Over the winter I completed the artwork for CURSES! FOILED AGAIN, written by Jane Yolen, for First Second Books. It’s a sequel to our previous volume, FOILED, but the groundwork for my next graphic novel was laid a while back during a lull in the production of CURSES when I signed on to illustrate DECELERATE BLUE, a harrowing portrait of acceleration run-rampant by playwright Adam Rapp.
Adam’s manuscript went straight to my heart with the first reading, late at night after a long day at the drafting table, at the little Italian place near my studio, with a glass or two of wine.
But then almost a year went by as things moved forward with CURSES, so as I was wrapping things up there recently, I was already reacquainting myself with the DECELERATE script and daydreaming about the possibilities.
A recent conversation with my friend Tucker turned me on to some of the writing that’s been happening at Mother Jones, among other places, regarding working conditions in the U.S. as they relate to “speed up”, “productivity” and our physical and mental well-being. And, as it turns out, it all reminds me of the DECELERATE script, where everything from work to school to personal interactions have been streamlined to be as fast and efficient as possible.
The problem is that although our story is fiction, it’s rooted in reality. Which is tragic for all, or at least most of us.
I found this article by Monika Bauerlein and Clara Jeffery all too accurate. Check it out, and see if it rings true for you, too:
All Work and No Pay: The Great Speedup — By Monika Bauerlein and Clara Jeffery
I think people don’t talk about any of this because it leaves us feeling so hopeless. We prefer to live in our falacy of control. And who wants to complain or stand upfor their rights? Employers are just firing people & hiring people cheaper & cheaper. Better to have a shitty life sucking job than no job at all right? Well, not for me. I calculated my value at my job, got a raise for a few months, then they told me on settlement day of my first home that I’d be getting a 10k pay cut or I’d get laid off. They assumed as a new homeowner I’d take the pay cut. (it had already worked for 2 other employees) They were wrong. Yes, it’s a bit scary, but I haven’t been this happy in a long time. I admit I don’t have a family to worry about so I had less to risk (just my new home), and my only debt is school loans, so I have yet to regret their decision. I am a hard worker and everyone who’s ever worked with me knows this, no doubt, but enough was enough. I also admit that my next job will probably be just as shitty and underpaid, but at least I’ll have had a break, and at least my new hell will come with new faces & a new office. Change is good.