Issue 157: From Random Observations… a Mission Statement
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A couple of observations from the last few days that have been sticking with me:
My son spent much of the week away from home. He attended the Missouri Music Educators Conference as part of the Missouri All-State Orchestra. It’s a big deal that he made it into the event, but it’s not by chance. He practices with is violin for hours a day. He works hard and deserved to be part of All-State. I’m very proud of him.
We picked him up yesterday afternoon. We assumed he’d be exhausted and crash early. That’s not the case. Instead, we asked if some friends could come over for a sleepover. They’ve been up all night. As I write this, it is 6:45 am. They are still up, laughing, talking, playing video games, and eating all the food in the house.
We hadn’t been planning on friends coming over last night, so we didn’t have a lot of snacks. So, I hopped in the Jeep and headed to the store for chips and soda. On the way, I drove behind a car that had mounted a little plastic skeleton to an antennae. As the car moved and the wind rushed past, the skeleton bobbed around, its arms swinging wildly, like it was dancing.
I don’t have the dedication and drive my son has, not anymore. I still work pretty hard, but I just can’t stay as focused as I once did. Part of it is I’m tired, not necessarily physically (though that comes next), but mentally for sure. I’ve got a lot of cool, exciting things coming up in the next year, but sometimes I just feel worn out and worn down. I have bursts of focus and dedication, though. They used to be commonplace. Now I need to learn to harness them a little more.
I definitely don’t have my son’s energy. I’m getting old. I feel it every day. If I stay up late hanging out with friends, I pay for it for a week after. In addition to my rapid descent into entropy, I’m just not taking care of myself the way I should. Stress leads to eating too much and moving not nearly enough. If I want to be around to take as many naps as I want, I’m gonna have to focus on improving my health. I’ve whistled that tune before, many times, but this time I’m whistling with conviction.
That skeleton.
Why was there a skeleton on the back of that car? I mean, it’s not Halloween.
The answer, of course, is simple.
Spooky shit is fun.
That simple concept should be my mission statement going forward. I believe it. I try to inject that into the stuff I’m working on. I’m going to do my very best to help others see that and embrace that in the days to come.
Of course, I mentioned Outer Shadows last week.
That’s my new horror imprint from Outland Entertainment.
But there’s something else that will be announced soon. Something team Hustle and Heart have been cooking up and working on since its inception. I can’t say much about it at all right now, but I’ll share this image as a hint.
Stay tuned on that one.
But, trust me, it honors my “spooky shit is fun” mission statement in a big way.
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
BEYOND MORTAL - Finishing up the horror/superhero epic
THE CULT OF THAT WILKIN BOY - An Archie horror one-shot
SWORDS IN THE SHADOWS - A swords and sorcery and horror fiction anthology I’m editing
I’LL KILL YOU LAST - An 80s action/horror fiction anthology I’m editing
RAZE - A dark fantasy/horror novella
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: 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: 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: ARCANA - a dark fantasy series
PROJECT: BUSINESS - a new horror/action/comedy series
PROJECT: HOAX - a horror limited series
Work Update…
I’m starting over once again! Let’s see how I do this year!
150 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)
4 two-sentence horror stories (10 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…
Last week, I started watching THE BLACKLIST, thinking it would be a fun distraction to watch James Spader chewing scenery as a modern Moriarty-like character helping the FBI take down other criminals. Well… it’s more than a distraction. I’m officially obsessed. The weekly criminals are fine. Some are much more interesting than others. But I’m most interested in the ongoing conspiracy that is unfolding.
I also started watching SHAMELESS, which is another show I waited too long to jump on board with. Cindy started watching it on her own, but waited for me to catch up so we can keep watching together. And it’s pretty great. It reminds me a little of too many people I know, but that’s part of the appeal, I guess.
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.
Someone on Reddit likes your stuff! https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/10t4wb7/the_empty_man_is_one_of_the_best_horror_movies/