Meatspace woes.

I have no idea how to get more backers for my book, Meatspace, short of personally messaging and email everyone I know. I really need a lot more backers. I'd honestly prefer to get 188 people pitching in 25$ rather than 95 people pledging $50. 

I know this may seem really silly to some of you folks, but I honestly believe that my future in the comic book industry is pretty much riding on getting these two issues done and out. I think the story is good, I know the art is going to be top notch and I really would like it if you all joined me in creating this.

If you already backed it, I cannot thank you enough. Even if you donated a dollar. It really means a lot to me.

Ugh. I feel like a bum on the subway now, shaking his soda cup for loose change.

PANYC notes - Riot & Fourplay

Posting these here for you, for reference to gain a bit of insight. Will have to type up Pulse's soon. Please note, while most of this is solid, some of it refers to a prior incarnation/version.

Riot - Notes.

Physical - 23, (book starts with 23rd birthday), 5’ 6”, 125#. Caucasian, Green eyes, dirty blond hair, short/buzz cut. Very punk in appearance.

Powers - Super-strong (able to lift 15 tons), fairly durable. Able to make duplicates/clones of herself. Her strength is divided among her clones evenly. Can make upwards of a dozen or so clones, but usually sticks to around 4. Each clone is independent but linked telepathically and usually defers to the original Eve. If the original Eve dies, the next oldest Eve becomes the new Original (Note: This has NOT happened yet to her). The personalities of the clones do differ from the original in varying degrees. Not sure if clones are duplicates summoned in from alternate dimensions or wholly created by Evelyn or not.

Psychology - Usually outspoken, brash and a bit confrontational. Aggressive and knows that no one is going to give her a damn thing. Exceptions are with people she is close with; Bruce & Pocket...and eventually Fourplay. Suffered loss of friend a few years ago. Eventually, warms up to Fourplay. Superstitious about a lot of things, especially her birthday.

Moody and solitary; not liking the way her life is going, but accepts it nonetheless.

Fourplay - Notes.

Physical - 20, 6’8” 350#, Powerfully built. Caucasian. Blond hair, Brown eyes, dark eyebrows. Four arms. Very intimidating in appearance.

Powers - Possess four arms, and ability to work them all well and independently. Able to lift 50 tons and skin is tough enough to resist long arms fire. When angered/enraged she gets bigger and stronger; when she calms down she goes back to her height plus a little bit. She’s a bit scared of getting much bigger. Last growth spurt was two weeks before start of series.

Psychology - Babe in the woods. Recently left home, an Orthodox Jewish enclave in Brooklyn, for the ‘big city.’ Hooked up with a cousin with the Local 237 and set her up with current gig with Pocket, Riot and Pulse. Friendly and very much want some new friends.

Sexually frustrated & was never instructed on the ways of the carnal pleasures. When she finally figures it out, her appetites become...interestingly vast. Happens around issue 4-5.

Was physically abused by father, which caused her to gain her powers (become a ‘grotesque’ in the eyes of her community) and leave home. Will not allow that happen again. Will return home around issue 4-5 to rescue her younger sister Soshi and deal with her father once and for all.

PANYC - Take 3 or whatever.

I lost count, but here's some pages from what I wrote. Maybe you like it. There's a couple pages missing from the beginning maybe, or not, i dunno. Supposed to be funny...maybe it is?

PAGE 1

Panel 1

Morning in Union Square, 6 months after the apocalypse event. The Union Square area, looks intact, but a bit worse for wear. We find RIOT sitting on the stoop of the building where she lives and her roommate and oldest friend, PULSE is coming up from behind with two steaming mugs of tea. Dawn is moving it’s way into morning. There is peace amongst the ruins. The place where our characters live is the W hotel building.

1: CAPTION:

Six months later. Union Square Free Area, Manhattan.

2: PULSE:

Morning, Riot. Drink a little too much last night?

3: RIOT:

Bleargh.

Panel 2

Riot is gratefully taking the tea from Pulse. She looks like death warmed over. Hangover Level 12. Pulse is smiling.

4: RIOT:

Thanks. I really need this. Wish my multiples didn’t get drunk last night.

5: RIOT:

Seems that it’s bad idea to reintegrate when everyone is drunk. I thought I was going to die.

Panel 3

Pulse is proceeding to sit down next to Riot.

6: PULSE:

haha. Well, lesson learned, i suppose.

7: PULSE:

I hope you recover in time for the show tonight.

PAGE 2

Panel 1

It just hits Riot that there’s a show tonight. The look of dread on her face is apparent. Pulse is smirking.

1: RIOT:

Oh god. Just kill me now.

2: PULSE:

Can’t. You’re the lead singer and the drummer.

3: PULSE:

And besides, our new guitarist is on her way over for practice.

Panel 2

Riot is taking a sip. Pulse is still enjoying the moment.

4: RIOT:

Remind me who this new guitarist is?

5: PULSE:

Some frummy girl mutate fresh off the reservation.

Panel 3

Riot looks a bit surprised. Pulse is take a sip from his tea.

6: RIOT:

The four armed amazon from yesterday morning? She didn’t look frummy.

Panel 4

Pulse responds.

7: PULSE:

Yep, she lived out in Five Towns until last week.

8: PULSE:

Family kicked her out when she came out.

Panel 5

Riot looks disgusted, angry.

9: RIOT:

They kicked her out!? Son of a bitch.

10: RIOT:

Where’s she’s staying now?

PAGE 3

Panel 1

Pulse is scratching his ear uncomfortably with his free hand looking like he just got caught with the hand in the cookie jar.

1: PULSE:

Funny you should ask.

2: RIOT:

What did you do?

Panel 2

Riot figures it out. Isn’t too happy about it, but too hungover to look anything past annoyed.

3: RIOT:

She’s moving in, isn’t she?

Panel 2

Head down, tea out, Riot laments her situation as a rickety rustbucket of a pick-up truck comes booming along the street, complete with blaring music from a boombox and armed goons in the back. One of them is yelling to Riot.

4: RIOT:

I swear I will never...

5: SFX:

BOOM BOOM BOOM WIKKA WIKKA WUBWUBWUB

6: GOON:

Hey baby! How’s it hanging!?

Panel 3

Riot, head still down, is flipping the whole pick-up the bird. Energy is starting to emanate from Pulse’s eyes.

7: RIOT:

Piss off, lowlife.

8: RIOT:

Pulse, please take care of this trash?

9: GOON:

Hey! That’s no way to talk to us! We run Union Square!

10: SFX:

WIKKA WIKKA BOOM BOOM BOOM TOOM TOOM

Panel 4

Riot, head still down, but turned towards Pulse, looking tired.

11: RIOT:

Pulse, can you like...do something useful here? I got a splitting headache.

12: SFX:

WUBWUBWUB TINKLE TINKLE TINKLE DEEDLE DEEDLE DOO

PAGE 4

Panel 1

Small panel of Pulse putting down his tea looking a little annoyed/exasperated.

1: PULSE:

Fine.

Panel 2

Pulse is letting loose with brilliant blue precision eye-laser. Hits the boombox dead on, stopping the music.

2: SFX:

BWAAAAAAAAH

3: SFX:

SQERK!

4: GOON:

ack!

Panel 3

A dupe of Riot appears, not hungover and angry. The goons are getting out of the pick-up brandishing crude melee weapons (clubs and pipes and knives). Riot still has her head down.

5: RIOT DUPE:

What the hell do you want?

6: RIOT:

Go kick their asses while I suffer this hangover.

7: GOON:

You’re in it now, freaks.

Panel 4

Riot-Dupe is at the pick up now, kind of surrounded by the goons (who somehow forgot about Pulse for the moment). Riot-Dupe is looking feisty. One of the goons, the one replying, looks a bit confused. All of the goons are getting ready to attack Riot-Dupe.

8: RIOT-DUPE:

Before we do this, can I ask one small favor?

9: GOON:

Sure thing baby.

10: GOON:

But then we’re gonna party.

PAGE 5

Panel 1

Riot kicks the truck clear across Union Square Park. Long panel.

1: RIOT-DUPE:

Go be pricks over there.

Panel 2

Tighter shot of the goons assessing the fact that this lady kicked their sweet-ass ride (with driver) a good few blocks.

NO TEXT

Panel 3

The goons are easing out of the panel, looking scared and embarrassed. Riot-Dupe is cracking her knuckles and Pulse is showing some kirby crackle energy type stuff from his eyes.

2: GOON:

Yeah. That seems like a good idea.

3: GOON:

We’re gonna go now.

4: RIOT-DUPE:

bye.

On virtues of being patient...

I am sitting in a Starbucks in East Village, slowly drinking an iced tea lemonade, taking a small break from writing something I've been playing with since November. I've been trying to do the source material proud and right and yet have my own voice and so forth. The thought that most troubles me though is that this thing, no matter how well written it may be, it's probably not going to see the light of day anytime soon. This mainly because I don't have (or at least I don't believe I have) the professional clout (not Klout) to get the level of artist I want for this, or a publisher to take a look at it; but people who have read it (a good friend and the person who's work I am drawing inspiration from) seem to like it and i'm going to continue...

From my time as a writer of the comic books/graphic novels/whatever is the haute name it is this hour, the one thing I learned is that the best things to have and make you successful are persistance, committed-ness, some level of skill, luck and connections. A lot of writers takes years to get their break...quite a bit don't even make it, despite being committed to it. I've been doing this since 2008, and I have two books published. While both books have gotten me some good words from people I like and respect, professionally speaking, they haven't been beating a path to my door to see what else I got. It's a bit frustrating.

Still though, I have the persistance. I am going to keep going; trying to make inroads in one of the most difficult inner circles to get into. I also don't think I will ever be satisfied no matter what level of success I will achieve; there is always something on the horizon that I will be trying to get.

These are the things that plague my mind as I scour Craigslist and Indeed to try and scare up some paying job with a dismal success rate. sigh.

Gun Machine Steak Sandwich

As you are all aware, the new book by Warren Ellis, Gun Machine, is out in stores. It goes without saying that it's a brilliant book, a crime drama about a detective hunting down New York City's most prolific serial killer. Full of history and characters and that slight edge you'd come to expect.

Towards the end of the book, our protagonist, John Tallow is invited over to the CSU's partner's home for dinner. The host makes the most delicious sounding steak sandwiches. Thus...I had to try and recreate them. I tried to make a video of me cooking it and it was horrible, no idea how Hannah Hart does it. Here's the recipe I cobbled together.

Talia's Steak Sandwiches

Serving: 1 Sandwich

1 Ciabatta roll
1/3 lb steak, sliced thin (i used shoulder, it was good)
2 slices of thick cut bacon, cut in half
small handful of sliced white onion
small handful of sliced mushrooms
dash of white wine
butter, salt and pepper
dollop of herbed goat cheese (this wasn't mentioned in the book, but it ended up being great)

Warm roll in oven while you prepare everything else.
Fry up bacon until crispy.
Toss butter in then saute the onions with some salt and pepper until nice and caramelized. Remove, then add in the mushrooms. Toss in the white wine with the mushrooms and try not to burn down your kitchen by the gigantic fireball that comes from burning the alcohol off the wine. Remove.

Throw in steaks. If they are sliced thin, should only take a minute per side to cook. Remove the roll and put steaks on the roll, followed by the cheese, bacon and then onions and mushrooms. Let rest for a couple minutes then press the sandwich so it can fit in your mouth.

Totally delicious, looking forward to making again and again.

(buy the book, Gun Machine; and back Hannah Hart's, of My Drunk Kitchen, tour across America!)