Al Veoli’s Journal
Dr. Tu, my pulmonologist, stopped by this morning to look me over and listen to my lungs. They sound better, he says, and the chest x-rays are showing some improvement. They also dialed me back from 60% to 50% pure oxygen through the mask this morning, with no ill effects so far. That, too, is a sign of improvement. Because of the steroids, they’re checking my blood sugar several times a day. They’re watching my kidneys, too, just in case; so far, no danger on that front.
Late last night, I actually emailed some pages of final dialogue to Joey Cavalieri on *Doctor Fate*. I plan to do more today.
Spoke to Mark Beazley at Marvel this morning. I’m going to try to write the Omnibus introduction, too, over the next couple of days. Weirdly, I think I can do it. And, given the circumstances, it may equal the bizarreness of the rest of the book’s content. Which is only appropriate.
Quick note before I sign off: This Salon article by Joe Conason is worth a quick read. It has to do with the press’ treatment of Hillary Clinton leading up to the New Hampshire primary. The related article cited at the end of Conason piece, “The Witch Ain’t Dead and Chris Matthews is a Ding-Dong”, comes even closer to expressing my own feelings about the media’s conduct. (For the record, I’m not a Hillary supporter, an Obama supporter, or an Edwards supporter yet. I like all three; I have reservations about all three. Gore would have been my candidate.)
January 10th, 2008 at 5:30 PM
wow…. I don’t visit the forum for a few days and I come back to this….. oh wait, it isn’t about me.
Feel better. 🙂
January 10th, 2008 at 9:46 PM
Great news on the health front.
And as the person who sent you an endlessly long e-mail in an attempt to explain the history of Dr. Fate after the Crisis, I wanted to tell you that I am LOVING your take on the character. It’s the first time in ages the character has felt interesting and had a real personality, so thank you for your work on the book.
January 11th, 2008 at 2:45 AM
Steve, I truly hope you make a solid recovery; after having lost so many people dear to me recently, anything less than your complete health would not seem correct!
As an old fan of Dr Fate, your new issues have reignited my collecting bug and got me finding the archive editions and any peripheral comics with Dr Fate in them. I’ve got to say; you’re doing the character more justice than anyone else has since his first appearance. Such a cerebral and intelligent series you’ve been writing, that’s made me wait with bated breath for the remaining issues. I hope we see more of the new Kent Nelson after this series is over!
Good luck on your recovery!
January 11th, 2008 at 5:09 AM
The news about your improving health are good to hear even though I guess it is not going fast enought for you.
To hear that you not only were able to continue your work on Dr. Fate but will also be able to write the introduction to the Howard the Duck Omnibus is great to hear. In that regard:
Do you really think that it would have been good for Gore if he canidated? I think it would have cost him much of his supporters just because they thought that all his enviromentalism had been a ploy to get voters.
I hope that either Clinton or Obama will win the final election against whoever the Republicans throw out there and we can start to work together for the common good of the whole world. In 4 years Gore can then build on that 😉
January 11th, 2008 at 8:09 AM
I’m undecided on the candidates at this early stage. I do believe a McCain/Clinton contest would elevate the contest, should they both get the nominations. What disturbs me about the “bashing” of Clinton is the automatic presumption that her wet eyes (actual tears did not fall) were the result of pure calculation. OK, maybe they were or maybe they weren’t, but either way what about the third option, that a human being under the extreme pressure of campaigning cracked a little? I’d be a mess if I were running for prexy! Just because you don’t weep openly over your husband’s indiscretions or getting trampled on your vision of healthcare reform, it doesn’t necessarily follow that you have no emotions. Woman or man, some of us just don’t do the public emotion thing. In fact, if someone like this is under pressure or being embarrassed publicly, it is the absence of tears or hysteria that indicates a turmoil under the surface.
I’m just hoping Hillary does some kickboxing on the side (there’s an image for ya) or some other stress-relieving tactic, because baby it’s going to get a lot uglier before we get to the convention.
January 11th, 2008 at 6:20 PM
Dear Steve,
Picked up the new Countdown this week. I don’t know, I’m enjoying it and interested to see what’s next but felt this was not the strongest episode. Not knowing what’s going on with Kent’s wife or daughter, while helping us to remain focused on him, is constricting the story. I understand that Kent is an unsympathetic guy and he isn’t making the best decisions; that departure from the standard hero mold I find refreshing. Having such a narrow gauge on the character, even so, creates a tunnel effect. This is probably intentional, to illustrate just how self-absorbed Kent is.
The mention of his daughter’s birthday seemed like a natural transition point. I think it would help the reader to know a bit more about what other people connected to Kent are doing/thinking. Going on with such a tight focus puts a huge burden on Kent, one that puts undue strain on our sympathies. In the worlds of Man-Thing and Michael/Omega, we had Richard Rory to cut away to from time to time, and it created tension in the storytelling; cripes, even in Destroyer Duck (which I love, by the way), we had the villains in Godcorp as a diversion. I don’t want to cut away too long, because it only makes me anxious to get back to the central storyline, but that’s what makes the secondary layers so essential.
I realize you don’t have a lot of wiggle room with the book, and my suggestions are probably more appropriate for a full-length ongoing title. All the more reason for you to have one, right? This is where you unveil your master plan, Steve, for a bevy of new monthlies, all full-length and written by you and illustrated by hand chosen artists…
Until that day, make mine piano!
And get better fast.
January 12th, 2008 at 3:19 PM
I can’t comment on the latest issue of CtM, since the 40-mile trip to the shop is at least a couple of weeks off. I thought issue three was great. I read it three times. Most comics I read only once, and then kind of regret that I did that much.
A number of people have been longtime fans of the character and are enjoying your take on Dr. Fate. Dr. Fate was never one of my fave characters, for reasons I think you stated in some of your summaries of his past creative treatment. Dull character with a cool outfit, made even more cool when you developed an explanation for the helmet.
I’m buying Fate because you’re writing it, and your writing hasn’t disappointed me in the least.
For that, for all the other good reading over the years, for emailing pages from a hospital room, and just because Mark Evanier was going to have lunch with you in Vegas, I’m wishing the best for you.
By the way, my old Anatomy professor, Al Veoli, thanks you for the shout out, but his twin teaching assistants, Brahn and Trey Kia, are whining about being forgotten. (Yes, they have odd names, but then again they are . . . . . Flemish.)
January 14th, 2008 at 2:01 PM
I grabbed #4, but haven’t read it yet, but I did read Poison: Vandals of the Heart. Cindy Martin can certainly draw a woman who looks like no other in comics, and Slug looks friendlier than he did before, making him all the more interesting since he isn’t.
I liked the story, sort of a low-key mysticism that ought to appeal to Fate and Hard Time fans.
January 14th, 2008 at 2:02 PM
P.S.: I’m for Kucinich.
January 15th, 2008 at 11:51 AM
So Steve,
I don’t look at your blog for a few days and you go and get sick. Hey guy, the bedroom is waiting so get well quick and get back on the transplant list.
All the dispatchers at Helinet have orders to let my daughter know as soon as your name shows up. She might even know before you do that they are ready for you.
Hope you don’t mind but I am adding you to my prayers everyday for a quick recovery.
Judy