Writing this to “(Don’t Fear) the Reaper” by Blue Oyster Cult. A classic song with profound meaning.
The last book I published was the tenth-anniversary edition of Axiom-man. That was way back in October of 2016. Unless you’re a subscriber to my newsletter, The Canister X Transmission, then it might seem like I haven’t done anything since.
The opposite is true. It’s just that nothing’s out yet. However, 2017 will see an avalanche of releases because the following are written and are awaiting production. I just need to write one more book, then away we go.
1) Secret Project No. 1 (Newsletter readers know the title)
2) Secret Project No. 2 (Newsletter readers know the title)
3) Flash Attack: Thrilling Stories of Terror, Adventure, and Intrigue
4) The Canister X Transmission: Year Three
The publishing order has yet to be determined, but I’m pretty sure I know what I’m going to do.
Also written is Secret Project No. 3, a prestige-format comic book, and the graphic novel Fox, which has been in the thumbnailing stage since time immemorial.
There are a couple of more projects close to completion, but I’ll save those for another time. Point is, 2017 is going to be a big year and it’s going to start happening soon.
Okay, that’s enough for now. Heading back down into the mines. I’ve found a tunnel I wasn’t expecting and need to explore it.
This post is to let everyone know I’m once again switching over to broadcast mode on my social media channels for a season. The reason? Getting rid of distraction and getting more work done. It worked well over the winter and I have a ton to do and a ton planned, so need to stay focused.
Social media is an addiction for a lot of people and it gets in your head, especially if you’re involved in a discussion or argument. It sucks up headspace and brain power, which are better used to create something. So deep into the mines I go. I’ll radio up to the surface via my weekly newsletter and, if you need me, you can send down a signal via email and we’ll see if the underground transmitters pick it up.
Got the Tragically Hip playing in the background as I write this. This song specifically:
Been working very hard on a number of things and am approaching the crest of the hill. Like, twenty feet from the top. I’m hoping by the end of the upcoming weekend I’ll be over the hump and it’ll be smooth sailing from there.
Getting awfully tired and took on too much work; a bad habit I have. It’s difficult for me to say no to work from others and work I impose on myself. A long while back I decided that for the last half of 2017 I won’t be doing any more freelance gigs unless I promised you something beforehand.
Anyway, this is just a quick note to let you know I’m still working and there should be some announcements soon about upcoming releases.
Once again, the gracious folks over at Galaxy Comics are hosting a creator showcase the same day as Free Comic Book Day (May 6). I’ll be there this Saturday not only checking out the free comics and emptying my subscription box for my take-homes, but also tabling on the second floor with superhero and monster books, and possibly some art. Other great Winnipeg creators will be there as well.
Please come down and join us as we celebrate a medium we love so much and discover new art and comics you might have never seen before.
Galaxy Comics is located at 200-1109 Henderson Highway here in Winnipeg.
(Oh, by the way, the Axiom-man/Auroraman: Frozen Storm Kickstarter ends tomorrow–Thursday, May 4–so please support that, too. Thank you.)
Today, the citizens of Winnipeg found out about the Axiom-man/Auroraman: Frozen Storm Kickstarter via The Herald, a weekly newspaper. The city also found out what’s coming up for Axiom-man and the plans I have not just for him, but for the city as well.
Thank you to reporter Sheldon Birnie for latching onto the news story and writing such a fantastic article.
Also, please consider pledging to support Axiom-man/Auroraman: Frozen Storm. The Kickstarter wraps May 4 and Auroraman creator, Jeff Burton, and I need your help. You can check out the Kickstarter here, which is packed with amazing reward tiers and all sorts of goodies. As well, feel free to share this blog post or link to the Kickstarter however you can.
The Maybe I’ll Be Back podcast hosted by Corey Hodgdon had me on recently and the interview went live yesterday. We go over how I tackle writing, and talk about the currently-running Axiom-man/Auroraman: Frozen Storm Kickstarter campaign I’m doing with Jeff Burton.
It was a blast to do the show and I hope to do it again sometime in the future.
Jeff Burton and I are amazed at how much support this project has received. Not only are we closing in on a third funded, but the indie superhero community is behind us in helping get not just the Frozen Storm novel out, but also Auroraman No. 1 (which features a mini-comic at the end that leads into Frozen Storm). We want to thank each and every one of you who has contributed in bringing these projects to life in some way, whether that’s through pledging or social media shares or spreading the word through some other means.
Jeff and I both believe it’s important to bring more Canadian superhero adventures to readers, and doing this Kickstarter is a way in which to accomplish that. As of this writing, there are 26 days left to go. Please take a moment and check out the Kickstarter page for the awesome rewards and tiers this campaign has to offer. Please also consider supporting these projects. Making comics and books is an expensive endeavor and we want to make sure all those we have on board creating the comic and book get properly compensated for their time and effort.
Thank you again to everyone who’s gotten behind us on this. You’re in for a super treat once the rewards start shipping because there’s not only the exciting comic and book, but original art, toys, collectibles, and more.
Just a quick note to say I’m working my ass off behind-the-scenes and getting things done.
The best way to find out what I’ve been working on week-to-week is through my newsletter, which you can subscribe to via the subscription box on the right.
There will also be announcements on this blog in the near future as to what releases are coming your way.
Power Rangers (2017) Written by John Gatins Directed by Dean Israelite Runtime 124 min. 4 out of 5
Sixty-five million years ago, when dinosaurs ruled the Earth, a war raged between Rita Repulsa and the Power Rangers. All the Rangers were killed—except one, who in a last-ditch effort defeated Rita and hid the power coins should she rise again. Now, Rita has returned and five accidental friends discover the power coins and must learn to work together as a team before Rita captures the Zeo Crystal and destroys all life on Earth once and for all.
Like most of my reviews, this one is written upon first impression—in this case, the same night I saw it at the theatre—and, man, this was a cool movie. Power Rangers is a guilty pleasure of mine and I’ve seen most of the entire saga. To find out it was hitting the big screen again and was to be done in a more serious manner—instead of an extension of the TV show—made my inner fanboy squeal with delight.
This is an origin story, so we get the personal backgrounds of Jason (Dacre Montgomery), Billy (R.J. Cyler), Zack (Ludi Lin), Trini (Becky G.), and Kimberly (Naomi Scott), as well as how they found their place on the Power Rangers team and, ultimately, as friends. What I particularly liked was a glimpse into Zordon’s (Bryan Cranston) and Rita Repulsa’s (Elizabeth Banks) origins. It was a cool twist on the Rangers mythos that I thought was clever.
The movie is a bit of a slow burn in terms of so much origin building before Power Ranger action, but once the team gears up and heads out, it’s good times, with loads of martial arts and mech excitement. The zords rocked, and the Megazord was reminiscent of Pacific Rim in terms of its operation.
On the visuals, the SFX were great. In terms of style, they were a touch too mechanical for my liking, but that same mechanical extreme also made sense in this morphin’ world and the alien tech used for the Rangers. Same with the Rangers’ costumes. Very Iron Man-like but, again, it makes sense for the world they inhabit. They certainly couldn’t have fought in tights. The only other option, I suppose, would have to have given them their “tights,” but modern day Superman- or Batman-style, that whole “armory fabric” thing.
The flick is perfectly set up for a sequel, and given the few sequences we see at the end, doors were left open for a certain favorite character as well as a certain base of operations.
I should also add we were treated to a couple fan-favorite cameos, which made me cheer despite how brief it was seeing them.
If you’re lookin’ for a morphin’ good time, Power Rangers is a great all-ages movie despite one or two bad words (I mention this for the parents). Like the TV show, the movie is filled with heart and good old-fashioned moral values.
