I had never read the Comic Pimp before. Big Mistake. Check out this weeks article. The Pimp discusses going after your "comic book" dreams. Something I need to do. Retailing and writing comics interest me very much.

I'm going to think about that thought tonight as I finish reading the new Hellblazer tradepaperback my brother graciously loaned me.

There is something more for me.

They're all asleep now. My beautiful angels, my little ones. I hope they always know, how lucky I am to be their Daddy.

"Sometimes I need to remember just to breathe." --Likin Park

"And I'm not scared now." --Seether

Long story short, those of you in the know, know that I keep an "idea book/journal" with me at nearly all times. I clutch it in a death grip when sleeping. I pour out my ideas into it, written in my own blood when I can't find a pen, ala Neil Gaimen. We talk alot. Her sweet voice is a whisper.

And though I'm exaggerating, I'm almost not. When the idea strikes via the dream, or that coworker utters just the right "punch line"...I'm always ready. The book is always there to record what memory can not save alone. Idea catcher, 24-7.

Inspiration is a flighty Angel. It's hard to hold magic.

The journal is the key to the poetry. (The blogs, the zine, the thoughts.)

The opening to the *Black Hole*.

My White Rabbit is made up of countless dollar store notebooks whose words are a soul. Mine.

Now imagine my chagrin when I dropped my notebook into the newly discovered 3/4 inch gap between my desk at work and the wall. (Help, I've fallen and I can't get up!)

Damn, I'm glad Big Corporate Giant bought that defibrillator a while back.

It's amazing how ingenious the desperate become. I got it back man. I got it back. Won't bore you with the details but I will say being without the book was like living in a depradation chamber.

I need the notebooks to think.

To feel.

To create.

And sometimes, to simply be.

We are our thoughts.

We are we.

And I am all that is this place.

How funny it is that a sprial bound collection of paper could so fully remind of who I am and what my destiny is. I am words. I am a writer.

I may lose a journal. But this feeling--this feeling I will never lose.

Check out who appears in the "They Link, We Link" section of the Kung Fu Monkey.

Seriously, now that I'm done patting myself on the back, check John Rogers out. Excellent BLOG from a bonified screen writer.

Episode III spoilers abound.

I can't deny it, even as bad as the last two Star Wars movies have been, I'm dying to see the next one.

So you'd like to survive Doomsday. A great list from a former Y2K nut.

New book to be out soon on the rise and fall of the Masters of the Universe toy line by it's inventor Roger Sweet. A billion dollar idea gone bad. He-Man was always my favorite when I was a kid.

Read Quit City last night. It was a great book, glad I completed my collection with that title.

So, how fitting Warren should send out this Bad Singal today:

bad signal
WARREN ELLIS

So let me try and gather my thoughts
on this for you. Assuming you're
interested. Ha ha.

First off, there are no second issues
from the first wave.

All comics companies, even imaginary
ones, release a second wave of
books. So, a year after launch,
Apparat releases its new slate of
titles.

Apparat1, for those just coming in,
posited a Western comics where
superheroes hadn't happened, and
so the content was dictated by the
genres found in the pulp magazines
of the 30s, one of comics' direct
antecedents.

Jump to the 1950s in real time, and
superhero comics had pretty much
gone away anyway. EC were
publishing comics about psychoanalysis
and pirates, there were war comics
and comics about Treasury agents:
the mix was much more like early
television, doctors and lawyers and
cops and spies and romances and
horror.

That's the genre mix that Apparat2
will come out of. Acting as if it'd
all survived in comics to the present
day.

Of course, The Apparat Singles
Group will have learned lessons from
their launch. You don't front-load
an entire line. You stagger the new
slate of releases. And so Apparat2
will release one new title a month
for the duration of its launch slate.
Right now, I'm thinking eight books
-- 2wice as many as 1 -- but that
could change, I'm keeping it fluid
at the moment, and will lock the
line down by summer, for a
November commencement.

So that's the plan.

-- W

---
Sent from mobile device
probably from the pub

From the AiT/Planetlar blog: :

February 14, 2005
Real nice review of Proof of Concept over at Comic World News. So, yes, CWN hosted the original scripts for the POC, but reviewer Tim Murr seems to be relatively bias-free. Although, I have to admit, "Larry Young is a freakin’ genius... I carry a copy of his book True Facts in my bag at all times... He’s a wonderful writer with impeccable taste as a publisher." isn't the sort of thing that screams "unbiased," but, heck, let's leave the guy his delusions, yes?

In somewhat related news, Sean Maher asks for a play-by-play in making a minicomic. I respond thusly:

1. Took a piece of paper; folded it in half.

2. That worked out so well as a test, I took three more sheets, and folded them in half, on the short end, of course.

3. Took the first one and wrapped that around the other three, and stapled the middle. DAMN! I gotta mini comic! I ROCK!

4. Wrote "I Had a Girl Who Loved Me Once" on the title page. Put The Cure on in the background for maximum goth-age.

5. Drew the cover.*

6. Wrote "I had a girl who loved me once; by anyone's definition. Not just her own, or mine, but anyone's." and then drew some stuff.

7. Wrote some more: "But love was wasted on me. Everyone loved me then; what's one more?"

8. Drew some stuff around that.

9. Wrote: "I loved another; I'd do anything for her. But EVERYONE loved HER. Why shouldn't I?"

10. More drawing.

11. Wrote: "I talked to the girl who loved ME. To tell her I appreciated her position. That I appreciated HER."

12. Drew, of course.

13. Last page sting: "She told me to leave her alone or she'd call the cops."

That's how you do a minicomic, man.

*I actually didn't draw this what with me not really being able to draw. Anybody who wants the script to this can draw it up and send it to the Isotope, though. HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, MILLARWORLD.

(Update: Seems I was blogged in return. I gotta figure out how to do that.)

More links to dump off my brower and into my blog:

Joey Commeau needs money for college. Read Lockpick Pornography and throw some money in the hat.

Katie Macalister on daring to dream. (Another Author article.)

Devil's Due makes more than comics. Evidently they also create a lot of virtual women with big cleavage.

Tools for easy web collaboartion. BLOGGING is just the tip of the iceberg.

Interactive TV article.

Blogladder. Might try this out.

Mushroomhead performs as Slipknot. Let's hear it for the hometown fungi! I mean kick ass metal band.

A 1978 Phillip K. Dick essay.

Teen Titans article.

Got the Stolen Sharpie Revolution book (see below) in the mail already. Nearly finished. Going to do a review of it for my zine. I recommend it.

The main book I'm reading is William Gibson's Pattern Recognition.

Got my comics that came in after Aikido today. Quit City (this completes my Apparat collection, Ocean, and bought an issue of Terra Obscura (which I've never read but as I stated in an earlier post an checking out to see what Alan Moore is up to these days).

Got the three issues of Grant Morrison's WE3 last time I was at the comic shop. Good series, needed a little more meat but definitely original and heart felt.

Also reading a kids book Fantastic Fiction: From Start to Finish about writing stories. Even big kids need a little advice. :)

Someday I'll finish that book about the American Constitutional Convention. And after that there's about twenty other books sitting upstairs waiting for my attention.

Going to do a post soon about all the other things I read: magazine, blogs, websites, and the like. And yes I do get Playboy but almost never read an article. I don't have to lie. Somehow I never get past Ms. May. Or Ms. March. Or Ms. April. Or.....

:)

Andy Diggle talks about The Losers and other current projects. Seems Andy found out some interesting things about our government in his research. Not everything is a conspiracy unfortunately.

Been reading up a lot on authors lately. The pen is calling my name. Ink is spelling out my destiny.

Blogger is having status problems.

You don't say?

I'm so fed up with this I might actually start paying for a BLOGGING service.

From my Blue Rabbit Chronicles zine:

2004: The year I returned to Aikido. In one year, I have relearned the basics and nearly learned all of the qualifications for my next rank. I will have my Red belt soon.

2004: The year I lost 80 pounds and learned never to put off to tomorrow what can be done today. In my house, I have no DOJO or work out room, I did most of my training in my living room with kids running around. But I had to use, what I have. Some day, I will own a place with enough room for a private training area but until then I’ll make do. The point is, if it’s time to train, then it’s time. No matter what. In the past, it was always…after work…after this…after that… In 2004, it was NOW. Do it NOW! And I did.

2004: The first time I realized that I am a poet. And a good one. More importantly, 2004 was the first full year that I wrote original pieces consistently (about 2-3 a week).

2004: The year I realized that Daddy didn’t lie when he said, “You can be anything you want to be.” I want to be a writer and a martial artist, a father and a husband.

2004: When I joined the APA Centauri, and came to understand that there is a whole world out there that I want to experience. From Zines to Audio Philes to Playwrights, though we are few in number many are our talents and interests.

2004: The time of my life.

2004: The first full year of my web log, and the beginning of my Live Journal. Before, I could never understand why one would want more than one “blog” now I am thinking about my third and fourth.

2004: Remembering the things of my youth, I sought out and found people to play Dungeons and Dragons with. God, I love that game and damn I missed it.

2004: This is when I discovered Internet radio, the second greatest invention of all! But you have to guess what the first is.

2004: The year I went from knowing about freight and selling freight to being a broker. Professionally, I have grown more this year than any and my next step is to become a master Freight Forwarder.

2004: This week is the 10th anniversary of my wife and mine’s first date. I was never a romantic but love at first sight does happen. Sometimes, you just know. It’s what happened when I first saw Kalisa. And every time I look at her, I fall in love again.

2004: The year I came to learn the real Jesus is the one that loved the neighbor, told prostitutes about the love of His father, gave his kingdom to children, healed the sick, helped the poor, rebuked the religious, and willed His riches to the meek. The man that died on the cross is the one that loved all man, not just some. It’s not about religion, it’s about love. And God loves us all unconditionally. The trick will be to learn to love that way myself.

2004: If I learned one lesson this year it was this: Everything in life is a choice. Everything.

2004: Second lesson learned, you can’t take care of anyone if you don’t take care of yourself. This is not the same as being selfish. The helping hand from God is the one on the end of your arm!

2004: The first time I truly realized how successful I am. Though never financially successful, I have done well in most other areas of my life. From a gorgeous wife, to beautiful kids, to a good job, I can’t ask for much more. Even my health is good. Happiness is truly a state of mind.

2004: There is a time in your life when you learn who you are. This is that time.

2004: Thank you God for another year. We can never know how much time our life will hold but I promise I will use mine wisely. This is the year I began to finally grow up and this is the year of Nobius.

Great interview with Alan Moore. Lengthy and detailed. A lot of good advice for writers. Enjoyed the part that Alan talks about loving language and words. Also like the idea that an erotic story could be great literature and not just porn.

Now I really have to read some of his America's Best Comics.

"This is how you hold your American Flag." --Atomship

Think I might make my own list on Amazon. Here's few cool ones I found.

Voices of the Poets.

Sources for Star Wars Fanfic Writers.

So you'd like to be a cult film afficinado.

Books that caused me to rethink the universe.

Top 100 Listmania Lists.

I've been thinking of doing a Books I've Read for a long time. Listmania seems the way to go on that project. (Add that to the to do list.)

If you know of any good lists send them along.

"I can look at myself and say you're doing fine. I've never been a lie."--Henry Rollins

Got this from Grant. Seems I have some very distinct talents.

Verbal/Linguistic. You have highly developed auditory skills, enjoy reading and writing and telling stories, and are good at getting your point across. You learn best by saying and hearing words. People like you include poets, authors, speakers, attorneys, politicians, lecturers and teachers.

Verbal/Linguistic		82%
Intrapersonal		54%
Logical/Mathematical		36%
Musical/Rhythmic		21%
Visual/Spatial		18%
Bodily/Kinesthetic		14%
Interpersonal		14%

The Rogers Indicator of Multiple Intelligences
created with QuizFarm.com

Found via Warren Ellis: Stolen Sharpie Revolution--a resource for creating Zines.

I not only ordered a copy, it's got me thinking again about micropublishing.

Changed the title of this piece as recommened to me by Ron. May do an audio recording for this as well.

Crucifix Autumn

Crucifix Autumn.
Rosary kept amongst leaves.
(So, in vain.)
The past crumples.
Crunches under foot.
What happened to the things
That I once loved?
(Prayers mean nothing.)

You stay silent.

Put hope in the wrong men,
(The things of Earth will never last.)
But God just wasn't there.
(It's too late to look back.)
We love to break
In the season of Christ.
(It means nothing.)

You stay silent.

Hear my heart.
Chained to what I can not change.
I will never be the same.
It's hard to walk wounded.
So tired of being here.
The years take their toll.
My angel and I limp toward the
Sun.
(My life means nothing.)

You stay silent.

You'll recoginze you're going to die.
Hoping God will show you the way.

You stay silent,
Mom.

Stains

Ending the pain in your eyes
You never saw the pain in my own.
The blood on the rocks
Was washed away.
The stains of your life now gone.

Steal

When I steal away--
To walk with fair memory
In her garden
All the things left behind...

Mini-comics are the basement tapes of comics. Great contest.

My first real introduction to underground comics came from Scott Marshall. Maybe he'll enter.

Good article on Podcasting. APA members will read another in my next Warren Ellis Special which will appear in our next issue.

Muse Channel

My muse channel secret flow.
Poetry life art blood speak.
Mind language bares all.
I'm tuned.

How does it feel
When I bleed for you?

Inner release incense burns.
Thought prayers conceive.
Inner sanctum frees all.
I'm tuned.

How does it feel
When I bleed for you?

All of my children are words.
Paper ovum ink semen.
All of my days are numbered but
I will live forever.

Send

I will send to you
What I have saved
Some black night.

My last act,
My only illusion,
Was making the world
Think
I am good.
(I am not.)

You pray.
We pray.
But the cross is silent
Without hearing our words
Or feeling the sea beneath us.

Beneath us.

More quotes and the like that are written in one of my journals. Some day all these thingies will become something.

I swear.

"There's a place to be afraid." --Lacuna Coil

"Just because you get paid. Doesn't mean you're for sale." --Unknown

"Your Heaven's a lie." --Lacuna Coil

"Pray that's never us losing a son. (Or a Father.)" --Nobius Black

"The nervous system is down." --Marilyn Manson

Freud

Freud is at work in our lives.
I'm put together this way!
From those chromosones I try to escape.
Their wrath --hard and cold.
(We always return to what we were.)
I don't know if I'm the voice in my head.
(Anymore.)
I don't know if I'm
-Me-.

The city is dark now.
Night will take us in.
(Where am I?)
From my ledge,
(Do it.)
Every precipice seems small.
(Jump.)
Every prayer unanswered.
(You never told me why.)
What about a shadow could be so terrible?
(That it really happened.)
(That the memories won't go.)

Would you talk to Jesus for me?
He likes you better.
Don't believe me?
Just look at your life
Then look at mine.
His favortism is palpable.
(Your Daddy's still alive.)

I need air to breathe.
I don't want to be the things
My genes tell me to be.
Or do....
(It's too horrible!)
(I have kids!)

On the doctor's couch...
There are words in his whisper
--He did not say--
You can't escape your Freud.
You are what you are boy!

Especially when broken.

Look who'll be at it again! The freshest idea in comics gets a second act.

Great post over at Rigorous Intuition. See who's been visiting his website lately and then give them a big middle finger for us all.

We are not alone.

It's us against them.

Remember the words: "Unity is the way. Likeness liberates." And if you don't read here: Thought Police.

More posts over at my LJ. New to some and old to others but that's okay...I didn't make my Live Journal for you...I made it for me. :)

Preview Alan Moore's The Hypothetical Lizard. There's a line in the story that I love: Her fingers dripped with poetry.

Career Choices. Very Interesting. My number one career pick is being a writer according to my likes and dislikes. (Big surprise right?) Other top choices include Public Policy Analyst, Journalist, Technical Writer and Magician. All things I've considered. Now how the hell do I get the education for one of these dream jobs?

Thanks Derek for the link.