DragonFUZE Comics

DragonFUZE #43 or THE END

2009-03-03T12:25:00.002+11:00

This is the final post I will be making to the DragonFUZE Comics blog; from today onwards this blog will enter cryogenic stasis from which it may or may not awaken. I have truly enjoyed blogging over the last few years, but the reality is that I have been focsed on blogging about comics, rather than on creating comics. My passion really lies in making something happen with DragonFUZE Comics and getting stories like Tikki's Giant and The Next Scion out into the world. As such an era is ending...

You can keep up to date with DragonFUZE Comics projects at the new website hosted on Wordpress.

DragonFUZE #42

2009-03-02T15:55:00.000+11:00

Click the title of this post to visit the new home of DragonFUZE Comics on the internet. This blog may be coming to its end, we'll see.

PopFUZE #57

2009-03-02T11:15:00.001+11:00

Click the title of the post to read an interview with Cary Kelley, my good mate and writer/ co-creator of indy comic Fallen Justice.

DragonFUZE #41

2009-02-26T11:15:00.000+11:00

I hate to say it, but I don't see myself making the end of the month deadline for finishing the Tikki's Giant #2 script. I am not very happy about missing this deadline, but quite a few things have gotten in the way of me writing anything this week, and that's just the way life goes. Still, it shouldn't be too much longer until the script is wrapped and then the fate of the comic rests in other hands (no pressure Andrew!!).

I have not heard back from a different artist who was looking to work with me, so I guess that opportunity has walked on by; it's a shame because he is such a talented artist, but we couldn't agree on the type of story we wanted to work on together and that's the way life goes.

Given that hiccup, I am definitely going to work on The Next Scion once the Tikki scripts are wrapped. I feel like I can't really claim to be a comic book writer until I have bashed out a superhero script! LOL. So, I am looking forward to exploring that story soon.

Other than that, there is not much else to report. There are a lot of great and not so great things happening outside of the DragonFUZE universe, in that place called the 'real world', but this blog was never supposed to be about that anyway...

DragonFUZE #40

2009-02-21T19:45:00.000+11:00

I got a little more work done on my Tikki's Giant script today, but only finished 2 pages before our son woke up from his morning nap and then the rest of the day was a creative write-off, which is all OK. I'm still hopeful I can finish this script in February; I have 7 pages to do in 7 days. I know that it is an arbitrary time line, but this really is the first time I have worked to a self-imposed date on my own work, so if I get there then that is a good thing indeed.

I am still uncertain about things post finishing the script for Tikki's Giant. I know that I don't want to write another Tikki story straight away, but I am not sure what I will write next. Once I decide, you will read about it right here!

By the way, I have recently begun to use a tracking/ statistics service for this blog and it seems that my readership is low, but building. I have often wondered how many people read my blog, and now I am getting a better idea. I do get more hits when I am talking about pop culture (my highest number of hits/ readers seems to coincide with me writing about Rhona Mirta) as compared to my own creative work. That's interesting, but not surprising. Hey, even I would prefer to read about Rhona Mirta than about myself (looks like the hits will go up again, I mentioned her twice in this very post!).

DragonFUZE #39

2009-02-20T15:30:00.004+11:00

Curse my creative head! LOL. Over the last few days, I have been swapping emails and PMs with an artist that I met on Rob Liefeld's message boards; the artist contacted me to see if I was interested in working with him on a project. So, we have thrown a few ideas around and still haven't found something that we are both comfortable with.

Earlier today, I came up with what I thought was a really cool idea, but I still haven't heard from the artist. Depending on how he feels about the story, this project may leap ahead of The Next Scion in my writing schedule. While TNS is the project I really want to work on next, I don't want to miss this chance to work with such a strong artist.

We have to find a story that suits us both.

DragonFUZE #38

2009-02-17T20:05:00.001+11:00

Have a look at this! Andrew just sent me this character design for our story's heroine, her name is Tikki, and I am just thrilled! Andrew really captured Tikki's mischevious character. Seeing Andrew's concept sketches has to be one of the most exciting and rewarding parts of working on this project. Now you can see why I am so lucky to be working with him!

DragonFUZE #37

2009-02-16T21:45:00.000+11:00

It's update time here at DragonFUZE comics! Andrew and I touched base tonight on his work for Tikki's Giant. This week or next week we should be going through final character designs for the book. I have already shown off some of Andrew's character sketches, so I am excited to see what else he comes up with for some of the other major characters, and also to see if he has any final tweaks to those designs that I have already seen.

Next week, Andrew should get into the page layouts and then, once we hit March, which isn't that far away, he should be getting into the pages. WOO HOO! That will be so awesome to see pages rolling in.

I haven't had the chance to discuss this with Andrew, but I really love comics that are colored straight from pencils; that might be an approach we take on this project.

PopFUZE #56

2009-02-12T22:00:00.000+11:00

Caught up tonight with Darren Close, creator of Aussie comic Killeroo (which you can read more about if you click the title of this post). The meeting was a chance to catch up and talk comics and some of the intricacies of self-publishing. Darren has offered to help me out with some of the mechanics involved if/ when I get to the stage of printing any of my stuff. Hopefully, we can catch up again before that.

Before I go, here is a peek at Darren's character Killeroo:

DragonFUZE #36

2009-02-11T21:55:00.002+11:00

I did some plotting work on The Next Scion tonight. I should be working on finishing the script for #2 of Tikki's Giant, but I need a break from that story. I am still on track to have the script done by the end of this month; I am already 13 pages in, so getting the other nine complete in the next 2 1/2 weeks should be no problem.

PopFUZE #55

2009-02-09T22:35:00.000+11:00

Click the title of the post to read the news; Rob Liefeld's Youngblood is finally headed to the silver screen! WOO HOO! Brett Ratner (X3) is the director. I am so excited, as a fan, and for Rob who has been working the Hollywood system for a long time, trying to get his projects made into movies. Rob getting Youngblood, and some of his other properties, onto the big screen is the culmination of the revolution Rob launched with the unleashing of Image Comics in 1992.

I can't wait to be in the cinema and to see the words "Based on the comic book created by Rob Liefeld" appear in the credits.

The 'blood is back, this time on the silver screen!

PopFUZE #54

2009-02-06T23:30:00.006+11:00

Check this amazing and intriguing movie trailer. I stumbled across this on a message board. The trailer is utterly compelling...

Here is the link to the original 9 short movie.

DragonFUZE #35

2009-02-02T22:20:00.003+11:00

I am three pages in to the script for Tikki's Giant #2, just working on a little warm up act before the main game kicks off with knights vs giants, with two wizards and a phayrie thrown into the mix for a bit of fun! I am having fun on this story, even though getting started on a new script feels daunting, I am hoping I can rush through quite a bit of the script this week, seeing as how I have this week off work.

Another inspiration for getting this book done is the two other projects that are waiting patiently for me to ease tapping the keys on a story about phayries and giants; the first is my novel Enshae: Phayrie Seekers, which I aim to have planned out by the end of the year and the second is an idea for a comic book series that came to me just the other day; I am itching to write this one!

But, this year the strategy is slow and steady wins the race and I am taking things one project at a time, having learned my lesson from previous years when I juggled multiple projects at a time and got nowhere fast on any of them. I am so excited about my superhero idea that it is giving me an extra incentive to put Tikki's Giant in the bag.

DragonFUZE #34

2009-02-02T14:45:00.006+11:00

Last Tuesday night, I caught up with Andrew (the artist on Tikki's Giant). After watching Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans, we chatted for about 2 hours about a whole lot of stuff, but mainly about the Tikki book and the universe the story takes place in. I also had a chance to catch some of Andrew's most recent art in his portfolio, including some finished pages for other projects, and I became really excited about what this Tikki tale will look like when all is said and done! Now, I just have to finish the script for #2.

As I came to the end of last week, I stumbled across an idea for the next comic book project I would like to tackle once writing chores on Tikki are done. I'm thinking this book will be 4 - 6 issues, so it is a big commitment/ step up from the Tikki stories. I really want to write a superhero comic, which is something I have never done. I have written horror, fantasy and real world stories, but not one superhero script in the many years I have been working towards writing comics.

I actually do have a lot of notes/ code names/ powers/ back stories, etc laid out for hundreds of superheroes, but the problem is that most of them suck! LOL. I came up with most of these ideas in the late 90s - early 00s, which was around the time I discovered Image comics and the cool books that launched Image in the early 90s... So, many of these ideas were heavily influenced by that period, not that there is anything wrong with that, but early-Image wasn't noted for its originality in the first place, so ripping off early Image is kind of like riffing on a rip off!

So, late last week, an idea came to me... Now, I am planning on getting this Tikki story done, and then it's straight into my superhero book!

PopFUZE #53

2009-01-28T19:30:00.002+11:00

Saw Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans last night. This was a strong movie, with some great political undertones. A lot went into developing a believable love story between Lucian and Sonja. But, really, the film was pretty slow until Viktor discovers the affair. There wasn't anywhere near enough battles/ clashes for my liking, although what there was was reasonably brutal. Like the previous movies, the whole story basically takes place at night/ in the dark, which worked well in the first two as you had gunfire to illuminate the scenes; obviously, that doesn't happen in this movie.

The film looked very murky to me and there were some scenes where I couldn't really see what was happening, I think they might have used that to fudge some of the CGI, although the Lycan transformation scenes were done well.

When there was action, it was brutal, but this movie had far more character work than the first two combined; it made for an interesting exploration of the motivations of Viktor/ Sonja/ Lucian, but for a large part of the movie you essentially forgot this was supposed to be a story of warring vampires and werewolves...

One of my favourite parts of the movie was seeing Raze, the Lycan enforcer, have his more of his story revealed.

Overall, I loved the emotional arc of the movie; for Viktor, for Sonja, for Lucian. The prequel had the most powerful and tight narrative of all the movies. Loved the tie in to Selene and the first movie as well.

Have you seen this? What did you think?

PopFUZE #52

2009-01-26T19:25:00.000+11:00

Patrick Tatopoulos makes his directorial debut with Underworld: Rise of the Lycans and you can read his recent interview at Newsarama if you click the title of this post. I am heading to the movies tomorrow night to catch this...

I'm on the side of the vamps!

PopFUZE #51

2009-01-23T10:45:00.002+11:00

Click the title of this post to head over to Newsarama and read an interview with Kevin Grevioux. In the interview, he talks about his comics work and also about his new movie Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans. I am heading to the movies to catch this next week; I can't wait!

DragonFUZE #33

2009-01-22T22:20:00.002+11:00

I am a very happy geek/ creator/ writer tonight. Andrew Law, the amazing artist who is lending his awesome skills to illustrating my Tikki's Giant story has sent my night into geek heaven by shooting through some preliminary character designs; looking at them is a great way to distract myself as I wait to hear back from my editorial team on the script.

These pics were taken with the camera on Andrew's iPhone, so the quality isn't that great, but you can get the sense of Andrew's high fantasy style designs and smooth lines coming through!

First up, my favourite design so far, the mysterious and mischievous Enshae Phayrie known as Malinki:

I love this design; it symbolizes the character's close link to the natural world and her seductive beauty, which actually is a mask which hides awesome powers. I really love the design of her wings, it echoes Tinkerbell...

The other preview I will show you is a head shot of famed warrior and leader of the noble Knights of Lothos, Citadel:

I love the dignity and strength in his face, and the scars are even more awesome than I ever imagined. You will have to read the story or stories to come to learn about how those came to be.

This is one of the most important posts I have ever made on this blog. DragonFUZE Comics is finally coming into being and I have to thank Andrew for his work in making this happen!

More updates soon...

DragonFUZE #32

2009-01-19T10:30:00.000+11:00

The script for Tikki's Giant #1 is in the bag and has been shipped off to my editors. I sent the script off last night, comfortably meeting my self-imposed deadline of completing the script by the end of January. This week, time permitting, I will be straight into the script for #2 and I am confident I will have the whole series scripted by the end of February (which was my goal in the first instance). Feels so good to type that!

Now, I know that a completed script is a long way from a completed comic... So, on to step 2. The artist on the book is Andrew Law. Andrew is working on some concept sketches, which I hope to see by the end of this month or early February and then hopefully we can get into the pencils by the middle of that month. I have a letterer on board, but no inker or colorist so I will tackle that challenge once I get to it.

I want Tikki's Giant to run online and I will also do a short print run of the book, so I really want this series to appear in color. Given that I have virtually zero budget for this little enterprise I may have to forgo that and go with grey tones; we'll see what happens. Another option is for color online and grey tones in print.

The main thing is that, after years of talking, finally the wheels are moving on DragonFUZE Comics! Once Tikki's Giant is in the bag I am not sure where I want to go next. I need to give some time to my work on my novel Enshae: Phayrie Seekers which you can read all about at the DragonFUZE Creative blog, but I am also seriously tempted to write some superhero comics of my own. I have quite a few good ideas that have been percolating in my head for years and I do want to get them out.

Better that I don't take steps that are ahead of the game right now. The focus is still on getting both issues of Tikki's Giant out this year, and then working on the final Tikki stand-alone book. Well, the second part of that is negotiable; I can't decide whether to focus all of my energies on Tikki and Malinki this year, or whether I should broaden my work into the superhero genre.

Lots of thinking to be done... and writing too!

PopFUZE #50

2009-01-15T10:00:00.002+11:00

The news straight from Rob Liefeld's keyboard:

I'm plotting/writing, drawing these pages as well as the new arc. You will love it.

It's a classic return to form for all involved, characters and creator. Issue #9 solicits and will ship in early May.

As of issue #9 Rampagin' Rob Liefeld is back on the mighty Youngblood! He is definitely drawing the book and it appears he could be writing it too. We get a preview glimpse with issue #8 (see the pic above) when Rob draws a back up story.

Rob's return has been heralded by a long running fan campaign and my voice has been one of many calling for the REAL Youngblood to return. I was as thrilled as the other fans when news broke that Rob was bringing the 'blood back to Image, but the news was tempered by the fact that Rob was only providing alternate covers for the book.

In my opinion, Youngblood has only ever really ROCKED when Rob has been involved in the book. Youngblood launched Image, it defined the excesses of 90s super hero team books, it cemented Liefeld's brash and bold style even more so than X-Force. If Rob coming back to Image was the biggest news story of 2007 and the re-launch of Youngblood at Image was the biggest news story of 2008, Rob's return to the book is the biggest news story of 2009!

Click the title of this post to read the story at Comic Book Resources.

DragonFUZE #31

2009-01-06T12:50:00.002+11:00

I'm well past half way through the script for Tikki's Giant #1 so, hopefully, I am on track to have this in the bag by the end of the month. This is a really fun comic to write and I am having a chance to get some of my other characters, besides Tikki and Malinki, to shine. In particular the story will focus on two characters, a mage and a knight, that I created way back... I think it was in 2003.

The story starts with a giant rampage and now I have gotten past the necessary talking heads and set up, added a bit of phayrie action and gotten to the point where Tikki and Malinki are headed off to hunt giants! When I say 'giant' I mean 'GIANT'! These beasts are HUGE so it will be a lot of fun to see Andrew draw them and to see the action unfold as these horrible creatures go head to head with a few knights and some unexpected adversaries.

How I deal with violence in the script, and how it appears on the finished art page, is of concern to me as I want this book to be all ages in the same vein as the original story, Tiki's Phayrie, so that is creating some interesting challenges. But, things can be scary and characters can be tested without blood being spilled. After all, I want our son to be able to read these sooner rather than later and at the moment he is 15 months old.

I have had this story in my head for close to a year now, so it is nice to see it finally finding some form on the page. More updates, and hopefully some art/ character designs, soon.

DragonFUZE #30

2009-01-01T21:00:00.000+11:00

Happy New Year. I just got back from a short vacation today. Over the last few days, I have had some time to get back to writing and have knocked out 6 pages of script for Tikki's Giant, which is the most comic scripting I have gotten done in about 7 months. I feel great typing that line; I hope I can keep it up. So far the story has been mostly set up, but there has been a bit of a giant rampage already, so you got to love that! My current goal is to have the script for #1 in the bag by the end of this month; wish me luck, I'm going to need it. Then it's straight on in to #2.

No definite goals here, but I would love to have the whole thing scripted by the end of February. That gives me five months to have the first book out by mid year. As I said, wish me luck.

PopFUZE #49

2008-12-25T11:30:00.000+11:00

Here is an awesome page by Marat Mychaels that will feature in a new Rob Liefeld/ Extreme Studios event launching from Image in April, the series is called SMASH! EXTREME! and will feature spin off/ crossover titles with other Liefeld concepts including Youngblood, Brigade, Supreme and Prophet. Rob's pencils (which you can see if you click the title of this post) are furiously cool.

WOO HOO! This is going to be unreal, I am particularly looking forward to seeing Marat Mychaels back on Brigade; he was the first non-Image founder to ever pencil a book for Image and that book was Brigade! Marat's lines are always so clean and his action moves like mercury across the page.

Click the title of the post to see more preview pics from Rob and Marat.

2009 To The Extreme!

DragonFUZE #29

2008-12-22T14:10:00.002+11:00

My DragonFUZE Comics blog turns one year old today! Usually this would call for a celebration and a reflection back on achievements over the last year, only I don't feel that I made much progress at all on the creative front in 2008. I am not going to list the projects that were rejected on submission, fell by the wayside, or got derailed by other priorities, but there were some in all of those categories and I feel disappointed about that...

I largely view this year as one of creatively treading water when I had hoped 2008 would be the breakout year for my writing, creations and DragonFUZE Comics as an entity/ brand. This has been a very busy year at home and at work and all of the reasons as to why DragonFUZE Comics hasn't yet taken off are good ones.

As is often the case with me, I tend to bite off more than I can chew and 2008 was no exception. At one stage, I was working on HellGrunt, I Hate You, Scratch and Tikki's Giant while helping out others with some of their projects too. As I have written in past online columns and past blog posts; IT'S TOO MUCH! I may have written those words, but I clearly haven't learned those lessons; until now.

I will be away over the new year holiday period, so now is as good a time as any to dish out the Annual DragonFUZE Comics Thank G-d For You And All You Did To Support My Mad Schemes This Year Awards! And the winners are:

Brant Fowler
I don't really know how I could even contemplate my creative and life journey without this guy in the picture. Sounds sappy and all Hallmark-Card-like, but it's the truth. Brant has been a real support to me over the years that I have known him and I greatly appreciate that. He inspires me in many ways, but mostly through keeping his head up no matter what life throws at him and through his dedication to his work in comics. I suggest you check out my favourite comic of the year, Wannabez at the book's official website. Together, Brant, Scott D.M. Simmons and Ross Hughes have created a fun, light hearted and wholly original comic that is my favourite superhero tale of 2008.

Chuck Kennedy
Chuck is the most inspiring father I know; he had an 'instant' family of triplets some time ago and since then he has been faced with what I have faced over the last year, only multiplied by a factor of three! On top of that, Chuck finds the time to be creative, to offer me advice on life and my own creative path and to generally be a great friend! Chuck is also one of the most honest and straight forward people that I know, and that is a trait I really admire. I value his input which makes my stories better than they should be. Thanks also for the small ways in which you have contributed to helping me be a better Papa.

Cary Kelley
While I am always the man with the plan, Cary is the guy who puts the plan into action! He is the Action Man of our group and is now a self-publishing comic book creator. Fallen Justice is a unique super hero book, but only one aspect of Cary's creativity. Mate, you are also the adventurer I never had the chance to be. I know life has thrown you plenty of curve balls, I admire the way you take it all in your stride, allowing very little to knock you off course. I really value Cary's insights into creativity and story telling which have made me a better writer.

Andrew Law
Of everyone I am naming specifically in this post, Andrew is the guy I have known the least amount of time, but he is also the key to making things happen for me in 2009; we have agreed to work together on a Tikki comic that I will be writing over the new year break. Andrew is also a dedicated family guy, while being an insanely talented artist. I am really looking forward to working with you in 2009 and I am very honored that you would lend your skills to my creations. To get a sense of what some of our work might look like, here is a pin up that Andrew drew last year featuring my characters Tikki and Malinki:

That about wraps it for a look back at DragonFUZE Comics Year One. I hope to bring you more exciting news and definite progress with my projects in 2009. Over the next year I will be working on two Tikki comic book stories: Tikki's Giant and Tikki's Mirror, as well as planning out my new novel Enshae: Phayrie Seekers, which you can read all about here: DragonFUZE Creative.

PopFUZE #48

2008-12-18T10:35:00.000+11:00

If you click the title of this post it will take you to an interview with Rob Liefeld. In the interview he talks mainly about his new graphic novel Armageddon Now: World War III (which I picked up from my LCS last night!), but also drops some cool hints of new books to come.

2009 is going to be an extremely awesome year to be a Liefeld fan!

PopFUZE #47

2008-12-12T10:55:00.000+11:00

I can't even tell you how excited I am about this! If you click the title of this post, you will see that Robert Kirkman will be cramming a whole company wide crossover into one over-sized comic book with Invincible #60. The coolest thing is that I get to see Invincible and the members of Youngblood in the same comic! I had been hoping for an Invincible/ Youngblood crossover ever since Rob Liefeld announced the 'blood was going back to Image.

With Image United on the way, and now this, comics are cool again! LOL... Only one draw back for me though; I collect Invincible in hard cover format, so I will probably have to wait about a year to read this story - GRRR!! I just may be tempted to buy this issue as a floppy...

PopFUZE #46

2008-12-11T23:05:00.001+11:00

The purge begins! Blood has been spilled, it's metallic stench stains the air. The tremors of my brutal actions are still rippling through cyberspace. You have heard whispers of my wrath, muttered by those too terrified to peel themselves from the fear-stenched shadows they linger within...

The deed has been done. Mothers will scare their children to sleep with unfathomable tales of my cruelty... they will speak in hushed tones of the unbridled joy that stained my face as I wielded my axe, cutting through the friend requests and littering the blood soaked ground with the crushed remnants of the stupid html coding that made up my now smouldering profile page...

The carcass of my MySpace page is now being picked at by ravens. My need for vengeance has yet to be satiated... My other social networking pages tremble in horrid anticipation; who will be next?

Who will be next?

MySpace is dead.

PopFUZE #45

2008-12-10T11:45:00.002+11:00

I currently have a Comic Space, Facebook, My Space and Twitter account. HELP! I am suffering from SNOD; Social Networking Overload Disorder... So, it's time to take drastic action to meet the challenge of this near-crippling condition. Before the end of the year I will be undergoing major social networking surgery and it's clear that some inactive obstructions will have to be removed! There will be blood, there will be tears, but it just has to be done.

I am no computer whizz kid, so I really have to cut back on the sites that I feel are too unwieldy. Also, time is at a premium, so sites that offer little in return for the time I invest them will also have to go.

So, I am sorry to say, but as of the end of 2008 I will definitely no longer have a presence on My Space and most likely I will be gone from Comic Space. I LOVE Facebook, and I remain intrigued by Twitter (even though I have so few followers!), so that's where I'll be in cyber space in 2009. Of course, I will also be right here keeping you up to date with all matters related to DragonFUZE Comics...

DragonFUZE #28

2008-11-30T10:25:00.001+11:00

I know there is still a whole month to go until the end of the year, but I have been giving a lot of thought to my creative goals for 2009, especially since 2008 has been such a wash out where I haven't progressed or met any of the creative goals I set for myself at the start of this year.

In 2009 I expect to move on to a more challenging job, our kid will be approaching the age of two and entering childcare and I hope we will have another baby on the way. Depending on how the economy travels, we may also move to a new house. So, forgive the mention of the real world, but next year is looking to be a big one.

Somewhere in all of that I need/ want to hit my stride creatively. Over the last few years I have taken steps towards my goal of being a published comic book writer, but I am a writer/ creator with ADHD; I come up with an idea, get really excited about it, leap into it without much thought, talk it up to other creators/ friends and then... PFFFT! So, in 2009 I am hauling back on the ideas and honing all of my creative work to focus on one thing only; phayries.

So, here is the plan. I have one artist lined up to do a Tikki/ Malinki comic; the story will be no more than 2 issues and will chronicle my two mischievous heroes coming face to face with a tribe of giants! My plan is to make this book happen in the first 6 months of 2009. If all goes well, then I have one more Tikki/ Malinki comic story up my sleeve and hopefully I can make that happen too.

Besides that, I want to have finished planning/ plotting my novel Enshae: Phayrie Dawn and to have at least started on the manuscript.

There you go, my creative plan for 2009; completely and utterly focused on my own creations. That's the way it should be.

You can keep track of my progress on my comic book project right here. To keep up to date with happenings in the world of Enshae: Phayrie Dawn, visit my DragonFUZE Creative blog.

PopFUZE #44

2008-11-12T16:05:00.000+11:00

Here is an awesome image, I assume a cover image, from the comic book adaptation of Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans. Looks like this time around they are going for a more traditional comic book style, as opposed to the murky art that appeared in the adaptation of Underworld and Underworld: Evolution; I am happy about that!

The cover features vampire elder, Viktor, in the background and doomed lovers Sonia (Viktor's daughter) and Lucian (a lycan leader). I also love the lycan and vampire deathdealer rushing at each other.

I know, I know, it's only one image from a comic, but I am getting so excited about this movie!

PopFUZE #43

2008-11-03T22:25:00.000+11:00

"I think they're still going, they probably will. I'm not sure I will," she told us. "I feel like I've played that character enough times that I don't think I'd be excited to play the same character again. It's a weird experience. I've never done that before, you're playing the same character in two movies, and after two, I feel like I'm kind of done with that."

Way to break the hearts of thousands of fanboys, Ms Beckinsale! Well, it seems that's the way the vampire Deathdealer crumbles... No more Kate, no more Selene, no more Underworld - or is there? Well Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans is on its way to the silver screen early next year. Depending on how well that movie does, there is room for the franchise to continue sans the lovely Beckinsale.

Rhona Mitra is the Kate stand in for the prequel, but she doesn't survive this movie (OOPS! SPOILER!!), so she can't appear in any future movies. But, there must be hundreds of hot women who look like Kate/ Rhona, so why not take the franchise into a sort of "behind the scenes" direction where we learn more about some of the Deathdealers/ Lycans who are not quite on the front lines of the war?

Now, granted, these would probably be more like direct to DVD movies, but I'd buy them. What about a TV series? You could call it Underworld: The War of Shadows and the show could spotlight some of the sideline conflicts/ characters. Anyway, I have to go, type up my treatment and send it off to my buddy Raze aka Kevin Grevioux!

PopFUZE #42

2008-10-31T22:05:00.001+11:00

Here's the trailer. Now, I am more of a Deathdealer guy than a Lycan guy, but I have to say that Lucian is inspiring; "We can be slaves, or we can be Lycans!". So cool to see Kevin Grevioux as Raze; I hope he has a big part in the movie.

PopFUZE #41

2008-10-26T15:10:00.000+11:00

Rhona Mirta plays Sonja, the daughter of the Vampire elder Viktor, who falls in love with the Lucian, the leader of the Lycans (werewolves) in this prequel to Underworld and Underworld: Evolution. Any doubts I had about this movie, which is helmed by special effects guy Patrick Tautopoulos rather than previous director Len Wiseman, have been eased after seeing this trailer.

I love the Underworld films and while I am a Vampire fan, I am looking forward to this move - Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans - and hoping to see a lot more of the slick, blue tinged, bleak action of the previous two movies. What I am most looking forward to is that this movie looks set to have a lot more focus on character, and of course the back story to the vampire/ lycan war, than the previous films. However, it also looks like they haven't held back on the action/ violence - which is a good thing!

I can't wait for January! This will be the first time I have seen Underworld on the big screen - bring it on!

DragonFUZE #27

2008-10-20T16:30:00.001+11:00

Today, I did something rather rash... Before I go into that, I just want to explain that at home we have two computers that operate on a shared network. However, on our shared network, we only have one Microsoft Office license, which means that when my wife uses Excel or Powerpoint or Word, well I can't use them! I am on a week holiday from work and keen to get some writing done.

So, I decided to check out a system called Google Docs that my new boss showed me a few weeks back. By saving all of my scripts and story notes to Google Docs, I can work on these stories while my wife uses Microsoft Office because I access and save the documents onto Google's database. This also means that I can work on the documents no matter which computer I use without needing portable hard drives or USB sticks or anything like that.

I transfered all of my active comic book/ prose story files over to Google Docs and then I was about to start writing some notes for Scratch when I came up with an idea to write a story for our little boy all about the origin of phayries.

So, I have spent the better part of my first day of holidays looking through the work of Brian Froud (if you don't know who he is, shame on you!), reading about creation myths and writing some of my own. This story is about the birth of the universe, the creation of phayries and other mythical beings (some naughty and not so nice!). My intention is for the story to be suitable for all ages, but it will have some scarier elements; I want to go for the feel of something like The Dark Crystal, which is essentially an all-ages fantasy, although there are some very terrifying aspects to that world.

Well, this project is only a few hours old. But, this blog is the first thing that I have written today that is outside of this story and I have to tell you, I am not enjoying typing this post! I'd rather be off with the phayries!

DragonFUZE #26

2008-10-17T14:30:00.002+11:00

Two months gone and no creative updates... The reason why is because there really isn't anything to say... Work and life keep me from pursuing much writing these days.

When I last checked in I was still waiting to hear back on my I Hate You pitch. Well, that pitch got knocked back, so all that will ever be is a script and a few rough layout pages.

Other work that I was doing that seems to be on perpetual hold are the horror stories Scratch and HellGrunt and the fantasy story Tikki's Giant. Of them all Scratch, the story of a nightmare gone horribly wrong, is the only one with a likelihood of being published in the near future. I have a possibly interested artist and a possibly interested publisher. What I don't have is a script! I am still haunted by the experience of writing my massacre/ suicide story I Hate You, so I am wary of delving into darkness again for Scratch.

The thing is though, if I never write it I will never know if I could conquer the fear that is holding me back. So, I have to surmount that block. Plus, I think it is a cool and unconventional horror tale, the potential publisher thinks so too. It's time for me to get fingers to keyboard on that one.

On a lighter note, I want to have more Tikki work published in 2009, so it's time to get off my butt on that too. I have two more Tikki stories that I want to do: Tikki's Giant and Tikki's Mirror. I want to get these stories done for two people; myself and my one year old boy, so that should be a good motivator!

Hopefully later this year, or early next year, I will have more updates for you. I really want these and other DragonFUZE Comics stories out there!

We interrupt this tranzmission...

2008-09-28T22:05:00.000+10:00

From Wednesday I will be doing time at my workplace's annual conference/ convention. There will be no pop culture joy this week! I'll be back on line early next week.

Brzzzsprakkkkk!!!!

PopFUZE #40

2008-09-17T21:50:00.003+10:00

Rob Liefeld cites this cover mock up as proof that the long awaited remastered edition of the mini series that includes Image's first million selling comic is on the way. I can't wait to get my hands on this baby, even at an inflated price thanks to the crash of the Australian dollar against the Green Back!

Firstly, the series has been re-scripted by uber talented scribe Joe Casey. As much as I love the early issues of Youngblood they are not noted as brilliant examples of late 20th century literature.

Secondly, the series has been re-colored with today's coloring technology. Now, this is what I call re-mastered! Rob's style has morphed since the early years of Image and I prefer the more detailed work that started to come from Rob's pencils from about 1994, but his early Image work looks awesome given a modern coloring touch up.

Youngblood redefined comics in the early 90s and it looks set to do so again!

This second pic is, I think, from Image United which is due out in 2009. I have often said that I prefer the raw energy that comes through when Rob's art is colored straight from the pencils, but boy does his line work look sweet with these inks! If this is from Image United, then I think it is Rob inking Rob (which would be kind of annoying seeing as how you would essentially have to draw every page/ image twice). Actually, I am not very good at picking out inking styles, so if this is someone else inking over Rob's pencils, I wouldn't know it. None-the-less, it's a beautiful image and an intriguing preview!

Tikki's Phayrie

2008-09-04T21:20:00.005+10:00

Chapter 1

The hour was just past midnight in the land of Solost. The gleaming moon shone its crescent of radiance over the rooftops of the city below, its cold light striking millions of colors off the gleaming tower of quartz known across the lands as the fabled Crystal Spire. The icon of hope beat in the heart of the city, vaulting towards the stars that appeared as flecks of glass in comparison to its brilliance. The tower’s beauty was unmatched in all the known world, the manner of its building lost in the swirling mists of time, the true identity of its builders now shrouded in myth and legend.

The skill required to raise the marvelous spire were not known in this day and age, not even by the ageless elves of far off Arnh’Kyto. The mystique that surrounded the structure, the aura that enveloped the building, was perfectly suited to the current inhabitants. For as long as anyone could remember, the Crystal Spire had been the home of the Mages of Solost, the Esteemed of the Robed Circle. The tower’s vaulting walls of quartz hid the greatest secrets in the land and perhaps its mightiest power.

Despite the tower’s location in the centre of their city, striving to challenge the heavens themselves, most citizens of Solost avoided the spire, its grounds and its enigmatic inhabitants.

However, once darkness falls those with dark desires claim dominion.

That night, high above the tiled roofs and the swirls of smoke from the fires that kept dreamers warm, one such shadow threw down the gauntlet and challenged the Spire itself! Her small, wiry body inched its way up the smooth gemstone surface, slowly and deliberately seeking out the most insubstantial footholds, as the mysterious figure sought a way inside.

The exterior of the tower was pocked by many windows carved into the stone, however any hope of entry onto the lower levels was barred by shutters or metal grilles. Yet the shadow knew specifically which window she sought… Passing by other small portals guarded by hexes and elementals, the opening far above called to her in a seductive voice that promised riches unimaginable.

Not far now! Her thoughts sounded as a scream in the silence of the night. Sweat beaded on her brow, from exertion and fear, one slip and … splat! Half way up the tower now, the fall to the ground below would surely shatter every part of her tiny body. The blood rushed to her head and the shadow came to an apprehensive stop.

Digging her jeweled fingers further into the translucent stone, inching her toes deeper into any crevice she could find, the shadow risked a look back the way she had come. The ground, seemingly leagues below her, rushed up at the shadow as vertigo threatened to seize her and send her spiraling to a horrific death as her small body crunched against the onrushing earth.

‘I am Tikki Brand, the greatest thief in the guild and apprentice to Ganif Quickhands!’ the shadow declared to herself and any silent or unseen witnesses. ‘I can do this!’

Three deep breaths, a flex of already tired, cramped and cold muscles and Tikki returned to the task ahead. The window was so close now, almost there to touch and inside…

‘Whoa!’ Tikki lost her footing. Fingers nearly numb with cold and exertion scrabbled for a hold on the tower. But the long fall down was denied as the icy claws of panic were banished from her wildly beating heart; the young pickpocket had come so far and there was no way out now. The waiting prize meant everything to her and if she were to succeed, she would become the greatest thief ever known, all at the grand old age of twelve!

With her resolve even stronger, the would-be master thief reached carefully for the stone windowsill, slowly and silently hauled herself up and snuck inside, falling on her feet as silently as an alley cat.

Tikki quickly brushed the dust off her brown leather long coat and pushed away a few strands of her blonde hair which had become messy during her ascent up the tower. As she caught her breath, Tikki reached a hand to the three crystal pendant she wore about her neck. The necklace, Tikki’s lucky charm, had been ‘given’ to her by a very generous noble lady who had come to visit her father during the spring fair. Tikki noticed that the lady had carelessly left the jewel-laden golden chain on her dresser and the young girl collected the trinket to ensure it was kept safe. Somehow, she had forgotten to return the necklace to its owner and … well, now it was hers!

Sure that Lady Luck was by her side, Tikki glanced about the dim chamber. Her wide green eyes peered intently over the heavy wooden benches, the scattered spell scrolls and mystical books that littered the dark room. Her gaze slipped past gleaming polished skulls, odd vials of unknown and bubbling liquids, jars containing bloodshot eyeballs, giant spiders and other creepy crawlies, dull burning candles dripping wax and thickly tangled cobwebs seeking out… Treasure!

There! Tikki spotted her fantastic prize on the table in the darkest corner of the room Hidden behind stacks of spells and broken shards of crystal tossed about carelessly, there was the object she sought; a cage. The gold of the birdcage glowed coolly in the pale moonlight and inside, her form crisscrossed by shadows, was a being of legend; a woodland phayrie!

The tiny creature slept on the floor of her prison, he frangible multicolored wings folded over her slight body for warmth. The little creature’s skin gleamed like cold marble and her long blue hair, which ran down her back, reflected the silvery light of the moon. Sensing someone else near, the phayrie rose from her slumber and looked about with her gleeful purple eyes.

Tikki approached the cage in a rush, almost forgetting that, as a thief, she was supposed to be sneaking around. In her haste, and clouded by the gloom, Tikki didn’t notice a small bench that was in her way… BAM! Tikki knocked herself into the table.

‘Ouch!’ she cried as the wooden edge bit into her hip. There would be a big bruise there in the morning, but worse still…

KKEERRASHHH! The door to the dark chamber flew open and the light from the flaming torches in the hallways poured in. Silhouetted against the glow was a tall figure in flowing crimson robes; a Mage of the Crystal Spire! The old wizard had a long face and bushy, balding grey hair. His hair stood on end, as did his long beard, as his hands glowed with blue magical fire.
‘’Ware thief!’ the old magician cried.
‘Aiee!’ Tikki screeched in fright.

When the wizard arrived in the room Tikki had her hands on the golden wire cage that held the tiny phayire. Belying the panic that was swelling inside of her, and quickly looking around for some way to cause a distraction, Tikki said the first thing that popped off her tongue.
‘You’re home early!’ she cried while her mind raced.

But, the Mage was one step ahead of the thief. With his gnarled hands raised in the air, the old man began to chant a horrible spell.
‘Ichan, ganifeth, al-asbrinki…”
As he pulled his hands into fists and tucked his elbows by his sides, the wizard’s hands caught fire and a terrible green flame started to shoot from his clenched fists!

A fireball leapt from the Mage’s hands and struck the wall just above Tikki’s head!
SKKRRAAAKK!! BOOOM!!
‘That was too close!’ Tikki screamed as she flung herself away from the emerald fire.

Desperately looking around, Tikki could see there was no escape. The Mage was standing between her and the door and behind her was the window and a long fall to the ground below. There was no way out.

‘Halt! Thief!’ The Mage cried as his hands began once again to glow with that ominous green light and he stepped towards the frightened girl.

Tikki turned to face the oncoming Mage. She looked quickly at the phayrie in the cage that she grasped in her left hand and, seeing she had only one chance, she whispered to the mystical creature, ‘This better work!’

The Mage was almost upon her, and the window was only a few paces away, when Tikki spun on her heel to face the enraged wizard. Her hands were held in front of her, her rings speaking dully in the cold light, and she began to whisper.
‘Ichan, areth, en-isili!’

Tikki’s hands flashed with a bright pink light, there was a loud bang, and … the room was suddenly filled with thousands upon thousands of pieces of multicolored confetti!

Caught by surprise, the Mage’s hands rushed up to cover his face and his spell died away. As the storm of tiny colored paper danced about him, the Mage’s concentration was lost. He also could not see anything of Tikki but a shadow that was crouched in the window.
‘Stop! I’ll catch you!’ he cried.

But, it was too late…

PopFUZE #39

2008-09-01T15:35:00.007+10:00

Not much going on with me and the world of pop culture at the moment. Let's see... I am re-reading the Invincible HC Vol 2 for, like, the seventh or eighth time; I love this comic so much! I am hanging for the Vol 4 HC which I think has just come out, or is coming out soon, so I will definitely nab that one!

Hmmm... I wish the Australian dollar hadn't crashed so badly against the Greenback (it did get up to $US .98 a few months back, but has now crashed to $US .85). The drop in value does make a difference to my spending so, depending on how cheaply I can pick this up online (and also after factoring in shipping costs), I may end up just buying the new HC from my LCS, Alternate Worlds.

So, that's definitely a buzz on the horizon for me and the world of comic book collecting. I am still somewhat excited by the re-launched Youngblood over at Image Comics. Joe Casey is doing a decent job on the story, but I am not really into Derec Donovan's pencils. Here's Derec's cover for #6.

Yes, there have been other artists who have worked on Youngblood including Steve Skroce, Marat Mychaels, Roger Cruz... But, in my mind, none of them measure up to the man himself, the Big Daddy of the mighty 'blood, Rob Liefeld. Here''s Rob's variant for #5.

To me, that POPS! Plus Fire Girl (no one knows who these characters are until #5 actually comes out with the big reveal) is smokin' hot (pardon the pun). Oh, yes, I want to see Rob back drawing the 'blood so badly that I even want to read Mark Millar's horrid take in Youngblood: Bloodsport.

However, I do understand why Derec Donovan got the job. His style pretty closely mirrors the look of a couple of existing Image titles, so I guess that Rob and Eric Stephenson felt that the look of Youngblood should be closely tied to, for example the look of Invincible or The Astounding Wolfman. Back in the day, Youngblood set trends and paved the way for other comic books. Now, the 'blood is playing follow the leader. Stange days indeed, most peculiar...

So, what else is jazzing me in the world of snap, crackle and pop culture? Well, I enjoyed The Dark Knight so much that I went out and bought Batman Begins on DVD.

I love this movie, the character work is superior to that of any other recent comic book movie. Bruce Wayne becomes real and his motivation for becoming the Batman, and the steps that he takes to do so, are well fleshed out. Awesome movie. Watching all the extras has been really interesting too. There was no move to make a Batman movie until Christopher Nolan just decided he was going to do one and then hooked up with David S. Goyer (hope I got his name right!). Yeah, it's an awesome movie. I have only re-watched the first hour or so (having a nearly one year old boy doesn't leave too much time for watching movies), but what I love so much about this movie, over The Dark Knight, is the slow and deliberate path we walk through Bruce's psyche as he becomes the Batman.

In this movie Bats is more of a supernatural force of fear and retribution than in the second; and that's the part of this character I love. I really enjoy the smoke and mirrors of Batman seemingly appearing out of shadows. The scene where the Batman first appears, flitting in and out of darkness, is awesome. My favourite part of the movie so far (based on re-watching) is in that scene where the crim screams out "Where are you?!" and Batman suddenly emerges from the shadows, all gruff voiced, and simply declares "Here". Now, that's awesome.

But, what I have been enjoying more than anything else is 8:15 am on Sunday morning when Storm Hawks bursts onto my TV screen.

I may have only seen two episodes, but this cartoon is shaping up to be my favourite since the days of the Roadrunner, The Blue Falcon and Dyno-mutt and Star Blazers. The show is full of cool tech/ mecha and high speed visuals. The team are constantly fighting the evil Cyclonians, but this is cartoon violence with the odd laser bolt and explosion rather than blood and guts. The two episodes I have seen emphasised team work and self confidence, which I think are cool values for kids to pick up on.

Plus, Storm Hawks keeps my young boys eyes glued to the screen for a few minutes. He is 11 months old, so his attention span is pretty short, yet he is attracted to the bright colors and quick moving images of this show. So, that's a win for the creators in my book.

All in all, that's my take on the world of pop culture right now...

PopFUZE #38

2008-08-24T13:25:00.003+10:00

Storm Hawks rule! I have only seen one episode called The Challenge, which I watched by accident this morning on TV, but I have already fallen in love.

While I don't know much about the show or its characters and their world, this tale of heroes in the land of Atmos is a lot of fun and driven by kinetic story and uber cool tech. The slick design even caught the eye of my 11 month old son and not much on TV captures his attention.

I have already added all of the DVDs to my Amazon wish list.

PopFUZE #37

2008-08-13T15:05:00.005+10:00

Here is some news on Underworld 3: The Rise of the Lycans that came out of SDCC. I am really looking forward to this movie, although I hope it doesn't suck (pardon the pun) given the absence of Kate Beckinsale.

I'm really looking forward to what they do with the weaponary on this one. Being set in the Middle Ages there is still plenty of scope for things like wicked crossbows and other projectile weapons, even if there can't be guns. I am actually hoping that we get to see more of the supernatural abilities of the vampires in this one (given that they can't rely on ballistics).

Click on the title of the post to read more about what was revealed at SDCC.

DragonFUZE #25

2008-08-11T16:30:00.001+10:00

Well, about one month has passed since my last creative update. Thing is that I just don't know if I can be bothered any more. With a baby boy, a health scare for my wife and me looking for new work, well there isn't much time for writing. Even if there were, is there really a point anymore? I have so many projects that I have started: DragonFUZE, HellGrunt, Scratch and Tikki's Giant to name most of them, but the chances of them being finished and published remain slight at best.

Having said that, opportunities continue to come my way. Just the other day the editor of MangaQuake (which is where Tiki's Phayrie was published) contacted me looking for new stories of mine to publish in their magazine. I pitched I Hate You and I am still waiting to hear back about that. I hope I get the green light for that one because of all my work, I am really keen to see that story published. I think IHY is the strongest thing I have written, it's highly original and has a great twist. The story is also very moving/ disturbing and I strive to have a strong emotional under current in all of my work. So, I hope something will come of IHY and MangaQuake; more news on that when I have it.

As for Tikki's Phayrie the same publisher (Future Quake Press) is interested in doing more Tikki stories, and I have another offer from a small publisher to do a Tikki comic, so it looks like I will definitely have a home for Tikki's Giant if I ever get it written, drawn, etc.

That leaves HellGrunt and Scratch. I really don't know if I am invested in either of these stories. I have put a lot of work into HellGrunt already and have even comissioned a logo design. I have a committed publisher... So, what's the problem? After more than a year of working on this idea, I still can't find a unique voice for the book and I think that is a major problem. This story is a cliche, a blending of Hellboy, Underworld and other bits and pieces of genre culture. Sometimes that isn't a bad thing, as long as you can come up with a unique angle, but the point is that I can't. I haven't got anything in this idea that is different or unique and that I think is the problem.

As for Scratch I have an interested publisher and a committed artist, but the concept remains so vague in its formulation that I don't really know if I can get 10 pages out of it. I mean, I am sure that I can, but again, what is really unique about this story? The truly unique part of it is how dark and twisted the story will be. This tale is even darker than IHY and also involves a suicide, but it is much more graphic and disturbing than even the previously mentioned story. Writing IHY was more confronting, debilitating and painful that anything else I have committed to paper/ screen. I don't know if I can go through an experience like that again, but I will have to go to some very dark places to write Scratch. My hesitancy to do so is a large part of why this work remains incomplete. At only 10 pages, this should be a breeze to write, but I need to confront a lot of darkness to get this story out of me and I just don't know if I can carry that at this time.

DragonFUZE and Tikki spring from the same creative well and I intend to explore these characters for the rest of my life. I am working on a new comic story Tikki's Giant (which I hope to pitch to MangaQuake in the future) and there is always the larger tale that the two fit in to. Of all my work, these are the stories that I really want to tell, but the emotional investment in them is so great that it is almost like I fear writing the words in case I do these wonderful characters and concepts a diservice.

I am not giving or asking for answers in this post. I am just wondering aloud as to where my creative path will take me, and if I really want to travel that road at all...

PopART #2

2008-08-08T11:40:00.000+10:00

Here is the cover for the Ultimate X-Men/Ultimate Fantastic Four Annual #1. I have no idea who the artist is. I have no idea what the story relates to... I haven't read an Ultimate Universe comic in about a year... All I know is that this is an awesome image and I just wanted to share it.

PopFUZE #36

2008-08-05T11:15:00.004+10:00

I know I am late to the party, but I saw this last night. When the credits rolled, I could not move. I was stunned, as I was through most of the movie. I was also terrified, as I was through most of the movie. What a complex, intense and insane movie it was!! INSANITY ruled the screen.

Dent's journey, Batman's path, Alfred's musings were all intriguing, but the Joker .... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA... Engrossing isn't the word I am looking for ... I need to use CONSUMING. The Joker consumed the other characters, the plot, the pacing, the entire movie, the audience!! Here he was, an insane psychopath dressed as a clown with no grander plan than a desire for anarchy.

WOW... The juxtaposition between Joker/ Batman was flawless. I loved how Bats just didn't know what to do, how to handle the psycho. The more punishment Batman dished out, the madder/ happier Joker became; he forced Batman, and ultimately Dent, to embrace sheer chaos. The Joker won.

This was a hard movie to watch, it was thrilling. But, this was not the usual super hero escapism we find when lycra hits the silver screen. Just like Batman Begins, this was a psychological action thriller that just happened to star a guy in a cowl and cape and a nutcase in clown make up.

Neither was the hero or the villain. Those types of absolutes do not exist in Nolan's Gotham - case in point was Harvey Dent. His descent into madness, as opposed to that of either Bruce or the Joker, was truly tragic. I think in the end, this was Dent’s movie with Batman and the Joker representing two sides of the coin and Dent the arbiter of fate. Sadly, destiny intervened and the flip of the coin delivered Dent a fate similar to that of the Joker’s; madness.

With the exception of the road chase scene, I don’t seem to remember too many special effects in this movie. No, the only images that are truly seared into my mind are those of the Joker. Perhaps his most terrifying incarnation in the whole film is as a member of staff at Gotham Hospital… Chilling, twisted and unsettling do not really even touch on the Joker’s presence in that setting.

This movie may have been titled The Dark Knight, but it could easily have been called The Joker. The performances all around are amazing, but Heath Ledger’s is a real stand out. This is the role that he will forever be remembered in. I know I will remember his ghoulish face and that insane cackle in my nightmares...

PopFUZE #35

2008-08-04T10:30:00.004+10:00

Kevin Grevioux is a guy I know... Yeah, I interviewed him back when I wrote for Broken Frontier, I email him every once in a while and we have even had conversations about G-d. He is a creator that I admire because he has brought his vision to paper and to screen and it's a vision that I enjoy, with Underworld being one of my favourite ever movies.

Now, he is back in the Vampire vs Lycan universe, reprising his role as Raze in the prequel movie Underworld: Rise of the Lycans and writing the movie adaptation for IDW Publishing. The great news keeps on coming as it seems there will be more Underworld comics coming from IDW as the company explores the Vapmire/ Lycan mythos in comic book form.

PopFUZE #34

2008-07-29T10:15:00.001+10:00

Here are two pics of pages from Image United featuring the cast of Youngblood by Rob Liefeld and Savage Dragon by Erik Larsen. The meshing of art styles looks fantastic. This book will rock!

PopFUZE #33

2008-07-27T19:00:00.001+10:00

So, one of the big news items from SDCC (the biggest?) was the announcement of Image United, a new series featuring the launch characters of most of the original Image founders (minus Jim Lee who is under contract to DC Comics) and a new character called Fortress, created by While Portacio. This is indeed the biggest comics news story for 2008! Image founders, some of whom haven't pencilled their creator-owned books for years, some of whom didn't talk to each other for years, coming together to draw a cross over.

But... this will be a cross over unlike any other. Robert Kirkman is writing the story and all of the founders are contributing art. But... someone will be doing layouts and the Rob Liefeld will draw his character in the panel, Marc Silverstri will draw his, Todd McFarlane will draw his, etc. WOW! This is going to be one of the most unique comics ever produced. Even though I am trying to stay away from floppies, I will definitely pick this up as each issue hits the spinner racks, but I can't wait for the HC!!

Kirkman must be nearly wetting his pants! He was recently named Image partner at SDCC and now he gets to write a cross over featuring the characters and the art of the artists who launched the Image revolution! As much as I love his writing, the coolest thing for me about Kirkman writing this book is that he is a huge fan of the original Image books; he will do this series justice (and it will probably be the best written story to feature the original Image characters).

No word yet on when the book will debut, but whenever it does make sure you grab a copy while you can! I hope each issue has a cover by each artist! You know I'll always be picking up the Liefeld variant.

PopFUZE #32

2008-07-24T14:20:00.003+10:00

Rob Liefeld is a creator that I have a lot of respect for. He is bubbling with enthusiasm for comics/ pop culture, bursting with fun ideas and has had his heart set on Hollywood for almost 15 years. I know that he has a lot of movie projects in various stages of production and at one time was looking at working with Steven Speilberg and Tom Cruise on separate projects.

Well, now it looks like the Hollywood system has come through for my favourite creator!

Warner Bros. is trying to develop another potential comic franchise by acquiring the superhero project "Capeshooters," with Bryan Singer in negotiations to produce.

J.P. Lavin and Chad Damiani will write the screenplay, which follows two down-on-their-luck slackers who specialize in shooting videos of superheroes. They find themselves on the run when they uncover evidence that a legendary superhero actually is evil.

The story is based on an upcoming graphic novel by Rob Liefeld.

WOW this is such a great concept! I love the idea of two guys who do nothing but go around shooting video of superheroes in action. The twist is great ... plus we get to see a comic book too!

With Bryan Singer (X-Men, Superman Returns) and Liefeld on the same project, this movie has real credibility for fan boys. While I would rather see a movie based on his Youngblood property, it will still be a huge buzz to see 'Based on a graphic novel by Rob Liefeld' in the opening credits!

PopFUZE #31

2008-07-22T23:05:00.001+10:00

CONGRATULATIONS! to Robert Kirkman who has been announced as the new partner at Image Comics in recognition of his service to the 'i' brand. I have so much respect for Kirkman, his success is certainly inspirational to me. I don't say that in a way that suggests that I am seeking to, or that I think I can, emulate his success. I say that in a way that communicates how much I admire his creativity, skill and achievements.

Judging by the stories that he writes, Kirkman has a good sense of the diversity that is needed in comics. This makes him perfectly suited to his new role at Image.

I always suspected that the big Image announcement at SDCC would be that Rob Liefeld was returning to the fold as a partner. Kirkman was instrumental to Liefeld's being reborn at Image. I can't see them both rising to the heights of Image at the same time, so I guess, while there will still be Liefeld/ Image news at SDCC, Rob won't be back at the top of the company for some time yet...

DragonFUZE #24

2008-07-07T14:45:00.003+10:00

I did some plotting work on the weekend on my new fantasy tale Tikki's Giant - I didn't get a whole lot done, but it's a start and I am happy with that. I am enjoying the begining of a new adventure with two of my favourite creations. I also caught up with Kimban The MechaMage and his daughter Eryn in the pages of a much larger tale I am telling, that also stars Tikki and Malinki; all is good in my fantasy world!

So Tikki's Giant is off and away. This will be a full size comic, 22 pages long, so that will be cool. Actually, when I say 'full size comic', this will likely appear online first. Hopefully I can do a full color version for the web and then print a black and white omnibus edition boasting a Tikki's Phayrie/ Tikki's Giant flip book!

I'm playing the story mostly for fun. Just like their first adventure, in which Tikki and Malinki escaped an enraged mage from the Crystal Spire, this time around there will be danger at every turn as the two thrill seekers head off into the Troll Haunt Mountains in search of giants!

DragonFUZE #23

2008-07-02T12:00:00.004+10:00

I haven't written a single word of comic book script in more than one month!

Scary, but true. The last thing I wrote was the script for I Hate You. I do have some projects that I should be working on, namely a short horror story called Scratch and then there is my horror/ action book HellGrunt.

I have also been throwing around some ideas for a sequel story featuring Tikki and Malinki called Tikki's Giant. Lastly there is a fantasy story that I have been working on for years that features Tikki and Malinki and I keep thinking I should get back to that one...

For a person with so little time, it's crazy that I have four comic book projects on my plate, especially considering that none of them are progressing at all. Here's the current status of each project.

HellGrunt - character descriptions and plots fully written. About 15 pages of script for issue #1 are done. This project is 2 issues long.

Scratch - this is a 10 pager. All I have written is a short pitch. I should be able to knock this together in a few days, if I prioritise it and make the time available to do it.

Tikki's Giant - I envisage this as being a 22 page story, so it is more than double the length of the original Tikki tale. All I have for this is two lines of scribbled notes on a piece of paper, but most of the story is in my head... I just need to write this!

Mystery Fantasy Book - it breaks my heart that I haven't really progressed this project. I have been working on this for at least four years, if not longer. I have two of eight issues written, but I haven't worked on this for at least 2 years. This is the one story I want to tell the most. The reason I haven't progressed it lies largely in the reality that an unknown writer is not going to have much chance of getting an eight issue book picked up. So, I am focused on building up a body of work from smaller projects.

Hopefully I will be back soon with a more optimistic update and with some details on real progress on these projects!

PopFUZE #30

2008-07-01T13:15:00.003+10:00

Here is an amazing digitally painted page from a new Rob Liefeld project called Extreme Forces. There was another project by that name which was solicited around 2000, but I think that morphed into X-Force Volume 2, because the villain was also called Skornn and that character appeared in X-Force. But, I digress.

This new book looks, um, explosive! Now, I am a keen Liefeld fan, and a fan of Marat Mychaels whose art is featured here, and I think this new digital painting vibe that Rob is going with for his art, and now for Marat's, looks awesome. But... I am a little worried. Two new series have been announced, Assembled and now Extreme Forces... I hope they are both completed. Rob also posted revised designs for the New Men on his forum; I think these characters are appearing in Extreme Forces rather than in another new book.

I also wonder if both of these projects herald the re-launch of the Extreme Universe over at Image? That would be very cool, but...

With Rob's last major publishing venture, Awesome Entertainment, there were many great looking projects that were never completed or solicited and never published. I am a bit concerned that Rob now seems to be looking at four series when he is years behind on Youngblood: Bloodsport and months behind on the re-colored, re-scripted HC of the original Youngblood mini series.

PopFUZE #29

2008-06-28T21:40:00.004+10:00

Michael Turner passed away today. He was 37 years old. This news is so sad. I met Michael at the preview night for Wizard World LA in 2004. He was a gentleman, so good to all the fans that were waiting patiently in line. When the Wizard staff declared the show was over for the night and we all had to leave, Michael declared that the Aspen crew would stay until everyone in line got the sketch/ signature they were waiting for. I got to speak to him for less than a minute, but he seemed genuinely excited that a fan had come all the way from Australia to meet him.

PopFUZE #28

2008-06-20T11:05:00.001+10:00

More news today about Youngblood: Bloodsport. Click the title of this post to read Rob Liefeld's latest comments about the series on Comic Book Resources.

PopFUZE #27

2008-06-19T12:45:00.005+10:00

If you click the title of this post you can head to the Comics Continuum site where they have the details for Image Comics' solicitations for the month of September. In just a few months time Rob Liefeld's long dormant book Youngblood: Bloodsport gets recusitated with an all-new-jammed-with-bonus-features director's cut of #1 being released and FINALLY we get to see issue #2. Here's hoping that issue #3 (which I think is the final part of the story) will be solicited for an October release...

The image above is Rob's killer cover for the re-release of #1. I can't wait to see the all-new art in future issues as Mark Millar's script descends ever deeper into depravity, debauchery and super hero mayhem!

PopFUZE #26

2008-06-05T11:15:00.003+10:00

Here is Rob Liefeld's cover for Youngblood: Bloodsport #2. WOO HOO! This looks awesome, and I love the coloring by Matt Yackey. Did I mention it's an awesome cover by Rob? Two things annoy me about this cover though; why are Badrock's eyes red? and Why has it taken 5 years for issue #2 to come out?

I love, Love, LOVE Rob's work. Too many people diss him, I believe Rob is a titan of the industry, a pioneer and a highly enthusiastic and energetic creator. But, I also think that Rob lets himself down. This is a real shame because Youngblood could be king again. I really enjoy Rob's strategy of working with high profile writers (Joe Casey, Mark Millar, Alan Moore); this is the path to greatness for Rob's concepts. The books just need to come out.

DragonFUZE #22

2008-05-31T22:20:00.005+10:00

Here is the script that I recently submitted to an Ape Entertainment anthology project; the book's theme was revenge. I found out the other day that my story didn't make the cut; the publisher went for more traditional superhero-type stories.

I am really proud of I Hate You, this story is so far from the usual fare that I write. I feel as though I really pushed myself as a creator on this one; that's the real positive here. This story will probably never be published anywhere else but on this blog. I am placing it here for all to see as I feel it is one of the strongest pieces I have ever written.

Thanks to Brant and Cary for their edits on this script.

I HATE YOU

Page 1

1. The first panel shows a typical hallway of any American high school. The shot is straight down the middle of the hall, with lockers on each side and teenage kids walking up and down the hall; some kids should be together, others alone. They are all dressed in casual clothes, no school uniforms.

Caption: I Hate You …

2. We see a close up of pretty girls gathering around one girl’s locker. One of the girls is talking.

Girl: So, like, he put his hand…

Caption: I hate you Lisa White. With your perfect hair and your perfect nose and your perfect clothes and your perfect perfectness!

3. We see some boys walking down the corridor and they are laughing.

Boys: Ha! Ha!

Boy: Dude, she let me do it …

4. We see the boys vanishing into the distance of the corridor. There are some open doors with kids heading into classrooms. We see a girl from behind, she is stooping slightly. The girl is wearing a loose sweater, jeans and sneakers. She has long curly hair pulled together in a ponytail.

Caption: They all want one thing, the same thing.

Caption: I hate them.

Credits appear on this page.

Story/ Script: Jason

Page 2

1. We see a girl sitting on her bed, she is slightly turned from the camera, so we don’t clearly see her face, but it is the same girl from the last panel on Page 1. The girl has curly hair. She is dressed in a sweater and jeans. Her shoes are off. She has a laptop computer on her lap and is writing in her blog/ online journal. The captions could look like plain text.

Caption: I wonder if, like, the FBI is gonna read this?

2. We see the girl’s fingers on the keyboard.

Caption: …so that’s my plan. I know where to get it, and I know how to use it. Like, I’m not dumb!

Caption: If you’re reading and wondering … yes, I am crazy enough to do it.

3. We see the girl’s fingers on the keyboard.

Caption: Bang! You’re dead.

4. We see the girl’s fingers on the keyboard.

Caption: I’m sorry Mom, but I am going to pull the trigger.

Page 3

1. We see a girl’s hand holding a pistol (see http://www.gundirectory.com/more.asp?gid=20271&gun=Pistol).

These captions are not in plain text.

Caption: Cobra HP22. I bought it online - $150. That’s all I could afford.

Caption: It’ll do the job.

2. We see a shot of the inside of Kane Street Synagogue (see http://www.kanestreet.org/index.html). Do not name the synagogue in the story.

Caption: I hate when Mom drags me to synagogue.

3. We see a group of middle age women all chatting. Deborah is in the middle of the group, a woman is waving excitedly and her hand obscures Deborah’s face. Deborah is wearing a dress.

Caption: They are Brooklyn’s ‘whinest’ … I made up that word, but they really do whine. ‘

Caption: Kane Street kvetchers … I hate you.

4. We see the girl’s hand with the gun.

Caption: Imagine if I did it in the synagogue! Not a very good Jewish girl.

Page 4

1. A good-looking teen girl (she’s about 16) walks towards the camera. She is dressed casually and has long straight hair. She is smiling and waving.

These captions are not in plain text.

Caption: I hate you, Natalie. Your smile kills me.

Natalie: Hey Deb!

2. Natalie is running away from the camera. She is holding Deborah’s hand although Deborah is off panel. Natalie looks excited.

Natalie: Come on! They’re at the back of the baseball field. You have to see them … it’s totally gross!

3. Natalie and Deborah are running away from the camera, so we only see them from behind.

Caption: I hate how she lives life vicariously.

4. Natalie is running towards the camera, her face fills the panel. She is smiling.

Caption: She’s my best friend.

Caption: Can I pull the trigger?

Page 5

1. Mom and Dad are sitting at the dinner table, they are in their 40s; Dad is balding and wears a messy looking shirt and tie. Mom is wearing an apron over her dress. Steaming plates of food are on the table.

These captions are not in plain text.

Mom: Dinner!

Caption: I hate her cooking.

2. The dinner is over. Dad kisses Mom on the cheek, they are still seated at the table. We see Deborah from behind.

Caption: I hate public displays of affection.

Caption: Especially involving Mom and Dad. Gross!

Caption: It’s safer to eat in my room.

3. Mom and Dad kissing. Deborah is off panel.

Caption: No one wants to kiss me.

4. Mom is standing behind an ironing board and is holding up a neatly ironed business shirt. She is smiling.

Caption: Mom, look at what you have become.

Caption: I hate you.

5. Mom and Dad are framed in a box, as if they are being lined up in a gun’s target.

Caption: Dad, you’ll never understand me.

Caption: I hate you...

Page 6

1. A school party is being held at a house (see http://www.hep.man.ac.uk/u/kim/paloalto/bluehouse.jpg for reference). A group of teenagers is outside.

These captions are not in plain text.

Caption: I hate parties.

2. Deborah is walking towards the house, she looks slouched. She is wearing loose jeans and a sweater.

Caption: I don’t have a fake ID. I have no beer.

3. Natalie is standing at the top of the steps, waving at Deborah. We see Deborah from behind.

Caption: I’ve never been to Tina’s before. She’s too popular to be seen with me

Caption: I can’t believe Nat wants to be here. Why does she look so happy?

4. Deborah and Natalie are hugging in front of an open door.

Natalie: Hi!!

Caption: She isn’t drunk … yet.

Caption: I’m sure some guys will try to fix that.

5. A group of guys drinking cans of beer. We see them as though framed by a gun’s target.

Caption: I hate you.

Caption: Imagine if I pulled my Cobra right here!

Caption: That’d be messed up.

Page 7

1. We see Deborah from behind. She is holding Natalie’s hair away from her face. Natalie is hunched over, facing away from the camera. She is vomiting,

SFX: HHHUUURRRGGGHHH!!

These captions are not in plain text.

Caption: I hated them urging her on.

2. Close up, and side on, we see Natalie’s lips, bile is dripping from them.

Caption: The boys wanted her drunk.

3. In this panel, show Deborah’s hand clasping the gun.

Caption: If I had it with me, I’d make sure I never had to see their snickering faces again!

4. Close up on Natalie’s eyes, she is crying.

Caption: I haven’t got a choice now. I can’t take this anymore.

Page 8

1. We see Deborah sitting on her bed, she is slightly turned from the camera, so we don’t clearly see her. She has a laptop computer on her lap and is writing in her blog/ journal. The captions should look like plain text.

Caption: The party was the last straw. I know I have to do this.

2. Deborah is typing with one hand. The other hand clasps the pistol.

Caption: This blog is a record of all that I have seen; a catalogue of corruption, decay and insanity.

3. This box contains only text.

Caption: A monument to one lone girl’s stand against cancerous decadence.

4. This box contains only text.

Caption: A manifesto that lays my plans clear for all to see.

5. This box contains only text.

Caption: When they scrub the blood off the walls, they will know…

Page 9

1. We see Deborah sitting on her bed, she is facing the camera. We see her clearly for the first time. Deborah has freckles, a button nose, dark eyes. She has a laptop computer on her lap and is writing in her blog/ journal. The captions look like plain text.

Caption: … why I hate you.

2. We see Deborah, face on for the first time. She is crying and tears roll down her face.

Deborah: What have I become?

3. Close up on Deborah. This poem appears in text boxes around her face. The text boxes could look like plain text.

Caption:

My heart is like an Abyss
Deep. Cold. Empty.
Deep within, my soul screams
it echoes with unconscious fury
No-one hears, no-one cares

I peer over the edge and see
only nothing
There is no light or passion
I am barren

I have been stripped of all that is me
Now I am blank, I am nothing
Fury and self destruction is my life
It will bring the end and then
the Abyss will take me

Page 10

1. We see Deborah looking into a mirror. Her reflection is clear. She is crying, tears run down her cheeks.

These captions are not in plain text.

Deborah: No more blogs. No more lies.

2. We see Deborah looking into the mirror. She is holding the Cobra HP22.

Deborah: I am blank.

3. We see Deborah looking into the mirror. She is holding the Cobra HP22 to her temple.

Deborah: Grow up. The tears stop now.

Deborah: No more pity, no more envy.

4. We see Deborah looking into the mirror. She is holding the Cobra HP22 to her temple.

Deborah: Deborah; you did this!

5. The panel is black. The SFX and caption appears in white.

SFX: Blam!

Caption: I hate you.

DragonFUZE #21

2008-05-24T15:00:00.003+10:00

If you click the title of this post, you can head over to my new forums which are now being hosted at Valhalla Comics. The site is hosted by friend of mine, and fan of my The Story Factory column, Kevin Bush.

A HUGE thanks to Kevin for this opportunity. The way I see it, having a higher profile forum (Valhalla Comics has 124 users) is a good path to generating some more heat about my work. Also, exposing my work to a wider and more public audience means that I have to actually come through with the work now! So, this is a win-win; I get more people looking at my work, I get to meet more pop culture/ comics people, and I get inspired to do more work.

See you at the DragonFUZE Comics forum!

DragonFUZE #20

2008-05-23T10:30:00.002+10:00

I did hear back from the editor and it looks like time is not on my side... The good news is that the publisher is anticipating doing a follow up anthology later (probably in 2009) so I think we will aim for that. AAARRRGGGHHH!!! I am so frustrated by my own insanity in biting off more than I could chew. What's done is done, so I best just leave it at that. I know the publisher of a different horror magazine, so that route might be a back up...

Meanwhile, I still haven't heard anything about the I Hate You script, it's only been a few days since I sent it off, but passing time just eats away at me! I just want to know the outcome. I am so passionate about this story, I think it is the strongest piece I have written yet, and I am keen to see an artist tackle the script. If I don't make it in, I will see what other avenues I can pursue because I really want this story out there. I think people who know me will be surprised when they read it... so I am hoping that they get the chance.

At the moment I am feeling very unsure of the way forward creatively... More soon.

DragonFUZE #19

2008-05-22T22:05:00.000+10:00

I promised myself that I wouldn't do this, and now I have gone and done it. A long time ago I found myself with four or five comic book projects on my plate and a recipe for disaster; with so many competing projects most of them just didn't get done and the ones that did would not benefit from 100% focus and effort.

I promised myself that from then on, it would be one project at a time. Well, I recently broke this promise and found myself with two competing projects; I Hate You, a script for an Ape Entertainment revenge anthology and Scratch, a script for an Arcana horror anthology.

As you know from reading this blog, I submitted the Ape script earlier this week and I am yet to hear back from the editor. I poured so much time and effort into I Hate You that time has flown by and I haven't had the chance to focus on my horror story of a nightmare gone very, very wrong. I will get started on the script this weekend, but I fear the deadline has flown by. I contacted the editor tonight, so I will see if I am still in with a chance.

More news soon...

PopART #1

2008-05-21T14:30:00.003+10:00

As much as I am obsessed with the idea and challenge of getting the perfect story onto the page, I am equally consumed by the awe inspiring talents of those people who have the skill to capture an image from their mind and faithfully render it on paper or screen in the form of comic book art.

There are many artists whose work I love, and I feel that my taste is quite diverse ranging from Rob Liefeld to Mark Bagley to Mike Wieringo to Ryan Ottley to Joe Madureira to Ed McGuiness to Stephen Platt to Jason Martin to David Finch to Michael Kassinger to Brian Denham to Marc Silvestri to Jason Metcalf to Alex Ross to Michael Turner to Marat Mychaels to Cory Walker to Brandon Peterson to Jack Kirby to Pia Guerra...

So, I present my latest piece of inspiration:

Keron Grant is just amazing. I have loved his work since I was first introduced to it in the second volume of Kaboom! which was published by Liefeld's Awesome Entertainment. Keron also worked on another book for Rob, called Century, but sadly that was never released.

What I love most about Keron's work is his Eastern-influenced design sense. His work is unique and has a very 'liquid' feel; sorry I can't really articulate that any better. The pic above is one of the most beautiful images of the Amazonian Goddess that I have ever seen. At once, Wonder Woman appears strong, iconic and awe inspiring. I could stare at this pic for hours... You can visit Keron's website by clicking on the title of this post. While you are there, check out the amazing design sense showcased in some of his mecha-styled pieces.

From time to time I will post other pics that spark my imagination.

PopFUZE #25

2008-05-20T13:30:00.001+10:00

August 6, baby!! Mark it in your diaries dudes, that's the date the the Invincible Hard Cover Vol. 4 hits the streets; I can't wait to read it.

Aside from the glory days of Ben Reilly as The One True Spider-Man, as far as I am concerned Invincible represents the heyday of superhero comic books. The book has it all, great drama, unexpected twists, cool characters and hot babes! Kirkman's story is always bang on and Ottley and Crabtree work a charm on the pencils and colors.

No, it doesn't get much better than this. Invincible is probably the closest you can get to superhero perfection.

DragonFUZE #18

2008-05-19T12:30:00.002+10:00

I finished the I Hate You script over the weekend. Completing this story required a huge effort as each and every letter typed, each page completed took me one step closer to the horrible conclusion; I felt as though I was dragging this story out of me.

So, I am partially relieved to have the story done. The story is now with my LCS editors Brant, Cary and Chuck. Thanks to Cary for his useful and perceptive feedback. I hope that Brant and Chuck can share some insights, but I know that they are both busy.

The deadline for the script is Thursday, but I am determined to get this to the editors by no later than the day before. I know the inclusion of my story was touch-and-go, so I am keen to get them the best script I can, as early as I can. I really want this story to come to fruition; this has been difficult to write, both emotionally and technically, so just in its completion I feel a sense of accomplishment.

PopFUZE #24

2008-05-15T16:50:00.004+10:00

The first time I saw Rob Liefeld's work was on the cover of Fighting American #1. I didn't know anything about Rob and I didn't know anything about the character. I took a look at the book and I instantly loved it - Rob's style back then was really frenetic and charged with energy and featured scratchy boiling lines all over the place.

I took the book to the counter and the store owner of Comics ‘R’ Us in Melbourne, his name is Matt, launched into a half hour tirade about how evil this guy Rob Liefeld was; how Rob ripped off Teen Titans when he did Youngblood and how he was ripping off Captain America to do Fighting American...

Now, I had never heard of Rob Liefeld. But stupidly, and rather than thinking for myself, I let Matt get to me and I put the book back on the shelf. A few weeks later, I saw Fighting American #2 on the shelf in the same store - I bought it, but they had already sold out of #1. It took me more than a year to find it!

The next time I saw Rob's work was on the awesome cover for the Extreme Sacrifice TPB.

I saw it in the same store and nothing the owner said could dissuade me from buying the book. Rob's work in Extreme Sacrifice is second only to Re:Gex in my mind as his greatest art. Extreme Sacrifice remains my favourite comics cross over.

I have been a diehard Liefeld fan ever since - it's been a bit more than 10 years now! In that time I have picked up heaps of Image/ Extreme/ Maximum back issues including whole runs on Youngblood, Team Youngblood and Brigade. Of course, I followed all of the books at Awesome Entertainment; I just wish the potential that was held in that company could have been unleashed!

These days I follow Rob’s work wherever I can get it. While I have enjoyed his X-Force and Teen Titans stuff, my preference has always been for Rob working on his own titles. I can’t wait to read The Assembled (which I hope comes out through Image). I rush to my LCS to pick up the new Youngblood; the book is pretty good, but my fix comes from the Liefeld covers.

The biggest geek thrill that I have had in my life, a geekhgasm if you like, was meeting Rob at Wizard World LA in 2004 where I got a sketch of his Beowulf character from the book Re:Gex.

DragonFUZE #17

2008-05-08T22:10:00.003+10:00

I am half way through the I Hate You script. So far, it's good, not great, but good. This is only a first draft. I feel like you can take two things away from the story; either you feel the drama is building, or you feel Deborah is whining. I hope it's the first one.

Some scenes have been really painful. The one with Mom, Dad and Deborah at the table was tough; I can't tell you why, but it was. She's got a gun. This is twisted! Why am I writing this?

I hope it gets picked up.

I'm logging off.

DragonFUZE #16

2008-05-07T23:00:00.001+10:00

I started writing the I Hate You script tonight. I have written a few pages, and the story is already freaking me out. Also, another thing that is getting to me is that I don't think I will make it in to the anthology. One of the editors wrote to me today to say there are three piles that they have divided the submissions into: Yes, No and Don't Know. I Hate You is in the Don't Know pile; they are not sure what to make of the story. They won't know until they see a script. I think I am the only writer to have a script in that pile; I am still in with a shot.

So, I am writing the script! I don't give up that easy. The script is getting to me, and I have only written two and a half pages. I am scared of this story. I told my wife about it and she hates it, she is repulsed by it and can't understand why I would write anything like this. I don't either. In the end, I think that's going to be my downfall.

Basically the editor told me there are a few stories with similar themes to I Hate You and only one will get through. I could go about this two ways. I could sanitize the story to make it more palatable, but that's not me. This anthology is about revenge, so this won't be pretty. I am going to push myself as hard as I can. I want to be uncomfortable when I write this (which I am) and I want the artist, the inker, the letterer, the editor and the reader to feel the same way.

Of course I want the story to be picked up. But, I also want to be proud of the story. I want to push myself as a writer. There's no easy way out on this one.

It's 11 pm. I'm off to sleep.

DragonFUZE #15

2008-05-05T14:20:00.000+10:00

I have also been invited to pitch a story that will hopefully appear in a horror anthology from Arcana Comics. The anthology is called Velvet Rope and the story I am writing is called Scratch. The story is all about nightmares and how subconscious fear can literally consume someone. Jacob Bear is on the art duties for this one.

So, yeah, another happy-happy-joy-joy book from Jason's twisted mind! As I said earlier, my writing is heading to some dark places lately, but I definitely feel as though I am pushing myself to grow as a writer and that is a good thing.

At the moment, I have two anthology stories and a 3 issue book on my plate. The anthology stories are the priority. I find it really enjoyable and rewarding to be part of something that is put together by so many fantastic creators. I love the synergy that comes from working with an artist, and the anticipation of seeing how my story, and the other tales come together.

Stay tuned to DragonFUZE Comics for more updates soon!

DragonFUZE #14

2008-04-29T21:30:00.000+10:00

I sent off the full I Hate You pitch to the anthology editor tonight. I feel really good about this story. This is the first time in the 11 years that I have been working towards writing comics (I can't believe it has been that long) that I feel as though I am really pushing myself into new territory. I Hate You is fictional, but not fantastic fiction; there are no dragons or robots, there is no magic or enhanced technology, there is no genetic mutations or super powers in this story. I Hate You is raw and it is real and it is solid, dark and painful human emotion.

I feel quite liberated by this story, despite its intense melancholy and stark violence. I don't feel that I prove anything by writing about mythical demons, but when I write about a girl and her tangible, personal demons; that resonates with me. Without going into details here, I have been to some dark places in my life and I have stared death in the face too many times. I understand Deborah (the story's main character) and the emotions that consume her because, while the way I acted is very different to the steps Deborah takes in this story, I have been to that terrible place.

Much of my writing is dark, melancholic and, even, depressive. Whatever a writer writes comes from within. I may not be thrilled that this stain is still there on my soul during what will be the happiest years of my life, but the fact is that there is no wonder product that can wash this mark out of my heart.

Writing can help though. As with HellGrunt I am somewhat disturbed by where I Hate You is taking me, but I am inspired by the opportunity to take this journey.

DragonFUZE #13

2008-04-28T19:10:00.002+10:00

I hate you - that's the title of my pitch to the Revenge anthology at Ape Entertainment. I just came up with the idea a few minutes ago and fired an email off to the editor.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Two posts in one day - WOO HOO!

DragonFUZE #12

2008-04-28T15:00:00.002+10:00

Hey! Got some quick updates for you. I have been invited to pitch for two anthologies. YEAH!

The first is to be published by Ape Entertainment. The theme for this one is 'revenge'. To be honest with you, when it comes to this theme, I got nada, so I think I will let this one go.

The second is for Arcana Studios. The theme for this one is horror. I think I have a good story idea for this one; it involves closets... So, yep, this is the one I am going for. If our pitch gets picked up, the concept artist for my creator-owned book HellGrunt, Jacob Bear, will draw the story. Jacob and I have tossed around a few ideas and we finally found one that we both agree on, so this should be fun - or bloody ... Heh, it's horror after all!

Speaking of HellGrunt, the script is still moving, albeit slowly. So, I have a few irons in the fire now, which is riddiculous as I have so little time to get anything done...

PopFUZE #23

2008-04-24T21:02:00.005+10:00

Click the title of the post to head over to Newsarama and their page of video interviews from New York Comic Con 2008. The highlight for me is an interview with Rob Liefeld in which he talks about Armaggedon Now, The Assembled, Killraven and Youngblood.

Rob looks so 'buzzed' in this interview. I remember when I met him in 2004 at Wizard World LA, he was exactly like this. Rob is pumped full of energy, it's no wonder his pages are bursting with raw power.

DragonFUZE #11

2008-04-21T11:45:00.001+10:00

What is it that they say about the light that burns twice as bright?

I'm struggling at the moment. I am working long hours. I want to spend as much time as possible with my baby boy. I want to be with my wife. I want to write and create comics, most specifically a creator-owned horror book that I am supposed to be working on at the moment.

It's fatal, but time is what I want...

I don't have enough of the stuff; time that is. I think that I fell in love with comic book story telling at completely the wrong time in my life. I just can't fit it in. I do seem to waste a lot of time on the computer, just aimlessly surfing for the next big thrill. When I sit down at my iMac with all intention to write (usually after 9:30 pm), I find I am too tired to crank out more than a page (at best) and then ... I am on the net checking for useless entertaining pap.

I also think that the fire in my belly is no longer there. Yes, I still want to be a published comic book writer. Yes, I still want my ideas and characters to get out there. Yes, I have the skill to write a decent story, but do I have the will and the commitment and the passion to actually do it?

I am not so sure anymore ...

Once upon a time storytelling and writing meant everything to me. But, now I am married, I have a son, I have a demanding job ... priorities change. Once I bought 15 comics each month. Now, I buy one (if it comes out on time), plus the odd TPB every few months. Once every spare minute of my life was consumed by creating storylines and characters, now it seems to be consumed by working and (more importantly and rewardingly) our boy.

Sorry for the negative post. I am just so tired and I am feeling like the opportunities to be creative are diminishing by the day.

PopFUZE #22

2008-04-18T15:50:00.007+10:00

I just found this pic on line, it's from The Ultimates 3 #5. I don't even know if this issue is out yet, but I love this pic. Wow, Madureira is kicking it on this book (from what I have seen of it anyway). I wanted to pick this up from day one, but now that I am a TPB/ HC guy only, this won't be on my bookshelf until it is collected.

To be honest, I am not that excited about The Ultimates without Millar/ Hitch. I have a lot of respect for Jeph Loeb, he is an awesome writer, but I feel he is inconsistent; look at Onslaught Reborn. I bought that book solely for Rob Liefeld's art; the story was poorly executed. I want The Ultimates for Madureira and Madureira only.

Call me mad ... I dare ya!

SonicFUZE #4

2008-04-12T19:45:00.001+10:00

Sin City pop legends EMF have recruited a new guitarist and are working on their first new songs for 13 years.

Well, the new guitarist thing isn't entirely accurate (click the title of the post to read the article for the detail), but the "working on their first new songs for 13 years" is! (Sort of - see below)

I am in a sonic fit! I am so excited, this is the news I have waited ... well ... 13 years for! Actually, it hasn't been that long. The band recorded two new tracks on their best of, The Best Of EMF - Epsom Mad Funkers, which was released in 2001. So, really it has only been seven years since they last recorded new material. However, their final album was Cha Cha Cha and then they recorded the Afro King EP in 1995, so that's where you get the 13 years from ...

Wow, new EMF songs! WOW! There are few things that I struggle to put into words, but the importance of EMF in my life is one of those. I listen to their second album, 1992's Stigma, at least 10 times per week; I am addicted to that album! Every piece of EMF music I could get my hands on is in my CD collection. Sadly, there are some rare tracks that I have never heard, but I own every one of their major releases.

Somehow, EMF's music defines me in a way that no other music does. Their return to the world of music excites me even more than, say, the return of Indiana Jones to the silver screen.

Long live the new flesh!

PopFUZE #21

2008-04-07T11:25:00.000+10:00

Last week Rob Liefeld posted some updates on his website (you can read the update if you click on the title of this post). While there was plenty of good news for Liefeld fans, the part that got me most excited was news of a long brewing project called The Assembled . Rob refers to the project like this:

Speaking of assembling, for the past 8 years I've been drawing pages for a personal project that is epic in its scope, because it involves every single character I ever created from my Extreme Universe that started with the launch of Youngblood #1. The book is called The Assembled and is told in the present, flashbacks, and flash forwards. The Extreme Universe is now ruled by an army of Supreme's headed by the Supreme that returned in Supreme #1 in 1992. He has taken control of the Supremacy and imposed his rule on the world. Heroes have scattered and formed rebel factions in order to break Supreme's rule. You will see how it all originally went down and how the alliances are formed as well as glimpse the struggle that the heroes now face as the Supremacy tightens their grip. The story actually began in the pages of the Suprema one-shot two years ago. I've imagined this story many times and now it's coming to fruition.

Now, that sounds cool! The original concept of Supreme in 1992 (before Alan Moore turned him into a wimpy Superman knock-off) was this: "What if Superman used his powers for self aggrandisement, rather than for truth, justice and the American way?". The concept was way ahead of its time in the early 90s and has since been ripped off many times. The arrogant, bad @$$, god-like, delusional, agressive 'hero' that was Supreme was a perfect example of 90s excess.

So, this story fits in well with the original Supreme. To me, this sounds like Star Wars with superheroes (work it out yourself). As you can see, Rob is on the art duties for this one too, and his work looks incredible. The colors are ace too. I wonder when this book will drop and who will publish it - I hope it's Image.

To the Extreme!

DragonFUZE #10

2008-03-24T22:05:00.001+11:00

I'm back! I have written a bunch of pages for my horror comic in the last few days, ripping through some of the historical scenes which set the stage for the events that take place in Europe circa 2008. I'm playing with history here and I find it really interesting, and scary. I am currently writing scenes that feature Adolf Hitler, Heinrich Himmler and a fictional Nazi character called Doktor Wirth Hexmark. I am essentially writing about two of the most terrifying characters in history, detailing their (fictional) final and desperate tactics as they seek to secure victory, or at least an armistice, in the dying days of World War II.

Trying to get accurate dialogue with real, historical figures in an unreal and fictional environment is not easy, without worrying about the fact that you are writing about men who were responsible for killing members of your own family; it's unsettling. Which, in a twisted way, is appropriate as I am writing a horror/ action book.

I still haven't properly introduced the title character and I am 10 or so pages into the script. I only have 24 odd pages to play with in the first issue, so I plan on getting to him soon! Most of the World War II stuff will be done by the time I finish the scene I am currently writing, hopefully leaving me with about 10 or so pages of story set in the present day.

I plan my scripts really loosely. When I plot, I don't stipulate what has to happen on which page; I prefer for my stories to develop and grow organically. There is plenty of risk in this strategy, but also the potential for reward. I hope I can keep this pace up (I just had a feeling of dejavu, I am sure I have typed that line before!), I look forward to finishing the script for #1 soon and then ... I leap into #2.

PopFUZE #20

2008-03-15T13:50:00.001+11:00

Ed Norton is one of my favourite actors. Growing up, the Hulk was one of my favourite comic book characters. I had Hulk toys, I had a Hulk costume including green face paint, I even had Hulk underpants!

Now, as ar as superhero movies go, I want an excellent Hulk film. I want action, I want credible CGI, I want intensity. I give you:

HULK SMASH!

DragonFUZE #9

2008-02-26T22:00:00.000+11:00

Two more pages down tonight and the prelude is done! WOO HOO! I am making progress. I feel so cool to be finally getting in to this script. I set myself the goal of five more pages this week, so I am almost half way there. I know there is not much to these types of posts, but they are my way of keeping score and egging myself on. I am surprised I got any writing done tonight; I was in the office from 9 am until after 7 pm tonight. I didn't get home until after 8 pm, so I am taking this one as a win!

PopFUZE #19

2008-02-25T22:00:00.003+11:00

I just wanted to send a shout out to a friend of mine who spends most of his time on the high seas; Cary. Thanks for the comics you sent Mate, they are much appreciated. These days with time and money curbing my comic reading, I appreciate having a generous friend at my side!

DragonFUZE #8

2008-02-24T16:40:00.001+11:00

I finally started on my horror script this weekend, it's just a pity that we have been really busy family wise and I haven't been able to devote too much time to writing.

To be honest, I only have three pages down, but something is better than nothing. I am setting myself a goal of eight to 10 pages a week, so I need to have a minimum of five more pages done by the end of this week.

That may not sound like much, but between being a Papa, being married, working and exploring new work opportunities, I haven't got a lot of time. Still, when it comes to this project, things have been dragging so at least I finally got up off my @$$! I feel great now that I am finally writing again!

DragonFUZE #7

2008-02-22T10:45:00.002+11:00

While I am STILL struggling with the transition on the plot from #1 to #2 of my horror/ action book, I can cheerfully update you on things that are happening with the characters from Tiki's Phayrie, the 10 page all-ages fantasy story that I wrote, which was drawn by Michael Kasinger, and appeared in MangaQuake - a UK-based anthology - last year...

The initial story was all about thief and would-be mage Tiki, a young teenager who lives in a fantasy/ magical world and her quest to gain her very own fairy. Well, the other night, I came up with an idea for a sequel of sorts called Tikki's Giant. I haven't ironed out many of the details yet, but at 1:30 am I did what I needed to do: scribbled down some basic notes and then spent the rest of the night dreaming about the story!

So, another new tale is on my plate, a sequel of sorts to Tikki and Malinki's first adventure. Also, it's yet another story that takes place before the 6 - 8 issue series that I have been writing for years which features both characters.

Oh, and you may have noticed that in the first story I spelled Tiki's name with one 'k' and in the second I am spelling Tikki with two. I never intended for there to be any link between my character Tikki and tiki idols, but a number of people have mentioned this to me. I really love the name Tikki as it somehow perfectly sets up the mischevious, fun-loving adventure-seeking nature of the character. So, the name is staying, with an extra constanant to make her stand out even more!

...

What's that? Oh, that's Tikki, she's telling me that she is setting off for her next adventure in the Trollhaunt Mountains ... I had beter go ...

Wait Tikki! It's going to be cold out in Troll country. You forgot your woolen socks!!

PopFUZE #18

2008-02-15T09:45:00.000+11:00

Sorry I have been so slack in updating this blog. I am on vacation now (back to work on Monday!) and just haven't been all that in to pop culture these last few weeks. But... all that has changed now that the new Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull trailer has been released online. Click the title of the post to view the trailer.

The man with the hat is back ... WOO HOO!

Beach boys ... and a girl.

2008-02-01T11:00:00.000+11:00

I am heading away with my wife and baby boy for a beach holiday, so there will be no updates here for at least one week.

See ya!

PopFUZE #17

2008-01-31T14:45:00.000+11:00

According to Super Hero Hype, Y: The Last Man will hit the silver screen as a trilogy of films. The Y film was first announced last year and I was dumbfounded as to how they could fit the whole saga into one movie. With this now looking like becoming a trilogy, I feel much better about it.

I have just finished reading Vol. 6 of this awesome series and remain convinced that Y: The Last Man is one of the greatest comics of all time. While the movies will never touch the work of Guerra and Vaughn, at least the wider population will be exposed to their brilliance.

Oh, and I can't wait to find out who will play Ampersand!

PopFUZE #16

2008-01-27T20:40:00.001+11:00

Late last year my LCS, Alternate Worlds, had a sale and I picked up a number of TPBs. E.V.E Protomecha was one book that I could not pass up. All I could see was the cover, but I was immediately drawn to the design of the main character, E.V.E, as drawn by the awesome Ale Garza. Garza's art throughout, particularly when he is drawing mecha or tech, is absolutely awesome. The story by Aron Lusen and Christian Lichtner clearly references pop culture, particularly Star Wars, but has plenty of timeless themes.

I wasn't expecting much from this book (luckily I bought it for $10), but I really enjoyed it! There was some characterization, cool action and visuals and I loved the story between E.V.E and her father. Oddly, a number of the themes in this book are similar to ones I have been exploring in a fantasy/ mecha story of my own ...

Lastly, the color on this thing is awesome; top marks to Liquid!

PopFUZE #15

2008-01-24T16:10:00.001+11:00

Is this a Martian? I am not sure about this - I'd love it to be true, though. The article is from The Sun in the UK, which is hardly a credible source. Click the title of this post to see more pics.

PopFUZE #14

2008-01-23T11:00:00.000+11:00

Heath Ledger has been found dead in New York. His passing will add greater weight to his role in the upcoming Batman movie, The Dark Knight. From what I have seen in the trailers, his portrayal of The Joker is truly terrifying. He has already earned the respect of hard to please fanboys, and that is perhaps the greatest accolade he ever won.

DragonFUZE #6

2008-01-21T12:00:00.000+11:00

This weekend was really busy with family committments, but I also managed to do a little more work on my action/ horror book. The plot for #1 is done and dusted, but I am still struggling with the leap from #1 to #2. With only two issues to play with, I am trying to leave a gap in the story between #1 and #2 that the readers will learn about only through a few captions and other brief mentions.

I like the idea of the readers not wholly knowing what went on, and it suits because during the gap, one of the characters will spend some time outside of time/ space; so that kind of fits. I won't know if it works until the actual comic is out there, but for now this seems to be the best approach.

A huge shout out to my friend Brant who is working on the logo for the book. He sent me some initial designs over the past few days and I am really happy with where we are going with that. I may even give you a sneak peek once the logo is finalised!

PopFUZE #13

2008-01-17T10:25:00.000+11:00

Here's a cool pic of Tony Stark aka Iron Man (ah, actually it's Robert Downey Jnr.) that has been released on the Marvel website. Every image, every word that has been written about this film, the trailer; everything points to this being one of the greatest superhero films ever.

My tip is that Iron Man may even edge out the brilliant Spiderman 2 as my favourite modern super hero movie (nothing will touch Superman II!).

When does this movie come out? I don't know, I mean it would take me less than a minute to find out, but I'll save that for another time. Suffice to say that for right now, this is the superhero movie that I am really looking forward too, even more so than The Dark Knight.

PopFUZE #12

2008-01-15T16:00:00.000+11:00

Q: It’s interesting you talking about trilogies and at what point did you decide to go with straight to videos as opposed to theatrical releases. You’ve got Underworld 3 for instance coming out, is that a theatrical release and how do you go about…?

Tom: It’s a theatrical release definitely. I feel great about that. I think it’s the strongest story that we’ve put together of the three. I think it’s really terrific. I think it leads to a 4th. When we did the 1st Underworld, we imagined three--the 1st one, a sequel and then a prequel. The 3rd is a prequel, so the 4th would carry on where Kate and Scott Speedman left off after 2, so I think this is going to be terrific really this one.

So, here's looking at the future of the Underworld movie franchise.

The awesome news is that it looks like we are getting two more Underworld movies; a prequel and a sequel - that's the best of both worlds! Click the title of the post to read the whole interview with Tom Rosenberg, the head of Lakeshore Entertainment.

Get your leather coats, your guns and your breath mints ready; the Deathdealers and the Lycans are back!

PopFUZE #11

2008-01-15T12:00:00.000+11:00

Happy Smurfing Brithday to the Smurfs who are celebrating their 50th birthday in 2008! You can read all about their latest adventures if you click on the title of this post.

I would like to send a special shout out to Papa Smurf. Just before I went into hospital for my second operation in 1978 - 79 my Mum bought me a Papa Smurf soft toy. As a 4 or 5 year old being alone in hospital was made easier by having Papa Smurf around!

I still have that Papa Smurf toy and I hope to share him with my kids one day.

SonicFUZE #3

2008-01-14T13:10:00.000+11:00

1973; unbelievably that is the year when the seminal album The Dark Side Of The Moon was released. Right here, right now, 35 years later I am listening to this for the first time in my life! Of course, I have listened to Pink Floyd before, I own their best of p.u.l.s.e.. However, this is something different; The Dark Side Of The Moon is widely regarded as one of the most brilliant albums of all time.

I must agree. When you listen to this album, the lush soundscape sounds as if it were created today and not in the mid 1970s! I am sure that there were no computers involved in the creation of this musical masterpiece.

Even though I have never been a mad fan, Pink Floyd have always been a band that has mesmirized me; the lightshows at their concerts, the forward thinking innovation of their craftsmanship, the enduring appeal of thier work; there is so much to admire on the dark side of the moon:

PopFUZE #10

2008-01-13T19:15:00.000+11:00

With a little baby, I am finding that we don't have much time for anything, so these days a big night is one where we rent a DVD. Now, my wife and I don't have similar tastes in movies. Last night at the video store I had in my hands: I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry, Live Free Or Die Hard. As much as I wanted to see the Bruce Willis action flick, I knew my wife would hate it.

I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry didn't disappoint, it was hilarious! I have a lot of respect for Adam Sandler, I think he makes awesome movies and this one was no exception. The premise of two straight guys pretending to be gay is very overdone, but in this movie it was well done. I really appreciated the message of tolerance that came through, even though the movie never preached.

But, for me, one of the real highlights was Jessica Biel. She looked hot in this movie. Her role didn't generate many laughs, but I always enjoyed her being on screen! Big props to Mr Sandler on another awesome movie.

DragonFUZE #5

2008-01-06T19:30:00.000+11:00

Well, it's great to be able to update you again on my comics work; the new year has rolled around and I seem to have re-discovered my energy and enthusiasm for writing.

This is a good thing!

I spent a few hours yesterday working on my horror comic. I have finished the plots for #1 and am working on #2. In doing so, I have hit one of those annoying story dead ends; I know what has to happen, I am just not entirely sure about how I can pull that off.

On the plus side, I have discovered a way to include some of my old characters in the book, I am talking about ideas I came up with more than six or seven years ago. When I envisaged these characters, they were really magical powered superheroes, heavily influenced by Image circa 1994. Well, those types of characters don't really fit into this horror/ action comic, so I will re-work them. Still, I find it encouraging that characters which have long been dormant, their future never progressed further than a few brief descriptive lines in a notebook, have their chance to make a comeback and to actually be published.

The publisher emailed me a few days ago to say that his focus is on another project for the near future. That suits me well, I have this problem with the plot in issue #2 to clear up and it's going to take me a while to find the details on those old characters; I think the book is in a file in my cupboard, but at my place you can never be sure ...

DragonFUZE #4

2008-01-04T13:20:00.000+11:00

John and I have been tossing some ideas back and forth on the email and it's great to see that we are on the same page when it comes to Blindside #0. Much of my original plot/ script has been retained in John's revision, but we are re-tooling this to better reflect the new story that the #0 issue leads up to; a crossover with John's Sniper & Rook characters.

John's take on the #0 issue is more sinister than my original draft, which makes it just that little bit cooler in my book! From his notes, the story will feature an underlying sense of conspiracy/ paranoia; that makes for an explosive mix when you are dealing with a blind superhero who has a prediliction for using guns!

Still, there was plenty of Deadpool/ Spidey-type banter in my first draft, and some tongue-in-cheek heroics/ stabs at pop culture, I hope we can retain this in the new story. Marat Mychael's pages for this short tale (I own the page pictured above!) are dark and gritty superheroics at their best, but I like our hero cracking jokes as well as skulls.

More news soon, peeps!

PopFUZE #9

2008-01-03T10:40:00.000+11:00

If you click on the title of this post, it will take you to extended features and interviews all based around Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, the movie comes out in 5 1/2 months! Thanks to Vanity Fair for the awesome coverage!

Reading all these stories and interviews has gotten me really pumped. I love Indy, he's a great character who always just scrapes through his laugh out loud, by the seat of your pants adventures. To borrow an Americanism, Harrison Ford owns Indy, far more then he ever did even Han Solo. Indy is a living, breathing advneturer, you can believe in what he is going through, it's much more credible than being frozen in carbonite.

The other thing I love about Indy is that he takes his knocks. I love heroes who take a beating, either physically or emotionally. I do that to all of my heroes in the stories that I hope you will read soon. I did it to Tiki in Tiki's Phayrie (Future Quake Press); she climbed up a tower, fought with a powerful mage, leapt out of a window, plunged to the ground into a pile of feathers, had a cage land on her head, was attacked by a Phayrie and then she was chased to within inches of death by a dragon; all in the space of 10 pages! So, you can see why I have an affinity with Indy!

I am also an incredibly nostalgic person, hence my continual love for all the stories that shaped my childhood: Star Wars, ET, TRON, The Dark Crystal, Get Smart, Superman, Indiana Jones and, of course, comic books. Just as I was overcome with emotion when I first saw each of the Star Wars prequels and Superman Returns in the cinema, I expect to feel that catch in my throat as the theatre darkens just before the theme song rolls for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I can't wait for this movie, I can't wait to own the inevitable DVD box set that collects all four Indy movies.

I can't wait to be a kid once again!

PopFUZE #8

2007-12-31T23:50:00.000+11:00

HAPPY 2008!

Happy New Year! What an awesome year 2007 was, with the #1 highlight being the arrival of our son in early October. I am home on New Year's Eve, writing this blog at 11:35 pm. When they tell you that having kids changes your life, they are right. Still, I wouldn't trade our little boy for anything.

My first comic work was published in 2007, a short phayrie tale called Tiki's Phayrie, the story was published in MangaQuake #4 from Future Quake Press; thanks to the whole team who made it happen. In 2008 I hope to have more comics work out there; I have just started writing a new horror comic that has a publisher on board. We will do a small print run, but I hope the story will get out there in the next year.

This has been a great year of discovery for me, especially in comics and pop culture: Invincible, Moonlight, Y: The Last Man are all new favourites that join with Lord Of The Rings, Star Wars, Underworld at the top of my pop culture list.

More than anything, I am thankful for my beautiful wife and son.

I wish you all the best for 2008!

PopFUZE #7

2007-12-30T12:45:00.000+11:00

If you asked me how old I am, I would usually say 33. However, to be exact I am actually 33.9 years old.

Well, actually I could be anywhere from 0.136 years old to 140.7 years old, depending on which planet I live on!

If you click the title of this post, it will take you to a very cool website called Your Age On Other Worlds. This is another awesome page that I discovered through Stumble Upon ...

PopFUZE #6

2007-12-29T22:20:00.000+11:00

I really like Will Smith, he's a great actor, he makes me laugh, he kicks alien butt; what's not to like? However, I have always wanted to see him play a superhero. Smith has been attached to a long dormant Rob Liefeld movie property for more than a decade (he was supposed to make the film after he shot Wild Wild West which came out in 1999) and that was going to be his first silver screen appearance as a super hero, but now we have Hancock.

I know nothing about this movie, but I found the trailer (which you can see by clicking the title of this post) after using Stumble Upon this morning. The trailer goes for less than a minute, but I was already laughing. Superheroes, great FX shots and belly laughs; Hancock looks like it is going to be awesome!

I still want to see Smith in a Liefeld-helmed super movie...

PopFUZE #5

2007-12-28T23:40:00.000+11:00

As Friday just about winds up I proudly declare today Facebook Day. I am completely addicted to this site. I now have all that I need in one easy-to-access web page; I may never leave home again!

It's late and I am struggling to think of what to write about. Oh, would you believe I joined the Get Smart group on Facebook today? Get Smart is my favourite show of all time. There's a new DVD box set out which collects the whole series; it's really expensive, but I hope to grab it for my birthday early next year. Hint! Hint!