A Very Busy July

So, what have been doing since we last chatted?A great deal of data manipulation as I do the extensive research required for my long-term assignment for DC Comics. I’m basically taking word files, stripping out data and altering the formatting, saving the file as a text file and then importing it into Excel and then going line by line to add additional annotations. It’s long and laborious and the repetition is no doubt causing aches and pains. On the other hand, I am slightly better than half done and once the files are all converted, I can then begin the next phase.What’s it all about? We’ll be talking about that once DC makes its formal announcement, most likely this fall. When’s it coming out? Sometime in 2010.  What’s my role? Clearly, researcher and yes, later to be a writer.Beyond that, I’ve also been doing work on my myriad short assignments. Yesterday, Westfield Comics posted my latest essay on a project, this time, the first volume in the Phantom comic strips collection coming from Hermes Press. Additionally, I have been doing more work with my old pal Jordan Gorfinkel, packaging in house comic strips for Microsoft and pitching new projects.I have several small pieces to write this month, measured against the long-term work so time has to be allotted for everything. There’s one book jacket copy for Marvel, two articles for Marvel Spotlight, and the Green Hornet short story. There’s additional work to do on the Art of Howard Chaykin before I can do the actual writing and an 8000-word essay on Batmania for an anthology.And of course, there’s San Diego for networking, socializing and business.The variety is great and if I actually balance this all, I will make it through July in one piece and face a far calmer August.