Five good conversations

Growth...so slow. So, so slow.

Hello,

It’s San Diego Comic-Con time! A time of excitement, packing, planning, and worrying.

This show can be—and has been—a rollercoaster. You’re in the belly of the beast, watching the best of the best talk about what they’re doing.

Whether it’s a small panel room or the 2,000- and 5,000-seaters, it can be 5 days of, “How do I get there?!” And it’s evil cousin, “Why aren’t I up there?!”

As I’ve been thinking about the show, I’ve been kicking around, “What’s my goal this year? What would make this a success?”

This year, I’ve got a bunch of new skills and an updated mindset, and I think I've come up with something that works for my mental and creative goals.

So yeah, this is going to be one of those newsletters where I spill my guts in hopes it connects to anyone else who’s feeling this and maybe offers some ideas that have helped me.

Here we go!

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ON MY MIND

I’ve mentioned the breakthroughs I’ve had recently that have truly brought a calm and peace to my head—specifically, “You only have control over yourself.”

So, with this lens in mind, I thought, “How can I have a successful SDCC experience where I’m in control?” And I came up with this:

This show will be a success if I have five good conversations.

It’s not perfect. To have a good conversation, you need someone else on the other side—and I don’t control them. But it’s actually perfect in the way it’s not perfect.

When I think about my favorite SDCC memories, they all go back to conversations I’ve had with other creative people. Friends, new friends, creators—these are the moments that I leave walking on a cloud and ready to take on the world.

In the past, my biggest crashes have been when I went in thinking, “This is the year I make that contact that changes EVERYTHING!”

That moment HAS NEVER HAPPENED. Maybe it’s me. Maybe it’s a flawed plan to begin with. Either way, it’s led to a lot of bad headspaces.

So, GOOD conversations are the goal. And here’s where the flaw in the plan works for me: It’s going to keep me engaged and open-minded.

If I’m LOOKING for good conversations, I can’t turtle into my own head. It becomes a bit like that salesman cliché of liking a “no” because it means they’re getting closer to a “yes.”

So if I try to strike up a conversation and it doesn’t go anywhere, that’s fine. A new conversation is right around the corner.

It also puts me in control—I’m talking. I’m participating. I’m saying yes.

It also keeps me on the lookout for the type of conversations that mean the most to me. Real, authentic conversations that revolve around passions.

I’m a terrible dinner party guest, cuz I just don’t care about “Did you hear about this?” types of conversations. I don’t gossip.

But! If it’s you, me, and someone else talking about music, writing, creating, etc., I’m your man!

And ya know what, I’m a fucking DELIGHT to talk to about your passions! 😊

I ask damn good questions! I want to know about what you’re working on. I want you to know that you’ll have a random guy just north of Boston rooting for you.

Last year, I talked to a filmmaker for a few minutes about a film she was about to send out on the festival circuit. I hope I run into her and hear how it went—I’ve been thinking about her this whole year.

Also, strategically, I’ve got a year under my belt of mental work—skills, insights, and truths that need to be stress-tested a bit.

It’s time to find out what’s working, what’s not, and whether I can handle the ups and downs without reverting to old habits.

After typing all that, am I jealous of the people who skip into SDCC—or really anywhere—without a care in the world? 100%!

But I’m me—or at least this version of me right now—so we’re gonna do the best we can with what we got.

Five good conversations. That’s the goal. And if I can do that, it’ll be a helluva trip.

ON MY MIND—Tiny thought

Putting all this together was a reminder that, man, this is a long, slow journey.

I can honestly say I’m happy with where I’m at, especially looking back even a year ago and definitely 3-4 years ago.

And I know how much better I’ll feel if I keep on the path and doing the work—but fuck if I’m not in the middle-slog of it all. Where it’s about the slow, boring process of putting one foot in front of the other.

So if you’re in your own slow slog, knowing you’re doing the work and REALLY wishing that finish line would hurry up and get here, you’re not alone. I’m right there with you.

It’s hard. It’s slow (fifth time I’ve used that word…can you guess which aspect is really annoying me these days?). It’s a slog. But it’s worth it now and will be worth it even more later.

Slogs are supposed to be clumsy—where you look uncomfortable. Like you’ve never walked before.

Unless you’re Charlize Theron, apparently. I saw The Odyssey the other day, and there’s this scene where she’s walking through mid-calf, active surf, on a beach, and she’s just…gliding through the water.

It was so elegant in a moment that no mortal being should look elegant. I swear, if you told me she was built in a lab, I’d believe you.

Sorry…where was I?

RIGHT!

Remember—there’s a random guy just north of Boston rooting for you.

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HENRY

After a couple of weeks in the cone and medication, our boy is in the clear!

COOL THINGS TO SUPPORT

SHITKICKERS #1 and #2 — Rude, Crude, Sci-Fi Action w/ ‘Tude

SHITKICKERS is a series that lives somewhere between the humor of the Jump Street films and the high-stakes action of Guardians of the Galaxy—with a little Starship Troopers for garnish, and it sounds like this. Think Lethal Weapon meets Green Lantern.

But underneath the dick jokes and bad attitudes, this is a story about fighting against a system designed to oppress, even if it takes you a while to realize the side you should be fighting for isn’t the side you’re on. It’s about finding your place in the universe, with a little help from your friends, and about the importance of chosen family. It’s about telling your past to screw off so you can carve out your own future.

SINK YOUR TEETH IN #1-2: Mature Sapphic Noir Chicago Vampire
An undead PI hunts a missing vamp, facing ancient Mob Families, corrupt cops, & a past she buried to survive.

Chicago is a vampire town. Has been for years. And Corsica Smith barely sees any of it. Having long since fallen from her once-powerful place in the city’s elite, she scrapes by as a bottom-rate private eye.

Florence Carmichael thought she was done with Corsica. Decades of silence and a messy break-up seemed to be the final straw between her and the woman she turned into a vampire over half a century ago.

But now that she’s facing an impossible situation and in more danger than she’s ever been, can Florence and Corsica figure their sh*t out, or will the supernatural rising tensions in the city be their downfall?

ALPHA CAT #2
The interstellar action rages on as Alpha and his crew battle pirates and fight to unlock the mystery of an ancient robot artifact.

Alpha Cat is a high-energy, all-ages sci-fi romp with Pixar heart and Looney Tunes chaos. It’s Star Trek with animals by way of Ratchet & Clank… a kinetic, character-driven adventure about a former soldier learning to let go of the past and embrace the thrill of exploration again.

After being a soldier in the devastating Insect Wars, Alpha and his crew are exploring the galaxy. They come across a distress call and an ancient robot temple, which hides a powerful secret. Scoundrels are captured, and artifacts are recovered, but events have now been set in motion that raise troubling questions. Is the Insect Imperium gathering strength again? Why did most of the robots retreat to Robot Moon after the war? What is the true purpose of the hidden robot temples? And why are they suddenly being attacked by space pirates?

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UNTIL NEXT TIME

I think I’ve circled a date for the Universal Champion #1 launch, so when I get back, I’llo dive back into the Kickstarter world.

Have a great day, and I’ll see ya after the SDCC adventure.

All the best. Make the thing