October 27th, 2009 by Neal

The work goes well. I am editing much faster now. There’s more structural stuff than I figured there would be, but it’s usually brief and easily fixed.

I figure I’ll goof with the graphic to make the illusion of anticipation, just for kicks. Ergo I’ll set a new goal of 95K, because it seems to be slowly working that way. I’m at 85K as of today.

At the current pace I’ll be done by the end of November, and I will then spend December on the graphic novel. Heeya!

In other news, if you want to get the collected trade of Female Force, the book is now OUT. I didn’t write the Palin epilogue, and the order of the books were for some reason rearranged (they should go Hillary/Sarah/Michelle/Caroline, and there is a continuity between the four), but all of the issues are there, at least, and it’s a good way to get them together!

But if that doesn’t float your boat, or if you’re looking for any one on their own, let me know, I have a few lying around, and would much prefer to send you a personalized copy, given that it’s more fun and personal.

June 22nd, 2009 by Neal

It’s rad to wake up to a kind review, and my thanks to Dan Ruble for nice words regarding my Hillary and Sarah comic.

There’s really no better feeling than when someone gets your work and enjoys what you were going for.

Now… BACK to said work! Just wanted to note the awesome and spread thanks.

June 2nd, 2009 by Neal

Thank you to several folks for pointing out the fact that my Sarah Palin book is the number ten hot book for Wizard Magazine this month. This is the first time I am aware of that something I’ve been working on has been mentioned in Wizard in quite some time, since the SH was profiled back in the Loeb/MacGuinness run.

Woot!

Here’s a scan I was sent:

To see it in full glory, click here.

Thanks, Wizard!

May 11th, 2009 by Neal

I signed this last weekend at Brave New World in Santa Clarita, a damned fine shop with a damned fine ownership. It was, hands-down, my most successful signing yet, and a solid rocket blast!

The Signal of Santa Clarita was kind enough to devote space to it here.

The woman in the picture, Pamela, was so incredibly awesome. She bought a big old stack of the books to share with her friends and family. I hope they dig them, because I’d feel bad if they didn’t.

I also had a pure cane sugar Coke during a break, which sounds like a stupid thing to mention, but it tasted rather fine.

It’s incredible to have people who didn’t just happen upon my table at a con come to visit. One man drove 45 minutes. It’s flattering, and it’s also scary as hell. I got nervous and bit my tongue so badly that it hurts to speak and eat, but I also got such hope and joy… I hope I did well by Brave New World for their gesture of faith and kindness in flying me down.

May 11th, 2009 by Neal

HEED!

I am in LA, and will be so for another day, but I still have the internets, and thereby I got my google alerts, which revealed to me an AWESOME review by Steve Saunders at the WIRED blog.

Yeah! Wired!

R. A. D.

At any rate, he’s very, very kind, you should get over there and check it out!

May 6th, 2009 by Neal

With much respect to Cglass81, AKA Carl Glassmeyer, friend and saint, I have been made aware that AICN has once again graced me with a kind review…
That’s kind of like winning the lottery twice, because AICN is notorious for having geek-high standards. In other words, they’re discerning and will rip you to shit if you fart in the wrong direction. That’s some people’s bag, not others. It’s the reason I read it.

If you want to read it, it’s here, and I once again thank the staff for not stabbing me with their prose, and for being kind. It’s so incredibly reassuring to run that gauntlet and come through unscathed.

He also gets what I was trying to do with the book, which is awesome.

April 24th, 2009 by Neal

BOOM!

Billy Mays here, for Neal Bailey. Not having copies of Female Force get you down? You tried stealing it from the lady collecting it for resale value, only to have her upside your head with her cane?

Well fuck that! Don’t do that shit! Do this shit:

Try Things From Another World, via the brand spanking new NEAL BAILEY PUBLICATION PAGE.

Just click it… and purchase it. That’s right. Just click, and purchase. Why, in four easy steps, all of your female political problems will be solved, except the debate about the toilet seat (pause for good natured canned laughter)!

And, as an added bonus, you’ll learn where to find Neal’s older work, and what he’s been up to! That’s right! All this, AND a floor show.

But act now! You won’t be able to find this shit once the fucker is dead of author-pox!

…

In all seriousness, though, I spent some time on the page because I 1) Found a place where you can get the books online, finally, and 2) Because all you good folks who wanted to pay me for postage don’t need the extra cost of a middleman, barring desire for a signed copy. If you still want a signed one, let me know. It might have to be second printing, but at least now there’s a place you can buy copies!

April 19th, 2009 by Neal

Didn’t get much done Friday… just said fuck it. And I’ve earned it. 35,000 in two weeks? Good times.

Learned that Michelle sold 45 thousand copies. Forty five thousand. That’s more than Trinity is selling. That baffles my mind.

I tried to go for my first camping trip, but the snow was three feet high. We hiked into a campground and decided to try and trust Hunter again. He’s been coming in the off leash park when we call him.

He didn’t come.

After ten frantic minutes, Kristen finally found him. The echoes confused him, and the snow made him ignore us, but he eventually came back, only because he was extraordinarily cold and uncomfortable. I have learned the lesson that an animal is still an animal, and discovers no real loyalty over time save to its base instincts. Which is fine. But I thought I’d lost a third dog. Sigh.

I have come a long way as a person, though, because I didn’t strike the animal. I was very proud of that. I used to, based upon example, smack the dog (my other dogs) when it misbehaved in my younger years. I feel more healthy in that respect.

I’ve been walking a lot more lately, which has been ridiculously fun, though I’ve put on a few pounds with the writing. I’m gonna work on that soon. Steady walks, bike rides.

I’ve been asked to do another comic book, a two parter, and I’ve started to research that. I’ll put up the wordtracker as soon as I’m sure that’s a go and have the okay.

Michelle comes out on the twenty-ninth.

I did the Portland con, which was good in ways. I got to meet Steve Rolston, and I’ve liked his work for quite a while. I also met Lars Brown. Good guys.

I signed my first fiction comic book. R.A.N. was a non-fiction tale. The Vincent Price book is pretty cool. There were two pages added in by the editors (a kind of Crypt-Keeper bookend), but my story came across pretty well, I thought. Now that it’s out there, I can delightfully point out my Cthulhu monsters and let people know their names in the script are Syd and Nancy. And that the inspiration for the skinny dude was David Byrne. I’m making it a Vincent Price theme. In this one, David Byrne, in the next, Phil Ochs.

The sun is out… I can afford an air conditioning unit. What else could a guy want?

BTW, if anybody wants a copy of the books, I am fairly low on comps (we’re waiting on a print run because of demand, so I have yet to receive more than a few), but to share with you guys, anyone who’s interested and is cool with paying postage or popping over, shoot me an email. I have a few spare Hillary Clintons, and a few Vincent Price issues. Some are already promised, but I’m playing it by ear.

April 6th, 2009 by Neal

Much obliged to Oregon Live, who did a kindly review of the Sarah and Hillary books!

The writer writes probably the most enjoyable piece about the books since the AICN piece (which was more pleasing because it had a positive vibe… on AICN), and actually does me the kindness of mentioning me by name and explores what I was trying to do, which is a bit harder to come by given the sensational nature of the works in question.

My favorite quote, which covers the kind of attitude I tried to have with the work:

The Clinton and Palin comics, both written by Neal Bailey, trace the women’s backgrounds, accomplishments and how they rose to positions of power. Bailey includes himself as a character, an initially skeptical one in both titles. In one panel (drawn by Ryan Howe) the bearded Bailey says that when his editor approached him about a Hillary comic, he balked. “She tried to ban ‘Grand Theft Auto,’ right?” By the end, Bailey has grudging respect for the former first lady.

Bailey’s even more wary of writing about Palin. “I’m a part of the elite liberal media! I couldn’t possibly write a fair biography of Sarah Palin!” he writes. But with help from a Jiminy Cricket-style sidekick, Bailey traces Palin’s journey from Wasilla, Alaska, to vice-presidential candidate. As the comic ends, Bailey worries that he hasn’t included enough positive information. He wonders whether there was too much negative coverage of Palin — and also whether those stories resulted from her own actions. Bailey concludes, “it appears to be a little of both. Once the media turns against you, it’s hard to spring back.”

Head on over and check out the full article, and my thanks for a fine piece from Kris Turnquist!

March 31st, 2009 by Neal

Jimmy Fallon, March 19th:

http://www.nbc.com/late-night-with-jimmy-fallon/video/episodes/#vid=1067721

(Sorry, couldn’t figure out the embed). Go to 2:15.
EDIT: If, for some reason, like for me, it has stopped working somehow at times, click on March 19th. Should be self-evident, but just saying.