My Point of Departure: A Bit of Everything

WHY WRITE ABOUT MEDIA
By Alex Ness
December 11, 2025

Criticism of Popular Media Considered

I am not complaining, I am trying to explain my experience. A while ago I was contacted and asked multiple times to consider a work of fiction that was ultimately turned into a successful HBO series. A friend who follows my work sent me a copy of the book, the first of what turned into a very long series, as yet unfinished. I had begun to read the first book and realized it would be unfinished by the author as its own projections of the plot and of characters suggested to me, at least, that it would be a while before it even began to take shape. I said no, I didn't want to read more, and I won't watch the series, first because I can't pay for tv or cable, and second I was not a fan of what I read with regards to the flavor or concepts, as such I had no reason to view the series. It was of great quality in writing, but I don't have the ability keep my attention on super long series when I am not reading for pleasure. I read or listen to 50 things a month. I can't give more attention for non-personal products.

Hence my appreciation for Robert E. Howard, Clark Ashton Smith, HP Lovecraft and Lord Dunsany. They wrote lush poetry, short prose, serialized content. As I read them, I get enough, can get more, and they satisfy.

So my friend didn't understand why I didn't want to invest time in the products, asking, Isn't it the point of criticism to consider new media? I said, it is far more about one's exposure to a piece of media, and the response to how that media worked on me. Therefore the point is to share a creative work's ability to move one. The person asking said, could you just consider it because I'd like to hear what you thought?  I said, it is a work of great writing quality, but I don't want to go further since I have had enough interest or like the flavor enough to know it wouldn't work in my brain. They said why can't you just write that to open up the discussion. Finally I said, you already did that. I find my addressing the work done, you received a personal version.

As such, that was I think 15 or more years ago, perhaps 20 years, and the series is still unfinished in book form, and I think it was completed in series, but since I didn't watch, I don't know if it concluded well, or said, here it is for now, we'll come back if necessary.

RECENT BOOK READS

Here are 5 books I've invested time and interests in a fashion the above mentioned book didn't inspire the same. That isn't a complaint, my purpose was not the same.

I have been told that people do not read what they consider to be archaic in tone. Or about subjects they no longer fear or wonder about. Buy each of these and give them your attention. From works done long ago, these books stir your imagination, or your love for heroes, or villains, joy or sorrow, grace or selfishness.

I collect copies of BEOWULF, for profit or trading, rather to find and acquire all the copies I do not already own. This version is probably to me, the most beautiful. Barry Tharaud's verse adaptation and translation sings, and it is easier to perceive the culture, the events and dialogues. Rockwell Kent is magnificent 

One of the first fictional fantasy novels ever, THE MAGIC RING by Baron De La Motte Fouque is indeed a hard read. Yet, I love it though for the reasons it exists. It is clearly trying to express a new form, capturing fiction and imagination. Amy H. Sturgis makes the prose more readable, and clear. And the art is well done.

Similar to the Magic Ring, the Magic Goblet by Emilie Flygare-Carlen, also edited by Amy H. Sturgis once again, tells the tale of a wedding, a gift of a goblet, bad luck or curses, and divorce. It was brilliant for the day, as divorce was not a well tread path, nor was it commonly assumed that woman should be authors. Which is baloney, quite honestly.

The Last Man has been discussed hear before, and this is a repeat read over the last 3 years. The reason for such is that Mary Shelley wrote about something that was barely understood by science minds of the day and for a long time thereafter. By breaking new ground, she made it into a subject of thought by common folks, and without being being a scientist. It also considers the consequences of a world pandemic, in the early 1800s.

The Science Fiction of Edgar Allan Poe is notable for how it explains, examines and expresses in prose and poetry the ideas of an unique thinker, and creative writer. It is a commonly known fact of the life of Poe that he wasn't well supported by sales, as his work, exceptionally good for the day and beyond was thought odd. But every pioneer of an art form is almost surely limited by the reader shock in the face of a new work. His talents of presenting information in a fashion that will directly challenge the conforming society, and of their ideals of normal.

Find them on Amazon

Beowulf  tranlated by Barry Tharaud, edited by Tharaud & illustrations by Rockwell Kent
The Magic Ring by Baron De La Motte Fouque edited by Amy H. Sturgis, & Jef Murray (Illustrator)
The Magic Goblet by  by Emilie Flygare-Carlen (Author),  Amy H Sturgis (Editor)
The Last Man by Mary Shelley
The Science Fiction of Edgar Allan Poe

RECENT RPGs CONSIDERED

This is less of a statement of purpose by me, as an appreciation. I don't have a gaming group, I don't game much since, but those times when I tried to introduce my players to a new work, it almost inevitably ended in failure. They never wanted to change the flavor, and the two most constant players were decidedly in favor of battle first, killing if possible, and leaving scorched earth behind them. The two or three best players, who enjoyed new systems and settings weren't involved when I had the most time to devote, but make gaming more fun than with anyone else.

HarnWorld from Columbia Games is a self contained massively detailed setting, and it can be explored without game specifics and using your own stats. Many go further and utilize the Harnmaster Fantasy Roleplaying game engine, and as a GM go with a gaming group to explore the setting, with a game engine that aims to enhance play. I find Harn a brilliant concept, a wonderful achievement, and worth digesting as an example how populations interact, geography, climate, ocean currents and species exist in a setting. I am not likely to use Harnmaster with new players, as I find it less useful than D&D, T&T, Monsters!Monsters! or similar game systems.

HARN's Designer's website
HARNMaster from Columbia Games

LINKS

MY POETRY AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com 
HERE: Poplitiko.Blogspot.Com 
MY PUBLISHED WORKS 

Social Media
https://bsky.app/profile/alexanderness63.bsky.social 
https://x.com/alexnesspoetry

All works shown and/or considered are copyright the respective owners, fair use is the sole means of use asserted.

TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS: NEW RELEASES

New Top Shelf Releases!   Cadets now!   Cheese later!

There’s been a brazen theft, and all signs point to the Cadets’ guilt! Blast off to a colorful adventure full of mystery and intrigue!

Cosmic Cadets (Book 2): Accused! by Ben Crane and Andy Alves $14.99 (US) | ISBN 978-1-60309-570-9 156 pages | 6.5” x 7.5” Full-color softcover graphic novel Browse preview pages Available Now! Link to Cosmic Cadets (Book 1): Contact!

ARRIVING IN FEBRUARY 2026

Return to the crackling, critically acclaimed series that combines vintage comic-book energy and unbeatable 21st-century vibes! In the second volume of Kevin Alvir’s raw, relatable, and rambunctious graphic novel series, Lisa Cheese and Ghost Guitar must team up like never before—to smash jerks, navigate frenemies, shop for magic crystals, and save the world!

Lisa Cheese and Ghost Guitar (Book 2): The Rock God Complex by Kevin Alvir $19.99 (US) | ISBN 978-1-60309-584-6 216 pages | 6 1/2" x 9 1/4" Full-color, softcover graphic novel Browse preview pages Release Date: February 24, 2026 Link to Lisa Cheese and Ghost Guitar (Book 1): Attack of the Snack

INTERVIEW WITH Sci Fi/Fantasy Great Painter: Peter Andrew Jones

INTERVIEW with Painter, Artist Peter Andrew Jones
By Alex Ness
December 5, 2025

I remember becoming a fan of Peter Andrew Jones while in University as an undergraduate, seeing the cover of White Dwarf #76. I'd likely seen his work previously, but at this point I decided to both collected White Dwarf for the content, but deeply appreciating the cover art, which captured perfectly, a dark perhaps fantasy image. Taking me to a different land.

All images here are copyright their respective owner, and fair use is the only use by me. Peter Andrew Jones 1980-2025© All rights reserved.

I hereby present my interview with Mr. Peter Andrew Jones:

ALEX: As I am a fan, I could aim towards my favourite works, but let me start with, why did you choose being an artist as your vocation? Was it clearly obvious from the beginning or did you work towards it along with other aims in the beginning?  I am aware that aviation held a realm of fascination for you as well, does that often show in the work you do, whatever the genre?

Peter Andrew Jones: As mentioned several times to readers of my magazine, I had zero intention, aspiration, desire or inclination to be an artist, I simply had drawn from a very, very early age as a coping mechanism in response to growing-up in what these days is referred to as "relative poverty" and to entertain myself. Having said that, growing up living in one room with my parents, in a post-war smog-ridden London, there were things to enjoy as distractions. Even on my meagre pocket money I could travel the entire length of London's Underground system which, in those days, worked reliably, and allowed me to visit numerous art galleries, museums, art fairs and more, all for free. Probably, unconsciously, being able to walk up close to Salvadore Dali's works, something that is impossible for young artists in today's world, had an enormous impact on me, indeed, also when visiting the Tate Gallery on most Sundays and sitting in front of John William Waterhouse's giant Lady of Shallot painting was somebtiwng that was very special to me, eventually leading me to recently creating a celebratory piece so many years later as an adult!

Ultimately, the cliche, of having a wonderful helpful art teacher at school who encouraged me to go to art school, was in fact a reality, and so I did, simply because I could see no reason not to.

ALEX: As a working artist, did you intend a path through science fiction, fantasy or otherwise? Was it based upon what you were interested in seeing, or more about being paid to use your significant skills to create:

Peter Andrew Jones: As has also been shown numerous times to readers of my magazine, my introduction to the genre was totally accidental. A very kind visiting lecturer at St. Martins got me an interview with the art editor at Puffin Books and it all took-off from there. She had a need for cover art, and I offered to fulfill it. 

ALEX: Going to and graduating from the St. Martins School of Art, you must have sharpened your skills. But as such, were there warning signs for serious artists of what cultural media were less well thought of, by the field? Or did every genre and medium have a place of respect by the education you received, so long as it was treated with seriousness or respect?

Peter Andrew Jones: The subject never crossed my mind, nor was it ever presented to me. In any event, I became so immersed in what I was creating I was too busy to even consider such thoughts. Nor do I still. 

I'd read (be it correct or not) that the reason Italian Renaissance Artists began painting on canvas was that because paintings used in Italian Churches were much  bigger than those created by Northern Renaissance Artists (because the churches there were smaller) that painting on canvas enabled them to roll the paintings (um, does that actually seem feasible, when it is painted in oil paint?) in order to transport the painting through the entrance doorway.

Regardless of whether it be an accurate account, it does have a logic to it, and it certainly connected with my own "evolutionary experience" when choosing surfaces (or "grounds" as the art world likes to call them) to paint on. 

I'd also read that Jan Van Eyck, a northern renaissance Artist, who, as was a favoured technique back then, had a painting that he had executed on a wooden panel, spoilt, when the panel cracked.

Certainly, none of this was a preparation for being a Science Fiction book cover artist!

And that was just the start of what was to transpire . . .

The account about Van Eyck connected with me deeply. As a classic technique of the day, when I first began experimenting with what method I was expected to use when creating and supplying images for book covers, simply proved dangerously unreliable, "dangerous" . . . because if the demands of the industry were that deadline fidelity was "flexible, but only up to a point" (to quote Art Editor Doreen Scott at Puffin Books) then it would be a distinct threat to my reliability if, at the point of delivery, the painting was badly damaged if the technique employed failed at the last moment. 

The technique I was taught at art school was that of stretching a sheet of paper on a drawing board using gum-strip to allow the paper to be worked on, wet, and then it would become flat when the surface, moistened by the water-based paint I was using, dried out. I would then cut the paper from the board and use cow gum applied with a spatula to mount the paper on a sheet of stiff cardboard. 

Things needed to change, especially, as my career took off, and demand increased, I could not risk disruptions to workflow.

ALEX: Were some industries easier to work with magazines, books, comics or games? What made such work easier or more difficult? Did compensation help where it was more difficult?

Peter Andrew Jones: Each industry had its own unique environment, but certainly, as my career progressed, and the markets evolved from paperback books to eventually computer games, the entities publishing these items were radically different from each other. Books were a fairly mature market and the people working in it were very experienced and highly professional (which made usefully educating demands on me to also be professional in my response) but as the role-play book industry evolved into computer games things changed dramatically. As it was a totally new market often the people coming into it, as publishers, were often totally inexperienced in running a business and, arrogant though it may sound, I increasingly found myself providing the organisational input needed to bring projects to a final presentation point. Indeed, it was my total frustration with that as it became worse and worse, that lead me to becoming self-published, so I could focus all my creative energies on producing a positive outcome, rather than spending massive amounts of time managing matters that were not actually my responsibility, but needed doing to bring projects to a conclusion.

ALEX: What people, events, cultural experiences would you suggest were the greatest influences upon your work and enjoyment of art? From being a boy who did plastic models and airfix dioramas, did they help you in creating scenes as a professional artist?

Peter Andrew Jones: Those as already mentioned, plus, definitely, teaching myself all the skills needed that enabled me to become self-published, including, but not limited to, teaching myself to hand-code a website when no software existed back then, being the first artist in Britain to run an e-commerce website and absorbing legal skills (copyright knowledge, licensing techniques) business management and so much more . . . . .

ALEX: What media project offered great reward but cost you the most time and hard work to finally achieve it?

Peter Andrew Jones: All and none really, in the sense that, a major part of my career and business success was that I was reliable (something fairly rare in the creative industries then) and so clients trusted me to "just get on with it" which allowed me to effectively manage my own part of any project. Indeed, in the paperback book era of my career publishers in the UK were told by W.H. Smith, then the UK's leading book retailer, that they would "take any book that has a PAJ cover without needing to first see it" and that led to sales reps out on the road not having to show cover proofs of my work to shop owners, thus reducing their workload, and to art directors "just leaving me to it" which also reduced their workload and indeed, mine.

Peter Andrew Jones: Reliability, and organisational ability, equals profit, for all involved. That forged mutually respectful relationships. To quote Brandon Chase at Group One Films in L.A. when I was there working on a film poster for him - "A deal's only as good as the people who make it". Sadly, as time wore-on, and businesses expanded, things changed, and many talented and business-like people were fleeing various industries, especially book publishing and TV industries, because they felt that things were becoming "too corporate" eclipsing the very creativity that they enjoyed and which had originally forged those industries.

For me too, that changed things significantly, simply because so many wonderfully talented and professional people I had worked with were now not there, and as readers of my magazine also know, it got so bad, that one major art director I had worked with many times actually told me "you don't need us any more" when, after a year of him trying to get "senior management" to make a decision about what they wanted on a book cover, used one that I had spontaneously created and supplied because I too had gotten fed up waiting for a decision and . . . . the cover sold so well that "a cheer went up around the room" during a meeting - well, it proved his point, I was taking all the decisions, and responsibilities, and so I thought, I might as well do it entirely for myself, which again, was how I came to be self-published and be able to "just get on with it!". 

ALEX: Do you have a favourite work from the near 50 years of artwork? Why is that so?

Peter Andrew Jones: That is very difficult to pin down, if only because I have never stopped to consider it.

ALEX: How much do you think AI will change arts, and will it ever be considered greater than physical and hand drawn, mentally planned, and emotionally constructed art?  In the long scheme of time, will AI art even matter?

Peter Andrew Jones: Again, this was, in fact, a major theme in my most recent magazine issue, prompted by a 20 year old artist training to be a computer games artist who contacted me about the current concerns and impact of AI on the creative industries. There is no fundamental answer to the question, because, it depends on who you are and where you are in any particular marketplace, indeed, it was always the case, but these days, it is global in nature, not remotely the same as when I started out, in an era where, again, reliability and mutual respect between key people in key positions "made things work".

ALEX: What is the greatest advice you received when young considering art, and what has been the best advice you've given others?

Peter Andrew Jones: Advice given to me > My art teacher at school, an excellent artist in his own right, once remarked (about making a painting) "sometimes you have to do it wrong, in order for it to look right".

Advice by me > Understand the difference between "supply and demand" and "demand and supply".

Peter

ALEX: Thank you Peter Andrew Jones for your time and thoughts!

FIND Peter Andrew Jones at:
His Self Titled Site
His page at Facebook

A Chat with Indie Multi-Talented, Comic Story Teller Rich Koslowski

Hello friends, readers, bystanders, fans... I love Rich Koslowski. I interviewed him in 2007, reviewed his works and seriously enjoyed them, and think he was a similar soul, baseball, comics, growing up in the Wisconsin, land of the Enchanted Cheese and Wurst. Bart Starr and Football for me as well. However, Rich escaped the midwest and launched himself on a journey to California, and we kind of dealt with family and our works.

He did the art upon one chapter of my book, A Life of Ravens. It was stunning. So readers, please enjoy and dig in to the life and work and philosophy of Rich Koslowski.

All art, creative writing and published works are copyright Rich Koslowski 2025©. My use is based upon fair usage. No abridgement or assertation of ownership by me is claimed. 

Hi Rich, it's been a long time since we chatted about comics and your glorious achievements in the world of those Comics, graphic novels, tpbs and sequential storytelling. What comic work have you released recently? Are you still inking many publisher works?

Rich: Hi Alex, yes, it has been too long! It's always great hearing from you.

Well, it's a good and exciting time to ask. Just this past week my newest graphic novel hit the stores. It is called, F.A.R.M. SYSTEM: RAGE, a sequel to my 2022 release, F.A.R.M. SYSTEM, from Top Shelf productions/IDW Publishing. It's another massive book--this one clocked in at 188 pages--so it took me the better part of a year and a half to write, pencil, ink, color and letter it, and another 6-8 months for the editing and construction crew at IDW to put the whole package together, do their marketing, slotting, and pre-press stuff. It's a whole thing putting these things together. Hence the 3-year gap between books.

But it turned out great! Couldn't be happier and it's already received a sweet review from the fine folks over at The Slings & Arrow site. And those guys can be pretty tough! 

And just two weeks back the new FLASH GORDON ADVENTURES Anthology hit the stores! It's an "All Ages" book series published by Papercutz and it is a whole lot of fun. I was especially thrilled when I was invited to contribute a couple stories because I am a lifelong Flash fan. When I was a wee lad my brother and I would watch the old Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan movies on Friday nights and they were always followed by the Buster Crabbe Flash Gordon serialized episodes. I just loved those cheesy sparkler effects that shot out of the flying spacecraft! 

And, yes, I still do the occasional "inking gig" for Archie. This past summer I was the Inker on the ARCHIE MEETS JAY & SILENT BOB one-shot written by Kevin Smith and brilliantly penciled by my friend, Fernando Ruiz. That comic broke some serious barriers with Archie and the gang!

Alex: For new readers, perhaps those who haven't read your works, such as the King, 3 Geeks, F.A.R.M, 3 Fingers, are you an artist primarily, or a writer with the mutant ability to do both? Or is it something different entirely that moves your pens and typewriter?

Rich: Ha! Yes, the "mutant ability to do both," or stubbornness and a need for control. I have worked for publishers and editors, because they had established characters with established... expectations... I found the experiences somewhat constricted. I knew in my heart of hearts that my way was, perhaps, more interesting and, possibly, better than what they wanted. I don't want to sound like a pompous jerk when I say that, but editors are sometimes, themselves, handcuffed by their bosses. I'm too impatient and anxious to handle the whole Chain of Command sometimes. I just want to get in there and Do It! I've never done well with sitting around and waiting on others. 

Hence, my stories like Three Fingers, The King and the F.A.R.M. System graphic novels and prior to that my The 3 Geeks series. They're all me, all original characters and stories with no preconceived restrictions or handcuffs. And, hence, why I do the all the writing and art chores myself.  

Alex: I've asked this of many creative people, but I think it's important, does where you have lived influence your work? I know that it seems that your time in California seems to have had less influence than your roots in Wisconsin... Was the time in California wonderful but short, moving but too different from your own outlook? Is Milwaukee a place you'd still enjoy?

Rich: Born and raised in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area and it has greatly influenced me, of course. It's a Blue Collar town and I was raised by two very Blue Collar parents. Their work-ethics were ridiculous and shaped my work-ethic as well. My dad started as a butcher's apprentice in war-torn Germany after WW2. He starved as a child and took the job because they paid him with food!

When he was 19 he came to America, worked his butt off, and eventually owned and operated his very own, very successful, grocery store. He was the hardest working human being I have ever seen! The man never took a break. As a result he won just about every award you can imagine on his sausage recipes. 

His motto was simple, and pre-dated Nike--"Just do it!" He did not waste even seconds on business decisions or approaches. He just went at it, full-steam ahead! 

I got this from him and I am so grateful. 

California is much more relaxed. At least the area we lived in, along the coast near Santa Cruz. A beautiful place with the Pacific ocean on one side and Redwood forests and mountains on the other! Absolutely stunning! Great wine country too. I fell in love with Pinto Noir there and spent a year working at a world class winery called Windy Oaks. We met and befriended many excellent people out there!  

But if a repairman says they'll be there at noon, they mean 5pm. Or next week! There's a bit less follow through and a bit more apathy with a certain segment of the population. For me it was sometimes frustrating and infuriating. And the cost of living was rough. Right before Covid hit we moved back to Wisconsin. It was a pretty sweet 11 years out there though! No snow was certainly a huge bonus.    

Alex: I tend to like the works from Top Shelf, in general and I think Chris Staros is a genius, (and honestly. I think that of you too.) But why is Top Shelf the publisher for you? Is it that your works ring true for them, or they are best at bringing different works forward?

Rich: Yeah, Chris Staros is/was the key to my approach and staying with Top Shelf for the five books I've done with them. He really trusts the creators he calls on board and lets us do our thing. I was super nervous when I handed in the finished Three Fingers files. I expected a lot of revisions and re-writes and was fully prepared for that. He called me the day after receiving the files and shook me to my very core when he said, and I'll never forget these words, "You are a f$#@ing brilliant writer! I'm not changing a single word." When you hear something like that, from a publisher you really admire...it's life-changing. Why the hell would I go anywhere else? By the way, I do like to remind him of his saying that sometimes. He just gives a wry southern smile. 

With my second book, The King, a book about Elvis Presley, he was a bit more "hands on" because Chris is, maybe, the biggest Elvis fan on planet earth. I kid you not. And I knew this going in. It's why I pitched an Elvis book to him in the first place. It went exactly like this... Me: "Hey, Chris, I hear you're an Elvis fan. What if I pitched an Elvis book to you?" Chris: Eyes lit up WIDE: "You write an Elvis book and I will publish it!" I thought to myself, "Jesus, this is too easy...It's not supposed to be this easy." 

On that book he did step in with just a few minor tweaks. Mostly on dialogue, correcting a few sentences because "Elvis wouldn't use those particular words." The way Elvis died was also a concern. I needed to portray it accurately but be as respectful as possible. 

This is why I love working with Top Shelf and Chris. The freedom to create the stories the way the artist envisions them. The Trust!

Alex: Tell us about your last two works at Top Shelf looking at a world with farm teams and general acceptance of the superhero world, both in parody and satire, or is it more straight up hero tales? What has compelled you to tell this story?

Rich: In addition to being a lifelong comic book nerd I am also a lifelong baseball fan. It's my favorite sport to watch and to play. At 58 I still get out there every spring and summer and play softball. 

Some years back (at least 20 now) the idea occurred to me that "if super-heroes really existed there would have to be a farm system like Major League Baseball has." A system where raw, young talent is nurtured, trained and coached up on how to be the best possible player--or in this case, Super-hero--that they could possibly be. It also occurred to me that not every person in the farm systems of MLB "make The Big Leagues." 

In fact, most do NOT. More often than not they bust their asses but never get "the call." They flounder for years before they either give up on their dream, or their minor league contracts expire. It's sad. It sucks. And those are the stories I wanted to tell! 

I have skeevy Agents, desperate would-be heroes, underhanded deals and contracts, PEDs, and court cases...all the dirty, seedy, underbelly shit that I find interesting! It's fun stuff!!!

Alex: From your earliest work to that of the present, has the comic market maturation helped in the rise of independent publishers more than the big two, since there is less attention towards continuity, company deadlines or story content to fit possible adaptation to screen?

Rich: Boy...Yes, it has changed a lot in the 33 years I've been working in the comic book industry.  Back in 1996 I started self-publishing my series The 3 Geeks. It was fun! Everything was "grass roots." Just hitting the road, doing comic conventions, shaking hands and kissing babies! There were no internet review sites or digital downloads. It was simpler time, indeed. And I did well with it. I was one of the "Big Fish in the Small Pond." And it was kind of cool. 

Of course I also wanted to be the "Big Fish in the BIG Pond!" That hasn't quite happened yet. 

Indy Publishers felt red hot for awhile back in the mid-90s to mid-2000s. Then it felt like they cooled off as Marvel and DC got back on track after a very rough 1990s patch. Now, it seems like Marvel and DC are in a massive rut again. Too many titles! I mean, just how many Batman or Avengers titles are there each month now?! I can't keep it straight! I can't keep up! And I certainly can't afford it! And I think most fans feel the same. And, as a result, it seems like there's a shift back to Indy titles and original graphic novels. 

You buy a title like Something is Killing the Children or one of my graphic novels and you know you don't have to take out a loan to buy all the connecting titles to have the story make sense. One and done!That's what I like these days. 

I still buy Marvel and DC books but just back issues or collected TPBs of the older stuff--especially the 70s and 80s era. Back when there was one Avengers title a month, one X-Men title a month. Those stories remain the absolute best! 

So, yeah, I do like when the fine folks in Hollywoodland recognize the Indy books and adapt them to film. The Big Two seem to have run out of a bit of steam with their properties, so seeing something new and fresh like The Kingsman or Locke & Key is a breath of fresh air and evidence that the smaller publishers are a gold mine of great ideas! I would also have to believe that these stories are easier to navigate for the studios as they don't have 75 years, and thousands of different iterations, and history, behind them to have to filter and sift through. 

Alex: The world has seen a new bubble in comics bursting, as the more or less common theme of Marvel and DC leading the way is not so true any more. Where do you see the comics market in 10 years? Do you think movies helped the balloon form, or will it be that comics require more money and time, but movies scratch the itch and then they are done? Or ... is it something else?

Rich: We're experiencing a definite exhaustion when it comes to Marvel and DC these days. Again, over-saturation of the product. When Marvel Studios started with Iron Man and all the way through Avengers: Endgame, it was "Gimme MORE!!! YESSSS!!!!" Then...not so much. There was too much of a good thing and they got greedy. "More Avengers titles! More Deadpool titles! More crossover events! MORE MORE MORE!!! Milk it, Baby!!!" And the movies became hit or miss (BIG miss with Thor: Love and Blunder. Barf!). But they didn't slow down the machine, did they? And we now see the exhaustion of it all. 

Movies certainly filled the bubble, and it was fantastic for a long time, but, yes, it has burst. That bubble burst HARD. I think we're all eager for a reboot. Of it all; the comics and the movies. The new Superman and FF movies were just okay. That was supposed to be the big reboot/reset of better things to come and they both fell kind of flat.

So, I don't know if there's going to be a bounce back for the Big Two anytime soon? I'm definitely over them. They've run their course for me but it was a very long and happy run for me while it lasted. For 40 solid years I enjoyed both companies works immensely. 

My personal "itch" was scratched very well for a very long time with both the comics and the movies. It had to end sometime. As the great Ookla The Mok (the band, not the cartoon character) put to song, "Everything turns to crap, eventually."

And, again, that is why I have looked elsewhere to satisfy my itch for the wonderful form of sequential storytelling--the independent market. It is a treasure trove!

Alex: What would you tell an artist or writer as advice to get their works noticed in the comics market, or to the publishers who still look at unsolicited pitches?

Rich: It's tight right now. Now more than ever it seems publishers are cinching their belts. I don't think it's the most fertile time right now to find work, sadly. We seem to be in a valley, not a peak, as an industry right now. But we can't give up, can we? I find that my creative spigot cannot be turned off no matter how frustrated I might personally get sometimes. I have so many stories I still think need to be told so I won't stop. I'll keep knocking on doors. Someone's gotta be home, and willing to invite me in, eventually, right?

Publishers like Image Comics or Boom! still seem to be eagerly and constantly turning out new, exciting books, so I would recommend approaching them over a Marvel or DC.

And I'm still a big advocate of self-publishing. That's how I started out and it worked for me. It got me noticed by Top Shelf.  In other words... Just Do It!!

Thanks Rich for your time and great answers!
FIND RICH's Work and Social Media... 

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ART BOOKS in the FANTASY & SCI FI genres and the world of COMICS

Art Books in 3 
By Alex Ness 
November 25, 2025

I LOVE ART, I LOVE BOOKS, SO WHY HIDE IT

Of course no one is telling me to hide it, I am just joking. The worlds of Fantasy rely upon the unknown and the action, the armor and the weapons. We can't live a fantastical life. You put on armor and a helmet, retrieve your sword from the weapon vault, and then go into the basement and kill monsters. You might be entered into a Mental Health ward in a hospital, if you go too far there. 

If you read and enjoy Science Fiction the worlds and people of it can be best brought to light by the talents of various artists. Aliens might seem to deserve more awe as depicted by a painter of talent. A number of comic book artists have had their works collected, with forewords and narration about the pages by experts or fans, co-creators and more.

These books often are released with limited print run, in various types of book, hardcover, trade paperback or in a coffee-table book. If collecting otherwise out of print, and out of reach, the art is always awe-inspiring and might inspire more releases. The books are often lovingly published, to lavish attention upon worthy art.

Here are Four books per Category, I have one from each section, but overall, they are all quite good.

FANTASY

Ian Miller                Frank Frazetta                       Brom                   Jeffrey Catherine Jones

I have collected and love White Dwarf magazine's first 100 issues, they were new, decidedly earnest and filled with gloriously illustrated pages. Over time I was exposed to many fine talents, some were smooth and beautiful, others, gruff and viscerally mean but powerful. Ian Miller's work illustrates a variety of fantasy books and magazines, and it is brilliant. Frank Frazetta is similarly powerful, but more beautiful than scary. Brom's work is something that captured my imagination, and with Troy Denning the Dark Sun series in the TSR Dark Sun world. Jeffrey Catherine Jones was a kind soul, a wonderful painter, and someone I adored in our friendship. She sadly died just after reaching a place of contentment for the first time. Her work inspires still...

SCI FI

Tim White                     Moebius                      HR Giger                       Michael Whelan

There are many great sci fi artists. I could have listed a dozen more. However, my reasons here is to show a wide variety of excellent works, and suggest that while they differ from one another, each is great. Sadly time has reduced this list to a single living artist, Michael Whelan. The books and film these artists have inspired, illustrated or enhanced are innumerable and Moebius and Giger both were creative forces in their particular areas. An imagination can be a powerful thing.

COMICS

Jack Kirby                   Alex Ross                     Michael Kaluta                         Wally Wood

You can argue that Jack Kirby's work is so vast you'd be hard pressed to capture it's spirit within a single volume. And interestingly the cover of the volume shown has 6 characters of his creation, and four of those shown have long been favorites of mine. Alex Ross introduced painted super realistic looking art to the comics world. Collecting his work is yet inadequate as he is prolific and able. Michael Kaluta's comic art is wonderful. Even if it isn't as great as his paintings of the same, in many genres, one can see the power of his presentation. And Wally Wood simply kicks ass. Stylish, distinct, beautiful and memorable.

All works shown and/or considered are copyright the respective owners, fair use is the sole means of use asserted.

Thanks for reading my work.

LINKS:

MY POETRY: AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com 
HERE: Poplitiko.Blogspot.Com 
MY PUBLISHED WORKS 

Social Media:
https://bsky.app/profile/alexanderness63.bsky.social 
https://x.com/alexnesspoetry
https://www.facebook.com/alex.ness.549436

THE FLORIDA MAN TRILOGY IS RELEASED

MIKE BARON DELIVERS RIOTOUS, CRUDE, AND ALWAYS UNPREDICTABLE STORIES IN THE FLORIDA MAN SERIES—A SALUTE TO BLUE COLLAR REDNECKS WHO KEEP THIS COUNTRY RUNNING.

In Florida Man, Gary Duba’s having a bad day. There’s a snake in his toilet, a rabid raccoon in the yard, and his girl Krystal’s in jail for getting naked at a Waffle House and licking the manager. Gary’s a redneck living in a trailer by the swamp, but he’s got dreams—big dreams. With his best friend, Floyd, Gary sets out to sell his prized Barry Bonds rookie card to raise the five hundred needed for bail. Too bad things always find a way of getting out of hand.

Following his newfound fame for apprehending Plastic Surgeon to the Stars and serial killer Dr. Vanderlay Mukerjee in Hogzilla, Gary moves back into the five-million-dollar mansion he bought with his lottery winnings. What was formerly Turpentine Acres is now Kensington Gardens, an upscale community that frowns upon Gary's lawn ornaments and Confederate flag. But when a thousand-pound feral hog begins savaging Kensington Gardens, the HOA calls on Gary to deal with the monster. Little does he know he’ll be contending with wild hippos, a swimming pool full of iguanas, a robot buffalo with alien multiple personality disorder, and his girl Krystal's upcoming wrestling match, too.

During Catfish Calling, Gary and Krystal drag Prince Larry and Princess Regan through the mud, and a snapping turtle latches on to the prince’s manhood, causing a debate to break out on whether or not to release the video. Will it help or hurt the Royal Ducats? As Gary brawls with a man in a bunny suit at Wacky World, Venezuelans use his property for drug deals and the legendary Dadaist Claude Balls stuns the world with his creations.
 
In this uproarious and unpredictable ride through the Florida Man series, Mike Baron celebrates the resilience and wild adventures of those who never fail to keep life hilariously chaotic. Grab your copy today!

The Amazon Page for ordering it

REVIEWS AND ON REVIEWING

A SUGGESTION
By Alex Ness

WHY REVIEW?

In the past I took criticism here as being largely a matter of people wanting something I am not about reflecting upon or creating. So I didn't mind. Some folks don't like your outlook, how you present it, or the content you cover. That is life. But some people seem to only complain. They don't do it better, they don't do it, they just criticize. I understand that too, but I don't need it. I'm well aware of my flaws and mistakes in this life. People who only criticize don't seem to enjoy life. I deal with depression and perhaps a hell of a lot of other flaws. I don't always seek joy, but I prefer that. I think humanity has reached a place where everything we do or say or think whatever the quality of that content, is open season on our dissatisfaction with existence. We feel entitled to complain. As a matter of the fact, middle class Americans in various eras were taught to always seek the bright side. To not speak unless you can speak well of whatever you speak about or who you speak about, crap like that.

But I was not someone who liked to force a smile in pics, when I was told to smile it made it twice as hard to fake one that would make the other people happy. I also thought if you are not allowed to reply honestly why do people ask how I am doing? It seemed to double down upon the lie of reality. 

I was only for a short time on a group blog that was peopled with three seekers of joy, and eight haters of all. I left after a while, not because I hated it, but because working with the others depressed the Hell out of me. At the time I was also going through cancer, and other illness, but it would be most true to say, I can't maintain my weak grip upon hope surrounded by those who mock those who do. I produced 90% of the content of a group blog than the whole of the group that had invited me to be there. As such when those blog members began criticizing my being always on the front page, astounding me, I said to myself, OK, let us see how they do if I do not produce. And that group blog died from lack of articles, and a bitter way of looking at the entire world, but particularly, comics. I've not been contacted by any member of that blog since 2014 or so, nor do I wish any to contact me.

But that's life.

NEW (to me) BOOKS YOU SHOULD READ

The Architect 
Date 2007
Mike Baron: Writer
Ande Tong: Artist
Publisher: Big Head Press

I am used to Mike Baron writing good or great stories. Here he is teamed up with an artist who seems to be really good, but made me wonder about the ability for the two to work together. I am not saying anything bad about either. From page one I appreciated both art and story. It isn't always about the individual parts, or how they work together, it is about the story and how the story feels real, or feels less than real.

Born to different parents than those who raised him, a man grows up to a different life than his ancestor. Gil Hopper grows up, seeks normal, feels normal, until he learns of an ancestor who will change his course of life. He starts that by a buildings of a brilliant creator, an architect, and somewhat eccentric who does more than design buildings, he creates. In his drive to know all and design the world he lives in Roark Dexter Smith is more than human, he is a template for an ubermench, and is clearly an homage or analogue for the mind or life of Frank Lloyd Wright (or Joh Federson, Master of Metropolis). Gil Hopper wants to make use of what he inherits in the enormous and famous estate. The curses and subterranean creatures and dangers eventually come to change his mind about the work he receives. 

There is a great deal that by including would spoil the work. Baron's effort is not to grab you by the throat and dictate to you the terms by which you will know the story, that is, he creates a horror story that is subtle, open to interpretation, and insists on further study. It is understated, and relatively dark and grows more so by the understanding the events that follow. Roark Dexter Smith is a dark soul, and the works of his mind follow after his darkened mind and life goals.

I did like all of the story, and it does contain art that is well done, writing that is masterful, with an end note that leaves the reader satisfied. However, while the story told is intriguing, the telling of this story feels to be less quality than the sum of its parts. I think it is well done but, there is a feeling that I can't shake that certain artists have a style more appropriate than the manga/anime inspire Tong's style. As such, I was still left wanting more of this story and setting, but wonder if a different artistic approach would have helped.

Escape
Issue 1, Volume 1
Date: 2025
Rick Remender: Writer
Daniel Acuña: Artist
Publisher: Image

This is an amazing and painful work to read. Focusing upon a bomber strike on the enemy heartland, a crew of speaking animals people lead the reader to appreciate and understand that the story will be one about the horror of war. So many are lost in the endeavor, for every plane, and for every civilian on the ground, as well as the enemy defense corps. It reminds of the films Memphis Belle, 12 O'Clock High and The Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress. When the bomber is so injured that the return home is impossible, the pilot chooses to fly on to the target, and by the time he does, the crew is mostly dead. He parachutes out, and learns, he is now on the run, in the heart of the city he just bombed.

This work is amazing in the way it presents such a sacrifice of lives for results of destruction. Both sides are left bleeding. Chatter among crew shows they are bright and duty bound, rather than the murderers that propaganda would show. Only now, on the ground amidst the destruction and fires. It isn't a hard read in as much as it shows war in a comic story. But that is something few willingly enter. That it is a hard read for what it discusses, makes the reward of sympathy and understanding that much more worth doing. 

Remender is fine writer, and I've not read anything by him that wasn't good. As a result I am not surprised by how powerful it struck. The art was amazing, it was neither too simple or nor did it appear as caricature or satire. It truly worked in ways that went further than most such efforts. 

I haven't read further, but know some of those issues have come out. It will no doubt be collected, but issue by issue will no doubt be harrowing, due to the time between episodes. No matter that, buying singles as they appear help the creative team to find their work collected.

Spider-Man Noir: The Gwen Stacy Affair
Issues 1, 2 
Date: 2025
Erik Larsen: Writer
Andrea Broccardo: Artist
Publisher: Marvel

I read issue #1 quickly and chose to let it simmer, until #2 came along. 

Since I am friends with Erik some might say I am biased, but really, back when I thought I could write comics I came up with a bunch of concepts and mock covers, but most rarely went anywhere. In the present I rarely do this because as a poet, as a journalist for popular media, and a historian, most of my life is about reporting what I feel, think, do... I showed many of these to Erik and he said they were amateurish. Damn right they were. But I appreciated knowing. Good relationships in general don't flourish with minced truths and vagaries. If my work ever had a reason to happen, I'd hope he'd see the change and maturity. 

I know all that wasn't necessary, but you are reading this for free, so scroll to this point and get right into it. Noir is a special genre. The normal orientation of hero being good and villain being evil isn't always the case. It doesn't always feature a night scene with deep shadows. It doesn't always involve hustlers and junkies, prostitutes and private eyes but it can. However, it does involve a period of time, it has guns and criminals, people crossing lines of class, race, legality, and more. It also has a crime or many, and someone trying to figure out who did what to whom. Fatalism is present, often. Morality is not a concrete subject. Cynicism is present, but not so much that it disallows kindness or good choices. Those just come for the subjects at a higher cost.

It is 1939, and the world is a mess, and it is also pregnant with opportunity and change. NYC is a beehive of activity and Peter still features crime and solving of them. As such, the flavor of the work is perfectly done for me. I think of the voice over narrative found in a great many Noir works. Peter Parker in this setting, is a private detective, and when he hunts the bad guys, he does so at night as Spider-Man. As such, the punchy narrative, with humor and points of plot furthered by the chatter. 

Issue #1 begins with a variety of possible cues about the direction this will take, but when Peter is in office, an attractive woman comes into office door view. She wants to hire Peter to look into the death of her father, George Stacy, Police chief of NYPD. Yes reader, the attractive young woman is Gwen Stacy. Peter is certainly moved in more ways than one. However, before it all goes much further, the visit to the Archive of the NYPD reveals that there is information that more than points to the George Stacy case, it reveals that Spider-Man has been implicated in events of a criminal nature. How this could be is not yet resolved, in fact, it suggests events that are not exceptionally known to Peter. And that means, many possibilities. Was there an impersonation, as someone other than Peter Parker in the costume? Were there people in view who might have taken part in the killing of George Stacy? In fact Peter learns a lot that drives him to find the unpleasant truth, and it does involve him.

But when the American Bund launches the German Man-Bat to take down Spider-Man, we get the hint that there will be certain potential Nazi villains coming into view. Or not, they might not be part of the search for the killer of George Stacy. I find a mystery left at a point to be unsatisfying, but in a five part series, you don't likely have long to wait. 

Issue #2 A gang war takes place here, but with Spider-Man so often shutting them down the Scorpion gang teams up with the Nazi gang led by Hardboil to bump off Spider-Man. But Peter manages to survive, even as Gwen Stacy seems to be attracted to Peter, despite his desire to resolve what he doesn't yet know the answer to. Also, the Nazi rally he attended by mistake, seems to suggest, there are more Nazi spies, agent provocateur, and people just prone to be Nazi in outlook, than anyone would suspect, except that the actual war begins September 1, 1939.  As Hitler and his minions suspected, America is too wrapped up in the depression, their desire to be neutral and not drawn into another European war to notice the danger that approaches.

These two comics had a lot of info in them, and the art was perfect for the story, and didn't resort to excess shadows, but the answer to the question will involve violence, which seems to be a must in noir crime stories. I think actually, there is a clarity in the art that feels like an older comic, in a good way. As such, it is really lovely work, not totally consumed by those damn words and thoughts! But then again, here comes the violence...

Erik Larsen's writings do two things I think that make the comic well worth reading, he made Peter the civilian at similar man we know as Peter Parker 2025, or whenever your reading journey began. He wrote his character in ways to draw you into, an as yet solved mystery, with characters you might recognize. The works do not feel overly connected to the real world, of current Marvel, the story actually builds so that a greater story can be seen approaching. If you write a story like this and do not remind the readers of where they are, you better start now or it is a pointless venture if no one associates this guy with the guy they know and love.

I don't often let alone regularly read Spider-Man. I did when Mr. Larsen wrote it and drew the dang thing. I think I am here for the reader who doesn't live or die knowing all the facts and events of the Marvel Universe, but is always open to an escape into the same. And this was 9 bucks or so of great fun.

HUMOR

I was recently asked what are the funniest comics that one might search for. I could answer with those comics shown below, as they make me laugh a great deal. But, I have always felt that humor is very much contextual to the times, and of course, even more so as context by each reader's life experience and native outlook.  I enjoy the clever but more, the exuberant silly that is reflected in those shown here.

REAL WORLD COMICS/Graphic Novels

Know that, dark real life comics adapted into comic form can fail at times. Not because of any portion of the creative book that results. Brought to light showed a world where America's secret police sold drugs in urban areas to fund black ops. Americans, therefore, were made to pay for the actions that they might not approve, and in doing, sent many urban living Americans to jail. Breakthrough was a beautiful book exploring the power of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Pyongyang is eyewitness to life in the world's most oppressive dictatorship. El Salvador tells the story of the secret war and civil war there that the early 80s could not fully explore due to censors and mainstream media short attention. It is exceedingly well done. Real War stories told the stories of the often misrepresented facts and personal experiences of those who went to war. It is biased, but it is also not ashamed to say what it is. King is a biography that according to some was biased towards the left. If it is, most Americans have a personal outlook on King that is also likely to be biased by their own politics. Plutocracy: Chronicles of a Global Monopoly is a work that shows how profit based economic policies can lead to a government and society that is not actually merit based, but profit based. It is an unfortunate family that grows up together in such a place. This isn't all the comics based upon politics, but politics in definition means the means of governing a people. So, it is bears fruit to read works that disturb and challenge you.

Thanks for reading my work.

LINKS:

MY POETRY: AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com 
HERE: Poplitiko.Blogspot.Com 
MY PUBLISHED WORKS 

Social Media:
https://bsky.app/profile/alexanderness63.bsky.social 
https://x.com/alexnesspoetry
https://www.facebook.com/alex.ness.549436

All works shown and/or considered are copyright the respective owners, fair use is the sole means of use asserted.