An Open Letter to Joe Quesada

Dear Mister Quesada,

I’d like to formally apologize for the snarky aside I made about “Brand New Day” in the panel, even though it’s not on YouTube yet, and according to the modern digital world, it doesn’t exist. I’m not a huge Spidey fan, and I understand the want to maintain character longevity. I just feel like there are different ways to go about it; after all, Daredevil’s been outed twice, disbarred once, and has had several of his girlfriends die on him, not to mention spending time in prison. Granted, there was that whole Clone Saga, but seriously – compared to Ol’ Hornhead, Spidey has it real easy, and not once has Matt Murdock’s life been in need of a retroactive continuity change.

But, through all of that, you see one shining attribute – persistence. Matt Murdock doesn’t give up. Matt Murdock is the Rocky Balboa of superheroes. Sure, he has a radar sense, but other than that, he’s a physically normal human being, trying to stand toe to toe with the Clubber Langs and Ivan Dragos and the Kingpins. He gets beat down, stomped on, pushed to the limits of his sanity – he knows what comes, and he still keeps going. At times, it’s heroic, like Rocky I or IV; other times, it’s tragic, like Rocky Balboa or Rocky II. Other, other times, it’s just plain cheese, like Rocky V. It doesn’t matter. He just keeps going.

I’m positive this is the way with Spidey as well, but to me, Spiderman’s always been emblematic of what young life is. You struggle to find your way in the world, you meet the girl, you get the job, and you make your hard choices. But, at some point, I feel like Spiderman should be changing diapers. That’s just how it goes. You marry the girl, Aunt May dies, and after a long night of tears, you move on. You try to make sense of your life, and that’s where the kid comes in. You find a new purpose to keep doing what you’re doing, until you reach a kind of Quixotic end, where you decide, “You know what? Maybe the best death for a hero is a normal death. A quiet one, with friends and family. Nothing spectacular. No saving babies from a burning building, no brilliant fight to the end. Just the people who matter most.”

That’s the way I feel Spiderman should be. While Matt Murdock is Marvel’s Rocky Balboa – the enduring warrior, persistence in the face of suffering, triumph in the face of adversity – Spiderman is the one who says, “Once you get through it all, and you’ve had your hard times – life is pretty awesome.” He’s George Bailey, right at the end of “It’s A Wonderful Life”. Scratch that – he IS George Bailey. He’s a smart-alecky, swing-from-buildings, fight-the-Goblin George Bailey. He has some rough patches, but either by himself or with a little help, he always gets to swing above the clouds and see the sun.

So, for Matt Murdock’s sake, let Spidey have the kid. Let Aunt May die. While some heroes are made to suffer, and to quote Glenn Danzig, are “born in the soul of misery”, Spiderman is not one of them. He’s the hero that deserves something resembling a happy ending, and I sincerely hope that he gets it.

All the best,

Brian A. Lynch
a.k.a Brian St. Claire

Lucky Me, Great Weekend!

So, here is the latest Lucky Me story, Caduceus : Part Two. Enjoy.

On a side note, I’m very much looking forward to this weekend. I’ve got a couple of comics and things I’m bringing to get signed, I’m anticipating some great panels, and bringing a camera to catch the madness. Oh, and the spiffy new business cards – they’re coming with.

It should be a fantastic time.  Hope yours is just as good.
-Brian

Ends and Beginnings.

And so, two things draw to an end. My first semester as a graduate student, and the first arc of Lucky Me, with Part Six, which you can view here.

My first semester was all of the following:

• Challenging
• Difficult
• Not at all what I expected
• Conducive to alcoholism

(Kidding about the last one. In their defense, my teachers are fair, balanced, and overall cool people, as I imagine most good teachers to be.)

It has also made me realize the importance of being organized, and (shudder) planning ahead. I have no problem organizing; however, in the throes of concentration, organization becomes secondary, tertiary, and so on down the line.

However, this break, I will be working on the projects that I have been remiss about. I have scores of notes and character sketches that need to be organized and typed, and certain stories that need to be finished before new ones can begin.

And, of course, the second arc of Lucky Me will be among those new stories.

Take care, and look forward to more entries in the next few weeks.

-Brian

P.S. It has come to my attention that learning to draw well would be a useful skill for anybody trying to break into comics. If you know any good instructional books on drawing character anatomy (as in, lines \ structure), It would be much appreciated.

P.P.S I may be swearing off coffee for a while. We don’t have what one would call a “good understanding” of one another…

More Original Fiction Coming!

I swear, under penalty of great physical agony, that I’ll have more fictitious works in the months to come, and that it won’t just be that one short story I wrote. But, for now, there really isn’t much to give you.

Things, however, are fairly busy in the real world, with grad school kicking up several notches in importance, and certain things commanding my attention – namely, THIS.

I love it for being comprehensive, deep, and true to the character. Rather than just being a simple story of Superman living in Russia, it weaves him into the culture of the USSR, and becomes so much more of a tale than the usual “What If?” fare. It’s something that could be pulled out decades from now, while still retaining its initial impact.

I read something like that, Sandman, or DEMO, and there’s an indelible magic there. Something that speaks to both the adult and the inner child simultaneously, saying “Come play. We can do wonderful things.”

I take more steps towards being an adult every day (I pay bills on time, I don’t drink, and I recently bought a cardigan), but I feel that we are happiest when we pursue these fantastical things, and that finding something magical in your life should be of paramount importance.

-Brian