Marvel needs me — don’t they?

A while back, I was cruising a certain Web site that lists job openings and I saw the job of my dreams:  Marvel Comics was in need of an editor. Even though I already have a great job in an exciting and rewarding industry (and yes, boss, I really do love it “here”), I just had to send in a resume. 
Ultimately what was important to me was why I wanted the job, not whether I was really qualified for the position, so without further explanation, I offer you a back-door  look into why I became a journalist:

To whom it may concern,
Years ago when I was deciding a career, I was a Marvel Comics junkie. I was invested in every character, storyline and concept. This immersion led me to a series of columns by Mark Gruenwald, a long-time editor at Marvel. In these “Mark’s Remarks” columns, Mr. Gruenwald wrote about what it took to make it in the comic-book industry. He wrote that wannabes were a dime a dozen. In his eye, they lacked one key thing — patience. They weren’t willing to pay their dues. They weren’t willing to hone their talents. They wanted to dive in and take over the X-Men.
Instead, he suggested a slow, measured path to Marvel Comics. He said go to college, take some journalism classes and work at a newspaper for a while. There you could learn how the publishing business works. From writing to editing to understanding the intricacies of pre-press techniques, you’d learn a lot, he wrote.
That’s just what I’ve done. For the past 10 years, I’ve worked as a journalist in a variety of newspapers. I started out as a copy editor and became a writer, a designer and illustrator.
(Readers: I’ve snipped out a few details here.)
Outside of the newspaper business, I’ve also worked for some of the biggest publishers in the role-playing game field. For Paizo Publishing, I’ve been the author of three highly-rated Dungeons & Dragons adventures. At West End Games, I was a contributing writer for their book exploring alien races.
So what’s my next step? Marvel Comics. I’ve been waiting and working my way toward  your company, and I hope you’ll give me a shot as your next Associate Editor.
Sincerely,
Your ComicsOnTheBrain.com blogger

Don’t worry, boss,  I didn’t hear a thing from Marvel, but hey, I had to try. 
The amazing thing is, years after making the choice to be a journalist, I couldn’t be more happy with my selection. It’s a field were you are positively bombarded with information all day long. It’s a field that’s amazingly rewarding. It’s a field that makes you eager to get up and go to work.
It’s something to be proud about.
And all I really want to  say is thanks for the advice, Mr. Gruenwald.

Read another tribute to Mark Gruenwald:  http://moviepoopshoot.com/comics101/82.html

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1 Comment on Marvel needs me — don’t they?

  1. Ah yes, I remember sitting in the commons at CCC talking about how we were going to break into the industry with Bloodbath and Trepadia … you soldiered on through college, I drank my way out and we both ended up in newspapers.At least I have a weekly radio show.Drop a line sometime

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