Can You Make It In Your 40s
In comics...in screenwriting...in life?
An interesting tweet popped up on my timeline this week that got me thinking about my own artistic and creative journey:
Now, confession time: I hate phrases like “My Journey” and other tweet speak that’s permeated our everyday life thanks to social media. Yes, life itself is a journey, but it feels like we’re all narrating our own Saturday morning cartoon show when we talk this way. That being said, it’s 7:00am on a Wednesday and I’ve got thirty minutes before the kids wake up, in which case I’ll have to stop working and tend to them before they go to school. Which leads me to the meat about what I’m trying to say with all of this:
Yes, you can make it in comics, in writing, acting, directing…in life at the age of 40+.
It’s just really, really hard.
My “journey” (God, I hate myself for saying that) began in my twenties where, following a successful stint at Wizard magazine, I was able to parlay that into my first successful, creator-owned title The SIRE. That got me introduced to the fine folks at Zenescope and a company called Silent Devil where I landed some freelance writing and coloring gigs. The latter got me introduced to writer Dwight MacPherson and the fine folks at Image Comics where I was hired to color a book called M-Theory.
THAT gig allowed me to pitch my own creator-owned series called Descendant, and in July 2009 I was off and running as a certified Image creator.
All before I was 30.
But as quickly as my career trajectory rose, it quite suddenly fell just as fast. My editor was let go. Jim Valentino folded most of his Shadowline imprint. And before I knew it, I was married, with a son on the way and back to the dreaded square one.
All before I was 35.
Luckily for me, that was not the end of my story. I tirelessly worked to start my own web development company, which in turn freed me from the perils of 9-5. I started my own radio show and podcast (back before everyone had a podcast), which helped re-establish myself in the industry again and in turn led to my first new publishing gig in nine years with Zenescope called The Mainstream back in 2018. By 2019, my podcast was sold and I was brought aboard Rogue Matter as the Chief Creative Officer, where a second project of mine, Time Trader, was soon bought and produced by them too.
All before I was 40.
Now, the point of all this is to say that, five years later, I’m eternally GRATEFUL I’m in the position I’m in today. In addition to Time Trader, I’ve written three other projects for Rogue Matter, including Roman’s Rise and a short story for the anthology My Name is Andy and I’m currently at work on three more projects with some big name celebs behind them as well, a new SIRE project coming soon, Plan 79 From Outer Space for Dren Productions and more!
But if I was NOW where I was back when I was 35…I don’t know if I’d be here (professionally speaking of course!) With kids and with age, the grind just isn’t what it used to be. At 35, I was putting in minimum 10 hour work days, six days a week, building my business, my podcast, networking and being a new parent. At almost 45, I’m lucky if I get a solid uninterrupted day of work. Luckily, I’ve got a great marriage and a supportive wife so it’s built in that I have at least a day or two where I can plug away if I choose, but the demands in my 40s are just completely different than what they were in my 20s and 30s.
So the moral of this long winded “journey” I just took you on is this— DON’T WAIT! Get moving! Because those hopes and dreams aren’t going to get done by themselves and YOU will not be who you are today, ten or twenty years from now. You can make it in comics in your 40+ but damn, it ain’t gonna be as easy as it could be in your 20s and 30s.
COMIC-CON BOUND
Sheesh - what a drag I sound like today. How about we move onto more exciting (and uplifting) news instead?
I’ll be appearing at L.A. Comic Con Oct 4-6th at the Rogue Matter Booth which is located near Artist Alley at the show. I’ll be selling and signing physical copies of Roman’s Rise #1 and Time Trader #1-4. So come on down and say hi.
ALSO — catch me at New York Comic Con October 17-20th at the Sire Studios Booth #2236. Here’s me at a previous show so you know what I look like:
IN STORES NEXT MONTH
I’m happy to announce that the trade paperback for my aforementioned Image book Descendant will be IN STORES just in time for NYCC. Collected for the first time, Descendant is about a counter-terrorist agent forced to go on the run when her team finds out she’s got the power of an Incan Goddess. You can still go ahead and order a copy from Diamond here or by asking your local retailer this order number: AUG241654.
And because I know you like freebies, I’m giving away the first issue as a digital download fo’ FREE! Check it out below! Then tell your local retailer to order a copy today!
NEXT: Yeah, yeah, I was supposed to have some BIG Sire news. It’s coming…I promise!
See you in seven!
-Mike