News post: JMS addresses \'late comics\'
<font size="+1">JMS addresses 'late comics'</font>
<font size="3">With an overview of JMS's varied current projects</font>
After some delayed JMS comics recently, someone posted in the moderated newsgroup: "I was wondering if JMS has or will promise that future issues of any comic he writes will be on time."
This is JMS's reply below. It's worth a read to see his reaction, but it's also an interesting update and overview of all the projects he's involved with at the moment.
<font color="#99cc99">I was wondering if some readers will promise to understand that things happen that are outside anyone's control, and that I would rather have it out *good* than have it out *Tuesday*.
Sure, I could make that promise...and abide by it...and be unable to guarantee the quality of the work.
For most of the MN and RS run, I was the one chomping at the bit to get this thing out on time, despite delays by factors outside my control (as in an artist leaving at the eleventh hour without telling anyone he was going to do it, which put everything back). I have no control over that. The scripts up to that point were always there in advance. At one point the scripts were piled up 4 issues in advance of what was being drawn/published.
What hit after that was the hardest period of work in my life, something I hadn't counted on. It's not that I'm sitting on my ass getting the comics out when I feel like it...I'm shooting episode 10 of a 20 hour commitment on the single biggest TV series I've ever undertaken, bar none, in terms of logistics, planning, scripts and prep. On Jeremiah we're shooting out in rain and awful conditions 5-6 days out of each 7 day schedule (the norm for most series is 3 days out and 4 days in) all over the Vancouver area, combined with all the regular hassles of mounting a new series, and inventing a new world. There's not just the writing and the producing but the editing, the PR, the music and sound spotting, the casting...everything.
There's Rangers on top of that, the Rising Stars screenplay (which is finally finished and looks like it's heading into actual production for next year), the new Polaris project for Sci-Fi, Spider-Man, Midnight Nation, and Rising Stars.
I began those projects not anticipating that I would be in *this* deep shit. I could have pumped out the comics, but I didn't want to have inferior work come out under the Joe's Comics imprint. The TV work was time-critical because there's nearly $30 million invested in schedules, director's timetables, production deadlines, airdates that have to be met...I had to pick something that wasn't as time critical to push back.
The comics were the only thing that could get pushed. Now that we're up to speed on the series, with the RS screenplay finished, and past the midway point on scripts for Jeremiah, I've been able to turn my attention back to the comics, with a new MN coming out last week, the next RS finishing colors and lettering and probably out in the next week or so...the next MN script is already in and being drawn, and I'm working on both the next Spider-Man and RS issues as I speak. The Delicate Creatures hardcover graphic novel has been done for a while now, don't know why it isn't out yet.
It is my intention to get the comic scripts out as expeditiously as possible, and have all the scripts done quickly, once again getting well ahead of the artwork.
As for some of the folks you cite...I have little patience for people who demand in others a perfection they do not deliver in their own lives, and who do not understand that their needs for immediate gratification will not always be immediately gratified.
Better something should done right and a bit late than done poorly and on time.</font>
<font size="+1">JMS addresses 'late comics'</font>
<font size="3">With an overview of JMS's varied current projects</font>
After some delayed JMS comics recently, someone posted in the moderated newsgroup: "I was wondering if JMS has or will promise that future issues of any comic he writes will be on time."
This is JMS's reply below. It's worth a read to see his reaction, but it's also an interesting update and overview of all the projects he's involved with at the moment.
<font color="#99cc99">I was wondering if some readers will promise to understand that things happen that are outside anyone's control, and that I would rather have it out *good* than have it out *Tuesday*.
Sure, I could make that promise...and abide by it...and be unable to guarantee the quality of the work.
For most of the MN and RS run, I was the one chomping at the bit to get this thing out on time, despite delays by factors outside my control (as in an artist leaving at the eleventh hour without telling anyone he was going to do it, which put everything back). I have no control over that. The scripts up to that point were always there in advance. At one point the scripts were piled up 4 issues in advance of what was being drawn/published.
What hit after that was the hardest period of work in my life, something I hadn't counted on. It's not that I'm sitting on my ass getting the comics out when I feel like it...I'm shooting episode 10 of a 20 hour commitment on the single biggest TV series I've ever undertaken, bar none, in terms of logistics, planning, scripts and prep. On Jeremiah we're shooting out in rain and awful conditions 5-6 days out of each 7 day schedule (the norm for most series is 3 days out and 4 days in) all over the Vancouver area, combined with all the regular hassles of mounting a new series, and inventing a new world. There's not just the writing and the producing but the editing, the PR, the music and sound spotting, the casting...everything.
There's Rangers on top of that, the Rising Stars screenplay (which is finally finished and looks like it's heading into actual production for next year), the new Polaris project for Sci-Fi, Spider-Man, Midnight Nation, and Rising Stars.
I began those projects not anticipating that I would be in *this* deep shit. I could have pumped out the comics, but I didn't want to have inferior work come out under the Joe's Comics imprint. The TV work was time-critical because there's nearly $30 million invested in schedules, director's timetables, production deadlines, airdates that have to be met...I had to pick something that wasn't as time critical to push back.
The comics were the only thing that could get pushed. Now that we're up to speed on the series, with the RS screenplay finished, and past the midway point on scripts for Jeremiah, I've been able to turn my attention back to the comics, with a new MN coming out last week, the next RS finishing colors and lettering and probably out in the next week or so...the next MN script is already in and being drawn, and I'm working on both the next Spider-Man and RS issues as I speak. The Delicate Creatures hardcover graphic novel has been done for a while now, don't know why it isn't out yet.
It is my intention to get the comic scripts out as expeditiously as possible, and have all the scripts done quickly, once again getting well ahead of the artwork.
As for some of the folks you cite...I have little patience for people who demand in others a perfection they do not deliver in their own lives, and who do not understand that their needs for immediate gratification will not always be immediately gratified.
Better something should done right and a bit late than done poorly and on time.</font>
(supposed to be an evil grin but the auto smiley function screwed it up)
