Inspired by comic books, part 4, the finale by Toi Thomas

"Hellboy" image by Paolo Rivera via Pinterest 

from the My Geekdom board

I’m so thrilled to share with you the fourth, and final, installment of my “Inspired by comic books” series. Today, I’ll be talking a bit about indie comic books. (If you missed part one,  two, and three, please check them out).

Sourced from Wikipedia.com

First, I’d like to mention some of the more popular or well-known indie comic book companies; what I often refer to as the Big Indie 3 of Comics: Dark Horse, Valiant, and Image. All of these presses have been around for a while and have had plenty of success, yet have not become as mainstream as D.C. and Marvel, and I’m kind of glad. I think one of the reasons these indie, or lesser known, though highly profitable and successful, presses have done so well, is because they each appeal to a very specific or niche audience or create products that appeal to niche audiences. Because these presses aren’t trying to appeal to the masses, they achieve the one thing all in the publishing industry strive for, hardcore fans.

Dark Horse, for me, was the one indie comic press that seemed a little dangerous as I was growing up. Those were the comics I didn’t want my parents to know I was into, but as an adult, I’ll tell the world, “I like it.” They are probably most known for such series or character titles as Hellboy, Sin City, Tank Girl, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Valiant Comics logo.
Designed by Rian Hughes.
Sourced from Wikipedia.com

Valiant Comics, to me, still kind of seems like that underground press that has produced an amazing amount of content and created a layered and complex universe that leaves you wondering, “Why aren’t more people reading this?” I even put myself in that category having recently discovered their Unity series, which combines many of their staple characters into a team-up comic in the vein of Justice League and Avengers. They are probably most known for their Harbinger series and all its spin-offs plus X-O-Manowar, who’s part of the Unity team-up.

Then there’s Image Comics, who’s totally kill’n it in new, edgy, and creative content as of late. Where Dark Horse was dangerous, Image always seems a little naughty. Growing up I never actually read any of their comics, but I wanted to. I especially remember wanting to read a Spawn comic but being too afraid to bumb one from a friend (I wasn’t going to buy one). Today, they are probably most known for The Walking Dead and Saga, though two of my favorites are Paper Girls and Montress (this comic is so beautiful, you almost forget that the story is very violent and a bit twisted).

 Sourced from Wikipedia.com

Lastly, I’d like to mention a few indie comic presses and or comic titles that I like, to which you are welcome to look up: Ichabod Jones: Monster Hunter from WannaBe Press, AlterLife from Village Comics, and Vessels from Card Shark Comics. If you want to discover indie comic book content, try searching on Facebook or Kickstarter. It’s not ideal, but that’s where I’ve found most of my indie comic book content outside of attending live Cons and vendor events.

Before I conclude this geek-a-thon of comic book praise, I want to point out a few things about indie comic books and how they influence me. As an indie author, I find that I have a lot to learn from indie comic writers and artists. Looking to them for inspiration and insight has helped me be a better salesperson and has helped me learn how to appeal to a specific audience. Indie comic writers and artists have helped me to think outside the “traditional publishing” box to find a way that suits me best. And lastly, indie comics have taught me how to stretch the limits of an idea without being afraid of going too far. Indie comics are a way to tell stories that just aren’t meant to suit everyone; however, they will be amazing for someone in particular. That’s what I’m striving for in my own writing.

Find out more about me, my work, and my inspiration at the following links:

Amazon | Goodreads | The ToiBox of Words | YouTube | See a list of my other posts here.

COMMENTS

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Nikki McDonagh

9 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

So many books I haven't heard of, but would like to read. Thanks for a really interesting series, Toi.

 

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Ruth de Jauregui via Google+

9 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Toi shares the finale of her four part series on comic books and inspiration. Great stuff!!

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Ruth de Jauregui

9 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

I always liked Dark Horse and the small comic book companies. Not so much the biggies. Great post, thank you!

 

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Joe Bonadonna via Google+

9 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Today on A Small Gang of Authors, Toinette Thomas winds up her series on how her writing has been inspired by comic books.

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Joe Bonadonna

9 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

This has been a great series, Toi. Sorry to see it come to an conclusion. I was (am) a big fan of Dark Horse, having read Hellboy, Alien, and a few others. I look forward to what you treat us with next time.

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Erika M Szabo

9 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Aw... it's over? I really enjoyed this series and learned a lot. Thanks Toi!

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Toi Thomas

9 months ago

 

 

Thank you so much. I could write about this forever, but that's all for now. Perhaps I'll return from another angle down the road.

Grace Au

9 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

sad to see this series end...thanks for your insight into the world of comic books from inception to current day.

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Toi Thomas

9 months ago

 

 

Glad to know you enjoyed it.

Mary Anne Yarde

9 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Such an interesting post!

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Toi Thomas

9 months ago

 

 

Thank you.

Chris Weigand

9 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

You continue to supply me with new info. I am going to have to check these out.

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Toi Thomas

9 months ago

 

 

Yeah, there's a whole comic world out there people don't know about. I especially love the educational comic content out there.

Chris Weigand via Google+

9 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

..Indie Comics? Who knew? Learn more about them with Toi

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Rich Feitelberg via Google+

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Rich Feitelberg

9 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Very nice. Over the years there have been many independent publishers. I liked First Comics and Amalgam once upon a time. Great job on this series.

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Toi Thomas

9 months ago

 

 

Yasss!. I too enjoyed Amalgam. Good stuff there.

Toi Thomas via Google+

9 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Today, I talk about indie comics; the naughty, dangerous, and edgy comics that may not be mainstream but demand respect from hardcore fans.

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Guilty until proven innocent - Nicola McDonagh

Recently, Amazon put a warning on my book Whisper Gatherers. A Dystopian/sci-fi novel set some 350 years in the future.

They emailed me to say that they have received complaints that the book has an excessive amount of typos. Now, I use a slang-based language that often combines words to make one long one, much the same as George Orwell does in 1984 - Newspeak, crimestop, thoughtcrime, goodthink, oldspeak, pornosec, unperson, and so on.

Don't get me wrong, I think it is a good thing to have quality checks on books, but it needs to be managed correctly so that the author can make necessary changes before their book is published, not after.

I emailed Amazon to tell them that the 'Errors' they cited are not typos but are in fact intentional, and add to the futuristic tone of the book. They told me that I must make the changes they specify or they would keep the warning sign up. What gives Amazon the right to edit, and, re-write my work? If they think the book is substandard, they should not allow it to be published on their platform, yet they are happy to let me use their site to sell my book regardless of the quality.

Here is an example from the email Amazon sent me:

Error Category: Typo; Kindle Location: 1580; Errored text: nanorope,; Context: It was as light as a bub’s eyelash, as strong as nanorope, and as see-through as a raindrop when it came into contact with its owners heartbeat. ; Comments:  "strong as nanorope" should be  "strong as nano rope"

So, using their logic regarding grammar, my ‘nanorope’ is incorrect, yet words such as ‘raindrop’ and ‘heartbeat’ clearly two different words stuck together to make one, are acceptable?

Error Category: Typo; Kindle Location: 1632; Errored text: comtext; Context: A whole load of comtext appeared. ; Comments: "A whole load of comtext appeared." should be"A whole load of context appeared."
This change does not even make sense, especially since the character is talking about some text written on a computer screen, hence the word 'comtext'.

This book, Whisper Gatherers has been for sale on Amazon since 2015 without any complaints. In fact, I have received many 4 and 5 star reviews that enjoyed and recognised the quirky use of language. Here is a snippet from one such review:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a great language!

ByKata Mlekon December 6, 2016

Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

Dystopian is one of my favorite genres and I try to stay up-to-date with the latest novels. How come I missed this one so late? I don't know!

The author created a very complex and appealing world I traveled with Adara with great pleasure. I must say the experimental English was at first hard to understand (English is my second language) but as I got used to it, I found it stunning. It helped develop the feeling of being there with the main character who narrates the story.

You can see more here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00YMSP1UA

Anyway, after a week of correspondence explaining my deliberate use of language to Amazon, they emailed me to say that they have taken down the warning sign.

Maybe if they had consulted me before condemning my book, this issue would never have arisen. But it seems Amazon’s policy is to find authors guilty until proven innocent.

For more information on my books, please go to: www.thesongofforgetfulness.com

Women Writers of the Golden Age of Science Fiction – C.L. Moore

By Ruth de Jauregui

One of the few women writers published in the science fiction magazines of the 30s and through the Golden Age of 1938 to 1946, C.L. Moore said that she used her first initials (Catherine Lucille) to conceal her writing career from her employer, the Fletcher Trust Company. While she might have been brushing off the question, using her initials left readers thinking that she was a man.

1957 Galaxy Science Fiction Novel "Shambleau"

Art by Wallace Wood.

Moore's first sale as a professional writer was "Shambleau." Published in the Weird Tales November 1933 issue, it launched her career as a science fiction writer. While she was only paid $100 (a vast sum in the 1930s), the story has been reprinted in at least five anthologies. Moore wove together a tale of Martian smuggler Northwest Smith and his encounter with a lynch mob. The victim, an attractive, brown-skinned young woman, brings out his protective instincts and he claims her. (Northwest is also described as brown-skinned. An interesting choice for a story written in the 30s.) Although he later recognizes that "Shambleau" is not human, he takes her to his room anyway. The story pulls from Greek mythology, the old West and modern science fiction to build to its climactic finish.

October 1934 Weird Tales "The Black God's Kiss" 

Painting by Margaret Brundage

Northwest Smith starred in several more stories, published in the April, May and August 1934 issues of Weird Tales. The October 1934 issue featured a new story and character – Jirel of Joiry – the female protagonist in a traditionally male domain, sword and sorcery. The same month, Moore's "The Bright Illusion" was published in Astounding Science Fiction. She continued writing stories for the magazine market through the 1930s. 

She corresponded with other writers and fans. In 1937, she wrote to L. Ron Hubbard: "And any technical advice you can give me will be deeply appreciated…. Anyhow, thanks a great deal for all the encouragement, and for liking my gilded-gingerbread style of writing."

Galaxy Fantastic Novels "Earth's Last Citandel"

Ironically, her future husband and fellow science fiction writer Henry Kuttner wrote her a fan letter in 1936, thinking she was a man. They were married in 1940 and continued writing in collaboration, often under the pen name Lewis Padgett, which combined their mothers' maiden names. They published Earth's Last Citadel in 1943 under both their names.

After Kuttner died in 1958, Moore's writing career slowed and after her marriage to Thomas Reggie in 1963, it ended.

Moore participated in the Tom and Terri Pinckard Science Fiction literary salon and contributed to literary discussions with many noted science fiction authors. She was nominated as the first woman Grand Master of the Science Fiction Writers of America, but sadly, she had developed Alzheimer's. Her husband asked the SFWA to withdraw the nomination due to her condition. She died on April 4, 1987.

Moore was inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 1998.

Amazon.com: C.L. Moore Author Page
Amazon.com: C.L. Moore search

#GoldenAgeOfScienceFiction  #WomenAuthors #CLMoore  #OurAuthorGang

Our Guest Today is Author Andi Lawrencovna #ourauthorgang

Welcome, Andi! So good to have you with us today.

Andi Lawrencovna is a fantasy and science fiction writer from Ohio. To date, her books include: CHARMING--A CROWN AND DAGGERS BOOK ONE, THE FIRST BALL--a NEVER LANDS SAGA BOOK ONE, and THE DRAGON'S SACRIFICE--A BREATH OF FYRE  NOVEL in the NEVER LANDS SAGA.

 Andi works closely with WriteNow Publishing, BUT maintains her independent authorship. She currently has three novels and two short story to her name, and her next novel, SO SWEET, will be out later this year. SO SWEET is a tale as old as time whose characters are as equally ancient and waiting to be released. Happily-Ever-Afters have never been bleaker, though Andi promises there’s always hope for rainbows and unicorns in THE NEVER LANDS.

Andi currently resides in Northeast Ohio with her dog and an imagination that has gotten her into more trouble than not. Her education includes a BA in English from Denison University and an MFA in Creative Writing from Pine Manor College. She works as a legal secretary during the day and removes her glasses at night…wrong genre. 

Due to the mature content of her books, they are for 18 years of age and older. 

She loves hearing from her readers and may be reached at:

Website:  http://www.AndiLawrencovna.com

Newsletter:  https://ahupie1.wixsite.com/andilandsnewsletter

Amazon Author Page:  https://www.amazon.com/Andi-Lawrencovna/e/B0100KXLQY

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/people/Andi-Lawrencovna/100009925094760

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ALawrencovna

Goodreads:  www.goodreads.com/author/show/14054205.Andi_Lawrencovna

http://a.co/2DW60ha

Once upon a time, or so the story goes, there was a prince who threw a ball to find a wife.

He was a young prince, by his peoples’ standards, and though he had no wish for a bride, he was honor bound to make the attempt to find one. Of course, Prince Kit knew that it was not just honor that bound him to the duty. Prophesied or cursed, who could say. But since he was a babe, assassins and soldiers had come for him: in the dead of night, in the middle of court, amidst the steps of a waltz. They wished to end his life and with it end the lives of his people and the land he was meant to rule. It was a heavy burden for a young man to bear, worse for a prince kept cloistered for his own good.

But a wife,...well, a wife would provide an heir, and perhaps prevent his peoples’ doom.  And so, he danced with maiden after maiden at ball after ball  until he danced with her. 

She came out of the Darkness, a vision in a black dress and glass slippers, to join the throng for the Prince’s celebration. 

The first night she hid a small vial filled with arsenic in the folds of her gown, but it was knocked from her hand before she could upend it into his glass of champagne. 

The second night she brought a stiletto hilted in her garter that she never thought to draw and returned to her rooms un-blooded. 

The third night Eli ran from him, found her horse, and fled back to the forest from whence she came, desperate to escape his charming smile and the emotions she refused to acknowledge in his gaze that seethed in her heart, too.

He gave chase.  

What is an assassin to do when her prey hunts her down?

One waltz at a ball. One trip of a slipper. One Prince. And one Assassin.

Charming…simply, Charming.

Our Guest Today is Stephanie Morris

New Orleans...
The moment you read that you probably thought about pralines, warm beignets, Po’ Boys, crawfish and the French Quarter. Right?

By Falkue at the German language Wikipedia

Well, so do I. But I also think about one other thing…

Hurricane Katrina.

As I write this, it’s hard to believe that August 29, 2017 was the 12 year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina making landfall. Yet, New Orleans is still struggling to revive itself. Just a few months ago severe flooding was an issue again. Not because of a Hurricane, but because of faulty water pumps that simply weren’t doing their job.

This is just the tip of the iceberg.

Other issues that have plagued this beautiful city since Hurricane Katrina include but are not limited to: a decrease in police officers, a increase in violent crimes, vacant homes, dilapidated neighborhoods, displaced citizens and an increase in severe health issues due to mold and other airborne pollutants.

But in spite of these issues I LOVE New Orleans!

I visit this city at least once a year. I have family and friends in the area, so it’s a city that is near and dear to my heart. So when I received the opportunity to be a part of a box set that had to take place in New Orleans. I jumped on board. I was more than willing to take on the challenge. I saw this as an opportunity to tell a story about a city that I'm truly fond of.


Sadly, that boxed set is no longer available, but from one story a series was born, about 5 male shifters and their mates. You will meet five heroes that are doing their best to restore New Orleans to the vibrant city that it was before Hurricane Katrina and meet their mates.

As you travel with me on the journey through this series I hope that you will fall in love with the characters and the city of New Orleans as much as I have.

His to Claim will release April 17, 2018, but you can pre-order your copy today. It’s is only $1.99 for a limited time.

Synopsis:
When Serafine Hardy’s best friend tells her all about the hot new club that lets humans and shifters mingle she thinks her friend has lost her mind. As a person who doesn’t believe in the paranormal she thinks her friend has bought into one folklore too many. Still, she feels a thrill at the possibility of an encounter with a hot guy. And what better way to get back to get over her sexual drought than with a ruggedly sexy man?

It doesn't take long for Pierre Mercier to notice Serafine the second she walks in the door of Club Primal. Her luscious curves capture his attention in a way that he never expected. It also doesn’t hurt that she’s his mate. Now he just has to get her to understand what that means because there is just one huge problem.

Serafine doesn’t believe shifters exist…

Bio:
Stephanie Morris enjoys creating a story that combines a sensual energy with a captivating storyline. Sometimes her heroines have an edgier persona to them and sometimes they are of a softer essence. But all the time, her heroines are like real women, just trying to make a living and keep on going no matter what challenges life brings them. She believes in romance and happy-ever-afters. In Stephanie’s opinion, there is nothing like curling up with a good book that you can’t put down, and she is addicted to writing them.

Visit Stephanie at her http://www.stephaniemorris.webs.com to find out about her latest book releases, sign-up for her newsletter or to win free books and other giveaways.

A Few Words of Encouragement #ourauthorgang

Rich Feitelberg

feitelberg.net

I’m interrupting my regular series of posts for this public service announcement. My series of posts on my fantasy world will resume in two weeks, but first I want to make this offer to everyone …

As some of the readers of this blog may know, I write fantasy novels and have a rich fantasy world in which the stories are set. But it wasn’t

always so. It has taken me years to reach this point after burning out completely to the point where I couldn’t write anything and rebuilding and retraining myself so I could string together a few words and working my way up to stories and novels. In this way, it was very much like a person who has had a stroke and has to retrain to walk and move again.

I say all this so the aspiring writers among you will know that for many writers, the writing process is hard won. A very few can just pluck stories off a tree and have success. This is important to remember as you struggle in your own writing.

As further encouragement to you, let me also point that I do a anywhere from six to twelve events every year where I sell my work. Often at such events I am approached by aspiring writers of fantasy. In all cases I offer to help them with their writing because I believe it is important to give back. No one really helped me get to this point and I want to ease the burden for others because I know it is easy to delay and defer and get lost in rat holes because your thinking is misguided.

And I want to make the same offer to readers here: if you are a writer of fantasy and want help, please contact me. The help can be to review a story and give feedback or discuss and idea or get advice on want you should do solve your current dilemma. Whatever it is, I’m here to help. I hope you take advantage of this opportunity.

I can be reached at rfeitelberg@gmail.com.

Thank you.

Places and Creatures:
By: Christina Weigand

I have shared about my dragons, but they are not the only beings that live in my worlds. When writing the Palace of the Twelve Pillars trilogy, a need arose to create creatures and a world for them to inhabit. Now I know there are a lot of articles and lessons out there on how to build a world and I'm sure they are really good for some people, but for me not so much. Having said that I regret not planning my world and beings a little more.

I am a pantster. For those of you that are writers you know that a pantster is someone who does very little planning. They write their stories on the fly as it comes to them instead of outlining and planning every minute detail. Unfortunately, I have never been able to plot my stories out. Along with that the planning of a world and its beings are something that happens as I write the story.

At times this can be a big disadvantage, especially if it's November and I am participating in National Novel Writing Month. In that case it definitely helps to have some sort of plan. That being said, the one time when I did try and outline, because I thought I knew where the story needed to go, my characters decided to strike the second week in. It wasn't until I threw out the outline and let the characters tell their version of the story, that I was able to resume writing.

I started this post planning on telling you about the world and the races of people that make up Ramajadin, so now I will pick up that thread. First of all Ramajadin is similar to Earth in a medieval period. So no cars or technology. Swords and bows are used for fighting, people ride horses and dragons. Two glaring differences are of course, dragons and magic. I am not saying that magic doesn't exist on Earth, but it definitely does exist on Ramajadin. There are rules regarding the use of magic and that is one of the things that creates conflict throughout the trilogy, as one of the protagonists does not want to abide by those rules, and the other who does becomes convinced that he didn't, that he somehow broke the rules.

Here is an excerpt from the glossary I put together for the trilogy that explains the places and the peoples that inhabit my world:

Ramajaden- The fantasy world where this all takes place

Crato- country on Ramajiden

Mahorg- country on Ramajiden

Hyogo- A small, neutral island country in Takan Ocean to the north of Crato and Mahorg, also the prison.

Wryzburg- royal city of Crato, where the Palace of the Twelve Pillars is located, home to King Theodric, Queen Lilia, their children and grandchildren.

Tra Umu Forest- located in the northeastern corner of Crato, and home of the Kningrad.
Has a magic force field that hides the location of the Kningrad and the Cave of Njori.

Imherp- small territory in the Northeastern corner of Crato, ruled by Eyvindur and subject to Crato. The Tra Umu Forest is located there. The home of the Kningrad and location of the Sanctuary of Nine Dragons.

Freiberg- Freiberg was the royal city of the Kningrad, located in the Tra Umu Forest, in the far northeast corner of Crato. Since it was within the boundaries of Crato, King Eyvindur and the citizens of Freiberg are allies of King Theodric.

Thael- Small kningrad village that is guarded by magical spells so no one knows where it is.

Anna Mountains- Mountain range in the northern part of Crato.

Mt. Evercidara- is the Holy Mountain of Asha.

Cave of Njori- Cave located in the Anna Mountains, used for spiritual journeys

Jena- village on the border of Crato and Mahorg

Geissen- a village in central Crato, near Dietfried Academy

Grilwood- the Mantion nation located in the northeast corner of Mahorg.

Valkan Mountains- Mountain range in the northeast corner of Mahorg.  It is home to the Mantions.

Dun Dealgan- royal city of Mahorg, Palace of the Three Crosses and King Waldrom’s home is located there

Tralee- capital city of the Mantions in the Valkan Mountains. Cave complex that is home to King Shigeo and Princess Gudrun along with Wizard Melvane when he is not in attendance on King Waldrom.

Dundalk-mining village of the Mantions found in the Valkan Mountains. Mantions take captured people here to work in the mines.

Ndor Forest – Forest in the center of Mahorg it is said to be haunted and magic doesn’t work there.

Mt. Dablaya – Sidramah’s mountain, located in the Valkan Mountains.

Cave of Kobata – It is located in the Valkan Mountains. Followers of Sidramah go there to commune with their god.

Edenderry- A small Mahorganite village located in the Ndor Forest. Princess Gudrun, when masquerading as Lady Magda reports that she comes from there.

Harable Valley- valley straddling Mahorg and Crato where Waldrom and Theodric and later Waldrom, Brandan and Joachim battle.

Creatures and explanations:

Treaty of 856- Treaty reached between the countries of Mahorg and Crato in the year 856. The treaty forbids the use of the magic of Sidramah and limits the use magic of Asha’s. It also established peace between the two countries and the exchange of youth for training.

Adept & adept magic- user of the magic of Asha, magic is only used as a last resort to heal and repair, when all other means have been exhausted

Wizard & wizard magic- user of the magic of Sidramah, opposite of adept magic, relies on dark emotions of the user.

Mantion-aligned with Sidramah, short, muscular creatures with pointed ears, live in caves and work in the mines when they can’t find slaves to do it for them

Kningrad- usually tall winnowy creatures, aligned with Asha

Flaithri School for Adepts- School for adepts hidden by magic in the Valkan Mountains. Apprentice adepts are sent there to finish their training and study with adepts.

Dietfried School for Heraldry- School for young people of Mahorg and Crato. Any person displaying traits of a knight or adept are sent to this school for their initial training. Once they complete their training here they become apprentices for either adepts or militias.

That should give you a basic idea of what I'm talking about and how things fit together. Like I said above, most of this was thought of when I needed something; like a race or a city. I suppose some planning went into it, like that it would be a medieval setting as opposed to contemporary and the races of Humans along with the names of the characters were based on the countries of Germany, Ireland and Japan during the medieval period. The rest was pretty much come as you go.
So the moral of this story: While a little planning helps, for some people too much planning can be a hindrance. I will admit it does help to have some idea about things, but for this writer, not too many is the way to go.

 Websites/Blogs:

Palace of Twelve Pillars: www.weigandchris.com   

Faith, Inspiration and a Cup of Tea: www.christinaweigand.com

Twitter: @CAWeigand

Facebook: www.facebook.com/caweigand

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/chris_weigand

Amazon: amazon.com/author/christinaweigand