Oh, by Dennis O’Neil
Sunday, August 17: 155 days left.
Our man the brush clearer is back in Crawford, taking it easy. Having already set a record for presidential vacation days, he’s obviously trying for a record that no future chief executive can possibly hope to break. This may not be how everyone would like to be remembered.
Back when I occupied the celestial throne that is the sinecure of all those noble beings known – here you may genuflect – as editors … make that Editors – this was the time of year when life got calmer. Big travel was done – no trips to distant cities to attend conventions – and the increased summer publishing load completed. We put out fewer issues in the fall because, conventional wisdom had it, the kids were too busy with school concerns to bother with funny books. The same logic dictated that during the summer we cram the newsstands because, presumably, the nation’s youth had nothing better to do with their long, humid days than to laze around getting massive four-color fixes and, besides, since they didn’t have to buy crayons or switchblades or whatever school kids bought, they had disposable income to spend on our productions. Which, of course, was why late spring and early summer demanded industriousness from editorial types. Those printing presses out there in the Midwest were maws…
All that was probably true once. But because the ways comics are marketed, and to some extent read, I doubt that it is true now. But I don’t know. Any editors – working editors, that is – care to enlighten the old man?
The point is, though I was a comics editor at the two major companies for about 23 years… I don’t know. I have a sense that the business has changed a lot in the seven years since I occupied the celestial throne mentioned three paragraphs ago (seven years already?). My skills might be more-or-less okay (though I’m not even sure of that), but my attitudes and assumptions would need work.
Were I to return to the celestial throne, the worse mistake I could make, arguably, would be to ignore the changes that have occurred during my absence, No, check that: maybe the worst mistake would be to think that the changes were wrong and I didn’t have to pay them any mind because my way, gosh darn it, is the right way. Then, if I really wanted to go for the horse’s ass prize, I’d brag about my ignorance.
These glum reflections are in part, as you may have guessed, occasioned by the current political situation which is a lot iffier, and therefore a lot scarier, than it was a month or two ago.
Nothing left to do but heave a big ol’ sigh, I guess. Because beating one’s head against the wall is so Twentieth Century!
RECOMMENDED READING: The Closing of the Western Mind, by Charles Freeman.
Dennis O’Neil is an award-winning editor and writer of Batman, The Question, Iron Man, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, and The Shadow – among others – as well as many novels, stories and articles. The Question: Epitaph For A Hero, reprinting the third six issues of his classic series with artists Denys Cowan and Rick Magyar, will be on sale in September, and his novelization of the movie The Dark Knight is on sale right now. He’ll be taking another shot at the ol’ Bat in an upcoming story-arc, too.
The current PotUS not only has the record for the most vacation days spent away from the White House, he also has the record for most travel days to foreign lands. Either he had NO faith in the ambassadors and foreign service of our nation or Bush just HATED being in the White House. I think he just HATED being in the White House. It's hard being near a job where even your staff looks first to the Vice-President for guidance. It's hard working a job where you know you're not wanted and you know you're in over your head.If only this Presidency had been as ineffectual as it was incompetent and disinterested in real leadership. Unfortunately the effects, of what has been by turns disastrously poor and brazenly, criminally unconstitutional leadership, are painfully evident in our economy, the morass of military floundering, the tepid response to national disaster, our decreased national security and failure as a moral leader internationally.Or maybe the PotUS didn't hang around the office because he feels that he has a manifest destiny, that he has been anointed by God to be Great. And so, it doesn't matter about Public Opinion or any other measure of success, it didn't matter if he did or didn't do anything at all. Bush KNOWS in his heart, with out a doubt, that History will Vindicate Him and He will be revealed as a Great Leader. Because GOD put him in office and GOD couldn't make that big a blunder. Bush seems incapable of reflection, let alone self-doubt. God put him in office and history will prove that God is always right. Yeah, Bush has never left the White House on Vacation or for Travel with his head hung low, looking like he understands the mess he's made. Bush has always traveled around the world looking like he's doing Victory Laps.
Nice piece, Denny. In the "know what burns my butt" category, I'd mention editors and publishers who assume that creators of our distinguished years – yours being far more distinguished than mine – would ignore the changes of our industry and just do exactly what we were doing in the past. As if he would have any fun or creative satisfaction doing that.
In the "know what burns my butt" category……flames about three feet high? (Thank you, Dom deLuise.)I'll be here all week, folks…
"Dear Denny"–Oh my gosh, but I'm soooo happy to have discovered this column. I turned 50 this summer and I can't tell you what you and your work as editor/steward at DC in the late '60s meant to me. I was a comics mad youngster who scrounged and saved every penny he could get just, solely, to run to the 7-11 to purchase the latest, usually DC title. You did as much as anyone to stoke the fire of my already vivid imagination. I recall so many of those great issues with tremendously affection. I espcially loved Diana Prince, the "new" Wonder Woman (and have often "defended" it for decades. I mean, you knew she'd get her powers back eventually, right?)–I LOVED it, the art work and writing, and I even think I Ching should be resurrected–perhaps with a different name…? And of course I devoured so many other titles and have spent years recollecting those old lost issues, but for a lot more than 12cts! a piece. On your editing, I for one would love nothing more if you would march back to DC and resume your editorship tomorow, and stay there. God bless you and good luck to you always. I love this column and hope to meet you one day–perhaps at the Adventure Con in Knoxville Tn? One can hope. Love, Gary