Gene Simmons' Dominatrix is back in print! Get your orders in!

Formerly with IDW Publishing and now being reprinted by Arcana Studios, Gene Simmons' Dominatrix will be in stores April 19, 2017. But you'll need to pre-order it this month at your local comic book store to ensure you get your copy.

Preach On, Brother Kermit!

I think I know why this last story was like pulling teeth (not counting all the crazy stuff that happened from broken laptop to trying to break my back in the garage right around deadline time).

I think I've been writing pulp so much lately that I'm beginning to lose myself in what others say pulp is supposed to be. I started writing with a more lit focus, but with a love for genre fiction, and my earlier writing (around Show Me A Hero and my IDW work) reflects that struggle between lit and genre in a way that made me, well, me.

I think what I need to do is embrace that again and stop trying so hard to write for a style.

I need to tell the stories and let the style simply be what flows. I know I have at least two now that I'm locked into a certain style (third-person only, straight-ahead narrative, etc.) but after those, I'm going to just tell the stories the way I tell them and if my publishers don't like it, then I'll publish elsewhere.

I still want to tell pulp stories, but I don't want to get locked into what was considered pulp only in the past. I want to embrace all kinds of work and style and create something new in pulps, horror, fantasy, sci-fi, superheroes, whatever.

As Kermit sang:

When green is all there is to be
It could make you wonder why
But why wonder why wonder
I am green, and it'll do fine
It's beautiful, and I think it's what I want to be

So, I'm gonna be green because, well that's what I am.

The Best Graphic Novels Ever #25 -- I Am Legend

25. I Am Legend
by Richard Matheson, adapted by Steven Niles and Elman Brown
Published by IDW Publishing

At the risk of being self-indulgent, Steve Niles adaptation of I Am Legend is the stuff of legend. It's a near perfect pairing of prose and illustration. And yes, I did say "prose" not "script."

More akin to Prince Valiant than to modern comics, this version runs the text of the sci-tinged vampire tale around Brown's amazing artwork, using one to bring the other to life and back again. Even with so many words on a page, the book never becomes "heavy." Easily one of my favorite horror graphic novels ever.

However, this one is not a light, fast read, so be warned. You'll  need to carve out some quality time for this one.

For the "rules" I'm using for graphic novel, check the original post.

Joe Frankenstein Is Alive!

JOE FRANKENSTEIN LAUNCHING ON INDIEGOGO! 

JUST IN TIME FOR HALLOWEEN!!

 

The creators of Bane, Graham Nolan and Chuck Dixon, present the first in a new series of graphic novels.

 

Graham Nolan and Chuck Dixon join forces again to bring you an epic story of fear and revenge that spans centuries. There’s adventure, terror and the brand of gallows humor these creators are famous for. With two sure hands at the controls, you know you’re in for a ride.

 

This project will be the first in a series of 120 page, full color graphic novels to be published by IDW Publishing in 2013.

 

Joe Pratt is seventeen and in his last year of living in a foster home before moving on to the rest of his life. He’s delivering pizzas now but has no clue as to what he wants to do about his future.

 

All of that changes when he’s attacked by a houseful of vampires and rescued by none other than Frankenstein’s Monster. The Monster reveals to Joe that he is the descendent of Baron Victor von Frankenstein . The most famous undead creation the world has ever known has been watching over Joe since birth; staying to the shadows to protect him from… The Bride.

 

FOLLOW THIS LINK TO HELP FUND THE PROJECT:

www.indiegogo.com/JOEFRANKENSTEIN?a=1594288

 

 

AND VISIT THE CREATORS AT http://www.joefrankenstein.com/ for more art, features and updates!

 

Visit Chuck's website at http://www.dixonverse.net/! Or  visit him at http://www.comicspace.com/chuckdixon/

The Writer Will Take Your Questions Now (#222) -- Where to Publish

Where do you go to get your stories published? How do you even begin the process? 

Network.

Network. 

Network.

Network with people you know. Network with people you meet online. Network through Facebook groups. Network through Yahoo mail groups. You never know when someone you help or know will be in a position to help you later on with publishing project. Also, network online through blogs or other options. I regularly check for open submissions and post the details here on the blog just as a reference and resource for you, O' Hallowed Reader of This Blog.

Case in point. While I was editor-in-chief at the indie comic book publisher Shooting Star Comics, I (along with the rest of the management team) greenlit a military-horror project by Tom Waltz called Children of the Grave. I had known Tom through my work at iHero Entertainment, and knew he had the goods, and was able to convince the rest of the team to that fact (truth be told, it didn't really take any convincing at all -- it was pretty evident all in itself).

Fast forward a few years to Tom working at IDW as an associate editor looking for a writer for a then unknown project called Gene Simmons Dominatrix (no apostrophe, and no, I don't know why, so don't ask). He called me. Why? Lots of reasons, but it never would have happened without networking.

Another story.

Bobby Nash and I are regular convention travelling companions to cut costs on rooms and gas. So when I started getting back into prose work a few years ago, he was more than happy to introduce me to Ron Fortier and Airship 27 Productions (who have now published several of my stories). In turn, while in a Yahoo group run by Ron, I met Tommy Hancock, who runs Pro Se Productions, and has also published a few of my stories now. And in return, because good networking goes both ways, when IDW was looking for writers for a Zombies vs. Robots prose collection, I recommended Bobby wholeheartedly.

Bottom line, be good at what you do, but never forget that networking is 90 percent of the battle.

The Writer Will Take Your Questions Now (#176) -- Best New Comics

What are some of the best new current comic books that 

are flying under the radar that readers shouldn't miss?

It's easy to skip over books like these in your rush to pick up Justice League and Avengers vs. X-Men, but you owe it to yourself to grab them and give them a read. 

Resident Alien (Dark Horse) -- A stranded alien ends up playing "Quincy" when he's drafted into serving a small rural town as the town doctor.

Dancer (Image) -- A burned spy and his ballet diva girlfriend are on the run from a highly unlikely assassin. To say more would ruin the big reveal in issue #1.

Saucer Country (Vertigo) -- The governor of New Mexico is running for president to save us from the aliens who abducted her for experimentation, but that's not the easiest platform on which to get elected, especially with a marriage that falling apart, and a political consultant who wants to hang her husband out to dry as the bad guy to garner sympathy votes. 

Thief of Thieves (Image) -- An ace burglar wants out of the business so he can  become the man he never was able to before. But surely he didn't think it's going to be easy, does he? Nah.

 Rachel Rising (Abstract Studios) -- She's not a zombie per se, but she's definitely not alive, nor is she happy with the turn her life/death has taken. Oh, and it seems someone's out to get her.

Trio (IDW) -- John Byrne does traditional superheroes again, this time based on the old game of rock, paper, scissors. More fun than just about any tights and costumes book on the stands at the moment.

Night of 1,000 Wolves (IDW) -- What's worse than one pissed-off werewolf? How 'bout a forest full of them? And they all want to eat your family. Want to see D&D style stories that can rip your face off and laugh about it? This is it.

The New Deadwardians (Vertigo) -- Upstairs, Downstairs with low-class zombies, uppercrust vampires, and norms in the middle ground as the servant class. Great fun and a great detective story to boot.

Saga (Image) -- It's got the same "on the run" vibe as his Y the Last Man book, but with a more space fantasy setting and some of the cutest and yet most disturbing images I've ever seen, particularly in this more recent issue.

If you're not reading these indies, you're missing out on some really amazing stuff. Trust me. It's worth skipping an extra Cap, Wolverine, Spider-Man, or Batman title to try something new and different.

Shock Till You Drop Reviews Zombies vs. Robots: This Means War

by Spencer Perry

We talk about zombies a lot here at Shock. It's just a part of the job. Not that I'm complaining. Zombies are one of the reasons I got into what I do now I love the little critters. As it's been said before we're in an era now where the is an abundance of zombie media. They've become the new hot commodity for the masses. It's almost like zombies are so prevalent in our culture that creators think just because their story is about zombies means that it will be successful, not the case.

How do you take a concept (in this case, the living dead) and make it different from all the others? Well, there are of course several answers to this question, just ask any writer, but a few years back Chris Ryall and Ashley Wood came up with an answer to that question: Robots.

Their popular series - Zombies vs. Robots - was pretty groundbreaking in its treatment of the zombie genre as well as redefining the role of robots in fiction. They continued the series in comic form a few more times, but now we're getting a taste of that world from a different lens. IDW has brought to us a collection of short stories fitting under the banner of Zombies vs. Robots in their newest prose anthology Zombies vs. Robots: This Means War In this collection we're given short stories by eleven genre writers and art work bridging the tales by Fabio Listrani.

I like it when really creative people tackle a widely popular genre. When they do this they're able to pick apart the things that people like about this genre, dissect that, learn how it works and why people like it. Then they can reapply it with other tricks and turn something that we think we know all about into an entirely unique adventure that we never expected. This is the experience I found these writers had to have played with while I was devouring these stories.

The prospect of robots fighting zombies is a wide one, I think, because there can be so many different types of both. This is the thing I noticed first while reading the stories - all of the different robots that I would have never thought about if given the prompt of "zombies versus robots."

Sometimes, as fans of the genre we want something to wet our appetites. Just enough to tide us over for a few minutes or so, maybe we don't have the time to indulge in an entire film. This is the exact remedy that your horror fan bloodlust has been waiting for. While some stories are longer than others, some have genius amounts of subtext, and some are just thrilling adventures. There's a story in here that you will love and once you find that one you're set for the rest of the book. After you fall in love with the idea of the series for the first time through one great story the door to the rest of them is opened up wide for you.

There are four factors for this collection that I must really gloat about. The first being the gorgeous art by Fabio Listrani. He has created some great pieces into the world of Zombies vs. Robots and a few interesting parodies of already famous art but under the scope of zombies and robots.

The second factor is the talent that is inside the web of authors. Norman Prentiss, Rachel Swirsky, Nancy A. Collins, Nicholas Kaufmann, Sean Taylor and Brea Grant just to name a few. The third great thing about this anthology is how you need not have read the original series Zombies vs. Robots to understand the stories. You also don't have to read any of the other stories to get the one that you've decided to read. But the thing about this collection that gets me excited is located on the spine of the book where it says "#1."

This I can only hope means we've got more war coming to us.

Pick up your own copy here.

Zombies vs. Robots: This Means War! Signed & Numbered Edition!

Zombies vs. Robots: This Means War! 

An Exciting New IDW Signed
& Slipcased Limited Edition!

Very Affordable and Only 350 
Signed Copies Will Be Printed!
Already 50% Sold Out!

Hi Folks!

Today we’re very pleased to announce that Cemetery Dance has been chosen as the official distributor for IDW Publishing’s exciting new line of signed Limited Edition hardcovers!  These Limited Edition books have low print runs (just 350 for this first title), high production values (slipcases, full color artwork/printing throughout), great contributors (most of whom are signing the books), and an incredible low prices for this sort of publication!

The first book in this line is an incredible anthology called Zombies vs. Robots: This Means War!, which is set in the world of the ZVR comic! Collectors who snag a copy of this book through our online store will be the FIRST collectors notified about future Limited Editions we’re distributing for IDW, so don’t wait because these are not going to last long with these very low print runs, high production values, and IDW’s rabid fan base!

About the Book:
 

ZVR: This Means War! takes IDW’s splatterific Zombie vs Robots comic book series—created by writer Chris Ryall and artist Ashley Wood—and expands it in ways that will redefine both zombie and robot fiction.

A shambling cohort of top horror and fantasy writers from across the globe have devoted themselves to making evocative word-pictures in your brain of this delicious cult series. This special volume features the Brain-Eating Talents of Jesse Bullington (The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart, The Enterprise of Death), Nancy Collins (Sonja Blue, Swamp Thing, Vamps), Lincoln Crisler (Despairs & Delights, Magick & Misery), Brea Grant (Dexter), Robert Hood (Immaterial), Nicholas Kaufmann (Chasing the Dragon), James A. Moore (Vendetta), Norman Prentiss (Invisible Fences), Rachel Swirsky (“The Lady Who Plucked Red Flowers Beneath the Queen’s Window”), Steve Rasnic (Bram Stoker Award Winner), Rio Youers (End Times), and Jeff Conner (editor/World Fantasy Award Nominee).

This special edition features the signatures of these contributors: Jesse Bullington, Nancy A. Collins, Lincoln Crisler, Brea Grant, Nicholas Kaufmann, Joe McKinney, James A. Moore, Yvonne Navarro, Norman Prentiss, Rachel Swirsky, Sean Taylor, Steve Rasnic Tem, with ZvR co-creator Chris Ryall and editor Jeff Conner.

ZVR: This Means War! is the perfect book for readers who enjoyed World War Z, Robopocalypse, and Zombies vs Robots.

Cemetery Dance Publications is proud to be the official distributor for this brand new deluxe Signed & Slipcased Limited Edition, which is a steal at just $60, so we don’t expect copies of this beautiful FULL COLOR special edition to last long!

Table of Contents:
"Introduction" by Chris Ryall
"Pammi Shaw: Creator of Gods and Also Blogger" by Brea Grant
"The Last Imaginaut" by James A. Moore
"Farm Fresh" by Sean Taylor
"Angus: Zombie-vs-Robot Fighter" by Nancy A. Collins
"To Denver (With Hiram Battling Zombies)" by Steve Rasnic Tem
"The Sorcerer's Apprentice-bot" by Nicholas Kaufmann
"Kettletop's Revisionary Plot" by Lincoln Crisler
"Jimmy Finder" by Joe McKinney
"Historybot Saves the Future" by Jesse Bullington
"The Virgin Sacrifices" by Rachel Swirsky
"Safe School" by Norman Prentiss

Read more or place your order while supplies last!

Discuss this exciting news on our forum!

Zombies vs Robots: This Means War -- Coming soon!

Sean Taylor, Jesse Bullington, Nancy Collins, Lincoln Crisler, Brea Grant, Robert Hood, Nicholas Kaufmann, James A. Moore, Norman Prentiss, Rachel Swirsky, & Steve Rasnic Tem (w) Fabio Listrani (a & c)

The First ZVR Prose Collection. 11 Original Stories of Zombie on Robot Action-and Vice Versa! ZVR: THIS MEANS WAR! takes IDW's splatterific Zombie vs Robots comic book series-created by writer Chris Ryall and artist Ashley Wood-and expands it in ways that will redefine both zombie and robot fiction. A shambling cohort of top horror and fantasy writers from across the globe (okay, Canada, England, Australia, and Bakersfield) have devoted themselves to making evocative word-pictures in your brain of this delicious cult series.

TPB  B&W  $17.99  342 pages  6" X 9" ISBN 978-1-61377-143-3

Bullet points:  
A Zombies vs Robots film is in development at Sony Pictures with Michael Bay's production company.

Goes on sale in April. Available now for pre-order at Amazon.

Teaser art for A STITCH IN TIME, my original sequel to H.G. Wells' THE INVISIBLE MAN and THE TIME MACHINE

This is one I've been talking about for a while now, and I'm thrilled to say this one is finally back on track and moving ahead to hopefully hit a release date for the end of 2012. Fingers crossed.

Even the rough concept art from new series artist, Martheus Wade, is simply a thing of beauty.

 

"What's the story?" you ask. Well, without giving too much away...

Revisit the fascinating world of H.G. Wells as the Time Traveler and an all-new Invisible Man return to the future in order to save Weena and the rest of the Eloi from the primitive, flesh-eating Morlocks. But who is the new Invisible Man, and what is his tie to the late Griffin, the crazed killer who was once known by that title?

How's that for a teaser?

IDW Unleashes Zombies vs. Robots Prose ePub Program

for immediate release

IDW Unleashes Zombies vs. Robots Prose ePub Program

“8x8 Plan” offers one new story each week for eight weeks starting Jan. 20, 2012

Writer/actress Brea Grant spearheads ZVR e-single pulp-lit push for New Year.

San Diego, CA (January 20, 2012)—IDW continues expanding its prose publishing activities with a two-month-long “e-singles” promotion featuring all-new stories set in the gleefully gory ZOMBIES VS. ROBOTS universe. The property was first published in 2006 as a two-issue mini-series from the creative team of artist Ashley Wood and writer/editor Chris Ryall. Helpless to resist ZVR’s rowdy mix of clunky, wise-cracking robots trying to stem the zombie apocalypse (the fault of clumsy scientists), with the remnants of mankind caught in the middle. There have been multiple ZVR miniseries, and in 2010, Sony Pictures optioned the film rights for Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes production company.

Beginning on January 20, IDW will digitally release one new ZVR prose story each week for eight weeks. They are available here: http://idwpublishing.com/zvr/

“We’re calling this our ‘8x8’ plan,” explains Jeff Conner, the IDW contributing editor responsible for the ZVR prose line. “Each week, from January 20 to March 9, we’ll debut a new short story torn from the festering jaws of the shambling, clanking world that is ZOMBIES VS. ROBOTS. And these all-new tales will be a tasty $0.99 each—it’s our New Year’s gift to the brain-eating reading public.”

“Pammi Shaw: Creator of Gods and Also Blogger” is the first 8x8 offering, and comes from the multi-talented actress/writer Brea Grant (Heroes, Dexter, Halloween II). Told via blog entries, her story extends the recent Zombies vs. Robots: Undercity comic book miniseries, which introduced readers to the young blogger from India, and ended with the members of an elite subterranean enclave underneath the Washington Monument being wiped out by ravenous zombies—or so we are led to believe.

“I wanted to put someone in one of the most difficult places possible by ripping away her community, family, and everything she knows, leaving her with her own thoughts,” states Grant, whose writing credits include the IDW comics We Will Bury You and Suicide Girls. “I wanted this person to deal with religion, love, gods and sanity all alone, separated from the raging violence outside. And who better to put in that position than a jaded, flippant teenage blogger named Pammi?”

“We’re quite committed to e-singles,” Conner noted. “They’re such an effective way to present our scintillating shambling dead vs. gun-crazed warbot content. Going exclusively digital with 8x8 was, as we say around IDW, a no-brainer. For sure we’ll be doing more digital-only promotions as the year unfolds.”

Debuting weekly starting on January 20, 2012, the ZVR e-singles will be available on the Kindle, Nook and in iBooks. The full 8x8 schedule is:

Brea Grant — “Pammi Shaw: Creator of Gods and Also Blogger” (1/20/12)

UnderCity’s lone survivor continues her blog and meets (creates?) a digital deity with its own ideas about fighting the zombie apocalypse.

Brea Grant is sometimes a writer (We Will Bury You; Suicide Girls), sometimes an actress (Heroes; Dexter; Halloween 2) and all-the-time a nice person. She is currently directing her first film.

Steve Rasnic Tem — “To Denver (with Hiram Battling Zombies)” (1/27/12)

What happens when high-test chronic is tainted with potent zombie blood? Will it be a high to die for?

Multiple award-winning author Steve Rasnic Tem has published over 300 short stories in the areas of fantasy, science fiction, crime, and horror.  His latest novel is Deadfall Hotel.

Nancy A. Collins — “Angus: Zombie-Versus-Robot Fighter” (2/03/12)

A young man is trained by his scientist father to fight zombies, robot-style. What could go wrong?

Nancy A. Collins is the author of numerous novels and short stories, including the best-selling Sunglasses After Dark, and was a writer for DC Comics' Swamp Thing. She is a recipient of the Bram Stoker and British Fantasy Awards, and has been nominated for the World Fantasy, Eisner & International Horror Guild awards. Left Hand Magic, the newest installment in the acclaimed Golgotham series, is now available.

Nick Mamatas — “Throckmorton’s Bad Day” (2/10/12)

Years before the zombie apocalypse, an enterprising and amoral young college student (later to become “Dr. Throckmorton in the ZVR comics) tests experimental street drugs on the local users. The results will have unforeseen consequences for his future self.

Nick Mamatas is the author of several unusual novels, including The Damned Highway with Brian Keene, and The Last Weekend. His short fiction has appeared in Asimov's SF, Long Island Noir and many other magazines and anthologies.

Amber Benson — “Mademoiselle Consuela and Her Army of One” (2/17/12)

Like a princess locked in a tower, Consuela lives on a secluded island with only her loyal warbot for company. Then the pirates come…

Amber Benson is an actor, filmmaker, novelist and amateur occultist who sings in the shower.  Best known for her work as Tara Maclay on Buffy The Vampire Slayer, she is also the author of the Calliope Reaper-Jones series and the co-director (with Adam Busch) of the feature film, Drones. 

Don Webb — “The Wizards vs. the Bots” (2/24/12)

Can black magic control zombies? What about warbots?

Don Webb has 20 published books ranging from the nonfiction occult classic Uncle Setnakt's Nightbook to the best weird west book, Webb's Weird Wild West.

Kaaron Warren — “The River of Memory” (3/02/12)

An Amazon goddess thinks she can restore humanity to zombies; a warbot has doubts.

Kaaron Warren is an award-winning horror and science-fiction writer based in Australia. She has two short story collections and three novels in print.

Lincoln Crisler — “Kettletop's Revisionary Plot” (3/09/12)

A distraught scientist travels back in time in a desperate attempt to save his wife and prevent the discovery of the deadly Z Virus.

Lincoln Crisler is author, editor and reviewer as well as an active-duty soldier in the United States Army. His books include Magick & Misery and Wild.  He is the editor of the dark-superhero anthology Corrupts Absolutely? He has served as a contributing writer for The Horror Library and Shroud Magazine.

Analog media fans needn’t worry that IDW’s new ZVR stories will only be available in e-pub formats. “We aren’t abandoning print in any way,” confirms Conner. “From the beginning we designed the ZVR prose program to have distinct identities for print and digital. So while it’s true that there will never be print incarnations of any of the 8x8 series themselves, we do have a full slate of ZVR collections and novellas in production on the print side; the ‘8x8’ stories will appear there, just in different contexts.”

The first print collection will be THIS MEANS WAR!, set to appear in March, 2012.

“PAMMI SHAW: Creator of Gods and Also Blogger” ($0.99, XX pages, digital only) will be available on the Kindle, the Nook and in iBooks on January 20, 2012.

ZVR: THIS MEANS WAR! ($17.99, 342 pages, 6″ X 9″ hard cover, full color) will be available in stores in March 2012. ISBN 978-1-61377-143-3.

Visit IDWPublishing.com to learn more about the company and its top-selling books.

For Zombies Vs. Robots, visit: http://idwpublishing.com/zvr/

About IDW Publishing

IDW is an award-winning publisher of comic books, graphic novels and trade paperbacks, based in San Diego, California. Renowned for its diverse catalog of licensed and independent titles, IDW publishes some of the most successful and popular titles in the industry, including: Hasbro’s The TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE, Paramount’s Star Trek; HBO’s True Blood; the BBC’s DOCTOR WHO; Toho’s Godzilla; and comics and trade collections based on novels by worldwide bestselling author, James Patterson. IDW is also home to the Library of American Comics imprint, which publishes classic comic reprints; Yoe! Books, a partnership with Yoe! Studio. 

IDW’s original horror series, 30 Days of Night, was launched as a major motion picture in October 2007 by Sony Pictures and was the #1 film in its first week of release. More information about the company can be found at IDWPublishing.com.

Apple, the Apple logo, and iTunes are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Content purchased from the iTunes Store is for personal lawful use only. Don’t steal music.

The Writer Will Take Your Questions Now (#11) -- Gene Simmons

What has it been like to work with Gene Simmons
(have you met him, talked to him)? -- Kevin Williams

Working with Gene was actually a lot more fun that I had previously been led to believe by others who had either worked with him or known people who had worked with him. He was usually very quick to approve the stories I submitted to him, and typically only with minor changes. I think the only major change he made to a pitch I sent him for Dominatrix was to change the lead heroine's civilian name from Danika (my preference) to Dominique (the one in the books). Other than that, Gene's ideas for the book must have really meshed with mine. Either that or my editors had all the fun of butting heads.

I did get to meet him once during the book's run, and that was at San Diego Comic Con. I remember that moment because I learned something about him that I'll remember and try to emulate until the day I die -- that man really loves and appreciates his fans. Even when it made life hell for the people trying to organize the line around the various booths, and even when it ticked off the other booth owners (even the big two), Gene insisted that all the fans in line got to see him and that he only did his signing in an area where the fans could be easily accessed.

Also, he talked with them, and didn't just sign the book and call for the next in line. And he made eye contact with each one, not just the babes in skimpy outfits.

One moment in particular stood out for me. Although I wrote the book for him, he didn't know me or had ever seen me, and I could have been a real jerk and pulled him to the side to say hello and interrupt his line of fans, but instead, I took my copy of Dominatrix #1 and got in line like any other fan. When I reached the table, I handed him the book, and since he hadn't even seen a copy at that point, he asked me where I got it. I explained that I was the guy writing the book and that I got a copy from the editor that morning. Well, Gene grabbed my hand, shook it, and told me how much he dug the book. Then he called Nick over and introduced us. About that time, the security guys told him we needed to move the line along, and Gene stopped, gave them a glare like none I'd ever seen, then returned his attention to me. Then he talked with me about the book for another minute before I offered to join him behind the table afterward and talk more about then. Even though he got busy and "then" never came, I did join him behind the scenes behind the table, and watched as he gave that same kind of focused attention to just about every fan in line.

That's the thing I learned from Gene Simmons.

The Writer Will Take Your Questions Now (#9) -- Proudest Comic Work

What is the one comic that you are most proud of and why? -- Lillian Hawkins

 You know, I'm really proud of all my work, but I think Gene Simmons Dominatrix is the one I'm most proud of right now. It's tough work to take an idea that people enter into with so many assumptions about and leave your mark on it enough to make those same people come out on the other end saying things like it was not what I expected or it surprised me. And let's be honest, the idea of a practicing dominatrix could easily be derailed into either camp or porn. And neither Gene, IDW nor I wanted this book to become Stripperella, back-shelf leather porn, masturbatory bondage fiction -- or worse, like the campy scenes from Mel Brooks' High Anxiety. To be able to keep the book sexy and cheesecake-esqe but still manage to tell a real story about a woman trying to find her life and reclaim it from the forces trying to dismantle it, well, that makes me very, very proud.

The Writer Will Take Your Questions Now (#1) -- Collaboration

Have you enjoyed collaborating on projects in the past with other writers and how

did you approach writing other characters than your own? -- John Morgan Neal

 I thoroughly enjoy collaborating with other writers. In fact, it seems that I get more work based on characters who aren't my own than I do for characters I've created. Even with that said, though, in most cases, I'm not "officially" working with another writer, just being paid to create a story for the character(s) in question. 

Case in point, when I was writing Gene Simmons Dominatrix for IDW, I was the sole writer on the book, but obviously Gene had to approve the plots and final versions (along with my editors). The same goes for the work I did on The Bad Girls Club. Although I was the only credited writer on the book, at times it felt as if the book were being written by committee, which is normal for a TV-tie in, because there are advertisers, cast members, etc. to be taken into account.  


Most of the fiction I've written works the same way, with characters such as Lance Star: Sky Ranger (owned by Bobby Nash), Blackthorn (owned by Van Allen Plexico), Zombies vs. Robots (owned by Chris Ryall) and others, but in those cases, I have carte blanche pretty much as soon as the creator of the character signs off on my plots.


As for the work I've done in a more collaborative way, I think some of the most fun I've had the crossover comic book story I did with John Morgan Neal that featured his Aym Geronimo and my own Fishnet Angel in the pages of The Shooting Star Comics Anthology #4. It was an odd pairing, no doubt, because Aym's world is one of science and FA's is one of magical goddesses. The twain don't usually meet, so we had to work together to come up with a plausible way to mesh those worlds together that remained true to the nature of both characters. 


And I'm currently collaborating on a few other projects as well -- Turra: Gun Angel with Martheus Wade and an as of yet officially unannounced manga project with Kittyhawk, the creator of Sparkling Generation Valkyrie Yuuki. With each of those, the collaborating begins at the plots and character level, long before we ever start writing the first word of the script. 

And not to forget, Bobby Nash and I collaborated two create the 1930's gumshoe Rick Ruby for Airship 27 Productions' new book The Ruby Files, which is coming out early in 2012. We actually sat down over dinner and hashed out the beginning of the story bible for that one then finished it up via email.