The last 2 "MACK!" posts are NOT mine...
WED, 1/16/02, 2:40 p.m.

They are the person who also posts as "Burdock" and "Sib".
They are also trying to impersonate Bendis on his board. "Burdock" likes to post a string of related posts at once and put them on my board and the Bendis board, and then impersonate other posters there as if known posters on the message boards are responding to his own posts.

Burdock has also tried to impersonate me on several past occasions by posting as me on this board.

"Burdock", we appreciate your recent string of posts (about the word origin and censorship). But when you start posting as me (and others on this board), you are harming your cause.

You have posted as me and as other posters on this board in the past as well, and I politely explained to you back then that those actions on this board are unacceptable.

Though you may not know it, I'm aware of what posts are yours and where they come from. each of your posts has your "finger print" on it.

Hi Virginie,

I am glad to hear that you will be making the trip to Paris.
It will be great to see you again. I definitely want to see the photos from last time!

I've asked to get back to you about the stuff you want to order. Or you can e-mail her directly. I don't know if we will be able to bring the posters and mask with us to France (because of the size and room on the plane), but I'm sure we can work something out. We can definitley bring any books you want. Anh can arrange everything with you.

How is Scotland right now? Staying with friends in the centre of Paris sounds like a great way to do it. Will we see you at Album or Arkham? Or both? Stop by and talk with us as long as you can.

Just to let you both know I am definately coming to Paris to see you. I have managed to get a not toooooo expensive flight from Scotland and am staying with some family friends in the centre of Paris so I am pretty sorted!

Anh, could I possibly order the Scarab mask from you as well as the four poster set (if this is not too inconvenient to bring with you to France from the States) and also the Skin Deep Hardcover? I hope this is ok - do let me know if it is not possible.

If you could let me know what the total cost is for these items and how you would like to be paid for them - do you want a cheque in American dollars or a fistfull of Euros when I get there?!

I really enjoyed meeting you guys in Angouleme last year so I am pleased I am going to see you both again this year - I have a photo from last year of you both so I will bring it along with me to show you.

Hope you are both well - have a safe trip and see you in
Paris

Virginie xxx

hehe just wondering if cash or check is better to send along with the order form.. and should i just make out the check to David Mack?

To David Mack is fine. The checklist suggests sending in check or money order. Cash is fine as long as the cash is still in it when it arrives. I don't know what the rate of success with that is.

Thanks for seeking our my books. I look forward to your order.

Dear Mr. Mack,
First I wanted to tell you how your writing and art work has inspired me and also many of my friends. I had all but given up on comics, thinking that those wonderful days of my youth had tragically come to an end. But then I came across Kabuki and it was one of the most beautifully sculpted works of art that these eyes have looked upon.

Thank you very much for the feedback on my work. I really appreciate it. Thanks also for reading my work, and for seeking out the books on the checklist. More below...

One other thing is that I ordered a $70 shipment of comics from four boone st address in the back of all of your comics. The problem is that it was ordered in November and it has not yet come. I do not mean to complain, but I have not been able to find any other contact than this one. I doubt that you run the company yourself, for you would never sleep, but I'm hoping that you may have some idea of what may have happened. I ordered the dreams hardcover and most of the newest Kabuki metamorphosis single books. I can't even remember if there was anything else. Any insight into this would be greatly appreciated.

I hope this is acceptable to you.

And finally, what do you see in the future for your work? Will you return to painting the full interior and exterior for your work? I am anxiously awaiting for new material and news.

And (2) a sort of mixed media autobiographical story. Whenever I'm working on the Kabuki stories (or anything else) I'm always thinking about when I am going to do this one. And I realized that I just have to get it out of my system so I can better concentrate on my other work!

Thanks for your continued interest in and support of my work.

Kindest regards,

David Mack

Thank you so much for your time and generosity.

Sincerely,
William Evans

P.S. will you be coming to any comic cons in Austin or San Antonio anytime in the future? if so I would surely find time to stop by and say hi. thanks again!!

which will we see first?

Kabuki. I'm into some heavy work on it right now, and I intend to release the new Kabuki series THIS year.

This time I figured it would be a good idea to try to get a bit ahead on it before I start to release it. But I'm really looking forward to it getting underway again!

I'm weary about asking this question ...I don't want to be too intrusive or offensive and by all means don't answer it if you dont want to..

I was wonder publishing your own title... how do you get paid ? I know marvel and dc pay their artists by the page or with a contract. but for the self publisher or indie ...how is money made?

just curious

Thanks for you interest in my work.

For Marvel and DC they pay you per page because you are doing work FOR them and they own it. That's a fair deal.

As for creator owned comics, I'm sure there are some variations, but I'll give you what I know from my own first hand experience:

I own Kabuki completely, so no one pays me for it. I do NOT get any page rate for it or any advance for it. The ONLY way that I make any revenue from Kabuki books is based on royalties for each and every copy sold.

That means that if no one buys your book, you don't get any money and you still have to recoup your printing, shipping, and advertising expenses. Once people buy enough copies of the book to cover these PRE-PAID costs, then (and only then) do the royalties start to come in.

That also means that retailers actually have to ORDER the book AHEAD of time BEFORE the book comes out in order for you to sell any books.

I don't start to receive any royalties until about 2-3 months after the book is PUBLISHED. The stores and the book distribution company also receive their cut from each and every book before the creator royalties are tabulated.

So for this system to work, readers of the work have to make sure that their retailers order the books from the PREVIEWS catalogue (the distributor's catalogue) AHEAD of time. They usually have to order I think 2-3 months in advance. So readers requesting the title from their retailers is IMPERATIVE. Other wise the book stores will not order enough, and many stores wait for MANY additional requests to motivate them to re-order a book that has sold out of the intial copies ordered for the store.

But if you really believe in your work and you take the time and effort to cultivate a readership, the rewards are limitless. There is no substitute for doing exactly what you want to be doing and doing it in your own way. That has to be the real reason that you are doing this. That has to be the reward in and of itself, because it may take years to build the audience for your work until your book generates enough to support a family.

I was focused enough at an early age to start cultivating an audience for my work while I still lived on the fringe of society and needed very little income to survive in my own modest way. Through discipline and perseverance, the work has found its own niche.

It is great to build your own place in the industry, and you can if you are dedicated to that. But I always look at the my books like they are a communication between me and my readers. And a communication needs both sides. Without readers to actively buy my books, and enjoy them and get something from them, my work would only be expression. I find communication infinitely more interesting.

Thank you for the news!

Hi!

Marvel France published its Generation Comics sipping list from February...and they announced that Kabuki:Metamorphosis will be shipped for February 8th!

And as they will sell all their Februaru shipping at Angouleme, they will have the French TPB on their booth!

See you in one week Mr MACK!

respectfully
titi-bolt

wizard is supposed to be having a wizard world in philly this year. i'm excited that theres finally going to be one close to home. any hope of seeing you there?

DM

Bought myself the hardcover Kabuki Metamorphosis yesterday and upon comparing it with the original issues I noticed that the lower 3/5s of page 18 of #6 was discoloured, as if the blue ink in the printer had ran out. I didn't notice this the first time around, but the same page in the hardcover seems to have been printed without a problem. Was this a problem with the all the #6s or just a few?

Um... so noticing this was really anal of me, but I was just checking through to see if any changes had been made to the art before I sell the issues on eBay, the plan being to sell all the original issues so as I can afford the hardcovers.

Thanks

DM

Kabuki good. Kabuki in hardcover even gooder; no annoying plastic bags. Have read from Fear the Reaper through to the beginning of Metamorphosis and can't wait to finish again.

When are new Kabuki books due to be published?

Thank you,
Simon

Hi Alex,

Thanks for thinking of me for your profile. Go ahead and post your questions here. I'll try to post the question when I can. It may not be immediately because I have several other interview commitments ahead of you. But lets give it a try.

Thanks for reading my books.

David

Mr. Mack,

I'm a college student at the University of Michigan - Dearborn. I am a journalism major and in one of my journalism classes I was given an assignment to profile an important person in hopes of being published in The Michigan Journal, our school paper. Well, being a fan of yours, I decided that I wanted to profile you, and part of the assignment is to try and contact the person we profile for an interview.

Now, I don't know if you do interviews, but my question is, if you could find any time in your busy schedule to answer a few questions, either through e-mail, chat, message board, phone, or whatever you'd like, it would really help me out, and I'd greatly appreciate it. I look forward to hearing back from you. Thank you.

Alex Murray

A reminder to my French and European readers, that I will be signing at the Festival of Angouleme and at two bookstores in Paris (Album & Arkham).

The French Translation of Kabuki Metamorphosis is making its debut at the Angouleme Festival. It is published by Marvel France (Panini) and I will be signing at the Marvel France table at the show. I hear that Jae Lee and Jose Villarubia will also be signing there.

The following week I will be signing at the stores in Paris (check with Album and Arkham for signing hours/dates). At all signings I will have original art for sale (Daredevil and Kabuki), as well as Kabuki prints, and books and T-shirts.

I have no limits on signatures. I will be happy to sign any of my work that you bring or that you buy at my table.

This may be my only visit to Europe this year. I hope to see you there.

Thank you Monsier Jean!
DM

Posted By: Monsieur Jean <JisseL@wanadoo.fr>
Date: SUN, 1/20/02, 3p.m.
Hello there all youz.
Here is the program of artists appearances in Paris. Be there: great artists, cool place!!
David Mack, Jeff Smith, Brandon Peterson, Gabriele Dell'Otto:
Album comics monday 01.28.02 at 5pm
Arkham comics tuesday 01.29.02 at 5pm
Jae Lee, Jose Villarubia:
Arkham comics wednesday 01.22.02 at 5pm
Album comics thursday 01.23.02 at 5pm
John McCrea is also supposed to come. I will have confirmation this week. Ill keep you posted.
All best.
-JC

address: Arkham
15 rue Soufflot 75005 Paris
tel: 01 40 51 82 55
Album Comics
67 blvd St Germain
75005 Paris
tel: 01 53 10 00 60