Comics

Here’s what I’m reading and enjoying currently:

If you like your horror modern, and combined with the possibilities of technology, then check this out.  We’ve heard a lot about AI recently but that’s not what’s going down in this story (at least not yet).  

If you like a bit of comedy, check this out.  It’s hilarious, and a good companion to the show.  Even if you haven’t seen the show on Amazon/HBO Max, check it out.  Made me laugh, well done.

Let’s talk Star Wars

They just announced a new Star Wars trilogy.  My fingers are crossed… I really hope the new movies feature:

• More Death Stars, maybe even a man-portable backpack shoulder weapon this time… capable of destroying a planet.
• The Milennium Falcon flying through more canyons, tunnels, etc. TIE Fighter pilots are in for a surprise!
• Harrison Ford’s not interested anymore so let’s have CGI versions of Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia… I just can’t let them go.

Sorry.  Yes, I’m being terribly sarcastic here. I’m not a nostalgia guy, at all.  Here’s what I really hope they do:  BURN IT, I SAY!  BURN IT ALL DOWN!!!  Commence with the blasphemy!  

• Blow up the Milennium Falcon.  YES, YOU HEARD ME.  I’m tired of it.  Cut the cord and do something new. Create a new iconic spaceship for our heroes.  Speaking of which…
• Make sure these characters are on it when it’s destroyed: Chewbacca, C-3PO, R2D2, Maz Kanata.  Yup, I said it.  Blow them all away.  Ok, ok… maybe let Chewie retire peacefully.  Han, Luke, and Leia are gone, We’ve loved and honored them. Now… it’s time for something new. We’ve seen a new character (The Mandalorian) join the Star Wars universe and have interesting, new adventures so it’s completely possible.  Hate to say it but… put Boba Fett on the Milennium Falcon too.  KA-BLAMMMMM!  Good, now let’s get started.
• If I see another Death Star variation, I’m going to be physically ill.  We should be running out of planets by now. Sorry, blowing up a Death Star no longer makes you a big deal.
• Rehabilitate the new crew:  Rey, Finn, and whats-his-name are all currently forgettable characters because they didn’t connect with audiences the way that Luke, Leia, and Han did.  This can still be fixed if the script gives them something compelling to do.  Even the best actors can’t make us love a movie with a terrible script. 
• Palpatine… yikes, Bringing him back was a lazy, terrible idea. However!  Rey as Palpatine’s daughter… there’s something that can be done with that. She’s starting up a new Jedi Order in one of the upcoming movies. If anyone is going to feel the pull of the Dark Side, it’s going to be Rey. Since she’s such a natural (heh), what if she stumbles upon some Dark Side powers during her meditations? What if one of her students is strong in the Dark Side and they explore the possibilities together, leading to the new villain (literally “flirting with the Dark Side”)?  

Movies

Some of these reviews are late but you can still catch them streaming so here we go.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves – It’s D&D by way of the MCU but, honestly, not bad for a D&D movie.  Was pleasantly surprised by the story, action, and adaptation of the game. I’m spoiled by The Legend of Vox Machina though, which is far better and much close to what playing the game is actually like. 
Evil Dead Rise – I will sing the praises of this movie to the hilltops!  A chilling, grueling, endurance run of horror.  Looked amazing.  It kind of misses the doofus swagger of Bruce Campbell, but he’s not in the movie.  I’m glad they didn’t introduce a new character trying to be Bruce Campbell, it wouldn’t have worked.  Bruce is Bruce.  So they upped the horror.  Alyssa Sutherland gets my nod for Best Deadite ever.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – Great movie. Visually spectacular and opened with several exhilarating sequences.  Awesomely creative version of The Vulture.  Dragged in the middle which killed the momentum of the movie but overall I still enjoyed it.  
Sisu – Didn’t like this one.  I thought it was going to be a Western-style movie set in WW2 Finland.  It tried that but meh.  If you’re going to copy/homage a Clint Eastwood Man With No Name type character, he has to be clever as well as badass. Finnish Guy With No Name was not clever, he’s just wearing the toughest suit of plot armor I’ve ever watched.  Imagine if John Wick was shot through the head, bandaged it up, and then went on fighting.  That’s Sisu.  No stakes, no point.  
Are You There God?  It’s Me, Margaret – Ok so, I didn’t really see this but it’s the best joke in Deadpool. 

Ruxy Vampire

On it’s way!  Will have some pages to show you soon!  In the meantime, feast your eyes on this cover by Hedwin Zaldivar! Click to follow the upcoming Kickstarter launch!!!

I’m up tonight, writing. I’m getting somewhere which is good.

I’m writing a horror comic, masquerading slightly as an action/hero story. I get ideas and they creep me out but I write them down and hope they have impact and creep other people out. I’m generally not a creepy guy but this is what comes out of me. I guess… that makes me creepy. I often think about one of the blurbs I remember from Stephen King’s book On Writing where, when asked why he writes such horrific stories, he doesn’t answer and asks instead, “What makes you think I have a choice?”

So yeah, I’ve accepted that. I have weird, violent ideas. This is what I’m trying to do. My villain, The Blood Shade, is particularly awful and makes me look at my inner voices askance. I write horror. I want it to have impact. I want it to be something you’ve never encountered before. Another thing that bothers me… have I read and/or consumed enough horror (novels, comics, movies, etc.) to be sure I’m not just churning out rehashes of stuff that other people have already done? Horror comics go so far back, no way I could read them all. Just saw an Alien documentary called Memory (great show, btw) where the writers admit they borrowed concepts and ideas from old horror comics.

What if I am ripping someone off? What if everything has been done? What if what I think is horror is old hat/boring/uninteresting to the masses? I think that’s the worst possible outcome:

Zauer’s horror: yeah, whatevs.

It’s insanely difficult to be original. I try, but sometimes I think at best you can only offer up old things in new ways. If you’ve read a certain book on screenplays, it will tell you that Alien is a retelling of the ancient story of the Minotaur. If you pull back and look at it, yes you can see it. You can’t say Alien is a ripoff so… what can you say? It’s a scifi rehash of an old Greek story? No, it’s more than that. Haha, is this all ridiculous or is this something that plagues most other writers in their respective genres?

At times, I’ll even allow myself a bit of hubris and wonder… what if I get ripped off? What if one of my concepts is snatched up and put into a movie that becomes as iconic as Alien? Silly when I consider it now. Rumblings of an amateur maybe? I should stop worrying and keep writing. Topper is hungrier for a script than the Blood Shade is for pain and arterial eruption.

Well, Spectress & Sabnion, Issue #5 is well underway. It opens bloody. It’s a blend of myth, horror, action, and the supernatural. I hope you like it.

Some friends and I had a debate about Black Adam the other day. One of my friends liked it. Honestly, I haven’t even bothered. It’s kind of the state of superhero movies right now. Haven’t been to the movies to see one in a while. It seems superhero movies have settled into a comfortable mediocrity. Why aren’t they as good anymore? Because they don’t have to be. People will fork over their money so why bother with a good script, compelling characters, and a memorable movie?

Even from the trailer, I just wasn’t interested. Let’s take a look:

Ok so yeah… just from the trailer, the dialog, the visuals… you can tell. Meh.

What’s the big line from this trailer? What’s the imposing catchphrase? The memorable tagline? It goes like this:

HAWKMAN: Heroes don’t kill people!

And the retort is….

Wait for it…

It’s coming…

BLACK ADAM: Well I do.

Yikes.

Lazy. Boring. Mediocre. If the hero of your movie is throwing out memorable lines like that in the trailer, you’ve got a problem.

We’ve had talks about Dwayne Johnson before. Great guy, definitely star material. Built, badass, charismatic, handsome, imposing. Maybe not Hamlet material as an actor, but we all know that doesn’t matter. Still though… what a waste!

“If it bleeds, we can kill it.”

“It’s not a tumor.”

“I’ll be back.”

“Hasta la vista, baby!”

“What’s best in life? To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women!”

The obvious comparison here is Arnold Schwarzenegger. But when you compare their movies… Arnie: True Lies, Predator, Terminator, Conan the Barbarian, Total Recall, Running Man. What movies come to mind when you think of The Rock? Anything? How about Rampage? Disney Jungle Cruise? Skyscraper? Ok, maybe the F&F series but… whatevs.

My point is… c’mon Dwayne! Find a good script, a good director… A GOOD MOVIE!

Been a while since I’ve posted here. Let’s get caught up w/ my recent newsletters:

Let’s Talk Horror Picks!

Everyone digs a bit of scary stuff from time to time.  Ok… in no particular order, here are my horror favorites!

• The Ring
• Sleepy Hollow
• You’re Next
• Scream
• Cabin in the Woods
• Se7en
• The Thing
• Evil Dead 2
• Psycho
• Poltergeist
• Scream
• The Descent
• Nightmare on Elm Street
• X & Pearl
• Hellraiser (1 + 2 + Hulu)

… LOL!  Started with a Top 10 but you know how it goes!  Should Predator be on there too?  And Alien?  Dangit! 

Here are some other of my favorites that kind of flew under the radar but are definitely worth checking out:

• Green Room – If you like punk rock and brutality, check this one out. Features a villainous Patrick Stewart. 
• Overlord – Not sure how this movie didn’t make a bigger splash.  Nasty Nazi experimentation, amazing WW2 action sequences.

• Bad Traveling – In my book, the creepiest and one of the best episodes of Love Death Robots on Netflix. A monster forces its way onto a ship and holds the crew captive. Terrible decisions are made.  Unsettling as hell.  
• What Lies Beneath – Harrison Ford in a horror movie. Slow burn with an amazing ending.  

Yeah, there’s been a lot of talk about this…

There are a lot of moral questions regarding the depiction of the Jeffrey Dahmer story and the show on Netflix.  Is it profiting from and glamorizing the exploits of one of history’s worst?  It’s a difficult question to deal with.  It’s not the first Dahmer depiction but it’s probably the most well done.  What’s well done about it is how it portrays Dahmer, and serial killers in general.  Serial killers are not intelligent, elite, and refined… in other words, a real Hannibal Lecter could probably never exist.  By their nature, they’re the pathetic dregs of society that have fallen through the cracks and preyed on the unfortunate people that society has left behind.  Nothing cool, suave, or exceptional about them. People are fascinated with serial killers, so these kinds of shows will always be made.  At least they didn’t make Jeffrey Dahmer out to be some kind of Dr. Lecter.

What Comes Next?

There are so many irons in the fire right now.  Working on my civilian and comic creator careers simultaneously.  My last shows of the year are in Madison, WI and Grand Rapids, MI over the next 2 weekends.  I’m giving Ruxy Vampire another tweak.  It was originally going to be a 52-page epic but that just doesn’t make sense economically.  Going to break it down into 2 32-page issues that are both going to be a lot of fun!  Can’t wait to get it to you!  Spectress & Sabanion, Issue #5 is also in the works and I hope to have #6 close on its heels.  My ambition often outstrips my resources (time, money, etc.) but I have goals to reach, regardless!

Ruxy Vampire 

No interiors so far, but tweaks continue on the script.  I am, of course, falling in love with my villain.  No pics of her yet but fear not!  She’ll get a cover too.  In the meantime, here’s a gorgeous taste of a cover by MR Gunn:

That’s Entertainment!

There is SO MUCH going on right now… so much to see!  So much to check out!  Here are a few quick links that you might enjoy:

• METALLICA!  After the surge in popularity of their song in Stranger Things they made a video for Master of Puppets and it’s… actually kinda meh.  
• HELLRAISER!  It’s returning on Hulu and it’s not a remake!  Really looking forward to this!  Sounds like it’s not going to be another generic slasher because it shouldn’t be. I’ve avoided Hellraiser sequels beyond the 2nd but I’ve heard there are one or two other good ones. 
• EVIL DEAD RISE!
• Wolverine is coming back for DEADPOOL 3!  This looks like it will be a blast

Oh, not me! However I still do feel a sense of pride knowing that the colorist who has done such an amazing job coloring Spectress & Sabanion had his skills recognized by DC Comics!! Amazing! Outstanding!! Congratulations to Wesley Wong! 

Pick up a copy of Wonder Woman – Historia Book Two if you haven’t already.

But That’s Not All!

You all know my interior artist, Topper Helmers.  He’s reached a milestone himself and completed his first graphic novel!  It’s called Cloud Raider Tales and it’s packed with fantastic action and whimsical art.  I’ll be helping him launch the book on Kickstarter!  

 Got To Have a Great Creator Chat

I had a really fun interview w/ Elijah Loving who does his own quarterly publication called TMQ (Tikvah Minds Quartery). I met Elijah at a show a few years back and he’s a great artist and a great guy.  He and I had a great chat and he graciously gave me a copy of the video. You can check it out on my YouTube channel here:

You can also check out Elijah’s work at his website and his YouTube channel.

Issue #4 Kickstarting is inbound!

As soon as the covers are fully prepped, Spectress & Sabanion #4 will be launching on Kickstarter!  I’m working with some new cover artists on this one, including CB Zane and Anh Vu!  Mog Park will be back with another Tarot cover: Judgement. Can’t wait.  Wesley was able to work his magic on Topper’s cover so… ENJOY! 

Spectress & Sabanion Issue #4 features the backstory of Aneksi during her last days in Egypt. 

BLOOD AND FIRE!!!  Just the way I like it.

Let’s Talk Conventions 
I’ve added quite a few shows to my convention schedule this year, including 2 first-time shows in Michigan! Conventions start this Sunday, check out my full schedule!  I hope to add a few more shows as things progress.  I have an application in for C2E2 again this year. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that lightning strikes twice!  

Let’s Talk Recommendations
There is so much good stuff out there to watch and sometimes I think it’s just too much. First of all, thank you again for spending your precious time & money on Spectress & Sabanion. Without you, I couldn’t do this. But there are, of course, SO MANY OTHER GREAT STORIES OUT THERE! Here are a few recommendations:

Netflix: DOTA – Dragon’s Blood

If you’re into action, dragons, & sorcery, check this out. Fantastic animation. It’s based on a video game but it has a lot of the old D & D classics like Mirror Image and, my personal favorite, the Flying Scimitar of Tusmit! Nasty! 

Amazon Prime: The Legend of Vox Machina

And… yeah, if you’re into action, dragons, & sorcery (sensing a pattern here) with a comedic twist have a look. This show was lots of fun, hilarious but also very intense at times. I don’t know much about the Critical Role crew, but this show is an absolute blast!  

For a Great Fantasy Read:  The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

Easily one of the best fantasy books I’ve ever read. Got a recommendation from a friend for this one and it’s definitely up there with Lord of the Rings. Not a questing epic, but the story of a group of top-notch grifters that tempt fate.  Doesn’t start heavy on magic/sorcery but it plays a larger role as the story progresses. I listened to it on Audible.com and it was very well narrated.

Comics:  Written by Ben Percy

I have to say, I’ve really enjoyed Ben Percy’s writing on Wolverine. The recent X-Men Krakoa series has been interesting (and quite convoluted but that’s what you get w/ The X-Men). Wolverine has had a great piece of that story, almost letting himself believe that he has a place he can call home. Fantastic art, too.  I picked up the new Ghost Rider just because he’s writing it.  It’s a first issue, laying the groundwork, but more great gruesome art and a lot of future potential.  

Charity:  Compassion is Key

You don’t hear much about kindness and compassion anymore.  It doesn’t sell well on the news but it’s a part of humanity that should always be embraced and celebrated.  There isn’t enough of that.  There are a lot of charities that asking for donations but, if you can, check out this one.  It helps children in the care of police, fire, emergency room staff in the southeastern Wisconsin area.  

If you check any of these out, let me know what you think!

Let’s Talk Cagey Comics!
Spectress & Sabanion Issue #4 continues. Wes is still banging out colors and Topper is banging on my door for the Issue #5 script. So much going on! Things are going a slower than I’d like but I’m working on that.  Thank you for sticking it out w/ me. Here’s page 4, where Aneksi and Cheska get to take a breather after the insanity of Issue #3:

Ruxy Vampire also continues.  Draft 2 of the script is w/ the editor.  I can’t wait to get this one out, it’s going to be soooo much fun!!

I know you’re busy, but I just wanted to take a little time to wish you the best over the holidays and a great New Year!  2021 was… well… no idea how to call it.  Let’s keep the negative things in the rearview mirror and focus on what’s going to be a fantastic 2022!

Time for Reflection… how was 2021/Lessons Learned?

• Stick with conventions with “comics” or “anime” in the title.
• Use backwards planning when launching a Kickstarter, check & doublecheck.
• When you get jargon thrown at you, people assume you know what it means when you often don’t. Ask.
• People like original art.  
• Growth is directly proportional to output. Write more, create more, and they will come!

There’s a lot on the plate for 2022!

My ambitions generally outpace what I’m realistically capable of pulling off but…  that’s never stopped me! Here are the goals for 2022:

1. Spectress & Sabanion, Issue #4 Kickstarter
2. Ruxy Vampire, Issue #1 Kickstarter
3. Spectress & Sabanion, Issue #5 Kickstarter
4. Ruxy Vampire, Issue #2 Kickstarter (if #1 does well)
5. Spectress & Sabanion, Issue #6 Kickstarter and close the first story arc
6. Start 2023 w/ a glorious hardcover trade collection of Issues #1 – 6

Can it be done?  I guess we’ll see.  Issue #4 is humming right along.  Here’s page 8, art by Topper Helmers and colors by Wesley Wong:

Ruxy Vampire title design by LetterSquids, what do you think?

How about you?

What’s on your plate for 2022?  Please do your best to keep yourself happy, healthy, and safe.  Not sure how much better things are going to get but try to carve out a little place of happiness for yourself and those you love.  Be kind to others, watch a movie, read a comic (S & S, of course, but there are so many other good ones out there too), listen to some music, go for a walk.  Know what’s going on but keep away from too much bad news, especially the things that are out of your control.  Challenge yourself physically, mentally, and spiritually.  Try something new, do something different.  To quote the great Wrath Demon, Sabanion, “Busy hands are happy hands…”

Speaking of music… Click + Enjoy!

Take Care, Merry Christmas, and Happy New year!

But first, C2E2 was… pretty good?

I was lucky to get a table at C2E2 this year, no question there. It was great meeting people and I had a good time. Sales were… not as much as I expected but that’s ok. The show was well attended but people weren’t making much in purchases. Being that close to Christmas was a big factor, but I’m guessing.

Still though, I had a chance to meet Ivan Tao. He’s from Malaysia so this was a great opportunity. Hope I get another chance to hang out w/ him.

It’s been a busy few months but now I’m trying to kick things down a few notches and actually enjoy the holidays this year.  I’ve been doing quite a lot of extra stuff for my full-time job and I’m ready to cool down a bit.  I don’t have a lot of family commitments so Christmas and New Years are a pretty simple affair for me.  I’m really looking forward to kicking back and finishing up that 2nd draft for Ruxy Vampire.  Recently, I’ve been diving into the 6 issue run of The History of the Marvel Universe.

It’s been a lot of fun.  I picked up the series at Dark Art & Oddities Con a few weeks ago.  One of the editors/historians that worked on the book, Daron Jensen, was at the show signing and selling copies of the series.  He also said to have a pitch prepped at C2E2 if I should run into a Marvel editor.  That’s…. a little terrifying, honestly.  Needless to say, I’m a fan of warrior-sorceress types so… put me down for a 5 issue SPIRAL run!

I can dream, can’t I?  

For me she was always one of the coolest villains who, of course, eventually joins the good guys because… she’s cool.

Coming up on 2022!

I have high hopes for 2022!  So much I want to get done! Shall we set some goals?

• I want to get out Issues #4 – 6 of Spectress & Sabanion to complete the first story arc!
• I want to get out 2 Issues of Ruxy Vampire!
• I want to start seriously distributing my books out to the masses in comic book shops, either thru Diamond or other indie distributors.

There you have it.  That’s a lot.  Attainable?  I hope so.  We’ll take another look at this time next year and see where we are.  

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Hope you’re having a great day and and life, family, pets, etc. all treat you right this month and over the holidays. I hope 2022 brings you joy with a healthy dose of MAGIC, MURK, and MAYHEM!

I’m STOKED!  TABLE D-11 is mine… all mine! 

Not often that a little guy like me gets into a big show like this.  It’s definitely Chicago’s largest comic convention and I’ve been attending every year it’s been held since 2016.  That year, I commissioned a piece of art from Jeff Dekal and picked it up at the show.  I wanted something to inspire me and jumpstart some of the ideas that had been simmering in my brain for quite a long time.  I’m sure most of you are familiar with it:

The Artist Alley that year is also where I met the artist for my first book, Sajad Shah, and we collaborated to create Spectress Preview Issue #0.  C2E2 2016 is really what spurred me and gave me the motivation that I could actually do this.  And now, 5 years later, here I am!  Still can’t believe it.  I’m sure that circumstances have a little bit to do with it, LOL, but I’m not complaining!  Not one bit!

Stop by if you can!  Topper Helmers will be there on Friday!

Interior/cover artist, and all-around decent guy, Topper Helmers will be sharing the table with me on the first day of the show – Friday, December 10th.  He’ll have some of his original work there, will definitely knock out some signatures, and I’m sure he can be persuaded to do a sketch cover or two.  Topper has been working ahead on a few things that are simply stunning!  We’re still rolling ideas around on where they’d fit best and how to release them.  That guy likes to work and loves to create art!  I really lucked out when I met him.

Cover Artists Chris Ehnot and Ivan Tao will also be there! 

If you want signatures from Spectress & Sabanion cover artists, now is the time!  

Comic Book Update

Things are proceeding, not as quickly as I like but they’re on track. The script for Ruxy Vampire Issue #1 is in editing and rewrites currently.  It’s going to be bizarre, supernatural fun!  You’re going to meet Ruxy, her brother Marku, Appolonia, Al Capone, Frank Nitti, and Joey the Envy Demon.  Got some great feedback from Chuck Pineau on this and I’m working on the 2nd draft.  He’s helping out as editor on this issue.  

Issue #4 of Spectress & Sabanion is proceeding with more gorgeous colors by Wesley Wong.  This issue focuses on the story of Aneksi’s transformation and her last days in Egypt.  Topper and Wesley really bring ancient Alexandria to life.  Have a look at that sweet 2-page spread w/ colors: