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Confessions Of A Self Important Ass – Michael Davis, From The Edge

Michael Davis is the co-founder of Milestone Comics and a current graphic novelist. He runs The Black Panel at San Diego Comic Con. And he now writes a weekly column for Bleeding Cool.

davis"Why don't you respond to your critics on Bleeding Cool?"

I've heard that from more than a few people.

Truth is, I see no reason to respond. I am a shameless self-promoting asshole. Often I do write in a style that can be confusing to some and just bad to others.

Rarely does anyone group those two critiques together but separate or apart they are the leading of many criticisms leveled at me.

Why respond?

It's true.

IT'S ALL TRUE.

I'm well aware of what people think about me and freely admit how I write and my constant hyping of my own achievements can be a bit off-putting to some.

But, people, it's working for me.

I'm a smart guy. Not as smart as some, but smart. I'm a talented guy. Not as talented as some, but talented nevertheless. I'm a funny guy. Not as funny as some, but funnier than most.

That said, in the entertainment business there is nothing special about me.

Nothing.

Every person who gets off the bus from the city of Whathefuck in the state of Whogivesafuck USA was the smartest or most talented or funniest person or all three that graduated from Neverheardof High School.

That jack, is just the facts. What gives one talented person the ability to best an equal or more talented person? Simple, they somehow manage to stand out.

Love me or hate me, I stand out.

Now, before you think you can just piss off a bunch of people and roll like I'm rolling, think again. That's not how I achieved anything. My persona has become part of my brand and I'm very proud of my brand but attitude does not pay my mortgage. If I didn't have the goods to work at the level I'm working the entire attitude, swagger and bullshit would be found to be nothing but hype in less time than it takes to spot a huge Adam's apple on a transvestite.

If you follow baseball think of it this way, every season there is some hotshot unbelievable pitcher that takes the majors by storm. Most of those hotshot pitchers get a pass for a month or two before the word gets around what they can't do.

Once the word comes in that Joe fastball can't pitch worth a damn when he's behind in the count the gig is up. Batters will adjust and start working the count. By June Mr. Fastball is back in the minors.

Talking the shit I talk would last up until ONE person with a little pull picks up the phone and ends my smoke and mirror campaign. But, smoke and mirrors I am not.

And again, love me or hate me, it works for me.

As a freely admitted asshole you would think that I think I never screw up or if I did I would care less about the fuck up. Nope- I do care and I do fuck up (a lot) and when I do I own up to it.

Someone in the comments (I'm paraphrasing) said the reason they don't like me is I dismissed any criticisms of my writing because I had a book deal with Simon & Schuster.

I DID do that.

I WAS wrong.

Saying A is irrelevant because B is so cool is just bullshit. Oliver Stone has directed some great films however his film, Alexander was not anywhere near great and saying it was because he directed Natural Born Killers is just asinine.

In my humble fan boy opinion, Alexander was a horrible film and giving him a pass because I'm a history junkie and loved JFK would make me a hypocrite. I'm self-centered, I'm an asshole and sometimes I write just to see how many non sequiturs I can cram into a piece but hypocrite? Nope.

Believe it or not, I just want to do good work as well as continue to find talented people who may need a bit of help, access or a pep talk. I'm not looking to make friends, I'm looking to make a difference. If I pissed some people off so be it. I sleep pretty damn well at night.

To that end, someone (again, I'm paraphrasing) posted that if I came off as a self-important asshole it's no wonder UPS has not given finding the artwork of Denys Cowan any thought.

Whoever said that, is right.

I did indeed come off as a self-important asshole and even said: 'You have no idea who you are fucking with' to a UPS employee or four.

I said that-I was an asshole.

Anyone care to co-sign the assessment that UPS won't do a thing because I'm a self-centered dick? I just may be and if I am, I'll admit it next week.

So, if that's what you feel, have at it.

Lastly, continue to call me on my shit. I not only welcome it, I respect it. I'm not perfect nor do I claim to me. I'm not better than anyone else and if that's the impression I gave that was not my intention, not in the least.

Be you friend or foe, regardless of how you feel about me I sincerely thank you for taking the time to read what I write.

I wish everyone a Happy New Year, be safe.


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Hannah Means ShannonAbout Hannah Means Shannon

Editor-in-Chief at Bleeding Cool. Independent comics scholar and former English Professor. Writing books on magic in the works of Alan Moore and the early works of Neil Gaiman.
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