Just a taste

The past few weeks have managed to provide some personal challenges that left me in a space of using the emotional energy for a creative purpose. The third draft of the prologue has been completed and Tanna has once again managed to amaze me with her understanding of what I am looking for in panel. Two pages worth of rough page layouts has me curious to see what the revisions I have written will inspire in her. Here is a taste of what you might see in the prelude to our epic adventure. Until the next episode, "be excellent to one another" after all, we are all we've got!

Every little step

The sun is slowly burning through a light layer of fog here in the Bay Area as I start another morning. It feels a lot like the process of creating this project. Fingers of light punching through the veil that keeps me from reaching the other side of seeing this project into reality. As Tanna Tucker works on initial sketches, I've just finished the second draft of the series prelude which will be posted on our website once we go live. Finding the other stories that lie in the nooks and crannies of this overall arc is fascinating and shows me just how much things like this possess a life of their own on some level. We just have to slow down sometimes to hear what they have to say outside of the dialog we are holding with it. It is in those moments of silence that they sometimes initiate a totally different conversation.
From a wider perspective, thoughts turn towards the process of raising funding, promotion, distribution, getting the word out that the fog is soon to burn away and reveal the full magnificence of the sun that shines on the other side. Keep your eyes peeled and ears open, things are getting ready to kick into high gear! Every little step takes this project closer to being. Stay tuned....

You've got mail...

My trembling hand carefully maneuvered the mouse while my eye jumped a steady staccato beat that would have made a killer bass line if it were a club remix. I clicked on the attachment linked to the email and waited. For one brief moment I felt like a modern day Dr. Frankenstein, holding his breath, waiting to witness the first stirrings of life from his creation. Then it blossomed across the monitor screen. It felt as if I were dreaming. Words, phrases, descriptions that had spilled from the tip of my pen created a verbal picture with such clarity that an artist of talent was able to place flesh upon my imagined bones. Tanna had captured what I had seen in my minds eye sailing the silvered seas of my smokey fever dreams. These were the first rough sketches of the characters of "Sea Wulfe". They returned my gaze with a clarity and confidence that seemed to whisper to me "and so we meet at last...". If this is just a taste of what is to come....I cannot wait to see what comes into being when the kid gloves come off. And with that, I share with you some of the early images from our upcoming title "Sea Wulfe" enjoy!

Pus

Over here on this end of the pond things have really picked up steam as Ms. Tucker has gotten the first five pages of the newest draft of the script and has begun character sketches. The hope is to have something ready to hand out at Wonder Con 2011. The date is fast approaching and I am excited by the prospect that we may actually have some material to share with fans. What really has me feeling like a kid on Christmas morn' is waiting to see what Tanna comes up with in her breakdowns. One of my favorite characters is Pus, the familiar/pet fly of Sea Wulfe's main baddie The Salamander King. The concept came to me one day as I sat at a cafe looking out the window, letting myself drift in search of inspiration for the book. A fly happened to land on the window outside and caught my attention. Jacked up on caffeine and poppy seed cake, I began to wonder what would a parrot sized fly look like. I know people who can't stand the sight of a magnified image of a fly let along what they would do if they happened to walk into a room where there might be a small dog sized insect buzzing around the room. Between the sensation of my skin crawling at the thought of it and my mind racing with the possibilities of a twisted creation (those who know me personally are more than likely not surprised) I made a few notes. Now I wait to see what happens when a true artist gets their hands on an idea and runs with it.
Once the work is is done, we would love to have a site up with art and links to blogs and news about developments. As we draw closer to Con and Tanna works on the art, this will be a project that will occupy the corners of my mind not already cluttered with nightmarish insects, werewolf pirates and sword wielding maidens. Ahhhh, I love this job! Stay tuned....

Long Eyed....

it's a term my grandmother used to use when I was a kid, insinuating that my aspirations for more far outstripped my capacity. Usually it was used in reference to when I might happen to spy the size of the slice of chocolate cake that occupied my uncles plate on the special occasion when my grandmother would make it. I thought I could eat a piece just as big as his, if not bigger. Often, if I was lucky and foolish enough to attempt to match his feats of gastric daring do....I would pay for it with a stomach ache and smile on my face that said "sometimes biting off more than you can chew hurts so good". Well, as the years have passed, I've learned that the term can apply to so much more than what is on one's plate. In this instance...the creation of a comic book. Right now I am starting the 4th draft of the script while my artist (Tanna Tucker) braces herself for what I am sure will be a penciler's nightmare (or idea of heaven on Earth if you are into that twisted kind of punishment). The scope of what is happening is something I often push to the back of my mind as I try to focus on the hurdle immediately in front of me. But, as I look up and down the road....I sometimes catch my breath and hear my grandmother saying "there he goes again being long eyed". This project will only still be at the start of the overall picture once it is penciled, inked, colored and printed. After that comes the marketing and distribution...figuring out how to increase the profile of what I think is a really great story. To do this, it all takes money (I once heard a very successful business man say "it takes money to make money") and so another dimension is added to the mix. Looking at various streams of fund raising (crowd sourcing will play a major role), possible investors as well as good old fashioned sweating to earn a paycheck will all play into putting the "chocolate cake" on the plate (so to speak) so that it can all happen. Yes, I may be long eyed, but I am looking forward to that feeling of "hurts so good" when it all comes together.

Return of The Tide

Hard to believe it has been over a year since posting, truth be told it has all been a bit of a blur. Progress on the machinations of this writer have been in full swing (did you ever doubt I would cease to feed this mania of mine) and some milestones have been reached. After finishing the first draft of the upcoming title "Sea Wolfe" the hunt was on for a creative talent to help bring the visual wonder to life. I would like to tell you it was a journey that took me to the seedy back alleys of strange and distant lands for mad men who draw images of things from the other side of the veil...but the truth is less thrilling than that. The grind of everyday life and the reality of a never ending wave of bills kept the leash tight and 9-5 ruled the land of my imagination with an iron fist....or so it seemed. I managed to finish two more drafts of the first issue before finding a golden opportunity to attend the annual APE convention back in October of 2010 (alternative press expo held in San Francisco every year. Great place for independent comic creators to meet, greet and share their wares) It was there that I was fortunate enough to meet an incredibly talented artist who's work took my breath away. I KNEW that I had to work with her. Her work captures an ethereal fairy tale quality that would give the story it's much needed visual weight, but at the same time remain true to the dream like soul of the piece. Her name....Tanna Tucker. Be sure to check out some of her work....I do not doubt that we will be seeing big things from this dynamic visionary. So the next chapter begins. I may have been gone for awhile, but just like the tide....I'll always return. Stay tuned!

When You Can't Sleep at 2:20 AM...

You end up in front of the computer. One of the major dangers of being in your head so much as a writer as well. Things with the articles have been going well, I've actually made a few contacts and am working on setting up another interview. The screenwriting experience is coming back into play as I also assist on helping reformat and strengthen a script that may actually have some legs (and is making the rounds in LA right now)I've also been learning more about the comic industry and a little about what it will take to get an issue off the ground (one source has enlightened me that to produce a quality single issue cost about $7000.00. I now have a grey hair in my right eyebrow as a result of this reveal). Another rung in the ladder has been my introduction to the social networking online through facebook, twitter and various news sites where links can be created to connect with my prospective audiences (although at this point I feel like I'm playing to an empty auditorium). The latest pass on Sea Wulfe is done and now serious conversation will be had as to what the next step will be...create a promo package to attract potential investors or try and go it with personal resources (I think I just heard my wallet scream in terror at this prospect) Maybe that is one of the things that is making it hard to sleep at what is now 2:31 AM.