When I was a kid I used to ponder the nature of existence on the day before my birthday. "I'm six," I'd think. "I've been six practically for ever. I know what it's like to be six. And today is the very last day I'll ever be six. I'll never be six again." This would always be followed be a feeling of let-down on the following day, as I'd walk around thinking "I don't feel seven. I mean, I know I am seven. But it doesn't feel any different at all. It feels just like six. I wonder if I'll always feel like this? What if I feel like this when I'm eight?"
I woke up this morning and thought, "this is my last day of being forty-three. I'll never be forty-three again." But I bet I don't feel forty-four tomorrow. I bet I still feel twelve.
Which wasn't why I wrote this entry at all. Actually I wanted to remind people in Chicago that at every Chicago Humanities Festival event I've ever been in or attended, there have been lots of tickets available at the door long after it's "sold out" on the web site, because the Festival puts a percentage of the tickets aside for students which the students never bother with. So it's tomorrow, and from 7-8pm I interview Gene Wolfe, and 8:30-9:30pm it's just me. Come and say hello.
And yes, there will be a signing afterwards.
...
Let's see... those of you who have been following http://richardmooreart.com/sim/simgaiman.html (or are of the 1700-odd, sometimes very odd, people who have got signed Cerebuses already and want to know what happens next) and have read (or looked at) http://www.holycow.com/dreaming/phase2/...
The explanatory last three parts of the Quarto haven't gone up at the Dreaming yet, but seeing the auction has started, you should know about
http://www.torontocomics.com/2004/11/on-now-gaimansim-auction-to-benefit.html
and then you should click on the ebay link and look at the image, then you should read the small print:
"Of those pieces which remain, Sim and Gaiman will both sign�and Neil Gaiman will complete�one copy in November of each year (i.e. #3/50 in 2005; #4/50 in 2006) which will then be auctioned on eBay to benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, by way of illustrating in as pointed a fashion as possible that even though Dave Sim and Neil Gaiman are at diametric opposite poles on the political spectrum, they will always be on good enough terms, personally, to cooperate in jointly supporting the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America."
Which impressed me enormously when my assistant Lorraine read me the fax over the phone in which Dave explained his master plan. It really is the baseline of the CBLDF that it really doesn't matter where you stand, sit, kneel or sprawl politically, if you believe in maintaining the First Amendment, you're on the same side. (And if you don't, wherever you stand politically, and Whatever it is you believe that Other People (above the age of 18) need to be protected from reading or hearing, you're on the other side.)
...
Dear Mr. Gaiman,I am currently working on a screenplay based on a short story published by DC Comics, and I was wondering, how do I get my work copywritten, while using their characters? I would like to get their backing before I try to send this off to Warner Bros. If you could help me out please, I would greatly appreciate it. Please let me know if you would like to read it and give me your thoughts. Thank you very much for your time. Sincerely,Trevor Denham
Well, I guess you write a letter to Greg Noveck at DC Comics, at the DC Comics address. But honestly I think you're probably wasting your time: without knowing what it is you're writing or what it's based on, you're writing a screenplay based on something you don't own any rights to, and you don't know what the rights are or who controls them (DC Comics, Warners, the creators, someone else). Sending a script in to Warner Brothers without DC's permission just ensures it'll land on the junk heap, and trying to get DC's permission for something you've already done is extremely problematic. It's probably not impossible, but it's somewhere west of unlikely.
Better by far to write something original that you own and control, honest.
Neil,I know you're busy as hell right now, but I just heard a really great CD tonight. Long story short, she's a really great singer and I think you'd like her music. You can listen to the songs at: www.Janubia.com Her and her musician/producer are releasing the CD independently and could use all the help they could get in getting the word out, so I was hoping, if you like the songs, you could help spread the word a little bit.I hope you don't mind, but I gave them your website and mentioned this as a way to get in touch with you about it, as well as sending a CD or letter to DreamHaven, but I wanted to make sure you heard about it, so here I am mentioning it first.I hope all is well. Take care,dave golbitz http://1031productions.blogspot.com
And, because I'm on a high-speed American motel wireless link, I've been playing it while getting up and writing this, and it's really lovely. And in a foreign language whatever language you speak. (Also a very pretty website.) Thanks...
Right. Leave motel room. Back on the road...