Writer, Artist, Creator
I made a video discussing the 1000mph Club which, though commonly used to describe car speed, was also used by Warren Ellis in his newsletter, Orbital Operations, about working at a breakneck pace.
Take a look at the vLog below to see what I said about it. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to stay current on all the latest videos.
Enjoy!
Ps. Have a question for me that you’d like answered in a video? Shoot me an email and I’ll do something up for you. Thanks.
Welcome to Various Bits from the Net – 021920.
For those unfamiliar with this segment, it’s just a list of a few items of note from the World Wide Web that I found interesting or thought worth mentioning. Perhaps you’ll agree.
First up, as mentioned last Various Bits segment, friend and fellow cartoonist Max West launched his Kickstarter for Dominic and Claire Circus: A Comics Cavalcade of Chuckles! I put in my pledge and will show you what I got in a video once it comes in. If I didn’t mess up my math, this Kickstarter has 9 days left for you to support Max and his terrific comics. Please show him some love by going here.
Those who know me know I’m a fan of Mark Borchardt, who is most commonly linked to the documentary American Movie, which follows his struggling journey to make his short film, Coven. Mark’s a very kind and smart guy whom I admire (side note: He and I seem to have had similar journeys in the creative field despite practicing different disciplines). This video shows a bit of why I like him and, if you know me, you’ll see which parts he and I line up on.
We got a teaser for Stranger Things Season 4. Only watch if you want a spoiler. (The thumbnail has the spoiler so use this link.)
Lastly, I want to end with a special nod to my friend and fellow superhero author, Frank Dirscherl. He is the creator of The Wraith, a pulp hero in the vein of the Shadow who has multiple books out, comics, and a movie. Frank’s also expanded the merchandising part of The Wraith character, which is quite interesting to watch unfold. Please visit Frank at The Wraith’s lair by going here.
That’s it for Various Bits from the Net – 021920.
See you next time.
Stay Focused Social Media Blocking App and Timex TW5M23300 Watch.
Last week I was off-line except for a couple of tasks that needed doing via the Internet (like administration). To ensure I remained off-line–I’m just as human as the next guy (I think)–I got an app for my computer phone called Stay Focused. This app can block any app on your phone and, in the free version (which I used), can block up to 5 apps at once. You set a schedule by telling it which hours and what days you want certain apps blocked. I applied these to the social media apps on my pocket computer to keep me on lockout. While true I’m in Broadcast Mode in the winter, as part of broadcasting I sometimes need to go into an app like Instagram and post something. The problem is one glance at the feeds can quickly lead to two, then three, and so on, and the next thing you know you’ve fiddled away an afternoon scrolling and scrolling and refreshing and scrolling.
This picture is a screenshot of the app from the day I went dark. You can see the stat on there says I’ve already tried opening the app 3 times and each time it didn’t work (was running tests). The timer on locking me out of these apps ran for a week. And it worked! Once I knew I was locked out, I didn’t give the apps a second thought.
Stay Focused also acts as a master lock, meaning you have these little locks under it (like the apps you’re blocking), but then you can lock Stay Focused itself–but only in 6-hour chunks in the free version–to ensure you don’t unlock your blocked apps. I’m assuming this is for extreme cases where certain people need a double padlock on their phone. To get even more extreme, I’m pretty sure there’s a lock on Stay Focused that forbids you from uninstalling it in an effort to destroy your barriers.
What was interesting was it kept track of how many times I unlocked my phone to do something, like reply to a text from family. I was disgusted when I saw, at the end of one of the days, I had unlocked the phone around 35 times. I barely used it that day! But numbers don’t lie. I barely used it? That was 35 times in the span of 12 hours (roughly). That’s approximately 4 times an hour. That’s once every 15 minutes. My unlock count steadily dropped as the week wore on and I got busier, but this goes to show how much we’ve integrated pocket computers into our lives.
The app has other features, like how long you are using any one program and your total phone usage for the day.
In the end, getting an app like this is highly recommended, especially if you are a phone junkie and recognize you have a problem (dopamine addiction). And, yes, the irony of this kind of post ranting about frequent phone use is not lost on me. I fully recognize a good part of my business is digital and having people on-line looking at or reading my stuff is better for me yet here I am encouraging my readers to go live life in the physical world. Oh well. But my refutation to the irony is this: I’m referring to balance. Is your on-line and off-line lives balanced? Take away sleeping hours, eating, and body maintenance, and see how much time is spent on a screen while you’re awake. The rest is up to you.
(I know that author J.B. Bennet got on board and locked themselves out of things during working hours each day, so others see the merit in this.)
I made this video on Friday of last week and aired it yesterday. It gets into what happened during my time off-line. Watch and subscribe. You might relate.
Lastly, for months I was getting frustrated of having to pull out my phone to check the time. While 9 times out of 10 all it was was checking the time, there was always that one time in there where it became an excuse to futz around on the phone. I couldn’t have that. I needed to be off-line, so I took the plunge and got myself a basic sports watch by Timex. As a kid, I had a couple of their Ironman watches, which I loved. I was aiming for another basic Ironman this time around but it was suggested to me that’s more a watch for a 15-year-old than a man so opted for a different one because I thought that was a valid point (I’m talking purely the aesthetics).
This is the watch I got, model TW5M23300:
And that was how I kept dark last week.
Taking a break from the Internet is something I’ve recommended for years for the sake of maintaining all facets of one’s health. I will go off-line again somewhere down the road because 2020 is a stupidly busy work year and sometimes you need to just shut up and get the job done. But that upcoming time off-line won’t be for a while yet. Not until my first holiday of 2020. Until then, I’ll be here, writing to you and making books and art and comics and videos.
Keep coming back to the blog every day. There’s always something being posted.
– APF
Ps. Today, a new chapter of Gigantigator Death Machine aired on Patreon! Please go here to get access to this fun romp of creature horror for just a buck!
vLog – What Happened During my Week Off-line.
Last week, I was mostly off-line outside of a few work things that couldn’t be avoided.
I made this video on the Friday to share my thoughts on the experience.
Watch the video below and see if you identify with anything said and, perhaps, it might encourage you to put your own self-care first when needed as well.
Enjoy!
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Thanks.
At long last, the Axiom-man/Auroraman: Frozen Storm copies have shipped and went out last week. Auroraman creator Jeff Burton now has them for his signature and Kickstarter fulfillment. Those who ordered the tiers with the Frozen Storm paperback and/or the Frozen Storm limited lettered edition will now get their copies once Jeff’s signature is in place.
Thank you for your patience throughout this campaign.
Here is a video showcasing the editions. While you saw the paperbacks hot off the press in one video and the lettered edition in a separate unboxing video, here they are together.
Please subscribe to the YouTube channel to be notified of new videos.
If you missed the Kickstarter and want a copy of Frozen Storm, please go here to order the paperback and/or eBook from a retailer of your choice.
There are a few copies of the special lettered edition left so if you’d like a copy, please inquire via email.
Thanks.
Reader Questions: What’s Happening with The Axiom-man Saga?
Many folks have asked me when the next Axiom-man book is coming out and my plans for the series. In this video I give my current thoughts on the subject and what’s planned for The Axiom-man Saga as a whole.
You can view it in the player below.
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Thanks.
It came in as a request when I did my video, Reader Questions: Axiom-man Inspiration and Superhero Influences, that some pictures of locations in my Axiom-man novels be shown. Well, dear reader, I’ve got you covered because below is a photo video compilation of the Winnipeg Exchange District at night. This area is often showcased in my books, with a big emphasis on the area in Axiom-man: Underground Crusade.
Without further ado, here is the Exchange District in real life.
Please be sure to subscribe to my channel to be notified when a new video is added. Thanks.
Enjoy.
Welcome to Various Bits from the Net – 012220.
For those unfamiliar with this segment (here’s the last one), it’s basically a round-up of a few items from around the Internet that I found interesting and thought were worth sharing. Do with them as you please.
First up, my friend and cartoonist, Max West, has a new Kickstarter starting up soon. It’s for Dominic and Claire Circus. I have the minicomics from the previous Kickstarter and they are a hoot. Go here to learn more about Max West and watch the video below to see the comics from the previous Kickstarter.
Need a bit of humor? Here is the How it Should Have Ended regarding how Captain America should have returned the infinity stones.
I missed sharing this on social media at Christmas time–thanks Broadcast Mode–so I’m going to share it here. It’s a parody of “Let it Snow” called “Make it So.”
As you know, I love newsletters and prefer them as a solid form of communication from creator to reader. Piers Anthony–whom I had the privilege of publishing in the Bits of the Dead anthology–has a monthly column that acts as his newsletter. He’s always up to something interesting even if his views and mine don’t always line up. His newsletter can be found here.
Lastly, Wil Wheaton’s blog is quite good and, while he’s well-known in fandom, he’s also a really down-to-earth guy so I check in on his blog now and then to see what he has to say. Please visit Wil here.
In personal news, the week is coming along. Finishing up things so I can move on to new things. All this is logged in my weekly newsletter, so if you haven’t already subscribed, be sure to get on board and join me and my other subscribers on Saturdays to wind down from the week. Hope to see you there.
Take care.
Various Bits of the Net for 012220 complete.
Locked Up Cold – Manitoba Prairies in Winter
Everything is locked up in ice in Winnipeg today with, according to the weather network and the time of this writing (morning), the temperature being -33C (-43C with the windchill).
Everything is utterly frozen solid in a giant block of ice, which means it’s time to simply hunker down and work. Lots of focus behind the scenes here at the Central. I gave you the rundown yesterday on where things are at roughly two weeks into 2020. Status is the same as of today. A good way to stay current on project statuses is via my weekly newsletter because info isn’t always shared on the blog.
Want to see boiling water being thrown into freezing air? I made this video the other week showing that:
There. Winter entertainment.
Keep warm.
Where Projects Stand a Couple of Weeks into 2020.
Time is flying by. It felt like it was New Year’s last week.
It was two weeks ago.
Pretty sure I’m stuck in an accelerated timestream.
Anyway, I set out into 2020 with specific goals now that all my prelim work is pretty much done. (All discussed in my newsletter.)
And so . . . here is where some projects stand a couple of weeks into 2020:
Project Rebuild: First batch of second editions are my Undead World Trilogy. The new cover style–which looks incredible–is almost done. Layout to begin soon. Here is the original announcement.
Patreon: New tiers and options to be added once some second editions come out. Gigantigator Death Machine is the current feature playing as a serial novel with a new installment every two weeks. This will run until May, if I counted out the installments correctly. A new serial novel will start up after this first one is done. Please go here to start reading the previous chapters so you’re ready for the next episode.
Artwork: Putting the final touches on a commission. Have permission to share it on-line once the client receives it in the mail.
Freelance: In the middle of a project for someone and still have my client that requires two days a week. (Which slows down my published work output but, hey, need to keep the lights on somehow.)
New published work: This involves all the various projects I mentioned in previous blog posts and in the newsletter. As of this writing, the plan is to do a few second editions first then release something new then more second editions then new work, and so on. This plan keeps me at a pace I can manage, which in turn benefits you by giving you a pattern for 2020 and something to look forward to.
YouTube: The channel is growing and content is going up at, on average, a video a week. Your subscription to the channel helps keep the writing and art machine running so please subscribe if you haven’t already.
Daily blogging: Still on the Monday-to-Friday schedule. I’m doing my best to give you something each day that entertains or informs at least one person. Check back daily for new entries. If you check back and the blog hasn’t been updated, check back again later. Lately, my blogging hour has been shifting for various reasons.
Vacation: Though I took a break over the Holidays, it wasn’t really a break. In the end, I had a few days for a breather because it took me until Boxing Day to finally slow down and just relax. Throw in some Holiday activities during that relax time and I didn’t end up having a genuine break. I was back at it on the 30th. So, things are in motion for a legit winter holiday, but by the time all is arranged, that won’t be until February sometime. Watch this space.
Conventions and public appearances: One convention has been announced. I have irons in the fire in others and am waiting to hear back.
Posted through my social channels this morning:
“Hoping to find new inroads in the publishing world (books and comics) in 2020. I’m convinced the current standard system is terrible. That said, it’s up to creators to create the market, not companies. We need to get that straight first otherwise it’ll be same old, same old.”
I stand by the idea that creators create the market. Read my essay, “Why I Quit the Publishing Industry and Opted to Just Make Books Instead,” to find out my thoughts on the current climate and my general attitude toward it. If you’re a creator reading this, please check out the essay. We’re not at the mercy of various companies to get our work out. They’re at your mercy to provide them work to distribute. They don’t have a business without you. Take that to heart. Stand strong. Make new roads. Find out new ways to share with your readers. You and your readers are the ones in control, not these companies.
Okay. That’s all I’ve got for now. Thank you for checking in.
See you tomorrow.
