FINDING SUCCESS IN SURVIVAL

LegalDispatch 0.37

Howdy.

I can’t believe another week has gone by so quickly. Then again, I would swear on a stack of bibles that Thanksgiving was just last week…

This past week has brought with it the epiphany that my expectations about the Hollywood side of my work needs to change. But before getting into that, lemme widen out the apeture a bit and share some interesting statistics (or, at least, some statistics that I found interesting). According to Axios:

• Gallup found that only 20% of Americans say that they’re “thriving” at work.

• 62% are “indifferent” to their work lives.

• 18% are “miserable.”

And all that’s before we turn our gaze to the entertainment industry, where I can assure you the number of people who consider themselves “thriving” is much lower and the number of people who are “miserable” is much, much higher.

The other week, a friend of mine (who might have been quoting Jerry Seinfeld) said that “survival is the new success.” I just got back from a meeting with an extremely successful and powerful director who noted that things have gotten significantly worse in recent years. Two days ago, another friend told me that television shows, on the average, now take four years to go from pitch to streaming. Four. Years.

Meanwhile, most every writer I know is frustrated or miserable or both. Almost all are anxious about the prospect of a WGA strike in May and even those who aren’t hawkish about labor actions are coming around to the conclusion that something needs to change. My wife, a fellow showrunner, said that it’s time to consider teleplays the way I’ve long considered movies: A source of income with zero expectation they’ll ever go into production.

So what is one to do?

For myself, I’m grateful every day to have comic books as a creative outlet. Not only did I find some of the best people in my life through the comics industry, comics remains a medium that it just makes me happy and fulfilled to work in.

As for television and film… oof. The only solution that I can see is some version of my potentially-Jerry Seinfeld-quoting friend’s observation and my wife’s advice: Lower your expectations, get comfortable with the fact that most scripts won’t be produced, and adjust your definition of “success” to fit the current climate.

Although all that sounds rather dour, I’ve found embracing it to be the opposite. With lower expectations comes reduced pressure. I tend to put a lot of the latter on myself and reducing that pressure has been — for this week, at least — surprisingly liberating.

THIS PAST WEEK

In terms of work output, the big thing was hitting “send” on the script for the next Star Wars-related thing I’m doing. I can’t talk about it because it hasn’t been announced yet, but this one was as challenging as it was fun. Definitely a different version of Star Wars for me. Speaking of, I also did lettering notes on Han Solo & Chewbacca #8 — our antepenultimate issue.

I also did some retooling work on PROJECT ARTERY, which I’ll be diving back into with gusto. I’m very excited about where this one’s headed.

Finally, my wife Tara, several friends, committed individuals and I came together to support the fight for Reproductive Justice. Tara and I hosted at our home in Encino alongside the amazing and inspiring Emily Dell, Wendy Calhoun, Stephany Folsom, Sera Gamble, and Emmeline Yang Hankins. 

We learned from WRRAP (the Women’s Reproductive Rights Assistance Project) and ReproAction, raised some much-needed funds, and if it looks like a great party -- it was! Many thanks are due to the people and sponsors who made it possible, tagged below.

As I made clear in my opening remarks, I don’t see this as a women’s issue. It’s a human rights issue. It’s a freedom issue. It’s a democracy issue. Justice Thomas said the quiet part out loud in his concurring opinion in Dobbs when he announced that the majority’s decision laid the groundwork for the Supreme Court to overturn established precedent in order to strip Americans of rights they have come to hold dear: gay marriage, contraception, privacy, healthcare, and (although he didn’t mention it, I wonder why?) interracial marriage.

Erin Matson of ReproAction

Sylvia Ghazarian (a fellow comic fan!) of WRRAP

If you’re so inspired, please donate to WRRAP, ReproAction or the abortion fund of your choice. Or, even better, you can donate to add to the money we raised this week at: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/reprodonate.

@wrrapreprojustice • @reproaction • @coverfly • @dubostwinery • @ladyandlarder • @greenbardistillery • @stgeorgespirits • @casaricatequila • @drinkghia • @boisson.sips • @susiesuh • @jonathanlevit • @stephfolsom • @seragamble • @wendycalhoun • @emilyadell • @emmeliney

NEXT WEEK

It’s all PROJECT ARTERY all the time next week. But Monday, November 7, is also the FOC (final order cut-off) for Too Dead To Die, the graphic novel I’m publishing through Image Comics with Howard Chaykin.

If you’re so inclined, it would be a HUGE help if you went to or called your local comic book shop and pre-ordered it. In addition to some amazing bonus features by Jose Garcia Lopez and Michael Golden, we’re also including bookplates signed by Howard and yours truly for every ten issues ordered. Please tell your retailer to use Diamond Code SEP220161.

Be good to each other.

Best,

Marc

Encino, California

11.4.22