Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Batman And Two Face, Comics, dark horse, dark horse presents, dc, dynamite, flash, justice league, katana, keith champagne, nevermore

Champagne Supernova – Leaving New York

Published Fri, 29 Nov 2013 10:05:18 -0600

by Rich Johnston

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Keith Champagne writes;

Last week, I took my final antibiotic horse pill and, while I'm still prone to uncontrollable fits of bronchial coughing (especially late at night when the rest of the world is sleeping), they've tapered off considerably. I think that, combined with the fact that I've run out of medication to take means I've defeated pneumonia once and for all.

Let me pass on what I've learned about pneumonia to you, my Internet friends. It sucks. If you happen to catch it, don't pretend it's no big deal and go about your business as if nothing is wrong (which is what I did). Rest. Hydrate. Rest some more. Take your medicine. When you're done resting, plop down on the couch and watch a movie. Pneumonia killed Jim Henson, it's got no qualms about taking you or me down.

While not resting the past few weeks, here's what I've been up to. I wrote my second (of three) stories for Dark Horse Presents along with two pitches for Dark Horse's consideration. I turned in the script for Nevermore vol. 2 #4 to Dynamite. To be fair, I had written that a few weeks earlier but was letting it sit while I let my subconscious problem solve part of the script. For DC, I inked half an issue of Katana over Alex Sanchez, finished a chunk of an issue of Flash over Chris Sprouse. From there, I jumped on Justice League over the great Doug Mahnke and then helped polish off an issue of Batman And Two Face. I also chased my kids around and did the dishes once or twice.

I'm including a link to the trade paperback collection of The Bionic Man Versus the Bionic Woman series I wrote, with art by a really talented fellow named Jose Luis. Christmas is coming, who wouldn't want a story about really attractive Bionic people fighting each other in their stocking?

I guess the biggest news since last I wrote a column is that DC announced their move to the west coast in 2015. I can't say I was super surprised to hear it; about a year ago I had heard a rumor the lease on their 1700 Broadway space ran out in 2015. No idea if it's true or not but the timing seems to fit.

It's sad to think of DC no longer being in NYC. I first started visiting the offices shortly after I graduated the Kubert School when they were still parked on Avenue of the Americas. I was working on Teen Titans at the time, my first monthly for DC. Actually, that's not true. Now that I think of it, my first monthly for DC was Deathstroke. The pencil artist, actually one of my best friends, got me fired. If I see him now, we'll laugh about it but at the time I was hurt and terrified and figured my comic book career was over before it started. But there was a good lesson in there about working with your friends (maybe don't?) and luckily, DC gave me Titans instead.

When I'd finish an issue, I'd take the train in to the offices (I live about three hours away from NYC) and turn in pages and try to network a bit. Try being the key word. I was intimidated by pretty much everybody back then, I remember actually getting tongue tied being introduced to Mike Carlin (he wrote The Thing, dammit! One of my favorite Marvel books from my childhood). But as I got to know the people there as people and not just as names I'd seen in print forever, I relaxed a bit and started feeling like part of the team.

When DC moved to their current location, I kept up my habit of visiting when I'd finish an issue. I saw a lot of people come and go, made some good friends, was introduced to tzatziki by Tomasi and generally just tried to show my face and remind people that I existed every month.

It's been a couple of years now since I've been to the DC offices. After my youngest son was born, the trek back and forth to the city (which had once seemed pretty pain free) seemed like a selfish waste of time and if you read my first column, you'll remember I got sidetracked in a side business for a while. I'd like to visit the offices again before they move but at this point, many of the faces there are strangers and I'd hate to feel like I'm inconveniencing anyone. Still, it'd be nice to take it all in one last time. Eras are meant to end and I'm sure the publishing arm of DC will thrive with its other arms out west. I'll miss having them close by.

Next time, hopefully not a month late, I'll tell you the story of how I was ripped off and swindled on Ebay. If anyone lives in Texas, I have an ass for you to kick.

Be well. Feel free to drop me a line at keithchampagne@gmail.com or follow me @keithchampagne. I don't get Twitter but I'm trying to like it. Maybe I need a twitter coach.

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