Speculative Friction:
a blog of comics and literary criticism written by Bill Baker

5-17-06

"who's next"

Yeah, a month, I know. But I've been busy taking care of some very important business, only some of which I talk about in this entry, and I heartily believe that webmasters deserve vacations, and damn good, relaxing ones which don't require any updating of them during that period. And it will likely be two weeks, or the end of May, before I'll be able to make the next entry, as I'll be on the road for much of this and next week. However, after that, it should be back to the weekly updates for the foreseeable future. But that's not what I want to talk about this time out. Rather, I want to answer a simple question publicly...

A lot of people have been asking me, "So who's next?" as far as my books. Sadly, I've known what's next for a while, but really couldn't say anything. Until now, that is...

I've been working fairly hard to get everything set in stone and get the ok to start talking about it. Seems I done good, because last Friday Rich Maurizio, head honcho of Airwave Publishing, gave me the go-ahead to start spreading the word on this year's new additions to the "Bill Baker Presents..." library of books for the remainder of this year. And while we've only got two offerings, I think that they're both worthy additions, and really quite exciting in their own special ways.

First up is Alan Moore: Exit Interview, [tentative title, but I really, really like it] which is scheduled for release in October, 2006. This is an all new, recently-recorded book-length interview covering the biz aspects of his career and much more. I've tried to give a fair description of our conversation below.

And then, scheduled for release in plenty of time for the holiday gift season, George Perez: Best of All Worlds [again, tentative title] will collect the extended and fairly extensive interview I did with George which was published over the course of several issues of the late, greatly-missed Comic Book Marketplace magazine from Gemstone. George has already given his blessings to this project, and we're talking about some different ideas which would make this a kinda special/cool package. As I explained to George, I figure this will serve as volume one for now, as it covers almost the entirety of his life and career up to the height of CrossGen Comics, when the interview was originally conducted. Plus, this is a monster interview, really and truly huge and lengthy as it exists. So the easiest and most logical way to do this is publish this interview as it stands; then, at some point in the future after a suitable passage of time, George and I will sit down for another extended chat, essentially just picking up the conversation where we left off at the end of the first book. I'll be talking up this book, and the fun things we've got planned for it, in the near future.

In the meantime, as promised, here's those details about Alan Moore: Exit Interview:

Earlier this month I spoke with Alan about his sadly troubled exit from mainstream comics, what happened and why he's decided to disown the majority of his own work. And that's just the first hour or so. Then we got into his thoughts on the health of medium, and why he fears that the industry poses the greatest threat to the survival of comics, before we talked in some real detail about his next projects. There's quite a lengthy conversation concerning Jerusalem, Alan's second prose novel, which is currently at least two years from completion and without a publisher. This continues Alan's examination of Northampton in general, but this time the focus is incredibly tight, basically concerning itself with a very specific neighborhood, its inhabitant and those who interact with them.

[Oh, just so everyone knows right now, No, he's not interested in talking at this point. Wait for it," as my buddies at Monty Python used to say].

We also talked for some time about the forthcoming multimedia extravaganza, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Black Dossier. Essentially an insider's history of the League from its inception to either the present day or near future [sorry, a little fuzzy on that point right now] and which promises to be a wild, inventive and just plain fun experience. I suspect it's going to be worth the price of admission just to hear the pop 45 vinyl single featuring music by Alan and Tim Perkins, his partner on Angel Passage and other performance pieces, I believe.

Finally, we touched on Lost Girls, talking more about what it felt like to finally have it done after 16 years, what he was hoping to accomplish with it, and such, before I ask him my final question of Alan, "What will matter two hundred and fifty million years from now, if anything?" All in all, I'd say we talked on the record for at least three and one half hours, and possibly as long as three and three-quarters hours. I asked maybe a baker's dozen questions, fifteen tops, with a few comments and such thrown in to show that I was paying attention.

Which, of course, it was impossible not to do. Alan proved to be as open, vibrant and voluble a subject as ever, and I believe I can say without much bias that the results in this particular instance are at worst interesting, informative and entertaining--and possibly of some real value for a wide variety of readers, ranging from Alan's fellow pros to those who want to join those ranks, from the hard core cognoscenti to the casual reader interested in finding out what all the shouting was about as Moore moved offstage. Or that was my impression, at least.

I'm sure that I'll be discussing this book in future entries, providing some idea of how what assembling an original interview book entails, as well as general progress reports regarding where we are in the publishing process, etc. At least that's the plan at present.

Oh, and before I forget to mention it, Alan Moore Spells It Out is being reoffered by Diamond in this month's Previews catalogue [under "Airwave Publishing" on page 220; reorder # + ]. And, If we continue to get the kind of backorder action on this puppy which it's been enjoying since the week of release, we are likely to sell out of the entire run of this book right around the time the sequel ships. Or perhaps even before then. So, if you'd like a first printing of Alan Moore Spells It Out and you've been on the fence about it, this might be your last chance to grab a copy via your comic shop. And, as always, you can also buy it directly from www.AirwavePublishing.com.

My first book, on its way to selling out within the first year. That kind of news makes an old so-and-so smile, it does.

And on that hopefully cheery and not scary note, I think it's time for...


What's Bill been reading this past month?
4-12-06 to 5-16-06

Sorry, no real reviews this time out. I'll catch up in the next post or two. Promise.

However, I do want to give a bit of love to two efforts, one a single issue and the other a forthcoming ogn, that are simply outstanding examples of what makes comics such a vital and exciting medium. In fact, I've just found my personal picks for "Best Single Issue" and "Best OGN" of the year:


Swamp Thing # 26
While this episode in this ongoing [and recently cancelled] series is part of a diptych of tales set within a larger, very complex storyline, it can easily be read and appreciated for its own strengths. Which are rich and varied. Ostensibly dealing with the aftermath of recent events, Swamp Thing strives to atone for what may be the most unforgivable of sins. By turns horrifying and moving, "Burying the Bones" is simply the single best single issue script I've encountered yet this year, and possibly the best Josh Dysart has turned in to date on any project. It's rendered with obvious care and attention by fill in artist Jock, assisted by the usual crew.

This is simply great comics, fearless and personal and yet completely accessible. I really hate to see this series end...

Pride of Baghdad
And then we've got Pride of Baghdad by Brian K. Vaughn and Niko Henrichon. An original graphic novel inspired by true events which occurred early in the invasion of Iraq, this is an engrossing, intelligent, often brutally honest examination of the tension between freedom and safety, between nature and nurture, and between the way the Natural world functions and Man's world works, as seen through the eyes of a small group of lions suddenly freed from their home in Baghdad's zoo. Pride of Baghdad is something exceedingly rare: An entertaining, populist tale that also works as a modern morality tale and as a tragedy in the classic sense, and both writer and artist have surpassed all their previous--and exceptionally fine--work with this effort.

Pride of Baghdad is scheduled for release in September, 2006, from Vertigo Comics. It should be in the May cover dated Previews catalogue.