Cheat Week #5

Yes, it's another Cheat Week, but this one is intentional! In the spirit of the season, I wanted to share with you one of my very favorite horror stories, which just so happens to be a (completely free)

AUDIO DRAMA!!!

Darker Projects is a creative studio that produces audio dramas of all kinds, but focusses on the realms of science fiction and horror. They have several great productions that they offer for free on their website, but the one I'd like to call your attention to today is probably my favorite of the bunch.

Autumn is based on the first of several horror novels by British author, David Moody. It's set in the English countryside and follows the trials of a group of people who have survived a world-ending plague that kills and then reanimates the majority of the population. Yes, this is a zombie story, but not quite like any other zombie story I've seen or read. The twist is a relatively minor one, but for someone who has sampled the many variations of zombie fiction, it will make the story surprisingly suspenseful and unpredictable. And, of course, for those who have never had an interest in zombie fiction before, this story may change things up enough to draw you in.

It's wonderfully acted by Darker Projects' cast of volunteer actors, with atmospheric music that will stick with you long after its finished. I've listened to it three times and I fully intend on giving it another spin before Halloween.

All six episodes can be found on the above-linked Autumn page. Hope you enjoy it!

Geeks of Doom Article: Destroying Comics For Fun and Profit

The Farther Room is a place for positivity...

...but sometimes, things just piss me off. When these things pop up, I need a place to vent about them. Thankfully, my overlords at Geeks of Doom have given me a platform through which to do this.

I spotted this little tidbit on Bleeding Cool and was compelled to write something.

Superworld Comics is a store in Massachusetts that specializes in bronze, silver, and golden age comics and original comic art. On their YouTube channel, they have a feature called “Trash-A-Comic.” The title is pretty self-explanatory. Every episode, they destroy a comic book from their back-stock in what they insist are fun and creative ways for, one can only assume, the entertainment of their customers.

Because comic book fans — especially collectors of mint and slabbed comics — LOVE seeing those books destroyed.

In their first episode, they shot an issue of Classics Illustrated: Kidnapped to pieces with a paint gun.

In their second episode, they fed a near-mint issue of Dazzler to a couple of pigs before having it pecked by chickens.

In their third episode, they ripped an issue of Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories in half, put it in a blender, turned it into a smoothie, and drank it while toasting, “Here’s to the end of another worthless comic.”

In their fourth episode, they rolled over a CGC slabbed issue of Shazam with a steam shovel and fed it into a wood chipper.

Laughing all the way.

Read the full article here.

Creative Release

So, I had an epiphany during the move.

In the months leading up, RC and I talked long and hard about getting all of our preparation done early. We assured ourselves we would be fully packed, with boxes lining the walls, by the time our first moving pod arrived. Our last move had been utter chaos, so we were determined not to see that happen again this time around.

We would be ready. We would be disciplined. We would be organized.

This, of course, didn't happen.

We caught ourselves every now and then, saying, “We’re not doing what we said we were going to do. We’ll watch this movie, or play this game, or browse the internet tonight... But TOMORROW, we really get down to the business of packing!”

Then the next day would come and we’d do a box or two. A couple more the day after that. Then it would be Thursday and Thursdays are shitty, so we’d let ourselves rest that evening, saying we'd pick it up again the next day, but then the next day would be Friday and Friday is Date Night, so we’d resolve to get our work done over the weekend, but then Saturday is Saturday and who wants to wake up early on Saturday, so Sunday would come around but the next day’s a work day, so we’ll just…

And so on.

Then, about a month and a half before Moving Day, during one of these moments of clarity, I realized exactly what was keeping me from committing to the move... I was too busy trying to be a writer!

...

I know, I know. This was just more mental masturbation, convincing myself that the real problem was ANYTHING but my inherent laziness... but the thought wasn't entirely without merit. I’d spent many evenings writing when I should have been packing. And evenings when I wasn't writing, I was THINKING about writing, which left me staring off into space or listening to music... doing just about anything, but packing.

Blog posts, audio dramas, this comic, that comic, eHow articles, Geeks of Doom articles… my mind was a whirlwind of creative thought, and it was taking time away from the move-prep.

So, that day I decided I would put all creative pursuits on hold -- the comics, the articles, everything -- until the complicated and stressful act of relocation was completely behind us. I knew that once I freed up my mind to focus on planning and executing the move, things would move faster and we would be 100% ready when the day came.

And, believe it or not, it actually worked.

For about a week.

Then I started getting the shakes. Then I started itching everywhere. Before long, I was wandering the city streets offering sexual favors to any stranger who might be able to hook me up with a fix.

Because I, my friends, am a Creativity Addict.

That may sound like a self-important "Aren't I Awesome" sort of statement, but listen to me... really understand...

Quitting creativity cold turkey was one of the most enlightening experiences of my life, because it made me realize that I could not function properly without a creative outlet. If you thought I was a scatterbrain before? (...and if you knew me, you would...) Holy shit. I became a complete blithering idiot. I couldn’t focus at work. I couldn’t focus at home. I couldn’t focus while packing. I couldn’t focus while SPEAKING. I overreacted to almost everything and had more than a few emotional breakdowns over the stress of it all.

It's like whatever machine fed me all those fun ideas was also connected to my central operating system, and the minute I pulled that plug, it ALL came crashing down. Creativity was my brain's liver! Sorting out the good thoughts and the holding back the waste. You can't live without your liver, people!

It felt like I was back in school, repeating the fifth grade again because, “He’s a smart kid, but he just doesn’t apply himself.” Without a creative direction, I was utterly lost.

But... the move still happened. All that pent-up energy turned me into a human forklift. I’m pretty sure I lost more weight in those last two months than I have in the last two years, just from all the picking up, carrying, loading, and unloading I’ve done. So, there’s that, at least.

But I'll tell ya…

The minute I sat down by the window in my brand new apartment with my brand new view sprawling out before me, and booted up my laptop…?

Release.

24 Hour Comics Day 2010

October 2, 2010, was the 7th annual 24 Hour Comics Day. For those who don't want to follow the link, 24 Hour Comics Day was created by comics guru Scott McCloud, first as a challenge to a fellow artist , but soon as a challenge to every lover of the comics medium. Anyone is free to join in, regardless of artistic experience or disposition, and there is only one rule: the comic must be conceived, written, and drawn entirely by you within a single consecutive 24 hour period.

Eventually, a day was made of it, so that comic lovers far and wide could take on this creative endeavor as a community.

Last Saturday was my first attempt. I started at midnight and worked straight through to 10pm on October 2nd (I included time stamps on each page to mark when I finished it). The result is what follows.