Sitting With Jonah…
My plane leaves today at 6pm or so, then I should be plopped down in San Diego around 8pm or so their time. Everything is go, checklist checkmarked, double checked, whatever….
Ok– so, here’s how things will work tomorrow– CHECK TOMORROW’S UPDATE!!!! Tomorrow I’ll be pitching at some point during the day, and there will be links here to the webfeed where you could watch live I guess. (HOO BOY! NO pressure or nothin, huh??) heh… If I make the top 3, I think voting will be open the public on friday– look for links then as well, or go to www.comicbookchallenge.com and check it out.
Now, I’m not nervous about pitching– or flying, or whatever… I’m not really nervous at all– but there’s some weird feelings coming over me. I remember flying back here to Pennsylvania in October 1994, with barely a penny to my name on a plane ticket bought by a relative to get me out of mess I was in out there. That was my last time on a plane.
The last time I was at the San Diego Comicon, I met my hero, Jack Kirby– I believe it was the summer of 1993, but it might have been 1992? He passed away the February in 94 I remember. I remember how bummed I was. Back then, he wasn’t my hero at all, I was more a fan of the “hotshot” 1990s crap that was going on…… but he soon would be. I had that weird, strange dream in 1996 that haunted me and changed me– the one with Jack and everything white, and a mexican radio playing in the background him busting my chops…. Back then, I wasn’t really ready to do anything in comic books, my skillset was WEAK, but I thought I should be working for all the big guns. The reality was, and the thing I couldn’t see then, my art was just weak, it needed a lot of work and time— it was that dream that inspired me to create YIRMUMAH in 1998. (as CLUB MEMBERS CAN READ! IN the 1998 YIRMUMAH #1) — (plug..heh) …
So, now here I am, 12 years later. My art isn’t PERFECT, but I’ve been a published artist, worked with several comic writers, (a screenwriter even) and I’ve done my fair share of work, and i make a small income of money doing what I love…. And now YIRMUMAH… YIRMUMAH itself paid for this whole trip for me to go back out west. Back to that magical place where I met briefly with a man who’d be my hero. So, it’s going to give me chills out there. If Jack is working through me, I just can’t lose. Even if I lose…. you know?
So… anyway, not to get all thoughty there. But, that’s how I’ve been feeling. When I say I’m nervous…. It’s not about the comics.. the pitch, hollywood, blah blah blah… c’mon, I’m D.J. Coffman. I’m more nervous about that feeling.
Check the forums for my last will and testament if i die in a plane crash— THANK YOU FOR READING!!
Recent Topics: Pittsburgh, Self Publishing, Sequential Art, The Bar, Bikers, Beer, The Bible, Jonah, San Diego Comicon, Comic Book Challenge
July 19th, 2006 at 5:22 am
Wow, that’s really interesting. Almost makes me want to pull out the Bible and take another look at it.
I never got past the begats.
July 19th, 2006 at 8:06 am
This is really cool, DJ.
July 19th, 2006 at 8:54 am
DJ, this ORIGIN series is by far some of the best work I’ve seen on Yirmumah, both artistically and philosophically(!). Kudos, and good luck in San Diego! Interesting fact about San Diego:
“Discovered by the Germans in 1904, they named it San Diego, which of course in German means a whale’s vagina.”
-Ron Burgundy
July 19th, 2006 at 8:57 am
Right on, DJ! Jonah might’ve also been a bit of a racist too– not believing that non-jews deserve God’s forgiveness. Heh. the Veggietales version of this particular story is quite good, (surprisingly?)
RE: Sev - You would be surprised at how much this is the general theme in the Bible as a whole. Well, God still is vengeful, but all of his curses are conditional. ‘If you turn back and repent I will stay my hand…’ etc.
And yeah, it is hard to get past the begats. Some bibles have indexes in the back that let you find where famous or interesting stories are, which can be a great help if you’re new to reading it yourself.
Aside, I suppose Dad Price is feeling bad about wishing the hobo’s death? “Forgive us our debts -as- we forgive our debtors” and whatnot.
Good work, dude. I’ve been a fan for awhile, never realised you were into the Word. Keep it rolling!
July 19th, 2006 at 9:19 am
I’m glad you guys and gals are digging it. I’ve been getting a lot of glowing e-mails as well, and instead of making my ego grow, it’s been a very humbling experience.
I hope I’m not leading people down the wrong path though…hahahha… We’ll see soon.
July 19th, 2006 at 11:58 am
“Forgive us our debts -as- we forgive our debtors”
Is that how you learned it?
Is it a Catholic thing to say “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”?
Funny that.
July 19th, 2006 at 12:32 pm
Ving Rhames heard you were coming for him…..
and dropped off the judging panel.
1 down DJ. and he was the biggest. go get em.
July 19th, 2006 at 1:26 pm
You can’t die…
Think of the Daily Grind!
July 19th, 2006 at 2:05 pm
I was a little skeptical at first, but I feel this is going somewhere pretty great and literary. You better keep it up mang.
July 19th, 2006 at 2:15 pm
DJ,
Man, this is the first time in the last 5 years that I won’t be able to hit Comic-Con, and it’s a bummer considering the cool stuff you’ve got going on. Give ‘em hell and best of luck out here in So Cal.
‘Fro Power!
July 20th, 2006 at 4:03 am
[…] Also, DJ right now is in San Diego for the convention and his comic book pitch to NBC. You can view the contestants online via webcast here or here. The webcast starts at 9am PST make sure you all tune in and show your support. If he is chosen as 1 of the 3 finalists, you will all be able to vote! Everyone wish him the best of luck!! And Stay Tuned here for updates! Nobody on the planet deserves this chance more than DJ. You are the best bro. - Frank Frisina […]