Hello! Happy Monday!

This one comes from a place of, what do people consider accomplishments? I listened to a podcast from an artist from the 90s who does still make comics today…occasionally. He was mocking someone who he’s kind of a rival with, but not really, from back in the day. The other artist was launching a new comic for his comic series. The podcast host pretty much just does alternate covers for mainstream books and the occasional one off or miniseries. I think both artists do well for themselves – the podcast host had saved his money from the 90s.

Oh, his former rival also had hopes to make a movie about his comic, and the podcast host was kind of mocking that too. Podcast host has seen characters he created for other publishers become movies, but he doesn’t make the movies. He might have a character he owned become a movie, but someone else wrote the script. His former rival wants control and is plugging away at this uphill battle.

I’m not fans of either of these people, frankly. I wasn’t a fan of that style in the 90s. They’re both successful. There’s plenty of people who have worked for a large publisher and walked away with nothing, and independent artists who are in that same boat. Both these guys probably had more money than they knew what to do with at some time. And I’m not on board with the stuff either guy does currently. BUT if someone is going to try, and it’s an uphill battle, I’m not going to mock them for it. Maybe no one buys the comic. Maybe it takes way too long to get that movie made while retaining control. He’s not doing it from a point of delusion. He knows he has an audience and he knows that they’ll let him know how long to let that comic go on, if at all. He knows that the movie might not get made if he wants to be the one who says yes and no.

It made me think about other things, and if anyone has stopped me from trying. They have! And in some cases, I did. I wanted to do things. Maybe I got a reality check. (Maybe? I have.) Maybe they were just annoyed that I wanted something and I wasn’t at an age where I realized I could say “too bad, I’m doing it.” I shocked people when I put out my own magazine, when I released my own album, when I made my own comics. Mostly because they didn’t even know you could do something like that. Some people think you’re not allowed! No one tells me no now. Maybe they should, sometimes.

Have I done that? Have I not been supportive? I’ve given reality checks, for sure. I’ve mentioned lowering the goal posts a little bit.

I’m not the guy climbing the mountain. I don’t want to be a guy who stands there thinking that I’ve got enough and therefore no one else should try. Things’ll be hard and you might not reach the top but you might learn a few things and you’ll accomplish SOMETHING.

And THEN you can reach the top.