So how did I spend April? Mostly going through the rabbit hole that is the best of pulps. Not an easy feat especially when you try to think up of stories to tell with these characters who are mostly in the public domain.
Why The Public Domain Is Like An Ocean
I could have spent more time writing the Wire Fence Re-Opened. But after some point I needed a break and I had a lot of ideas for posts. Including how I might need to change my approach to be a professional storyteller.
But before that diatribe, I have to confess that I’ve spent a long time going through public domain material. There are a lot of stories out there, with some ideas I want to reapply for some kind of inspiration. And there is a lot of them. So much so that I thought about different stories with larger-than-life characters.
Pulps in particular tend to be so simple that you can basically do anything with them. A number of them were a lot like Silver Age comics, full of campy and imaginative scenarios. Jotting down notes for stories tended to make the day go by a little easier. Also apparently early newspaper strip comics are in the same boat as pulp novels. Including one of my Hoopla reads Pop-uh…Thimble Theatre.
There are plenty of characters who can seem dated but also timeless characters like Horatio Hornblower who inspired a lot of space captains like in Star Trek. As well as less well-known ones like Pussy Fane. From the many corners of the world, there are characters who would be fun to use. Especially the hundreds of detective characters in one big society.
Gotta Settle Into A New Environment
Honestly going through the pulp records is also good for dealing with another stress. I have to retake a test to get the best possible chance for a good job in North Carolina. But knowing what you did wrong can send you on a better direction to pass the test…right? I just need to get a C-…in at least September. Plenty of time to study… less time to actually spend it on a manuscript for a Wire Fence followup.
There’s Gotta Be A New Way To Write Stories
It’s all about interaction today. But how can you tell an interactive story without a small fortune? Frankly it’s like hype surrounding something is more engaging than the actual product.
With things like these fake video games, actual mascot horror game lore hunts, and the SCP Foundation, maybe that’s just a way of saying things need to change. When I heard about the Campfire service’s advancements from so many YouTubers I follow it felt like I could combine my experiences being a wikia editor, admin, and bureaucrat with storytelling.
But before I go into another subscription, I need to finish some commitments. The less distractions the better. I can only hope that I’m not overshadowed when I do get to it.
Gutternaut Posts
Among those commitments are reviews of Mad Cave comics. Got some good ones like Sanction and The Mammoth. Not to mention a real classic went from being bought on Etsy to a bigger audience, it’s a little thing called Attaboy.
…And there was a not so great review and a companion to that mediocre King Arthur & The Knights of Justice. Thankfully, Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders had characters who felt like they were more than just plot elements.
That’s also what leads me to one post I actually put some thoughts together. I like to think it’s not vitriolic since it doesn’t have any of those label problems. Just the trends of how young heroes are thrust into the spotlight inorganically. And how the goal should be accessibility through growth, not capitalizing on trends.
That’s what bugs me about titles that are supposedly for a new audience. They end up not being that and instead try to lump younger readers in with fans who are decades older than them. Frankly the subject of another post does getting a new audience while bringing familiarity for older ones in better. Not like Beast Boy and Raven but still.
Tangent
…At the same time, there are times I ask what are people praising stuff I dismissed seeing that I’m not? Am I that cynical that I can’t enjoy people just goofing off? That artists don’t have to worry too much about getting paid or using bad reactions to their content to promote it?
…(Sigh)… I wouldn’t have a problem if some of these titles with licenses or brands put in more effort and not just pulling out twists for their own sake. Attaboy for one was made with passion and storytelling risks.
Joe Hero: A Review I Made For Me
As was a title I reviewed because I loved it for the risks it made that so many people don’t even bother to try, Joe Hero. I’ve been supporting this title and the creator Calvin Nye with automatic weekly two dollar donations because I wanted an album after CBR praises this with 9 other real indie titles. After finishing the album I even nominated it for the Ringo Awards because I liked it so much. And because it doesn’t have the same level of support as a few other actual indie comics.
In fact when I did an internet search, my review post of Joe Hero was on the first result page. Either my search filters are guided to my website since I’m on there a lot, or my reaction is overshadowing the product. I just hope it’s treated more like advertising to filter through Joe Hero the Foo Fighters tribute band.
One of the reasons I finally got around to reading it is because I plan to do a post comparing this to another comic with an autistic hero. I don’t even care that the other book is going to be released out of Autism Awareness Month. I pre-ordered the book because some of the proceeds went to charity.
…Yes…I am on the autistic spectrum…Yes…I found things to relate with the title character that few characters could. No, I don’t see myself in him; people don’t need to have lung cancer or be bisexual to relate to John Constantine in Dangerous Habits. Having a genuine perspective on the risks taken just sticks with people. I’d really like it if that effect was shared with others.
Supporting A Proud Star
On a similar note is my continued financial support of Jon Proudstar and Tribal Force. After a long process trying to secure automatic payments, I found it’s just not viable on Proudstar’s end. Too many service payments from places like Patreon and taxes. I’m gonna have to do a post about Tribal Force’s second wind because it’s a very good story. It’s about people who are trying to overcome the bad conditions they were born into. From a girl who denies any and all authority after being sexually abused by her father to a man born mute from his mother’s alcoholism who lost his way but is given a new direction.
It’s every risk for uniqueness with the structure to make it without saturation. Just wish people knew more about it to give support. I doubt my nomination of Tribal Force for the Ringo Awards will yield many good results. A lot of people just don’t know about it.
Finding Everything In One Place Costs Too Much
That’s a major problem with a number of services I’ve seen with related to self-publishing. They end up costing too much for people who don’t have bigger companies or viral recognition backing them. Patreon’s fees were getting to be too much for some creators. One that I follow Zeurel got a backup account on Ko-Fi.
A number of creators on GlobalComix basically left their pay-for-subscription comics high and dry because their performances alone wasn’t enough to pay the fees. These days they’re just ads for more dedicated readers to find their content on other platforms like Webtoon or their websites. And this place was a few people’s alternative to Amazon cornering the market. Especially with how inaccessible it was getting on Kindle. Can’t even blame the services for this, they have to pay their shareholders to keep going.
So many people have to prioritize selling content under their own roof to maximize profits. Personal experience with royalties. With so little resources that’s a tall order. Because most people prefer to get everything in one area. Especially when some of those places come with discount options. And only superfans are willing to go to a direct source to support their favorite brands. Then you have to get superfans without burning out in the process with advertising.
Am I In The Right Medium?
Some people I know bring up how often I bring up money and costs on here. Well it’s because I want to keep doing stuff like the Wire Fence and a few other stories and I gotta find the most optimal cost-effective ways. And it’s starting to look like publishing books isn’t the way to do that. Nothing like comics are dying, even publishing texts that aren’t romance couldn’t sustain some writers. And I don’t have the money or connections to do anything optimally.
It’s too risky for my mental health to do it all alone. So hearing about Campfire’s community options, I thought I could build some of my ideas up and interact with people who could help bring my ideas to life. While also trying to do the same with them. But it’s a commitment that’s going to have to wait.
Lighter Tone NOW!
So keeping myself sane while I juggle things are a couple of things. On GlobalComix I managed to get through the first third of Scott Pilgrim. Gotta say, way better experience in character compared to the movie. Goes by faster with the other omnibus series I’m reading on there, Antarctic Press’ Gold Digger. Full of stupid fun scenarios where the lore doesn’t drag on.
Meanwhile the rest of my Hoopla reads include the return of two manga series I’ve been following with every new release. ATOM: The Beginning definitely doesn’t feel like it’s spinning its wheels where it feels like it coexists with Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy without relying on the lore. The characters are endearing with goals, hopes, and dreams without being overbearing. The robots meanwhile grow as people even with some resistance.
Then there’s Kamen Rider Kuuga which really explores the characters’ humanity while pushing them to their psychological limits. Makes me wait in anticipation for next volume.
Stranger Things is definitely a good companion to the first season with how Will spends his time in the Fright Side. I definitely didn’t fall asleep with the narrations like a lot of other comics. Maybe because it helped with the tension.
The Minions are always good stupid fun in small segments.
And for the rest, Mark Waid and Dan Mora’s Batman/Superman World’s Finest feels like an experience seasoned readers can share with first timers. That perfect blend of accessibility without needing to start from scratch by focusing on the core of characters in a live and vibrant world. All of which avoid the bad trends of most DC comics in a timeless mood.
I guess that’s also the case with Joss Whedon’s X-Men. Finally got around to that on my Kindle. At the very least, the craziness didn’t go over the top. It feels straightforward despite the layers it has.
Now if I can get through The Red Star, I can get material for a post about that and the video game. Gonna need to watch some walkthroughs…
But before that, streaming shows! Delicious in Dungeon is something I eagerly await every Thursday. My Daemon is definitely the most unique experience on there with how a Japanese writer works with a Thai director and producers. A lot of suspense and moral gray areas that keep me focused on what’s happening. Must be the emphasis of karma. Finally the Dead Boy Detectives which feels a lot more like Doom Patrol than a Sandman spin-off. Makes me wonder if I should look at that Vertigo maxi this is taking cues from.
Maybe after I do enough of a game where cats build a community. Or Tears of the Kingdom.
May Flowers
One thing I’m definitely looking forward to is what I promised months ago. A post about C-D List characters by comparing every major title featuring them, mostly from DC. The shining example being Danger Street’s second volume… Or maybe that’ll show up in June.
More likely next month is going to be more Mad Cave reviews, hopefully finishing that pulp list, and studying for that test. Maybe even something for Pacific Islander Month, American Dream for Jewish American Month, and an update to my Viet comics post because those comics have a regional name.