Andrew McIntire
Senior Director of Retail Operations, TFAW.
The Work Questionnaire.
What made you go the way you chose to go?
Throughout my life I have most often defined my goals in terms of their attribute sets as opposed to specific outcomes. For example, I didn’t pursue a job in the Comics industry specifically. Rather, I wanted a managerial job, in a creative industry that offered new challenges on a daily basis — a set of requirements that my current position possesses in spades. By navigating my career path in this manner, there have been numerous opportunities to explore interests and disciplines I might otherwise have missed had I been determined to only pursue job x in industry y. Having enjoyed careers in fields as diverse as Private Security, Event Promotions, Graphic Design, Aerospace, and now Comics, I can say that it doesn’t make for the most predictable of adventures. But damn, it’s a lot of fun!
What’s the greatest difficulty you had to overcome to do what you’re doing now?
Accepting the fact that mistakes are an unavoidable and essential part of anyone’s professional development. I think it’s very easy to lull oneself into the insane notion that everything has to be done perfectly, to the point of effectively paralyzing progress for fear of making a mistake. It’s far more important to move forward with both eyes open, and maintain a critical and objective perspective as to what goes wrong and what goes right, so as to better react when things go awry (which they will) and navigate similar challenges in the future. I will forever be grateful to my time as a Graphic Designer for instilling in me the belief that ‘We are all subject to critique, and this is a good thing’.
What’s the greatest difficulty you face on a daily basis to keep on doing what you’re doing?
The great blessing of my job is that no two days are alike. Because of that, I’m not certain I can truthfully say I face anything on a “daily” basis. Perhaps it’s most accurate to say that – given the job re-defines itself on a month-by-month, day-by-day, hour-by-hour basis – the true challenge is finding the proper methods to instill just the right amount of order into an inherently, and necessarily, chaotic process.
When did you find yourself thinking, “Well, this is it. I’m really doing what I want now”?
Very early on, and nearly every day since. Entirely separate from my job functions or the industry I work in, what I really want to do is to be of use — and there are countless opportunities to do that no matter who you are or what you do for a living.
How did you set your activity up? What was the process that led you to do what you’re doing?
The truth is that happenstance, coupled with far greater fortune than I deserve, and old-fashioned hard work all played a hand in the process.
How do you imagine the future?
I wouldn’t say I have a clear picture, given that the Comics industry as a whole is in a state of flux — from message to medium, everything’s being re-invented. Regardless of where these upheavals take us, ultimately, I’ll be observing the marketplace and speculating as to what makes it tick.
What would you consider to be the main quality in order to survive in your field?
Objectivity, ego, and humility in equal measure.
And what is the indispensable flaw that someone should have in order to get into your business?
If you were the gal or guy who spent Algebra class doodling in your notebook, we’ll take you.
Filed In: Comics
September 5, 2011 at 5:00 pm