It’s been a while since I’ve posted (again), but I have a very good reason: I just moved to New York City from San Francisco. I never want to make another move like that again. What a pain in the ass! My stuff shipped out separately two weeks ago and still isn’t here. The Yo and I have been sleeping on the couch since March 1st.

I did attend WonderCon briefly on Saturday (2/28) and signed one book. Of course I was only signing from 10-noon, so not much foot traffic early in the morn, but still slightly depressing. At least I didn’t have to have any of the awkward and demented conversations Landry Walker, who was seated next to me, had to have. You put out one Supergirl series and you have to listen to the diatribes of every mentally impaired superhero junkie who passes your table. It pained me just to hear the conversations.

The coup de grasse of the day came when Dan Vado, SLG’s publisher-in-chief, informed me that my book isn’t doing so hot and was apologetic about it. I didn’t know why he was apologizing to me, it’s not like he let me down. How fast was a book about two down-and-out prostitutes supposed to sell? I had no high expectations. However, that does not mean that I think L&M has bombed. Graphic novels are referred to in the publishing industry as “long tail” books, meaning they sell well over a longer breadth of time, unlike a James Patterson novel, which might blow its wad in a couple of months and then wind up in the remainders isle. A year from now L&M might be viewed as a decent seller. Who knows?

The good news is the that the reviews and publicity keep rolling in and they are very kind and positive (BlogCritics, Playback:stl). Some disagree with some of my storytelling—often views clash with one another, either finding the ending a lovely surprise or a cop-out—and I’m not one to view their opinions as entirely invalid. In fact, I find my self agreeing with some of them and will take the advice into account when going on to the next book.

Once my stuff finally arrives I’ll be back at the drawing board. Really.

…who needs a marketing department? Well, I still need that, but when your friends troll around bookstores turning out your book in prominent locations they do a lot of work for ya. This image was texted to me yesterday.

Pretty cool, huh? Oh, and check out what The Mercury News had to say about me and my book:

“Lulu & Mitzy: Best Laid Plans,” S. Eddy Bell (SLG Publishing, $10.95, 123 pages) I despise the snotty expression “a talent to watch out for.” It’s such a contemptible compliment cum put-down. That’s the unfortunate label the Bay Area’s S. Eddy Bell has been tagged with, based on his funny, surprisingly tender Web comic series about two prostitutes peddling their fat and skinny wares in the Tenderloin. Bell is no “talent to watch out for;” he’s a talent you should be reading.

I know I’m supposed to pretend that I’m not really into the reviews and remain humble no matter what, but I have a self-esteem like an egg shell, so when I read stuff like that I go all light-headed. I’m not even related to the dude that wrote that. Seriously, you don’t want my family to review the book;”why prostitutes? Why couldn’t you do something cute like [enter name of generic comic strip/cartoon I loathe]?”

Also, check out an interview I did with the Rev. Syung Myung Me at Kittysneezes. I’m pretty sure I put my foot in my mouth in a couple of places, but if you know me then you know that putting my foot in my mouth is one of my more honorable traits. There’s also a very positive review posted on the Kittysneezes website too.

Anyway, more Lulu & Mitzy strips will be posted at irregular intervals in the next several weeks. The Yo and I are moving to NYC at the end of February, so don’t expect me to be in the most productive of states. Until then…

So Lulu & Mitzy have gotten some great reviews. In fact, Just got a great one in Publishers Weekly last week and that really meant a lot to me (scroll to bottom). There are also a couple of interviews with me that should be coming out in January. For those in the Bay Area, be on the look out for the next issue of 944, which you can pick up for free at dozens of locations around the Bay. I saw some at Pearl Hamburger and Ted Baker all within a two day period.

People keep asking me “how’s the book doing? Selling a lot of copies?” And I always have to give the same answer: Graphic novels don’t become best sellers like a Tom Clancy book or a tell-all from some former Bush staff member. Graphic novels sell mostly in what we refer to as ‘back list’, which means that they sell on a more gradual pace over a longer period of time.

So, funny story: I have access to Book Scan, which is the Nielson sales tracker for publishing and even though I knew that Lulu & Mitzy would not be flying off the shelves and that sales for my first book were never, ever going to be amazing, I checked my book sales. Seven. I sold seven copies in a month according to Book Scan. My fragile ego and my big, big dreams shattered. And I knew it would before I checked Book Scan.

But here’s the thing, Book Scan only tracks the sales data of stores that participate in its service (i.e. Borders, Barnes & Noble, Amazon). It does not track direct market sales, which are sales in comic shops, indy stores, boutiques, ya know, the places where my book would actually sell. It also doesn’t track sales at comic conventions, which is where a lot of comic publishers do a lot of their selling. So Book Scan is not a good judge of how a graphic novel is selling. And most importantly, smaller publishers tell authors don’t even ask for your Book Scan info for at least six months. If you are a graphic novelist wait at least a year. Seriously, don’t break your heart over the stark realities of the trade.

A book like Lulu & Mitzy really does need word of mouth and that has been slow. I was completely blown away that PW reviewed the book AND gave it a good review, but it would be nice if the book was recognized within its own segment of the industry. These things take time and I think I am impatient because it took me ten years to get to the point that I could complete a book. I never felt confident about my art and I certainly never felt like I could tell a coherent story. Plus, I always balked at the amount of time required to actually finish a comic, let alone a graphic novel. Lulu & Mitzy took me nearly eight months. That’s a huge sacrifice for something that will never make me rich or win me an award. And that’s my point, I had to get past the point of thinking that I was wasting my time and effort and get to another level where I just did what I did because I loved it and wanted it to happen.

Enough rambling, how abouts some drawings? First, my take on a couple o’ X-Men. This is why Marvel will never hire me.

My attempts at some sort of realistic bent to my usual style.

How fuckin’ rad would it be if Native American warriors were mounted with high tech weaponry? Real fuckin’ rad! Don’t really know what the little girl is doing there.

I’ve noticed I have this habit of drawing cartoon women whose clothes don’t quite seem to do what clothes are supposed to do, which is cover the bod.

Until the next time I feel compelled to write for no apparent reason whatsoever.

Sorry, but no Lulu & Mitzy strip this week. I’ve been over-burdened and under the weather the past week and haven’t had time to do all that I need to do for a decent L&M strip.

However, there is good news! Lulu & Mitzy got a great review at Thor’s Comic Column on Chud.com by Graig Kent. And I have to say, compared to a lot of reviewers out there, Kent is an exceptional review writer.

“Creator S. Eddy Bell delves into these women’s lives as they happen, only hinting at where they’ve been and where they’re going to. It’s not a tale about redemption, or escaping a prison, or anything of the sort, but a surprisingly warm, funny and compelling look at two people without much in the way of options and making the best out of what they have, mostly having each other. Bell’s dialogue is fast and sharp, full of good natured humor, and occasional dialects, but also with the proper sense of drama and urgency when needed.”

In other positive news, L&M was an employee pick at Star Clipper, a comic shop in St. Louis. How’d that happen? I can’t even get my local comic shop to pull it out of the adult section.

I thought I would also give a shout out to some stuff I’ve been reading and enjoying lately. Some old, some new, but all good.

Tales To Suffice by Kenny Keil (SLG Publishing)
I know, I know, Kenny is published by SLG just like me, but this book is great. It’s classic satire and for those of us who grew up reading MAD this fits right in. Mort Finkleman is your guide as you skip from story to story which are also interconnected by hilarious fake advertisements and ’special’ offers. Bonus: it’s in color! SLG does color on a non-Jhonen/non-Disney book? It’s almost like sacrilege. Sweet, sweet sacrilege.

Tiny Tyrant by Lewis Trondheim and Fabrice Parme
This is kid’s stuff, but it’s good kid’s stuff. It’s all about King Ethelbert, the pint-sized king of the tiny island nation of Portocristo. He’s a brat who seems to have no supervision outside of his servants who generally manipulate situations in order to divert his course to disaster.
It’s drawn in a classic UPA-ish style and the story’s are short, cute, and while predictable, charming. The coloring is nice and eye-popping and the character designs are great. If this hasn’t been picked up by Disney or Nickelodeon for a TV show I suspect it will be soon.

Harvey Classics Volume 4: Baby Huey (Dark Horse)
This is a collection of classic Baby Huey comics that has been put together by Leslie Carbarga and Jerry Beck, who previously released volumes collecting Casper The Friendly Ghost, Richie Rich, and Hot Stuff. I am a big fan of the old Harvey Comics (if not made obvious by my recent role as designer of The Harveyville Fun Times, a fan zine for Harvey lovers) and I love these compilations.
My only misgiving is that most of the book is only in black and white. As a line buff, I am ecstatic to see the amazing ink work of the old Harvey artists that usually got obscured by the old color process. At the same time, I miss the whole package. If they could print them all in color (off-set, not digital) and spray the pages with ‘old comic smell’ that would be the greatest gift this century has ever known.

Lulu & Mitzy: Best Laid Plans will be in stores in two weeks! I have been doing some marketing and publicity with the help of the great Andie East and my publisher SLG Publishing, some of which is really, really fantastic. First up, some postcards I picked up from Rocket Postcards here in San Francisco.

Yeah, they fuckin’ pop out! Woot!

Also, I will be promoting and signing the book at the following events:

November 1-2
Alternative Press Expo (APE)
“APE is one of the country’s largest gatherings of the best in indie comics, offering a venue for exhibitors ranging from self-publishers of minicomics to such large publishers as SLG Publishing, Fantagraphics, Drawn and Quarterly, Oni Press, Top Shelf, and many more.” – From the APE website

San Francisco’s Concourse
620 7th Street

Thursday, November 13, 2008
Official Book Release Party
Come to where the Tenderloin touches Nob Hill (sounds kinky) where I will have copies of the book available for purchase and, if you want, I can mar it with my scrawly signature. Have a drink and watch me be awkward.

Cafe Royale
800 Post St
San Francisco, CA

Friday, December 5, 2008
SLG Gallery
Did you know SLG Publishing now has a gallery in their storefront? Well, they do and I will be there signing books and some of my “fine” artwork will be on display alongside other SLG artists.

SLG Publishing
577 S. Market Street
San Jose, CA USA

My arms have been convulsing with muscle spasms lately and have made it real hard to concentrate. Of course, I think of the worse case scenario. My aunt was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis a couple of years ago and I think suddenly I have it. Chances are I have been working out and lifting more than I really should. If that sounds like I am bragging about how macho I am, I have to defer, because I am quite a small, out of shape man. Please look at recent photos of Craig Thomson and Skottie Young for comparison. Those guys register as “don’t fuck with me” while I register as “seriously, impress your friends and female acquaintances by fucking with me. I have nothing to counteract you with. I don’t even have a snappy comeback”.

Anyhoo, I did this piece for my friend Brian. He and I have worked on numerous things together over the years and I have apparently lost much over my several moves since 2004. So, I had to draw him something new.

But something totally cool came to me today. My friend Chad drew Lulu & Mitzy from memory one night while drunk on cognac.

I couldn’t be happier. I honestly think there is nothing more flattering than having someone you admire render your characters (even if they are three sheets to the wind when they do it). Thanks, Chad.

I am so excited and happy… and yet, feel suddenly very, very old. I just found out that Take No Prisoners, a Flint-based public access show hosted by Ben Hamper (author of Rivethead) that aired in the 1980s and early 1990s, has posted all of their video footage and audio recordings to the internets. All the cassettes I have lost or accidently destroyed over the years are now available FOR FREE!

I have been downloading like crazy and first up is Feast of Saints, my all time favorite. They were a goth band, with hints of The Smiths, and when I was a wee lad of 15 I was absolutely in love (lust) with the singer, Ashen Keilyn. Granted, devotion to this band put me in ‘fag’ territory (’fag’, as used here, is a Mid-Western term for any young male under six feet tall who doesn’t enjoy sports and other alpha male activities), but I was okay with that and made up for it by supplementing my music diet with plenty of thrash and metal. You can apparently compensate for a half-hour of ‘faginess’ with five minutes of Slayer, did you know that? In the eyes of your peers you magically become straight again. (update: someone has pointed out that this is similar to a routine by comedian Brian Posehn, which you think I would be familiar with since I like some of his standup, but alas, it is a huge, stupid coincidence since we are both insecure metalheads).

Ashen is apparently still making music under the name AK Healy and had her music featured on The Sopranos and actually appeared in an episode. Of course, her music now is a pretty far cry from the vampire-laden moot rock of yore, but come on it’s been 18 years and everyone mellows. I now pet kitties and smell flowers and can go three days without touching myself. Seriously, I’ve done it.

For any former Flint punks who stumble upon this, you probably won’t remember me as I was extremely unmemorable. I was painfully shy (still am) and quite timid. Plus, I was usually sneaking into Flint from my hometown of Durand and didn’t want to draw much attention to myself. But I was there 2-3 times a month, attending shows at the Capitol Theater, drinking Night Train from a 7-11 Big Gulp cup, smoking weed from a crushed Coke can with Justin Quigley, being verbally humiliated by Jason Willey (and yet so craving his approval and friendship), practically breaking my back skating the wreckage that was the abandoned AutoWorld, and unable to sleep with any of the cool girls there because my friend Leah told me everybody had VD.

I am very nostalgic for those days and thankfully, because of the internet, I can now kinda-sorta relive that era. Thank you internet. Thank you.

Yoshiko brought back these stickers from Japan a couple of years ago and we’ve been laughing about them for awhile, so I’ve decided to share them. This is the very definition of engrish.

The Comics Reporter has a great review by David Welsh of Osamu Tezuka’s unfinished manga Dororo, which was just re-released over here by Vertical with a well-designed cover. I picked up the first volume (of three) a few weeks ago, and like Welsh, I found the book very haunting and affecting despite its flaws. There is something about the two main protagonists that is more profound than the usual manga archetypes they seem to follow. Perhaps its that their tragedies are far more realistic than the metaphysical gobbledygook propelling them. They are victims of other people’s greed and pride, as well as the constant quest for power that surrounds them and coats their environment in blood.
And maybe, I liked it because, like my own views, I have no faith in the human race at large, but occasionally a few people come out of the mire and make me glad to be alive. There is pessimism and yet hope in the struggle.
Dororo can come off like just another 12-year old boy fantasy, but I think once a reader puts down the book, they’ll find themselves thinking about it the next day. And that pulls it above the rest.

I am a sucker when it comes to freelance work. I generally go above and beyond the call of duty on a project when the payoff doesn’t really warrant it. Like this last week, I designed a brochure and splashpage for some plush toys I designed for a startup clothing company, designed multiple ‘roughs’ for a web design company I occasionally work for, designed and produced a long-running ‘zine, all the while having to address production issues on my own book. And let’s not forget I have a full-time day job laying out books. I busted my ass from 7A.M. until 11P.M. everyday up until today. I made probably $300.

The reward is, as it has been on these projects, that I get to work on some kick ass stuff from time to time. Granted, its insulting when you work this hard and clients dismiss your work out of a lack of understanding or direction, especially when you are working for them either pro bono or gratis. If I receive very little direction and spend 6 hours designing and painting an illustration only to have a client say, “y’know, that’s not really what I had in mind,” I feel like crying inside. For some reason, some clients think I just hit some filter in Photoshop and TA-DA – art! If it were really that easy I wonder why they don’t just do it themselves? Because there is more to it than that! Sometimes the only filters I use are maybe blur or sharpen.

Enough with the kvetching, let’s take a look at what I did last week. And my apologies to Chad, with whom I was late delivering the goods.

First up, here’s a project I love working on because I’m pretty much given carte blanche on what I can do. And this time, I got to illustrate the cover. This is a ‘zine called The Harveyville Fun Times! that’s been around for 16 years. I redesigned the whole thing for four color printing on the last issue and this is the cover to the most recent. I love designing publications and I rarely get the chance to do it. Most of the time at my job I just fill in and arrange a pre-designed template, but not here. This is the Halloween issue and it’s due out in October.

Up next, these are items I did for the children’s clothing/toy line. The plushies turned out great and I want one super bad, but I have to wait until after the Las Vegas trade show (which is this week!). The first image is the front of the brochure and the next one is a splashpage I painted for the website. It still needs some work, but for a guy who doesn’t paint that often I think it turned out nice. FYI: I did not take the photo for the cover.

And lastly, I did a bunch of business card mockups for my pal Jeremy at Circle Division. These are going to print on a transparent/frosted acetate and have a die-cut cover. As the card is pulled the circles divide in color. Pretty cool. This design has not been settled on, but I thought it was kinda cool.

As for this week, I have to start working on marketing and publicity materials for Lulu & Mitzy and continue to work on a new book, which you can see a sample of in the previous post.