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Been busy, which, I am told, is not a bad thing. I’m back in Montreal, for my second visit to the Whiteout set. Steve came, too, this time, and I finally got to see what I looked like during the first visit, ie, perma-grinned to the point of jaw-ache.

It really is something to see. When all is said and done, it’ll be easier to share information — right now, I’ve been politely asked to embargo information on the movie. But I reiterate what I said earlier — I think this is going to kick ass.

Started writing the “mysterious new Oni Press Project” a couple nights back, more as a lark than anything else. We’re calling it Stumptown, and I think I had as much fun writing the first 7 pages or so as I have had writing anything in a very long time. If things go well, all will be revealed around the time of the San Diego Comic Con.

Cheers!

Support it! Support you local comic shop (provided, of course, your local comic shop is not a hive of scum and villainy)! Bring small people, also called “kids”!

Myself, Jen, and Matthew will be at Olympic Cards and Comics from noon until at least five in the evening, so if you’re anywhere near Lacey (or Olympia, for those easily confused), Washington, come by and get free books and say “hi!”

Yesterday saw the last issue of 52 in comic book stores, on shelves, in hands, and it saw it on goddamn time. That’s fifty-two issues delivered consecutively from week-to-week. No misses. No late-ships. No omitted pages, even.

There were errors, sure. A hanukkiah with seven candle holders instead of nine, for instance, or blood kryptonite that was, oddly, not blood-colored at all. Problems in storytelling and internal logic, as well, though far fewer of those than one might’ve thought. 52 has warts, and I’ll be the first to admit it.

But, in all honesty, I don’t think those detract from the impact of the final work. We didn’t do everything we set out to do, but we came damn close. And we succeeded where it mattered the most, I think — we told a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end, and the end was solid and with heart.

I’ve spent a lot of time talking about 52 in this blog, for obvious reasons: 52 has ruled my life for almost 20 months, now. That’s easily the longest a single project has dominated my time and attention. Even the hard novels like A Fistful of Rain, Critical Space, and Patriot Acts never took this long (though, admittedly, Patriot Acts came close, mostly because I was trying to finish it during the writing of 52).

And it’s over.

I’ve got mixed emotions, at this point. I am very, very glad it’s finished and behind me. The project itself was enormously draining, physcially, emotionally, and mentally. It stole time from parts of my life it had no business intruding upon. It caused conflicts where none were necessary, and forced me to ignore other things that I truly wish I’d been able to give more attention. 52 was a cruel mistress, to be sure.

On the other hand, I have participated in something that, I think, is truly unique in the history of comics, and that — in and of itself — makes it a worthwhile endeavor. Anything that expands and explores the capacity of comics as a medium, as an art form, has merit, in my opinion, and certainly this qualifies.

And that’s that, at least for the moment.

Whiteout post either later today or tomorrow.