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

At a place of frustration today. I’m super swamped work-wise and have a crazy amount to do by Oct. 10-11. That’s cut off for about five or six different projects, all presently in progress. Has to be done if I’m to make C4 for both my personal work and the work of others.
Also really frustrated about not smoking. I really want to and feel like a kid whose parents aren’t letting them do whatever they want even though, technically, the kid could do it if they wanted to. You know? That place where you feel stuck and you want to stomp your feet and growl because you hate the solid ache of “GAAAAHHH!” inside yet you know you have a chance to make it go away but feel tied up? Yeah. That’s today.
On the craving front, I’m about the same as yesterday, maybe a bit less, so around a 7.
Today’s attitude is an honest: Quitting smoking is dumb.
Anyway, got to go back to typing up edits. Hope everyone is having a better Saturday than me. Think I’m going to a break and read the latest Justice League comic to make me feel better. This is the one with Superman kissing Wonder Woman on the cover.

. . . I didn’t end up writing him until late 2005 because I hadn’t gotten into Cerebus until early 2004. Regardless, in my mind, Dave Sim’s Collected Letters 2004 is an important book and an insight into a man who stands by his convictions, tells it like it is, and had inspired me into firmly adopting the “I don’t care what anyone thinks of me” attitude. This last point was especially critical during my very vocal arguments for self-publishing back when self-publishing was the greatest crime one could commit as a writer aside from maybe plagerism. There’s something precious in that–individualism–especially given our politically-correct-let’s-be-careful-what-we-say-even-if-what-we’re-saying-isn’t-true-so-as-to-not-hurt-anyone’s-feelings culture. As time has gone on, the more weary I’ve gotten of this gray world we live in. It seems that the moment I step out my door–granted, that’s not often at all–it’s like stepping into a steam room where all you see are vague silhouettes of people, ones who are primarily putting up a front so as to be liked by all. You can see it in their eyes, that insecurity, you can hear it in their voice, you even get that all-so-interesting-yet-all-so-mysterious “vibe.” The irony of this, of course, is that folks crave those who are themselves as is evidenced when they come up to you later and say stuff like, “Thanks for speaking up. I was thinking the same thing but didn’t want to upset anybody.”

Anyway, that’s my little prelude to the next series of blog entries, which are my side of the conversation when Dave Sim and I wrote back and forth for a short while discussing the vagueries of our current societal climate and living in a world of “you know what I mean.”

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November 27, 2005

Dear Dave:

A nearly two-year belated congratulations to you and Gerhard on the completion of Cerebus. I’m a fairly new Cerebus reader, having started reading the book around the time 300 came out. So far I’ve read the first two phonebooks and am about a third of the way through Collected Letters 2004 (which actually prompted my writing you today). Funnily enough, I wasn’t aware that you corresponded with your readers until having started reading Collected Letters 2004. I believe I had first heard/read about Cerebus when I stumbled upon your self-publishing guide several years back, back when I was interested in putting out my own comic. I read it, filed it way as useful info to utilize when the time came and, as things unfolded in my own life, moved from writing and drawing comics to just writing books (although I do dabble in scripting now and then). Just recently I re-read your self-publishing guide–as I’m a self-published author myself and like to read the opinions and thoughts of like-minded individuals–and have to agree with what was presented there, namely the fact that the truth about self-publishing is finding what works best for you then utilizing that to its fullest potential. Kind of like how Bruce Lee approached his art. He took what worked, discarded what didn’t, added other things that he found worked for him and got rid of the things that stopped working for him. It truly is an individual process, with the only “mandatory” things–and this goes without saying–being creating it, printing/packaging it, getting it out there. The rest and “how to” of it is finding the method(s) that work for you and running with the ball.

I also found it encouraging, of course, to read a self-publishing success story because, as said, I’m a self-publisher myself and, though not having yet achieved the same level success as you have, it’s good to see what it possible if you stick to your own thing, do what works for you and go at it no holds barred. Will everyone agree? No. Like yourself, I’ve had my run-ins with name authors in the traditional press who, in the book biz, are of the mind that when it comes to fiction, that it’s New-York-traditional-publishing-or-bust. Sign your contract, get your advance, and go home to crank out the next book. Though of course the big contract is most any struggling writer’s dream, the hard reality is that getting that contract is extraordinarily difficult especially in an industry where the bottom line is all that matters and art has taken a back seat. (I’m friends with many writers who could nearly build a house out of their rejection slips.) Of course, in order for any business to function and last, the bottom line has to be kept in mind. That point is understandable otherwise any press would have gone the way of the Dodo long ago. But what drives me nuts is the fact that art has become secondary and profit is all that is cared about. That’s a discussion for another time, but I do take great comfort in knowing there are small presses out there and self-published efforts by writers who put art first, new ideas first, new angles and views first, instead of writing cookie cutter fiction for the sake of the dollar and reaching more readers. Makes one wonder where the world might be at if new ideas and new thinking had been/were allowed into the popular media?

Anyway, so far, yes, I really enjoyed the first volumes of Cerebus and in a behind-the-scenes kind of way, it was interesting to see you grow as an artist and writer since the first issue till the end of High Society. I’m eager to see what happens in Church and State and so forth till the end. It’s too bad things didn’t work out with Amazon.com/.ca (I skipped forward to only that letter) as Amazon.ca is where I grab most of my reading material (namely because that’s where most small presses I buy from have their catalogue listed in one convenient location). But I understand your reasoning behind your decision and, because I also run my own press, can see how their handling the back-and-forth regarding orders had caused problems. Speaking of the volumes, you had hinted in your letters collection at publishing a Collection Essays volume sometime in the future. Whether there still are plans for this or not, I don’t know, but if there are, you can count me a customer. Since I have to get the Cerebus storyline in the collected volumes format, I won’t be able to read the essays that filled the back part of your book for the twenty-six years it was running. I’m also a part of the Yahoo! group online and there are talks about a color volume. Whether this was your idea or the group’s idea, I don’t know, as I never saw the beginning of the discussion. Regardless, if it does come out, again, count me in.

Lastly–and you knew this was coming; I think you even said it yourself in one of your letters that you wait for the reader/letter writer to start commenting on your viewpoints toward the end of their letters–regarding the viewpoints (of what I’ve read so far) presented in Collected Letters 2004, I have to say that I agree with you that, in summary, society has a hard time dealing in what reality is. There is no true black and white thinking anymore. No “yes,” no “no,” no real right or wrong, no real true standards. That’s the problem with living in a politically correct climate. Basically “everything goes” for fear of “offending” someone else. Sad but true. On an unrelated topic, I agree with your statement about a creator being judged based on the work itself and not on who they are as a creator, and being against the idea of having their work judged with the influence of who they are as a creator. It’s all about the work, in the end, as that’s the stuff that–God willing–will be around after you and I have left this world.

Anyway, thanks for the good reading so far. I’m sure you’ll hear from me again once I’m further into the Cerebus storyline. All the best and I hope retirement has been treating you well.

Your fellow Canuck,

My wife found an old USB and some of my old drawings were on it, so here’s a one-panel gag I drew several years back. Consider it your cheesy joke of the day or something.

January 2012 is the official release date of the second issue of my quarterly minicomic, Canister X Comix.
This is issue is very special because it marks my first forray into the 24-hour-comic challenge as invented by Scott McCloud. The deal? 24 pages in 24 hours. One whole comic. Fueled by coffee and Red Bull, my wife and I did it together. Canister X Comix No. 2 was my creation. Average Jill (see link) was hers.

Official write-up:

Inside:

24 pages of comix in 24 hours as part of the famous 24-hour-comic challenge. Inside:

A sleepless night, a bizarre superhero’s origin, kids and bad language, expensive cupcakes, . . . and more!

28 digest pages, B&W Also available on Kindle.

Single issues – $3.00US each plus $1.25US each for shipping ($2.25 outside Canada/US)

As promised, Canister X Comix have now hit the Amazon Kindle and I’m really excited about this as I know that the future of single-issue comics lies in the eBook/eComic arena. Now I got stuff there on the ground floor. It served me well when eBooks finally exploded and I know it’ll be the same when comics catch up digitally as well. I don’t mind waiting because that day is fast approaching.

Anyway, the first three issues of Canister X Comix are now available for immediate download to your Kindle or Kindle app. (The apps are free, btw.)

Simply follow the links below to check them out and view the free preview.

Thanks in advance for your support. Enjoy.

Canister X Comix No. 1 – October 2011	Inside: A day in the life of . . ., booksigning woes, fame runs backwards, journey’s beginning, . . . more! B&W Please click here to download.
Canister X Comix No. 2 – January 2012	Inside: 24 pages of comix in 24 hours as part of the famous 24-hour-comic challenge. Inside: A sleepless night, a bizarre superhero’s origin, kids and bad language, expensive cupcakes, . . . and more! B&W Please click here to download
Canister X Comix No. 3 – April 2012	Inside: Every once in a while we lose track of ourselves and wander away from life, people, even the core of who we are. It happened to Abigail. Is it happening to you? In this introspective comic, A.P. Fuchs takes on the comics medium utilizing photos and captions to tell a unique story about a girl who went missing. B&W Please click here to download.

Today I began formatting Canister X Comix No. 1 for the Kindle. I hope to format one issue a week given my current schedule, so over the next 3 weeks or so, Canister X Comix Nos. 1-3 will be available digitally.

This is an avenue to reach readers that a lot of indie cartoonists don’t use and I don’t know why. Some, I suspect, are purists in the sense that they only want paper comics. Okay, fine, but in an ever-increasing digital era, wouldn’t you want to go where the readers go instead of waiting for the readers to come to you?

Just a thought.

Anyway, I’m excited to bring Canister X Comix to the Kindle, but don’t worry, their paper comic counterpart will be published quartely like always. Speaking of which, issues 1-3 are available here.

Thanks.

Are you a writer? Do you look the part? If not, then you need to get on it for folks to take you seriously. See this ad to get what I’m talking about.

Axiom-man cover artist Justin Shauf and I have put together a minicomic, which serves as a prologue to our upcoming graphic novel, Meet the Maximums. This prologue story was done up like a classic ’60s comic complete with zip-a-tone-like dots on the cover (see pic).

The minicomic’s title is “The Robot from Beyond…” and serves as a lead-in to the graphic novel’s main narrative which takes place in the modern day.
Also included is behind-the-scenes artwork for the Meet the Maximums graphic novel and info about Justin and I.

A couple non-lettered preview pages are below as well as the cover.

The comic is $3US plus $1.25US shipping per comic.

Full-color cover, black and white interior. 20 pgs. Signed and numbered by Justin and I and limited to 200 copies. Once they’re gone, that’s it.

Hope you check it out. If you’d like a copy set aside for you, please send me an email, paypal the req’d funds to killermarketing(at)zaam(dot)com (replacing the brackets and word with the actual symbol), shoot me a note on Facebook or leave a message on my FB wall. I’ll put you down and will sound out your copy(s) comic con weekend.

Thanks.

The other day I decided to widen my distribution on Sean Simmans’s and my 40-page comic book, Axiom-man: Of Magic and Men. I did the story. He did the art. Think Superman and Spider-Man meet Jigsaw from the Saw movies and that’s what it’s about. (But too be clear, my character, Magic Man, was around before the Saw films.) Now the comic is up at Amazon to make it easier for people to add to their collections.

Here’s the official synopsis:

For a time, people went missing, without a sign or trace as to their whereabouts. Then, for a time, they resurfaced, mutilated and broken, some with bizarre attachments surgically grafted onto their severed limbs. One name has surfaced as to the architect of these twisted acts of violence: the Magic Man. Axiom-man takes it upon himself to bring the Magic Man to justice, and uses the only bait he has to draw out this deadly maniac: himself. Welcome to the underground. 40 B&W pages.

Easy links to pick up the comic are:

Amazon.com
Amazon.ca
Amazon.co.uk
Barnes and Noble
Other On-line Retailers

Hope you snag a copy. Thanks.

Tonight, my folks are taking the kids for the weekend, leaving me and my wife a nice quiet house for a couple days. So, instead of doing the usual “couple stuff,” we’re going to do what all good nerds do and take the 24-hour Comic Challenge, starting around midnight tonight.

What am I writing/drawing? Canister X Comics #2. #1–of the new version–is almost half done, but since the challenge is to do a comic start to finish, I’m doing #2 tonight. #3 is already done. Weird system, but it’ll make sense in the end.

I know I’ve been talking about making comics for a long, long time on this blog. Right now it’s a side thing, but something I hope to make as a “main thing” soon. Canister X Comics #1-3 will all be out by Halloween as I plan to have them at C4 Comic Con this year.

Also, Canister X Comics won’t replace the Axiom-man comic. They’re just side things I’m doing but are a better fit for the time constraints of the 24-hour Comic Challenge.

Watch this space.