Fan first. Pro second.
+5 Lost Commandments & Slips Slips
In Mel Brooks' The History of the World Part 1, there is an amusing scene where Moses appears with three tablets worth of commandments and proudly announces, "All pay heed, the Lord Jehovah hath given unto you these fifteen--" and then he accidentally drops one of the tablets. Crashing to the ground -- splitting into pieces. "Oy." Moses immediately recovers and states that he now has "Ten...Ten commandments for all to obey."
Ever since that funny take, I wondered what those five lost commandments could've been. I'm not a religious man but holy scripture often yields sound advice like "Thou shalt not kill, murder, steal, covet, bear false witness," etc./etc. Some advice is more debatable than others but it made me think what MY five lost commandments would be:
1 -- Thou Shalt Not talk out loud and/or engage your smart phone whilst watching a movie in public.
2 -- Thou Shalt Not blow smoke or vape into one's open olfactory.
3 -- Thou Shalt Not impede one's clear travel path (that goes double for e-bikes).
4 -- Thou Shalt Not force one's preferred diet upon another or shame them for ordering their favorite meal — every time.
5 -- Thou Shalt Not assume that just because you could means you should.
I’m sure the minute I publish this bit of silliness in public I’ll think of another five.
What are YOUR five (new) commandments? Please respond in the comments section.
Star Trek / Planet of the Apes / Star Wars / Mad Max / Evil Dead / Die Hard / Lethal Weapon / Mission Impossible / Marvel / DC / etc., etc., etc.
I became a professional that contributes to the mediums and stories I cherished growing up. But I will always be a fan first. I recently saw a video clip of fans reacting to a Star Wars movie trailer from a few years ago and, for some reason, it brought me to tears. I felt what they felt. That sense of nostalgia mashed up with anticipation. "A new hope." I love the feeling that kind of fandom sparks in my heart. It's innocent. It's immature. It's something I will never apologize for.
Anyway, this state of frenzy often happens to a successful franchise. The first story yields more stories and, after awhile, it usually starts to backfire on itself. Entitled fans feel betrayed. Sequels turn into prequels and, eventually, reboots. Yet, I still root for the franchise, wish for the best, because I crave those feelings it gave me the first time I encountered it. And sometimes they’re able to recapture that lightning in a bottle.
Are you a diehard fan of any movie franchise? If not, why? If so, what?
Last time I teased you about being an upcoming guest on Inkpulp Live #28 with brilliant artists, Jim Mahfood and Shawn Crystal. Now you can watch us wax comix and draw new gods in all our glory!
You can also watch me read a short story about my late brother, Michael, at the launch party for Slips Slips #1, a new literary tabloid featuring Whitney Matheson and some of America’s greatest talents and outliers. The people we gravitate towards to when looking for something unexpected and unexpurgated. You can learn more about the event and how to get your copy of Slips Slips HERE. Big Ups to founders Hope Cartelli, Kristen Leigh and Jeff Lewonczyk.
I somehow found myself talking to comedians Jim Norton and Dave Attell on Jim Norton Can't Save You - episode 18. We briefly talk about Jim's appearance on HBO's Bored To Death, of which I also worked on.
I've been busy working on some exciting projects coming your way soon. Which means I've been delinquent writing this newsletter and alerting y'all about some great conversations Vito Delsante and I have been enjoying on the VITO x DINO podcast with comix makers/pals: Sean Izaakse / Neil Kleid / Bob Fingerman / filmmaker/actor Owen Kline, and a regular two-man parlay between Vito and I where I share a freelancer dinner hack I recently discovered (spoiler: it involves a spoon and peanut butter sans bread and jelly).
This summer, I'll be teaching two sessions of a two-day comix making course at The North Fork Arts Center in Greenport, NY. CLICK HERE for more details.
Please consider nominating me & my comic THE RED HOOK x DEAN HASPIEL for 'Best Cartoonist' and 'Best Single Issue or Story' at The Ringo Awards. The late/great Mike Wieringo is one of my favorite cartoonists and I'm grateful Baltimore Comic-con created these honors in his nickname. VOTE HERE (thanks).
You can buy a copy of THE RED HOOK x DEAN HASPIEL (and my other “Deep Cut” comix) via my Etsy store or directly from me.
See you in the gutters!
—Dean
Instagram / Website/Blog / Nightwork Studio / Etsy / VITO x DINO
1. Thou shalt mind thine own business, unless asked.
2. Thou shalt treat everyone with courtesy and respect, until they giveth you a reason not to.
3. Thou shalt not chew with thine mouth open. Seriously, that's just gross.
4. Thou shalt not talk like some pompous Stan Lee Asgardian. Oops.
5. Thou shalt purchase as many Dean Haspiel comics as thine wallet can feasibly withstand.
Thou shalt not use a golf umbrella on the streets of New York City. EVER.