Every so often I get an email from someone asking me if I'm looking to work with any new writers. The short answer is, "yes." The long answer is, "Yes, but we probably won't work together for at least two years." The truth is – I have a lot of "new writers" that I already want to work with. Look at Postcards - the less-established writers, guys like Chris Stevens and Jay Busbee – I've known them for close to four years at this point. The second volume of Postcards currently has seven writers that I'd consider "new" and I've known each of them for over two years.

So, yeah, I'm looking for new writers. But that doesn't mean I'm looking to publish new writers starting with my next book.

I've met a lot of great writers over the past several years. Some of them came to me and some of them I've found. Some of them I've managed to get into anthologies I've edited (Western Tales of Terror and now Postcards) and some of them I've decided to edit their graphic novels or comic projects (like Eric Hobbs' Broadcast and JJ Khars' Rose Colored Crash). But they all have one thing in common – before I agreed to work with them in any capacity I talked to them several times, over the phone and usually face-to-face. I got to know them. I got a grasp on their limitations and their strengths.

It's important that an editor has a strong working relationship with a writer. An editor needs to understand what can be expected and how good a writer can get and the only way to have that understanding is if a) the editor is very familiar with the writer's published work or b) the editor is very familiar with the writer.

It's also important to me is that I become comfortable with how a writer conducts themselves in public. I have to admit, I'd be more willing to work with a socially inept artist than writer. A good artist is hard to find and if someone can put down some gorgeous work that's all I need. I don't ask artists to do any extra promotion. If they want to take part in some of the promotional stuff that's cool, but as far as I'm concerned – they put in their time when they drew their pages. They spent hours in front of that table rendering a single page of script. Once I get those high-res scans their job is finished.

The writer's job, however, isn't done yet. They're the ones that I expect to take part in interviews and signings. They're the ones that I depend on to participate in the podcasts and roundtables. The writers become the public face for the book if I'm not around. That's part of the job, in my opinion. I prefer any writer I work with be someone I can trust representing me when I'm not around. And that's not something I get out of one email. In fact, here's how it'll usually go down…

You ask, "Can I send you some samples of my work?"

Are the samples illustrated? If all you have is a script, come back when you have a comic. If you can't find someone to illustrate a couple of pages of your story it means: a) it's not good or b) you don't know how to work with people.  Neither of those choices makes you look all that attractive. I'd sooner read someone's short story than a comic script.

So I get your samples and I read them. I usually assume what you're sending me is the best you have and if the best you have is good but not great my answer will likely be, "I need to see more. Can you send me your new stuff as it comes out?" I'll also give feedback, most likely, just to see how you respond to feedback. You'll be surprised how many folks respond with a two page email explaining their artistic choices and telling me why I'm wrong. I could be wrong, sure. And I've confessed to being wrong many times. But if you go straight for a defensive posture and start lobbing grenades at me I don't care how wrong I may be, we're done.

If I don't like the work I'll probably just say it's not my thing. There won't be any critique. If I'm head-over-heals for the work, I'll set up a phone call.

We'll chat about a bunch of stuff, not just comics. I'll try to find out where you have an online presence. Blogs, social networking sites, message boards – I do a little snooping, yes. I also try to find out if we'll be in the same area anytime soon. Conventions are always a good rendezvous point. I also tend to travel a lot and, if you're coming to DC, I have no problem with grabbing a drink with you since I'll likely be drinking anyway.

As you can see, it's sort of like a job interview with me. And this is just so I can see if I want to work with you. If I decide I do, I still need to find something we can work together on. I have anthologies I put together, sure, but right now there's only POSTCARDS. I hope to get some more books started but even if I do we're talking limited real estate.

I tend to edit graphic novels on spec. Not an entire 140-page project, of course, but enough to get it to the pitch stage. At any rate, it's still work for me so I have to really love it and believe in it to sign on with it.

So saying that I'm looking for folks to work with doesn't mean I have something right now. It just means I believe in new blood. It means that you can certainly send me some samples. It means that one day we could work together on some project. But that's really all it means.

I think you need to go into it knowing that. I think you should establish a relationship before asking for work. And this goes for any editor, really. Maybe it's just me, but there are few things that burn me up more than a writer I've never met before, whose work I've never read, writing me an email and asking if they can be in some project they read about on the internet (right now that'd be Postcards: California Dreaming). It just feels like you think you're already there – that your stuff is as good as the stuff I'm currently working with, you don't need an editor, and you don't care all that much about where your work ends up as long as it's printed somewhere. It's insulting to me and my book.

Besides, don't you know it's harder for someone to say no if they like you? I guess what I'm saying is, plan for a couple of projects down the road, not the next one. There's no rush…

____________________________________

If you want to get an idea of an up-and-coming writer that's doing it right, in my opinion, you should get in touch with Elton Pruitt. He contacted me a little over a year ago just to introduce himself. He'd check in with me now and again and send me whatever short comic he recently completed and ask for some feedback. I soon realized that he was doing this with a lot of different editors. But he wasn't annoying about it. His correspondences didn't feel like auditions. He wasn't kissing my ass every time, either. He's a nice guy. The guy you cheer for. And he was listening – he was improving. I found that he was getting pieces published in various anthologies. His writing wasn't the Best Thing I've Ever Seen but it was certainly good. I thought he could benefit from a good editor. So when it came time to put together my pitch-list for Postcards 2 I included him. He never once asked for it – I just knew we could work together and I wanted to give him his shot to be alongside some great creators in a great book. And his pitch was good. His script, after several revisions, was also good. I imagine you'll see him in the book.

He took his time, improved his craft, and kept reminding me that he existed. By doing so, we're working together less than two years later. He'll likely be in a book that'll be great exposure for him and cut him a check for his creator-owned story. I'd say Elton's the kind of guy you should study a little bit.

Labels: editorial-control, jasonrodriguez

My job is to support you. I help you pull a thought out of your brain. I help you nurture it. I talk to you about what we’re going to do with it once we’re ready to harvest it. I help you process it – I help you make it work. Together we package the idea – try it out – repackage it – repeat. We isolate what’s right and we discard the rest. We build it up and we cut it down.

Repeat.

I live by the big picture. We chart a course and I keep you on it. You have a scene that’s the funniest thing you’ve ever written and I tell you that you’ll have another opportunity to use it. I let you know what doesn’t belong and let you know when you’re too afraid to go where we agreed you should go. I pat you on the back when you do a good job and will ask for a complete redo if it isn’t working.

Repeat.

I go from idea to pitch to synopsis to outline to story to script to thumbnails to pencils to inks to tones to letters and give input at every step. I package it up. I guide the design. I copyedit and take care of the front, back and filler matter. I look at several potential covers and oftentimes suggest a different approach. All the while I listen to your inputs and stay in line with your vision. If we wander too far, we go back to the beginning.

And we repeat.

I get it to the printer and spend days repeatedly reading the proof. I come up with marketing ideas. I set up interviews and meetings and spend hours on the internet and in libraries looking up new contacts and new places to promote the work. I organize signings. Shake a lot of hands. Make a lot of phone calls. I make sure the book is well represented online and in print. I protect the brand – I understand what can be ignored and what can be harmful. I protect against the potentially harmful weeks in advance.

Repeat.

All the while I’m looking for new books. New talent. New ideas. I contact a new creator once a day. My contact list is filled with hundreds of writers and artists that I’ve been watching. I know their likes and dislikes, where they live and what’s going on in their towns, their spouses’ names, how many kids they have, their favorite teams, their pets’ names, and their favorite comics. I know what their dream project is and I want to help them make it happen.

I’m the editor. People often ask me what I do and my answer is, “What do you want me to do?” This new column is going to go a bit deeper into that answer. It is going to be various musings on storytelling, deadlines, tools, marketing, production…the things I do everyday. I will be candid. I will say what worked and what I’ll never bother doing again. I will speak from experience but also think about what’s next – what I haven’t tried yet.

I will be cross-posting this on several public forums. You can read it on the Eximious Blog, DC Conspiracy Blog, Art DC boards, my MySpace page, and my Engine Ning blog. Hopefully there will be discussions on all of those forums. Columns will be posted when I feel like posting, but it’ll likely be at least weekly.

That’s all for now – I look forward to talking to you.

Labels: editorial-control, jasonrodriguez

Lots of blogging today. Laid out in bed does that, I guess. I wish I could get to my desktop - that's where I keep most of my files and the Adobe Suite - I think it's time to rethink my computer set-up. At any rate, I figured I'd share some of the novel I'm working on. It doesn't have a title yet. It's a coming-of-age story that takes place in Brooklyn during the late 1980s. I'm only around 15k words in but I expect to get a lot of it down this week. At any rate, the first part of chapter one...et me know what you think so far...

Peter dives behind a wood-paneled station wagon, tearing a hole in his jeans – blood takes shape around the newly-formed scrape and for a moment all he can think about is the mass amount of rubbing alcohol his mother was going to pour on it. A Brooklyn Cut, as his mother calls it, has so much grime and splintered glass that adequate treatment involves marinating in alcohol and the application of an iodine rub before wrapping it in gauze and bandages. According to her, this treatment is only necessary for scrapes acquired in Brooklyn (hence the name), as if Brooklyn streets are filthier than any other surface in the entire world. Oddly this is more a badge of honor than a reason for disgust as, according to Peter’s mother and mostly everyone else living in Carroll Gardens, everything is better in Brooklyn, including the filth.

As he reaches up to check for the potential bump on his head, however, and his hand comes down with a clump of hair, he realizes the treatment his mother is going to apply to his knee is the least of his problems.

None of the adults in Carroll Gardens truly comprehend how bad Halloween is these days, evident by the fact that the adults still send kids to school on Halloween. It’s the kids fault, really. The kids try to tell their parents what it’s like and end up repeating the most vicious of rumors and urban legends. The parents hear tales of MacGyver-esque combinations of eggs, razor blades, battery acid, bleach and other corrosive elements and think that the kids are just trying to get out of school. Parents can’t comprehend that the Rizzuto boys, who can’t even get a grasp on fifth-grade science, know how to extract the yolk from an egg and turn the shell into a home-grown delivery system for some low-grade chemical warfare agent. And if the Rizzuto boys can’t figure it out, there’s no way that the kids coming over from the Red Hook Projects know how to do it, either. So they smile as their children are begging to stay home, on the verge of tears, and tell them, “One day you’ll be the one throwing eggs on Halloween. It’s how we do things in Brooklyn.”

Peter was sure his mother was not going to believe that he was hit with a Nair egg and this unfortunate incident was going to lead to a long, horrible night and a punishment, most likely. The last time Peter lost a chunk of his hair was when he tried to shave his non-existent beard with his father’s razor. He denied everything, prompting his mother to drive him to the hospital, convinced that her child has developed a rare form of acute-cancer. Once at the hospital, Peter’s fear of needles greatly outweighed the fear of his mother and he reluctantly confessed that he didn’t have a terminal illness. The words were harsh and the slap on the ass stung, but the punishment was severe – two whole months. No TV. No radio. No comics. He couldn’t even read books unless it was part of a school assignment. This time it was going to be even worse. Telling his mother he was hit with a Nair egg is the same this as telling his mother that she was wrong. And you can never tell Peter’s mother that she was wrong.

Then everything goes black for Peter as a body falls on top of him, putting a knee in his groin and a hand in his face. “Fuck. Sorry,” Tony says as he pushes off of Peter, ready to lunge for the next car. Tony pauses to smile at Peter’s bald patch and quickly realizes that this may not be funny. Yet. “Holy shit! They got Nair eggs?”

“At least. Where’s Ron?”

“Fuck if I know.” Tony makes a motion to dive for the green minivan but pauses once again to punch Peter on the shoulder. “Beaver,” he says, pointing at the wood-trimmed station wagon that’s providing them protection from the onslaught of eggs and, one can assume by the broken window two blocks back, shaving cream covered rocks. With that Tony is off to the next car, avoiding the eggs that seem to be tracking his movements down President Street. Peter looks back up towards Henry Street to see if there’re any sign of Ron. He is either getting beat-up pretty bad right now or he managed to find an escape route on one of the cross streets. The latter seems impossible, however, since these mini-Pattons funnel kids down President Street.

They post sentries on the corners to block off access to Union since that’s where the police station is, the only building of refuge on Halloween (the church is smart enough to keep its doors locked). A second group of egg throwers shimmy down the other side of the street, keeping kids pegged behind cards so that the sweepers can come around and pick them off as they huddle on the ground, too scared to move. At any rate, there’s nothing Peter can do to help Ron at this point and it’s only a matter of time before the sweepers converge on him to do their job – he’s been in one place for too long.

Peter makes a break for the next car, amidst screams of He’s moving, get him!, and, stop running, faggot! Eggs whiz by his head, one hits his backpack and another gets him on the shoulder. None in his hair and none in his eyes – that’s all he can hope for at this point. He sees Tony several cars ahead of him now. Tony apparently decided to ditch strategy and he’s simply running as fast as he can. All of the egg throwers are swarming towards him – it’s like blood in the water. Peter takes advantage of the situation and runs back the way he came from, staying low, and makes a break for Henry Street, in the direction of Carroll – where a few roamers will hang out but nothing compared to the concentrated forces you see on President. Two people come after him once they realize he’s getting away but their screams aren’t heard by the ravenous hordes cornering Tony, the main target at the moment, and the two pursuers decide to give up the chase and make their way to the easier target.

Peter’s escape from the firing squad doesn’t signal the end of his ten-block journey home, however. He now finds that he has to choose between crossing the BQE via the Summit Street Bridge, the one area where there’s no cover whatsoever and a team of two egg throwers could overwhelm a lone kid, or go all the way down to Hamilton Avenue and cross 42s - Junior High territory. As he nears the bridge, Peter takes comfort in the fact that it seems abandoned. He could see his house on Woodhull Street in the distance – three blocks (plus the bridge) to go and it all looks clear. Sacred Heart’s church stands tall on the corner, its great cross, the tallest point in all of Carroll Gardens, seemingly forcing Jesus Christ to be the bridge’s guardian on this Halloween.

Peter puts his head down and runs towards the bridge’s steps.

Labels: jasonrodriguez, novel

Recently, I talked a bit about the horrible experience of getting my headshots taken at the JC Penny Portrait Studio in the Springfield Mall. I never even went to pick up the pictures. I was content with the fact that Random House and Olsson's Books was content with the fact that Noel Tuazon's sketches of me were awesome.

Well...that didn't last long. Someone requested headshots for a newspaper feature and they didn't want to use the sketch. And I need to get them out ASAP.

Robin grabbed the camera and while we still had some daylight left we went outside and took some photos. I think I have one I'm happy with. Without further ado...a headshot that's good enough for now:

Labels: jasonrodriguez, material

My new office set-up is 95% complete. I figured I'd share it with you folks while it still looks moderately tidy. I uploaded the pictures to Flickr and added some notes so you can sort of take a virtual tour of the workspace. Enjoy!

Labels: jasonrodriguez, material

Every night I sit at my computer and dedicate some time to making comics. I’ll sometimes have a glass of scotch while I work or some beer but, usually, I enjoy a couple of glasses of wine. Robin and I tend to keep around 12 bottles in the house at all times so I'll have something for almost any snack I'm munching on or mood I'm in. I honestly think wine is an integral part of my creative process - it soothes me. It keeps my mind focused. Because of that, I think I'll be adding a new tag to this blog - DrinkyDrink. I'll occasionally talk wine, liquor, and beer - the fuel behind many of my books.

Robin and I went out towards Shenandoah today for a little wine tasting. We ended up hitting four vineyards and brought home seven bottles. She's been taking summer classes and I've been busy traveling so it was nice to just spend some time together, drive out west a bit, leave the cell phones on mute and in the glove box, and just cut loose.

The first vineyard we went to was Linden. This place has been recommended to us several times and we finally got around to going. A decent tasting - $4 per person and there were five wines on the list. I liked the Cabernet Franc but not enough to spend $28 on it. We bought a bottle of their excellent Riesling. I'm not a big Riesling fan, they're usually too sweet for me, but this one had only 2% residual sugar and, as a result, the individual fruits’ smells and tastes really came out. It's a good wine to drink chilled, while sitting outside with the laptop, and snacking on wasabi peas - something with bite to it. I'd prefer to edit action stories while drinking it, I think, because when I'm in a summer environment all I can think about, usually, is explosions and blockbusters. So, Kill All Monsters, essentially.

After the tasting Robin and I sat outside, had some cheese, some wine, and enjoyed the view. But, as mentioned, I kept picturing giant monsters coming over the mountains, knocking down trees and burning the grapes.

Ah...summer.

We stopped at Oasis Vineyards next. It was a standard tasting but only two bucks - mainly because they were out of their brut which was too bad, I was looking forward to it. I did enjoy the Cabernet Sauvignon, however, enough to buy two bottles. Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese wines (particularly from Chianti, of course) are my POSTCARDS wines. They're indoor wines for me, perfect for reading on the couch (especially if I'm reading used postcards) or taking phone calls in the office. They clear my mind and narrow my focus. POSTCARDS is an indoor book. I buy the cards inside dusty antique shops filled with soft light and minimal air conditioning. I tend to work on the book in the early evening - blinds opened up to let just enough sunlight come in. It puts me in the period - people settling down for the night and taking care of their postcard writing before going to bed. The oak in the wines helps transport me to these simpler times.

It's no surprise that I did most of my POSTCARDS work in the fall and winter - great for staying indoors and enjoying the ambiance out the window without falling victim to the cold.

Rappahannock Cellars was next. They were very accommodating. Two flights to choose from - one for stainless steel wines and one for oaks. I chose the oak-flight and Robin just drank the whites from both flights. We ended up purchasing the stainless steal Chardonnay and the Rose from Rappahannock - two wines that transport me back to childhood, for some reason. I think it's the fruity undertones, they get my brain going and thinking about slice-of-life stories and autobiographies. It's the kind of wine I'd drink while working on anything with Chris Stevens - so, at the moment, Dream Compass and the Sam Cooke book. These wines open me up to poetry and music and childhood and 90% of the time that's what Chris and I are talking about.

At Rappahannock we ran into our friends Paul and Warren from Virginia Wine Time. Robin works with Warren and we occasionally go to his wondeful dinner parties. They're true wine connoisseurs - I talk about what wines go well with what comic books while they plan out five course meals with a wine for each item. They host great dinner parties - I make great comics. Means, ends: justified.

Our last vineyard was Gray Ghost. They were having their 13-year anniversary and for ten dollars you received:

1) Unlimited tastings of their Seyval Blanc, Chardonnay, Victorian White (stainless steel, fruity Chardonnay), Vidal Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Victorian Red (an excellent Rose).
2) One tasting of their Reserve Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer (G-Wine), and Adieu (late harvest Vidal Blanc)
3) $2 off any bottle of wine.

Needless to say - this is where we got drunk. We took full advantage of the unlimited tastings - next thing we know we're eating BBQ sandwiches, chocolate dipped cheesecakes, and rice krispie treats. We ended up buying the Victorian Red and White, mainly because they were cheap and sweet and, at that point, sweet was a selling point and cheap is always a bonus. We'll be back at Gray Ghost in November, however, for their 2004 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Gala Release Party so we'll spend more time considering what wines to take home.

We headed back to Arlington and now it's back to making comics, armed with seven new bottles of fuel.

Labels: drinkydrink, jasonrodriguez

I was just cleaning out my phone and came across some pictures I took that are worth sharing. The first picture I snapped at the Barnes & Nobles at Tysons Corner Mall. Elk's Run (a book I edited) had great shelf space.



I love seeing Elk's Run on the shelves. I saw it at an airport, recently, and at Union Station in The District - two stores that didn't have a lot of real estate dedicated to graphic novels. It's nice to see book stores supporting it like that.

The next one is from the Borders at Pentagon City. Mike Carey, Sonny Liew, and Marc Hempel's Re-Gifters, the second offering from DC's teen-girl-centric Minx line, shelved with manga.



Two interesting things: 1) Minx's first book, Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg's PLAIN Janes (an excellent read, by the way), was in the graphic novel section and 2) I love the "Seen the anime, now read the manga!" sign placed right above the book. By the way - every bookstore I've been to recently has been stacking these Minx books DEEP.

The next picture is of a snowboard I saw at some shop in Jersey last December. I bought my sister a new snowboard for Christmas and we were getting some bindings on it.



It jumped out at me as a James Jean design instantly. I asked the guy working the store if I was right and he said he never heard of James Jean. I had to verify it later.

The last two pictures aren't really comic-related but I love some smart marketing. This was sent to the office last week:




I tell you what - I'm going to check out Jericho now. Good job.

Labels: jasonrodriguez, material

...I like to get a good hearty “fuck you” from an editor – my work for this week is done!"

- Elton Pruitt, in response to me...well...you can figure it out.

Labels: jasonrodriguez, material, quotes

...in dental work. Thankfully my insurance covered more than half of it but not much more. Why is this relevant to this blog? Because I'm filling cracks in my teeth that I've obtained from grinding them together. These cracks weren't there six-months ago. Over the past six months, however, I've been really, really stressed trying to get POSTCARDS wrapped up. This stress has led to an increase in teeth grinding. This grinding has led to $1000 cracks.

And in two weeks they're doing the other side of my mouth.

Labels: jasonrodriguez, material

Well...the picture's getting clearer.

July 24th is when the book drops. When you wake up on July 24th, you'll be able to see my grill and hear my words within the pages of The Washington Post Express. If you're in The District, that article will inform you that you'll be able to find me at 7PM at Olsson's Books (Dupont store). I'll be signing copies of the book. If we get crafty about it, we'll have a gallery show. I have plenty of original art from the book.

What will I be doing before the 24th? There's my BBQ, on the 20th. You may get an invite for that. I will likely spend the morning of the 24th riding the train aimlessly, hoping that someone recognizes me while reading their copy of The Washington Post Express. I will sign a book for them and invite them to the Olsson's event. When they ask me, "Where are you off to?" I will make up some story about going to speak to my a) agent, b) publicist, or c) stylist despite the fact that a) he lives in LA, b) she lives in NY, and c) I style myself. Badly. I will likely get a massage in the afternoon since I have a left over gift certificate from my birthday. I will then crack open my bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue and allow myself one drink. I will then go to the signing, make note of who shows, and forever scorn those who don't come.

And then what of the 25th?

San Diego. I am off to San Diego.

And what do I have planned for San Diego?

Well, I need to have some face time with A LOT of people (so, if you want to schedule some of my time, do it now - otherwise, see you at the bar). I need to pitch some new projects. I need to gauge how Postcards: California Dreaming is coming along. I need to buy drinks for a lot of folks. And, of course, I need to promote Postcards: True Stories That Never Happened.

How?

I will have a signing at the Random House booth. I will be on the Villard panel. I will have a MEGA signing (expect around ten people) at a retailer booth...details being worked out. There will be...fun little things...all over the convention. The bars, the food courts, the coffee stands. If you find one of these things, you should pick it up, take it home, scan it, and email it to me. I will be your friend. We will have some items up for grabs at the CBLDF auction. A super-signed copy of the book and some original art. There are no times yet for anything, details are still being detailed, but that's why this is just a preview.

Who from Postcards will be at SPX? Stuart Moore, Michael Gaydos, Phil Hester, Tom Beland, Antony Johnston, Matt Kindt, James Powell, Jason Copland, Joseph Bergin III, Gia-Bao Tran, Micah Farritor, Tony Fleecs, Rick Spears, Rob G, and Bob Tinnell. A

What will you get if you manage to get a copy of the book signed by all of those folks? Props. And, where I come from, props are all you need.

And what of August?

Nothing. Yet. Surgery - I need to get elective surgery in August. I will be at SPX - that is the only thing that is certain. And my surgery. And a wedding and a Christening I must attend.

Labels: jasonrodriguez, postcards

I have a piece on Newsarama called, "I Heart Page 22." Go check it out.

Page 22. The page that causes me to laugh whenever someone tells me it’s only a matter of time before comics exist solely in trade and hardcover. Page 22 is Daredevil reborn and about to fight Nuke in the penultimate chapter of Frank Miller’s “Born Again.” Page 22 is NYC engulfed in white light after Ozymandias says, “I did it 35 minutes ago,” in Watchmen #11. Page 22 is little Virginia Applejack lying in the woods bleeding and broken at the end of Stray Bullets #2.

Labels: jasonrodriguez, linkylink

Action-packed mayhem in an apocalyptic future where giant monsters rule the earth. The world governments are backed against the wall and out of options, waging a war with their remaining planes and rockets, and slowly giving into their only option: extinction. But rumor is getting out that the African defense forces have created the only device that can destroy the giant monsters: Giant Robots.

This mini-series, edited by Jason Rodriguez, is written by Michael May and illustrated by Jason Copland. It is available for acquisition; please contact Jason Rodriguez with any questions.

Labels: jasonrodriguez, killallmonsters

A suspicious suicide takes place in a technologically-advanced society where implants allow people to see only what they want to see - with one exception: the detective who sees the world as it really is. In a world where perception is everything, how can this one woman convince its inhabitants that a murder has taken place and, more importantly, the killers are the people who are supplying them their utopia?

Written by JJ Kahrs and edited by Jason Rodriguez, this graphic novel is in its early stages of development.

Labels: jasonrodriguez, rosecoloredcrash

The story of a 22-year-old kid that comes up from the minors to play for the biggest media-team in the league and makes a legitimate run for Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak.

This project, written by Jason Rodriguez with an artist TBD, is in the early stages of development.

Labels: baseball, jasonrodriguez

With each passing generation the number of people who are aware of Sam Cooke's music dwindles. Sam Cooke was a gospel singer turned pop sensation during the height of the Civil Rights movement. His first pop-single, "You Send Me," was considered the first true cross-over hit after selling over two-million copies. He went on to dominate the music industry. His records flew off the shelves. "A Change is Gonna Come" became the anthem of the Civil Rights movement. Elvis and The Beatles wanted to be Sam Cooke.

And then he was murdered.

This graphic novel will focus on the man's life and his accomplishments. His drive from a young age, his ability to charm an entire crowd, and his unrelenting climb to the top of the pop-charts. Written by Jason Rodriguez and Chris Stevens and illustrated by Rob Guillory, the Sam Cooke project is available for acquisition. Contact Jason Rodriguez for further information.

Labels: jasonrodriguez, samcooke

Dream Compass is a graphic anthology written by Chris Stevens and illustrated by Art Adams, Jae Lee, James Jean, Farel Dalrymple, and more. Edited and packaged by Jason Rodriguez, the all-ages appropriate Dream Compass is composed of several stand-alone stories including: the adventures of a young Jane Goodall, a submarine crew's exploration of a submerged North America, a broken-down war veteran and his spoil of dogs, and more.

Dream Compass is available for acquisition - please contact Jason Rodriguez for further information.

Labels: dreamcompass, jasonrodriguez

The second volume of Jason Rodriguez's Postcards series. This time we're featuring 24 stories from well over 40 creators inspired by pre-1920, used, California-based Postcards. James W. Powell is back as assistant editor and we've added a history editor: Christina Rice from the Los Angeles County Library's History Department. Check back for more information as it's released.

Labels: jameswpowell, jasonrodriguez, postcards

You've seen them at flea markets and in antique shops and used bookstores across the country. Vintage postcards with handwritten notes from the past, evocative messages that capture a thought, an expression, a concern, a snapshot of someone's life once upon a time.

Jason Rodriguez has collected a remarkable array of these correspondences, dispersed them among thirty-three of comic's greatest creators, and asked them to each create a story about the person who sent it. The result is a vividly imagined, gorgeously rendered graphic novel anthology illustrating tales of romance, adventure, hardship, and mystery. In [POSTCARDS], these gifted artists share some of the most rich and inventive work of their careers.

[POSTCARDS] will be available on July 17th, 2007 from Villard Books, a division of the Random House Publishing Group. It features stories from Harvey Pekar, Joyce Brabner, & Matt Kindt, Phil Hester, Tom Beland, Stuart Moore & Michael Gaydos, and others.

Labels: jasonrodriguez, postcards

In an era filled with threat levels and faceless enemies, the people of Elk's Ridge have created their own slice of heaven--serene. Serene, safe, and completely cut off from the rest of the world. When the evils of the outside world start to invade, the townspeople will do anything that it takes to keep their existence intact... even murder. Forced to decide between a life of isolation and fear, or the unknown outside world, the teenagers of the town must face their parents and their own worst nightmares in a game of cat and mouse that can only end one way.

Jason Rodriguez was the editor on the critically-acclaimed and Harvey-nominated Elk's Run. The full color 8-issue series was originally published by Joshua Hale Fialkov's Hoarse & Buggy Productions for three issues. Necessity caused Fialkov to move the book to the now defunct Speakeasy Comics where the first three-issues were collected in a Bumper Edition (with a gorgeous cover from Darwyn Cooke) and the fourth issue made it to the shelves before the company went under. A year later, the entire story was collected by Villard Books, a division of the Random House Publishing Group, and can now be read in its entirety.

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Jason Rodriguez was the submissions editor for issue one and editor for issues 2 through 5 of the cult-indie hit Western Tales of Terror. Published by Joshua Hale Fialkov's Hoarse & Buggy Productions and featuring fan favorites like Steve Niles, Tony Moore, Tom Mandrake, and Phil Hester, the anthology had a successful run and even landed itself on Diamond's Top-300 Comics list.

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Jason Rodriguez got his comic book start as the submissions editor for Western Tales of Terror. After a month, he was promoted to editor and was asked to edit Joshua Hale Fialkov's 8-issue miniseries, Elk's Run. Elk's Run was collected and published by Villard Books in April 2007. Jason's newest project, Postcards: True Stories That Never Happened, is a collection of stories inspired by used, antique postcards he's collected over the years. The book, also being published by Villard, features stories from some of comics greatest creators.

Jason has several new projects in development and he's always looking to meet new talents. Feel free to contact him with any questions. He can also be found at The Moose in the Closet, MySpace, Twitter, LiveJournal, and Flickr.

Jason lives in Washington DC, where he's one of the original members of the DC Conspiracy, with his fiancée, Robin, his dog, Becky, his four cats, and a bird that drives him nuts.

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Jason Rodriguez
Email: jrod AT eximiouspress DOT com
Snail Mail:
Jason Rodriguez
PO Box 17851
Arlington, VA 22216-7851

James W. Powell
Email: james AT eximiouspress DOT com

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