STAPLE was TODAY! (and other thoughts)

Oh, Lord, was it ever!

As I write this at the end of an eight-hour shift of self- and other-promotion, I am mentally and physically drained. I teach for a living, so when I’m in front of a class, I’m “on” – engaging, friendly, funny, trying to make a point whatever way works best to make it – but STAPLE took a different set of mental muscles that I’m not used to flexing. Honestly, I don’t know how people in the PR business do it. But the trade was brink all day and I sold more of my comics than I think I ever have in a single sitting. Uhm, maybe just “ever” full stop. I know I ran out of issue #2 of Frater Mine. Take that as you will.

The real sadness of STAPLE for me was not being able to walk around more. I was tethered to my table because it was just me and my wares. The woman sharing my table, Cristina Benavides, was swell and all, but it wasn’t her responsibility to conduct business for me (though, Gods love her, she kept an eye on my stuff when I went to the loo). However, the people I met at the table more than made up for not checking out the other vendors. (Note: Anyone want to be my partner-in-geekdom next year?)

• The guys from Fanboy Video gave me a few of my fifteen minutes of fame early on at the expo. They hit everyone so that people who didn’t attend STAPLE could see what they were missing. I’ll post more when they go live. These guys are also highly involved in Heroes 4 Heroes, a non-profit designed to keep the soldiers overseas in-tune with what’s new and hip and happening stateside. No matter what your take on the Iraq Occupation, the soldiers need to feel that people back home remember them. They’d probably also like to know what the hell is gong on over here. Consider making a donation to the people who are far from home.
• Dave and Lauren, Kate, and James (with his friend Dan) all said hi. It’s nice when known faces swim up out of the crowd. I probably wasn’t as attentive as I could have been, but I’m sure they understood. I hope. Uh, if not, I hereby apologize.
• Brad of Outrageous Outfits (and AlphaGraphics) and his partner stopped by for a copy of Prism Comics: Your LGBT Guide to Comics 2007 and told me all about the fun costumes they make. They’re also planning to go to San Francisco for their anniversary if anyone wants to give them some touring hints!
• Alex of UT’s University Comics Enthusiasts talked with Cristina and I for a while and lamented he was the only one from his club at STAPLE. Apparently, enthusiasm for comics wanes after a Saturday night of hard partying. Those college scamps!
• I did manage to buy an Owli plush toy and a copy of “A Time to be Brave” (brain children of Andy Runton) for my nephew. Shh!!!! They’re a surprise!
• Because STAPLE celebrates all exhibitionists in all forms of media, some chick (caller? manager? audio editor?) from Dial-a-Stranger gave me her card and told me to call. I’m not sure I have problems big enough to garner public opinion on. Maybe that’s my problem.
• One of the guys from SpaceSquid told me to tell you that they are always looking for submissions of all kinds for their publication. He also gave me a copy of SpaceSquid’s Slacker Map of Austin which I’m hoping he’ll send me an image of; it was a hoot!
• Finally, Shane Patrick Boyle, whom I haven’t seen in ages, made a last minute appearance. He’s gained weight since last I saw him, which is a good thing. Before, if he stuck his tongue out, he’d look like a zipper.

Surprisingly, the eight hours passed quickly because of all the traffic, but even so, at 7, I packed up what was left and went home to fall asleep on the couch with the dog. No after-party for me. Assuming I’m still here next year (which is a stretch at this point), I’ll be back. STAPLE was an event not to be missed (even if I missed everything)!

On a related note: a guy from Monkey Wrench Books and I were talking about the sad state of comics and how they’re becoming more cookie-cutter and interchangeable than ever. For the most part, I think this is true, though there are obviously some exceptions to the rule. Then I caught myself in a contradiction: I lamented that writers take forever to get their issues out and “monthly” mags are.. well, what comes after “quad-monthly”? Like Joss Whedon’s Runaways; when was the last time a new issue came out? I even told my friend Brian, “Seriously, what can’t these guys pull their crap together?”

Wait. Let’s look at that: I want monthly issues and fantastic writing? Is it even possible to get both?

So, let me qualify what I mean: I wish that writers were given humane deadlines to do their work in so that there could be more quality work out there. Many stories do seem interchangeable sometimes. I’m sure Marvel and DC give their writers a headstart on their runs, but, man, sometimes it seems like a superhuman effort to write three issues a year (well, aiming for three. more like 2 1/2), but then again, i have a full-time job, too. People like Neil Gaiman must never sleep, or are driven by their stories to get them on paper before they’re allowed to sleep. Maybe these guys who are late with their work are better writers.

Except Heinberg and his run on Wonder Woman. There was no excuse for that suckage.

Which is a GREAT segue into Justice League: A New Frontier. Did you see it? Wasn’t it AWESOME?!?!? It managed to capture the Silver Age/Golden Age characters and the emotions of their relationships with each other and still tell a good story; no angst, just saving-the-world fun. That scene between Iris and Barry towards the end? Broke my heart. I loved Barry and Iris. Why did they have to die? Why did iris have to be from the future? Why did impulse have to be killed? Really, people should be MAD about New Frontier. It’s like they said on the Daily Show about Bush being in Africa: they think he’s a hero for everything he does for them while we can only stare in wonder and think, “You mean you COULD do good, but just chose not to??? What the f—?!??!” (I paraphrase here, of course).

I digress, but am I wrong? Let me know.

Bed now.