"I talked this over with Amy. We're actually doing a group submission, going for the top prize: best hero team," Matt said.
"So are you and Amy dating now?" Brian asked as nonchalantly as he could.
"What?...No!" stammered Matt. "She's not into guys, and besides, she short and skinny. Totally not my type."
"And what's her hero going to be?"
"A South Asian woman who goes by the hero name Amazon."
Brian nodded knowingly. "Mmmm Hmmm. Totally sounds like your type."
Matt actually blushed. "Yeah, she has two friends who are also entering. I don't know much about them, but only that I'm the only male artist in our group. I've seen some of their work, though. I think we really have a shot."
Brian turned serious. "I believe you. I always thought you were really good. And it sounds like you have the right ingredients for success. If I had any money right now, I would totally back you guys."
Matt was seriously touched. "Thanks, man. If you don't mind, I have a deadline in two days. I need to get inking and coloring right now."
Brian left Matt to it. Matt sent off his submission just under the deadline, then had to endure the agonizing wait for results. It took just under a month for him to get a reply...
Sat Jun 01 08:46:05 2019