Scottenkainenland

Rpol Hideouts & Hoodlums Campaign - pt. 16

2012-02-01T16:27:00.000-06:00

The Daoist transformed himself from a snake into a snarling warthog and charged forward to meet the new roosters head on.

Captain Liberty turned to face the new roosters, his blue cape flowing in the wind, behind him. He glowed with the power of the very essence of the liberty of the United States of America and decided to charge one of the next two foul fowls that were capriciously coming for a catastrophic counterattack.

And the Mountain Man charged too. The three of them –Captain Liberty, the Mountain Man, and the Daoist in warthog form -- charged the two new roosters that were in turn advancing on them. But before the two sides could join in combat, one of the roosters paused, arching its head back, and let out a terribly loud crowing.

The Mountain Man answered that call with a slash of his hatchet burying it in the rooster's neck. Captain Liberty crashed into the other rooster with terrific force, literally crushing it flat on the ground. By the time the Daiost reached the scene, he found both roosters were out of the fight already.

Suddenly, the searchlight from the western tower blazed to life and its beam swept across the gardens. The beam crossed the Mountain Man's path, illuminating for a moment the top of his head.

Alpha-Woman tried to avoid the beam, sticking to the shadows as she ran closer to the fortress-like temple and forgot the big ugly roosters that pissed her off.

The Mountain Man ducked reflexively, using the hatchet in his right hand to hook one rooster corpse and grabbing the second out from under Captain Liberty. Dragging both, The Mountain Man dove under a hedge and out of sight from the searchlight. He hoped others would match his foresight.

Silver Scorpion, still under threat by a living rooster, decided her best option was to take it down as fast as possible. She unleashed another kick at the beast's neck. The dance continued between her and the super rooster in the middle of the gardens. It lunged at her and she dodged, but then it ducked from another of her roundhouse kicks. They continued to attack and dodge back and forth, moving around each other, looking for an opening. Silver was embarrassed to think this big rooster had got to be the toughest opponent she'd ever fought!

Under the east tower, Gandor the Great continued throwing pebbles at the underside of the platform above him, distracting the guards above who could not figure out what that noise was. "Wait, where are you going?" he whispered to Sewer Rat, but it was too late as the fur-clad Hero waded into the pond.

Sewer Rat soon climbed out of the moat. Back in the sewers, falling into the water often meant severe injury or illness, but in clean water he could manage well enough. And who says rats drown, he thought to himself. He was glad his team managed to distract the guard, who was now sweeping his searchlight inside instead of out. Quietly, Sewer Rat shimmied up the leg of the tower, prepared to climb inside and give the guard a quick shove back into the moat.

Though he did not know it, the Daoist had the same idea as Sewer Rat. He charged over to the guard tower, transformed himself into an orangutan and scaled his way up to where he could incapacitate the guards.

Dice Morgan had not decided what to do yet. It looked like Silver Scorpion needed help, but it looked like hiding from that searchlight was a good idea too. Captain Liberty, more prone to action, ran back to lend a hand, but got a wing in the face instead of landing a punch.

The searchlight continued to sweep the gardens, this time catching the upper half of Captain Liberty in its beam and freezing there, nearly blinding him. But it did give him some very dramatic lighting, especially with his cape billowing behind him.

Alpha-Woman stopped running, intent now on not moving out of her dark, shadowy area. She hated those roosters and could not believe she could not kill one even one. She just crossed her arms in the dark corner, hoping those blinding lights would just go away. Then she noticed Captain Liberty getting shined on and thought, Oh crap, now the S@#% just hit the fan!

Dice Morgan walked over and stood with the Captain in the spotlight. He waved up at the guy in the tower. "Hey! Da boys from ‘da hotel sent us on down. Didn't that chick radio ya? What's wit' ‘da rooster kill squad?" He actually hoped to keep the guy distracted until the Daoist could reach him or Gandor could work some magic.

"Are you crazy, why did you yell??" Alpha-Woman yelled at Dice from the nearby shadows, unaware of his reasoning. She tightened up her brass knuckles and hoped nobody heard him – or her -- yelling.

The Mountain Man stayed under cover but readied himself to charge out and attack any guards that appeared from the building. That or if he had to kill more roosters.

The Daoist continued climbing the tower, hoping to either ambush them, or distract them enough that Sewer Rat can take them by surprise.

Captain Liberty picked up a half-dead rooster and took aim, preparing to use it as an improvised missile weapon against the distant spotlight.

Apparently unnoticed by everyone, Silver Scorpion was still in a death duel with the super rooster. The rooster threw everything it had into one last lunge, but instead of overpowering her, it left itself open for her to plunge her knife into it. The super rooster slumped unconscious against her, but Silver jumped back away from both it and the spotlight that was still too close for comfort.

My Marvel 52-Title Relaunch - pt. 3

2012-01-28T19:39:00.003-06:00

The final titles. Would these all work, with the right creative teams involved? I think so...

Uncanny X-Men. A 26-page adventure serial featuring the X-Men in 1990. Six years after the other series, Wolverine, Pyslocke, Banshee, Forge, Polaris, Legion, and Amanda Sefton form a new X-Men after the rest of the team disappeared through the Siege Perilous. The new team has to deal with the Crusher, the Genoshans, and Fenris.
Power Man and Iron Fist. A 26-page adventure serial featuring Heroes for Hire in 1991. Power Man and Iron Fist have joined forces with the Daughters of the Dragon in more ways than one, as Luke and Colleen and Daniel and Misty have been married couples for five years. Between mortgage worries and just wanting to get away from the kids every so often, the four decide to team-up and relaunch their work-for-hire business, just in time for the return of Chiantang, the Black Dragon, in human form, and Master Khan.
Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man. A 21-page adventure serial featuring Spider-Man in 1992. Peter and Mary Jane Parker are in their 40s. Peter is a police captain who still moonlights as Spider-Man. Mary Jane is a successful TV actress. Their adult daughter has been the new Spider-Woman for the last three years. Father and daughter fight crime together, with Peter hanging back and mentoring more. The Spider Family tackles the likes of the Punisher, the Hobgoblin, and the Rose. A 5-page back-up feature rotates between Medusa, Quicksilver, and the Black Widow and what they're doing these days.
Marvel Super Special. A 26-page anthology with two 13-page stories spotlighting different characters each issue, set in 1993.
New Mutants. A 26-page adventure serial featuring a team of would-be X-Men, recruiting young mutants to train to fight, in 1994. The main roster is Cable, Shatterstar, Siryn, Warpath, and Rictor and they will fight villains like Arcade, Black Tom Cassidy, and the Grandmaster.
Marvel Age. A 22-page $1 comic featuring news about the various titles and clues as to how they will all fit together into one continuity.
Alpha Flight. A 26-page adventure serial featuring Canada's team of superheroes in 1996. The roster is Wildheart, Windshear, Talisman, Persuasion, Witchfire, Box, and Diamond Lil, tackling the likes of Hardliner, Carcass, and Dreamqueen.

Rpol Hideouts & Hoodlums Campaign - pt. 15

2012-01-25T18:38:00.001-06:00

"I suggest that we can go through the barbed wire fence,” Alpha-Woman said. “It should make less noise than the other two choices."

"I agree, Alpha-Woman,” the Mountain Man said, “and if you wouldn't mind helping me gather some heavier branches, we should be able to use them to weigh the barbed wire down enough or to make a mat so we can safely climb over it." The Mountain Man started looking about for branches, particularly ones that still had a good amount of leaves and smaller branches attached. Once he had a good number he started bundling them together to make a sort of mat that was light enough to carry.

"Don't forget, they're likely to be ready for us too." Silver Scorpion advised. However, for lack of a better plan herself, she helped Mountain Man gather branches.

Everyone tried to ignore their gurgling stomachs as they set to work. Though no one said anything, many secretly wished the Daoist would sneak into the town and steal them something to eat. Captain Liberty, in particular, needed sustenance to replenish his strength after his gunshot wound.

Since they were in a forest, finding branches was easy. Soon they had more than enough to fashion a crude mat or ramp to lie over the barbed wire fence. It was an elegant plan, not even relying on anyone's special powers other than some heavy lifting abilities.

Then came the wait. As dusk fell over the town, bonfires were lit through the town to provide light. Men and women gathered around the bonfires, drinking and carousing in an increasingly raunchy manner, inversely proportional to the amount of attention they were paying to the temple and the gardens.

In the gardens, the people tending it left and soon even the guards seemed to have all left the gardens for the night.

At nine o’clock, the heroes decided it was dark enough to strike out. They managed to cross the clearing right up to the watchtower without being seen. The ramp was laid onto the fence with minimal noise. One by one, they climbed over it and hopped down into the gardens. Sewer Rat and Gandor the Great had earlier told of their plan to remain here, though, and keep the ramp safe in case it was necessary for a fast retreat.

The remaining six heroes snuck through the garden towards the temple. The garden was dark, lit only by the moon and the dim glow of distant bonfires. The middle of the gardens was mostly vegetable garden, broken up only by low hedges. The trees were all along the outside of the gardens and were all fruit- or nut-bearing trees. Interestingly, they observed apple and orange trees growing side by side, even though this clime should not have been conducive to orange growing.

Dice Morgan muttered to himself, "Y'know, I could’a just cut the barbed wire wit' my knife. Dese super-types always gotta’ make things more complicated."

They had not progressed more than 40 feet north of the pond when they spotted the first of them. Just 20 feet ahead of them was a rooster -- a three-foot tall rooster. It looked at them with its head turned and its eye towards them. Then they spotted another. And another. A moment later, a pack of five of these large roosters were charging them. As they drew closer, they opened their beaks and the heroes could see by the moonlight rows of sharp teeth!

Alpha-Woman took out her brass knuckles and readied to strike a rooster in the face. She was the closest to a charging rooster. She lashed out with her fist, but the rooster was fast and turned its head to the side to dodge her lunge. The rooster lunged too, its beak opened wide to bite, but she managed to shove it back out of reach.

The Mountain Man stepped forward and dug his feet in, pulling the power of the earth up through his boots and into his body. The others could see his body shift, becoming angular, like a rock face. He readied to meet the charge of those giant roosters with his hatchet. They would have to come to the mountain. As the nearest one charged him, he swung his hatchet with the power of the Earth behind it and nearly cut the rooster in half. Though dying, the rooster completed its lunge and tore into the Mountain Man with its razor-sharp teeth as its last act.

Upon seeing the roosters Dice stopped short. "Well if that don't beat all. Roosters got teeth!" He slipped on his brass knuckles and readied his knife. As an afterthought, he said, "Hey, if we can take ‘dese birds alive we could make a killin' on the cockfightin' circuit over in Mexico!" Dice Morgan handily slipped his knife between the eyes of the rooster charging him, grimacing when he thought of the fortune he just killed. The rooster fell dead before it could bite.

Silver Scorpion drew two knives. She was ready to hurl one at the nearest rooster, or kick it in the neck if it reached her first. Since no rooster was charging her directly, she threw a knife at the rooster charging Captain Liberty. The wily rooster was moving too quickly, the lighting was too poor, and there was no time to aim -- cumulatively leading up to her knife flying wild and landing in a hedge.

Captain Liberty got ready to wreck some rooster! He attacked the closest one he could get to. Captain Liberty was ready for a patriotic punch and his fist shone with the light of freedom as it glanced off the charging rooster's beak. There was a crunching sound that turned out to be the death knell for the rooster, that collapsed before biting.

The Daoist flung himself at one of the roosters, transforming into a snake in mid-air and biting at the creature. The Daoist-snake landed on the remaining rooster and wrapped around it, while sinking fangs into the rooster's neck. The rooster went down.

There was only one rooster left alive after a minute of fighting, as the fastest of the bunch was eluding Alpha-Woman's punches. Just as everyone converged to aid her, two more roosters came charging from the far end of the gardens. They were 50 feet away and closing, passing the south end of the pond.

Alpha-Woman was getting mad that she could not hit a stupid three-foot rooster. She threw angry punches at the freakish thing and was determined to take down her rooster, but all she got was a face full of feathered wing that disoriented her and made her punches miss.

Silver Scorpion readied another knife, but as the new roosters were still quite far away she moved to Alpha-Woman's foe to fell it with a roundhouse kick. However, the vicious bird was a flurry of beak, teeth, and claws and she could not get near it. Instead, attracted to the new target, this apparent super-rooster bit Silver Scorpion, putting a big tear in her silver jumpsuit.

Dice Morgan moved to throttle an approaching rooster, but knew that he would not be able to do it without making an extremely off-color remark. Figuring the super-types had it well in hand, he took a step back and surveyed the area, looking to see if the roosters had alerted any human sentries.

My Marvel 52-Title Relaunch - pt. 2

2012-01-22T11:37:00.002-06:00

This entry continues a project I began last October and was difficult to write because it leaves out so many other worthy titles. And it was harder because I’m closer to this history than DC’s history, having grown up with Marvel characters. Ultimately, though, I feel the same about Marvel’s continuity as I do about DC’s. Continuity is not a handicap, it is the best thing that ever happened to comics. It gives them the spirit of an ongoing saga, with time passing and organic growth, and discards the status quo for progress and change. It’s also important to mention that my interpretation of how that growth should occur is informed by my own fanfiction.

Millie the Model. A 26-page romance/comedy anthology with two 13-page stories featuring Millie in 1960. Millie is 31, the world’s first supermodel, married to her photographer, ‘Clicker’. They tour the world for photo shoots and help people with their problems wherever they go.
Modeling with Millie. A 26-page romance/comedy anthology with two 13-page stories set in 1967. Millie, now 38, runs a modeling agency and uses it to help change girls’/young women’s lives. The stories tend to be one-shots focused on the people Millie helps, with less involvement from her than in Millie the Model.
Fantastic Four. A 22-page adventure/science fiction/romance serial, featuring the Fantastic Four in 1972. With Reed and Sue retiring, the Thing and the Human Torch are joined by the Sub-Mariner and Crystal to form the new team. The Thing and the Human Torch finally get engaged to Alicia and Crystal respectively. The FF decide to leave NY for a new HQ in NJ, just in time for an invasion of the Lizard Men of Tok in Subterranea and the introduction of Thundra into a new Frightful Four. Each issue has a 4-page back-up of domestic/science fiction comedy featuring the retired Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Girl.
The Mighty Thor. A 21/26-page adventure/romance serial, featuring Thor and the Norse gods of Asgard in 1975. While warring against the Egyptian gods or the Time-Twisters as they ravage time, Thor discovers part of Don Blake still lives within him and loves Jane Foster so strongly that Thor cannot give all his heart to Sif. Jane returns to make it a love triangle. The Warriors Three alternate between having a 5-page independent back-up story or figure prominently in the main story.
The Amazing Spider-Man. A 21-page adventure/romance serial, featuring Spider-Man in 1976. Peter Parker changes his major to forensic science as he continues college part-time and becomes engaged to Mary Jane Watson, between battles with the Punisher, the Kingpin, and Stegron the Dinosaur-Man. A 5-page adventure serial back-up features the Prowler on an adventure, sometimes peripherally connected to Spider-Man’s own.
Dr. Strange. A 21-page adventure/supernatural suspense serial, featuring Dr. Strange in 1977. Dr. Strange has been the official Sorcerer Supreme of Earth for a year now. He has been married to Clea for three years and she is pregnant with their first child. They have an extended family of four of Strange’s disciples/apprentices and the always-unhappy and scheming father-in-law of Dormammu, deadly rematches with the wizard Stygyro, and the celestial politics of the Ancient One, the In-Betweener, and the cosmic balance. A 5-page back-up serial focuses on Clea’s solo outings in learning what it means to be human, or the more familiar paranormal.
The Incredible Hulk. A 21-page adventure/romance serial, featuring the Hulk in 1978. The Hulk currently has the intelligence of Bruce Banner at age 16. Both Banner and Hulk can control their transformations into each other now, doing so based on if strength or intelligence is needed. Bruce and Betty have been married for a year. Gamma Base has been turned from a military base into a scientific laboratory. Doc Sampson is on staff at Gamma Base, helping Banner and the Hulk cope with their split personality, and occasionally aiding in dealing with threats like Moonstone, a villainous who plays mind games with men. A 5-page back-up feature deals with Doc Sampson, either commenting on the Hulk’s adventures, doing something peripheral to the Hulk’s adventures, or doing something interesting of his own.
Captain America. A 21-page adventure/romance serial, featuring Captain America in 1979. Steve Rogers is aging fast and half-retired, mostly retired, the identity of Capt. America all but officially handed off to his chosen successor, Rick Jones. Rick is fighting The Corporation, which has infiltrated SHIELD. SHIELD agent Sharon Carter finds herself torn between attraction to both Caps. A 5-page back-up feature follows the Falcon, Rick’s part-time partner, in some peripheral adventure.
Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos. A 26-page action/war serial featuring Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos in 1956, as the experienced war vets perform covert missions in Southeast Asia.
Avengers. A 26-page adventure serial featuring the Avengers in 1981. The roster is Black Knight, Black Panther, Beast, Vision, Mantis, Falcon, and Jocasta as the U.N. charges them with handling threats like Pyron the Thermal Man, the Shadow Lord, and the Beserker.
Two-Gun Kid. An 18-page cowboy/superhero serial featuring Two-Gun Kid in 1881. Moreso than the other cowboy heroes, Two-Gun tends to fight colorful, supervillain-like foes. An 8-page back-up adventure has Two-Gun performing more traditional cowboy fare.
Daredevil. A 21-page adventure serial featuring a new Daredevil in 1983. Matt Murdock dies, trading his life force to bring Elektra back from the dead. Elektra seeks to take up the mantle of Daredevil, but the Hand rejects her, saying they already have another choice, blind ex-cop and ex-soldier Willie Lincoln. Elektra is forced to train him as Willie-Daredevil takes on the war against Bullseye and the Kingpin. A 5-page back-up feature rotates between another “street level” hero doing something peripheral to whatever Daredevil’s current adventure is.
X-Men. A 26-page adventure serial featuring the X-Men in 1984. Wolverine, Rogue, Cyclops, Ariel, Colossus, Storm, and Nightcrawler are the current team as they tackle the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, the Morlocks, and the H---fire Club.
Iron Man. A 21-page adventure serial featuring Iron Man in 1985. Stark’s new company, Circuits Maximus, is successful enough that Obadiah Stane offers him a deal he can’t refuse – Stane International will absorb his company and Tony will be half in charge of both. With access to his old resources, Stark builds a new, bulkier, 7’ tall suit of armor that can lift/press 20 tons and takes over being Iron Man again from Jim Rhodes, just in time to take on the Termite, Vibro, and Dr. Demonicus. Tony rejoins the West Coast Avengers. Obadiah, meanwhile, works behind the scenes to back the bad guys. In a 5-page back-up feature, Jim Rhodes continues to be Iron Man in the old suit, for-hire.
Marvel’s Greatest Comics. A 34-page reprint volume with 2-3 reprinted stories from the company’s history, rotating between characters.
Marvel Team-Up. A 21-page adventure serial featuring Spider-Man and another rotating superhero (such as the Human Torch, the Thing, or Ms. Marvel) in 1987. Peter Parker is now a forensic scientist for the NYPD. He and Mary Jane are married. Their daughter is five years old. A 5-page back-up feature follows one of those heroes past the adventure, to give you a glimpse into what their life in 1987 was like.
The Hands of Shang-Chi, Master of Kung-Fu. A 21-page adventure serial featuring Shang-Chi in 1988. Shang Chi, endowed with a mysterious mystical power, finds he is now able to impart Kung-Fu skill to others. Building up a team of disciples, Shang-Chi decides to tour the world and right wrongs. A 5-page back-up feature rotates between Shang-Chi’s old supporting cast and shows what they are doing these days.
Defenders. A 26-page adventure serial featuring the current team in 1989. An aging Dr. Strange finds the Defenders who died back in ’86 went with Valkyrie to Valhalla and can be summoned back temporarily as Einherjar. In this way Gargoyle, Valkyrie, and Andromeda come back to help Dr. Strange in times of need. Gargoyle and Andromeda, in particular, need to adjust to their new life of only being “alive” when adventure calls. A 5-page back-up feature spotlights one of the other former Defenders and shows what they’re doing in 1989.

Rpol Hideouts & Hoodlums Campaign - pt. 14

2012-01-20T12:54:00.003-06:00

The journey continued through the dense Minnesota pine forest. They trekked by foot for miles through the forest until, around 4 o’clock, they came at last to a huge clearing. Someone shimmied up a tree for a better sense of the layout and reported the details to the others.

The majority of the clearing would seem to be what Chuck referred to as Roostertown. The shacks mostly appeared to have been thrown together from chunks of aluminum siding, though log cabins were scattered amongst them. On the west side of the clearing were about two dozen shacks. On the east side were 20 shacks and cabins, with a fenced-off area behind them containing more cabins. Between these two sides was the temple itself. It was a two-story stone building set within a 10-foot high metal fence. The fence was then surrounded by a moat about eight to ten feet wide. The only entrance to the fenced enclosure seemed to be a wooden bridge leading through a brick gatehouse and leading into the gardens. The gardens were also enclosed in a high fence that ran down the length of the clearing all the way to a pair of three-story tall watchtowers. The watchtowers were on the shore of a large pond right in front of them, at the edge of the clearing. The pond was about 60 feet in diameter and could be walked around in either direction.

The whole clearing could be circled around, so long as they stayed in the forest, but as soon as they stepped into the clearing, they were likely to be seen.

Alpha-Woman was stumped at what to do...Step out too far, be seen; stay here, wonder what to do... "So, Chuck,” she said at last, “how are we going to make it through?"

The Mountain Man had long since tucked his bulletproof vest like a trophy into his pack. "Why are you asking Chuck what to do?” he retorted. “These guys sent him to capture you and bring you back here for who knows what. I wouldn't ask him to tie my shoe if I were you," the Mountain Man commented. "Say, ‘Goodnight’, Chuck." He added as he knocked Chuck out with a good punch to the jaw.

No one but Alpha-Woman seems concerned. Oh, I am surprised, as I thought we were going to use him to get into town," she said.

The Mountain Man started tying up Chuck with Chuck’s own shirt, since no one had rope on hand. "We can't take on all these people up front. It's already late. Let's wait until after dark and sneak in. Giant roosters should be easy enough to distract with some chicken feed," he said as he tied a good knot.

Captain Liberty had been trailing behind, having realized that his suit would stand out in the wilderness. He also remembered he had vast military training, but just as the image of some military base came to him, his memory faded away. Could I be some government experiment? He thought to himself. From behind Silver Scorpion, he whispered, “So what's the plan of attack? We could go in, fists blazing? Or I could try and intimidate them with a display of strength, allowing one of you to sneak in and find out what's going on. On the other hand, we could slowly draw them out a few at a time and whittle down their forces." He glanced around and waited for the group to respond.

Silver Scorpion paused, somewhat stunned by the sight before her. The 'Temple' seemed in fact to be a fortress! "One thing is for sure, we won't be able to fight our way through if all the townsfolk come out against us. As much as I think it's a crazy idea, I think I have to agree with Mountain Man. We've probably got our best chance to make it in after dark. Still, let us scout around the entire Temple Area from the safety of the woods. Maybe there will be an easier way in, or at least we may see somewhere we can scale the fence undetected at night."

They had four hours until twilight, so they circled the clearing and observed from a safe distance, making sure that Captain Liberty’s costume did not announce their presence. In fact, even Silver Scorpion’s shiny silver jumpsuit proved not hiding-friendly, requiring extra care and keeping deeper in the forest while others monitored the clearing for them.

Life in Roostertown seemed relatively idyllic from here, with idle men out throwing horseshoes or heading down to the pond to fish. Kids were running around chasing cats and dogs and throwing rocks at each other. There were women around, but they spent most of their time indoors. Later in the afternoon, a group of them came together outside to throw lawn darts, but soon wound up supervising the wild children so much that the lawn dart game was broken up.

The watchtowers each had two guards in them at all times. The heroes observed only one shift change. The guards had binoculars, but were not always using them. It looked like they had spotlights up there too. They were probably armed, but there were no weapons visible.

The gardens were surprisingly busy, with at least ten people tending to or patrolling the gardens at any time. They saw a few patrollers carrying rifles.

The temple could be seen, from closer up, to have a five-foot tall bust of a rooster -- and a pretty angry-looking rooster at that -- perched up on the roof over the entrance. The temple had narrow, high windows on the ground floor and larger windows on the upper floor.

The gatehouses that controlled entrance to the garden and from the garden to the temple courtyard were also manned, though the guards there varied from two to four at any given time. Though the fence around the temple and the gardens was 10 feet tall uniformly along its length, only a shorter four-foot barbed wire fence ran under the watchtowers to the shore of the pond.

Dice Morgan had been sitting around for hours, wracking his brain as to how to proceed. "Y'know, if we still had that lion here..." He suddenly remembered. "Oh yeah, ‘dat was the Chinaman, wasn't it?" Suddenly he stops and sits bolt upright. "Hey, why don't the Chinaman turn into a squirrel or rabbit or sumpthin' and go into town and look around. Who's gonna’ pay a second's worth of attention to some mangy critter?"

"Ah, it is not so easy," the Daoist said after Dice's suggestion. "The transformation is vewy’ taxing. I cannot stay in any form for ‘rong."

Rpol Hideouts & Hoodlums Campaign - pt. 13

2012-01-15T14:22:00.001-06:00

"My name is Alpha-Woman,” she said by way of answering both who she was and why she had a big “A” on her shirt. “The men outside in my car attacked me and my friends. If you don't believe me, come outside. You can even come with me back to Highland Township if you want to see what's going on there."

Everyone has a good laugh at Alpha-Woman's expense and she was almost ready to start roughing up cops when a patrolman came up to her, looking serious, and said to the others, "No, hey -- hey! I get it. Alpha-Woman. Don't you get it? It's like Superman. She must be one of them crime fighters you hear about on the radio or the newspapers. Now," he said, turning back to Alpha-Woman, "who do you have in your car?"

He followed Alpha-Woman outside. Since no one else had volunteered to drive back to Duluth with her, she had one prisoner in the trunk, one in the front passenger seat, and one lying in the back seat on top of three more men pressed together. The officer whistled. "You beat up six guys and drove them here? What did they do? They attacked you?" The officer paused and gave Alpha-Woman a more skeptical look before saying, "Are you going to stay and file a complaint against them? Because I need something to hold them on."

"Well, these guys were trying to kill us. They were sent by somebody." She tapped her chin, looked the officer over, then added, "If you were wondering what my real name is, it is Cleo Evans."

"Wow..." the officer said, taken aback. "I thought costumed crimefighters went for being anonymous. Not that I'm complaining -- you just made my job a whole lot easier!" With that, he offered to shake Alpha-Woman's hand. "My name's James. James Claybrooke. Let's get these guys put away first and then we can fill out a complaint form. Hey!" he announced once they were back inside the station house. "She's right -- I've got six perps out here and need some extra handcuffs!"

Some other officers went outside to see, looking at Alpha-Woman incredulously as they left and with wonder or admiration when they came back in with one of her prisoners in tow. "You're going to be a hero around here in no time," Officer Claybrooke joked as he sat down at his desk. He pulled out a form and fed it into his typewriter. "Okay, have a seat, um, Alpha-Woman. You don't have to share any more with me about you than you feel comfortable, but I'm going to need your story as to how you wound up slugging it out with these guys in the middle of the night."

"Well, hmmm... All I can say is they were sent to kill us and we don't know who sent them. The others are busy trying to figure that out."

"Others?" Claybrooke asked. "Sounds like there's a lot more to this. Highland Township is outside our jurisdiction, so there's nothing I can do but hold these guys overnight and contact the township sheriff in the morning. Though, if things are really so out of hand up there, I don't see why he hasn't called the state police already. Anyway, is that all you can tell me for the report?"

As Alpha-Woman looked at Claybrooke, she could not help but notice the beat cop had a passing resemblance to actor John Payne and that he was very handsome. "I can't really tell you much more. I just need to get these guys off my hands and put somewhere where they can't run loose. I need to get back there and help the others." She flirted with her eyes and added, "So, do you have anymore questions for me?"

Office Claybrooke looked into Alpha-Woman's flirting eyes, was lost for a moment, and then said, "Er, no, but..." and he wrote down a number on a scrap of paper. "If you need anything, maybe you could...well...call me," he said, looking slightly flushed and embarrassed.

"I will most certainly call you if there is... any trouble." She winked at him. "Well, I've got to go thanks for helping!" Then she got back into her empty car and headed back to Highland Township.

About two hours later, Alpha-Woman's Chevy came rumbling down the dirt road and Silver Scorpion flagged her down. The two women caught each other up to speed and then rejoined the others. Alpha-Woman then set up her two-man tent and shared the other side with Silver Scorpion. There were watches throughout the night, but everyone got enough sleep that they were not fatigued in the morning.

Dawn. Friday, May 3, 1940.

It's was a cool 45 degrees out the next morning. Pretty windy too, with the wind gusting up to 21 MPH from the west. The dew was thick on the ground.

Alpha-Woman got up and looked around. She stretched and yawned after her much-needed beauty sleep. She heard a noise and it was her stomach. She mumbled to herself, "Uhhmmm…I am hungry..." Her next waking thought was that she kinda’ wished that dreamy cop was here to take her out to breakfast. Less groggy, she snapped awake and went to her car to see had any packed snacks left in it. "I can't work on an empty stomach..." she mumbled to herself.

Chuck was pretty annoyed by the time he was untied back at the motel in the morning. "I didn't think you were going to leave me tied up there all night!" he complained in his thick Scandinavian accent. After his grousing, however, he had little choice but to lead the Heroes to the temple.

The first leg of the journey followed Barleycorn Creek upstream to Lake Misty. They were still surrounded by farmland, though the land was not being maintained as it ought. By now it was mid-morning. After skirting the lake, they headed into some wooded hills. Visibility, which had been seven miles before, dropped to half a mile in the hills. By noon, the hills seemed to be behind them -- and stomachs were rumbling. The last leg of the journey looked like it would be through a dense forest of 70 to 90-foot evergreens.

The Mountain Man, meanwhile, was already splitting up provisions he had brought with. He knew his skills in the outdoors would help them get more food if it became necessary. He and Alpha-Woman had already picked some berries for a midday snack on the way this far.

En route, Dice Morgan had complained about the bugs, the cold, the dirt, and most of all the lack of a good cup of Joe. He muttered that the beauty of Nature would be greatly enhanced by pavement, skyscrapers, and a few gin joints.

Also en route, the Mountain Man found his magic gorget and his bulletproof vest somehow…incompatible. As if wearing one made the other one too uncomfortable to wear. By afternoon he had realized he would have to settle for wearing either one or the other.

Although it is much easier finding the temple with a guide, it would have been possible to find it without Chuck. There is a trail that is perfectly visible in the daytime and infrequent signs that there had, within recent years, been a road here. Elaborate steps had been taken to conceal the presence of the road and trail, even so far as to plant saplings in the middle of it.

Silver Scorpion eyed the thick trees. She thanked the Mountain Man for his offered provisions. Never did she think she would be camping out in a forest last night, but there was a first time for everything, she guessed. "Are there any guards or patrols around?" she asked Chuck, figuring it could not hurt to inquire.

"Oh, not so much around Roostertown, you know,” Chuck said with a shrug, “but right around the temple and the gardens around it, the fence is patrolled. And at night...well, you don't want to be in the temple gardens at night..."

Chuck was asked to elaborate. "Well, Roostertown is what we call the shacks St. Stephen and the other saints have us holed up in when we're not needed for temple duties. I've never seen the things they let out in the gardens at night, but I've heard some other guys who aren't crazy that it's giant roosters!"

Comic Books in Real Time

2012-01-12T17:05:00.003-06:00

I was looking at the new releases of DC and Marvel earlier today and was struck again by the sheer amount of revisionism that supposedly keep their "big money" heroes new and fresh, but really keeps them from ever growing and changing as characters. The following is paraphrased from recent press releases, but adjusted to reflect the passage of real time for these superheroes, as they experience in my fanfiction.

Justice League – Green Lantern (John Stewart), Flash (Jesse Quick), Hawkman (2nd Carter Hall), Batwoman (Helena Wayne), Hawkgirl (2nd Shiera Hall), Superman (Superboy clone), Supergirl (other-universe matrix), Challenger of the Unknown (June Robbins), Aquaman (Arthur Jr.), Firestorm (Ronnie Raymond), Wonder Woman (Cassandra Sandhurst) are working their way through a schedule of Earth invasions to stop. Today is Mantis of Apokalips’ turn to try again!

Batman - Bruce Wayne Jr. (age 42), Robin (Jason Todd, age 36), Batwoman (Helena Wayne, age 44), and Huntress (Helena Bertenelli, age 35, Jason’s wife) deal with the Court of Owls as they try to take over New York City. Bruce married Julia Pennyworth and they have a 7-year old son.

Batgirl – Cassandra Cain (age 23) goes on the hunt for the terrifying killer Gretel, whose eerie and violent power over the men of Gotham City leaves no one safe – not even guest star Bruce Wayne, Jr!

Birds of Prey – Batgirl (Cassandra Cain), Huntress (Helena Bertenelli), and Lady Blackhawk (Natalie Reed, age 65, was first a Jr. Blackhawk in ‘66) realize that Gotham City is still in grave danger. And the key to unmasking the villain known as "Choke" may lie in the mystery of a man who one day just walked out on his family and life…and into a world of mind-control and murder.

Blue Beetle – Jaime Reyes is now 21 and has had the Blue Beetle armor for six years. As an experienced superhero, the sorceress La Dama has her hands trying to win the armor from him.

Wonder Woman – Cassie, age 24, has returned home to London…but leaving Paradise Island doesn't mean leaving the gods behind. With Jupiter dead, Mars and Neptune come to Earth – and neither of them is leaving without being crowned King of the gods!

Ray – Ray Terrill, age 26, has been The Ray for 10 years now, but between giant monsters attacking his new home town of San Diego and meeting his new girlfriend's strict parents, things are not going so well. Luckily, it won’t take a veteran superhero long to track down the master villain behind the monster attacks.

Alpha Flight – Vindicator, Talisman, Box, Madison Jeffries, Diamond Lil, Wild Child, Persuasion, Manikin, Goblyn, and Manbot find out that the Dreamqueen is the sinister figure behind the Unity Party threatening Canadian politics.

Avengers: Solo – The Black Widow, Yelena Barton, comes out of retirement to investigate a murder being pinned on the Avengers by Hydra.

Captain America and Bucky – Jack Monroe, the current Cap (age 59, but effectively 30), and his partner Bucky (his 22-year old adopted daughter) face off against an android made to look like the Golden Age Bucky – and it wants to kill them both!

Avenging Spider-Man – The son of Peter and Mary Jane, age 33, thwarts a moloid invasion of Manhattan, along with his older sister Spider-Woman (the daughter of Peter and Gwen).

Daredevil – The current Daredevil, Eugene Patilio (formerly Frog-Man, now age 35) and Spider-Man meet the new Black Cat (age 26), claiming to be the daughter of the original.

Defenders –Iron Fist, Nova, Quasar, Captain Ultra, Jack of Hearts, Torpedo, and White Tiger continue to explore the secrets of Wundagore Mountain.

Rpol Hideouts & Hoodlums Campaign - pt. 12

2012-01-11T15:53:00.002-06:00

Dice turned on his heel and walked back outside, studiously ignoring the panda that appeared from out of nowhere. He reached into his pocket for his flask of moonshine and tossed it into a garbage can.

Silver Scorpion was ready to transport prisoners to Duluth, but could not do it alone on her motorcycle and had no other volunteers.

"I say we should find their secret base and attack," said Captain Liberty. “We can tie up the prisoners and then find their base of foul evil.” He stood in a heroic pose with his arms folded and his cape flowing behind him (having opened a window for a breeze to accomplish that).

Inwardly, Capt. Liberty began to reflect on the fact that he did not even know who he was. He got a bit choked up, but then caught himself. Then he noticed how beautiful Silver Scorpion was, but caught himself yet again -- knowing that all else must be ignored in his duty to fight evil and to protect the USA. Sigh…It was a lonely life being a hero.

Just outside the window, Captain Liberty thought he saw a mysterious figure in a black cloak before the figured vanished.

"I'm not going back to Duluth,” the Mountain Man said inside. “We're here. They may be warned but we were going to bash in the door anyway. We tie these folks up, call the state police and get to work. That's what I say." He then stripped off Jason Tenner’s shirt, found the bulletproof vest he had suspected was underneath, and worked to take it off of Jason by force.

At first Jason looked like he was going to try to fight his way out rather than give it up, but he wound up giving in. "Sure, why not? It makes me itch anyway," Jason said.

After putting the vest on, the Mountain Man continued his interrogation, asking where the temple was.

"Don't tell them anything!" Mrs. Tenner said, still struggling as the panda bear put her in a chair and Silver Scorpion tied her up with a bed sheet.

"Aw, pipe down," Jason said, smiling. "What should we care if they want to get themselves killed? Be my guest. The temple is 18 miles northwest of here. You'll never find it at night, but by daylight you should be able to spot it after a good hike."

"Yeah, maybe we couldn't find it at night,” Dice said, “but I'm bettin' you could find it just fine. Maybe we should take you with us to show us the way." Dice contemplated the idea a moment longer. "Or we could just kill ya’ and leave yer’ body here to stink up the place."

Silver Scorpion had taken a moment to not-so-subtly 'disable' the radio so that it could no longer be used to radio the temple, or anywhere else for that matter, ever. She returned to the front room in time to hear Dice’s comment and looked shocked at his suggestion, but then figured he was just threatening Jason. "Well, if we're not taking his wife too, perhaps we'd better discuss this outside, where everything we say won't be relayed back to the temple once reinforcements arrive?" she advised.

"I cannot abide the killing of a prisoner unless he has been tried by the laws of the United States of America," said Captain Liberty. "Foul and un-Americian as they may be, they will not be murdered!" At that last part, Captain Liberty began glowing. He then suggested, "We can imprison them as we can put them in a windowless room and I can put something heavy in front of the door. As for heading out of town and getting some rest -- good idea!"

It was decided that, even if they could not find the temple that night, they should at least vacate the town before reinforcements from the temple arrived. Everyone was running on a half-hour of sleep or less and everyone was fatigued.

"Wait, what about Alpha-Woman?" Gandor the Great asked. "We can't leave without leaving her some clue as to where we went. Something she would find, but the cultists will not."

"Maybe if we head a short ways back down the road to Duluth we can flag down Alpha-Woman when she returns,” Silver Scorpion volunteered. “Then we can hike out towards the Temple and rest up until tomorrow? Or we could head back to one of the small townships down the road and get another motel?"

"I have a tent and have no problem camping out,” the Mountain Man said. “We don't need Jason to lead us there, that other goon already agreed to do it. I say we head out of town a ways and camp somewhere out of the way."

And so, the Tenners are made prisoners in their own home. The Heroes agreed to backtrack out of town the way they had come and set up a campsite off the main road. Most everyone was sleeping under the stars, except for The Mountain Man. Silver Scorpion stood guard by the road and watched for Alpha-Woman's return.

Meanwhile…

Alpha-Woman kept a close eye on her prisoners, all still a combination of groggy or unconscious. She drove as fast as she could on the dirt roads, relying on her headlights to illuminate the inky blackness before her until, at last, the lights of Duluth come into view. She knew the city well, being her stomping grounds for the past year, so she found the police station quickly.

Inside, her good looks elicited stares and whistles from the policemen on duty and, when she informed the sergeant on duty that she had prisoners under citizens’ arrest in her car, he seemed not to believe her. "Who are you, and what's with the shirt?" he asked suspiciously.

Jungle Ruins of Madaro-Shanti Reviews

2012-01-08T13:00:00.003-06:00

I thought I would collocate in one accessible place all the reviews I've seen so far for my published adventure, Jungle Ruins of Madaro-Shanti.

http://fireinthejungle.wordpress.com/2011/03/09/jungle-alert-a-review-of-jungle-ruins-of-madaro-shanti/ (first out of the gate and the most negative review to date)
http://paizo.com/store/byCompany/f/frogGodGames/pathfinderRPG/oneNightStands/v5748btpy8l66 (scroll down to the bottom for four)
http://necromancergames.yuku.com/topic/12079/Jungle-Ruins-of-Madaro-Shanti-Review- (the second review is a repost)
http://tenfootpole.org/ironspike/?p=59 (my personal favorite)

Rpol Hideouts & Hoodlums - pt. 11

2012-01-06T13:39:00.001-06:00

Silver Scorpion continued to cut at Jason with her silver knife, still hoping that she could disarm him, but Jason just pushed her knife-arm away.

Dice had heard the sound of combat and barreled into the room like a house on fire. "Somebody hold his gun down!" he yelled as he charged at Jason. He wanted to get his brass knuckles within punching range of the cultist's jaw, but instead he wound up jostling Captain Liberty so much to get past him that neither of them managed to land a blow on the motel caretaker.

Looking forward to when he was as good at this as The Shadow, The Mountain Man brought his fist around in a brutal uppercut swing at Jason's mid-section. Luckily, Jason must have felt how much strength was behind that punch, even though it had been pulled.

"Okay, I surrender," Jason said, dropping his weapon. “I don't have enough bullets left for all four of you and your pet lion there. Maybe you'll at least tell me who you people are. You sure don't look like the cops."

The Mountain Man kicked Jason's gun over for one of the others to pick up. "Someone make sure his wife hasn't run off," The Mountain Man said while he put Jason down in a chair, hard. "Tell us what you know about the temple."

Silver Scorpion snatched up the gun, unloading it of its remaining rounds before tossing it back to the ground. She then took up the search for the wife and the radio. The Daoist, as well, took the Mountain Man's suggestion and trotted off stalking after the wife.

Before Silver Scorpion and the Daoist could get very far, though, Jason shouted, "Wait! I'll tell you what you want to know," The Scandinavian accent common to Minnesotans melted away and he sounded like a Chicagoan now. Dice had to wonder if he had ever worked with this thug, though the face was not ringing a bell. "Just...just leave my wife alone, okay? Leave her out of this."

Silver Scorpion paused, but The Mountain Man and The Daoist were quicker to see through his charade. Since Captain Liberty burst through the front door, Jason had bought his wife three minutes of time for radioing the temple and alerting them. The Daoist, still as a mountain lion, came into the next room of the house and found the wife, scrambling dials on a radio transmitter.

Silver Scorpion lunged into the room after the Daoist, clapped her hand over the wife's mouth, and pulled her away from the radio. She then handed the wife over to one of the other heroes and turned her attention back to the radio.

Silver picked up the microphone, hoping that the static would be enough that they no one would be able to distinguish two female voices apart. "Oh, good. Yeah, everything is clear here now. Jason took care of those meddlers, they weren't so tough after all. Now we've just got to find someplace to bury them." She mentally crosses her fingers as she awaited a reply.

While they awaited the reply, Captain Liberty, his arm bleeding from where the bullet winged him, found a bathroom and some bandages.

Outside, Sewer Rat was still lurking about when he was approached by Gandor the Great, smoking another cigarette. "How are things going in there?" Gandor asked him.

Back inside, Captain Liberty decided to look around the place, after tending to his wounds, to try and get any clue about what this cult was about. He figured that it is something definitely un-American, whatever it was! He searched through the office and behind every book shelf, searching for secret doors and hidden passages.

Silver Scorpion found that no reply was forthcoming on the radio, since it was transmitting to no one. It took her a minute to realize that Mrs. Tenner was not still trying to contact the temple after three minutes; she was scrambling the dials so they would not be able to easily find the frequency she had just used to contact...someone.

Dice Morgan shook his head, silently regretting that the fight between the two women did not involve clothes-tearing and rolling around on the floor. Getting antsy again now that the action is over, Dice looked for something to do. While the others were keeping busy, he went outside and checked around the perimeter. He also looked for any lights in the distance that might indicate vehicles coming their way. Then, once outside, he stopped in mid-stride and said out loud, “Hey, where did that dang lion come from anyway?"

Dice was able to confirm from Sewer Rat and Gandor the Great that neither of them had seen any sign of reinforcements coming. When Dice asked what they had been up to all this time, Sewer Rat just shrugged and Gandor said, "But, my dear friends, I was involved, in my own way. I barricaded the back door of the house so no one would be able to escape that way."

Back inside, the lion vanished, or at least turned into something else. With no one else around to take charge of the wife, the Daoist transformed from the mountain lion to a giant panda, startling Silver Scorpion and Captain Liberty who had yet to witness the Daoist transform and assumed the mountain lion had been someone’s pet. Mrs. Tenner shrieked in surprise and tried to dodge, resisting one try, but then falling victim to a second bear hug that kept her restrained.

The Mountain Man continued to lean on Jason, getting little more than Jason Tenner’s full name out of him. It was clear that Jason was not really scared of any of them, though he did glance nervously to the other room after hearing his wife scream. Jason kept verbally dodging and talking in circles to stall.

Captain Liberty did not find much in the house, other than a rooster figurine, whittled from wood, in a shoebox in a closet. The lack of clues might itself be a clue, as this pair did not seem to be enthusiastic cultists. He also found $62 in loot stashed about the house.

Silver Scorpion attempted to calm herself when the Daoist transformed into a Panda and thought she did rather a good job of not leaping six feet up and striking her head on the ceiling. She eyed the panda carefully as she made her way out of the office/radio room.

Back in the front room, Silver found the Mountain Man and Captain Liberty together. "Well, it seems the cat's out of the bag,” she told them. “The temple is going to know we're coming now. We'd best leave the area right away; they are sure to send reinforcements. I suggest we head back to Duluth with Jason and his wife and turn them over to the authorities, as Alpha-Woman did with the others. Then we can decide how we want to tackle the temple."

Dice Morgan had returned to the front doorway in time to hear half of that. He stood there, rubbing his chin. "How far does this Rooster thing go? What if the cops are in on...” his voice trailed off. Through the doorway to the office, he could see a giant panda bear. "Hey, why is there a pan-- Nevermind. Don't wanna know."

Rpol Hideouts & Hoodlums Campaign - pt. 10

2012-01-04T20:45:00.000-06:00

Dice impatiently threw in his question. "Where's the temple?"

The two living room prisoners, eager to be more useful a prisoner than the other one, spilled all they could. The temple was 18 miles to the northeast. There was no road leading there, only a trail, and it was so rough that none of their cars would be able to take it. Most of the townsfolk had relocated to the temple, setting up a makeshift village around it.

The Mountain Man, with slyer methods, got his willing prisoner to reveal -- no, gloat -- "I've heard that all we have to do is make the temple an attractive enough hideout and master criminals are going to be drawn to it. They'll probably bring a lot of their own muscle, but hire local too," Chuck said. "There's also a rumor floating around that some master criminal is coming sometime this week to check the place out."

Alpha-Woman's prisoners too were desperate to think of something else to tell her to pacify her. "The clerk at town hall is in on it too!" they squealed.

Alpha-Woman spoke to her crew. "I don't think we should just leave these men here,” she said. “I suggest that we can drive them back to Duluth to the prison there. I have a car that can fit four of the men in."

"Tell you what,” the Mountain Man said to Chuck. “I'm going to have to tie you up for a second to figure out what the others are going to want to do with you. I'd be right happy if maybe you could guide us to the temple tomorrow morning." The Mountain Man then set to tying Chuck up with some rope he found in a bin on the back porch.

He then went inside and spoke quietly to the others so Chuck could not hear him. "I have one of the prisoners convinced this was a misunderstanding. I think he'll also lead us to the temple tomorrow morning if we ask him to. We should also deal with the motel clerk and the town clerk before any more word about what's happening here to the temple."

Captain Liberty walked to the front porch and then outside, looking around the yard for anyone else lurking about, or another surprise attack from vile evildoers. Finding no one but a figure watching from the window of a darkened room in the small house next door, he returned inside, his cape flowing as he spun around.

Silver Scorpion was satisfied with the answers she got from her prisoner and let off on the arm-twisting. "Alright, you done good... for now! But if I find out any of you haven't been straight with me..." She eyed each of the prisoners in turn menacingly, letting their imaginations fill in the rest of the sentence. Then she turned to the other vigilantes and said, “Seems like this whole town is under control of this Temple. They are sure to know we're coming, even if we manage to stop Jason from letting them know what happened..." Suddenly realizing what she has just said, she pushed her prisoner to the floor and rushed to the private apartment of the motel owner.

Alpha-Woman loaded up four of their prisoners in her car two at a time, one over each shoulder as Silver Scorpion sprinted past her. Captain Liberty related how he saw someone watching from the home next door and the Mountain Man stepped out front to check things out.

Silver Scorpion found herself stopped by a locked door as Alpha-Woman drove away, bound for Duluth for the next couple of hours. Behind her, Captain Liberty came up to assist and threw himself into the locked front door of the motel owner’s house and barely managed to wreck it down. He was greeted by the loud static of a radio in another room and the sound of Jason yelling, “Calm down and keep trying to reach the temple!” Then the thuggish motel proprietor appeared in a doorway, revolver in hand blazing.

Jason emptied his first chamber and winged Captain Liberty before the star-spangled hero was even halfway across the front room. Silver Scorpion dashed in past him to flank Jason on the left, Capt. Liberty on the right, and the Mountain Man charging up the middle. The Mountain Man, not wanting to get shot in the face, wasted time pushing the gun up in the air so Jason’s next shot hit ceiling instead of Mountain Man. Captain Liberty tried to get in a knockout punch as the four closed into a tight melee, but got an elbow in his fresh wound instead and winced in pain. Silver Scorpion slashed with one of her silver knives, but only scraped something under Jason’s shirt, presumedly a bulletproof vest.

The Daoist, who had been resting, curled up in a ball on the porch, shot up at the sound of gunfire. Bounding toward the small house, he raced to aide his new friends.

Silver Scorpion continued her assault upon Jason, attempting to disarm him by cutting his hand with her knife so he would drop the gun.

"Nice shooting! Maybe a poke in the eye will improve your aim!" The Mountain Man mockingly roared as he took another swing at the motel clerk with his boulder-like fists.

The Daoist, still in mountain lion form, bounded into the front room of the small house. Jason had backed into a corner, trying to limit their ability to come at him all at once. Captain Liberty kicked a couch out of his way so three of them could still continue their melee with Jason, leaving the Daoist forced to perch on a chair for now and waiting for an opening to strike.

"I don't know who you crazy people are, but I'll take you all down with me!" Jason roared with a savage snarl as he emptied more chambers of his gun. A dark halo of gunpowder smoke formed over his head. The Mountain Man was right there in his face, though, pushing his gun aside.

The flash of the muzzle and the deafening clap of the gunshots were too disorienting for Captain Liberty and The Mountain Man, who failed to land solid blows against their hulking foe. Silver Scorpion barely managed to scrape the back of Jason's hand with her silver knife, but the big thug was too tough to drop his gun from the light wound.

Rpol Hideouts & Hoodlums Campaign - pt. 9

2012-01-03T12:27:00.001-06:00

As the action wound down, the heroes were finally joined by Gandor the Great who flipped the lights back on and asked, “Have you got enough rope?” as he pulled a length of rope, hand over hand, out of his sleeve.

The Daoist, still in mountain lion form, sat perched on a gunman's back, keeping him subdued for the time being.

Alpha-Woman waited impatiently for signs of the men to wake up from her bashing them.

Sewer Rat, who had watched what he could of the battle from an outside window, surveyed the final scene as soon as the lights came back on and smacked his forehead. This was not how you did covert operations, he was certain. He came up with a plan on the spot and tried to share it with his comrades through the closed window, but no one could hear him. Giving up, he came around to the front door.

The Mountain Man was not sure what to do now. He could have used Sewer Rat’s plan but could not hear it from the back porch. "What were you sent out here for? I was expecting to get a good night's sleep. What's the story?" the Mountain Man asked his prisoner.

Dice Morgan and Captain Liberty, who had just met for the first time now, shook hands. "Greetings, I am Captain Liberty!” said Capt. Liberty. “You seem to be a patriotic American! Nice to meet you!” Then he turned to where a mountain lion sat on their one conscious prisoner and glared at the prisoner. He also began glowing with patriotic might in order to intimidate.

Dice stared at the Captain. "Uh... Yeah." He shook his head and muttered under his breath, "An' I thought the Chinaman an' Ol' Stinkaroo were screwy." Then he muttered, "Why don't we just slep’ ‘dese yahoos around until they tell us where their buddies are? Dat's eight less we'll have ta’ take out later."

Silver Scorpion left the prisoners for the others and practically flew through the house at a breakneck speed, doing a quick search of the ground floor room-by-room for any more foes to pummel.

And just as Silver Scorpion ran past, Sewer Rat kicked in the front door. "Behold! I am the Rat! Harbinger of the Rooster God!" he shouted in a theatrical tone, making sure the prisoners could hear. I just hope my team gets it, he thought.

Dice Morgan shook his head at Sewer Rat's posturings, clearly not getting what he was trying to do. "Lil' guy's been sniffin' his own fumes too long." Dice got too itchy just standing there and doing nothing. He reached under the mountain lion and grabbed the prisoner by the scruff of the neck. "Alright already. Talk!"

After a few minutes of Dice threatening violence, Captain Liberty intimidatingly glowing, and Sewer Rat sounding crazy, their prisoner broke down. "Alright, alright!" cried their prisoner. "I'll tell you anything you want to know if you just lay off!"

Alpha-Woman, wanting her own prisoner to interrogate, was ready to slap one of her guys if they didn’t wake up soon.

Meanwhile, Silver Scorpion finished her sweep of the house in the living room and actually found the eighth man hiding behind the couch, where he had been most of the time.

Silver Scorpion grabbed the man hiding behind the couch by his arm and twisted it behind him. "Come on, you, out there with the rest of 'em!" she said as she pulled him out into the open.

No one else to this point had given a second glance at the mountain lion sitting amongst them, but Silver Scorpion noticed it now for the first time and did a double-take. But, as no one else seemed to be paying it any mind, she shrugged inwardly and continued as if nothing was amiss.

"Is that all of them? If any got away they may be back with more soon," Silver Scorpion said to her fellow vigilantes. Then she turned to the already talking prisoner and added, "How many of you came here? Who ordered you? Why are you after me?" With each question she twisted the arm of her held prisoner.

"When Jason, the guy who owns this place, radioed the temple to tell us of the new people they radioed back word to us to come fetch them and take them straight back to the temple,” the prisoner said, his words just spilling out of his mouth. “It's just the eight of us still in town.”

“Milo headed back to the temple already. That's all we know!" Silver's prisoner added.

Outside, The Mountain Man had engaged in his own conversation with his prisoner. Only, using guile and subtlety instead of violence, he had learned that the man’s name was Chuck and that this had all been a big misunderstanding. The man, Chuck, was fascinated by what life must be like for a big city mobster (thinking of St. Louis as a big city) and listened attentively as the Mountain Man spun a tall tale for him.

Meanwhile, Alpha-Woman had managed to rouse one of her prisoners without smacking him too hard and got much the same answers out of him as Silver had. Alpha-Woman shook her fist, saying, "I bet you know information you aren't saying. Don't lie to me! I hate liars!" But then, calming down, she added, “Well, you two are lucky, I won't hit either of you. I’ll just put you with the others." And then she proceeded to move all the prisoners into one big pile.

Back outside, the Mountain Man asked Chuck, “So, I guess you guys pretty much own this town, huh? What's the point of that? How can you be making any money that way?"

Rpol Hideouts & Hoodlums Campaign - pt. 8

2011-12-30T15:30:00.000-06:00

Alpha-Woman saw the other man coming and acted quickly. Ignoring her combatant now that Silver Scorpion had joined the fight, she intercepted the second mobster at the top of the stairs. She attacked the unarmed man by swinging her captured rifle over her head and bringing it down on his head just as he tried to dodge. He tumbled down the stairs, landing unconscious at the bottom, though whether he was out cold from the head blow or the fall down the stairs was hard to say.

Behind her, Silver Scorpion found her unarmed opponent lunging for her, but she neatly brought her knee up into his groin and dropped him cold.

Hearing the gunshot from inside the house, the Daoist sprung into action. He shifted himself into the mountain lion guise that he had been contemplating earlier and pounced into the house, ready to fight.

Dice crouched at the sound of the gunshot, his hand going inside his jacket on reflex, then recalling that the Feds nixed the idea of him packing heat. His hand instead slipped into his brass knuckles before he entered the building. "What's all the hubbub, bub?" he asked as he looked for a light switch. Finding one, he flicked it off and plunged the front of the motel into darkness.

In the darkness, the Daoist in mountain lion form let out a loud snarl that startled two more intruders who had been in another room of the ground floor when the gun fired. They came in now, one of them shooting a hunting rifle at a shape in the dark that looked vaguely mountain lion-ish, but missing in the absence of light. Dice also took some wild swings in the dark and got lucky, cold-cocking the other intruder and laying him out flat.

The Mountain Man rushed around the house to the back entrance from the porch. As he ran he focused the power from his gorget and felt the power of the mountains suffusing his muscles and toughening his skin. He was ready to punch the first cultist who came out the back door or to rush in towards the fight.

A fifth intruder strayed too close to the backdoor and met the Mountain Man. Bolting outside, the man could not slam on the brakes before barreling into the Mountain Man. Unfortunately for him, he also barreled into the Mountain Man’s fist and took a nasty punch. The Mountain Man put the power of a landslide into his next punch. He had not wanted this fight, but he would end it.

Alpha-Woman ran back down stairs, scooped up the man she had knocked down them, and brought him over to where she had left Silver Scorpion fighting so they could tie up their prisoners together.

Dice hunched his shoulders and lowered his head in a fighter's stance, ready to deliver a brass-handed uppercut to anybody in his area. He squinted in the poor light to see if any of his cronies needed some help.

The Daoist, meanwhile, followed the muzzle flare to pounce on the man who had fired at him. The hapless man, caught between a pugilist and a puma, raced around the room to escape them both so fast that he lapped Dice and came straight at him. Dice Morgan got in another lucky sucker punch in the dark, landing it on the gunman’s jaw. The gunman reeled back into the waiting form of a mountain lion, who mauled the gunman unconscious.

Also meanwhile…the first gunshot had not waked the sound-sleeping Captain Liberty, but the second shot did. He joined the action, emerging in the dining room where he found a sixth intruder hiding. "Is this a private party or can anyone join?" Captain Liberty quipped. "For Liberty!" he roared, without waiting for a reply, as he attacked the remaining intruder with glowing knuckled fists, channeling the very might and right of liberty and freedom itself into the punch.

Outside, the power of a landslide proved to require too much aiming by moonlight, causing his punches to land well off their mark and almost crashing his fists through the wall of the motel instead. Still, the man was suitably impressed by the show of strength. He dropped his gun and threw up his hands, shouting “Not in the face! Not in the face!” like a sissy.

Sewer Rat was also still lurking outside, having not become involved in the struggle yet.

Back inside, Captain Liberty’s foe also sensed the battle had swung against him and his comrades, so he turned and ran from Capt. Liberty’s liberty-powered fists. His foe raced out of the dining room, through the kitchen, to the front room, where he escaped out the front door right behind Dice Morgan’s back. In the dark of the front room, Capt. Liberty saw Dice Morgan by the front door and moved up to him to attack.

Of the two remaining foes in the motel, only one kept his nerve and turned up to join the battle. He showed up in the dark living room, shooting wild with a revolver. He missed everyone, though the bullets came closest to hitting Captain Liberty.

"Stand back, villain, or face the mighty fist of Captain Liberty!" Capt. Liberty shouted at Dice Morgan. But after that they quickly identified each other and chose not to subdue each other.

Alpha-Woman had hers and Silver Scorpion’s prisoner tied up by now, waiting to interrogate them as soon as the fighting around them was over.

The Daoist was the first one to spot the remaining gunman in the living room. Still in mountain lion form, he lunged through the doorway and knocked over a chair on his collision course with the gunman. For a moment, the gunman had The Daoist in his sights and maybe could have taken him down, but lost his nerve at the last moment before he could pull the trigger. Turning to flee, he was quickly overtaken by The Daoist, who pounced on him and raked his back.

Top 10 Comic Book Purchases of 2011

2011-12-29T00:01:00.003-06:00

My dad was generous with the Christmas money this year and Comic Quest in Evansville had an amazing 18 boxes of $1 comics to go through, so I picked out some great comic books to give myself for Christmas. Below is just the top ten.

Fantastic Four: The End #1 (2007). Alan Davis extrapolates a lot more than I have, but this real-time version of Marvel continuity deals with some of the same issues – and resolves some things the same – as I do in my fanfiction.
Avengers vs. Atlas #3 (2010). The classic 1963-64 Avengers vs. Agents of Atlas – two charming teams written with smarts and wit and drawn excellently.
Justice Society of America #19 (2008). Earth-2 cameo, Kingdom Come crossover, and an Alex Ross cover!
Fantastic Four #514 (2004). Not the best work of Mark Waid and Karl Kesel, but – hey – it’s Mark Waid and Karl Kesel. I can even overlook the ridiculously big noses all the characters are drawn with.
X-Men: the Hidden Years #19 (2001). Previously unknown WWI mutants? X-Men vs. Mole Man? Why did this get canceled and all the sucky X-titles got to keep going?
Spider-Man: Lifeline #3 (2001). It’s an interesting sequel to the classic Infinity Formula story, but really, I just love it for the Steve Rude art. Yum!
Justice Society of America #2 (2007). Awful dark, with the death of Mr. America, but I love all the character interaction and the set-up to a new Steel.
Lost Stories #1 (1997). One of those black-and-white indies that is so hard to find, yet so rewarding when you find it. The love child of Thieves & Kings and The Travelers would be Lost Stories.
JLA Classified #52 (2008). I read the ending to this storyline first and was let down, but this issue sets up what Roger Stern writes best, scenarios where you can’t see coming how the good guys can beat the bad guy.
Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers #3 (2009). A big letdown from how much I loved #1, but still a lot of fun character interaction between a talking cat, a dog, and a frog.

Rpol Hideouts & Hoodlums Campaign - pt. 7

2011-12-28T10:21:00.002-06:00

Outside, Dice said in a loud voice (to make sure that anybody who was asleep would be up), "Hiya, gents. I guess ‘dis is the night ta’ be out admirin' the moon. What's with the rods?"

The Mountain Man didn't like the looks of this. He walked over to his truck, keeping the vehicle between him and where the men were coming from, and pulled his hunting rifle out from behind the seats. He kept the rifle low and out of sight and ducked behind the cab so he would be somewhat difficult to see.

Back inside, Silver Scorpion woke up at Alpha-Woman’s prodding. "Hmmm?....Trouble?!" Silver Scorpion exclaimed as she woke and leapt from the bed. "Just give me a sec to get back into this jumpsuit!" She slipped into her outfit at a terrific speed before moving to the window for a peek. She then took her cue from Alpha-Woman and rushed out to the interior hallway that connected their rooms to go rouse the others.

Having been alerted by Dice's loud greeting, the Daoist needed neither Silver Scorpion nor Alpha-Woman pounding on his door to wake him. He rolled out of bed and peered through his window at the scene outside. Americans were a strange people, but even for them such a late night visit by armed men could not be a good sign. He stole out the back of the inn and attempted to circle around behind the gunmen.

Back outside, Dice Morgan confronted the mob of eight alone.

"He's okay," one of the hunter-looking guys said, pointing at Dice. "We'll come back for you and your friends in the morning still. It's the two women and the guy that came with them we're supposed to take now."

"Don't forget the Chinaman," said another.

"Shut up, Earl," a third man said to the second man.

"No, you shut up," Earl said. "You think I'm going to want some slanty-eyed Asian sitting next to me when I'm saying my prayers to the rooster god? Do any of you? I say we take him along too."

The Mountain Man had hard cover and had not been spotted yet. Sewer Rat had slunk off somewhere and was nowhere to be seen.

Back inside, Alpha-Woman and Silver Scorpion managed to rouse only Gandor the Great. "A mob? At this hour?" Gandor asked. "How uncivilized. Sigh...give me a minute to dress."

At first, Alpha-Woman and Silver Scorpion were unaware that The Daoist was already awake and kept trying to rouse him. After finally realizing that the Daoist was not in his room, Silver Scorpion checked out the window again from the dark bedroom to see what is going on. Both women were ready to spring into action if it looked like Dice could not handle these guys.

The Daoist, as he circled wide around the stand-off, heard himself being discussed. He was angered by the stranger's slur, but continued to flank the men in silence for now. If given the chance, however, he intended to belt the man in one of his big round eyes.

The Mountain Man leaned out from where he had been listening and spoke up. "The Chinaman snuck off and we ain't sure where he went. He does that sometimes, but I'll vouch for him. The rest of these newcomers are folks we worked with down south. We thought they might be coming but weren't sure."

Dice Morgan and The Mountain Man had made the best case they could to avoid a violent confrontation, but the small mob simply called back that "Orders are orders!" and advanced on the modest motel. Dice and the Mountain Man balk at the four-to-one odds in case no one else joined in to support them and simply chose to follow instead, interfering with and stalling the mob as best they could without stopping them.

The mob was met at the front door by Jason Tenner, the burly motel's keeper. "Glad you boys got here so soon," Jason said to them.

"Orders from the temple are to take the three new people with us," Jason was told.

Jason responded with a nod, saying, "They're in rooms three and four."

Moving swiftly to rooms three and four on the upper floor, but the only person the mob encountered was Gandor the Great, sitting fully dressed in his room, who asked coolly, "Am I missing a welcoming party?"

Meanwhile, Alpha-Woman and Silver Scorpion dropped out of the second floor window and snuck around through the front door to deliver the first blow from behind, but the outdoorsman at the rear heard the floorboards creak at her approach and turned around in time to block a punch that would have struck the back of his head.

"Crazy dame!" he yelled as he struggled to hit her with the butt of his rifle. Alpha-Woman was much stronger than he suspected and she shrugged the attack off. While they grappled over the rifle, though, the rifle went off, making a thunderous noise that everyone inside and out heard and put a nice hole in the ceiling. Some plaster and dust rained down on the man's hunting cap.

Silver Scorpion saw the melee starting and saw that the rest of the intruders were still upstairs. Seeing only a moment’s opportunity to finish off this one before the others arrived to reinforce him, she lunged across the room and crashed the pommel of one of her silver knives right into the side of the man’s head, seriously injuring him. In horrible pain and thrown off-balance, the man let go of his rifle and Alpha-Woman took possession of it.

In response, a second man, unarmed, appeared at the top of the stairs.

Rpol Hideouts & Hoodlums Campaign - pt. 6

2011-12-14T21:30:00.002-06:00

Inside, the motel was staffed by a big man with flame-red hair and a leathery face, and his homely, mousy wife with a really big head of blonde hair on her. Dice, The Daoist, and Gandor the Great did not faze them much, but the more unusual appearance of The Mountain Man and Sewer Rat made the wife shrink back behind her husband.

"New recruits, Jason," Milo said, gesturing to them all.

"Then rooms are on the house," Jason -- obviously the red-haired man – responded.

Sewer Rat had followed them back, a bit irked at the walking he had to do. Travel was hard when keeping stealthy. He lurked outside the building, waiting for the best opportunity to contact his teammates. When the coast was clear, he snuck inside.

The Mountain Man planned to do a little investigating to make sure the group wasn't being set up or being watched before going to bed. He was glad to see Sewer Rat as he had done his reconnaissance for him. After asking his questions, the Mountain Man learned that the proprietor of the motel was watching their rooms from his office window.

"Now I wish I'd brought playing cards," Gandor the Great half-joked. "How long should we follow this 'recruits' ruse--"

"I think once we're in the front entryway we could commence with the …prearranged methods," The Mountain Man said in his gravelly voice, to cut Gandor off. He was nervous about being overheard and wished to keep conversation to innuendo. Or was that excitement instead of nervousness? His expression and body language did not show it, but he was really enjoying getting into the role of being a hero like in the dime store pulp novels.

Dice Morgan got bored quickly sitting around in a cramped room with no dames. He took out a deck of cards and pulled off a few flashy shuffling tricks. "Awright, gents. The game is Texas hold 'em. Anybody ready ta’ lose some money?"

"I daresay I have some spare change on me," Gandor said. "This 'Texas Hold Em' is some variant of poker, yes?"

The Mountain Man decided to play and use it as an opportunity to gauge his companions.

Dice Morgan found that The Mountain Man and Gandor the Great were both reasonably proficient at poker, but he was able to use their unfamiliarity with these obscure variant rules to his advantage.

Sewer Rat was uncomfortable in the closed quarters with other people and grew quiet. The Daoist, too, stood stoically silent by the window and watched the dark, quiet street outside.

Meanwhile...

Silver Scorpion's motorcycle best handled the dirt road leading out to Highland Township from Lake Superior's shoreline. Alpha-Woman's unadorned Chevy followed, with Captain Liberty's customized and colorful car behind hers. It was midnight when they reached what appeared to be a ghost town, save for a few lights on in the Highland Inn.

The Daoist spotted what appeared to be a small parade of vehicles pulling up to the motel. He could not see the drivers of the two cars yet, but the motorcycle driver appeared to be a woman in tight silver coveralls.

Silver Scorpion drove her bike up to the motel parking lot and parked it, then got off and waited for Alpha-Woman and Capt. Liberty to park and get out. "We may as well stay here, this place looks like a ghost town and we won't be able to find anything out until morning anyway," she said.
"Yeah, looks like we are staying here,” Alpha-Woman said. “I am going to go get a room. Should I pick out one with two beds, or are you bunking alone?"

Inside, Dice collected his winnings with a smug look. "Pleasure doin' business wit' ya, gentlemen." He glanced for a second at what could be holding the Daoist's interests out the window, then turned back to the dough in his hands. Then he did a double-take and stared out the window with renewed interest. "Holey smoke! Dames!" Completely forgetting the whole situation the group was in, he spiffed up his collar and headed for the door.

The Daoist turned away from the window and related what he saw to the others, unsure of exactly what was going on. "Either the Rooster's minions are on to us, or the cavar-ry has just arrived," he said.

The Mountain Man, who had only bet on poker what he could afford to lose, settled back into his chair and it creaked ominously. His craggy features and mountainous physique settled and the other heroes could see how he had gotten his name. He waited to see what would come of these new arrivals.

Dice Morgan was outside and introducing himself to Alpha-Woman and Silver Scorpion so fast the others half-suspected he had super-speed. Dice was charming and flirtatious, though Silver Scorpion was all business and Alpha-Woman seemed more interested in getting a room and taking a shower. When Dice offered to help her with that, he showed his true colors and the women were easily able to brush off his advances.

Less easy to deal with was explaining their mission to each other. Silver Scorpion and Alpha-Woman tried to evade Dice's queries about what brought them to Highland and Dice, for his part, was equally evasive back. Silver Scorpion and Captain Liberty were obviously superhero-types by their colorful outfits, though Capt. Liberty hung back and said little.

Although Dice did not seem like vigilante material to the lady vigilantes, these new eccentric-looking characters might be the vigilantes they were looking for. Finally, some direct questions revealed to the two groups that they were here to meet and team-up with each other.

While this give and take was going on, The Daoist and Sewer Rat left to go to a separate room for the night.

With that out of the way, more rooms were procured from Jason, the motel proprietor, and everyone agreed to work together in the morning.

Around 1 am, the Mountain Man and Dice Morgan could not sleep so they step outside for a smoke. When they were out there, they noticed Sewer Rat, still in his wet suit and mask, compulsively going through a garbage can out in front of the motel. Alpha-Woman, too, had trouble sleeping and happened to look out the window and saw the gathering of her would-be allies.

Just then, the four Heroes who were up noticed a group of eight men approaching the motel. Five of the men were the same as the group that had been with Milo earlier and were still armed with their hunting rifles.

Alpha-Woman shook Silver Scorpion awake. Then she put an undershirt on over her flannel shirt. The letter A was printed on the undershirt -- her only costume. "Hurry and dress," she told Silver Scorpion. "There could be trouble outside." Then she ran next door and pounded on Captain Liberty's door, trying to wake him up.

Rpol Hideouts & Hoodlums campaign - pt. 5

2011-12-12T20:54:00.000-06:00

The man approaching them from the hallway wore glasses, a red flannel shirt, and blue jeans with semi-casual shoes. He was a balding man in his late 40s with a big, round chin. He smiled when he first saw everyone, but quickly turned with a start at the sight of the masked Mountain Man. "Who--who are you?" he asked a moment later as he began to collect himself.

The man soon identified himself as Morton Helms ("You can call me Mort"), Township Clerk. "I'm afraid you boys caught us on a bad week, is all," he said in regards to how deserted the town seemed to be. "Fishing's been bad, but when it picks up people will start coming around again. Maybe you could try coming back in a week or two..."

The Mountain Man had waited to see if one of the others would speak up, but then took the lead. "Mort, we were interested in doing a little hunting once the season starts again. Are there any properties around here that we should definitely steer clear of? I don't want any crazy trapper or guy in the woods shooting our heads off for wandering onto his land, ya know?"

Mort's face sobered and he seemed to be trying to read everyone's intentions. Then his mask of politeness came back and he said as he beamed a big smile, "I don't think you'll find any good hunting in these parts either. But I would avoid going east out of town if I were you. There's some...well, grumpy old men living out that way who might not like you wandering through their property."

That seemed the best lead they had, so they left Town Hall. Sewer Rat opted to skulk behind them on foot, leaving Dice Morgan to drive his jalopy, with Gandor the Great riding shotgun. The Daoist rode in the passenger seat beside the Mountain man.

Dice Morgan scowled as they headed back out of town. "Dat old coot knew more'n he was tellin' us. Mebbe’ we shoulda’ leaned on him a lil' bit. Just so's we knew exactly what we're gettin' into." He cracked his large knuckles. "Ah well. Least we'll get the chance to crack some heads." He looked around at the company he was keeping and quickly added, "Y'know, fer’ Uncle Sam an' all."

After two miles of driving on a dirt road running between increasingly spread out farms and seeing no sign of a temple, everyone began to think they'd been had by the township clerk. Dice and Gandor, both particularly suspicious, stopped their car first. Everyone got out and conferred in the middle of nowhere and agreed that Mort knew more than he let on and that he needed a second talking to.

When their mini-caravan was almost back to the Town Hall, they found the road ahead blocked by an old, beat-up pickup truck parked sideways across the road. Behind it stood five gritty-looking farmhands in overalls and holding hunting rifles. They seemed to be expecting the heroes.

Dice Morgan and the Mountain Man stopped their vehicles and rolled down their windows. Then they could hear one of the armed men yell out, "You can't come this way! Might as well head back where you were going!"

Dice growled, getting a bit riled at the sight of the weapons. "You boys seem so all-fired insistent,” he shouted back, “maybe ya’ oughtta’ tell us just what you think it is we were headed towards!"

Sitting in his truck behind the Sewer Rat's vehicle, The Mountain Man reached into his heavy pack on the floor of his truck and got a grip on the haft of his hatchet, but kept it out of sight for the moment.

The Daoist opened the passenger door of the truck a tiny bit, preparing to charge at the gunmen if things came to blows.

Dice called from the window, "So, you boys got something you wanna tell us?" He quietly loosened his fighting knife in its sheath under his coat.

“We don't need strangers in Highland," the speaker continued angrily from about 20 ft. ahead of Dice’s parked car. "Unless you know somebody in town who can vouch for you, you're about to lose your radiator. And then we aim for the windshield! Hoist 'em up, boys!" the leader commanded as the other four lifted their rifles to their shoulders and took aim.

"I've never been so unpopular before putting on a show," Gandor the Great quipped to Dice. "I see you're fondling a weapon there. Shall we rush them and see what a little brawling can do?"

The Mountain Man got out of his truck with his pack over his shoulder, "We know Milo Haroldson. He said we should look him up if we came up here." The Mountain Man was using the name just so he could cover some of the distance to the men. If he could get into fighting range he planned to bring his hatchet to bear on the closest man.

The Daoist slid out of the truck and followed a few paces behind the Mountain Man. He hoped violence could be avoided, but should events prove otherwise he was prepared to transform into a mountain lion. He had encountered the impressive beast in the wilds of Montana several months prior and thought it would make a formidable attacker.

Sewer Rat, in his outfit, lurked nearby. He had spotted the ambushers and followed them out here. Fortunately, it was easy enough to notice when a militia started mobilizing. "Anywhere there's men with guns, there's trouble," he had said quietly as he followed them through the woods. He did what eavesdropping he could, but no one had said anything that seemed like a clue. He prayed that no one would remember there was one less person with his comrades trying to get back into town. He could see the other heroes being held up, but after Mountain Man spoke he decided to wait and see if diplomacy could work. Nevertheless, he had held a length of pipe tight in his hands, just in case.

Dice got out of the truck and loomed up to his full, impressive height, his bowie knife still hidden by the car door. "Hey, easy on the car; it's a rental!"

Dice Morgan was not used to thinking in combat situations, so that was as clever as he got. He narrowed his eyes at one that he guessed was their leader. "Pal, you don't want any of us. Do yerself’ a big favor and put the guns up." He was hoping to draw attention away from the Mountain Man and Daoist so they could get close enough to strike. If it looked like the rednecks were going to open fire on any group members, Dice planned to barrel into the nearest gunman before he could draw a bead and kick him in the, well, Southern exposure.

The speaker lowered his rifle slightly and asked, "Milo, you say? That's really interesting, because I'm Milo." He lowered his rifle more and the other four men with him relaxed their aim slightly too. "Where are you from? Where have you traveled? What skills do you have?” Milo fired off in rapid succession.

Although everyone had been ready to rush the riflemen, it seemed that the moment has passed and an opportunity for subterfuge had arisen. After some vague answers, they learned that Milo had been hanging around town waiting for recruits from Missouri who had fled when Doc Savage defeated The Evil Gnome. “The pay is $10 a month just for being in the cult and there'll be more for you soon enough if you prove yourself useful. We need experienced soldiers, captain material, and you might be what we're looking for. Our temple is about a 10-hour hike from here and the terrain is so rough that you'd never find it without a guide. Why don't you get some rest at the Highland Inn and we'll set out in the morning?”

"I think that will be okay," The Mountain Man said. "Myself, I can do a lot of things. I'm handy in the woods and have some experience fighting. These other guys can speak for themselves if they choose."

The Daoist kept his mouth shut and his eyes low, doing his best to appear as some sort of manservant.

On the south end of the township was a small, 5-room motel. It had been dark and appeared to be closed up when they all passed it earlier, but now that the locals were leading them there, two lights came on inside and the front door was left open. The sign out front read "Highland Inn."

Rpol Hideouts & Hoodlums campaign - pt. 4

2011-12-11T00:39:00.001-06:00

When Alpha-Woman saw two of the men exiting the Comeback Diner, she snuck up behind them quietly and tried to lasso them both with her rope. But the breeze shifted at the last moment on Alpha-Woman and her improvised lasso only fell harmlessly on top of one of the two men.

"What the--?" he cried as the two turned around and saw a black-haired beauty in a dark flannel men's shirt and jeans attempting to capture them.

The Silver Scorpion drove up on her chromed motorcycle to the Comeback Motel. Noting the car with the empty basket on top, she parked beside it and disembarked, stretching lithely after such a long ride. She looked around for anyone nearby.

Is this really the place? I hope I’m not too late! she thought to herself. She noted the two men coming out of the diner and was about to try and catch their attention with a smile and a wave when she noted someone sneaking up behind them. What in the..., she thought, her face showing her concern. She quickly moved forward to stop any nefarious deeds that may be afoot, keeping a careful eye on the un-lassoed man. She was ready to disarm him if he should pull a gun.

"Let's no one be too hasty or I'll have to lay all of you out, alright? Now, what's going on here?" Silver Scorpion demanded.

Alpha-Woman replied to the stranger in the silver jumpsuit. "These guys have been doing suspicious things. I've been watching them for a week. There is two more not here." She also attempted to grab them both so they could not move.

"Funny business, hey?” Silver Scorpion said. “What do you have to say for yourselves?" she demanded of the two men. But she was ready to stop both them and the mysterious woman if any of them tried to flee the scene.

Alpha-Woman managed to grab one of the two men by the shoulder as he'd brushed the lariat off his shoulder, but the other one saw her coming and stepped back to dodge.

"You should'a just asked, doll face," the guy Alpha-Woman grabbed saied. "Steve, show 'em your badge."

The man apparently named Steve opened his jacket and pulled out a badge. "He's right, ladies, we're the FBI. Your little sting operation only caught us eating pie at taxpayer expense. Are either of you two here about the ads?"

After more cross-examination, it became apparent that Silver Scorpion, from out of Minneapolis, had not been targeted for recruitment, but had read the classified ad meant for the Daoist and guessed it was suspicious enough to investigate. And Alpha-Woman was just in the right place at the right time.

"You two babes want in on a mission?" asked the agent not named Steve as he took his shoulder back from Alpha-Woman.

Still a little suspicious of the guys, Alpha-Woman reluctantly agreed to join in on this mission.

"A mission? Sure, that's right up my alley!" Silver Scorpion said, more enthusiastically.

The two lady-vigilantes were led to the storm doors that Alpha-Woman had seen the FBI agents descend down many times. She was right to suspect they had a secret lair under the motel, though their activities were not what she had suspected.

"Agent Fletcher," the agent in charge said, identifying himself to the two once they were in the main room of their underground headquarters.

"What's the mission?" Silver Scorpion asked boldly.

"First, Saul, go up topside and see if any more vigilantes show up late!" Agent Fletcher sayid to one of the other G-Men. "Pardon me, ladies," Fletcher continued, turning back to Alpha-Woman and Silver Scorpion. "We'd actually heard about female vigilantes operating in the Minneapolis area and right here around Duluth, but...you know, we thought this might be man's work. Still, you showed a lot of initiative and detective skills just finding us, since we set out only to contact four vigilantes initially.

"The mission is this," Agent Fletcher continued. "We've got three agents missing in the field, we presume captured by a bunch of nutty rooster-loving cultists up north in a little out-of-the-way place called Highland Township. We're trying to get them out quietly, which is why we took the unorthodox method of contracting the job out to costumed vigilantes. We sent our recruits there a few hours ago."

"Hey, boss!" Saul said when he returned abruptly. "Some guy in a costume just showed up in a red, white, and blue car!"

"Cripes! I've turned this place into Grand Central Station for vigilantes!" Agent Fletcher cried. "If this doesn't work, I'm gonna be fired! Somebody get me an aspirin! You two," he said, pointing to Alpha-Woman and Silver Scorpion. "Intercept this new guy for us, find out if he's got the chops for vigilante work, and let him tag along if you think he'll be useful to you. Me, I'm seriously gettin' a headache..."

Alpha-Woman and Silver Scorpion returned to the nighttime air and meet Captain Liberty in the parking lot.

Silver Scorpion waved to the newcomer. "You arrived just in time. We're off to Highland Township to stop some cultists, you in or what?" she asked with a smile.

"This is a lot for one day, but very exciting!" exclaimed Alpha-Woman. Then she shook the man's hand and added, "Yeah, are you in?”

"I'm Captain Liberty. Count me in," the last arrival said.

Alpha-Woman offered to give anyone a lift, as she also had a car parked nearby, but everyone felt more comfortable taking their own vehicle and caravaning to Highland. Captain Liberty produced a map, held it up under the neon light of the motel sign, and they all found the route they would take.

"So, how are we going to play this?” the Mountain Man asked. “Bash in the door of the place or try to join up? My inclination would be for goin' after 'em hard. I'm not to keen on the sneakin' about." The Mountain Man asked this as soon as the caravan of vehicles had stopped at the south end of the dirt road serving as the main street through the township, within sight of Town Hall and the closed businesses.

The Daoist was the first to answer the Mountain Man's question. "I do not think I wouwd’ find much ‘ruck joining their group."

Dice Morgan cracked his knuckles. "Heh. I sez we just goes in swinging. Can't be more'n, what, a hun'red of 'em in there at most."

The direct approach seemed to be favored by everyone -- only, no one had yet come up with any idea for finding this temple. Most of the buildings in town were pretty small to be hiding temples in them and the only place they could look for one without breaking and entering was Town Hall. So they tried that first.

The lobby of the Town Hall has some old, weather-beaten chairs in it, a dying potted plant in the corner, and a ceiling fan overhead that did not move. The walls were decorated with a moose head and some mounted fish. Town Hall sounded quiet and deserted at first, but soon they heard footsteps approaching.

Rpol Hideouts & Hoodlums Campaign - pt. 3

2011-12-09T08:40:00.001-06:00

"How very intriguing," Gandor the Great said, though he did not elaborate further on which part of this he found so intriguing.

One of the agents brought The Daoist a can of pop from the fridge.

“All done getting to know each other?" Agent Fletcher asked a minute later. "Now get nice and comfy because it's my turn to tell you all a little story. Any of you ever been to Highland, Minnesota? Probably not. It's a little, out-of-the-way township up and over in Lake County," he said, gesturing as if there was a map behind him he could point to. "Problem is, some nutballs built a temple up there seven years ago. At the time they said it was a synagogue, but no later than 1934 we know they were being led by some kook calling himself St. Stephen. We've found some pamphlets these people distributed back then full of quackery like how rooster parts could solve everything from your love life to your job hunting. On the back is the really disturbing stuff, about the End of Days and roosters inheriting the Earth." As he speaks, he produces an old, bent-up pamphlet from his pocket and shows it to you. The subject matter matches his description and there is a picture of a rooster on the front cover. "You'd think that would get them laughed out of town, but this was the height of the Depression and they somehow had money to throw around. They'd built up quite a cult for themselves when we got called in a year ago by a local sheriff who told us he'd seen...human sacrifice going on at their temple. The sheriff turned up dead shortly after that. We've sent in three agents since then to either observe or infiltrate this cult and they've all gone missing. We have learned that St. Stephen is still leading the cult. We also know that he's hiring mercenaries, mostly ex-cons. He seems to be recruiting a small army, but we don't know why. We also don't know if our missing agents are alive or dead.

“Our idea is to get you recruited by the cultists. Sending in our agents hasn't been working and we're afraid to send in more. There's a slim chance that we lost three agents because the cultists got one of them to identify the other two. You, on the other hand, are fresh faces who should be in no danger of discovery. Whether you sneak in as recruits or make a frontal assault on the place is entirely up to you. We don't really care what happens to these nutball cultists, which is why we don't care that you're all vigilantes. Whatever happens in that temple, we're turning a blind eye to, if you get my meaning. If you find any of the missing agents, don't worry too much about getting them out of too far out of Highland. We'll have another team following you. Once you're clear, they'll get you home. There should be enough agents on that team to raid the temple once you've done all you can.”

"Sounds like someone is obsessed with cock," said Tommy, only half-aware of the joke. "Well, I'm more of an infiltrator I guess. I'm sure they'd love a fresh new face to fill with Rooster love."

"What exactly is in it for us if we do this for you?” asked the Mountain Man. “Why not just send in the army and take the place down? That's what you government-types did to the Bonus Army back in '32. Sent the tanks and the gas canisters in against some respectable veterans, why not against these crazy cultists? And last I checked, the Depression is still raging, at least it is for most of America." He leaned heavily against the wall, awaiting his answers.

The FBI agents started to snicker at Sewer Rat's comment. Evidently, this was something of a private joke between them already. But their looks sobered at The Mountain Man's mini-speech. Agent Fletcher answered dryly, "Different administration, different response. Hoover would of rolled in tanks, but Roosevelt doesn't want another public relations debacle, like headlines saying the Army had to kill a bunch of poor, crazy farmers. And I didn't mean to rile you up about the Depression. I'm sure it's still bad for a lot of people. At least in my neck of the woods, though, it's not as bad as it was a few years ago. That's all I meant by 'height of the Depression'."

Dice Morgan cracked his neck to the left and then to the right. "Yeah, yeah. Get in, look around, raise a ruckus, an' then get outta’ Dodge. Let's get ‘dis over with already. I'm gettin' grey hairs just standin' here listenin' to all the talk."

“That's the mission. If you need a reward, we can offer you $1,000 per agent you get out of Highland. The agents you'll be looking for are Andrew Morland, Rudy Malefor, and Vincent Meridan. Here's a photo of each of them. You can look at them as long as you need to, but you can't take them with you. There's only one thing more we can give you – another name. This guy is from Highland and we're pretty sure he's a low-level cultist. You might be able to throw his name around to get you into or out of places. It's Milo Haroldson.

"One last thing,” he says, holding up a small pill bottle. “This is hush-hush stuff now, but the FBI has whipped up these things we call healing pills. This bottle has two of them. You swallow one, it cures anything short of a serious wound. We're letting you take these two pills with you if you accept the mission. Now, you can talk over the offer yourselves or, if you're already sold, you can start planning what you're gonna do right here. You already know everything me and the boys know, but if there's anything else you need, we'll try to help.”

Much of what Agent Fletcher said meant little to the Daoist. He couldn't understand American politics one bit. He did, however, know the rooster.

"The Rooster is a stwong figure. One that should be ‘wespected. His forrowers’ wirr’ be brave. And keen of sight. We muss be cautious."

Dice Morgan narrows his eyes. "So just ta be straight, do we get the dough if, say, we bring your boys back in little bits, or only if we get 'em out in one piece?"

"I'll make that extra clear too," Agent Fletcher answered. "The $1,000 is for bringing each one of them back alive. If I wanted them dead, I could send agents in now with guns blazing. But I figure someone like The Shadow could do it with a little more finesse. I can't get The Shadow, though, so you guys will have to do."

After The Daoist finished his Coca-Cola, and Dice and the Mountain Man finished their questions, everyone headed up topside. With two vehicles for five Heroes, there was ample room to transport everyone.

It was a lonely 30-mile stretch of dirt road reaching northeast of Duluth, with dense forest all along the left side and Lake Superior staying within sight past the trees to the right. The road kept going on and their only company for most of the trip, beside each other, were truckers heading to and from Canada and vacationers hauling boats to some remote lake for a fishing expedition. The townships became few and far between, pockets of civilization punctuating the spreading wilderness, with Palmers Township the last before entering Lake County. The townships were more like rustic farming villages now, each more rustic than the last. It was like going back in time as they passed Knife River, Larsmont, and Two Harbors. By the time they reached a dirt road heading north from a wooden signpost that read “Highland, 12 miles,” they had the uncomfortable sensation of having driven back into the 19th century.

When they did reach Highland, they were not even surprised to find it looked like a dried-up ghost town. Most of the businesses had “closed,” “out of business”, or “gone fishing” signs on their doors. The only place that seemed to be open was Town Hall. And there was no sign of a temple.

Back at the Comeback Motel and Diner, FBI agents were (unbeknownst to most people) becoming a common sight. Two of them were heading out of the diner after a lengthy chat over cigarettes and apple pie, punctuated with their favorite hobby of hitting on the waitresses. The basket of apples was empty, but still sitting on the roof of their car out front. Little did they know that they were being observed.

Alpha-Woman, Duluth’s still-unknown hometown defender, had been working surveillance on the Comeback Motel for a week and decided that she was going to make her move and confront these suspicious characters, who were surely hoodlums.

Rpol Hideouts & Hoodlums Campaign - pt. 2

2011-12-07T15:04:00.001-06:00

The Mountain Man walked up to the passenger's side door of the parked car with the two men inside and leaned over. His deep, gravelly voice startled the men somewhat, "I was hoping to buy some apples."

Dice Morgan, a cheap thug in an expensive suit, chewed on a toothpick and scowled as he heard the sudden voice from outside his window. He turned to the source of his irritation and his broad features did a double-take as he found himself staring at more gold than he'd ever before seen in one place.

After his eyes popped back into his head, Morgan turned to the man sitting behind the wheel. "Hey, suit. Looks like another one a yer mooks made it." His grin was like a razor on velvet as he nodded towards the newcomer's costly gear and muttered under his breath, "How ya like THEM apples, suit? Least he ain't wearin' tights."

Morgan extended a hamlike hand to the man outside the window. "Dice Morgan. Pleeztameetcha."

Tommy pulled into the parking lot. His sloppy parking job gathered more attention than he liked, going in and out three times. Once he was satisfied, Tommy hopped out of the car and looked around. He saw his contacts, realizing the apple basket on the hood meant the men he was looking for thanks to the classified ad that had reached him in Detroit. He got out, then doubled back again to lock the car. As nonchalantly as he could, Tommy sat on the car next to his contact, grabbed an apple and began to munch on it.

It was likely that none of the men out front of the Comeback Motel even noticed the small brown squirrel jumping off the rear bumper of a passing car. The animal bounded across the parking lot towards the mountain of a man standing alongside the Ford Roadster and scurried under the car. One might think it was dropping eaves, if that wasn't such a ridiculous notion. After the second man arrived and loudly crunched into an apple, the squirrel made its move.

Darting out from under the car, it pounced onto the hood, next to the most recent arrival, leapt into the bucket of apples and then back to the ground, at the feet of the gold-laden man, a piece of the fruit held between its tiny arms. The animal stood there a moment, looking up at the men peering down at him curiously, when suddenly there was no squirrel anymore. Instead a small Chinese man was crouched on the ground, holding the apple in his left hand.

Rising to his feet, he looked at the suited man in the car and said quietly, "I am the Daoist."

Lao-Tzu, the Daoist, was garbed in loose fitting black pants and a white coat that was tied together by a cloth belt. He wore no mask, for he found that Americans were wholly incapable of telling one Chinese man from the next. He had come from Minneapolis, summoned by a classified ad just as the others had been.

A taxi cab pulled up to the parking lot less than a minute after the Daoist's startling transformation. A man with a mustache and goatee, wearing a long black scarf over a black dress suit, climbed out of the back of the cab and paid his driver. The man looked over the group assembling in the parking lot and walked towards them.

"Well, well," the man said. "What an interesting group of people. Dare I trust that we are all here buying apples? Allow me to introduce myself. I am Gandor the Great."

When the four would-be heroes had all made their presence known, the driver of the Ford put down his paper and motioned for Dice to get out of the car with him. The driver grabbed the remaining apple and took a bite out of it. He was a tall, lean man of about 40 years old. "This is my favorite part of this job so far," he said. "I'm not the guy you need to speak to, but I can lead you to him. Follow me." With that, he led everyone around to the side of the motel and the storm doors to a cellar. Still eating his apple, he gave a secret knock on the doors before opening them. The stairs below led to a small, concrete-walled cellar being used for mundane storage, but there was a door at the rear of the cellar that the man went to and gave the same knock. This door led to a narrow, bending corridor that required everyone to go single-file before it emptied into a larger concrete-walled cellar. There were some appliances down here, including a refrigerator, and three men in suits rose from sitting around a folding table when they arrived. Two of them kept their hands tensed, as if ready to go for concealed guns. The third man, shorter, with a roundish face, acted more cordial.

"Nice work, Saul," the third man said to their escort. Then he addressed the assembled would-be heroes, saying, "You want Saul to fetch you anything from the diner while you're down here? If not, that's fine. We've got Coca-Cola in the fridge too." He opened his jacket pocket and produced a badge to show you. "My name is Fletcher, we're all FBI here, and I'm the Agent in Charge. As I'm sure you can imagine, contacting vigilantes and bringing them into a case is not standard operating procedure for the FBI, but we have an ongoing situation that requires unusual reactions. Have a seat if you want," he said, waving towards some spare chairs and stools. "I have to give you a short speech soon, but first, I have to tell you that the FBI knows something about each of you that would help us track down your true identity – if we wanted to. We're not interested in that today, so I want you all to introduce yourselves to each other, but you don't have to say a word about who you really are, unless you really want to. You already met Saul. The man with him is 'Dice' Morgan. Make no mistake, he's a two-bit crook – but he's going to help you do what we need you do and that's gonna’ wipe his slate clean. And my other agents are Rob and Steve here.”

"I am The Mountain Man," The Mountain Man said to anyone in the room who did not know that. And to those who knew anything about such things, they realized that on closer inspection his golden gorget was of crude, perhaps ancient construction. Indeed, it was of pre-Colombian origins.

"Ah, no sank you, I have eaten arready," the Doaist replied in his thick accent to Agent Fletcher's offer of food. "But I woud rike a Coca-Cora. Your American beverages are very tasty. You cahn cawr me the Daoist."

The Rpol Hideouts & Hoodlums Campaign -pt. 1

2011-12-07T11:15:00.002-06:00

[Although my ongoing campaign is archived at rpol.net, I find it increasingly hard to find anything in their archives, since the site has no search feature that searches across multiple pages. Hence, my decision to "clean up" the story a bit and publish it here in installments.]

Prologue: Dice Morgan

Eu Claire, Wisconsin was his own personal purgatory. Rural life was such a drag compared to the hustle and bustle of Chicago. But, for the last six months, it meant staying out of Malone's reach and staying alive. It wasn't all boring. Dice took a job washing dishes at the local diner just to keep busy and had been romancing one of the waitresses, Cassie. Unfortunately, because he never knew when to keep his trap shut, he started bragging to Cassie about his criminal past to hold her attention. That, and Cassie was married. The night he talked Cassie into staying late at the diner and kissed her, she went home and confessed everything to her husband. Of course, Dice didn't know that at the time. He only found out days later when the guys in suits came into the diner asking about him.

Dice was smart enough to attempt to escape out the back, but they had expected it and had a man waiting back there for him. If they had been Malone's boys, Dice would have been fitting for a pine overcoat, but this was almost as bad because the guy out back flashed him a badge and said he was FBI.

The other two from out front joined them and, once the three of them had Dice’s complete attention, the oldest and the tallest one said, “Dice Morgan? You don't have to answer; we know that's you. We know about Chicago and the Romanian too. Got a hot tip that you were hiding out here and chasing people's wives. Your rap sheet is about as long as my arm and I've got long arms. But we're here to talk to you about a deal. We need a criminal for a sort-of inside job. Something that's going down up by Duluth, Minnesota. It's gonna get you even farther away from Chicago and, if you do right by us, we can make your record disappear. You interested?”

Duluth, Minnesota meant more rural life, but since all three of them were packing heat, it made no sense to say no. The man who did the talking, Agent Schultze, said he would rendezvous with Dice in Proctor, Minnesota. Agents Outcalt and McCay were to “stick to him like glue” until Dice got there. They drove him back to the motel Dice had been staying at and let him pack. Dice considered making a break for it, but that offer about a record was too tempting. With the heat off from the law, Dice would only have Malone to worry about for the rest of his days. Maybe the FBI could even help with Malone too, he considered.

On the ride up to Proctor, Agent Outcalt opened up to Dice a little. He said Dice might be holed up in Proctor for a week before they needed him. He wouldn't be handcuffed at all unless he misbehaved. They had a room waiting for him there at the Comeback Motel. It sounded like Eu Claire all over again, except without Cassie and the dish washing. As to the job they needed him for, all Outcalt would say was that it involved some vigilantes. And he didn't sound too happy about that.

Prologue II: Cliff Shale, the Mountain Man

Life in the wilds of Northern Michigan had changed since his exciting adventure at the mine last month. The Mountain Man was already becoming a local legend. No one had yet realized that the legend vaguely resembled him. That might have been a good thing too, as the Mountain Man was not a popular legend at the moment. The mine had been closed all month while under investigation, which meant a lot of temporarily unemployed miners. The owners were promising to reopen soon and his father, Thomas, was confident he'd soon have his old job back. Cliff wasn't as confident and, though he was happy with being a lumberjack, he began checking the classified ads in the paper to see if something that paid even better was available. That was when he saw the strange personal ad. It read:

“MM, you're needed in Minn. Take U.S. Rt. 2 to Duluth tomorrow and stop for the night after you pass it. Stop to buy some apples. Will pay you back generously.”

He could not shake the thought afterward that “MM” referred to the Mountain Man and that some mysterious benefactor was trying to offer him a clandestine mission! Of course, his father had always accused him of being a romantic dreamer and perhaps he had read too many pulp novels and superhero comic books since realizing what the gorget could do. Still, it wouldn't hurt to check it out. A glance at a map revealed that he could follow Rt. 2 almost the whole way from Michigan. At worst, he'd be gone for a day or two.

Chapter One
The Comeback Motel

May 2, 1940. Thursday, early evening.

Cliff Shale was slow to decide things but once he did he was like an avalanche tumbling down a mountain. He made excellent time and was pulling into Ashland, Wisconsin where he pulled off at a park overlooking Chequamegon Bay and ate the lunch he had packed.

He drove on through the afternoon and the low skyline of Duluth was well in view as the sun was beginning to set behind it and Cliff drove his Ford across the bridge from Superior and over the estuary of the St. Louis River.

The destination along Rt. 2 closest to Duluth turned out to be Proctor Township. At the top of a hill, overlooking the highway, sat a lonely motel with an unattached diner next door. The neon sign proclaimed this to be the Comeback Motel. Some cars, mostly Chevrolet and Plymouth sedans, sat out front, but one was a Ford roadster with a bucket of apples sitting on the hood. A man in a suit and hat was sitting behind the wheel, reading the newspaper, while another man sat next to him looking bored. The bored man was Dice Morgan.

Cliff Shale was the first to arrive, pulling up to the motel and going inside to rent a room for the night. He quickly decided that the roadster outside with the two occupants must contain his mysterious contacts and changed into his Mountain Man outfit.

From Detroit, Michigan, teenaged Tommy Russel arrived in his car. Tommy was rather excited. I can't believe I got hired to do something. I can't wait to find out, he thought to himself. He drove an old Buick, a junker he had to fix himself. Used to the city, he had little driving experience, and the rental shop had banned him because of the smell he always left after his adventures as Sewer Rat. Still, Tommy tried to be as comfortable above ground as he was below ground.

The Mountain Man walked purposefully up to the car with the apples from a half-block up the street while everyone assumed that the Cliff Shale, the man who had arrived in the old Ford pickup, was entertaining himself in the room he had rented. The Mountain Man was a built like mountainside. He was just over 5 1/2 feet tall and seemed to be almost 4 feet wide. He had a barrel chest and stocky legs. He sported a red plaid shirt and heavy work-worn blue jeans. His heavy work boots bore the dirt, dust, and scuffs of many a wilderness trail. All that just made him seem like any other hard-working man from around Lake Superior. What made him look unusual was the black domino mask he wore and the even stranger heavy gold gorget that was clasped to his neck. The gold shined with the wealth of a lost civilization and the craftsmanship looked ancient.

DriveThruRPG Newsletter article - 9/22/2011

2011-12-06T12:39:00.000-06:00

Ten Years and Growing

RPGNowJust a reminder that we're still celebrating the tenth anniversary of RPGNow and the Digital Revolution. Check out the Top Ten Titles for each of those Ten Years (just don't try saying that ten times fast; I sprained my brain doing it).

Bring it to the Table

Gallery of Rogues

The following is a preview of The Trophy Case vol. 1, no. 5, brought to you by Great Scott! Games

Trophy CaseRunning HIDEOUTS & HOODLUMS on the fly and need some quick Supporting Cast Members? Below are three ready-made SCMs that can be dropped into most any campaign.

William J. Bacon, City Councilman

F 1, hp 4. AL L. S 10, I 17, W 11, C 13, D 8, Ch 8.

“Porkbelly” his enemies call him and the name seems to fit; this WWI vet has not aged well and is round and portly now in his 40s. But he is also a genius with a fantastic memory for facts and figures, as well as having an earnest desire to help his constituents by bringing more jobs to the community. His political enemies see it as coddling the working class and wish to sink his chances of re-election. They may not have to work hard; William is a quiet, soft-spoken man with a habit of murmuring his way through speeches. Unless he acquires a more vocal and outgoing spokesperson, like perhaps a local Hero, then his political future seems dim.

Michaela Salmons, Zookeeper

E 2, hp 13. AL L. S 13, I 9, W 10, C 15, D 12, Ch 9.

At only 30 years old, this explorer has spent a surprising number of years in Africa and South America, trapping exotic animals both large and small and bringing them back to zoos in the United States. Prescient of the dangers of extinction, she has made it her mission to secure as many animals to be safeguarded in zoos as possible. She was never so naïve as to believe that the animals were better off in zoos than in the wild, but it still shocked her to see the appalling conditions at the zoo in your Hero’s home town. She promptly applied for the job of head zookeeper and began making severe changes as soon as she won the post. Of course, the old head zookeeper, now fired, resents her intrusion and has been plotting his revenge.

Also, wanderlust has been tugging at her and Michaela desperately needs to find a worthy successor so she can go exploring again. Not all of this is a natural wanderlust. When she was last in South America, she was scouting some ruins and saw a bright, sparkly object there that she can barely recall the appearance of now in her mind, but subconsciously is compelled to go back and look at again…

Minnie Green, Architect’s Wife.

M-U 2, hp 6. AL N. S 11, I 14, W 7, C 13, D 12, Ch 7.

Minnie Bernstein was perfectly happy when she married Phillip Green and became a housewife and she remained happy for several years. Then things became boring at home. She tried getting involved in the community, her church, and her neighbor’s personal business through gossip, but nothing seemed to help – until she found a real spellbook for sale in a bookstore. At first it was just a lark, but to her surprise, she understood the spells and could make them work. And, for awhile, the secret life of being a witch kept her from feeling bored.

It started out with just telling one friend. Then another. Soon, Minnie had a whole coven of bored housewives in her neighborhood, eager to become her apprentices. They knit, gossip, and learn black magic, all without their husbands knowing. So far.

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A Better Game
Header
Another Trip Down Memory Lane with Phil

I'd like to open with a nice and interesting letter I got in response to my Speaking Out with my Geek Out about minis last week.

The most recent newsletter was, as usual an enjoyable read. Our views on the painting of miniatures are totally different, I've always found the painting to be more than half the fun of the total gaming experience. I seem to paint "life" into them and think up plots and powers as I go. When pre-paints showed up, I was kind of disturbed, as here was a trend that would take the young players away from the enjoyment of the creative portion of using miniatures and 3D terrain in gaming. In a way that was a loss in my attempts to get the beginners into working with their hands and actually making something tangible. Well, I lost a few potential Painters but the games carried on -- and after all, the Game's the thing! - Karl Stimeling

And now I'd like to share something a little different; it's another great look back at the history of our hobby from Phil Brucato, in the guise of birthday wishes.

Happy Birthday, Bill and John Bridges!

Gods, gods... has it really been 28 years?

More DriveThruRPG Newsletter mentions

2011-12-06T12:31:00.001-06:00

From 3/15/2011:

ZEITGEIST Adventure Path Intro
by EN Publishing
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=89418&it=1&SRC=newsletter

Download this FREE short two-page introduction to EN Publishing's upcoming ZEITGEIST adventure path for D&D 4th Edition and PATHFINDER RPG, available here on RPGNow and DriveThruRPG! You can purchase the ZEITGEIST subscription here.

Trophy Case vol. 1, no. 3
by Games by Scott Casper
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=89403&it=1&SRC=newsletter

HIDEOUTS & HOODLUMS is back with more goodies, like four new mobsters, addenda to a Supplement I appendix, a review of the book Supermen: The First Wave of Comic Book Heroes, original fiction from blogger Steve Lopez, and tips for H&H players!

Newest Products

Power Pics Villains 12- Timeshift M&M edition
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Price: $0.99

New and improved! Now contains stats to instantly use in your M&M game, all at the same old price! Power Pics are intended to be used in roleplaying games for either PC and NPC portraits or generic stock art in personal or professional...

From 6/29/2011:

A Wanderer's Romance
by Stargazer Games
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=92757&it=1&SRC=newsletter

The world began as nothing but ocean. The Origins raised up a million colourful islands, anything larger than a few dozen miles being swallowed by the envious deep. Some of these immaterial beings chose to take a physical form and live in the varied lands...

The Trophy Case vol. 1, no.4
by Games by Scott Casper
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=92755&it=1&SRC=newsletter

HIDEOUTS & HOODLUMS is back with more free goodies, like more fiction, optional rules for Fighters, an in-depth review of Captain America Comics, the Trickster class, and conversion notes for running a classic MSH module in H&H!

Newest Products

0one's Blueprints: Eerie Forest
by 0one Games
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=92786&it=1&SRC=newsletter
Price: $1.95

Are your players going through a spectral and haunted forest? Do unnerving noises and strange apparitions surround them? They are not? Well, they will be... Eerie Forest is a haunted forest you can place anywhere in your own campaign. The forest is...

DriveThruRPG Newsletter 1/13/2011

2011-12-01T20:59:00.002-06:00

Otherworld Creations
As always, the Drunken Goblin has lots of cool sales going on. Two that bear pointing out, though are Super Genius Games' 25% Off Everything, going on until 1/17.

Hero 5thAt the same time, Hero Games has put ALL Hero System 5th Edition products on sale for 50% OFF!

Bring it to the Table

The Villain Class

By Scott Casper of Games by Scott Casper

The following is a preview of character class debuting in Supplement II: All-American, coming very soon, for HIDEOUTS & HOODLUMS!

Villains: If the Editor is amenable to a campaign of non-Heroic activity the players may opt to play this class, though it is best used as a foil for the Heroes under the Editor's control. There are too many examples from comic books to list them all here, but some obvious examples are the Claw, Luthor, the Joker, Dr. Sivana, and (very early in his career) even the Sub-Mariner.

The Editor may, however, wish to use the villain class for mobsters only. Levels in the villain class can be added on to established mobsters, especially those who have survived earlier run-in(s) with the Heroes – for example, a Master Criminal/3rd-level Villain, a Napoleon/2nd-level Villain, or a Fu Manchu/5th-level Mysteryman/4th-level Villain (see Book II for stacking levels onto mobsters).

The Prime Requisite of the villain is Intelligence, which must be 12 or better, though Strength must also be 12 or better. Wisdom cannot be higher than 17. Villains may be of any race, but must always be of Chaotic Alignment. They may wear any armor, use any weapons, and any magic items a Mysteryman can employ.

Saving Throws: Villains make saving throws against science and magic at +1 and against poison and missiles at +2.

XP Bonus for Intelligence: This class bonus is due to a high Intelligence attribute.
Click Here for the Villains Class Level Table

The main special ability of the Villain is the ability to survive events, such as falling a great distance or drowning, that would normally even kill Heroes. If the Villain is reduced to 0 hp by something that should be capable of killing him, but makes a successful survival roll, then the Villain somehow survived. The Editor may have to get creative with an explanation for how the Villain survived (the Villain was caught on a tree branch no one saw in the ravine and was saved from the fall, the Villain found an underwater air-filled cave before drowning, etc.), but may not need the explanation ready until the Villain is next encountered.

Villains also have the ability to disguise themselves. If given enough time and materials to prepare (typically 1d6 days and 1d6x10 dollars) a villain can disguise himself to look like anyone. The disguise does not even need to be particularly clever. Normally, a rubber mask would not fool anyone, but on the face of a villain, a rubber mask is astonishingly realistic until removed. The villain may even be wearing a second mask (or even glasses!) underneath it.

A Villain can “monologue” at any time in the presence of a Hero. So long as the Villain is talking (or the Player playing the Villain is talking), any Heroes wishing to act must successfully save against plot to interrupt. Any pause in the monologue allows the Heroes to act normally.

A Villain may also “attach” himself to a Hero and become his nemesis. When in direct conflict with his nemesis, the Villain is equal level to the Hero. For example, a 3rd level Villain is the nemesis for a 7th level Hero. On the first turn of a combat, the Villain attempts to pistol whip a Supporting Cast Character (SCC), so he attacks as a 3rd level Villain. On the following turn the Hero shows up, so the Villain sprays multiple bullets (two per turn, being an automatic pistol), choosing both the SCC and the Hero as targets. The Villain now can make both attacks as a 7th level Villain, and even has extra HD (additional hp rolled on the spot) for the Hero's counterattack. On the third turn, the Villain fails his morale save and flees. Because the Villain is no longer directly confronting the Hero, he only has his normal HD for when the Hero pounces on him from behind.

A Villain cannot un-attach himself from a living Hero once a nemesis is chosen, even if the Villain becomes higher in level than the Hero. If the Hero actually dies, the Villain may choose a new nemesis after a year of game time has passed.

Villains can invent temporarily-functioning hi-tech items, just as Fighters, Superheroes, Mysterymen, and (non-Hero) mad scientists can, as per Book II: Mobsters and Trophies.

Starting at 8th level, Villains may establish hideouts and attract mobsters to them. When the Villain is being played by a Player, the details of the hideout must be worked out by the Player and approved by the Editor.

A Villain can never kill a Hero directly. If a Villain should defeat a Hero, the Villain must place the Hero into a death trap from which there is a chance (however slim) to escape. No saving throw against plot is allowed to circumvent this rule. If a Villain is being played by a Player, the Player must invent the details of the death trap, including describing how the Hero could possibly escape from it. The Player and Editor together must then agree on how likely the Hero's chance of escaping is (typically between a 1 in 6 or 3 in 6 chance) and the Editor will roll for it.

Villains have difficulty resisting the urge to boast in front of Heroes. Every time a Villain encounters a Hero, he must save against plot or reveal his planned intentions to the Hero(es) present.

Starting at 10th level, Villains must begin competing for territory. There can only be one Villain of 10th level or higher claiming a territory no smaller than 2,500 square miles. If there already is an established Villain claiming the desired territory, the new Villain will have to fight the old one until one of them is forced to leave or is killed.

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Treasures of the Net
Header
Matt Looks Back at 2010 (Flames Rising)

2010 is just about over, where did the time go?

This was a pretty big year for me all around, with my expanded role at OneBookShelf (the company behind DriveThruRPG, DriveThruComics and related sites). If you don’t already know, I’m the Publisher Relations and Marketing Manager for OneBookShelf. I had the chance to work some awesome publishers and travel to quite a few conventions across the country. Recently, we got a print program up and running where folks can order print editions of titles like Descended From Darkness from Apex Book Company, Laws of the Night from White Wolf and King Arthur Pendragon from Nocturnal just to name a few. This has been a busy and detailed process working with some great publishers to get this program up and running and I’m looking forward to seeing it further develop in the new year.

My role managed to cut into my review writing time a lot more than I wanted it too, which meant I only wrote a handful of them for Flames Rising this past year. Still, I did have the chance to do some fun interviews in 2010, including Mouse Guard creator David Petersen as well as Forgotten Realms authors Ed Greenwood and R.A. Salvatore. The most popular interview I did this year was with Shane DeFreest from White Wolf where we discussed The Grand Masquerade. That was a fun show and I’m looking forward to the upcoming Vampire MMO they have in development.

This was the first year we did Theme Weeks at Flames Rising and they were certainly a lot of fun. I don’t think I can pick a favorite, but Cthulhu Week was certainly fun to put together. I’m looking forward to a few new themes we have been discussing behind the scenes for next year.

We also added quite a few awesome design essays from creators of RPGs, comics, games and films this past year. Along with our previews, these articles are among our most popular content and I’ve had a blast working with very talented people to give them a chance to tell us about their creative process. You can find most of these essays in our horror articles category. So check ‘em out, some great material there.

We added some great people to the Flames Rising crew this year as well like Eric Pollarine, Nancy Greene, Decapitated Dan Royer to our list of talented contributors. Our writers have helped increase the quality of content we’re offering including reviews, interviews and articles. Just dig into the archive of your favorite part of the site and you will see some of the excellent material everyone on the team has posted over the course of the year.

What’s new for next year? Stick around and find out.

Matt M McElroy

Flames Rising

DriveThruRPG Newsletter free product notices

2011-12-01T20:53:00.003-06:00

From 9/2/2010:

Open Game Table: The Anthology of Roleplaying Game Blogs, Vol. 2
by Nevermet Press
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=82976&it=1&discount=39932&SRC=newsletter
Normal Price: $9.95 Discount Price: $8.50

Looking for the best content and commentary from RPG Blogosphere? Loved OGT Volume 1? Well - Open Game Table, Volume 2 was released at GenCon'10 and is now available as a PDF eBook! Inside you'll find interviews with Dave Arneson, Jonathan Roberts, and Robin D. Laws; and inciteful forward about the state of RPGs by White Wolf Designer Justin Achilli, and dozens of amazing articles that will take your game to the next level. As a special discount from this newsletter - you can grab it today to complete your collection for the same 60%-off coverprice discount available through Two-Volume Bundle New to Open Game Table? Grab the Volume 1 & 2 Open Game Table together in our Two-Volume BUNDLE for over 60% OFF THE COVER! Original, vetted 4E D&D content and much more are included in both volumes! Over 120 peer-reviewed and impactful posts from over 50 authors in the RPG blogosphere. LEVEL UP YOUR GAME - AND GET OPEN GAME TABLE TODAY!

Newest Free Products

Trophy Case vol. 1, no. 1
by Games by Scott Casper
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=83857&it=1&SRC=newsletter

Now the HIDEOUTS & HOODLUMS campaign has its own support newsletter! The premiere issue features the first part of a review of the Golden Age Flash Archives, Swords & Wizardry-compatible statistics for a new mobster - the evil eye - and a so...

Sartar Clan Questionairre
by Issaries
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=83865&it=1&SRC=newsletter

The Sartar Clan Questionnaire contains all the questions for the Clan Questionnaire from the Sartar: Kingdom of Heroes book (but without the answers) to help your players create their own clan. Players have found just filling out the questionairre shows t...

From 12/2/2010:

Newest Free Products

Trophy Case vol. 1, no. 2
by Games by Scott Casper
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=86389&it=1&SRC=newsletter

HIDEOUTS & HOODLUMS is back with more goodies, like a new mobster, a new character class, more golden age comic reviews, and a first -- conversion notes for playing a classic MSH game with H&H!

Shark Bone Podcast - CHUM07
by Shark Bone Games
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=86388&it=1&SRC=newsletter

CHUM episodes are our version of bonus episodes. And this one is super-bonus. It's me (Devon) talking, audio-blog style, about gaming. Practicing our gaming. This is the hobby we love? Why DON'T we practice it to make it/ourselves...

DriveThruRPG.com Weekly Newsletter

2011-11-29T14:02:00.002-06:00

If DriveThruRPG has an online archive of their newsletter, it's not easy to find. So I decided to archive my own contributions to their newsletter and, for context, the articles around mine.

From 8/19/2010:

ENNIE AWARD - BEST WRITING!
[SYSTEM: Eclipse Phase]
We here at DriveThruRPG want to extend our heartiest congratulations to Posthuman Studios for their taking of the Gold Award for Best Electronic Book with Eclipse Phase!

~~~~~
Bring It to the Table
Actual game content from our various publishers and fellow readers; stuff for you to use in your games, or perhaps simply to inspire your own creative pursuits.
This week's installment comes from Scott Casper, who's about to release a new support quarterly for his game. I'll let him explain from here -

"The following is a preview from The Trophy Case newsletter for HIDEOUTS & HOODLUMS (the SWORDS & WIZARDRY-compatible golden age superhero RPG)."
Evil Eyes
[SYSTEM: Hideouts & Hoodlums/Swords & Wizardry]
Armor Class: 5 [14]
Hit Dice: 7+3
Attacks: 1d3 tentacles (1d10)
Special: see below
Move: 180 (flight)
HDE/XP: 12/2000

While floating eyes observe the world of man to watch justice being meted, evil eyes are there to kill people so they can watch them die. An evil eye appears to be a giant human eyeball floating in a mass of slimy, gray tentacles up to 7 ft. long. Like floating eyes, evil eyes are never surprised and can communicate telepathically, but there the similarities end.

(Image from clip art; not supplied by creator)

When encountered, an evil eye will attempt to grab and constrict up to three people in its tentacles at a time. A constricted foe can be freed by a Superhero wrecking things vs. cars, a Magic-User magically compelling the eye with a spell such as Charm Mobster, or another class of 9th level or higher. Once per turn, the evil eye can turn one of its victims to face into the eye. It is impossible to resist looking into the eye and it can be seen even if the victim closes his eyes. The effect of looking into the eye is based on the Intelligence score of the victim, as follows:

INT / Save against
3-5: Death
6-9: Feeble mindedness (as per the Feeblemind spell)
10-12: Madness for 2d6 weeks
13-14: Comatose for 1d6 days
15-16: Paralyzed for 1d4 hours
17: Stunned and unable to act for 1d6 turns
18: Confused (as per the Confusion spell) for 1d4 turns

The save is further modified by Alignment, with Lawfuls saving at +1 and Chaotics saving at -1. A Magic-User with an active divination spell cast on him receives a +4 bonus to save and the mental feedback forces the evil eye to save against magic or be stunned for 1d3 turns.

A Hero driven mad by an evil eye will be terrified to ever be stared at – anyone spending a whole turn looking at the Hero must make
a morale save or flee for 1 whole turn.

The evil eye is content just to know its victims fail to pass this test, it does not need to observe the effects. So it will still
be trying to kill the victims, even if unconscious in the eye's grasp. This would count as a deathtrap and can be lethal for Heroes.

As if that were not bad enough, evil eyes are also resistant to magic. The spells of 1st-level casters do not affect them, and
against higher-level casters they are 50% immune to all spells (before saving throws).

~~~~~
Treasures of the Net

I've talked a little about this before, but I wanted to go ahead and specifically call out Obsidian Portal as a real Treasure of the Net. In part, this is due to their winning an ENnie Award for Best Web Site for gaming.

In the greater part, however, is that I've been very successfully using the site for managing my own campaigns (including The Unending War).

With an opening tutorial video and omnipresent guidelines in view, the management of a campaign wiki is something I've finally managed to grok. It's also amazingly easy to upload images, post character sheets, and communicate with your players.

In other words, Obsidian Portal is a GM's - and a campaign's - best friend.

~~~~~

The New Death and others reviewed

2011-11-18T07:55:00.001-06:00

It is seldom that anyone acknowledges I have a blog, let alone ask me to review their book on my blog. So, when a correspondent named James Hutchings offered me a review copy of The New Death and others, I could not turn it down.

James cites Lovecraft, Howard, Ashton Smith, and Dunsany as influences on his contents pages (there are two pages of contents, a whopping 63 short short stories and poems for me to review!). It is an impressive collection of names. The biggest influence on the early stories is, appropriately, the earliest of those authors, particularly Dunsany’s own collected works like Gods of Pegana. Indeed, quite a few stories deal with fictional gods and fictional worlds (such as all four authors used) and with an archaic voice of storytelling that sounds very much like Dunsany (more than the others, to my ear), yet with a modern, wry, yet ultimately depreciative twist. Before his first Dunsany-like tale, “The Gods of the Poor”, ends with the fate of the impoverished decided by process of elimination between uncaring gods, James has inserted the jarring anachronism of Fame and Fortune saying, “Darling, I don’t think so.” It is a wink and a nod to the reader, saying, “See? I can do Dunsany and be funny.”

Yet even in this example it is too soon to label the story as trite, for there is interesting depth hidden behind the brevity. When Sky-Father says someone must be the God of the Poor because, “Those with no gods will grow restless and cunning, and in time will cast us down, and we shall be gods no more,” it hints tantalizingly at an entire cosmology in one sentence.

“How the Isle of Cats Got Its Name” is about eight times as long as the first story and at least twice as complex. It deals with a powerful witch, talking cats, gods and their cults, and introduces them all in a curious order that obscures, until the very end, which one of them is the real main point of the story. Along the way, it engages in the same clever, yet tongue-in-cheek word-building that was hidden behind the scenes in the shorter work preceding it, but plays it out to less satisfying effect. The details that work best are the more thought-provoking ones, like the nature of spirits and how their powers function differently by geography, while too much attention is spent on one long, cruel joke about a cat-torturing harp.

“The Enemy Within” is the first story to cast off fantasy elements. It is the first story intentionally hard to place, lacking a defined setting. No doubt it is intended to show the timelessness of bigotry, yet it is to the story’s loss that James engages here in none of his clever world-building, giving us a not-particularly nuanced character sketch instead.

“The End” is a particularly clever one-page satire of slipstream fiction and the preponderance of the supernatural in mainstream media today. Here, the world-building is behind the scenes again, but kept there until the end so as not to spoil the surprise.

“A Date with Destiny” returns us to the style of winking nods to Dunsany’s Pegana, this time making the winking nod the whole joke of the story by updating a Pegana-like goddess to the age of meeting people in online chatrooms.

“Everlasting Fire” is a delightfully clever and often humorous three-pager (complete with puns in endnotes) about how both sinners and devils alike in the afterlife are trapped in an all-too Earth-like bureaucracy. Some of the finer touches are interoffice memos that end in maniacal laughter and adding the act of saying “lol” out loud to the list of deadly sins. Some of the humor, though, is unnecessarily cruel (Oprah as a devil?) and the joke about fanfiction should strike uncomfortably close to home for someone selling self-published short fiction anthologies online, as it does for certain reviewers who also write fanfiction…

“Under the Pyramids” is the first poem in the collection, a 5-page ballad inspired by a Lovecraft story of the same name. It might help to know the original story and I have never read it, so I won’t comment on the content. Indeed, the only reason I mention it is to point out how the ballad is technically proficient, and thank goodness. I personally find free verse to seldom be more than lazy writing and cringe at the sight of it, so you can understand my relief that James knows how to write a proper ballad.

By the time we get to “The Face in the Hill” we have moved on again in style, returning thematically to the terrain of “The Enemy Within”, but with a lighter tone that reminds me of 1950s Marvel Comics (particularly with its O. Henry-esque twist ending). The theme, about people who only hear what they want to hear, is much subtler and hence, for me, more enjoyable than “The Enemy Within”.

“The Prince of the Howling Forest” is a trickier poem to label. That meter is not for a ballad. Twelve syllable lines? Is this a canzone? The form is too obscure for me – perhaps appropriate for the murkiness of the subject matter.

It seems to me that James accomplishes much more in brevity than he ever does in longer pieces, and perhaps there is no better example than “The Uncharted Isle”. In seven sentences we have a wonderful fantasy setting (more behind-the-scenes world-building), charmingly evocative language (I love the “wine-faced sea”), and a clever ending. That the whole story is just one joke hardly matters when done this well.

The antithesis occurs a few stories later, “The Scholar and the Moon”, again proving my point. In over five pages, James stuffs what could have been another fine, seven sentence story with metaphor, explained world-building, asides to the reader, and verbose characters -- though Conwy’s exchange with the gargoyle is well worth the read (I hope to steal the encounter for a D&D game someday).

There are so many more examples left untouched (indeed, I’ve barely covered more than one-sixth of the stories), but I think I have given enough examples to demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of the collection. James is a master world-builder and an economist of words who is most brilliant in brevity. He is witty and literate. But he tries hard, perhaps too hard, to impress the reader. By demonstrating his range, he ranges all over, like a writer suffering from attention deficit disorder.

That said, there is much worth reading here and should please any intelligent fantasy fiction reader with tastes running from Lord Dunsany to 1950s Marvel Comics.

My Marvel 52-Title Relaunch - pt. 1

2011-10-30T13:30:00.003-05:00

It seemed like a natural companion to my previous project for the blog. If I could develop a more grandiose restart for DC comics that would celebrate the richness of their history better than they recently had, I wondered, could I do the same for Marvel Comics?

Marvel Comics. A 42-page adventure anthology featuring three 14-page serials set in 1939 and starring the Sub-Mariner, the Angel, and Ka-Zar. The Sub-Mariner is young Prince Namor, an angry young half-merman taking out his issues on a world that is new to him, getting embroiled in world politics, falling for policewoman Betty Dean, and ignoring his loving cousin Dorma. The Angel is a world-traveling man of mystery, master of disguise, with great strength and agility, plus a glider cape. Ka-Zar is a Tarzan-like character in Africa.
Captain America Comics. A 42-page adventure anthology featuring Captain America with three 14-page ongoing serials starting in different times, 1941, 1945, and 1949. The first will feature Bucky as his 12-year old sidekick. The second will start immediately after Bucky’s death. The third will feature Golden Girl (Betsy Ross, who will also be an FBI agent helping Cap in the two earlier serials) who is now Cap’s fiance and partner in adventure. Contrary to previous retcons, these are all Steve Rogers.
Terry-Toons Comics. A 38-page comedy anthology featuring a rotating cast of anthropomorphic animal characters like Gandy Goose, Oscar Pig, Frenchy Rabbit, and Andy Wolf, in a world kind of like our 1943. There will always be four features, the first two being 10 pagers and the second two being 9 pagers.
Human Torch. A 42-page adventure anthology featuring two 14-page installments of the Human Torch and one 14-page installment of the Sub-Mariner. The first Human Torch story will feature him in 1944, the synthetic human still struggling to find his place in human society, but with the help of an 8-year old boy he calls Toro (a mutant who’s immune to fire). The second serial will pick up with the Torch in 1949, now posing as a human, living as a police officer by day, and striking as a vigilante at night. Toro will be 13 now and be able to generate intense heat and start fires. The Torch’s love interest, secretary, and companion calls herself Sun Girl. The Sub-Mariner back-up will follow Prince Namor’s adventures in 1949, bored with life in Atlantis and touring the world with his cousin and love interest Namora as they have adventures together.
Comedy Classics. A 34-page comedy/adventure anthology featuring three stories about Super Rabbit in a world of anthropomorphic animals similar to our 1944, with the superheroics played semi-serious. The first story will always be 12 pages, with two lighter 11 page stories following.
Gay Comics. A 26-page comedy/romance anthology featuring two 13-page independent stories set in 1945. The stories may or may not suggest homosexuality (50/50), while keeping the stories light and PG.
Krazy Komics. A 34-page comedy anthology featuring a rotating cast of anthropomorphic animal characters in a world like our 1946. There will always be four features, two of them 9-pagers and two of them 8-pagers.
Patsy Walker. A 26-page comedy/romance anthology featuring two serials set in 1946 and featuring 18-year old Patsy Walker and her boyfriend Bill Baxter. The main, 14-page feature stars Patsy and Bill, fresh out of high school, looking for work, and choosing a college, while the back-up 12-page focuses on her jealous friend/rival for Bill Hedy Wolfe.
Margie Comics. A 34-page comedy/romance anthology featuring three stories set in 1950 about 19-year old Margie going to college, pursuing boys, getting into hi-jinks, but also finding a life for herself. The lead story will always be 12 pages while the two back-up stories about her will be 11-pagers.
Cindy Comics. A 34-page comedy/romance anthology almost identical to Margie Comics, save that Margie is strictly middle class and Cindy is from a richer family and so is able to do more globe-trotting while she discovers herself.
Captain America’s Weird Tales. A 26-page horror anthology set in 1950 with two 13-page stories. A semi-retired Captain America either introduces or is peripherally involved in each weird tale of the supernatural, or seemingly about the supernatural (about 50/50).
Love Tales. A 26-page romance anthology set in 1950 with different characters each month. The lead story will be 17 pages with a lighter 9-page back-up.
Marvel Tales. A 26-page fantasy/science fiction/horror anthology set chiefly in 1951 with different characters each month. Both features will be 13 pages.
Lovers. A 26-page romance anthology featuring two 13-page, unrelated stories each month with different characters, each set in 1952 and PG-rated.
Miss America, Starring Patsy. A 26-page domestic comedy/light-adventure anthology, featuring 25-year old Patsy Baxter, army wife to Bill Baxter in 1953, who’s I Love Lucy-like schemes tend to get them both into hi-jinks or trouble.
Tales of Justice. A 26-page true crime (well, mostly true) anthology, featuring two unrelated 13-page stories each month set chiefly in 1955 and focusing on the good guys in law enforcement (sort of a cross between Dragnet and Law & Order).
Kid Colt, Outlaw. A 26-page cowboy adventure anthology set in 1879 and featuring Kid Colt in two 13-page serial adventures. Kid Colt rides around, doing good deeds and trying to vindicate himself being accused of murder by being a gunslinger who never kills.
Marvel Mystery Comics. A 42-page adventure anthology set in 1957 featuring three 14-page installments of the Human Torch, Terry Vance, and Electro. The Human Torch is fully integrated into human society by now, living as a police detective and openly using his fire power to help fight crime. Toro, who’s now 21, can do everything the Torch can but fly and is a hero in his own right (but will sometimes still team up with his old partner). The Torch and Sun Girl will be engaged. Terry Vance is a 17-year old genius inventor and private detective with a pet monkey named Watson. Electro is a powerful robot that is partly self-aware, but the rest of the time controlled by his creator, the Secret Operative, Professor Philo Zogolowski.
Strange Tales. A 26-page lite-horror anthology set chiefly in 1958 with three unrelated stories each issue, the first two being 9-pagers and the last being 8 pages. The PG stories are more weird than horrific, though with a strong supernatural focus.
Battle. A 26-page adventure/war anthology set chiefly in 1959, dealing with conflicts spanning the globe in two 13-page unrelated stories each month.
Patsy and Hedy. A 26-page comedy/romance anthology, serializing the 1960 goings-on of Pasty Baxter, now age 32, with one child in school and a baby at home. The main, 14-page serial is always about Patsy and her old, single friend Hedy who keeps luring Patsy out of the home to see more of life, and the unspoken attraction between them as Bill spends most of his time at work managing the security team for a big company. The 12-page back-up focuses more on the domestic hi-jinks of Patsy trying to keep her kids, her marriage, and her home in working order.
Journey into Mystery. A 26-page science fiction anthology set chiefly in 1961, always with two unrelated 13-page stories per month featuring encounters with bizarre aliens.
Tales to Astonish. A 26-page adventure/romance/science fiction mix set in 1963. The 21-page lead serial always stars Ant-Man, a science-based hero who can shrink himself to 18” tall or grow to 7’ tall and control ants, and his partner and love interest, the Wasp, who can also shrink and grow wings. They will battle foes like the Living Eraser and the Human Top. In the 5-page back-up feature, Wasp will narrate a short tale of science fiction.
Tales of Suspense. A 26-page adventure/science fiction/romance mix set in 1968. The 21-page lead serial always stars Iron Man, a wealthy industrialist in a 7’ suit of armor that lets him lift 10 tons. The criminal underworld, including super-science outfits like AIM, will throw robots and hi-tech villains like Whiplash at him while inside the suit, while outside the suit he woos business rival Janice Cord. The 5-page backup feature will be a random, unrelated short tale of science fiction or weird fantasy each month.
Rawhide Kid. A 26-page cowboy adventure anthology set in 1880. Identical set-up to Kid Colt, Outlaw.

My DC 52-Title Relaunch - pt. 4

2011-09-29T13:04:00.008-05:00

#43 Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes. A 48-page book with one main, 22-page adventure featuring Superboy and a rotating group of 3-7 Legionnaires tackling cosmic menaces through time and space (but mostly the Legion’s own 30th century), and then two 13-page solo adventures of Legionnaires (any ones who debuted by 1979). Because Superboy/Superman II is time-traveling to work with the Legion, he can show up at any age out of order, but the Legionaires are from 2979 ($3.75 book).
#44 Unknown Soldier. A 30-page book with two 15-page stories in an adventure serial featuring the Unknown Soldier, as he wanders internationally from war to war in 1982 ($3 book).
#45 Brave and the Bold. A 36-page book featuring one 22-page adventure serial starring Jason Todd, the brand new Robin without a Batman, but looking to sidekick himself with a new partner each month, starting in 1983. The back-up feature is a 14-page solo outing of the guest hero, either independent of the main story or somehow tied into the main story, but without Robin ($3.25 book).
#46 Green Lantern. A 36-page book featuring one 22-page sci-fi/adventure serial starring Guy Gardner as the new Green Lantern, being advised by a close-to-retiring Hal Jordan in 1986, battling alien menaces that seek to or have entered our solar system. The back-up feature is a 14-page solo story of Guy going solo, either independent or somehow tied into the main story ($3.25 book).
#47 Jonah Hex. A 30-page book featuring two 15-page adventures of an old, scarred cowboy, Jonah Hex, as he travels through the last of the Old West in 1899 ($3 book).
#48 Warlord. A 30-page book featuring Col. Travis Morgan as he explores a hollow Earth-world called Skartaris in the lead 20-page adventure, with a 10-page back-up of his supporting cast -- Tara, Machiste, Shakira, Mariah, or Jennifer -- having adventures on the same world, all in the year 1988 ($3 book).
#49 DC Comics Presents. A 36-page book featuring one 22-page adventure serial starring Superman II (now 38 and able to lift 100 tons) and one other, random hero in 1986 (or possibly time traveling). The back-up feature is a 14-page solo outing of the guest hero, either independent of the main story or somehow tied into the main story ($3.25 book).
#50 Tales of the Legion of Super-Heroes. A 48-page book with three 16-page sci-fi/adventure stories featuring 1-3 of the Legion in each, all set in 2987 ($3.75 book).
#51 Adventures of Superman. A 36-page book featuring 2 18-page adventures of Superman III (age 14, grandson of the original - or is he a clone? - able to lift 9 tons) in 1989, battling modern versions of classic Superman foes ($3.25 book).
#52 Green Lantern Corps. A 36-page book featuring 2 Green Lantern sci-fi/adventure stories. The first 20-page story stars John Stewart, the Green Lantern charged with supervising the Green Lanterns of this sector of the galaxy in 1988 with up to 2 other (possibly alien Green Lanterns), while the 16-page back-up story features 1-3 other Green Lanterns without John Stewart, rotating between all Green Lanterns introduced by 1988.

Once each title starts, it will progress in real time from month to month. Characters will grow, age, and rotate out of the spotlight. Lastly, imagine these titles being created, not by unknown and untested writers, but by true masters like Jerry Ordway, John Byrne, Walt Simonson, Roger Stern, and David Micheline. Unpopular back-up stories (or just to beat a deadline) can always be reprints from DC's glory days.

My Dr. Who Theories

2011-09-26T12:18:00.002-05:00

I interrupt my recent "spate" of DC Comics-related posts to deal with Doctor Who, which is almost up to its last episode of the season (or series, as they call it in England). So, before the big finale answers any of my nagging suspicions, here are my own theories as to what might be going on. Bear in mind that only some of these can even be true, as they are not all compatible theories.

SPOILERS!

1. River Song could become the new Doctor. River Song is, apparently, a popular companion as well as beloved creation of the executive producer from back when he was only writing scripts in the Tennant years. The big reveal at mid-season was that River Song is a Time Lord. We've also had repeated reminders this season that River is a doctor in archaeology. So could she become The Doctor? We've been thinking ever since episode 1 this season that there has to be some way around the Doctor's demise, but if there isn't, than this is the way the series would continue. The hang-up here is that Matt Smith is also very popular, if not the most popular Doctor yet, so it would seem foolish to replace him...

2. The Silence (Silents?) are actually on the Doctor's side. Yes, we've been told these were the new villains, they look like villains, but what have they really done to menace our heroes other than a lot of posturing? They even tipped off the Doctor to their plans by alerting Amy. What did that accomplish, but to allow the Doctor to free baby Melody from them? And can it be only coincidence that Melody goes on to become River and almost kill the Doctor in 1943 only after escaping from the Silents? It seems they weren't incubating her in that spacesuit so much as holding her prisoner so she couldn't carry out her destiny.

I particularly like this theory because, not only is it such a big twist, but it kind of explains how the Doctor has always been able to use coincidence and luck to defeat his enemies over the years -- he's had a secret society of the Silents aiding him all this time that he can't remember having encountered after they help him. The downside of this theory, of course, is that it robs the Doctor of some of his glory by suggesting he's always had more companions than we knew.

3. The Doctor has been behind this all along. Remember River warning the Doctor that, if he didn't change his ways, that the universe would fear him as its greatest warrior? Well, what if the Doctor agrees and has been secretly arranging events so that he can fake his own death? With everyone thinking he's irrevocably dead, he can go back to helping people anonymously through time and space. Of course, the hang-up of this theory is that it still doesn't explain how he possibly faked being shot and then incinerated. And yet...

4. River was lying at the scene of the Doctor's death. River told Amy and Rory that the Doctor died because he was shot while regenerating. But "later", in 1943, River is shot multiple times after a mortal wound and still regenerates. So, is it the nature of the weapon, rather than the timing of the shots, that matters, or was she just lying about how you can kill a Time Lord...?

My DC 52-Title Relaunch -pt. 3

2011-09-22T13:25:00.001-05:00

#25 Our Army at War. A 30-page book with two 15-page war stories featuring Sgt. Rock and Easy Company in WWII ($3 book).
#26 Star Spangled War Stories. A 30-page book with two 15-page war stories set during the Korean War. The lead feature is a serial, always “The War that Time Forgot”, about 8 U.S. soldiers (Larry, Charlie, Henry, Steve, Tommy Frank, PT, Prof, and “Brother”) who crash land on Dinosaur Island in 1951, encounter a robot they recruit to become G.I. Robot, and battle dinosaurs while trying to survive and escape the island. The second feature is for unconnected stories about the Korean War ($3 book).
#27 G.I. Combat. A 30-page book with two 15-page war stories set during the Vietnam War. The lead feature is a serial, always “Haunted Tank”, about a tank crew working a M48 Patton tank that is haunted by the ancestor of the driver and aids them as they lend infantry support against the Viet Cong. The second feature is for unconnected stories about the Vietnam War ($3 book).
#28 Young Romance. A 30-page book with two 15-page PG-rated love stories set in 1964. The lead feature is a serial, always “Bonnie Taylor”, about an airline stewardess who helps couples find love, but can never hold it for herself. The second feature is for unconnected stories about love and romance in the range of 17-25 year olds ($3 book).
#29 Girls’ Love Stories. A 30-page book with two 15-page PG-rated love stories set in 1965. The lead feature is a serial, always “April O’Day”, about a Hollywood starlet who tries to find love without fame and money getting in the way. The second feature is for unconnected stories about love and romance, always from the girl’s perspective, for ages 16-24 ($3 book).
#30 Doom Patrol. A 36-page book with two adventure serials starring Doom Patrol and set in 1966. In the lead, 22-page feature, Robotman II, Elasti-Girl, Negative Man, Mento, and Beast Boy battle, sometimes with the help of the Challengers of the Unknown, weird menaces like Kranus, Multi-Man, and Meteor Man. The second feature rotates between the cast for 14-page solo stories ($3.25 book).
#31 Heart Throbs. A 36-page book with three PG-rated 12-page love serials set in 1967. Each story features one of three 21-year old women, all of whom know each other and appear in each other’s stories, as she pursues a new romance or tries to keep a relationship going ($3.25 book).
#32 Fox and the Crow. A 30-page book with three 10-page comedy stories. The first and third stories are about Fox and Crow, anthropomorphic animals in a cartoon world. The second story is about Stanley and his Monster, a 6-year old boy and the big, furry, talking monster he has for a pet instead of a dog. This story takes place in the real world (albeit with a light-hearted take on it) in 1968 ($3 book).
#33 The Unexpected. A 36-page book with three 12-page PG-rated horror or suspense stories set in 1969. The lead feature is an adventure/suspense serial about Johnny Peril, a newspaper reporter whose investigations always land him in danger. The second two features are unconnected horror or suspense stories ($3.25 book).
#34 Superman’s Girl. A 36-page book with two 18-page adventure serials set in 1970. The lead feature is a solo story featuring Supergirl, Superman’s 11-year old daughter Kara (able to lift 6 tons) as she balances lite super-heroics with junior high school. The second story features the larger Superman family, usually her older brother Superman II (formerly Superboy, now able to lift 17 tons), and/or his friend Batman II (both 6 years older than their World’s Finest appearances).
Bronze Age Titles
#35 Falling in Love. A 30-page book with two 15-page PG-13-rated love stories set in 1971. Both stories are narrated by columnist Carol Andrews, but feature unconnected love stories between characters aged 19-35 ($3 book).
#36 Superboy. A 42-page book with two 21-page adventure serials, featuring Superman II in 1972 and, in the second feature, teamed with Batman II. Clark Jr. can now lift 25 tons and Dick, slowed by age, now wears hi-tech armor. They have a mix of ordinary and exotic adventures, like battling mobsters in New York or wild apes in Africa, while also meeting new heroes like Gravity Girl
#37 Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen. A 36-page book with two 18-page adventure serials, featuring Jimmy Olsen, Jr. set in 1973. Jimmy is a 23-year old globe-trotting reporter ala Tintin, only with Superman II for back-up, as he tackles skyjackers, solves mysteries, or thwarting super-criminals like the Jaguar (a $3.25 book).
#38 House of Secrets. A 30-page book with two 15-page PG-13-rated horror stories set in 1974 (a $3 book).
#39 Superman Family. A 48-page book with three adventure serials set in 1975. All members of the Superman Family might be features in each story, but the first story will focus on the original Superman, now 60 years old, but able to lift 175 tons. The second story will focus on Superman II, now 27 and able to lift 40 tons. The third story will focus on Supergirl, now 16 and able to lift 13 tons. Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, and the Justice League of America will be frequent guest-stars as the heroes battle the likes of the Tarantula, super-criminals from Kandor, and the League of Super-Villains ($3.75 book).
#40 Our Fighting Forces. A 30-page book with two 15-page PG-13-rated war stories set in 1975 towards the close of the Vietnam War. The first story features the Losers – Capt. Storm, Johnny Cloud, Gunner, and Sarge – as they face the increasing likelihood that they will be stranded in Vietnam past the war’s end, and possibly intentionally. The second feature will be for unconnected stand-alone war stories in Vietnam with the same rating ($3 book).
#41 Justice League of America. A 48-page book adventure serial set in 1976 and featuring the JLA – Superman II, Batman II (Dick is now 44 and still wearing hi-tech armor), Wonder Woman II (Donna, now age 20 and able to lift 2 tons), Flash (Barry, now 38 and able to run at Mach 6), Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), Aquaman (King Arthur Curry of Atlantis; this silver age version – the golden age version never existed – has been around behind the scenes for 17 years, is 38, and is able to lift 2 tons), Green Arrow II (formerly Speedy, now age 32 and bearded), Hawkman (Katar Hal, the silver age version, who has been on Earth for 6 years), and Black Canary II (Dinah, age 23, daughter of the original with a sonic scream). Rotating in as unofficial members are Adam Strange, Atom II (Ray Palmer, able to shrink to 1/2” tall), Elongated Man, and the Phantom Stranger, they defend Earth from the likes of Kanjar Ro, the Secret Society of Super-Villains, and the Manhunters. Twenty-four pages will be devoted to the main group of heroes all working together, while the middle twenty-four pages will be devoted to six heroes working individually for at least four pages each ($3.75 book).
#42 Sgt. Rock. A 30-page book with two 15-page PG-13 rated adventure/war stories set in 1985 featuring Sgt. Adam Rock, nephew of the WWII Sgt. Rock and the original “Bulldozer” of Easy Company, now serving as covert Army operatives in South America with the cover of working for embassy security ($3 book).

My DC 52-Title Relaunch - pt. 2

2011-09-15T10:15:00.006-05:00

What you're seeing is what my DC Comics universe would look like for at least the first six months. Length, pricing, and creators will all be subject to change over time, looking for just the right combination, but creators will be guaranteed six months to work on building an audience. Read this post about how I would manage transitioning comic books to cheaper formats or online if they fail to build an audience. If a title failed to sell at least 60,000 copies once in a year, the title will be downgraded to a lower tier. If the lower grade format sold 120,000 copies for one issue, it would be upgraded the following year.

On this page, we move from a re-imagining of the Golden Age to a re-imagining of the Silver Age. When a title features characters that were still being published before in the time that these stories are now set, the authors will have the leeway to use as much or as little of the earlier stories as desired. Note the legacy characters! No more would DC pretend that the Bruce Wayne of 2011 is the same Bruce Wayne as was published in 1939.

#10 Star Spangled Comics. A 36-page book of three 12-page adventure story serials, all set in 1947. The first features the Newsboy Legion – Tommy, Big Words, Gabby, and Scrapper, who are now all 13-year old boys supervising a boys town run by the Guardian, and frequently accompany the costumed adventurer as he travels the world. The second features Robotman, Dr. Robert Crane’s brain in a robot body, and his robot dog Robbie. He has finally told his old girlfriend Joan Carter what really happened to him and waits for her reaction while fighting crime and trying to lead a good “human” life. The third features Star Spangled Kid, Sylvester Pemberton, who is still a 14-year old rich kid fighting crime beside his chaffeur and mechanic, Stripsey, and riding around in the Star Rocket Racer (this title would be $3.25).
#11 Police Comics. A 36-page book of three 12-page adventure story serials, all set in 1950. The first features Plastic Man, ex-criminal and now-impossibly pliable FBI agent “Eel” O’Brian, and his comic sidekick “Woozy” Winks, as they encounter counterfeiters, android-creating mad scientists, and time-displaced cavemen. The second features the Spirit, Denny Colt, who has for almost 10 years battled crime while pretending to be dead. Weary and feeling his many injuries catching up to him, Denny wonders if he will live to see crime eradicated and if he can ever choose a woman to love with all his heart. The third features Manhunter, Dan Richards, now a police chief in a town in the Midwest, and his amazing dog sidekick Thor as they skirt the law to solve problems in their county (this title would be $3.25).
#12 Sensation Comics. This is a 30-page book with three adventure serials, all set in 1948. The first features Wonder Woman, the 12-page adventures of Princess Diana as she tries to spread the word of love, bondage, and submission to the world as an ambassador of Paradise Island. She is engaged to Colonel Steve Trevor and her original Holliday Girls have all graduated college and gone on to fill important jobs (judges, state representatives) from which they can help Diana deal with criminals and weird happenings. The second features Sargon the Sorceror, the 9-page adventures of a turbaned wizard as he tours the U.S., fighting crime and injustice wherever he goes. The third features Wildcat, the 9-page adventures of Ted Grant, one of the world’s greatest fighters, and his sidekick “Stretch” Skinner, as they continue their long campaign of punching their way through crime (this title would be $3).
#13 Batman. A 36-page book with two 18-page Batman stories, both set in 1947. Batman is still fighting bad guys in Gotham City like the Penguin and the Joker when not fighting Martians, but Robin has grown into long pants and is 15 years old. Batman and Catwoman are in a serious relationship (this title is $3.25).
#14 All-Star Comics. A 42-page book with the ongoing adventures of the Justice Society of America, set in 1951. Of the seven members -- Hawkman, Flash, Green Lantern, Atom, Dr. Mid-Nite, Wonder Woman, and Black Canary – at least six of them will get up to five pages of solo spotlight per issue, with the rest devoted to working together against a common foe (this title is $3.25).
#15 Marvel Family. A 42-page book adventure-family story serial, set in 1954. Usually, the first 11 pages will feature Captain Marvel (Billy, age 22), Captain Marvel Jr. (Freddy, age 24), and Mary Marvel (Mary, age 23), while the remaining pages will be split 11, 10, and 10 pages respectively per hero. Stories might guest-star the Lieutenant Marvels, Uncle Marvel, or Hoppy the Marvel Bunny. By this time, the Marvels are all able to lift 110 tons each and have truly unearthly power.
#16 Superman. A 36-page book adventure story serial, set in 1949. Set five years after his Action Comics stories, these are the adventures of a Superman in his 30s, able to lift 65 tons now, is married to Lois, and they have an infant son, Clark Jr. Each issue is divided into two 18-page stories, wherein Superman deals with the likes of the Prankster, Luthor, and Mr. Mxyztplk ($3.25 book).
#17 Blackhawk. A 30-page book with two 15-page Blackhawk stories, both set in 1945. As WWII winds down but new threats arise around the globe, this multi-ethnic band of freedom fighters will use only their wits and the technology at hand to stop any menace, whether it’s the Japanese Air Force or the Cult of the Wailing Tiger ($3 book).
#18 All-Star Western. A 30-page book with two 15-page western serials, both set in 1895. The first features “Johnny Thunder”, or John Taine, a schoolteacher who leads a double life as a rugged cowboy. The second features The Trigger Twins, Walt and Wayne, wherein Walt is the famous gunslinger but Wayne is secretly the better gunslinger and helps out his brother without anyone else knowing ($3 book).
Silver Age Titles
#19 Mystery in Space. A 30-page book with two 15-page science fiction, unconnected stories, set some time in Earth’s future or on alien planets now. A chance to attract some big name sci fi authors and another “bridge” book ($3 book).
#20 Strange Adventures. A 30-page book with two 15-page science fiction, unconnected stories, with the focus of this sister title being set on Earth now or in the near-future ($3 book).
#21 House of Mystery. A 30-page book with two 15-page fantasy or PG-13 horror, unconnected stories, hopefully attracting some big name fantasy authors ($3 book).
#22 Wonder Woman. A 30-page book with two 15-page stories featuring Wonder Woman, both set in 1963. Diana is still young-looking, but travels the world learning martial arts from various masters to enhance her failing natural abilities. Her two daughters, Donna and Diana, are 7 and 3 (known as Wonder Girl and Wonder Tot respectively). Gen. Trevor is approaching 50, but is gifted with longevity from his stays at Paradise Island and seems 40. Separately or as a family, they have adventures battling weird menaces like the Human Iceberg, Wonder Woman mysteriously growing in size, or robot doubles ($3 book).
#23 Flash. A 36-page book with two 14-page stories and one 8-page back-up feature, all set in 1963. The new Flash is Barry Allen, police scientist. While Jay Garrick is still around and spry at 48 (and still able to run just under MACH 1), Barry can run at MACH 5. Aided by his sidekick Kid Flash (12-year old Wally West) and his friend, Elongated Man (Ralph Digby, often accompanied by his girlfriend Sue), the Flash II will battle a rogues gallery with the likes of Captain Cold, Mirror Master, and Vandal Savage in the first serial. The second serial will focus on the supporting cast with or without the Flash II, with the third serial highlighting the rogues themselves ($3.25 book).
#24 World’s Finest. A 36-page book with one 22-page adventure serial and one 14-page adventure serial, both set in 1964. The first features Superboy (Clark Kent Jr., now age 16 and able to lift 11 tons) and the second Batman (Dick Grayson, now age 31) and their adventures being turned into ghosts, tackling Clayface, and battling the Composite Superman. The back-up features Green Arrow, a still clean-shaven Oliver Queen (age 37), and his sidekick Speedy (Roy Harper, age 20), who have been quietly battling crime for the past 12 years with bows and arrows. This feature tracks their efforts at combating street crime while staying off the radar and appearing to be urban legends ($3.25 book).

What Should Have Been DC’s 52 Title Relaunch

2011-09-13T12:33:00.001-05:00

As some may know, DC Comics has recently launched or relaunched 52 titles in an attempt to attract new readers. It is an effort, sadly, destined to fail. The new comics have several important failings. One – and this is the problem DC has perennially had – is cutting away too much past continuity. Suggesting that 60+ years of comic books never happened is just bad business. The second biggest problem is not enough comic book pros are involved. With a few recognizable exceptions, most of the talent involved on titles is new and no one has been in the industry for more than 20 years. There is a lot of untapped veteran talent out there DC chose to ignore. The third biggest problem has been a focus on promoting new minority heroes, while ignoring a significant number of characters who are proven sellers. The fourth biggest problem is that comic books are still too expensive. Just accept that you’re never going to make money off of comic books again and deal with them as they truly are – copyright-protected treatments for future blockbuster movie characters. Drop those prices back down to $3.50, while adding some more pages. The fifth biggest problem is over-reliance on crossovers and big multi-part events to sell comics. Good stories, art, and characters should sell comics. Splitting up the 52 titles throughout DC’s history would show fans that the days of big company-wide events are over now.

If I was put in charge of this project, the relaunch would have gone something like this…

Golden Age Titles
#1 More Fun Comics. This book will be a little different from the others. It will be a 30-page book selling for just $3, headlined by a 7-page Dr. Occult serial set in 1938, and followed by 6-8 3-4 page brand new humor strips. The newspaper comics are disappearing, so attract some of that talent to comic books. This is your “bridge” comic to get people reading who don’t normally buy comic books and aren’t interested in superheroes.
#2 Detective Comics. A 42-page book of three 14-page detective story serials, all set in 1940. Speed Saunders, Bruce Nelson, and Slam Bradley all tracking investigating crimes, solving mysteries, or just exploring the criminal underworld.
#3 Action Comics. A 42-page book of three 14-page adventure story serials, all set in 1944. The first serial features Superman (in his late 20s, able to lift 50 tons, nigh-invulnerable, able to run 100 MPH or make 300’ standing high jumps) crusading against criminals like Johnny Aesop, Black Patch, and the Trickster while dealing with the fact that Lois Lane now knows his secret identity. The second serial features Tex Thompson, alias Americommando (with his flying cape) fighting with the U.S. Armed Forces in the Pacific Theater. The third serial features Zatara the tuxedoed magician, battling occult forces at home, or confronting the awakening god Pan abroad.
#4 Smash Comics. A 42-page book of three 14-page adventure story serials, all set in 1942. The first serial is Espionage, starring Black X, a secret agent rooting out enemy agents in the Orient. The second serial is Hugh Hazzard & Bozo the Robot, repelling Nazi attacks on the Americas. The third serial is Invisible Justice, with Kent Thurston using his magic invisibility hood to exact justice against Nazi spies.
#5 All-American Comics. A 42-page book with two 15-page adventure story serials and 1 12-page humor serial, all set in 1944. The first serial features Green Lantern, with Alan Scott using his magic ring to fight mobsters in New York City, or to fight monsters like Solomon Grundy, with the help of his sidekick “Doiby” Dickles. The second serial features Atom, with Al Pratt using his fighting prowess and extraordinarily (though not superhuman) strong punches to fight crime and solve mysteries in New Haven, Massachusetts. Because both heroes are members of the Justice Society of America, they may even be working together or separately on the same case. The third serial is Scribbly & the Red Tornado, about a 13-year old cartoonist, trying to balance work, school, and the knowledge that his crazy landlady thinks she’s a superhero.
#6 Adventure Comics. A 42-page book of three 14-page adventure story serials, all set in 1943. The first serial features Sandman (Wesley Dodds in his yellow and purple fighting togs) and his sidekick Sandy thwarting unusual crimes in unusual settings like Mammoth Circus, Gentleman Jack’s prison hideout, or Little Joe Grolich’s pants-making sweatshop. The second serial features Starman, Ted Knight, using his Gravity Rod to stop criminals throughout the U.S. using a hi-tech advantage over the police. The third serial features Hourman, Rex Tyler, using his strength-enhancing Miraclo pills and the aid of the Minute Men of America radio club for kids to battle mobsters throughout New England. All three heroes are members of the Justice Society of America and may be working together or separately on the same cases.
#7 Whiz Comics. A 42-page book of two 21-page adventure story serials, both set in 1953. The first serial features Captain Marvel, but now Billy Batson is 21 years old, studying journalism in college, but distracted by being an already-world-famous radio celebrity, having Beautia Sivana back in his life as a love interest for both Billy and Captain Marvel, Spy Smasher showing up to recruit Captain Marvel for spy missions in the Cold War, trolls making mischief, and old enemies like the Black Magician showing up for revenge. The second serial features Ibis the Invincible, ancient Egyptian arch-mage, defending our world from an inter-dimensional war.
#8 Flash Comics. A 42-page book of two 15-page adventure story serials and one 12-page humor serial, all set in 1948. The first serial features the Flash, a battle-weary Jay Garrick hoping to settle down with his pregnant wife Joan, but has too dangerous and active a rogues gallery, with the likes of the Black Templar, the Fiddler, and Dr. Lexon. The second serial features Hawkman, Carter Hall, and Hawkwoman, his wife Shiera, as they split their time between encountering magical dangers while pursuing archaeology across the Americas and engaging in a running conflict with their archenemy, the Ghost. Because Flash and Hawkman are both members of the Justice Society of America, they may be working together or separately on the same case. The third serial features Johnny Thunder. Recently dumped both by the Justice Society of America and the Black Canary, Johnny is on the rebound and proposes to his old girlfriend Daisy Darling. Can Daisy accept Johnny’s unusual baggage, a 7-year old adopted daughter named Peachy and a magical thunderbolt that makes Johnny’s wishes come true?
#9 Master Comics. A 42-page book of two 21-page adventure story serials, both set in 1949. The first features Captain Marvel Jr. Freddy Freeman is now 17-years old, back in school, earning money as a copyboy at a newspaper, and taking a romantic interest in fellow superhero Mary Marvel. As Captain Marvel Jr., Freddy does good deeds and thwarts the schemes of Sivana Jr. The second features Bulletman, Jim Barr, veteran crime-fighter who has tried to settle down and become a police captain, while his wife Susan has given up being Bulletgirl to raise their infant daughter and adopted 6-year old son and care for the family dog. But Jim keeps finding it easier to solve police matters by donning his old hi-tech helmet that enhances his strength, magnetically protects him from harm, and propels him through the air at the speed of sound.

My Fantastic Four movie

2011-09-02T15:08:00.004-05:00

How I would film a Fantastic Four movie (or at least the first few scenes!)...

Fantastic Four: the Movie

August 1948. Black screen. A baby cries. A woman is calling for Susan. The woman opens a closet and finds Sue Storm, age 15, curled up inside reading a girls' magazine with a flashlight. The woman berates Sue for always hiding and tells her to watch her baby brother. Just then the doorbell rings. The baby has stopped crying. Sue's aunt gets the door and it's a 28-year old Reed Richards at the door. Sue, curious, has left her baby brother alone again and crept to the upstairs landing to observe Reed thanking her aunt for giving him a place to stay here in Central City while his inheritance is all tied up. While they talk, Sue looks at the article her magazine is open to about "How to recognize the man you're going to marry."

December 1956. The Pacific Ocean. A tiny ship pitches and rolls through a violent storm as a single, fat, ugly man fights to control his vessel. Within moments, the ship crashes onto the shore of an island. The man, tossed onto the beach, picks up his head and looks around. The rushing sound of the surf segues into…

October 1961. The launch of the Saturn-1 rocket from Cape Canaveral. The bright lights of the rocket segue into…

November 1961. Central City, California.

…the bright flash from cameras as Reed Richards, age 40, in a nice suit, walks out of City Hall in front of reporters who ask him questions like, “What does the success of the Saturn program mean for the rocket industry here in Central City?” and “Was this meeting about cutting funding for your space launch?” Reed turns and flashes them a defiant smile, saying all he’s worried about now is being on time for his date.

Elsewhere, 16-year old Johnny Storm is dancing to Bobby Lewis’ “Tossin’ and Turnin’” while his 27-year old sister Sue Storm is running around the house trying to get ready for her big date. Johnny is bored enough that he abandons dancing to torment Sue while she struggles to get the rollers out of her hair. Finally they hear a car out front and Sue exclaims that “Reed’s here!”

Sue comes running to the front door, jumpy and nervous like Reed is the best thing since sliced bread. But she’s all calm and composure by the time he answers the door. As they go driving off to see a movie, Sue can tell Reed is sulking about something so she sighs and resigns herself to letting him talk about it. She knows she’ll never get to see the movie now, as Reed pulls over and launches into a long, boring lecture about how the Russians have Voskhod 1, the first multi-person spacecraft, how far behind NASA’s Saturn rocket program is, and how Reed needs more funding to top the Russians, not less, and the importance of space exploration (luckily we are just treated to snippets of this lecture, delivered in the car, in the street, and inside a nearby malt shop where Sue tries to enjoy a malt while Reed can’t stop talking). Finally, Sue interrupts and says Reed is going to have to do something fantastic to show the government how close his moon rocket is to being ready. Reed says that’s brilliant and gives Sue a kiss that surprises her, but makes all that waiting worthwhile for her. But then he rushes off to the payphone to call Ben Grimm.

Cut to Sue, Reed, and Ben together somewhere else. Ben is also 40. Ben is saying there’s no way he is breaking into an air force base, stealing a rocket, and flying it into orbit. Reed says it’s really just borrowing and that he financed much of the rocket himself with his own fortune. Reed can’t pull this off without his best friend and the best pilot he knows, piling on the buttering up, but what really cuts Ben to the quick is when Sue says she never thought Ben was such a coward. Ben is flummoxed and changes his position on the spot. Reed begins to explain what they have to do (which is voice-overed into the next scene).

Cut to Ben, at home, dressing all in black and smearing black face paint under his eyes. Sue is dressing up like for a party, but also tries on a black coat and ties a black scarf over her hair. Reed’s voiceover is talking about the risk they are putting themselves into and how they can’t tell anyone where they are going when Sue, carrying her coat and scarf, finds Johnny blocking her from leaving the house and the voiceover goes scratchy like a needle being lifted off a record.

Cut to Johnny, Sue, Reed, and Ben all together and Reed is trying to convince Sue that Johnny is too young to come and Ben is trying to convince Reed that Sue is too young to come to and Sue explaining that if she left Johnny at home he was going to blab to everyone and they are all talking at once until Sue asks, if the rocket is so safe, why can’t Johnny come? Reed can’t answer that. He and Ben just look at each other, knowing they’re licked.

Later that same night, Reed and Sue pull up in a car at the Edwards Air Force base. They both step out and Reed talks to the guards about how he needs to get in to retrieve his lab notes. The sentries confirm that Reed has clearance to enter, but warn him to stay away from the rocket. Sue, as planned, notices a run in her stocking and lifts her skirt to check it, distracting the guards so Reed can snatch a higher clearance pass card from the guard booth. A moment later, the guards just wave to Sue as Reed drives in. The camera pans past Reed’s car, across the base, to show Reed’s rocket standing over some buildings and lit from below by flood lights, in the background.

Shortly, Reed pulls his car up between two buildings on the base and Reed pops the trunk. Ben and Johnny are wedged in tight and need help climbing out. “I don’t ever wanna be that close to you again, squirt!” Ben complains. Both Ben and Johnny are dressed all in black, with black make-up on their faces. Sue has already changed into her black coat and scarf. Reed starts to leave them, but Sue stops him and gives him a kiss on the cheek for luck first.

Reed uses the pass card he stole to get into the control room, then hands the card to Ben before they leave him. Its empty inside, so, after glancing out the large windows at the distant rocket, he picks up a screwdriver and begins unscrewing a panel on a machine.

Outside, Ben, Johnny, and Sue sneak on foot through the dark, coming across another fence and use the pass card at an unmanned gate. As they approach the rocket, Sue asks Ben for some light. Johnny flicks on a cigarette lighter and Sue, shocked, asks him where he got that. Ben (who was holding a flashlight) interrupts, takes a piece of paper out of Sue's hands, and holds it to the light. It's a diagram of the rocket. Ben explains that if they don't find the alarm and cut the wires to it, it'll go off the moment they turn anything on at the launch tower.

A quick cut later, Reed runs to join them as they wait on the launch tower's elevator platform to go up. Reed, out of breath, says that everything is ready. Before they go up, Ben flashes his light on the cut wires at the alarm box and Reed races over and holds the wires together.

My early Christmas wishlist

2011-09-02T12:16:00.004-05:00

One of my coworkers is heading to Borders tonight to pick up some cheap early Christmas presents and asked for a list. How was I supposed to resist making a list?

Dungeons & Dragons: The Animated Series
Any packs of D&D Miniatures
The Muppet Show Comic Book: Family Reunion
Supermen!: The First Wave of Comic-book Heroes 1939-1941
Carl Barks and the Disney Comic Book: Unmasking the Myth of Modernity
Justice Society of America 1: Thy Kingdom Come
Justice Society of America 2: Thy Kingdom Come
Justice Society of America 3: Thy Kingdom Come
Justice Society of America: Black Adam and Isis
Quest for the Spark 1
Little Mouse Get Ready
Bone: Tall Tales
The Incredibles: Truth & Consequences
Tiny Titans: Field Trippin
Tiny Titans: First Rule of Pet Club
Tiny Titans Go Camping!
Tiny Titans: Sidekickin’ It!
Tiny Titans: Adventures in Awesomeness
Tiny Titans1: Welcome to the Treehouse
Owly: Flying Lessons
Owly 4: a Time to Be Brave
Owly & Wormy: Friends All A-Flutter

Also,
Rave On: Buddy Holly tribute album

The 10 Best Comic Books of the Last 3 Years

2011-08-11T09:10:00.003-05:00

I'll be up front -- the older I get the more drawn I seem to be to all-ages comic books. The salaciousness of "mature" comic books -- the direction Marvel and DC Comics is going with most of their titles -- just hold little interest for me anymore.

#10. Starborn. From Boom Comics and conceptualized by Stan "The Man" Lee, Starborn is one of those rarities -- an all-new superhero. Starborn the superhero seems a similar concept to Alan Moore's Promethea, only male instead of female and science fiction-based instead of fantasy-based, but that matters little to me compared to Starborn's real identity, Ben Warner, a frustrated author. Now that's someone I can relate to! Ben's naivety is a refreshing pair of eyes to view to see a new comic book universe through and my biggest disappointment is that Starborn doesn't seem to be gaining much of a following.

#9. Mystic Comics. Just one of several one-shots from Marvel Comics to celebrate its 70th anniversary by showcasing a "forgotten" superhero from its early days, David Lapham does a great job of showing us why the Golden Age Vision should not have been forgotten. It doesn't hurt that I'd just worked on a Golden Age Vision story not long ago -- (http://ma.bhyphen.com/hauntofhorror05.html). Plus we get Golden Age reprints! I think Marvel would get me to buy more comic books again if they used DC's old 100-page spectacular format, with a new story followed by reprints. Marvel's best days are behind them -- so use them!

#8. Muppet (fill in the blank). A series of mini-series from Boom Comics have done more to keep the Muppets alive and relevant than Disney has managed in recent years. The writing is funny and the art has been top-notch.

#7. Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers. The best new concepts from Marvel in quite some time have been in their all-ages titles, especially this gem that resurrects almost every animal character Marvel has ever used (short of the dog Rambo from Sleepwalker). But is Lockjaw a dog or an Inhuman that looks like a dog? I was relieved that this mini-series stayed on the fence and doesn't side one way or the other.

#6. Atomic Robo. Smart, funny, and imaginative -- all the hallmarks I look for in a comic book -- wrapped up in a robot visually reminiscent (and intentionally too!) of the Rocketeer. This is another sad case, though, of a series that actually deserves hype getting none of it. I wasn't even aware until this morning that this title from Red 5 Comics is up to its 5th trade paperback already.

#5. Johnny Boo. It's just so gosh darn cute! Casper the Friendly Ghost, as if written and drawn by a 12-year old, is an awfully endearing book from Top Shelf that I've been happy to see a lot of local libraries picking up for their children's departments.

#4. Incredibles. Another hit from Boom Comics, they've done some great mini-series featuring the Incredibles characters. The best of the bunch so far, the "Family Matters" mini-series, was courtesy of comic book genius Mark Waid.

#3. Owly. How did Top Shelf reinvent itself as the best publisher of comics for kids? Owly's gimmick is that the characters never speak, except in rebus-like balloons, and yet they magically convey a depth of emotion rarely seen in comics. Owly is both the saddest and most uplifting comic book out there and, thankfully, also turning up in a lot of children's departments.

#2. Justice Society of America. The JSA was already great as both the original superhero team book AND the first multi-generational superhero team book, but in his last days on this title back in 2009, Geoff Johns wrapped up his long stint on this book by transforming it from a good guys vs. bad guys serial to a book about an extended family, doing family stuff, and loving each other.

#1. Tiny Titans. Conceptually bold, whereas most other attempts by DC and Marvel to do all-ages books have been timid, Tiny Titans reimagines almost EVERY character in DC comics as a kindergartner, except for those few who remain the adults in their lives. Art Baltazar's unique art style is fun to look at, but the stories are genuinely funny as well. If you can read a story where the Teen Titans are kindergartners and their arch-foe Trigon is their school's principal and not laugh, there's something wrong with you.

2011 3rd Annual Job Hunters Workshop - pt. 6

2011-07-28T15:19:00.001-05:00

If you’re looking to enter a career, find organizations or groups that represent members of that career and get involved in them. Be prepared to give your elevator speech before and after meetings. Collect business cards to help you keep track of who you’ve networked with. Follow-up with thank you notes or e-mails for everyone you network with. And try to be a useful contact yourself. Save articles or links on job hunting you can share with others. Tell them about my workshops.

Go to job fairs. The Illinois Dept. of Employment Security keeps a list of job fairs around the state on their site and, while some of them of them may be a really tough commute for you, they are the perfect places to network, even if you hate bothering people, because people who are hiring are there expressly for the purpose of networking with you.

The most important networking tip I can give you though is: be thorough, but also be fast. You want to be one of the first people who apply for the job you want. Many businesses will anticipate getting so many candidates that they have a cut-off number planned. Don’t delay to start networking. Start as soon as you leave here tonight, or even before then if you want to network with others in this room.

Okay, so you’ve done all the work up to this point – you’ve found a job, applied for the job, and won an interview. You’re most of the way there if you have an interview. The hirer thinks, based on what he or she knows about you so far, that you’re a good match for the job. But this is the biggest hurdle too, because you’ve got to outshine everyone else sitting there for an interview. Prepare for it. Be prepared for your clichéd interview questions -- like what are your strengths and weaknesses? – but also be prepared to demonstrate your decision making, problem solving, leadership, motivation, communication, interpersonal skills, planning and organization, critical thinking skills, team building, and your ability to influence others – preferably with one good example of each.

Be prepared, not just for questions, but in knowing everything you can for this interview. Where are you applying? Learn everything you can about the company. If it’s a public place you’re applying to work at, ask for a tour of it well before the interview. Who are you interviewing with? Know the person’s name and how to pronounce it, even if you have to call the company in advance to ask them how it’s pronounced. Where are you interviewing? Know the route to get there and how long it takes. Don’t trust Mapquest or Google Maps – drive it once yourself before the interview. Make sure you are on time or within 15 minutes early. And practice interviewing with someone else before the real interview.

You’re going to make your first impression within your first minute of meeting the interviewer, but it’s not just a question of saving up your strength for that first minute. You’re going to be making first impressions every moment after you walk onto that business’ property and you don’t know whether the people you meet talk to your interviewer or not. Hold doors for people. Compliment the secretary, receptionist, or whoever shows you to the interviewer. It could all get back to him later. Look confident and smile at people. During the interview, have something in your hand like a pen if you’re nervous about your hands. Make sure you mention how much you want the job. Get the name and contact information of the interviewer so you can send a thank-you note or call with a thank you.

Remember, if you make it as far as the interview, this job is yours to lose. You would not even have the interview if someone there didn’t think you were a good match for this job already. So go into that interview with some confidence. You’re almost there!

3rd Annual Job Hunters Workshop - pt. 5

2011-07-27T14:45:00.001-05:00

Computers are so vital in the workplace today that everyone at least needs to know the basics of navigating websites, sending e-mail, or just logging onto a computer.

If there are gaps in your employment history, you’ll have to fill them with something. Hopefully, you were involved in volunteer work while unemployed, or else you’ll have to explain in the resume why you weren’t working and have a really good excuse. Don’t give anyone a chance to assume the worst about why you weren’t working. Unfortunately, if you are currently out of work, that’s working against you because a lot of hiring managers and HR staff have been told not to hire unemployed people. So you’re going to have to make yourself look too amazing to pass up, either with volunteering, or speaking engagements, or having an impressive web presence, like I mentioned earlier. If you don’t have any of those three things yet, you might be able to get by with padding your resume with personal interests and hobbies, but only if your interests show teamwork, long-term dedication, cultural interest, or a willingness to volunteer.

Of course, just like the cover letter, you’re going to save your resume in multiple formats. Microsoft Word is getting to be a problem because there’s so many incompatible versions out there. Save your resume as a PDF document and as a text file and send it as attachments in those two ways. You’re going to keep the font size to 11 or 12, 10 at the smallest. If you’re trying for a job that requires writing, layout, or computer skills, do not use a template for your resume. HR staff will recognize templates and think you don’t know how to make a resume on your own. If you don’t need to prove you have any of those skills, then you can use a template. If you’re on a company website that gives you the option of uploading your resume or cutting and pasting it, choose to upload it. Cutting and pasting could strip out some of your formatting and make you send a bad-looking resume.

If you’re printing out your resume, use good quality white or off-white paper and no flashy colors. If the resume is more than one page, make sure you have your all-important contact information on each page – but in the body of the page and not the header or footer where automated systems might not be able to read it. And if you can’t or don’t want to carry paper copies of your resume everywhere you go, then carry a CD or flash drive or smart phone with your resume on it at all times.

And, last and possibly most important piece of resume advice – you’re only sending this once. You’re going to go to all this work to customize your resume for this one job and then start all over again with your very next resume. And you will not spam a hirer with multiple copies of your resume. Unless your circumstances have radically changed and your old resume you submitted is badly out of date or if you’re applying for different jobs in the same company, that company should never see your resume more than once. Just submit once and wait, even if you don’t hear back from them. They will notice you spamming them with multiple resumes and it won’t be good attention.

Like cover letters and resumes, thank you cards will need to be personalized for each person, but it would help to have a batch of them ready in advance and add personal touches before you send each out. You’re going to be sending thank you cards to everyone – your networking contact who gave you a good lead, the people who agreed to be your references, the person who gave you your interview, and so on. A card should suffice. Don’t come back to your interviewer with a cake you baked for him or a box of cookies you bought for him, unless someone high up in the company knows you and can vouch for you that you’re not creepy.

With your preparation done, it’s time to get started on execution. This is going to be your networking, applying, and interviewing. Networking, I’m constantly reading and being told, is the most important step in job hunting today. It’s also the hardest step for me to coach you through. It’s not like I can tell you what font size to use while you’re networking. But I do have tips that should help.

Keep to a routine so you do not fall out of the habit of working on a schedule when you are not working. Try to fill your days with interesting activities so, if an interviewer asks what you’ve been doing while you’ve been out of work, you will sound interesting! Try to do something job search-related every day. According to the Illinois WorkNet Center, you should be applying for five jobs a week, networking four times a week, and interviewing once a week. That’s a difficult schedule to maintain, especially the last part as interviewing scheduling isn’t even under your control. But there’s always something you can be doing. Revisit the self-assessment and preparation steps with your extra time.

100% of all jobs start in the “hidden job market” -- where jobs are not publicly advertised and filled by word of mouth – and only about 25% ever make it out of the “hidden market”. This is why you have to network, because only people you personally contact may know about these hidden jobs. If you’re going to use four networking contacts a week, you’re going to have to meet a lot of people, or call people you know, or use social networking websites like LinkedIn.com, or attend networking groups – though only if people hiring attend them. It does you no good to sit around with a group of unemployed people complaining about how they’re out of work. Present company excepted, of course.

I personally hate networking. The only thing I hate more than looking for work is having to talk to other people about how I’m looking for work. If you’re the kind of person who loves to network, you don’t even need this workshop. Luckily for everyone, the days when networking meant pounding the pavement or cold-calling people on the phone are over thanks to social media online. These websites allow you now, not only to connect with other people looking for work or references who might help you make connections, but you can connect with hirers directly online. It’s a movement being called “social recruitment.” If you’re using LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook in a professional way, then make sure to include this in your contact information on your business cards and resumes. If you’re not being professional on these sites, then you should probably stop that, to be on the safe side, because you never know who’s looking who might be recruiting.

I talked earlier about creating an impressive web presence for yourself. Try starting a blog or a Tweet hyping yourself and showcasing your skills. Include your resume on your blog. If you have created physical items for your portfolio, like handbills or JIST cards, scan them and put them up online too.

3rd Annual Job Hunters Workshop - pt. 4

2011-07-14T10:41:00.001-05:00

Part of this may be a reaction to too many cover letters that only repeat material from the resume or parrot the job ad it’s responding to.

It’s still worth talking about cover letters, though. Even if you’re applying online via e-mail, the body of your e-mail is going to be your cover letter.

Keep your cover letter to three or four paragraphs, five maximum. Dwell on specific accomplishments of yours, name up to eight things you’re proud of yourself for if you can, saving the details for your interview. You can summarize things from your resume, but don’t repeat anything that’s in your resume. It’s a delicate balance. You have to say enough to make someone want to read your resume, but you can’t really talk about your resume. You have to say enough to make someone want to interview you, but you can’t go into what you’re going to say in the interview. You have to make bold statements, but they have to be true. You don’t want to repeat information about the job, like the requirements. The hiring manager already knows the requirements. Just get across that you meet those requirements without going through them like bullet points. Or skip the requirements altogether. Talk about the company’s goals and how you can help meet them.

Your first paragraph should address in general terms what goals of the company you can accomplish or how you meet the job qualifications, making sure to mention the exact job title you’re applying for. The middle paragraphs are going to explain in more detail how qualified you are and summarize your accomplishments, along with maybe a personal touch – some non-work related thing that humanizes your cover letter. If you’re going to tell something personal about you, don’t tell too much and only mention the story if it will interest the reader, is relevant to your career objective, and will add weight to your list of qualifications. Like, you could make a case that, having been deathly ill when you were young fostered your interest in providing health care. Your last paragraph is going to thank the hirer for his consideration and let him know that you plan to make a follow up call soon.

Do enough research to find out who in the company you can address your cover letter to. Send your cover letter and resume as high as you can in the company. Send it to the President, Director, or CEO of the business. Send it higher than the hiring manager, to his boss. Send it to the hiring manager last. Find out the names of each of these people and don’t address them to their job titles if you can help it. It might even be okay to call the place you’re applying to and just ask for this information, but it depends on the type of work you’re looking for. Big companies may see stuff like this as company secrets, while your local store probably doesn’t care.

The most important thing in your portfolio is your resume. Something I’ve read a lot of conflicting information on is whether your resume should fit all on one page still or not. I used to tell everyone, keep it to one page no matter what. Some HR staff, though, are so used to reading resumes online, or have computer software that reads the resumes for them, that they don’t think it’s so important to keep it to one page anymore. But then I’ve also heard about software that reads only the first page of the resume! So, brief is still good. Make it concise and focused. If you can’t squeeze it onto one page, don’t worry anymore. If you have years of IT experience and you need 10 pages, do that. But if you have less than five years of job experience, by all means keep it to one page. There’s lots of shortcuts you can take. You don’t need to list every job you ever had, just the jobs relevant for what you’re applying for in the last 7-8 years. Don’t write paragraphs or even complete sentences, just bullet-point everything. Under education, you can leave out high school entirely unless you have no college degree. You don’t have to include the years you went to college. You do have to include the years for when you worked, but you are not obligated to list the months you started and stopped. Instead of highlighting your job skills under each job, use a separate “summary of skills” section and list them all at once.

Don’t bother with references or even saying “available upon request.” Well, of course they’re available upon request. If a HR person calls you and asks for your references, are you ever going to say no?

The average HR person looks at a resume – assuming he’s looking at all anymore and not using scanning software -- for about 8 seconds. How? Two things. One, he’s just scanning for certain words. Make sure your resume contains those key words. You’ll know which words need to be in your resume by studying the job ad carefully. Any requirements listed in the job ad had better be featured prominently in your resume. Make them even more prominent by highlighting them. And make sure you include every variant on those keywords possible. If you are applying for a job that requires management skills, try to say manage, managed, managing, and as many other variants as you can think of. Try to say in natural language just how those keywords are relevant to you. If you can’t, if there are just too many variants for you to work into your bullet points, still don’t leave those words out. If you have to, as a last resort, include a keyword section and write them all in there.

The other HR trick to remember is that the whole thing is not going to be read. Not even to the bottom of the first page. At best, someone will probably read the first two-thirds of your first page. So make sure that all the good stuff is up front. If your job history is what’s most impressive about you, put that up front. If your education is what’s most impressive about you, that goes up front. And, except for bullets and standard punctuation, you’re not going to use anything else fancy in your resume to a big company. No horizontal lines. No graphics. Even boldface, indenting, and unusual fonts you might have to give up. Even at best these are going to break someone’s attention away from what you have to say. At worst, scanning software won’t be able to read them and your resume will simply be ignored. So, if you’re submitting your resume to a big company, forget all about what you learned about resume layouts in the past. The exception is if you’re applying at a small company or the independent branch of a large chain, where you’re sure a person, and preferably someone who isn’t in Human Resources or a professional hiring manager, but a “normal” manager, is going to be looking at it. Then it’s okay to use a little color, maybe a small graphic at the bottom, and all the formatting that makes your resume stand out to the human eye.

List computer skills. Be specific! “Word” or “Internet” experience is not enough, but “Word 6.0” or “HTML coding” is. Like I said before, it’s okay to have pages of keywords for computer skills, if it’s that type of work you’re applying for. If you don’t have computer skills at all, then you’re in the wrong workshop.

3rd Annual Job Hunters Workshop - pt. 3

2011-07-13T20:52:00.002-05:00

You can get money for pursuing certification. WIA -- Workforce Investment Act -- money can be used to study anything for certification, and you get $6,000. If you pursue the grant through the Illinois WorkNet Centers, and for a job on their demand occupation list, they’ll up the grant to $7,000. If you’re taking your certification from a course at a college like ECC, you can apply for a Pell Grant for up to $5,000, which stacks with that other grant.

If the job ad says a skill is not required, but preferred, make sure you have those skills too. Cross-skills -- skills you don’t need for your specific job, but skills you could use elsewhere in the same company – are also being sought by employers. It used to be that, if you had 6 out of 10 requirements for a job, you had a good shot at it, but that’s not true anymore. You need to aim for 10 out of 10.

That said, you can still apply for a job you don’t have every qualification for. Every employer is looking for workers, usually not out of the goodness of their own hearts, but because they have a problem or problems they want solved. It’s going to be up to you to convince an employer that you know how to solve that problem better than more qualified applicants. Your best shot at that is to focus on branding you as a problem solver and come up with some good solutions to problems an employer like this might have.

As an Illinois job hunter, and possibly an unemployed one either now or at some point, there is no more important skills site than Illinois Skills Match. This site can match you to literally hundreds of job skills and try to match them to jobs. It’s where you’re required to register and stay active if you’re collecting unemployment money. Yes, there are real jobs listed on Illinois Skills Match. I talked to a WorkNet Center worker who personally added 25 new manufacturing jobs last month – all jobs have a 4-week turnover so those particular ones are gone now, but each county’s WorkNet Center is required to post 350 new jobs per month. And they don’t find those jobs by looking at generic job sites, but by networking themselves and cold-calling local businesses. The Arlington Heights office for suburban Cook County has been regularly posting 500 new jobs a month. That said, even that WorkNet Center worker said to only use Skills Match enough to meet the state requirements for unemployment coverage, because this is “one tiny part of your job search”. Keeping your Skills Match account active is as simple as logging in every so often and tinkering with your resume. You can even reapply for the same jobs. And don’t over-match on skills or you’ll be swamped with bad job matches. The optimal number is believed to be between 50 and 100 skill matches.

Your self-assessment is not done at this point. You’re going to be constantly reassessing yourself and your employment needs throughout the job hunting process. Remember, because you’re selling yourself on the job market, you’re going to be constantly looking for ways to improve your sale-ability. Don’t ignore the importance of continuing your education, especially if everything else easier isn’t working for you.

But, moving on with my presentation, it’s time to go over what you start doing next – you prepare the materials you will need to sell yourself. You are in the business of selling you now, so you will need a marketing portfolio for yourself. Of course, you don’t need a fancy portfolio case and, in many cases, the material you’re preparing may never need to exist in paper copy. The kinds of material we’re about to go over are elevator speeches, business cards, cover letters, resumes, and thank-you cards.

The “elevator speech” is so named because it’s supposed to be the short pitch for yourself you would give a hiring manager if you were ever, by chance, riding in an elevator with him. There is, as I understand it, amongst circles who debate this sort of thing, some debate as to how long your speech should be. Most say 30 seconds now, but some sources have said 90 seconds, others 60, or even just 10 seconds. The goal is to say enough about yourself to sound interesting without overloading someone who’s already heard enough to remember you. Remember your brand and try to get that across quickly. In 10 seconds, I can basically only give my name and my brand. In 90 seconds, I can say more about my skills and what I can do. You would do well to have a speech prepared and memorized for each length – 90, 60, 30, or 10 – and then play it by ear which speech to give should an opportunity arise. The 10-second version, for example, would probably play best when handing in an application. Conversely, your 90-second version is what you should lead with at a job fair.

The elevator speech does not need to be spoken. This is a short paragraph that that best describes you to potential employers, so feel free to use it anywhere. Use your 30-second version as a tag at the end of your e-mails. Use your 60-second version as your status message online. Don’t wait to be asked, get this information out there to be heard and seen. Get your message on Youtube, like this guy, one of many people now making and sharing visual resumes - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yc3ZfMLJSw&feature=related

Have personal business cards to hand out. If you already have business cards from work, don’t use those to hand out when you’re looking for a new job. FedEx/Kinko’s will sell you 250 business cards for $30. Now they have competition from companies like Vistaprint “selling” free business cards online. They’re giving out cards for free because the cards come with their company logo on the back of the cards, so they’re selling themselves at the same time they’re selling you. If you’re fine with that, and for all but the most professional jobs it should be fine, then go with that.

For more creative-type, less professional jobs, you can even make your own business cards, on 3x5 index cards, and make them look like mini-resumes. I had first heard about this from someone in the audience at my first workshop two years ago, but this year they’re the “hot new thing” in job hunting. They’re also called JIST cards now, after a company that’s marketing this as their thing.

Last year, handbills were the “hot new thing” in job hunting. A handbill is basically a flyer advertising you that you could hand out to people you network with. That’s all I’m going to say about handbills.

Cover letters are becoming less and less important all the time, with some hirers not even bothering to read them at all anymore. Part of this is just from advances in technology, with online applications now capable of having resumes attached to them without needing to be sent separately.

3rd Annual Job Hunters Workshop - pt. 2

2011-07-12T11:03:00.001-05:00

If you’re bold enough, you can make just as big a presence in real life with volunteer work or try to get speaking engagements on things you’re knowledgeable about. Right here at the library, you can sign up to use our meeting rooms and host any kind of meetings you want. All of this is good material for your resume, but the real goal is to make you more visible in the community – either online or real community – where employers might notice you. Getting interviews for jobs is nice, but the best situation you could possibly be in for a job is to be noticed by someone who’s hiring and asked to apply for the job.

If you’re really, really ambitious, you shouldn’t be unemployed between jobs at all, but starting your own business. To start up a small business does not take a lot of money. It does not have to be profitable, but it does have to keep you from looking unemployed. We have start-up business guides from the Illinois Dept. of Commerce and Economic Opportunity here in the library.

Maybe the most important piece of self-assessment you’re going to do is your financial self-assessment. Work out how long you can afford to keep looking for work. Check your finances and do the math. How many months can you get by on what you have? Look for a job you would like and want to have for as long as you can before that time runs out -- and then take whatever you can get when the time you have budgeted for your job search is running out. But remember that I said the average job search now takes 6-13 months. So if you can hold out 6 months without a job, suppose you’re sitting on a nice severance package or you can move back in with your parents for a half-year, then at most you should spend the 1st 6 weeks looking for your dream job exclusively. After that, you’re going to have to gradually expand your search. You’re going to have to consider jobs that are kind of like your dream job for the next 6 weeks. And then you’ll have to consider jobs that aren’t like your dream job, but they’re okay for the 6 weeks after that. Then, finally, you’re going to have to take any job you can get your hands on. If you’re not that well off -- maybe your finances won’t hold out for even 6 months, then you should put off looking for that dream job until you have any new job. You don’t have to stop looking once you have that new job, just make sure you have a paycheck coming in again and then resume looking for your dream job.

Whichever of these steps you’re on, make sure you have as complete a list of job openings at this step as you can get. It’s going to be up to you to keep this list current for any jobs currently available within 10 miles, 50 miles, 100 miles, or however far you’re willing to travel. In addition to that, you’re going to be looking ahead two steps as well. If you’re looking for your dream job now, you should keep one eye on the next step ahead and see what jobs – not openings – but jobs are in that distance you’re willing to travel in the “not, but like, your dream job” category now too. And you should keep half an eye on the step past that, the “eh- they’re okay” jobs, and just start researching those careers now. There are some good resources out there for researching careers and we’ll be discussing them soon.

There are also a lot of websites out there promising they list current job openings. Some of them are actually spam sites and are wasting your time at best and asking you to pay money at worst. Some of these job sites or places like Craigslist are legitimate, but most of them are “stale” jobs, or offers that have been a long time out of the “hidden job market” and I’ll be coming back to the “hidden job market” again when we get to networking. Why are these job ads even still out there? They serve as advertisement and they sometimes are collecting applications for stores in the same chain, but more remote areas. How interested are you in long-distance commuting? There are still uses for these sites. Several of them, like Monster and Career Builder post advice columns that could still make useful reading, even if you skip checking the job ads. And the bigger sites do other things to stay relevant. Monster hosts job fairs. CareerBuilder is partnering with IDES to make sure it has less stale Illinois jobs on it, making it currently your best bet from the generic commercial job sites.

CareerOneStop.org is just one website you can go to research careers and see which careers are growing. This information is also available on various governmental sites, like the U.S. Dept. of Labor and IDES’ Career Information System. IDES has the local angle, but CareerOneStop looks prettier and has more search options. One thing special to CareerOneStop is its video library. If you’re unclear of what a specific job skill entails, you can watch a video about it that will show you. You can also watch day-in-a-life-type videos of various jobs to sample them and get a better feel for if that’s what you want to do.

A similar website to CareerOneStop.org is O*Net, www.onetcenter.org. O*Net may be the biggest job information database around, with over 900 job profiles. Job skills are ranked for each occupation by importance. You can type in a job skill and search for jobs that match it. It also has webinars and online courses to teach you how to use the site better. This source is somewhat similar to the Dept. of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook, but it wouldn’t hurt you to know both sources when trying to find out about jobs to see if you want to work them.

There are still business magazines in print to do your research in, but for the local angle on checking to see what your company is doing, there are sites like Google RealTime and GlassDoor. RealTime lets you track Facebook and Twitter status messages related to a company. There are a lot of databases and reference sources here in the library that will tell you detailed information about the companies you’re looking at – so detailed that you’d need a business degree to understand them. But for the plain language version, you can read about the company at GlassDoor.

Make sure you’re qualified to work your dream job. If you’re seeing education requirements for your dream job that you’re lacking, or something you could get certification for, then get it. In many ways, your job hunting process may feel like going back to school again and, if need be, you should pursue that literally. If your dream job requires a degree you don’t have, then you’ve got a lot of work cut out for you. Hopefully, you can go back to school for just a license or a certificate. You can go back to CareerOneStop.org and use it to check which jobs require licensing or certification. A license is required by the state. A certificate is kind of this separate level above being self-taught and below having a license that basically just exists to impress hiring managers.

2011 3rd annual job hunters workshop - pt. 1

2011-07-11T10:44:00.001-05:00

[The following is the script I wrote to prepare for the job hunters workshop I ran at work.]

Welcome to Poplar Creek Public Library’s 3rd annual job hunters workshop! Thanks for coming. With luck, hard work, and what tips I can give you today – though, really, through luck and hard work mainly -- maybe everyone here will see some improvement in their employment status soon. If nothing else comes of getting you here tonight, at least I got you into the library. Because my secondary goal, after helping you find jobs, is to introduce you to what the library can do for you while you’re job hunting. The public library is the perfect place to come, whether it’s to apply for jobs online, type up your resume, read about the careers you’re interested in, or just to relax and read something good.

I’ll tell you up front that I am not a professional career counselor, job hunting coach, or have any kind of certification. Yet. What I’ve done is read a lot of books and articles on the subject of job hunting over the last three years and attended a lot of workshops that everyone here could have gone to. One thing I’ve found is that not all of this material agrees with each other! I have done my best to pick what I consider the best advice for you tonight.

Now, I have lots of material for us to get through tonight and my prepared remarks will take up about the first hour. And here’s what we’re going to cover. One, self-assessment. This is you getting yourself ready for job hunting. Two, preparation. This is you preparing the material you’ll need, like cover letters and resumes. Three, execution. This is you going out there and networking and interviewing. During all three steps, we’re going to talk about resources you can use, both here at the library or online from home. And after them, we can open the floor to Q&A, go over people’s resumes, spend more time looking at these online resources, or whatever you’d like to do with our time.

The average job search can take roughly 6-13 months in today’s work environment. Where did I get that range from? Basically, it’s a rough average I’ve had to make myself from the conflicting estimates I’ve been reading. And it’s necessarily such a wide range because there’s so many unknowable factors involved. But it’s still a better average than I was able to project last year, even if it’s not very good yet. HR departments are still overwhelmed with hiring options. You heard about Google getting a record 75,000 applications in one week for only 6,000 jobs? Yeah, not every place you’re applying for is like Google, but you’re still going to have to expect stiff competition for any job you try for. Some factors you’re going to have to consider when you’re seeking a job is if you’re moving to a new company or looking for a new position in the same company, whether you’re changing job function or not, whether you’re changing industry or not, if you’re looking in a new location, if you’re looking to move to a bigger company, and if you’re going to be looking for more pay. Each of these factors is going to make the job search longer for you.

Just yesterday, I was reminded that there is a difference between a job and a career and what you really want is a career. Unfortunately, I’ve practiced this presentation so long saying job I don’t think I can train myself to say career now. So just keep in mind that when I’m saying “job”, I really mean “career”. So what are you going to be doing with yourself during these 6-13 months you’re not working? The first thing you’re going to be doing is self-assessment.

Self-assessment is largely common sense type stuff, and yet too many people skip this step entirely. Identify your skills. Identify how you want to use your skills. Identify how far you’re willing to travel for a job and how low you’re willing or able to be paid. Think about who you are, what you’ve accomplished – both at work and outside of work, and how you wish to contribute to the future. Out of this self-assessment needs to come the following things: a positive attitude about you, a sense of your own brand, a sense of how accessible you are to people who will need to be in touch with you, a good evaluation of your financial situation, and a sense of your own qualifications.

The first is the simplest, to explain at least: you need the positive attitude because it’s going to be up to you to sell yourself. You are your own product now and any good salesman believes in his product. That might be hard for you if you’ve been out of work for awhile and there can be real grief associated with job loss. The best advice I can give, not being a counselor or therapist, is to keep busy job hunting.

You need to brand yourself because it’s going to give you the focus you need to know how you’re going to sell yourself. Are you a go-to person who gets things done? Are you a people person who has great rapport with customers? Are you an on-time, under-budget kind of guy? These are the sorts of one-line tags or clichés you need to consider whether they apply to you or not. It’s okay to make a hirer think of you as one of these clichés, since it will help him remember you. But you won’t actually use these one-liners. You’re never going to say you’re a “people person” or any of these other clichés, but you’re going to get the idea across by the examples you give about you in your resumes and interviews.

You’re going to evaluate how accessible you are, both to hirers and to others. You’re going to keep your ability to contact others organized, with phone numbers and contact information in your journal or a notebook or typed up on a computer instead of on loose notes or business cards that can get lost. Use a professional-sounding e-mail address. If you have an e-mail account with kind of a silly address or anything not professional looking, then make a second account and use the second account only for job hunting. Also use a professional-sounding voicemail message. But don’t leave that important call back from an employer up to an answering machine if you can avoid it. What if you go out of town for a week and get a phone call from a potential employer on day one of your vacation? And then it takes you 6 days to return the call? How is that going to make you look? So make sure your contact information includes a cell phone number and carry the phone at all times and return those calls quickly if you do miss them.

I’m going to make a bigger deal about this than I did last year because so much of the job advice I’m seeing is about being accessible online and maintaining a professional online presence. We’ll talk again later about specific online resources for networking, but in general, you’re going to establish as wide and professional-looking a presence as possible. You’ll have profiles on multiple sites that employers might check. You can be active, in a professional way, on social media. And be online at all times. Obviously you’re going to sleep at night, but leave on Facebook, Yahoo Messenger, or whatever you use to connect to your contacts and references so they can leave you important messages at any time.

Marvel Family Returns Outline

2011-06-27T14:32:00.003-05:00

There has been much renewed discussion on the Marvels of Shazam Yahoo!Group about what people would do with the Marvel Family if they were released by DC into the public domain. Inspired, here is my take for the first 10 issues.

Marvel Family Returns Outline

In February 1954, Captain Marvel, Captain Marvel Jr., and Mary Marvel feel compelled to return to the Magic Subway Station and ride the train. There, the Mysterious Stranger explains how they are being removed to the future for their own good. Shazam’s ghost is finally passing on in the past and there is a danger of the Shazam Family’s powers being taken with him if they remained there. The three heroes emerge in a village in October 1978, begin to adjust to life 24 years later, and learn that everyone in the village is a robot.

As the Marvels learn of the robot plot to replace people and begin to combat it, they learn that John Edgewise – their old friend Professor Edgewise’s son – is responsible for the robots and is their prisoner. The Marvels free him and shut down all the robots before they can build more.

The Marvels travel to New York to learn what has become of Sterling Morris and Amalgamated Broadcasting Company. They learn that Sterling has died and his company is being run competently by Pete Morris, Sterling’s nephew – but that in his will Sterling left the entire company to Captain Marvel should he ever return! Pete learns about their alter egos and tries to kill Billy in order to keep the company. Billy also observes the growing romance between Freddy and Mary.

Billy, Freddy, and Mary all enroll in college and take jobs in Amalgamated Broadcasting, with Billy becoming a TV news broadcaster. When an earthquake strikes Greece, the Marvels travel there to respond. The earthquake was inadvertently caused by a coven of witches led by the Witch Queen Theo Bagge when their attempt to summon demons and bind them failed. Theo recognizes Captain Marvel and mistakenly assumes the Marvels are onto them. Then the witches decide to try and bind the Marvels to them with their enchantments. After failed attempts to seduce the Marvels, the Marvels find the coven of six witches together and defeat them all before they can summon even worse demons.

Elsewhere in time and space, the Mysterious Stranger rides the magic subway train when it is attacked! Power armor-clad warriors invade it and secure the train before Zotan, the King of All Time boards. He wants to know where the Marvels have been hidden and the Mysterious Stranger refuses to tell him. Zotan wonders why the Stranger, of all people, would want to protect the Marvels and vows to find them anyway. The Marvels are in Iran both monitoring the Islamic Revolution and covering it as their alter egos when word reaches them of a “phantom satellite” that has been observed in the sky once every year as far back as people can remember. The Marvels leave to investigate and discover that the satellite is both a trap and a beacon. The Marvels are teleported to a distant, airless planetoid, transformed into their alter egos, and surrounded by spaceships about to blow the planetoid up. A projected image of Zotan appears before them to gloat, but he failed to reckon on the “kids” using the last air in their lungs to speak their magic words and then flying up to battle the armada. Zotan, aboard the armada, is teleported away before the Marvels disable all but the flagship and commandeer it to fly them back to Earth.

The Marvels contact John Edgewise and transport him to the captured flagship as soon as they reach home, inviting him to help them figure out the technology on board and help adapt it to Earth technology in the coming months. But no sooner are the Marvels back home and settling back in than they learn that King Kull has re-emerged and endangering Three Mile Island. Kull is tough to beat, wearing a time-belt given to him by Zotan that allows him to see the Marvel’s next moves and prepare for them. The Marvels manage to thwart a meltdown, but Kull escapes while bragging about having a “people” again.

The Marvels intervene in the Tanzanian invasion of Uganda and meet Talky Tawny. Tawny has, in the past 24 years, moved to Uganda and opened a wilderness park for tigers there. The Marvel “kids” agree to give the park media coverage, as well as the invasion, and wind up fighting soldiers again, this time as poachers.

The Marvels are invited to Cape Canaveral, where John Edgewise has been joined by a now-adult Dexter Knox in helping to adapt the first space shuttle to have a newer thrust system, based on captured alien technology, that will let it fly four times faster than previously planned. Later, in town, they spy an old Chinese doctor who reminds them of the spy Ivan Ching and they confront him. While he claims to have retired from spy work, the Marvels are alerted to a threat back at the launchpad – alien Azpaks have come to steal the Space Shuttle. The Marvels defeat the aliens, but learn that a simultaneous attack has stolen back the flagship the Marvels captured. One of the Azpak prisoners, though, turns out to be Prince Yoruk of their people.

At a top secret military base, the Marvels are guests of the federal government debating with the U.S. military what to do about the captured Azpak prisoners, including alien royalty. Suddenly the base is attacked by, as the Marvels learn when they respond, King Kull. However, the Marvels are subsequently attacked by four others who look like Kull. Kull reveals that he has recreated his race through cloning since the Marvels disappeared. With Prince Yoruk as his prisoner, Kull can convince the Azpaks to attack Earth in retaliation and destroy the surface dwellers. Indeed, a sixth Kull-like invader has seized Yoruk and escaped. The Marvels pursue, free Yoruk, and return him to the surface in time as an Azpak ship appears.

The Marvels are seen acting as tour guides around the world to groups of Azpakians. The Azpak agree that they like Earth as a tourist destination and agree to let past aggressions slide. As the Azpakians leave, the Marvels follow them into orbit and help upgrade Skylab. The Marvels return to Earth and resume their new lives, only to have Freddy propose to Mary.

STARDUST #6 "Stardust vs. BP" - pt. 3

2011-04-15T13:28:00.002-05:00

“Just think how it is for the people cleaning the beaches!” someone else said.
“Look! Look! A coast guard boat!” someone else shouted.

Everyone looked at that. Sure enough, a patrol boat was approaching the derelict oil rig. Just in case they were not noticed, most of the party-goers abandoned their clearing efforts and ran to the side of the pad, jumping up and down or waving excitedly to the patrol boat.

“You are trespassing on private property!” someone said over a megaphone from the boat.

“We’re not trespassing! This is my property!” Tony Hayward shouted at them angrily. “Get us down from up here!”

Tony kept shouting at them, but they could not hear until some of the Coast Guard actually came aboard the rig and made their way to the bottom of the stairs. They too were aghast at the bodies clogging the stairs. “How many people are up there?” one of them called up.

“Twenty, I think, but I’m Tony Hayward!” Tony called back. “It’s very important that you get up here! A crazy man is holding us hostage!”

“Are you responsible for all this blockage on the staircase?” the man called up.

“No! It was that…that man…” Tony said, trying to think how to make it sound believable. “It was all an accident!” he said, changing his story.

“No one is supposed to be up here,” the man said. “Can you get down?”

“No, you moron! If we could get down, we wouldn’t be stuck up here on the top of a bloody oil rig surrounded by bloody dead things!” Tony shouted.

There were a few moments of silence while the men on the bottom conferred before the first one called back up. “Just stay where you are, don’t touch anything, and we’ll see what we can do about getting a helicopter out here.”

“Wait! I've got two, but he won't let them land!” Tony shouted, but the Coast Guard were heading back to their boat to report what they had seen.

Stardust had been standing idly by and watching during all this, but now he said loudly, “I'm not holding anyone prisoner here. The problem you're facing is the same as the one BP has forced everyone living along the Gulf Coast to deal with. You've got oil and dead sea life to deal with. You've got the food and drink you came with and then, after that, things are going to get tougher for you, just like all the fishermen and other people whose livelihoods are endangered. The difference now is, you people can't ignore these problems because you're too rich or too self-important to think you should have to deal with this. You're going to deal with this, just like the tens of thousands of people poorer than you who are already having to deal with your mistakes.”

There was more complaining and protesting and some people refused to do anything, but Tony Hayward was the first to rally some of the party-goers and the staff under him. They even came up with a fairly clever plan, or so Stardust thought. Using one of the folding tables as a plow, they managed to clear quite a bit of the staircase with it. It was slow going, though, to do it safely.

In the next hour, oil-drenched men and women had cleared most of the way down the stairs. The Coast Guard had come up the rig again twice to explain the delays on their end from the bottom of the stairs. Each time they came they tossed some bottled water up to the work crews, offered words of encouragement, and tried to discourage those who were thinking they had come far enough down now that they could just jump the rest of the way.

“It's really much farther down to the water from here than you think,” the Coast Guard warned them.

Up at the top of the stairs, taking a breather, Tony Hayward sat down. His face rested in his hands. “It’s all my fault,” he said quietly, murmuring into his palms. “I never thought about the dangers…the damage our rigs cause…It was all just bottom lines to me. But there was so much more to it than that…”

“You remember that when you leave here,” Stardust said.

Tony looked up with a start, not having realized Stardust was standing so close and heard everything. He looked up at Stardust, not defiantly, but nodding with comprehension.

It was less than another hour when the path was cleared enough that the party-goers could start descending to the Coast Guard boat safely. Cries of “we’re saved!” soon woke up the few people who had already fallen to sleep up top, wrapped up in table clothes and tarps.

“Mr. Hayward,” a Coast Guard officer said as Tony came down. “The man who was keeping you prisoner here -- where is he?”

Tony looked back up the stairs, but there was no sign of Stardust up there. He turned back to the officer and shook his head vigorously. “No, no, never mind him. Just get us out of here!”

June 12, 2010.

Tony Hayward had not announced any press conferences for today, but when the reporter had called, asked to see him, and mentioned Stardust, Tony told him to come around at 1:30. Mark Kirkham showed up at 1:29 and only had to wait three minutes before Tony’s secretary told him that Mr. Hayward would see him now.

The CEO looked tired and stressed and rightly so, if rumors about what the last few board meetings of the company had been like. He wore a suit, though with the suit coat thrown over the chair behind him. His desk was covered in reports, left open to various pages with paperweights holding them open, while his partially visible computer screen showed more online reports were open. It could have been all for show, of course, but Mark thought Tony’s bleary eyes suggested otherwise.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Tony went straight for the point. “Who was that man? Who called himself Stardust?”

“I don’t know, Mr. Hayward,” Mark said. “But I’ve talked to him enough to know that I think we have an honest-to-God superhero walking among us now. Would you like to make a statement about him?”

“Me? No…” Tony said, staring off into space. “But I do have a statement to make. You can announce that, henceforth, our offshore drill sites will be the safest in the world. We will never put pressure on our workers to cut corners again. My experience on Deep Horizon made me really understand just what we had done. And if you ever talk to this Stardust again, tell him I said that. And…thank you.”

NEXT ISH: Stardust returns home to Elgin, Illinois, for some R&R and to catch up with his friends and family! But he’s not the only one to come to Elgin. Who is stalking him, and why? And what does it have to do with SHROUD? Find out, next time, in “Home Is for the Hunted!”

Sadly, issue #7 never happened. I hope someone enjoys the six-issue run of Stardust!

STARDUST #6 "Stardust vs. BP" - pt. 2

2011-04-11T09:54:00.000-05:00

“Now don't let them come back down!” Stardust shouted at Tony Hayward. “I'll be right back!” He stressed those last two words with an accusatory finger jabbed in Tony's direction at each word. Then he leaped again off of the side of the pad, this time lower into the oil rig.

For the short time he was gone, the more sober party-goers debated what to do. Tony Hayward was thinking that to himself, but was not about to admit to anyone that he was not in control of the situation. He was considering whether he could convince everyone this was just a show put on for the party when he heard Stardust shout something from below.

“Incoming!” Stardust shouted and, in the next moment, something big and metallic came sailing over the edge of the pad and landed up there. It looked like part of a crane at first, but its shape was more humanoid than that. After a longer look, it looked more like a robot from out of some science fiction movie. It was missing its head, an arm, and a leg, but if it could stand it would have been eight feet tall.

“Recognize your toy, Tony?” Stardust asked as he clambered over the side of the pad. He was still dressed in the nice clothes of the caterers – white dress shirt, clip-on bow tie, and black slacks – but the robot had been dirty and oily and Stardust's clothes were now in the same condition. “It's one of those robots you keep hearing about on the news. The BP robots that are repairing the oil leak. Only nobody knows that they're this big or that they're programmed to attack anyone else who gets too close to the oil leak. Of course, I know about it because I took a swim down there myself to see if I could help. Protecting your interests, even if it slows down ending the crisis? This thing tried to kill me before I put it out of commission. Would it have attacked a U.S. submarine if it had got too close, I wonder?”

“I don't know what you're talking about,” Tony said, “but you're not welcome here. You're trespassing on private property!”

“Yeah, and I had to do it before too,” Stardust said. “I spent a whole day up here on the rig recovering from that fight. I dredged some other things out of the water when I was here. Why don't you take a look on the stairs and see for yourself?” He asked it loudly so that it was clearly intended for all the guests and not just to Tony Hayward.

Several people followed Tony to the stairs and they were equally repulsed by what they saw. “Bloody 'ell!” Tony hollered in surprise. The staircase was littered with dead sea turtles, pelicans, big fish of several species, and even a dolphin – all of them filthy with oil. There were dozens and dozens of corpses blocking anyone's way down from the pad via the stairs.

“Like your handiwork, Tony?” Stardust asked. “I noticed your underwater cams trained on the leak didn't show the real harm it was causing and I heard how BP workers are keeping the media away from dead animals on the beaches. So I figured I'd gather more evidence here.”

“There’s another way down!” Tony Hayward shouted at the others. “I can’t believe I almost forgot. There should be a trap door – over there!”

Everyone scrambled over to the corner of the helicopter pad where Tony had pointed and, sure enough, there was a trap door there. The hinges looked rusty, but the strongest man amongst the partygoers bent down, took hold of the handle, and tugged. He pulled on it again and again, but the door would not budge. Others insisted on trying it, but the result was the same each time.

“Nice job keeping the equipment here in working order, Tony!” someone said, dripping with angry sarcasm.

“Just shut up, okay?” Tony asked him, but the request had the opposite effect and the man lunged at Tony with his hands balled in fists instead. It took two other people to separate them.

“Did you cut corners on everything here?” demanded one of the very people who had just spared him from a pummeling.

Tony looked around from angry face to angry face. He was angry too, but he was not willing to let them see him loose his cool. “Look, let’s go back to the stairs. We don’t need to move everything out of our way, just enough to get down.”

The carcasses were so thick on the stairs that Tony and the other, braver guests had to wade down into them. A man lifted a dead pelican, but was overcome by the smell and dropped it again. The dead dolphin was the biggest problem, as there was no room at all to move around it. Tony Hayward and another man tried rolling it over the railing, but the other man slipped on some oily fish and would have gone over the railing himself if Tony had not grabbed him in time.

“Hurry, try again!” someone said impatiently from the top of the stairs.

“Ugh, it’s so awful! How can anyone do this?” Tony Hayward vented.

STARDUST #6 "Stardust vs. BP" - pt. 1

2011-04-08T09:46:00.003-05:00

And now, the never-before published 6th and final issue of Stardust...

Thanks to Jerry Siegel for Action Comics #3

Even by the sixth of June, 2010, it was still all over the media what BP oil's CEO Tony Hayward said. “I want my life back,” he had complained about the intense media scrutiny. Then people who knew nothing else about him all over started criticizing him for his selfishness in the middle of an oil spill disaster. Well, Tony Hayward knew what to do to answer his critiques.

He'd throw a party. And screw his critiques.

His secretary handled the basics – renting the convention hall in New Orleans, hiring the caterers, and inviting the usual rich socialites who gravitated to fancy parties thrown for no good reason other than to be seen at a party. What had thrown him and necessitated Tony's intervention was the shortage of guests.

“Fer Crissakes!” Tony Hayward hollered at his secretary in private. “Only eleven bloody people! I'll be a laughing stock when word gets out about this.” He fumed silently for a moment with his arms crossed in front of him, thinking it out. “I'll show them. This is going to be the most bloody amazing party and everyone's going to so regret not coming when they hear about it. Get me two company helicopters. Big ones.”

His secretary, a pleasant-looking Indian woman in her 20s, normally kept her face focused on a clipboard when Tony was ranting, but she looked at at that request and asked him to clarify.

“Helicopters?” she repeated.

“You know, those big ones we use for airlifting people. We're going to load all of the guests into one and the caterers and food into the other. I know just where to take this party to make it really special.”

An hour and twenty minutes later, the party was being transported by helicopter over the Gulf of Mexico. The guests had not been told where they were heading and none guessed until the abandoned oil rig was in sight. Everyone stared, slack-jawed, out the helicopter windows until one guest turned to Tony and said, “You are crazy. This is...this is the ballsy-est thing anyone has ever done, ever.”

“Yeah, well, nothing but the best for my guests!” Tony said with a grin as their helicopter cast its shadow over the helicopter pad atop the Deep Horizon oil rig.

The oil rig was a broad, squat skeleton of metal pipes, scaffolding, catwalks, and connected rooms sitting over the gulf waters atop giant leg-like pilings. The helicopter pad sat atop all of it as if balanced precariously there. It was on this surface that both helicopters touched down.

“Welcome to the most exclusive party site in the world!” Tony bragged to his guests as they exited the craft one at a time. His secretary raced across to the other helicopter and began instructing the caterers to set up their tables and food right on the pad once the blades stopped spinning.

The guests were all impressed, either because of Tony's daring or because they had already drank too much at the party and would have been impressed by anything. Tony Hayward, for his part, was just happy to be surrounded by no one but people who appreciated him or people who worked for him and knew better than to criticize him.

The food was soon set up again and Tony helped himself to some caviar.

“Hey,” one of the caterers said to Tony. “Can I ask you something?”

“No, you cannot,” Tony said. He gave the man a second glance and saw he looked like he was still about to ask something. “Bloody 'ell, you're not a reporter, are you?”

“No, I'm not a reporter,” the caterer said, “but one did help me slip in with the real caterers. No, what I was wondering was, what's it like not having a conscience?”

“Who are you?” Tony Hayward asked him angrily.

“I'll get to that. Hold on,” the man said. Then, amazingly, he ran to the edge of the helicopter pad and leaped off of it. The man sailed over 20 feet through the air and landed on a tower of pipes that stood just slightly taller than the pad. He yanked on the pipe until he found one that was looser than the others and he pulled on it with both hands until he pulled it completely free. It was a huge section of pipe, easily weighing over 200 lbs. The man leaped back to the pad, swinging the pipe in both hands like a bat. “Tell your pilots to take off,” the man said.

“What?” Tony asked indignantly. Everyone was watching them. He was not going to back down now no matter what this magician could do. “Tell me who you are?”

“I’m Stardust!” Stardust answered. People backed out of his way as he came over to the nearest helicopter. “And I said get these 'copters in the air!”

No one knew what to say and the pilots just sat in their helicopters. What few were not stunned speechless tried to ask how he did what they just saw him do. It was not until Stardust cracked the windshield with a one-handed swing of the big pipe that the pilots stopped waiting for orders from their boss and started switching on their rotors. The wind picked up and threw the party into chaos, blowing table clothes off of the folding tables and the clothes pulling the food bowls off with them. The female guests held down their dresses and some of the men laughed. Stardust walked back and forth, like a batter warming up before going up to the plate, practicing with the pipe until the helicopters were in the air.

STARDUST #5 "Stardust and the Top Kill" - pt. 4

2011-04-02T20:11:00.003-05:00

“Sure do,” Stardust said, glad he had not said his last thoughts out loud.

“How is visibility?”

Stardust turned his body so the light shining from on top of his helmet would pierce more of the gloom. “A little murky…I can see a few hundred feet, though.”

“Good, well, you have 5,000 feet to go down to the oil leak, but you should see the oil plume much sooner than that. Just follow it down, but take it slow and easy. As soon as the pressure starts to hurt, come back up.”

Okay, I can do this… Sean thought. Indeed, he had already broken the record for withstanding pressure in tests, but now was going to have to more than double the record.

Murky shapes floating in the water came into focus as Stardust moved deeper and further from the boat. “Oh geez…” he blurted out as he identified the nearest objects as dead turtles.

“Everything okay?” Barbara asked.

“Just fine…” You can handle this, Sean thought to reassure himself, at the same time he reassured Barbara. All around him, further than the eye could see, the gulf had become a floating graveyard. Dozens of mackerals and sea bass hovered around him in unnatural stillness as he slowly descended past them. Wishing to pass them faster, he tried swimming downwards as much as his suit allowed. I am never eating fish again.... Oh, I think I had one of those before. Ew.

After the initial shock, the hardest part of the dive was the sheer monotony of it. The feeling of isolation inside the confines of the diving suit, the sameness of everything around him in every direction – what if I've stopped sinking entirely? Gah, I never thought I'd trade above-average strength and limited hypnotism for Aquaman's powers before! Or Sub-Mariner. At least I've read more Sub-Mariner.... Sean had read neither in a long time, but his mind drifted back to comic books he had read in his youth, comic books from his older brother's collection. That time Daredevil, Spider-Man, and Namor all crossed over in each other's titles. Michael was so mad when those issues were missing and turned up in Sean’s room. Heh, good times…

The descent was becoming uncomfortable and Stardust realized he had been deep and reminiscing longer than he realized. That don’t feel good… wonder how deep I am? Sean pushed away thoughts about the discomfort, choosing instead to think about those cardboard boxes of comic books in Michael’s closet and how tempting they were to a younger brother. He should have known better. Oh no… he thought, as that direction of thought led him to think about how those boxes came into his possession, though for years they never left that closet, as if it were a shrine to Michael’s love for those comic books. Pangs of sadness struck him as he recalled being 11 and digging into those boxes again. The loneliness was still there, as fresh a hurt as it was that day when he realized there was no longer reason to be afraid of being caught and yelled at and wishing there were. And that sadness seemed to intensify the feeling of pressure in the suit he had been ignoring until then. It was becoming unbearable. He should give up and signal the ship, he knew. No, remember… Sean reminded himself. Remember what Michael said…

Sean was only seven when he asked Michael the question that changed his life, but he still remembered it so clearly. It was summer. They were outside at a park. Michael had to watch Sean play until their mother came home from work back in those days. Michael would sit on his bicycle for the last half-hour, ready to take off the moment he saw Mom’s car. Sean was pretending to be Spider-Man before he asked, “Is there such a thing as Spider-Man?”

“No,” Michael said, dismissively at first, but then he added, “but anyone can be like Spider-Man.”

Sean never forgot that. At first he thought Michael meant anyone could get powers like Spider-Man’s, but when he was 15, Sean was reading one of Michael’s Marvel Tales issues reprinting the Lee-Ditko classics. It was Amazing Spider-Man #33. Spider-Man trapped under that heavy machinery with water flooding in all around him; Spider-Man pushing himself and looking deeper for the strength to go on. It was then that Sean understood that anyone could be like Spider-Man as an example. Sean went through every comic book in Michael’s boxes that night, until past midnight, and inventoried them. Every story had a hero in it, each striving to overcome adversity and make a difference. It was like Michael had collected a blueprint for what kind of person Sean should try to be.

Stardust pushed harder, dug deeper, and descended deeper, just like Spider-Man would do, he thought with a smile. A smile that faded as shapes emerged in the murky darkness below him and he had his first look at the oil plume at its source...

NEXT: What does Stardust see at the source of the spill? What will he do about it? And how far will he go to bring justice? It all comes to a head in "Stardust vs. BP!"

STARDUST #5 "Stardust and the Top Kill" - pt. 3

2011-03-31T17:37:00.002-05:00

“Jill-” Sean said, but he was saying it to her back as she turned and ran for the front door.

Lauren stood up too. “They're right. That's just... weird, Sean.” She crossed her arms to hold herself and turned to look at the door, as if seriously thinking of running too.

Only Roger stood up and moved closer to Sean. “You wouldn't use that trick to make people do anything else, would you?” Roger asked.

Sean sighed. “It doesn’t work like that, Rog,” he said quietly, sheepishly, embarrassed by everyone's reactions. “You’re a chicken. Cluck. There, do you feel more like a chicken or clucking?”

“No, I guess not…” Roger said. He gave Sean a half-hearted smile.

Sean smiled back, but he could see that from that moment Roger was looking at him differently. He saw the same look, only worse on Jill and Lauren. Sean finally had their acceptance that he had honest-to-God superpowers, but now when Roger, or Jill, or Lauren, looked at him, they looked at him as if he was Stardust, even when he reminded them he was still Sean Causer. And he didn't like that like he thought he would. “C'mon, guys...” he started to say.

“Stardust,” another man called out as he approached from a side hallway. “We just got a call from the Slidell staging area. The pressure tank is ready for the next trial run. As soon as you're ready...?”

Sean took one last look at his sister and his friends. “Yeah. I'm ready. Let's go.”

May 27, 2010
Gulf of Mexico

There were approximately 1,300 ships in the Gulf of Mexico dealing with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, but only one tugboat was making its way straight to the oil rig itself. The gulf was quiet around them save for the roar of the engine and the rush of the water being cut by the prow of the boat. Their progress churned the red-orange emulsions on top of the gulf’s waters.

The shore was already lost over the horizon and the crew could just begin to make out the top of the destroyed oil rig. Its skeletal remains seemed to rise out of the waters ahead like a revenant of concrete and steel. For those on deck who had not seen it before, the sight made them shiver.

On board, other crewmen were helping Stardust suit up. He was wearing a yellow and black aluminum Newt suit, an Atmospheric Diving Suit, or ADS. He was moving his arms and legs, testing the articulation points of the suit, while a man behind him double-checked the oxygen tank on his back. The bubble-like helmet was open. In front of him was Barbara Preston, now clad in a windbreaker and jeans instead of a business suit and skirt, trying to get him to focus on her.

“Now, Stardust,” Barbara Preston said, “bear in mind that we’re really out on a limb here. We don’t have Unified Command clearance for any of this. Only NOAA and Fish & Wildlife have even agreed we should consider letting you do this. That ADS is just a loaner, so don’t do anything to get it damaged. It’s not the state-of-the-art ADS 2000, but it’s still expensive. You dive, go as deep as you can, come back up, report on what you could see, and we’ll go from there.”

“Go down, look around, come back, don’t screw up. Check.”

Sean lowered his helmet and, as the last seal on his suit closed, he felt completely closed off from the world. It was like shutting himself off in his bedroom, only if his bedroom was no bigger than the space immediately around his body. He tried to give Barbara a ‘thumbs up’, but remembered that the suit ended in aluminum mittens without separate thumbs holes. He flashed her a smile instead and headed out onto the deck. The crewhands who had been waiting for him out on deck secured a line to the suit, attached on the other end to an emergency winch, and helped him climb over the side of the boat.

This is it! Sean thought to himself. Oh… maybe I should have peed again before I got in here…

The ocean closed in around his helmet as he found himself completely submerged.

“Stardust, do you read me?” Barbara’s voice asked over the radio in the collar of the helmet.

STARDUST #5 "Stardust and the Top Kill" - pt. 2

2011-03-24T15:32:00.002-05:00

“Sorry, Sean,” the woman whose name was Barbara Preston said. “The news stories are getting out, but we're keeping you out of them. We're just not sure how the media would spin it.”

“Great, so my friends and family knew nothing about what I was doing here, because you were afraid of the media?” Sean asked sarcastically.

“The media has been critical of the government's reaction to the spill,” the agent whose name was Josh Moreno said. “It might sound worse if we claimed we'd recruited a superhero to help us. Who would believe it?”

“Why don't you tell us what you've done to help?” Jill asked Sean. She had not taken her disapproving eyes off her brother.

Sean smiled, but began to shake his head like he was going to refuse. He looked down for a moment, avoiding Jill's gaze, but then he recovered himself and looked back at each one of them. “Okay, how about a tour? Your escorts here were feds, though this is a state department office. Apparently, the regional EPA office is in Texas, so whenever a disaster happens over here in Louisiana they have to appropriate offices over here from somebody. Barb and Josh share a cubicle back this way. Can I get my friends into the back rooms, guys?” Sean asked.

“We can clear that,” Josh said, stopping to talk to a security guard.

Everyone else followed Sean as he played tour guide through the lobby to the nearest office doors. “I think she meant what you personally have been doing, Sean,” Roger said.

Sean did not answer until everyone was through the doors and out of the lobby. “You probably won't believe me. Even you won't believe it, Rog, but I just keep getting stronger every day. I've got abs of steel!” He interrupted himself to lift up his shirt. He had kept in shape before, but never had such a clearly defined six pack as he did now. “I can lift 1,800 pounds now,” Sean said as he lowered his shirt back into place. “Rog, I could whip Captain America in an arm-wrestling contest,” he said with a grin.

“I don't understand,” Lauren said. “What can being stronger do to help with an oil spill?”

Sean smiled, unable to resist bragging. “I can move sandbags faster than anyone else. I can carry cleaning supplies onto beaches that would normally be moved there by truck, only I don't scare the beached animals like a truck would.”

“There's more too,” Barbara Preston said, breaking in.

“Yeah,” Sean said, nodding. “You'll probably want to be sitting down for this next part.”

There was ample seating for everyone in the plain, undecorated lobby, but Sean and Barbara chose to stand. Roger, Jill, and Lauren sat in front of them like an audience. Josh had joined them and stood at the back.

“Mr. Causer is telling you the truth about his lifting capacity,” Barbara said. “We can't begin to explain how he consistently does it, but he's been repeatedly tested and gets the same results every time. What's more important to us, though, is that his body density is higher than normal too and his ability to resist underwater pressure. As you know, no divers can get down anywhere near the oil leak because it's so deep. All the work is being done by BP's robots.”

“But the robots could use a human supervisor down there,” Sean added. “That's where I come in. I've been training in a pressurized tank for a deep descent. I've already bested the world record and have time to get better if BP keeps dragging their feet.”

“Why is BP dragging their feet?” Jill asked.

“It's a territorial thing,” Sean said dismissively. “They say they've got it under control and don't need help. Yeah, right,” he added, sarcastically.

“Wow,” Roger said. “It's just like you've always wanted.”

“I know, right?” Sean said, grinning from ear to ear. “But wait – there's more. Who am I?” There was a pause where no one answered. “No, c'mon. Someone just say who I am.”

“You're Sean Causer,” Jill said.

“No. I'm Stardust.”

The three of them nearly fell out of their chairs at once. They stared hard as if their eyesight was failing them. They were sure they were looking at Sean a moment ago. Now they couldn't be sure, somehow. He still had features that resembled Sean, but it was like looking at someone you just met and thinking, 'gee, that person looks a lot like Sean', but knowing it was not him. Jill stood up first and moved closer. She walked slowly around the man in front of her, who patiently looked back and smiled. “You're who...?” she asked.

“Relax, I'm also Sean Causer,” Stardust said and, as soon as he did, everyone could recognize him as Sean again.

“That was so... weird,” Roger said.

“What just happened?” Lauren asked. She still could not stop staring at Sean and she seemed to be unconsciously gripping Roger's arm while she stared.

“As far as we can understand it,” Barbara explained, “Mr. Causer is somehow instantly mass-hypnotizing anyone around him.”

“Cool, huh?” Sean said. “If I'd said I was Popeye the Sailor, you might have thought I was Popeye the Sailor. It only seems to work to fool the part of the brain that recognizes people and the more I believe it the more believable it is for others.”

“Sean... for a minute there I couldn't even tell if you were a guy or a girl.”
Sean winced. “Ouch. Okay, gonna have to work on this power some more.”

“You just mind-controlled us?” Jill said, ignoring their banter and physically recoiling from her brother as the realization struck her. “I think I'm going to be sick.”

STARDUST #5 "Stardust and the Top Kill" - pt. 1

2011-03-22T12:47:00.001-05:00

May 27, 2010
Slidell, Louisiana, off Route 10

Three men were sitting at the counter in Times Grill. Two of them were regulars. Anthony was the tubby African-American overflowing his barstool and chomping down on a half-pound burger. Harry was a taller, muscular African-American bedecked in bling.

“You believe what everyone's been sayin' 'bout there bein' a superhero round here?” Anthony asked between bites.

“No, man,” Harry replied. “Der ain't such a 'ding as superheroes.”

“What about that guy who stood up to BP's security guards and took photos of everythin' they was tryin' to cover up?”

“Dat don't make 'em a superhero. Anyone can work a camera.”

“Oh yeah. You done eatin' already?”

“Man, you finished off my plate four minutes ago. C'mon and finish so we can go.”

“I'm almost done,” Anthony said, pausing for a drink. “Well, what about how they say he pulled a dying shark to the shore so they could clean the oil off 'em?”

“You give me a big 'nuff rod and reel and I could'a landed that sucker.”

“Well, they say he done it with his bare hands.”

“You gonna believe anythin' somebody tells you? What if I say Halle Berry is waitin' at home for me? You gonna believe that?”

“No, I was just sayin' that's what they say, that's all.”

A lull in the conversation followed. The white man at the counter had eaten more slowly, carefully, savoring the Cajun spices and fried egg on top of his burger. He remained silent throughout, only letting out an “ah” as he finished the last bite.
The waitress, a young African-American with heavy false eyelashses returned to the counter to take away plates. “You done, mister?” she asked the stranger.

“Yep, I think so,” the man said, throwing some money on the counter. “That's one good burger you've got here. Hey,” he said to Harry, patting him on the shoulder, “say hi to Halle for me.”

“Who do you 'dink you are?” Harry asked, offended to have his personal space intruded upon.

“Colonel Sanders,” the man answered.

Anthony, Harry, and the waitress watched him as he left. “I thought he was dead...” Anthony said after the front door closed.

Out in the parking lot, the stranger walked up to a van with ‘EPA’ written on the side of it. A bespectacled, overweight white woman with wavy brown hair stepped out to meet him. “Are you ready now, Stardust?” she asked.

“It was alright, but I'm still hoping that wasn't my last meal. C'mon, let's do this. Shotgun!”

Stardust climbed into the passenger seat of the van and let the woman resume driving. They had a ways left to go before they reached their destination; time enough for Stardust to lean against the door and stare out the window while he reflected back on the events of a week ago...
________________________________________
May 20, 2010
Louisiana Dept. of Environmental Quality, Baton Rouge

Roger, Lauren, and Jill had been asking around about Sean for two days before the government agents had found them. They were wearing black suits, but they were not stereotypical “men in black”. One was a middle-aged brunette woman with glasses and the other was a short, balding man. When they said they knew where Sean was, there was little argument among the three of them whether they should accept the offer and get in the van of these agents.

Their trust was rewarded when they reached Baton Rouge and an office building on 5th Avenue just a few blocks south of the state capital building. Waiting for them in the building’s lobby was Sean, waving to them. Sean was wearing a black costume Spider-Man t-shirt and black jeans.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief, as nervous as they had been the whole ride in the van. Roger smiled, came over to Sean, and made a playful move like he was going to punch Sean in the gut, a move which Sean was set to block just in case it was not playful. “I should really do it,” Roger said. “Running off and worrying us like that!”

Jill and Lauren followed into the lobby, noting the security guards and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency signs that had hastily been set up around the lobby. When their gaze came around to Sean Jill shot him a disapproving glare, while Lauren just looked perplexed.

“Now don't go looking at me like that,” Sean said to them, though to Jill in particular. “I've been really useful down here! Haven't you heard anything about me on the news?”

“Not a word,” Jill said.

“At least not any national coverage,” Lauren added.

Now it was Sean's turn to look disapprovingly at the agents who followed Jill and Lauren. “What the heck?” he asked them angrily. “Barb, Josh, you said there wasn't going to be a cover-up!”

STARDUST #4 "Sean vs. Oil" pt. 3

2011-03-18T12:01:00.000-05:00

The Due South turned sharply to starboard and, a minute later, was angling out parallel to the nearest island. The oil could be seen at this range coating the surface of the small islands and the stench of the oil was barely tolerable. In the meanwhile, Stardust was holding the sandbag on his back. The crew was all talking about the mystery man in their midst. Aaron and Stephen had spread around that he called himself Stardust, but no one could remember the name he had given when he signed aboard.

Aaron was back at the ship’s rail near Stardust, watching the gap between the hull and the island. “Dat’s as close as we can get!” he shouted. “Stardust, you’ve got five feet to clear!”

“No, he’ll have to throw it ten!” Stephen chimed in. “You’ve got to actually get it far enough onto ‘de island ‘dat it doesn’t fall off!”

Stardust started breathing heavier and, with a final grunt of strain through clenched teeth, heaved the sandbag overboard. The crew, watching intently from the starboard rail, saw the sandbag hit the edge of the island and teeter there.

“It’s gonna fall!” someone shouted.

Stardust came over to the railing, put a hand on it, and vaulted over it. He sailed through the air so long that he almost overshot the entire tiny island. This time he landed on his feet, but the oil-soaked ground made him lose his balance and he tumbled onto his backside. He Sprang back up, half-covered in oil, and seemed to reel for a moment as if the oil fumes were about to overcome him. But then he sprinted back towards the ship, hurdled over the giant boom stretching across the center of the island, and reached the falling sandbag in time to grab it with both hands. To more cheers from on deck, he dragged the sandbag as far back as the boom, lifted it again, and tossed it to the far side.

Stardust looked all around. He almost would have said the sheen on the water looked beautiful, had he not known what it was. The oily sheen was everywhere – as far on the water as he could see to the horizon. And the horrible, horrible smell of it all. How could anything out there endure it?

Someone onboard shouted down to Stardust, “Just 50 more to go!”

The man had said it as a joke and Stardust heard people laughing. He just turned back and looked up to the crew and said, “Let’s do this, then!”

________________________________________
NEXT: Our Elgin supporting cast comes to Louisiana and to terms with Sean’s superpowers. But does Sean, as Stardust, have the power to stop the worst ecological disaster in U.S. history? Find out in “Stardust and the Top Kill!”

STARDUST #4 "Sean vs. Oil" - pt. 2

2011-03-17T15:36:00.000-05:00

“It really comes down to this,” Roger said to Jill. “Sean’s going to go do some crazy dangerous stuff whether you buy him the protective suit or not. If he gets hurt doing it, won’t you feel a little bit guilty if it’s because he didn’t have the suit?”

Sean had turned around and rested his head in his hand. When he turned around he could see Jill was giving him that sad stare like she thought he was crazy and pitiable. That was the one look he could not stand. “No, it's okay, Rog. I knew this wouldn't work. We shouldn't have come. I'm tired of having to defend myself or explain myself and I'm really sick of asking for handouts. I can do this on my own.”

Jill stood up, almost came around the desk, but stopped at the corner. “You don't have to do anything cr--” she said, but she stopped herself before “crazy” came out. Though she had never taken many classes in psychology, she still knew better than to confront his delusion like that.

“Watch the news a week from now,” Sean said coldly, holding in his hurt and anger. “You'll see I'm a superhero.” And with that he turned and slammed the door on his way out.

Now...

“I remember,” Jill said. “Does that have to do with why you called me and asked me to come over here?”

“I wanted to remind you of his frame of mind,” Roger explained to Jill while Lauren held his hand. “Four nights ago he was watching the news on TV, said somebody should do something about this, packed some things in a duffel bag, and rode off on his motorcycle. I haven't seen him since.”

“What was on the news that night?” Jill asked, her sarcasm now gone as her concern grew.

“The same thing that's on every night,” Roger said as he picked up the remote for the TV and turned it on. A CNN broadcast popped up onto the screen.

“--called the oil spill ‘relatively tiny’ in comparison to the size of the ocean,” a commentator was saying. “This after the 70th lawsuit was filed today against BP for the disaster.”

“The oil spill?” Jill asked. “What does he possibly think he can accomplish there?”

“Only Sean knows,” Roger said as he watched the images of escaping oil from an underwater pipe on TV.

Jill watched too. For a minute they all watched. Then Jill said, “I don’t know what you expect me to do…”

Lauren, who had only listened all this time, finally spoke up. “What we thought you might want to do is be there for your brother. That’s what Roger and I are doing. We’re using up a few days of vacation time and are heading down there after Sean to bring him home. Are you coming or not?”

May 13, 2010. Later that day.
Just off the Louisiana Coast, Breton-Chandeleur Sound.

The Due South was a fishing charter boat until the oil spill. Now duly deputized, it patrolled the marine bay rescuing oil-laden sea life and monitoring the oil containment booms stretched along the Chandeleur Islands – an enormous orange fence meant to hold back the oil from the 500,000 acres of federally protected water. The oil was a visible sheen out on the water beyond the islands, but the smell of the oil hung so heavy in the air it might have well been right under everyone’s noses.

“Only, as you can guess, it’s not working,” Aaron Clark, with a Cajun accent, was telling the new guy on the starboard side of the deck. Aaron pointed out to the orange booms that seemed to stretch on forever. “Dey’re over-saturated wid’ oil and need to be replaced. We’re waiting for ‘de replacement booms to come. In the meanwhile, we’ve got to buy ‘de sound some time. ‘Dat’s why we’re loaded down wid’ sand bags. We’re going to line the far side of the boom wid’ ‘dem.”

“If the crane holds,” Stephen Jones chimed in, sounding nasal from pinching his nose to keep out the reek of the oil. “Dose aren’t sandbags you can pick up and carry down in ‘de hold. Each one’s a ‘dousand pounds.”

Once the concern was voiced, there was nothing left for anyone to do but watch as other workers manipulated the old, rusty crane that had been mounted to the deck of their ship and lowered it into the hold for a sandbag. The crane creaked and groaned as it heaved its heavy load. The sandbag – about a five foot cube of thick white plastic filled with dark sand visible through the opaqueness of the plastic -- cleared the cargo hatch and was looming over the deck when the crane broke. The sandbag fell and at such an angle that Aaron, Stephen, or the new guy were in danger of being hit and crushed – or would have been if they were still where they were. As soon as the sandbag started to fall, the new guy scooped up each man near him under an arm and made a standing broad jump of 12 feet that carried them safely out of harm’s way. The sandbag crashed onto the deck behind them and the three men tumbled onto the floorboards as well. The new guy was the first back on his feet. He dusted off his black jacket while Aaron and Stephen stood up slowly.

“How did you do that?” Aaron asked.

“That’s what I do.”

“Who are you?” Stephen asked.

“I’m Stardust.”

In the meantime, more crew had come running to check out what went wrong. A white-haired, fat-faced man who had been among the first to reach the crane loudly proclaimed, like a doctor at a murder scene, that the crane was dead.

The captain of the Due South, a man with thick glasses, came from the main cabin to investigate and was told the same diagnosis. “And there’s no way to fix it out here?”

The white-haired man, a mechanic or engineer, shook his head.

“Well…I guess we sail back to port…” the captain said, as crestfallen as the rest of the crew.

“Wait!” Stardust said. He walked over to the big sandbag, crouched low next to it, and clutched the white plastic bag at the bottom.

Some of the deckhands chuckled at this, while others thought the joke was in poor taste. Certainly no one expected him to be able to lift it. But that was just what he started to do. Aaron and Stephen, already having seen one display of his strength, were the first two to urge him on as the man called Stardust lifted the sandbag over his bent knees. Soon every man on deck was shouting like a cheerleader as Stardust slowly stood up and hoisted the sandbag to waist level and, straining, rested it on his hips.

“Go! Go! Go! Go!” the men chanted, entranced by this superhuman display of physical prowess.

With one final push, Stardust lifted the sandbag completely over his head. “Get me closer to the islands and I’ll toss it overboard!” he shouted.

The crew cheered. The captain yelled several times until he could be heard over the cheering. “You heard that man!” he shouted. “As close to shore as we can get without running aground! Hurry!”

STARDUST #4 "Sean vs. Oil" - pt. 1

2011-03-15T09:40:00.002-05:00

April 10, 2010. 9:55 pm.
Gulf of Mexico, 42 miles southeast of Venice, Louisiana.
Deepwater Horizon.

Every pressure gauge in the control room was off the scale, but the pressure in the room was not so much lower.

“I’ve never seen gas levels that high!” a Transocean mechanic exclaimed. “It’s gonna be a blowout for sure!”

“You want to explain to the day-shift manager tomorrow why we had to shut down all systems all night because you were so sure it was going to be a blowout?” the BP night-shift manager asked sternly.

“He’s right!” another employee said, standing up to his bossy, overbearing manager for the first time. “You’ve got to sound the alarm and let everyone evacuate!”

“The Hell I will! Tell all crews to keep replacing the drilling mud! The pressure will drop!”

“No it won’t,” another man said and rose up from his chair. “I don’t know about ‘de rest of you, but I’m getting off ‘dis rig before the whole ‘ding blows!”

“Get back in your seat or I’ll see you’re fired!” the manager protested. “Don’t you walk out that door, Jason! Jesus!”

The man who had walked out the door was named Jason. The manager had called out to Jesus when a pillar of fire so blindingly bright it was like the finger of God erupted out of the drill column.

Every alarm claxon on the rig exploded with sound that almost – almost -- drowned out the roar of the pillar of fire that roared with the unholy intensity of a million corporate executives screaming. And over that din, a lone man screamed to the manager – the one man who might have stopped everything that followed – asking, “Are you happy? Are you happy? The rig’s on fire! I told you this was gonna happen!”
________________________________________

May 13, 2010.
Elgin, Illinois.
Roger McGill’s house.

Roger answered the door for Jill, who noticed his girlfriend Lauren was already there with him. Jill, as a nurse, felt she was particularly good at reading faces from how people reacted to news at the hospital. Roger looked distraught, while Lauren only looked concerned. She could only imagine how she would look when they finally got around to telling her.

“Come on in,” Lauren said. She came up to Jill and gave her a hug, Roger just moving out of the way of Lauren's characteristic affection.

Jill followed Lauren to the Roger and Sean's living room and found it unusually tidy. Sean obviously was not home. “Well?” Jill said, turning around to Roger and asking him with growing impatience. “You said you had something to tell me about Sean and I’d better come over to hear it. I just got off a 12-hour shift, so I’m in no mood for small talk. Why don’t we get right down to it?” She picked up a stack of videogame cases off the nearest chair, sat them on the floor, and then sat down in the chair with her purse on her lap. “What is it this time? Fell off a roof again? Finally got himself arrested? Do I need to get my checkbook out…?”

Roger sighed. “I’ll have to catch you up first. You remember when Sean and I were at your house a week ago?”

“Oh yes...” Jill said, and she did.
________________________________________

Then...

“You want me to buy you a bulletproof vest?” Jill had asked that day in her study. It was often about money when she was talking to Sean, but this was a new one.

“I’m getting stronger, but I’m not invulnerable or even bulletproof,” Sean said with a casualness that almost made that sound rational.

Jill's husband was not home, so it was just her, her brother Sean, and Sean’s best friend Roger with her. Jill was sitting at a desk with her hands clasped in front of her and both men standing in front of the desk as if they were applying for a loan in a bank. Of course, except for the bank part, that was exactly what they were doing.

“It’s a tactical assault vest,” Roger said. “We brought you printouts of the specifics we got online. This guy Sean found can modify the vest into a full protective costume with sleeves and leggings of thick nylon, what they used to make vests out of before Kevlar…”

“Roger, I understand why you’re here,” Jill said. “You’re here to make it sound like this is a well-thought out plan. This guy Sean found – is he someone you’ve actually met or some guy online?”

“It’s a very reliable message board,” Sean said.

Jill turned to look at her brother and simply nodded. “And how much is he asking for?”

“Two thousand-three hundred dollars,” Sean said.

“So, you want me to give you $2,300 to give to some guy online you don’t know, in exchange for a bulletproof costume so you can go on riskier superhero work?”
Sean leaned forward on the edge of the desk. “Look, I understand you don’t believe I have superpowers and you don’t understand all this superhero stuff, but I’m at the point now where I need to be doing more important work and, yes, there may be a greater risk of harm involved."

STARDUST #3 "The Thief Revealed" - pt. 3

2011-03-11T12:35:00.002-06:00

“That's it,” Sean said as he lunged forward. He batted the Taser out of Kevin's hand, grabbed him by the shirt, and slammed him into the shelves against the wall.

“I've had just about enough of this, Kev! You know, you've never sent my computer a virus Ruben couldn't get rid of. I would have shared my pop with you if you'd asked. I'm actually glad if you have my motorcycle instead of someone I'd never find. And I had no clue about your stupid code hidden in the thefts. But the one thing you've done, the worst thing you could do...” Sean lifted Kevin effortlessly off his feet, at arm's length, with one hand. “...was saddle me with such a lame nemesis. Now, when I need people to take what I can do seriously, you're going to make a joke out of me!” He started to shake Kevin.

“You're hurting me...” Kevin whined.

“Sean, put him down,” Roger said. He had found the front door open and seen enough of what was going on to be genuinely concerned.

“Relax,” Sean said. He tossed Kevin down and Kevin fell in a heap on the floor. “I just want to make sure Kev doesn't try anything this stupid ever again.”

“I think he's learned,” Roger said. “What do you want me to do?”

“The right thing. Call the police.” Sean walked over to the coffee table piled with comic books. He picked up a comic book on the top of the heap and looked over the cover. “We'll teach them all to take us seriously. Right, Rog?”

“Right, Stardust,” Roger said.

NEXT: Things turn serious as we enter the penultimate chapter of Stardust's origin. Don't miss “Sean vs. Oil”!

STARDUST #3 "The Thief Revealed" - pt. 2

2011-03-09T21:05:00.001-06:00

Roger emerged on the north side of the bridge and found Sean reading the side of the bridge. The graffiti had been painted over already, but only a single coat through which the two-foot tall, black, spray-painted letters were still readable.

“I dare you to find me, Stardust, before more is stolen,” Sean read.

“He even included the commas,” Roger observed. “You don’t see grammar like that in graffiti usually.”

“What did Tony say?” Sean asked.

“He didn’t tell anybody.”

“Okay, give me the phone. I want to talk to Ruben.”

“No, man,” Ruben said when he was on the phone. “I figured that was your thing and you’d let people know your way, you know?”

“That just leaves Kevin,” Roger said as Sean hung up.

“...He's not answering.” Sean creased his brow and tapped the cellphone to his forehead as he thought. “I've just got this gut instinct telling me we need to get to Kevin's. Maybe it's a new power, like a danger sense?”

"You think Kevin's in trouble?" Roger asked. The concern in Sean's expression told his flatmate everything he needed to know.

Kevin lived in Elgin like the others, but in an apartment complex in the northeast part of town. There were only a few parking spaces left in the parking lot to choose from.

“Just drop me off here,” Sean said. “I'm going up first.”

Sean pressed buttons at the building entrance until someone buzzed him in. His gut instinct seemed to be confirmed when he reached the second floor landing and saw, down the hall, the front door of Kevin's apartment was suspiciously ajar. Without knocking or calling out loud, Sean pushed the door open a little wider and peeked inside. There was a black cord stretched tight across the doorway that the door would hit if it opened any wider. Sean squeezed through the doorway as open as it was and stepped over the cord carefully.

There was still no sign of Kevin. The front room was a mess, but that was normal. Comic books were lying all over, properly bagged, but not in any type of order. The cord ran between hooks screwed into the walls and ran all the way around the room, past the half-wall with the window that looked into the kitchen, across the hallway to the rest of the apartment, and disappeared up under a shelf buried in clothes on the far side of the living room. Curious, Sean tugged the cord.

Thud. Looking up, Sean saw a dart sticking out of the door that had not been there a moment earlier. Across the room, some clothes had fallen off the shelf and revealed Kevin's crossbow was mounted there.

“Okay, that was just dumb,” Sean said loudly.

“What do you mean, dumb?” Kevin's voice came from the kitchen. “It's a classic trap.”

“It's the crossbow you bought in the Medieval Times gift shop. I know you're behind the counter, Kev. Come on out.”

“Of course,” Kevin said, standing up. “It's only fair that you see the architect of your sorrows at the last. Tell me, did I really have to give it all away with the Stardust reference or were you just toying with me?” Kevin was dressed in his best suit, holding a white cat in his arms and petting it.

“When did you get a cat?”

“I borrowed it from a neighbor,” Kevin said, looking slightly embarrassed. “Tell me you at least got the pattern to the thefts...? Oh, come on! I can tell by the puzzled look on your face that you didn't.” He dropped the cat and came into the living room, snatching up comic books and holding them up one at a time. “Ms. Marvel, Hawkman, U-Foes – each time the issue after their first appearance, just like the letters that come after the first letters of their names spell my name backward. And this was my second time through my name. It was so easy!”

“Okay, that is seriously the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Why would you... Holey moley. This is like the ending to Unbreakable? You want to be my supervillain?”

“No, I'm your nemesis,” Kevin said, pulling the crossbow off the shelf. “You think I wanted to be nothing but a supervisor at Meijer for the rest of my life? Like all the great superheroes, you give your nemesis a sense of purpose. I've dogged you for years without your knowing it. Sending you e-mails I knew I had viruses in them. Spitting in your pop cans when you weren't looking. Following you on your patrols without your even knowing it.”

“You spat in my pop cans?”

“Taking... your motorcycle.”

Sean was not sure if he could be angry with Kevin before, but it came easily now. He lunged for Kevin.

Kevin had grabbed something else on that shelf under the crossbow. He dropped the crossbow and let Sean have it with a Taser.

Sean cried out and jumped back. The Taser had given him a nasty jolt, but did not hurt as bad as he thought it would. “Geez, Kev!” he said, leaning forward and putting his hands on his knees. “I've always wanted someone to take me seriously as a superhero, but this is ridiculous! Have you even thought this through as to how it's going to end? I'm going to have to haul your butt to jail!”

“No, you're forgetting the nemesis always gets away to come back another day,” Kevin said, backing up to the window. While he held his Taser defensively in one hand, he fumbled with the window with his free hand, trying to open it.

STARDUST #3 "The Thief Revealed" - pt. 1

2011-03-08T15:32:00.002-06:00

“I'm playing Runescape here.”

Roger watched Sean, in a T-shirt and jeans, sitting at Roger's computer. "So... no fresh ideas on how to find the thief?”

“I'm waiting for an e-mail back from the superheroes I know online. I'm hoping someone can come up with something for me because I'm tapped out. I tried staking out the comic book store. I tried hanging out in the store to flush out the thief. I tried learning what I could about the issues that were taken to see if there was something they all had in common a collector would want them for, but they all seemed to be random thefts.”

“Are you giving up?”

Sean sighed. “I'm a superhero, not a private investigator. I'm no good at this. What I'm good at is helping newbies on Runescape. These kids are trying to do the second quest now.”

“Is that really as important?”

Sean pushed his chair away from the computer and let his frustration show in his voice. “Well, what do you want me to do, Rog? Have you got any ideas?”
Roger just shrugged. “Just seems like we ought to be doing something.”

“I know,” Sean said. He still sounded frustrated, but not with Roger. “I know.”

Unsure of what else to say, Roger stepped into the hallway when his cell phone rang. They both recognized it as Lauren's ringtone. “Hey hon!” Roger said into the phone.
“Uh-huh. Yeah, Sean’s here. The Daily Herald? No, we don't get that here.”

"Who reads newspapers anymore?” Sean asked.

“Lauren says there's an article you need to see in the local news section.”
Sean perked up. “Would that be on their website?” he asked, pulling his chair back up to the computer.

Roger asked Lauren. “She says she doesn't know.”

Sean started typing, but stopped abruptly. “You know who gets the Herald – Jim! Hold on...” Sean said and he jumped out of his chair and sprinted down the hall for the front door. He flung open the front door and confirmed what he had remembered from earlier that morning – their next-door neighbor had not picked up his Herald yet. It still sat at the end of his driveway in its plastic sheath.

“We owe Jim a newspaper,” Sean said as he came back inside with the paper. He dumped the contents onto the floor and pulled the sections apart until he found the local news. He scanned the front page in a second and shouted, “Rog, come on!” as he ran back to the front door with the paper in hand.

“Whoa!” Roger cried in surprise. “What did it say?”

“No time!” Sean said as he paused at the door. “You can read the article in the car! Come on!”

With that, Sean was gone. Roger could hear him already out in the driveway. Sean stood at the driver's side door of Roger's 2000 Ford Taurus, shouting, “Toss me the keys! I'll drive! You read!”

Roger surrendered to Sean’s sense of urgency and complied. He slumped down in the passenger seat just in time to get the newspaper thrust in front of him.
Sean squealed the tires as he peeled out of the driveway. “Did you read it yet?” he asked.

“You know you’re not insured to drive this car,” Roger answered.

“Just read it, will you?” Sean asked as they left Jill’s street, heading west for Elgin.

“I’m reading, I’m reading…” Roger said. “For the fourth night in eight days…” he read out loud, “…a graffiti artist has been taunting Elgin’s resident superheroes.” Roger read more intently now, as the importance of this began to dawn on him. “Following three nights of challenging Captain Amazing to catch him, last night’s challenge was instead to… Stardust.”

“Have you told anyone I changed my superhero name to Stardust?” Sean asked.

“No. Well, Lauren, but nobody else. And I don’t think she likes to talk to anyone about you.”

“The bridge the last graffiti was on is under Route 20. If we’re lucky, they haven’t painted over it yet.”

They drove for a few minutes in silence. Roger thought about something and then asked, “You read the whole article that fast?”

“Yeah,” Sean said. “I’ve been reading a lot faster lately. Maybe that’s another superpower. Have you got the number for Tony’s store on your phone? Call him and ask if he’s told anyone about Stardust.”

There were several places where Route 20 was supported by bridges. One such place was where it passed over Route 25. There were residential houses on the north side of the intersection and businesses on the south side. Sean parked on the south side, in a gas station parking lot, and then they both ran up to the bridge.

“No sign of it on this side!” Sean said. He raced ahead, balancing on the curb of the road where it ran under the bridge as cars drove past him.

Roger followed more slowly, raising a hand to his uncovered ear so he could hear Tony on his cell phone better.

“It’s on this side!” Sean shouted.

STARDUST #3 "The Man Who Stole Comic Books"-pt.3

2011-03-07T14:26:00.001-06:00

“Tony’s got a lot of comic books worth more than $80,” Sean said as he thought out loud. “And it’s not like the thief doesn’t know their value. Tony has price tags on every bag. The thief must be purposely taking less expensive ones.”

“Or they’re crimes of opportunity and the thief never has time to grab anything pricier,” Roger said. “Are you serious about this?” he asked, changing the subject.
“I mean about being Stardust?”

“Of course,” Sean said as they approached their house. “I mean, I’m not 100% sold on that name if you have a better one, but I definitely need a more serious superhero identity for what I can do now.”

“But that’s just it,” Roger said as he parked the car in the driveway. “How can you be so sure that you have superpowers? The gunman who froze up, how do you know he just didn’t have a medical condition or something?”

The car doors slammed shut as the two friends walked around the front of the car and confronted each other.

“What about my getting stronger?” Sean asked.

“Sean, you lifted 350, not a ton. And you said yourself you’ve been working out.”

“Not that much! I’d have to be taking steroids to get that strong so fast…” Sean noticed the look Roger was giving him. “Geez! I’m not taking steroids!” he shouted as he walked away from Roger. Then he turned around and came back up to Roger – right in Roger’s face and looked him in the eye. “You don’t believe me, do you?”

Roger looked away and shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know what to think,” he said.
“I wish I could see an example of this superpower you say you have.”

“And I’ve been avoiding eye contact with you for two weeks to keep that from happening,” Sean said, calming down. “I was afraid because I don’t know if the mesmerizing effect will always be temporary. I didn’t want anything to happen to you and now – now I find out that you never believed in me.” Sean turned and stalked off toward the front door.

“The Hell I didn’t!” Roger said, following Sean. It was his turn to be angry now.
Sean, unaccustomed to hearing his friend sound like that, turned back again.
“I have been nothing but a supportive friend to you all these years of being Captain Amazing! You want to do feed the homeless in a superhero costume? Fine with me! You’re going to be late on your half of the rent this month because you gave too much to charity again? Hey, that’s why I put in long hours at work, because I know you’re like that! And I have always admired that about you. That you don’t just read about superheroes in comics and think how cool they are and go back about your life. You live out those ideals you read about every day. So you want to be Stardust now? Fine. You say you have superpowers? Fine. You want to catch a comic book thief? Well, let’s go inside, dig through our collection, and see how those superheroes would go about it,” Roger said. When he was done he unlocked the door and went inside.

Sean followed and put his hand on Roger’s shoulder. “Thanks,” Sean said with a smile.
Roger turned around and smiled back.
________________________________________
NEXT: Well, we haven’t met our Man Who Stole Comic Books yet, did we? Wanna bet he shows up next issue? When our next title is “The Thief Revealed”, it’s good odds!

STARDUST #2 "The Man Who Stole Comic Books"-pt. 2

2011-03-03T10:27:00.001-06:00

“Because Captain Amazing is a bit of a joke,” Sean said with his face looking down at the table in front of him.

Roger understood how difficult that must have been for Sean to admit.

“This is a whole new chapter of my life I’m going to be entering into now,” Sean said. “It calls for a fresh start. That’s why, to go along with being the first true superhero in the world, I’m going to become… Superman.”

“Superman?” Tony said with a laugh that almost made him choke on his second slice of pizza. “You can’t call yourself Superman!”

“Tony’s right…” Roger said. He prepared in his mind what to say next, knowing how much ridicule secretly bothered Sean and not wanting it to sound like that. “DC comics would sue your pants off if you called yourself Superman.”
Sean looked around from face to face for some encouragement.

“Well, I think Superman would work,” Kevin said. “If you worked harder to keep your identity secret, how would they ever sue you?”

“It’s not just a question of how they would,” Ruben said. “Superman stands for doing what’s right. Using a trademarked name illegally… it would just send the wrong message, man!” he said, shaking his head.

“So what do you all recommend?” Sean asked.

“How about a public domain name?” Tony asked. “There are plenty of superhero characters with history almost as old as Superman’s and those names are up for grabs.”

“Oh! Oh! Black Terror! Alan Moore made him rock!” Kevin said, getting excited for the first time since the meeting began.

“I was thinking Stardust,” Tony said. “I was even reading a blog the other day that was claiming the old Stardust character was based on an actual person – the very first of the real life superheroes – back in 1939.”

“Stardust…” Sean said, nodding approvingly. “I like that. It would tie in nicely with how I got my powers too. Very well, from now on you can call me Stardust. Now, onto the second order of business, which I e-mailed everyone about in advance. I need your input to decide how best to use my newfound powers.”

“So that’s why you wanted to know what one thing we would fix in the world if we had superpowers…” Kevin said, as if he only now understood the e-mail from earlier.

“What powers do you have exactly?” Ruben asked.

“Well… I don’t entirely know,” Sean admitted. “I did sort of paralyze the gunman in the store by wishing he would freeze. I’ve also been working out a lot more and I’m stronger and faster than I ever was before. Not at superhuman levels, but I seem to be getting stronger and faster every day. Just this morning, I was lifting 350 lbs at the gym.”

Kevin whistled. “That’s pretty impressive there, Sean,” he said.

“Well, when I thought this was all theoretical,” Tony began, “I was thinking I would end world hunger and Earth’s water shortage.”

“That’s technically two things,” Kevin pointed out.

“Those are great goals,” Sean said, “but, unfortunately, I haven’t exhibited any ability to create food or water – yet.”

“There’s that earthquake that happened yesterday in China,” Ruben said. “I think I read thousands of people got injured by it. They probably need a superhero the most there right now.”

“Haiti is still rebuilding from their earthquake,” Roger added, “and they’re a lot closer to home. Also, if you’re seriously considering leaving the country to help out overseas, you could always just join the Peace Corps.”

“Good point, Rog,” Sean said. “As a matter of fact, I did apply to volunteer with them already, but I’m bothered by the fact that they’ll decide where to send me and what they’ll ask me to do. What if they fail to make the most use of what I can do? That’s why I want a back-up plan, in case I have to go out on my own.”

“I picked Somalia,” Kevin said. “Two words. Fighting. Pirates.”

There were several “ooo”s that escaped from the men sitting or standing around the table, including Sean. “Oh, that’s a good one,” he admitted. “I like that. I’ll consider all your suggestions and get back to you.”

There was still plenty of time left for a heated debate about who was the best Green Lantern ever before Tony called the meeting adjourned. As Kevin was throwing out the pizza box and Ruben was re-bagging the Green Lantern and Blackest Night comic books that were under discussion, Tony caught Sean’s attention.

“Look,” Tony said in a lower than usual voice, though still loud enough for anyone to hear, “I was going to ask Captain Amazing to look into this for me, but maybe this is a job Stardust could do for me too. Someone’s been stealing comic books from the store. Some good ones too. I lost a copy of Brave and the Bold #43 just last week.”

“Was that the first issue of Hawkman’s tryout series?” Sean asked.

“No, the second one, but it was still worth $80. Can you look into it?”
Sean thought about how little luck he had finding his stolen motorcycle these past two weeks, but said, “Sure, this sounds like a job for Stardust.”

Sean did not bother to put his mask back on as Roger and he walked out to Roger’s car. Sean talked about the comic book thief half the way back home.

STARDUST #2 "The Man Who Stole Comic Books"-pt.1

2011-03-02T15:37:00.001-06:00

There was a Deadpool poster by Dave Johnson on Sean Causer’s bedroom door. Roger McGill knew this because every day for the past two weeks, instead of seeing his roommate, Sean, he saw the door closed and the Deadpool poster on it. Roger was not a big Deadpool fan to start with, but as the weeks passed, Roger began to have a slightly irrational reaction to the poster and began taking things out on the character. “Fine, miss V!” Roger shouted at Deadpool. “Don’t think I’m Tivo’ing episodes for you, either!” he told the poster with unbridled scorn.

This, though, was Wednesday and Roger had every hope of encountering his reclusive roommate this day. Roger knocked on Deadpool’s head with reckless abandon. “Sean, are you coming or what? You don’t want to be late!”

This time the door did open. Roger was surprised to see Sean suited up in his Captain Amazing costume. Sean always came to these meetings as himself. Sean was looking blankly into space, as if deep in thought.

“You okay?” Roger asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Let’s go,” Sean said without looking at his friend.

“Why the costume tonight?” Roger asked as they went through the house to the front door.

“Didn’t you read your e-mail?” Sean asked.

“Dude, my bedroom is 10 feet away from yours. I have to read my e-mail now to find out what’s going on with you?”

Whether it was the irritation in Roger’s voice or whatever was on his mind that was distracting him, Sean turned silent. Roger did too, so they rode together in silence in Roger’s car from Elmwood Drive out to Walnut Avenue and Tony’s Comics. Tony’s Comics was a specialty store where Sean and Roger had shopped loyally for the last few years. The doorbell chimed as they entered.

“Hey, Captain Amazing!” Tony exclaimed as they walked in. Tony was a big, heavy man with curly black hair and thick glasses. He was wearing a black Rorschach T-shirt.
Whatever shirt Tony was wearing tied directly into the store’s buyers’ club discount, so that meant a 5% discount on all Watchmen-related merchandise that night.
Sean was usually more enthusiastic when recognized as Captain Amazing, but tonight he simply nodded and said, “Everyone in back?”

“Just the regulars,” Tony said as he moved out from behind the counter to the front door. He put up the “closed” sign so they would not be disturbed.
The best thing about Tony’s was the meeting room in the back. Every other Wednesday night for the past year, Sean had been coming to the meeting room. Roger made the meetings as often as his work schedule – and his girlfriend Lauren – allowed. The meeting room had some stacks of cardboard boxes at the back wall – back issues the general public could only view on request, but tonight’s group could peruse as they wished. The group sat at a folding table with folding chairs. A pizza box was already open on one end of the table next to some cans of pop, while copies of this week’s comic book releases were lovingly protected from such messy fare on the opposite end of the table.

Kevin was already in attendance, right next to the pizza. Kevin was a tall, gangly young man of 25 years, with spiky red hair, a BA in English literature, and a stock supervisor job at Meier’s. Also there was Ruben, a 32-year old computer repairman who took computer repair training to escape from gang life, but still insisted on dressing in gold chains, hairnets, and hoodies. He was also the only one of them married already, though his wife had never actually spoken to any of them.

“We have a quorum tonight,” Tony began. “I call this special meeting of the Justice League of Elgin Comic Book Fans to order. I’ll also be immediately turning the floor over to our special guest, Captain Amazing.”

“Seconded,” Kevin said as a point of order. He looked more interested in the pizza than the proceedings.

“Any objections?” Tony asked.

“We can still discuss this week’s new releases, right?” Ruben asked.

“Later, if there’s time. All ayes, no nays? Great – the floor’s yours, Captain,” Tony said and he moved around the table to get a pizza slice.

“Thank you all,” Sean said as he stood up. “First of all, I’d like to thank all of you for respecting my ‘secret identity’, such as it’s been, over the years. But, as I’m sure you’re all aware, I’m also League member Sean Causer,” he said as he removed his mask.

“No way!” Kevin said in mock-astonishment.

“I always thought Roger was Captain Amazing,” Ruben said with equal sarcasm.

“Yes, ha-ha,” Sean said with a knowing nod. “But I’m telling you this because, as of tonight, I’m retiring the identity of Captain Amazing. It’s been a lot of fun – I can’t deny it – and I think I’ve done some good as him too, but that’s all changed since the Aurora Event.”

The smiles faded from everyone’s faces at that mention. Everyone remembered the green lights in the sky that night - remembered being terrified or excited or both at the worldwide, one-day phenomenon. Though life went on as usual the next day and the day after that and the 12 days after that, everyone was still aware, at least deep down, that something was fundamentally different now.

“I have superpowers now,” Sean said. “Real superpowers. You might have read about the robbery I stopped the day after the Aurora Event. What the papers didn’t say was that I used a superpower to do it.”

The robbery, the newspaper accounts, and Sean’s claim of having superpowers were all old news to Roger, but he was still trying to process the shock of Sean giving up being Captain Amazing. “Why does that mean you have to give up being Captain Amazing?” he asked.

STARDUST #1 "Captain Amazing" - pt. 4

2011-02-28T12:51:00.001-06:00

Jill’s car was a 2010 Audi S4, so if nothing else, Sean would be riding home in style. Being a nurse married to an architect, in addition to the money their parents left them, let Jill do everything in style.

Sean sat in the passenger seat and stared out the window. If Jill wanted to talk, she was going to have to initiate it. It did not take long.

“What did I tell you two months ago about needing to find work so you would have better insurance?” Jill asked like she was scolding a child. “If you had really broken something, do you think that fly-by-night insurance company you pay into was going to pay for everything?”

“Don’t worry about me,” Sean said dismissively without turning his face from the window.

“I wish I didn’t have to,” Jill said and she sounded like she really meant it, “but it’s been my job to worry about you since Mom and Dad decided I should be the executor for your share of the inheritance. And that makes it my duty to tell you that your share of the inheritance is almost gone.”

“What? That’s impossible.”

“It’s not impossible. Do you even read the statements I send you? Or took any of my advice on investing it? You’ve been getting hit hard by income tax every year while it was just sitting in a savings account and then drawing off it like a sponge after your unemployment benefits ran out...”

Sean tried to tune her out. He knew he should be paying attention, but he could not focus on money issues right now. It was too mundane. Something extraordinary had happened to him last night, he was sure of it, but he was also afraid that if he was dragged down by the ordinary details of life, he would lose that special feeling. So instead of listening, he paid attention to the route they were taking. They were on Villa Street now, at the top of the hill overlooking the downtown area.

“Turn here,” Sean said abruptly. “Jill, turn right up here!” he added, pointing to the right.

“I was driving you home,” Jill reminded him.

“My bike! I’ve gotta see if it’s still where I left it!” Sean demanded. When they approached the alley where the Ducati M900 had been left, Sean did not even wait for Jill to stop the car. He jumped out and limped to the alley’s entrance. “No! Oh no…!” he moaned.

At the age of 15, Sean had noticed that superheroes in comic books never cussed, so he gave up cussing. Even when the superheroes started cussing in comic books a few years later, Sean never fell back into the habit of cussing. Now, with no sign of his beloved motorcycle where he had left it less than a full day earlier, he let loose a stream of obscenity and profanity that surprised Jill when she heard it coming from him. He was screaming and hitting his fists on a brick wall to vent his frustration when Jill got out of the car.

“I'm sorry,” Jill said and this time she also sounded like she meant it. “I've got my cellphone on me if you want me to call the police for you.”

“No, it's okay,” Sean said, though he did not sound at all like he meant it. “I'll handle it.” He came back over to the passenger side of Jill's car, opened the door, and grabbed his bag of personal affects. “I think I'd just like to walk home from here.”

Jill nodded silently, got back into her car, and drove away.

Sean watched until her Audi turned the next corner and disappeared from view. Then he dug the mask out of the plastic bag and put it on. “One last mission for Captain Amazing...” he said out loud as he dug out his jacket and put it on. He put on his gloves while he walked and then dumped the empty bag in a garbage can he passed. The thought had occurred to him to look for the motorcycle thieves and extract a healthy dose of vengeance, but he had no idea where to start looking and he did already have a mission he had promised to perform. The dollar store was only six blocks away.
Captain Amazing was a rare sight downtown in the afternoon, but not so rare that he attracted anything more than curious stares. Sean was used to seeing staring faces. What he was not used to was walking into a dollar store and seeing someone else in a mask staring back at him.

“I'm robbing this store!” the man in the black ski mask said with a heavy Hispanic accent as he waved his gun at Captain Amazing. “Go find your own!”

The gunman seemed to be working alone. Sean spotted a customer, a black man, in the aisles standing still with his hands up and the Indian man behind the counter obviously worked there as the cashier. The cashier was standing there with a fistful of cash in one hand and the other holding the cash register it came from. It was hard to tell from the gunman's voice how old he was, but he was between 20 and 30. His tone had been casual, flippant, instead of frightened. This probably was not his first robbery. He also did not seem to recognize the Captain Amazing costume at all and Sean realized that he had been mistaken for a rival robber.
Sean put his hands up. “Easy there,” he said. “I didn't know this was your territory. Just don't hurt anyone.”

“Don't tell me what to do!” the gunman shouted at him, before accusing Sean of having a sexual proclivity towards mothers. The man waved his gun -- looked like a semi-automatic, probably a 9mm Glock – around some more.

“Just take it easy... take it easy...” Sean repeated calmly. He had not shut up yet because he could not decide what to do next. It seemed like a good idea to keep the gun trained on him so it would not be aimed at the cashier. Keep him from doing something stupid. He looked the gunman right in the eyes. What he did not expect to see was the reflection of green twinkling light, like the Aurora, in the man's eyes. Sean was startled and stepped back suddenly. The gunman did not react at all. Instead, he just stood there as if dumbfounded... or hypnotized, or mesmerized or something...

Taking advantage of the situation, Sean put one hand over the barrel of the gun, slid a finger from his other hand behind the trigger, and popped the gun out of the man's hand. The hand just fell slowly to the man's side as he stared off into space.
“Oh my stars and garters,” Sean said. “I do have superpowers.”
________________________________________
NEXT: Sean Causer abandons being plain old Captain Amazing for being the new Stardust. NEW Stardust? And does he really have superpowers or just thinks he does? Plus, Sean's plans for his future bring him into conflict with "The Man Who Stole Comic Books." Come back in a month and see how he does!

STARDUST #1 "Captain Amazing" - pt. 3

2011-02-25T10:02:00.001-06:00

The Aurora was lowering in the sky and seemed to be coming closer. The sparkling motes of light now seemed large and spherical as they fell and Sean could see some were farther from him than others. As each fell, it seemed to hit a different note of music that was faintly perceptible to his ears, but even though there must have been hundreds or thousands of different notes there was no cumulative volume to them. Now the motes were falling all around him as slowly as snowflakes. The Aurora was right on top of him. It was bathing him in its glow and motes of colored light fell on him as gently as snowflakes, only to disappear in those same musical notes.
Sean turned around, feeling light-headed and dizzy. “Holy moley!” he cried – and then he fell off the roof.
________________________________________

The next day, Roger was at Sherman Hospital, pushing Sean’s wheelchair through the hallway towards the elevator on the floor where Sean had spent the night under observation.

“I’m telling you, I’m fine,” Sean insisted again.

“You’re just lucky,” Roger said without sounding at all happy about it. “It’s amazing you fell three stories and didn’t get killed.”

“But the point is that I wasn’t. The doctors thought I had broken my legs. Then this morning they rechecked me and decided they were wrong and they were only sprained.”

“I know. Like I said, you were lucky.”

“Luck had nothing to do with it,” Sean said as he was pushed into the elevator. Roger scooted them over to one side so a fat nurse could step in with them. “Now this afternoon I’m walking again and the doctors are releasing me. I’m telling you, this isn’t natural healing. I’m healing faster now.”

“Or, a tired doctor misread your X-rays last night and you weren’t so badly injured to start with. People have fallen thousands of feet when their parachutes don’t open and land unhurt. It just happens sometimes.”

“And were they touched by the Aurora before it happened? I’m telling you, something special happened up there last night. This is my origin story!”

Roger paused before responding. The nurse was staring at them. “Head injury,” Roger said as a made-up explanation for her. “He’s a little delusional right now.”

The nurse did not respond, but stepped out of the elevator first when they reached the ground floor. She held the elevator door for them as Roger pushed the wheelchair out.

“My head is fine,” Sean said. “I don’t even need this wheelchair.”

“Hospital procedure,” the nurse said as boringly as if she had explained this a hundred times already that morning. “All patients exit the building in a wheelchair.” She did not stay to chat or even wait for a response, but headed down a separate hallway from them.

“Sean, you’ve got to stop this,” Roger said. “I’ve always supported you being Captain Amazing because of the good things you did and because it was, well, you know, cool – but if I’d known you were jumping around on rooftops I would have kicked you out long ago.”

“I can’t believe you’re being so unsupportive,” Sean said sullenly. There was a moment’s pause as he thought. Roger was wheeling him through the winding, crowded corridors as fast as they could manage towards the waiting rooms. A likely explanation rose to Sean’s mind – Roger’s girlfriend. “Did Lauren put you up to this?”

“Nope,” Roger said as he finally pushed Sean through the doors that led into the waiting room. Lauren Avery was standing out there. Unlike Roger, who was wearing a polo shirt and jeans because he had the day off, Lauren must have just come off work as she was still wearing her FedEx uniform.

Sean did not suspect Lauren long when he saw who was standing beside her. “Hello, Jill,” he said coldly.

Jill Petran, even out of her scrubs, looked right at home in the hospital. Sean speculated that she routinely visited the rooms of dying patients as their angel of death when she was off-duty as a nurse. “Good to see you didn’t get killed, Sean,” she said, but she did not sound like she meant it.

“Good to see you too,” Sean said, without meaning it either. “Can I get out of this wheelchair now?” he asked Roger.

“The nurses said you could get up once you’re outside,” Roger responded quietly, not wanting to be drawn into the veiled hostility between Sean and Jill.

“I wonder if I’m the only one in this hospital whose kid brother fell off a roof while playing at being a superhero yesterday,” Jill asked.

Sean, eager to be on his feet again and not looking helpless in a wheelchair in front of Jill, began wheeling himself forward so that Jill would have to step out of his way. “I wonder if I’m the only one here with an arrogant older sister,” Sean shot back. Had he really been feeling cruel, he would have emphasized the “older”, knowing that Jill hated being 32.

“Sean, be nice,” Lauren said. “Jill paid your hospital bill for you.”
Sean groaned and rolled his eyes. Perfect. Another reason to feel indebted to Jill.

“I’ll pay it back,” Sean grumbled.

“No, you won’t,” Jill said as she took over pushing Sean’s wheelchair to the doors. “We’ll discuss it on the car ride home.”

Sean squinted at the bright daylight outside and his legs felt weak when he forced himself out of the wheelchair. Roger and Lauren had remained behind, so Sean was clearly meant to ride home with Jill. The Captain Amazing mask, gloves, and jacket were in a plastic bag hanging off the back of the chair. Sean slung the bag over his shoulder, grit his teeth, and forced himself not to limp on his way into the parking lot. No weakness in front of Jill.

STARDUST #1 "Captain Amazing" - pt. 2

2011-02-24T14:10:00.001-06:00

Roger observed all of this without comment. He loved comic books, but Sean? Sean lived them. He, like certain other guys - the Zetamans and Dark Guardians of the world - didn't possess fantastic powers or superhuman skills, but they had adopted the costumes and the codenames just the same. Sean called himself Captain Amazing. He patrolled the streets of Elgin, Illinois. His mission, to combat crime wherever he encountered it. Which was not often, admittedly, but maybe that was just as well.

“I’m sorry about earlier,” Roger said.

“Hey, don’t worry about it,” Sean said through the mask.

“I really do think what you do is important.”

Sean finished with his belt and looked his friend straight in the eye. “I know you do.”

Waiting for Sean in the garage was his black and silver 1996 Ducati M900 motorcycle. He rolled it out onto the driveway. His neighbor, Jim, the motorcycle enthusiast, had just come home from a ride on his Harley. Jim was in his late 30’s, with thinning, curly brown hair, a scraggly beard, and always a T-shirt stretched taut over his portly gut.

“Hey, Captain Amazing!” Jim called out.

“Evening, citizen!” Sean called back as he mounted his bike.

Jim was used to Sean pretending not to know him when in costume so he ignored it and continued. “Hey! Is that fuel line still leaking any?”

“No. No, it’s working quite well, thank you,” Sean said.

“Great! Okay, well, if you need me to look at it again, you just let me know, okay?”

“Yes, sir. Have a great evening!” Sean said before he revved up his bike.

Elgin, Illinois, was home to about 105,000 people and just one superhero. The bike patrol had become fairly routine – drive downtown by the Fox River, get on State St. and take that north to Big Timber Rd., back south down Route 25, and then loop back to downtown on Villa Street. It was a nice enough drive. Some nights he would stop by Beef Villa for a snack, but not tonight as he was broke again.

He slowed down before he reached Route 20 – he spotted two homeless men he knew walking on the side of the road. Sean pulled over on the shoulder of the road ahead of them and waited. “Hey, guys!” he called out.

The two men, both scruffy, dirty, and wearing heavy layers of clothing, came up to him. “Hi, Captain Amazing,” one of them said.

“Sam. John,” Sean said with a nod to each man. “Had any trouble today?”

Both men understood the question was about their panhandling activities, which had got them in trouble before. “No, we haven’t had any trouble,” Sam said.

“Well, there was the dollar store,” John said.

“Yeah,” Sam said, “we were at the dollar store – you know, the one down by the riverboat – and this black guy was hollering at us for stinking up the store this afternoon. Finally the manager shooed us out instead of the other guy. But we weren’t soliciting in there or anything. We really had some money to spend.”

“So you think you can do anything about that guy, Captain Amazing?” John asked.

“I’ll swing by the dollar store and ask if that might be a problem customer. Okay, guys?”

“Yeah, thanks Captain Amazing!” Sam shouted as Sean revved up his bike and pulled back out into traffic.

The dollar store had closed for the night by the time Sean reached it and he made a mental note to stop by in the morning. Everything looked quiet around the strip mall where the store was located. Sometimes there was gang activity for him to report, but not tonight. That meant he could move on to the fun part of the patrol that came after riding around – the patrolling on foot. This was the sneaky part because, technically, what he was going to do was trespassing and illegal, but if superheroes patrolled on rooftops in the comic books then by golly he was going to as well.
There was a fire escape in an alley just off of North Street that he could reach with a jump, pull himself up to, and then climb to the roof. He had done this a hundred times before, so it was no sweat. From that roof, he could cover four city blocks without leaving the roofs, though he did have to make some perilous jumps over narrow alleys along the way. Sure, it was dangerous – maybe even stupid – but it was exciting and made him feel more like a “real” comic book superhero than anything else that he did.

Sean had just hopped an alley at the end of Dexter Court to reach his second city block when he saw the Aurora. He followed local news religiously, both online and through the newspapers, but Sean had not followed many national or world news stories since the earthquake in Chile at the end of February. Still, he had flipped past coverage of the Aurora on TV all day today and had caught enough of it not to be completely surprised. It was first sighted in New Zealand and had spread over most of the world through the day. It was supposed to be some sort of trick of the light that scientists had not fully explained yet, but it was visible to some people and not to others and not visible all the time to anyone. This was the first time Sean had glimpsed it all day.

It was beautiful. The shifting string of bright green light was continuously moving and dropping trails of sparkling, twinkling lights straight down towards the Earth. The sparkles ran through several colors of the rainbow, but most of the time was green. The whole rooftop seemed to be bathed in its glow.

Sean ran to the west side of the rooftop and gazed out over the Fox River. The river too reflected the Aurora’s green glow, which was so bright that the colored lights of the riverboat casino seemed muted and dull. It took Sean’s breath away – but what happened next made his heart skip a beat.

STARDUST #1 "Captain Amazing" - pt. 1

2011-02-23T16:13:00.000-06:00

The neighbor at 1133 Elmwood Drive was too busy changing the oil on his motorcycle to hear the Thing yelling, “It’s clobbering time!”. At 1137 Elmwood Drive, Uncle Pedro had just pulled up in the driveway, playing loud mariachi music, so the kids running out to greet him did not notice Spider-Man leap into the air to avoid the Thing’s ground-shaking blow. Since the windows were closed at 1135 Elmwood Drive, no one heard Roger McGill shout, “It’s not fair! You’re too good at this!”

Sean Causer smirked as his fingers and thumbs hammered away at the game controller in his hands. “That’s why they call me Captain Amazing…” Sean said, making it sound like crude innuendo.

The digital Spider-Man, under Sean’s control, shot webbing in the Thing’s face repeatedly. Roger could only watch in frustration as the digital Thing’s health bar went down. “That is so not fair! How is webbing the Thing’s face helping to knock him out? Are you plugging his mouth and nostrils so he can’t breathe or something?”

“If I was Spider-Man,” Sean said, “I would have added chloroform to my web-fluid mixture so I would just have to spray a little webbing on a bad guy’s face and he’d be out cold.”

“Before they made his webbing organic to follow the movies,” Roger corrected.

“An idea they stole from Peter David’s Spider-Man 2099 series to begin with,” Sean added.

As the Thing went down, Sean dropped his controller, raised his fists in the air, and made a cheering sound for himself.

“You know what?” Roger asked. “I think you’re maturing.”

“How dare you, you lout!” Sean mock-admonished in a faux-Shakespearean voice.

“No, well, not really, but before you turned 29 you used to jump up and do a victory dance around the room.”

“My old bones can’t take it anymore!” Sean cried in a faux-old man voice. “Rematch?”

“No, man, I’m starving!” Roger stood up. “Sanvi kept me too busy to eat anything on break this afternoon. Inventory sucks.” He opened the top pizza box stacked by the couch and grimaced as he saw it was empty. “Dude, you didn’t even save me the dipping sauce! Now I have to cook something.”

“There’s hot dogs in the fridge,” Sean said as he switched to one-player mode. “I stopped eating them when the marinara ran out.”

Roger navigated the dirty and cluttered living room to reach the kitchen he shared with his roommate and best friend since third grade. “If you had a superpower, it would be your cast iron stomach.”

“My superpower is kicking your butt at video games!” Sean shouted back as his friend disappeared into the kitchen.

Shortly, after Sean beat Wolverine as Venom, Sean noticed he was hungry now too and turned off the game. He found Roger in the kitchen, eating ramen noodles.

“Leave any for me?” Sean asked.

“You know I can eat a whole pack. Make your own,” Roger said between bites.

Sean noticed that Roger was glancing at something on the countertop and followed his gaze to the spot. A blank application form for Jimmy John’s was sitting on top of the junk mail pile on the counter. Sean returned his gaze to Roger and saw that Roger had seen him see it and was looking at him now. “So…” Sean said carefully, while trying to sound nonchalant. “Thinking about leaving FedEx for Jimmy John’s?”

“No…” Roger said with equal care. This was a subject that had come up many times before and he knew to tread with caution. “I thought you could go for it, though. They call their cashiers rock stars, you know.”

Sean pounded his fist on the counter. “Darn it, Roger, I thought you understood this by now! I already have a job. I’m a superhero.”

“Yeah…” Roger said, still on eggshells, “but only at night. If you just worked during the day…”

“What I do is very stressful,” Sean said, getting angry and defensive. “To keep doing it, I need to spend my daytime resting and unwinding.”

“Stressful?” Roger said, forgetting to not let things escalate. “You patrol downtown Elgin. You haven’t actually witnessed a crime worse than traffic violations in months.”

“What I do is a public service. And what about the other real-life superheroes out there? You think Dark Guardian or Zetaman work a day job?”

“Yeah, I bet they do!”

The two friends just stood there after that in a tense standoff. The subject of rent had not come up in three weeks and things had been easy between them, but now it was out there again and they would not be able to talk civil to each other for the rest of the night now – unless Roger did something soon to lighten the mood.

“Hey, April Fool’s Day,” Roger said, forcing a smile. “I was just kidding.”

Sean saw right through his friend’s ploy to lighten the mood. He turned to leave the kitchen, but then stopped and came back. He opened the nearest cupboard, pulled out a box of Pop-Tarts, and sulked off with it. He could not go far in a ranch house, but he did head off to the other end of it. He opened the Pop-Tart box as he reached Roger’s room and went in to sit at Roger’s computer.

Around 8:30, Roger became curious of what Sean was up to and stopped watching TV to go investigate. He found his computer was still logged onto Comic Book Resources, one of Sean’s bookmarked sites. Sean’s bedroom door was shut. Roger almost knocked, but Sean must have heard him out in the hall and shouted that he could come in first.
Sean had been reading comic books, as evidenced by the last two issues of X-Force lying on his bed, still out of their plastic sheaths. Sean was already dressing for his night’s work. His costume consisted of black running shoes, black jeans, black leather gloves, and a black leather jacket with orange duct tape wrapped twice around each sleeve. His hair was naturally black, so it matched his outfit well. He had started out with a domino mask, but decided after a few weeks that his face was too round and boyish for the domino mask. He went with a draping mask like the Clock, a transitional character between pulp heroes and superheroes back in the ‘30s, used to wear. He already had all this on and was putting on the utility belt he had put together after reading about how to do so on Zetaman’s blog.

Stardust: Prologue

2011-02-22T12:53:00.000-06:00

Hi! My name is Sean Causer. If you’re reading this, then you probably already know me as Stardust - or you're about to. You may be wondering, how did I get this way? Have I got an origin story? Well, of course I do! What superhero doesn’t?

I think the moment I first learned I would amount to something special someday was when I was five years old. That was when I ate five hot dogs in a row and didn't get sick and thought I was really cool.

The first inkling I ever had that the ‘something special’ about me was comic book-related came when I was six. I remember reading my older brother’s comic collection – which I wasn’t supposed to do because I wasn’t allowed in his room – but anyway, I’m sitting there in his closet reading his comic books and this whole world of colorful costumes, evocative names, and black and white conflicts between good and evil – it just speaks to me suddenly. I understand, in that moment, that this is another language. That there’s this whole subtext about what the world should be like or what we wish it was like that you can only read by deciphering what these words and picture combinations really mean. And my brother and I are the only ones in the family who can read this special code. Our parents didn't get comic books -- they didn't like them at all and most of my friends, except for my best friend Roger, didn't like or get comic books either. So this was something special. Of course, I didn’t say anything like all that at the time. Hey, I was six! I said it was “Cool!” and waited until I’d had six years of community college under my belt before I could express it better.

Actually, it was after college where my story gets a little confusing. See, I’ve already been a superhero once already. Well, not one with superpowers or anything. No flying, no super-strength. Just me, my bike, and a cellphone, going around Elgin, Illinois and reporting crimes in to the police, doing good random deeds, and helping local charities. You know, a real-life superhero. My hero name was Captain Amazing and for five years after college this was who I was.

I bet I can guess where you think this is heading. Real-life hero meets real-life supervillains and acts out childhood fantasies. Well, okay, maybe you got me on the childhood fantasies part. But I’ve never even heard of a real-life supervillain. I mean, who would really do that? If I really wanted to, you know, rob a bank or something, am I going to put on a costume to make it easier for the police to catch me? C’mon.

Anyway, there really is a point to all this. See, a few nights ago, I was out patrolling the night that the weird aurora appeared in the sky. And it seems to have affected me, you know. I think it gave me superpowers. Yeah, I know what you’re thinking again. That couldn’t happen, because no one can get superpowers in real life. Well, maybe you’re just wrong about that one…

STARDUST. Changing the world one issue at a time.

Stardust

2011-02-22T12:08:00.004-06:00

Comic book aficionado Sean Causer lives a life less ordinary, patrolling the mean (well, moderately ill-tempered) streets of Elgin, Illinois as the real-life costumed hero Captain Amazing. But how drastically will the lives of Sean and his circle of friends be transformed when the night of the Aurora Event gifts him with real super-powers? Is the world ready for... Stardust?

(art design by Ian Mileham)

STARDUST was an attempt to write an original monthly superhero fiction series I undertook at the Revenance website. After a few issues, the project was canceled and I understand the site might be coming down next. So, I've decided to make Scottenkainenland Stardust's new home.

Belated Happy Halloween!

2010-11-11T16:00:00.001-06:00

While other blogs are posting Veterans Day-related art, I'm finally sharing this Jack-o-lantern I drew for Halloween! It was Megan's idea to save money on Halloween decorations this year by drawing our own and this was my favorite that I did.

Golden Age Reprint Checklist

2010-11-05T12:10:00.003-05:00

Expanding on a 2007 post, this is my dream collection of Golden Age reprint volumes, limited to those deluxe Archives or Masterworks series from DC and Marvel. In making the checklist, I was amazed at how little from the late '40s is still reprinted. Superman reprints inexplicably end in '45.

1938
Superman: the Action Comics Archives Vol. 1 (own!)
1939
Batman Archives Vol. 1 (own!)
Golden Age Sandman Archives Vol. 1
Marvel Masterworks Vol. 1
Superman Archives Vol. 1
1940
Batman: the Dark Knight Archives Vol. 1
Golden Age Flash Archives Vol. 1
JSA All-Star Archives Vol. 1
Marvel Masterworks Vol. 2-3
Shazam! Archives Vol. 1
Will Eisner’s The Spirit Archives Vol. 1
Superman: the Action Comics Archives Vol. 2
Superman Archives Vol. 2
1941
All-Star Comics Archives Vol. 1-2
All-Winners Masterworks Vol. 1
Batman Archives Vol. 2 (own!)
Batman: the Dark Knight Archives Vol. 2
Golden Age Sub-Mariner Vol. 1
Marvel Masterworks Vol. 4
Shazam! Archives Vol. 2-4
Will Eisner’s The Spirit Archives Vol. 2-3
Superman: the Action Comics Archives Vol. 3-4
Superman Archives Vol. 3-4
1942
All-Star Comics Archives Vol. 3
All-Winners Masterworks Vol. 2
Batman: the Dark Knight Archives Vol. 3-4
Golden Age Sub-Mariner Masterworks Vol. 2
Shazam! Family Archives Vol. 1
Will Eisner’s The Spirit Archives Vol. 4-5 (own #4!)
Superman Archives Vol. 5
1943
All-Star Comics Archives Vol. 4-5
All-Winners Masterworks Vol. 3
Batman Archives Vol. 3
Batman: the Dark Knight Archives Vol. 5
Golden Age Sub-Mariner Masterworks Vol. 3
Will Eisner’s The Spirit Archives Vol. 6-7
Superman Archives Vol. 6-7
1944
Batman Archives Vol. 4
Batman: the Dark Knight Archives Vol. 6
Plastic Man Archives Vol. 3
Will Eisner’s The Spirit Archives Vol. 8-9
Superman: the Action Comics Archives Vol. 5
Superman Archives Vol. 8
1945
All-Star Comics Archives Vol. 6
Batman Archives Vol. 5
Batman: the Dark Knight Archives Vol. 7
Batman: the World’s Finest Comics Archives Vol. 2
Plastic Man Archives Vol. 4
Will Eisner’s The Spirit Archives Vol. 10-11
1946
Plastic Man Archives Vol. 5-6
Will Eisner’s The Spirit Archives Vol. 12-13
1947
Batman Archives Vol. 6
Plastic Man Archives Vol. 7-8
1948
Batman Archives Vol. 7
1949
All-Star Comics Archives Vol. 10

Top 15 Favorite Books

2010-11-04T13:15:00.003-05:00

After reading Kage Baker's The Bird of the River, I decided it was time to revisit a project I'd last posted here back in 2007. This time around, I expanded the list to 15 and allowed myself up to two titles by the same author. This is still leaving off all graphic novels. I also realized, to my shock, that I had left off Jules Verne completely from my past list. What was I thinking?

1. The Hobbit (J.R.R. Tolkien)
2. With a Single Spell (Lawrence Watt-Evans)
3. Gods of Mars (Edgar Rice Burroughs)
4. Voyage of the Dawn Treader (C.S. Lewis)
5. The Wind in the Willows (Kenneth Graeme)
6. The Fellowship of the Ring (J.R.R. Tolkien)
7. Around the World in 80 Days (Jules Verne)
8. True Names (Vernor Vinge)
9. Princess of Mars (Edgar Rice Burroughs)
10. Ender's Game (Orson Scott Card)
11. Magician's Nephew (C.S. Lewis)
12. The Sign of Four (Arthur Conan Doyle)
13. Dirk Gentley's Holistic Detective Agency (Douglas Adams)
14. Journey to the Center of the Earth (Jules Verne)
15. The Bird of the River (Kage Baker)

The Undead Pages - pt. 2

2010-09-20T12:03:00.003-05:00

[Although it was technically called "The Undead Pages", the strip has always been known by my friends as "Marcy the Lich" after the main character. The origin of Marcy the Lich came from a before-school discussion one day amongst my acquaintances when we debated who was most like which Peanuts characters. Of course, all of us thought we were most like Charlie Brown, but we couldn't all be Charlie Brown so some people just had characters assigned to them. Somebody, possibly me, suggested Chris should be Marcy. The more Chris protested this assignment, the funnier it seemed to me.

[Soon thereafter I drew a picture of Marcy as a skeleton, a midget skeleton with big glasses, wearing a t-shirt and shorts, and with just a few hairs left on her head. As I drew more of Marcy, Marcy shifted from being a female to a male, like Chris. And so Marcy the Lich was born...]

The Undead Pages - pt. 1

2010-09-20T09:30:00.005-05:00

[My friend Ron requested I find this old high school comic strip and show it to him again. Sadly, only six pages of it were ever inked, the rest done in pencil too lightly (or is now too light) to scan well. Oddly, the six pages are only from Year 2 of the strip, right in the middle of its three year run.]

[This strip never appeared in the school newspaper; indeed, it would probably have been rejected on the spot for being too weird. Its origin lies in the fact that several of us, in my circle of high school acquaintances, who could draw tried their hand at comic strips just to show around to the group. The only other one I remember was Erik's Tick-homage, "The Marlin", but I'm pretty sure Joe tried making one too. We all worked in pencil on lined paper, since that's what we had in school. The main difference with mine was its longevity.]