REJECTION! The “Burls & Gnarls” Tale

I am making stuff again, specifically comix stories and have been trying to get them published, but that iseasier said than done.  My first story of this new era is an eight page tale  called “Burls & Gnarls” I created in January of this year and it’s about a guy haunted by weird trees he sees along the icy winter streets of Riga, Latvia. It’s an old school black and white, ink on bristol board effort built on top of a beat-like poem of existentialist angst with a touch of defiance. Here’s the first page as a taste. (I’m not going to put the whole thing online as I have other plans for it)

After reading this first bit, would you feel compelled to turn the page and read more? Well, I submitted it to three different comix anthology publications and it was rejected each time, so I guess for some people, the answer is “No thanks”. It never feels great to not have your work included, but this isn’t my first time in the barrel, so I cried in exactly one beer and shared the bad news with my inner circle who did what good friends do and they jumped in outrage and shock, shaking their heads in disbelief that my offering was turned away. It is not a fair or just world generally, so it’s necessary to have thick skin and supportive allies to manage such times. Having been on the other end of the stick, I understand that not everything can be included and some things have to hit the floor. It is part of the process. It’s never easy putting together a creative project made from many contributions. The important thing for me is putting the work out there. Once the piece is submitted, I have won because I’m participating in the creative community. I take solace knowing that Frank Herbert’s “DUNE” was rejected by twenty publishers before it found a home. (side note – I am not comparing my work to that masterpiece). The lesson learned is you do your best, work to your own highest standard and then keep submitting it until it lands in front of the right eyeballs. Don’t give up. 

So, what will become of “Burls & Gnarls”? I’ve decided to use it as motivation to publish issue #8 of RELUCTANT SADIST, picking up where I left in 1989, a mere thirty-four years later. My goal is to lash together a 16 or 24 page digest-size comix by the end of 2023. Watch this space!

So that is final rejection lesson to be learn and that is, if you no else will publish your work, DIY baby.

Keep smiling,

OK HW