Issue 267: “…If My Arm Was Still Attached.”

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Came a time when JimmyZ’s arm fell off.

At least, that’s the predicament my old pal thought he was in apparently.

“It would be easier to eat these,” JimmyZ said as he wrestled with a pork belly skewer, “if my arm was still attached.”

You see, Jimmy and I had been on the road all day, driving through rain and wind and hail, to get to Omaha in advance of Free Comic Book Day. Neither of us had really eaten much on the trip, which kept getting longer and longer thanks to storms and construction and traffic jams. So, by the time we reached our destination, we were both starving and running way behind.

I had two items on my agenda that I wanted to accomplish—hit the barcade and check out the tiki bar. We had reservations at the tiki bar at 10:30. We figured we’d most certainly be able to grab a quick snack somewhere in the vicinity of those two spots.

But food was not easy to find.

Drinks, yes, but not food.

Therein lies the problem.

On the way out of our hotel, I already saw the troubles ahead. A security robot—like something straight out of Chopping Mall—stood outside the entrance. While we waited for our Uber, JimmyZ could not resist accosting this robot, which started hooting loudly. I’m sure it was about to kill Jimmy with taser lightning or a hidden claw, but our car arrived and we dashed away.

We stopped first at Barcade 2, which was a lot of fun. They had a nice selection of pinball and arcade cabinets. I played an original edition Space Invaders (with the buttons instead of a joystick), Galaga, Mr. Do, Centipede, and a few others. I also played a new-to-me game that I thought was an absolute blast—Nidhogg 2. I loved it!

Leaving the barcade, we popped into the Tiny House Bar, which we thought might have food. Again, there was no food to be found… but I did have a Death and Taxes Old Fashioned and JimmyZ had some sort of hot chai and rum beverage.

And, so, still starving and a little buzzed, we walked our happy asses through town to find the tiki bar, Laka Lono, which actually had food! We ordered a few things and had some drinks while waiting.

Tiki drinks, as you know, are often deceptively strong, especially when you’re haven’t eaten, doubly especially when you’re ordering the ones marked with a little skull denoting a “boozy” beverage. Therefore, by the time our food got there, poor JimmyZ’s arm had gotten detached.

I dunno.

I just went along with it.

Jimmy also informed me that, we were only 24 when we first met all those years ago. We were not, my friends. He apparently believes he is a decade younger than he is. We got into bit of an argument over this, with Jimmy proclaiming, “I know how old I are!” But he realized the error of his ways quickly enough.

I was only going to have two drinks, but a Tom Waits song started playing, and I took that as a sign to have just one more. Still, I assure you, I kept my senses and composure the entire night.

I think I even did a little work when I got back to the hotel.

The next morning, we headed to Krypton Comics for Free Comic Book Day festivities. I gotta tell you, this store is something special. Just a really cool, magical place, a combination of all the new comics and comic-related stuff you might want along with awesome nostalgic awesomeness to thrill and delight. Dean and company are just delightful folks. I can’t recommend this store enough!

As I started the day, I thought I’d stand all day long… like Brian Hurtt and I did 15 years ago when The Sixth Gun #1 came out on Free Comic Book Day. That only lasted a few hours, though. After that I was up, down, and wandering the shop a bit.

There was a moment during the day when I was briefly overwhelmed with anxiousness and self doubt. When that happened, I hopped out for some fresh air, found a nearby Mexican joint, and sipped a skinny margarita to calm my nerves. I might have even grabbed a second one to go.

Noah from Team Krypton then brought in one of the coolest things I’ve ever signed. I mean… just look at this thing!

That night, we had a great dinner with Team Krypton. Otherwise, we called it an early evening.

All in all, a great trip. It was awesome to spend some time with JimmyZ again. We talked about life, work, hopes, fears, comics, and writing. We brainstormed new ideas. We came up with a lot of action items. It was a nice creative energy boost for both of us, I think. We’ll be cooking up some cool things, individually and together, over the next several months—so stay with us!

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Mark Tweedale put together an awesome visual representation of the last fifteen years of The Sixth Gun I thought I’d share here. It’s hard to believe the book has been around as long as it has!

And we’re not done yet!

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Over on CULLEN BUNN’S MONSTER CLUB, a group of readers have formed a book club for THE SIXTH GUN. If you’re a fan of the title, you should check that out and join in the conversation. It’s been fun for me and has reminded me of some elements of the story that I had forgotten. This week, the discussion has focused on DAYS OF THE DEAD.

It’s a big week for new Cullen Bunn books! It reminds me of the good old days, when I had 3 or 4 books coming out EVERY week. Those days, by the way, were hectic and crazy and overwhelming… and I never want to go back to that… but, gods, it was also a fun time for me.

JUMPSCARE #3

Jumpscare is Empire City's hottest new (horror) hero. All she wants to do is hack and slash evil while soaking up the adoration of her many fans. But a gruesome mutant called Grindhouse has kidnapped Jumpscare's sister. In order to save her sister from probable death and almost certain mutation, Jumpscare will need to call on every horror movie weapon in her arsenal. But Grindhouse isn't the worst of Jumpscare's problems! A hideous group of cultists — the Dismal Concordat — is hatching devious and deadly plans for your new favorite vigilante.

DEADPOOL KILLS THE MARVEL UNIVERSE… ONE LAST TIME #2

Wade Wilson has a lot weighing on his conscience, like a universe's worth. In fact, like a specific universe's worth... What kind of evil could Deadpool destroy to even that out? And why is this universe's S.H.I.E.L.D. dressed in HYDRA unifo–? Oh... That'll work.

GATCHAMAN #9

Murder-bots are on a rampage! Galactor unleashes a horde of terrible cybernetic nightmares upon the International Science Organization! Jinpei, who is still recovering from injuries in the line of duty, must fight for survival alongside the Beta Team!

OUR BRILLIANT RUIN #2

Based on the tabletop RPG of the same name, Our Brilliant Ruin depicts a world where intricate social ties of allegiance and conflict are tested by the Ruin — a malignant force that corrodes the world and turns people into horrific creatures. The plot thickens at Crane Mansion after the discovery of Alexander Valgreave's body. While suspicions grow between the partygoers, Piedmont Accord investigator Elizabeth Ranseur begins to unravel the mystery — only to discover it may be more tragic than anyone could guess...

This week I rewatched the original Salem’s Lot miniseries, and I gotta tell you, I still love it so much. It is a product of its era, yes, but that works in its favor, I think. It also has some of the scariest scenes ever filmed for television… and they still hold up!

I also watched Heart Eyes, which I enjoyed for the romantic comedy with a slasher that it is.

I continue to watch and enjoy the current season of Survivor. I feel like this is one of the best seasons in a long, long time.

Here’s a quick rundown of convention appearances, signings, and other events. Keep in mind, all appearances are subject to changes and cancellations.

May 30 - June 1 - Tremendicon, Springfield MO

June 21 - Route 66 Toy and Comic Convention, Lebanon MO

LINKTREE - Links! Links! Links! This will get you everywhere worth visiting!

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!