Welcome to the weekend, and December! The year is close to done, but we're not.
For this week I wanted to go back a little to the previous subject. That subject being heroes. There is quite a bit more to say on the subject.
One of the major topics has been the failure of enshrining subversion as a storytelling idol. The mainstream has been trying, in increasing efforts, since the 1990s, to cast doubt on and talk down on heroism and the Good as storytelling essentials.
They've used every trick in the book to warp taste and reshape the audience, from the anti-Tolkien flatline that was People Are Bad And Nothing Matters to the superhero turds of Heroes Aren't Real And We'll Prove It Through Our Strawmen, to even failed satires of books like Alien Bugs Are Good, People Are Always Bad, where the audience satirizes the satire to reaffirm the original book's message and the big brain subverters think not being able to understand that reaction makes them smarter than everyone else. It's pretty much a mess, and it all stems from having a class of creators that hate Creation. And as a result, the audience has left them behind.
Because despite it all, the truth slowly seems to be coming clear. Despite how hard they've tried over the past quarter century+ to do it, heroes cannot seem to be truly subverted. Even the modern "smart" attempts always end up failing in the end.
For a more concrete example of what I'm talking about, I highly recommend watching the above video that shows exactly that. Despite an iron grip on the audience's attention, the tired attempts at talking over them and flipping over what they love has ended in a disaster. No matter what they do they can never escape the truth: heroism is real and it will never go away, be poisoned, or made "grey" with "complexities" by people who have yet to truly do anything interesting or new with their so-called creativity. All they do is make muddier versions of things people already like, and that's quickly losing audience members in the modern day.
What does this mean, in the end? You already know the answer, it's been clear as day the entire time. Despite our endless insistence on jangles keys and Being Surprised, at the end of the day we still want the same thing to happen. Everyone always wants Good to win, and Evil to lose. That hasn't changed, and it won't change, no matter how much one wants to blur the line to make themselves seem greater than they know they truly are.
Nothing really changes, even when it does.
That's all for this weekend and I will see you next time! We've only got one months left to close out 2024, so let's make it count!
The following is a three hour video that covers the delinquent genre of manga. It starts from the beginning and purports to be definitive as it is meant to go through the the past to the present. In a sense it does because the creator covers a lot of material to the point where it's actually a bit overwhelming to watch the full thing.
That said, I don't actually recommend watching the entire thing. The first third of the video about the beginnings of the genre and what is considered a "delinquent" manga is the best material. After that the creator gets far too opinionated and misunderstands the appeal of many genre staples (and misses many crossover hits that expands said definition) because he has a very narrow view and specific set of expectations he wants out of it. So if you are interested in learning about what the delinquent genre is and its appeal, you're not going to get much out of watching the whole. Particularly if you've read some of the series covers and find his opinions on them off or bizarre.
But the first hour or so is very informative and a good sum up on where it came from and what the general appeal is. It also show the difference from other forms of delinquent culture across the world.
You see much of the appeal of delinquent stories isn't from bad kids doing bad things but from teenagers learning what it means to live in a world that doesn't have much use for masculine behavior, leaving the young stranded and alienated on how they are supposed to fit in. This atomized feeling is that heart of the genre which then can lead in any direction: from the split between good and bad kids, to traveling down the wrong path, or even learning to channel that energy in a direction that benefits everyone.
You can go in many directions, and the genre definitely has over the years. It's how you get entries as varied as Ashita no Joe, Akira, Yu Yu Hakusho, Tora Dora, and Slam Dunk, and characters from other related and bordering genres like One Punch Man, School Rumble, Fruits Basket, and Saiki K. Its themes are universal enough to be folded into even series that don't focus on delinquents. They remain an important staple in their stories.
The closest equivalent I can imagine in the West would be the works of S. E. Hinton. Most other stories over here tend to miss the appeal of these sorts of stories or characters, opting instead to make them heartless monsters or generic villains. Probably because we tend to see such characters as "bullies" and bullies are treated as very one dimensional. But while there can be overlap, they are usually not the same archetype. Regardless, that is usually how they are used and they always strike me as being very boring characters with not much to say.
That is a shame, because in my opinion, these kinds of characters always end up being my favorites, and I assume they do for many others as well. Feels like a missed opportunity.
Not to say Japan always does them well either. A large chunk of them simply stop at making said character a loud idiot with no redeeming features, and that's as far as it goes. But dig a little deeper and you usually find, in my eyes, the character who always ends up being the best one. I would be ecstatic if we would write more characters like these over here. In case you are wondering, yes, I actually do have many characters like this. And I probably always will. They highlight a specific failing of modernity that more writers need to touch on.
Plus they are always the coolest and funniest characters. There has to be a reason for that! Why else would they be such an important staple in so many stories?
Anyway, that's all for this week. In case you missed it, check out the new post from earlier in the week! It's a good one.
Have yourself a good weekend and I will see you next time!
Welcome to the weekend, let's get into some new books!
It's been a bit since I did one of these, but since we're neck deep in summer and a wave of crushing heat, now is the time to highlight some upcoming greatness you might not be aware of. We've got a bit of a list going for you all today, so check it out.
I'm just going to jump straight into them to give you a great list of upcoming adventure you might have missed out on!
First up is the campaign ending in less than a week for Silence & Starsong Volume 2! For those unaware, this is a magazine of stories that aims towards the more Christian tradition of J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis of adventure tales with a bit of meaning packed in. I have read a bit of their work and it is definitely worth checking out.
They currently have three issues out you can check on Amazon to see if it's your thing, but they are also taking orders for issue four on their campaign page so you could check them out that way. Regardless, there are plenty of options to peruse their output.
Here is the campaign description:
"Remember a time when heroes were good and villains were evil, when characters wrestled with God and found meaning? Remember when a story had a good ending? It’s time to write and read those stories again. Now in the tradition of the great authors comes an anthology honoring the past and seeking the future. Silence and Starsong is proud to announce Volume 2 Issue 1 of our groundbreaking anthology.
"For today’s and future generations of adventurers, explorers, and pioneers, Silence and Starsong promises unique stories that meld the strength of faith with uncompromising imagination, spinning tales of meaning and excitement by the pens of some of the finest in fantasy, horror, action/adventure, science fiction and more."
You can find Silence & Starsong campaign here! Remember, it ends in a few days!
Comic maverick Nick Gibson is the owner of Phoenix Press, but now he is moving into traditional style prose books. With this campaign he is hoping for editing and physical production to get his brand new book up and running. This is Lost Kingdom! But what is said book about?
According to the campaign it is a mashup of space adventure and distant mythic storytelling. The sort of thing that could not be published in OldPub today. But, as always, if you want the full picture you'll have to see the campaign page yourself!
The description:
Imagine a man who has forsaken all he once stood for.
Imagine a boy that is the literal hope for the Sol System.
These are the stakes as the former Captain General of The Kings Guard, Justen Lamont, is forced to come face to face with the thing he dreads most: his past.
But for the young boy, all of these are meaningless. It's only the present that matters, and right now, the present isn't looking too hot.
Set in our solar system far into the future. This is a story of Kings.
Of Honor and Regret
Of Love and Betrayal
And most importantly
Of being the person you wish to be.
Designed to be a mixture of Sci-Fi and Fantasy. You can expect to see medieval villages in a far-flung, drifter colony
A palace atop the lush green of Mars
Battles with giant Kappa atop a hill on Venus. The acid rain bearing down
Journeys through the wasteland that is Old Earth. Its surface long since abandoned.
But like all good tales, this is the story of people and the choices they make.
Cirsova's Wild Stars campaigns continue for Michael Tierney's 40 year old epic space opera series! We pass the halfway point here with Book VII, already funded, but still hoping to grab a little more both for the creators involved as well as for funding next year's Cirsova lineup! If you any of the above, this is the title for you!
I'm not sure how much I can really go into this beyond that this is the sort of thing mainstream publishing fumbled the ball with since it began, and it took until Cirsova coming around to finally give it the focus and attention it needed. This is the sort of thing NewPub exists for!
The description:
Welcome to the 40th Anniversary of the world of Wild Stars!
Thousands of years ago, Mankind was led on an exodus to the stars by an immortal warlord from beyond our galaxy to save them from an alien-caused cataclysm. Those who remained and survived the attack became the ancestors of modern humans; those who went into space became the Wild Stars.
Following their return to our galaxy, Earth's Wild Stars cousins observed and assisted in myriad crises, though largely from the shadows. As humanity took to the stars again on their own, it became time for mankind--the people of Earth, the space trekking terraformers, and the Wild Stars--to reunite as one race.
The peace talks, however, were the target of a terrorist attack that led to the death of Erlik, one of the foremost princes of the Wild Stars!
Author Jon Del Arroz is a controversial figure in the NewPub world, but that does not mean his work should be avoided. This campaign is for his Ayla Rin space opera series, which is simultaneously a comic book and a novel, though they are each original stories.
That's right, his campaign seeks to fund the production of a sequel to both his first Ayla Rin comic and novel, continuing both strands at once. It's an ambitious project and one that has gathered a lot of support for good reason. If you miss excitement of space adventure and traveling the unknown, you should be sure to check this campaign out! You can even catch up with what you missed if you're coming in late.
The description:
The Terran Imperium Chronicles is the universe in which Ayla Rin operates. She has adventures in both comic and prose novel form which makes this a unique multimedia experience in science fiction. The current reading order is:
OVERMIND (comic)
The Immortal Edge (novel)
The Hidden Emperor (comic)
Into The Black (novel)
While each book is completely standalone and has its own full beginning, middle, and end, the series paints a broader picture of what's going on in the galaxy. Read the complete series to get an incredible experience!
I would also be remiss to mention a campaign that has not started yet but is scheduled for next week. This is 365 Infantry: The Ride for 2025 by NewPub journeyman Jacob Calta. It's bound to be a wild ride, indeed.
For those unaware, for a couple of years now, Calta has been putting out constant stories in his 365 Infantry series on Substack and even releasing them in bound paperback editions. It is a tale of anthropomorphic wolves in the distant future where a mad AI has taken over and our heroes and rogues must work together to beat it--though that's only part of the story. There is much more to it, as it's an entire world.
There's no official description yet since the page isn't yet live, but it is meant to describe the more detailed plan in funding this ambitious project for 2025. You can save the project for now and get in on the ground floor when it launches in a mere few days!
And that's all for now. I'm sure there are more campaigns coming up or out that I've missed--there are just so many of them these days, and they're all funding in record time. The NewPub space really is on fire these days.
That said, be sure to check the above projects out when you have the spare moment. Helping creators with their art is the first step to ensure they can make more and help overhaul the current scene that exists in its dilapidated state today.
That's all for this week, have yourself a wonderful start of August, and remember to stay cool! The heat isn't over just yet!
January is almost over, so it's time to highlight the real beginning of the year in regards to new projects. Everyone knows the first month of the year is basically a dead zone in just about every aspect of life, but once you get past it, wheels start rolling. Today I wanted to highlight some of those exact projects now coming to life.
Strap in, because we've got a few to go through. There is something for everyone.
Up first is a new Kickstarter project by Cirsova and Jim Breyfogle, the pair who worked together on the Mongoose & Meerkat series. This time, the project is a standalone novel, and just like the rest of Mr. Breyfogle's material, is reminiscent of the classics.
This time he's got a brand new book that's once again, just a bit different from what you might expect.
The project description:
Edward has caught a bad case of Dead!
While hurrying to his clerking job in London, Edward is attacked by a strange creature in an alleyway. Feeling ill, Edward consults his apothecary neighbor who informs him he's been infected with zumbiism, and is now among the Dead!
There is still hope, however! Sent on his way with a potent elixir that will stave off the effects of Dead, Edward must seek out the aid of a Necromancer in the Narrow World, a hidden realm of forgotten magic beyond the sea. But the next ship leaves in only an hour!
Want to know what happens next? Well, so do I.
Check out more about the project, as well as available formats here!
Now for something a bit different, let us go to the wild lands just outside of accepted normality. Last year I highlighted the first volume of Jacob Calta's ambitious 365 Infantry project, so it only stands to reason that this time we would see the second volume. And here it is.
For those confused about what 365 Infantry is, it would best be described as an ongoing serial focused on one world in multiple parts and subseries. The first volume started these different series' off, and the second continues them with all the work released in 2023, plus some bonus content. The original works are housed in the 365 Infantry Substack, where one can read new releases as they come out.
Here is the description of volume 2:
Back behind the wheel are the 25th century's most daring and courageous hounds! With the looming threat of the mad electric machine A.C.E.S., the scum and villainy of the Wastelands, and a mysterious new faction in the ongoing fight for freedom, the 365th Infantry and their many friends and allies are in it up to their necks. But all is not lost, not when these wolves are on the scene!
Writer Jacob Calta returns with another white-knuckled trip through a metalhead power fantasy future, armed with brisk storytelling, stylish prose, an enveloping world, the dynamic art of Kevin John Jacob, and a breathtaking cover illustration by the talented Temiree. Join the daring soldier Gibson, the sage General Knox, the tormented huntress Valentina, the mad-cap vigilante Lita, the wild-eyed lawman Nic, and the scores of colorful canine characters that populate the world of Haven and the Wastelands in 22 electrifying new stories of action, suspense, crime, romance and more
I've said before that the major advantage with NewPub is the freewheeling spirit of fun and unabashed excitement to do anything, and this project shows you exactly why that is. Also, while we're at it, Mr. Calta also released a new single you can hear here. He just doesn't stop!
You can find the second volume of 365 Infantryhere.
Now for something a bit different, again, Let us turn to the All Eyes on Ashley project, just launched on Kickstarter!
This comic project concerns a hopeless young man who wishes to woo a beautiful woman, but just doesn't know how to do it! Will he figure it out, or is he doomed to being ignored forever? You'll have to read it and find out!
The description:
Everyone in the office drools over Ashley, and Spencer's had his eyes on her ever since she broke up with her successful boyfriend. But would she even pay attention to a guy like him?
Spencer is willing to try anything just to get her attention, but he has to become his own man before he can be worthy of her.
Read this new sweet 20-page romantic comedy comic by romance author Daniella Acera and DC Comics' Injustice artist Mike S. Miller with multiple beautiful covers for you to choose from.
Check out the campaign page for more about formats and extras, including an add-on for a novel!
You can find All Eyes on Ashley on Kickstarter here!
Author Julie Frost is no stranger to wild tales of werewolves, and her new book is definitely no different. I hope you like action and horror, because you'll find plenty of both here. Just launched today, Cry Havoc looks to be as wild as its cover!
The description:
Nate Cassin, the alpha werewolf of Missoula, Montana, finds his little city has a big wolf problem when shredded bodies start showing up all over town. Faced with a hostile press and even more hostile hunters, he tries to protect his innocent pack of eight at the same time they try to track down two elusive killers in an area of 35 square miles with a plethora of hiding places.
He's seen this before. And the hunters always, always go overboard and decide the only good werewolf is a dead one, no matter who's actually responsible. His pack will be collateral damage unless he can find the enemy wolves—and stop their broken alpha—before they turn his hometown into a human buffet.
For something, once again, a bit different, check out this comic crowdfund for Part 1 of the Paper Doll Veronika comic series. It comes with an incredible 230 pages(!) and a unique artstyle for the first part of this project.
The description:
Veronika Bosch has never left her father's estate. But one day, seven jealous animals invade her home and kick her out! What lies ahead is a whimsical journey of magic and adventure.
A cross between collage and puppetry, every page of this comic is made by arranging articulated hand-drawn paper dolls on backgrounds collaged of decorative paper and ephemera.
This first printed book will include Part I - Forest, which is 24 chapters, approximately 450 images.
There is also more about the different page formats, so be sure to check out the campaign for yourself and decide which is more for you.
One of the advantages to the NewPub scene is that you truly can do anything, and I mean anything. Take this new project, The Catgirl in Pink & Other Short Stories by Edmund Miller. Here you get 22 short stories you'd never see anywhere else for pocket change, all as bizarre as the title story might suggest they are.
The description:
A lonely man meets a mysterious catgirl at a bar. A homeless man ingests pills that allow him to see the past and future. A female cyclist goes missing in a forest. A scientist tries to unravel the secrets of astatine. These stories and more can be found in this volume.
Once again, you can find The Catgirl in Pink & Other Short Storieshere!
You know the one, where a boy or a girl wanders into a strange land, unable to find home again. It is a story of darkness that crushes the spirit and of hope in the midst of the darkness.
That fairytale. The one where you are the hero.
People tell us that reading fantasy is escapism. But do you ever feel more alive, more real, than when you are reading? When we are reading a really good story, don’t we feel as if it allows us to burn with the bliss and suffer the sorrow of others? To come out of ourselves and be more than we would have been?
If your heart burns for brighter things, if you are one who yearns to venture Beyond the Fields We Know, this is for you.
Once again, you can find Defending the Wood Perilous for free here!
That's all for today, but I think this sufficiently highlight how packed the start of the year already is for new projects. We've barely begun, and already there is a stack of new creative projects just waiting for audiences to dig in and enjoy them.
And again, 2024 just started! There is much more excitement to come.
So keep your chin up, because you've got an exciting year ahead full of fun surprises, including from yours truly. Just wait and see!
Until then, enjoy the new projects and I will see you next time. There is much more to look forward to, even beyond the year ahead.
In addition to the recent post on Gen Y's detonation over the previous decade, I wanted to share this video which centers on an old era of the internet, the one before Gen Y really imploded into itself. Nonetheless, it ended up being a warning of things to come.
Few really remember the angry internet reviewer trend of the mid-00s, the time when YouTube took off and its early creators mostly got by on deconstructing and burying their youth and traditions (while also profiting clout off of them), aside from the more extreme examples. This is mostly because the trend ended up influencing the following generation of video creators which either went all in on the snark and bitterness (much of which then spilled over into the Skeptic sphere and then into modern identity politics) or pushed beyond it and mastered the form of video review and analysis with a more genuine take and better executed humor. Either way, it's a very quaint era looking back on now. It's very much a foreign country today.
The one group that really epitomized this brief era of the late '00s to early '10s was Channel Awesome, home of That Guy With the Glasses AKA the Nostalgia Critic and his not-so-merry band of followers. Spinning off the success of the Angry Video Game Nerd, the man who started as the Angry Nintendo Nerd and kicked off the trend near YouTube's beginning, this wave of similar creators were blowing up the then-burgeoning platform and suffering copyright strikes wiping out their channels in the process. I'm not sure how to explain this to younger audiences except that if someone like Red Letter Media put up even one of their videos back then, it would have been deleted and their channel terminated within the day. That is how harsh YouTube's early system was. Even the AVGN barely squeaked by, his channel barely slipping through the cracks because the video game industry, at the time, was not as malicious as Hollywood.
So this period saw a struggling band of video makers desperate for a platform to continue their schtick on. The only problem is that no such site existed at the time. The obvious thing to do was create a website people could go to find them, safe from the horrors of early YouTube's moronic copyright system. That is what the original That Guy With the Glasses website was, and there really wasn't anything like it at the time.
One could say a lot about what happened to that site after it took off, but there were many reviewers on Channel Awesome that achieved different levels of success and infamy. In some circles this stuff was huge, especially among both Gen Y nostalgics and irreverent snark machines. As said, it led to an explosion in this sort of content, much of which flooded every single one of the limited amount of video sites. It looked as if they were going to be the kings and queens of the internet.
And then it all blew up.
The video above talks about this snarky movie reviewer trend and how absolutely strange this whole era was, detached from its time and place, and showing just how that generation saw itself, its peers, and the entertainment it grew up with and shaped them. It's a very odd video talking about a very odd time, but I do recommend watching it. I can't even imagine what the whole thing looks like if you weren't around at the time. The video topic is centered on one of the awful movie projects from back then (spoiler: they were all awful) which really shows you just how strange the scene got by the time it all died off in the mid-'10s.
If you want more on this odd topic, the same video creator as the above video talked about many of Channel Awesome's stumbles and ambitions through a massive review of all three of their movies, highlighting the group's formation, rise, and implosion. This one is twice as long as the above video, but still shorter than the movies themselves, so be warned. Nonetheless, it is a good piece of internet history that will fade away in the years to come, especially as Gen Y continually chooses to turn into themselves and away from the world, so it is worth watching for that.
When you have the time, you can watch that one here:
(This video is also very NSFW)
As someone who lived through that time, I have to say that I remember getting sick of this stuff before the first Channel Awesome movie even fully released in 2010. This whole snarky scene gave me the same feeling as Scott Pilgrim: a Frankenstein monster of stolen parts to build a sub-optimal engine that just doesn't run as well as the original. Nothing new was actually being made. In fact, it was merely a collection of half-tropes glued together by cynicism and a lack of identity. There is a reason few of these creators survived past the trend. There was really nothing else to it.
You can see this for yourself in the above videos. There just isn't really anything there under the surface, and it is hard to understand really why such a thing was ever that big to begin with. But it was, and it is pure uncut Gen Y in a time before that bitter irony warped into despair. I don't know if I'd call it a hard watch, but it's difficult to keep that out of mind while watching.
The scene on YouTube a little better now, for the most part. There's much more of a sense of self-awareness and less ego to what is being created, but it's still a bit strange to look back on what it used to be. You can't even help but wonder: what would these people be like now if the internet had not been around to prop up their negative traits? Where would they have gone without an outlet for this specific niche and interests to tarnish? How different would they be today? Would they even be the same people? We'll never really know, but it is interesting to think about and consider. You never really know what curveball life will throw you next.
Regardless, that era is over and not coming back. We've lived through it and made our choices that have set us on the road we are now on. There is no turning the ship around and doing it over again. We can only learn from our mistakes and apply the lessons learned moving on.
There's nothing else to be done. The fourth wall is long gone, and we can only see the mirror staring us back from where it used to stand. Time to act accordingly.
Anyway, have a good weekend. I will see you again soon enough.
I'm happy to announce that the next crowdfund for Anvil Magazine is now live! This one is for the second issue. Not only that, but I am a part of this one!
My story, Ghost of a Distant Star, will be included in the pages of the second issue. You might be pleased to know that it is a new Galactic Enforcer Ronan Renfield story, but there is also much more to discuss. However, there is much more to talk about.
Let's dive into it!
Published and organized by IronAge.Media, a site focused on connecting Iron Age creators with new fans, edited by Daniel P. Riley, of Whimsyland and supported by Jacob Calta of 365 Infantry as Designer. Issue #2 is upping the ante with more fiction and more comics than before, over one hundred pages of short fiction and comics will give you a taste of the best the indie sphere has to offer.
ANVIL: Iron Age Magazine Issue #2 will have three comics, four short stories with illustrations along seven pieces of short fiction. This is a major increase on content from the incredible success of Issue#1. The decision was also made to remove ads from the second issue to make domestic shipping cheaper by using media mail. And now digital only is now an option, specifically because of the requests of our overseas fans! If you missed Issue #1 there are still some overrun available, although they will be clearly marked as such. Digital versions will also be available.
So that's the general gist of the campaign, but what about the contents? Well, as mentioned above, there is a lot to go through!
Soulless City
Nathan takes it upon himself to find and destroy the remnants of a tech-driven cult he once belonged to. His search leaves him trapped in a derelict building with cybernetic zombies and a woman he didn’t plan to save. Left with nowhere to run, his only way out is to fight.
Baphomet's Child: Immortal Rising Tales #1
Dracula and his Undead Lords ruled the planet of Terra for over a millennium, until the brave warrior Andrulykis destroyed Dracula's Curse.
Now Otan Grimm, first warrior disciple of Andrulykis, is on a quest to save a child from a remaining Cult of Dracula. Little did Otan realize, this cult's leader was a creature from Hell itself.
Corpse Fishers: TheBONSAI
In this short dark science fantasy story, two deep divers sink into the flooded depths of a ruined mechanized world for a chance to save their kin. Will they re-emerge with their saving treasure, or will they draw the ruinous attention of the abyss?
Prowler of Blagh Square by Micah Murray
The town of Hotterdam is hidden, forgotten; its people preyed upon by an unhuman creature, or so they tell Dr. Sebastian Apostol. Calling upon his services to relieve them of their torment, Sebastian must learn what he can of the beast, lest its horrors go unchallenged and consume them all. Yet the doctor remains a slave to the instincts of his profession and questions whether the folk of Hotterdam is what they appear.
Mourning Light by R.J. Shaw
The story follows a warrior who is the sole survivor of a doomed expedition. Seeking to honor his comrades, the soldier begins to mourn those who have fallen. But his solemn vigil is soon interrupted by the chilling realization that the enemy he so recently fought was only one evil among many and that he must face this new menace alone.
Ghost of a Distant Star by JD Cowan
Galactic Enforcer Ronan Renfield finds himself riding the midnight train on a far-off planet alone and armed. As he rides into the night he meets an alien ghost with a vengeance against man. But is it really a spirit, or something more sinister? Perhaps it is time for his gun to do the talking . . .
Afflicted: Nourritures les Ver by Jaime Faye Torkelson
Amélia Mitre is Afflicted. Cursed by a pact of her own making, she is made to follow the Weird Way of Scealfe, God of Death of Decay. Summoned to the industrializing city of Beauanne, the Cursed Doctor finds herself investigating a disturbing disease that defies the laws of nature and therefore, the laws of her dark patron. She must discover the origins of the plague and punish anyone foolish enough to pretend rivalry with the God of Death.
Flight of the Caged Bird by Andrew Campbell
Sarah and her boyfriend are looking for some privacy in the woods, but their romantic night turns into a nightmare when they encounter a savage creature that stalks them through the shadows. Sarah must run for her life, dodging the beast’s relentless attacks and hoping to find a way out of the forest. There are secrets hidden in the woods, secrets that could cost her everything. Can Sarah survive the night, or will she succumb to the creature’s wrath?
Cruel Creation by TJ Marquis
A hi-tech clone comes awake in a vat of bio-gel with only vague memories and dreams of what has come before. The white-clad strangers outside the vat speak of oblivion. Will the clone be able to make an escape before dark unconsciousness falls again?
Blades Against Fear by Erik Waag
What fear lurks in the night?
The King's Highway in the verdant hills near the city of Tonsaare is as safe as one could hope for, but wherever darkness descends, fear may follow. Two mercenaries in search of easy coin face a deadly challenge far greater than their pay warrants.
In this sword & sorcery adventure, a camp-side ghost tale presages a supernatural threat. When the night kills, a sword isn't enough; you need guts.
The Shadowed Canal by Nate Chen
The people of Citadel Fionni are menaced by strange shadows lurking in one of their famous canals. Famed bravos Aelfred and Gwendolyn sometimes called the Herakleians, are hired to find the source of the shadows and get rid of them. However, the problem calling itself the Dark Lord Saffron is not easily solved with sinew and ax. The Herakleians will have to take a step back, discover the root cause, and do their best to ensure that it never troubles Fionni again.
But first, they'll have to get free from the Dark Lord's shadow...
King Birdie by J. Manfred Weichsel
In this slice-of-life horror tale, an ordinary afternoon of kids hanging out turns into tragedy when one hears voices drifting to him from a faraway land.
Throne by A.M. Harrison
In this fantasy short story, the horror of the battlefield isn't enough to fully repel the pious pyromancer Faren from her duty to the dead, but her encounter with a darkly mysterious necromancer will open her eyes to a more terrible evil than she ever thought possible. Their meeting here will ultimately determine whether their journey will include cooperation, or put their fantastic powers at odds as the world around them threatens to fall further into doom.
The Chroniclers and The Frozen Fountain by Daniel P. Riley
Once more, Eliden, Pasho, and Grokthnar step in it as they travel to a wondrous city frozen in time. Can The Chroniclers unravel the mystery of the Frozen Fountain and save not just a city, but the entire world from absolute enervation?
I know there are some familiar names here for readers of Wasteland & Sky, as well as some new ones, so be sure to check out the campaign here to learn more! It's going to be a blast.
On top of this, I should mention that Ghost of a Distant Star is one of the stories with illustrations. So if you want to see some visuals of the Galactic Enforcer himself, you can only really find it in Issue #2 of Anvil. I'll talk about the story itself later on, but for now you should know that it is as weird as you would expect a Ronan Renfield story to be.
That's all I really have for you today. I'm still working on several projects behind the scenes, including the extras for the Gemini Man Kickstarter that I will be giving an update on soon, so I will get back to you when I have more to share. Until then, thank you for reading. It is because of you that projects like this are brought into existence at all and are allowed to flourish in a time where art and entertainment is in flux.
Once more, thank you for your support, and I will see you again soon!
We talk a lot about the "good old days" and the way things used to be, but sometimes we miss things from back then that should have been much bigger than it was. While there were good times that doesn't mean everything was perfect.
Case in point, the early days of manga and anime in the West was actually a lot spottier than you might remember. High selling classics from Japan, and even obscure favorites, were given a release over here and were not only much more underground than they were in the East, they also never really hit mainstream popularity even when anime and manga finally broke big.
As mentioned before, anime and manga were very much the alternative underground in the West back in the day. This is perhaps that is why they attracted so many hipsters. And a lot of those folks now run the industry today. This might explain why this era has yet to get a a fresh opportunity.
While some series like Akira, Spriggan, Mermaid Saga, Dragon Half, and Battle Angel Alita, were allowed a second wind, many have never quite got the chance to begin with. To this day works like Caravan Kidd, City Hunter, GetBackers, Outlanders, Pineapple Army, Psychic Girl Mai, Getter Robo, and Ogre Slayer, all of which were favorites in Japan and actually did release in the North America, have never had proper re-releases here despite the more friendlier market in the modern age. And even then, many modern audiences were trained to ignore old things.
This doesn't even go into Japanese mega sellers like Ushio & Tora, Ginga Sengoku Gun'yūden Rai, Tomorrow's Joe (Ashita no Joe), Mazinger Z, and Ghost Sweeper Mikami, which for whatever inexplicable reason never even got put out here in the first place and absolutely would have hit with audiences at the time this stuff was still underground here. The fact of the matter is that we missed out on a real treasure trove of a Golden Age, even back then. I doubt we'll ever really catch up with it.
One such series that was absolutely whiffed at back in the day was a series title you probably know despite probably never having read or seen before. This would be Yuzo Takeda's long running mystic horror adventure romance series 3x3 Eyes.
for those unaware, 3x3 Eyes is the story of Yakamo, a young man who has no family and is barely getting by in the world. One day he meets a strange dirty and exotic girl named Pai who seems to be looking for him. Through a string of events she ends up taking his soul into hers, turning him into a superzombie who cannot die until she does. Not only that but cults, monsters, and assassins, all seem to want her to resurrect a god who wishes to remake the world itself. Is she truly the key to it all?
However, Pai does not quite know who or what she is, bearer of a third eye and strange magic including the ability to summon giant monsters, and is also alone in the world. Yakumo decides to help her claim humanity along with his mortality, and the two go on a long journey fraught with mystery, danger, and secrets of the like you would never quite imagine. Despite its length, the series does not let up on its pacing.
3x3 Eyes (which refers to the eyes on the creatures that want to resurrect an evil god) is a strange bird in that it has all the elements that should guarantee huge success overseas. It originally ran from 1987 to 2002 in the same magazine Akira did, it has everything readers of classic adventure love (brave men, pretty women, cool monsters, strange magic, and a lot of adventure), had two OVAs that released during the golden age of the form, and its legitimately really good.
Despite that, 3x3 Eyes is about as well known as an obscure OVA such as Master of Mosquiton or K.O. Beast is today. Just about no one in the West remembers it ever existed in the first place.
And it wasn't for lack of trying!
Indie publishers and Dark Horse both attempted to put the manga out back in the day, but it never got any traction or much in the way of sales. The OVAs, despite being put out by Streamline, Orion, and Pioneer, the three biggest western anime companies back in the day, are still barely more than curiosities today. It also doesn't help that apparently the masters are in such rough shape that it makes a newer HD release all but impossible. Even now as older manga get Netflix anime remakes and new manga releases bundled with them, the 40 volume classic (though since re-released in omnibus form like many others to give it far fewer volumes) still remains unreleased here. It is as if it came, failed to catch on, and simply disappeared. We missed our chance, and that is simply all she wrote!
The series remains big in Japan, getting sequel manga to this day. In the West, it has been all but forgotten without a trace. It really is bizarre how that works sometimes!
It might not help that manga like this isn't really common anymore, making a new release even more unlikely. 3x3 Eyes is an adventure series, not like a battle, horror, or romance manga. There is a lot of action, plenty of weird horrors, and there is romance, but it is all in service of a journey through strange lands and hidden space, a series very much in the lineage of classics like Babel II, Cyborg 009, Trigun, or Fist of the North Star. It's the sort of thing you don't see much anymore. These series prioritize classic struggles of good and evil, the wonder and beauty of the world even during dark times, and things beyond which the eye can perceive into what is really important. Such series are not so much common anymore, even as the medium is more popular worldwide as it has ever been.
Perhaps there is just no market for such a series anymore. Maybe it was already dying off back in the day. Who really knows?
This isn't meant to decry things as terrible or anything like that, merely to point out that even when one does everything right, and even when one puts out a work that hits, it might not always do so in the way one expects. There is no formula for success.
That said, 3x3 Eyes is a series that does deserve to be remembered worldwide. It is in Japan, after all. Hopefully sometime in the near future it can achieve a second wind of western popularity of the sort so many classics are getting today. It is more than due for the same treatment.
If you haven't read it, I do highly recommend doing so however you can. It is an adventure unlike any you've take before. It will take you places you will never expect and lift you up when you are feeling low.
2023 seems to be a year of climaxes, because this is the second crowdfund I'm talking about this year, and it is yet another conclusion of yet another series!
It is time to talk about the final volume of Flying Sparks!
This is an independent comic series from pulp maestro and the always controversial Jon Del Arroz, someone who just wants to have fun. And Flying Sparks is fun. A superhero series of the sort not made much anymore, it is the sort of thing the mainstream gave up for grimdark decades ago. This is the sort of thing that has given the independent scene a shot in the arm to push it far ahead of what remains of the larger western industry.
You aren't going to find anything this wholesome and fun in the majors. And, as I mentioned, it is also the final volume! You can back for them all in this campaign, though.
The description:
FLYING SPARKS VOLUME 5: Ultra Light Beams is the fifth 72-page volume to the mega-hit crowdfunded graphic novel series, which has sold more than 3,000 copies! (All five volumes are available as rewards and add ons)
Meta-Girl and Johnny are having the worst rough patch yet in their relationship after Meta-Girl finds out Johnny's been delving into deep crime. They don't have time to think about their love lives because strange lizard creatures are pouring through an interdimensional portal, threatening to destroy our entire existence. If that weren't bad enough, a major villain has given himself supreme powers to become the strongest enemy our protagonists have ever faced!
Who will make it to the end alive?
#1 Bestselling Author Jon Del Arroz (For Steam And Country, Justified, Flying Sparks 1-4, OVERMIND) and artists Jethro Morales (Green Hornet, Hack/Slash, Dejah Thoris, Flying Sparks 1-4) and Elias Martin have another hit on their hands with Flying Sparks Volume 5!
"Flying Sparks is the kind of stuff that made me fall in love with early Marvel Comics"- ComicBookResources.com
Back Volume 5 today!
It has been something else watching the indie comic scene expand over the last few years, even as mainstream comic books are seemingly petering out as manga and wargaming overtake the shelves of book stores, and what remains of comic shops. What this means is that you have far more variety and choice than existed even a few years ago, and we should be very thankful that this is the case. The medium deserves to thrive.
I do not know what Jon Del Arroz has planned after wrapping up the series that got him started, but I'm sure it'll still contain that fun and sense of wonder his other works contain. There is no reason for him to stop now. There's no reason for any of us to stop!
Once again, you can back the final volume of Flying Sparks, Ultra Light Beams, on the campaign page here!
Welcome to the world of NewPub where anything can happen and anyone can put out whatever they want! There is quite the haul this time around, so stick around and check it out. The scene has been fairly active even this early in the year!
Up first is the above work, The Perils of Sasha Reed by NewPub scribe Rawle Nyanzi. This is a collected edition featuring his interconnected stories about Pit Girl Sasha Reed and her adventures through this madness she keeps finding herself pulled into.
The description:
THE KIDNAPPINGS WON'T STOP!
Pit girl Sasha Reed has a problem: every dirtbag on the planet wants to kidnap her! Her new subspace storage technology has attracted the attention of mutants, mad scientists, and the worst scum the Earth Sphere has to offer. Now Sasha and her gun-toting race car driver boyfriend must deal with all sorts of danger in this short story series!
If you've ever read anything by Mr. Nyanzi, and you should, then you know to expect wild fun of the kind you won't find anymore from the mainstream. Once again, you can check The Perils of Sasha Reed out here.
Up next we have something a bit larger in size: this the Hero's Medal Demibus by TJ Marquis which is a heavy metal adventure with a pulp spirit. It combines his two books into one omnibus, for a limited time! You will only be able to get it until the third book releases.
Young Pierce the spellsword and legendary mercenary band Gorgonbane come together to fight rising threats from deep within their hollow earth!
Devastating weapons and magic, over the top action, true heroes, and an earth-shaking heavy metal vibe. Great for fans of Conan, Masters of the Universe, and readers who just want a fun story.
Praise from Periapsis Press: "How Black the Sky is an enjoyable adventure full of hardcore action, valiant warriors, and thought-provoking themes. A great start to the Hero’s Metal series!"
Praise from author NR LaPoint: "A fun fantasy romp in a strange universe."
This 'demibus' volume collects books one and two of Hero's Metal - How Black the Sky Out of the Deep
It will be available for sale until the release of Hero's Metal book III, Fear the Four Towers. Get your copy while you can!
Once again, you can find this omnibus for this wild new series here.
For the third entry today, let us look at the third entry in DMR Books Renegade Swords series! It specializes in reprinting Sword & Sorcery series thought to be lost. The first two entries put out some surprises, and the third one continues in this vein.
Like an adventuring swordsman plundering ancient tombs, DMR Books makes another foray into the realm of time-lost tales and returns laden with treasures! Renegade Swords III, like the previous volumes in the series, collects rare tales of sword-and-sorcery and heroic fantasy that have unfairly gone neglected or unnoticed. Of the six stories and novellas herein, not one has ever been reprinted before, so you’re bound to discover something new to you!
Stories included: “A Ship of Monstrous Fortune” by Adrian Cole “Handar the Red” by James Cawthorn “Magic’s Price” by Lars Walker “Quest of the Veil” by Gene Deweese “The Fire-Born” by Paul W. Ganley “The Black Tower” by Brian McNaughton and Robert E. Briney
Oh wait, but we have yet another project for you. This time it a is kickstarter from the ever reliable Cirsova. It is for the long running space opera series Wild Stars!
If you've ever backed a Cirsova campaign, you know you're in for a treat!
If you've missed out on the series so far there are also options to help you catch up. Basically, this campaign has it all.
Here is the description:
What Are the Wild Stars?
75,000 years ago, an immortal being from another universe known only as the Ancient Warrior led mankind on an exodus to the stars in the face of a massive alien invasion. While the branch of humanity remaining behind survived the Marzanti attempt to terraform earth into a paradise for aquatic alien nightmares, their cousins settled in the distant reaches of space known as the Wild Stars.
The Artomique Paradigm takes place at the first formal reunion of Earth and their Wild Stars cousins. Erlik, the son of the Ancient Warrior, and former President Bully Bravo hope that a summit between the myriad factions now populating space will bridge gaps and build trust throughout the galaxy. However, the Artomique Corporation aims to become one of the dominant players in Earth and interstellar politics using the stolen Wild Star technology they acquired in the late 20th Century. For them, this meeting is an opportunity to solidify Artomique Earth's dominance over the stars and implement the Artomique Paradigm.
A secret alliance between the Artomique Corporation and space pirates led by the notorious Red Queen threatens to turn the balance of power in the galaxy upside down!
You can find the ongoing campaign here on Kickstarter! There are just under two weeks left, so back it today.
If you thought we were done, well, you're mistaken. We have yet another project to come from a returning author. This time it is a the third book in Declan Finn's White OPs space opera series! This entry is entitled Main Street DOA, and it is a wild as the title says.
Sean Patrick Ryan's White Ops team has survived two wars, pirates, a cannibalistic alien horde from another galaxy, space jihadis, and political maneuvering. Their boss thinks they deserve a break and sends them to the "happiest place in the galaxy."
Luckily for Sean, terrorists take over the amusement planet before he can lose his mind.
To stop the terrorists, White Ops will have to battle a weaponized planet, including cloned dinosaurs, giant sharks, animatronic amusements and a doomsday device that will destroy the planet.
And when the deadliest assassin alive joins the fray, whose side will he be on?
You can find the third entry in the above series here!
Oh, and we're still not done.
Lastly I wanted to highlight another crowdfund project, this time for the second issue in the Chronicles of Faith comic series. This one is about King David from the Old Testament.
David's story is ubiquitous. The underdog vs. the giant. But it goes much deeper than that. David's story is one of a human man who had faults, but who also had faith in God. When he was on top, he praised God in love and obedience and when he was at his lowest, he sought God's face in repentance and humbleness.
He knew that it was never about him, but instead, about God...and that's why he was called "a man after God's own heart".
This is the story we've set out to tell. The ENTIRE story of David, from beginning to end...and we're bringing every skill we posses to the table.
We're Brainy Pixel Productions and Mercy Ways Studios, two Christian production studios from two different countries who speak two different languages, whom God has brought together to tell a story that's WAY bigger than us.
So big, in fact, that WE NEED YOU! We need you to help us raise the money to fund the production of Issue 02 of this saga. Issues 00 and 01 are complete, but we cannot continue without YOUR HELP.
To find out more about what they need to complete this project you can once again find it here! This quite the ambitious crowdfunding campaign.
And, yes, that is finally it!
Thanks for supporting so many artists and writers in NewPub and allowing them to create new projects of the sort the mainstream industry is incapable of making. None of this would be possible without all of you.
As for my own projects, well, something recently came up and I need to reassess what to proceed with next. Nonetheless, there is quite a lot on the way, including a story in the upcoming issue of Cirsova magazine! In regards to what else is coming, that will be revealed sooner than you might think. Even though it's been a long time coming.
Have a pleasant March. Spring is here, and the warm days are on the way. Things are looking up around here!
