TWO FISTED HOMEOPAPE Apr/19 - Bearded Nesting Dolls
A soft announcement of the next thing, but first keep looking at this other thing. Things.
♫ I applied for a rescue dog,
But if I get you dog,
You're rescuing me ♫
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2021 -- beyond.
Keep on moving.
Because when I stop, sometimes I don’t start again. And sometimes when I stop, it gives me time to think. Stopping feels like the enemy. I don’t mind a pause. A breath. A moment.
But I can’t ever stop. So this past week, I didn’t.
A whole mess of good stuff, thus, transpired. I helped plant 2 kiwis in our yard in a greenhouse one of the kids assembled and we put it in a good spot. We watched some movies, read every day, played more Uno Flip. Mostly, we just relaxed - keeping our heart rate low through the busy of it all.
I continued the EVERFROST #1 preorder hustle and this week I’ll find out if any of it worked. Fingers crossed. It’s been a huge labour of love, with many hours and strange thoughts - and early word seems to be that people dig the issue and we’ll have a low key hit on our hands for sales. Huzzah for that.
Retailers have now placed their orders, but they actually have 2 weeks to adjust those orders, so you can actually still contact your LCS and pester them if you haven’t already and get that copy on order so it’s 100% yours on June 02.
I’ve also done some press/interview stuff for the book, so that’s all time, too. It all soaks up just a little of the time, so I’m glad I’m staying organised, somewhat. The 4am starts roll in, I bounce up and get something done. I’ve added another few drops to the script for SHE Vol. 2 - I dropped 5 pages one night just before I flew up to the Gold Coast for the Supanova Comic Convention.
In a rushed nutshell, the show was great. I sold out of ETERNAL, I sold down to 1 copy of SHE left, and SKYSCRAPER held its own [I just took more of that because it’s newspaper and thus lighter]. There was plenty of banter and fun and the highlight naturally is getting to hang out with my two brothers:
Here we are at my table.
Here we are at their table.
Yes, we are just bearded nesting dolls. We unfurl at each convention, talking smack about dumb things, and slinging our written words into the air like confetti made of offal. Enjoy.
And here’s the most accurate photo of me at my con table you will ever ever see.
A whole mess of banter throughout the show, as well as before and after. Not much more important than family, so to get to hang out with my bros, and see our mother, and just relax with a few laughs was a massive highlight.
It was also nice to sell out of one book, have only 1 copy left of another, and see some old faces again who were still smiling, still reading, and still awesome. I was pretty tired at the end of the show, I rolled back into Home HQ well after 11pm, but I was spiritually and creatively energised once more.
Now, it’s back to a teaching term. I have fun stuff to teach, reports to write for each kid, an assessment team I’m helping deliver a whole bunch of workshops with this term, and the D&D club to run, alongside all of the ICT problems and upgrades that occur. Alongside that, the coming months see EVERFROST #1 launch, me continue finalising the next 3 issues with layout/design/content. I also have BLACK BEACON launching in Heavy Metal [more on that below]. I’ll hopefully finish the script for SHE Vol. 2 and edit it up. As well as start pitching a few things now that my slate/brain is opening up [is it, though? Do I ever have more time for anything?].
I’m starting to really wonder if taking a 2-3 week break of long service leave later in the year, and to just use it to stay home, write, relax, might not be an insane idea…
Stay tuned to the Homeopape to see if I survive 2021 :]
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Okay, let’s condense a little EVERFROST hustle.
The preorder train has been great - here’s a round up of what’s what for Team Everfrost!
Interview on The Comics Bookcase - we spoke about anthropology and world-building and emotion and one line in the book Zack really really dug. A great in depth chat.
We got a 5/5 review on Comic Crusaders - they saw the emotion and love in these pages.
We got a 9/10 review on Comicon.com - they love the art and praise our ability to densely pack in a world and more questions to follow.
I’ve been posting on my site all that’s fit to print - just in case you hadn’t checked it out over the past month.
The comic lands in about 5 weeks and I’m really just so damn excited to be putting my best work out into hands and brains.
Again: Initial orders are locked, but retailers have 2 weeks to wiggle them, so if you haven’t spoken to your local comic shop, do it this week and let them know this comic is a hit, both on the street, and in your heart.
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Okay, you asked about BLACK BEACON.
I just got word the serial I’ve created with Sebastian Piriz is finally launching in HEAVY METAL Magazine - for reals this time.
We will be kicking off in #306, which streets this May 12, apparently. It is finally happening. Our first installment is a complete issue worth of story, a full 22 pages, maybe 24, and I think we kick things off with a hell of a bang.
The story is about humanity receiving a transmission to build a ship and travel across the universe for an intergalactic meeting of the minds. But when our team gets there they find the message was pretty much straight up spam, the party has been going on for a long time already, and being late has definitely left us without a seat at the table, not that we’re even sure we want it.
The ensuing insanity involves a Dyson Sphere [a kind of man-made planet formed around a star] a huge variety of alien species, a whole lot of apathy and iniquity, and our sole surviving human trying to work out what the hell to do next after she crash lands there.
It’s pretty epic, and a whole mess of thought has gone into it.
We are in this issue, though I prefer the second cover. Speak to your LCS about getting the magazine put aside for you.
We will also be releasing the series in single issue, they will come on a time delay from the magazine, so I think this first issue is finally landing in July some time, but I need confirmation on exact details. But point your LCS to this if you want the single issue version!
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Okay, that’s probably enough for one homeopape. I hope it finds you well and energised and ready for the season ahead for you, be it Autumn or Spring.
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ASD&D.
I had my school club just take an afternoon to not play and create cool stuff and level their characters up. This meant I sat with a few kids and explained how the spell table in their class sheet works and it was crazy fun watching them get it and then explore their new spell options.
This article about the Heat Metal spell is really thoughtful - the spell allows you to heat a piece of metal within 60ft, and if someone’s touching it they take fire damage. It’s an awesome bit of kit, Five Murdok, my druid has it, and I’m always looking for ways to creatively use the spell in situations subtly, and in combat for damage. This article puts together thoughts like those really well.
In fact, this reminds me, I want to do a Spell Companion book where I run down interesting ways to use spells in play that specifically aren’t in combat. That’s something I’d like to write. One day. In my spare time.
I think I just need to decide on the format/flow of each section and then just write into that format for a different spell like once a fortnight. Maybe add it into my Patreon...hmmmm.
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PERHAPS YOU'D CARE TO SAMPLE
GORILLA MY DREAMS on Kickstarter - one of my favourite comics has a new issue up and you *NEED* this. It’s such a damn great comic!
LAMPBLACK #1 on Kickstarter - I found it, I found the most gorgeous comic on Kickstarter right now. Damn, this thing looks like something else. Dive in and secure a copy of this landscape comic because it looks AAA+.
OFF INTO THE SUNSET on Kickstarter - an anthology of “Western” inspired stories. Looks absolutely ace!
LUMBERJAX on Kickstarter - looks really damn cool.
I did not know this history of the Taser - especially how it got its name.
Brubaker & Phillips in a Video Interview - 100% my jam.
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GRIST FOR THE MILL
UNDONE BY BLOOD: or THE SEEDS OF EDEN #1-2 - read these two issues, they are from Sami Kivela and Zac Thompson/Lonnie Nadler, and this series is bloody phenomenal. The dual stories, the page layouts, everything - this is a huge hit for my brain and it’s giving me life this year/
I’ve got other thoughts on stuff, but they’ll need more time, so I shall return later.
Be one of the good guys, because there's way too many of the bad.
POST CREDITS SEQUENCE
Here’s a sneaky process shot of me making my sci fi comics.