February 2007
If you did not read my
homepage then let me start off with the big news this month. My
Sherlock Holmes radio adventure, "The Curse of the Petty Curses," will
be broadcast on Imagination Theater over XM Radio and several AM
stations in the United States and abroad.
In this original story a prominent British official is convinced that
his wife has placed a curse on him. Desperate to prove otherwise, the
wife asks Holmes to investigate, but as Holmes and his faithful friend,
Dr. John H. Watson, uncover the truth, they discover that they may not
be able to save their client and her husband from a curse that is far
worse than anything supernatural.
Imagination Theater is produced by Jim French Production, America's
premiere radio drama company. To find out more about "The Case of the
Petty Curses" or to find out which radio stations in your area broadcast
Imagination Theater, click here
www.harrynile.com
to check out their wonderful website.
A little comic book news to pass along. TransFuzion will release the
first of two "Worlds of H.P. Lovecraft" anthologies this May. This
anthology features the Malibu Graphics adaptations I wrote in the early
1990s with fantastic artwork by Brazilian artist Octavio Cariello. The
four stories included in this anthology are "The Lurking Fear," "Beyond
the Wall of Sleep," "The Tomb," and "The Alchemist." To find out more
and to keep up to date with this and other incredible TransFuzion
releases, click here
Transfuzion Forum to check out their new forum. You will be
glad you did.
I also recently finished a script for a 64-page graphic novel adaptation
of Edgar Rice Burroughs' "The People That Time Forgot." The publisher
has asked that I not reveal anything more than that just yet, but as
soon as I get the word I will post information about the publisher, the
release date, and more here on my website.
If you have not had a chance yet to check out my friend Barb Jacob's
incredible new webcomic XYLIA, all I can ask is, "What are you waiting
for?" Barb is at the top of her game on this delightful and suspenseful
tale that you have to see to believe. Click on this link
www.xyliatales.com
to see what I am talking about.
That
is all the news for this month. Winter is drawing to a close, so hang
in there until warmer weather arrives everyone. And, as always,
remember to support
the troops!
July 2007
Bad news and good news (sort of) on the TALISMEN front.
First the bad news. The TALISMEN: RETURN OF THE EXILE webcomic has run
its course. The fact of the matter is that, without a sponsor or some
other steady income support, it just became impossible to continue the
webcomics. With Barb Jacobs doing far and away the lion's share of the
work on the webcomic---plotting, drawing, lettering, coloring, and
co-scripting---five fantastic 22-page chapters of the webcomic were
completed and those pages will remain up at the Keenspot site for folks
to read and enjoy. (FYI: We are also keeping the Cafe Press store open
if you want to purchase a copy of TALISMEN: THE BOY IN THE WELL, the
2007 TALISMEN calendar, or a TALISMEN tee.) Considering all the
obstacles Barb had to overcome during the webcomic's run, not only the
amount and but the stunning quality of the work she produced is amazing
if not staggering, and I cannot tell you how proud I am to have been a
small part of this popular, award-nominated webcomic.
While on the topic of the webcomic, I would be remiss if I did not thank
our wonderful webmistress for TALISMEN: RETURN OF THE EXILE, the lovely
and gracious and uber-talented Kez! You are one in a million, Kez! I
would also like to thank the thousands and thousands of loyal fans who
made TALISMEN: RETURN OF THE EXILE one of the most visited and
talked-about webcomics on the Internet. Ditto the TALISMEN fans who
stopped by our table at Anime Detour in March to say hello. I think I
speak for Barb, too, when I say that knowing you all enjoyed the
webcomic made it all worthwhile.
Now for the good news about TALISMEN (sort of). The series is not dead!
The illustrated novel TALISMEN: THE KNIGHTMARE KNIFE is still coming out
from Mundania Press.
The reason I say that this is (sort of) good news is because I do not
know exactly when the novel will come out. TKK was first scheduled to be
released last January, and then rescheduled for March, and now...I don't
know. Do not blame Mundania Press. They are a young small publisher
experiencing a lot of success and these things happen. TKK will come
out, most probably before the end of the year, but as soon as I have a
firm release date I will post it here as well as at the TALISMEN
webcomic site at
www.talismenseries.com.
Cross your fingers and say your prayers, because my novella "House With
the Witch's Hat" could be coming your way as a movie or TV program in
the near future. Maybe. ICM, one of the "Big Five" talent agencies in
Hollywood, recently signed to represent all the stories in the WIZARD
ACADEMIES anthologies that "Witch's Hat" appeared. In Hollywood terms
this has all happened not only suddenly but unexpectedly, which is
encouraging, but having a talent agent is not the same as signing an
option with a studio. Still, it is nice to make this far. If anything
happens on this front I will let you know here.
While we are on the subject of WIZARD'S ACADEMIES, a lot of other nifty
stuff is happening besides the Hollywood interest. Later this year
"House With the Witch's Hat" will become HOUSE WITH THE WITCH'S HAT...a
novel! Alan Lance Andersen, head honcho of the WIZARD ACADEMIES
universe, has just released the first two titles in a new series of WA
YA novels: WIZARD ACADEMIES: RUMPOTS, CRACKPOTS, AND POOKA-MAZED
HALFWITS by Andersen and WIZARD ACADEMIES: A SPECIAL KIND OF TALENT by
Chris Malloy. If that isn't enough there is a new WA anthology, WIZARD
ACADEMIES III: CROSSROADS OF MAGICK! To find out more about these
wonderful books check out the WA storefront at
Lulu.com. Get
in on the ground floor and order some copies today! It could be that
2008 will turn out to be the year of the WIZARD ACADEMIES!
Finally this month, if you managed to miss this news on my homepage, I
have taken my Komikwerks articles on comics writing and adapted them
into a book called (get ready for it) COMICS WRITING. This new e-book
from Booklocker.com will guide you through the basics of communicating
through comics and features some awesome artwork by Christopher Jones
(BATMAN STRIKES!, DR. BLINK), Aldin Baroza (HEY, ARNOLD! THE MOVIES,
RUGRATS), Barb Jacobs (XYLIA, TALISMEN), Jason Yungbluth (MAD), and S.
Clarke Hawbaker (NOMAD, STARSLAYER). If this sounds good to you, then
check it out today by clicking
here.
Phew! I think that is enough for this month! Until next time, have a
great summer, and remember to support the troops!
February 2007
Lots of TALISMEN news, and the biggest news is the February 2007 release
of the first TALISMEN illustrated Young Adult novel, THE KNIGHTMARE
KNIFE! Published by Mundania Press (www.mundania.com),
this novel includes several gorgeous illustrations by the incredibly
talented Barb Jacobs! This is the first story in the TALISMEN series,
so if you've been dying to find out how the adventures of Colin, Reggie,
Ollie, Timmy, and Jennifer begin, then you have got to read THE KNIGHTMARE KNIFE! You can read a sample chapter from the novel
elsewhere on my website, and an original comic book adaptation of the
beginning of the novel by visiting the official
TALISMEN webcomic site!
Speaking of the TALISMEN website, the second chapter of RETURN OF THE
EXILE is roaring into 2007 with all new art from Barb Jacobs! Barb and
I are also proud to announce that the webcomic has been earned its
second Web Comics Creators Association nomination, this time for Best
Dramatic Comic! As any of our growing number of fans can tell you, when
it comes TALISMEN, the best is yet to come!
If
that isn't enough, Barb has added an item to our
TALISMEN
store at Cafe Press: The 2007 TALISMEN Calendar! Just visit the
store and you can preview all the eye-popping artwork Barb has created
for each month! No TALISMEN fan is going to want to go through 2007
without this calendar on their wall! And while you're in the TALISMEN
store, you can still order copies of the first TALISMEN novella, "Boy In
the Well," and a TALISMEN t-shirt!
Finally, Barb and I have been out promoting TALISMEN, beginning with
appearances at Wizard Comic Con in
Chicago
and
the Iowa I-Con in 2006. Barb and I were also recently interviewed by
Richard Pulfer for the Webcraft forum at his
HECTOR webcomic. In 2007, Barb and I have already confirmed that we
will be appearing at
Anime Detour in Minneapolis on March 23-25 . I am also exploring
other appearance opportunities to promote TALISMEN as well as my other
projects, and I will post news about any appearances here as soon as
they are confirmed.
Rewrites are finished on my Actionopolis book, HENRIETTA HEX AND THE
GHOSTS OF SPOOKS HOLLOW. My good buddy Christopher Jones is busy at
work on the book's illustrations, and samples of those illustrations
will appear here at the website as soon as they are ready.
Meanwhile, the first seven Actionopolis books are out and they are
getting excellent reviews from readers and critics alike. To find out
more about HENRIETTA HEX, check out the HH link on the homepage. To
find out more about Actionopolis and its wonderful line of books, check
out the
Actionopolis website.
Mundania Press
has announced release dates for the e-book versions of "The Sceptre: The
Frigid Castle" (created with my TALISMEN collaborator Barb Jacobs) and
the prequel to KING OF HARLEM, "Curse of Wrigley Field." "The Sceptre"
will be out in May 2007 and "Curse of Wrigley Field" will be released in
February 2008. Mundania will also be publishing e-versions of some of
my short stories, and as soon as I have an exact release dates for these
I will announce them here.
Finally, I have just finished expanding my WIZARD ACADEMIES novella
"House With the Witch's Hat" into a Young Adult novel. It is being
bundled with a couple of more WIZARD ACADMIES novels that are being
submitted to publishers. You can keep up with the latest news about
this here on my website by clicking on the WIZARD ACADEMIES link or by
visiting the official
WIZARD ACADEMIS
website.
That's all for now. Until next time, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year,
and have a great winter. And remember: SUPPORT OUR TROOPS!
ADDENDUM:
On
December 5, 2006, my dad, Donald Elroy Jones ("Sam" to his friends),
passed away. My dad came from a generation that wanted children to have
a better life than their parents. Starting life dirt poor with nothing
but his drive and determination to help him, my dad worked hard to give
my brothers and me that better life. In 1985 my dad started his own
business. Soon after was diagnosed with cancer and given six months to
live. My dad not only lived a lot longer than six months, he grew his
new business into a success, and now that business will live on after
him. When I was a boy I believed my family was rich (we weren't) and I
always felt like a big shot when a teacher or a friend at school would
say to me, "Hey,I saw your dad at the parking ramp when we were downtown
yesterday." My dad also earned the respect and friendship of many many
people in our town, from its business executives and politicians to the
workers and shoppers who parked in the
ramps and lots he managed. He treated them all the same, and if anyone
needed help, he was there. If all these things add up to a measure of
success, then my dad was exactly what I believe him to be: one of life's
winners. In memory of him, I'd like to ask a favor of you. My dad's
favorite charity was the Salvation Army, and because of him I can never
pass a Salvation Army bucket without making some small contribution.
The next time you pass one of these red buckets, would you drop a dime,
a quarter, a dollar or whatever you want into it for my dad. If you do,
thank you.
July 2006
There
is bad news and good news on the TALISMEN front.
BAD
NEWS: Atlantis Studios has
had to forego publishing the third and fourth issues of the TALISMEN
comic book mini-series and the graphic novel.
It was a tough decision for Atlantis to make, but the comic book
market is a tough one to crack right now.
Nevertheless, Atlantis gave it everything they could, and Barb
and I appreciate their effort.
GOOD
NEWS: This news doesn't
mean TALISMEN is finished yet. If
you haven't dropped by the TALISMEN website at www.talismenseries.com
lately, you have to check it out! There
is a new design to drool over and the sequel to the RETURN OF THE EXILE
story is under way. Speaking of ROTE, Barb Jacobs and I were floored to find out
the story was nominated for Best Fantasy Series by the Web Cartoonist
Choice Awards. Other
nominated strips include the fantastic and popular INVERLOCH and
EARTHSONG, so this is pretty heady company to be in, let me tell you.
Also, TALISMEN is featured in a recent article on The Pulse that
is archived at Comicon.com.
A little more bad news.
There will be no book of reviews of my favorite Independent comic
books coming out after all. McFarland
Publishing and I are both very keen on the idea, especially since quite
a bit of work had already been completed on it, but at least for now
circumstances beyond our control have forced the project's cancellation.
McFarland has asked me to submit a proposal for another
nonfiction book, and I have started work on that, but this time I will
wait until the manuscript is finished before I announce anything.
Dorchester
Publishing will release a paperback
edition of my western BUSHWHACKERS in August!
Paul Kirk and Jeb Moses ride again alongside a snazzy new cover!
And I have to tell you, it's really zippy to see one of my books
in the same catalogue with Max Brand and Ed Gorman!
BUSHWHACKERS
will be available in retail bookstores, over the net at places like Amazon.com
and BarnesandNoble.com,
and also at the Dorchester
Publishing website. If
you would prefer to order one of the original hardcover editions of
BUSHWHACKERS, you can still order one from Avalon
Books.
Have
you heard about TransFuzion
Studios? If you are an aspiring or established comic book artist, and
you are looking for an opportunity to collaborate with an experienced
comics writer and hopefully get your work in print, then you should
check us out.
TransFuzion writers consists of myself, former Caliber Comics
publisher Gary Reed, Marvel Comics writer Rafael Nieves, and former
Arrow Comics editor-in-chief Randy Zimmerman.
TransFuzion is not a publisher, but it may be the opportunity you
have been looking for.
Actionopolis
is a go! The first two
titles in this exciting new line of illustrated Young Adult books debut
this month, and there will be two more Actionopolis titles released
every month from here on. I
am proud to say that a book I wrote will become a part of this great
line next year: HENRIETTA HEX, PARANORMAL INVESTIGATOR!
My buddy Christopher
Jones (BATMAN STRIKES! DOCTOR BLINK) supplies the eye-popping
illustrations. To find out
more, check out the HENRIETTA
HEX page here on my website or visit the Actionopolis
website.
That's
all for now. Have a great and
safe summer, and remember: SUPPORT OUR TROOPS!
MARCH 2006
If
you have not been by the TALISMEN website lately, be sure to check it
out! It is easier than ever
before thanks to our simple new URL: www.talismen.spiderforest.com.
More and more people are visiting the site each day to read the
"Return of the Exile" webcomic, to check out the latest TALISMEN
news, and to take part in one of the friendliest forums on the Web.
So why not drop by and say howdy?
Speaking
of TALISMEN, issue two of the "Return of the Exile" comic book
limited-series is out from Atlantis Studios!
The artwork by my wonderful collaborator, Barb Jacobs, has never
looked better, so you will not want to miss seeing that.
You can still subscribe and receive all four issues of "Return
of the Exile" by visiting www.atlantisstudios.net/talismen.
All subscribers still receive a poster autographed by Barb and I,
and are automatically entered into a contest to win a gorgeous original
piece of TALISMEN framed artwork by Barb.
Do not miss out!
And
still speaking of TALISMEN, there is a new interview with Barb and I up
at Comicatalog.com [http://www.comicatalog.com/interview02202006.htm].
I
have just agreed to write a book for the exciting new Actionopolis line
of illustrated Young Adult novels (www.actionopolis.com).
The name of the book is HENRIETTA HEX, PARANORMAL INVESTIGATOR,
and if things work out I will be writing more books featuring this
delightful character. I am
also very, Very, VERY happy to announce that my old partner-in-crime,
Christopher Jones (BATMAN STRIKES!), has agreed to illustrate the first
book. Other writers and
artists contributing to the Actionopolis line include Berni Wrightson
(SWAMP THING, THE STAND), Marv Wolfman (TOMB OF DRACULA, TEEN TITANS),
J.M. DeMatteis (ABADAZAD, JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA), Gary Reed
(DEADWORLD, ST. GERMAINE) and Louise Simonson (POWER PACK, SUPERMAN), so
believe me when I say I am jazzed, amped, and buzzing about this
project!
I am also writing a
book for McFarland Publishing that reviews some of my favorite
Independent comic books published between 1982 to 1996.
The book has no official title as yet, but some of the comic
books I am reviewing include MAGE, JON SABLE FREELANCE, D'ARC TANGENT,
and JONNY QUEST.
Hey, do you love
HARRY POTTER? Chances are you do! If
so, you might want to check out a new anthology called WIZARD ACADEMIES
I: HEART OF DARKNESS from Alan Lance Andersen Desktop Publishing (ISBN
1-4116-7787-0). Why?
Because it features a ton of cool stories, including my new
novella, "The House With the Witch's Hat"!
This novella introduces a rather unusual wizard's academy
called Grackleflint's, and introduces three young wizards: Cardy
Wagner, Tera Pasha, and streetwise satyr Alacrity Templemier.
WIZARD ACADEMIES I: HEART OF DARKNESS is getting its launch at
the 2006 London Book Fair, and you can order it through Amazon.com!
I will also post more information about this anthology and its
sequel as it becomes available.
Some
of my longtime readers may remember my comics adaptations of the H.P.
Lovecraft stories "The Lurking Fear," "Beyond the Wall of
Sleep," "The Tomb," and "The Alchemist."
All four of these adaptations featured artwork by my talented
friend Octavio Cariello, whose credits include X-MEN and QUEEN OF THE
DAMNED. These stories
received praise from Lovecraft fans when they were released in the
1990s, and I am pleased to announce all four will be available again
soon in a trade paperback from Desperado Studios and Image Comics.
Desperado and Image are also collecting my Sherlock Holmes
pastiches ADVENTURE OF THE OPERA GHOST (with art by ROSE-MADDER creator
Aldin Baroza) and STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL & MR. HOLMES (with art
by Seppo Makinen) into a trade paperback.
I will post the release dates and ordering information for these
two TPBs as soon as I have them.
You
will also be able to read some of my other old comics soon for FREE as
webcomics, thanks to the good folks at Komikwerks (www.komikwerks.com).
This is the same website where you will find my weekly column on
comic book writing. A new
column comes out each Thursday, so if you have not stopped by the
Komikwerks website yet, why not visit soon and check it out?
JANUARY 2006
I
was asked to provide a weekly column on the popular comic book site,
KOMIKWERKS and I agreed. The column will be on how to write comics
and it started in early January. All the columns will be archived
so you still have time to check it out.
www.komikwerks.com
For older
news...go here.
