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Storycomic Weekly Newsletter: May 6th

Podcast Updates

This week we had three incredibly talented writers on the show.

On Tuesday, I was excited to have with us the internationally acclaimed and Eisner award-winning Author, Illustrator, and Graphic Novelist, Ben Hatke!

He was here to chat about his latest book: ‘Reynard’s Tale’, and his upcoming book, ‘Things in the Basement’ and we also talked about world-building and his creative process.

Ben also talked about what type of Dungeons and Dragons character he enjoys playing.

On Thursday, It was a delight to have the world-renowned and talented Art director, designer, and illustrator,  Kevin Maher.

He's here to talk about his latest comic book, ‘Toxic Man’ which is a fun and entertaining superhero comic that follows the adventures of a past prime hero.

Kevin, a successful graphic designer, gives some great tips on page layouts and has some excellent advice for graphic designers who are new to the field.

On Friday, I had a pre-recorded interview with the widely acclaimed, award-winning & highly talented Children’s Book Author of ‘Books for Benjamin’, Mr. Rico deRouen!

We had a great time chatting about the importance of making sure as a children’s book author does not use a passive voice in their narration was a new piece of advice I had not heard yet. 

Rico also had some great tips and advice for new and seasoned authors.

On the Vermont Artists and Authors podcast, we had the re-release and remastering of the interview we had with MM Dumas and Michael Waggoner about their acclaimed graphic novel, ‘The Lucky Ones’

Project Updates

I did a bit more editing on my Dad Joke sequel book and saw some variant cover examples.

I also finally did some production of my World of Warcraft investment videos via my Nerd Stock Talk show this week. 

This is the first time I have made a substantial YouTube video that is not interview based.  There is a lot more to it, and I still have some more things to tweak, but I am pleased with how it has turned out so far.

What I’m reading

I read ‘My Own World’ by Mike Holmes this week. 

I enjoyed this story.  It was a personal exploration of a nine-year-old boy named Nathan finding a way to escape from the real-world issues of bullies and his older brother dying from cancer.

To protect himself, he spends most of his time inside a world where he can build landscapes and friends.  There is some significant symbolism, and the world is an allegory for how young minds deal with trauma and change. Still, as a reader, I liked to think of it similar to a CS Lewis story on the surface that the world Nathan discovers exists.

Through that lens, it is a story young adults and middle-grade readers can appreciate.  As an adult, I found the theme of loss and escapism a powerful and emotional read.

Personal Updates

More slow progress on the basement bedroom renovation.  I put the rock wool insulation in the ceiling this week, and we had another delivery of sheet rock for the ceiling.  I also researched how to hang ceiling sheetrock by myself.  It is a lot less complicated than I initially presumed.

I had several more successful meetings as I moved forward with my career plans.  I am very excited about it and am increasingly hopeful that it will come to fruition, especially since I have already committed some funding.

I also have drifted away from my aggressive Lego hobby and sold my unsorted Legos to make more room for future projects.  This is a good sign that COVID is officially over, as this was my big COVID hobby that kept me busy over the three years.

Slow progress

You need to do your chores and then we can go to the Vermont Sci Fi and Fantasy Expo!

Chores are done!

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