By Alex Ness
11/10/2022
LOSSES
(Click to enlarge the image)
I've struggled over the last two months to write prose. For those who haven't seen my posts on social media or know me personally, I've had the deepest depression I've ever had (including the two when I went so far to attempt suicide) since about September 1, and while it seems to have broken, my writing is not flowing well. Poetry never stops, but prose is difficult at the moment. Also, perhaps due to various meds I am on, my memory is absolute crap. So, I can't even fake knowing what I am doing. Fortunately for me, I'd written deep into 2023 already on this blog, so only posts such as this one are affected.
But still, I have tried for over an hour to write something about the loss of
artist Kevin O'Neill. It is impossible, since I really enjoyed his
work, and the loss feels far too close to home. When an artist passes it is true we have had the joy of their work in our life, but losing them makes one aware that there will never be more coming soon.
Rest in Peace, Kevin O'Neill
From Top Shelf Productions @topshelfcomix
"We
are heartbroken at this news. Kevin O'Neill's talent was monumental and
his imagination was truly extraordinary. He could draw anything, in any
style, yet always be unmistakably himself. We join the global comics
community in mourning his loss and treasuring his memory."
“We were lied to.”
Horror Publisher Outraged as FL Printer Refuses to Complete Job
(CAPE
CORAL, FL) Independent horror publisher Joe Monks is used to
controversy. Back in 1989, the printer which was to have printed Monks’
debut title: Cry For Dawn, backed out at the last second over concerns
that the edgy contents of the groundbreaking comic book would get them
shut down. That printer, however, was in Canada, not the United States.
Monks’
latest project, a chapbook also featuring horror author Candace Nola,
faced similar response from initial and subsequent printers.
“We
brought this job to a local business we trusted,” said Monks. “Following
hurricane Ian, we didn’t want to print it out of state, or worse, out
of the country. We were thrilled to hear this shop was open for
business, and was eager to take on the gig.”
Unfortunately, after
three weeks of waiting and being given excuses for multiple delays, the
company ‘backed out’ of the job, leaving the publisher, familiar with
such troubles, furious. Two artists had declined the illustration work
on the project, which best-selling author Edward Lee supplied the
kickoff line for.
“We brought them work when everybody in the
community had been hit hard. Businesses closed for weeks; others still
shut down. I wanted our money to stay here and was willing to deal with
the delays. Lies, however, are another thing entirely.”
Monks
sent the job to the company on October 21st. He was told it would be
completed in roughly a week. Then, on the Friday before Halloween. Then,
on November 4th. and then, the plug was pulled over concerns regarding
the content.
“We’re fortunate,” says Monks. “We didn’t drop off
the originals. We didn’t put all of our eggs in one basket. Another
local printer we’ve worked with on The Bunker DVD was willing to take
the job. But the unprofessionalism here? Why not tell us early on you
don’t want to print this? I’d’ve been fine with that. But not delay
after delay with us willing to keep the job with them, only for them to
turn their backs on us. Not after costing us weeks.”
Monks
promised Kickstarter backers and those who placed advance orders that
the Exactly the Wrong Things chapbook will ship as soon as copies roll
off the presses in Fort Myers, another town devastated by Ian. The
signed and numbered limited edition and Christmas package orders will
still ship well in advance of the holidays.
To watch Monks’ video statement, visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/frightunseen/exactly-the-wrong-things/posts/3661343
To order a copy of Exactly the Wrong Things: http://www.sightunseenpictures.com/shop/
FROM THE EDITORIAL DESCRIPTION
"David J. Schow (The Crow) has called Joseph M. Monks "one of the godfathers of splatterpunk."
Candace
Nola just won what? A Splatterpunk Award for her anthology, Baker's
Dozen, and Franklin E. Wales can scoop the human chum with the best of
'em, as delivered in his recent anthology: The Forgotten Dream Park.
Seems like there's a theme here...
There's some Lovecraftian
monstrosities lurking inside. Flesh-eating. Oddball carnies on a Hellish
midway. It's got enough gross-out goods for Edward Lee to have supplied
the opening line from The Bighead to kick off each of the three tales,
Christine Morgan supplying a challenge line, and Joe's happy to put the
Feel Ya in 'necropedocopronepiophilia'. (A Godless first?)
This is a
true, '80s-style throwback to the days when you'd order a chapbook from
the back of Rolling Stone and be put on a government watch list. Stone
wouldn't have the balls to let these 3 sickos advertise there, so you'll
have to order through Godless."
All art shown is copyright their respective owners. No copyright assertion is made, save for fair use.
No comments:
Post a Comment