Newsletter #55: It's A Weird One

2 many chips

In my experience, if you go META then you have to do it in such a way that YOU look like the asshole. Which is obviously very easy for me to pull off. The last thing you want to do is to wink at the reader and be like “see what I did? aren’t I very cool?”

In Howard The Duck (omnibus comign soon!!), I made myself and the artist Joe Quinones the villains of the story. Just a couple of losers ruining the life of a duck:

And in Sex Criminals, Matt put us in as “ourselves,” which was basically Matt doubting himself and me being a coked-up asshole getting rich off of Jughead:

But this time … it’s different!

Months ago Donny called and asked me if I would fill in on an issue of CROSSOVER, the hit book he was writing. In case you don’t know, it’s about a world where fictional comic book characters suddenly come to life, but there’s a subplot where the comic book creators start going missing. One of those was “Chip Zdarsky.”

So now I get to tell the story of me being missing!

Along for the ride on art are Phil Hester and Ande Parks, two of the all-time greats. Combined with the amazing ongoing series colorist Dee Cunniffe they really manage to capture my natural tired sadness.

It’s weirdly … the most personal story I’ve ever written?! It’s a strange one and I think you should rush out to buy it!

UGH IT ALL COMES BACK TO COMMERCE WITH YOU

No! I mean, yes! But I’m just proud of this weird little one-shot! Also, it’d be nice to help Donny out with sales for his plucky li’l Image book.

ISN’T IT OUTSELLING EVERYTHING YOU’VE EVER DONE

That’s—that’s not the point!! I’m just trying to help!!!!

Also out this week is Daredevil #31! Mike and Adriano are back, delivering the first part of our new story arc, “LOCKDOWN!” They make it look so easy, so good. Both Matt and Elektra are unleashed here and everything goes well off the rails, aka a Daredevil comic.

And look at this gorgeous Marco ‘n’ Matt cover!

This arc leads to a massive moment which will surely be spoiled by solicitations, so if I were you I would simply stop reading the internet. ZDARSKY.SUBSTACK should your ONLY source of news from here on out as I will never post spoilers!!

WHAT IF I NEED INFO ON THE ONGOING PANDEMIC

What? Haven’t you heard? It’s over!

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE DELTA VARIANT AND THE RISE IN—

La la la la I can’t hear you it’s overrrrrrr!!

This week on Mangasplaining the gang talks about A BRIDE’S STORY, a historical fiction manga that is maybe one of the best books I’ve ever read? The art alone is worth it! You should buy the book and read it and then listen to the podcast

COMMERCE AGAIN WOW

It’s not even my book!!

Speaking of not-even-my-book, I just finished Danielle Henderson’s memoir THE UGLY CRY and it’s a staggering piece of work. Anyone who knows Danielle knows she’s an amazing writer, but also probably knows about her horror-loving grandmother, who, if she wasn’t a real person, would be in my all-time favourite fictional characters list.

This book is beautifully told with tremendous insight and humor and I can’t recommend it enough. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll be insanely jealous of her perfect conversational style of writing!

CHIP ANSWERS QUESTIONS

Every week I’ll answer one POLITE and RESPECTFUL question about my life as a fictional character or about my work. The email is zdarskyletters@gmail.com.

Hi Chip,

Is there such a thing as a perfect piece of work you've created upon which you can look back a week later and not nitpick or are you left forever chasing that elusive beast, clutching at thin air, staring forlornly at the green light?

-Ashwita 

The latter.

Bye!!!