed myself off, skated three miles home and left a delightful trail of blood in my wake.
Better: Got home and buckled down begind the ol' writing desk. That went surprisingly well. I got about 9 pages done during the workday, which was more than I expected. Cooked dinner (mmm, tacos...) and hung out with my folks for a bit. Nothing to complain about there.
Worse: My editors broke my good vibe by letting me know that my next script is due before Wednesday. So now I've got the script I'm currently working on, followed immediately by another one... both of which are due in a 5 day span! Yikes!
Better: I finished that first script. I only had four more pages left to go after today's tremendous output, so I decided to hammer those last few pages out tonight. That way I can start the next script first thing tomorrow morning. Hopefully, that means I'll only have to work half-days this weekend...
Even better: I talked to a really cool girl tonight. No more details necessary, really. It was just nice to connect with someone again.
So yeah. That was my day, rollercoaster that it was. But luckily, I'm ending it on a good note... so I guess it's one for the 'win' column.
We'll see if we can say the same for tomorrow when we get there...

Seven page day

I honestly didn't expect to get much written today. I figured I would mostly be working on the outline and page breakdown for my next script. But somehow, I ended up with 7 fully written and polished pages of plot and script... and two more skeleton pages that should be easy to write tomorrow.
Not too bad for a day's work. And it will make Thursday and Friday just a tiny bit easier. Only 13 more pages to go!
Looks like I might be able to relax this weekend after all...
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I demand a recount...

One pound? After all that -- the dieting, the exercise, the mental anguish -- I only lose one freakin' pound this week?!?
AAARGH!
Okay... step back and look at this rationally, dude...

You've lost 27 pounds now... in 50 days. That's more than a half pound a day!
You lost an unexpected 3 pounds last week... so it had to even out a bit eventually.
You still lost something. It could have been worse. You could have broken even... or even gained weight.
You're eating more now, so the weight loss will obviously be less drastic than the earlier part of the diet when you only ate raw fruit and veggies.
You're only one pound away from reaching your target weight... which is the lowest you've been in about a decade!
Oh, and there's always next week...

Okay. I feel better now.
Thanks, me!
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Countdown...

One week from today, I will be screaming my lungs out on the world's greatest roller coasters at Cedar Point!!!
Just thought you would like to know... :)

Rolling along...

This afternoon has been extremely productive.
I got even more done on my second project than I excpected. I'm hoping to have that full script done by the end of the week if possible. (A paycheck would definitely be a good thing!)
Going to grab some dinner with my parents tonight and maybe watch the Tribe game. It's against Detroit (with whom we're currently tied for first place), so it's pretty important in terms of the Indians' Wild Card standings. We definitely need to come out on top in this series! Time to swing those bats, boys!
Should be a nice, relaxed evening overall... and then it's back to the grind tomorrow! But hey, could be worse. At least the grind hasn't ground to a halt!

More promising...

Today is definitely better that yesterday. What a relief!
I started out the day with a healthy breakfast, an 11 mile skate and a long shower.
After a fairly tasty lunch, I wrapped up an outline for an upcoming script and sent it in to my editors for approval. That's one more thing to cross off the list!
I have to jump onto another project this afternoon, but first I'm going to take a short break and run to Best Buy to pick up some new music. Yay.
On another note, I heard from a friend last night that I haven't seen all summer. It was just a brief message, but it was really nice to hear from her... and I really hope to hang out with her sometime very soon. (She's pretty darn cool!)
Anyway, that's it for now. Off to buy CDs!
More later...

One of those days

Man, I'm glad today is over.
Tomorrow will be better...

I smell like summer...

Went for a nice half-mile swim to try to clear my head a bit. I think it worked.
Now I have that distinct summer smell of sunscreen and chlorine lingering about me. It's actually quite pleasant... but I think I'm going to go shower it off before I head out to dinner.
Tonight: Hummus and a smoothie at Aladdin's. Mmmmm...

A true Imaginaut...

I just got hit with some awful news and I'm absolutely reeling from it.
One of the comic book industry's most talented artists, Mike Wieringo, passed away yesterday of a sudden heart attack. He was only 44.
This is especially hard to swallow, because Mike was more than just an artistic visionary... he was a true friend.
I had the great honor of working as Assistant Editor on FANTASTIC FOUR , which Mike penciled from 2002-2005. Every page he turned in was a delight... and every phone conversation we shared revealed his passion and professionalism. He was one of my favorite people to work with, and one of the few I kept in touch with even after I left editorial.
In one of the final FF stories I worked on with Mike, the FF visits heaven to find a fallen comrade. While there, they discover that the great creator is actually an artist.
I know that Mike is up there now, showing him how it's done...
Well miss you, sir...

Feel the burn...

20 miles on rollerblades is just as long and tiring as it sounds.
My legs are sore and my shirt is soaked through.
But it was so worth it.
More later...

No plans for the wicked

I just realized that I have no plans this weekend. Like zero. None whatsoever.
For the first time in a long time, I'm free to do whatever I want... and I have no idea what I want to do!
The weather is beautiful, the schedule is clear... and I got nothin'!
If anyone reads this post and wants to hang out this weekend, drop me a line! Because, if ya hadn't figured it out yet, I think I might be free...

Off limits

Oh, and dude...
Telling me that something is strictly off limits is just gonna make me work even harder to make sure it happens.
You of all people should know that by now...
Just sayin'...
;)

Much... too... early...

We went to Rob & Leah's party last night, and it was a lot of fun. They have a crazy amount of land and some of the coolest gardens I've ever seen. They actually have blueberry bushes! Fresh freakin' blueberries from their own yard. Insane... but delicious!
Went to bed at a decent hour... but still, this morning I feel like I got hit by a truck. I have had so much energy lately and today I feel like I can barely move. Can't figure out why for the life of me. Maybe my body is pissed at me for making it get out of bed before 9:00 on a Saturday.
Still, it's nothing that a good breakfast and a 16 mile jaunt on my blades won't fix, I suppose. Luckily the weather looks good today.
Time to sweat myself back to coherency...

In my head...

Today's been a different kind of workday. A mental workday.
I have one of those every now and then. A day where I'm not actually sitting at the computer writing, but I'm figuring out future work and strategically planning my next moves. It's nice to take the day off from being creative one in a while and look at my career from a different angle. I've come up with some very positive ideas about the path I'm currently on... and some great new concepts that I'm interested in developing further. So stepping away now and then is definitely a good thing.
But I did get to be a little bit creative today. I got to bake cookies with my Mom! Not only are they delicious, they fit into my diet too! So I can actually eat them (not just smell them longingly). Hooray!
Tonight, I'm headed to a birthday shindig with Jeremy and Liz. The rest of this weekend? Who knows... Any good ideas, dear readers?

Dinner and a movie

I think I'm done with work for the day. Yay. I like getting done early.
I'm going to grab dinner with my folks tonight. My Uncle George is in town from NYC, and he's going to be there as well. It will be nice to see him!
After that, I'm off to see a movie tonight with some friends...
Nothing too exciting, but it should make the hours pass with a bit less boredom than usual.

Productive morning

It has been a very productive morning so far.
I've managed to churn out minor revisions on scripts for two different upcoming projects, as well as wrap up a custom comic job for another editor. So that's three scripts all turned in before noon! Not a bad way to start the day.
The rest of the day will involve some planning for future projects and figuring out my upcoming workload. It could be a very busy end of the year if I play my cards right... and that might very well be a good thing!
More later...
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Freelance follies

It's amazing how you can go from having no work lined up to having too much work lined up in the course of one phone call...
I've definitely got some thinking to do over the next few days...

Spreading the word...

After a week or two of getting my feet wet, I've finally started to let more people know about this here blog (outside of my core circle of friends).
Should be interesting to see if anyone else shows up... and how the potential expanded audience changes the types of posts I'm writing.
Ah, social experiments...
If you've just started reading, feel free to leave a comment, say "hi", and tell me how you found me!

"After"

JER had a good point in his comment on the previous post.
And while I don't have a pic from during the "BEFORE" section of my diet, I might as well give you a look at me now.
Yay, camera phones!

26 down...

Well, as of this morning's weigh in, I've lost 26 pounds in the last 45 days. Not too bad, eh?
At this point, I've lost most of the weight I'm going to lose now (though I still expect another pound or two here and there), and it's just a matter of maintaining and toning up from here on out.
Only two weeks to go until I can eat and drink whatever I want again (in moderation, of course). My first day off the diet is perfectly timed with a family trip to Cedar Point.
Cheese-on-a-Stick, here I come...!
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SuperBad weather

Last night was a bust...
I drove about an hour to go see the screening of SuperBad, but when I got there, the theatre had just lost partial power due to a storm. They cancelled the screening (and all the other shows for the night as well) and told people they were rescheduling for later in the week.
Since a bunch of friends had already driven in to see the movie with me (nice to see you, Manda!), we all went to the Winking Lizard... which also only had partial power. Salads and not-quite-cooked chicken were the only options. Luckily, I had already eaten dinner beforehand.
On the way home, drove through a HUGE storm that continued for quite some time once I got back. Been a long time since I've seen rain and lightning like that!
Got a call from an old friend last night who wanted me to go out with her (at about 11:30). Sadly, I was just too tired by that point and had to say no... but maybe I'll see her again soon.
The night wasn't a complete loss, but it was a bummer not to get to see the movie. Hopefully I'll be able to make the rescheduled screening.

Roll call

If you're reading this blog, sound off by leaving a comment under this post.
Just trying to figure out who my audience is at the moment so I can adjust the posts accordingly (and make fun of the jerks who aren't reading...)
Thanks!

Tired...

Yesterday was a loooong day.
After I finished my talk at the library (which went pretty well), I had to come home and write a script that's due this morning. It was a rush deadline, and for various reasons, I didn't have everything I needed to get started until about 3:00 yesterday afternoon. I hate having to work under those conditions... but I did my part and managed to finish writing the script around 1:00 in the morning. If all is well, I should be sending it off to my editors early today.
Hopefully my 16 hour workday yesterday means that I can take part of today off. I was going to go skating this morning, but I can already here the thunder rumbling outside... so I'll have to hit the treadmill instead (again). And today is an "all-vegetarian day" on my diet (I have to do one of those a week). So that kinda sucks too.
But the good new is: The Muppet Show Season 2 and The Simpsons Season 10 both come out on DVD today! And I get to see that screening of SuperBad with some friends tonight.
So maybe I'll get to enjoy my day a bit after all... (unless someone calls me at 2:00 and tells me I have another script due in 6 hours...)

TONIGHT ONLY: Listen to me ramble!

Okay... if you're reading this blog, you listen to me ramble fairly frequently... but I wanted to let you know that I'll be doing it in a public forum tonight!
I'll be speaking at the Cleveland Public Library (Carnegie West Branch) at 6:00 to discuss my life as a comic book writer! It should be a fun talk, exploring what it's like to create comics and how the industry has changed over the years.
So if you are in the area and have some free time, come watch the fun!

Cleveland Public Library
Carnegie West Branch
1900 Fulton Rd.
Clevleand, OH 44113

The excitement begins at 6:00 PM. Be there or... don't!

93 Years

My Grandma turns 93 years old this week, so we're celebrating with her today. It's only going to be a small portion of the family, I think... we're all fairly spread out across the state and country these days. Not like the family gatherings of the past where we would have too many relatives to count all crammed into one of our houses. Still, it will still be nice to spend the afternoon with her and remind her why she's always been so special to us all.
More later...

Day off...?

Today was supposed to be my day off from working out. Instead, I ended up Rollerblading 16.4 miles (and now I'm going to go for a swim). Sometimes I just don't get me...
Yesterday was an odd day. I wasn't feeling terribly productive at first, but ended up getting out of the apartment for a while and getting some work done on one of the new pitches that I'm starting to develop. We'll see how it turns out once I start organizing all the random thoughts I scribbled down!
Unfortunately, I also ended up going back on a promise I made to myself from when I started my diet/workout program. I'm not terribly proud of it, but we all have our moments of weakness. And I made it 40+ days without breaking any of my self-imposed rules... so I guess that counts for something! I'm back on track as of today... and as you can probably tell by the 16.4 miles, I'm probably overcompensating.
What else? Oh, I managed to see two new movies yesterday! Over lunch, I saw HOT ROD (with my Dad). In the evening I went down to the Cedar Lee to see THE TEN (with myself). I liked them both, but surprisingly, I liked HOT ROD a lot better. I honestly expected it to be the other way around.
Tuesday, I've got free passes for a preview screening of SUPERBAD. That should be fun. Anyone wanna come?
Tonight, I am probably gonna go have dinner with my folks (it's their anniversary)...but other than that, it's just another quiet Saturday night. If anyone has any fun plans for the evening, drop me a line and let me know...
That's it for now. Off to the pool...

One down...

Okay, the FRANKLIN script is done and in my co-writer's hands for his final approval. Once he gives the thumbs up, we send it off to the editor and move on to the next one (once I get a plot, that is).
Until then, I'll be working on that pitch I need to finish up. It should be fairly simple, as we've already laid a pretty strong foundation.
After that, I might start putting together the next pitch that's been swimming around in my brain. I think it could be a really cool use of a C-list character that's been out of the spotlight for a while!
But that might wait until tomorrow. We'll see how much creativity I have left in my brain when I get to that point...
Okay. Back to work!
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Tonic & Lime

That's the drink of choice now that I'm on the diet. It's like water... but bubbly. Yay. Everyone else: doing shots. Me: chewing ice. Where is the justice in that?
Even so, I had a good time with Andrew et al last night. It was his birthday. I had no idea. Guess it's a good thing I went out with them to celebrate!
Today, I've got a FRANKLIN script to write and a pitch to work on. I think I had something else to do too, but I can't remember what for the life of me. I'm sure it'll come back to me (five minutes before the deadline).
Before any of that, though, I've gotta work out. Nice weather today, so I think I'm going to hit the trails on my blades.
More later...

IRON MAN & POWER PACK

Just wanted to share this cover image from one of my upcoming projects.
Look for IRON MAN & POWER PACK #1 in November 2007!

Slowly getting better...

Today started out a bit less promising than usual, but is slowly getting better.
Did lunch with my mom and then went to visit my grandma. It was nice to spend some time with the most influential ladies in my life.
Got my new comic books for the week. That always makes things better! And the store manager gave me some free passes to go see SuperBad next week. Sweet!
Came back home and talked to one of my editors about a pitch I am currently working on. He really seemed to dig it, so that's definitely a positive thing.
And tonight, I'll be meeting Andrew and a bunch of his friends for drinks out in Lakewood. Well, no drinks for me (stupid diet), but it will still be nice to get out for a while.
But first... cookies!
See, it ain't all bad...

August (& Everything After...)

Hard to believe it's August already!
I figure now's a good time to let you know about some of the new books I've got coming out this month so you can start saving up...

SPIDER-MAN FAMILY #4

Peter Parker has a wonderful evening lined up for Mary Jane that starts with a horse carriage ride to a popular Broadway show. But then the stage magic becomes terrifyingly real and it's Spider-Man who has a date -- with the secret super team known as The Agents of Atlas! Also, an all-new MINI-MARVELS tale, and classic Spider-Man tales! All that plus SPIDER-MAN J!
On-sale August 15, 2007

HULK & POWER PACK: PACK SMASH! Digest

Power Pack couldn't be more excited to meet their father's new colleague, the world-famous Dr. Bruce Banner. But when the kids find themselves trapped in the tunnels beneath Manhattan by the Absorbing Man, they find out what happens when the good doctor gets angry! Get ready to go gamma as a brand-new team-up begins here!
On-sale August 29, 2007