So for the second time today I will be heading down to visit my niece, her mother, and several members of my family in Iowa City, where my niece is still on a respirator only a month after having a beautiful baby boy.
It hurts me a lot to see her that way. I was only nine when she was born, and she was the first real baby I was ever exposed to as a kid. Now I find myself holding her baby and praying for her life on Christmas Day.
I have decided to hold off on updating Metahuman Press until next week. Apologies to the fans out there, but I just do not have the wherewithal to focus on it right now.
More soon, hopefully.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Not-So-Uncanny X-Mas
I apologize to anyone and everyone expecting the first chapter of Living Legends today. I will try my best to have it up on Friday. I have had an unfortunate couple of days around the Ahlhelm family. My twenty year old niece Callie had her first baby on December 1st. A beautiful little boy named Nathan. Now she’s in the hospital fighting for her life and the doctors aren’t even sure why. They spent most of Christmas and Christmas Eve trying just to get her stabilized so they could air-lift her to the University of Iowa facilities in Iowa City. They finally did that late Tuesday. At one point, she was on a respirator with a blood pressure of 50/30, so things were not good.
Now she is still not out of the water, but they still are not sure what happened to her. The thought is it may be toxic shock syndrome, but no one really knows for sure.
So it’s been a tough couple days. Apologies to my fans, but family comes first.
Thanks.
Now she is still not out of the water, but they still are not sure what happened to her. The thought is it may be toxic shock syndrome, but no one really knows for sure.
So it’s been a tough couple days. Apologies to my fans, but family comes first.
Thanks.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas
Here on my wife’s birthday, I just wanted to wish everyone out there a Happy Christmas. I hope everyone enjoys their holidays as I plan to.
And Happy Birthday, honey!
And Happy Birthday, honey!
Snow Storm Take ... I don't know, four now? Something like that.
Anyway, we have yet more snow here in Eastern Iowa to celebrate the weekend with, and to top it off we also have blowing conditions. So most of that last minute Christmas shopping will be done on Christmas Eve, at least as far as the Ahlhelm family is concerned.
All in all we had a pretty good weekend though. My daughter continued her quest to conquer Lego Star Wars on the PS2, my wife finished a few books, I got some Fate-playing and Living Legends-writing done on the computer, and we all sat down to watch the excellent new game show Duel have its finale tonight on ABC. Great show with an awesome concept: out of the twenty-four contestants, one of the people is actually going to win the money! You don’t see that too much, especially when the prize is upwards of two million bucks. (I believe the final total was $1,795,000.) If it should return (and with the writer/studio situation the way it currently is it probably will), I highly recommend any lover of quiz shows should check it out.
Finally sat down and watched Eragon with the family this weekend as well. Yeah, so I didn’t really care for the book all that much, but reading it I often thought that it would make a pretty decent movie if they cut out a lot of the crap. I guess Hollywood wanted to prove me wrong. Just a terrible film. All the wrong things were left in and all the right things were cut. The characters had no emotional connections whatsoever and everything pretty much fell flat on its face.
Something about the ad campaign really has me itching for the return of Law & Order. Maybe because there's nothing else coming up for TV anytime soon? I’m not sure, but I will be watching it.
I am actually typing this at my job in our break room right now, about an hour before my actual shift begins. After going to all the trouble of digging out my car, I really did not want to sit around the house and fall asleep, probably while the snow blows back over. So I’m here too dang early, and I guess I might as well enjoy some web-time.
And that is just about enough random thoughts for now. Ciao for now, folks.
All in all we had a pretty good weekend though. My daughter continued her quest to conquer Lego Star Wars on the PS2, my wife finished a few books, I got some Fate-playing and Living Legends-writing done on the computer, and we all sat down to watch the excellent new game show Duel have its finale tonight on ABC. Great show with an awesome concept: out of the twenty-four contestants, one of the people is actually going to win the money! You don’t see that too much, especially when the prize is upwards of two million bucks. (I believe the final total was $1,795,000.) If it should return (and with the writer/studio situation the way it currently is it probably will), I highly recommend any lover of quiz shows should check it out.
Finally sat down and watched Eragon with the family this weekend as well. Yeah, so I didn’t really care for the book all that much, but reading it I often thought that it would make a pretty decent movie if they cut out a lot of the crap. I guess Hollywood wanted to prove me wrong. Just a terrible film. All the wrong things were left in and all the right things were cut. The characters had no emotional connections whatsoever and everything pretty much fell flat on its face.
Something about the ad campaign really has me itching for the return of Law & Order. Maybe because there's nothing else coming up for TV anytime soon? I’m not sure, but I will be watching it.
I am actually typing this at my job in our break room right now, about an hour before my actual shift begins. After going to all the trouble of digging out my car, I really did not want to sit around the house and fall asleep, probably while the snow blows back over. So I’m here too dang early, and I guess I might as well enjoy some web-time.
And that is just about enough random thoughts for now. Ciao for now, folks.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
An update at last
Sorry about the over a week’s time between the last update and this one. I apologize and can only site an utterly heinous work week as the reason.
With the changes coming fast and furious on mid-shift, I have changed my schedule to now have Friday and Saturday mornings off. Unfortunately, this means that I had to work the last eight days straight. Which did nothing to help the cold I already had. I fell out last Sunday morning, then came back to work the next four days. I am finally on a three day weekend now though so I will be getting hard to work on putting the first chapter of Living Legends together for your reading enjoyment.
Living Legends looks to be quite an epic undertaking. I am mid-way through the first draft of chapter 3 and it seems to already be growing a mind of its own. I am really enjoying the revamp of the golden age characters I am using though, and I think the story should serve to entertain. I have been developing the concept for over two years at this point, so I have these characters well-established in my mind. Even so they still pop up with a few surprises now and then.
Christmas shopping calls, so I will have to cut this blog post short, but I promise to be back more frequently then 9 days this time.
With the changes coming fast and furious on mid-shift, I have changed my schedule to now have Friday and Saturday mornings off. Unfortunately, this means that I had to work the last eight days straight. Which did nothing to help the cold I already had. I fell out last Sunday morning, then came back to work the next four days. I am finally on a three day weekend now though so I will be getting hard to work on putting the first chapter of Living Legends together for your reading enjoyment.
Living Legends looks to be quite an epic undertaking. I am mid-way through the first draft of chapter 3 and it seems to already be growing a mind of its own. I am really enjoying the revamp of the golden age characters I am using though, and I think the story should serve to entertain. I have been developing the concept for over two years at this point, so I have these characters well-established in my mind. Even so they still pop up with a few surprises now and then.
Christmas shopping calls, so I will have to cut this blog post short, but I promise to be back more frequently then 9 days this time.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
The Ice Storm
I’m definitely not Tobey Maguire (though I wouldn’t mind having even a fraction of his money), but I am buried under an ice storm today. Hannah stayed home from school and I thanked my lucky stars I don’t have to go to work tonight.
We got about an inch of ice on the groud, power lines falling everywhere, and to cap everything else, I am sick as a dog. Coughing, hacking, and otherwise feeling miserable have been the name of the game for me. Thankfully, Hannah can entertain herself for the most part, so except for a few trips out of the room to eat and to type this, I have spent most of the day asleep or at least resting. Got a lot of reading done to, and finally caught up with my comic purchases from last week, just in time to go buy more tomorrow.
What made it even grander was that my last night at work, both of my coworkers called in sick. Here I am thinking that with an ice storm on the way I don’t want to be the guy calling in, and here are both the girls coming off their weekends leaving my sick butt working alone. Not fun that was for sure, but me and the supervisors made it through mostly unscathed.
Speaking of comics above, this was a pretty good week: Ultimate X-Men continued beautifully Kirkman's quest to recraft 90’s X-history in to a coherent saga, The Sword finally got going, Ultimates 3 was beautiful if a little thin on the story end. Kabuki The Alchemy ended well, with most of the story starring David Mack BTW. Suburban Glamour followed in the Ultimates vein, pretty if a little weak on story. Still one of my favorite new comics came out with its third issue as well: The Ninety-Nine. Fabian Nicieza really is a great writer, even if he is vastly under-respected for his dark X-past.
Re-reading The Golden Compass now before I go see the movie. I have seen good reviews and bad reviews, but as long as we get some polar bear ass-kickery I’ll be happy.
And that’s about all the digressions I have for today.
We got about an inch of ice on the groud, power lines falling everywhere, and to cap everything else, I am sick as a dog. Coughing, hacking, and otherwise feeling miserable have been the name of the game for me. Thankfully, Hannah can entertain herself for the most part, so except for a few trips out of the room to eat and to type this, I have spent most of the day asleep or at least resting. Got a lot of reading done to, and finally caught up with my comic purchases from last week, just in time to go buy more tomorrow.
What made it even grander was that my last night at work, both of my coworkers called in sick. Here I am thinking that with an ice storm on the way I don’t want to be the guy calling in, and here are both the girls coming off their weekends leaving my sick butt working alone. Not fun that was for sure, but me and the supervisors made it through mostly unscathed.
Speaking of comics above, this was a pretty good week: Ultimate X-Men continued beautifully Kirkman's quest to recraft 90’s X-history in to a coherent saga, The Sword finally got going, Ultimates 3 was beautiful if a little thin on the story end. Kabuki The Alchemy ended well, with most of the story starring David Mack BTW. Suburban Glamour followed in the Ultimates vein, pretty if a little weak on story. Still one of my favorite new comics came out with its third issue as well: The Ninety-Nine. Fabian Nicieza really is a great writer, even if he is vastly under-respected for his dark X-past.
Re-reading The Golden Compass now before I go see the movie. I have seen good reviews and bad reviews, but as long as we get some polar bear ass-kickery I’ll be happy.
And that’s about all the digressions I have for today.
Friday, December 7, 2007
Not so good a mood
You know, sometimes I thank God for writing and reading. Because if I couldn’t escape in to a fantasy of my own choosing, the total and absolute lack of respect and understanding this world gives could just be overwhelming. I am not going to really go in to many details past that, as far too many people at my work place our far too computer savvy. Suffice it to say, I am less than damn happy with decisions made by the higher ups at my job.
Life sucks, then you die. I guess I just needed to be reminded of that once again.
Life sucks, then you die. I guess I just needed to be reminded of that once again.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Why I hate Iowa
You know what the worst part about living in Iowa is? (Insert random Midwest joke here.) No, it is the damn elections. Despite my decided lack of posts on it here, I am a decidedly politically minded guy. I read my political blogs every day, many by writers I have enjoyed in the past. Usually writers who have not necessarily maintained their fan following, quite possibly because of their out-spoken political beliefs. Which is stupid, I know, but look at the sales of someone like Orson Scott Card who posted on his blog his opposition for gay marriage. This was followed by hundreds of people suddenly deciding to boycott his works. Sure that’s their right and I respect that, but if everyone stopped enjoying entertainment from people they politically disagree with, I am pretty sure the entertainment industry would utterly and completely collapse. It is just a really dumb reason not to enjoy the writings of an author you enjoy. So, yeah, I believe I have good reason to avoid political diatribes.
Now don’t get me wrong in all of this. I like elections, I like the electoral system our country has in place, and I like to vote. Not that I am not one of these “Vote or Die” idiots by any means. I think you should avoid the voting booth like the plagues unless you know who you are voting for and why you want them in office. If you don’t know that, then stay away. I would rather this country’s voting public actually know and care why we are making said individuals are next leader. To quote Peter David, but I digress...
Anyone politically minded probably knows that Iowa is the first state to make its political decision through its January 3rd caucus. New Hampshire has the first primary on the 8th, but we beat them by moving it up even earlier. I honestly hate it too. Why? Campiagn ads.
Back in the mid-January days, I used to hate every four years because of the heavy handed ads over the Christmas period and that was when they tried to cut them back for the holidays. With the caucuses on January 3rd that will be impossible to do and our state will be forced in to (hell, it already has been) a season of holiday attack ads. I am already at the point where I want to punch Ron Paul, Fred Thompson, John Edwards, Barack Obama, and especially Mitt Romney and Hillary Clinton right in the face. And one of those people is someone I am considering voting for! (I’ll let everyone out there try to guess who.) And Joe Biden has an ad on like every half an hour. Seriously, who is giving so damn much money to Joe freaking Biden for these things? You do know he has no chance in hell of winning right? At this point I have more respect for Giuliani, McCain, and Kucinich, mostly because most of their money is focuse elsewhere and I don’t have to see their mugs or hear their voices every other dang minute.
So, yeah, I have pretty much made my decision and on January 3rd I at least go place my vote. I am not really sure if my wife will as well as she will be going to the other cacus; with one vehicle it will be almost impossible for both of us to caucus. (Which BTW is why I miss my Illinois primary days where all you had to do was walk in and fill out your ballot.) But I will place my vote and hope for the best: that Iowans aren’t stupid enough to give their votes to the two terrible front runners in our state: Mitt Romney and Hillary Clinton. I mean, really? Could we pick worse choices to represent both sides of the political spectrum?
One last thing, everyone should get out there and start studying their candidates of choice. Even outside Iowa, most of the country has only about two months now before their own elections. Go out there, study your candidates, and please vote early and often for them. Oh, and if you really want to figure out my political affiliation, you can probably find it through some of those links over on the side of the page. Be sure to drop me a line on any of them you make your way to though.
Now don’t get me wrong in all of this. I like elections, I like the electoral system our country has in place, and I like to vote. Not that I am not one of these “Vote or Die” idiots by any means. I think you should avoid the voting booth like the plagues unless you know who you are voting for and why you want them in office. If you don’t know that, then stay away. I would rather this country’s voting public actually know and care why we are making said individuals are next leader. To quote Peter David, but I digress...
Anyone politically minded probably knows that Iowa is the first state to make its political decision through its January 3rd caucus. New Hampshire has the first primary on the 8th, but we beat them by moving it up even earlier. I honestly hate it too. Why? Campiagn ads.
Back in the mid-January days, I used to hate every four years because of the heavy handed ads over the Christmas period and that was when they tried to cut them back for the holidays. With the caucuses on January 3rd that will be impossible to do and our state will be forced in to (hell, it already has been) a season of holiday attack ads. I am already at the point where I want to punch Ron Paul, Fred Thompson, John Edwards, Barack Obama, and especially Mitt Romney and Hillary Clinton right in the face. And one of those people is someone I am considering voting for! (I’ll let everyone out there try to guess who.) And Joe Biden has an ad on like every half an hour. Seriously, who is giving so damn much money to Joe freaking Biden for these things? You do know he has no chance in hell of winning right? At this point I have more respect for Giuliani, McCain, and Kucinich, mostly because most of their money is focuse elsewhere and I don’t have to see their mugs or hear their voices every other dang minute.
So, yeah, I have pretty much made my decision and on January 3rd I at least go place my vote. I am not really sure if my wife will as well as she will be going to the other cacus; with one vehicle it will be almost impossible for both of us to caucus. (Which BTW is why I miss my Illinois primary days where all you had to do was walk in and fill out your ballot.) But I will place my vote and hope for the best: that Iowans aren’t stupid enough to give their votes to the two terrible front runners in our state: Mitt Romney and Hillary Clinton. I mean, really? Could we pick worse choices to represent both sides of the political spectrum?
One last thing, everyone should get out there and start studying their candidates of choice. Even outside Iowa, most of the country has only about two months now before their own elections. Go out there, study your candidates, and please vote early and often for them. Oh, and if you really want to figure out my political affiliation, you can probably find it through some of those links over on the side of the page. Be sure to drop me a line on any of them you make your way to though.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Where's Freedom Patton?
So in case no one noticed Freedom Patton did not appear again today. The reason is quite simple: I have decided to put the series on hiatus for the forseeable future.
The Letters From Libertad sequence I am currently working on is just not coming together the way I want it, and the Freedom and Justice arc I had planned after it just isn’t gelling at all.
So Freedom Patton is now on hold. I know I will bring it back whenever I complete Letters From Libertad. I am two and a half chapters in to it (which is half way) so I really see it being done with the next six months or so. I just need to find a way to reenergize the characters as they just feel like they are treading water to me right now.
In the mean time I plan on starting (and finishing) my current projects. I am well under way on Champion City volume 2. I just hit the 100 page mark the other day. I don’t plan on posting it until I actually finish the entire story though, so it will probably be some time mid-year before it starts to post. Epsilon will reach its first climax with chapter 13, then I will start the build for the big battle in chapter 25. I have a rough plan for the series well past 30, so don’t expect it to go anywhere anytime soon.
I have two new projects which I want to get under the way entitled Crimelords and Living Legends. I am still debating which to start first, although I am currently leaning towards Living Legends as it strangely falls in sync with December debuting projects from Dynamite, Marvel, and Image. I started to develop Living Legends as a comic project over two years ago, but my attempts at bringing it to fruition in 2006 pretty much fell flat on their face. Finding an artist willing to work on a project with 18 leads proved to be a bit harder than I thought it would be. So I can at least say I came up with the idea first. My plans are for it to be an ongoing as well so I probably will try to get at least a few chapters done before I make a firm decision.
Crimelords is a concept that has been floating around my head for well over a decade. It dates back to at least 94-95 when I was creating characters hand over first in high school. I still have notebooks sitting around the house with hundreds of issues worth of one to three line plots for years worth of comics. In fact, just about every character in Epsilon takes their name from those old plots. Trust me when I say that I won’t run out to character names anytime soon! But I digress....
Crimelords is a hodge podge of a few different story ideas from those days, and would focus on the bad guys of a new locale in the quadrant universe: the city of Valhalla. Valhalla has a rich history already developed and Crimelords will cover only about a year worth of it. This one would run about a year or so by my calculations.
I am also working on how I want to continue My Name Is Charon. I have the basic plot ideas of where I want it to go all formulated, but I still am not sure how I want to lay it down on paper. More Charon will be on its way though, rest assured.
And this doesn’t even take in to account my three planned comic projects: Arc which has issue one current in the art stages and issues 2 through 5 in various stages of writing; Out For Vengeance, a fun little piece of meta-fiction reintroducing the first hero in an eighty year legacy to the world; and Bombshells which will mix my love of pro wrestling, attractive women, and superheroics. Expect to see more on Arc sometime soon with Bombshells and Out For Vengeance following quickly behind.
All that and I am brainstorming the return of Pulp Empire as well. More on that as it progresses, so stay tuned right here for more on that.
The Letters From Libertad sequence I am currently working on is just not coming together the way I want it, and the Freedom and Justice arc I had planned after it just isn’t gelling at all.
So Freedom Patton is now on hold. I know I will bring it back whenever I complete Letters From Libertad. I am two and a half chapters in to it (which is half way) so I really see it being done with the next six months or so. I just need to find a way to reenergize the characters as they just feel like they are treading water to me right now.
In the mean time I plan on starting (and finishing) my current projects. I am well under way on Champion City volume 2. I just hit the 100 page mark the other day. I don’t plan on posting it until I actually finish the entire story though, so it will probably be some time mid-year before it starts to post. Epsilon will reach its first climax with chapter 13, then I will start the build for the big battle in chapter 25. I have a rough plan for the series well past 30, so don’t expect it to go anywhere anytime soon.
I have two new projects which I want to get under the way entitled Crimelords and Living Legends. I am still debating which to start first, although I am currently leaning towards Living Legends as it strangely falls in sync with December debuting projects from Dynamite, Marvel, and Image. I started to develop Living Legends as a comic project over two years ago, but my attempts at bringing it to fruition in 2006 pretty much fell flat on their face. Finding an artist willing to work on a project with 18 leads proved to be a bit harder than I thought it would be. So I can at least say I came up with the idea first. My plans are for it to be an ongoing as well so I probably will try to get at least a few chapters done before I make a firm decision.
Crimelords is a concept that has been floating around my head for well over a decade. It dates back to at least 94-95 when I was creating characters hand over first in high school. I still have notebooks sitting around the house with hundreds of issues worth of one to three line plots for years worth of comics. In fact, just about every character in Epsilon takes their name from those old plots. Trust me when I say that I won’t run out to character names anytime soon! But I digress....
Crimelords is a hodge podge of a few different story ideas from those days, and would focus on the bad guys of a new locale in the quadrant universe: the city of Valhalla. Valhalla has a rich history already developed and Crimelords will cover only about a year worth of it. This one would run about a year or so by my calculations.
I am also working on how I want to continue My Name Is Charon. I have the basic plot ideas of where I want it to go all formulated, but I still am not sure how I want to lay it down on paper. More Charon will be on its way though, rest assured.
And this doesn’t even take in to account my three planned comic projects: Arc which has issue one current in the art stages and issues 2 through 5 in various stages of writing; Out For Vengeance, a fun little piece of meta-fiction reintroducing the first hero in an eighty year legacy to the world; and Bombshells which will mix my love of pro wrestling, attractive women, and superheroics. Expect to see more on Arc sometime soon with Bombshells and Out For Vengeance following quickly behind.
All that and I am brainstorming the return of Pulp Empire as well. More on that as it progresses, so stay tuned right here for more on that.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Happy Thanksgiving!
Just a quick note to say Happy Turkey Day all! Hope everyone has a great day with their families or loved ones, and Metahuman Press will be back next week with more of the best super-powered fiction around!
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Fun in CR
So, just in time for Thanksgiving, the portion of Cedar Rapids I live in has come under a water advisory. Apparently a busted pipe allowed soil to get in to the water supply and now we are under a boil advisory until at least tomorrow morning at 8 am. My answer to this was simple: boil some water and go out and buy a 12 pack of Aquafina. No big.
But oh the people of Cedar Rapids, despite all kinds of information in the article itself, decided to start to panic and we have proof of it on local news station KCRG’s web page. The article itself is here for anyone who wants to enjoy the hilarity. Some great examples of the stupidity of America are as follows, and this doesn’t even include all the people thinking that some kind of conspiracy to keep this information from the people of the city may have occured.
Anyone else ever wonder how some people still don’t understand how to turn a caps lock button off.
In the meantime, OMG, I’M GOING TO DIE!!!,
But oh the people of Cedar Rapids, despite all kinds of information in the article itself, decided to start to panic and we have proof of it on local news station KCRG’s web page. The article itself is here for anyone who wants to enjoy the hilarity. Some great examples of the stupidity of America are as follows, and this doesn’t even include all the people thinking that some kind of conspiracy to keep this information from the people of the city may have occured.
Today at 2:52 PM CONCERNED wrote ...
WITHIN THE LAST 10 MINUTES THIS BREAKING NEWS HAS SPREAD LIKE CANCER HERE AT WORK PANICKING ALL WHO HEARD THE WORD....MOSTLY BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN DRINKING THE WATER ALOT WITHIN THE PAST FEW HOURS...WERE WE TOO LATE? ARE WE ALL GONNA DIE? OMG HELP US!
Anyone else ever wonder how some people still don’t understand how to turn a caps lock button off.
Today at 3:42 PM SARA wrote ...I’m not even sure what this one means:
SHOULD I LET THE WATER COOL DOWN BEFORE I DRINK IT?
Today at 3:48 PM Love This City wrote ...And someone might want to let him know that sentences generally end with periods.
Mr. Prosser and his puppet coucil will probably only want to repair only 90% of the break with their 10% unrelenting cutback. Just have to buy property and give tax abatements rather than provide for needs of the greater number of citizens,
Today at 3:50 PM caz wrote ...Oh, look, someone else who can’t CONTROL the VOLUME of HIS voice:
Yep it's 3:30pm and I just heard. Why so long getting this out. Did all the city personal take a early Thanksgiving. My whole family has been drinking water all day. Oh my god are we all going to be sick on turkey day!! Thanks for the delayed warning
Today at 3:53 PM UNHAPPY CAMPER wrote ...This one scares me because I think it is from an elderly person, who honestly, should really know how to spell better than this.
HEY EVERYBODY, THIS HAPPENED AT 7:30 THIS MORNING AND WE WERE ALERTED AN HOUR AGO? ARE WE ALL GUINEA PIGS JUST TO SEE HOW FAR THEY CAN PUSH IT, ARE WE STATISTICS TO USE FOR THE FUTURE? I DONT THINK SO! WE PAY WATER BILLS AND DEMAND BETTER SERVICE!!!
Today at 3:55 PM Verry concerned wrote ...Wow, and those are just highlights from the first 45 minutes of the article being up. I can’t help but shake my head. It amazes me sometimes how stupid humanity can be. Everyone have a Happy Turkey Day.
I cooked a lot of food' what now do I have to start all over. I just found out about this. My sister called me and told me,will my pet's get sick too. and what are the side affects. does it affect people on meds or diabets
In the meantime, OMG, I’M GOING TO DIE!!!,
Metahuman Press Update
FYI, folks. Metahuman Press is taking the week off for Thanksgiving. Hectic schedules have kept me from producing my own story for the week, but I will be back with Freedom Patton next week as well as the regularly scheduled Comic Book Hero. Thanks, and later days, all.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Very Interesting Invincible
So damn that Kirkman. He again tantalizes and teases me with a very spiffy piece of preview art and by Jim Lee no less. Now he just needs to get off his rear and actually get these issues out already!
Original article
Original article
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
NaNoWriMo and Other Updates
So I continue to work my way through more Champion City volume two. I am at about 20,000 words at this point which puts me a little behind the curve as I should be at about 24,000 or so by now. I hope to catch up with my writing over the weekend but even if I do keep up at my current rate I have to say that I will be happy with an output of 40,000 words. That’s damn impressive IMHO.
I have a few other projects I am working on getting up this month too. You can find the newest chapter of my Epsilon saga right here. I will have the next chapter of Freedom Patton up next week. This will begin the much shorter Letters From Libertad feature that makes up a break from the first novel-length story and the next one, which is tentatively titled Freedom & Justice.
My apologies to Mean Streets fans out there. The project has sort of fallen by the way side in favor of my continued work on NaNoWriMo. I promise I will bring it back next month though.
I have a few other projects I am working on getting up this month too. You can find the newest chapter of my Epsilon saga right here. I will have the next chapter of Freedom Patton up next week. This will begin the much shorter Letters From Libertad feature that makes up a break from the first novel-length story and the next one, which is tentatively titled Freedom & Justice.
My apologies to Mean Streets fans out there. The project has sort of fallen by the way side in favor of my continued work on NaNoWriMo. I promise I will bring it back next month though.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Nanowrimo
So I’m feeling better now. Not 100% by any stretch, but at least back on solid foods and holding everything down. Not quite so exhausted constantly either.
Yesterday I mentioned I had another project I was working on this month and it's made to coincide with a little thing called National Novel Writing Month (or Nanowrimo for short). The concept is pretty simple. You take all of November and try your best to write a complete novel in that month. I tried (and failed miserably) with an ill-conceived science fiction project last year, but this year I decided to stick with something a little more near and dear to my heart.
So I’m writing a little project called Champion City volume two.
Anyone who has actually been reading what I write since the Wei Empire days knows that Champion City was my first super-hero fiction project and introduced Freedom Patton along with a couple dozen other characters. I am already working on expanding and rewriting large chunks of that work to make it both more readable and more solid a piece of fiction. Volume one was literally my first fully realized piece of long fiction, and it definitely showed it in places. Hence, the revision.
But as I started the revision, I also realized I was ready to get the next project rolling and Nanowrimo was what it took to convince me. Seven days in and despite the illness I am already over thirty pages in. That’s all hand-written by the way. The goal is 50,000 words in one month which probably won’t even get me to the half-way point of my story as I am already a respectable 7500 words or so in. A little behind the curve, but I figure if I can even average half that every month after this, I could really start unleashing the insane flow of fiction floating in my head out upon the world.
Just a few thoughts on the subject. You can expect Champion City volume two to hit the main page some time next year, probably about the same time I bring the revised version of volume one (hopefully) to print.
And yeah, I really meant to mention this before the end of October so I could encourage everyone to give Nanowrimo a try. That being said, I personally don’t think Nanowrimo needs to be in November. Why not make every month your own personal Nanowrimo? It couldn’t hurt could it.
Yesterday I mentioned I had another project I was working on this month and it's made to coincide with a little thing called National Novel Writing Month (or Nanowrimo for short). The concept is pretty simple. You take all of November and try your best to write a complete novel in that month. I tried (and failed miserably) with an ill-conceived science fiction project last year, but this year I decided to stick with something a little more near and dear to my heart.
So I’m writing a little project called Champion City volume two.
Anyone who has actually been reading what I write since the Wei Empire days knows that Champion City was my first super-hero fiction project and introduced Freedom Patton along with a couple dozen other characters. I am already working on expanding and rewriting large chunks of that work to make it both more readable and more solid a piece of fiction. Volume one was literally my first fully realized piece of long fiction, and it definitely showed it in places. Hence, the revision.
But as I started the revision, I also realized I was ready to get the next project rolling and Nanowrimo was what it took to convince me. Seven days in and despite the illness I am already over thirty pages in. That’s all hand-written by the way. The goal is 50,000 words in one month which probably won’t even get me to the half-way point of my story as I am already a respectable 7500 words or so in. A little behind the curve, but I figure if I can even average half that every month after this, I could really start unleashing the insane flow of fiction floating in my head out upon the world.
Just a few thoughts on the subject. You can expect Champion City volume two to hit the main page some time next year, probably about the same time I bring the revised version of volume one (hopefully) to print.
And yeah, I really meant to mention this before the end of October so I could encourage everyone to give Nanowrimo a try. That being said, I personally don’t think Nanowrimo needs to be in November. Why not make every month your own personal Nanowrimo? It couldn’t hurt could it.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Yuck
So, I've been striken for the past few days with a case of some kind of stomach virus flu which really came to a head today, which was spent alternately between the bed, the toilet, and on the floor sitting in front of the toilet. Not fun, and unfortunately, rather time consuming, as I accomplished absolutely nothing but a lot of vomiting and less pleasant forms of excretion.
Which means I am behind from the past couple of days on just about everything. Getting the next chapter of Epsilon ready, working on issue 2 of Arc's script, working on my new project for this month... pretty much everything. I am starting to feel better now, but I doubt Epsilon will be ready for tomorrow. I will make sure to post it within the next week however, probably a full week late along with Rick Considine’s next Comic Book Hero chapter. (Fingers crossed for that.)
Wish me well if you don’t mind, and I’ll hopefully be back to fighting form in the next day or two.
Which means I am behind from the past couple of days on just about everything. Getting the next chapter of Epsilon ready, working on issue 2 of Arc's script, working on my new project for this month... pretty much everything. I am starting to feel better now, but I doubt Epsilon will be ready for tomorrow. I will make sure to post it within the next week however, probably a full week late along with Rick Considine’s next Comic Book Hero chapter. (Fingers crossed for that.)
Wish me well if you don’t mind, and I’ll hopefully be back to fighting form in the next day or two.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
New story up at Metahuman Press
Well, despite all the time I have invested in the glory that is Divine Divinity, I still have found time to post my special Halloween story and debut of a all-new character from the upcoming revised and expanded Champion City.
My Name is Charon features an all-new dark hero that walks the streets of the ever-dark Shadowside, just on the outskirts of greater Federation (a.k.a. “Champion City”). Charon is one of my favorite creations of the last year or so, and he should help a great deal in expanding the development of the Quadrant Universe over the next year or so. Be sure to check the story out, and as always stop by here or the forums to let me know what you thought of it. I also would love thoughts on the logo for the story, as well as all the others I have debuted over the last month.
I have plans for a new Charon story or two over the next year, although I expect them to post at more random intervals, as Timeline will start updating quarterly next year as the new “fifth week“ title for 2008. (For those who don’t know, fifth week refers to the final week of the four months of every year that have five Wednesdays in them.) I have plans to debut several all-new characters, many of which will play parts in various other projects, both prose and comic, that I have in the works right now. I haven’t decided exactly what four stories to use first but here are a few names to look forward to: Captain Mettle, The Challenge Squad (who were already featured in Timeline 1962: UFO), Newgen, Rocketman, The Aviator, Uplift (featuring Wave and hints to the origins of Epsilon), The Robot, Defenders of Democracy, The Natural, Freakman, The Westar Kid, The New Minutemen, Geneva, Dr. Cosmic, and several more. This is one of the projects I have been moving towards for several years, so stay tuned for more information about the first of these projects, which will debut on January 30.
That’s all for now and for the month of October, where I have finally started to get my blog posting skills back up to par. Everyone enjoy the rest of their Halloween!
My Name is Charon features an all-new dark hero that walks the streets of the ever-dark Shadowside, just on the outskirts of greater Federation (a.k.a. “Champion City”). Charon is one of my favorite creations of the last year or so, and he should help a great deal in expanding the development of the Quadrant Universe over the next year or so. Be sure to check the story out, and as always stop by here or the forums to let me know what you thought of it. I also would love thoughts on the logo for the story, as well as all the others I have debuted over the last month.
I have plans for a new Charon story or two over the next year, although I expect them to post at more random intervals, as Timeline will start updating quarterly next year as the new “fifth week“ title for 2008. (For those who don’t know, fifth week refers to the final week of the four months of every year that have five Wednesdays in them.) I have plans to debut several all-new characters, many of which will play parts in various other projects, both prose and comic, that I have in the works right now. I haven’t decided exactly what four stories to use first but here are a few names to look forward to: Captain Mettle, The Challenge Squad (who were already featured in Timeline 1962: UFO), Newgen, Rocketman, The Aviator, Uplift (featuring Wave and hints to the origins of Epsilon), The Robot, Defenders of Democracy, The Natural, Freakman, The Westar Kid, The New Minutemen, Geneva, Dr. Cosmic, and several more. This is one of the projects I have been moving towards for several years, so stay tuned for more information about the first of these projects, which will debut on January 30.
That’s all for now and for the month of October, where I have finally started to get my blog posting skills back up to par. Everyone enjoy the rest of their Halloween!
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Car Trouble... Again
So the starter on our Neon, the same starter that gave out just a few months ago and was replaced by our used car dealer, has broken again. I am not a happy camper as this ruins much of our Halloween plans for Hannah, as she will now have to go trick or treating around the neighborhood rather than at the much nicer mall walk.
Oh, and it complete screws up comic day tomorrow.
My wife plans on getting the car towed by the dealer tomorrow, and they will fix it for us for free; of this I am very sure.
On the bright side I finally installed the copy of Divine Divinity I picked up last week at Target. Great game, superior to Diablo II IMHO.
Everyone who hasn’t already, should check it out. You can pick it up in the software section of Target for only $10. Can’t beat that deal with a stick.
Oh, and it complete screws up comic day tomorrow.
My wife plans on getting the car towed by the dealer tomorrow, and they will fix it for us for free; of this I am very sure.
On the bright side I finally installed the copy of Divine Divinity I picked up last week at Target. Great game, superior to Diablo II IMHO.
Everyone who hasn’t already, should check it out. You can pick it up in the software section of Target for only $10. Can’t beat that deal with a stick.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Busy Weekend
So I was interrupted at work at about Sunday morning at 4 am by a call from my wife to let me know the stomach pain she had felt Saturday night was getting worse. So I had to rush home, pick up my wife and daughter, drop my wife off at the emergency room, and head back to work with my kid. So thanks to my supervisor Sharon for that, as I really didn’t have anything else I could do with Hannah.
So after about 4 hours of my daughter coloring 20 feet away from where I worked, I finished up at work and head back to the hospital where, within minutes of our arrival, Gloria was officially diagnosed with appendicitis. Within an hour she was in surgery and I found myself having to take Monday and Tuesday off work to spend with Hannah while her mommy was in the hospital. And it pretty much proves to me I would go crazy as a single father.
Gloria is home and feeling better now. She should be as good as new within another week or so. But yeah, it was an exercise in stress management if ever I had one.
Back to work on Thursday night/Friday morning after four days of sleeping under a normal schedule. Wish me luck.
So after about 4 hours of my daughter coloring 20 feet away from where I worked, I finished up at work and head back to the hospital where, within minutes of our arrival, Gloria was officially diagnosed with appendicitis. Within an hour she was in surgery and I found myself having to take Monday and Tuesday off work to spend with Hannah while her mommy was in the hospital. And it pretty much proves to me I would go crazy as a single father.
Gloria is home and feeling better now. She should be as good as new within another week or so. But yeah, it was an exercise in stress management if ever I had one.
Back to work on Thursday night/Friday morning after four days of sleeping under a normal schedule. Wish me luck.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Metahuman Press Update
Just a quick update to say I have two new stories up at Metahuman Press today.
Epsilon is back with chapter 10, as we start the build towards the finale of the first story arc.
On top of that, I have also updated Mean Streets with its newest chapter, featuring Death Ray.
So be sure to go check those out, then stop by the forums and let me know what you think.
Thanks!
Epsilon is back with chapter 10, as we start the build towards the finale of the first story arc.
On top of that, I have also updated Mean Streets with its newest chapter, featuring Death Ray.
So be sure to go check those out, then stop by the forums and let me know what you think.
Thanks!
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Wowio
Yeah, so I heard about this site weeks ago, but I only just visited it for the first time in the last few days. And I have to say that this site is pretty damn cool. The comic content alone makes it well worth the price of admission (which BTW is free). I have been happily reading a plethora of indy titles I have never tried before, as well as working my way through the complete Heroic Publishing library.
The stand-out? Easily Pistolfist, a sort-of-superhero comic set during the Revolutionary War. It mixes real history with supernatural elements to make one of the damn coolest comics I have read in a long time. That being said, there is ton to be offered on Wowio, so go check it out at http://www.wowio.com/. If you’re a comic book fan, I all but guarantee you will find something to enjoy.
The stand-out? Easily Pistolfist, a sort-of-superhero comic set during the Revolutionary War. It mixes real history with supernatural elements to make one of the damn coolest comics I have read in a long time. That being said, there is ton to be offered on Wowio, so go check it out at http://www.wowio.com/. If you’re a comic book fan, I all but guarantee you will find something to enjoy.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
The Symphony
So my wife and I enjoyed a lovely afternoon at the symphony last Sunday. It was a fun show put on by a London, Ontario-based group called Jeans N Classics which apparently puts on dozens of similar shows every year. Entitled Madman on the Water: The Music of Elton John, it was just that, a show featuring the (mostly early) music of Elton John. Proved to be a rather entertaining show with a good selection of Elton’s music, especially since it managed to focus away from all of his newer stuff that I hate.
Thanks to one of the members of the board at my wife’s job for providing the tickets to us free. We had a great time.
Thanks to one of the members of the board at my wife’s job for providing the tickets to us free. We had a great time.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Arc, as promised
Well, here it is the first preview of my upcoming project with Mr. AJ Rainford-Nash of south London, England. How did an artist from the United Kingdom come to work with a writer from eastern Iowa. Well, pretty much sheer luck and the power of Digital Webbing. More luck though IMHO, as previous attempts to find artists on Digital Webbing proved to pretty much be a crap shoot.
But luch be with us, it is me and Jay in this together. It was fate I think as the man shares my two favorite modern comic writers: two gentlemen by the names of Kirkman and Bendis. Jay’s been drawing as long as I have been writing: pretty much forever, and you can see it in the quality of the man’s art. With him on the art side, I am more excited by Arc than I have been in any of my writing in months.
Arc is the story of the superhero of the same name. But she isn’t a typical superhero. I see her as the modern equivalent of the classic Marvel characters: a product of her time with flaws and character traits taken from everyday life.
That’s all you’re getting for now, other than an early character design by the aforementioned Mr. Rainford-Nash, with the starting designs of Arc’s face.
More sample art soon and a few tidbits with them, I promise.
But luch be with us, it is me and Jay in this together. It was fate I think as the man shares my two favorite modern comic writers: two gentlemen by the names of Kirkman and Bendis. Jay’s been drawing as long as I have been writing: pretty much forever, and you can see it in the quality of the man’s art. With him on the art side, I am more excited by Arc than I have been in any of my writing in months.
Arc is the story of the superhero of the same name. But she isn’t a typical superhero. I see her as the modern equivalent of the classic Marvel characters: a product of her time with flaws and character traits taken from everyday life.
That’s all you’re getting for now, other than an early character design by the aforementioned Mr. Rainford-Nash, with the starting designs of Arc’s face.
More sample art soon and a few tidbits with them, I promise.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Back on track
All right the last few bits of cold have finally worked their way out of my system, thank the Lord.
I have started the first phase of the graphical overhaul of Metahuman Press with the debut of my new Mean Streets banner. This banner will fill the second position on the main site whenever I don’t have a second story to post on Wednesday. (BTW, anyone wondering where Epsilon is should only wait two weeks. I will post it in place of this month’s episode of Freedom Patton. Both stories will return to their regular position next month.)
I have finished writing Charon so everyone can look forward to that appearing on Halloween today as our special fifth week feature for this month. I plan on doing a special fifth week story any time they occur (four times a year) with Charon rotating with various other works by myself (and maybe others if I receive any interest).
I promise I will get the first Arc previews posted up here soon. I finished my second (and almost final, barring any suggestions from my fine artist, Mr. Jay Rainford-Nash) earlier this week. We have just finished the final character designs for what proved to be the toughest character, one Shania Wilder, who will be one of the two main characters in the book, alongside the title character of course. Jay is working on a couple teaser images and I will work on some banner art from that. After that production will begin in earnest, with Jay as penciler/inker and myself as writer/letterer. For the time being, I will probably keep the book black and white, unless we find (which we hopefully will) a publisher willing to put the thing on the market. I am currently eyeing the new Boom as a strong possibility but we will see how things work out as we continue production on the book. No matter what, I will see Arc published, even if I have to do it myself. And with the number of avenues available for the small press comic creator, that shouldn’t be a problem either.
So make sure you keep your eye on this site(whether it be at www.evolutioncomics.com or at takethehelm.blogspot.com/) as I hopefully will get the first preview up tomorrow. Really, I mean it this time.
I have started the first phase of the graphical overhaul of Metahuman Press with the debut of my new Mean Streets banner. This banner will fill the second position on the main site whenever I don’t have a second story to post on Wednesday. (BTW, anyone wondering where Epsilon is should only wait two weeks. I will post it in place of this month’s episode of Freedom Patton. Both stories will return to their regular position next month.)
I have finished writing Charon so everyone can look forward to that appearing on Halloween today as our special fifth week feature for this month. I plan on doing a special fifth week story any time they occur (four times a year) with Charon rotating with various other works by myself (and maybe others if I receive any interest).
I promise I will get the first Arc previews posted up here soon. I finished my second (and almost final, barring any suggestions from my fine artist, Mr. Jay Rainford-Nash) earlier this week. We have just finished the final character designs for what proved to be the toughest character, one Shania Wilder, who will be one of the two main characters in the book, alongside the title character of course. Jay is working on a couple teaser images and I will work on some banner art from that. After that production will begin in earnest, with Jay as penciler/inker and myself as writer/letterer. For the time being, I will probably keep the book black and white, unless we find (which we hopefully will) a publisher willing to put the thing on the market. I am currently eyeing the new Boom as a strong possibility but we will see how things work out as we continue production on the book. No matter what, I will see Arc published, even if I have to do it myself. And with the number of avenues available for the small press comic creator, that shouldn’t be a problem either.
So make sure you keep your eye on this site(whether it be at www.evolutioncomics.com or at takethehelm.blogspot.com/) as I hopefully will get the first preview up tomorrow. Really, I mean it this time.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Sickness
Yeah, I’ve been in and out of bed quite a bit the last few days. I just have a terrible cold mixed with allergies that just refuses to subside. I have pretty much gotten rid of it except for a runny nose and some coughing finally, but it’s been a real pain in the but these last few days and is the main reason for the lack of any updates over the last few days. The much delayed first look at Arc should come a little later this week, so look for that.
I will try my best to also get this thing back up to date at an at least a couple times a week system. I have a few random blog posts about topics at hand that I want to post in the next few weeks anyhoo, so it shouldn’t be a problem barring any other illness
My next chapter of Mean Streets should be up soon, so look for it. This, also, should be updating a lot more regularly over the next few days.
Yeah, that’s all for now. Back a little later this week with more.
I will try my best to also get this thing back up to date at an at least a couple times a week system. I have a few random blog posts about topics at hand that I want to post in the next few weeks anyhoo, so it shouldn’t be a problem barring any other illness
My next chapter of Mean Streets should be up soon, so look for it. This, also, should be updating a lot more regularly over the next few days.
Yeah, that’s all for now. Back a little later this week with more.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Arc really is coming
I should have more on my Arc comic project up some time next week. FYI, this page is now directly pointed to by my new comics project page: Evolution Comics. When I start posting news on the comic, it will lead directly to the comic specific posts. I am itching to show some of the great design sketches of Arc’s artist Jay Rainford-Nash, but you and I will both have to wait.
Arc should be ready by sometime in January 2008, when I will start shopping the title around to various publishers, both online and otherwise. If that should fail, I will market this puppy myself, by whatever means necessary. That is how much faith I have in this book. I set up to deal with themes not usually talked about in mainstream superhero comics, and that is what I plan to do.
What issues, you ask? Violence in school, teenage sexuality, authority gone bad, and the fall of Western civilization. Is that good enough for you?
More details coming soon, I promise.
In other news, Blockbuster surprised me by shipping one of my 3 movies a full 3 days before the estimated arrival time. A nice surprise, but wouldn’t accurate arrival times be an even better one?
Arc should be ready by sometime in January 2008, when I will start shopping the title around to various publishers, both online and otherwise. If that should fail, I will market this puppy myself, by whatever means necessary. That is how much faith I have in this book. I set up to deal with themes not usually talked about in mainstream superhero comics, and that is what I plan to do.
What issues, you ask? Violence in school, teenage sexuality, authority gone bad, and the fall of Western civilization. Is that good enough for you?
More details coming soon, I promise.
In other news, Blockbuster surprised me by shipping one of my 3 movies a full 3 days before the estimated arrival time. A nice surprise, but wouldn’t accurate arrival times be an even better one?
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Netflix vs Blockbuster
So, I’ve been a regular Netflix customer for some months. But just as a whim, I decided to give Blockbuster a try. They have a pretty decent free trial period, even if they now limit their $18 plan to only 5 in store rentals a month. Unfortunately both for me and any hope Netflix might have of keeping me a customer, I apparently have to wait until Monday to get any of my DVDs.
Now two of the DVDs I’m getting aren’t all that common, but even so, I have doubts that it should take 3 days for them to come. And unlike Netflix, they aren’t even smart enough to tell me that they aren’t coming from the area shipping center. Or worse, I suppose, and it actually takes that long to get the movies here. Gamefly is as fast as that, and they ship everything from California. I would hope Blockbuster has more than one shipping center.
On top of that, it seems that, at least when it comes to the rating of movies, Blockbuster fans are absolute idiots. Honestly, who thinks Armageddon is worth 4 stars? Or The Island 3 1/2 while Unforgiven only gets 3 1/2 stars. Are you telling me that The Island is as good and Armageddon is better than a classic like Unforgiven. Really? Really? Yeah, really.
Anyway, I have two more weeks of the trial period and I will keep my eye on how well they do in their shipment. After all, all the movies I have been putting on my list, including various TNA and more obscure wrestler programs, and the late, lamented The Crow: Stairway to Heaven are still not available at Netflix. Great show BTW. I love Brandon Lee as the Crow, but Mark Dacascos re-imagining of Eric Draven was near perfection.
Anyway, Blockbuster is already fighting a losing effort. We’ll see if they can pull out a victory in act 3.
Now two of the DVDs I’m getting aren’t all that common, but even so, I have doubts that it should take 3 days for them to come. And unlike Netflix, they aren’t even smart enough to tell me that they aren’t coming from the area shipping center. Or worse, I suppose, and it actually takes that long to get the movies here. Gamefly is as fast as that, and they ship everything from California. I would hope Blockbuster has more than one shipping center.
On top of that, it seems that, at least when it comes to the rating of movies, Blockbuster fans are absolute idiots. Honestly, who thinks Armageddon is worth 4 stars? Or The Island 3 1/2 while Unforgiven only gets 3 1/2 stars. Are you telling me that The Island is as good and Armageddon is better than a classic like Unforgiven. Really? Really? Yeah, really.
Anyway, I have two more weeks of the trial period and I will keep my eye on how well they do in their shipment. After all, all the movies I have been putting on my list, including various TNA and more obscure wrestler programs, and the late, lamented The Crow: Stairway to Heaven are still not available at Netflix. Great show BTW. I love Brandon Lee as the Crow, but Mark Dacascos re-imagining of Eric Draven was near perfection.
Anyway, Blockbuster is already fighting a losing effort. We’ll see if they can pull out a victory in act 3.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
6 Years Ago Today
I don’t really know what to say this September 11th that hasn’t almost certainly been said somewhere else, and most likely, better. I am not always the most eloquent human being when it comes to commemorations and memorials, but I do believe them to be universally important to Americans as a society. It may be horribly cliche, but it is also far too true: those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. Another September 11 should not and cannot happen to this country.
I look at my seven year old daughter this morning. In 2001 she was nearly two, and I remember thinking about all the children that went to daycare on the lowest floors of the World Trade Center. Children who didn’t all escape from the towers. Children like my Hannah. Say what you will about the United States, and all its faults, both as a country and a military body, but the United States doesnt’t and never will seek out and destroy the children of its “enemies”. America does not kidnap hundreds of non-combatants and murder them in an attack, suicide or otherwise. These are the actions of monsters, of people who are pure evil. We should not even try to understand these actions; it would be like trying to understand the genocide perpetrated by Nazi Germany. No good reason exists for these actions and none ever will.
I think less emphasis on this day should be put towards the actions of our leadership, Republican or Democrat, or on the level of the country’s security six years later. We need to remember the approximately 3,000 who died six years ago in New York, Pennsylvania, and the Pentagon. We need to remember the lesson that evil allowed to flourish will only perpetrate more evil.
But most of all we need to fight and pray that nothing like the attacks of September 11, 2001 ever occur in this great country again.
I look at my seven year old daughter this morning. In 2001 she was nearly two, and I remember thinking about all the children that went to daycare on the lowest floors of the World Trade Center. Children who didn’t all escape from the towers. Children like my Hannah. Say what you will about the United States, and all its faults, both as a country and a military body, but the United States doesnt’t and never will seek out and destroy the children of its “enemies”. America does not kidnap hundreds of non-combatants and murder them in an attack, suicide or otherwise. These are the actions of monsters, of people who are pure evil. We should not even try to understand these actions; it would be like trying to understand the genocide perpetrated by Nazi Germany. No good reason exists for these actions and none ever will.
I think less emphasis on this day should be put towards the actions of our leadership, Republican or Democrat, or on the level of the country’s security six years later. We need to remember the approximately 3,000 who died six years ago in New York, Pennsylvania, and the Pentagon. We need to remember the lesson that evil allowed to flourish will only perpetrate more evil.
But most of all we need to fight and pray that nothing like the attacks of September 11, 2001 ever occur in this great country again.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
New story up! and more...
I have a new chapter of Epsilon up today, Chapter 9 to be exact. It is one of the best pieces of writing I have done in a while, so be sure to let a brother know what you think of it.
Arc, my new comic project is coming along quite nicely. I plan on having the first few previews up of it sometime in the near future as character designs are already nearly complete for the first issue.
I went out to a fun little dinner with my co-workers on the mid-shift on Saturday. We all went to Red Robin for a lovely little get together where we could shoot the shit unencumbered by the regular call-floor mentality. Would have been better if a certain supervisor who will remain nameless actually had shown up, but I digress...
And anyone who loves hamburgers should definitely check out the Whiskey River BBQ burger at Red Robin. Damn good stuff.
Labor Day was spent on my father and mother’s house in nearby Traer, where my wife, daughter, and I saw my brother for the first time since Easter. Not much of interest occured, although my brother and I had our usual debates on subjects ranging from politics to Star Wars. Fun time, and I hope for a longer visit come Christmas time.
I am working on a special story for the “fifth week” block at MP. As I am slowly rewriting the original Champion City novel, a ton of new characters are making their first appearance. Well, I am giving one of those characters a head start, so be prepared for the supernatural warrior Charon, coming your way on Halloween morning!
That is it for now. Everyone have a good day and such.
Arc, my new comic project is coming along quite nicely. I plan on having the first few previews up of it sometime in the near future as character designs are already nearly complete for the first issue.
I went out to a fun little dinner with my co-workers on the mid-shift on Saturday. We all went to Red Robin for a lovely little get together where we could shoot the shit unencumbered by the regular call-floor mentality. Would have been better if a certain supervisor who will remain nameless actually had shown up, but I digress...
And anyone who loves hamburgers should definitely check out the Whiskey River BBQ burger at Red Robin. Damn good stuff.
Labor Day was spent on my father and mother’s house in nearby Traer, where my wife, daughter, and I saw my brother for the first time since Easter. Not much of interest occured, although my brother and I had our usual debates on subjects ranging from politics to Star Wars. Fun time, and I hope for a longer visit come Christmas time.
I am working on a special story for the “fifth week” block at MP. As I am slowly rewriting the original Champion City novel, a ton of new characters are making their first appearance. Well, I am giving one of those characters a head start, so be prepared for the supernatural warrior Charon, coming your way on Halloween morning!
That is it for now. Everyone have a good day and such.
Friday, August 31, 2007
More... finally
Yeah... so I’ve been slacking off again of late. No good excuse really, except maybe the kid going back to school which has just sapped away a lot of prime sleep time. Anyway, I will continue to strive to keep this updated regularly.
I found an artist for my first comic project: Arc! More info as it becomes available, as I want this to be a true winner. Wish me luck!
MAME is an evil, evil thing. But oh, so fun.
We’re having a little get together for the workers on my shift on Saturday morning. Should be fun stuff.
I probably will get out to The War this weekend. Got it done before the equally awesome looking Shoot ’em Up makes it to the theaters.
Watching The Office seasons 1 and 2 now in preparation for the release of season 3. How some people still haven’t started watching this show is beyond me. I really think it is “The Next Big Thing” in sitcom land.
More stuff later (hopefully!)
I found an artist for my first comic project: Arc! More info as it becomes available, as I want this to be a true winner. Wish me luck!
MAME is an evil, evil thing. But oh, so fun.
We’re having a little get together for the workers on my shift on Saturday morning. Should be fun stuff.
I probably will get out to The War this weekend. Got it done before the equally awesome looking Shoot ’em Up makes it to the theaters.
Watching The Office seasons 1 and 2 now in preparation for the release of season 3. How some people still haven’t started watching this show is beyond me. I really think it is “The Next Big Thing” in sitcom land.
More stuff later (hopefully!)
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Ugh
It’s been a helacious week around the house for me as I have been feeling crappy pretty much since the last time I posted to this thing. My writing has suffered, my online time has suffered, pretty much everything but my reading time has suffered, as I really haven’t done much other than laying around all day and going to work. The addition of far too much barbecue in the household over the weekend probably didn’t help matters much either. And just as I am getting towards better health, my wife got sick yesterday.
Well, at least the kid is off for one last week of summer-on-the-road, as she is currently staying with wife’s family in Springfield. Time to recover on our own.
If all goes well though we should be back on our feet tonight and out to the local theater to see Stardust. The movie has special meaning for Gloria and I, as the original graphic novel was the first real birthday present I ever got my wife, waaay back in 1997.
Anyway, expect more writing from me to go up in the next few weeks. I will have a Freedom Patton up this month, but it will come on August 29 instead of this week. I just haven’t been up to getting it ready on time. Unfortunately this ruins my plans for a special “fifth week” story this month but I should have something ready for October so keep your eyes open for that.
Thanks and all that jazz.
Well, at least the kid is off for one last week of summer-on-the-road, as she is currently staying with wife’s family in Springfield. Time to recover on our own.
If all goes well though we should be back on our feet tonight and out to the local theater to see Stardust. The movie has special meaning for Gloria and I, as the original graphic novel was the first real birthday present I ever got my wife, waaay back in 1997.
Anyway, expect more writing from me to go up in the next few weeks. I will have a Freedom Patton up this month, but it will come on August 29 instead of this week. I just haven’t been up to getting it ready on time. Unfortunately this ruins my plans for a special “fifth week” story this month but I should have something ready for October so keep your eyes open for that.
Thanks and all that jazz.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Not a Lot to Say
Yeah, so it’s been nearly a week since my last update, but it has been about that long since I have had much of anything to say. My Friday through Tuesday work week was especially hectic this time around as my body was no longer use to being up all night after a week’s vacation. Between that and the fact that I have absolutely no money to work with for the first few weeks of August means I have not a lot to write about.
Most of my free time has been spent either online or on watching various movies from the excellent selection at the local library. Not to mention way too much reading. For the first time in months I have found myself with a pile of fiction and non-fiction to read, so I’ve been working my way through that.
Writing has been wavery at best. I usually do most of it at work, between calls, but my head just hasn’t quite been up to it, as I am usually fighting sleep. Hopefully next week I will get back to it. No worries though, as I am far enough ahead on all my writing that I am not too worried.
In related info, I am happy to announce that I have finished the first volume of Freedom Patton. The next two chapters will bring the story to its conclusion online. I will take a month off after that before I start up a new four parter which will lead in to the next full length story. Freedom should be well on his way for the next few years to come.
Wow, I guess had more to say than I thought. I’ll try to get the next update up a little quicker than this one.
Most of my free time has been spent either online or on watching various movies from the excellent selection at the local library. Not to mention way too much reading. For the first time in months I have found myself with a pile of fiction and non-fiction to read, so I’ve been working my way through that.
Writing has been wavery at best. I usually do most of it at work, between calls, but my head just hasn’t quite been up to it, as I am usually fighting sleep. Hopefully next week I will get back to it. No worries though, as I am far enough ahead on all my writing that I am not too worried.
In related info, I am happy to announce that I have finished the first volume of Freedom Patton. The next two chapters will bring the story to its conclusion online. I will take a month off after that before I start up a new four parter which will lead in to the next full length story. Freedom should be well on his way for the next few years to come.
Wow, I guess had more to say than I thought. I’ll try to get the next update up a little quicker than this one.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
The Mean Streets are here!!!
Mean Streets has officially begun! Click the link and you can read Chapter 1.1 of my new ongoing free-form metahuamn fiction serial. I’m really digging the crazy ensemble format I have created with this book, and everyoune should keep their eyes open for it, as I plan on debuting a couple dozen new characters over the next year or so. One of my main reason for designing the book the way I did was so I could go just about anywhere with the setting and I plan on doing just that. So please, please, PLEASE go check this one out. Thanks!
And before I forget again, I just wanted to mention that the most recent chapter of one of my other serials, Epsilon, just went up at the main site, so go take a look at it as well.
And before I forget again, I just wanted to mention that the most recent chapter of one of my other serials, Epsilon, just went up at the main site, so go take a look at it as well.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Back from Florida and then some
Well, my wife and I’s weekend trip to Key West, Florida came to an end on Monday and I am finally catching up as of today. We had a fun little adventure which included some sight seeing, some hanging out with old and new friends, and our friend Jen’s wedding. Fun times were had by all, despite the fact that getting from Miami to Key West is a miserably slow trip, especially when you’re driving at night.
No internet at our hotel, so I had to spend most of Tuesday catching up on Comicon news. My top 5 news stories IMO:
1. Erik Larsen on new Captian Victory & Silver Star books
2. First look at Iron Man armor
3. SCUD's coming back!
4. Mark Waid joins BOOM Studios as Editor in Chief
5. Sylar is Spock!
Just my opinions, but that is where I stand. An honorable mention goes to Matt Wagner as he preps Madame Xanadu for later this year.
I hope to have Mean Streets underway sometime between now and this weekend so look out for that. After the first part goes up, expect it to update at an at least weekly basis. I hope to do more, but I promise at least once a week.
In exactly 5 minutes, I will hit 24 hours left on my vacation. It’s been fun, but I think I’m actually ready to get back to work. I may work at the only job in the world where I start to miss it when I am gone too long.
And I have to remember to update my Facebook profile, at least the map. Time to check off Florida.
No internet at our hotel, so I had to spend most of Tuesday catching up on Comicon news. My top 5 news stories IMO:
1. Erik Larsen on new Captian Victory & Silver Star books
2. First look at Iron Man armor
3. SCUD's coming back!
4. Mark Waid joins BOOM Studios as Editor in Chief
5. Sylar is Spock!
Just my opinions, but that is where I stand. An honorable mention goes to Matt Wagner as he preps Madame Xanadu for later this year.
I hope to have Mean Streets underway sometime between now and this weekend so look out for that. After the first part goes up, expect it to update at an at least weekly basis. I hope to do more, but I promise at least once a week.
In exactly 5 minutes, I will hit 24 hours left on my vacation. It’s been fun, but I think I’m actually ready to get back to work. I may work at the only job in the world where I start to miss it when I am gone too long.
And I have to remember to update my Facebook profile, at least the map. Time to check off Florida.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
One last update before I head out
While my vacation officially started Tuesday morning at 8:30 a.m., the main reason for it won’t start until Friday afternoon when my wife and I set out on our way for Key West. Her good friend Jen is to be married on Saturday, which also happens to be my birthday, so we are celebrating it as kind of a combination event. Don't know exactly all we have planned for the trip other than fighting to stay cool, but all in all I think it will be an enjoyable three and a half days. I will be coming back very early Tuesday, so you can expect to see the next Metahuman Press stories (at least mostly) on time on Wednesday.
The last few site updates are also done before I leave: you can check out a new chapter of Century as well as the beginning of Book II of Comic Book Hero at the main site. In addition, my final profile for Mean Streets is now up. When I return I plan on getting the free-form blog story going, and FYI, the five posted profiles so far are the characters featured most prominently in our first chapter. More on that later.
And hey, after just looking at this weekend’s forecast it looks like I may be spending most of my Florida vacation inside: highs in the mid to upper 90's, lows in the 80's, and storms all weekend. Maybe I will be going to see The Simpsons Movie while I’m there.
The last few site updates are also done before I leave: you can check out a new chapter of Century as well as the beginning of Book II of Comic Book Hero at the main site. In addition, my final profile for Mean Streets is now up. When I return I plan on getting the free-form blog story going, and FYI, the five posted profiles so far are the characters featured most prominently in our first chapter. More on that later.
And hey, after just looking at this weekend’s forecast it looks like I may be spending most of my Florida vacation inside: highs in the mid to upper 90's, lows in the 80's, and storms all weekend. Maybe I will be going to see The Simpsons Movie while I’m there.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows
I finished this one up last night at work. I will try not to give anything away, but I will say it’s a great read. J.K. does a great job of making up for missteps she took in the overly dull last volume. Although it drags a little bit around pages 100-250 or so, Deathly Hallows really works as a near perfect denouement to the franchise. Lots of character deaths, good and bad, many tragic, fill the pages, and pretty much every question about character motivations are answered. Ms. Rowling also does a beatiful job of tying the sub-titled subject matter of every other book in to this one.
That being said, DO NOT read this book if you have not read the other 6 books, as I would think much of it may prove heavily confusing. This book was written solely for the fans who have read volumes 1 through 6 (which is pretty much 75% of the world's regular readers at least) and it shows from the very beginning, as wizards shout out spells without J.K. ever stopping to explain them. It’s a minor nitpick at best, as really, I hope not too many individuals are silly enough to start a book franchise with Volume 7.
Anyway now I’m all Pottered up, I will have to go out and see Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix, a film which my wife really liked even though the critics did not. That being said, movie critics actually liked the Prisoner of Azkaban, which I cannot believe any self-respecting Potter reader could actually like. Such a butchery, but I digress.
If you are one of the people who haven’t read it yet, go pick up your copy of today. (And hey, look! I even provided you a link to it at Amazon, in case you want to support MetahumanPress.com while you are picking up your copy.)
That being said, DO NOT read this book if you have not read the other 6 books, as I would think much of it may prove heavily confusing. This book was written solely for the fans who have read volumes 1 through 6 (which is pretty much 75% of the world's regular readers at least) and it shows from the very beginning, as wizards shout out spells without J.K. ever stopping to explain them. It’s a minor nitpick at best, as really, I hope not too many individuals are silly enough to start a book franchise with Volume 7.
Anyway now I’m all Pottered up, I will have to go out and see Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix, a film which my wife really liked even though the critics did not. That being said, movie critics actually liked the Prisoner of Azkaban, which I cannot believe any self-respecting Potter reader could actually like. Such a butchery, but I digress.
If you are one of the people who haven’t read it yet, go pick up your copy of today. (And hey, look! I even provided you a link to it at Amazon, in case you want to support MetahumanPress.com while you are picking up your copy.)
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Weekend to Myself
I am enjoying a weekend to myself as my wife and daughter are in Indianapolis for a family get together. I had to work so I got to stay home. I am not really going to complain though, as I think it’s good to spend some time away from the family once in a while.
I have been playing EWR (Extreme Warfare Revenge) for the last few days. Great old school wrestling simulator. Now that I have a computer that can handle it, I am also thinking about picking up a copy of the professional version Total Extreme Wrestling at some point in the near future. In case anyone cares, I am playing as the new NWA and I am over a year in, with Matt Hardy as World Champion, Sonny Siaki as Mid-Atlantic champ, Sabu & Steve Corino as Tag Champions, Arik Cannon as NWA Anarchy champ, and Ms. Chif as Women's World champion. Good stuff. Anyone interested in a download of EWR (it’s free) should go to EW Battleground.
Finally saw Live Free or Die Hard today. It amuses me that the over the top action film we all hated 10 or 12 years back is now on its way back with what is just a really fun film. And John McClain may be one of the best super-heroes in the market today. Check this film out if you like actioners.
And I’m about half way through Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows thanks to the owners of my job. URrelay has its own copy of the book and working nights I don’t have much competition getting it done. More later.
I have been playing EWR (Extreme Warfare Revenge) for the last few days. Great old school wrestling simulator. Now that I have a computer that can handle it, I am also thinking about picking up a copy of the professional version Total Extreme Wrestling at some point in the near future. In case anyone cares, I am playing as the new NWA and I am over a year in, with Matt Hardy as World Champion, Sonny Siaki as Mid-Atlantic champ, Sabu & Steve Corino as Tag Champions, Arik Cannon as NWA Anarchy champ, and Ms. Chif as Women's World champion. Good stuff. Anyone interested in a download of EWR (it’s free) should go to EW Battleground.
Finally saw Live Free or Die Hard today. It amuses me that the over the top action film we all hated 10 or 12 years back is now on its way back with what is just a really fun film. And John McClain may be one of the best super-heroes in the market today. Check this film out if you like actioners.
And I’m about half way through Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows thanks to the owners of my job. URrelay has its own copy of the book and working nights I don’t have much competition getting it done. More later.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
11 Days and Counting
Exactly 11 days remain to my next birthday and my wife and I going to Florida on vacation. Looking forward to it, but its means an unfortunately busy week between now and then.
Mean Streets has updated again with another pre-character back story. I am having tons of fun concocting full back stories for these characters, but with Jack Flash I had to do the first editing history, as I didn’t want to give away all his secrets right away.
I will have at least one or 2 more character profiles before Mean Streets, the story, starts up at the end of the month, post-vacation.
Still haven’t gotten to Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix but my wife gave it a startlingly good review considering her dislike for the previous films. Lord knows it can’t suck as bad as Prisoner of Azkaban did. I still can’t believe that people still like that pile of stank, diarrhetic donkey poo.
After Potter only two must sees remain for me in this busy summer: the I have watched the show for 19 years and should really know what happens already Simpsons Movie and the movie I have waited for years to see come to fruition (and with one of my favorite actresses Claire Danes in it!): Neil Gaiman’s Stardust.
New Grendel is coming to comics very soon and to make things even better, Matt Wagner has just been announced as Dynamite’s new Zorro book. I am a HUGE Zorro fan, and Wagner is the perfect choice to help resuscitate the character for modern readers (especially since he can use Isabel Allende’s excellent novel from a year or two back as its basis).
Enough rambling for today. More late I’m sure.
Mean Streets has updated again with another pre-character back story. I am having tons of fun concocting full back stories for these characters, but with Jack Flash I had to do the first editing history, as I didn’t want to give away all his secrets right away.
I will have at least one or 2 more character profiles before Mean Streets, the story, starts up at the end of the month, post-vacation.
Still haven’t gotten to Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix but my wife gave it a startlingly good review considering her dislike for the previous films. Lord knows it can’t suck as bad as Prisoner of Azkaban did. I still can’t believe that people still like that pile of stank, diarrhetic donkey poo.
After Potter only two must sees remain for me in this busy summer: the I have watched the show for 19 years and should really know what happens already Simpsons Movie and the movie I have waited for years to see come to fruition (and with one of my favorite actresses Claire Danes in it!): Neil Gaiman’s Stardust.
New Grendel is coming to comics very soon and to make things even better, Matt Wagner has just been announced as Dynamite’s new Zorro book. I am a HUGE Zorro fan, and Wagner is the perfect choice to help resuscitate the character for modern readers (especially since he can use Isabel Allende’s excellent novel from a year or two back as its basis).
Enough rambling for today. More late I’m sure.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Ho Hum
It’s been a slow couple days off here in Cedar Rapidia, which has give me some time to catch up on all the novels and graphic novels I have had sitting around the house. Unfortunately, not many of them have been very good. With the exception of Bill Willingham’s always excellent Fables most have been rather dull.
So anyway out there have a good sci-fi/fantasy/graphic novel that an avid reader like myself might not have read. Hit me up with a few suggestions, won’t you?
So anyway out there have a good sci-fi/fantasy/graphic novel that an avid reader like myself might not have read. Hit me up with a few suggestions, won’t you?
Monday, July 9, 2007
Site update and whatnots
Uneventful weekend. Worked, spent a little time with family, played some evil, evil Sims 2. That’s about it. I am working on wrapping up the first story arc on Freedom Patton after over two years of working on it. My plan is to do a shorter 4 or 5 parter after that and then move on to the next big storyline.
The Mean Streets page is up and running. I will be throwing some profiles up for the next month or so with my plan being to start publishing the first few bits of story beginning in August. This will be a way more free form experiment than the rest of MP, but I am excited to see how it turns out.
I am in the beginning stages of putting together a print anthology of the first 18 or so months of Metahuman Press. More on that as I get closer to bringing it to fruition.
That’s about it. Any questions?
The Mean Streets page is up and running. I will be throwing some profiles up for the next month or so with my plan being to start publishing the first few bits of story beginning in August. This will be a way more free form experiment than the rest of MP, but I am excited to see how it turns out.
I am in the beginning stages of putting together a print anthology of the first 18 or so months of Metahuman Press. More on that as I get closer to bringing it to fruition.
That’s about it. Any questions?
Thursday, July 5, 2007
100 times better than Armageddon
I saw Transformers on Tuesday. Proved to be a really solid flick. Not exactly the classic characters, but close enough to make a really engaging story. I honestly don’t understand the people unwilling to give it a chance at all based on its differences from the 80’s show, as Hasbro has never been shy about restructuring their characters over and over and over again.
It has flaws: a few two many one-lines, a little too much product placement, John Turturro just going too over the top. Oh, and Optimus Prime, voiced by the great Peter Cullen, should never, ever say “My bad”. But the action was great, the Transformers were well voiced, the effects were spot on, and Shia LeBeuof makes a great Whitwicky.
And I was happy to see that a lot of parents were apparently able to figure out from the previews this ain’t a flick for the really young ones. I didn’t see anyone under maybe 9 in the theatre.
Oh, and everyone should worry less about Bumblebee being a Camaro and try to figure out why he’s kind of a dick. Anyway, I recommend it. Probably the best actioner I have seen this summer (so far, still have to get to Live Free or Die Hard), so get out and check it out (oh, and you can see where this blog’s title originated).
It has flaws: a few two many one-lines, a little too much product placement, John Turturro just going too over the top. Oh, and Optimus Prime, voiced by the great Peter Cullen, should never, ever say “My bad”. But the action was great, the Transformers were well voiced, the effects were spot on, and Shia LeBeuof makes a great Whitwicky.
And I was happy to see that a lot of parents were apparently able to figure out from the previews this ain’t a flick for the really young ones. I didn’t see anyone under maybe 9 in the theatre.
Oh, and everyone should worry less about Bumblebee being a Camaro and try to figure out why he’s kind of a dick. Anyway, I recommend it. Probably the best actioner I have seen this summer (so far, still have to get to Live Free or Die Hard), so get out and check it out (oh, and you can see where this blog’s title originated).
Saturday, June 30, 2007
One last small update
I am working on the initial set of bios for the Mean Streets page and hopefully I will have them up in about a week or so, and that is when I will start working on promoting the page a little more. In the mean time, I have to finish typing up the next chapter of Epsilon to go up at Metahuman Press on Wednesday/Thursday (depending if I get time to post it on the busy 4th or not).
I already have my tickets ready for Transformers. I am by no means a Michael Bay fan, but I do need to see it before my 7 year old daughter comes home from Grandma’s house with us on the 4th. So we will be seeing the film Tuesday night. I expect an entertaining movie with some cool transformig robots, if not quite the characters I grew up on.
Great week for comics last Wednesday: Invincble, Walking Dead, Sheena, Kiss 4K, Snakewoman... all great reads, and none of them from the big two. Everyone who loves comics should give at least a couple of them a try.
That’s it for today, folks. See you again in July!
I already have my tickets ready for Transformers. I am by no means a Michael Bay fan, but I do need to see it before my 7 year old daughter comes home from Grandma’s house with us on the 4th. So we will be seeing the film Tuesday night. I expect an entertaining movie with some cool transformig robots, if not quite the characters I grew up on.
Great week for comics last Wednesday: Invincble, Walking Dead, Sheena, Kiss 4K, Snakewoman... all great reads, and none of them from the big two. Everyone who loves comics should give at least a couple of them a try.
That’s it for today, folks. See you again in July!
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Moving on
What a fucked up week. I really have spend as much time as possible over the last couple days with my wife. My daughter is still at Grandma’s house, otherwise I would probably be latched on to her too. Just because the Benoit think really fucked with my head.
But it's time to put it behind me I guess. Focusing on tragedy, especially such a distant one, sure as hell doesn’t help me. So I have cleaned my Netflix queue of any tainted WWE programming and tried to move on with my life.
I have focused my attention on developing Mean Streets for the moment. I have the blog set up (not telling you where although anyone with half a brain can probably find it on blogger) and I am working on developing the first steps of content. I will be starting with some character and setting information, told in Blood of Heroes RPG format (Buy it here!)
with all pertinent (and revealable [is that a word?]) bio information following.
And everyone should check out Robin Reed’s Power vs Power on the main site. Fourth chapter is up now and I am enjoying this story more than I am my own writing! Comic Book Hero has its final chapter in Book One this week as well, and is, as always, another great read, so if you haven’t checked either out make sure you do ASAP.
Wow, four updates in a week’s time... I might actually be getting the hang of this blogging thing.
But it's time to put it behind me I guess. Focusing on tragedy, especially such a distant one, sure as hell doesn’t help me. So I have cleaned my Netflix queue of any tainted WWE programming and tried to move on with my life.
I have focused my attention on developing Mean Streets for the moment. I have the blog set up (not telling you where although anyone with half a brain can probably find it on blogger) and I am working on developing the first steps of content. I will be starting with some character and setting information, told in Blood of Heroes RPG format (Buy it here!)
with all pertinent (and revealable [is that a word?]) bio information following.And everyone should check out Robin Reed’s Power vs Power on the main site. Fourth chapter is up now and I am enjoying this story more than I am my own writing! Comic Book Hero has its final chapter in Book One this week as well, and is, as always, another great read, so if you haven’t checked either out make sure you do ASAP.
Wow, four updates in a week’s time... I might actually be getting the hang of this blogging thing.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
A tragedy for wrestling...and maybe a wake up call
As a lot of people know, I am a wrestling fan. And now with actual facts coming to light, I feel I have to come out with a few words on the death of Chris Benoit.
This makes me sick with anger and rage, but mostly sadness. The fact that we may never know what caused the obvious mental breakdown that would make any man do this kind of thing. We can fathom guesses about thyroid/mental imbalances, which I think would be obvious to anyone after seeing the news.
But to wrap this around someone I looked up to as the wrestler, just clouds things too much. A great wrestling legacy has evaporated in a span of less than 24 hours.
My condolences to the surviving children and to the friends of the family. To the wrestlers, let this be a wake up call about what those things you're injecting every few days can do to you. To Vince, let this be proof that an off season might be a good idea and that tests for steroids need to be upped, including tests for HGH.
As a Christian, I pray for Nancy & Daniel's soul to rest in a better place.
And despite all of this, to Chris Benoit, I pray God have mercy on your soul.
This makes me sick with anger and rage, but mostly sadness. The fact that we may never know what caused the obvious mental breakdown that would make any man do this kind of thing. We can fathom guesses about thyroid/mental imbalances, which I think would be obvious to anyone after seeing the news.
But to wrap this around someone I looked up to as the wrestler, just clouds things too much. A great wrestling legacy has evaporated in a span of less than 24 hours.
My condolences to the surviving children and to the friends of the family. To the wrestlers, let this be a wake up call about what those things you're injecting every few days can do to you. To Vince, let this be proof that an off season might be a good idea and that tests for steroids need to be upped, including tests for HGH.
As a Christian, I pray for Nancy & Daniel's soul to rest in a better place.
And despite all of this, to Chris Benoit, I pray God have mercy on your soul.
Monday, June 25, 2007
More random Metahuman Press related (and random other stuff) goodness
Hah! Less than a week between updates. I’m getting better at this...
Well, I am now working with my friend David’s copy of Photoshop to work on renovating some of the pages on Metahuman Press. My plan is to start updating some of the graphics and add a few more graphics by the end of the summer. I am still learning the basics of the program, but a bunch of books from my local library have been of great assistance.
I am still working on the basics of the Mean Streets blog-story. I should have the actual blog up-and-running in the next few days, and then I will work on designing some bio pages for the main characters. FYI, I am going to be working on some bio pages for the Epsilon characters in the near future as well, so keep an eye out for those.
I am also looking for potential content providers for my upcoming Evolution Comics site. Anyone have a comic in the work that they want to see syndicated on the web? Contact me at (copy & paste) metasubmit@metahumanpress.com if you do.
You want to see the best thing Marvel has put out in the last year? Check these out! Complete runs of a plethora of Marvel titles. My favorite so far: The Avengers. Kree-Skrull War. Both Perez runs. Steve Englehart’s cosmic 70’s goodness. All well worth every penny. Oh, and every comic includes every original page, which means you can check out all the crazy ads of the 70’s and 80’s (and see which here will foil a painfully bad villain’s scheme with tasty Hostess treats!) Over 400 issues and well worth the $50 price tag.
All right, that is pretty much it for now. Now I have to go figure out where the hell my wife is...
Well, I am now working with my friend David’s copy of Photoshop to work on renovating some of the pages on Metahuman Press. My plan is to start updating some of the graphics and add a few more graphics by the end of the summer. I am still learning the basics of the program, but a bunch of books from my local library have been of great assistance.
I am still working on the basics of the Mean Streets blog-story. I should have the actual blog up-and-running in the next few days, and then I will work on designing some bio pages for the main characters. FYI, I am going to be working on some bio pages for the Epsilon characters in the near future as well, so keep an eye out for those.
I am also looking for potential content providers for my upcoming Evolution Comics site. Anyone have a comic in the work that they want to see syndicated on the web? Contact me at (copy & paste) metasubmit@metahumanpress.com if you do.
You want to see the best thing Marvel has put out in the last year? Check these out!
Complete runs of a plethora of Marvel titles. My favorite so far: The Avengers. Kree-Skrull War. Both Perez runs. Steve Englehart’s cosmic 70’s goodness. All well worth every penny. Oh, and every comic includes every original page, which means you can check out all the crazy ads of the 70’s and 80’s (and see which here will foil a painfully bad villain’s scheme with tasty Hostess treats!) Over 400 issues and well worth the $50 price tag. All right, that is pretty much it for now. Now I have to go figure out where the hell my wife is...
Friday, June 22, 2007
100% Disclosure... New stuff... Site news
Okay, 100% disclosure.
I did not kill Vincent Kennedy McMahon, but I know who did. And I can’t reveal the killer’s identity, as they have friends in high places. I can reveal however, that it was not, in fact, Rikishi.
*Ahem*
Anyway, not much to report on right now. I am still trying to decide the best way to post my reviews of whatever on the site, so when I come up with an answer to that I will let everyone know. I am thinking however about making it a group effort, so we’ll see about that.
I have a plan for another super-powered fiction series that I plan on moving forward with in a few months. This one will be blog-based however, and far more free-formed then previous stories as I plan to just update it section by section. More on it as I move forward on that, but for the time being, I will at least give everyone the title: Mean Streets. Guesses, opinions, and the likes are welcome, whether here or at the forums.
And anyone who hasn’t done so already, should sign up for the mailing list so they can get regular updates on everything happening at the Metahuman Press site(s).
I did not kill Vincent Kennedy McMahon, but I know who did. And I can’t reveal the killer’s identity, as they have friends in high places. I can reveal however, that it was not, in fact, Rikishi.
*Ahem*
Anyway, not much to report on right now. I am still trying to decide the best way to post my reviews of whatever on the site, so when I come up with an answer to that I will let everyone know. I am thinking however about making it a group effort, so we’ll see about that.
I have a plan for another super-powered fiction series that I plan on moving forward with in a few months. This one will be blog-based however, and far more free-formed then previous stories as I plan to just update it section by section. More on it as I move forward on that, but for the time being, I will at least give everyone the title: Mean Streets. Guesses, opinions, and the likes are welcome, whether here or at the forums.
And anyone who hasn’t done so already, should sign up for the mailing list so they can get regular updates on everything happening at the Metahuman Press site(s).
Thursday, June 14, 2007
RIP Mr. Wizard
Just read this article which made me sad. I still have fond memories of watching Mr. Wizard’s World on Nickelodeon every afternoon when I was young (and Nick had a lot more quality children’s programming).
The show was simplistic but still really cool as it used great chemistry and physics experiments to teach science in a fun way, at least for my 5-10 year old self. My interest in becoming a scienctist honestly lasted about as long as the show did, but I still thank him for the fondness he gave me to science as a whole, even if it was never my favorite subject as I moved more towards writing.
Don Herbert did the Mr. Wizard thing for nearly 40 years, so hopefully his legacy will at least be remembered. I know I will.
The show was simplistic but still really cool as it used great chemistry and physics experiments to teach science in a fun way, at least for my 5-10 year old self. My interest in becoming a scienctist honestly lasted about as long as the show did, but I still thank him for the fondness he gave me to science as a whole, even if it was never my favorite subject as I moved more towards writing.
Don Herbert did the Mr. Wizard thing for nearly 40 years, so hopefully his legacy will at least be remembered. I know I will.
Friday, June 8, 2007
Summer is here... yippee...
It has been anything but an easy week, as my revised overnight schedule kicks in, and with that, my days of beautuful dreaming and sleeping goes with it. It is summer once more, and that means many more days at home with my darling seven year old daughter. Hannah is a lovely child, and (so far) has been a wonderfully behaved child, but trying to stay up most of the day with her is an utter drain on the sleep schedule.
Coupled with the fact that the more I watch her, the more I see Amy Poehler’s grade school character from Saturday Night Live. All I need is my daughter yelling “Rick! Rick” and not “Daddy! Daddy!” and the image would be perfect.
With the lack of sleep over the past few days, the urge to much of anything has went down the tubes. I find myself spending way too much time playing The Sims 2 and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance and not nearly enough time on things like writing and creating.
My writing has been going so-so at best because of it, although I’m still hammering out new chapters of Epsilon at work. The revised Champion City is a bit delayed however, as I am working to catch up on both Epsilon and Freedom Patton while also working on my first comic project for Evolution Comics called Out For vengeance (© and ™ 2007 Nicholas Ahlhelm. All rights reserved. Just to make it clear.) Once I finish the first issue, I plan on starting my search for an artist to bring the book to life. My plans are to launch it in early 2008 which should give the project plenty of lead time.
Hopefully, I will get back to the reviews I want to start posting on this site in the near future, and I do promise to keep updating this page at the very least once a week or so.
For now, g’day all.
Coupled with the fact that the more I watch her, the more I see Amy Poehler’s grade school character from Saturday Night Live. All I need is my daughter yelling “Rick! Rick” and not “Daddy! Daddy!” and the image would be perfect.
With the lack of sleep over the past few days, the urge to much of anything has went down the tubes. I find myself spending way too much time playing The Sims 2 and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance and not nearly enough time on things like writing and creating.
My writing has been going so-so at best because of it, although I’m still hammering out new chapters of Epsilon at work. The revised Champion City is a bit delayed however, as I am working to catch up on both Epsilon and Freedom Patton while also working on my first comic project for Evolution Comics called Out For vengeance (© and ™ 2007 Nicholas Ahlhelm. All rights reserved. Just to make it clear.) Once I finish the first issue, I plan on starting my search for an artist to bring the book to life. My plans are to launch it in early 2008 which should give the project plenty of lead time.
Hopefully, I will get back to the reviews I want to start posting on this site in the near future, and I do promise to keep updating this page at the very least once a week or so.
For now, g’day all.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
The Passing of an Artis
Tom Artis isn’t exactly the most well know comic book artist out there. In fact, I'm not really aware of much he's done in the past 15 years at all. I know I have several books drawn by him from the early 90’s, most notably a terrible written but beautifully drawn Green Arrow annual with Denny O’Neil and an excellent run on the short lived DC Impact title The Web.
Tom Artis died last week. I haven’t heard how and why but I have heard this from the folks at Silver Bullet:
I lived in Springfield for 5 years. I never met Tom Artis, much to my regret. But Mr. Artis happened to over hear a conversation my wife had with one of her girlfriends while out at a restaurant. They were apparently talking about how I wanted to be a comic writer. Tom was nice enough to introduce himself and give her a signed photocopy of a book he was working on for me. It was a cool day for me, coming home from a hard night at Mickey D’s to find a piece of art signed by an actual creator waiting for me.
It inspired me to actually start getting my butt in gear with this whole writing thing. The result: Champion City. And eventually, Metahuman Press itself.
So thanks, Tom. I owe you a lot.
And please everyone, give whatever you can to Tom’s family. It sounds like they can use all the help they can get.
Tom Artis died last week. I haven’t heard how and why but I have heard this from the folks at Silver Bullet:
Tom Artis, a former penciller for both Marvel and DC Comics, passed away recently. His family is in dire financial straits due to his death, and are unable to take care of themselves nor pay for his funeral expenses. A fund has been set up for donations. All donations can be sent to the following address:
The Tom TC Artis and Family Memorial Fund
Marine Bank
Attn: Gale Krueger
1401 North Dirksen Parkway
Springfield, IL 62702
I lived in Springfield for 5 years. I never met Tom Artis, much to my regret. But Mr. Artis happened to over hear a conversation my wife had with one of her girlfriends while out at a restaurant. They were apparently talking about how I wanted to be a comic writer. Tom was nice enough to introduce himself and give her a signed photocopy of a book he was working on for me. It was a cool day for me, coming home from a hard night at Mickey D’s to find a piece of art signed by an actual creator waiting for me.
It inspired me to actually start getting my butt in gear with this whole writing thing. The result: Champion City. And eventually, Metahuman Press itself.
So thanks, Tom. I owe you a lot.
And please everyone, give whatever you can to Tom’s family. It sounds like they can use all the help they can get.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
I'm Back!
Well, this blog sat dormant for about 5 months longer than I planned, and I have to say I really don’t have that great of an excuse. I have been spending quite a bit of time working on my other writing projects. To be specific, I’ve started working on a few comic projects that readers should be able to (hopefully) see up at my new website Evolution Comics. Expect to see a bit popping up on that site to preview my comic projects soon. And I will try my best to update here as well.
I’ve become obsessed with developing a non-super project of late. Between watching 300 and reading Eric Shanower’s Age of Bronze, I have been building a Conan-style fantasy character set in fantastic version of 1000 BC or so. No idea how much I will do with it, but it’s consuming a good size bit of non-blogging time as well.
Hopefully, I will be back in the next few days with some thoughts on recent viewing, listening, reading and the such.
Later.
I’ve become obsessed with developing a non-super project of late. Between watching 300
and reading Eric Shanower’s Age of Bronze, I have been building a Conan-style fantasy character set in fantastic version of 1000 BC or so. No idea how much I will do with it, but it’s consuming a good size bit of non-blogging time as well. Hopefully, I will be back in the next few days with some thoughts on recent viewing, listening, reading and the such.
Later.
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