After the whirlwind beginning of this year with Showdown’s launch, and me writing a few projects at the same time, I realized I was definitely burning the candle at both ends. It was fun, and it was for good reason, but I’m getting older, man, I don’t want to stay up until midnight all the time writing and not take any days off. So after I wrapped up scripts on my second creator-owned project a few weeks back I made a decision that this summer I would change my schedule.

Sunday-Thursday I will write, and writing will be a huge part of my day on Monday through Thursday, and the main part of my day on Sunday. But Friday after my editorial commitments are completed? I stop working, I take the evening off, and I don’t work on Saturday.

Will this change if more comic writing work comes in which I will welcome? Almost certainly. But right now I’m working on two writing projects and they are working within this schedule, and I’m having a lot of summer fun. Going to the movies, going to comic book stores, getting lunch with friends, eating ice cream, maybe I’ll go to some malls, and even hit the beach! (I’m admittedly not a beach person, but I love swimming).

I feel like I am in a good balance right now. Working a healthy amount, while being open for more possibilities, and taking the time off I need to relax, enjoy life, and recharge my creative batteries. Life is good and it’s nice to make the choice to enjoy that.

Last month I wrapped up the scripts for my second creator-owned project, the one that will come out hopefully next year after Showdown has wrapped up as a mini-series and after it’s become a trade paperback collection. So far, writing Showdown and this second unannounced creator-owned, project have been two of the most creatively fulfilling things I have done as a comic writer. Nothing would make me happier than to always have some kind of creator-owned project going. I have a pitch out for one I’m waiting to hear back on, but…I need to generate way more, that’s what a lot of my current time is being spent on. Development.

I’m in the laboratory (the notebook I’ve posted a picture of above) fleshing out four new ideas I have, and revisiting one older one. When I’m doing development on pitches I always like to work on more than one. I feel like I’m emptying out the tank, but also if I am working on multiple ideas, I don’t tend to treat one more precious than the other.

I read recently that the development at Pixar is somewhat similar. They ask their filmmakers to pitch three ideas, not just one, so they don’t over invest/over commit to any one concept and to challenge themselves to see what they have in their minds.

It’s healthy. Sometimes the idea you have spent the longest time does not end up being the one that gets picked. Often it’s the one that you thought of towards the tail end that came about naturally and without a lot of strife or struggle. The good idea appears and you jump on it when it arrives. I am hopeful that will be my experience this time around.

It is the twenty fifth anniversary of one of the best records by one of my favorite bands. In 2001 Jimmy Eat World released the record Bleed American. The album’s most significant cultural impact was that it contained the massive radio hit The Middle, but if that’s the only song you know from the album…you are missing out.

Bleed American is one of the great albums of my lifetime, and it’s influenced so many of my other favorite albums. It’s a dense, lyrically rich, instrumentally powerful rock album that gives so much on each listen. And it’s an album that’s kind of haunted me.

Jimmy Eat World got lumped in with the pop punk explosion of the late nineties and they toured with many of those bands from that time, but they share a lot more in common with Midwest Emo bands. I had no idea what Midwest Emo was when I first listened to the record as a pre-teen, I just knew it sounded different than the other music I was listening to, but it was also complimentary to everything I loved.

I remember sitting in the basement of my house, listening to this record, and reading comic books. Being simultaneously transformed by two of my favorite mediums. And every year I would come back to this album, and Jimmy Eat World’s subsequent album Futures which I love just as much, understanding it more and loving it more.

I almost typed a list of my favorite tracks but I’m not going to. The whole album deserves to be listened to in full as a true experience. I am going to leave a link to the terrific episode the podcast Bandsplain did on Jimmy Eat World which covers Bleed American, and their whole career, better than I ever could.

New Comic I Read This Week: Ironman #6 by Joshua Williamson, Juann Cabal, Nolan Woodward, and Joe Caramagna. For the last ten years Josh Williamson has been one of the creative pillars of the DC Universe with terrific runs on The Flash, Robin, Green Arrow, Superman, and being one of the major architects on Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths, Metal, Death Metal, and the current All-In and Next Level eras. He has an affection and love for the DCU that I share and admire. It’s one reason I was surprised last year to hear that Josh was going to relaunch Ironman with the terrific artist Carmen Carnero.

Since this book launched it’s become the first or second book I read when it comes out. Josh has a really good handle on Tony Stark’s character, focusing on his tortured genius and how that genius doesn’t just get in Tony’s way but in the way of everyone he knows. And even though Carmen Carnero is maybe a more organic/naturilistic artist than some would expect for this book I really love what she’s doing, and it’s a refreshing change of pace for Ironman.

Josh, a great student of super hero comics, is also pulling in elements from some really great eras of Marvel Comics that others haven’t been lately. He’s taking a lot of pieces from the late nineties Busiek era of Marvel comics with Avengers and Thunderbolts mythology, and in this issue he takes some great pieces from Dark Avengers and Jeff Parker, Declan Shalvey, and Kev Walker’s time on Thunderbolts during the Dark Reign storytelling period at Marvel.

In less minute/dorky terms? Josh wrote a fantastic one-shot that sees Spider-Man teaming up to stop a fight between Ironman and Norman Osborn where a mysterious villain gets involved and makes everything worse. It’s Marvel Comics at it’s best for me. And there was several moments from Spider-Man that made me laugh outloud. And while Carmen Carnero is the regular artist on this book and I’m excited for her to come back, Juann Cabal can come back anytime, he mixes the organic and the metallic features of this book perfectly, his storytelling is great, and his action is just terrific. An awesome artist I’m always delighted to see.

Old Comic I Read This Week: The Secret Six Omnibus by Gail Simone, Dale Eaglesham, Nicola Scott, Brad Walker, and J. Calafiore.

I’m going to confess something to you dear reader, one of my least favorite super hero tropes is when a big group of random villains gets together to fight a big group of super heroes. NOW LET ME EXPLAIN before you come after me.

If those villains all have the same idealogical position, like the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants? That I get. Or if you are all fighting the same single hero, the Sinister Six for Spider-Man or the Rogues for the Flash (one of my absolute favorites) we’re still on good ground! I’m more talking about the Legion of Doom/Injustice Gang/Secret Society at DC or the Master of Evil at Marvel where a bunch of major villains from different parts of the universe get together to fight their big super hero team counterparts. Those stories can work but for me they’re a struggle, and often leave me going “When are these guys going to screw each other over?”

One of the best and most innovative ways this type of story was done, was the mini-series Villains United by Gail Simone and Dale Eaglesham that led to the iconic DC event Infinite Crisis. In that story Lex Luthor is gathering all the major villains of the DC Universe to operate not as anti-Justice League, or a team, but as a society of people who help each other out as a stronger idealogical force than the super heroes. Instead of focusing on the heavy hitters who agree to join Lex, Villain’s United very smartly focuses on a group of rag tag villains who turn Luthor down and then find themselves in his cross hairs: Catman, Deadshot, Cheshire, Scandal Savage, a Parademon, and Ragdoll. This team eventually becomes the Secret Six who Simone would write for along time in their own mini-series and then a few ongoings.

I loved returning to these comics. The original Villains United mini-series was so clever, so fun, and had fantastic art by Dale Eaglesham. And then the Secret Six comics that followed drawn by Brad Walker, Nicola Scott, and J Califorie were just an absolute blast. Bad guys being funny, complicated, romantic, and sometimes breaking your heart because you let yourself forget how bad they are. Gail Simone has written a lot of great DC Comics, but these comics are absolutely some of her best and it’s easy to understand when revisiting this material why she stuck with them for so long.

New Music I Listened To: I Built You a Tower by Death Cab For Cutie. When it comes to most artists I like: bands, filmmakers, authors, comic book creators, tv creators, comedians or podcasters I’m a bit of a lifer. I like seeing the whole career someone has had and exploring the art they made in different periods.

I do not have that relationship with Death Cab For Cutie. I think my relationship with them might be similar to a lot of people’s. I heard them on the OC, I was taken aback by the quality, sadness and catchiness of their music. I fell in love with their albums Transatlanticism and Plans, and then their subsequent albums didn’t work for me. Although, I really owe it to them and myself to give that material a try.

Recently, Death Cab has come back with their new album I Built You a Tower, which they have described as a return to the older material I like. Which usually is not awesome. Just because I moved away from someone doesn’t mean I want them to act exactly the same as when I knew them best. But…I wanted to give I Built You a Tower a chance and it’s a fantastic record. It’s one of my favorite things I have listened to so far this year. All the songs are tight, emotionally resonate, and just beautiful. I felt very peaceful when listening even though the emotions on this album are heavy. I listen to a lot of pop punk, post punk, and hardcore music. I don’t slwo down a lot and return to this type of indie music that reminds me of falling in love, being vulnerable, and being young in a more introspective way. I liked it, and I’m going to try to incorporate this type of music back into my life more.

New Podcast I Listened To: The Press Box hosted by Bryan Curtis, Joel Anderson, and David Shoemaker on The Ringer Podcasting Network. My commentary aside, it’s been very clear in the last few weeks, and quite frankly the last few years, that the media world is changing rapidly. The Press Box on the Ringer gives fantastic analysis and overviews of how the media world is changing with smart, insightful observations from Bryan Curtis, Joel Anderson, and David Shoemaker. All of them have a lifetime of experience in print journalism, television journalism, and now the intrepid world of digital media. They also bring in a lot of A+ guests. This is probably the most specific podcast I have recommended so far but I think it’s an essential listen as the platforms we have come to rely on for our news, sports, and media are changing more rapidly than we can often keep up with.

That’s it for this week!

Come back next week for more insights into this Summer of Wielgosz!

Until then?

Stay safe!

—Dave Wielgosz