Writing Plans

 My 2017 writing plans:

On Monday, January 1st, 2017, I start writing what I hope will be the first in a series of 70's pop-styled, space war action novels, tentatively titled Raid on Inferno. I have it loosely outlined - I've found in the past that if I do too much planning I feel stifled in the writing, and this time I want to try and keep it loose. I'm psyching myself up for it now.) My intention is to self-publish under the Atomic Pulp imprint through Amazon's program as both e-books and paperbacks. 

This is a big change in direction for me as I have almost exclusively only written comic books (and it's pretty much all I've ever wanted to write) and short fiction under 5,000 words. But my only two active comics projects (noted below) have stalled out or been postponed indefinitely, and while I'll keep plugging away at them, I've decided that it's time to try a different medium.

I'm nervous as hell about the idea of writing long-form prose, and as I struggle constantly with ADD and poor self-discipline, I'm worried that I won't be able to focus on a  single project long enough to complete even a short novel. But I've been receiving a lot of encouragement and support from my friends and fans on Facebook, and I'm going to give it my best shot.

I've also "dusted off" the first few chapters of my hardboiled fantasy mystery novel, The Sorcerer's Detective, and done some more outlining on that, too. I plan on keeping that on a side burner (so to speak) so if I get bogged down on the space opera, I can maybe switch over to the fantasy for a while.

I still have some Space Crusaders comics script writing to do, so I have that to fit in, and if Gravedigger starts up again, I'll have some more to write there, as well.

In terms of time, I should easily accomplish all of that (the only real benefit of being essentially unemployable). But it's discipline/focus that I have trouble with, so we'll see how well I deal with those issues in the New Year.

Looking Forward, Not Back

2016 was, as most of us will agree, a pretty awful year in many ways. For me, it was a year of frustration, a lot of wheel-spinning, and anxiety about national and world events. But we have to look forward, and in that spirit, here are my general life goals for 2017:

Lose weight. A lot of weight. (Necessary for my continued survival.)

Write a novel. If possible, more than one.

Keep plugging away on the Space Crusaders graphic novel and the Gravedigger sequel. (Hopefully, my collaborators will do the same. )

Try not to let my anxieties about the state of the country and planet consume me. This is going to be the toughest of all....

New Blu-rays!

So, I picked up a few Blu-rays last night, and with store credit, it only cost about $7 for the bunch.

The new Scream Factory special edition of John Carpenter's The Thing is stunning, and the supplemental material is damn-near exhaustive. Hopefully, I'll never have to buy this one again.

Batman: The Return Of The Caped Crusaders is a lot of fun, though I found the actual animation to be underwhelming and kinda TV-cheap-looking.

Cat's Eye is a nostalgic 80s favorite and looks great on Blu.

Kino-Lorber's Blu-ray of I, The Jury is a bit of a disappointment, though. It looks like it was sourced from the same material as the manufactured-on-demand DVD from a few years ago. There's a marginal uptick visually from the SD version, but it really should have been re-scanned and remastered.

Wednesday Covers: The Expendables

No, not those Expendables. These Expendables were a group of rogue space adventurers created by author Edmund Cooper (under the pen name of "Richard Avery") back in the 1970s. The four book series was published by Fawcett, and all the volumes sported terrific cover art by Ken Kelly. Enjoy!

Bangorefest This Weekend

This weekend, I'll be attending my second convention in less than a week: Bangorefest in Bangor, Maine. Well, technically, it's in Orono at the University of Maine's New Balance Field House, October  28 through the 30th. I'll be there on Saturday and Sunday, hawking my various comics and hopefully, scoring an autographed Twiki photo from Felix Silla.

The horror-themed show will host a slew of actors and other genre celebrities, including most of the cast of John Carpenter's 1983 film adaptation of Stephen King's Christine. Hell, even the car will be there.

If you're in Central Maine this weekend, I hope you'll stop by.

Portland Comic Expo - Oct. 23

On Sunday, October 23rd, I'll be exhibiting at the Portland Comic Expo at the Portland Exposition Building in Portland, Maine. Admission is only $5. (http://www.portlandcomicexpo.com/)

At both shows, I'll have copies of my Femme Noir, Gravedigger, Shadow House, Perils On Planet X and Kolchak comics - as well as the pulp anthologies I've contributed to and the new Gravedigger mini-poster - for sale.

GRAVEDIGGER Poster

Here's a new Gravedigger mini-poster by Rick Burchett that I hope to have available for sale at the Portland Comic Expo and Bangorefest conventions in October (if I can get them printed in time).

Obviously, we were going for a 70s crime movie poster vibe.

Note also, the first official use of the new logo!

October Appearances: Portland Comic Expo & Bangorefest!

In about a month, on October 23rd, I'll be exhibiting at the Portland Comic Expo at the Portland Exposition Building in Portland, Maine. Admission is only $5. (http://www.portlandcomicexpo.com/)

Less than a week later, I'll be appearing at BANGOREFEST at the University of Maine in Orono. (http://www.bangorefest.com/) on Saturday and Sunday, October 29 & 30.

Evidently, I'm not notable enough to appear on either website, but I will be at both events.

At both shows, I'll have copies of my FEMME NOIR, GRAVEDIGGER, SHADOW HOUSE, PERILS ON PLANET X and KOLCHAK comics - as well as the pulp anthologies I've contributed to - for sale.

It's going to be a hectic month. Hopefully, I'll get to see some of my New England friends (and maybe make some new ones) in Portland and/or Bangor in October!

New GRAVEDIGGER Logo

Decided that Gravedigger needed a new, more 70s logo. You'll be seeing it on the next miniseries and a few other places...

My Future Comics Plans

People keep asking about whether or not there will be future installments of Femme Noir and Perils On Planet X. The short answer: there's nothing planned.

Joe Staton and I did have a Femme Noir miniseries in the works, and had it pretty much ready to go. We even thought we had a major publisher lined up... but it fell through. Other publishers were approached and seemed mildly interested, but offered no commitments. With Joe's Dick Tracy workload, it's not practical to produce a four-issue miniseries on spec, so....

As for Perils On Planet X, we simply haven't sold enough copies of the first miniseries for Gene Gonzales and I to feel that a second would be worth our while. I'm still trying to get the existing issues on Comixology and may put together a trade paperback collection, so if there's a spike in interest/sales it's not impossible that we'll get to produce Volumes 2 and 3, but it's not very likely.

 

So, what is in the works?

There will be a new Gravedigger miniseries, "The Abductors," most likely in late 2017 from Action Lab comics. Rick Burchett and I also have plans for a very different comics project - a sci-fi adventure epic - once Gravedigger Vol. 2 is finished.

I'm still working on the Space Crusaders graphic novel with Peter Grau, though I have no idea when it will be finished... and that's all I have cooking at the moment, comics-wise.

I have a couple other projects percolating, but they're in the earliest stages, and I'm waiting on some collaborators to find time in their schedules.

So, there we go. I've got some scripts to finish up that should keep me busy through the end of the year, but not much planned for next year. 

 

Hopefully, I'll find some artists that want to team up with me on some new stuff... I've got lots of stories left to tell.

STAR TREK @ 50

I’m one year older than Star Trek. Of course, as memories of my early years are lost to the fog of infancy and toddlerhood, I don’t recall really becoming aware of its existence until I was about nine years old, when, in 1974, the Star Trek animated series became a staple of my Saturday morning cartoon viewing. Around the same time, I received a Mego Captain Kirk action figure for Christmas. Other random Trek toys – and a few James Blish paperback novelizations – followed, and for Christmas of 1976, my favorite cousin gifted me with a copy of Bjo Trimble’s seminal Star Trek Concordance.

You’ll have noticed that I haven’t mentioned the original series as yet, and that’s because, in the early Seventies, Trek rarely appeared on any of the four television channels our rooftop aerial was capable of snagging out of the ether. So my love for Kirk, Spock, McCoy, et al, was first nurtured via the cartoon and Blish paperbacks. When I got the Concordance, with its encyclopedic coverage of the classic series, I was able to familiarize myself with the episodes I had not yet seen, whetting my appetite to the point of nigh-insatiability.

Of course, eventually, I saw the entire series (although a few of those episodes eluded me until my sojourn to art school in Jersey in the early 80s, where I finally received a TV channel that aired the show nightly), and, already well-indoctrinated in the mythos, found my passion for the 23rd century and the crew of the U.S.S Enterprise continuing to grow and thrive. Then came The Motion Picture, The Wrath and The Search. There was a Voyage Home, a somewhat disappointing detour into The Final Frontier, and an emotional denouement on the shores of an Undiscovered Country.

Other treks followed, with next generations, lost voyagers and denizens on the edge of deep space, but it was always the (sadly truncated) original Five-Year-Mission that inspired and informed the person I became.

I learned the value of reason and logic from an alien with pointed ears and a Satanic visage. I learned the nobility of humanity and compassion toward all life, regardless of shape, color or form, from an anachronistic Southern medic. And, most importantly, I learned about the worth of boldness, courage, and tempered wisdom from a charming leader with a confident swagger sporting a gold tunic. Kirk was a fighter, a diplomat, a philosopher - and a libidinous wolf – but in my eyes, he was the best of us as a species. He wasn’t perfect – and to his credit, usually admitted his flaws and acknowledged his mistakes – but he was also a man of intelligence and action, who sought out brave new worlds and always had his eye on the future.

I have aspired to all of these things, and usually fallen woefully short. But Star Trek continues to fire my imagination, fuel my creative efforts, inform my social conscience and drive my personal ambitions. To me, it’s not just a television show, and apparently, many, many others feel the same way. If that wasn’t the case, then we wouldn’t be celebrating the anniversary of its debut fifty years ago today. The brand wouldn’t be gracing new movies and TV shows (regardless of their relative merits) on our screens, large and small(er). And Star Trek wouldn’t still be sparking imaginations and inspiring so many people, of all ages and backgrounds.

May Gene Roddenberry’s vision of humanity’s future live long and prosper... and the U.S.S. Enterprise and her valiant crew go boldly on forever.

Wednesday Cover: The Lost Continent

This week, we've got another terrific Frank Frazetta cover - this time for an Ace paperback edition of Edgar Rice Burroughs' science fiction novel, The Lost Continent (a/k/a Beyond Thirty). Enjoy!

Process: SPACE CRUSADERS

This past week and a half, I've been writing dialogue and placing rough lettering for the Rex Dexter of Mars story, "Menace of the Saurian Sphere," from my forthcoming graphic novel anthology with artist Peter Grau, Space Crusaders.

About two years ago, I sent Peter a plot, which described, page by page, the action of the story. Various life circumstances delayed further work for a while, but he recently finished his layouts/rough pencils for the whole tale. A week or so back, I needed to take a break from Gravedigger for a while, so I took Peter's roughs, loaded them into page templates and started writing the dialogue - and lettering the pages at the same time.

I find that lettering comics pages as I write the dialogue works very well for me - I scripted the last Gravedigger the same way. It helps me to see exactly where the words will be and allows me to make sure that I don't over write. And as a graphic designer, I think I'm pretty good at integrating the lettering with the art in a way that complements both.

Anyway -- I've now completed the script and letters for the Rex Dexter story, and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. It's going to be a while yet before the book itself is done - Peter still needs to ink and color the story, and we still have a second feature to do - but it's definitely a testament to Peter's storytelling skill that I never had an easier time dialoguing one of my own plots.

As always... stay tuned for future updates.

Wednesday Cover: Maza of the Moon

The artwork of the great Frank Frazetta graces the cover of Maza Of the Moon, an interplanetary adventure by Otis Edelbert Kline. I just acquired this vintage Ace paperback and have added it to my already formidable "To Be Read" stack...

GRAVEDIGGER Vol 2 Update

Here's a very brief update on Gravedigger: The amazing Rick Burchett and I are plugging away on the second Gravedigger miniseries, which will be published by Action Lab: Danger Zone (hopefully in mid-to-late 2017). It's coming slowly, but it's gonna be great.

It's called "The Abductors," and is the longest Digger McCrae caper yet, running for a full four issues. It's an interesting challenge for me because the 4-issue length requires a different sort of structure and pacing. I also try to use each new Gravedigger story to try different storytelling approaches. This one, "The Abductors," is quite different from earlier Gravedigger stories, "The Predators" and "The Scavengers," storytelling-wise.

Since our publisher likes them - and, apparently, so do fans and retailers - we've also got a slew of variant covers planned, and a terrific group of artists to draw them. Personally, I can't wait to see how all of these talented creators interpret Digger in their own unique styles.

Stay tuned for further updates and (eventually) some sneak peeks of pages (and maybe some of those variant covers?)....

Wednesday Covers: Xenozoic Tales

One of my favorite comic book series of all time is Xenozoic Tales by Mark Schultz. The series was alternately known as Cadillacs & Dinosaurs after the title of this collection and the subsequent Saturday Morning animated series (still not on DVD, dammit). Set in a wild post-Apocalyptic future where dinosaurs have been reborn and humanity struggles to maintain a balance between the new natural order and its pre-holocaust technologies, Schultz's series is gorgeously-drawn and cleverly written.

Schultz's artwork is classic, echoing the great illustrators of the past, while exhibiting a dynamism and romanticism all its own. I love it.

The writing is sharp, too, a genre mashup packed with adventure, intrigue, politics, mysticism, and great characters, topped off with satisfying helpings of dinosaur mayhem.

These covers are from the three oversized collections published by Kitchen Sink Press in the 90s. They're the ones I own, and don't quite collect the entire saga. The series has been re-issued a few times since, and I hope one day to acquire the complete collection.

Spy-Fi: THE BILLION DOLLAR THREAT

The Billion Dollar Threat was a 1979 TV movie/pilot that starred Dale Robinette as American secret agent Robert Sands, who must foil the nefarious plan of mad scientist Horatio Black - played by none other than John Steed himself, Patrick Macnee - to destroy the ozone layer with a nuclear missile. The movie was produced by TV veteran David Gerber (who tried a spy show again a year later with Once Upon A Spy), and co-starred Keenan Wynn, Ralph Bellamy, and Robert Tessier as a mechanical-handed henchman (de rigueur for supervillain henchmen of the time; see also Death Ray 2000/T.R. Sloane).

I actually taped this one off of TV, so I watched it a number of times. I remember it as a pretty fair - if cheap - little Bondian adventure, written by Hammer Studios vet Jimmy Sangster (Deadlier Than The Male), who seemed to have a penchant for this type of stuff (He also penned the aforementioned Once Upon A Spy and one of the better episodes of  A Man Called Sloane).

I watched that old VHS tape a lot and dug it as a teenager who was just starting to become obsessed with James Bond and spy-fi. I wish I still had that tape.

Wednesday Cover: BLOODTHIRST: THE NIGHTFALL CONSPIRACY

For this week's return to my occasional "Wednesday Cover" feature, I present the Joel Adams (talented son of comics legend Neal Adams) cover for the 1994 comic Bloodthirst: The Nightfall Conspiracy... one of my earliest efforts as a comics writer and one of the few that I'm not completely embarrassed by! 

The Bloodthirst comics (there were three: a one-shot and this two-issue miniseries) were about a vampire secret agent (think Emma Peel with fangs). The Nightfall Conspiracy featured interior art by the talented duo of Delfin Barral and Chuck Bordell. The snazzy logo was created by my pal Darren Goodhart.

Starts Wednesday: FEMME NOIR - "An Eye For A Spy"

Beginning on Wednesday, May 11, Femme Noir co-creator Joe Staton and I will begin re-presenting a classic Femme Noir adventure originally serialized online back in 2003-04, "An Eye for A Spy!" This version has been "remastered," with new colors by Michael Watkins and newly re-lettered by Yours Truly.

New pages will appear on Wednesdays at: http://www.femme-noir.com/

This Weekend: BANGOR COMIC & TOY CONVENTION

 For those of you Maine and New England folks attending the Bangor Comic & Toy Convention at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine this weekend, I'll be there all day on Saturday and Sunday, and will have sale copies of the Femme Noir comic books (tho I'm almost out of issue #1), Gravedigger (comics & trades), Shadow House, the Night Driver graphic novel, and the Kolchak The Night Stalker trade paperback collections that contain the two Kolchak miniseries I wrote. I'll also have a few copies of the Spider Chronicles, Captain Midnight Chronicles and Werewolves: Dead Moon Rising short story anthologies available.

In addition, my lovely better half, Brandi, will have some of her handmade geek-themed jewelry for sale at our table for you craftsy types.

Saturday afternoon, at 2:00, I'll be doing a panel (is it still a panel, if you're alone?) on Comics Writing, and Saturday night, around 8 PM, I'll be hosting a sci-fi double feature screening of 1953's Cat Women Of The Moon and 1959's Teenagers From Outer Space.

Hoping to meet a lot of cool new people (and customers!) and maybe catch up with some old friends. Hey, you never know.

ON SALE NOW! PERILS ON PLANET X Print Editions

After more than 15 years in production, all three issues of the interplanetary swashbuckler, Perils On Planet X,  by Yours Truly and Gene Gonzales, with colors by Ian Sokoliwski, are available to purchase NOW!

They are only available by mail order from IndyPlanet. This is is the best way to support us and the book, as the profits go directly to Gene and myself. Each issue is 32 full-color pages, printed on high-quality, heavy paper stock and includes pin-up art by several well-known comics creators.

Sales of these issues will help Gene and I determine whether there's enough demand for Volume 2: "Agent of Empyr," so if you'd like to see further Perils On Planet X adventures, be sure to order your copies soon.

Upcoming Appearance: Bangor Comic & Toy Convention, April 9-10

So far, I'm only scheduled to appear at one comics convention this year, and that's the Bangor Comic & Toy Convention at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine on April 9th and 10th. It looks to be a good show, with some big name media guests like Star Trek's Nichelle Nichols and Denise Crosby, Doctor Who's Sixth Doctor, Colin Baker, wrestler Kevin Nash, and bunch of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers cast members. Comic guests include Marvel inker Bob Wiacek, Chris Sprouse, Rich Woodall and Paris Cullins.

I'll be there with my wife, Brandi, and will have a bunch of stuff for sale, including Femme Noir, Gravedigger, Kolchak The Night Stlaker, Shadow House, and the brand new Perils On Planet X comic books. I've even had a new display banner made for the occasion.

Right now, I'm scheduled for a Comics Creators panel on Saturday afternoon, and Saturday evening, I'll be hosting a 50s sci-fi movie double feature of Cat-Women of the Moon and Teenagers From Outer Space! I'll be dropping some knowledge/trivia about the films and pretending to be an authority on the subject.

So, if you live in Maine or Northern New England, I hope you'll come to the show. I'd love to see you there!

PERILS ON PLANET X Print Editions Coming Soon

All three issues of Perils On Planet X have been sent to the printer. In just a very short while, they'll be available for mail order thru IndyPlanet.us. As soon as they're ready to go, I'll let everyone know here and Facebook and Twitter.

Since we're self-publishing these, buying copies online is the best way to directly support me and Gene Gonzales... especially if you'd like to see more Planet X comics one day! Remember, these will not be available in stores - only by mail order or directly from Gene or myself at conventions.

So, stand by - ordering details coming soon!

On Sale Now: KOLCHAK - THE NIGHT STRANGLER FILES

Moonstone Books' Kolchak: The Night Strangler Files is available now, evidently (link directs to Amazon's product page). This volume contains my second Kolchak miniseries, along with an adaptation of Richard Matheson's screenplay for the second Kolchak TV movie.

I'm not as pleased with it as the first miniseries I wrote for Moonstone ("Night Stalker of the Living Dead," collected in Kolchak Tales: Monsters Among Us) for various reasons, but it's still nice to see it collected. Also cool to have my name on the same cover with the maestro, Richard Matheson.

Wednesday Cover: QUARRY IN THE BLACK

Here's the cover for the upcoming Max Allan Collins "Quarry" novel, Quarry In The Black, from Hard Case Crime books. The stunning illustration is by the late Glen Orbik, a true pulp art master who passed away last May. Reportedly, it was his last completed cover painting. Quarry In The Black is the 12th(!) "Quarry" novel, and is due to be published in October, to tie-in with the Quarry television series on Cinemax.