Issue 272: Jimmy Dropped the Button

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Let’s start today’s issue with a little mystery!

This video (featuring camera work by Tim Parker, music by Roman Bunn, and rainy day driving by yours truly) is a clue to the nature of my very first Ignition Press comic.

Any guesses?

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In my defense, I hadn’t eaten anything all day.

Sometimes, it works like that. I get so busy, so focused on whatever I’m doing, I forget to eat. Until dinner. And, on this occasion, dinner was accompanied with great conversation with good friends.

And by a giant margarita.

And maybe—just maybe—I also had an old fashioned at some point during the day. After dinner, Cindy, JimmyZ, and I had a couple of more fancy drinks at a nearby bar with Team Outland. Once I got home, JimmyZ and I had a little whiskey.

As you might imagine, those drinks hit like a freight train, and I was feeling pretty great.

It had been a little while since I just indulged in such a way. I had been pretty stressed for… I dunno… the last year… so I deserved it.

When I called it a night, I headed upstairs and hit the sack. Cindy, who was already trying to go to sleep, was lucky enough to hear me wax philosophically for a bit. And, as you might do when a powerful intellect shares their deepest considerations, she decided to record the conversations.

It went something like this:

“You know what?” I said. “Jimmy dropped the button.”

“What?” Cindy asked.

“Jimmy dropped the button,” I said, “and now he’s off the team.”

“Oh, no.”

“Wakka, wakka, wakka. That’s the sound Pac-Man makes.”

“What!?!”

“Pac-Man.”

“Well,” Cindy asked, luring me into a trap, “what sound does Donkey Kong make?”

“He sounds like this when he jumps on the building—braaaaaaaap, braaaaaaaap, braaaaaaaap! And then mario runs and jumps like this—brikka-brikka-brikka-bree-onnn! brikka-brikka-brikka-bree-onnn!”

And then I went to sleep.

No, I don’t know what JimmyZ did to get kicked off the team, but he probably deserved it.

No, I don’t know why I felt the need to share the sounds of Pac-Man, other than a love of awesome video games and a gift for sound effects.

No, you cannot see the video, at least not yet. I’ve considered handing it over to some animator friends and letting them create a cartoon around it, but I’m not sure yet.

Sharing this is my way of exorcising my shame.

And to warn you—don’t drop the button.

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Do you think Sir Elton John would like my video games sound effects? I like to imagine he would. I know he digs the upcoming ULTIMATE OZ UNIVERSE: THE LOST LANDS graphic novel (live on Kickstarter right now) because he is writing the foreword to the book!

As revealed today by People Magazine, the legendary musician behind “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” will pen the foreword for ULTIMATE OZ UNIVERSE: THE LOST LANDS, celebrating the magic, legacy, and enduring power of Baum’s OZ.

"Every moment with a book is precious and I was dazzled by the first instalment in the Ultimate Oz Universe, celebrating the legacy of Baum’s genius and the heritage of colour, unique characters and the triumph of goodness." — Elton John

Elton’s foreword will appear in both the Kickstarter hardcover and the book market softcover editions of the graphic novel.

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Right now, my son is in Peru on an adventure I’m certain he will never forget. The photos he’s been sending have been heartwarming and breathtaking and bittersweet. I’m so glad he’s able to go on this trip, but I miss him. I also know that the time I have to spend with him before he blasts off to college and to whatever the future holds for him is growing short.

While he’s away, I’m keeping myself busy with a ton of personal projects, phone calls, zoom meetings, and writing projects. Cindy and I are also going to take a couple of days and stay at the most haunted hotel in America.

When I return, I’ve got a more scripts to write, edits to make, and episodes of The Cullenoscopy to film. I’ve also been kicking around a big idea for a new project. I’m going to crack that concept this week and try to shape it into something awesome.

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This week’s gifs are few but, I think, tell the story of my life effectively.

DEADPOOL KILLS THE MARVEL UNIVERSE… ONE LAST TIME #3

Deadpool goes Gamma! What lengths will Wade Wilson go to to kill his next target, the Red Hulk? And what does he need from the Dark X-Men to do it?

GATCHAMAN #10

While Galactor's murderous robots wage war on the International Science Organization, a much more secret, much more sinister plan unfurls — and the repercussions may very well destroy the Science Ninja Team!

THE HEXILES TPB

Six strangers, all broken and burdened, find themselves at the funeral for the father they never knew. Their father sold their souls to Hell on the days they were born. They are now destined to serve demonic masters in spreading chaos and misery. Jamison Kreel is dead. Six of his children from six mothers are attending the funeral of a father they never met. Each of the children possesses a different infernal power. These powers, though, come at a terrible price... a price Jamison Kreel has placed upon the heads of his offspring. And the demonic debtors have come to collect.

I did manage to read a bit and watch a bit of TV this week.

I started reading SOMETHING IS KILLING THE CHILDREN. I’m only a couple of issues in, but I think it’s pretty good so far.

I re-watched some movies—including BECKY, WRATH OF BECKY, REVENGE, ROMEO MUST DIE, and NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 4: THE DREAM MASTER.

I watched PREDATOR: KILLER OF KILLERS, which I enjoyed. I thought the action sequences in the first couple of segments were pretty amazing. It made me want to write better action scenes.

Roman, Cindy, and I finally watched the end of COBRA KAI. It was a bit of goofy, adrenaline-laced nostalgia in which everyone was, indeed, kung-fu fighting, but I liked it. The last episode was bittersweet, especially watching it with my kid.

Cindy and I watched some AMERICA’S GOT TALENT. I always like the show during the initial auditions, but I often fall off before the season ends. We’ll see what happens this time around.

And then we watched TALES FROM THE CRESCENT, a documentary about the Crescent Hotel, where we’ll be staying this week.

And it was spooooOOOOooooooky!

Thus far, the Summer of Epic Fantasy has included:

THE KNIGHT OF SWORDS

THE QUEEN OF SWORDS

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

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

May 29 - June 1, 2026 - Tremendicon, Springfield 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!