Milestone: “Devil/Don’t be Teased”

On July 1^st, my story went pre-production—an 8-page trailer to grace the back pages of “Elephantmen” (Image Comics).  My editor, Richard Starkings, and his graphic designer, John Roshell (self-proclaimed “Snake Oil” and also nicknamed “JG”) kept me wrung to my computer in the morning and early afternoon.  I hadn’t slept well due to a sinus headache.  To stay awake, I lulled my head forward, holding my laptop like a drunken parent corralling a child.  Staring into white and blue Yahoo! email inbox.  Squinting at too small Times New Roman font.  Wanting to die already.  Because I already believed everything would be perfect.— 

But it wasn’t ALL perfect. I’d say 80-percent was pretty damn good for a team effort though.  Nonetheless, the cover logo was off:  a midsize typeface in red with black horizontal striations and yellow “shadow” text.  Each letter with nicely pointed tips.  Nice, but plain.  A story called “Devil” needs some extravagance.

So, I wrote back, “Looking for more circus type font… or Vaudevillian.”  Since “Devil” is set during the American Great Depression.  I needed to feel something vintage—like penny candy or Madeleine Vionnet.

And JG came through indeed.  Three choices, each individually unique.  Each, therefore, providing a different way to introduce a story.  The first—elongated and refined—reminded me of how I imagined Coney Island and high strikers, the brawn man ad and his silly curved mustache.  The second being something like a “Saloon” sign in bold.  The third told me, “There’s a sucker born every minute,” in stocky type and curls, the Barnum & Bailey mold.  Everything I ever hoped for and I had to choose.  Mind racing between one and three.

So, I picked Coney Island.  Something less recognizable (perhaps), but no less what I needed. 

Next was “The Beginning.”  The Epilogue that capped the imagery in poem form—two and three lines per stanza.  The story of “Devil” really hadn’t ended.  However, the layout proved rather tricky.  In large text appeared one particular line across the page:  “The Devil don’t be teased.”  All remaining lines were placed in two columns.  I read column left first, column right second.  Assuming “The Devil don’t…” was merely an artistic tick that stuck out from column left. 

But, alas, I was wrong.

I read my own work out of order.  The first four stanzas topping “The Devil” phrase were supposed to read together in their two rows provided.  The other 19 stanzas below came in final order, read in columns left to right, of course. 

I laughed at myself, being so slow to realize.  Confessing to JG my confusion.  JG replied, “That’ll teach me to be clever.”  And an appropriate fix was made.  (Hopefully).

With my mind ablaze fretting over details, I forgot about being tired.  Richard laughed warmly when he called to follow up with an email I can’t remember answering:  Did you stay up all night?!?!?

Thank God I didn’t.