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I was sceptical, I’ll admit it. I just wasn’t sure what to do.

I had thoroughly enjoyed the first two Marvel Zombies series’. Robert Kirkman is an awesome writer, I got onto him through his Walking Dead series, and he did some great things with a world of Marvel Zombies. Then he became an Image partner and has foregone any other Marvel work, and good for him, but that left the heroic zombies in a spot of peril. I figured they would let them rest for a while. Enough money had been earned and it was a fun ride, while it lasted. But it wasn’t over.

For those who don’t understand, I’ll concisely wrap it all up. Marvel Zombies was posited in a universe where a zombie plague struck, and struck hard. As soon as the Marvel heroes went down it all got crazy. Only the strongest could survive. Soon, the zombies of Iron Man, Colonel America, Giant Man, Spider-Man, Luke Cage, the Hulk and Wolverine are getting around trying to eat whatever/whomever they can find. It was full of great little moments, Giant Man knocking out Black Panther and slowly consuming him limb by limb in a surgical manner. Colonel America has the top of his head severed, but he undeads on. It great fun in the merry Marvel manner. In the end they battle Silver Surfer and Galactus and go off across the universe with their new powers cosmic in search of more life to eat.

Marvel Zombies 2 is many years later, the powered cosmic heroes have devoured all living forms in the entire universe. They need more. They find more back on Earth where the few survivors have formed a tight unit society. The heroes attack and more hilarity ensues. Luke Cage has his body cut in half, Iron Man get squelched in his armour by a rampaging Hulk, Thanos lasts a few pages and there is lots of quality gore from Phillips’ art again.

Marvel Zombies 3 was announced and began to ship two issues ago. I ummed and ahhed and finally decided I would not partake in this run around. There was a new writer, Fred Van Lente. A new artist replacing Sean Phillips, Kev Walker, and I needed to watch my pennies and really evaluate each title in my pull list. It just didn’t make the cut, but I planned on getting it in trade.

Then, my monthly package from the awesome elves working hard at Minotaur arrived and I was shocked to find Marvel Zombies 3 in there. They had assumed I would want it, as I had wanted the others shipped to my greedy little fingers each month. I didn’t complain, that’s just not my style, and instead simply read the issue. It’s not like I had been given a copy of Romance Comics, or anything else lame, this was still good stuff, I hoped.

I haven’t read any other Van Lente work, but I am suitably impressed. His first zombie issue was interesting, adding to Earth’s arsenal of protection, S.H.I.E.L.D. is the overall law enforecement agency with S.W.O.R.D. patrolling the space side of protection and now A.R.M.O.R. looking after inter-dimensional threats. They even operate out of a secret buried bunker so safe and hidden deep and dark down that the only method of getting there is through teleportation, man, ideas like that are what Marvel was founded on. I like these new agencies, and I think it is a comic creator’s job to actually create new stuff every now and then. Van Lente then ended the first issue with a nice cliffhanger that honestly left me wanting the next one.

Issue 2 was no disappointment. In this series, zombie Deadpool came across to the normal (616) universe and attacked the Floridian Initiative team. His remains, after being smoked by one of those awesome swamp motor boats with the huge fans on the back that you see in all Floridian based cultural undertakings, are taken to the A.R.M.O.R. headquarters. Machine Man is recruited to go to the zombie universe to get information. He is to accompany another non-human, Jocasta. What they find there is very interesting, a zombie Wilson Fisk and clones galore, to drop a few hints. I’m looking forward to the next two issues of the series, for many reasons not just because of the wicked third issue cover pictured above.

The covers really rock the shit, ish 1 doing Army of Darkness, ish 2 rocking out 28 Days Later and this one an obvious homage/rip off of Evil Dead. A poster/video cover I remember seeing a lot of in my youth. I hear that ish 4 is Shaun of the Dead, so that should be awesomeness in a page of art.

I’m glad that I’m liking the series. I love zombie literature, cannot get enough of the stuff, and I like that a new writer is, in my opinion, succeeding where many thought he might not. Van Lente seems to be everywhere right now, penning The Incredible Hercules, X-Men: First Class, Wolverine: First Class and the classy idea of X Men Noir. I’ll definitely keep my eye on this guy’s words, I’m always keen on finding a new writer to enjoy.

Posted on November 24th, 2008 by ryan
Filed under: comics | No Comments »

There’s something wrong with my fuses, or something. There is power to the house, but not to any of the lights. Major pain in the ass. Lucky most chores for the day were completed before sundown, but pissing and brushing teeth later should be fun.

To combat this darkness issue, as I still have a full night of writing planned, I had to switch to a new plan. Hence the picture. I haven’t had a desk lamp active and in duty for many a moon. I set it up, plugged it into socket to make it work and stood back.

My desk is currently in a very slight state. I have packed a lot of things for my forthcoming move and so there is actual room to move here. Not completely breakdance on the desk, but at least juggle some papers. The lamp has it’s spot, so I don’t go completely blind whilst working the night away. Fingers crossed it works, just because Milton could still write doesn’t mean I’m that good.

I look at my desk and it feels like a crime writer’s desk. I can’t even pin down why, but this is how I imagine Hammett working. These are the conditions Chandler got amongst. Fuck, even the Coen Brothers must have been here. I would love to share that form of desk space, no less head space.

I’m writing my novel right now, hoping to hit the 50k mark in about an hour. See how I go.

Posted on November 24th, 2008 by ryan
Filed under: Writing | 2 Comments »

My short story, The Choice That Had To Be Made, which I self-published and is currently on sale at Maitland’s local bookseller, McDonald’s, for $5 has a front cover and I can finally show it to you. (I have just, and finally, figured out how to add images to this bloody wwInterweb site. You’ll see all sorts of hidden images round here now. Check the links to the right, be shocked and amazed by the amazing ManBoyWolf!)

I took the photo for the front cover and then manipulated it a few different times. I don’t even remember how so don’t bother asking. I put the six different ones that I liked and that I felt complemented the story. I wanted to keep a white background because the story seemed convoluted enough it didn’t need a crazy cluttered cover (mad alliteration).

For the interests of those interested, you can see it above. Interesting, huh?

Posted on November 19th, 2008 by ryan
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Daredevil #112

I am so completely and wholly impressed with Brubaker’s current Daredevil arc. It just seems like sweet justice after fanboys trashed it so hard before they had even read a page. The character of Lady Bullseye seems interesting enough. What she is trying to do, or what we know of it so far, seems completely fascinating in a way that it is most likely going to tie in a very awesome storyline.

Lady Bullseye has framed Daredevil for two murders, but this is just to get him out of the way. She is really in town to test Danny Rand and Carlos LaMeurto, aka Iron Fist and the Black Tarantula. I think Brubaker handles Rand well, and I really dig what he is doing with LaMeurto. It is a quality angle that he is playing.

Lady Bullseye is working for The Hand and for some unknown reason is seeing how they can tear apart a few of her test squads, clearly just the ninjas from the bench, she’ll bring some more big game later. Is she recruiting them, or setting them up to die? We don’t know. Then Murdock is visited by Master Izo, who is not like he appears.

This all occurs while the aftermath of Murdock and Dakota North plays out, I won’t go into specifics, a gentleman never would, but it is being handled pretty bloody well. It is a great relationship to watch, and North is stepping up as a huge favourite chick in comics literature for me. She better not end up in a fridge somewhere in Murdock’s building, as chicks in comics can, and especially chicks who mess with Murdock. The dude is a walking reason to turn lesbian.

I haven’t enjoyed DD this much in quite some time. I have liked Brubaker’s run a lot, but right now I am digging the shit out of it. It is certainly my book of the month and I am damn glad I left it till last. I don’t know what part of the issue I loved the most, and that is the sign of a damn fine piece of periodical literature. Now I just have to wait for the next one. That sucks.

Posted on November 19th, 2008 by ryan
Filed under: comics | No Comments »

The movie comes out very soon. I really want it to do well. I am going to see it and I want everyone else to as well. It would be so awesome if the movie did well. It would be the global success that the Australian film industry needs.

People always complain about the lack of quality Aussie films being made, but they don’t do much to rectify the situation. They don’t support the good flicks when they do come out.

No one got out and saw Ned Kelly, but they would just as easily go out and see whatever schlock the US hype machine was busting out. Shit, Beverly Hills Chihuahua just became the highest grossing Disney release ever for November, or something like that. Hell, it made any money at all, that sickens me.

So get out there and see Australia when it’s released. I bet you saw Pearl Harbour. I bet you saw Dances With Wolves. I bet you saw a lot more romance flicks over the past year, and ones that you really didn’t have to.

I keep thinking these two thoughts. I respect Baz Luhrmann a lot, his Romeo + Juliet is still one of the most jarring pieces of cinema to come out of nowhere that I have seen in years. And, I think that Hugh Jackman is the mad note, and he should be followed into hell and back, not that he would ever end up there, the brother is Wolvie, he’s got fanboy cred right up to the big guy.

Buy your tickets, watch the show, enjoy it, tell your friends about it and be thankful that you did something. Rather than support a crappy American industry, that you know you would if they made the Yank equivalent of this flick (again), you got out there and made this movie the biggest Aussie flick ever! It can be done, the change that Australia needs is coming.

Posted on November 18th, 2008 by ryan
Filed under: movies | No Comments »

The entire reason I started this blog was so that prospective people who would want to work with me, or just read my stuff, would be able to get a solid handle on who I was. This complete character study would of course come through reading my thoughts on comics, movies, music and my life writing in general.

The reason I wanted to do this was because that is what I appreciated from other creators, especially writers. There are some good blogs out there where writers talk about themselves and sometimes their process. I have now found a new blog that seems to do both.

Duane Swierczynski

He is the current writer on Iron Fist, which I am still getting, and he is penning an arc on the Punisher Max line which has just started. I have also read his Moon Knight Annual, which I didn’t mind. It was definitely different, but definitely cool, too. I decided to check out his blog and I really liked what I found.

After reading just a few posts you get a feel for who this guy is. He is an unashamed book nerd. He has a wicked collection and he loves to take care of it, add to it and talk about it. He feels like akindred sprit instantly. Then I see the posts where he talks process. I love it!

He’s written a few novels and I would love to get my hands on some, or at least one. eBay proves to be a bust, I just checked.

But I will be checking his blog regularly because I like his voice and I find it fascinating to see what writer’s write about.
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Got my pull list this week, have to make time to fit them all in, I wish I didn’t need sleep. Is there a way to catch insomnia?

Avengers: The Initiative #18 and Annual #1 (though I am not sure how much longer to stick with it. I like the title, but am not sure that it will survive the current price worries I am experiencing, it might just be on the periphery…)
The Astounding Wolf-Man #9 (a solid enough series, but also possibly flirting with cancellation from me. I just don’t know if it warrants being one of the ‘chosen few’ that I get each month from the good people at Minotaur.)
Marvel Zombies 3 #2 (a fantastic 28 Days Later homage cover has me piqued for sure.)
Resurrection Annual #1 (Guggenheim’s series has enough going that I’ll stick with it, for now, but it can’t keep shipping late…)
The Invincible Iron Man #7 (a fun Spidey crossover cover, and I hear Fraction’s next arc is going to be even better, definitely one to stick with.)
The Immortal Iron Fist #19 (by the aforemention Swierczynski, who I have so much respect for after reading his blog that I will have to stick him out on this one for a while. This one had a great cover, too. And he had an issue coming in the new year that is set in the future which looks kind of bithcing.)
The Boys #24 (a series that I never have any real buyer’s regret about. Rock solid gold dust!)
Criminal Season 2 #6 (I’m liking this insomniac’s story line, a lot.)
And the last one to get the scan; Daredevil #112 (after the ending of the last issue I can’t wait to dip into this one. But, the anticipation must build, I will read this one last on purpose, to end on that high note to get me to the next month.)
There you have it. I’m a major nerd!

Posted on November 17th, 2008 by ryan
Filed under: Writing, books, comics, websites | No Comments »

I am a big fan of MOvember.

For those not in the know, it is a charity event where eligible males grow a moustache for the month of MOvember and raise money, and awareness, for men’s health issues.

Last year I ripped off a cracker of a Reynold’s style slice of goodness. This year, sadly, I am not partaking, too lazy to shave the beard, but still moing it in spirit, especially seeing as my beard rocks to the Keanu Reeves tune of a South American coastline and thus my stache doesn’t actually connect with the Lincoln goodness down below.

I’ve sponsored my local cricket club a few pennies and I completely plan on getting into Myers and representing with a fine $30 mo short, of which 70% goes to charity. They’ve got some designs, thinking about the Zeppelin one, or the Magnum one, or possibly the Village of the Mo one, Have to have a geez and see which one rocks it out hardest. But, I don’t mind forking over the cash because it is for such a good cause, and I am laming out in order to preserve the beard of good times I’ve got going.

I encourage everyone to go to the site, linked above, and look up any friends and donate for them, ll donations over $2 are tax deductible you Hebrew tight wads, so open up the pouches of gold and share it around. Or, like me, get some score merch and pimp the dream.

It also got me thinking - best moustaches in literature?

Being a nerd, my list is possibly biased, but, here goes.

Tony Stark (even though he came in for a ‘cool’ goatee for a while, Fraction has brought him back to the lip tickling glory days!)

Dr Stephen Strange (even though he might just be an amalgam of Tony Stark and Reed Richards, with a pimpin’ coat, he still makes the list because he continues to own the womb broom after so many decades! and in LEGO pimp version, rocking out a decidedly Police Academy Blue Oyster look…)

Daniel Plainview (hey, the movie was based on a book, kinda…)
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Already sold many a unit of The Choice That Had To Be Made at the local book store. Also, already got feedback from a few friendly locals about their thoughts on it all.

Nothing better than putting your ass out there…but will it get kissed, kicked, fingered or royally fucked?
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Trying to keep solid with a thousand words a day on the novel. Going pretty well, for the days when I do write. Weekends generally don’t seem to count because I am travelling too much, but otherwise I’m keeping strong. If I can keep it up, and I don’t see any reason not too, and I have January holidays approaching, then I should be able to finish early in the year of our lord, 2009. How absolutely thrilling.

Posted on November 11th, 2008 by ryan
Filed under: Writing, life | No Comments »

Life abounds with so much to do. I find that there is never much down time, and quite honestly, I would barely know what to do with it if I stumbled across it. When I am presented with quiet moments I feel bad if I don’t do anything with them. And I use that word very seriously, and it might be a problem, I feel bad about wasting time.

My life is relatively busy as it is. I teach at a local primary school. I am in charge of a few sports teams and the entire school technology program, which means I have an entire network plus over a hundred computers, a few printers, two photocopiers and countless ancillary problems to solve every day. It is heading into reporting time, which means lots of data input, comment writing, then I am in charge of merging the reports for every student into something that can be sent home, over 360 reports to merge. Fun!

Each day I go home, usually ride home when weather and laziness permit, and then do some moderate exercise. Sitting in front of a computer all day long just makes me want to hulk out and get the blood flowing. After a shower and dinner chores I have roughly four hours left in my day/night. Pretty much every day I use this time for writing. Every day I do this, it seems perfectly natural to me, but then I think about it and it really doesn’t seem it. Everyone else wants to go watch tv, play computer games or just get drunk. I sit down in front of my laptop and write for four or more/less hours while surfing the web. I am either researching things for my stories, or just amusing myself. The other day I found that you can read Jonathan Nolan’s short story “Memento Mori”, which inspired Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece Memento, on a website for free, click the title of the story to follow the link. But it is free I tells ya. I haven’t gotten around to reading it yet, but I know where it is and I know I will one day. When I get some free time.

I just wouldn’t know what to do with my nights if I weren’t writing. If I kick back and watch some teev, just finished the first season of The Wire, and hot damn was that some good writing, I enjoy it but I always feel guilty in the back of my head. Like I could have spent that time working, writing, doing something more for myself. Each day/hour/minute/nanosecond I spend writing is that one piece closer I will be to breaking it. If I add up every extra minute I write before giving in for the night I know they will add up and I will finish a piece a day quicker, a week, a year. It all adds up, every little bit. So there is nothing to waste. Though I work all day, I know I then have to work all night. That’s just how it is.

The other night I had two hours before my bed time, and yes I have a bed time, or at least a time that I know I should be asleep by so as not to become the walking dead by work the next morning. In those two hours I packed a bunch of bags to be transported for my coming house move. I read over the last pages of my friend’s script and made notes for him (it needed more cow bell). I did some wwInterweb research and I wrote a thousand words on my novel. I try to get a thousand each day, I figure at that pace I might get it finished somewhere close in the new year. I settled down into bed, a little after my bedtime, and realised that I had been very busy. But I don’t know any other way to do it.

I have so much I want to write, and it certainly is not going to write itself. So busy I shall remain.

Posted on November 5th, 2008 by ryan
Filed under: Writing, life | No Comments »

I started another chapter yesterday and had no idea exactly how it would end. I set it up, and I had a one line blurb about what the scene was, in a very tight nutshell, but I didn’t know exactly what was going to happen.

I stopped writing for the night, it was time anyway, and I went to bed and wondered what was going to happen. In fact, I wondered why I was even writing the scene in the first place. It just wasn’t singing to me and I was not exactly pumped to go back and finish it. Usually, I start the next chapter before I finish for the night because I want to be excited to start again the next day. A paragraph or two whets the appetite and the next day I foraciously chew down the rest of the scene. I remember reading, a long time ago, that you should always finish writing in the middle of a scene that you are enjoying, and that way you will get straight back into it the next day. If you finish on a scene that you are struggling with you might not want to go back to just struggle again. That’s not fun for anyone.

So, I thought about this scene all day and wondered what I would write. I wondered what would happen. I came up with a bit of an idea and was relatively excited to come home and write it. As the words flowed out I realised that the background character, and his actions, just weren’t going to fit the scene. So I continued to write and just watched him evolve naturally. He came out and I am happy with him, and what he does. And, I think he serves the purposes of the scene well, he brings a lot of foreboding with him and leaves with a line that I have wanted to quote in this book for ages, but was not exactly sure where it would come in, though I knew it was in reference to this characters arc in this area.

It all worked out. I just finished the chapter and I really like where it goes. I don’t think I should work like this all the time, but man it’s awesome when you do and it works.
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I have published, with my own money, The Choice That Had To Be Made.

It is a small book, fifty pages long, and is available for sale at McDonald’s Bookshop in the Maitland Mall. Only $5, what a bargain, that is a bargain for me!

I am interested to see what sort of sales it does…it is just fun to put these things out there and see what happens, certainly isn’t for the fat profits from the $5 a copy, haha.

I like the story, and I’ll always like my copy. Lame, I know, I am.

Posted on October 30th, 2008 by ryan
Filed under: Writing | No Comments »

A good quote, yet another that hangs above my laptop staring down on my daily workings. Laughing at me for attempting what hacks get paid for and I do not.

Every writer I know has trouble writing
- Joseph Heller

It always makes me think. Heller was a genius (anyone arguing/questioning that point just go and digest Catch 22 in one sitting, the way it should be done, and then come back and nod your head along with me), and he probably rolled with some seriously smart guys, and I think he hits the nail on the head. Writing is not easy, and it is not for the easy. Writing is a pursuit, and nothing in this world worth doing is ever easy. Even doing nothing, in the right situation can test a man. Just try and get drunk and watch a stripper undress your friend and try not to replace him with yourself. Nothing, just as big a test of a man as something or anything ever will be. Anyway…

Some people, people I know, expect wriitng to be easy. It’s just stringing words together, how hard could it be? Well, if you want to do it correctly it’s not always easy. And perhaps it shouldn’t be, otherwise everyone would be doing it, and I don’t necessarily agree that there is a story waiting to be written inside of every person. People like Diablo Cody should just hang it up, it’s pretentious wankery that spent too long looking at itself in the mirror hoping others will like it. But, again, I digress…

I kind of like that writing is a test. You have to find time for it. You have to find inspiration for it. You have to find just the right words for it. And sometimes, most importantly, you have to identify when you don’t have any of those aspects for it. Sometimes you sit down and just….

…exactly. Nothing.

When nothing comes you have to be man enough to walk away and go watch some more of The Wire. (I always find that exposing myself to great writing just makes me want to write better and knocks inspirado into me) Forced writing is never going to help. No one is ever going to like it. Perhaps it’s not the writing that is hard, it’s the set up that is. Getting a money shot is easy, but only if you are a master of foreplay.

So, do you take enough time to romance the words out of yourself? I’m off to light a candle and continue my six week love affair with my novel. Don’t wait up.

Posted on October 27th, 2008 by ryan
Filed under: Writing | No Comments »