"That is, we're not killing trees just to get market share; we're publishing books that we think will make our retailing partners money every day, every week, every year, forever."

That one's from a great interview Tim O'Shea did with me that just went up on The Great Curve. I sure am enjoying that site, except for one little thing: everyone over there insists on addressing me as "Mr. Young." This drives me bananas, and I'll tell you why: I'm just a dude who likes comics, like everyone else. So, yeah, maybe I like comics so much I have to make my own, and I think the comics my friends and I make are the best comics in human history* but, when you come down to it, I'm just the World's Biggest Comics Fan.

Now, I understand those TGC cats are trying to be respectful because I am A Writer and A Publisher and "A Genius with the IP"** and all, but here's where I split with the flabbermouths who whine that I shouldn't be interacting with people on message boards, and who say that I should be ashamed of myself because I don't think Gail Simone's comics are really all that funny, or I should be "nicer" to "fellow professionals" because they didn't like that I said that I could draw better than them and I can't draw... here's where I split with that thinking, because I'm not part of the media elite or the power brokers or whatever.

I'm just a dude who likes comics. I like comics so much I have to make my own. And I'm not going to stop talking about comics and giving interviews about comics and teaching kids about how comics are made at libraries and all because I'm not going to ever be sitting in a four-color tower. I'm always going to be interacting instead of pronouncing, because I'm one of those guys who likes the walking of the walk much more than the talking of the talk. Not to mention that the best way to avoid what Jon Carroll calls "faulty assumptions and flawed reasoning" is to talk to the guy who drives the car and not the engineer, you know? I know too many folks in comics who suffer career setbacks simply because they're not paying attention.

So, me? You'll be seeing me on message boards and comment sections and on the news sites and on your local shops shelves. Because I'm just a dude who likes comics. I like comics so much I have to make my own.

*a little joke for Dan Shahin from yesterday.
**actually said to me in a meeting, once