Almost there…

The Spectress & Sabanion #6 script is percolating w/ my editor and feedback is on its way. It's packed w/ a lot... death, sadism, sacrifice, supernatural journeys, and old regrets. It's packed w/... too much actually. I had to pare a bit back as the rewrite kicked it back up to 40 pages. The plan was to bring everything together at the end of this story arc and blow it all up. Well... it was too much to bring together, LOL! I'm still learning.

Some advice from a guy who, even after several years, still feels new at this: first of all, go for it... but yet... I've got a bit of hindsight to share.

When you really get serious about your idea and start researching making comics, you always hear, "just make a comic, and you're in comics!" So that's what I did. I started a serialized story w/ a loose direction of where I wanted to go and heaped a bunch of goodies in there along the way. In the end, there were too many goodies (Sorn, Cheska, Domira, Sahi, Yevgeni, Jerry Pepper, the Moon Crew, introducing villains (6 of them, no less), the moon ritual, the exorcists, the Blackcoats). Is it too much, or worldbuilding? Or too much worldbuilding? You decide! I’m always open to feedback.

Now... in defense of some of the comic creator advice out there (Dirk Manning's Write or Wrong was my initial guide), they say "don't start w/ your magnum opus" which basically means warm up a little bit before you start your BIG DEAL. So I created Spectress and thought, boom - that's done, I'm ready for my Ulysses! Don't get me wrong, my 10 pages of black & white magic is near and dear to my heart, but it wasn't enough to get me ready for an ongoing series like Spectress & Sabanion. It was the idea that I had at the time. I'm immensely proud of it, but a little more direction from the outset would have been a good idea. My advice: plan, find an editor from the get go. Find one that turns on the lights for you. I found the right one on the third attempt. If you're just going to write 8 - 12 page vignettes (like the advice says you should), you'll be ok w/o one but if you want to start your magnum opus, your BIG DEAL, find someone who can professionally tell you, "Yeah, this is a bit too much. Let’s make some changes."

I'm lucky enough to have that bit of hindsight while writing Ruxy Vampire (the Ruxy Issue #3 script is about 40% done, btw). I'm going to keep it simple, fun, sexy, and full of action (though there are little voices in my head telling me, "stick Elliot Ness in there! DO IT NOW!" I shall resist!). I have other ideas for other characters in the Sandsverse that could have their own titles also. Really wish I could do this full time!!!

Now the Fun Part, Let’s See Some Covers!

We’ve got covers w/ colors (assisted by the great Wesley Wong)! Here we go:

First, Chris Ehnot:

Here’s Jordan Gunderson’s cover (colors by Wesley):

Wesley is working on colors for Topper’s cover currently. Also, you might remember that Chris Ehnot wasn’t able to do a cover for Issue #3 when it came out. That’s been rectified! For the next Kickstarter, I’ll be offering boxed, full cover runs for Topper, Chris, and Mog. It’s going to be SO COOL! Here’s Chris’s Issue #3 cover:

And, I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t leaning forward in the foxhole for the next issue of Ruxy also! Dravacus joins us w/ his take on Nari the Kitsune:

Oh, and Check Out the New and Improved CageyComics.com!

I hired some folks to give it an upgrade. Let me know what you think! Use discount code CAGEYHOLIDAYS for 20% off all goodies (except specialty covers) from now until the end of the year! If there’s something you’re looking for that you don’t see on the site, let me know!

Media Absorption

Comics I’m reading:

• Event Horizon - Dark Descent. A 5 issue comic from IDW that covers what happened to the ship that was lost and then found in the original horror movie, Event Horizon (saw it a long, long time ago, remember it being pretty horrific). The comic is pretty spooky too. Faster than light travel with an experimental gravity drive brings the ship to the edge of Hell.

• Infernal Hulk. Give me a scary twist on Hulk and I’m in. Immortal Hulk was amazing, I hope that the infernal version holds up just as well. It’s basically a “there is no Dana, there is only Zuul” version of Hulk were Banner is out and The Eldest has taken over. Issue #1 was a blast.

• Spectators. An intense graphic novel by Brian K Vaughan. It takes a hard look at the way we tend to repress sex and glorify violence in media. Remember the sex scene in The Terminator? Consensual, intense, tastefully done and, honestly, essential to the plot. How many of you have fast-forwarded through it for your kids, or watched it whizz by as a parent skipped it when you were a kid? Then… blam! Back to blowing away cops and bystanders. Yeah… it’s weird and a little unsettling to think about.

• The Voice Said Kill. Final issue is out, haven’t gotten to it yet. Great series though. Crime on the bayou, sweaty and gritty.

Movies:

• Oddity. If you like well-executed horror, look no further. Expertly shot w/ shadows and angles that ratchet up the tension and suspense.

• Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair. It was a blast seeing Kill Bill on the big screen again. Beautiful to look at and also energetic and propulsive. There were a few changes and the extended anime sequence was… honestly, just kinda ok.

• They’re going to do the same thing w/ Lord of the Rings! Extended versions are coming to theaters. That’s… a lot of time, heh.

Books:

• King Sorrow. Written by Joe Hill. I’m listening to it on Audible during my commute. Wow, reminds me a lot of Stephen King. Only just found out that Joe Hill is Stephen King’s son, so yeah. A fun read though… a group of young kids summon a dragon to deal with violent drug dealers and it all goes downhill from there. I’m about halfway through and I look forward to my next drive.

Pop Culture News & Links

• Old Star Wars fans REJOICE! They’re finally going to do it for the… egad… 50th Anniversary of Star Wars!

• Pour one out for Funko. The few I have here (Predator, John Wick, and The Dude all unboxed I’m proud to say) are all hanging their heads in sorrow.

• New Star Wars book making waves. A tale of the Sith.

• Hannibal Season 4 will cover Silence of the Lambs. Pour yourself a nice chianti!

• The comic series that helped inspire me to give it a try myself, still unfinished, is getting a TV adaptation. Southern Bastards, read it if you can. An incredible series about an organized crime boss who gets away w/ it because he’s the high school football coach. I guess that sounds cheesy, but it’s not. Check it out. I really hope it gets picked back up and finishes. It stopped because one of the creators had trouble w/ women. Ugh! What’s wrong w/ these guys?!

Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Stay Safe, Stay Healthy, Stay Cagey!!!

Cross your fingers for a great 2026!