Aberrant Press

I’ve been spending the last week writing a slew of posts about what is going on with DC Comics and the Before Watchmen books they are publishing. Before I could get around to finalizing and posting those, this happened. Click that link. It will detail how Marvel Comics not only legally won the rights to a character they didn’t create, but that the creator now has to pay them $17,000 in legal fees.

This post I had put on Erik Larsen’s link to the story sums up my feelings (edited slightly for this blog):

While legally their right to seek payback on their legal fees, I’d say that $17,000 for full legal ownership of a character they have made millions off of would have been enough of a bargain. Dick move, sirs. As someone who typically spends about $3,000 a year on comics, I just did the math and have decided to spend $17,000 less on Marvel Comics over the next eight years (even though this will initially hurt current creators more than the company). I think others should do likewise… Can we do a benefit book for him or something? A Kickstarter campaign?

Recently, while driving around with some people in my truck, I instituted a new rule: anyone who doesn’t like a song on the radio can essentially veto it, regardless of the opinions of others. They are only allowed to do this once in a 24-hour period to keep things from turning into a pissing contest. The first to take advantage of this was dismayed when couldn’t find anything else on the radio that might better fit his sensibilities.

Tonight, while working on a new book, the same guy was over helping to keep me on task. I had Pandora radio on and we were hit with a Willie Nelson song. He asked if he was allowed to use a veto, and I obliged. As I pressed the button to skip to the next song, he declared “I hate Willie Nelson!” Maybe he was asking for it… The very next song was another song by Willie Nelson entitled “Little Old Fashioned Karma”.

I commented that someone there must be some alien presence watching us for their entertainment.

Here’s a little old fashioned karma for you all…

Posted a few more products in the store. Desert Rose and Disposable Graffiti. That counts as being productive on the site, right? Well, if not, here is something I haven’t posted for a long time: the old-school trailer for the Desert Rose short film. The DVD for it will be the next thing I post up here, along with another short film we did entitled Nero Plays the Fiddle.

I’ve had a lot of people asking for updates on Super lately (and rightly so), and I really do apologize for not rendering them in a more timely fashion. The simple answer in regards to progress on the book is that there is progress, but the complicated answer is that it has been very slow-going. Up until this point I’ve held off on updates in the hope of showing you guys a slew of new pages that only Gilbert and myself had ever laid eyes upon previously, but I’m tired of waiting to show you finished work and I surely don’t want you to get tired of waiting, either.

Progress-wise, what we have is this: a lot of what is called the “flat color” on the book has been done. “Flat color” is basically a fill-in of the colors that will be used on a page. For example, coloring a shirt green. The shirt hasn’t had any effects added to it yet, but at this point it does have its base color. And that is how many of the pages are. This is actually a big step as far as the coloring process goes because it is the more tedious and usually more time-consuming part. It’s just not the sort of thing you usually want to show people because it is still not the finished product. Meanwhile, our colorist keeps getting pulled away to do work for Marvel Comics. It’s hard to get mad at a guy when that is his excuse for not working on your book. So right now we’re trying to be patient and explore our options for maybe bringing extra help on board.

In the meantime, here’s a little something to whet your beaks with. These are basically the next two pages in the story; the first pages of part two of the book. First, this is the text I had written for Gilbert back in the day. In the next update, I’ll show you what his pencil work looks like…

Thanks, as always, for your support and I can’t wait to get this book in your hands!

So it looks like the problem fixed itself. I guess changes to the site just need to be given appropriate time to take effect. This is what I get for pouring as little focus into web design as I can… That said, I’m going to get all our other stuff on here in the very near future and then get to the important task of a visual overhaul for the site.

In the meantime, here is a video of artist Jason Pearson doing a sketch:

I put Super up in the store as a test, but now it’s testing me. If you go to the store page and click the “buy now” button you see under the book listing, a window will pop up and tell you there is a problem. If, on the other hand, you click on the book’s title, it will take you to this page where the button works just fine and you can make your purchase… Sigh… I actually dislike “almost works” more than “doesn’t work”, because the latter requires less digging.

Found out about a neat trick and I thought I’d try it out. Below is a photo of me that has been made into a photo negative. Stare at the red dot on my mug for about 30 seconds and then look away while blinking rapidly. Go ahead, I’ll meet you back up after you’re done…

This is now officially my photo for dating sites...

Pretty cool stuff, huh? Word on the street (some website) is that cone fatigue is what turns your eyes into a photo lab. Regardless of how it’s done, I find it neat so here’s a couple more of our crew.

Gramm Matthew, Esquire (Disposable Graffiti)

Gilbert Cuevas (Desert Rose, Super)

Hmm… Maybe I’ll find some way to work this into a book someday…

Just a quick thought before bed…

One day, this man:

Will play, in a biopic, this man:

When this happens, I should demand a casting credit…

Today is the birthday of Gramm Matthew, Esquire. You might know him as the creator of Disposable Graffiti, but I’m lucky enough to know him as one of my best friends. To show him some love, why not check out his DeviantArt page and buy a zombie print or five. Alternately, you can also contact us to purchase a copy of Disposable Graffiti or just wait around a little bit for me to get it up in the store I’m installing here.

I know, I know. MoveOn.org is a big, commie-infested organization with designs to destroy America, but you have to admit asking for an investigation into people who probably tanked our global economy willfully is a shared desire no matter which party you vote for… Even if you don’t believe that regulations should be tightened, punishing people who defrauded the public is sorta a good thing. With that said, you can sign a petition to the president asking for this by clicking here.

And just in the interest of full disclosure, here is the letter that I included:

Dear Mister President,

I am of the opinion that you have been far more effective in these last few years at instituting change than most seem willing to give you credit for. I have seen that generally your policies are aimed at taking the long view and are based on the principle of getting what can be done realistically accomplished. I sign this petition and send this letter in the fervent hope that that same view includes investigating those responsible for moving forward with a business plan that was guaranteed to disrupt the solvency of our nation’s (world’s, even) economy. I don’t demand immediate action or swift revenge, but instead ask for a thorough investigation followed by any appropriate legal action (ideally in full view of the public eye) within the statute of limitations for any applicable crimes. Up until this point, most would argue that your stance on “Wall Street” corruption has been weak, but I continue to hope that this is just another case of you taking the long view.

Sincerely,

Justin Newberry