tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-138844742024-03-19T04:48:40.731-04:00Is Nothing Sacred?This is the place where I discuss all things Sacred and Profane. Stop by and check me out. Leave a comment (or not), as this is done for my own amusement. If you too are entertained, all the better, but that is not the motivation here. For I, am a...Writer with attitude! Comics, Sci Fi, movies, TV, Books, the Internet, Pop Culture, you name it. I talk about all of these things and more. These are the things that entertain me. I can only hope that some of them will entertain you as well.rjsodarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181090208560922729noreply@blogger.comBlogger1606125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13884474.post-12396169826773645472024-03-14T21:32:00.000-04:002024-03-14T21:32:06.487-04:00Non “Funny” Funnybooks on the Rise<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7UfJeBj0WY2EyivbtNW-wtWJh3VktIikF0UbFCL16jgdYMhjQY4NwgYaOdlzoyPKEYFtJmd2xmr5C4sj_F8R0BKggKC4ST62U3OSym4z6HsoCTZh7XMo53ttr4iff6hV_V7dnnV1xKo5JAtp7f3hfJracOh3qCmZnzxqhIiSMx-5jL-tG-DdZ/s269/download%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="269" data-original-width="187" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7UfJeBj0WY2EyivbtNW-wtWJh3VktIikF0UbFCL16jgdYMhjQY4NwgYaOdlzoyPKEYFtJmd2xmr5C4sj_F8R0BKggKC4ST62U3OSym4z6HsoCTZh7XMo53ttr4iff6hV_V7dnnV1xKo5JAtp7f3hfJracOh3qCmZnzxqhIiSMx-5jL-tG-DdZ/w139-h200/download%20(1).jpg" width="139" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We’ve been reading comics since around 1961. It is — as
we’ve often said — our preferred form of entertainment. In fact, the guy we’ve
been buying comics from for most of the past 20 years once told us that
something that made us unique among his customers, was that I loved comics. I
loved them 50 years ago, 40, 30, 20, and 10 years ago. He wasn’t wrong. I love
comics. It has been the one constant over the course of my life.</span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">When I was first introduced to comics, they were comics
targeted for kids (Disney, Harvey, others). To be sure, I also read just about
every other kind of comicbook I could get my hands on, westerns, war stories,
horror, romance, it didn’t matter, so long as they were comics. As a youth, one
of my favorite comic titles was <b><i>Treasure Chest</i></b>, a series that was
published by the Roman Catholic Church and told stories of the saints, as well
as other types of stories as well. (And
yes, I also read syndicated comics and editorial cartoons as well.)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgFMY0aGQyquFp2xbO0hMUn0epaQ0jNp6USf-DipfjY9U1p458b1vtN2Ur9qHHPHbQ6snxIkg16onLBuX_YqAnM2zZZ6H2D9oF9HK2VSnHacQnD3t3-9MI7j0chITiKk9PGJcy_sLC-aBJ-1pjNye4p6oDBXzsnBahjPZbyo7SGuZPx2UtbYar/s2030/Spidey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2030" data-original-width="1332" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgFMY0aGQyquFp2xbO0hMUn0epaQ0jNp6USf-DipfjY9U1p458b1vtN2Ur9qHHPHbQ6snxIkg16onLBuX_YqAnM2zZZ6H2D9oF9HK2VSnHacQnD3t3-9MI7j0chITiKk9PGJcy_sLC-aBJ-1pjNye4p6oDBXzsnBahjPZbyo7SGuZPx2UtbYar/w131-h200/Spidey.jpg" width="131" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Eventually I discovered and wholly embraced superhero comics,
however, I never forgot that there were other kinds of comics out there. In
fact whenever I’ve discovered non superhero, nontraditional, comics, I’ve
attempted to acquire them, which is precisely what I did last year while
attending a comicbook con in New Jersey. It was there that I spotted a special <b><i>Spider-Man
Far From Home</i></b> comic that was issued by (and probably available with)
Kellogg’s cereal. After expressing interest in the comics, the table owner
showed me three other comics that were issued by the
Philadelphia Electric Company issued in 1980, explaining how electricity works.</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ASliHzRuGBRap5CgZnHMCXNRgc_YBaIBqsw3-v7DR6RbQlVlDDmVJDqm7XiuHuQfK_M1bX5fX_P2wuG4PxD7WUr7acD4uISy3J9xsXfxmbcif_sAPBkXEDu-4YNn3bPxuyZLjksA06RzqJ-BMMGBlCzsdqTWedie41eBcwuuYxDOB3PsGf6y/s2022/Word%20Search.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2022" data-original-width="1340" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ASliHzRuGBRap5CgZnHMCXNRgc_YBaIBqsw3-v7DR6RbQlVlDDmVJDqm7XiuHuQfK_M1bX5fX_P2wuG4PxD7WUr7acD4uISy3J9xsXfxmbcif_sAPBkXEDu-4YNn3bPxuyZLjksA06RzqJ-BMMGBlCzsdqTWedie41eBcwuuYxDOB3PsGf6y/w133-h200/Word%20Search.jpg" width="133" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">While as
full-on aficionado of Marvel Comics since 1962 I was obviously eager to acquire
the Spider-Man comic, but as a lover of the medium itself I also totally wanted
the three Philadelphia Electric Company comics as well. Truth to tell, part of
the reason that I was so excited to acquire the three comics on electricity, is
because my father was an electrical engineer and while I was quite young, spent
time explaining to me how electricity worked, in pretty much the same way one
of the Philadelphia Electric comics did.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">So, to talk
about the four comics, first up is the Spidey comic. Issued by Kellogg’s
in conjunction with the <b><i>Far
From Home</i></b> movie, the eight-page comic was written by Sean Ryan and
illustrated by J.L. Giles tells a quick tail that is actually totally
unconnected from the film itself about how Spidey, while on patrol, comes
across an unnamed villain using a hi-tech clove to rob a bank. Unfortunately
for the crook, he was mostly unfamiliar with the way the glove worked.
Fortunately, as Peter is a science and engineering student in addition to being
a superhero, he managed to acquire the glove, disabled it, and turned it over
to the cops, who had already arrested the perp. The back cover to the comic was
a superhero word search.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqWzzDoHqzzbTaXXcF3P8DfGsFyerHFczkJmfcaL1KCdJq3Cfkypy2AGwNzeU2qv8bAq0S_HF-qNyk3trglNLqrPHax1xhpH5nwBzsPRPkh4usn89HUF7KbI47EuSDlss4gBEHZ0tiGackzbjvnzL19q9ACRLM2lj62KVm7MsHAFWhsow_D7N9/s2006/A%20to%20Zap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2006" data-original-width="1324" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqWzzDoHqzzbTaXXcF3P8DfGsFyerHFczkJmfcaL1KCdJq3Cfkypy2AGwNzeU2qv8bAq0S_HF-qNyk3trglNLqrPHax1xhpH5nwBzsPRPkh4usn89HUF7KbI47EuSDlss4gBEHZ0tiGackzbjvnzL19q9ACRLM2lj62KVm7MsHAFWhsow_D7N9/w132-h200/A%20to%20Zap.jpg" width="132" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Next up are
the three Philadelphia Electric comics, all of which are printed on newsprint
(the Marvel comic was on high glossy paper), and two of the comics were clearly
targeted towards younger readers (featuring anthropomorphic characters), while
the third is aimed at more of a young adult audience. <b><i>Electric Safety from
A to Zap!</i></b> Is a 16 -page comic featuring a cat and a mouse who keep
getting shocked by electricity as they kept running afoul of various power
chords and outlets. Soon they start talking about energy and how it is
generated and transferred. After learning about how electric power makes things
work, they eventually learn how not to be zapped by electricity and how to be
safe around it. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJYAmKtWfiz8h1lng9qRym0NT8GJSjg-w9K_DtkuyYX70fyjZCzfMHKDTpuLX0G4XZXteVAhPr4RgG4yjYWC8wDfYvMGrZrGiDyvTIyeHRMYZydry4P0E9lX-sP8bgMMtBLmcDnjU7Y5Ci1G94Pf26QRnMbG4GZ4M1thoqbsM3f2B77jxR5Yf3/s2006/Learn%20to%20use.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2006" data-original-width="1332" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJYAmKtWfiz8h1lng9qRym0NT8GJSjg-w9K_DtkuyYX70fyjZCzfMHKDTpuLX0G4XZXteVAhPr4RgG4yjYWC8wDfYvMGrZrGiDyvTIyeHRMYZydry4P0E9lX-sP8bgMMtBLmcDnjU7Y5Ci1G94Pf26QRnMbG4GZ4M1thoqbsM3f2B77jxR5Yf3/w133-h200/Learn%20to%20use.jpg" width="133" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><i>Learning
to use Energy Wisely!</i></b>
Is also a 16-page, newsprint comic with
both human and anthropomorphic characters. The comic starts out with a boy
turning on numerous electrical appliances, and then asking his father to read
him a story. The story the father read was entitled <b><i>Pigopolis</i></b>. It
was a story about how a community of pigs learned how to read and build a large
city at the edge of a dense forest. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As the pig
population grew, they sought to expand their city by extending their city
limits by cutting down more and more trees in the forest, and using the cut
trees to power steam engines, run their factories, amusement parks, power
plants, and heat their homes. Unfortunately, as the pigs expanded their city,
they deforested the woods, and displaced the creatures who lived there. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxGCzJF7UbhsUdmjT82C8TGhqLCHh_t2q401pc9NVhaPsQ8uIJGdMoLEv-FenwHcdz6Jk8qh8QpDAnsxQ7IXi-_TkenUDaQo1PPhPQWI1MfK2C_H0zu_uD7DmJS1peQZ4l_NwZPlVXBUXMYTceOkRhSPAq4KAPjNoGxSoRbykEAyi9KMpLayco/s2014/Story%20of%20electric,%20Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2014" data-original-width="1324" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxGCzJF7UbhsUdmjT82C8TGhqLCHh_t2q401pc9NVhaPsQ8uIJGdMoLEv-FenwHcdz6Jk8qh8QpDAnsxQ7IXi-_TkenUDaQo1PPhPQWI1MfK2C_H0zu_uD7DmJS1peQZ4l_NwZPlVXBUXMYTceOkRhSPAq4KAPjNoGxSoRbykEAyi9KMpLayco/w131-h200/Story%20of%20electric,%20Cover.jpg" width="131" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Pigs
continued to grow their city at an accelerated pace while reducing the size of
the forest, irrespective of the creatures living there. One day, a young pig
wandered through the forest to the far side of it to discover a monstrous
creature called a Grok who loved to eat pigs. The young pig then hurriedly
returned to the city to tell the others that they needed to preserve the forest
to keep it as a barrier between them and the Grok. Learning their lesson the
pigs curtailed their unchecked deforestation, and better cared for the
environment around themselves.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinNbhQKgIaz0p2SYOi5M1hBbD0DvaebY6cS_AdQ-k_Pc2ZdGjShHC6snOrF_0Ta5X9axCymD_fIuulSqFd2VCcE_iZ6t6Wa47ute4MI7ESiEDqcUmjt-mcxANchTlhV17k9y8a6MCoRVMipD9fPyr10lrQDSXOurpHkoovvOfsz6ohtLKmPpf5/s2030/Story%20of%20electric,%20p8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2030" data-original-width="1316" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinNbhQKgIaz0p2SYOi5M1hBbD0DvaebY6cS_AdQ-k_Pc2ZdGjShHC6snOrF_0Ta5X9axCymD_fIuulSqFd2VCcE_iZ6t6Wa47ute4MI7ESiEDqcUmjt-mcxANchTlhV17k9y8a6MCoRVMipD9fPyr10lrQDSXOurpHkoovvOfsz6ohtLKmPpf5/w129-h200/Story%20of%20electric,%20p8.jpg" width="129" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The third
comic from the Philadelphia Electric Company, <b><i>The Story of Electricity</i></b>,
is once again a 16-page, newsprint comic. As stated, this one is targeted more
for an older, young adult audience (think middle or high school). This story
starts out where a group of kids are home during a thunderstorm when a tree
falls across some power lines and a power crew show up to repair it. The kids
approach the repair crew, and one of the crew begins to explain about the power
grid, how it works, and more. Eventually the kids are invited to come out to
the power plant to learn more about how the power grid works. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwyutD2vzoLbY4pDufxi1fEqa8sFS4kykkP-4vcTws03z7AIRhMGcFgjnhOFxkZLAv9jlB5s9OrlYxciGbdZBWajFeMc2PFC4TBYPp3mriMNIFWjB_btGg1ZhwYnhUkQmnckIj_ZcFzKpHJzC8DcspN5Wto_ZO-djSBmDDit_hJg3Ip5Dh4VJN/s2022/Story%20of%20electric,%20p14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2022" data-original-width="1332" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwyutD2vzoLbY4pDufxi1fEqa8sFS4kykkP-4vcTws03z7AIRhMGcFgjnhOFxkZLAv9jlB5s9OrlYxciGbdZBWajFeMc2PFC4TBYPp3mriMNIFWjB_btGg1ZhwYnhUkQmnckIj_ZcFzKpHJzC8DcspN5Wto_ZO-djSBmDDit_hJg3Ip5Dh4VJN/w132-h200/Story%20of%20electric,%20p14.jpg" width="132" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The rest of
the comic tells some of the background about how electricity was discovered,
developed, and put to use. Quite a bit of background it offered up to give a
very thorough background and history of the development of electricity and its
application and uses in today’s modern-day world. All of this background
includes the use of turbines, computers, microchips, and how the grid itself
works, turning this comic into a very thorough background on electricity. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Again, we
love these types of comics because they expand the base of what comics are and
are perceived as, plus they can help make complex information more accessible (and
entertaining) to people who could better benefit from that information. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>rjsodarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181090208560922729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13884474.post-21943223298606281972024-01-17T09:09:00.005-05:002024-01-17T09:09:45.025-05:00The Devil is Due in Dreary: An interview with David Parkin<p style="text-align: justify;"><i style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large; text-align: justify;">This piece is another in a longer line of much older articles/interviews of mine that appeared elsewhere. I am re-posting it here to not only refresh it, for those who may have missed it the first time around, but in an effort to consolidate my online work under my own imprint. This interview was conducted back on May 23<sup>rd</sup>, 2015 with </i><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><i>David Parkin.</i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><i>Given that this article is over seven years old, not only is the Kickstarter that </i><i>David </i><i>talks about over, but some of the links from the original interview no longer work. </i></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">* * * * *</span></b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFqGv7n5aUH6QGC7L19N-Xbi8bA5NSFGR5hUrMmuQwgVx2XnirG7H4aOuhfwJqh89-9pINhdu_RhoZW17pI3eT4nH1G1H6a_AnqTmnGzoK3WmhdsSetqh-rJpZemUelZvc_PX8WePW-VpKRJD8SfCU2ydrT9CpXA5mignwCCyJ4hs_oaDo_eQI/s250/Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="250" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFqGv7n5aUH6QGC7L19N-Xbi8bA5NSFGR5hUrMmuQwgVx2XnirG7H4aOuhfwJqh89-9pINhdu_RhoZW17pI3eT4nH1G1H6a_AnqTmnGzoK3WmhdsSetqh-rJpZemUelZvc_PX8WePW-VpKRJD8SfCU2ydrT9CpXA5mignwCCyJ4hs_oaDo_eQI/s1600/Cover.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>A pair of strangers with questionable pasts arrive
in the reclusive southwestern town of Dreary and unknowingly fulfill an old prophecy
that the residents of the town believe will precede the coming of the Apocalypse.
Patterned after iconic Westerns and 1950s rockabilly, this comic is full of classic
cars, pompadours, and rock-n-roll mashed up with the folklore of the American southwest.
<i>The Devil is Due in Dreary</i> is a set of four 22-page comicbooks that was later
re-packaged as graphic novel. The story was Written and created by David Parkin
with cover artwork from Alex Sanchez, interior pencils by Allan Jefferson, inking
by Jonas Trindade, and coloring by Diego Tapie and Rainer Petter. Daryl Freimark
served as both Producer and Executive Editor of the project. You can find out more
about <i>The Devil is Due in Dreary </i>by going to their </span><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="color: #a40505; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheDevilisDueinDreary" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span></span><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheDevilisDueinDreary" target="_blank"> </a>page</span><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We were recently able to sit down and talk with
David about this project.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">* * * * *</span></b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Robert J Sodaro: Can you tell us a little bit about
the background of </span></b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><b><i><span style="text-decoration: none;">The Devil is Due in Dreary</span></i></b></span><b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">?</span></b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIeGEuY3mevZO9k3LLP9u5AweagptJuj6ioJyGHxRxeGemVD5923ITkMRM_fcG_VMXvCxGKhyf0_y0762En1TDLewh-0IO-BXQlhLb_9oNMtlI5EiUggo597KaCDnu7kjKMLxHq0vj6wV6l13K3IfCYDZK5AGdx7pC_SLW_QdkAvViWfxgYOF6/s2871/Cover%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2871" data-original-width="1875" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIeGEuY3mevZO9k3LLP9u5AweagptJuj6ioJyGHxRxeGemVD5923ITkMRM_fcG_VMXvCxGKhyf0_y0762En1TDLewh-0IO-BXQlhLb_9oNMtlI5EiUggo597KaCDnu7kjKMLxHq0vj6wV6l13K3IfCYDZK5AGdx7pC_SLW_QdkAvViWfxgYOF6/s320/Cover%202.jpg" width="209" /></a></span></b></div><b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">David Parkin</span></b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">:
I keep a long list of ideas and I love to combine them to find something unique.
This one came from two sentences on that list, “A lost hiker rescued by a cult”
and “A western without horses.” From there, it’s been 10 years of working, re-working,
and working some more to get it out there.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RJS: On some level this story seems to be a cross
between a classic Western like <i>High Noon</i>, and a ‘50s-style <i>Rebel Without
a Cause</i> film. I’m assuming that was intentional.</span></b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">David:</span></b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Yes,
I love blending genre and turning tropes on their head. I believe the best ideas
come by way of questions and challenges. “What is a western, exactly?” “At what
point does a western stop being a western? Would it work in modern day?” etc. That’s
always a fun way to start because you’re guaranteed to end up somewhere creative
thinking that way.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RJS: Having said that, and given what rich fodder
comics have become for films over the past few years, this comic looks like it would
be an ideal project to make the jump to film, is there anything like that in the
works?</span></b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">David:</span></b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> I’m
glad you asked. We are working on the film as we speak. This actually started as
a screenplay for a film and the plan is/was to get to the movie by way of the comic.
I’ve always been an avid comicbook reader, so it has been a dream come true to take
this step. Daryl Freimark, the Executive Editor is actually a film producer by day
so we’re in good hands.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-s5_NzdrTvUV_CoPNn6Sm01NdXxnV4BrXU3vZfff6mp_aG9AjBK6nmpjFvusFNsCiqOyEkoxypDEPzxDFLc4rsrrC68vZzyWFGZFeQdJjoUOHetHgiDqrXJttGPs3YEvo9wRQgz9gXGslbXNQixT5-vKY4J-80cPV2MqY83gFGnL-jIUCwaIM/s2910/Cover%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2910" data-original-width="1875" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-s5_NzdrTvUV_CoPNn6Sm01NdXxnV4BrXU3vZfff6mp_aG9AjBK6nmpjFvusFNsCiqOyEkoxypDEPzxDFLc4rsrrC68vZzyWFGZFeQdJjoUOHetHgiDqrXJttGPs3YEvo9wRQgz9gXGslbXNQixT5-vKY4J-80cPV2MqY83gFGnL-jIUCwaIM/s320/Cover%201.jpg" width="206" /></a></span></b></div><b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RJS: You launched the comic via </span></b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><b><span style="text-decoration: none;">Kickstarter</span></b></span><b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, what was that experience like?</span></b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">David:</span></b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Fantastic.
Kickstarter couldn’t have been more helpful and supportive. We actually had </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="text-decoration: none;">two campaigns</span></span><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> over the process of making the four books (now combined into one
trade paperback) and it was a true honor to have backers from all over the world
show their support. We were able to meet some lifelong fans/friends and that was,
by far, the best part of the process.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RJS: Tell us a little bit about your own background
and that of your co-contributors.</span></b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">David:</span></b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> I’ve
been passionate about movies and comics and storytelling since I was very little.
I started making documentaries right out of High School, moved to Los Angeles with
my wife 10 years ago, and we’ve been working in the entertainment industry in some
capacity ever since.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I am also a passionate storyteller who started
my career over at New Line Cinema, where I co-produced <i>Hairspray</i> (the musical
with John Travolta). Since then, I’ve produced numerous independent films all with
the same goal — to tell a great story.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpgcQHSMwh6JVswMcIMQiT_5tylunIHYk9zfuLl_6CkuVUTrmc1gLfjbXoD8yU5tbKnZMr8k1o2mAxVzWeZE6j7XlkELfnc8MrDgdg08Mzeik0vYVmJxGmbGA0ejPlJ-UGG-lqANDG9GMfQvAqGnV46r4Lbx__0w0VPyyQUHOCr3agx0isi7bX/s2871/Cover%204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2871" data-original-width="1875" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpgcQHSMwh6JVswMcIMQiT_5tylunIHYk9zfuLl_6CkuVUTrmc1gLfjbXoD8yU5tbKnZMr8k1o2mAxVzWeZE6j7XlkELfnc8MrDgdg08Mzeik0vYVmJxGmbGA0ejPlJ-UGG-lqANDG9GMfQvAqGnV46r4Lbx__0w0VPyyQUHOCr3agx0isi7bX/s320/Cover%204.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Allan Jefferson</span></b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, our penciller, lives in Brazil and we communicate by email using
google translate. Allan is an amazing artist with a long list of credentials. We
were fortunate he was so excited about our story and chose to collaborate with us.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Alex Sanchez</span></b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> did
our cover art. <b>Jonas Trindade</b> was our inker. <b>Rainer Petter</b> and <b>Diego
Tapie</b> did the color and <b>Rich Emms</b> and <b>Frank Barbiere</b> were our
letterers. Every one of them is talented and thoughtful and we were honored to have
them be a part of our team!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RJS: The story has strong religious overtones to
it, did you draw on personal experiences to layer that on the story, or are you
looking at how the religious Right is acting out in modern-day society?</span></b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">David:</span></b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> It’s
interesting, non-religious people usually see the book as a critical take on organized
religion and religious people see it as a cautionary tale for those who follow too
blindly. Personally, the message I want to convey is to beware of anyone who offers
to do your thinking for you. That’s good advice no matter where your affiliations
lie.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAkjZKeiW1iuiTzibDEdDDI_wd441a10wLyrjmkNrpQ21bmT8avL45IMxpfYb1QNv9FflK2Cyh9r1JqLZ_ZK4hp7YSiV0-MVhXVzGiysEKAqQKAsjpd4fUXFm8udHXRDV4GZWiKevV8tpsULE-aUXkwg8tVyuwVM8BoxKg2wxZ-Wgar6dzclwZ/s1904/Page2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1904" data-original-width="1875" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAkjZKeiW1iuiTzibDEdDDI_wd441a10wLyrjmkNrpQ21bmT8avL45IMxpfYb1QNv9FflK2Cyh9r1JqLZ_ZK4hp7YSiV0-MVhXVzGiysEKAqQKAsjpd4fUXFm8udHXRDV4GZWiKevV8tpsULE-aUXkwg8tVyuwVM8BoxKg2wxZ-Wgar6dzclwZ/s320/Page2.jpg" width="315" /></a></div><b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RJS: In the book’s editorial you talk about how
the story was inspired by a Twilight Zone episode, could you go into that for us?</span></b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">David: </span></b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
title of the book, <i>The Devil is Due in Dreary</i>, pays homage to <i>The Twilight
Zone</i> episode, <i>The Monsters are Due on Maple Street</i>. Both are stories
about a community of people cut off in their own way from news and technology. Both
communities let their imaginations get the best of them and terror ensues. My first
exposure to <i>The Twilight Zone</i> was through an English class in Jr. High when
we read the script from that episode as an assignment. It scared the hell out of
me, and the topic of fear and paranoia have been a big part of my stories ever since.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RJS: Do you see this as a stand-alone tale, or
can you foresee future adventures of your two protagonists, Tino and Jack?</span></b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I think Tino and Jack have a long road ahead of
them and I would love to explore where it goes.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RJS: The folks who live in this isolated town seem
to be at the mercy of this preacher, why do you think that they don’t leave?</span></b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">David:</span></b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> It’s
the same question with any cult member. As I said before, fear can be a powerful
tool to get people to conform. Most people don’t leave in situations like that because
their leader has done his, or her, best to keep them afraid of the outside world
and the thought of making that transition is often too overwhelming.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPI5p049EaXGWXYQZwjLabGu3jqOE2_56Cto6qPm3KoKm0-9KYjzqcJXNSlTrlY3EZcAFSjIKZBILCSU42LlP5ep-EkMxiZADQ-1N7yiPOy2XliGjSVqBDFO83fSaAkKr997aYZ-egRGhMmWksSGGhyzkLfMN1LdSBPYc9naHN68k3cuarjGDF/s300/Page3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="188" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPI5p049EaXGWXYQZwjLabGu3jqOE2_56Cto6qPm3KoKm0-9KYjzqcJXNSlTrlY3EZcAFSjIKZBILCSU42LlP5ep-EkMxiZADQ-1N7yiPOy2XliGjSVqBDFO83fSaAkKr997aYZ-egRGhMmWksSGGhyzkLfMN1LdSBPYc9naHN68k3cuarjGDF/s1600/Page3.jpg" width="188" /></a></span></b></div><b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />RJS: Do you believe that the people in Dreary are
reflective of people in small towns in middle America?</span></b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">David:</span></b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> You
can find gossip and uneasiness with the unknown anywhere from big cities to small
towns.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RJS: What do you have coming up next?</span></b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">David:</span></b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> I’m
working on another comic right now. My favorite genre: Kids on bikes solving mysteries!
I’m putting together the pitch and talking to publishers now. I’m also writing a
few feature films and working on a podcast that I’m very excited about.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RJS: Anything else you want to talk about pertaining
to The Devil is Due In Dreary, or another project?</span></b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">David:</span></b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> I’d
just like to thank you for taking an interest as well as all the readers out there
that pick it up. It is truly a labor of love and it makes my day every time someone
tells me they enjoyed reading it. And if anyone wants to pick-up a copy, you can
do so at our website, </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="text-decoration: none;">thedevilisdueindreary.com</span></span><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Devil is Due in Dreary as well as </span></i><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">all artwork displayed, and all material mentioned in this article
is © & TM 2015 & 2024 by their respective copyright holders. All rights reserved.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Funnybook City</span></i><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> & Is Nothing Sacred are © 2015 Robert J. Sodaro, D.B.A. Freelance Ink. All rights reserved.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><b><i><span style="text-decoration: none;">Robert J. Sodaro</span></i></b></span><i><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> is a noted comicbook historian and journalist who began reading
comics during the early ‘60s while sitting on the newsstand in his Uncle’s “Mom
& Pop” grocery store. He has written about them for virtually every print comicbook
publication published during the ‘80s & ‘90s. These days, much of his writing
can be found both here and on </span></i><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="http://hubpages.com/@robertjsodaro" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: #a40505; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">HubPages</span></i></a></span><i><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.</span></i></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><i></i></span><p></p>rjsodarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181090208560922729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13884474.post-37517327332711930032023-12-09T14:54:00.006-05:002023-12-28T21:19:20.191-05:00Look for My Stories on the Web<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-j1KkfgUy2DhaWgErl_N_8lHjTXFRqvRrZC-4cjY-YK08FLKPE7mFYUmpK64ZG83CMrDsKaDxOqKEpQBONjSimAY9f9UwIUQNBrIJThs6df44exY7QqyxxaBRpDRnPnPMYkbh4Mth4P21QO6_IB5lUscf6U6v9gbrjf8P5oeRiP1YGahLTZ0R/s2044/Owl%20&%20Owl%20Girl.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2044" data-original-width="1580" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-j1KkfgUy2DhaWgErl_N_8lHjTXFRqvRrZC-4cjY-YK08FLKPE7mFYUmpK64ZG83CMrDsKaDxOqKEpQBONjSimAY9f9UwIUQNBrIJThs6df44exY7QqyxxaBRpDRnPnPMYkbh4Mth4P21QO6_IB5lUscf6U6v9gbrjf8P5oeRiP1YGahLTZ0R/w154-h200/Owl%20&%20Owl%20Girl.jpg" width="154" /></a></div>The other day I made a blog post to some of my older articles that can be found on the web. that post can be found <a href="https://freelanceink.blogspot.com/2023/12/look-for-me-on-web.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Now I'd like to make a similar post, only I want to point you to some of my short fiction writing that appears only online. These links art to several short stories of mine that appear on various websites. Check them out, perhaps you‘ll enjoy them. <p></p><p>This first one is to my take on the backstory to a superhero called The Owl. This particular character is not the Owl who appears in Marvel comics, but one that appeared a generation earlier in the Now defunct Dell comics. Dell published in the ‘50s & ‘60s but has long since gone out of business and the company‘s characters have slipped into the Public Domain. I work with a group of creators who have taken up creating new stories utilizing these characters. We call our publishing venture <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=indellible+comics&i=stripbooks&crid=1PYR3L7GE2JTW&sprefix=indellible+comics%2Cstripbooks%2C68&ref=nb_sb_noss_1" target="_blank">InDELLible Comics</a>, and our various magazine-sized comics can be found on Amazon. The image of the Owl that appears inside the InDELLible logo at the top of the page was drawn by Carl Morgans. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0fnYxs634V_s6Iash_S3B5To6Lb2mGorJiqlery6LyENdWhDA0hHjGjLs4A8hoI8CkTcwhj32uLtgAph6A0iGmEEevXQGGAsKRFtJUvkkks_RNXdynchba5xN2oPZuRpcQK3585bZg7ROjh59JQyWp4F9jbTR-L25jYpCRiMZw1bNXXfllEIQ/s616/Header.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="94" data-original-width="616" height="61" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0fnYxs634V_s6Iash_S3B5To6Lb2mGorJiqlery6LyENdWhDA0hHjGjLs4A8hoI8CkTcwhj32uLtgAph6A0iGmEEevXQGGAsKRFtJUvkkks_RNXdynchba5xN2oPZuRpcQK3585bZg7ROjh59JQyWp4F9jbTR-L25jYpCRiMZw1bNXXfllEIQ/w400-h61/Header.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://vocal.media/fiction/night-of-the-owl" target="_blank">Night of the Owl</a></h2><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>This next story is something that I wrote at a comicbook convention where we were having a contest to write a flash fiction story. As one of the moderators of the the event I didn't actually compete, but was so entertained by the concept, I penned my own flash fiction.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0kKs7i8zF000cVTaQPFRgSKIm3h8ffXGrUVJnLCO9VTRbQjSiekHWYwnnF5PWN5TPo2vqRCIrWgLOaFmMw5tWnkRQiYqSmdUVpi-8lGkQeW3Eit4spd6VwuUpPghvDwu-4PnNeFywRz37ZV9rp_FW4YezSzWnAsuz03Co-ESMtikyG3yLaZ2/s261/Fiction.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="65" data-original-width="261" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0kKs7i8zF000cVTaQPFRgSKIm3h8ffXGrUVJnLCO9VTRbQjSiekHWYwnnF5PWN5TPo2vqRCIrWgLOaFmMw5tWnkRQiYqSmdUVpi-8lGkQeW3Eit4spd6VwuUpPghvDwu-4PnNeFywRz37ZV9rp_FW4YezSzWnAsuz03Co-ESMtikyG3yLaZ2/w400-h100/Fiction.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://vocal.media/fiction/and-then-everybody-died" target="_blank">And Then, Everybody Died!</a></h2><div><br /></div><div>Another flash fiction story of mine (this one limited to <b>exactly </b>500 words) is online in another place, this one posted by <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/weirdfictionquarterly" target="_blank">Weird Fiction Quarterly</a> WFQ </i>comes out (as its name implies) four times a year, we are now wrapping up our fifth issue (Winter '23). I've had work appear in each issue. We are also planning an omnibus hard cover of the first four issues, look for it and the other issues on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C8ZP2CCX?ref=weirdfictionquarterly.com" target="_blank">Amazon</a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgekmK6pjQRNZagBhz362OBUrbhNTIwmuH25r6C7k1xzXNMW9wVxHAB6bPlw3IauuoL-XA648G4o_w4p1f7K-ZYrdTL7R5O6gSPpITZpvMO7LeagMXuFofz2Ro1H6mT273ugFNWxyFj4yaILQcMC5TUamsuOmqoCiCplQWHbhuRhRUq178QYXsf/s1091/Weird%20Fiction%20Quarterly.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="1091" height="70" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgekmK6pjQRNZagBhz362OBUrbhNTIwmuH25r6C7k1xzXNMW9wVxHAB6bPlw3IauuoL-XA648G4o_w4p1f7K-ZYrdTL7R5O6gSPpITZpvMO7LeagMXuFofz2Ro1H6mT273ugFNWxyFj4yaILQcMC5TUamsuOmqoCiCplQWHbhuRhRUq178QYXsf/w400-h70/Weird%20Fiction%20Quarterly.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://weirdfictionquarterly.com/13dwf-day-two-whiteout-by-robert-j-sodaro/" target="_blank">Whiteout</a></h2><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>This nest story was a romance story that I penned to enter a contest on Barsdy (I didn't win, but my story is still housed over there.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-i_UPRpAzGY1IFp-Y-gTFlhDu_frHV1azOj3PZ5pBirkE0D_DE5lTokm5RAeIxlP4I7wT8JMQGc0gZAamwjyFQvq3zxeeg2n24_vNebE6pYrphAjz_VyNwzGwQvHYfKTGiqJoqa9kbtvpu0QWqH_FNmUnLjHO6Nq4rh0iWw5APgLlYpqsIlE_/s512/Barsdy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-i_UPRpAzGY1IFp-Y-gTFlhDu_frHV1azOj3PZ5pBirkE0D_DE5lTokm5RAeIxlP4I7wT8JMQGc0gZAamwjyFQvq3zxeeg2n24_vNebE6pYrphAjz_VyNwzGwQvHYfKTGiqJoqa9kbtvpu0QWqH_FNmUnLjHO6Nq4rh0iWw5APgLlYpqsIlE_/s320/Barsdy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><h1 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://bardsy.com/stories/story-reader/?story_id=3682&utm_source=pocket_mylist" target="_blank">Good Morning, Cupcake</a></h1><div><br /></div><div>Next up is a story that I have up online at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/145324212487752" target="_blank">Writers Unite</a>, a website of writers to which I belong. Writers Unite has published a number of print anthologies. I've had work appear in three of them (with a fourth appearing in print soon). </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE7ALxRHV4UBKOUoK9r-PJzgaCZyTlVjWfT_Mva6SMM4aFbodgcfJIVXcGbpL4xj5x08stDcQ2lW4E2aamqwetEOzA28zoGIFkNBYDcAgLktiPy2n9ueIGyKb8zuVxgVbXt2f5ErqPj8Ht1KLd0WeWAmcps9i9dDo_IhLT_5YXJmGPIzU-QrlO/s1025/Writers%20Unite.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="1025" height="83" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE7ALxRHV4UBKOUoK9r-PJzgaCZyTlVjWfT_Mva6SMM4aFbodgcfJIVXcGbpL4xj5x08stDcQ2lW4E2aamqwetEOzA28zoGIFkNBYDcAgLktiPy2n9ueIGyKb8zuVxgVbXt2f5ErqPj8Ht1KLd0WeWAmcps9i9dDo_IhLT_5YXJmGPIzU-QrlO/w400-h83/Writers%20Unite.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://writersuniteweb.wordpress.com/wu-witching-hour-part-six/" target="_blank">Cat Got Your Tongue</a></h2><div>My story is the last one in a thread of 10 stories, so when you get to the page, do a search for the title and you'll go right there. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj2iguUJ1grDp6uz3yevwMdU4K6-viL70yTExv0iVba1jqxlgIXVhPbXat26-fiX0Jdn8GH8FLrS6oe2rX7p6BPx9stPS6vrfoHhauaNz9alOsOzfDi_H6O9Ubs1DeHp22ED_CrIIHu_CNfmo1lb5sN32eafCmOZIEEcEsfyll8K6luSF3oa5l/s750/The%20Yule%20Cat%20graphic.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj2iguUJ1grDp6uz3yevwMdU4K6-viL70yTExv0iVba1jqxlgIXVhPbXat26-fiX0Jdn8GH8FLrS6oe2rX7p6BPx9stPS6vrfoHhauaNz9alOsOzfDi_H6O9Ubs1DeHp22ED_CrIIHu_CNfmo1lb5sN32eafCmOZIEEcEsfyll8K6luSF3oa5l/w426-h640/The%20Yule%20Cat%20graphic.webp" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>This just in. I have a new Christmas horror story posted over <a href="https://www.psychotoxin.com/product-page/an-eye-tales-christmas-book-7-1?fbclid=IwAR2wVB1oaZTEhSWIGoIMOoipGVolliRfB3mlYQGGZUovch8o88JaLVQhLYI" target="_blank">here</a> called <b>The Yule Cat</b>. It based upon an ancient Icelandic legend. The story is $1.25 as a download, but well worth the price.</div><div><br /></div><div>Once again, you can also find copies of books that I'm in on the web, just go looking for them. </div>rjsodarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181090208560922729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13884474.post-56685660235581515362023-12-08T17:22:00.003-05:002023-12-09T14:56:19.700-05:00Look for me on the Web!<p></p><div class="separator" dir="rtl" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjni9bYH6Ftiz7AoRFf40kxABv3F5V4VOmMKaq7030dDZmvaT1vOp1rR6yYGr2mpUzq65ra6QPb898P9KzANEZDJwwCdT4qwHhfAfeumJOLsyog8TV8QM4PxHEmwwSgk0ZvaECKIIL5Z8vXxawNWZWR-mTsjDBsHSkTV0w2e_gQZ64rIVr2Hd12/s530/Amazing%20Heroes%20%235.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="399" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjni9bYH6Ftiz7AoRFf40kxABv3F5V4VOmMKaq7030dDZmvaT1vOp1rR6yYGr2mpUzq65ra6QPb898P9KzANEZDJwwCdT4qwHhfAfeumJOLsyog8TV8QM4PxHEmwwSgk0ZvaECKIIL5Z8vXxawNWZWR-mTsjDBsHSkTV0w2e_gQZ64rIVr2Hd12/s320/Amazing%20Heroes%20%235.jpg" width="241" /></a></div>As some of you already know I've been writing professionally for several years. The thing is that while I have long been attributing the start of my professional writing career to the publication of <b><i>Amazing Heroes</i></b> #5 in 1981, the truth of the matter is that for three years prior to that article saw print I was working as a radio ad copywriter for a a few different radio stations in and around CT. Needless to say, I've actually been writing for 45 (not 42) years.<p></p><p>While the addition of a mere three years may not seem to mean a great deal, it actually alters our own personal perception of our understanding of our own legacy as a writer. And frankly, that's kind of a very cool thing for us. </p><p>Needless to say, while the bulk of our writing has appeared in print (and a small segment was broadcast over the airwaves) over the past couple of years an even smaller (though growing) portion of our writing has appeared exclusively on the web. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ImJKyoC0RbMxJqV5_T8RJI0ys4bs6a_pQeRSeAUvXEZfFtYB2cCFv5jRD-wo_GjJkyYuabRdki3jJFezq8kE8DPaDc6sy1s6sSgUpv7H9XUbFg3KnbeO8-YHMhAMATyXpNz2XP3ekRipVCvdMwqebOVer8ZFgRnANU6o1eF36XdwRl79Rnll/s320/wicc%20logo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="320" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ImJKyoC0RbMxJqV5_T8RJI0ys4bs6a_pQeRSeAUvXEZfFtYB2cCFv5jRD-wo_GjJkyYuabRdki3jJFezq8kE8DPaDc6sy1s6sSgUpv7H9XUbFg3KnbeO8-YHMhAMATyXpNz2XP3ekRipVCvdMwqebOVer8ZFgRnANU6o1eF36XdwRl79Rnll/w400-h225/wicc%20logo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Thus, it is with this understanding, we have decided to gather in one place, a series of links where we can post those links so that anyone interested, and see and access them. Hence, in no particular order, here they are:<p></p><p>This first link is for a print publication called <b><i>Government Technology</i></b> where I (in my role as Deputy Registrar of Voters in my hometown of Norwalk, CT) wrote about how we utilized technology in our local elections.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxvYpxgyxN4u6surBPLabuhS66lW2Gfwkk9Ae2UChS8d4h80Sn7n8_Wx3_H-MbSPDtPt_IAG5g0brPtzQplGvKECbn6lscF4zunWpj1FJap2Tv8H3CyM2jTg_C5AulKqUtyDCcqjvLuT954maP04bfKt1_yNZNwCi4z3iwWZQi5y73JkwSxYHn/s267/Government%20Technology.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="120" data-original-width="267" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxvYpxgyxN4u6surBPLabuhS66lW2Gfwkk9Ae2UChS8d4h80Sn7n8_Wx3_H-MbSPDtPt_IAG5g0brPtzQplGvKECbn6lscF4zunWpj1FJap2Tv8H3CyM2jTg_C5AulKqUtyDCcqjvLuT954maP04bfKt1_yNZNwCi4z3iwWZQi5y73JkwSxYHn/s1600/Government%20Technology.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.govtech.com/dc/articles/norwalk-conn-uses-technology-to-better-run-elections.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Norwalk, Conn., Uses Technology to Better Run Elections</span></b></a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">This next piece I wrote while I was living in Richmond, VA, and it was written for RVA Magazine</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFpid4uAAUw2eXITlIIIhvWtQlmvXTQvanlcXTQPq9WaoPBpKObPXo-rvoLZ_ezh5EjIScDhSGKV0Bzn-mEoGyQQ0ZbBPxcFNjhrh1UpAPiwhROmInQBq4OFoxrS99PWPXBI1KNadzWJ3EeNh1Gv9MzLlsp0yK8SJEZCOEvv1ZCVaeSK2Q7WcR/s535/RVA%20Mag.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="307" data-original-width="535" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFpid4uAAUw2eXITlIIIhvWtQlmvXTQvanlcXTQPq9WaoPBpKObPXo-rvoLZ_ezh5EjIScDhSGKV0Bzn-mEoGyQQ0ZbBPxcFNjhrh1UpAPiwhROmInQBq4OFoxrS99PWPXBI1KNadzWJ3EeNh1Gv9MzLlsp0yK8SJEZCOEvv1ZCVaeSK2Q7WcR/s320/RVA%20Mag.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><b><a href="https://rvamag.com/art/zines-books/rva-mag-28-comic-books-and-creators-come-to-richmond-unite-in-local-online-community.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Comic Books and Creators Come to Richmond, Unite in Local Online Community</span></a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;">This first article for <b>Bleeding Cool</b> where I reviewed Sean Howe's book, <b><i>The Untold Story of Marvel Comics</i></b>, The second one was a reprinting of an article I had written years earlier, while the third was to promote a then upcoming series.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDMlgWMCl-SI6RD1qt1gmkfS3M7YZIORyQLQShVOhMyZYPU_3CnUatTG6sIzk_dUIDOyFJttOTSse5Z-v5QbmO4LleF95DXyreyAuxZVwU7oQmPqxxfhakuHwjGhRFo9zcPYw-zWnP-pW1HQmb2ZMqOt6NHg6CLL17anFsM9si5dsemelg-bT9/s181/Bleeding%20Cool.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="92" data-original-width="181" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDMlgWMCl-SI6RD1qt1gmkfS3M7YZIORyQLQShVOhMyZYPU_3CnUatTG6sIzk_dUIDOyFJttOTSse5Z-v5QbmO4LleF95DXyreyAuxZVwU7oQmPqxxfhakuHwjGhRFo9zcPYw-zWnP-pW1HQmb2ZMqOt6NHg6CLL17anFsM9si5dsemelg-bT9/w400-h203/Bleeding%20Cool.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://bleedingcool.com/comics/alternate-theories-add-to-the-secret-history-of-marvel-comics/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Alternate Theories Add To The Secret History of Marvel Comics</span></a></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://bleedingcool.com/comics/death-of-a-hero/" target="_blank">Death of a Hero</a></span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://bleedingcool.com/comics/recent-updates/chasing-gods-with-eddie-nunez-and-stephen-lapin/" target="_blank">Chasing Gods With Eddie Nunez And Stephen Lapin</a></span></b></p><h1 class="headline" itemprop="headline" style="background-color: white; color: #24292e; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 1.8em; margin: 0px 0px 0.67em; text-align: center;"><br /></h1><p style="text-align: left;">This next article was written with my long-time collaborator, John A. Wilcox for <b>Relix Magazine</b>, and it was when we interviewed Frank Zappa for the 2nd tie (and he called us "The Wacky Guys").</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5DdEQKeEPX-lWUsVuXEnIZWZvoTbRYt8enhYIO0oNMP1raXkanjuBVsYShQgG3-cy8qZf4ezPA4ZSK2AvEytTbHruYrQegfzas9ErIEYs3RYUV9w69IVnW8P3lgy9qg2bydgXeNLFHoEvMs0Bn3OOb7WS8I6Aoafk6i7CTYpwRwbNn_l_QYe_/s246/Relix.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="112" data-original-width="246" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5DdEQKeEPX-lWUsVuXEnIZWZvoTbRYt8enhYIO0oNMP1raXkanjuBVsYShQgG3-cy8qZf4ezPA4ZSK2AvEytTbHruYrQegfzas9ErIEYs3RYUV9w69IVnW8P3lgy9qg2bydgXeNLFHoEvMs0Bn3OOb7WS8I6Aoafk6i7CTYpwRwbNn_l_QYe_/w400-h182/Relix.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.afka.net/Articles/1986-10_Relix.htm" target="_blank">Frank Zappa Meets The PMRC</a></span></b></p><p><br /></p><p>All of these were articles I wrote, a <a href="https://freelanceink.blogspot.com/2023/12/looki-for-my-stories-on-web.html" target="_blank">second posting</a> will be about a series of short fiction stories I penned over the past couple of years that are currently being hosted on a number of online sites. </p>rjsodarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181090208560922729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13884474.post-27675719080554967562023-08-10T13:53:00.001-04:002023-08-10T13:53:23.250-04:00Welcome to the Bizarrechats of Michael F. Housel, Author of the Abstract, Amazing and Arcane: : ROBERT J. SODARO INTERVIEW: THE DESIGN SPECIALIST/...<a href="https://bizarrechats.blogspot.com/2023/07/robert-j-sodaro-interview-design.html?spref=bl">Welcome to the Bizarrechats of Michael F. Housel, Author of the Abstract, Amazing and Arcane: : ROBERT J. SODARO INTERVIEW: THE DESIGN SPECIALIST/...</a>: Many know Robert J. Sodaro as Main Enterprises’ layout-artist supreme, but his creative inclinations go far beyond even those of the publish...rjsodarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181090208560922729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13884474.post-17881879077179185092023-03-20T15:15:00.006-04:002024-03-18T12:07:00.039-04:00Adventures in Babysitting, Brenda & the Frost Giants Style.<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_lFec-__jZcBkMvAUX8Gp1hcV3P9BDgB9mwCLqf1YHP60jvFIkjGvyR1awxOhydG96ohsybM4e_dMDBn1vhNW2WX6UE7HDSk2FSa6k_hAaSanqZU8dGWzsaHHlGG1fdZru2TEsZqBAXdPIcM2MvgX4YFtJEKTYevwWPfgDq-1KNgZy7vb9w/s246/Cliff%20Cover.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="246" data-original-width="205" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_lFec-__jZcBkMvAUX8Gp1hcV3P9BDgB9mwCLqf1YHP60jvFIkjGvyR1awxOhydG96ohsybM4e_dMDBn1vhNW2WX6UE7HDSk2FSa6k_hAaSanqZU8dGWzsaHHlGG1fdZru2TEsZqBAXdPIcM2MvgX4YFtJEKTYevwWPfgDq-1KNgZy7vb9w/s1600/Cliff%20Cover.jpg" width="205" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Back in 2006 is when I first met Matt C. Ryan (<b><i>Bigger</i></b>). Then in 2006 he illustrated the first chapter of my Wűlf Girlz storyline. We went on
from there attending Comic Cons, related events, swapped comics we produced (and
he illustrated the second chapter if the initial trilogy in 2008). So, yep, I have
known him for a while now and sure we’re friends and all, which is why at a
recent comic show in Manchester, CT I purchased from him his most recent
minicomic, <b><i>Brenda the Frost Giant Babysitter</i></b> a comicbook targeted
for young adults.</div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Matt has a very straightforward storytelling style that is
ideal for this particular market. His very distinct art is fun, bold, and clean,
as it carries the story through the tale being told. As for the story itself, it
is a fun, entertaining romp swirling around a young Viking girl who already
sees herself as a warrior even though her father, a Viking chief, still sees
her as his little girl. Needless to say (and much to our own delight), Brenda
has a very different view of her place in the Steelhammer clan. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgndqkukIZrsLkGX9wfitooDVl8CXA2AFkpgjqzZXWvaid8t46Lsct_q9HsYgG11Y8e6cyscm_ciq0kD_YD1VIp6_JnbCEAcvQuOnseGKHtzBXmi3wUNUcPD112UuOuCTtCCzAt-OKh-9wkR5cPJdsbGbrWupyZPmokmrcbbnCvDaUW6J3tKQ/s1200/Page.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="811" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgndqkukIZrsLkGX9wfitooDVl8CXA2AFkpgjqzZXWvaid8t46Lsct_q9HsYgG11Y8e6cyscm_ciq0kD_YD1VIp6_JnbCEAcvQuOnseGKHtzBXmi3wUNUcPD112UuOuCTtCCzAt-OKh-9wkR5cPJdsbGbrWupyZPmokmrcbbnCvDaUW6J3tKQ/s320/Page.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This comic contains two stories, <i>The Four Ages</i> and <i>High
Adventures in Babysitting</i> (the first, shorter, story is in black & white,
while the second, longer story is in full color). The first tale gives some
background of the world in which Brenda and her kin lives and tells us a bit
about the four ages of that world (The Dragon Exiles, the smaller lizards that
came to replace them, the rise of mammals, and finally the appearance of Men),
as well as the resulting wars and conflicts between each race of beings as one declined
and the other ascended.</div><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The second, main story, relates how Lord Greyton Steelhammer
(Brenda’s doting father) must conduct some business away from camp and leaves
his precious Brenda in the capable hands of Ruby, her teenaged babysitter.
Well, as previously stated, Brenda doesn’t believe herself to be a child in
need of being watched over, but as a full-fledged warrior woman who has every
right to go off on her own adventures, so what we are treated to is Brenda
doing everything she can to elude her babysitter, and go off to join her father
on the trail in search of some quest.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOsOd8ElbUUItZnoctlzKYjeHNEQBQIcBKIUnmuM_wV4VyGdu-LsjCOtYl4NokatZuWP7xjLSzDtQN2VZYamGzyq3bu250g-fPDsAe_XN1hKlCuIbqLZteSOxipBXjbDqMyXE4bYoa7VR7yoQmp9I5uHXSPaPvYKUdHxWpM1CC9n_jrapQeQ/s1080/Brenda.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOsOd8ElbUUItZnoctlzKYjeHNEQBQIcBKIUnmuM_wV4VyGdu-LsjCOtYl4NokatZuWP7xjLSzDtQN2VZYamGzyq3bu250g-fPDsAe_XN1hKlCuIbqLZteSOxipBXjbDqMyXE4bYoa7VR7yoQmp9I5uHXSPaPvYKUdHxWpM1CC9n_jrapQeQ/s320/Brenda.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>For her part, Ruby does her level best to attempt to restrain
Brenda but all to no avail. (Imagine if you will another frenetic comic youth
and his hapless babysitter – I speak of course of the Mischievous Calvin and
his hapless babysitter, Susie.) Well, for what it is worth, Ruby has as much
luck detaining Brenda as Susie did Calvin, with as much hilarity ensuing in the
process. As for how the story winds up, you’ll simply have to acquire your own
copy to learn that.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The comic itself not only comes with a number of variant covers,
each one promoting and supporting a different part of Matt’s business model (a
move we found quite engaging), but with a mini Food Fight Value Stamp . The
version we purchased is targeted towards <a href="http://cliffscons.blogspot.com/">Cliff’s Cons</a> which are held nearly
monthly in Plainsville, CT at the VFW Hall on 7 Northwest Dr. We’ve attended a
few of Cliff’s cons, and have always found them friendly, and full of wicked
cool comic-related Tchachakas. Matt has his own studio (<a href="https://freelunchcomics.yolasite.com/">Fee Lunch Comics</a>) in Granby,
CT which offers classes and workshops in comicbook art and design.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrOWrEYIzzs4abY7GtXxLL83BRS-CwpbdbjzkekY7K9MDRGkvLD_ZWsfhJiPQMaagI3sf5CG7XdIduaGJJTuMozzAgp59ge7ktEOjOsnEV2w1W2LTIGP-arFzYPUstkXqjsfCz9zJitFn19sOnKgnBlAqB0KOfKYdcfqySv57FpRpiU2ZXhA/s1567/Cliff's%20Cons.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1567" data-original-width="1100" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrOWrEYIzzs4abY7GtXxLL83BRS-CwpbdbjzkekY7K9MDRGkvLD_ZWsfhJiPQMaagI3sf5CG7XdIduaGJJTuMozzAgp59ge7ktEOjOsnEV2w1W2LTIGP-arFzYPUstkXqjsfCz9zJitFn19sOnKgnBlAqB0KOfKYdcfqySv57FpRpiU2ZXhA/w449-h640/Cliff's%20Cons.jpg" width="449" /></a></div><br /><br /></div>rjsodarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181090208560922729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13884474.post-44499949111441477172023-02-20T17:21:00.002-05:002023-02-20T17:24:17.287-05:00ShieldMaster to the Rescue<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXum3ag51z29VgBHMSgi5YdJQZmCZ7nNwwIa_5HR_23-DkZMhNp9cTzzy0ABl4LrqAEaf9NBNyP9fOGMuryuY7I6j1exiWBBGOSRVlswn74m2ob5WSQADH9zqGRamq9Ogtnt0V3PipWRxa9cXSwftQirVXnFtnseGJl_cNyE7RwtnztHrObA/s375/Action_Comics_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="256" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXum3ag51z29VgBHMSgi5YdJQZmCZ7nNwwIa_5HR_23-DkZMhNp9cTzzy0ABl4LrqAEaf9NBNyP9fOGMuryuY7I6j1exiWBBGOSRVlswn74m2ob5WSQADH9zqGRamq9Ogtnt0V3PipWRxa9cXSwftQirVXnFtnseGJl_cNyE7RwtnztHrObA/s320/Action_Comics_1.jpg" width="218" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">While comicbooks themselves (one word, not two, we’ll
explain later)<a href="https://d.docs.live.net/82cecaaad3e43048/ShieldMaster%20to%20the%20Rescue.docx#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span></span></a>
can be trace back to Geneva, Switzerland back in 1837 then then jumping to appear
in the UK and the U.S. in the 1840s. Here in the U.S. the recognized dawn of
comicbooks in the States began in 1897, with the publication of <b><i>The
Yellow Kid</i></b> in McFadden’s Flats has long been considered to be the first
U.S. comic book (still one word, more later), insomuch that it actually bore
the phrase “comic book” on its back cover. Still, it wasn’t until 1938 and the debut
of Superman in <b><i>Action Comics</i></b> #1 that the Golden Age of comics
truly began. This Golden Age ran from ’38 ‘til ’51, with the resurgence of
comics as viable pop culture medium occurring during the Silver Age which ran
from 1956 through 1970<a href="https://d.docs.live.net/82cecaaad3e43048/ShieldMaster%20to%20the%20Rescue.docx#_edn2" name="_ednref2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[ii]</span></span></span></a>.</div><o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Throughout the intervening years, comics have morphed into
various changes, altering size, price point, format, delivery methodology, and
even ultimately jumping from the static page to TV, Film, and currently living
on the internet. Still, for those of us who were first introduced to comics in
their “All in color for a dime”, 32-page, episodic original incarnation; even
those of us (your humble narrator included) who came of age during the second (third?)
great age of comics; The Silver age <span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">which
ran from 1956 through 1970</span><a href="https://d.docs.live.net/82cecaaad3e43048/ShieldMaster%20to%20the%20Rescue.docx#_edn1" name="_ednref1" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">[i]</span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-l2eqdt_TKVhVkNo23FPXbhJHKlSEqMz8fkOuwKS6sPlPGF42vDELXL0BDYeITR0vpm5KpAy4xyqIwVi7XpfkXGaHFA3VNF0MBxAo_w5THgs75S3tV5fxBd38aGZkbWotNPJ9KBgJLoP4_3cSAVJ-fvR0KrgSL1BZ9XTlGr8B1AedlkKZyA/s277/Captain%20America%20%231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="277" data-original-width="182" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-l2eqdt_TKVhVkNo23FPXbhJHKlSEqMz8fkOuwKS6sPlPGF42vDELXL0BDYeITR0vpm5KpAy4xyqIwVi7XpfkXGaHFA3VNF0MBxAo_w5THgs75S3tV5fxBd38aGZkbWotNPJ9KBgJLoP4_3cSAVJ-fvR0KrgSL1BZ9XTlGr8B1AedlkKZyA/s1600/Captain%20America%20%231.jpg" width="182" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Needless to say, there were some folks who were there during
the Golden Age, who stuck around and/hoor were still influential in one form or
another. One of those people was Joe Simon, who was the partner of Jack Kirby who
has been credited with founding the look of the Marvel Universe. It is no
secret that one of Joe and Jack’s greatest creation has been Captain America,
who, in his first cover appearance was depicted as punching Adolf Hitler in the
Jaw on the cover of <b><i>Captain America</i></b> #1 in 1941 a full nine months
before the U.S. entered the war.</div><o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Now some 80+ years later, Jesse Simon, the Grandson of Joe, along
with his father Jim (Jo’s son) have brought a new set of heroes into the fold, all
reminiscent of his grandfather’s greatest hero. ShieldMaster is a comicbook about
four teenagers from Montauk, NY just off the eastern end of Long Island. The
teens wander onto a decommissioned military base and come across a set of extra-dimensional
shields that imbue them with supra-normal powers and abilities, transforming
them into the incarnations of powerful warriors that once protected another
world in another dimension. The first two issues of <b><i>ShieldMaster</i></b> initially
appeared as an Illustrated graphic album entitled <b><i>ShieldMaster Comics Phoenix
Project</i></b> and was then continued as <b><i>ShieldMaster Comics</i></b> in
an anthology comic, packaged with The Fly in a new story by Jim Simon as well
as a Blue Bolt reprint by his grandfather, Joe.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Ek_GPPPFowYiAvzCqlwXBuKlSJ4TTscR9BVbjb0fC2fChulgdzH7pFioz-I69sanUQRJwmBEu7EraUc4R-fDpMkCudLKI_nxs4Q4qiccWs3WT6dykuFJmgxWQtXr0qQlupq83A6ykUvpBYRN2S2ScyD0-mrP1FMO8_leI9X5wtIuJNwyNA/s350/Shield%20Master.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="226" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Ek_GPPPFowYiAvzCqlwXBuKlSJ4TTscR9BVbjb0fC2fChulgdzH7pFioz-I69sanUQRJwmBEu7EraUc4R-fDpMkCudLKI_nxs4Q4qiccWs3WT6dykuFJmgxWQtXr0qQlupq83A6ykUvpBYRN2S2ScyD0-mrP1FMO8_leI9X5wtIuJNwyNA/s320/Shield%20Master.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>Upon reading the series, the first thing readers will see is
the similarity in art style between the that of Reed Man’s and the art of many
of the popular comics from the Golden age. Another aspect of the series is the rather
simplistic storytelling style. To be sure, this is not so much of a slam as it
is an observation of a comics historian with 50 years of first-hand knowledge
of the field, from multiple angles; from that as a fan, a journalist covering
the field, as well as a professional working for both major and minor publishing
houses, plus publishing my own comics. <o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">One of the aspects of <b><i>ShieldMaster</i></b> (as well as
Golden Age) comics is the shear simplicity of the storytelling; heroes are good
guys because they do the right things, while villains are bad because they do
bad things. There was little if any subtility to the storytelling during that
era, some of which spilled over into the early days of the Silver Age with the appearance
of the original Brotherhood of Evil Mutants in <b><i>X-Men</i></b> #4 (March
1964), because truthfully, no real world organization would actually use the word
“evil” as part of their name. As the medium evolved, subtilty and layers of
storytelling were added to what was once believed to be solely a child’s
medium. Needless to say, this simpler, straightforward style of storytelling is
not entirely without its charm. Plus, for all of its layered subtility, a
simpler, more to-the-point style of telling a story is probably more effective
for a small publisher without a clear, regular publishing schedule. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgogca8bD0uSauNSexrpaBarL5tu734xn5v4_9dTcOWl5PTFG8MDxa5bt6SIS-tm74iN-fbl-rJB6JHRdiR8e53vwVpRHpYyY0UfFfKws3w_Ag9G1NoKJ0gTpjfkYyYMgtR6UoSCtQsA7Q1q6STz5LjT3O9QXHXXEOi8IfiDShVuDEQ1GHHhA/s1569/ShieldMaster-1a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1569" data-original-width="1043" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgogca8bD0uSauNSexrpaBarL5tu734xn5v4_9dTcOWl5PTFG8MDxa5bt6SIS-tm74iN-fbl-rJB6JHRdiR8e53vwVpRHpYyY0UfFfKws3w_Ag9G1NoKJ0gTpjfkYyYMgtR6UoSCtQsA7Q1q6STz5LjT3O9QXHXXEOi8IfiDShVuDEQ1GHHhA/s320/ShieldMaster-1a.png" width="213" /></a></div>Having said all of that, as someone who spent the Lion’s
share of his life reading, and working in and around comics, seeing the scion
of a comicbook legend entering the field is a most amazing, and heartfelt sensation.
(Back in 2010 Jason Goodman, (another third-generation offspring, the grandson
of Martin Goodman (who founded Atlas, which became Marvel) and the son of Chip
Goodman (who launched Atlas/Seaboard back in ’74) attempted to bring Atlas
Comics back into the funnybook publishing industry with the characters from the
’74 re-launch.<o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In conclusion, we wish Jason and Jim all the best in their
noble endeavor to keep Joe’s legacy alive in the field that he help found. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">For more information about ShieldMaster, check them out on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ShieldMaster/">Facebook</a>, or <a href="https://twitter.com/shieldmaster_gn">Twitter</a>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
</p><div><br /></div><div style="mso-element: endnote-list;"><!--[if !supportEndnotes]-->
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<!--[endif]-->
<div id="edn1" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<p class="MsoEndnoteText" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://d.docs.live.net/82cecaaad3e43048/ShieldMaster%20to%20the%20Rescue.docx#_ednref1" name="_edn1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> Stan
Lee once stated that “comicbooks” should be written as one word because they
are neither either “comical” or “books” but by combining them into a single
word, they actually become an entirely new genre. Hence we have since referred
to our medium of choice by the nomenclature that Stan laid on it.</p>
</div>
<div id="edn2" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<p class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="https://d.docs.live.net/82cecaaad3e43048/ShieldMaster%20to%20the%20Rescue.docx#_ednref2" name="_edn2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
The accepted eras for comics are as follows:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">1 Platinum Age (1842-1938)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">2 Golden Age (1938- c. 1951)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">3 Silver Age (1956 -c. 1970)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">4 Bronze Age (c. 1970 – c. 1985)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">5 Iron/Modern Age (c. 1985 -
present)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoEndnoteText"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</div>rjsodarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181090208560922729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13884474.post-23222330115093300072023-01-06T17:07:00.004-05:002023-01-07T01:03:11.265-05:00Avatar, the endless path<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifXhgMrC2RYO56TVTw1-ir2RE3tiC26m6yiqrPxJzb7VeH2U_LssmOjrkNNY8c0mj3ec6wK-d7W7lkVIXsji5AYc5ItKAEzoVFH20_j0Jyc6WVwy6Novbv2AEamDulDZifHbULBj-rdIN5SrUYYVzyvh4IolvILiv2swuHPNpgiybkpWQTwA/s866/avatar%20logo.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="866" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifXhgMrC2RYO56TVTw1-ir2RE3tiC26m6yiqrPxJzb7VeH2U_LssmOjrkNNY8c0mj3ec6wK-d7W7lkVIXsji5AYc5ItKAEzoVFH20_j0Jyc6WVwy6Novbv2AEamDulDZifHbULBj-rdIN5SrUYYVzyvh4IolvILiv2swuHPNpgiybkpWQTwA/w200-h182/avatar%20logo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Well, we just this week watched the second James Cameron <b><i>Avatar</i></b>
film, <b><i>The Way of Water</i></b>, and well, I want to give all’ya’all my quickie
review of the film here on my blog before I post a longer, more reflective ,
review over on my <a href="https://hubpages.com/@robertjsodaro">HubPages</a> site.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Still, to do that, I’m-a gonna have to give you my quickie
review of the first film.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b>Avatar<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A group of nasty, self-entitled, White Colonials travel across
the galaxy to new planet to seize a power source from the sacred ground of the indigenous
peoples. Only the hi-tech, highly militarized, Colonials get their collective asses
kicked by the lo-tech (bow-and-arrow) indigenous peoples and are sent packing. </p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvxLknDQ3ksHxnvXBmlj2onk873ntZ7vN-6KZGcXui-b8PTc9RXeP5I9fOPAg0Jorav_m2tJHDatmH_PuUTrbtbs0yP79XV6iXT6QCAEX0v1QTnFEo6YLumsqB5o_KB-ULNzrSzd1HohIE37ptjGMKZQzWC7_33TeldnI83Ypp963_bi35wQ/s934/Water.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="934" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvxLknDQ3ksHxnvXBmlj2onk873ntZ7vN-6KZGcXui-b8PTc9RXeP5I9fOPAg0Jorav_m2tJHDatmH_PuUTrbtbs0yP79XV6iXT6QCAEX0v1QTnFEo6YLumsqB5o_KB-ULNzrSzd1HohIE37ptjGMKZQzWC7_33TeldnI83Ypp963_bi35wQ/w200-h156/Water.jpg" width="200" /></a></b></div><b><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Avatar 2: The Way
of Water</b></div><o:p></o:p></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Fifteen years later, those same nasty, self-entitled, White
Colonials (pissed that they got their collective asses kicked) travel back across
the galaxy in order to seize a brand-new power source from sacred creatures of
the indigenous peoples. Once again, they get their collective asses kicked,
only this time in water. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For my next trick, as Cameron has announced several more Avatar
films (one every two years from now to eternity and beyond, just like James
Bond). So I’m going to (precognitively) deliver my reviews of the next six projected
Avatar films.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjapd5oWlPtffAb3ma5gwws1f0F85qBUqFZSW3-NyycxyUrf_KxXy870I6frrVFHXgGl8n8QRv0VS9B-_TptyifmwF8T7kE4P7hwTS6n_RjnP_I2sAu4NaLdpNyJk2OPoVvQ3vSf6xHbDRNSz4Ah1Tl97FfoVyynyy7nGqEdfR9Riu7yJZRUQ/s1500/Fire.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjapd5oWlPtffAb3ma5gwws1f0F85qBUqFZSW3-NyycxyUrf_KxXy870I6frrVFHXgGl8n8QRv0VS9B-_TptyifmwF8T7kE4P7hwTS6n_RjnP_I2sAu4NaLdpNyJk2OPoVvQ3vSf6xHbDRNSz4Ah1Tl97FfoVyynyy7nGqEdfR9Riu7yJZRUQ/w133-h200/Fire.jpg" width="133" /></a></b></div><b><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Avatar 3: The Way
of Fire</b></div><o:p></o:p></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The nasty, self-entitled, White Colonials (who are still
living on Pandora) attempt to seize another brand-new power source from the indigenous
peoples of Pandora. Once again, they get their collective asses kicked, only
this time more severely, and with fire.<b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b>Avatar 4: The Way
of Wind<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Here it is another several years later and those same nasty,
self-entitled, White Colonials (still pissed that they keep getting their
collective asses kicked) travel across Pandora in order to seize another new power
source, this time from the very planet of the indigenous peoples. But, once
again — that’s right — get their collective asses kicked.<b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Lmv5YfQVtQyxDhY2wdAY87k0jUkMKoI8scGBIwCMvNkizrT5Ig_9hEIEAylfpz1L-OVNhs0buPm4CdBh7AgX7T-RA8J9s1bIb3ntWExysENpP2ZAHDV1wj7-IEb6LBV6Cm26iiLM4V4v24KSWGV-_GJAzY9eyW1shpLP5pWx-5Sde3ZKBg/s592/Sandworms.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="592" data-original-width="479" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Lmv5YfQVtQyxDhY2wdAY87k0jUkMKoI8scGBIwCMvNkizrT5Ig_9hEIEAylfpz1L-OVNhs0buPm4CdBh7AgX7T-RA8J9s1bIb3ntWExysENpP2ZAHDV1wj7-IEb6LBV6Cm26iiLM4V4v24KSWGV-_GJAzY9eyW1shpLP5pWx-5Sde3ZKBg/w162-h200/Sandworms.jpg" width="162" /></a><b></b></div><b><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Avatar 5: The Way
of Desert</b></div><o:p></o:p></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A whole bunch of new nasty, self-entitled, White Colonials (pissed
that their friends got their collective asses kicked) arrive on Pandora so as
to seize spice from the giant sandworms that are ridden by the indigenous Na'vi Dessert Dwellers, and are surprised when they get their collective asses kicked. <b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b>Avatar 6: The Way to
Tipperary<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Those very bad nasty, self-entitled, White Colonials (once
again surprisingly pissed that they got their collective asses kicked) travel back
across Pandora to seize a new and improved power source from a sacred place of
the indigenous peoples. Only to (surprise), get their collective asses kicked.<b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiJGixJhWuUEfHxvlWvf0VBpALXm8onrVBFabpMTyTgXtl0J9M5J4WvfHIO8anjNxhY3z7ZAXpETaPvd18xMLXQfrtBVPyreGDtxkA20-WSCB_YI4KwJ86wktpCdcuKBrhGvqzQ4PsYklmibfvxCX0pzatkyMUCQcYPguS1ZqXb2ujDM8YSg/s512/San%20Jose.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="476" data-original-width="512" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiJGixJhWuUEfHxvlWvf0VBpALXm8onrVBFabpMTyTgXtl0J9M5J4WvfHIO8anjNxhY3z7ZAXpETaPvd18xMLXQfrtBVPyreGDtxkA20-WSCB_YI4KwJ86wktpCdcuKBrhGvqzQ4PsYklmibfvxCX0pzatkyMUCQcYPguS1ZqXb2ujDM8YSg/w200-h186/San%20Jose.jpg" width="200" /></a><b></b></div><b><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Avatar 7: The Way to
San Jose</b></div><o:p></o:p></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">You will get to see even more nasty, self-entitled, White Colonials
(once again, eternally pissed that they keep getting their collective asses kicked)
travel to yet another sacred place on Pandora so as to seize a spanking-brand-new
power source from the indigenous peoples. And here’s a new twist to the story,
they get their collective asses seriously kicked. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOE0U4SIKt8HHUuXs2H-IdaaXekyjLbN7G1O95UZ7AkVPkiElkVOKjL7iAx7Wz3QHaU8jz3Mh0FQDbo26OzgwwFmmfh_55koWQW0x9PE4jd76bv7SHsmIhMvSvP59cJiP-_kOFmy3waP8EckL-KkohukpIKWNCMjtHW1dxalh3yx7UjjN8zg/s342/infinity.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="292" data-original-width="342" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOE0U4SIKt8HHUuXs2H-IdaaXekyjLbN7G1O95UZ7AkVPkiElkVOKjL7iAx7Wz3QHaU8jz3Mh0FQDbo26OzgwwFmmfh_55koWQW0x9PE4jd76bv7SHsmIhMvSvP59cJiP-_kOFmy3waP8EckL-KkohukpIKWNCMjtHW1dxalh3yx7UjjN8zg/w200-h171/infinity.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Avatar 8: The Way
of the House Speaker</b></div><o:p></o:p></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br />This time the Na'vi are fed up with the constant waring on
their planet, and travel to Earth in order to confront the nasty, self-entitled,
White Colonials on their homeworld to once again, majorly kick their collective
asses, this time on TV by repeatedly not voting Kevin McCarthy as House
Speaker. (Yeah, I totally went there,.)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yeah, I realize that I got seriously flip with my extended
mini reviews, but here’s the rub. When thew first Avatar film came out Cameron
was fairly-well roasted over the fact that his plot for that film read suspiciously
like the plot to the Disneyfied version of <b><i>Pocahontas</i></b>. Now,
having seen both films, we now feel that the film he will be retelling for the
next 3,000 years of longing will, in fact, be <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058777/" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Zulu</a><b style="font-style: italic;"> </b>(a 1964 film that recounted a 1879 battle where the Zulu nation hands the invading Colonial British
armed forces a resounding defeat in battle; a defeat that will be echoed throughout history by the American Colonists, and virtually ever British protectorate for all times). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdRL9eXkKOxuieDc8OwY4Qxs5gZmVKDZggbI1tEJHpyhMBojEK5oP4U7tx9Xa-WX65hwTYloDZAEMXSmE3K4ugs0SwEigJbruDioKP8L_sQmM9KvPdoZskamKCRAPjNs8-dUGP0TdOVK_NbK-E4qYUfau7LvkfetJ-pPGlktgbzlh3p4cexg/s570/Pocahontas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="555" data-original-width="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdRL9eXkKOxuieDc8OwY4Qxs5gZmVKDZggbI1tEJHpyhMBojEK5oP4U7tx9Xa-WX65hwTYloDZAEMXSmE3K4ugs0SwEigJbruDioKP8L_sQmM9KvPdoZskamKCRAPjNs8-dUGP0TdOVK_NbK-E4qYUfau7LvkfetJ-pPGlktgbzlh3p4cexg/s16000/Pocahontas.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>rjsodarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181090208560922729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13884474.post-5071236868973818272023-01-03T16:31:00.001-05:002023-01-03T16:31:17.348-05:00Turning Book Pages into Art<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4d-o39g0BO9PxdX8xs1_1iu6dxyHXEP7mhiaEitcQaNfRtewe2MIsYrQD1Ykl7ju9eaoFiezHqcrqI5ANlSB1g1qfyFGQou-8Od5lxJskJwfwyYefseYV8n1NZuyxe6IO8-xST-p4ui559C-9H8j8PzAqShjhGQS20qMO1WBgX2deTRKWRQ/s562/Book%20Page%20Art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="265" data-original-width="562" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4d-o39g0BO9PxdX8xs1_1iu6dxyHXEP7mhiaEitcQaNfRtewe2MIsYrQD1Ykl7ju9eaoFiezHqcrqI5ANlSB1g1qfyFGQou-8Od5lxJskJwfwyYefseYV8n1NZuyxe6IO8-xST-p4ui559C-9H8j8PzAqShjhGQS20qMO1WBgX2deTRKWRQ/s320/Book%20Page%20Art.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><a href="https://bookpageartnyc.com/">Book Page Art</a>
started when founders Jen and Kristy discovered a box of books that were
discarded and placed on the curb to be thrown away. They were determined to do
something with the books and brought them home in order to give them a new life
as art!<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsRwIkqqZgjZFlLli1kiLkApaqgXwD0jB2P-rzXNYscVBRL2NaXaq7-KxWgs_fKL0OZE1SqDowEX3HegrV5mzmtqEo1w22X7MBGuB0izNbqoMtGc5w0VEnrDoCGoOKCiWvywG2BhDzYE1_OXw2HJzfeHdmtm5bSXiwN8VR5wsvsXIvNRfeOg/s4032/Hamilton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsRwIkqqZgjZFlLli1kiLkApaqgXwD0jB2P-rzXNYscVBRL2NaXaq7-KxWgs_fKL0OZE1SqDowEX3HegrV5mzmtqEo1w22X7MBGuB0izNbqoMtGc5w0VEnrDoCGoOKCiWvywG2BhDzYE1_OXw2HJzfeHdmtm5bSXiwN8VR5wsvsXIvNRfeOg/w150-h200/Hamilton.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I personally discovered them at the 2022 New York Comicbook
Convention, where they occupied a booth opposite the booth where I was working
(<a href="https://www.ebay.com/str/heroesinaction">Heroes in Action</a>).
During our down times during NYCC (which weren’t many) I was drawn to their
booth in order to check out their very cool product.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">What Jen and Kristy have done is take pages from books that
are old, torn, tattered, and/or getting thrown away, and give them new life by
creating original art on weathered old book pages. According to Book Page Art’s
<a href="https://bookpageartnyc.com/">web page</a>, they work at matching their
page artwork and quotes to the books that correlate with them. “We take special
care that artwork represents the book that the pages are from.” Needless to
say, the specific book page on which the art appears (either a quote from the
book, or some art relevant to the book itself) will often vary from the pages
shown in photos on the site.</p><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidlOR0CVlx67gOdWezy83KTNxoIz4bo2BHKaQLoPWXZXOvK64f4s6TNAcKJkCIMCO8siE1hnb7_CnfJ1toJZZxonLWnbJFGxTCaFKibdvOwcKTdZTQBOk0HZTXmjHvDuCZamGbvBQUXCzhjAhNh36uau_gb7Z3k60cOkF2DfqDHz_0n6diGQ/s1500/Avengers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1062" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidlOR0CVlx67gOdWezy83KTNxoIz4bo2BHKaQLoPWXZXOvK64f4s6TNAcKJkCIMCO8siE1hnb7_CnfJ1toJZZxonLWnbJFGxTCaFKibdvOwcKTdZTQBOk0HZTXmjHvDuCZamGbvBQUXCzhjAhNh36uau_gb7Z3k60cOkF2DfqDHz_0n6diGQ/w142-h200/Avengers.jpg" width="142" /></a></div>Given that they use all possible pages from each book to
create their art, each page is uniquely different. Also, the art is done
directly on the pages of the upcycled books and never photocopies of pages.
Customers can either choose from pre-existing pages and art or they can request
a specific page or passage from a book, creating a custom order, which is also
possible (assuming the book and/or page is available). Anyone wishing to place
a custom order should directly <a href="mailto:mugglesofmanhattan@gmail.com">contact
them directly</a>). <o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p>Because books vary in size so too does the art, thus they
mount each page onto a black mat backing that is 8 x 10, so that it fits
perfectly into an 8 x 10 frame. All art is shipped in a protective casing with
a sturdy cardboard mat in order to protect it from bending in the mail. In the
unlikely event that the art is damaged in the shipping process customers should
contact Book Page Art directly.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVflrbIai6x1zV_J1EcP20LnGvWyexxNLO3PXj5CLBhABSeKRxMUGV79ghfqaiqnWbmo4_AgFx3dkoPfdrz3Sc1rCPkR1GORwKBuGuUsGiv5fxQQ0_JsXa2qY8ry3tyiN5ZHP8R1s40oqCv36UelLoPwNry_bE4fVl8w-pXNdRzSEQOVYy1g/s2400/The%20Alchemist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1585" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVflrbIai6x1zV_J1EcP20LnGvWyexxNLO3PXj5CLBhABSeKRxMUGV79ghfqaiqnWbmo4_AgFx3dkoPfdrz3Sc1rCPkR1GORwKBuGuUsGiv5fxQQ0_JsXa2qY8ry3tyiN5ZHP8R1s40oqCv36UelLoPwNry_bE4fVl8w-pXNdRzSEQOVYy1g/w132-h200/The%20Alchemist.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>The art page that I discovered which best suited my state of
mind was a page from <b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18144590-the-alchemist">The Alchemist</a></i></b>
(a book, I admittedly (sadly) never actually read, but I did acquire a copy
soon afterwards and it is now sitting by my bedside). I immediately fell in
love with this page and the quote as it most assuredly described the current
state of my life, as I find myself in a relationship with a woman I’ve known and
have been friends with for several years. After a number of failed
relationships (for each of us) we have found a cojoined life for both of us
with each other. Hence the quote seemed spot on as far as we were both
concerned.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /> The art is now on display in our Livingroom, just above the
fireplace. Because while the gift was from me to my love, it accurately
describes how we each feel about each other.</p><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<i><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbJvXmzeA5Av6W4bMQXNRztncvJUWr-1jc53NEVC6U8o7asLLjyx1EVvCEJ5LdvjGGOomX-X6um-3Uv1L5Xbcw5Y2sv8KQh1TerqyTG_Ttkm5SeDy6GVbSzNj7WMHk6vZxKSRoizos45bIqdpUytelEf9NpPqA9zz-DMagJ5gGyzRVQzv9w/s1988/Quote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1988" data-original-width="1592" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbJvXmzeA5Av6W4bMQXNRztncvJUWr-1jc53NEVC6U8o7asLLjyx1EVvCEJ5LdvjGGOomX-X6um-3Uv1L5Xbcw5Y2sv8KQh1TerqyTG_Ttkm5SeDy6GVbSzNj7WMHk6vZxKSRoizos45bIqdpUytelEf9NpPqA9zz-DMagJ5gGyzRVQzv9w/w513-h640/Quote.jpg" width="513" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>“I love you because the entire universe
conspired to help me find you”</b></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><b><br /></b></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><b><br /></b></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRw2dCeG0g2_KvzgoG1kML2oMPsv9jGQgzrz0EACWmJvyBlYc_SaQ0Ps0-qycgMj336A6tTFuWMeXFhMZW9cRiUn0YoAbbwry2CT2WfLAdaQAktiMciYOUb6o0erJwNbV0G5R_OmUzZfVdv-IxAd0MoxH6qiU00c329pYGVwyuGQXwC0nkRw/s1500/Good%20omens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRw2dCeG0g2_KvzgoG1kML2oMPsv9jGQgzrz0EACWmJvyBlYc_SaQ0Ps0-qycgMj336A6tTFuWMeXFhMZW9cRiUn0YoAbbwry2CT2WfLAdaQAktiMciYOUb6o0erJwNbV0G5R_OmUzZfVdv-IxAd0MoxH6qiU00c329pYGVwyuGQXwC0nkRw/w320-h320/Good%20omens.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS_mG0gw8-G0MZlY1VSbnEvzOH0vg8Nubttrhkko0_GeICE_aWyQ7R_0FCXuF5Ye0DW5f5T3opjeLRFJHuE69hzZph4QZKKxNo8u-iduL1xgTUegN_dllr1rM6F-UiywvlE2Tm6mQ4rhURz2SiV1JAlNSo0cohHcBzaXedHw98Jt515wB3Pw/s4032/Princess%20Bride.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS_mG0gw8-G0MZlY1VSbnEvzOH0vg8Nubttrhkko0_GeICE_aWyQ7R_0FCXuF5Ye0DW5f5T3opjeLRFJHuE69hzZph4QZKKxNo8u-iduL1xgTUegN_dllr1rM6F-UiywvlE2Tm6mQ4rhURz2SiV1JAlNSo0cohHcBzaXedHw98Jt515wB3Pw/s320/Princess%20Bride.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKN6IHdY7JtEOjhe6ZMlsm_LGcbG8-66aQwZdtW64XPzPgSU_mTMJaQwK1oo4Qnv_rOvg-fXJJzJdYnpO1pS-yIGikPV6UT5tsov8jrbfDYqPSNmeceqNfTN-dUPLAYtn0uTbRqOt1zvVXMKOEvuWGM2bt0CEnvMPSEqTPguDfe32rKqaLPQ/s4032/Sandman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKN6IHdY7JtEOjhe6ZMlsm_LGcbG8-66aQwZdtW64XPzPgSU_mTMJaQwK1oo4Qnv_rOvg-fXJJzJdYnpO1pS-yIGikPV6UT5tsov8jrbfDYqPSNmeceqNfTN-dUPLAYtn0uTbRqOt1zvVXMKOEvuWGM2bt0CEnvMPSEqTPguDfe32rKqaLPQ/s320/Sandman.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><b><br /></b></span></i></div></span></i></div>rjsodarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181090208560922729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13884474.post-62082276300617155012022-12-20T13:26:00.004-05:002022-12-20T13:26:57.813-05:00I was A Middle-Aged Superhero<p><i><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTeKFPvBfbBkl-JxltjKY1f1WycQE6Pv8jRgaKjIF6fnaG0mLyJOvQ6R1Kg1r6Nsz7D6vR1CyTIixV-dMn1ArOnVuK8rDvRXJKDXwNRo25l16pHWgOTSbxg_c7B7wnzSuFAjRvOiEtedFYcQvIxvSTLAFxqw8sfuqzy7hVfpf8BFiA7zNGHA/s322/CBG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="218" data-original-width="322" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTeKFPvBfbBkl-JxltjKY1f1WycQE6Pv8jRgaKjIF6fnaG0mLyJOvQ6R1Kg1r6Nsz7D6vR1CyTIixV-dMn1ArOnVuK8rDvRXJKDXwNRo25l16pHWgOTSbxg_c7B7wnzSuFAjRvOiEtedFYcQvIxvSTLAFxqw8sfuqzy7hVfpf8BFiA7zNGHA/w200-h136/CBG.jpg" width="200" /></a></i></div><i>This
is an article I wrote that was originally penned in the mid-‘80s (when I was in
my 30s) and was published by the <b>Comics Buyer’s Guide</b>. I’m republishing
it here, with a special addendum/update to further help put the conclusions I
drew then into perspective.</i><p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoPlainText" style="line-height: 150%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">*****<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="line-height: 150%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Do
you remember Saturday morning cartoons, <b><i>Wonderama</i></b> (with Sonny Fox
— sorry, a local NY TV program from the late ‘60s), and the wide-eyed innocence
of youth? Do you remember tying a beach towel around your neck and transforming
yourself into the Man of Steel? Do you remember when you really believe that a
man could fly?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="line-height: 150%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I
do.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="line-height: 150%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">So
— given this — you can perhaps better understand what I did a couple of
Halloweens ago. Brace yourself — I became (drum roll, please), the Amazing
Spider-Man. No, I am not an overgrown fanboy (although I do admit to being a
card-carrying Marvel Zombie), since I had been invited to a Halloween party, I
decided that I would attend, and — for the first time in several years — go in
costume.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="line-height: 150%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqm81IfZn5sQkwSNS7yvOrhPRd6THMTscMO_aQTbDEloTlZ8-X_L7J-udDg40E0NE9V21-Qlhx3fthfsy76YrcMFnpXQRz4unRHo-DoRL3RFp71JGh1dCzgjHCDvyRMckOhAeISzTt6vNQMPfH6QqMgcfkLZ20_aBCAm6IXJV6OC0s7ePk6w/s284/Spidey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="284" data-original-width="150" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqm81IfZn5sQkwSNS7yvOrhPRd6THMTscMO_aQTbDEloTlZ8-X_L7J-udDg40E0NE9V21-Qlhx3fthfsy76YrcMFnpXQRz4unRHo-DoRL3RFp71JGh1dCzgjHCDvyRMckOhAeISzTt6vNQMPfH6QqMgcfkLZ20_aBCAm6IXJV6OC0s7ePk6w/s1600/Spidey.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>Thus,
I went down to a local comic shop and bought the last Spider-Man, long-sleeved
T-shirt they had in stock. You know it, the black one with the white spider
symbol silk-screened on it. Yes, yes, I knew that Spidey had long since
abandoned this costume (and it was adopted by the villainous Venom), but who in
the outside (dare I call it “real”) world, knew this. If the truth were to be
told, most people never knew that the costume changed to black in the first
place. I supplemented the shirt with a black turtleneck, black sweatpants, a
black, full-faced ski mask, black knit gloves, and heavy black socks. I
inserted a pair of thick insoles into a pair of black socks (making them akin
to a pair of slippers), sewed the mouth of the face mask shut and (using white
medical tape), edged the mask’s eyes and placed a patch of white on the backs
of the gloves.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="line-height: 150%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Donning
the makeshift costume (along with a pair of curved, mirrored sunglasses worn
under the mask), I transformed myself into my childhood hero: the Amazing
Spider-Man. To all who could see, I was covered from head to toe in black; with
the ominous-looking spider on the front and back of my shirt, as well as the
spectral-like white-rimmed, mirrored-eyes, I was no longer the mild-mannered
writer, Bob Sodaro, I was Spider-Man, a bona fide Superhero. All I needed to do
now was to make my grand entrance.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="line-height: 150%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I
determined that this costume was too good to “waste” on just the party, so I
decided to make the rounds, and show it off. My first stop was my uncle’s deli.
Clad in my new costume, I flung the door open and leaped to the countertop next
to the cash register (promptly sliding on its slick surface and falling on my
rump). The gal at the register, who I’ve known for years, looked at me and
said, “Hello Robert.” Oh well, I said, she knows I collect comics and that
Spidey is my hero; so, it was a lucky guess on her part.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="line-height: 150%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">My
next stop was to a local restaurant I frequented and knew most of the help. I
calmly strolled in during a mid-afternoon lull to a chorus of “Hey there, Bob.”
“Great costume, Bob.” Bummer, two strikes against me, I thought. After I was
there for a while, the owner showed up, I quickly pulled my mask back on and
jumped up on the banister behind a booth in my best Spider-like pose. He calmly
walked in, glanced passingly at me and said, “Nice costume, Bob.” Grrr, this is
getting ridiculous.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="line-height: 150%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEzspi24hC7WtqTS38XX5ltRf1YV5Rz05XparzXF8MCcfVSpwBPcA1dhT7yPKdMZlm2ziMrzPHrwlFjOZ2-kowQDpzuN0vz41pIR9oUklCGLonrbjNmqAkeuST69dQ3Zh95LdJpeOujywZLhrOb9sMZxIkQ83_b6r4U-2kO1gZdR1TT_lQ_w/s604/Spidey%20and%20Pop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="260" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEzspi24hC7WtqTS38XX5ltRf1YV5Rz05XparzXF8MCcfVSpwBPcA1dhT7yPKdMZlm2ziMrzPHrwlFjOZ2-kowQDpzuN0vz41pIR9oUklCGLonrbjNmqAkeuST69dQ3Zh95LdJpeOujywZLhrOb9sMZxIkQ83_b6r4U-2kO1gZdR1TT_lQ_w/s320/Spidey%20and%20Pop.jpg" width="138" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me (as Spidey) & Pop</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">From
there I went across town to another establishment I frequented and knew the
help. I walked in and jumped up onto the back of a videogame in the lobby
(which was being played by one of the workers), “Ooh, Spider-Man,” the gal
playing the game cooed. “Is that Bob?” A co-worker asked. “Yep,” the first gal responded.
Ah well.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="line-height: 150%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The
last stop of my tour was (naturally), the comic shop I frequented (not the shop
where I bought the shirt in the first place). I burst in the door of the shop,
shouting “Beware evildoers! Spider-Man is here!” One patron looked passively at
me and said, “You clown, Sodaro.” While others laughed and called out my name.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="line-height: 150%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Needless
to say, no matter where I went that day, no matter who I saw, either knew right
away who I was, or strongly suspected that it was me. Granted, I do have a
reputation for being a tad flaky, and pulling some silly stunt or other, but what
depressed me was that literally everyone knew it was me! leading me to ask,
just how does this work in comics.<o:p></o:p></span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p class="MsoPlainText" style="line-height: 150%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"></p></blockquote>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="line-height: 150%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvmP6CKYJT4zMe1WIY2W0eYRnNYGC4OuifnFhE8gk1KzMW64jeoapW9xDlC90rzgst4_pBQrvL8Bgye49-Ioyx0xAZCAKLqP3_fp6VChxOCYjtkW3qY9oQpxSbogVafEg1pW8wDsmItdaoiFsg6gS8ZmbmhMf7wI0xmwJrLQ83ZuDZNSQ9vw/s1920/Green%20Arrow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvmP6CKYJT4zMe1WIY2W0eYRnNYGC4OuifnFhE8gk1KzMW64jeoapW9xDlC90rzgst4_pBQrvL8Bgye49-Ioyx0xAZCAKLqP3_fp6VChxOCYjtkW3qY9oQpxSbogVafEg1pW8wDsmItdaoiFsg6gS8ZmbmhMf7wI0xmwJrLQ83ZuDZNSQ9vw/w200-h113/Green%20Arrow.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>You
know what I mean, how do guys like Green Arrow, Green Lantern, Robin, and other, who only sport those
dinky little masks (and, by the way, how do they stay on?), get away with not
being outed? I have no trouble recognizing people when they put on a pair of sunglasses.
Further, how does Oliver Queen get away with having such a stylish beard and
mustache without people questioning that Green Arrow does as well? And don’t
even talk to me about how Clark Kent gets away with just his eyeglasses as a
disguise. I wear glasses, and everyone recognizes me with or without them (or when
I change the style of them, as I do every couple of years or so.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="line-height: 150%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpl8APh_eICUtpZyP0NLZLAeztnwQIGlm8BeTp-Bp6WXE9odYLEOqnE-zKz9_r35P7SHQE8LrOePEDgA4qmPviZ04ff4l5C4jww0N6zUfJertufFLsqTCg8_ZWxYVNfW9qOKebSjocvcS_VxtzBaJznB7pl0UqgIK35oNF82vrPKQDXf1IzA/s848/Green%20Lantern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="848" data-original-width="687" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpl8APh_eICUtpZyP0NLZLAeztnwQIGlm8BeTp-Bp6WXE9odYLEOqnE-zKz9_r35P7SHQE8LrOePEDgA4qmPviZ04ff4l5C4jww0N6zUfJertufFLsqTCg8_ZWxYVNfW9qOKebSjocvcS_VxtzBaJznB7pl0UqgIK35oNF82vrPKQDXf1IzA/w162-h200/Green%20Lantern.jpg" width="162" /></a></div>Once
I had a gal come up to me in a dimly lit, smoky bar and ask if I was Bob Sodaro
(which I then was, and still am). I responded that I, in fact, was, and she
told me that we were in second grade together, and not only had she recognized
me, but she stated that I hadn’t changed at all since then (this, in spite of
the intervening 30 years, and that I was probably twice as tall as I had been
the last time she saw me, plus I was now over a hundred pounds heavier,
moustached, bearded, wore glasses, and my hairline was in a full retreat up my
forehead. I — of course — had not a clue as to who this gal was; when prompted,
I eventually did recognize her name, if not her.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="line-height: 150%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggG8d1H8fzEUXO5-7dcp4eeEadRCVuAMFzfk0z0jAMdRLvscxqOqMF093lHc_v4cfJSyIsPqNxHnbjHWSNfuiufdf2R4NcBK3wMGhj6Nft8sZkzFkHSl8t1k--UyKhFy6u6LWlVkpNTI_G65uxBNqfV033hRxqQly4pn6IJlwFWqNzchA8nA/s1200/Robin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggG8d1H8fzEUXO5-7dcp4eeEadRCVuAMFzfk0z0jAMdRLvscxqOqMF093lHc_v4cfJSyIsPqNxHnbjHWSNfuiufdf2R4NcBK3wMGhj6Nft8sZkzFkHSl8t1k--UyKhFy6u6LWlVkpNTI_G65uxBNqfV033hRxqQly4pn6IJlwFWqNzchA8nA/w200-h113/Robin.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>In
spite of this incident (that I was recognized in full costume), I still believe
that a man can fly. Nevertheless I do not fully understand how people never
quite figure out who these superheroes are. (Personally, since this incident, I’m
more inclined to believe John Byrne’s line of thought as expounded in Marvel
Comics’ comic <b><i>The Star Brand</i></b>. That is to say, that superheroes’ secret
identities aren’t discovered more often within their respective storylines is
because it would not only ruin a nifty story, but that the writer simply doesn’t
want it to happen.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="line-height: 150%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">However,
while this doesn’t really inhibit my enjoyment of superhero comics, I am a
touch more critical of plot holes that simply ignore things that are (or would
be in real life), glaringly obvious. If only other writers would consider how certain
events would look if the story was told outside comics, perhaps they would
improve their storytelling.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="line-height: 150%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">As
for me, I believe that this year I’ll stay home for Halloween.</span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoPlainText" style="line-height: 150%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Addendum<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="line-height: 150%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_a470ZfOD1MnuOt5wcQZpB25uq6Hq8sWebNODkSBpRaDapojtWZZRaEMu-LyHaT_O6NH4WeIA1TLT0KoCJQN3gWBRdbJVH_paLk-ujnmFqnXinBMsYTHU58DrKAwhzcAlrNbuwHN6sgL-fRMT8JsoVmyJMmZEQ7n9kqda8hwvu4IvuFHB1g/s2450/Close-up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2450" data-original-width="2292" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_a470ZfOD1MnuOt5wcQZpB25uq6Hq8sWebNODkSBpRaDapojtWZZRaEMu-LyHaT_O6NH4WeIA1TLT0KoCJQN3gWBRdbJVH_paLk-ujnmFqnXinBMsYTHU58DrKAwhzcAlrNbuwHN6sgL-fRMT8JsoVmyJMmZEQ7n9kqda8hwvu4IvuFHB1g/s320/Close-up.jpg" width="299" /></a></i></div><i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">It
is now 30 years hence from when I originally penned that article, and I’m in my
60s. This article is even more relevant today than when I originally wrote it, as
we have recently came through a two-year pandemic/lock-down where whenever I
was out in public, I was fully masked, and yes, people I knew still recognized
me, so, clearly, nothing has actually changed, and while I still believe in
heroes (especially the colorful, mask-wearing ones) I’m still not completely
convinced that the entire masked-wearing gerne actually works; especially when being
fully-masked (as many of us were during the pandemic) were still recognizable
to those who knew us. Still, it is fun to pretend. <o:p></o:p></span></i><p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="line-height: 150%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>rjsodarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181090208560922729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13884474.post-84475830215591885422022-12-14T08:43:00.000-05:002022-12-14T08:43:21.547-05:00Mr. MiSoki are the comicbook socks you should be wearing!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSkQ9F-Gzqh2cCGBJMFdEnjR-uFqRUIu8nns2p2pVc0A-i33c88NX8XSczFx-LpacdUaTvrjFXvvDbRWRSfljyjhrBV6lPzE93s1khf7XNMNAXEDcFxC_CS73qdrTxfu_g7s2rfjw6DNZjylEMxLg-8l7Nqze7VYZhFDQK6rC3iWi7Clc-9A/s4000/Mr%20MiSocki.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSkQ9F-Gzqh2cCGBJMFdEnjR-uFqRUIu8nns2p2pVc0A-i33c88NX8XSczFx-LpacdUaTvrjFXvvDbRWRSfljyjhrBV6lPzE93s1khf7XNMNAXEDcFxC_CS73qdrTxfu_g7s2rfjw6DNZjylEMxLg-8l7Nqze7VYZhFDQK6rC3iWi7Clc-9A/w150-h200/Mr%20MiSocki.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>If you are into comicbooks and sartorial splendor as far as your
footwear is concerned, then you just might want to consider checking out <a href="https://www.mrmisocki.com/?sscid=c1k6_hn3mn">Mr. MiSoki</a> brand
socks.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">That’s right, you read that correctly “Mr. MiSoki” (clearly a play
on the iconic Mr. Miyagi character played by Pat Morita in the Karate Kid
films) is what you could expect from a comicbook-based sock company. As it
turns out, </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mr. MiSocki was
started by a pair of guys who really love socks and design.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">What Mr. MiSocki has done is combined flashy socks, innovative marketing, cool graphics, and entertaining comics. The company sells a box containing two pairs of flamboyantly decorated pairs of socks packaged with a comicbook. Currently the company produces six separate comics, along with 12-gloriously eclectic socks; and what could be more fun than that?</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHiZNGbuUPpvD9BhKSz8vwRUzc06OILUBFekKy2lYJt2DYBLNT34Lo7ipZjLwpFD4kPaBSirPtU1RYZmSmDPkdYniLZMcSqK2gQiMeZpd7gFRRl1fIoMG9mtJSDPTN-qq_xwyh9KUEG77fc-wS3yQCUmoPNiceAv0Xdq27U5_93TiLpPQv3g/s515/Mr%20MiSocki%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="515" data-original-width="445" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHiZNGbuUPpvD9BhKSz8vwRUzc06OILUBFekKy2lYJt2DYBLNT34Lo7ipZjLwpFD4kPaBSirPtU1RYZmSmDPkdYniLZMcSqK2gQiMeZpd7gFRRl1fIoMG9mtJSDPTN-qq_xwyh9KUEG77fc-wS3yQCUmoPNiceAv0Xdq27U5_93TiLpPQv3g/w173-h200/Mr%20MiSocki%201.jpg" width="173" /></a></div>The comics themselves are 6" x 3.5" 22 page full-color comics that tell the story of a pair of matched socks and their efforts to stay together. In the first comic, they become separated, and work to become matched upo once again. the comic is written by Munish Taneja, and illustrated by A. T. Pratt.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">According to the
company’s website, Munish Taneja, the company’s CEO, has spent several years in
technology product management and business development. He currently works at
Google as a Mobile UX lead. Funky socks have always been a unique obsession for
Munish and he wanted to apply the versatile skillset he developed throughout
his career to create something that would bring joy to people's lives.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A. T. Pratt, the CCO
(Chief Creative Officer) is a multi-disciplinary cartoonist, illustrator, fine
artist, designer, and self-publisher. Each project he creates aims to tackle
words and pictures in new and exciting ways, incorporating handmade additions
like pop-ups and foldouts in his comics, and now with socks leaping from the
flat comic page into real life!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguyuZ_XPg5wyuyeMaPM_8NawEG6A2aVLI9QoM2rIgSybkDUmkb7UWVd218YcBmSYO1PAfOZha0nt9-06xMGwQGghlQW0w5G-VR4CFU441eatLY84uniwEKUJhFuaiWvwL1h4P7Dbq8WU-Y5HYDPw-ghU7g99WQRuy4yVKVldIFct8UxaE-9w/s405/Mr%20MiSocki%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="334" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguyuZ_XPg5wyuyeMaPM_8NawEG6A2aVLI9QoM2rIgSybkDUmkb7UWVd218YcBmSYO1PAfOZha0nt9-06xMGwQGghlQW0w5G-VR4CFU441eatLY84uniwEKUJhFuaiWvwL1h4P7Dbq8WU-Y5HYDPw-ghU7g99WQRuy4yVKVldIFct8UxaE-9w/s320/Mr%20MiSocki%202.jpg" width="264" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbqUjkc3Sj--sJRIEcYzMEdaFlhH60LY_EJcQRq8-cNAm9X6sc6xsRa2KkZmGBsJNLONNRXUco9T37IdYYmr7AAsbDsE3YcIMfcnKXx3RtUfdFFQVryyRnmZiXBVkzgUlhQ51sTpKavvQJcdaih5iDNPaDx-wk4wr7zbg_caRuyxBX2jyLIA/s478/Mr%20MiSocki%203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="463" data-original-width="478" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbqUjkc3Sj--sJRIEcYzMEdaFlhH60LY_EJcQRq8-cNAm9X6sc6xsRa2KkZmGBsJNLONNRXUco9T37IdYYmr7AAsbDsE3YcIMfcnKXx3RtUfdFFQVryyRnmZiXBVkzgUlhQ51sTpKavvQJcdaih5iDNPaDx-wk4wr7zbg_caRuyxBX2jyLIA/s320/Mr%20MiSocki%203.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFjoNIX9y0yw1ESRtbRxhoRSTZoNBI2vgqxV5Ge7QDsMXszKR4gdNZ3djzkRQFrHFzflnxL2OrG7GObKTmm8T3WTZbYvaQR0NaOiQ58WJE0hbmnHZygRwTNhaGIe6cx2aoeBF1VspFenIyMxk7Tvq8Vic8EpvIXmcZZsO5YNJAcHWU8XDRCA/s525/Mr%20MiSocki%204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="365" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFjoNIX9y0yw1ESRtbRxhoRSTZoNBI2vgqxV5Ge7QDsMXszKR4gdNZ3djzkRQFrHFzflnxL2OrG7GObKTmm8T3WTZbYvaQR0NaOiQ58WJE0hbmnHZygRwTNhaGIe6cx2aoeBF1VspFenIyMxk7Tvq8Vic8EpvIXmcZZsO5YNJAcHWU8XDRCA/s320/Mr%20MiSocki%204.jpg" width="222" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_AAKoVjZRc_Sg9F6s_jwZaDAWTvNxB7L4-zlkdKbfDOhnceBTNqY483LdPbEaawE7AuLJ04B1JYp8uHjU48DQukeCjn6fsMi0Co63Hj1re930t0aCNzlchHJNm8HKw5sPAseMnWK0b2xKmlw1ffykbz-MxluF9AgSj8TD5UMjg6wuPMyr8A/s639/Mr%20MiSocki%205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="394" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_AAKoVjZRc_Sg9F6s_jwZaDAWTvNxB7L4-zlkdKbfDOhnceBTNqY483LdPbEaawE7AuLJ04B1JYp8uHjU48DQukeCjn6fsMi0Co63Hj1re930t0aCNzlchHJNm8HKw5sPAseMnWK0b2xKmlw1ffykbz-MxluF9AgSj8TD5UMjg6wuPMyr8A/s320/Mr%20MiSocki%205.jpg" width="197" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></p>rjsodarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181090208560922729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13884474.post-70611544859595289782022-10-28T21:46:00.004-04:002022-11-11T21:04:01.738-05:00Welcome to Halloween<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcy-9EroWifds3mzx4AIhAhYugoBQ0cGpWEtU0la5vZVTYVuvgOjFXERmBd-Z4iNk7aZSiVBR1wZbsZhdndMReH41vnbtXk-mrId3_XXHBfHUEw4rSr8huTrOETP3yMQrWVJmsB_lg2S68GANNj2ial_ULWM8P9oALOwuMINd_dPtucbPk6A/s700/Jack-o-Lantern.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcy-9EroWifds3mzx4AIhAhYugoBQ0cGpWEtU0la5vZVTYVuvgOjFXERmBd-Z4iNk7aZSiVBR1wZbsZhdndMReH41vnbtXk-mrId3_XXHBfHUEw4rSr8huTrOETP3yMQrWVJmsB_lg2S68GANNj2ial_ULWM8P9oALOwuMINd_dPtucbPk6A/w200-h200/Jack-o-Lantern.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /> Recently (just today as I pen this post). I've had yet another short story of mine posted on the internet. The story is Halloween-Themed, and was posted to a Facebook site entitled, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/145324212487752" target="_blank">Writers Unite!</a> <p></p><p>I had joined the site a year or so back, and in the intervening time I've has three short stories published by them in three separate anthologies (A Western, A Fantasy, and a Romance story).</p><p>Each of those stories appeared in print, whereas, this most recent story appears only online, as stated, in the <b>Writers Unite!</b> Facebook page. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPGkqWVN9H0MG_CXvEf8pJ8SUdwmOa4Jo0cDoLjXMzVE9ptrL6RpHW-TkZn1TTRUEJBTuJKNBHN3lkX6dbesiusr_XUrOHoJkrkqtVmYnQRMaQW5Ec0YUBnyM2ECR7i-bFoaiS1FZq4fHzU3XM400hBaOwBWO8kNn-A83-doosS5i7tOxqYw/s700/Untitled-2Header-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="387" data-original-width="700" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPGkqWVN9H0MG_CXvEf8pJ8SUdwmOa4Jo0cDoLjXMzVE9ptrL6RpHW-TkZn1TTRUEJBTuJKNBHN3lkX6dbesiusr_XUrOHoJkrkqtVmYnQRMaQW5Ec0YUBnyM2ECR7i-bFoaiS1FZq4fHzU3XM400hBaOwBWO8kNn-A83-doosS5i7tOxqYw/w400-h221/Untitled-2Header-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /> To locate this Spooky tale, one need to go to Facebook, log into the Writer's Unite! page, and find the <b><a href="https://writersuniteweb.wordpress.com/wu-witching-hour-collection/?fbclid=IwAR0SArpT0-4kWjH_7zuYfxuzH6WYCU_t1bCy8MHaZv2VBcEkrYpUrpSkEps" target="_blank">WU Witching Hour</a></b> post, then navigate to the <a href="https://writersuniteweb.wordpress.com/wu-witching-hour-part-six/" style="border: 0px; color: #24890d; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-weight: 700;">WU! Witching Hour Part Six</span></a> which is where my story resides. My story is entitled "Cat Got Your Tongue", which is the final story of the set.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZt-q2DIP1_hqT7WxETBQlXk4qJKamDTN2Fd7GtO9vvFhL3J3IAVk-OQwjtzgnjY8knDjIbpUCAiigrLMHmO78OaQlVQH71O9s7jQ3S7NFamTUtIm3TwxrGVG7iLiLJ8Ai-5occ6tQ0AeDbI8qayqKHQqVJeU_zAusVNxa1jEOyIlI3JFIuA/s600/part-six-image-by-nicole-dralle-from-pixabay.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZt-q2DIP1_hqT7WxETBQlXk4qJKamDTN2Fd7GtO9vvFhL3J3IAVk-OQwjtzgnjY8knDjIbpUCAiigrLMHmO78OaQlVQH71O9s7jQ3S7NFamTUtIm3TwxrGVG7iLiLJ8Ai-5occ6tQ0AeDbI8qayqKHQqVJeU_zAusVNxa1jEOyIlI3JFIuA/w400-h225/part-six-image-by-nicole-dralle-from-pixabay.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Hope you enjoy it.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3OPJJmr23sUBeaHXu2hnYJ0D5cq7EjF0ITO2wHC3UlOufOO18skv-8f1ZP0laQu6SOd8HEpWHJSrP_zJk624Fwb_1r7PeiCf0Pky4lOC7kwWuZ13YkUie2GV3w4QrNebvnyxDJ2oW2Cmza6owFLRfxlQZ7d-tOVS7er7fGFtWK_P_SludA/s1140/Bat.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1140" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3OPJJmr23sUBeaHXu2hnYJ0D5cq7EjF0ITO2wHC3UlOufOO18skv-8f1ZP0laQu6SOd8HEpWHJSrP_zJk624Fwb_1r7PeiCf0Pky4lOC7kwWuZ13YkUie2GV3w4QrNebvnyxDJ2oW2Cmza6owFLRfxlQZ7d-tOVS7er7fGFtWK_P_SludA/s320/Bat.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>rjsodarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181090208560922729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13884474.post-56215926641099044332022-09-26T09:26:00.000-04:002022-09-26T09:26:55.937-04:00Welcome to the Bizarrechats of Michael F. Housel, Author of the Abstract, Amazing and Arcane: : ROBERT J. SODARO: GRAPHIC GENIUS FOR HIRE!<a href="https://bizarrechats.blogspot.com/2022/09/robert-j-sodaro-graphic-genius-for-hire.html?spref=bl">Welcome to the Bizarrechats of Michael F. Housel, Author of the Abstract, Amazing and Arcane: : ROBERT J. SODARO: GRAPHIC GENIUS FOR HIRE!</a>: In my worldly estimation, Robert J. Sodaro is a genius, a man with an aesthetic eye when it comes to mapping, editing and polishing any pro...rjsodarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181090208560922729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13884474.post-77829149694032731422022-08-17T11:43:00.002-04:002022-11-11T21:05:27.246-05:00Romance is in the air!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxViruh8mgrv0RDLQWY9K-s07yIleEGS8_0ae_-2TEYSErgw0k_QzfrO8-U7cpLF9wAdNMn4w_nVB3gpgNGP4uB1O6-HcjrhvlTIABjTN9-uFOamE0AeBNlp7LcffWpZ2hfXftlRg59y4E74JLs9T8m6b8lQFPpqgH2etbuSVIvipDm6oEaw/s2775/Front%20Cover.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2775" data-original-width="1860" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxViruh8mgrv0RDLQWY9K-s07yIleEGS8_0ae_-2TEYSErgw0k_QzfrO8-U7cpLF9wAdNMn4w_nVB3gpgNGP4uB1O6-HcjrhvlTIABjTN9-uFOamE0AeBNlp7LcffWpZ2hfXftlRg59y4E74JLs9T8m6b8lQFPpqgH2etbuSVIvipDm6oEaw/w134-h200/Front%20Cover.jpg" width="134" /></a></div>So here I am, Some 40+ years writing professionally and I'm — quite honestly — having perhaps one of the best years ever. I have several projects in print, as well as several more awaiting publication. <p></p><p>This past week I just finished off laying out a book project for a new client, and am starting on the layout of a magazine for one of my longest-running clients. I have three prose short stories out for publication, five comicbook scripts in various stages of production. I'm getting set to launch a comicbook Kickstarter with a new publisher, as well as brand new offer to script a one-shot (with the possibility of sequels). </p><p>Still, none of that is what I really want to write about today. As of the 1th of this month (just two days ago as I type this, 8/15/22) I'll have my third (yes, third) prose short story out in print with Writers Unite (a Facebook group to which I belong). The anthology <b><i>Writers Unite: Dimensions of Love</i></b>, is a two volume set of short stories.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYJymZaZ2KDxdLbryewBN4gJ91BtOEn1vOpuVJ8iEKIoG9pGmK_Sgd3mh8zjnK4HAmaU5A0SBJD4j4DBDDZ85RIRqFsKIvfRKP5ndJaeBP_kvWlakqPB_8pLr2-9HCNjNrCdSznTw0V1y-qsSnesI_C8hL9raLISlqMMrrK7bnxhm7j1WgwA/s2775/Back%20Cover%20-me.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2775" data-original-width="1900" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYJymZaZ2KDxdLbryewBN4gJ91BtOEn1vOpuVJ8iEKIoG9pGmK_Sgd3mh8zjnK4HAmaU5A0SBJD4j4DBDDZ85RIRqFsKIvfRKP5ndJaeBP_kvWlakqPB_8pLr2-9HCNjNrCdSznTw0V1y-qsSnesI_C8hL9raLISlqMMrrK7bnxhm7j1WgwA/w137-h200/Back%20Cover%20-me.jpg" width="137" /></a></div>My story, entitled <i>The Way Back</i> appears in the second volume of the set, and I'm very excited to have it appear in this set as penning a romance story is so far outside the type of writing I've been doing for the past four decades. <p></p><p>Over the years I've written ad copy for radio, print, direct mail, and the web; I've written marketing material as well as technical and procedure manuals. I've worked as a journalist, done hundreds of interviews, written reviews of films, books, comics and more. Still. This romance story is honestly one of the coolest things I've ever written. Hopefully others will enjoy not just my story, but the full run of stories in the series.</p><p>The anthology is available on Amazon in both print and ebook editions, the links for both editions are below. (The links will lead to both version of each volume.)</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg3GifGu-j1FgzpoGE3fa4r7gaifTw4j7DLPsr7k9vD5TCuTPP74Mf_zCAmNnP6PJsr6YPH0Pv6AYnaz839z4EIUdc30tb5SRRLE4FXdidktzXKAAuvl_0qDOeY8pY3mMKdan77DYtC1H9HbtOPIOvpx5W8mkB1lZX5RVp8wWfKBkw43AzDg/s1867/FB%20Available%20Banner%20copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="852" data-original-width="1867" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg3GifGu-j1FgzpoGE3fa4r7gaifTw4j7DLPsr7k9vD5TCuTPP74Mf_zCAmNnP6PJsr6YPH0Pv6AYnaz839z4EIUdc30tb5SRRLE4FXdidktzXKAAuvl_0qDOeY8pY3mMKdan77DYtC1H9HbtOPIOvpx5W8mkB1lZX5RVp8wWfKBkw43AzDg/w400-h183/FB%20Available%20Banner%20copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p><b><i>Writers Unite: Dimensions of Romance</i></b>, Volume One:</p><p>https://www.amazon.com/Writers-Unite-Anthologies-Dimensions-Love/dp/B0B92R1MDV/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1660659855&sr=1-1&fbclid=IwAR3FkDE2NbLHLgVwRRkwCo94GYu9zr8PieM2xo6oHnuOWMrSiAfTw9Qp_JA</p><p><b><i>Writers Unite: Dimensions of Romance</i></b>, Volume Two</p><p>https://www.amazon.com/Writers-Unite-Anthologies-Dimensions-Love-ebook/dp/B0B8QKWQ93/ref=sr_1_1?crid=282ELDNTBFQ33&keywords=Writers%20Unite!%20Anthologies%20Dimensions%20of%20Love%20Volume%20two&qid=1660659890&s=books&sprefix=writers%20unite%20anthologies%20dimensions%20of%20love%20volume%20two%2Cstripbooks%2C52&sr=1-1&fbclid=IwAR1bcj5sJ17_tNeMiPp-7w61oE8acP7UzZmjtoE82khV4e7CPGTcqp0j58w</p><p><br /></p><p>As an aside, a second romance story of mine has been posted online over here:<br /><br /></p><p>https://bardsy.com/stories/story-reader/?story_id=3682&utm_source=pocket_mylist</p>rjsodarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181090208560922729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13884474.post-10547464460713933922022-08-11T11:40:00.002-04:002022-11-11T21:07:34.050-05:00John Romita, Sr, Gerry Conway, Spider-Man, Gwen Stacy, & Me!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinMoxF1tlBphiUEEijz1z3Dsq6tvOLLhCwllntK_67rS3Oi5V6j9v7rT3TQvvQ5xRFgQhy-kxaj5yW7tvXgK-4u8C4KRwYJSl6ciWK88cSAc219UnQasvsZrIn1Qbjc1YRoctHSzHm-pnl5zb3FjIQqjF6LeQJ_85Oy8OMajCNB4miJOh8vA/s400/Con%20Book.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="254" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinMoxF1tlBphiUEEijz1z3Dsq6tvOLLhCwllntK_67rS3Oi5V6j9v7rT3TQvvQ5xRFgQhy-kxaj5yW7tvXgK-4u8C4KRwYJSl6ciWK88cSAc219UnQasvsZrIn1Qbjc1YRoctHSzHm-pnl5zb3FjIQqjF6LeQJ_85Oy8OMajCNB4miJOh8vA/w127-h200/Con%20Book.jpg" width="127" /></a></div>So here is a bit of my own personal history in comics.<p></p><p>Back in 1973 (when I was just a mere lad of 18) I attended my first or second NY Comic Con. For context this was shortly after the release of Amazing Spider-Man #121 when Gwen Stacy died at the hands of the Green Goblin. While at the show, I wandered into the Pro room to find to John Romita (Sr.) doing sketches and signing autographs. (No lines, no charge, just JRSR sitting at a table signing for the kids.) </p><p>While wearing my über-cool Spidey T-shirt (with art by JRSR), I eagerly held out my convention book. For John to sign. Looking up from his last drawing, he spotted my shirt, smiled and reached out past a couple of other fans, for my book and asked who I would like for him to illustrate for me. "Gwen Stacy." I said. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjMO0tzRBRU2Vbq85N8Vjel3HS-IXFo35EQN5A97xKIuFHfmpA8mjZb4FKHd_duI4dgPn9V-6A93-I54hZ48DIIEbX5j8Xz2b1s8EUHOCoNWXAEVzWfjgFkqIOK10w-vyw1bQUfmKsfhCUgJgXgioY9r3msCPTvcfoTOuHtjiVA3feCoLl4A/s300/st-gwen.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="192" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjMO0tzRBRU2Vbq85N8Vjel3HS-IXFo35EQN5A97xKIuFHfmpA8mjZb4FKHd_duI4dgPn9V-6A93-I54hZ48DIIEbX5j8Xz2b1s8EUHOCoNWXAEVzWfjgFkqIOK10w-vyw1bQUfmKsfhCUgJgXgioY9r3msCPTvcfoTOuHtjiVA3feCoLl4A/w128-h200/st-gwen.webp" width="128" /></a></div><br />"I can only draw her head," He replied.<p></p><p>"OK, that's fine with me." I responded.</p><p>So he drew her face. Upon completing the sketch and autographing it, I reached for my program book, to take it back, only John wasn't quite done with it. He then drew a big word balloon, and wrote "You did it Gerry C.!" And then handed back to me.</p><p>I laughed at the cool moment. (Remember, Gerry Conway was the writer who famously wrote the story in issue #121 of Amazing Spider-Man where she died.)</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkIi_MBFIJ2WbVFz4-KF9JQaSP2_ciS2DQ8fBq97BJxw4hYeXXk22YBCmZLBqGnzgVo1NNxmCIdIZOqFeTSmZNl3lwcU0KpnkPo5X9LVPkzesxwtEhvwjdljBsqsnQsrNw73kFavtPb2l3rK4tK6Xmxi60yZeNnlcSOzGsqg9taRPGfzCl6Q/s826/The%20Night%20Gwen%20Stacy%20Died.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="826" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkIi_MBFIJ2WbVFz4-KF9JQaSP2_ciS2DQ8fBq97BJxw4hYeXXk22YBCmZLBqGnzgVo1NNxmCIdIZOqFeTSmZNl3lwcU0KpnkPo5X9LVPkzesxwtEhvwjdljBsqsnQsrNw73kFavtPb2l3rK4tK6Xmxi60yZeNnlcSOzGsqg9taRPGfzCl6Q/w400-h207/The%20Night%20Gwen%20Stacy%20Died.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>About an hour or so later, I was back in the pro room to see who else I could get an autograph from, and lo and behold who was there, but none other than Gerry Conway himself. Knowing I simply couldn't pass this moment up, I turned to John's autograph in my program booklet, and handed it to Gerry as I asked for his autograph. <p></p><p>"Sure kid," He said taking the booklet from me. Then when he noticed the page he was asked to sign, he did a double take and laughed, then he too autographed the page, adding "Yeah, and I'm glad I did!"</p><p>Needless to say, this was an even cooler moment for me. </p><p>I still have that booklet with both autographs in it. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoTOccVtX_Gxh1medNtbOSPOztNkRlWb-tXhfHX0zi6jaYE-KLDHIMPP85DMD1Mi2VeRsIUuxxGCHYpbC7nxREuYdVPWZ0tlgPaaSAIfhNIW6aFRdvblSs8oF6_tWlRj58cT-7CgXSG_HVY-S9pvp9ja6YQ8TP6nAJhM8jakXdNlsp1iVvdA/s3321/TerrifiCon.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3321" data-original-width="2490" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoTOccVtX_Gxh1medNtbOSPOztNkRlWb-tXhfHX0zi6jaYE-KLDHIMPP85DMD1Mi2VeRsIUuxxGCHYpbC7nxREuYdVPWZ0tlgPaaSAIfhNIW6aFRdvblSs8oF6_tWlRj58cT-7CgXSG_HVY-S9pvp9ja6YQ8TP6nAJhM8jakXdNlsp1iVvdA/w150-h200/TerrifiCon.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>A week or so back I attended TerrifiCon at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT. where Gerry Conway was one of the guests. I hadn't crossed paths with Gerry in nearly 50 years, but I again couldn't pass up this moment. I went up to his table and said. "Gerry, you certainly don't remember me, but I hope you remember this." And I showed him the photo of the page from that old convention book that was on my phone.<p></p><p>"I absolutely do remember that!" he exclaimed, then he asked if he could take a picture of it off my phone, which I agreed to letting him do. I then got to chat with him for a few minutes to tell him how much I always enjoyed his writing.</p><p>A little later in the show John Romita, Jr showed up to sign autographs for the fans, and I — once again — wanted to share my 50-year-old story. So I approached JRJR's table and got his attention, saying "50 years ago I got your father's and Gerry Conway's autograph, and this is how they signed my book." showing him the photo on my phone.</p><p>As can be expected, JRJR also loved the story, and I entreated him to also take a picture of my phone and send it to his father (who had never seen the response autograph that Gerry had gifted me with.) Which JRJR did. </p><p>To both of them I then related the story how, when I showed up to see the 2nd Andrew McCarthy Spider-Man film my friend, Shawn, who worked at the theater, told me "You're gonna hate this film." To which I replied, "Why, because Gwen dies in it?"</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeYEK1x8rTgmhh826JM9ROiQxzsjHu9I5BfRnKCvXGsdp7f3uj5MfecUp-hldUrwTnOPP1Zvb2ApU76Atg2sbJD14EOAPH6kmWKrax9PXnYeY2ZGEc1edsXyqpABZ8U1yydpxdK8TdU9Go3FKMJYonxKYkvaVMCT8KZukVuaz7E9ucj2T5aQ/s725/NightGwenStacyDied_police_725x751.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="725" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeYEK1x8rTgmhh826JM9ROiQxzsjHu9I5BfRnKCvXGsdp7f3uj5MfecUp-hldUrwTnOPP1Zvb2ApU76Atg2sbJD14EOAPH6kmWKrax9PXnYeY2ZGEc1edsXyqpABZ8U1yydpxdK8TdU9Go3FKMJYonxKYkvaVMCT8KZukVuaz7E9ucj2T5aQ/w400-h263/NightGwenStacyDied_police_725x751.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>Have you already seen the film?" he asked. <br /></p><p>"No." I said, "She died when I was 18 and I'm still not over it!"</p><p>Here now is that autograph that JRSR and Gerry did for me back in 1973, when I was 18.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ixEaZK9Z5ZJZ4aRRUzv1wsroCmq2t_rAxG0g4bSz4DuSGYlg0XLWh5BlVftjIdm2S1LW6dLMtQGjZpli3T1UcdaMvt-iEwl-LJ5YHm8RksDGSToTv5_QaYZ7y-s3gmyffO14KI6LUD5IUkJ6SAm2o-mj2_Zf4vNuGx5KTaWstoBQnF75hA/s868/Autograph.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="868" data-original-width="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ixEaZK9Z5ZJZ4aRRUzv1wsroCmq2t_rAxG0g4bSz4DuSGYlg0XLWh5BlVftjIdm2S1LW6dLMtQGjZpli3T1UcdaMvt-iEwl-LJ5YHm8RksDGSToTv5_QaYZ7y-s3gmyffO14KI6LUD5IUkJ6SAm2o-mj2_Zf4vNuGx5KTaWstoBQnF75hA/s16000/Autograph.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>Honestly, it is probably the coolest thing I own.</p><p><br /></p>rjsodarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181090208560922729noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13884474.post-3622753786358727682022-04-05T11:32:00.002-04:002022-11-11T21:08:14.141-05:00Call me "Storyteller" Part the 2nd!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitMWKAZX08hjOOEvVuWiK5VFa0FO2CuiTmtOz-LfEgs5QuUIeIl0_JicIKF7hArO4UAwuHI70gkMmTF4aImFFEC5DgkqBMzLYvGdtItmUVOPca5mHZldKoCsZ_LMNRTDua8VloXaD4q1UpBUHagOiGT57QD_bPjcGBTP4OkO0_I7o4uRNp3w/s344/storytelling-clipart-http-story-wallaceshealy-com-OPvCP3-clipart.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="344" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitMWKAZX08hjOOEvVuWiK5VFa0FO2CuiTmtOz-LfEgs5QuUIeIl0_JicIKF7hArO4UAwuHI70gkMmTF4aImFFEC5DgkqBMzLYvGdtItmUVOPca5mHZldKoCsZ_LMNRTDua8VloXaD4q1UpBUHagOiGT57QD_bPjcGBTP4OkO0_I7o4uRNp3w/w200-h198/storytelling-clipart-http-story-wallaceshealy-com-OPvCP3-clipart.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For years I've been referring to myself as (alternately) a Journalist and as a storyteller. While both are true, a more accurate descriptor would be that, even as a journalist, my best articles were, in fact stories. </div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Part of this reason is that, where my own learning has taken place, I've always been better at learning/remembering something if it was related to me as a story, rather than simply as a fact (probably why I was always better at English than Math). Needless to say, I've always been able to spin a good yarn. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">A short while back, in an earlier <a href="https://freelanceink.blogspot.com/2022/03/just-call-me-storyteller.html" target="_blank">post</a>, I shared a few links for some print stories that I had written. Well, since that time, I have penned a few more stories that reside online, and I would like to share those links with you now.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnHTJsA-6g2UefogKP01yjXm1wf3JviR_EmG4ClkAUJcowhM5AvKNgjpGCP7q40VwFbXk_XtTT2WPOtKDpvid7aDF-0W9tVH4jOU3rVsXNmajPwN2h9-1Q_5HU0QCO0WvMw1SSMDn_7e86H7XN9UHsyN37f5S6saXwrdw1dW3RoMhLzo4HyA/s225/download.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnHTJsA-6g2UefogKP01yjXm1wf3JviR_EmG4ClkAUJcowhM5AvKNgjpGCP7q40VwFbXk_XtTT2WPOtKDpvid7aDF-0W9tVH4jOU3rVsXNmajPwN2h9-1Q_5HU0QCO0WvMw1SSMDn_7e86H7XN9UHsyN37f5S6saXwrdw1dW3RoMhLzo4HyA/w200-h200/download.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>First up, is a story of a slightly different genre than I've been writing in, this one a romance story. This was in response to a writer's prompt in the attempt to get the story included in an anthology. Unfortunately, the story didn't make the cut, but it still is readable online, <a href="https://bardsy.com/stories/story-reader/?story_id=3682&utm_source=pocket_mylist">here</a>. The story is entitled <i>Good Morning Cupcake</i>, and is the tale of a woman approaching 50 who is a widow, and on the cusp of a relationship with an older male friend whom she has known professionally for well over a decade. Part of my reasoning for making the couple older, is that so many "love" stories are about young teens or 20somethings, and I really just wanted to write a story about an older couple (finally) finding true love.<p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjKFKFXsOIgjz8UIatyS2CwnWPVU-ppMwst20v04h-Kb_k1ShPaiNPypAEds19QsrlNt0A7NtfVS6KXqcH4wwvVBneX4Fv6x2C-0Ay9BaMGvMkwJsdFxjm_BXcsnZcZ13GxVWUt2XetHScLJm-5AzfOv5Ark0pnOou5CZCL9mwxul-u5UxrA/s1292/Owl.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1292" data-original-width="1024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjKFKFXsOIgjz8UIatyS2CwnWPVU-ppMwst20v04h-Kb_k1ShPaiNPypAEds19QsrlNt0A7NtfVS6KXqcH4wwvVBneX4Fv6x2C-0Ay9BaMGvMkwJsdFxjm_BXcsnZcZ13GxVWUt2XetHScLJm-5AzfOv5Ark0pnOou5CZCL9mwxul-u5UxrA/w159-h200/Owl.jpg" width="159" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Droid Serif", Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: 0.19px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">illustration by Carl Morgans</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table>The second story <i><a href="https://vocal.media/fiction/night-of-the-owl" target="_blank">Night of the Owl</a></i>, operates on more familiar ground, as it is the backstory of a Golden Age superhero whose adventures I've been chronicling (along with others) in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/114254119027859" target="_blank"><b>InDELLible Comics</b></a>. Those of us who are working on stories for InDELLible are playing in a sandbox of Public Domain characters that were once published by Dell Comics back in the '50s & '60s. These comics and prose anthologies can be found on Amazon. We've written a bunch, and more are on the way.<p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The third story is an original piece that I penned while officiating a flash fiction story writing exercise at a comic con several years back. (To be sure, my piece wasn't so much entered in the contest I was proctoring, as it was done to pass my time while the actual contestants were writing their stories. My story sat around all these years with no where to go, until I discovered this website where I could post it.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyNr6AsddcVRaNOru5NPV_U1m8qJiO7YQAXrh0HgasDnALtKczeLy4QP8JHsjgOSvtkP0M0tX3f8m0yU3mIRY_GBg2SeHq3PZkIg2ILTzpzGQMIwMuPkYJ2b_vlyCFfcmVLtHLTBghGof5k0VU_-M5boCPR9zO4OuA4Mmnp-aa9D9vx2ghgQ/s1024/End%20of%20the%20world.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="838" data-original-width="1024" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyNr6AsddcVRaNOru5NPV_U1m8qJiO7YQAXrh0HgasDnALtKczeLy4QP8JHsjgOSvtkP0M0tX3f8m0yU3mIRY_GBg2SeHq3PZkIg2ILTzpzGQMIwMuPkYJ2b_vlyCFfcmVLtHLTBghGof5k0VU_-M5boCPR9zO4OuA4Mmnp-aa9D9vx2ghgQ/w400-h328/End%20of%20the%20world.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">Currently I'm writing more short stories, and just may wind up posting them online in one of these two sites. So, keep your eyes open as there is more to come, so stay tuned!</p>rjsodarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181090208560922729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13884474.post-6406491032070481652022-03-05T18:07:00.005-05:002022-03-05T18:07:47.712-05:00Just call me "storyteller"<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgr8kBxDkR2cP7GRldYGJ7ecKJdOL34Aie0w9lkz2jVj1UxeZoaOUIg9ic36wiJQM8XCzb_r7M7A19EAG6wuzFO-AIvV6vInMAiZ72hMVkNm9OJ5QqoBCgSJ23bXKWzdLPnZQTsadBIfF7Iuad-Nl4AiG73oOJ-8YSg1e1V9gxetLorFq7vbA=s530" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="399" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgr8kBxDkR2cP7GRldYGJ7ecKJdOL34Aie0w9lkz2jVj1UxeZoaOUIg9ic36wiJQM8XCzb_r7M7A19EAG6wuzFO-AIvV6vInMAiZ72hMVkNm9OJ5QqoBCgSJ23bXKWzdLPnZQTsadBIfF7Iuad-Nl4AiG73oOJ-8YSg1e1V9gxetLorFq7vbA=w151-h200" width="151" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I was first published in 1981. An article I wrote about Steve Ditko's Spider-Man which appeared in issue #5 of <b><i>Amazing Heroes</i></b>. My second professional published article appeared in <i style="font-weight: bold;">Marvel Preview</i>, also in 1981. My first professionally published piece of fiction appeared in a <b><i>Marvel Year in Review</i></b> in the late 1980s/early 1990s (it was a short essay about either an imagined origin to the X-Men or the Avengers — I forget which as my writing partner (John A. Wilcox) and I submitted both but the editor only used one). </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">(Prior to both of these, I had actually been previously been published in the newsletter (both fiction and non-fiction) from my local library, where I was working at the time.)</div><p></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgx7Ezro0wfjpJ-tCaMkOYKcqtvYeoU1Q-UeoD9oOAnIdxukFNZPJMLr9wWXSG0k5rV-dg2XBVD3YxCumrKs6UuExfsUub206dBkmDGNmnYh4zyMPbjvq62UQthcUSYYy2NSgooGfM-3liBazd2q1l4Rp3vJ9tm1fsItNrEQlPkprCufEG_Aw=s1519" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1519" data-original-width="1017" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgx7Ezro0wfjpJ-tCaMkOYKcqtvYeoU1Q-UeoD9oOAnIdxukFNZPJMLr9wWXSG0k5rV-dg2XBVD3YxCumrKs6UuExfsUub206dBkmDGNmnYh4zyMPbjvq62UQthcUSYYy2NSgooGfM-3liBazd2q1l4Rp3vJ9tm1fsItNrEQlPkprCufEG_Aw=w134-h200" width="134" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My first solo fiction piece was a comicbook entitled <b><i>Agent Unknown</i></b> which was published by Renegade Press in 1987. That particular comic lasted three of the six planned issues (the B&W implosion of the late ‘80s killed it). it wasn't until 2006 that I once again had a piece of fiction of mine published, this time in the comicbook series, <b><i>Psychosis </i></b>(Guild Works Productions). </div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In between that first published article in <b><i>Amazing Heroes</i></b> and the publication of <i><b>Agent Unknown</b></i> (Renegade Press). I had literally hundreds of articles published. since then I have had hundreds more published, as well as a few books, and, well a handful of fiction short stories (both illustrated and prose. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As I pen this piece, it is the beginning of March, 2022, and already I have had an article and three fiction pieces published online. An Illustrated story and a prose piece both slated for publication, as well as written a script for a second illustrated piece. I have more stories and articles in me, and I haven't slowed down. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The best is yet to come. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>rjsodarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181090208560922729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13884474.post-64256792072644453752022-01-20T20:16:00.002-05:002022-11-11T21:09:35.808-05:00New Amsterdam & "Defund the Police"<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiBb3IUOaV4p84yFy6UPeBhcIND4aPkbQHPgKEaYlT0x3wa1gQ8DGVdGrvmMhWX3PuEc5ThbtBXwTQtPWSIppuicOyJ7kpHbdbJVrUNKcYf18tVEy2FwD29bIfSIzTIrBb3hH8kgNruxYIFXy7bYlMZmzgrHQh76MZwSH3EXEByf0ahUdg90Q=s1200" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiBb3IUOaV4p84yFy6UPeBhcIND4aPkbQHPgKEaYlT0x3wa1gQ8DGVdGrvmMhWX3PuEc5ThbtBXwTQtPWSIppuicOyJ7kpHbdbJVrUNKcYf18tVEy2FwD29bIfSIzTIrBb3hH8kgNruxYIFXy7bYlMZmzgrHQh76MZwSH3EXEByf0ahUdg90Q=w400-h210" width="400" /></a></div><br /> <span color="var(--primary-text)" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you've ever railed against the "Defund the Police" effort, I strongly recommend that you stream the NBC TV show <b><i>New Amsterdam</i></b> <i>The Crossover</i> (Season 2 episode 12). If you've never seen the show, that shouldn't be an issue, as the bit I want all'y'all to see occurs sporadically throughout the episode, with it occurring at the 5:13, 13:51, 22:15, and 28:43 marks). </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg0ng2o6fpW_pS_6Q0WhiiKx5GCoFcD9PvuceK2ELG7MOn6fvaTFSGmADCKfuzu57eTY5FPzDicn0HhVAKw_M0BUpg1rDM38Fp9QoUXgM-nFTcps5_cbfabgusCkW4mDEIIeRj3eKvHlXiqGZh4DF1C9Da7xPA0rUb46fft3SiJHmXKV0th2Q=s1047" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1047" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg0ng2o6fpW_pS_6Q0WhiiKx5GCoFcD9PvuceK2ELG7MOn6fvaTFSGmADCKfuzu57eTY5FPzDicn0HhVAKw_M0BUpg1rDM38Fp9QoUXgM-nFTcps5_cbfabgusCkW4mDEIIeRj3eKvHlXiqGZh4DF1C9Da7xPA0rUb46fft3SiJHmXKV0th2Q=s320" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;">The sequence in question is between a psychiatrist from the hospital is interviewing and then doing a ride-along with a police officer patient of his. What we witness is their </span></span><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">initial</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;"> consultation in his office, and then a pair of incidents where two </span></span><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">separate </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;">homeless people with psychological issues are causing two disturbances outside </span></span><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">public</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;"> places. </span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the first one, the officer essentially forcefully confronts the individual, and then man-handles them to remove them from the public place. In the second the shrink interjects himself into the incident, and manages to deescalate it before it becomes explodes into violence (The officer has drawn her sidearm). </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;">After the second incident, the psychiatrist and the officer are sitting down on a bench and the psychiatrist explains that THIS is what is meant by "Defund" the police, as the officer simply was neither equipped, nor properly trained to handle that type of situation. </span></p><div><br /></div><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipwFb8WPHP9s0OS3SOGlUWwonDj3kof_peZU3sYeRsyiXhCcJECKvRMlCQzjxLTHFeWJ-FzA_TwWjxQKKAzrgVTMG9aeN2IkYFfH9T-JVjTZ7VRwnv-MaliwAgLsNFEUkj-v8ML2yUOG9YLD03Paf3xQEY_hOqfCLX1cq8a2dVaw1wFjLO6Q=s1526" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="912" data-original-width="1526" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipwFb8WPHP9s0OS3SOGlUWwonDj3kof_peZU3sYeRsyiXhCcJECKvRMlCQzjxLTHFeWJ-FzA_TwWjxQKKAzrgVTMG9aeN2IkYFfH9T-JVjTZ7VRwnv-MaliwAgLsNFEUkj-v8ML2yUOG9YLD03Paf3xQEY_hOqfCLX1cq8a2dVaw1wFjLO6Q=w400-h239" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i>"You’re doing your job. You’re doing what your supposed to do.
But Officers aren’t equipped to handle a mentality unstable person who isn’t
committing a crime. That’s not your job, That’s my job. That’s a social worker’s
job."</i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;">The entire sequence was not only well-written, but well-performed, and (to me at least) clearly explained what is meant by "Defund". It isn't "eliminate" it is simply putting resources in their proper perspective, and giving proper training to those involved.</span></span></p><p><a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=new+amsterdam+season+4+episode+12&sxsrf=AOaemvLFm6QwiibgjwGHA9dELHX1NOKLZA%3A1642599300284&ei=hBPoYbvkELumptQP6aOH4Ao&ved=0ahUKEwi7trSe9731AhU7k4kEHenRAawQ4dUDCA4&uact=5&oq=new+amsterdam+season+4+episode+12&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAMyBAgjECcyCwgAEIAEELEDEIMBMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQ6BwgjELADECc6BwgAEEcQsANKBAhBGABKBAhGGABQ_wNY1gVgpg1oAXACeACAAT2IAXmSAQEymAEAoAEByAEGwAEB&sclient=gws-wiz#wptab=s:H4sIAAAAAAAAAONgVuLVT9c3NCzOqaxKLq_KesRowS3w8sc9YSn9SWtOXmPU5OIKzsgvd80rySypFJLmYoOyBKX4uVB18uxiYnctCE8sSc5YxKpZDqIV_FLLFRxzi0tSi1ISc60UglMTi_PzFEx0FFwLMovzU1IVDI0Ak-wQL4IAAAA" style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 16px;" target="_blank">Watch New Amsterdam Season 4 Episode 12 Online</a></p>rjsodarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181090208560922729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13884474.post-71434801854752118822022-01-17T11:09:00.002-05:002022-11-11T21:11:21.186-05:00Yi Soon Shin: The Fallen Avenger<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><i>This piece is another in a longer line of older articles/interviews of mine that appeared elsewhere. I am re-posting it here to not only refresh it, for those who may have missed it the first time around, but in an effort to consolidate my online work under my own imprint. This interview was conducted back on May 13<sup>th</sup>, 2015 with Onrie Kompan<span>.</span></i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><i>Given that this article is over seven years old, not only is the Kickstarter that Onrie talks about over, but some of the links from the original interview no longer work. </i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>******</b></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiVLvPzYF1YZ0JTQ7VVmtpTOtRm5xW3RS0MFveAtCgHoUm-etYowaDhmcXR3sq4vkaJDxXLsH-wLvIov0a5gEokhxAgn-f0KJmLkMV-l85urvu4LkkgAGWWJVV_r6lYkMb_3Kqy4tJEkxBXsVNe-9PfAAm4-ykgqiQ1xLHNckLUa-uG90Y2tg=s200" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiVLvPzYF1YZ0JTQ7VVmtpTOtRm5xW3RS0MFveAtCgHoUm-etYowaDhmcXR3sq4vkaJDxXLsH-wLvIov0a5gEokhxAgn-f0KJmLkMV-l85urvu4LkkgAGWWJVV_r6lYkMb_3Kqy4tJEkxBXsVNe-9PfAAm4-ykgqiQ1xLHNckLUa-uG90Y2tg" width="200" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>As Americans, we tend to think that all the really cool
historical stuff happened here in America, or (at the very least) to Americans.
Well that isn’t so much the case, as is evidenced by </span><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/yisoonshin/yi-soon-shin-fallen-avenger-4" target="_blank">Yi Soon Shin: Warrior and Defender</a><span> published by </span><a href="http://www.yisoonshin.com/" target="_blank">Onrie Kompan</a><span> Productions in 2013. If you missed it, that
lushly rendered hardbound graphic novel that was a compilation of the
four-issue limited series told a historical accounting of one of Korea’s most
celebrated heroes, Yi Soon Shin. It was Yi Soon Shin who defended his country
from a Japanese invasion in the year 1592. The epic story was filled with
fully formed characters, internal deception, political intrigue, and some of
the most spectacular battles scenes that you are every likely to see in comics,
and depicted a magnificent rendering of an amazing battle which took place on
the open sea and on land between the massive invading forces of the nation of
Japan, and the (much smaller and not as well-equipped) Korean forces.</span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Kompan is now running a Kickstarter to help fund a follow-up
story arc with <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/yisoonshin/yi-soon-shin-fallen-avenger-4?ref=nav_search" target="_blank">Yi Soon Shin: Fallen Avenger</a>. We recently caught up with Onrie
Kompan who filled us in on why an American audience has gone positively Gaa-gaa
over a 16th Century Korean General.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>**********<o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgYBdJkxgSHPKuT4rV46oXIl81oumGPtO9GE0N7i-UrY_vHw8g2gjPx8ntcABDzym_DbgeB_taK-XPOQibCgF_nPBziRMJy9uYlss5t3JKy8ATZjntmzjwZfAS9d0VfR9bcGOAslQFnsvToRk2i-mWZ_z2E9nJne4tZvV_B3nkoP-slQZT6g=s225" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="154" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgYBdJkxgSHPKuT4rV46oXIl81oumGPtO9GE0N7i-UrY_vHw8g2gjPx8ntcABDzym_DbgeB_taK-XPOQibCgF_nPBziRMJy9uYlss5t3JKy8ATZjntmzjwZfAS9d0VfR9bcGOAslQFnsvToRk2i-mWZ_z2E9nJne4tZvV_B3nkoP-slQZT6g" width="154" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Robert J Sodaro:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Americans, we tend to think that all the
really cool historical stuff happened here in America, but the story of Yi Soon
Shin clearly takes place in Korea. Can you give us a bit of the background
about the story behind Yi Soon Shin?</div><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Onrie Kompan:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yi
Soon Shin is literally Korea’s version of Batman. He’s one of their most
profound heroes and not for just any reason. Yi Soon Shin defended Korea from
an invasion from Japan. Imagine hordes of Japanese samurai were beaten 23 times
in a row against Yi Soon Shin who was literally outnumbered 10 to 1 against
them. He’s the man!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>RJS:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What caused you
to pick this story to tell in comicbook format?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>OK:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted to show
that more could be done in comics aside from superheroes; but beyond that, I
wanted to show that real heroes actually exist and are just as cool (if not
cooler) than superheroes because they are real. Comics felt like the perfect
medium to show this.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUvKZdYl9xBN9NceD-NdN2yu6fssrE6o_2CjjsotUCDGPFOJnrVj94B-5ihC2MMZTmQYVu99ExytlmU8BYnJ8k4hL16FyCWr6Dle_H0HxThkqiPdtbo_15HmzhQnmne9mKl1FDJcYdOMBDcfAJxbP5m4YA-BixQjRYGIOh01CTRoybqThe_g=s225" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="159" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUvKZdYl9xBN9NceD-NdN2yu6fssrE6o_2CjjsotUCDGPFOJnrVj94B-5ihC2MMZTmQYVu99ExytlmU8BYnJ8k4hL16FyCWr6Dle_H0HxThkqiPdtbo_15HmzhQnmne9mKl1FDJcYdOMBDcfAJxbP5m4YA-BixQjRYGIOh01CTRoybqThe_g" width="159" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>RJS:</b> Do you think that we as Americans are interested enough
in a war story between Korea and Japan that took place in the 16th Century?<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b>OK:</b> </span>The American
audience is always hungry for new stories! They always have been and they
always will be. And let’s be honest, we’ve heard it all already. I’m not saying
it’s impossible but it’s really difficult to stay fresh these days when it
comes to storytelling. I was willing to venture out of my comfort zone to
discover the story of Admiral Yi. And despite how crazy I might sound when
saying this, I believe that one day people will be so into this series that
they’ll praise it the same way they do Star Wars or Game of Thrones. I just
hope I’m alive long enough to see it so I can cash in on it!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b>RJS:</b> </span>What is it, do you think, that is it about
this story that makes it so compelling?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b>OK:</b> </span>It’s the greatest
underdog story never told! It’s a human story about a man who sacrificed
everything for what he believed in — a man who was an incorruptible force that
stood before the face of evil—and won! You couldn’t make this kind of stuff up
because it ACTUALLY happened. The whole world deserves to know about this!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>RJS:</b> Do you believe that history (either Korean or American)
can be taught through comicbooks?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>OK:</b> People always ask me that and the real answer is, I
don’t know. I didn’t make this comic to educate people. I made this comic for
the same reason all creators make comics — because they want to entertain.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We try and avoid the word “history” wherever we can because
that is an automatic turn-off for a lot of people. History itself is fascinating
to some but to many others, it can be boring.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">But to answer your question, if a first-grade teacher brings
Yi Soon Shin into a classroom, there is a good chance that they will lose their
job. This is a story about war and war is ugly. People ask why there is so much
blood and gore in our comic and the reason is because well…it’s war.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Our story is about how real people dealt with war and how
others used war to their advantage so that they could manipulate people and
have their way. Like I said, it’s a human story. This is what people do during
times of war. It’s every man for himself. What sets Yi Soon Shin apart from the
entire cast is that he’s the only character in our book that is trying to
protect people. Everyone else is in it for themselves.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>RJS:</b> Comics are essentially known for superheroes in tights.
Do you honestly believe that the medium can expand beyond this and be taken
seriously by the mass market?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b>OK:</b> </span>I think we’re
seeing that happen today. Look at all the superhero movies out there and how
they are marketing knick-knacks towards both kids and adults. Gillette is now
selling Avengers shavers. I bet nobody saw that coming back in 1962.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiM8o8qDnj4w6AZDcknq7LGNB8nzUvlWLfYkCF8iZFTK0JbpFWtmrTCU-i7a7_IgdkM4EnCoKKuYRMJ7zTp72zJu5mdP3N2zlkE67vA9Ztl6mB-ZVevZD2Ikgh-MALDXKa0lYKwzWnj4tW_9MHYiR6hK4s1N22-9rlavwCZx4zUvbNuHX4aow=s225" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="127" data-original-width="225" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiM8o8qDnj4w6AZDcknq7LGNB8nzUvlWLfYkCF8iZFTK0JbpFWtmrTCU-i7a7_IgdkM4EnCoKKuYRMJ7zTp72zJu5mdP3N2zlkE67vA9Ztl6mB-ZVevZD2Ikgh-MALDXKa0lYKwzWnj4tW_9MHYiR6hK4s1N22-9rlavwCZx4zUvbNuHX4aow=w400-h226" width="400" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b>RJS:</b> </span>As a rule, more
people have seen even one of the big-budget superhero movies than read all the
comics on which it was based, why do you think that comicbook movie ticket
sales don’t translate into comicbooks sales?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b>OK:</b> </span>I ask myself that
very question quite often. Perhaps people see the comics as a lesser version of
the movie. Perhaps the majority of comics aren’t as great as we all wish they
were. Or maybe the comic book community isn’t inviting enough to new readers
because they don’t want to be seen as nerds for reading them. Maybe I’m
completely wrong or maybe I’m 100% on point.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The truth is I don’t have the answer to your question. But
every time I go to a convention and someone who has never read comics before in
their life buys my book, I hope that our work has the power to change their
minds and open up that door for them.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And more importantly, I hope that they start by supporting
independent comics rather than just jumping on the bandwagon of mainstream.
There is a lot of great independent stuff out there that deserves way more
attention.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEif8slL-CyIGL4yt56jeTsQRhOYi3xRXHkIAFKG9ZL1aeHz01poUAaU2e4bXosOH2ic-OYkFkUDFjHik0eFwwTTTeqXnnNvqCwAcEky7huc1HekU1XPqEgwznDD5vfR6xqpO6I-S2LmQgHfLeuH5OF5Fs-sR39qoubI751NcA5RaEwo8KShjg=s640" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEif8slL-CyIGL4yt56jeTsQRhOYi3xRXHkIAFKG9ZL1aeHz01poUAaU2e4bXosOH2ic-OYkFkUDFjHik0eFwwTTTeqXnnNvqCwAcEky7huc1HekU1XPqEgwznDD5vfR6xqpO6I-S2LmQgHfLeuH5OF5Fs-sR39qoubI751NcA5RaEwo8KShjg=s16000" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b>RJS:</b> </span>You mentioned earlier that you hope you can
translate Yi Soon Shin into a big-budget film or a TV/Cable series, you have
anything like that in the works?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>OK:</b> I believe it will happen eventually once we finish our
work on the series. Honestly, I see it as a trilogy of movies. Call me crazy
but I want Yi Soon Shin to be the next Star Wars. As for when that will happen,
I can’t say but I hope I’m around to cash in on it and that I get to play a
role in its production.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>RJS:</b> Tell us a bit about how you went about assembling your
team for Yi Soon Shin.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">OK: Great question and one I’m always happy to answer. It
was really a two-year long process. I spent a lot of time studying trends in
comics and looking for art styles that I knew had the potential to stand out.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">When the time came to start building out the team, I posted
ads on sites like Digital Webbing and Deviant Art and went through a slew of
very bad portfolios. I was hoping my idea would attract a big-name artist but
even they weren’t interested.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Then one day, I got a submission from Giovanni Timpano, an
artist from Italy who was hungry for work. After that, things sort of came
together rather quickly. My friend, Alverne Ball introduced me to his colorist,
<a href="http://www.comicvine.com/adriana-de-los-santos/4040-84826/" target="_blank">Adriana De Los Santos</a>, and was totally fine with me hiring her to do work on
the book. Check out her work on Alverne’s series <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=341621565879567&id=146645515348580" target="_blank">Virgin Wolf</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Adriana then introduced me to Joel Saavedra who is our
letterer. Finally, I realized that after getting rejected by damn near every
publisher out there, that I needed an editor to show me the ropes. I became
friends with <a href="https://papercutz.com/" target="_blank">Papercutz</a>’s Jim Salicrup through Facebook and he put me in touch
with his good friend, comics’ veteran David Anthony Kraft.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Eventually, we brought on a second artist named El Arnakleus
for <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/yisoonshin/yi-soon-shin-fallen-avenger-4" target="_blank">Fallen Avenger</a>. We wanted to give the book a different feel and his style
meshed perfectly with Giovanni’s. I like to say that Gio is my Steve Ditko and
that El is my John Romita.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b>RJS:</b> </span>Tell us a little
about their (and your) backgrounds.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b>OK:</b> </span>I’m a Chicago
native and Yi Soon Shin is my first entry into comics. I’ve been working on the
series for the last five years and have been putting it out myself. Everything
from concept to final product has my hand in it somewhere and if you see me at
conventions, then you know that I also handle selling it. I’ve sold nearly
40,000 books.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Giovanni Timpano is our artist from Italy. He’s currently
working on <b><i>The Shadow</i></b> for Dynamite and has an extensive portfolio. He’s worked
on <b><i>GI Joe</i></b>, <b><i>Hellraiser </i></b>and much more. El Arnakleus is heavily inspired by Frank
Frazetta and brings his artistic influence to the series. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Adriana De Los Santos is our colorist from Argentina, and she
turns every page into a painting. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Joel Saavedra is also from Argentina, and he letters the
book.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And finally, my editor/co-writer David Anthony Kraft is a
veteran of comics. At some point or another, he has edited every Marvel Comics
character you can think of. He had a very memorable run on <b><i>She-Hulk</i></b> and <b><i>The
Defenders</i></b> (which is soon going to be a Netflix series) and went off to run his
own publishing venture called <b><i>Comics Interview</i></b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Everything I learned about storytelling, production, and
publishing is thanks to DAK. I enjoy working with him very much and I respect
him immensely. In fact, I respect everyone on my team immensely. They put
everything into this book and it’s not an easy comic to work on at all. Our
production process is grueling compared to other titles because I demand the
best and they are willing to give it to me. No matter what it takes.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b></b></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgm41XFmvL7UBBnHMt7QwIj1KNU1wxoNTkNoLOpUrLNEFo6uEJXRqFh3e3VV3tIkkwcVlj-uK-oEoQmjqlckuctI7-pVxrWMpiu3ekOOe9MM8BKfS_RARO-c70WkxN--ZmmToUpBREpaN_L_yj0oNB4lW21-XmY-uSN2-euxAtA-U-E5zpfmw=s225" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="151" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgm41XFmvL7UBBnHMt7QwIj1KNU1wxoNTkNoLOpUrLNEFo6uEJXRqFh3e3VV3tIkkwcVlj-uK-oEoQmjqlckuctI7-pVxrWMpiu3ekOOe9MM8BKfS_RARO-c70WkxN--ZmmToUpBREpaN_L_yj0oNB4lW21-XmY-uSN2-euxAtA-U-E5zpfmw" width="151" /></a></b></span></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b>RJS:</b> </span>Are you approaching this story like a
“standard” comic (whatever that may mean) or more like a history lesson?<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b>OK:</b> </span>Curse the dreaded
“H” word!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Given all the blood, gore, and sex in our book, I have to
say that we’re definitely straying away from this being a boring high school
history lesson. That is the one thing we are really trying to avoid. History is
boring. Most people don’t want to learn while reading comics. They want to be
entertained. That being said, if our book entertains readers enough to get them
to do their own research, then that’s an added bonus and we’ll happily take
credit for it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">All we want to do is make a great comic series so I wouldn’t
say our approach is standard either. We work using the classic Marvel method.
DAK and I work scene-by-scene so that we get the most out of everything. It’s a
very challenging book to work on but one that has taught me a great deal about
comic book production. I’ve enjoyed every moment of it despite the challenges
I’m faced with.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b>RJS:</b> </span>You already have
one story arc of Yi Soon Shin out, and now you are working on a second arc. Do
you see this going onto more multiple arcs?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b>OK:</b> </span>Yi Soon Shin is a
trilogy and right now we’re gearing up to wrap up the second arc. After that,
we’re planning one more arc that will conclude the entire series. Eventually,
if the opportunity arises, I’d like to do a prequel trilogy about what happened
prior to the war so that readers can get more insight about the origin of
Admiral Yi. But we’ll cross that path when we get there. Right now, our focus is
on finishing the trilogy we started!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b>RJS:</b> </span>Will you attempt
to mine Korean history for more comicbook stories?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">OK:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Korean history is
very expansive and there are a lot of wonderful stories but I don’t believe in
genre mining. Like I said, history can be boring and if it’s approached without
passion, readers will get bored. My job is always to entertain my audience
first and I believe the best way to do that is to venture towards topics that
pull my own interests. I don’t like the idea of being categorized as a genre
writer either. I’m willing to write anything so long as there is a story to
tell, even if it’s about superheroes.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b>RJS:</b> </span>How is the
series selling?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b>OK:</b> </span>To date, we’ve
sold close to 40,000 books without a publisher or distributor.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We decided to use conventions to reach our customers
directly and while our sales at shows, Amazon, and select retailers have been
great, the truth is that it’s impossible to make money when we’re in this
position.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Our funding recently fell through for reasons unrelated to
the book’s success but I’ve come so far with Yi Soon Shin that I have to see it
through to the end for the sake of all the readers that have supported our
series over the years. Therefore, we launched a <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/yisoonshin/yi-soon-shin-fallen-avenger-4" target="_blank">Kickstarter initiative </a>to keep
this series alive and finish what we’ve started. We invite everyone to join the
fight and help us win this battle!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b></b></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQC7WN4DqySHo30txSwCBLjF0q7MgFuRj9CLWIi-tSbS62Ns4Bp3xREuAdq0Xlt1G0CiuGvw4xEsIgk5PwyQCPpoHMPW8yHkIaz9dOajTWGRXor6MjQDBE0INpt_fHkaFCO5Jd4H4emMuxWcNs3XfKgKR7yXuMH5F_SrV7aegwG-S0dLTxCw=s225" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="144" data-original-width="225" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQC7WN4DqySHo30txSwCBLjF0q7MgFuRj9CLWIi-tSbS62Ns4Bp3xREuAdq0Xlt1G0CiuGvw4xEsIgk5PwyQCPpoHMPW8yHkIaz9dOajTWGRXor6MjQDBE0INpt_fHkaFCO5Jd4H4emMuxWcNs3XfKgKR7yXuMH5F_SrV7aegwG-S0dLTxCw=w400-h256" width="400" /></a></b></span></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b><br />RJS:</b> </span>When can we expect future issues?<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">OK:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yi Soon Shin:
Fallen Avenger #4 is the issue we’re currently working on. It’s going to be a
48-page book with no ads in it. This is the book we’re focusing on for
Kickstarter and folks can be a part of it by funding the Kickstarter. As far as
what to expect from this issue — expect it to be bloody, brutal and the
Greatest issue of the series yet. Why? Because in this issue, Admiral Yi is
going up against a Japanese armada of over 333 ships with only 12 ships at his
disposal. He’s been beaten, bloodied, and broken and now he’s pissed. Readers
are going to learn from this book why he is such a great hero.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Fallen Avenger is really a homage to Frank Miller’s
Daredevil: Born Again arc in the sense that both stories feature protagonists
who have been broken but are unwilling to accept defeat.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b>RJS:</b> </span>Where can fans
get their own copies (are you selling online, is it stocked in stores, are you
attending cons, and if so, can you give us your schedule for the year)?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">OK:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We invite
everyone to check out our webstore. I will personally sign and ship your books
around the world. As far as conventions go, I will be attending Motor City
Comic-Con, Phoenix Comic-Con, NY Special Edition, SDCC, Wizard World Chicago,
Baltimore Comic-Con and NYCC. I will also be doing a few store signings in both
Chicago and New York. The rest of the time, I’m going to be focusing on
production as well as my next few projects.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b>RJS:</b> </span>What’s next for
you?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b>OK:</b> </span>I recently
launched Freedable Comics which is a site I co-created to help independent
creators like myself get their work out there. The beautiful thing about
Freedable is that we collect data from our readers and provide creators with
this information for free so that they can learn more about their demographic.
It’s a free tool for creators to help aid them in their creative endeavors and
it’s also free for readers.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I am also finishing up a 144-page graphic novel that I’ve
been working on since 2011. JM DeMatteis is the editor for the book, and it
features artwork from some of the finest artists in comics. We’re working on
the final segment of the book right now and then we’ll be shopping it around to
publishers. I’m hoping to get it out later this year or at the very latest,
sometime in early 2016.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I’m also working on a third project with a Chicago-based
artist that I’ll hopefully be able to announce sometime later this year and I’m
trying to get my foot in the door with a fourth project from a more well-known
publisher.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">________________________________________<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Yi Soon Shin, and all artwork associated with the character,
is © & TM 2015 Onrie Kompan Productions. All rights reserved.</span></p>rjsodarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181090208560922729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13884474.post-66877128998624411062021-12-28T13:06:00.003-05:002021-12-28T13:06:27.936-05:00It so Totally Ends Badly<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-VvR1JgX8qAAMusZtOvAV0QslbUZhaIg9JyXOBmq_mE0Jd3Gst2veGnkXmf7sA-SkT5TcGei0onTkQ6GdyVJ2ko3pwEJQoznktiWlI8h_asNyYBq3woyafDsHWynEComTR-n2PjTC8uEVh-6tkwcrJyT1lShTdXFpJgafxkfXKSX02E6zRw=s3089" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3089" data-original-width="2002" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-VvR1JgX8qAAMusZtOvAV0QslbUZhaIg9JyXOBmq_mE0Jd3Gst2veGnkXmf7sA-SkT5TcGei0onTkQ6GdyVJ2ko3pwEJQoznktiWlI8h_asNyYBq3woyafDsHWynEComTR-n2PjTC8uEVh-6tkwcrJyT1lShTdXFpJgafxkfXKSX02E6zRw=s320" width="207" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Back in 2019, I “met” Barry Southworth when I reviewed a
comic he co-wrote with Louise Cochran-Mason for Here-After Press entitled, <b><i>Kingston
Tales</i></b>. That comic (which I reviewed for Jim Main’s <b><i>Fandom World</i></b>
vol. 2 #1) was the story about a character named Zoey, her roommate, Lucinda,
and the ordinary, punk rock world in which they lived. It was an entertaining
comic, and we rather enjoyed it.</div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Flash forward to this year (2020) and Barry has a new comic
out, <b><i>It Ends Badly</i></b>; a comic spotlighting a couple who
(apparently) have some sort of supra-natural powers which are never actually
explained in this first issue (not even a big deal, as it turns out, as the
story being told is really quite engaging. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Briefly, this issue contains five stories: a main tale, as
well as two back-ups. The first story is the eponymously titled <i>Rachael,
Albert & Nic</i>. As the tale opens, Albert has been burnt nearly to a
crisp (after apparently scamming someone out of his money) but is — oddly
enough — still walking around. Rachael (his friend) has determined to get even
with the guy who shot and set Albert on fire (Nic), so she gets all tarted up
and heads down to the seedier part of town to search for Nic.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhEs_AtFkm-Fl624YgJdHs5DOiEEdyH9KjWmgxeUqc6A0NycHPYlSSnEsebLYDC20fI2RSvXta3bv0rIHhakxB7GnHs-wULsUxhRYMEuR1jLBzEBlMiiWbSE71Mx3P1dKe3ypq8q7MlPyoTlURhIAH6Jm-wqV1CO3xbWDwS9jEu9clHMxK3lQ=s3069" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3069" data-original-width="2034" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhEs_AtFkm-Fl624YgJdHs5DOiEEdyH9KjWmgxeUqc6A0NycHPYlSSnEsebLYDC20fI2RSvXta3bv0rIHhakxB7GnHs-wULsUxhRYMEuR1jLBzEBlMiiWbSE71Mx3P1dKe3ypq8q7MlPyoTlURhIAH6Jm-wqV1CO3xbWDwS9jEu9clHMxK3lQ=s320" width="212" /></a></div>Well, find him she does, and then, well, it all goes badly.
But you knew that.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The final four stories are comprised of a two-pager and a
trio of three single-page stories entitled <i>The Many Faces of Satan</i>, <i>High</i>,
<i>Sorrow</i>, and <i>Somebody</i>. Of the three, the first is interesting as
it “identifies” several incarnations of Satan (from the Catholic Church, Rock
‘n’ roll, politics); High deals with a couple who have spend their lives
“self-medicating”; Both Sorrow and <i>Someone</i> each deal with personhood.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The issue does show promise, especially with the first tale
as it indicates that there is some seriously twisty background going on with
the storyline, and that honestly intrigues us, and we’d be interested in seeing
more issues. Needless to say, the back-up stories were also fascinating, and
more of these would also be appreciated. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">If you are interested in acquiring a copy of your own, you
can reach out to him and send him $4.00 at <a href="mailto:southworthb01@gmail.com">southworthb01@gmail.com</a>.<b><o:p></o:p></b></p>rjsodarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181090208560922729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13884474.post-27539518952631551812021-12-27T18:01:00.002-05:002021-12-27T18:01:29.001-05:00The Fantasy has Arrived! <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzgbukxVCx_NgoDo4sSQ15dD5XFlxB-unprR7UwNBrS3e2pAt1dG7Pg-gd5x78cngfZK9JKTzyZT0ajY1RDLXWuILWrM077zBstn-iPsNpx0ikyq_KwDozo0dVcoBdoQeAunUUwW_TQ-N4JoiYLwL2qD1uHXUoCcMfMJCSJSQhssdNOGYGwg=s2775" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2775" data-original-width="1840" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzgbukxVCx_NgoDo4sSQ15dD5XFlxB-unprR7UwNBrS3e2pAt1dG7Pg-gd5x78cngfZK9JKTzyZT0ajY1RDLXWuILWrM077zBstn-iPsNpx0ikyq_KwDozo0dVcoBdoQeAunUUwW_TQ-N4JoiYLwL2qD1uHXUoCcMfMJCSJSQhssdNOGYGwg=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>Hey kids, it ;looks like my latest published work is finally here! Yup, that’s right, The two-volume set anthology <b><i>Writers Unite! Dimensions of Fantasy</i></b> has dropped, and is is officially available on Amazon in both <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Writers-Unite-Anthologies-Dimensions-Fantasy/dp/B09NGW7TRN/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=" target="_blank">print </a>and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Writers-Unite-Anthologies-Dimensions-Fantasy-ebook/dp/B09MRCL5Q6" target="_blank">ebook </a>formats (vol. 1). The links for vol. 2 are here both <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Writers-Unite-Anthologies-Dimensions-Fantasy/dp/B09NGZ2QX5/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3V7N3EAHDPA24&keywords=Writers+Unite%21+Anthologies+Dimensions+of+Fantasy+Volume+two&qid=1640640675&s=books&sprefix=writers+unite+anthologies+dimensions+of+fantasy+volume+two%2Cstripbooks%2C44&sr=1-1" target="_blank">print </a>and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Writers-Unite-Anthologies-Dimensions-Fantasy-ebook/dp/B09MRBPT66/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1640640675&sr=1-1" target="_blank">ebook </a>formats. <p></p><p>My short story <i>There Be Dragons</i> appears in Volume #1.</p><p>Needless to say, you can either purchase the book(s) online, or directly from me (for vol. 1 only; you’ll need to go online for copies of v2).</p><p>This is the third time this year that I've had a short prose story of mine published. The first time was in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/InDELLiprose-2-InDELLiproser-David-Noe/dp/194983056X?fbclid=IwAR2Nb9fX1ldcHn10SKyflSWSE3eRj-OyfRVhA8Mp9R1iKaau8yCUj4efAWo" target="_blank"><b><i>InDELLiprose </i></b>#2</a>, the second time was in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Writers-Unite-Anthologies-Dimensions-Wild/dp/B093KPZVFP/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=" target="_blank"><b><i>Writers Unite Dimensions of the Wild West</i></b> Vol 2</a>.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEib-V1bpSG-u0QH1Q6eWsZnTbwycNHqQx3DAmM_LqyyDmaYRpA64PHgqmWj7E5BnhTBZb-VeF5_ZWg4UCS4hegkoo3e4WMfZHD-GDCQXNLIjoclVXaQfGihb82F87DfUb5PEunesphjxdNmVdua9GIM775W3J8ngMPadTWRFiuQmyr19s3Rrw=s2775" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2775" data-original-width="1840" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEib-V1bpSG-u0QH1Q6eWsZnTbwycNHqQx3DAmM_LqyyDmaYRpA64PHgqmWj7E5BnhTBZb-VeF5_ZWg4UCS4hegkoo3e4WMfZHD-GDCQXNLIjoclVXaQfGihb82F87DfUb5PEunesphjxdNmVdua9GIM775W3J8ngMPadTWRFiuQmyr19s3Rrw=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>And that doesn't even count my illustrated story in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Crackajack-Comics-3-David-Noe/dp/1949830691/ref=pd_sbs_1/138-0730362-7474610?pd_rd_w=dZPXX&pf_rd_p=f8e24c42-8be0-4374-84aa-bb08fd897453&pf_rd_r=AJRDGZH7VJJ9R1MPKGNJ&pd_rd_r=bfc8ddfb-b2c4-46d0-be17-0cd6ed3fffdb&pd_rd_wg=nDjsz&pd_rd_i=1949830691&psc=1&fbclid=IwAR06v-SHpJWBqhqQQ8b6Weslk3aFQSlhlPQDcYaKnCTopyMxcUxenZWvjPc" target="_blank"><b><i>Crackerjack Comics</i></b> #3</a>! or even the several magazines and books I've produced for my clients. So yeah, I'm having something of a very cool year. <p></p><p>If you want copies of my stuff, you can either contact me directly (and I'll provide autographed copies of whatever I have (prices vary), or you could search them out online, or from the original publishers (like the most amazing Jim Main (jmain44@aol.com) or <a href="http://PayPal.me/PaulKupperberg" target="_blank">Paul Kupperberg</a>. </p><p>So there you have it. although there is more stuff to come including (hopefully) a webpage dedicated to selling off books I've produced as well as books and magazines that I've written for over the years. </p><p>Talk to all'y'all next year effendis! </p><p><br /></p>rjsodarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181090208560922729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13884474.post-22049763898495698392021-12-02T12:35:00.003-05:002022-11-11T21:12:46.684-05:00Writers Unite! Anthologies Dimensions of Fantasy<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgNDe40DW2mgIaT5ZVzxiqyO_2RJy0E2PzaErtv0FkmSXsafgfZvXkF89NNsFqRmTbV1w91EIDhEqh-aI83-2raJnHlp1FGuavss72_YmgnLTKYDWRqcSGAhKfcIP1atCFAm_r/s2048/Fantasy+Cover-Front.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1358" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgNDe40DW2mgIaT5ZVzxiqyO_2RJy0E2PzaErtv0FkmSXsafgfZvXkF89NNsFqRmTbV1w91EIDhEqh-aI83-2raJnHlp1FGuavss72_YmgnLTKYDWRqcSGAhKfcIP1atCFAm_r/w133-h200/Fantasy+Cover-Front.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>Well I know that all'y'all are just sitting on the edge of your seats to learn more about my upcoming short (prose) story from Writer's Unite, so here it is. <p></p><p>I have a short story in vol. 1 of this 2-vol prose anthology (W<b>riters Unite! Anthologies Dimensions of Fantasy</b> Volume One). You can find the ebook right now online at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Writers-Unite-Anthologies-Dimensions-Fantasy-ebook/dp/B09MRCL5Q6/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1638455805&refinements=p_27%3AWriters+Unite%21&s=digital-text&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Amazon</a>. The print edition drops 12/15/21. </p><p>I know that everyone is every bit as excited about this new story as am I (Plus my tale is included in volume one, so that much is awesome!)</p><p>So get in line, or contact me directly and I'll get you a signed edition.</p><p>Oh, and don't forget that my Western prose tale in Writer’s Unite Dimensions of the Wild West vol. 2 is also still on sale over at <a href="https://amzn.to/3glB8l6" target="_blank">Amazon</a>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0jdZJGakkwjAqOsFJch6tWoauJZxbNHWZ7nEjxsap9i8NwreVyc5RoziCETA6guyXNpILpt3a1u0eEhTGcPa1hBLH_-eIH__eOhL77jIts7UJs6novw6_fHDdg3O_Ue39dPz4/s600/e-book+banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="600" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0jdZJGakkwjAqOsFJch6tWoauJZxbNHWZ7nEjxsap9i8NwreVyc5RoziCETA6guyXNpILpt3a1u0eEhTGcPa1hBLH_-eIH__eOhL77jIts7UJs6novw6_fHDdg3O_Ue39dPz4/w400-h210/e-book+banner.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>rjsodarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181090208560922729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13884474.post-47460214249737516772021-11-18T08:25:00.004-05:002021-12-02T10:30:04.102-05:00It’s all about the Fantasy!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibo4BOWgj2u8007vcVVEO_D5PEZIvTLeGL1cCRCaLQfue_ovDK4ALqb4ebwxnlxKKc4HK8vmNNpG0e6WWiWmB43Zjpomy8vdjViXqfhj1G9427axlyoeefmNNJHSOsHsZGsZqK/s2048/Fantasy+Cover-Front.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1358" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibo4BOWgj2u8007vcVVEO_D5PEZIvTLeGL1cCRCaLQfue_ovDK4ALqb4ebwxnlxKKc4HK8vmNNpG0e6WWiWmB43Zjpomy8vdjViXqfhj1G9427axlyoeefmNNJHSOsHsZGsZqK/w133-h200/Fantasy+Cover-Front.jpg" width="133" /></a></div> Hey there kids, I've been silent for a while (life, eh?) . but I have some new exciting news. Remember a few months back when a short story of mine appeared in a <a href="https://freelanceink.blogspot.com/2021/04/dimension-of-wild-west.html" target="_blank">Western Anthology</a>? Well, on December 15, 2021, I'll have another short story of mine appearing in another anthology. This time the theme is Fantasy and Sci-Fi. <br /><p></p><p>Seriously, how cool is that? </p><p>That's right, my short story, There Be Dragons will appear in a new two-volume anthology from Writer’s Unite! entitled <b><i>Dimensions of Fantasy</i></b>! </p><p>I don't know about all'y'all, but I'm wicked excited about it!</p><p>Now, I know that all you kids want to get yer hands on a copy (hey, so am I), but you are all going to have to wait a little bit on that. Preorders for the ebook will ba available on Amazon as of December 1st, with preorders for the print book available shortly afterwards. As soon as I have the links for each, I'll post them here as well as across my social media platforms.</p><p>In the mean time you can still get print copies of the western anthology <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Writers-Unite-Anthologies-Dimensions-Wild/dp/B093KPZVFP/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Writer’s Unite Dimensions of the Wild West</a><b style="font-style: italic;"> </b>right here and ebook versions <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Writers-Unite-Anthologies-Dimensions-Wild-ebook/dp/B092TSFKDZ/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=" target="_blank">here</a>. </p><p>Oh, and if you are a western fan, but like illustrated stories, you can find an illustrated story of mine (with amazing art from John Orlando and Tom Ahearn, then you should check out <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Crackajack-Comics-3-David-Noe/dp/1949830691/ref=pd_sim_1/139-1968661-2837413?pd_rd_w=9itva&pf_rd_p=6caf1c3a-a843-4189-8efc-81b67e85dc96&pf_rd_r=RTB3YG5FW6BSYSYJJ5PW&pd_rd_r=14cffd88-84ab-4caa-b060-273ff114368b&pd_rd_wg=7ROXI&pd_rd_i=1949830691&psc=1" target="_blank"><b>Crackerjack Comics</b> #3</a> from InDELLible Comics. </p><p>Here's a copy of the cover for <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Writers-Unite-Anthologies-Dimensions-Wild/dp/B093KPZVFP/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=" target="_blank"><b style="font-style: italic;">Dimensions of the Wild West </b>Vol 2</a>:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhST59cplevwzvBOWMNm1VDesXSI47O_a3daH_L4hS_q3Is8v5S9pYGMBfKxUpegfKL3VQOwnfo1ElhNnRsFJg-ZMDkl11E0sN2JMlOvMusioqCd2CFdcxo09f_2-K9jKpd8lTF/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="822" data-original-width="520" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhST59cplevwzvBOWMNm1VDesXSI47O_a3daH_L4hS_q3Is8v5S9pYGMBfKxUpegfKL3VQOwnfo1ElhNnRsFJg-ZMDkl11E0sN2JMlOvMusioqCd2CFdcxo09f_2-K9jKpd8lTF/" width="152" /></a></div><br />And here is the cover of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Crackajack-Comics-3-David-Noe/dp/1949830691/ref=pd_sim_1/139-1968661-2837413?pd_rd_w=9itva&pf_rd_p=6caf1c3a-a843-4189-8efc-81b67e85dc96&pf_rd_r=RTB3YG5FW6BSYSYJJ5PW&pd_rd_r=14cffd88-84ab-4caa-b060-273ff114368b&pd_rd_wg=7ROXI&pd_rd_i=1949830691&psc=1" target="_blank"><b>Crackerjack Comics</b> #3</a>:<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZG6QwkuHMn4SeAje62Zgmk2s84E0HkFr_uQDzBBmz9fdfm747sErV6HC8uWs2O1Z5Qgv78aRA2FHCyU3iWFGd_d6XLYbe2Ns2vZyEeoIRCZwJv_xFZV_8fK4NU58yjPzOWY4k/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="400" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZG6QwkuHMn4SeAje62Zgmk2s84E0HkFr_uQDzBBmz9fdfm747sErV6HC8uWs2O1Z5Qgv78aRA2FHCyU3iWFGd_d6XLYbe2Ns2vZyEeoIRCZwJv_xFZV_8fK4NU58yjPzOWY4k/" width="192" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p>Oh, and because I do think it is wicked cool, here is my name as it appears on the back cover of <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Writers-Unite-Anthologies-Dimensions-Fantasy-ebook/dp/B09MRCL5Q6/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1638455805&refinements=p_27%3AWriters+Unite%21&s=digital-text&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Dimensions of Fantasy</a>:</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy_1jL2wcixYF8AJHs0KHgQUrAfrKjo0NBa3KiqgGUKMb5GHRacU1SazoT3eQR65IAcU1SuJVS_buaS6PnXzq1FKU1UTqMKga8ZgNj3gpV3NZ0gvoWLQh9NvZPhltkj6LSIPal/s2048/Fantasy+Cover-Back_name.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1358" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy_1jL2wcixYF8AJHs0KHgQUrAfrKjo0NBa3KiqgGUKMb5GHRacU1SazoT3eQR65IAcU1SuJVS_buaS6PnXzq1FKU1UTqMKga8ZgNj3gpV3NZ0gvoWLQh9NvZPhltkj6LSIPal/w265-h400/Fantasy+Cover-Back_name.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>More info when it is available! </b></div><p></p><p><br /></p>rjsodarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181090208560922729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13884474.post-27619878313217417822021-08-09T13:31:00.002-04:002021-08-09T13:31:31.857-04:00Returning to the Old West and More<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCX7n4vsoXHnNlQozypkyvGHRQDmKWD0G_DSyCjuWCsYcwME8eWr2UK9VdEbt7zDyQV9U78pcDByHDP1jUhWVKzs51IiDilzn1Z-ouuYibYA1Qi90icTh00uUgxq6_Gt9EQ5Hk/s500/CrackerJack+%25233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCX7n4vsoXHnNlQozypkyvGHRQDmKWD0G_DSyCjuWCsYcwME8eWr2UK9VdEbt7zDyQV9U78pcDByHDP1jUhWVKzs51IiDilzn1Z-ouuYibYA1Qi90icTh00uUgxq6_Gt9EQ5Hk/w160-h200/CrackerJack+%25233.jpg" width="160" /></a></div>How totally cool is this?<p></p><p>No sooner did my prose story <i>Ghost Dance</i> wind up in the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/145324212487752" target="_blank">Writers Unite</a> anthology <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Writers-Unite-Anthologies-Dimensions-Wild/dp/B093KPZVFP/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=" target="_blank"><b><i>Dimension of the Wild West</i></b> (Vol. 2) </a>than a second Western tale of mine (this time an illustrated story) show up in <a href="https://www.indelliblecomics.com/" target="_blank"><b>InDELLible Comics</b></a> publication, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Crackajack-Comics-3-David-Noe/dp/1949830691/ref=pd_sim_1/139-1968661-2837413?pd_rd_w=9itva&pf_rd_p=6caf1c3a-a843-4189-8efc-81b67e85dc96&pf_rd_r=RTB3YG5FW6BSYSYJJ5PW&pd_rd_r=14cffd88-84ab-4caa-b060-273ff114368b&pd_rd_wg=7ROXI&pd_rd_i=1949830691&psc=1" target="_blank"><b><i>Crackerjack Comics</i></b> #3</a>. </p><p>The story <i>American Eagle: Wülf in the Fold</i> was illustrated by the ever-grumpy John Orlando, and the always-terrific, Tom Ahearn. Both of these guys are amazingly creative (In fact, not only is John an incredible artist, but he and his lovely wife comprise the musical duo <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheFlushingQueens/?ref=py_c" target="_blank"><b>The Flushing Queens</b></a>).</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixOY4C5sH7_8Yqpf7MWVRYMRr-GPHynDn3nH9XyKq0j0gnYPfZbFg0NqJhxkR5_ve_BNsK2LH3A6VAbf3HyfdcKPX7tpj84Fccqqg2kwHXJEK2RmBcxhvh4_XuG8MO63ZlTC_2/s822/Western_vol+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="822" data-original-width="520" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixOY4C5sH7_8Yqpf7MWVRYMRr-GPHynDn3nH9XyKq0j0gnYPfZbFg0NqJhxkR5_ve_BNsK2LH3A6VAbf3HyfdcKPX7tpj84Fccqqg2kwHXJEK2RmBcxhvh4_XuG8MO63ZlTC_2/w126-h200/Western_vol+2.jpg" width="126" /></a>Tom, on the other hand, has previously illustrated more than just a couple of my stories for comics published by the Ever-jaunty Jim Main’s Main Enterprises (a portfolio of my work for him can be found <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set?vanity=1903537969974876&set=a.1979886322340040" target="_blank">here</a>). The folder contains not only publications where stories and articles I’ve written for him, but numerous publications where I produced the interior design, layout, and prepress for him. Check it out (go ahead, I’ll wait).</p><p>Needless to say, that’s not all I’ve been doing these days. I have also been producing a number of books for the prolifically-talented <a href="https://kupps.malibulist.com/" target="_blank">Paul Kupperberg</a>. These books include (but are not limited to) <b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B098PN2Q13/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i0" target="_blank">Direct Comments</a></i></b>, <b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08P7VSV6Q/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i2" target="_blank">JSA: Ragnarok</a></i></b>, <b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B095SXZF7X/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p2_i8" target="_blank">Emma’s Landing</a></i></b>, and others (if you’re looking for a graph production artist, feel free to contact me). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLtZrW1SuJDY-GYC7BPAN8wpmUGqPqKDvKeKCiGGFgocdl-wPX1WeVIncgX9JhyphenhyphenhK9p8XMW_3X9B_xru1sc6rF8jmtLGODCHvhm_MVY7E6Ig50DVrMUFABxVShuxcHnrowHtrI/s2048/All+Covers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1836" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLtZrW1SuJDY-GYC7BPAN8wpmUGqPqKDvKeKCiGGFgocdl-wPX1WeVIncgX9JhyphenhyphenhK9p8XMW_3X9B_xru1sc6rF8jmtLGODCHvhm_MVY7E6Ig50DVrMUFABxVShuxcHnrowHtrI/w574-h640/All+Covers.jpg" width="574" /></a></div><br /><p>Oh, and if you want to see some of the art that John and Tom did for my 2nd Western, check it out. (I did the duotone coloring, and the lettering). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_UtpzKpG6G1jEF5dik3tv1E5UlPFmJk5LxruvE_WTrVVzMcMOEf-oGiwnhhvZNQ7RyM59yzRle1HtgDd81Skqtpe0QFcHTD4ILyCQdRxDaAH-SvxEl7WtOfy9kC54nLyVILPX/s2048/AE-1_Duotone-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1624" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_UtpzKpG6G1jEF5dik3tv1E5UlPFmJk5LxruvE_WTrVVzMcMOEf-oGiwnhhvZNQ7RyM59yzRle1HtgDd81Skqtpe0QFcHTD4ILyCQdRxDaAH-SvxEl7WtOfy9kC54nLyVILPX/w508-h640/AE-1_Duotone-1.jpg" width="508" /></a></div><br /><p>That's all for now, kids, more coolness when it happens.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p> </p>rjsodarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181090208560922729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13884474.post-27246456733184553602021-04-19T08:23:00.007-04:002021-07-04T20:47:39.599-04:00Dimension of the Wild West<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6WIVFaLSmBqFHxre3lzHYmr8i0GoiNOxeKDIYrUB4OdN-WWZgYltX0a0DnBXSBqsTelDfm6KZWW33iTF0oaWOeEvDN0JrZ-vFxhXM-s_kFcnAqMJh-1EoO4K9pbyJEOnR6jt/s2048/Western_Front.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1351" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6WIVFaLSmBqFHxre3lzHYmr8i0GoiNOxeKDIYrUB4OdN-WWZgYltX0a0DnBXSBqsTelDfm6KZWW33iTF0oaWOeEvDN0JrZ-vFxhXM-s_kFcnAqMJh-1EoO4K9pbyJEOnR6jt/s320/Western_Front.jpg" /></a>As anyone who regularly follows me on my blog here already knows. I've been writing professionally for several years. Initially as a journalist (mostly in the field of comicbooks), then as a reviewer (comics, movies and other pop culture events), and (more recently) as an author (yes, in comics). All of that has changed even more recently when a prose story of mine was accepted for publication in an anthology.</p><p>You see, a short while back a Facebook friend of mine got me hooked up with a writes' group on Facebook, and contributed a short story to a proposed anthology from the group. Well, as it turns out, my story was accepted and not I can announce that the two-volume set will be released on Amazon.</p><p>The ebook versions are available for pre-order as of April 20th, while the print versions will be available on April 30th.</p><p class="MsoNormal">The link for Volume One is: <a href="https://amzn.to/3sqPkfb" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/3sqPkfb</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>The link for </o:p>Volume Two is: <a href="https://amzn.to/3glB8l6" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/3glB8l6</a> </p><p class="MsoNormal">My short story, "Ghost Dance" appears in vol. #2</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRYD8jEfso9X2KxENoqKCPDJ7VodZjm74QdiiMZUMRT7EucVtb-d4YQdU-lHtKUR2vxid7qAPDNUlTPbHkkm1At2se4ooWe1fAxhwQehp5GAGN1tIKa5es701bUBrmG7fn2kdo/s640/Preorder+Banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRYD8jEfso9X2KxENoqKCPDJ7VodZjm74QdiiMZUMRT7EucVtb-d4YQdU-lHtKUR2vxid7qAPDNUlTPbHkkm1At2se4ooWe1fAxhwQehp5GAGN1tIKa5es701bUBrmG7fn2kdo/s16000/Preorder+Banner.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here is my bio page that appears in both volumes.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBJPAl2TMW0-qf0xa1D8snDkaatEZxKF8ZOR7_RHQm7pwFSu0JR4CFgV6rpaeTKOkt3lq0hRYLGKICfh-xIBj6BSTYltJ3zUMaffhbQdHv5os4hu5_eN6VFqDkKuixLzoL_qB2/s1822/Bio+bage+Dimensions+of+the+Wild+West.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1822" data-original-width="1196" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBJPAl2TMW0-qf0xa1D8snDkaatEZxKF8ZOR7_RHQm7pwFSu0JR4CFgV6rpaeTKOkt3lq0hRYLGKICfh-xIBj6BSTYltJ3zUMaffhbQdHv5os4hu5_eN6VFqDkKuixLzoL_qB2/w420-h640/Bio+bage+Dimensions+of+the+Wild+West.jpg" width="420" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>rjsodarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181090208560922729noreply@blogger.com0