Dear Santa Production Update: The Pitch

The weeks following my office "Holiday" party where I came up with the idea to put together a collection of Christmas disaster stories, I couldn't sit still. My mind just kept grinding on the idea. Over and over. I couldn't sleep. I couldn't listen at work. It was Dear Santa all the time. But after a couple of weeks, I realized I wasn't getting anywhere. I was just dreaming of the book that would be instead of making it reality. But what the hell do I do first? Sure, I've worked on a few projects, but never my own. Where do I begin? I started by calling my friend, Jason Rodriguez. What did he say? First he told me I had a great idea, then he said, "Plan, plan, plan." Very wise man that Jason. He also told me to read The Self-Publishing Manual. So I did, and a few days later I was writing my project plan and working on drafts of the Dear Santa, Let Me Explain... creator pitch. Yet still, my mind kept grinding. I reworked and reworked my plan. I rewrote my pitch 50 times. January came and went and I still hadn't invited anyone to join me because I wasn't ready. Or so I thought. It was as if I were waiting for something. I needed someone to tell me that I was ready, that my idea wasn't going to get any more defined. I talked with Jason again, and he was totally supportive, and he answered my insecure questions with the ease of a gifted editor. Then I talked to Bob Tinnell, and he loved the idea, too, and he was excited for me to start gathering creators. But still...I waited. What I needed was the perfect pitch. I needed something more than just my description of my idea and my passion for the book. I needed something visual that would show creators that I was serious. That this book is not just going to happen, but it's going to be a great success. In other words, it had to be perfect. But what? That's when two things happened almost simultaneously. First I read an email from Caleb Monroe that reminded me how good and how fast Noel Tuazon is as an artist. No sooner had I started connecting the words "good" and "fast" and "pitch" that I clicked a link that took me to an image drawn and colored by Noel Tuazon. His use of watercolors was exactly what I imagined using for illustrating essays in my book. I emailed him immediately, asking if he'd be interested in helping me with the pitch. I told him the ideas I had and what I was looking for. Later that night I got an email that said something like, "Sure, but I'm working on some other projects so it'll be awhile before I can get to it." The next day I had some rough sketches for my pitch. The day after that, I had the finalized art. God I love Noel. Not only was he fast, but what he game me looked fantastic. It was exactly what I had in mind. Not only did it set the Christmas tone, but it also set a nice mood that emphasized what I was looking for in the stories I was hoping to collect. That weekend I put my words together with Noel's art and posted my Dear Santa, Let Me Explain... creator pitch online. After two months of planning and daydreaming and biting my nails in anticipation, I was ready to invite my first creator. Of course, this would all be a big tease if I didn't post my pitch here for all to see. So if you're interested in what we came up with, check out the official creator invitation for Dear Santa, Let Me Explain...

Finally, My Balls Hurt!

You know, I love comics. Always have. I mean, the sequential art story format is just something I've been into since I was a kid. I love the way the pictures and words form a great story unlike anything you’d see at the movies or at the bookstore. I don't care if it's superhero action or zombie horror or slice of life drama, I can appreciate a good story told the comic book way. Good comics, bad comics, it's all comics, and that's okay in my book (for the most part, anyway). Yep, I'm total comics apologist. But I gotta be honest, there's a lot of garbage out there these days. Probably no more than there's ever been, I suppose, but the editor in me, the guy who just wants to read a good, solid story, cringes after every trade collection or graphic novel I suffer through. And right now, it's gotten me a little down. Comics have so much potential, and I absolutely hate to see the format squandered on poorly told stories. Can't someone just develop a great book that takes me by the balls and doesn’t let go until that final reveal? Ladies and gentlemen, enter Elk’s Run. That’s right, I finally read such a book, and by God I have a new faith in the world of comics. Someone say hallelujah. If you don’t believe me, go out and read the first chapter of Elk’s Run. It was so fucking hardcore, I read it twice before moving on to the rest of the story. I said "Oh shit" and "Oooh, nice" and "Holy fuck" after practically every page, and I was saying it in this high-pitched sissy voice because the story had my balls in a very snug grip. Lucky for me, that grip never slackened too much. Sure, there were one or two moments when I felt like I could breathe again, but only momentarily. That’s not to say the story races along. It’s a quick paced book, sure, but Josh Fialkov treats the reader with just enough characterization to fully feel for the poor bastards of Elk’s Ridge. And that art. Fuck! Noel Tuazon’s panels tell more of a story than most artists could do with an entire book. The facial expressions alone speak volumes. And Scott Keating’s colors not only set the tone, but yank you around emotionally along the way. If you like good comics, go read this one. Please. You owe it to yourself as a fan of comics. It’s not a superhero book. It’s not an underground indie book. It’s just a solid story executed about as well as any comic you’ll see this year. Josh, Noel, Scott, and Jason, I owe you all a drink…just as soon as I ice my swollen nuts.