• Tag Archives comics
  • 2024 Studio Changes

    2024 Studio Changes

    vLog - 2023 studio tour thumbnail

    Well, I’ve been working in the same space for almost five years. This is the only room in the house that accomodates my desks and equipment to bring you books and comics and a pile of other stuff.

    However, it’s time to change the decor and shuffle things around. Depending what Melinda says, I might even be able to free up an additional 2′ x 6′ area that’s presently occupied within the studio. As well, with a new studio layout comes new decorations so I’d like to showcase the studio as it is right now one more time before we say farewell to this version and change things up for 2024 and beyond.

    Here’s the teaser I shot to hint at the tour:

    The Phantom’s Door. A.P. Fuchs Studio Tour coming soon to YouTube

    And here is the tour itself. Hope you tune in when the 2024 studio changes kick in and all is complete and a tour is given.

    See you inside.

    A.P. Fuchs 2023 Studio Tour

  • Some Thoughts on Blogging

    Some Thoughts on Blogging

    station ident apr2420

    Just sitting here thinking about blogging. It’s considered a great sin in the blogging world for a blogger to blog about blogging. But, every now and then should be okay, right?

    To be honest, I don’t have much to add to the idea of blogging or what a blog is. I mean, what is a blog anymore? A long, long time ago in an Internet far, far away, blogs were basically public journals where writers–pro or hobby–could express thoughts and opinions on whatever topic, post it up for the world to see, then hope someone out there agrees with them.

    I’ve been thinking about this blog here at Canister X, the Realm of Heroes and Monsters. It’s not really a blog, is it? I mean, kind of. It’s runs on a WordPress engine so thus a blogging platform. The site’s divided into sections and pages, I have the main window of this place to share whatever I want on any given day, and I try and encourage you to explore the site because there’s lots here from articles, to comics, to artwork, to videos, to podcasts–I mean, we’re not really blogging anymore per se. We’re not journaling or running a series of articles on a topic as our main thing either. We’re just sharing art and writing and hoping to entertain and inform you. That’s it.

    This site–this place–is more a multimedia hub than a blog-blog. And that’s how I’ve been viewing it for a while: A place of free entertainment and a celebration of pop culture, superheroes, and monsters.

    Just some random thoughts this early Sunday afternoon (the time I’m writing this).

    Well, let’s just go forward step by step and take it from there.

    “Every day’s a brand new deal, right? Just keep on working and something’s bound to turn up.” – Harvey Pekar, AMERICAN SPLENDOR

    Peace.

    – APF


  • Read Fredrikus: The Webcomic From the Beginning

    Fred in shadow

    Been feeling lost?

    Why not come home to an old favorite: FREDRIKUS, a webcomic about a down-and-out anthropomorphic dog in a dystopian sci-fi world?

    It’s about life, screwing up, getting some wisdom, then hitting that hard road again to get it done.

    Serialized comics in episode form. Plus, the cartoon (see below) that birthed it all.

    Read the comic by clicking on the graphic below.

    Read Fredrikus

    Please visit the Art page on this website for more drawing and cartooning.

    Fred the Dog in Once Upon a Weiner (2000 VHS Animation Demo Reel)

    Help bring more cartoons and comics to people by subscribing to my YouTube channel here.

    Thank you for being a part of Axiom-man TV.


  • Winnipeg Comiccon 2024 Appearance

    Winnipeg Comiccon 2024 Appearance

    Winnipeg Comiccon

    If you’re a reader of my newsletter you’ll know that I’m booked to table in Artist Alley at the Winnipeg Comiccon on October 25 to 27, 2024 at the RBC Convention Centre downtown. It’s a huge show and I’m excited to take a part in it after taking some breathing room from doing shows.

    I also have a couple other conventions I’d like to lock down for this year but am still investigating. Some local book signings would be nice, too, but one thing at a time.

    In the mean time, yeah, Winnipeg Comiccon 2024 appearance this fall.

    See you there!


  • Canister X Mailbag – Harvey Pekar’s “Not the Israel My Parents Promised Me” and “On the Fly” Unboxing – 01112024

    Canister X Mailbag – Harvey Pekar’s “Not the Israel My Parents Promised Me” and

    “On the Fly” Unboxing – 01112024

    Canister X Mailbag - Harvey Pekar's Not the Israel My Parents Promised Me and On the Fly Unboxing - 01112024 thumbnail

    I’ve been a fan of Harvey Pekar ever since I watched AMERICAN SPLENDOR all those years ago. It’s my comfort movie for a lot of reasons, one of which is simply the ability to relate to Harvey and his battle through life. He wrote comics about the everyday stuff. And they were good. I have quite a few graphic novels of his outside of AMERICAN SPLENDOR and Harvey always delivers.

    You need to check him out, especially if you’re big into comics. It’s mandatory reading.

    NOT THE ISRAEL MY PARENTS PROMISED ME by Harvey Pekar and JT Waldman on Amazon.

    ON THE FLY by Harvey Pekar and Summer McClinton on Amazon.

    Canister X Mailbag – Harvey Pekar’s “Not the Israel My Parents Promised Me” and “On the Fly” Unboxing – 01112024

    Don’t forget to subscribe to stay up to date on all the latest videos.

    Thank you for watching Axiom-man TV.


  • Conventions and Book Signings 2024

    Conventions and Book Signings 2024

    conventions and book signings 2024

    Things are already underway in terms of 2024’s event schedule. Winnipeg Comic Con is on the list and I’m going to look into FanQuest. As well, plans are slowly in motion for an out-of-town convention in Saskatchewan. I need to consult with my SK creators as to what show(s) they’re doing and which would be the best one to table at.

    I might attempt a couple local book signings at the old bookshop but those won’t be for a bit yet. It’s been a long while since I signed at a bookstore.

    Announcements will be made as things are locked down. So right we’re in the planning stages for conventions and book signings 2024.

    Confirmed events will be listed here.

    Stay tuned.


  • Realm of Heroes and Monsters YouTube Playlist Index

    Realm of Heroes and Monsters YouTube Playlist Index

    YouTube logo

    As you might have guessed–because I’ve been blatantly obvious–I spent a good chunk of 2023 beefing up my YouTube channel in an effort to 1) Play in another medium 2) Put some eyeballs on my books and comics 3) Entertain or inform you as best as I am able.

    We did not bad and had growing stats week by week. Sure, there were some dips in the analytics but you can’t hit the ball out of the park every time.

    Below is a newly-curated list of my playlists on YouTube. It’d be really great if you subscribed to one that strikes your fancy. Part of the goal with this whole YouTube thing is to use it as a funding channel–which costs my viewers nothing other than 2 seconds to click subscribe–so I can more easily bring you more books and comics and other entertainment. If you haven’t already subscribed to the channel, please do so. It really does help out an independent creator like me make ends meet.

    Here are the playlists on my channel in no particular order as we embark into 2024.

    Enjoy!

    Realm of Heroes and Monsters YouTube Playlist Index:

    A.P. Fuchs – vLog Shorts and Reels

    Hot Wheels Shorts and Reels

    Collectibles Shorts and Reels Master Playlist

    Action Figure Shorts and Reels

    A.P. Fuchs vLog Videos

    Fun Shorts and Reels

    Funny Videos, Goofiness, and Nonsense

    Funko Pop! Collection

    Collections and Collectibles Videos Master Playlist

    REALM OF HEROES AND MONSTERS: STORY TIME with A.P. FUCHS Season 1

    Superman Collectible Shorts and Reels

    My Top Videos!

    My Top Shorts and Reels!

    Promotional Videos

    Patron-exclusive Videos

    A.P. Fuchs Book and Comic Spotlight Series

    Hot Wheels Batman Batmobile Playlist

    Unboxings – Canister X Mailbag

    A.P. Fuchs’s Books, Art, and Comics

    A.P. Fuchs Cartoons and Animation

    Shorts and Reels Compilation Videos

    A.P. Fuchs Reader Questions

    A.P. Fuchs Elsewhere on YouTube

    Thank you for tuning in. Lots of content available via the above playlists and lots more to come so stay tuned!

    Peace.

    APF


  • Happy New Year 2024 (2023 in Review)

    Happy New Year 2024 (2023 in Review)

    Happy New Year 2024

    Happy New Year, everybody! Yeah, I know this post isn’t on New Year’s Day but I wanted to wish you all the best before the clock strikes 12 tonight.

    For this entry, I’m going to reprint yesterday’s New Year’s edition of THE CANISTER X TRANSMISSION. If you like what you read and would like to subscribe, please use the subscription form to the left of your screen if you’re on a desktop. If not, please go here.

    Thanks.

    Enjoy.

    Issue Three Hundred-three – December 30, 2023

    Telecom handheld transmission:

    Welcome to Issue 303 of THE CANISTER X TRANSMISSION and the final issue of THE VERY LONG YEAR SIX for 2023.

    This past year was a busy one both professionally and personally, the majority of my time spent either working or sleeping. But we got a lot done and laid a firm foundation for PROJECT REBUILD 2.0. I’m happy with all that was accomplished this year and also am enjoying the feeling of finally being back into the swing of things.

    This issue is going to be structured like all the rest but we’re going to gear each section as a kind of look-back on the year, but before we do, I promised my thoughts on New Year’s resolutions last issue so here they are: New Year’s resolutions, though well-intended in concept, are ridiculous because, objectively speaking, they have zero effect on the flow of Time. Sure, we as a species divided Time into chunks as per the solar cycle, but that doesn’t change Time as a whole. Time is Time, an unbeatable and unmanipulative force that we’re a part of the second we’re conceived through to our deaths.

    In short, every day/evening/night is New Year’s resolution day. Lift off the calendar grid and we’re all just a bunch of fish swimming along Time’s current and only headed in one direction. That said, we can make our resolutions at any moment. We can act upon them at any moment. We also cannot act upon them at any moment.

    The choice is ours.

    * * *

    Work log:

    2024’s road map has been laid and this week we took a look at, and acted upon, some items of that map. Other parts were planned and locked down in terms of a we-first-do-this-then-we-do-that, step-by-step kind of way, which is how my brain is wired for any project, creative or not. I like to get the overview first with the endpoint made clear, then I look at the path to get there and break down the nuts and bolts of the goal so I know the thought-through way to get there as efficiently as possible while allowing grace for human error (because human error is also an unstoppable force).

    This week’s work, due to Christmas and being on holidays, was pretty much cut in half as a result. But we still got stuff done and still maintained a holiday schedule because, as you know, this break was much-needed.

    In short, we got things set up for the early part of 2024 so there will be a smooth transition when the clock strikes midnight tomorrow.

    * * *

    Blog headlines:

    vLog – The Lord of the Rings vs The Dark Tower (Hollywood, Listen Up!)

    Realm of Heroes and Monsters: Story Time Podcast Episode 18

    Canister X Mailbag – Custom Funko Pop! Figures Christmas Unboxing – 10312023 – 122523

    Boxing Week eBook Sale!

    2024 Business Formulation: The House

    The Way of the Fog (The Ark of Light Volume One)

    Look, Up on the Screen! The Big Book of Superhero Movie Reviews Book Spotlight

    vLog – Writer Rider? (Roger, Roger)

    * * *

    Content notice:

    As is the usual around here, we made stuff for the public and for patrons.

    Public:

    Hotwheels Dream Garage Bone Shaker

    Writer/Artist A.P. Fuchs Funko Pop! Figure – Merry Christmas

    Hotwheels 55th Anniversary ’67 Camaro

    Green Goblin Marvel Legends Retro Action Figure

    DC Justice League 2” Superman Figures (blue suit and black suit)

    Look, Up on the Screen! The Big Book of Superhero Movie Reviews Book Spotlight Teaser

    Patreon:

    My Secret (from CAUGHT IN BLACK HEADLIGHTS)

    ZOMTROPOLIS – 17

    * * *

    Release notice (a different sort of list):

    This year was packed with releases across various mediums. To round them up, I’ve broken them down into sections for you.

    Books:

    THE CANISTER X TRANSMISSION: YEAR FOUR

    THE CANISTER X TRANSMISSION: THE LONG YEAR FIVE

    ZOMTROPOLIS: A RECORD OF LIFE IN A DEAD CITY

    Comics and cartoons:

    FREDRIKUS Episode 38: Lobster (comic)

    FRED THE DOG IN “ONCE UPON A WEINER” (cartoon)

    AXIOM-MAN: Short Animated Film (cartoon; co-writer)

    FRED THE DOG IN “ONCE UPON A WEINER” (storyboard video with cartoon comparison)

    FIGHTING AND OTHER ANIMATED SHORTS AND ARTWORK (cartoon)

    Video:

    A ton of videos and shorts and reels were created this past year, all focusing on superheroes and monsters and my books and comics.

    I’m looking to grow the channel so I invite you to subscribe and check out the stuff that’s there. Some cool stuff planned for 2024 so might as well get in on the ground floor.

    Here’s the channel’s trailer.

    Audio:

    At the end of August we launched my first podcast, THE REALM OF HEROES AND MONSTERS: STORY TIME with A.P. FUCHS. New episode every Sunday. We’re 18 episodes of 30 into Season 1. After the season is done, we’ll take a month-long break then come back with Season 2 of which we’ll shake up the program and still deliver on story time.

    The podcast is currently available for your listening (and viewing) pleasure at:

    YouTube

    YouTube Music

    Canister X

    Spotify

    Blog/web:

    Lots of content went out via the socials. The best place to ensure you and I are hooked up via various social channels is by checking out my LinkTree, which then branches off to my various web hideouts. Join me and let’s connect.

    And, of course, we maintained a steady blog schedule, delivering content 6 days a week, sometimes 7.

    We also launched Patreon 2.0 and stacked it with content along with a basic tier structure:

    $1 – General tip jar; my gratitude for your support is your reward.

    $5 – All access to both public and patron-only content. There is a ton of content for both on the site. Serial books and comics, essays and articles, videos, photography, artwork, and more. I hope you join the journey.

    Newsletter:

    We resumed THE CANISTER X TRANSMISSION and had to find a new transmission service along the way. I’m still getting used to using MailerLite hence why the past couple of issues had some unnecessary text.

    As for TinyLetter, presently the site is still up along with THE CANISTER X TRANSMISSION back issues. Subscribing via that site is no longer an option and I don’t know if or when my TinyLetter page will come down so if you want to read the back issues, now’s the time. You can also support this newsletter by purchasing the collected editions (complete with a bonus issue unavailable anywhere else) in paperback or eBook via the usual suspects.

    * * *

    As we head into 2024, and as of the writing of this newsletter, my headspace is split in two. One side is focused on creating, the other focused on the business side and the necessary prep for doing shows, delivering content, maintaining the unseen business stuff behind the scenes, and the upcoming tax season.

    I had hoped to accomplish a lot more during this winter break but to be honest, I desperately needed to slow down so I did get some stuff done, just not all.

    2024 is coming. Time to finish resting up.

    Have a great New Year’s Eve and, please, stay safe.

    Thanks for spending 2023 with me.

    All the best,

    A.P. Fuchs

    Happy New Year 2024, MB

    End transmission

    Thanks for sticking with me this year and digging into what I’ve been bringing into the Web. More to come.

    So, again, Happy New Year 2024!


  • 2024 Business Formulation: The House

    2024 Business Formulation: The House

    2024 Business Formulation: The House

    If you’re a working artist or writer, you’re a business. No other way to look at it. Work in exchange for funds. That said, with a flooded market and publishers doing less and less for their creators, it’s on the creator to advocate for their own work. How hard you advocate determines the success of your project (to a degree; usually a fairly significant degree).

    I have a lot of odds and ends on the business side of all this that need tending to. Some of it is standard business maintenance, others parts are new ventures to augment my books and comics. Some will be done via trial-and-error, other parts will be sureties. That’s not to say there is a recipe for succeess because what works for one creator doesn’t always work for another.

    As I wrap up 2023, the bits and pieces I’ll need for 2024 are becoming more and more clear. Some tasks are simple so it’s just an issue of simply doing it, checking the box, then leaving it alone. Other items are ongoing, and as I explained in one of my patron-only essays, I employ as much tech help as is possible/affordable/reasonable to get done what needs doing because I’m a one-man show.

    2023 was certainly a year of establishing PROJECT REBUILD 2.0 and maintaining that foundation. 2024 is about building upon it with small goals that’ll eventually lead to a house. But how are houses built? Foundation (done), first floor (in progress), second floor (conceptualized). The shiny doorknobs and window drapes and crown molding will come later. As it stands right now, 2024’s first floor to my house is currently being framed on top of the completed basement. Since I know my schedule and limits, 2024 is about the first floor as the primary goal. If the first floor is built ahead of schedule before year’s end, then work will begin on the second floor, and if not, no problem because I’d be happy just getting the first floor done by this time next year.

    Yes, I’m talking in metaphors, but it’s the best way to explain this past year and the plans for next.

    This year is in the bag. Done. Basement complete. Time to pull out the tongue-and-groove flooring and start locking it down on the joists.

    We have walls to build.


  • 2024 Broad-and-Loose Publishing Plans

    2024 Broad-and-Loose Publishing Plans

    2024 broad and loose publishing plans

    If you’ve read my newsletter, it was revealed that in terms of publishing focus regarding 2024, my current plan is to first see 2023 through to the end in terms of content releases and year-end fiscal wrap-up. In short, do some fun stuff and conduct some actions on the business side of things so come midnight, December 31st, 2023 will be done business-wise. So that’s where my headspace is at: 2023 see-through then, in my mind’s eye, a division line then on the other side of that line, 2024.

    2024 is currently planned publication-wise in broad blocks.

    Here’s where the headspace and planning is at as of this writing:

    Fiction:

    Late January/early February – AXIOM-MAN/CRIMSON CLOAK: SCARLET SYNERGY teamup novella release.

    Approx. June/July – AXIOM-MAN: BATTLE OF POWER TRILOGY, the final arc within the series that wraps up the first act of the overall AXIOM-MAN SAGA. These books are created back-to-back with a planned three-part cover image so when you put the books in a row, you get a full, cool image that compliments the story. At the same time, each cover of the three-part image will stand on its own.

    Non-fiction:

    March – CAUGHT IN BLACK HEADLIGHTS

    Late April or May – THE CANISTER X TRANSMISSION: THE VERY LONG YEAR SIX

    The following titles are either done or nearing completion so their specific release windows aren’t known until I analyze where each project is at and then can time it from there.

    CANADIAN SCRIBBLER: COLLECTED LETTERS OF AN UNDERGROUND WRITER Vol. 2

    GETTING DOWN AND DIGITAL: HOW TO SELF-PUBLISH YOUR BOOK 2nd Edition (updated and revised since the 1st edition’s info has become stale-dated over the years)

    Comics:

    Fall 2024 – FREDRIKUS Nos. 1 and 2 in print and eComic

    Regarding the above non-fiction, and since my focus will be 90% on fiction, the above non-fiction titles are presently “floater titles” in my head therefore to be released/peppered throughout the year. If it turns out my blocked-out timing is off or life happens in a way that legitimately alters the above plans, then all of the above non-fiction releases are subject to change release-wise, with perhaps a title or two saved for 2025.

    In short, fiction first, non-fiction second, the fiction releases being the priority.

    Since I’m such a planner-aheader, and can only think in so much detail about said ahead plans, as of right now, the loose release block schedule above is the best I can offer at this time. Timing and more concrete info will be announced once things begin to lock down.

    Lastly, the fiction focus for 2024 is superhero stuff. My last couple releases (ZOMTROPOLIS: A RECORD OF LIFE IN A DEAD CITY and GIGANTI-GATOR DEATH MACHINE: TRIPLE FEATURE) have been monsters so we’re getting back into the heroes side of this whole REALM OF HEROES AND MONSTERS thing.

    There may or may night be a couple of surprises. I have something quick planned but it involves another person and in this game, when it comes to working with others, certain allowances need to be made because sometimes things happen beyond your control and you just have to wait it out so no official announcement or projection regarding this possible project(s) until things are more solidified.

    2024 should be a good year.