Well, I won’t link to them, and I don’t know why I should be surprised, but I’m surprised.
I woke up this morning to find the details of a private meeting on an industry website. I seem to recall a couple of fans in the area who clearly could not wait to send out carrier pigeons, a flair, and a satellite transmission to relate the details of this private meeting in a public forum.
Or maybe someone bugged my laptop.
Speaking of laptop, some utterly execrable person related a completely nasty interpretation of how I got it in a public forum (which I am now editing out as the posts have been removed).
It was a hideous, crappy, nasty thing to say.
And why would I say it to A FAN? Oh, yeah, right I WOULDN’T.
The very same day some creepy fan came up claiming JMS and I no longer speak because of our serious falling out over BoLS. So, either we don’t speak at all according to fandom, or he is so depressed over a comic book he sends me computer equipment as consolation prize.
Wow, how stupid that sounds when you just call it out.
It really is beyond the limit that I have to run around putting out these fires. If I had known someone would put a sleazy spin on a Christmas present, I’d have shut up about it.
Cripes, it was bad enough when we had to deal with stupid crap in fanzines, but in 48 hours, it’s the telephone game on the internet and you’ll never hear the end of it.
c
FWIW, Colleen, I don’t think that the poster who joked about your gifts meant any malice. Nobody who knows you could ever think that you’d do anything untoward and everybody knows that you’ve always been a fan of JMS’s both privately and professionally.
Well, it sure made me feel like crap. No malice intended, plenty of hurt to go ’round anyway.
I told people about JMS’s kindness because I think the world ought to know what a wonderful, generous man he is.
No good deed… sheesh.
I agree with your assessment, Colleen, 100%. And you’ve never failed to cheer him on even while it was effecting your own income. You’re every bit as generous in that way and it should be appreciated.
“Yeah, it’s too bad about BoLS, I know we all feel pretty badly about it. It was a great book.” Added to, “Yes, JMS and I are still friends, here’s a lovely present he got me, isn’t he the greatest guy?” equals, “JMS feels guilty, so if I mention BoLS I get expensive equipment.”
I hate the world today.
Even I feel guilty about BoLS, so I guess I will have to buy JMS a present, since he reminds me about BoLS EVERY DAY AND TWICE ON TUESDAYS.
Honestly, every author feels badly when projects don’t work out. I feel bad. The editor feels bad. My mom feels bad.
Therefore, you must all buy me presents.
I remember an interview with an actor (I think it was Angelina Jolie, but it could have been anybody) who said “When I read some of the hateful, stupid, inane, and frankly mean things I see in the tabloids, I get angry. Then I immediatly clear my mind and think to myself, ‘Why am I getting angry, this person does not know me and they clearly don’t know the truth,’ and then I get on with my life. I don’t waste time on things that don’t matter.”
Sounds like appropriate advice.
Here’s some nice virtual candy and flowers, whatever you like best.
Seriously, I do apologize for not posting to the effect that what the poster had written didn’t sound like you at the time I first read that post. I just didn’t think anything negative and assumed that s/he was mistaken.
That is very good advice.
But I also asked the same thing of Neil Gaiman, who advised me to squash rumors like this like a bug as soon as they pop up.
And so I have.
But yeah, if I had to squash all of them, I’d never get any work done.
Well, I’ve done my best.
Thanks Dave, I appreciate your post. Your advice usually is the best way to go.
Jan, no it doesn’t sound like me because it isn’t me. Your instinct was correct.
His claim that I didn’t know about the ICON line is a dead giveaway. Of course I knew. I have even written about it on my old blog. But according to him, I was “out of the loop” and didn’t even know ICON was Marvel exclusive writers only! According to him, he was the one who told me about it.
Sure.
I think that pretty much invalidates anything else he wrote as unimpeachable.
I’m not familar with that poster, I’m afraid. S/He popped up and was very good about posting info on schedules for NYCC but I don’t think s/he’s posted to any other threads. I’m certain that nobody over there would consider anything s/he said as being true over something you’ve said.
It’s a he. Definitely. I remember this person and what was actually said. Several people came up to me to ask me about JMS/Lost Souls, each one a guy, and a couple were obviously trying to goad me into being nasty about the situation. I did not take the bait, praised JMS, and went on to praise his generosity.
And this is what we ended up with.
Well, Colleen, you know, you DO live out in the backwoods of Virginia, so you MUST be out of the loop on what ICON is and all that stuff. Because, you know, the internet just doesn’t reach out there.
Bah. On the one hand, I agree with Neil – things should be quashed quickly because of the persistence of data on the net. But after the quashing is done, let it go. The idiots don’t know you, don’t know JMS, and are probably jealous because THEY live out on the fringes of the business (other than the artificial proximity that going to cons creates).
Very good advice.
Why yes, out here on the mountain, we cannot know about the inner working of the contracts we sign and the deals at the publishers we work for. Surely, we must go to conventions to learn the secrets of Marvel Comics direct from a fan’s mouth.
Well now the problem is clear. Since you couldn’t be manipulated you must be an evil manipulator, right? And living in the hinterlands obviously means that you must not know anything about the business by which you make a living.
Can’t imagine why I didn’t see all that sooner…sheesh.
Damn that JMS! He never buys me mink coats, he buys me equipment I can use for WORK.
I am the worst gold digger ever.
Admit it- that commenter and you are in a secret pact to stir up fake controversy to REALLY get JMS to revive BoLS! But it’ll probably backfire, and JMS will end up paying off your house or something.
(Note to the stupid- I’M KIDDING.)
(Note to Colleen- remember that 30% of fandom, no matter how nice they are or how much money they spend, are f***ing morons. It just happens.)
(Also- I once accidentally spread a rumor that Neil Gaiman was pissed off at DC. It’s quite possible I’m part of the 30%. If I’m not, it’s only because I strive not to be.)
I’m holding out for a Lexus.
I’m really not sure who I’m angrier about. this guy, or the one who eavesdropped on my private meeting. I have an email to the client and await instructions.
Note to “journalist”: that was extremely unethical of you. I did not give you an interview, and no one else did. If you jeapordised my relationship with my client, I am coming at you with an axe.
Yikes! I’m a little late on this thread! But, I think everyone above pretty much summed up what I would have said anyways. I’m sorry that some idiot decided to target you for nasty rumors… One of my friends in Japan has a Japanese proverb for every situation, and she once told me (regarding people spreading vicious rumors), “Strong wind blows on a high hill”. I always think of that proverb whenever I hear about a situation like this.
As god is my witness, the strong winds here are 55 MPH and I got thwacked in the head by a falling branch today. Truly there is something in the wind!
I’ll go kick ‘journalist’ a few times for you, too, in solidarity.
I love gossip. NOT.
You know, I actually turned to some guy standing off to the side and stated quite clearly that this was a private matter we were discussing.
Well, that didn’t work.
And as for the other guy, best hope is he simply misinterpreted what was said, since he completely went off the rails about Icon. Does anyone actually believe I DON’T know what ICON is what with me being the artist on an ICON BOOK and all?
How much of this crap is lies and how much of it is telephone game, we will never know.
A lot of lowlifes seem to think they are “insiders” and want to validate themselves with these bits of information (lies being the better term).
The internet opens up communication for many people; unfortunately gossip mongers utilize it to defame others.
My condolences for that putting a damper on your time in NYC, Colleen. Hopefully karma will come back on that jerk.
Hopefully, a MAC truck will come back on that jerk.
Agent dealt with unauthorized story on website I never heard of, and all agree no worries.
Offensive gossip post from elsewhere has now been removed.
You know what the biggest scandal of NYCC was? I was in New York on Friday and Saturday- AND DIDN’T GO. (This little thing called work got in the way.) Sigh.
NNNoooooooooo!!!!
How much of this crap is lies and how much of it is telephone game, we will never know.
Negligence is often as inexcusable as malice. If a driver kills someone by running a stop sign, it hardly makes a difference whether he was distracted by futzing with his radio or trying to run the person over. The victim is dead either way.
A lot of lowlifes seem to think they are “insiders†and want to validate themselves with these bits of information (lies being the better term).
Veteran comic-book scribe Roger Stern and I have a friend in common. As a result, I got to hang out with Roger at a small (very, very, VERY small) comic-book show in Ithaca last Saturday. Roger was one of my childhood idols, having written some of the comics that meant the very most to me as a young’un. Imagine how thrilled I was to be in the position of the privileged “insider.”
Except it wasn’t as thrilling as some might imagine. Mind you, I had a wonderful time. Roger is a talented writer and a heck of a guy, but when it comes right down to it every comic-book creator shares one thing in common with the rest of us: they’re all human, too. They have car trouble, they get pissed off at the cable company, they have to use the bathroom, they need to get dental work done, they shop for groceries, etc., etc., etc.
Note to fans looking for some way to share in the “glory” that is a comic-book creator’s life: you already share a great deal in common with creative types simply by virtue of being a living, breathing human being. Try to recognize the “Everyday Glory” in your own life rather than trying to borrow or steal it from someone else.
I suspect the people who most need to hear that aren’t about to listen, though.
Bill wins.
Honestly, I do not make enough money to have to put up with fame crap. If I have to put up with fame crap, fate needs to add another zero to the end of my paycheck.
Gosh, even I know what Icon is all about and I live on a farm in Australia.
Yes, but I’m so “out of the loop” I need a fan I’ve never met before to tell me what my book deals are at a convention.
His super power is Super Lack of Credibility.
It surprises me sometimes just how easily some people get to imagining that they are “insiders”, just because they can approach notable creators at conventions. It surprises me how some people take even a little bit of experience with the comic book business as making them insiders.
In Hollywood, a lot of screenwriters are looking to get their screenplays to an audience (well, specifically studio heads) by turning them into graphic novels. They think they can just plunge ahead and that it’s really easy. They seem to have no consideration of actual audience – all they’re thinking of is getting in print. I do try to educate them that the situation is bigger than that, and more work than that – but they don’t always listen.
What is weird to me is when I encounter Hollywood people who have had a brush (ONLY) with the comic book world, and who thus consider themselves knowledgeable about it. Once we get into conversation, I realize that I know *far* more than they do about the arena.
What is worse, is that I realize I have better contacts in the comic book business than they do. And I don’t even consider myself an “insider”. Close maybe, but not yet an insider. Sure, I know a number of writers and artists and editors, and have a nodding acquaintence with a few more. But I’m wise enough not to pretend I’m an “insider”. And because I’m careful about that — people who have to listen in on private conversations to make them feel like they are insiders, who feel they need to lecture artists or writers about the ins & outs of the business, I can’t help but find such folk pitiful. Annoying when they do things like posting stuff online that they shouldn’t be doing. But pitiful.
Honestly, I do not make enough money to have to put up with fame crap. If I have to put up with fame crap, fate needs to add another zero to the end of my paycheck.
I once declared that fate should add another zero to the end of my paycheck. It did. Only it came after the decimal point, and therefore didn’t do a lot of good. Fate is a smart-ass.
Ow!
I will be more specific about what I wish for.
Two thumbs way up, scribbler.
When I was living in the city, I went to the post office one day, and within an hour someone was writing about it on the internet. Since I came into comics in the days before the interwubz, I am still not quite accustomed to the gossip and how fast it flies.
Why a sighting of me at the post office was worth noting I cannot fathom, except the guy had to point out I was dressed like a shlub and wearing no makeup.
Fascinating.
Neil Gaiman always dresses like a schlub and wears no makeup. Someone call Page 6!
Regarding good deeds…
You were gracious enough to not only autograph a copy of the Excalibur graphic novel, but you also proudly showed me some upcoming artwork on said laptop, while telling a fascinating story about a squirrel. (I was also fortunate to see your sneak preview of your Comic Book Tattoo artwork during last year’s CBLDF RASL fundraiser.)
Every time I have had the opportunity to meet you, you have been gracious, open, and honestly passionate on whichever project you happen to be working on. You are the gold standard of comics professionalism.
(And while I can’t afford to send you a Lexus, I will be happy to keep you supplied with Sharpies.)
Seems to me that one of the key aspects of becoming ‘inner circle’ or just showing respect to the creators you admire would be cultivating the art of shutting up.
Colleen, the idea of Neil Gaiman in make-up is a bizarre and strangely intriguing thought! Heh.
Strangely hot…
I am so sorry this happened to you. With business dealings on the line I can see why you would need to combat it immeadiately.
All I can recommend is do something relaxing that you enjoy or something that helps ground you a little bit.
Be well my friend.
Eh, it’s par for the course. I expect people to gossip after a show, but it’s unethical to post gossip as news (especially when the “reporter” makes no attempt to verify, check sources, or even get their industry terms correct.)
As for gossip, I have Neil to thank for the “squash it like a bug” advice. For years I have put up with some nonsense on the web I didn’t want to draw attention to – or, as is the case now, to drive up their hit counter and give them money for their blogs – but in future I will be more proactive about untrue stories which float about.
Two people can come away from the same conversation with completely different interpretations, and where the perception of money or fame is involved (in particular in fandom where information is currency) things can get ridiculous quickly.
I will never forget the strange woman who swore I dissed her appearance after I told her I had had to go shopping for a new suit, since I had nothing to wear.
For years after, she’s been swearing up and down I was making a dig at her for how she dressed. Actually, I was trying to tell her how I found a great bargain in a consignment shop.
A good trick for me to diss her appearance, since we’d never met. We had only spoken over the phone and in some emails and I had no idea what she looked like.
Haven’t spoken to her since, either. This was about ten years back, I guess.
How someone derives from my comment about my clothes that I was making a comment about her I do not know, but that’s the level of telephone game we’re dealing with here, and I still hear this ridiculous rumor ten years later.
“Colleen dissed my clothes!”
Colleen couldn’t identify you in a lineup.
Sounds like this woman was trying to make herself famous by trying to make you look bad.
The fact that she picked something that sounds like its out of Junior high is just proof of her immaturity.
I hope you’re feeling better and the cold has gone away.
I honestly have no idea. I really don’t know her and after all this time I can’t recall the details. I only remembered it because Steve Bennett and I were talking a while back and he reminded me of the crazy lady who hated my guts and used to diss me all the time! God knows what her deal was, but junior high does sound about right.
And PS: Comment about going after gossip monger with an axe: speaking metaphorically, like duh. Since I don’t know who the gossip monger is, what it looks like, or anything else about him/her, I’m hardly likely to be going after anybody. No need to anyway at this point.