Thursday, October 4, 2007

Writing as if drunk-dialing

You ever go to a show or something and come home wanting to start a rock band? Alternately, do you ever read something and feel like your dick's been cut in half? That's what happened last night after I plowed through Shortcomings, aka Optic Nerve v. 9 to 11. It's funny what an omnibus will do for a comic book. It can make it prohibitively good.

So, Adrian signed his books last night in Brooklyn, and I got to see some old friends. Gotta say it's a little weird to be an industry outsider. You know, like I have to listen to everyone now (rolling eyes), instead of telling them what's wrong with Publishing These Days.

Meanwhile, I had lamented my "freelance writer" status to a fellow freelancer friend very recently, who quickly interrupted me with a disgusted shiver and said:

Take out the word "freelance." Just say "writer."

I sense soon I'll be one of those morons who when asked what I do will get all defensive and say something like, "Tch. Of course that's all you're interested in. MY STATUS (cue neck roll). I am (pause) just (longer pause) living..." (as I slowly tap my chest with a microphone grip fist and walk away shaking my head to some Junior Boys song playing in the background.)

If loving myself is wrong...I don't wanna be a writer.

Whatever man. The New York Times would never run a review of dick-halving works of art. Point is, A. Tomine is on to something. Go get this book and start arguing about white-asian dating already.

6 comments:

Ryan S said...

That sounds fresh. I read the individual issues as they came out and definitely enjoyed it (9 more than 11, but...), and wonder if i'll enjoy it more when i see it presented as a complete book.

I actually managed to snag Mr. Tomine for a visit to the Goog in mid-Novemeber :) My plan is to force him to eat a dangerously luxurious smorgasbord of corporate lunching. You know what I'm talking about.

ill iterate said...

awww yeah. Google wheatgrass fountain, truffle-burger with starfruitmole...
mmmm

Anonymous said...

1. BUST magazine wasn't so enthusiastic about Shortcomings. Poor Adrian, he finally gets a bad review.

2. You'll always be more than a freelance writer to me!

-Eric

ill iterate said...

You know Eric, I know another woman reviewer who hated it...an Asian woman. I actually know a hefty dozen or so Asian women who don't like his writing but who respect his work. I have always been amazed by his artwork but also confused about his apologetic writing, but like I says, it's amazing what compiling fragments into a GN will do for a comic book.

oh, and awww.

Anonymous said...

Anne, it's not "writer" or "freelance writer." It's "I'm unemployed."

ill iterate said...

hahahaha...Tom, Tom, Tom.
always bringing people down to size...but then again, you're just a blogger.