Issue 270: Warrior Needs Food… Badly
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As I write this, rain is pouring outside and a thunder is crashing, causing our little dog Samson to bark and growl, as if he can turn back nature itself with his ferocity. This all seems very familiar, probably because the last three nights have been storm-ridden. The combination of thunder and Samson’s rage has been keeping me up for the past several nights. I don’t mind a good storm, but the repeat visits are starting to wear thin. Samson’s got my back, though. He’s not giving up his claim to the territory. Sooner or later, he’ll frighten the tempest back to the void.
Last issue, I mentioned that the lovely Cindy Bunn had described the week—loaded as it was with concerts and recitals and school meetings and other appointments—as a gauntlet. She wasn’t wrong. I think, though, this past week and this coming week are continuations and variations of the madness.
Gauntlets, like this storm, have a way of perpetuating themselves.
This last week, I was scrambling to address the second round of edits on my upcoming novel BONES OF OUR STARS, BLOOD OF OUR WORLD. I’m pleased with how it has shaped up, but (as mentioned before) every time I delve into the book, I find a ton of little things I want to expand upon or change. Why can’t I simply be satisfied?
I turned in a script for the final issue of my first Ignition Press comic! The book hasn’t been announced yet, but I think you’re going to get a huge kick out of it.
Hell… I just now realized that the comic might have conjured this storm.
First issues and final issues are tough, but this one came together in ways that surprised even me! The only headache? I was writing a huge chunk of the script on my iPad. Pages and pages. For some reason, though, the file didn’t synch with my computer and an error in the synch locked me out of the document entirely. I had to re-write the entire thing.
Also this week, Cindy and I decided to embark on a massive spring cleaning project I’ve been calling the Merciless Purge. We’re getting rid of a lot of junk that has piled up over the years, either throwing it away, donating it, or selling it. There’s a lot of work and organization to be done, especially in our garage. It makes me a little sad, if I’m being honest, because it feels like everything is decaying around me. It feels like I’ve wasted so much money, time, and energy on things that are just getting pitched.
Tremendicon takes place in a few days, and I’m pretty excited to hang out with the talented group of writers who will be present. I’m running the Writer Track again this year, and I think we have a great line-up of panels for the event. My pal JimmyZ is coming into town a little early, so I’ve gotta get the house ready for a guest!
Tuesday is going to be a tough one to get any writing done, because I have back-to-back-to-back phone calls and Zoom meetings.
There’s no rest for me, though! Over the last few days, I’ve challenged myself to come up with several more NEW pitches for new projects. They could be comics, short stories, novellas. I managed to come up with what I think are 8 solid ideas, which I think is pretty great. I‘ve already sent a batch of them to my editor.
All this PLUS I want to get one more script done before JimmyZ arrives!
The Gauntlet awaits!
For fans of THE SIXTH GUN, I thought you might like to see all of the cover art that has been released THUS FAR for the new series. Obviously, we’ve got Brian Hurtt in the mix, but also Chris Mitten, Valerie Burzo, Matt Kindt, Justin Greenwood, Emily Schnall, and Brian Level. There will also be foil-stamped variants, black and white variants, and blank variants!
The Kickstarter of ULTIMATE OZ UNIVERSE, VOL. 1: THE LOST LANDS is rolling right along. The project has funded and is barreling towards the second stretch goal!
This limited 144+ page hardcover collectible’s edition is your gateway to a rarely-explored side of OZ — one oozing with whimsical magic, much like the story we all know and love, but bringing about the more mysterious secrets long buried in the sands of time.
There also a ton of other cool items in the mix, so I hope you’ll check it out!
(By the way, I didn’t write the description of the book for the campaign, but “oozing” is a fun word that inspires the notion of OOZING OZ—the eldritch, weird horror take on the setting. I’m sure someone has done that already, but I like the idea.)
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 DUST TO DEATH.
This week’s GIFs present a code that unlocks the most startling of secrets! What secrets? I can’t tell you! They’re secret!
Also, I have no clue.
Well, on Wednesday night I went to Subway and got myself a gigantic sandwich loaded with everything. I came home, poured myself a Diet Coke, and turned on live TV—LIVE TV! With commercials and everything!—and watched the season finale of SURVIVOR. It was like it was 20 years ago! Hands down, this was the best season in a loooooooong time. The players were likable (including a couple of the most likable folks ever to be on the show), the stories hit home, the gameplay was solid, and—while I had in mind who would be winning—there were moments when I wasn’t 100% sure. Throughout the episode, JimmyZ and I were texting one another our thoughts on how it might go. Great TV… but now I have to wait til the fall for the next season!
For whatever reason, I decided to re-watch a handful of the NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET movies, notably 2, 3, and 4. Part 2 is weak, I know, but it has some great moments and it tried to do something a little different. I also think the version of Freddy in Part 2 is one of the creepier versions. Obviously, Part 3 defined what most people think of when they think of Freddy movies. I’ve always been quite fond of Part 4. As my buddy Tim points out, Part 4 has a lot less Dokken, which is true. But it has a lot more Dramarama.
I’ve been listening to a lot of Sturgill Simpson this week, especially after recommending to some friends that they watch SOUND AND FURY on Netflix. I might need to watch that again myself, now that I think about it. It’s a violent, fever dream, anime music video set to Simpson’s badassery.
Earlier, I mentioned Tremendicon. Since the very first Tremendicon, there has been a writer who has been attending every panel, taking diligent notes, trying to make something cool happen. The writer’s name is Pierre Casey, and he has a comic/OGN coming out in just a few days! I think that’s pretty awesome for him. You can check out THE ADVENTURES OF ALEXANDER AND MERLIN here.
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!
