If you don't pay your exorcist, you get repossessed.

Well, for the last few years I have been working at a grocery store that serves as a gateway to the weekend destination spot for all the rich folks of the Green Country area of Oklahoma. It is a nightmare weekend where sales are through the roof. Which would be fine if the employees got profit sharing but instead it is a time where you basically bust tail for your entire shift and beyond. Needless to say, I am not looking forward to it. The paycheck will be nice but it is times like this where I really wish I could just work in comic books full time.
Summertime continues to fly by. I would have to do the math but I think it is safe to say the kids are probably past (or very close) to the halfway point of their vacation. And we are pretty darn close to the halfway point of the year. Where all has 2007 gone?
Despite the long hours and minimal pay of my 40-hour-a-week job, I have been still plugging away with my comic projects and I am hoping to complete more and more in July but a lot of that will be dependent upon my work schedule. My goal is use this blog as a showcase for the creative process and show how the workings of a writer’s mind. Maybe if I can get a few minutes of peace and quiet, I’ll get to work on that.

A midget fortune-teller who escapes from prison is a small medium at large.

There are many philosophers and theorists that state that life is a journey. The typical play on that is that life is a journey and not a destination. I tend to subscribe to this theory but I believe that life is like a highway. (Go ahead and sing some of the Tom Cochrane song lyrics.)
But as you travel down your highway of life, there are many off ramps and interchanges that can lead you in different directions. I think it is these forks in the road that you come to and you have to decide which road to go down.
I think it is human nature to look back on those choices and wonder which different direction your life could have taken. The three big choices that change your life probably come down to spouse, children, and career because these choices invariably have the biggest impact on your life or—in keeping with the metaphor—have the biggest interchanges. It is these three moments that you look back and wonder how your life could have been different.
Here very recently, I have been considering my career path. I feel that every person has a destiny. Typically this destiny is often associated with your career because, let’s face it, in American society—more often than not—you are what you do. I do not personally feel that this is the case.
I think that a person has to find their destiny and that is what brings them to happiness in their life. Unfortunately, no one can tell you what your destiny is. That is something that you have to discover for yourself.
However, there are the lucky few—that small percentage—that discover their destiny and are able to make a living at it. Those people are the truly happy. They don’t ask for vacation time. They don’t dread getting out of bed in the morning to go to their daily grind. No, they leap out of bed both happy and excited.
I am on my way to becoming one of the bed-leapers. Unfortunately, the paychecks from writing comic books are not substantial and frequent enough (yet) for me to become solely dependent upon them.
I currently have a full time job to pay the bills but I consider it my second job and writing is my first. And in the words of every bong-smoking hippie from the ‘70s, “What a long strange trip it has been.”
Remember how I said that life is a journey and decisions you make take you down one road instead of another. I like to think that writing comics was (and is) my destiny. In a way, I don’t like that word because it makes it sound like I didn’t have a choice. While the pull of writing has been impossibly strong (imagine it like the four-lane highway), there were many off ramps that I could have taken to take me off my path.
I think anyone who works in a creative endeavor often looks back on their lives and wonders about the choices that they make (both big and small) and wonder what might have been and what could have been.
I have turned down opportunities and offers and paths that could have lead me in a different direction but in the end, I think that pursuing my dream will make me happier and in the long run that makes me a better person.

Why is “Bra” singular and “Panties” plural?

So back a few years ago, I saw information about something called a Force FX Lightsaber. It is a scale replica of lightsabers used in the Star Wars movies that have fluorescent lights with motion and clashing sounds. They were pretty darn expensive but very, very cool.
Then when I saw the blades in action on a reality TV show, I really wanted to get one. I remember my mom telling me (in her infinite wisdom) that if I bought one, I would have to buy two so I could fight with someone. I gave her the pish tosh and said, “No, I just want the one to put on my desk.” The one I purchased was Mace Windu’s purple lightsaber from Episode II: Attack of the Clones. After I got it home, opened it up, put the batteries in and turned it on, I realized… Mom was right.
It has been a few years since that first purchase but in that time I have purchased Darth Vader’s from Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, two Darth Maul’s from Episode I: The Phantom Menace (which combine together to make the full 7’ double-bladed lightsaber, and I have my blue Obi-Wan Kenobi lightsaber from Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
There are rumors floating that they are supposed to make Qui-Gon Jinn’s green lightsaber from Episode I. I plan on purchasing that one and then I swear I am done. That will give me a purple, blue, green, and two (technically three) red lightsabers.
See, in bright daylight, it is very tough to tell that the blades are on. Fighting in total darkness is kind of rough because you cannot see your surroundings and the light of the blades tend to be somewhat blinding. But there is a magic hour between dusk and darkness where you can see the blades clearly and still see your opponent. Needless to say, the neighbors must just shake their heads when they see the boys and me out on the front lawn. Many epic battles have been fought in the front and side lawns. Yes, some have involved the trampoline. But now that we have two “good Jedi” lightsabers, we can have two Jedi knights fighting against a deadly Sith Lord. And I need both of my double blades of the Darth Maul to defend against their relentless assault.
I’ve tried to get Amy to fight me but she considers it juvenile. Wimmens. So I’m off to fight yet another battle. Bothan spies have delivered secret information that a rogue Sith Lord is lurking in the Bantha pasture fields of the planet Adaira and the noble Jedi Knight Al-Ex Foelee and his skilled padawan Jay-Sunn have been sent by the Jedi Council to dispatch this dark lord…

A hangover is the wrath of grapes.

It is funny. I went out last night with an old friend to have a few beers (I’m getting old, kids!) but that was the first time I had been out in a long time. Even though I am a bit a of a homebody to begin with, even our weekly poker games or just getting together to do nothing with my friends has begun to slowly fade away as I get older.

Also, last weekend, Amy’s 1994 high school graduating class held a thirteen-year reunion. (They failed to have a 10-year reunion because of an unmotivated class president.) Amy was integral in the reunion and used a lot of contacts through MySpace to organize it. This has caused me to think back to my old high school days.

Way back when, my mom told me that your spouse should be your best friend because more often than not, that is the person you spend the most time with. Here lately, I have been spending too much time at work but aside from that time, Amy is the person I spend most of my time with.
Now don’t get me wrong, Amy is the person I would most like to spend time with any way but there are times when I wish it could be different. I sometimes think it is unfair that life pulls all of us in different directions. Maybe if I could hit that big lottery things would change. But until then, I sometimes wish there could be some driving force that could get all of my old friends back together. Or even maintain regular contact.

Well, like Dandy Don Meredith used to say, “If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we’d all have a Merry Christmas.”

A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.

You know I look at some people’s blogs and they update them daily. Man, I wish I had that much time on my hands!!!
Things have been busy for me lately but I want to consider that a good thing. Overtime means more money and this has been a heckuva couple o’ months! Aside from having to purchase a new van for Amy and working more than forty hours a week at my regular 9-to-5 job, I’m still trying to put together a comic career over here!
But news on that front is the best it has ever been. I have finished my last commissioned assignment and I am currently writing two original series. That’s right, kids. While I have been slogging through commissions and working with other people’s ideas, my publisher is showing enough faith in me to give me a shot at a few original series.
And I don’t want to sound like I am tooting my own horn but I think I have come p with two pretty impressive stories for my first outing. Time will tell but I wanted to let everyone know why I haven’t been updating my blog as regularly as I normally do.

Condoms should be used on every conceivable occasion.

Okay, so I will admit that self-deprecating humor is kind of my bread and butter. The other day, Amy and I are watching TV and there is a commercial for AllTel with their blonde spokesperson Chad being hauled into a van by his cell phone rivals.
After some conversation, Chad asks the guy in the yellow shirt, “What level Dungeon Master are you?”
I narrowed my eyes and was a split second away from saying “DMs don’t have levels.”
But before I could speak, the yellow shirt guy (I think he might be Sprint) scoffs at him and says, “Dungeon Masters don’t have levels… Dork.”
At this comment, my wife bursts into hysterical laughter and looks over at me…It’s not easy being a geek but somehow, I manage…

A boiled egg in the morning is hard to beat.

I think I've talked about this before but in case you forgot...

I went to the theaters to watch Deja Vu starring Denzel Washington. It is coming out on DVD this Tuesday (the 24th). I got a sneak peek at the DVD and I was reminded just how GREAT this movie is. It is one of the best I have seen in a long time. I highly recommend it. While you are there, rent Smokin' Aces while you are at it.

Who says I don't give good movie rental advice?

RMF Enterprises Bares Fangs

Writer to release 5-issue original mini-series through Arcana Studios.

For several years I have been pursuing a career in writing… It has been a long slog. I’ve fought. I’ve clawed. Joe Quesada at Marvel has rejected me more times than I care to count. Top Cow and Wildstorm said “No.” And then there were the dark times where I received no rejection, just flat out no response at all.

I’ve received letters of praise from people like Wildstorm Editor Drew Bittner and artist Tim Seely that kept me motivated. I turned a major corner when I was hired to write my first issue of Masters of the Universe. And while I have been working on several projects since my first publication, I have just turned a major corner.

I have sold my first original mini-series.

While details are still being kept confidential, I can confirm that Arcana Studios has purchased my 5-issue original mini-series entitled Midnight to Daylight, a short series revolving around the mysterious and romantic world of the vampire.

For this particular series, I will be working with two artists that have yet to be hired but the contributions will result in a tremendously fast release schedule.

More information will be available as I learn it. Right now I have too much work to do. But this event is the biggest event in comics to happen to me since getting my first assignment.

More soon…

Shotgun wedding: A case of wife or death.

On Friday, April 20th, Amy and I are going to celebrate our ten-year wedding anniversary. At times, I often have to wonder what I have done or what blessed constellation I was born under to have found a woman that would put up with me for an entire decade as husband and wife.
Now, I know, you are saying to yourself, “Ryan, what are you talking about?” I know. I know. After all, I am a sexy beast. Who needs your pretty boys like Brad Pitt and George Clooney when you can have an overweight, balding man with an addiction to comic books, collects action figures, and has unquenchable thirst to write “the funny books.” Six pack abs and a six-figure salary? Ppshaw! I have like a 200-issue run of Captain America, a complete run of Spawn with Issue #1 autographed by Todd McFarlane, a massive DVD and Music Soundtrack set, and a massive Marvel Legends action figure collection… Now, that is a dowry!
Still, being married with children and facing a few hurdles financially, it is hard for us to properly celebrate our big two-digit anniversary with a night on the town or renting out a honeymoon suite. I have come to accept this and as long as we are together, that is really all that matters.
My mom always used to tell me that you have to make sure that your wife is your best friend because at times it is just the two of you. As my life continues to stretch on and people get pulled in various directions (family, career, etc.), at times I do find my family become more and more isolated. This causes Amy and I to lean on each other even more. There have been hills and valleys in my life and Amy has been there for all of them. I know that the bad times helps us appreciate the good times and because of all of this, I can honestly say that I am more in love with her now that I was when we were married.

Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.

Where were you when Captain America died?
It’s true, people. Steve Rogers—the heroic Captain America—was gunned down by a sniper’s bullet in Captain America #25.
Death in comics has become cliché at times. The cardinal rule in comics is that only Bucky stays dead. Marvel broke that rule awhile back revealing that Cap’s sidekick—thought killed in WWII—was actually the Winter Soldier. So maybe it should be only Uncle Ben stays dead…
Still, I have read several deaths in comics. Marvel Girl. Superman. Hawkeye.
But to have Cap killed after surrendering to end Marvel’s Civil War and learn about it on the Channel 8 evening news… yeah, it came as a shocker. Marvel did a good job keeping this one under the radar. I don’t think anyone saw it coming.
I’m not sure if it is a good thing or a bad thing but I find it curious how these fictional characters can move us emotionally. Be it Cap, Mr. Eko, Apollo Creed, Dumbledore…
Strange.
Still, I find it hard to believe that Cap is gone forever. The question right now is how will his book continue with the main character dead but it certainly makes for interesting reading. I’m sure it may take a few years and then Steve Rogers will return to his rightful mantle but until then, you still miss Big Blue.

So, until then, permission to stand down, soldier. Permission to stand down…