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John Byrne

Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 136297
Posted: 06 June 2021 at 12:44pm | IP Logged | 1 post reply
More and more I see this word when some fans get to discussing my work and me.

And it’s not new. I was seeing myself called “retired” when I was cranking out a full load of projects at IDW, including STAR TREK, ANGEL, JURASSIC PARK and my own creator-owned series. It’s as if, for some fans, not working for the Big Two is the same as not working at all.*

Well, I invite anyone who thinks I am “retired” to check out ELSEWHEN in the Fan Fic section. Altho, since my most recent sighting of “retired” was in a “review” of that project…….

I’ll tell you when an artist is retired, cats and kittens: when they bury him/her.

—————

* This fan myopia goes back decades. When George Perez left Marvel for DC, fans wrote to ask “whatever happened to” him. This while he was working on DC’s top selling titles.

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James Woodcock
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 21 September 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 8525
Posted: 06 June 2021 at 2:07pm | IP Logged | 2 post reply
Ridiculous.

A very narrow definition of how people view a career
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Jason Scott
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 06 August 2012
Location: Scotland
Posts: 1213
Posted: 06 June 2021 at 2:17pm | IP Logged | 3 post reply
Man, that bit about George Perez really puts it in perspective. (Especially since I thought most of his best work was at DC.) Don't know how anyone could be so hung up on the one company or set of characters that they didn't even realise that.

And heh! I like what're alluding to about never retiring JB. Mark of a true artist all right..
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Joe Zhang
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 12842
Posted: 06 June 2021 at 4:43pm | IP Logged | 4 post reply
It's more likely that JB's career will outlast the chronically ill comic industry. 

Edited by Joe Zhang on 06 June 2021 at 4:44pm
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Steven Myers
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 10 June 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 5747
Posted: 06 June 2021 at 7:19pm | IP Logged | 5 post reply
I think "retiring" for an artist just means doing more art for your own enjoyment, rather than what pays the bills!
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John Byrne

Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 136297
Posted: 06 June 2021 at 7:47pm | IP Logged | 6 post reply
There are some fans who just love labels. Some said Kirby was “retired” when he left comics to work in animation.

When I took an actual break a few years back, some asked if I was retired. I said I preferred “unemployed”.

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Adam Schulman
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 22 July 2017
Posts: 1711
Posted: 06 June 2021 at 9:28pm | IP Logged | 7 post reply
I'm curious as to whether John Byrne the writer is "retired." Any stories running through your mind that we might see someday, JB?
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John Byrne

Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 136297
Posted: 07 June 2021 at 5:11am | IP Logged | 8 post reply
?
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Trevor Smith
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 21 September 2006
Location: Canada
Posts: 3678
Posted: 07 June 2021 at 6:03am | IP Logged | 9 post reply
Apparently Elsewhen doesn't count ;)
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Wallace Sellars
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 01 May 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 17827
Posted: 07 June 2021 at 7:56am | IP Logged | 10 post reply
I am not attempting to read Adam's mind, but think he may be referring to novel writing.
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ron bailey
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 16 October 2016
Location: United States
Posts: 1223
Posted: 07 June 2021 at 10:23am | IP Logged | 11 post reply
On the other side of the coin, I have often been frustrated by trying to find out what creators are up to when they are not working for the big two, including asking the creator directly at a convention (???) and receiving nothing but coy answers revealing no information.
I have come to understand since those times that some like to keep their comic work separate from other endeavors (pseudonyms I suppose). But it could be enlightening (as it would have been for me as a young lad) to find out out where a talent like they had might otherwise lead you besides comics. Likewise researching them online yields similarly unsatisfactory results.
So it may not be just a matter of being oblivious to anything but the big two.
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John Byrne

Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 136297
Posted: 07 June 2021 at 11:05am | IP Logged | 12 post reply
That’s quite a “just”!
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