2003-07-14 1:19 a.m.
drunk on 80s

Preparations are underway for the big trip.

I've been bouncing in whatever seat was available all weekend, giggling to myself (much to L's amusement) about how "I'm going to San Diegoooooooo!!" in three days.

It's not like I have a clue what I'm doing. Sure, I planned, wrote and published the book, set up very specific terms with Jeremy about what rights are retained by whom, what payments might be made later (depends on making a hell of a lot of money back, which I seriously doubt), etc., and I'm hitting the con with all I'm worth.

So why am I so nervous?

I guess it was one thing to be there two years ago, all balls and Red Bull fire, arms full of pitches that no one ended up buying and good will to fill the convention hall.

But this time, it's a bit more personal. I've been working on Styx for a while, since February (a lot shorter of a time than most folks self-publishing, via the wonder of self-imposed deadlines), but I'd like to think I've taken it a long way from the one-paragraph idea D and I threw together back 2001, made it a crazed and rich landscape, ripe for the mining (in the form of a series or lots of one-shots). The story could always be longer, the beats richer, more words, more expressions, every form of dramatic tool employed to work magic in the eyes of the reader...

but I was crunched for time, so the book's a little crunched, compressed. A good read, still, but I can't wait for a shot to relax into a single story and dig my teeth into everything it entails. Keep an eye on this space after SD for developments, 'cos there's going to be some. (Although keep an eye on here DURING SD, because I'm going to update while on the west coast.)

The weekend's been gorgeous and silly, a wonderful prelude to the insanity that's on the way.

L and I went to Birdy's Bachelorette Party, and I think I was the only straight guy there. I got a lap dance from one of the girls working the crowd, and we got deliciously plastered on funny-colored drinks and danced crazily to bad 80s tunes (though I couldn't stop both laughing and dancing when the theme to "The Greatest American Hero" came on...HYPERCHEESE!).

Walking in the sun and staying drunk on each other...so nice.

And I managed to get a few shirts and a new travel sack for the trip (see photo above; thanks, Mom)...a quick head-shaving and I'll be ready, ritual-style, wild-eyed. Then it's just applying the war paint, the smooth cracklin' style of the networking god I know I can be, and taking no prisoners.

Love love to Onea, the first person to buy a copy. Here's the info, if you're interested:

STYX TAXI
"Pastrami for the Dead"
from FWD Books
written by Steven Goldman
art by Jeremy Arambulo
lettering/book design by There Is No Design

"Glengarry Glen Ross" meets taxi drivers on the streets of NYC: three ghost hacks give souls their last chance at redemption as they compete to top their quota (& each other) and claim the grand prize: 12 hours' corporeal freedom on Earth.

It's 4 bucks, shipping inc. ($2.50 cover + $1.50 shipping), though if you want me to get copies to your local comic shop, feel free to hit me with its name/address.