[ Posted by mpMann to rolandmann on Apr 3rd, 2007 12:08 AM ]...

heya Roland,

Think about you from time to time and wonder what you're up to. I dropped out of comics for a long time, but came back a few years ago. You can check out my work of the last few years at my website:

www.cosmorynth.com

Currently working on a collection of Flood Myths with A. David Lewis, and have several books from or coming from soon, Archaia Studios Press.

A good outfit.

1 Reply [ Latest posted on May 3rd, 2007 9:37 AM ]

[ Posted by rolandmann on May 3rd, 2007 9:37 AM ]... Looks like you've been a busy Mann. I'm currently in Arkansas, where my branch of Manns have been since about 1860. Editing a small town newspaper for the time being.

[ Posted by mpMann to SamJohnson on Feb 6th, 2007 2:31 PM ]...

Good to see you out there scouring for artists. With clear publisher interest on your manga project, you should soon be flooded with artists!

But hey! You ought to learn to do your own lettering on the computer. Its a useful skill for writers that gives you finel control over the language.

[ Posted by mpMann to danielle on Feb 2nd, 2007 11:00 AM ]...

Striking use of color techniques and a story that appears to have a lot of ideas in play. I'm looking forward to seeing it in October.

1 Reply [ Latest posted on February 3rd, 2007 6:13 AM ]

[ Posted by danielle on Feb 3rd, 2007 6:13 AM ]... Thank you! You know, I really like your linework. I think it'd be fun to color something of yours sometime, and see how it turns out.

[ Posted by mpMann to TheHumungusStudio on Jan 25th, 2007 12:06 AM ]...

So are you guys going to use The Humungus Studio as the credit for this book, or are you going to use your own names?

2 Replies [ Latest posted on January 25th, 2007 5:06 PM ]

	[ Posted by TheHumungusStudio on Jan 25th, 2007 10:07 AM ]... Nah, just our own names. That's how we went into the project so that's probably how we'll keep it. We'll be using The Humungus Studio for future projects though. Any con plans this season?
	[ Posted by mpMann on Jan 25th, 2007 5:06 PM ]... WonderCon and APE are in my backyard, so I'll probably mosey on by, although no table. I'll try to get down to San Diego this summer and hang out at the ASP table much as I can. I went to Baltimore last year because we were up for some Harvey's, but I don't generally travel a lot for cons.

[ Posted by mpMann to xiamoua on Jan 20th, 2007 2:09 PM ]...

Your sketches show an appealing style that should be popular IF you can tell a story with it, and IF you are reliable and reasonably quick. There are lots of writers out there who are starving for artists who will finish what they start. (I should also add that there that are plenty of writers out there with big ideas but who have trouble finishing what they start as well.)

I'd love to see some more complex scenes as illustrations, entire pages and scenes drawn out, and eventually a story. What you've shown us here is a fine start, keep going!

[ Posted by mpMann to jasonlblair on Jan 16th, 2007 4:13 PM ]...

I'm currently doing Sumeria and you're doing Maya... very cool. I'll look forward to seeing it.

1 Reply [ Latest posted on January 16th, 2007 10:49 PM ]

[ Posted by jasonlblair on Jan 16th, 2007 10:49 PM ]... Thank you! Also, honestly, I truly enjoyed The Lone and Level Sand. It was incredibly well-done.

[ Posted by mpMann to danielle on Jan 16th, 2007 12:47 PM ]...

Welcome to the Archaia "family" Danielle. Mark and Aki have been generous and terrific people to be associated with. Brian has done wonders in publicizing my book, The Lone and Level Sands.

I'm anticipating two new books with them this year. One will be a follow-up to LaLS by A. David Lewis and myself, to be called: Some New Kind of Slaughter ~or~ Lost in the Flood (and How We Found Home Again): Diluvium Myths from Around the World by mpMann and A. David Lewis.Slaughter is slated for December release.

The other project is Inanna's Tears with Rob Vollmar, currently being serialized at ModerTales Strip Lounge. We are looking for print publication this summer.

the work you've posted at deviantart looks varied and impressive. I'll look forward to seeing Hollow from ASP. Who else is associated with it? Tell us how you came to be involved.

1 Reply [ Latest posted on January 16th, 2007 3:22 PM ]

[ Posted by danielle on Jan 16th, 2007 3:22 PM ]... Thank you! I'm honored to be a part of it. :) And yes, a major part of why we wanted to go with Archaia was because of how wonderful we found the people there. Another reason was the high quality of the series that they publish. I'm looking forward to the follow-up; I really liked LaLS, both the writing and your really interesting art. XD Larime, my husband, writes and letters Hollow, and Duncan Eagleson, who pencilled 'The Hunt' for Gaiman's Sandman, is pencilling it. I originally painted an image that inspired the main character, Sam (this will also be the cover for issue one), so when my husband went looking for a colorist, he decided to use me, because he didn't think that a smooth airbrushy look was appropriate for this series. And Duncan seemed to want to collaborate, because we both liked the idea of painting watercolors over his raw pencils. I hope that all goes well with Inanna's Tears, too. It's so nice to see well-done historical graphic storytelling stuff out there, and I love that time period. And politics. And Sumerians.

[ Posted by mpMann to keenqueen on Jan 8th, 2007 12:14 AM ]...

Your comics meet up group seems like a fun idea for Bay Area people. I'd be iffy about making it regularly, but with APE and Wonder-Con coming up in the Bay Area.. perhaps you could hold a get togethre around one of these events.

Do you by chance work with graphic novels in your library job?

3 Replies [ Latest posted on January 8th, 2007 2:52 PM ]

	[ Posted by keenqueen on Jan 8th, 2007 1:39 AM ]... Hi! I get to order graphic novels for the collection...we have a decent size collection that is housed in the Teen Room. Funny...you see adults browsing the graphic novel collection in that room all the time.
	[ Posted by mpMann on Jan 8th, 2007 2:22 AM ]... Well, I hope you'll consider The Lone and Level Sands, published by Archaia Studios Press. http://www.archaiasp.com/lals_preview.ht ml Winner of the Day prize, three Harvey nominations, nominated for YALSA's list of Great Graphic Novels for Teens, with three free downloadable PDF Reader's Guides for discussion groups to use. Plus, I'm the artist, a Bay Area resident and I'm available to meet with groups at the library to discuss LaLS and making comics in general.
	[ Posted by keenqueen on Jan 8th, 2007 2:52 PM ]... Wow! That would be great! Let me talk to my Teen Librarian (I'm the head librarian, but the teen librarian does the teen programming)...he's done a summer reading program with graphic novels. It would be great to have you as an author visit for our branch at Berkeley.

[ Posted by mpMann to DaveRyan on Jan 8th, 2007 12:15 AM ]...

So just what is War of the Independents?

1 Reply [ Latest posted on January 8th, 2007 8:55 AM ]

[ Posted by DaveRyan on Jan 8th, 2007 8:55 AM ]... Hey Marv, It's a chance for Independents to flex their muscles of sort and to get a little mainstream recognition; to show some unknown and unseen talents and to express some unity throughout a struggling market.

[ Posted by mpMann to rob_vollmar on Dec 29th, 2006 10:18 PM ]...

hey Rob!

I refuse to say, "Thanks for the add." An endless list of "Thanks for the add" is what makes these comment boards a bore. Everyone should delete these, "Thanks for the add" comments from their boards. Bad Netiquette.

So instead, I'll say to all your new friends... Rob is the writer of Inanna's Tears, the graphic novel that has be busy these days. We are 75 pages into this 125 page project, and its shaping well, I'd say.

We'll go live with it at ModernTales Strip Lounge the first week of January, 2007. Ya gotcher swords, ya gotcher scantily attired peeps, ya got a nasty villian and a noble defender of the fair maiden.

But mostly you have people trying to do their best, but as is so often the case, what is best for one person conflicts with what is best for another.

Inanna's Tears is a political tragedy set in Sumer, circa 3000 BCE, and Rob's passion for the material is evident on every page. Check us out starting next week.

Rob, you post a link yet?

1 Reply [ Latest posted on December 30th, 2006 1:38 AM ]

[ Posted by rob_vollmar on Dec 30th, 2006 1:38 AM ]... Marvin! Got the profile info plugged in tonight. If anyone else has questions or comments about the page, please don't be shy in sharing. I'm sooooo ready to get this party started!! ROB

[ Posted by mpMann to AbacusComics on Dec 21st, 2006 9:29 PM ]...

I was not previously familiar with AbacusComics, but a quick perusal of your site shows some impressive art and ambitious projects. Best of luck!

[ Posted by mpMann to tim_oshea on Dec 20th, 2006 8:22 PM ]...

Heya Tim, Looking forward to more of your Q&As. The one you did with Dave, Jenn and myself for The Lone and Level Sands was so good we used excerpts from it for the Creator Interviews section of Reader's Guide PDF we produced. A tip of Hatlo's Hat to you.

1 Reply [ Latest posted on December 20th, 2006 11:35 PM ]

[ Posted by tim_oshea on Dec 20th, 2006 11:35 PM ]... Hiya mp! I had run across that PDF and was quite honored to see the Q&A had been of such help. The interviews are only that good when the person has great answers, so a tip of my hat to you, sir. Thanks for the add, your kind feedback and take care, Tim

[ Posted by mpMann to ADLewis on Dec 18th, 2006 10:31 PM ]...

Academe. You're a group of one.

1 Reply [ Latest posted on December 19th, 2006 4:44 PM ]

[ Posted by ADLewis on Dec 19th, 2006 4:44 PM ]... As it should be. I am unique. I am a trend-setter... Or, at least, that's what I tell myself.

[ Posted by mpMann to ADLewis on Dec 18th, 2006 10:30 PM ]...

Oh My Goddess! U2?

aren't you supposed to be studying or something?

1 Reply [ Latest posted on December 19th, 2006 4:44 PM ]

[ Posted by ADLewis on Dec 19th, 2006 4:44 PM ]... Indeed -- One paper left, 19 hours to go. But I've gotta do [b]something[/b] to refresh my mind from time to time. Thus, taking part in the ComicSpace explosion. See you on the other side of my 1st semester, sir!

[ Posted by mpMann to mpMann on Dec 18th, 2006 10:58 PM ]...

New pages of script came in today for Inanna's Tears and are they ever good! I've drawn two of them already tonight. I have no doubt we'll be ready to roll out the weekly episodes at ModernTales starting in January!

The plan is to have it 60% finished before we go-live so that there are no interruptions. We should have the whole thing finished by the end of February and it will serialize for the first half of 2007.

[ Posted by mpMann to SamJohnson on Dec 18th, 2006 10:54 PM ]...

Hiya Sam! Nice to meetcha!

And thanks for your interest and flattering comments about my work. I am not averse to the sample page and pitch process in principle, and spent a goodly chunk of last year putting a handful of proposals out... but currently several of them seem to have born fruit and I am stacked up with work until well into next year.

And I guess I should put it out there but, I'm not really irritated with my writer. Stuff comes up, we get stalled, and its all happened to me before. In fact I got got more script today and have pencilled and inked two more pages tonight already. Plus the story is terrific. You'll like it when it appears starting next month.

However it leaves me with little time or psychic energy to start anything new in the forseeable future. BTW, my next two projects have scripts done.... one of them I co-wrote with A. David Lewis and expect to get started on in March.

But keep us all informed as your new projects develop. I'm not really a manga artist, but you never know. And my sympathies about the artist problem. You're not alone... though that's not much help, I'm sure.

[ Posted by mpMann to Stan_Yan on Dec 18th, 2006 10:35 PM ]...

http://www.sequentialtart.com/community/Forum5/HTM
L/000545.shtml

or those of you how don't know, Stan's been a mainstay of an enormous long thread at Sequential Tart... My daily cartoon/comic.

I've posted art there, JimmieKitty has, Hunter has and the amazinmg Ayo... amongst may others. This thread has been going for over a year, and Stan's Tickle Tape cartoons are regular features. Marv says, "Check it out." And prepare to settle in for an entertaining hout working through the pages.

[ Posted by mpMann to JimmyKitty on Dec 17th, 2006 8:45 PM ]...

Kitty wrote, "Marv, get to work... you slacker!"

And Marv said unto him, "Slacker? You shittin' me?! My writer can't keep up with me. I'm waiting for script as it is. And this isn't the first time I've raced down a writer. I swear from now on I only start scripts AFTER they are finished. Of course, I've said that before and here I am...

Actually Inanna's Tears is going to be a good one. It'll start at ModernTales in January and then Mark and Aki at ASP have expressed interest."

[ Posted by mpMann to JasonCopland on Dec 16th, 2006 2:40 AM ]...

[i]Innana's Tears[/i] will be 125 pages. I should have it finished... pencil, ink, color and lettering by the end of Feb... about 60 pages to go. (This is assuming the writer can keep up with me.)

As you know, it takes writers longer to do a page then artists. That's why artists can do so many books while writers can only do a few. It takes a long time to write, "In the distance a great city can be seen. There are many flying cares and the people within are all smoking and have flies buzzing about their heads." Takes no time at all to draw that in a 3x3 inch panel :)

1 Reply [ Latest posted on December 16th, 2006 2:44 AM ]

[ Posted by JasonCopland on Dec 16th, 2006 2:44 AM ]... Ha! Yeah, those dang artists have it so easy!! ;P

[ Posted by mpMann to JasonCopland on Dec 16th, 2006 2:10 AM ]...

Hyup!

Couldn't see much point to MySpoace so i dumped it. we'll see about ComicSpace.

All is good here as I am rounding past the halfway point on Innana's Tears and will start High Waters after that.

Hope all is well with you and you're keeping busy.

1 Reply [ Latest posted on December 16th, 2006 2:16 AM ]

[ Posted by JasonCopland on Dec 16th, 2006 2:16 AM ]... Half way! You're a machine! ;) I *am* busy. The penciling of the first issue of KILL ALL MONSTERS! is almost complete... then on to inking it. Yeah, busy indeed.