Year of the Hawk Zombie

Hm..

2011-09-14T22:17:00.001-06:00

For being a writer, I sure as hell don't update this thing very often, do I?

Digital Editions DONE

2011-06-13T09:56:00.000-06:00

I'm sitting here, quite proud of myself for getting this far. I've got digital versions (iBookstore and Kindle) of my poetry book out there alongside the print copy. I'm published in every sense of the word.

It's exhilirating, to be frank. I've accomplished something that I set for myself. I reached a goal. I've never been one to actually finish a project. Sure I'm creative and I'll work hard on something now and then, but to see it to total completion? Rare. Now, time to break beyond that.

I've got that novel I was working on. Think I'll try and revisit that.

But I also have some more excellent news: I found an illustrator for my children's book! And she's wanting to work for peanuts! Heh, she's a good friend of mine and was really looking for simply a credit in her portfolio, but I convinced her to at least do a 50/50 split of the profits.

Things are moving forward, despite myself. I was always afraid of this moment...What do I do after I'd accomplished my first real 'victory'? How do I follow that act?

I think I'm doing well.

Book Shipped!

2011-06-06T17:00:00.002-06:00

The proof copy has shipped as of this morning! It will arrive (hopefully) tomorrow. I sprung a little extra cash for the express shipping, and glad I did. Once I get it, I can approve the copy for sale and start to really push this thing a lot more.

I'm proud of myself for getting to this point.

As for Walter, looking for an illustrator. Spent the weekend fixing and tweaking the story to perfection and liking where it's sitting now. Just gotta find someone who's interested in doing the art for the book. Because a kid's book without pictures is just...boring.

Walter Wants to be A Witch

2011-06-02T11:12:00.000-06:00

So with the poetry book done (Ordering the proof copy tonight) I'm sitting here wondering what to do next. Then it hits me like a ton of bricks. I haven't really done anything for my son, which seems odd given my passion for writing and the fact I express myself through that art. So I wrote a children's book for my son. Hopefully he enjoys it.

I actually wrote it very quickly (which surprised me) with only a base idea for what I wanted it to be. Had a friend read it over and they agreed it was crap (in a nice way) and that the flow was really off. So I re-wrote it and they loved it! With them being a parent as well, I'll take that as a good sign.

I dunno if I'm going to make it a series or not, to be honest. We'll see how the first one goes. But I'm rather proud of myself. Two books done in about a month. Not 100% done, but done from a writing perspective. And it feels great.

Proof copies and revisions

2011-05-28T10:43:00.001-06:00

So I got the proof copy the other day, and the interior looks amazing. The cover was off by a bit, but the size was wrong to begin with so I think that's a major reason why. Otherwise it looked awesome as well. I've decided however to go with a different cover that's more 'eye-catching' online. While I loved the original, it seems to get lost and washed out with an all white cover in lists and the like. The new cover is red with a white blood spatter which really draws attention.

So, it's nearly the end of the month and things are rolling along nicely. I get paid next week so I can order a new proof copy, and if all looks good from there, we're golden! I start promoting the book heavily next month.

Feels good.

By the end of the month

2011-05-08T09:25:00.001-06:00

The poetry book is a go.

I know, I'm rather excited as well. I've even come up with a name, at the suggestion of someone who is a member of a forum I frequent.

One Bleeds to Feed the Other will hopefully be finished by the end of May and ready to purchase. I'll be doing the regular print copies as well as eBook copies through Amazon and the iPhone book store.

Also, got a guy designing the cover to the poetry book, and I'm rather excited about that. At first I wasn't a fan of the cover he'd come up with. I felt it was off the mark of my original idea (and keep in mind at the time this was merely a mock-up). But when he showed me a closer representation of my original idea side by side with the one he'd come up with...

Well, my idea was crap. I don't mean that in the silly 'Oh, everything I do is crap' but in the 'Oh god, that's TERRIBLE!' way. So I gave him a greenlight for the cover he came up with (after showing a few friends who also loved it, ha) and am waiting for him to finish.

The book is pretty much finished as far as proofreading goes. I'm still waiting on a friend or two to get back to me with their suggestions and notes, but I'm pretty confident most of it was caught in the first pass.

I am really looking forward to this. Not only is it something I'm proud of, but it will mark a special time in my life: The first time I actually got something done for myself in my writing career. About damn time, isn't it?

Poetry and Novels and Comics...Oh My!

2011-04-19T22:42:00.002-06:00

I've been a busy little bee, lemme tell ya what.

I'm about 6k words into a novel I'm working on (at a pace of 2k words a day minimum, which is far better than I was hoping) and while it'll probably turn out to be more like a novella, I'm enjoying it very much. I'll have more on that specific project as I get more into it.

In other news, I've written around 35 poems in the past two weeks. It's been a rough time for me personally in several regards, and the whole past year hasn't been the best. But I'm soldering through, keeping calm, and carrying on.

Yes, sometimes my life feels like The Blitz.

Anyway, the poems are all going to be collected in a book I'm going to self publish. I've never thought very highly of my own work, but my poetry...always got the short end of the stick. I've said time and time again I've never been a fan of poems, and I write them in no conventional way, honestly. I write from pure and raw emotions, and just get a sense of feeling across more than anything else.

They're incredibly personal as well, with almost all of them written from a high or low of my emotional spectrum, and all relate to something personal with me. So publishing them is a bold step for me...I've only ever shared them with a select few.

I just need a name for the book and a cover.

OH! Almost forgot the comics part of all this! My friend and I are gonna start up our old web comic again. So I'm working on new strips and it's really...exhilarating. I've never written with such a frenzy like this before.

Liquidation!

2011-04-18T11:06:00.002-06:00

To the three people who read this blog, you might be interested to know I'm selling off a LOT of video games.

Check it out here.

I just need the cash to help pay off a bill.

Cold Mentality

2011-03-28T18:47:00.003-06:00

So I've begun work on a novel. The theme? Horror! The working title is Cold Mentality and its basic premise is following a man on a cruise ship who slowly descends into madness. Whether it is real or imagined I'm sure will be something important for him to discover ;)

And there may or may not be some sort of darker sinister supernatural element involved. Should be fun!

So I've got the idea for the story and it's based on an idea I had for an adventure game from a few years back. My thought is I can write the novel and base the game on it and sort of do a cross-promotion thing if I finish both around the same time. My main goal is to write a minimum of 1500 words a day, without fail. If I maintain that, I should have a good sized novel within half a year. I usually have a framework to go off of, but right now I'm merely writing off the cuff and seeing where it takes me. Should be an interesting experience. Last time I attempted this I got 10k words in (in 2 days, no less!) and then lost interest because I felt the story was going to hit a dead end far sooner than intended (Pun, however, fully intended)

And honestly, you can get more of an idea of what it's going to be by checking out my previous posts with the same label. The excerpt isn't going to be in the finished product (at least not as is) but I'm going to actually stick with it this time to completion.

On edge

2011-03-21T00:35:00.000-06:00

I get this feeling that I'm on the edge of something interesting. I'm hesitant to say amazing, because that would be rather pretentious of myself. But interesting...it's always interesting.

I have feelings that things will go favorably for myself in the near future (not creatively, but personally) ~~and with that I feel that my creativity will shoot through the roof.~~ Actually, scratch that. I'm already feeling overflowing with creativity at the moment. I just have no outlet for it. No focus to hone it. So what's the deal?

I've found my muse again. It's been 8+ years, but I've found my muse. Only problem is the muse isn't with me.

Maybe time will affect that.

Stay frosty.

One year?!

2011-03-14T00:08:00.001-06:00

Jesus.

Been far too long since I did anything with this. Which begs the question. Continue on with this as a showcase for works I'm working on (ha!) or make it more personal. I've got an idea to write an entire novel in blog form, and go from there...but who knows.

But I'm not dead. Yet.

FCBD Take 2

2010-03-06T05:45:00.002-07:00

So the next Free Comic Book Day is coming up, and it looks like I'll be involved with it yet again! I had a blast last time, and this time I'm sure will be no different. Jeff and I are working on another episode in the Sir Redgrave-Blake saga, and I'm actually pretty proud of he idea I came up with for this one.

I don't want to give away TOO much, but let's just say it involves Pygmies. :D

Induced #2

2009-12-21T00:49:00.000-07:00

Stealing image alert! (Sorry Tony lol)

Ok, so I can give a few more details on the awesome comic yours truly will be showcased in, as well as several other amazing local talents including none other than the awesome Tony Esteves. We got Paul Lavallee to do the lettering for it as well (and Induced is his baby project as well, so it's doubly awesome IMO.)

I'm quite pleased to not only have worked with these guys, but to even be associated with the others in this project. Now for the really cool part: If you're outside of Edmonton, Tony's got pre-orders for the book available right now. 5 bucks scores you a copy of my story as well as a few others that are sure to knock your socks off. So what are you waiting for? SUPPORT LOCAL COMICS!! For the rest of us, It's coming December 30th, just in time for Indy Week at Happy Harbor.

Few Changes

2009-12-20T22:28:00.000-07:00

So I got rid of my website. Yeah yeah, I know; sad day and whatnot. It couldn't afford it for another set of years, and I figured I was only using it for linking pictures and stuff -anyway- so for now I'm just gonna do the whole 'on blogspot' thing until I can get something better up and running.

I need to go back and fix all the broken picture URLs and whatnot, but I'll get to that soon. For those of you visiting from recent links from a cohort of mine, welcome! We'll get back to our regularly sporadic programming shortly.

I will say that The Bikini Rangers story is going to be published in Induced #2, which I'm VERY excited about.

It's Coming...

2009-09-22T10:37:00.000-06:00

So I'm terrible at updating this thing...I'll try and keep more apt at it, but we all know that's an empty promise and I've hurt you all for the last time :P

Anyway, the anthology is coming! Rudi is taking it to the printers very soon now and I'll have a few copies for myself to share with friends and family and whatnot. I'm rather excited about this, as it'll be my second time in print. I'm also really looking forward to what happens with the next one as the project Tony and I are working on is coming together quite nicely.

So yeah, Check out that anthology people! Sir Redgrave won't read himself!! I believe it'll be ready within the next two weeks and at all three Happy Harbor locations. Once I get more details I'll keep you guys updated.

Not much New...

2009-08-08T19:37:00.002-06:00

Sorry, but I'm afraid not much is really new. I've got a few ideas brewing, but they aren't even past the idea phase yet (IE: I have no bloody clue how to describe them in a logical and sane fashion that anyone besides myself could interpret), and I've got an idea for a board game I may try to bring to life now that you can make games on demand through a new site.

At any rate, things may change slightly with the blog and my website...in the fact I may not renew it at the end of the year. 200 dollars for the site (every 2 years) and 40 for the URL....and I mainly use it for a blog all of 5 people read (I'm being generous, I'm sure) and images I host for various reasons. Just dunno if it's worth it or not, ya know?

The anthology is coming along, and I think Rudi is now simply waiting for some more submissions (they were a bit light, I heard) before going ahead with the print. He's also footing the bill, which I find mighty nice of him. Bikini Rangers is going at a steady pace as well, with Tony giving me some great feedback. If all goes well, that'll be an awesome 6 pager.

Bikini Rangers!

2009-07-07T21:17:00.001-06:00

Ok, so the second story (can't seem to recall if I'd mentioned it yet) I wrote for the upcoming anthology (not this issue, but one certainly in the future) was one called Bikini Rangers. I've been tweaking and adjusting the script quite a bit, and I think I've hit a good mix of story-telling and action, along with a bit of eye candy.

heh.

Anyway, Tony Esteves, of Cigarro & Cerveja (Go read it! It ended last year, but is an awesome comic) fame has expressed interest in the bikini story, and I'm really excited because the sketches he's come up with for it so far are pretty much ideal. So, since I know you all can't stand to listen to me pratle on, here are some sketches of the three main women of the comic!

Nina (Nino was the original name in the first draft until I realized I was using a MALE version of the name)

Jane

Veronica

While Veronica looks a bit awkward (Tony is already working on something to make her look better), I have complete faith he will really make her look as good as the other two. I'm more than just impressed; I'm excited. I've got two guys with amazing talent working on stories I've written, and I have several more bubbling in the works, ready for the same treatment. I think I'm finally getting the hang of this writing business.

It's good to be me.

EDIT:Oh, huh...realized maybe you want to know a bit about the STORY. Silly me!

Basically, these three women are vigilantes going around doing good deeds. However, they usually end up beating the crap out of some other people, and generally no one asks them to do it. With me so far? Also, they seem to have stepped right out of the 60's with almost impenetrable slang. Not to mention one speaks solely in Spanish (And no, not gonna give the readers a translation! Part of the fun!)

I'm debating, like Sir Redgrave-Blake, on doing more with this or simply ending it as a one-off. I had a lot of fun with it, and we'll see how interested Tony is after working on this 6-pager.

Roasted Almonds

2009-06-26T13:54:00.002-06:00

I promised a teaser picture, and a teaser picture you shall have! This is one of the stories I came up with for the next anthology pack, and will more than likely be in the next edition. It's the first of a new character I've come up with named Her Majesty's Distinguished Sir Madison Redgrave-Blake; DDS.

Yes, that's his full name/title.

Jeff Martin of http://rentathugcomics.com/ is doing the artwork for it, and after seeing his thumbnails for the remaining pages, I'm quite excited for the rest of you. I'm rather pleased with the story as well, and we may even expand this into something larger than 5 pages in an anthology. Time will tell.

Fame is Relative

2009-06-25T10:47:00.000-06:00

So, this post is for Fiona :P Inside joke, so there ya go XD

Although, she did give me the idea for today's post. I've got a page from the next Anthology for the Alberta Comic Group that I'll put up later, but I wanted to talk about something else first:

Fame.

Now, this is something that I feel is highly subjective, and entirely relative. Of course, I've met 'famous' people before...but what qualifies? When I was a kid, I was on the Ranger Charlie and Rosco Show on local channel KSTW 11. I was -stoked- not only was I going to be on TV (sorta) but I was gonna meet someone FAMOUS.

I was about 10-12 at the time, and I knew the raccoon was a guy with a puppet. Anyway, it was even cooler because not only did I get to sit quietly while they taped the show (the kids of the 'audience' actually sat around the cabin in the stage like a campfire) and watch cartoons during the breaks, but I got juice and a cookie. And for a kid who's mom was stingy when it came to treats, that was great...but the best part was I actually got to be ON Television in a 'speaking role' because I got to ask the guest that day a question.

I was so damn proud of myself, and sadly no one thought to tape it, but for a short time, I was famous to all my friends. Then the next week I was a nobody again :P

So, I guess I got a taste for being in the spotlight, and craved more. So I guess you could say my interest in acting, directing (for a short stint in high school...I actually won an award for Best Director at one competition I couldn't even go to), and finally writing was born from that singular moment, but really all I guess I wanted was some recognition for my works and what I've done and am going to do. Which sort of brings me to my initial point: Fame is relative. What I'm trying to achieve has so many levels, and is different to every person, so have I already achieved it?

Case in point: Fiona Staples is a comic artist. And not to kiss up or anything, but she's in my top five of all time favorites, because I've seen her art grow in the short time I've been following her work, and it's really developed a unique flavor and style that you can immediately identify as hers. It's expressive without being overt. And I love the almost rough quality of her line work (But then I've always been a sucker for sketchy lines), but also the fact that it looks clean and crisp. To ME, Fiona is famous; she's been published not only by DC, but Marvel as well. She has a new monthly book coming out in July where she's the principal artist...and last year she did a stint as a fill in artist for the entire run of the Secret History of the Authority: Jack Hawksmoor.

I know Fiona, but only in passing. I've met her in person twice now, and each time I've barely gotten out a Hi and an explanation of what I'd like her to sketch (Both times were at Free Comic Book Day) because to me, I'm talking to a celebrity, and I get a little self-conscious and shy.

The thing is, she's famous for my perceived notions (and I'm sure others share them) so by that token...aren't I already famous by my own definition? I haven't been published by any major company, but I'm getting published in a small scale...I used to run a mildly successful web comic (500+ unique hits a day...not bad bask in 2003) and made a lot of fans...so to some degree, I'm kind of like Fiona in terms of fame. I'm known outside my circle of friends and family, and people are fond of my work.

So I've kinda already achieved this...now I just need to expand it. I've rambled, but the core of the idea is there: I've already sort of gotten to where I wanted to be, some 16-18 years ago when I was just a kid on a local TV show. I've got people who know me specifically for my work, even if I've dropped out of doing regular work in the past few years. Now I just need to focus on staying the course and increasing that notion of 'fame'...because as long as I have one fan out there, this is all worth it.

And maybe next year I'll say more than 'Hi, can you please draw Commissioner Gordon' to Fiona :P

Alberta Comic Group

2009-06-19T00:24:00.000-06:00

Another Meeting!

I probably should've posted a little since last time, but personal issues (sickness in the family) and other errata kept me from writing, let alone thinking about coming online to update the old blog.

At any rate, there was a second meeting this past Wednesday. Less people showed up (most had a schedule conflict) but it was still a solid evening for creativity. I brought along two new one shot ideas, and I got some really good ideas and feedback for both, and even found myself two artists (Well, two people interested in doing some character designs at least!) Once I have some stuff I'll show it off.

The best part was I feel I'm starting to really not only embrace being a writer for once, but I'm also getting a sense of self. One of my greatest weaknesses is the fact that I have little to no self confidence over my abilities. And as such, I usually stay very shy, quiet, and reserved, and do very little in the way of sharing my stuff...especially in person, and ESPECIALLY to people I barely know. Online it's a little different; I can post, and hide behind a glowing computer monitor. In person I have to anxiously await how they interpreted my stuff, and their thoughts on it.

The meeting was a sort of breakthrough for me. I not only showed people my stuff freely, but I was able to dialog about it and not stumble over my own thoughts (Which are quite jumbled). It was exciting, and really got me pumped.

I think I might be getting the hang of this whole 'writer' thing. Only took me a decade.

Time to write

2009-06-04T10:53:00.003-06:00

Well, the meeting thing went rather well last night. I didn't really contribute much, but then everything I probably would have brought up was already discussed, so I chipped in with 'yeah, exactly' and 'Yes, that's what I was thinking' and felt like I was a contributing member of society.

Anyway, within the next few days there are going to be a few discussions about what format the book will be in (Standard comic size...7.25"x10.25" I believe, or Ashcan...5.25"x8.5") as well as an naming scheme.

The suggestions so far were to maybe call ourselves something over reaching, be it Dog Cannon (the previous venture much like this that sort of petered out) or something unique...and if we want to name all our comics 'X vol. 1' and so forth of some sort of continuous theme, like the Vicious Ambitious folks down in Calgary with their 'Juice' line...Pumpkin Juice (horror and halloween theme), Rocket Juice (Sci-Fi) and etc.

Personally, I'm a fan of the continuous idea, but I'm actually just happy to be involved. Hopefully this ends up staying strong (there were about 20 people there last night!) and remains focused.

As for me? I need to stay strong and focused as well. The next meeting is in 2 weeks time, and I better have a few ideas to pitch to artists there to see if I can find one, as well as have for the others to critique. One really nice thing is this isn't only a creative venture, but an opportunity to get fresh unbias eyes to look at our works.

A lot can happen in a month

2009-06-03T13:27:00.003-06:00

Or not.

I'd be lying if I said I had some huge update for you all (yes, all three of you) who read this thing, but sadly I do not. What I -do- have is something interesting.

Because of the success of the Free Comic Book Day anthology (the one I posted about in my previous entries) we're all getting together tonight with some new people to discuss several things, chief of which is another anthology. Some of the other topics are how to help one another in our craft, and get our works out there.

Other than meeting and networking with new people, it should be fun just to get out and immerse myself in something like this. I usually end up with cold feet or am too shy to interact as much as I'd like, but I'm really trying to break out of that and start to view what I do as a serious career choice and do what I need to make it become more than a passing hobby when I have free time.

I'll let ya know how it went.

Free Comic Book Day

2009-05-04T17:37:00.000-06:00

Well, my first 'official' stint at being published has come and gone. I was part of an amateur effort to 'get ourselves known' and also have some fun doing things like small stories and give something away for free from Free Comic Book Day. We put together a small, 32 page ash-can sized comic with several stories. The following is my submission with Mordok's illustrations.:

I'm very proud of this for several reasons...first of all it's the first time I've ever been published. Second it's the first completed work since the web comic Brian and I have done...it was a really good feeling all around.

There's talk of making this a regular sort of thing, and I'm 100% down for that...it's a great exercise in writing and fun to do all around. I hope we do the next one soon; I've already got ideas.

It's 1am

2009-05-03T01:04:00.003-06:00

......

What's really sad is I actually remember seeing that, and at the time I didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

I was a stupid kid.

FCBD

2009-05-02T17:21:00.001-06:00

So I enjoyed yet another free comic book day (My second :P) and gotta say...it was nice. I'm not going to the Happy Harbor 10 year anniversary party tonight, but I'm not exactly upset about that. I went out, got some comics, and even got a new sketch from Fiona Staples.

Also got a comic signed for Savok from Gail Simone, so he should love me forever now or something :P...now I'm just sitting around the house, enjoying the day off and relaxing with my comics.

It's a good life.

Personality

2009-04-26T10:53:00.002-06:00

Even though this is mainly a blog to showcase whatever I'm working on creatively, this is also a place for me to talk about personal crap to. Ha!

I'm cleaning today....and I hate cleaning. But I'm also getting rid of a lot of crap we'll never need again and trying to reorganize what we DO have. And since Wendy isn't home, she can't stop me! HAHAHAHA! Etc.

Once I'm done with that, I'm working on my new ideas for stuff. I've been meaning to this whole weekend, but I've really been catching up on my stuff on the PVR and relaxing...it's been a while since I was last able to do that.

At any rate, I plan on being productive today.

There's a Joke in here Somewhere...

2009-04-21T22:11:00.001-06:00

Ok, so I've got a new idea floating around in my brain, and I actually think I might be on to something with it.

A Werewolf, a Robot, and Dracula's Head Walk into a Bar...

No, really. That's my idea :P

See, for some reason, the concept hit me this morning while I was getting ready for work, and I'm starting to run with it. I don't wanna say too much before I have some concrete ideas done, but I really think I'm on to something here.

Well, far more than I ever had with Old People Vs Nazis...

Ha!

2009-04-20T21:44:00.001-06:00

Bet ya thought I wasn't going to post in here again for a few months, didn't you? I'm sort of laying low key a bit, mostly because I'm spending my free time messing around with my DS :P...not the new one, my old one. I forgot how much fun a lot of the games are, and I usually take a break every so often to kinda let thoughts and ideas simmer a bit.

So yeah, I'm still here! AHAHAHAAH!

What am I afraid of?

2009-04-16T09:38:00.002-06:00

I honestly don't know. I look at the bit for the novel I wrote, and I know it needs some major re-writing...only I'm not even sure I -want- to write a novel to be perfectly honest.

It seems a good idea: Take an idea, embellish it, elongate it, add in some extra spice, and then sell to the general public. Only....I dunno if I can really write like that. It's not a matter of focus or length; my comics and game ideas are heavily detailed and a few are quite 'epic' in length.

So what is it? What is the mental block I have with writing novels? I think it's the overall scope, but it could also be that they are daunting...with comics and such, you have self contained bits of the story, and can even move forward (not so much in games, but you interject actual gameplay for story elements) in time and skip a few mundane things. Sure you can do it in novels, but those are often referred to as 'plot holes' :P

I dunno, I'm weird. I write in a disjointed fashion, because I'm used to it. Writing a novel means I have to write consistently, and keep track of what I've got already all the time. It's nerve-wracking, but it's kinda fun. I just dunno if it's really for me. I enjoy the other things: web comics, comic books, video games...those are my real passion.

Honestly, writing a novel seems like a cop out...I think that's my real problem with it. It feels like I'm trying to conform my ideas into something that can be sold and made money from.

I dunno how I feel about it.

Sequentials

2009-04-15T19:40:00.006-06:00

Well, Free Comic Book day is fast approaching, and some of the local talent here decided to try and get a freebie of our own, showcasing our talents and getting ourselves 'out there' as it were.

Brian finished the sequentials just this afternoon, and after I spent an hour cleaning them up (Note to self: next time he sends me pages with the blue text from the comic boards on them, I shall slap him like a red headed step-child) they're looking pretty choice.

I don't want to post them all at once, but I think you'll enjoy the teaser above. Once May 2nd rolls around, I'll post the rest for your enjoyment. I'm rather proud of this for several reasons; first of which is I'm actually getting published. Second of which is the fact that I'm actually improving myself as a writer, and this was an excellent way of doing that.

I'm on a roll

2009-04-15T01:27:00.000-06:00

Seems I'm on a roll tonight. I went through my old idea for my web comic and cleaned a few things up. I've got someone I'm talking to about doing art for this, but we'll see how that pans out (I'm hopeful it'll turn out well!)

I also have the first major storylines, but I figure I need to have a few tricks up my sleeve, don't I?

Anyway, the webcomic's name has a good deal of meaning (It's been the name of my web comic since 2003) but right now it's a working title unless I can think of something better. PCIS stands for Pop Culture Isn't Safe and the webcomic centers on a guy taking a failed business and hopefully turning it around into something worthwhile. It will more than likely be finite, and it will have pepperings of growth and seriousness, but 95% of it will be pure comedy (and hopefully enough to make people laugh).

The central character is Garret, who has inherited his Uncle's comic book shop after his death. The only thing is it was closed down for about 15 years before his death. Now, he outright owns the building, as well as the land, but it's still in a bit of disarray, and he'll need employees to help him get things back into shape, and to help turn the shop back into something like it was in its heyday. Now, of course, his Great Uncle was (before his death) in talks with the owner of a mega-conglomerate to sell the land to them so they can begin building yet ANOTHER HAL*Mart. But his death, and the bequeathment of the shop to his favorite Nephew (whom, oddly enough, he never really knew) has thrown a wrench into those plans. He hired several wacky characters, and their interactions with each other and the patrons of the shop will be the meat of it all.

As the story goes on, the shop and the main character both go through a changing of sorts...out with the old, in with the new, and he learns to kind of stand on his own two feet and face his life as he sees fit. A bit cheesy, but it's also more therapeutic for the writer as well...as I'm going through the same sort of thing with my craft. Once it's ready for it to come to a close, I have an idea for the final set of strips, which will be bitter sweet (if it's decided to fully end it).

The overall look of the comic will be generally black and white.

The twist to this comic is that after the job is over for the day, they all play the most popular MMO: WarWorld Fury (Which is, you guessed it, a play on WoW and other MMOs). Then, their interactions within the game world go even deeper into the comedic side of things, as they all interact much like they do normally, only with the twist of the game world added as well.

Main Characters

Garret - Main Character of the strip, and the one who inherits the comic shop from his deceased uncle. He is an easy going sort of character, who will probably be seen as a personification of myself (which wouldn't be too far off, although he doesn't look too much like myself). He gets easily overwhelmed with the day to day things, especially if he feels he's simply over his head. However, he tries to remain cool if only for the sake of those around him. As the story progresses we see him evolve from an over excitable type of person, into something a bit more stable, and grounded. But still rather wacky at times.

Look: He dresses sort of rocker punk, but seems rather clean shaven and such for the role (No tats or piercings). Combat boots/dark boots (Pants always over the boots, never the other way around), tattered/worn jeans or cargo pants, denim/leather jackets, etc. Whenever he doesn't have a jacket, it's a simple t-shirt (Sometimes with writing on it). He has no facial hair, but has some wicked cool chops. Dark, messy hair. Should look as if he's in his mid-twenties to early thirties. Tall

Prof - The former store manager of the comic shop, and he meets up with the main character at the funeral and reading of the will. Was apparently good friends with his Uncle, and ends up running the business side of things. He's happy enough to do it, as the main character knows nothing of the day to day business, and would prefer to simply leave it all to his Uncle's friend. Sort of a mentor figure, guiding the main character into the best way of running the shop best. Very laid back, and seems as if he's been tokin' up a bit before each shift with how laid back he acts at times, but he keeps the books in the black and the shop running well. Average height.

Look: Old, in his 50s-60s. Full, sort of trimmed beard that is light (gray) along with his hair. He wears golf shirts and khaki pants all the time. Dress shoes as well. His hair is neat and well grommed, opposed to his beard which looks a little skraggly. Wears thick glasses (Hence his nickname). He is also a bit heavy set. Average height.

Steve - The first employee hired by the main character. He's a high school student, who's full of attitude (thinks he's always right), geek knowledge, and inexperience in the world. Everyone was a Steve at 17, at one time or another. Treats most customers well, unless they're being asshats. In which case he dishes out the insults a mile a minute. Thinks he knows all there is to know about things geek, but is routinely overshadowed by the others working there in their knowledge.

Look: Short light hair, facial hair that's more like peach fuzz, and t-shirt and jeans sort of guy. No acne (Unless it's very sparce...I don't want to overdo the whole 'teen thing'). He looks young, but not too young. His body seems awkward, much like any other teenage boy of that age. Tennis shoes would be the preferred shoe of choice, and he rarely wears anything over his t-shirt (such as a jacket, etc) Most of the time has his backpack on his back, even when working the counter. Average height

Talia - She's the third employee hired by the store, and enters the comic after it sort of establishes itself a bit. She's witty, charming, and funny. But she's also a bit self conscious. She's an artist, but she rarely talks about it at work (Odd, as she's at a comic store). Always has a comment for any given situation, and tends to take most topics right to the gutter without even realizing it some times. Overall, she's the fun one to be around, and helps liven things up for everyone involved.

Look: Darker skin tone, dark, long hair initially (Of course, she can change that at anytime and routinely does). Dresses to impress, whether it's a bit sexier, or more professional. Not opposed to wearing light dresses, or even skirts. Should look around the same age as Garret, if not a little older. Curvy, but not overtly so, or 'bulky' either. Shorter in height.

Carter - She's the second employee hired by Garret, and ends up being the most pivotal. She is the foundation and rock as it were for Garrets tumultuous ride from being a flake to being established and able to stand on his own two feet. May even be some romantic inklings between these two, but if there ever is it's no more than slightly and subtly alluded towards, and never given any in-depth time within the comic (OR IS IT?!?). She's more realistic than anyone else in the comic, but can hold her own among the crazy bunch. She is, however, more easily annoyed.

Look: Shorter hair (Chin-shoulder length) that can change in appearance, but generally keeps the same length. Lighter Hair color (sometimes alluded towards being red/auburn). She looks a bit more plain than compared to Talia, and is more of a tomboy, wearing ballcaps, and t-shirt/tank tops and jeans/shorts/etc. She has a killer body, but doesn't show it off all that much, so we gets hints at it here and there depending on the situations and whatever clothing she happens to be wearing at the moment. She is as tall as Garret. Wears fashionable glasses.

WarWorld Personas

Ok, since I'm not 100% sure how much of a parody is protected when you try and SELL that parody, I've decided to make up similar MMO type thing to WoW, and make it JUST that much different to where we can't get sued, and people will STILL know what we're making fun of :P

The interesting thing about this webcomic is the fact it's basically two comics in one. There's the comic store and the interactions there between the staff and customers, etc. Then, there's the 'after hours' sort of comic that deals with the staff as they play the video game and interact with each other there. Of course, both will overlap heavily.

Warworld is set up almost entirely like WoW, except there are no 'Factions' as it were. Everyone is on the same side, and interacts as such. There are Halflings (Half-Halflings are called Hulings). Dwarves (Half Dwarves are called Huarves), Orcs (And Half-Orcs called Hurcs), Elves (Half Elf/Half Humans called Hulvens), Minotars (Half are called Humotars), Humans (Halfs are called Hahumans), Trolls (Halfs are called Hulls), Snake Men (Called Set...Halfs are called Haset), Undying (Halfs are called Torsos) and of course, Cabraespacio (bastardized/combined Spanish for Space Goat...Halfs are called Humacabras). Yes, the halfs are all jokes...and more of a play on DnD than anything else. Yes, I'm a huge geek.

Garret - He has chosen (After much trial and error) to play as human Beast Tracker (The Hunters). His avatar looks only a little like him, but has the trucker beard (No chin hair, but moustache connecting to lower beard parts, and running to the chops...know what I mean?) Dresses all in leathers which look patched up crudely (This is his first character after all). He starts off (of course) with no pet. Ironically, he has a huge scar over one eye, which is also covered with an eye patch, but that's his aiming eye. Gotta love MMOs. Average Height/Build

Prof - Prof plays a Minotaur Vindicator (The Warriors). (I thought about having him be a dwarf, but i think having it a little more varried is good). It is big, darkly colored, and has One big strong looking horn, and another than looks like it was broken off half way. He wears full body armor, which gives him an intimidating presence. His preferred weapon, no matter what else is out there, is simply the lower half of a tree. Roots and all. Even the GMs aren't entirely sure how he managed to equip one. Big n Tall build and height.

Steve - Steve plays a Set Assassain (The rogue). Their lower halves are tails, and their upper halves are THAT OF A MAN! With the FACE OF A SNAKE! (He also makes all his 's' sounds like 'sssss' which annoys everyone else to no end. Has no body armor, save a belt and a vest, and weild two daggers. (Don't worry about making the scales detailed or anything, just the look of a slick snake is fine). His snake also wears steam-punk style goggles for some incredibly odd reason.

Talia - She plays a Halfling Demon Binder (Warlocks). She's busty, but still looks like she'd attract more pedos than anything else (And inside joke about the gnomes in WoW). Dresses like some unholy cross between Evil Lynn and some chick sorceress from a Conan comic.

Carter - She plays a Troll Healer. Her in-game character is quite buxom and sexified, as a contrast to her normal self, and it's not intentional. Most of the time she complains about how she's forced to wear skimpier and skimpier clothing as she becomes more and more powerful. Simple, light colored robes will be her starting stuffs. As a troll, she'll have medium colored skin, and a crazy trollish haircut, and tusks!

Oh Em Gee, more writings.

2009-04-15T00:16:00.003-06:00

So I've gotten the intro to my book done. It's rough, and I think the pacing is a little off, but for a start I don't think it's bad, really. I've never really sat down to write a novel before, and all the short stories I've attempted were never more than a few pages long. This is only about 2 pages single spaced, but it sort of sets up the story a bit and introduces two of the main characters enough to grab people and make them invest themselves in what happens next.

At least I think it does.

Anyway, let me know what you think

"You really want to know? The moment I'll be the happiest is when whatever powers that pull the strings of this reality reach into my chest and wrap their fingers around my heart and stop the beating."

Dr. Richard Forth looked up from his notes at Daniel King and merely let his eyes fall upon the man. He'd been his psychiatrist for several months now, but felt any progress achieved was either hollow or short-lived; pyrrhic victories. This discourse just happened to re-enforce his feelings on the subject.

Still, he avoided giving any physical indications of his disappointment. "And why do you feel this way, Daniel? What would death bring that living does not?"

Daniel sat up; the first time since the session had started, and stretched his arms wide. Letting them fall slowly to his sides he turned his head ever so slightly to look the doctor right in the eye.

"It wouldn't bring anything, really." He gave a self-assured smirk and collapsed back onto the couch he was initially reclining against. An old green and mauve sofa in a terrile pattern. Certain areas looked threadbare, and others were stained with some undistinguishable substance. At one time, he was sure, the couch was quite fashionable. Now it seemingly mirrored Daniel's existence. He had recommended Daniel discard of it for something more modern, but the man insisted he'd 'finally broken it in.'

"Then why say it would bring you happiness, hm?" He was pushing Daniel now, and knew it. Sometimes the only way to make progress with him was to push, and push hard. He was tired though, and doubt he could carry on the pointless back and forth for long. He glanced down at his watch to note how much time was left, and cringed slightly as he looked back at Daniel and saw he'd been caught.

"Why not? Nothing else seems to work." Daniel gave a slight look of disgust towards the doctor, and closed his eyes. "Look, we both know this is going nowhere. I'll pay for the full hour, so go ahead and leave if you want. Even I can tell this is annoying."

For a moment, Forth did nothing, but he slowly gathered his items, jotted down a final few lines in his notebook, and closed it slowly. Once all his effects were in his briefcase, he closed it and looked to Daniel, who was still laying on the dilapidated couch as if he were made specifically for it.

"Daniel, look," he gave a slight pause. "There's something I want you to try."

Daniel opened his eyes and turned his head, so at least he knew he'd gotten the man's attention.

"Our sessions aren't working, so I want to try something a little different. Something that will get you out of the house, for once."

Daniel audible scoffed at this, let out a dry laugh, and turned over in the couch so his back was to the doctor. "You can show yourself out, Doc. You know as well as I do that I can't leave this damn house. What'd you call it- Agoraphobia? So you know I can't leave or I'd have a breakdown."

Forth could feel the cocky attitude behind each and every word, and now it was his turn to audibly scoff at the notion.

"You know as well as I do that your phobia is purely self-inflicted. You've merely lived the lie for so long you're starting to believe it. Look around you, Daniel: this home is your self-imposed prison, and you're serving a sentence for crimes that were never your fault, or that you should ever be held accountable for. Your mother-"

Daniel sat upright with a speed the doctor hadn't seen in weeks. Where was once a listless and careless man, now stood a seething pot of emotion and torment. "Get the fuck out, Forth. Our session is over."

He made a mental note to himself to add this to his write-up once he left, but at the moment merely nodded to Daniel. "If we're to make progress, then this needs to be a two-way street, Daniel. If you are ready to take the next step," He reached into his breast pocket and produced a small envelope. "Then you'll leave the house and come with me. The boat leaves in two weeks."

"Boat?"

Forth smiled, and merely placed the envelope on the coffee table separating the two men. He slid it towards Daniel, and walked to the front door, grabbing his coat on the way.

"I know you'll make the right decision, Daniel." What he was doing, and how he was acting- it was unprofessional. Forth knew it, but he also knew Daniel was a special case. If he didn't push, he wouldn't be able to get past the walls and barriers that he'd put up over the years, and he'd never make any serious headway with the man. He gave him a nod and opened the front door. Daniel spoke.

"And if I don't make the right choice?"

"Well, then I just wasted six hundred and fifty dollars, plus tax." He gave a smirk and walked out the door, shutting it behind himself without giving Daniel a chance to reply. He was halfway to his car when the front door burst open and Daniel ran out to catch up with him.

"A cruise? To Alaska?! Are you crazy, doc?"

"No, but I think you could use the change of scenery, don't you?"

Daniel said nothing, but stood there, clutching his itinerary in one hand and the torn envelope in the other. Forth could sense the trepidation in Daniel's mind as he actually considered going on the trip.

"When we started, you wouldn't even go out your front door. Now look at you: you didn't even hesitate to follow me. I still believe you're keeping yourself here with this phobia, Daniel. The cruise is a way to break down at least one of the walls you've erected, and let yourself actually start to heal. This house is poison, and yet you stay. Why?"

Daniel was going to retort, but the doctor held up his hand, pointing to his watch. "Now our session is over. I'll see you in two weeks, Daniel." He smiled at the other man and continued to his car.

"Dr. Forth, you can't expect me to go on this trip, can you?!" His voice sounded slightly panicked, but it didn't concern Forth too much at the moment. He had a feeling that Daniel would get over it just in time. If anything, his ultimate choice would give him some more insight into Daniel than their sessions ever could. His only response was to turn and simle again, and give a short wave good-bye as he got into his car.

As he pulled away from the house, he glanced into his rear view mirror at Daniel, who was growing smaller by the second. Just as he turned a bend and he disappeared from sight, he thought for a moment he saw a look of peace on the man's face, followed by a flash of something that sent a shiver down to his very core. He shook it off and continued his drive home.

In two weeks, he'd know just how deep Daniel's psychosis was, and just how to begin to heal it.

Oh Justice League...How you tempt me

2009-04-14T01:40:00.001-06:00

Instead of writing, I've been watching old episodes of Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. More specifically the episode where Solomon Grundy died fighting the Cthulu knock off. Then I watched a few clips of Superman kicking the crap out of Darkseid and Batman avoiding the Omega Beams (Stupid Final Crisis writers).

At any rate, things like this actually do more than simply distract me from what I -should- be doing (namely writing); they get my brain working overtime. See, I grew up with these cartoons, even if it was mostly in my teens. They hold a special place for me because they are what I aspire to. I see something with superheroes like this, and it makes me wonder if I can reach the same level of recognition with something I've created.

Of course my low self-worth keeps me from dreaming much like this, but meh...it keeps me going I suppose.

I've been working on the idea for the novel today, letting it run around in my head. The basic premise is pretty much like this:

Since it was originally slated to be developed as a video game (I may still go that route after I write the novel) I may keep some elements in there the same, such as extra characters, and the same sort of feel in the writing that I would've had if things were a bit more ...interactive? I dunno. Bah, I'm starting to ramble.

It follows the story of a guy named Daniel (my working name for any main male characters) on a cruise ship going up the western coast towards Alaska. Originally, my thought was to have it be sort of a 'vacation' for mental patients of varrying degress of their ailments with theor doctors as a means of therapy. Daniel was afflicted with a bit of agoraphobia (fear of leaving the house) because of certain things that happened in his life leading up to that point.

On the night of the 2nd day at sea, things start to hit the fan, and that's when all the 'horror' begins. My origianl idea had it play like Haunting Ground and the Clock Tower Series: Hide > Fight. If you fought, chances were you died. I wanted to focus on escape and avoidance, and mix in a lot of adventure elements. How to portray that in a book?

Also, there were 4 'boss' characters I wanted to add to the game, and each one would be linked to a part of Daniel's past, and defeating them in the conventional manner was generally out of the question; it would be all about Daniel and his hangups. The only problem is I never thought WHY is this happening to him.

I've been sitting here for about 3 hours now, and I still have no idea. Maybe I'll try again tomorrow.

Still Life

2009-04-13T00:02:00.001-06:00

I haven't really told many people about this gem of a game, but it's right up there with The Longest Journey for me in terms of memorable gaming experiences.

It's called Still Life, and it ends on something of a cliff hanger. The company that developed it was absorbed by another company, and generally that means there won't ever be another (Fallout 3 is the happy exception to the rule....the Dungeon Keeper series however is not). Well, it seems the game is getting a sequel. It was announced months ago, I just have been living under a rock it seems.

It comes out April 15th, and I am going to pick it up. Then I'm going to disappear to the rest of the world until it's done...it's that good. If the sequel is anything as good as the first, it's a worthwhile buy.

Damn...I needed motivation, not a distraction.

Of Writings and....stuff.

2009-04-12T15:25:00.001-06:00

Welllllll....I am actually posting in a somewhat timely fashion. Imagine that!

I've got several projects I'm kind of working on. And by working on I mean have started within the last 5 years and haven't touched since their inception...seems to be a theme for me.

Just a sec, gonna take a shower.

.....

Much better. (I know it seems instantaneous, but I just took 20 min. to bathe. I like long showers :P)

Now, as I was saying...I've got several projects I'm going to try and focus on more and more. Needless to say, I'm going to TRY and complete some of these (damn, I went and said it), so here's hoping I can motivate myself.

Tabletop RPG - Basically, I've got two ideas. One stems from a super hero world, and the other is where it's basically a zombie game, but far more tongue in cheek.

Novel - I was originally going to do this one as a video game, but lack of interest from those I discussed things with, and also a lack of knowledge from myself in getting it there (even as an amatuer endeavor) led me to think it would be a great idea as a novel: Cold Mentality. Basically follows one guy as he takes a cruise along the western coast up towards Alaska (They have Alaskan crusies...did you know that??) and the madness that ensues. Very dark, very grim...hopefully I can pull it off. I've always had a soft sport for horror, and now I'm going to try my hand at it.

Comics - Too many to even go into, sadly...and most will never see the light of day. I do, however, have a short that will be part of a local anthology for free comic book day, and I'm looking forward to seeing myself in print for the first time EVER. Even though it's an amatuer thing, I'm still incredibly proud of it and myself. Other than that, there IS one idea I've got for either a comic or maybe a novel about zombies, but I'm not 100% sure which medium I want to use for that.

I will say, however, I got an interesting idea about the symbiotic nature of three 'parastic' creatures of legend. Vampires, Werewolves, and ....uh....man eating plants. Don't ask; it all came from a rather odd dream. But I like to think that I have something here, providing I can polish it.

Also, there was an idea for a 'multiple universe' thing I haven't even touched aside from the idea for it, where it's all the same person, just from different realities...and they're all hunting another one of them, who happens to be a serial killer who only kills...you guessed it: himself. Sounds convoluted, but interesting.

Web Comics - I worked with Brian (Mordok) for a number of months on an old, and now entirely defunct webcomic (that used to be on this very site) called Pop Culture Isn't Safe. Since then, I've changed artists and ideas, but ultimately it's always sort of flopped for one reason or another. I've got a NEW idea that I've had brewing since last year, and I'm hoping that with a new artist in tow, I can get it off the ground.

Especially since this is going to have a beginning, a middle, and an end. I gave a lot of thought to this, and if I want to tell a story, and interject humor, that's all well and fine. But an indefinate web comic, it is just not the place for it (CAD has taught us this...and I refuse to link to it because I can't stand Tim Buckley :P). But on the flip side, Something Positive has taught us it can work very well.

I'm just not sure if I'm up to that task, you know? All in good time, I suppose. Anyway, it's still centering around a comic book shop, but the characters have undergone a MASSIVE change, and no longer 'represent' people I know 1:1. Now they're more amalgamations of several people I know, and ideas I've had, so I hope I can pull it all together. I've got a skeletal outline of the major plot points for several months, just need to bring it all into a cohesive project that is easy to understand so the artist can make sense of it.

Or something.

I'd go into detail on these things, but I need to keep you people wanting more! Also, it makes it far more interesting when I release little tidbits of whatever I'm writing, and if I were to just lay it all out on the table NOW, it certainly wouldn't be as enjoyable later. That and I'm a cocktease.

Anyway, that's it for now. Stay frosty.

Wonder if this will work...

2009-04-10T16:41:00.001-06:00

I've been having trouble publishing my blogs lately...I see them in my blogger control panel, but for some reason they aren't being uploaded via FTP.

Ugh...I hate crap like this.

EDIT: Well, I'm a complete idiot. Instead of setting the directory as www/ for the uploads, I set it as simply /

So what did it do? Upload to the ROOT of my website, instead of the public part :P...lord. Well, at least I figured the damn thing out.

Moving day

2009-04-09T14:23:00.000-06:00

Well, I'm 'officially' back into this whole blogging thing...we'll see how long I keep up with it this time. I moved one post from LJ over here because I think it's important to keep track of, and I may develop something from it one day.

Anyway, this is the new blog, same old me...here's hoping I'll actually update this thing with my intent: stuff about my writings.

Visionary

2008-06-15T17:42:00.000-06:00

I don't get visions. Not anymore at least.

But right now I got something close.

A group of 5-7 people. Held up within a small, contained neighbor hood. On the Northern side, a large group of undead is held back with a crude, but effective sort of 'dam' along the street, from one house to another. Fences and more homes act as a natural deterrent beyond that.

The only other entrance to the neighborhood is cut off by a large, crudely built (but movable) fence. This was done because of the pattern of movement from the undead. Most were coming from one side, so the other was a means of quick and efficient escape.

Things are fine, when suddenly they break through the dam.

5 minutes.

the main group head off god knows where, shouting and orders being yelled.

One man turns and heads down a lone street. Partially blocked: Undead here and there. Their home was secure, but it was never safe.

A black man, one of the main group yells at him it's suicide; but he has no choice. Their lives are in that van, and their only chance of survival.

He'd been meaning to go down that road...to claim what was theirs once more. But now it didn't matter.

Two are coming up fast...he sprints in spurts to avoid using all his energy at once, and to use it when he needs it. The other man is following him, but father behind, yelling things at him he can't possibly understand now.

Avoid the other two, they turn for him, another in his path he dodges from and lets collide into his other persurers. A woman forever pushing a stroller is in front of him, but doesn't see him yet. Or hear him.

He forces a shoulder into her back, sending her flying. The stench of her death fills his nostrils, but there it is.

The van.

3 minutes.

He's had the key out, gripped tightly in his fingers since he started running. The front door is unlocked and he swings it open, jumping in. Unlocking the passenger side, after he's roared it to life, he guns it out this dead end, and picks up the other man.

The rest of the group are crammed into another car, and windows rolled down.

The second site.

This was planned all along. Smart thinking the man says to himself as the van pulls away, leading the survivors out the now open southern entrance.

Then hell opens its mouth.

They aren't the only people on the road. Cars, bikes, everything mobile is coming from the OPPOSITE direction of the supposed advancing horde.

Binoculars are grabbed, and the horizon scoped. Too many to count...too many to see fully. There's the end of humanity. There's the wave of death.

2 minutes.

Van's dying, and the steering is getting harder. Cursing and panic are setting in, but he composes himself. The second site is no longer an option. Half these people racing past them were from it, or around it.

They could only rely on themselves now.

Glancing looks across the approaching end horizon, and the sides of the road. When they pulled out onto the street for the first time after the cars and bikes, the van nearly went off the road onto the other side.

1 Minute.

A steep slope, opening onto a large acreage. Farmland never used. Trees all over the property. This was the true outskirts of suburbia. A decision is made. The second car is pulled up next to the van. Words exchanged, and heads nodded.

The undead are slow. They have 20, maybe 30 minutes left before the wave is upon them. The van turns of the road and towards the distance. Hoping to god there's a farmhouse at the end, behind the treeline.

30 minutes.

This was a dream I just had about 20 minutes ago. I've been wanting to do a really good zombie story lately, but starting it has always been sort of...hard for me so I'd drop it. I've got another in the works about the zombie side of things, and I think this could coincide as another tale within it (Or a new tale from it to go from) nicely. The speed, the urgency of it all...Figures it'd be my sleeping mind that'd out-think my waking one.

The dream seriously lasted only 4-5 minutes, and ended as soon as the van pulled off the road and headed into the tall grass.