2009 in Review

Posted by Bob Greenberger on December 31, 2009

We’ve grown accustomed to using the change of the calendar to take stock, look back at what happened and plan for the future. Now that I have completed two full years of freelance, I thought it made sense to see what was working and what was not.

The good news is that I developed a wide and diverse client list which made it somewhat easier to ride out the rough economy compared with some of my peers. On the other hand, even with that attribute, my income for 2009 was off by just about 40% compared with 2008. That’s a steep drop and to be honest, the spotty cash flow also proved quite troubling in the spring and summer. Couple that with a number of very cool but very low paying projects and suddenly you’re not making what you need to in order to cover your expenses.

Also of concern was the high number of near-misses: projects that people seemed interested in but then delays or problems occurred at the other end which prompted outright rejections or no action whatsoever.  As a result, I look at 2010 as a year of rebuilding, new proposals, new pitches and with luck some new clients to keep things percolating.

On the other hand, looking at what I did manage to accomplish, I am quite pleased with the variety of work.

For Avalanche Comics Entertainment I managed two different web comic strips we produced for Microsoft plus did a lot of development work which I hope will lead to work in 2010.

I wrote four essays for a book on mistakes made in Europe during World War II. There was also the essay for Sequart Research & Literacy Organization’s forthcoming Batmania book and a Green Hornet short story for Moonstone’s prose anthology (and the Captain Midnight story I wrote in 2008 is now scheduled for May publication).

I did a ton of writing for DC Comics including researching the big project and writing the first issue (which will be formally announced soon), an issue of Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and some special projects work. Then there was The Essential Superman Encyclopedia where I dropped everything and spent the spring writing the J-Z entries (look for that in August). That was followed by Wonder Woman: Amazon. Hero. Icon. which will see print in April.

I wrote the Howard Chaykin Retrospective, which has led to offers of writing similar works for Dynamic Forces in 2010.

I wrote an issue of a media tie-in comic for IDW (which they will announce over the winter).

For Marvel, I wrote several articles for their Spotlight magazine along with dust jacket copy for nine of their hardcovers.

I wrote my second Batman young readers’ book for Stone Arch (which will be out in a few weeks).

For Star Trek Magazine, there were a few articles then biographical sidebars to all the major performers’ interviews in the three issues dedicated to the wonderful new film. And for TwoMorrows’ Back Issue I did a piece on the Secret Society of Super-Villains. Then there was my concluding editorial work on the final issue of Write Now!

I also did copy editing for a company which I hope will lead to more work with them in the New Year. Similarly, I spent April and May doing work for a start-up comics company that remains in ramp up mode which may or may not desire additional services.

Overall, not bad productivity and in many ways I am very eager to see what the next year brings. The best times, in some ways, are when the phone calls and e-mails unexpectedly arrive, with offers of work, meaning someone out there thinks well enough of you, your work, and your professionalism to hire you. That didn’t happen often enough in 2009.

To one and all, may you have a happy and safe New Year’s.

The 2009 Reading List

Posted by Bob Greenberger on December 30, 2009

Tomorrow I will complete reading my 65th book of the year, which is closer to my normal reading and nearly double what I managed in 2008. As usual, I saw to it I read new authors while indulging in old favorites.

Of the 65 read, a higher percentage than usual is Star Trek titles, catching up from last year and still not entirely there. Five of the books on this list are my required reading as a judge for the 2010 Scribe Awards. Not listed here are the short stories consumed as one of the final judges to serve on a Nebula Awards jury.

Among the highlights for the year include the engaging Pictures at a Revolution, about five films that showed the changes fortunes of 1960s Hollywood; Bill Schelley’s excellent biography of Joe Kubert, Man of Rock; Connie Willis’ Doomsday Book, George Crile’s Charlie Wilson’s War; Laura Anne Gilman’s Flesh and Fire, and perhaps most engaging of all was Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Beyond actual books, I devoured the usual assortment of newspapers, magazines, graphic novels, and comic books. When addressing the fifth graders last month, I outlined my daily reading, from print to the web, and there were a lot of dropped jaws. I love reading and can’t imagine life without works to stimulate the mind and enrich the soul.

Behind the cut is the 2009 list for those curious few: WAIT! There is more to read… read on »

A Small Personal Triumph

Posted by Bob Greenberger on December 29, 2009

For as long as I remember, I have had the nervous habit of biting my fingernails. For years, Deb was after me to stop biting them and about five years back, I made myself a New Year’s resolution to stop.

Slowly, but surely, I have stopped, almost a finger at a time. About two years ago, I managed to keep away from the eight fingers. Sometime in the last year, it was down to one thumb.

I noticed on the cruise ship the second thumb needed a trim. I appear to have finally conquered this habit.

Of course, now I just need to develop the habit of knowing when to trim them. According to Deb and Kate, I overcompensate and let them grow too long. But hey, this is still somewhat new to me.

Still, I will take this small victory of Will Power.

A (Belated) Christmas Note

Posted by Bob Greenberger on December 28, 2009

The following was written and scheduled to go live Christmas Day, but a technical glitch prevented that. I still wanted to share this with you:

Losing a week in December to the much-needed vacation meant some changes to the holiday routine. Moving a piece of the wall unit to the Living Room also necessitated some modifications to the traditions. As a result, this Christmas season has felt just a tad disjointed.

We decided to move the Christmas tree to the Dining Room, sticking it in the corner where the dogs’ bed currently resides. That got moved out of the way but still in the room, making things a tad cozier. It also led to buying a somewhat smaller tree which meant a reduction in the number of ornaments, despite the growth in the collection.

Losing a week forced us to buy, wrap, and ship the gifts early, which is always my personal goal. We had the packages in the mail by the 7th with the last of the cards in the mail a day or so later.

The lost week did mean less time for baking and our cookie production, usually prodigious and tasty, didn’t begin until Wednesday. Kate and Deb began a few batches before switching to pie and muffin production and then swung back to a few more cookies. Thankfully, our sister-in-law Jennifer likes to bake (but doesn’t want too many cookies in her house) so today she brings us her bounty.

Having Kate around was wonderful this week, but still, especially when it came to decorating the tree or hearing certain holiday songs, Robbie’s absence is as strong as ever. On our way home from Long Island on Monday, we stopped by to visit his grave but the entire field was still covered in deep snow so even the plant we left before the vacation, was hidden.

We’re adjusting, but this was always such a special time of year for him that we can’t do things without stopping and wiping away a tear. Normally, Christmas Eve was always an outing to the movies to keep him occupied before the vigil mass. Instead, the three of us ate pasta and watched Christmas TV specials. Today, we didn’t open gifts until after Deb and Kate sang at the 10 a.m. mass. His empty stocking continues to hang with ours and his absence keenly felt.

A warm, Merry Christmas to one and all.

Continuing my Public Service

Posted by Bob Greenberger on December 23, 2009

Losing the election was a real kick in the teeth and while I campaigned, somewhat confident in my getting re-elected, I did tell our First Selectman I was hedging my bets. In September I leaned over to him at a meeting and said, “Keep me in mind for appropriate boards and commissions in case I lose.” He looked at me as if I spoke to him in Klingonese.

No sooner did I lose than I reminded him of this and we met for breakfast the following week and spoke at length. The bottom line was that I intended to continue serving the public in some capacity because I strongly believe in giving back to the community.

A few weeks later he called with a few suggestions, most of which I did not feel were good fits for one reason or another. He then brought up the Greater Bridgeport Regional Planning Agency. This is a six town organization that takes a look at the Big Picture when public works projects skirts town borders. This way we work together rather than possibly butt up against each other’s projects. There are three reps from Fairfield and one had just resigned to take up a new post.

Having served on the region 2 Cable Advisory Council I have some idea about Big Picture initiatives and thought this would be a good match. The Board of Selectmen met in late November and quickly approved my appointment. The somewhat funny aspect was that I would then have to be approved by the Representative Town Meeting.

I was invited to meet my prospective fellow members at their annual dinner right before Thanksgiving. The people all seem very nice and they handed out their annual report so I have some reading to do to come up to speed before my first meeting in late January.

The committee meetings I would have had to appear before were the week we were away so I dutifully reported to the two committee chairs and the moderator that I would be unable to attend but expressed my desire to serve and availability to appear at the monthly meeting, which was on Monday.

Upon returning home that day, I found a call from Moderator Jim Walsh inviting me to lead the RTM in the Pledge of Allegiance. It was very weird walking in just before 8, being greeted by our town clerks, and not talking strategy with my peers. When Jim took the podium, I listened to many unfamiliar names called and then he began a very nice and sincere introduction, acknowledging my public service. He has quickly come to learn what is involved in being meoderator and has come to a new appreciation of my efforts. Best of all, he praised my work to ensure both sides of the aisle had equal time at the microphone. I was then stunned to receive a standing ovation as I walked to the podium.

When we got to my item on the agenda, the committee reports acknowledged my absence so when it came to comments from the Body,  Jamie Millington got up and asked that I provide a brief background to those who have yet to meet me. I did that, apologizing for missing the committees and then quickly recapped all my public service and mentioned the work the GBRPA does. After that, there were no more questions and I was unanimously voted in.

My new assignment is for two years and my first meeting is the end of January.

The Rest of the Trip

Posted by Bob Greenberger on December 22, 2009

Initially the Ryndam was scheduled to make Key West its first port of call. This excited Deb since she always wanted to visit but even before we boarded the ship, we were notified that it had been changed to Cozumel. Apparently, there’s an issue regarding getting water in Florida hence the move.

We first visited the tiny island in 1985, vacationing with our friends Matt and Judy. Back then, there were only two hotels and the small town. We could rent a dune buggy and drive to the other side where there was no one and nothing but sea and sand. Now, it’s overdeveloped and commercialized, virtually a mirror to nearby Cancun.

On Tuesday, we arrived there and we decided to just walk around the tourist shops that were built up near the dock. We did find some souvenirs and presents so it wasn’t a waste but we chose to remember the island before it became popular.

Wednesday was the big day as we stopped in Belize and took an adventure, which for Deb was the highlight of the trip.  We were broken into three groups and were then outfitted with hardhat with flashlight, harness, and work gloves. Tricia and another woman were our guides and once we were all outfitted were given some basics on the Maya people and general safety. We started off very slowly, stopping every few feet, playing telephone to ensure we could pass on warnings as we entered the caves. Our group of 11 bonded and we were having a rip-roaring time, exasperating the guides, who took it all in stride.

We climbed into the caves which were gorgeous in their natural formations, crevices, stalactites and stalagmites. It was far more humid than previous cave tours, a result of the island being low. We were told how these formations developed and were shown where the Maya performed many of their rituals.

The trip was billed as an adventure so in time, after crawling and periodically hanging on to guide lines, we began the thrills. First there was a simple climb down a five-six foot wall, stepping on metal pitons. Soon after, we were in the fertility cave and then we reached a point where slid down a line. Then came the 300 foot zip line, the highlight of the cruise for Deb. We were launched and moved pretty quickly, too fast to enjoy the rain forest. From there we had to climb across two rope bridges which proved slippery, at least to Bob, given the wet sneakers. After that the final thrill was a quick rappel down to a landing which fed onto the trail leading back to the entrance.

Thursday was a more sedate visit to an archeological dig in Guatemala. This was a tranquil setting and it was fascinating to see the recovered statues and learn more about the Mayan people.

On Friday, we visited the fort of San Felipe at Bacalar. We spent the 90 minute bus ride educating us about the region which was a part of the Yucatan Peninsula. We handled unroasted cacao beans, items carved from native woods, and pictures of the native birds.

Upon our arrival, we were taken to the fort which was only partly exhumed and restored. There was little signage with the exterior walls and rusting canon dating back to the 17th century. Within the museum was a mix of artifacts from the fort’s history along with maps, charts, and history of the lake. The fort was required because Caribbean pirates learned they could access the lake form the Bay of Honduras to a river to a canal leading into the lake. The fort was there to repel them and protect shipping.

After lunch, we took a boat ride along the lake and to the canal entrance to see the many hues of blue the lake offered.

In all cases there were many shops which ranged from expensive jewelry, abundant liquor or local crafts. The sales people tended to be aggressive bordering on rude and we were taught to bargain on prices. Still, some were so pushy we walked away. As usual, Deb found stuff she liked, I found nothing of interest.

All in all, this was a relaxing chance to escape from the world, forgetting about work and life. Deb refused me access to the Internet the entire trip and the first time I mentioned I wanted to do some spec writing, she insisted I not, preferring to let me recharge mind, body, and soul.

On Sunday we had a long wait for the flights home, uncertain if the snows would screw things up but things ran smoothly. As a result, I discovered that by not checking e-mail for seven days, 471 messages could accumulate. I sifted through them and more, settling back into a semblance of work mode, without stress.

The snows gripping the east somehow managed to leave us alone. Our flights were uneventful although the Long Island road conditions left something to be desired. As a result, Bob & Laurie Rozakis, who were watching Ginger, insisted we spend the night then brave the roads in sunshine. We crashed and it proved to be a wise move.

Our neighbors dug us out enough so we could pull the car into the driveway. We quickly set to work unpacking, sorting mail, returning calls, buying groceries and the like.

The trip is over, a wonderful memory. Now we’re back home, Kate is here for the holiday week, and we have returned to some semblance of work despite this being the holiday week.

And We’re Back

Posted by Bob Greenberger on December 21, 2009

We’ve been away the past week, a real honest to goodness vacation. It’s been well over ten years since Deb and I were away, just the two of us, for anything other than a long weekend. And as you know, after the last 24 months, we could certainly use a break from the real world.

Since it has been more than 15 years, we settled on a cruise, this time trying Holland America and the ms Ryndam. We sailed away last Sunday for a trip to the western Caribbean, making stops in Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala.

Planning the trip took some doing, based on Kate’s need to travel for work which meant her not being home for Christmas. So, we decided to travel Christmas week and booked accordingly. Of course, three days later, Kate called to say her travel got moved and she would be home for the holidays. Deb called the travel agent and we swapped weeks, paying something like $3 more to upgrade our room to a suite with a veranda.

Bob and Laurie Rozakis volunteered to take Ginger (who I think they would steal if allowed) so we drove to their house on Saturday, dropping off the dog and her gear. After a lovely brunch, Bob took us to LaGuardia where we flew to Tampa.

On Sunday, we headed for the ship and the adventure really began. The ship is not one of the super-sized cruise ships, but a moderately sized one. Holland America’s clientele skews a bit older with a fair number of seniors on board. There were generations of families in the mix along with families with small children. There were not a lot of young couples. Still, seeing people with walkers, wheelchairs and even an oxygen tank proved that we’ll never be too old for this sort of vacation.

One of the nicest things about the ship is that there is something for everyone from a rock band to a string quartet. Most evenings we found ourselves listening to either the string quartet (which played everything from classical to movie soundtracks) or heading to the Piano Bar where Darryl had theme nights and sing-a-longs. The main entertainment, which we saw at 7 given our 8 p.m. seating, was a mixed bag. On three of the nights there was singing and dancing from a group of 10 somewhat talented folk. Four featured singers were backed by six dancers lip-synching the chorus. The canned nature of the backup sound along with some of the music was quite irritating. Far better was Paul Papas, a gifted and entertaining pianist.

We chose the fixed seating versus the Open Seating for dinner so we were somewhat anchored in our schedule. We wound up being seated with a couple roughly our age from Florida. Despite our vastly different backgrounds, we got along just fine and the conversation never lagged.

The food overall was good if a bit bland (especially the desserts). The buffets for breakfast and lunch were plentiful and varied and you were never left without a food option. Unlike previous cruises, anything other than water and tea cost extra which was a bit annoying.

Most days we were able to start slowly, at our own pace and found time for reading, taking exercise walks around the sixth deck or participating in other activities. Deb got a long massage while I took a cooking class. He also was on the winning team in the chocolate trivia challenge. Every day there was a move to see although we only indulged once, finally seeing the entertaining Julie & Julia.

As for our adventures in other lands, well, come back tomorrow.

On ‘Men of a Certain Age’ by a Man of a Certain Age

Posted by Bob Greenberger on December 13, 2009

When I first heard about Men of a Certain Age, I was unsure if I wanted to try another dramatic series. But, Deb seemed tickled that the title covered my stage of life, and the reviews seemed pretty positive.

We tried the show, thanks to the miracle of the DVR, just the other night and I have to say, I was not impressed.

Despite two remarkable actors – Andre Braugher and Scott Bakula – and a potentially interesting premise, I was left cold. The problem is that after one episode, none of these are likeable characters. There’s no sympathy for any of them as each seems to have found themselves in these unhappy positions through choice. There’s Braugher’s car salesman who won’t deal with his sleep apnea or look after his weight, possibly brought on by his diabetes. Then we have gambling addict Ray Romano who runs a party goods store but isn’t actually running the store, but hiding in the back. Finally, there’s so-so actor Bakula who is drifting through life going to the occasional audition but surviving from a series of temp jobs and one-night stands.

Now, we’re given hints as to how they got here. Ray is divorced so there’s trouble at home but we’re not sure why this happened. Andre works for his father at the car dealership, and this is a man who thinks injections of insulin is unmanly so there are self-esteem issues at play, but he’s also happily married. We have yet to figure out what Scott’s issues are.

Apparently these guys have been together, watching each other self-destruct, since college and you have no real feel for why they’re together after all these years.

The reviews all point to the show getting better with each passing episode so we’re committed to at least 2-3 more in the hopes we see a glimmer of compassion.

People make big deals out of age milestones, freaking out at 30, 40 or 50 because they’re so old. To me, it’s really about being dissatisfied with what you have accomplished by that date, as society has trained us to grow and evolve and do something with the time we are given. These men, on one side or the other of 50, clearly don’t like where they are at this milestone age. The choice is clearly theirs to change that and if they strive to improve then we’re in for some interesting drama. If they, instead, wallow in their dissatisfaction, then we’re outta here.

I’m watching this through my experience at being a man of a certain age. Am I entirely thrilled with my circumstances? Not entirely since I dislike the notion that I am constantly scrambling for work and always fretting about where the next assignment is coming from. After AMI made the moronic decision to shutter Weekly World News, I found myself a fulltime freelancer and rather than moan about it, I am working hard to make something of this new chapter in my life. For the most part, it’s working. So sitting here, watching three unhappy men is not my idea of entertainment.

End of an Era

Posted by Bob Greenberger on December 10, 2009

Some time after joining Starlog in 1980, I began chatting with a freelance writer named Dave McDonnell. Dave was living in Pennsylvania and working part-time at Jim Steranko’s Mediascene, the occasionally published magazine. Dave wanted to write for Starlog and we began talking which led to his doing a few pieces.

More importantly, Dave was the first person on my mind when an opening occurred on staff. He bused over from Pennsylvania, impressed one and all and was added to staff. This was, amazingly, 27 years ago.

Starlog has had only three editors: David Houston, Howard Zimmerman, and Dave. When Howard left staff, Dave was its managing editor and was best suited to help the magazine grow while maintaining the journalistic integrity he learned while at Bethany College.

Dave worked tirelessly, editing not only Starlog, but countless other one-shots and miniseries for the company. He maintained good working relationships with the studios and networks so whenever the company bid on a license, it was understood the property would be in good hands.

Given the small staff maintained by management, Dave was also called upon to proofread and pitch in on Fangoria and some of the other titles, without comp time or additional compensation. His countless hours at work meant I got to see less and less of him through the years but we’d have long phone calls and more recently, chatty e-mails in order to keep in touch.

In March, it was decided by the current collection of clueless owners that the print incarnation was dead; leaving many writers owed money for their efforts. The brand was moved to the web and Dave gamely learned how to adapt.

And now that’s done. Dave is leaving staff, pretty much turning off the light on a property that a generation or two of us grew up on as the primary source of news and interviews before the Internet eventually sounded its death knell. When Starlog debuted in 1976, I bought that first issue; never imaging I’d one day work there, let alone bring Dave on board. Starlog and its sister publication, Fangoria, were the successors to Famous Monsters of Filmland, embracing color and design, filling its pages with information you weren’t likely to find elsewhere on your local newsstand.

Dave was overworked and underpaid, a fact never fully appreciated by the mag’s founders or its current owner. He’s been an excellent editor and writer plus a loyal and steadfast friend. Whatever he plans to do next is being eagerly anticipated at least in one corner of cyberspace.

SmartPop Essays

Posted by Bob Greenberger on December 8, 2009

A while back I wrote a few essays for SmartPop Books and while the books saw print, they didn’t create much of stir. But you know, the line of books offers some smart commentary and criticism about Popular Culture’s darlings and they’re certainly worth your time and attention. With luck, I’ll write more in the future.

I just got word from Leah Wilson, the line’s editor, that they’ve revamped the website.

Every day they feature a new free essay from a past Smart Pop title; the full essay remains up, featured on the main site, for a week (after which point the URL redirects to a shorter excerpt). Site visitors can also browse or search all their titles and individual essays, sampling excerpts.

They’ve also begun a blog and they’re currently running a Dollhouse essay contest to create a little extra buzz.

Both of my essays have been put up and there’s an author link so you can check them out or browse the full array of titles.

You can also follow them on Twitter, or become a fan on Facebook. Starting next month, BenBella, the parent company, will begin offering digital versions of the books.