This is the seventh edition of The Voice In Your Head Is Mine. The date is June 22nd, 2020. If you're receiving this email and have no idea what's going on, well, fuck. I guess I blew it. Or maybe you blew it. Either way, you're here and this is Zac Thompson's weekly newsletter.
It’s the early morning on Monday. Last week was a lot of organization and planning. Now that things are starting to get back on track again it looks like I’ve got my whole year booked solid. Took on a new project last week on top of writing two other books, co-writing another, and some other stuff I’m not quite ready to talk about. This is good, this is where I want to be, no clue how I’ll get it all done but I’ll take it one day at a time.
Comics & Bad Actors
I wanted to take a second to address some of the insanity going on in comics community right now. I’m not here to rehash the accusations or point the finger (though you must believe said accusations). I just want to talk about how we can do better as a community. For the record, I’m devastated. I believe everyone who’s come forward. I’ve made peace with the fact that one of the writers I admired and looked up to is a monster. It stung. But it’s nothing compared to the damage he inflicted on his victims.
Let’s get this out of the way right now: comics has a problem with abusers, sexual misconduct, and boundaries between creators/fans/cosplayers/everyone. There is a prominent boys club culture that has had the industry in a chokehold for years. But it’s changing right now. It’s imperative that people believe women & people of marginalized sex/genders. They risk everything by calling out abuse/misconduct and their voices should be amplified.
There is a culture of unfettered access between creator and fan in comics. A culture of over-drinking at “work events” to network. It’s devoid of any actual professional pretense and a breeding ground for misconduct. If we’re going to clamp down on this kinda thing we also need to address the arena we create for misconduct. We need to find better ways to make comic cons safer for everyone. Bar Con needs to die.
We need to put abusive/predatory people on blast. We need to remove them from the community and ensure everyone feels safe in comics. Men, you have a responsibility to call out abuse/shitty behaviour when you see it. Help enforce boundaries when you see them being challenged.
We’re an industry of freelancers without HR, mental health support, or employment standards.
All we have is each other.
The Verdant Swell
In other news, I spent the past week preparing my new eco-horror novella THE VERDANT SWELL for submission at Tor: Nightfire. It’s 200 pages of pure cosmic weirdness. Set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing and evolving Prince Edward Island (my home!). I pitched it as VanderMeer’s Annihilation meets Cronenberg’s The Fly.
I’m nervous. It’s definitely the best piece of prose I’ve ever written. I worked extremely hard to create something utterly inescapable and dreamlike. Prose feels much more freeing than comics. More indulgent in some ways. I wrote this book without any publisher input. It’s weird but the process of writing something that isn’t for anyone is really freeing. Never thought I’d say that.
The Last of Us: Part II
A exercise in misery, a compelling look at the human condition, and an absolute masterpiece. I’m about ten hours into TLOU: 2 and it’s just as irresistible as the first game. I was wary about how the story would continue. But it’s a masterful look at how our decisions come to define us… for better or worse.
The performances in this game are beyond compare. There’s real emotion on everyone’s faces during every scene. Seeing the overgrown remains of Seattle is giving me life. I got to walk around the convention center for a hot minute, and I couldn’t help but feel giddy.
Let’s see how emotionally devastated I am once I finish the game this week.
I Dreamed I Knew The Creator’s Name
This week’s playlist. Right here. I’m listening to it while writing my new vampire thing. Enjoy.
Tiny Scabs
No process this week. After working twenty hours this weekend prepping that novella, I’m exhausted. Next week I promise.
The first three issues of my neon-soaked horror/romance breakup book LONELY RECEIVER are almost ready for friends to read. Please do get in touch if you’d like a sneak peak. My collaborator, Jen Hickman killed this book. They drew and coloured every page and it really needs to be seen to be believed.
A brief timeline of sexual harassment in comics. Read it. Educate yourself.
The pandemic is accelerating our turn to facial recognition software. This is bad.
Goodbye
This past week was a lot for me. I’m sure some of you reading this felt the same way. But things begin anew every day. Embrace the change. Hold close the things you love dear. Remain activated and keep pushing. The system is bending and it will break. Hopefully, in our favor.
Carve out a small pocket of peace for yourself. Away from the internet. Away from everything. Make this small piece of the world only for you. Live there for an hour every day. No phones, no distractions, just you and your imagination. Trust me, you’ll thank yourself for it.
Until next week,
Z