Molding an entire universe all my own

I'm a big proponent of creator-owned material. There's something about molding your vision and doing it the way you want it to be done. You have an intrinsic freedom to tell your story they way you want to tell it. There are creators who THRIVE in this environment - Robert Kirkman, Jamal Igle, Greg Rucka to name a few. There are also creators so fed up with the editorial of corporate comics that they just go out and try to find their own projects to tell the stories they wish to tell.

This is what makes comics a true art-form.

Every comic I've penned is creator owned. Mack Turner: Slayer of the Dead is my vision of zombies, Steel Creek is an homage to Clint Eastwood and the Westerns that inspired my time studying film at Ithaca College. Patriot-1 is the story I've always wanted to tell - the story about a soldier who simply represents the basic ideals and moral righteousness of an entire nation.

My next graphic novel does indeed utilize a public domain character. But it's one that fascinates me, as I've mentioned. However, the story surrounding this character is entirely original and it will play directly into the universe that's being created now.

Excuse the rather bland logo mock-up... but ExtraOrdinary is something I've wanted to do for a long, long time. I love superheroes and superhero comics, and I'd love to take a crack at some of my favorites... Superman, Moon Knight, Batman and Captain America. But writing for Marvel and DC means you must conform to continuity and editorial planning across the board. That's totally fine and the way it should be, they are very popular, multi-million dollar characters.

But they don't have to be the be-all, end-all of the genre. There's plenty of room for new superheroes so long a you have a good story and you don't re-tread old and overused themes.

To me, Mike Mignola's Hellboy - a book in which I've just now begun to read religiously - is the perfect creator owned story. The same goes for one of my all-time favorites, Dave Stevens' Rocketeer. The original Rocketeer books are so good, and so beautiful, that even now IDW Publishing's current runs simply feel like a tribute.  As they should.

ExtraOrdinary is my superhero universe. I've got a specific handful of superheroes that are all super-powered for a specific reason. It's not just going to run amok with hundreds or thousands of heroes. There's only about 8. One of which is actually a legacy version of the public domain character. Yes, the next graphic novel will stand alone just as much as it will be tied to ExtraOrdinary.

In order to pull this off in a new way, I have to do something different. The beauty of this is the freedom I enjoy. These are my characters, my universe and most importantly, my use of the comic book art form.

ExtraOrdinary isn't going to be a typical team book, it's going to be more of a brand. I think I want to tell the stories in a different style. Instead of 22 page issues devoted to a team story or an individual hero, the stories are going to be told however they need to be told. 12 pages here, 6 pages here... However the story needs to be told for the benefit and evolution of these characters. But the main thread is that each of these stories are connected to the overall plot and motivation for this universe.

Moreover, I want to tell superhero stories in the realm of exploring more of a "why are these heroes here." There's also the socio-political ramifications of such heroes that I don't feel are touched on enough in the genre.

The best part is... I can do whatever I want with them. And that's really where creator-owned material ultimately thrives.

I've got a talented young artist on board. Thus far, he's blown me away with capturing the things that are spilling out of my head. One of them being the Superman of this universe... The Challenger, whom I share with you now. (And yes, there is a VERY specific reason he is called "The Challenger")

  

ExtraOrdinary is a fun experiment kicking off in 2014... which evidently is going to be a HUGE year for me and comics. Keep up with it all at TJComics.com and the TJ Comics Facebook Page.

The next graphic novel...

Patriot-1 is on track to be released next year. I'm pumped, it's my passion project and the story I've been trying to tell for years. I won't lie, it's like an origin story, but it's also all about the character and what he becomes that makes it kind of great.

But for the next graphic novel, I'm doing something a little different. Patriot-1 is a straight up military/espionage thriller. It's heavily inspired by Tom Clancy - who is the most influential author to me. For the project I commandeered a public domain character and I'm exploring a period of time not often touch on in comics.

When considering the Golden Age of comics, it always begins with Action Comics #1. Of course it does, it's the first appearance of Superman and the catalyst for the abundance of superheroes that followed - everyone trying to catch lightning in a bottle.

World War II is done a lot in comics. Maybe overdone. The Cold War isn't touched upon so much anymore, but the influences still remain. But what intrigued me, especially with the character I commandeered, is the period of time BETWEEN the end of World War II and the rampant McCarthyism and the real rise of the Cold War during the 1950s.

The character I've picked up was created in 1946 and only ever made one appearance. It was a post-World War II world, but the Cold War had yet to really become what is was. Where did a character like this fit?

It wasn't really the Golden Age and it wasn't the Silver Age. I see it referred to as the Atomic Age, but it's all so short-lived.

Publishers created characters like him all the time - a mad dash to make a quick buck - and that's why so many are now in the public domain. What would a superhero in the immediate aftermath of World War II do? And with this character in particular, why did he never appear after his first issue? These are all questions I'm aiming to explore when this book gets going early next year.

So I found this to be a really intriguing part of history and comic history. It's a bit pulpy, a bit spy stuff and a lot superhero. It's also going to tie into a superhero universe I'm crafting. More on that soon too!

Wow... it's October... and the 800-pound Comic Con in the room

So I neglected the blog a bit.

But for good reason!

I swear it wasn't just Grand Theft Auto V, Disney Infinity and Splinter Cell: Blacklist came kind of all at once.
 
I've been completely entrenched in a new project. One that I've mentioned here and there, but now I've got an artist and I'm moving forward full steam.

I'll probably have it announced this weekend to make good use of the #NYCC hashtag.

Speaking of NYCC, I'm still debating whether I want to go. I'm only going one day for a few hours tops, but the thought of trekking into the city on a Friday, getting to the Javits Center, dealing with the full range of fanboy/girl (you know, the regulars, the casual fans and then the "OOO I WANT TO BE PART OF THIS" type), and all of that is keeping me from fully committing.

You see, I haven't been to NYCC since 2011. I went for 4 years straight. I hated that they moved it to October, but I still went. I went to NYCC the weekend of my brother's wedding in 2010 because I was being strung along by a publisher that they had interest in my work when in reality they were kind of jerks about the entire affair. I've made a lot of "con-friends" and many of whom have become friends I speak to every so often on Facebook.

Then there was 2011. That year I was ambitious. I had moderate success at smaller cons, so that year I decided to go all-out and get a table for TJ Comics.

Talk about a great learning experience and one of the biggest mistakes I ever made. You see, when you exhibit at these big cons - primarily San Diego and New York - you are competing with Marvel and DC. And Image. And BOOM!. And, well, everyone. The convention organizers are more than willing to take your money, they offer little assistance or sympathy. Then they pool you with completely unrelated neighbors. For example, I was across from a fetishy superhero fan-film thing and next to a group of guys who did amateur work in a basement.

TJ Comics is quality work. The books I publish are held to high standards, but I was lost in the sea. I had also foolishly rushed to print a 12-page all ages book as an "NYCC exclusive" to try and drum up interest in the brand. Not to mention I went to every publisher looking for work... it is a trade show after all ... but they have zero interest in anyone outside of their respective circles.

Let me just be frank. I lost a lot of money. I lost so much money and left the Javits Center that final Sunday of the con completely dejected. I gave serious thought to shutting down TJ Comics and giving up on the comic dream.

It was bad.

Rather than fully giving up, I put TJ Comics on hiatus to focus on my passion project, Patriot-1. Following it's rejection from a major publisher, I spent 3 months completely rewriting it into what it is now, and I love it. Though I lost the artist attached at the time, I found a better one.

I avoided NYCC 2012 like the plague. I redesigned TJComics.com, Patriot-1 became what I always wanted it to be, it's almost like I was reborn. But, I didn't want to deal with the people and I still had a really bad taste in my mouth from the year prior. 

This year though, I'm indifferent to it. I can only tolerate one day for a few hours, but I'd like to see some friends and comic acquaintances. Buy a copy of Molly Danger personally from Jamal Igle, look for cool collectibles and be amongst my people. But getting there is a hassle and I really do only have a few hours... having two 11 month old babies limits what your better half will let you get away with.

I'm irked that the organizers no longer hold professional hours on Thursday from 10-3, which is why I didn't go today. But I'm still deciding if I want to take the train, grab a cab, deal with New York City on a Friday, go to the con for a few hours, get a cab, take the train and all that.

That's what's become of these big cons. They are so big and so outlandish, they are becoming a chore for some of the most die hard comic fans and creators.