Who We Are and What We Write

"It's a great day for geeks!"

I was standing in line, waiting to buy one of the pre-autographed books being offered, when I heard this come from the group of college students behind me. I didn't turn around to look at the speaker, but I could hear the excited smile in his voice all the same.

Besides, I really didn't need to see who was talking. You could tell, just by looking at the faces in the long book line, or standing in clusters throughout the room, or thronging ahead into the theater, that the sentiment was reflected by everybody present. Because if you were here tonight, then you had come to see Neil Gaiman -- an author of novels, short stories, and comic, who I've described to people as "sort of the rock star of sci-fi/fantasy writers."

Author Neil Gaiman

The author behind such books as American Gods, Anansi Boys, Coraline, and the graphic novel series Sandman, Gaiman had come to the Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland in honor of the fifteenth anniversary of his novel Stardust. Fans came out in throngs to the Wednesday event, which featured Gaiman talking about the writing process of Stardust (among other things) before doing some readings of his work and answering audience questions. The theater was packed, with fans wildly cheering and applauding when Gaiman arrived onstage.

Why such devotion?  For starter's, there's no denying Gaiman's appeal as a storyteller. It's not just that his written worlds are so unique and wildly weird (though they are), or that he weaves his plots so neatly and tightly (though he does). The style of the writing itself is pleasant to read, simple and poetic at the same time. His words first draw you in; you stay for the fantastical creations he comes up with. A fallen star revealed to be a woman with a broken leg, an infant rescued and brought up by ghosts, an "Other Mother" with buttons in the place of eyes -- no one writes books quite like Neil Gaiman.

But I think another part of Neil Gaiman's appeal to his fans is the overwhelming feeling that he's one of them. Gaiman doesn't just write stories; he loves them, too, and is a fan of many of the same things his fans are. Before publishing two Sherlock Holmes stories and being inducted as a member of the Baker Street Irregulars, Gaiman had already been a lifelong fan of the Conan Doyle stories. He's penned an episode of the long-running British sci-fi series Doctor Who (with a second script currently in production) -- and had been watching the show since his childhood. He read Batman comics as a kid long before he wrote a graphic novel about the character. He understands his sci-fi/fantasy fans because he's one of them.

Gaiman and Cabal

What makes his geek-endearing "rock star" status all the more impressive is the fact that he so obviously doesn't see himself as a star. After gesturing firmly for the wild applause to stop after his entrance onstage, Gaiman proceeded to speak for an hour about the sparks of inspiration that had led him to write Stardust, as well as stories behind some of his other works (including his upcoming novel Ocean at the End of the Lane, due out next year). His speech was given in a warm, polite, very funny, and often deprecating fashion (of his World Fantasy Award for his comic A Midsummer's Night Dream, he remarked that the award is the "silver head of H.P. Lovecraft, looking like Easter Island. Years later, my friend made these little bowler hats and made it infinitely better.").

I see his point.

Later, Gaiman read a selection from Stardust, following later with a preview portion of his upcoming book Ocean at the End of the Lane. Before closing the evening with a poem ("The Day the Saucers Came"), Gaiman took some questions from the audience. Most were simple but interesting: his thoughts on the role of women in the fantasy genre, any tidbits about his upcoming episode of Doctor Who, how he approaches writing novels versus short stories versus comics.

But the best question came from a college student who wanted to know, essentially, what lovers of sci-fi and fantasy could do to find adventure in the mundane on-goings of the real world. How does anybody find adventure?

"I don't think you find adventures, I think you go out and have them," Gaiman said, before going on to tell a story about his recent experiences with Les Machines de l’île in Nantes, France. Inspired by Jules Vernes, Leonardo da Vinci, and the history of the city, the "Machines of the Isle of Nantes" feature such attractions as a giant, three-level carousal, and a forty-foot high mechanical elephant which groups of people can ride.

"This is something people wanted to see in the world," Gaiman said, of the team of artists and mechanics who had built Les Machines. "And so they went out and decided to make it. And they made it for other people to share. So, having an adventure ... I think you go out, and you make it."

Whether you're a geek or not -- that's pretty great advice.

"If you put me and John Grisham and Stephen King in front of a deserted boathouse by a lake, Grisham would write about a brave young lawyer who was fleeing the mob and who would hide in that boathouse, and Stephen King would write about the thing in the lake that came out of the lake and ate the people in the boathouse, and I would write about how the boathouse got up on chicken legs and walked away into the woods.

"That's just who we are and that's what we write."

Neil Gaiman in Pittsburgh - The Post Gazette blogs about the night's events.

Author Neil Gaiman Guest DJs at WYEP - The title says it all. Stop by 91.3 FM's website to hear the show!

"Neil Gaiman Writes a Final 'Love Letter to Batman'" - An interview with Wired about Gaiman's thoughts on the Caped Crusader.

Neil Gaiman's Blog - Full of personal anecdotes, news and updates about his writing and appearances, and the occasional Doctor Who reference.

Neil Gaiman's Pep Talk - In honor of National Novel Writing Month, Gaiman was asked to write a "pep talk" to writers struggling to finish their projects. Here's what he had to say about the creative process. (Recommended for all artists.)

- Books by Neil Gaiman

- Audiobooks by Neil Gaiman

- Graphic Novels by Neil Gaiman

- Films written by Neil Gaiman





-- Post by Ms. B

Capes Need Not Apply

Having returned from a successful trip to New York Comic Con (more on that later this week), I got to thinking about the graphic novel medium for storytelling. One of the points made clear through several sessions of Comic Con was that you don't have to be a fan of superheroes and science fiction in order to enjoy graphic novels. Many people tend to view graphic novels as a genre instead of a medium -- assuming that they all tell stories of superpowered characters in tights and capes saving their cities from disaster.

But there's an astonishing variety of stories being told through the medium of graphic novels, stories that go far beyond capes and cowls. The storytelling possibilities present through the use of text matched to artwork is boundless, and writers and artists have used the graphic novel medium for Westerns, mysteries, sci-fi and fantasy, historical fiction, and even autobiographies. So if superheroes aren't your thing, you might want to try picking up one of these titles instead, and see if you don't have an inner comic book fan waiting to be released.

Just be sure to read them in time for New York Comic Con 2013. Only 357 days to go!

-- Bone, by Jeff Smith

Lord of the Rings meets Seinfeld?  This fantasy series has a unique humor that has made it wildly popular for fans of all ages, detailing the adventures of the Bone cousins (Phoney Bone, Smiley Bone, and our hero, Fone Bone) as they find themselves lost in the mysterious Valley. The series eventually grows to encompass a Tolkien-styled quest to save the world, but there's plenty of misadventures and high good humor along the way to make this series a thoroughly unique read.

-- Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi

Satrapi wrote and drew this autobiographical series about her experiences as a girl and young woman in  Iran, during and after the Islamic revolution in the late 1970s. Satrapi's use of heavy black-and-white artwork makes for a compelling, powerful read, emphasizing the effects of political unrest on Satrapi's everyday life. The graphic novels were eventually adapted into an animated film.

-- Maus, by Art Spiegelman

It's hard not to think of Orwell's Animal Farm while reading this book, the first-ever graphic novel to win a Pulitzer Prize. Don't let the animals in the artwork above fool you, however: this graphic novel is a true story, based on interviews between Spiegelman and his father, in which the elder Spiegelman recounted his experiences as a Polish Jew and Holocaust survivor. Of course, some details were changed -- most notably that of the characters, in which the Jewish people are drawn as mice (while the Nazis are portrayed as cats). Part fable, part memoir, it's a powerful look at one of the darkest periods in human history.

-- Womanthology

Keep an eye out on MPL's shelves for the soon-to-be-added title Womanthology, a book written and drawn entirely by female writers and artists. After criticism was leveled last year at the comic book industry for their lack of female creators (and characters), artist Renae De Liz came up with the idea for an all-female-created graphic novel. Posting the project on Kickstarter (a site designed to allow artists and creators to gain financial backing for their independent projects), the book took only a single day to meet its $25,000 fundraising goal. The result of the project was a book featuring original stories by over 150 female creators, and was successful enough to warrant an ongoing series.

-- A Wrinkle in Time, by Hope Larson

It will probably be helpful to read Madeleine L'Engle's fantastic (prose) novel A Wrinkle in Time before picking up this graphic novel adaptation. However, if you've read, and loved, L'Engle's story, this becomes a must-read. L'Engle's classic "science fantasy" details the story of Meg Murray, her brother Charles Wallace, and her classmate Calvin O'Keefe, on an adventure across space and time to find Meg and Charles's missing father. The creatures, worlds, and enemies they encounter defy description, however, and here they are brought to life in blue-toned artwork that is weirdly and wildly imaginative -- while never losing track of the emotional heart of the story.

-- Post by Ms. B

Before the New 52

Despite the popularity of film franchises like X-Men, Iron Man, and Christopher Nolan's Batman series, the average American does not read comic books. (I was going to say that the average adult American does not read comic books, but the truth is that comic book readership isn't that popular among younger readers these days, either.)

Now, when I say "comic books," I'm talking primarily about superhero comic books -- the capes-and-tights-wearing characters who fight crime on the streets of their various fictional (or fictionalized) cities with their respective superpowers or high-tech gadgets. Comic books starring superheroes have been around in the mainstream of pop culture since the appearance of Superman in 1938, although their popularity over the years has ebbed and flowed with the changing cultural zeitgeist. Their focal audience has shifted as well; while children were generally the main target audience of superhero comics in the beginning, the last few decades have seen publishers concentrate more on appealing to adults.

Nowadays the monthly comic book is suffering from dwindling sales and is struggling to find new readers. And in the hopes of reviving a stagnating industry, publishing company DC Comics (home of such characters as Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman) is trying something completely different.

This Wednesday, DC Comics launched the New 52: fifty-two comic books all starting at Issue #1. All of their previous on-going titles have been cancelled, which is somewhat remarkable when you consider that the company has been publishing comics for more than 75 years and that some of their titles have run pretty consistently since their first appearances (their "Action Comics" series had just recently crossed the #900 issue mark).

While many of the characters in the new #1 monthly lines are familiar -- Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman are all returning in new series -- their stories are being started afresh. It's a chance to move forward from a clean slate, for the writers and artists behind the books as well as for readers themselves.

While not all of the characters are starting back at the beginning (there's not another lengthy story showing how Bruce Wayne became Batman, for instance), their backstories have been streamlined and simplified. And the stories that will be told from here on out are being told from the beginning, allowing first-time readers the chance to pick up an issue and be able to follow a story that's not weighted down with decades' worth of backstory.

This undeniably bold move on the part of DC Comics -- in conjuncture with their new same-day digital download policy (new issues will now be available to buy virtually on the same day as their physical-copy release) -- is an attempt by DC to bolster enthusiasm and readership in a industry plagued by declining readership. And while it's a move that has definitely paid off in the short-term -- in pre-orders alone, seven of the #1 issues have already become best-sellers -- only time will tell if the gamble continues to make a difference. Will DC succeed in attracting new readers, or will the massive changes fail to appeal to newcomers and alienate the core fanbase already in place?

As a DC fan myself, I'm apprehensive about some of the changes ahead (the writing out of Lois Lane and Clark Kent's marriage) and excited for others (the return of Barbara Gordon as Batgirl). But overall, I applaud DC for taking such a big risk, because taking chances and pushing the boundaries of storytelling is the only way to keep the storytelling fresh. It was time for a change, and a change this massive makes it a fascinating time to be a comic book fan.

Whether you're a lifelong comic book reader, a relapsed fan, or someone who's never picked up a comic book before, now's a great time to give the medium a chance. Take some time this month to swing by our local comic book shop, Phantom of the Attic, and check out some of the #1 issues (Wednesdays are Release Day for new arrivals).

And, if you'd like to check out some of DC's rich character history, try some of these graphic novels from your Library!  While some graphic novels are nearly incomprehensible without a healthy helping of backstory (note to newcomers: stay away from any DC title with the word "Crisis" in the title), these stand-alone titles should make great reads for first-timers as well as loyal fans:

Please note that many of these titles are intended for older audiences.

Batman: The Killing Joke. Writer, Alan Moore; Artist, Brian Bolland.

The Joker decides to prove to Batman that we're all "just one bad day away" from becoming as crazy as the Joker is. A modern classic.

Lex Luthor: Man of Steel. Writer, Brian Azzarello; Artist, Lee Bermejo.

A story in which we found out that Lex Luthor views himself as the real hero out to save humanity.

Green Lantern: No Fear. Writer, Geoff Johns; Artist, Darwyn Cook.

Pilot Hal Jordan returns to his role as the Green Lantern -- and a fighter pilot -- in this reboot.

Birds of Prey: The Battle Within. Writer, Gail Simone; Artist, Joe Bennett.

When it's the superheroes themselves who need saving, they call in The Birds of Prey.

Kingdom Come. Writers, Alex Ross and Mark Waid; Artist, Alex Ross.

A "what-if" story about Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and heroes of the future.


-- Post by Ms. B