Issue 154: Peering Out, Post Apocalypse
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Welcome to the Party…
2023 started… literally within the first fifteen minutes… with a trip to the all-night emergency vet, followed by 30-something hours of sleeplessness, followed by a weird breakdown of appliances around the house and a strange degradation of many of the regular systems we have in place to make sure our world is running the way it is supposed to.
It came out swinging!
But did I moan my fate and weep and curse the Heavens like some sort of simpering, weak, pathetic baby?
You bet your ass I did.
Look, when life doesn’t just give you lemons, but lets the lemons dry to rock-hard projectiles that are then hurled at your skull at top speed, it’s all right to not be all right. Anyone who tells you otherwise is… well… some sort of self-righteous ass who dwells in the Kingdom of Fantastica and has never felt the crushing weight of the real world. And I wasn’t “all right” for a good 48 hours.
I’m just fine now, though.
Because I have a family that I love and who supports me. I have friends who will stick by my side. I have a future I’m still excited about.
Because, as I need to remind myself, I’m Cullen %&@#ing Bunn.
Hello, 2023.
We’re gonna be friends. I just know it.
(I mean, yes, you’re gonna be that friend I always remember as a bit of an asshole… but that’s how people think of me, too!)
I hope the year’s gotten off to a great start for you. But if it hasn’t. There’s no shame in letting your sorrow and self pity flag fly for a little bit.
Work has gotten off to a strong start this year. I have a pretty good plan for what I have to do for the rest of the year. I have a bunch of comics outlined. I took a bunch of prep phone calls and meetings. I wrote a handful of script pages.
I realize that if I write just 5 script pages a day—every day—I’ll be way ahead on my work. Now, that doesn’t necessarily hold up when deadlines are tight and looming, as they are in the coming week, but it’s a good benchmark.
That leaves me a lot of time to work on GOBLINVILLE, the novel I promised myself I’d finish LAST year, the book I’m damn well going to finish THIS year. And there is a lot more prose on the horizon!
Some of the meetings I took were really exciting, and there will be some really cool announcements in the next couple of weeks!
Stay tuned on that, because the OUTER SHADOWS are looming.
And… as you’ll notice below… I’ve added a couple of new mysteriously codenamed projects to my Things to Come.
I started going through my collection, weeding out the books and magazines I’m going to get rid of. Sometimes, these are duplicates. Sometimes, these are random volumes in collections I’ll never finish. Sometimes, these are books I’m not sure why I bought in the first place. I’m clearing off shelves, making way for the things that mean a lot to me, curating the collection a little more, replacing some softcovers with hardcovers, and just… focusing. Not sure how I’m going to sell these books off… but this is just the beginning. Phase One, so to speak. Comics and boardgames… and more books… are next.
Patreon…
Here’s a list of the cool stuff I’ve posted on Patreon in the past week!
The funding from Patreon helps me create new comics and prose. Sometimes, it is the last line of defense when it comes to paying my bills.
I use the platform to post stories, novels, comics, how-to essays, scripts, sneak peaks of upcoming projects, and behind-the-scenes details you can’t find anywhere else.
If you are not a patron, please consider signing up.
Reader Questions…
Here are some questions for this week! If you have questions you’d like to see answered in the newsletter, please send them my way!
Alic asks:
Of all the comic books you’ve written, what are your top 3 or so favorites? And of all the comic books you’ve read by other creators, what are your top 3 or so favorites.
Wow, Alic.
Ask an easy couple of questions, why don’t you?
It’s tough for me to answer actually.
When someone asks me what comic of mine they should start with, I always name two series—THE SIXTH GUN and HARROW COUNTY. With those two books, there is no false modesty. They’re terrific. Along with the rest of the creative team, I was able to do exactly what I wanted with those stories. No crazy editorial derailments. No shortening of the runs. The tales were told as they were meant to be told. If you haven’t read those, well, you need to fix that.
Beyond those two obvious choices… wow… it’s difficult to choose from among my beloved children.
DEATH FOLLOWS for a short, self-contained horror story.
REGRESSION for weird, twisty horror.
BONE PARISH for supernatural crime.
THE DAMNED would be listed here, but we kept getting thrown off our game with that book. It will be finished at some point, and I’m pretty sure it will rise to a place of honor in my heart and soul.
As for books from other creators, that’s also difficult, and the list might change every time you ask me. Bill Mantlo’s MICRONAUTS. Jim Starlin’s DREADSTAR. Alan Moore’s SWAMP THING. Those immediately spring to mind as pretty awesome books for me.
New Comics This Week…
BLOODBORNE: THE LADY OF THE LANTERNS
NEW COMIC SERIES BASED ON THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED GOTHIC GAMING HIT, BLOODBORNE!
Enter the city of Yharnam through the eyes of its citizens, when new hunters take to the streets to fight against the cruel and unusual epidemic that has gripped the city. In the black of the night, families and faith will be tested...
Things to Come…
Here is a quick and dirty list of upcoming projects. In most cases, I’m only listing projects that are definitely on the schedule with a published. Oftentimes, I will not be able to share much information, but I can at least tease the future! Everything here is, of course, subject to change.
A FOULNESS IN THE WALLS - A horror one-shot about loss and grief and guilt.
NIGHTWALKERS - A survival horror series that sets up a whole world of apocalyptic nightmares.
RED ZONE - An action/comedy thrill-ride. unlike anything else I’ve ever written.
PROJECT: GHOST - A horror maxi-series exploring a side of horror you might not expect
BLOODBLADE - An action/horror story of destiny and demonic blood
PROJECT: BOT - A sequel to a story of robotic mischief.
PROJECT: MASK - A horror OGN where reality and surreality clash in a murderous way.
PROJECT: WATER HEATER - An apocalyptic horror/fantasy maxi-series.
PROJECT: DUNGEON - A new licensed horror comic series
PROJECT: CONVOY - A horror/thriller I’m co-writing
PROJECT: MATINEE - A horror limited series I’m working on with one of my best friends and long-standing collaborator
PROJECT: SWORD - A horror prose anthology I’m editing
PROJECT: V - A return to a fan-favorite character I haven't written in quite a while.
PROJECT: PREHISTORY - More kaiju craziness.
PROJECT: MEGA-BATTLE - Even More kaiju craziness.
PROJECT: LAST - A horror prose anthology I’m editing.
PROJECT: RUSH - A horror prose anthology I’m editing.
PROJECT: GALLERY - An RPG project I’ve been quietly developing.
PROJECT: CARD - A magical one-shot.
PROJECT: CROSSROADS - A horror one-shot
PROJECT: ARCANA - a dark fantasy series
Work Update…
I’m starting over once again! Let’s see how I do this year!
15 pages of comic book scripts (1710 in 2022)
0 feature length screenplay (0 in 2022)
0 half-hour comedy pilot (1 in 2022)
0 short film script (1 in 2022)
0 short stories (9 in 2022)
0 novellas (0 in 2022)
1 two-sentence horror stories (1 in 2022)
0 new comic book series proposals (29 in 2022)
0 podcast proposals (0 in 2022)
0 essay (0 in 2022)
0 foreword for upcoming graphic novels (0 in 2022)
0 television series proposal (0 in 2022)
Events…
Keep in mind, these days, "finalized" doesn't mean as much as it once did. All events are subject to change. I hope to be adding more conventions in the near future! Stay tuned!
FEBRUARY 4, 2023 - ArtCon, Neosho, MO
MARCH 17 - 19, 2023 - Planet Comicon, Kansas City MO
JUNE 24, 2023 - Route 66 Toy and Comic Convention, Lebanon MO
JULY 7 - 9, 2023 - Tremendicon, Springfield MO
Weekly Obsessions…
This week, I’ve been reading the novelization of ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD (far and away my favorite Tarantino movie). Some of the dates/timing of the story is off for me, but I do enjoy the deeper look at the story, and the voices of Rick and Cliff are spot on. I can hear Pitt and Decaprio when I read the novel.
I’ve watched quite a few movies in the last week.
GLASS ONION - I loved it at least as much as KNIVES OUT.
THE MENU - Loved it. I want to watch it again, because I feel like I missed some things.
NO ONE GETS OUT ALIVE - Loved it. Very cool companion to THE RITUAL. I definitely need to read some more Adam Nevill novels.
Where to Find Me Online…
THE SHOCK SHOP - My online store, where you can find exclusive covers you can only get directly from me!
TWITTER - This is the best place to interact with me online. My handle is @cullenbunn
TIKTOK - A fun spot for quick videos about writing, comics, and collecting
PATREON - Here, I post a serialized novel, a serialized comic book, short stories, and other cool materials.
THE CULLEN BUNN DISCORD SERVER - A place for fans to hang out and talk about comics, books, movies, games, collecting, and whatever else strikes their fancy.
THE BUNNGALOW - Cindy and I talk about life, hot button topics, pop culture, being married to a comic book writer and EVERYTHING in between.
Thanks for the answer to my question. 🙏 For me: Basilisk, so good. Parasomnia, very cool. And Monsters Unleashed!! BTW, seems like Micronauts is a consistent fave, since I’m one interview, you answered that it would be a title you’d want with you if you were stranded on an island 🏝️ 😆
More PROJECT: KAIJUs pleeeze! 🥳
Best project name, imo: PROJECT: WATER HEATER 🤣
Some good stuffs in those stacks!