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

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

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