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Thanks for coming here for a read, my friends. Gather round as grandpa titillates you with another barely coherent ramble of nonsense from his aging spine flower. I appreciate those who come here and also who stick through til the end of my postings. I wish I could say I do it all for you, but in truth, it is for me. To get things off my chest and rid myself of some of the thinky pain, by sharing my thoughts aloud to the ether and to those who would lend me an ear. I do appreciate it.
I turned 42 this weekend. I received lots of messages of love and appreciation, all of which got a return thank you note. The least I could do. My lovely bride got me the Harlan Ellison book I've been wanting. I'm reading it rather quickly, enjoying every word of it! I got a gift card from my dear father in law, with which I took the wife on a necessary trip to a couple local swap shops, diving deep for physical media to fill our already well fed media shelves. Oh so necessary. I love my gluttonous shelves jam packed with dusty but well loved DVDs, Blu-Rays, Video Games, Books, Records, CD, Toys and anything else I can use to distract myself from the daily grind. I found three vintage in the box STAR TREK TNG figures from Playmates, as well as TMNT (1990) on Blu-ray, BATMAN ANIMATED SERIES season 4 DVD set, yet another JEFF BUCKLEY live Cd (How many of those things exist? I do not know, but they all must be mine), and KING DIAMOND'S "ABIGAIL" on vinyl. Do I need these things? Of course not, but yet I do. Don't judge me. Its how I fill the holes. I also sat down to a lovely lunch/dinner at Logan's Steakhouse, where I had grilled chicken and shrimp. I plan to have a steak dinner with my father in law sometime soon, so I shall savor that moment to come.
All of these things I have used to be a welcome interloper to the stress, anger and depression that has been swirling around my head like a vulture waiting to gnaw on the remaining unspoiled specs of meat. The last couple weeks have been hell. My wife to be has lost a parent and we are coping with all of that. On my side of the fence, my father is having some personal struggles of his own. All of this indeed weighs heavy and sometimes I think I'd rather french kiss a cactus than face it head on. But despite all our distractions, the pain exists and we are working through it. Everyone has been lovely with their messages and gifts of food and comfort. It means the world to us. Thank you so, so, soooo much. That is all I will say about that for now.
I passed out the bad news of the delay of the physical release of STARSLAM RETURNS. Just have had too much going on to finish the things that need finishing to send it to the printer. But for those who are waiting, I do promise (as I always do) to deliver. I appreciate your patience and bearing with me. I also have been busy keeping steady work on the PATREON comics for the year of 2020. Right now I have scanned in all the original art and partially colored the flats for stories that lead all the way through to September. My goal is to finish all the year and get it scheduled, uploaded and done so that I can focus on other things for a while. I want to get PLEASANT LIFE 2 finally launched sporadically on the Patreon, as well as doing some writing. I want to finish one of the 19 novels I have planned/started/almost finished. Seriously, I want to.
I need to.
I shall.
This year.
Promise.
I have seen the first episode of STAR TREK: PICARD and I am pleased to say that I enjoyed it. I think there are a couple established cannon factoids they didn't address but perhaps those will be answered in later episodes. It feels good to finally be taking the STAR TREK story forward instead of doing another prequel. I detest prequel stories in general. I feel that they fail on all levels, most important of which is living up to expectations. While I sometimes do flashbacks in regular stories, you will never see me do a prequel to anything I ever write. Always moving forward is a good thing. Not just in creative endeavors but also in life.
This week I have taken the time to watch some new things. Movies like RUNNING SCARED, JAY & SILENT BOB REBOOT, and episodes of the classic THE OUTER LIMITS and THE TWILIGHT ZONE. I'm also sitting down to read not only my Ellison book, but the booklets of some box sets I have purchased but haven't dug through as deeply yet. I also got my preordered SONS OF APOLLO album, which I haven't listened to yet. I am currently enjoying a re-listen/re-appreciation of the NEAL MORSE BAND'S "SIMILITUDE OF A DREAM," ALTER BRIDGE "FORTRESS," OPETH "IN CAUDA VENENUM" and other stuff. New stuff I've pre-ordered include the new PEARL JAM and STONE TEMPLE PILOT records. Exciting stuff in music coming!
Currently I am reading ELLISON'S ENDLESSLY WATCHING, UNFUCK YOURSELF by Gary John Bishop and a re-read of DRAGONLANCE: DRAGONS OF AUTUMN TWILIGHT. Its all keeping me sane but most importantly as I said, distracted.
Its been a bumpy road so far this year. In 25 short days, we've had threats of war, a circus of a senate trial, the death of Neil Peart, Terry Jones, my mother in law and other things. I've been dealing with back trouble and up and down eating patterns around the anger/depression of the above things happening. But I'm getting through it. That is the important thing right? I'm still here, trying hard. I'll get it all sorted and figured out someday.
Anyway, thanks for reading. I hope you all have it sorted and figured out someday too. It's the goal, right?
Well, the Kickstarter for STARSLAM RETURNS ended on Friday and we pulled in around $3800, Which is awesome! It really tried to shoot for the moon with this campaign, since STARSLAM 3's numbers were so high. But I suppose many factors came into play and I couldn't capture lightening twice. Once I pay my colorist and pay for printing/reprints on older books and shipping, I will have a tiny bit left. That's not to say that I am upset about anything at all. I'm very grateful for the old fans that came back and all the new ones who joined in on this journey. Starslam has become a very important part in my life and I am glad she has such rabid fans! She certainly is fun to draw!
Now comes a few long months of finishing production on the book, getting the colors and letters done and then printing it. I am hoping it will all be done by December as I promised. I'm hard at work at that and other things to keep it all afloat. So excuse me if I go radio silent for a while. Just means I am busy getting things done.
I took a much needed vacation this past weekend. We went to Muskegon State Park for some camping and a celebration of my girl's birthday! It was very therapeutic and relaxing all around. It has been a rough year for both of us for various reasons. So glad to finally get away for a couple days and just detox from all the bullshit with some great friends!
So now I am home and I have two big TO DO lists I need to get going on. Lots of commission stuff, prep for the upcoming FANTASTICON Mt. Pleasant, a card gig I just signed up for and about a million other things...priority being to get STARSLAM RETURNS out the door. Its going to get very busy for me real quick. The good thing is I am staying ahead on PATREON stories and things are going good there.
Anyway, thanks for reading and I will be back with some good news soon about FANTASTICON. I'm hoping this good streak keeps up. I need a win this year man... big time.
Today is the last day for my Kickstarter for STARSLAM RETURNS! I'm pretty happy that I see so many repeat fans coming back and so many new faces too! It truly means a lot to me. The Kickstarter ends Friday at noon Eastern. And please note: I DO NOT SELL PHYSICAL BOOKS ONLINE! So if you want one, this is the only way to for sure score one. Pre-order my book on my Kickstarter right here:
Beyond that its been the usual business in my life. Both my youngest boys had birthdays in the last couple weeks. Scott turned 11, James turned 7. We had lots of presents, cake and more fun times as always.
I've been busy with commissions and I just signed up for another card set through Dynamite. One that will be a lot of fun and a bit of a departure for me. I recently sold the majority of my leftover KISS cards from my artist proofs from the Dynamite set. I still have a couple left, as well as a few BETTIE PAGE, VAMPIRELLA and WOMEN OF COSPLAY cards available. I have to check when I am able to sell them, but if you are initially interested, let me know asap. Hit me with the email: phymns@yahoo.com
In addition to all of this, I will be at FANTASTICON in my old hometown of Mt. Pleasant, Michigan coming up in October. I can think of no better place to celebrate my 25 years in self publishing comics than in the town where it all started! I hope to see lots of old friends and make new ones. I will be taking pre-commission sales for people to pick up at the show. I'll make an announcement and give details about that soon. Probably next week. So stay tuned. Plan to come out and party with me in October at FANTASTICON! I don't do many shows anymore so this is a grand opportunity. Let's party!!
I haven't had much time or spare scratch to get many new music or movies so I have been watching some stuff that has accumulated in the house. I recently watched YOR: HUNTER FROM THE FUTURE (which was some cheesy fun) and MILES AHEAD (the Don Cheadle acted and directed flick about Miles Davis. Awesome!) - Also of course I got the new TOOL album... scalpers be damned, I got it on release day for cost! Fuck you!! And its good, as one would expect. It will take some time to dissect as all TOOL albums do, so bare with me as I do that. I'm adding it to the "will listen deeply and dissect" pile.
After Fantasticon I plan to lay low and finish Starslam Returns and get ahead on more Patreon stories. Join me for monthly erotica comics and more at my Patreon right HERE - It all goes to help me keep the lights on in this muthafukka. Plus you get exclusive content, and its SMUT! So it works out for everyone I hope. I appreciate the support!
I reckon thats all I got. Go score you a book and more stuff at my Kickstarter right HERE -- the clock is ticking!
Hello my friends! The Kickstarter for my new erotica graphic novel, STARSLAM RETURNS is live on Kickstarter and you can pre-order the book and get great stuff for yourself right here:
Below here is a trailer I made for the book on YOUTUBE:
Its 140 pages of slam bang hot action as Bethany Hofferman (STARSLAM) comes to terms with who she is and why she does what she does. There are a ton of new characters and the return of a few old friends in STARSLAM RETURNS!
Folks, I'm proud of this one. I've had it in my head since last year. And now I'm seeing it all come together, its a happening. A total happening. You won't want to miss it. Join my Kickstarter now and get the book to see all the glory! I thank you for your support.
Father's Day weekend was awesome! I got to spend time with two of my little buggers and then I got some nice presents from everyone! D got me a SLIMER Pop and METROPOLIS complete on Blu-ray and a neat little pop up Beatles card. Her parents got me a large coffee table book on the making of RETURN OF THE JEDI. My oldest son got me this really cool metal STAR TREK display that I will hang in my collection. James and Scotty got me hand made cards and paintings. It was all very lovely. And I got to spend time with them over the weekend.
James laid on me while we watched Cars 3. Some nice cuddle time. I got Scotty some discs and James some candy. Scott also played a bit of an old Family Guy video game I got for him. That is a very old and frustrating game!
Speaking of video games, I got this:
Its been on my radar for a while to have one, so I got a Nintendo Switch! So far I have played MARIO ODYSSEY. I haven't plugged in ZELDA yet. I got a couple other games that are out that I want to get but I've been too busy to go out and get them. I guess this was a Father's Day treat for myself. Its been a rough go of things as of late. Needed a nice pick me up.
But don't think for a minute that I am just playing video games and ignoring my creative duties! I finished the VAMPIRELLA card set. Here's a look at some of them:
In comic news: I've got about 15 pages on STARSLAM to ink. Here's a couple teaser images, no spoilers!
Plus also I got hired to do an 8 page horror comic for a nice dude. I gotta shoot pencils to him this week sometime so no video gaming until I finish that! But, I got a sore left thumb right now, so video gaming is off the table until that is healed. Just sore from biting my nails too much. Stupid me, but no biggie.
I also got some commissions that are overdue so I am not taking on anything else until these are done and out. I also shipped out all the books from LATE NIGHT SHORTS, so that is done. Just gotta finish a couple things for the bigger reward level people, as understanding and supportive as they always are! And then its my job to color all the completed PATREON stories... of which I am done and scanned in all the way to November, with a couple more in the pencil stage. I just want to get them all done and off my plate so I can finish these other things. So much to do. I feel guilty even getting a new movie or game system to distract me sometimes... but I know you need to take a break or else I go mad.
Coming up this fall are some great Switch games like Dragon Quest 11 (Where you can switch back and forth between regular modern and SUPER NINTENDO style graphics). Also a new LEGO STAR WARS game next year. A couple other ones I am forgetting too as I type this. But what is also coming out this fall is something I must get:
Look at that beauty! She's gonna cost a bit... like $500 but it should be out in November. This game and GALAGA are my two favorite arcade video games of all time. To have that in my kids' room along with all my toys might make me the biggest nerd... but perhaps the best dad ever! If I had this in my room as a kid? Oh man...
Not that my childhood wasn't great already, its just that now in this modern age we can get cheaper versions of these nostalgic things and I can share them with my boys. (But they gotta wait til daddy is done with them first!)
Yesterday was Harlan Ellison's birthday, so I am inspired to write. I wrote a blog back at the PATREON page I run, but very few see that. I try to still provide some content here at my trusty old website for those who still trickle in. Thank you for coming back. Either on your own or prompted by me posting of its existence on social media. Lots of things bombarding your brain and demanding your attention everyday. I'm glad you took a minute to listen to me.
I did some cards for a BETTIE PAGE card set through Dynamite comics.
The set is currently on Kickstarter with just over two days left in the
campaign. I want to tug on your coat right quick to talk about it. I did
100 cards for the set and I am very proud of the work I did. Here are a
few to wet your whistle:
The packs of cards are now on Kickstarter, with various options to
get multiple packs, a resin statue, signed wrestler Jerry Lawler card,
additional promo cards and "choose your own sketch card artist"
option... where you can even choose me! And all packs come with sketch
cards inside! The packs are a tad expensive, but for the bang for the
buck, its a great deal... especially if you are a fan of the pinup
queen like I am! I think I am going to even get in on this one and
choose myself as the artist if I can. But I'd also love to see that
resin statue sitting on my shelf! To work on Bettie Page in a official
capacity was a dream come true. Might be my favorite set I ever worked
on! If you are a fan like me, check it out here:
The month of May was crazy. Appearances, hard work, hitting a comic con, and playing catch up the whole month. Politically things have gone insane. Things are ramping up and people are more divided than ever. I voiced my opinion on some things and lost a friend out of it. I suppose I am not alone in this. But I can't help how I feel about things going on. This whole thing in Georgia, Alabama and other places is scary beyond reason. Feels like we are slipping backward so much, that I don't know if we can pull out of it again. They say the economy is booming, but that is simply because everyone is angry and depressed about it all. So what happens when people are angry and depressed? They buy things. I know I have bought things. Thus, boom! Economy booms. Everyone is distracted and stupidly happy with their new gizmos. I don't blame them. You can't take it with you. And we are so powerless to stop the big chess match in Washington. So we try to stay focused at home and locally, keeping our own back porches swept off. The struggle continues.
I got a lot of things on my TO DO list. I got the Vampirella cards due next month. I got Patreon stories to get caught up on. Starslam 4 is almost 80 pages in and I want to have that done by the end of summer. Pleasant Life 2 is still being worked on. I want to finish the Porn Store tell all book by Christmas. (Perfect gift for Xmas don't you think?) I have a few side stuff I gotta get done for myself and others that I have promised. I have monthly commission work and three very loyal clients outside of all that to do pages for. Then to keep up on blogs, podcasts, etc... So yeah, its a busy time. But isn't it always? I wouldn't know what else to do with myself if I didn't have these forms of expression. I'm glad when anyone takes a listen. Thank you!
So far this year I finished the KISS card set for Dynamite, as well as a BETTIE PAGE card set I mentioned above. Both are either out or close to being out. I do have return cards available for these sets, I just haven't had the chance to promote them or sell them. I also am waiting for my proof back from the printer for my new erotica collection: LATE NIGHT SHORTS vol 1. Once approved, I'll get the books a week or two later. Then gotta mail out all the copies. This week I gotta finish some commissions for the Kickstarter and finish up others that are long overdue. I'm not the workhorse I used to be. Dragging my ass across the finish line. But I'll make it! I always do.
Thanks for reading, friends. Check out that Bettie Page Kickstarter above! It expires in a couple days. Jump on it, son!
The world is going buck wild right now for AVENGERS: ENDGAME. I saw it last weekend before my work shift. It was amazing, of course. I'm glad everyone is mostly digging it out there. I'm more of a DC guy honestly, but they've kind of shit the bed on their movies as of late. Over 22 films they have really built up something unique and wonderful.
Brings me to some thoughts. This year I've been doing comics for 25 years and I have no plans to stop for the moment. I've created characters and worlds for people to dwell in and its been an honor. I have people email and message me often saying that they've re-read this or that story or did a binge of my stuff and really get into the ins and outs of it. I've even had a couple tell me they counted how many times certain characters did this or that in STARSLAM! Wow! Its strange to see people get into what I do with the same zeal and excitement that I do with the stuff I like. Its an incredible feeling.
With these comics, I have built my own worlds. In re-reading STARSLAM, I have created so many characters over three books and a few short story expansions. I already promised a stand alone DEFENDERS OF EARTH comic. I've been working on a sequel to my own PLEASANT LIFE comic during the downtime.
But I am now going to publicly say this:
I miss STARSLAM. I wonder what she's up to. So much so that a few months ago I pulled out the story idea I had and started working. I am 70 pages into it. Its hard to ignore the pull that character and her world has for me. So I'm happy to say that yes, I am working on "STARSLAM 4" and PLEASANT LIFE 2 at the same time. I hope to release both within the next year!
To tease:
No spoilers. Out of context. Assume nothing. But this new book will be awesome. I'm enjoying the fuck out of drawing it. STARSLAM will rise again. How? That's the fun part!
Had a productive day yesterday. Scanned about 36 pages of various artwork I had laying around and then digitally cleaned up all of it. I sent all 20 pages of the STARSLAM BONUS STORY to my colorist. So that is done. Finally. Whew! Guess I won't be drawing her for a while. But she is forever on my mind. Cause look what I wrote out this morning:
Yes, I took the notes I have been accumulating in sketchbooks and on my phone notes and wrote out the outline. This includes scene breakdowns, new character descriptions, some dialog and everything. This is what I do for every comic I make. I write out notes. Sit on it. Write an outline. Sit on it. Revise. then work on it. Revise while working on it. Etc etc etc. But the first MAJOR step is done on it. I have a story completed, characters in place and its in the pipeline.
Of course I have some things to finish up first. PLEASANT LIFE 2 comes first. And as you have seen in previous postings, I am well into it. I need to get this book done, folks. I mean it. You have no idea what it means for me to get that book completed.
Then looking ahead, I got the DOE standalone book and STARSLAM 4. And you know what, I got a few other things in the TO DO list as well. Of course there are three written novels, another EROTIC ZONE collection, the 25th ANNIVERSARY OLD COMICS collection, the long awaited WISE INTELLIGENCE collection and yes, even ANNA POCALYPSE 2! I plan to make ANNA POCALYPSE 2 an exclusive to the Patreon and release it in spurts. I have about 60 pages done and have been sitting scanned on my harddrive waiting for colors for years now. I should finish the damn thing. I was going to abandon it but shit... why lose all that work? Why not let them folks take a look!Are you even on my Patreon??? You are missing out!
Also for Patreon, I am about three stories ahead right now. I need to do a couple more to stay ahead and then I will be pretty happy. I also got the IDIOTHEAD MUSIC stuff I am planning and other things I am chasing the whimsy on. Now that I got the STARSLAM 3 stuff off my plate mostly, I can focus on these things. Its an exciting time!
I quit Facebook in an effort to stay focused and get this shit going. I'm committed folks. I really am. Stick with me and we'll make it happen! Always moving forward! Always.
