THE PAPER CURTAIN: LOSING IT

[MattBrady]

Losing it
by Patrick Neighly

One of the better finds of SPX was a four-issue miniseries that began life in 2000 but only wrapped up this year. Written and drawn by Jason Brightman, Frayed Ends blends alternative and mainstream comic book tropes to present an appealing story about a young man wrestling with the end of a long-term relationship. Adrift in post-couple melancholy, Paul soon finds himself fantasizing about an imaginary childhood friend and a strange alternate world that runs parallel to his own. With loose, iconic artwork and a magical realism familiar to readers of Sandman or Pop Gun War, Brightman serves up a fun story that undercuts expectations about indie slice-of-life books while making a stab for mainstream readers.

“I usually describe Frayed Ends as being a ‘nearly fictional’ story about perception, reality, and an imaginary friend with a missing heart,” said Brightman of his series. “It's really about coping with loss and seeing trying to see things as they are and not how we want them to be.”

The book leans heavily on metaphor in the book, which as Grant Morrison recently noted is largely absent from contemporary comics. I wondered if this was an effort to contextualize an autobiographical moment using the more fantastical characteristics of comic books, or whether Paul was never meant to be seen as Jason.

“I'm not a fan of autobiographical comics,” Brightman said. “I feel they always come across as to detached from the reader. I wanted to take a personal moment and make it more universal – something everyone could hopefully relate to – by removing myself and creating a ‘story’ rather than cataloging an ‘event.’ Paul is and isn't me. He doesn't look at all like me but I do have a long scarf that my mom knitted me (it's used as the texture on the covers).”

Is and isn’t Brightman?

“It's not wrong to read Paul as me. He's an approximate stand in. More hesitant and more afraid than I am but that's what the story is about. Him recognizing the fear and beginning to move forward. When the story opens Paul is standing in the vacant room of his ex, who left months ago. The story ends in the same place but Paul is moving furniture into the room. Moving forward.”

Brightman’s feelings about stereotypical alternative autobiographical comics helps pull Frayed Ends into unique territory, straddling the gap between Drawn & Quarterly and DC. “There is a wide middle ground between the two. Super hero books are popular not because of what the characters can do but because of who they are. That's why they're bringing back the Hal Jordan Green Lantern. Because people like and relate to characters it's not hard to sell them on other books if you can get them interested and relating to the characters. I also think the by and large comics are escapism so having other worldly fantastic stuff in there isn't a bad idea either. I gravitate to comics or books or movies that are just to the right of ‘slice of life.’ Things that are 90% normal but have that 10% of fantasy to keep it from being everyday life.”

My own experience with Subatomic and other books suggests that readers are starved for such crossover material, snapping them up in droves at conventions. Brightman says his own experience is no different. “My first convention where I sold Frayed Ends was the Baltimore Comic-Con – by no means a ‘small press’ show. My book sold really well that day to that audience. Maybe it was the colorful colors confused them into thinking it was a super-hero book or maybe they connected to the universal 'boy loses girl' story and were sold with adventure and an imaginary friend!”

“I love comics – I have since I was four or five,” Brightman said. “I went the fairly typical path too: DC to Marvel to Sandman/Vertigo to going into the comic store every week for a year and not walking out with anything until I found Chris Ware and the Acme Novelty Library. It opened up the world of small press/’new mainstream’ comics for me. I wasn't really paying attention to any one thing when I started working on Frayed Ends. I had a story I wanted to tell and I did it the only way I knew how to. I learned a lot along the way too. As I was working on the book I met and was influenced by Jessica Abel and Matt Madden, Dean Haspiel and Josh Neufeld, and Farel Dalrymple and Tomar Hanuka.”

Unlike many aspiring creators, Brightman actually sat down and produced, rolling out four issues over four years. “Process should be: write the book; layout the book; draw the book. I of course went about it the hard way. For the first two issues I drew each issue and than wrote them. Sigh. For the third issue I wrote and then drew each scene. Better. And finally for the fourth I wrote and rewrote the entire story first and then drew it. If I did it over again I would have written all four issues complete first and then drew them. Ah well.”

Had the series been intended for annual release from the beginning? “Ha! No. I actually had the first two made and printed before I distributed them through Diamond. So they were done one and two years before anyone saw them. Issue 1 - 3 came out in April - September 2002. 4 was supposed to come out in the beginning of 2003 but life and the story got away with me. It was twice the size and twice the color of the previous three issues! But no, I wanted them to come out bi monthly and I managed to do that with the first three and really, really, really blew it on the fourth.

“Diamond was great to me,” Brightman continued. “My account rep Filip Sablik, was supportive and helpful. The numbers on my first issue we're great! Both Filip and I were surprised at how good. The second issue went down as stores had to order before the first one had gone on sale. Orders for the third went back up and then down again on the fourth (which was more expensive). There clearly is a market for the middle ground but making the math work for ANY comics is hard. Between printing and marketing and Diamonds cut and comic stores cut there isn't a lot (or any) left for the creator. Something needs to change to make the economics of comics work better for the creators and consumers. (I think comics cost way too much.) I also got a lot of re-orders in England. I think they saw the scarf and thought Doctor Who and figured I was one of them. I love British Sci-Fi and TV so I was thrilled they like me too!

“It's hard looking back at the four issues,” Brightman admitted. “As I was doing them I learned a lot about story and production and I think that shows up in the final issue. Two colors is definitely better than one and served the story nicely. I told the story I wanted to and for the most part I think it went where I wanted it to go. Whether it was effective or not is up to the readers. As a writer yourself I'm sure you look back and think I could have done this better or I'd do that differently. I tend to look at it all more as a process than a product. I'm happy I started it and finished it.”

“The feedback has been great. I love it when someone comes up to me at a convention and buys the first issue and then is back the next day to get the rest! I'm pretty good at taking criticism too. I can generally recognize when it's personal opinion versus constructive criticism. I typically ignore the former and work on the later. I like the book and if I'm ‘one in a million’ and there is 7.5 billion people than there are literally hundreds of thousands of people who would like my book. My job is to get it into their hands.”

One series down. What’s next? “That's the big question. I'm working on an OGN set in the Pacific Northwest. It's about a circus freak show populated by historical characters. Lately one of those characters has really been appealing to me so I may do a short story on him before I finish the larger one. I like those 'slice of life' tales with slightly 'off' characters. It's been slow going this year but I hope to have it finished around the middle of next year. I also may be collecting Frayed Ends with an additional scene or two.”

“I'm content with self-publishing for now,” Brightman said. “Now if something goes wrong it's entirely my fault. I wouldn't mind working with a publisher for distribution support. I'm fairly certain they get a better percentage from Diamond than I do. And if I ever have a Vertigo story to tell I wouldn't hesitate take it to them. That's the great thing about this industry. It's so small that everyone knows everyone and It's not so hard to meet the folks and get your book in front of them.”

Recommended reading:

Frayed Ends
by Jason Brightman
B&W 4 issues
www.frayedends.com

Award-winning journalist Patrick Neighly is one third of the team behind Mad Yak Press (www.madyakpress.com). His third graphic novel The Supernaturalists (AUG042841) is available in finer comic shops everywhere in October. Books for review can be sent to 768 Orizaba Ave. #7 Long Beach, CA 90804

[K. Thor Jensen]

Jason's a great talent who deserves more attention. I can't wait to see the next thing he comes out with.

[Cray_ws]

Patrick,

Thanks for bringing this book to my attention. After reading this article, I just may give this book a shot. I'm always looking for something new to read.