A LOVE LETTER TO GODZILLA from an almost 7 year old me.

COMMENTARY
By Alex Ness
April 15, 2025

I grew up in Wisconsin, but most of my family lived in Minnesota. So, we'd almost certainly be on the road to Minnesota a number of times per year, and often spent 2 weeks or more with family and cousins during the summer. Those were golden years, when I was able to be happy, my cousins were life for me, they fed me hope. My Auntie Joan was one of the kindest humans I've ever known, and my cousins had a normal life, not one where one of the parents would scream at them for having not been perfect. My father wasn't ideal for someone of my emotional nature.

In what would never have happened in my family's tv room, when the kids wanted to watch what the Independent TV station channel of the region, and it had on "Godzilla Versus King Kong" as their film of the evening, the kids were all allowed and able to watch it on the big color tv!

This work of genius, was being watched on the television that the parents also watched, and for me it was a moment of wonder and excitement and joy! This was joy for those under 20, and all those who were over 20 who tired of watching it, found reason to go into the kitchen and have a drink or a chat about more fun things like Richard Nixon or the Vietnam war or the possibility of humans to reach the Moon in a year or two.

I am now 61, almost 62 so, don't be insulted about the age delineation. It was just to say, the adults didn't complain, the voting went 3 adults and at least 6 not adults, and the popular vote won. I ended up being moved by all those things the adults talked about, mostly by my uncle to those who would listen, he was kind in a real way, bright, and often had things to say. He also taught me life lessons with his wife my beloved auntie when life had just kicked me in the teeth and elsewhere a great number of times. Lessons other people who could have taught me, only taught me I was wrong, and highly imperfect.

My childhood was blessed by friends and of course my mother and brother, and sometimes my dad. I know he paid for his temper in many ways. But outside my home I had friends like Patrick, Glenn, and more, and then going to college I learned after graduating, my best friend Russ had two hamsters with his live in amour, Godzilla and Megalon. Through my life I met more people and in Grad School had a teacher who told me such movies were for unserious thinkers, and that they go nowhere in life. But he got fired, and I am writing books from history and my greatest imagination. It was fed early, by my Uncle Leo, my beloved cousins, and all the awesome destruction Godzilla and friends added to my world. Cathartic destruction was a name someone I like but do not know personally called it, and that fits for me. I was a kid who was soft, with a hungry mind, and Godzilla, and so very much more was opened up for me, when my cousin Tom turned it channel 9, and Godzilla and King Kong amazed me.

There are more movies and tv shows in the Godzilla universe, but these aren't going to be reviewed here and now, but displays of the movies and some ancillary works that fit that universe, however, all the ones shown are movies I enjoyed. Somehow very much. Most for the entire imaginative film itself, the story the effects the soundtracks and acting, but some were just for one aspect, or two. However, know, I love the Godzilla world.

This Gaijin says, I love you Big G, you entertained me, and showed me, life is real outside of my limited experiences. Perhaps even on other planets. You taught me to have an imagination so great, I can't wait to see what happens next in this life.  Perhaps the next adventure starts today.

UNTIL NEXT TIME

I have much going on.  In the meantime, for all your printing needs, Matt at Speed Print Inc. is amazing.

LINKS

My Poetry AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com 
This place Poplitiko.Blogspot.Com
Personal: AlexNessFiction.Blogspot.Com/

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

Weird Fiction Authors in quotations, and more

WEIRD FICTION QUOTES
Collected by Alex Ness
Friday, March 28, 2025

Bigger article is on the way, this is a quick article collecting quotes of many of the authors in the genre of Weird Fiction.  It is my favorite genre, as it combines aspects of Fantasy, Science Fiction and Horror.  All of which, are my favorite genres. Also, people may or may not like the works of all of those shown. Yet for every book someone didn't like, there are many of that author's quotes that share wisdom, show elegance of construction of words into stories, and an in depth look at the thoughts and reflections. I've many authors within Weird Fictions boundaries who I consider worth digging into for the simple case of finding them bright humans. Whatever their flaws, their obsessions, mistaken ideas and choices, their own life and reflections resulted in quotes and many books I've enjoyed. Click upon each image for a larger version of that image.

HP Lovecraft

Howard Phillips Lovecraft wasn't the first member of the weird fiction genre but of those I've chosen to present, he is one who wrote about that genre the most, and each are considerably similar in prolific output, and interest in the weird.

His life was instructive to his works. He grew up orphaned and sick. Left to be raised by poor aunts, he was sheltered, and left to educate himself with a rather large library and telescope. While he had the ability to later escape into various larger settings, and even married, he retreated into his original home, and company, dying rather young. His. views of isolation, xenophobic fears and fear of the certain groups of people, his mythos grew from his mind's experiences.

His Works
Library Thing
His Wiki

Robert E. Howard

Robert E. Howard lived a short life, one spent with his beloved mother and father. His mother was sick with tb and his father was a country doctor. So he moved often, and as a bright kid had fed his mind with hundreds of stories, world knowledge and educated himself as much as school had. He sought a life as a boxer, but then sought to be a writer, and retell, and create stories such as those he read. His death by suicide upon his mother's entry into coma and soon death, was taking a warrior's response to a his most feared event finally happening.

His Works
Library Thing
His Wiki

Lord Dunsany, Edward John Moreton Drax

Lord Dunsany wrote complex, deep yet elegant poetry, prose and plays. He was admired greatly by the writers of his circle. The words he wrote have been described as archaic to the ear, and I'd agree that it is that. But it also lovely to the ear, quite new to the readers of the modern era of genres fantasy and weird fiction. He was a complex writer, his complicated and vast library of work, and had many different interests, forms to write in, and talents.

His Works
Library Thing
His Wiki page

Clark Ashton Smith

Clark Ashton Smith was a multi talented creative, being an artist, a poet and a prose writer. He was considered unique by the family of writers and creatives of weird fiction, due to his ability to write about settings and characters who defied description.

His Works
Library Thing
His Wiki page

Arthur Machen

A short story specialist, but one who wrote in all areas and forms. He was a war journalist, short story scribe, a novelist, and more. He achieved the goal of all weird fiction creatives, being able to be recognized in his style in every format used.

His Works
Library Thing
His Wiki

August Derleth

Derleth wrote across numerous genres, but he eventually entered into the correspondence with HP Lovecraft. Highly enjoying the works of HPL he chose to take up the Lovecraft Mythos, which was a shared universe of horror. Thinking HPL to be a great writer, Derleth kept the works of Lovecraft in print and alive to reach the reading minds of 3 more generations after the death of Lovecraft. Derleth was initially seen as an intruder by some, for adding to the works of Lovecraft. And with the mythos initially humans being overwhelmed in awe and fear, and a logic based the universe, it now had good Gods and Evil Gods cosmology, each fighting for dominance. However, it is necessary to appreciate what was achieved by keeping the library of Lovecraft alive and important for the future.

His Work
Library Thing
His Wiki

WEIRD FICTION BOOKS

UNTIL NEXT TIME

I have much going on.  In the meantime, for all your printing needs, Matt at Speed Print Inc. is amazing.

LINKS

My Poetry AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com 
This place Poplitiko.Blogspot.Com
Personal: AlexNessFiction.Blogspot.Com/

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

NEW RELEASE AND TOUR FROM AARON KERR AND DISSONANT CREATURES

Friday, April 11, 8-10 pm.

Aaron Kerr's Dissonant Creatures at The Eau Claire Jazz Festival.
The Fire House: 202 Gibson St, Eau Claire, WI.
21+ show.
Go to https://www.eauclairejazz.com/jazzcrawl for tickets to festival.
www.dissonantcreatures.com for more info.

And a teaser for May - Aaron Kerr's Dissonant Creatures on tour!:

Sunday, May 4th, 7pm.

Twin Cities Release Show / Scorpio Rising Tour.
Eagles #34: 2507 E. 25th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55406.
$15 cover - cash only.

AARON KERR’S DISSONANT CREATURES:
MAY, 2025 ALBUM RELEASE AND TOUR
AKDC presents live studio album, Scorpio Rising, with a six-date tour of upper Midwest

SAINT PAUL (March 1, 2025) – Aaron Kerr’s Dissonant Creatures, a seven-piece heavy metal/jazz fusion ensemble from St. Paul, Minnesota, will release their full-length vinyl record in early May, then go on a six-date tour of the upper Midwest. Says band leader Aaron Kerr: “This is the last of my great works – I am ready to unleash this magnum opus on the world, and the band playing it is phenomenal.”

The ensemble, also known as “AKDC,” has been together for over fifteen years. They began performing with material from the first of Aaron’s concept albums, Dissonant Creatures, a third-stream album of minimalist instrumental works. Aaron expanded into jazz and gothic folk with his next two albums, Odin, and Union County Forever. Now the cycle is complete with the heavier influence of rock and metal in Scorpio Rising.

AKDC recorded their new album over two days in March 2024 at Wild Sound Studio in Minneapolis, with mixing decisions shared by the entire band. The album was engineered by Steve Kaul and Joshua Parlanti, and mastered by Tom Garneau at Audioactive Mastering. Album photos featuring the band in the studio were taken by Darin Kamnetz from Minneapolis, and album artwork was created by Steve Vorass from Milwaukee.

The album will be released on Milwaukee record label Emperor Penguin Records. Label owner Tyson Allison enthuses: “Aaron has assembled an incredible crew of players; the music is eclectic, the sounds are exotic and the time signatures are rogue. We at Emperor Penguin Records are excited to release this truly unique record!” The album is being released on gatefold colored vinyl and will be available for sale at shows, online, and at record stores.

The Scorpio Rising album tour starts May 4th at Eagles #34 in Minneapolis, followed by The Little Theatre in New London, Minnesota, The Carnegie Art Center in Mankato, Minnesota, the Madison Mercantile in Madison, Minnesota, the Red Rooster Coffee Shop in Aberdeen, South Dakota, and The Akron Opera House in Akron, Iowa (full details listed below). “I want this tour to be a launching pad for jazz from the upper Midwest” says Aaron. “We have amazing things going on musically in this part of the world. The musicians here have honed their craft and are doing things no one else is doing. We can create a new musical movement inspired by the beauty, vitality, and resilience of the great plains.”

The tour will feature all the material from their new album, plus additional material from AKDC’s canon of works. The members of AKDC are: Aaron Kerr - electric cello; Brett Hansen - guitar; Jonathan Townsend - drums; Chris Andresen - bass; Mike Nordby - mandolin and percussion; Jeff Crandall – guitar and keyboard; Sean Egan – clarinet.

Aaron Kerr received a McKnight Composer Fellowship in 2006. He has performed on over fifty albums nationally and internationally. Music from Aaron’s album, Dissonant Creatures, which was produced and arranged by members of the band Swallows, was used in Nation Public Radio’s Science Friday program. In 2020 Aaron, along with composer/arranger Tyson Allison, received a nomination for best concept album from the Independent Music Awards for their collaborative work, To Combat Loneliness: Compositions Based on the Works of David Foster Wallace. AKDC has played all over the Twin Cities and upper Midwest. They had a two-year residency at The Black Dog Cafe in St. Paul’s historic Lowertown neighborhood where they played music from all of their albums. Their tours have taken them to jazz festivals and every kind of venue in the region.

ECHOES OF HEAVEN REBORN!

Back it now at Echoes of Heaven Reborn!

Echoes of Heaven Campaign Setting

Echoes of Heaven is a 5e setting and campaign set in a world of darkness and danger. A monolithic church has split into dozens of quarreling factions, and holy war looms like a shadow. Here, strength and brutality win the day, and only those with the most faith, honor, and courage can stand against the terrible tyranny of those who would enslave everyone of a different belief, philosophy, or species.

Worse, it is a world infected by the very fabric of Hell itself.

It’s a world that once knew extraordinary, perfect grace, where mortals and angels labored side by side and all spent their days basking in the light of God. There was no Mortal Realm. Hell was nothing more than a province of Heaven. All lived in Paradise and knew what it was like to wander in grace.

Then came the war.

The Fall of the first third of the Host of angels nearly destroyed Heaven. The Fall of the second third came as a death knell. Only the foresight and planning of the Five Prophets saved everyone from languishing under the rule of the Fallen ... but it came at a terrible price.

Enter Meridrin, the Mortal Realm, a world sundered from Paradise, a world both familiar and strangely different—a world where you can make a difference.

"Echoes of Heaven is a well-written, fantastically interesting campaign setting."
            --Andrew Branstad, RPGNow Staff ReviewerThe Throne of God

Once mortals stood in the full glory of God. Now, they must strain to hear even the echoes of Heaven.

Included with the Echoes of Heaven Campaign Setting is The Throne of God, part one in a ten-part adventure series that spans ten thousand years.

The city of Belm is the center of culture, government, and commerce for the Kingdom of Ludremon. But when a young girl disappears just miles outside the city walls at the same time the cathedral’s holy relic is stolen, who will dare undertake an adventure that leads into the tattered fringes of reality itself?

An adventure for 2nd level characters.

". . . Stunning . . ."
             --Nicholas Caldwell, www.Guildcompanion.com

Reborn for the 2024 Rules

In conjunction with the update to D&D in 2024, we want to bring Echoes of Heaven into a new decade by updating its 2014 art and rules. This will include updates to maps and a new cover art.

Support for Foundry VTT

The new Echoes will include full support in Foundry Virtual Tabletop. This consists of the full Campaign Setting and The Throne of God adventure.

Everything in this product was written or created by a human being. We don't use any generative tools.

The Module Includes

• 212-page campaign setting.

• 70-page adventure.

• A new racial option, the exalted, which can be added to humans, elves, and dwarves.

• 12 new subclasses.

• Landing Page and ten highly immersive maps. (Foundry VTT)

• Scenes are configured with walls, lights, and overhead tiles. (Foundry VTT)

• 25 actors. (Foundry VTT)

• Ideas for individualized stories for the player characters.

• Adventure Seeds and World Threads. Adventure Seeds outline setting elements open to exploration, while World Threads detail elements we may cover in future products. With these tools, the GM will never have to worry about contradicting future canon.

• Dramatic Purposes outline the design goals of every encounter. With Dramatic Purposes, a GM can more easily improvise on the fly, responding to player actions, while knowing what story beats are required for a fulfilling adventure.

The new Echoes will include full support in Foundry Virtual Tabletop, which is the property of Foundry Gaming LLC. Echoes will be a premium module for the virtual tabletop software.

One Setting, One System

The product and its Foundry VTT support are only for 5e.

Echoes of Heaven, however, was initially designed for use in four different game systems. They are the games using the Open Game License (for use with the third and fifth editions of the world’s most popular roleplaying game), plus Rolemaster (owned by Iron Crown Enterprises) and HARP (owned by Iron Crown Enterprises).

This Kickstarter includes no versions except 5e and the Foundry VTT module using the 5e system.

Free Gifts!

Subscribe to our newsletter and get the first Echoes of Heaven short story, Ulcer. Make sure you check your spam and promotions folder. https://roberts-newsletter-652501.beehiiv.com/subscribe

A Popular Setting in a New Era

We are delighted to bring Echoes of Heaven into a new era of roleplaying. This is an exciting time, and we at Final Redoubt Press look forward to the future of the setting.

“. . . if I had to recommend one single line that didn’t make the list, this would be it.”
              --Jeramy Ware, 2007 ENnies Judge

INKWELL AWARDS

Inkwell Awards’ Public Voting Now Open From March 23 – April 6

(FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: New Bedford, MA/USA—March 25, 2025) The Inkwell Awards is now open for fans and professionals to choose their industry favorites. The official public ballot will be available on the Inkwells’ homepage for two weeks, from Monday, March 23 through Monday, April 6. Voting is open in five categories: Favorite Inker, Most Adaptable, Props (inkers deserving more attention), The S.P.A.M.I. (Small Press And Mainstream/Independent for non-Marvel/DC work) and All-In-One (artists who ink their own pencils). The awards cover all printed American comic books released in 2024. Bob Almond, founder and director of The Inkwell Awards, the only non-profit organization devoted to public education and promotion of the art of comic book inking,  added, “Our nomination procedure continues to include inkers who submitted their work, in addition to those chosen by our internal nomination committee. Too many ink artists are passed over and go unnoticed by most awards events. Ours caters specifically to inkers so they can be recognized and appreciated for their best work. We encourage all who appreciate quality artwork to participate and share on social media; the more voters, the better.” The internally-chosen lifetime achievement accolades, the Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame Award and the Stacey Aragon Special Recognition Award (SASRA) will be announced along with the ballot categories at the Saturday, July 19, live awards ceremony at their host-show, Hershey Comic Con. The Inkwell Awards is the only official 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to promote and educate regarding the art form of comic-book inking, as well as annually recognize the best ink artists and their work. Established in 2008, the Inkwells are overseen by a volunteer committee of industry professionals and assisted by various professional ambassadors and contributors. They sponsor the Dave Simons Inkwell Memorial Scholarship Fund for the Kubert School and host the Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame Award. The annual awards ceremony is hosted by the Hershey Comic Con.

TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS announces book debuts at NYC MOCCA Fest 2025

MoCCA Fest! SHRED OR DEAD! and announcing YOU WISH (BOOK 2)! New Yorkers will get a feast of Top Shelf talent this weekend — and readers everywhere can discover W. Bradford Gambles'  "Ingeniously imaginative" Top Shelf debut, Shred or Dead!

Amazing Top Shelf debuts at MoCCA this weekend! If you're in the New York area, come out to see us at the 2025 MoCCA Fest this weekend, March 15-16, 2025 at the Metropolitan Pavilion! At the Top Shelf booth (tables 140-141), we'll be featuring four outstanding new members of the Top Shelf crew with brand-new books: Dani Diaz (Dreamover), W. Bradford Gambles (Shred or Dead), Kazimir Lee (Low Orbit), and Jon Allen (The Well)! And that's not all... around the floor you'll find Allison Conway, Maria Hoey, and other Top Shelf talents. Don't miss Manhattan's greatest indie-comics assemblage — we'll see you there! *sick guitar riff* SHRED OR DEAD hits stores today! “Grab a bag of Cromps and pop open a can of Spüz — Shred or Dead is the toastiest odyssey on wheels! Stuffed to the crust with warring skate crews, an ominous oracle, dumb babies, and a secret circus skate park, Shred or Dead is the absolute capital of comic book fun.” —Jess Smart Smiley (What Happens Next) “Well-written, fun, and ridiculously absurd! Shred or Dead is fun for all ages!” —Warren Elliot (Almost Normal Comics) “Shreds off the page and out the back of readers’ skulls.” — Kirkus Reviews “Ingeniously imaginative... There’s a lot of fun to be had here.” — Slings & Arrows “Packed with absurdity and nods to skateboarding culture, this graphic novel holds appeal for fans of cartoons and might just entice those kids who frequent library parking lots with their boards.” — School Library Journal Can skateboarding save the world?! Sam and her misfit friends are about to find out, as they level up from total noobs to cosmic heroes. Packed with unforgettable characters, mind-blowing action, and more twists than an X Games street course, Shred or Dead is the story of four weird kids with a chance to become legends… if they don’t garf it up. Shred or Dead by D. Bradford Gambles ISBN 978-1-60309-547-1 | Diamond Code: JAN251271 $19.99 (US) | 296 pages | Full-color softcover w/ flaps | 6" x 9" Browse preview pages | In stores today! Veronika starts a new job at a “wellness” startup with a dark secret... THE WELL is coming soon! “The Well has it all: the malaise of being an aimless young adult, the euphoria of new experiences, and the horror that your employers are committing crimes beyond your comprehension. This is cinema between two covers.” — Alex Krokus (Loud & Smart) “Compelling... The Well explores the intersection of nefarious science and mid-twenties apathy in a character-heavy mystery full of twists and turns.” — Booklist Cute characters, quarter-life crises, chemical supplements, and corporate catastrophes… Jon Allen’s cult-favorite online comic is now a must-read graphic novel! Fans of Severance, Scott Pilgrim, and Bojack Horseman will drink up every moment of this rip-roaring 720-page dramedy. The Well by Jon Allen ISBN 978-1-60309-549-5 | Diamond Code: FEB251228 $29.99 (US) | 720 pages | Black & white softcover w/ flaps | 7" x 7" Browse preview pages | In stores April 8th/9th! Advance readers are raving about LOW ORBIT — pre-order Kazimir Lee's heartfelt debut for April! “Masterful.” — Rebecca Mickey Mock “A tender and evocative graphic novel about the pain and joy of all our relationships.” — Tillie Walden “An immersive story of adolescent queer experience with specificity and clarity. I loved it.” — Priya Huq “A moving journey of self-acceptance.” — Kirkus An atmospheric and profound coming-of-age graphic novel about a Malaysian-American teen carving out her own identity in the uneasy space between friends and family. Low Orbit by Kazimir Lee ISBN 978-1-60309-552-5 | Diamond Code: FEB251227 $24.99 (US) | 336 pages | Full-color softcover w/ flaps | 6" x 9" Browse preview pages | In stores April 29th/30th! Slip into another tongue with LOVE LANGUAGES! “This delightful graphic novel made me laugh out loud and even brought me to tears. A masterfully painted celebration of languages and love!” — Rumi Hara “James Albon’s decadent cartooning and delicate watercolors perfectly capture the beauty and loneliness of wandering through new places that are supposed to be your home, and the specific halting beauty of intense connections forged across language barriers. I loved this book!” — Shing Yin Khor Two foreigners in France reach across language barriers and turn each other’s lives upside down in this stunningly beautiful queer romance graphic novel, painted in dazzling watercolor, from the author of The Delicacy. Love Languages by James Albon ISBN 978-1-60309-557-0 | Diamond Code: FEB251226 $19.99 (US) | 296 pages | Full-color softcover w/ flaps | 6" x 9" Browse preview pages | In stores May 5th/6th! Readers love Jeff Victor's magical middle-grade series YOU WISH... Now you can pre-order Book 2! “A whimsical new twist on the genie legend! This book is gorgeous!” —Jeff Smith, creator of Bone “Bold colorization, vivid backgrounds, and expressive character design make this graphic novel feel like a full-on Disney movie.” — Booklist “Fans of Bone, Amulet, and 5 Worlds will enjoy this new series.” — School Library Journal's Good Comics for Kids “Jeff Victor is a very smart artist who knows how to work with fine art effects to bring both life and sophistication to his already emotive panels... The accompanying dialogue is fresh, witty, and heartfelt.” — Doreen Sheridan, The Frumious Consortium “A really lovely tale that should delight both young and old.” — Richard Bruton, Comicon Return to the magic lamp! New friends, foes, and family secrets await you as this captivating graphic novel series continues. You Wish (Book 2): Wishborn by Jeff Victor ISBN 978-1-60309-553-2 | Diamond Code: MAR250960 $14.99 (US) | 160 pages | Full-color softcover w/ flaps | 7" x 9.5" Browse preview pages | In stores June 3rd/4th!

Thanks for reading! Your friend thru comics, Chris Staros www.topshelfcomix.com

WINTER BREAK MEANS READING BOOKS IN A BINGE

A CELEBRATION OF BOOKS & COMICS, & FRIENDS
By Alex Ness
February 17, 2025

FROM THE DISTANCE:Brief discussion of politics

Due to a political system that depends on two parties, America has had a mostly stable government over the last 250 years, nothing driving ideologies too far left or too far right. There were campaigns for office that were personal, others that were ideological. But those have come to reveal themselves both with the kind of candidates of our system create. And, this isn't a critique of the American system, it had a goal of centrism by using the ideologies within limits. That is, both sets of candidates, the two major parties, has done well, with fewer disasters than are usually discussed. But the true center has lost its meaning.

By making the winning of the office of president of the US a prize, voters have become an open door to lies, flawed choices, and greed. In new president administration, the winner will declare there to be a new enemy, and debate, fight or obfuscate the ultimate goals of our country, in the congress. The less complex minded will only perceive the need for power, rather than by clarity of moral ability, even the less honorable depth of charisma to help make an argument. The spirit of compromise and spirit of governance requires everyone accepting the rules, and jointly agreeing upon the goal we attempt to fulfill. What happens if we can no longer be able to achieve what we were able to in the past, due to the desire to have your side alone winning the debate, spitting upon the lost opportunities to change the the nation into a monolithic armed camp. I mention all of this because we just had a President's day holiday, and I had to go more than a few administrations deep to find someone I could still trust as President. 

WINTER BREAK IS FOR READING:

Winter Break also includes cold air, a couch, animal companion, (in my case a purring sleeping cat), quiet, but for the purring and sound of a space heater... and a beverage. I think the best thing you can do when needing a break mentally, physically or spiritually, is use the time for pleasure reading. I think a deep dive of music works too. Anything that reminds of work, of time spent on research, or rituals or habits and/or time spent that exhausts you, needs to be forgotten and replaced by depth of writing, music or arts.

The books shown above are books mostly in the genre of fantasy, era of its creation, or works linked by the concept of imagination.

The books shown are surely not going to please everyone. I've done this for most of my life, even if I don't like the writing, the characters, there are books that are valuable even if I am not moved by the narrative story. Once a year I do a reading week to learn more what others like, to go deeper to see if I like it, and to explore how great authors and poets create with different skill sets and talents than others. I believe we might in fact assume a quality when what we are seeing and considering good or great are an artist who is different and new. And don't think I don't assume there is talent in that.

Elizabeth Moon
Juliette Marillier
Clark Ashton Smith
Robert E. Howard
Alan Dean Foster
Lord Dunsany
And Vintage books important to the genre of fantasy, weird fiction and edited by Amy H. Sturgis

MIKE BARON RULES!

Mike Baron is a friend, but far more than that, a great writer of books and comics. He also is a very funny dude.

I've been trying, over time, to establish that anyone who has an imagination, money and would like to read and enjoy a comic, should read something by Mike Baron. He is bright, savagely witted, dangerous (Black belt in Martial Arts), writes from his depths of imagination, and entertains the hell out of me.

He is a warm person, and despite not agreeing all the time, I never feel compelled to agree out of the power of his personality. He is funny and kind, but could kick my ass. He knows his Martial Arts, and I am a flabby old fart. Over time, he has offered tips, and support. Frankly, he is more trusted and beloved by other creatives than anyone I know. People from both sides of the political divide have told me talk to Baron, he is a mad genius, worthy of praise. He is writing new works, 40 year old characters, different formats, prose, comic scripts, and much more. Here are some of his most recent works...

BADGER MAD MONKEY SHOCK N ROLL #1 (OF 5)

1FIRST COMICS
NOV241567
(W) Mike Baron (A) Val Mayerik (CA) John McCrea
Mike Baron is back with more martial arts mayhem in the latest instalment of The Badger! When Badger's friend purchases an island paradise off the coast of Venezuela, it may hold the cure for cancer or the end of the world! Will Badger be able to avert this apocalyptic crisis?

FIND HIS SITE BARON COMICS

BRONZE STAR  A WEIRD WESTERN TALE. with Pat Broderick
NEXUS: SCOURGE
PRIVATE AMERICAN
SHERLOCK HOLMES
BADGER NOVEL

I recommend Mike's writing, but beyond the quality of grammar, imagination, character creation, dialogue, spelling, he has a way of propelling the pace without letting loose the characterization during the action, in fact, he also mixes humor with all the action going on.

IN THE ERA OF THE MANY HIATUS

The image below shows all the works I've published or wrote that someone else published since 2022. In that start date to present I had people to collaborate with, friends to share a project with, and am able to control the stock of, since the printer is local, and does excellent work, inexpensively.

First section comprised of Chapbooks and then according to subject

Cthulhu: Madness Awakens, Cthulhu and the Dreamlands, Crash with Paul Ewert

Sasquatch: Sasquatch Encounters with Nate Barlow   The World Remains Wild with Joe Hilliard and John Morgan Neal    Rave Massacre: Glencoe MN, Blizzard 1997 with Joe Monks

Mary Shelley Considered: Biography with Michael Harmon

Skinwalker versus Berserkers, and Wrestler faces Devil's Night wrestler with Joe Hilliard

AI: AI/Cybernetics Humans with John Morgan Neal and Joe Hilliard

TWO BOOK Length works

TALES OF LOST KINGDOMS with Peter Urkowitz
SIGR Poems of the Viking era

All chap books are available starting in March, for $5 a piece and if you order more than one, I'll give a discount. I charge $10 for the two books.

I mentioned my numerous Hiatuses, and since 2020 I've had, a broken neck, frozen left shoulder, right shoulder separation or possibly frozen, possible cancer, many kidney stones, back arthritis and broken ribs, tailbone and more. I think to have put these works out, I've done well considering. 

Contact me at AlexanderNess63@gmail.com All my works done can be found here, not all are available due to being out of print.  Feel free to inquire at my email address.

Published Works AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com/2007/01/My-Work.html

ERIK LARSEN SHARES A CELEBRATION OF WORKS

Savage Dragon's formative years collected at last!

This MASSIVE hardcover continues the deluxe re-presentation of the Savage Dragon's greatest adventures! Featuring team-ups with Spawn! Hellboy! WildStar! The Maxx! The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! Plus: Dragon gets engaged! Rapture has a baby! And the classic showdown between God and the Devil! SAVAGE DRAGON: THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION VOL. 3 is a must-have for any fearless Fin-Addict in search of an easy entry point into one of Image Comics’ longest-running series! Introduction by GEOFF JOHNS.

Collects SAVAGE DRAGON #22-35

Art and story by Erik Larsen

CONCLUSION

 I'll be back in a couple weeks.  I have much going on.  In the meantime, for all your printing needs, Matt at Speed Print Inc. is amazing.

LINKS

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This place Poplitiko.Blogspot.Com
Personal: AlexNessFiction.Blogspot.Com/

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THE RIDE SO FAR: Savage Dragon

ERIK LARSEN
CREATES COMICS
Specifically, Savage Dragon
By Alex Ness
May 6, 2024

First off, I am writing this because I've given many suggestions to readers that Savage Dragon is a complete comic experience. And, Erik Larsen both writes and illustrates it.

It features the story of a world and group of people who are unique, and have an impact upon the world they live in in a different way than most comics show.

It is a comic story with an experience where the characters, scenarios, and worlds, all grow and mature as time moves forward. That is, the comic book paradox that characters never age, so 400 issues happen in the same year, doesn't occur here. I appreciate that, in a format and genre where there is little or no attention to the passage of time. In Savage Dragon Larsen takes a beginning point and follows some rules making a wild tale, and makes it conform to his own set of rules. 

I like the risk taking of that concept, the bold action oriented stories, the great writing, and the art that reminds anyone within 20 years of my old age, of Jack Kirby, and in a positive way. Other artists might claim the mantle of Jack Kirby but Erik Larsen lives it in every story. Jack Kirby is easily my favorite story teller and one of my favorite purely artist. So, in the prevention of anyone assuming bias, hell yeah I dig the work of Erik Larsen.

Frankly, over the time of my working in the world of comic book journalism. Larsen, Jamie Delano, Mike Oeming, and Alan Dean Foster were my most common interview subjects, and there is a reason more than their classic good looks for that. They were people who shared their joy of comics and books, the love of creativity, and ability to share that. Along with my best friends in comics, Mike Grell, Mike Baron, Jamie Delano, Erik Larsen joined them with support and advice, and mostly, kindness, when my life was shattered by recurring cancer, a recurring virus, mono, that most people get once, I have it constantly, and my bones have a disorder, that will end my career due to pain and more. He is someone I gratefully call a friend.

My favorite story is a wasteland in the style of Jack Kirby called The Savage World.  I tried to buy all the singles, but ended up missing significant periods due to health eras of my own, and money crises, as an author of a lot of works, but rarely compensated works.  So I am now trying to acquire the TPBs of the series.

The beginning point of Savage Dragon was a work from a teenager who is self taught in his art, and obvious has read many comics, but also books, and common culture. The comic itself might be called crude, but what first work is born without signs of youth, or with the experience learned style and craft marks of excellence? And yet, whatever comprises the story, and revelation of a fair amount of intelligent design. 

Graphic Fantasy #1 (June 1982) and first appeared as the "Savage Dragon" in Megaton #3 (February 1986). Called Dragon, a green alien with super strength, healing abilities and a finned head, who performs the duty of a police officer, serves the public good, has a sense of mystery about his purpose, origins, and motivations.  It is worth reading for the simple enjoyment of the medium, but it shares a moment that will be added upon for almost 40 years.

There are many eras in the adventures of the now Savage Dragon, are substantial, and aim to reach 300 in the run, as a hallmark of an independent creator's achievement.

The first Savage Dragon was a unique sort of character, awakening upon earth, in the ruins of a city block in Chicago. Upon gathering his wits, he realizes, he has only the most basic perceptions of what is going on, where he is, and why he is where he is. Even less, in fact, who he is. This amnesia is not short lived either. His name is a reference to his appearance. But he longs to fit in this world, and sets out as a police officer for Chicago, because this world has costumed villains and heroes. He is a talented and thorough officer. But as with most costumed or super heroes experience, a number of the mutants and costumed bad guys are recurring villains. Many good guys interact with Savage Dragon and become allies.

All of the previous stories reveal little of his true origins, until the Image Comics Hardcover with a story from Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, Jim Valentino, and the bomb dropped... reprinted in  SAVAGE DRAGON O. He is the former evil dictator KURR of a great nomadic space empire. When the ships of Kurr near Earth, some of his former assistants and servants act upon their desire to rid the empire of Kurr so they maroon him, unconscious upon Earth. Eventually, made to remember his memory, he surrenders his role as cop and realizes he must face galactic justice. But as mentioned, his story is one going forward in time.

He is a character who has family. He has friends. And he has romantic partners, and as a result he has a son. Forced by circumstances of the past, Savage Dragon ends his ongoing role as a police officer, while his son Malcolm Dragon takes over the role SD had played. With Malcolm the path of the hero, an epic telling of how one enters a role of honor and justice is on view, and his life behind the scenes of a hero are as much the story now as the adventures. The stories are just as broad, just as fun as the first Dragon but truly even more so. Larsen took advantage of the evolution of the story, and characters, and has created homage issues to newspaper and cartoon characters, and tells stories using different and rather new manners. I would argue, this is a superhero tale. But it is also a work that travels through time, space, and through different dimensions in depth. This is science fiction and fantasy, with a side of humor, a personal work for Larsen who has a broad career, but this is his story, and it shows. He was comfortable in his creator role enough to allow other writers and artists to write stories and smaller series featuring his characters and universe.

I would suggest buying the single issues, get a taste first, but find a tpb collecting a story arc, and dive in. And I'd like to say, I meant to go through and detail each era, but found myself worrying about spoilers, and only added the big twist of his true identity because if anyone reads the current Dragon, it will be obvious. Also, as much as I wanted to do a fully detailed love letter to the series, with my memory issues from health events, I don't remember some of those periods well. However, I can say, there isn't an issue that I didn't enjoy, and there are precious few comics I can say that about. If not every issue was the greatest ever, that's reality, not an insult. His work is excellent overall, and I am grateful to have read his concepts and his creative legacy of one powerful being with a past of evil, fighting instead for good, and the twisting path that takes him, and eventually his son and others upon. 

Well done Erik. And thank you.

Find Erik's Voluminous List of Works on the Comic Book Data Base
Visit him at his site Savage Dragon


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