Discussed this month: Where does the time go? and "Job Wanted"

Where does the time go?

That phrase has been on my mind in more ways than one over the last month. Primarily, because I never seem to find the time to work on Fanzing anymore. Oh, I may find a little time to get to the computer each night, but there are chores to do, bills to pay, e-mail to weed out, other projects (more on that in a moment)...so much stuff to do that even when David R. Black does most of the work and it's only a few pages that I have to do, it takes me weeks to get it done. Often, when I do get to the keyboard, I have time but no creative energy left. All I want to do is veg or stumble off to bed.

If anyone wonders why Fanzing is coming to a close, that is why. I know I've explained this in our announcement earlier, but I'm still getting e-mails from people wondering how they could contribute money or time to keep it going. I appreciate such offers, truly I do. It warms my heart to know that so many people love this site.

So much has changed in the I-can't-believe-it's-been-five-years since I took over Fanzing and made it what it is today. In 1997, I was a single guy, five years out of college and just moved to Minneapolis, MN hoping to find some new friends and struggling to pay my bills. Now it's almost 2003 and I'm married, I have a house, I'm looking towards having kids very soon...and I just don't have the time to fritter away on a project that, for all the fulfillment that it brings, doesn't bring in the cash or the career that I need at this point.

Right now I'm working for IBM and I'm miserable there, as any creative soul would be. I need to find a career that puts my imagination to good use. I may try getting into radio again. I'd love to be a newspaper columnist, but I doubt I'll get that kind of gig in Rochester. The point is, I need to spend some time establishing a career instead of just a stupid day job. (Every day when I drive home from work, I play Wally Pleasant's song "Stupid Day Job" on my CD player as a stress reliever.)

And as you all know...I still want to be a comic book writer. Somehow that dream got put on hold, and in retrospect Fanzing has been a part of that. I've spent so much time playing at being a writer that I've not found time to send submissions off to companies or working at self-publishing. Not that it's been in vain, because I've honed my skills and learned a lot. But I don't think there's much that can be attained by doing another year of Fanzing. Instead, it's time to take what I've learned here, and the connections that I've made here, and the friends I've gained in my time at Fanzing...and take it somewhere new.

Where? To my first self-published comic project: "Fanzing Presents: Job Wanted!"

Or should that be OUR first self-published comic? Joining me are fourteen of the most talented and dedicated individuals that I've met in the past five years. For the last two months, we have been making plans and sketching out stories. The title is an obvious double entendre, as the subject of jobs applies to the stories inside...but all of us are also looking at getting real jobs in the industry.

Our intent with this book is to tell some of the best stories we can and get noticed while entertaining the readers. We could self-publish this just as a vanity project...something that gets a credit on our resumes, shows off what we can do and allows us to point to a comic book with our names on it...but I think that's all rather pointless if you don't tell a good story while doing so. This was the challenge I put forth, and the team has exceeded my expectations. I hope you'll buy the book when it comes out...because it promises to be one of the few 80 Page Giants you'll ever see that does not contain mediocre filler. In My Humble Opinion, they're all good!

I really have to thank the crew at Shooting Star Comics for inspiring me. I may never have thought of doing this without their lead, and the guidance that some of the individuals on that project have passed on has been invaluable.

Job Wanted also serves as a test run for me at self-publishing. Phil Meadows and I have spent much of 2002 developing an idea I've had for years and turning it into a comic book. Although it would be better if we can find a publisher, we'll self-publish it ourselves if need be. I will, of course, be passing along more information on this book as it becomes available.

I have so many good memories of running Fanzing. Despite the long hours and the cash drain and the late nights, it has been so worth it.

It has been a true pleasure meeting the talented contributors of Fanzing. I love the letters we get from people overjoyed that we did an article on their favorite comic book character. I enjoy the interviews we've had with some of comicdom's hottest talents.

As we bring the magazine to a close, I hope that all of you will pay us back for all of our hard work for this free monthly mag in the only way that matters to us: please write a letter to us about what works you've enjoyed and what your thoughts are about our little five year endeavor. Letters have been a bit low of late, and we want to go out with a bang, not a whimper!

DC Comics has stopped publishing letter columns; I'd hate for the same to happen to Fanzing!

is Editor-In-Chief of Fanzing.com. He is the world's biggest Elongated Man fan and runs the only EM fan site. He lives in Rochester, MN.
AIM: Fanzinger
ICQ: 70101007