Published Stories – where you can find 'em.

In 2005, Dan Fleming and I self-published the first issue of Warrior27.  Since then, there have been three other issues and a collection, weekly columns for the Pulse in 2007-08, year-long blogs from both of us on Crime and Watchmen, respectively, as well as stories published in other venues.  That January, as we began planning that initial anthology, I decided I start taking my writing seriously – emphasis on “start” – and, after ten years, take a look back to see where I stood and if it was something I should continue to pursue.  At this point, I have met with some success and couldn’t stop even if I thought that was the way to go.  So, let’s take a look at where my writing has been published.  [hey, it’s my blog; I get to be self-indulgent, if I want]

2005 –

1.  Pacesetter #6, “Breaking the Mold,” published by Tony Lorenz.  

This was the first thing I ever had accepted for publication.  Pacesetter is a fan-produced magazine centered on the work of my favorite superhero artist, George Perez.  It includes interviews, little-seen artwork, and articles, all focused on that issue’s theme.  This one revolved around Wonder Woman, and I did a piece on how Perez and the rest of the creative team worked to make distinct, strong female characters in the relaunch of the title, in 1987. 

2010 –

1.  Ape Comics’ online UFO Anthology, “Life is Funny,” with artist Jason Copland,  published by Ape Entertainment.   

This story came as a result of my first time submitting to an open call for stories.  My initial idea was rejected – it was tired and clichéd – but the editor, Troy Dye, accepted my second pitch.  From there, we went back and forth on five or six drafts of the script, until it was ready for publication, which was a great learning experience.  After that, I had to find a team to draw, color, and letter the eight-page story.  I got lucky enough to work with a group of great artists, including Jason Copland, who has since worked for Marvel, Boom!, and Dark Horse.  The site for the anthology is no longer available, but I’ve made it available at the link above. 

2011 –

1.  Top Shelf 2.0, “Sin Titulo,” with artist Jason Copland, published by Top Shelf Productions.

I was lucky enough to work with Jason again, when he posted a series of images he’d drawn while on vacation in Las Vegas.  He had no story in mind, as he drew, and offered them up to any writers who might want to craft a narrative around them – similar to the Marvel style popularized by Stan Lee and the stable of artists at Marvel Comics in the early 60s.  I could re-arrange them as I liked, or leave them in the order Jason posted them.  I opted for the latter and created a strange, neo-noir short that I was quite proud of.  Brett Warnock, at Top Shelf, really liked it and agreed to publish it on their online anthology, Top Shelf 2.0.  Top Shelf is one of my favorite publishers, so this was a huge deal for me.

2012 –

1.  Indie Comics Horror #1, “Minister to the Undead,” with artist Dan Lauer, published by Aazurn Publishing.

This story was one that initially ran in our anthology, Warrior27.  The third issue, from Fall 2008, to be exact.  The prologue to a longer story that I might get to one day, I was really impressed with Lauer’s art on a story he did with my buddy Dan (Fleming) and was really happy when he agreed to draw this short story.  When it found a home in the inaugural issue of Indie Comics Horror, I was stoked.  The longer narrative revolves around this minister who welcomes all people to worship, even those afflicted with vampirism, lycanthropy, and similar magical/demonic possession.  He also harbored a secret that would lead to a chilling climax. 

2013 –

1.  New Orleans by Gaslight, “You Gotta Give Good…,” published by Black Tome Books.

I caught the open call for submissions for this anthology when Greg Rucka retweeted the announcement.  A prose, steampunk anthology revolving around the city of New Orleans during the American Civil War, I did a lot of research for this one – not only reading books on steampunk, but also finding a wonderful book on voudou that treated this religion with the respect it deserves.  I tried to incorporate that same respect into my story, and I think it shows. 

2.  Unfashioned Creatures, “Big Man,” with artist Gary Fitzgerald, published by Red Stylo Media.

This was another story that involved research.  An anthology from Red Stylo Media revolving around the themes and scenarios of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, I read the book, for the first time, over a weekend, in order to get ideas for a story.  From there, I made my way through the open-call gauntlet and was lucky enough to work with an artist I was familiar with, Gary Fitzgerald.  He really did a great job with a script that was, at times, a bit trying.  I can’t thank him enough for this. 

2014 –

1.  Firewords Quarterly #2, “I Gotta Get Outta Here,” published by Firewords.

I saw an open call for this new literary magazine.  The editors wanted flash fiction and poetry.  I sent in a grim short set in a dystopian future that revolves around a grisly scenario that I had conceived while picking blueberries with my wife a number of years back.  This is a story I had sold once before – but the publisher ran out of money before the anthology was published – and was happy to finally give it a home.

2.  Needle: a Magazine of Noir, “Silence,” published by Needle Magazine.  

Ever since I was introduced to Needle, I wanted to be a part of it.  I wrote a bit more about that here.   It’s 9,000 words of crime and horror with an ending that’s a shocker.  It’s the story I’m most proud of. 

Forthcoming –

I also had two comic stories accepted in 2014, which made it my most successful year to date.  One, “The Call of the Sea,” is still in need of an artist and is scheduled to be published by GrayHaven, once all the stories are drawn and lettered.  The other is an adaptation of my New Orleans by Gaslight story, with the steampunk stripped away, that was beautifully illustrated by AngelaAllen.  It is scheduled to be in the fourth issue of Indie Comics Quarterly. 

Warrior27 –

And there are always the original issues of our comics/prose anthology, Warrior27, which are available for purchase in the sidebar.  There’s some great stuff in there from Dan and Matt  Constantine (one of the “In the Mouth of Dorkness” dorks) and a slew of fantastic artists.  Worth checking out, but I might be biased.

Thanks for indulging.  Hopefully I’ll be updating this list sooner rather than later.  And, obviously, I’ll let you know when that happens

-chris

FYC Replay: Postcards - True Stories ... with Jason Rodriguez

For Your Consideration: Postcards: True Stories that Never Happened

By Chris Beckett

FRONT PAGE: When Editor Jason Rodriguez stepped into an antique shop with his girlfriend, he had no way of knowing what was awaiting him. A year later, as editor, Rodriguez had compiled one of the coolest comic anthologies in recent memory – one where all the story seeds came from old postcards and the notes they carried. Click on in and discover the “true stories that never happened.”

The 411:

Postcards: True Stories that Never Happened

Edited by Jason Rodriguez

160pp. black and white HC

Villard Books

$21.95

What It Is (with apologies to Dave the Thune):

One of the coolest ideas for an anthology comes from Editor Jason Rodriguez, editor of the Harvey-nominated ELK’S RUN. Following his girlfriend into an antique shop one day, Rodriguez happened upon a box of old postcards. As he began shuffling through them, Rodriguez discovered he was being afforded a window into the lives of people long since gone. As his mind wrapped itself around this idea, he realized that therein lay the seeds for an amazing variety of stories.

Inspired, Rodriguez set to work buying postcards and listing creators he felt would do well with such a concept. Bringing together some of the biggest names working in comics – Harvey Pekar, Phil Hester, Ande Parks – with some of the hottest new creators like G.B. Tran, Micah Farritor, and Joshua Hale Fialkov, Rodriguez has compiled an entertaining mix of stories that are at times touching, exciting, and troubling – a great feat that makes for interesting reading.

The postcards used as story seeds for this anthology date, for the most part, from the early half of the twentieth century. With cryptic messages and half-truths embedded deep between the lines, the real stories behind these quick missives will never be found. But as inspiration for the writers and artists brought together by Rodriguez, they are diamonds waiting to be mined.

The emotional tenor of the tales offered in Postcards is of a consistently high caliber. One particularly poignant tale comes from the imagination of Phil Hester. Known more for his artwork – oft-partnered with inker Ande Parks, also present as the writer of a separate tale – than his writing, Hester writes and draws a tale based upon a postcard with the reproachful line “Someone from Adams Co. told the girls that you married a man who had a boy 12 yrs. old.” Expecting a story full of scandal and gossip, Hester surprises readers, including his editor, by molding a very different tale from the few lines left on the back of that card. Delving deeper into the possibilities offered, Hester reveals how happenstance following close on the heels of tragedy can lift a person out of the depression so readily available at a difficult time in one’s life. The main character, his mother drinking poison on the eve of the boy’s twelfth birthday, spies a woman dancing madly within the forest one evening. She seems possessed, but unexpectedly becomes the boy’s stepmother when his father marries her. Within months, the boy’s father passes on and he is left with this woman who suffers from the then-unknown Tourette’s syndrome. As they both work past their grief, the boy discovers a pure, maternal love from this former stranger, a love that shapes his life in unexpected ways, rippling down through the years as he watches his own family grow up to have lives of their own. It is a touching narrative elevated by Hester’s understated and evocative writing – a diamond among gems.

An earlier story within the book that plucks a wondrously full narrative from the sparest of lines is the piece offered by Tom Beland author of his own comic True Story Swear to God. This seed, a Valentine’s card from a secret admirer, offers little in the way of information, stating, “Don’t get brain fever trying to guess who this is from. Just think of apple cake and lemon slice and you’ve got it.” From these few words, Beland creates a touching story that peers in to the final day of one man as he anticipates a reunion with his wife, dead these past five years. In eight pages, readers are able to fill in the details of this man’s life, discovering the romance he was lucky enough to have experienced, something many of us fail to find. For his final meal, the man goes to the diner that was once the soda fountain where he met his wife. Enjoying a blueberry muffin and an earl grey, he ponders his life, achingly aware of his age, surrounded by so many young people. Finishing, he takes the postcard from his pocket, the one from his wife’s photo album, the one he has carried with him every day for five years, and leaves it as a token that love lingered there – a fitting epitaph.

There are many more tales like these to be found in Postcards. Each one is a work full of emotion, some treading close to overly romanticized visions before pulling the audience back from the edge. It is a fine line these creators walk and a testament to Jason Rodriguez that each story is of such a high quality. With stories ranging from one of an expatriate American couple stuck in WWII France of their own accord to a tale of the highest stakes revolving around a game of tic-tac-toe set in the old west to a pulp hero yarn in the vein of the Shadow and the Green Hornet, this is an intriguing mix of story and art that all fans of the medium, and of good storytelling, should have on their shelves.

An Interview with Jason Rodriguez:

Why comics? What was it that attracted you to this storytelling medium?

Where to begin…

Autobio, sci-fi, historical epic…no matter what your story may be your budget stays the same.

There are so many challenges involved when writing a story for comics and so many novel ways that you can address those challenges.

Nostalgia – I can admit that, right? I’ve been reading comics since I was a kid. I still love to be involved in plays and I’ll occasionally write some prose but comics…it takes me back.

The community. The conventions, the message boards, the websites – when you’re making comics you seem to have a support network behind you from the start. Starving actors and unpublished writers are a cliché at this point; they’re in their small apartment trying to get their big break, no-one really helping them. But in comics? You can make a good comic on your own, put it out there, and all of a sudden the community is behind you.

I could go on.

What was the inspiration for Postcards, and how did you sell the concept to Random House?

The idea behind Postcards came from a postcard I found at an antique store. It was in a dusty shoebox, cost fifty cents, and was sent from an army private to his mom before he was shipped out to fight in World War II. I realized that this private may have never returned from the war and I may be holding his last communication in my hand. I wanted to do the book at that moment and everything just fell into place, including Random House who was already on line to publish Elk’s Run, another book I edited.

What has the reaction been to Postcards thus far, and would you characterize it as a successful project?

I’d categorize it as a good start. I think I learned a lot from this project. The book made it into some hands, not as many as we thought it would, but I know some of the things that held it back and I’m learning from it. The second volume (and other projects I’m developing) will benefit from the lessons learned with my first go around.

In your opinion, what is it that makes for a successful anthology? Do you think having a thematic “spine” helped with Postcards?

I think the thematic “spine” helped get Postcards in people’s hands, yes. It made for a very easy pitch. When I hand sell it at conventions it goes very fast because I put a quick pitch out there, people dig the concept, and they come on board. Now that’s not what makes a successful anthology, that’s the first step, I think.

As far as steps two, three, etc…I’m still theorizing on that one. I’ll get back to you.

You have a great mix of talent from well-known creators such as Harvey Pekar, Phil Hester, and Antony Johnston, to up-and-coming talent such as G.B. Tran, Micah Farritor, and A. David Lewis. How did you decide on the final “roster” for the anthology, and what criteria did you use when deciding upon contributors?

Some were friends that have fantastic books out, some were friends that I believed in, and some were folks I admired for a long time. There wasn’t really a formula, I just sat around and asked myself who’d be good for the book and came up with a list of about fifty names. I pulled out the folks that I knew I could get in the book (like Josh Fialkov, Phil Hester, etc) and went to them first. With a bit of a roster on board I went to the folks that I’ve never talked to before (like Ande Parks and Tom Beland and Harvey Pekar/Joyce Brabner).

What other projects are you working on that you would like to tell readers about?

I need a kick in the ass but once I get that, Postcards II is still in development. I’m also co-writing a biography of Sam Cooke with my friend Chris Stevens and I’m writing a young adult novel about a kid that’s known everything from the moment he was born except for how it is he knows everything. I have some other concepts that I like but I need that kick in the ass, as mentioned above.

I'm on Topshelf 2.0!

Hey all,

A few months back an artist with whom I've collaborated before - Jason Copland - threw up some pages of art on his website and put a call out for anyone who wished to put words to the pages. He had drawn them while on a short trip to Las Vegas, and had no story in mind. Jason gave the option of re-arranging the pages as necessary, but I chose to keep them in the order he posted them. It was a fun challenge, and I created a non-linear neo-noir kind of thing.

And now, it is live online at Topshelf's - yes, that Topshelf - "digital anthology" Topshelf 2.0 You can check it out in the link below:

Sin Titulo



Thanks, in advance, for checking it out.

chris

Scripting via Poutine

NOTE: I've pulled all but the first image (leaving it as a teaser and placeholder) because I've managed to place the story with an online anthology, but they prefer first-run work, so I'll do my best to abide by that. I'd rather not say any more right now (superstition and all), but once it goes live the images will return here. Thank you very much Noel for the kind words and to those that have checked this short story out. It's much appreciated.
-chris

Over at the Poutine website - the collective home of Canadian artists Noel Tuazon (Elk's Run, Tumor, The Broadcast) and Jason Copland (Perhapanauts and collaborator on this UFO story for Ape) - Jason has thrown up 11 pages of art he did while in Las Vegas. He had no narrative in mind while drawing them, and has offered the pages up to writers who might wish to script a story with them. In his blogpost, Jason states that one can rearrange the pages as necessary to create the story, but I chose to keep them in the order offered, a nice writing challenge.

Below are the lettered pages as scripted by me. I hope they make sense. There's a bit of non-linear storytelling going on due to the restriction of keeping the pages in order as they are on Jason's site. maybe I'll return to this after the holidays to see what other narratives I can come up with, as this is really the beginning of something. Click the images to get a better look.

Artwork © 2010 Jason Copland

Enjoy,
chris

Life is Funny, complete, for your reading pleasure

The shorty story I wrote for Ape's UFO anthology, "Life is Funny," with fantastic art from Jason Copland and Osmarco Valladao, and fine lettering by Josh Aitken, has come to a close. All 8 pages are now available for your viewing and reading pleasure at the Ape webcomic portal. Page 1 is here.

Go check it out. If you've got the time, scroll down past the creator bios and rate and comment on the story or a particular page (pp. 5 & 6 are really good) and look for more work at some point in the future.

thanks,
chris

Aint It Cool News says LIFE IS FUNNY is "pretty damn harrowing"

Over at the Ain't It Cool News site, they've thrown up their latest comic reviews. Scroll down about 2/3 of the way to the "dot.comics" section and you'll find Vroom Socko's quick review of three of Ape's web comics.

The first one he tackles is the UFO anthology, where the short story I did with Jason Copland, Osmarco Valladao, and Josh Aitken - "Life is Funny" - is currently being serialized. Vroom says of the story so far: "[it's] pretty damn harrowing" and that he's "especially interested in seeing more art from [Jason]," which makes complete sense. Go on over and check it out through the link below:

AICN reviews

and check back tomorrow for the next to last page in our tale at www.apecmx.com/ufo.

thanks,
chris

Pages 1-4 of Life is Funny, live now @ Apecmx

My entry for the Ape UFO anthology started up a week and a half ago. I wrote it as a complete story (which sounds pretentious, but hear me out), and unlike the previous tale written by Raphael Moran, “Life is Funny” is more of a slow burn leading up to the climax. Raph’s “Angst” had twists and turns with each page and worked better as an online serialization.

Anyway. The first four – of eight – pages are now live on the Ape comix site. If you’ve got the time, go check them out, (from page one) and if you’re so inclined, down past the bios are links for rating the pages and making comments. I would greatly appreciate it if you took a moment to click the stars or the thumbs up/down– if only for the art from Jason and Osmarco, which I think is beautiful. The more positive feedback, the better.

And I promise, with the next couple of pages, the tension gets amped up and it will be worth your while. Or your money back ;)

Page 2 above.

Thanks,
chris

Life is Funny begins

The story I began in December, 2008 (at which point it was a 6-page script) is finally seeing the light of day. The artwork by Jason Copland and lush colors from Osmarco Valladao are amazing, in my opinion. And Josh Aitken's lettering rounds it out so nicely. It's very cool to see the word I wrote come to life on the page (screen).

I'm very proud of this, and though the overall story is a slow burn, you should check out page 1 at the link below over at the Apecomix site.

LINK

Thanks,
chris

UFOS land @ Newsarama

Hey all,

The online anthology - U.F.O. Encounters with the Unknown - from Ape Entertainment, which will feature my first professional writing credit, got a little love from the folks at Newsarama. They did a feature interview with Troy Dye, the editor of the project, and Elton Pruitt, who wrote the first story "Anything For You."

The article can be found here. The above image is the "cover" for the anthology by Jason Copland and Osmarco Valladao. My story with Jason and Osmarco should begin serialization around January 13. I'll drop a link in when it hits. Looking forward to it and thanks for checking us out.

chris

Preview cover image

So,

I'll be taking a b/w preview of the short story I wrote for Ape's forthcoming UFO anthology. The art was from Jason Copland, with colors by Osmarco Valladao and letters by Josh Aitken (I lettered the b/w preview pages but am including a sample of a colored/lettered page for editors and publishers to check out). Here's the cover I created for the preview chapbook. Hope you enjoy.

chris

COMING SOON

It's been too long since the last post. Hoping to remedy that going forward, but we'll see. Below is page one of the upcoming short story I'll have published in Ape's forthcoming UFO anthology, which will see publication initially online at ApeCMX. Story by me, Pencil & Inks by Jason Copland, colors by Osmarco Valladao, and lettering by Josh Aitken. Hope this whets your appetites a bit. Click the image for a larger version.

Enjoy!

Panel evolution

Jason's got a post up on the evolution of a panel from roughs to pencils to inks to spotting blacks. He used a panel from our UFO story to show the process. It's pretty cool to see how it all comes together from his initial imagery to the final piece. Very nice work. Next it will be sent off for coloring and lettering. Things are coming together.

More UFO art

This will be quick. Just wanted to drop a line here that Jason Copland put up a couple of panels from our upcoming UFO tale, "Life is Funny." I've reproduced the panels here, but go check out Jason's blog. He's doing some great stuff

ARTWORK!

Thanks to Elton Pruitt (he posted that Ape was looking for UFO submissions over on the Panel & Pixel boards), I managed to get a short story accepted for the aforementioned UFO anthology from Ape. Next, I needed to find an artist for the story. Easier said than done. I had someone local in mind when I started this journey, but the editor felt his style was too independent and not what Ape was looking for. Fair enough. So, I posted in a couple of places, but didn't get any promising results.

Then I tweaked my ad at Digital Webbing, bumped it up the line, and got three very promising artists responding. Once we got past some of the misunderstanding in my initial ad, my first choice, Jason Copland, was on board for the ride. Jason has done some layouts that completely GET IT, and I want to share one of these initial sketches here to show you how good this will be, IMHO.

First the script page:
Page 6

Panel 1: A darkened room on the UFO. A single light illuminates Jake – his naked body half covered with a sheet, his wrists and ankles strapped to a surgical table. He is struggling against his bonds. Nothing else of his surroundings is visible.

CAPTION In an instant, my life came into sharp focus.

Panel 2: Similar to panel 1. A few more lights are on, illuminating the heads of Jake’s captors (3 typical “grey” aliens unless you have a better image) at the edge of the darkness. Jake is still pulling against his bonds

CAPTION All the choices I’d made led to this moment.

Panel 3: The aliens move in closer on Jake. One has raised its hand, brandishing a type of drill, which is on and making a horrific sound.

SFX (on drill): VVVRRRRRRRR

CAPTION I had become my father.

Panel 4: On Jake (alien hands possibly coming in off panel). He is crying now, face contorted, unable to hold in his terror.

SFX VVVRRRRRRRR

JAKE No. Please!

Panel 5: Jake’s POV. The three aliens are in his face as Jake begs for release.

SFX VVVRRRRRRRR

JAKE (small) Let me go.

ALIEN #1  (or something unintelligible)

JAKE (very small) no.

And the thumbnails from Jason:


Jason really nailed it. Getting across the tension and fear I was hoping for. I can't wait to see the finished art for this one. And if you like this, head on over to Jason's blog and check out some of his finished art for other projects on which he is working. Great stuff.

thanks,
chris