Basically the boy is crazy as hell.
RD: You obviously don't subscribe to the tried and true methods of the
genre, it sometimes seems to me that you are lowering yourself in a way, almost like a television
writer.
AD:
Well, I don't know about that. Most of the stuff I have done has been
outside the superhero and action/adventure genre, but that's not because I think those are below
me, it's because I think I write drama a bit better at this point. I find it much easier to
script a dramatic story about a mother/daughter relationship (for example) than write something of
quality where Superman dukes it out for 22 pages. I would actually like to do some genre stuff
just to have the experience. As for not subscribing to the methods of comic book writing, I'd have to
disagree. If anything, I follow the "rules" of format (if not plot structure) too closely. This is
due in part to the fact that I write fairly concise scripts and don't dictate panel layout too often.
Also, I rarely have anything more than a vague picture in the mind of the scene, as long as the plot
advances and the dialogue keeps flowing, I'm happy. I don't consider comics something one must "stoop"
to, nor do I consider myself too good a writer to be working in this field. In fact, the more I learn
about the writing and editorial processes, the more I realize how mediocre some of the stuff I produce
is (though most of the below-average work will never see print). I think the quality of comic book
storytelling is actually increasing (in most places) because you have the casual fan and speculator
leaving the hobby (not a good thing, BTW) the audience that remains isn't going to be satisfied with a
below average product. Which is why you see so many books die so quickly.
RD: So you got yerself a real live funny book on yer hands, you getting' a
little nervous this close to d-day?
AD:
Well d-day isn't until June. But I'm nervous about the call DC should be
giving me this week to go over script revisions.
RD:
AD:
Andy Helfer. He doesn't edit many books, he actually runs Paradox Press.
RD: Paradox, that's the offshoot right?
AD:
They do the Big Books and import the anime and stuff.
RD: So script revisions, you thinkin' they might want to cut anything?
AD:
Not likely, they want us to add 12 or so pages actually.
RD: Ahh, fit into the prestige format stuff?
AD:
RD interlude #2
That was a few months ago, when Andrew first learned the deal with
Vertigo was a go. Since then, things have gone along very smoothly for the
book, despite the fact Happydale editor Andy Helfer spent a lengthy phone
call with Andrew Dabbs' mother, discussing his life status, and such ("Yes,
I still live at home, it's cheap and I'm still in school, it's not like I'm
35 or anything_
AD:
Imagine if you will your boss talking to your mother and your mother being
the type of person that tells everything about you with little or no regard
for how this will make you look. Now imagine that she tells him not only
that you have no social life, that you have self-esteem problems and that
Happydale "wasn't very good" because "it was too violent". Now you know
what happened to me. And it's not like she just went off
either, he was encouraging this (to some extent, it doesn't take much),
asking questions like "what does he look like" (leading me to once again
believe that all failed comic book writers are sold on the white
slave market, think about it, have you heard from Brian Augustyn lately?)
and "does he have a girlfriend". Sigh. Somehow I have a feeling that down
the road this will haunt me.").
RD interlude #3
However, it wasn't all an easy trip to the bank. Happydale was originally
slated to be published through Jim Valentinos' line of Image books, more than
a year ago. But as things often do fall apart in this business, such was the case with
Happydale.
Or so it seemed.
RD: About the whole HD deal falling apart with Image, how did you feel about
that at the time, in hindsight?
AD:
At the time I was very disappointed, obviously. Seth and I had
considered this a stepping stone to bigger and better things and I thought
there was no way we could hook up with another company that would give us
the exposure Image would have. I thought we might have a chance of catching
on with Caliber or Slave Labor Graphics, but figured the most likely route
would be to self-publish (something Seth wanted to try, but I was wary of).
In hindsight of course it was a gift in disguise since, had Happydale come
out through Image, we would never have gotten our shot with DC/Vertigo.
RD: After the deal with Image went bust, did you think your career was a
joke, considering all the work you had put into HD becoming a reality, considering the golden
touch that all books with the title Image seemed to have at the time? I
remember you didn't do a whole lot of writing around then, did you just feel
like packing it in?
AD:
I still think my "career" is something of a joke and probably will for
a long time. I see Happydale as a huge break and one I am very grateful for
but I don't want it to be the climax of what I do in comic books. There are
a lot of other stories I would like to tell, and hopefully, with Happydale on the shelves editors
will be more receptive to reading my submissions. That being said, I don't
have people banging down my door (I don't have people LOOKING at my door,
hell, I might not even have a door) and am still very insecure about my future in this field. I think I am
a good writer but I realize that, in the current market, everything has to
fall just right for one to be any kind of success. That may sound very
pessimistic and I'm sure the other aspiring pros out there are reading this saying "What an idiot, I'd kill
to have something published by DC/Vertigo!!"but I can't help it, that's my
nature. It keeps me hungry and keeps me producing (everything from
springboards to pitches for series) both of which are good things and will help me take the next step (I hope).
Jim Valentino's Image line did seem to have the "golden touch" initially,
but by the time Happydale got accepted, it was pretty obvious that only a
few books would continue after issue 4 or so. Jinx and Channel Zero did well, but nothing else really
ever got off the ground. Both Seth and I thought Happydale had enough going
for it that it would make some sort of splash but we weren't naive enough to think just having
that "I" in the corner would guarantee us a successful book. I did go
"underground" for awhile after Happydale was rejected. In part I was very
disillusioned and took the book's rejection (some of the other Valentino books were offered a deal
through Image Central, Happydale was not) very personally. I'm an insecure
person anyway so I'm sure that affected me. But, also around that time I had
finals and when they come around I usually go down for 2-3
weeks and write very little. Then spend a week doing nothing but writing to
catch up. Ah, life in college.
RD: So how did the talks with Andy Helfer at San Diego come about? Did you
just think it would never ever be a possibility that Vertigo would publish
it?
AD:
After the deal with Image fell through we had 2 of the 4 issues
completely finished. We decided to do the other two figuring if we could
show a company the completed book they would be more receptive to
publishing it (and indeed it being totally done was one of the major reasons DC took a chance on us). I arrived at the
San Diego comic convention on its second day and met Seth (the first time we
met face-to-face), he had already been showing people the book and told me a DC editor had taken a
packet and expressed interest. My initial reaction was "Cool!", but I was
thinking "No way...". I had gone into comics with a plan of how it should"
work; I would do a lot of small press stuff, get noticed by a mid-level publisher (Caliber, Antarctic) and
do some things there, then having some legit publishing credits try to get
on at Marvel or DC. Vertigo has, arguably, the best line-up of books and
best writers in the industry. I thought Seth's art was good enough but I did not think my stuff was on
that level. I, nervous as hell, met Andy the second day and he said he had
read and liked the first issue. He was in a hurry, I wound too tight to say
much so we said we'd send him the other 3 issues and left it at that. I still didn't think that DC
would take the chance on two unknowns, but it was nice to have some
validation for Happydale. About a month later we sent in the stuff and 3
weeks after that, he said he was interested and would run it by Karen Berger. She signed off on it and we signed
the contracts. Until I put pen to paper on that form, I did not believe
it would happen and even after I was sure we'd have to do some major
revising. I was actually planning for it and had a new plot ready to, go just in case. Instead, most of the
changes made were in the dialogue and extremely minor plot points. It is a
much better book structurally because of Andy's participation, but it still
retains most of its initial tone. So, so much for my "plan", huh? I
skipped the middle part and am now being tossed into the fire. Hopefully, I
won't get burned too badly.
RD interlude #4
Burned too badly? It's a double-edged sword, surely. The book will see the
light of day, yet in order for Happydale to be thought of as a true success,
it must sell around 20 thousand copies in order to become a monthly
series, thus allowing readers the chance to truly understand this town where monkeys and midgets are second
nature. However, at the prestige price of nearly 7 dollars a copy, and the
fact the industry retains the shitty facet it has been in for years, is that
possible? Andrew has the entire series plotted out, much as fellow Vertigo writers Neil Gaiman and
Garth Ennis, Andrew simply says "I know how it ends."
But will the readers ever see that end?
RD: What kind of topics and storylines are you planning to explore in HD if
and WHEN it does become a series?
AD:
If it becomes a series we'll probably start off with 4-5 single issues
spotlighting different cast members. One of which will be a love story,
another a humor piece and, the one I'm most looking forward to, an
illustrated Greek-style epic poem. More likely however, is we'll be asked to do another mini-series or 64 page one
shot. If the latter, look for a selection of shorts again spotlighting
different townspeople. If the former we may do something on meth. abuse.
RD: Coming into the spotlight a bit with some fresh perspective, what would
you say is the major fault with most of these writers, who are so well
thought of until they go mainstream? I can rattle off a list of them, but
you know who I am talking about.
AD:
I don't think there's really anything wrong with going mainstream in an
entertainment field (like comics). If you look at "avante guarde"
filmmakers, you'll see that in the last 30 years, all of them have done
something for Hollywood, because Hollywood has the money and resources to let them make the best product. Maybe it's
not completely their own vision, but it is profitable and it does bear their
mark in one way or another.
Comics are the same way. I would
guess that 90% of the people working in the small-press would love to get a
shot on a DC or Marvel book.
First, because they think they can do it well (most think they can probably
do it better than the current creative team, something I doubt in a lot of
cases), second because they know it will bring them (and their subsequent
work) attention, and third because it will be profitable. Some creators,
like Dave Sim, would never do that, but you look at David Mack (slated to do Daredevil) and Jim Kruger
(Earth-X), these are guys that did (and continue to do) some neat off-beat
stuff, but are also able to do more mainstream stories. That sort of
versatility (and willingness to be flexible) is incredibly important for success at this time.
RD interlude #5
And were this yer typical interview, I am sure I would ask Andrew now on
his advice for the aspiring comic writers out there_.but I won't. Sorry. Get
yer own damn interview. So where does that leave us? The
story of the American dream come true, or the story of someone who has
gotten extremely lucky in the roll of the dice (I have played poker with
him, he ain't that lucky I can assure you)? Or maybe it's just a nice way to
look at the world we live in. This nonsense planet where politics and hate and lust can jade us all, where
the famous are usually less talented than the lowest rung, where money and
power makes the name over the smart and well regards. Or maybe it's a way
to think of where blame and being put off can be worked through with determination.
I don't really know though, I guess I am just glad the world
finally gets to see the work of someone who I have been a fan of for awhile,
on the scope it deserves to be seen. I am simply tired of seeing all the
crap out there.
RD: You come from a new, young group of comic creators that are sprouting
major deals due in large part to the Internet. There was the class of the
original Image boys who made a big splash a few years ago, then we have the
Cliffhanger crew who is the talk of the town, but I feel the next wave will be graduates of the `net. Who
do you see online who you think will be the next big thing?
AD:
I think that, for the foreseeable future, the vast majority of new
writers and artists you see getting jobs will get them because they know
someone at the company. I think my case (where I knew no one, still don't)
is by far the exception. If you look at the "hot" new writers who are coming in like Joe Casey and Joseph
Harris, hey got in because they had an "in" with another writer, artist or
editor. Blind submissions may hit, but they're a longshot, to say the least.
That being said, I think the Internet allows for a large number of creative people from all over come
together and converse. I know that's how I've made the vast majority of my
contacts via the 'net, but those are all with other amateurs or semi-pros I
have not had an editor offer me work based on my website or submissions to groups (though I know some artists
who have). Everyone I know from the 'net who has had some success has been
willing to pound the pavement and phone lines. It's not like these writing
groups or art showcases are frequented by editors looking for new talent, you have to make your own
breaks. They can serve to develop technique. though. As for who I think has
a shot, well, I don't pretend to know everyone out there on
the myriad of discussions groups and websites but a few people I do know
well who, I think, have what it takes would include; Kaare Andrews, Langdon
Foss, Sal Abbinanti, Chris O'Bryant and Steve Rolston. Only one of them
(Chris) is another writer, this is because I think you have to read a lot of someone's stuff to get a feel
for their grasp of the artform, and I just don't read all that many scripts
from other people that consistently impress me.
RD interlude #6
So I guess there is some news of interest for the aspiring creator, I lied.
And since you are most likely reading this due to the `net, use the advice
wisely. The man doesn't lie. I have been offered and taken many art jobs due
to my computer, but I would hardly consider any of them a successful venture. Pound pound pound! And
here we are winding down. A lot of this interview was taken from various
e-mails and ICQ message logs. A lot of it was much more funny on paper than
it turned out to be here. A lot of it was probably more fluff than what you see in front of you now. But
regardless, I hope to have split the name of Andrew Dabb, Seth Fisher, and
Happydale in your mind somewhere.
Buy the book! Support the book! Because as you can see, it could really
happen to any of us, right?
Maybe.
RD: You know I was thinkin', why do all the latest rage female writers only
have these jobs because they are sleeping with a more well known writer,
Devin Grayson/Mark Waid, Chrissy Z/Wohl, Richard Pini/Wendy Pini...odd isnt
it? Plus I suspect Colleen
D
oran has been in some sick thing with Sim and Jeff Smith, 3-some deal.
AD:
No, it's not odd (especially the Pini thing, I mean they're married
for christsakes!) who you know is always important in an entertainment
field, the better you know them the more they're likely to give you a shot
(pun not intended). I wish I was a girl.
RD: Well if that's yer wish, I am sure there are a few closet cases out
there, if yer that desperate.
AD:
Not yet, ask me after this summer when Seth has his own book from DC
and won't return my e-mails.
RD: Yer a bastard sometimes. Where's the love. man?!?!
AD:
There is no love in comics, only hate, rage, backstabbing, testosterone,
eating and fat guys.
RD: You forgot beer and self-loathing.
AD:
Self-loathing, yes. Beer...maybe cigarettes would be more appropriate.
Interview Copyright © 1999 Murder Show Productions
e-mail: gothbats@yahoo.com