We’re into the last nine days of this campaign, and I’m getting excited to switch from Kickstarter mode back to book creation and actually get this story done and in your hands. I’ve been thinking about the long trek it’s been to get here, which leads me to my…
Thank You of the Day: Joan Hilty
In the early days of any new endeavor, be it a sport, an art, a musical instrument, you need someone to encourage you, even just a little. One kind word from the right person can be all you need to push past those early doubts. When I started guitar, that person was my dad. I was strumming my first couple chords and dad said I had good rhythm–that was all I needed to push through the pain and keep playing. For comics writing, that person was comics editor Joan Hilty.
In 2015, By the Time I Get to Dallas was a first draft script and nine pages of art that I had shown to no one. On a slow overnight in the emergency room, I scoured the internet for independent comics editors who might shepherd my newly conceived story, help me make it good, and get it published. There weren’t many such people, but I found Joan’s website–she was an industry vet with a long list of work with top publishers, but she had knack for offbeat projects, and I hoped she might at least take a look at my story. I sent her an email and a link to a private Squarespace website holding a sample of script, a pitch and our sample art (I thought this was a very slick way of pitching, and it kind of was). I can’t share the website cause it’s long gone but this was the front page, with pencils by founding artist Juanfran Moyano.
A week later I was at dinner with Ethel and the kids when a response from Joan popped up on my phone:
“…of all the inquiries I’ve gotten lately this is the most impressive by far, and I’d like to take a closer look to figure out if and how we could make something work.”
Did I cry a little? Yes I did.
Joanne ultimately didn’t take on my project, but she reviewed my material, gave me excellent constructive feedback (“…you’ve got a good ear for funny, natural dialogue.”), and connected me with editor Matt Idelson, who had worked at DC Comics editing huge titles like Superman and Swamp Thing!
Matt dug into the story to hone it and help me pitch it to publishers. Long phone calls with him hashing out the details of story structure, plot and character were some of my favorite moments on this project. And while the road to getting this book onto paper turned out to be far longer and more difficult than I envisioned, thanks to those first kind words from Joan, I’ve never again doubted I could make a good story.
Thank you Joan!