The Spike Steffenhagen Incident:
Not to long ago we did a review of two issues of the long out of print "Hard Rock Comics" in which we reviewed comic books based on bands that were popular of the time. Writing that review, I was going for the "Wow, what a pile of crap I'm going to totally rip the shit out of these comics and anyone associated with them" angle with my writing style (which is a wonderful technique that requires no writing talent or understanding of English grammar.)
It's not very often that you hear back from a comic book creator about negative things said about their books. Well at least not a personal response. I'm still waiting for an angry letter Stan Lee for totally ripping X-Men #1, and I'm sure Brian Michael Bendis must hate me too.. But I don't think they have the time, or effort between coming up with the next big storyline and counting money to give me a personal e-mail telling me that I'm an asshole.
Such is not the case with Spike Steffenhagen, former writer for Revolutionary Comics, who wrote the comic books on Nirvana and Pearl Jam/Soundgarden that I totally ripped on.
This is what Spike had to say:
"Hey dorks,
It's me, "the one and only Spike Steffenhagen" as you crowned me in your review.
Pretty funny shit, and oddly accurate in places.
The reason Pearl Jam is on the cover of the Soundgarden issue was to sell books and piss me off. Todd (publisher) went by the Billboard charts religiously to decide what bands to do. Which in itself is a stupid fucking move. I'm actually quite shocked the fucker (RIP) never commisioned a Celine Dion book.
Anyway, he had cancelled an issue I really wanted to do (hardcore issue with Prong, Corrosion of Conformity and Agnostic Front) in favor of some other stuff. He also told me to quit putting myself in the books (I did it once, he got pissed). He wanted me to do a Pearl jam issue with a little bit of Soundgarden. I liked Soundgarden more so I wrote more Soundgarden. he contacted the cover artist and told him to put a little pic of them and a big pic of Pearl jam to sell more copies (which it didn't.)
I turned the script in late so he couldn't edit it and I would still get paid. Contrary to your assumption, I have never been a cum bucket in an all male porn movie.
That probably would have paid better and garnered me more respect.
Anyway. The reason the sculpture isn't seen is because no one had a picture.
Talking head shots in comics don't work well, as evidenced by, well, talking head shots becoming boring in a comic.
The Nirvana book was commissioned with little to no mainstream press available on the band. I wrote it between periods of sleep deprivation and getting beat up by security at a Cult show. I'm actually surprised it was somewhat coherent.
Funny site.
PS - Fuck the Senators."
Either you're a Buffalo fan or one of your teams got knocked out of the play offs. Ouch.
And that's the worst thing he had to say about us. Wow. You know, I admire the fact that he accepted my crude and juvenile criticisms and shed some light on the subject.
He has been on of our few readers who didn't take everything we said personally, and perhaps realized that 90% of our comments were made for pure reaction value as well.
So my hat is off to Spike. And far be it for me to question the awesomeness of a guy who is forced to write a Nirvana comic with little material after being deprived of sleep and getting the crap kicked out of him by a bouncer.
That's dedication.
I think I'm having a moment of realization just now, that perhaps Spike and I share a kinsman ship. Something that we can both relate to.
We both have been pressured to write absolute crap, on little sleep, possibly physically or mentally fucked up due to our dangerous and excessive living and have nothing but pure crap to show for it, and a shit money to boot.
Or perhaps, all the association I made is just in my head, and I can never compare to Spike.
It's not an idea I wish to broach because it would suggest that I've been living a lie. A big fat lie. Big and fat like my ex-girlfriend (shit, even after all these months the "fat ex-girlfriend" jokes are still cracking me up!)
Spike also ranks as awesome because he still thinks we're funny even though we suggested that perhaps he was a cum bucket on a porn flic.
I'm not sure if I can agree with him on his assertion that it pays better and garners more respect than working on comic books about rock stars. Personally, my experience as a cum bucket in a gay porno was nothing but a humiliating roller coaster through the magical land of low self esteem and narcotics abuse. If you want to know what that's like, pretend your Paris Hilton... Without the money.
We decided to respond to Spike in which we said:
"Hey Spike!
Wow, it's not very often that we get a response from someone who was involved with any of the things that we panned on our website (I'm still waiting for that magical day when I get an angry e-mail from the guy who made the movie Tainted)
But it's great to see that you at least had a sense of humor. I don't know how many people tend to think that most of the stuff I say on my website is serious.
I just thought I'd let you know that we commented on your e-mail on our site. It's a positive response, I just don't have a "like mail" area (that would be lame somehow)
It's great to know that somebody finds me funny, usually people who e-mail me are either mad or want me to buy Viagra at bargain basement prices, so this e-mail will have a special place in our hearts.
Cheers!
- N
PS: Fuck the-whatever-team-you-like."
So our hats are off to you Spike, you're comments meant a lot to us. In a way, I think they taught us that sometimes, sometimes, it's okay to love again. That maybe, when the going gets tough, the tough get rough, and when you need a bad enough dude to rescue the President, there just might be a guy in a tank top and tight pants around the corner willing to beat up the ninjas for you. That perhaps not a whole lot in this helter skelter world makes a whole lot of sense, but it's little moments like these that make the 9-5 rat race of life seem all that more uplifting, and beautiful. That the eyes of a young child are more precious than even the most valuable stone.
And perhaps that's mostly the anti-inflamitories I'm on talking. One can never be too sure. In fact, I think I usually get more romantic when I'm on antioxidants tell truth... But whatever...
Spike, we salute you, thanks for your comments.
