{"id":115,"date":"2007-09-17T09:55:55","date_gmt":"2007-09-17T15:55:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chriswisniaarts.com\/blog\/?p=115"},"modified":"2010-04-26T11:50:58","modified_gmt":"2010-04-26T17:50:58","slug":"107-realization-of-my-comics-career-july-4-2006","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chriswisniaarts.com\/blog\/archives\/115","title":{"rendered":"107. REALIZATION OF MY COMICS CAREER July 4, 2006"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Sort of feeling out of sorts this last week or so. <\/span>The Lump trade is out, and I haven\u2019t really gotten any attention from it. <\/span>I got one review from a previous reviewer, who seemed to think it was all right. <\/span>If I were a pessimist, I would say either that no one bothered to read it, or that no one realized it was even out (since no one really ordered it), or that a few people read it and didn\u2019t really think anything of it. <\/span>No attention.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve probably said it before. <\/span>I vacillate between feeling like a superstar and a nobody.<\/p>\n

When I look at nice reviews I\u2019ve gotten, and artists I\u2019ve managed to get to contribute pin-ups, I feel like a superstar. <\/span>When I find out my book sales numbers, or try to be a businessman, I feel like a nobody. <\/span>I assume this will continue as long as I do comics, no matter how successful I get.<\/p>\n

I poked onto the Comic-Con website to see if the Russ Manning newcomer nominees had been posted. <\/span>Since I sent in a request for consideration, I felt like this might be one of my few hopes to win any awards, since I\u2019d be up against other \u201cbeginners\u201d like myself. <\/span>After this award, I realized, the only awards to win are up against the actual artists. <\/span>Could I ever have a hope against real artists? <\/span>Maybe not, but I might have a fighting chance with \u201cnewcomers.\u201d <\/span>But this year would be my last and only chance, because next year, I won\u2019t make the \u201cnewcomer\u201d restrictions any more. <\/span>And sure enough, the nominees had been chosen, and I was not one of them.<\/p>\n

I remember thinking, speaking with JH Williams III, that there are a lot of talented, hard-working comics artists in the field, putting out a lot of great work. <\/span>And I\u2019m sure they all deserve to get awards for their hard work and talent, but only a few will get those awards every year. <\/span>Who am I to hope it could be bestowed on me? <\/span>Who am I to dream I could be the year\u2019s single greatest artist, or writer, or artist of a short story or humorous story or limited series, or whatever? <\/span>It\u2019s a long shot even for the fan-favorite veterans, going against other fan-favorite veterans. <\/span>They have a fan base, and popularity. <\/span>They have experience, and know-how. <\/span>They have talent that\u2019s been honed for years. <\/span>And they have the votes. <\/span>So why should I bother to hope maybe I would be honored with such prestige? <\/span>It should be okay if you don\u2019t ever win. <\/span>There\u2019s just so much great talent. <\/span>Sam Kieth told me he hasn\u2019t ever won, except when he first started out, he I believe received a nomination for new inker on Matt Wagner\u2019s Mage.<\/p>\n

I finished the Dr. DeBunko collection this week, and was really excited and proud that Michael Shermer agreed to write a blurb for the book. <\/span>Michael Shermer was my idol before I knew he existed. <\/span>I had this image of an idol in mind. <\/span>Someone who debunks all the crazy-assed bullshit that crazy-assed morons in our world believe. <\/span>Then I heard him on the radio and realized, he was the one. <\/span>He was better than the one, because he\u2019s respectful of others\u2019 beliefs, and thoughtful, and tries to educate instead of belittle, which makes him a much better man than I find myself to be. <\/span>So he was that magical one for me. <\/span>How invigorating, and rewarding, and legitimizing, that he would be willing to say such kind words about my comic.<\/p>\n

So with Dr. DeBunko behind me, it\u2019s a few more pages of Doris Danger, and then suddenly on to new projects. <\/span>What will the future hold\u2026<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

NOTE OF\u00a0 ATTITUDE<\/strong>
\nHi Fans,<\/p>\n

Rob Oder, Editor-In-Chief, here, with a quick editorial comment about the mood swings of our own artisic hack, Chris Wisnia! It’s come to our attention, especially in the entries building up to San Diego 2006, that some folks are concerned by the fly-by-night, off-hand, stream-of-consciousness, no-apologies style of writing Chris utilizes in the creation of his blog! You’ve seen him get really pissed and say really stupid things that make him look stupid, that he should have kept his mouth shut about! You’ve seen him speak derogatorily or frustratedly about himself or this wonderful comics industry! You’ve seen him curse his own very existence and the existence of all those loved ones around him who have supported and nurtured him! Well we wanted to answer the question everyone keeps asking! No, he isn’t getting medicated, and we are still unable to convince him he needs to be!<\/p>\n

The point is, being an artist, as well as a comics professional in a very difficult industry, he feels intense mood swings, violently bi-polar highs and lows, ranging from self-doubt, frustration, anger, fear, happiness, pride in his work, desolation, uptightness, stress, questioning or lacking self-worth, worthlessness, self-loathing, and great personal reward! He can be negative, sarcastic, mean, exaggerating, or flippant!<\/p>\n

But don’t take it so seriously! As a creator of fiction, it shouldn’t and can’t be any other way! Why not? Because most important of all, these diary entries are intended to entertain! They’re less an actual diary, and more of a marketable means to get readers to his website! And thanks to this style of entertainment (as opposed to the poorly crafted entertainment of his comics work), his blog is more popular, literally by the thousands, than any other pages at his website or comics he has produced! And anyone who’s read a book, watched a tv show, or taken a class in creative writing knows it’s more entertaining if there is tension, and drama, and conflict! And it’s funnier if there’s lots of stupidity and failure and ranting!<\/p>\n

So don’t ever take Chris too seriously! Because all of it, ALL OF IT, the drama and entertainment and humor and fun, is just a front, to get you to his website, in the hopes you’ll buy one of his comics while you’re here!<\/p>\n

Enjoy,<\/p>\n

Rob Oder, Editor-in-Chief<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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