How Did I Get Here?, by Michael Davis – Straight No Chaser #157
March 4, 2010 Michael Davis 0 Comments
I have a pretty good idea but allow me to digress for a moment. It’s funny, whenever I use the word ‘digress’ I feel like I should pay Peter David royalties.
But I digress…
So, how did I get here? It may me the massive amount of drugs (some legal) I’m on while still fighting what I’m sure is Swine Flu Plus, but except for the incredible pain I’m under I’m feeling pretty good.
But I digress…
I’m a professional no joke, sort after writer. I have a hard cover book (with David Quinn) coming out next month called The Littlest Bitch. I have four books in the pipeline for later 2010 and early 2011 and I just closed a major deal for another book today.
All these books are from major publishers, not comic book publishers, which are the majors in my book, so I guess mainstream publishers, is a better way of putting it.
How did I get here? I was trained as an artist; well I was trained as an illustrator. Yes, there is a difference. What is that difference? Well to be the brief, an artist makes dinner, an illustrator makes reservations.
But I digress…
How did I get here? Well another brief answer is to ask you if you smell that?
That’s me I’m the SHIT!
Note to uninformed white people being ‘The Shit’ should not be confused with being “ A Shit.’ Being The Shit means you are really good at what you do; as an example, Michael Jordan is the SHIT. Being ‘ a shit’ or a ‘piece of shit’ can be anything from being a lair to being a horrible person in general who is oblivious to anything or anyone around you so you live in your own little world content in your stupidity and ignorance.
As an example; Michael Steele is a piece of shit.
Both ‘The Shit’ and being ‘A piece of Shit’ can be dressed up or down according to the person or situation. As an example; ‘Tatiana’s new company is the SHIT!’ Or Jean’s new career is the Shit!’ Or, you can dress up something you have already said to make an even stronger point, such as; Michael Steele is an Uncle Tom, asshole, bitch, piece of shit.
But I digress…
How did I get here? I’m not just writing books, I’m writing important books about important people and important things. How did I get here? Well if you ask me, I got here with the help of a few people. My mom who taught me to be fearless. My cousin who taught me the importance of presentation among many other things. My cousin is William T. Williams he’s a badass artist. How badass? He’s in The Janson History Of Art and he’s still alive and still black. He doesn’t make dinner or reservations he makes history…art history. Get it?
When I was a teenager (5 years ago Jean) I went to baby-sit for my cousin and his wife so he could go to the opening night of one of his art shows. His daughter Nila and his son Aaron are my heart. Anywho-when I got to his home he was wearing the nicest sports jacket I’ve ever seen. The jacket was blue camel hair and felt like warm milk poured over velvet.
Man, it was nice.
I asked to try it on and it fit me like a glove, a glove made out of warm milk poured over velvet.
WOW! This is the nicest jacket I’ve ever seen, felt or worn!!
Glad you like it.
How much did this cost?
Eight hundred dollars.
EIGHT HUNDRED DOLLARS?? IS YOU CRAZY??
No.
EVERYTHING I WEAR OR HAVE EVER WORN DOES NOT COME UP TO EIGHT HUNDRED DOLLARS!!!!
My cousin just smiled at that. I wasn’t kidding, I lived in the projects during the (cough, cough GAG!) and $800.00 for my entire wardrobe since birth would have been about $700.00 over. It was inconceivable for me to imagine spending $800.00 for ONE piece of clothing.
Inconceivable!
Why on earth would you spend $800.00 for just ONE JACKET??
Because when I ask for $100,000 for a painting, people will take one look at the jacket and know I’m serious.
I have never, nor will I ever forget that or what he said right after…
Presentation is very important.
BTW- that $100,000 was years ago when he was cheap.
But I digress…
Mike Gold had a lot to do with me becoming a sort after writer; he told me that I had a unique voice and that no one sees the world quite like I do. He told me my voice was honest. He also told me (thank god) not to go after those people who don’t like me. He assured me it was a waste of time…and would be a full time job.
Mike Baron, Mike Richardson and Mike Grell have been very important to my development as a writer. Also important was my boy Mike Stradford. Damn, Mike Baron, Mike Richardson, Mike Grell, Mike Stradford, Mike Gold and Michael (I hate being called Mike) Davis That’s a lot of ‘Mike.’
Shit-my next book should be called; Mike Tales.
But I digress…
One person who has become near and dear to me and has helped me in so many ways is Tom Kinney. When I talk to Tom about my work and what I’m trying to do he listens and we have a real discussion. If he and I are not on the same page, you know what?
I get it.
That’s a mighty big thing for a writer who is as anal as me to say about someone. Take a moment if you will kind reader (see how I worked you in to this piece? ‘kind reader’ that’s you. That’s one of the reason’s I’m the SHIT)
But I digress…
‘Getting it’ or seeing someone else’s point of view when you are the writer and master of whatever universe you are writing about is huge. With Tom, I get it.
I think a lot of the book opportunities I’m getting have a bit to do with how I see things and who I really am. One of the things my wife (before I screwed it up) did for me was just let me be me. Man-it’s so IMPORTANT to be around people who just let you be you. It’s easy to be cool when things are good, but the moment things go stupid that’s when you really know who is in your corner.
Ever since Milestone I have been reluctant to be a ‘partner’ in many endeavors. But there are some people I’m proud as shit to partner with because they make me happy as a pimp with white chicks working for me. One of my gifts is I have the ability KNOW when someone is a quality person who you can trust. David Quinn, Ehrich Van Lowe and Bill Duke are all people I’m honored to be in partnership with. On the same note as those fine people are Ron Small and Terry Wilfong. All of them contributed to my work as a writer.
Oh if you are wondering another one of my gifts is the ability to make love to two women at the same time while talking on the phone to my ex-wife about reconciliation.
And yes, that’s a speakerphone I’m on. See, that’s another reason I’m the Shit!
But I digress…
How did I get here? I got here with a lot of love and support from people who care enough to tell you the truth and LET YOU BE YOU.
Last year at Comic Con I told a well known DC Comics editor, “I’m writing a book.” When he asked me what was new with me.
He said; “You’re writing a book? Really? Don’t quit your day job.”
Hey Dick Head, nowadays writing books IS my day job…bitch.
But I digress…
Will the books be any good? I think so. Will they sell? I think so. I hope the publishers and I make a GRIP (uninformed white people, a GRIP is a lot of money) but if they sell ONE copy each, I’m good with that. One copy is all I need to give to my mom.
How did I get here? I think I covered that but what’s even more important than knowing how I got here, it’s knowing where I came from and who helped.
To all those mentioned and those I’m sure I forgot to mention, from the bottom of my heart, Thank you.
Mr. David, your check is in the mail.
Reg
March 4, 2010 - 11:32 pm
mOTu – That’s what’s up, brother. Toss up the dust!
Just know I’m chasin’ after you.
Also, re: Michael Steele… trust you’ll find the following clip of some amusing strangeness.
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-february-9-2010/rnc-meeting-in-hawaii
MOTU
March 5, 2010 - 12:11 am
Reg,
Hit me up on Monday dude-the drugs should have worn off by then. BTW- that clip was off the chain!
MOTU
March 5, 2010 - 12:33 am
Shit!
I forgot to mention two people who helped me in a big way, Dwayne McDuffie and Christopher Priest.
D U H.
Martha Thomases
March 5, 2010 - 7:59 am
Reconcile with your ex-wife? Sweetie, are you okay?
Mike Gold
March 5, 2010 - 9:17 am
“Christopher Priest?” Didn’t he used to be called Sam Clemens?
Reg
March 5, 2010 - 10:31 am
Mike – connect the dots…and
http://starsmedia.ign.com/stars/image/article/828/828171/james-t-kirk-20071017040711676-000.jpg
plus
http://tinyurl.com/yjjc4kz
equals… a no – prize for the answer! 😀
MOTU
March 5, 2010 - 12:06 pm
Martha Thomases said,
“Reconcile with your ex-wife? Sweetie, are you okay?’
Did you not see the part in the piece where I said I was on massive amount of drugs while fighting Swine Flu Plus?
I’m feeling a bit better now-I’m about to have some apple sauce. ?
MOTU
March 5, 2010 - 12:09 pm
Mike Gold said,
“Christopher Priest?” Didn’t he used to be called Sam Clemens?”
No, he was Bob Dylan.
Marc Alan Fishman
March 5, 2010 - 12:54 pm
“Mike Gold had a lot to do with me becoming a sort after writer; he told me that I had a unique voice and that no one sees the world quite like I do.”
Hmm.. All Mike’s told me lately is that Mr. Beef beats Al’s for an Italian Beef sammitch any day of the week. He may have said other things too. I’ll have to check.
One of the best feelings I ever had was when I sent a copy of my book to you MOTU, and you actually read it. I’m not saying it to be kind. I’m saying it cause it’s true. Ever since I found your articles on ComicMix, I’ve become a fan. I’ll look out for your books, and be sure to read them. So, that’s 2 sold.
A cherry coke to you sir.
MOTU
March 5, 2010 - 1:52 pm
Ooooooo Cherry Coke!!
R. Maheras
March 5, 2010 - 3:32 pm
I cracked up at the “Not for Children” banner on the cover.
In my old neighborhood, that, and the title, would have been the selling point!
MOTU
March 5, 2010 - 5:41 pm
R. Maheras,
Let me know where that old neighborhood is and I’ll make sure we get some copies down there. Nothing like a little bitch to make the old home fires burn.
R. Maheras
March 5, 2010 - 7:17 pm
The west side of Chicago — in the Austin District. Don’t know who you’d send ’em to though! There are no book stores or comics stores within miles of my old neighborhood. Most commercial property that’s still left consists of store-front churches, liquor stores, convenience stores and fast-food restaurants.
MOTU
March 5, 2010 - 8:10 pm
Liquor stores?
Say no more! The Littlest Bitch is on her way!
Mike Gold
March 6, 2010 - 8:07 am
Closest I can think of to the Austin District (they used to have one of the best damn record stores in the world over there!) is One-Stop Comics in Oak Park, the neighboring suburb. Been around forever. Real nice place. And the very first radio station I worked for, WGLD-FM, wasn’t far.
R. Maheras
March 6, 2010 - 2:29 pm
Ah, yes, Oak Park. I have some mixed feelings about Oak Park.
When “White Flight” was occurring in Austin during the late 1960s and early 1970s, Oak Park, then an all-white suburb, literally built a barrier between itself and Austin. All the side streets facing the invisible eastern borderline between the Austin District and Oak Park were blocked off into cul-de-sacs to prevent free access by the people then moving into the Austin area (basically, middle class black Chicagoans looking to get out of the near west areas of Chicago destroyed during the race riots in 1968). Oak Park’s public justifiication for the barrier was to keep out the “criminal element” that was then burgeoning in Austin. And while race was never mentioned, that barrier was, initially, a black/white dividing line. And to its credit, while Oak Park today is more racially diverse than it’s ever been, the artificial barrier still exists today, and still represents an economic borderline between the “haves” and the “have nots.”
When I was in the Cub Scouts and I had to sell something door-to-door, my parents would tell me to walk over to Oak Park, whose border was a mile or so distant, “where all the rich people lived.” At the time, I’d been an apartment dweller my whole life, so strolling up the walks of some of the huge, fancy houses in the northernmost affluent areas of Oak Park (and the neighboring suburb of River Forest) was pretty breath-taking for this young city boy.
Mike Gold
March 7, 2010 - 4:29 pm
Ha! When I was at WGLD-FM back in 1969-70, we broadcast on the top (5th) floor of the Oak Park Arms Hotel. By the time it had become, well, not an assisted living center, just a nice place for old folks to live. And they lived in absolute terror of the hippies who took their elevator up to the top floor.
So my little 19 year old brain should have known the shit storm that was awaiting me when I opened my show with “Broadcasting from the top floor of the Oak Park Arms Hotel in the scenic heartland of honky heaven…” Oh, they didn’t like that one bit.
By the end of the decade, that radio station became WBMX — for “Black Music Exchange.” Still broadcast out of the hotel. The old people dealt with it.
It’s long been one of the more racially integrated suburbs around, but the economic divide is significant: just about the worst of Chicago’ crime and poverty starting on the east side of Austin, and a solid upper-middle income ‘burb starting on the west side of the street. My parents grew up in Austin/Lawndale before WW2; in 1979 I drove them through the old neighborhood to identify locations and they were completely scared shitless to be there.
R. Maheras
March 7, 2010 - 8:14 pm
Mike wrote: “in 1979 I drove them through the old neighborhood to identify locations and they were completely scared shitless to be there.”
Yeah, my sister, best friend and a few other folks I knew went to Austin High School, and it was a frickin’ war zone. One kid, let’s just call him Mark, pissed off the wrong people and had his head caved in with a chair, putting him in a wheelchair. A few months later, he was pushed down the stairs, wheelchair and all.
Another guy I knew from the old neighborhood — a very smart individual who eventually went on to be a professional writer with more than a dozen books under his belt — dropped out in his junior year. His problem? He was bigger and taller than most kids, and was constantly being provoked into fights.
In 1950, Austin High School was one of the best high schools in Chicago. By the 1970s, however, it was one of the worst, and it never recovered. To no one from that area’s surprise, Austin H.S. was eventually shut down in 2004 because its student academic scores were perennially in the toilet. It has since been reorganized into three brand new academies, and hopefully, will eventually recapture some of its past academic glory.
Hot Head Night Nurse
March 10, 2010 - 1:33 pm
Hey Mr. Davis –
Thanks for the shout out on WAYN!
Interesting post as usual.
Pattye