SOB Stories

New home!

2009-09-12T13:36:00.003-05:00

In case you hadn't noticed, I don't post here a lot. It's because I spend my time making comics, and not talking about comics or talking about making comics.

Proof: www.manofcomics.com

Updates on Tuesdays. I'm currently running RED ICE by me, my long time collaborator Horacio Lalia, and talent colorist Stu Chaifetz.

Go read. Everything that happens will be happening there (except lettering High Moon. That happens at www.zudacomics.com/high_moon)

Thanks! And see you there!

Do you hear the words coming out of my mouth!?

2009-03-23T20:56:00.004-05:00

I'm speaking this weekend, Saturday, March 28, 2009, at ALABAMA BOUND, 1:25 pm CST, at Birmingham’s Central Library. Come observe as I babble about writing for comics and film.

Several other indiginous writers will be attending, none of whom I'm familiar with, but all of whom I will try to meet.

Anyway, I've been working on several projects. RED ICE has started its momentum. First 20 pages are done. Next 10 are pencilled and awaiting approval. The deal with Practical for THREADS is signed. Now all we need is an artist for the comic. Ferran and I have begun a new collaboration, and DEAD & MARRIED may be taking form shortly. Yeah, yeah, ambiguous blabbering about projects without context. Thrilling, I know. I could have a one-way conversation about ad sales, but then I'd really bore myself.

Anyway, life chugs along, and all I can do is keep on working. Crap. And there goes Sebastian. Time to play daddy.

See you Saturday!

Blood-suckers

2009-02-01T17:05:00.003-06:00

http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-national/20090201/Prison.Riot/

It's because the damn thing was run by vampires.

Yes, no posts in almost two months, and this is all I've got. I'm clocking 40 a week at the magazine, writing and lettering no fewer than six comics/graphic novels, raising three kids, planning a wedding, and trying my damnest to watch the last half of this past Friday's Battlestar Galactica.

Regular posting will resume eventually.

ATLANTIS RISING News

2008-12-07T17:10:00.003-06:00

Been busy, but I thought I'd drop a note to everyone reading the current bout of hype regarding ATLANTIS RISING:

Even though it's not mentioned in a single one of the promotional bullets floating around, and even though Rosenberg did indeed create ATLANTIS RISING and gave me some basic material to work from, I developed the wrote the entire series from nearly whole cloth.

Credit where it's due and all.

MUSIC: Y2K

2008-10-08T20:53:00.006-05:00

Ten years ago this winter, I graduated from Emerson College. Not only does that mean I'm older than I thought, it also means I've forgotten more than I remember, including, but not limited to, my participation in this student film the year after I graduated.

Until Threads or Atlantis Rising or any of my myriad other comics projects are turned into motion picture entertainment, this is the only piece of film with my name on it. Go on, click it, watch it, and be patient as it is unabashedly a student film.

But most importantly, listen to the music. I composed and performed it, and for all it's faults, I'm quite proud of it as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RI-Y4tBayHc

Props to Ian and Maile and everyone else!

A life if its own....

2008-10-05T14:03:00.003-05:00

There are two aspects of writing that have always fascinated me. The first is the ability for characters to "decide" to do something different than what was plotted. Yeah, yeah, I know characters don't really "decide," but it does expose personal biases when you take on a character's voice in a story and it veers off in unexpected directions. The other is how a story evolves in its telling from a synopsis to a treatment and/or panel breakdowns to the final script.

I'm working with Jamie Delano on a graphic novel, and we're negotiating with a publisher. The publisher asked for a five page treatment of the story, and I was thinking to myself that we had written this story up in stages, and we had a treatment in the archives that would serve this purpose.

I was very wrong. The original treatment included scenes, beats, and characters that had completely changed in the final script. We even ditched a superfluous character. Everything cut was cut for space, not because it was too long, but because some themes were far more important to linger on an explore than to dismiss with a passing moment in the narrative.

That left me rewriting the outline to match the new plot. An easy project sure, but I found it fascinating how about 80% of the first chapter remained intact. Even given that, by the last chapter, we only had about 20% of what we originally wrote. It was a nice window into our writing process, how we took the core concept and pushed it into more relevant directions.

Yeah, I'm just rambling. I've got nothing clever to end this off with. Just the observation that writing is a constantly changing and growing process, one that'll leave even the best stories to their own devices.

COMICS: Strips that Don't Exist

2008-09-17T22:19:00.002-05:00

I had written this to Foley tonight, and realized I'd like to share the thought with everyone out there.

Consider this a challenge. Any artists reading this, make a one panel comic embodying the description below. I'll post them all, assuming any show up. Whoever creates one that matches the strip from my dream wins a choice between my catharsis or twenty bucks.

Anyway, I keep having dreams of discovering strange, brilliant comic strips that don't exist. They've been recurring since I was a kid, and the strips are always different. The only one I remember dates back to when I was about five. It's a one-panel comic of a beat up old VW bug under a streetlamp at night. Even though it looks inocuous, it's alive, and the caption reads "Within the hour, the police discovered half-chewed bodies in the front seat, the car's digestion interrupted."

How to Draw a Super-Villain!

2008-09-14T18:33:00.002-05:00

Thanks for all of you who vote for us this week. Only two more to go!

In the meantime, check out this great how-to from artist Jamie Roberts.

http://theflameofmagnor.blogspot.com/

We'll be updating it with a few more goodies, so check back soon! And if you haven't voted for us yet, go visit our competition page at

and cast us a vote!

Thanks!

POETRY: The Lion Eating Poet in the Stone Den.

2008-09-12T12:17:00.003-05:00

I stumbled across this on the Internet today and was buffaloed by it. It's a poem by Yuen Ren Chao, a Chinese American Linguist. While the intonations are noted above each "i", as written here and spoken in Standard Mandarin, it's virtually nonsense. But written in Classical Chinese, it makes perfect sense.

There's a great page on wikipedia about it at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion-Eating_Poet_in_the_Stone_Den

« Shī Shì shí shī shǐ »

Shíshì shīshì Shī Shì, shì shī, shì shí shí shī.
Shì shíshí shì shì shì shī.
Shí shí, shì shí shī shì shì.
Shì shí, shì Shī Shì shì shì.
Shì shì shì shí shī, shì shǐ shì, shǐ shì shí shī shìshì.
Shì shí shì shí shī shī, shì shíshì.
Shíshì shī, Shì shǐ shì shì shíshì.
Shíshì shì, Shì shǐ shì shí shì shí shī.
Shí shí, shǐ shí shì shí shī, shí shí shí shī shī.
Shì shì shì shì.

That's freakin' brilliant.

STORM WATCH: Ike

2008-09-12T08:50:00.003-05:00

Ike is making landfall in Texas, but that doesn't mean we're not affected. It's a huge storm, and we've been getting rain and bands of clouds directly from it for two days. The Causeway (a low-lying road connecting Baldwin and Mobile Counties) was closed down yesterday because the storm surge was so big, it drowned the road under a foot a water.

If I go outside and look, I see thick, layered bands of clouds curving through the sky. It's very beautiful, and amazing. Especially if you consider this: If we were large enough, and perceived time moving exponentially more quickly than it does, our own galaxy would appear to do the same thing. It's all in the math.

It was fun while it lasted, so here's hoping we don't get any more storms and no one is seriously hurt with this one.

STORM WATCH: Evac Notice

2008-09-09T22:15:00.004-05:00

This one's for the locals...

We're hip deep in hurricane season, which starts June 1 and ends November 30. You can expect, at any moment, to turn on the TV and see a weathergirl pointing to some radar blob out in the Gulf of Mexico and making two basic meteorological points with her best Southern drawl:

(1) There is no need to panic.
(2) We could all be killed.

If you're new to the area, you're probably wondering what you need to do to prepare for the possibility that we'll get hit by another Katrina, Frederick, or Camille. It comes in three easy steps:

STEP 1. Buy enough food and bottled water to last your family for at least three days.

STEP 2. Put these supplies into your car.

STEP 3. Drive to Nebraska and remain there until Thanksgiving.

If you don't follow the above steps, then there's a bunch of other crap you've got to do.

We'll start with one of the most important hurricane preparedness items:

HOMEOWNERS' INSURANCE. If you own a home, you must have hurricane insurance.
Fortunately, this insurance is cheap and easy to get, as long as your home meets two basic requirements:

(1) It is reasonably well-built, and
(2) It is located in Nebraska.

Unfortunately, if your home is located on the Gulf Coast, most insurance companies would prefer not to sell you hurricane insurance, because then they might be required to pay YOU money, and that is certainly not why they got into the insurance business in the first place. If they do, your monthly premiums will be roughly twice the replacement value of your house plus three major organs.

SHUTTERS: Your house should have hurricane shutters on all the windows, all the doors, and - if it's a major hurricane - all the toilets.

There are several types of shutters, with advantages and disadvantages:

(1) Plywood shutters: The advantage is that, because you make them yourself, they're cheap. The disadvantage is that, because you make them yourself, they will fall off.

(2) Sheet-metal shutters: The advantage is that these work well, once you get them all up. The disadvantage is that once you get them all up, your hands will be useless bleeding stumps and it will be December.

(3) Roll-down shutters: The advantages are that they're very easy to use, and will definitely protect your house. The disadvantage is that you will have to sell your house to pay for them.

(4) 'Hurricane-proof' windows: These are the newest wrinkle in hurricane protection: They look like ordinary windows, but they can withstand hurricane winds! You can be sure of this because the salesman says so. He lives in Nebraska.

HURRICANE PROOFING YOUR PROPERTY: As the hurricane approaches, check your yard for movable objects such as barbecue grills, planters, patio furniture, visiting relatives, etc. You should, as a precaution, throw these items into your swimming pool (if you don't have a swimming pool, you should have one built immediately). Otherwise, the hurricane winds will turn these objects into deadly missiles.

EVACUATION ROUTE: If you live in a low-lying area, you should have an evacuation route planned out. (To determine whether you live in a low-lying area, look at your driver's license; if it says you live in Mobile County, you live in a low-lying area.) The purpose of having an evacuation route is to avoid being trapped in your home when a major storm hits. Instead, you will be trapped in a gigantic traffic jam several miles from your home, along with two hundred thousand other evacuees. So, as a bonus, you will not be lonely.

HURRICANE SUPPLIES: If you don't evacuate, you will need supplies. Do not buy them now! Southern tradition requires that you wait until the last possible minute, then go to the supermarket and get into vicious fights with strangers over who gets the last can of SPAM.

In addition to food and water, you will need the following supplies: 23 flashlights. At least $167 worth of batteries that turn out, when the power goes out, to be the wrong size for the flashlights.

Bleach. (No, I don't know what the bleach is for. NOBODY knows what the bleach is for. We don't ask.)

A big knife that you can strap to your leg. (This will be useless in a hurricane, but it looks cool.)

A large quantity of raw chicken, to placate the alligators.

$35,000 in cash or diamonds so that, after the hurricane passes, you can buy a generator from a man with no discernible teeth.

Of course these are just basic precautions.

As the hurricane draws near, it is vitally important that you keep abreast of the situation by turning on your television and watching TV reporters in rain slickers stand right next to the water's edge telling everybody to stay away from the ocean.

Good luck and remember: it's only a hurricane! Those of you who aren't here yet, you should come. Really! There's a great new trailer park right down the street...

COMICS: My Daddy's a Super-villain!

2008-09-08T11:39:00.005-05:00

I'm competing up at Zuda again, this time with the first of my superhero trilogy MY DADDY'S A SUPER-VILLAIN! With art by the incomparable Jamie Roberts, MDAS follows the story of washed-up super-villain Magnor! as he struggles to ditch his unwanted son, only to discover what being a father really means.

Yes, it's heartwarming and endearing, like a Lifetime movie with superheroes, but not before and entire city is BURNED ALIVE and BANKS ARE ROBBED and a SUPER-VILLAIN IS DENIED A CREDIT EXTENSION!

VOTE for My Daddy's a Super-Villain to see those atrocities and MORE!

Ps. Did I mention there's a GIANT WALKING PLATFORM OF DOOM!? It must be SEEN to be BELIEVED!

Post-Gustav Recovery

2008-09-02T07:34:00.002-05:00

We're all alive. Got an inconvenient amount of water in the apartment, and a brutal mess to clean and dry, but nothing major. The winds weren't bad, and the tornadoes missed us. But the schools are closed, and I'm stuck at home tidying up and watching the kids.

Nothing new to report for now. Check back tomorrow, as I may have some great news to share.

STORM WATCH: Gustav

2008-08-31T10:29:00.002-05:00

I'm out of the game until the storm passed. Here's hoping it's not too, too terrible, and I can hit the ground running on Tuesday or Wednesday!

If you need me, I'm on my cell phone and will have intermittent internet access.

STORM WATCH: Gustav & Hanna

2008-08-30T19:29:00.007-05:00

Hah! We've got another one.

Gustav. Cat 4. Pummelling Cuba as we speak. Hanna's hot on his heels. And given that an old childhood friend was Alabama's only victim in the aftermath of Fay, I'm not as enthused as before. Sure, I hadn't heard hide nor hair from him in about twenty years, but it still took me off guard.

And now, I'm actually getting a little nervous. So, I'm pounding out the latest HIGH MOON pages, and working on something new for Zuda.

It's been an interesting week, work wise. I'm close to signing an unpublished project of mine with a producer, and I've got a publisher and a packager both waiting on proposals. And I'm supposed to call Brett before landfall to talk about a horror project we're working on.

This is not good timing. I've got momentum. The muses and fates are both being unexpectedly kind to me. Grrr...

All right, David's yelling at me. Back to work!

Drill Drill Drill!!!

2008-08-29T13:40:00.004-05:00

Okay, people who support drilling for more oil domestically are dipshits. They insist on decimating our environment to drill for more oil. To quote the current vice-presidential pick on the Repub side: "And we're in a world of hurt if their agenda continues to be to lock up these safe, secure domestic supplies of energy."

That's one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. When you think that we've got sunlight beaming down on the entire country for approximately half a day, every day, that can be "safe, secure domestic supplies of energy," wanting to drill for more oil reeks of desperation and Fear of Change. We need to start shifting our style of energy use into something less damaging that doesn't leave us beholden to Canadians, Arabs, and Big Oil. We don't all need to live like hippies, but we certainly need to make some changes.

We're in for a world of hurt if we don't start investing in a change to solar, wind, geothermal, and whatever else is available to wean us off oil RIGHT NOW. Ethanol doesn't count. Ethanol is stupid. Eat corn, don't put it in your gas tank. Call me when you've figured out a way to stop taking food from the mouths of children to feed machines.

The Oil Era is ending. The ball's going to end up in a new court, leaving the Republicans all oiled up, standing around in the old one, playing with their balls all by themselves.

STORM WATCH: Fay

2008-08-23T18:27:00.004-05:00

Fay's a-comin'!

I love hurricanes. I know they are a disaster for some people. What happened in New Orleans was horrific (the response, too, but we all know that was deliberate), and I can't begin to imagine the effort they have to go through to get their lives up and running again. I don't want to belittle what I've seen first-hand as a difficult experience.

However, I love riding out the storm. Huddled up with my family. Bottled water and candles at the ready. Local NPR weather updates on the radio. I was around for Frederick many years ago, and my grandfather helped rebuild the Gulf Coast after Camille. I've seen tornados plow through my neighborhood. Storms are in my blood.

And if any storm tore down my life and I had to pick up the pieces afterwards, I would, and I would accept that price as part of being alive in this world.

Now that I've gotten that off my chest, I'm back to the new batch of HIGH MOON pages. Figured I shoud letter them before its time to hunker down.

MOVIE REVIEW: The Dark Knight

2008-07-19T07:20:00.003-05:00

The last movie I saw, but didn't review, was IRON MAN, because my review was going to be just one sentence: Wasn't this the subplot to BATMAN BEGINS?

But I'm here to talk about THE DARK KNIGHT. I think it's a good movie with some minor storytelling flaws. There are some glossed over transitions that feel like missing story beats, some heavy-handed dialogue that almost, but not quite, devolves to GODFATHER 3 levels, and a subtly handled, but still embarrassing, Death by Topple.*

But that said, there was a member of the audience, probably a six or seven year old kid, whose conversation with his mother throughout the movie really added to my experience of THE DARK KNIGHT.

"Why is that guy so mean? Is he mad at the circus?"

"They fired him and he needs a new job. Shh."

"Where did the pencil go, mommy?"

"It disappeared. Shh."

"Does Batman have a horse in his throat?"

"It's a fake voice. Shh."

"THAT MAN'S ON FIRE!!"

"No shit, will you be quiet!?"

"Mommy, his jokes aren't funny."

"..."

"Is he going to shoot the little boy? The little boy didn't do anything."

"He talked during the movie."

Needless to say, it's a bit complicated for a kid used to Batman on cartoons or even the atrocious films of the 80s and 90s. But for grown-ups? It's great, even if it should've been rated R.

Go see it.

*Death by Topple, for those unfamiliar with the phrase, is what some former Disney employees refer to the cop-out deaths of Disney villains in the more recent movies, where their over-reach and arrogance is the cause of their downfalls--usually off a cliff--not the hero's valiance.

San Diego Signing Schedule

2008-07-18T18:14:00.003-05:00

Hi Everyone!

As of this writing, I'll be signing at the DC Comcis booth with the Zuda folk from 4-5pm Thursday through Saturday to promote HIGH MOON.

Swing on by to say hi to me, David, and Steve. I'll have some of my other books on hand for those of you just discovering the O'Browniverse for the first time.

See you there!

Yark!

2008-07-17T16:28:00.003-05:00

A calico cat has adopted my family. It lounges on the porch. Stares inside. Tries to sneak in as we come and go. We give it water and old chicken, which I guess is a better deal that it's been getting elsewhere because it just won't leave.

But we are now at war. It's not us versus the cat. It's us versus us. There are three factions, split over what to call it.

The girls call it SPOTS.

The twins call it KEEEE!

I have named it OPTONONAGON.

I shall be victorious!!!

...somehow.

Vote RENO!

2008-07-12T09:42:00.003-05:00

I'm tossing in some support for my pal Dan Thompson's Zuda strip RENO. We worked together on SUPER LARRY for Platinum a couple years ago, but freshly on the stands now. It's yet another one of the many proejcts I've lettered for amazing writers and artists.

Anyway, RENO is cool, fast paced, and fileld with Dan wonderfully dynamic art. It's got my vote, hands down.

Bite me, Fanboy!

2008-07-07T14:03:00.002-05:00

Added to the newest edition of Merriam-Webster's Dictionary:

Fanboy (1919): boy who is an enthusiastic devotee, such as of comics or movies.

I'd be interested in learning more about its initial uses and how its evolved over the years. A fanboy during the 1920's would have a distinctly different flavor than one from the 70's or today.

The Check is in the Mail and Other Sordid Tales

2008-06-30T16:53:00.006-05:00

Thank you, Platinum!

For all teh smack talks about Platinum, I must say, they finally got their payments caught up with me today. I am considerably happier with them now than I was a week ago.

I will not defend them, because this took too long, with too little communication or explanation. HOWEVER, I will say that as of this writing, they've officially made good on all their outstanding invoices.

On another note, RED ICE lost. MDAS is submitted to Zuda. Say what you will about their deal, but I've been working with them since day one, it's been nothing but fantastic.

Tonight, I tidy up SURFACE PATTERNS. Tomorrow I come up with a plan for RED ICE to finish it anyway.

We'll talk more soon. Fun stuff a-comin'!

Today's Dirty Limerick

2008-06-30T16:48:00.002-05:00

As promised:

I once knew this plumber from Leigh
Who liked plumbing his girl by the sea
She said "Stop your plumbing,
There's somebody coming!"
Said the plumber still plumbing..."It's me!"

RED ICE's last ditch effort

2008-06-30T10:34:00.004-05:00

Today's the last day to vote for RED ICE. If I don't get to at least 5th place, I'm posting dirty limericks every day for the rest of the month!

Water Wars

2008-06-24T21:22:00.003-05:00

No, I'm not going to spout off about Georgia's water mismanagement or the evils of bottled water.

I'm going on record, officially, the reiterate that WATER HAS A DISTINCT SMELL! Next person who tells me it doesn't--doctor, family member, complete stranger, don't care which--will be forced to read my twenty year old emo-angst poetry (we called it "goth" in my day. Get off my lawn!) until it's committed to memory.

Ha!

Home Stretch

2008-06-24T17:28:00.001-05:00

It's the home stretch with only a few days left in the June competition.

You know what to do: go vote for RED ICE.

RED ICE is REAL!

2008-06-20T13:00:00.002-05:00

Ha! Art imitates life imitates art ad infinitum.

I love it when the stars align like this.

Help make the art a reality, too, and vote for me over at Zuda.

My interview with Zudafan

2008-06-18T12:01:00.001-05:00

I did a fun little interview over at Zudafan's blog about working on RED ICE. Swing by, check it out, and go give me a vote if you haven't already.

Thanks!

CLICK ME!

Holding at Seven

2008-06-16T21:31:00.003-05:00

Okay, here's the deal. I'm stuck in seventh place right now in the June Zuda competition.

If you've voted for someone else, or haven't voted yet, give RED ICE another chance. RI is old school hard science fiction with a vein of pulp adventure. We've got a good pedigree. Horacio did work for 2000AD in the 70s as well as a bunch of literary adaptations published in Europe and Latin America. Andy Elder has colored Star Trek, Transformers, and a myriad of other comics.

And me, well, chances are if you're here, you know what I've done, but I've got several project under my belt, including ATLANTIS RISING, recently optioned by Dreamworks.

Just click on the button below and shove us some love. Victory this month makes the difference between getting the rest of the story over the six to eight months, or having to wait a year to find out what happens next.

Thank you!

Most brilliant sentence ever!

2008-06-11T16:42:00.003-05:00

Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo.

Yes, it's grammatically correct. Brilliant!

Cross Posting!

2008-06-07T12:59:00.003-05:00

This is posted over at the SEEING RED ICE blog. Hop on over there for regular updates. Today, I'm cross-posting to spread the word.

It’s no secret that RED ICE was originally written as a European-style oversized graphic novel. In fact, Horacio and I already have finished lettered, but uncolored, art. Consider it hedging my bets. I was having so much fun working on HIGH MOON, I figured I’d give it a shot. What’s the worse that could happen?

This created some minor issues with reformatting. I had to ask the hard questions: What stays? What goes? How much do I need to lay the groundwork? The biggest drawback was pacing. The opening sequence I compressed into Zuda’s format was about half the space I really wanted to tell the opening sequence. And in making these hard choices, I realized I could even cut a full page from the graphic nvoel formatted pages as well.

Feel free to hop on over to http://www.zudacomics.com/node/464 to compare and contrast these rough pencils with the final product on the site.

Take the first page for example:

I had to keep everything to show the attack. While we don’t get a payoff in the first eight for this explosion, it comes into play in the very next scene. Besides, what’s a better way to open a story than with a nice establishing shot and an explosion.

All I did was cut some detail out of the splash of Mars and tweak the inset panels to fit.

I cut the original page two out. There was a conversation between Alex and Roland that really was designed to help with the world building. I did a full-scale rewrite to create the dialogue on Zuda pages three and five.

Page three got split in two. With the middle two tiers coming out to become page two, and the rest forming page three...with a little help form the opening panel that I pulled from elsewhere.

The page four splash is the same as the top tier of the pencilled page four. The bottom half of that page was left off for economy’s sake. I hated cutting out the dialogue in the rest of the sequence. It was supposed to play off a big reveal at the end, but again, I had to make sacrifices for the format. If we get to continue on Zuda, I’ll simply adjust the story down the line.

Pages five and six were combined. I’m actually very happy with how this turned out. I was able to do some world-building AND economize a two-page section that felt was a little loosely paced in the graphic novel format. If I ever explore publishing this as originally intended, I’ll actually reformat it, and use the extra page for more action later in the book.

Page seven on Zuda is one panel shy of everything on page seven in the original art.

In retrospect, I wasn’t happy with page eight. In part, because I originally wanted the ladder to end up being part of how he escapes from the site and ultimately, as I worked out the next scene, I realized I didn’t need the ladder. Oh, well. Still made for a nice image in color on that first panel of page 8, and I was able to get to the damn point faster: opening the door.

I’m still not going to tell you what’s on the other side.

Not unless I win.

On the Spot...

2008-06-04T10:34:00.001-05:00

I've been put on the spot over in the comments section for RED ICE. Swing on by and see what I have to say.

http://www.zudacomics.com/node/464

PRESS THE BUTTON!!!!

2008-06-02T20:51:00.000-05:00

RED ICE @ Zuda!

2008-06-02T12:26:00.000-05:00

I am competing this month over at Zuda with my latest comic, RED ICE. For those of you who haven't gotten an earful about the sotry over the years, here are the basics: Stuck on Mars, archeologist Roland Allegro gets more than he bargained for when he uncovers Mars' hidden history, forcing a choice between a way back to Earth and saving his adopted home from an alien invasion.

What are you waiting for? Click on over and vote! http://www.zudacomics.com/node/464

You do need to register, though, but it's quick and painless, requiring very little of your info: http://www.zudacomics.com/user/register

Thanks, everyone!

FD43D!!!

2008-05-30T21:59:00.004-05:00

I was on the set of Final Destination 4 today. It's funny how every five to ten years a production hits Mobile. Close Encounters was one, Forrest Gump was another. They were shooting out at the Mobile International Speedway about ten minutes west of the city, and since one of the producers and I have been talking for a while about Getting Shit Done (TM), we took the opportunity to meet face-to-face.

Now I love the Final Destination movies. They are truly the ultimate in unstoppable killer movies. Everyone dies. Period. No matter how good at chess you are, you're dancin' across that fucking hill.

Anyway, their plan was to shoot an upside down, burning car as it flips over. Lot's of background race cars speeding across the track, smoke machines at full bore, scantily clad nascar hootchies parading by...and we're off!

It looks innocent enough...that burning car, tumbling down the speedway...until it crashes into the one million dollar 3d camera (the one that had never been used for a location shoot before and was too big for a crash box) and the crew collectively shits itself.

Shot looked nice on the monitor, though, and despite getting nailed by flaming wreckage, the camera was still rolling. Impressive. though I had to leave before the final prognosis. Elevator ads wait for no man.

Interesting experience. A hell of a lot more fun to watch than the student film shoots I used to crash in college...and a hell of a lot more exciting than Forrest Gump.

TPop thoughts

2008-05-28T20:20:00.002-05:00

The filth of those contract terms forced me to scrape my epidermis off to feel clean again: http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/05/28/tokyopop-hey-dude-totally-bad-contract/

There are some contracts I've signed that are remarkably grotesque, BUT the CREDIT is assured. Even my WFH contracts assure my credit.

To be "OK" with the loss of credit reeks of desperation or a lack of perceived value in the work...better yet, the CRAFTSMANSHIP. Even at the earliest stages of my career I'd've never given up credit because I believe in what I write and create, and I have pride in my craft for every failure and success.

If you've got the vaguest level of competence in your work, your credit greases the wheels of your career.

Giving it up is stupid.

Rory Root.

2008-05-20T19:55:00.002-05:00

Rory was always a stand-up guy. Supported my publishing efforts during my Cyberosia days. Always took the time to chat at San Diego. I'll miss him this year, and each one thereafter.

This one's for you, Rory.

Good v. Bad

2008-04-16T08:54:00.003-05:00

Good: Dreamworks has picked up Atlantis Rising. http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=0&id=52331
Bad: I don't know if Gale Ann Hurd is still attached, but it Dreamworks, so why quibble?

Good: They Do Not Die! will still be distributed to the Trade.
Bad: The Direct Market release of They Do Not Die! has been cancelled. Sorry, folks!

Good: I finished lettering the alt-history war epic written by my former Humanoids editor Paul Benjamin.
Bad: It's only on black and white line art so far.

Good: My son is starting to get the knack of using the potty and communicating the need to even though he can't walk yet.
Bad: My daughter, while she's been walking for almost a year, thinks using the potty means slamming the lid closed while naked and peeing on my foot.

East v. West!

2008-04-07T14:21:00.002-05:00

I found this rather interesting. It's a perfect example of how the storytelling aesthetic of manga differs from the American.

http://www.starwars.com/eu/lit/comics/f20080227/index.html

Granted, the American one is a little dated, but it's not far off the mark. Pick up any comic today, and while some manga techniques have found their way in, and the exposition has lightened up, the contracted storytelling style of Western comics still dominates domestic comics.

Ideally, comics storytelling styles should be somewhere in the middle. I find six pages for one plot reveal to be tedious, and the source of the ridiculous price tag per story for manga that turns me off so readily.

But from a craft standpoint, is it necessary to use that many pages for a reveal or story beat? To achieve the manga aesthetic, sure, you have to play by those rules for the most part. And use sparingly, it can have great effect.

I'm left with the question: If you can achieve a rushed story beat in a panel, but can make it interesting in two pages, why drag it out longer? We can get into technical questions of page size and surface area of the art and creative ones of thematic and storytelling goals, but there's a complete lack of economy of storytelling going on in the manga, where the American storytelling rushes it.

I don't think "compressed" or "de-compressed" apply as terms here. I think it's a Western versus and Eastern storytelling style. Both have their strengths, but both rely too heavily on them, diluting their power as story devices.

Word of the day: Middle-ground.

Anyway, I found the comparison fascinating. What do you guys think?

Yes, yes, I know! I'm late!

2008-03-31T21:37:00.003-05:00

I'm running behind on Death Valley pages, I know. But I have excuses, really!

Weird optical effects! And another drive to Birmingham next week to visit the most competent doctors I've ever encountered. Hurray UAB! But boo for dialating my eyes and making me drive in the bright sun!

Horror shorts! I was invited to pitch some for a really cool property. I've got four brilliant ones that'll virtually guarntee I'll have at least four brilliant ones. Worse case, if they pass, I'll have the backbone for the creepiest horror anthology you'll ever read.

TV Pilot! The pitch was sent off last week! Wish me luck!

High Moon lettering! I'm working on the next four pages RIGHT NOW because David Gallaher hates me and wants to make me stay up late when I'm sleepy.

Doxy Proxy lettering! I got notes and thinly veiled threats. Still Reedy and Roberts rock the casba, so I don't mind making revisions like nine months after the fact.

More Death Valley later this week. I promise.

Death from Above!!!

DEATH VALLEY, page 9

2008-03-23T19:55:00.001-05:00

Happy Equinox Lagomorph Day!

2008-03-23T07:54:00.001-05:00

DEATH VALLEY, Page 8

2008-03-22T21:38:00.002-05:00

Show the Love

2008-03-20T21:57:00.003-05:00

I've thrown up a DONATE button on the right. Feel free to kick a little over if you like what you see. It'll help put food in my family's gaping maws as the children have already eaten half the people in the neighborhood. We're keeping the other half for breeding and labor.

Thank you! See you tomorrow with a new page from DEATH VALLEY.

DEATH VALLEY, page 7

2008-03-20T20:30:00.000-05:00

DEATH VALLEY, Page 6

2008-03-19T21:30:00.001-05:00

Reason #302 Why I Like Chris Butcher

2008-03-19T21:07:00.004-05:00

"You are awful."

More at link: http://comics212.net/2008/03/18/anime-thieves-you-are-awful-people/

I have yet to have an occasion to say that to someone in the proper context. Though I am profoundly happy that someone else has.

DEATH VALLEY, page 5

2008-03-16T20:51:00.002-05:00

DEATH VALLEY, Page 4

2008-03-15T12:46:00.001-05:00

DEATH VALLEY, Page 3

2008-03-14T23:22:00.001-05:00

DEATH VALLEY, Page 2

2008-03-12T20:08:00.002-05:00

Now Presenting: DEATH VALLEY

2008-03-11T21:22:00.000-05:00

In anticipation of the impending release of THEY DO NOT DIE!, for the next 62 days, more or less, I will post a page a day of my and Horacio Lalia's first collaboration: DEATH VALLEY. It's train robbers v. bounty hunters, niether of whom are who they appear to be.

If you wanna buy a hard copy, Paypal me $10 bucks USD to scottobrown@gmail.com and send me your address. Overseas, make it $25. I've got about 20-30 left.

Enjoy!

Did someone say "pointless questionaire"?

2008-03-04T20:13:00.000-06:00

I snatched this off my buddy Andrew's blog, who apparently grabbed it from my old Friend Marc Bryant (who, if you're reading this, drop me a line!)

2. If you had to eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?

All-natural peanut butter and orange marmalade sandwiches on honey wheat bread.

3. Spell your name how it sounds.

Skot

4. Name one word to describe your personality?

Creative

5. What are your top 3 Turn Ons on the opposite sex?

personality, looks, "unique" qualities

7. Where do you see yourself in 6 years?

In the midst of a successful writing career.

8. What is your favorite piece of jewelry?

No jewelry for me!

9. What type of service is your cellphone?

I have no cell phone. I resist, dammit! I resist!

10. What do you hate most about N.Y State?

The opportunities it provides are far outstripped by the excessive cost of living and overpopulation.

11. What kind of car is your dream car?

An affordable full electric one.

12. Can you leave the house without makeup?

I often do.

13. What are your top 3 favorite stores to shop at?

BAM!, Toys R Us, Bruno's

14. Do you consider yourself to be good-looking?

Yes.

15. What do you miss about being a kid?

The ability to climb trees without feeling like I've been playing bitch in a maximum security prison.

16. What is your favorite animal?

Ones that are cooked medium rare and on my dinner plate.

17. Do you think your going to have a good Valentines Day?

As long as I get a card and some sweet lovin', it'll be a great one.

18. Apple, Orange, Cranberry juice?

Cranberry

19. Do you get enough sleep at night?

Most of the time.

20. Favorite Channel on T.V ?

I have no favorite channel. Only favorite shows. Brand loyalty is for pussies.

21. Are you dating the person you text most?

I don't text.

22. whats your favorite color[s]?

Emergency orange.

23. What do you want?

Enough money to finance my personal ambitions to design and direct animated features because unless I can do it my way and my way alone, I don't want to do it at all.

24. Who was the last person you shared a bed with?

Who do you think?

25. Do you talk to yourself?

No, but I sometimes narrate my actions in first person in my head as I do them.

26. Do you drink milk straight from the carton?

Are you fucking crazy? I'd shit slime for two days if I pulled a stunt like that.

27. Who knows a dark secret or two about you?

I have no dark secrets.

29. Do you like Batman?

I've liked some Batman stories. Again, brand loyalty is for pussies.

30. Who did you last hug?

Sebastian

31. Do you swear at your parent(s)?

No.

32. Do you like anyone now?

What is that supposed to mean? Are we in the back of history class or something?

33. When was the last time you lied?

I'm a storyteller, it's what I do. Unless, of course, were-whales are really real.

Wait, they are. I forgot about your momma.

34. Obama, Hillary, McCain, or Huckabee?

Dodd.

35. Is your birthday on a holiday?

Occasionally Easter. On those occasions, I have to hide the Jesus eggs from the rabbit quickly, lest they hatch and return to life and assemble to form zombie Jesus.

36. What instant messaging service do you use?

Gmail's.

37. Last thing you cooked today?

I didn't cook anything today. I have a woman for that...though I did cook last night. Pork strips marinated in oregano and olive oil with brown rice and corn.

38. Did you have a nap today?

You gotta be freakin' kidding me.

39. Who's house did you go to last?

Mine.

41. Why is the sky blue?

Because the light scatters just right. Or, because it's the color sunlight makes as it shined thorugh the filaments of Tiamat's wings.

42. Do you like green beans?

Yes. But especially from a can and cooked with bacon.

43. Do you swear a lot?

I only swear at fucking dipshits who drive without using their blinkers.

44. Where did you get the shirt you're wearing?

Ain't got no shirt on baby. Revel in my doughy masculinity.

45. Have any regrets?

None that matter in the greater scheme of the universe's ebb and flow.

46. Do you use an alarm clock?

Unfortunately.

47. Where are you?

My office. I'm a closet writer.

48. Do you ever snort when you laugh?

On rare occasions, yes.

49. Whats the first thing you notice on the opposite sex?

Eyes.

50. Do you wear underwear?

All commando, all the time.

51. Who/What would you like to see right now?

My son finally walk.

52. Are you social?

If it suits me, yes.

53. Are you afraid of the dark?

Nope.

55. Who was the last person you talked to?

April.

56. Are you happy with your life?

If I could ditch the dayjob and work on comics full time again, it would be perfect.

57. Last person who you told your problems to?

April.

58. What are you doing tonight?

Now that I'm done watching New Frontier, sending notes on pencils to a collaborator. Hounding colorists for pages. Wondering if I should take another pass at my spec pilot, or if I should just unleash it as is.

61. Who's your best friend?

April.

62. Do you think he/she will always be there for you?

I certainly hope so.

63. What is your myspace song right now?

I don't do myspace.

64. Do you prefer to text or IM?

Just fucking call me. Or write an email.

65. Who'd you get this from?

Andrew Foley

66. Do you believe the number 6 is the number of death?

No, but 6 is a milky orange.

67. What are your favorite magazines?

I don't do magazines, but I do read Salon and Alternet online religiously.

Your head fits in my mouth!!!!!

2008-02-27T22:09:00.000-06:00

I finished my pilot script! Yay!

And after getting some reader feedback and cleaning it up for typos, it's off to the producer. Cross your fingers, wish me luck. Do some of that voodoojoojoo those new agers are aways going on about.

Or silently hope for my failure. That, however, will cost you your pinky.

Aside from the script, I got a new short titled "Island of the Bird" off to my long time collaborator, Horacio Lalia. I'm hoping I can use it to build on an anthology around the main character. I've got at least ten more stories in mind to go along with it, covering the protagonist's entire career.

By the way, any of you guys or gals out there have any Corto Maltese books you might be willing to lend me? I'm working on a project and I really want to read some similar work by a master to make so I don't retread old ground. And given that the larger, more complete collections tend to run in the hundreds of dollars...I need a cheap solution.

They Do Not Die! in the February Previews!

2008-02-13T20:15:00.000-06:00

My latest original graphic novel, THEY DO NOT DIE! is available for pre-order in this months' Previews from Ambrosia Publishing.

Order Code: FEB08 3435

And only $7.95!

Use the order code at you local comics shop and acquire you a copy of this creepy little B-movie horror feast that Horacio and I put together. It even includes a bonus short story, "Whale Song," that appeared in the Dark Horrors 2 anthology last year.

We have some behind the scenes extras tossed in for good measure. And if you read the whole book from back cover (ISBN included!) to front on the right day, at the right time, when the stars are properly aligned, you will summon the Elder Gods. *

*Scott O. Brown, Horacio Lalia, and Ambrosia Publishing do NOT guarantee that the Milky Way even contains the proper number of stars to summon them or that the necessary alignment, if possible, will occur to allow for said summoning before everyone dies from the impending invasion from Andromeda anyway.

Struck Out!

2008-02-13T19:51:00.001-06:00

No more strike! Yay!

And I was an honest little writer-monkey. I did not work on a single screenplay or teleplay during the entire strike. No pen on paper. Nothing.

And now, I'm working on a series pilot for an overseas producer. Not sure if anything will come of it, but I've got a unique take on the standard "sci-fi-adventurer" genre...so unique that I spent six monthsresearching the hell out of similar stories and noticed that no one has ever come close to it. Here's hoping I'm not too far ahead of the curve and it gets picked up. Hit the ground running today and it looks like I'll have the pilot about half written by end of day today.

More good news: My migraines let up a bit this week, just in time to leave me with one painkiller left in case they sneak back up on me. Actually, I'm saving that last one for Monday. I'm getting bunch of dental work done Monday morning, and it'll sure smooth the rough edges out nicely and make the day a little more interesting to get through.

Currently reading The Other Side by Jason Aaron and Cameron Stewart. This is a great book. I've always been on the fence about Cameron's work...sometimes it looks a little rushed, but he really nailed it here with some great designs and wonderfully sharp storytelling. He done propelled himself into one of my favorites. Even the lettering on this book is clean and easy to take in. Best book to come out last year, I'm convinced.

All right, enough procrastinating. Back to work!

Fat Tuesday in Retrospect

2008-02-09T08:21:00.001-06:00

Well, my kids just had their first Mardi Gras and loved every minute of it. They danced to the music, tried to grab the horses, fought of beads, caught moonpies and plastic cigars...they had a blast. The Mystics of Time parade from the Saturday before was the best of the batch. They've traditioanlly had dragon floats that spit smoke and weave through the route, and this year, that was the theme of the entire parade. Better throughs, better bands.

The parades on Mardi Gras day, hwoever, did leave a bit to be desired. While the marching jazz bands are always fun, the high school bands we a little lacking. In fact, what really surprised me was the fact no a one of htem wore a uniform. The only part of many of the bands in uniform were the dance team/flag corp.

Now, it stands to reason that if you are wearing a spandex uniform, it'll show off both the flattering and unflattering parts of you body. That is why we mock fat people in spandex in our society. Now, there were two bands with fat dance/flag corp girls. One of these bands wore straight leg pants with a sequend top that covered up the less attractive aspect of theirphysical appearance.

But I don't care about that one. It was appropriate and reasonable. The second band, which will remain nameless, had the fattest, hoochiest flag corp I'd ever seen, dressed up in Wonder Woman cut red and white spandex that was so tight, have the girls looked like they had tits on their back. If you are so fucking fat that spandex creates tits on your back...stay home and get some self-respect.

Or sell some of the doughnuts you've been eating to fundraise for a better uniform.

Smells like Teen Comics

2008-02-04T09:37:00.000-06:00

I love the way Vertigo's trades smell. It reminds me of being twelve and discovery comics for the first time. It's that newsprint/ink smell that anyone who read comics in the 80s or earlier would recognize in a sniff.

It makes me feel nice. Happy, even.

Next best is that freshly printed book smell, when you crack open that first case on the pallet and take a whiff, holding a books in your hand that no one has ever held before. It's not the same as the scent of a Vertigo trade, but it's a nice one nonetheless. Reminds me of the start of my comics career.

By the way, I picked up a few books recently.

Doom Patrol v6
Crecy
Testament v3
Shortcomings
Uzumaki v2
The Other Side

I'm looking forward to San Diego this year. Since I'm driving, I fully intend to buy several hundred dollars worth of books and some original art. That way I don't have to lug them around or risk being damaged by idiotic airport security. But that's a rant for another day. though if another security guard sticks his hand down the front of my pants, he (or she) damn well better make it worth my while.

Out with the old...

2008-01-27T20:30:00.001-06:00

Look at my new template ye mighty and despair!

Political Sessions.

2008-01-23T21:44:00.000-06:00

Telecom immunity is becoming an issue again as that moron Harry Reid enables the bastard republicans by forcing Dodd to filibuster the traditional way by talking his way through it. Frankly, Reid acts like a goddamn republican whipping dog. Sure as hell isn't a democrat. And I would not be surprised if he was on the take somehow, kinda like Feinstein and her war-monger defence contractor husband.

But that's all beside the point.

I called Jeff Sessions, our republican senator for lower Alabama. I didn't vote for him, but he represent our area (vaguely) so I had to give my two cents. I called. A young lady answered the phone.

"I'd like to leave a message for Mr. Sessions about the telecom immunity bill. I'm one of his constituents in Mobile county. Do I just tell you?"

"Sure, I can take the message."

"Please tell him that I would like him to support Chris Dodd's filibuster of any telecom immunity provision. I don't believe the government should have a blank check to spy on Americans, and the simple, accommodating checks and balances of the current FISA should be sufficient, and telecom companies should be held liable if they break the law."

Silence.

"You realize Sessions is a republican, right?"

Wow.

Then she asked my name and assured me that the message would be delivered to Washington.

I suspect it will be lost in transit...but on the bright side, given that we're all being frickin' spied on, I can rest assured someone, somewhere, heard it.

Cloverfield Review, or how I decided I'm now, officialy, an old geezer

2008-01-19T10:08:00.000-06:00

I will spoil without warning.

I saw Cloverfield last night, and was simultaneously entertained and bored. It's compelling enough if you choose to enjoy it with the anticipation built up by the marketing. Without the marketing, it would still be good, but that well-crafted anticipation made it that much more fun.

I found the narrative device of "found footage" to work fantastically. I felt like I was there. It was almost intimate in its presentation. I found myself twisting in my seat, craning my neck to try to get a view of the monster form around buildings, even though I was completely limited by the screen. Good move. The glimpses of the monster up to the final pay-off were great.

But then we get to the story. It's a functional competent story, one obviously chosen to maximize the payday coming out of teen and twenty-somethings' pockets. It hit all the right beats, left few, if any, gaps in the story logic. But I didn't even remotely connect with it. Here's why:

Anyway, guy falls for girl, blows off girl, monster attacks, boy decide girl he fell for but blew off is worth risking his and his friends' lives for. Monster kills all but boy and girl. Bombs finish the job.
Okay. Fine. Let me say this: If I have sex with a girl, but don't feel compelled to call her the next week for whatever reason, she is emphatically NOT WORTH RISKING MY LIFE FOR. The protag must be either immature or desperate, but a fizzled relationship is MEANINGLESS in the face of a FUCKING MONSTER.

I could see someone risking their lives like that for a spouse, a parent, a child stuck in daycare or school across town. But that's it. In fact, it would have been a perfect movie had THAT approach been taken, and not the one they took. Instead it is ALMOST perfect.

It was like I was watching some lame-assed episode of Felicity, and a monster attacked.

Next quibble: the monster disappointed. When we finally got a good look at it, I realized I seen it somewhere before...in a movie called Twenty Million Miles to Earth. I felt ripped off. I wanted something Lovecraftian, or unique. Instead, I got a b-movie rehash.

Don't take this criticisms the wrong way. I enjoyed the movie. It was worth my 13 bucks. But it could have been a sliver better, and more unique in ways other than presentation. Or maybe, I'm just getting old. Either way, I expect more.

Final verdict: 8 out of 10. Highly recommended, unless you're significantly older and more pretentious than I am.

Consume it, True Consumers!

2008-01-08T20:20:00.001-06:00

Because we should all be true Americans and consume either a) overpriced things we've been duped into thinking we need, b) underpriced things that erode the true market value of American labor, or c) cheap-ass shit for free.

http://www.chemsetcomics.com/2008/01/08/the-holiday-men-it-begins/

Which one is it?

You decide.

That's right, just YOU. As in "you" singular. The rest of "you" plural shut the hell up and choose "c."

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-21T09:23:00.000-06:00

Do NOT take the "Christ" out of Christmas, the "X" out of Xmas, or the "Hanuk" from Hanukkah.

Everyone enjoy the holiday, no matter what your point-of-view.

Mine's third person omniscient.

Happy Holidays!

I'm Melting!!!

2007-12-20T23:34:00.001-06:00

Blah blah
Blah blah
Blah

Too much lettering to do. I need sleep. I've got a deal to close tomorrow.

A Christmas Poem for All!

2007-12-19T20:10:00.000-06:00

Sam X, the Xmas Hitman (Sung to the tune of Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer)

Sam X, the Xmas hitman,
Had a very shiny gun
And if you ever saw it
You had better freakin’ run.

All the other assassins
Used to laugh at him in vain.
'Cause It didn't stop Sam from winning
The Xmas reindeer hunting game.

Then one solemn Xmas eve
Santa came to say
Sam X, with all the elves on strike,
Won’t you slay them with your might?

So Sam X, the Xmas hitman,
Gunned down all those union elves.
Leaving their corpses and Sam X
To spend eternity in Hell.

***

And if all seven and a half of you reading this enjoyed it, feel free to spread the love. Just credit Scott O. Brown as the author.

I simply can't bring myself to spam people with my attempts at getting on the Naughty List.

A School of Little Shadows

2007-12-19T15:50:00.000-06:00

I want Umbrella Academy #4!!! It shipped to comic stores today...but to newsstands?

No.

#3 sits alone on the rack. I bought that one last week.

I am aggravated. Not aggravated enough to open my own store yet, but aggravated enough to complain publicly about the inaccessibility of comics in my hometown.

If the damn book had just been released as an OGN, I could get it all at once and be done with it. Yet one more reason why I shun floppies. First frickin' floppy to get my interest in years, and I can't buy the new issue promptly.

Bah, humbug.

BUT, I did get Uzumaki, v1. Of course I have to wait month to get that whole damn story, too. But I can stomach waiting for two more GNs. A hundred plus pages is more than enough to hold me over.

I Love Comics...

2007-12-17T09:15:00.000-06:00

...whereas just a month ago, I was ambivalent. It's hard to keep your enthusiasm when everything being produced looks so...boring. It's why I started publishing back in 2000. It was the only way to get into print the stuff I actually wanted to have on my bookshelf.

My boredom with the industry's output was alleviated this weekend when I stumbled across DC's 08 publishing plans and a fistful of reviews and interviews that grabbed my interest. Here's my want list. Longest in a while:

JLI v2
Suicide Squad: From the Ashes
Testament v4
Starman Omnibus v1
Hellblazer: Fear Machine (about damn time, all of Delano's Hellblazer run is worthy of trade)
Incognegro
I Shall Destroy All Civilized Planets
Terry & the Pirates v1 (I know it's been out a while, but out of sight...out of mind)
Bookhunter
Shortcomings
Uzumaki
The Other Side (again, it's been out a while, but no one talks about it, so I forgot)

I'm surprised so much has my attention. I'm hard to please, and I require a monstrous degree of either intellectual curiosity or sentimentality to pique my interest. And I make the effort to find out about books before I buy them. Wouldn't be a problem if I was still publishing. I'd publish all the stuff I'd want to read anyway.

Ah, but I require my sanity and would liek to spend time with my kids...so publishing stays off the table (but in reach on the extra chair at the table) for now.

Here's to being a fussy reader!

Stripped Bare.

2007-12-12T11:51:00.000-06:00

Yes, yes, yesterday I was petty about laundry. I feel a little guilty, but just a little. I feel guiltier taking forever to reply to emails.

Today, however, I am giddy with the prospect of developing a comic strip with a long time friend of mine. I've got an old comics project that inspiration brought new life to. A little tweaking, some content changes, and poof, it would make a nice comic strip. Been jonesing to make a comic strip ever since I worked on a now aborted attempt to relaunch the Pink Panther.

The fact that even some of the lowest ordered comic strips have audiences that outstrip the combined Direct Market is enough to make me take the form seriously enough to stab at producing one.

I cannot wait to start working on it...just as soon as I finish Hunter and Shadow of Dixie...and find ten minutes to do it.

Laundromatic

2007-12-11T21:28:00.000-06:00

My clothes were dirty. I washed them.

My clothes were wet. I dried them.

No, no, no. I did not dry them. I put a dollar in the dryer. I pressed high heat. I pressed start. My clothes spun around in a fun circle that looked far more entertaining to do than walking back to the apartment to watch Keith Olberman and continue to feel powerless in the face of political corruption at the highest levels of our government.

An hour later, they were not dry. In fact, an hour later, the door was open. Correction: Three pairs of pants, a bra, two baby shirts, three adult shirts, and two school uniform skirts were dry. Everything else was sopping. Sopping. Moist. Wet. Sopping.

I deeply wish people were more considerate. Little things...using turn signals while driving, keeping to a bus schedule during non-rush-hour hours, not blowing cigarette smoke at my babies, and LEAVING MY DAMN DRYER ALONE!!!!!

I opened every running dryer in the building. I am not vindictive. Nor am I petty. I am simply sick of people stealing my laundry baskets, taking my clothes out of washers, and OPENING MY DRYERS. Maybe, just maybe, one of those dryers belonged to the person who made my clothes remain moist. And maybe, slim chance in hell, but maybe, they won't do it again.

Oh, how I long for a washer/dryer hook-up. It would reduce opportunities for me to qualify as one of the worse people in the world..or at least keep me from making an ass of myself.

Signing this Friday, 12/14

2007-12-10T13:13:00.000-06:00

It's been a crazy month, scrambling to make ends meet with long time clients dragging on payments and a desire to at least get my kids half the stuff I'm going to force upon them for life, making them feel inadequate and worthless in the face of their father's expectations...

So, no stories, no poems, just a little self-promotion and some props.

I'm signing from 5-9pm on December 14th at the Mobile Arts Council by Cathedral Square in support of my recently launched comics series ATLANTIS RISING. Charlie Smoke and the MAC rock Mobile. And while I heap profuse thanks upon them at every event, sometimes you just gotta tell every one else.

Thank you Charlie, Robert, and the MAC. Your support of the arts is invaluable to the city. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be part of the community.

See you Friday!

HIGH MOON wins first round at Zuda.

2007-11-30T22:36:00.001-06:00

http://www.zudacomics.com/

Congrats David and Steve!

Pageantry

2007-11-20T13:01:00.000-06:00

This works on so many levels, I deeply admire it.

http://www.miss-landmine.org/

While the problem of indiscriminant landmine use is no laughing matter, I can't help but think that sometimes, beauty does cost and arm and a leg.

In Stores Now, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love my Distributor

2007-11-19T20:50:00.001-06:00

Xmas Shopping, 2007. Three hundred bucks to burn on presents. But first, a trip to the graphic novel aisle at Books-A-Million to browse for a few things. No Black Dossier, no second or third volumes of Uzumaki, no books by Drawn & Quarterly or Fantagraphics.... I really want a real comic shop here. Screw it, time to go.

Then my son rips a book off the shelf. I switch into toddler discipline mode. "No, Sebastian. Give Daddy the book!" So, like a good boy, he gives me the book, proud of himself.

It's a copy of Nightfall.

Heh.

Not to be outdone, his sister knocks everything off the endcap.

Correction: Now, it's time to go.

***

Atlantis Rising #2 is in stores Wednesday, 11/21. Spend your money on it. $3 bucks ain't gonna kill you.

Talkin' about my comics

2007-11-16T09:45:00.001-06:00

Jim over at "Comics And...Other Imaginary Tales" did a brief interview with me onhis blog where I talk a bit about Atlantis Rising and several other projects. Enjoy!

http://comicsand.blogspot.com/2007/11/scott-o-brown-interview.html

POEM: Butterfly Stoo

2007-11-14T20:51:00.000-06:00

Would yoo like to try some
o' my butterfly stoo?
I made up this batch
just especial for yoo.

I plucked off the wings
and poked out the eyes
of over t0o hundred
Monarch butterflies.

I simmered them fine
over mediyummm heat
to soak up the flavor
of this tastee treat

So please doo not cry
over them dead butterflies
They'd've just ended up dead
inside a year's time.

So yoo are much better off
eating this stoo.
A butterfly batch
made just especial for yoo.

A little more love for Atlantis Rising...

2007-11-14T20:33:00.000-06:00

...showed up today.

http://inked.koietai.com/

and

http://comicsand.blogspot.com/2007/11/best-to-worst-of-last-week_13.html

Thank you, fellow bloggers!

Issue #2 is at the printer. ;)

AR#1...first reveiw is in...

2007-11-09T14:06:00.000-06:00

Offered without comment...oh, hell, okay, I've got a comment--I LOVE the art. Does a hell of a lot more that just get you through the story.

But I'm not gonna quibble. What the reveiwer missed in terms of art, he made up for by his complete understanding of my intent as the writer.

http://www.comixtreme.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37505

But really, for .25 cents, buy the damn thing regardless.

:)

STRIKE!

2007-11-07T20:54:00.000-06:00

I believe in the strike. Having been on both the business and creative end of writing, and knowing numerous people in the industry, all I can say is that writers deserve a greater share. Without writers, there is nothing to build on. Even if someone wants to bypass the writer to create something, the act of WRITING still occurs. And those who write are writers, whether they're wearing producer, director, actor, publisher, or animator hats at the same time.

Take out the foundation, and the house falls down...build on a poor one, and it sinks.

But take the time and money to build a soild foundation, and there's no end to the heights that can be reach.

Oh, and Atlantis Rising #1 is out today. 25 cents. Go buy it. I wrote it.

HIGH MOON on Zuda!

2007-11-04T10:26:00.000-06:00

My latest lettering gig, working with the exceptionally talented David Gallaher and Steve Ellis on the web comic HIGH MOON, is available for consumption.

http://www.zudacomics.com/high_moon

It's the best one up there. And I'm completely biased.

MURDER or ANOREXIA.

2007-10-18T20:11:00.001-05:00

I dreamt I was watching Law & Order being performed as a stage show at the Seanger Theatre in downtown Mobile with April. I do not recall the events of the show. I do recall going outside after it was over to being greeted by a giant wobbly man-thing with elastic arms, towering two stories above me. Each arm was black, rubbery, and topped off not with hands or fingers, but with blood-red lips concealing blindingly pearly-white teeth. From one hand it said "Murder," from the other it said "Or anorexia."

Over and over again, those three words "Murder or Anorexia." Instinct in my dream said run. Reason in my dream said check this weird shit out and see what happens next. then the anorexia mouth started chasing me.

I ran into a pub, something akin to the pubs I used to go to Boston, not the smoke-filled pool hall excuses for bars down South. I ran as the anorexia mouth chased me, weaving through the booth and bar stools. I hid in the bathroom, closed a stall behind behind me, crouched on the rim of the toilet.

The mouth crashed through the door. I felt the door hit me. I saw the mouth open, and I felt myself die as it bit into my body from shoulder to groin.

And that's when the dream shifted to something far less memorable, but significantly less fatal.

Murder?

Or Anorexia?

You decide.

WHALE SONG in Arcana's Dark Horrors 2 Anthology

2007-10-13T09:50:00.000-05:00

WHALE SONG, by me and Horacio Lalia exposes the truth behind the were-whale phenomenon of the early 19th century. All is revealed this Halloween in Arcana's Dark Horrors 2 Anthology.

Order it from your LCS with Diamond Order Code AUG073375.But don't take my word for it. Here are the first two pages...

New interview up at Occasional Superheroine

2007-09-29T09:07:00.000-05:00

I did an interview this past with Valerie D'Orazio of the Occasional Superheroine blog. In it, I tip my hand and expose the secret origin of the Man of Comics (tm) while talking about a fistful of my current projects.

http://occasionalsuperheroine.blogspot.com/2007/09/occasional-interviews-presents-scott-o.html

Enjoy!

Burn out

2007-09-19T08:53:00.000-05:00

Aw, hell. It's happened again. I burned out. It's not writer's block (which is actually writer's excuse). It's not that I'm tired. I'm just burnt out. I need to recharge. Eat an extravagently enormous amount of tortellini and pesto, guzzle a half galloon of sweet tea and or coffee, and watch mindless television for a week.

That, however, won't solve the problem.

I need one personal project to gain forward momentum at a publisher. I could start writing it myself, but I need incentive. I've spent to much time and money just developing the pitches, that I want just a touch of payoff. Not a lot, mind you, but just enough. I would even settle for rejections on my previous submissions so I can re-invigoarate myself to work on it to make it happen anyway.

Or I could just vent here, subject all couple hundred of you to my whining until I get the fuck over it and get back to work.

Look at that. The desire to do stuff has returned. This is cheaper than a therapist.

Thank you!

Parallel Development Hell

2007-09-16T17:22:00.000-05:00

EASTERN PROMISES is yet another film with a premise identical to one I had about five years ago that was turned down by several publishers. I very much want to see it. Mob culture in different countries is unendingly fascinating, and despite the atrocious, stiff, and unconvincing HISTORY OF VIOLENCE, I still have faith in Cronenberg's film making abilities.

Hmmm...so that make about eight pitches turned down for one and only one reason: because they "wouldn't make good movies." Of course, of those eight, ALL OF THEM have been made into films of varying quality by other writers/directors/etc. I'm not saying they were stolen, I know better. I'm saying they were created in parallel by people who have a better ability to get things made than I had at the time.

But, of course, of those eight, how many did I just do myself? None. So there. I shouldn't complain too much. But it's only fair to make note of it, and its further proof that publishing and film making are grotesquely arbitrary industries. I know, I was a publisher for years and made plenty of arbitrary decisions. It's the way things work.

Oh, well. Back to work! Maybe I can come up with something else completely original at the same time as another writer with more clout does and miss out once again.

Or maybe I can just write the story because I love writing the story. Love doesn't pay the bills, but it can keep my faith in what I do.

Atlantis Rising #2

2007-09-14T14:25:00.001-05:00

In the September PREVIEWS, issue #2 of Atlantis Rising is solicited. Order Code: SEP07 3899

From the solicitation:

The war between the Atlanteans and the surface world's navies goes into full force. Kaya is captured and forced to provide information, and what is the secret weapon both forces hope to use on the other?

I'll give you a rather timely hint:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/russia/article/0,,2167175,00.html

But bigger.

ATLANTIS RISING online!

2007-09-13T09:03:00.000-05:00

My sci-fi war epic for Platinum Studios, Atlantis Rising, is online.

http://www.drunkduck.com/Atlantis_Rising/index.php

Read it.

ATLANTIS RISING: Interview (new and improved with order code)

2007-09-06T18:46:00.000-05:00

I just did an interview with Richard Vasseur of Jazma regarding Atlantis Rising and a fistful of my other projects. Please, take a gander.

http://www.jazmaonline.com/interviews/interviews2007.asp?intID=581

And if you're so inclined, order a copy from your local retailer. The Diamond Order Code is AUG073922.

Excessive Exposure to Children

2007-09-04T12:29:00.000-05:00

I'm a little pee pee boy
sittin' on my pot.
I have simply no idea
when my pee will stop.

Wait, wait what is that
dripping in the pot?
Could I just pinch off the end
to make my pee pee stop?

Daddy, daddy come and see
the pee pee I proudly made.
Come on and help me make some more
out of lemonade.

POEM: Distaste

2007-09-01T20:53:00.000-05:00

Note that the current,
general distaste in humans
is a product of market
oversaturation.

The need to emphasize
interaction over observation
is too empowering
reduce them to image

So that we can
superimpose our own
ideals over someone
devalued.

20 Minute Stories

2007-08-27T22:31:00.000-05:00

Every once in a while, I get a story, fully formed, in my head. It's rare, about once every year, but it happens. I run with them and prioritize them. I figure they're coming to me from the ether for a reason, so I better get crackin'.

This one took four days from the time I heard the NPR story that inspired it to the time I let the concept gestate long enough to be ready to be written. So, in twenty minutes, I outlined a screenplay with only two plot points missing that will define themselves as I write the script. Sometimes the characters need to live a little to work out the kinks.

The best part, is that this is going to be all screenplay. Nothing beats a tried-and-true Hitchcockian thriller, especially one in the vein of North By Northwest.

Check back in a week. I'll have a solid draft to clean up. Then, check back in eighteen months. I guarantee that I'll be bitching that I can't sell it.

Midnight snackin'

2007-08-26T21:54:00.001-05:00

Roasted broccoli, cinnamon buns, orange juice, phlegm.

The perfect recipe to prompt the over-consumption of Tums.

More reviews of They do Not Die in.

2007-08-22T20:28:00.001-05:00

A nice write up on Aintitcool.com for those of you keeping track of these things.

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/33747#8

The Things that Eat Us

2007-08-21T08:51:00.001-05:00

I don't like writing about my professional comics writing escapades. It's as if when I'm writing about the day-to-day grind of being a professional writer, I feel like I should be doing the actual writing instead. Or laundry.

I've discovered that there's a high level of local interest in comics and graphic novels. When I was do signings at the Mobile Arts Council, nearly everyone who walks by exhibits interest, either because they used to read comics, or never realized they were still being published, or even knew that the medium had grown in sophistication. It was nice, and reminded me that I don’t do this in a vacuum.

That makes it harder to believe that at the height of the Nineties boom, the greater Mobile area, about one million people give or take, were able to support four comic book shops. Four. And now that the industry is stabilized and steadily growing again, it can't support one. One. If I want comics, I either have to settle for the mediocre selections at the local bookstores, order them online, or hit a convention. But nothing beats walking into a comic store and getting a whiff of that newsprint and polypropylene smell, it’s the next best thing to smelling a freshly printed book.

It all comes back to writing. I am the only comics professional in the city, and without even a store for readers to congregate at, it is a lonely proposition. Most of the local writers don’t even think about storytelling at the same level. It’s all prose or poetry, more traditional stuff.

Comics are part of the greater cultural landscape, and their lack of presence screams volumes. No one notices that more acutely than I do.

Cellar Door

2007-08-14T14:43:00.000-05:00

I paraphrase, but Tolkein once said that "cellar door" is the most beautiful word in the English language.

I vote "gorgeous porridge".

KATY QUICK, page 8

2007-08-08T12:14:00.000-05:00

KATY QUICK, page 7

2007-08-07T10:49:00.001-05:00

First Review in for THEY DO NOT DIE!

2007-08-06T15:01:00.000-05:00

Read it. Let Wayne influence your opinion. He Understands.

http://divergingcomics.org/main.php?id=theydonotdie.html

KATY QUICK, page 6

2007-08-06T10:08:00.001-05:00

KATY QUICK, page 5

2007-08-05T14:20:00.000-05:00