From the MARDL YouTube channel, two new videos for ya:

“The Joy of Pulp”

“Luis-Gabriel Leal- PhotoShop Artist For Hire” (a video I made for my brother-from-another-mother)

I don’t think I did too badly, considering these were my first experiences flying solo with Windows Movie Maker. What do you think?

In planning the second Challenger Storm novel (”Sons of Poseidon”), I devised something new for Storm and co. to utilize in the story: a mobile, seagoing base of operations, housed in a tramp-steamer (a boat inspired by the Venture in the Recent “King Kong” remake.) The Godspeed would be full of 1930’s high-tech gadgets, weaponry, a small plane that could be launched from a catapult, and a mini-submarine. In short, it was a pulp-era James Bondian thing, and I thought it was a cool invention that I came up with. Gave myself a gold star and everything.

Then last night, the roof fell on that idea.

(more…)

M.A.R.D.L. feedback scientist Gabriel has been working with an artist to bring his characters to life, and now the artist (Johan Manandin) has turned his skills toward a depiction of my character, Clifton Storm:

Kind of an anime-flavored influence here. This guy is extremely good. Check out more of his work in these posts on Gabriel’s blog:

Red Phantom rpg art?

Quick sketches by Johan

NEW SKETCHES!!!

Also, for anyone interested (and I hope SOMEBODY is), I’m still working on the book. I have the last 5 chapters to write now… essentially, the good part of the story. Then there’s the touching up, tweaking, etc. Then the art… still not sure what I’m going to do for the spot illustrations and cover. I don’t think my skills aren’t strong enough to do it on my own… we’ll see. I have a few ideas.

For now, I just want to get this current adventure done. From there, I don’t know what’s next. The first Cipher novel? Maybe. A new Challenger Storm adventure? Could be; it looks more and more appealing for me to stick with Storm and Co. for a while longer. I’m taking this in baby steps.

Dave Stevens has passed away.

Forgive me if this seems odd, but his death has definitely affected me. His style, dynamic and yet so classic, was one of my all-time favorites. But more than that, The Rocketeer comics were one of my prime initiations into the world of pulp-style adventure. Stevens’ “good girl” art introduced me to the classic pin-up style of days gone by and Bettie Page.

He’s been a part of my pop-culture life since it crystallized… I drink coffee from a Rocketeer mug, for cryin’ out loud.

Look, I could write volumes about Dave’s work and his passing. I’ll just leave it at this: he will be missed, and there won’t be many more like him.

Attention all personnel!

MARDL support and feedback-scientist Dave Flora (designer of the renowned MARDL logo) has just published his first comic. It chronicles his ground-breaking work on the mysterious case of “Ghost Zero”, a spectral tale of vigilante spirits and ghosts with guns. All personnel are encouraged to purchase and peruse this document, as it is truly incredible.

That is all.

Thanks to the wonders of Myspace, I now find myself the proud recipient of fan-art, courtesy of Doc Ferus and the Hero Machine. Enjoy!

From the MARDL Youtube channel:

First of all: from all of us here at the MARDL compound to wherever you may be- Happy Hollidays, with warmest wishes to all.

Next order of business: A five-day weekend is coming up for yours truly. Lest you think I’ll be sitting at home, on my duff and watching “A Christmas Story”, you’ll be wrong (well, that’s my Christmas day plans, but anyway…).

No, I plan to pound out as much of “Isle Of Blood” as possible, with the promise of very little distractions and intrusions. I want to have this thing DONE, and plan to write as much as I can of the novel. Also on the agenda: more artwork. Spot illustrations and character portraits, specifically. Plus, I wanna work on the “teaser trailer” for the book, too.

I plan to be busy… and to enjoy every minute of it.

Raising a glass of egg-nog to you and yours.

Cheers to all! Wish me luck!

Following hot on the heels of my Challenger Storm micro-hero, here’s my second character: The Cipher:

I can’t help it… these little buggers are addictive.

Using the wonderfulness found at Copper Age Comics’ miro-heroes, (plus some free-hand bitmapping) I made this neat lil’ Storm Micro-hero (with some help from the wife, who used to like paper dolls when she was a kid).

Gotta fix it in little ways we forgot, like his gloves and his left-handedness, but otherwise it’s cool, like a little Challenger Storm action figure.

Also, as an update, writing is coming along… a little slow than I’d like, but it’s chugging along nicely. I just finished the first really major action scene, and it was a blast to write. Thanks for tuning in!