More Random Stuff

Originally published April 16, 1993, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1013

More assorted stuff:

So now Ron Perelman is upping his stakes in Marvel Entertainment, angling to own 80% of the company for reasons that are still not clear.

The most likely, some analysts say, is that it will enable Perelman’s MacAndrews group to file a joint tax return with Marvel. And since the MacAndrews group has huge tax losses, it doesn’t pay federal income taxes; however, it would rake in tax money from Marvel since Marvel has to pay to MacAndrews the money it would spend on taxes as an independent company.

Whereas adjectives such as “incredible” were once applied to Marvel characters, it now seems more appropriate to attach it to Marvel’s owners as they perform a feat of taxation legerdemain that redefines “eating your cake and having it, too.”

In addition to 80% of Marvel (should Perelman pull this off) and the Fleer sports card company, Marvel will also own a 46% stake in Toy Biz—and all of this maneuvering going on while the X-Men cartoon apparently performs well enough to inspire talk of a Spider-Man animated series. It used to be we wondered what would happen to Spider-Man next; now we wonder what will happen to his stock options.

Marvel’s main business now seems to consist of acquisition maneuvers and cartoon series. Sort of a “Hanna-Barbarians At the Gate.” Perhaps if HBO makes a movie of it, they can cast Ron Perlman as Ron Perelman, adding further confusion for those folks like myself who, upon hearing the name of Marvel’s new owner some time back, said in confusion, “Marvel’s been bought by Vincent?”

***

My guess (and no spoiler warning here because it’s just a guess, no better than anyone else’s) as to how the last episode of Cheers will end: Diane will return (which has been widely reported as a given) and propose the idea of a sitcom based on Cheers—and will roundly be blown off because, geez, who’d want to watch a TV series about a bunch of stiffs sitting around in a bar?

***

It’s nice to see Miranda Richardson (who I bet gets the Oscar because she’s got “heat”) getting so much attention so suddenly. But, as with most overnight sensations, it’s been a while coming. And fans of the British series Blackadder (particularly Blackadder the Second, in which Richardson’s dangerously daffy Queen Elizabeth I ranks as one of the great TV comedy creations of all time) are saying, “Well, heck, I’ve known how wonderful she was for ages. What took all you people so long?”

So anyone who liked Richardson in The Crying Game or her other films is advised to check out Blackadder, particularly since the second series is now out on videotape. Come on, folks—anything that both John Byrne and I agree on so whole-heartedly (and no, John, that’s not a “poke” at you; I speak truth here, for I know you’re a Blackadder fan) is worth looking into.

***

Finally: The Maxx, an Image comic with a genuinely smooth combination of writing and art. Oh sure, you’re dropped into it with only the haziest idea of what the hëll is going on (something all too typical of too many comics these days). But the idiosyncrasies of Sam Kieth’s art and William Messner-Loeb’s scripting (particularly his hilarious take on those dámņëd first-person narrative captions) complement each other marvelously. I look forward to the second issue, particularly if the series maintains (a) a consistent schedule and (b) an ingratiating sense of loopiness.

***

Continuing my unbounded greed as I mindlessly try to help would-be comic book writers, I present the following from Philip Amara and Marc Arsenault, submissions editors for Tundra:

Dear Peter,

In the latest issue of CBG you graciously invited other companies’ editors to share their procedures on unsolicited submissions, so here goes.

You mentioned midway through BID how Marvel Editor Bobbie Chase tackles submissions in one lump sum every few months or so. That’s pretty much how it’s done at Tundra. At the end of each month, the submissions editors, Marc Arsenault and myself, pour Tundra’s submissions onto the conference room table and get down to brass tacks. The following hopefully answers some questions about how, and how not, to submit a proposal to Tundra:

What are the general guidelines for submitting to Tundra?

Writing samples should include a plot summary (no more than one page) and a representative sample of script. (No more than six pages. A good plot summary is usually what will pique our interest, anyway.)

Art samples should be of sufficient length to allow a fair appraisal of relative merit. Again, as with the writing samples, six pages is sufficient. We are interested in your adeptness at pacing, composition and storytelling, as much as your overall ability. Do not send original artwork. Ever. 8.5″ x 11″ black-and-white or color photocopies are preferred.

Ideally, Tundra is looking for fully conceptualized projects. If you can send writing and art samples, you’ve got your bases covered. Often times we receive plot and script samples only. That’s acceptable as long as you’re comfortable that the writing is dynamic enough to grab us.

What if I don’t have a killer story idea but want to send samples of my work anyway?

Submissions of penciling, inking, coloring, lettering and design samples that meet professional standards are kept on file for future consideration. We dip into the letterer file quite frequently. Please keep in mind, however, that Tundra does not generally produce any continuing or “house” series, so if you’re a penciler, and you’re not submitting a fully-realized proposal, your best bet, for the most part, may lie elsewhere.

If Tundra likes my work, what happens next?

If Marc and I receive a proposal that is truly “the bee’s knees,” it goes through “The Loop,” which is the second stage of the submission process here. Every few months, our Art Director, Production Director and Promotions Director get together to discuss the cream-of-the-crop submissions. Response time varies; anywhere from a few weeks to a few months.

What if Tundra doesn’t realize I’m the next Rob Liefeld?

If your submission is not selected by Tundra, you’ll receive our standard rejection letter, though Marc and I do try to take the time to write more personable responses as often as possible, with some helpful advice or encouragement. And, if you want your submission returned, you should include a SASE. (Note: Copies of Scott McCloud’s A Bill of Rights for Comics Creators, and But I Digress from CBG #976 often accompany rejection letters.)

Should I call Tundra to check on the progress of my submission?

No.

How can I get a copy of Tundra’s submission guidelines?

Tundra’s basic guidelines are outlined above, but you can also write to: Tundra Publishing, Ltd., 320 Riverside Drive, Northampton, MA 01060, Attn: Submissions. Be sure to include a SASE with your request!

Other Hints:

Be professional. Sending us a pin-up of a character you created with a paragraph or two explaining his super-powers is an example of how not to submit a proposal. As Peter said, you want to make yourself useful to an editor, and that includes showing him you’re reliable. A story scribbled on cocktail napkins isn’t going to convey that.

Be concise. No comics editor is going to labor through a thirty-page script word for word. Do your best to articulate, in a one-page plot summary or springboard, how you envision your story. Passion, energy and conviction are the key.

Make contacts. I think Peter mentioned this point, but let me reiterate. Especially if you’re submitting to Tundra, it can’t hurt for a writer and artist to pool their talents and beef up their proposal. Comics conventions are a great place for writers to meet artists, and vice versa, since a number of young creators attend them for the sole purpose of shopping their wares.

Submit to yourself. If you’re concerned about plagiarism, mail a copy of your submission to address when you send it out to a comics publisher, and don’t open it. That way, you’ll have something dated, sealed and filed if there ever is a dispute.

Lastly, remember that quick, sure-shot, methods of getting published in the comics industry are few and far between. The above is advice on how to get your foot, or at least little toe, in the door if you don’t have many, or any, contacts in the industry. It is meant as a starting point. Understand that you’ll have to work hard to get what you want, and be prepared to hurry up and wait.

Happy hunting!

***

Back to me now. My thanks to Philip and Marc for responding so quickly. The invitation remains a standing one for any other publisher who has guidelines or advice.

Letters featuring my three favorite words—”As Peter said”—are always appreciated in any event.

***

In the current Sandman storyline, the seventh member of the Dream Lord’s Endless clan—Destruction—was depicted as a rather tall, pleasant, red-bearded, Viking-type fellow.

Boy, did Neil Gaiman miss a good bet.

I am the father of three children. My youngest, Ariel, is capable of dumping things off shelves and out of storage cabinets faster than I (or the Flash, for that matter) can pick them up. Yesterday I stepped away from the computer while working on scripting and came back to discover that she had clambered up to my computer and started pounding on the keyboard—and, in her random pummeling actions, had managed to rename the file, dump it, and was writing her own story consisting, unsurprisingly, of arbitrary letters interspersed with Function instructions.

The day before that she managed to pull a chair over and climb up to where I have my Capidomonte “Little Mermaid” bisque displayed and, with her left hand, was hitting her hand-crafted namesake in the head. In her right hand was a magic marker—still capped, but I wouldn’t want to bet the farm that she was incapable of uncapping it and re-coloring the bisque herself.

And she’s only 18 months. From past experience, I know what’s going to happen in another half a year.

There is no doubt in my mind whatsoever that Gaiman should have depicted Destruction as a two-year-old. Every parent in the world could have related to that.

(Peter David, writer of stuff, wishes to apologize for anyone who reads this column and is confused because I took jabs at Marvel while saying nice things about an Image title. I’m sure that at some point in the future I’ll say something nice about Marvel or make another observation about Image that some will find unflattering, and then I can be comfortably pigeonholed once again.)