Crisis On Infinite Earths

I finished reading this glorious crossover maxi-series TPB just moments ago. 364 pages in all.

I've said it before in this blog, and let me state once more that now I can truly see why all other crossovers and big events over the last 20 years have been compared to Crisis. It was the granddaddy of them all, (and oddly enough the first Wrestlemania, which is also deemed the granddaddy of them all for being the first wrestling ppv, took place in the same year, 1985, that Crisis came out), and it's effects are still being felt throughout the DC Universe as well as throughout the industry.

The writing style is dated, but in some ways this series was way ahead of its time. It has that timeless quality that all great stories do. It was engineered masterfully from start to finish, showcasing the right characters, giving the proper characters their righteous deaths, and recreating the universe anew for fresh readers and blazing a trail for the future of the DC Universe.

My next task is to re-read Infinite Crisis #s 1-3 and pick up #4 so I can see them in new light and maybe pick up on stuff I may not have been aware of. I've read Identity Crisis twice through and I see some things I missed in that as well.

This story, and somehow that term doesn't justify the content, really opened my eyes to the depth and characterization in the DC Universe. I still stand by my opinion that over the years until the past two DC lost its way with the majority of their characters, but they have found their way again, and I for one hope they stick to it. And it seems as Infinite Crisis comes to a head and the year after event approaches, that they are doing just that.

So hats off to you, DC. You've made a new fan in me!

B-Out

Myth Conceptions #2

The second installment of my new column, Myth Conceptions is up! This week I talk about the role of the sidekick. Please enjoy, then please show your love (or hate) on the SBC forums!

http://www.silverbulletcomics.com/news/story.php?a=1163

Thoughts and Changes

I have really been thinking about my current comic concepts and have been seeing them in a new light. I personally really like superhero stories, but I do realize it's extremely hard to get a traditional superhero yarn off the ground in the indy world. Invincible is the exception rather than the rule. And while I do have two or three superhero concepts in the works I am really focusing on other genres at present.

One title I have some completed art for I feel really fits into the vain of a certain trend that seems to be taking off in some circles. I liken it to stuff like Hunter-Killer or V.I.C.E. in the look and feel of it. I'm not going to pretend I'm as a good a writer as those writing the aforementioned titles, but I'm not going to say I'm not either. :) Confidence without Arrogance I always say.

Anyway, I hope it does well. We are really working hard on it to make it something special.


Another title of mine I have drastically changed from what it originally was, and I'm much happier with it. Originally it had a mix of costumed and regular characters within a superhero universe. Now it could still be in a superhero 'verse if I wanted it to be, but it's much more gritty and realistic, yet it still has those extras that fit it into the world of comics.

Maybe it's my tastes changing or my getting tuned in with the current market, or just being realistic to what will work right now, I don't know. I like to think it just works better for the story I want to tell, but I'm not naive enough to believe my own hype and think, like a lot of writers I've come in contact with one way or another, that I just have all the answers and know the logistics and technicalities of every little instance in the creation process. Nor am I going to limit myself to the confines of writing procedures, techniques and principles laid out in any number of books out there. I like to think writing comes from a deeper place than a typeface and text book, but that's just me.


Anyway, the point is my work is going through changes right now, and I'm very excited about that. I'm very happy that my horizons were expanded beginning with the Crossgen Universe, which opened my eyes to comics beyond superheroes, Archie and G.I. Joe.


Speaking of Crossgen, many people loved it, many people bagged on it, but noone can deny what an impact they had on the entire industry. They changed the status quo. They opened the door for creators and properties other than superhero fare to hope to have the spotlight. Sure there may have been some exceptions, but by and large before Crossgen indies were the dirty, unmentionable cousin to the mainstream heroes. Now indies get a lot of coverage and sometimes outshine the hero books.

I personally loved everything about Crossgen. There is nothing I have to complain about. I wish they had been able to pay their creators and stay in business. I think they still would have been one of the top five had they not run into problems. And I really hope Disney at least does something with the properties. There is too much good stuff there to let it die. It doesn't have to be connected. Each of their books was excellent on its own as well as a part of the bigger tapestry.


In other news, I may have found another artist to work with. I pitched him some concepts this morning, one of which is mentioned above briefly, so we'll see. I hope it works out.


I finally watched White Chicks last night. It was a decent movie. It wasn't great, then hardly any of the Wayans work is. Their humor is definitely unique and an acquired taste. It kills me how smooth Shawn thinks he is when in reality he's a total dork. lol. I love Marlan though.

And let's not forget the Wayans have a comic coming out, or already out, I don't remember which. It started off as a movie, but they felt it fit into a comic, so that's what they did. I don't remember the name of it off the top of my head and don't feel like hunting it down at present. Maybe next post. I'm pretty sure it was something like Super Bad Dynomite, but not quite that. Oughtta be interesting to say the least.


I started a bunch of new game threads over at the Creatorfuze forums last night. If you get a chance head on over there (link is in the sidebar under Favorites). We really do have awesome discussions over there about everything. There's a forum for Marvel, DC, Independents, Blogs, Columns, News, Jason's personal stuff, Music, TV, Movies, and the Couch for everything else. We also have fun competitions for No Prizes and an occasional contest for books. The only rule is you have to be respectable and civil, and no flaming, that type of stuff. We have a great environment there that is free of the crap that goes on at most messageboards like Digital Webbing, Newsarama and others.

Don't get me wrong, I love DW and go there multiple times daily, but in the past several months it has gotten almost unbearable to post there. There are some people there who's only purpose in posting is to start stuff, and that kind of crap gets old fast. If you're going to do that then just stay off the board! We don't want you! If you want to express a negative opinion do so in a constructive and respectful manner instead of being a total butthole about it!


But I digress. Today I intend to finish up the first few pages for my latest lettering gig. I also have to get DLS White lettered by the weekend, and an 8 page project for a friend before the New York Con. He's meeting with several companies about the project, including a company I just sent samples to, so they get to see my lettering a second time!

Not much happening on the homefront or elsewhere at present. My Papaw's birthday is coming up this weekend. He's either going to be 86, 87 or 88, noone's really sure as there was a descrepancy on his birth certificate. I swear the man's too stubborn to die! He has had several strokes, several types of cancer, has had brain surgery, several falls, a broken hip, and had some...delicate parts removed because of the cancer, and he still has spells, but he's still kickin'. His short term memory is all but gone, but at times he has very lucid moments and can recount stories from World War II like they were yesterday. It wasn't a pleasant experience for him. He was mainly stationed on a boat even though he was in the army. I believe he was in Korea. But the thing is he couldn't swim. Why on earth they put him on a boat I'll never know. And can the man sing. He sings like Bing Crosby, and it's not often we get to hear it anymore. But at Christmas time he starts breaking it out as soon as you play the piano or play a Bing song on the cd player. He used to draw really well also. His talent was passed down to several of us. Several of us are pretty artistic, creative and musically gifted. So even though he's never looked at a computer, I want to wish him a very happy birthday!

And on that note...

B-Out

Onward

Enough time has passed between my 100th post and this one, so I thought I'd throw a quick post up.

I noted in the last entry or two that I finally finished lettering an issue I had been behind on. Just so you all know, that issue is Vampires Unlimited #4 from Approbation Comics. So when it comes out check it out to see my lettering skills.

Now I still have to do some finish up stuff and possibly some corrections after they've been reviewed, but for the most part it's done.

I also lettered a two page back-up story tentatively called "Sea Chicken", but I'm not sure what that's going to be in, though I'm guessing an issue of Chaos Campus.

You can read up on these at www.approbationcomics.com. They do have somewhat mature themes, so be warned.


I also finally got a little done on a few small projects, so I'm making headway.

Right now I believe I have 34 pages to letter for 5 or 6 different projects with at least one more project yet to come! Most of them are for submissions or for self-published books, so I can't say what they are or when they'll be out, but as soon as I can you all will be the first to know!


I also turned in the second installment of Myth Conceptions (link in the sidebar under My Works) , my new column over at SilverBulletComics.com. It should be up sometime next week. I'm not sure what day they are going to fall on yet, or if it will even be consistent like that. It will probably more than likely be whenever there is an update. I don't know.


I'll be turning in yet another draft of Lab Rats for Platinum today sometime. This has really kicked my butt, but it's totally worth it and I am so thankful for the opportunity.


Tomorrow Indy-Pendant (also under My Works) is new, and I have no idea what it's going to be about yet! I'll probably dig out an indy comic I haven't reviewed yet since I'm still not getting any mail. It's funny because last year I got all kinds of mail asking me to review this or that. What happened I may never know.


I put up a hit counter at the bottom of the sidebar today, which is why the number is so low. I wish I had thought to do this when I first started, but maybe the numbers past the 100th post will be more encouraging than the ones before it were.


As soon as I finish my website, which is low priority right now with all the writing and lettering I have to do, the look of the blog will change to match it. That is as soon as I figure out how to do that! I played with a test one today with no luck. I may have to enlist help. I know I can figure it out on my own as pretty much everything I know how to do is self taught, but for time's sake I may just ask for help. We'll see when the time comes.


The 100th episode of Smallville was one of the best, if not the best episodes I've seen in a long time, if not ever! One of the beloved cast dies, but it was done in such a loving, respectful way. The member went out on a high note, the highest note possible for the character I personally believe.

The show was filled with misdirection all throughout, with little hints of several characters possibly biting it, but the end, though tragic, was beautiful. I will certainly miss the character, but because of the way it was done I can let go.


I am in the middle of issue 9 of the original Crisis on Infinite Earths, right after the deaths of Supergirl and Flash, which were just as well done as the death on Smallville. I can't believe I never read this before. Thanks to Chuck who lent it to me!

I was telling the Creatorfuze bunch I think (or maybe I mentioned it in my last post and totally forgot, I don't know) that after reading so much of this I can really see why people say all or most major events of this ilk are modeled after or emulate the original Crisis. One in particular that stands out to me aside from the obvious Infinite Crisis is House of M. That may be smaller in scale, at least it seems that way to me, but the feel of it was so similar. Crisis really broke new ground, and it makes me all that much more excited to see where Inifinite Crisis goes.

Speaking of IC, we were also talking about 52 and how unlikely it will be that it is on time every week. It's not too costly, and it's such a cool event that I may start picking it up when I can. I hope it lives up to the hype.

I'm a Marvel guy since as long as I can remember. Though I read an occasional Batman, Superman or Flash comic as a kid it was mainly Fantastic Four, Incredible Hulk, Avengers, Iron Man and of course, Spider-Man. But in the past year I have become such a fan of DC. Sure I always loved the key characters from cartoons and movies, but try as I may over the years I just couldn't get into them. I was into Armageddon, but then they revealed who Monarch was and I felt cheated.

Things are different now, and DC is putting out some excellent stuff. I have never been excited about DC titles before, but I am almost more excited about them than the Marvel stuff, and that's saying a lot!

Don't get me wrong, Wolverine, Spidey and crew still have all my love, but the entire DC cast of characters is making some serious headway, which is a very good thing for fans and for the industry.


And with that I bring this post to a close so I can go letter and write some more, then maybe take one of my famous breaks and catch a movie!

B-Out

100th POST!!!

It's finally here! When I hit my 50th post I got excited. Now I've joined those that have reached the coveted 100th post! Today 100, tomorrow 1,000, next Thursday at 5:14am Eastern time the World!

Okay, okay, enough with the dramatic theatrics. I was trying to save this post for something special, and luckily I have a couple of somewhat special things happening.

First let's cover the minor stuff. I finally finished the lettering I was working on for Approbation, at least for this issue. That is a huge load off as it was stressing me not having it done. I'm sure I'll need to make some corrections, but the bulk is done!

I also started getting pages yesterday for the paid lettering gig, so I'm excited about that as well. I have a ton of lettering on my plate right now, and I couldn't be happier.

There are some things that are just speculation at this point, but hopefully will become something substantial, so I'll just let that little seed be planted and let it bud or shrivel as it will.

Now, onto some bigger stuff. My new column, Myth Conceptions, which I actually took over for Jason Berek-Lewis, has finally been posted. Turns out there was a delay in the graphic of my name that was holding it up. No matter, though, because it's up now! It's basically an intro, but I hope it's an intriguing enough intro to get you all coming back next week for the meat of it. You can read it at this link:

http://www.silverbulletcomics.com/news/story.php?a=1131

And finally in the updates portion of this post, I have started my podcasts! I mentioned them a while back and even did an experimental one that wasn't great. This morning I re-recorded it and it still wasn't great. Just moments ago I did a final recording and it turned out decent enough with very minimal dead air. So I hope you enjoy it. It's only 11mb, so it shouldn't take too long to download. There is an exclusive announcement in the podcast. Nothing major, but something kind of cool, at least to me. So I hope you get a chance to listen to it and I hope I get feedback from you on it. You can get it at this link:

http://www.brantfowler.com/podcasts/gonzogoose012406.mp3


In other news, we went through some turbulation over at Midnight Studio Comics yesterday and tempers flared, things were said, and today apologies were made. I personally chalk it up to frustration after a year of very little getting done, which is partially all our faults, and partially just circumstance. Hopefully everyone can bounce back from it and just focus on what's important instead of all the crap. Today's a new day and we should treat it as such.


Speaking of nothing getting done in a year, I was amazed to realize after seeing the date on a post I made on a forum that Wanabez was actually supposed to debut at Proletariat Comics last February! Almost a year later and we're still not quite there. But we do have a solid plan in place and are working hard on it. It's noone's fault really, just life and circumstances got in the way. It won't be another year before that comes out though!!


Anyway, while there wasn't as big of an announcement as I would have liked for this post, there are still announcements and news, so I feel okay with how special it is and look forward to the 500th or 1000th posts that I'll try earnestly to save big scoops for!

B-Out

Tired

Ever have one of those days where you just want to bite everyone's head off? Well, I'm sort of having one of those days, but it's not everyone I feel that way towards, just people that frustrate me. lol. Of course, that could be a lot of people today.

I think it has something to do with the lack of sleep I've been getting lately. But oddly enough I'm actually in a good mood and feel a certain sense of accomplishment. Yet a few people today have really ticked me off!

I am two and a half pages shy of completing the lettering project I'm working on. And those two and a half pages are already pretty much laid out, I just have to refine and then add tails to the balloons and stuff. So I'm making headway and feeling great about it.

I'm also enthused this week to get caught up on a lot of stuff, and feel like I could just really flow if I'm left pretty much uninterrupted. I still need my breaks (I've discovered I'm a chronic break-taker!), but as long as there aren't any lengthy and needless distractions I think I'll be okay.


One title I was working on got cancelled due to lack of activity and I feel really bad about it. I just had too much on my plate and something was bound to slip. I'm hoping it can be revisited. It's only a 3 issue limited series, so who knows.

DLS: White is still in need of a colorist, but like most artists none of the good ones are willing to work on backend. Ugh. I'm sitting here lettering several projects on backend or for nothing, and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that if I was good at coloring and better at pencilling I'd still do my share of free work until I was picked up by a major publisher.

That's what frustrates me I guess because I am an artist with an artist's mentality every bit as much as a writer with a writer's mentality, so I just can't fathom people who aren't working for a major publisher or any publisher feel they are worth more than the rest of us that do it for the love and the exposure. Sigh.

If you haven't guessed it, some of those are included in the bite heads off club today!


It looks like Silver Bullet Comics is being updated as I type this, so hopefully my column will debut today. Hopefully...


I tried an experimental podcast that I attempted to share with a couple of friends just to see how it would go, and more importantly how stupid I would sound on it. It turned out pretty weird. Parts of it were boring, and other parts were somewhat humorous in that, it's so stupid it's funny kind of way. But sense I've gotten no feedback whatsoever I'm assuming the worst, which means I would NEVER EVER podcast AGAIN! lol. Of course it could have to do with it being 90mb. I don't know.


This is the 99th post on this blog, which means I hit a milestone of sorts with the next post. I am going to try to hold off posting it until I have something really cool to share or talk about. I'm a sucker for special occasions, so while it might not mean that much to most people it means something to me, and I intend on making it special.

With that said...

B-Out

Taking a Break

Been cranking stuff out today, so I thought I'd take a quick break and share some stuff from my fellow writers at The Comic Avalanche.

Josh Benton, a columnist at Comic Avalanche has a really cool column up this week that starts with a guessing game. If you get a chance check it out. http://www.comicavalanche.com/columns/bentonsbench.htm

Matt Schorr shares his thoughts on Crisis on Infinite Earths, which he has just started reading for the first time. This was especially interesting to me because I just started reading it myself and am only a little ahead of Matt. http://www.comicavalanche.com/columns/comicimpact.htm

Jason Wilkins, who always delivers well thought, intelligent discussion about pertinent and interesting topics discusses the quality of comics versus the actual content. http://www.comicavalanche.com/columns/horizonline.htm

If you are curious about what's happening in the Spider-Man: The Other story, Sam Pittman II has the scoop. http://www.comicavalanche.com/columns/30dimes.htm

Brian Koscienski and Chris Pisano share their latest happenings on their journey to publishing.
http://www.comicavalanche.com/columns/thejourney.htm



In other news, my column on SBC still hasn't gone up, though it appears they haven't updated in a couple of days. Hopefully it'll make the next update. I've already gotten the second installment written, I just need to type it. And I have the third laid out pretty much. I'm really excited about it.

I got turned onto some cool comics by the Creatorfuze bunch (link in the sidebar), so I talk about them in tomorrow's Indy-Pendant, which has already been sent, so it should be up early tomorrow or maybe even late tonight if Bryan has nothing better to do, which I doubt!

On a final note, I want to thank the people at www.anonymizer.com. I may not be able to access and personally update the Comic Avalance site, but with anonymizer at least I can view parts of it, which gives me somewhat of a connection. So thanks, Anonymizer, and Cary for telling me about it, you're my current heroes!

B-Out

Meet The Staff!

Thanks to the awesome artwork of Scott D.M. Simmons (link in the sidebar) The Comic Avalanche now has a new killer staff page! Check it out: www.comicavalanche.com/about/staff.htm.

Click on a character to be taken to the bio page, which matches their real life photo to their illustrated counterpart. Scott did a spectacular job at matching them up!

The staff page also features top ten picks compiled by the staff members to be updated (hopefully) monthly.

If you like it please show your support on the forums. I can't access them still, but you guys can!

Thanks.

B-Out

Here and Gone

The next couple of days I probably won't be very vocal or present on messageboards. I have a few things to finish up that I'm lagging behind on. This weekend I should be back to posting though.


Something else that was here, then gone was the TV show Prison Break I have praised so much in this blog. It went on hiatus for the holidays like everything else, but it didn't come back. I got worried as rumors of it being cancelled made the rounds. But then last night as I was watching American Idol I saw a commercial for it! It's returning in March! I wish it was closer, but I'm just glad it's coming back!


Got an email today from these people I was doing a writing project for letting me know that I had been terminated for lack of activity and already replaced. They gave some crappy excuse as to why they didn't discuss it with me first.

Here's the deal. This is basically a couple of guys who come up with ideas and then find people to create them for free. I thought it might be fun because the concepts they pitched me were different than other stuff I've written. Their thing was I had to sign an NDA before accessing the forum, which is cool, so I did that. Once I got in the forum they had threads for the projects. I read through all the notes and posted in both threads some thoughts about what I wanted to do. I also stated that I'd like to wait until the beginning of the year to start. And I asked a few questions. This was sometime in December.

After the new year, every couple of days I'd check the forum to see if anyone posted a reply, and I awaited emails that never came. So I figured they had stuff going on. Well in the email I got today they cited the reason being that I never emailed or ever posted on the forum, which is a complete lie. However, they had already locked me out of the forum, and probably deleted my posts, so I have no proof.

Furthermore, they sarcastically mentioned that I must have become overwhelmed with paid lettering gigs to do any work on their project. Now I never mentioned I letter, so they probably found their way to this blog and made assumptions instead of talking with me about it.

No matter though, because if that's the kind of people they are I don't want to work with them anyway. And if you ask me in private I'll tell you the name of the project so you can stay far away. I told them I was better off, and now I'm glad the whole crappy situation is over. Here and Gone.

Morsels

Man I'm running out of clever titles for these entries. Time to break out the thesaurus!

Cary's new column is up in which he makes mention of several recommended sites related to comics to visit. Among them he mentions Scryptic Studios and Comic Avalanche, to which I am thankful and grateful. He also mentions Creatorfuze, which is a new daily haunt of mine. It's a great column and you should all check it out!

Speaking of Comic Avalanche, the new home page is finally up, and I love how it turned out. It's much more crisp and organized I think. It's fun and everything's really easy to get to. Go check it out if just to see that!

In the coming days the new Staff page will go up as well, which has some killer fun cartoon style caricatures of the staff illustrated by Wanabez artist Scott D.M Simmons (check out the artist links in the sidebar for more of his work). Scott is a champ and did an excellent job. Just like with WBZ, it was like he was connected to my brain and produced exactly what I had envisioned in my mind! I'll post here when it's up so you can all check it out!

Scryptic Studios may also being going through some changes in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for news of that. I can tell you that we are focusing more on comic writing than anything else, though we will still have articles and resources for the general writer. More to come.

Midnight Studio Comics is also in the process of getting a brand new web design. News on that as it nears completion.


American Idol began tonight. I only watched the first half as I taped the rest so I could watch Supernatural (which was not a great episode...). What I have seen so far showed a lot of great talent though. They actually even had a twin act that both could sing really well on their own.

And all they had shown that I saw were people who auditioned in Chicago, which is the city I was going to audition in had I been able to. I would have been up against some killer talent, so maybe it was a blessing I didn't go, I don't know.

They also had their share of rejects. One guy I swear I thought was a girl. He was a young guy, mid teens and his mother and grandmother had deeper voices than him. He tried to sing a Daniel Beddingfield song and it was painful to endure.

Another guy, a policeman from Virginia, was equally painful to listen to. If I were him I would have quit the force and moved far away before the show aired. There's no way he's not getting laughed out of the precinct. The most amusing thing is the way he walked in. You know how policeman have that cocky swagger that's kind of slow and deliberate? Well that's how this tall, slightly hefty bald man walked in. Then all of a sudden he starts to sing and he looks like a completely different person. He placed his hands, one on top of the other on his upper abdomen and began to clumsily sway as his head was stretched back and he kept singing over and over again one single line, "I shot the sherriff, but I didn't shoot the deputy". Seriously, he sang that one line like 7 or 8 times, only pausing once or twice in between! It was horrid, but hilarious.



I mentioned Supernatural not being a great episode, and it's because of one solitary thing. It was about a supposed faith healer who wasn't really a faith healer. Turns out his wife had made a deal with the devil through some necromancy and everytime one of the sick were healed a reaper killed someone chosen by the wife that she deemed immoral.

The reason this bothered me is because of its portrayal of the church. Granted there are a lot of supposed faith healers that are fakes and only after the money. However, I do believe in miraculous healing and have seen it and have been healed in that manner before, so it bothers me that the wrong message is being sent out.

In the show's defense, they did end it with a girl who didn't get healed who didn't lose her faith realizing that you have to keep faith even when the miracles don't come. So props for that.


The next installment of Indy-Pendant is coming up this weekend. I implore you (or beg you, whichever works) to read the last two editions and email me appropriately if you are interested in what I requested. I have not gotten one single email and I'm afraid maybe I've lost some readers who haven't checked back since the column went on hiatus for the holidays. Won't make that mistake again. Columns written in advance all the way!


Got a chance to watch the latest WWE and TNA pay-per-views thanks to a friend. Both were really good offerings for the most part, but both had their downsides. I've discussed them in detail with others on the DW wrestling forum if you're interested. Here I'm just going to hit a few highlights.

SPOILERS

First off, WWE's New Years Revolution main event wasn't that great. The Elimination Chamber is a great match, but John Cena, who I love, just didn't do anything. He got beat down the entire match. Kurt Angle was the first eliminated, so that was disappointing. Next to go was HBK, then Kane, which left Carlito, Masters and Cena, three new bloods. It's great they are giving the young guys a push, but I'm not sure they were ready for it just yet.

Anyway, Cena pulled it off only to be ambushed by Edge who cashed in his money in the bank contract and after two spears won the title.

Now I may have mentioned this in a previous post. I know I didn't talk about what happened next though. On Raw the next night Edge and Lita were supposed to do a live sex scene at the end of the show. As it started I switched the channel. How low can they sink? Turns out Lita was topless for a bit, but supposedly covered. I think Cena broke it up.

But this past Monday Ric Flair fought Edge for the title in a TLC match, which was the first match a ladder was involved with Flair in his career, so that was cool. He nearly won the belt until Lita interefered. It was a great match, and it was cool to see Flair go outside the box for once. It's been a long time since the I Quit match with Terry Funk, or the Halloween Havoc tag match with Sting against Funk and Muta in the Terror Dome or whatever it was called.

Speaking of Sting, he made his return to wrestling at TNA's Final Resolution this past Sunday. Early into his match the fans started chanting "You Still Got It!", and he does. It's going to take a little bit for him to find his pace in the more fast paced TNA, but he still did a great job. I'm a big Sting mark, so it was great to see him back.

In the finish Jarrett was about to nail Christian with the guitar and Sting came in and tore the guitar apart with the baseball bat, then proceeded to Scorpion Death Drop (Reverse DDT) Jarrett for the win. Afterwards, Sting stood in the middle of the ring, bat in hand, showered by the spotlight with the house lights dimmed, and stared out into the approving crowd. It was his moment and a great moment it was.



And with that I bring this post of meaty morsels to a close.

B-Out

Myth Conceptions

Got the official word today. I will be taking over Jason [Berek-Lewis]'s column at www.silverbulletcomics.com, Myth Conceptions starting later this week!

When Jason announced he was leaving the column I started to wonder if there would be an opening at SBC for another column. I thought about maybe asking if I could continue Jason's column, but then I wasn't sure I could do justice to what he had started.

So then I pitched the idea of doing a different column. However, when asked what it would be about I realized I had no clue. Instead I spent a very long email detailing what I didn't want to do and asking for suggestions.

The next day I decided I probably overwhelmed SBC with my diatribe (which wasn't true) so I took another look at Jason's column. I began seeing a different direction form and before long had written the first installment, which would be an introduction and a nod to Jason.

Long story short, I sent that to SBC, they liked it, they gave it to me. I've already written the second installment as well and the third is waiting to pour out of me.

Right now Jason's farewell installment is up at http://www.silverbulletcomics.com/news/story.php?a=1095

As I stated, my version of Myth Conceptions will debut around Wednesday or Thursday of this week, and will (for now) be bi-weekly. I will be on it for a few months at least, then who knows?

Now you may ask why I want to write another column? And why not do it at Comic Avalanche? Plain and simple, I wanted to widen my horizons and gain access to more readers. I've already done a couple of interviews for SBC, so this is a natural progression. It's also my hope that readers of Myth Conceptions will find their way to Indy-Pendant, and vice versa.

I want to thank Jason for giving me his blessing. Jason is a great writer who you can catch on the Industrial Evolution column at www.brokenfrontier.com weekly. You can also check out his blog (in the sidebar) to find out about his first published works coming later this year.

I also want to thank Jonathon, formerly at SBC, who gave me a shot with the interviews, and Jenny and Alan who had the confidence in me to give me the greenlight on this column.

I hope you all tune in!

B-Out

Insomnia

It's around 4:30 am right now and here I still sit at my PC. I'm tired, but I can't sleep. I've been working all day on writing, lettering, graphics, etc., and watching a little TV and chatting it up with my online friends. It's been a long day, and yet here I am.


Finally new episodes of Smallville and The O.C. came on last night! Smallville was kind of slow in the overall storyline, but had a neat little self-contained story about a psycho disciple of Lex's going farther than even he would have gone. It was a good episode with some disturbing events.

In the grand scheme of things, Lana is getting closer to the truth!


In The O.C. the group got Marissa renrolled in Harbor and befriended Taylor into their group. And they finally got Marissa away from that jerk, Johnny...for now. Next week Marissa's little sister, all growed up, comes back to cause trouble.


I might have some news for you guys pretty soon on some more writing I'll be doing. As soon as I know for certain I'll post it here.


There have been a lot of great discussions on various forums this week. Over at Creatorfuze we've been discussing the differences between the USA and Austrailia, and differences within different parts of the US as relates to TV, Comics, Food, you name it.

Over on Digital Webbing there have been several good discussions. One is about editing, which I contributed a little to. It's a great thread with some great information from people who have done a lot of editing. There are several other threads there as well in the Creator Community section about various comic related topics.

Over on the Image Central board there has been a discussion about why black comic characters aren't more popular. It was a loaded topic and it got pretty heated and controversial. My involvement was at a minimum. It was still an interesting discussion and some valid points were brought up.

Also on Digital Webbing in the Movies & Television section there are discussions about Lost and Smallville, which are really interesting. And in the subforum in that area are several interesting topics on wrestling.


I caught a bit of a show called Praise the Lord on TBN in flipping channels tonight. I ended up taping the replay because of who was on it. Steve "Sting" Borden of WCW fame was on there with his brother and Pastor. Sting interviewed HBK Shawn Michaels and Vince Russo during the show about their religious experiences. I haven't watched the actual interviews yet, but it was intriguing to me being a man of faith to say the least. Sting seems very passionate about his faith. He really does seem like a different person.

For those who know of his comeback to the ring this Sunday who might be wondering what he looks like, he's got shorter hair than the last time he wrestled, but it's still brown and not bleach blonde.


My 13 year old brother, who has very curly hair and a white boy fro decided the other day to let a couple of girls straighten it with a flat iron. I've never seen my brother with straight hair, and as long as it was as a fro it made for a very interesting result straight. He loves it because he can flop it around and stuff. He looks like a completely different person. Luckily it'll go back curly when washed, but he intends to straighten it again tomorrow. Sigh.


I've been weighing some options and decisions throughout the day yesterday. I've got to make a decision and possibly a committment soon and I'm just not sure yet if it's something I need to do right now. It's something a year ago I would have jumped at, and pretty much did in a different, somewhat less involved way. But now knowing what I know and with my reinvigored focus I'm wondering if it would be a step back or a step forward. Ugh. Decisions.


Okay, I think I'm finally tired enough to try to sleep now. And I can't think of a witty closer, so I bid you all goodnight, or G'day, or whatever, wherever you are.

B-Out

Dream Girl

Ha! I knew that title would get your attention!

Seriously, I had a strange dream last night that really got me thinking. I have to preface it before going into it though.

Over the past several years others and I have had eerily real dreams of seeing me with the girl I supposedly marry someday. There are too odd factors that tie all these dreams together. One, the girl always has dark hair, like nearly black. Two, her face is never seen. The weird thing is people I know, but don't talk to on a regular basis have come up to me and told me they had a dream like this about me, and they never know that I've had similar dreams, or that others have had similar dreams about me and this mystery giril. Heck, one of them had the dream about me and the girl in the car I really want and hadn't told them about.

I haven't had one of these dreams, nor heard of anyone else having one in quite some time...until last night.

I was up late last night because I couldn't sleep. Then finally I got really comfortable and fell into a pretty deep sleep. Then the oddities began.

Suddenly I found myself at a camp or retreat of some sort. There were about eight of us sharing a room, three guys, five girls. That alone is odd because I've never shared any room with a girl in my life. The guys slept on the floor and the girls slept in bunkbeds. The only other person I recognized in the dream was my cousin, who is the same age as me. The other guy seemed familiar, but I couldn't place him. The girls strangely all had dark hair and were very attractive. Some of them had traits I recognized from girls I know. but one was different. And guess what? I never saw her face.

I could tell she was attractive though. So anyway, the dream kind of jumped to all of us in the room watching TV, and for some reason I was sitting behind the girl whose face I couldn't see with my arms around her and she leaning back against me. We said nothing, just watched TV.

The dream then jumped to us all doing several things together I don't recall. Then back to the TV watching and cuddling once again.

The dream goes through this sequence one more time, but something different happens this time. The girl I'm holding suddenly turns her head towards me slightly, but not enough that I can see her face, and asks me why I hold her like that. I say, "Why, does it bother you?" She says, "No, not at all. It's just that you don't know me very well, if at all." So I reply, "It just feels right...comfortable." or something like that. She then says again that we don't know each other very well, and I say, "Then let's eat together today and get to know each other better." She says that's a great idea, and even though I can't see her I know she is smiling. She then cozies up against me again.

So meal time comes and we're in a cafeteria of sorts. All the girls are sitting together with a few others and the two guys are at a different table with some other guys. I go up to the counter to get my food and for some odd reason get held up talking to the lunch lady, who is young and not like your typical lunch lady. By the time I get to the table she's gone. I had missed her, they told me. So with a heavy sigh I go on with my meal to the guys table.

Later in the day evidently we had arranged to hang out together, but I again got held up talking to someone about something I don't remember. So when I finally do find her she says I missed both meetings and she seemed very sad. I answered, "I got foolishly held up. It won't happen again." or something to that effect. Then I woke up.

That dream baffled me all day today. Then I got to thinking about it and repeating what I had said out loud. "I got held up. It won't happen again". Man, talk about some light bulbs going on. I could get all symbolic with this one, but I'll spare you and let you draw your own conclusions.

Suffice it to say it got me thinking and it gave me an oddly warm feeling inside that hasn't yet subsided.

B-Out

Today, A New Beginning

This (the title of this post) was the motto of our church when it first started. We haven't used it for years, but the church is still called New Beginnings. This phrase symbolizes how I feel today.

For those of you who read yesterday's post you'll understand what I'm talking about. Yesterday I was in an odd mood, not wanting to do anything and getting frustrated and upset for nothing. I was extremely bored to a serious degree. I couldn't get into anything. I just wasn't myself. It was weird.

Late last night instead of just going to bed (because I couldn't get into that either) I headed over to Creatorfuze (linked at the right) and luckily a few of us were online. It's much funner when we're all on at the same time because we get near instant replies.

So I spent quite some time there conversing and what not and it yanked me out of my mood a bit. I still couldn't get into anything else, but at least it was something. I also got to take a look at something that inspired me a bit and set into motion what today would be like for the most part.

So somehow late last night, and I'm talking 3am late, I got really inspired. Thoughts and ideas started coming to me of how I could change this project that got rejected into something better. I started getting motivated again about the work I have I couldn't get into. Of course then I finally got tired and crashed. I had a long sleep last night, which is a first in months.

Today I woke up invigorated and ready to roll. I've been working on stuff non-stop today trying to set some things in motion, contacting people I need to contact, actually doing some of that pending work. It's been a good day. It also doesn't hurt that it feels like Spring outside today.

I did try to pray a little yesterday and I was thinking seriously about some stuff there towards the end of the day, so maybe God gave me a reprieve. Maybe I was just in a funk and it went away. Or maybe I was just having a bad day.

Whatever the case, today is a new beginning, and so far it's been a really good day. I hope it continues, and the way I'm feeling I'm sure at will...at least for today. Tomorrow's another day with another beginning. We'll wait until then to see what that brings.

B-Out

Bored

I should not be writing this. I should be working...lettering or writing something. I have been in an odd mood all day today. I have tried to get into so many things today. Lettering, writing, web design, video games, reading, movies, the internet, eating and even sleep! None of it has been the least bit satisfying and I find myself constantly taking breaks. I just can't concentrate or get into anything.

http://www.eden.rutgers.edu/~mtornese/Garfield%20Comics/cat.gif

You ever have one of those days when you don't want to do anything? You try and try and try, but you just can't seem to do anything. And on top of that you get mad or frustrated at everything and everyone for no reason whatsoever?

http://www.wtv-zone.com/sunshine/hpd/gifs2/bored.gif

Well that's the kind of day I'm having today. I have no clue what brought it on. I'm not mad at anyone or whatever. I'm not frustrated with anything in particular. It's just one of those things I guess.

http://www.kevinduffy.net/Graphics/bored_student.gif

Maybe it's because I didn't go to church today and God's paying me back. :) I don't know. I just thought that since I couldn't do anything else I might as well write about it.

http://www.hindrances.com/images/raymerkler.png

Anyway, I'll let you get back to your regularly scheduled programming.

B-Out

A Little News

My column returned today. You can view it at http://www.comicavalanche.com/columns/indypendant.htm


I landed another lettering gig last night, a paying one at that. And I may have landed one or two more backend ones this morning. The lettering is really starting to take off!


My boy, Jason, gave his first interview as a comic creator recently. You can find the link on his blog, which is linked to the right (Jason Berek-Lewis). Congrats, Jason, it was a great interview!


You can also check out some short reviews of this week's comics at Chuck's blog also linked on the right (The Comic Book Observatory).


Several of us over at Scryptic are revamping the forums a little bit. My part is small in that I'm doing a little uploading. The new webmaster trimmed the fat and some other stuff. We're working on our own custom forum icons, which look pretty cool.


Upcoming soon will be some cool interviews and columns I'll school you on when the time comes.


And that's a wrap for now. It's been a pretty slow weekend. Just wanted to check in and lay it down a bit.

B-Out

Some Quick Stuff

I was visited by a friend I haven't seen in a few months today. She is one of my oldest and dearest friends that I used to see every week. I've known her since she was less than 1 year old and I was 8. She just happened to be in the neighborhood helping someone out and got a chance to swing by. It was really good to see her. She is a wonderful person and a joy to be around. I've really missed her. Here's a picture (Image Shack isn't working properly, so a link will have to do). It's nearly two years old now, but she hasn't changed much.

Carissa


Read Infinite Crisis #3 today and yep, another twist from Mr. Johns. He's keeping me on my toes and completely hooked!


ComicAvalanche.com will soon be unveiling a new home page layout. We'll also be having a contest related to our new mascot next month sometime as teased in an ad in Super Real #2 coming out at the end of next month.


I'm feeling lousy today, and try as I have, I haven't accomplished much today.


I'm at a crossroads career wise and am seriously considering going back to school. I'm just not happy doing what I do and I have never been happy or felt the least bit tolerant in any job I've had. I don't know if it will be possible or if I can even handle it at this point, but I've got to make a change somewhere. Well, at least until I become a famous writer! ;)


As I feel a coughing fit coming on I'm gonna sign off. Until next time...

B-Out

Scarce

I'm not going to be online too much this week. I've got a lot to catch up on and I just frankly need a break. There are a couple of things I need to be online for, like emails and a couple of things I need to write, but other than that I won't be around too much.

It's a new year and the past couple of days I've found myself doing a whole lot of reflecting. I want to make some serious changes in all aspects of my life this year, so I'm starting today. I'm reevaluating a lot of things and seeing where it all goes from here.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you all know if you miss me from messageboards and blogs for a few days. I may pop in every once in a while, but nowhere near my usual involvement.


Now that that little piece of news is out of the way, I mentioned previously that my column returns this coming Sunday. I hope to do something special for the first column of the year, so we'll see how that goes. I hope you all enjoy it whatever it ends up being.


This is a really crazy time for various members of my family. My younger cousin and her husband who used to live about 5 houses down from me recently moved back to Lexington, her sister, who is around 19 just moved out of her parents' house, and one of my aunt's is also moving. My uncle is having some trouble with his businesses, my Mother is working physical work again, which I hate because she has worked all her life and she has rotor cuff damage, and I'm, well, we all know where I'm at. It just seems like so much is going on.

I mentioned my uncle out of the blue paid me for designing his website. He also made mention for renewing our agreement in the new year for a redesign. I haven't contacted him yet, but that's a positive thing.

I wish I had some comic news or fun stuff to post about, or some funny story about friends or relatives, but I haven't been around too many people in the past several months to have any stories of any worth. I read other blogs and how people recount happenings during their day or whatever and I wish I had more of that to share. Alas, that's not the case at present. But I reserve the right to throw in a bunch of that for your enjoyment later on. For now you have to deal with me talking about the same old boring stuff. That is, if you continue to read of course. :)


Oh, I got a chance to finally watch the Shawshank Redemption a friend let me borrow and all I can say is I can't believe I never watched this before. This was a great movie with a lot of deep meaning. Some of the meaning and symbolism was easy to grasp, while some of it was buried in little parts throughout. It was a very sad, yet happy movie at the same time. It filled you with a lot of emotions throughout like any great movie should. And Morgan Freeman, one of the greatest actors of all time in my opinion, was phenomenal as usual. Tim Robbins was also very good. He was the perfect actor to play that role. He as a person and in pretty much every role I've seen him in has this quiet, unsuspecting strength and he's very genuine. They did an excellent job casting this movie. Thanks, Chuck, for giving me a reason and avenue to watch this movie!


Knowing I won't be able to buy many comics for a little while I have been spacing out the ones I got for Christmas as much as possible. Of course thanks to Chuck I also have plenty to read now! But today I got around to reading Infinite Crisis #2 and am very interested and excited about where this is heading. I got one impression at the end of issue #1, but then that entire impression changed in issue #2. I still have issue #3 here and I'm very curious to see where Johns twists it next.


I'm still reading that issue of Wizard I got for Christmas a little at a time. Last night or this morning, I don't recall which, I read the article on Ethan Van Sciver who was Wizard's pick for Artist of the Year in '05. It was interesting to discover that he can live off of only doing 6 issues a year. Man, I need to rapidly improve my art and storytelling skills! If he did a page a day that would leave him with nearly 8 months of free time a year if he so chooses. And the man is only three years older than me! Sigh.

The article also stated how Ethan used to play the ice cream truck music on his keyboard and blast it out of his window and watch all the neighborhood kids run into the streets to find no ice cream waiting for them. I may not agree with a lot of things Van Sciver does or says, but that was hilarious!


Just for a laugh, here's my very first attempt at full coloring with a sorry little program that came with my PC on a drawing of DC's Wildcat I did a long while ago for a jam poster that never got finished. It's truly pathetic and should bring a smile to your faces.

Here's the original pencils. Not a great job, but not too shabby either I think.

And before there was Super Bad James Dynomite, there was Funky Ninja!

This is the official look of the Funky Ninja I designed for Funky Ninja Comics where I also illustrated and lettered a seven strip comic featuring the character. (If it doesn't show up it's because ImageShack is doing maintenance)

I guess that's it. I'm sitting here racking my brains for something to type because I don't want this to be non-entertaining post. Sure, the blog is here for information purposes, but it's also here to entertain. I enjoy making people smile, and to hear they like what I write is all the encouragement I need. I have gotten a lot of that from people that read this blog and my column, and other things I write, and I never want to disappoint.

That being said, I also know I tend to say too much sometimes at the same time as not saying much at all. So with that in mind I'll bid you all farewell until next I post my blogging goodness.

B-Out

Nada, Really

There's not much to post on today. I lead a boring life. I am making progress on the lettering, slowly but surely. Not much else is going on though.

I did manage to update the Erik Larsen submission replies webpage at http://www.brantfowler.com/ImageComics/larsensubmissionanswers.html

I don't think I ever told anyone in comics before that as a child I wanted to be a chef. I seriously thought about going to culinary school, but other interests overruled. I'd still like to become a better cook than I am though. I can fix a few chicken dishes, some pasta dishes and several desserts, but I'd like to learn more than the average every day stuff as well. I also want to learn how to play the piano and guitar. I thought for a little while I was too old to start learning, but I've overcome that thought.

I also want to learn Spanish and Italian. I had a Spanish class in college, which I got an A in, but very little of it stuck with me afterwards.

There's so much I want to do, and many times I just feel like it's too much and I get overwhelmed by it all. I have yet to be able to find a way to do a little at a time without looking at the big picture. That's something I've always been guilty of. I look way far ahead of the situation, and if it doesn't look plausible I get stressed. I don't give up or quit, I just get setback by the enormity of it all. Sometimes looking at the big picture is a good thing, but other times it's a pain in the butt!


Gotta put a pie in the oven, back in a sec...

Ah, the beauty of the internet. I can leave for however long and it doesn't even take any time away from your reading pleasure.


I read a good article in the issue of Wizard magazine I got for Christmas as two Wizard writers tagged along with Geoff Johns and Phil Jimenez to several local comic shops in New York and LA on the day Infinite Crisis #1 came out.

Todd Casey went with Johns in LA, which was cool because the way it came out Johns was like a celebrity there. But Mike Cotton and Jiminez's adventure was by far the more entertaining. See, hardly anyone at first recognized Phil, so he had some fun with them. He asked one guy why he was buying so many copies of Infinite Crisis #1 and the guy got super defensive.

Another guy didn't seem to know much behind the creators as he said that Johns had worked on Smallville! (That was the other Jeff, Jeph Loeb. All these spelling differences are so confusing.)

Anyway, it was a good, fun article. Following it was a piece on Geoff Johns I haven't read all the way through yet. What I did read mentioned his climb to DC star status. Of course being director Richard Donner's assistant couldn't have been a bad job either. It was just wild how they recounted his journey and how far he has come in six short years.

Also mentioned was how nice of a guy he is, which I think is really cool. I mean not only is he in one field where egos run amok in comics, but he was also in the film industry and lives in LA. So it's refreshing that none of that has tainted his personality. I really respect that.


This new hair gel I got for Christmas has been putting a LOT of extra flakes in my hair and it's really upset me. I used to have a bad problem with dandruff in my teens and finally had it beat for the past few years, but now it's all back. Here's a tip for you, don't use Suave hair gel or hair spray. It is EVIL!


We didn't get any snow this Christmas. In fact all winter we've had one slight powder, less than an inch. Kentucky is notorious for it's odd and sporadic weather where we go from hot to cold and back in a matter of days, and most of the time we don't have a lot of snow around Christmas. But usually we will get some. Yesterday it felt like Spring time, and today it's back to being cold and rainy. In late November and early December we had 70 degree days and 30 degree days within days of each other. I have always hated the weather here, and this Winter isn't doing anything to improve my dislike.


Okay, so I said nada, and here I am posting another monologue. I'm telling you, give me a forum to speak and away I go. I do much better in written word, but I get lengthy with the spoken word as well. The only difference is I'm not quite as eloquent and I repeat a lot when I speak. Oddly enough, I can't credit that to editing when I write, because most of the time in posts like this I don't edit, I just let it fly. I will spellcheck...when I remember, but I hardly ever backtrack and edit stuff, even in my column. With comic scripts I do, but that's different.

Speaking of which, I made a comment on a friend's script recently pointing out the most minor of errors and it added to a bad day he was having and I just want to apologize. Not for pointing it out, because I would always be honest as I would expect the same. Blowing smoke does noone any good. But I do apologize for the timing.


I still can't access Scryptic Studios, but I was informed that they are changing servers, so hopefully that's all it is. Is anyone else having trouble accessing the site?

I still haven't heard any resolution as to why I can't access Comic Avalanche, and it's really driving me crazy. It's been a couple of months now, and while Bryan is evidently doing a fine job updating as he did before me, it still bothers me I can't contribute.


I am so behind on this interview I need to edit, revise and post up on Scryptic, and one I need to do for SBC. David, I'm working on it, bro, I've just had some setbacks.

Speaking of interviews, I got a mass email from Ryan Scott Ottney, founding member of Scryptic Studios and writer of Legend of Isis from Alias Enterprises (where he is also the Media and Communications Director ) that he was available for media requests for interviews, features, previews, etc. You can check out ryanscottottney.com for contact information if you're interested. I'm going to try to set something up for Comic Avalanche and SBC myself unless someone beats me to it.


Can anyone recommend any PS2 games to purchase when I can? I can't right now as I have some debts to repay first, but as soon as I can I want to get some good, lengthy games. I intend to get Smackdown vs Raw 2006 and X-Men Legends II. I like games like Metal Gear, Syphon Filter, etc., as well as good wrestling games, Final Fantasy type games, etc. I like RPGs and Adventure games because of the long involved gameplay, or games that have a lot of replay value. I don't want to drop down $50 for some game I'm gonna beat in a couple of days, ya know?

Speaking of games, I went to play Syphon Filter: Omega Strain yesterday and realized the only control I have that works with that game is broken! I have like 7 Playstation controls, but only one of the ones that actually came with the PS2, and that's the only control this game will work with. That totally bites. Why would they make a game that's not compatible with other PS controllers? It's insane.


I just realized that the LA Wizard Con takes place a few days before my birthday, so that's what I'm telling everyone I want now, money to go! It's a longshot and probably won't happen, but that would be a great birthday present. I've always wanted to go to California anyway. Who knows, maybe things will work out.

It would definitely be a fun one. All the heavyweights are going to be there, from Johns to Bendis. Is anyone planning on going?


Anyway, I think I've taken up enough of your time for now, and you have two nice and long posts to keep you from doing any work, so for now I'll leave you to it.

B-Out

The Day After

Well folks, it's officially the second day of 2006 and New Years has come to a close. No more holidays until February, and that one hasn't really meant much to me for several years anyway. Though my birthday is in March, but I haven't really celebrated it for years either, or I should say others haven't celebrated for me or with me. :) I still get a homemade German cheesecake from my aunt though, and that always rocks!


Anyway, neither of my projects made the Dark Horse deadline, but I honestly don't feel bad about it at all. I am looking forward to getting them ready to go out to various publishers and what not.


I HAVE to make myself finish this lettering job I have today. This past weekend just made me go into relax and procrastinate mode and I'm trying hard to break out of it now. I promised pages Friday and here it is Monday and I've sent nothing. I have finished some, but I don't want to send just a few pages three days late. So that's what I'll be doing for most of today.


I saw an ad posted on Digital Webbing looking for projects to publish. They say they'll cover printing and advertising, which "sounds" good. They are predominately looking for projects in the sci-fi/fantasy genres. They are called Dominion Publishing, and the ad is in the DW Talent Search section under Submissions. Worth looking into.


I contacted William Ward of Ronin Studios last week to see if there were any spots open for inclusion in the Fantasy anthology they're doing that Jason [Berek-Lewis] is writing for. I have a six page story with pencils and inks already complete by an artist from a while back, so I thought this would be a good opportunity for it to see the light of day. The artist had come up with the basic concept, and I had scripted it for him for inclusion in another fantasy anthology that evidently never came to fruition.

Long story short, it's competing with several others for a spot in the Ronin anthology and it's not a guaranteed thing, but at least it's something to go on. I need to revise it a little and I think I'm going to re-letter it. It's already lettered (not by me) but it's not a great job.


I have come to yet another realization about my art. While participating in the draw-offs on Digital Webbing is fun and it's good practice, it really doesn't do anything to boost my confidence. While most others' works get commented on I have to practically beg for comments, and then they're mostly negative. I think what I'll do until I improve a bit is continue to participate in the draw offs and excercises, but not post them. I just don't really desire to get negative feedback. Constructive criticism is one thing, but negative stuff just don't cut it for me. Once I feel I can garner at least some constructive criticism without begging for it I'll start posting again.

That doesn't mean, however, that I won't post them here, because I still may.


I am really going to crack down and focus on my writing this year. For the past few years it just hasn't been my main focus. I didn't have a lot of time to concentrate on it as EIC of the two companies I worked for, and while I wouldn't trade either experience, I am actually relieved that I don't have that responsibility on my shoulders right now. I really realized late last year and even moreso now that what I truly want to focus on is my own stuff, however selfish that may sound.


I watched a LOT of TV this past weekend. Mainly older movies I found on flipping channels. I actually got bored enough to watch "Clueless"...twice! I also watched "That Thing You DO", which is a good movie I think. Plus it's about music, and I'm addicted to any movie about music.


Sting (the wrestler, not the