Finally a good reason to read the newspaper…

Above: Artwork from the ARCHIE comic strip by (penciler) Fernando Ruiz and (inker) myself.

If you read the comics in the newspapers, then you have to check out the ARCHIE comic strip appearing in newspapers from July 6th to July 11th, and the Sunday strip on July 26th. I usually work on the regular Archie comic books and digests, but I’m also helping out with the ARCHIE newspaper comic strip. Even though I’m not getting credit, I did ink the strips mentioned above. Anyway, I think this is kinda cool. So, if ya read the comics’ section in the newspapers, then check out ARCHIE.

PRINCE OF STORIES...

In the mail today, I received my copy of PRINCE OF STORIES: THE MANY WORLDS OF NEIL GAIMAN. Mr. Steve Bissette had the authors sign the book for me (which was awesome). I also have a nice mention in the book for my very small contribution in helping Steve locate some legal documentation between Neil Gaiman and Todd McFarlane (thanks, Steve).

The chapters of the book describing Gaiman’s feud with McFarlane over the rights to Medieval Spawn, Angela, and Cogliostro, as well as the Marvelman/Miracleman mess is very detailed and quite interesting (and frustrating). Some of us debated all of this over at the Creator’s Rights forum…

"Sim, Larsen, and the Neil Gaiman vs. Todd McFarlane feud"

"Sim on Todd's ‘Man of Miracles’"

Erik Larsen: "The whole Neil Gaiman situation I found to be particularly annoying, mostly because the characters Neil "created" were variations on Spawn himself. A female "angel" instead of a male "devil," medieval versions of existing characters, etc. It bothered me that Todd was stupid enough to let somebody "create" these characters and it bothered me that Neil would insist on owning something that he didn’t legitimately create."

Dave Sim: "The Neil Gaiman situation isn’t as cut-and-dried as you’re making it out to be. Neil knew what he was getting into at DC. Sandman is their character and Neil, as a novice scripter, decided he was going to do some interesting things with it and see what happened. Well, what happened turned out to be huge and, from what I understand, DC did the noblesse oblige "right thing" and magnanimously granted Neil greater—and entirely unprecedented—participation in Sandman and other ‘considerations’ in acknowledgement of what had happened. Whatever he got—and, again, none of us knows because it all took place behind closed doors—all he could do was to count himself lucky because he didn’t have a legal leg to stand on and, presumably, he knew it."

Steve Bissette: "That Todd presumed he could retroactively, claim every conceptual property in the respective issue as his and his alone "boggles my mind," Erik. That you and so many others, including Dave, continue to make insinuations about Neil's character and integrity while defending Todd's "boggles my mind." Neil wasn't short-changed -- the deal, as it was represented to Neil, was broken as soon as characters and concepts Neil introduced in his work for Todd began to surface in other comics and media (of course, once Todd dragged Miracleman into the fray as some aspect of the proposed legal settlement, he only further complicated matters, using a character that was never his, that he never had any claim to or creatively contributed a damned thing to, as a bargaining chip). That was NOT the deal, apparently, was it?"



Above: Todd McFarlane’s "Man of Miracles" statue.

National Day of Prayer…

In honor of today, the National Day of Prayer, I’m posting excerpts from speeches and writings of three of America’s founding fathers…



-George Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation (October 3, 1789, New York, NY):

Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.



-Benjamin Franklin’s Constitutional Convention Address on Prayer (June 28, 1787, Philadelphia, PA):

I have lived, Sir, a long time and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth-- that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings that "except the Lord build they labor in vain that build it." I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the Builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our little partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall be become a reproach and a bye word down to future age. And what is worse, mankind may hereafter this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing Governments by Human Wisdom, and leave it to chance, war, and conquest.



-Thomas Jefferson’s "Notes on the State of Virginia" (1781):

And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with his wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country when reflect that God is just: that his justice cannot sleep forever: that considering numbers, nature and natural means only, a revolution of the wheel of fortune, an exchange of situation, is among possible events: that it may become probable by supernatural interference! The Almighty has no attribute which can take side with us in such a contest.-- But it is impossible to be temperate and to pursue this subject through the various considerations of policy, of morals, of history natural and civil. We must be contented to hope they will force their way into every one's mind. I think a change already perceptible, since the origin of the present revolution. The spirit of the master is abating, that of the slave rising from the dust, his condition mollifying, the way I hope preparing, under the auspices of heaven, for a total emancipation, and that this is disposed, in the order of events, to be with the consent of the masters, rather than by their extirpation.