Canister X – A.P. Fuchs: Zombie, Paranormal Romance and Superhero Novelist, Blogger, Artist, Publisher

At a weird crossroads over here career-wise. Retooling the business model, doing taxes and tying up loose ends for the old way of doing things. This industry changes quickly, and when you’re a guy like me who writes, publishes, edits, designs, draws, blogs, reviews, does interviews, networks, markets, makes appearance, does signings, answers fan mail, and more . . . being on the go on top of an almost-always-moving industry sometimes makes for, well–stagnancy. Ever hear the phrase, “You’re moving so fast you’re standing still”?

I’ve been busy as all get out behind-the-scenes, but with it being business tax season, I’m stuck simply crunching numbers, keeping track of eleven computer screens, and trying to pick at a project or two all the while maintaining contact with those who work with me.

June 15 is the tax deadline, which means I need to be done around June 10 so I can get the crate of tax papers over to my accountant by then so she can make the filing deadline.

After June 10–which just so happens to run into Man of Steel weekend–I plan on taking a few days off and chilling out playing DC Universe Online, spend time with the kids and just be a goob for a few days.

But I have a plan in place for what you can expect from me this year, as always the Central Canada Comic Con being the big show and my main deadline for releases.

I’m taking pre-orders on Getting Down and Digital: How to Self-publish Your Book. I’ve been at this game nine years and make my living self-publishing so I know a thing or two about it, and have been making a living at it before all this Kindle hype nonsense. $20 gets you a copy of the book, shipping included, and a signature. Please email if interested. This book is due out mid-late June.

After that, hopefully out in June as well are two anthologies I’m editing: Metahumans vs Werewolves, the follow up to Metahumans vs the Undead, and Bigfoot Terror Tales Vol. 3.

Over the summer, I hope to release Bigfoot Terror Tales Vol. 4 as well, and finish serializing Zomtropolis here on the blog–we’re about 3/4 through the book right now–so I can publish a revised and polished edition by C4.

Episode No. 2 of the Axiom-man Saga is due out during the summer, hopefully, with another full length Axiom-man book due by the con.

I also have a few other things planned, like the print versions of Axiom-man comics Nos. 3 and 4, Canister X No. 4, my superhero movie review book, the first volume of collected letters and correspondance, and my super secret project. It does seem like an awful lot, but a good chunk of the above are almost done and just need to be wrapped up, but with it being tax season, my hands are tied until I finish that. Then I can go at blinding speed and things will be flying out of the gate.

This is where things stand. Just frustrating on my end because I feel like I could really be moving on some things but have to say, “Hang on, just wait,” for a little while longer until I wrap up the important things that keep me out of jail, like filing my taxes on time and making an honest and thorough claim of my income. This leads me to double checking, even triple checking, all my math, thus why it’s slowgoing.

Anyway, just keeping you up-to-date. Really looking forward to the new business model because there will be more books and comics from me more frequently as a result.

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An evil mastermind terrorist known as the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) is wreaking havoc via a rash of bombings, holding the world in his grip. Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) gets on the case and discovers the bombings are initiated by people exposed to the Extremis program, something Stark Industries could’ve had ties to a long time ago, but chose not to. Turns out those Tony Stark knew back then are neck-deep involved with what’s going on now, have re-entered his life, and are making things complicated.

While trying to pinpoint the location of the Mandarin, Iron Man aka Tony is also dealing with the aftermath of the Chitauri invasion of New York in The Avengers. Having trouble sleeping, he’s been spending all his time constructing various Iron Man armors to help himself cope. This brings tension to his relationship with Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), who he’s now living with and is dedicated to.

Upon discovering the location of the Mandarin and his true identity, Iron Man and his almost-sidekick the Iron Patriot aka War Machine aka Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes (Don Cheadle) head up against a battalion of Extremis-infected warriors and must pull out all the stops to put an end to their reign of terror. The problem is these Extremis soldiers are so powerful that victory doesn’t seem likely.

Can Iron Man prevail against an army as strong as he is?

I’m not sure what to make of this movie. Sure, it was entertaining and the storyline was fine. I like the idea of making it a direct follow up to The Avengers, and showing how Tony Stark’s world—never mind the rest of the world—had been affected by the Chitauri invasion and the presence of the other Avengers.

This flick was loaded with solid action, tough bad guys, cool tech, guns and everything else that makes an Iron Man movie a lot of fun. I just wasn’t sold on the presentation. This might be harsh, but this flick came off as the Batman Forever of the Iron Man movies. I’m all for humor in even the most serious of movies, but it seemed the jokes were either too forced or too slapstick to make me take this flick seriously. And that’s the secret with superhero movies: they need to take themselves seriously—even if they’re meant to be a comedy—otherwise they’ll never work. There was an awful lot of getting in and out of the Iron Man suits in this film, both by Tony and Rhodey, never mind Pepper getting a shot at wearing it, the President, the Extremis guy—there were so many suit changes that the novelty of watching someone don the Iron Man was quickly spent after the first three times.

This film was not directed by Jon Favreau, which might have had something to do with it. Just seems this movie was weighed down with not enough Iron Man and a storyline—which was solid in and of itself—that moved slowly. I realize Tony’s aftermath and post-traumatic stress from The Avengers was the focus, but the same goal could’ve been accomplished had there been more Iron Man. I don’t necessarily mean more action—as action-filled movies that are nothing but explosions start to finish get boring after a while—but perhaps him having a love/hate relationship with the suit because being in it nearly killed him at the end of The Avengers, or maybe take the robo-injections to summon the suit to a new level because he’s trying to make himself super to be on par with guys like Captain America or Thor and have him deal with that?

The extra scene at the end of the credits with Dr. Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) picked up on the bromance from The Avengers. A nice touch. Didn’t move the Marvel cinematic universe forward in any way, but was a nice touch.

If you’re a Marvel movie completest, then by all means, check it out. Likewise, pick up the Blu-ray when it comes out to complete your set. For me, I think I’m going to have watch it again and perhaps I’ll warm up to it a bit more. I felt let down when I watched the first Spider-Man in 2002, but got more into it with subsequent viewings. Iron Man 3 might be one of those movies.

Just think they could’ve done a lot more with it.

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Two brothers. One a nerd. One a karate expert. Both grown up and living with their grandma.

Darryl and Kevin Walker (Damon Wayons and David Alan Grier) have lived in the rough part of town with their grandma since they were kids. As boys they’d run around the apartment with towels tied around their necks, aping Batman and Robin. Now, grown up, Kevin works at the TV station doing over-the-top news stories about aliens while Darryl works as a repairman and has a knack for inventing. After their grandma is killed along with several others while working to support the campaign of a wholesome, upcoming mayor, Darryl vows to make a difference in his city and invents bulletproof long johns, transforming himself into Blankman. He even makes a costume for his brother . . . who quickly refuses to join him. Taking cues from the campy 1960s Batman series, Blankman sets out to help others and uses this super alterego to work through his grandmother’s death. Meanwhile, Kevin lets Darryl go about his crimefighting business since he’s busy trying to woo beautiful reporter Kimberly Jonz (Robin Givens), who does real news stories several floors above him. Of course, tensions rise as Kimberly seems to have a thing for Blankman and admires the superhero’s heroic efforts.

Eventually, Kevin learns who was behind their grandmother’s death: the city’s crime boss, Michael Minelli (Jon Polito). This time, Kevin asks to join Darryl on his crusade and since Darryl is the every-faithful brother, he produces the outfit Kevin rejected and Kevin becomes Other Guy, Blankman’s side kick. The two take it upon themselves to hunt down Minelli and bring him to justice, making him pay for what he did once and for all.

Blankman is superhero comedy at its finest. It’s also inspiring as it’s the story of everyday guys trying to do the right thing even if it means putting on a costume and helping others. Damon Wayons and David Alan Grier are hilarious and the chemistry between the two works well. If you didn’t know any better, would think they were brothers in real life.

This flick isn’t your usual superhero spoof, though. It took itself seriously in that it wasn’t tongue-in-cheek, but a deliberate superhero comedy with serious undertones. Everything from the social outcast that rises up, to the standing up for what’s right in a world that’s cynical and jaded, to going out of your way to helping your fellow man, Blankman hits it hard on all points.

The jokes and humor are laugh-out-loud funny, the sad moments make you ache inside, and David Alan Grier’s facial expressions are priceless.

Like I mentioned in my review of The Phantom, sometimes it’s nice to unplug and watch a superhero movie that’s lighthearted, easygoing, and loads of fun.

There’s plenty of action and excitement in this movie to satisfy those looking for those things, but it’s real strength lies in its heart and that is about two boys rising up to become men in a world that took away the one person they held the most dear.

As a fair warning, this isn’t a kid’s movie as there’s grown-up humor, innuendo and some language in it so is recommended for ages 14+.

I’ve been a Blankman fan from the beginning and though it’s been nearly twenty years since it came out, I’m still rooting for a sequel.

Love zombies? Monsters? Things that go bump in the night? Coscom Entertainment is proud to present its 2013 blowout sale. Books are just $5. That’s over 60% off cover.

Thumbnails of titles below. All books are in brand new condition. Shipping details are $5US for the first book and $2US for every book thereafter for books going out in Canada and the US. Shipping for international customers is $8US for the first book and $3US for every book thereafter.

For a plot synopsis of each book, each thumbnail is linked to its Amazon page. Check out the story then send a note to coscomentertainment at gmail dot com with a list of the books you want along with your shipping address. Paypal payments preferred. Money orders also accepted.

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A ship taken over by pirates. The death of a father. A young boy thrown overboard. Washing up on the shore of the Island of Bengalla. A strange ritual and a vow. When that boy grew up and became a man, he became the Phantom.

Centuries later, this boy’s descendant—the 21st Phantom (Billy Zane)—is protecting his beloved jungle when thieves steal a sacred skull from a lost treasure trove. The Phantom learns the significance of the skull and discovers it is one of three and should someone ever possess all three, they would have ultimate power. Trailing the stolen skull to New York, the Phantom, now under his civilian guise of Kit Walker, seeks to track down the remaining skulls. While there, he reconnects with his old flame, Diana Palmer (Kirsty Swanson), and the two need to reconcile past differences as Kit learns the location of the second skull. Meanwhile, evil businessman Xander Drax (Treat Williams), in cahoots with the Sengh Brotherhood, a band of pirates—the descendants of the same pirates that were responsible for sinking the ship of the father of the first Phantom—and Drax wants the skulls for themselves. Drax, too, discovers the location of the second skull at the same time Kit and Diana do and after a failed attempt at disposing of Kit, kidnaps Diana and takes her to the location of the third: an uncharted island.

Good confronts evil when the Phantom seeks to rescue Diana while also stopping Drax and the Sengh Brotherhood from uniting the three skulls and becoming a powerful force in the world.

Phantom lore is fascinating, especially the idea that he never dies, or, at least, that’s what criminals and evildoers everywhere think. “The Ghost Who Walks” has been around since 1936, which predates Superman, making the Phantom one of the earliest superheroes. I remember seeing trailers for this flick back when it first came out and getting all excited. It was superhero, swashbuckling adventure. Even saw it in the theatre. On that day I was running a bit behind. If I remember right, I missed the previews and came in right when the movie was starting. The first words I saw where the words that kicked off the film, “For those who came in late.” I really thought the movie somehow knew I was late—or people like me—because then it went into a recap of the Phantom’s origin before launching into the main story. Ahh, to be a young, gullible fanboy again.

This movie was clean, wholesome superhero fun. There was a decent story, superhero action, humor and adventure, with a little romance thrown in. It didn’t take itself seriously, but wasn’t a giant camp fest either. I still pop in the DVD now and then and enjoy The Phantom as a nice break from the oh-so-heavy-drama-laden superhero movies of today. Sometimes you just want to see a good guy busting bad guys and that’s it.

Nowadays, this movie falls short in a few places—the “wow factor,” the costume, the life-or-death-save-the-world-or-die storylines—but I was happy with Billy Zane’s portrayal of the Phantom and with the movie as a whole. I’ve never read any of the comics so my view is completely on the flick and it being a simple superhero story. I will say that this movie has stirred in me an interest in the Phantom and am thinking of one day getting into the comics that spawned him.

The movie is definitely kid-friendly and as a parent who doesn’t let his kids watch a good chunk of today’s superhero flicks due to their mature content, this is one I’d recommend for families or those just looking for a break from the more grown-up, adult-oriented superhero movies of today.

Cool superhero stuff, namely Batman: Arkham Origins, DCUO: Origin Crisis, Man of Steel TV Spots . . .

The Axiom-man Saga, so far as I know, is the only superhero saga in the world that is a cross-medium storyline done by a single creator. This is why my superhero series spans across books, comics, short stories and, maybe, other platforms in the future. That said, it kind of has a weird publishing model in that regard and isn’t just as simple as reading books 1, 2, 3 and more.

The storyline started in the novel, Axiom-man, the full-length novels meant to be treated like feature films. In between each one are novellas–or “episodes,” like half-hour shows–and short stories and comics. If you’re a prose person, it’s simple: novel, episode novella, novel, episode novella, novel, etc.

For the completist, here is the entire Axiom-man Saga listed in reading order.

Axiom-man
Episode No. 0: First Night Out
Doorway of Darkness
Black Water
Episode No. 1: The Dead Land
There’s Something Rotten Up North
City of Ruin
Axiom-man Comics, Nos. 1-6

Stand-alone Comic: Axiom-man: Of Magic and Men

Here is the thumbnail version of the above. Each thumbnail takes you to its Amazon page for synopsis and purchase details, except for the second last one, which is only available on the Web right now:

The plan with The Axiom-man Saga is to tell a superhero’s life story as realistically as possible, beginning in a world just like ours with no one with superpowers. But what if one day that changes?

In which we open up a new package . . .

In reply to the wonderful essay on Brian Keene’s website by Weston Ochse entitled, “The Great and Improbable Secret to a Great and Improbable Writing Career,” I said:

Are you true to your craft? Are you doing things to better yourself and understand the craft of writing?

Yes. Absolutely. Won’t claim perfection—who can?—but I write following the writing rules I know, staying true to the ones in stone, bending those that can be bent, and just being myself. I read everything from novels to non-fiction books, to comics and graphic novels, to poetry and news articles, magazines and more. I pay attention to their construction and try and apply those lessons to my own work and that of others when I edit them.

Do you seek out as many edits as possible? Note that an editor has to have some sort of training. Merely calling oneself an editor isn’t good enough.

Yes and no. I do believe in over-editing, that is, where you revise and revise until the whole thing starts coming apart like repeatedly cleaning a garment. The fabric can only take so much picking. But I do have an editing system: first three drafts are by me, fourth is by an editor, fifth is me going over his edits (of which I accept around 95% of them), sixth is another draft by me, then seventh is my wife as first reader who just reads to enjoy but marks down anything that jumps out. At that point, my books are pretty clean, and my editor is notoriously picky and hard to please.

If you’ve self-published, did you do it because it was on your own terms, or was it because you were too impatient for the impossibly slow and laborious publication process?

As a long time advocate of self-publishing—since 2004—I originally did it because I was duped into subsidy publishing via a vanity press in 2003. Was a nightmare start to finish, but ironically I fell in love with the book-making process and since my original goal was to be a self-published comic book creator—think Image Comics style—I simply applied my entrepreneurial spirit to writing and publishing books. It’s worked out well for me and it’s how I make my living, and this was before the Kindle hype and all that nonsense, you know, when the midlist dried up and midlisters self-pubbed out of desperation. Some found success, others didn’t. Now it’s a bandwagon, etc., and, it seems, new writers are self-publishing first before going traditional. Doing it all wrong, mind you, but doing it nonetheless. Some are lucking out and finding success, but most aren’t. I have a book on it coming out in June called, Getting Down and Digital: How to Self-publish Your Book, plug, plug.

My company has dealt with Simon and Schuster and the like. It’s fine, but for my own work, unless a really sweet deal came up, I’m better off going it alone. I also write niche-specific superhero stuff and some monster stuff so I’m not exactly doing mass market material. I was actually a guest at a writer’s conference a few weeks back and got some behind-the-scenes details about certain NY houses and what their writers go through. If anything, for me, it reaffirmed my decision to go it alone. I really don’t want to be a cog in someone else’s machine and pretend as if I’m really a writer staying true to his/her vision as a result. Money’s not my motivator. Whether I made six figures a year or just enough to live on, I don’t care. My goal has always been to support myself with my art, but dollars and cents don’t drive me—as in give me more, give me more—and I’m content with whatever comes my way. Money’s overrated anyway.

Are you true to yourself? Are you writing what you want?

See above. Absolutely. I tried to write to market as an experiment—did a trilogy of paranormal romances—to see if genre would affect sales. It didn’t. The joy of self-publishing is I can fool around like that. Got more stuff on the horizon. Are they popular ideas or sure fire ways to reach the masses and make money? Time will tell. Is reaching the masses and making boatloads of cash why I do this? No. If it happens, it’s a side benefit. If it doesn’t, hey, most artists—and I include writers in that label—have to duke out a living anyway. Publishing is a crapshoot. There is no secret formula. If there was, it would’ve gotten out by now and we’d all be doing it.

Good essay, Weston. Didn’t realize you were all the way up to book thirteen. Congratulations.

Posted this on Facebook today. Thought I’d share here as I think it carries some merit:

The thing I’m grateful for today: my ability to work from home. My wife got a job recently, which puts her on day shift. Our kids are young and I had to recently turn down an evening job due to my SVT and, the main reason, due to the overlap of my wife’s hours and what would’ve been my evening shift hours, we couldn’t get childcare. After I dropped the kids off at school this morning, I walked toward home with a guy who has to work opposite shifts with his wife. He only sees her a half hour a day. Having done that myself and having worked three jobs at once at one point, I know from firsthand experience that missing time with family just to pay the bills isn’t worth it. Relationships detoriate pretty quickly; there’s isolation and loneliness, and all you do is become a machine. No paycheck is worth that. So with that said, I’m thankful that our working life isn’t like that. I hope it won’t ever be that way again. We did it for years and that’s not a life. I worked 16-hour days regularly and hardly saw my wife and kids. The only payoff is it eventually paved the way to do what I do, but the cost was ultra high. Thankfully, I had an understanding wife who saw the big picture and my kids were so small that they don’t remember those days now. Had it been a case of no career-goal payoff–and in the foreseeable future, mind you–I wouldn’t have done it.

It’s totally different if you’re single, then you just have you to worry about, but for those with families, it’s hard to juggle everything on the work front, namely families with kids who can’t be left alone at home.

Feel free to chime in. Just throwing this out there as blue collar discussion, especially aimed at families with little ones. Cost of living is super high and the wages out there have not risen with the costs. I also realize I live in the land of plenty so there is nothing I can complain about. Family, food, clothing, shelter. You have these, you have it all. You really do. All the rest is window dressing.