WARREN ELLIS CLARIFIES DESOLATION JONES STATUS

[MattBrady]

Newsarama received the following email from writer Warren Ellis Sunday, in response to our DC Nation panel report from Saturday’s Baltimore Comic Con. The full email follows in its entirety:

”Apparently, it's been reported on Newsarama that Dan Didio, when asked a question about DESOLATION JONES -- which I've previously said is on a hiatus -- said that he believed the series wouldn't continue due to my being exclusive to Marvel. This is, of course, what happens when you put on the spot a guy who doesn't run the Wildstorm operation day-to-day or have any reason to know anything about my Marvel deal. Dan Didio has many powers, several of which are far too disgusting to mention in public, but telepathy is not yet one of them.

“DESOLATION JONES has been put on pause for several reasons, including my wish to get enough pages in the bank to take the series monthly from the forthcoming #9. My Marvel deal does not preclude me from continuing JONES.

“The other reason I know JONES is being continued, is that DC themselves are currently involved in the brokerage of a very interesting media deal that I cannot yet discuss. Which is something else that poor old Dan would have no reason to know.

“So when you next see Dan Didio, sitting sadly in the lobby of a convention hotel ruminating on why no-one loves him and how no-one understands that all the pretty girls have to die... give him a hug. Tell him it's going to be all right. Do it for me.”

-- Warren Ellis

Newsarama Note - despite Ellis' claim of the second-hand information, the report regarding the state of Desolation Jones did not originate with Newsarama, but was pulled from another site, and was being discussed in a Newsarama forum.

[CometSweat84]

Ha! You go, Warren!

[magik2381]

Teehee. I love Spider Jerusalem.

[Punchy]

Oooh, Burn.

[DAV!S]

I'm sure in reality Ellis is a loving and caring man, who nurses small woodland animals back to health, hugs the town's cats, gives all his earnings to the sick and old and wears nothing but bright colours and a big smile on his face.

[bcondray]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

“So when you next see Dan Didio, sitting sadly in the lobby of a convention hotel ruminating on why no-one loves him and how no-one understands that all the pretty girls have to die... give him a hug. Tell him it's going to be all right. Do it for me.”

-- Warren Ellis

As long as I don't have to kiss him on the lips or you either for that matter......
I could buy you both a drink though.
And Yes yes yes...More of Desolation Jones!!!!!

[Kelson]

*whew* Good to know.

I know sometimes when writers and artists sign exclusive contracts, they have exceptions for creator-owned or creator-participation books that are already running. For example, Peter David got the OK to keep doing Fallen Angel at IDW when he signed with Marvel. Another, less reassuring example would be that JMS was still allowed to work on his Babylon 5 graphic novel at DC (or was it Wildstorm?) when he signed with Marvel, though in that case it's never materialized.

Looks like this is one of those cases.

[Marvin Lee]

Great news. I was ticked because I was getting impression that a writer had abandoned a project I had some investment in. Now I can start checking out WEs other stuff again.

[SHIM'TAR]

Gosh, why all the venom? Dan Dido is human, he's makes mistakes like all of us.

[nietoperz]

I love Warren Ellis!

[nolacon]

You know, it would be nice to just see Planetary completed. Do you think that is possible?There is nothing Didio could say to make Ellis look any worse than he already does by his own words.

[Omega Flyer]

Originally Posted by nolacon

You know, it would be nice to just see Planetary completed. Do you think that is possible?There is nothing Didio could say to make Ellis look any worse than he already does by his own words.

I do believe Ellis has stated the scripts for Planetary have been completed... so the blame for that would lie either with Cassaday or editorial.

[EMeadow]

Originally Posted by Omega Flyer

I do believe Ellis has stated the scripts for Planetary have been completed... so the blame for that would lie either with Cassaday or editorial.

Yes Ellis did say he's finished the epilouge issue of Planetary.

Its all up to Cassaday now who will probably finish Astonishing first.

[Jeremy Williams]

Originally Posted by nolacon

You know, it would be nice to just see Planetary completed. Do you think that is possible?There is nothing Didio could say to make Ellis look any worse than he already does by his own words.

Dude the series is completed. There will be one last issue and that's because Warren chose to have another one. It should be seen as a gift.

[newfoundma]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

“So when you next see Dan Didio, sitting sadly in the lobby of a convention hotel ruminating on why no-one loves him and how no-one understands that all the pretty girls have to die..."

I <3 Ellis.

[nolacon]

Originally Posted by Jeremy Williams

Dude the series is completed. There will be one last issue and that's because Warren chose to have another one. It should be seen as a gift.

"Dude" this series should have been completed ages ago, and calling his or anyone's work a gift to us may contribute to this superstar mentality that I feel is no good for the industry. That being said, I love his work.

[SpyGuy]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

“So when you next see Dan Didio, sitting sadly in the lobby of a convention hotel ruminating on why no-one loves him and how no-one understands that all the pretty girls have to die... give him a hug. Tell him it's going to be all right. Do it for me.”

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.

I'm not sure which is the better observation -- that Dan DiDio is commenting on things he appears completely out of touch with, or that he seems to have some sort of death fetish.

[David Vega]

Originally Posted by EMeadow

Yes Ellis did say he's finished the epilouge issue of Planetary.

Its all up to Cassaday now who will probably finish Astonishing first.

God, I really hate this about Ellis. He takes forever to deliver his scripts, so Cassaday has to find other work to put food on his table, DC fills in the void with other books, and when Ellis finally gets around to writing the scripts, he blames Cassaday for not having the time to draw or DC for not having a place in their schedule for the book.

The truth is Cassaday can't get to Planetary or any other book for at least a year. He is off directing his first movie. Why is Astonishing still coming out? Because all of the scripts were completed long before he left to direct (Astonishing, as I understand it, was finished some time ago). Why couldn't Ellis have written Planetary 27 last year, when he knew that Cassaday was not going to be available for a long time? I'm pretty sure Ellis knew JC's schedule (it's not like this picture deal came up at the last minute, it was announced early last year!).

Don't blame Cassaday for the upcoming long delay for Planetary 27. The blame belongs to Ellis.

[hlbimage]

Warren Ellis is evil I tell ya. The man is pure evil. Someone call the JLA to get him.

[Kelson]

Originally Posted by David Vega

Why couldn't Ellis have written Planetary 27 last year, when he knew that Cassaday was not going to be available for a long time?

I'm just guessing here, but I suspsect it might be similar to something Kurt Busiek said a few years ago about writing Astro City. Some books are harder to write. You have to get into the right mindset, do the right research, make sure everything fits together. Astro City took a lot more concentration and effort to write than, say, Avengers. That's why when Busiek was ill (mercury poisoning, IIRC) at the beginning of the decade, Astro City fell off the radar, but he was still able to complete his books for Marvel. He could muster up just enough concentration for those books. (I'm sure the motivation of an actual deadline helped too.)

I always got the impression that Planetary was, for Warren Ellis, very much what Astro City was for Kurt Busiek.

[artjunkie]

Not to mention the man had a novel to finish this past year that a little more pressing than an epilogue to a series that had an irregular schedule to begin with due to Cassaday's own scheduling conflicts.

Again, like I said in another thread about Jim Lee and Grant Morrison, there are two people to "blame" here if you want to play the blame game. Me, I prefer to just let the guys get on with their lives and will be ready for when the good product is delievered.

Unlike a toddler throwing a tantrum because he wants more cookies, calling out comic book creators on a message board will not get you what you want any faster.

[Jimmy Palmiotti]

Have to comment here...because I have been in the same spot as Dan Didio a number of times working on a lot of projects at once.

When juggling a million things you can say something wrong and hopefully have it pointed out and then correct it in a polite and nice manner. people make mistakes.

Glad warren cleared this up but there is no need to be negative in any way about an error.

It happens and is only human. Really.


JIMMY PALMIOTTI

[beta-ray]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Palmiotti

Have to comment here...because I have been in the same spot as Dan Didio a number of times working on a lot of projects at once.

When juggling a million things you can say something wrong and hopefully have it pointed out and then correct it in a polite and nice manner. people make mistakes.

Glad warren cleared this up but there is no need to be negative in any way about an error.

It happens and is only human. Really.


JIMMY PALMIOTTI

I thought Ellis was just trying to be humorous...

[jmcl89]

Originally Posted by beta-ray

I thought Ellis was just trying to be humorous...

I don't think it really came off as the good kind of humorous.

[jmyoung]

Originally Posted by jmcl89

I don't think it really came off as the good kind of humorous.

I thought it did. It seemed like good-natured ribbing to me and really only that last sentence.