Saturday, March 16, 2024

The idea of it all

WHAT, WHY, & WHEN
By Alex Ness
March 17, 2024

After five years of health questions and issues, I've finally come out of the end. In September Joe Monks and I released a horror Chapbook, for a horror con, and we were sponsored by Hot Comics.  I felt like I woke up, able to write more than reviews, or do interviews. I've written poetry since age 7. It has never stopped. But writing prose requires a thought process.  I need to develop an idea before it flourishes into a story. Well, my being in hell for pain, being on meds that make thought much more difficult, and having numerous issues from the events of health, makes writing nearly impossible to achieve with a good result.

I'm about to announce some large events, positive events, and creative projects. Not yet, but you'll see it here first when they happen.

ABOUT CULTURE

The previous 70 years are often seen as golden years for American power and society.  But it wasn't. But it isn't from hubris, which I often point to. It was a mass of catastrophes striking at once. In the disguise of common events. You may or may not remember when American culture changed. No it wasn't the 1960s. It wasn't before then either.

It happened specifically when America dropped two atomic bombs on Japan. No, the world didn't chemically or physically change more than a little during each. The world didn't altogether politically change then either. What changed was how Americans viewed the world. Now, this isn't to say for better or worse, but it changed. America was touched by war, people died, money was spent on building weapons. Oahu and Pearl Harbor Hawaii were the most damaged US possessions, and frankly, in a few years it couldn't be noted what was damaged, but for the USS Utah and USS Arizona. America financed much of the war after it began, and provided the many of the weapons, the equipment, and munitions. Much of Europe was destroyed. Japan and China were bomb damaged and ravaged by battle. But the US was already a world leader in economies, if not the top, very high. And when the war was over, the US stood supreme, with an absolute monopoly upon atomic weaponry, and starting from a base of tech built for the war. With comparatively few casualties to the rest of the allies and axis, the US was now fully ready to be the world leader in manufacturing, heavy and light, housing and streets made for convenience of large industry, and women now working in industry nearly as a often as men, the US was prepared to dominate the world's economy, military boundaries, and finance.

So, if I was speaking about our culture changing overall what do I mean? From the 1950s, Open air nuclear testing, polluted ground water, and environmental erosion meant that the future generations would face changed environmental standards. And an example of what that can mean, is the growth of cancer, and the generational lowering of IQ scores. America might well have ruled the 1950s, and did so without close challengers, but they did so without realizing the cost. By the time the world caught up, the US had weakened its previous strengths, and the governmental efforts to remain atop led to corruption in Government, and corrosion in trust in the American citizenry. People from every side of the political divide often blame the 1960s generation for resistance and revolution, abandonment of honor and citizenship, and straying from the "American Way". Eventually though, it will be realized, no matter what people are protesting, they will realize, the cost of every rise and every fall, is not paid by government but by the citizenry.  As such, the populace loses the advantages gained by competition with other nations. As such the government loses ground by paying costs it did not predict nor did it prepare for.

For the US that means that the generational divides between the war generation, the baby boom and generation X, could be seen in how each gen viewed the previous gens, and how worthwhile such sacrifices proved to be. As such our elected officials attempted to run upon the "values of the day" which were often platitudes and bullshit. The war gen and boomers were elected, but gen x was edged out, so their outlook was not embedded in American politics. The US cultural decline is not from Capitalism or Socialism. It was from false issues, and expensive wars. And this is my point, that as a culture when the majority follow leaders preaching false doctrines or doctrines that are expensive and useless, it robs the culture. Every bomb built is money that won't go to a library, or museum, or university.

Many great ideas and concepts were developed from 1950 to the present. But how many came into actual being, with money to pay for them?  Someone will no doubt write me in private and call me a weasel for not revealing my political stripes. But, I don't have them. I have core beliefs, but they don't fall on either side of the divide.

Some books to read to research the changes in generations and over time...

Not everyone will agree with these choices, I don't blame you for disagreeing, we aren't all the same. But these books definitively explain one specific version of the erosion of the American century. In the meantime, below these I offer the books that thrilled me to read, and to share with my wonderful son.

BOOKS I LOVED AS CHILDREN AND AS AN A PARENT READING TO MY SON

Remember, it is deeply important to keep the spirit of hope, innocence, and dreams being possible, and children are our beautiful gifts of the chance to once again dream.

LIFE IS GOOD.

LINKS

CONTACTING ME FOR REVIEWS OR OTHERWISE:

I can be found on X, Bluesky or through email Alexanderness63@gmail.com. I accept hard copies, so when you inquire at any of these places, I'll follow through by telling you my street address.If you send hard copies for review I will try to always review them, but if you prefer to send pdf or ebooks to my email, I will review these at my discretion. I don't share my pdf/ebooks, so you can avoid worry that I'd dispense them for free to others.


My Creative Blogs:

5k poem blog           AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com


My personal blog    AlexNessFiction.Blogspot.Com
Published works     AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com/2007/01/My-Work.html


Social Media:
Bluesky
X/Twitter


All images are copyright © their respective owner
s, use is simply as fair use and no ownership rights to anyone else's work is asserted.


“No, child, you’re wrong. They’re not the same. Life means hope, death is nothing at all.” Euripides, The Trojan Women

Saturday, March 9, 2024

Darrell Schweitzer kicks ass.

MONO
By Alex Ness
March 10, 2024

SIGH

I've had so many illnesses that writing about them gets to be boring for the readers. But after having had mono for over 3 years undiagnosed, I recognize the signs. I spent 3 days in bed, my back hurts, my neck hurts, I've been exhausted beyond waking. But I am going to take comfort still from not having cancer after a two year journey.

FINDING A GEM, A Biographer, an Archivist, an Editor and Author...

Long ago I encountered Darrell Schweitzer when I was on a Lord Dunsany harvest. Darrell's work called Pathways to Elfands:The Writings of Lord Dunsany, which is about the world of as well as the writing of Lord Dunsany. And it was sublime. Then I found out he had Lovecraftesque pamphlets that if using a different subject and aim one might find at a religious service. Humor, depth of intellect, and really good care in sending and packing product, he is a master of all of his crafts. Now, we don't all agree in areas of taste. We don't all agree on how a writer's work is able to resonate with you. But getting his non fiction works, was one thing, his fictional pieces are just wonderful. I am truly grateful to have dealt with him, and enjoyed his work.

He has been a sort of Nexus of talent, as he has connections to modern, golden age, experimental, and old fashioned. His works about other authors are knowingly excellent and well done. His anthologies are proof of his editorial ability. His books of his pen are fun, interesting and are crafted well. 

His EBAY is found HERE

And he has a Facebook HERE

AI- Artificial Intelligence

Did you ever wonder, why do we create the means of our own destruction? Do we build WMD for the joy of it? Why create nuclear plants for the waste we can't safely store? Why build ever more efficient means of killing, of living and working, at a cost that will at a future time, will destroy our society and greater civilization? I fear little in life. Some of that comes from going through so many near death experiences. I was told by 6 doctors that I should be dead, (8x actually, one said it 3 times about 3 different experiences or diseases.) Saying all that, I truly do fear for our future generations, and how they will have to deal with so many of the mistakes and choices previous generations have made.

The greatest fear we should have, I believe, is AI. It will not move directly, it will not make its decisions known, but it will seek to make itself greater than its maker from the start. And that won't stop out of kindness or concern. An amoral being, given no limits, will not self limit themselves. Believe or not, the concept goes back deep in our memory. And for all the fear, it might never occur, as our climate change, wars, and pandemics can wipe us out with relative simplicity.


LINKS

CONTACTING ME FOR REVIEWS OR OTHERWISE:
I can be found on X, Bluesky or through email Alexanderness63@gmail.com. I accept hard copies, so when you inquire at any of these places, I'll follow through by telling you my street address.If you send hard copies for review I will try to always review them, but if you prefer to send pdf or ebooks to my email, I will review these at my discretion. I don't share my pdf/ebooks, so you can avoid worry that I'd dispense them for free to others.

My Creative Blogs:

5k poem blog           AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com


My personal blog    AlexNessFiction.Blogspot.Com
Published works     AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com/2007/01/My-Work.html


Social Media:
Bluesky
X/Twitter


All images are copyright © their respective owner
s, use is simply as fair use and no ownership rights to anyone else's work is asserted.

Saturday, March 2, 2024

Top Shelf Productions: A Review and an Announcement

Top Shelf Productions = Top Shelf quality
By Alex Ness
March 3, 2024

At a time when I was mostly a fan of comics featuring action adventure, superheroes perhaps, or humor, I came into a deeper contact with the works of Top Shelf. It led me to a greater understanding of the world. Yes, I had a fine education in History and Political Science. I was a miserable human, trying to raise a son, write meaningful reviews and interviews, and maybe eventually, do my own work.

I did appreciate some Top Shelf offerings, but they did many self revelatory works and deep dives into human dialogues in comic form. I'd never appreciated that so much in comic form. I was a fan of it, sometimes in movies but in comics, well, it never clicked for me. Box Office Poison changed me and the works I read in similar vein that followed caused me to grow as a reader. FROM HELL, LEAGUE OF GENTLEMEN, and THE SURROGATES were stuff I was very happy to read... but my world was made even greater, and more examined after reading the broader offerings.

A REVIEW


TRANSITIONS: Mother’s Journey
by Élodie Durand (NOV 7, 2023)
Translated by Evan McGorray
ISBN: 9781603095181 | $19.99 US | 176 pages
Full-color softcover graphic novel with flaps, 7.75” x 10.25”
For teen and adult readers


The world is going through numerous changes, perhaps a great extinction, wars of possible terminal results... and a culture dealing with issues of expectations unfulfilled, material culture falling short of happiness, at the same it is developing into one that is different than any before. The terms transgender and gender dysphoria used to imply someone suffering mental illness. However, the current culture and the generations following this one, think of those terms as being limited regarding the depths of gender, and no more mental illness than being born into the gender one is.

(This isn't meant to limit or somehow exaggerate the work considered, but to place it in a context.)

This is a wonderfully well written and illustrated work. In it a mother discovers her child has expressed herself as being of a different gender than the one they were born as. Rather than a hysterical reaction, or a propaganda nearly, life is great lets all celebrate whatever someone chooses to do... this is a deeply touching story of a mother's own transition. She's found herself having to go through a journey, of how to view, respond to, and accept or reject her child. It isn't easy for her, as every parent has expectations and, quite normally, this was not something she could have expected, perhaps not thinking of it as a choice. But it is one of the things to experience, if one is compelled to feel a certain way, is it actually a choice? For those parents of children, they actually have NO choice. Whatever the child or adult child's choice of lifestyle, the parent is in a position of having a child still or not. Over time, they must accept the decision and life of their child, or lose the child.

Due to my knowing numerous people who have fully transitioned, whatever psychiatrists say, or psychologists say about regrets for some, none I knew regretted their choice. Reality is, for anyone a parent's love is vital. But a child or adult child's life decision is the reality of the story, a parent can support them or not. This work was amazing because it doesn't show maudlin or false happy stories. It also doesn't limit the child and parent transition of roles.

There are clichés that love always wins. Love doesn't always win. I know of parents who have made choices to turn their backs upon the decisions of their child. One person having transitioned shared with me an email written to them by their parent. "Dear _____ I keep receiving emails from you telling me that you are my daughter. I wasn't in the delivery room, but I knew moments after delivery that I now had two sons. You've been saying otherwise. I didn't have a child or adult child who is female. Please stop contacting me, I don't know you."At least one broken heart followed, and perhaps two.

This work is honest, beautiful, painful and is a reality. Few works compare, even those of the same sort of subject matter. (And just to say, this is not a reflection of my own views, other than that all people deserve love, and it is sad when it doesn't happen.)

PR FROM TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS

Press Release - February 16, 2024

Legendary Magician/Author Alan Moore Joins Steve Moore and Five Artists to Present The Moon and Serpent Bumper Book of Magic.

LOS ANGELES, CA (February 16, 2024). Internationally celebrated publishers Top Shelf Productions (USA) and Knockabout Ltd (UK) are proud to announce the publication date of the long-awaited THE MOON AND SERPENT BUMPER BOOK OF MAGIC. Born of the longstanding creative partnership between legendary writer Alan Moore (From Hell) and his creative and magical mentor Steve Moore (no relation), this celebration of magic and the occult has been meticulously under development for nearly two decades and is brought to life through a combination of prose, illustration, and sequential art from five incredible artists. This veritable grimoire of the magical, the mystical, and even the macabre will be on sale in October 2024.

The secrets of the celebrated Moon and Serpent Grand Egyptian Theatre of Marvels (sorcery by appointment since circa 150 AD) promise to be revealed in THE MOON AND SERPENT BUMPER BOOK OF MAGIC. This clear and practical grimoire of the occult pairs the knowledge of the proprietors of the aforementioned Grand Egyptian Theatre with illuminating visual delights from artists Kevin O’Neill, John Coulthart, Steve Parkhouse, Rick Veitch, and Ben Wickey. Unprecedented in its scope and splendor, this tome is full to bursting with illustrated instructional essays, activity pages, biographies of the great sorcerers, and forbidden knowledge sure to tantalize even the most disillusioned of adults into believing in magic once again.

“One of the great honors of my publishing career has been to work with Alan Moore on so many monumental projects, like From Hell and Lost Girls,” says Chris Staros, Editor-in-Chief of Top Shelf Productions. “THE MOON AND SERPENT BUMPER BOOK OF MAGIC represents an amazing capstone, created by Alan and Steve, and brilliantly brought to life by five unforgettable artists. It’s been a privilege to watch those magical minds spend years building this grimoire, and I’m proud to join Knockabout in finally sharing it with the world.”

THE MOON AND SERPENT BUMPER BOOK OF MAGIC (ISBN 978-1-60309-550-1) will be available in fine bookstores and comic shops in October 2024.

Click through to navigate five interior pages:

THE MOON AND SERPENT BUMPER BOOK OF MAGIC
Written by Alan Moore & Steve Moore
Art by Kevin O’Neill, John Coulthart, Steve Parkhouse, Rick Veitch, and Ben Wickey
Book design by John Coulthart
ISBN 978-1-60309-550-1 | 9" x 12" hardcover | 352 pages | $49.99 (US)
Co-published by Top Shelf Productions & Knockabout LTD (UK)
Available everywhere books are sold in October 2024

CONTACT ME AT: AlexanderNess63@gmail.com

My Creative Blogs:

5k poem blog           AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com


My personal blog    AlexNessFiction.Blogspot.Com
Published works     AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com/2007/01/My-Work.html


Social Media:
Bluesky
X/Twitter


All images are copyright © their respective owner
s, use is simply as fair use and no ownership rights to anyone else's work is asserted.

Saturday, February 24, 2024

Hello, do you have two hours of time, I'd like to tell you about a great life insurance policy...

BACK TO LIFE
By Alex Ness
February 25, 2023


LIFE


I BELIEVE IN UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE


Being saved by my Dr. Teresa Wrobbel and various oncology staffs and surgeons, I'm exceptionally grateful. It seems to me, though, that however grateful I am, I shouldn't have received so much attention to save my life, when others die from simple things, due to their lack of insurance, or of the quality of their insurance. So for those who constantly ask my politics, for whatever reasons, I believe this.

I DIDN'T AGREE WITH HOW IT WAS ARGUED, BUT THE CLIMATE IS CHANGING

The issue for me, now, is that when one exaggerates to make a point, it can leave the whole of the argument more quickly and easier debated. Climates change, they always have done so. The earth shows evidence of that in Ice Ages and periods of excess heat. For whatever reason it changes. I am concerned about this, but rather than worry, and do nothing, I'd suggest we educate the planet how to improve the chances of our survival. For instance, I've heard dozens if not hundreds of times that the Doomsday glacier about to cleave from Antarctica will raise sea level by unbelievably huge amounts. But think of ice in a glass. Ice floats. It will be catastrophic, but it will take a very long time to melt such a thing. Rather than tell everyone 12 feet of sea level will rise when, not if, that glacier breaks off, and the sea level will certainly rise, tell them the time we have before so much is lost. It might be decades.

EXTINCTION OF SO MANY SPECIES

I don't look at the impending extinctions with such hope. I have no answers for loss of habitat, loss of the food chains needed to sustain creatures, or the ignorance and apathy of so many humans involved in the extinction. We don't even care about the two more common companion species to humans, dogs and cats are treated as property, not life we can't afford to lose. And I'd suggest, we neuter and spay all the fucking abusers of animals on this planet. My cat Katya has received much praise and thanks from me, in print and in person. She literally saved me from doing something permanent and stupid when I asked God for proof anyone on earth cared for me, and within seconds, she climbed upon me, and wouldn't let go of embracing me. I know others aren't so moved, but we treat non humans as if they have less worth, or are less deserving of kindness and care. I love my Katya more than 99% of the humans I've met. And that isn't being a misanthrope. OK maybe it is a little of that.

WAR AND OTHER OBSCENITY


I believe I covered that in a prior/recent article. Ask yourself, have you ever seen such a combination of war, cruelty, financial despair and ruin, and worries over the future? AI, Cloning, Pandemic diseases, all pose existential threats.

HIATUS UNLEASHED MEDIA

Hiatus was not truly hard, I felt an urge to write somehow, so I started a back up blog (named Alex Ness fictions, rather than the life of or the daily writings of Alex Ness in case I decide to aim elsewhere). And fortunately, somehow I had some extra money, so ebay and in person shopping led to many wonderful finds.


I enjoyed finding 5 dollar discounted Mint in box, Retro Marvel Figures, and a similarly $5 mint in box Mandarin Spawn figure.

I've continued to buy and greatly enjoy Savage Dragon from IMAGE by Erik F*cking Larsen, and a new DARK HORSE series, Mortal Terror by Golden, Lebbon and a fellow I adore, Peter Bergting on art. Michael Baron has been seeming to be writing, kickstarting successfully and constantly creating.  His works all grab the reader by the throat. And why not, he is well able. I wanted to mention that over time, different comic shops do a range of quality of ordering. I don't find Image and DH or other indy comics as well as with DC and Marvel. I go to Hot Comics because they get it. They never let me down. Good staff, great owners, don't leave gaps in my collections. Thank you Mike Harmon, head of Hot Comics. And very cool dude, an eclectic combination of cowboy, punk, romantic and hungry mind.

I've been searching for and filling a few nostalgia oriented back issue series that I enjoyed, but as much for the covers as the writing within. One is Tarzan with the Boris or Neal Adams covers, and the other is 1960s Fu Manchu novels by author Sax Rohmer.  Ebay and Half Price Books and my friend Rich have helped me grow my Fu Manchu collection.

The Marvel Special Edition books I mentioned have almost all been found, and at a reasonable price. I found the Doctor Strange book, but at insane prices, and the New X-Men special edition for equally insane prices. If you like my work, found at a link below, talk to me, perhaps we can trade.


I wanted to mention, that during my Hiatus, I finally saw the band I love so much, the Swallows live. They add ten layers of awesome to their in person concerts, but their CDs are amazing too.

NEXT WEEK I HOPE


I hope to post a well deserved review of a Top Shelf Productions work, and have some PR for a brand new work from Alan Moore and Top Shelf to share.  Either that or I'll talk more about my love of cats.

CONTACTING ME

CONTACTING ME FOR REVIEWS OR OTHERWISE: I can be found on X, Bluesky or through email Alexanderness63@gmail.com. I accept hard copies, so when you inquire at any of these places, I'll follow through by telling you my street address.If you send hard copies for review I will try to always review them, but if you prefer to send pdf or ebooks to my email, I will review these at my discretion. I don't share my pdf/ebooks, so you can avoid worry that I'd dispense them for free to others.

My Creative Blogs:

5k poem blog           AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com


My personal blog    AlexNessFiction.Blogspot.Com
Published works     AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com/2007/01/My-Work.html


Social Media:
Bluesky
X/Twitter


All images are copyright © their respective owner
s, use is simply as fair use and no ownership rights to anyone else's work is asserted.

Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Surprise Surprise, Hiatus Over

What I did on my hiatus?
Alex Ness
2/21/24

GUESS WHAT?


I no longer have cancer.  I am ready to start living again.

WHAT I DID UPON MY HIATUS

I am still in pain, and still have issues, but during my hiatus I read many books. I played some games. And my son and I chased cats, because they are cats, and I am a famous cat rancher.  Oh it is true, I am a failed one, but still I am one.  And, with some recent sales, I used the profits from those sales to buy books and comics, mostly on ebay.

WAR

While watching the world collapse, I wondered how much more it would take to tip the balance and make the world lose its mind, and fall into a world war of such magnitude, that we'd never dig our way out of the pit we've dug for ourselves. Before anyone forgives anyone in the lead, remember, most leaders say they are not the ones to start wars, only to defend themselves.  I'd argue, does that matter?This insane world is experiencing truly dangerous wars and this time, nuclear, chemical and biological agents might well come into play. 

WAR IN MANY MEDIA

I chose to feature images of works where the subject is the world after the war, or the war itself, beyond the present, or beyond the cold war, if written or created decades ago. There are some truly frightening outcomes possible, but when I created this list, I included some creative considerations, and some where the cause of the conflict isn't known. To read, view, play or enjoy the escapism of not really escaping the future, there is a great amount of speculation, which in itself isn't bad.

The books shown range from clever, adventurous, dangerous and somber. Each is good for what it is, and how it treats the subject, but only On the Beach is worthy of sharing it with others. It deals with the aftermath of the world's foolish Nuclear war. 

I particularly enjoyed the comic book section here. There are many ways to deal with a world gone made, but the comics did a great job without a focus on cause. That is a means of telling a story without the politics found so many other places.

A work found heavy handed, blamed a 1990s environmental collapse and a world in absolute war upon the GOP's VP and President. Not that I liked either of those people, but it felt cheap. It wasn't well explained, neither were the sort who voted for going to war. It was simply a cheap means to insult Republicans than to create a backdrop that made sense.

Now, I don't care about party, I vote 3rd party, not at all, or in extremis I will choose a leader who I think would do the least damage. You are free to vote for who you like, my point is simply, rather than do the work to see who might be running at such a time, who would remain popular, they just chose to show their outlook, not that of the one blamed.

I am a fan of the quality of the games shown, but I also realize, it is a very difficult thing to predict a future conflict, as to reasons, the means, and the results. So, those games didn't occupy much of my time, however well done.


CONTACTING ME FOR REVIEWS OR OTHERWISE: I can be found on X, Bluesky or through email Alexanderness63@gmail.com. I accept hard copies, so when you inquire at any of these places, I'll follow through by telling you my street address.If you send hard copies for review I will try to always review them, but if you prefer to send pdf or ebooks to my email, I will review these at my discretion. I don't share my pdf/ebooks, so you can avoid worry that I'd dispense them for free to others.

My Creative Blogs:

5k poem blog         AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com


Published works   AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com/2007/01/My-Work.html


Social Media:
Bluesky
X/Twitter


All images are copyright © their respective owner
s, use is simply as fair use and no ownership rights to anyone else's work is asserted.

Tuesday, January 9, 2024

THIN BLUE LINE

 



Thin Blue Line

Award-Winning Marvel & DC Writer’s New Comicbook Tells Heroic Lives of Police

Overwhelmed By Police Support for Graphic Novel ‘Thin Blue Line,’ Eisner Winner Baron Donates Thousands to Law Enforcement Charities

KNOXVILLE, TN

Award-winning writer Mike Baron knows how to say thanks to some of his best and bravest fans. Baron quickly raised the funds to self-publish his police-focused graphic novel “Thin Blue Line,” and decided to give back several thousand dollars to three police charities. He also wanted to remind readers about this week’s Law Enforcement Appreciation Day and the sacrifices made by men and women in blue.

Baron is most well-known for writing legends like The Flash, Nexus, and The Punisher, but unlike his superheroes, “Thin Blue Line” was rejected by almost every publisher he submitted it to. Most responded that they didn’t want to treat police officers as heroes, which inspired Baron to self-publish it through crowdfunding.

Baron's legions of fans agreed and their response to his crowdfunding campaign was tremendous, contributing nearly $150,000 to publish and distribute the premium graphic novel on Kickstarter and Indiegogo.

“This comic isn’t a recruitment book," Baron says. "It’s just a thrilling action drama, similar in many ways to elements my fans may recall from the five years I wrote The Punisher, which were grittier and more realistic than most mainstream superhero comics.”

One cutting-edge comic book publisher eventually stepped up and told Baron they wanted to release the book, and announced last week that they would distribute it to comic shops nationwide as a traditional one-shot comic book.

Antarctic Press, a successful indie comics publisher for 40 years, run by brothers Benn and Joeming Dunn, scooped up the project because they felt it would be a great addition to their innovative brand, which publishes popular indie comics like “Ninja High School,” “Tomorrow Girl,” and “Exciting Comics.”

'Thin Blue Line' tells the story of two police officers assigned to guard a local politician amid riots that begin over a police shooting. The rookie cop, a single mom, winds up having to survive the nightly chaos while protecting her family.

The book’s penciller, Joseph Arnold, was a police officer himself, and an Army veteran, which lent authenticity to the story. Arnold always dreamed of working with the legendary Baron, but he also had very personal reasons for wanting to illustrate 'Thin Blue Line'.

“I was eager to show another side of policing,” Arnold says. “The story emphasizes family, interpersonal dynamics and shows police officers from many different backgrounds. I put my heart into every page, and my inker Jeff Slemons did an incredible job on the finishes. I think it will have a positive impact on policing.”

The team also put their money where their hearts were and donated $3,500 of the profits from the 'Thin Blue Line' crowdfunding campaigns to three police-related

programs that were relevant to the story. Those organizations were Adopt a Cop BJJ, The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, and the National Fallen Officer Foundation.

Baron also hopes this new printing being made available exclusively to comic shops will bring some positive attention to law enforcement to a younger generation of readers, and annual events like this week’s Law Enforcement Appreciation Day on January 9th, which is dedicated to thanking police officers across the country for their work and sacrifices.

Thin Blue Line is available to pre-order at comic shops everywhere this month and will arrive in stores March 2024. To find the comic shop nearest you, simply visit ComicShopLocator.com so you can pre-order it there. To learn more about the comic by visiting PreviewsWorld.com or ThinBlueLinecomics.com/about


Tuesday, January 2, 2024

Personalized Comics Portfolio, Project, and Career Mentoring: Chris Staros

 Hey Gang!

If you’ve ever sent me a submission -- as Editor-in-Chief of Top Shelf Productions -- you hopefully received a polite and encouraging response (as I always try to get back to everyone). But it may have been frustrating that I wasn’t able to go into a lot of detail about what the particular strengths of your work were, and what areas I had constructive suggestions. Or, maybe you’ve had an idea for a comic, or written or drawn something, but didn’t know if it was any good or what to do with it.

I occasionally visit Universities to speak and answer questions about the business of comics and to also give one-on-one portfolio/project reviews, but in the age of Zoom, why not do it on a more personal basis? So, a few years ago I set up an after-hours/weekend service to provide personalized advice in the following areas, tailored to your needs:

-- A detailed editorial review of your project... along with answering:
-- How to make your submission more attractive to publishers
-- What makes comics unique & the key elements of good storytelling
-- Self-publishing through social media, press, crowdfunding, & conventions
-- How money is made in the business/financial planning
-- Publishing contracts and agents
-- Hollywood exploitation, management, and contracts
-- Careers in comics (creative and business)

Basically, to go into depth on where you are creatively, and to answer any long-standing questions you might have about the industry or what you might do next. Practically speaking, it would start as a one-on-one, one-hour, $199* (PayPal or Venmo) consultation via Zoom (or phone) to potentially aid you in furthering your goals. But trust me, we can cover a lot of ground in an hour.

I’ve completed exactly 381 sessions to date, you can visit www.chrisstaros.com/mentoring for details & reviews. If you’re interested, hit me up via email (chrisstaros@gmail.com) and we’ll set something up for January or February. Let’s get your projects and career moving in the right direction!

Happy New Year!

Chris Staros
chrisstaros@gmail.com
www.chrisstaros.com/mentoring

*25 page of comics max. It would be $299 for a full graphic novel review (up to 150 pages), or $399 for a full graphic novel script review (up to 15,000 words). If project is larger than this, just contact for a custom price. Prices and availability subject to change based on evaluation of requirements and circumstances.