It's been a while since I posted a blog praising someone else's new pitch, but I'm breaking my streak as of right now.  I heartily encourage each and every one of you zeds to finish with this blog right now, well, not quite right now; I guess you should finish reading it first, and then head on over to the pitch section to read a new pitch.
The story is called Blue Rush and it has been posted by our young friend with the unpronounceable name, N3k0_b0i.  I call him Numbers Boy in Zeros #2 (another pitch you might want to take a peek at), but whatever you call him make sure you call him a talent.  He can write, and he is passionate about the comics he creates, and comics in general.
Then, if you like Blue Rush you can also spend a few minutes hanging out at his other pitches.
That is all - head over there!

Okay troops, once again you have been handed the mythical keys to this magical once in a lifetime comic book company.  You and your friends at Z2H have created a beautiful little comic book company and the competition is running for cover.  What?  You never used your imagination before?  Indulge me here for a minute.
I know this is a fantasy, but just pretending it's true, the company president has just given you an ultimatum: Hire the three very best comic book writers in the world.  Money is no object, and we will assume everyone is available.
Who do you hire?  Who are the three great writers you would choose to work with alongside you?  I have put some suggestions in the tags but feel free to go way off the board.
Only one stipulation: they have to be currently living writers.

Do you remember Batman issues #427 and #428?  Chances are many of you don't since the comic came out some 20 years ago. At that time (before the internet and e-mail became so prevalent) DC comics invited its readers to phone a 1-800 number and vote as to whether Jason Todd, the second Robin, should live or die.
I was one of those who voted for his death, though it had nothing to do with any dislike of the character.  I voted for him to die because I was sick to death of the comics world's habit of never having a character die.
I understood why the big guns couldn't die, but why not some of the bit players?  So I voted to see a real change to an ongoing series, and sure enough my side won the day.
So now, twenty years later, Marvel comics is conducting a similar poll.  There is a new Bullseye in town and she has her sights set on Daredevil.  You get to decide the outcome of their battle coming up in issue # 120.  I chose DD because he is a unique character, and no one else would be able to wear the suit and do his legend justice.  I wanted to pick Spidey, but figured too many people would say no just because it is Spider-Man, so Matt Murdoch it is.
You have been given the hammer: you make the call, but remember there will be no second chances.  Majority wins, simple as that.  Do you kill Daredevil, yes or no?  Cast you vote . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NOW!

There is a brave new group forming here at Z2H with the aim of helping people out with their pitches.  The group would look at one pitch each month, and everyone in the group would have the responsibility to at least go in and look at the pitch at some point during the 30 days (so it is not an onerous chore),  This group is not being headed up by myself, despite the fact my cute green mug is on the cover, but by your very own favorite little creator, TK Jr.  Don't be shy!  Sign up today!
And while you are at it, why not join up for the Unofficial Thunkup #3 group that the other green dude has going?

Fantasy time, again, people!
All comic companies have been officially closed up and put out of business, totally and forever.
You have been hired to start up a new comic book company, the only one in the world and you are allowed to start with any three comic book characters (heroes, villains, supporting characters, etc.) you wish.  After starting with those three characters you will build your new Universe and Empire with the creations of you and all your friends from Z2H who you will be hiring to help you (and paying top dollar too, I might add).
These characters come with no baggage, it is as if they have never existed and you can shape them as you wish.
There is a catch though.
You cannot pick all three characters from just one comic book universe (though you can pick two of them from one source, say Marvel for example), and you have to pick at least one person from each gender.  Ladies and gentlemen, let the draft begin!

The anticipation is killing me, but hopefully you will soon all be able to feast your eyes on the winning CCCN comics in all their four color glory (coming soon to a computer monitor near you - tell all your friends) along with three other books that served as models to make sure the system was working right.
So, given this, I am sure you want to read these comics (after all, this is a comic based website)  which have been lovingly crafted by so many talented creators.  The one thing all the stories have in common (based on the previews I have seen) is fantastic artwork.  The work that has been produced by these pencilers, inkers, colorists and painters has been stellar for each and every one of the books.
So, having said all that, this is the question I am posing for you today: Which of these books are you most eagerly anticipating?
The CCCN winners (in case anyone wasn't paying attention) are:

1. Blake Undying by Lord Maim
2. Supremacy: Dawn of Heroes by Mekikas
3. Slaughter Inc. by Mr.Irony
4. Hero High by Crackwalker
5. Rip Current by mariathedreamer
6. Abigail's War by Yen
7. Minus One by Tenzil Kem
8. Deutschmaschine by Fetternity
9. ALMA: Jumbo the Elephant by Will Gibson
10. Black Jack O'Breen by DoctorNaberius
11. Mind Crimes by genrewriter; and
12. Knightcap:November's Song by Ruroshen

Like most of you, I have my favorites, which is not to say they will remain my faves after reading all the books.  But for now I am most eagerly awaiting (in no particular order): Abigail's War, Hero High, Deutschmaschine, Mind Crimes, Blake Undying and ALMA.
How about you?

Just wanted to give a shout out to ItsJustSomeRandomGuy, a fellow who posts hilarious comic related videos on Youtube.  You really need to check this guys work out if you haven't already.  I'm going to try to post one of the links here to get you started, but if it doesn't work you can just go to Youtube and either search for him by name or just search for Marvel vs. DC.  He has some current ones up based on the movie characters of this summer (Iron Man, Batman, Hellboy, Hulk, etc.) and a series from last year called After Hours, plus others.  Well worth having a peek at if like your comic characters with a little humor.
Here is my attempt to post the link (don't laugh):http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlLeCu63HCA&feature=related

You all remember those imaginary, hypothetical stories that didn't really happen, but are put out there for fun?  No, not like Mephisto changing Peter and Mary Jane's situation, but more fun stuff?  This exercise is like that.  What I am about to propose will likely never happen to anyone, let alone one of us, so just suspend your disbelief and imagine this is real.
You have just finished a seven year run as the hottest comic writer in the history of the written word, and a brand new corporation is starting up a brand new comic company.  They have oodles of money and are in it for the long haul (minimum five years, guaranteed, no matter what with every hope for much more - these guys love comics almost as much as they love you).
They want you to head up their new comics creation division and want you to be responsible for creating a new universe!  That's right, you are going to be playing God.
What do you do?  What will be the playing rules for your new universe?  Never mind the obvious, like hiring Tenzil here to be one of your top writers and taking care of all your other Z2H buddies with plum jobs.  I'm more concerned with your universe.  How many books would you like?  Would they be super heroes?  Would they wear masks and costumes?  Would they all interrelate with one another?  Would you throw in some other style comics and would those tie into your continuity or be separate from it?  Would you do annuals?  Would your books be for adults or children or both?
Feel free to answer any of these questions or go in an entirely different direction if you wish, but do let me know:
What do you want to see in your Universe?

Does anyone really care about continuity any more?  Should it even matter if Mary Jane and Peter never got married?  Do continuity mistakes in comics bother you?  Do you even notice?  Why should it even matter?
It's not like comics are real life, or anything like that.
To me, it matters.  A lot.
Continuity errors pull me right out of the story like nothing else can.  I mean, if two characters met in the July issue of one of their comics, when the two of them get together again six months later in the other character's comic they had better not act like the first meeting never happened (unless there is a darned good reason for this, like they are under the spell of the Ringmaster or something and it's important to the story.  But even if it is, the writer should at least know).
It can be difficult sometimes, especially when there is a lot of back story to wade through, but this is (one of the) reason(s) we have editors, right?
Good continuity allows the various writers of that universe to weave the characters and their stories together and make it all work in harmony.  Poor continuity leaves everyone frustrated and disappointed, especially the fans who want to enjoy the stories.
I will be writing some future blogs in the near future about the greatest three examples of Comic Universes done right, but first I want to hear from you.
Does continuity matter?  Defend your decision.

TK Jr. and I just got back from seeing the Dark Knight, along with Mrs. Tenzil.  What a film!  No spoilers here, just wanted to see this is the most amazing Batman film ever with just one complaint.  TK Jr. feels this could have been more kid friendly, and he's right.  This is definitely an adult movie and not for little ones.  That being said, he is not scared and wants you all to know that!

P.S. TK Jr. wants you all to know that he has a theory that all the Marvel movies leading up to the Avengers will have something leading up to it either after the credits or somewhere near the end of the story.

Can you believe that this site went "live" just over a year ago on July 23, 2007?  Just think about all this place has accomplished and how it has impacted so many of us in twelve short months!  For the record, I was not here then, joining in September, and the first blog post I could find by a name I recognized was the post from Mr.Irony dated July 25.
What an incredible place this has become.  Big props to Chief Zero, Jessica, and everyone else on the team (I could remind you that you can meet them up close and personal in my Zeros #2 pitch but that is not the purpose of this blog, so I won't).  You have literally changed my life by giving me opportunities I truly believed I would never have.  Not just to finally get my comic made, though that alone would have been enough.
No, you have allowed me, and the rest of us, to network and connect with so many cool and like minded people.  This place has been a blessing and a real motivating force.  Even my young son has been welcomed here, and I thank you for that.
The contests have been wonderful and I think this site should never go too long without having one.  Sometimes the corridors here get awful long, dark and lonely when there is nothing going on.  Blogdemonium (to steal someone's phrase - I think it might have been Mekikas) is better!
I joined this site shortly after the ReBoot contest, so I really didn't see that, though I loved reading the finished project.  When the pitch doctor went live it was magic.  Despite some bugs and glitches (including those that still remain) it was very cool to be able to go in and look at and comment on other people's work.  A side note while I think of it.  Sebzilla and his crack team, along with everyone else here have been super responsive to a bunch of often cranky, whining users with often outdated equipment, trying their best to give us a great experience.
Then came CCCN, a truly awesome contest that really brought this place alive imho.  And not just because I was fortunate enough to have been one of the winners (though that hardly hurt).  That contest lead to some very lively and important discussions about how the site worked and didn't.  The best part of all that is that we learned to express our opinions in positive, constructive ways.  We don't always have to agree with each other, but we can at least be polite while disagreeing (well, most of us anyways).
Next came Playwrite, which was very cool.  Despite the fact we had to let Barbarians in (zeros #2, people), they didn't wet the sheets and are actually pretty cool!  I am loving reading their blogs as they work away on their various projects!
APTN was a fantastic contest, and it was only spoiled because a couple of really good writers decided they couldn't abide by our terms and pulled out.  Beth is a great writer and a deserving double winner (along with Rubin on The West Was Lost, I believe) but it would have been better with more contestants.  Still, hardly Z2H's fault.
Finally we get to Direct to Development.
Wow!
If you read about it you will see that no contest needs to be held.  Z2H can simply declare winners and that is that.
I don't know who decided to turn this six pitch event into a contest, but that person deserves a raise.
The past few weeks have been so enjoyable as we watched the five contestants duke it out.
I was so impressed with the strength of the pitches.  Amazing work, gentlemen.
I was even more impressed with the maturity of the contestants and the way they all supported each other.  Have you ever seen anything like it anywhere else?  I can't think of any examples.  Very classsy!  And to make it even more noteworthy, if I am not mistaken, all of our contestants are so very young.  Dan is 26, Steven is 22 and I'm pretty sure Panic at the Disco, Puff Daddy and Ryaz are all in their twenties too.  Some real futures here!
So, because I have rambled on for far too long already I will close by saying thank you z2h, may your second year be even more fruitful than your first!

Time for a little change of pace as we dash madly towards the finish line of DtD (and at least that's better than hurtling towards oblivion!).  Those of you who love  comics are used to using your imagination so I'd like to ask you to flex your mental muscles for a few moments and allow me to present this unlikely scenario.
Let's pretend for a moment that due to your involvement on Z2H you and your story get discovered.  You are going to be the next big thing.  Problem is, in this scenario, you are given a choice between two deals.  And due to complicated legal and ethical problems too numerous to figure out here you must choose between the two.  And no copping out by taking one and saying you could always sell another idea later.
There are absolutely no guarantees of any work in the field ever coming your way beyond this one great idea of yours, and, in fact, your agent has informed you that it seems certain this is your one shot.
So what do you choose?
A big comics book company is offering you eight plus years to work on, write and develop your story into an ongoing comic.  This will require you to write every month for the greater part of the next decade a monthly title, up to issue #100,  Guaranteed, locked in, rock solid with no risk to flagging sales or any other factor.  You will need to work with an editor, obviously, but beyond that the story and creative direction are all yours.
The other choice is to abandon any hope of turning your story into a comic and allowing it to be made into a big budget blockbuster film.  You will not have anywhere near total control, far from it in fact, though the studio will want to see one screenplay draft from you which they may or may not use, and you will have three vetoes on choice of director.
The pay, in both cases is identical, and will be paid out the same way, monthly over the eight plus years.
Not in any way accurate or reflective of the real world, I realize, but then this is imagination land.
The question is: what do you choose?
Do you want to write comics or do you want to see your work on the silver screen?
I know, I know, you want both.
You can't have it.
Choose.
Now.
And defend your choice!