Out the gate Ben knew Semantink couldn’t afford the overhead to print every single issue they released. Print isn’t cheap and nowadays it’s not easy to get noticed. He decided that Semantink would offer their single issues digitally at first, for $0.99 each. When people purchase the books they get a pdf actually sent to them — a file that they own. This was almost three years ago and Ben continues to be ahead of the digital curve.

Now, Ben also realized that we can’t remain digital-only. We have to get in stores and we have to offer incentives to retailers for Semantink books to grow in the public eye — unfortunately, we’re not quite there yet, but according to Ben, it’s where we’re headed. For now trades are offered in print but hopefully, sometime soon, single issues will be available in your local comic book shop.

The goal right now is growing the brand. To be honest, people don’t want to take a risk on creators they don’t already know (even if it is only $0.99), and I don’t blame them. Times are tough. That’s why Semantink does zero issues, and has since the company’s inception. Zero issues of each and every title are meant to give customers, readers and retailers a free taste of any particular product. They’re always available online and viewable through Issuu or downloadable through the site. They’re slightly smaller than a normal comic book, clocking in at 12 pages, but tend to set up the story, characters and theme so people can decide whether or not they want to invest $0.99 per issue moving forward.

I’m pleased to announce that, as of today, Semantink has 108 pages of free comic book available for public consumption. I thought I would take a minute to put a list together for you, my friends, to be able to view these titles at your leisure. Hopefully you find something in here you like and decide to make the coming issues a part of your future purchasing. As always, if you do find something you like, I hope you’ll share it with your friends.

Here’s the list and some sample pages. I thank you for your support.

DRACE GREY — View issue zero for free here.

Detective Drace Grey is about to have a really bad day… Demons are congregating to Grey’s hometown. Angels are en route to stop them. Somewhere in between good and evil, caught in the middle of a war declared at the beginning of time, a few souls are preparing to aid Grey in his battle against Heaven and Hell – a battle he doesn’t know he’s going to lead… This action-thriller from the mind James Ninness (MYTHOI, DUST and The Heaven’s) reunites him with artist extraordinaire Brian Soriano (MYTHOI #4-6), and introduces theater and webcomic scribe Michael Drace Fountain (The Undergrounds) in his first published role as a comic book writer. Utilizing the diverse streets of San Diego as a backdrop, Drace Grey blends noir, mystery and hyper-action to paint one of the most thrilling Semantink releases yet. There’s good. There’s bad. There’s Grey.

Sim-I — view issue zero for free here.

Sim-I, a monkey with the cognitive abilities of his scientist captors, uses his new sense of rational intelligence to find the escape route out of the laboratory known as F.E.A.S.T. Chased by a menagerie of animal creations – from an artistic snake to a sextet of plotting mice, to a group of dirt-devouring Fat Cats – Sim-I explores the deepest caverns and the most delicious heights of F.E.A.S.T., all while eluding Dr. Haslow Hope and his second brain, Einstein. Will the monkey hit the road to freedom, or will he instead succumb to the taste of the elusive golden banana? From the masterful mind of Joe Pezzula and the zany stylings of Daniel Touchet, Sim-I is sure to make you monkey-mad!

DUST — view the zero issue for free at PoP! here (Issuu link is here, but you’ll need to sign in as it is for a mature readership).

The world is dead. Government doesn’t exist. Humanity is scattered across the globe, not living but surviving. Deborah Adams may have discovered a way to bring vegetation back to the diseased soil of the world but she’ll have to get back to her laboratory across a land full of madmen and monsters – Deborah Adams needs a hero. Unfortunately the only one available is Jim Dust, a lone, old man with a fractured mind, an invisible friend and a penchant for killing. The two of them must move quickly as Blue, a disfigured mercenary, tracks them across the desert with his eyes set on Deborah’s promising breakthrough. Dust is murder. Dust is mayhem. Jim Dust is man’s last hope. DUST is a post-apocalyptic western from the unstable James Ninness (MYTHOI) and infamous dirty-dog John Narcomey (Smart Bullets, Ghost Face).

The Heaven’s — view issue zero for free here.

Well… That was boring, eh?

2011 was good to me. MYTHOI sales are ever-increasing, an effort achieved by the amazing artistic stylings of Jed and Brian Soriano (no relation). Sim-I, in the hands of the ever capable pair of Joe Pezzula and Daniel Touchet, is doing quite well. DUST, my post-apocalyptic western project with John Narcomey, has started strong. And this year brought forth the genesis of a writers group I’ve been fortunate enough to work with going by the moniker Inky Ballz and consisting of Marcel Losada, Michael Fountain and the aforementioned Joe Pezzula. Inky Ballz has been able to knock out three projects this year and we’re currently developing three more — all over various mediums with new collaborators. I don’t say all this to toot my own horn but to illustrate a coming point. I did not write The Heaven’s this year because I would not of had the time. The Heaven’s was the second comic I ever wrote, just after the first arc of MYTHOI over two years ago.

It makes me giddy as hell to see The Heaven’s finally ready for consumption.

What follows are the three reasons I wrote the book. These are the motives for my excitement and the heat beneath my brimming love, ready to finally boil over.

Steam Minus the Punk

I enjoy Jules Verne. I am not as fond of the most recent version of the Wild Wild West. What do these two things have in common? The idea of steampunk: a subgenre of science fiction and fantasy featuring advanced machines and other technology based on steam power of the 19th century and taking place in a recognizable historical period or a fantasy world (dictionary.com). I’ve wanted to work on something “steampunk” for a while now. I enjoy the clothes, the wild gadgets and gothic archetypes present in most of the common steampunk media. I have not yet found the story for me within the genre. I am seeing a lot of interesting things but nothing particularly new. I have found that many steampunk fans have so closed defined what is steampunk they have restricted the amount of freedom storytellers have with which to create.

So, alas, The Heaven’s is not steampunk. It is not set in Victorian anywhere. It is not gothic, in the traditional sense. It does, however, have steam.

The entire universe was built around that singular idea; steam power. Zodiah is the singular city on the planet — that we know of. It is a desert planet of sand broken up by illusive fissures of steam. From there, the world came to life. All of the buildings in Zodiah are made of glass or common ore from within the fissures. The beasts that live in the desert have traits of Earth’s own desert-dwelling species. It is a hard place to live, but, as the natives have known no other life, it is lived with a finesse that comes with the ignorance of options.

Given that metal and steam do exist, there are machines. As a matter of fact, man’s inventiveness against ancient tradition is a pivotal issue of the book. I won’t give you any spoilers, suffice to say, the primary conflict stems from something deeper than initially revealed. Though the issue at launch serves as a catalyst for everything to come.

Signs of the Zodiac

It was not enough to have a world, I needed a story. It should come as a surprise to nobody that I have a fondness for mythology… I know, it’s hard to believe. So I spent a few months reading on ancient tales of various civilizations, hoping to draw inspiration with which to fashion my tale.

It didn’t work.

It wasn’t until I was outside with my wife, stargazing (yeah, we’re an exciting pair), that my mind began to wander on various questions regarding the constellations. That night before bed I spent a good four hours devouring everything I could on the stories behind our 12 astrological signs: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. It wasn’t enough to know the symbolism, I needed to know where the symbolism originated. Did I become a master of all things Zodiac and the wisest star-guru on earth? Certainly not. What I did find was a rich resource of mythology that has served as inspiration for millions, most of whom, I would assume, have no idea about the source of their influence.

The Heaven’s has 12 issues (not including the free issue #0). There are 12 signs of the Zodiac. This is not a coincidence. For those familiar with the mythology I reference, you will notice plot points, characters or themes significant to each sign as the issues continue. Hint: Keep an eye on the cover for references to any particular sign…

That’s all I’m saying. I’ll leave the rest up to you.

Turbo Qualls

I would venture to guess that most comic book fans have no idea who Turbo Qualls is. However, if you know tattoos, chances are you’ve at least heard his name. If not, well, I’m sorry. Turbo is an artist who has set up shop in Orange County, but often flies around the country tattooing various folks who are keen on his design. I am fortunate enough to have a couple of Qualls works on my own body. And, for what it’s worth, he’s a gentle giant.

Turbo is a religious man and some of his greatest work (in my humble opinion) is his iconography. The man draws saints like he was Simon Ushakov reincarnated. I don’t want to pigeonhole Turbo, he did an ocean piece along my wife’s side that solicits “ooohs” and aaahs” on regular occasion. Bottom line: The guy knows how to use a pen and put to flesh what is desired. But can he draw comics?

Thankfully, Turbo is an avid comic book reader. You can hear Turbo, Ben Glibert (Semantink head honcho) and I discuss comics on the recent Variant Covers Podcast to get a feel for some of his likes/dislikes. He knows his shit. Turbo understands line weight, anatomy, composition and (most importantly) story telling. Trust me when I tell you that Turbo Qualls can draw.

I feel like a I could continue to hype Turbo up or show you some of his stuff but, honestly, The Heaven’s #0 comes out tomorrow at Semantink’s site. Why don’t you check it out then and tell me your thoughts after reading?

Hope you enjoy the book. Thanks for reading.

**UPDATED: You can now check out Semantink’s The Heaven’s page here and read the issue for free here.

So when talking to friends or colleagues it is not uncommon for me to mention something I heard on one said podcasts and, without fail, I get a message from that person asking me a few days later, “What was the name of that podcast again?”

The below list is meant as a quick reference for anyone interested in the podcasts I find informative and entertaining. It’s not really a “best of” list since I’m sure I’ve only heard a small fraction of the comic podcasts that actually exist. I won’t be ranking them or saying which is my favorite… These are all very different podcasts put up by talented people coming from different points of view. If you try one and don’t like it, try another. I can promise that if you like comics there is at least one (thought probably more) podcast on this list that you will enjoy.

Here’s the list in alphabetical order:

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Awesomed By Comics

Hosts Aaron and Evie run their podcast like a weekly awards, which, to hear it described by Aaron, is similar to a various character each and every week (listen to the show and you’ll get what I mean). It’s simple but effective. Each week the couple goes through that week’s comics and discusses which had the best hero, best villain, etc. Aaron and Evie are charming, fun and manage to put out a podcast that reflects their character. Side note: I recently heard that Aaron and Evie are bringing a baby into the world — congrats to them! You can subscribe to Awesomed by Comics on iTunes.

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Chronic Insomnia

This is a comic book podcast for people, like me, who tend to laugh at the inappropriate jokes made it dark corners. Michael LaMere and Ryan Carstensen describe their show as “the most absurd comic book podcast,” which might be true but it may also be the funniest. A few people I’ve share this with didn’t like. The ones who did like it, loved it. Let’s just say I was making a “favorites” list, perhaps a top five or some such nonsense… Chroinc Insomnia would be somewhere on the list. Love this show. You can subscribe to Chronic Insomnia on iTunes.

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Comic Geek Speak

These guys have been in the comic book podcast game since 2005 — it shows. CGS is professional, incredibly well informed and consistent. Brian, Peter, Shane, Jamie D, Matt, Murd and Pants are some of the nicest guys I’ve ever heard on a comic book podcast. No snark. No weird attitude. Just comic book news. Some podcast hosts try too hard to be funny or witty and while CGS is able to be funny and witty, it doesn’t feel forced. It’s the perfect mix of journalism and comics. *The rundowns of DC’s New 52 was exceptional. You can subscribe to Comic Geek Speak on iTunes.

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iFanboy

There are a ton of staffers over at iFanboy: Josh, Conor, Ron, Paul, Gordon, Matt, Chris, Ali, Ryan, Molly, Jim, Josh, Mike, Ben, John and Jason — all of whom are awesome. My favorite of their podcasts is “Pick of the Week,” a quick, hour-long show discussing the best of the best for that week in comics. Funny, informative and funny (yes, that funny), iFanboy is by far the most popular podcast amongst my suggestions to friends. I’ve never had anyone come back with a “what the fuck was that?” after checking them out. You can subscribe to iFanboy on iTunes.

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Major Spoilers

Stephen, Matthew and Rodrigo are some of the hardest working fellas in the podcast industry. They put out Critical Hit (a D&D podcast), Top Five (a list of… podcast) and, the one I listen to, Major Spoilers (a comic and pop culture podcast). The podcasts are put out regularly and always up-to-date (there’s nothing worse than a podcast filled with month-old news), making Major Spoilers one of the most relevant podcasts to fill my head. Also somewhat unique to this show is the actual discussion of headlines, filled with criticism and opinion, not a quick brush stroke of news to fill the hours. These guys are great. You can subscribe to Major Spoilers on iTunes.

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Panels on Pages

These guys have a very special place in my heart. Panels on Pages, specifically Jason Kerouac, were the first folks ever to review a comic I wrote. And they didn’t tear it to pieces. Bless them. Lee, Kerouac, Knize and Jose put out one of the funniest op-culture podcasts around. It’s a bit lengthy, usually clocking it at around three hours, but that’s because it’s a recording of their live show wherein they interact with fans, respond to emails and voicemails, review comics and talk about not one but six news stories at length. They have various other shows almost daily but my favorite is the Tuesday night Pop!cast. Good show by great people. You can subscribe to Panels on Pages on iTunes.

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Where Monsters Dwell

I don’t know many Canadians. If, as a people, they’re anything like Mike, Remy or Red Shirt Ryan, I need to visit my Northern friends soon. Not only are these geeks hilarious, but their honest. More than any other podcasts hosts, the guys at WMD feel like a group of friends talking about comics and film. They’re honest, witty and smart. As a bonus, when you subscribe to Where Monsters Dwell on iTunes you get not only the WMD podcast but the Listen to Jimmy podcast, hosted by WMD and featuring the always entertaining Jimmy Palmiotti.

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11 o’clock Comics

If all of the above podcasts were characters on Gilligan’s Island, 11oc would be the Professor. Vince, Chris, David and Jason are, without a doubt, the connoisseurs of comics. I’m convinced that between them, they know everything that has ever happened in the history of the medium. This podcast is the most informative on the list as you will hear things here that you will not on other podcasts. These guys speak with authority and start each show with a drink roll call wherein they discuss the alcoholic beverage they are consuming fr the show. God bless ‘em. You can subscribe to 11 o’clock Comics on iTunes.

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That’s it. Well, that’s not it — I’ve heard other shows, most of which are great. These shows, however, are the ones on regular rotation in my car. Sample them. Love them. Listen.

If you think I missed a podcast that gives you goosepimples of geeky delight, let me know in the comments. I’m always looking for more.

Paz!

About a year ago Jill helped me get a bit of attention for my first comic book trade MYTHOI Book I: Birth. Her review was gracious and a blessing, telling her innumerable readers to “Jump onto the ground floor of MYTHOI: Birth now, it’s gonna be huge.” For a writer trying to break into an industry flooded with writers like Gaiman, Snyder, Hill, Morrison, Millar and Moore (yes, him as well), any endorsement is a good endorsement, but a kind review from someone like Jill is godsend. Readership quickly multiplied and I have been blessed with a small but steady group of fans that I am ever thankful for.

Just over two months later Jill interviewed Benjamin Glibert, Director of Publishing for Semantink. As Ben’s primary author at the time, it helped spread the Semantink/MYTHOI word a bit further. On New Years Eve of 2010, Has Boobs, Reads Comics (Jill’s blog) featured an interview with the talent behind another book from Semantink titled Sim-I. Writer Joe Pezzula and artist Daniel Touchet are the creative force behind that story, but it was created by me, placing me once more in Jill’s debt. And finally, in January of this year, Jill reviewed a webcomic I created called The Undergrounds. I have been fortunate enough to work on this weekly with a host of writers far more talented than I, and Sim-I artist, Daniel Touchet.

Bottom line: I owe The Nerdy Bird more than I can repay for the jump-start she has offered my career early on.

In an attempt to repay Jill, I promised her that I would donate a year’s worth of income from MYTHOI to the 2011 Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Labor Day Telethon. Jill was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy when she was two and a half. At age seven she was on the MDA Jerry Lewis Telethon. She’s been a comic icon, MDA activist and a geek goddess ever since.

For MYTHOI, I make a very small percentage of all sales, both digital and trade. All of my MYTHOI money, small as it may be, from June 2010 to September 4 2011 (the day of the telethon) will be going to the MDA. As of right now I’ve got a couple hundred bucks headed their way… I want more.

I am asking everyone I know to buy something MYTHOI — I don’t care if it is the $20 trade or the $0.99 digital issue. You buy a comic (which you will hopefully love) and help the MDA. You can pick up any of these graphic goodies through Drivethrucomics here, Graphic.ly here, or Semantink here.

Don’t want to support me? That’s okay. I still love you. Not as much, but there’s still love here. You should still support the MDA and donate. You can do that here.

Please share this as often as possible.

We’ve got two weeks.

Thanks.

Now back to DUST.

I mentioned in the first of these blogs that my father, Gib, was an inspiration for the book itself. I did not, however, tell you that the character of Jim Dust is my father, or a caricature of him.

My dad spent over 30 years protecting the streets of San Diego as a police officer. Most of my young life he worked graveyard shifts (6pm-6am). He didn’t do this because he had to, he did it because he wanted to. By working the late nights my dad was able to spend days with me and my brother. He made it to most of our baseball games, karate tournaments, band recitals, and all the other things my brother and I tried out. He was always there. There wasn’t a whole lot of time for him to sleep or rest, and given his profession, it was time missed.

My dad showed me the truest sense of dedication a child could ever ask for but don’t let that fool you — Gib is a bad ass mother fucker. You know when you’re younger and you and your friends argue about whose dad could beat up the others? My dad would whoop your dad’s ass. My father isn’t a martial arts expert or a gym buff. My dad isn’t ex-Black Ops or some sort of secret government project. My dad would mop the floor with your father because he wants to see his family when it’s over. He doesn’t fight clean or dirty, he fights to live. At the end of the day Gib is going to see his family and if you get in the way, you’re done. It really is that simple.

Enter: Jim Dust.

Jim Dust

Jim is what my father would become if everything was taken away from him. Jim wanders  the desert with his invisible friend, Buddy. Buddy is Jim’s world and he’ll do whatever he has to do to survive with Buddy for one more day.

Is he crazy? Hell yes. He has an invisible friend. But the focus of his love doesn’t matter, it’s the love itself which powers Jim. He is pushed to live in the harshest of realities because that’s what he has. It’s the hand he was dealt and he doesn’t bitch or moan — he lives. With Buddy.

So who’s Buddy? You’ll see…

The world of DUST is a harsh one. The entirety of the world is made up of primarily desert. Vegetation comes in spots and even then in patches of grass — just enough to keep horses alive (this is a Western after all). Sustenance for humans is almost nil. The primary plot device for this six issue story is the hope to change that world — to bring plants back to the world.

A small group of botanists in what was Western San Diego are trying to work through the vegetation problem, struggling to bring life back to the wasteland. One of these scientists is sent to Mexico City to find what the group believes could be the key to their success. Deborah Adams, the young, inexperienced woman chosen to head up the expedition was not sent alone. A group of mercenaries known for their ability to complete any job if the pay is right has gone with her.

Deborah Adams

DUST #1 picks up with Deborah’s trip home from Mexico City.

I needed Deborah to represent the hope of her task. I’ve seen several stories wherein a character possesses man’s last hope (The Book of Eli), or is, quite literally, man’s last hope (The Fifth Element), but I wanted to try something a bit different. Deborah’s mission is to save mankind from starvation and, with a little luck, end one of the many epidemics this world faces. On a more human level, amongst all of the disgusting situations she faces, I wanted Deborah’s ignorance to transform into a beacon in and of itself. By no means am I suggesting that ignorance be celebrated, but the digestion and interpretation of knowledge, no matter how filthy, can lead to a symbol of hope depending on how the person in question handles it. For me, Deborah needed to learn, comprehend and react in a way that separated her from every other character in the book — not because she’s stupid, but because she chooses to take the higher road, despite insurmountable odds.

My gandmother, Barbara, is one of the strongest women I’ve ever met. Forget the fact that she had four daughters (and knowing my own mother, her first born, I can only respect her for what she must have endured — I love you mom) and grew up in some of America’s most uncertain times, the most defining feature of my grandmother is her faith. Her faith in God, her faith in family and most impressively, her faith in me. I did a ton of very stupid shit when I was younger — a few people actually gave up on me — but never my grandmother. She hoped knew I’d come around in the end.

It’s amazing how much better a person one wants to be when those around them believe in what they can be.

The greatest heroes are defined by their villains. Without the Joker I’m no really convinced anyone would give a shit about Batman. Superman has Lex Luthor. The Power Rangers had that cackling, old, Asian lady. Jim and Deborah have Blue.

Blue

To chase our protagonists across the desert I needed a man who would scare the piss out of anything he came across. Anything.

Blue is the scariest bastard I have written to date. Blue is the leader of the mercenaries Deborah originally hired to get her safely home from Mexico City. Well, once Blue learns of her cargo and mission he crafts plans of his own…

This is already a man who would shoot a baby for the buck and walk away conscious clear. So pissing him off and having him chase after you with absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain is absolutely terrifying to me.

I don’t want to say too much more about this guy but I will tease this: There is a scene at the end of DUST #2 that hails about two pages in length with little dialogue. That scene was the hardest scene I have ever had to write in my life. I wanted to change it. I wanted it to be something different. I didn’t want Blue to do what he does, but it was too late. Blue was living in the world I had created. I had made a monster and the story demanded he act monstrously, which he does.

And he has no lips.

NO. LIPS.

I remember writing Blue, whenever I’d be somehwere public, I’d wrap my lips inside my teeth and try to nail the dialogue as close to true as possible… I cannot tell you how many people gave me crazy eyes and secured their children in a hustle away from me, talking to myself like a mad man minus lips.

That’ll do it for the DUST introduction series. If you have any questions, comments or concerns about the series, PLEASE shoot me an email. I love feedback and will try to answer every question that comes my way.

Be well, all.

James

Kevin is now finishing up work on MYTHOI #7-12. An oh-my-fucking-gourd is he blowing it away. Seriously folks, you’re in for a treat…

After months of fruitless development with Kevin all scrapped when we left the project, I put DUST on the back-burner. I write “back-burner” but what I really mean is “I abandoned it like a helpless *puppy and tried to forget how frustrating it was to participate in such aggressive artistic foreplay without reaching coitus.”

Then I met John Narcomey.

Batman by John Narcomey

I didn’t really “meet” John but I added him on Facebook. I know to some of you it may seem weird to add people you’ve never actually met but I thoroughly enjoyed John’s art and figured I’d add him so I could keep up with what he was doing. Thankfully, John approved my add requiring only that I send him a few naked photos — for what, I never inquired.

After MYTHOI started picking up speed, The Undergrounds got it’s crew and Sim-I found it’s creative team, I found myself with a bit of time and decided to work on another book. I had two ideas simmering at the time: **a steampunk(ish) Dune-like story and ***a demonic noir(ish) detective tale. I decided I would wait on that artist to choose the story I would develop more thoroughly. I posted a quick note on Facebook saying simply that I was looking for an artist to work on another project and John replied within an hour.

Vampirella by John Narcomey

When I got John’s number and called him I explained the two ideas I had. He wasn’t interested in either.

We spoke for a while and just before hanging up I told him about DUST and what could have been with Kevin. John’s curiosity piqued and he asked me to tell him more about it. Several hours later we had developed a full six-issue arc without John saying he would do it or me saying I wanted to write it again. It was easy to tell, however, that we had found a project that excited us both.

John began sketching and I began writing. A few months later at WonderCon 2010 John and I met with Ben (Director of Publishing for Semantink) and pitched him the new and improved idea for DUST. For some reason I still don’t understand, he got excited and signed us both.

One year later the book is about out and I couldn’t be more happy with DUST. ****”Al dente” is a term used in cooking that refers to pasta being just undercooked so it remains a bit hard. That’s John’s art. He is able to maintain a hard edge with his work that keeps it from looking flimsy. The lines are rough and jagged. The inks are full and in high contrast to the rest of the page. The colors he puts in DUST are echoes of the action within the panel. John Narcomey draws DUST the way the characters within have to live it: Hard.

I can’t think of anyone more perfect to bring this story to life.

Thematically and in terms of content DUST was ready. The art had found itself in capable hands. The only things left were the characters…

But that’s another blog.

DUST is a bi-monthly book from Semantink Publishing. DUST #0 comes out tomorrow, Wednesday, July 27, 2011 through Semantink.com.  BUT you can see it right now exclusively at Panels on Pages!

*Yes, I used “puppy” and “coitus” in the same sentence. I thought about changing it to rid this post of any bestiality type thoughts but  it made me chuckle.

**The Heaven’s will feature art from the soon-to-be-famous Turbo Qualls and should be out this Fall.

***Drace Grey will feature art from Brian Soriano (MYTHOI #4-6) and should be out this Winter.

****I am a monster in the kitchen and while I may cook food that increases risk of heart attack severely, it will make you want to touch me in what society may construe as inappropriate ways.

Mature comics are not the easiest things for companies to market. Not unlike movies, the most marketable books are the ones that can reach the widest audience in both theme and content. DUST is niche in both categories.Thematically, DUST is one dark sonuvabitch. It takes place 800 years after “The End.” Though The End is not revealed, it did a number on earth. Governments are gone. Most of the population has been obliterated. Anarchy reigns supreme. People wander through life with hopelessness and spend most days wondering where they’re going to get their food for the next day.

It is a sad place. It is also a violent place.

Murderers. Cannibals. Pirates. Groups take what they can and the strongest survive in like-minded cliques that work together to meet their own selfish ends. The opening few pages of DUST #1 will show you exactly how unfortunate the world of DUST can be. I won’t tell you what happens but I will suggest that you avoid eating while reading.

The point wasn’t to be macabre for the sake of being macabre, but to bring in a darkness so thick and inescapable that when light does finally make it’s way into the story it can shine brighter with less energy — this light won’t have much to go on. Ultimately DUST is a story of hope. Hope, unlike other human emotions, is strongest when it’s least in quantity. So the first thing I did when creating the world of DUST was try to kill off any and all hope.

As if bleak, dank and dark wasn’t a hard enough sell, DUST is, at its core, a Western. All of the content within these pages was an ode to the Westerns my father watched when I was a child: The Magnificent Seven, Chisum, Big Jake, Silverado, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, and several others. Smarmy dialogue. A reluctant hero. A damsel in distress. Gunfights. Quick draws. Chases. Murderers. Loss. Hope.

As a child I didn’t understand my father’s fascination with this genre. It was fun but for a time he seemed obsessed. As I got older and watched more and more of them I began to see what he, my father specifically, was looking at: meaning. My dad was a policeman for over 30 years in San Diego. He spent his life dealing with the lowest parts of the society so that the rest of us could try not to notice it. My dad spent his life trying to make the world better for me.

Many of the protagonists in the films he loved fought to change circumstance for those they cared for. These heroes put their lives on the line for something they saw as more important then themselves and because of their sacrifice that “something” would often succeed. These heroes gave meaning to their lives by living (and sometimes dying) with purpose.

To me this is a key element in DUST — the hero who fights for more than he can understand. This is the crux of the most successful Western.

Having said all that, the Western isn’t doing as well as it used to. There was a time before Google Maps when we didn’t know what was beyond a mountain range. There was a time when Native Americans were feared for little other than the mystery that surrounded them. There was a time when people lived in fear and found respite in the heroes of the “Wild West.” Those days are long gone.

Selling a Western is not easy. Selling a mature book full of cuss words and graphic violence is not easy. Doing all of that with a writer who is still trying to make his name in comics is almost impossible.

Thank God for John Narcomey…

But that’s another blog.

DUST is a bi-monthly book from Semantink Publishing. DUST #0 comes out Wednesday, July 27, 2011 through Semantink.com.  BUT you can see it right now exclusively at Panels on Pages!

DUST #0 cover

Up to now, every mythology I have discussed has been one representing tales from our past. It is worth noting that mythos (singular form of mythoi) means: “the underlying system of beliefs, especially those dealing with supernatural forces, characteristic of a particular cultural group.” I didn’t want MYTHOI to be a clashing of fictional historical characters and I decided to introduce a character who represents a slightly less adopted system of beliefs that tends to permeate modern storytelling: the post-apocalyptic era.

Many post-apocalyptic narratives draw from paths possible to current society. In other words, what happens if we mess with monkey genetics and brain function? We get Planet of the Apes. What happens if a virus breaks out that causes all of us to become bloodthirsty maniacs? We get 28 Days Later. What if robotics and cybernetics become a part of every day lives? We get Blade Runner (and anything else written by Isaac Asimov). It is an underlying system of belief that if humanity continues on any given path we may have to deal with supernatural forces of our own design, mutated by our own self-destructive nature.

This is the mythos from which Touch is spawned.

Touch is one of five cyborgs called The Senses, grown from organic materials, programmed to defend New America from it’s enemies by assassinating the leaders of hostile countries. In showing Touch’s origin we have to take the reader several undisclosed years into the future where mindless zombies wander the earth and humans live in colonies amid desert wastelands. Then, to add a bit of what-the-fuck, we learn that the Sense program is run by the President of New America: Abraham Van Helsing.

When we meet Touch he is brought out of his programming pod by an intruder to the science facility: Vito. Vito hasn’t gotten older (he’s a vampire, remember?), but he’s clearly been through some shit. Despite his youthful form he speaks and acts…older.

Vito quickly frees Touch who follows Vito like a toddler, which makes sense given that he is a few moments old. Vito tries to explain to Touch that he has to go back in time and stop this future from ever happening. In order to do that, Touch will need to kill Abraham Van Helsing – somebody Vito regrets not killing in the first place.

Time travel is a murky bitch. Often it becomes the focus of a writer to explain the logistics of time travel. Nine times out of ten the how-it-works drives the story while things like character and plot sit in the backseat. Thankfully, time travel is a part of Touch’s origin story and NOT a part of MYTHOI proper. Though I’m sure I will still get emails from nerds world-wide telling me about black holes and the way time works. Thanks in advance.

Before Touch can go back in time we get a visit from a Heathcliff, the werewolf from MYTHOI #1 – except he doesn’t look like the heathcliff we know. Future Heathcliff has been modified extensively with cybernetic upgrades and seems more reptilian than lycan in design.

Heathcliff attacks Vito.

Touch bitch slaps Heathcliff.

Vito sends Touch back in time.

Done? Not really.

The whole point of a futuristic mythos is to present an alternative. Writers do their best to tell a story that will ensure that nobody who reads it, watches it, or hears it will want the world to end up in that condition. The goal is to scare people straight, in a sense.

So when Abraham shows up and Vito reveals a bomb strapped to his chest, blowing everyone in the southwestern United States straight to space, we drive the point home. That point being: This ending sucks. Let’s change the ending. We can do that because Touch went back in time. Right?

What we end up with at the end of MYTHOI Birth: Touch is a cybernetic assassin who knows nothing of the world he was born into. In the first five minutes of his life he knows that he can trust one person: Vito. A Vito we have already met and know has absolutely no idea who or what Touch is. The opportunity to play off the relationship between Touch and Vito has been one of the most rewarding opportunities thus far. Two powerful characters with absolutely no idea of their potentials, who understand that they can trust each other without any idea why. Awesome.

The remaining Senses (Hear, Sight, Taste and Scent) do make an appearance – rather early in MYTHOI #4. Which begs the questions: Did Future-Vito’s bomb really kill everyone? Does it matter? Can anything actually be changed? Parallel universes? Various planes of existence?! BWAAH!!

Don’t worry it’ll all make sense.

I think.

You can get MYTHOI (digital) issues and (printed) trades at Semantink.com, or, even better, you could tell you local comic book store to order the trades for you.

You can also get the book if you find Semantink at FCBD at 4 Color Fantasies tomorrow…

However you get it, get it.

Thanks!

I am a Greek and Roman mythology nut.

Like many people my age, this love began with the Harryhausen movies Jason and the Argonauts and Clash of the Titans. It was one of the first times I had seen man fighting monsters and defying gods — I loved it. Later I got into some of the most memorable texts of my life thus far: Thomas Bulfinch’s Mythology, Homer’s The Odyssey and The Illiad, and Lucius Apuleius’s The Golden Ass. For a period in college I was infatuated. If it didn’t have to do with Ancient Greece or Rome I wasn’t interested.

It should come as no surprise that a comic book meant to smash as many mythologies as possible into a single book takes from these grand traditions. Enter: Taros.

I chose Greek over Roman myth for one reason: I didn’t want to think of planets every time I wrote about the gods. Therefore Taros Alexandros, our Greek protagonist, is the son of a mortal woman and Ares, the god of war. Several Greek demigods (half gods) have been the heroes of my favorite tales – Theseus, Heracles, Achilles, Odysseus, Jason, Perseus and Oedipus to name a few – so it was important that my hero be related to the gods by blood.

Taros, unlike his father, has no desire to fight in wars or achieve a sense of glory. He is a pacifist, content to farm with his mother and wife in their home along the coast of Greece. Ares, consumed with embarrassment is obviously none to pleased with this arrangement.

MYTHOI Birth: Taros opens with a rather disgruntled Taros holding a sword and the heads of his mother and wife. He is staring down at 40 thieves (One Thousand and One Nights anyone?) who seem to be celebrating around a large bonfire. Taros accuses the thieves of killing the women he loved and demands vengeance. The thieves laugh – as they should when approached by a single man.

The meddling of the gods in mortal affairs is another beat taken from ancient mythological texts. Often the gods give the heroes gifts or abilities to complete their tasks. It is important to note that this only happens if the protagonist is pushing the agenda of the god in question. So when a few of the thieves drop three arrows into Taros’s chest before he can even swing his sword, it should come as no surprise that he gets right back up and reveals the gift he recently received from his father: immortality.

The thieves stand unrelenting and attack Taros who, having never been in a fight before, chops at them wildly and get quite a beating himself. When almost all of the thieves have fallen and the remaining have fled, Taros falls, exacerbated. Ares reveals himself and applauds his son’s efforts. One of the thieves, yet to die, asks Ares why he has betrayed them, tipping Taros to the unfortunate truth: Ares hired the thieves to kill his mother and wife.

Treachery is absolute in Greek mythology. If somebody doesn’t get stabbed in the back, it just doesn’t work. Ares kills the thief and puts the hurt on Taros who tries to kill his father. That’s when Ares reveals the completion of his plan: Taros, once a peaceful man, will now be forced to fight Ares and kill him should he ever want to see his wife and mother in the Elysian Fields.

Taros makes the best of his time on Earth and when we see him post MYTHOI #1 we learn that he is not only buddy-buddy with the President of the United States, but holds several technological defense contracts with the United States. Whether or not he has been hunting Ares remains to be seen, but his desire to defend seems to have remained intact…

By the end of the first arc (MYTHOI #12) you will get plenty of other cameos from the Greek Pantheon, including Aphrodite, Cupid and well… Yeah. Go pick it up.

You can get MYTHOI (digital) issues and (printed) trades at Semantink.com, or, even better, you could tell you local comic book store to order the trades for you.

However you get it, get it.

Thanks!

When I was much younger I was sexually molested by a babysitter.  It only happened once, but it’s kind of difficult to forget something like that.  There’s no need for any more details, suffice to say it is something that made me a rather angry child, teenager and young adult. I never felt blame or guilt – only hatred. A hatred that has not dissipated. Sexual assaults are something I, like many others, have zero tolerance for.

I am prefacing this blog so that you can better understand my own motivations for the character I am about to describe.

In Tibetan mythology Shambhala is a sacred kingdom that has permeated various cultures and holds a “pure land” where only the enlightened dwell. Unfortunately for tradition, I tweaked it a bit.

In MYTHOI Shambhala is a floating island/temple wherein a mysterious leader named Sho is worshiped by warrior monks. The island survives by landing in various portions of Asia, gathering supplies – “supplies” includes women. The monks use women as sex slaves to keep their carnal selves satisfied in order to better focus on achieving nirvana.  Stupid hormones always getting in the way of achieving ones potential!  Women are not the only slaves on Shambhala, the monks also keep yeti as beasts of burden.

At some point in history, the monks picked up a very young, Japanese girl named Yuki. Something happened to Yuki (which will be explored in later issues), something much more atrocious than sexual slavery – a stretch, I know. Yuki got fed up and single-handidly brought down the temple, causing it to crash into the mountains.

It was critical to me that Yuki save herself. I wanted to create a female character that wouldn’t need a knight in shining armor. It’s not feminist (at least if it is, it wasn’t my intent), it just happens that many of the women I know could and would beat the shit out of any punk asses who decided that messing with them was a smart move.  These women in my life are often under-represented in media.  Anyways, Yuki was a victim and responds with such incredible force that those who oppose her stand no chance. In MYTHOI Birth: Yuki, she learns the fighting styles as the monks train and picks up on their individual weaknesses as “lovers.” When the time is right, Yuki frees the yetis and leaves a blood trail as she goes for the master of Shambhala, Sho.

This is when two mythologies converge.

Dragons exist in just about every ancient culture. They have innumerable shapes and sizes and often represent the culture to some degree. Some are seen as benevolent while others are known as murderers. In most Eastern civilizations the dragons are seen as keepers of wisdom, sought after in times of need and almost always left in peace. In the more Western interpretations dragons are seen as fiends that massacre the human way of life. The only good dragon in these tales is a dead one.

In MYTHOI Master Sho is revealed to be a man with some sort of control over the four elemental dragons of air, fire, water and earth. When Yuki tries to defeat him, Sho easily repels her. In a surprising moment he reveals to Yuki that the only way she can kill him is to return with the claws of the four elemental dragons, divulging his weakness without hesitation.

Yurei are Japanese ghosts. The word “yurei” consists of two kanji: (yū), meaning “faint” or “dim” and (rei), meaning “soul.” Like dragons, yurei come in varying shapes and sizes. In pop culture we’ve seen yurei in several Asian films (and their lesser American remakes), such as Ringu (The Ring), Ju-on (The Grudge), and Honogurai mizu no soko kara (The Grudge). Typically yurei are spirits with some sort of anger and unfinished, violent purpose.

In MYTHOI, Yuki is cast out of her body by Sho, forced to possess people in order to interact with the tangible world. Unfortunately every time she possesses someone she kills them, leaving her with four elemental dragons to hunt with murder being the only way to get it done.

Over time Yuki has become disconnected from the origins of her quest, allowing the means to justify the ends. Jaded with rage to kill the man who not only provoked her years as a sex slave, but banished her from death and forced her into a ethereal, murderous form. Detached from her own humanity, Yuki struggles to distance herself from others lest they remind her of the tool she has become and the humanity she has lost. MYTHOI #1 has Vito meeting Yuki as she finally… Sorry.

Go buy it.

You can get MYTHOI (digital) issues and (printed) trades at Semantink.com, or, even better, you could tell you local comic book store to order the trades for you.

However you get it, get it.

Thanks!