The Truth, by Michael Davis – Straight No Chaser #148

January 2, 2010 Michael Davis 32 Comments

Come in.

Thank Martha Thomases, Media Goddess for this particular rant.

I am far from being a perfect person.

I’ve said that a million times and yet for some strange reason people either really love me or hate me. There are few (if any) people who have no opinion of me if they have met me or heard of me.

I once was concerned about that and tried to show those people who had a low opinion of me that I was not an asshole. Then I went completely the other way and simply did not give a shit. In fact I would go out of my way to continue to piss those people off.

That’s where I am now or was before I realized that neither of those approaches really makes any sense. There are just some people who will just think I’m a dick or simply ‘too controversial’ to see good in me no matter what I do.

But, I’m also convinced that no one has the right to define another person. In other words my opinions and my life choices should not be a factor in defining you.

All that said, I’m really trying to broaden my circle of people who really know me. I know a LOT of people but I have very few friends. My beloved June who is part of my blood even though we are not blood related has been telling me for years to ‘Let people in.’ My comeback was always, “look at what I write, look at what I do.” I think I have certainly let people in with my narrative about my life. It did not start here at MDW or even Comicmix it started 15 years ago (when I was 2 get that Jean?)  in the pages of Comics Buyer’s Guide, (CBG). I started writing a column for CBG around the same time as Peter David, if memory serves me I may have even been first, don’t quote me on that but I think I was.

Peter’s column is and has always been fantastic. I’ve said for years that I’m not a guy to fuck with but Peter is really someone who should not be fucked with. Remember when he dismantled Todd McFarlane in a debate in the early 90’s? Look, no one is a bigger fan of Todd and what he has accomplished than me but Peter served him like a sandwich. Todd you my boy but even you know Peter had your number that day. However if living well is the best revenge then you are the undisputed champ.

But I digress…

It’s 2010 and I’m committed to defining who I am, instead of letting others do so.  This in the hopes that maybe just maybe I can shed some light on me, my antics and the why of whom I am. So, what follow is a series of questions I would ask, if I wanted to know who I was and why I do what I do.

Yeah, I’m confused also.

Q) Who started Milestone?

A) Deny Cowan had the idea and I co-signed on the spot. Any other story floating out there is B U L L S H I T. Denys was the driving force behind the greatest Black Comic Book company in history.

Q) Who were the original Milestone partners?

A) Deny Cowan, Dwayne McDuffie, Christopher Priest, Derrick Dingle and myself.

Q) Did DC own Milestone?

A) Never did, still don’t. Again, any other story floating out there is B U L L S H I T.

Q) Why did Christopher Priest leave Milestone?

A) Not for me to say, ask Priest. I will say, it was our lost.

Q) Why did I leave Milestone?

A) Two reasons:

1) DC was making my life miserable, and frankly I did some damage myself.

2) Motown, Fox, Disney and Universal all offered me development deals.

Q) Am I still part of Milestone?

A) Only as a founder but I sold my shares back to the company when I left. Here’s an interesting tidbit; I was going to give my shares back to Milestone but someone at DC sent a memo to Motown saying some stupid shit so I needed to send a message and that message was ‘fuck you, pay me.’ Another interesting tidbit, Motown Animation and Filmworks was a film and television division of Motown. As CEO the ONLY reason I did The Machineworks Universe was to piss off DC…and it was fun. Doing the comics were fun that is. Pissing off DC was fun also. I would have LOVED to have been a fly on the wall when DC got the call from Time Warner asking how a Milestone partner was allowed to go into direct competition with DC.

Q) Do I regret leaving Milestone?

A) Yes, when I think of what we built and the history we made. No, when I think of dealing with DC.

Q) What’s the issue with DC and me?

A) Can’t really get into details but I can say this, long story short, I don’t give a fuck how big you are if you wrong me I’m calling my lawyer and someone is writing me a check.

Q) Would I work with DC again?

A) I wish I could but I’m not kissing anyone’s ass. But man, just to play in that Universe would be so cool. I still think they do the best books in the industry.

Q) What exactly do I do?

A) Man I get that a lot. OK here goes, I was trained as an illustrator but I developed an uncanny knack for (lack of a better word) deal making in the entertainment arena. I’ve put together some incredible deals in my career. That’s another column but rest assured it’s pretty impressive. Here’s an overview of how I do what I do.

1. Come up with an idea.

2. Figure out where the idea works. As a division in an existing company? Magic Johnson Entertainment, Viacom, Simon and Schuster, Motown, etc.- or if it’s a content idea does it work for TV, comics, books or film?  A good idea works for all of them.

3. Write the business plan, overview, or pitch.

4. Set the meetings.

5. Sell the idea.

Right now I’m a partner in a new Television network and I’m writing four books for three major publishers. Oh, before you send me your resume for the network understand that with any start up it’s a long time before you can start writing people checks and we are a LONG way from there.

Q) Why am I so loud?

A) I have and always have had an over the top personality. I was the class clown in grade school and it went from there. I also don’t think I’m loud; I think I’m passionate.

Q) Do I have an Asian girl fetish?

A) I’m attracted to Asian women because I fell in love with an Asian woman. All my ‘Asian girl’ comments are simply silly fun or not depending on how you take it. To me they are just goofs.

Q) What’s my problem with Black women?

A) I thought the woman I married was black when she and I started dating, she wasn’t she was Cuban. I didn’t ask what she was because I fell in love with her not her ethnicity. I assumed she was black because her complexion was a light golden brown…and she could dance. When she told me she was Cuban I went on a Latino rant for the 10 years we were married. If I start dating a Hobbit, trust me I’ll be on a Hobbit rant. For the record I love being Black, well except for the police stopping me in front of my house. That has happened to me twice in the last four years.

Q) Why don’t some Black people like me?

A) I’m loud and that to some says ‘ignorant nigger.’ I profess my attraction to Asian women. I will not work with you simply because you are Black, if you suck color has NO bearing on professionalism. Some people don’t think I’m funny…I could go on but I need to finish this before 2011.

Q) Why do I flaunt my resume when someone Black critiques me harshly?

A) It does not matter to me if you are Black, Asian, White or lime green, to me an acceptable answer to people who attack you because of how you act is to show what your behavior has produced. As Yogi Berra once said; “It’s not bragging if you can do it.” Most people don’t attack me for stuff I’ve done but how I act. The fact is I’m a funny guy who should not be fucked with unless you feel strong. Also as a Black man I think it’s important that inner city kids see what you can do without a basketball or a rap. Shit, I could have, should have been dead or in jail but thanks to some people and guidance I’m doing just fine.

Q) What do I think about being controversial?

A) Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Prince, The Rolling Stones, Darwin, Elvis, Obama and Lady Gaga among many were all controversial.

I’m OK with that.

Q) Have I done anything I regret?

A) Plenty.

Q) Am I going to be a pussy or come clean on some of those regrets?

A) Pussy.

Q) What about defining myself so people understand me better?

A) Pussy.

Q) OK, what do I really think of Asian girls?

A) Pussy.

Q) OK, here are some regrets.

A) Not enough Pussy.

Q) OK, here are some more regrets.

A) I regret that my relationship with Brett Lewis is not better. I miss him and his completely original point of view in my life. I regret the treatment of some women in my past. I had some serious issues when I was younger and I’m sorry. Not an excuse, an explanation I was wrong in almost 100% of the situations. I regret losing touch with Mike Gold for so long. Mike had my back when no one did. I regret having a heart attack and not telling anyone (man I could have milked the shit out of that).  I regret my relationship with Paul Levitz coming to an ugly head some years ago. Paul may not know this but he was a real mentor to me. I regret some things I’ve said because I was pissed at the time. I regret how The Guardian Line was marketed- I was not in charge of the marketing but it was my program and I’m ultimately responsible. I regret that my efforts a few years ago to bring all The Milestone Partners back together failed. Man, that shit would be so cool but maybe it’s true, you can’t go home again. There’s more but it’s time for me to revert back into a…you know.

Pussy. I like saying pussy.

Q) Here are some major screw-ups I don’t regret.

A) I don’t regret going basaltic when a certain person at a certain company killed a deal of mine with outright lies. I said it then I’ll say it now, “Fuck you, pay me.” They did. I don’t regret having a ‘polarizing’ persona. I don’t regret the massive amount of bank I spent on my self-funded Mentor program. I don’t regret having nothing in the bank after having a grip in the bank. It’s only money and I’ve been happy with it and happy without it. I don’t regret responding to Ania when they called Milestone ‘house niggers’ by saying their books suck. They sucked then they suck now.

Q) How do I get the star power to The Black Panel every year?

A)  You smell that? That’s me, I’m the SHIT!

Q) Other than being “The Shit” how do I get the star power to The Black Panel every year?

A) I’ve spent the last 20 years (since I was 2, Jean) building relationships with the movers and shakers in Hollywood and corporate America. I have the home numbers of some of the most powerful people in the entertainment business and beyond.

I told you I was the SHIT.

Q Why am I so cocky?

A) If I were a white guy I would be daring, inventive and a genius…with a small dick.

Q) Why have I never been a guest of Comic Con International?

A) I have quite a few proclamations from cities for my Mentor Program. I was named Mentor Of the year from Mentor Magazine, I have a school building named after me, I’ve been the Key Note speaker for some of the most prestigious organizations in the country and have made a bunch of ‘important’ lists-so if I’m not a guest at Comic Con International it’s OK.

Q) Is it really OK that I have never been a guest at Comic Con?

A)  HELL NO! I would KILL to be a guest at Comic Con! Comic Con the greatest pop culture event on the planet!!

Q) Am I bitter?

A) Nope, I LOVE Comic Con. If I’m never a guest that’s OK. I’ll be the Susan Lucci of the comic book world. Wait a sec…Susan eventually won an Emmy…shit.

Q) What do I want people to really know about me?

A) I REALLY live by three mottos;  Nothing too good to do for my friends, nothing to bad to do to my enemies. Be true to your work and your work will be true to you and finally, Each one, teach one.

I could go on but anything else I write would be more of the same except with different examples.

Why write this? Martha Thomases sent me an article about men with Asian Fetishes and thought there was a column there. She (as she always is) was right. I don’t think she saw this as a chance for me to clear up some misconceptions about myself, but you know she may have, that Martha is a smart cookie.

So there you have it, my attempt to ‘Let people in.’ This will either have an affect on some or it won’t.

June, I tried.

Happy New Year.