So soon?
This could be considered a promising development, since I posted an update only a few weeks ago, and now here I am again, attempting to stir up some responses about our ongoing Claypool efforts. Remember, anyone who’s been putting off posting to the message boards and/or E-mailing me directly via the link on the site should know that this is definitely the time to (as the saying goes) “Jump into the ‘Pool.”
Every day here brings more progress in the ongoing storyline in FEAR CITY, and it’s exciting to everyone who’s part of the process. Our irreplacable inker Ricardo Villagran is spending some time in the USA–away from his native Argentina–and is speaking to editors and galleries in the New York City area. We take him at his word that even if the rest of his dance card gets filled up with other, perhaps more glamorous and/or lucrative assignments, he’ll never desert DEADBEATS. Likewise, our webmaster, letterer, and general problem-solver Thom Zahler is making great strides in every phase of his career (not excepting his highly-regarded comics series LOVE AND CAPES, which comes with strong recommendations from this office), but has promised that he’ll keep his commitments to Claypool in general, the website, and DEADBEATS ONLINE. We’re dealing with a crew here whose talents are on a par with their professionalism and loyalty.
It goes without saying (which is why I’m typing it), that there’s no list of positive attributes of Claypool as an ongoing concern that doesn’t include the people at the top: Ed and Sandy Via. This would be a good time to mention that just the weekend before last, Ed flew up (in a plane, of course) from his ancestral gothic mansion–many states away–to my current (since 1982) home state of New Jersey. Our getting together for a business conference was on the docket, but the main attraction was this year’s Dark Shadows Fest, held at the Renaissance Marriott near Newark Airport. As loyal Claypool readers know, without DARK SHADOWS, there would more than likely be no INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE, FOREVER NIGHT, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, ANGEL, MOONLIGHT, TWILIGHT, TRUE BLOOD, etc. etc., at least not in the forms that we recognize. Also, there’s a new level of buzz around this particular Fest, partially because there’s another SHADOWS project on the horizon (the more-or-less certainty of the next Tim Burton/Johnny Depp joint effort being a remounting of DARK SHADOWS), but also that the portrayal of the original series’ signature character was scheduled to appear (that’d be the original–still champeen–Barnabas Collins, embodied by Jonathan Frid). It was a fine time, and both Ed and I (and our mutual friend–noted comics historian and occasional Claypool contributor Peter Sanderson) had a great day. We enjoyed meals together; we watched panels with DARK SHADOWS favorites; we spoke with some of those favorites and purchased a few collectible items or two. We even managed to steal a moment here and there to discuss some Claypool business, definitely including DEADBEATS.
(By the way, if there are any DARK SHADOWS completists out there who don’t know the connection between our ongoing vampire epic and theirs, each of the three of the DEADBEATS trade paperbacks feature forewords by talented women who made a mark in modern culture via their early roles in DARK SHADOWS. Kathryn Leigh Scott (Maggie Evans, Josette duPres) provides the introduction to DEADBEATS trade #1 “New in Town”; Nancy Barrett (Carolyn, Charity/Pansy, Leticia, Millicent, Melanie, et al) lent her talents to the foreword to DEADBEATS trade #2, “Learning the Game,” and Lara Parker (Angelique herself) delivered the goods for the third DEADBEATS trade, “Gothic Towers.” Each of these volumes are available and can be ordered through the website.)
Enough sales pitching for now, but I’ll be back with more news soon. Meanwhile, take to heart my exhortations to write in whenever you feel the urge. Remember, here at Claypool the amount of time that we spend making our comics as good as they can be is…downright scary.