I've been looking over the revision of "Dances" I did with the adults-only rating in mind; while I'm not happy with the way it portrays Blaid as a brutal, heartless thug--The Lair in this revision would be a dank pit, with the exception of Igor's room, and Diamond gets treated with a bit more respect than a rabid dog from time to time, with Blaid throwing her scraps and using her as a human shield.

I'm strongly contemplating a bit of a merger, though; some of the Version 2 dialogue is really good, and sets a stronger mood, especially Lumiar's responses.  But there's a question that nags at my mind...

How much violence is too much?  I rather like the way Blaid tears Lumiar apart in Version 2, but it may be excessive, and I know all too well that if I allow it, the carnage will run away with the story and it'll be a slasher flick.

So, in an informal poll of sorts, which is the better approach:

- A quick and brutal kill with only a modicum of blood and gore
- A long, drawn out kill where most of the gore is off-panel
- A quick and brutal kill that's layered in flying blood and organs
- Several panels of sheer carnage, with enough blood to paint a small house

Secondly, which kill works better?  This is strictly opinion, but I trust the opinions of the masses here.

- Version 1: Lumiar is smashed into the pavement then impaled with a light post
- Version 2: Lumiar is beaten into a wall until his skull nearly shatters, then his arms are ripped off violently
- Unused: Lumiar is thrown into the air; Blaid uses a light post as a bat to knock him flying
- Unused: Lumiar is thrown like a human baseball; Blaid then hurls the light post after, impaling the priest through the head or chest and pinning him to a wall

That was a much longer post than I intended...

Did you bring the silver balls?

So... as Jessica suggested I'd like to list my current pitches that I intend to place in the running for this second D2D. They are the following:


The Phenomenons:
http://www.zeros2heroes.com/pitch/462


The Siege of Hao:
http://www.zeros2heroes.com/pitch/225


Avalon's Rome (For lack of a better name):
http://www.zeros2heroes.com/pitch/177



Also check out Inherit the Kingdom which can be found here:
http://www.zeros2heroes.com/pitch/755


Along with those... there are a few pitches I'm considering putting in the running for D2D if anyone is interested in seeing more. As they are, I don't have the scripts fully up (although most of them actually have the outlines drafted up and stored somewhere safe). That being the case, I doubt I'll have time to do up scripts for more than one or two of these pitches soon enough, with the contest already upon us.
 
If there is one or two in particular that you'd like me to get the script up for please let me know and I'll see what I can do.

Pitches "On the Bubble" for possible submission:

Cyber Defcon:
http://www.zeros2heroes.com/pitch/379


Hatchet Man: The Mark
http://www.zeros2heroes.com/pitch/723


Pravada:
http://www.zeros2heroes.com/pitch/672


Project Chimera (aka PGX 2143):
http://www.zeros2heroes.com/pitch/178


Other than that, check out Genrewriter's blog (http://www.zeros2heroes.com/component/option,com_pablog/Action,View/PostId,27665/) for a list of other eligible contestants and pitches and keep commenting and voting away! :D

I'll do my best to be active in the coming weeks (although this happens to be two of the most busy weeks of the winter for me). Best wishes to the contestants and everyone's pitches and I look forward to reviewing everyone's work and voting for the comics I'd love to see as finalists for D2D. :) I've already made my first pass at the voting situation but it's never too late to change my mind or add new and exciting pitches to my list. Keep up the great work everyone! :D











P.S. As a small side note, I am excited to say that SK is entering the final stages of production behind our superb art team. It's looking really cool so far and if all goes well we might just be able to self-publish it by the end of December! Exciting news if you ask me, especially after all the work that has gone into over the past months. I'll keep you all posted as more develops. :D

Ok children.  I'm gonna give this a shot.

The Ashen Man will be going through a set of revisions this month as part of the Direct2Development competition.  I really think it's a great idea, and I want to see it go places.  Not even in it for the money or the fame or the women (there's women, right?)--I want to say I did it.  And I might just be able to.

And Tenzil, I'm writing up page #13 right now.  Please don't kill me.

As some posts before this one, I want to say that NANOWRIMO is finally over. November came and went rather quickly for my taste. I got near 12,000 words before I succumbed to the writing gods and have up on the whole thing. But I don't see it as failure, I got to write interesting characters until that time I decided to stop. Like Geko, I too will use my Nano as a comic pitch.

Is it time again for another shameless plug. If so, cool. If not, cool. So everyone check my pitches on my page. I have action, adventure, fresh fruit. Remember to vote for any of my stuff that you like and hopefully sometime next week I will have a third draft of "The Fox Goddess", with gallery of concept art. So come on down and check it, or any of my other material like "Legend of the Zodiac," "The Chasseur Chronicles," "The Nest" (Tentative Title), or my newest addition "The Adventures of Dusty Trails".

  Well I've got a few more things up in the Space Hogs pitch. I've added two more characters so I'm just about set for that area of the pitch. Please excuse the terrible advance sketch of Mnemoth.

  In other news... I've spent the last two weeks with my wife working on cataloging and pricing my comic collection. I spent a good chunk of my teenage years heavily collecting comics, at least as heavily as one can on a teenager's budget. So I've got around 1200 flimsies from about 1992-2000. Lots of mini-series. Lots of foil, holograms, embossed and alternate covers. Darn near complete mid-late 90s runs of the Uncanny X-Men and WildCATS. A lot of things you would expect of a kid that age at that time. Comics as a whole have had a big effect on me but looking back through my collection, I only found a couple that had some kind of lasting impact.

  So anyway, here's the thing. I need, like with a capital "N", a new computer system. We've tried the tax refund thing but such things always seem to get eaten by kids, cars, etc... And not just to play the new expansion of WoW. I've been lucky enough to come into the possession of some really nice 3D platforms along with my continuing work on 2D art. My current computer just can't handle the load. Since I'm pretty lacking in the education department, I pretty much have to live and die by my portfolio. With the way the job market is, I've gotta pack as many skills in as I possibly can. This has stalled out the last year or so as I've topped out what the current box of bolts can handle.

  So comic collection from my formative years for the potential shot of being creative in the entertainment industry (coincidentally the dream formed in those previously mentioned formative years). Fair trade?

G'day, folks.

I've taken a bit of a break from bashing about the Capitol Wasteland, beheading super mutants and making things explode, to bring you a pair of new pitches.

First is Jet, an introspective piece starring a superhero sharing the stage with crippling doubt.  It's a very fragmented early script, but I think the idea is gelling nicely.

Second is The Ashen Man: Dances Version 2, a far less pleasant version of the original script, replete with heavy language, far more violence, and generally darker atmosphere.  The script is incomplete but I think it covers the feeling well, and I'd like to get feedback.  This is generally not for the squeamish, though the violence--I think anyways--is still too weak.  It also remoulds Blaid as much more of a brute than the original edit, and there's nary a joke to be found in this version.

Jet is at http://www.zeros2heroes.com/pitch/941
Dances Version 2 is at http://www.zeros2heroes.com/pitch/946

Have fun, and don't feed the yao-guai!

Hi guys!  I've been a bit quiet these days; it's kind of been a busy week, but I have a few things in the works.

I'm in the early phases of Jet, a one-shot introspective type drama featuring a superhero digging through the slings and arrows of his own doubts, as well as starting the initial design work on The Great Gig In The Sky, a silly bit of kit starring an interstellar rock band and their newest member from Earth.  It's also intended as a one-shot; I'd rather not put too much emphasis into another long-form comic, given that The Ashen Man stands to at least go six or eight issues (in my head, anyways).

Otherwise, I'm healthy (the doctor says so!), I'm going on holiday later this month, and I'm shooting zombies--what more could a bloke ask for?

..the fifth of November, of gunpowder, treason, and plot...

So it's Guy Fawkes Day, not that this really means a whit to those us in North America other than we'll all likely sit down and watch V For Vendetta and nurse hangovers from last night's festivities.

What this means for me is that my political fixation can abate a titch and I can get back to focusing on the better things in life, like comic violence and using the word "f**k" as often as possible in a script.

To November!

I know some of us are a bit busy, especially with NANOWRIMO (last word count=4310) but sometimes we need to relax and take it easy.

I've been MIA for the last couple of weeks as things have been overly hectic around here in juiceworld (that sounds a little odd)?

So tonight I sat down and got acquainted with an old friend the PD.  The conversation went a little like this;

JB: What's that?  You want me... to read you?
PD: Yes.

JB: But it's been so long, I don't know if I remember how?
PD: Every pitch begins with the first page.

JB: But its an internet thing.
PD: Stop quibbling and go get your fill.

JB Yes, master.

So, it uhhh kinda went like that.  So if you're new and shopping for some good stuff to read, here is what I took a gander (and in some cases re-gander) at tonight (in no particular order);

The Overlord (MUP4) - There is not much here (yet) but I love the concept.  I immediately started thinking back to all these comics that had guys looking for world domination but never getting it... but what if they did?  CW do more here.

Bat & Wolf Comic - I said it before, but because I'm doing this I'll say it again.  This is a great comic, reminded be immensely of Archer & Armstrong and when I think about it, is one of those smooth buddy stories that we don't see much of these days.  Good job RPulfer

Heroes are Immortal - Geko has done a good job starting this.  The story revolves around the death of heroes, each dying from a different cause.  Everything word I have read has been great.  Get some more script up there buddy.

Volk - Szubzda (I can't even pronouce it) just started this one.  I was immediately drawn into this one due to its connection to the Cold War (took a history course on the Cold War and loved it).  Throw in some Covert Werewolves and this one has solid written all over it.

Name is Blank - Had to put this one in here (as I voted 12 times to get Fett to work on it over Vitae), the premise is fantastic and the description of the world and all its elements pulls you in deeper with every page.  At first I thought old Fett couldn't think up a title but when I got into it, it fit so perfectly.

MOFF - Minus One Fan Fiction.  If you didn't get in on this... well I'd say there's always next time but I don't know really.  Anyway, the first 5 pages are incredible and very well done.  Go read it on the blogs.  I think I'm doing Page 17.

Wow blogged without a plug.

Seeya around.

Yesterday I called WKAR, the local PBS station. It is the closest channel I have nearby so I thought it would be a great place to call and pitch a series.

So here it is nearly Halloween. I should really be doing something, anything, with my pitch, but I can't think of a thing -to- do. I have ideas for another issue, but I'm not sure that's the best approach.   Comments stagnated, and interest in the issue one script seems light at best, though to be honest I'm not exactly expecting a million views and a solid gold trophy.