Confessions of a Pop Fan

Friday, May 30, 2008

WE ARE THE SLEEPYHEADS

I don't remember the last time I greeted the sunrise, particularly when it wasn't because I had worked all night. That was what I did this morning, though, after having a late home-cooked Japanese dinner at Joëlle's, playing Guitar Hero and discussing Brigitte Bardot into the later hours. I rolled in some time after 5 a.m. and slept until noon, and I'm surprised by how well I bounced back.

It was a nice cap to a rough work day. I referenced working on a short script for an off-beat anthology last week, and I spent yesterday working on the third version of it. Each different version has been a different story completely, with the first not getting finished and the second being good, but maybe a little dark and off-topic. Version 3 is probably closer to what it needs to be, but it was a struggle. I had to literally push through panel by panel, weighing each choice for space and effectiveness. I actually tried to work page by page, using each as a unit to try to keep the length under control and stay focused on the info I had to impart. Crime stories can be tough to capture in short comics if you want the plot to have any substance.

What worries me sometimes is that the harder ones to write may end up being the worse for the struggle. My favorite shorts--"(T For) True" with Andi Watson, Jöelle and my next two Popgun stories, "Reverberation (Doubt)" and "The Jailhouse Swing"--were the ones that moved from conception to a fully formed, typed entity with little effort, where the goal was clear and it came about as if by chemical reaction or magic. Likewise prose short stories, which are even more rare for me. ("Chevelu" was like that.) Then again, I could be confusing results with the enjoyment of the work. Which could be a mistake.

(The anthology has been announced, but since my involvement requires the story actually being accepted, I'd rather not point out what it is until that has or has not happened.)

Today I started work on the third script for the series with Mike Holmes. The Red Army Faction has made a surprise appearance.

Morrissey Watch:

Mozzer's new video for "All You Need is Me" has reclaimed his walk-and-sing style from the Your Arsenal days, which actually casts the new single in a brand-new light. It's almost like an Arsenal outtake, and it's managed to beat out its predecessor, "That's How People Grow Up," as the more memorable tune.