July 12th, 2010 by Neal

Okay… so… I know it’s been a while. That’s the torture part in “tortured artist”. Or at least, the tortured part in tortured dumbass, given present company. But at any rate, I do have news and updates and regular goodness.

First off, the Nightmares of the Macabre book has good news/bad news. The bad news? Well, it was supposed to be out this last week. It’s not. I know, you’re thinking, “Oh God! DELAYZORS!” But no. It’s not a delay, it’s not an inadequacy of the company, it’s not anything comic book nerds hypothesize, it’s something better still and more exciting…. the book is likely being distributed by Diamond now, and I’m gonna be the new regular writer of the series. Ergo, now it’s been juggled a bit so that the book will come out with a wider distribution a little later, and then I’ll be picking up the title as the main writer soon. Booya. More as I know more.

Hal 4 is in progress. I did 14,000 words, scrapped it, rebroke it as a novel from another character’s perspective, then totally redid the plot again, started writing again, and now I’m at 4,000 words. I can’t explain why it’s been so hard without spoiling a major plot point, so I’ll just say I’ve struggled with this one so far. I’m still sitting at the desk and writing every day, but it took a month and twenty days and a lot of screen staring this time. I’ve never really experienced that with something I’m flat-out ready to write. It wasn’t writer’s block, though, it was me choosing to write only one thing at a time, something I’m working on rectifying. For instance, I just finished today’s writing on Hal, so off I go to script some comics. That’s good. It means I can move the juice around to whatever my brain’s feeling up to at the time.

So in other words, yes, long absence, but it was part of the process. More soon.

June 8th, 2010 by Neal

I am alive, yes, and all is well. I am pre-writing Hal 4, believe it or not, though I don’t know how my mind isn’t recoiling in horror at the prospect of yet another novel in such a short period of time. Must be a work ethic. Or insanity. Regardless…

Just yesterday I saw the final version of my next comic, The Anti-War Museum of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, as featured in the Nightmares of the Macabre anthology, and I am quite proud of it. The art, by Barry Montgomery, is insanely good, and it features a painted cover that just blows me away:

Cantrell is my rad editor and the creator of the anthology.

We’re trying to nail down the release date. It will either come out near the Fourth of July, or a week after, but very soon. Rest assured, you’ll know where here. Since it will debut before Jet City, you will likely be able to get a copy there.

The BEST thing you can do is go to your retailer, right now, and ask them to carry the book. If they want more information on how to, they can contact me or Creator’s Edge Press. I’m also more than willing to do signings, and point of fact I’ve already lined up one, but I’ll give you more on that as it develops. Until then, bask in that cover awesomeness and anticipate! Woo!

Expect a few pages of preview, shortly!

May 7th, 2010 by Neal

I am now 55 in to the fourth draft, my hope is to finish it next week, do another quick read-through for a fifth draft, then send it in by the end of the month.

I’m not changing hardly anything, which is very good, but it’s very easy to spend a last read-through skimming and making sure, all the same.

I came up with what I believe will be the murder for the next book, which is rad. I am also thoroughly intrigued by Columbo, and am considering Hal’s polar opposite, a detective that is much more formal and intelligent. Then again, many have written Sherlock Holmes, so I’ve got a lot to consider.

It’s very strange not to be changing genre every book. I used to do that. Hrm.

In other news, the pages for Nightmares of the Macabre have been coming in, and WOW. You guys will LOVE this book. LOVE LOVE LOVE it. I do.

April 9th, 2010 by Neal

Behold! The press release for my new gig with Creator’s Edge Press!

Thusfar, this has been the coolest creative experience of my life in terms of folks who want to publish my work. These guys get what I’m trying to do, they’re passionately working to achieve a great piece, and their company is unparalleled in supporting good indie work. I just hope my work shines enough for them.

The art I’m seeing… Whoooooaaaaa, folks. It’s not that I wasn’t happy to do a licensed property, but there’s something so utterly fulfilling about seeing your own work, your own ideas, come to pass.

Just wait until you see.

So rad.

March 26th, 2010 by Neal

At the Emerald City Comic-Con, right after I got word that it was okay to announce my comic adaption of The Anti-War Museum of Tuscaloosa, Alabama for the Nightmares of the Macabre series, I was interviewed by two purveyors of awesome, Shannon and Matt of the Seattle Geekly!

You can find my interview here. It’s filled with enthusiastic excitement of jubilant… well, okay, I’m a little hyper and excited. But why not?

Thanks, Seattle Geekly!

March 15th, 2010 by Neal

Went to the Emerald City Comic-Con. Survived, somehow.

Beaten. Exhausted. Had a great time. Great people. Best con in a long time, actually, if hectic.

I have pictures of the desk for the long promised “desk” blog, and I also have Gornography, or “That Which Cannot Be Unseen.” I will explain this later. It will be framed, and on my desk, along with this strangely procured Elektra torso and a Black Lantern Martian Manhunter. Long story.

I have a White Lantern shirt, but I’m afraid to wear it because I have no idea what it means yet. Maybe I’ll put it on and see how I feel.

It was good to see many friends I don’t see all the time. Had a BLAST getting to know Creator’s Edge folk, which leads to my nice little announcement here:

NEW BOOK COMING!

Couldn’t talk about it because it wasn’t all nailed down, but now it is, so there it is. I have a story that I’ve been wanting to produce for some time called “The Anti-War Museum of Tuscaloosa, Alabama.” Many folks who have been my friends for a while will remember, perhaps, a small chapbook from half a decade ago. I did about fifty copies, then adapted it into a comic recently. Creator’s Edge will be putting it in their Nightmares of the Macabre anthology series, coming soon! More news as that develops, along with art, press releases, and other fun! There’s also potentially more coming down, more as I know more.

Woot!

I also have an interview on a podcast I will post here as soon as I have information.