Without Fear

Ryan K Lindsay – Writer

Month: August, 2015

August 19, 2015

ymmv. – A Column on Comics Process

Yep, process.

It’s no secret I love talking about, reading up on, and sharing thoughts about writing process. It’s one of those things where I bring things up to find answers, or to share aspects because it’s the kind of thing I wish someone had brought up with/around me when I was a writing youngling. I never really know exactly what I’m talking about because who honestly knows it all? But what fun is couching everything you say in passive modality and loose terms that hold little power for yourself or others.

As such, I’m launching a new endeavour, a column on comic process titled ymmv. It will be caged and put up for display every second Tuesday at Loser City. You can read the initial instalment right now:

ymmv .01 – 4 [LINK]

YMMV-header

This intro column sets the table without me just sitting there and dot pointing what I plan to do with the column. I figure I’ll show you by doing it, and so I unpack my personal writing situation, I talk about being a human first before a writer, and I guess it’s all a disclaimer that as important as comic process is, you and actual real life connections matter the most. And if you treat them right, you’ll probably have more to write about. Or not. ymmv.

So come along, see me fall flat on my face, pick me up and point me in the right direction, or just jump over that trap that flagged me, and run into daylight so that I might follow. Let us all make better comics, one self-absorbed fortnightly column at a time.

NOTE: ymmv is an abbreviation for ‘your mileage may vary,’ which means an idea might be rad for me but won’t work for you. That’s pretty well the mystical truth behind any advice, knowing it when giving as well as receiving it is key.

Have a great day.

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August 12, 2015

STUCK IN THE GUTTERS #1 – Digital Comics Magazine

For a long time, I’ve wanted to put together a digital comics magazine. Something to download, to squirrel away on the iPad for a rainy train trip, to savour and enjoy in its levels/layers of interrogation and design. I’ve wanted this thing but I lack the time to write it, even the time to edit it, and certainly the design fu to put all the pixels in the right place. But that want only grew and grew.

Then, enter Leo Johnston, comic commentary enthusiast/wizard, who has created and curated STUCK IN THE GUTTERS, a digital magazine about comics and also featuring comics. An initiative that brings together an array of creative/analytical minds to pull apart comics and put them back together again.

You can back the Patreon to support the issues [LINK]

Or you can go to Gumroad and get the first issue right now for PWYW [pay what you want], so that could be zero dollars, or maybe a little more to share around the bullpen kitty [LINK]

stuck in the gutters cover 1

Cover by Alberto Muriel

So, what are you buying? Well:

THOR & WONDER WOMAN: MODERN MYTHOLOGICAL HEROES – a great article by Rudy Trevizo about the two titans from the Big Two and their recent runs.

STRANGE LOVE – a column by Jeremy Holt about breaking into comics.

LICENSED COMICS DON’T HAVE TO BE BAD – an argument by Jess Camacho that some licensed comics can be very good.

CAST OUT: PART I – a slice of a comic by Kelly Williams that’s absolutely gorgeous.

THE CIRCLE GAME – an article by Alex Mansfield that discusses the rotating wheel of nostalgia and comics.

USING COMIC INFLUENCES IN YOUR WORK – is a great article about, well, it’s in the title, and Tyler Hallstrom lays it all out against Jack Kirby, Todd McFarlane, and Mike Mignola. It’s a great exploration.

And FURY MAX JAM SESSION – wherein Dan Hill and I just loosely chat about the FURY MAX run from Goran Parlov and Garth Ennis. There’s no structure, just a chat, and it was loads of fun. You can expect:

Dan Hill: But in the ‘real world’ of the MAX universe (which for all intents and purposes is *our* world), what would this entail?

Ryan K Lindsay: Whoa, whoa, whoa! The MAX universe is really just our world, whoa, shit, [grawlix] you’ve just blown my pea-sized mind. That’s so goddamn true. Oh, man, I’m not recovering from that at all.

So if all that seems like it’ll be up your alley – and why gd wouldn’t it be – then get on over and pick up a copy. Because the world needs more comics analysis and stuff, get some.

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August 2, 2015

Why You Should Be Buying NEGATIVE SPACE

NEGATIVE SPACE is a creator owned miniseries illustrated by Owen Gieni, written by me, with letters from Ryan Ferrier, edited by Daniel Chabon, being published by Dark Horse Comics this year.

Screenshot 2015-07-17 12.56.01Our story is about Guy Harris, a depressed gay American Indian man who sits down to pen his suicide note and gets writer’s block. From there, he goes for a walk to clear his head and stumbles across a large conspiracy where a megacorporation has been mining people for their emotions to give to an unknown and very scary underwater culture of monsters.

The first issue was released in July and below are some reasons why you should preorder/buy the entire series, or really wait to stock up on the trade, whatever floats your boat [shout out to my digital peeps on the Dark Horse App, where we are $2]

Reviews for #1 were through the roof, as we averaged a 9.0 on Comic Book Round Up [LINK] — and I catalogued a lot more reviews here [LINK] and here [LINK]

Most reviewers praised the book for Owen Gieni’s gorgeous and evocative artwork as well as our respectful and intriguing handling of depression and suicide issues.

Many readers drew comparisons from the book to LOST, THE TRUMAN SHOW, ALIENS, Spike Jonze, and Philip K Dick. Many also called it one of the strongest debuts of the year, hailing it an important read in the way the themes were woven into the narrative.

If you have enjoyed books such as GREEN WAKE, LOCKE + KEY, ASTERIOS POLYP, or even PHONOGRAM then you’ll dig this book or be able to sell it to a friend with a grand success rate.

#1 sold reasonably well and was also featured within the Comic Block service for July which means there are many thousands more readers now intrigued in the series and looking to continue. I would like to funnel them into comic stores to find the next issues, or the trade paperback collection when it prints.

#2 will be in stores in August, #3 will follow in September, and #4 in October, which will then close out our tale. And our tale does close.

We hope you consider preordering/buying the rest of NEGATIVE SPACE. It’s been fantastic to write something that means something and we want people to stick around to the very end. Tell your mates, tell your LCS, make the noise that you want/need all of this title.

And don’t forget: if you are suffering from depression, please hit THIS LINK to see the access you have to support. No one has to suffer alone. We are here to help you.

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