Issue 243: He Still Lurks Among Us
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Every now and then, I get fixated on “writing gear.” Special notebooks. Book stands for my desk. Note cards. Note card holders. Pens. Magnetic Post-It Notes. “The perfect bag” in which to carry all my gear.
I’ve been in that mode for a few days. I’ve been searching “productivity tools” for writers; glaring with disgust and despair at my writer’s bag; pacing my office as I imagine a better desk, a better chair, a better organizational system. I’ve ordered sticker tabs to highlight the sections of next year’s calendar. I’ve gathered my Moleskine cahiers and Field Note journals. I’ve sorted index cards into ready-to-go packets for on-the-move note-taking.
I’ve been eyeing the new Remarkable Tablet. I’ve used the previous models quite a bit over the last few years. They have been life-savers and game-changers in terms of note-taking. The new version, though, has color features and (more importantly to me) has a backlight. It’s not cheap, but I’ve been saving up.
Then my iPad died.
It’s been on its last legs for a while. I knew it was coming. Still rocked me back on my heels.
I treat my iPad as my primary laptop computer… and it gets a lot of use. I prefer my iPad to my desktop computer for—I dunno—nine out of ten tasks that I perform on a daily basis.
Losing the iPad, even for a couple of days, was a little nerve-wracking. The good news was, my iPad is so old that I was able to replace it relatively cheaply. And there was no need to buy a new keyboard for a new model. I think the new models look great, but I don’t need all that fanciness to get my writing done. The bad news was, I had to spend my Remarkable tablet money to get the iPad. But my current Remarkable works just fine, albeit not in glorious backlit color, and the upgrade isn’t really needed at the moment.
Also, I need to remember, there’s only one piece of writing gear I need…
…and everything else—the notebooks, the pens, the bags, the tablets—is just ornamentation. Sure, I need something to write with and something (besides restroom walls) to write upon, but I can—and have—written with borrowed pens on beer-soaked napkins. All the fancy gear is sweet, but I can manage with whatever might be close at hand.
(This newsletter, for example, was written in blood on a piece of tree bark.)
The weekend was so pleasant, I can’t help but think about my obituary.
Sometimes, that’s how it goes.
Saturday was my birthday. I didn’t do a big stupid celebration this year. Played it a little more lowkey and it was great. Birthdays, though, always make me dwell on my own mortality, so I put those moments of morbidity to good use. I wrote my obituary as I would like it to appear in public announcements:
“He still lurks among us.”
I think that’s the message I want to leave behind.
CULLEN BUNN’S TRIPLE THREAT OF TERROR is less than $400 away from its funding goal! I think we could get there today if only a few more folks head over the the campaign and give us some support! We’ve got three cool one-shot comics up for grabs. You can get them digitally, in print, autographed, or even blood-soaked!
And… just check out this DEATH DUEL WITH THE CHAINSAW WITCHES image Diogo Carvalho just sent me!
Pretty rad, right?
THE AUTUMN KINGDOM #3
The deathly dark fairy tale from master of horror Cullen Bunn (Invasive, Harrow County) and Christopher Mitten (Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.) descends the treacherous path toward its bloody conclusion! Sommer and Winter continue their desperate search for their parents, stolen in the night by monsters and taken as sacrifices to the dying fae realm known as the autumn kingdom. When they encounter a fearsome huntress, the sisters rely on the powers of the mysterious sword as their battle rages through the forest, only to discover their enemy is more familiar than expected . . .
ARKHAM HORROR: THE TERROR AT THE END OF TIME #3
After their encounter with Olmstead, Joe and Jenny are hurtled through the depths of time. With prehistoric beasts on their tail — and bound by the whims of the artifact — Joe and Jenny must find their way home. But where will they end up next? And what terror awaits them at the end of time
A visual representation of some of the things that I’ve been geeking out over of late.
THE SHOCK SHOP - My online store, where you can find exclusive covers you can only get directly from me!
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.
MY AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE - Listen. You should always shop at your local comic and bookstore first, but if they don’t carry the books you want, you might be able to get them here. And, if nothing else, leave some reviews of the books you love!
Happy (belated) birthday!! 🥳🎂 I’ve definitely gotten hung up on “gear” and had to remind myself writing isn’t about the particular pen/notebook/tablet. Thanks for sharing another great newsletter!