The Web Haunt of Ryan K Lindsay

Ryan K Lindsay is a young male and an Australian writer. He spends most of his time writing different things; novels, scripts for film, television and comics. Here he discusses his craft, the craft of much better writers and just stuff about books, music, teev, flicks and comics. This site is for when any other shade of brown just won't do.

It’s Closing Time

You don’t have to go home but you can’t stay here.

I’m closing this site.

You can check in at ryanklindsay.com if you want to see the next steps in what I do.

If you were ever a reader here, thank you. Truly.

Green Wake – Quantum Immortality

I wrote a one-shot for the Image comic, Green Wake – created by the two fantastic comic makers Kurtis J Wiebe and Riley Rossmo.

That comic is finally seeing the light of day online as a free digital release. We are adding one page a day for the month of August and it’s a 22 page comic, plus the cover, so you can enjoy all the goodness quite easily.

If you haven’t caught up, please click the link and keep pressing the Next button until you’ve read it all. While you’re at it, read the whole comic from Wiebe and Rossmo because it’s there too for free.

That link: QUANTUM IMMORTALITY

This story is very dear to me because I think I knocked it out of the park (natch) but it also hits on some very real themes in it.

Enjoy, and let me know what you think if you get the chance.

Previously, On CBR – Review of The Secret History of D.B. Cooper #3 by @brianchurilla

Hot damn, this is one of my new favourtie series. The story is insane and the art is gorgeous. That’s two ingredients that always make good comics. There’s still time to hit the ground floor on this one, buy in now.

The Secret History of D.B. Cooper #3 review on CBR by Ryan K Lindsay

I gave it 4 stars because, “This issue is the most expositional of the title so far. However, it also contains gargantuan cyclopean sludge monsters, exploding faces, sky-faring monster slugs and a bunch of other — well, it’s hard to describe these creatures — which means there’s a crazy balance to the book. For every weird sequence of phantasmagorical delight there is another of spy talk behind closed doors. It helps that each set piece is equally as enjoyable as the other. Brian Churilla creates a comic no one knew they wanted but readers are now stuck needing it.

Previously, On CBR – Review of Locke & Key: Clockworks #6 by @joe_hill & @gr_comics

This title is easily on of the best of all time. This issue, just another reason why. There’s everything right about this series. Trust me.

Locke & Key: Clockworks #6 review on CBR by Ryan K Lindsay

I gave it 4.5 stars because, “This book is truly terrifying. It’s easy to convey gore and action sequentially, but demonstrating true terror and evoking it in the reader is a skill so hard to master most books have stopped trying. Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez are often and seemingly easily able to convey the perfect still image to make readers lose themselves in the moment. “Locke & Key” isn’t a horror comic, it’s a suspense story, and it’s quite honestly one of the best.

Previously, On CBR – Review of DAREDEVIL #13

The last four pages of this comic are unreal. The other 16…ah, not as much.

Review of Daredevil #13 on CBR by Ryan K Lindsay

I gave it 3 stars because, “The issue muddles along with some exposition, then some punching and it’s all a bit rote — but the ending comes along and pulls together all these threads you couldn’t even see. Does the retroactive kick in the pants make this book worthwhile after the fact?

Previously, On CBR – The Ride/Anti #0 by @nhedmondson + @12gaugecomics Review

This was a FCBD comic and it might just have been the best one. Man, the short story for The Ride was intense and stellar. I hope you got the chance to check this out.

The Ride/Anti #0 review on CBR by Ryan K Lindsay

I gave it 4 stars because, ““Perfect Circle” is the title of the short for “The Ride” and it is a chilling masterpiece in bleak storytelling. We open in a late-’80s key party. Things are trashy from the very first page and it only goes downhill from there. An eager and pretty young thing pulls out a key and heads off in the car of this stranger. There are hints abound that all is not right but she is either too drunk or excited to notice. What follows is a brutal situation that will make you uncomfortable. This is not a pleasant story but it is superbly told.

Previously, On CBR – The Spider #1 by @david_liss Review

Hey pulp fans! Buy this comic. It’s a hell of a lot of fun and it’s really well written. This is the book we’ve wanted to see David Liss on for some time. Get in now while the getting is good.

The Spider #1 review on CBR by Ryan K Lindsay

I gave it 4 stars because, ““The Spider” #1 is a fantastic slice of action and world building. It’s bleak and it’s harsh but it’s all in service of the story and not just for the sake of it. Liss has previously shown some really good writing prowess and here it is capitalized upon. Read the first four pages and see if I’m wrong. I just found my new favorite pulp comic.

Previously, On CBR – Road Rage: Duel #3 by @chrisryall Review

Man, this mini has been awesome. One major reason for this is the art. It has been stellar. The other is Ryall’s deft adaptation. You should really check this out. This issue starts the two-part adaptation of Richard Matheson’s Duel and it’s very very tight.

Road Rage: Duel #3 review on CBR by Ryan K Lindsay

I gave this 4 stars because, “This issue is basically one giant car chase/thriller and yet you’ll find certain parts making you hold your breath.

Previously, On CBR – Review of Conan The Barbarian #3 by @brianwood + @beckycloonan

Man, this is just a fantastic Conan book. And I’m a Conan fan. The writing is tight and the art is something else entirely. Even if you aren’t a Conan person, pick this book up. The first three issues are a stellar promise of what’s to come.

Conan the Barbarian #3 review on CBR by Ryan K Lindsay

I gave it 4 stars because, “Conan isn’t a hero. It says it right there in the title, he is a barbarian. Such a label alone automatically paints him as not automatically being a nice guy. Powerful? Yes. Pragmatic? Absolutely. A good person deep down? Not necessarily. Conan lives and kills with honor.

Seven Things I’ll Be Doing In April

1. Breaking Story For An Ongoing

I am working with an Eisner nominated publisher in bringing a new ongoing series to life. The high concept is golden, I dig the main characters, and now we work on breaking the story. A series bible is being assembled and soon I’ll be sinking my teeth into making it my own.

So far, I’ve been researching location and just steeping my mind in the world and my thoughts of it. Feeling very good about it.

2. Reading An Actual Novel

That’s right, I’ll be getting back to paper. Will be heading off with wife and child and so am packing one novel for the trip. That book? Duane Swierczynski’s HELL & GONE. Cannot wait.

I’ll also have COSMOPOLIS on my iPad and THE THREE STIGMATA OF PALMER ELDRITCH as an audio book. It’s nice to be able to catch up on some reading.

3. Pitching My Baby

A LOVE SUPREME is pretty much ready. Just waiting for the pitch document to be created by the ever amazing Matt Battaglia and then I’ll start sending it out the door. This is the book I guaranteed would get picked up, so, no pressure. I really feel this one is golden and cannot wait to get it into some editor’s hands.

Stay tuned.

4. Submitting My Novel

A publisher is very keen on You Must Remember This and so I’ve been editing the manuscript. I plan to be finished by the end of next week, if not sooner. I’m excited to send this one out but am also extremely nervous. I know I like it but I’m a massive RKL fan, so hopefully the publisher likes the extended view they get.

5. Watching Some TV

Due to editing the novel, and everything on the side, I’ve been forgoing most other forms of active input. I give myself maybe an issue or two of a comic at night — not the ones I have to read for reviews — and I watch minimal TV with the wife. Once I get the novel out the door, I will feel a gratuitous weight lift off these shoulders and I plan on celebrating by catching up with a few of these: Justified, Ultimate Spider-Man, Awake. That’s probably a reasonable and realistic set list for now.

6. Catching Up On Podcasts

Listening to an audio book takes a good fortnight, or so. As such, I am watching some podcasts bank up and it’s actually good because it’s making me realize which ones I can’t wait to catch up on, and it’s also showing which ones I don’t mind missing out on. It’s like a war of attrition and only the best survive. There is definitely stuff here I’m keen on loading up and getting into — lots of process talk from the people I admire.

7. Enjoying More Productive Time

Most of April is taken up with holidays from work. 16 glorious days where my schedule is suddenly drastically different. These are the times of the year I pounce on and get loads of work done. I’ll be working on plenty of the above stuff but also working some other deals and fun. The wife is kind enough to negotiate time during the day for me to get my groove on and otherwise it means I get more husband time, more father time, and more writing time. I love my holidays.

This will be my April. What will you be doing?